Reviews from the Dark Side presents
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Released 7/11/14
In 2011, a new addition to the Planet of the Apes saga was introduced. Not only was it a new chapter, it was also felt like a reboot of the franchise itself. Some old school POTA fans I know were not very pleased by the idea of a reboot thinking you can't improve on a sci-fi classic. Tim Burton sure didn't inspire anyone with his rendition (although I'm one of the few who actually liked it). Not being a huge fan of the original or the sequels it spawned, I went into the theater with a more open mind about Rise of the Planet of the Apes, but still felt a little "meh" about the whole thing. And, I got one of the biggest shocks of my moviegoing life as ROTPTA made me care about the franchise for the first time. It made me want more. So, this time, it was with a great deal of excitement when I made my journey to see this week's sequel, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. But could the sequel really capture the magic of Rise? Most fall well short of their original source material.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is one of the rare sequels that successfully and logically continues the narrative from its predecessor. DOTPOTA picks up 10 years after Rise. Super smart chimpanzee, Caesar, leads a large community of apes in the woods of ruined San Francisco. They are thriving in an apocalyptic world following their own moral code of "ape not killing ape" and living in relative peace (or so Caesar believes).
Humans on the other hand have not fared nearly as well. In total disarray after the viral epidemic that began at the end of Rise, packs of human survivors are scattered across the globe. One such group has created a settlement within the San Francisco ruins. But, quickly running low on fuel stores, they need an alternate power source to generate the electrical power they so desperately need. The dam in ape territory would fit the bill nicely.
When a small scouting group from the settlement travels into the woods to look for the new power source, they are discovered by two young chimps. Thus, both ape and human become aware of each other's presence within the region for the first time. At first reluctant to assist the humans and become involved in their problems, Caesar consents to assist the small party to avoid conflict. But, there are factions within both the ape and human communities that distrust each other so much that war will become inevitable despite Caesar's wishes.
Dawn is not quite as heartfelt has Rise was, but it feels like a logical progression from that film. In Rise, Caesar learned the treachery of humans. In Dawn, he learns the treachery of his own kind. By the end, with his resignation to the imminence of war between ape and human, it will be interesting to see the direction his character is taken in future sequels (which I'm sure are coming). He doesn't hate humans, and he knows that some are as opposed to conflict as he is. But, depending on the direction the story is taken, he will have to become more of a dictator in the future to fit an ape conquering of the planet.
Even if these two films and upcoming films chronicle events leading up to the original, I applaud the efforts of fleshing out the story. Although my hope is the powers that be take the story in a different direction because the original never made much sense to me. I know it's classic sci-fi, but that's always been my opinion. Another thing I'm grateful for is the focus of this series on the ape community itself and the society they've built. It's not based on a pseudo-ape religion, but on the natural survival of the species. It all feels much more organic this time.
Dawn continues the excellent CGI work that was introduced in Rise. The apes are still very much apes with a few human qualities (many in Caesar's case) as opposed to human actors clearly wearing make-up. The latter was good for its time, but would definitely not work today. Andy Serkis deserves special consideration for his motion-capture work for Caesar. He puts so much emotion in the ape's facial expressions that it's uncanny. I guess I should expect no less from the actor who did the same for Golem, right?
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes hits all the right notes for a sequel and is everything you would expect from a follow up to a great film. It's visually stunning and has intelligence to boot. I wouldn't necessarily say it's the greatest sequel ever made as that honor still goes to The Empire Strikes Back in my eyes. But, Dawn is in the team photo of one of the better ones that have been produced.
The Dark Lord of the Sith says:
****1/2 stars
Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee.
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here.
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Transformers: Age of Extinction
Reviews from the Dark Side presents
Transformers: Age of Extinction
Released 6/27/14
Michael Bay's fourth installment of the highly successful Transformers franchise thunders its way into theaters this weekend. Bay, long known for being a director who favors style over substance, isn't a favorite among critics, and, as follows, his Transformers franchise has suffered the same fate. But, no one can fault the gobs of cash these CGI spectacles draw. Age of Extinction should be no different. As for quality, while I've always liked the series as a whole, even I have to admit the quality of story has declined since the first movie was released in 2007.
The beginning of the film furthers the Transformers mythos by verifying the robots' "Creators" came to Earth millions of years ago during period when dinosaurs still roamed the planet. The purpose was to "terra-form" the Earth into a mechanical world. It's a concept that will be a catalyst for the film's ending. This process caused the extinction of the entire species.
Flash forward to the present day a few years after the "Battle of Chicago" that wrecked the city back in the third installment of the franchise. The time hasn't been kind to Optimus Prime and his Autobots. Since the near destruction of Chicago, they have been hunted by the U.S. government under the direction of the CIA's Harold Attinger (Kelsey Grammer). Under the public pretense of hunting the remaining Decepticons (the Autobots' sworn enemies) on Earth, the CIA has developed an elite hunter/killer group, Cemetery Wind.
Attinger has an ulterior motive aside from his extreme patriotism. Working with a Transformer bounty hunter, Lockdown, who claims to work on the behalf of the "Creators", both Attinger and Lockdown are on a desperate hunt for the missing Prime. Little do they know Optimus has been found by an unlikely source. Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg), a struggling robotics inventor in Texas, purchases the deactivated leader after finding Prime in an abandoned theater while the robot is in his transformed semi-truck form. Hoping to strip the semi down for its parts, Yeager, inadvertently reactivates Optimus who has developed a logical distrust of humans thanks to the ambush that deactivated him and the hunts that have destroyed most of the Autobots remaining on Earth.
When Attinger is alerted that Prime has been spotted, he sends Cemetery Wind and Lockdown to Texas to acquire him leading to a confluence of events that forces Prime and Yeager to work together to uncover Attinger's endgame. Optimus is forced to call in the only surviving Autobots (Bumblebee, Drift, Hound, and Crosshairs) in hiding to infiltrate the mega-techno conglomerate, KSI, operating out of Chicago. KSI has been conducting experiments on slain Transformers under the guidance of its CEO, Joshua Joyce (Stanley Tucci) who has a nefarious alliance with Attinger. Unknown to all, an evil presence from the past has been manipulating everyone from behind the scenes for his own sinister reasons.
After AOE, I can still definitively say, the first Transformers film remains the best of the group. There are leaps and holes galore here. Mark Wahlberg as an eccentric, inventive genius doesn't quite work. He looked much more comfortable when he was shooting Decepticons with an alien gun. There's just about every family cliché imaginable from Cade's daughter wanting to leave the uneventful, road-to-no where rural life she feels trapped in to the daughter rebelling and dating a guy her father doesn't approve of in the beginning.
There are plenty of sappy, eye-rolling "rah-rah" moments including one from Optimus Prime himself. The film is loud, frenetic and an overall full assault on the senses. Not to mention that it's overlong to a fault. A good 30 minutes could have easily been trimmed. Some action sequences just felt like they would never end.
All of that said, AOE is great, mindless fun. You know the kind I mean. It's a perfect Summer spectacle. While the action sequences can be unbelievably long, they are spectacular. I defy you to find a more magnificent shot in 2014 than the slow motion transformation of Prime and Bumblebee as they go from car to robot flipping through a semi-trailer and over a bridge while catching/protecting their human allies. It's an eye-popping standout in a film that is filled with visual eye candy.
And, for those of you nostalgic types, your heart will leap at the introduction of the Dinobots to the series (finally). Even with a convoluted story about the Dinos being a group of legendary robotic knights being held captive on Lockdown's ship, the 10-year old in me was giddy when I heard Grimlock roar! For those not familiar, that's the Transformer who becomes a mechanical T-Rex. And, the sight of a sword-wielding Optimus Prime riding into battle on Grimlock's back left me speechless.
While the acting is nothing to write home about (and what do you expect from a movie like this), I will note that Kelsey Grammer does make a convincing villain. It's a far cry from Dr. Frasier Crane. There's also some great, if somewhat corny, comic relief from John Goodman as the voice of the cigar-chomping Autobot commando, Hound. The best comic scene comes from Bumblebee getting a monster-seized 'tude when he discovers a man-made Transformer that is supposedly a better version of him. Classic comedy.
Transformers: Age of Extinction is not always a smooth ride, but it's an entertaining one. Like the other films before, the human element sometimes interferes unnecessarily and serves only to prolong the film with useless, contrived drama. But, for an action junkie, it delivers its share of thrills and robots beating the Hell out of each other. And, in the end, isn't that why you watch these movies in the first place?
The Dark Lord of the Sith says:
***1/2 stars
Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee.
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here.
Transformers: Age of Extinction
Released 6/27/14
Michael Bay's fourth installment of the highly successful Transformers franchise thunders its way into theaters this weekend. Bay, long known for being a director who favors style over substance, isn't a favorite among critics, and, as follows, his Transformers franchise has suffered the same fate. But, no one can fault the gobs of cash these CGI spectacles draw. Age of Extinction should be no different. As for quality, while I've always liked the series as a whole, even I have to admit the quality of story has declined since the first movie was released in 2007.
The beginning of the film furthers the Transformers mythos by verifying the robots' "Creators" came to Earth millions of years ago during period when dinosaurs still roamed the planet. The purpose was to "terra-form" the Earth into a mechanical world. It's a concept that will be a catalyst for the film's ending. This process caused the extinction of the entire species.
