The Book of Eli
Directed by the Hughes Brothers
30 years after the Earth was flash fried in a holy war, a lone warrior played by Denzel Washington wanders into town carrying one of the only King James Bibles in existence (all religious texts were summarily destroyed after the conflict). As it happens, the founder of this town (Gary Oldman) is looking for a Bible, hoping to use religious fervor to expand his base of power. Denzel says no. They fight. You can praise this movie for many things: the great action, Denzel's performance (he seems to be having fun), the wry sense of humor, the mythic qualities of the story, the kindly old cannibal couple that Denzel meets later on, the awesome plot twists at the end (making repeat viewings interesting), Gary Oldman's performance (he seems to be having fun - ?), or the striking cinematography. My favorite thing about "The Book of Eli"? It reminds me of all those cheesy post apocalyptic action flicks that came out in the '80s after the success of "The Road Warrior". Stuff like "Nemesis", "Cyborg", "1990: The Bronx Warriors", etc. It's got a bit of the same seedy/brutal/cheesy atmosphere that those films had, along with a butt kicking '80s-like synth score by Atticus Ross. Ah, good times. . .
Buried
Directed by Rodrigo Cortes
It's Ryan Reynolds in a box for 90 minutes. And it works. Reynolds plays a truck driver in Iraq who's convoy is attacked by insurgents. He's captured, put into a cheap wooden coffin, and buried underground, where he is to remain until his captors receive his ransom money. Sure, he has a phone with him, but will that be enough to get him rescued before his air runs out? Except for the cool Saul Bass-inspired opening credits, it's 90 minutes of a guy in a box, and director Cortes should be praised for making such a gripping, tense ride with so few resources to work with. He even manages to make it visually interesting. Reynolds deserves nearly as much praise, since he's the only onscreen actor in the entire movie. Whether freaking out, making funny quips (the guy has perfect comic timing), or stomping the heck out of a poisonous snake, you can't help but root for his character to survive. Even when he's doing something questionable (you'll find yourself yelling at the screen more than once), but that only adds to the tension and makes the character feel more like a real dude. It's a solid, tense ride, from its colorful beginning to its "Tales From the Crypt"-esque ending.
How To Train Your Dragon
Directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
Based on the kids book by Cressida Cowell, HTTYD (don't ya love acronyms) takes place on a mythical island of Vikings (with Scottish accents!) who spend most of their time fending off the attacks of deadly dragons. When the chief's son Hiccup secretly befriends a powerful dragon named Toothless, this relationship not only threatens his people's way of life but may also ultimately reveal the reason why the dragons attack in the first place. I was born in the Year of the Dragon and I love dragons and all dragon-related things. This movie is a dragon lover's paradise, chock full of rich dragon mythology and dragony goodness. But beyond that, its also well-animated, with solid voice work, a rousing musical score, cool 3-D (in theaters, at least), a crackin' good climactic battle, and it goes to a couple of surprising places (plot twist-wise) that other animated kid films do not. Dreamworks Animation had three films out in 2010 (with "Shrek 4" and "Megamind"), but this was the one to go out of your way to see. I also recommend checking out the short films that continue the story of the movie. Not only do they help expand the HTTYD universe a bit, they're fun to watch.
The Social Network
Directed by David Fincher
Based on the novel "The Accidental Billionaires" by Ben Mezrich, which is based on the real-life story of Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, there is very little truth to be found here, and it should not be taken as gospel. It's storytelling, not documentation people. Actually, the most truthful part of the movie is in regards to Zuckerberg's clothing - every outfit the character wears in the movie is something the real Zuckerberg owns in his wardrobe. So there you go. It's a common tale - awkward genius comes up with a world-changing idea, overcomes obstacles, gets filthy rich and has a part of his life destroyed in the process (in this case, his social life). Nothing new there, but when you add one of my favorite directors (Fincher, director of "Seven", "Fight Club", "Zodiac", etc) and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin ("The West Wing") you get the recipe to awesomeness. This movie features some of the most finely crafted, multi layered dialogue writing I've heard in years, with layers of subtext that sometimes runs four/five layers deep (that's hardcore). There are solid visuals, genius editing (the best cross cuts in years), a great score by Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor (a.k.a. Nine Inch Nails), a pitch perfect cast, a knockout opening scene (watch a casual conversation go horribly, horribly wrong), and many, many visual effects that most people don't even realize are there (one human character is computer generated in quite a few scenes - nobody noticed). And it's also, surprisingly, very funny.
