Cowboys and Aliens. Two things that generally don't go together. But, they are both very good things, so I suppose it's fair enough that someone one day would think it would be a good idea to put the two of them together, in a movie. Now the day has finally come when someone DID put them together. The result is one silly as hell movie.
The movie starts off with Jake Lonergan (played by Daniel Craig) in an empty desert with no memory of who he is and a strange device strapped to his wrist. After failing to get the device off his wrist, he travels to a nearby town looking for clues of his past. In town, he runs afoul of Percy Dolarhyde (played by Paul Dano - Eli Sunday from There Will be Blood), the son of wealthy cattle merchant Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford), known for being a ruthless business man and even more ferocious warrior. After causing a minor incident, the pair are locked up in jail for the night. Word gets to Woodrow, who makes his way to the town in order to bail out his son, and his arrival coincides with the first wave of alien visitors, who start snatching citizens and carrying them off. It's then up to Lonergan and Dolarhyde along with the townfolk including Ella (Olivia Wilde) to locate and rescue their missing kinsmen.
Let me start off by saying that this is one huge clusterfuck of a movie. It's confused narratively, the plot scarcely makes any kind of sense. To me it seemed as though they created the title of the movie and then tried to make a plot make sense to fit it. It's filled with so many cliches that it makes your head spin, and as for character development, good luck trying to find ANY. That all being said, I will give credit to Daniel Craig - he's the only part of this movie that's worth watching, as he kicks ass all the way to the alien ship and back. Olivia Wilde's character literally does not make any sense, it seems like she was just thrown in there because the producers wanted to have a female body to look at. And as much as I love Harrison Ford for being the scoundrel known across the galaxy as Han Solo, his efforts in this flick are truly sub-par.
Visually the film looks alright, the graphics for the ships and aliens are pretty on point, but as we all know, a movie these days can't just be about how good the graphics are, or they will fail utterly. Cowboys and Aliens seems just that - an effects driven vehicle that discards sense for scenery.
Not much more to say about this flick except that even given my low expectations, it underperformed severely. Don't see this movie unless you like movies about Aliens who like to touch little boys and ride dong shaped spaceships that are fuelled by gold. Just, extremely silly stuff.
Final Score: 4/10
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Captain America
So Marvel's third summer blockbuster dropped last weekend and I, with characteristic nerdiness, caught the midnight screening. I was surprised to find out that the local Coliseum had sold out of tickets for it, meaning I had to make the trek to the next closest theatre. So far, a good sign. I was especially surprised since Captain America is not exactly Marvel's most famous property, but then, he's not as obscure as say, Ghost Rider (I can't believe they're making a second one.) Regardless, if you're unfamiliar with the Captain America mythos, the movie does a great job of summarizing it.
Set against the backdrop of World War 2, Captain America pits the forces of America's army, namely the 107th Infantry, against Germany's Johann Schmidt (played by Hugo Weaving). Schmidt is a scientist obsessed with finding an ancient and secret power which everyone believes to be fable. His search for power leads him to Dr. Erskine (played by Stanley Tucci), a scientist who has created a serum to enhance every aspect of the human body. After performing the experiment, Erskine realizes that the evil that was within Schmidt has now also been amplified, along with his strength and speed, and he defects from Germany and flees to America. Meanwhile, in the USA, scrawny and sickly Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is trying for the 6th time to enlist in the military. After initially being rejected yet again, he catches the eye of Dr. Erskine, who is now working with the American military. Erskine convinces Colonel Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones) to take on the undersized fighter with the intention of administering the same serum to Rogers. Phillips reluctantly agrees to the procedure, while Rogers eagerly accepts Erskine's proposal and Captain America is born. The rest, as they say, is history.
