Miscellaneous Film Reviews

- Man of Steel (2013)

Okay, I need to put this to bed RIGHT NOW! Or I'm gonna be arguing with myself about this film for the rest of my life.
Back in June 2013, I spent the last day in Washington for the Summer with my Dad. Both of us being comicbook nuts, we naturally decided to go see Man of Steel that day. I had been extremely curious about the new interpretation of Superman for many reasons. But I was also equally concerned when I knew that Zack Snyder(Sucker Punch) had been assigned to direct. And I was even more concerned when I knew that David S. Goyer(Ghost Rider, Daredevil, Blade Trinity, and Demonic Toys) was scripting it. But after walking out, I thought it was pretty good. There were some flaws, but they ultimately succeeded in re-imagining the character in a great way.
A few weeks later, at my Mother's house in Oregon, I went onto Rotten Tomatoes to see what the other critics thought of Man of Steel, expecting at least an 81%. But when I saw the green, sticky, 51%, my mind went into reverse. 
I started thinking that I had misjudged the film on a first viewing. Something I hadn't done since I was 12.
Had my critic brain become fried? Eager to figure out what went wrong, I read many reviews of Man of Steel, taking in the pro's and con's that others picked out. And then I waited... I waited 4 months to give it a second watch.
This time, alone, and in my house. I ignored what I once thought about it before, and what the critics thought about it before. Going in with a fresh perspective to review it for what I thought about it. And...

It's not a bad movie. It's got a few problems, but there are things in it that are done VERY well! The acting is very decent all around. Hans Zimmer's score is INCREDIBLE. I never thought he would top John William's original Superman theme, but he did! Henry Cavill plays a pretty good Superman. Michael Shannon makes for a good villain as Zod.
However, the movie is a little too dark. Not that i have a problem with that, I LOVE dark movies. But for Superman this wasn't the right choice. Second, Superman doesn't save everyone. Yes, he saves the world. But, HOLY HELL! There are too many buildings that collapse on hundreds of people, and Superman doesn't catch the buildings that he knocks over, instead he feels that it'd be a better use of his strength to fly over and keep punching Zod.
But in the end, the film is still watchable, I give it a 3/5 Not bad.

-Prometheus (2012)

Like with my Man of Steel review, I have to put something to bed with this review. I've put up with other Aliens fans' bitching and complaint for far too long now. They sound like nothing will ever please them. Or like they'd rather Fox make another horrid AVP film. This is the best film we fans have gotten since the 1986 epic, ALIENS. Let me try to put things in perspective:

In the summer of 2012, there were so many films that came out, everyone had something to be excited about. For most people it was either Avengers or The Dark Knight Rises. But for me, Damn Right it was Prometheus! Not only was it the first time any of the original directors had returned to the franchise, but it was also Ridley Scott's return to Sci-Fi! He was the director of two Sci-Fi classics. Alien and Blade Runner. What nerd wasn't excited to see the man return to the genre. Scott was 74 and this was his dream project. I had followed it for years. But when I opened up Empire to read that Scott was finally filming the Alien prequel in Iceland and that it would be titled Prometheus, I was so excited I ran screaming about it through Barnes and Noble! When the film finally came out, my stepfather was kind enough to sneak me out to the midnight showing in IMAX. I sat down in the packed theater and watched the commercials begin. I didn't remember any of them later on. Just the film. I enjoyed every beautiful shot frame of the movie and was relishing in how it successfully brought back the tense, mysterious feeling of the original Alien. When the film was over, a guy in the audience stood up and booed. He stopped when some of us scowled at him. I walked out pleased with the film, wanting to immediately see it again. But as we drove home, we talked endlessly about the film and its meaning. That's one of the great things about the film. It's a great discussion film. There is so much stuff to debate about and interpret in the film. A few weeks later, I got to see it a second time with my sister and older brother. We were the only ones in the theater. This made me nervous and I wondered what the majority of fans thought of the film. While the film scored a pleasing 74% on Rotten Tomatoes, many fans had ranted about it. And I mean WAY TOO MANY. They made jokes like: "In space, no one can hear you screaming WTF!" Although there were some really good reviews by famous critics. Roger Ebert in one of the last reviews of his life gave it 4 out of 4 stars calling it "Magnificent!"
I decided to ignore the fan rage and cherish my own opinion of the film.
However, when I returned to school, I was awestruck by how much my friends hated the film. Of all the Dungeons and Dragons club members, I was the biggest ALIENS fan and 5 sessions of the Club went just like this: They started making fun of Prometheus and I was the only one defending it. I was furious about the arguments. But I've calmed down around them now. But it didn't stop there. For Christmas, 3 people got me copies of Prometheus so I went to Fred Meyer to return them. Guess what happened? They guy behind the counter asks me if I hated the film too and that's why I was returning them. I scowled at him with fire in my eyes as he began to rant about the film. I was sick of others opinions. In my eyes, only the true Alien fans will like and understand Prometheus.
Now, what do I think of the actual movie? Well, having watched it recently, I can say that I think it still holds up. The visual style of the film is jawdroppingly gorgeous and any frame could be a wallpaper. Some may think this is just because of CGI. It isn't. They had some top-notch practical effects artists with them and some of the biggest and most complex sets ever built full-scale. They were filming at Pinewood Studios (The same place they film Alien, ALIENS, Alien 3, and countless Bond films), one of the biggest Studios in the world. (#3 if I remember correctly) And they still had to knock down the east wall and raise the roof to fit some of their sets. That alone should be telling enough!
But there's still more to the film. There is great cast with actors like Noomi Rapace and Idris Elba giving fantastic performances. But, the big standout in the cast is Michael Fassbender as the Android David. This guy is one of my favorite actors and he gives an Oscar-worthy, realistic performance as an android who does as he's told, but still has impulses such as curiosity. But there are a few nitpicks I have with the film. There are two cast members that I absolutely HATE. And some of you might have predicted who they are. It's the two actors playing Milburn and Fifield. These guys are dumbasses and it was scary the first time I saw it when they got killed. But now, the scene is kinda funny. The audience was even laughing at it when I saw it a 3rd time. But they don't ruin the film for me. Prometheus is one of my favorite films of 2012 and makes my top 20 list. I give it a recommend and an 4/5

