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Reviews
Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight (2008)
At Least I Got it On Sale
What a mess. What an awful mess. I held out reservations until I had actually seen the movie. I read the novels during my teen years in the 80s and fell in love with the characters, the stories, and the adventures. Were the novels perfect? No. But they were good. Unfortunately, that cannot be said of this film.
Choppy animation (an odd mix of 2D and 3D), a cramped story with characters that I don't really care for, and big name stars who's "voice talents" come no where near the characters they are supposed to portray add up to a direct to video junk pile. Will there be follow-ups? The film hints at it when the final location of the mysterous Kitiana is finally revealed. If this is the best that can be done (which is not), I hope it stops here.
Rogue Male (1976)
Dead on Target and Performance
Unlike his protagonist, director Clive Donner's masterful tale hits its mark on all levels. In adapting the over 50 year-old novel (which I have not read), Donner takes Peter O'Toole through one of his most charming and ruthless roles. The views are taken on a journey into the depths of man's obsession with security and vengeance.
Inspired by the death of his lover Rebecca, O'Toole hunts down the man he considers most responsible for her execution: Adolph Hitler. With World War II not yet reaching the shores of England, Hitler finds himself in the sights of O'Toole rifle. With a masterful shot of dark coffee flowing over a white tablecloth, the viewer realized that O'Toole has missed his shot, and his physical torture begins.
In crafting a made-for-TV film, Donner was limited somewhat in the graphic nature of the presentation. But, he overcomes this by portraying the most shocking scenes (the extraction of O'Toole's fingernails and the death Major Quive-Smith) with a morbid sense of humor.
The same humor is present in the short (but delightful) exchange between O'Toole and the great Alistair Sims. While Sims makes nothing more certain than he is turning his back on O'Toole, the manner in which he does this is exceptional to watch.
Indeed, it is the sense of humor throughout the film that helps to propel the story. Rather that feel any emotional attachment for O'Toole, I was more interested in his manner of survival and escape. This emotional dis-attachment is the only reason I scored this film an 8. While I can accept the reason for his revenge, I think that in today's world, such a person would likely be labeled insane and hated by the general public.
Empire (2005)
Good drama but bad history
Beware -- SPOILERS !!! Bear in mind that this is being written after the first night's showing. But what I've seen doesn't appear too bad. The two-hour premier of the six-hour mini-series has my interest peaked, so I'll continue watching. However, one should remember that this is Hollywood, not history.
With a largely unknown cast (at least to most American viewers), "Empire" sets out to chronicle the early days of the Roman Empire, following the death of Caesar. The events are seen through the eyes of the fictional gladiator/slave/super-swordsman Tyrannus (played by Jonathan Cake). After being freed by Caesar, Tyrannus agrees to act as his bodyguard. However, with the kidnapping of his son (by what appeared to be either an unrelated incident or another opportunity to show his expert swordsmanship), Tyrannus was not at the Senate on the Ides of March to stop the brutal murder of Caesar. Reaching the Senate at the end, Tyrannus stands over the body of his friend while Caesar breathes his last words: protect Octavius, his heir. And protect him, he does. The remainder of the story involves the civil war that erupted between Marc Antony and the young Octavius.
Missing from the story of the death of Caesar are several key persons that were active in Rome at the time of Caesar's death, namely Cleopatra, Caesar's lover, and Calpurnia, Caesar's wife. The focus shifts from these two women to Caesar's sister and a fictional Vestal virgin named Camane.
It is in the technical areas that the mini-series is the strongest. The backdrops, costumes, and sets are all lavish. The crowd scenes are filled with people and the limited use of CGI is refreshing.
It is the fictional gladiator that makes the story weak. In studying the history of the period, there was enough drama with the historical characters to propel the story. I have to wonder if the writers knew much about the history, otherwise, why did they feel the need to have a fictional person push the story along. And while the acting is good overall, the actions and choices made by the characters do not coincide (or make sense) with their historical motivations.
The score also seems overpowering at times. This usually happens when the dialogue is predictable, unfortunately, a pretty common event. For example, in the scene where Caesar grants Tyrannus his freedom, Tyrannus says, "I don't know what to say." Caesar's response is "Say yes." So, for a creative look at the rise of Octavius as the first emperor of Rome, take a look. For a history lesson, read a book.
