While this review was going to be about Mad Max, turns out they took the movie down from the main cinemas on Tuesday.
So I ended up going to see Inside Out.
I had the theatre.
I'd heard good things about it prior to watching it, but as it was all spoiler free, I didn't know what to expect.
As a side note before we start: If you feel like you repress a lot of your feelings, I'd advise going to see this movie.
Let's begin!
Story/Dialogue: Story goes that since Riley was born, she has had Joy. Joy's goal is to make Riley feel happy. Along the way she works with other emotions including Sadness, Disgust, Anger and Fear.
When Joy tries to maintain order, she ends up in the bowels of Riley's mind with Sadness. They have to get back before Riley loses her mind.
Okay, the concept alone is fantastic. Emotions that feel and function are wonderful and the intricacies of how Riley's mind works is delightful.
Amy Poehler channels some serious Leslie Knope vibes as Joy and all the other characters play their parts excellently.
The dialogue was witty and well received with laughs. Each of the characters were incredibly endearing and their dialogue matched their personalities.
Cinematography/Animation: The animation was exquisite. I loved the little detail in each of the emotions where they look slightly smudged if you look close enough.
Looking at the inner workings of the long term memory that looks like a brain, the memories, the vividness of the colours and the textures! Oh my goodness they must have taken eons to render!
There's one particular sequence that I will not spoil, but makes the movie. It's very...abstract.
Audio: One thing that bugged me was the repetitiveness of the music. They had a theme and they stuck with it predominately throughout the movie. There were moments of atmospheric music that complemented the situation, but the overarching theme weaved throughout the movie. While I normally don't mind this, it irritated me because of how simplistic the tune was.
On top of that, while it was simplistic, it wasn't memorable.
Overall: Part of me was incredibly thankful that I was the only one in the theatre.
I have never come across a movie that brought me so close to tears. It was overwhelming. As I write this message, just thinking about it makes my eyes well up.
This movie MAKES YOU CARE! While story is structurally the most important part of the movie, connecting with the audience is just as, if not more important.
We all have emotions, so we can relate to these characters. We've all had moments where we feel so out of control that we do stupid and drastic things.
We all feel.
This movie is like finishing a huge meal at Christmas. Fit to burst, yet satisfied.
5 stars.
Thursday, 25 June 2015
Wednesday, 24 June 2015
(Movie) Seeing Stars....a Look at the Winter Soldier (Captain America)
Now I know this movie was a while ago and it's a sequel, but I chose Captain America two for two reasons:
1: It was a superhero movie that actually felt like it took place in the real world. (As opposed to a fictitious Alternate Universe where everything is the same.)
2: This was arguably the best superhero movie to date. (Yes, even better than Age of Ultron, such as it was.)
As a part of the superhero month (With an inclusion of Mad Max: Fury Road at some point,) I'd like to think this would be a fantastic start.
Let's begin!
Story/Dialogue: Cap is adjusting to life as SHIELD's personal attack dog, making friends and meeting up with Peggy (That scene made my heart weep. I had to punch something to make me feel manly again,) when he gets caught up in a whirlwind conspiracy that has him going to ground and fighting the good fight...FOR AMERICA!
To be fair, Cap is about doing what's right and is oddly a polar opposite of the Aryan race, but that's an analysis for later.
The dialogue is filled with snappy one liners and a mere mortal who pulls out those existential, "Are people like you carved from stone and blessed by the gods?" kind of quips in Sam Wilson, AKA Falcon.
Nick Fury returns as his grumpy, sassy self and Black Widow does all the things that Steve can't while trying to find him a date.
And they call Falcon a wingman. Please. I'd want Romanoff on my team anyday.
Cinematography: Oddly enough, I found parts of this film unusual. The framing often felt out of place, which contrasted with the scenes that had really tight and well shot frames.
The shield (and its ridiculous trajectory upon throwing,) is arguably the most terrible CGI I've seen. It felt rushed and not really attached to his arm some of the time.
Though! In all of this, I would like to point out that the elevator scene is the best scene. The tight space was shot excellently and cut together so well to the point it fully conveyed power and struggle.
Audio: The only way to describe the audio is...patriotic. Horns with a deep drum combo makes me want to put a hand to my chest and pledge allegiance to a flag.
In all seriousness though, I enjoyed the epic feel of the horns and drums, complete with the almost Inception style Hans Zimmer tension of the fight/chase scenes.
Overall: I love this movie for many reasons. The action, the one liners, Cap's companions, key quotes which I will not spoil in case you have not seen it. (Though there's one that makes me tear up every time.)
This movie is good at making you feel patriotic while allowing you to question what your country does for the sake of "peace" *cough* political agenda *cough cough*
Furthermore, I love the dynamic of Steve and Natasha. She doesn't act like a substitute for Bucky and doesn't feel forced like she did in Age of Ultron. (That's the writing, not ScarJo I have a problem with, there.) I also loved how romance took a back seat in this film. It was a focus on Steve and him catching up while trying to maintain peace without the iron fist.
Out of all the superhero movies to date, Captain America: Winter Soldier is my favourite.
5 stars.
1: It was a superhero movie that actually felt like it took place in the real world. (As opposed to a fictitious Alternate Universe where everything is the same.)
2: This was arguably the best superhero movie to date. (Yes, even better than Age of Ultron, such as it was.)
