Skyfall (2012)

After 50 years and 23 films, it looks like its time to carve a man out of the myth that is James Bond. Skyfall not only takes the franchise to one of its darkest, most reflective chapters but also gives real flesh and depth to 007 himself. Skyfall makes Casino Royale look like a joke… and I really liked Casino Royale. Director Sam Mendes takes the audience for an introspective journey and along the way he delivers both spectacle and, in conjunction with killer performances from the entirety of the cast, a real emotional core.

Skyfall scales down the adventure a little from some of Bond’s past exploits (fear not, its still nothing short of grand in scope), with much of the plot being centered around the ever mysterious ‘M’ and her role as both the head of MI6 as well as James’ Handler of sorts. A new threat has emerged in the form of a mole, who does not want money or power and who has not hatched some grand scheme involving impossibly large lasers. No, this is a villain who wants to take down MI6 from the inside. This is a person with a very serious desire for vengeance. This is most certainly the most personal James Bond plot regarding the mythos of both the character as well as the series' major tropes.

Daniel Craig’s third time round as Bond truly proves to be the charm, easily topping his previous episodes, bringing not only a sense of hyper-masculinity to the role, but a multi-layered deconstruction of what was previously only ever really a stock character. Craig’s subtlety is what sells this newfound depth, presenting a fragile man underneath the chipped and aging shell of a secret agent. The tough guy persona only serves to cover a vulnerability and this really removes 007 from this pantheon of mythic heroes and places him somewhere in the realm of a mere mortal… and this really is a good thing. As much as I have been against the tendency of Hollywood to simply grittify and dirty cinematic icons in an attempt to make them seem more personable and approachable (Read: I wish the Dark Knight Rises was actually a batman story), this newfound humanity casts a kind light upon this English super spy.

The supporting cast is also to be very highly commended. Returning champion Judi Dench as the mysterious M delivers in buckets, giving her best showing of the character to date. Series newcomer Ben Whishaw as the new quartermaster Q is extremely endearing and the contrast of this characters quaint nerditude (that’s totally a word now as far as I am concerned) against Bond’s stoicism is a joy to watch and something that will pay dividends in future installments. Ralph Fiennes makes an interesting and very welcome addition to the cast, bringing with him an interesting new dynamic. Finally, the villain Silva played by Javier Bardem is a true terror and absolutely a worthy foe- giving the audience a true nemesis to Bond. He is an enemy certainly worthy of 007's attention, especially because of the horrifying comparisons that can be drawn between the two.

 The only criticism I have of the film is a minor one. Whilst the score is very good (and Adele’s theme song extremely well suited), music could have been used a little more sparingly; at times it really wasn’t needed as Mendes strong visuals were able to carry the story on their own. Without a doubt this is the best-looking Bond movie and it has very little to do with the updated technology. It is evident that Mendes is an artist and unlike any Bond before this movie has images that are both striking and memorable examples of good cinematography. This film looks incredible and the use of colour is absolutely impeccable. It abandons atypical action movie style shooting in favour of some truly artistic cinematic choices that I believe will help set this movie apart in a franchise of very mixed artistic credentials.

I’ll keep this simple for you: Skyfall absolutely impressed me. To be perfectly honest, I went to this movie with no expectations. My dad is something of a James Bond fanatic but I did not allow myself to be caught up in his almost infectious excitement for this film. While he was beaming on the drive to the cinema I was being haunted by the thought that I could be about to sit through another steamer like Quantum of Solace. I am so glad that was not the case. Quite the opposite really. Skyfall proves that not only the character but the James Bond Franchise itself still has a story worth telling.

Alex

There is always a bigger rat. 

TV Review: The Walking Dead S03E01

This is a Ricktatorship!

For a show as great as The Walking Dead, it's first two seasons were still consistently plagued with slow pacing issues. That's why it's always a pleasure when the show completely hits its stride, like it did this week with the opener for season three. 

Da-amn. 

