Wide Angle Lenz [beta]

There were a lot of mixed feelings walking out of the theatre when I saw the latest Pixar adventure. It was cute, funny and the visuals were yet another step up for them (and the sound by Ben Burtt was great – but no surprise there, the man’s a genius). But I wasn’t experiencing the normal giddiness that is usually bouncing around my inner child after seeing Mr. Incredible or Nemo.

It’s really hard to avoid commentary on films now. Try as I might to avoid it, I usually go into a movie knowing a handful of opinions. Most people are pretty good at disclaiming if they are going to talk about spoilerish topics, so I avoid that before I go in. That said, I heard all about how the first part of the film is fantastic, but once Wall•E leaves Earth and boards the ship the story falls a little bit – and other opinions of the like.

I’d have to say I agree.

After seeing the full-length trailer a few months ago I was convinced that this film was going to be my favorite Pixar film to date. It looked amazing. Although it did actually LOOK amazing, the story started very strong and backed off a little bit once our pixilated planeteer left Earth. I absolutely loved every bit of the film until Wall•E started roaming the BnL star cruiser. The story wasn’t necessarily bad after that, it just wasn’t as good as Pixar usually is throughout a story.

The social commentary was brilliant – and very scary. It’s sad to watch this film and say, “that’s actually pretty believable.” Well, I’d say it’s pretty believable looking at America, I can’t speak for the rest of the world.

I don’t think I’m going to rush out to see Wall•E again in theatres, but I look forward to catching it on Blu Ray.

3 out of 4

What do you guys think? Should people go see it while it’s in theatres, or should they wait?

Here’s a secret: The only real history I have with the Hulk is the 2003 film (which sucked) and the character’s role in the Ultimate Avengers series(which I like). I haven’t seen the original television show, nor have I read any of the comics. As it’s somewhat impossible to be a Marvel geek and not know anything about the major characters, I do know of Bruce Banner, Betty Ross and the roles they play in the story.

So I went in to The Incredible Hulk with hardly any expectations. The trailers looked good, and I want the awesome geekfest that is the summer of 2008 movie season to keep going, but I really wasn’t expecting anything spectacular two hours later. I don’t think it was spectacular, but it was pretty good (and leagues better than Ang Lee’s version).

Let’s start with the character of Bruce Banner. I have heard of the squabble that went down between Edward Norton and Marvel Studios. Basically Norton had a script that explored what Bruce Banner has to endure living with the Hulk inside of him, but Marvel wanted a shorter version of the film that was more action-packed and showed the Hulk in full green glory sooner than Norton’s script had him appearing.The thing that is interesting about the Hulk isn’t the fact that he’s huge and can beat the crap out of nearly anything or anyone, it’s Bruce Banner’s struggle to understand it and control it. It’s what the Hulk does to Bruce, to Betty, to the city/world, and ultimately the Avengers. However, Marvel decided that a mere 15 minutes more of the film would make it too long and depressing for the audience to handle. LAME. All that said, though, I liked what Edward Norton did with Banner. He was a bit tougher than I expected, but I think it worked.

The entire beginning of the film was well done and I liked seeing him forced to be away from nearly everything that could frustrate him. I thought the anger management session with the martial artist was a really nice touch I wouldn’t have expected – probably because I’m not well versed in Hulk lore.

Although I haven’t watched the show before, I’m familiar with the theme song with him walking along the street – another one of those things you pick up being a geek I guess – and really liked the shot of Norton walking along the streets, hearing the theme. It was a nice touch. The little references like that worked really well in this film, which is very unusual in the Marvel films. Stan Lee had a role that actually contributed to the plot, and Lou Ferrigno’s role worked just as well – by the way, holy crap that guy is still REALLY buff. I also enjoyed the purple pants quite a bit.

