Oh boy. Now that G20 is over, all the protesters have gone home, and I no longer am needed to secure the precious buildings of the downtown core, I can finally turn my full attention to letting you know about this movie. I saw this one last Sunday, and it's taken me this long to formulate coherent thoughts about this flick. And while i'll try my best to avoid revealing everything about it, this is one of those movies that make it really difficult to talk about without spoiling some of it. So if you're planning on seeing it all, go see it first, then come back and we'll talk. You've been warned - SPOILERS ABOUND.
This movie begins with a breakthrough in genetic technology, with scientists Elsa Kast (Sarah Polley) and Clive Nicoli succeeding in creating a purely fabricated genetic entity, made from the genes of various different animals. Unsatisfied with the direction that the company is asking them to take with the creature, Elsa and Clive decide instead to add human DNA to the genetic mixing bowl. They try hundreds of different combinations on the computer until they final arrive upon the perfect mixture of genes. Clive is satisfied knowing that it is in fact possible, but Elsa is obsessed with taking the forumla to the next level, and while Clive has his back turned, Elsa rushes to the splicer and puts in a few drops of her blood. Unsurprisingly, Clive is none too pleased with this turn of events, but they decide to let the splicing process continue and see where it goes.
In the next few days, the fetus of the spliced creature grows at an exponential rate, and within a matter of days is too large for the synthetic womb that Elsa and Clive have created and they must decide to let it die, or birth it. For whatever reason, they decide to let it live, and soon there is a bipedal, reverse kneed creature pattering about the laboratory. In the coming days, the creature shows an aptitude for pattern recognition and a humanlike cognizance. To this end, Elsa begins dressing the creature in human's clothes, and giving her a name, "Dren", which is NERD backwards (NERD being the science laboratory Elsa and Clive work for, I know, Dren is a stupid fucking name.) At first, Dren is hostile towards Clive and affectionate towards Elsa, as Clive keeps trying to kill Dren. As the days go by, however, and Dren becomes more and more like a child rather than an experiment, Elsa becomes a domineering mother character, and Clive the calm and relaxed father lending his support to the troubled creature-child. At this point, the tables turn and Dren begins to favour Clive more than Elsa.
THIS IS WHERE SHIT GETS FUCKY. I AM ABOUT TO SPOIL THE ENDING AND SOME IMPORTANT PARTS OF THE MOVIE, SO IF YOU ARE STILL READING AND HAVE ANY INTENTION OF SEEING THE MOVIE, LEAVE NOW, SEE THE MOVIE, THEN COME BACK AND WE CAN DISCUSS THIS PIECE OF FILM.
One night, Dren witnesses Elsa and Clive making love. This is when Dren is still child like in appearance. When Dren has grown into her adult form (a matter of weeks, remember), this is taken into account. When Dren is upset by Elsa about not being allowed to keep her cat, she goes to Clive for comfort. In his arms, she begins to kiss him, as she saw that one night between him and Elsa. Clive rejects her first advances, but his resolve crumbles in a matter of seconds, and then CLIVE STRAIGHT UP FUCKS THE GENETICALLY SPLICED CREATURE. Elsa catches them, and obviously is mortified. The next few days are filled with domestic troubles (if your husband fucks a creature you created out of animals, there's definitely something to talk about) until they learn that their superiors have found out about their human/animal genetic experiment. They travel to the farm where they've been keeping Dren, only to find that through some genetic mutation, Dren has become a male, and is extremely hostile. Dren knocks out Clive and then advances on Elsa, pins her down, AND THEN RAPES HER. Clives tries to stop him, but is killed, and then Elsa manages to bash Dren's brains out with a giant rock. At the end of the movie, we see that Elsa is pregnant with a splice baby. Jesus Christ.
