Month: June 2017

Today’s quick review: xXx. Xander Cage (Vin Diesel), a daredevil with a criminal streak, is foricbly recruited by NSA agent Augustus Gibbons (Samuel L. Jackson) to handle a mission too dangerous for the NSA. Xander must infiltrate an anarchic terrorist group led by a man named Yorgi (Marton Csokas) and acquire the information the NSA needs to move against them.

xXx is an action movie with a spy movie’s plot and extreme sports sensibilities. The blend of genres sounds perfect for an action film, but xXx has a hard time getting out of the gate. Xander Cage is one of Vin Diesel’s weaker roles. Too much of his image is wrapped up in early-2000s extreme sports culture, and even the parts of his character that should be timeless are undermined by the film’s lack of realism and mediocre writing.

The story is a paint-by-the-numbers spy affair, right down to the gadgets Xander is given for his mission. The film thumbs its nose at spy conventions along the way, portraying Xander as the tough, cool antidote to the ineffectual, tuxedoed heroes of the spy genre, but none of these jabs really hit their mark. The spy elements exaggerate an already cartoonish film, further damaging Xander’s credibility as a protagonist.

The film finds its rhythm about halfway through when it stops posturing and focuses on action. The stunts are transparent excuses for Xander to put his extreme sports skills to use on his mission, but they are imaginative and handled reasonably well. These moments give xXx a reasonable amount of payoff for action fans and are the main reason to watch the film.

Check out xXx if you are an action fan looking for an easy watch with a bit of creativity. The plot, the acting, and most of the action are nothing special, but a couple of big stunts set it apart. Skip it if you dislike the excesses of the action genre or are looking for a better take on the spy genre.

5.8 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for some fun action held back by cut-rate writing and dated style.

Today’s quick review: My Neighbor Totoro. Satsuki and Mei are two young girls who move to the country with their father to be closer to their hospitalized mother. As they explore their new home, they discover a variety of nature spirits living in the world around them. Among these is Totoro, a good-natured, catlike spirit who befriends the girls.

My Neighbor Totoro is an animated fantasy film from director Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. The film is short on plot but rich in atmosphere and creativity. The antics of Totoro and his friends are a delight to watch, and the animation shows Miyazaki’s signature attention to detail. The tone is one of childlike exploration: Satsuki, the older of the two, looks after her younger sister as they roam around the fields and forests of their new home.

Totoro and the other spirits are strange but never frightening. Unlike Spirited Away or other Miyazki films, there is no undercurrent of danger, just a world of wonder hidden away from adult eyes. As such, My Neighbor Totoro is an innocent, family-friendly film with very little conflict. It misses out on the richer stories and themes of other Miyazaki films, but in exchange, it maintains an unsullied tone.

Give it a watch if you are looking for a light and beautiful way to spend an hour and a half. The title character is iconic, and the film has a charm that makes it worth seeing at some point. Just be aware that the tone is wholly childlike and the plot is almost nonexistent. Skip it if you are looking for a film with more substance.

8.2 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for gorgeous animation with minimal plot.

Today’s quick review: Akira. Tetsuo, a member of a bike gang in Neo-Tokyo, gets caught up in a battle between a psychic and the police. The incident causes Tetsuo to manifest harmful psychic powers of his own, and he is taken into government custody for treatment and study. Kaneda, the leader of the gang, sets out to find him, only to find himself allied with a group of rebels against the secret government program that has taken Testuo.

Akira is a Japanese animated science fiction movie with horror elements. It chronicles the tragic and unpredictable series of events surrounding the awakening of Tetsuo’s psychic powers. The powers are accompanied by severe migraines, hallucinations, and the rapid breakdown of Tetuo’s psyche, turning him into a dangerous threat to himself and others. Kaneda quickly finds himself in over his head, with only his loyalty to Tetsuo keeping him involved in a conflict well beyond his abilities.

Akira is a well-executed but confusing movie. The animation quality is fairly high, and the plot and setting show a great deal of thought. But the film’s many mysterious, conflicting factions, and unpredictable plot make it difficult to follow without advance knowledge of the plot. Akira’s horrific content also makes it an unsettling watch, as Tetsuo’s mind and reality begin to come apart around him.

Watch Akira if you are into anime and the stranger side of sci-fi. Akira is considered a classic by some, and while its confusing story and dark content can be a turn-off, the right viewer will certainly find Akira to be an intense and well-crafted film. However, most viewers should steer clear; venture in only if you are a devoted fan of sci-fi and horror.

