Sleight of Film

Today’s quick review: Iron Man. Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.), a billionaire industrialist who made his fortune by selling advanced weapons, gets a taste of his own medicine when his convoy is attacked by insurrgents in Afghanistan. Gravely wounded by a Stark Industries missile, Tony is taken to a cave and forced to work on weapons for the terrorists. But rather than give into their demands, Tony designs a new weapon: a suit of armor that allows him to break free of his captors. Returning to the America, Tony reclaims his corporate empire and sets it on a new course, one of energy rather than weaponry. But Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges), Tony’s right hand and mentor, opposes the change in direction and will do anything to keep Stark Industries the way it was.

Iron Man is the first movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel’s successful attempt to bring some of their most popular comic book heroes to life. Iron Man is a high-caliber action movie with a rich special effects, a tight plot, and an excellent cast. Robert Downey, Jr. offers a fresh take on Tony Stark, playing him as a brash, egotistical genius whose pride and luxurious lifestyle keep his good heart from shining through. Tony’s experience at the receiving end of his own weaponry gives him a new perspective on life and a new sense of responsibility. His sharp wit and easygoing attitude are still intact, but he resolves to put his genius to better use.

Playing opposite him, Jeff Bridges nails the role of Obadiah Stane, Tony’s surrogate father and the outward representation of his past. Unlike Tony, Stane is unmoved by how Stark Industries weapons are being used. He simply sees it as business and looks down on Tony for his weakness. Bridges brings an avuncular charm and calm dominance to the character that plays well off of Downey, Jr.’s impulsivity. Together they form the core of a strong plot of responsibility, redemption, and conflicting views of the world.

Layered on top of this plot is a smorgasbord of special effects and superhero action. Tony’s Mark I armor is a breakthrough for him, and he quickly sets about designing a sleeker replacement from the comfort of his Malibu home. His design and testing of the armor are a delight to watch, from his stumbling first steps to the joys of supersonic flight. The technology is compelling, the action is fun, and the world is one that Marvel has successfully grown into a massive franchise.

Those who prefer their movies a little more down to earth should skip Iron Man, as ultimately it is a comic book movie. Everyone else who enjoys action movies, science fiction, or superheroes should give Iron Man a watch. It is a well-crafted, engaging film that kicks off a very impressive franchise.

7.9 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it an 8.0 for solid craftsmanship, great acting, and a nice blend of action, drama, and comedy.

Today’s quick review: Brave. Merida (Kelly Macdonald), the hotheaded daughter of a Scottish chief, detests her station in life. For the good of her clan, she must act like a lady, keep a level head, and marry the prince of a neighboring clan to maintain the clans’ alliances. Instead she would rather live life like her father, riding horses, exploring the forest, and practicing archery. She rebels against her family and seeks the aid of a witch, but her selfish deed places a curse on her family. To save her family from a terrible fate, Merida must put aside her ego, reconcile with them, and become worthy of her position.

Brave is a family film from Disney that deals with freedom, responsibility, and forgiveness. High-quality CG animation brings the forests of Scotland to life, while touches of Celtic mythology add a haunted, mystical quality to the setting. The production values are high as always, and the film earns a few good laughs from Merida’s bombastic father and her rascally younger brothers.

Where Brave suffers is that Merida is ultimately in the wrong. Brave is nominally a movie about meeting one’s parents halfway, but the restrictions imposed by Merida’s mother are portrayed as unfair burdens rather than necessary parts of leading a clan. Merida’s desire for more freedom is sympathetic, but her unwillingness to accept any responsibility causes needless problems throughout the movie. As such, even when Merida grows from her experiences, she comes across as selfish and short-sighted for having made those mistakes in the first place.

Brave is a solid, enjoyable family film that does not distinguish itself from Disney’s other entries. Your enjoyment of the film will be proportionate to how much you sympathize with Merida. If you believe she is right to rebel and justified, if overzealous, in her actions, you will get a lot out of Brave’s story. If you believe she is irresponsible and inconsiderate, you will find the plot to be frustrating. Beyond that, the quality of the film is high but not exceptional. Brave is worth a watch, but only after you have worked through Disney’s other CGI offerings.

7.2 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for decent execution of a disappointing plot.

Today’s quick review: The Truman Show. Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey) is an ordinary man leading a charmed life. He has a wonderful wife, a pleasant neighborhood, and a sunny disposition. But as the incongruities of his life pile up, Truman begins to question the world he is presented with. A studio light falls from a clear sky. Traffic disappears the second he leaves the road. His wife promotes a particular brand of coffee during breakfast. As Truman finds more and more wrong with his world, he comes closer to discovering the astonishing truth: his life is a 24/7 reality show overseen by a visionary producer (Ed Harris).