Flash forward to the present day a few years after the "Battle of Chicago" that wrecked the city back in the third installment of the franchise. The time hasn't been kind to Optimus Prime and his Autobots. Since the near destruction of Chicago, they have been hunted by the U.S. government under the direction of the CIA's Harold Attinger (Kelsey Grammer). Under the public pretense of hunting the remaining Decepticons (the Autobots' sworn enemies) on Earth, the CIA has developed an elite hunter/killer group, Cemetery Wind.
Attinger has an ulterior motive aside from his extreme patriotism. Working with a Transformer bounty hunter, Lockdown, who claims to work on the behalf of the "Creators", both Attinger and Lockdown are on a desperate hunt for the missing Prime. Little do they know Optimus has been found by an unlikely source. Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg), a struggling robotics inventor in Texas, purchases the deactivated leader after finding Prime in an abandoned theater while the robot is in his transformed semi-truck form. Hoping to strip the semi down for its parts, Yeager, inadvertently reactivates Optimus who has developed a logical distrust of humans thanks to the ambush that deactivated him and the hunts that have destroyed most of the Autobots remaining on Earth.
When Attinger is alerted that Prime has been spotted, he sends Cemetery Wind and Lockdown to Texas to acquire him leading to a confluence of events that forces Prime and Yeager to work together to uncover Attinger's endgame. Optimus is forced to call in the only surviving Autobots (Bumblebee, Drift, Hound, and Crosshairs) in hiding to infiltrate the mega-techno conglomerate, KSI, operating out of Chicago. KSI has been conducting experiments on slain Transformers under the guidance of its CEO, Joshua Joyce (Stanley Tucci) who has a nefarious alliance with Attinger. Unknown to all, an evil presence from the past has been manipulating everyone from behind the scenes for his own sinister reasons.
After AOE, I can still definitively say, the first Transformers film remains the best of the group. There are leaps and holes galore here. Mark Wahlberg as an eccentric, inventive genius doesn't quite work. He looked much more comfortable when he was shooting Decepticons with an alien gun. There's just about every family cliché imaginable from Cade's daughter wanting to leave the uneventful, road-to-no where rural life she feels trapped in to the daughter rebelling and dating a guy her father doesn't approve of in the beginning.
There are plenty of sappy, eye-rolling "rah-rah" moments including one from Optimus Prime himself. The film is loud, frenetic and an overall full assault on the senses. Not to mention that it's overlong to a fault. A good 30 minutes could have easily been trimmed. Some action sequences just felt like they would never end.
All of that said, AOE is great, mindless fun. You know the kind I mean. It's a perfect Summer spectacle. While the action sequences can be unbelievably long, they are spectacular. I defy you to find a more magnificent shot in 2014 than the slow motion transformation of Prime and Bumblebee as they go from car to robot flipping through a semi-trailer and over a bridge while catching/protecting their human allies. It's an eye-popping standout in a film that is filled with visual eye candy.
And, for those of you nostalgic types, your heart will leap at the introduction of the Dinobots to the series (finally). Even with a convoluted story about the Dinos being a group of legendary robotic knights being held captive on Lockdown's ship, the 10-year old in me was giddy when I heard Grimlock roar! For those not familiar, that's the Transformer who becomes a mechanical T-Rex. And, the sight of a sword-wielding Optimus Prime riding into battle on Grimlock's back left me speechless.
While the acting is nothing to write home about (and what do you expect from a movie like this), I will note that Kelsey Grammer does make a convincing villain. It's a far cry from Dr. Frasier Crane. There's also some great, if somewhat corny, comic relief from John Goodman as the voice of the cigar-chomping Autobot commando, Hound. The best comic scene comes from Bumblebee getting a monster-seized 'tude when he discovers a man-made Transformer that is supposedly a better version of him. Classic comedy.
Transformers: Age of Extinction is not always a smooth ride, but it's an entertaining one. Like the other films before, the human element sometimes interferes unnecessarily and serves only to prolong the film with useless, contrived drama. But, for an action junkie, it delivers its share of thrills and robots beating the Hell out of each other. And, in the end, isn't that why you watch these movies in the first place?
The Dark Lord of the Sith says:
***1/2 stars
Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee.
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here.
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
X-Men: Days of Future Past
Reviews from the Dark Side presents
X-Men: Days of Future Past
Released 5/23/14
BRYAN SINGER IS BACK!!! Now this statement can be considered good or bad depending on which side of the aisle you fall on regarding the X-Men franchise (one I'm sure Marvel Studios is salivating to get their hands on). While it's widely considered that Singer's first two X-Men films have been the best in the series, he hasn't been without his detractors for the lack of character development or the liberties he has taken with the material itself. Of course, fans have seen how the franchise can spin out of control without Singer at the helm with the much maligned X-Men: The Last Stand (which I didn't think was awful, by the way), X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and the somewhat tepid fan response to last year's, The Wolverine.
With Days of Future Past, Singer has combined characters from the first two X-Men films along with characters from 2011's critically acclaimed X-Men: First Class from director, Matthew Vaughn (and, hey, Singer was a producer on that one). Based on one of the most popular stories in X-Men lore, DOFP stars Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Shawn Ashmore, Ellen Page (one of the few links to The Last Stand), and Halle Berry reprising their previous roles as our favorite heroic mutants (well, Magneto is debatable as far as being heroic). For those not in the loop, that's a human being born with extraordinary abilities.
In a dystopian future, hunter/killer robots known as Sentinels have all but exterminated the mutant population and have also turned their attentions to normal human beings who are considered mutant sympathizers. Barely surviving and still fighting the good, if hopeless, fight are a small band of X-Men who are cornered in Moscow. After putting up a valiant fight, Colossus, Iceman (Ashmore), Warpath, Blink, and Sunspot prove to be no match for their invincible foes. One X-Man, Bishop, is able to project his consciousness into his younger body in the recent past with the assistance of fellow X-Man, Kitty Pryde (Page, and how did she get this power suddenly?), to warn the group of the upcoming attack.
The group rendezvous in China with Professor Xavier (Stewart), Magneto (McKellan), Storm (Berry), and Wolverine (Jackman) before the attack happens in Moscow. There a plan is formulated. Since this present-day nightmare of mutant resentment and destruction can be traced back to one tragic event in the past, someone in the group must have their consciousness projected back decades in time to inhabit his/her younger body to try to stop the event from occurring. It's decided that Kitty will send Wolverine back to 1973 to seek out a much younger Charles Xavier (McAvoy) and Magneto (Fassbender) to assist him in stopping the fateful occurrence.
Said occurrence was created by the mutant shape changer, Mystique (Lawrence), after she fatally shoots military contractor and mutant experimenter/tormentor, Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage). His execution fuels anti-mutant sentiment and breeds the creation of Trask's Sentinel program with an added bonus. The Sentinels have proven to be almost impossible to defeat due to Mystique herself as the shape shifting adaptability of her DNA is captured and used to make the robots adaptable to any mutant power used against them.
So, a battle is waged on two fronts. One in the future where the Sentinels have located the X-Men again and the ragtag band must hold them off long enough for Wolverine's mission to succeed (and the audience is already privy to how well the mutant offensive played out in Moscow). The other battle is waged in the past where Wolverine has to not only convince an emotionally broken Xavier to help, but also to work with the man he deems responsible for both his emotional and physical condition, his former best friend. Even getting to Magneto in this time period will prove difficult as he has been blamed and captured for committing another tragic event in world history.
The one thing that struck me about DOFP is that it was an X-Men movie with Wolverine that wasn't solely devoted to the characterization of Wolverine. Don't get me wrong. I love Wolverine, and I'm a huge fan of Jackman playing the character. However, I will admit the focus on Logan has been at the detriment of the rest of the cast more often than not. DOFP is clearly an opportunity that both Singer and the franchise have taken to capitalize on the current success and popularity of Jennifer Lawrence. It's mainly Mystique's movie. And, as has mostly been the case, Lawrence is up to the task and more than carries her weight as a conflicted soul torn between two ideologies (Xavier's and Magneto's).
I was also intrigued by the young Charles Xavier speaking of a mutant in conflict. James McAvoy does a fantastic job depicting a man with so much self doubt and self loathing that he's pretty much given up on life itself. He's a sharp contrast from the sure and decisive older version of Xavier played by Stewart
An unexpected strength of the film was the introduction of Peter Maximoff (Evan Peters) to the series as a supersonic mutant with no code name as of yet (although comic fans know him as a tweaked version of the sometimes X-Men ally/foe, Quicksilver). He added some much needed comic relief to an otherwise bleak-toned movie. I have to admit the still shots I first saw of the character and the snippets revealed in the trailers didn't have me expecting much from him. But, Peters has arguably one of the best scenes in DOFP during the Magneto breakout. It's such a clever and brilliant scene that you'll be applauding both the actor and director.
