X Files: I Want To Believe (2008)

Rated PG-13 for violent and disturbing content and thematic material.
104 Minutes

Directed By: Chris Carter
Written By: Frank Spotnitz and Chris Carter
Staring: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Amanda Peet, Bill Connelly, Xzibit, Michael Pileggi, and Adam Godley

This isn’t my life anymore, Mulder. I’m done chasing monsters in the dark. -Dana Scully

Review

No more Stargate and no more X Files.  What was Vancouver doing without their beloved Science Fiction shows being shot?  Each continue to make films and carry on their legacies, but unfortunately for me the second addition, X Files: I Want To Believe, was nothing more than a glorified episode.  I enjoyed the first feature film a great deal, but this addition did very little as far as comparison to other movies was concerned.  It would have been a fun episode but did not stand up as a lone film for me.

Everything starts in true X Files form,being elusive and giving ominous clues to the unveiling of the whole stories plot.  While small pieces of suspicious evidence is revealed, the bulk of the main story is kept a mystery.  Since the characters have long since been established and the director Chris Carter must have assumed only previous X Files fans would be paying to see this movie, there was very little explanation of who Mulder and Scully were, which was one of the things that made it feel more like an episode rather than a full length feature film.  Small references were made to their pasts with the FBI but mostly the relationships were just kind of slapped onto the counter with someone saying: “This is it.  Here they are; popular television icons.”

The performances were okay.  It’s not difficult for David Duchovny or Gillian Anderson to slip back into the roles they played so effortlessly for so many years, but beyond that there was nothing spectacular or overwhelming to make this film or any of the other characters particularly special or stimulating.  The priest had a complex back round and Bill Connelly played him well, but his back story felt forced and the whole complication of him being a pedophile but not in control of himself was just too over the top and a real unnecessary argument in the story.  If the story was more focused on the aspect of the validity of his psychic connection, the bad guys doing bad things, and per usual the complex relationship of Mulder and Scully , the film could have been more sound.  There was the constant feel that extra twists and layers of information were necessary to make the film more compelling, but all it did was distract and lead to a more over worked feel that would have played out better in an episode that was busy building on exploring those different ideas over the period of a season.

I love the characters of Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, but the potential they had to work with in this film just never developed properly, though Anderson and Duchovney still maintained the kinetic energy between them, making it seem like they never walked away from playing those roles.  The relationship between the two of them, and still the constant banter of challenging each other in every aspect a person could challenge another person, they made this movie worth watching, even though there was even more opportunity for relationship moments to be explored between them.

With a plot that really wasn’t too interesting, a murderer that wasn’t all that formidable, even though his crimes were pretty much as morally ambiguous as they could be, it was just lost between the sea of personal struggles, the over complex situation of the priest, the back story of Scully’s patient, and of course the introduction of the FBI agent who is relentless in her goal to save the women abducted by Mr. Mad Scientist.

A lot of the basic elements that made the X Files so provocative were clear and present in I Want To Believe, but too many of the set up of the show was implemented in a way that didn’t pan together as a feature film.  Itnever welded itself together like a great season finale even, just more of a collage of episodes that clumsily stumbled to some mid-season peak.  Being a fan of the show and someone who adores the characters of Scully and Mulder.  Hopefully if another film is made it will be more epic and be able to balance what made the show good and the pacing of a motion picture better.  I Want To Believe was just an OK addition to the X Files family.

Pitch Black (2000)

Rated R for sci-fi violence and gore, and for language.

109 Minutes

Directed By: David Twohy

Written By: Jim Wheat and Ken Wheat

Staring: Vin Diesal, Cole Hauser, Radha Mitchell, Keith David, Rhiana Griffith, and Claudia Black

They say most of your brain shuts down during cryo-sleep. All but the primitive side, the animal side. No wonder I’m still awake. -Riddick

By a wicked twist of fate, somewhere in the distant future a group of space travelers are peacefully sleeping in stasis when a small asteroid field begins penetrating the hull and the ship crashes on a baren planet they know nothing about. The few survivors see the planet as unforgiving in it’s terrain and heat. There is no relief as night never seems to come because of it’s three suns that scorch the dead planet. Pilot Carolyn Fry (Radha Mitchell) assumes leadership as the ships Captain is deceased from the crash. The ship is beyond repair and she is quick to learn that is only one of her worries. Bounty Hunter William J. Johns (Cole Hauser) has a prisoner aboard called “Riddick” (Vin Diesal) that is a mass murderer and criminal. Riddick is no longer officially captive and walks freely among the survivors, making everyone uneasy. What they don’t know is the planet is headed for an eclipse that allows some darkness dwelling creatures to come out and feed upon anything living. In the darkness, the few survivors suddenly rely on Riddick, who had surgically engineered eyes that enables him to see in the dark, and hope he will bring them to find a way to escape the planet that holds them hostage.

In it’s essence Pitch Black is about survival, the lengths people go to, and who they will rely on when the tides turn for the worse. What’s very interesting about Pitch Black is the richly drawn characters. What is most compelling is when their pasts, their secrets are all revealed none seem to be creatures of innocence. They all hide behind facades created, except for Riddick, the one who has the most to hide and essentially turns into their hero. The flip-flop of this situation is represented in the turn of the tide in the movie. When light turns to dark, everything and everyone’s role changes.

Somehow, though the vicious and menacing killer, Vin Diesal makes Riddick the most charismatic and likable character of the bunch, or certainly the one you are drawn to most. He upstaged the rest of the cast, and though you wanted them all to survive, the only one you really cared to see go on, was Riddick. In this movie you realize Vin Diesal has what it takes to possibly be your next Sly Stallone or even Arnold.

For being a film fairly low-budget on the science fiction genre scale, the director utilized what he had brilliantly. The creatures themselves are almost never revealed, which keeps the illusion of their mysteriousness about them, and also doesn’t expose bad CGI. Because of this there was not one time that it became obvious that they were CGI creations. Even in the close encounter scene where Riddick goes head to head with one.

The depth beyond the tale, mixed with mystery and the unknown, tagged together with fabulously curious characters makes Ptich Black a new and interesting addition to the science fiction family, and hopefully will be around to inspire other films in the genre to think outside the box.

War Of The Worlds (2005)

Rated PG-13 for frightening sequences of sci-fi violence and disturbing images

116 Minutes

Directed By: Steven Spielburg

Written By: Josh Friedman and David Koepp

Staring: Tom Cruise, Tim Robbins, Dakota Fanning, Justin Chatwan, and Miranda Otto

That is so weird. The wind is blowing *toward* the storm. -Ray Ferrier

Review

Aliens have come to destroy earth, but this time they have come out from the center of our own planet, waiting idly by, bidding their time until the moment was right to destroy us all.  They are destroying everything and everyone in their path and covering the planet in their own fertilizer erasing any evidence of our existence.  A father and his two children suffering from the pain of a messy divorce are forced to ban together and try to survive.

As far as terrifying alien films go, War Of The Worlds began in a tremendous state of fear.  It overwhelmed the screen with amazing graphics, a shocking, yet well known story; a strong lead actor, and an unforgivable nemesis that seemed unstoppable.  Daily life gone terribly awry by a shocking event like a giant alien tripod is undoubtedly a pretty wild concept, but in it’s beginning stages War Of The Worlds implemented real life terror and shock with the human desire for survival perfectly.

Steven Spielburg took a very dark and depressing turn for this alien film, making life and survival seem all together hopeless.  When the Ferrier’s are in their car, at the bridge, the chaos and fear is truly palpable.  Though giant tripods haven’t taken over the world, yet; I imagine the way the human reaction interpreted by Spielburg would not be a long shot by any means.

This film had a lot of quality and excellent pacing until the moment when Ray Ferrier’s son proclaims the need to join the army and fight the aliens even though he’s witnessed an unimaginable amount of destruction that the human race was ill equipped to counter.  The unrealistic act of leaving his terrified sister and father in that moment is so far fetched that suspension of disbelief is not an option.  From that point on the film continues in a downward spiral that is unforgivable and relentless in it’s shameful creation.  The entire act with Tim Robbins helping Rachael and Ray by hiding them in his basement completely offsets the pacing and turns the film into a completely different movie.  Suddenly it’s about the violence and desperation of human nature rather than a pretty intense alien flick.  The character Oglivy, played by Robbins had absolutely no place in the story, and was the biggest disappointment of the entire film.

