Name: JPRoscoe
Email:
Bio: Follow me on Twitter @JPRoscoe76! Loves all things pop-culture especially if it has a bit of a counter-culture twist. Plays video games (basically from the start when a neighbor brought home an Atari 2600), comic loving (for almost 30 years), and a true critic of movies. Enjoys the art house but also isn't afraid to let in one or two popular movies at the same time.
Posts by JPRoscoe:
Dragonball Evolution (2009)
August 20th, 2019|
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Movie Info
Movie Name: Dragonball: Evolution
Studio: Dune Entertainment
Genre(s): Action/Adventure/Comic Book
Release Date(s): March 10, 2009 (Japan)/April 10, 2009 (US)
MPAA Rating: PG
Finish Him!!!
Goku (Justin Chatwin) has grown up an outsider among his peers. Reaching his eighteenth birthday, Goku finds his life ripped apart by the death of his grandfather Gohan (Randall Duk Kim), and Goku suddenly finds himself on an adventure that could determine the fate of the world. Lord Piccolo (James Marsters) has returned and he and his lackey Mai (Eriko Tamura) are trying to collect the Dragonballs to return Ōzaruto life, and Goku finds himself teamed with Bulma (Emmy Rossum), Master Roshi (Chow Yun-fat), and Yamcha (Joon Park) in a race to stop them.
Directed by James Wong, Dragonball Evolution is an action-adventure comic book film. The movie is a live action adaptation of Akira Toriyama’s manga Dragon Ball which ran from December 3, 1984 to June 5, 1995 in Weekly Shōnen Jump. Previously adapted into an animated series from 1986 to 1989. The film was met with harsh criticism and is often considered one of the worst films of the decade.
Man…I thought I could do better
I know the basics of Dragon Ball. I’ve read some of the manga, but I never watched the TV series. My first encounter with the story was actually the NES video game Dragon Power which was a port of the Japanese game…and I remember being weirded out by it then. Watching Dragonball Evolution, I was disappointed that it wasn’t even funny-bad.
A big criticism of the film is that it isn’t like the story or the TV series. Goku is completely different than the character from the page (though it could have been kind of hard to bring the character to life as a monkey boy). All of the characters are kind of transformed into hip versions of themselves, but they are still involved in a goofy plot involving magic ball. The movie should just have committed to the series and tried not to make it palpable for a larger audience.
The casting is rather meh. Justin Chatwin is bland as the lead and delivers his lines like he’s reading. It is too bad that Chow Yun-fat is wrapped up in this monstrosity but it is interesting to have him play a bit of a goofball character. James Marsters fortunately was unrecognizable as Piccolo so it is easy to forget he’s in the film..unlike the other members of the movie.
I’m feeling a bit weird here guys…
The visual effects for the film also are quite poor. If the movie had taken the approach of 2008’s Speed Racer that completely tried to create a live action manga, it might have worked. To do this, once again, the movie would have had to really dive into the source material to do it…simply giving Goku the right costume at the end didn’t work.
Dragonball Evolution is an awful film. The movie doesn’t even land in so-bad-it-is-good territory and instead is just bad. If you are a fan of the series, you’re going to be disappointed, but you might enjoy watching the film just to mock it. Plans for sequels were scrapped after the poor performance, and Disney acquired the rights to Dragon Ball with the purchase of FOX in 2018.
Johnny Mnemonic (1995)
August 19th, 2019|
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Movie Info
Movie Name: Johnny Mnemonic
Studio: Alliance Compliance
Genre(s): Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Action/Adventure
Release Date(s): May 26, 1995
MPAA Rating: R
You’ve come to see the Wizard?
Johnny (Keanu Reeves) is a modern smuggler. In his head, he can hold data and uses his mind to transfer it. When Johnny has a deal go bad, he finds the data in his mind is killing him. Now, he’s teamed with Jane (Dina Meyer) who is suffering from nerve attenuation syndrome (NAS) and both of them are racing against time. The data in Johnny’s head is important, and everyone is out to get it.
Directed by Robert Longo, Johnny Mnemonic is a science-fiction action thriller. It adapts the short story by William Gibson (who also wrote the screenplay) which was originally published in Omni (May 1981). The film was critically panned and Keanu Reeve was nominated for a Razzie for Worst Actor (along with his film A Walk in the Clouds).
