My opinion of this film may be somewhat tainted by the time and manner in which I watched it. After an evening watching Star Wars and the Princess Bride, a drunken companion and I decided to stay up and watch another movie. Low volume and the late-night atmosphere is bound to alter perceptions of any film… on such a night did I first watch ‘Troy’ and I fell asleep. This time, we watched Miami Vice.
I didn’t fall asleep, but it was not because of the engaging plot and wonderful characters. I found very little in it to grasp my attention or keep my interest. Consequently I didn’t pay enough attention to understand where the plot was going, or even what the characters were called. I had a vague grasp of what was going on, but mostly the plot seemed to wind aimlessly. Scenes that were supposed to show character development seemed to be quite boring and derivative.
I would give a plot synopsis, but all that I could work out in my admittedly sleepy state was that there were some police officers going undercover to chase after some drug barons. With a name like ‘Miami Vice’ this film had plenty of opportunity for sex and violence. Both were present, the former in excess, but neither was particularly convincing. The acting did not greatly inspire me, although I have seen much worse. Despite potentially evocative material, I found myself completely emotionally detached from the film and its characters. In fact, the most interesting thing I found in the whole film was one of the more stoic female characters acting with military precision during a rescue attempt.
As I stated at the beginning, I’m sure that my state of mind at the time of watching was not ideal to fully appreciate this film. Perhaps if I had a fuller understanding of the plot and characters then I may have appreciated the film a lot more. At the same time, I was not falling asleep… if I was tired, then I *would* have fallen asleep during this film. I didn’t… I watched, and I tried to pay attention. By the end I had worked out that everyone except 6 or 7 characters were ‘bad guys.’ By the end I more-or-less understood the relationship between Jamie Foxx’s character and Gong Li’s character. By the end I more-or-less understood why they were undercover in the first place. But by the end I still wasn’t particularly concerned by the peril or even potential death of these characters.
There were some scenes of gratuitous violence, clustered around the beginning and end of the film… but any promise of a mindless action flick, which would at least have been entertaining, was rapidly displaced by boredom and monotony and characters occasionally shouting at each other.
Maybe one day I’ll watch this film again, in circumstances more amenable to enjoying such a film. But I have watched films in the middle of the night before, and I have enjoyed them. Even giving this film the benefit of the doubt, I suspect that I wouldn’t enjoy it if I did see it again, and I certainly didn’t enjoy it first time around.
Sunday, 29 June 2008
Wednesday, 11 June 2008
Review of 'The Siren's of Titan' by Kurt Vonnegut.
So far, the Sci-fi Masterworks series seems to have lived up to its name.
I had never heard of this author or this book before I decided, on a whim, to buy it. Now, having read it I am supremely glad that it entered my circle of awareness. The Sirens of Titan was written in the late fifties, so certain elements of the science fiction of the time have to be instantly taken into account. However, starting from this basis, it is a fantastically amusing and wonderful story.
In this particular future, space travel has been halted because of the discovery of a 'chrono-synclastic infundibulum,' which is a bizarre kind of spatial anomaly. One man decided to enter this anomaly, with his dog, and as a consequence finds that he is spread over space, only materialising at certain intervals. The benefit, however, is that he can see into the future.
This story has a wonderful cast of characters, and is beautifully told. It is an exceptionally easy read, being written in a simplistic, almost childlike tone, without being too childish. But at the same time, it is quietly philosophical, and often outright hilarious. It has an almost perfect balance of thought-provoking text, interesting plot developments and entertainment. The reader can leave it laughing, and dismiss it as an amusing read, or they can be engrossed in the story line, in finding out how the characters get to where they are going, and what happens there. Alternatively, it provides discussion material, in the form of age-old questions about whether the future is set in stone, or whether we can have any say in our own destiny.
I enjoyed this book so much that aside from a few comments about the way that science fiction has changed in the intervening years, I cannot find any negative points to mention. Yes, there is the fact that nowadays authors would never get away with native aliens on other planets in our solar system. Yes, there is the interesting juxtaposition between technology we consider antiquated, and technology we still have yet to achieve. Yes, there is the fact that the mood, characterisation and even length of this novel are somewhat of-its-time. But even so, I feel it has aged very well.
This book is deservedly described as a classic, and I would recommend it to everyone, whether or not they were a science fiction fan, because I feel it has universal appeal.
I had never heard of this author or this book before I decided, on a whim, to buy it. Now, having read it I am supremely glad that it entered my circle of awareness. The Sirens of Titan was written in the late fifties, so certain elements of the science fiction of the time have to be instantly taken into account. However, starting from this basis, it is a fantastically amusing and wonderful story.
