Sleight of Film

Today’s quick review: Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro. Lupin III, a cheeky international thief, and his partner Jigen take a trip to the small European country of Cagliostro in search of the fabled Gothic bills, counterfeits without equal. Upon arriving, Lupin takes it upon himself to rescue Lady Clarisse, the heir to the country’s royal family, from her forced marriage to the villainous Count of Cagliostro.

Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro is a Japanese animated adventure comedy from director Hayao Miyazaki. The Castle of Cagliostro continues the adventures of Lupin and his gang of thieves, the stars of a long-running anime series. The movie delivers the usual Lupin brand of fun, with energetic animation, playful humor, and criminal hijinks. At the same time, Hayao Miyazaki leaves his mark on the film in its beauty and craftsmanship.

The Castle of Cagliostro shows off an early version of Hayao Miyazaki’s signature style. His first film as a director, The Castle of Cagliostro has the gorgeous scenery, endearing moments, and keen attention to detail that his later works would be known for. But being part of the Lupin series, the movie has car chases and gunfights instead of magical realism and coming-of-age themes.

The two halves of the movie fit together surprisingly well. The madcap antics of Lupin and his friends keep the movie light and adventurous, while Miyazaki’s calmer influence gives it some substance. The Castle of Cagliostro switches between ridiculous humor and effortless beauty without missing a beat. As such, The Castle of Cagliostro is an excellent change of pace for Miyazaki fans who may have gotten used to his normal style.

The Castle of Cagliostro is not without its faults, but how much they matter depends on what you want from the film. The story has a few rough spots where the logic doesn’t quite check out. The humor has a mischievous flavor to it that not everyone will find appealing. And although the movie stands on its own, there are moments where it feels more like an episode of the show than a feature film.

Watch Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro if you are a fan of creative animated films. Though not as refined as Miyazaki’s later work, The Castle of Cagliostro manages to be both entertaining and fulfilling. Newcomers to the Lupin franchise can rest assured that no background knowledge is necessary. Those who struggle with foreign films may want to skip it: the humor translates well enough but it takes an extra bit of effort to process.

7.8 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for gorgeous animation, excellent cinematography, and comedic adventure.

Today’s quick review: Mulan. When Shan-Yu and his army of Huns invade China, Mulan, a restless young woman, dons her father’s armor and enlists as a soldier in his place, passing herself off as a man to do so. With the help of Mushu, a disgraced guardian spirit, Mulan sets out to complete her training, impress her captain, and take the fight to the Huns, all while keeping her real identity a secret.

Mulan is a historical war movie and family comedy from Disney. Mulan features clean animation, an interesting main character, and a good balance of drama and comic relief. The icing on the cake is the movie’s musical numbers, all of them enjoyable and one or two of them particularly catchy. Mulan’s only real issue is its straightforwardness: it lacks the subtlety and attention to detail often found in other Disney films.

Mulan tells its story in simple and effective strokes. Each stage of the story flows smoothly into the next, with no slow sections or odd scenes out. The comic relief from Mushu, a lucky cricket, and Mulan’s fellow soldiers keeps the tone light and kid-friendly without derailing the main plot. Mulan herself is handled well, a devoted but accident-prone daughter who shines when she puts her intelligence to use.

Watch Mulan if you are in the mood for a well-executed animated adventure. Mulan is not Disney’s most intricate work, but it hits the target it aims for and is a pleasant way to spend an hour and a half. Skip it if you aren’t a Disney fan or you are looking for something in the fairy tale vein.

7.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for a good story, effective humor, and a couple of great songs.

Today’s quick review: Tangled. Rapunzel (Mandy Moore), a princess with enchanted hair, is kept locked in a tower by Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy), an old woman who kidnapped Rapunzel as a girl and raised her as her own. On the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Rapunzel convinces Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi), a thief who discovers her tower, to show her the outside world.

Tangled is a fairy tale adventure from Disney. An adaptation of the story of Rapunzel, Tangled blends classic fairy tale elements with an original story and a few twists of its own. Tangled features charming characters, funny dialogue, and a couple of entertaining action sequences. The movie also has a great soundtrack; though not as memorable as Disney’s best, its well-crafted musical numbers always feel worthwhile.

Tangled boasts gorgeous CGI animation and high production quality. The character models are a pleasant mix of cartoonish and realistic. The level of detail is a significant step up from Disney’s earlier CGI works, although later films like Big Hero 6 and Frozen do improve upon it. Most importantly, the animation has a sense of energy to it that makes everything from its dialogue to its music click.

