200 Movies, 1 Woman, 1 Blog

Star Trek Into Darkness, 2013, USA

Star Trek Into Darkness is, without a doubt, the best film of the year so far. It’s fun, thrilling and features some truly great moments between members of its incredibly talented cast. J.J. Abrams did an awesome job directing it and replicating the success of its 2009 predecessor.

After an attack on Starfleet in London, it is determined that John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch), a former Starfleet member, is responsible. Admiral Alexander Marcus (Peter Weller) sends Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and his First Officer, Spock (Zachary Quinto) out to get justice on behalf of those who were murdered. Kirk, Spock and the rest of the Enterprise crew quickly realize that they are very much in over their heads. What must be done to defeat John Harrison?

I’m repeating the advice that I seem to be giving a lot these days: go in blind. I wanted to know as little as possible about the film, but, I did manage to have one of the surprises spoiled for me. One of the downsides of social media, I suppose. Luckily, it was a very minor spoiler, but do what you can to see it as Abrams intended: knowing as little as possible.

While the film did technically open on the 16th, I saw it on the 17th, and it felt like opening night. The IMAX theatre was full, and the audience cheered and clapped at certain moments during the film. I love going to films on opening night because of the pure enthusiasm involved. There’s always a great energy in the theatre.

Star Trek Into Darkness is certainly darker than its predecessor (as evidenced by the title), but the humour that made the last film so delightful is retained. There are many moments that are uproariously funny. The cast has such great chemistry and play so well off each other – especially Pine and Quinto. I loved the way the film explored their friendship. Cumberbatch was brilliant in his role. He’s charismatic, bonechillingly cold and menacing. He was perfectly casted. I’ve been aware of his talent as an actor for a number of years now, so I was thrilled to see him in this film.

I saw the film in 3D, but actually completely forgot that it was 3D after the first sequence in the film (which was fantastically shot). So I guess it goes without saying that the 3D failed to impress me. See it in 2D if you are able to. Aside from the lackluster 3D, the visual effects are beautiful. There’s one sequence that takes place in space that is extraordinary.

I left the theatre feeling the great rush and enthusiasm that comes from seeing a fantastic summer blockbuster. I can’t wait to see Star Trek Into Darkness again.

Oblivion, 2013, USA

After aliens known as “Scavs” destroyed the moon and much of Earth, humanity has reconvened on Titan and Jack (Tom Cruise) and Victoria (Andrea Riseborough) are assigned a mission to keep the hydrorigs that supply power to Titan safe. Sally (Melissa Leo), their commanding officer, watches over them remotely from the Tet, an escape vessel that’s orbiting the Earth. While out on a mission, Jack discovers a ship that’s crash-landed on Earth and rescues Julia (Olga Kurylenko), a mysterious woman he has scattered memories of. Julia’s arrival signals a change, and Jack realizes that things may not be as they seem.

The movie itself was interesting enough, but I actually found it quite predictable. I won’t reveal any spoilers from the second half, but I will say that I accurately predicted every twist and turn in the film. Perhaps this is because I watch quite a few science fiction films! However, the story is a bit formulaic, but it’s still an enjoyable film.

Cruise is playing the same sort of character he plays in most of his movies. He does a good job in the role, and he was great to watch, though. I was impressed with Riseborough – her character has an interesting psychological profile. I preferred Victoria to Jack. Kurlyenko wasn’t bad, but her character wasn’t particularly well developed and was really bland. Frankly, for the most part, the ideas and themes of the film shine far brighter than the character development.

I was very impressed by the cinematography in the film. Jack and Victoria live in a place called Tower 49, and the house at the top of the tower was beautifully designed. The shots of the landscape during twilight hours, the idyllic landscapes and the dry desert sand dunes were all gorgeous. Whoever scouted the different shooting locations did a marvelous job. I was glad I went to see the film in theatres for the cinematography alone. I was also happy to see that it was not in 3D, as most blockbusters are nowadays.

