Welcome to another episode of Lights....Camera....Popcorn!
Today's review is Brave.
Directed by Marc Andrews, Brenda Chapman & Steve Purcell.
Written by Marc Andrews, Brenda Chapman, Steve Purcell & Irene Mecchi.
Screen Story by Brenda Chapman.
Review #161
MPAA Rating: PG for some scary action and rude humor.
Runtime: 100 min
Cast
Kelly Macdonald ...Merida (voice)
Billy Connolly ...Fergus (voice)
Emma Thompson ...Elinor (voice)
Julie Walters ...The Witch (voice)
Robbie Coltrane ...Lord Dingwall (voice)
Kevin McKidd ...Lord MacGuffin / Young MacGuffin (voice)
Craig Ferguson ...Lord Macintosh (voice)
Callum O'Neill ...Wee Dingwall (voice)
Patrick Doyle ...Martin (voice)
John Ratzenberger ...Gordon (voice)
It's another summer movie season. And like clockwork, another Pixar feature comes to grace us all with it's presence. Now I'm going to save you all and not repeat my effusive praise for the animation film giant. I choose not to for 2 reasons.
1) I'm sure by now all of you are sick of my overwhelming kiddie like passion for this company's product.
2) This film doesn't deserve it.
That last comment doesn't necessarily mean that Brave is a bad film. Quite the contrary in fact. It's just as good as the other entries in Pixar's library.
And that ladies and gentlemen is the problem.
Plot
Determined to make her own path in life, Princess Merida defies a custom
that brings chaos to her kingdom. Granted one wish, Merida must rely on
her bravery and her archery skills to undo a beastly curse.
With all the hits that Pixar has cranked out. It's hard to imagine that they would rest on their laurels and just make a film that ups the ante technology wise but fails to do that with the story. Unfortunately, Brave is a film that subscribes to this formula. As always, Brave excels in the animation and voice acting department. They are rivaled by no one there.
For me Brave falls flat with the films main story.
It's a tale of 2 different movies. The first act treats you to a very sweeping world of majestic scenery and wonder. You get the feeling that Pixar has brought us to an entirely new world. A more realistic world. No more monsters in the closet, superheroes, talking cars or toys. Brave actually plays like a film set in an authentic time period. I was very much into it. That is umtil the film does a complete 180 and follows the fantasy blueprint that other films including some of Brave's Pixar predecessors have employed in the past.
It was this turn that switched me off.
Brave like all of Pixar's film carried a life message and I was disappointed that the writers chose to express said message this way. I felt they took a shortcut and followed what worked in the past. They had a chance to break new ground and give us a newer kind of adventure. It really is a shame because there's SO much about Brave to love.
One word of warning when taking the kiddies.
Brave contains some pretty loud and aggressive fight scenes with bears. There's no blood but the roars and violent movements of the animal can get pretty intense.
You have been warned.
On that note, I'm going to end this review right here. I realize that it's one of my shorter ones in history. I just don't feel I can get into much more about the film without giving away too much plot info. I leave it to you to see it and then seek me out for my more in depth opinion.
On the 5 star scale. Brave gets 3.5 stars. With a "Go See It!" recommendation.
That's a wrap for today. Up next is Ted.
Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!"
"D"
Snow White and The Huntsman
Welcome to another episode of Lights....Camera....Popcorn!
Today's review is Snow White and The Huntsman.
Directed by Rupert Sanders.
Written by Evan Daugherty, John Lee Hancock & Hossein Amini.
Screen Story by Evan Daugherty
Review #160
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and brief sensuality.
Runtime: 127 min
Cast
Kristen Stewart ... Snow White
Chris Hemsworth ... The Huntsman
Charlize Theron ... Ravenna
Sam Claflin ... William
Sam Spruell ... Finn
Ian McShane ... Beith
Bob Hoskins ... Muir
Ray Winstone ... Gort
Nick Frost ... Nion
Eddie Marsan ... Duir
Toby Jones ... Coll
Johnny Harris ... Quert
Brian Gleeson ... Gus
The Brother's Grimm are quite possibly the greatest pair of writers when it comes to fantasy. They are responsible for some classic stories that in turn have been made into films. Those films have become timeless. They're even more so after Hollywood decided to re-develop these tales. If they're attempt was to rekindle our fond memories of these wonderful stories or revisit their Disney counterparts, they succeeded.