Twisted (2004)
Oh My -- Watching Paint Dry is More Entertaining
To begin with, how was Judd's character being drugged? Are we to assume (or believe) that Samuel L. Jackson was breaking into her apartment each night to drug her wine and then slipping out to commit the murders? If the last victim was killed while he was in Judd's apartment, why was there no blood on the floor? And didn't the regular blackouts mean anything to a detective who could "make out" an entire room after only five minutes?
I ask these questions to point out that the creators of this piece of tripe have about as much respect for the thinking movie watcher as Judd did for a glass of good wine. And was it just me, or did that wine bottle never seem empty. (I think it was the same bottle.) Poor Andy Garcia...to see your career deteriorate to such a wasted role.
One redeeming quality of the film is watching Jackson moralize while holding a gun. No one does it better. But like the characters that Judd is playing, Jackson needs some new material as well.
The Village (2004)
I Felt Cheated -- Minor Spoilers
I loved the Sixth Sense. I loved Unbreakable. Signs I would not miss. The Village...I would not visit.
Rather than being a witness to an outstanding filmmaker, The Village pays homage to excellent marketing. The trailers for the movie (and I know the old argument about judging a movie by its trailer) paint the film out to be a thriller. And there were at least two times in the movie where I was frightened. But come on...I expected much more.
The movie can be seen as an allegory of isolationism and its effects on people. The idea of isolation to except the pressures of a world gone mad are as old as time. But what is particularly horrific in this case is that the adults in the village have misled their own children into thinking that they have been born into a different time. They have, in effect, robbed their children of the freedom to make their own decision and to track their own course in life. Maybe the children would be stronger for having to endure the grief their parents ran from. But, because of the justified dishonesty that the parents practice, we (and they) will never know.
When I have told friends about the movie, I am asked the same question: why was it promoted as a horror film? Because if people knew the real story of the film, they wouldn't care to see it. I guess I can't fault Shyamalan...like me, he has bills to pay.
Wrong Turn (2003)
Overrated Trash
I am a big fan of horror movies. I enjoy a good scare and a well-done film. While Wrong Turn did have some moments of suspense in it, and a few interesting ideas, most of the time I was waiting for something new to come along.
I mean, how many references to the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre can one movie have and still be different? I realize that the film was a homage to the early 70s style horror movies, but the secret to those types of films was that there was little to no blood and gore. The fright came from the way the movies were shot. The budgets were so low, that the directors and producers had to film the scenes in such a way as to let the audience imagine what was going on. In Wrong Turn, the deaths are pretty much in your face. (No pun intended.)
The story was thin, but that is often the case in these types of movies. There was little character development, and no real reason to feel for anyone of the victims. (In fact, I wanted to see Francine killed just because she was wearing one of the worst outfits I have seen on film in a while.) And there was nothing new in the project. We have seen it all before. In fact, the resurrection of the killers at the end made this movie standard.
Wrong Turn does deserve some marks for some good make-up effects, but they are wasted on bad lighting and a bad story.
Reign of Fire (2002)
Impressive story but some major plot holes -- SPOILERS
We are used to seeing dragons in far away lands, threatening princesses or medieval kingdoms. Well, get ready to change your view of these ancient creatures.
Dragons, the cause of the extinction of the dinosaurs, have been in slumber for centuries. (As a previous review pointed out, why no fossel record of them is just one of several major plot holes that I see in the story.) With the reawakening of the only male of the species, all hell breaks loose on earth. Dragons, we learn, live on ash, and produce fire by secreting liquid from two glands in their mouth. When these two liquids mix, you have "instant napalm" which is then ejected from the dragon's mouth. Within 10 years, humanity is reduced to small pockets fighting to survive as the onslaught of the dragons continue.
