(no subject)
Titles Covered: Mission Impossible Rogue Nation, Goosebumps, The Revenant, Kingsmen, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Flowers of War, Max, and Chaplin.
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (***)
I still recall seeing the original Mission: Impossible movie back when I was in highschool. I liked the intricate missions and twists, but was disappointed with the alienating plot and lack of action. Apparently I wasn't alone in this assessment, since John Woo's Mission Impossible 2 had crazy fight scenes and a much simpler story. Parts 3 and 4 found more of a balance, keeping the plot relatively simple while making the action more realistic and the spy missions more complex. But with Part 5 (“Rogue Nation”), I get the feeling that the series is slowly slipping back into John Woo territory.
Yes, there are cool stunts. I think the influence of the Fast and the Furious series is pretty evident, with the wild car chases and crazy physical feats. The action scenes are generally satisfying, though not terribly novel. My favorite bit was one of the “quieter” battles, that takes place during an opera, calling to mind the brilliant climax of Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much. Scenes like that build suspense without breaking suspension of disbelief.
However, the spy gadgetry and missions are lame. It seems that very little thought went into how any of the spy stuff works. Instead, Tom Cruise uses a series of magic boxes that can hack any machine and crack any lock. The main “break in” segment involves a facility that feels extremely contrived (“gait analysis”? Good grief!), and is solved by Tom Cruise doing some swimming. Meh.
The plot starts out pretty cliche (another rogue spy doing bad stuff...), but it gets better towards the end, when everything comes together and reveals some rather clever backstory for the “Rogue Nation”. Alec Baldwin is actually a welcome new addition to the cast, as a stubborn but earnest bureaucrat. The new girl (there's a new one every movie...) has kind of an interesting backstory, though she also projects the usual over-sexualization of female spies.
Overall, Rogue Nation is pretty good. I'm not sure why it got such an enthusiastic response from critics, but then again, maybe critics are getting soft on easily-digestible fluff. In any case, the movie's decent, and worth a rent if you're interested.
Goosebumps (***)
Kids of the 90's probably remember “Goosebumps”, a popular novella series by R.L. Stine that took horror monsters/tropes and reinterpreted them for younger audiences. As a kid I found them fun, though I'm not sure how they'd hold up to my now-adult self. In any case, I was intrigued by the recent movie adaptation, in which R.L. Stine must fight his own monstrous creations. It's probably for the best that Stine is played by comic actor Jack Black, since the real Mr. Stine's acting in the Goosebumps TV show was less than impressive.
However, before we can get to the fun of watching Jack Black chase monsters, we have to endure a very cliche story line about an awkward kid moving to a new town and meeting a cool mysterious girl. There's one funny bit with some incompetent cops, but otherwise the first half-hour is really lame, with character interactions that we've seen a million times before, and very little buildup to the actual plot of the movie. In particular, I really hated the comic-relief kid. He's so useless that there didn't seem to be any reason for his inclusion.
ANYWAY... once you suffer through a generic opening that could have suited literally any 90's family movie, some monsters get loose and wreak all kinds of havoc while the heroes search for the magical typewriter that can return the beasts to the printed page. It's silly and contrived, but done with enough self-aware humor that the story works. The movie is like a meta-Goosebumps story, both following the structure of the novellas while simultaneously mocking them. R.L. Stine is portrayed as a sinister, nearly psychotic man, and proves to be an interesting and funny foil for the kids. The monsters are all portrayed pretty well, with special mention to Slappy the Dummy, who spouts corny one-liners and seems to teleport whenever he's not being watched (refreshingly, the movie trusts that we'll get the gag without having it explained). The major plot twist, meanwhile, is taken straight from a notable Goosebumps book but covered up sufficiently well that I didn't see it coming.
(Slightly off-topic: One of the Goosebumps books referenced in the movie was very similar to an earlier novel called “All on a Winter's Day,” a forgotten gem of YA literature.)
