For the last six months or so, I have been living a crazy existence down in the city of Columbia, South Carolina. And along with this living situation, I have had a fair share of ups and downs. Mostly downs. Because for those of you who know me know that I have one major passion in life. And that is the Cinema. I capitalized it because it sounds more culturally refined and proper to do so. Plus, it sounds better than "Movies." (P.S. I'm better than you because I call it the Cinema.)
Unfortunately, the choices in Cinema are sorely lacking in comparison to other places where I have lived. And that is rather frustrating.
I bring this up now for one major reason: I want to see Juno. And I have been given no opportunity to see this movie. Normally, I can withstand such withholdings. Because I'm no film snob. I like my mindless action movies as much as I love the subtle dramas. So it follows that I have something to watch on the weekends, even if it is only Alvin and the Chipmunks. But it becomes a serious issue when people who are much less passionate about this pastime than I am are essentially brought to a theater to see Juno. And I'll be honest. I'm rather envious of them and I'd prefer they didn't see it at all.
On Christmas Day, Juno expanded into almost 1000 theaters. And, not one of them was within 70 miles of my current location. The problem is, I do not know what to do to get these movies here. I, and I alone will not be able to bring these movies to this city (or even this state for that matter, but that's a completely different conversation.)
There is one theater, called the Nickelodeon, located downtown, which apparently has one screen and on the weekends will show an artsy movie. And it changes every week. And Juno isn't on its schedule. The Nickelodeon is a recent discovery for me. I have yet to go there, but hearing about it months ago I immediately dismissed it as a place to play Double Dare or Legends of the Hidden Temple. (On second thought, I don't know why I didn't seek it out sooner. Nothing I'd love more to have a deep conversation with Olmec about Cleopatra or Davy Crockett.) But when I realized what it actually was, I became intrigued. Alas, the fact that there is only one theater and the selections are limited makes it a place where I probably will not end up frequenting too often.
The fact is, this place essentially sucks. Between the lack of movie choices and the lack of pizza choices, I sometimes wonder how these people even get by at all. Sure, Michigan often times wasn't anything to write home about, but I promise that you would not want to trade me. Especially if you were me.
I could probably complain more. Much more actually. But I will refrain. Because the only thing that's affecting me dearly is the lack of ability to go see Juno. And now that I'm thinking about it, the lack of an IMAX theater. There used to be one about an hour and a half away from my current location, on the beach in Charleston to be exact. But the week Transformers was to open up there, it shut down inexplicably. It's almost as if there's a higher power that is trying to wreck my movie-going enjoyment. (Crap. I called them the movies. Well, I'm still better than you anyway.) This has also forced me to forgo the 6-minute Dark Knight IMAX preview before I Am Legend. It's like everywhere I turn, there is more evil lurking its way into my life. An evil that I must turn around. But...how?
I welcome any suggestions that are deeper than "move away" or "get a new job". Simple in theory, but much more difficult in practice.
Showing posts with label action movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label action movies. Show all posts
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Live Free or Die Hard Review
This is a particularly difficult movie to review. On the one hand, there is the history of the Die Hard franchise to contend with. And on the other hand there exists Live Free or Die Hard completely separate from the older films. Yet, one cannot watch this new movie without thinking of that which came before it. And that is where much of the problem lies.
The movie begins when the FBI's Cyber Division is attacked. In an effort to discover who the hacker was, a list of possible suspects is compiled and tasked to local police districts to go pick these suspects up. John McClane (Bruce Willis) is given the honor to pick up Matthew Farrell (Justin Long, who most of you might know as the 'Mac Guy'), who just so happens to be marked for assassination by the terrorists since Farrell wrote an algorithm for them, not knowing who his employers really were. Of course, this sets in motion a series of events that range from completely absurd to somewhat cool.
To start with, the bad guys truly seem like non-threats. Yes, they are causing all sorts of damage but not one of them has the charisma or gravitas to even be put in the same league as Hans Gruber from the original or even Col. Stuart from the second or Simon Gruber from the third. What is rather interesting is how Timothy Olyphant has been rather satisfactory is some of his previous roles and even seemed to be more dangerous than he is here. His character Thomas Gabriel and McClane never seem to have the chemistry that Willis and his former villains had.