-20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954, or, the only good interpretation of Verne's masterpiece story )

    Before Alien, before Jaws, before any of the dark horrific films I watch today! This, is the film I was single handily raised on. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, based on the Jules Verne novel by the same name, was the first live-action film that Disney made. It ended up being so expensive that they nearly had to close down the studio. But I think all their efforts paid off in the end. The story follows 3 men: Ned Land, Professor Aronnax, and Conseil. All of whom are on a sea voyage on a warship that is on the hunt for a "sea monster" that has been destroying ships on their trading routes. It turns out that the "monster" is only an advanced submarine called the Nautilus, crewed by men who aren't too fond of the common man and were once slaves. Their leader, Captain Nemo, decides to let the 3 men live on board the Nautilus as long as they never try to escape and go home. While they are on board, the Professor is taught by Nemo how the sub works and he becomes fascinated by the vessel. Meanwhile, Ned and Conseil start plotting a way to escape. On their voyage, they come across an island of cannibals, a Giant Squid, and many other adventures. The Giant Squid battle is one of the most memorable scenes in cinema history and was always my favorite scene as a kid. The scene was what nearly closed Disney down. Although they did finish the scene, they ended up flooding the Studio. Someone even walked in and had a panic attack because of how real the squid appeared. They definitely deserved the Oscar for best Special Effects that they won. All that said, this is a gem from my childhood that I shall never forget and I am moving this back into my Top 10 films list after watching it again. HIGH Recommend. 5/5

-Riddick (2013)

    I am a big fan of the Riddick series. I've seen both the earlier films. (Pitch Black and Chronicles of Riddick) as well as the animated spin-off (Dark Fury). When I heard that they were finally gonna make a 3rd film that went back to the basics as opposed to the complicated world building of Chronicles of Riddick, I was so happy.
The film stars Vin Diesel returning as the titular character, Riddick. After becoming the Lord Marshall (King/Ruler) of the Necromongers, he is double-crossed by Commander Vakko who wants the throne for himself. Stranded on a bizarre world where everything wants a piece of him, Riddick must discover that animal side of him again. And he gets the perfect chance to exercise his skills when two groups of Bounty Hunters arrive to claim the reward on his head. This time the reward is doubled if he's brought back dead. It's a battle of the hunter and the hunted. But the clock is ticking as a storm approaches, with something more dangerous than Riddick within it.
I gotta say, this is the best of the series. It has Diesel giving one of his best performances to a character that he holds dear. There is so little dialogue in the first half of the film. It's just Riddick trying to survive on the Planet. This builds up so much atmosphere before the Bounty Hunters arrive. There are some great creature designs in this film. Especially the "Mud Demons" who remind me of the Xenomorph.  Although there are some pacing issues during the second half, and some of the Bounty Hunters are bland and indistinguishable, the film pulls me back every time we see Riddick outsmart them. This is one of my favorite films from 2013, I give it an 4/5