The Truman Show is a dramatically powerful comedy about life, reality, and television. Jim Carrey tunes down his normal, over-the-top acting style to make Truman a sympathetic, human protagonist. Truman has a sweet, innocent personality that fits his artificial life quite well, making his gradual awakening both funny and painful. The drama of the film skirts a fine line between the low-stakes, absurd drama of a man trying to escape the world’s cushiest prison and the existential, personal drama of a man discovering that his world and everything important to him is a lie. From the outside, The Truman Show is an amusing comedy about the grandest reality show ever conceived. From the inside, The Truman Show is a bittersweet tale about finding reality.

The Truman Show is a unique film that mixes comedy and drama to produce a surprisingly powerful story. While not as philosophically deep as the premise might imply, The Truman Show is an emotionally rich and satisfying film. Watch it when you are in the mood for something odd, charming, and a little sad. Skip it if you are looking for unadulterated comedy or realistic drama.

8.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it an 8.0 for a strong blend of comedy and drama.

Today’s quick review: The Naked Gun. Lt. Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) is one of the top detectives of the Los Angeles Police Squad. When his partner Nordberg (O.J. Simpson) is hospitalized on an investigation, Drebin leaps into action, uncovering a plot to assassinate the Queen of England during her visit to Los Angeles. His investigation leads him to Vincent Ludwig (Ricardo Montalban), a sinister businessman, and Jane Spencer (Priscilla Presley), his gorgeous secretary. But with Police Squad disgraced by a string of public failures, Drebin must fight to stay on the case long enough to save the Queen’s life.

The Naked Gun is a goofy comedy from the creators of Airplane!. Based on the short-lived TV series Police Squad!, The Naked Gun is a lighthearted spoof of the crime genre that is packed full of sight gags, puns, and slapstick. Leslie Nielsen does a masterful job as Frank Drebin, who is as straight-faced as any TV detective yet as clumsy as any stooge. The other actors follow a similar pattern, using thinly dramatic acting as cover for ridiculous gags and silly situations. The plot is an excuse for Drebin to bungle things in ever-more-spectacular ways, providing ample opportunity for humor along the way.

The Naked Gun is a must-see for lovers of silly, Airplane!-style humor. It is one of the finest entries into the genre, with the best jokes and the best acting. The Naked Gun is a perfect choice for when you are in the mood for something light, quick, and hilarious. Skip it if you dislike slapstick or sight gags, but otherwise make sure to check it out.

7.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for excellent, silly humor.

Today’s quick review: Finding Nemo. When Nemo (Alexander Gould), a young clownfish, is captured by a human, his overprotective father Marlin (Albert Brooks) must leave the shelter of his home to rescue his son. His journey takes him into deep waters, past sharks and sea turtles, and far from his home. Along the way he befriends Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), a forgetful fish with an optimistic outlook on life. Together they set about the difficult task of finding one fish in an ocean.

Finding Nemo is an animated family film from Disney and Pixar. Colorful CGI coupled with lively characters, light humor, and a sweet story make it a modern classic. Finding Nemo is a road movie of sorts. Marlin and Dory embark on an underwater journey to reach where they believe Nemo was taken. The two personalities play well off each other, with Marlin as the overly cautious straight man and Dory as the airheaded optimist. Nemo’s plight, the dangers that Marlin and Dory face, and the vastness of the ocean lend a bit of gravity to the film. For all that Marlin worries too much, his fears are at least partially justified: the ocean is a dangerous place for a small fish. These heavier themes are deployed well, never dragging the movie too far down while still conveying a sense of drama.

Finding Nemo takes a cute premise and delivers on it with rock-solid execution. The animation is gorgeous, the world rich, the story well-paced, and the quotes memorable. Watch it if you enjoy Disney films or are in the mood for something light or well-crafted. Skip it if you dislike the genre.

8.2 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it an 8.0 for solid execution.

Today’s quick review: Fantastic Mr. Fox. Mr. Fox (George Clooney), a chicken-thief-turned-writer, lives in a burrow with his wife Mrs. Fox (Meryl Streep), his grumpy teenage son Ash (Jason Schwartzman), and his athletic nephew Kristofferson (Eric Anderson). When his old life calls to him, Mr. Fox moves his family into a tree with a strategic view of three ripe farms and resumes thievery with the help of his new landlord, an opossum named Kylie (Wallace Wolodarsky). But the farmers are not to be trifled with, and Mr. Fox’s exploits soon threaten the safety of his family.

