I had low expectations for this film, expecting another Gibson gore-fest. And while there is plenty of blood and guts tossed about here, it is also an entertaining action movie. I give Gibson credit for sticking with native languages and subtitles, as this film wouldn't work without that. He also includes some very good details during the village and city scenes.
Gibson is a simple message kind of director, much in the Clint Eastwood style, but this is his best work. Better than Braveheart (5) and far better than the nauseating Passion of the Christ (3). The action is way over the top in some places (such as the baby being born under water while his mother struggles against drowning) and that helps knock it down a notch, but I still give it a 6 rating.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust - Kawajiri 2000
Definitely a better than average anime flick, full of action and stylishly drawn backdrops. The characters are pretty stock, but there are plenty of good action sequences.
This is a sequel and I didn't see the first movie, but it was easy to catch on to what the characters were up to. Also, the dvd I saw this on played badly and I expect that detracted a bit from the excellent animation. A 6 rating, and close to a 7.
This is a sequel and I didn't see the first movie, but it was easy to catch on to what the characters were up to. Also, the dvd I saw this on played badly and I expect that detracted a bit from the excellent animation. A 6 rating, and close to a 7.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
The Reader - Daldry, 2008
The Reader is a very slow paced, serious film. Like Daldry's earlier The Hours (7), it is told in non-linear fashion with flash-forward scenes. While not quite as good as Hours, it is still a solid effort. Kate Winslet won an Oscar for her performance here, and I guess she deserves it, although Meryl Strep was quite good in Doubt (7).
I haven't read the book that this was based on, but I suspect that it suffers from trying to be true to the original material, while at the same time staying within a two hour format. It moves along slowly, yet at the same time there are moments when it seems like we've jumped though the story very quickly, as if we've skipped ahead a few chapters in the book. This is a typical problem with novel adaptations.
It's still a good film though. A 6 rating.
I haven't read the book that this was based on, but I suspect that it suffers from trying to be true to the original material, while at the same time staying within a two hour format. It moves along slowly, yet at the same time there are moments when it seems like we've jumped though the story very quickly, as if we've skipped ahead a few chapters in the book. This is a typical problem with novel adaptations.
It's still a good film though. A 6 rating.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
I'm Not There - Haynes, 2007
A stylishly complicated pseudo-biopic that is extremely uneven. I'm enough of a Bob Dylan buff to catch the many references and to appreciate the nuances in the various Dylanesque performances. I'm certain that non-Dylan experts would find this about as comprehensible as a vintage Dylan soliloquy.
No amount of Dylan expertise can quite hide the fact that this is a confusing mess. The early scenes with the Woody boy are embarrassingly bad, and the Richard Gere scenes seem like they should be in a different movie. Ledger's characterization also seems out of place. Both Bale and Moore seem to be taking this as parody.
Blanchett clearly steals the show and salvages the film to some degree. She deserved her Oscar nomination, and perhaps even a bit more, since she was better than Swinton was in Michael Clayton (7). Or perhaps, more accurately, both deserved nominations and no statue, and the other nominees deserved neither.
Scorsese's documentary, No Direction Home (8), is a far better film, but I give Haynes some credit for being ambitiously creative. He put together a great soundtrack, with both Dylan and others singing. And the film has some interesting cinematography, including many striking black and white sequences. A 6 rating.
No amount of Dylan expertise can quite hide the fact that this is a confusing mess. The early scenes with the Woody boy are embarrassingly bad, and the Richard Gere scenes seem like they should be in a different movie. Ledger's characterization also seems out of place. Both Bale and Moore seem to be taking this as parody.
Blanchett clearly steals the show and salvages the film to some degree. She deserved her Oscar nomination, and perhaps even a bit more, since she was better than Swinton was in Michael Clayton (7). Or perhaps, more accurately, both deserved nominations and no statue, and the other nominees deserved neither.
Scorsese's documentary, No Direction Home (8), is a far better film, but I give Haynes some credit for being ambitiously creative. He put together a great soundtrack, with both Dylan and others singing. And the film has some interesting cinematography, including many striking black and white sequences. A 6 rating.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Doomsday -- Marshall, 2008
Doomsday is so bad on so many levels that it is almost watchable, just to marvel at how awful it is. When they are handing out Razzies for 2008, serious consideration must be given to Splat Pack Marshall (both for writing and directing this mess), whatever twisted individual created the truly horrific soundtrack, and both Malcolm McDowell and Bob Hoskins (and their agents) for being in this disaster.
If Road Warrior (6) was directed by a demented 13 year old and performed by monkeys, you'd get a pretty good imitation of this film. A 1 rating.
If Road Warrior (6) was directed by a demented 13 year old and performed by monkeys, you'd get a pretty good imitation of this film. A 1 rating.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Monkeybone - Selick, 2008
Monkeybone is a bizarre film that is not completely devoid of creativity but is ultimately a failure. They were aiming for Crumb (8) and got Howard The Duck (3). Brendan Fraser tries to do his best Jim Carrey imitation and puts in his worst work since Dudley Do-Right (2).
No surprise that this film bombed and equally no surprise that it's a bit of a cult film. A 3 rating.
No surprise that this film bombed and equally no surprise that it's a bit of a cult film. A 3 rating.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Casino Royale - Campbell, 2006
This is the best of the Bond series, which isn't saying a whole lot since they tend to range from awful to mediocre. This version of Casino Royale is clearly an exception though, as there is solid action throughout and a much more series film than others in the series. It's all the more surprising because this is the same director as Goldeneye (4) and Vertical Limit (2), two movies which are about as ridiculous as any around.
And it isn't just Daniel Craig either. He's wonderful here, but much less so in the follow-up, Quantum of Solace (5). Casino Royale is just one of those films that is better than the sum of its parts. A 7 rating.
And it isn't just Daniel Craig either. He's wonderful here, but much less so in the follow-up, Quantum of Solace (5). Casino Royale is just one of those films that is better than the sum of its parts. A 7 rating.
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