Because their recent films have in a word....SUCKED!!!!
Snow White and The Huntsman is so far the best of the lot.
That's not a compliment.
Plot
In a twist to the fairy tale, the Huntsman ordered to take Snow White into the woods to be killed winds up becoming her protector and mentor in a quest to vanquish the Evil Queen.
There are so many things wrong with this one that it's pointless to list them all. So I'll break them down into the three biggest issues.
1) Originality is not always a good thing.
Like it's predecessors, Red Riding Hood and Mirror Mirror. Snow White and The Huntsman tries to break apart from the root story and invent a new motive for the characters. While trying to maintain certain aspects of the story that people will remember with when they were kids.
That is not just a risky move. It's a beyond STUPID one. Why are you trying to change something that doesn't need it. These fairy tales have always been popular. There's no reason to adjust bits and pieces just to make your film brand new. The problem I saw here with this movie and the others before it was the filmmakers relentless need to "revitalize" these stories. According to these people. The only way to do that is tweak the story to give it a fresh appeal. Or worse turn the whole story upside down.
Here's the best example I can give that explains SWATH's failed attempt to be original. The motive of Queen Ravenna is nothing like the character in Disney's Snow White. In fact the perception of Ravenna and your feelings for her change midway through. You can identify with why she's so angry all the time.
WHAT?
You're not supposed to sympathize with the villain. That's why their the villain. You're not supposed to root for them. In fact this reminded me about Darth Vader. Why in the world am I bringing up Darth Vader in this review? Allow me to explain. Up until 2005. That was the year Revenge of The Sith was released. Darth Vader was considered by me one of cinema's greatest if not the greatest villain of all time. He was so heartless and dominant that his mere mention brought chills. He was unpredictable and very very angry. Then when you find out why he is that way the whole perception of the character comes crashing down. Vader is no longer the bad ass scary guy that would force choke you if you looked at him cockeyed. In reality he's a pissed off, whiny teenager that was duped into thinking he killed his woman. George Lucas destroyed what I felt Darth Vader was like. To a lesser extent. The same thing happens here.
Just not smart. Stay with the plan stan.
2) The film was too long.
A film's run time is a very delicate balance. You have to very careful when you are in the edit suite. It's common and almost a prerequisite for directors to over shoot or make additions to the film on the fly. Sometimes an idea hits them and it gets added to the narrative. The problem is that when the film gets cut you start to realize that you just can't fit everything. So now you spend months trying to figure out what stays and what ends up on the Blu Ray's deleted scenes. Snow White and The Huntsman clearly exhibits this problem here. The film was at least 30 minutes too long. Astutely pointed out by my friend Brooke who was with me at the theater.
Well done Red.
They get so bogged down in one spot that when it was time to introduce the dwarves, they serve more as place holders than legitimate characters to the story.
Which segues nicely to the final point.
3) How can a film that's over 2 hrs long have so little character and plot development.
As expected, a great deal of time is spent telling us about Snow White's origin and her relationship with the Queen. Then it just sinks after that. The Huntsman who was arguably the best character in the film gets very little play here. Just a bit about his past life that explains his demeanor in the present story. There's a tease of a romance between him and Snow White but another man enters the picture. The film gives you no indication who she's supposed to be with.
The plot development suffers just as much.
Just like Prometheus, there were way too many holes in this story to ignore or dismiss. Instead of dealing with the gaping holes in the plot. They were replaced with fights or some kind of stunt/chase sequence. I'm not sure if it was meant as misdirection or actually part of the narrative to just break into action sequences to break up the monotony. Had these issues been addressed, this would have been a much better film. SWATH did had some stunning visuals that rivaled anything The Lord of The Rings ever produced. Sadly they were wasted on run of the mill action scenes and fights that didn't entertain or inspire interest.