Paranormal Activity 2
Directed by Tod Williams
For scaredy cats only (like me) - if being at home alone at night has ever creeped you out, and you liked it, then here's the movie series for you. There were some damn fine horror sequels in 2010 (like "Hatchet 2" and "[REC] 2"), but I feel that PA2 is the best because it's the only one that I prefer to the original, and the original made last year's list. This movie follows the life a normal suburban family who, after their house is ransacked by burglars, decide to install lots of security cameras. We witness, through the security camera footage, as that pesky demon from the first film torments and terrorizes everyone in the house. How this movie relates to the original film is quite cool, so I won't spoil it, but I will say that this one has better acting, great scares, a more flexible storytelling flow (thanks to the multi-camera setup), more tension (because there's a baby involved) and a deepening of the PA "mythology". The only thing that I feel was done better in the original was the climactic scene. The ending of PA2 is good, but not quite as frightening as the end of PA1. Boo!
Not to be confused with "Paranormal Activity 2: Tokyo Night", a fully authorized, Japanese-made alternative sequel to PA1. It's not terribly great ("meh"), so I recommend you stick with the American PA2.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
The Wrath of Godzilla, Part 11: Thou Shalt Not Worship False Godzillas
We're over halfway finished!
Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla (1974)
Known in the U.S. as both "Godzilla vs the Cosmic Monster" and "Godzilla vs the Bionic Monster", this was the final creative offering from the the team of Fukuda/Sato/Nakano, who made the previous three movies in the series.
After a brief intro with Anguirus chilling in the arctic, the movie takes us to Okinawa (Mr. Miyagi's hometown) where a local girl and a set of ancient cave drawings both predict that giant monsters will attack Japan. No shit. Godzilla soon arrives and begins acting like his old self, destroying lots of buildings and killing lots of civilians. Anguirus shows up to challenge his old comrade-in-arms and gets messed up real bad (he gets his jaw ripped open "King Kong"-style, but lives). Godzilla is about to resume his rampage when, suddenly, he's confronted by - Godzilla? Huh? The two Godzilla tussle until one gets his skin ripped off and is revealed to be - Mechagodzilla! He's made of "space titanium", fires energy beams from both his mouth and his chest, his fingers are armor-piercing missiles, and he can fly using built-in rocket thrusters. He's a total badass. He easily beats G and flies off.
Guess what? There's a new batch of aliens in town. They're from "the 3rd planet of the black hole" (?) and they've built Mechagodzilla to aid them in conquering the Earth. They're also on the lookout for a statue which has the ability to revive an ancient monster named King Caesar. King Caesar is the legendary protector of the people of Okinawa, and he's been hibernating for centuries. The aliens fear him because he has the power to wake other monsters, which seems redundant since there are about a dozen monsters already on the loose in the vicinity, but hey. . .
Following the human-oriented plot thread is particularly annoying this time out. There is an overabundance of human characters and not one of them fulfills the function of "central character". It's a bit unfocused and messy, and could have used a rewrite or two to narrow down the cast. On the other hand, Godzilla movie veterans Hiroshi Koizumi and Akihiko Hirata (who carries a special pipe that can disrupt electrical signals - think it will come in handy later on?) are featured in the bloated cast and are always welcome sights.
During the struggle to recover the statue of King Caesar, the aliens' true forms are revealed - they're apes! Space apes! The "Planet of the Apes" series was an international sensation at the time, so it was inevitable that Toho would try to capitalize on its success.
Do the space apes throw space poo? No.
