Premise: Harry and Company are back.
Stars: Daniel Radcliffe * Rupert Grint * Emma Watson * Michael Gambon * Alan Rickman * Jim Broadbent
Story: Harry Potter is back, along with Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna, Dumbledore and the rest. This time Voldemort is a background player, with the direct threats personified by Draco Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange, and Severus Snape. A new professor comes to Hogwarts, Professor Slughorn, who holds a key to defeating Voldemort. Harry also develops a relationship with Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister, while Ron and Hermione go through the pains of teen love. In the end, Malfoy represents a threat not to Harry, but to Dumbledore himself.
Review: I'm not going to go into how the changes from the book drastically change the feel and tone of the movie. While a couple of important plotlines and pivotal moments remain, a number are changed or outright removed. Instead I'll focus on the weaknesses of the film.
Draco has been established as a whiny ne'er-do-well who is no serious menace to Potter, instead he relies on his thuggish companions and his connections to more powerful menaces to try and ruin Potter's life. In this movie, he is pretty much the same but is being used to represent the main in-story threat, aside from vague menace from a silent voiceless character who appears vaguely wolfish (Fenrir Greyback is the name and it is seen briefly on a newspaper) and Bellatrix Lestrange who appears a couple of times to try and embody Voldemort's threat at the beginning and end of the film. So the movie lacks a primary credible threat, as Potter has demonstrated multiple times before that he can defeat Malfoy through his wits.
The teen love that dominates the majority of the film is focused on Ron and Hermione. While the performance of Lavendar Brown is refreshing at first, it quickly becomes grating - as it does for Ron in the storyline. Hermione's love affair with Cormac McLaggen plays mainly as her avoidance of a boor who is simultaneously Ron's rival in Quidditch. Luna and Harry have a date, but Harry's eyes are kept on Ginny Weasley. The problem with both romances is that both female characters are played as lovestruck fools - and in Ginny's case mostly a cipher with no established character of her own. Hermione spends most of the movie in an amped up performance of her scenes in earlier films - crying and miserable.
Slughorn (Broadbent), however, is a refreshing change and is a scene stealer when he appears. In his dealings with Dumbledore and Harry, he provides a refreshing change from the teen angst that goes on elsewhere.
Dumbledore (Gambon) is no longer the pre-eminent, wise and seemingly invincible wizard he was in the earlier movies. From his first appearance, Dumbledore appears worn down and constantly weakening - which could be understood if one knew the context from the book, but which is not explained in the movie.
There are pivotal scenes retained from the book, but as a result of the editing presented in condensing a thick text, the film doesn't really captivate the audience, aside from the initial Pottermania euphoria which accompanies every film. As a result, this film feels more like a filler episode in a series, where characters are slightly fleshed out, but it only serves to whet the appetite for a follow-up film - in this case the two adaptations of the follow-up novel.
Overall: Mediocre
Other Sites: Wikipedia * IMDb * AllMovie * Rotten Tomatoes
Monday, July 20, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
Premise: Autobots vs Decepticons again, with Sam Witwicky along for the ride.
Stars: Shia LeBouef * Megan Fox * Josh Duhamel * Tyrese Gibson
Story: A couple of years after the first movie, the Autobots and a multi-national team of soldiers have been hunting down Decepticon cells across Earth. Sam Witwicky has gone through school and is about to go to college. Unfortunately, a sliver of the AllSpark remained in Sam's jacket and imprints its language on Sam's mind. The Decepticons resurrect Megatron, contact their progenitor - the Fallen - and set out to recover that knowledge from Sam. Along the way, the Autobots have a falling out with a bureaucrat over apparent suspicions of loyalty once fighting breaks out.
Review: Honestly, this movie will keep your seat vibrating with noise, explosions, small thrills, and some gratuitous skin. But it will simultaneously kill brain cells. There should be a Surgeon General's warning on this film for anyone watching this film sober.
There are enough plot holes to drive a planet through. There are enough offensive stereotypes to generously offend every member of the audience - all ages and all races. This film is a literal 'screw you' to every fan of the original series, even while it throws in everything under the sun.
For a start:
There's the Decepticon Pretender which is a Species ripoff. There are giant steel testes. I say again, giant steel testes. Decepticons which previously were impervious to all but sabot rounds are now killed by random small arms fire. Autobot commandos - including Optimus 'the idealist' - hunt down Decepticons who have not harmed anyone - when it is later shown that Decepticons can choose to be Autobots if allowed to. A small Decepticon acts like a hormonal pooch. Two Autobots talk in hip-hop slang and have gold teeth. Transformer 'heaven' acts as a deux ex machina to save the day. A transformer with a beard and cane. A transformer that has been around for 10,000 years and is a SR-71 blackbird. Sam & Co. walk through the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC and ending up in an airplane graveyard - all of which are in the American Southwest. A key Decepticon from the first movie is brought in momentarily, only to be immediately be killed. Time is literally wasted on stoner humor of the wrong variety - did we need to see Mrs. Witwicky get high?
And lastly, a very unnecessary thong which illustrated Mr. Bay showing his ass to the audience.
I don't think everything is wrong with this film and I can point out a few good things. Robots fight. There are attractive people in the film. The lighting is masterful as always in a Bay film. Robots fight.
Overall: Bad
Other Sites: Wikipedia * IMDb * AllMovie * Rotten Tomatoes
Stars: Shia LeBouef * Megan Fox * Josh Duhamel * Tyrese Gibson
Story: A couple of years after the first movie, the Autobots and a multi-national team of soldiers have been hunting down Decepticon cells across Earth. Sam Witwicky has gone through school and is about to go to college. Unfortunately, a sliver of the AllSpark remained in Sam's jacket and imprints its language on Sam's mind. The Decepticons resurrect Megatron, contact their progenitor - the Fallen - and set out to recover that knowledge from Sam. Along the way, the Autobots have a falling out with a bureaucrat over apparent suspicions of loyalty once fighting breaks out.