I remember the promos for Johnny Mnemonic, and in addition to having a horrible title, I wasn’t impressed by what I saw. Watching the film over twenty years later, I made the right choice. Though the plot and ideas in the film are decent and genuinely interesting, the movie is pretty bad.
It’s Jesus Dolph Lungren!
The high point of Johnny Mnemonic is the story. You can see how it would work as a simple story and the idea of implants being used to smuggle the most important information (aka data) is pretty on point with today’s cyber-espionage. The execution of the movie isn’t good. It is loaded with lame characters, psychic dolphins, and a story that jumps all over the place. It tries to use techno babble to cover it, but most of the “high tech” talk doesn’t hold up (there is a reference to iPhone maybe spelled Eyephone long before the Apple invention). It all ends in a horrible mess.
Even more than the script problems, the acting is awful. Keanu Reeves is still in his Bill & Ted “whoa dude” phase and not his Zen master phase which The Matrix tapped into. He’s supported by a cast that struggles as well with the clunky dialogue like Ice-T, Dolph Lungren, Udo Kier, and Henry Rollins. Keanu Reeves’s costar Dina Meyer likewise isn’t compelling or interesting.
…and now we have psychic dolphins
The visuals for the film are dated. There is some computer animation that at the time might have seemed pretty high tech, but it doesn’t hold up. In addition, you have some rather cheesy (and impractical) sets that try to look edgy and dark. You just get Keanu Reeves wearing all sorts of weird headdresses.
It feels like there is a good movie (or at least story) somewhere inside of Johnny Mnemonic, but that movie didn’t come out. Unlike something like Tron that’s visuals created something new and endearing, Johnny Mnemonic doesn’t stand the test of time. The movie bombed at the onset and doesn’t even get the fun of a hidden classic…just cut the head off of Johnny Mnemonic, and end it before it begins.
Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior (2003)
August 18th, 2019|
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Movie Info
Movie Name: Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior
Studio: Baa-Ram-Ewe
Genre(s): Martial Arts/Action/Adventure
Release Date(s): January 21, 2003
MPAA Rating: R
One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble
The small Thailand village of Ban Nong Pradu is suffering from drought. The people of the village hope their god Ong-Bak can restore the village and save their people. When the head of the statue of Ong-Bak is taken by a thief named Don (Wannakit Sirioput), Ting (Tony Jaa) must give up his peaceful ways to go to Bangkok to retrieve the head. Teamed with a shifty former villager named Humlae (Petchtai Wongkamlao) and his partner-in-crime Muay Lek (Pumwaree Yodkamol), Ting finds himself pulled into illegal street fighting and the target of kingpin Komtuan (Suchao Pongwilai).
Directed by Prachya Pinkaew, Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior (องค์บาก) is a Thailand action-adventure martial arts film. The movie goes by multiple names (including Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior) and became an international success.
Just get yourself a white cat to stroke and you’re there!
Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior is a lot like other martial arts films while being completely different at the same time. The action has a lot of the movement and fluidity of a Jackie Chan movie, but with a deadly serious nature. The movie is what you’d want from a straight-up action film.
The story is rather typical. A pacifist country-bumpkin comes to town and finds himself pulled into corruption, but the movie keeps the action flowing and finds somewhat logical reasons to keep getting Ting in battles. The only humor in the story comes from Ting’s sidekick Humlae (aka George) and the story actually becomes largely a redemption quest for that character. Despite taking beating after beating, Ting feels largely invincible which is a slight problem with the action film…he’s the hero and he’s going to survive. It just is a matter of how he does it.
Tony Jaa is rather electric in the role. He plays the action straight and hard. The fighting seems realistic and more dangerous than many action films, and Jaa demonstrates his athleticism through the amazing stunts. Petchtai Wongkamlao is a good sidekick, but I wish that Pumwaree Yodkamol’s character had more of an arc and purpose. The Wannaki Sirioput character is rather weak, but I like that Suchao Pongwilai’s crime boss is straight out of a Bond film with the voice box and everything.
The Flaming Leg Kick!