The extremely anti-climatic ending that was tied all too neatly up in a giant pretty bow that only furthered insulting movie goers intelligence.  I respect that Spielburg felt an obligation to the original films ending, but when it was this lazily created, it literally felt like an ending made simply because no one was smart enough to think any further.  So the ending was alien poop, but what happened with the character’s is simply inexcusable.  There is no doubt a huge part of the first forty-five minutes of this film being as engaging as it was is due to the extraordinary performance of Tom Cruise.  His fear and desperation were what carried the film to that point, and even after it turned into a despicable atrocity, he was the main reason to continue watching, because his performance was that good.  I enjoy Dakota Fanning’s performances in general but when she was abducted there were moments of pure Carrie Hiehn face way too often. The scream of terror and a dead pan face behind it became utterly annoying.  She is a much better actress than this particular performance showed her to be.

When I think of the excitement the beginning of this movie gave I truly feel compelled to offer it a re-watch, but I know this is only because I have some hope or desire that it will end differently.  War Of The Worlds is one of the biggest disappointments I have ever been subject to viewing.  I have seldom ever been so excited and engaged with a movie and then had the last thirty minutes be so completely opposite of where it’s conception was.  It seemed like two different films lumped together under one title with the only thing in common being aliens.  War Of The Worlds should have been retitled: “Sniffle, sniffle………hahahahaha we already got your money!”

Terminator: Salvation (2009)

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and language.
130 Minutes

Directed By: McG
Written  By: John D. Brancato and Michael Ferris

Staring: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Moon Bloodgood, Anton Yelchin, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Ironside, Jadagrace, Common, and Bryce Dallas Howard

We’ve been fighting a long time. We are out numbered by machines. Working around the clock,without quit. Humans have a strength that cannot be measured. This is John Connor. If you are listening to this,you are the resistance. -John Connor

Review

The critics have been giving this film a beating, but I’m hear to say as a hardcore Terminator fan, one that doesn’t even acknowledge the existence of T3 because of it’s lack of respect for the two films before it, that this was a good movie.  It had a few problems, but small things that were vastly overwhelmed by the positive, and I assure you I was hard on it in every respect.  Living up to James Cameron’s masterpieces is a feat no one should take on, and while TS didn’t reach those heights of success, it did manage to make a very entertaining movie that payed it’s dues to the mythology of the first two and created something a little different for the future, and as dark as T1 and T2 was, this film was far darker, with a lot more explosions as well.

The future is here.  Judgement Day has happened and the human race is struggling to survive, fighting the overwhelming power of Skynet. John Connor is with the resistance, but not everyone believes the future his mother predicted or the place in the resistance he held as a leader.  Suddenly, the resistance has a chance to fight back, a chance to take down Skynet once and for all, but as usual the all too aware system has an ace in the hole, and one that even Sarah Connor couldn’t predict.

There are direct lines that have repeated through the prior films and also found there way into this one.  Not everything is delivered in the typical capacity as Judgement has already happened the dark and ominous tones of this film can’t be avoided and while this film is far darker than the prior three it’s with due reason.  It is after Judgement day and the inevitable happened with the only possibility of hope being the humans survival.  Even if they beat the machines, so much has been lost is winning really a victory?  The sense of doom and dread never leaves, but it’s a theme that was necessary for this film, although I would have liked a little more comedy, even if it was dry humor.

Sam Worthington and Christian Bale were amazing.  Every scene Worthington is in has you on the edge of your seat.  His raw sense of being and being responsible for the rare bits of dry humor that occasionally float into the film make his character as Marcus enigmatic.  The allusions to his secret, the one he isn’t even aware creates a heightened sense of anticipation with every scene, wondering when the inevitable will happen.  Bale doesn’t stretch his acting range but plays a stoic and resolved John Connor that has brief glances into the wildly passionate kid we saw in Terminator 2, but jaded by years of death and destruction, surviving when everyone else doesn’t, it’s no surprise he is as dark and closed off as he is.  He relies on the words of his mother, and the hope that the future isn’t set, but that hope is constantly challenged.  AntonYelchin was a brilliant Kyle Reece and almost salvaged what an uncomfortable Chekov he was in the recent Star Trek.  He seemed a strange casting, but after his first interaction with Marcus it was clear he was meant to play the young Kyle.  Looking and even sounding like him, this character and performance was one of the highlights of the film.

What didn’t work?  There were a few things.  Small in the scheme of things,  but being a nit-picking Terminator fan I can’t overlook them:

• The over indulgent showing of the red eyes going dead at the beginning.  After three terminators lights going out, we get it.  Us uber fans don’t need an overdose of the iconic shot, nor do the new people need it shoved down their throats.
• The depth wasn’t there.  The film was mostly action and could have used a little more substance.  I relied heavily on the former films to distinguish it’s universe, rather than adding too many new elements into this version.  Because of the overwhelming focus on the action it became less Sci-Fi and more of an action flick that happened to have Sci-Fi in it.  Action is great, but this franchise is built on it’s in depth Sci-Fi, so that aspect was disappointing to me. Just because you are focusing on action doesn’t mean the story or the dialogue has to suffer, but at moments it really did.  Luckily there were unsaid moments between character’s that really made up for that.
• *Spoiler* The last moment with the Terminator sacrificing himself for John does tie in with the sacrifices of the prior three films, but it was far too mushy gushy and frankly an awkward moment with Bale and his thankful mourning eyes, lying next to Worthington’s wistful resolved face………It just didn’t fit not with the rest of the films theme.
• There is a scene in the final battle that is a mirror of Terminator 2 with Sarah Connor fighting the T-1000.  Down to some of the most specific shots John and Kyle were mimicked from that finale shot, and a few more that shadowed scenes with Arnie and the T-1000 throwing down as well.  Subsequently, it didn’t feel like an homage, more of a copy and that just isn’t cool.

Some of the best parts?  Well this includes tons of spoilers, so skip this next section and move on for a spoiler free review,  but I can’t talk about the things that didn’t rule without including these insanely great moments in the movie, the stuff that made it a better movie than maybe it had a right to be.

• The best John Connor moment is when he hijacks one of the Terminator bikes.   He puts down an old radio rocking some hardcore eighties hairband tunes, shades of him riding his own bike back in Terminator 2.  Instead of using high technology, he creates a makeshift trip cord and undermines the technologically superior killing machine.  In pure John Connor style he whips out a much more advanced code breaking tool than the one he used as a teenager in Terminator 2, and reprograms the bike, taking off on it in true rebel form.  Hands down the best scene in the movie, most true to the character and without any dialogue.
• Any scene with Sam Worthington.   Even though John Connor is the main character this movie is about, we show up to the Terminator movies to see the wicked cool killing machine, and while Marcus is a twisted creation of that ideal, he is still our anti-hero, saving the day in spite of who and what he is.  Worthington himself is beyond charming in that rugged, “I don’t give a crap” kind of way.  Must be an Australian thing, but whatever it was, it worked.  He made this movie reach levels of entertainment beyond the mind boggling intense action.
• I don’t care how corny and cliche it was, when Arnie showed up and starting kicking Christian Bale’s butt, I stood in the theatre with a whooping applause. While his moment was brief, it was a moment that gave the film the most important connection tying it to the ones before it.  The machine that started it all.  You just can’t have a Terminator movie without Arnold Schwarzenegger, even if you try to have one without James Cameron.
• I guess people are tiring of the whole time paradox, future messing with the past themes in movies, but Terminator was the first to use this as a full fledged plot point in motion pictures, therefore it has the right to do whatever time continuum contemplations it wants to, while other films may use this as a lazy way to manipulate their stories.  The basis of it’s creation stems from the time continuum and it being the basis for it’s construction is what Terminator is all about.  If you don’t like the time paradox aspects of these movies, then you just aren’t going to appreciate or like the core of what Terminator is.
• Bale says “I’ll be back” and it’s a totally nonchalant injection and it had me grinning from ear to ear.
• We get to listen to the tapes that Sarah Connor made for her unborn child.  So many decades ago, there was a film that alluded to this distant future, and now to actually see how those tapes affected John, and the infamous picture was a great fan moment.
• No Fate But What We Make as the final lines is the truest form of what Terminator is about.  Summing up what Terminator is in a sentence is No Fate But What We Make.  The fact that McG had the insight to add that as the final line gave me a real sense of closure from the movie, especially after the awful Terminator sacrifice moment.  It was redemption.
• I thought it was great that Connor’s pregnant wife was added to the story without any story or explanation to it.  It didn’t insult the audience by avoiding explaining the obvious to them.  Whereas some of the movie could have used some more explaining, this was not one of those moments.

