Sleight of Film

Today’s quick review: Terminus. David Chamberlain (Jai Koutrae) is a mechanic struggling to support his daughter Annabelle (Kendra Appleton). His life changes forever when a meteorite lands near him, exposing him to an alien organism with healing properties. David begins to experience visions of his dead wife, who urges him to build a structure to house the organism. Helping him in the project is Zach Aronson (Todd Lasance), a crippled veteran.

Terminus is a budget science fiction movie with a dark tone, a mysterious plot, and a heavy dose of personal drama. The movie follows the lives of David, Zach, and Annabelle as they get drawn into the mystery surrounding the alien organism. The film’s true premise, once it tips its hand, does make for viable science fiction. But Terminus’s plodding plot, focus on mundane drama, and mediocre execution hamstring what potential it has.

Terminus is an unrelentingly bleak film grounded in a disturbingly plausible future. David and Annabelle are on the verge of collapse, with no money left and unhealed wounds from the death of David’s wife. Their entire town is in dire straits thanks to a ruinous US war in Iran. The one ray of hope is the alien organism, but it is too strange and foreboding to offer any comfort. The surfeit of drama makes the film hard to invest in and ultimately unrewarding.

Beyond its exceptionally heavy tone, Terminus is a competent but uninspired sci-fi flick. The performances are fine, but there are no real standouts. The script succeeds in creating drama but not in putting it to use. The plot takes nearly an hour to get rolling, and even then the conflict is not worht the wait. The film does do an admirable job of doling out clues about the organism, but it stunts its plot progression in the process.

Give Terminus a shot when you’re in the mood for a dark, serious film wrapped around a decent mystery. The film’s heavy tone and limited payoff make it a poor choice for most viewers, but there is just enough substance there to please the odd sci-fi fan. For a sci-fi thriller with similar elements, check out Knowing. For a slightly lighter personal drama about alien contact, check out Phenomenon.

5.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.0 for credible but uninspiring sci-fi.

Today’s quick review: Unknown. Five men (Jim Caviezel, Greg Kinnear, Joe Pantoliano, Barry Pepper, Jeremy Sisto) wake up in a dilapidated warehouse with no memory of who they are or what happened to them. The scant clues they can find point to a kidnapping gone wrong, but the men have no way to tell which of them are the kidnappers and which of them are the victims. To find a way out, they must first find a way to trust each other.

Unknown is a crime thriller that drops five amnesiacs into a complex situation whose outcome depends not only on their past but on the content of their character. The movie toys with issues of trust and identity, using amnesia to construct a logically and morally perplexing situation. The film has little in the way of action or dramatic brilliance, but its intriguing plot and decent execution are enough to make it a worthwhile watch.

Unknown shows promise but doesn’t live up to its full potential. The acting flutters between skilled and lackluster, never sinking to budget levels but never quite capturing the full drama of the situation. The plot has enough twists and turns to keep the viewer hooked, but the answers are mundane compared to the setup. The script does a good job of playing the characters off one another but isn’t particularly memorable.

Give Unknown a shot when you’re in the mood for a minimalistic crime drama with a mysterious premise. The movie is far from extraordinary, but it avoids any major mistakes and should be enough to please fans of the crime genre. For a much more compelling take on a similar premise, check out Reservoir Dogs. For a warehouse shootout with a touch of comedy and a touch of mystery, check out Free Fire.

6.5 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it the same for an interesting premise and mixed execution.

Today’s quick review: Mary and the Witch’s Flower. While staying with her great-aunt in a small British village, Mary Smith, a helpful but clumsy girl, discovers a rare flower growing in the woods that awakens a magical power within her. Mary also stumbles upon an enchanted broomstick that carries her to Endor College, a school of magic floating in the sky, where the headmistress, Madam Mumblechook, takes an interest in Mary’s supposed talents.