The film honestly probably could be a third shorter if they took out all the replays of Tony Jaa’s stunts. In an effort to prove that Jaa is performing the stunts, the movie often replays them from different angles. While it is kind of cool a few times, it sometimes ruins the flow of the fight scenes and prolongs them to a point that they shouldn’t be (in contrast, I do like some of Jaa’s extremely short fights where he knocks out a person in one hit). The editing is fast and electric, and I can deal with the replays simply due to that.
Ong-Bak is a fun action film that keeps rolling. It has scenes you don’t expect (like the opening tree climbing scene and the mini-taxi car chase), but it also manages to have everything you’d want in an action thriller. Check out Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior and enjoy the fighting! Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior was followed by a prequel Ong-Bak 2 in 2008 which Tony Jaa helped direct.
A History of Violence (2005)
August 18th, 2019|
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Movie Info
Movie Name: A History of Violence
Studio: New Line Productions
Genre(s): Drama/Action/Adventure
Release Date(s): May 16, 2005 (Cannes)/September 23, 2005 (US)
MPAA Rating: R
Bang…you’re dead!
Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) is a family man living in a small Indiana town. When he is crossed by two ruthless murderers, he reluctantly finds himself a hero in the media. Carl Fogarty (Ed Harris) believes he has seen Tom before and that Tom isn’t his real name. Now, Tom is out to prove that he isn’t the man that Fogarty thinks he is and discovers his wife Edie (Maria Bello), their son Jack (Ashton Holmes), and his daughter Sarah (Heidi Hayes) could all be in danger if Fogarty and his men don’t believe him.
Directed by David Cronenberg, A History of Violence is a crime action thriller. The movie is based on the 1997 graphic novel A History of Violence by John Wagner and Vince Locke and premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. The film was well received upon its release and nominated for Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor (William Hurt).
I like Cronenberg a lot, though I prefer his early, schlocky, low-budget outings to his bigger more awarded movies. A History of Violence really felt like a big turning point for Cronenberg in the themes of his movies and much of the focus. It is a strong entry in Cronenberg’s filmography, but I think it lacks some of his touches.
Um…you got the wrong guy?
I have no problem with the movie and think the film is very good, but it doesn’t feel much like a Cronenberg movie. Technology and science always seems to be a bigger role in his films and this film is largely built around mental fortitude, fate, and history as the title implies. Tom is being accused of being a cold-hearted mobster who can kill and maim on a whim…he’s almost like a low-key John Wick (who can get injured). He thinks he can change his stripes though and the movie potentially shows that he is who he is regardless how he tries to live his life.
Viggo Mortensen is great in that he gets the ho-hum lifestyle that Tom is trying to live, but it also feels like he has the suppressed rage of Joey Cusack. Scenes like the last scene reveal that toothpaste can’t be put back in the tube and Tom’s life as he believed it to be is over (even if it is “over”). Maria Bello gives a great performance of a wife who is forced to quickly realize that she doesn’t know the man she’s married to, and Ed Harris is effectively creepy as the man baiting Tom. William Hurt is a scene-stealer in his short role (only about eight minutes) though I wish Mortensen and Bello had received some Oscar love.
EYE see you…get it?
The movie is put together solidly. It feels like a thinking man’s action film with plenty of intense scenes, but also intense drama that is often lacking in movies of this type. The movie’s style and look also serves as a nice contrast to the horrors of the murders that occur.
A History of Violence was a different film than you might have expected from if Cronenberg hadn’t slowly been evolving himself over the years. I like the movie and it is one of those rare movies that could have been longer and even more developed despite being well tied together. I would also be interested in the characters being revisited someday to see how something like this does to a person as the cameras stop rolling…we could hope (but I don’t see that happening).
Justice League vs. the Fatal Five (2019)
August 16th, 2019|
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Movie Info
Movie Name: Justice League vs. the Fatal Five
Studio: Warner Bros. Animation
Genre(s): Comic Book/Animated/Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Release Date(s): March 29, 2019 (WonderCon)/March 30, 2019 (Digital)
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Here come the Five!
The Legion of Super-Heroes greatest enemies have a plan. With Tharok, Persuader, and Mano travelling into the past, Star Boy finds himself in pursuit at great personal cost. Jessica Cruz tries to adjust to life as a Green Lantern and learns that the Fatal Five’s goal could include her. With the past and future in crisis, it is up to the Justice League to stop the Fatal Five when they rejoin with Emerald Empress and Validus…reality could hang in the balance!