Goosebumps isn't a great movie, but it's good fun once it finds its groove. It's cool to see so many horror monsters together, so the movie is a bit like Cabin in the Woods for kids (much menace and destruction, but nobody dies). I'd recommend it to anyone who has nostalgia for the series.
The Revenant (****)
If you're planning to see The Revenant, you should probably catch it in theaters. I know, I know... We're all sick of being corralled into high-priced venues by movies boasting the necessity of their 3D effects or IMAX screens, especially when the movie really isn't that good (Avatar, Hugo, Tron Legacy, etc.). While The Revenant will probably hold up find on DVD, I'd hate to have missed the full experience of its gorgeous cinematography.
Visually, the movie is something of a masterwork, truly transporting you to the wilds of an earlier, less civilized America. The landscapes are amazing, and a lot of the camerawork is truly impressive, with long and intricate takes. I especially liked the opening, with a long POV show of a hunting party going through a shallow stream, and the big battle, which places the camera in the middle of a fight, allowing the audience only faint glimpses of the attackers.
The story loosely follows the true story of Hugh Glass, a hunter who was mauled by a bear and left for dead by his companions, including a young Jim Bridger (who went on to become a legendary mountain man). Glass somehow survived and made it back to the nearest fort, and this harrowing journey is portrayed and greatly embellished in The Revenant. It's expected that Leo DiCaprio will win an Oscar for his performance, which would be kind of funny consider how few lines he has. Indeed, a lot of the movie is spent watching him grunt or breathe heavily.
And... that gets at the main problem with this movie. It's quite long and a lot of it is spent watching Leo grunt while slowly crawling through the snow. To an extent, this choice is understandable, since such a grueling tale of survival should feel long and grueling. But the movie takes it too far, and by the final confrontation, I'd started to lose interest.
If The Revenant were more efficiently edited, it'd be a masterpiece. As is, it's still a very good movie, though not the easiest one to watch. It's definitely not a fun popcorn movie, but it's worth seeing as an art film.
Kingsmen (** and a half)
Oh look, a stylish ultra-violent sorta-satire based on a comic book! Let me guess... this is one of the Internet's favorite movies from last year.
The Kingsmen are apparently a non-government spy agency named after the Knights of the Round Table. They have the usual James Bond spy gadgets and act very British. One of the Knights has died, so a cast of young adults is gathered to participate in a bizarre and tense series of deadly exercises to prove which one is the best. In other words, it's the premise of Harry Potter, Ender's Game, The Hunger Games, and Divergent, but with a spy setting.
There's also a super-villain, a lisping Samuel L. Jackson with a plan to cull the human population in order to prevent global warming. The character is very strange, though I actually really liked the idea of an idealist antagonist who genuinely believes that he is doing the right thing. Otherwise, it's a pretty silly plot that seems similar to the premise of Moonraker.
The action scenes are stylish, though perhaps excessively so. The action bits are also so silly that there's no tension at all. The one big standout brawl is somewhat odd in that it doesn't involve the hero fighting villains. Instead, Colin Firth ends up murdering the entire congregation of an extremist church. This is tied to the plot, but I don't think the story ever gave any reason why the church was involved in the first place. Look, we all know that Westminster Baptist Church is a terrible organization, but burning them in effigy seems rather childish.
At the end of the day, Kingsmen is well made, but aside from the performances of Mark Strong and Samuel L. Jackson, it didn't really grab me. It's not funny enough to work as a spoof, nor serious enough to work as a straight-up action movie. It just feels like a YA version of James Bond, and I don't think there's much point in making Bond more ridiculous unless you're actually going to make it really funny.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (***)
OK, raise your hand if you've ever heard of the TV show. I'm almost old enough to run for President, and I've only heard of it because it was referenced in Temple Grandin. So it may seem odd that Guy Ritchie decided to release a movie adaptation this late, especially in a year with 3 spy comedies. However, the movie's actually pretty good, and worth watching if you've already seen Spy and want some more quirky spy adventures.