For those wishing for a tighter continuity between the events in the franchise, you can rejoice. DOFP effectively reboots the X-Men timeline. So, if you have a bad taste in your mouth from X-Men Origins, The Last Stand, or even, The Wolverine, let's just say they didn't really happen (although I'm still trying to wrap my head around if The Wolverine should be included in this list). You can now watch the X-Men movie saga through four movies (First Class, X-Men, X2, and X-Men: DOFP). And, this brings me to one of my problems with DOFP. Not so much a problem as an observation really.
As a continuity buff, it's just a little too messy to say, "Here, audience! Remember these good things that Singer did/has done, but not the bad things that he didn't touch." In some ways, it's better to make a clean break and reboot the whole franchise a la Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy or Marc Webb's Amazing Spider-Man series (although that one hasn't been as well-received as hoped for), and the reboot of Star Trek. A new director with a new set of ideas and a tightly-woven story can do wonders for an ailing franchise. What Singer is attempting to do is reset on the fly.
I particularly have trouble reconciling where/if The Wolverine fits into the current continuity at all having just been released a year ago. Wolverine has bone claws at the end of that film, yet he has adamantium claws again in DOFP. We also know that Professor Xavier and Magneto seek him out in the mid-credits scene advising that they need his assistance to stop a grave threat to the mutant race. Logan is understandably shocked to see Professor X as he remembers him being obliterated in The Last Stand. So, how much time has actually passed between the end of The Wolverine and DOFP? We know the world isn't in ruins in The Wolverine, yet, everything has gone to Hell when DOFP begins. When/how did he get the metal claws back? Why does the Professor exist in his own body again? Okay, that last part can be explained away if the Last Stand never happened, but it was still a story I would have liked to have seen pursued. Also, Professor X and Magneto are two of the smartest men on the planet. They couldn't have come up with a plan to stop this mess before the near-obliteration of mutantkind? Wouldn't Mystique have killed Trask before X-Men and X2 took place? Yet there was no mention of this in the first two films. And, on a smaller note, just how did Magneto gain control of Trask's experimental Sentinels anyway when the robots supposedly "don't have an ounce of metal in them." No metal? It kind of defeats Magneto's power wouldn't you think? It's almost as if the powers that be are trying to make the pieces fit where they don't.
I know these are inherent problems when dealing with time travel and, it appears in this case, alternate timelines. It doesn't always make a lot of sense and you can give yourself a migraine trying to figure it out. It's not that these questions kept me from enjoying what DOFP was. It's just that I would have liked for the pieces of the puzzle to fit a little more perfectly than they did. It's something I'm really going to have to get over when the next Star Wars movie is released next year.
I've mentioned this before, I believe, but given what Singer is attempting to do with the franchise, it bears repeating. If The Avengers franchise has done nothing else, it has forced movie studios to look at this genre of film as more than stand alone, special effects extravaganzas. Rich movie universes with strong storytelling are being mined from super hero material that was once considered to have fringe fan bases. In addition to the aforementioned Spider-Man franchise under Marc Webb, we have Warner Brothers/DC Comics ready to do the same thing with the Justice League in a couple of years. Continuity makes for tighter storytelling and endless possibilities from these characters' long histories. Super heroes have gone mainstream. It's the Golden Age for someone like me who grew up with the material. And, fortunately, there's no end in sight.
Days of Future Past is a strong outing for Singer to get the franchise back on its feet and rolling in a clear direction. With the reset button pretty much being pushed, the director has also given himself access to a few more pieces on the chessboard. Pieces that had perished previously. He has done the best he can to right certain things that happened when he wasn't in the driver's seat short of truly starting over from scratch. Since he will be in charge for the next X-Men film in 2016, I'm sure Marvel's mighty mutants will be in good hands yet again. Hopefully, there will be some development of other characters that haven't been given a chance to shine as of yet (Storm, Rogue, I'm looking at you).
As with most Marvel-related movies, there is an additional scene after the end credits that introduces the next "big bad." It's not a jaw-dropping scene by any means, but it is an important one when you hear the chant, "En Sabbah Nur." Yep, just let the Apocalypse out of the bag there.
The Dark Lord of the Sith says:
***3/4 stars
Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee.
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here.
X-Men: Days of Future Past
Released 5/23/14
BRYAN SINGER IS BACK!!! Now this statement can be considered good or bad depending on which side of the aisle you fall on regarding the X-Men franchise (one I'm sure Marvel Studios is salivating to get their hands on). While it's widely considered that Singer's first two X-Men films have been the best in the series, he hasn't been without his detractors for the lack of character development or the liberties he has taken with the material itself. Of course, fans have seen how the franchise can spin out of control without Singer at the helm with the much maligned X-Men: The Last Stand (which I didn't think was awful, by the way), X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and the somewhat tepid fan response to last year's, The Wolverine.
With Days of Future Past, Singer has combined characters from the first two X-Men films along with characters from 2011's critically acclaimed X-Men: First Class from director, Matthew Vaughn (and, hey, Singer was a producer on that one). Based on one of the most popular stories in X-Men lore, DOFP stars Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Shawn Ashmore, Ellen Page (one of the few links to The Last Stand), and Halle Berry reprising their previous roles as our favorite heroic mutants (well, Magneto is debatable as far as being heroic). For those not in the loop, that's a human being born with extraordinary abilities.
In a dystopian future, hunter/killer robots known as Sentinels have all but exterminated the mutant population and have also turned their attentions to normal human beings who are considered mutant sympathizers. Barely surviving and still fighting the good, if hopeless, fight are a small band of X-Men who are cornered in Moscow. After putting up a valiant fight, Colossus, Iceman (Ashmore), Warpath, Blink, and Sunspot prove to be no match for their invincible foes. One X-Man, Bishop, is able to project his consciousness into his younger body in the recent past with the assistance of fellow X-Man, Kitty Pryde (Page, and how did she get this power suddenly?), to warn the group of the upcoming attack.
The group rendezvous in China with Professor Xavier (Stewart), Magneto (McKellan), Storm (Berry), and Wolverine (Jackman) before the attack happens in Moscow. There a plan is formulated. Since this present-day nightmare of mutant resentment and destruction can be traced back to one tragic event in the past, someone in the group must have their consciousness projected back decades in time to inhabit his/her younger body to try to stop the event from occurring. It's decided that Kitty will send Wolverine back to 1973 to seek out a much younger Charles Xavier (McAvoy) and Magneto (Fassbender) to assist him in stopping the fateful occurrence.
Said occurrence was created by the mutant shape changer, Mystique (Lawrence), after she fatally shoots military contractor and mutant experimenter/tormentor, Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage). His execution fuels anti-mutant sentiment and breeds the creation of Trask's Sentinel program with an added bonus. The Sentinels have proven to be almost impossible to defeat due to Mystique herself as the shape shifting adaptability of her DNA is captured and used to make the robots adaptable to any mutant power used against them.
So, a battle is waged on two fronts. One in the future where the Sentinels have located the X-Men again and the ragtag band must hold them off long enough for Wolverine's mission to succeed (and the audience is already privy to how well the mutant offensive played out in Moscow). The other battle is waged in the past where Wolverine has to not only convince an emotionally broken Xavier to help, but also to work with the man he deems responsible for both his emotional and physical condition, his former best friend. Even getting to Magneto in this time period will prove difficult as he has been blamed and captured for committing another tragic event in world history.
The one thing that struck me about DOFP is that it was an X-Men movie with Wolverine that wasn't solely devoted to the characterization of Wolverine. Don't get me wrong. I love Wolverine, and I'm a huge fan of Jackman playing the character. However, I will admit the focus on Logan has been at the detriment of the rest of the cast more often than not. DOFP is clearly an opportunity that both Singer and the franchise have taken to capitalize on the current success and popularity of Jennifer Lawrence. It's mainly Mystique's movie. And, as has mostly been the case, Lawrence is up to the task and more than carries her weight as a conflicted soul torn between two ideologies (Xavier's and Magneto's).
I was also intrigued by the young Charles Xavier speaking of a mutant in conflict. James McAvoy does a fantastic job depicting a man with so much self doubt and self loathing that he's pretty much given up on life itself. He's a sharp contrast from the sure and decisive older version of Xavier played by Stewart
An unexpected strength of the film was the introduction of Peter Maximoff (Evan Peters) to the series as a supersonic mutant with no code name as of yet (although comic fans know him as a tweaked version of the sometimes X-Men ally/foe, Quicksilver). He added some much needed comic relief to an otherwise bleak-toned movie. I have to admit the still shots I first saw of the character and the snippets revealed in the trailers didn't have me expecting much from him. But, Peters has arguably one of the best scenes in DOFP during the Magneto breakout. It's such a clever and brilliant scene that you'll be applauding both the actor and director.
For those wishing for a tighter continuity between the events in the franchise, you can rejoice. DOFP effectively reboots the X-Men timeline. So, if you have a bad taste in your mouth from X-Men Origins, The Last Stand, or even, The Wolverine, let's just say they didn't really happen (although I'm still trying to wrap my head around if The Wolverine should be included in this list). You can now watch the X-Men movie saga through four movies (First Class, X-Men, X2, and X-Men: DOFP). And, this brings me to one of my problems with DOFP. Not so much a problem as an observation really.