Review: Honestly, this movie will keep your seat vibrating with noise, explosions, small thrills, and some gratuitous skin. But it will simultaneously kill brain cells. There should be a Surgeon General's warning on this film for anyone watching this film sober.
There are enough plot holes to drive a planet through. There are enough offensive stereotypes to generously offend every member of the audience - all ages and all races. This film is a literal 'screw you' to every fan of the original series, even while it throws in everything under the sun.
For a start:
There's the Decepticon Pretender which is a Species ripoff. There are giant steel testes. I say again, giant steel testes. Decepticons which previously were impervious to all but sabot rounds are now killed by random small arms fire. Autobot commandos - including Optimus 'the idealist' - hunt down Decepticons who have not harmed anyone - when it is later shown that Decepticons can choose to be Autobots if allowed to. A small Decepticon acts like a hormonal pooch. Two Autobots talk in hip-hop slang and have gold teeth. Transformer 'heaven' acts as a deux ex machina to save the day. A transformer with a beard and cane. A transformer that has been around for 10,000 years and is a SR-71 blackbird. Sam & Co. walk through the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC and ending up in an airplane graveyard - all of which are in the American Southwest. A key Decepticon from the first movie is brought in momentarily, only to be immediately be killed. Time is literally wasted on stoner humor of the wrong variety - did we need to see Mrs. Witwicky get high?
And lastly, a very unnecessary thong which illustrated Mr. Bay showing his ass to the audience.
I don't think everything is wrong with this film and I can point out a few good things. Robots fight. There are attractive people in the film. The lighting is masterful as always in a Bay film. Robots fight.
Overall: Bad
Other Sites: Wikipedia * IMDb * AllMovie * Rotten Tomatoes
Land of the Lost (2009)
Premise: A comedic sendup of the 1970s children's show.
Stars: Will Ferrell * Danny R McBride * Anna Friel
Story: Professor Rick Marshall (Ferrell) has become a laughingstock in the scientific community following his publication of a work where he puts forth the idea that artificially created wormholes will solve the world's energy crisis. Disgraced, he is visited by a graduate student, Holly (Friel) who believes in him and has become an outcast herself. She convinces him to test his idea at a local road sideshow, where Will (McBride) shows visitors his 'Devil's Cave' which is little more than runoff and waste.
Marshall's tachyon emitter (the device that is intended to create wormholes) actually triggers a wormhole, sending the three to the Land of the Lost, a kind of pocket alternate universe where the 'detritus of our universe' ends up - some aliens, a run-down motel, some primitive cave men, dinosaurs, and more.
The rest of the movie follows the trio's adventure as they attempt to recover the tachyon emitter, prevent the alien Sleestak from taking over Earth, and survive attacks by an intelligent tyrannosaur.
Review: The movie is a pastiche of typical Ferrell humour: stupid toilet humour, flabby belly jokes, getting stoned/drunk, whining loudly, and supposedly comical pratfalls. Ferrell follows his tried-and-true formula, of going for the easy laughs. His partners this time around, a smart-but-naive Friel and Danny R McBride (again playing his standard shtick) are respectively his foil/love interest and smartass sidekick.
Between boorish whiny Ferrell and boorish obnoxious McBride, it's clear where this movie was aiming. Unlike its brethren - the send-ups of The Brady Bunch and Starsky & Hutch - this movie doesn't aim for the brain, but for the belly. And for a while, it hits its mark.
Unfortunately, it just keeps going for the belly laugh over and over. Which gets old. Some jokes are simply unfunny. The plot with the Sleestak and the tachyon emitter is interesting, but is simply lifted from most films - bad guy wants the device, manipulates the protagonists to get it, protagonists save the day.
Friel is literally a waste in this movie, as the presence of an always-horny and perverted cave man - probably the funniest character in the movie - steals the show. Just not enough of it.
Overall: Bad
Other Sites: Wikipedia * IMDb * AllMovie * Rotten Tomatoes
Stars: Will Ferrell * Danny R McBride * Anna Friel
Story: Professor Rick Marshall (Ferrell) has become a laughingstock in the scientific community following his publication of a work where he puts forth the idea that artificially created wormholes will solve the world's energy crisis. Disgraced, he is visited by a graduate student, Holly (Friel) who believes in him and has become an outcast herself. She convinces him to test his idea at a local road sideshow, where Will (McBride) shows visitors his 'Devil's Cave' which is little more than runoff and waste.
Marshall's tachyon emitter (the device that is intended to create wormholes) actually triggers a wormhole, sending the three to the Land of the Lost, a kind of pocket alternate universe where the 'detritus of our universe' ends up - some aliens, a run-down motel, some primitive cave men, dinosaurs, and more.
The rest of the movie follows the trio's adventure as they attempt to recover the tachyon emitter, prevent the alien Sleestak from taking over Earth, and survive attacks by an intelligent tyrannosaur.
Review: The movie is a pastiche of typical Ferrell humour: stupid toilet humour, flabby belly jokes, getting stoned/drunk, whining loudly, and supposedly comical pratfalls. Ferrell follows his tried-and-true formula, of going for the easy laughs. His partners this time around, a smart-but-naive Friel and Danny R McBride (again playing his standard shtick) are respectively his foil/love interest and smartass sidekick.
Between boorish whiny Ferrell and boorish obnoxious McBride, it's clear where this movie was aiming. Unlike its brethren - the send-ups of The Brady Bunch and Starsky & Hutch - this movie doesn't aim for the brain, but for the belly. And for a while, it hits its mark.
Unfortunately, it just keeps going for the belly laugh over and over. Which gets old. Some jokes are simply unfunny. The plot with the Sleestak and the tachyon emitter is interesting, but is simply lifted from most films - bad guy wants the device, manipulates the protagonists to get it, protagonists save the day.
Friel is literally a waste in this movie, as the presence of an always-horny and perverted cave man - probably the funniest character in the movie - steals the show. Just not enough of it.
