District 9 April 25th, 2010
Originally Written 08/15/09
District 9 is quite a compelling movie. The film is like Alien Nation with a more interesting, realistic and gritty plot. The fact that the disabled space ship came to rest over Johannesburg, South Africa is no accident.
The film is a study of race and the mistreatment of refugees. The social critiques are obvious but deftly handled, starting out with dark humor and building into a mounting dread. There is a fair amount of violence and gore, but it feels organic to the plot as it mounts to its conclusion.
The creature effects are wonderful. They created a race of aliens which are truly alien. The bipedal shrimp-like “Prawns†are both pathetic and unnerving as they eke out their existence in the settlement camp. It’s only later when we get to spend time with them as characters do we get to identify with them more.
The plot is brilliantly economic with the back-story, not answering all the questions, but showing enough to relate to the drama of the situation. It all adds up to a very impressive and moving film.
Angels and Demons April 25th, 2010
Originally Written 05/16/09
I saw Angels and Demons. I got tired of the hype and never got around to reading any of Dan Brown’s books or seeing The DaVinci Code so this was somewhat new for me, but I knew what to expect and got pretty much that. It was a middling but passable thriller and for the most part entertaining.
The annoying points were the obvious expositions where they hit you over the head with everything. I’m no apologist for the Catholic Church, but to have characters stop just to point out some past aggression was kind of lame, as was the heavy-handed topics of science versus religion. Yawn!
Thankfully there wasn’t a lot of it and only a handful of times where it really bugged me. I will say some of the historical references were kind of cool as well. The movie did have a few nice dialog exchanges on faith and doubt, as well as a couple of wonderfully nuanced and emotionally effective scenes. It’s too bad it couldn’t have had more of those, but that sounds like its par for the course with the source material.
The movie started out being pretty goofy, but got better and the third act was the best part of the film. The adventure and mystery was fun too. It wasn’t great cinema, but certainly watchable and had some fun.
Star Trek Reboot April 25th, 2010
Originally Written 05/08/09
I just got back from seeing the new Star Trek film. One of the guys I play cards with bought tickets early and organized an outing to see it in IMAX. It was quite enjoyable.
It does break canon, spectacularly so in a couple of instances. That annoyed a few die-hard fans in our group. However, if you can look past that I think it was handled quite well and I applauded the overall decisions they made for the story.
The film also balances irreverence with a love of the source material, which has lots of fun with the conventions of the show, while also embracing it and making it fresh. And the cast were all wonderful choices and acted their roles impeccably. It was fun seeing their interpretations on traits and foibles of the well-known characters.
The film is a lot of action, which keeps the story going at a good pace, but with some good drama and great character interaction. Yeah, it’s a little different and a bit gritty, but it felt familiar as well. It’s also the most fun and interest I’ve had at a Star Trek movie in a long while. I think J. J. Abrams has helped breathe new life into the franchise.
The Fly April 25th, 2010
Originally Written 05/06/09
I watched the original movie, The Fly on Netflix tonight. I was expecting a schlocky horror movie, but I was impressed with how good it was. Sure it was a bit dated and goofy in a couple of places, but for the time it was a serious and thoughtful science-fiction film.
Cronenberg’s remake in the 80s was fun and entertaining and an effective horror movie, from what I remembered, but it got lost in the drippy gore, like he tends to. I liked how this one had plenty of humanity and melodrama in it.
The Day the Earth Stood Still April 25th, 2010
Originally Written 12/16/08
I saw the remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still on Friday night; luckily the movie theater was open. It was a surprusingly-good remake, though I’ll admit my expectations were pretty low. Even so, I liked it and found it pretty enjoyable. It was a good update of the original to the present political and social states.
I loved the tension and suspense in the first half of the film. Keaneau Reeves was an excellent choice for the role of Klaatu. Much like in The Matrix, his wooden and detached presence was perfect for an alien.
There were some dramatic elements and scenes which were too forced; the role of the annoying stepson being most of them, which was the main detriment to the film. However, besides that the story was engaging and interesting. It’s not perfect or really great, but a decent effort and a fun ride.
Update 04/25/10
The original movie is a classic sci-fi film that should be seen. It is definitely of its time, as it deals heavily with 1950’s red scare and fear of communism. That fear of forces from outside makes for good drama as the characters and audience try and find out what the objectives are of these strange and imposing visitors from another world.