As a continuity buff, it's just a little too messy to say, "Here, audience! Remember these good things that Singer did/has done, but not the bad things that he didn't touch." In some ways, it's better to make a clean break and reboot the whole franchise a la Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy or Marc Webb's Amazing Spider-Man series (although that one hasn't been as well-received as hoped for), and the reboot of Star Trek. A new director with a new set of ideas and a tightly-woven story can do wonders for an ailing franchise. What Singer is attempting to do is reset on the fly.
I particularly have trouble reconciling where/if The Wolverine fits into the current continuity at all having just been released a year ago. Wolverine has bone claws at the end of that film, yet he has adamantium claws again in DOFP. We also know that Professor Xavier and Magneto seek him out in the mid-credits scene advising that they need his assistance to stop a grave threat to the mutant race. Logan is understandably shocked to see Professor X as he remembers him being obliterated in The Last Stand. So, how much time has actually passed between the end of The Wolverine and DOFP? We know the world isn't in ruins in The Wolverine, yet, everything has gone to Hell when DOFP begins. When/how did he get the metal claws back? Why does the Professor exist in his own body again? Okay, that last part can be explained away if the Last Stand never happened, but it was still a story I would have liked to have seen pursued. Also, Professor X and Magneto are two of the smartest men on the planet. They couldn't have come up with a plan to stop this mess before the near-obliteration of mutantkind? Wouldn't Mystique have killed Trask before X-Men and X2 took place? Yet there was no mention of this in the first two films. And, on a smaller note, just how did Magneto gain control of Trask's experimental Sentinels anyway when the robots supposedly "don't have an ounce of metal in them." No metal? It kind of defeats Magneto's power wouldn't you think? It's almost as if the powers that be are trying to make the pieces fit where they don't.
I know these are inherent problems when dealing with time travel and, it appears in this case, alternate timelines. It doesn't always make a lot of sense and you can give yourself a migraine trying to figure it out. It's not that these questions kept me from enjoying what DOFP was. It's just that I would have liked for the pieces of the puzzle to fit a little more perfectly than they did. It's something I'm really going to have to get over when the next Star Wars movie is released next year.
I've mentioned this before, I believe, but given what Singer is attempting to do with the franchise, it bears repeating. If The Avengers franchise has done nothing else, it has forced movie studios to look at this genre of film as more than stand alone, special effects extravaganzas. Rich movie universes with strong storytelling are being mined from super hero material that was once considered to have fringe fan bases. In addition to the aforementioned Spider-Man franchise under Marc Webb, we have Warner Brothers/DC Comics ready to do the same thing with the Justice League in a couple of years. Continuity makes for tighter storytelling and endless possibilities from these characters' long histories. Super heroes have gone mainstream. It's the Golden Age for someone like me who grew up with the material. And, fortunately, there's no end in sight.
Days of Future Past is a strong outing for Singer to get the franchise back on its feet and rolling in a clear direction. With the reset button pretty much being pushed, the director has also given himself access to a few more pieces on the chessboard. Pieces that had perished previously. He has done the best he can to right certain things that happened when he wasn't in the driver's seat short of truly starting over from scratch. Since he will be in charge for the next X-Men film in 2016, I'm sure Marvel's mighty mutants will be in good hands yet again. Hopefully, there will be some development of other characters that haven't been given a chance to shine as of yet (Storm, Rogue, I'm looking at you).
As with most Marvel-related movies, there is an additional scene after the end credits that introduces the next "big bad." It's not a jaw-dropping scene by any means, but it is an important one when you hear the chant, "En Sabbah Nur." Yep, just let the Apocalypse out of the bag there.
The Dark Lord of the Sith says:
***3/4 stars
Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee.
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here.
Sunday, May 4, 2014
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Reviews from the Dark Side presents
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Released 5/2/14
It's now here! The start of the 2014 Summer movie season officially begins this weekend with the release of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, the sequel to the somewhat maligned 2012 reboot of the Spider-Man franchise. Marc Webb returns as director. Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, and Sally Field reprise their roles from the first film with some notable additions to the cast, including Oscar winner Jamie Foxx and Dane Dehaan. Reviews I've read of the movie have been very mixed to this point. Then again, they were mixed for the first Amazing Spider-Man (to a lesser extent) which I loved. As a lifelong Spidey fan, this is one I've anticipated since the beginning of 2014, especially after seeing the insanely action-packed trailers. In this Avengers-laden movie world, can anything capture the imagination of moviegoers quite like Marvel Studios has in recent years?
Let's get this out of the way early. ASM 2 is not the near masterpiece that Captain America: The Winter Soldier was, but, it's pretty...spectacular (thought I was going to say "amazing" didn't you). It's a nice blend of comedy, action, and sadness. If you're a longtime Spider-Man fan, you probably already know what I'm alluding to with that last word. But, more on that later.
In ASM 2, we find Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) becoming more comfortable in his role as the amazing wall crawler and defying the promise he made to his girlfriend's, Gwen Stacy's (Emma Stone), dying father to keep his distance from her. It's a promise the responsibility-conscious Peter finds to be a heavy burden as he does secretly agree with Captain Stacy despite his love for Gwen. Add to this his continued bewilderment of his parents' abandonment many years earlier and Peter is an emotional mess despite the happy-go-lucky visage he has as Spider-Man.
Peter's emotional well-being isn't destined to improve as an old friend has returned to New York. Harry Osborn (Dane Dehaan), who has been stashed away in boarding schools abroad for a decade, has come back to New York to pay his respects to his dying father, Norman (Chris Cooper), the CEO of the infamous Oscorp Corporation. Never any love lost between father and son, Norman advises the same disease that is killing him is genetic and will also kill Harry unless he continues to develop the experimental research at Oscorp. Part of that research is experimentation started by Peter's late father, Richard. Despite past friendships, Peter and Harry will reunite in a deadly way.
Meanwhile, an electric engineer at Oscorp, Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx), has grown an unhealthy attachment to Spidey after the web slinger saved his life. Dillon's fragile mental health is taxed even more when an accident at Oscorp transforms his body into pure electric energy. Hero worship turns to hatred after a misunderstanding between Dillon and his idol in Times Square which gives Spider-Man a new, powerful enemy and gives Harry an instrument of destruction that can be used to his advantage.
I think the best way to complete this review is to separate what worked as opposed to what didn't (or maybe could have been done better). Let's start with the negative. This is the one thing that worried me when I first knew of the reported cast of ASM 2. Multiple villains in movies such as this rarely work. The inherent problem is that each character's motivations aren't clearly defined and origin story seems rushed. Although Webb handles this issue better than most I've seen, the same problem still exists. I wish movie studios would learn this lesson. Super Hero movies are better when you focus on one protagonist vs. one antagonist. The only time multiple combatants don't feel contrived is when there is supposed to be a team concept behind the characters as with the Avengers. Another reason Avengers worked so well is because Joss Whedon didn't have to deal with origin stories. Marvel Studios had already taken care of those in previous movies so he could devote adequate screen time to each character. I think this would work with villain team-ups that aren't naturally reliant on a group setting. Introduce them in one movie and then bring them back in later ones as fully realized characters whose evil shenanigans can be focused on.
Max's/Electro's transformation from lonely hero worshipper to murderous villain seems rushed. It may not be as off-putting as Anakin Skywalker's harsh transformation into Darth Vader, but there wasn't much chance for development of Electro's character to make the transition very meaningful. His rage seems like a tantrum from a petulant child more than truly being angry at Spider-Man. Ol' Max has just about the neediest personality in reality or fiction.
Harry Osborn is a more fully realized character whose motivations are clearer and more understandable as a desperate young man driven to insanity by internal and external factors. Yet, even his transformation deserved a little more than the three minute screen time it received (anyone remember Venom from Spider-Man 3). What makes this transformation memorable is the impact it delivers. Harry maybe should have just been the mastermind behind Electro in this film or should have been the only villain. His villainy could have been more fully developed in either of these scenarios.
There is a small segment featuring the Rhino where Paul Giamatti is chewing up the scenery in a mechanized battle suit. Fortunately, this segment is very brief and exists only to see some great scenes of Spider-Man in action. The suit doesn't work as it's just a big, loud clanky thing. It's a bit of a waste of a classic, if minor, villain.
As for what the film gets right, there's much to be excited about. ASM 2 is first of the five Spider-Man films made where I can say Spidey felt completely like Spidey. On the one side, you have Peter's vaunted sense of responsibility on display which causes as misery to him as any beatdown he may receive from the villain of the week. It's no different here as defying his promise to Gwen's father weighs heavily on him and he denies himself happiness out of his desire to protect those he loves.
This time, however, Spider-Man is back to his old wisecracking self. Attempts at this have been made before, but this time, it's fully realized. Even Webb's first ASM depicted Peter as more of an angry, smart-ass teenager than the funny wise guy he normally is. What Webhead fan wouldn't have a mile-wide smile when he refers to Electro as "Sparkles?" Some of Peter's interactions with his Aunt May (Sally Field) are the funniest in the film. The whole chimney scene is short, but packs an amazing comedic punch.
While I do wish that someone could figure a way to give the audience a more classic Green Goblin look, I will admit that Marc Webb handling the issue as a physical transformation for Harry was far better than the silly bodysuit and mask from Sam Raimi's first Spider-Man film (boy that thing was awful). The transformation was creepy and a full representation of Harry's descent into madness.
