Snowpiercer

This ecological epic from south korean director Bong Joon-ho is an incredibly powerful piece of art, simultaneously an action epic and an art house indie Snowpiercer is about the last remaining survivors of planet earth who circle the globe in a perpetually travelling train after an ice age has caused the near extinction of the human race.

The film is a massive piece of social commentary, and on the train is a sturdily defined social structure much like on our planet today, at the back of the train the tail passengers live in squalid conditions, the passengers in the middle live lives of lavish decadence while in the head, Wilford, the builder of the train lives in peaceful minimalism.

The tail passengers, lead by Curtis played by Chris Evans surge towards the front of the train hoping to ignite a revolution. The whole train is a metaphor for our societies social structure, for our class system and how the status quo is necessary to keep order.

Mason, Wilford's henchwoman is a fearsome character, played by Tilda Swinton she is a thatcherian masterpiece, with a broad yorkshire accent and ever broader teeth, Swinton's performance is predictably magnificent.

The other performances of this film are also excellent, with Joon-ho directing a fine cast of thespians including Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer, Ed Harris and John Hurt

Visually this film is a treat, with the segments of the train playing important roles, the train itself is a fully three dimensional space, holistically realized and minutely crafted it is a space the audience longs to explore, we long to walk though the orangery and marvel at the aquarium, we long to explore the nightclubs and saunas.

What is also apparent from Snowpiercer is how much of a mash up it is of multiple genres, the film is a blockbuster with an A-list cast, yet the way in which the film analyses our current social system. Snowpiercer is a shoestring indie film, with a massive budget and fantastic cast, and this film is the perfect example of how original films can survive in spite of large budgets.

I really enjoyed Snowpiercer, it's refreshing, unique and original, and it's heartening to see how original films can thrive in our adaptation laden movie release schedule.

Big Hero Six

As the first Disney Animated Adaptation of a Marvel property, Big Hero 6 has a lot to live up to, thankfully the film delivers and is a refreshingly original addition to the Disney animated canon.

Big Hero 6 is the story of Hiro, a young robotics genius who is forced to become a superhero after his invention is stolen and his brother is killed in order to save his city and avenge his brother.

Firstly the film is gorgeous, Disney developed new computers and algorithms to animate the world seen, this is apparent as the film features some of the most stunning photorealistic animation yet seen on film, even surpassing many of Pixar's best efforts, which in itself is no mean feat.

The film is based in San Franskyo, described as a mashup of San Francisco and Tokyo, which is more accurately a japanified version of The Golden Gate city. San Fransokyo is laid out entirely like San Francisco down to the placement of the painted ladies and indeed the film makers even dug through city archives to lay out the city exactly.

The result is a world so complete and holistic, so all encompassing that it looks and feels like a real place.

This film is only Disney's second attempt at a science fiction film after Meet The Robinsons, and where Robinsons, though fantastic is a film with obvious caveats, Big Hero 6 is an entirely more well formed work.

The film reinvents the original comic book characters to make them more relatable (and more easily marketable to children) the monster Baymax is now cuddly and lovable, and the weirdos who surround our main character are now a ragtag team of endearing scientists.

It should be said that unfortunately this film is not part of the marvel cinematic universe, it would have been interesting and unexpected to tie this film in with other marvel properties, so its a shame that it is instead segregated.

Overall I really liked Big Hero 6, finding it to be beautiful, thoughtful and entertaining, this is the Disney animated movie that those who typically hate Disney will love, and is amongst the best marvel superhero films.

Prizefight: MARVEL vs DC

Both these comic book companies have had huge success in the field of cinema, and both are still producing films, this post will analyze the differences between the ways these companies have adapted their universes to film, the completeness of their franchises and how coherent their film universes are.

DC have been making films for significantly longer than Marvel, DC first created a franchise with the release of the original superman film in 1978, which spawned four sequels and a semi reboot. The first batman film was released in 1989, directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton, the film became a blueprint for superhero movies released over the next decade, being dark and brooding, featuring graphic imagery and being unabashedly violent, and influencing the way superhero films were marketed and promoted. These films were both released by Warner Brothers, and to date the whole of the DC universe has been produced exclusively by Warner, giving the franchise a sense of cohesion not present in the more fragmented Marvel franchises.

