RIP Paul Walker
1973- 2013 (age: 40)
(Image: Wikipedia)
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Tragic death of a "Fast & Furious" star...
It's recently come to my attention that actor Paul Walker (Fast & Furious series, Varsity Blues, Takers, Flags of Our Fathers) died this afternoon in a tragic car accident, which also took the life of a close friend of his. My best wishes go out to his friends, family, and co-stars, who I'm sure will dearly miss him. He will definitely be missed by Fast & Furious fans (I'm somewhat of a fan myself) and his presence in the series will be unfortunately lacking when the seventh film is released. I don't know how the filmmakers plan to write out his character or what to do with the seventh film now that he's gone, but I do know he was one of the better actors in those films, and I'm quite sad knowing that he will never make another movie again, and probably won't even appear in the seventh Fast film. It's sad to see another star pass away this year, especially after the shocking deaths of both Glee's beloved star Cory Monteith and The Sopranos' acclaimed lead James Gandolfini, not to mention the tragic death of film critic and television host Roger Ebert.
RIP Paul Walker
1973- 2013 (age: 40)
(Image: Wikipedia)
RIP Paul Walker
1973- 2013 (age: 40)
(Image: Wikipedia)
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire: One of the few sequels to top the original.
Today, I look at the highly anticipated sequel to the successful 2012 teen sci-fi drama The Hunger Games.
The Hunger Games, Catching Fire:
Now, as many people know, I wasn't a big fan of the first Hunger Games movie. Although it had some good performances, especially from Jennifer Lawrence, I felt it was too slow, boring, and tedious, with not enough action or character development, and it borrowed from far too many other, better books and movies (Battle Royale, 1984, The Running Man, The Long Walk, etc.) It was also made for people who had already read the books, as it barely established the world in which Katniss Everdeen lives, and assumes most viewers are already familiar with it. However, the sequel blew away my expectations. Despite it also not having much action, and the fact that the games in this film don't begin until halfway through, this film had much better performances, better writing, and an even darker story. It also ditched the irritating and God-awful shaky cam used in the fight scenes from the first film. Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Lenny Kravitz, Donald Sutherland, Toby Jones, and Willow Shields all return from the first film, and again do a good job portraying all the characters. Wes Bentley (American Beauty, Ghost Rider, P2) does not reappear as Seneca Crane, but his character is mentioned surprisingly frequently. Replacing him as the game-maker in this film is Phillip Seymour Hoffman, one of my favorite actors, who plays Plutarch Heavensbee. Plutarch is a good villain: a cunning, ruthless man who helps President Snow (Donald Sutherland) plan on how to destroy Katniss' public image and kill her. Other new additions to the cast include Sam Claflin, Jena Malone, Lynn Cohen, Amanda Plummer, Jeffrey Wright, and Meta Golding. The plot of the film follows Katniss and Peeta's journey after winning the 74th annual Hunger Games. They must tour the country, going to each District to honor its' fallen tributes. But, during one of their speeches, the crowd stands up to the authorities, and a small riot ensues, with innocent civilians being gunned down. President Snow decides that for the 75th annual Hunger Games (also known as the 3rd "Quarter Quell", a special Hunger Games which takes place every 25 years) he decides that the tributes from each District will be pulled from the existing pool of victors, meaning Katniss (the only female tribute from District 12 that is still living) must go. Katniss must now fight a President who wants her dead, and fight in a new version of the Hunger Games, where every other tribute is as skilled a hunter as she is. Like I stated before, this film is much more entertaining and well-written than the first, and the special effects aren't too shabby, either. The action scenes, though few and far between, are executed much better, and the music is just as good as before. (James Newton Howard's score was one of the best parts of the first movie.) The improvements might have been because the film has a new director: Francis Lawrence. Now, Lawrence's filmography is littered with mediocre work, such as 2007's I Am Legend and 2011's Water for Elephants, so I wasn't jumping up and down with excitement when I heard he'd replace Gary Ross (writer of Big and director of Seabiscuit and Pleasantville). However, he did direct 2005's underrated comic book adaptation Constantine, so he had done some good stuff before, but I was still a little uncertain. I was proven wrong, and I look forward to his next Hunger Games film: Mockingjay-Part 1. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is not only better than the original, I think it's one of the best of the season, and possibly the whole year. It's got some good action sequences, good acting, a well-written screenplay, some good CGI, and a good musical score. (Although some may be disappointed that it ends on a cliffhanger.) 4/5 stars.
My brief review of the original film: http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2012/05/matt-cotter-movies-april-films.html
My second (and even shorter) review of that movie: http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2012/10/reel-time-hunger-games.html
The original film's appearance on one of my end of the year lists: http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2013/01/top-10-worstmost-disappointing-films-of.html
(Image: Wikipedia)
The Hunger Games, Catching Fire:
Now, as many people know, I wasn't a big fan of the first Hunger Games movie. Although it had some good performances, especially from Jennifer Lawrence, I felt it was too slow, boring, and tedious, with not enough action or character development, and it borrowed from far too many other, better books and movies (Battle Royale, 1984, The Running Man, The Long Walk, etc.) It was also made for people who had already read the books, as it barely established the world in which Katniss Everdeen lives, and assumes most viewers are already familiar with it. However, the sequel blew away my expectations. Despite it also not having much action, and the fact that the games in this film don't begin until halfway through, this film had much better performances, better writing, and an even darker story. It also ditched the irritating and God-awful shaky cam used in the fight scenes from the first film. Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Lenny Kravitz, Donald Sutherland, Toby Jones, and Willow Shields all return from the first film, and again do a good job portraying all the characters. Wes Bentley (American Beauty, Ghost Rider, P2) does not reappear as Seneca Crane, but his character is mentioned surprisingly frequently. Replacing him as the game-maker in this film is Phillip Seymour Hoffman, one of my favorite actors, who plays Plutarch Heavensbee. Plutarch is a good villain: a cunning, ruthless man who helps President Snow (Donald Sutherland) plan on how to destroy Katniss' public image and kill her. Other new additions to the cast include Sam Claflin, Jena Malone, Lynn Cohen, Amanda Plummer, Jeffrey Wright, and Meta Golding. The plot of the film follows Katniss and Peeta's journey after winning the 74th annual Hunger Games. They must tour the country, going to each District to honor its' fallen tributes. But, during one of their speeches, the crowd stands up to the authorities, and a small riot ensues, with innocent civilians being gunned down. President Snow decides that for the 75th annual Hunger Games (also known as the 3rd "Quarter Quell", a special Hunger Games which takes place every 25 years) he decides that the tributes from each District will be pulled from the existing pool of victors, meaning Katniss (the only female tribute from District 12 that is still living) must go. Katniss must now fight a President who wants her dead, and fight in a new version of the Hunger Games, where every other tribute is as skilled a hunter as she is. Like I stated before, this film is much more entertaining and well-written than the first, and the special effects aren't too shabby, either. The action scenes, though few and far between, are executed much better, and the music is just as good as before. (James Newton Howard's score was one of the best parts of the first movie.) The improvements might have been because the film has a new director: Francis Lawrence. Now, Lawrence's filmography is littered with mediocre work, such as 2007's I Am Legend and 2011's Water for Elephants, so I wasn't jumping up and down with excitement when I heard he'd replace Gary Ross (writer of Big and director of Seabiscuit and Pleasantville). However, he did direct 2005's underrated comic book adaptation Constantine, so he had done some good stuff before, but I was still a little uncertain. I was proven wrong, and I look forward to his next Hunger Games film: Mockingjay-Part 1. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is not only better than the original, I think it's one of the best of the season, and possibly the whole year. It's got some good action sequences, good acting, a well-written screenplay, some good CGI, and a good musical score. (Although some may be disappointed that it ends on a cliffhanger.) 4/5 stars.