-Robocop 2014

I have to say, remakes of films that I like these days have been damn good. 
EVIL DEAD (2013), and Carrie (2013) were both great. But after seeing the new Robocop remake, I think it's another one that can join the ranks of good reboots.
As some of you may know, I am a BIG fan on the 1987 original Robocop, Directed by Paul Verhoven. It is one of the best films ever made, and is a great satire of today's society. The violence is also very impressive, it's Verhoven's signature. The violence in his films is so over the top that it almost becomes comedic.
Now, of course, given the PG-13 rating, this film will not match the original's sadistic humor. But it does do a few things right, as well as doing things that the original didn't. This new one gets the satire down perfectly with its News broadcasts hosted by Samuel L. (Motherf**kin') Jackson.  
It also has a few great homages to the original that fans like me will pick up. 
There are great performances, particularly by Gary Oldman as the Scientist who creates Robocop and starts to question whether what he's doing is right. There are some great, long camera shots that are creative, as well as some pretty well-done action set-pieces. 
When I walked in, I was excited. But I didn't expect much from a Director I've never heard of, an actor I've never heard of playing Robocop, and toned-down, PG-13 violence. But I walked out, feeling amazed and impressed by what they did.
This is a fairly strong recommend that you all check it out. I'm giving Robocop 2014 a 4/5

-Interstellar

Okay, for the record, I am a Christopher Nolan fan. I have seen all of his films but 2. (Inception and Insomnia) Dark Knight is to this day my favorite Superhero films. And The Prestige is my favorite of Nolan's work. But lets talk about his latest film. The highly anticipated Interstellar. As a fan of 2001: a space odyssey, I remember getting a heavy 2001 vibe from the trailers I saw. And I was very curious to see what Nolan could do with a film set in space. But let me begin by saying, this is still a science fiction film. There is alot more realism added thanks to Nolan using research by NASA, Kip Thorne and Stephen Hawking. However, it is a different kind of science fiction. I don't there is much Sci-fi out there like it. Here's a brief synopsis of the plot:
    In the near future around the American Midwest, Cooper an ex-science engineer and pilot, is tied to his farming land with his daughter Murph and son Tom. As devastating dust-storms ravage earths crops, the people of Earth realize their life here is coming to an end as food begins to run out. Eventually stumbling upon a NASA base near Cooper's home, he is asked to go on a daring mission with a few other scientists into a wormhole because of Cooper's scientific intellect and ability to pilot aircraft unlike the other crew members. In order to find a new home while Earth decays, Cooper must decide to either stay, or risk never seeing his children again in order to save the human race by finding another habitable planet.
    For starters, this film has top notch acting. McConaughey gives a solid and emotionally investing performance, particularly during some scenes later in the film when he misses his family. Having previously only known this guy from Sahara and Reign of Fire, this is the best I've seen of him. Anne Hathaway as well. After seeing what she could do in Dark Knight Rises, I'm impressed with what Nolan is able to get out of her. And the young girl who plays 10-year old Murph is one of the best child performances I've seen on screen.
    Then there's the visuals. My god. I saw this film in IMAX and it was quite an experience. I think out of all of the films that have come out in the past several years and tried to be a visual experience in theaters like Avatar and Pacific Rim. I think this one has the strongest story attached to it. The amazing visuals aren't stronger than the story itself. They supplement eachother well.
I couldn't believe that these ships were miniatures. But they are. Nolan uses as little CGI as possible. Even the landscapes on the worlds we visit are actual locations on earth that you can go to. All of this it think, makes the future of this film feel real. This feels like something that could happen in the future. It's not outside of believability. 
    There are a lot of homages to other sci-fi films in Interstellar. If you're a sci-fi nut like me, you're gonna enjoy them. There are many nods to 2001. Even a direct reference to 2001's sequel, "2010: the year we make contact". In some ways, it feels like Nolan is challenging Kubrick. (Which doesn't really work since he's dead. ) But I will say that this film is on par with 2001 as a film that I think, like Prometheus, is destined to become a sci-fi classic. And like Prometheus, I think it is a GREAT discussion film. My sister and I talked for hours after seeing the film about how we interpreted it and how we felt about it, and she said that it is now one of her new favorite films. I agree with her for once!
Like 2001: a space odyssey, Interstellar is a film that's like a Rorschach test. It has to be seen by everyone at least once, just so they can decide what they see in it. Everyone will have a different experience with these 2 films. But I think they are essential sci-fi epics that need to be viewed and appreciated. I forgot to mention the score, but the clip I put in this review is just a sample of Zimmer's beautiful soundtrack. This film is a visual masterpiece that encourages humanity to keep searching the stars. To keep exploring. 5/5