Movie Review: Sunshine
This is probably one of those overlooked movies that everyone should see. Will it become a cult-classic? Probably not, and in all likelihood it will be forgotten in the next ten or so years. The sad thing is that this movie is one of the most amazing movies to come out last year. Sunshine follows the story of the Icarus II and her crew. The sun is dying a lot sooner than expected and mankind, being the stubborn “we will live” species that we are, is not ready to die out. They decide to send an enormous nuclear device to restart the sun. When the first ship, the Icarus I, mysteriously disappears, a second mission is set in motion with an even larger bomb–the size of Manhattan. Sixteen months into the journey the crew receives a disturbing signal: a distress beacon from the Icarus I. Capa, the crew’s physicist and expert on the bomb they are carrying, is given a decision: either ignore the Icarus I and hope the one bomb they have will work, or deviate from their course and possibly get a second bomb…two second chances. Like any story such as this, things do go horribly wrong, and I’ll leave it at that. Sunshine is a brilliant film that deserves a lot more attention than it has been given. Considering the abundance of flashy, space-opera science fiction being thrown out there, this is a huge breath of relief. It’s a disaster movie, but with gripping scenery. The CGI is fantastic here. It isn’t overdone and it looks, gasp, real. This is something that other directors should be looking at when they envision using CGI. If you can’t make it look real, don’t bother. There’s no point and it really hurts the feel of a movie when things look fake. The characters, while somewhat sparse in characterization at points, are powerful and memorable. The cast is well picked for the characters they are supposed to be and the acting is on par. It’s really hard to not love this film. Perhaps the only part that I felt hurt the movie was after a fire erupts in the Icarus II and destroys their oxygen supply. Later on, when things are falling apart, Corazon (played by Michelle Yeoh) finds a single little plant growing out of the ashes, which is such a beautiful scene, but considering the ending seems somewhat pointless. I love the scene, but it’s so depressing to think about Corazon’s almost tearful happiness at seeing life springing from the ashes (which might be a commentary on the story as a whole), only for that little bit of life to end up being no more anyway. I loved the scene, but sort of wished it had ended a little different. Perhaps that is what the writers intended to do, though. Regardless, this is a powerful film that stresses what it is to be human and even touches on some really disturbing issues of human psychology and God. One little bit of technology that I really loved was this sort of miniature holo-deck. Unlike in Star Trek it’s non-interactive. You can’t go walking around as Sherlock Holmes and shoot people, but for these astronauts who are stuck on this ship–which is huge, but still a giant tin-can–it acts almost like a refreshing moment to remember what it is they’re saving. It’s truly a beautiful little machine. Contrary to what the critics have said about this film, the end half does not ruin the amazing, beautifully envisioned beginning. In fact, the ending seems to amplify the desperation of the crew to succeed in their mission, even when there’s a killer on the loose and everything is falling apart. Remember, this isn’t just a survival of the individual, this is the survival of a whole species, and that desperation is clear by the end. The ending was powerful, gripping, and terrifying. The movie as a whole is equally as powerful, gripping, and terrifying and if you haven’t seen Sunshine yet, do so immediately. This film is truly a gem in the field of science fiction.