They only inspired a desire for the film to just end.
That's what's the most disappointing thing about Snow White and The Huntsman. The potential for a really good fantasy film was there. But we all know by now that potential in the film biz is just not good enough anymore. Despite the cracks I take about people going to see dumb movies. Audiences are smarter than Tinseltown gives us credit for. We may go out and see the dumbest thing out there but that's because it's our choice. We can tell when a film is total crap. Word of mouth is a very powerful weapon in the entertainment world. It has the power to create and more importantly it has the power to destroy. It would behoove the powers that be to respect that fact.
The proof is in the bank. Or lack there of....
On the 5 star scale. Snow White and The Huntsman gets 1 star. And a "Save The Loot!" recommendation.
That's a wrap for today. Up Next is Brave. Pixar's latest.
Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!"
"D"
Today's review is Snow White and The Huntsman.
Directed by Rupert Sanders.
Written by Evan Daugherty, John Lee Hancock & Hossein Amini.
Screen Story by Evan Daugherty
Review #160
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and brief sensuality.
Runtime: 127 min
Cast
Kristen Stewart ... Snow White
Chris Hemsworth ... The Huntsman
Charlize Theron ... Ravenna
Sam Claflin ... William
Sam Spruell ... Finn
Ian McShane ... Beith
Bob Hoskins ... Muir
Ray Winstone ... Gort
Nick Frost ... Nion
Eddie Marsan ... Duir
Toby Jones ... Coll
Johnny Harris ... Quert
Brian Gleeson ... Gus
The Brother's Grimm are quite possibly the greatest pair of writers when it comes to fantasy. They are responsible for some classic stories that in turn have been made into films. Those films have become timeless. They're even more so after Hollywood decided to re-develop these tales. If they're attempt was to rekindle our fond memories of these wonderful stories or revisit their Disney counterparts, they succeeded.
Because their recent films have in a word....SUCKED!!!!
Snow White and The Huntsman is so far the best of the lot.
That's not a compliment.
Plot
In a twist to the fairy tale, the Huntsman ordered to take Snow White into the woods to be killed winds up becoming her protector and mentor in a quest to vanquish the Evil Queen.
There are so many things wrong with this one that it's pointless to list them all. So I'll break them down into the three biggest issues.
1) Originality is not always a good thing.
Like it's predecessors, Red Riding Hood and Mirror Mirror. Snow White and The Huntsman tries to break apart from the root story and invent a new motive for the characters. While trying to maintain certain aspects of the story that people will remember with when they were kids.
That is not just a risky move. It's a beyond STUPID one. Why are you trying to change something that doesn't need it. These fairy tales have always been popular. There's no reason to adjust bits and pieces just to make your film brand new. The problem I saw here with this movie and the others before it was the filmmakers relentless need to "revitalize" these stories. According to these people. The only way to do that is tweak the story to give it a fresh appeal. Or worse turn the whole story upside down.
Here's the best example I can give that explains SWATH's failed attempt to be original. The motive of Queen Ravenna is nothing like the character in Disney's Snow White. In fact the perception of Ravenna and your feelings for her change midway through. You can identify with why she's so angry all the time.
WHAT?
You're not supposed to sympathize with the villain. That's why their the villain. You're not supposed to root for them. In fact this reminded me about Darth Vader. Why in the world am I bringing up Darth Vader in this review? Allow me to explain. Up until 2005. That was the year Revenge of The Sith was released. Darth Vader was considered by me one of cinema's greatest if not the greatest villain of all time. He was so heartless and dominant that his mere mention brought chills. He was unpredictable and very very angry. Then when you find out why he is that way the whole perception of the character comes crashing down. Vader is no longer the bad ass scary guy that would force choke you if you looked at him cockeyed. In reality he's a pissed off, whiny teenager that was duped into thinking he killed his woman. George Lucas destroyed what I felt Darth Vader was like. To a lesser extent. The same thing happens here.