As a part of the superhero month (With an inclusion of Mad Max: Fury Road at some point,) I'd like to think this would be a fantastic start.
Let's begin!
Story/Dialogue: Cap is adjusting to life as SHIELD's personal attack dog, making friends and meeting up with Peggy (That scene made my heart weep. I had to punch something to make me feel manly again,) when he gets caught up in a whirlwind conspiracy that has him going to ground and fighting the good fight...FOR AMERICA!
To be fair, Cap is about doing what's right and is oddly a polar opposite of the Aryan race, but that's an analysis for later.
The dialogue is filled with snappy one liners and a mere mortal who pulls out those existential, "Are people like you carved from stone and blessed by the gods?" kind of quips in Sam Wilson, AKA Falcon.
Nick Fury returns as his grumpy, sassy self and Black Widow does all the things that Steve can't while trying to find him a date.
And they call Falcon a wingman. Please. I'd want Romanoff on my team anyday.
Cinematography: Oddly enough, I found parts of this film unusual. The framing often felt out of place, which contrasted with the scenes that had really tight and well shot frames.
The shield (and its ridiculous trajectory upon throwing,) is arguably the most terrible CGI I've seen. It felt rushed and not really attached to his arm some of the time.
Though! In all of this, I would like to point out that the elevator scene is the best scene. The tight space was shot excellently and cut together so well to the point it fully conveyed power and struggle.
Audio: The only way to describe the audio is...patriotic. Horns with a deep drum combo makes me want to put a hand to my chest and pledge allegiance to a flag.
In all seriousness though, I enjoyed the epic feel of the horns and drums, complete with the almost Inception style Hans Zimmer tension of the fight/chase scenes.
Overall: I love this movie for many reasons. The action, the one liners, Cap's companions, key quotes which I will not spoil in case you have not seen it. (Though there's one that makes me tear up every time.)
This movie is good at making you feel patriotic while allowing you to question what your country does for the sake of "peace" *cough* political agenda *cough cough*
Furthermore, I love the dynamic of Steve and Natasha. She doesn't act like a substitute for Bucky and doesn't feel forced like she did in Age of Ultron. (That's the writing, not ScarJo I have a problem with, there.) I also loved how romance took a back seat in this film. It was a focus on Steve and him catching up while trying to maintain peace without the iron fist.
Out of all the superhero movies to date, Captain America: Winter Soldier is my favourite.
5 stars.
Thursday, 18 June 2015
(Book) I spy with raven's eye...Odin's Shadow
Random Fact: Ravenreviews references Huginn (Thought) and Muginn (Memory). There are the names of Odin's ravens who observe the world and report back to him.
I love Vikings. I think their bloody history and way of life is both fascinating and freaking awesome. The fact that their women fought alongside them was pretty badass.
To read a book about romancing a viking? I was super excited.
Little did I know that I was getting sucked into a world of lust, bloodlust and utter chaos!
The story follows a young Irish woman who has yet to be married off to a suitor. Upon sneaking away from the house to a market, she runs into a Finngall, or what the Irish called Vikings.
Later on, she is whisked away to the cold, harsh land of Norway.
Can she survive berserkers, demons with human faces and the truth about her origins?
This book was an absolute delight to read. It sucks you into a world that is both beautiful and brutal. Ms. Riley pulls no punches in the George RR Martin style of description. It gets pretty hairy in there.
I loved how the characters were well rounded and felt human. They're were likeable, but like us were capable of horrendous things.
The descriptions of both locations and characters was well understood. I wasn't overwhelmed detail and it was well balanced by the flowing story.
Reading how the characters spoke was fascinating and the protagonist's learning of the language was a nice touch. The mistakes in language are purposeful, but are enough that you know that she is a quick learner.
I loved how well researched Odin's Shadow was. Accuracy is important and knowing that Viking helmets weren't horned and slaves being called thralls, amongst other things, are nice touches.
Finally and most importantly, if nothing else, read this book for the twists. You never see them coming. I was totally blown away by the revelations that occurred in this book.
An amazing, rollicking read. A Viking romance that roars in the face of adversity.
5 stars.
You can find the book here: http://www.amazon.com/Odins-Shadow-Sons-Odin-Book-ebook/dp/B00UXNMWGO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1445467086&sr=8-1&keywords=Odin%27s+shadow
I love Vikings. I think their bloody history and way of life is both fascinating and freaking awesome. The fact that their women fought alongside them was pretty badass.
To read a book about romancing a viking? I was super excited.
Little did I know that I was getting sucked into a world of lust, bloodlust and utter chaos!
The story follows a young Irish woman who has yet to be married off to a suitor. Upon sneaking away from the house to a market, she runs into a Finngall, or what the Irish called Vikings.
Later on, she is whisked away to the cold, harsh land of Norway.
Can she survive berserkers, demons with human faces and the truth about her origins?
This book was an absolute delight to read. It sucks you into a world that is both beautiful and brutal. Ms. Riley pulls no punches in the George RR Martin style of description. It gets pretty hairy in there.
I loved how the characters were well rounded and felt human. They're were likeable, but like us were capable of horrendous things.
The descriptions of both locations and characters was well understood. I wasn't overwhelmed detail and it was well balanced by the flowing story.
Reading how the characters spoke was fascinating and the protagonist's learning of the language was a nice touch. The mistakes in language are purposeful, but are enough that you know that she is a quick learner.
