Transformers: Age of Extinction

• Released Internationally on 25/06/14
• Released in Malta by KRS on 06/07/14

Review (05/07/14)

3-word review: Very slight improvements. 

They’re back for another assault on earth and on our summer box-office. After the Decepticons were defeated in the rather disruptive battle of Chicago in the third film, earth had had enough of the Transformers. The last remaining few are being hunted down and used for scrap and research. But an inevitable comeback is taking shape.

What’s new?

Shia LaBeouf is gone, and his main role is now taken over by a garage mechanic and single dad portrayed by Mark Wahlberg. His unconvincing family consists of his daughter (newcomer Nicola Peltz), together with her boyfriend (Jack Reynor). They end up helping Optimus Prime and his Autobots, despite a worldwide mission by black ops to hunt down and destroy them, aided by an other-worldly Transformer named Lockdown. Kelsey Grammer (Frasier) heads the covert CIA mission, and Stanley Tucci (The Hunger Games) is the head or a research corporation who is using the scrapped parts to build earth’s own Transformers. From a nostalgia, childhood-toy point of view, the main new addition is the Dinobots, whom I fondly remember, but who are practically unrecognisable here after the usual Michael Bay ‘upgrade’.

In the end

Michael Bay had given the impression that he was done with the Transformers after the third film, which was even worse than the second one. Something changed his mind, and he decided to take a slightly new direction. But apart from a new human cast and a hardly noticeable new design for the titular robots, nothing much has changed. The action is still disorderly and messy, and the plot and characters are still very weak. Hong Kong offers a slightly more interesting backdrop for destruction, but there’s very little here to recommend, especially if you hated the previous instalments.

Trailer:

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

• Released Internationally on 20/11/13
• Released in Malta by KRS on 21/11/13

Review (20/11/13)

3-word review: Even better sequel.

I think I’ll stop rushing to read books before they are made into films. It makes the films so much more enjoyable when I have no clue what’s coming next. I hadn’t read the Hunger Games books when the first film was released, and I enjoyed it so much I decided not to read the other two, despite itching to know what comes next. And here I am, hugely satisfied by the second film, and itching to know what happens in the third. But I’ll be patient.

Of course, the eternal debaters between the book and the film choices would point out that reading the books without having seen the films offers the same raw joy, but considering how many books I have lined up waiting to be read, I think I’ll be fine without delving into these particular  three.

 

So where were we?

But I digress. This second film definitely assumes you have watched the first, and picks up soon after Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence, now an Oscar winner) and Peeta (subtle but effective Josh Hutcherson) have won the 74th edition of the infamous Hunger Games, in a dystopian world somewhere in the future. Their stirring victory and apparent love story has sent ripples of admiration and defiance through the twelve districts of Panem, and President Snow (a wonderfully malicious Donald Sutherland) rightly fears a revolution. He schemes with his new Head Gamesmaker (Philip Seymour Hoffman) to get them eliminated or at least have their image deflated, by hosting a 75th Hunger Games that involves participants selected from amongst past winners. So sort of like the Champions League, but instead of getting knocked out, you’re killed.

 

Deeply disturbing stuff

Much like the first film, the strength of this sequel is the worrying concept at its core, and the unsettling similarities to the world we live in, where TV and reality work together to manipulate audiences, and too much is done purely for show. The capital city’s thriving population feeds off the work and misery of the backward districts, and their celebrity TV presenter (a finely-tuned manic performance by Stanley Tucci) turns shocking and morbid news into sound bites for the cheering crowds. Death is reduced to a mere TV event, and lives are judged by their impact on TV audiences. It’s a far exaggerated version of the reality TV scenarios we have today, but so much of it rings eerily true. The helpless people on TV are instructed to merely be a distraction, so that the unwashed masses in the audience don’t have time to think about the real problems in their lives.

 

Making us accomplices

One of the impressive feats of the film, although I’m not sure whether intentionally or not, is that during the extensive build-up to the games, as we meet the eventual participants and see what is really at stake, the revulsion at the concept of the murderous games is mixed with a palpable anticipation for the games to start. I for one felt a rush when the countdown finally began and all hell broke loose. It’s hugely entertaining of course, and just like the manipulated workers of Panem I was eager to see the contest unfold. But of course, these are not straightforward games like we saw in the first film.

 

Cast and crew

The star-studded cast makes for quite an impressive list. Complementing Tucci as another well-executed fake is Elizabeth Banks (Zack and Miri Make a Porno) as the District 12 escort, and trying to keep calm and grounded amidst all the craziness is celebrated designer Cinna (Lenny Kravitz). Woody Harrelson also returns as the previous District 12 victor who mentors the new stars, and Liam Hemsworth (younger brother to Thor star Chris) resumes duties as Katniss’ close friend and hopefully more. The new participants in the games include a few familiar faces too - Jeffrey Wright (Syriana, Casino Royale), Amanda Plummer (Honey Bunny from Pulp Fiction), Lynn Cohen (Munich) and Jena Malone (Donnie Darko). This sequel has a new director (Francis Lawrence, I Am Legend) and writers (Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire; Michael Arndt, Little Miss Sunshine) but they do a remarkable job of continuing seamlessly where the first film left off, also thanks to the recurring musical themes of James Newton Howard (Batman Begins, The Sixth Sense).