Just not smart. Stay with the plan stan.
2) The film was too long.
A film's run time is a very delicate balance. You have to very careful when you are in the edit suite. It's common and almost a prerequisite for directors to over shoot or make additions to the film on the fly. Sometimes an idea hits them and it gets added to the narrative. The problem is that when the film gets cut you start to realize that you just can't fit everything. So now you spend months trying to figure out what stays and what ends up on the Blu Ray's deleted scenes. Snow White and The Huntsman clearly exhibits this problem here. The film was at least 30 minutes too long. Astutely pointed out by my friend Brooke who was with me at the theater.
Well done Red.
They get so bogged down in one spot that when it was time to introduce the dwarves, they serve more as place holders than legitimate characters to the story.
Which segues nicely to the final point.
3) How can a film that's over 2 hrs long have so little character and plot development.
As expected, a great deal of time is spent telling us about Snow White's origin and her relationship with the Queen. Then it just sinks after that. The Huntsman who was arguably the best character in the film gets very little play here. Just a bit about his past life that explains his demeanor in the present story. There's a tease of a romance between him and Snow White but another man enters the picture. The film gives you no indication who she's supposed to be with.
The plot development suffers just as much.
Just like Prometheus, there were way too many holes in this story to ignore or dismiss. Instead of dealing with the gaping holes in the plot. They were replaced with fights or some kind of stunt/chase sequence. I'm not sure if it was meant as misdirection or actually part of the narrative to just break into action sequences to break up the monotony. Had these issues been addressed, this would have been a much better film. SWATH did had some stunning visuals that rivaled anything The Lord of The Rings ever produced. Sadly they were wasted on run of the mill action scenes and fights that didn't entertain or inspire interest.
They only inspired a desire for the film to just end.
That's what's the most disappointing thing about Snow White and The Huntsman. The potential for a really good fantasy film was there. But we all know by now that potential in the film biz is just not good enough anymore. Despite the cracks I take about people going to see dumb movies. Audiences are smarter than Tinseltown gives us credit for. We may go out and see the dumbest thing out there but that's because it's our choice. We can tell when a film is total crap. Word of mouth is a very powerful weapon in the entertainment world. It has the power to create and more importantly it has the power to destroy. It would behoove the powers that be to respect that fact.
The proof is in the bank. Or lack there of....
On the 5 star scale. Snow White and The Huntsman gets 1 star. And a "Save The Loot!" recommendation.
That's a wrap for today. Up Next is Brave. Pixar's latest.
Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!"
"D"
Prometheus
Welcome to another episode of Lights....Camera....Popcorn!
Today's review is Prometheus.
Directed by Ridley Scott.
Written by Jon Spaiths & Damon Lindelof.
Review #159
MPAA Rating: R for sci-fi violence including some intense images, and brief language.
Runtime: 124 min
Cast
Noomi Rapace ...Elizabeth Shaw
Michael Fassbender ...David
Charlize Theron ...Meredith Vickers
Idris Elba ...Janek
Guy Pearce ...Peter Weyland
Logan Marshall-Green ...Charlie Holloway
Sean Harris ...Fifield
When you think of science fiction, there a few names that should instantly pop into your head. Phillip K. Dick, Gene Rodenberry, George Lucas and James Cameron. All impressive people in the genre but the man who redefined it was Ridley Scott. He took a simple premise and transformed it into one of the greatest sci fi/horror films of all time.
Alien was revolutionary in so many ways. It provided a fresh take on the monster movie by relocating the victims to outer space. But more importantly it masterfully layered some very intriguing and clever story elements that went ay beyond the scares and screams. After Ridley's take. Cameron went the balls out action route which was a brilliant move. Scott's Alien was psychological and thrilling. Cameron's Aliens took that blueprint and just expanded on a massive scale.
