You might be happy (or at least relieved) to know that I have resolved to write a spoiler-free review. Whether I’ve achieved that is another story (what constitutes a spoiler is at least a little subjective), but at least you know the intention is there. Basically what I’m trying to say is that I won’t be revealing plot points, and I certainly won’t be answering the question that’s on everyone’s mind, namely, who the feck is Benedict Cumberbatch?
I’ll avoid comparing the film with its predecessors, but I will say that the filmmakers clearly created Star Trek Into Darkness with the fans in mind. If the large audience with which I viewed it is any indication, the film’s myriad homages to its predecessors were generally much appreciated, though these occurred so frequently that they risked transforming from charming winks into disconcerting, seemingly uncontrollable twitches.
What balance the film may lack in its homages, it makes up for in its complementary blend of action and sci-fi: sweet fight sequences, cool automobiles and gadgets, hot ladies and hunky guys provide the action, which is rounded out nicely by spaceships, aliens, and the moral philosophizing that has informed Star Trek since its birth. All of this is accomplished with neurotically beautiful cinematography, editing and mise en scene. The visuals of the opening sequence are particularly lovely, and may recall to some the work of director-deity Akira Kurosawa.
The visuals and score are well combined, generally evoking all the right responses at the right times, though admittedly I was a bit grumpy about being manipulated by such devices. A redeeming factor is that the film seems to know when it’s gone too far, adding hints of humour now and then to break the gravity.
Performances on all sides are fantastic, although the intense focus on the evolving bromance between Spock (Zachary Quinto) and Kirk (Chris Pine) comes at the expense of peripheral character development. As a result, I left the film a little unsatisfied, with the feeling that there was still so much more to learn about the other characters—Cumberbatch’s included.
The lack of development extends to the plot, which some might find a little shallow if they’re hoping for anything much beyond the usual standards of Hollywood blockbusters. The story is interesting and coherent enough; I just wish it went a little deeper and innovated a little more on the traditional templates.
In short, Star Trek Into Darkness is a good old-fashioned story told exceedingly well, but for some of us (myself included) that’s not enough. Abrams has yet to go where no one has gone before, but that’s not to say he—or whoever takes over the franchise—never will. My hope is that, much like the Borg, the rebooted Trek will continue to evolve toward a state of perfection.
As many of you may already know, last weekend (April 20-21) was Vancouver’s second Fan Expo. Being a broke-ass student, I was pretty determined not to go this year, but I’m also a masochist, so I decided to browse the Fan Expo site anyway. When I saw what I would be missing I ignored my inner tightwad and bought tickets: my favourite magazine, Rue Morgue, was bringing its Festival of Fear (FoF) to Vancouver. Continue reading at Cinemadamned.com.
When TheBlair Witch Project first hit theatres back in 1999, some viewers were so convinced the events that occurred onscreen were real, they called the town of Burkittsville (in which the film is set) and offered to help in the search and rescue efforts for the three characters who went missing in the film. Grave Encounters 2 is based on this sort of audience response. Continue reading at Cinemadamned.com.
Let me begin this review by saying that I’m not too familiar with the rape/revenge genre, which is why I was slightly confused when two audience members at my screening of The Seasoning House, after the film ended, agreed that it was “a pretty decent rape/revenge flick”; based on this comment I can only assume that extreme violence, gritty style and a plot full of clichéd depictions of Eastern European thugs make for a “decent rape/revenge flick.” Continue reading at Cinemadamned.com.
It’s 10 a.m. and uncharacteristically gorgeous outside as a small group of us make our way into the Vancity Theatre for Vancouver director Karen Lam’s workshop on directing horror. Any misgivings we had about spending such a beautiful day inside vanish when Lam, a petite elfish thing with mid-length dark hair, dressed in jeans and an off-white satin blouse, bounces down the steps and up to the podium, nervously speaking into the mic, “Inside this dark theatre with the sun shining outside: you must be my people.” Continue reading at Cinemadamned.com.