My brief review of the original film: http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2012/05/matt-cotter-movies-april-films.html
My second (and even shorter) review of that movie: http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2012/10/reel-time-hunger-games.html
The original film's appearance on one of my end of the year lists: http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2013/01/top-10-worstmost-disappointing-films-of.html
(Image: Wikipedia)Thursday, November 28, 2013
A Christmas Carol: Robert Zemeckis' motion-capure adaptation of Charles Dickens' beloved novella
Since Christmas is right around the corner, I'd figure I'd start reviewing some holiday-related films and TV specials.
A Christmas Carol:
The most recent of the many adaptations of Charles Dickens' acclaimed novella is also one of the most ambitious. It follows the same basic story of the miserable and greedy banker Ebenezer Scrooge and his transformation from a miserly and selfish old man to a caring and warm-hearted one via supernatural events during Christmas Eve. Jim Carrey not only portrays Scrooge as an old man, but also the young and middle-aged versions of the character, as well as all three Ghosts: Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. Gary Oldman also plays multiple roles, including Bob Cratchit, Jacob Marley, and Tiny Tim (although child actor Ryan Ochoa provided Tim's voice). Colin Firth portrays Fred, Scrooge's optimistic and friendly nephew who only wants his mean and spiteful uncle to be happy and kind towards others. Bob Hoskins plays Mr. Fezziwig, Scrooge's kind-hearted former employer, as well as Old Joe, a minor characters who is a fence (someone who buys stolen property to resell to another person). Robin Wright not only plays Scrooge's former fiancée Belle, but also his loving and sweet younger sister Nan, who died after giving birth to Fred years earlier. Cary Elwes appears not only as Scrooge's former roommate Dick Wilkins, but also as several minor characters throughout. Robert Zemeckis (The Polar Express, Beowulf, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Back to the Future, Flight, Forrest Gump, Cast Away, What Lies Beneath, Contact, Romancing the Stone, Death Becomes Her) has used the performance capture format before, and the two films he did before this one (The Polar Express, Beowulf) turned out well, but this and Express are definitely the strongest of the three, funny enough, both are Christmas family films. Tom Hanks isn't back this time around, but Jim Carrey does well as the lead. He does do a bit of over-acting here and there, but overall, I was surprised he could pull off a slightly more dramatic role, even though he's done it before (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Man on the Moon, and The Truman Show are all great examples of this). But usually in his family films, he tends to goof off a bit too much, whereas here, I feel like he found a good balance between the over-the-top comedy and the drama. The visuals in the movie are great, although I don't understand why performance capture was needed. I understand that for certain characters it's necessary (like the Ghosts), but every character having it is a bit much. The animation is impressive, especially the facial expressions, but I've always wondered, what's the point of having to do hours of animation to make it look like a real person instead of just showing a real person? I know they do shoot the people on digital and just do the animation over it, but that to me seems like just a lot of unnecessary work. But it doesn't bother me that much, and I think the film still was enjoyable and it is kind of cool to see the actors being able to play so many varying roles using the technology of motion capture. I was surprised by how dark and creepy some of the imagery gets here, especially for a holiday-themed, Disney-produced family film. There's ghosts, corpses, frightening hallucinations (one involving representations of Ignorance and Want, depicted as two homeless and deranged children who grow up into violent psychopaths), a scary-ass and somewhat malicious Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (who resembles the Grim Reaper), and mentions of a child's death from sickness and malnutrition (although this only takes place in an alternate universe). But that doesn't make it bad, in fact I think it's a bit better to have some dark stuff in family films, because although the film is obviously pure fiction, real life does definitely have dark and frightening moments, and these kind of films can help children better prepare and cope with scary situations in the real world. I'm getting a bit off-track here, so I'll just try to wrap it up now. A Christmas Carol may not be the greatest adaptation of the book, or the best holiday films, but it's well-acted, has some great visuals, a visionary director, and is very entertaining, so I'd say if you're looking for something to watch around the holidays, it's definitely worth a watch, or if you have seen it, it's worth a re-watch or two. 3.5/5 stars.
(Image: Wikipedia)
A Christmas Carol:
The most recent of the many adaptations of Charles Dickens' acclaimed novella is also one of the most ambitious. It follows the same basic story of the miserable and greedy banker Ebenezer Scrooge and his transformation from a miserly and selfish old man to a caring and warm-hearted one via supernatural events during Christmas Eve. Jim Carrey not only portrays Scrooge as an old man, but also the young and middle-aged versions of the character, as well as all three Ghosts: Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. Gary Oldman also plays multiple roles, including Bob Cratchit, Jacob Marley, and Tiny Tim (although child actor Ryan Ochoa provided Tim's voice). Colin Firth portrays Fred, Scrooge's optimistic and friendly nephew who only wants his mean and spiteful uncle to be happy and kind towards others. Bob Hoskins plays Mr. Fezziwig, Scrooge's kind-hearted former employer, as well as Old Joe, a minor characters who is a fence (someone who buys stolen property to resell to another person). Robin Wright not only plays Scrooge's former fiancée Belle, but also his loving and sweet younger sister Nan, who died after giving birth to Fred years earlier. Cary Elwes appears not only as Scrooge's former roommate Dick Wilkins, but also as several minor characters throughout. Robert Zemeckis (The Polar Express, Beowulf, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Back to the Future, Flight, Forrest Gump, Cast Away, What Lies Beneath, Contact, Romancing the Stone, Death Becomes Her) has used the performance capture format before, and the two films he did before this one (The Polar Express, Beowulf) turned out well, but this and Express are definitely the strongest of the three, funny enough, both are Christmas family films. Tom Hanks isn't back this time around, but Jim Carrey does well as the lead. He does do a bit of over-acting here and there, but overall, I was surprised he could pull off a slightly more dramatic role, even though he's done it before (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Man on the Moon, and The Truman Show are all great examples of this). But usually in his family films, he tends to goof off a bit too much, whereas here, I feel like he found a good balance between the over-the-top comedy and the drama. The visuals in the movie are great, although I don't understand why performance capture was needed. I understand that for certain characters it's necessary (like the Ghosts), but every character having it is a bit much. The animation is impressive, especially the facial expressions, but I've always wondered, what's the point of having to do hours of animation to make it look like a real person instead of just showing a real person? I know they do shoot the people on digital and just do the animation over it, but that to me seems like just a lot of unnecessary work. But it doesn't bother me that much, and I think the film still was enjoyable and it is kind of cool to see the actors being able to play so many varying roles using the technology of motion capture. I was surprised by how dark and creepy some of the imagery gets here, especially for a holiday-themed, Disney-produced family film. There's ghosts, corpses, frightening hallucinations (one involving representations of Ignorance and Want, depicted as two homeless and deranged children who grow up into violent psychopaths), a scary-ass and somewhat malicious Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (who resembles the Grim Reaper), and mentions of a child's death from sickness and malnutrition (although this only takes place in an alternate universe). But that doesn't make it bad, in fact I think it's a bit better to have some dark stuff in family films, because although the film is obviously pure fiction, real life does definitely have dark and frightening moments, and these kind of films can help children better prepare and cope with scary situations in the real world. I'm getting a bit off-track here, so I'll just try to wrap it up now. A Christmas Carol may not be the greatest adaptation of the book, or the best holiday films, but it's well-acted, has some great visuals, a visionary director, and is very entertaining, so I'd say if you're looking for something to watch around the holidays, it's definitely worth a watch, or if you have seen it, it's worth a re-watch or two. 3.5/5 stars.