Movie Review: I Am Legend
I love Will Smith. I mean that in a very non-homosexual way. Yes, he is a beautiful man in terrific shape, but that’s not why I love this man. I love this man because he is one of the best actors that exists today. Something has to be said about Smith’s acting abilities, because to ignore his versatility would be an insult to the craft. He can, and does, it all–pretty much at least. He’s done comedies, action movies, horror, science fiction, romance, drama, etc. And he does all of them well, mind you. While he certainly has certain “Smith tropes” that follow him in every film (namely his delivery of jokes), he is able to portray a wide range of emotions, some of which I have never seen before (Pursuit of Happiness has yet to be seen by me, so forgive me).Now, to the movie.I Am Legend is possibly one of the most enthralling movies I’ve seen this year. I had mild expectations for this film, meaning that I expected it to be decent, but nothing worthy of an award or significant recognition. After seeing it and letting it mull around in my head for a little while I have concluded that if Smith doesn’t get nominated for best actor it is a crime against the art form.The movie follows the struggle of one man. ONE MAN. And a dog. That’s it. There are no other humans in all of New York City but this one man and his dog. Can you imagine waking up every morning, cooking breakfast, working out, reading, watching recorded television, etc. knowing you may very well be the last human being alive?Neville, the main character, is a military scientist who has been working on trying to find a cure for a viral agent developed by another doctor to essentially cure cancer–the Krippin Virus. While the virus works, it slowly develops to produce violent results, turning infected people into cancer-free, vampiric monsters. When the virus goes airborne, all hell breaks loose. But not everyone can be infected. Some people are naturally immune. But when 95% of the world’s population can be infected, it doesn’t bode well for the poor folks that can’t be infected.When the evacuation takes place Manhattan Island, Neville stays behind to find the cure…and that’s where he stays as everything around him falls into complete darkness.This movie is amazing. I was driven into the story from the start. There are wonderful moments between Neville and his dog Sam in which Neville talks to the dog as if it were a person. They portrayed everything perfectly too. We see Neville living, trying to find survivors, renting movies from a movie place populated by mannequins, etc. It’s a richly developed movie and the story itself is simply enthralling. There are few times I can say I absolutely loved a movie to death, but this one had me from start to finish. Now for the ratings: Direction: 4/5I can’t say the direction was perfect, but neither can I say that it was bad. A 4 out of 5 is pretty darn good in my book, and a 5 would be saying that the director deserves an award. I think one reason I can’t give 5 is that the movie doesn’t require a whole lot of direction in comparison to other films. Most of the movie involves Smith and the dog, and nobody else other than some CGed evil guys. A 4, however, means that the director didn’t do anything that I noticed in one screening that I could called stupid. Cast: 5/5There isn’t much of a cast, so it’s not like I have to worry about crappy secondary actors. Will Smith is basically it. There’s a dog, and some very minor characters in the story who don’t really have much involvement in the bulk of the movie. But with Smith there, and with his uncanny ability to portray emotion so vividly gripping that you actually feel too, you can’t really give it anything less than 5. This might very well be one of his best roles ever. I nearly cried at certain points (I’m not saying when because it would ruin the story for you). There are few actors I think that can actually show you torment, pain, and suffering all in a facial expression and tears. Some actors look somewhat ridiculous, and while the scene is still sad, it’s not the same. Smith deserve a hug for this role.Score Adaptation: N/AI haven’t read the book so I can’t speak to the book-to-film adaptation. I hear there was a significant amount of things changed, however, but because I haven’t read the book I don’t feel right giving any sort of score here. Writing: 4/5The writing isn’t 100%, but I think what makes the writing a 4 is that Smith can take lines that would make all of us cringe and actually spin them to be interesting in some way. The writing is good, but it’s not academy award. Then again, we’re talking about a story where a man talks to a dog and some mannequins for the majority of things… Visuals: 3/5One of the biggest problems I have with Hollywood these days is this ridiculous reliance on computer animation. I love CG, I do, but there has to be a point where we go “enough is enough”. I understand that many of the scenes required CG. When the bridges are blown up by military weaponry, that had to be done with CG, and it looked good because the details don’t have to be the same to be believable as in humans. However, when you have creatures that are, or were at one point, human, I don’t see why you need to CG them. Why can’t humans play them? There was very little within the movie that would have needed CG use for the human rolls. You could have done things with stunt-men and it would have been fine. Basically my only problem with the
Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix
Initial Thoughts: I was enthralled and disappointed in the film. On the one hand I think they did a good job bringing together many of the important aspects of the book. They managed to capture Umbridge very well. Staunton is absolutely perfect as Umbridge. In fact, I can’t imagine anyone else playing her. She made me hate her as much as I hated the character in the book (that’s a good thing mind you). She captured the twisted evil that is the Ministry of Magic. As a movie I can see this as being a fantastic film. The pace is very tuned and once again there is a fantastic cast. While the direction is surely not perfect, as a film it is rather good. As an adaptation, however, it is terrible. That’s to be expected though, and if you are fooling yourself into thinking that Hollywood might one day do a really great book-to-film adaptation you should probably seek help. Hollywood has yet to accurately portray a book on the big screen, so it’s no surprise at all that this would turn out to leave behind extremely important aspects from the book. Now for what I usually do in regards to films–grading. This is done as follows. There is potential for 5 points in each category: direction, cast, score, adaptation, writing, and visuals (CG, etc.). Here goes. Direction 3/5As I mentioned, the direction is not perfect. This is very evident in various scenes where a good use of direction could have made things more convincing. One scene is where Fudge proclaims “he’s back”. To the audience that’s like a big “well duh…” moment. This is partly a writing flaw, for writing that line in the first place, and a directional flaw. The director should have seriously looked at that scene. Fudge should just have looked surprised, maybe collapsed. There is plenty of liberty that could have been taken with that scene.Generally speaking things seem fairly smooth in direction. It’s not nearly as good as Columbus–back in the good times for the series–but it will suffice for the next film. Hopefully for book seven they bring back Columbus and Williams though. While good, it’s far from what it could be. Being smooth isn’t enough–the wow factor gets that 4th star, and the super wow factor gets the 5 (thanks Peter Jackson for making me realize this). Cast 5/5There is no doubt in my mind that the producers of this series were right in their choices for the different cast members. We all know full well the ability of the actors that were picked to play the main characters, and they are well noted for their rolls. Stuanton, who plays Umbridge, is the perfect person for the position, as I mentioned. While I am upset by the change in Dumbledore’s due to Harris’ death, I can say that at least this new Dumbledore stays consistent. Actors for Lupin, Mad-eye, Tonks, and many many more continue to prove that they are perfect for the roll. This is solid, folks, perfectly solid. There is little room for failure in the casting. They did a great job and it continues to show. Score 1/5 This is where I think the film takes a huge fall into no-man’s land. Yes, there was yet another change in film composers, and this time it is so glaringly noticeable in the score that I almost wanted to scream out loud. John Williams, the guy we’ve all heard of, started this all off by creating truly original and memorable music for the first three films, and he left behind that legacy for Patrick Doyle in the fourth film. Now, with this new composer (Nicholas Hooper) who has taken the foundations left to him and completely destroyed them. We get minor glimpses of Williams’ foundations, but I am mostly disturbed by the almost complete absence of the main theme! How can you possibly leave behind the power and useability of that memorable theme? And how does giving us a little moment of it in the beginning of the film enough of a tribute? It’s not. The score is dismal, not because it isn’t original and interesting, but because it has almost nothing to do with the feel of Harry Potter. It sounds, ironically enough seeing how Hooper is British, like a score written for a Nicholas Cage action movie–like National Treasure. It’s so American sounding that it made me cringe in the theaters (both times mind you). Electric guitar does not belong in Harry Potter, not by any stretch.To add to that, there is this complete lack of understanding of space and silence. Several moments in the score when things seem dire or quiet, or for some reason some sort of low emotion needs to be presented, there is almost nothing interesting going on in the music, just low, inaudible tones without substance. This is unacceptable.I hope they bring back Williams soon. The soundtracks are degrading at an alarming rate now. Adaptation 2/5 Now, I mentioned it already that one should not expect greatness from a Hollywood adaptation. This is still the case here. While the story is still strong, it’s not the full story. So much is left behind so there can be this bare bones plot to cling to. A simple half hour of additional footage could have added depth to the world–further depth really. I’m not going to go into this part much more simply because those that are loyal to the books know exactly what has been left out here. It’s usual to leave stuff out and all of us should understand this, but when half of the story is gone that’s a whole different issue. Writing 3/5 Now, generally speaking the writing wasn’t all that bad. The lines were good enough, but every so often there would be moments where you really just thought it was corny or annoying. One of the scenes I thought hurt the story was the one where Dumbledore explains himself