8.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for an ambitious plot held back by unclear writing and a bizarre ending.

Today’s quick review: Space Jam. When an amusement park tycoon sends his alien minions to capture the cast of Looney Tunes to use as a park attraction, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and friends challenge the aliens to a game of basketball for their freedom. But when the aliens prove to be better players than they expected, the toons recruit real-life basketball star Michael Jordan to help.

Space Jam is a family sports comedy that mixes live action and cartoons. Michael Jordan, struggling to find new purpose after his retirement from basketball, is swept into a zany cartoon world to teach Bugs Bunny how to play basketball. From this fever dream of a premise, Space Jam assembles a surprisingly natural-feeling comedy that pokes fun at 90s basketball, classic Warner Bros. cartoons, and the quirks of being a celebrity.

Space Jam tweaks the “ragtag team of misfits” formula with a team of misfits that are uniquely unsuited to sports. The Looney Tunes characters exist in a world of cartoon physics, constant antics, and self-aware humor. A simple team lineup quickly descends into chaos, and any activities the characters try end up resembling their classic routines more than what they were meant to be doing.

As such, Michael’s job is not so much to whip a bunch of losers into shape but to channel their natural talents in a useful direction. The cartoon cast gives Space Jam an irreverent feel; they are comically incapable of growth, so the usual character development arcs are scrapped entirely in favor of more comedy. For his part, Michael Jordan comes across as a good-natured family man

Space Jam’s humor is imperfect, but it hits more than its misses. A bevvy of celebrity cameos are put to good use, from Bill Murray’s fawning over Jordan to the real-world basketball stars robbed of their talent to fuel the aliens’ own. The soundtrack has a couple of memorable picks, including a catchy title track that has achieved Internet notoriety.

All this combines to make Space Jam a breezy, fun watch. Watch it when you are in the mood for something light, silly, and short. Skip it if you find the premise unappealing or are looking for a more subtle comedy.

6.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for delivering an unexpected amount of fun from an unusual premise.

Today’s quick review: The Matrix. Neo (Keanu Reeves), a talented hacker, has become preoccupied with a single question: “What is the Matrix?”. A mysterious woman named Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) offers to take him to Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), an enigmatic man who has the answers Neo seeks. Morpheus confronts Neo with a terrifying truth: that the world around him is merely a simulation.

The Matrix is an ambitious science fiction movie with groundbreaking special effects, interesting philosophical themes, and a hefty dose of action. The inspiration for countless parodies and imitations, The Matrix delivers equal doses of speculative fiction and spectacle. The tone is one of grim determination: Morpheus and his crew fight nigh-invincible Agents of the system in an effort to awaken as many people to the truth as possible.

The premise allows for some mind-bending action. Their knowledge of the simulation gives Morpheus and his crew the ability to warp it around them, allowing them to accomplish feats of superhuman strength and agility. The combat is stylish, well-choreographed, and backed by innovative CGI. Between the martial arts, the wire stunts, and the heavy-duty shootouts, The Matrix has enough to make any action fan salivate.

The story is no less polished. The Matrix takes a strong science fiction premise and gives it free reign, with the budget to back up its ambitions. The Matrix explores a world where the truth is buried, comforting illusion dominates, and the only hope of victory is to confront an inhuman and unbeatable system. The writing remains solid throughout, building its tone and mystery during its first half and exploding into a flurry of action in the second.

The Matrix also has a number of subtle details that supplement its themes. The principal characters all stand out from the background of the mundane world in some way, from the leather outfits, sunglasses, and stoic demeanors of Morpheus and his crew to the tailored suits and cold expressions of the Agents. The time spent with Neo before his awakening is deliberately disorienting and banal, making the strange events around him seem all the stranger.

The acting fits the movie well. Keanu Reeves portrays the introverted hacker Neo, whose reaction to the events happening around him is shocked disbelief, which mellows into the same resolved detachment shown by Carrie-Anne Moss and Laurence Fishburne. Hugo Weaving delivers a memorable performance as Agent Smith, an Agent whose hatred of humanity oozes from every word. The supporting cast shows a bit more humanity but still fits into a similar mold; what the film lacks in pathos, it makes up for in a cast that can interact with the weighty setting on its own terms.