Fantastic Mr. Fox is a stop-motion family comedy based on the book by Roald Dahl and directed by Wes Anderson. Wes Anderson brings some of his hallmarks to the film, including straight camera shots, quirky dialogue, and an energetic score by Alexandre Desplat. But unlike his live action films, where the actors under-perform for the sake of tone, the voice actors in Fantastic Mr. Fox are given reign to bring their characters to life. The result is a film that is more lively and accessible than Wes Anderson’s other works while still retaining his quirky charm.

The film’s art style is a mixed blessing. On the one hand, it gives the characters free reign to move in peculiar ways, easily pulling off shots that would be impossible in live action. On the other hand, the visual style of the film takes a lot of getting used to. The lanky characters, peculiar facial features, and simplified landscapes all feel off, as though they were the representation of a world rather than a world of their own. The effect wears off after about half an hour, just leaving a sense of energy behind, but be sure to stick with it until then.

Fantastic Mr. Fox is a light, quirky comedy with a peculiar art style, good characters, and bits of directorial flair throughout. Watch it if you are a Wes Anderson fan, you enjoy stylized films, or you are in the mood for a quaint, fast-paced family film. Skip it if you prefer films that are more normal than experimental, or if you are looking for a hilarious comedy rather than an amusing one. The level of craftsmanship is high, and while parts of the world are off-putting, Fantastic Mr. Fox succeeds in telling a pleasant tale with energy and style.

7.8 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 to 8.0 for quality, creativity, and strong voice acting.

Today’s quick review: Hot Shots! Part Deux. Topper Harley (Charlie Sheen), one of the Navy’s finest, returns from his self-imposed exile at the behest of U.S. President Tug Benson (Lloyd Bridges), his former admiral. His mission is to rescue the American hostages being held in Iraq, as well as the previous rescue teams sent in after them. Together with a sultry liaison (Brenda Bakke) and a team of crack commandos, Topper carves a path through the jungles of Iraq to Saddam Hussein’s compound. But when Ramada (Valeria Golino), his old flame, shows up on the mission, old heartbreak stirs again, putting the mission in jeopardy.

Hot Shots! Part Deux is a goofy Rambo parody that serves as a loose sequel to the original Hot Shots!. Its style of humor is identical to its predecessor, with sight gags, faux seriousness, slapstick, light political satire, and parodies of scenes from popular movies. But it lacks some of the polish of its predecessor: the plot is less coherent, the soundtrack is less memorable, and the world feels less authentic. If Hot Shots! is Top Gun seen through a comedic lens, its sequel is merely jokes about Rambo, Apocalypse Now, and a host of other movies.

These shortcomings are merely the difference between funny and impressively funny, and Hot Shots! Part Deux is still a side-splitter for those with the right sense of humor. The individual gags are hilarious, from the celibate monks who rush to impress the first woman they have ever seen to the team’s pitiful attempts to look like fishermen when an Iraqi patrol comes to inspect their boat. The comedy is silly, plentiful, and slightly surreal. The jokes are brought together by a cast that knows how to make absurd behavior seem like the most natural thing in the world.

Hot Shots! Part Deux is a good choice for anyone with a silly sense of humor and a bit of time to kill. Fans of Airplane! and the Naked Gun series will appreciate another fine movie in the same style, while Monty Python fans are encouraged to make the leap to something less British but spiritually quite similar. Those who prefer comedy that is less absurd, more intelligent, or wrapped around a stronger plot should look elsewhere. Thought not a perfect sequel, Hot Shots! Part Deux delivers on what it promises: laughter, and plenty of it.

6.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for good gags held back by a mediocre core.

Today’s quick review: Mission: Impossible II. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), one of the IMF’s top agents, cuts his vacation short for a mission that could save the world. Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott), a rogue IMF agent, has stolen the antidote to the Chimera virus from the scientist who developed it. With the virus itself, Ambrose will be able to trigger an epidemic that only he has the ability to cure. To get close to Ambrose, Ethan must recruit Nyah Nordoff-Hall (Thandie Newton), a high-class thief who was once Ambrose’s lover. Ethan is joined once again by Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames), an IMF agent with a knack for computers and one of Ethan’s closest friends.

Mission: Impossible II is a spy action thriller and the second film in the Mission: Impossible franchise. Although an enjoyable watch, it is the weakest entry in the series so far. It lacks the intrigue of the first film or the strong character interactions of the later films, leaving only big stunts and Ethan’s spy antics to draw the audience in. The spy parts of the film are a touch more cartoonish than usual, with high-speed chases down winding mountain roads and slow motion martial arts showdowns. But the film has plenty of action, the action has plenty of flash, and Tom Cruise has the twinkle in his eye that makes him such an effective protagonist.

