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Posted: |
Dec 24, 2012 - 12:18 AM
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By: |
Sirusjr
(Member)
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Jack Reacher (2012) - 5/10
Jack Reacher starts off with a bang. The opening sequence is shocking and powerful. Sadly it never regains the same level of tension as it displays in the opening sequence. While the idea of a character like Jack Reacher played by Tom Cruise is quite intriguing, it feels like the potential was wasted here. While Tom Cruz is satisfyingly bad-ass on the level of his character in "Collateral," the plot is not interesting enough to keep your interest, or to give him enough of a chance to show off his skills.
"Jack Reacher" starts off with the shooting of five people and most of the movie is spent trying to figure out who is behind it all. Sadly, most of the steps in the middle aren't particularly interesting. About half way through the film I felt myself wishing I hadn't come. There are a few solid fight sequences that work well, including a big chase scene and a shootout. Without an interesting main plot to drive everything home though, it seems fairly meaningless.
Though the plot failed to deliver, that isn't to say that it was completely worthless. There were a few times where the puzzle pieces fit together and I gave a little grin. Sadly, for each of these, there was a feeling of boredom or lack of purpose. Given what he had to work with, Joe Kraemer wrote a solid score for the film. The music is traditional orchestral tension driven by a few key motifs. Though Jack Reacher had the potential for something great, it never comes to the level of "Collateral" or "Mission Impossible 4." I can't recommend this film even for fans of Tom Cruz's action films. At best it is a decent rental but for most, you can safely give it a pass.
For more of my reviews, check out marvelmvs.wordpress.com
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Posted: |
Dec 26, 2012 - 1:41 PM
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By: |
mastadge
(Member)
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Premium Rush (2012) dir. David Koepp -- Quite a disappointment. The premise of a NYC bike messenger's race against time (and bad guys) to deliver an important parcel, presented in (more or less) real time, seemed fairly interesting, but the movie plays out . . . poorly. The two leads are played by very competent actors who are given virtually nothing to work with, the chase is broken up by multiple overlong flashbacks and side quests, an implausible amount of stuff is packed into the movie's timeframe, and in the end the most relevant question is "why didn't they just take the subway?" Also, the protagonist is a giant jerk with an utter disregard not only for his own safety but for that of the traffic and pedestrians around him.
Resident Evil: Retribution (2012) dir. Paul W.S. Anderson -- I don't know why I keep watching these. The only one I've even come close to enjoying is the one directed by Russell Mulcahy, a b-movie director who's generally at least competent and occasionally pretty good. That said, this is very likely the worst of the bunch. It's as dull as any of them, with the added bonus of being pretty much completely irrelevant -- it plays out like one of those one-shot filler comic books where the hero has to survive in Arcade's Murderworld for an issue. One of the very worst movies of the year.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) dir. Peter Jackson -- A very frustrating movie; it gets so much right and so much wrong. The casting was overall excellent; Martin Freeman and James Nesbitt steal the show. Unfortunately, Jackson persists in being in love with his excesses, and the movie is full of scenes that go on a little too long (eagles picking up and dropping characters), scenes that go on more than a little too long (escape from the goblins), scenes that don't work (Radagast's chase is one of the most poorly blocked action scenes in recent memory, with no sense of location or scale whatsoever) and scenes that should have been cut (storm giants). Plus weird moments (when Balin tells Bilbo Thorin's story, and we cut to all the dwarves staring rapt at Thorin as if this was the first time they'd heard it. What?), weird omissions (we get to dwell on the eagles dropping things for 5 minutes but the movie can't spare 5 seconds for Gandalf to thank them?), and weird choices (Bilbo sparing Gollum's life should have been the climax of the film; instead, they choose to make the climax Bilbo stabbing some random orc. . .). Anyway, at this rate I can't help but feel this story would have been better suited to the originally planned duology rather than a trilogy, or perhaps even a single film. There was a lot to enjoy here but it frustrates that what could have been something special was instead merely a few excellent scenes padded with enough awkwardness to make the whole thing merely pretty good.
Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) dir. Benh Zeitlin -- A wonderful bit of American magic realism, a joyful and unsettling little movie that, upon first reflection, deserves the acclaim it has received. Unfortunately I made the mistake of seeing it with someone whose taste runs more to literalism and got bombarded with a couple hours of I-don't-get-its and explain-it-to-mes right afterward. 
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Posted: |
Dec 28, 2012 - 3:05 PM
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By: |
Sirusjr
(Member)
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Django Unchained (2012): 10/10
Quentin Tarantino has a reputation for having a bit of a penchant for an older style of film-making that seems to have gone out of style. It is for this reason that his films tend to be quite refreshing for a film buff tired of the Michael Bay style of action film-making. Tarantino showed his skill in his last film, "Inglorious Basterds" for bringing history to life in his own twisted way. Tarantino's films tend to delight in subjects that some might find distasteful. "Django Unchained" presents for your viewing pleasure the taboo subject of pre-Civil War slavery.
