Reel Reviews

Blade Runner: The Final Cut -- I’m pretty sure I’ve seen BR before, in one of its many incarnations, but I never remembered it enough to have much of an opinion on it. Hence this viewing of what it supposedly director Ridley Scott’s preferred version of the movie. The verdict: it’s pretty good; not spectacular, just pretty good. The film certainly scores by the questions it raises; not so much “Is he or isn’t he?” as “What does it mean to be human? To have a life? To be?” Beyond its philosophical implications, this movie holds up rather well for a sci-fi flick; its vision looks less dated and more like just an alternate version of the future. There’s just a little something lacking; hard to say what’s the fault (story? characters? action?). But some crucial element is just not quite there. Ultimately, a decent diversion, but not really a monument in filmmaking history, whatever anyone tells you.

Reel Reviews

Jurassic World -- Not bad. That doesn’t sound like a bang-up review, but this effort could have been much, much worse than it turned out to be. It might have been nice if there had been even more explicit recognition of the stupidity of going down the same rabbit hole again and again--including that idea’s meta aspects--but again, that would be raising the expectations much too high. Keep the expectations humble with this one, and you just get a satisfying action movie experience.

Reel Reviews

Metropolis -- The first great sci-fi movie? I'll go with that. Once you get past the disorientation of watching a silent movie--there's always a bit of that for a modern viewer--you very quickly sink into an absorbing story and visual presentation that is every bit as creative as most movies these days. And a story about out of touch elites and the dire consequences that can result from that inequality remains very relevant to today. Note: this review comes from watching the "restored" version of this film.

Reel Reviews

Evolution -- How could a film with so much going for it be this stupid? A good cast--no meatheads a la Sandler or Diesel here--a good premise (with pretty good special effects) and a good director (Ivan Reitman, with one certifiable classic--Ghostbusters--on his resume)...where did it all go wrong? Well, the writing is stupid, without even an attempt to make the scientist characters anything near intelligent. (Yes, they’re supposed to be doofus junior college teachers, but then again Duchovny’s character is supposed to have a history with a more rigorous scientific background.) The humor indulges in “stupid fat guy” clichés (not something to get on my good side). And several of the characters (especially the villainous general and governor) are so cardboard cutout that they distract from the story, or the humor, or anything the film tries to achieve. No wonder this movie tanked at the box office; even the stupid multiplex crowd probably found it sub-par. Avoid it.

Reel Reviews

Star Wars: Episode VII--The Force Awakens -- Those of a cynical mind might view the derivative nature of this outing--it is an almost blow by blow remake of the original 1977 story--as purposeful exploitation of a) an older, captive fanbase audience, and b) a new, younger generation of potential audience members who don't know from the original anyway, and won't be able to recognize the recycling. It is very likely that that cynical view is 100% true, but that does not necessarily toss this film onto the trash heap. The characters old and new are engaging (the newcomers acquit themselves very well), the movie looks beautiful, and at no point did I find my attention wavering during its relatively long running time. Ultimately, one should probably take this installment for what it is: a decent "soft" reboot of the franchise that, perhaps, raises a new hope for better things to come.

Reel Revews

Avengers: Age of Ultron -- Oh, boy. I warned in the review of the previous Avengers movie that the property was dangerously close to being little more than empty--and not very intelligent--spectacle. It's hard to argue that this entry in the series (there will be a third, per the promise in the credits) doesn't tip over that edge and descend into utter schlock. This is really a baffling outcome; these characters somehow work far better on their own, and the humor that should be a big part of such a "fun" franchise is again largely missing here. Given the inputs--including the very sharp Joss Whedon directing again--it makes no sense that this movie should be the fairly joyless exercise that it is. I suppose, if you're into the genre, you must watch these Avengers flicks, just to keep pace with developments that affect the rest of the individual storylines. But please, don't pay for any more of this nonsense; check it out from the library if you need to get your fix.

Reel Reviews

The Martian -- This movie has its weaknesses; a large dose of predictability mixed with plenty of moviemaking and story clichés come immediately to mind. But its strengths are very strong, including an excellent cast in top form and an inherently interesting premise. And the film's greatest strength of all may be its most important trait: its high level of intelligence, particularly in its depiction of science not just as an airy concept, but as a practical way to solve problems. If enough people watch this movie, and absorb its scientific frame of mind, it might nudge this world towards being a place that's a little bit better than the ignorant, superstitious madhouse where we currently live.

Reel Reviews

Mad Max: Fury Road -- Talk about not taking the path of least resistance. This hyperextended action sequence--it strains the language to call it a story--can at least be said to be honest: it delivers exactly what you expect of a movie about everyone's favorite post-apocalyptic, insane Australian, without any other promises. The delivery in this case is an almost indescribable orgy of mayhem--a breathtaking spectacle of violence that does provide a rush of visceral fun. On the other hand, there's a bit too much predictability here, not to mention a sense, when all is said and done, that there really wasn't much point to the whole proceedings. The same thing could have been accomplished, apparently, with a simple assassination. If you're the type who gets his jollies from this sort of craziness, then sure, this is the film for you. But if you expect a little more from your mayhem than just, well, mayhem...then there may be better things you can do with your time.

Reel Reviews

Ex Machina -- This is a good movie...just not as good a movie as the breathless hype that surrounded it made it out to be. It does make you think, mostly about how you would react--and interact--in just such a situation. The film also makes a point of keeping things ambivalent enough that you don't really know if Oscar Isaac's inventor is a villain, or not...or, for that matter, if the AI is a villain or not, a murkiness about the subject that mirrors the real life debate on the seemingly inevitable rise of the robot world. I guess we'll find out that answer eventually, but you're not going to get it here. Still, I'd say this one's worth a look, as a change of pace if nothing else.