So, that was a bit of a heavy read i'm sure, but necessary if you want to discuss this movie with any coherence. And obviously, the main thing anyone will remember from this movie is Adrien Brody fucking a genetic experiment, and Sarah Polley being raped by the same. People will call this disgusting, people will call this a waste of time. Most people aren't interested in this sort of business. But if you're willing to look past the layer of shock, you'll see that what this is, is very smart. Because everyone who sees this movie is going to be thinking about this movie for a very long time. At first, just about the sex scenes, but eventually the thinking will progress to the question of what exactly is human, and what is your moral obligation to a thing that you've created.
In terms of the movie itself, it's one of those ones where nothing happens, nothing happens, nothing happens, then suddenly EVERYTHING happens. Very un-typically hollywood, which I enjoy. The acting could have been a bit sharper, but then I guess no one can really say how they'd act in a situation like this.
At the end of the day, I would say that this movie is not for the casual film viewer. If you *LOVED* Sex and the City, Transformers, A-Team, or any other recent hollywood blockbuster, and thought that they were the best movie in the whole world, you should probably take off right now. Honestly, your mind won't be able to handle this movie. If you're serious about movies, and aren't too squeamish, definitely check this one out because you'll be thinking about it and talking about it for a long time.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
The A-Team
Greetings, ladies and gentlemen. Sorry, it's been a while since i've written anything, but i've been busy securing the G20 from protesters. Any, without further ado, The A-Team!
The first thing I will say is that I can't give you a comparison to the A-Team television show, as i've never seen it. It was way before my time, give me a break. So if you're looking to see if it was as good as the original show, unfortunately I can't help you out. And I guess should mention for those people who are abysmally unaware of pop culture, that this movie is indeed based on an old television show.
Liam Neeson plays Colonel John Hannibal Smith, known simply as Hannibal. In the first scene, we see him rushing to save Templeton "Faceman" Peck, a.k.a Face. In the process, he pulls over B.A. Baracus and finds out that he, like Hannibal and Face, is an Army Ranger, and together they go to save Face. Later, in the military hospital they meet Murdock, a quirky pilot that borders on insane. Together, they escape the hospital and outmaneuver and destroy to enemy fighter jets - the first mission of the A-Team.
Flash forward to 8 years later, and the A-Team has become the most notorious clandestine unit of the Army Rangers, and are legendary for their outrageous and outside the box plans of action. While stationed in Iraq, they learn that the mercenary company BlackForset (an obvious reference to BlackWater) has been granted a mission that Hannibal believes should be his team's responsibility. The mission is to re-acquire U.S. mint printing press plates from the Iraqis. Hannibal is able to talk the General into giving them the mission, and they are on their way. However, BlackForest storms in during the mission, and steals the plates for themselves. The A-Team are assumed to be working with BlackForest, and are considered rogue. They are all sent to different maximum security facilities after trial. Disgraced and furious Hannibal embarks on a mission to free his team, restore their honour, reinstate their ranks, and re-acquire the plates.
This movie is the second of two movies this summer that revolves around a group of disgraced ex soldiers fighting the system (the other being The Losers), and this one had the misfortune to be released second. Regardless, even were it not the second string, this movie would not stand on it's own two legs as a box office hit. While definitely an entertaining film, it also definitely lacks substance. The plot is not particularily original (Rush Hour 2 - Lee and Carter have to get US mint printing press plates back from the red dragon casino) as well as slightly predictable. The writing was decent, with some witty banter, but I think that it some deliveries of lines could be better if they had decided to stay away from casting MMA fighters.
Liam Neeson, as always, throws down a solid performance as the leader of this team. He's the brain behind the entire operation and never goes on a mission without a plan. Bradley Cooper seems like a surprise to me in this movie, as i've seen him only in romantic comedies in the past few years. He holds his own decently well, but I think that the writing for his character leaves a little to be desired. Newcomer Rampage Jackson really shows...well, why he's a newcomer. He's not a terrible actor, but he's not winning any oscars anytime soon. The surprise gold in this movie is Sharlto Copley (who you might recognize as the main dude from District 9.) For those of you who don't recognize him, you'd hardly peg him for a South African, more just a very talented actor who has a very good South African accent. You'd be partly right except that it is his American accent that is very good.