Godzilla, who's still wounded at this point, is revived by a lightning strike. King Caesar is revived by both the use of the statue and a never ending, terrible song sung by the local Okinawan girl (no doubt this was an attempt by Toho to create another pop sensation like the Mothra theme song). King Caesar, a hairy, bipedal beast with floppy rabbit ears and the somewhat useful ability to reflect energy beams, engages Mechagodzilla in battle and is soundly beaten because he's lame. Godzilla shows up to save the day - and is soundly beaten as well, but in a more heroic, bloody fashion. Godzilla then magnetizes his own skin and draws MG towards him as he tries to fly off-
Wait, wait, wait. What? See, while this newfound power may seem to come out of nowhere and be rather arbitrary, I kind of like what it implies. Remember, in the beginning of the series Godzilla was hurt by electrical discharges. As the series went on he was constantly getting zapped and fried, but it seemed to have less of an effect over time. Here, Godzilla has finally taken ownership of that weakness, converting it into a strength. Now he has the ability to attract metallic objects toward his body and, frankly, I find the transformation rather uplifting. You go, Godzilla!
The Big G then tears off Mechagodzilla's head while the good guys destroy the alien control center. King Caesar goes back into hibernation because he's embarrassed by his own lameness, and Godzilla heads back out to sea.
With less cheese, more monster action and the introduction of a classic villain, "Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla" proves to be a pretty good Godzilla movie. It has its glaring flaws (the mishandled human story line, the horrible song, the by-the-numbers plot, lame King Caesar) but still manages to be superior to "Godzilla vs Megalon" in entertainment value.
This movie performed exceptionally well at the Japanese box office, providing a nice bump in ticket sales for the series. But it wasn't enough. There would only be one more movie produced for the original series. . .
Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)
Originally known as "Mechagodzilla's Counterattack", it begins with a recap of "Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla" and continues on from there. The End.
Just kidding.
A submarine looking for the remains of Mechagodzilla finds nothing and is destroyed by a new monster named Titanosaurus. The aliens from "the 3rd planet of the black hole" are back, and more of their master plan is revealed - their planet is dying, so they want to destroy Tokyo and rebuild it as New Tokyo, a new home for their race. They're rebuilding Mechagodzilla, and they also have a brilliant scientist named Dr. Mafune working for them. What's this guy's story? Glad you asked. . .
Mafune used to be a well-respected scientist until he proposed a theory about controlling sea creatures with radio waves. He became the laughing stock of the scientific community. Still obsessed with the idea, he went into exile with his daughter and continued with his experiments. During one of these experiments, his daughter was accidentally killed. The black hole aliens arrived to give him an offer he couldn't refuse - they'd give life to his daughter (as a cyborg) if Mafune would come work for them. He agreed. Now Mafune has control of the giant aquatic monster Titanosaurus and the aliens use it to do their evil bidding.
The human story lines are more streamlined here than in the last movie, but still, like the last few Godzilla movies, it's not terribly well integrated and is merely obligatory. It focuses on a couple of investigators who are looking for Dr. Mafune. One of the investigators falls in love with his cyborg daughter. It doesn't amount to very much, except that they discover how to disrupt Titanosaurus's control with supersonic waves.
Ah, Titanosaurus. Like King Caesar, he's lame. He can swim. He bites Godzilla's lip with his long jaws. His roar sounds suspiciously like the cry of an elephant. And his "special power" is his fan tail - he can cause massive winds by waving it from side to side. Whoopee. Not very original, since Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah all had that power too.
Titanosaurus attacks the city, and after a long, long absence Godzilla arrives in a uniquely cool fashion. It's nighttime, and the profile of the city skyline is in shadow. Godzilla rises from the shadows in complete silence. Very moody. He then battles Titanosaurus and drives him away.
The black hole aliens decide to put Mechagodzilla's controls inside the body of Mafune's cyborg daughter. During the surgery scene, for the first and only time, we see bare breasts in a Godzilla movie. While the breasts are prosthetic and they belong to a cyborg character, they're pretty darn realistic looking. It's a little shocking when they appear, quite frankly, but they can only be seen in the original Japanese version. The American version is kid-friendly.
The aliens send out Mechagodzilla and Titanosaurus to destroy Tokyo. Godzilla intercepts them (rescuing a couple of kids) and the fight begins, two monsters against one. Godzilla gets pulverized. The good guy humans disrupt Titanosaurus's control link and he goes crazy. Godzilla uses this opportunity to gain some ground and tears off Mechagodzilla's head once again. But the aliens are smart. They installed a tiny secondary head with a powerful beam emitter beneath the original head, and with the control apparatus inside Mafune's daughter, MG continues to function. Godzilla begins to lose, again. The good guys invade the alien control center. Dr. Mafune is killed in the shootout and his daughter, distraught over his death, kills herself (it's all very sad). Mechagodzilla is immobilized, so Godzilla destroys him. The alien leader tries to escape in a flying saucer - Godzilla knocks him out of the sky. Titanosaurus looks at Godzilla funny, so he gets one final beating. Then the Big G returns to the sea during a glorious sunset.
