Slowly Learning...

I delayed seeing this movie so that I could go with Dave while he was in town, otherwise I'm sure I would have gone opening night. I've always been a big transformers fan. One of the greatest xmas gifts I received this year was the new edition of the Transformers movie from Nicki. So how did the new one stack up? Hard to say.

However, I must get something off my chest first. I refuse to refer to this as the "Live Action Transformers Movie". It is not live action. It is CG. True that is not animation in the sense of the original show, but it's not live action. The TMNT movies were live action (the old ones) because they had people in turtle suits. If they had used people in robot suits for this, then I'll grant them live action. But they didn't (thank God!), so they don't get to claim live action. End of story.

So anyway...

The story (if you can really consider it that) was good, and all over the place. But then again look at the stories of any transformers episode/movie. Is that what we're really going for here? No. So in any case, the story gets a pass, whether it needs it or not.

The main attraction was the action and CG. Both lived up to what I would have hoped for. The detail was phenomenal on the robots themselves, and the fights were great. Although, for some of the action it would have been nicer for some wider shots. With the tight shots it was sometimes hard to distinguish what was going on.

So where are the faults... Well I was afraid that there would be way too much focus on the humans, but there really wasn't. They were there, and a part of it, but not the sole focus. I do have some issues with some of the writing/casting though. As much as I am a fan of John Turturro, they could have cut out him and everything about him and I would have been much happier. Also, the ultra young, ultra hip leads all around, while expected, is just overdone. The saving grace of that was making the main lead into a dork. Still, he does end up with the hot chick...oh well. It's Hollywood.

The biggest fault is that the movie was all over the map. At times it was dramatic and serious, then it's a fast paced action/sci-fi film, then it's almost slapstick in nature, and so on. All could have worked, on their own, but jumping from one to another just seemed like they lacked focus and vision in the whole project. It's almost as if each segment of the film were roughly sketched, given to separate teams to develop, and the teams had no contact with each other. It's almost like that game where everyone writes a line to a story, and then you put it all together, and it's funny cause it's so off the wall and doesn't flow at all. Except they decided to do that with a big budget film. Odd choice, but to each their own.

In the end, I could over look the faults and enjoy the goodness that is Transformers on the big screen. I mean they even got Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime! (He was the original Optimus) And they had Hugo Weaving as Megatron. (Double score). So the voice acting of the Transformers themselves was great. They even threw in a couple lines from the original film (One shall stand, and one shall fall!). All in all it was better than I expected in some areas, slightly worse in others, but overall very enjoyable.

RATING: Worth a Full Price Ticket, Worth a High Netflix

Posted by Thom at 6:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I had been waiting so long for this film that I had almost forgotten it was coming out. Normally when that happens with a movie I begin to lose interest or I'm disappointed when I finally do see it. Not so this time. Not only was I excited when I heard it was finally here, it only took about 5 minutes into the film before I remembered how much I loved Night Watch (the first in the trilogy). And it didn't stop there.

For those unfamiliar with the series (which is probably most people, since it is a Russian series), this is the second part of a trilogy based on novels by Sergei Lukyanenko. Yes, he is Russian, and yes this movie is from Russia (hence why it was at the Little and not Regal). Also, from what I've heard, this film is shattering box office records over there (or it was when it was out). So yes, this is a subtitled movie (oh no, reading!), but these aren't your normal subtitles. Instead of being an after thought, the subtitles in this film play a supporting role. They are dimmer when someone talks form the distance, shake with violence and anger, splatter across the walls... Not only do they not detract from the experience (although I have never personally felt subtitles did that for me), they enhance it.

But enough about the text, let's get into the film itself. The same cast returns, which is fantastic since they were perfectly cast the first time around (especially the anti-hero lead). Often times the acting can seem off in some foreign films from less than standard locals, but not here. I can honestly say that I didn't have a problem with any of the acting (which I can't say about any of the Hollywood releases that I've seen as of late, and they are supposed to have the real actors?).

The story is a blend of action, drama, horror, and comedy, but in a way that actually works. I tried to define a genre for this movie with a friend who has also been up on the series, and the best she could come up with is Epic Trilogy. While the underlying plot (Light vs. Dark, Good vs. Evil, Super-humans vs. Vampires) isn't overly inventive, the way it is put together is. While it is good vs. evil, it isn't black and white. Our hero here isn't exactly a boyscout, but he's not Satan either, he's in the middle there. In the end, the story isn't perfect, but with the atmosphere and effects and acting there are very few holes. But you must keep in mind that this is both a sequel and an adaptation of a novel, so there are some parts that may not seem fully explained or may seem rushed. So I highly recommend seeing Night Watch first (hell, I just highly recommend seeing Night Watch whether or not you plan on seeing Day Watch). If you don't see it first there is a big chance that you will be lost in a lot of areas. Even if you do, there is still a chance you can get lost in all of it.

RATING: Worth Full Price (and even worth a second viewing in my opinion), Worth a High Netflix, Waiting With Anticipation For Dusk Watch

Posted by Thom at 3:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The first film was mostly panned, being compared to Spiderman, X-men, and Batman Begins. And still they decided to make a sequel. It's hard to say if that is really a good or bad thing. Personally, I never thought that the original was as bad as people said. It just wasn't the same as the other movies. It was short, sweet, and action oriented. It was a comic book in movie form, not a movie about a comic book. But enough about the first movie. Let's talk about number two.

First the bad. I know Mr. Fantastic and the Thing are rather indestructable, but how does being on fire stop the human torch from getting hurt when he falls 30 stories? And for a quick geography lesson, when you head to the South of China, you won't find the Great Wall.

As for the good...there is one thing that makes Fantastic Four work. There are no secret identities. There are no masks (or glasses) to try and fool the public. So it doesn't matter if everyone is unmasked all the time (unlike in Spiderman 3). Also, the Four have fame and sponsorships. This is the 2000's. If you are famous, you'll have sponsors. It's an odd thing to say, but this makes it almost seem like a more realistic superhero movie. The other positive it has going for it is that it doesn't have the problem that so many other sequels seem to have. Unlike all these other sequels/triquels/etc., this film doesn't drag on for 3 hours. They kept it short and sweet at 89 mins. That's right. No need to try to drag the story out (I mean there is none anyway), so let's keep it short and sweet.

In the end, Fantastic Four-2 isn't much of a step up from the first one. It is basically more of the same. it's just that this time around they were given more leeway because it was being compared to movies like X-3 and Spiderman 3 (both complete shit), as opposed to X 1 & 2 and Spiderman 1 & 2 (very solid comic book movies). In that light this film is almost brilliant! However, if they do come along with a Fantastic Four 3, let's just hope it doesn't fall prey to the Comic Book 3rds. For if it does, then God help us all. That could be one of the most horrendous films ever.

RATING: Worth a Mid-Priced Ticket, Worth a Netflix Rental Somewhere On the List, i guess

Posted by Thom at 12:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)