If you've seen the trailer for Red, you know exactly what you're getting yourself into. There's no deception with this marketing campaign: if you're the type of person who digs movies in which bullets and bazookas are fired at the same time and collide in the middle (causing a massive explosion, naturally), chances are you'll probably like this movie.
Red
Director: Robert Schwentke
Starring: Bruce Willis, Mary-Louise Parker, Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich
Based on the comic by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner, Red tells the story of Frank Moses (Willis), a lonely, retired CIA black ops agent. He calls the agency just to speak with the cute customer service rep Sarah (Parker), and the two have a blossoming friendship over the phone. But when a team of agents breaks into Moses' apartment to kill him, he knows that Sarah's life is in danger, too. In order to stay alive, he has to "[get] the band back together" by reassembling his old (hiYO!) team: Joe (Freeman), an 80-year-old rascal; Marvin (Malkovich), made insane by years of government testing; and Victoria (Mirren), a woman who can't force herself to fully retire. Hunted by up-and-coming agent Cooper (Karl Urban), the gang gets caught up in the remnants of a operation they worked on thirty years prior.
This movie is utterly inconsequential, but that's exactly what it's aiming for. The writing provides plenty of opportunities to let loose and have some fun, with almost all of the leads playing variations of characters they've depicted on screen before. Freeman and Willis fell right back into their natural chemistry from Lucky Number Slevin, almost as if they never left that film's set. Malkovich was perfectly crazy, striking just the right balance of slapstick and insanity. And as the action comedy equivalent of Betty White, it was surprisingly exhilarating to see Helen Mirren (notable for playing traditional, serious roles) brazenly fire automatic weapons until all of the cartridges were spent. And Mary-Louise Parker played the "Cameron Diaz in Knight and Day" part with such effortless charm and humor that I was instantly enamored with her.
The supporting cast is really a joy to watch, with hugely entertaining performances from the always-reliable Brian Cox and Richard Dreyfuss. Even Ernest Borgnine has a small role, sure to raise the enjoyment of the older audience this film caters to. But the break-out to me was easily Karl Urban (who played Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek) as Cooper, standing out in an office fight scene with Willis that cements him as one of the next big blockbuster stars. [He's already been signed to play Judge Dredd in a reboot of that franchise.] Cooper's casual indifference when executing orders was effectively chilling, and his go-getter attitude seems to mirror Urban's own rise to movie stardom.
Perhaps my biggest surprise was with the assured confidence of the film itself, handled notably well by director Robert Schwentke. His filmography thus far (Flightplan, The Time Traveler's Wife) didn't seem to indicate he could pull off this type of tone, but he did an admirable job portraying the action, thankfully avoiding the quick-cut mantra of action films of the past decade. (It's so refreshing to see an action movie that doesn't give you a headache.) There are a couple of excellent sequences, one involving a car crash and Willis (predictably) being a total badass, and one involving the destruction of a house reminiscent of The Rocketeer and The Book of Eli.
Red is pure, self-assured escapism. It'll surely become a staple of cable networks in the next few years, but there's nothing wrong with that - especially when the movie is as fun as this one. The cast practically oozes enthusiasm, and their excitement seems to complement the ridiculous nature of this movie. I'd definitely recommend checking this one out if you're a fan of the action comedy genre; Red continues this year's trend of "team up" action flicks, but this one falls more on the The A-Team side than The Expendables side. Until next time...
Legend of the Guardians is a beautifully animated movie which - like all the best kids' films - appeals to both children and adults. Capitalizing on stellar voice talent and Zack Snyder's undaunted directing style, this movie turned out to be a formulaic family film with inspiring messages, fierce action, and mesmerizing visuals.
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole
Director: Zack Snyder
Starring: Jim Sturgess, Geoffrey Rush, Helen Mirren, Sam Neill, Hugo Weaving
I'm not going to sit here and tell you this is the best animated film of the year (so far, I'd say that honor goes to How to Train Your Dragon*), so set your expectations low and you won't be disappointed. The CGI is truly spectacular throughout - not only in the soaring flight sequences and the stunning landscapes, but also in the little moments and conversations between characters. I saw the film in 3D and it actually did add to the viewing experience; if you're willing to pay for it, it's probably worthwhile, but if you don't feel like shelling out the extra cash, it won't change your experience that much.
