Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
2011-08-21
2011-08-06
2011-07-23
2011-06-26
2011-06-18
2011-06-11
2011-03-27
Sucker Punch
I saw Sucker Punch, the next movie on The LIST today, accompanied by my usual partner in crime Margaret, a.k.a. The Cerebus Fangirl. I have to admit, this is not the movie I was expecting, given the trailers and clips released online.
True, the action scenes were kinetic, explosive, and not a little fan-servicing, but they really weren't the focus of the film. If anything, they were just the icing on a much deeper cake. But I really can't explain why without going into spoilers.
The movie operates on three levels of reality, although it spends most of it's time on only one. The primary level of reality, as hinted in the trailers, is of Emily Browning's character, who is only called by the nickname "Baby Doll" being committed to an insane asylum after a series of tragic (and criminal) events. She is ordered to be lobotomized (illegally) in 5 days, and we actually see the procedure begin.
And then, in a sudden shift, we enter the secondary reality, where Baby Doll is instead sent to a burlesque club/bordello, and the 5-day threat is to her virtue, not her cerebral cortex. This is the reality we spend most of the time in, and (to be honest) it's a bit dull. While it's clear that Zack Snyder (the director) wanted to make the characters sympathetic, we get so little back-story on most of the other girls that they seem like ciphers. Really, the only thing allows us to tell Amber and Blondie apart is Amber's race. Otherwise, we have no idea who they are, why they are prostitutes, or what makes them different from the multitude of other "danncers". We get slightly more information about Sweet Pea and Rocket, but not much. And that's only because they are sisters.
In any case, Baby Doll is made to dance, and that catapults her into the tertiary reality. which is the one where all the over-the-top action takes place. Apparently, she only exists at this level so long as she dances, for as soon as she completes her first mission, the dance concludes in level 2.
(This is actually one of the niftier bits of the movie. We never see her actually dance, but only the impact of it on other characters. a daring conceit, and executed well.)
The film dances between the secondary and tertiary level, as Baby Doll's plan to escape is reflected in her adventures in various alternate worlds (or partly the other way around. Things get fluid after a while). At first, she and the others do very well, winning their missions and gaining the proper McGuffin for their escape plan.
The rest of this review are BIG spoilers, so turn back now if you don't want to know more.
True, the action scenes were kinetic, explosive, and not a little fan-servicing, but they really weren't the focus of the film. If anything, they were just the icing on a much deeper cake. But I really can't explain why without going into spoilers.
The movie operates on three levels of reality, although it spends most of it's time on only one. The primary level of reality, as hinted in the trailers, is of Emily Browning's character, who is only called by the nickname "Baby Doll" being committed to an insane asylum after a series of tragic (and criminal) events. She is ordered to be lobotomized (illegally) in 5 days, and we actually see the procedure begin.
And then, in a sudden shift, we enter the secondary reality, where Baby Doll is instead sent to a burlesque club/bordello, and the 5-day threat is to her virtue, not her cerebral cortex. This is the reality we spend most of the time in, and (to be honest) it's a bit dull. While it's clear that Zack Snyder (the director) wanted to make the characters sympathetic, we get so little back-story on most of the other girls that they seem like ciphers. Really, the only thing allows us to tell Amber and Blondie apart is Amber's race. Otherwise, we have no idea who they are, why they are prostitutes, or what makes them different from the multitude of other "danncers". We get slightly more information about Sweet Pea and Rocket, but not much. And that's only because they are sisters.
In any case, Baby Doll is made to dance, and that catapults her into the tertiary reality. which is the one where all the over-the-top action takes place. Apparently, she only exists at this level so long as she dances, for as soon as she completes her first mission, the dance concludes in level 2.
(This is actually one of the niftier bits of the movie. We never see her actually dance, but only the impact of it on other characters. a daring conceit, and executed well.)
The film dances between the secondary and tertiary level, as Baby Doll's plan to escape is reflected in her adventures in various alternate worlds (or partly the other way around. Things get fluid after a while). At first, she and the others do very well, winning their missions and gaining the proper McGuffin for their escape plan.
The rest of this review are BIG spoilers, so turn back now if you don't want to know more.
2011-02-22
2011-02-17
Hammer Time, Again!
This, I like. If it had been the first trailer, I would have been much more excited.
