The hype surrounding Prometheus has long been that it is a prequel to the Alien franchise. Director/Producer Ridley Scott admitted that the movie would be set in the same universe as the Alien series, but Prometheus would have it's own themes and mythology.
At first, Prometheus seems to stay true to the idea that Alien and Prometheus truly are separate entities. The opening sequence is wholly terrestrial with stunningly beautiful scenery. It shows a UFO that is more in line with pop-sych sightings than anything from the original Alien trilogy, and it introduces the first alien creature - one that does not resemble the creepy xenomorph we were introduced to in 1979's Alien.
The first few minutes of film prescribes to the extraterrestrial seeding origin of life theory - drawing heavy inspiration from the ancient astronauts pseudoscience. Scientists Elizabeth (Rapace) and Charlie (Marshall-Green) discover evidence in an ancient Scottish cave that points to a species of aliens that came to our planet and visited every pre-civilized culture on Earth. They interpret this evidence as a road map and embark on a quest to meet their makers.
Enter the Weyland Corporation. These two scientists convince the insanely wealthy Peter Weyland (Pearce), founder and CEO of Weyland Corporation, to fund an expedition to a distant Earth-like planet to seek our creators, beings they call Engineers.
From the first moment you see the craft Prometheus floating through space, the look and feel of the movie begins to seem reminiscent of earlier films in the franchise. The exploration of the domed structures is similar to the reconnaissance in the underground Antarctic pyramid from Alien vs. Predator. The phallic symbolism is as apparent in Prometheus as it was in the first Alien movie. The Engineer ship is the same as the aliens ship. The snakes in the oily goo look like the chest bursters. There are face huggers and ugly baddies. And an android with ulterior motives.
In fact, motives play a huge role in Prometheus. Damon Lindelof and Jon Spaihts (screenwriters) and Ridley Scott gave each of the characters a reason to be on that voyage. Everyone serves a purpose even if that purpose is to be the first to die.
I don't want to spoil too much of the plot or ruin any of the surprises because there are a few decent plot twists that breathe new life into the Alien franchise that was missing in the utterly bizarre Alien Resurection and the hokey pair of AvP films. While Scott would have you believe this movie was intended to be a prequel in only the vaguest sense of the word, the final scene makes it abundantly clear; we are watching something that belongs in the Alien mythos.
Prometheus is a must see for SciFi fans and those that enjoy scary movies. Some of the biggest moments of terror were rehashed from earlier Alien movies so those moments that were intended to be the most frightening have lost a bit of its bite. But there are some genuine shocks and scenes that are still tense and horrifying.
While the movie has superb cinematic sequences and a captivating story, it won't find broad appeal beyond genre fans. It's not the kind of movie that my wife would enjoy and it is definitely not for the squeamish.
Saturday, June 09, 2012
Saturday, March 03, 2012
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance
Remember watching the first Ghost Rider movie and thinking, 'This might be the worst comic book adaptation in move history"? The Spirit of Vengeance will change your previous opinion.
Nicolas Cage sets new lows as he resumes his role of Johnny Blaze (AKA The Ghost Rider). And his phoned-in performance is what we've come to know and expect out of Cage: stiff and bordering on insanity.
This new film retains it's namesake character but changes everything else. New setting (now in Eastern Europe as Blaze is trying to run away from his demons). New damsel in distress. New villains (even cheezier than those in the first film). They even re-wrote history inserting a new character (Roarke - played by Ciarán Hinds) as the devil who made a deal with Blaze and transformed him into The Ghost Rider. In the first movie that role was fulfilled by Peter Fonda as the character Mephistopheles.
The sad part of of Spirit of Vengeance is that the rest of the cast is far more entertaining than the central character. Riordan as the son of the devil and Placido as his mother trying to save him from evil both turn in more compelling performances than Cage. Elba's character Moreau (a drunken warrior monk) is infinitely more interesting than The Ghost Rider. In fact, the first few minutes of the film featuring Moreau and the boy/mother escaping a handful of assassins after an attack at a monastery hold promise that this might actually be an enjoyable movie.
But our hopes of a good film are trampled as soon as The Ghost Rider's animated introduction is splashed across the screen. What we're left with is overblown special effects, CGI that dances between spectacular and shoddy, a frantic story line, and Cage's throwaway one liners. Toss in Cage's typical performance alternating from manic to stoic, and we're left with an abysmal movie that makes it's predecessor look like an Oscar worthy work of genius. Not an easy task considering the first Ghost Rider movie was an utter pile of trash.