Speaking of the Goblin, I would be remiss in not mentioning Dane Dehaan's performance as Harry Osborn. Dehaan plays Harry with charm and smarminess at the same time. You feel for his plight, yet you are always aware of an underlying maliciousness inside of him. It's an intricate mix that Dehaan pulls off quite well. He's a very good young actor who can definitely do justice to angst-ridden characters (see Chronicle if you haven't).
The movie's heart comes from the relationship between Peter and Gwen. A problem with most super hero films is the lack of chemistry between hero and love interest. Think about it for a minute. Have any of the Batman movies had a strong leading lady as the hero's love interest outside of Catwoman who really is an antagonist in those movies? Jane Foster in the Thor movies? Not really. Mary Jane in the Sam Raimi Spider-Man movies? Meh. Pepper Potts from Iron Man? OK, but not spectacular. Any of the Lois Lanes? Margot Kidder maybe. Kate Bosworth not at all. Amy Adams, too early to tell. Garfield and Stone have an easiness and timing with each other that is unparalleled in this movie genre. It probably helps that they are a real-life couple, but, it's a refreshing change to see two actors that do act like they should be together. And, without trying to give too much away, makes the climax all the more gut-wrenching.
The action scenes which is the meat of any super hero movie are absolutely insane. Again, Spider-Man's movements, while always handled very well previously, felt more like Spider-Man with all the inhuman movements a character like this should have. Webb also added a very nice touch in the Times Square scene with Electro where the wallcrawler detected all the potential dangers in his immediate area in a slow-motion sequence. For someone who can move as fast as he can, I'd imagine that's how the world would look much of the time.
While there are some weaknesses to ASM 2, the good far outweighs the mediocre. While not my favorite Spider-Man film overall, it deserves more than a dismissive look. In addition, you're introduced to the first stages of a contained Spider-Man universe that Sony is attempting to create, a la Marvel Studios' Avengers universe. You're going to see some familiar objects when Oscorp opens its "Special Projects" vault. There's also an allusion to something very "Sinister" coming Spidey's way in the future.
ASM 2 was a great way to kick off the Summer. I hope it has a good fate at the box office.
The Dark Lord of the Sith says:
*** 1/4 stars
Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee.
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Released 5/2/14
It's now here! The start of the 2014 Summer movie season officially begins this weekend with the release of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, the sequel to the somewhat maligned 2012 reboot of the Spider-Man franchise. Marc Webb returns as director. Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, and Sally Field reprise their roles from the first film with some notable additions to the cast, including Oscar winner Jamie Foxx and Dane Dehaan. Reviews I've read of the movie have been very mixed to this point. Then again, they were mixed for the first Amazing Spider-Man (to a lesser extent) which I loved. As a lifelong Spidey fan, this is one I've anticipated since the beginning of 2014, especially after seeing the insanely action-packed trailers. In this Avengers-laden movie world, can anything capture the imagination of moviegoers quite like Marvel Studios has in recent years?
Let's get this out of the way early. ASM 2 is not the near masterpiece that Captain America: The Winter Soldier was, but, it's pretty...spectacular (thought I was going to say "amazing" didn't you). It's a nice blend of comedy, action, and sadness. If you're a longtime Spider-Man fan, you probably already know what I'm alluding to with that last word. But, more on that later.
In ASM 2, we find Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) becoming more comfortable in his role as the amazing wall crawler and defying the promise he made to his girlfriend's, Gwen Stacy's (Emma Stone), dying father to keep his distance from her. It's a promise the responsibility-conscious Peter finds to be a heavy burden as he does secretly agree with Captain Stacy despite his love for Gwen. Add to this his continued bewilderment of his parents' abandonment many years earlier and Peter is an emotional mess despite the happy-go-lucky visage he has as Spider-Man.
Peter's emotional well-being isn't destined to improve as an old friend has returned to New York. Harry Osborn (Dane Dehaan), who has been stashed away in boarding schools abroad for a decade, has come back to New York to pay his respects to his dying father, Norman (Chris Cooper), the CEO of the infamous Oscorp Corporation. Never any love lost between father and son, Norman advises the same disease that is killing him is genetic and will also kill Harry unless he continues to develop the experimental research at Oscorp. Part of that research is experimentation started by Peter's late father, Richard. Despite past friendships, Peter and Harry will reunite in a deadly way.
Meanwhile, an electric engineer at Oscorp, Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx), has grown an unhealthy attachment to Spidey after the web slinger saved his life. Dillon's fragile mental health is taxed even more when an accident at Oscorp transforms his body into pure electric energy. Hero worship turns to hatred after a misunderstanding between Dillon and his idol in Times Square which gives Spider-Man a new, powerful enemy and gives Harry an instrument of destruction that can be used to his advantage.
I think the best way to complete this review is to separate what worked as opposed to what didn't (or maybe could have been done better). Let's start with the negative. This is the one thing that worried me when I first knew of the reported cast of ASM 2. Multiple villains in movies such as this rarely work. The inherent problem is that each character's motivations aren't clearly defined and origin story seems rushed. Although Webb handles this issue better than most I've seen, the same problem still exists. I wish movie studios would learn this lesson. Super Hero movies are better when you focus on one protagonist vs. one antagonist. The only time multiple combatants don't feel contrived is when there is supposed to be a team concept behind the characters as with the Avengers. Another reason Avengers worked so well is because Joss Whedon didn't have to deal with origin stories. Marvel Studios had already taken care of those in previous movies so he could devote adequate screen time to each character. I think this would work with villain team-ups that aren't naturally reliant on a group setting. Introduce them in one movie and then bring them back in later ones as fully realized characters whose evil shenanigans can be focused on.
Max's/Electro's transformation from lonely hero worshipper to murderous villain seems rushed. It may not be as off-putting as Anakin Skywalker's harsh transformation into Darth Vader, but there wasn't much chance for development of Electro's character to make the transition very meaningful. His rage seems like a tantrum from a petulant child more than truly being angry at Spider-Man. Ol' Max has just about the neediest personality in reality or fiction.
Harry Osborn is a more fully realized character whose motivations are clearer and more understandable as a desperate young man driven to insanity by internal and external factors. Yet, even his transformation deserved a little more than the three minute screen time it received (anyone remember Venom from Spider-Man 3). What makes this transformation memorable is the impact it delivers. Harry maybe should have just been the mastermind behind Electro in this film or should have been the only villain. His villainy could have been more fully developed in either of these scenarios.
There is a small segment featuring the Rhino where Paul Giamatti is chewing up the scenery in a mechanized battle suit. Fortunately, this segment is very brief and exists only to see some great scenes of Spider-Man in action. The suit doesn't work as it's just a big, loud clanky thing. It's a bit of a waste of a classic, if minor, villain.
As for what the film gets right, there's much to be excited about. ASM 2 is first of the five Spider-Man films made where I can say Spidey felt completely like Spidey. On the one side, you have Peter's vaunted sense of responsibility on display which causes as misery to him as any beatdown he may receive from the villain of the week. It's no different here as defying his promise to Gwen's father weighs heavily on him and he denies himself happiness out of his desire to protect those he loves.
This time, however, Spider-Man is back to his old wisecracking self. Attempts at this have been made before, but this time, it's fully realized. Even Webb's first ASM depicted Peter as more of an angry, smart-ass teenager than the funny wise guy he normally is. What Webhead fan wouldn't have a mile-wide smile when he refers to Electro as "Sparkles?" Some of Peter's interactions with his Aunt May (Sally Field) are the funniest in the film. The whole chimney scene is short, but packs an amazing comedic punch.
While I do wish that someone could figure a way to give the audience a more classic Green Goblin look, I will admit that Marc Webb handling the issue as a physical transformation for Harry was far better than the silly bodysuit and mask from Sam Raimi's first Spider-Man film (boy that thing was awful). The transformation was creepy and a full representation of Harry's descent into madness.
Speaking of the Goblin, I would be remiss in not mentioning Dane Dehaan's performance as Harry Osborn. Dehaan plays Harry with charm and smarminess at the same time. You feel for his plight, yet you are always aware of an underlying maliciousness inside of him. It's an intricate mix that Dehaan pulls off quite well. He's a very good young actor who can definitely do justice to angst-ridden characters (see Chronicle if you haven't).
The movie's heart comes from the relationship between Peter and Gwen. A problem with most super hero films is the lack of chemistry between hero and love interest. Think about it for a minute. Have any of the Batman movies had a strong leading lady as the hero's love interest outside of Catwoman who really is an antagonist in those movies? Jane Foster in the Thor movies? Not really. Mary Jane in the Sam Raimi Spider-Man movies? Meh. Pepper Potts from Iron Man? OK, but not spectacular. Any of the Lois Lanes? Margot Kidder maybe. Kate Bosworth not at all. Amy Adams, too early to tell. Garfield and Stone have an easiness and timing with each other that is unparalleled in this movie genre. It probably helps that they are a real-life couple, but, it's a refreshing change to see two actors that do act like they should be together. And, without trying to give too much away, makes the climax all the more gut-wrenching.