All in all, this movie seems very much like a trailer movie - one of those ones that pretty much puts its prize ponies on display for you before you find out it's lame. If you don't know what you want to watch, or are a fan of A-Team the tv show, i'd say check it out but otherwise check it out by other means.
The first thing I will say is that I can't give you a comparison to the A-Team television show, as i've never seen it. It was way before my time, give me a break. So if you're looking to see if it was as good as the original show, unfortunately I can't help you out. And I guess should mention for those people who are abysmally unaware of pop culture, that this movie is indeed based on an old television show.
Liam Neeson plays Colonel John Hannibal Smith, known simply as Hannibal. In the first scene, we see him rushing to save Templeton "Faceman" Peck, a.k.a Face. In the process, he pulls over B.A. Baracus and finds out that he, like Hannibal and Face, is an Army Ranger, and together they go to save Face. Later, in the military hospital they meet Murdock, a quirky pilot that borders on insane. Together, they escape the hospital and outmaneuver and destroy to enemy fighter jets - the first mission of the A-Team.
Flash forward to 8 years later, and the A-Team has become the most notorious clandestine unit of the Army Rangers, and are legendary for their outrageous and outside the box plans of action. While stationed in Iraq, they learn that the mercenary company BlackForset (an obvious reference to BlackWater) has been granted a mission that Hannibal believes should be his team's responsibility. The mission is to re-acquire U.S. mint printing press plates from the Iraqis. Hannibal is able to talk the General into giving them the mission, and they are on their way. However, BlackForest storms in during the mission, and steals the plates for themselves. The A-Team are assumed to be working with BlackForest, and are considered rogue. They are all sent to different maximum security facilities after trial. Disgraced and furious Hannibal embarks on a mission to free his team, restore their honour, reinstate their ranks, and re-acquire the plates.
This movie is the second of two movies this summer that revolves around a group of disgraced ex soldiers fighting the system (the other being The Losers), and this one had the misfortune to be released second. Regardless, even were it not the second string, this movie would not stand on it's own two legs as a box office hit. While definitely an entertaining film, it also definitely lacks substance. The plot is not particularily original (Rush Hour 2 - Lee and Carter have to get US mint printing press plates back from the red dragon casino) as well as slightly predictable. The writing was decent, with some witty banter, but I think that it some deliveries of lines could be better if they had decided to stay away from casting MMA fighters.
Liam Neeson, as always, throws down a solid performance as the leader of this team. He's the brain behind the entire operation and never goes on a mission without a plan. Bradley Cooper seems like a surprise to me in this movie, as i've seen him only in romantic comedies in the past few years. He holds his own decently well, but I think that the writing for his character leaves a little to be desired. Newcomer Rampage Jackson really shows...well, why he's a newcomer. He's not a terrible actor, but he's not winning any oscars anytime soon. The surprise gold in this movie is Sharlto Copley (who you might recognize as the main dude from District 9.) For those of you who don't recognize him, you'd hardly peg him for a South African, more just a very talented actor who has a very good South African accent. You'd be partly right except that it is his American accent that is very good.
All in all, this movie seems very much like a trailer movie - one of those ones that pretty much puts its prize ponies on display for you before you find out it's lame. If you don't know what you want to watch, or are a fan of A-Team the tv show, i'd say check it out but otherwise check it out by other means.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
The Karate Kid Review
Originally posted Thursday June 17, 2010:
The Karate Kid Review
This was probably one of my most anticipated movies of the summer, and to me it did not disappoint. Before I saw this movie I would classify myself as biased in favour of it, simply because it appeared to be a next Jackie Chan movie. However, upon actually viewing the film, I have to say that it holds up on its own, and it is decidedly not a Jackie Chan movie - more so a movie with Jackie Chan in it.
