Sleight of Film

Today’s quick review: Arena. David Lord (Kellan Lutz), a firefighter mourning the death of his pregnant wife, catches the eye of Milla (Katia Winter), a scout for a website that streams real gladiatorial death matches. Kidnapped and tortured, David is forced to fight and kill in the arena. But as David is drawn in deeper, he sacrifices his humanity for a shot at Kaden (Johnny Messner), his tormentor, and Logan (Samuel L. Jackson), the man behind it all.

Arena is a budget action movie with a basic premise and plenty of gore. Though not a strong film, Arena delivers what it promises: brutal action on a low budget, a pinch of sex, and just enough plot to hold it all together. Arena’s specialty is melee combat, and David tackles his foes with weapons ranging from fists to swords to hammers. Samuel L. Jackson gives the film a dose of star power, playing the website’s arrogant mastermind.

As far as quality goes, Arena is poor but not atrocious. The fight choreography is nothing special, but the hits are hard and the intensity is high. The acting and writing are on par, not that good but not bad enough to detract from the action. The low budget shows itself in minor ways, from the quality of the costuming to the use of stock footage, but just enough polish remains to make the movie feel cohesive.

Watch Arena when you are in the mood for a gory action flick and don’t particularly care about quality. For fans of the budget action genre, its an easy watch that neither impresses nor disappoints too greatly. Anyone else should skip it in favor of something better. For a big-budget movie with better action and storytelling, check out Gladiator. For other violent schlock of various calibers, check out Battle Royale, Death Race, or The Tournament.

4.8 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 5.5 for watchable action with limited production values and fairly niche appeal.

“Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here! This is the War Room.” —President Muffley

Today’s quick review: Doctor Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. When General Jack Ripper (Sterling Hayden) of the US Air Force decides to deploy his nuclear bombers to attack Russia, he brings the world to the brink of nuclear war. Deep beneath the Pentagon, President Muffley (Peter Sellers) and his advisor General Buck Turgidson (George C. Scott) scramble to get the situation under control.

Doctor Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is a Cold War-era satire from director Stanley Kubrick. Doctor Strangelove is a dark and deeply cynical look at the nuclear arms race that skewers the military, the government, and nuclear war itself. Featuring a talented comedic cast, an absurd tone, and iconic moments throughout, the movie is a pointed, topical classic that sums up the worst fears of the Cold War.

Doctor Strangelove sets up an elaborate but disturbingly plausible worst-case scenario for the world’s nuclear superpowers. A deluded general launches a attack that will trigger nuclear war, and the attempts to recall it are thwarted by the military’s own anti-Soviet security mechanisms. The result is a catastrophe in slow motion, a comedy of errors where every passing moment brings the world closer to destruction.

Doctor Strangelove is a movie steeped in absurdity. Peter Sellers throws himself into three roles with gusto: the hapless Captain Mandrake, the ineffectual President Muffley, and the odd Dr. Strangelove. George C. Scott plays General Turgidson, whose misguided patriotism and boisterous personality are an active hinderance. Slim Pickens plays Major Kong, a bomber pilot determined to deliver his payload, while Sterling Hayden plays the unhinged General Ripper.

As a result of these colorful characters and their inane behavior, the situation moves from bad to worse. Doctor Strangelove masters the sinking feeling; each new development is another mark against the parties responsible. At the same time, the movie peppers in enough farcical silliness to keep the tone from being too dour. Doctor Strangelove very deliberately sets up a situation where the only rational reaction is to sit back and laugh.

Watch Doctor Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb if you enjoy black comedies, take a wry view on the military, or simply haven’t seen it yet. The film is worth checking out if only for its reputation, but its unusual tone, sound writing, strong comedic performances, and creative satire make it a worthy choice on substance as well. Skip it if you are looking for a more conventional comedy or a proper nuclear thriller.

8.5 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for sharp and well-delivered satire; your score will be higher depending on how well you like the humor.

Today’s quick review: The Outlaw Josey Wales. After his family is killed by a group of Union raiders, Josey Wales (Clint Eastwood) joins a band of guerrilla fighters on the Confederate side. But when his compatriots are betrayed at the end of the Civil War, Josey is one of the only survivors. Declared an outlaw and hunted by Union troops and bounty hunters alike, Josey makes for Texas, where he can lay low and plot his revenge.