I don't want to say too much about the episode, because you should go watch it or go catch up, but I want to try and capture the reasons why I liked this episode so much. 

First and most important, there was the use of the time jump, essentially leaving the winter between season two and season three unseen. One of my favourite writing tropes is something I personally call the Skywalker technique. Do you remember the first time you watched Return of the Jedi? Luke had been a pretty cool character up until that point, though necessarily plagued as a hero by his need to simultaneously learn about his new skills and jump into a war (and, you know, he just got his hand chopped off by his crippled father). Now picture the first time we see Luke in Jedi: he calmly strolls into Jabba's den, black cloak on, hooded up...and is a total badass! Who is this guy?! He's been places, he's seen some shit, and he has become a master of the force. 

With the story timeline jumped forward writers are able to cleanly progress character development without having to show hours upon hours worth of slow clunky growth and angsty self reflection. I like this technique, and although some might see some instances as lazy writing, it's hard to deny its logic and continual badassery. Remember that time nerdy Japanese workman Hiro Nakamura suddenly appeared to Nathan Petrelli as a war hardened all-knowing samurai from the future? Bad. Ass. 

This is how I felt when I first saw the gang back together at the start of this episode. The opening scene, simply portraying the group clearing out a house and gathering supplies, effectively showed the passing of time and the new strength of the group without any dialogue. These guys are a team. They speak with glances, and they know their roles. They have the house cleared of walkers and searched in no time. This is a far cry from the mismatched band of survivors struggling to work together in the first two seasons. Andrea's cliffhanger from last season was also resolved cleanly, swapping a clumsy first encounter for a proper understanding between her and the mysterious sworded lady. 

Rick has continued on in his self-appointed role as leader, and the silent respect he demands from the group throughout the episode is clearly the glue of their new structure. His changes are where the show is really starting to come together. No more "good guy cop" routine. Grimes has finally found what he needed in himself to lead this show and the rest of the protagonists. Straight away his character feels more developed, with a perfect performance by Lincoln breathing new life into the role. In an episode that relies more on action and visuals than it does on dialogue, Rick's every thought and decision is written on his face.

Carl and Hershel, both newcomers to the killing game due to age and religious beliefs respectively, are now effective members of the group, killing coldly with new passion for survival in their eyes. 

On that note, I feel that themes of survival are going to be stronger and better explored in this season than in the previous two. This feeling was complimented by the new title sequence, which completely removed images of the characters' broken past lives. They spent the first two seasons bogged down by their past, looking back, mourning, and essentially trying to keep moving while dealing with loss. Season three looks to be a season where the characters are strongly in the present and ready to do what it takes to make it to tomorrow. Everyone is on board for survival, and it shows in the kills. Oh the kills. Topped off with some top class action cinematography, this is an episode full of amazing zombie kills, and even a smile from newly Skywalker'd Rick Grimes after a shot. 

This new found reassurance the group has in their lifestyle also leaves room for chilling thought about the world that the characters have found themselves in, and what lengths people can go to. All it takes in this episode is the first shown confident kill by youngster Carl and a shot of Glenn metal pole-ing a struggling walker through the skull as the group walk up a grass hill, to make us think about a world of desensitized gore and the potential of the human mind to adapt to survive. I praise the show for continuing to realistically portray the situation the way they do, which I can't imagine is an easy task for prime time television. 

All in all, the show nailed it, and with promising character work for all except T-Dog (when's that guy gonna get a break?) I'm looking forward to next week. 

-Tom
I'm taking Captain Solo and his friends. You can either profit by this or be destroyed.

Classic Review: Taxi Driver (1976)

Martin Scorsese has certainly carved his name upon modern cinema, although to be perfectly honest I have always found him a bit hit and miss. He hasn’t made any movies that I have hated, but he has made some that I have felt surprisingly apathetic about, which in my opinion is perhaps worse then being hated because that would be at least eliciting an emotional response. Taxi Driver is a film of his that I sat down to watch recently and it has certainly stirred a deep reaction. Robert De Niro playing the unhinged Travis Bickle explores the streets of New York and in the process explores how perspective can shape both heroes and villains alike.