 

In the end

This is extremely entertaining cinema, and it touches on a host of themes, from unrequited love to the power of the media, and all showcased in a post-apocalyptic world where excess and poverty feed off each other. The plot is taken up a notch in this second instalment, after the seeds of revolution were sown in the first, and I eagerly anticipate the next part of the story. The film also has that rare luxury only offered to second films in trilogies, which The Empire Strikes Back and The Two Towers made such excellent use of - the downer, cliff-hanger, ending.

 

Trailers:
http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/lions_gate/thehungergamescatchingfire/

Jack the Giant Slayer

• Released Internationally on 27/02/13
• Released in Malta by KRS on 27/03/13

Preview (first published 01/03/13 in VIDA Magazine)

Yup, another fairy tale. Fee fi fo fum, etc., but of course this is the supercharged version for the big screen. I have higher hopes for this one though, compared to all the other fairy tale films of recent years. Mostly because it’s directed by Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects, X-Men), but also because he roped in Christopher McQuarrie (also of The Usual Suspects fame) to polish up the script. The film stars Nicholas Hoult (A Single Man) as Jack, who finds his way in the world of giants, and of course has a princess to rescue. Ewan McGregor (Moulin Rouge!), Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones), Ian McShane (Sexy Beast) and the inimitable Bill Nighy (Love Actually) also star.

 

Review (27/03/13)

So far, this has been one of the most pleasant surprises of the year. The trailers and promotional material for this film didn’t help raise my expectations, but I ended up enjoying myself from start to finish. If accepted for what it is – a light-hearted re-working of a famous fairytale – this film manages to deliver on all levels.

It starts off, as all proper fairytales should, with a bedtime story, setting up the parallel situations of our hero Jack and his counterpoint princess, as they both sit in their (respective) beds, listening wide-eyed as their parents recount the lore of the giants. Fast forward a bit and Jack is of course a poor farmer’s boy, while the princess is, well, a princess. Before long the infamous beans make an entrance, and the grand adventure can begin. Before the beanstalk even starts to sprout, however, I was already fond of the main characters – both Jack and the princess (newcomer Eleanor Tomlinson) are likeable, and with good chemistry between them. The smaller roles don’t disappoint either, with Ewan McGregor having great fun in ‘Tally-Ho!’ mode as the head of the king’s guard, and Stanley Tucci in delightfully crafty mode as the scheming advisor.

We then head, as expected, to the place ‘half-way between heaven and earth’, where giants roam free. The giants, who come in various shapes and sizes (none of which are pleasing to the eye), don’t burst onto the scene, but director Singer manages to build up enough expectation and grant them a tense, silent, ‘reveal’ – a sort of lesser cousin of T-Rex’s appearance in Jurassic Park (with similar sound effects). Their land is depicted as an oddly familiar paradise – resembling some parts of earth, but feeling very different – again, akin to Isla Nublar in Jurassic Park, or Skull Island in King Kong. Some of the set pieces also delight – such as a wonderful kitchen scene reminiscent of ‘Les Poisson’ in The Little Mermaid.

Back on the ground, the obvious false ending quickly makes way for a riotous third act, including a castle assault that manages to be coherent and entertaining. The single-mindedness of the giants makes them formidable foes, with not a single big friendly giant in sight. Throughout proceedings, the film manages to keep on just the right side of silly – something I felt last week’s Oz failed to do. The ending was another wonderful surprise – I loved it! This is no thought-provoker or event film, but it’s not pretentious, and it’s fun throughout, managing to bring a classic fairytale back to life with gusto.

 

 

Trailers:

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/wb/jackthegiantslayer/

Space Chimps 2: Zartog Strikes Back

 

• Released Internationally on 28/05/10
• Released in Malta by KRS on 23/06/10 in 3D

 

In a nutshell

In 2008, three annoying chimps ventured into space. Unfortunately, they didn't stay there.

Why?

I imagine there are many factors contributing to the decision to make a sequel. Money's probably a driving factor (Sex and the City 2), as in an unfinished story to tell (Iron Man 2). Sometimes a concept works so well and is so liked that filmmakers find ways of extending the story to justify the return of their beloved characters (Shrek 2). And sometimes a fresh pair of hands tries to succeed where the original film failed (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan). With Space Chimps 2, the most plausible reason seems to be that since somebody had already designed all the characters, they realised they could quickly hammer out some semblance of a script and make another film with minimal effort.

What?