Recently Read

And Another Thing...
by Eoin Colfer

There are many reasons to approach this book with great skepticism. It's a "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" book that was not written by Douglas Adams; strike one. It was written by Eoin Colfer, who achieved success with the Artemis Fowl books, of which I read the first installment and was not particularly impressed; strike two. And it was produced after Adams had shuffled off his coil, and apparently without his participation; a Wikipedia entry claims that some of the story elements came from Adams's plans for a sixth installment, though it remains vague about just how much of the work comes from his efforts. That should be strike three and it's out.

Except that it's not. Somehow, Colfer made it safely to first base, or whatever is the equivalent in cricket. This came as a big surprise...but then, surprises are part of the raison d'etre of the Hitchhiker's series.

Reel Reviews

Interstellar -- I think this movie's heart is in the right place. Director Christopher Nolan has built a lot of equity with previous works, so one might be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, or at least a pass on certain things. But that also means there's a pretty high level of expectations attached to his projects, and this one does not live up to that hype. I'm not bothered by the predictability of what seems to be an obvious attempt at ginning up a big "shocking twist"; I'm more concerned about the vagueness surrounding much of the film's presentation: the unsteady science (including that one major boner that every screenwriter seems to love, misunderstanding black holes), the characters' odd motivations, even just the set-up for why all this is necessary in the first place. Indeed, the science is so vague in some places that this might be a more honest movie if it were an outright fantasy, with everyone wearing robes and pointed hats and doing magic rather than talking about wormholes. Too much of what may have been intended as atmospheric obscurity simply comes across as intellectual or creative laziness. If you want to shoot something into space in a rocket, make it your lack of willingness to work the problem all the way through.

Reel Reviews

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes -- The most ridiculous thing about this movie? The copious amounts of rain that are supposed to be falling on parts of California throughout. Talk about fiction, science or otherwise. The biggest takeaway here may be the fact that Andy Serkis is a marvel; how he is able to convey as much emotion as he does through the medium of motion capture, acting while wearing a "CGI mask" so to speak, is simply remarkable. And that talent serves this film well; though there is some absurdity to the plot, especially in the beginning (a weakness shared with its predecessor), this flick delivers an engaging, entertaining story that actually comes with some suspense in its denouement. If they can keep improving on their previous effort, another outing in the franchise might not be a bad idea.

Reel Reviews

Rise of the Planet of the Apes -- The movie is much like the featured primates: it starts off quite stupid, then it gets a boost midway through and starts looking smarter. It's hard to resist rolling one's eyes at the early parts of the film, especially the very paint-by-numbers plot points about corporate greed being the root of the evil (not that it doesn't ring true; it's just not very well presented here). There's also some character inconsistency that comes across as false and jarring as the story progresses; ironically, it's mostly the apes who stay true to character. And then you get plenty of good monkey mayhem towards the end. Satisfying, but definitely in the "leaves room for improvement" category.

Reel Reviews

Guardians of the Galaxy -- This movie gets a huge leg up in generating goodwill from its audience through its amazing soundtrack. The music nails it for appealing to viewers of a certain age, who most likely already have these songs on their preferred listening device--people like yours truly. Then again, it probably does some damage if those viewers recognize the soundtrack as a cynical ploy to appeal to said demographic, and thus boost ticket and home viewing sales. Call all that a wash, and thus we're stuck with trying to judge this film on its own merits--and that is a hit and miss proposition. For every space opera element that is derivative, predictable, and stale, there's also a piece of cleverness, good humor, and just sheer entertainment that offsets the problems. If we do the math, I think the whole thing winds up in the plus column; not by much, but enough that this one gets a passing grade, something just high enough to keep that goodwill going for the inevitable sequel.

Reel Reviews

X-Men: Days of Future Past -- What's the strength of this franchise? Most would say action, special effects, the metaphor--whatever else is obvious about these movies. I'd say it's casting. The reason we care at all about what's going on here is simply how well these actors inhabit their roles, and make the characters meaningful to us despite all the hullabaloo. This is particularly so with Jackman's Wolverine, but also applies to Stewart and McAvoy as Xavier (they don't really look that much alike, but you still buy them as different ages of the same guy), Fassbender as Magneto, even the lightning quick kid whose name (and actor) I didn't catch. Oh, and what is going on here, a.k.a. story? Preposterous bullshit, of course--which is sort of the point of these things. Regardless, it's enjoyable bullshit, and worth at least a couple hours of your future time.

Reel Reviews

The Cabin In The Woods -- Oh, shit. The Initiative lives, and it’s way more fucked up than anyone ever imagined. Whedon probably deserves a markdown for cribbing from himself, but the results justify the recursiveness. Because man, once this thing gets going, it really gets going--with enough gusto to overcome the horror genre cynicism of even the most jaded and skeptical viewer. Definitely worth a look. Posted 8/21/13.

Reel Reviews

Captain America: The First Avenger (+) -- This may very well be the most comic book of all comic book movies ever made; you can practically see the panels and the block lettering. Some of the action sequences are among the most audacious I've ever laid eyes on, and that helps; so too does the almost atomic perfection of the recreation of the period setting. The script even pokes fun at what is obviously a fairly ridiculous, propagandistic character, and then takes all the right steps to redeem him and make him worth cheering for. Nice work. Posted 3/24/13.

Reel Reviews

Zombieland -- This is hardly earth-shatttering stuff. No one was going to be played off at the Oscars for their work in this film. But it's exactly the kind of movie that even the snootiest, most elitist film buff needs to see every so often--a weird, violent, somewhat unhinged work of straight-up cinematic fun. Special props for one classic cameo, and for a closing sequence at an amusement park which is just the kind of inspired, mayhem-packed payoff everyone was waiting for. Indeed--besides zombies, who needs brains? Posted 7/9/11.