This film has style. The jazz/blues that cruises along and washes over the streets of New York settles the audience gently under the lights and faces of the evolving city. The contrast between light and day allows for the setting to take on two opposite, yet clearly partnered roles, with the day forming its face and the night becoming the beast that dwells within. All of this frames Travis Bickle, an honourably discharged marine as he tries to find a way to help a city that he sees has gone to hell, whilst in the process woo a young lady. The characters in this film all seem a little clichéd (with the exception of Travis whose evolution is the underlying thesis), but this isn’t necessarily as bad thing- the characters all seem more to be products of the world they live in this way.  Also, keep an eye out for a young Jodie Foster playing a role so different to that which she normally picks up.

De Niro is simultaneously enthralling and horrifying as Travis walks the thin line between vigilante and deranged villain.  It is this performance that allows the movie to haunt you for so long, Travis feels so damn real, his character that seems so simple at first emerges at the climax as a multi-faceted and convoluted mess of the human experience. I wanted to like Travis and during the first act you are lured in by his frank simplicity, but the way in which the world has shaped him becomes more apparent as he hurriedly forms a bond with campaign volunteer Betsy (Cybil Shepherd), an attachment that very deliberately leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

To say that this film has been thought provoking would be something of an understatement: I am truly having difficulty removing it from my cranium. The dark tones and meditations that it lulls the audience into come on subtly and by time you realize the horrifying way in which this film is going to climax it is too late- you’re trapped. The pacing is slow and at first this is a little frustrating, I found it took a little too long for me to attach to Travis and for the actual story to emerge from the woodworks, although this is probably the reason why it was so able to capture my contemplative side. You spend the first part of the movie not really thinking, relaxing as the sounds and sounds wisp around you, only to realize that a truly predatory transformation is taking place.

The climax of this film attracted a deal of criticism at the time of its release and you will see why. Apart from the fact that this scene is intense on the action from, it is also very jarring, and places the audience in the awkward grey area where they are forced to question the perspective the director has placed them behind. It is a brilliant example of forcing the audience to consider that perhaps good and evil are truly relative terms. 

Taxi Driver is a film that clearly made me think, and to be honest it has become more apparent to me in this day and age that so many films do not even try to acknowledge the fact that the person watching them may be able to produce the etchings of a thought. If you want to switch of and watch an escapist thriller, this is not the one for you, but if you want to consider the darker sides of human nature within the vice of an urban setting look no further then Taxi Driver, a very title very worthy of the ‘classic’ label.

Alex
Yeah I'm lookin' at you

Review: The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

OK, so I have put off writing this for far too long. The Dark Knight Rises disappointed me. It didn’t let me down because it was a poor film, quite the contrary, it is a marvelous film rounding off a memorable, well-crafted franchise. No, it disappointed me because by this concluding chapter the narrative has been so extrapolated and removed from being a ‘Batman’ movie, that the comic fan in me felt a little robbed… and by a little I mean very. The names are the same and the characters bare a vague resemblance, but ultimately this greatest strength of the franchise: its heavy entrenchment in reality was for me, its greatest fault.

If you were to meet 4 year old me, I am sure he would proudly tell you that Batman is the greatest hero ever, and with an imaginary grappling hook I would run off, black cape trailing behind. Batman as a comic book character has been a companion of mine my whole life.  I remember being 12 and finding that Dad had Frank Miller’s ‘Batman: Year One’ stashed in amongst history textbooks in the study and how when I read that graphic novel, the a character who had adorned my childhood doona cover, whose action figures had cluttered my drawers, whose cartoon adaptions had clogged my vcr, suddenly became flesh and bone, a grand mythos unthralled- and don’t get me wrong this is certainly the same legend Nolan has presented to the world, only disenchanted into the real world.