The shots of the older less advanced terminators were phenomenal.  They looked more like creepy Locusts from the video game Gears Of War.  The CGI was some of the best I’ve seen in movies to date.  People may not love this movie, but nobody is going to deny it’s achievement in special effects or sound.  The sound mixing was absolutely insane.  Literally, it was so loud and came across as so real it sent fear through your mind.  It was great to see a film really utilize the profound affect sound can have on a film.  It added layers of enjoyment to it’s entertainment.

T3 should have just been skipped and moved right into Salvation.  There were some kinks that needed to be worked out, but overall it was a pulse pounding action film with great characterizations and allusions to what was done in the past.  It may have not been par to James Cameron’s work, but I think it’s fair to say that nothing ever will be.  What I hope for is movies that pay those films respect while also treading new ground and Salavation was a success in both those categories.  Supreme casting and amazing effects, with some really poignant dues of respect paid to the original films made this movie simply good.  I’m hard to impress and please in this film franchise, but I am here to say Terminator: Salvation was a spectacular summer blockbuster, and a competent addition to the franchise.

Star Trek (2009) Marc’s Review

UPDATE: Marc has some ideas on the possible future of JJ Abrams Trek HERE

Star Trek (2009) Marc’s Review 3/4 Kitties

My ex-wife got the planet in the divorce. I have nothing left except my bones.

Wow, if I’ve been this conflicted on a move before I don’t remember.  In the end I’m positive on it, and would recommend it, but it’s not a perfect film, not by a LOOOONG shot.  It’s faults are many, and although none of them are fatal, that’s only due to it’s numerous strengths.  These problems would have killed a lesser film, but this one is strong enough to emerge scarred, but alive and kicking.  This is a SPOILER INTENSE review, so if you’ve somehow managed to stay spoiler free, turn back now.

I was having trouble starting this review as what I did and did not like about the film kept fighting each other in my head.  That, or I forgot my pills again, either can easily be true.  What I’ve ended up with are two summaries of what I liked and what I did not.  Here they are, the bad and the good. Now I’m off to see what Heather thought about it.

What did NOT work. Seriously?

Scotty’s ……thing: If the opening scene of Abrams Trek II is a Bag Pipe Funeral in space for this guy I’ll be happy as a petted Tribble.  We do NOT need mud crusted Ewok comedy relief in a film series already having problems finding the right tonal shifts between action and laughs.

Shrek Orion Slave Girl Roommate: Were they even TRYING to simulate a skin tone, or just the nuclear waste rods on the Simpsons?  I swear you could see the back wall of the theatre every time she came on screen she was so bright.

The ‘Bongo’ Vulcan Spacecraft: Did Lucasfilm have to sign off on this?  Needlessly silly ship design that they did not even bother to tie in with any other design element by or on Vulcan.

Pavel Andreievich Yakov Smirnoff Chekov: Someone has to make sure this guy is only directed by the ‘A’ crew next time.  No more 2nd unit for him.  From his manic, almost Robin Williams in space performance to delivering EVERY LINE with the zest of ‘What a STARSHIP!’ he was easily the weakest performance in the film.

Water Boarding – SUBTLE!: It did not occur to me to check the credits as they were rolling, and no, I’m not going over to IMDB just for this, but I wonder if Nero’s assistant, the one with the ‘Duh’ look constantly on his face, was named Cheney? When Captain Pike was being questioned by Nero he was strapped to a board.  And what was Nero slogging through, water.  Water Boarding, get it?  It did not help that the Foley effects for the water seemed to be turned up to 11.  Now, before you think I’m being overly picky, I’m not sure the film makers even realized what they were doing.  Most likely it was not intentional.  But where else in the Romulan ship was water just laying around in puddles?  Nero sure did seem intent on getting Star Fleets access codes, if he didn’t have the Ceti Alpha V slugs who knows how soaked Pike would have become.  Either a ham fisted commentary on interrogations or all a coincidence.  Hard to say, but subtle it’s not.

Apple iStore VS Super Mario Brothers Star Ship Design: The disparity in design aesthetic between the bridge areas and the ‘working’ areas of the ship was ridiculous.  I had no care about how close or distant the bridge came to looking like the original, and as they designed it, I think they did a good job.  But going from the bridge to the other parts of the craft felt like going from a naval war ship to the guts of a oil tanker from the 1930’s.  I get it, these are big complex machines that do WORK.  I get it, they are mechanical, not just magic boxes that produce photon torpedo’s or warp speed with technobabble glowing lights.  That being said, I fully expected Mr. Wonka to walk on screen and ask an Umpa Lumpa to free little Asgustus…….er…….Scotty.

SOME of the camerawork: Some of the sequences were shot in Battlestar Galactica ~ Cloverfield shaky cam, and by some I mean too many.  We get the point, space is three dimensional and combat is chaotic.  Next time out, take a few chances to pull back and show the great actions sequences taking place in their entirety.

Overal Plot – or – Nuking Every Continent After Hurricane Katrina: So Nero is a regular guy.  He’s just out on a mining ship digging up rocks, making an honest living, as he’s careful to point out.  Just a simple Romulan making some coin for him and his family.  Then BLAM – goodbye home.    Ok, that sucks, sucks big time.  And sure, in grief that deep SOME people lash out for ANYONE to blame.  Alright, he’s just angry.  So this regular guy convinces the entire crew of this ship to travel the Galaxy exterminating billions and billions of people. This would be like someone on a super-oil-tanker that was crewed out of Louisiana steaming into New York harbor and blowing the ship up, killing hundreds of thousands of people because of the governments response to Hurricane Katrina.  EVEN IF one person was angry + kooky enough to do that, try convincing an entire ship to follow you.  This guy is no Kahn.  He’s no superhuman leader of a fanatically loyal group.  He digs rocks, and turns his rock digging ship into a vehicle for genocide.  This did not work for me, not at all.

Kobayashi Maru: Everything about this was a mess, and a huge lost opportunity. I was most afraid during this scene of the film.  Up to now I’d mostly been along for the story, enjoying the setup’s, the character moments, the introductions.  But man oh man.  Things went so wrong here I feared they’d never recover. Kirk’s Kobayashi Maru reprogramming is one of the conical touchstones for his tactical thinking, individuality and rouge nature.  What should have been one of the sequences that established Kirk’s, well, Kirk-ness for every level of audience member does nothing but show him to be a sore looser out of touch with reality.  His legendary action of reprogramming the simulator is shown to be so obviously a tampering with the test that it’s meaningless.  What possible good does it do to cheat when you swagger and contradict every possible component of the scenario to only end up with the situation suddenly turning around for no reason?  It had all the character development and intelligence of Kirk being pissed because someone always comes over and beats him at HALO 27 on his XBOX 9600.  So one day he puts gum under the buttons of controller number two and invites his opponent back for a rematch.  The game ends with Kirk brimming with self satisfaction and Spock just looking at a broken controller with a ‘Christ – you are such a tool…‘ look on his face. And then there is that damn apple.  I get it, really I do , ‘Look – Kirk is eating an Apple, just like in Wrath Of Kahn!‘  Actually, eating is not the right term.  Kirk assaults the apple with the ferocity of a man fixated upon slaughtering anything produce.   It’s almost like he’s a frustrated lumberjack who having forgot his ax curses the tree swearing to wipe it’s children from the face of the earth.  No, the apple did not make him look casual.  It did not make him look carefree either.  All it did was place an exclamation point onto a sequence that fails on every level.