In this movie, Jaden Smith plays Dre Parker, a kid moving from Detroit, Michigan to Beijing, China. He quickly finds himself alienated in his new surroundings, where everything is different and few people speak his language. Fortunately for him, several of his schoolmates are more prolific in the english languages than his new neighbours - most notably a girl named Mei Ying. It's too bad for Dre that Mei Ying's admirer and close family friend is the school bully, Cheng. Cheng also happens to be the prized pupil of the Fighting Dragons kung fu school, a local club that teaches its students "No Weakness, No Pain, No Mercy" as it's motto. Dre spends the next few weeks trying to avoid Cheng and his cronies after an altercation that left him flat on his ass. He succeeds for a while until he sees an opportunity too golden to miss - flinging a bucket of sewage water onto Cheng and co. Dre then flees for his life, but is seemingly caught in a dead end. It looks like no way out for Dre, until Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), the maintenance man for Dre's building, steps in and shows Cheng a little bit about Kung Fu. Soon thereafter, Dre makes a deal with the Sifu of the Fighting Dragons that his pupils must leave Dre alone if he agrees to participate in the open Kung Fu tournament. They accept, and the rest of the movie is dedicated to Dre's training and participation in the tournament.
I have to say that I loved this movie for several reasons. For one, it takes the action out of typical Hollywood or New York, to an entirely new locale that is rarely if ever visited by Hollywood movies. The scenery and architecture of Beijing is so completely different from anything in America that you have to stop and take a second to fully admire the surroundings that you find yourself in. With its use of sweeping cinematography, this movie shows you what an ancient and beautiful place China really is. I don't know why it took Hollywood to make me realize that my homeland kicks quite a lot of ass - figuratively and literally.
Speaking of kicking ass, another reason I love this movie is Jackie Chan's role in this film. As I said before, this is no JC movie although Jackie is the lead bill. Gone are the hallmarks of JC films - rapid fire kung fu mixed with slapstick comedy and the use of unconventional items as weapons. Instead, Jackie takes a backseat in the action aspect of this movie and indeed, only fights once in the entire 2 hour and 20 minute duration of the film. Jackie focuses more on his acting in this film, and his portrayal of a haunted, lonely man with a bright past and a bleak present really tugs at your heartstrings. I think this is a very appropriate step for the man, because as we can see from his past few films (Rush Hour 3, The Spy Next Door) Jackie is getting a bit old for the stunt game. That's not to say that he's lost his touch - from the few minutes he's in action, he shows us that he still knows a thing or two about Kung Fu.
Another reason to love this movie is the karate kid himself, Jaden Smith. There are moments in this movie in which Smith positively channels his father. However, that's not to say that Jaden Smith is a carbon copy of Will Smith. Jaden brings a lot to the screen, but most importantly brings his game. If you ever thought you knew about karate kids, forget what you know because Jaden Smith absolutely crushes Hilary Swank or Ralph Macchio. This kid can do full splits, and i'm certain will be kicking ass in any future films he does.
Another surprise in this movie is Wang Zhenwei, who plays Cheng, the bully. We don't expect children to display maliciousness or brutality, but Cheng dishes these out in spades. Despite having few lines and not the greatest of english, you can really see that Cheng is filled with loathing for Dre Parker, and wants nothing more to crush his skull. Furthermore, Zhenwei's kung fu skill is such that i'm certain he will have a career in hollywood - particularly if he sticks with JC. I hope they got each other's information.
This is a coming of age story that surpasses the rest that have come out in the last few years. You know those inspirational sports or dance movies (Never Back Down, Step Up, Coach Carter) that try to send a positive message about not giving up and winning when the odds are down. I've never felt that any of these movies are really genuine, because the stakes in them are always so material, like winning a dance competition and the chance to be in a music video. The Karate Kid is a much more genuine film, with a real purpose for its characters to push as hard as they can - as Dre tells Mr. Han, he is fighting so that he won't be afraid any more. And that too me, is a real message. None of this hokey "I'm dancing so I can be a a-list celebrity" bullshit. This story could be about a real kid going through real problems, and that is the reason I enjoy it so much.