Directed by Sam Liu, Justice League vs. the Fatal Five is a DC Universe Animated Original Movie. Following Reign of the Superman (also released in 2019), the film premiered at WonderCon and was released on digital the next day.
Batman and Ms. Martian are just along for the ride…
DC does a great job with their animated universe. The stories they pick are generally strong, the animation is either experimental or consistent with other animated features (like this one) and this helps build a real network of characters and storylines. Justice League vs. the Fatal Five is a great set-up with fun characters.
The story is largely about Star Boy and Jessica Cruz. Both characters are broken and both characters find that being broken isn’t always bad. I always found the story of Star Boy rather tragic and it plays out similar to the character’s fate involving his mental state in the comics. Jessica Cruz is one of recent years more interesting characters. She really finds her feet in this storyline (which is good, but also a bit too perfect for a character suffering from agoraphobia), and she is a fun creation.
Eye see you!
The only problem with the Justice League vs. the Fatal Five is that the Justice League really takes a backseat in the plot. They are there, and they do things, but it seems like they are more incidental to the plot. The film tries to develop a Miss Martian storyline in addition to the primary Jessica and Star Boy stories through trips into the subconscious of Star Boy, but the character’s arc doesn’t really develop in comparison to the other two.
The movie looks good, and that is one of the great aspects of DC Animated movies. You could pair the movie next to most of their entries and it would look like they are part of the same “world”. The movie continues to employ solid voice actors and the whole package is stronger as a result.
Justice League vs. the Fatal Five is consistent with other DC Universe Animated features. Personally, I love the Legion, and it is always good to get a nice Legion storyline (I wish that DC would revamp the Legion cartoon with art that fits with the Batman: The Animated Series and the Superman: The Animated Series cartoons). DC follows Justice League vs. the Fatal Five with Batman: Hush which was also released in 2019.
Wanted (2008)
August 15th, 2019|
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Movie Info
Movie Name: Wanted
Studio: Marc Platt Productions
Genre(s): Action/Adventure/Comic Book
Release Date(s): June 12, 2008 (Premiere)/June 27, 2008 (US)
MPAA Rating: R
Bend It Like Beckham!
Accountant Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) hates his life. His girlfriend Cathy (Kristen Hager) is sleeping with his best friend Barry (Chris Pratt), and he can’t stand his boss Janice (Lorna Scott). When Wesley learns that the father who abandoned him as a child was part of a league of assassins called the Fraternity and run by Sloan (Morgan Freeman), Wesley discovers he has a gift for killing…once he finds it. Now teamed with Fox (Angelina Jolie), Wesley is on the trail of the man who killed his father and out for vengeance, and the Loom never lies.
Directed by Timur Bekmanbetov, Wanted is an action-adventure comic book adaptation. The story was a six issue comic book series by Mark Millar and J.G. Jones which ran from December 2003 to February 2005. It received mixed to positive reviews but a strong box office return. It was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing.
Wanted was at the onset of the big comic book movie revolution. It was a non-Marvel and non-DC film and wasn’t really marketed as a comic book adaptation as much as an action film. It really feels more like a comic book film at times, and fans of the comic book wave of movies might want to revisit it.
…and a meme is born
The story feels very similar to Mark Millar’s other comic books that have been adapted into movies. It has the real world feel of Kick-Ass, and the “guy thrust into something he doesn’t understand” feeling of Kingsman. Despite being pretty stylized, it is probably the least stylized of the three films and the most like a standard action movie (minus the Loom and the bending bullets). It does feel like the movie wraps up the story a bit too nice and neat at the end despite being rather open ended.
The cast is good. James McAvoy is young and surprisingly believable both as a pencil pusher and an assassin which is key to believing his character. Angelina Jolie seems to be the Angelina Jolie character who is mysterious, coy, and deadly. It feels like the character isn’t much different than many of her other characters. Morgan Freeman is wise (of course), but it is nice to see him flip on his normal character. The film is also noted for the early Chris Pratt appearance which of course created a meme and a gif.