I loved how well researched Odin's Shadow was. Accuracy is important and knowing that Viking helmets weren't horned and slaves being called thralls, amongst other things, are nice touches.
Finally and most importantly, if nothing else, read this book for the twists. You never see them coming. I was totally blown away by the revelations that occurred in this book.
An amazing, rollicking read. A Viking romance that roars in the face of adversity.
5 stars.
You can find the book here: http://www.amazon.com/Odins-Shadow-Sons-Odin-Book-ebook/dp/B00UXNMWGO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1445467086&sr=8-1&keywords=Odin%27s+shadow
Wednesday, 17 June 2015
(Movie) How to Train your Raptors...a look at Jurassic World
*Puts on radio announcer headphones*
ANNNNND HERE IS THE FIGHT WE'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR! THE INDOMINUS REX vs. TYRANNOSAURUS REX AND VELOCIRAPTOR!!
For those of you that don't know, Jurassic World is a direct sequel to Jurassic Park. The Lost World and Jurassic Park 3, while still canon, took place on a different island.
It's been 22 years since the release of Jurassic Park.
The question remains, however.
Did this movie live up to the hype?
Let's review!
Story/Dialogue: Two kids spend a weekend hanging out at JURASSIC WORLD. Their Aunt Claire, a neurotic, business minded woman is setting up the big reveal of the park's latest attraction. In order to test its emotional stability, they bring in raptor wrangler Owen Grady.
The dinosaur breaks out and chaos ensues.
Even as a kid, I loved dinosaurs. It still brings this child-like wonder and excitement as they showed them to the world.
I loved how the story dealt with the need to impress the audience. Being in a society where our attention span is incredibly limited, they want to cater to that with bigger, badder dinosaurs.
This movie asks the question; How much is too much?
It makes me appreciate it a whole lot more.
I also loved the homage to the original movie. That was a nice touch.
Can I just say, CLAIRE! DOING ALL THE THINGS! IN HEELS!!!
That was just awesome to me.
In terms of dialogue, a lot of it is thought-provoking, yet not flowery. Though I found some other parts to be a bit over the top. Seeing a kid throw out random bits of information with so little backstory kind of bugged me.
Chris Pratt's performance showed that the modern action star can be somewhat goofy as well as a badass.
Cinematography/Effects: The scale of this island was massive. It felt massive. It felt like a world, rather than a park. The dinosaurs were enormous, dangerous and gave you the sense that you were so much smaller than the world leads you to believe.
The graphics were so fantastic that to the untrained eye, you couldn't tell what was CGI and what was special effects. The interaction between Chris Pratt's character and the brontosaurus was one instance in which I found myself trying to figure out which was which.
The framing was excellent and the lighting was wonderful.
A personal favourite was the scene between Claire and Owen at the aftermath. The silhouettes were a nice romantic touch.
Audio: I love how this movie paid homage through sound. There was the original theme with its horns and sense of grandeur. But there was also the toy box-esque variant during the ruins scene that represented a time gone by where it was all innocence.
The sound effects, with the footprints to the snapping of jaws to the roars were exquisite. Major props to the sound crew for that.
Overall: In order to properly ascertain the rating for this movie, I must ask myself some questions.
- Did the movie meet up to the hype? Not really. It was awesome, but nostalgia upped the hype too much, frankly.
- Was the movie's story well fleshed out? Yes and No. I found that it ended abruptly and there wasn't an emotional payoff. Plus, what the heck happened to the parents who were getting divorced? While it left it open for a plethora of sequels, I left the cinema feeling like something was missing.
- Did I enjoy myself overall? Hell yeah! I love crazy dinosaur action! Plus, they got brutal! You get to see people get crazy chomped on. It was epic!
So with that in mind, I'm going to give this Jurassic World a solid 4 and a half stars.
ANNNNND HERE IS THE FIGHT WE'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR! THE INDOMINUS REX vs. TYRANNOSAURUS REX AND VELOCIRAPTOR!!
For those of you that don't know, Jurassic World is a direct sequel to Jurassic Park. The Lost World and Jurassic Park 3, while still canon, took place on a different island.
It's been 22 years since the release of Jurassic Park.
The question remains, however.
Did this movie live up to the hype?
Let's review!
Story/Dialogue: Two kids spend a weekend hanging out at JURASSIC WORLD. Their Aunt Claire, a neurotic, business minded woman is setting up the big reveal of the park's latest attraction. In order to test its emotional stability, they bring in raptor wrangler Owen Grady.
The dinosaur breaks out and chaos ensues.
Even as a kid, I loved dinosaurs. It still brings this child-like wonder and excitement as they showed them to the world.
I loved how the story dealt with the need to impress the audience. Being in a society where our attention span is incredibly limited, they want to cater to that with bigger, badder dinosaurs.
This movie asks the question; How much is too much?
It makes me appreciate it a whole lot more.
I also loved the homage to the original movie. That was a nice touch.
Can I just say, CLAIRE! DOING ALL THE THINGS! IN HEELS!!!
That was just awesome to me.
In terms of dialogue, a lot of it is thought-provoking, yet not flowery. Though I found some other parts to be a bit over the top. Seeing a kid throw out random bits of information with so little backstory kind of bugged me.
Chris Pratt's performance showed that the modern action star can be somewhat goofy as well as a badass.
Cinematography/Effects: The scale of this island was massive. It felt massive. It felt like a world, rather than a park. The dinosaurs were enormous, dangerous and gave you the sense that you were so much smaller than the world leads you to believe.