The Spock 1.0 House Of Intergalactic Platitudes, Plot Points & Cliche’s: As bad as the Kobayashi Maru sequence was, it was not quite the lost opportunity that their use of ‘Classic’ Spock was.  From his first scene, he goes from a non-stop blathering of ‘Spocks greatest dialog hits’ to Warp Factor 7 plot exposition then back again.  Every scene with Leonard Nemoy in it was dreadful, and none of it was his fault, but that of the writers.  On the whole, the creative forces behind STAR TREK did a good job of being familiar, but also original.  Of honoring the copious Trek cannon without feeling the need to be constricted by it.  But things just fell off the rail with ‘Classic’ Spock, here on known as Spock 1.0. With his first scene, Spock 1.0 has his ‘I am now and shall always be your friend.’ line force fed into it you know they were at a lost on how to use him.  From the point in the ice cave then to Scotty’s winter wonderland all Spock 1.0 does is quote old school and spout back story like a leaking warp core.  This is the greatest crime committed by the film makers, as it robs what is most likely Spock 1.0’s last film appearance of any impact. There was so much they could have done with the 1.0 and 2.0 meeting.  How much better could it have been if 1.0 would have just casually bumped into 2.0 something like this: 1.0 – I believe your name is Spock, is that correct? 2.0 – Yes.  I do not know you, do I? 1.0 – I am someone who knew your mother. 2.0 – You knew my mother, for how long? 1.0 – All my life.  I’m leaving on a shuttle to Planet X to help start a new Vulcan colony.  Before I go I want to tell you that your mother often spoke of her pride in you, and as a human did not miss an opportunity to say how much she loved you. Or *SOMETHING* along those lines, rather than the quaint nudge – nudge – wink – wink – hey – look – I’m OLD YOU, ain’t it cool!

What DID work. Rock Out With Your Spock Out!

The Casting: With Chekov the only stand out, this is a phenomenal cast.  Aside from Kirk and Spock, precious little screen time is able to be spent on each character, but every actor nails the bit of time they have.  What you may have heard about Karl Urban as McCoy is correct.  Somehow he channels the perfect embodiment of the old performances without ever once coming off as a impression.  Pine shows us a young Kirk full of bravado and guts, but also intelligent and a thinking man’s fighter.  Quinto as Spock has the look down pat of course, but he works the mannerisms, down to eyebrow raises, to a tee.  Zoe as Uhura delivers on the promise of sexiness that could only be hinted at in the original TV series, and was sadly past her prime for come the movie series.  ( #5 fan dancing scene, the horror…..the horror…..)  She also gets to help the plot along in a few small points, as many as they could squeeze in this time I think.  Hopefully the relationship with Spock will grant more screen time in the future.   Pegg as Scotty falls the furthest in the physical appearance department, but does a great job with the whimsical and playful side Scotty had.  Hopefully they let him do more in the future than give bursts of more power and fretting over his precious crystals. I want to give a complement to Bruce as Pike as well.  He’s a necessary predecessor to Kirk, being the place holder that Kirk must ultimately supplant, but I hope we’ve not seen the last of him.  He does great work, with the early bar scene being the best.  Even though he’s in his (beepless) chair, I hope he has a role shaping the future of these characters.

Doing the impossible: Iconic gets overused a lot, but that’s what the original series characters are.  Kirk, Spock, Bones.  Just show someone the shirts, the ears, say the word phaser.  People who never liked the old, the new, the newer, the films, they still KNOW who these characters are.  To a large degree, this film ends with us embracing these new characters as they exist on their own.  The old characters do not matter.  It’s not that these new versions diminished the older versions, but just the new ones are so interesting on their own you don’t feel guilty for liking BOTH.  Somehow J.J. & crew managed to make a good movie that does not feel like a Star Trek movie.  You don’t feel the need to compare this to Wrath Of Kahn, or any of the others.  In an explosive way that the Next Generation films could only have dreamed of, this movie stands on it’s own.  Being able to excite the casual, hardcore and never-seen-it Trek audience is a feat I did not think they would be able to do, but they did.

I know my list of Positives is shorter than the Negative, but that’s just the way I saw it.  The QUANTITY of bad outweighed the good, but the POWER of the good outweighed the bad, if you follow. Again, I do recommend seeing this, up on the big bright screen if at all possible.  It’s not the best movie ever made, but I really, really like these characters and I’m really curious to see where they take things now that the ‘origin’ movie is out of the way.

UPDATE: Marc has some ideas on the possible future of JJ Abrams Trek HERE

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence, and some partial nudity.
107 Minutes

Directed By: Gavin Hood
Written By: Skip Woods and David Benioff
Staring: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Danny Houston, Will i Am, Lynn Collins, David Durand, Dominic Monaghan, Taylor Kitsch, Daniel Henney, Scott Adkins, and Ryan Reynolds

Now see this is a real weapon. You whip out a couple of swords at your ex-girlfriend’s wedding and let me tell you, people listen. People remember. -Wade

Review

Just when I thought all the testosterone and bravado had been sucked out of the world I made it to the theatre to see “Wolverine” and discovered where it had gone.  Apparently HughJackman has been part of some mass conspiracy to steal and keep all of the man fierceness in the world for himself in his role as Wolverine.  However, he was successful in his endeavor.  In a film full of men with super powers and mass ego’s, his character’s machismo seemed to reign far stronger than the rest.  X-Men Origins: Wolverine was a film set to fixate and understand the where’s and how’s of Wolverine, and if his rawness and tough exterior was something learned, or aninert instinct within him.

Hugh Jackman returns in the role of Wolverine and as the title suggests it is at his introduction to the world of being a mutant.  Running threw northern Canada with his mutant brotherViktor , both seemingly invincible and each defying age, they fight in wars upon wars utilizing the only thing either seem to be good at: their fighting skills.  Logan does it for lack of knowing his place while his brotherViktor seems to be developing a taste for the war and violence.  Each are sentenced to death by a firing squad for killing one of their own, and they become discovered by a man namedStryker that commands their abilities and introduces them to an elite squad that also has strange talents.  Wolverine (Logan) leaves the squad when he disagrees with it’s morals and goals and as a result finds himself a job as a logger in a remote part of Canada.  He settles down with a girl who not only loves and accepts him, but understands him.  When she is killed the animal returns and he seeks revenge.

There is a lot I really enjoyed and thoroughly liked about Wolverine, but there were also areas that I was very disappointed in.  TheCGI implemented in the film was a catastrophe.  The occasional slip or bad moment is acceptable in this genre of film, but when the filmmaker is being so bold as to focus an entire scene on a moment entirely utilizingCGI , it had better be good.  There were weak moments to the point of the distracting away from the climatic building tension, but the scene in the bathroom, which should have been humorous and exciting was such clear cartoon animation that the entire moment was ruined.  It was a massive disappointment and took away from some of the most exhilarating parts of the movie.  While I hated the bone claws and even the metal ones, even though I loved the way they were adapted into the story even if they looked terrible.

The character’s were invigorating and magnetic.  Hugh Jackman’s return as Wolverine was very likely his most gripping performance out of the four films.  Besides being in absolutely jaw dropping shape, the rugged indifference, and volatile temper, with a sense of morality simmering beneath was a riot to watch.  It was never clear which side of his personality would be revealed next, and it just kept you guessing.  His brotherViktor (later to become Sabretooth) and himself have a perilous start together and the years following that introduce them to other mutants and then reintroduce them to each other.  That relationship is compelling to watch unfold, as Viktor could have been the choice of who Wolverine may have become. Those that were part of Stryker’s gang were all clever and intriguing characters, even though some of the actors abilities were questionable.  Zero, Viktor, and especially Wade (or Deadpool ) were character’s to get excited about.  While some of those “heroes” fall, we become privy to the beginning’s of other “X-Men”, and also a suave Bandit by the name of Gambit.  In this film you never get a shortage of super powers or cool hero moments.

The actual story, how it develops and then unveils it’s twists and turns is actually very clever, but also natural.  The film sets the majority of it’s focus on the rural yet beautiful Canada.  So many films feel the need to make their settings take place in exotic places, but the tall trees and lush green vision of Canada was not only beautiful but much easier to grasp.  It was stunning cinematography and it’s my thoughts that it gave a considerably more textured feel the tale.

This addition to the super hero genre had some very high points and overall was a very entertaining film.  Only some honestly terribleCGI and awkward character interactions distracted from it, and while it may be a bit annoying, it doesn’t ruin the movie, it just prevents it from being great rather than good.  HughJackman’s performance alone is worth the price of admission.  The action is fun, the story is smart, and the character’s are enthralling.  This is an exciting movie about action, fun characters, and super powers.  It  may not hold up to the original X-Men film, but it is still a fun addition to the family, and frankly has me enthused for further X-Men Origins additions.  I didn’t love Wolverine, but I genuinely liked it.