Nicolas Cage sets new lows as he resumes his role of Johnny Blaze (AKA The Ghost Rider). And his phoned-in performance is what we've come to know and expect out of Cage: stiff and bordering on insanity.
This new film retains it's namesake character but changes everything else. New setting (now in Eastern Europe as Blaze is trying to run away from his demons). New damsel in distress. New villains (even cheezier than those in the first film). They even re-wrote history inserting a new character (Roarke - played by Ciarán Hinds) as the devil who made a deal with Blaze and transformed him into The Ghost Rider. In the first movie that role was fulfilled by Peter Fonda as the character Mephistopheles.
The sad part of of Spirit of Vengeance is that the rest of the cast is far more entertaining than the central character. Riordan as the son of the devil and Placido as his mother trying to save him from evil both turn in more compelling performances than Cage. Elba's character Moreau (a drunken warrior monk) is infinitely more interesting than The Ghost Rider. In fact, the first few minutes of the film featuring Moreau and the boy/mother escaping a handful of assassins after an attack at a monastery hold promise that this might actually be an enjoyable movie.
But our hopes of a good film are trampled as soon as The Ghost Rider's animated introduction is splashed across the screen. What we're left with is overblown special effects, CGI that dances between spectacular and shoddy, a frantic story line, and Cage's throwaway one liners. Toss in Cage's typical performance alternating from manic to stoic, and we're left with an abysmal movie that makes it's predecessor look like an Oscar worthy work of genius. Not an easy task considering the first Ghost Rider movie was an utter pile of trash.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
The Vow
If you've seen the preview, you know the story. And not just part of it - but almost the entirety. A young couple suffer a severe tragedy in which the wife loses the previous five years of her memory. That memory loss includes any recollection of the courtship with and marriage to her husband. The husband spends the rest of the movie trying to woo her and remind her of their relationship. It's basically the same plot as Chuck's series finale - without the geeky humor and spy vs spy action.
But what's different from that Nerd Herding TV show is that The Vow is loosely based on a try story.
The rest of this review is laden with plot spoilers - which I don't feel bad about as the preview itself is a two minute plot spoiler.
Rachel McAdams plays Paige, the free spirited Artist inflicted with amnesia. Not only has she forgotten everything about her husband and the love they shared, but she doesn't remember anything about her current work and her time in art school. When she emerges from a coma, the last thing she remembers is being a law student engaged to another man.
Her parents (Jessica Lange & Sam Neill) are manipulative and selfish. Her real husband, Leo (Channing Tatum) is heartbroken. And half of the movie is a war between the factions of husband and parents - neither like the other and both think they have Paige's best interests in mind.
The other half of the movie is spent watching Leo's displays of devotion - all of which are fruitless.
Your opinion of this movie will vary depending on your outlook on life. Bekah found the film to be hopelessly romantic and inspiring, but that could be because most women want someone to love them as deeply as Leo loved Paige. That's why stories like Twilight are successful. I thought The Vow was wholly depressing. That could be because his repeated failed attempts remind guys of how they've previously failed in our own love stories. In The Vow, Leo kept doing all the right things and none of it worked.
By the end of the movie Paige and Leo may be heading to a restaurant for a meal together, but they're divorced. Leo is still hurt from his loss and unrequited love, and Paige is trying out art school again while trying to rediscover herself. The happy ending is only provided in the afterword. I'm not bummed that Paige never regained her memory. That would be taking too much creative license over the true events. But I am disappointed that the romance was not reignited during the film.
I'm not saying this is a bad movie. It was just OK. McAdams and Tatum are both decent in their romantic roles (although I don't buy Tatum as a hipster professional musician and recording studio engineer). Sam Neill is at his best when he plays characters that we're not supposed to trust. And I appreciated some of the more intelligent music references like the story of Thom Yorke turned into a motivational speech - which in my opinion was the best scene in the movie. Second best part? Hearing Pictures of You by The Cure during the closing credits.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
There was an extended preview for Extremely Loud before The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and through the whole 3 minute clip I kept thinking, "This kid is on the Autism Spectrum." I got my phone out and quickly texted my wife: "We must see this movie." (don't worry, the movie hadn't started yet so I wasn't one of those movie goers)
Extremely Loud follows Oskar (Thomas Horn), a precocious ten year old New Yorker, as he tries to make sense of losing his father in the World Trade Center attacks - an event which Oskar repeatedly refers to as "the worst day."