(Image: Wikipedia)
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Ender's Game: Orson Scott Card's acclaimed and beloved sci-fi novel finally comes to the big screen after almost 30 years.
Today, I review the anticipated adaptation of Orson Scott Card's classic young adult science fiction novel.
Ender's Game:
Now, there has been some controversy around the film due to Orson Scott Card's beliefs about homosexuality and gay marriage. Some have boycotted the film, but I think that isn't fair because Card only served as a producer on the film and the film's plot has nothing to do with Card's personal beliefs and has no ties to the political and social issues of today. I say we should separate the art from its' creator in this instance and judge the film on its' own merits. Ender Wiggin, a young but highly intelligent military academy student, lives in the late 21st century. Years earlier, in 2087, Earth was attacked by an invasive alien species, but due to one military pilot's sacrifice, was able to destroy the horde and keep the aliens at bay. Ender is selected to become a student at an advanced space academy that trains young adults to become experienced soldiers and military tacticians to fight off the alien hordes by remotely piloting battle ships in space. Ender must prove himself a worthy student and soldier while facing some serious moral challenges along the way. The cast is filled with young and old stars alike, including Asa Butterfield (Hugo), Harrison Ford, Viola Davis, Sir Ben Kingsley, and Hailee Steinfeld. Aramis Knight as a supporting role, and Moises Arias portrays Bonzo, an aggressive bully at the academy, and Nonso Anozie plays a sergeant at the space school. The cast do great jobs, especially Butterfield, who again shows off his talents as a young actor. Ford and Kingsley are great supporting characters, who act as mentors to Ender. Initially, I was hesistant to see this film, even with all its' star power. It just didn't appeal to me, I thought it was like Harry Potter meets Hunger Games in space. But when I heard how great the novel was, I figured I'd see it, and I'm glad I did. It was an enjoyable and surprisingly pretty dark sci-fi drama, with a relatable and likeable main character and great supporting cast. The special effects and battle sequences were tense and well-executed. Gavin Hood, despite having mediocre films before (Rendition, X-Men Origins: Wolverine) does a great job bringing OSC's vision to life. Speaking of which, Card makes a voice cameo as a pilot in the film. The music by Steve Jablonksy (known for his work on Michael Bay-produced films, who replaced James Horner for this film) is actually pretty good, and fits the tone of the film. Ender's Game is a thrilling, well-acted, well-written, and entertaining sci-fi film and a fitting adaptation of OSC's novel. 4/5 stars.
(Image: Wikipedia)
Ender's Game:
Now, there has been some controversy around the film due to Orson Scott Card's beliefs about homosexuality and gay marriage. Some have boycotted the film, but I think that isn't fair because Card only served as a producer on the film and the film's plot has nothing to do with Card's personal beliefs and has no ties to the political and social issues of today. I say we should separate the art from its' creator in this instance and judge the film on its' own merits. Ender Wiggin, a young but highly intelligent military academy student, lives in the late 21st century. Years earlier, in 2087, Earth was attacked by an invasive alien species, but due to one military pilot's sacrifice, was able to destroy the horde and keep the aliens at bay. Ender is selected to become a student at an advanced space academy that trains young adults to become experienced soldiers and military tacticians to fight off the alien hordes by remotely piloting battle ships in space. Ender must prove himself a worthy student and soldier while facing some serious moral challenges along the way. The cast is filled with young and old stars alike, including Asa Butterfield (Hugo), Harrison Ford, Viola Davis, Sir Ben Kingsley, and Hailee Steinfeld. Aramis Knight as a supporting role, and Moises Arias portrays Bonzo, an aggressive bully at the academy, and Nonso Anozie plays a sergeant at the space school. The cast do great jobs, especially Butterfield, who again shows off his talents as a young actor. Ford and Kingsley are great supporting characters, who act as mentors to Ender. Initially, I was hesistant to see this film, even with all its' star power. It just didn't appeal to me, I thought it was like Harry Potter meets Hunger Games in space. But when I heard how great the novel was, I figured I'd see it, and I'm glad I did. It was an enjoyable and surprisingly pretty dark sci-fi drama, with a relatable and likeable main character and great supporting cast. The special effects and battle sequences were tense and well-executed. Gavin Hood, despite having mediocre films before (Rendition, X-Men Origins: Wolverine) does a great job bringing OSC's vision to life. Speaking of which, Card makes a voice cameo as a pilot in the film. The music by Steve Jablonksy (known for his work on Michael Bay-produced films, who replaced James Horner for this film) is actually pretty good, and fits the tone of the film. Ender's Game is a thrilling, well-acted, well-written, and entertaining sci-fi film and a fitting adaptation of OSC's novel. 4/5 stars.
(Image: Wikipedia)
Holiday reviews and other stuff....
Hello, I know it's been a little bit since I posted anything, and I unfortunately haven't been able to catch too many movies recently, for instance, I will not be reviewing The Counselor or Bad Grandpa. But, my reviews of Ender's Game, Last Vegas, 12 Years a Slave, The Book Thief, Hunger Games: Catching Fire and more should be posted soon. I have not had a chance to see Hunger Games yet, but my sister and cousin have told me that it was fantastic and is far superior to the first installment, so I plan to see it this Thanksgiving. My Christmas reviews will be up soon, but I was interested to know if anyone thinks it would be a good idea to review DVDs and Blu-rays that are coming out this holiday season. I've never really done any DVD or Blu-ray reviews before, so I think it would be interesting to try out. Please comment to let me know what you think. Happy Thanksgiving.
Monday, November 18, 2013
Carrie Review (Original and Remake, extremely belated Halloween review)
I sincerely apologize it took this long to get a review out, but I finally saw Carrie 2 weeks ago, so I decided to review both that film and the 1976 original.
Carrie (original):
Carrie White is a shy, incredibly awkward, and lonely teenage girl who is isolated by her cruel classmates and teachers and tormented by her absolutely insane Christian mother. Carrie begins to discover she has telekinetic abilities. Meanwhile, a girl named Sue Snell, who used to bully Carrie, makes her popular boyfriend Tommy take Carrie to the prom, as Sue regrets being so mean to her. Unfortunately, an even more cruel girl, Chris Hargensen, decides to play an incredibly horrible prank on Carrie on prom night, a prank so cruel that it breaks Carrie's mind, causing her to unleash all her inner rage on her tormenters. Now, this film is an excellent supernatural horror-thriller and a great teenage drama. Brian DePalma really knows how to craft an excellent and suspenseful movie, as shown by his later work on films such as Dressed to Kill and Scarface. Stephen King's first novel is good on it's own, and it was the perfect choice for the first Stephen King adaptation. Although I wasn't happy with some of the changes from the novel (in the novel she lets some students and teachers live during the prom massacre, in this version she kills everyone, regardless if they were nice to her or night), I feel DePalma did a good job adapting the novel. Sissy Spacek appears in her breakout role as the shy and sympathetic Carrie. She is a very innocent and tragic character, and you really feel bad for her, all the way up until the end. Piper Laurie also gives a great performance as Carrie's insane mother Margaret White, who is a psychotic religious nut who believes all sex (including for procreation) is a sin and that periods are a sign of the devil, things that aren't even in the Bible. Amy Irving appears as the kind and friendly Sue Snell, and William Katt appears as her boyfriend Tommy Ross. A young John Travolta appears in a small role as Billy Nolan, an aggressive delinquent who dates Chris Hargensen. Nancy Allen (DePalma's future wife) plays the despicable Chris Hargensen, who is one of the biggest cunts in cinema history. Betty Buckley plays Miss Collins (the PE teacher, who was named Ms. Desjardin in the book), who tries to help Carrie through her problems and build her self-esteem. Other actors who appear include Priscilla Pointer (Amy Irving's real-life mother, who plays her mother Mrs. Snell in the film), PJ Soles (Halloween), and Syndey Lassick. The movie's build-up sequence to the prom massacre is incredibly tense and well-paced, and the music by Pino Donaggio is well-done and pretty eerie. Carrie is one of the better King adaptations, despite me not being a huge fan of the prom massacre scene, and it's definitely one of the best horror films of the 1970's, and is still as entertaining today as it was back in 1976. 4/5 stars.