Ishiro Honda, Godzilla's original director, returned for "Terror of Mechagodzilla", as well as composer Akira Ifukube. Ifukube's score is great, and Honda brings back the more staid, serious tone of the originals. This would be the last Godzilla movie that he would direct.
This movie is merely "okay". There's less monster action, and the pace drags a bit, and Titanosaurus is lame, but I like the Dr. Mafune storyline. It's a nice throwback to the "tragic scientist" stories from the older Godzilla flicks. Titanosaurus would not appear again. The previous film's King Caesar would return in "Godzilla: Final Wars" (2004).
While the movie wasn't meant to be the final chapter in the series, low box office numbers and the near-collapse of the Japanese film industry made it so. As a wrap up, "Terror of Mechagodzilla" is merely adequate. Like I've suggested before, however, I recommend that you save "Destroy All Monsters" for last. It's a much better ending for Series 1.
Now we get to the really good stuff. While I grew up with the movies of Series 1 and love them all, and I greatly enjoy Series 3, I feel that Series 2 is the high point. But I'll get to that later, when Godzilla returns on his 30th birthday!
Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla (1974)
Known in the U.S. as both "Godzilla vs the Cosmic Monster" and "Godzilla vs the Bionic Monster", this was the final creative offering from the the team of Fukuda/Sato/Nakano, who made the previous three movies in the series.
After a brief intro with Anguirus chilling in the arctic, the movie takes us to Okinawa (Mr. Miyagi's hometown) where a local girl and a set of ancient cave drawings both predict that giant monsters will attack Japan. No shit. Godzilla soon arrives and begins acting like his old self, destroying lots of buildings and killing lots of civilians. Anguirus shows up to challenge his old comrade-in-arms and gets messed up real bad (he gets his jaw ripped open "King Kong"-style, but lives). Godzilla is about to resume his rampage when, suddenly, he's confronted by - Godzilla? Huh? The two Godzilla tussle until one gets his skin ripped off and is revealed to be - Mechagodzilla! He's made of "space titanium", fires energy beams from both his mouth and his chest, his fingers are armor-piercing missiles, and he can fly using built-in rocket thrusters. He's a total badass. He easily beats G and flies off.
Guess what? There's a new batch of aliens in town. They're from "the 3rd planet of the black hole" (?) and they've built Mechagodzilla to aid them in conquering the Earth. They're also on the lookout for a statue which has the ability to revive an ancient monster named King Caesar. King Caesar is the legendary protector of the people of Okinawa, and he's been hibernating for centuries. The aliens fear him because he has the power to wake other monsters, which seems redundant since there are about a dozen monsters already on the loose in the vicinity, but hey. . .
Following the human-oriented plot thread is particularly annoying this time out. There is an overabundance of human characters and not one of them fulfills the function of "central character". It's a bit unfocused and messy, and could have used a rewrite or two to narrow down the cast. On the other hand, Godzilla movie veterans Hiroshi Koizumi and Akihiko Hirata (who carries a special pipe that can disrupt electrical signals - think it will come in handy later on?) are featured in the bloated cast and are always welcome sights.
During the struggle to recover the statue of King Caesar, the aliens' true forms are revealed - they're apes! Space apes! The "Planet of the Apes" series was an international sensation at the time, so it was inevitable that Toho would try to capitalize on its success.
Do the space apes throw space poo? No.
