So, here we are again. Friday. That glorious day at the end of the week. That means it's also time to wrap up the bits and pieces that came out over the last 7 days or so. Here's my take on the bits of news I was too lazy to write about earlier...
Could Tom Cruise Wrestle The Box Office Title Away From Shailene Woodley?
The answer is a resounding no! The Fault In Our Stars was the number one movie at the box office last weekend, crushing the competition with a $48M domestically in it's opening weekend. Maleficent was in the number two spot, bringing in $34.3M in it's second week, followed by Edge of Tomorrow with $28.8M in it's first weekend out. While I'm glad that the female led, and driven FIOS did so well (I still have yet to check it out), I am disappointed that EoT didn't have a better opening. It is a spectacular sci-fi movie, driven by a horrendous marketing campaign, that deserved way better than it got. It's interesting to note that the Angelina Jolie led Maleficent came in strong in the number two spot. Never count out the ability of a family friendly flick to wreak havoc with the box office predictions. I'm betting that How To Train Your Dragon 2 takes the number one spot this weekend.
Ant-Man, FINALLY, Has A Director...
After the whole debacle with Edgar Wright, and the oh, we've hired Adam McKay... oh wait, sorry, not going to work out thing, Marvel has finally hired a new director to helm it's Ant-Man project, still set for release July 17, 2015. Peyton Reed, the director of Yes Man and The Break Up will now helm the project. Given that filming was supposed to begin this week I believe, it took them long enough. While, overall I have no issue with Reed, as he's a competent director, this hiring still concerns me. While I trust Marvel, as they have yet to lead me astray with their properties, the fact that their focus has been on very comedic directors is alarming. The beauty of Wright was the fact that while he was comedic, he was also kind of quirky, giving the hope of an interesting take on the character. The idea that Marvel was hell-bent on replacing him with a director who's main focus was comedy sent up a couple of red flags in regards to this Ant-Man project. Of course, the same thing could be said about Joe and Anthony Russo, who before Captain America: The Winter Soldier, were best know for directing the television shows Community and Arrested Development. And we all know how that turned out. The Winter Soldier is arguably the best Marvel movie to date. So, I'll trust in Feige and wait to see how this goes.
Has Marvel Found It's Steven Strange?
Technically, no, but that hasn't stopped the rumour mill from churning. When it was announced last week that Scott Derrickson would be helming the film of the Sorcerer Supreme, this was the first real confirmation that Dr. Strange would actually be a part of Marvel's Phase 3 plans. So, of course, speculation began as to who would be cast as Steven Strange. The first rumour out of the gate was Jared Leto. While he wouldn't have been my first choice, I would have been okay with it. Now, it appears the Marvel's short list is down to two: Tom Hardy and Benedict Cumberbatch. While I am okay with either of these guys, my preference would be towards Hardy. Having just finished watching Locke, I've got to say, the guy is amazing. While Cumberbatch is also good, with serious geek cred, for some reason, I just don't see it. Not that I would be disappointed, if tomorrow, Marvel said Cumberbatch is our guy, I would just prefer they went with Hardy. Now, the question that remains to be seen is, are either of these guys willing to sign on long term with Marvel? I guess we'll wait and see.
Del Toro Calls It Quits On The Beast...
Citing scheduling conflicts, Guillermo Del Toro has dropped out of directing his live action telling of the classic tale Beauty And The Beast. In development since 2012, Emma Watson is slated to star in the film as Belle. Del Toro will, however, remain on as a producer of the film, alongside Denise DiNovi. Although disappointing, it's not all that surprising, given the fact that he always has a huge number of projects on the go at any one time. This has led to speculation that he may have dropped this project to focus on a Pacific Rim sequel, as he did state earlier in the week that he was working very hard on a script with Zack Penn. While Legendary has yet to actually green-light a sequel, according to Del Toro, he and Penn are proceeding like the film is actually happening. Now, if he would only put this much effort into a Hellboy 3, I'd be one happy camper.
