Month: October 2017

Today’s quick review: The Matrix Revolutions. With the Machines mere hours from breaking through to Zion, Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) dive back into the Matrix to rescue Neo (Keanu Reeves), whose mind has become trapped. With the Matrix itself threatened by Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) and Zion preparing its final stand, Neo attempts to reach the Machine City to fulfill the destiny of the One and put an end to the war.

The Matrix Revolutions is a science fiction action movie and the final film in the Matrix trilogy. The story of the Matrix reaches its climax as the plot threads established in The Matrix Reloaded begin to come together. Featuring the same compelling style as the first two films and much of the action, The Matrix Revolutions makes for a solid watch on its own but a mediocre ending to a reputable series.

The Matrix Revolutions has flaws that its two predecessors lack. The movie spends very little time in the Matrix, opting instead to focus on the grim war going on in the real world. As such, the movie’s action sequences have a very different flavor than those in the previous films. The smaller number of Matrix fight scenes are supplemented with competent but more conventional action scenes set in the real world.

The third movie is also heavier on plot and drama than the previous films. The movie slows down in the middle as it sets up for the finale, with several sequences that could have been cut or abridged with little damage to the story. The film’s greatest weakness is the way it wraps up the plot of the series. Its tonal shift, unclear logic, and ambiguous ending make The Matrix Revolutions a less than satisfying conclusion to the trilogy.

Nevertheless, The Matrix Revolutions remains a strong science fiction film in concrete terms. The special effects are as polished as ever, the setting is well-developed, and the action scenes are still exciting. Between its swarms of robots, hovercrafts, power armor, virtual reality, and dystopian future, The Matrix Revolutions is quintessential science fiction, with the budget and action to back up its premise.

Watch The Matrix Revolutions to find out how the Matrix trilogy ends. The Matrix Revolutions is a decent film with several virtues of its own, but it is a marked step down from the quality of the first two. Skip it if you disliked The Matrix Reloaded or you are invested in the trilogy ending on a high note.

6.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for fine science fiction and visual spectacle that fails to live up to its predecessors.

Today’s quick review: The Matrix Reloaded. As the Machines tunnel to Zion, the last refuge of humanity, Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), Neo (Keanu Reeves), and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) journey inside the Matrix to look for a way to stop the onslaught. Their only hope lies with the Oracle (Gloria Foster) and the prophecy of the One, but even that hope might prove to be yet another layer of Machine control.

The Matrix Reloaded is a science fiction action movie that picks up six months after the events of The Matrix. The war against the Machines has spilled into the real world even as the Matrix grows more dangerous. Written and directed by the Wachowskis, The Matrix Reloaded continues its predecessor’s trend of special effects innovation and stylish sci-fi action. Though it lacks the tight writing of the original, it offers spectacle and creative sci-fi in abundance.

The sequel takes a risk by expanding the universe of the Matrix beyond the limited slice seen in the first film. The movie introduces the concept of Exiles, programs banished from the Machine mainframe who have taken up residence in the Matrix. The reborn Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) is a great addition to the canon, while a number of smaller changes help set up some of the movie’s creative fight scenes.

But these changes come with a price. In its attempts to grow beyond the confines of the first film, The Matrix Reloaded sacrifices its philosophical finesse and sense of mystery. The answers Neo finds are vague, cryptic, and unsatisfying, robbing the movie of much of its intellectual and emotional impact. Fans of the first film’s qualities as a science fiction drama may be disappointed in the sequel’s weaker mysteries and action-oriented plot.

What The Matrix Reloaded lacks in philosophical coherence, it makes up for in pure action. The sequel improves on the already outstanding action of the first film, upgrading its special effects, inventiveness, and scope. Featuring physics-bending martial arts, a wide variety of weapons, polished CGI, and uniformly excellent premises, the action sequences in The Matrix Reloaded are some of the most iconic in cinema.

Any action fan who enjoyed The Matrix will get something out of The Matrix Reloaded. The movie’s weaknesses in writing and exposition keep it from being an entirely satisfactory sequel, but its decent plot, strong atmosphere, and jaw-dropping action scenes are enough to set it apart from typical action fare. Those who only liked The Matrix for its cerebral side will dislike the answers the sequel provides.

7.2 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it an 8.5 for superb action, a decent plot, and an excellent setting.