The Outlaw Josey Wales is a Western with a gritty tone interrupted by dashes of humor. The Outlaw Josey Wales sees Clint Eastwood in a familiar Western role: a taciturn gunman with few ties and a risky moral streak. His flight is fraught not just with enemies but unlikely allies, and along the way, he accumulates a family’s worth of misfits and rogues. Clint Eastwood makes for as strong a lead as ever, tough and unflappable but with human weaknesses.

The Outlaw Josey Wales is fairly well executed. The story wanders from incident to incident, but in sensible and realistic ways, and the characters met along the way give each encounter a sense of purpose. The tone is unflinchingly serious: death, loss, and betrayal are simply the facts of life, with scant few lasting victories. But Josey’s interactions with his talkative companions give the movie a touch of humor and keep it from being a downer.

Watch The Outlaw Josey Wales when you are in the mood for a solid Western with a strong lead, a good script, and plenty of gunplay. Though not quite the masterpiece that Clint Eastwood’s very best Westerns are, The Outlaw Josey Wales is not far off the mark. For more in the same vein, check out A Fistful of Dollars or The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

7.9 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for good execution and a well-used lead.

Today’s quick review: War of the Worlds. When a massive mechanical tripod erupts from the earth and begins slaughtering people, Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise) flees with his son Robbie (Justin Chatwin) and his daughter Rachel (Dakota Fanning). Their destination is Boston, where Ray’s ex-wife is staying with her parents. But to get there, they must cross a countryside packed with desperate survivors and more of the alien tripods.

War of the Worlds is a science fiction disaster movie based on the classic novel by H.G. Wells. Directed by Steven Spielberg, War of the Worlds features strong source material, impressive special effects, and a tense, consistent tone. The plot loosely follows the original story, but adapted for a modern, American setting. Character issues and odd presentation make the overall execution a mixed bag.

Fittingly for the subject matter, War of the Worlds is a heavy movie. Ray and his children are by themselves in a sea of displaced people, with the ever-present threat of the tripods turning sanctuaries into war zones. The tension and sinister elements are enough to give the movie some weight, while the PG-13 rating keeps the darker content from eclipsing the whole film.

The presentation is skillful as well. The special effects do a great job of conveying the scope of the action, with several massive set pieces to inject some awe. The long, roaming camera shots capture the chaos of the film well, showing plenty of information at once while still keeping close to Ray’s perspective. However, strange lighting effects and too-realistic sound mixing muddy the presentation and give it an odd quality.

The characters are a source of both drama and frustration. Ray is an inattentive father, and his veneer of charisma quickly wears thin. He spends much of his time bickering with his children, often taking the objectively wrong side of the argument. Although the disaster forces him to step up his game, his best moments are when he is taking action rather than talking. The same goes for his children, who are decent characters with annoying tendencies.

Watch War of the Worlds when you are in the mood for a moderately dark survival movie with strong special effects. The film has enough issues with character, plot, and presentation that it doesn’t live up to its full potential, but what is there constitutes a credible, well-polished pass at the genre. For a zombie movie with a similar disaster tone to it, check out World War Z.

6.5 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for good special effects and decent drama held back by weak characters and a mediocre plot.

Today’s quick review: Starsky & Hutch. As punishment for a botched assignment, David Starsky (Ben Stiller), a high-strung cop who takes his job seriously, is partnered with Ken “Hutch” Hutchinson (Owen Wilson), a detective with a relaxed attitude. With a few tips from Huggy Bear (Snoop Dogg), Hutch’s smooth informant, the pair investigate their first case together: a massive cocaine deal by Reese Feldman (Vince Vaughn), a wealthy businessman.

Starsky & Hutch is a buddy cop comedy based on the classic TV series. Starsky & Hutch has a good premise and a strong comedic cast, but mediocre writing and a thin plot keep it from living up to its full potential. It hits most of the beats a buddy cop movie needs to, but doesn’t bring much that’s new to the table. The tone skews comedic, with Starsky and Hutch bumbling their way through most of the case with just enough competence to make progress.

As far as buddy cop movies go, Starsky & Hutch is middle of the road. Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson are generally a good comedic duo, but the script doesn’t make the best use of their talents. Even by comedy standards, Starsky and Hutch are implausibly reckless cops, making it hard to treat them like heroes. The jokes range from decent to pretty good, but there are no iconic bits to make the movie memorable, and the joke density is lower than the actors’ other work.