Overall: Bad
Other Sites: Wikipedia * IMDb * AllMovie * Rotten Tomatoes
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Terminator Salvation (2009)
Premise: After Judgment Day, John Connor leads the human resistance fights Skynet and its army of terminators.
Stars: Christian Bale * Sam Worthington * Moon Bloodgod * Anton Yelchin
Story: After Judgment Day, John Connor (Bale) leads an army of human resistance fighters against the machines of Skynet. On one of his raids on a Skynet base, the human fighters discover experiments being done upon humans in order to create better infiltration units (the terminators of the previous movies). After Connor escapes, a lone survivor from the site stumbles out into the world.
Marcus (Worthington), the survivor, wanders until he ends up in devastated Los Angeles, where he is nearly attacked by a terminator. Saved from certain death by young Kyle Reese (Yelchin) and his companion, Marcus ends up traveling with the duo in an attempt to reach other survivors.
Meanwhile, Connor faces opposition to his plan to save humans being experimented on by Skynet from the leaders of the resistance, and works on rigging a signal designed to stop the terminators so that his team can stage a rescue.
Marcus and Connor cross paths after Reese is captured by the terminators and taken to the Skynet base. The stage is set for a showdown as it is revealed that Marcus is one of the prototypes for the cyborg terminators. However, the two reluctantly team up to save young Reese and to find out who made Marcus into a cyborg.
Review: Christian Bale has not expanded his repertoire. Capable of gritty and serious (Reign of Fire, Batman Begins) and borderline psycho (The Machinist, American Psycho) it appears that acting human has escaped Bale - although the writing doesn't leave much for him to expand in this direction. Bale's Connor is a grizzled, borderline psychotic action hero but has none of the humanizing qualities one looks for in a story such as this.
Instead, Marcus (Worthington) fulfills the role of the wandering mysterious hero - both human and different. He recalls Jean Claude Van Damme in the Cyborg movie - and bears more than a passing resemblance to the old action star. The bonding with both Kyle Reese and Blair Williams (Bloodgod) make the cyborg seem much more human than even Connor.
This dueling characterization - the machine as the hero, the hero as the machine - may seem to reflect an aim of the writers to make the movie more of a debate about the nature of heroism, but it fails. There is no bonding to the character of John Connor by the audience, and the forced ending kills much enthusiasm for the scant storytelling.
With the lack of solid characterization on the part of the humans, the storytelling heavily relies upon the effects departments - sound and CGI. The world looks more like the setting of a video game - one can honestly pick out what levels the adventure takes place on - and the sound and violence is loud and explosive. Of course the audience is really looking for the terminators, the endoskeletons, what Skynet looks like, etc. And for the most part, the terminators are men in suits - clearly visible in a few scenes - or model robots - motorcycles, planes, and even snakes.
There are obvious shots that are throwbacks to the three earlier movies - the diesel tow truck here, the motorcycle there, even Guns & Roses 'You Could Be Mine' is heard, along with a surprise appearance near the end. It's like the writers had a checklist and went down the line, marking off the requisite effect.
Instead of this, it would have been more appealing to make a movie where the John Connor storyline is in the background, and focus on Marcus Wright. He's really the only character you begin to care about in this movie, and a well-written story centered on him would've easily been a more welcome entry in this franchise. As it stands, there is very little humanizing about the movie, and the obviously forced ending removes any appreciation for characterization. Including departures from the established Terminator storyline, the film feels like a further notch on the downward spiral since Terminator 2, the obvious high mark in this effects-driven franchise.
Overall: Bad
Other Sites: IMDb * Wikipedia * AllMovie * Rotten Tomatoes
Stars: Christian Bale * Sam Worthington * Moon Bloodgod * Anton Yelchin
Story: After Judgment Day, John Connor (Bale) leads an army of human resistance fighters against the machines of Skynet. On one of his raids on a Skynet base, the human fighters discover experiments being done upon humans in order to create better infiltration units (the terminators of the previous movies). After Connor escapes, a lone survivor from the site stumbles out into the world.
Marcus (Worthington), the survivor, wanders until he ends up in devastated Los Angeles, where he is nearly attacked by a terminator. Saved from certain death by young Kyle Reese (Yelchin) and his companion, Marcus ends up traveling with the duo in an attempt to reach other survivors.
Meanwhile, Connor faces opposition to his plan to save humans being experimented on by Skynet from the leaders of the resistance, and works on rigging a signal designed to stop the terminators so that his team can stage a rescue.
Marcus and Connor cross paths after Reese is captured by the terminators and taken to the Skynet base. The stage is set for a showdown as it is revealed that Marcus is one of the prototypes for the cyborg terminators. However, the two reluctantly team up to save young Reese and to find out who made Marcus into a cyborg.
Review: Christian Bale has not expanded his repertoire. Capable of gritty and serious (Reign of Fire, Batman Begins) and borderline psycho (The Machinist, American Psycho) it appears that acting human has escaped Bale - although the writing doesn't leave much for him to expand in this direction. Bale's Connor is a grizzled, borderline psychotic action hero but has none of the humanizing qualities one looks for in a story such as this.
Instead, Marcus (Worthington) fulfills the role of the wandering mysterious hero - both human and different. He recalls Jean Claude Van Damme in the Cyborg movie - and bears more than a passing resemblance to the old action star. The bonding with both Kyle Reese and Blair Williams (Bloodgod) make the cyborg seem much more human than even Connor.
This dueling characterization - the machine as the hero, the hero as the machine - may seem to reflect an aim of the writers to make the movie more of a debate about the nature of heroism, but it fails. There is no bonding to the character of John Connor by the audience, and the forced ending kills much enthusiasm for the scant storytelling.
With the lack of solid characterization on the part of the humans, the storytelling heavily relies upon the effects departments - sound and CGI. The world looks more like the setting of a video game - one can honestly pick out what levels the adventure takes place on - and the sound and violence is loud and explosive. Of course the audience is really looking for the terminators, the endoskeletons, what Skynet looks like, etc. And for the most part, the terminators are men in suits - clearly visible in a few scenes - or model robots - motorcycles, planes, and even snakes.