The acting is cutting  edge, with Bale’s Bruce Wayne finally getting a grand story arc that develops his character in a truly grand sense. Anne Hathaway is a welcome addition (although if there was any way to incorporate more leather into her costume that would also have been welcome) and Tom Hardy carried an immense screen presence. Like all of Nolan’s films to date though, the supporting cast was just as present and powerful, Joseph Gordon Levitt made a fantastic John Blake, Gary Oldman absolutely delivering yet again as Jim Gordon. Michael Caine once again stole the emotional soul of the film, and without spoiling anything, so many of my friends have remarked that when Michael Caine starts to cry, they couldn’t help but burst into tears. The relationship between Alfred and Bruce was actually something of an underpinned one, that was nicely featured and this truly made me happy.

The action sequences are a true tour de force, although I couldn’t help but feel that the final fight was a little anti-climactic and really did not go down in any kind of meaningful way, which is such a shame because I felt that this was something that the movie was really building towards. The sequences were all very large that cannot be questioned, its just that some of them bore little real meaning other then to drive plot forward as opposed to character development.

The script was tight, (ignoring a few immense, yet not particular consequential plot holes) with the dialogue carrying that typical Nolan brothers swagger, a sharpness that bares a real truth to the characters and knits them together seamlessly. A few characters too many were introduced in my opinion but given the long running time of the film this is not particularly a strain. While we are on the topic of the running time, there were a few real lulls in the locomotion of the film that were perhaps unnecessary, with some of them dragging on, something that I can say never really happened in its predecessors.

The Dark Knight Rises had sizeable shoes to fill. Its predecessor is regarded as one of the smartest and best films in recent years and I am not surprised that it did not surpass it. It is a good movie, just to me it isn’t the Batman that I know and worship. It’s a thrilling action film (even though Batman stories are really meant to be about crime and detective work), with challenging and endearing characters. Nolan has done a fantastic job of rounding of a god trilogy, I just cant help but wish that the tone of Batman begins had have stuck around till the end, rather then being replaced by the hyper-realistic (what a fantastic oxymoron).

Alex

Holy springing Medusa’s bath towel Batman!

Review: Ted (2012)

Seth Macfarlane’s big screen writing debut has its hits and its misses, but on the whole was a lot better than I expected. I heard on the grapevine that the premise, a grown man who lives with his magically living teddy bear, was meant to be a series but Macfarlane and executives felt that it wouldn’t have the steam for a very big run and I think that the movie format was almost certainly a better call… even it began to lose momentum at stages. Unlike Family Guy, ‘Ted’s humour is derived from the plot as opposed to random inserts, however, at times, particular at both ends of the film that family guy disconnectedness shines through.

Performances on the whole are pretty good. The cast all nail very convincing Boston Twangs over their speech that definitely helps cement the story on the real world. A little more characterisation would have been nice; the characters aren’t fully fleshed out, which does hark back to the idea of being a long running series. I suppose that in long running cartoon series, with a few exceptions, the audience is given twenty episodes or thereabouts to slowly develop the characters, who are developed through plot, however, in an hour forty movie a little more detailed process needs to be applied and I don’t feel as if Ted did this. I really feel that the movie would have been better for it and that newcomers to Macfarlane’s material may have found this a little jarring.

The comedy is sharper then Mr. Macfarlane’s usual material. The timing and general connectivity is very clean and organic. Conservatives be warned: this film certainly goes out of its way at times to offend and makes no effort to pull its punches. I love this style of humour but it certainly isn’t for everyone and admittedly the shock and awe tactics that are inherent to it do not allow for an immense amount of replayability. The jokes are a little hit and miss, but on the whole the audience that was crammed into the screening I attended was in stitches.