Marvel Comics properties have had a significantly more tortured road to the big screen, the first movie produced was X-Men, which was released in 1999, to great critical acclaim, and which to date has spawned five sequels and two spin offs. This film was released by 20th Century Fox, as was The Fantastic Four, which itself spawned a sequel. The next property to be adapted was Spider-Man, released by Sony in 2002, spawning a trilogy of films and a rebooted franchise. In 2009 Disney purchased Marvel entertainment, and thus set up Marvel studios, which started producing it's own films financed and distributed by Disney, this gave birth to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a shared world which some Marvel characters inhabit, notably the avengers.

Although the DC Universe may seem to be the least fragmented and the most complete, their films have all been based around only a handful of characters, and they still have not successfully created a shared universe, despite all efforts. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is the most complete shared universe ever seen on film, and Marvel remain the only studio that has managed to unite it's heroes in a single film. The universe has been hugely influential, and DC and Sony are now attempting to piece together universes, with Dawn of Justice being a clear attempt to replicate Marvels success.

The way Marvel franchises have been portrayed on film feels more complete than DC's attempts, despite the films being spread over various studios, more characters have been adapted to film, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe feels incredibly cohesive and a very impressive undertaking. Whereas the DC universe, while once great now feels tired and in need of rebuilding, and their attempts to create a shared universe between the Batman and Superman franchises feels rushed and forced.

Starring Scarlett Johansson

Lucy is a 2014 action film starring Scarlett Johansson and directed by Luc Besson. The film is about an american expat living in Taiwan called Lucy, she is kidnapped by drug dealers and has a bag placed in her stomach, when the bag starts leaking, Lucy is able to access more of her mind, over the 10% humans currently use (according to the film), when she is able to access other reaches of her mind she is able to do other things such as telekinesis, telepathy and the ability to change her appearance and metabolism at will.

The film's logic is not infallible, firstly the film's entire premise is based on little more than an urban myth, we now know that we use far more than 10% or our brain's capacity, and that defining it in percentage terms is illogical. Nonetheless the film takes this concept and applies it entirely literally. Secondly the film's ending, whilst poetic and beautiful, is never really explained, and the details of why Lucy's body starts to self destruct make little sense. Despite the film being slightly illogical, Lucy believes so wholeheartedly in it's concept that this matters little.

The film is enthusiastically and almost aggressively silly, currently, thanks in no small part to Christopher Nolan, modern blockbusters always take themselves far too seriously, and it is refreshingly to see a film that, if anything, doesn't take itself seriously enough, the film is content to be no more than a dumb action film, but if anything, it doesn't take itself seriously enough, this is a film that really has something to say about evolution and the future of mankind, but i am grateful that a Luc Besson film didn't try to be anything too paradigmatic.

The main character of Lucy is interesting, and hopefully the films success with Johansson above the marquee will finally convince Marvel Studios to greenlight a Scarlett Widow solo film. As lucy becomes more and more powerful, she becomes less empathetic and less human, this is perhaps intentional, but we reach a point when we can no longer view her as human, Lucy becomes almost invincible in the film's third act, and this is a problem as we the film eventually becomes less and less thrilling, because we are no longer scared about the safety of our heroine, Lucy also never interracts with her enemies, and although it is pretty cool to see Taiwanese gangsters fighting thin air, it would have been nice to have seen a true fist to fist fight scene.

Lucy is an oddly refreshing film, though it is riddled with logical gaps and pseudoscience, it is great to finally see a summer blockbuster that doesn't take itself  too seriously, that powers through it's ridiculousness with fun and thrills, and which is actually rather well made, Johansson provides a suitably gonzo performance in the title role, and despite being highly silly, Lucy is actually a lot of fun, provided one doesn't attempt to take it too seriously. Rating: B-

Lucy: Life was given to us a billion years ago. Now you know what you can do with it.

The Empire Strikes Back

Whilst i appreciate that it might be overkill writing two posts about Star Wars in as many days, all the recent news about the franchise has got me buzzed, and i settled in last night to re-watch Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. I reviewed Episode IV a while back, and i remember being pleasantly surprised by the film, finding it to be engaging, fun and exciting (my review can be found HERE). The Empire Strikes Back was directed by Irvin Kershner, and based on an original story by George Lucas, released in 1980, the film was the second Star Wars film to be released, and the fifth in the series chronology. 