The movie takes place during the Cold War, and the basic premise is that the CIA and KGB have to join forces to stop a rogue group of Nazi sympathizers from becoming a nuclear power. It's an interesting idea wasted on a formulaic plot, though at least it gives us an interesting odd-couple pairing between the two lead characters. Henry Cavill plays a cocky and suave American agent who is similar to James Bond, while Armie Hammer plays a stone-cold KGB counterpart with unstoppable physical strength. The nationalities here are strange: Cavill is a Brit playing an American, Hammer is an American playing a Russian, while Alicia Vikander is a Swede playing a German. Is that part of the joke, or did Guy Ritchie just want to challenge everyone to learn new accents?
The plot is straightforward and forgettable, but the movie makes up for it with fun chemistry between the two lead characters, a goofy style, and fantastic use of music and editing. Two notable scenes that come to mind: (1) A torturer nostalgically reminisces on how he became so good at his trade, in a scene so bizarre that you don't know whether to laugh or be horrified. (2) Cavill escapes the action and takes a lunch break in the middle of an action scene, while the continued fighting is shown in a truck rear-view mirror. Nonsensical beats like these enhance what would otherwise be a rote spy movie, and embody a sense of style and humor that is hard to explain. Frankly, I appreciated the use of subtlety, especially after seeing Kingsman, a movie that tries way too hard.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is a solid movie, and I especially compliment Armie Hammer for his nuanced and funny performance. The generic plot holds it back a lot, but for what it's worth, I mildly recommend this one.
The Flowers of War (****)
While everyone is typically well-educated in the horrors of the Holocaust, American History education tends to give less attention to the horror stories on the Asian side of the war. One of the most notorious incidents was the Rape of Nanking, in which women were literally raped to death en masse following the capture of the Chinese capital. The Flowers of War takes place during this time, following a group of Catholic schoolgirls who are protected by an American pretending to be their priest (played by Christian Bale). This all takes place years before America entered the war, so Bale has quasi-immunity in the middle of the warzone.
This movie is super-depressing, but in a good way. The imagery is so harsh and brutal that it pierces the soul. But, it also makes room for fist-pumping moments of triumph. Christian Bale's big “I am the priest!” speech is an amazing moment, as is an extended battle between rogue Japanese troops and a clever Chinese sniper named “Major Li.” Major Li's battle isn't very realistic, but after watching the bad guys try to rape a dozen girls, it is really damn satisfying to watch Li take them all on.
There may be a propaganda angle to the movie, though it didn't bother me. In any case, the movie is more of a drama, and the Japanese are actually given some nuance. The most prominent Japanese character is a gentlemanly officer with a love of church music, who seems torn between conscience and the orders from his less scrupulous superiors.
This movie was going on 5 stars until the end, when it unfortunately fizzles. Without giving anything away, the ending is ambiguous and less than satisfying. This might have worked, but the final act has so much buildup that it feels like the audience is cheated when we don't get to see how things play out. In particular, there's a wholly unnecessary complication involving the number of girls which drags out the ending, and leads to nothing since we never see what becomes of the resolution.
I wish The Flowers of War had been a bit better, but it's still a beautifully depressing war movie. It's also a view on WWII from someone besides the US, which is refreshing.
Max (**)
This is a classic “boy and his dog” story, but with a twist: Max the dog is a military mutt suffering from PTSD after his handler was killed in action. The military is ready to put the dog down, but relents after the dog is able to calm down in the presence of his handler's younger brother, who adopts Max.