The graphics were so fantastic that to the untrained eye, you couldn't tell what was CGI and what was special effects. The interaction between Chris Pratt's character and the brontosaurus was one instance in which I found myself trying to figure out which was which.
The framing was excellent and the lighting was wonderful.
A personal favourite was the scene between Claire and Owen at the aftermath. The silhouettes were a nice romantic touch.
Audio: I love how this movie paid homage through sound. There was the original theme with its horns and sense of grandeur. But there was also the toy box-esque variant during the ruins scene that represented a time gone by where it was all innocence.
The sound effects, with the footprints to the snapping of jaws to the roars were exquisite. Major props to the sound crew for that.
Overall: In order to properly ascertain the rating for this movie, I must ask myself some questions.
- Did the movie meet up to the hype? Not really. It was awesome, but nostalgia upped the hype too much, frankly.
- Was the movie's story well fleshed out? Yes and No. I found that it ended abruptly and there wasn't an emotional payoff. Plus, what the heck happened to the parents who were getting divorced? While it left it open for a plethora of sequels, I left the cinema feeling like something was missing.
- Did I enjoy myself overall? Hell yeah! I love crazy dinosaur action! Plus, they got brutal! You get to see people get crazy chomped on. It was epic!
So with that in mind, I'm going to give this Jurassic World a solid 4 and a half stars.
Tuesday, 16 June 2015
(Movie) Fangs for nothing...a look at Dracula Untold
This movie left me feeling somewhat disappointed.
I posted a video recently about it, actually.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE97l1VIARU - shameless self plug.
In any case, let's look at the pieces and see what the deal is.
Story/Dialogue: This movie is about Vlad Tepesh, or Vlad the Impaler, a Transylvanian prince who was raised by the Turkish people. In making sure that the Turks didn't take his son, Vlad sought the power of a vampire. Known for their superhuman strength and speed, vampires were literally one men armies.
Now, one of the things I did like about Dracula Untold is the accuracy behind it. (Vampires aside, of course,) but Vlad Tepesh lived around the 14th century.
The dialogue as a whole wasn't overly cheesy and the intent behind it was obvious. This is to say that characters spoke plainly about their desires and didn't leave it up to interpretation. I really appreciated that. A lot of problems in movies can be solved if people just say what it is they're thinking.
Cinematography/Effects: Visually, this movie was quite brilliant. Looking at the great vistas gave you this sense of reverence towards them. They felt ancient and sacred.
The visual effects were well done. Some of the buildings had to be CGI, which isn't a bad thing. Provided they don't make it incredibly obvious. Even the scenes where Vlad was burnt by the sun was quite well done.
The only issue I had with the effects (and possibly with the story too,)
BATBENDING IS NOT A THING! YOU CAN NOT KILL PEOPLE WITH A FIST OF BATS! IT DOES NOT WORK! IT IS RIDICULOUS AND NOT EVEN LUKE EVANS CAN MAKE BATBENDING LOOK COOL!
I cannot stress how much that annoyed me.
Audio: The audio in this film didn't give off a vibe that I expected. I was expecting something a little more epic. Horns and chanting and whatnot. I did not get these.
The sound effects were quite pleasant, though. I'll give the movie that.
Overall: I found this movie disappointing. While elements of Dracula Untold were really well done, they cannot undo Dominic Cooper with a tan and BATBENDING.
Poor representation destroys the suspension of disbelief and ridiculous tropes make it difficult to watch.
Please don't misunderstand, I have no issue with him controlling bats. I have an issue with him controlling bats for combat. That is ridiculous.
I commend their ability to stay true to the story of Vlad Tepesh and him being son of the dragon. Plus that armour was pretty awesome.
I leave this review with 3 and a half stars.
Tuesday, 9 June 2015
(Movie) A monster calls...a look at the Babadook
As I write this review, I find myself incredibly distressed by what I've borne witness to.
Let the record show that I don't watch horror movies. Any horror movies I have seen are boring and contain only jump scares.
Until I watched this one.
For 90 minutes, I found myself in a headspace where I was living both past and present. I dredged up some old memories that I had repressed. I identified heavily with Samuel and for me, this movie was particularly jarring.
So, congratulations, movie. You did your job.
Let's just get this over with.
Story/Dialogue: A widow is tormented by a monster that appears out of a book that she reads to her 6 year old.
This movie hearkens back to a lot of the stories told by the Brothers Grimm. Not the fairy tales we were told as kids, but the more brutal ones, like Cinderella's stepsisters having their eyes pecked out by crows at the end.
Instead, this movies deals with the destructive power of grief. It makes it tangible, yet shapeless. It hurts us and those around us. We are slowly driven mad by the beast we bear.
I loved how the dialogue makes you feel like the mother does in the beginning. It draws you into their world and you just want the kid to stop but because you're still watching the movie you have to ride it out. So your sanity is slowly chipped away at this kid who believes in monsters and speaks his mind.
It really says a lot when you feel bad for hating on the kid when all he's trying to do is make sure his mum is okay. Everyone thinks he cries wolf, but the wolf is real.
Very real.
Cinematography: The subtlety of the bled out colours, the lighting and use of the TV tied the film up to create this dreary, depressing atmosphere. You know something is not right and it doesn't sit with you at all.
The feeling in your gut that you get while watching even the brightest day being bled out is an atmospheric choice and if you're feeling that, the creators have done well.