Watch The Matrix if you are a fan of action or science fiction in even the smallest capacity. The Matrix is a bleak but incredibly stylish film that delivers story and action in equal quantities. Skip The Matrix only if you dislike serious films or violence.

8.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 9.0 for outstanding quality and for being one of my personal favorites.

Today’s quick review: Donnie Darko. Donnie (Jake Gyllenhaal), a troubled teenager, experiences disturbing visions that seem to presage a coming disaster. His only guide to these visions is Frank, a spirit in a grotesque rabbit mask who offers Donnie advice. As his visions begin to influence his behavior, Donnie finds himself spiralling down a dark path.

Donnie Darko is a psychologocial horror movie and a cult classic. The film explores themes of predestination and teenage isolation using a tense, surreal mystery as its framework. Donnie Darko is not a pleasant watch. Though it only has one or two actual scares, the tension is high throughout, and the bottom feels like it could drop out of Donnie’s world at any minute.

The plot of Donnie Darko can be hard to follow. Part of this difficulty comes from the mystery at the heart of the story. Donnie does not understand the nature of his visions or the critical moment they point toward, and his confusion is reflected by the viewer. Part of the difficulty comes from the abstract logic the visions employ. The end of the film does answer some of these questions, but it takes a dedicated viewer to follow all of what is going on.

Donnie Darko is a difficult watch made worthwhile by its masterful execution and its surreal, disturbing tone. The themes of the film wind in on themselves in strange and unpredictable ways, while the plot marches on with the implacability of Fate. Watch it if you are looking for a darkly fascinating film with a plot few other films would attempt. Skip it if you are looking for straightforward horror or any sort of a light watch.

8.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it an 8.0 for excellent tone and a unique premise.

Today’s quick review: The Avengers. John Steed (Ralph Fiennes) and Emma Peel (Uma Thurman) are a pair of British secret agents tasked with investigating a series of meteorological anomalies plaguing the United Kingdom. Their investigation leads them to Sir August de Wynter (Sean Connery), a wealthy man who plans to hold London ransom with his weather machine.

The Avengers is a psychedelic spy film adapted from the 60s TV show of the same name. Featuring a thematic supervillain, a few surreal moments, and a great cast, The Avengers is a spy film that tries to put its own spin on the classic genre. Unfortunately, the execution leaves something to be desired, with a difficult plot, odd internal logic, and poor writing.

The premise of The Avengers is a conventional spy universe turned on its head. The framework is typical for the genre: British spies, diabolical supervillains, peril, and quips. But the trappings are subversive, from flying security drones to unexplained evil doppelgangers. This formula should produce a stylish take on the spy genre, but weak writing and tone issues let the movie down.

The film is too subversive for its own good. It occasionally throws logic out the window alongside convention. The Avengers also never quite decides whether it wants to be a parody of the genre or an unusual but serious entry into it. The film’s straight-faced tone keeps it from being an effective parody, while the film’s absurdity keeps it from being a serious spy film.

John Steed and Emma Peel both epitomize the unflappable spy archetype. Their relationship is a constant competition to stay as stoic as possible while coming up with the driest one-liner. Without a member of the duo to crack a smile once in a while, their exchanges hang in the air unresolved, sandbagging a number of fun jokes. Ralph Fiennes and Uma Thurman are both great fits for their characters, making their mishandling even more disappointing.

For his part, Sean Connery delivers a ridiculous, over-the-top performance as Lord de Wynter. The character is a Bond villain through and through, from his meaningful name to his megalomaniacal ambitions. Connery delivers weather-themed quips with all the gravity one could hope, and his performance is rendered all the more surreal by the eccentric conventions of The Avengers’ spy universe.

Watch The Avengers if you are looking for a peculiar take on the spy genre that lacks the quality to make use of its great cast and stylish premise. Skip it if you are looking for a better entry into the genre.

3.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 4.0 for quality and a 6.0 for perverse entertainment value.

Today’s quick review: Hitch. Albert (Kevin James), a dumpy financial advisor, seeks out the help of Hitch (Will Smith), New York’s famous Date Doctor, to win the heart of Allegra (Amber Valletta), a beautiful celebrity. Albert does what Hitch recommends but finds himself making more progress by being himself than by putting up a front. At the same time, Hitch finds himself falling for Sara (Eva Mendes), an industrious gossip columnist, and throwing his own advice out the window.

