Due Date Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D The Rescuers / The Rescuers Down Under Dumbo 101 Dalmations II: Patch’s London Adventure (Double Play) The Aristocats The Fifth Element Cinderella: 3 Movie Collection Ip Man The Lord Of The Rings Extended Trilogy Rush Hour The Back-Up Plan The Librarian: Quest For The Spear The Librarian 2: Return To King Solomon’s Mines The Librarian 3: Curse Of The Judas Chalice Dangerous Liaisons Doomsday Cronos Easy Virtue Mother The Other Guys The Sorcerer’s Apprentice The Take Demons / Demons 2 (Steelbook) Metropolis The Dirty Dozen American History X / Falling Down Frequency U.S. Marshals The Resident Evil Collection (1-4)
Thoughts: I can sum up The Amazing Spider-Man as follows: it is great for one watch, and I mean that in both senses of the phrase. Viewed after the initial, I'd say that the film would suffer under its surprisingly extended runtime (135min plus!) due to a honest to goodness lack of depth in its characters, its fairly tame and uninvolved villain, and its general reliance on snark. That said, the second sense is certainly clear in that it really is great for one watch, boasting impressive (but limited, sparse and fairly short) fight sequences, some genuinely thrilling and moving moments, and some fun dialogue and fairly sturdy performances.
Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is a geeky student whose parents disappeared when he was a child. Left to be raised by his Aunt May (Sally Field) and Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen, having a great time), he pines for fellow peer Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone, OH YEAH!) and then gets all bit like by a radioactive spider. He then becomes Spider-Man, and his Uncle dies, and he learns about responsibility, and he fights The Lizard (Rhys Ifans) blah blah blah. You know the drill.
So yeah. It's good to see a Spidey fight like Spidey, yknow. That was a kicker in and of itself. He bounces around, slides, dips and dives, using his web-shooters almost all the time. Plus we get the '90s punk-rock "spaghetti" web, my favourite kind from the comics. Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone have pretty good chemistry I must say, and Garfield does a great Peter Parker: full of tics and little nuances. It's never boring, really, but I'm guessing it'd get kinda grating after a while on subsequent viewings. I recall a lot of reviewers saying that this particular portrayal of young Peter is produced as kind of an asshole, and I agree. But unlike them, I don't think that's a bad thing. He's a teen, for one, so emotional selfishness is pretty much what goes on, for the most part. Couple this with the geek outcast mentality (which I know all too well) and being used as punching bag every other day, and having your parents effectively ditch you at adolescence- well, I can see why he's an asshole. Then give that kid superpowers. See where I'm going? So yeah, not a problem for me.
But then again, the whole movie really is all flash, no fire. The villain, Doc Curt Connors, seems to be tied in almost as an afterthought. Sure, his arc is closely related, but it just feels... all out of place. At least the original trilogy felt more connected, with more at stake. Its almost like this cat (lizard) just gets into the mode for the hell of it. And to be damn honest- and this hurts me, really- Rhys Ifans does not give a good performance here. I don't know if its the script, or him, or what, but its just flat and uninspired. Ah well.
Regardless, the film is pretty enough and fun enough for a single viewing. Be wary of a blind purchase though, in my opinion.
Thoughts: Straight-up head-first balls to the wall un-PC '80s action overload. Spit and polished with a bit of extra bang for the buck. Dredd offers everything every action-starved junkie needs: brutal, unrelenting violence, awesome action set pieces, great special effects, hammy performances and chewy one-liners. Basically, it's a whole lot of "Fuck Yeah!" in 97 minutes.
Judge Dredd (the awfully under-worked Karl Urban) is one of many law enforcement officials in the future metropolis of Megacity One, tasked as Judge, Jury and Executioner. Roped into a first-day assessment of new Empath (psychic) recruit Anderson (Olivia Thirlby, oh yeah), the eponymous anti-hero is then thrust into a fight for survival through a 200 storey apartment block run by the vicious Ma-Ma (Lena Headey). Blood will be spilt.
Despite only exposing his lower jaw for the entire runtime (which, with respect to the 2000AD comics, is as it damn well should be) Karl Urban embodies the Judge with humour, cold hard will and a presence that eclipses Stallone's in the 1995 instalment. The rest of the cast does equally well, with a sense that everyone involved in the production knew exactly what to give and take with this particular production.