Tangled deserves special mention for its characters. Rapunzel is an enthusiastic, kind-hearted young woman who fits naturally into the roles of both princess and adventurer. Flynn Rider is just enough of a rogue to be interesting without coming across as a bad person. For her part, Mother Gothel is a nearly perfect depiction of narcissism, weaving lies and half-truths around Rapunzel to keep her in the tower.

Watch Tangled if you are in the mood for a light and satisfying family adventure. Not every joke lands and not every plot twist satisfies, but Tangled brings enough quality to the table that its few missed beats barely register. Skip it if you dislike the Disney formula. For a similar film with a better soundtrack and a more unpredictable story, check out Frozen.

7.8 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for great characters, impressive animation, and an effective story.

Today’s quick review: The Hitman’s Bodyguard. Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson), a hitman in Interpol custody, is the key witness in the trial of Vladislav Dukhovich (Gary Oldman), a deposed dictator. His only hope of reaching the trial in time to give his testimony is Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds), an elite bodyguard. Together they must make their way across Europe while avoiding Dukhovich’s killers, sent to keep Kincaid from testifying.

The Hitman’s Bodyguard is an action comedy with a great script and an excellent pair of leads. The movie builds its humor on the backs of Samuel L. Jackson and Ryan Reynolds, a highly effective comedic duo. Reynolds is Michael Bryce, a cautious bodyguard whose career was ruined by one botched job. Jackson is Darius Kincaid, a prolific hitman with a nonchalant attitude and an off-the-cuff style.

The two actors play off each other very well. Between Reynolds’ quips and Jackson’s needling, their scenes together are never dull. The movie also backs up its comedy with plenty of action. The action sequences are fast-paced and creative, have lots of humor, and give both leads the chance to shine. The result is an energetic movie that switches easily between bullets and bickering.

Outside of its action and its comedy, The Hitman’s Bodyguard is good but nothing special. The plot is good for an action movie but offers few real surprises. Dukhovich makes for a somewhat thin villain, even with Gary Oldman’s acting. One supporting character stands out: Sonia (Salma Hayek), Kincaid’s fiery, foul-mouthed wife. The movie also earns some points for a fun soundtrack that is used well.

Watch The Hitman’s Bodyguard if you are an action fan looking for something light and entertaining. The movie is far from a masterpiece, but it is well-executed and fun from beginning to end. Skip it if you mind swearing or casual violence, since The Hitman’s Bodyguard has both in spades. For a sober thriller with a similar plot, check out 16 Blocks. For an even darker comedy in the same vein, check out Deadpool.

7.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for strong action and excellent humor.

Today’s quick review: Cradle 2 the Grave. When Tony Fait (DMX) and his crew steal a shipment of diamonds, they don’t realize they are stealing from a dangerous criminal named Ling (Mark Dacascos). Ling retaliates by kidnapping Fait’s daughter, offering her life in exchange for the jewels. But when the jewels are stolen from him, Fait must work together with Su (Jet Li), a Taiwanese intelligence agent, to get them back and save his daughter.

Cradle 2 the Grave is a crime movie with plenty of action. DMX stars as Tony Fait, a successful thief and a devoted father who is forced to take drastic measures to get his daughter back. Jet Li co-stars as Su, a law enforcement officer who has tracked Ling and his stolen diamonds to America. Fait and Su are shallow characters with the right attitude: they are there to take care of business.

Cradle 2 the Grave’s greatest strength is its action. None of the stunts are groundbreaking, but they are enough to make the movie entertaining. Jet Li shows off a few neat martial arts tricks, such as winning fights with his hands in his pockets. For his part, DMX manages to be a competent brawler in a movie that avoids having too many guns. Cradle 2 the Grave lacks the vision of a top-notch action movie, but it does manage to satisfy.

As for the rest of the movie, Cradle 2 the Grave avoids any major missteps. The plot has enough steps to flesh out the movie without feeling too complicated. The dialogue and acting are just good enough to keep the movie rolling without any major distractions, although the comic relief characters might annoy some viewers. Those expecting real quality will be disappointed; those looking for a typical action movie will be able to roll with it.

Cradle 2 the Grave is a good pick for action fans looking to unwind. Though far from the top of its genre, Cradle 2 the Grave is a fun popcorn flick that delivers what it promises. Skip it if you aren’t a fan of action for its own sake. For a crime movie with a similar attitude, more comedy, and a better script, check out Bad Boys II.

5.8 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for good action and a fun attitude.

Today’s quick review: Body of Lies. Roger Ferris (Leonardo DiCaprio), a CIA agent stationed in the Middle East, and his stateside boss Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe) are on the hunt for Al-Saleem (Alon Aboutboul), the terrorist mastermind behind a wave of bombings across Europe. To catch him, Roger and Ed must work with Hani Salaam (Mark Strong), the head of Jordanian intelligence, in a complicated operation that could cost innocent lives.