Mary and the Witch’s Flower is a Japanese animated children’s fantasy adventure. The movie follows its young protagonist into an imaginative magical world far removed from Mary’s humdrum life. Mary and the Witch’s Flower features gorgeous animation, a moving score, and a pleasant blend of fantasy elements. However, the movie is missing the degree of mastery that would let it stand shoulder-to-shoulder with similar films from Studio Ghibli.

The flaws in Mary and the Witch’s Flower are subtle but pervasive. Mary and her friend Peter are underdeveloped as characters. Their traits are penciled in but never made fully real. Thanks in part to the flower’s potency, many of Mary’s victories feel unearned. The film also struggles to sync up its emotional beats with the twists of its plot, robbing the story of some of its impact and forcing the soundtrack to pick up the slack.

Still, in spite of these flaws, Mary and the Witch’s Flower gets enough right to be an enjoyable watch. Its attentive animation and lush backgrounds make it a visual treat. Its fanciful style of fantasy has a nice sense of wonder to it, even if its ideas are not always used to their fullest. The story has enough substance to it to feel worthwhile, and it picks up quite a bit of momentum by the end.

Watch Mary and the Witch’s Flower when you’re in the mood for something light, beautiful, and wholesome. It’s missing the extra spark that would make it a classic, but even with its shortcomings it’s a high-quality film. For a surreal children’s fantasy with enduring quality, check out Spirited Away. For a heartwarming story about a young witch, check out Kiki’s Delivery Service.

6.8 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for solid animation and creative fantasy, let down by a lack of storytelling mastery.

“Traitor!” —Stormtrooper

Today’s quick review: Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens. Struck by a crisis of conscience, Finn (John Boyega), a Stormtrooper for the First Order, defects to join the Resistance. Crashing on a desert planet, Finn joins up with Rey (Daisy Ridley), a local scrapper, to escape his pursuers and figure out a way to destroy the First Order’s new superweapon. But to do so they must first defeat Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), an aspiring young Sith Lord.

Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens is a sci-fi action adventure movie and the seventh live-action film in the Star Wars franchise. The Force Awakens kicks off a new story set several decades after the end of the original Star Wars trilogy. The First Order has risen from the ashes of the Empire, Luke Skywalker has gone missing, and only the fighters of the Resistance can keep the First Order from annihilating the nascent Republic.

The Force Awakens features a young new cast, familiar story themes, and an impressive combination of practical effects and modern CGI. The film taps into nostalgia for the original trilogy in everything from its planets to its props to its camera cuts. Fans of the series will feel right at home in the world of The Force Awakens, at least visually. However, the heavy dose of nostalgia can distract from the movie’s own contributions to the universe.

The Force Awakens also sees the return of many of the original Star Wars cast, including Harrison Ford as Han Solo, Carrie Fisher as Leia Organa, Anthony Daniels as C-3PO, and Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca. The returning characters are not worked in perfectly, but they do give the sequel a sense of continuity. For their part, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, and the rest of the new cast have a few rough spots but show good potential.

The Force Awakens has issues with how it develops and uses its characters. Rey has the makings of an interesting character arc, but the script is blunt about the gifts it gives her and she’s too stubborn to show much growth. Finn makes a strong entrance as a reformed Stormtrooper but soon takes a backseat to Rey. Kylo Ren meets some success as an experimental type of villain: a temperamental Sith trainee with raw power but little control.

The core plot threads—Finn’s defection from the First Order, Rey’s search for Luke Skywalker, the looming threat of Starkiller Base—are all potent enough to give the movie plenty of material to work with. But individual plot points don’t always make sense, and the film’s grasp on its character motivations is often tenuous. The result is a plot that packs in plenty of action and a good variety of sci-fi spectacle but doesn’t stand up to close scrutiny.

How much you enjoy Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens will depend heavily on your taste. New fans and those hoping for a fresh take on the franchise will find plenty to love, as well as a few flaws that barely register. Critical fans won’t be able to get over a few crucial decisions that the film makes with its plot and characters. If you’re on the fence, give it a chance just to see if it clicks.

8.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it the same for high production values, visual spectacle, and an assortment of good ideas; your score will vary.