Alex Garland is a personal favourite author of mine, and here he provides a knowing sense of wit and intelligence behind the dumb facade of a neo-'80s actioner. There's sharp, pitch black jabs of humour, and a true viewpoint that this is nothing but violent, ridiculous entertainment, and should be treated as such, but not without thought. With that, we get an equal mix of destruction and downtime, mixed well enough together to take as a quick dose of catharsis. Basically, this is great for a fun night with the boys.
And with that, I leave my hearty recommendation, and my score.
Thoughts: A remarkable film chronicling an even more remarkable tale, boasting a dual performance that's worth the price of admission alone- that's The Devil's Double in a nutshell. Dominic Cooper blows it out of the park times two, doing double duty as Uday Hussein, maniac son of Saddam Hussein; and Latif Yahia, the unfortunate soul forced to be his body double. The film moves at a rapid pace and deals almost exclusively with the two characters, making the experience harrowing and one-of-a-kind.
Saddam Hussein used body doubles, so it makes sense to the deranged Uday Hussein that he should also. Unfortunately for Latif Yahia- the man pegged to provide that mirror- it is a decision that is an illusion. Faced with the death of his family as opposed to compliance, Latif is thrust into this world by force and is subjected to the wild, lust-filled world of Uday Hussein. Under-age rape and abduction means nothing to the man, as does killing anyone who opposes him and throwing large wads of cash on anything and everything that takes his eye. Latif's restlessness grow, and as he begins to reach further beyond his station, his safe, untouchable position becomes more and more tenuous.
Dominic Cooper man. I mean, he has done great work before (An Education, The Duchess) but here he is given not one, but two absolutely delicious roles. He is so good in the role that, I actually had to pause 30 minutes in and imdb to see if it was actually him in both roles, or just a very talented stuntman. Uday is as rambunctious, over-the-top and out-of-control as Latif is calm, cool and collected. Watching them onscreen together is like water mix with ice: perfectly suited but completely different in make-up. The conversations/shouting matches they have are so well constructed, edited and written that you get caught up in the drama, forgetting it's a dude talking to himself in real life.
All of the side actors are fantastic too, no sense in leaving them out. You have the numerous conquests of Uday, and his side players, and Saddam himself. All bring their own level of nuance, filling this sordid world with people both willing and unwilling. Its a dark journey, to be sure, with some seriously distrubing moments and activities taking place. And what's even more insane, is it is all true. Fucked up, yes, but true. It happened. Uday was a freaking maniacal bastard with an insatiable lust, and the world at his fingertips. The worst combination, to be sure.
Lee Tamahori's direction is great, working with duality, realism and horror with great efficiency. Without a strong crew this would have been an elaborate exercise in shock and excess, but everything is kept well, taut and organized, right to the end.
A fantastic film, covering an amazing (and true) story. Check it out.
Thoughts: Writer/Director/Producer Hadi Hajaig delivers an interesting and brutally entertaining Terrorism-based thriller with Cleanskin. I enjoy Sean Bean when he's all grizzled and haunted (read: I enjoy him all the time) so watching him chase down an unknown terrorist using any- ANY- means necessary, is a great buzz. But what was more surprising about Cleanskin, was how interesting the other half of the story is: that of our "unknown" terrorist, and how he goes from struggling law student to willing martyr over the course of half a decade.
Sean Bean plays ex-MI6 Ewan, turned hired security for high-value political clients. In the opening sequence we watch as he fails in his attempts to block an attempt on his client, and gets gravely injured in the process. Snap forward, and he is now getting called upon by his old handler Charlotte (Charlotte Rampling) to stop a "cleanskin" from fulfilling a terrorist attack. For note, a cleanskin is a terrorist that has committed an act of terrorism, and has no record or comes up with no previous intelligence or affiliation with any known terrorism cells. Dangerous, because their motives or masters cannot be identified. Abhin Galeya does wonderful work from the other side of the fence, portraying our bad-man Ash with wide-eyed innocence at the start, and as he progresses, with the self-imposed world on his shoulders.