Today’s quick review: The Animatrix. While fleeing from a Sentinel ambush, the crew of the hovercraft Osiris discovers that the Machines have begun drilling toward Zion. Meanwhile, in the Matrix, a high school boy’s faith in Neo sets him free. Elsewhere in the Matrix, lonely individuals brush with the true nature of their reality. And centuries earlier, a disobedient android sets off a robotic revolution that leads to the scourging of the Earth.

The Animatrix is a collection of animated sci-fi shorts set in the universe of The Matrix. Released between alongside the second entry in the series, The Animatrix consists of nine ten-minute short films that flesh out the world of the franchise. The shorts vary drastically in style, tone, quality, and purpose, with a few shedding light on the series’ backstory, a few tying into the main plot in minor ways, and a few that ony use the Matrix as a backdrop.

The closest short to the established canon is the first one, The Last Flight of the Osiris, a CGI film set just before The Matrix Reloaded. A prequel of sorts, the short shows how Zion came to be warned about the Machine’s offensive. The short has impressive CGI and a fair bit of action, but ultimately consists of a single, expendable scene that could have easily been part of the second movie.

The Second Renaissance Parts I & II are a pair of shorts that depict the events leading up to the war between humanity and the Machines. With a decent art style and competent writing, the quality of the shorts is reasonable, but the tone is at odds with that of the main films. The shorts make explicit the series’ backstory, removing some of the mystery and replacing it with well-executed but conventional science fiction.

Kid’s Story is the last short of note, an origin story for a supporting character in the second and third movies. When a teenager in the Matrix is contacted by Neo, he begins to understand the truth but earns the attention of the Agents in the process. The concept is interesting, but the art style is loose and messy and the writing leaves a few crucial points unstated. The main draw of the short is its minor connection to the movies.

The rest of the shorts are vignettes with varying degrees of relevance and quality. They range from bleak to downright psychedelic, and in general they add very little to the canon. There are a few neat ideas tucked away in there, such as an elaborate samurai battle in a training program or a black-and-white noir, enough to catch the interest of a devoted science fiction fan, but the shorts are very hit-or-miss and dependent on taste.

How much you enjoy The Animatrix will depend on your taste in animation and science fiction. The shorts are meant to be artistic standalone pieces, guest segments that take the world of the Matrix and run with it. But between the splotchy art quality, the limited nature of the format, and the poor connection to the main plot, the shorts are easy to skip and should only be sought out by Matrix fans with a taste for experimental animation.

7.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for a couple of decent shorts, a few bad ones, and mediocre use of a strong setting.

Today’s quick review: Speed Racer. Eight years after his older brother died on the track, Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) has become one of the best racers in the world. But when Royalton (Roger Allam), a powerful corporate executive, tries to recruit him, Speed is exposed to the seamier side of professional racing. To restore his faith in the sport he loves and put an end to Royalton’s shady activities, Speed must outrace a field of nefarious opponents.

Speed Racer is a family action film based on the classic cartoon series. Sporting technicolor visuals, fast-paced car combat, and stylized direction by the Wachowskis, Speed Racer attempts to recreate the heart, excitement, and wonder of a kids’ cartoon with modern production values and filmmaking techniques. Unfortunately, Speed Racer trips over its own stylization and falls short of its goal, leaving it a movie with glimmers of potential and poor execution.

The racing is the film’s strongest point, a unique, physics-defying swirl of cars, colors, and gadgets. Omnidirectional steering, spring-powered jumps, and other cartoonish tricks replicate the feel of a child crashing toy cars together in a frenzy of imagination. The bright, artificial color scheme looks its best on the track, and the retro-futuristic cars and grandly proportioned tracks make good use of the film’s shiny CGI.

Speed Racer’s other major strength is its heart. Though tempered by subpar writing, poor delivery, and the various distractions the film has to offer, Speed Racer does have the makings of a strong emotional core. The tragic story of Speed’s older brother leads to the film’s few emotionally weighty scenes. Speed’s parents are torn between supporting their son and their fear of losing him, while Speed himself doubts what he should do.

These strengths are outweighed by the film’s weaknesses. Bad dialogue and a couple of goofy moments cut into the unbridled action of the races, while the emotional arc of the film is buried under Saturday morning sensibilities and weak acting. The heavy stylization gives the film an erratic feel that hurts its ability to tell a coherent story, from unnecessary reaction shots and poorly interleaved flashbacks to fantasy sequences that distract more than they entertain.

The characters deserve particular mention. The best performances in the film belong to John Goodman and Susan Sarandon, who play Speed’s parents reasonably well. Emile Hirsch makes for a decent if bland protagonist, but the Royalton is half the villain he could have been if Tim Curry had been playing the part. Spritle and Chim Chim, Speed’s younger brother and his pet chimpanzee, are more annoying than entertaining as comic relief.