Carrie (2013 film):
(Spoilers for original film!)
I'm not going to restate the plot for this version, but I will say that it follows the book a little more closely, despite some other changes. I actually thought this film was a pleasant surprise, as I actually liked some aspects better than the original, and some I didn't. The things I liked better: the improved special effects (although I thought they used CG a little too much), the way Carrie left some characters alive that she didn't in the original (like Miss Desjardin, Tommy Ross' friends, and the innocent students and faculty members), some new scenes (including showing how the bullies got the pig's blood for the prom prank), the performances, the clever marketing (I know that has nothing to do with the movie, but the "call Carrie" thing and the telekinetic coffee shop video were pretty cool), and the way in which she disposed of her bullies (especially Chris and her boyfriend, who got their comeuppance in the most brutal way). The things I didn't like: the CG blood in the prom scene (the original used actual pig's blood, not condoning that, but at least it looked authentic), the fact that Chloe Grace Moretz is far too pretty to be Carrie (not saying Sissy Spacek wasn't pretty, but they at least made her look kind of unattractive before the prom scene, Moretz's performance, however, was good enough to distract from that nitpick), some scenes weren't as well-executed (despite me liking the way the prom scene was handled story-wise, the actual execution isn't quite as good as the original, despite much better special effects), and some plot-holes (like the fact the whole prom massacre could have been avoided by a simple text message, because at least in the original they didn't have cell phones, so the whole "Sue has to go to the dance in person to warn Carrie" issue made sense). Other than those few negative things, I really enjoyed the movie. The film worked surprisingly well in a modern setting, it didn't have nearly as many issues as most horror movie remakes, and the performances were good. Chloe Grace Moretz shines as Carrie, and is able to do it justice, and stays true to the source material, while doing something new. Julianne Moore is also excellent, but she plays Carrie's mother Margaret. She gives an unsettling and somewhat tragic performance as the lonely and somewhat bipolar widower, and some scenes you are terrified of her, and others you kind of pity her. Judy Greer (Archer) is satisfactory as Miss Desjardin, the kind PE teacher. Gabrielle Wilde and Ansel Elgort do a good job as Sue Snell and Tommy Ross, and they also do the roles justice. Portia Doubleday plays a great villain, and is even more of an evil bitch as Chris than Nancy Allen was. She's one of those characters you love to hate and you can't wait to see Carrie have her vengeance on Chris and her psycho-bully boyfriend Billy (played by Alex Russell). Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don't Cry, Stop-Loss, The L Word) does a good job directing, and it's surprising to see her do a project like this, as most of her previous films are dramas. She does a satisfactory job, despite not being a master of suspense like DePalma. Interesting fact: the script was co-written by Lawrence D. Cohen, the writer of the original film. Marco Beltrami delivers a cool but somewhat forgettable score, despite being a gifted composer. Carrie is an enjoyable horror film, that has a great cast, is well-written and directed, as some cool special effects, and is a good movie in it's own right, as well as being one of the best horror remakes and one of the better Stephen King adaptations. 4/5 stars.
(Images: Wikipedia)
Carrie (original):
Carrie White is a shy, incredibly awkward, and lonely teenage girl who is isolated by her cruel classmates and teachers and tormented by her absolutely insane Christian mother. Carrie begins to discover she has telekinetic abilities. Meanwhile, a girl named Sue Snell, who used to bully Carrie, makes her popular boyfriend Tommy take Carrie to the prom, as Sue regrets being so mean to her. Unfortunately, an even more cruel girl, Chris Hargensen, decides to play an incredibly horrible prank on Carrie on prom night, a prank so cruel that it breaks Carrie's mind, causing her to unleash all her inner rage on her tormenters. Now, this film is an excellent supernatural horror-thriller and a great teenage drama. Brian DePalma really knows how to craft an excellent and suspenseful movie, as shown by his later work on films such as Dressed to Kill and Scarface. Stephen King's first novel is good on it's own, and it was the perfect choice for the first Stephen King adaptation. Although I wasn't happy with some of the changes from the novel (in the novel she lets some students and teachers live during the prom massacre, in this version she kills everyone, regardless if they were nice to her or night), I feel DePalma did a good job adapting the novel. Sissy Spacek appears in her breakout role as the shy and sympathetic Carrie. She is a very innocent and tragic character, and you really feel bad for her, all the way up until the end. Piper Laurie also gives a great performance as Carrie's insane mother Margaret White, who is a psychotic religious nut who believes all sex (including for procreation) is a sin and that periods are a sign of the devil, things that aren't even in the Bible. Amy Irving appears as the kind and friendly Sue Snell, and William Katt appears as her boyfriend Tommy Ross. A young John Travolta appears in a small role as Billy Nolan, an aggressive delinquent who dates Chris Hargensen. Nancy Allen (DePalma's future wife) plays the despicable Chris Hargensen, who is one of the biggest cunts in cinema history. Betty Buckley plays Miss Collins (the PE teacher, who was named Ms. Desjardin in the book), who tries to help Carrie through her problems and build her self-esteem. Other actors who appear include Priscilla Pointer (Amy Irving's real-life mother, who plays her mother Mrs. Snell in the film), PJ Soles (Halloween), and Syndey Lassick. The movie's build-up sequence to the prom massacre is incredibly tense and well-paced, and the music by Pino Donaggio is well-done and pretty eerie. Carrie is one of the better King adaptations, despite me not being a huge fan of the prom massacre scene, and it's definitely one of the best horror films of the 1970's, and is still as entertaining today as it was back in 1976. 4/5 stars.
Carrie (2013 film):
(Spoilers for original film!)