Almost four years ago, director Sam Raimi revisited his Evil Dead roots with Drag Me To Hell, a solid, spooky-fun horror film that did a great job of reminding fans of his previous masterpiece but was less successful in erasing the memories of fanboys still bitter over Spider-Man 3. Now Raimi returns with Oz the Great and Powerful, a big-budget adaptation of a series of children’s books that also acts as a prequel to one of the most beloved movies of all time.
Although technically Oz the Great and Powerful is based on the literary works of L. Frank Baum and not the classic 1939 Warner Bros. film, Raimi clearly pays homage to The Wizard of Ozwhenever he gets the chance. This is a ballsy move on Raimi’s part asapparently the rights situation surrounding the film was so complicated that Disney had to have lawyers present during the film’s production to ensure that no copyright laws were broken. The effect this had on Raimi’s film is most apparent in the makeup and wardrobe departments: the director was forbidden from using the iconic ruby red slippers (changed from silver to red for the Warner Bros. adaptation) and he had to change the skin tone of the Wicked Witch of the West; if these rules were not obeyed, Warner lawyers would have clicked their heels three times and everyone involved in the $215-million production would have been sent home.
Raimi veteran James Franco as Oscar “Oz” Diggs (Image: Digitalspy.com)
Oz the Great and Powerful tells the story of Oscar Diggs (played by Raimi veteran James Franco), a small-town circus magician from Kansas who ends up in a storm with his flying balloon and is then transported to the magical land of Oz. Shortly after his arrival in the CGI wonderland, Oscar meets Theodora (Mila Kunis), one of the many witches inhabiting Oz. Theodora is convinced that Oscar is the great wizard who, according to prophecy, will free the land from the Wicked Witch. He agrees to hunt down the Wicked Witch because Theodora’s sister Evanora (Rachel Weisz) tells him that once he has defeated her, he will become rich beyond his wildest dreams. On his journey, Oz meets new friends and eventually discovers that there is much more to the witch hunt than he initially expected.
A combination of brilliant and underwhelming moments, Raimi’s Oz is kind of a mixed bag. Strongest are the film’s first fifteen minutes and its climax; the whole middle section, on the other hand, is problematic, offering viewers few memorable sequences.
The beginning of the film, set in Kansas in 1902 and presented in black and white, establishes the main characters really well. Here Raimi successfully recreates the atmosphere of the original Wizard of Oz, in which Kansas was not depicted realistically, but had an otherworldly feel to it. Surprisingly, once we’re not in Kansas anymore, the film loses a lot of its magic.
The initial scene in Oz, in which the image transitions from black and white to colour while the aspect ratio slowly expands from fullscreen to widescreen, produces an impressive but short-lived effect. The problem is that the land of Oz looks too computer-generated and consequently fails to evoke the sense of wonder that made the 1939 version a classic; that the filmmakers so obviously put a lot of work into it makes this aesthetic failure especially disappointing. While one has to admire that James Franco is actually walking on a non-CGI yellow brick road, the mix of built sets and CGI backgrounds never quite comes together as a whole, and will make some viewers wonder why Pandora, the alien world from the now almost four-year-old Avatar, looked so much better. At least the film’s use of 3D is decent (though not outstanding).
On a more positive note, one of Oz’s more pleasant surprises is Franco’s interpretation of Oscar as a sort of flamboyant stoner-charlatan who, while oftentimes confused by what is going on around him, has his heart in the right place. Zach Braff, who plays Oscar’s assistant and Finley the monkey, also deserves a special mention as he makes for a very amusing sidekick. In general the acting is decent, with the exception perhaps of the performances by Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams (as the good witch Glinda)—though in their defence they seemingly did what they could with the little they were given.