The action is bad-ass and brutal. Fights don't last long, nor do they need to. Damage is being dealt by both parties, with intent to maim or kill high on the list. Blood flows freely, and any means is taken to move the case forward, from both sides. Sean Bean brings his usual awesomeness to the role of Ewan, dishing out and taking punishment from start to finish. But what was really surprising was how well Abhin Galeya works with the script and the part. You feel for him quite easily, and the pace of the film picks up considerably once you start to delve into his past and reasoning. It seems odd to say that when juxtaposed against the action onscreen, but it is true. It's like the film doesn't feel natural until that point.
The direction is solid, really solid in fact. It is slick without feeling youtube'd, straight without feeling staid. It handles the subject matter with a raw feel, just like the story itself.
There's not much I can say really. I enjoyed it, a fair bit actually. Its a low-key thriller with a compelling story and great characters. I'd actually like to see more of the haunted Ewan, but considering the ending, I don't think that'll be happening anytime soon.
Thoughts: Mirror Mirror is an effervescent delight, cascading with colour, good times and great feelings. I fell in with the comedic style almost instantly. The film felt to me like an updated, very stylish and AMAZINGLY well edited (I'll explain why that's important later) old-timey adventure comedy. Big laughs, big outfits, big fights and big ideas. Even with all these "big"s flying around, the story itself is really quite small scale, which means the fairly long runtime was a bit detrimental to the kind of light fun that the film offers. But regardless of that, I enjoyed the film immensely. Reminded me of Jeunet's Micmacs.
It's Snow White. But done as a comedy. It stars Lily Collins as Snow White, Julia Roberts as the Evil Queen, Armie Hammer as the Prince, and Nathan Lane as the Queen's snivelling man servant. Quite a good cast all round, actually.
Mirror Mirror is played for laughs, through and through. And if you're open to it, it should work for you. The script crackles and bounces, keeping up comedic momentum pretty much the entire time. Of course, without game actors and actresses this would all be for naught, but every player is up for the challenge, bringing an energy to each line of dialogue and physical demand that the script throws at them. And what this all adds up to is the one thing that was sorely missing from the other Snow White film from this time (Snow White & The Huntsman): Heart. This film has a big heart, open to all. And that's what the film brings to you as a viewer. It can melt a cold heart, and erase a bad feeling or occurrence. Pure entertainment in its unadulterated form.
But without snappy, properly timed edits, it would all be for naught. When to cut to the surprised look on someone's face, or jumping between several key events and items in a particular moment or exchange, this is the chewy centre to every comedy. Standing ovation to Robert Duffy & Nick Moore for their outstanding work here. The film jumps and skips at just the right moment, allowing the funny of each and every sequence or line to pop completely and without hindrance. With those kinds of strategists on board, and with writers Marc Klein and Jason Keller's ammunition, all the actors get to have all sorts of fun onscreen.
The dwarves in particular are great fun, and they also get the plum screen action sequences. They gad about with these strange accordion-style leg extenders, and these make for some great stunts and exhilarating moments. And of course with the visuals of director Tarsem Singh around every corner, we are treated to opulent designs in both set and attire, and some great magical elements. My personal favourite was the tete-a-tete with the humongous string powered mannequins at the dwarf hovel.
The runtime could have taken a bit of a hit though. Despite all the crazy, light fun, the film almost hits two hours, and for light fun- optimal word being LIGHT- the film has a few subplots that could have served trimming. That said, I can see why they would have been reluctant to cut; more Nathan Lane or the surprisingly comedy adept Armie Hammer is not a bad thing.
Plus I REALLY could have done without the left-field song and dance number at the end. I mean, I get what they are trying to say, what with the whole "no one has sung or danced for years" type deal, but come on. It was just an annoying song, with Snow White practically doing the whole thing. I couldn't help but look at all the remaining cast looking mighty awkward in the peripherals. But I guess it being at the end, and not stuck in the middle, means I can skip it at will on subsequent viewings.
Today I figured, I'm gonna aim high. Runtime aside, it was a great, GREAT time in front of the box, and one I would actually look forward to revisiting.
Thoughts: I was torn between making this a full review, because it has been an awfully long time between my first viewing and now. But during the runtime I realized just how much of Full Metal Jacket I actually remembered, so I made it a Movie Rewatch. The movie still resonates, especially as a repetitive hammer of process and form. Right from the opening sequence of young, nameless recruits getting their heads unceremoniously shorn we are slapped in the face with the dehumanizing, innocence destroying art of modern warfare. Combine that with Kubrick's remarkable eye for detail, and you have a quality film split into two equally disturbing halves.