Godzilla, who's still wounded at this point, is revived by a lightning strike. King Caesar is revived by both the use of the statue and a never ending, terrible song sung by the local Okinawan girl (no doubt this was an attempt by Toho to create another pop sensation like the Mothra theme song). King Caesar, a hairy, bipedal beast with floppy rabbit ears and the somewhat useful ability to reflect energy beams, engages Mechagodzilla in battle and is soundly beaten because he's lame. Godzilla shows up to save the day - and is soundly beaten as well, but in a more heroic, bloody fashion. Godzilla then magnetizes his own skin and draws MG towards him as he tries to fly off-
Wait, wait, wait. What? See, while this newfound power may seem to come out of nowhere and be rather arbitrary, I kind of like what it implies. Remember, in the beginning of the series Godzilla was hurt by electrical discharges. As the series went on he was constantly getting zapped and fried, but it seemed to have less of an effect over time. Here, Godzilla has finally taken ownership of that weakness, converting it into a strength. Now he has the ability to attract metallic objects toward his body and, frankly, I find the transformation rather uplifting. You go, Godzilla!
The Big G then tears off Mechagodzilla's head while the good guys destroy the alien control center. King Caesar goes back into hibernation because he's embarrassed by his own lameness, and Godzilla heads back out to sea.
With less cheese, more monster action and the introduction of a classic villain, "Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla" proves to be a pretty good Godzilla movie. It has its glaring flaws (the mishandled human story line, the horrible song, the by-the-numbers plot, lame King Caesar) but still manages to be superior to "Godzilla vs Megalon" in entertainment value.
This movie performed exceptionally well at the Japanese box office, providing a nice bump in ticket sales for the series. But it wasn't enough. There would only be one more movie produced for the original series. . .
Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)
Originally known as "Mechagodzilla's Counterattack", it begins with a recap of "Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla" and continues on from there. The End.
Just kidding.
A submarine looking for the remains of Mechagodzilla finds nothing and is destroyed by a new monster named Titanosaurus. The aliens from "the 3rd planet of the black hole" are back, and more of their master plan is revealed - their planet is dying, so they want to destroy Tokyo and rebuild it as New Tokyo, a new home for their race. They're rebuilding Mechagodzilla, and they also have a brilliant scientist named Dr. Mafune working for them. What's this guy's story? Glad you asked. . .
Mafune used to be a well-respected scientist until he proposed a theory about controlling sea creatures with radio waves. He became the laughing stock of the scientific community. Still obsessed with the idea, he went into exile with his daughter and continued with his experiments. During one of these experiments, his daughter was accidentally killed. The black hole aliens arrived to give him an offer he couldn't refuse - they'd give life to his daughter (as a cyborg) if Mafune would come work for them. He agreed. Now Mafune has control of the giant aquatic monster Titanosaurus and the aliens use it to do their evil bidding.
The human story lines are more streamlined here than in the last movie, but still, like the last few Godzilla movies, it's not terribly well integrated and is merely obligatory. It focuses on a couple of investigators who are looking for Dr. Mafune. One of the investigators falls in love with his cyborg daughter. It doesn't amount to very much, except that they discover how to disrupt Titanosaurus's control with supersonic waves.
Ah, Titanosaurus. Like King Caesar, he's lame. He can swim. He bites Godzilla's lip with his long jaws. His roar sounds suspiciously like the cry of an elephant. And his "special power" is his fan tail - he can cause massive winds by waving it from side to side. Whoopee. Not very original, since Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah all had that power too.
Titanosaurus attacks the city, and after a long, long absence Godzilla arrives in a uniquely cool fashion. It's nighttime, and the profile of the city skyline is in shadow. Godzilla rises from the shadows in complete silence. Very moody. He then battles Titanosaurus and drives him away.
The black hole aliens decide to put Mechagodzilla's controls inside the body of Mafune's cyborg daughter. During the surgery scene, for the first and only time, we see bare breasts in a Godzilla movie. While the breasts are prosthetic and they belong to a cyborg character, they're pretty darn realistic looking. It's a little shocking when they appear, quite frankly, but they can only be seen in the original Japanese version. The American version is kid-friendly.
The aliens send out Mechagodzilla and Titanosaurus to destroy Tokyo. Godzilla intercepts them (rescuing a couple of kids) and the fight begins, two monsters against one. Godzilla gets pulverized. The good guy humans disrupt Titanosaurus's control link and he goes crazy. Godzilla uses this opportunity to gain some ground and tears off Mechagodzilla's head once again. But the aliens are smart. They installed a tiny secondary head with a powerful beam emitter beneath the original head, and with the control apparatus inside Mafune's daughter, MG continues to function. Godzilla begins to lose, again. The good guys invade the alien control center. Dr. Mafune is killed in the shootout and his daughter, distraught over his death, kills herself (it's all very sad). Mechagodzilla is immobilized, so Godzilla destroys him. The alien leader tries to escape in a flying saucer - Godzilla knocks him out of the sky. Titanosaurus looks at Godzilla funny, so he gets one final beating. Then the Big G returns to the sea during a glorious sunset.
