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NoelCT
Reviews
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Not great, but good enough for a fun time.
You all know the plot: Dr. Bruce Banner is exposed to gamma radiation which turns him into a raging monster in times of emotional distress. The origin was already covered in Ang Lee's 2003 version, so this sorta-sequel sorta-reboot picks up with Bruce in hiding as the government continues its search. The two end up colliding when Bruce sets out to find a cure.
It's a shame Edward Norton might not be back for another, because I really like what he's done with the role. He really captures the tragic plight of Bruce's dilemma, constantly on the run from others, but unable to escape the demons within. And there's some wonderful, logical additions in the form of breathing techniques and a simple pulse counter that grounds the character in reality.
And when the beast comes out, wow. This rippling mass of fury feels as real a Hulk as we'll ever get when he lets out a Lou Ferrigno-voiced roar and tosses a boulder to the raining heavens. My only gripe is that they dropped his miles-wide leaps in favor of superpowered free-running. The sight of him hopping from rooftop to rooftop made a little girl in the theater laugh, "It's just like Spider-Man!" In terms of the again revised origin, I'm satisfied. Yes, I'd still like to see Banner silhouetted in front of a gamma mushroom cloud, but at least they found a nice way to use the version from the old TV series while slipping in some additional history that ties into the developing Marvel Film Universe.
There was nearly unanimous condemnation from critics of Liv Tyler's whispery performance as Betty Ross, Bruce's former love, but I didn't mind. She wasn't excellent, but she ably brought to life a woman gentle enough to sooth a raging monster, yet strong enough to stand toe-to-toe with some of the most aggressive military men on film. I read that Tyler and Norton did a lot of prep work on their characters' relationship, and it shows because Betty and Bruce are so visibly, beautifully, agonizingly in love, yet circumstances just won't let them be.
It terms of what I don't like, the major element is the portrayal of General 'Thunderbolt' Ross. It's a shame, because it is one of the most animated and memorable performances I've seen from William Hurt, but I really think the changes made to the character upset the fantastic dynamic offered by the comics. There, Ross was willing to do everything in his power to destroy the Hulk, which he sees as a chaotic threat to all of humanity. Everything, but use his daughter, Betty. His fear for her safety blinds him to the fact that she is the only hope of quelling the beast, which causes Ross to take devastating situations to extreme lengths that should have been avoided. In the film, Ross doesn't fear the Hulk, he wants to control it, harness it for the use of the government, and he'll do everything in his power to achieve his goals. Even exploit Betty.
Does my displeasure make sense? Not only did they upset a nice dynamic, but took an iconic supporting character and threw a complete 180 on his portrayal. Now, I can understand the need for such a threat, because it gives a reason for Bruce to keep himself out of their hands, but isn't that what Dr. Samuel Sterns is for? Sterns, in a gloriously wacky performance by Tim Blake Nelson, is a reckless scientist obsessed with the broad potential offered by gamma radiation. All they needed to do was boost his role so he, Blonsky, and Ross form a trifecta of antagonists in constant pursuit of our hero. One wants to posses the power, one wants to exploit the power, and one wants to destroy the power. Sadly, Sterns and his interests are tucked away in the final half-hour where they have little impact on the broader story beyond setting up the final fight.
And then there's Emil Blonsky. If they'd gone with the dynamic I mentioned a paragraph ago, then he would have fit perfectly into the picture. As it is, Blonsky is shoehorned into the script for no other reason than to create another monster for the Hulk to have a throw-down with. In terms of execution, I can't help but think it would have worked better if Tim Roth played him as a good, dedicated soldier slowly corrupted by the thirst for more power. Instead, he's a wolfish, sneering rogue who wants to take on the Hulk just because it'll make him feel like more of a man.
In terms of other problems, all I can think of is my regret that the scene between Leonard Samson (the always reliable Ty Burrell) and Bruce was cut because it was such a fantastic exploration of the Bruce/Betty relationship. Otherwise, this was a damn exciting, thoughtful superhero movie that, while not perfect, does show the continuing improvement of quality in the overall genre.
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)
Flawed, but gets the job done.