Oskar is abnormally intelligent; possesses a legion of phobias; has an obsession with facts, numbers, and maps; has a foul mouth; speaks his mind without weighing the possible impact of his words; employs self stimulating routines; and has several other peculiar habits.
In his grieving, Oskar finds a key and thinks it's a clue to a quest that his father left for him to explorer and dicsover New York's lost sixth borough. His self imposed search to find the lock that the key unlocks is an attempt to find order in the disorder of life and make sense of an inexplicable tragedy. In it he touches the lives of many people - most of them strangers.
We also see the struggles of parenting a unique child. We see Oskar's dad (Tom Hanks) step into his child's world. We see Oskar's mom (Sandra Bullock) care for her son while coping with her own loss. You see the heartbreak and the joy of raising a kid that is just a step out of sync with society.
As the movie started, I couldn't help but laugh (perhaps inappropriately) at Oskar's eccentricities. It's a somber film and you should feel sorry for this kid that learned of his father's death through a series of six answering machine messages and TV news reports. But I couldn't help but chuckle as he counts the number of lies he tells, or sorts through the essentials he needs to pack to take on his search, or compulsively shakes a tambourine to find courage to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. I laughed because it was like watching my son on that big screen. It was a glimpse into my son's inner psyche.
At last the moment of justification came. Oskar is interviewing (interrogating) strangers to find who knew his dad and recognizes the key. He explains to the first stranger, "People tell me I'm very odd all the time. I got tested once to see if I had Asperger's disease. Dad said it's for people who are smarter than everybody else but can't run straight. The tests weren't definitive."
But Bekah and I both recognized the signs of ASD. Oskar is just quirky enough to be described as an aspie child with or with out an official diagnosis explained in the script. And the oddities of being a kid with Aspergers was expertly portrayed by Horn.
But of course the movie isn't all about Oskar's disorder. But it does help explain why and how Oskar executes his search for the missing lock. It is this understanding that may be lost on many movie goers. It is a frame of reference that helps audiences understand that Oskar is not a normal child.
If you want to see what life is like for parents like Bekah and me or thousands of other parents whose kids are on the Autism spectrum, go see Extremely Loud. If you are the parent of a kid on the spectrum, this is a must see film. And if you're just looking for a good film, this movie packs a well composed script, a gut wrenching story, and believable portrayal of dealing with loss.
Extremely Loud follows Oskar (Thomas Horn), a precocious ten year old New Yorker, as he tries to make sense of losing his father in the World Trade Center attacks - an event which Oskar repeatedly refers to as "the worst day."
Oskar is abnormally intelligent; possesses a legion of phobias; has an obsession with facts, numbers, and maps; has a foul mouth; speaks his mind without weighing the possible impact of his words; employs self stimulating routines; and has several other peculiar habits.
In his grieving, Oskar finds a key and thinks it's a clue to a quest that his father left for him to explorer and dicsover New York's lost sixth borough. His self imposed search to find the lock that the key unlocks is an attempt to find order in the disorder of life and make sense of an inexplicable tragedy. In it he touches the lives of many people - most of them strangers.
We also see the struggles of parenting a unique child. We see Oskar's dad (Tom Hanks) step into his child's world. We see Oskar's mom (Sandra Bullock) care for her son while coping with her own loss. You see the heartbreak and the joy of raising a kid that is just a step out of sync with society.
As the movie started, I couldn't help but laugh (perhaps inappropriately) at Oskar's eccentricities. It's a somber film and you should feel sorry for this kid that learned of his father's death through a series of six answering machine messages and TV news reports. But I couldn't help but chuckle as he counts the number of lies he tells, or sorts through the essentials he needs to pack to take on his search, or compulsively shakes a tambourine to find courage to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. I laughed because it was like watching my son on that big screen. It was a glimpse into my son's inner psyche.
At last the moment of justification came. Oskar is interviewing (interrogating) strangers to find who knew his dad and recognizes the key. He explains to the first stranger, "People tell me I'm very odd all the time. I got tested once to see if I had Asperger's disease. Dad said it's for people who are smarter than everybody else but can't run straight. The tests weren't definitive."
But Bekah and I both recognized the signs of ASD. Oskar is just quirky enough to be described as an aspie child with or with out an official diagnosis explained in the script. And the oddities of being a kid with Aspergers was expertly portrayed by Horn.
But of course the movie isn't all about Oskar's disorder. But it does help explain why and how Oskar executes his search for the missing lock. It is this understanding that may be lost on many movie goers. It is a frame of reference that helps audiences understand that Oskar is not a normal child.