The animation on Ted is superb although I don’t imagine this was a momentous task. Ted is integrated seamlessly into the world and I found myself forgetting he was a computerized conjuration. The stock footage of Ted’s celebrity career and magazine cutouts were an extremely nice touch and looked the most natural. The small wear and tear provides a stark contrast from the flashback at the start of the film to Ted’s overall composition after the climax.  Macfarlane’s voice work is outstanding as usual and truly speaks to the vocal range of the man. Best of all, the rapport between Macfarlane and Wahlberg is fantastic and creates a believable relationship, something that as I have said, I wish was more developed.

‘Ted’ is certainly not a flawless film, but for the most part it is damn funny. I really hope that Macfarlane has future screen projects in mind, as I am sure that over time he could really start to churn out some masterworks of comedy. If you want a few laughs with your mates at the expense of a little good taste then make sure to scout this one out.

Alex

Wanted: Thunder Buddy

Review: The Amazing Spider-man (2012)

Movies, like good books, should mostly be viewed as separate entities from one another- each needs to be given the opportunity to present itself  without be afflicted/propelled by the failures/successes of its counterparts. That being said when you re-launch a series only 10 years after its last stint, you can expect audiences to be thoroughly annoyed, especially when the original is so good. You genuinely have to believe you can bring something that can utterly decimate the original, lest your attempt be seen as a money grab. ‘The Amazing Spider-man’ deserves the punishment (how ironic considering the mastery of Sam Raimi’s original) of being bound to its previous efforts. 

Let me open by saying that Spidey’s latest adventure is actually OK, in fact it is good. I am still pretty damn annoyed though that this was a re-launch and not a continuation and the movie is certainly not without fault. Actually, had it been released first it probably would have been incredible. It doesn’t add to the mythos in a way that I think is substantial enough to warrant this new beginning. That aside, lets take a look at it.

Lets start with the good, and as most males in my age-bracket can testify too, Emma Stone definitely falls into this category. She really provides an interesting and endearing Gwen Stacy, the original girlfriend of Peter Parker. As always Stone seems natural and her character believable. That said: I really think that the relationship between Gwen and Peter was a little too simplistic in this movie and needed to be more developed.  They just sort of aren’t together and then kind of are and even though I am totally against Twilightesque melodrama (the trailer for Breaking Dawn Part 2, that greeted us prior Spider-man reeked of it), I really think that this romance could have been played up a lot more, which in turn would have made the experience a whole lot more emotionally significant.

Let’s get onto the big point of contention, Andrew  Garfield’s Peter Parker.  I know that this reboot was aimed at trying to bring the films closer to the comicbook interpretation of Parker, but it seemed like they probably drew him a little past that. He is still an outsider, but his intelligence is downplayed and his nerdy persona has been outright dropped in exchange for a sweet outsider type and I don’t know if it works. Pete was still likeable and Garfields performance alright, but on the whole I felt as if it wasn’t the Peter Parker I knew. He wasn’t as easy to empathise with, his struggles didn’t seem to be as awful and his character didn’t seem to grow at all over the movie. The powers had seemingly little affect on him and this was certainly a disappointment. Spider-man as a comic’s strength has always been that the man behind the mask is kind of a nerd who is really easy for the target reader to empathise with. Garfield’s Pete seemed like the cool guy who isn’t seen as cool, a bit of a metahuman James Dean… that no one in school likes.

Spider-man himself was pretty awesome, The new design is sleak and the overall appearance of the character much more in tone with the lanky, web-slinger from the comics. The transitions between live action and CGI were a little jarring. The first time it went from an animated Spider-man swinging through the city to the costumed Garfield standing rooftop felt very off. I’m not a CGI expert by any means but this definitely felt like it needed more polishing, as this really didn’t seem like an issue in the original trilogy.