Gamers United In Los Angeles This Week...
The annual Electronic Entertainment Expo happened in LA this week, and lots of exciting news and trailers for some awesome games have been released. While I'm not a hard-core gamer by any means, there were a few titles that caught my eye. The trailer for Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor looks amazing, and you have my attention anytime you mention Middle Earth. I enjoy War in The North, so am looking forward to this one. The other one that intrigues me is the Batman: Arkham Knight trailer. I am also in anytime you say superhero, and have tested my prowess as Batman, with Arkham Asylum. For all the other E3 news and trailers, check out the the gaming page from the guys at schmoesknow.com who have got you covered.
New Trailer For Laika's The Boxtrolls Drops...
Holy cow, animation is sure kicking ass these days! The first trailer for Laika's upcoming stop-motion flick The Boxtrolls dropped this week, and boy, does it look charming. The masters behind ParaNorman and Coraline will be bringing The Boxtrolls to life on September 26, 2014, and I honestly can't wait. While I get that stop-motion animation isn't for everyone, I personally love the medium and don't think that it gets nearly enough love and support. This film looks charming and fun and I think that 2014 is going to be a banner year for animation, with the likes of The Lego Movie, How To Train Your Dragon 2, The Boxtrolls, Big Hero 6 and The Book of Life all being released.
A Dame To Kill For Kills It...
A new trailer for Sin City: A Dame To Kill For dropped this week, and boy is it a doozy. Now, I will admit, I have never seen the first Sin City film, but if this trailer is anything to go by, I will be checking it out soon, so that I can catch this flick in theatres. Opening August 22, 2014, the movie is a sequel to the 2005 film Sin City and is primarily based on the second graphic novel in the series by Frank Miller. This trailer looks fantastic and I am intrigued about this world. I'll let you know what I think after I've checked it out.
And The Most Watched Shows In The World Are...
Earlier this week, at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival, NCIS took the International Television Audience Award for Drama, meaning it is the highest rated drama series worldwide. The show won with a global audience of 57.6 million viewers in 66 different countries. The winners for Comedy were Modern Family and in the Soap Opera category, The Bold and The Beautiful took the crown. While I don't watch either NCIS, which is also the most watched show in North America, or The Bold and The Beautiful, I do enjoy Modern Family. It's interesting to see how closely the worldwide audience is tied to the North American one.
Daredevil Has Found It's Kingpin...
On the heels that Charlie Cox would be portraying Matt Murdoch in the upcoming Marvel Netflix series Daredevil, word came down that Hell's Kitchen had also found it's Kingpin. In keeping with their interesting casting choices of late, Marvel announced that Wilson Fisk, aka The Kingpin, would be played by Vincent D'Onofrio. I will admit, this casting is amazing. D'Onofrio is an excellent actor, who does dark and fearsome like no other. This Netflix project is looking more and more interesting, and I for one, can't wait to see it.
Friday, 13 June 2014
Tuesday, 10 June 2014
How Do You Stop The Information Super-Highway From Ruining Everything?
Or at least slow it down long enough so you don't get trampled?
This is the conundrum facing Star Wars Episode VII director J.J. Abrams. The notoriously secretive director currently finds himself in the middle of a firestorm, as anticipation and speculation run rampant in regards to this latest venture. Star Wars fans are clamouring for any sort of Star Wars related news, no matter how big or small, in a effort to piece together anything in regards to this new film. Contrarily, Disney and Lucasfilm have been very tight-lipped in regards to the new movie, releasing only what they feel they need to, in order to keep fans happy. It's a vicious cycle, frustrating for everyone involved.
Last week, as is wont to happen in this day and age, TMZ somehow got it's hands on photos taken at Pinewood Studios in London, where it appears that the crew is busy recreating full scale models of spaceships, including the Millennium Falcon. (You can see all the photos here). These pictures came directly on the heels of another set of leaked photos, again from TMZ, this time from the actual set in Abu Dhabi, where principle photography began shooting last month. These photos, found here, are thought to be of a Tatooine Marketplace that will appear in the new film.
