Archive for the ‘Science Fiction & Fantasy’ Category

Predators

Posted by christopher on November 26, 2010

Predators is attempt to reboot the originally promising Predator franchise which, after Schwarzzenager, has since suffered from a trio of less than stellar sequels and forks into the Aliens universe. Sadly, devastatingly even, Predators continues the downward spiral with a lackluster plot and just plain sad action.

Brought to us by producer Robert Rodriguez–who has a solid track record in the over-the-top action genre–and directed by Nimród Antal–who barely has a notable movie to his name–Predators follows a rag-tag, rough-and-tumble group of mercenaries, black ops, and criminals, with a Yakuza thrown in for good measure, who are dropped on an alien planet as hunting game for a group of Predators. This SHOULD have been a recipe for success in the way of a cloaked, heat vision, explosion ridden, laser targeting, killfest. It was not.

Predators went wrong in two ways. First, it didn’t focus enough on the Predators. We the viewing audience want to see these dreaded, bad-ass, hunting machines suited up and out in the field blowing wholes in people and creatures, or getting blown to hell themselves; so why would you collectively only have about 10 minutes of Predator footage?! The fighting was largely a bore and generally ends quickly. There was actually  the potential for an incredible swords duel with the quite underutilized Yakuza, yet the scene itself and the climax were like getting soggy tofu when I was expecting a porterhouse–nothing against tofu, I actually quite enjoy it, but it just can’t satisfy when you’re craving a hunk of steak.

Second, if you’re not going to do an action-for-the-sake-of-action flick, at least give us some story: what are the Predators? why do they hunt tirelessly? who are the people that were brought to be hunted? how did they Predators get them? There are a number of avenues to explore from a story perspective in the film, but everything is either not addressed or glossed over quickly. We are given an interesting insight into a rift in the Predators culture but we get no further exploration. There’s barely enough of a tease to be left wanting more, but still, give me something!

The performances were not spectacular either, but I attribute this more to the source material versus the abilities of the actors and actress. Except mayber Topher Grace; he was, well, Topher Grace, not much in the way of depth we haven’t scene in this role. As I mentioned above, most were underutilized: the Yakuza, a sniper, Danny Trejo, an overgrown Soviet, Morpheus [Lawrence Fishburn]! All of these guys and gal could have made for spectacular competition against the Predators, which is probably why they were chosen, but alas, disappointment. Instead much of the focus was on Adrien Brody’s, Topher Grace’s, and Alice Braga’s characters and the tension that built between them. Brody himself proved a competent and believable actioneer, minus the Christian Bale “Batman” voice.

My comments while harsh come from a perspective of love and longing for a movie that can highlight the Predator legacy in a way it deserves. Predator is one of those movies I remember fondly as just being rad and we all want more of! The inability of hollywood to recreate that magic is crushing. If you want a Predator movie to watch, opt for the original.

The Verdict:

Comments on this post | Published in Action, Adventure & Epic, Science Fiction & Fantasy

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1

Posted by benjamin on November 20, 2010

In order to give you an adequate review, then I need to at least read the Potter books. Check on that one and just let me say that the Deathly Hallows was easily my least favorite of the series. Would the movie follow suit? Let’s see.

These days when watching a Potter film, I find myself more interested in the actors portraying the characters than the characters in the story. Harry Potter, a coming of age story, has essentially become a real life coming of age event for Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe, and Rupert Grint. These kids were around 12 years old when the first film was released and here they are today in front of us on the screen as 20 somethings. As the characters have grown, so have the actors who have portrayed each of them. However, it is this growth that can make certain scenes still awkward for us. Sure, Harry and Ginny are a couple. Sure, Hermione and Ron are a couple, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t still think of them as just kids on screen. The worst occurrence of this is for one scene in the woods where we are shown Harry and Hermione as…more…than friends. Like I said, awkward. (You’ll know the scene when you see it.)

But beyond the coming of age story, there is a family and heart and humor. It is the last of these three that I was most shocked at seeing because this is the point of the Potter series were all hope and happiness is lost as it seems they are facing an unbeatable opponent. But it is this humor that the writers use to keep things interesting and presented in a way that kids would and maybe should face these harsh realities. For a movie that is quite dark, there is a great deal of humor to help you enjoy the long journey and find some hope that everyone will make it in the end.

Visually, the movie is quite stunning. It is probably easy to do so when a franchise makes as much money as the Potter films but there are scenes were I was marvelling at the “magic” of cinema. One in particular is another wooded scene where Ron is facing off against a horcrux. If Lost had that kind of CGI, then maybe many people would not have laughed upon seeing the Black Smoke Monster.