I walked into this movie having very few expectations. Not to say that I was expecting it to be a bad movie, it's just not one of the Marvel properties i'm terribly familiar with. So I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the movie, particularily the acting - for the most part. Chris Evans is pretty good as Steve Rogers, funny, et cetera, but I feel like a lot of other people could have played the part equally or better. It wasn't one of those "born to play this part" roles. Tommy Lee Jones, however, is pitch perfect as Colonel Phillips. He's sharp as a tack, quick as a whip, and funny as hell. Old Tommy boy has still got it. In my opinion though, Stanley Tucci steals the show, as the gentle and kindhearted Dr. Erskine. Though he's in the movie only briefly, his performance is solid and witty. Now on the other hand, we have Hugo Weaving, who played Schmidt. Now I like Weaving. Who can deny how maliciious he was as Agent Smith, or how noble as Elrond the high elf? Weaving is an excellent actor - just not in this movie. Mostly, it is his accent that bothers me. It's not quite german. It's not quite anything else either, but German is what it's supposed to sound like. Otherwise, a solid job all around.
I particularly enjoyed this flick for its setting, during the era of world war. Many comic book films these days take place in the present universe - it's rather refreshing to see one taking place in the past. Plus, it's also a throw back to the Golden Age of comic books, and the campiness of some of the scenes is also definitely a reflection of this as well. Overall, I was also satisfied with the amount of shield throwing present in the movie.
Captain America is a solid flick. Any comic book lovers should check it out, and if you wanna see an entertaining movie, go check it out as well. If you're excited for The Avengers, stick around for after the credits ;)
Final Score: 7/10
Set against the backdrop of World War 2, Captain America pits the forces of America's army, namely the 107th Infantry, against Germany's Johann Schmidt (played by Hugo Weaving). Schmidt is a scientist obsessed with finding an ancient and secret power which everyone believes to be fable. His search for power leads him to Dr. Erskine (played by Stanley Tucci), a scientist who has created a serum to enhance every aspect of the human body. After performing the experiment, Erskine realizes that the evil that was within Schmidt has now also been amplified, along with his strength and speed, and he defects from Germany and flees to America. Meanwhile, in the USA, scrawny and sickly Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is trying for the 6th time to enlist in the military. After initially being rejected yet again, he catches the eye of Dr. Erskine, who is now working with the American military. Erskine convinces Colonel Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones) to take on the undersized fighter with the intention of administering the same serum to Rogers. Phillips reluctantly agrees to the procedure, while Rogers eagerly accepts Erskine's proposal and Captain America is born. The rest, as they say, is history.
I walked into this movie having very few expectations. Not to say that I was expecting it to be a bad movie, it's just not one of the Marvel properties i'm terribly familiar with. So I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the movie, particularily the acting - for the most part. Chris Evans is pretty good as Steve Rogers, funny, et cetera, but I feel like a lot of other people could have played the part equally or better. It wasn't one of those "born to play this part" roles. Tommy Lee Jones, however, is pitch perfect as Colonel Phillips. He's sharp as a tack, quick as a whip, and funny as hell. Old Tommy boy has still got it. In my opinion though, Stanley Tucci steals the show, as the gentle and kindhearted Dr. Erskine. Though he's in the movie only briefly, his performance is solid and witty. Now on the other hand, we have Hugo Weaving, who played Schmidt. Now I like Weaving. Who can deny how maliciious he was as Agent Smith, or how noble as Elrond the high elf? Weaving is an excellent actor - just not in this movie. Mostly, it is his accent that bothers me. It's not quite german. It's not quite anything else either, but German is what it's supposed to sound like. Otherwise, a solid job all around.
I particularly enjoyed this flick for its setting, during the era of world war. Many comic book films these days take place in the present universe - it's rather refreshing to see one taking place in the past. Plus, it's also a throw back to the Golden Age of comic books, and the campiness of some of the scenes is also definitely a reflection of this as well. Overall, I was also satisfied with the amount of shield throwing present in the movie.
Captain America is a solid flick. Any comic book lovers should check it out, and if you wanna see an entertaining movie, go check it out as well. If you're excited for The Avengers, stick around for after the credits ;)
Final Score: 7/10
Friday, July 15, 2011
Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows part 2 a.k.a. The end of an era
So it's finally come. The last Harry Potter movie that will ever be made. The end of a legendary saga. The finale of perhaps the largest cultural phenomenon of our generation. Chances are, if you are even the remotest fan of Harry Potter, this review isn't necessary, because you're going to see it. And rightly so, as it is the closing chapter of a journey that started more than a decade ago. I suppose then, that this is for those casual observers who have only the mildest interest in the franchise, or for those who have been living under some sort of rock for the past 11 years.