Ishiro Honda, Godzilla's original director, returned for "Terror of Mechagodzilla", as well as composer Akira Ifukube. Ifukube's score is great, and Honda brings back the more staid, serious tone of the originals. This would be the last Godzilla movie that he would direct.
This movie is merely "okay". There's less monster action, and the pace drags a bit, and Titanosaurus is lame, but I like the Dr. Mafune storyline. It's a nice throwback to the "tragic scientist" stories from the older Godzilla flicks. Titanosaurus would not appear again. The previous film's King Caesar would return in "Godzilla: Final Wars" (2004).
While the movie wasn't meant to be the final chapter in the series, low box office numbers and the near-collapse of the Japanese film industry made it so. As a wrap up, "Terror of Mechagodzilla" is merely adequate. Like I've suggested before, however, I recommend that you save "Destroy All Monsters" for last. It's a much better ending for Series 1.
Now we get to the really good stuff. While I grew up with the movies of Series 1 and love them all, and I greatly enjoy Series 3, I feel that Series 2 is the high point. But I'll get to that later, when Godzilla returns on his 30th birthday!
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Underworld: Awakening and Chronicle - Three Reviews
Or - Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, Vampires, Werewolves, Superhero Guys.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
I must admit, I didn't know what was going on in this movie until about halfway through. Then it all sort of came together for me.
Based on the novel by John le Carre and set in the London espionage scene during the 1970's, the story follows retired spy "Smiley" (Gary Oldman) as he's tasked with uncovering a possible Russian mole within the government. This is a more realistic kind of spy thriller, where the shady glances, back alley conversations and messy assassinations are light years away from the sexiness of a James Bond flick. This is a job that destroys the personal lives of its employees with reckless abandon. The movie presents an interesting glimpse into the real world of espionage, and setting it in England of the 70's is like exploring a whole new world. And you need to be a spy to keep track of what's going on for the first 45 minutes to an hour, too. Once it begins making sense, though, it's a fine thriller. The cast is chock full great English actors, with Oldman's deceptively subtle performance paving the way. Tomas Alfredson, director of one of my favorite recent horror movies, "Let the Right One In", unspools the tricky narrative at such a languorous pace that it feels like you're being led slowly through a tight maze filled with razor sharp booby traps. That's a good thing. The movie even feels like a film from the 1970's. While I still prefer my English spies shaken, not stirred, "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" is (literally) a nice change of pace and I recommend it. Keep in mind, though, that this movie will make you "work".
Underworld: Awakening
I've always wanted to see an awesomely epic, action-packed "Romeo & Juliet"-style love story set in the midst of a modern underground war between vampire and werewolf clans. And while I'm waiting for that story to be told, I might as well watch the "Underworld" films. Just kidding. This series is fine for what it is - "Matrix"-style action, scary monsters, dense world-building backstories, and lots of blue lighting. And, sadly, they tell a more believable love story than anything in those dopey "Twilight" movies. The first movie ("Underworld" - 2003) was overburdened with way too much story-halting jibber jabber, but it introduced a (debatably) new, somewhat cool horror/fantasy world concept, as well as Kate Beckinsale as the fetching vampire warrior Selene. The sequel ("Underworld: Evolution" - 2006) struck the balance between action and exposition just right, and remains my favorite entry in the series to date. The next movie was a prequel set in the age of swords and loincloths ("Underworld: Rise of the Lycans" - 2009), and while it really doesn't illuminate anything new about the "Underworld", um, world, it is still a rather entertaining flick. No Kate Beckinsale, though (she was replaced by a new character portrayed by Rhona Mitra).