Hitch is a light romantic comedy that balances both aspects of the genre. Will Smith and Kevin James play well off each other. Will Smith takes a role that could come across as sleazy and makes him good-natured and human. Kevin James plays Albert as a lovable dork who needs a bit of help to come into his own. Their relationship quickly turns into a sort of friendship as the two get to know each other.

As is typical for the genre, the plot revolves around romance and misunderstanding. Both romantic subplots are sweet without being schmaltzy. Allegra is out of Albert’s league, and only a combination of Hitch’s advice and natural compatibility gives him a shot. For her part, Sara manages to get through the barriers Hitch puts up in his own love life, causing him to question his approach to love.

Watch Hitch if you are looking for a romantic comedy with a bit more comedy than romance. The crux of the story is still romance, but the film never gets too bogged down with drama or soul-baring. Skip it if you dislike even the lighter end of the genre.

6.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for a nice tonal balance and good characters.

Today’s quick review: Captain America: The First Avenger. During World War II, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), a patriotic young man with a sickly physique, is transformed into a superpowered soldier by a secret Army program. With the help of his childhood friend Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and a British officer named Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), he dons the mantle of Captain America and leads a series of combat missions against Hydra, the Nazis’ superscience division, and its leader, the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving).

Captain America: The First Avenger is a superhero war movie and the fourth entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film acts as an origin story for Captain America, chronicling his transformation from a weak but spirited young man into America’s most skilled soldier. The film has unusually clear-cut morality, even for the optimistic superhero genre, paving the way for a straightforward heroic adventure untroubled by angst.

The plot revolves around the Red Skull’s attempts to harness the power of the Tesseract, a destructive artifact that fuels Hydra’s advanced technologies. The war setting gives Captain America a unique flavor among the Marvel films and allows it to cover a longer span of time than a more limited story would. The action, driven by Steve’s enhanced strength, enhanced speed, and trademark shield, is a creative extension of wartime combat and hand-to-hand fighting.

Watch Captain America: The First Avenger if you are looking for a fun superhero movie with a war flavor, satisfying combat, and an undercurrent of idealism. Skip it if you dislike the superhero genre or you want a film with more internal conflict.

6.9 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for Marvel’s typically solid execution.

Today’s quick review: Appleseed. Deunen Knute, a highly skilled soldier, is brought in from the ruins of the world to the utopia of Olympus, a floating city established in the wake of an inconclusive global war. There she is reunited with Briareos, a fellow soldier who was once her lover, now made a cyborg after sustaining heavy injuries on a mission. Her skills are needed to help Olympus’s ESWAT team deal with a plot to exterminate Olympus’s sizable population of Bioroids, synthetic beings engineered not to have the flaws of humanity.

Appleseed is a Japanese CGI science fiction movie based on the manga by Shirow Masamune. The art style is an odd blend of cell-shading for the characters and realistic rendering for props and backgrounds, preserving the cartoonish look of the manga while using detailed CGI to show off the setting’s beauty, scale, and technology. The graphics quality is quite high, and it holds up well in spite of the film’s age.

The story is firmly in the realm of science fiction, asking what would happen if mankind was able to construct a race without its failings. Could they coexist? Would humans step aside? Or would there be war? The questions the film asks are philosophically interesting, although the limited length of a feature film means that Appleseed cannot fully do them justice.

The adaptation from the comics is an interesting one, as it takes the series’ characters, themes, and setting and uses them to tell a simplified, cohesive tale. The resulting story is somewhat more conventional than the manga, but it retains the series’ strong ideas and has a similarly complex plot. The film as a whole does a good job of condensing a complicated setting, philosophical questions, nuanced characterization, plenty of action, and a full-fledged plot into its allotted one-and-a-half hours.

The action is fast-paced and satisfying, making full use of the setting’s futuristic technology. Police in robotic armor and powerful cyborgs face off using heavy ordnance and all the mobility available to them. The writing tackles complicated concepts as well as can be expected. The English voice acting leaves something to be desired, though; watch it in Japanese with English subtitles if you have the option.

Watch Appleseed if you are in the mood for pretty CGI, a sci-fi story, and some action. Appleseed is a movie with strong fundamentals that works well from the perspectives of speculative fiction, action, and visual spectacle. Skip it if you are looking for a film with a straightforward plot.

7.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for a nice blend of setting, character, story, and action.