The plot is the great weakness of the film. It is clearly the intent that this be the first part of a series, in which we find out what happened to Pete’s parents and Spider-man grows from boy to man. Nothing about the story felt special, and its qualities were further dimmed by how close the overall plot was to the 2002 Spiderman. The lizard is a thoroughly unbelievable villain and his character twists felt unrealistic and to be blunt lame. He made for good fights but that is about it. The story felt extremely linear in the sense that there was no real development; the piece was entirely propelled by plot. What I am trying to say is this movie lacks heart. Events just sort of happen and as entertaining as they were there doesn’t seem to be a unique or even slightly marked emotional journey here. Things happen, characters move with them, like people strapped into a rollercoaster. Sure it is exciting…. But I didn’t feel anything.

‘The Amazing Spider-man” is not a bad movie, but due to its temporal proximity to the original trilogy it is always going to live in its shadow. The action sequences are exciting and the characters likeable. The effects are incredible, and Spider-man swinging over the Manhattan skyline is addictive fun. Unfortunately, the film lacks the soul of the original films. No emotional journey transpires. I have faith though that this could expand into a very interesting series and perhaps in time it will stand alone as a small part to a greater, sleaker, websling-ier spiderman franchise. As a nerd I can only hope.

Alex,

Call a doctor, my spider sense is tingling.

Review: Chronicle (2012)

"With great power comes great responsibility" are not the words that are going to echo through the minds of any teenager if they someday discover amazing super powers. I know because as a nerd I have spent many an hour speculating on how I would abuse any given meta-human talent and many nights dreaming of flying on my own (literal) wings. Chronicle is an exploration of just that, how real teenagers would take harness of super powers, its an exploration of adolescent anxiety and the very nature of true power.

Chronicle follows 3 teenage boys from varying social castes who are each granted telekinetic badassery from a strange glowing object at a party. They bond over their new demi-god like abilities and slowly train them up together. Andrew, the primary viewpoint into this film is very troubled, his mother dying of an unspecified illness, his abusive father reigning terror upon him, all whilst high school kicks him around for being a bit odd. As his needs change over the film, the way he uses his powers does too and to me this was incredibly interesting as I think it showed a rather unglamorous side to not only super powers but also to the whole teenage experience.

Ok, so its another teenagers with superpowers movie, seen it right? Well this film does have an added gimmick, and yes I use the word gimmick because I hardly think it contributes to the film overall. The film is presented in the 'found footage' style ala Blair Witch or Cloverfield. Its clearly been done to make it more digestible to modern teenagers with access to youtube and viral marketing that has made us somewhat attention deficit consumers of media. At first it works, it adds a sense of reality to the film, but ultimately I think that in this particular case the scale of the film (especially its finale) is held back rather then enhanced by this style. That being said, it does add something, I just don't think that in this particular case it was really the best way to convey the plot, at least not for the entirety of the film. Director Josh Trank very cleverly cheats the rules of the found footage style, when the characters begin to lift the camera's telekinetically to trace them and as a result for much of the film there is not meant to be anyone holding the camera, but rather the camera itself is a technological little character chasing after the boys.

Where this film excelled for me was its themes and I can only hope that its thematic explorations of power where intentional. The relationship between power and user is explored and we are left questioning of whether great power can ever truly be yielded or does true power consume and control its user. Obvious anxieties about the teenage experience are brought up, and without giving too much away events like those witnessed at the Columbine shootings eerily seep through this film. Let it be completely understood that this film has a very dark and clear presence and is not to be mistaken for a 'superhero' film, one viewing will quickly tear apart any notion of spandex clad, superpowers shenanigans. This is not one for children.

Chronicle is a film that is perhaps shackled by its style, but should still be seen anyway. It is dark and true to character. Performances from the 3 leads shine through, with each feeling believable and true to form. I can't help but wonder how much better it could have been if some cinematic style shooting was sliced in amongst the found footage. Then again, the voyueristic passenger feel of this movie is incredible and certainly enhances the menacing undertones. Chronicle is a good flick for anyone wanting a more realistic look into the metahuman or anyone who has ever dreamt of flying. Be warned though, with great power comes great potential for irresponsibility.

Alex

Never regret thy fall, O Icarus...