V For Vendetta (2005)

Rated R for strong violence and some language.
132 Minutes

Directed By: James McTiegue
Written By: Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski
Staring: Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rae, Stephen Fry, Tim Hurt, Rupert Graves, Tim Piggot-Smith, Roger Allam, and Ben Miles

The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. -V

Review

While V For Vendetta offers a compelling story and enigmatic characters the telling of the story became banal, and the character’s lacked the influence they had the ability to convey.  This was largely a factor of the length of the film.  I can deal with a movie like The Lord Of The Rings or Kill Bill being one hundred and thirty-two minutes long.  They are stories that keep you entertained on multiple levels with action, dialogue, and complex character’s that are constantly evolving or are overwhelmingly charismatic.  V For Vendetta unfortunately does not prevail in any of those categories and became two and a half hours of wondering when it would get past it’s self reflectiveness and get to the point.  It’s pretentious, finger-waving nature is only tolerable for Hugo Weaving and his brilliant voice, that emotes so much from behind of a mask.  Beyond that, the praise essentially ends.

V For Vendetta is a story adapted for David Lynch’s graphic novel about the futuristic Totaltarian reign of Britain and it’s oppression on it’s citizens.  The countrymen of Britain is viewed through the eyes of Evey Hammond, a simple and quiet girl, who tries to obey and follow the tyrannical laws placed in her world.  Violating curfew one evening she is confronted by some villainous character’s who threaten to harm her in the most awful ways possible.  She is saved by a masked hero that has a certain charm that demands respect but is also curiously alluring.  Evey becomes present as he blows up an England landmark thereby igniting the war he intends to wage his rebellion with.  In time, Evey begins to learn who he is, while simultaneously learning about herself.  Together, they fight for justice, freedom, and redemption.

The collaboration has an air of snobbery, and the slow unwinding of the back story and explanation behind everything isn’t at all tangible.  It takes so long to get there, it would be a miracle for the audience to care.  It isn’t about the journey though that’s what it claims.  The story of V is really about the shock and awe of the day he waited so long for rather than the reason for his motivation.  It’s not as though the films conceptions aren’t poignant, but they simply aren’t delivered in an entertaining enough way to jump on V’s bandwagon of rebellion.

The style of the film deserves some respect.  The feel of the oppressed futuristic England with it’s Totalitarian government is quite effective.  The style of the V himself, and the dynamic the air of his character has in contradicting that feeling with his need and desire to fight the corruption and cruelty that plagues the country achieves what it’s aim was.  The grace and inspiration of V was provocative though Natalie Portman as Evey is actually the most redeemable quality of the film.  The scenes of the interludes between her and Hugo Weaving as V contain an honest tenderness and connection between the two that doesn’t seem to fit into the forced quality the rest of the film carries.  Even though most of their moments work and some of the dialogue is eloquent and cleverly conceived much of it’s delivery is lost on moments that have dragged on for far too long, or have engaged with character’s that don’t really deserve the attention their given,

The ending was a fair payoff, but it felt as though it was too little too late.  I didn’t hate this movie by any stretch, but I just didn’t care about it, and it’s a shame I had so little passion about it to be completely lacking any emotion toward it at all.  It’s a massive failure to me that a film that was supposed to be about inspiration and motivating lacked to do exactly that itself.  I feel like this is a movie most people will either fall down in worship over, or others just won’t get it or won’t care.  Perhaps it’s something I should revisit in a few years and see if it resonates differently with me, but for now I have to say that it just didn’t work with me.

Star Trek (2009)

Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action and violence, and brief sexual content.
126 Minutes

Directed By: J.J. Abrams
Written By: Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman
Staring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Leonard Nimoy, Eric Bana, Bruce Greenwood, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Ben Cross, Winona Ryder, Chris Hernsworth, and Jennifer Morrison

Your father was captain of a starship for twelve minutes. He saved 800 lives, including yours. I dare you to do better. Enlist in Starfleet. -Captain Christopher Pike

Review

Why make another Star Trek film?  Why reinvent beloved characters that have essentially left their legacy behind to be enjoyed not repeated?  J.J. Abrams and his spin on the infamous series and character’s is why.  I’m one who loathes unecessary remakes and gets tired of repetition instead of new original concepts, but what Abrams did with this franchise was a brilliant rebirth to the character’s and their stories that us Trekkies have grown to love and live for in the past three decades.  This is a film for those that have supported and adored over the years to experience a fresh beginning, while simultaneously opening a door to a new generation that may find themselves in love with a franchise that made Science Fiction more than a strange little genre for oddballs to enjoy, but opened a connection to the mainstream threw special effects, action, and compelling characterizations.

Star Trek takes us back to when James Tiberius Kirk was born and unlike the previous series, his life begins with a traumatic event that changes the timeline of who he will become.  We shoot next to his childhood along with Spocks , understanding the things that drive them and what events in their lives have helped mold the young men they become and the influence it has on their lives later.  When faced with events that original fans once could have predicted we learn their futures are not the same, making the entire film an unpredictable suspense phenomenon.  Spock and Kirk still make it to Starfleet Command just as the U.S.S. Enterprise has been freshly built and takes on it’s new crew, by strange divine circumstances that bring them all together.  Freshly graduated they are faced with the utter destruction of Earth and other Federation planets as a vengeful Romulan begins destroying planets using technology far beyond anything anyone can comprehend.  It’s up to this new group to save the galaxy.

The story is thick with back round depictions and developments and there is so much information being constantly divulged it doesn’t seem possible to keep up, but somehow Abram structures the revelations with a sound pacing that never feels rushed or lengthy.   He fleshed out each of the characters slowly as each came into the story and was re-introduced showing how they are different from the original versions of them, but what parts of their beings remain the same.  The painstaking time to develop each of them made them something considerably more than just actors filling roles that have already been established.  It was as though it was each of their first times onscreen, and the attention to detail in each of their creations was a work of genius, and authentic appreciation for those that came before them.

Meanwhile, there is still a complicated plot involving revenge, destruction, and a twisted time continuum screwing up the universe original fans have become acclimated to, while still giving a plethora of information for new viewers to swallow, but it all works.  There is a cohesive balance to the unveiling of characters, comic timing, bouts of action, and story development.  It’s a film that constantly keeps you on the edge of your seat while still having serious character interactions developing and evolving.  Taking the characters back to literally their births and childhood and showing how they  became who they were and the steps that took them to Starfleet command was just as amusing as the second half of the film where the perilous fate of Earth is at stake.

It felt like a great deal of time was placed in the casting, because the recasting was phenomenal.  I had my reservations about Chris Pine, especially after seeing him in The Princess Diaries sequel a few weeks ago, but he couldn’t have been a more perfect Kirk, well this version of Kirk that is.  There is the homage of a suave ladies man here, and while it is almost tongue and cheek there is a very sexy air that Pine gives off that is completely genuine to the character.  This Kirk grows up without the guidance of a father, and while still stumbles his way to star fleet, his character is a bit more jaded and darker.  Zachary Quinto as Spock appears to be an almost freakish physical mimic of Spock, but his performance mirrors the Spock we knew perfectly, while also offering a few other complex surprises that makes this “Spock” a little different.  Karl Urban as McCoy seemed an odd casting, but his first scene with Kirk we see the pessimistic and worrisome Doc return as the blatant antithesis of Spock once again.  Making us laugh hysterically at his inability to NOT feed off his emotions, while tossing out the catch phrase lines that ring so true in the original fans ears, while offering a new concept of funny to new audiences paying the character a great respect.

Seeing the new take on Romulans was a little strange at first.  I didn’t even identify Eric Bana as Nero until his second or third appearance, and as a villain he was absolutely riveting.  Some of the plot back round here wasn’t as in depth as other aspects of the film, but it seemed the right choice to keep the momentum that was building going, and besides when your villains motivation is revenge an in detail explanation isn’t always necessary. Bana’s insanity and the fact that he waited twenty-five years to exact his revenge was enough proof that he wasn’t sound of mind.  Bana made Nero a real psychotic villain driven by irrational forces that just happened to have a cataclysmic affect on the timeline and every-ones lives.