I was quite happy to see that Oblivion will almost certainly end up being a “one off” film. There were no openings for a sequel, which seems to be rare nowadays. Most major blockbusters are either part of a franchise, or the start of a franchise. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing (we all know I’m a huge superhero film fan!), but it is nice to see a studio take a chance on a film that won’t be a franchise, and one that is based on an original idea. Director and co-writer Joseph Kosinski based Oblivion on his unpublished graphic novel. Now – will we ever see that graphic novel published? I’d love to read it someday.

Ultimately, I enjoyed Oblivion, and it’s worth seeing in theatres if you’re a science fiction fan.

In Time, 2011, USA

I watched this film primarily because the premise of it intrigued me. I love the dystopian film and literary genre, and, while the film received very mixed reviews, I thought I’d give it a chance.

Will (Justin Timberlake) and his mom (Olivia Wilde) live in the ghetto of a world where time is currency. Humans stop aging at age 25, but must continually replenish their time, because they die if their clocks run to zero. When Will saves a man with over 100 years on his clock (Matt Bomer), the man gives his time to Will. When Will enters high class society with a desire to destroy the system, he meets Sylvia (Amanda Seyfried), the daughter of a millionaire bank owner (Vincent Kartheiser). When timekeeper Raymond Leon (Cillian Murphy) comes to arrest Will, he takes Sylvia hostage and goes on the lam.

The premise was, indeed very interesting. In fact, I loved the idea of the film. The execution was rather flawed. There were a series of very heavy-handed and overly manipulative moments throughout the course of the film. I knew precisely what would happen at these moments, and I’m sure much of the audience would too. The first half hour of the film was generally pretty good, mostly because it served as an introduction to this nightmare world. However, once Will is on the lam, the movie goes downhill pretty quickly. It kept my attention, but it did so grudgingly.

I think it would have been better if the film had stayed away from the “running away from the law” premise and stuck more with the class differences and the struggles to survive in a world where time is currency. That stuff was genuinely interesting. The movie was torn between wanting to make powerful commentary on our society and wanting to be an action/thriller. In the end, it fails at being all three.

That being said, Timberlake gave a pretty good performance. He has shown me, a few times, that he is a capable actor. I believe this is his first leading role I’ve seen, and he did a good job. Many years ago, I had written him off because I wasn’t a fan of his solo music. I’m still not a fan of his music (though he does have a few catchy tunes), but he’s a charismatic presence on screen, and a talented guy. Seyfried wasn’t bad either, but her character was written very poorly. She didn’t have a whole lot of complexity, and the changes to her character over the course of the film felt very forced by the writers.

This film could have been so much more. I didn’t hate it, but I felt very disappointed by it. I should have known better: after all, I had read the reviews beforehand.

Titan A.E., 2000, USA

When I discovered this film was on Netflix, I knew it would only be a matter of time before I saw it. Back when it was first released in theatres, I wanted to see it, but it had left theatres before I had a chance to go with my family. Turns out it was a massive box office bomb, which is why it wouldn’t have been in theatres very long. It’s a shame it bombed, because I really appreciated the story and the film as a whole.

Cale (Matt Damon) was given a ring by his father (Ron Perlman) just as he was evacuating Earth as a young boy. Earth is subsequently destroyed by the Drej, alien beings of pure energy. As an adult, Cale is tracked down by Captain Korso (Bill Pullman) because the ring is a map to the spaceship Titan, which is the key to saving humanity. Cale reluctantly agrees to search for Titan with Korso and his co-pilot Akima (Drew Barrymore).

The tone of the film was slightly awkward, even though I did enjoy it quite a bit. The subject matter is quite mature, but many of the supporting characters lack the maturity and complexity to carry such a dark film. Is the film aimed at children, or more at adults? I would lean toward a more adult demographic, personally. I’m not sure if I would have enjoyed the film as much if I’d seen it as a kid. My appreciation for science fiction didn’t develop until I was a teenager.