The film is notable for being one of the first real sequels released in Hollywood, and for kickstarting one of cinema's first real franchises. The original Star Wars series was one of the first blockbuster trilogies, one of the first tentpole franchises, and also the first, and to date only real blockbuster financed independently, Lucas broke from the Hollywood mold by using his own money to finance Episode V, with the film subsequently being only distributed by 20th Century Fox. The film also set up a chronology for the Star Wars canon that would only become realized in the early 2000's with the release of the prequel trilogy. The film was somewhat confusingly called Episode V on release, with the first film being retitled Episode IV: A New Hope. This sets up the space for a prequel trilogy, episodes 1 through 3, and allows the films to subsequently be viewed as one long series. Although being confusing at the time, the gamble paid off, and the series is now a shining example of how to master plan a series, as each film is satisfying in its own right, and yet leaves space for expansion and explanation in subsequent series.

The film is set about three years after A New Hope, the death star has been destroyed, and the rebel alliance is struggling against the empire, Darth Vader has been chasing our three heroes in revenge for the destruction of the death star, Han and Leia grow closer, and Luke tries to find out the truth about what happened to his father. The film's plot and script is fun and action packed, our heroes are constantly put in danger and manage to escape by the skin of their teeth, and the film is fairly well paced, the director makes the smart decision to limit the length of the film to two hours, meaning that the action is fairly tight and well paced.

The film also looks fantastic, the effects used were groundbreaking for the time, much like the first film, and a variety of effects were used, go-motion was used to animate the AT-AT and the AT-ST, which look fantastic, and which have a realness and visual tactility that is absent from entirely CGI creations. The film also takes us to new and exciting places that were not seen in the previous film, the cloud city on Bespin looks stunning and is a simply fabulous idea, making an exciting setting for the climactic battle between Vader and Luke. The film also takes us to Dagobah, a swamp-like marsh, where Skywalker meets Yoda, a Jedi Master. One of the only new characters or new species to be featured in this film, Yoda takes the form of a wrinkled green dwarf, and was animated using mainly puppets and animatronics. In this film Yoda was portrayed by Frank Oz, noted for also playing many muppet characters including Miss Piggy.

The acting in the film is superb, and it is notable that the film doesn't suffer from the absence of Alec Guiness, who was a huge presence in the previous film, the film nicely explores the relationship between Han Solo and Princess Leia, as it developed into a romantic attraction, and the relationship between Luke and Leia as they grow closer, and learn the truth about their relationship. Most important is the development in the relationship between Luke and his archenemy Darth Vader, which culminates with Luke learning the truth, and being unable to handle it.

The Empire Strikes Back is everything a sequel should be, despite there being a jump in time between this film and the last, no time is wasted with introduction or exposition, and we are dropped right into the middle of the story. Lucas assumes that we have seen the previous film, and the movie is much stronger for that. Lucas, Kasdan and Brackett successfully weave a delicate and complex plot featuring overlapping storylines, exhilarating action and a sensitive romantic subplot. The film is tense, atmospheric, visually stunning and highly plotted, making for a thoroughly enjoyable watch. Rating: A

Darth Vader: Luke, you do not yet realize your importance. You have only begun to discover your power. Join me, and I will complete your training. With our combined strength, we can end this destructive conflict and bring order to the galaxy.

STAR WARS: REBELS

Last week the internet almost imploded with the news of the release of the cast of the upcoming episode 7, and the list pleased me somewhat, the stars of the original trilogy are all returning, which seems like auspicious news. Adam Driver and Oscar Isaac, two of my favorite current actors, have also joined the cast. Also joining the ensemble is Andy Serkis, an actor mostly known for playing CGI characters such as Gollum , King Kong and Captain Haddock. Serkis' presence in the cast suggests that he will perhaps be playing a CGI, motion capture character, which is incredibly de rigueur right now. Also returning are C-3PO and R2D2, in addition to Chewbacca, all of whom are fan favorites.

However, this post is not specifically about Episode VII, but about the recently announced animated television series, airing on Disney XD in the autumn of 2014. Since reaching an licensing agreement with LucasFilm, and especially now since acquiring the company for 4.05 billion in 2011, Disney has developed a number of animated series based around the star wars characters and universe. During the 1990's these were developed by LucasFilm in conjunction with ABC or Cartoon Network, however since 2008's The Clone Wars, they have aired exclusively on Disney owned channels. Early series had limited success, and The Clone Wars, despite running for six seasons could only be described as a partial success. A few early episodes were bundled together as a feature film and released to cinemas, a move which rarely works and concurrently the film was panned by critics. The latest season was aired on Netflix instead of on cable, and will be the end of the series.

