Movie Reviews
Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius
by Sam FocakProduced by Nickelodeon, a kids’ cable channel in the US, I was a *little* worried that the humour would be too childish, but even the trailers seemed to show an understanding that the best way to make a kid’s movie these days is to include stuff for the adults too.
Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius is about, umm, a boy, named Jimmy Neutron who, in a surprising twist, is a genius. Jimmy Neutron (James Isaac Neutron to his mother) is an inventor, of course, and we are treated to dozens of his crazy inventions throughout the movie — stuff that only a kid could possibly come up with!
After trying to make contact with an alien civilization, all the adults in the neighbourhood are kidnapped, and Jimmy and his friends have to use his inventions to go get their parents back. Definitely a kid-friendly (ie. simple) plot, with plenty of eye-candy and bright colours for the little ones, but never gets ‘dumb’ either. There are plenty of in-jokes for the adults, and heck, even a few for us science geeks.
Beauty and the Beast (IMAX)
by Sam FocakMorgan and I headed off to our local IMAX theatre to see the new digitally enhanced (and slightly expanded) version of Beauty and the Beast. We also brought along friend, and regular movie companion Yvette, who, I should note, was horrified that I had never seen Beauty and the Beast.
But as my regular readers all know, I’m a big Disney fan, everything from the classic animation right through the computer-generated Pixar worlds, this particular movie just happened to sneak past me, so it was with great anticipation that I made this the first film of the year.
The story is a classic — girl meets beast, girl hates beast at first, girl sees beast’s inner beauty, beast changes his ways and becomes the perfect man as girl’s love sets him free. Ahh, I love a good fairy tale!!
OK, OK, the premise is more than a little far-fetched, but it still makes for a terrific movie. Those Disney people are at their absolute best with this film, and the newly digitized version is simply amazing. The colors are stunning, the songs are a perfect fit and the ‘furniture’ maintains the right comic pace. As a bonus for the IMAX viewers (and no doubt the DVD buyers later this year) an extra song is added featuring the secondary characters in the beast’s castle, and it fits in seamlessly.
Just an all-around terrific viewing experience for kids and Disney-lovers, and one that has held up well over time.
Finding Neverland
by Mary SandsI remember seeing this movie in Kansas City when my mom came to visit, and we both cried. I don't believe we have ever cried around each other before or since. In fact, she is the solid cornerstone of the family, having endured many painstaking moments, but with hardly an emotion!
Johnny Depp has always been one of my favorite actors. I guess I fall into the category of "normal female" or something, but despite his sultry looks, his range of acting--when not hit and miss as it can be--is what has always drawn me in, from What's Eating Gilbert Grape to Dead Man to Ed Wood to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. You have to admit, not every actor could pull off such a complexitude of situational acting.
As J.M. Barrie, author of Peter Pan, Depp creates a magical world for four children after meeting their widowed mother, who much to his wife's chagrin becomes Barrie's new friend and inspiration. The fantasy world that Barrie creates is wonderful and breath-taking. A must-see!
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
by Sam FocakExcerpted from Snape’s Potions class:
Recipe for a Blockbuster
Take 1 part all-time best selling kids’ book
Add 3 parts adorable children
Mix in 5 parts respected adult actors
Put in a magical John Williams’ score
Toss in a healthy dose of Hollywood magic
Let simmer for 12 months, and what do you get? One of the most delightful and spell-binding family movies to come along in years.
It’s just over a couple years ago that a close friend of mine, Yvette, finally sold me on the Harry Potter books — admittedly after several months of poking and prodding — but I was instantly hooked. J.K. Rowling has created an incredible fantasy world that goes beyond being just a kids’ book — in fact, I suspect the reason Harry Potter has become the most beloved character around is that she doesn’t “write down” to kids — and the end result is something that adults can enjoy as well. By the time I finished the books, my anticipation for this film was sky-high.
I won’t bother going through a plot summary here — plenty of other reviewers have done that online and in the papers, but either you have read the books, or you should — I couldn’t possibly do this fantastic tale justice in a two-paragraph summary here. For those who have read the books, let’s just say this is a very faithful adaptation.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (or Sorceror’s Stone, as it was released in the US) is one of those rare films that manages to get everything “just right”. The casting of Harry and his best friends Ron and Hermione is perfect, while Hagrid and the teachers at Hogwarts looked and sounded as if they were lifted directly from the pages of the novel.
The blend of storytelling and action is mixed in the right proportions, as in the book, and the scenes are carefully crafted to be suspenseful but never scary for little kids — the monsters are never over the top and the dangers are always certain to be overcome.
The only knock I really had against the movie is that at times the storytelling seemed rushed — the movie definitely seemed crafted for people who have read the books. While I wouldn’t say that a non-reader would have trouble understanding it, there is definitely a more emotional response from people who have read and loved the books. There are some moments of pure joy, seeing events in the book brought to life, and my cheeks hurt by the end from the stupid grin that comes with seeing something so well done on the big screen.