The third in command villain (whose name escapes me...if he even had one) is nothing more than a Spider-Man wannabe and his acrobatic feats seem completely out of place in the Die Hard universe. Whenever this character is on screen, the suspension of disbelief is lost because it destroys the gritty sense of realism trying to be portrayed, even if one might argue that the realism is already ineffective.
Maggie Q (from Mission: Impossible 3) plays Mai Lihn, who is Gabriel's second in command and also girlfriend. The only reason she seems to be in the movie is that she is attractive and to give Gabriel a reason to get even angrier at McClane. Otherwise she could be another nameless, faceless villain for McClane to contend with.
There are also a few massive plot holes that are difficult to get around. Thomas Gabriel could have been found much earlier in the movie if people would have shared certain information when it was pertinent. Unfortunately, the information needs to be procured by McClane first in order for people to realize that it is relevant. This seems entirely unrealistic and was obviously a ploy to keep the movie going.
The PG-13 is also felt. There are so many cut-aways from violent scenes that you just know they were not originally planning on PG-13. Die Hard is, and always has been, an R-rated franchise. McClane swears up a storm, not caring who is around to hear it or who he offends. He is a brutal fighter and does not let up. The bad guys have always been brutal, ruthless killers. But none of that is seen in this movie, and it is not better off for it. Even McClane's catchphrase is almost whispered and the "fucker" in "motherfucker" is cut off by a gunshot. There were even a few completely obvious dubs, when the character was saying something that obviously was not filmed that way.
Yet, that is not to say that the movie is a total loss. On the contrary, there are many enjoyable moments in the movie. Justin Long starts out as incredibly annoying despite saying a few humorous things. Although as the movie goes on, he tends to calm down and his character is much better for it. He never seems to be a true worthy companion to McClane but his presence is tolerable for the most part. McClane's daughter Lucy (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is brought into the movie for no reason other than to "make it personal", but she is sufficient with what she is given to work with.
The action is also satisfactory. Director Len Wiseman (of the "Underworld" movies) crafts a few action set pieces that could probably be seen in just about any other movie. But no other movie has John McClane. His attempt at realism is a somewhat mixed bag. There are times where it feels like some of the most outlandish stunts could possibly happen in the real world, but McClane walks away from them with such ease that it jerks you out of that realism. If they were able to go for the full R-rating, then the action probably would have been slightly more than satisfactory as opposed to satisfactory.
Finally, there is Bruce Willis making his return as John McClane. How does he fare? Well, for the most part, he's still McClane. Sure the swearing is gone and he doesn't wisecrack as much as he used to, but the core character is still the same. A few jokes could have been better, but it was still nice to see him back in action. Yet, there is no reason for this to be John McClane. One could probably put in any other action hero and get similar results. Although, once again, it was good to see him.
Ultimately, the movie is a satisfactory entry into the Die Hard franchise and is overall a welcome return. Comparing it to the previous films, yes it is rather flawed, but so are 2 and 3. When it is working, it is working. But when it's not, it's not. And I'm sure we'll see the "Unrated Cut" on DVD in 6 months to a year, so I am holding out hope that it returns some of the gritty realism that is so obviously missing from the movie.
B-
The movie begins when the FBI's Cyber Division is attacked. In an effort to discover who the hacker was, a list of possible suspects is compiled and tasked to local police districts to go pick these suspects up. John McClane (Bruce Willis) is given the honor to pick up Matthew Farrell (Justin Long, who most of you might know as the 'Mac Guy'), who just so happens to be marked for assassination by the terrorists since Farrell wrote an algorithm for them, not knowing who his employers really were. Of course, this sets in motion a series of events that range from completely absurd to somewhat cool.