I suppose I should touch on the fact that this movie is a so-called "remake". However, in my opinion, this is a remake as much as a tomato is a fruit. Besides sharing the same name as it's 1984 predecessor, the similarities between these two films are so non-existent that they're almost negligible. I would say in fact that the 2010 Karate Kid is a much better film, and has the power to stand alone even without it's namesake. If you love martial arts, Jackie Chan, China, or are even just looking for a change of pace from these formulaic hollywood pictures, go see this film for sure.
In this movie, Jaden Smith plays Dre Parker, a kid moving from Detroit, Michigan to Beijing, China. He quickly finds himself alienated in his new surroundings, where everything is different and few people speak his language. Fortunately for him, several of his schoolmates are more prolific in the english languages than his new neighbours - most notably a girl named Mei Ying. It's too bad for Dre that Mei Ying's admirer and close family friend is the school bully, Cheng. Cheng also happens to be the prized pupil of the Fighting Dragons kung fu school, a local club that teaches its students "No Weakness, No Pain, No Mercy" as it's motto. Dre spends the next few weeks trying to avoid Cheng and his cronies after an altercation that left him flat on his ass. He succeeds for a while until he sees an opportunity too golden to miss - flinging a bucket of sewage water onto Cheng and co. Dre then flees for his life, but is seemingly caught in a dead end. It looks like no way out for Dre, until Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), the maintenance man for Dre's building, steps in and shows Cheng a little bit about Kung Fu. Soon thereafter, Dre makes a deal with the Sifu of the Fighting Dragons that his pupils must leave Dre alone if he agrees to participate in the open Kung Fu tournament. They accept, and the rest of the movie is dedicated to Dre's training and participation in the tournament.
I have to say that I loved this movie for several reasons. For one, it takes the action out of typical Hollywood or New York, to an entirely new locale that is rarely if ever visited by Hollywood movies. The scenery and architecture of Beijing is so completely different from anything in America that you have to stop and take a second to fully admire the surroundings that you find yourself in. With its use of sweeping cinematography, this movie shows you what an ancient and beautiful place China really is. I don't know why it took Hollywood to make me realize that my homeland kicks quite a lot of ass - figuratively and literally.
Speaking of kicking ass, another reason I love this movie is Jackie Chan's role in this film. As I said before, this is no JC movie although Jackie is the lead bill. Gone are the hallmarks of JC films - rapid fire kung fu mixed with slapstick comedy and the use of unconventional items as weapons. Instead, Jackie takes a backseat in the action aspect of this movie and indeed, only fights once in the entire 2 hour and 20 minute duration of the film. Jackie focuses more on his acting in this film, and his portrayal of a haunted, lonely man with a bright past and a bleak present really tugs at your heartstrings. I think this is a very appropriate step for the man, because as we can see from his past few films (Rush Hour 3, The Spy Next Door) Jackie is getting a bit old for the stunt game. That's not to say that he's lost his touch - from the few minutes he's in action, he shows us that he still knows a thing or two about Kung Fu.
Another reason to love this movie is the karate kid himself, Jaden Smith. There are moments in this movie in which Smith positively channels his father. However, that's not to say that Jaden Smith is a carbon copy of Will Smith. Jaden brings a lot to the screen, but most importantly brings his game. If you ever thought you knew about karate kids, forget what you know because Jaden Smith absolutely crushes Hilary Swank or Ralph Macchio. This kid can do full splits, and i'm certain will be kicking ass in any future films he does.
Another surprise in this movie is Wang Zhenwei, who plays Cheng, the bully. We don't expect children to display maliciousness or brutality, but Cheng dishes these out in spades. Despite having few lines and not the greatest of english, you can really see that Cheng is filled with loathing for Dre Parker, and wants nothing more to crush his skull. Furthermore, Zhenwei's kung fu skill is such that i'm certain he will have a career in hollywood - particularly if he sticks with JC. I hope they got each other's information.