Titan A.E. is a mix of hand drawn animation and computer animation. At times, the film is extraordinarily beautiful, but there are also moments where the computer animation looks a bit dated. While I can see how far computer animation has come (compare early Pixar films to the more recent ones), earlier computer animated efforts generally don’t get my attention the way Titan A.E. did. I’m sure it’s because of the blend of computer animation and hand drawn animation. During some scenes, the two styles just didn’t “blend” together as well as it did in other scenes, and I think it was because of the limitations of the technology back in the late 90s.

I have to say that I’m quite spoiled to be living in the era I do: computer animation has come so far since I was a child, and filmmakers can create amazingly realistic characters using motion capture. But, growing up with the technology also means that I notice bad or older CGI.

That being said, the ice field scene was just an outstanding piece of animation. It looked beautiful and it was a fairly tense scene, as well. The writers, animators and voice actors really made that scene the highlight of the entire film.

I’m pretty curious about Prometheus. The trailer looks intense, and the cast is very strong. I’m eager to see it!

But, I have a confession. I haven’t seen a single movie in the Alien franchise. I will need to see Alien and Aliens at the very least before seeing Prometheus. I’m a little ashamed that I haven’t seen either Alien or Aliens, since I know they’re both science fiction classics, and I’m very fond of science fiction films.

The Hunger Games, 2012, USA

This was a strong adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ book of the same name. The few changes that were made were done to make the book-to-film transition smoother. A few of the changes also positively impacted the flow of the story. I really enjoyed it.

Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) is a young hunter from the impoverished District 12 in a post-apocalyptic United States now known as Panem. Her, and her best friend, Gale (Liam Hemsworth) hunt out of necessity and speak to escaping on the day of the reaping (when one male and one female are chosen to participate in The Hunger Games). Katniss refuses to try to escape, primarily out of concern for her sister, Primrose (Willow Shields). When Primrose’s name is chosen, Katniss volunteers to be the female tribute from District 12, alongside Peeta (Josh Hutcherson). As tributes, they must participate in The Hunger Games, an annual, televised, fight to the death. Only one tribute comes out alive, and Katniss and Peeta must fight for their lives in the arena.

The book and film are a bleak satire of modern society. We’re always connected, and Western society has a bizarre fascination with the lives of others (most notably, celebrities). When they’re at their worst, we seem to be most entertained. We are so disconnected from famous people that their lives become the source of our entertainment, and we often forget that we’re witnessing the successes or failures of a real person. This disconnect, and our obsession with fashion and beauty are criticized in a very dark manner.

Lawrence was the real highlight of the film. I love her past work, and she did an amazing job. Admittedly, Katniss was not fleshed out in the film as much as she was in the book, but, as the book is from her perspective, it’s far easier to get a handle on her personality. I love her character, because she’s an example of a powerful, independent female. It made more than the Twilight franchise did in their opening weekends, which truly does my heart good. Young people, especially young women, need powerful female characters as examples. The female protagonist in the Twilight series is driven by love and desire and constantly needs a man to save her. I can’t tell you how much I respect Katniss’ independence and ability to take care of herself.

I wasn’t quite expecting the film to be the sensation it is turning out to be. It makes me eager to see the sequels, which will surely be produced in short order. I do encourage you to read the book first, if at all possible, because I feel like it made the movie even more enjoyable. One other suggestion would be to read Battle Royale, which features a very similar (although, I’d argue, even darker) premise. I’ll write a blog post comparing the book (and film adaptation) one of these days, once I re-read the book and watch the film again.

John Carter, 2012, USA

I feel bad for Andrew Stanton. As a film director over at Pixar, this movie was his first live action movie. I could see the love he put into the film, but, sadly, it’s bombing in a pretty spectacular fashion.

I saw the potential in the movie. I wanted to love it, because I genuinely enjoy science fiction and the premise is just so fascinating, but there were some serious script and editing problems. The film was clunky and paced very awkwardly. The timeline of the film was completely unbelievable at times. I also had great difficulty understanding the motivations behind the actions of some of the characters, because they’re explained away with only a line or two. The characters themselves can be difficult to keep track of, as the film truly has an ensemble cast.