The action scenes which is the meat of any super hero movie are absolutely insane. Again, Spider-Man's movements, while always handled very well previously, felt more like Spider-Man with all the inhuman movements a character like this should have. Webb also added a very nice touch in the Times Square scene with Electro where the wallcrawler detected all the potential dangers in his immediate area in a slow-motion sequence. For someone who can move as fast as he can, I'd imagine that's how the world would look much of the time.
While there are some weaknesses to ASM 2, the good far outweighs the mediocre. While not my favorite Spider-Man film overall, it deserves more than a dismissive look. In addition, you're introduced to the first stages of a contained Spider-Man universe that Sony is attempting to create, a la Marvel Studios' Avengers universe. You're going to see some familiar objects when Oscorp opens its "Special Projects" vault. There's also an allusion to something very "Sinister" coming Spidey's way in the future.
ASM 2 was a great way to kick off the Summer. I hope it has a good fate at the box office.
The Dark Lord of the Sith says:
*** 1/4 stars
Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee.
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here.
Saturday, April 5, 2014
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Reviews from the Dark Side presents
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Released 4/4/14
Marvel Studios releases have become spectacles of late, especially since the release of the Avengers in 2012. This week's release of the Captain America sequel is no exception. Marvel has set the bar fairly high in recent years. Speculation is that The Winter Soldier is arguably the studio's best release ever. What? Better than the Avengers? Could it really be that epic for the picky comic connoisseur like myself?
Well, I don't know if I would call it Marvel's best release yet, but, it's pretty epic in its own right, easily in the team photo as one of the best movies of its genre. It's a perfect mix of action, comedy and political intrigue. And, it has the feel of a game changer in the Marvel movie narrative (and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on the television side for that matter).
We find Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) still a stranger in a strange land since he was unthawed from his decades long sleep a couple of years ago. Aside from the occasional clashes with international peacekeeping force, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s director, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), regarding trust, he's still fighting the good fight on Fury's behalf performing highly important and classified missions for him. At least, that's what he thinks until Fury let's him in on something he finds highly disturbing.
S.H.I.E.L.D. has adopted the philosophy of neutralizing threats from the vast stores of data they have on just about every living man, woman, and child on the planet before they become uncontrollable. To do this, three experimental and heavily armed Helicarriers connected by satellite link have been designed to take out anyone who fits this profile, by the thousands, if necessary. As Fury states, "S.H.I.E.L.D. views the world as it is and not how they would like it to be." It's a philosophy the good Captain has a big issue with. But, with Fury's friend and senior S.H.I.E.L.D. director, Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford), in lockstep with him regarding "Project Insight", Rogers is outvoted. And, that's when everything in The Winter Soldier hits the fan in a big way. Fury becomes compromised (or does he?) and events are manipulated to make Captain America an enemy of the state. And, who is this mysterious super terrorist codenamed The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) making The Captain's life difficult? Who is he and who does he work for? Rogers is sure not to like either answer.
What I like most about what Marvel is doing here is the way they are interconnecting their stories in the "Phase 2" stage of their films. And, they're often very subtle interconnections. In The Winter Soldier alone, we're reintroduced to Loki's spear from The Avengers (albeit during the end credits), Iron Man's repulsor lifts on a very large scale through the Helicarriers, and a serum developed by Bruce Banner that slows the heart rate to almost nothing.
As with most movies of this genre, the action and death-defying stunts are amped up to amazing levels. But, this one is done in a more organic way if that makes any sense. It's not like Thor, Spider-Man, or Iron Man where you expect fights and adrenaline-rushing sequences to be on a grand superhuman scale. Directors, Anthony and Joe Russo, have taken care to scale back the CGI on this one. While Captain America does most things that most humans couldn't do, what he's doing still feels decidedly human and anchored somewhat to the real world which fits the character exactly. It's different, but just as exciting to see on-screen.
There are some familiar and new faces in The Winter Soldier. Scarlett Johansson and Cobie Smulders return as The Black Widow and S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Maria Hill, respectively. Two characters are introduced who are very important to the Captain America mythos. Anthony Mackie is brought into the fold as Cap ally, Sam Wilson (The Falcon), an ex-paratrooper highly trained in aerial combat using a specialized flight pack with wings. Emily Van Camp is introduced as S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent, Sharon Carter, a woman who becomes very important in Cap's life in the comic. We'll see if the powers that be follow suit with that in the film adaptations.
Another thing that sets The Winter Soldier apart from many super hero movies is the direction of the storyline itself. It's as much a political thriller as it is a super hero movie with deceptions and intrigue galore. I said earlier that this movie will have far-reaching repercussions within the Marvel movie universe. Seeds from this movie have even been planted in the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. television series. There's something very rotten happening in this group. I won't give much more away, but, a certain counter organization is rearing its ugly little head (or should I say heads) again in the 21st century that's bad news for everyone.
I also don't know why I feel the need to say this, but, I will say it again anyway. Unless it's of absolutely no interest to you, you do not get up and leave the theater from any Marvel movie whether it's from Marvel Studios, Sony, or Fox before the last end credit has rolled. Two segments are provided here during the end credits. The lesser one (in my opinion) is at the very end of the credits that likely has more to do with the next Captain America movie than it does with the Marvel Universe as a whole (depending on where they take the story) involving a character on the verge of remembering some important things. The first post credit scene happens about mid-way through that will have ramifications for next year's Avengers: Age of Ultron movie. You've been told. Leave the theater at your own risk.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier is well worth the wait and hype. It's an excellent piece of movie making by all parties involved and keeps the bar raised high for the genre. This is the golden age for the comic book geek. I've heard some say super hero movies are ruining Hollywood. All in the eye of the beholder I guess. If you have no interest in this type of spectacle, it's not going to be your cup of tea. For someone like me who grew up on comic books, it's Candyland and Disney World rolled into one.
Oh, and P.S. Marvel. Nice touch that Cap has crossed Star Wars off his "To Do" list!
The Dark Lord of the Sith says:
***** stars (been a couple years since I've given this one)
Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee.
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Released 4/4/14
Marvel Studios releases have become spectacles of late, especially since the release of the Avengers in 2012. This week's release of the Captain America sequel is no exception. Marvel has set the bar fairly high in recent years. Speculation is that The Winter Soldier is arguably the studio's best release ever. What? Better than the Avengers? Could it really be that epic for the picky comic connoisseur like myself?
Well, I don't know if I would call it Marvel's best release yet, but, it's pretty epic in its own right, easily in the team photo as one of the best movies of its genre. It's a perfect mix of action, comedy and political intrigue. And, it has the feel of a game changer in the Marvel movie narrative (and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on the television side for that matter).
We find Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) still a stranger in a strange land since he was unthawed from his decades long sleep a couple of years ago. Aside from the occasional clashes with international peacekeeping force, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s director, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), regarding trust, he's still fighting the good fight on Fury's behalf performing highly important and classified missions for him. At least, that's what he thinks until Fury let's him in on something he finds highly disturbing.
S.H.I.E.L.D. has adopted the philosophy of neutralizing threats from the vast stores of data they have on just about every living man, woman, and child on the planet before they become uncontrollable. To do this, three experimental and heavily armed Helicarriers connected by satellite link have been designed to take out anyone who fits this profile, by the thousands, if necessary. As Fury states, "S.H.I.E.L.D. views the world as it is and not how they would like it to be." It's a philosophy the good Captain has a big issue with. But, with Fury's friend and senior S.H.I.E.L.D. director, Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford), in lockstep with him regarding "Project Insight", Rogers is outvoted. And, that's when everything in The Winter Soldier hits the fan in a big way. Fury becomes compromised (or does he?) and events are manipulated to make Captain America an enemy of the state. And, who is this mysterious super terrorist codenamed The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) making The Captain's life difficult? Who is he and who does he work for? Rogers is sure not to like either answer.
What I like most about what Marvel is doing here is the way they are interconnecting their stories in the "Phase 2" stage of their films. And, they're often very subtle interconnections. In The Winter Soldier alone, we're reintroduced to Loki's spear from The Avengers (albeit during the end credits), Iron Man's repulsor lifts on a very large scale through the Helicarriers, and a serum developed by Bruce Banner that slows the heart rate to almost nothing.
As with most movies of this genre, the action and death-defying stunts are amped up to amazing levels. But, this one is done in a more organic way if that makes any sense. It's not like Thor, Spider-Man, or Iron Man where you expect fights and adrenaline-rushing sequences to be on a grand superhuman scale. Directors, Anthony and Joe Russo, have taken care to scale back the CGI on this one. While Captain America does most things that most humans couldn't do, what he's doing still feels decidedly human and anchored somewhat to the real world which fits the character exactly. It's different, but just as exciting to see on-screen.
There are some familiar and new faces in The Winter Soldier. Scarlett Johansson and Cobie Smulders return as The Black Widow and S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Maria Hill, respectively. Two characters are introduced who are very important to the Captain America mythos. Anthony Mackie is brought into the fold as Cap ally, Sam Wilson (The Falcon), an ex-paratrooper highly trained in aerial combat using a specialized flight pack with wings. Emily Van Camp is introduced as S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent, Sharon Carter, a woman who becomes very important in Cap's life in the comic. We'll see if the powers that be follow suit with that in the film adaptations.