The Abomination creature/character worked, and I think the build of creating that villain was much better than most hero flicks (most recent job not well done building a villain was in Iron Man). However, I really didn’t like Tim Roth’s portrayal of the superhuman soldier. He swallowed a lot of his lines and didn’t carry enough umph behind the guy. It’s interesting that they alluded to a new supervillian via the scientist that helps Banner and Ross, because I don’t think Marvel has plans for a Hulk2.

The thing that makes or breaks any Hulk film is how we actually see the Hulk on screen. There will always be a connection with live action that can’t be achieved (right now, at least) with visual effects, duh, but the expectation of a two-story Hulk makes that unachievable with any human. So the visual effects have to make the viewer truly believe they are looking at the Hulk, and not images created in post. That said, I think the Incredible Hulk looked good. The first sequence with him in the factory was awesome, and the close-ups were believable.

I liked The Incredible Hulk much better than I thought I would. I’d go see it if you’re a Marvel/super hero film fan. One more thing… Hulk SMASH!

4 out of 5

SPOILER ALERT

“Really? They’re making another Indiana Jones film? Sigh…”

That was my thought when I initially found out that Indiana Jones 4 was going into production. Not because I don’t like Indiana Jones and his amazing adventures. Like many my age, I grew up knowing the trilogy well and watched the films many times. I just felt like it wasn’t necessary. The Last Crusade wraps things up nicely, was an awesome film (my favorite) and, after all, is called the last crusade. Don’t get me wrong, I supported the film and wanted it to be as amazing as the rest (except for Temple of Doom), but I was a bit afraid of what it would do to the franchise.

Turns out I had nothing to worry about.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is great, it fits well into the existing trilogy and captures the feeling of an Indiana Jones film. Choosing to use the original opening credits visual motif was brilliant. That was a great idea that immediately connected me with the very first film and helped bridge the time gap. It delivers on exactly what we want to see out of Indy: goofy, action-packed adventures.

Harrison Ford did a great job, and you can tell he had a lot of fun stepping back into the shoes of the legendary archaeologist. The script didn’t hide in the slightest that the story was taking place several years after the third film, and the fact that Mutt makes fun of Indy for his age makes it even better. People are giving the movie a lot of crap for Indy getting married at the end and being softer than he was. I think it’s perfect. Henry “Indiana” Jones Jr has experienced the death of his father and Marcus Brody, two very important people in his life, has fought in a demanding war with the military demanding a lot from him, and has dealt with whatever other things life threw his way. He doesn’t exactly lead a stress-free life. So it makes absolute sense that twenty or so years later we’re seeing a slightly softer Indiana Jones who very well might be ready to tie the knot with someone he felt strongly about long ago. Especially if he found out some young punk who’s making a good impression on him turns out to be his son. So bravo George Lucas and David Koepp for giving Indy a little depth.

That said, this should be the last Indiana Jones film. It wraps the story up very nicely. Yeah, I know, George has a story in mind that puts Mutt in the lead and Indy in a supporting role, much like Henry Jones Sr. in the Last Crusade, but I don’t think it’s necessary. Sure, I’d go see it because it’s Indiana Jones – or would it be called Mutt Jones, that isn’t catchy at all – but please just go out on top with this film and go on making other great adventure stories.

Roger Ebert has a great review on this film as well. I didn’t mention the points he makes here, because his site is definitely worth checking out.

Admittedly, I haven’t mentioned a lot of the nit-picky things in this review, but what are your thoughts on the film? Leave comments and we can discuss further!

4.5 out of 5

If things keep going the way they are this summer, 2008 is going to be one of the best summer movie seasons I’ve ever seen. I saw The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian last night and really liked it. This was much better than the first one for me. There were some elements that I really didn’t like, but overall it’s a good film.

I haven’t read the books yet – although they have been sitting on my desk for months now, waiting to be read – but especially after seeing the second film, they are books I am excited to read. So going into the films, I am completely unaware of what will be happening. What happened in Prince Caspian was a bit of a shock for me. With the last film I was very used to hearing about all of the religious connotations the film had, all of the groups that were supporting it and trying to get people to go see it, and that it felt like a Disney movie for kids and teens. Not that adults couldn’t enjoy it. Many of my friends, and myself, enjoy the first film. This film is much more violent and has much darker themes in it. For example, attempting murder on Prince Caspian as a new heir to the throne is born. This is not a bad thing, I just wasn’t expecting these brutal tones from the Narnia series.