Today’s quick review: Seventh Son. After the witch Mother Malkin (Julianne Moore) escapes her prison, Sir Gregory (Jeff Bridges), a knight tasked with fighting darkness, sets out to replace the apprentice she killed. To fill the job, he finds Tom Ward (Ben Barnes), a young swineherd with brief glimpses of the future. With the Blood Moon approaching, Gregory has only days to train his new apprentice before Malkin reaches the height of her power.

Seventh Son is a fantasy action movie based on a novel by Joseph Delaney. Seventh Son uses modern special effects to bring to life a fantasy world of witches, demons, and all manner of beasts. Between its fairly capable leads, its reasonably high produdction values, and its assortment of action, Seventh Son clears the bar for a watchable fantasy flick. However, weaknesses in its world-building and characterization strip it of much of its potential.

Seventh Son suffers from a peculiar problem with its writing. The basics of its characters and setting are fine, but the way they are presented is almost backwards. Characteres who only just met act as if they know each other well. The plot spins out new developments before they are properly explained. The parts of the world that are most unique are barely explored while the simplest and least satisfying are front and center.

The result is a competent movie that fails to resonate. Beyond the film’s writing, its leads are a mixed bag. Julianne Moore and Jeff Bridges lend the movie some star power, although their roles do not make full use of their talents. Ben Barnes is somewhat lacking as a protagonist, but not enough so to derail the movie. The action is not particularly creative, but there’s plenty of it and the special effects are enough to get the job done.

None of its issues stop Seventh Son from being a serviceable entry into its genre. Give it a shot when you have a hankering for fantasy action with a youth fiction vibe. Give it a pass if you’re looking for something groundbreaking or exceptional. For a darker fantasy action film, check out Solomon Kane or Season of the Witch. For a fantasy action movie of lower quality and greater charm, check out In the Name of the King.

5.5 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for fine action and a decent fantasy world let down by issues with its characters and writing.

Today’s quick review: Lucy. Set up by her boyfriend, Lucy (Scarlett Johansson), an American student living in Taiwan, becomes the unwilling smuggler of an experimental drug. But when the bag bursts in her stomach, the drug triggers a chain reaction that gives her access to her brain’s full potential, along with an assortment of strange powers. Now Lucy has less than 24 hours to master her new abilities before the changes to her body and mind tear her apart.

Lucy is a science fiction movie from director Luc Besson. Lucy tackles a challenging concept: the transcendence of the human mind. Aided by an illicit drug, Lucy undergoes a drastic transformation that unlocks advanced knowledge and abilities even as it strips her of her humanity. The movie offers colorful visuals, a punchy directorial style, and mind-bending action. However, its flaky foundations keep it from reaching its goals.

Lucy’s main problem is one of credibility. Lucy’s powers are explained as a product of the human brain’s full potential, but no attempt is made to explain how physics-defying abilities follow from increased brainpower. Normally psychic abilities would be a freebie for a sci-fi movie, but Lucy makes a point to ground its themes about humanity, evolution, and the meaning of life in this particular explanation, making the problem unavoidable.

The movie also suffers from issues with its story. Once Lucy touches the drug, the rest of the plot is a mere formality. Lucy needs no one and nothing; her abilities make short work of any problem aside from the transformation itself. The result is a linear plot with little real conflict and a superfluous supporting cast. Lucy’s borderline omnipotence also opens up gaping plot holes that the film doesn’t bother to fill.

Lucy does deserve credit for the creativity of its ideas. The lead’s powers range from the mundane to the mind-boggling, all brought to life with colorful special effects. The film flirts with bizarre new perspectives on life and reality, although it lacks the patience to make them stick. And even when its speculation begins to wander too far afield, the action is always fast-paced and exciting, making full use of Lucy’s powers.

The rest of the movie is a grab bag of good and bad. Scarlett Johansson turns in an impressive performance as Lucy, capturing both the confused party girl she begins the movie as and the detached superhuman she becomes. On the other hand, Morgan Freeman leaves no lasting impression. His character, a professor specializing in the brain’s potential, has very little to do, and Freeman’s talents as an actor are largely wasted.