I'm not going to restate the plot for this version, but I will say that it follows the book a little more closely, despite some other changes. I actually thought this film was a pleasant surprise, as I actually liked some aspects better than the original, and some I didn't. The things I liked better: the improved special effects (although I thought they used CG a little too much), the way Carrie left some characters alive that she didn't in the original (like Miss Desjardin, Tommy Ross' friends, and the innocent students and faculty members), some new scenes (including showing how the bullies got the pig's blood for the prom prank), the performances, the clever marketing (I know that has nothing to do with the movie, but the "call Carrie" thing and the telekinetic coffee shop video were pretty cool), and the way in which she disposed of her bullies (especially Chris and her boyfriend, who got their comeuppance in the most brutal way). The things I didn't like: the CG blood in the prom scene (the original used actual pig's blood, not condoning that, but at least it looked authentic), the fact that Chloe Grace Moretz is far too pretty to be Carrie (not saying Sissy Spacek wasn't pretty, but they at least made her look kind of unattractive before the prom scene, Moretz's performance, however, was good enough to distract from that nitpick), some scenes weren't as well-executed (despite me liking the way the prom scene was handled story-wise, the actual execution isn't quite as good as the original, despite much better special effects), and some plot-holes (like the fact the whole prom massacre could have been avoided by a simple text message, because at least in the original they didn't have cell phones, so the whole "Sue has to go to the dance in person to warn Carrie" issue made sense). Other than those few negative things, I really enjoyed the movie. The film worked surprisingly well in a modern setting, it didn't have nearly as many issues as most horror movie remakes, and the performances were good. Chloe Grace Moretz shines as Carrie, and is able to do it justice, and stays true to the source material, while doing something new. Julianne Moore is also excellent, but she plays Carrie's mother Margaret. She gives an unsettling and somewhat tragic performance as the lonely and somewhat bipolar widower, and some scenes you are terrified of her, and others you kind of pity her. Judy Greer (Archer) is satisfactory as Miss Desjardin, the kind PE teacher. Gabrielle Wilde and Ansel Elgort do a good job as Sue Snell and Tommy Ross, and they also do the roles justice. Portia Doubleday plays a great villain, and is even more of an evil bitch as Chris than Nancy Allen was. She's one of those characters you love to hate and you can't wait to see Carrie have her vengeance on Chris and her psycho-bully boyfriend Billy (played by Alex Russell). Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don't Cry, Stop-Loss, The L Word) does a good job directing, and it's surprising to see her do a project like this, as most of her previous films are dramas. She does a satisfactory job, despite not being a master of suspense like DePalma. Interesting fact: the script was co-written by Lawrence D. Cohen, the writer of the original film. Marco Beltrami delivers a cool but somewhat forgettable score, despite being a gifted composer. Carrie is an enjoyable horror film, that has a great cast, is well-written and directed, as some cool special effects, and is a good movie in it's own right, as well as being one of the best horror remakes and one of the better Stephen King adaptations. 4/5 stars.
(Images: Wikipedia)
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Thor: The Dark World: Marvel's latest superhero film brings some new elements but also is missing something
Today, I look at one of the most anticipated movies of the Thanksgiving season, which is funny, because usually superheroes are summer movie fare.
Thor, The Dark World:
Two years after the events of Thor and about one year after the attack on New York in The Avengers, Thor is somewhat upset in Asgard, as he still hasn't been able to see his love interest Jane Foster, and feels truly hurt that his adopted brother Loki has gone crazy and become a war criminal, and now is locked in the Asgardian dungeon. Thor eventually reunites with Foster, but must then team with her and Loki to stop an ancient evil from destroying the entire universe. The Dark Elves, an ancient race of beings born from darkness, attempt to rise again and cover the universe in blackness, and their leader, Malekith the Accursed, tries to get revenge on Odin and the rest of Asgard for destroying his world. Can Thor and Loki stop Malekith before he destroys everything, or will the nine realms be consumed in shadow? This new film may not be as good as Iron Man 3 or Captain America or even Thor, but it's a very entertaining, albeit somewhat short and underwhelming, superhero fantasy film. The cast, including returning actors and actresses such as Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Renee Russo, Kat Dennings, Idris Elba (The Wire, Pacific Rim, Luther), Stellan Skarsgard, Jaimie Alexander, Ray Stevenson, and Tadanobu Asano. They all do a great job, especially Hiddleston, who, as usual, completely steals the show as Loki, who manages to be humorous, sympathetic, and menacing all at once. Christopher Eccelston (Doctor Who, G.I. Joe) plays Malekith. Despite being covered in heavy makeup and having a digitally altered voice, Eccelston is able to give a good villain performance. Even though he isn't nearly as memorable or interesting as Loki, Malekith is still a decent bad guy, and has a pretty threatening presence when he's on screen. Zachary Levi replaces Joshua Dallas as Fandral, one of the Warriors Three. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje plays Malekith's right-hand man Algrim, who becomes a powerful monster called the Kurse. Irish comedian Chris O'Dowd (Bridesmaids, The Sapphires, This Is 40) also has a small role. These new actors do a good job, and I was barely able to tell the difference between Levi and Dallas, which is a good thing, that shows Levi's ability to slip right into the character. There isn't much action in this movie, but some action scenes, such as the ending fight and the attack on Asgard are pretty cool, especially the ending fight, which is extremely small compared to The Avengers, but was still satisfying. The music by Brian Tyler can be a bit bland, but it's not that bad, just nothing that iconic. The visual effects are excellent, and the set and costume designs are perfect. Alan Taylor directs, and although he isn't nearly as experienced as Kenneth Branagh (director of the first film), he does a nice job. Although this film isn't as satisfying as some other Marvel films, it's entertaining enough, and it's worth seeing for Hiddleston's performance and the after-credits scene alone. Thor: The Dark World is a pretty enjoyable superhero film, with some good acting, cool action sequences, excellent visual effects and costumes, and a great antihero in the form of Loki. 3.5/5 stars.
Notes: Stan Lee makes a cameo in a mental ward in the film. Chris Evans makes a cameo as Captain America in a small scene.
My reviews of the other Avengers films:
http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2012/05/avengers-movies.html
http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2012/05/avengers-movies-part-ii.html
http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2013/05/iron-man-3-is-it-possible-to-really.html
(SPOILERS BELOW POSTER)
(Image: Wikipedia)
(SPOILERS): In the middle of the film, Loki is killed by the Kurse in battle. Later on, it's revealed he has survived and has manipulated Thor, and has been posing as Odin. This leaves the door open for more Loki in more Marvel movies, which I have no problem with! In a mid-credits scene, Volstagg (Thor's friend) and Lady Sif (Thor's ally and possible love interest) arrive at a strange alien museum/warehouse. They hand over a mysterious canister to "the Collector" (Benicio del Toro), and state he must not let it fall into the wrong hands. When the Collector questions them about the canister in relation to the Tesseract, the Asgardians state that they have the Tesseract in custody, but they did not want two "Infinity Stones" so close together. The Asgardians depart and the Collector tells his assistants "One down, five to go." This sets up the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy movie and possibly an Infinity Gauntlet plot for the next Avengers. In a post-credits scene, Thor and Jane reunite on Earth, and a scaled, horned creature (who escaped to Earth from Asgard at the climax via a portal) roams the streets, playing with birds. (I think this is supposed to be the "Bilgesnipe" Thor was describing in The Avengers.) (END OF SPOILERS)
Thor, The Dark World:
Two years after the events of Thor and about one year after the attack on New York in The Avengers, Thor is somewhat upset in Asgard, as he still hasn't been able to see his love interest Jane Foster, and feels truly hurt that his adopted brother Loki has gone crazy and become a war criminal, and now is locked in the Asgardian dungeon. Thor eventually reunites with Foster, but must then team with her and Loki to stop an ancient evil from destroying the entire universe. The Dark Elves, an ancient race of beings born from darkness, attempt to rise again and cover the universe in blackness, and their leader, Malekith the Accursed, tries to get revenge on Odin and the rest of Asgard for destroying his world. Can Thor and Loki stop Malekith before he destroys everything, or will the nine realms be consumed in shadow? This new film may not be as good as Iron Man 3 or Captain America or even Thor, but it's a very entertaining, albeit somewhat short and underwhelming, superhero fantasy film. The cast, including returning actors and actresses such as Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Renee Russo, Kat Dennings, Idris Elba (The Wire, Pacific Rim, Luther), Stellan Skarsgard, Jaimie Alexander, Ray Stevenson, and Tadanobu Asano. They all do a great job, especially Hiddleston, who, as usual, completely steals the show as Loki, who manages to be humorous, sympathetic, and menacing all at once. Christopher Eccelston (Doctor Who, G.I. Joe) plays Malekith. Despite being covered in heavy makeup and having a digitally altered voice, Eccelston is able to give a good villain performance. Even though he isn't nearly as memorable or interesting as Loki, Malekith is still a decent bad guy, and has a pretty threatening presence when he's on screen. Zachary Levi replaces Joshua Dallas as Fandral, one of the Warriors Three. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje plays Malekith's right-hand man Algrim, who becomes a powerful monster called the Kurse. Irish comedian Chris O'Dowd (Bridesmaids, The Sapphires, This Is 40) also has a small role. These new actors do a good job, and I was barely able to tell the difference between Levi and Dallas, which is a good thing, that shows Levi's ability to slip right into the character. There isn't much action in this movie, but some action scenes, such as the ending fight and the attack on Asgard are pretty cool, especially the ending fight, which is extremely small compared to The Avengers, but was still satisfying. The music by Brian Tyler can be a bit bland, but it's not that bad, just nothing that iconic. The visual effects are excellent, and the set and costume designs are perfect. Alan Taylor directs, and although he isn't nearly as experienced as Kenneth Branagh (director of the first film), he does a nice job. Although this film isn't as satisfying as some other Marvel films, it's entertaining enough, and it's worth seeing for Hiddleston's performance and the after-credits scene alone. Thor: The Dark World is a pretty enjoyable superhero film, with some good acting, cool action sequences, excellent visual effects and costumes, and a great antihero in the form of Loki. 3.5/5 stars.