I loved the story of Prince Caspian, the world transitioning from the new and evil Telmarine world back into Narnia with the help of a Telmarine Prince. The Pevensie children grew up a bit and their acting improved with that, they were much more enjoyable to watch this time around. I liked Ben Barnes as Prince Caspian, I was a little impressed actually. Definitely supposed to be the heartthrob leading guy, but I think he did a good job with the role. Like in the first film, I really enjoyed the visual effects with the magical creatures and characters. I cared about what happened to some of them, like the badger and mouse, and thought they were written well.

I didn’t watch the first film before I went into Prince Caspian, so I forgot completely about the kids living in Narnia until they were much older, finding the closet door again, going through it, and being young in the real world again. That said, as a stand-alone film they do a bad job of explaining that time difference. They allude to how they were “much older then” and hold up adult-sized clothes, but it isn’t explained to a point in which the viewer really know what happened. This was confusing to me. However, I am sure that these films are being made to be considered part of a series, much like the Lord of the Rings films, and when watched together make a lot more sense. That just makes me wish these films were being made back to back – knowing there’s at least one more.

The visual effects were very good. Enough said really. It was another satisfactory job of creating a fantastical environment with believable characters and effects that were detailed and enjoyable to see. However, the film tried to be overly dramatic and intense at times, I felt. Some of the slow motion and editing techniques used were totally ineffective and distracting in contributing to emotion they were trying to convey. I also really enjoyed how the opening credits were handled. Opening credits seem to be taken out of summer blockbusters now, but I think this film did a nice job of making them noticed without distracting from the opening narrative.

The biggest criticism I have is the kiss at the end. Holy crap did that feel forced. It was completely predictable and did not feel natural. As in, I didn’t think for a second that the two characters should be kissing in the first place – and in the book, I’m told, they don’t kiss at all. For some reason the studios must feel that at the end of stories like this there should be two characters that kiss in order to help close the story out. That’s great when it fits the story! I didn’t feel any connection between Caspian and Susan.

I left the theatre really liking this film and excited to see the next one. Keep the great summer coming!

4 out of 5

So I’m already off to a good start with the whole weekly movie review plan. I have been a bit busy with interviews in San Francisco and other things, so that is why my Speed Racer review is coming to you now instead of Saturday, May 10th.

Growing up I watched a lot of cartoons, naturally, but one I didn’t watch very often was Speed Racer. I knew what it was, but for reasons I don’t know any more, I didn’t watch it that much. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were my primary animated interest as a child – rightfully so too. In high school I started watching anime (Japanese animated shows and movies). It all started with watching the Freeza Saga in Dragonball Z, and I have been watching a series here and there ever since (Bleach and Naruto Shippuuden currently). I mention that because the anime style of action and storytelling is very familiar to me, something that is also familiar in the Speed Racer film (this will come in a bit later in the review).

I liked this film, I really did. I went into it knowing of the show by reputation only, expecting a fun, digital ride by the Wachowski brothers and a storyline that isn’t too deep – it’s marketed as a children’s movie after all. It met my expectations and then some. Call me sappy, but I like stories that concern an entire family fighting to resolve something together. It deals with a family coming together to overcome a big obstacle and standing by each other. It was very moving, I loved it.

The cast was really interesting to me. I wouldn’t think of Susan Sarandon to play Mom in what is basically an animated children’s film, but it was great to see her in it and I think she did the part fantastically. Now I’ve always liked John Goodman, as a kid I thought the Flintstone’s movie was great, and while I’ve been watching the West Wing lately, I enjoyed him in his brief role. I was really happy to see that he has gotten himself in better shape; he acts better and is more enjoyable to watch on screen (and I was a little worried about him when he was at his heavier weight). His role as Pops was great. A bit predictable at times, but overall I think his role in the story fit well and was very touching.