Although i try to keep television posts on Popcorn@Movies to a minimum, and i would normally never dream of writing about an animated television series, the trailer, recently released for Star Wars Rebels succeeded in piquing my attention. The trailer, which lasts all of  15 seconds (and which can be found HERE) features some pretty stunning animation. The series looks almost photo-realistic, with the exception of the human characters, who are animated in an asian inspired manga style. It seems that the merger with Disney has been good news for LucasFilm's animation department, as the quality of animation looks to be extremely high, particularly for a television budget.

I am oddly excited for this series, whilst i would previously never really care about a series airing on Disney XD, this looks to be a well produced, exciting and fun animated series, wit unusually high production values. As the first real product of the merger between Disney and LucasFilm, it looks to be an auspicious start, and should give Star Wars fans high hopes for the upcoming Episode VII.

Nobody Can Hear You Scream

Well i will start this review by saying that if you will need to go to the toilet, or want to make a cup of tea, then i suggest you do it now, we may be here for a while! GRAVITY is a 2013 science fiction film directed by mexican director Alfonso Cuaron. The film is set in outer space and follows Dr Ryan Stone, played by Sandra Bullock in real time as she completes a spacewalk and  attempts to reach the international space station in order to return home.  The film is notable for containing very few actors, and Bullock is joined by George Clooney who plays a seasoned astronaut attempting to break the record for the most hours spacewalked. These are the only two actors seen in the film, however we do hear a few actors voices, most notably that of Ed Harris, playing mission control in Houston, Texas. This is a funny tongue in cheek reference to Harris' role in Apollo 13, a fun reference for the cinemaphiles amongst us.

Gravity is a dramatization of the Kessler syndrome, in which the density of objects in orbit is enough that collisions could cause a series of chain reactions, each collision producing debris and thus increasing the likelihood of other collisions and making space exploration impossible. The film may be categorized as a thriller, being fairly dark in nature and the whole film being fairly high strung. Despite being a science fiction film, GRAVITY is much less allegorical than other Sci-Fi films, and is much less a tale of morals than say, 2001 or WALL-E. Instead GRAVITY is a psychological analysis, with the story being the example of a relentless murphys law and with Ryan Stone's solitude becoming a source of her strength, technology is also used as a metaphor in some cases with Stone finding the last bit of power on the spaceship, and the last bit of energy from within in order to survive.

GRAVITY is in 3D, and whereas most films use 3D to a financial end, GRAVITY takes 3D technology to new heights. GRAVITY is the third film that i have seen in 3D, and it is so far the only one that i felt would have been missing something without the added third dimension. The first film i saw was Toy Story 3, and whilst the 3D was perfectly acceptable, it was not a necessity, and the film was fine without it. The second film i saw was Iron Man 3, and whilst the 3D was tolerable, it was hardly necessary. GRAVITY would be a shame in 2D, as the 3D is used primarily to add dept, and the technology creates a point of reference which is useful, this is particularly important during the numerous scenes featuring space debris. In two dimensions there would normally be no real size difference between the debris and star, however in 3D the debris is in a different plane to the stars, and is thus easily discernible. The 3D allows us to experience the film, and to dodge pieces of solar panel with Ryan Stone, rather than just watching her dodge them!

George Clooney plays Lieutenant Matt Kowalski, the head of the mission, and a veteran astronaut. Kowalski as played by Clooney is charismatic, bright funny and caring, much like the man himself. Sandra Bullock plays Dr Ryan Stone, an engineer and rookie astronaut. Stone's character is headstrong, brave and focused, what is so amazing about this film is that despite the film not being very long and being told entirely in real time, we feel as if we know Bullocks character, and this is entirely thanks to her phenomenal skill as an actor, lets just give her the Oscar now shall we? GRAVITY also looks fantastic, and one might almost believe that this whole film was actually made in space, until logical reasoning tells us that this is impossible! The film is incredibly realistic and the visual effects are derived of necessity rather than animators attempting to prove their self worth.

Overall GRAVITY is a film that transcends genre, only enhanced by 3D GRAVITY is a film which encourages the audience to experience it, to live it rather than to simply watch it, and which is not simply a trip to the cinema, but a trip to outer space, these stars will shine for light years to come. Rating: A+

Matt Kowalski: Houston, I have a bad feeling about this mission.