A decade after their last adventure, Rick and Evy O'Connell are living an opulent retirement funded by pulp novels loosely based on their exploits. They are trying to quietly settle down, put all that excitement behind them ... but they're just so bored. On the other side of the world, along the Great Wall of China, their son Alex is skipping out of college so he can unearth his first major dig: the remains of the legendary Emperor Han. It's not long before a ruthless general resurrects the ancient leader so as to build a new, global Chinese Empire.
It follows the typical formula of the film series to date - resurrect mummy, fail to stop him achieving full power, then take him on in a massive fight - but I like that Gough and Millar embrace the comparison by having their characters react in dismay that they've found themselves stuck in the same situation all over again. And while a major set piece (Shangri La!) is completely wasted and a pair of major characters are thinly developed, they gave us a rousing action script with snappy dialogue, a surprisingly effective family dynamic, and some really exciting sequences.
Though there is the occasional moment of boredom, Brendan Fraser mostly brings Rick O'Connell out of retirement with the brash, goofy charm we've come to love. He's great as ever at bounding into action and blaring orders, but there's also some nice little moments where he reflects on his family or questions whether or not his life is truly happy.
I doubt he's the best person they could cast in the role, but Luke Ford does a more than adequate job as Alex O'Connell. He's got the twinkle of discovery from mom and the lunkhead charm of dad, just no presence. Not to knock Ford, I see a decent film career in his future, but he just doesn't light up the screen as well as Fraser, despite a great father/son chemistry.
Then we get to the first of 3 Horribles, a trio of nearly disastrous mistakes that alone take the film down a notch. Horrible #1: Maria Bello as Evy O'Connell. Now, she's a fantastic actress and it's got to be tough to follow in the footsteps of Rachael Weitz, but Bello is completely miscast. She does decently in the action scenes, but those moments of flighty whimsy, which I'm glad Gough and Millar brought back from the first film, feel forced in Bello's clipped, artificial British accent, and there's just no chemistry there between her and Fraser.
Horrible #2 is a failure all across the board: Isabella Leong as Lin, a "young" guardian of the tomb who bears the only weapon that can kill the Emperor. Gough and Millar fail for writing her in a clichéd fashion as a stoic Martial Artist whose fighting abilities are as inconsistent as cheap plotting requires them to be. There's also no charm that should make us and Alex instantly fall for her the way we did for Evy back in part 1. Secondly, Leong is just plain bad in the part, lacking any presence and completely mangling her dialogue.
Also suffering from similar hackneyed writing (though not enough to be a Horrible) is Lin's underused mother Zi Yuan, a sorceress with ties to the Emperor. Not only is the part similarly underdeveloped, but the fantastic Michelle Yeoh should be above such roles. That doesn't stop her from giving it her all, though.
Jet Li is Jet Li. He's not the most charismatic actor and Emperor Han is a cardboard baddie, but Li does have presence and you never want to be in his way when he shoots a glare your way.
The f/x are a real mixed bag. When it comes to fantastical creatures, they're plain lousy. A trio of yeti (who disappear as quickly as they arrive) feel like they walked out of MONSTERS, INC. with their huge eyes and over-animated fur. And don't even get me started on the three-headed dragon and lion-thingy the Emperor morphs into. I would say they look like video game f/x, but most video games would be embarrassed with such visuals. On the other hand, the mummy himself is every bit as good as Imhotep in the first two films, and the huge finale where two mummy armies clash is absolutely superb.
This unevenness is a direct result of Rob Cohen. There's moments where he cuts away at the end of a scene even though it hasn't punctuated its point. There's gorgeous establishing shots that he hurries through instead of letting us soak them in. And then there's his Cubism. For those who don't know, Cohen developed this technique he calls Cubist Editing where he repeats an action shot from multiple angles so one can better take in the moment. There's a reason why better suited for the sports videos he copped it from: it interrupts the flow of the narrative and hurts the pace of the action. He does save it for just a few key moments, but they are noticeably jarring when they arrive.
And what is the dreaded Horrible #3? The score. I'm sorry, but this sounded like the type of adventure music one would find on a Saturday-morning kids' show. It's crap and does a disservice to the earlier work of Goldsmith and Silvestri.