To start with, the bad guys truly seem like non-threats. Yes, they are causing all sorts of damage but not one of them has the charisma or gravitas to even be put in the same league as Hans Gruber from the original or even Col. Stuart from the second or Simon Gruber from the third. What is rather interesting is how Timothy Olyphant has been rather satisfactory is some of his previous roles and even seemed to be more dangerous than he is here. His character Thomas Gabriel and McClane never seem to have the chemistry that Willis and his former villains had.
The third in command villain (whose name escapes me...if he even had one) is nothing more than a Spider-Man wannabe and his acrobatic feats seem completely out of place in the Die Hard universe. Whenever this character is on screen, the suspension of disbelief is lost because it destroys the gritty sense of realism trying to be portrayed, even if one might argue that the realism is already ineffective.
Maggie Q (from Mission: Impossible 3) plays Mai Lihn, who is Gabriel's second in command and also girlfriend. The only reason she seems to be in the movie is that she is attractive and to give Gabriel a reason to get even angrier at McClane. Otherwise she could be another nameless, faceless villain for McClane to contend with.
There are also a few massive plot holes that are difficult to get around. Thomas Gabriel could have been found much earlier in the movie if people would have shared certain information when it was pertinent. Unfortunately, the information needs to be procured by McClane first in order for people to realize that it is relevant. This seems entirely unrealistic and was obviously a ploy to keep the movie going.
The PG-13 is also felt. There are so many cut-aways from violent scenes that you just know they were not originally planning on PG-13. Die Hard is, and always has been, an R-rated franchise. McClane swears up a storm, not caring who is around to hear it or who he offends. He is a brutal fighter and does not let up. The bad guys have always been brutal, ruthless killers. But none of that is seen in this movie, and it is not better off for it. Even McClane's catchphrase is almost whispered and the "fucker" in "motherfucker" is cut off by a gunshot. There were even a few completely obvious dubs, when the character was saying something that obviously was not filmed that way.
Yet, that is not to say that the movie is a total loss. On the contrary, there are many enjoyable moments in the movie. Justin Long starts out as incredibly annoying despite saying a few humorous things. Although as the movie goes on, he tends to calm down and his character is much better for it. He never seems to be a true worthy companion to McClane but his presence is tolerable for the most part. McClane's daughter Lucy (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is brought into the movie for no reason other than to "make it personal", but she is sufficient with what she is given to work with.
The action is also satisfactory. Director Len Wiseman (of the "Underworld" movies) crafts a few action set pieces that could probably be seen in just about any other movie. But no other movie has John McClane. His attempt at realism is a somewhat mixed bag. There are times where it feels like some of the most outlandish stunts could possibly happen in the real world, but McClane walks away from them with such ease that it jerks you out of that realism. If they were able to go for the full R-rating, then the action probably would have been slightly more than satisfactory as opposed to satisfactory.
Finally, there is Bruce Willis making his return as John McClane. How does he fare? Well, for the most part, he's still McClane. Sure the swearing is gone and he doesn't wisecrack as much as he used to, but the core character is still the same. A few jokes could have been better, but it was still nice to see him back in action. Yet, there is no reason for this to be John McClane. One could probably put in any other action hero and get similar results. Although, once again, it was good to see him.
Ultimately, the movie is a satisfactory entry into the Die Hard franchise and is overall a welcome return. Comparing it to the previous films, yes it is rather flawed, but so are 2 and 3. When it is working, it is working. But when it's not, it's not. And I'm sure we'll see the "Unrated Cut" on DVD in 6 months to a year, so I am holding out hope that it returns some of the gritty realism that is so obviously missing from the movie.
B-
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Who Am I?
I don't know how unorthodox it is to do two consecutive posts, but hey, I'm new to this whole thing. I figure that I should give a little reference for the types of media I enjoy. Since you have already gotten an idea on the types of television shows that I watch, I should probably give you an idea of the types of movies I watch and video games I play to see if your interests are even close to lining up with mine. So here we go.