Overall, I wasn’t thrilled with this movie. I realize that more now as I have to see it as a part of the journey and some of the better scenes will await us in Part 2. I’m just hoping in Part 2 that people such as Bill Nighy (Pirates of the Caribbean, Hot Fuzz, Love Actually) and Alan Rickman will be given a chance to shine alongside their dark companions, Helena Bonham Carter and Ralph Fiennes. Here’s waiting until July 2011 to finish the series.

The Verdict:

1 Comment on this post | Published in Action, Adventure & Epic, Family, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Uncategorized

Star Trek

Posted by will on September 13, 2010

Director: J.J. Abrams
Rating: PG-13
Release: 2009
Language: English
Runtime: 127 minutes
Plot: A chronicle of the early days of James T. Kirk and his fellow USS Enterprise crew members.

For a lot of people, the argument is Star Wars or Star Trek? For me, it is both.

I was blessed (?) to be raised by a man who absolutely loves the science fiction/action adventure movie genre. I was spoon-fed Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, etc. as a child. Looking over the film series, I am almost certain I have seen every Star Trek motion picture, 4 of which I saw in the theatre, on top of the countless Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes that used to run in syndication. Suffice to say, I am pretty well versed in the most basic cannon of Star Trek that had ships helmed by either James T. Kirk or Jean Luc Picard. But, I am far from a Trekkie.

For the opposing brand, I have seen all six films, contributed much financial value to the Lucas Empire, and found, generally, the series to be more enjoyable as a child as there was a greater expanse of depth to the stories, more likable characters, a larger range of alien breeds, and a primary antagonist.

Back to Star Trek and to 2009. When J.J. Abrams’ re-launch first came out, there was much bravado and applause. For me, it looked like a solid film, but not something I wanted to plop $9 down for. So I waited … and forgot.

Finally, last weekend, I noticed Star Trek in Instant Play and immediately (well, almost immediately) fired it up.

I got to hand it to Abrams, I have never watched his films (MI:3, Cloverfield) nor his television shows (Felicity, LOST, Alias) but he did a very, very impressive job of not only relaunching the series, but making this movie accessible to a general audience. Not only was I impressed but Brittany was almost as equally awed at how well conceived compelling the story was.

The tale takes us to the origins of young, brash James T. Kirk, the famous captain of the equally famous USS Enterprise as well as his polar opposite and counterpart, the Vulcan Spock. Normally, I find origin stories to be either boring, formulaic, or undercooked. Not so with Star Trek. The story’s pace, basic story structure, and portrayed background was just enough for the competent and not too much for the greenhorn.

I won’t go too much into the story but I will say it is a pretty solid script. The real brilliance is how the “original” Spock, reprised by Leonard Nimoy (the one known from the original television series and films), is weaved into the tale.

What I want to rave about is the casting. Oh, the casting. Each role deserves a gold star. Chris Pine as Kirk and Zachary Quinto were perfect matches. Even the more secondary characters such as John Cho/Sulu, Anton Yelchin/Chekov, Zoe Saldana/Uhura, and Simon Pegg/”Scotty” could be construed, in hindsight, as “logical choices”. The real gems, in my opinion, were Karl Urban as the gruff “Bones” McCoy and Eric Bana as renegade-run-amok Romulan, Nero. For someone who has a history with the series, the personality and characteristics each actor brought to their role was refreshing.

Really, I found the characters themselves to be much, much more compelling than the actual plot and arc (which, looking back, wasn’t anything to shout about from rooftops).

All of the cast members have been signed for an additional two films. The next is slated to be released in 2012. I hope, for the future of this franchise, that the next installment will “live long and prosper”.

The Verdict:

1 Comment on this post | Published in Action, Adventure & Epic, Science Fiction & Fantasy

Moon

Posted by will on September 9, 2010

Director: Duncan Jones
Rating: R
Release: 2009
Language: English
Runtime: 97 minutes
Plot: Astronaut Sam Bell has a quintessentially personal encounter toward the end of his three-year stint on the Moon, where he, working alongside his computer, GERTY, sends back to Earth parcels of a resource that has helped diminish our planet’s power problems.

I have a very strong memory associated with Moon. It happened to be showing at the State Theatre in Ann Arbor while I was there dropping Brittany off for the month. I had heard good things about the film and we had toyed with idea of catching a movie that weekend. Yet, we had more of downtown we wanted to check out so that idea never came into fruition … until this weekend.

Let me preface this by saying I love Sam Rockwell’s work. Whether it’s Box of Moonlight, The Green Mile, or Matchstick Men, Rockwell overs a level of authenticity to his roles. Hands down, I especially loved him as Chuck Barris in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. There always seems to be some type of psychotic edge to his characters.