The majority of Full Metal Jacket revolves around recruit Private "Joker" Davis, who starts as a grunt and ends as a war correspondent. We watch as he completes basic training, and works his way through a tour of 1968 Vietnam. The film doesn't waste time on exposition, or character building; instead the film works like a series of vignettes across a timeline, with fully completed and fulfilled characters showing up and dropping out as the war sees fit. In my opinion, that's the best way to describe Full Metal Jacket.
All the actors are convincing in their roles, with Matthew Modine the perfect choice to relay the constant sarcasm that our man Joker is constantly purveying. His character is very reminiscent of Watchmen's The Comedian, in that all of what is going on is just one big joke humanity is playing on itself. Look at some of the fantastic lines and comments he gets to make:
Private Joker: "I wanted to see exotic Vietnam... the crown jewel of Southeast Asia. I wanted to meet interesting and stimulating people of an ancient culture... and kill them. I wanted to be the first kid on my block to get a confirmed kill!"
Private Joker: "A day without blood is like a day without sunshine. "
All delivered with a great dose of blank obviousness. It's fucking brilliant.
The set design is one of a kind. Kubrick creates this canvas in the second half of the film, that seems to stretch off into eternity. All the shots seem to have so much happening in the fore and background: black smoke billowing into the sky from dessicated structures, armoured trucks shifting soldiers to and from the front, a bustling Vietnamese town centre. In a phrase, the entire thing is jaw dropping, and I'd love to know more of how it was all achieved.
The film is filled with iconic moments, so much so that even people who have never seen the film have probably quote lines or are aware of certain shots and moments without realizing it. I'd say that's the mark of a true mover and shaker, and frankly the film deserves the crown it wears. It's more an experience than a normal 3 act movie.
Thoughts: Looper was made by Rian Johnson, one of my favourite directors, so my opinion was biased before I stepped foot in the cinema. That said, Looper was still a fantastic film, dripping with style and oozing with sci-fi fantastic. Some may balk at Jo-Go's lavish Willis make-up, but I liked it. And I also liked the story, the characters, the ideas, the direction and most definitely the music.
The story concerns a Looper by the name of Joe. To confirm, a Looper is someone who is hired to kill mob hits sent from a time-travel enabled future. When their contract is up in the future, to finish off their "Loop", their future-self is sent back to themselves to be "closed". Their life then continues. Joe happens to mess up killing his future self. So the fun begins. The story also concerns a moral quandary involving that whole "would you kill a future monster as a child, to stop him from becoming evil?", and that takes up the second half of the film.
Despite their being the usual brain-bending paradoxes, I praise Looper for giving it all its got. I have my own personal issues with the logic, but frankly, we're dealing with time-travel here, so I give it a break. The film itself is magnificent, from a technical standpoint. Rian Johnson always knew how to create something with nothing, and here he is given a much larger sandbox to play in. And yet, the film retains this kind of "lo-fi" aesthetic, managing to look grimy and broken, but futuristic all the same. The music matches this perfectly, and becomes so integral to the proceedings that I would have to say more than ever, that the film would have suffered greatly with a different audio accompaniment. It is industrial, and symphonic, and plain perfect for all the goings on.
The actors bring it. Jo-Go pulls off Willis commendably, breaking out all the affectations he can. Willis plays a slightly different role than he has before, if you look closely you can see the differences. He is a man who is running out of time fast, and doesn't really know how to handle it other than by putting on a strong face. All the secondary players do great work, but I gotta give extra special props to the kid in the second half. Seriously, I usually hate kids in all films, but this kid was so well written and played, that I immediately took a shine to him. In fact, he was so natural, acting so well, that you realize he's acting but he's not acting. No breaks in concentration, no fourth wall flutters. Straight professionalism. I can't wait to see the behind-the-scenes on him.
But the movie itself, goddamn. I love me Rian Johnson's eye and dialogue. He knows where to put the camera, when, and how to set up a scene. He approaches each idea with a workmanlike attitude, and each line as truth. In particular, I loved the scene where Old Joe and Young Joe meet up with one another at a diner, and just like anyone would in real life, Old Joe proceeds to continually reprimand his younger self for being an idiot in the future. "What are doing, look at yourself. You're a fucking idiot, you know that?" Classic. Plus the numerous action sequences, and the look and feel of a city on the brink of collapse. Wonderfully handled and executed.