In conclusion, it's far from a perfect picture - the script could use a couple more drafts, several roles desperately need to be recast, and I can instantly name half a dozen directors that would better click with the material (Joe Dante tops the list) - but I was entertained. It gave me some laughs, some thrills, and some moments of wonder, and that's really all I ask for when I go to see a flick like this.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)
Rousing
Soon after the Pevensies mysteriously abandoned their thrones, Narnia found itself under siege from the fierce men of Telmar. They rapidly took control and brutally ruled the lands, wiping out every being that wasn't "human" to the point where centaurs, dwarfs, and fawns became little more than legend. Over a thousand years have gone by, and this is the world the Pevensies return to when they are summoned by an exiled prince.
I'll be honest: I didn't like the book. I enjoy the series, but PRINCE CASPIAN has always been a bit of a letdown for me. There's a good core concept in there with some nice characters and ideas, but the final product always felt like a great 30 or 40 page short story hurriedly padded out to novel-length.
It's with great pleasure that I applaud Adamson for taking those elements and restructuring them into a near masterpiece of an epic film. What was a drawn out opening is now a rollicking escape. What was a chaotic battle is now a beautifully executed war. What were stale characters are now layered and conflicted beings.
The Pevensies are all back in top form, perfectly mixing the foibles of youth with the knowledge and experience of their decades-long reign. Joining them is Ben Barnes, who gives insecurity and depth to the title role of dashing Prince Caspian. Throw in a scene-stealing performance from Peter Dinklage, and the always welcome presence of Warwick Davis, and you get a superb cast of heroes.
The villains don't come off so well. Don't get me wrong, the actors aptly play their parts but, Caspian aside, the entire populace of Telmar is painted as nothing but a nation of genocidal xenophobes desperate for power.
This brings up the double-edged sword of two sequences I know have created a bit of controversy: 1) the night-time siege of the castle, and 2) the "resurrection" of the White Witch. While both are superbly executed, neither really has a lasting impact on the story. Trimming one or both would not only give more time to better round-out the Telmarines, but shorten the unnecessary length of two-and-a-half hours.
Now, those aside, this is still a fantastic movie. The glossy, storybook look that didn't entirely work in THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE gets a makeover here. It's still the same basic design, but we finally get the appreciated elements of grit and texture. And the colors, while not muted, no longer artificially burst off the screen like a cartoon.
And Adamson really knows how to bring this world to life. While the night raid may be disposable story-wise, he did a marvelous job of building a strategic attack that beautifully incorporated the vast variety of denizens Narnia has to offer. Especially when Reepicheep, who came off a cute sidekick in the book, gets to show off some formidable sword fighting skills catered to his physicality.
Alas, one other problem. And I don't blame Adamson, because there's really no way around it. Aslan. Big battle, hope is lost, lion shows up to save the day. Granted, while the results of his appearance were executed as more a helpful nudge than an all-out rescue, things still get awkward when he starts interfering left and right without an acceptable answer as to why he couldn't get off his hairy heiny and do that before.
These flaws still don't change the fact that this is a marvelous movie that anyone with a tiny sense of adventure should truly enjoy.
Tales from the Cryptkeeper: While the Cat's Away (1993)
Off to a weak start.
How best to begin a new Tales from the Crypt series? Well, it looks like someone said "Cram as many creatures in as you possibly can!" We get Frankenstein's monster, a werewolf, a mummy, zombies, vampires, even a giant octopus. But what we don't get is a good story.
Two kids decide to break into a house so they can buy a bike. Two annoying kids who do nothing to win our sympathy, I should add. That's pretty much it in terms of plot.
The animation is a mixed bag. I liked the thick shadows that became frequent in cartoons of the mid-90's and the spooky mansion is filled with great atmosphere, but the creatures are laughable in their design.
And the ending. The ending! I know it probably seemed clever and witty on the page, but please!
Tales from the Cryptkeeper: Nature (1993)
Simple but effective.
Two kids who torture ants find themselves shrunken down to insect size in a great take on the classic story of what goes around comes around.
There's a couple problems. The characters and dialogue are a little childish, at times feeling like an episode of the Magical School Bus. And one of the kids just happens to have a book on ants that he constantly refers to which, to be honest, is a necessary plot device but gets annoying quick. These aside, though, the episode works.