If you want to see what life is like for parents like Bekah and me or thousands of other parents whose kids are on the Autism spectrum, go see Extremely Loud. If you are the parent of a kid on the spectrum, this is a must see film. And if you're just looking for a good film, this movie packs a well composed script, a gut wrenching story, and believable portrayal of dealing with loss.
Monday, January 02, 2012
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
If you are planning on seeing The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, prepare yourself for two things.
First, it is a deeply disturbing movie. As one of the protagonists mentions early in the film, the characters involved are "thieves, misers, bullies - the most detestable collection of people that you will ever meet." Both Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) the discredited journalist and Salander (Rooney Mara) the hacker hired to help catch a killer of women are faced with violence and pain. They suffer torture, mental abuse, and sexual assault. Their investigation uncovers a series of ritualistic levitical murders. From the disorienting opening sequence (typical of director Fincher's work) set to Trent Reznor's version on Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song, through the use of Enya's Orinoco Flow during a pivotal scene, much of this movie seems to wallow in the depravities of man.
The second thing you should be prepared to endure is shameless product placement. There's no attempt to disguise or subliminally allude to corporate sponsorship. Brand recognition is not subtly flashed across the screen or quietly hinted at - it is brazenly displayed leaving no doubt who helped fund the film. In the first fifteen minutes alone, I noticed blatant plugs for Marlboro, Apple, Coke, and Google. As the movie continued, companies like McDonalds and Nokia found some convenient advertising.
While this is not a movie for those with a week stomach, it is well done. David Fincher (Se7en, Fight Club, Zodiac) knows what he's doing. He is skilled at coaxing stellar performances out of actors in films typically burdened by dark subject matter.
The Swedish setting is beautiful at times yet maintains a haunting quality. Reznor and collaborator Atticus Ross (the same duo that scored Fincher's last movie - The Social Network) composed a stunning soundtrack that fits the mood and sets the pace throughout The Dragon Tattoo.
If I offer any recommendations it's tepid at best. My biggest reservations with Dragon Tattoo - aside from the film's graphic nature - are parts that did not make the leap from book to movie. While Mara does a fantastic job portraying the broken and emotionally fragile character of Salander, we fail to see why she's so messed up - quirks that are aptly explained in the book. I will also warn that parts of the movie were extremely difficult to watch - especially the scene where Salander carries out revenge on her sadistic state-appointed caretaker.
Over all, I was impressed with what Fincher accomplished, however The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is not a film I'd ever want to see again.
First, it is a deeply disturbing movie. As one of the protagonists mentions early in the film, the characters involved are "thieves, misers, bullies - the most detestable collection of people that you will ever meet." Both Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) the discredited journalist and Salander (Rooney Mara) the hacker hired to help catch a killer of women are faced with violence and pain. They suffer torture, mental abuse, and sexual assault. Their investigation uncovers a series of ritualistic levitical murders. From the disorienting opening sequence (typical of director Fincher's work) set to Trent Reznor's version on Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song, through the use of Enya's Orinoco Flow during a pivotal scene, much of this movie seems to wallow in the depravities of man.
The second thing you should be prepared to endure is shameless product placement. There's no attempt to disguise or subliminally allude to corporate sponsorship. Brand recognition is not subtly flashed across the screen or quietly hinted at - it is brazenly displayed leaving no doubt who helped fund the film. In the first fifteen minutes alone, I noticed blatant plugs for Marlboro, Apple, Coke, and Google. As the movie continued, companies like McDonalds and Nokia found some convenient advertising.
While this is not a movie for those with a week stomach, it is well done. David Fincher (Se7en, Fight Club, Zodiac) knows what he's doing. He is skilled at coaxing stellar performances out of actors in films typically burdened by dark subject matter.
The Swedish setting is beautiful at times yet maintains a haunting quality. Reznor and collaborator Atticus Ross (the same duo that scored Fincher's last movie - The Social Network) composed a stunning soundtrack that fits the mood and sets the pace throughout The Dragon Tattoo.
If I offer any recommendations it's tepid at best. My biggest reservations with Dragon Tattoo - aside from the film's graphic nature - are parts that did not make the leap from book to movie. While Mara does a fantastic job portraying the broken and emotionally fragile character of Salander, we fail to see why she's so messed up - quirks that are aptly explained in the book. I will also warn that parts of the movie were extremely difficult to watch - especially the scene where Salander carries out revenge on her sadistic state-appointed caretaker.
Over all, I was impressed with what Fincher accomplished, however The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is not a film I'd ever want to see again.
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