Trash and Our Planet

WALL-E is a PIXAR film released in 2008 during the studio's much publicized golden era. The film was PIXAR's first (and only) real foray into the world of science fiction. WALL-E is the story of a robot, whose sole job is to clear up the garbage that now litters much of the world's surface. Mass consumerism has left piles of waste, and as the last remnants of humanity leave for a new life in space, the government decides to use robots to clean up the mess, it is quickly realized that this plan will not work, and the government shuts down the WALL-E program, however one robot remains, and he alone clears up all the rubbish, in the years since the humans leaving, WALL-E has developed a personality, and is immensely lonely. EVE is a robot charged to find vegetation on earth, and as soon as WALL-E sees her, he falls in love.

What makes WALL-E so unique is that the characters do not speak, and only communicate using grunts and sounds, which at times sound almost human. The first half of the movie takes place on earth, where WALL-E and EVE are alone, save for the cockroach. Thus during the whole first portion of the film, there is no dialogue, it is impressive that PIXAR manage to allow real communication between these robots. The robots have so much personality, EVE has a LED screen instead of a face, and the shape of the eyes changes depending on the emotion she is feeling. The head will also tilt depending on feeling, such as leaning to the side when she is confused. WALL-E is also hugely expressive, the eyes here will also move depending on emotion, such as blinking to indicate sadness. It is phenomenal that characters who do not speak, and who do not have real faces can be so expressive and have such character.

The film also looks amazing, the first part of the film takes place on earth, which has turned into a dusty rubbish dump. The whole first part of the film has a sepia tint, and legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins was hired as a consultant on the film. The second half of the film is in direct contrast to this, as it takes place on a space ship, it has a cold industrial feel, using mainly whites greys and blues. What is interesting about this film is how it has been treated like a live action movie, the film features almost photo-realistic animation and manages to successfully blur the line between animation and live action.

The film itself is a critique of industrialism and mass commercialism, the film depicts a world which our planet is vastly in danger of becoming. Purchases are not made to last, and everything is disposable, T-Shirts at Primark that are designed to be worn once and thrown away, and cars that are only intended to be used for a few years before they are exchanged for a newer, better, shinier model. Most the stuff that we buy comes in packaging, which is basically trash, and even the things that we buy themselves are mostly trash, designed to be used a handful of times and then thrown away, WALL-E opens our eyes to the fact that when we throw something in the trash, it doesn't simply disappear, and it has to go somewhere.

WALL-E also critiques the way in which we use technology, and since watching the film, i have tried to modify the amount of technology that i use, on the spaceship Axiom, humans have become so attached to technology that the barely see the world around them, to the point that one of the characters didn't even know that the ship had a pool, and that characters have become unable to walk due to mobile chairs carrying them around. (Segway anyone?) Due to technology taking over their lives, humans have become less and less human to the point where it is difficult to tell them apart, and the robots have become more human than the humans, knowing how to love and gaining personality.

The film also contains many charming references to other science fiction films, most notably '2001, A Space Odyssey'. WALL-E mirrors 2001's themes of technology and power, and the idea of technology becoming more charismatic, and having more personality than humans. AUTO, the intelligent computer system in WALL-E resembles HAL 9000 from 2001, both in appearance and in personality.

The film can also be seen as a biblical allegory, EVE resembles the eponymous character from genesis, and the beginning of the film mirrors the Adam and Eve story, with WALL-E representing the lonely Adam, and EVE being the woman who comes to keep him company, and with whom he subsequently falls in love. EVE also resembles the white dove that Moses sent forth from the arc, only to return with the olive branch, in style and in story.

Overall, WALL-E is a fantastic complex story, which proves that animated films do not have to resort to silly cartoonish gags in order to appeal to children. WALL-E contains numerous biblical, science-fiction and environment allegories, and serves as a warning that humanity needs to change it's course if we want to survive. It's not bird flu, or homosexuality that will lead to the end of the human race, but our own actions, and since the release of WALL-E in 2008, the situation has only gotten worse. Rating: A+

Captain: Wait, that doesn't look like Earth. Where's the blue sky? Where's the-the grass?