The story continues exactly where Part 1 left off, with Voldemort stealing the elder wand from Dumbledore's grave. Harry, Ron, and Hermione continue to search for the remaining horcruxes, which ultimately leads them back to Hogwarts, where the final battle for the fate of wizardkind takes place.
So was it worth the 4 hour wait in line? Of course. But I say that based solely on the cultural impact of the film. It truly is the end of an era. How was it as a movie as a whole? Pretty good - although as a die hard Potter fan, I wish that David Yates (the director) would have taken the opportunity to expand on the few scenes that didn't focus on Harry - namely the battles between Snape and McGonagall and Bellatrix and Molly. In the books, the duel between the headmaster and deputy is perhaps the most magically involved battle depicted, which makes sense as they are the two most talented and powerful professors remaining at Hogwarts. In the movie however, Yates glosses over the battle with a few half-hearted flame bursts from McGonagall and Snape escaping through the window. The battle between Molly and Bellatrix, while not as intricately described, is one of the most emotional fights in the series. In the movie, the fight fails to evoke the emotion it did in the books. Now I realize that of course, the main focus is Harry and his journey. But really, we've seen 7 movies of Harry being a hero - my opinion is that it would have been nice to see others share the spotlight if only for a few moments. That's not to say that the entire movie was lackluster, but those were two of my favorite parts in the book, and I have to say that I was disappointed in those parts particularly. The rest of the film is filled with its usual action, emotion, and humour. The movie is good, certainly, but it just felt like some parts were lacking the epicness befitting the finale of this franchise.
What else can I say about this film that hasn't already been said about the others? The only new player is Aberforth Dumbledore, played by Ciaran Hinds, who shows up for about 5 minutes total. The visual effects are stunning. The main trio have been doing this for so long that you don't even consider the fact that they are not actually the characters that they portray.
All in all, while I found some parts a bit disappointing, it is still a solid movie. And like I mentioned before, you're going to go see it anyways. My final parting word is this though: as good as these movies are, they will never be able to fully do the books justice. If you haven't read the original source material, go grab a copy, and start reading the stuff that legends are made of.
Final Score: 8/10
The story continues exactly where Part 1 left off, with Voldemort stealing the elder wand from Dumbledore's grave. Harry, Ron, and Hermione continue to search for the remaining horcruxes, which ultimately leads them back to Hogwarts, where the final battle for the fate of wizardkind takes place.
So was it worth the 4 hour wait in line? Of course. But I say that based solely on the cultural impact of the film. It truly is the end of an era. How was it as a movie as a whole? Pretty good - although as a die hard Potter fan, I wish that David Yates (the director) would have taken the opportunity to expand on the few scenes that didn't focus on Harry - namely the battles between Snape and McGonagall and Bellatrix and Molly. In the books, the duel between the headmaster and deputy is perhaps the most magically involved battle depicted, which makes sense as they are the two most talented and powerful professors remaining at Hogwarts. In the movie however, Yates glosses over the battle with a few half-hearted flame bursts from McGonagall and Snape escaping through the window. The battle between Molly and Bellatrix, while not as intricately described, is one of the most emotional fights in the series. In the movie, the fight fails to evoke the emotion it did in the books. Now I realize that of course, the main focus is Harry and his journey. But really, we've seen 7 movies of Harry being a hero - my opinion is that it would have been nice to see others share the spotlight if only for a few moments. That's not to say that the entire movie was lackluster, but those were two of my favorite parts in the book, and I have to say that I was disappointed in those parts particularly. The rest of the film is filled with its usual action, emotion, and humour. The movie is good, certainly, but it just felt like some parts were lacking the epicness befitting the finale of this franchise.
What else can I say about this film that hasn't already been said about the others? The only new player is Aberforth Dumbledore, played by Ciaran Hinds, who shows up for about 5 minutes total. The visual effects are stunning. The main trio have been doing this for so long that you don't even consider the fact that they are not actually the characters that they portray.
All in all, while I found some parts a bit disappointing, it is still a solid movie. And like I mentioned before, you're going to go see it anyways. My final parting word is this though: as good as these movies are, they will never be able to fully do the books justice. If you haven't read the original source material, go grab a copy, and start reading the stuff that legends are made of.
Final Score: 8/10
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