Tomb Raider
by Sam FocakAs I sat through the ending credits of Tomb Raider, my thoughts drifted to Oscar Wilde, who wrote “it is far more true that life imitates art than art imitates life”. It is perhaps the greatest accomplishment of this film to bring those words true to life.
Our heroine Lara Croft (played by the well-padded Angelina Jolie) is on a quest for a mystical triangle artifact that will allow her to travel back through time and get back the time that was “stolen when her father disappeared”. Ironically, I couldn’t help but wish that I had a mystical triangle artifact that would allow me to travel back through time and get back the 2 hours of my life they stole from me with this movie.
While I am a big fan of summer popcorn movies like The Mummy Returns or A Knight’s Tale, this piece of cinematic dreck isn’t even that much fun. The movie is little more than a handful of unrelated action sequences interspersed between vast amounts of what I believe was supposed to be acting, but with the emotion of reading the dictionary.
The lone bright spot was the surprise presence of Chris Barrie, better known as Rimmer of Red Dwarf fame. As Lara Croft’s butler, he proved more entertaining than a room full of robotic tomb creatures.
Once again, Hollywood has taken what could have been a great idea, and beaten it into the ground by putting the franchise into the wrong hands and giving little or no thought to script and storyline. What should have been another X-men popularity franchise will instead likely go down as ‘just another video game movie’.
O Brother, Where Art Thou
by Morgan WoodburyI believe I may have mentioned before that I love this movie. Everything about this movie pleases me to no end. It is very close to being my favorite movie of all time. I’m always hesitant to call anything “my favorite movie” though because as soon as I say something like that I am always soon reminded of another movie that I liked even better forcing me to retract my prior statement. To prevent that from happening I have taken it upon myself to never proclaim a favorite or best movie. I will say that this is right up there though.
George Clooney has redeemed himself in my eyes. He was doing rather poorly in my eyes with the likes of “ER” and “The Peacemaker” under his belt, but I do hereby proclaim his involvement in this film absolves him of any wrong doing. Oh, John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson were really good too.
O Brother, Where Art Thou (cont.)
I guess I should give a little bit of information on the plotline of the movie. Basically it is a story about three convicts who escape from the chaingang in the early 1930’s to chase a buried treasure. On the way to find this great treasure they encounter story elements found in Homer’s The Odyssey such as Sirens, Cyclops, and a blind prophet.
The entire movie is filled with top-notch Coen brother comedy. Most of the jokes in the movie are rather long (i.e. no one-liners) and quite situational. It doesn’t work very well to retell them without seeing the movie, so I will refrain from doing so.
This movie deserves a special comment for the music. I found the music throughout the movie to be both highly enjoyable and well done. It is a mix of Gospel and old 30’s style tunes that both mesh very well with the movie and are very pleasing to my punk rock hardened ears.
Superior acting, directing, music, and cinematography all combined to make a superb film. I honestly believe that this movie should have been nominated for best picture, but it was sadly overlooked at the Oscars. It saddens me that such an excellent movie could fail to be recognized as much as it should have been.
Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
by Sam FocakEpic. Instant classic. Masterpiece. Sweeping vision. Stunning. Spectacular. Breathtaking. Amazing. Wondrous.
These terms are bandied about by reviewers for far too many movies, so much so that when it comes to discussing The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, they don’t seem to do this movie justice. And I’ll admit, I’ve struggled with writing this review and how to quantify the appeal that’s taken me back to see it four times in the first eight days it’s been playing.
I first heard about this film several years ago, and met the news with equal parts anticipation and trepidation. I could write for days about all the books that have been turned into movies with disastrous results. Make it too complex and you alienate the casual movie-goer who can’t spell Middle Earth. Make it too simple, and you infuriate the readers who have embraced it for 50 years, scrutinizing even the smallest change.
Director Peter Jackson (Heavenly Creatures, The Frighteners) has managed to walk that fine line and create a movie that approaches perfection.
Does the movie follow the book verbatim? Of course not. You would need ten hours to re-tell every word of dialogue and convey every emotion in Fellowship. Instead what Jackson has managed to do is capture the spirit of Tolkien’s works.
From the simple grasslands of the Shire to the depths of Moria, the majestic beauty of Rivendell to the darkest corners of Isengard and Mordor, they are all created in stunning detail. The naive innocence of the Hobbits, the wisdom of the ancient races, the power of the wizards, the honour of the men of Gondor, the viciousness of the Orcs — these things are all captured scene after scene.
Jackson has managed to pull all of these things together into a story so well told that it becomes easily accessible to any viewer, without betraying his love for the original material — the movie is filled with details that would mean nothing to the new viewer, but which are there for the sole enjoyment of the Tolkien fan.