Watch Speed Racer only if you are curious about its creative races and polished visual effects. The world is too cartoonish in the wrong ways to have much adult appeal, but the races, the spectacle, and a few choice moments in the story have the intended effect. Most viewers would be better off skipping it, but those with an eye for hidden gems will get some, but not all, of what they want out of it.

6.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.0 for fun action and visual spectacle held back by subpar writing, acting, and focus.

Today’s quick review: Immortal. In the year 2095, the Egyptian gods strip Horus (Thomas M. Pollard) of his immortality and allow him to live on Earth for one week before his execution. Horus chooses Nikopol (Thomas Kretschmann), a political dissident recently escaped from cryoprison, as his host and begins searching for Jill (Linda Hardy), an amnesiac with unique biology and a mysterious destiny.

Immortal is a science fiction film loosely based on the French graphic novels by Enki Bilal. The movie depicts a futuristic New York where genetic engineering has radically changed society, an Egyptian pyramid looms above the skyline, and an inexplicable rift has opened in Central Park. With artistic direction, a cryptic plot, and prevalent CGI, Immortal is a unique, experimental sci-fi film with a number of flaws.

The tone of Immortal resembles that of a Philip K. Dick story: a cold and unrecognizable future, an amnesiac protagonist, and themes of powerlessness and identity. The future has brought revolutionary advances in technology, quasi-dystopian societal upheaval, and a few changes that are not so easy to categorize. This sense of disconnection is reflected in the two protagonists: Nikopol, a possessed fugitive, and Jill, an outcast with no memory.

The setting of Immortal has the same far-flung speculation as The Fifth Element but without the comforting layer of campiness. Every nook and cranny of the film is packed with world-building, from the various applications of gene technology to hints at the world’s recent history. These details can be a lot to take in, but they give the firm impression that Immortal is set in a cohesive sci-fi world, one that can barely fit in a single movie.

While most of the concepts Immortal uses are not new to the sci-fi genre, they are confidently executed and treated as a crucial part of the setting, rather than mere filler. At the same time, Immortal is not afraid to take liberties with the genre, tossing in the Egyptian gods and a whole slew of otherworldly abilities. The resulting blend sets Immortal apart from more conventional films that phone in their world-building for the sake of expediency.

The plot of Immortal starts odd and gets odder. The movie follows several key plot threads, each with its own mysteries and learning curve. The threads involving Jill, Nikopol, and Horus form the main story, but parallel stories involving the supporting cast crisscross the main one in peculiar ways. The payoff to all this setup is dulled by the characters’ lack of agency and the unclear nature of the conflict.

The film’s visuals are a mixed bag. The environments are done in intricate, flavorful, and well-realized CGI, although they tend to be visually cluttered. The practical effects and costumes are all competent, grounding the setting well. But almost all of the supporting characters are portrayed by crude CGI models that have not aged well. The contrast between the live-action main cast and their misproportioned CGI counterparts remains jarring throughout the movie.

Watch Immortal if you are in the mood for an experimental, artistic entry into the science fiction genre. Between the bleak tone, the tangled plot, and the middling amount of action, Immortal does not scratch the usual sci-fi itch. Most viewers would be better off skipping it. But those few, dedicated science fiction fans looking for something off the beaten path should check it out.

6.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for ambitious, artistic sci-fi with mixed execution.

Today’s quick review: Oldboy. One drunken night, Oh Dae-su (Min-sik Choi), a Korean businessman, is kidnapped off the street and locked in a small room with no explanation why. After 15 years of imprisonment, his faceless captors release him with only a scant few clues to go on. With the help of Mi-do (Hye-jeong Kang), a kindly sushi chef, Oh sets off on a bloody quest for answers and revenge.

Oldboy is a Korean revenge thriller with a dark story and excellent direction. With a compelling premise, artistic presentation, an odd but intereting soundtrack, and rock-solid progression, Oldboy makes for a weighty and engrossing watch. The quality can be seen from the earliest moments of the movie, subtle decisions in writing and presentation that turn what could have been a simple revenge flick into something more.

Unlike some thriller protagonists, Oh Dae-su is not a genius. His is resourceful enough to stay on the trail of his captors, but not enough to avoid the traps they set along the way. The balance between Oh and his enemies gives Oldboy a clever sort of tension where it is never clear whether Oh is making progress or falling victim to one more layer of control.