Still, Starsky & Hutch is watchable and reasonably entertaining. Give it a look when you want something light with a familiar cast. For better movies in the buddy cop vein, check out Rush Hour or Beverly Hills Cop for comedy or Lethal Weapon for action. For better comedies with similar casts, check out Dodgeball or Zoolander.

6.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for decent comedic potential held back by middling writing.

Today’s quick review: Ninja Scroll. After saving Kagero, a female ninja and the sole survivor of her scouting party, from a supernatural assailant, Jubei, a traveling swordsman, finds himself tangled up in the deadly plans of Genma, a shadowy man who has a history with Jubei. Forcibly recruited by Dakuan, an old man sent by the Japanese government to investigate, Jubei must fight his way through the Eight Devils of Kimon to stop Genma and secure Kagero’s safety.

Ninja Scroll is a Japanese animated action film with fantasy elements and plenty of violence. Set in feudal Japan, Ninja Scroll pits ninja against ninja in a battle of wits, swordsmanship, and superpowers. The plot is given a touch of depth by the film’s large cast and their conflicting objectives, but at its core, it remains a straightforward, action-oriented affair. The animation is detailed and energetic, although the style shows the film’s age.

What Ninja Scroll mainly offers is fast-paced, brutal action with a fantasy twist. Nearly every character has a trick up his or her sleeve, from a rock-skinned brute with a massive blade to a deadly assassin who can control snakes. The fight scenes are well-choreographed and unpredictable, while the steady stream of dangerous enemies lets Ninja Scroll pack a lot of action into its 90-some minutes.

The violence and other mature content limit the appeal of the film to anime fans who are not squeamish. For those who like animated action and are not averse to some darker elements, Ninja Scroll makes for a solid, standalone watch with very strong action. For those who are sensitive to gore or sex, look elsewhere.

7.9 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for great action, interesting ninja powers, and a nicely self-contained storyline.

Today’s quick review: The Guard. Gerry Boyle (Brendan Gleeson) is a small town Irish policeman with a good heart and a lax view on protocol. His quiet days are interrupted when a trio of drug smugglers (David Wilmot, Mark Strong, and Liam Cunningham) arrive in the area with a $500 million shipment of cocaine. Together with American FBI agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle), Boyle must locate the criminals before their deal is completed.

The Guard is a crime comedy with a good sense of character. The Guard captures the attitude of small town Ireland, as well as the personality of one cop in particular. Brendan Gleeson leads as Gerry Boyle, an unflappable rural cop who is smarter than he looks. Not above a little graft, Boyle is nonetheless a good man and a sympathetic figure. His quirks give the movie its unique personality, and his interactions with Don Cheadle are surprisingly touching.

The Guard is notable for its unusual tone and sense of humor. Packed with Irish sarcasm and understated humor, The Guard walks a fine line between subtle and overt comedy. Like other generally low-stakes comedies, its jokes are more charming than outrageous. But unlike its brethren, The Guard earns some outright laughter thanks to its slight edge and strong characters. A dash of action also helps the movie from feeling too tame, yielding a light but engaging tone.

Watch The Guard if you are interested in a somewhat lighter crime film without breaking into full-blown comedy. The film is worth watching for Brendan Gleeson alone, and a good script, a well-handled tone, and Don Cheadle are added incentives. Skip it if you are looking for a lot of action, over-the-top comedy, or an involved plot.

7.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for good humor and great characters.

Today’s quick review: Frequency. When freak solar activity lets John Sullivan (Jim Caviezel) talk to his father Frank (Dennis Quaid) thirty years in the past over ham radio, John takes the opportunity to warn his father about a pending accident that would have claimed his life. But the change in the timeline exacerbates a string of serial murders in John’s time, and the two must track down the killer to set things right.

Frequency is a science fiction thriller about a father and son communicating through time to solve a mystery. Blending a touching father-son story, the mystery of a crime thriller, and sci-fi plot logic, Frequency is a competently executed film with an unusual premise. Dennis Quaid and Jim Caviezel make for reasonably solid leads, good men thrust into an unusual situation and given a chance to make things right.

