Sleight of Film

Today’s quick review: Romancing the Stone.  A shut-in romance author (Kathleen Turner) is dragged into a world of adventure when her sister is kidnapped.  While traveling to Colombia to deliver the ransom, she finds herself lost in the jungle with only a chance acquaintance (Michael Douglas) to help her.  As the two try to get back to civilization and deliver the ransom, they wind up involved with the search for hidden treasure and the criminals who are after it.  Romancing the Stone is a pleasant blend of romantic comedy and light adventure.  The characters are enjoyable, the premise is just absurd enough to be fun, and the parallels between the author’s life and her romance novels are amusing to watch develop.  The movie dabbles in both of its genres, so don’t expect it to veer too far in either direction.  The romance is gradual, and while it forms the core emotional arc of the film, it is mostly played for comedy.  There is a decent amount of action, but nothing particularly mind-blowing or violent.  Dan DeVito also does a good job as the more sympathetic of the two kidnappers and offers a glimpse into just how badly their own schemes go awry.  Overall, Romancing the Stone is a pleasant watch for a rainy day when you are looking for something light, or when you are looking for a compromise movie to appease a significant other (“Look, honey, it has romance/treasure in it!”).  6.9 out of 10 on IMDB.

Today’s quick review: Bunraku. A drifter (Josh Hartnett) rolls into town looking for Nicola the Woodcutter (Ron Perlman), a ruthless crime boss, but instead finds a samurai (Gackt) with a similar mission. To reach Nicola, they must first fight his Top 10 Killers. They are aided in their quest by a wise and opportunistic bartender (Woody Harrelson) who has a history with Nicola. Bunraku is a stylized and highly creative film. From its colorful and moody lighting to its just-so narration, it delivers a peek into a world unlike that found in any other movie.

The movie features a mishmash of genres—Western, samurai, and noir, to name a few—united by an overarching sense of style. The overall impression is that of a stage play gone horribly right. The limitations of the stage are dropped into the movie in clever and satisfying ways: walls fading out to show what other characters are doing, minimalistic sets with dramatic lighting, and even a multi-floor action scene shot entirely from the side in a cutaway building.

A recurring motif in Bunraku is the addition of a twist to an otherwise generic character or scenario. For instance, Josh Hartnett is an archetypical Western drifter (albeit a somewhat unsuccessful one) complete with hat, gambling, and anonymity. Gackt plays the Eastern equivalent, a samurai searching for a family heirloom whose exploits put his uncle’s restaurant in jeopardy. The twist is in the blending of the two characters: neither can succeed on his own, and only with the help of each other and the guidance of the Bartender do they stand a chance against Nicola.

The use of familiar story elements proves to be something of a double-edged sword for Bunraku. While they provide grounding in an otherwise unfamiliar setting, they also cheapen the story and leave the audience wondering whether extending the movie’s originality a little further would have been so bad.

The movie’s main weakness is that it comes across as a little flat in places. The writing doesn’t always hit the mark, and the fight scenes are choreographed more like dances than martial arts action. That said, the concept and style are nearly unique, and the execution is delightful in countless tiny ways. Overall, you should expect a heavily stylized movie with plenty of action, strong narration, subtle moments of comedy, and innovative presentation. Those who enjoyed the sylized aspects of Scott Pilgrim or Lucky Number Slevin should give Bunraku a watch, although the tone and genre are somewhat different. The story and characters are not particularly deep, but the setting and direction of Bunraku both ooze style that you won’t find anywhere else. 6.2 out of 10 on IMDB.

Today’s quick review: I’m Gonna Git You Sucka. When his brother dies, Jack Spade comes home from the Army only to find his old neighborhood overrun with crime. Jack seeks the help of retired hero John Slade to clean up the streets and take on Mr. Big, the criminal responsible for the death of Jack’s brother. I’m Gonna Git You Sucka is an unexpectedly hilarious comedy. Parodying the blaxploitation movies of the 70’s, the film brings together a large cast of old-school heroes, doting family members, and amusing cameos. Its sense of humor is very similar to Airplane! and related movies, and it pulls it off well: expect peculiar characters, sight gags, and general silliness. The film is also quite similar to cult comedy Black Dynamite, a modern take on the same concept, although I’m Gonna Git You Sucka relies more on jokes for humor and less on action movie excess. Give I’m Gonna Git You Sucka a shot if you enjoyed Airplane! or Black Dynamite and are looking for something more. 6.5 out of 10 on IMDB.

Today’s quick review: X-Men: Apocalypse. James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Jennifer Lawrence star once again in the latest installment of the X-Men franchise, set ten years after the events of Days of Future Past. The intervening decade has seen major changes in the lives of the main cast: Professor X is once again the head of a thriving school for mutants, Magneto is leading a quiet civilian life in Poland with his newfound family, and Mystique is an unwilling role model for countless mutants across the globe. The three are drawn together once more by the awakening of Apocalypse, the world’s first and most powerful mutant and once the immortal ruler of Ancient Egypt. Upon seeing a modern world where the strong protect the weak, Apocalypse gathers his followers and prepares to cleanse the world of the weak, so that only the strongest survive.

In terms of overall quality, X-Men: Apocalypse is on par with the rest of the First Class trilogy. The core trio of Charles, Eric, and Raven is as strong as ever, and the newcomers give the universe a feeling of growth and progression. Where Days of Future Past had a complex plot centered around a few characters, Apocalypse goes simpler and broader. The plot has relatively few stages, a reasonable decision given the number of characters to cover and the straightforward nature of the threat. The early part of the movie is spent switching between various charactres until they begin to cross paths, at which point the story progresses rapidly into its endgame. The expanded cast and well-established returning characters move the focus from deep character development to character interaction and world-building, yielding a world that seems ripe with potential.

Apocalypse embraces its comic book roots more than past X-Men movies have. While perfectly compatible with its predecessors, Apocalypse ups the ante with characters, costumes, and powers that should make any X-Men fan happy. Storm sports a mohawk, Angel has steel wings, and a lot of the metal vibe of classic X-Men comics carries through. The result is an exciting movie with plenty of action, a vibrant cast, a promising world, and arguably the best entrance a character has made in the history of film. Go see it if you enjoyed First Class or Days of Future Past. 7.5 out of 10 on IMDB.

Today’s quick review: 16 Blocks.  A washed-up cop, Bruce Willis, comes off duty only to find that he has to transport a witness, Mos Def, 16 blocks to the courthouse to stand witness.  But after a failed attempt on the Def’s life by corrupt police officers, it becomes clear that he was never meant to make it to trial.  Willis must confront his own checkered past as he races to get Def across town in time to testify.  The movie is an excellent thriller with a strong emotional heart.  Neither Willis nor Def is particularly likeable at first—Def is overly talkative and possibly dishonest, while Willis is tired and jaded—but their shared peril reveals hidden depths to their characters.  16 Blocks is a cleanly-executed thriller with an excellent plot progression that’s centered around a pair of deep, well-acted characters.  Watch it when you’re in the mood for drama, tension, and a smattering of action.  6.6 out of 10 on IMDB.