Give Lucy a try if you’re a sci-fi fan who enjoys flashy action and far-fetched speculation. The movie falls short of its potential in many ways, but it remains a unique and thought-provoking watch for the right viewer. Skip it if you’re looking for a grounded thriller or well-founded sci-fi. For similar special effects-laden action, check out Wanted. For a more thoughtful take on the human brain, check out Limitless.

6.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for unfettered science fiction that stumbles over its own ambition.

Today’s quick review: Spectral. When US Special Forces operating in Moldova detect a series of anomalies in their equipment, they call in DARPA scientist Mark Clyne (James Badge Dale) to investigate. Closer inspection reveals the existence of intangible beings of unknown origin that can kill with a single touch. Clyne joins an operation led by Captain Sessions (Max Martini) to gather more data and find a way to fight the deadly beings.

Spectral is a military sci-fi thriller that pits the US military against an outbreak of ghosts in an urban war zone. Spectral makes good on its premise. The movie offers tense action, polished presentation, competent acting, and a well-paced mystery regarding the nature of the ghosts. Spectral also handles its tone well, maintaining a sense of tension without crossing over into horror.

Spectral avoids many of the pitfalls of the science fiction genre. Its explanations are plausible enough to justify the film’s speculative elements without bogging down the story. Its characters are free of the artificial stupidity that often grips the victims in similar movies. The plot indulges in a few contrivances to give its heroes a fighting chance, but they are easy to swallow and scaffolded by a well-structured plot.

Spectral delivers exactly what it promises: a serious, engaging dose of sci-fi action. Those hoping for moving personal drama, philosophical speculation, survival horror, or over-the-top spectacle will be disappointed. Fans of the action or sci-fi genres will find it to be a tidy, satisfying watch with no frills and few weaknesses. For a similar style of military sci-fi with a more ambitious premise, check out Edge of Tomorrow.

6.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for all-around solid execution.

Today’s quick review: R.I.P.D. Boston cop Nick Walker (Ryan Reynolds) discovers a whole new side to life when he’s killed by his crooked partner Bob Hayes (Kevin Bacon). Diverted on his way to judgment, Nick accepts a position in the Rest in Peace Department, a heavenly police force dedicated to hunting down escaped souls on Earth. With his new partner Roy (Jeff Bridges), a sheriff from the Old West, Nick investigates the strange gold connected to his death.

R.I.P.D. is a fantasy action comedy with a fun premise and a solid pair of leads. The movie embraces its energetic side with freewheeling action, dynamic camerawork, and a willingness to embrace even the most absurd aspects of its setting. However, R.I.P.D. is missing the care shown by other movies in the same vein. The result is a shallow, entertaining watch with a limited plot and a noticeable set of flaws.

R.I.P.D. is at its strongest when it’s having fun. The rogue souls’ monstrous bodies, coupled with the durability of Nick and Roy, make for some inventive, destructive, and borderline cartoonish action. The plot moves along at a rapid clip, with only brief pauses for drama. Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges make for an effective comedic duo, and while their characters are not particularly nuanced, they are funny enough to keep the film rolling.

R.I.P.D. does have a couple of major flaws that hold it back. The story goes out of its way to avoid developing the world any more than it has to, even skipping an easy chance to flesh out the artifact at its center. The monster designs are grotesque and mesh poorly with the film’s light tone. The comedy is consistently fun but never gathers up any momentum. The plot skims over a few key stages, sacrificing a fuller arc for faster pacing.

All in all, R.I.P.D. makes for a fine popcorn watch. It makes enough mistakes that it falls well short of its potential, but what’s leftover is creative and reasonably fun. Skip it if you’re looking for an elaborate fantasy adventure or comedic brilliance. Check out Men in Black for a better take on a similar premise, The Adjustment Bureau for a serious thriller version, or The Hitman’s Bodyguard for a funnier, more mature Ryan Reynolds action comedy.

