Sleight of Film

Today’s quick review: Thor. When his rash actions nearly trigger a war between the gods of Asgard and the Frost Giants of Jotunheim, Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the Norse god of thunder, is banished from Asgard by his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) as a lesson in humility. Trapped on Earth and stripped of his powers, he is taken in by Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), an astronomer who has been studying a series of strange anomalies. But Thor’s exile is just the opportunity his treacherous brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) needs to betray their father and claim the Asgardian throne.

Thor is a science fantasy superhero movie and the third entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Thor takes on the ambitious task of selling the Norse pantheon in a science fiction setting and succeeds admirably. Asgard is portrayed as a hyper-advanced civilization located in space, whose advanced technology looks and behaves like magic. With the setting firmly in place, Thor then proceeds to tell a fantasy-esque story of deceit, inheritance, and the wisdom to rule.

The acting in the movie fits its semi-comedic tone. The film is serious enough on its own terms, but it is far enough removed from the historical Norse gods that it can embrace Marvel’s sense of fun. Chris Hemsworth makes for an entertaining Thor, honest and brave, but brash and unwise. Tom Hiddleston steals the show as Loki, his charming, deceitful brother. Natalie Portman rounds out the main cast as Jane Foster, Thor’s guide and love interest in the world of Midgard.

Beyond its setting and characters, Thor is an action movie in the superhero mold. Thor pulls off a few neat tricks in combat with his enchanted hammer Mjolnir, while his Asgardian allies have fighting styles of their own to give the combat a nice bit of variety. The special effects are gorgeous, from the gleaming spires of Asgard to the frosty wastes of Jotunheim. The plot delivers a nice blend of action, comedy, and drama that fits the tone of the Marvel Cinematic Universe quite well.

Watch Thor if you are in the mood for an entertaining superhero movie with elements of fantasy. While it lacks the scope of later Marvel movies, it remains an easy watch that stands well on its own. Skip it if you find the premise too far-fetched, if you prefer strict adherence to Norse mythology, or if you are looking for deep storytelling.

7.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for action and enjoyability.

“Today we are canceling the apocalypse!” —Stacker Pentecost

Today’s quick review: Pacific Rim. When an interdimensional rift opens at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, unleashing the enormous monsters known as Kaiju to ravage Earth’s cities, humanity responds by constructing Jaegers, towering mechanical suits of armor designed to fight the Kaiju hand-to-hand. Pilot Raleigh Becket (Charlie Hunnam) joins a multinational team of Jaeger pilots led by Marshall Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba). Together with Pentecost’s adoptive daughter (Rinko Kikuchi), an Australian pilot and his ornery son (Max Martini and Robert Kazinsky), a pair of quirky Kaiju scientists (Charlie Day and Burn Gorman), and a black market Kaiju parts dealer (Ron Perlman), Becket embarks on a desperate mission to take the fight to the Kaiju.

Pacific Rim is an action sci-fi movie from director Guillermo del Toro that crosses a deep love for the mech genre with fantastic special effects and capable storytelling. Pacific Rim promises and delivers exactly one thing: mechs fighting monsters. Everything else about the movie is designed to make this simple premise as effecting as possible. The result is an exhilarating, action-packed film that plays its premise to the fullest.

The fighting in Pacific Rim is immensely satisfying. Titanic mechs brawl with monstrous behemoths in the shallows of the Pacific and the streets of Hong Kong. Each of the Jaegers has its own unique character, from the indomitable Russian rust bucket Cherno Alpha to the swift, top-of-the-line Striker Eureka. For their part, the Kaiju are horrendous amalgams of sea creatures with the sheer destructive power of hurricanes. The two collide in a spectacular blaze of digital effects, lumbering punches, and property destruction.

The universe of Pacific Rim is remarkable as well, filled to the brim with small touches that bring it to life. From the fleets of helicopters that carry the Jaegers to their fights to the Category system of Kaiju classification, Pacific Rim is a film that wholeheartedly embraces the mech genre and all it has to offer. None of the characters are all that deep, but they fit the world perfectly and are interesting enough to drive the human side of the plot. The whole thing is backed by an electric guitar soundtrack that amplifies every scene from its swaggering first notes to the thunder of its final bass hit.

Watch Pacific Rim if you enjoy big, spectacular fights. Those who are the slightest bit interested in the premise will get a lot out of the movie, while those who are not will get almost nothing. Enjoyment requires a healthy inner child and the willingness to sacrifice substance for spectacle. But for a viewer who is on board, Pacific Rim is a fantastic movie that delivers fun in spades.