Wesley now is a kick-ass assassin (not be confused with Kick-Ass or the Kingsmen).
The movie looks great. The whole premise of the film with the uber assassins and their skilled marksmanship provides a rich environment for visuals. You have train riding, bullet shots, and a style that has a little bit of Fincher’s Fight Club…it isn’t necessarily original, but it is put to good use.
Wanted is a fun movie that kind of fell to the wayside. It has a small cult following, but the plans for a sequel never got off the ground. The movie still could find a sequel and a Millarverse crossover between Kick-Ass, Wanted, and Kingsman could be a fun idea. Until then, James McAvoy is just bending bullets like Beckham in this entry alone.
After Earth (2013)
August 14th, 2019|
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Movie Info
Movie Name: After Earth
Studio: Overbrook Entertainment
Genre(s): Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Action/Adventure
Release Date(s): May 1, 2013 (Premiere)/May 31, 2013 (US)
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Gonna Fly Now!!!
Earth is inhospitable to humans who have moved on to the stars. The Ranger Corps find themselves in battle with aliens called the S’krell who use creatures called Ursa that feast on human fear. General Cypher Raige (Will Smith) has discovered that by showing no fear he can “ghost” the Ursa and defeat them. When Cypher and his son Kitai Raige (Jaden Smith) crash while transporting an Ursa, Cypher is crippled and it is now up to Kitai to signal help and save his father…but Earth isn’t what it used to be and survival will take all the courage that Kitai can muster.
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, After Earth is a sci-fi action-adventure. The film is based on a story by Will Smith and was developed into a screenplay by M. Night Shyamalan and Gary Whitta. Following Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender in 2010, the film was critically panned and received Razzies for Worst Actor (Jaden Smith), Worst Supporting Actor (Will Smith), and Worst Screen Combo (Jaden Smith and Will Smith) with nominations for Worst Picture, Worst Director, and Worst Screenplay.
Kitai…you can be the family’s next action star if you try harder!
M. Night Shyamalan used to be something…and then he began to throw away a promising career through movies like The Happening and The Last Airbender. After Earth had no chance and with a story was put together as a star-maker for Jaden Smith by his father the nepotism hung thick over the project. Even if it hadn’t been Jaden and Will, After Earth wouldn’t have made it…it just isn’t that interesting.
The movie is dull. You would think with a jungle, post-apocalyptic Earth where the animals rule and the introduction of a deadly alien that the movie would be pretty exciting, but instead you just get Jaden Smith running around, bad flashbacks of his sister’s death, and a garbled mess of baboons, eagles, and an alien that literally can be defeated without worry…as Will Smith keeps telling his son to do it better (which kind of feels like it was the theme off camera as well with the picture faring as poor as it did).
Jaden and Will’s characters are supposed to be relatively emotionally hollow to defeat the S’krell agents, but it just comes off as artificial and wooden. Jaden over panics about everything and Will comes off as overly heavy-handed in a way that makes the Great Santini look friendly. This combines with a weird sometimes accident that the character put on occasionally in some scenes. It isn’t good.
There’s a giant badly animated creature behind me…isn’t there.
The special effects for the film aren’t all that impressive either. It blew the opportunity to have creatures that have evolved without humans (granted it was only 1,000 years so not much evolution was possible), and it creates a weird Earth that looks more alien than anything else. It looks and feels very digital and fake…plus, the Ursas are rather generic.
After Earth was a limp and weak action film that feels like it was trying to set-up sequels. The movie rightfully bombed because it doesn’t even have the goofy fun of something like The Happening which you can watch and mock. If you want to watch a film about a post-apocalyptic world at war, there are much better places to look. M. Night Shyamalan returned to better form with his next entry The Visit in 2015.
Shaolin Soccer (2001)
August 13th, 2019|
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Movie Info
Movie Name: Shaolin Soccer
Studio: Star Oversea
Genre(s): Comedy/Action/Adventure/Sports/Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Martial Arts
Release Date(s): July 12, 2001 (Hong Kong)/April 2, 2004 (US)
MPAA Rating: PG
Dance like no one is watching
Team Evil is ruled by Hung (Patrick Tse) who uses his money and influence to control the world of professional soccer. When former standout “Golden Leg” Fung (Ng Man-tat) meets “Mighty Steel Leg” Sing (Stephen Chow), he realizes Fung’s mastery of Shaolin could be applied to soccer and bring about the downfall of Team Evil. Fung begins to teach Sing and his brothers the skills of soccer…but Hung and Team Evil won’t go down without a fight.