Beckinsale returns in "Underworld: Awakening". Meant to be the start of a new phase in the "Underworld" series, humans have discovered the existence of vampires and werewolves and have instigated The Purge, wiping out most of them. Selene is freed after being held (frozen) in a corporate lab for 12 years and must stop a group of evil werewolves from gaining a powerful genetic advantage. This is my least favorite "Underworld" so far. It's still enjoyable on a purely "action movie" level, but what I've mainly liked about the series is the way the ancient world blends with the modern, high-tech world. Here, it's almost all "high-tech". It's great to see Kate back, but her vampire/werewolf hybrid lover Michael is barely seen (no, they don't kill him off), losing the whole "Romeo & Juliet" thread altogether. There's also an imbalance between the action scenes (too many) and the character-building scenes (not enough). While there are still some cool action and 3-D moments, my biggest gripe with the movie is this - all the werewolves in this sequel are evil bastards. Previously, I'd always rooted for the wolves over the vamps (they're more fun, less "hipster"), but I didn't have a choice here. Oh well. At least "Underworld: Awakening" features a 20-foot tall super werewolf! I'd never seen that before.
In conclusion, it's a mixed bag. It ends with the promise of more movies to come and, judging from the box office results, there will be more. I'm not against that, as long as they learn from their past mistakes. Fingers crossed.
Chronicle
This one came out of nowhere. I had heard some good things about this movie from the Internet pipeline, but I had managed to avoid seeing any ads or reading any behind-the-scenes articles. I went in blind, and it kicked my ass.
Andrew is a troubled kid. His mother is slowly dying from cancer, his father is an abusive alcoholic, and he's constantly bullied by the kids at school. One day he decides to start filming himself, chronicling his daily life in an attempt to deal with it all. While at a party one night, Andrew and two others (his cousin and the school's most "popular" kid) find a mysterious hole in the ground. They (wisely) decide to explore it and encounter. . . something. Soon after, they develop telekinetic abilities and are able to manipulate matter with their minds. At first they use their growing powers to play pranks, win the school talent show and, in the film's most exhilarating sequence, learn to fly. Then real life intrudes, pushing Andrew down a dangerous path, and his friends must try to save him. Imagine a world where, instead of using a gun, the most troubled kid in school can crush your internal organs with a thought.
Just when I thought the "found footage" genre had no more life left in it, here comes the best one of all. While the story has its roots in the classic superhero/supervillain myths that we've all come to know, it never quite dips fully into that genre, instead presenting, as realistic as possible, the age-old story of ultimate power and its consequences to the soul. The performances of the three mains kids are pitch-perfect, with Dane DeHaan deserving special mention as the main kid, Andrew. He reminds me of Leonardo DiCaprio in his younger days. Director Josh Trank integrates the computer generated special effects effortlessly, delivering visceral action and emotional punches better than most "actual" superhero movies of the past decade. And, best of all, no "shakey-cam" effect. Andrew learns to control the camera with his powers (like an extension of himself), so there is some smooth camera work and many inventive angles on display here. Plus, it doesn't have the cliched "found footage" movie ending where everyone dies and the camera goes black. It's a very satisfying movie and I guarantee that it will end up as one of my favorites of 2012.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
I must admit, I didn't know what was going on in this movie until about halfway through. Then it all sort of came together for me.
Based on the novel by John le Carre and set in the London espionage scene during the 1970's, the story follows retired spy "Smiley" (Gary Oldman) as he's tasked with uncovering a possible Russian mole within the government. This is a more realistic kind of spy thriller, where the shady glances, back alley conversations and messy assassinations are light years away from the sexiness of a James Bond flick. This is a job that destroys the personal lives of its employees with reckless abandon. The movie presents an interesting glimpse into the real world of espionage, and setting it in England of the 70's is like exploring a whole new world. And you need to be a spy to keep track of what's going on for the first 45 minutes to an hour, too. Once it begins making sense, though, it's a fine thriller. The cast is chock full great English actors, with Oldman's deceptively subtle performance paving the way. Tomas Alfredson, director of one of my favorite recent horror movies, "Let the Right One In", unspools the tricky narrative at such a languorous pace that it feels like you're being led slowly through a tight maze filled with razor sharp booby traps. That's a good thing. The movie even feels like a film from the 1970's. While I still prefer my English spies shaken, not stirred, "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" is (literally) a nice change of pace and I recommend it. Keep in mind, though, that this movie will make you "work".
