The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews
The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews |
| Posted: 15 Jun 2011 10:00 PM PDT Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Temuera Morrison Ryan Reynolds? Not a fan, after Blade: Trinity. I received the news that he was to play Hal Jordan pretty much the same way I reacted when my dentist said he'd have to grind two perfectly good teeth down to stubs to fit my bridgework. So, yeah … as much as I had become an overnight fan of the "rejuvenated" GL comics under writer Geoff Johns, I wasn't exactly looking forward to the movie.
When the previews hit, and more scenes of the Green Lantern Corps plus some of the series mythology was presented, I thought they might be on to something here. After all, director Martin Campbell kick-started the stalled James Bond franchise – twice – and made an old-school masked avenger like Zorro all modernsexycool. An intergalactic canvas, however, is not so easily painted on, even with green as the dominant colour in the palette. The result is an origin story that falls a bit short of the best "begins" movies to spring from the DC stable (the gold standards would be Superman: The Movie and Batman Begins). So, while the filmmakers certainly were on to something here, they don't exploit it to its fullest. There are, however, enough fan-pleasing moments and appearances to keep … well, at least to keep this fan happy.
As an example, there's a scene where supporting character Amanda Waller (Bassett), a prominent member of the DC Universe, brushes against a telepathic supervillain (Sarsgaard) and he accesses memories of her husband and children being murdered – as they were in her comic-book roots. Pretty good attention to detail there, I'd say. For the uninformed units out there, Green Lantern is the story of how brash test pilot Hal Jordan (Reynolds) is chosen to become a member of an intergalactic peacekeeping force known as the Green Lantern Corps. The Lanterns are each equipped with a power ring that conjures up whatever the wearer can imagine, from jet fighters to giant fists to, uh, Hot Wheels-style stunt car tracks (really). Oh, and they can also fly through space and travel incredible distances in the wink of an eye. Unfortunately, the circumstances of Jordan's recruitment also bring our young and humble planet to the attention of an ancient, destructive entity known as Parallax – a twisted creature that will devour anything in its path to get revenge on the Lanterns and their creators. The Parallax of the movie is significantly different from what longtime readers of the comic would picture – not just in appearance but in origin too. The villain aside, there's been some dumbing-down of much of the Green Lantern mythology to make the movie more accessible to the un-clued-in viewer. At least Campbell and his production designers did go to obvious lengths to ensure that, if anything, the film would live up to expectations as a visual adaptation of the comics. The planet Oa, home of the Lanterns, the dazzlingly diverse members of the Corps, even the made-of-pure-energy Green Lantern suits with their "fibre-optic networks", are all wonderfully rendered. What about the main character, you ask? Well, to a degree, Reynolds handles the cocksure, deeply troubled aspects of Hal Jordan well and acquits himself satisfactorily when the character undergoes the inevitable transformation into a confident hero able to overcome his fears. Given the numerous triumphs and tragedies in the character's (printed) life, in this sense the film does a nice job of depicting Jordan's struggle to rise above his own character defects. So, while I'm still no fan of Reynolds, at least it will be all right having him in the role for however long the franchise survives. The best interpretation in this film is, for me, Mark Strong's Sinestro, perhaps one of the most complex characters in mainstream comics.