I am a huge fan of all movies. No budget, big budget, it doesn't matter. I tend to approach "event" movies as actual events. I watch movies like Spider-Man, Pirates of the Caribbean, Die Hard, Transformers, etc. for their spectacle and I treat that as such. But that's not to say that I don't enjoy smaller, more personal movies like "Half Nelson" or "The Last King of Scotland." I liken it to watching different sports. One doesn't go to an NBA Finals game with the same enthusiasm as one would go to the US Open. You may like both equally, but the events are treated entirely different.
The one genre that I can never seem to get into is the horror genre. I watch them, but on average I do not enjoy them very much. I don't know why that is, but that's the way things go I suppose. I rarely find myself scared, as well, which could have something to do with it. Maybe I'm just not taking enough girls to these things to enjoy it enough. Other than that, I'm pretty accepting of all other genres.
In terms of video games, I try to keep an open mind. I currently own a Nintendo Wii, an Xbox 360 and a Playstation 2. I don't see myself buying a Playstation 3 anytime soon, since most of the games are available for the 360 and the ones that aren't do not entice me to spend $600 on a video game console. Although that could all change once Metal Gear Solid 4 comes out. I tend to enjoy entire series of games, so if I mention a game in which there are multiple installments, I like all installments unless otherwise stated. My favorite games are Halo, Metal Gear Solid, Kingdom Hearts, Splinter Cell, Paper Mario, Guitar Hero, Final Fantasy X, Zelda, Resident Evil 4, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and a few others.
I tend to play more action oriented games like Halo, although I would consider myself to enjoy anything that plays well. The only one I tend to stay away from on average would be RPGs. The only problem I have is the amount of time they normally take is not conducive to the amount of time I normally have. That, and all the pointless leveling up I need to do is never enjoyable to me.
One of the largest draws to video games for me is the storytelling. I see video games as an incredible new way to tell stories and I see it being done more and more effectively. The games that I will be reviewing on this blog will be heavily focused on story and in fact, could make or break whether or not I would recommend a game.
Now that I have the more serious stuff out of the way, my background, my likes, dislikes, and whatnot, we can move on to the fun stuff. So here we go!
I am a huge fan of all movies. No budget, big budget, it doesn't matter. I tend to approach "event" movies as actual events. I watch movies like Spider-Man, Pirates of the Caribbean, Die Hard, Transformers, etc. for their spectacle and I treat that as such. But that's not to say that I don't enjoy smaller, more personal movies like "Half Nelson" or "The Last King of Scotland." I liken it to watching different sports. One doesn't go to an NBA Finals game with the same enthusiasm as one would go to the US Open. You may like both equally, but the events are treated entirely different.
The one genre that I can never seem to get into is the horror genre. I watch them, but on average I do not enjoy them very much. I don't know why that is, but that's the way things go I suppose. I rarely find myself scared, as well, which could have something to do with it. Maybe I'm just not taking enough girls to these things to enjoy it enough. Other than that, I'm pretty accepting of all other genres.
In terms of video games, I try to keep an open mind. I currently own a Nintendo Wii, an Xbox 360 and a Playstation 2. I don't see myself buying a Playstation 3 anytime soon, since most of the games are available for the 360 and the ones that aren't do not entice me to spend $600 on a video game console. Although that could all change once Metal Gear Solid 4 comes out. I tend to enjoy entire series of games, so if I mention a game in which there are multiple installments, I like all installments unless otherwise stated. My favorite games are Halo, Metal Gear Solid, Kingdom Hearts, Splinter Cell, Paper Mario, Guitar Hero, Final Fantasy X, Zelda, Resident Evil 4, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and a few others.
I tend to play more action oriented games like Halo, although I would consider myself to enjoy anything that plays well. The only one I tend to stay away from on average would be RPGs. The only problem I have is the amount of time they normally take is not conducive to the amount of time I normally have. That, and all the pointless leveling up I need to do is never enjoyable to me.
One of the largest draws to video games for me is the storytelling. I see video games as an incredible new way to tell stories and I see it being done more and more effectively. The games that I will be reviewing on this blog will be heavily focused on story and in fact, could make or break whether or not I would recommend a game.
Now that I have the more serious stuff out of the way, my background, my likes, dislikes, and whatnot, we can move on to the fun stuff. So here we go!
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