But despite all of that, I saw a fascinating story. I just feel that, with some work, it could have been a genius film. It also didn’t have to be the bomb that it is. Admittedly, many people are not familiar with the series the movie is based on. The marketing itself was weak; many people didn’t know what the movie was or when it was being released. Had the budget not been blown up over $350 million, Disney could have had a box office success on their hands instead of this disaster.

John Carter (Taylor Kitsch) is a former Confederate soldier with little motivation to live when he is transported to Mars. On Mars he has the ability to jump great heights due to the differences in gravity. This makes him a powerful fighter. On Mars, a civil war has broken out between the the city of Helium and the city of Zodanga. John is captured by Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe), the king of the Tharks, a separate race of creatures who are disinterested in the civil war. They want John to become one of their warriors, but those plans are put in jeopardy when he meets Dejah (Lynn Collins), who is the princess of Helium.

Kitsch was adept in the action sequences of the film, but he lacked the charisma necessary to be a leading man in this sort of role. John Carter lacked anything to make him stand out from other similar characters. He was boring to watch. That’s part of the reason the film fell flat. Collins is just as bad as Kitsch. I didn’t care much about her characters, because I was never given any reason to care for her. She didn’t stand out as an actress. To make a movie like this stand out, you must cast gifted actors who will create characters that people will remember. This is why Pirates of the Caribbean was so successful. If Disney wanted this film to be on the same level as Pirates, they had to cast someone with the same sort of talent Johnny Depp has. Kitsch is a handsome man, but good looks don’t carry a movie, in my books.

That being said, the movie isn’t horrible. It’s quite enjoyable, and I had a good time watching it. I saw it in 3D, and while the 3D wasn’t magnificent (I would have preferred to see it in 2D), it didn’t ruin the movie for me. If you’re in the mood for this sort of movie, you could do a lot worse than John Carter.

The Island, 2005, USA

This movie had the potential to be excellent. Potential being the operative word.  The story line was intriguing but, unfortunately, it was directed by Michael Bay so it got what I call the “Michael Bay treatment”.  Instead of character development or plot, we got a variety of explosions during the second half of the movie.

If you haven’t seen the movie, watch the first 45 minutes or so and you’ll see what the movie could have been.  But stop it there, and create your own ending.  The first 45 minutes were fantastic.  I loved the world that had been developed and the issues the movie focused on.  Why did Bay have to put those issues aside and focus on explosions, chase scenes and fights?  Probably because he’s incapable of creating a film with any sort of depth.

Lincoln Six Echo (Ewan McGregor) is living in an underground world with about a thousand other people, including his best friend Jordan Two Delta (Scarlett Johansson).  Residents are entered into a “lottery” to go to the island – a place free of the contamination of the rest of the surface world.  But Lincoln begins to feel that they are being lied to, and that their existence is for a far more sinister purpose.

The highlights of the movie were McGregor and Steve Buscemi, who played a technician in the underground world.  They’re both strong actors and McGregor in particular did as much as he could with limited opportunities for character development.  Johansson was very dull.  I got the feeling her primary purpose was to stand around and look beautiful.

The movie wasn’t completely terrible, but it was a failure.  It tried to be an intelligent science fiction movie, but it morphed into a pathetic action movie.  Bay just can’t direct unless he has a stick of dynamite on one side of him and a barrel of gasoline on the other.  He’s one of the worst directors working right now.  I blame him, and him alone for the failure of this movie.  Had it been put in more capable hands, it could have been an intelligent, thought provoking film.

I do have to say that the set pieces constructed for the underground world were very well done.  It looked like a fascinating society, and they fit the tone of the first half hour perfectly.  I loved the look of it.

Were I a smarter person, I’d refuse to watch anything Bay directs.  However, I’m a bit of a masochist and I find some enjoyment in putting down bad movies on occasion.  It’s an amusing way to pass the time, and since I watch genuinely good movies most of the time, I figure the occasional bad movie won’t do any harm.