His initial disdain and eventual respect for Jordan mirror the characters' relationship in the comics perfectly, and Strong makes a fine meal of it all – he even carries the red makeup and pointy ears majestically. The hits: the visuals, Strong, Sarsgaard as a human supervillain with daddy issues, some good action scenes, and a funny bit that shoots down the whole notion of why heroes wear masks. The misses: Parallax (ok, so he/it wasn't as bad as the movie version of Galactus), not enough Corps time, a messy story flow and somewhat cartoonish ring constructs that hark back to the silliness of the 60s and early 70s comics. Oh, and the 3D – absolutely unnecessary in my opinion, as it just got in the way of my viewing pleasure and had no truly memorable "comin' at ya" moments. All things considered, I found Green Lantern to be an enjoyable but flawed entry in the superhero sweepstakes, much like Thor. Both have got the look right, but we're just not feeling it yet, yo. | ||||||
| Posted: 09 Jun 2011 10:00 PM PDT Starring: Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning, Kyle Chandler, Riley Griffiths, Ron Eldard, Noah Emmerich, Glynn Turman A small-town setting. A disparate group of kids drawn together for a common purpose. A misunderstood central character from a troubled or tragedy-stricken household. Clueless or outright mean adults. And an element that's either science-fictional or supernatural in nature that the whole story revolves around. The elements of a typical Steven Spielberg (either directed or produced) movie from the 80s? Yes – and now, from 2011 too. Super 8 plies its trade in familiar territory and manages to hold its own with the best of those tales.
It's 1979, and the kids in this one are a bunch of film geeks led by Charles Kaznyk (Griffiths), a would-be auteur who's trying to make a zombie movie to enter in a regional film festival. But Super 8 is really the story of his buddy Joe Lamb (Courtney), a lad whose recently widowed father, town deputy Jackson Lamb (Chandler), just can't seem to connect with him. Joe is delighted when Charles tells the group that Alice Dainard (Fanning), the prettiest girl in their school grade, has agreed to appear in his movie to provide its "emotional centre". And it is while the motley film crew is shooting the latest revision of Charles' script that the Big Event occurs which changes their lives forever. No secret that it's a train wreck, but this is one hell of a breathtaking sequence. While an element of the fantastic binds everything together, Super 8 is better enjoyed as a tale of optimism, enterprise and great notions from a viewpoint of youthful innocence – a coming-of-age story that just happens to coincide with calamity and, shall we say, some scary close encounters. The familiarity of the setting is offset by the young cast's natural, excellent performances, notably by the central trio of Courtney, Fanning and Griffiths – quite impressive when you consider that Courtney and Griffiths are both first-timers.
To say that all three are revelations would be an overstatement, though they are so earnest and convincing that you can't help but get immersed in their unfolding story. (Film fans will also find Charles' frequent script tinkering and his actors' reactions a hoot.) Much as I loved the characters and their easygoing interaction, Super 8's other half – its secrecy-shrouded sci-fi aspect – did not impress as much. When the hurly-burly's done, you may wonder why all the fuss over what was essentially an extended "(spoiler deleted) phone (spoiler deleted)" sequence, only nastier. When a movie comes on the heels of something like Star Trek, expectations are bound to be high and the mystery and hype that were built up around Super 8's creature/alien/whatever didn't help its cause any. The Big Reveal, when it finally rolls around, would have to be something super-special to live up to such anticipation but … not really, no. So it's more in the context of the film than the story that the kids save the day, and leave it to them to wrap it up brilliantly over the closing credits – that bit is pure gold. | ||||||
| Posted: 09 Jun 2011 10:00 PM PDT Henry(Keanu Reeves)is a purposeless toll collector, but by accident gets involved in a bank robbery and does time. In prison, he meets conman Max (James Caan) who helps him decide that he should commit the very crime he has already served a sentence for. Once out, he bumps into the leading lady of the play The Cherry Orchard, Julie (Vera Farmiga), and finds an old tunnel running from the bank to the theatre where – wait for it – Julie is performing. Henry's Crime has an interesting premise, but the turn of events happens too easily and conveniently to make it believable. If the cinematography is uninspired, the acting doesn't fare any better with Reeves being bland (Keanu) and Peter Stormare (the theatre director) playing his character a tad over the top. The only bright spot in the acting department is Caan, who lends an engaging personality to his character despite the bland script. The other problem with Henry's Crime is that it tries to be both a heist movie and a romantic comedy, but the laughs are too far and few, while the romance is underwhelming due to the one-dimensional pair. If you are looking for a quiet movie in the midst of the deafening blockbuster season, Henry's Crime may not be the solution. |
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