There are obvious shots that are throwbacks to the three earlier movies - the diesel tow truck here, the motorcycle there, even Guns & Roses 'You Could Be Mine' is heard, along with a surprise appearance near the end. It's like the writers had a checklist and went down the line, marking off the requisite effect.
Instead of this, it would have been more appealing to make a movie where the John Connor storyline is in the background, and focus on Marcus Wright. He's really the only character you begin to care about in this movie, and a well-written story centered on him would've easily been a more welcome entry in this franchise. As it stands, there is very little humanizing about the movie, and the obviously forced ending removes any appreciation for characterization. Including departures from the established Terminator storyline, the film feels like a further notch on the downward spiral since Terminator 2, the obvious high mark in this effects-driven franchise.
Overall: Bad
Other Sites: IMDb * Wikipedia * AllMovie * Rotten Tomatoes
UP (2009)
Premise: An elderly man undertakes an adventure he's put off for decades but finds more than he bargained for when a neighborhood kid accidentally is brought along.
Stars: Ed Asner (voice) * Jordan Nagai (voice) * Christopher Plummer (voice)
Story: Carl Frederickson (Asner) is an elderly man whose life has been filled with love of his wife Ellie. After her passing, he lives alone, a shut-in, while the city moves in and surrounds the plot of land where the two had built their lives. Facing a forced move to a retirement home, he decides to undertake an adventure that both he and his wife had wanted to pursue as children, but had to put off as reality took most of their meager earnings.
Attaching thousands of helium balloons to his home, Carl detaches his home and life from the old plot of ground, but quickly discovers an unwelcome guest - Russell (Nagai), a Wilderness Explorer scout that was attempting to help the elderly man has accidentally stowed away on his porch. Unable to get rid of the boy, Carl faces his trip to South America with the passenger and experiences some - at first - unwelcome adventures as they approach his target.
Russell encounters a strange bird that he names Kevin and unwittingly involves Carl in the life's hunt of Charles Muntz (Plummer), setting the man against his childhood hero.
Review: The movie is absolutely superb. As with most Pixar films (A Bug's Life, Finding Nemo), the animation is excellent and does not distract. That aside, the story is moving, inviting, and endearing.
Without seeming to, Pixar has created their first truly human character, in Carl Frederickson, a triumph of writing, visual storytelling, and the gravelly voice of Ed Asner. Asner does an excellent job as Carl, an elderly man who has recently lost his beloved wife. The quiet, subdued music that accompanies the story of Carl & Ellie's life together is near-perfect as ten minutes unfolds and the trials, triumphs, and tragedies of their lives together unwinds on film. It literally left me in tears. As Carl faces life alone in his small house, the sprawl of the city takes over the once suburban landscape, leaving the man nothing but his dreams of the past. One can clearly see the years and care on the man's face, an achievement for Pixar animation.
Russell, voiced by newcomer Nagai, is a young boy whose happiness is built upon his scouting and the visits by his father at the awards ceremony. His earnestness and honesty are welcome even as they initially do nothing more than irritate the old man. His positive outlook masks an attempt to move past the disappointment in his family life, and the slow reveal of his inner character visibly moves Carl out of his shell.
The bond that grows between the two is possibly one of the finest storytelling moments in Pixar's movies. Previous films focused on established families (The Incredibles, Finding Nemo), blossoming romance (Cars, Wall-E), situational comedy (A Bug's Life) or buddy movies (Toy Story & Toy Story 2). This is the first film by Pixar where a family relationship is created on-screen, and between two dreamers - an old man setting off on what seems to be the end of his life's journey and a young boy trying to hold on to his fragile links to his father.
Their adventure together - it is unclear if the journey takes only a few days or more - brings Carl back to life, as it were, and through his experience, we share in the joy, the pain and heartache and the realization of a dream.
P.S. The opening animated short Partly Cloudy is also quite entertaining and serves as a nice appetizer for the film.
Overall: Good.
Other Sites: IMDb * AllMovie * Wikipedia * Rotten Tomatoes
Stars: Ed Asner (voice) * Jordan Nagai (voice) * Christopher Plummer (voice)
Story: Carl Frederickson (Asner) is an elderly man whose life has been filled with love of his wife Ellie. After her passing, he lives alone, a shut-in, while the city moves in and surrounds the plot of land where the two had built their lives. Facing a forced move to a retirement home, he decides to undertake an adventure that both he and his wife had wanted to pursue as children, but had to put off as reality took most of their meager earnings.
Attaching thousands of helium balloons to his home, Carl detaches his home and life from the old plot of ground, but quickly discovers an unwelcome guest - Russell (Nagai), a Wilderness Explorer scout that was attempting to help the elderly man has accidentally stowed away on his porch. Unable to get rid of the boy, Carl faces his trip to South America with the passenger and experiences some - at first - unwelcome adventures as they approach his target.
Russell encounters a strange bird that he names Kevin and unwittingly involves Carl in the life's hunt of Charles Muntz (Plummer), setting the man against his childhood hero.
Review: The movie is absolutely superb. As with most Pixar films (A Bug's Life, Finding Nemo), the animation is excellent and does not distract. That aside, the story is moving, inviting, and endearing.
Without seeming to, Pixar has created their first truly human character, in Carl Frederickson, a triumph of writing, visual storytelling, and the gravelly voice of Ed Asner. Asner does an excellent job as Carl, an elderly man who has recently lost his beloved wife. The quiet, subdued music that accompanies the story of Carl & Ellie's life together is near-perfect as ten minutes unfolds and the trials, triumphs, and tragedies of their lives together unwinds on film. It literally left me in tears. As Carl faces life alone in his small house, the sprawl of the city takes over the once suburban landscape, leaving the man nothing but his dreams of the past. One can clearly see the years and care on the man's face, an achievement for Pixar animation.