Another thing that sets The Winter Soldier apart from many super hero movies is the direction of the storyline itself. It's as much a political thriller as it is a super hero movie with deceptions and intrigue galore. I said earlier that this movie will have far-reaching repercussions within the Marvel movie universe. Seeds from this movie have even been planted in the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. television series. There's something very rotten happening in this group. I won't give much more away, but, a certain counter organization is rearing its ugly little head (or should I say heads) again in the 21st century that's bad news for everyone.
I also don't know why I feel the need to say this, but, I will say it again anyway. Unless it's of absolutely no interest to you, you do not get up and leave the theater from any Marvel movie whether it's from Marvel Studios, Sony, or Fox before the last end credit has rolled. Two segments are provided here during the end credits. The lesser one (in my opinion) is at the very end of the credits that likely has more to do with the next Captain America movie than it does with the Marvel Universe as a whole (depending on where they take the story) involving a character on the verge of remembering some important things. The first post credit scene happens about mid-way through that will have ramifications for next year's Avengers: Age of Ultron movie. You've been told. Leave the theater at your own risk.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier is well worth the wait and hype. It's an excellent piece of movie making by all parties involved and keeps the bar raised high for the genre. This is the golden age for the comic book geek. I've heard some say super hero movies are ruining Hollywood. All in the eye of the beholder I guess. If you have no interest in this type of spectacle, it's not going to be your cup of tea. For someone like me who grew up on comic books, it's Candyland and Disney World rolled into one.
Oh, and P.S. Marvel. Nice touch that Cap has crossed Star Wars off his "To Do" list!
The Dark Lord of the Sith says:
***** stars (been a couple years since I've given this one)
Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee.
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
300: Rise of an Empire
Reviews from the Dark Side presents
300: Rise of an Empire
Released 3/7/14, now in theaters
Zack Snyder returns as the writer and producer of his latest sword and sandals epic, 300: Rise of an Empire, the sequel (of sorts), to Snyder's 2006 film, 300. Turning the directorial reigns over to Noam Murro this time, Snyder tells a fictionalized version of the real life Battle of Salamis. As with the first 300 film, Rise of an Empire is based on another of legendary comic book writer/artist, Frank Miller's, graphic novels.
With 300 being one of my favorite movies of all time, Rise of an Empire had much to live up to. And, it does to a point. You have the typical gore and bloodletting that you would expect. It is still depicted in an awesome way with captivating stop-motion photography that was made so popular by the first film. But, the issue is while the action is still great, it's not original any longer which gives the movie an almost ho-hum feeling at times. Again, don't misunderstand. It's still good stuff, but it's a little "been there, done that", too.
Rise of an Empire is both prequel and sequel to 300. It's also unique as most of it runs concurrently with the first movie as well. It chronicles the Persian God-king, Xerxes', continued march on the Greek city-states. This time, the battle is focused on the Persian Navy's assault on Athens while the Army's ground forces deal with King Leonidas and his Spartan Guard from the first film.
The Persians' animosity towards the Greeks stems from an incident 10 years prior to the events of 300. At this time, Persian King Darius I's charge at Greece was halted by General Themistocles (Sullivan Stapleton) of Athens. Darius paid for the assault with his life thanks to Themistocles, an incident Darius' son, Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), would not forget.
By Xerxes side manipulating him every step of the way is his greatest military commander, Artemesia (Eva Green), a Greek woman taken in by the Persians with a huge ax to grind with Greece. And, it doesn't help that Artemesia is just slightly off her rocker either.
Facing overwhelming odds against Artemesia's immense Navy, Themistocles holds his own for a time through guile and determination. However, he knows it's only a matter of time before his Athenians are crushed by sheer numbers alone, especially if he can't convince Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey) of Sparta to join him. But, the good queen isn't in a helpful mood as she just received word of the fall of her husband, Leonidas, and the 300 to Xerxes' Army.
The true treat of Rise of an Empire is Eva Green as she is by far the most developed and well-rounded character of the film. "Cray cray" doesn't begin to describe her. Watching her made me feel like she was the female equivalent of Darth Vader at times. Failure is not tolerated under her command for any reason.
Director, Murro, does a great job of depicting the differences between the Athenians in Rise and the Spartans of 300. The Athenians aren't warriors by nature. While they're tough, gone are the "8-pack abs" and love of fighting of the battle-hardened Spartans. They're more philosophical and less physically imposing than their counterparts. It was an interesting contrast in appearance and style.
Rise of an Empire is a very nice companion piece to 300 which fleshes out what was happening in the other important city-state while Leonidas and his men made their heroic stand. Eva Green makes it more than just a mere copy of the original with her unhinged performance. It doesn't get high marks on originality, but it's an adrenaline rush all the same.
The Dark Lord of the Sith says:
***3/4 stars
Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee.
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here.
300: Rise of an Empire
Released 3/7/14, now in theaters
Zack Snyder returns as the writer and producer of his latest sword and sandals epic, 300: Rise of an Empire, the sequel (of sorts), to Snyder's 2006 film, 300. Turning the directorial reigns over to Noam Murro this time, Snyder tells a fictionalized version of the real life Battle of Salamis. As with the first 300 film, Rise of an Empire is based on another of legendary comic book writer/artist, Frank Miller's, graphic novels.
With 300 being one of my favorite movies of all time, Rise of an Empire had much to live up to. And, it does to a point. You have the typical gore and bloodletting that you would expect. It is still depicted in an awesome way with captivating stop-motion photography that was made so popular by the first film. But, the issue is while the action is still great, it's not original any longer which gives the movie an almost ho-hum feeling at times. Again, don't misunderstand. It's still good stuff, but it's a little "been there, done that", too.
Rise of an Empire is both prequel and sequel to 300. It's also unique as most of it runs concurrently with the first movie as well. It chronicles the Persian God-king, Xerxes', continued march on the Greek city-states. This time, the battle is focused on the Persian Navy's assault on Athens while the Army's ground forces deal with King Leonidas and his Spartan Guard from the first film.
The Persians' animosity towards the Greeks stems from an incident 10 years prior to the events of 300. At this time, Persian King Darius I's charge at Greece was halted by General Themistocles (Sullivan Stapleton) of Athens. Darius paid for the assault with his life thanks to Themistocles, an incident Darius' son, Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), would not forget.
By Xerxes side manipulating him every step of the way is his greatest military commander, Artemesia (Eva Green), a Greek woman taken in by the Persians with a huge ax to grind with Greece. And, it doesn't help that Artemesia is just slightly off her rocker either.
Facing overwhelming odds against Artemesia's immense Navy, Themistocles holds his own for a time through guile and determination. However, he knows it's only a matter of time before his Athenians are crushed by sheer numbers alone, especially if he can't convince Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey) of Sparta to join him. But, the good queen isn't in a helpful mood as she just received word of the fall of her husband, Leonidas, and the 300 to Xerxes' Army.
The true treat of Rise of an Empire is Eva Green as she is by far the most developed and well-rounded character of the film. "Cray cray" doesn't begin to describe her. Watching her made me feel like she was the female equivalent of Darth Vader at times. Failure is not tolerated under her command for any reason.
Director, Murro, does a great job of depicting the differences between the Athenians in Rise and the Spartans of 300. The Athenians aren't warriors by nature. While they're tough, gone are the "8-pack abs" and love of fighting of the battle-hardened Spartans. They're more philosophical and less physically imposing than their counterparts. It was an interesting contrast in appearance and style.
Rise of an Empire is a very nice companion piece to 300 which fleshes out what was happening in the other important city-state while Leonidas and his men made their heroic stand. Eva Green makes it more than just a mere copy of the original with her unhinged performance. It doesn't get high marks on originality, but it's an adrenaline rush all the same.
The Dark Lord of the Sith says:
***3/4 stars
Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee.
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here.
Monday, February 17, 2014
Robocop
Reviews from the Dark Side presents
Robocop
Released 2/12/14, now in theaters
What is this? Yet another remake of a movie classic? Does Hollywood have no new ideas in the pipeline? Well, we know the answer to that one. But remakes aren't necessarily a bad thing if you can somehow make it better than the original. A very daunting task, I know. At the very least, a remake should make us look at the material a different way and not be a scene-for-scene copy all while keeping enough the original material to be recognizable. Yikes, that was a mouthful! So, without further ado, let's get down to what you really want to know. Does the Robocop remake make you cheer or jeer?
Joel Kinnaman takes over the role of the cyborg supercop from Peter Weller, while Jose Padilha steps into Paul Verhoeven's director's chair. While the remake may have a more morose tone, it is an action-packed thriller that, at times, bests the original.
Robocop starts as two stories that fatefully converge. The year is 2028. The Omnicorp Corporation (OCP), led by opportunistic CEO, Raymond Sellars (Michael Keaton), has cornered the market on robot technology overseas. Heavily armed machines created by Omnicorp now serve as the police force in many nations and have replaced much of the manpower in the U.S. Military. But, the ever-ambitious Sellars is losing out on a potential goldmine. The use of clinical, remorseless machines policing American streets has been vehemently rejected through the Dreyfus Act. Sellars and his marketing team come up with the idea of "selling" their technology to the public by adding a human element.