Leonard Nimoy’s role was a special surprise, and I won’t divulge details about it to ruin it for anyone who isn’t aware of his role in the film, but I strayed from reading any information about the plot so I could be surprised.  His role in the eventuality of the story was larger than I had anticipated, it was certainly more than the mere cameo I’d heard about, but it gave a great connection to what the story was trying to explain to us about the alternate reality the character’s were living in.  His character made the bridge that really solidified that point, and his performance was a comfort that rang out the best kind of cinematic nostalgia.

My thoughts are this is the best movie of 2009 so far, and I honestly don’t foresee too many films having the guns to do much better, which is saying something with the lineup for the rest of the year.  With a new Terminator, Transformers, a new Tarantino flick, Peter Jackson film, the new Harry Potter and Where The Wild Things are in the future, it looks to be a pretty amazing year for movies.  I am in Sci-Fi heaven from Star Trek, and while it is geared toward the kind of films the old were, everyone should see it. At the very least it’s going to entertain the heck out of you with great action, special effects, and fun characters.  Hopefully J.J. Abrams will do it again, because this wasn’t enough for me.  I want a sequel.

Hancock (2008)

Rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and language.
92 Minutes

Directed By: Peter Berg
Written By: Vincent Ngo and Vincent Gilligan
Staring: Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman, Jae Head, Eddie Marsan, and David Mattey

Did you shove a man’s head up another man’s ass? -Ray Embrey

Review

Don’t drink and fly or you’ll end up smashing into random buildings, breaking expensive personal property and apparently become the bad kind of good guy.  The world might even want to imprison you instead of give you thanks for keeping it safer.  This is the kind content that surrounds the plot of Hancock, a super hero that isn’t quite like the books have described them to be.  This film is a giant side step from your typical hero flick, and for the most part succeeds in it’s endeavors.

Los Angelas would seem to be a lucky city with a superhero protecting the streets, but their hero isn’t the kind written about in books and in the movies.  Hancock can fly and seems impervious to bullets and probably anything else tossed his way, but the way he goes about doing his good deeds is a bitunorthodox .  He generally flies drunk, which results in more city property than the citizens would like.  Even after rescuing or saving someone his insight leads him to yell at all the normals calling them dumb amongst other choice phrases.  The good guy hero has a drinking problem and needs anger management so bad that the city he saves has issued a warrant for his arrest.  Only a do-gooder PR sees the potential of Hancock and offers to help him.

Aside from Hancock’s bad attitude and drunken flights, there is also something else that separates itself from other films in this genre and that is Hancock having an actualnemesis .  Sure things happen in the final moments that make villains his equals briefly, but for the first three quarters of the film, he doesn’t have someone who can physically challenge him.  Having anuntypical setup and no real precedent for this kind of brand of film, Hancock was a fresh and exciting film.

The effects in this film are pure escapism fun.  From Hancock stumbling threw the air, drunk out of his mind, to the apprehension of villains, to the smashing train crash this film pulled out all the stops, and made for a film worth watching just for the excitement of great effects.  With Will Smith as the leading man, Hancock had every right to be unapologetic for it’s relentless action, and simplistic one liners that only had real flair because of the actors delivering them.  It’s was what a good popcorn flick is all about.

While Hancock was mostly successful in it’s adventure there were places of disappointment and wilted momentum.  This twist that springs about three quarters through is undoubtedly cool, but the film shifts gears to a more morose and dramatic type mood than the rest of the film had omitted.  Even inHancock’s reflective jail moments, there was enough comedy and exciting moments mixed in between that the thrill of the film never left.  When this “secret” is revealed, the fun feels like it’s been sucked out of the story and the drama of a film more along the lines of X-Men has interrupted.  What was so great about the beginning was the overwhelming sense of fun the audience could get caught up in.  The last twenty minutes was a complete downer.  It’s not as though what happened was a bad idea, the concept itself was pretty exciting, but it’s execution was far from the adrenaline rush of fun and fantastic that the rest of the film had boasted.

There is no questioning how great Will Smith was in this movie.  If another actor had been in his place, I doubt it would have been half the fun it was.  He was cast perfect, but the balance of his character was met by the brilliant timing of JasonBateman , who’s character’s nature and outlook on life was quite the opposite of Hancock.  Nonetheless the two have amazing chemistry and laughing out loud kind of comic timing. Bateman’s character Ray is the one who really makes the twist of a superhero being an ass funny instead of a guy just being a jerk.  Though the two became friends the dynamic of their relationship kept each true to their nature.  Hancock may have helped by giving Ray a ride home, but how he and his car get there is far from the gentle and kind impact one would expect from a “hero”.  Ray never strays away from his good heart, nor his own need to help, and that follows through to the very end.  Bateman was the true “X” factor of Hancock.

Movies like this should have comedy, but “R” rated comedy and action is something that doesn’t come by too often anymore, especially executed as well as it was in Hancock.  Some of the jail scenes, particularly how Hancock makes one of his adversaries at the end of the flick is just hysterical.  It makes you think, what would a normal person do if they had superpowers?  Not everyone would become a maniacal villain or become the moral leader of humanity.  Sometimes you might get mad, and why not abuse that power a little bit.  Hancock just takes that notion to the tenth power, and of course it makes it more interesting for the audience.

Hancock may have let down it’s pace and excitement at the end, but I’m impressed by it’s ingenuity and ability to go places other filmmakers have been too afraid too.  Instead of a spin-off or remake it was a film entirely of it’s own, and it was still fun to watch.  The trio of Will Smith, Jason Bateman, and Charlize Theron was casting at it’s best.  The connection between the three of them was kinetic and the result was gregarious entertainment.  I really enjoyed Hancock even though many of my fellow critics didn’t, I was impressed what it attempted to achieve, because for the most part it was successful.

Push (2009)

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, brief strong language, smoking and a scene of teen drinking.
111 Minutes

Directed By: Paul McGuigan
Written By: David Bourla
Staring: Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, Djimon Hounsou, Camilla Belle, Maggie Siff, Ming-Na, Nate Mooney, and Hook Waters

Listen to me Nick. Someday a girl is going to give you a flower. You have to help her Nick. Help her, help us all. -Nicks Father

Review

There is a world we don’t know about, where people have abilities that we don’t understand.  They walk amongst us, and look the same, but in fact have their own set of rules, laws, and guidelines that they live by.  This is the play-scape for those in the world of the film “Push”.  While it had a similar feel to Jumper it lacked in the SFX category though showed more promise and development in the character/story explanation.  It promised to be a riveting action-thriller with characters created to mirror the ideal of X-Men or Heroes, but unfortunately caught in a weave of it’s own complications Push manages to be a film that simply lacks any rational thinking.

The Division is a group that is busy planning world domination by it’s genetically transformed army of psychic soldiers.  Those that aren’t complying with the new power hungry regime are being mercilessly disposed of.  Nick Gant, we learn is the son of a telekinetic murdered for his powers.  He has the same powers of his father and made the choice to live his life in refuge in order to avoid “The Division” or other clairvoyants.  At some point he can’t anymore and finds himself running from those he once avoided with a thirteen year old “watcher”, and together they are in search of a girl and a “package” that is supposed to save those that don’t wish to be harnessed by the Division.  Their future is bleak and becomes even darker when they run into one of the strongest pushers in the world, Agent Henry Carver.

I think it’s hilarious that we toughen up guys like Paul Walker and Chris Evans by giving them darker hair and a beard.  Evans has a bit more depth than Walker, but the simplistic ideal of him being “tough” based on his appearance with dark hair and a five o’clock shadow is remarkable it’s so funny.  Because of these insipid and obvious nudges about our characters, there is already a bank of annoyance, though the main two, played by Evans and Fanning do work well together, they aren’t given much to work with.  The constant tidal of people they meet, the girl they are searching for and the need to add too many “coincidental” connections between them all is so overworked it’s hard to say if the actors were good or bad, most barely had the opportunity to rise above bland.

The question of the constantly changing future and trying to deduce if their ill predicted fate will actually come true is where all the excitement and suspense ignites.  Just unfortunately the plot itself feels just as confused as our actors as it shifts from genre to genre in search of an identity.  The flashbacks becomes overused and distracting.  The constant twists from future to present to past are as off balance as the character having them.  At times it feels like director Paul McGuigan is trying to be too trendy and too edgy, because so much about the style of shooting has no relevance to the story, the characters, and certainly not to the audience connecting with it.