Body of Lies is a drama about the War on Terror from director Ridley Scott. Body of Lies has an intricate plot, solid direction, and fairly good dramatic acting. The movie does a fine job of keeping up its serious tone, and it throws in enough plot twists to keep the viewer guessing. However, Body of Lies has a hard time getting the viewer to invest, with unlikable characters and a story that feels almost bureaucratic in its objectives.

Body of Lies shows the dirty side of the intelligence business. In spite of his good intentions, Roger can’t avoid getting his hands dirty, and he must balance his duty and his conscience. For his part, Ed has few qualms about what he has to do, including going behind Roger’s back and letting local assets be killed for the greater good. Body of Lies does not pose any sophisticated moral questions, but its moral themes do give the movie some substance.

The movie’s main flaw is that its characters never really click. Roger comes across as disagreeable, even at his most heroic. He lacks the charm that Leonardo DiCaprio normally brings to the table. Ed makes for a sharp, manipulative foil to Roger. Their heated conversations help drive the story, but neither character comes across as all that sympathetic. Even their mission is more exciting in its particulars than in its final objective.

Watch Body of Lies when you are in the mood for a serious intelligence-based drama with a dash of action and a good plot. Its heavy tone and flawed characters make it poor escapism, but its execution is strong enough to make it a good watch. Skip it if you are looking for pure action. For a historical thriller involving Middle Eastern politics, check out Argo. For crime dramas with similar tones, check out Donnie Brasco, The Town, or The Departed.

7.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for solid execution hurt by unlikable characters.

Today’s quick review: Escape Plan. Ray Breslin (Sylvester Stallone), an escape artist who tests the security of federal prisons, takes a risky job breaking out of a secret CIA prison known as The Tomb. But when Ray arrives, he learns that the job was a setup and that his only way out is to actually escape. To help him find a way out, Ray enlists the help of Emil Rottmayer (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a resourceful fellow inmate.

Escape Plan is an action thriller built around an unusually daring prison break. Escape Plan has a pair of strong leads, an interesting premise, and a competent plot. Ray’s escape attempts are the movie’s bread and butter. The Tomb’s security is seemingly impenetrable, but the holes Ray finds are clever enough to keep the movie interesting throughout. The challenge of survival and the mystery of Ray’s imprisonment round out the substance of the movie.

Escape Plan does a good job with its premise but doesn’t live up to its full potential. Rather than play out its mysteries all the way, the movie takes the easy way out in a couple of key places. Escape Plan is more plot-focused than the typical action movie, but its main elements could have been worked into a much more cerebral story than what the movie ends up being.

As far as action goes, Escape Plan is unexceptional. The brutal nature of the prison helps keep the tension high, but there aren’t many opportunities for real action scenes. Stallone and Schwarzenegger never really get the chance to shine as action stars, although they do good work with their roles. Escape Plan still scratches the action itch, but it does so indirectly through its tough characters and tense situations rather than its bullets and explosions.

Watch Escape Plan if you are looking for an action movie with an emphasis on plot. Though it misses the chance to be a cerebral drama, Escape Plan makes for an engaging popcorn watch. Those intrigued by the premise should give it a try; those looking for a high-impact film should skip it. For a more humorous movie with similar elements, check out Tango and Cash.

6.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for an interesting plot and good leads.

“Come on, Eddie! Where’s your sense of humor?” —Roger Rabbit

Today’s quick review: Who Framed Roger Rabbit. In Hollywood in 1947, Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins), a drunk private eye with a grudge against cartoons, takes a job proving to cartoon star Roger Rabbit (Charles Fleischer) that his wife is cheating on him. But when Eddie’s work helps frame Roger for murder, he must hide the excitable rabbit from Judge Doom (Christopher Lloyd), a sinister law enforcement officer, long enough to solve the case.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a partially animated comedy with an inventive premise and a noir plot. Set in a world where cartoons are real, Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a love letter to the Golden Age of American animation. The movie plays with cartoon conventions, showing just what would happen if the wackiness and slapstick of cartoons spilled over into the real world.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit uses this setup to good effect, dishing out both classic cartoon humor and clever meta-jokes about the cartoon industry. The result is a comedy that has more going on than the typical cartoon while keeping the medium’s sense of eccentricity and fun. Although the movie mostly focuses on its own original charactes, it slips in a few cameos from Warner Bros. and Disney that help give it some clout.