These leaks have got to be driving director J.J. Abrams absolutely crazy! As I mentioned, he is a notoriously secretive director, who hates for his projects to be spoiled before the audience has had a chance to see them in their entirety, in all their finished glory. He prefers that his work be experienced as a whole, and honestly, who can blame him? There's nothing worse than going in to a movie having already had the ending spoiled for you. How un-surprising and disappointing would The Sixth Sense have been if you already knew what the twist was heading in to see it for the very first time? How many times have you gone to see a comedy, only to find out that all of the best jokes were already shown in the trailer? It's frustrating and annoying.
But what can you do to stop it? In this digital age, where everyone carries a mini-computer, with audio and video recording capabilities, in their pocket, how do you stop the leaks from happening? Ultimately, you can't. We live in a world where just about any information that we require is at our fingertips, ours to know or find out at the push of a button. We also seem to feel that it's our right to have whatever information that we want at our disposal, and feel we're being cheated if we don't get exactly what we want. We then turn around and complain if our movie going experiences are less than we hoped, blaming marketing and over-exposure for our disappointing time. While sometimes, it is true (I'm looking at you TASM 2!), most of the time, the blame rests solely on the shoulders of the movie fan. We get over-excited and devour every scrap of information that we can find, giving sites like TMZ reason to continue to "find" these photos and story leaks. And I fully admit, I am one of those rabid fans that clicks and watches and looks at everything that's released, no matter how hard I try to remain spoiler free. For me, it's just the nature of the beast.
But, what do you do if you're J.J. Abrams? Why, you go with it, of course!
Earlier this week, in an amusing, tongue-in-cheek way, Bad Robot (Abrams' production company) tweeted the following picture:
This is the conundrum facing Star Wars Episode VII director J.J. Abrams. The notoriously secretive director currently finds himself in the middle of a firestorm, as anticipation and speculation run rampant in regards to this latest venture. Star Wars fans are clamouring for any sort of Star Wars related news, no matter how big or small, in a effort to piece together anything in regards to this new film. Contrarily, Disney and Lucasfilm have been very tight-lipped in regards to the new movie, releasing only what they feel they need to, in order to keep fans happy. It's a vicious cycle, frustrating for everyone involved.
Last week, as is wont to happen in this day and age, TMZ somehow got it's hands on photos taken at Pinewood Studios in London, where it appears that the crew is busy recreating full scale models of spaceships, including the Millennium Falcon. (You can see all the photos here). These pictures came directly on the heels of another set of leaked photos, again from TMZ, this time from the actual set in Abu Dhabi, where principle photography began shooting last month. These photos, found here, are thought to be of a Tatooine Marketplace that will appear in the new film.
These leaks have got to be driving director J.J. Abrams absolutely crazy! As I mentioned, he is a notoriously secretive director, who hates for his projects to be spoiled before the audience has had a chance to see them in their entirety, in all their finished glory. He prefers that his work be experienced as a whole, and honestly, who can blame him? There's nothing worse than going in to a movie having already had the ending spoiled for you. How un-surprising and disappointing would The Sixth Sense have been if you already knew what the twist was heading in to see it for the very first time? How many times have you gone to see a comedy, only to find out that all of the best jokes were already shown in the trailer? It's frustrating and annoying.
But what can you do to stop it? In this digital age, where everyone carries a mini-computer, with audio and video recording capabilities, in their pocket, how do you stop the leaks from happening? Ultimately, you can't. We live in a world where just about any information that we require is at our fingertips, ours to know or find out at the push of a button. We also seem to feel that it's our right to have whatever information that we want at our disposal, and feel we're being cheated if we don't get exactly what we want. We then turn around and complain if our movie going experiences are less than we hoped, blaming marketing and over-exposure for our disappointing time. While sometimes, it is true (I'm looking at you TASM 2!), most of the time, the blame rests solely on the shoulders of the movie fan. We get over-excited and devour every scrap of information that we can find, giving sites like TMZ reason to continue to "find" these photos and story leaks. And I fully admit, I am one of those rabid fans that clicks and watches and looks at everything that's released, no matter how hard I try to remain spoiler free. For me, it's just the nature of the beast.