Some of the shots are shaky cam. However, rather than take away from the film, it actually adds more to it.
Imagine attaching a GoPro to Cerberus. That's what it's like.
It gives you that sense that the beast truly is shapeless. You see what it sees and it's a nice touch.
Audio: The atmospheric tracks in this film and the sound effects are top notch. It's those tiny details that set you on edge and give you that feeling of distress.
Hearing the beast's roar, the low frequency noise that upsets humans and the gradual sounds of the Babadook are unnerving at best.
In terms of music, the toy box tracks gave it a childlike innocence which only served to upset me more. So, it did its job.
Overall: One final thing I'd like to note before I rate this movie is that it has the aesthetic of a darker version of Tashi. For those of you who do not live in Australia, Tashi is a young boy who goes on strange adventures and meets even stranger creatures.
Growing up with this character, I was captivated by the artistic style of the Babadook.
For more information on Tashi: http://tashibooks.com/
Now, did this movie make me feel something? Yes.
Did it make me care about the characters? Yes.
Did it have a message in it that didn't beat you over the head? Yes.
For that, I give this movie 5 stars.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to sleep off this movie.
Let the record show that I don't watch horror movies. Any horror movies I have seen are boring and contain only jump scares.
Until I watched this one.
For 90 minutes, I found myself in a headspace where I was living both past and present. I dredged up some old memories that I had repressed. I identified heavily with Samuel and for me, this movie was particularly jarring.
So, congratulations, movie. You did your job.
Let's just get this over with.
Story/Dialogue: A widow is tormented by a monster that appears out of a book that she reads to her 6 year old.
This movie hearkens back to a lot of the stories told by the Brothers Grimm. Not the fairy tales we were told as kids, but the more brutal ones, like Cinderella's stepsisters having their eyes pecked out by crows at the end.
Instead, this movies deals with the destructive power of grief. It makes it tangible, yet shapeless. It hurts us and those around us. We are slowly driven mad by the beast we bear.
I loved how the dialogue makes you feel like the mother does in the beginning. It draws you into their world and you just want the kid to stop but because you're still watching the movie you have to ride it out. So your sanity is slowly chipped away at this kid who believes in monsters and speaks his mind.
It really says a lot when you feel bad for hating on the kid when all he's trying to do is make sure his mum is okay. Everyone thinks he cries wolf, but the wolf is real.
Very real.
Cinematography: The subtlety of the bled out colours, the lighting and use of the TV tied the film up to create this dreary, depressing atmosphere. You know something is not right and it doesn't sit with you at all.
The feeling in your gut that you get while watching even the brightest day being bled out is an atmospheric choice and if you're feeling that, the creators have done well.
Some of the shots are shaky cam. However, rather than take away from the film, it actually adds more to it.
Imagine attaching a GoPro to Cerberus. That's what it's like.
It gives you that sense that the beast truly is shapeless. You see what it sees and it's a nice touch.
Audio: The atmospheric tracks in this film and the sound effects are top notch. It's those tiny details that set you on edge and give you that feeling of distress.
Hearing the beast's roar, the low frequency noise that upsets humans and the gradual sounds of the Babadook are unnerving at best.
In terms of music, the toy box tracks gave it a childlike innocence which only served to upset me more. So, it did its job.
Overall: One final thing I'd like to note before I rate this movie is that it has the aesthetic of a darker version of Tashi. For those of you who do not live in Australia, Tashi is a young boy who goes on strange adventures and meets even stranger creatures.
Growing up with this character, I was captivated by the artistic style of the Babadook.
For more information on Tashi: http://tashibooks.com/
Now, did this movie make me feel something? Yes.
Did it make me care about the characters? Yes.
Did it have a message in it that didn't beat you over the head? Yes.
For that, I give this movie 5 stars.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to sleep off this movie.
Sunday, 7 June 2015
(Movie) Highway to Hell...A look at Constantine (2005)
Since I was a young boy, I've always had a fascination with the concept of good and evil.
This film got me all excited.
Angels v Demons with humans as the ball.
John Constantine: Exorcist, Demonologist and asshole, is not content to just be a ball in the game of life. He proactively uses his knowledge and power to buy his way back into heaven.
Review, begin!
Story/Dialogue: John Constantine is approached by Angela Dodson, a psychic twin whose other half, Isobel, recently killed herself under the influence of hell.
John is tasked with unravelling the greater plot between the half breeds of both heaven and hell and saving Isobel's soul. A simple, straight forward story.
Before I continue the review, a quick shout out to actors who play their parts so well, but we forget their names until they do something a little more mainstream. I'm looking at you Djimon Honsou. Your Papa Midnight performance was awesome.
In regards to dialogue, Constantine is filled with dry humour. John tends to play what I'm dubbing the Sherlock card. He's a total asshole (which he totally owns,) but people keep him around because he knows more than they do.
Cinematography: The lighting and framing of this movie gives off the feeling that these humans we're following around are powerless and something greater looms in the background.
One of the things I found fascinating was the fact that there were moments where the green screen felt real (First trip to Hell,) and yet others feel less real (Also see first trip to Hell.) It's actually really well done and I throughly appreciated it.
Audio: Subtle, yet not exactly memorable. That is what the soundtrack was like.
Though, I have to give massive credit to the foley artists for that scene with Lucifer. It must have been a nightmare matching up all those sounds to the flecks of glass. So awesome.