7.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it an 8.5 for craftmanship, intensity, and sheer fun.

Today’s quick review: Groundhog Day. Phil (Bill Murray) is an abrasive weather man with an inflated ego who is sent to cover the annual Groundhog Day celebration in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. One miserable day turns into many when he finds himself trapped in a time loop, waking up each morning to relive Groundhog Day over and over again. With no way out of the loop, Phil occupies his time picking up new skills, exploring the town of Punxsutawney, and pursuing a one-sided romance with Rita (Andie MacDowell), his charming coworker.

Groundhog Day is a comedy movie with a surprising amount of heart. Phil is one of Bill Murray’s best characters, a misanthrope with just enough humanity to remain likable. His acid tongue earns him the enmity of those around him, but his bad attitude does him no good once he becomes trapped. Instead he must adjust to life in a small town with only one day’s events to live out however he chooses.

This freedom leads to great comedy and profound insights into the human condition. Phil’s ability to live out the day again lets him do just about anything he sets his mind to. At the same time, his imprisonment leads to boredom and suffering. Hedonism quickly loses its charm, and without the ability to end the loop, Phil must find other ways to fill his time and find meaning in his life.

The mixture of a flawed, funny protagonist and a philosophical, human story makes Groundhog Day a unique, impressive movie. Watch it if you are in the mood for an amusing comedy that also lives up to its considerable emotional potential. Skip it if you are looking for a more overt comedy without the emotional weight.

8.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it an 8.0 for an inventive premise, good comedy, and an insightful look at the human condition.

Today’s quick review: Princess Mononoke. Ashitaka, a warrior from a small forest village, strikes down a demon-possessed boar in defense of his village and receives a curse that threatens to consume him. Expelled from his village, he seeks a cure in Iron Town, a frontier town on the verge of a technological revolution. But the town’s hunger for natural resources has pitted it against the spirits and animals of the surrounding woods in an escalating conflict. The humans are led by the stern and pragmatic Lady Eboshi, while the forces of nature are led by Princess Monoke, a feral young woman who was raised by a wolf spirit. With no allegiance to either side, Ashitaka sets about resolving the conflict with as little bloodshed as possible before his own time runs out.

Princess Mononoke is an animated fantasy film from Hiyao Miyazaki and one of his best works. Sound writing, haunting fantasy, brutal conflict, and gorgeous animation combine to produce a film unlike any other. Unlike many of Miyazaki’s other works, Princess Mononoke is mature in its tone and writing. The film does not shy away from violence, using it to emphasize the severity of the conflict and the consequences for the losers. The otherworldly beauty Miyazaki is known for is masked by the brutality of the story, but it peeks through in select places, showing signs of a world beyond the war.

Princess Mononoke offers a surprisingly nuanced take on the question of Man versus Nature. Miyazaki achieves the difficult feat of portraying a conflict with no unambiguously correct side. The humans of Iron Town are greedy, short-sighted, and uncaring, yet they are loyal to each other and their efforts secure a better life for the innocents within their walls. For their part, the spirits of the forest are simple, stubborn, and hostile, possessing all the primal majesty of nature yet rightly fearful that the humans represent a threat to their existence. With both sides blinded by fear and hatred, only the outsider Ashitaka has any hope of ending the conflict with anything short of a bloodbath.

Watch Princess Mononoke if you are interested in an animated masterpiece with thematic storytelling, rich animation, and a mature take on questions of nature and industry. While recognizable as a Miyazaki work from its imagination, its animation style, and its themes, Princess Mononoke is distinct from his other work, tapping into a darker tone to show different sides of nature and humanity. Skip it if you are looking for a gentler story.

8.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 8.5 for outstanding quality.

Today’s quick review: Django Unchained. Django (Jamie Foxx) is a black slave in the 1850s South whose life takes a dramatic turn when he is freed by Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz), a bounty hunter who takes him on as an apprentice. Together they set out to reclaim Django’s wife (Kerry Washington) from a capricious slave owner (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his traitorous slave (Samuel L. Jackson). But their mission will take all of Django’s self-control if it is to succeed, and failure is sure to result in violence.

Django Unchained is a revenge film from director Quentin Tarantino that meanders between genres. While technically a drama, Django Unchained borrows Western elements and sprinkles in scenes of violent action at irregular intervals throughout the movie. Tarantino’s odd sensibilities give the film a slightly surreal quality as well, not enough to push it into the realm of comedy, but enough to temper the drama and give the film a deliberately cinematic film.