Notes: Stan Lee makes a cameo in a mental ward in the film. Chris Evans makes a cameo as Captain America in a small scene.
My reviews of the other Avengers films:
http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2012/05/avengers-movies.html
http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2012/05/avengers-movies-part-ii.html
http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2013/05/iron-man-3-is-it-possible-to-really.html
(SPOILERS BELOW POSTER)
(Image: Wikipedia) (SPOILERS): In the middle of the film, Loki is killed by the Kurse in battle. Later on, it's revealed he has survived and has manipulated Thor, and has been posing as Odin. This leaves the door open for more Loki in more Marvel movies, which I have no problem with! In a mid-credits scene, Volstagg (Thor's friend) and Lady Sif (Thor's ally and possible love interest) arrive at a strange alien museum/warehouse. They hand over a mysterious canister to "the Collector" (Benicio del Toro), and state he must not let it fall into the wrong hands. When the Collector questions them about the canister in relation to the Tesseract, the Asgardians state that they have the Tesseract in custody, but they did not want two "Infinity Stones" so close together. The Asgardians depart and the Collector tells his assistants "One down, five to go." This sets up the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy movie and possibly an Infinity Gauntlet plot for the next Avengers. In a post-credits scene, Thor and Jane reunite on Earth, and a scaled, horned creature (who escaped to Earth from Asgard at the climax via a portal) roams the streets, playing with birds. (I think this is supposed to be the "Bilgesnipe" Thor was describing in The Avengers.) (END OF SPOILERS)
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Batman: Arkham Origins: Like "Iron Man 3" I pose the question: Can you be entertained by a game but be somewhat disappointed? (Game Review)
Today, I look at the highly anticipated prequel to the Batman: Arkham series.
Batman: Arkham Origins:
The story is set approximately 5-6 years before the other Arkham games, and Batman is only in the second year of his career, and is still untrusted by the police. On Christmas Eve, the sadistic and powerful crime boss Roman Sionis, aka the Black Mask, puts a hit out on the Batman's head. Batman must track down Black Mask, and stop his deadly assassins from killing him or innocent citizens. He encounters not only Black Mask, but villains such as Deathstroke, Deadshot, The Penguin, Anarky, Bane, Copperhead, Electrocutioner, Firefly, Killer Croc, Alberto Falcone, Shiva, Branden, Commissioner Loeb, and the Mad Hatter. He also comes across future allies such as Captain James Gordon and his teenage daughter Barbara. The other major plot-line is Batman's quest to solve the mystery of "who is The Joker"? What does he want? What are his goals? Why is he so obsessed with the Dark Knight?.... The gameplay is extremely similar to the other games, and WB Montreal, the new developer, has done a great job replicating Rocksteady's formula. I have already covered some changes in my news posts earlier this year, but I'll go over some again, such as the new version of detective vision. It's similar to the other games, but it incorporates a new feature when it comes to the crime scene investigations, when Batman investigates the scene of a murder or crime, he can now use digital video footage to reconstruct the scene of a crime, something you couldn't do previously. Some new, useful gadgets include the shock gloves used during combat, the concussion detonator (a small bomb which disorients enemies around it), the glue grenade (the same as a freeze grenade from the previous game), and the remote claw (which can pull two enemies together or create a line for Batman to walk on). This game, as far as story goes, incorporates some lesser-known villains in the Batman universe, and gives them a more realistic Arkhamverse makeover. It also explores the relationship between young Bruce and Alfred and the growing relationship between Batman and Captain Gordon. there's even a cool sequence which shows us what the Joker's mind is like and shows him recreate his origin story from The Killing Joke. This game doesn't have as many side missions as the last game, or as many villains, but it has some cool new side missions features, one in particular is it categorizes them: "Most Wanted" functions as a typical side mission, where you can go after major villains like Anarky, Enigma (a mysterious hacker), The Penguin, and the Mad Hatter. "Crimes in Progress" don't appear on the map, you are just alerted of them as they happen near you, and they are usually smaller crimes such as robbery or assault, and you can choose to stop them for XP points. There are also smaller side quests, such as solving a murder here and there, which gains you XP points and the trust of the police. The main story isn't as well-written or satisfying as previous entries (probably because Paul Dini is not writing it), but it's pretty good, and the ending is really great and uplifting. The soundtrack by Christopher Drake is incredible, on par with the previous entry. The Christmas setting is ironic, as so many horrible things happen in one night during the most wonderful time of the year, the producers described it as (paraphrasing here) "the happiest night of the year in the worst place on Earth". The only major criticism here is the boss fights, I was pumped for the boss fights after hearing they wouldn't be the same button-mashing, repetitive stuff we got from previous games and would be modeled after the excellent Mr. Freeze boss fight from Arkham City. Unfortunately, only one boss fight even replicates the feel of the Freeze fight, and it's not even as innovative as the Freeze one was. It's just one stealth attack repeated over and over again until you beat the boss. With the Freeze battle, you used stealth tactics, but you had to use different ones every time, as Freeze would adapt to your attacks every time you used one, so you had to keep thinking of new ways to take him down. Here, it's just silent takedown, beat up boss, go and hide again and repeat. The rest of the fights are okay, especially the Joker fight, because it's short and satisfying, you get to beat down on the Joker for a straight 30 seconds. The first Bane fight is repetitive, and very aggravating because it's not a fair match-up, it's you versus Bane on Venom and about four or five thugs. Although, Bane's portrayal in the games was a lot better than in previous entries. Actually, a lot of the characters were portrayed really well, especially Batman and the Joker, whose voice actors (Roger Craig Smith and Troy Baker, respectively) do a fantastic job replicating the voices of Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill. The environment in the game is excellent, and allows you to explore the entirety of Gotham City, and incorporates a fast travel system via the Batwing. This is also the first game in which you can fully explore the Batcave, and you even get to visit Blackgate prison a few times during the main story. The snowy streets of Gotham are scary and almost empty, except for a few vagrants and muggers, and the decrepit buildings of Old Gotham are almost tragic, they look as if they are still trying to cling to their former glory. New Gotham's lavish skyscrapers are incredible, rising dozens of stories above the city streets. The luxurious Royal Hotel was one of my favorite locations, because it's so vast and tall, looking down from Joker's penthouse is crazy, because it reminds you how far you had to climb up to reach it. Batman: Arkham Origins may not be as satisfying as previous entries, but it's still an excellent and extremely fun game that will hold you over until Rocksteady (hopefully) makes the fourth entry. 4/5 stars.