Watch Mission: Impossible II if you are in the mood for a light action film with little in the way of story. Fans of the series will not be impressed by the movie, but those who are in it for the action will be satisfied. Mission: Impossible II has less going on than its siblings, but that still makes it an enjoyable watch with impressive stunts, shocking reversals, and reasonable plot by action movie standards. For a popcorn flick, Mission: Impossible II is a very good choice.

6.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for big stunts and a thrilling if shallow plot.

Today’s quick review: Suicide Kings. A group of young men led by Avery (Henry Thomas) get more than they bargained for when they kidnap Charlie Barret (Christopher Walken), a wealthy man who is reputed to have contacts with some very dangerous people. Their plan is to pressure Barret into giving them the money needed to pay the ransom on Avery’s sister, who has been kidnapped by a pair of thugs. But in spite of his friendly exterior, Barret has a will of iron. Through a combination of threats and charm, he begins to exert control over his captors and leads them to believe that one of them might be a traitor. Meanwhile, his man on the outside (Denis Leary) embarks on a violent search across the city to look for the kidnapped sister on Barret’s behalf.

Suicide Kings is a crime drama that mixes tension with snatches of humor. The film hinges on a very strong performance by Christopher Walken as Charlie Barret, who is quite reasonable until he is pushed too far. His treatment of the boys is an exercise in manipulation, and Walken switches between the charismatic and dominant sides of his character with ease. Each boy is harboring secrets that come to light as Barret tests the boundaries of his captivity. But their acting is noticeably weaker than Walken’s, so what should be an interesting dynamic comes off as one-sided.

The film’s tone is peculiar, never quite reaching the level of comedy yet relying too much on humor for a pure drama. The alternation between the two leaves an uneasy feeling in the viewer’s stomach. A couple of violent shocks put a damper on the light tone that builds up when Barret is left to his own devices, while that light tone is at odds with the overall tone of the movie. Embracing the humor a little more and easing up on the film’s darker aspects would have broadened its appeal, while taking the opposite approach would have yielded a very credible drama. As it is, Suicide Kings delivers tension disrupted by moments of levity in a way that is not quite masterful.

Suicide Kings is an enjoyable crime flick with a good plot and a great main character. The film’s twists are not all winners, but there are enough of them to keep the tension high until the end. Christopher Walken pulls of a rare blend of good humor and derision, and his subtle manipulations of the boys are interesting to watch. Skip Suicide Kings if you are looking for a superlative film, a perfect drama, or a light watch. Watch it if you are interested in mysteries, good character interactions, and tension cut with a bit of humor.

7.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I also give it a 7.0 for a strong performance by Walken, a good plot, and nice humor, held back by its hybrid tone and a weak supporting cast.

Today’s quick review: Reservoir Dogs. When their heist goes wrong, six men (Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Steve Buscemi, Edward Bunker, and Quentin Tarantino) flee to a warehouse to lick their wounds and plot their next move. Looking back on what happened, the criminals quickly conclude that one of them had to have been a traitor, and they set about pooling the limited information they know about each other. Tempers flare, threats fly, and lies abound as the men try to figure out which of them should pay with his life.

Reservoir Dogs is a crime drama from writer and director Quentin Tarantino. Despite a premise suitable for an action movie or a heist film, Reservoir Dogs focuses not on the crime but the aftermath. The warehouse setting with its characters that come and go gives the film a stage play quality, and it is a testament to Tarantino’s skill as a director that the brutality of his world shines through even when much of it is off-camera. The film’s tension is an ample substitute for overt violence, though, and the snatches of violence that are present are scarring enough to make the threat of further violence all the more credible.

Quentin Tarantino brings his signature style to the film. Long musings on trivialities contribute much to the tone and little to the plot. Gruesome violence is juxtaposed with cheerful music. None of the character are good people, and their volatile personalities cause them to clash in interesting ways. The details of the crime are glossed over in favor of the characters’ attempts to find the traitor. Even the characters’ names are secondary, both to the audience and to each other. Reservoir Dogs is a sickeningly tense film, where any slip can spell disaster and violence is always around the corner.

Reservoir Dogs is a well-crafted minimalistic thriller. It is a must-see for Quentin Tarantino fans and highly recommended for anyone who enjoys tense, violent movies, even if there is little actual action. Its characters are mere sketches, yet they are placed in such a powerful situation that they come vividly to life. The mystery surrounding the identity of the traitor is a strong one, but even stronger than its solution is the unnerving tone it generates. Watch Reservoir Dogs if you are looking for a tense crime drama with a dark tone. Skip it if you are squeamish or you are looking for a proper heist or action flick.

8.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it an 8.0 for incredible tension and solid execution.