Safety Not Guaranteed - The Review

This weeks little gem is a small independent film, Safety Not Guaranteed. This little gem cost only 750 00 dollars to make, and was well received upon release. The film stars Parks and Recreations Aubrey Plaza as an intern who answers an ad, looking for a partner with which to go back in time. The film also stars Mike Duplass and Jake Johnsonn.

The film is about an intern at a Seattle magazine who discovers a personal ad for a man looking for a companion to travel back in time with him. The film was inspired by an actual ad which appeared in a 1997 issue of Backwoods magazine, as a practical joke. The exact ad appears in the movie, and the title of the film is a direct quote from the ad. The film takes place in Washington, and features Aubrey Plaza's character meeting the writer of this ad, and attempting to infiltrate the time travelers life, in order to write an article for her magazine. Upon attempting to infiltrate his life she discovers a part of herself that she never thought existed, and she finds that she is happy. Thematically the film deals with trust and

loss, and what it is like to go back in time, a reporter for the magazine attempts to rekindle a love affair with an old flame, only to find that she has changed, and various characters are asked to confront their reasons for wanting to go back in time, and are forced to decide whether their reasons are justifiable.

Aubrey Plaza is stunning in the lead role, as a young woman who has to confront demons in her past, and who has to let go in order to move forward. Plaza does much of her acting without sound,and she has little dialogue, and does a lot of work with her eyes, and is able to sell the character who has a slack, sarcastic exterior, yet who is not 2 dimensional, and who hides a pain inside.

Part little miss sunshine, part Doctor Who, Safety Not Guaranteed is a delightful and unpretentious indie flick, the film is uncomplicated and honest, and i felt as though at times i had no idea what was going to happen, i wanted to know, and the actors performances where such that i had an emotional connection to these characters, and i wanted to see an end to their trajectory. The film is a fun movie, bolstered by a strong performance by its leading lady. Rating: A

Darius: There's no sense in nonsense, especially when the heat's hot.

A New Hope

Hell just froze over, I never thought that I would see the day that I, of all people, would actually watch a star wars movie, and I also never thought the day would come that I would actually enjoy it. This is a part of the post in which i would normally talk about the history of a film, however this is such a famous film that i feel it is more appropriate to talk about the legacy and influence of this film. It was released in 1977 and started a whole new genre of science fiction films dubbed 'Space Opera', a genre which combined mythology with science fiction, and over thirty years later Star Wars is as modern as ever.

The film centers around an alternative universe, and follows a group of freedom fighters who call themselves the rebel alliance, as they plot to destroy the Deathstar, a super-weapon capable of destroying planets lorded over by the evil Darth Vader. The film is set in various places in the galaxy, and focuses on a young boy, Luke Skywalker, who finds himself caught up in the rebel alliance and decides to team up with Jedi Night; Obi Wan Kenobi and leader Princess Leia on an attempt to destroy the Deathstar and save the galaxy.

The film is notable in the way it uses desert settings, and rural environments, such as are not usually found in science fiction films. Yet the fim also retains the traditional spaceship environments such as are found in traditional science fiction films. The film was revolutionary upon its release for its use of visual effects. The film stars Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, the character around whom the story revolves, and a relatively unknown Harrison Ford as Han Solo. Carrie Fisher really shines as Princess Leia, and somehow manages to act through that crazy yet fabulous hair!

The real star is Alec Guinness, as Obi Wan, a former Jedi Knight and Master during the clone wars, and who introduces Luke to the force. Guinness was nominated for an Oscar for his performance in the film, a rare coup for a film like this. On a personal level i was really impressed with this film, especially as a alleged non-fan of this series, and i found the film to make a great balance between effects heavy action sequences, and more personal journeys, such as the journey of a boy struggling to be a man and to find his place in the universe, and i will conclude by saying that i really loved this movie, I will now be watching the other five and have high hopes for the seventh. Rating: A

Obi-Wan: The Force will be with you, always.

Never Let Me Go

Never Let Me Go is a british film adapted from famed the novel by Man-Booker prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro. The film stars british actors Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield and Kiera Knightly. I am considering this post as the conclusion of my Carey Mulligan Trilogy. The film is directed by Mark Romanek and is set in an alternative dystopian future, in which clones are cultivated simply for their organs. The main leads star as three of these children who are living in a boarding school in england, and who become embroiled in a love triangle.