There certainly was an age when I would have found Max much more compelling than I do as an adult. As a kid, I would have appreciated the overly-obvious characterizations, silly kiddy antics, and hamfisted storytelling. But in my jaded form, I had to roll my eyes at the cliched character interactions: the disapproving parent, the obvious ethnic love-interest, and the main kid who's too wrapped up in technology to appreciate good ol' fashioned values. These aren't necessarily bad archetypes, but they're over-played in Max to the point of feeling very goofy. Simultaneously, some of the attempts at emotional depth are so obvious that they come off as cheap and manipulative. This includes a scene in which a dog whimpers at the flag-draped coffin of his master while patriotic music plays.
The movie gets a bit more interesting when it introduces the villain, an arms dealer who Max knows is bad news. The villain is actually kind of interesting, and introduces some unexpected political commentary to a movie that otherwise plays it completely safe. The plot actually isn't bad, and the chemistry between the 3 kids is believable (including the racial issues). However, the film gets a little bit too dark for a movie about kids and their dog trying to stop a bad guy.
I couldn't quite figure out who this movie is ideal for. It's too kiddy and cliché for jaded adults, and too violent for kids. Max is an admirable effort, but it's also tonally askew and somewhat badly written. Still, some of the lessons are effective and true, so I don't consider the film a complete loss.
Chaplin (*** and a half)
Several years ago, I watched all the movies on the AFI's Top 100 list, which included several films by Charlie Chaplin. One film called Modern Times involved a romance between Chaplin and a 14-year-old girl, which prompted me to joke that Chaplin was doing a Woody Allen impression. Turns out that the man's life was reflected on film. According to Richard Attenborough's biopic, Chaplin was an ephebophile who pursued, slept with, and married a long string of teenagers.
The film is based on Chaplin's autobiography, but includes a fictional biographer (played by Anthony Hopkins) who questions Chaplin's assessments of himself. This provides an interesting balance to the movie, neither glorifying the man nor condemning the more unsavory parts of his life. It also alludes to one of Hollywood's dirty secrets: everyone in the industry was pretty naughty back then, long before tabloids and TMZ made celebrity hijinks into national news.
The star of the biopic is none other than Iron Man. Robert Downey Jr. does a pretty spot-on recreation of Charlie Chaplin, taking on his physical appearance and mannerisms, while re-creating his famous slapstick nearly perfectly. I get the sense that RDJ could have easily become a great silent film comedian, if only he'd been born several decades earlier. Today's audiences might not be terribly familiar with Chaplin's work, but the film does a great job with bringing everyone up to speed, and highlighting how different the process of film-making used to be.
Like a lot of biopics, Chaplin doesn't really have a point, but it's a fun little exploration into the life of one of the earliest moviestars. It's no classic, though I recommend seeing it for RDJ's clowning, and the funny choice to make parts of Chaplin's life resemble the slapstick capers of his films.
And a bunch of mini-reviews on stuff that I don't feel like writing full reviews on:
Surf's Up (***)
I didn't see this when it came out because I was sick of penguin movies, but it's actually pretty funny and well-done. The mockumentary format is a nice touch, and the characters are well-designed. Loved Jon Heder as the stoner chicken.
Sicario (*** and a half)
A bit over-rated, but still a very solid thriller with lots of tension. Emily Blunt and the ambient musical score are major highlights.
The Maze Runner: Scorch Trials (***)
I miss the surreal, nonsensical maze setting of the first movie. Still, this one does better with the sci-fi dystopian world-building, and the action scenes are very strong (especially the prison break in the first act). The middle of the movie gets completely lost, however, constantly introducing new settings or ideas and then ditching them 10 minutes later.
Point Break (***)
Fun nostalgic trip back to the 80's. Gary Busey is great as the cranky partner, while Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swazey are OK. I liked the costumes for the bank robber gang (the Ex-Presidents) and the action scenes.
House on Haunted Hill (****)
Cheesy, contrived, and utterly delightful. It's sort of a ghost story and sort of an Agatha Christie murder play, in which Vincent Price plays the sinister host to a group of people trapped in a haunted house. It's silly, but tons of fun, and the main plot twist is well-executed.