But, what do you do if you're J.J. Abrams? Why, you go with it, of course!
Earlier this week, in an amusing, tongue-in-cheek way, Bad Robot (Abrams' production company) tweeted the following picture:
Now, any Star Wars fan is going to recognize that little nugget of spoilery goodness. (Although, seriously, who in their right mind didn't think that the Millennium Falcon was going to make an appearance in the film. That's just a no-brainer!) And I like the fact that Abrams is being a little more open to sharing, because, aside from confiscating the phones of everyone on set and tackling anyone with a recording device to the ground, what else is he going to do? I think he's finally realized that, if you tease a little bit, it will be enough to satisfy even the most die-hard fans. I have heard so many people say that since they're getting bits and pieces from Disney, Lucasfilm and Abrams, they don't really have a desire to go in search of other information. And, I agree that this seems to be the best course of action. One of the main issues that a lot of people had with Star Trek Into Darkness was the whole controversy in regards to Benedict Cumberbatch's character, and whether of not he was actually Khan. The Bad Robot camp denied it right up until the movie opened, which I personally think was a detriment to the film. Knowing that Cumberbatch was Khan wouldn't have ruined the movie, and might have actually helped build the anticipation. Khan is a very recognizable character in the Star Trek universe, and I think that they could have used that information to their advantage. Instead, they chose a different route, and I think it kind of backfired on them a little. Lesson learned, maybe?
It's inevitable that, as the movie continues filming, and the release date gets ever closer, more and more information on the project will be released, either officially or unofficially. This project is a huge deal to many, many people around the world, as Star Wars shaped an entire generation of film-goers, myself included. I honestly can't think of a more anticipated project, aside from The Phantom Menace, back before it was released back in 1999. With the mediocre reception of George Lucas' prequel trilogy, it's imperative that Disney and Lucasfilm take the utmost care in regards to the direction of their Star Wars franchise. The stakes have never been higher. And in the age of digital technology and social media, it will never be easier for us, as film fans, to scrutinize every little thing that comes our way. Let's just hope that J.J. has truly learned his lesson and has chosen to embrace the idea that a little something is better than nothing at all. It keeps the wolves at bay, and makes a much smoother experience for everyone involved.
Monday, 9 June 2014
Review: Live. Die. Repeat. Over And Over Again...
The following is a review of the new film, Edge of Tomorrow. It will definitely contain spoilers, so you have been warned. If you don't want to be spoiled, you should really turn back now, because you really need to see this movie. If, you don't care if you're spoiled, or you like to be spoiled, because you know, some people do, then please continue...
**********SPOILER ALERT!!!!!**********
Now, I am not a Tom Cruise fan. Before this weekend, I believe the last Tom Cruise film that I had seen was Tropic Thunder. Yes, it was that long ago. And honestly, until Kristian Harloff and Mark Ellis over at www.schmoesknow.com highly recommended this movie, I had no intention of seeing it. And that would have been a terrible shame.