Russell, voiced by newcomer Nagai, is a young boy whose happiness is built upon his scouting and the visits by his father at the awards ceremony. His earnestness and honesty are welcome even as they initially do nothing more than irritate the old man. His positive outlook masks an attempt to move past the disappointment in his family life, and the slow reveal of his inner character visibly moves Carl out of his shell.
The bond that grows between the two is possibly one of the finest storytelling moments in Pixar's movies. Previous films focused on established families (The Incredibles, Finding Nemo), blossoming romance (Cars, Wall-E), situational comedy (A Bug's Life) or buddy movies (Toy Story & Toy Story 2). This is the first film by Pixar where a family relationship is created on-screen, and between two dreamers - an old man setting off on what seems to be the end of his life's journey and a young boy trying to hold on to his fragile links to his father.
Their adventure together - it is unclear if the journey takes only a few days or more - brings Carl back to life, as it were, and through his experience, we share in the joy, the pain and heartache and the realization of a dream.
P.S. The opening animated short Partly Cloudy is also quite entertaining and serves as a nice appetizer for the film.
Overall: Good.
Other Sites: IMDb * AllMovie * Wikipedia * Rotten Tomatoes
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Son of Rambow (2007)
Premise: A sheltered young student makes friends with the school bully. They share a passion for the Stallone film First Blood, leading to a mix of adventure, trial, and growth for both.
Stars: Bill Milner * Will Poulter * Jules Sitruk
Story: Will Proudfoot (Milner) is a shy student at school, and lives under the umbrella of his mother, a member of the strict, conservative Plymouth Brethren sect. Due to an accident at school, he is sent to the school's office, where he meets Lee Carter (Poulter) the school bully and troublemaker. Will pays Carter to take the blame for the accident after the bully plays on the fears of the shy student as to what physical harm is inflicted by the Headmistress.
Will and Carter become acquaintances and Carter convinces Will to take part in his attempt at remaking the Stallone action flick, First Blood. Carter takes on the role of Trautman as Will enthusiastically approaches the role of the Son of Rambo in order to escape his repressed home life.
While creating their film, the two bond as they have little outside relationships - Carter only has a brother, while Will's family life is stilted under the influence of the Brethren and his mother's new suitor. The duo are joined by French exchange student Didier (Sitruk) joins the duo, seeking something 'thrilling' in 'boring old England' - and the troupe that follows Didier's antics, turning the small film attempt into a full amateur production.
The introduction of the new element into the boys' friendship causes resentment and friction, leading to conflict.
Review: The trailers for the film focus solely on the humorous elements of the movie, which does a huge disservice to it. The film concentrates on following the friendship between Will Proudfoot and Lee Carter, from the moments before they meet to the end of the film.
The movie establishes that both come from dysfunctional families: Carter's mother is never present, off with her new husband, leaving Carter with his older brother who is neglectful in his attention. Proudfoot's mother is dealing with the impact the Plymouth Brethren's conservative and strict stance is having on her children, as well as a new suitor who is trying to put Will "in line". This places both boys outside their respective worlds and almost alone.
The performances are delightful - Poulter and Milner have an easy chemistry and their interactions with each other and with their families are believable and understandable. Milner's transformation from shy, quiet schoolboy to exuberant over-actor is nice to watch. Poulter's equal move from hardass bully and con-man to an emotionally exposed loyal friend is also rewarding to see.
While the direction of the movie may be predictable - there are only so many plotlines in the world after all - the road that the audience travels to get to the finale is rewarded with the presence of the two boys and their enthusiasm for their dreams and their friendship with each other. The introduction of the French student at first seems unconnected to the main plot, but of course, threads are tied together and Will & Lee's friendship is tested to the limit.
The only drawback is the very predictable "fish out of water" parable tacked on at the end of the movie. However, it still doesn't remove the warm feeling one gets from watching the central friendship grow.
Other Sites: IMDb * Wikipedia * AllMovie * Rotten Tomatoes
Stars: Bill Milner * Will Poulter * Jules Sitruk
Story: Will Proudfoot (Milner) is a shy student at school, and lives under the umbrella of his mother, a member of the strict, conservative Plymouth Brethren sect. Due to an accident at school, he is sent to the school's office, where he meets Lee Carter (Poulter) the school bully and troublemaker. Will pays Carter to take the blame for the accident after the bully plays on the fears of the shy student as to what physical harm is inflicted by the Headmistress.
Will and Carter become acquaintances and Carter convinces Will to take part in his attempt at remaking the Stallone action flick, First Blood. Carter takes on the role of Trautman as Will enthusiastically approaches the role of the Son of Rambo in order to escape his repressed home life.
While creating their film, the two bond as they have little outside relationships - Carter only has a brother, while Will's family life is stilted under the influence of the Brethren and his mother's new suitor. The duo are joined by French exchange student Didier (Sitruk) joins the duo, seeking something 'thrilling' in 'boring old England' - and the troupe that follows Didier's antics, turning the small film attempt into a full amateur production.
The introduction of the new element into the boys' friendship causes resentment and friction, leading to conflict.
Review: The trailers for the film focus solely on the humorous elements of the movie, which does a huge disservice to it. The film concentrates on following the friendship between Will Proudfoot and Lee Carter, from the moments before they meet to the end of the film.
The movie establishes that both come from dysfunctional families: Carter's mother is never present, off with her new husband, leaving Carter with his older brother who is neglectful in his attention. Proudfoot's mother is dealing with the impact the Plymouth Brethren's conservative and strict stance is having on her children, as well as a new suitor who is trying to put Will "in line". This places both boys outside their respective worlds and almost alone.
The performances are delightful - Poulter and Milner have an easy chemistry and their interactions with each other and with their families are believable and understandable. Milner's transformation from shy, quiet schoolboy to exuberant over-actor is nice to watch. Poulter's equal move from hardass bully and con-man to an emotionally exposed loyal friend is also rewarding to see.