Frequency makes decent use of its premise. The film has a realistic build-up to Frank and John’s cooperation, and the tests they use to figure out what’s happening are plausible and clever. The film also indulges in several creative uses of the timeline alteration rules, giving Frank and John a leg up on the otherwise difficult problem of fixing the timeline. The rules themselves are acceptable, not logically perfect but intuitive and reasonably consistent.

Beyond these aspects, Frequency does pretty well with its writing, acting, and core mystery. Nothing stands out, but the film has competent direction and no real misses, so it is able to make good on its premise. The film’s tender moments are handled quite well, and the tone walks a well-chosen line between sentimental and tense.

Watch Frequency when you are in the mood for a time travel-esque thriller with decent execution and sentimental themes. Though not an outstanding movie, Frequency is a good one, and it is worth a watch for those who like a bit of sci-fi mixed in with their stories. For a time travel movie with a darker twist, check out Looper.

7.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for solid execution on a fairly interesting premise.

Today’s quick review: Source Code. Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal), a soldier recently deployed to Afghanistan, wakes up on a Chicago-bound train in the body of a stranger with no knowledge of how he got there. Shortly afterward, the train explodes, killing everyone on it. Back in his own body, Colter is given his orders: to relive the last 8 minutes of the stranger’s life over and over again until he can catch the culprit responsible for the bombing.

Source Code is a science fiction thriller with a minimalistic premise and solid writing. The mystery unfolds over several iterations of the same events as Colter pieces together the clues to the bomber’s identity. At the same time, he gathers information on his own circumstances, piecing together how he was given his mission and testing the boundaries of his 8-minute universe.

Source Code’s main draw is its skillful writing. The mystery unfolds well, with a steady drip of new information to keep the viewer hooked. The answers the movie gives are not perfect, but they are always interesting, and the writing has a clear endgame in mind. The strength of the plot is backed up by interesting clues, an impressive ending, and good performances all around.

Watch Source Code when you are looking for a better-than-average thriller with a sci-fi twist. Source Code takes mundane elements and mixes them with an unusual premise to form a surprisingly good thriller. The film is not without its quirks, from its short run time to one or two odd explanations, but its good core concept and high execution quality are enough to see it through. For a thriller with a similar sci-fi premise, check out Deja Vu.

7.5 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it the same for a creative premise and solid execution.

Today’s quick review: Robot & Frank. Frank (Frank Langella) is a retired burglar beginning to struggle with senility. When his son Hunter (James Marsden) buys him a robot (Peter Sarsgaard) to help him in his daily life and to keep his mind sharp, Frank is opposed. But his relationship with the robot turns around when he discovers he can teach it to steal, and he finds new purpose in life planning adn executing heists around his community with his new companion.

Robot & Frank is a heartfelt science fiction comedy about the potential impact of artificial intelligence in daily life. Robot & Frank takes place in a near future where a quiet technological revolution has taken place. AI has advanced to the point where intelligent robotic companions are commonplace. The movie follows an aging man’s battle with senility and the effect of his new robot on his health and outlook.

Robot & Frank offers a blend of personal comedy, low-stakes burglary, and down-to-earth sci-fi speculation. Smart writing and solid acting make each of these elements fairly successful, from Frank’s bickering with the robot to the subtler effects on his personality and mental state. The humor is subdued and lifelike, with the occasional joke that captures something essential about AI, humans, or both.

The vision of the future in Robot & Frank is remarkably plausible. The nature and applications of AI technology are realistic, albeit several technological leaps away, and the issues raised are ones that are likely to come up at some point in reality. Beyond its speculative value, Robot & Frank is a touching movie with rich characters and a fair amount of insight into the human condition.

However, the nature of the film makes it somewhat hit-or-miss. The humor is fairly tame. The characters are prickly enough that they are not entirely sympathetic. The sci-fi elements are well-grounded but not all that exciting, more an intellectual and emotional exercise than anything. Moreover, Robot & Frank deals with the weighty themes of aging and memory loss, undercutting the comedy and making the film poor fodder for escapism.

Watch Robot & Frank if you are interested in a fairly realistic take on the future of AI. Certain viewers will find it a thoughtful and enlightening watch, particularly those who enjoy grounded, character-based stories. Those looking for much in the way of plot or overt comedy should look elsewhere. For a psychological mystery with similar AI components, check out Moon.

7.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for solid execution of a plausible, if mundane, premise.