My Apologetic Nature & America’s Continued Destruction of Everything That is Good About Literature
First things first, I must deeply apologize to anyone that reads my novel and is expecting a new chapter this week. This week and the one following it is, for anyone in college, the ultimate hell–Finals Week. Now, I know that is an excuse for me to not be prepared, and for that I must apologize as well. This weekend has turned out to be rather hectic. I had finals last week, and as such had to do my fair share of studying, and I have one more final this Monday, which I have been preparing for as well. On top of that was my companies’ Christmas party last night, my selfish desire to see Eragon on opening weekend, and of course my need to make sure my brother does not chop of his head in an attempt to prevent himself from going insane. This does not go without saying that I have at least written much of the chapter, but it is no more fair to my readers for me to quickly finish it, edit it, and of course post it. That would imply a lack of love for the craft and my inability to give my readers the best.So, for this I am sorry. However, I am going to do something to pay for this. The following week I will post this chapter, and the week right after that I will post the next! This way my schedule is not off, and you the reader are given a Christmas surprise! I also have many intentions over this holiday break, and in the following semester which will be rather light for me, some of which may involve a beginning map of the Farthland, since now James would have some knowledge of it and that visual might help many understand where he is in the world.Alright, now that I have that out of the way, I have to do a review of Eragon. Here goes. Overview–2.2/5If you haven’t read the book you’ll probably recognize this film as fitting in with such terrible Hollywood blunders as Dungeons & Dragons. It’s campy at best, poorly paced, and poorly done altogether. If you have read the book, you’ll see this as the biggest book-to-movie bastardization in the history of book-to-movie interpretations. There’s very little the directors, writers, and producers did right by the book in this pathetic piece of cinematic trash. This comes as an enormous blow for those of us who have been waiting since the day it was announced that Eragon was being optioned.Casting–2/5This is by far one of the weakest points to the film. There’s tremendous inconsistency throughout. Some have British accents (in different forms), and some don’t. This all from one town where you’d think many people would speak the same. First, the good.Ed Speleers: Surprisingly he didn’t do too terribly as the hero of this tale. He didn’t come off forced, and did seem to settle into his role very well. His acting, I think for someone who has no prior film experience, is rather good. The problem with him was more in the dialogue and direction given him rather than his performance.Jeremy Irons: If not for the fact that the writers had bastardized who his character was he has probably the strongest presence on screen for a secondary character. He came off very much like the Brom I expected–strong, raggedy, and torn by a horrible past.Robert Carlyle: At first I was very unsure about his role (as Durza the Shade) in this. There were some terribly written lines for him, terrible direction, and most of his scenes with Galbatorix are pretty much put into the crap bin not because of him, but because of the other person in the room with him. However, by the end of the film his character really began to pull through and he became this incredibly creepy, evil character that I had hoped he would become.Garret Hedlund: As Murtagh I have to say I was very much please, if not for the fact that his character conveniently shared no accent with half the cast, which is retarded. His dialogue was strong and he acted very well at the part from start to finish. And, of course the horribly bad.Sienna Guillory: Whoever it was that thought she would play well as Arya should probably consider working at Burger King instead. Her dialogue, while generally already very stiff considering she is an elf (something we’ll discuss later), was so much like watching someone standing and reading from a queue card without attempting to put any passion into the words. She was so terribly wrong for her part and practically destroyed Speleers’ presence on screen.Djimon Hounsou: Now, I have to say this first. I like Hounsou. He is one of my favorite actors in the scene right now simply because of his accent and excellent presence on screen. He was fantastic in The Island and in Four Feathers. But, he was not good for this film. All his lines were stiff and it seems like they had just given them to him on set and he was repeating them. He was stiff and it looked like this was his first film. In this instance the casting director and the director himself should be shot in the face with some sort of large explosive object.John Malcovich: Galbatorix…what more can you say about this? I had high hopes really for him, I really did. He’s been in a lot of films I loved, but no, there’s just no way this would work out the way I wanted. Thanks to his performance we now have an evil dictator who is barely a baby in armor.Rachel Weisz: As the voice of the dragon…boy oh boy. She is far too soft for this role. A dragon is this mean, fierce and powerful creature that could tear you to shreds. Yes, as a female it should have a feminine voice, but something deeper and more homely would have fit much