While the direction of the movie may be predictable - there are only so many plotlines in the world after all - the road that the audience travels to get to the finale is rewarded with the presence of the two boys and their enthusiasm for their dreams and their friendship with each other. The introduction of the French student at first seems unconnected to the main plot, but of course, threads are tied together and Will & Lee's friendship is tested to the limit.
The only drawback is the very predictable "fish out of water" parable tacked on at the end of the movie. However, it still doesn't remove the warm feeling one gets from watching the central friendship grow.
Other Sites: IMDb * Wikipedia * AllMovie * Rotten Tomatoes
Friday, May 29, 2009
Drag Me to Hell (2009)
Premise: Young up-and-coming member of modern society pisses off a member of the old country. Demons, possessions, violence, and downright eerie things follow.
Stars: Alison Lohman (Matchstick Men) * Justin Long (the Mac guy) * Dileep Rao
Story: Banker Christine (Lohman) has a nice life with her milquetoast boyfriend (Long) and is working on a promotion. While doing so, she angers a local Gypsy woman (whether she's Gypsy, Hungarian, Roma, or just straight out of the Army of Darkness, you're not sure) who gets her revenge by placing a curse on the banker. Christine now has three days to get rid of the curse, or the demon summoned to avenge the wrong will take her physically to Hell.
Review: Pure Raimi. From the roving cameras to the eerie violins to the rushing winds to the madcap slapstick that occurs, this is vintage Evil Dead material. The film is a classic-style horror film - strange shit all of a sudden starts happening to an otherwise urbane twenty-something who has a limited time to save herself. Lohman does great work with the acting chops, going from sunshiney-goodness to wicked badass and proves that she can carry a genre film. Indeed, Christine could easily be seen as an inheritor of Ash, Bruce Campbell's character in Raimi's Evil Dead films, in her reactions to the weird happenings going on after her encounter with the Gypsy.
(Whether this odd timing pays off as DMtH plays against Terminator: Salvation, Up, and Night at the Museum 2 in terms of bank, I don't know, but hopefully better things are in store for Ms. Lohman. This is easily a film that would do well against the expected Saw-type tripe that will appear this Halloween season.)
Long, Rao and the rest of the cast are merely supporting characters with little to do except carry scenes and dialogue. The film is a basic character-study (what would any twentysomething do to avoid being sent to Hell?) and plot. It moves quickly, going from ominous to threatening, to grotesque to wicked funny to scary. It's driven by the music of genre regular Christopher Young and reminds one of Raimi's horror trilogy - sudden violins, troubling bass, all playing off sound effects designed for gotcha moments and suspense building.
The movie is literally a shock-and-go supernatural horror film designed to get the pulse pounding - even when you are expecting a shock and it comes straight as predicted, I could literally feel my pulse quicken after the moment. Raimi's body of work includes films designed around this - the aforementioned Evil Dead series - and other genre pictures - Darkman, moments in Spider-Man 2 - and allows the director to manipulate the audience in a manner unlike the more subdued A Simple Plan and Spider-Man 1 & 3.
One can easily see this film becoming a member of the Raimi ouvre that appears every Halloween.
Overall: Good
Other Sites: IMDb * Wikipedia * AllMovie * Rotten Tomatoes
Stars: Alison Lohman (Matchstick Men) * Justin Long (the Mac guy) * Dileep Rao
Story: Banker Christine (Lohman) has a nice life with her milquetoast boyfriend (Long) and is working on a promotion. While doing so, she angers a local Gypsy woman (whether she's Gypsy, Hungarian, Roma, or just straight out of the Army of Darkness, you're not sure) who gets her revenge by placing a curse on the banker. Christine now has three days to get rid of the curse, or the demon summoned to avenge the wrong will take her physically to Hell.
Review: Pure Raimi. From the roving cameras to the eerie violins to the rushing winds to the madcap slapstick that occurs, this is vintage Evil Dead material. The film is a classic-style horror film - strange shit all of a sudden starts happening to an otherwise urbane twenty-something who has a limited time to save herself. Lohman does great work with the acting chops, going from sunshiney-goodness to wicked badass and proves that she can carry a genre film. Indeed, Christine could easily be seen as an inheritor of Ash, Bruce Campbell's character in Raimi's Evil Dead films, in her reactions to the weird happenings going on after her encounter with the Gypsy.
(Whether this odd timing pays off as DMtH plays against Terminator: Salvation, Up, and Night at the Museum 2 in terms of bank, I don't know, but hopefully better things are in store for Ms. Lohman. This is easily a film that would do well against the expected Saw-type tripe that will appear this Halloween season.)
Long, Rao and the rest of the cast are merely supporting characters with little to do except carry scenes and dialogue. The film is a basic character-study (what would any twentysomething do to avoid being sent to Hell?) and plot. It moves quickly, going from ominous to threatening, to grotesque to wicked funny to scary. It's driven by the music of genre regular Christopher Young and reminds one of Raimi's horror trilogy - sudden violins, troubling bass, all playing off sound effects designed for gotcha moments and suspense building.
The movie is literally a shock-and-go supernatural horror film designed to get the pulse pounding - even when you are expecting a shock and it comes straight as predicted, I could literally feel my pulse quicken after the moment. Raimi's body of work includes films designed around this - the aforementioned Evil Dead series - and other genre pictures - Darkman, moments in Spider-Man 2 - and allows the director to manipulate the audience in a manner unlike the more subdued A Simple Plan and Spider-Man 1 & 3.
One can easily see this film becoming a member of the Raimi ouvre that appears every Halloween.
Overall: Good
Other Sites: IMDb * Wikipedia * AllMovie * Rotten Tomatoes
Star Trek (2009)
Premise: Return to where it all began. Kirk. Spock. McCoy. Sulu. Uhura. Chekov.