Underworld: Awakening
I've always wanted to see an awesomely epic, action-packed "Romeo & Juliet"-style love story set in the midst of a modern underground war between vampire and werewolf clans. And while I'm waiting for that story to be told, I might as well watch the "Underworld" films. Just kidding. This series is fine for what it is - "Matrix"-style action, scary monsters, dense world-building backstories, and lots of blue lighting. And, sadly, they tell a more believable love story than anything in those dopey "Twilight" movies. The first movie ("Underworld" - 2003) was overburdened with way too much story-halting jibber jabber, but it introduced a (debatably) new, somewhat cool horror/fantasy world concept, as well as Kate Beckinsale as the fetching vampire warrior Selene. The sequel ("Underworld: Evolution" - 2006) struck the balance between action and exposition just right, and remains my favorite entry in the series to date. The next movie was a prequel set in the age of swords and loincloths ("Underworld: Rise of the Lycans" - 2009), and while it really doesn't illuminate anything new about the "Underworld", um, world, it is still a rather entertaining flick. No Kate Beckinsale, though (she was replaced by a new character portrayed by Rhona Mitra).
Beckinsale returns in "Underworld: Awakening". Meant to be the start of a new phase in the "Underworld" series, humans have discovered the existence of vampires and werewolves and have instigated The Purge, wiping out most of them. Selene is freed after being held (frozen) in a corporate lab for 12 years and must stop a group of evil werewolves from gaining a powerful genetic advantage. This is my least favorite "Underworld" so far. It's still enjoyable on a purely "action movie" level, but what I've mainly liked about the series is the way the ancient world blends with the modern, high-tech world. Here, it's almost all "high-tech". It's great to see Kate back, but her vampire/werewolf hybrid lover Michael is barely seen (no, they don't kill him off), losing the whole "Romeo & Juliet" thread altogether. There's also an imbalance between the action scenes (too many) and the character-building scenes (not enough). While there are still some cool action and 3-D moments, my biggest gripe with the movie is this - all the werewolves in this sequel are evil bastards. Previously, I'd always rooted for the wolves over the vamps (they're more fun, less "hipster"), but I didn't have a choice here. Oh well. At least "Underworld: Awakening" features a 20-foot tall super werewolf! I'd never seen that before.
In conclusion, it's a mixed bag. It ends with the promise of more movies to come and, judging from the box office results, there will be more. I'm not against that, as long as they learn from their past mistakes. Fingers crossed.
Chronicle
This one came out of nowhere. I had heard some good things about this movie from the Internet pipeline, but I had managed to avoid seeing any ads or reading any behind-the-scenes articles. I went in blind, and it kicked my ass.
Andrew is a troubled kid. His mother is slowly dying from cancer, his father is an abusive alcoholic, and he's constantly bullied by the kids at school. One day he decides to start filming himself, chronicling his daily life in an attempt to deal with it all. While at a party one night, Andrew and two others (his cousin and the school's most "popular" kid) find a mysterious hole in the ground. They (wisely) decide to explore it and encounter. . . something. Soon after, they develop telekinetic abilities and are able to manipulate matter with their minds. At first they use their growing powers to play pranks, win the school talent show and, in the film's most exhilarating sequence, learn to fly. Then real life intrudes, pushing Andrew down a dangerous path, and his friends must try to save him. Imagine a world where, instead of using a gun, the most troubled kid in school can crush your internal organs with a thought.
Just when I thought the "found footage" genre had no more life left in it, here comes the best one of all. While the story has its roots in the classic superhero/supervillain myths that we've all come to know, it never quite dips fully into that genre, instead presenting, as realistic as possible, the age-old story of ultimate power and its consequences to the soul. The performances of the three mains kids are pitch-perfect, with Dane DeHaan deserving special mention as the main kid, Andrew. He reminds me of Leonardo DiCaprio in his younger days. Director Josh Trank integrates the computer generated special effects effortlessly, delivering visceral action and emotional punches better than most "actual" superhero movies of the past decade. And, best of all, no "shakey-cam" effect. Andrew learns to control the camera with his powers (like an extension of himself), so there is some smooth camera work and many inventive angles on display here. Plus, it doesn't have the cliched "found footage" movie ending where everyone dies and the camera goes black. It's a very satisfying movie and I guarantee that it will end up as one of my favorites of 2012.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
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