Overall: Firstly, I've never read a Hellblazer comic. So I enjoyed this. I love learning about mystic artefacts and beings greater than ourselves. I get an enormous joy out of it.
Does this make Constantine of 2005 a good movie? Not as much as I would have liked. It relies heavily on either having prior knowledge of the comics or even a crash course in Christian mythology.
Sidenote: They tried again with the Constantine TV series. It's a shame that got cancelled.
I want to see more of the world that was created with Keanu and Rachel. Not that I don't like Matt Ryan and Angelica Celaya.
This movie gets 3.5 stars.
(Movie) Toon in! A look at Who Framed Roger Rabbit
I can't remember the last time I watched this movie. It was possibly back when I was little.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is one of those movies you don't forget. However, you can also never remember why that is.
Is it because of the blend of live action and cartoon? Is it because of Jessica Rabbit? Or is it because of terrifying Judge Doom?
Let's review.
Story/Dialogue: Story goes that Eddie Valiant, a drunk, down on his luck P.I is trying to scrounge money together by taking whatever jobs he can get his hands on.
His latest job? Catching toon star Roger Rabbit's wife playing, 'Patty Cake' with an industry mogul.
When he finds out, Roger gets drunk and leaves.
The next morning the mogul is dead and Roger, without alibi, is the main suspect.
Enter Judge Doom, a terrifying man who is capable of killing toons thanks to his concoction called 'Dip'.
Valiant must now clear Roger's name and unravel the mystery behind the mogul's missing will.
For dialogue, it's just as wacky as the toons that play their part in the film. I find it hilarious that they get a lot of them to swear, making it more than just a kid's cartoon. Watching a cartoon gorilla call Bob Hoskins a smartass made me laugh.
The humour was a little too over the top for my liking, though.
Cinematography: The blend of animation and live action is one of the key pieces of Roger Rabbit that I thoroughly enjoyed. Scenes like Daffy and Donald playing piano was amusing. Watching how actors and toons interacted with each other was clever.
The lighting was like something out of a noir film. It made it a stark contrast to its whacky exterior and I think that's what I really enjoyed about the film as a whole.
Also, major props to the cameramen for keeping the framing tight and the movement smooth.
Audio: The only notable thing out of this segment is Bob Hoskins' little musical number. Other than that, the music didn't really offer anything of import.
That aside, the sound effects were what made me laugh. Cannon fire, explosions and various other crazy toon sounds were fantastic.
Overall: This movie was beyond ridiculous. Talking taxis driving cars (I had a bit of an existential crisis watching that, actually,) drowning rabbits, killing weasels with laughter, destroying toons with a special acidic concoction.
With that said, it's aged quite well film wise.
As far as characters go, you find that you don't tend to get too attached to them.
You are taken on a tour of 1947 Los Angeles, but see awfully little of Toon Town. I would have liked to have seen more worldbuilding go on.
All this summed up, I award Who Framed Roger Rabbit with 3.5 stars.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is one of those movies you don't forget. However, you can also never remember why that is.
Is it because of the blend of live action and cartoon? Is it because of Jessica Rabbit? Or is it because of terrifying Judge Doom?
Let's review.
Story/Dialogue: Story goes that Eddie Valiant, a drunk, down on his luck P.I is trying to scrounge money together by taking whatever jobs he can get his hands on.
His latest job? Catching toon star Roger Rabbit's wife playing, 'Patty Cake' with an industry mogul.
When he finds out, Roger gets drunk and leaves.
The next morning the mogul is dead and Roger, without alibi, is the main suspect.
Enter Judge Doom, a terrifying man who is capable of killing toons thanks to his concoction called 'Dip'.
Valiant must now clear Roger's name and unravel the mystery behind the mogul's missing will.
For dialogue, it's just as wacky as the toons that play their part in the film. I find it hilarious that they get a lot of them to swear, making it more than just a kid's cartoon. Watching a cartoon gorilla call Bob Hoskins a smartass made me laugh.
The humour was a little too over the top for my liking, though.
Cinematography: The blend of animation and live action is one of the key pieces of Roger Rabbit that I thoroughly enjoyed. Scenes like Daffy and Donald playing piano was amusing. Watching how actors and toons interacted with each other was clever.
The lighting was like something out of a noir film. It made it a stark contrast to its whacky exterior and I think that's what I really enjoyed about the film as a whole.
Also, major props to the cameramen for keeping the framing tight and the movement smooth.
Audio: The only notable thing out of this segment is Bob Hoskins' little musical number. Other than that, the music didn't really offer anything of import.
That aside, the sound effects were what made me laugh. Cannon fire, explosions and various other crazy toon sounds were fantastic.
Overall: This movie was beyond ridiculous. Talking taxis driving cars (I had a bit of an existential crisis watching that, actually,) drowning rabbits, killing weasels with laughter, destroying toons with a special acidic concoction.
With that said, it's aged quite well film wise.
As far as characters go, you find that you don't tend to get too attached to them.
You are taken on a tour of 1947 Los Angeles, but see awfully little of Toon Town. I would have liked to have seen more worldbuilding go on.
All this summed up, I award Who Framed Roger Rabbit with 3.5 stars.
Saturday, 6 June 2015
(Movie) The Penis Game....a look at a Knight's Tale
This movie, while not in my top 5 movies of all time, is a top contender.