Stars: Chris Pine * Zachary Quinto * Eric Bana * Karl Urban * Leonard Nimoy * Zoe Saldana * Bruce Greenwood * Simon Pegg
Story: A young boy grows up without his father, a captain who died when he was born. Another young boy grows up as a child of two worlds, one alien, one human. Their futures entwine when they both go to Starfleet, one as an instructor, the other as a cadet. Their paths cross, the stage is set as they both end up on the Enterprise, the new flagship of a spaceborne United Nations. Unfortunately, a villain from the future has entered the current reality hellbent on revenge, including destroying the homeworlds of both Kirk (Pine) and Spock (Quinto).
Review: The acting is pretty much spot-on for all actors involved. Pine is arrogant and brash, but has that intelligence and wit to prove he's capable of leadership. Quinto does a great job portraying the conflict within Spock (I've never heard a better placed 'Fuck you' as when Spock says 'Live long and prosper' in one pivotal scene.) as his emotions roil beneath a calm exterior. Urban does homage to DeForest Kelley's performance as Doctor McCoy, with mannerisms, statements, and profundities that pay tribute as well as establish his bona fides as a character actor. Pegg plays Scotty, in a role that seemed destined for the star of Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead. The rest of the cast plays well in supporting roles, providing depth and characterization to the re-imagined Star Trek universe.
The only acting disappointment is Bana as the villainous leader Nero. Coming across as more like a spoiled child than a tortured grieving victim, it's easy to see that the writing concentrated on the main acts - the Enterprise crew - and let other pieces fall where they may.
Story-wise, the plot is simple: Bad thing happened in the future, Nero and Spock Prime (Nimoy) travel into the past via accident, Nero sets out for revenge, setting the stage for a confrontation with our heroes. Meanwhile, our heroes have to cover a little background history, set up a confrontation between the two main stars (Kirk and Spock), and let the final showdown resolve the issues in a somewhat predictable manner.
There are holes in the writing - matters of inconvenience are papered over for expediency (Kirk and Spock Prime meeting in a fortuitous ice cave, Nero somehow being able to predict within minutes where Spock Prime would appear in space, a few others), some logic was sacrificed for impressive effects (massive ships being built in farm country planet-side as opposed to in space, the future has robot/android police, why not robot/android military figures?) - and the pacing does seem uneven.
There are plenty of Easter eggs in the movie referencing the different television series as well as most if not all of the ten previous movies. It's easy to geek out over this movie, and I must admit that the first time I watched it, I clapped at the end. (A little golf clap.)
I'm not a fan of J.J. Abrams' use of the kinetic shooting method - the camera moves from eye level to close-up to farther away over the course of a few frames too often for my taste - but it is muted in many spots and doesn't distract in the way that it did in Mission Impossible III or the Abrams-produced Cloverfield.
However, the story does stay true to some aspects. Star Trek was never about space battles - at least not until the big screen and the later series. Trek was always about character first and foremost. It's about who we are, where we're going, and what one man - Gene Roddenberry - thought was the way it could be done. As one planet. As one people. Among many other peoples. Thinking before fighting, but fighting when necessary. And that's what Trek boils down to. Abrams may have created this film based on Roddenberry's vision, but it holds true. It may anger some fans, but it most certainly delighted this one.
Overall: Good
Other Sites: IMDb * Wikipedia * AllMovie * Rotten Tomatoes
Stars: Chris Pine * Zachary Quinto * Eric Bana * Karl Urban * Leonard Nimoy * Zoe Saldana * Bruce Greenwood * Simon Pegg
Story: A young boy grows up without his father, a captain who died when he was born. Another young boy grows up as a child of two worlds, one alien, one human. Their futures entwine when they both go to Starfleet, one as an instructor, the other as a cadet. Their paths cross, the stage is set as they both end up on the Enterprise, the new flagship of a spaceborne United Nations. Unfortunately, a villain from the future has entered the current reality hellbent on revenge, including destroying the homeworlds of both Kirk (Pine) and Spock (Quinto).
Review: The acting is pretty much spot-on for all actors involved. Pine is arrogant and brash, but has that intelligence and wit to prove he's capable of leadership. Quinto does a great job portraying the conflict within Spock (I've never heard a better placed 'Fuck you' as when Spock says 'Live long and prosper' in one pivotal scene.) as his emotions roil beneath a calm exterior. Urban does homage to DeForest Kelley's performance as Doctor McCoy, with mannerisms, statements, and profundities that pay tribute as well as establish his bona fides as a character actor. Pegg plays Scotty, in a role that seemed destined for the star of Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead. The rest of the cast plays well in supporting roles, providing depth and characterization to the re-imagined Star Trek universe.
The only acting disappointment is Bana as the villainous leader Nero. Coming across as more like a spoiled child than a tortured grieving victim, it's easy to see that the writing concentrated on the main acts - the Enterprise crew - and let other pieces fall where they may.
Story-wise, the plot is simple: Bad thing happened in the future, Nero and Spock Prime (Nimoy) travel into the past via accident, Nero sets out for revenge, setting the stage for a confrontation with our heroes. Meanwhile, our heroes have to cover a little background history, set up a confrontation between the two main stars (Kirk and Spock), and let the final showdown resolve the issues in a somewhat predictable manner.
There are holes in the writing - matters of inconvenience are papered over for expediency (Kirk and Spock Prime meeting in a fortuitous ice cave, Nero somehow being able to predict within minutes where Spock Prime would appear in space, a few others), some logic was sacrificed for impressive effects (massive ships being built in farm country planet-side as opposed to in space, the future has robot/android police, why not robot/android military figures?) - and the pacing does seem uneven.
There are plenty of Easter eggs in the movie referencing the different television series as well as most if not all of the ten previous movies. It's easy to geek out over this movie, and I must admit that the first time I watched it, I clapped at the end. (A little golf clap.)
I'm not a fan of J.J. Abrams' use of the kinetic shooting method - the camera moves from eye level to close-up to farther away over the course of a few frames too often for my taste - but it is muted in many spots and doesn't distract in the way that it did in Mission Impossible III or the Abrams-produced Cloverfield.