Side-notes: This may contain spoilers: Despite Deathstroke not having as big a role as I would have hoped, and being defeated rather early on, it's hinted the Suicide Squad may get their own Arkham entry, or play a role in later games, as in a post-credits scene, Slade Wilson, now locked up in Blackgate, is approached by Amanda Waller to join her team of supervillains who are recruited by the government to fight even worse criminals. Also, it doesn't look like Scarecrow's gonna make an appearance in the game, or DA Harvey Dent, and that pisses me off because they were hinted at in some promos and I was really looking forward to Scarecrow, who hasn't made an appearance since Arkham Asylum, but who was alluded to in Arkham City.
Editorial note, January 13, 2014: Two DLCs exist for the game, one has been released, one is still in the developing stages. The first, "The Initiation" follows Bruce Wayne's journey to becoming Batman by training under Master Kirigi in North Korea. It's not particularly satisfying, so I'd say don't get it unless you really want the full game, or wait for it on the Game of the Year edition. The next one doesn't have an official title yet, but people are speculating it will be titled "Cold, Cold Heart" and will focus on Mr. Freeze's tragic origin story.
My review of the other two games: http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2013/04/game-review-batman-arkham-asylum-and.html
My first news article on the game: http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2013/04/gaming-news-batman-arkham-origins.html
(Images: Wikipedia, cinemablend.com)
Batman: Arkham Origins:
The story is set approximately 5-6 years before the other Arkham games, and Batman is only in the second year of his career, and is still untrusted by the police. On Christmas Eve, the sadistic and powerful crime boss Roman Sionis, aka the Black Mask, puts a hit out on the Batman's head. Batman must track down Black Mask, and stop his deadly assassins from killing him or innocent citizens. He encounters not only Black Mask, but villains such as Deathstroke, Deadshot, The Penguin, Anarky, Bane, Copperhead, Electrocutioner, Firefly, Killer Croc, Alberto Falcone, Shiva, Branden, Commissioner Loeb, and the Mad Hatter. He also comes across future allies such as Captain James Gordon and his teenage daughter Barbara. The other major plot-line is Batman's quest to solve the mystery of "who is The Joker"? What does he want? What are his goals? Why is he so obsessed with the Dark Knight?.... The gameplay is extremely similar to the other games, and WB Montreal, the new developer, has done a great job replicating Rocksteady's formula. I have already covered some changes in my news posts earlier this year, but I'll go over some again, such as the new version of detective vision. It's similar to the other games, but it incorporates a new feature when it comes to the crime scene investigations, when Batman investigates the scene of a murder or crime, he can now use digital video footage to reconstruct the scene of a crime, something you couldn't do previously. Some new, useful gadgets include the shock gloves used during combat, the concussion detonator (a small bomb which disorients enemies around it), the glue grenade (the same as a freeze grenade from the previous game), and the remote claw (which can pull two enemies together or create a line for Batman to walk on). This game, as far as story goes, incorporates some lesser-known villains in the Batman universe, and gives them a more realistic Arkhamverse makeover. It also explores the relationship between young Bruce and Alfred and the growing relationship between Batman and Captain Gordon. there's even a cool sequence which shows us what the Joker's mind is like and shows him recreate his origin story from The Killing Joke. This game doesn't have as many side missions as the last game, or as many villains, but it has some cool new side missions features, one in particular is it categorizes them: "Most Wanted" functions as a typical side mission, where you can go after major villains like Anarky, Enigma (a mysterious hacker), The Penguin, and the Mad Hatter. "Crimes in Progress" don't appear on the map, you are just alerted of them as they happen near you, and they are usually smaller crimes such as robbery or assault, and you can choose to stop them for XP points. There are also smaller side quests, such as solving a murder here and there, which gains you XP points and the trust of the police. The main story isn't as well-written or satisfying as previous entries (probably because Paul Dini is not writing it), but it's pretty good, and the ending is really great and uplifting. The soundtrack by Christopher Drake is incredible, on par with the previous entry. The Christmas setting is ironic, as so many horrible things happen in one night during the most wonderful time of the year, the producers described it as (paraphrasing here) "the happiest night of the year in the worst place on Earth". The only major criticism here is the boss fights, I was pumped for the boss fights after hearing they wouldn't be the same button-mashing, repetitive stuff we got from previous games and would be modeled after the excellent Mr. Freeze boss fight from Arkham City. Unfortunately, only one boss fight even replicates the feel of the Freeze fight, and it's not even as innovative as the Freeze one was. It's just one stealth attack repeated over and over again until you beat the boss. With the Freeze battle, you used stealth tactics, but you had to use different ones every time, as Freeze would adapt to your attacks every time you used one, so you had to keep thinking of new ways to take him down. Here, it's just silent takedown, beat up boss, go and hide again and repeat. The rest of the fights are okay, especially the Joker fight, because it's short and satisfying, you get to beat down on the Joker for a straight 30 seconds. The first Bane fight is repetitive, and very aggravating because it's not a fair match-up, it's you versus Bane on Venom and about four or five thugs. Although, Bane's portrayal in the games was a lot better than in previous entries. Actually, a lot of the characters were portrayed really well, especially Batman and the Joker, whose voice actors (Roger Craig Smith and Troy Baker, respectively) do a fantastic job replicating the voices of Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill. The environment in the game is excellent, and allows you to explore the entirety of Gotham City, and incorporates a fast travel system via the Batwing. This is also the first game in which you can fully explore the Batcave, and you even get to visit Blackgate prison a few times during the main story. The snowy streets of Gotham are scary and almost empty, except for a few vagrants and muggers, and the decrepit buildings of Old Gotham are almost tragic, they look as if they are still trying to cling to their former glory. New Gotham's lavish skyscrapers are incredible, rising dozens of stories above the city streets. The luxurious Royal Hotel was one of my favorite locations, because it's so vast and tall, looking down from Joker's penthouse is crazy, because it reminds you how far you had to climb up to reach it. Batman: Arkham Origins may not be as satisfying as previous entries, but it's still an excellent and extremely fun game that will hold you over until Rocksteady (hopefully) makes the fourth entry. 4/5 stars.