Urge to watch... rising
Urge to watch... rising
2011-02-12
Thundercats, Huh?
Apparently, there's a CGI movie coming out, independent of the new cartoon, and Bleeding Cool has some footage:
It doesn't grab me as well as the art for the toon did, possibly because the lighting makes it hard to figure out exactly what is going on. That, and my allergy to goofy schtick. :)
But it's not THAT bad, I guess. And I doubt I'm the target audience, anyway.
It doesn't grab me as well as the art for the toon did, possibly because the lighting makes it hard to figure out exactly what is going on. That, and my allergy to goofy schtick. :)
But it's not THAT bad, I guess. And I doubt I'm the target audience, anyway.
2011-02-10
2011-02-07
Post Adocalyptic Thoughts
So, after the Super Bowl ads, have my plans changed?
No, not really. I'm a bit more interested in Captain America, a bit less in Thor. nd not at all interested in Transformers 3. So, for now, The List remains unchanged.
But I can't call myself a Geek, and not bring up the commercial of the night:
And it turns out the kid in the ad has a heartwwarming story:
Way to go, kid.
No, not really. I'm a bit more interested in Captain America, a bit less in Thor. nd not at all interested in Transformers 3. So, for now, The List remains unchanged.
But I can't call myself a Geek, and not bring up the commercial of the night:
And it turns out the kid in the ad has a heartwwarming story:
Way to go, kid.
2011-01-11
2010-12-19
TRON LEGACY: The Flynn Abides
Let's get the basics out of the way, first.
Yes, the plot is a bit thin (and can mostly be discerned from the trailer). And yes, the flashback exposition scenes are occasionally obtrusive. And the CGI isn't perfect.
But Tron Legacy has some surprising depth. It occured to me, as I thought about the review, that the title is aptly chosen, as the driving force behind the plot is Kevin Flynn's legacy to his son, and to the world. But more about that in a bit, as I really can't get into it without spoilers.
I have to confess that the eye candy is quite choice, as I found myself saying "Oooh, I want one of those", more than once. The visuals are stunning (I hope to catch it on IMAX after the holidays), although there's an annoying cinematography trick in many scenes where the foreground character is the only thing in focus that drove me a bit nuts at times. And Daft Punk's soundtrack is excellent.
As for the story... It's not perfect.
Yes, the plot is a bit thin (and can mostly be discerned from the trailer). And yes, the flashback exposition scenes are occasionally obtrusive. And the CGI isn't perfect.
But Tron Legacy has some surprising depth. It occured to me, as I thought about the review, that the title is aptly chosen, as the driving force behind the plot is Kevin Flynn's legacy to his son, and to the world. But more about that in a bit, as I really can't get into it without spoilers.
I have to confess that the eye candy is quite choice, as I found myself saying "Oooh, I want one of those", more than once. The visuals are stunning (I hope to catch it on IMAX after the holidays), although there's an annoying cinematography trick in many scenes where the foreground character is the only thing in focus that drove me a bit nuts at times. And Daft Punk's soundtrack is excellent.
As for the story... It's not perfect.
2010-11-19
Happy Drokksgiving!
The Net is abuzz today with the first pic of Karl Urban as Judge Dredd:
Not the best shot. But a poster named bluemeanie on the 2000ad forums ran it through photoshop, and with a little cleanup:
Much better. And no gold codpiece. :)
Not the best shot. But a poster named bluemeanie on the 2000ad forums ran it through photoshop, and with a little cleanup:
Much better. And no gold codpiece. :)
2010-11-16
2010-11-15
2010-11-09
2010-08-26
Retro Meets Future
Sometimes, the finest geekery comes in the form of fan films. Low in budget, but high in quality, they show what can be possible when you trust the material.
Here are three fan productions that I've been keeping an eye on (and one larger scale film that just looks like fun).
Buck Rogers:
Green Hornet (not the Rogen film):
Judge Minty (a Judge Dredd fan film):
And finally, a piece of retro pulp called Iron Sky:
Here are three fan productions that I've been keeping an eye on (and one larger scale film that just looks like fun).
Buck Rogers:
Green Hornet (not the Rogen film):
Judge Minty (a Judge Dredd fan film):
And finally, a piece of retro pulp called Iron Sky:
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