However, the story does stay true to some aspects. Star Trek was never about space battles - at least not until the big screen and the later series. Trek was always about character first and foremost. It's about who we are, where we're going, and what one man - Gene Roddenberry - thought was the way it could be done. As one planet. As one people. Among many other peoples. Thinking before fighting, but fighting when necessary. And that's what Trek boils down to. Abrams may have created this film based on Roddenberry's vision, but it holds true. It may anger some fans, but it most certainly delighted this one.
Overall: Good
Other Sites: IMDb * Wikipedia * AllMovie * Rotten Tomatoes
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
Premise: The origin of Wolverine, one of the X-Men. A mutant is born into a world where the only person that understands him is his brother. Unfortunately his brother grows vicious over time, leading to a parting of the ways. Adding to his misery, his brother works for a covert ops unit that is operating beyond the law.
Stars: Hugh Jackman * Liev Schreiber * Danny Huston * Lynn Collins * Taylor Kitsch
Story: Most genre fans know of Wolverine (Jackman). Most non-genre fans know he's a supposed badass with a chip on his shoulder and steak knives attached to his knuckles. The movie serves as an origin (of sorts) for the eponymous mutant. We learn that he apparently sprouted bone blades before puberty and has an amazing healing factor. He also has a "brother" of sorts who serves as a protector and enabler for young Wolvie's tantrums. Due to a family tragedy, the two brothers set out, watching each other's backs for the next century, going through war after war as it seems they were made for killing.
Eventually Wolverine's conscience begins to show - of course - and his brother (Schreiber)'s does not - of course - setting the two on that age old Cain v Abel conflict wherein brother is pitted against brother via some mechanism - in this case, basic morality.
When the final split comes, the two brothers are members of a covert black ops team under the direction of Stryker (Huston), a military figure connected to the perceived mutant menace. Predictably, Stryker has an agenda surrounding mutants and their abilities, and this leads to personal tragedy for our hero who then undergoes a multi-million dollar process to have a rare metal bonded to his skeleton. During the process, Wolverine discovers the truth, goes berserk, escapes the military, and then sets out for revenge against all those who oppose him.
Review: The acting is sub-par on just about every facet, except Liev Schreiber. This one scene-chewing performance reminds me that even as a nice guy, Schreiber is one of those actors that just barely contains a sense of menace and general badass-ness. I really want to see him in Defiant to see how he plays a similar character in a reportedly well-done film. There really is no other actor fully portraying a character. Lynn Collins' Silverfox is a female cipher, Huston portrays a regular ham-fisted general straight out of the funny books and Jackman acts anguished or pissed-off the entire movie basically, no stretch for him, either. The actors were cashing in on their performances, but honestly, what can you expect?
The effects and scenes were easily stupefying. An escape scene turns from fleeing into motorcycle vs hummer to hummer vs helicopter. A hastily arranged combat scene between Gambit (Kitsch) and Wolverine is easily recognized as a set-piece, as do many others. Explosions, murders, torture, laser beams, etc. are all loud and noisy, presumably designed to distract you from the bad writing and acting. Sure it's a comic book movie, but honestly, this film is somewhere in that genre around the Incredible Hulk. It's hard to expect another The Dark Knight, and it's at least better than the deplorable Ghost Rider, but this is one of those films that seem designed for those who shut off their brains when they go to the theater.
Overall: Bad
Other Sites: IMDb * Wikipedia * AllMovie * Rotten Tomatoes
Stars: Hugh Jackman * Liev Schreiber * Danny Huston * Lynn Collins * Taylor Kitsch
Story: Most genre fans know of Wolverine (Jackman). Most non-genre fans know he's a supposed badass with a chip on his shoulder and steak knives attached to his knuckles. The movie serves as an origin (of sorts) for the eponymous mutant. We learn that he apparently sprouted bone blades before puberty and has an amazing healing factor. He also has a "brother" of sorts who serves as a protector and enabler for young Wolvie's tantrums. Due to a family tragedy, the two brothers set out, watching each other's backs for the next century, going through war after war as it seems they were made for killing.
Eventually Wolverine's conscience begins to show - of course - and his brother (Schreiber)'s does not - of course - setting the two on that age old Cain v Abel conflict wherein brother is pitted against brother via some mechanism - in this case, basic morality.
When the final split comes, the two brothers are members of a covert black ops team under the direction of Stryker (Huston), a military figure connected to the perceived mutant menace. Predictably, Stryker has an agenda surrounding mutants and their abilities, and this leads to personal tragedy for our hero who then undergoes a multi-million dollar process to have a rare metal bonded to his skeleton. During the process, Wolverine discovers the truth, goes berserk, escapes the military, and then sets out for revenge against all those who oppose him.
Review: The acting is sub-par on just about every facet, except Liev Schreiber. This one scene-chewing performance reminds me that even as a nice guy, Schreiber is one of those actors that just barely contains a sense of menace and general badass-ness. I really want to see him in Defiant to see how he plays a similar character in a reportedly well-done film. There really is no other actor fully portraying a character. Lynn Collins' Silverfox is a female cipher, Huston portrays a regular ham-fisted general straight out of the funny books and Jackman acts anguished or pissed-off the entire movie basically, no stretch for him, either. The actors were cashing in on their performances, but honestly, what can you expect?
The effects and scenes were easily stupefying. An escape scene turns from fleeing into motorcycle vs hummer to hummer vs helicopter. A hastily arranged combat scene between Gambit (Kitsch) and Wolverine is easily recognized as a set-piece, as do many others. Explosions, murders, torture, laser beams, etc. are all loud and noisy, presumably designed to distract you from the bad writing and acting. Sure it's a comic book movie, but honestly, this film is somewhere in that genre around the Incredible Hulk. It's hard to expect another The Dark Knight, and it's at least better than the deplorable Ghost Rider, but this is one of those films that seem designed for those who shut off their brains when they go to the theater.
Overall: Bad
Other Sites: IMDb * Wikipedia * AllMovie * Rotten Tomatoes
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