The wide success of both films declared the xenomorphs as a bankable franchise. The problem was the last 2 sequels were substandard. So fast forward 20 plus years since Ridley stepped behind the camera to make Alien. The geek world was full of buzz and excitement. Then there were rumblings that his return to sci fi was also a return to the Alien franchise. Then the buzz got even bigger when the film was going to be a prequel to the Alien franchise. That theory was quickly shot down as just fanboy dreams. Then Ridley made the mistake of mentioning that Prometheus takes place in the world that Alien came from and also contains "strands of DNA" within the Alien universe. You combine that with a set of trailers that showcase very clear cut "characters" from Alien. The perception that this was not a prequel was going to be hard to discount.
It's really a shame that Prometheus wasn't a prequel to Alien. If it was then perhaps I wouldn't be calling this the WORST film I've seen this summer and possibly this year!
Plot
A team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.
Let me clarify my previous comment about Prometheus being the worst film I've seen this year. My feelings about this train wreck have nothing to do with the bait and switch that was pulled. I'm referring to the film being a prequel to Alien. That has been a major point of contention with many who have seen this film. They were sold a bad bill of goods and I can't say I blame them. However you were warned several times by Ridley himself that it wasn't a straight up prequel. The problem is that the film was marketed as one. This really pissed people off. I was able to take my Alien blinders off and take this in on it's own merit.
It still didn't do any good.
My problem with Prometheus and it's a big one is how insanely STUPID this movie actually is. The initial premise is pretty interesting. Some geeks figure out who created us and go to the place where it supposedly happened. The film SUCKS immediately after that. I'm not going into what exactly happens that makes this movie so god awful. What I will do is explain what character flaw just drove me insane. The main premise to Prometheus and it's main character Shaw is science vs faith. A scientist who has a very strong belief in god sets out to find the "aliens" that created us.
Right there you lost me.
I'm not saying that someone who's dedicated their life to science can't have a belief in religion. But Shaw contradicts herself in so many ways here that the parts that were making sense get devoured among the rest of the moronic plot devices. Her character is a byproduct of the laziest writing I have come across in a while. I should have known better going in knowing that Damon Lindelof was a co writer of the screenplay. For you Lost fans you know who that is. He's one of the co creators of that amazing show. He's also one of the men responsible for SCREWING up the end of that amazing show. Just like the rest of the crew he came up with amazing ideas for that show but had no way to follow them through or finish them off so instead he pulled one of the greatest cons in TV history. The Lost finale had nothing to do with the show or the mythology at all. The finale was an emotional experience that was an amazing 2 hours to watch. But it failed miserably in concluding a journey that we spent 7 years taking.
The point is that Lindelof and the other idiot who wrote this mess did exactly the same thing here. Some truly great ideas were developed here but the execution and explanation was non existent. You can't do that. You can't have a great idea without seeing it all the way through to it's conclusion. That's why so many movies and TV shows fail. The most disappointing part with Prometheus is that I truly believe that the answers and conclusions were there. They just weren't written into the script. You combine that with some of sci fi's DUMBEST characters you have yourself a hot mess of a movie.
I don't want to write about this crap anymore. I'm pissed off enough as it is. Why Ridley? Why did you come back and make this garbage?
WHY???????
On the 5 star scale. Prometheus gets 0 stars with a resounding. "For The Love Of God Stay Home!" recommendation.
That's a wrap for today. Up next is Snow White and The Huntsman.
Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!"
"D"
Today's review is Prometheus.
Directed by Ridley Scott.
Written by Jon Spaiths & Damon Lindelof.
Review #159
MPAA Rating: R for sci-fi violence including some intense images, and brief language.
Runtime: 124 min
Cast
Noomi Rapace ...Elizabeth Shaw
Michael Fassbender ...David
Charlize Theron ...Meredith Vickers
Idris Elba ...Janek
Guy Pearce ...Peter Weyland
Logan Marshall-Green ...Charlie Holloway
Sean Harris ...Fifield
When you think of science fiction, there a few names that should instantly pop into your head. Phillip K. Dick, Gene Rodenberry, George Lucas and James Cameron. All impressive people in the genre but the man who redefined it was Ridley Scott. He took a simple premise and transformed it into one of the greatest sci fi/horror films of all time.