The film is set in a school in the English countryside, and it is refreshing to see a film set in a dystopian future, which is not violent or overly sci-fi, and which sacrifices shock factor for a tenderness and a beauty, rather than being 'edgily ugly'. The film concentrates on performance rather than large set pieces, and the main relationships are at the forefront.

The performances in the film are great, and the three leads shine, adding depth and subtlety to the roles they play, and allowing the audience to see themselves on screen, and allowing us to empathize with the characters. The film deals with themes of disillusionment, pain and loss. The characters live in a world in which death is certain, and where they know that they will die at some point in the next years, yet they still manage to see the beauty in the world. The characters are treated like trash by the world, and they are clones whose only purpose in the world is to   donate their organs, yet we still are able to see what the rest of the world can not.

Overall this is a good film, which despite being a little slow, contains great performances from it's leads, and which is a great story and is surprisingly different from other films of it's genre. I really enjoyed this film despite it's flaws, and it is worth a watch Rating: A-

Miss Emily: We didn't have to look into your souls, we had to see if you had souls at all.

A Day With Wilbur Robinson!

I, as any nineties kid would be am a great fan of Disney animation, growing up during the Disney renaissance gave me a sense of admiration for great animation, such as The Lion King and Aladdin. I also love science fiction, a fact to which this blog should testify, given the disproportionately large number of science fiction films reviewed compared to the relatively small number released. Meet The Robinsons is a film which combines breathtaking computer animation with a science fiction inspired plot involving time travel, and great well rounded Disney characters, along with an annoyingly uplifting plot, and great message, and is a surprisingly fun romp with a great cast of characters as I'm sure that the picture below will testify!

Meet the Robinsons is loosely inspired by A Day With Wilbur Robinson, a children's picture book which despite having a slightly similar premise, and illustrations showing characters which resemble those in the film, the overall plot is wildly different to that of the book, with the book not being about time travel. The overall premise of the film is that Lewis, an orphan and inventor enters a project into a science fair which goes wrong, and then he must attempt to restore order and undo the damage done. He is intercepted by a boy called Wilbur Robinson, who reveals that he is being hunted by a man known as The Bowler Hat Man, he explains that he has a time machine and that If Lewis helps him that he will take him through time to meet his mother. Drama ensues and we meet a bizarrely crazy family.

The film has a ridiculously clever plot, and has to be one of the most complex plot yet to be featured in a film primarily aimed at children. The plot as I said involves time travel and thus has to be complex without confusing it's primarily young audience. This is done effectively by giving each time period a distinguishing visual identity, and each character in each period a distinguishing visual identity, thus allowing the audience not to become confused. The film contains numerous references to science fiction and comic book culture. Wilbur has a t-shirt with the same symbol on it as comic book legend 'The Flash', the time machines have a distinct resemblance to The Enterprise, from the Star-Trek franchise, and a series of Dystopian Futures is shown, one of which has a distinct resemblance to the harvesting fields in The Matrix.

The movie also contains a theme park know as Todayland, a reference to the Tommorowland  found at numerous Disney parks worldwide. The films characters are also more distinctive than generally found in Disney cartoons, with the characters having a certain flair than usual. Disney often gets a bad wrap when compared to Pixar, especially when it comes to computer animation, however here we are given a film with a solid and clever plot, a bunch of great and distinguished characters, and a solid visual identity, and puts zany avant-garde characters against amazingly beautiful backings, (such as the one below) augmented by the addition of wacky inventions and a modern city skyline. The film is also very optimistic, and is distinguishable from other science fiction films in that it shows us an uplifting vision of the future, and makes little reference to a post-apocalyptic future except during a flashback.

The film does have some negatives, in that many of the zany characters that Lewis meets in the future can seem to be under-developed and strangely foreign, and the fact that the film can at times be seen to be unsuitable for children, and the story is mainly adult centered. Overall this film is a fascinating romp, and as a science fiction fan is a perfect blend of sci-fi and animation, with an uplifting and heartwarming message, and is one of my five favorite Disney animation movies! Rating: A-

Star Trek - A Science Fiction Epic

It should be no surprise to anyone that i am not really a huge science fiction fan, however given my new found obsession with The Big Bang Theory i decided to give 2009's Star Trek a try, having previously stated a loathing for all things Trek. I was really rather impressed, I am not at all familiar with the Star Trek universe, yet found this movie to be engaging none the less. The film is a reboot of the franchise and takes place in an alternative universe, thus none of the events of the previous films are taken into account, and the writers have essentially a clean slate on which to pen the action.