5.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for a creative premise, decent action and comedy, and some missed potential.

Today’s quick review: Early Man. Dug (Eddie Redmayne) leads a simple existence as part of a rabbit-hunting Stone Age tribe. But their peaceful existence is threatened when Lord Nooth (Tom Hiddleston), the bronze-loving leader of a technologically developed city, takes over their valley for use in a mining operation. To win back their home, Dug and his tribe challenge the invaders’ champions to a game of their sacred sport: football.

Early Man is a stop-motion sports comedy from the creators of Wallace and Gromit. Early Man mashes up the unlikely subjects of cavemen and soccer in a family-friendly satire of modern living. The movie offers impressive stop-motion animation, a steady stream of slapstick, and feel-good British humor. However, it lacks the heart and wit of Aardman’s previous offerings, making it an enjoyable but insubstantial watch.

The one aspect of the movie that hurts it the most is its inability to keep a straight face. Almost every joke is accompanied by a reaction from one of the characters, usually a chuckle or a cringe. These cues are likely an attempt to make the movie easier for children to follow, but in practice they slow the movie down and undercut its delivery. Early Man also plays heavily on British football culture, a topic American audiences may not appreciate.

Early Man does deliver a number of good laughs. Dug’s harmless tribe opens up plenty of slapstick opportunities, their Flinstones-esque replacements for modern conveniences are good fun, and the story works well enough as a bare-bones version of the underdog sports comedy. Early Man would benefit from more memorable characters and a few more top-notch jokes, but what’s there is enough to make it an entertaining diversion.

Give Early Man a watch if you’re in the mood for something light and overtly silly. Aardman fans may be disappointed in the quality of its humor, but those who go in with an open mind will enjoy themselves nonetheless. Skip it if you’re looking for note-perfect humor or a moving plot. For an Aardman movie of similar quality, check out Flushed Away. For another sports comedy, check out Space Jam or Shaolin Soccer.

6.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for good humor with mixed delivery.

Today’s quick review: 10,000 B.C. D’Leh (Steven Strait), a young member of the mammoth-hunting Yagahl tribe, wants only to be with Evolet (Camilla Belle), a girl with blue eyes tied to a terrible prophecy. His attempts to win her in the hunt are interrupted by the arrival of raiders on horseback, who kidnap Evolet and others from the village. Armed only with spears, D’Leh and his compatriots embark on a long and perilous journey to rescue those who were taken.

10,000 B.C. is a prehistoric action adventure movie with a touch of mysticism. 10,000 B.C. follows D’Leh and three of his friends as they travel far from their mountain home in pursuit of the slavers who took their loved ones. The movie takes advantage of modern CGI to depict the great beasts of prehistory, including mammoths and sabertooth tigers. However, its thin plot and mediocre characters put a damper on what excitement it builds.

10,000 B.C. gets off to a dry start. The first half-hour of the film is static, filled with low-stakes drama, and too cramped to let its characters grow. An early mammoth hunt gives the opening a dash of action, but the film only begins to gather momentum when D’Leh leaves his village. Even then the plot remains linear, but D’Leh gradually accomplishes enough as a warrior to become a worthy protagonist in his own right.

10,000 B.C. does carve out a niche for itself as a rare, reasonably accurate depiction of the prehistory of Man. The details of the setting hold up to casual scrutiny, although an informed viewer could probably identify artistic license. The story also manages to work in notable events in human history, such as the advent of the blue-eye gene and the extinction of the mammoths. The CGI beasts also help to give the action some variety.

Overall, 10,000 B.C. falls somewhat flat. The love between D’Leh and Evolet is stated more than shown, the characters take a long time to spread their wings, and the plot lacks the passion of a proper fantasy or historical epic. Give it a watch if you’re intrigued by the setting and could do with a little action. Skip it if you’re in the mood for something immediately gripping.

5.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.0 for some action and a decent setting hampered by a slow start, uninteresting characters, and a linear plot.