Legend of the Guardians isn't the most original story you'll stumble across, but it works: a prototypical hero's journey straight out of Joseph Campbell's playbook, complete with ridiculous side characters to help our protagonist and such intense sibling rivalry it hasn't been seen in animation since The Lion King. It's based on a series of books by Kathryn Lansky, who serves as an executive producer on the film. There are actually a good number of parallels to How to Train Your Dragon - from themes like family loyalty, the feeling of discovery, accepting yourself, and many of the visual cues - but HTTYD executed them all much better on screen.
Legend of the Guardians is not a bad movie - it's just not as good as some of its contemporaries. I have no problem recommending both HTTYD and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs over this film because I feel like they cover similar subject matter to higher degrees of success, but if you're in desperate need of a fun family theatrical film this fall, Legend of the Guardians is for you. Little girls might like the cuteness of the owls, little boys might like the battle scenes, and adults can appreciate the movie for its technical merits - but ultimately this one left me wanting more. Until next time...
*Note: I haven't seen Toy Story 3.
In this week's episode, Ben, Pat, and Tyler discuss David Cronenberg's 1986 sci-fi/horror classic, The Fly.
At first glance, Monsters is just another story about aliens coming to Earth and humans' ability (or inability) to deal with them. But below the surface lies a fairly complex film peppered with cultural questions that aren't easily answered. Similar in look and feel to 2009's District 9, this movie feels like a feature length YouTube film featuring some impressive visual effects. But in a way, this is more impressive than Neill Blomkamp's directorial debut: D9 had a 30 million dollar budget, and Monsters was completed for only $15,000.
Monsters
Writer/Director: Gareth Edwards
Starring: Scoot McNairy, Whitney Able
Ever since my active decision to avoid trailers for Inception earlier this summer, I've gotten into the habit of not watching trailers for movies I'm interested in seeing - especially independent films. In a way I can't entirely explain, it seems as if indie movies have more to lose by showing excessive amounts of footage than big Hollywood blockbusters. Perhaps their low budgets and tendency towards intimacy with the audience are the cause of my belief, but examples in which this feeling is heightened are in mystery-based independent films. I feel like almost any footage from a mysterious independent movie is considered a "big reveal," oftentimes revealed purely from a marketing standpoint to get people into theaters. Movies like Catfish and Buried work so much better without "spoiling" any of the footage by seeing a trailer, and this point also holds true with Monsters.
Luckily, I didn't watch the trailer before I saw the film. If I had, I surely would have gone in with expectations much more aligned with Blomkamp's District 9 than the film's early buzz already indicated. The trailer paints the movie in a much more action-heavy light, and I'm honestly not sure if I would have been able to get past being "tricked" - I would almost certainly have negatively judged the film based on its representation from the trailer. So heed these words: this film is not an action-based adventure story. Monsters is a pondering evaluation of life, love, and the nature of humanity.
There's a lot going on in the story, which is a testament to Gareth Edwards, who pulled quadruple duty (writing, directing, production design, and visual effects) crafting a cohesive story out of a script that was largely improvised and shot on the fly with a four person crew. Aside from a chaotic opening scene, the sequences with the creatures were beautiful and reverent, akin more to the treatment of the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park than the shoot-em-up attitude of most recent science fiction. Themes of isolation, immigration, cultural responsibility, and self-reflection cause the audience to step back and consider the messages Edwards presents, and there are many enriching ways to read the film (with the danger of mixing metaphors more prominent as it progresses).
The movie falls a bit short of brilliance by dragging a bit in the middle; even though it is actually one minute shorter than Buried, Monsters feels so much longer because of the ponderous nature of the film. The pacing starts out well, but as the duo travels across the country, it seems they aren't covering much ground for large chunks of the movie. It's a slow process, but ultimately worth the wait considering the phenomenal shots Edwards managed to capture on film. The scenery is as much a character as the two leads, and is actually sometimes more captivating.
The acting, by real-life couple Scoot McNairy (In Search of a Midnight Kiss) and Whitney Able (the pitiful cult "classic" All The Boys Love Mandy Lane), was genuine and endearing. Along with their performances, all of the supporting characters were just random citizens who happened to be in the areas where they were filming. None of the other cast members are professional actors - and I'm not implying they were good enough to hold that title - but it gave the film an added realism that enhanced the story.
I saw the movie with a friend who said he'd recommend that everyone see this movie once in their lifetime. I don't quite agree, since I think only a select few will appreciate Edwards' approach to the material and most will probably be agitated with the slow pace and lack of action. The title implies more sci-fi than the audience actually gets, but if you read this film a certain way, it's perhaps the most apt title Edwards could have imagined. Until next time...