In this particular future, space travel has been halted because of the discovery of a 'chrono-synclastic infundibulum,' which is a bizarre kind of spatial anomaly. One man decided to enter this anomaly, with his dog, and as a consequence finds that he is spread over space, only materialising at certain intervals. The benefit, however, is that he can see into the future.
This story has a wonderful cast of characters, and is beautifully told. It is an exceptionally easy read, being written in a simplistic, almost childlike tone, without being too childish. But at the same time, it is quietly philosophical, and often outright hilarious. It has an almost perfect balance of thought-provoking text, interesting plot developments and entertainment. The reader can leave it laughing, and dismiss it as an amusing read, or they can be engrossed in the story line, in finding out how the characters get to where they are going, and what happens there. Alternatively, it provides discussion material, in the form of age-old questions about whether the future is set in stone, or whether we can have any say in our own destiny.
I enjoyed this book so much that aside from a few comments about the way that science fiction has changed in the intervening years, I cannot find any negative points to mention. Yes, there is the fact that nowadays authors would never get away with native aliens on other planets in our solar system. Yes, there is the interesting juxtaposition between technology we consider antiquated, and technology we still have yet to achieve. Yes, there is the fact that the mood, characterisation and even length of this novel are somewhat of-its-time. But even so, I feel it has aged very well.
This book is deservedly described as a classic, and I would recommend it to everyone, whether or not they were a science fiction fan, because I feel it has universal appeal.
Saturday, 7 June 2008
Review of the 2008 film ‘Iron Man’
I enjoy superhero movies slightly less than the next girl. The original breed I found slightly too cheesy or too camp. I never liked Superman, in any of his incarnations. I never read any of the numerous comics, either, though I have heard a lot about them from friends, and I have to say I was never overly enthused.
But recently, the film industry seems to be getting it right. The X-men, Batman Begins, Spiderman… all of these took the superhero concept and made it inspiring, reworking the genre until it became a new form of fantasy. They have (mostly) ignored the camp 80’s concept of the lycra-clad well-muscled squeaky-clean protagonist, introducing levels of ambiguity that make the lead roles darker and much more interesting.
Iron Man is another example of the film industry getting it right. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr), genius and director of Stark Industries, essentially an American weapons production company, is kidnapped and held by terrorists, who want him to produce an example of his latest deadly weapon. Locked in a cell, with the supplies he needs to make the weapon and one helper, he works… but not on the weapon. His escape attempt involves an iron suit, armed and virtually impervious to bullets.
Then Tony Stark goes home, to a place that has access to far better equipment…
The film starts with an engaging scene, in one go introducing character and conflict, whilst paving the way for the rest of the first act. From there on, there is a good balance of action, drama and emotional content. The inevitable Hollywood romance is quiet and understated. The main character is likeable as a protagonist, while still being believable as the rather immature director of a company that primarily produces weapons, and the character development is well acted and well filmed.
As a superhero, Iron Man is a very interesting take on the traditional element: similar to batman in that he is a rich man with resources, rather than an alien or mutant, but the emphasis is on his suit, rather than gadgetry and martial arts. The character of Stark, inside the suit, reacts as many people would if they realised they could fly, and his attitude to becoming a superhero is much more human and light-hearted than the great-power-and-great-responsibility style.
This film is not perfect, in some silly ways: g-forces are often completely ignored, and the revelatory scene where Stark discovers a new way of using his suit makes the viewer wonder what he’d originally intended it for… The antagonist, too, is a major down-point, because he errs on the side of stereotypical and in dealing with this antagonist, Stark makes some rookie mistakes that most ten-year-olds would question.
But these things can all be forgiven in an action film, even if they would be ridiculous in any other medium. What matters is the entertainment value, and this film contains that in great supply.
And be sure to watch until after the credits for the near-traditional sequel pitch.
But recently, the film industry seems to be getting it right. The X-men, Batman Begins, Spiderman… all of these took the superhero concept and made it inspiring, reworking the genre until it became a new form of fantasy. They have (mostly) ignored the camp 80’s concept of the lycra-clad well-muscled squeaky-clean protagonist, introducing levels of ambiguity that make the lead roles darker and much more interesting.
Iron Man is another example of the film industry getting it right. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr), genius and director of Stark Industries, essentially an American weapons production company, is kidnapped and held by terrorists, who want him to produce an example of his latest deadly weapon. Locked in a cell, with the supplies he needs to make the weapon and one helper, he works… but not on the weapon. His escape attempt involves an iron suit, armed and virtually impervious to bullets.
Then Tony Stark goes home, to a place that has access to far better equipment…
The film starts with an engaging scene, in one go introducing character and conflict, whilst paving the way for the rest of the first act. From there on, there is a good balance of action, drama and emotional content. The inevitable Hollywood romance is quiet and understated. The main character is likeable as a protagonist, while still being believable as the rather immature director of a company that primarily produces weapons, and the character development is well acted and well filmed.