Blokes playing with lances, winning the hearts of ladies. STRONG FEMALE CHARACTERS!!! Plus the greatest sidekicks known to man. Plus a bunch of random rock tracks thrown in.
That's it. That's the review.
Just kidding.
Seriously though, in this review I will explain why this movie sits as a top contender in my top 5 movies of all time.
Story/Dialogue: William Thatcher uses the armour of the knight he squired for in order to compete in tournaments. With the help of his friend Wot and Roland, he enters under the guise as Sir Ulrich Von Lichtenstein. On the way he gains both a rival and a lover. Count Adamar and Jocelyn, respectively. Can he win the World Championships and maintain his secret identity?
The story is simple and easy to follow. The characters, OH THE CHARACTERS! They're so likeable and memorable. To Wot's crazy hair and threatening of 'Fonging' to Roland's advice and dry sense of humour. Later characters like Kate and Chaucer are even moreso. A kickass blacksmith who can dance and has fire and a writer with a razor wit and a gambling problem also doubles as herald and forger for the group.
Then enter the leading lady. Jocelyn has a face that could cut glass and a tongue that could reduce you to ribbons.
She is the embodiment of, "Do no harm, but take no shit."
This woman will come to love William, but she will not stand for his tantrums.
It makes me love her so much more.
The dialogue can be flowery without being gratuitous and it's refreshing to see dialogue like that. Watching banter that makes you laugh is so very important.
Cinematography: The scenes in A Knight's Tale are well set out, with excellent framing. The one thing I would take issue with is the notable green screen near the end. Also, watching the characters fade in and out of focus during the dance scene added something a bit extra that appealed to me.
Lastly, watching the cuts/fades between the letter reading and writing and the flashback transitions are wonderful. Major props to the editor for that.
Audio: Knighthood and Rock music struck me as an odd combination the first time I watched this film. It worked, though. By George it worked!
Aside from this, the movie had an original score which made the movie more epic in a subtle sense. It added to the atmosphere of scenes like the pub where they bet on William, Adamar finding out about Ulrich's winnings while on the front lines and the lancing in general. It's a lot of brass and lutes that make it feel like a piece of history rather than a renaissance fair.
Overall: This movie is fun. I don't mean fun in the sense of Bad Boys fun where there's a crapload of explosions and breasts out everywhere.
This fun is a tasteful and classy night on the town (Minus Paul Bettany's bare arse,) and leaves you feeling emotionally satisfied at the end.
It's action without the unnecessary explosions and it's a good laugh.
Everyone performs excellently and you find yourself getting attached to all the characters.
*Wistful sigh* they just don't make 'em like they used to.
5 stars.
Blokes playing with lances, winning the hearts of ladies. STRONG FEMALE CHARACTERS!!! Plus the greatest sidekicks known to man. Plus a bunch of random rock tracks thrown in.
That's it. That's the review.
Just kidding.
Seriously though, in this review I will explain why this movie sits as a top contender in my top 5 movies of all time.
Story/Dialogue: William Thatcher uses the armour of the knight he squired for in order to compete in tournaments. With the help of his friend Wot and Roland, he enters under the guise as Sir Ulrich Von Lichtenstein. On the way he gains both a rival and a lover. Count Adamar and Jocelyn, respectively. Can he win the World Championships and maintain his secret identity?
The story is simple and easy to follow. The characters, OH THE CHARACTERS! They're so likeable and memorable. To Wot's crazy hair and threatening of 'Fonging' to Roland's advice and dry sense of humour. Later characters like Kate and Chaucer are even moreso. A kickass blacksmith who can dance and has fire and a writer with a razor wit and a gambling problem also doubles as herald and forger for the group.
Then enter the leading lady. Jocelyn has a face that could cut glass and a tongue that could reduce you to ribbons.
She is the embodiment of, "Do no harm, but take no shit."
This woman will come to love William, but she will not stand for his tantrums.
It makes me love her so much more.
The dialogue can be flowery without being gratuitous and it's refreshing to see dialogue like that. Watching banter that makes you laugh is so very important.
Cinematography: The scenes in A Knight's Tale are well set out, with excellent framing. The one thing I would take issue with is the notable green screen near the end. Also, watching the characters fade in and out of focus during the dance scene added something a bit extra that appealed to me.
Lastly, watching the cuts/fades between the letter reading and writing and the flashback transitions are wonderful. Major props to the editor for that.
Audio: Knighthood and Rock music struck me as an odd combination the first time I watched this film. It worked, though. By George it worked!
Aside from this, the movie had an original score which made the movie more epic in a subtle sense. It added to the atmosphere of scenes like the pub where they bet on William, Adamar finding out about Ulrich's winnings while on the front lines and the lancing in general. It's a lot of brass and lutes that make it feel like a piece of history rather than a renaissance fair.
Overall: This movie is fun. I don't mean fun in the sense of Bad Boys fun where there's a crapload of explosions and breasts out everywhere.
This fun is a tasteful and classy night on the town (Minus Paul Bettany's bare arse,) and leaves you feeling emotionally satisfied at the end.
It's action without the unnecessary explosions and it's a good laugh.
Everyone performs excellently and you find yourself getting attached to all the characters.
*Wistful sigh* they just don't make 'em like they used to.
5 stars.
(Movie) Get ganked! A look at Seventh Son
When I started watching this, I was expecting something along the lines of Eragon or a live action Tales of Earthsea.