Mathew Fox is growing on me. I have been watching Lost since season one (and so should you, it’s fantastic), but I didn’t really like him at first. I think he’s evolving as an actor well and transitioning into films well too. What was done with Racer X worked, the twist at the end explaining the accident and face manipulation explained things nicely.

Spritle and Chim Chim were hilarious. They were a bit overused as the comic relief of the film, but really fun to watch. The fight scene when they were watching cartoons – awesome.

Speed and Trixie worked. I think Trixie was a great role for Christina Ricci to break out of the type of characters she usually plays. She looked fantastic as Trixie and I hope that we get to see her doing more light-hearted films like Speed Racer. In the animated show I do remember the mach speeds that Trixie spoke at. I don’t think it’s humanly possible to speak that fast without alteration, but she had some moments that reminded me of it. Not much to say about Emile Hirsch as Speed, he did an adequate job. Nothing that stood out to me, but that doesn’t mean he did a bad job. He was enjoyable to watch as Speed Racer.

The action was great. The movie is cut like a high-speed, action-packed film and there is a lot of fun to it. If you have ever watched anime, you are familiar with the action lines that appear in dramatic fights as the character is charging towards its opponent in a fighting pose. I laughed out loud the first time I saw that happen in this film. The fight that happens in the middle of the grand prix with the snow falling was great. Utilizing the snow as a visual and dynamic element added a lot to the fight with a sense of motion and speed. The hand-drawn settings that happen in the movie twice were very cool. I thought it fit the story and film perfectly. This film walked a very fine line, very successfully, of creating a live-action animated film. As in, it was clear that most of the movie was done in post-production and was very over the top, out of this world elements and technology. But it worked, it worked very well.

This is another solid film from the Wachowski brothers that doesn’t tell the audience blatantly that there is a sequel (perhaps they are sticking to stand alone films to make up for botching the Matrix trilogy? (by popular opinion, I liked the third one)). If you like fast-paced action, fun humor, a touching story, are in touch with the Saturday morning cartoons side of your childhood, and of course automobile racing, go see Speed Racer – it’s a great ride.

4.5 out of 5

While growing up I was a Marvel fan more than I was a DC fan (for those of you who aren’t versed in comics, DC is Batman and Superman, Marvel is X-Men, Spider-Man, Hulk, and Iron Man – to name a few of each). I was attracted to the storylines of Marvel characters much more than I was DC. Maybe it’s because I thought they were cooler or that they seemed more complex (although I love Batman’s complexities), regardless I picked up an issue of X-Men more often than I did Batman. That said, my history with Tony Stark and Iron Man is relatively new. Most of my knowledge on the character’s world comes from the Ultimate Avengers series and the animated film Marvel and LGF produced last year. I knew this movie was being made and followed the stories throughout production. The production art, set visits and trailers all looked great to me and the fact that Robert Downey Jr was playing Tony Stark was perfect. I was pumped for this movie.

I went to a 9 PM showing on May 1st at my local Wehrenberg Theatre, and that was, I believe, one of four showings before midnight (are they allowed to show films before its midnight release date?). The seats weren’t even half full, I attribute that to people not knowing the showing existed, but by the conversations around me I could tell that it was all Marvel and Iron Man fans around me. I could tell it was going to be a fun audience to watch the summer starter with. I was right. The first clapping and cheering came at the end of the Indian Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull trailer. Aside from that the audience cheered and clapped at all the right moments, from the first time we see the Marc 1 to Jim Rhodes‘ “Next time, Baby.”

The visual effects in this film were fantastic. It’s one of ILM’s best work in my opinion because this is one of the first films where I did not once say “that was CG.” I am a critical eye when it comes to pointing out what is live action and what was done in post-production. I am not saying that as a negative thing, I like the technical aspects of post-production and knowing the differences in the films production, but to go through an entire film and not once have the thought cross my mind is a testament to ILM’s work in this film. The scene where Iron Man flies out to the Middle Eastern village to save the day for the first time looked awesome. I also really enjoyed the visioning of what unlimited funds and a world-class mind can get technologically. The computers, assistants and household technology that were in the film were fun to see and dream about wanting. Gizmodo says the movie is 126 minutes of gadget porn – they’re not that far off.