On a practical level, Who Framed Roger Rabbit is an impressive feat of special effects. The interactions between the cartoon characters and the real world aren’t perfect, but they are believable enough that it is easy to forget how much effort must have been involved. As for the acting, Bob Hoskins does a fine job as a kid-friendly version of the down-on-his-luck private detective, while Christopher Lloyd plays a suitably over-the-top Judge Doom.

The movie’s unusual style does have some drawbacks. Like many cartoons, Who Framed Roger Rabbit walks a fine line between funny and disturbing. Because of the nature of the film, it crosses this line on occasion, taking a joke too far or accidentally hitting a sour note. Who Framed Roger Rabbit is particularly susceptible to this kind of strangeness due to its off-brand characters and loose treatment of the normal boundaries for cartoons.

Watch Who Framed Roger Rabbit if you are in the mood for an unusual take on cartoon comedy. The zaniness won’t sit well with everyone, but its clever writing and cultural impact make it worth checking out. Skip it if you dislike classic cartoons, for obvious reasons. For a sports movie done in a similar style, check out Space Jam. For a noir parody without the cartoon elements, check out The Cheap Detective.

7.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for good humor and a creative premise, but your score may be higher depending on your taste in cartoons and cinematic innovation.

“It takes more than bad intent to kill me. The stars must align, the birds must swim, the fish must fly before I will die.” —Master Ho

Today’s quick review: The Man with the Iron Fists 2. Seeking redemption for his violent deeds, Thaddeus (RZA), a blacksmith with iron hands, journeys to the monastery where he trained. But before he reaches his destination, he comes across a small village terrorized by Master Ho (Carl Ng), the draconian owner of the town’s silver mine. There the blacksmith offers his services to help Li Kung (Dustin Nguyen), a peaceful man with a violent past, lead a rebellion.

The Man with the Iron Fists 2 is a martial arts movie with a rap soundtrack and fantasy elements. The Man with the Iron Fists 2 has competent stunts but little else going for it. The movie spends too much time setting up its unimpressive story and not enough time showing off its action. Budget constraints show in everything from the cast to the action to the pacing. For a series defined by outlandishness, the sequel makes for an oddly generic martial arts flick.

Unfortunately, The Man with the Iron Fists 2 has none of the qualities that made the first film interesting. The colorful character designs and notable cast of the original have been replaced by bland, standard characters and unfamiliar actors. The inventive weapons of the first film have almost no role in the second. Even the gratuitous violence is all but missing, only making an appearance near the end of the film when the amount of gore ramps up drastically.

The result is an unsatisfying movie that has almost none of the appeal of the original. The only holdovers are the main character and the rap soundtrack, and these are considerably less effective without the supporting cast, creativity, and budget of the first film. The Man with the Iron Fists 2 has little to offer fans of the original, critics of the original, or martial arts fans. Watch it only if you are the curious type.

4.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 5.0 for passable action, a weak plot, and no sense of identity.

Today’s quick review: Shaolin Soccer. Sing (Stephen Chow), a poor kung fu master with an impossibly powerful kick, catches the attention of “Golden Leg” Fung (Ng Mang Tat), a former soccer star whose injury ended his career and ruined his life. Seeing a chance to make it as a coach, Fung recruits Sing and the estranged members of his kung fu school to form an unconventional soccer team that uses their martial arts skills to blow past their opponents.

Shaolin Soccer is a martial arts sports comedy from director Stephen Chow. Shaolin Soccer’s humor is a mixture of slapstick, absurdity, and parody. The movie takes the underdog sports plot to comedic extremes, with a broke loser of a protagonist and soccer with remarkably few rules. It also pokes fun at the miraculous power of kung fu often seen in the martial arts genre, applying high-flying wire stunts and CGI to mundane tasks like soccer and baking.

However, Shaolin Soccer is missing the polish needed to make it a truly excellent comedy. The characters are right on the border between lovable losers and plain losers. The gags are more absurd than outright funny, and the language barrier can make it hard to tell when the movie is being tongue-in-cheek. The CGI used for the stunts is also pretty rough. The core comedy still shines through, but it lacks the refinement of Airplane! or Kung Fu Hustle.

Watch Shaolin Soccer if you are in the mood for an absurd, unconventional comedy. Neither the story nor the characters are much to speak of, but the jokes are entertaining, the action is fun, and the movie offers an unusual experience. Skip it if you prefer subtle humor or dislike the martial arts genre. For a more masterful martial arts parody, check out Stephen Chow’s Kung Fu Hustle. For an even more ridiculous one, check out Kung Pow: Enter the Fist.

7.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for enjoyable humor hampered by a lack of polish.