Altogether, very worthwhile. I do wonder how well it'll hold up in future viewings, but for now, all thumbs up.
Thoughts: While it had less action than I was expecting, Elite Squad: The Enemy Within makes up for it with a cracking story of crime and politics situated in Rio de Janeiro. The acting is top notch, the plot is well thought out and frighteningly believable, and what action that does exist is well handled and very awesome.
Captain Nascimento (Wagner Moura, downplaying to perfection) leads his elite team known as the BOPE into a prison riot, with the outcome being deemed less than favourable by the upper brass, and titles stripped soon after. Unfortunately for them however, the public loved the captain's brutally efficient handling of the rogue prisoners (killing them all), and so they deem a promotion necessary, thereby killing two birds with one stone. Now firmly planted into the upper political sphere, Nascimento turns all his power to ridding the streets of crime- and he succeeds. Unfortunately though, his war has just jumped to a new level, with the many, many corrupt cops all over the city taking over from the drug cartels and criminals. His life and job will now become more difficult to handle than he could ever have imagined.
The film struck me as short-form, closed in version of The Wire. The film shows all the various levels in the underworld, top to bottom, and the machinations that exist between politics and crime. We get to see battles in the media, on the open forum, on the streets and in the police stations. Weapons are drawn, both literally and figuratively, and blood is spilled more often than it needs to be. Ultimately though, what we have is a film of various people just making their way through this mire of trouble and circumstance, making decisions that have very dire consequences. In that respect, Elite Squad: The Enemy Within flies high.
The action is spaced quite far apart, and suffers from some serious shaky cam, but this only seems to add to the mucky, chaotic feel of street warfare. We do get some awesome shots of Nascimento ordering insertions into major drug favelas up high in a helicopter, switching to the men making their moves below. This sequence is damn exciting, as is one extended street battle with a drug kingpin later in the film, culminating in an unfortunate casualty. It is all quite thrilling stuff, heightened with care for the characters onscreen; you really want to them to succeed/pay for their crimes.
I haven't seen the previous Elite Squad (2007) film, so I can't comment on that. But this film is a standalone tale, and one that I can recommend for fans of crime thrillers.
Thoughts: I must admit, I fell in with the flow of the film from the word go. 30 Minutes Or Less hits its marks in under 85 minutes, and with its stoner/slacker ethos, it perfectly encapsulates the kind of fun, unassuming, relaxing entertainment that is sorely lacking in the current movie climate. It succeeds by approaching humour the way great stand-up comics do: poking fun at the mundane, obvious, everyday stuff we barely notice. Its these little moments that make for great laughs, and with a great cast and cracking script, it provides fun and good times in a neat little delivery.
The film centres around a very bad day for one Nick (Jesse Eisenberg, having fun), lazy twenty-something pizza boy with nothing to do and all the time in the world to do it. His best mate Chet (Aziz Ansari, also having fun) has moved on with life, but still finds time to entertain his slacker bud. Unfortunately for both, they're about to get rolled up in the dunder-headed scheming of two wannabe gangsters named Dwayne (Danny McBride) and Travis (Nick Swardson) who decide that killing Dwayne's rich father is the best way to quick cash. But hiring a killer is expensive, about 100k kind of expensive. But the boys have a plan: get someone else to find the money for them. And unluckily for Nick, he's about to have a timed bomb strapped to his chest, and 10 hours to come up with the dough.
The film takes ridiculous ideas, and grounds them in reality, and that, in my opinion, is the mark of great ideas and execution. The film is very conversation heavy, but with the talent involved and the witty script providing the delicious base, the actors conjure just enough character during the crazy to allow you the chance to fully invest in the goings on. Actions have consequences; it's like the entire idea is ludicrous, but once all the dominoes are in place from point A, getting to point B is all based on people making decisions. It makes for a great experience, really, and one that doesn't wear on the viewer.