Like I said, my history with Tony Stark is very new. I don’t know the ins and outs of the character and story line, but I know enough to know what kind of person he is and how Iron Man came to be. That said, I loved Robert Downy Jr’s portrayal of Tony Stark and can’t wait to see him play the role again. Some are saying he wasn’t alcoholic enough or womanizing enough. There are more movies to explore the deeper sides of the character. Why throw it all at an audience and not do justice to the complexity of the character flaws? I’d say we got a great introduction to who Tony Stark is. We now know he likes his alcohol, money, nice things, and nicer women – so let’s let the second movie get into the deeper complexities of Tony Stark. Perhaps Tony’s alcoholism will take control causing him not to fight and a certain silver-armored machine of war will have to step in?

I also really enjoyed Gwyneth Paltrow’s Pepper Potts too. Again, I don’t know how close to the comics she was but I enjoyed her chemistry with Downy Jr and watching Tony and Pepper discover their feelings for each other.

The entire time I was watching the film I was trying to figure out the voice of Jarvis. It sounded very familiar and I thought it was a great fit for the character. I looked it up as soon as I could and found out it was none other than Paul Bettany! I love this actor and it was a nice cheery-on-top feeling to know he was the voice of the super computer that helps Tony Stark run his life.

If you stayed through the credits you will know that Samuel Jackson as Nick Fury WAS AMAZING. I really like the Ultimate universe that has been created for Marvel. In that world Nick Fury’s look and attitude is based on Samuel Jackson, so seeing him with the eye patch and talking about the “Avenger initiative” was awesome.

My one gripe with this film is with Jeff Bridges’ Obadiah Stane. I’m going to give the guy the benefit of the doubt on this one and chop it up to a stereotypical comic book villain roll. His character traits, actions and story line were all very predictable and annoying. Yes I know, it’s a comic book movie, and being money-hungry aside I think this villain could have seemed smarter. He’s the CEO of Stark Industries and (all things aside on what we might think of some of our real world CEOs) I think he should emote a smart, powerful and intimidating personality. I got to a point where seeing him on screen annoyed me and I wanted Tony Stark to some how shut him up and move on to doing something else.

The nerd-factor of this film was off the charts. This being Marvel’s first self-produced film really shows. It spoke to the fans and was a fun ride from start to finish. The subtle hints at future storylines for the fans to pick up on was great. I think Faran Tahir’s Raza becomes the Mandarin – which is one of Iron Man’s biggest enemies – and he gets his powers via ten rings. If I’m right and he does become the Mandarin, there was a great shot of him messing with his hand that showed off one giant ring to the audience. Terrance Howard’s Jim Rhodes was alright. I didn’t like him at first but he definitely grew on me. I am excited to see him put the silver suit on as War Machine. Throughout the entire film as the government agent followed Pepper and Tony around trying to debrief Tony and saying the department he was from with the long title, it never once dawned on me what that really was. I felt dumb at the end telling myself I should have put it all together, but hearing him say he was from S.H.I.E.L.D. kicked ass. I can’t wait to see how that is explored in future films.

Overall this film is fantastic, it was a fun ride from start to finish that awed me visually, made me laugh out loud and rubbed my geekiness the right way. This is a great start for Marvel. My girlfriend and I were talking on the way home and she said that for her, someone who hadn’t even heard of Iron Man before the movie, it was an awesome film that flowed well from scene to scene keeping her excited and explaining the Tony Stark world in a way that was easy to understand.

I recommend seeing Iron Man if you want a fun, high-tech and bad ass 131 minute trip. I can’t wait to see it again, which is tonight at 10.

4.5 out of 5