Django (Jamie Foxx) is a slave who is freed by a bounty hunter named Dr. Schultz (Christopher Waltz). Dr. Schultz seeks Django's help in locating and identifying certain fugitives. Once they finish that work, Dr. Schultz and Django set off to rescue Django's wife, a beautiful young slave girl who was taught German from her original mistress. Along the way, they take out a few more fugitives for good measure. The film builds nicely to a bloody, explosive climax that brings the film to a satisfying close.
Tarantino frequently fills his films with existing music rather than hiring a composer to write new material. For "Django Unchained," much of this music comes in the form of pieces from Italian westerns and other film scores by composers such as Luis Bacalov, Ennio Morricone, Jerry Goldsmith, and Riziero Ortolani. It also sports an original song written for the film by Ennio Morricone himself. The music compliments the film nicely, although a couple of the songs sound like they were remixed to add unnecessary bass. There is one rap track in the film that also shows up in the credits but thankfully it is tolerable.
"Django Unchained" is a lengthy movie at 2 hours and 45 minutes but it never overstays its welcome. This is largely because the script and music combine to create an intellectually stimulating film. The camera work is also superb, with some beautiful shots in styles rarely seen in modern films. While the film does have a few scenes of bloody violence, they are not the main focus of the film. Like "Inglorious Basterds", there is much more talking here than killing.
All the main actors in the film do a superb job. Christopher Waltz, Jamie Foxx, and Leonardo DiCaprio each take over the screen whenever they are on camera. Samuel L Jackson gives a great performance as well. If you are a fan of "Inglorious Basterds," "Django Unchained" is a must-see film that will not disappoint.
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Posted: |
Dec 29, 2012 - 1:58 PM
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By: |
Sirusjr
(Member)
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Les Miserables (2012) - 9/10
The story presented in "Les Miserables" is an old and familiar one; one of love, one of revolution, one of fighting for justice, and most of all, one of the human condition. The musical version of the story delivers beautiful melodies even when characters face deep despair. Though it would make for a better soundtrack album if the actors had decided to sing as beautifully as possible, they chose instead to deliver performances steeped in the despair of their characters. This gives us some performances that are closer to talking than singing but for a movie, it works much better.
Thankfully some actors deliver beautiful singing performances. What stood out to me were many of the young revolutionaries, including Eddie Redmayne who surprised me with his beautiful voice. Behind the singing is some impeccably orchestrated music that brings with it a depth of emotion even beyond the ability of the actors to convey. The story is also beautifully presented with elaborate set pieces and multitudes of color. The contrast between major scenes is stark, further driving home the contrast between life in the slums and the life enjoyed by the rich.
The acting by all involved is superb, even if Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe falter at times in their singing. Young Samantha Barks makes a stunning film debut in her role as Eponine. Eddie Redmayne is delightful as Marius. Though her time on screen is relatively short, Anne Hathaway is stunning in her portrayal of Fantine. Whether you are deeply familiar with the story presented here or this movie is your first introduction to the story, the theatrical version of "Les Miserables" presented here is powerfully done and quite memorable.
For more of my reviews, check out marvelmvs.wordpress.com
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Posted: |
Dec 30, 2012 - 2:19 PM
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By: |
mastadge
(Member)
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Rare Exports (2010) dir. Jalmari Helander -- Cute but sleight Finnish Christmas horror. 6.5/10
ParaNorman (2012) dir. Chris Butler and Sam Fell -- A decent movie that could have been much better. Cute but only occasional glimpses of the sense of wonder that makes this kind of thing work, when it works. Also the takeaway message is possibly troubling. 6.5/10
Arbitrage (2012) dir. Nicholas Jarecki -- A superior thriller. Surprisingly, one of the year's better movies. Not sure it'd make the top 10, though. 7.5/10
Trouble With the Curve (2012) dir. Robert Lorenz -- Sort of a rebuttal to last year's Moneyball, a schmaltzy bit of sports melodrama. Not bad, not great. Eastwood plays a parody of himself, Adams is miscast as a ladder-climbing attorney. This movie, for better or worse, is at its best when Justin Timberlake is onscreen. 6/10
The Words (2012) dir. Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal -- Almost. The movie fairly neatly handles its multiple nested stories, but its final twist is a bit on-the-nose and the whole thing feels a bit too tide; the writing bits especially don't quite ring true. Entertaining but definitely could have been better. 6/10.
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