Push had real possibilities, but ended on being a bit too overindulgent and pretentious.  It deemed itself a franchise before it had done anything remarkable toseparate itself from other movies and shows in the genre of super heroes or those with abilities.  It was successful in separating itself, though it only happened to be different because it was so much worse than other wannabes have been.  Initially, I thought it was going to be a more intellectual version of Jumper but it failed to incorporate any of the excitement or superficial gratification that Jumper had and films like this need to keep a balance.  I’m sorrily disappointed in this one.  Started off well and just transpired into a mess.

The Day The Earth Stood Still (2008)

Rated PG-13 for some sci-fi disaster images and violence.
104 Minutes

Directed By: Scott Derrickson
Written By: David Scarpa
Staring: Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Kathy Bates, Jaden Smith, John Cleese, Jon Hamm, and Kyle Chandler

If the Earth dies, you die. If the human race dies, the Earth survives. -Klaatu

Review

The Day The Earth Stood Still is a pretty representative title regarding the topic matter.  The film does little more than stand still, with a plot that only seldom shifts gears, and even that may have just been a ploy to watch Jennifer Connelly run around while looking devastatingly gorgeous.  I have never seen the 1951 original so I have no basis of comparison, but it’s unclear to me how this version could at all be an improvement on the classic film.

The film starts in an abrupt fashion with our main character, Helen, being whisked away by National Security for a reason unknown even by her escorts.   We’ve learned she is the single mother of her step-son Jacob, and is an over-achiever in every aspect of her life.  She clearly has a soft spot for those that can’t help themselves, and this little trait foreshadows that sensitive side of human nature.  Upon her arrival it is revealed that a giant Orb is traveling to Earth directly to Manhattan looking to destroy all those in it’s path.  The object halts just before imminent destruction all the while glowing like a happy Orb, and suddenly I thought I’d put on the wrong movie because Iron Man was standing before me, but no.  I was clearly mistaken.  The Alien entity must have just watched Iron Man and decided this figure would be an appropriate protector of it’s Orb thingy.  Next pops out a slimy Keanu, and the story really begins……….or stands still.

Once again, I just would like the notion of a city being destroyed or rampaged other than Manhattan and New York.  I was so relieved in Monsters vs. Aliens that San Francisco got the brunt of an Alien encounter.  Let’s try to focus on other cities, please, and leave New York alone.  Let it recover from it’s cinematic destructiveness.  It’s just gotten so repetitive.  It’s not as though people can’t relate to any other national landmarks or cities.  An empty and evacuated Manhattan is now just becoming a mind numbing bore-fest.

The casting director couldn’t have been more excited about having Keanu Reeves for this role.  In fact, the dead pan zombie-like alien embodied in human form, Klaatu, could not have been cast any better.  Looking exactly like he does in every other movie, wearing a suit that he probably kept from the costume department of a prior film, he sets out being as robotic and emotionless as possible, an act that seems second nature to him.  Jennifer Connelly on the other hand is a mess of complexity.  What Klaatu lacks, Helen makes up for.  She’s busy being a super scientist, mourning the loss of her husband, learning to be a single mother, and oh yeah………..trying to save Earth from extermination.  The two leads are at complete odds and don’t really play well off each other, making that part of the movie, which happens to be most of it, really awkward and uncomfortable.

The special effects had their moments.  Perhaps the fancy Orbs and Iron Man, or whatever it was, would have been more stimulating on the big screen, but I found myself thinking, enough already, it’s blue and misty and there are things in there.  But no, it was like a time filler or something, the cinematic version of a snooze button.  The last three quarters of the movie was the cinematic cruise control.

The finale of this film ended as abruptly and mismatched as it’s start.  The connection to the characters lacked,and mostly this film was boring.  The early mystery showed some promise, and the plot itself seemed compelling, but the execution fell just short of terrible. I can’t in good conscience recommend this to anyone, even though it did have a few interesting and original thoughts, but I’m thinking I’ll just save that for watching the original, which has to be miles better, it couldn’t be much worse.  I’m going in search of 1951, with hopes finding a more well thought out film that doesn’t travel on cruise control.

The Last Mimzy (2007)

Rated PG for some thematic elements, mild peril and language.
90 Minutes

Directed By:Robert Shaye
Written By: Bruce Joel Rubin and Toby Emmerich
Staring: Chris O’Neil, Rhiannon Leigh Wryn, Timmothy Hutton, Joely Richardson, Rainn Wilson, Kathryn Hahn, Micheal Clarke Duncan, and Kristin
Williamson

What are you doing? We’re talking about miracles here! The whole Universe is trying to communicate with you, and you’re worried about something as earth-bound as kidnapping? God I love you, but you drive me crazy! -Naomi

Review

The Last Mimzy an exciting combination of adult enjoyment and children’s entertainment with an intelligent mix of science fiction, keeping it a thrilling family film. There are magical moments of the children’s discoveries that make you wonder if they are just using their imagination, the most complex toy a child has, but when things to begin to show signs of realism in the rest of the world, and the “gifts” the children have begin to reveal themselves, the film evolves in a much more complex, yet realistic way of approaching the strange situation before them.

When the brother and sister begin to develop these “talents” after finding the mysterious box of toys they attempt to keep their discovery to themselves, but a power they don’t understand seems to desire it be brought to the knowledge of someone or something that can help it. Mimzy , the bunny, only speaks to her friend but tries to help her with the mission before them.  After the parents and teachers become involved, it isn’t long before the government and military is even trying to understand the mystery surrounding the two siblings.

Rainn Wilson’s role in this film may not be significant, but it is incredibly funny breaking up the sense of predictable pacing and plot points. His character was the biggest part of the film that offered something more remarkable than the story itself.  Not to say the rest of the cast wasn’t strong, it was a talented supporting crew, that allowed connections to easily be made either as an adult or child, the roles were totally tangible.

The Last Mimzy was a mysterious and impressive Science Fiction that made a story completely new and unexplored.  Keeping the excitement and idea of thrilling sci fi adventure alive, the story is moderately complicated but is explained throughout in a way that’s stimulating to adults and simplistic enough for kids to grasp.  It really incites the need for imagination and the feeling of being young again, believing in something more than what physics and the world tell you is possible.  There is that exciting and magical mood The Last Mimzy really captures, while also being a smart and original movie.

This was a great family film, that was playful and delightful.  A story that was exciting, thrilling, and clever.  The Last Mimzy was a truly exceptional family flick.  A story about adventure, the importance of family sticking together, and a belief or curiosity of the unknown.  There is something really magical about this movie that made me really like it, and I think other people will also find appealing.  The Last Mimzy is a keeper.

Journey To The Center Of The Earth (2008)

Rated PG for intense adventure action and some scary moments
93 Minutes

Directed By: Eric Brevig
Written By: Michael D. Weiss and Jennifer Flackett
Staring: Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson, and Anita Briem

I am Googling at 30 thousand feet. -Sean

Review

A loose interpretation inspired by the Jules Verne Science Fiction novel, this family friendly adventure flick is a non stop exploration of the unknown that only the most curious imagination could conceive.  Unfortunately director EricBrevig couldn’t conceive much more than the novel had already created.  A heavy emphasis on special effects that aspired to be much more than they were, and an extremely short film length smoldering some of Center Of Earths possibilities, but still managed to pull through as an entertaining flick.

Professor Trevor Anderson receives takes his nephew Sean for a week while his sister in law makes preparations to move to Canada.  Elizabeth gives Trevor a box full of his assumed dead brothers belongings and finds a book with information about his last journey.  Upon some discoveries Trevor takes Sean and heads to Iceland, where they meet the guide Hannah Ásgeirsson and begin to uncover the mystery of what happened to Max. A series of events leads them to take shelter in a cave where they fall through a hole that leads them to a magical and unknown world.

Brendan Fraser is a creature of masculinity, valor, and bravery in this film.  Somehow he manages to be all of that and maintain his initial nerdy persona, becoming both the brain and the brawn.  It’s an irresistible combination that gives the film a life it may not have otherwise exuded.  Without Fraser the film would have been significantly lessor.  Corny action-adventure roles seem to suit him in a very positive way, as though they were the kind of roles he was meant to play.  There’s something about him that makes me think he should have been born in a different era.