This is a coming of age story that surpasses the rest that have come out in the last few years. You know those inspirational sports or dance movies (Never Back Down, Step Up, Coach Carter) that try to send a positive message about not giving up and winning when the odds are down. I've never felt that any of these movies are really genuine, because the stakes in them are always so material, like winning a dance competition and the chance to be in a music video. The Karate Kid is a much more genuine film, with a real purpose for its characters to push as hard as they can - as Dre tells Mr. Han, he is fighting so that he won't be afraid any more. And that too me, is a real message. None of this hokey "I'm dancing so I can be a a-list celebrity" bullshit. This story could be about a real kid going through real problems, and that is the reason I enjoy it so much.
I suppose I should touch on the fact that this movie is a so-called "remake". However, in my opinion, this is a remake as much as a tomato is a fruit. Besides sharing the same name as it's 1984 predecessor, the similarities between these two films are so non-existent that they're almost negligible. I would say in fact that the 2010 Karate Kid is a much better film, and has the power to stand alone even without it's namesake. If you love martial arts, Jackie Chan, China, or are even just looking for a change of pace from these formulaic hollywood pictures, go see this film for sure.
Get him to the Greek Review
Originally posted Monday June 14, 2010:
Get him to the Greek Review
Russell Brand reprises his role as Aldous Snow from Forgetting Sarah Marshall, a (now) has-been rockstar who's career takes a plummet after releasing his new single, African Child. P. Diddy plays Sergio Roma, a record label CEO who's looking to re-energize the music industry, and Jonah Hill plays Aaron Green an employee who works for Sergio. Aaron's suggestion to Sergio is a ten-year anniversary show of Aldous Snow's multi-platinum record, the one released prior to African child. Aaron then embarks on a mission to get Aldous Snow from London to L.A's Greek theatre in 72 hours. Aldous, however, has other ideas in mind, which include drinking, heroin, sex, "Jeffreys" and reconciling himself with his on-again off-again girlfriend/one true love. Heedless to say, it is one wild ride.
This is not a visual masterpiece by any means, and indeed, i'm sure not a single person in the world really expects a movie of this calibre to be that. What it is, though, is a well written, hilarious look at the life of a rock star. Besides being extremely funny, it is also a rather touching story about a man who has lost his way in life, and another man who discovers that meeting your idol is not exactly what it's cut out to be.
Russell Brand pulls his weight quite well in this movie, being a part of the one-two punch combo that is Aaron Green and Aldous Snow. His humour can only be described as "British": lots of understatement and sarcasm, combined with the flamboyance which is purely trademark Brand.
Jonah Hill is also quite funny in this film although it's unfortunate that he is typecast as the same character that he usually portrays: the slightly awkward fish-out-of-water guy who's hilarious in a sort of maladroit way.
The surprise hit of this film though has to be Sean "P. Diddy" Combs. For a man who's only significant connection to film is the Godzilla soundtrack, P. Diddy unleashes a constant torrent of wit and angry (and hilarious) jibes at Jonah Hill's character, constantly reiterating that Aaron must do whatever it takes to get Aldous to the Greek theatre, and releasing nuggets of comic gold - ("Do you know how many air jordans six black kids wear?!?!").
Overall, Get Him to the Greek is a poignantly funny look at the music industry and the effect that producers and ceo's of companies are having on truly musically talented individuals. If you're feeling like having a good laugh, or are simply a fan of Russell Brand, Jonah Hill, and yes, even P. Diddy, definitely check out this film.
Now you've gone and done it.
I finally gave in. Mostly it was the limit of people I could tag in a facebook note. Partly it was people convincing me they'd follow my blog. So I guess for better or worse, this is the start of my film review blog. First off i'd like to express that obviously, everything written in the confines of this box is my opinion only, I don't represent any production, t.v., or media company in any way whatsoever (although if there are any media types who happen across this page, feel free to change that as soon as you wish.) Secondly, everything written in the confines of this box is my opinion only. I cannot tell you what you will like. I don't KNOW what you like. All I can tell you is what I like or dislike - you'll have to make the call to see or not see something based on what you read here. So without further ado, let's talk film.