Django Unchained suffers from issues of pacing and tone. The plot’s trajectory is never all that clear, and the film spends enough time on setup that several of its key developments are not introduced until later on. Where Kill Bill and Inglorious Basterds were pure fantasy, Django Unchained mixes in grim elements of reality: slavery, rape, and torture. The injection of real drama and suffering into what would otherwise be a violent romp tarnishes the film’s escapist qualities.

Watch Django Unchained if you are a Quentin Tarantino fan or if you are in the mood for a violent revenge fantasy that touches several different bases. For production quality, Django Unchained is as strong as any of Tarantino’s other films, and what it lacks in focus, it makes up for with a potent mix of elements. Your enjoyment of the film will depend on how much you like its dramatic elements; the style and action are pure Tarantino. Skip it if you are at all sensitive to gore or prefer lighter action films.

8.5 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for violence, style, and a perversely fascinating plot held back by pacing and a peculiar mix of realism and fantasy.

Today’s quick review: Die Hard 2. John McClane (Bruce Willis), a New York cop with a good heart and bad luck, finds himself at the center of another hostage situation when a gang of armed terrorists takes control of Dulles International Airport. They use the air traffic control tower to deceive the planes in the air, threatening to direct them into the ground if their demands are not met. Only McClane, at large in the controlled area, has any hope of foiling their scheme.

Die Hard 2 is an action thriller and the second movie in the Die Hard franchise. Bruce Willis returns as John McClane, an everyman cop with a knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. All the traits that made McClane such a good protagonist in the first film are present in the second: limited resources, overwhelming odds, justifiable cynicism, and the grit to persevere.

However, Die Hard 2 misses out on Hans Gruber, the stellar antagonist of the first film. The terrorists of Die Hard 2 have an interesting, multi-stage plan but lack the focused charisma of Alan Rickman. As a result, Die Hard 2 feels like more of a generic thriller than its predecessor. The plot lacks the polish and originality of the first.

For all its limitations, Die Hard 2 is still a satisfying watch. Watch Die Hard 2 if you are in the mood for a strong action thriller with a good plot, a great protagonist, and plenty of action. Skip it if you dislike the action genre or prefer infallible action protagonists.

7.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for being a solid thriller without the superlative quality of the original.

Today’s quick review: Blade Runner. Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is a private detective living in future Los Angeles who is called in by the Tyrell Corporation to hunt down a batch of escaped replicants. The replicants are advanced androids that are indistinguishable from humans except by sophisticated emotional and physiological tests. Deckard’s investigation takes him down a dark road as he discovers that the fugitive replicants have disturbingly human motivations.

Blade Runner is an iconic science fiction noir from director Ridley Scott based on the novel by Philip K. Dick. The work examines questions of humanity, memory, and identity against the backdrop of a quasi-dystopian future where industrialization has made humanity more elusive a concept than ever. The visual effects of the film are impressive, depicting a futuristic Los Angeles filled with massive skyscrapers, neon lights, and smog. The film has a brooding atmosphere that crosses the tone, plot, and characters of a noir with the exaggerated setting and philosophical themes of science fiction.

Despite fine craftsmanship, lofty themes, and a weighty tone, Blade Runner struggles to be conventionally satisfying. The special effects do not scale well to the small screen, and the darkness of the film can make it difficult to follow visually. Rick Deckard is a good protagonist, but he acts more as a lens into the film’s world than a character the viewer can rally behind. The plot has a sense of futility about it that, coupled with its atypical structure, makes the film feel more like a protracted vignette than a story.

Watch Blade Runner if you are in the mood for a heavy science fiction film that eschews the perks of a conventional story in favor of considerable atmosphere, quality of presentation, and interesting philosophical themes. Skip it if you are looking for something with more than a sprinkling of action, a lighter watch, or a story that gives you all the answers.

8.2 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for high levels of all-around quality held back by an unsatisfying, if philosophically rich, story.

Today’s quick review: Mission: Impossible III. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), one of the IMF’s top agents, has settled into a quiet life of semi-retirement. He has dropped field work in favor of training new agents, he has established a successful cover identity as a traffic consultant, and he is engaged to a woman he deeply loves. But when his protege at the agency is kidnapped during an undercover operation, Ethan is called in to rescue her. His mission draws him into a deadly, personal conflict with Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman), an arms dealer with the means to take away everything Ethan holds dear.

