Stars Jeff Bridges, Julianne Moore, Ben Barnes, Alicia Vikander, Antje Traue, Djimon Hounsou with Jason Scott Lee, Kit Harrington and Olivia Williams Directed by Sergei Bodrov Last movie of the year as it opens on the last day, or first movie of the year because it carries a 2015 copyright in the credits and officially opens on the 1st of January? Originally scheduled for the cinematic graveyard of January 2014 release, Seventh Son was given a last minute VFX review and 3D effects polish. The end result doesn't suggest a troubled production but a decent fantasy adventure with some spectacular effects. Just by browsing the effects company at the end suggests the quality of work put in with Legacy Effects handling some creature design, Rhythm and Hues tackling animal creature effects, powerhouse MPC likely handling environmental effects and seven more effects houses with three conversion effects houses handling the overall look of the film. With John Dykstra leading the visual effects, there are some eye-catching designs with a large variety of fantasy creatures on display. Coupled with Dante Ferretti's production design, we have a solid world on display that works and feels lived in. Of course, that's subjective and your taste may vary, but the design work stood out for me. The plot is fairly straight-forward with the return of witch queen Malkin (Julianne Moore) seeking revenge on humans for their ill treatment of witches. In order to stop her, Gregory (Jeff Bridges) takes up a new apprentice, Thomas (Ben Barnes) the seventh son of a seventh son who may be more than he appears. So, an apprentice to a warrior/magician on a quest to stop an ancient evil... Fairly basic, right? Down to the performances, Bridges seems lively in comparison to his earlier cinematic appearance in The Giver. The double act with Moore is enjoyable, perhaps more so for fans of The Big Lebowski. While it might stretch credulity during the action beats involving Gregory, the stunt team pull them off well enough to convince. Ben Barnes seems comfortable with his role and does well with Thomas, from the inexperienced and insecure apprentice at the beginning to being a more confident warrior by mid-point. The exchanges between Barnes and Bridges sparkle by that point which give the proceedings an air of a romp. It's not on par with the likes of The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, but it stands above the more recent similar fare such as Season of The Witch, Outlander or Solomon Kane. Decent performances with some attractive designs, a sense of humour and a not-too-complex story with acceptable action beats gives us a romp of a movie. If you're looking for a decent fantasy flick without being bogged by extended story lines or battle fatigue, give this a try. Rating: ***1/2 / 5
0 Comments
Stars Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan, Dan Stevens, Skyler Gisondo, Rebel Wilson, Rami Malek, Mizuo Peck with Ricky Gervais, Dick Van Dyke. Mickey Rooney and Ben Kingsley Directed by Shawn Levy A farewell in more ways than one as we take in one more Night at the Museum to cap the series, and it’s a romp of an adventure. The film-makers don’t even try to capture a new audience with events kicking off in the deep end, the museum having all its displays alive and kicking, no explanation needed. Even then, the plot revolves around the magical device that brings the exhibits to life losing its power. In order to fix the problem, they troupe led by Larry (Ben Stiller) head for the British Museum where Mahrenkahre (Ben Kingsley), father to Ahkmenrah (Rami Malek), may know how to fix the problem, since he was the one who had the magic tablet made in the first place. As far as plots go, it’s simple and easy. So a secondary plot involving Larry’s problems with his son, Nick (Skyler Gisondo) who intends to not go to college in favour of being a DJ in Ibiza, is injected into the proceedings. This leads to a different theme for the movie by the end. Let’s just say if you enjoyed the previous instalments, you’ll enjoy this as it’s more of the same. It was just a matter of getting to the British Museum and then, it’s a trek through new or similar effects, which includes diving into a painting/illustration (like diving into a photograph in the previous instalment). The stars are obviously incredibly comfortable with their characters, and even the newcomers get in on the fun, particularly Dan Stevens as Lancelot and Rebel Wilson as Larry’s British counterpart, Tilly. Stiller pulls double duty adding a caveman look-alike to the mix. A pair of surprising, uncredited cameos simply add to the fun. Ultimately, it’s all about letting go of things you have no control over, and it makes a bittersweet farewell to not only Robin Williams, but Mickey Rooney as well who passed away much earlier in the year. Both of them get a tribute over the end credits, and coupled with Roosevelt’s words to Larry, it becomes more than just a touching tribute. If anything, it’s a high point on which Williams leaves us, which makes his passing all the more tragic. Still, it is a romp and there’s fun to be had. While I didn’t care too much for the first movie, I enjoyed the second and this entry keeps par. The jokes hit more than miss, and