The film is mostly set on Earth, where the chimps run amok in the space station, awaiting orders. The youngest and most eager of the trained monkeys gets cut from the upcoming mission for budget reasons, and in an experimental and angry mood he inadvertently launches the space shuttle, with only himself inside. Nobody notices the shuttle is gone, because all those in ground control are busy eating ice-cream sundaes. There are further mind-boggling plot twists, but I won't ruin them for you.

Who?

The voice cast manages to act badly, perfectly matching their crudely-animated counterparts. This is probably the first time I ever saw awkward silences in an animated film, and the script and plot stutter and drag in equal amount, ultimately telling a story that could have (and probably should have) been a half-hour television episode. Stanley Tucci stains his filmography as the senator, while other voices of varying quality breathe life into the four main chimps. Rounding off the cast are three human scientists who offer a brief promise of humour, a big-headed sidekick who's so annoying she made me miss Jar-Jar Binks, and a Vogon-like bad guy, who looks like his animation was abandoned half-way.

Once again, why?

It's not all bad. Whilst clawing at reasons to like this film I had to admit I'm most probably not its target audience. I'd venture to guess that there's enough colour, simplicity, talking animals and crude action to appeal to toddlers, but more discerning children will find smarter stimulation this summer amongst dragons, ogres and talking toys. This might keep your three-year old occupied for just over an hour, but you’d better pray they don’t ask you to sit with them. There are worse ways to pass the time, but most of them are not readily available outside of Guantanamo Bay.

 

Trailers:

http://www.spacechimps2.com/

Julie & Julia

• Released Internationally on 07/08/09
• Released in Malta by KRS on 07/10/09

In an eggshell

Based on two true stories, this mouth-watering film chronicles how American cooking legend Julia Child ended up in the kitchen, and how 21^st Century blogging sensation Julie Powell was inspired by her to get her life in order.

Julia

Less known this side of the Atlantic, Julia Child is something of an institution over in America. After living in France for many years due to her husband’s diplomatic postings, she grew to love French cooking, and learnt the art to very high standards in order to pass the time. Her love of eating and cooking grew into a book project with French co-authors, because she was shocked to find that nobody had ever published a French cookery book in plain English. She therefore invested all her time and experience into a guide for ‘servantless’ American housewives. The success that followed led to television cooking specials, more books, and celebrity chefs as we know them today.

Julie

A sure sign of the times, this film can claim to be the first major release to be based on a blog. I’m assuming you know what a blog is (since you’re reading one now), but back in 2002 they were in their infancy. Julie Powell, newly married and reluctantly moving further from the city centre, was in an emotionally draining cubicle job handling post-9/11 complaints, and seeing her dream of becoming a writer slipping away. After much encouragement from her husband, she hatched the Julie/Julia project, a daunting attempt to cook her way through all 524 recipes in Child’s first book, within a year, and blog about the experience. She felt it would bring discipline and purpose to her life, and it turns out she got the recipe right. What started as simply something to do started attracting an increasing following, and she eventually went on to reach her goal, publish the writings as a book, and be a writer (now also with a film adaptation).

Through the eyes of a child

Meryl Streep, yet again, is excellent. She becomes Julia Child so convincingly, yet she doesn’t let the mannerisms, shrill voice and bubbly character stop her from turning in some fine acting. Child was an immense woman at over six feet, with an infectious laugh and voice that gave her no-nonsense approach such appeal with her audience (you can have a look here). With the help of various clever Gandalf/hobbit-style camera tricks, Streep towers over her co-stars and becomes Julia. The sheer joy she exudes on moving to Paris helps her settle in and love the locals, and this sincere love for the French way of life is what she gave back in her book.

Different time, different place

The film follows the two story lines deftly, and despite them being on different continents and in different centuries the various parallels are highlighted as the two projects take shape. Amy Adams, who co-starred with Streep in last year’s Doubt, portrays Julie Powell and the struggles of her annus mirabilis are intriguing to watch. It is in fact quite a nice surprise that the film manages to be so entertaining and engaging, seeing as half of it is essentially about an average person’s self-serving in-house project. But I guess that’s one of the plus points of blogging – Powell’s thoughts and troubles struck a chord with her unknown audience, and eventually with publishers, and now with cinemagoers.

Moral support

The most evident and significant parallel between the two stories is the unfaltering support these two woman had from their dedicated husbands. Both marriages appear passionate and respectful, and both husbands are depicted as admirable in almost every way. Stanley Tucci (The Devil Wears Prada, The Terminal) is quietly brilliant as Mr. Child, and Chris Messina (Vicky Cristina Barcelona) is equally admirable as Mr. Powell.

Low-calorie delight

The book was adapted for the screen and directed by one of the queens of romantic comedy – Nora Ephron. The director of lasting favourites such as When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail manages to lift the film from being simply another biopic, and she laces it with so much fun and great food that it’s easy to be swept up in the enthusiasm. Very little goes wrong in these two stories, and there’s very little not to like about these two characters. Just make sure you eat something beforehand, because I sat through it on an empty stomach and it was delicious torture.

Trailer:

http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/julieandjulia/