Written and directed by Stephen Chow (with additional writing by Tsang Kan-cheung), Shaolin Soccer (少林足球 or Siu Lam juk kau) is a sports action comedy. Originally released in Hong Kong in 2001, the film received a United States release in 2004. It received positive reviews.
I saw Kung Fu Hustle in the theater and immediately went back and sought out Shaolin Soccer. I really enjoyed the blend of comedy and action and found it a unique movie with very few comparisons. I hadn’t seen Shaolin Soccer in years, but it was great to revisit it.
Bruce Lee…meets soccer
The film is rather long though the American release did edit a chunk out of it. The longer version of the film does serve to develop and build the plot. The film ranges from parody to slapstick to straight up action at points. You have the super-villain (even in name) Team Evil and a host of enemy players facing off against a uniquely perfect team of odd balls that have “powers” which allow them to excel. In addition, you have the kind of unique romance of between Sing and Mui (Zhao Wei) which doesn’t develop like you’d expect in a film like this (or at least an American film).
The cast is great. Stephen Chow demonstrates great comic timing along the vein of Jackie Chan by combining his fighting abilities with a script that works for them. The brothers (played by Wong Yat-fei, Mok Mei-lam, Tin Kai-man, Danny Chan Kwok-kwan, and Lam Chi-chung) provide enough variety that even they develop in the course of the movie. Zhao Wei is an unconventional female romance, and the face-off between the likable down-and-out Ng Man-tat and Patrick Tse is good.
Team Evil brings the heat!
The movie’s visuals are both inspiring and cheesy. The blending of genres and styles is the highlight (there is even some Bollywood mixed in for good measure). The effects are obviously digitalized, but you kind of expected it from the storyline. While there are now better special effects, I kind of like the simplicity of Shaolin Soccer’s simple digital videos because they kind of add to the humor of the story.
Shaolin Soccer is kind of like The Bad News Bears…with soccer. You get an unlikely team of heroes against insurmountable odds, and they win you over both in their actions and their playing. You kind of know how Shaolin Soccer is going to end (though the bringing of the Shaolin technique to the everyday man is kind of fun), but you can still enjoy the film and the ride. Summon your inner power, and seek it out!
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)
August 12th, 2019|
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Movie Info
Movie Name: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Genre(s): Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Release Date(s): September 2004 (Venice Film Festival)/September 17, 2004 (US)
MPAA Rating: PG
I want a pygmy elephant now!
When world renowned scientists begin disappearing, intrepid reporter Polly Perkins (Gwyneth Paltrow) is hot on the case. Fortunately, Polly’s dashing former love Joseph Sullivan (Jude Law) aka Sky Captain is keeping New York City safe. When giant robots invade the city and kidnap Sky Captain’s loyal sidekick Dex (Giovanni Ribisi), Polly and Joseph find themselves travelling the globe, finding mountain paradises, flying fortresses, undersea bases, and battling a mystery woman (Bai Ling) bent on stopping them. The quest for Dr. Totenkopf (Laurence Olivier) is on, and the fate of the world is in Sky Captain’s hands!
Directed by Kerry Conran, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is a science-fiction action fantasy. The movie was released to positive reviews but under-performed at the box office. It has gained a cult following since its release.
I saw Sky Captain in the theater. I liked the whole pre-World War II, sci-fi, grounded Buck Rogers style storytelling (often called dieselpunk). It didn’t surprise me that the movie failed and the visuals were a lot to take in on the first viewing. Like other visionary films, the movie has a look and style that has been emulated since. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow may not be the most action filled action movie, but it is a solid remake of the serials that inspired it.
Hey, Colonel Fury…I mean Commander Franky…where should I park the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier?
The story (when boiled down) is actually kind of smart. You have all the tropes of the science-fiction meeting the most science fiction thing at the time…fighter pilots. A mad-scientist is out to save the world from its mistakes after World War II and the only person who can stop it is a man in his flying machine. It is absurd and it is absurd that everyone knows the legend of Sky Captain within the context of the film, but Sky Captain and his adventures are the world and the world reflects that.