Zach Braff makes a great sidekick as the voice of Finley (Image: Chud.com)
The most enjoyable parts of Ozthe Great and Powerful are the interactions between Oscar and Finley, the exciting last act as well as the little signature Raimi touches throughout—most notably in the scene in which Oscar flies through the storm in his hot-air balloon and during the final showdown; some shots are so distinct that fans will experience little Evil Dead déjà-vus (which is always a good thing). Speaking of the director’s horror roots, it is clear that Raimi fully embraced the dark side of the Oz mythology: his depiction of evil flying monkeys makes the Warner Bros. monkeys look like those charming little fez-wearing panhandlers that sometimes accompany accordion players. In other words, Raimi teaches you to fear the flying monkey.
Without a doubt, the most disappointing part of the film is everything involving the Wicked Witch of the West, who, due to my desire to not spoil the film, shall remain uncredited in this review. Not only does her subplot feel rushed and nonsensical, but he actress portraying her is completely miscast. It doesn’t help that the prosthetic make-up is not nearly as frightening as it should be, which is a shame given that the majority of audience members familiar with the Warner Bros. film were probably looking forward to seeing an updated version of one of the most iconic movie villains of all time.
Ultimately, Oz the Great and Powerful ends up being Oz the Sort-of-Okay but Mostly Forgettable. It is not the creative disaster that Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland was, but it is also inferior to The Wizard of Oz in nearly every way. Thanks to the man behind the curtain, the new Oz does have some heart, but it could use a bit more courage and brain. Perhaps Disney’s Oz will acquire these things yet: this past weekend, so many people were off to see the wizard that the studio is already working on a sequel.
Have you ever wondered what an episode of The Wire would look like if it had been directed by Woody Allen? Gimme the Loot might be the closest you’ll ever get to seeing that scenario play out onscreen. The film’s great sense of place and witty dialogue suggest that director Adam Leon, who was once one of Allen’s assistants, watched his mentor closely.
Leon’s feature-film debut tells the story of Malcolm (Ty Hickson) and Sofia (Tashiana Washington), two teenage graffiti artists living in New York City. The two dream of tagging the plastic apple that pops up every time the Mets score a home run–an act that would reveal their art to millions of people. They develop an elaborate plan that’s sure to get them close enough to “bomb” (graffiti slang for “spray on”) the apple, but, as is the case with so many movie plans, theirs has one seemingly insurmountable glitch: it involves coming up with $500 to bribe a guy who works at the stadium.
This basic premise, while amusing, doesn’t do Gimme the Loot justice: the film is not so much concerned with plot as it is with its characters, their relationships and their city. Leon’s grainy aesthetic and tasteful RnB soundtrack provide a strong atmosphere into which the director inserts beautifully framed shots of the city, capturing a side of New York we haven’t seen a hundred times before. Wide-angle shots of characters walking on the street or sitting in front of houses further add to the film’s great sense of place. How Gimme the Loot makes use of the mise-en-scène is also often impressive–the scene in which Malcolm delivers drugs to the wealthy Minnie (Zoë Lescaze) works so well because the audience immediately gets a sense of Minnie’s character through the look of her room, which is cluttered with movie memorabilia and souvenirs from her travels around the world.
Still, the film’s highlight remains its script: in an effort to make the dialogue as realistic as possible, Leon transcribed conversations of teenagers while riding the subway. Watching the final product, one can say that this experiment paid off as the dialogue comes across as clever without seeming artificial–a careful balance that is no easy feat. Many of the characters in Gimme the Lot–even the smaller parts–leave lasting impressions. Standouts, besides the charming leads, include Zoë Lescaze as Minnie, who later on in the film becomes an integral part of the story, and Meeko Gattuso as Champion, a small-time street gangster who acts as sort of a criminal mentor to Malcolm and Sofia while dropping an impressive amount of F-bombs.
Gimme the Loot is a genuinely funny, uplifting tale of two teenagers who might end up being more than just graffiti partners. Not only does it educate audiences on the proper use of condoms and ask the controversial question of when it’s okay for men to wear flip-flips in public; Gimme the Loot also features great dialogue, refreshing actors and a new take on an old love. In short, this is a film that truly deserves your loot.