The film is directed by JJ Abrams, and stars Zachary Quinto as Spock, and Chris Pine as Kirk. Quinto is magnificent as Spock, and manages to take a character who is emotionally detached, being a Vulcan, and yet who has an emotional depth and with whom we become emotionally invested. Pine is also great as Kirk, the lone rebel who seems to be the perfect yin to the calm order of Spock's yang. The real magic comes from the way these actors manage to interpret their characters and the performances of the actors who interpreted these characters before them.

The chemistry between these two main actors is tangible, and we sense that these two guys like each other, and yet that Spock feels obligated by a sense of duty and by his orders. The story is very imaginative, and requires no knowledge of previous Star Trek series in order to be understood, however the film can be a tad confusing at times and multiple viewing's may be required in order to fully understand the story. The film pays homage to the old eighties series by maintaining a retro feel, with updated costumes which still pay homage to the traditional costumes with retro style turtlenecks which feel modern, yet have exactly the same silhouette as the original costumes. The sets also have a retro feel, using pastel style neon lighting and soft lighting.

Overall this prequel is incredibly satisfying and manages to be modern and a little retro with a great story and good performances from it's lead actors.  The production is surely handled and benefits from the fact that the director isn't afraid to contradict previous events of the series, an alternative reality is efficient in achieving this goal, and despite not being a Trekkie, i was really enthralled and entertained by this film and await the sequel with anticipation. Rating: A-

Spock Prime: Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Her ongoing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life-forms and new civilizations; to boldly go where no one has gone before.

Remember Remember the Fifth of November

As the title suggests this post is about 2006's hit V For Vendetta, having seen the film many many times and also being a fan of the original graphic novel by Alan Moore, and is a tale of anarchism, and rebellion in a totalitarian state. I recently reviewed Cloud Atlas, a film with which V for Vendetta shares many thematic, cinematic and conceptual elements with Cloud Atlas, firstly the film is written by Andy and Lana (formerly Larry) Wachowski, who both co-directed Cloud Atlas and of course the Matrix Trilogy. Both films also contain references to totalitarian states, and show us individuals who show immense courage to reveal the truth; Evey in V for Vendetta, and Somni-451 in the "An Orison of Sonmi~451" (2144) segment of Cloud Atlas. The two films are also both rather good!

The role of the title villain V is played by Hugo Weaving, who manages to give a stunning performance despite only showing his face in one short scene, and Natalie Portman plays Evey, a young woman who shows incredible strength and who by her courage manages to help our anti-hero bring down a regime of terror. The film deviates from the graphic novel in many ways, firstly the novel is set in the 1990's, and deals with themes such as Anarchy and fachism, whereas the film is set in the future, around the 22nd century, when America has been destroyed, and neo-conservativism is Britain's response to the fear of nuclear war and multiculturalism.

The film shows us less of a post cold war environment as shown in the graphic novel, and more of a  post Iraq war, and is incredibly current in its criticism of the bush doctrine and the state of world politics, it was these things that led Alan Moore to distance himself from th project, yet i feel that these additions help make the film current and exciting to a film audience, the novel is incredibly 'of the moment' and was a response to the division of the world at the time, and to how the world would end up if the cold war did not end, yet it raises questions about divisions and the harmful nature of the division of the world into two factions.

The reason that this change works to well in this film also has to do with the universal nature of the character of V, in the novel Evey takes up the mask at the end and takes up the mantle of becoming V, this universality means that the characters identity is not defined by time or place or political concept, but by bravery, courage and an avidity for justice, the scene in which all the free peoples of London put on the Guy Fawkes masks and march on the houses of parliament, show us that V is not so much a character as he is a symbol, and as he says 'Symbols are invincible'

This use of the character as a symbol justifies the changing of the time and placement of the novel, and the sense that the mask is a symbol which represent freedom, justice and the fact that if we group together, we can do anything. after all, governments should be afraid of their people. I am impressed that watching this film 7 years after its creation, the film is still incredibly current, and means more now that ever, and i feel that the Wachowski's deft and thorough understanding of the material helps to create a current and entertaining cinematic sculpture,which manages to be current and which 7 years on and which is still 'of the moment', top marks! Rating: A-

V: The only verdict is vengeance, a vendetta, held as a votive not in vain.

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