Instead, I got a medieval Supernatural movie.
While I did like the show at one point, I don't feel as though this movie lived up to its hype.
I shall explain why herein.
*Equips Hammer of Smiting*
Story/Dialogue: To summarise this story, it's about a young man who is the seventh son of a seventh son. He takes on the apprenticeship of a Falcon Knight; a legendary hunter of monsters. The Seventh son, Tom, then ends up falling for a monster.
I had high hopes for this movie.
The dialogue was extremely dry and knowing that Jeff Bridges is in it kind of takes you out of the world. He's not a character wearing Jeff Bridges' face. He's just Jeff Bridges with a speech impediment. Mr. Bridges basically played his character from R.I.P.D.
This movie felt like a fantasy novel written by someone who binge watched Supernatural in a week and stopped at the episode where they got to be knights.
The writers of this film had all the answers, but didn't spend enough time building the world, or bothering to create characters worth caring about.
I do not pity Tom, nor do I hope that he gets the girl. I do not care if his master dies. I don't care.
As Andrew Stanton (Pixar) once said: "Make me care"
https://www.ted.com/talks/andrew_stanton_the_clues_to_a_great_story?language=en
Cinematography: The best thing about this movie by far was the CGI. Watching Julianne Moore turn from dreadlocked dragon to devilish dame flawlessly was a wonderful sight to behold. There were moments where the movie felt poorly cut, (i.e the Boggart scene. I had no idea what was going on.) but the framing kept everyone out of the boring zone. (Centre frame is considered boring by most.)
Other than that, there isn't that much more to add.
Audio: Frankly, the audio stayed in the background, like a thief at night. It felt more like a space filler rather than something that could have been epic and stood out. While not every movie needs songs that make you want to purchase the soundtrack, I love finding songs like that. Musical scores always add that little bit extra for me and I just didn't find that in this movie.
Overall: Say something for this story, it tried. It did something a little different. But this is what you get when you try and stuff a clown car with an elephant. It just doesn't work. There's so much going on and you can't keep track of it all, much less care about the characters. There's no explanation as to why seventh sons of seventh sons are so important and even if this was an adaptation, I do not believe in, "read the book," as an excuse.
Frankly, that's disgraceful.
The CGI, however impressive, could not carry the weight of terrible storytelling. You cannot polish a turd.
There is little to no suspension of disbelief, which any good story possesses. Jeff Bridges sees to that with his atrocious acting.
It's even more important when you have an epic fantasy tale on your hands. You have a world to build, characters to fill out and you need to SHOW it rather than tell it.
I don't give a shit if the guy is a seventh son of a seventh son. TELL ME WHY.
MAKE ME CARE, DAMN IT!
TWO STARS!
Instead, I got a medieval Supernatural movie.
While I did like the show at one point, I don't feel as though this movie lived up to its hype.
I shall explain why herein.
*Equips Hammer of Smiting*
Story/Dialogue: To summarise this story, it's about a young man who is the seventh son of a seventh son. He takes on the apprenticeship of a Falcon Knight; a legendary hunter of monsters. The Seventh son, Tom, then ends up falling for a monster.
I had high hopes for this movie.
The dialogue was extremely dry and knowing that Jeff Bridges is in it kind of takes you out of the world. He's not a character wearing Jeff Bridges' face. He's just Jeff Bridges with a speech impediment. Mr. Bridges basically played his character from R.I.P.D.
This movie felt like a fantasy novel written by someone who binge watched Supernatural in a week and stopped at the episode where they got to be knights.
The writers of this film had all the answers, but didn't spend enough time building the world, or bothering to create characters worth caring about.
I do not pity Tom, nor do I hope that he gets the girl. I do not care if his master dies. I don't care.
As Andrew Stanton (Pixar) once said: "Make me care"
https://www.ted.com/talks/andrew_stanton_the_clues_to_a_great_story?language=en
Cinematography: The best thing about this movie by far was the CGI. Watching Julianne Moore turn from dreadlocked dragon to devilish dame flawlessly was a wonderful sight to behold. There were moments where the movie felt poorly cut, (i.e the Boggart scene. I had no idea what was going on.) but the framing kept everyone out of the boring zone. (Centre frame is considered boring by most.)
Other than that, there isn't that much more to add.
Audio: Frankly, the audio stayed in the background, like a thief at night. It felt more like a space filler rather than something that could have been epic and stood out. While not every movie needs songs that make you want to purchase the soundtrack, I love finding songs like that. Musical scores always add that little bit extra for me and I just didn't find that in this movie.
Overall: Say something for this story, it tried. It did something a little different. But this is what you get when you try and stuff a clown car with an elephant. It just doesn't work. There's so much going on and you can't keep track of it all, much less care about the characters. There's no explanation as to why seventh sons of seventh sons are so important and even if this was an adaptation, I do not believe in, "read the book," as an excuse.
Frankly, that's disgraceful.
The CGI, however impressive, could not carry the weight of terrible storytelling. You cannot polish a turd.
There is little to no suspension of disbelief, which any good story possesses. Jeff Bridges sees to that with his atrocious acting.
It's even more important when you have an epic fantasy tale on your hands. You have a world to build, characters to fill out and you need to SHOW it rather than tell it.
I don't give a shit if the guy is a seventh son of a seventh son. TELL ME WHY.
MAKE ME CARE, DAMN IT!
TWO STARS!
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