Enter Dr. Dennett Norton (Gary Oldman), a scientist on the Omnicorp payroll. Norton has made amazing advances in robotic prosthetics. Appealing to the doctor's need to help the gravely injured, Sellars is able to get him on board with the project. Now, all they need is the right subject.
Detroit detective, Alex Murphy (Kinnaman), is one of the only honest cops in his corrupt precinct. While working undercover to catch a notorious drug dealer, he hits the tip of the iceberg as to how deeply the corruption in his precinct extends. Getting far too close to the truth, his partner is badly injured when their cover is deliberately blown. Knowing Murphy would not give up on the case now, his car is rigged to explode, critically wounding Murphy. And voila, Omnicorp now has its potential human guinea pig. After Sellars convinces Murphy's wife to sign the release that is.
Thus, for the first time in history, man is merged with machine. Murphy is reborn in a nearly unstoppable robot body. Omnicorp's marketing machine has worked overtime selling Murphy's story as a human interest piece to further the company's agenda. Murphy's transformation can't fail without dire political and financial consequences for OCP. So, despite Norton's objections, Murphy's human personality is suppressed to allow the machine full reign over his actions. But, OCP's best efforts are thwarted every time as the human never remains buried by the machine for very long, making a Murphy a threat to the conglomerate's gargantuan ambitions.
Visually, this film is stunning. The Robocop armor is sleek and more aerodynamic here. With all due respect to the original movie which was great, that armor looked like a tank that wasn't conducive to quick movement. I believed Kinnaman's cyborg when the situation called for fast action. The director also made a nice decision with the cyborg's visor. Instead of being permanently attached to Murphy's head, the visor was turned into more of tactical weapon as it automatically appeared when Robocop was in battle mode and retracted when he wasn't. These were nice contrast moments between man and machine. I also liked the decision to make the armor "more tactical" as Sellars would say in the movie by making it black. It felt more like a covert ops suit than a robotic exoskeleton this way. I wish this look would have stayed in favor of the more classic look (yes, I just gave that away).
When the audience is introduced to what's left of Murphy after the explosion, it's sad and disturbing. It reminded me of a line from the Metallica song, One. "I'm waking up I cannot not see that there's not much left of me." Unfortunately, Murphy is able to see. That would have messed with my head permanently.
And, yet another good decision amongst many good decisions in the film was a concerted effort to keep Murphy as human as possible. When he's not controlled by the machine, Murphy speaks in his human voice. Weller's Robocop always felt very robotic. Again, I'm not complaining about the original, but I like the small subtleties that Padilha has added.
Hopefully, this will be a springboard for Joel Kinnaman as he does a more than credible job here. I became familiar with him in the TV series, The Killing. It wasn't long before I found him the only thing watchable on the show.
There are other subtle little cookies Padilha adds like small segments of the original Robocop theme. He also adds a bit of symbolism in Raymond Sellars because that's exactly what Keaton does through the whole movie. He tries to sell the Senate. He tries to sell the American public. He sells to Norton and the Murphys. Every last group is led to believe that what he's doing is a good idea until they often realize (too late) that it's all a bill of goods and there were never any good intentions involved.
And, the social satire Verhoeven included in the original can all be embodied by Samuel L. Jackson's character, Pat Novak, a television host who is pretty much in favor of militarism and corporate greed. He's essentially a mouthpiece for Sellars. One thing I would like to thank Padilha for is giving the audience a classic Samuel L. Jackson moment at the end of Robocop. Oh, you all know what I mean by that!
It appears that Hollywood has found the formula for churning out remakes that are at least as good as their predecessors. In the last three years, we've had Dredd in 2012 which was far superior to the original train wreck. Then there was Carrie in 2013 which I thought improved on some aspects of the original (although the ending of the original can never be topped). Now, there's Robocop. Padilha has done a masterful job of putting his own spin on the character while keeping it decidedly recognizable in more than name only. This is Robocop for a new generation.
Now, I'd buy that for a dollar!
The Dark Lord of the Sith says:
****1/4 stars
Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee.
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here.
Robocop
Released 2/12/14, now in theaters
What is this? Yet another remake of a movie classic? Does Hollywood have no new ideas in the pipeline? Well, we know the answer to that one. But remakes aren't necessarily a bad thing if you can somehow make it better than the original. A very daunting task, I know. At the very least, a remake should make us look at the material a different way and not be a scene-for-scene copy all while keeping enough the original material to be recognizable. Yikes, that was a mouthful! So, without further ado, let's get down to what you really want to know. Does the Robocop remake make you cheer or jeer?
Joel Kinnaman takes over the role of the cyborg supercop from Peter Weller, while Jose Padilha steps into Paul Verhoeven's director's chair. While the remake may have a more morose tone, it is an action-packed thriller that, at times, bests the original.
Robocop starts as two stories that fatefully converge. The year is 2028. The Omnicorp Corporation (OCP), led by opportunistic CEO, Raymond Sellars (Michael Keaton), has cornered the market on robot technology overseas. Heavily armed machines created by Omnicorp now serve as the police force in many nations and have replaced much of the manpower in the U.S. Military. But, the ever-ambitious Sellars is losing out on a potential goldmine. The use of clinical, remorseless machines policing American streets has been vehemently rejected through the Dreyfus Act. Sellars and his marketing team come up with the idea of "selling" their technology to the public by adding a human element.
Enter Dr. Dennett Norton (Gary Oldman), a scientist on the Omnicorp payroll. Norton has made amazing advances in robotic prosthetics. Appealing to the doctor's need to help the gravely injured, Sellars is able to get him on board with the project. Now, all they need is the right subject.
Detroit detective, Alex Murphy (Kinnaman), is one of the only honest cops in his corrupt precinct. While working undercover to catch a notorious drug dealer, he hits the tip of the iceberg as to how deeply the corruption in his precinct extends. Getting far too close to the truth, his partner is badly injured when their cover is deliberately blown. Knowing Murphy would not give up on the case now, his car is rigged to explode, critically wounding Murphy. And voila, Omnicorp now has its potential human guinea pig. After Sellars convinces Murphy's wife to sign the release that is.
Thus, for the first time in history, man is merged with machine. Murphy is reborn in a nearly unstoppable robot body. Omnicorp's marketing machine has worked overtime selling Murphy's story as a human interest piece to further the company's agenda. Murphy's transformation can't fail without dire political and financial consequences for OCP. So, despite Norton's objections, Murphy's human personality is suppressed to allow the machine full reign over his actions. But, OCP's best efforts are thwarted every time as the human never remains buried by the machine for very long, making a Murphy a threat to the conglomerate's gargantuan ambitions.
Visually, this film is stunning. The Robocop armor is sleek and more aerodynamic here. With all due respect to the original movie which was great, that armor looked like a tank that wasn't conducive to quick movement. I believed Kinnaman's cyborg when the situation called for fast action. The director also made a nice decision with the cyborg's visor. Instead of being permanently attached to Murphy's head, the visor was turned into more of tactical weapon as it automatically appeared when Robocop was in battle mode and retracted when he wasn't. These were nice contrast moments between man and machine. I also liked the decision to make the armor "more tactical" as Sellars would say in the movie by making it black. It felt more like a covert ops suit than a robotic exoskeleton this way. I wish this look would have stayed in favor of the more classic look (yes, I just gave that away).
When the audience is introduced to what's left of Murphy after the explosion, it's sad and disturbing. It reminded me of a line from the Metallica song, One. "I'm waking up I cannot not see that there's not much left of me." Unfortunately, Murphy is able to see. That would have messed with my head permanently.
And, yet another good decision amongst many good decisions in the film was a concerted effort to keep Murphy as human as possible. When he's not controlled by the machine, Murphy speaks in his human voice. Weller's Robocop always felt very robotic. Again, I'm not complaining about the original, but I like the small subtleties that Padilha has added.
Hopefully, this will be a springboard for Joel Kinnaman as he does a more than credible job here. I became familiar with him in the TV series, The Killing. It wasn't long before I found him the only thing watchable on the show.
There are other subtle little cookies Padilha adds like small segments of the original Robocop theme. He also adds a bit of symbolism in Raymond Sellars because that's exactly what Keaton does through the whole movie. He tries to sell the Senate. He tries to sell the American public. He sells to Norton and the Murphys. Every last group is led to believe that what he's doing is a good idea until they often realize (too late) that it's all a bill of goods and there were never any good intentions involved.
And, the social satire Verhoeven included in the original can all be embodied by Samuel L. Jackson's character, Pat Novak, a television host who is pretty much in favor of militarism and corporate greed. He's essentially a mouthpiece for Sellars. One thing I would like to thank Padilha for is giving the audience a classic Samuel L. Jackson moment at the end of Robocop. Oh, you all know what I mean by that!
It appears that Hollywood has found the formula for churning out remakes that are at least as good as their predecessors. In the last three years, we've had Dredd in 2012 which was far superior to the original train wreck. Then there was Carrie in 2013 which I thought improved on some aspects of the original (although the ending of the original can never be topped). Now, there's Robocop. Padilha has done a masterful job of putting his own spin on the character while keeping it decidedly recognizable in more than name only. This is Robocop for a new generation.
Now, I'd buy that for a dollar!
The Dark Lord of the Sith says:
****1/4 stars
Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee.
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here.
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