In this setting, we find Christian Bale leading a group of adults and children in a run down castle stuck out in the middle of nowhere. (Maybe it's just me, but if I was afraid of being attacked by creatures that ruled the sky, why keep myself and my people holed up in a castle with no real defenses? And what's with the garden being so far away from the castle?) Into the delicate balance that Bale has formed with his people marched Matthew McConaughey. Gone are his golden locks and good-boy looks from pervious films. This McConaughey is dark, buffed, shaved head, and covered in tatoos. McConaughey plays a US citizen who leads a group of dragon fighters who managed to get a plane across the Atlantic and landed in a field nearby Bale's castle. Their goal is to get to London to destroy the one male that is populating the species (more on this later).
Other than the incredible dragon effects, the weight of the story is strongest when you view the interaction between Bale and McConaughey. Both are leaders but both have different styles of leadership. Bale is leader by default. He is rather uncharasmatic and leads simply because no one else seems to want the job. McConaughey leads by example, and by his own inner fire to see the beasts totally destroyed. During their interaction, we see some signs of story growth. After McConaughey's team has been destroyed by a dragon attack, he is left with just himself, his pilot and Bale to sneak into London, find the big Bull, and destroy it. They have one axe, three crossbows, three arrows, and a couple of rifles. With an obvious blue screen attack, McConaughey gets eaten by the dragon early in the fight. This leaves Bale to finish him off. With the great Bull dragon dead, the species will die out.
The focus of the dialogue between McConaughey and Bale is on leadership...which has the best plan for the future of their peoples and how to merge them into one strong group. Since both leaders loose most of their followers in two different dragon attacks, the question of which leadership type if best is left unanswered. One could argue that Bale's was the best since he survied the attach, but this argument falls when one remembers how McConaughey died.
Plot holes involving the dragons are abundant. For example, McConaughey believes that the dragons reproduce in the same way as fish. The female lays eggs and they are fertalized by the one male. However, this view is contradicted by Bale when he pulls out a dragon egg from a dead female and inside the egg is a dragon embryo. Bale never bothers to share this information with McConaughey. Why?
Also, the theory that only one male is populating the species does not have much weight when you consider one question...how does this one male keep other males from being born? If you say that female dragons can only have female babies, then where did the one male come from? To spend so much time on developing the relationship between the two major characters, and such expense in developing the dragons, to not answer these basic questions makes the movie empty.
As a character study in leadership, see the film. For a fun time and great special effects, see the film. For a complete story that will answer questions that it asks, see Dragonslayer.
Queer as Folk: Out of the Closet, Into the Fire (2000)
Excellent Series
As a gay man in his early 30s, I enjoyed Queer As Folk (and it's original series). My only complaint is that it ended. But what an ending. Rather that end on a note that leaves the series open, it ended with an open ending that also gave the watcher some closure.
While the series (and it's American counterpart) should not be taken as a perfect reflection of gay life, it does do a good job in introducing people to gay characters. And it shows that gay people are more like straight people that you may be willing to admit.
Dinotopia (2002)
Impressive but far from perfect.
I've always been a fan of the mini-series genre. I have not been a fan of the Hallmark mini-series. With the exception of Merlin and the 10th Kingdom, they are normally an exercise in overblown dramatics (see Noah's Ark and for example). However, after watching the first two nights of Dinotopia, I can see a marked change in the mini-series.
Mini-series are usually characterized by large casts with big name stars. One can see the trend going as far back as Roots, North and South, and The Winds of War. While not exactly the "mega-series" that it is advertised to be (running only six hours), Dinotopia is different. With a cast of telented but little known stars (with the possible exception of David Thewlis), Dinotopia shined as an example of entertainment that appeals to both the family unit and the individual watcher. Children will love the images and soft colors that paint the screen. Adults will love the intelligent script and complex world that is created. Indeed, the world is so complex, that one watches just to see what ingenious concept will come next.
Dinotopia, while based on a series of books going by the same name, does borrow concepts from other sources. It's spiritual ideas are eastern. It' s architectural design is largly ancient. There are examples of Egyptian gods in the references of the underworld. And, of course, (in the relationship between the dinosaurs and humans), there are references to the Flintstones. Unlike the Flintstones, the citizens of Dinotopia live in harmony with the dinosaurs, rather that have the dinosaurs work for them. It would bode well for the humans of our age to see that lesson as one that should span time.