The special FX were actually a disappointment.  The concept was amazing but the execution came across as weak CGI animation, that seemed like it was trying too hard.  I have a habit of comparing all T-Rex’s to the one in Jurassic Park for realism and it’s fearful quality, but I feel that level of execution will never be met again, because it’s coupled with some of the greatest special effects ever and a movie magic that only comes in rare doses nowadays.  I understand the film was intended for 3D quality but viewed on a normal screen it was far too fake and overdone.

Journey To The Center Of The Earth was entertaining, and kept a constant interest, but was also a very short film.  It seemed to be over so quick, it was difficult to invest in.  The actual time spent in “The Center Of The Earth” felt like it was over before it even began.  The story was full of holes, and some of the execution was terrible, but Fraser made it a worthy adventure, though not something to be revisited.   Perhaps it would have been more resounding in 3D and in the theatre, but here it just comes across as soulless relying entirely on the special effects that I wasn’t even impressed by to begin with.

Doomsday (2008)

Rated R for strong bloody violence, language and some sexual content/nudity.
105 Minutes

Written and Directed By: Neil Marshall
Staring: Rhona Mitra, Bob Haskins, Bob Baskins, David O’Hara, Adrian Lestor, Lee-Anne Liebenberg, MyAnna Buring, Malcolm McDowell, and Craig Conway

Like so many epidemics before, the loss of so many lives began with a single microscopic organism. It’s human nature to seek even the smallest comfort in reason, or logic for events as catastrophic as these. But a virus doesn’t choose a time or place. It doesn’t hate or even care. It just happens. -Kane

Review

Are costume designers rummaging around in the leftovers from Mad Max movies or are they so enamored by them that they continue to revamp the style and feel into their films in this new era?  Doomsday may have looked like Mad Max but it was far more grotesque, vivid in it’s violence, startling in it’s fearsome theme.  There were no allusions made to the brutality of the new world survivors. it was clear and present, in your face, no holds barred.  Though this film does display influences from other movies, it is very much so it’s own creative force.

We’ve seen movies explore the zombie or “virus” situation, and the whole concept of what happens after, but Doomsday takes a different approach.  A portion of the United Kingdom was quarantined and left alone for decades after final evacuation efforts.  Twenty years later when the flu has showed itself again, but this time in downtown London.  As fast as it spreads and as contagious as it is the Prime Minister reveals knowledge that aerial shots of the quarantined zone revealed that there are humans alive in at the very least Glasgow.  A group of elite soldiers are the very first people to be sent into the zone in over twenty years in search of the cure.  What they discover is far from anything anyone had anticipated, and the new world left from humanities worst display of fear has manifested itself in a most fearsome way.

I had no clue how smooth this movie would actually be.  At first I started to feel Resident Evil: Apocalypse, but the tone changed quickly and became it’s own film.  The angry super heroine played by Rhona Mitra shows someone other than Kate Beckinsale or Milla Jovovich can rock the big screen fighting big bads .  She comes off as rough around the edges and her indifference to her surroundings gives the same reluctant hero feel that some of the greats have.  In the most perilous of situations she is calm, and even facing her own possible demise lackadaisical, and rightfully so.  It seems impossible for anyone to one up her, unless she gives in on her own accord.

The entirety of the plot is just as unpredictable as the brutal world it’s set in.  There is no guarantees about who will make it to the end and who will die in the first five minutes.  The world is chaotic and so is the films pacing.  You are just as lost andtrepidatious as the characters, unknowing what will happen next.  The aggressive nature of all the surviving humans, and somehow being stuck in a war that Major Eden (Mitra) knows nothing about, and frankly cares nothing about.  She has a job to finish and that’s all she cares about.  The perspective and knowledge the audience is given is the same that she is given.  Getting to live vicariously through her and each of the choices she makes at each new contemplative event that turns the situation around makes for a pretty intense and suspenseful run.

The special FX are integrated flawlessly.  The ruined city of Glasgow at night is terrifying in it’s abandonment.  The silence mixed with absolute darkness and the overgrown vines and moss give it a freaky feel that seems like something out of a video game.  The ominous feel of humanity gone wrong and emptiness the city emotes is more horrifying than any zombie, virus, or cannibal gang.  The fear of nothingness seems far more frightening than the fear of something.

Doomsday was brutal from start to finish.  It was suspenseful and had a compelling mix of new idea’s while still giving poignant reflections of the films that paved the way before it.  The hardened characters and sadistic violence will not appeal to everyone, but for fans of this genre, it is an awesome depiction of a post-apocalyptic setting gone as bad as it can go.  Films that do show humanity and it’s best and it’s worse is far more interesting than a predictable hero that you can count on to do what’s morally right.  In real life people are complex and don’t always do what’s right.  Doomsday was a wild and pleasant ride.

Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome (1985)

107 Minutes

Directed By: George Oliver and George Oglivie
Written By: Terry Hayes and George Miller
Staring: Mel Gibson, Tina Turner, Bruce Spence, Adam Cockburn, Frank Thring, Angela Rossitto, and Paul Larsson

“Right now, I’ve got two men, two men with a gut full of fear. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls… dyin’ times here!” -Dr. Dealgood

Review

Watching this again after recently viewing Waterworld I feel firm in my convictions that Waterworld’s visual concept was directly influenced by Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome.  The character Max also referred to as The Road Warrior, returns for the third installment of the trilogy that is just as gritty and tough as the originals.  As far as appearances go, the post apocalyptic world truly feels like a world barren and destroyed from mans destruction and ultimately our knack for violence.  The deserted graveyard plays a back round for a world full of those trying to survive in a civilization that is savage and perilous.

Gibson returns as the hero existing solely in the dessert with a group of camels to carry his load, and a load to keep him alive.  When his ride and camels are high jacked by a father/son crew on a plane, he is left in the dessert to meet his own demise.  Following the tracks of his carriage he finds his way to a decadent oasis where there is a society that is implementing technology into their everyday life and though barbaric are thriving.  It’s a tough crowd, but he makes his presence known and soon strikes a deal with the leader of Bartertown , Aunt Entity, to off a thorn in her side with the promise of the return of his belongings.  Mad Max challenges Master Blaster in “The Thunderdome “, but the deal goes sour when Max falls subject to the semantics of their rule system, and he becomes exiled, and left to rot in the dessert once again.  Only when he is discovered by a group of children who believes him to be their savior, a Captain Walker, he regains his strength and leads the children back to Bartertown to seek his revenge on Aunt Entity and those who wronged him.

Stylistically this is the most exciting of the Mad Max films. The vision of this post apocalyptic world is staggering.  It is truly a step away from reality and feels like a world that is a skeleton of what it once was.  Many films have explored the idea of man destroying themselves and some point having to start over again, but Beyond Thunderdome , for all it’s theatrical appearance and melodrama really captures the essence of a world gone wrong, and even though the world is trying to recover from what once was, the same barbaric and violent behavior that killed most of the human existence is still prevalent.  Visually this is emoted and resonates just as strongly as the back story and characters who explain it through dialogue.

Max is still the disillusioned reluctant hero, inspired by his own set of morality and quick-fired temperament.  He represents a man truly scorned by a cold world, that only has a small part of who he once was remaining.  Truly wild and enamored by what he’s lost with a volatile temper but a secure sense of right and wrong, he is a formidable foe, that Mel Gibson truly makes come to life. There can’t be a film about a hardened hero without a little comedy to relieve the tension, and in the depths of the hopelessness and ominous allusions there are funny moments.  When Max retrieves all his weapons to enter the city and continues to unload until there is a pile the size of a landfill it just becomes plain and simply funny without compromising Max’s serious tone.

Beyond The Thunderdome has a more epic action adventure quality than the other Max tales.  There isn’t as much darkness, even though it is a constant pathos in the film it just isn’t the center of it’s existence.  This tells a story, another moment in time in a hero’s life that just happened to be captured along with great action, inventive new fight scenes, invigorating battles, and something altogether new and different in the science fiction genre.  Beyond Thunderdome isn’t just a fun movie to watch, it’s an important step in the world of science fiction.