Side-notes: This may contain spoilers: Despite Deathstroke not having as big a role as I would have hoped, and being defeated rather early on, it's hinted the Suicide Squad may get their own Arkham entry, or play a role in later games, as in a post-credits scene, Slade Wilson, now locked up in Blackgate, is approached by Amanda Waller to join her team of supervillains who are recruited by the government to fight even worse criminals. Also, it doesn't look like Scarecrow's gonna make an appearance in the game, or DA Harvey Dent, and that pisses me off because they were hinted at in some promos and I was really looking forward to Scarecrow, who hasn't made an appearance since Arkham Asylum, but who was alluded to in Arkham City.
Editorial note, January 13, 2014: Two DLCs exist for the game, one has been released, one is still in the developing stages. The first, "The Initiation" follows Bruce Wayne's journey to becoming Batman by training under Master Kirigi in North Korea. It's not particularly satisfying, so I'd say don't get it unless you really want the full game, or wait for it on the Game of the Year edition. The next one doesn't have an official title yet, but people are speculating it will be titled "Cold, Cold Heart" and will focus on Mr. Freeze's tragic origin story.
My review of the other two games: http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2013/04/game-review-batman-arkham-asylum-and.html
My first news article on the game: http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2013/04/gaming-news-batman-arkham-origins.html
Double Review: Captain Phillips & Gravity
Today, I'll look at 2 hit films from October. Unfortunately, I missed out on the following films: Runner Runner, Machete Kills, The Fifth Estate, and The Wizard of Oz 3D, and will not be able to review them. I am hoping to see Carrie very soon.
Captain Phillips:
In 2009, Richard Phillips, captain of the MV Maersk Alabama, and his crew are travelling around Somali waters, when they are boarded by pirates, leading by a young man named Muse. Phillips then must risk his life to save his crew and get the ship under control. This true-life hostage story is based on Phillips' 2010 autobiography A Captain's Duty. Tom Hanks gives one of his best performances in years as Phillips, and gives a very realistic portrayal of the man. Catherine Keener makes a cameo as Phillips' wife. Barkhad Abdi gives a fantastic portrayal of the pirate leader Muse. He's a tad sympathetic, but not so much so it takes away from his menace. He has received Oscar buzz due to his performance. David Warshofsky appears as Mike Perry, the ships' chief engineer. Michael Chernus plays Shane Murphy, the ship's first officer. Max Martini has a small role as a Navy SEAL commander. The film is mesmerizing, and it's Hanks and Abdi's performances that really make the movie. It's one of the most intense movies of the past 5 years, it has you on the edge of your seat for the entire runtime, and it's actually very accurate. Paul Greengrass (director of The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum, Green Zone, United 93, Bloody Sunday) knows how to make an excellent thriller and creates an incredibly tense environment in the film, and knows how to shoot a great action sequence. Billy Ray (writer of The Hunger Games, State of Play, Flightplan, Shattered Glass, Breach, Volcano) adapted the screenplay from the novel, and this is undoubtedly his best work. He writes some really great dialogue and created some great chemistry between characters. Captain Phillips is undoubtedly one of the best biographical films of the past 10 years, and it's one of the most entertaining and well-acted thrillers in recent memory. 5/5 stars.
Gravity:
Dr. Ryan Stone and Lt. Matt Kowalski are in space with their colleague Shariff Dasari on a mission aboard the space shuttle Explorer. Unfortunately, a cloud of space debris shreds their shuttle and the Hubble space telescope, which they were repairing. Stone and Kowalski must survive outer space and try to reach a nearby space shuttle while they are running out of oxygen and time. Alfonso Cuaron (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Children of Men, Y Tu Mama Tambien) directs this extremely tense and very realistic space thriller. Sandra Bullock and George Clooney give great performances as Stone and Kowalski, and I'm not even a huge fan of either one. Ed Harris and Paul Sharma have small voice-over roles in the film. I have to say, the film is one of the most realistic depictions of space in film I've ever seen. There is no sound in space, but, funny enough, the sound design is one of the most excellent aspects of the movie. Most of the film, the only sounds you hear are the voices of the astronauts and the sound of them breathing, and that's actually the only things you can hear in space. The cinematography is another excellent part of the film, it incorporates some interesting camera angles: it goes from first-person points of view, wide shots, up-close shots, etc. It creates a sense of claustrophobia at times, and at others, a sense that the characters are lost in a vast and endless environment, but that actually works for the movie. The music by Steven Price, although there's very little until the end credits, is excellent. With this film, Cuaron once again proves he is one of the best science fiction directors out there today. Gravity is one of the best films of the year, and one of the best space films of the modern age. 4.5/5 stars.
(Images: Wikipedia)
Captain Phillips:
In 2009, Richard Phillips, captain of the MV Maersk Alabama, and his crew are travelling around Somali waters, when they are boarded by pirates, leading by a young man named Muse. Phillips then must risk his life to save his crew and get the ship under control. This true-life hostage story is based on Phillips' 2010 autobiography A Captain's Duty. Tom Hanks gives one of his best performances in years as Phillips, and gives a very realistic portrayal of the man. Catherine Keener makes a cameo as Phillips' wife. Barkhad Abdi gives a fantastic portrayal of the pirate leader Muse. He's a tad sympathetic, but not so much so it takes away from his menace. He has received Oscar buzz due to his performance. David Warshofsky appears as Mike Perry, the ships' chief engineer. Michael Chernus plays Shane Murphy, the ship's first officer. Max Martini has a small role as a Navy SEAL commander. The film is mesmerizing, and it's Hanks and Abdi's performances that really make the movie. It's one of the most intense movies of the past 5 years, it has you on the edge of your seat for the entire runtime, and it's actually very accurate. Paul Greengrass (director of The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum, Green Zone, United 93, Bloody Sunday) knows how to make an excellent thriller and creates an incredibly tense environment in the film, and knows how to shoot a great action sequence. Billy Ray (writer of The Hunger Games, State of Play, Flightplan, Shattered Glass, Breach, Volcano) adapted the screenplay from the novel, and this is undoubtedly his best work. He writes some really great dialogue and created some great chemistry between characters. Captain Phillips is undoubtedly one of the best biographical films of the past 10 years, and it's one of the most entertaining and well-acted thrillers in recent memory. 5/5 stars.
Gravity:
Dr. Ryan Stone and Lt. Matt Kowalski are in space with their colleague Shariff Dasari on a mission aboard the space shuttle Explorer. Unfortunately, a cloud of space debris shreds their shuttle and the Hubble space telescope, which they were repairing. Stone and Kowalski must survive outer space and try to reach a nearby space shuttle while they are running out of oxygen and time. Alfonso Cuaron (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Children of Men, Y Tu Mama Tambien) directs this extremely tense and very realistic space thriller. Sandra Bullock and George Clooney give great performances as Stone and Kowalski, and I'm not even a huge fan of either one. Ed Harris and Paul Sharma have small voice-over roles in the film. I have to say, the film is one of the most realistic depictions of space in film I've ever seen. There is no sound in space, but, funny enough, the sound design is one of the most excellent aspects of the movie. Most of the film, the only sounds you hear are the voices of the astronauts and the sound of them breathing, and that's actually the only things you can hear in space. The cinematography is another excellent part of the film, it incorporates some interesting camera angles: it goes from first-person points of view, wide shots, up-close shots, etc. It creates a sense of claustrophobia at times, and at others, a sense that the characters are lost in a vast and endless environment, but that actually works for the movie. The music by Steven Price, although there's very little until the end credits, is excellent. With this film, Cuaron once again proves he is one of the best science fiction directors out there today. Gravity is one of the best films of the year, and one of the best space films of the modern age. 4.5/5 stars.
(Images: Wikipedia)