Alien was revolutionary in so many ways. It provided a fresh take on the monster movie by relocating the victims to outer space. But more importantly it masterfully layered some very intriguing and clever story elements that went ay beyond the scares and screams. After Ridley's take. Cameron went the balls out action route which was a brilliant move. Scott's Alien was psychological and thrilling. Cameron's Aliens took that blueprint and just expanded on a massive scale.
The wide success of both films declared the xenomorphs as a bankable franchise. The problem was the last 2 sequels were substandard. So fast forward 20 plus years since Ridley stepped behind the camera to make Alien. The geek world was full of buzz and excitement. Then there were rumblings that his return to sci fi was also a return to the Alien franchise. Then the buzz got even bigger when the film was going to be a prequel to the Alien franchise. That theory was quickly shot down as just fanboy dreams. Then Ridley made the mistake of mentioning that Prometheus takes place in the world that Alien came from and also contains "strands of DNA" within the Alien universe. You combine that with a set of trailers that showcase very clear cut "characters" from Alien. The perception that this was not a prequel was going to be hard to discount.
It's really a shame that Prometheus wasn't a prequel to Alien. If it was then perhaps I wouldn't be calling this the WORST film I've seen this summer and possibly this year!
Plot
A team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.
Let me clarify my previous comment about Prometheus being the worst film I've seen this year. My feelings about this train wreck have nothing to do with the bait and switch that was pulled. I'm referring to the film being a prequel to Alien. That has been a major point of contention with many who have seen this film. They were sold a bad bill of goods and I can't say I blame them. However you were warned several times by Ridley himself that it wasn't a straight up prequel. The problem is that the film was marketed as one. This really pissed people off. I was able to take my Alien blinders off and take this in on it's own merit.
It still didn't do any good.
My problem with Prometheus and it's a big one is how insanely STUPID this movie actually is. The initial premise is pretty interesting. Some geeks figure out who created us and go to the place where it supposedly happened. The film SUCKS immediately after that. I'm not going into what exactly happens that makes this movie so god awful. What I will do is explain what character flaw just drove me insane. The main premise to Prometheus and it's main character Shaw is science vs faith. A scientist who has a very strong belief in god sets out to find the "aliens" that created us.
Right there you lost me.
I'm not saying that someone who's dedicated their life to science can't have a belief in religion. But Shaw contradicts herself in so many ways here that the parts that were making sense get devoured among the rest of the moronic plot devices. Her character is a byproduct of the laziest writing I have come across in a while. I should have known better going in knowing that Damon Lindelof was a co writer of the screenplay. For you Lost fans you know who that is. He's one of the co creators of that amazing show. He's also one of the men responsible for SCREWING up the end of that amazing show. Just like the rest of the crew he came up with amazing ideas for that show but had no way to follow them through or finish them off so instead he pulled one of the greatest cons in TV history. The Lost finale had nothing to do with the show or the mythology at all. The finale was an emotional experience that was an amazing 2 hours to watch. But it failed miserably in concluding a journey that we spent 7 years taking.
The point is that Lindelof and the other idiot who wrote this mess did exactly the same thing here. Some truly great ideas were developed here but the execution and explanation was non existent. You can't do that. You can't have a great idea without seeing it all the way through to it's conclusion. That's why so many movies and TV shows fail. The most disappointing part with Prometheus is that I truly believe that the answers and conclusions were there. They just weren't written into the script. You combine that with some of sci fi's DUMBEST characters you have yourself a hot mess of a movie.
I don't want to write about this crap anymore. I'm pissed off enough as it is. Why Ridley? Why did you come back and make this garbage?
WHY???????
On the 5 star scale. Prometheus gets 0 stars with a resounding. "For The Love Of God Stay Home!" recommendation.
That's a wrap for today. Up next is Snow White and The Huntsman.
Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!"
"D"
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