Cowboys & Aliens, 2011, USA

This film is a mash-up of classic western movies and alien movies.  And it more or less works because the entire cast plays it straight (an unexpected tactic for such a ridiculous premise).  It’s not perfect, but it works.

The movie opens with a mysterious man in the desert (Daniel Craig).  He has no idea who he is, but he has a bracelet on his arm.  After fighting with Percy Dolarhyde (Paul Dano), the man is revealed to be Jake Lonergan; a notorious criminal.  Percy’s father, Woodrow (Harrison Ford), has a personal beef with Jake.  There is no time to settle their beef, as a group of spaceships attack the town, and Jake has the only effective weapon – his bracelet.  Jake and Woodrow are forced to work together to hunt the aliens, in order to rescue the townspeople.

Craig and Ford are perfect in their roles.  Ford is gruff, racist, but ultimately very caring.  Craig is a badass.  I’m not a fan of the James Bond series, so it’s nice to see him in something else.  He’s a talented actor and I’m glad he hasn’t been pigeon holed as James Bond.

I saw the film almost as a metaphor of the struggles between American settlers and the Native American (First Nations in Canada) people.  When the settlers arrived, they had guns, which were more powerful than the weapons the Native American people had.  We all know of the atrocities committed throughout history towards the Native American and First Nations people.  In this film, the aliens had more powerful weaponry than humans did.

The movie wasn’t perfect.  It dragged quite a bit in the middle.  The best part of the film was the first 20 minutes – before the aliens appeared.  I thought Percy was a far more interesting character than the aliens, and unfortunately he doesn’t get much screen time beyond the first few minutes.  Jake’s memory issue was a contrived plot device, and its “solution” was far too easy and convenient.  That was lazy writing.

Olivia Wilde played Ella, a mysterious traveler who joins the expedition.  Wilde is a terrible actress, and she turns what should have been a very interesting character into a complete bore.  She has no charisma and no on screen presence.  She was probably the weakest part of the film.  They should have hired somebody with a bit more talent to tackle her role.

Cowboys & Aliens was a great way to spend the afternoon, but I don’t really feel any desire to see it again.  It was a fun summer movie.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 1977, USA

As I started this movie, my brother returned home with several of his friends. They came to the basement with a few boxes of pizza and asked me what I was watching. I told them and they said they hadn’t heard of it. I told them it was from 1977, and they said that “that explains why; it’s old!”. My heart hurts.

I may not have seen this movie before tonight but I’d certainly heard of it. As far as I’m concerned, Steven Spielberg is a legend and I’ve heard of most, if not all of his movies, even if I haven’t seen them. But I get the feeling that these boys aren’t exactly into movies the way I am.

As my title states, this movie is about aliens. Not the evil kind, but the mysterious kind. Roy (Richard Dreyfuss) is out working late one night when he sees several bright air crafts in the sky. They’re clearly alien air crafts. He witnesses this along with numerous other people, including young Barry (Cary Guffey). Everyone who sees the air crafts begin drawing the same mountain. This is very frightening to Roy’s family and Jillian (Melinda Dillon), Barry’s mother.

I saw the version of the movie with the original ending. I was happy about that as I watched the alternate ending in the deleted scenes section of the DVD and I disliked it. It felt awkward and unnatural. The original ending was far better. If you get a choice between watching it with the original ending or the alternate ending, choose the original.

While the movie is technically a science fiction movie, I definitely see it as more of a movie about transformation. Roy changes quite a bit over the course of the movie and follows his dreams. I saw the air crafts as being the event that caused Roy’s change. In that way, it didn’t quite matter if it was aliens or a car accident, etc. The movie was about Ray.

I really enjoyed the movie. It wasn’t quite what I expected (for some reason I was expecting a road trip movie in search of aliens), but I liked it. Dreyfuss was awesome. The special effects really impressed me too. Before CGI became prevalent it seemed like filmmakers were able to do a lot with very little. Nowadays I think there’s too much CGI in many movies. It can be very distracting. Especially if it doesn’t look realistic.