The film is well cast. The lead characters in serials were always very debonair and beautiful. Law and Paltrow fit that mold and they are joined by the kind of odd sidekick character who Giovanni Ribisi fits. Bai Ling is a good antagonist since at the time of the serials, the “East” was one of the more mysterious and scary enemies (but the film skirts the actual race issues). The film was slightly controversial in that it resurrected Laurence Olivier to play Dr. Totenkopf using old footage, but as indicated at the beginning of the movie through Paltrow’s visit to the theater, he becomes the Wizard of Oz for his own mad plans.
I’ll get you my pretty!!!
The visuals are striking and are a great homage to sci-fi films and comics. On the big screen, they almost burned your eyes but as the film progressed you did adjust to them. Other movies like 300 and Sin City followed in its footsteps with the digitally created worlds, but due to the setting, Sky Captain’s world is probably richer.
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow deserves reevaluation. It is a bit slow paced at times (like The Rocketeer), but it also is classic action-adventure. This combines with visuals that remind me a lot of Tron in their unique look and style. The game Bioshock seemed to really pick up the story aspects and visuals of Sky Captain, but I kind of wish that the film had done better so that there might have been a sequel and more adventures of the character…but for now Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow flies alone.
Jumanji (1995)
August 11th, 2019|
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Movie Info
Movie Name: Jumanji
Studio: TriStar Pictures
Genre(s): Action/Adventure/Family
Release Date(s): December 15, 1995
MPAA Rating: PG
Can’t we just play AD&D?
Alan Parrish (Adam Hann-Byrd) disappeared from his home in the 1960s, and everyone believed he had run away or been killed. When Nora Shepherd (Bebe Neuwirth) and her orphaned niece and nephew Judy (Kirsten Dunst) and Peter (Bradley Pierce) move into the Parrish house, the discovery of a board game named Jumanji leads to the return of Alan Parrish (Robin Williams) as an adult. Jumanji has been awakened and now Peter, Judy, Alan, and Alan’s childhood friend Sarah Whittle (Bonnie Hunt) must finish the game they started…or the town of Brantford could be destroyed!
Directed by Joe Johnston, Jumanji is a family action-adventure film. The movie adapts the 1981 Chris Van Allsburg award winning children’s book. The film received average to positive reviews and was a box office success.
I was too old for Jumanji when it was released, but I think I ended up seeing it on replay in college. It was as I expected. It was a movie I might have enjoyed as a kid but tedious at points as an adult.
My Monkeybone audition is going great!
The movie has a rather intriguing set-up which is both interesting and terrifying. The portion of the film set in the 1960s which has Robin Williams’ character sucked into the game and believed to be murdered is dark. It then turns into a goofy chase movie with the hunter and various animals that just hop all over the screen. It rounds out with a bizarre time travel-esque storyline that leads to an odd ending that doesn’t feel entirely satisfying.
Robin Williams is at his most Robin Williams-esque. He rages from manic, to terse, to tender. There is a bit of a Hook carry-over theme for his character. Bonnie Hunt is a nice pairing for him since she’s really straight laced. The movie is one of Kirsten Dunst’s early roles and Bradley Pierce is ok as a typical child actor. It is odd to see Bebe Neuwirth as the mentoring character, and David Alan Grier and Patricia Clarkson have small roles. Jonathan Hyde has a dual role as Williams’ father and the crazed hunter Van Pelt.
The “floor is quicksand” game just more exciting…good thing it wasn’t lava
The visuals for Jumanji were pretty good at the time of its release, but the movie hasn’t aged well. The special effects for the spiders, monkeys, bats, alligator, and lion are a combination of digital effects and practical effects. The practical effects don’t mesh well with the digital effects and the digital effects don’t even stand close to today’s looks.
Jumanji will hold nostalgia for viewers who enjoyed it in their childhood. I find the movie a little slow and tedious as it randomly jumps from “roll to roll”. The movie was followed by a similar themed film in Zathura: A Space Adventure in 2005 with a game which takes children to space. Jumanji resurfaced in 2017 with Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle starring Dwayne Johnson.
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