What I really like is that they don't shy away from having the kids face real danger. A key scene involves the kids fighting off a giant spider. Like any person, they've killed insects before, but never a looming thing that stares them in the face while in its death throes. This is rare stuff for Saturday morning fare and I appreciate the honesty. And the little sister imitating her brothers, not realizing it is they, not just random insects, that she is attacking. Brilliant stuff.
All in all, a simple story that benefits from strong execution.
Di-Gata Defenders: Trouble in Paradise (2006)
Solid pilot for fantasy-action fans.
This is one heck of a story-packed episode, to the point where I had to watch it several times just to take the whole thing in.
For the entire history, check out the show's official website.
In a nutshell, people can use and combine Di Gata stones to summon creatures, weapons, and spells. A wizard named Nazmul tried to gather all the stones' powers into a creature named the Megalith. He was stopped by a group of heroes known as the Di Gata Defenders, who also sealed the creature away in four pure stones, but at the cost of their own lives.
Their children were spirited away to a dojo hidden behind a dome of concealment where they were trained in the arts of the Di Gata stones. As the story opens, the kids have grown into teenagers curious about the world outside their hidden home. They are: Erik, a tech-geek; Kara, the youngest and feistiest; Mel, patient and level-headed; and Seth, their cocky and impatient leader.
Unfortunately, the pure stones containing the Megalith are weakening and he will eventually be freed. The kids leave on a quest to find the four relics and reactivate the sealing spell.
On their trail, though, is Nazmul's Order of Infinis, now lead by his lackey, Brackus.
This was a good pilot. They set up a grand conflict, an epic quest, and four sheltered kids who can discover this unknown world along with the audience. Add to that beautiful designs and well-choreographed battles, and you get a show that's perfect for a fantasy junkie like myself.
The only problem, as I mentioned above, is that the history is almost a bit too dense at times. I know they wanted to get it all out up front, but some could have been saved for future episodes.
Still, it was great fun and I look forward to more.
Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace (1995)
I liked it.
Dr. Bejamin Trace creates a brilliant device which allows unhindered access to all sources of electronic information: banks, hospitals, etc. When he questions their motives, the corporation that funded his research take him to court and claim the device as their own. Since Trace -- the only man who can make it work -- takes off to who-knows-where, the corporation pulls a crippled Jobe from the wreckage of the first movie and offer him a job.
Several years down the road, Jobe's secret work has lead to a future that's advanced on the surface, but hides a sad underbelly of poverty and unemployment. Jobe's nearly cracked the networking device, but needs to find Trace for the last crucial bits, so he contacts his old friend Pete, who's working the streets with a gang of homeless hackers. Pete's overjoyed that Jobe is alive and tracks the nomadic Trace down in a desert home free of modern convenience, only to learn that Jobe has plans of his own for the networking device. Plans that go far beyond the sharing or stealing of information.
First off, this film is cheap. It was made on a nonexistent budget and skipped out of the theaters before people even knew it existed. But, that aside, it works.
The sets and costumes brilliantly portray a Blade Runner-style future clearly divided between the haves and have-nots. The casting is perfect, from Patrick Bergan's portrayal of Trace as a man shoved around so long he finally ran away from the world, and Eli Pouget as Jobe's doctor who falls for her patient's seeming innocence. But the rowdy gang of kids steal the show. Heck, even Frewer, who I normally don't enjoy, does a decent job.
Farhad Mann deserves credit for a well constructed story with plenty of twists and turns that moves at a perfect pace. And more credit for bringing that script to life on such a meager budget.
There's really only two problems I have with the film.
First, Jobe doesn't gel with the original movie. Frewer's portrayal is of an anarchistic goof along the lines of Batman's Joker (especially the animated version), whereas Fahey played him as a twisted Buddha, one who thinks on a level beyond those around him. The performance works, though, if you just approach it as a different character.
Secondly, the VR scenes with actors in front of blue screen suffer when compared to the dated but beautiful cgi of the original. They still look fairly good, superimposing the actors over sprawling cybernetic vistas, but I guess I just miss the gimmick from the first one.
I like this movie. I know many out there don't, but I do. It's a rare sequel that tries to take the story off in a new direction.