Quick fun fact, bet you didn’t know he had a bit role in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Yeah, me neither.

Back to the characters with a psychotic edge … Rockwell’s Sam Bell might very well be psychotic, or at the very least, undergoing some type of mental trauma.

Bell is nearing the end of a three year contract to run a harvesting operation on the moon reaping helium-3, an element that can be used for much needed clean energy back on Earth. Bell has sacrificed not only his time but has left behind his pregnant wife. The only form of communication he has with his home planet are taped video messages. His only “friend” on Earth’s only satellite is his robotic assistant, GERTY (voiced by Kevin Spacey). In other words, this guy must either be paid richly or straight up Looney Tunes.

With two weeks left, Bell begins to fall under hallucinations. As he is going about a routine junket on the lunar surface, Bell has a vision of a figure out on the moon’s plain which distracts him enough to wreck his rover. As the cabin begins to depressurize, Sam switches on his life support system and slips out of consciousness.

From here, the movie really begins to pick up. Explaining the plot further would spoil the twists and turns so I’ll refrain from recanting anymore of the storyline.

Simply put, the surprises aren’t really surprising. After figuring out the conspiracy taking place, I thought the whole premise was a little bit unoriginal. Trust me, when you figure out where things are generally heading, you are probably going to be miffed. The phrase that came to my mind was “Really!?”

Rockwell is essentially the only actor in the film, something akin to Tom Hanks in Cast Away (props to Brittany for the connection). He generally does a pretty good job but as the movie wears on, there’s just too much of him to go around.

The concept of the story is sound, I just wish there was a little bit more complexity to the details. Not to mention, while it clocks just over an hour and a half, the narrative definitely drags.

The Verdict:

Comments on this post | Published in Drama, Mystery & Thriller, Science Fiction & Fantasy

The Movie Game

Posted by benjamin on July 5, 2010

On this Fourth of July weekend, many people will be heading to the movies (home, theaters, or both) and those of us here at The ACG will probably be no different.  However, I did want to pass along a fun game for movie buffs if you find yourself in need of a way to pass the time.  This game was first introduced to me as a drinking game, but you can still enjoy it without the need for a drink.

No boards, notes, or additional pieces of any kind are needed.  You just need a group of people that love movies and know many of them.  Here are the rules:

1 ) Someone starts off the game by naming a movie or actor/actress.
2 ) Each person, in turn, responds with someone from the movie or another movie that the actor/actress appears within.  I.E. if the game starts with Batman Begins, then the next person would respond with Christian Bale or Michael Caine.  Or the game could start with Tom Hanks, then the next person would respond with Toy Story 3 or The Da Vanci Code.
3 ) The game continues and changes based on each person’s answer.
4 ) Each person always has two options to respond:  Another actor/actress in the movie or another movie based on the previous actor/actress that was mentioned.
5 ) The time allowed for each person playing to respond can be customized based on those playing. Advanced players might want to allow for shorter time.
6 ) No movie or actor/actress can be repeated.

That’s it.  However, while playing the other night, my friends and I decided to add to the game with inclusion of a Lightning Round (LR).  A LR is started whenever a predefined list of actors/actresses are mentioned. Here are the rules of the Lightning Round (LR):

1 ) Once a LR actor/actress is named someone else must call out “Lightning Round.”
2 ) Everyone must now only name a movie that the LR actor/actress is in.
3 ) If someone can’t name another movie, they are out and must take a drink.
4 ) The remaining players continue until only one player remains who can name a movie.
5 ) The last player must provide one last movie before the LR ends.
6 ) Once the LR ends with a winner, the winner can restart the game with a new movie or actor.
7 ) If no winner results from the LR, everyone drinks and the game starts back with the player who initiated the LR.
8 ) The predefined list of actors/actresses can be modified and changed prior to the start of the game so that all players are in agreement and have a list that matches the types of movies/actors/actresses that everyone enjoys.

Here is the current list of LR actors/actresses:

1 ) Tom Hanks (Beginner)
2 ) Tom Cruise (Beginner)
3 ) Sandra Bullock (Beginner)
4 ) Julia Roberts (Beginner)
5 ) Will Smith (Beginner)
6 ) Robin Williams (Beginner)
7 ) John C. Reilly (Advanced)
8 ) Meryl Streep (Advanced)

Enjoy for those interested in playing.

1 Comment on this post | Published in Action, Adventure & Epic, Comedy, Documentary, Drama, Family, Horror, Musical, Mystery & Thriller, Romance, Science Fiction & Fantasy, War, Western