The human side of Oldboy has some nuance to it as well. Oh may be the protagonist, but he is no hero. His flaws range from ordinary weakness to erratic behavior to sadistic acts of violence, but he never loses the sympathy owed to a normal man treated unjustly. The movie sees him go from handsy drunk to desperate prisoner to vengeful warrior, yet he remains a complicated, human character throughout.

The tone of Oldboy has a similar nuance to it. The themes of the movie are very dark, ranging from isolation and madness to rape and torture. But the movie keeps up enough momentum to push through its most brutal parts. By the time the impact of a scene fully registers, the next scene is in full swing, with a new mystery, conflict, or peek at the seedy side of human nature to occupy the viewer’s attention.

Watch Oldboy when you are ready for a perverse, finely crafted thriller that lives up to its early promise. The level of violence makes it a nonstarter for any sensitive viewers, but the momentum of its plot keeps it from descending all the way into horror. The movie offers several well-shot fight scenes, but its focus is on tight, compelling mystery and character drama rather than action.

8.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it an 8.0 to 8.5 for excellent craftsmanship.

Today’s quick review: Rush Hour 3. When Chinese Ambassador Han (Tzi Ma) is shot, Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan) picks up the ambassador’s work to bring down the Triads. James Carter (Chris Tucker), a Los Angeles cop and a friend of Lee’s, takes it upon himself to help, and together the pair follow a lead to the Triads’ Paris stronghold. But the man waiting for them, Kenji (Hiroyuki Sanada), is a dangerous criminal with ties to Lee’s past.

Rush Hour 3 is an action comedy set several years after the end of Rush Hour 2. Lee and Carter have gone their separate ways after an unfortunate incident in New York, with Lee returning to work for Han and Carter relegated to traffic duty for his shoddy police work. The attack on Han forces them to reconnect and work together one more time. With a couple of familiar faces and a new city to explore, Rush Hour 3 follows closely in the footsteps of its predecessors.

Rush Hour 3 does stumble a bit in its execution. The martial arts action is still well-choreographed, and Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker still make an excellent comedic duo. But the plot does not hang together as well, the humor is coarser, and the tone undergoes odd changes compared to the previous films. Rush Hour 3 blurs the delicate line between acceptable antics and reckless actions that jeopardize the movie’s sense of levity.

The flaws are subtle, though, and at its core, Rush Hour 3 remains a solid action comedy with martial arts fight scenes and entertaining buddy cop elements. Watch Rush Hour 3 if you are in the mood for something light and fun, but check out the first two movies first if you have yet to see them.

6.2 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for good action and comedy hurt by tone and plot issues.

Today’s quick review: Rush Hour 2. While on vacation in Hong Kong, Los Angeles police officer James Carter (Chris Tucker) joins his friend Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan) in investigating a bombing at the United States Embassy. The prime suspect is Ricky Tan (John Lone), a notorious crime boss and a former friend of Lee’s father. To bring him to justice, Lee and Carter must put their lives and careers on the line.

Rush Hour 2 is an action comedy that picks up where the original Rush Hour left off. Fresh off his trip to Los Angeles, Lee returns to his job, only to discover another crisis in the making. His investigation interrupts Carter’s vacation, dragging the Los Angeles cop kicking and screaming back to police work. Carter and Lee bring their usual brand of chaos to the case, using every resource at their disposal to track down a dangerous criminal gang.

Rush Hour 2 follows a similar formula as the first film and executes it just as well. The culture clash of the original plays out in reverse: where Lee flew to Los Angeles on a mission, James Carter flies into Hong Kong ready to party. The personal side of the plot involves Lee’s history with Ricky Tan, as well as the strain on Lee’s and Carter’s friendship. The changes are enough to make the film feel distinct without compromising on tone or quality.

Rush Hour 2 also offers better action than its predecessor. The sequel includes more fight scenes, a few more explosions, and a greater attention to fight choreography. The focus of the action is still on Jackie Chan’s skillful martial arts, but Chris Tucker gets in on the action as well. The jokes are the same sort of banter as the first film, but Lee and Carter start the film as friends rather than strangers.

Watch Rush Hour 2 when you are in the mood for a light, well-balanced, and entertaining action comedy. Fans of the first film will enjoy the second, and vice versa. Skip it if you are looking for an exceptional film rather than a well-rounded one.

6.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for solid action and comedy.

“Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?” —James Carter

Today’s quick review: Rush Hour. When Soo Yung, the 11-year-old daughter of a Chinese diplomat, is kidnapped in Los Angeles, Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan), a personal friend of the girl, travels from Hong Kong to find her. James Carter (Chris Tucker), a loudmouthed local cop, is assigned to keep Lee away from the real investigation run by the FBI. But uncontent to sit on the sidelines, Lee and Carter decide to involve themselves in the investigation anyway.

Rush Hour is a buddy cop comedy starring Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan. Jackie Chan plays Inspector Lee, a loyal and resourceful Hong Kong police officer who only cares about the missing girl. Chris Tucker plays James Carter, a shrill Los Angeles cop who only cares about himself. The two make a very effective comedy duo, with Lee’s focused approach to the investigation playing nicely off Carter’s more dynamic style.

Most of the comedy comes from these two strong personalities. Rush Hour is a culture clash movie at heart, with Lee emblematic of Chinese dedication and Carter of freewheeling American culture. Carter runs his mouth at every opportunity, a hilarious stream of banter that can border on the annoying for anyone unused to it. Lee and Carter trade off as the butt of jokes, and their moments of bonding and teamwork actually feel well-earned.

The action is a natural fusion of cop movie shootouts and martial arts fight scenes. Jackie Chan is as skillful as ever, unleashing a flurry of seemingly-improvised stunts to get the better of foes larger and more numerous than him. The fight scenes are not the main focus of the film, but they are well-choreographed, entertaining, and an excellent fit for the movie’s tone. There are few jaw-dropping stunts, but a fair number of impressive ones.

Watch Rush Hour if you are in the mood for a light action comedy with solid execution. No particular quality distinguishes Rush Hour from other entries in the genre, but the combination of humor, story, action, and heart make Rush Hour pleasant and enjoyable. Skip it if you are annoyed by Chris Tucker’s voice.

6.9 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for a good blend of comedy and action.

Today’s quick review: John Wick: Chapter 2. Legendary assassin John Wick (Keanu Reeves) only wants to retire. But when his old associate Santino D’Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio) calls in a favor, John is unable to refuse. His task is to eliminate Santino’s sister Gianna (Claudia Gerini) so Santino can claim her seat at the High Table, a ring of underworld elites. But to complete the mission, John must risk becoming tangled even deeper in the life he tried to leave.

John Wick: Chapter 2 is a stylish, well-paced action movie with an intriguing world and inventive combat. Keanu Reeves returns as John Wick, a hitman who left the business for his wife, now dead of cancer. His brief return to killing in the first movie was driven by revenge, cutting a bloody swath through the Russian mob and causing ripples that continue into the second installment. John was lucky to get out the first time, and the second time may prove impossible.

The second John Wick film continues to innovate in the action department. John plows through his enemies using a unique mixture of grappling and close-quarters gunplay. The combat is crisp and efficient, perfectly matching the detached, professional tone of the world. The stunts are subtly clever, from John’s elaborate takedowns to his improvised weaponry. This steady drip of creativity sets the action apart from the typical fare for the genre.

The setting of John Wick: Chapter 2 continues to impress. The world of John Wick exists parallel to and separate from everyday life. The assassins have a culture of their own, built on old-world rules and style as well as a healthy dose of professionalism. They enjoy a rich, underground network of resources centered around the Continental, a luxurious hotel chain that offers accommodation and neutral ground to its shadowy clientele.

Against this backdrop, John Wick himself stands out as a near-mythical figure. John Wick is treated as a harbinger of death by the other characters in the movie, and he lives up to this lofty reputation by routinely pulling off the impossible with tenacity and aplomb. The John Wick movies are rare ones that can actually back their hype with execution. John Wick achieves the aura of coolness that other action movies dream of and makes it look effortless.

As with the first movie, John Wick: Chapter 2 makes a few tradeoffs. The sequel scraps the slow, deliberate build-up of the first film in favor of an action-packed introduction that wraps up a few loose ends from the previous movie. The plot is personal but less emotional, more a particularly grueling job than a tale of revenge. The sequel’s additions to the universe are all perfectly welcome, while the combat is even more impressive than the first’s.

Watch John Wick: Chapter 2 if you are any sort of action fan. The sleek, stylish, and violent side of the action genre has rarely been executed so cleanly. The first film is recommended but not required viewing; the sequel stands on its own but spoils the events of the first movie at a high level.

8.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it an 8.0 to 8.5 for crisp, stylish action and excellent atmosphere.