Originally posted May 31, 2010:
Prince of Persia Review
Despite having a big name cast, despite having the backing of Disney, this movie falls short in almost every aspect. It very much feels as though Jerry Bruckheimer has given up the ingenuity of prior films (Top Gun, The Rock, Con Air) for a formulaic, predictable film, reminiscent of Pirates of the Caribbean (an excellent film).
Not once in the two hour span of the movie was I surprised by any of the plot developments or antics portrayed in the film. Much of the acting seemed very forced - particularily the scenes between Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Tamina (Gemma Arteron). They play the prince of Persia and the Princess of Alamut respectively, and their characters rather predictably fall in love. There is so much cliche banter between the two that it makes my head spin. Alfred Molina plays the Sheikh Amar, a rebel of sorts who runs an unauthorized gambling empire. While Molina serves as comic relief, his character seems a pale imitation of another Bruckheimer character, a sort of kooky, out of sorts man (Captain Jack Sparrow, anyone?) Ben Kingsley pretty much plays Ben Kingsley. I think he's stopped trying to act.
Cinematographically (though that might not be a real word), I can't complain. Excellent visual shots, sweeping landscapes, and a good use of crane camera. This is probably the only redeeming quality of the entire movie.
However, for aa movie based on a video game, the action was definitely sub-par. The fights were edited in the typical 21st century style - millisecond cuts of people doing...something. You can't really see it, but you're meant to understand that some epic fighting is happening, which in my opinion is a cover up for the complete lack of any choreography. Another big factor of the games is the parkour/free running that the Prince does. This is touched upon in the movie, but very repetitive. I can only see someone run across logs conveniently jutting out of the side of a building so many times before i'm thoroughly unimpressed. If you want to see a movie where the parkour makes your jaw drop, i would recommend District B-13, or Banlieue 13 to you francophones.
Altogether, I feel as though this movie could have been so much more, but instead, like many movies, it was subdued by hollywood producers looking to see how they can milk it for all it's worth (i.e. making it a kids movie). Download or rent this one.
Not once in the two hour span of the movie was I surprised by any of the plot developments or antics portrayed in the film. Much of the acting seemed very forced - particularily the scenes between Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Tamina (Gemma Arteron). They play the prince of Persia and the Princess of Alamut respectively, and their characters rather predictably fall in love. There is so much cliche banter between the two that it makes my head spin. Alfred Molina plays the Sheikh Amar, a rebel of sorts who runs an unauthorized gambling empire. While Molina serves as comic relief, his character seems a pale imitation of another Bruckheimer character, a sort of kooky, out of sorts man (Captain Jack Sparrow, anyone?) Ben Kingsley pretty much plays Ben Kingsley. I think he's stopped trying to act.
Cinematographically (though that might not be a real word), I can't complain. Excellent visual shots, sweeping landscapes, and a good use of crane camera. This is probably the only redeeming quality of the entire movie.
However, for aa movie based on a video game, the action was definitely sub-par. The fights were edited in the typical 21st century style - millisecond cuts of people doing...something. You can't really see it, but you're meant to understand that some epic fighting is happening, which in my opinion is a cover up for the complete lack of any choreography. Another big factor of the games is the parkour/free running that the Prince does. This is touched upon in the movie, but very repetitive. I can only see someone run across logs conveniently jutting out of the side of a building so many times before i'm thoroughly unimpressed. If you want to see a movie where the parkour makes your jaw drop, i would recommend District B-13, or Banlieue 13 to you francophones.
Altogether, I feel as though this movie could have been so much more, but instead, like many movies, it was subdued by hollywood producers looking to see how they can milk it for all it's worth (i.e. making it a kids movie). Download or rent this one.
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