Mission: Impossible III is a solid action spy thriller and the third movie in the Mission: Impossible franchise. Directed by J.J. Abrams, Mission: Impossible III is one of the most dramatic in the series. Spy gadgets, plot twists, globe-trotting action, and a couple of big stunts provide plenty of excitement, while Davian’s ruthless deeds give the film an edge that the other entries in the series lack. Nevertheless, Mission: Impossible III begins to show signs of the humor more recent entries in the series have been known for, including the debut of technician Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) and the return of Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames).

Watch Mission: Impossible III if you are a fan of the series or you are simply in the mood for a spy thriller with a nice blend of drama, comedy, and action. Your enjoyment of the film will correlate with your enjoyment of the more serious tone and Philip Seymour Hoffman as a villain. Owen Davian is an utterly despicable character, and while he lacks either the charm or the hamminess of other action villains, he makes an excellent object of hatred. Skip Mission: Impossible III if you dislike action films or are looking for something a little lighter.

6.9 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for solid quality that is missing some of the fun of later movies in the series.

Today’s quick review: The Rescuers. The Rescue Aid Society is an international organization of mice dedicated to helping children in trouble. Bernard (Bob Newhart), the Society’s devoted janitor, earns his chance to go out in the field when he catches the eye of Bianca (Eva Gabor), a kindly, gorgeous mouse who is one of the Society’s top members. Their mission is to rescue Penny, an orphan girl who has been kidnapped and is being forced to search for buried treasure in a dangerous lagoon, from her cruel captors.

The Rescuers is an animated family film from Disney that follows the efforts of two brave mice to save one little girl. The Rescuers benefits from a charming premise, delightful characters, great voice acting, and an adventurous story. However, its simplistic plot, short run time, and innocent tone may make it of mixed interest to adult viewers. The Rescuers also lacks the musical numbers, intricate writing, and lavish production quality of its better-known Disney brethren.

But for all these restrictions, The Rescuers is a light, pleasant watch. The world inhabited by Bernard and Bianca is colorful and daring, full of anthropomorphic animals carrying on civilization under the humans’ feet. The characters are simple and vivid, capturing courage and kindness, greed and villainy, in just a few brushstrokes. The tone retains its youthful optimism even in the face of dire peril, and the film does an excellent job of capturing the hope and despair of Penny’s dreadful situation.

Watch The Rescuers if you are in the mood for a short, relatively unknown Disney film with plenty of charm. While the sound and animation quality are somewhat dated, The Rescuers delivers in all the ways that count for a kids’ film: character, tone, humor, and adventure. Those who dislike the genre should skip The Rescuers. Those looking for a little something extra should check out its sequel, The Rescuers Down Under, which boasts higher production values, a more even tone, and absolutely gorgeous animation and orchestration.

6.9 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for charming characteres and a great premise held back somewhat by dated animation and simple writing.

Today’s quick review: Next. Cris Johnson (Nic Cage) is a Vegas stage magician with a hidden talent: the ability to see several minutes into the future. But his life changes dramatically when two events happen at almost the same time. The first is that the FBI comes after Cris, hoping to use his ability to foil a dangerous terrorist plot. Cris wants nothing to do with them and goes on the run to protect his freedom. The second is that he discovers Liz Cooper (Jessica Biel), a woman whose presence allows him to see farther into the future. In order to explore their strange connection, Cris must first win her trust, all while staying one step ahead of the FBI.

Next is a competent sci-fi thriller based on a story by Philp K. Dick. Next represents science fiction in its purest form: an impossible premise played out logically over the course of a clever plot. Next makes great use of its premise to change up the normal thriller formula. Cris is not the typical action star. He has no special training, no extra resources, no advantage in skill or intelligence, but his ability allows him to game his situation through trial and error. This unusual premise gives Next a unique flavor the blends well with its more conventional thriller aspects.

Beyond its plot and premise, Next is sound but not outstanding. Nic Cage and Jessica Biel do a credible job as Cris and Liz, with believable decisions, understandable motivations, and real compatibility, if not chemistry. The plot has a few generic aspects that detract from the originality of the premise, keeping Next out of the ranks of the best sci-fi thrillers. The film also bogarts its action until later on. While what action there is is satisfying, a higher-budget, more action-oriented film could have done spectacular things with Cris’s power.

Watch Next when you are in the mood for a neat sci-fi flick with a strong plot, decent acting, and a touch of action. While not a standout film, Next delivers on its strong premise and makes no significant mistakes. Fans of the sci-fi genre will not want to miss it, while fans of decent-to-good thrillers should give it a shot as well. Skip it if you dislike Nic Cage, need a bit more action in your sci-fi, or dislike thriller story structures.

6.2 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for an interesting premise and reasonable execution.