while there is some sentimentality, it isn’t forced. That makes it worth wasting a couple of hours. Rating: ***1/2 / 5 Stars Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Carrie Coon, Kim Dickens, Patrick Fugit with Neil Patrick Harris and Tyler Perry Directed by David Fincher Gone Girl somehow fits perfectly into David Fincher's usual filmography. It's dark and bleak with a twisted sense of humour, filled with some loathsome characters you'd just might root for. It's also the reason why I sometimes tend to stay away from his movies. Not that they're bad. They just tend to be bleak. He's even referred to this one as the anti-date movie. Or was it anti-marriage? Fincher's technical prowess is on full display shorn of any bravura moments that peppered his earlier works. (See the Alien POV in Alien3, the camera pans in Fight Club or Panic Room, the effects/make-up work of Seven, Benjamin Button.) The direction is far more controlled than before, carried on from the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Just as Michael Bay fills his movie with garish bright colours, Fincher leans in the opposite with often dark muted tones, and that works here to layer in the moodiness of the story. There's a shadow world, where secrets are being hidden. The performances are uniformly absorbing with Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike leading the pack. Both have their unique challenges, but the meat is more with Pike as the enigmatic Amy. To say more would be to give away too much and the movie is best as its being discovered. There are some narrative gymnastics going on that may be worthy of, say, Christopher Nolan, but it's more to the nature of the book and adaptation by Gillian Flynn. The nuances of the mystery may warrant additional viewings but the bleakness may keep some from viewing the movie more than once. It falls into the same camp as Seven. The narrative is absorbing, but the revelation of the mystery and the bleakness of the material may turn some away from repeated viewings. But then, you can't deny Fincher's brilliance at pulling it all off. Rating: ***1/2 /5 Stars Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Luke Evans, Lee Pace, Ken Stott, Aiden Turner, Evangeline Lilly, Manu Bennett, Benedict Cumberbatch with Orlando Bloom, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Billy Connolly and Christopher Lee… and many many more. Directed by Peter Jackson I can’t remember if I’ve mentioned that I have not read The Hobbit in its entirety. The comic adaptation by Chuck Dixon, sure, but not the book. And again, did it warrant three movies? Therein lies part of the problem. Even if I remember the comic correctly, this final battle barely took up even a quarter of the book. In making the movie, I’m sure director Peter Jackson along with his writers, Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh, probably with notes from previous assigned director, Guillermo del Toro and adding ‘notes from Tolkien’, they needed to figure out - for cinematic narrative sake - why the armies converged in the first place, aside from simply wanting the Dragon’s hoard; why was Throin being chased by this Orc; what really happened during the titular battle aside from being one giant mêlée. From a technical perspective, the movie is awesome. Jackson deserves the credit for making the massive battle intriguing to watch and follow, even if it takes up over half the running time of the almost two and a half hour movie. (The inevitable extended edition will add on an additional half hour.) It’s also varied enough that it doesn’t repeat anything we’ve seen before, making Helm’s Deep seem like a little scuffle and the big one in The Return of The King deservedly huge. Still, there was a sense of ‘battle fatigue’ that set in. While those who read the book will know how the battle plays out - particularly who dies - the additional characters added into the narrative will provide some surprises, to an extent. So, no spoilers. Well, aside from mentioning that the movie opens by closing the second chapter, The Desolation of Smaug. Once that’s out of the way, only then does the title for this instalment appear on screen. The narrative flows as well as it can, but at times, feels like it was meant for the small screen. Not network television, but following the likes of Game of Thrones. The scale and grandeur justifies a cinematic release but you can’t help that perhaps, this is one film too many. Eventually, it is what it is and there’s nothing much I can add to that. I’ve spent a couple of days trying to figure how to write this and if you’ve seen the first two parts as well as the preceding trilogy, you’re going to see this anyway. If you’ve skipped it before, nothing I say will change your mind. There is much to marvel at, in my case, it’s from the technical side of things; the sets, the costumes, the cinematography, the effects, the music, the sculpts and make-up, the fight choreography, etc. The performances are uniform, carrying on from the previous instalments, so nothing to mention there. The story and plot… well… yeah, it could have done with some nip and tuck. With an extended edition coming out, it’s probably already had that. Rating ***1/2 / 5 |
Archives
December 2017
|