The casting is also superb. The fastest road to ruin would have been to fill this movie with Hollywood’s A-list, but this was never an issue — it’s clear that the concern lay purely with the talent, not the names. Ian McKellan simply becomes Gandalf, Elijah Wood plays the role of reluctant hero to perfection while Viggo Mortenson excels as the dark, brooding Aragorn. Top to bottom this cast embodies the heart and soul of Tolkien’s characters.
So take all the pieces…an epic story, a stellar cast, superb musical score, stunning scenery, a healthy mix of special effects and some terrific battle sequences, and you find yourself with an experience that approaches perfection.
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers/Return of the King
by Mary SandsThe second two parts of the trilogy were as beautifully made, with a continuation of the wonderful scenery, casting, and execution by Peter Jackson (who is also slated to do The Hobbit).
The second part introduces more glorious New Zealand moments, ents, and a the great battle of Helm's Deep. The return and third park, peaks in the final trek to Mordor, with Gollum as guide and a deep emotional journey between Frodo and Sam. The score in the Return of the King is my favorite, culminating in Annie Lennox's "Into the West," absolutely haunting and beautiful.
The entire trilogy still adds up to my favorite movie experience of all time, and is one that I watch in entirety at least once a year.
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
by Sam FocakI’ve always been a big fan of animated movies — well, in my day we still called them “cartoons” — but there is always a sense of wonder in watching a world unfold that could never be created otherwise. Whether it’s one of the dozens of Disney films, the magnificent claymation of Nick Park, or the new generation of digital animation like Toy Story or Shrek, what we see on screen is a remarkable new world with characters often targeted at kids, even as the humour grew more adult.
The latest wave in animation, however, has been towards more adult-oriented movies, which for the most part has been a dismal failure. For every Iron Giant or Princess Mononoke, we have had to suffer through a dozen Anastasia’s or Road to El Dorado’s — movies with neither a soul nor a sense of humour, and often trying to hard to be set in just an animated and slightly futuristic version of our world. When I first saw the trailer for Final Fantasy, I was struck by a sense of awe at how far the animation had come, yet everything about it reeked with the potential of another Titan A.E.
So last night, it was with both great excitement and extreme trepidation that I stepped into an advance screening of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. The theatre was as packed as I’ve ever seen for a movie preview, and it was clear that the geek factor was out in full force, this movie would be judged by the harshest of critics.
From the opening scene to the final credits, this movie is visually spectacular. The mix of colours, the unique dream sequences, the stunning landscapes create the best eye-candy you’ve ever seen. The attention to detail is phenomenal and the characters, at times, appear completely lifelike. There has been much talk about the effort that was put into making even the characters’ hair flow properly in the wind, and there are absolutely times where you can’t help but sit and stare at how real that looks too. Pay special attention to the character of Dr. Sid (voiced by Donald Sutherland) — he was the last character to be animated and it’s clear that the technology matured over the four years it took to complete Final Fantasy — he is certainly the most life-like character.
The story itself is solid, though certainly not spectacular. At many points of the movie, you feel the strong influence of Japanese storytelling, but for the most part it is a standard good vs. evil, save the world from destruction story, but it’s clear that the “star” of the show is the visuals. There is, however, strong characterization (for a cartoon) and it’s a well-written script that elicited good reactions from the audience, with the occasional Hollywood “one-liner” tossed in.
The main character, Aki (voiced by Ming-Na of E.R. fame), is a scientist who is working against the odds with a small group of soldiers to free Earth from the grips of an alien “phantom” invasion, creature which are virtually invisible and strike by stealing the souls of their victims. Aki and Dr. Sid are working on a plan to eliminate the alien creatures through non-military means to prevent further damage to an already-ravaged planet Earth. Their nemesis, General Hein (brilliantly voiced by James Woods) is determined to use the Zeus cannon to destroy the aliens. Of course, Aki soon learns that things are not exactly as they seem and it quickly becomes a race against time to find a way to defeat the phantoms before life on Earth is completely wiped out. Just some classic storytelling that keeps this movie moving along from one gorgeous scene to another.
Is the movie perfect? Certainly not, although it absolutely raises the bar a few notches for anyone that decides to follow. There were times when the animation probably should have been a little “less” perfect — everything flowed so brilliantly except for the facial expressions when a character is talking, the technology continues to be just off, so that when there is a close-up of a character, you just know something is wrong.
Some of the voices should have been chosen more carefully — Steve Buscemi is simply not believable as one of the soldiers and Alec Baldwin does not match the image of the young, gallant Grey, the commander of these soldiers and part-time love interest of Aki. In most animated films, the characters are often drawn to somewhat resemble the actors whose voices are being used…in Final Fantasy, no such effort is made and at times this is VERY distracting, the sounds coming out of their mouths just don’t match the “look” of the characters talking.
But these are minor points in a movie that leaves you with your mouth hanging open most of the time. Animation has taken a huge step forward with this movie, and while it may only appeal to the traditional sci-fi geek crowd, it will certainly be a predecessor to even more spectacular animation in the future.
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