The film toys with action conventions over the shenanigans, like Pineapple Express before it. Where the aforementioned title willingly went waaay over the edge (which isn't a problem, I freakin' LOVE that film), 30 Minutes Or Less sticks to the rules it lays out, and follows through on its promises by closing. Its harmless fun really, and demands nothing from the viewer but the opportunity to please. Basically, check this little gem out, and I'd say you'll be pleasantly surprised. Whoever said films weren't supposed to be just plain entertaining anymore?
Stanley Kubrick: Visionary Filmmaker Collection (Lolita / 2001: A Space Odyssey / A Clockwork Orange / Barry Lyndon / The Shining / Full Metal Jacket / Eyes Wide Shut )
Thoughts: Snow White & The Huntsman seems to suffer from a serious identity crisis. On one hand, it's a blockbuster that expends too much energy trying to be an arthouse flick. And on the other hand, it's a quiet arthouse effort that dumbs itself up with sound, fury, and all the prerequisites demanded by bigger summer fare. Unfortunately though, these aren't the only problems plaguing the enterprise, with a lackluster script, convoluted story and acting that ranges from cup-and-string to batshit fucking insane dropping the score. It does have some saving graces peppered throughout though.
The story concerns the usual Snow White tale, but with enough weight added to pad a 130min runtime. Something like Snow White's dad is a king, but his wife dies so he's all sad, and fights a war with some ghost... things, and marries the evil chick who's pretending she's a hostage, who then kills the dad and captures Snow White and all the lands, but then a few years later Snow White escapes, and gets chased by the huntsman, but he saves her instead, and they meet some dwarves, and some fairies, and then start a war, but only after Snow White dies and is reborn and oh what do I care. It's all ridiculous and covered in holes anyway.
Well, my biggest problem comes in star Kristin Stewart. Seriously, what a poor choice to play Snow White. Look, the tale is based entirely on the fact that the evil queen is jealous of Snow White and her beauty, hence the evil results. So we cast Charlize Theron as the evil queen, good choice, fair enough. Now lets cast... Kristin Stewart as Snow White?! What the hell is going on here? Oh, you need proof? Fine! Here:
Charlize Theron > Kristin Stewart
Ridiculous! I even tried to find a picture that made Miss Stewart look presentable but hey, fuck me right? Even with the looks issue put aside, her performance is somewhere between irritatingly boring to non-existent. On the flip-side, Theron eats the scenery like it was made of chocolate, or dare I say, HAM. She yells and screams and goggles and everything. It all adds up to one very jarring experience indeed.
My opinion? The absolutely stunning Emily Browning would have made a magnificent Snow White. She has looks on par with Theron, she has the slight build and fair skin that suit, and she proved in Sucker Punch that she can hold her own when it comes down to the throw down.
...yuuuuuup. No contest.
The rest of the cast fare better, with Hemsworth looking and sounding the part, not that that's saying much. There really isn't that much to the whole endeavour, despite the runtime. The dwarves are fun, and played by a veritable who's who of British talent. They're a much needed breath of fresh air in a flick that is dangerously stale and unstable, even before the halfway mark.
The film perambulates between arthouse and blockbuster with an irritatingly high frequency. There are constant blocks of silence meshed with a mixture of handheld and skewed visions, and lens flare reveals itself on multiple occasions. The action is confusing and ill-handled, and when it all stops you sometimes wonder if the film is trying to tell you something in the silence.
It's not. It's all for show.
And the script. Ugh, the script. Or lack thereof. Exposition is prevalent right from the word go, and characters exist solely to state their intentions with no room for true growth. And our fun-loving heroine even delivers what I believe to be the most nonsensical, confusing and poorly-delivered "rousing speeches" I have ever seen. Seriously, does anyone understand what she said? "Iron will melt, but it will writhe inside of itself!"
...what?
OK, Ok, despite all this, I did say there were some draws. The visuals, for one. There are some seriously cool and well-conceived visual moments in the film, like when the evil queen crawls from the black tar of her dark designs, or her shift into ravens just before. Or when Snow White hits some magic mushrooms and takes a wicked cool trip in the dark forest, in what I believe was the film's best sequence. And the set designs and outfits were something else entirely, really quite stunning. But are these REALLY enough to subject yourself to the film? I say, no.
So take all this with a grain of salt, like I do with everything. But know this: your brain will not be tested, and your hunger for adventure, romance or action will not be sated. You have been warned.