As a superhero, Iron Man is a very interesting take on the traditional element: similar to batman in that he is a rich man with resources, rather than an alien or mutant, but the emphasis is on his suit, rather than gadgetry and martial arts. The character of Stark, inside the suit, reacts as many people would if they realised they could fly, and his attitude to becoming a superhero is much more human and light-hearted than the great-power-and-great-responsibility style.
This film is not perfect, in some silly ways: g-forces are often completely ignored, and the revelatory scene where Stark discovers a new way of using his suit makes the viewer wonder what he’d originally intended it for… The antagonist, too, is a major down-point, because he errs on the side of stereotypical and in dealing with this antagonist, Stark makes some rookie mistakes that most ten-year-olds would question.
But these things can all be forgiven in an action film, even if they would be ridiculous in any other medium. What matters is the entertainment value, and this film contains that in great supply.
And be sure to watch until after the credits for the near-traditional sequel pitch.
Tuesday, 3 June 2008
Review of the 2008 film 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'
I must admit when I heard that there was a new Indiana Jones film being released, I was a little apprehensive. This lifted somewhat when I heard that it was still going to be Harrison Ford, but I was still concerned that they would change the atmosphere, make it a camped-up slapstick comedy flick, with little else to recommend it. Alternatively I thought it might take itself too seriously, and ruin the light-hearted drama of the original trilogy.
I needn’t have worried. It seems that Steven Spielberg and George Lucas remain safe hands when it comes to Henry Jones Jr.
This film captured the atmosphere of the original movies almost effortlessly. Allowances were made for the fact that Indie was older than in the first films, and the occasional reference was made to his previous adventures, but there was the same balance of action and comedy, with the same one-liners that we’ve come to expect.
It’s been a while since I saw the original film, though I remember most of them quite well. The ending of this film is no more sane than those, and some of the scenes have stepped well clear of the line between fiction and fantasy. But Indiana Jones was never about sanity, and the plot lines were never firmly rooted in our reality, so this much did not bother me. There was some inconsistencies, which were a little troubling, and a few scenes that seemed to border on the gratuitous: perhaps the result of a brainstorming session between fans who suddenly find themselves as script-writers, all saying “You know what we should do!”. The ending was about as far-fetched as could be allowed in a movie that was, still, set mostly in our reality, and suffered a little from Hollywood cheese.
However, I went into the film expecting to be entertained, and I was not disappointed. Characters both old and new were wonderfully acted and portrayed, and the on-screen chemistry between those characters made it much easier to forgive the more outlandish adventuring. It was also incredibly refreshing to have a love interest that wasn’t a twenty-something supermodel, inexplicably attracted to the much older Indiana (although I’d be lying if I said I didn’t see the appeal).
All in all I recommend this latest in the Indiana Jones saga to fans of the originals, and newcomers alike. It was a thoroughly entertaining adventure story, with an incredibly charismatic and strangely believable lead. Forgive the fantasy, and enjoy the thrill ride.
I needn’t have worried. It seems that Steven Spielberg and George Lucas remain safe hands when it comes to Henry Jones Jr.
This film captured the atmosphere of the original movies almost effortlessly. Allowances were made for the fact that Indie was older than in the first films, and the occasional reference was made to his previous adventures, but there was the same balance of action and comedy, with the same one-liners that we’ve come to expect.
It’s been a while since I saw the original film, though I remember most of them quite well. The ending of this film is no more sane than those, and some of the scenes have stepped well clear of the line between fiction and fantasy. But Indiana Jones was never about sanity, and the plot lines were never firmly rooted in our reality, so this much did not bother me. There was some inconsistencies, which were a little troubling, and a few scenes that seemed to border on the gratuitous: perhaps the result of a brainstorming session between fans who suddenly find themselves as script-writers, all saying “You know what we should do!”. The ending was about as far-fetched as could be allowed in a movie that was, still, set mostly in our reality, and suffered a little from Hollywood cheese.
However, I went into the film expecting to be entertained, and I was not disappointed. Characters both old and new were wonderfully acted and portrayed, and the on-screen chemistry between those characters made it much easier to forgive the more outlandish adventuring. It was also incredibly refreshing to have a love interest that wasn’t a twenty-something supermodel, inexplicably attracted to the much older Indiana (although I’d be lying if I said I didn’t see the appeal).
All in all I recommend this latest in the Indiana Jones saga to fans of the originals, and newcomers alike. It was a thoroughly entertaining adventure story, with an incredibly charismatic and strangely believable lead. Forgive the fantasy, and enjoy the thrill ride.
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