Edge of Tomorrow, based on the Japanese novel, All You Need Is Kill, tells the story of Major William Cage (Tom Cruise), an officer of the United States Military and spokesperson for the United Defence Forces, a NATO military outfit created to fight the escalating war with the alien race known as the Mimics, who have taken refuge on the planet and are attempting to destroy the human race. Through a series of unfortunate events, Major Cage finds himself among the first wave of soldiers on the eve of battle, even though he is not a combat trained soldier. Stripped of his rank and branded a deserter, he is placed in J-Unit, a group of misfits, not really fit to be soldiers in the eyes of those higher up. Although the attack was supposed to be a covert one, somehow the enemy knows that they are coming and the soldiers are ambushed. Cage stumbles around the battlefield, watching as everyone around him is slaughtered by the aliens. Just as he's about to be killed by a Mimic, he deploys an explosive, killing both the alien and himself in the process, in a rather gruesome fashion. And then he wakes up. He finds himself once again, at the Heathrow Airport base, the day before the invasion is set to begin. He tries to explain the situation to anyone who will listen, but is written off as crazy and just trying to get out of combat. The invasion happens again, and every time he dies, the day somehow resets and he finds himself waking up on the same morning, before the invasion, over and over again. He has somehow gotten himself in a time-loop and has no idea how to get out of it. When he saves Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt), and lets it slip that he's been here before, she tells him that when he wakes up, he needs to come and find her. It turns out that Rita knows exactly what's going on with him, as the same thing happened to her in the past. By getting doused in the Alpha Mimic's blood, Cage gained the ability to reset time. Turns out that all of the Mimic's are controlled by the time-controlling Omega and that if they can destroy it, they will be able to win the war. As the Mimic's try to locate Cage's consciousness, he will start getting visions of the Omega, giving them clues as to where to find it, so that they can destroy it. Through loop after loop, Cage and Rita get closer and closer to finding the Omega. Tired of watching her die no matter what he does to try and stop it, in one loop, Cage doesn't go to Rita at the base and instead goes in search of the Omega alone. He gets to the place in his visions, a dam in the Alps, but quickly realizes that it is a trap, as the Omega is not there and he is ambushed by an Alpha. The Alpha attempts to kill him by slowly draining his blood, therefore taking away his ability to time-jump, but he manages to drown instead, waking up the previous morning once again. Armed with the knowledge that the Mimic's are playing with them and the fact that the Alps are a dead end, Cage and Rita seek out a scientist, Dr. Carter, an expert on Mimic physiology, who may have a solution. On the authority of the UDF, he designed and created a transponder that would neurally link with the Omega, giving them it's location. The only problem is, it needs to be hooked to a live Alpha in order to work. Going on the hunch that Cage's blood, since it hold the ability to time jump, may work, they break into the UDF offices to obtain the device, this portion told through a number of off camera loops. Once they leave the building, UDF officers step in to arrest them, leading to a hectic car chase. Cage uses the transponder and discovers that the Omega is housed below the flooded Louvre in Paris. Before Rita can kill him and reset the day, their car crashes and they both blackout. Cage awakens in a military hospital, having been given a blood transfusion, wiping out his time jumping ability. He and Rita escape, determined to destroy the Omega before the invasion the following morning, in essence saving all of the soldiers about to deploy. Recruiting the soldiers in J-Unit, they head to Paris to stop this thing before it starts. Cage and Rita are the only two to survive the trip to the Louvre, and Rita eventually sacrifices herself so that Cage can destroy the Omega. As he is swimming towards it, grenades in hand, he is attacked by an Alpha. Dropping the grenades, he turns to look at the alien, showing it that he had pulled the pins before letting go. The grenades blow, destroying the Omega, which in turn destroys all of the Mimic's on the planet. As he is dying, Cage's body absorbs the Omega's blood. He awakens once again, but this time, two days before the invasion. The Omega has been destroyed and the war is virtually won. With his ranking still in tact, he finds Rita, who he has come to love. As he steps towards her, the screen fades to black.
To say that I was pleasantly surprised by this movie would be a gross understatement. A cross between Groundhog Day and any other alien invasion movie, I found myself thinking of Aliens as I watched it. Watching it gave me the same kind of feelings I get when I watch the James Cameron classic (once I was old enough to see it for the fantastic movie that it is and not let it scare the crap out of me, anymore). And that is not a bad thing at all. It is honestly, a great sci-fi flick, with fantastic humour and great heart. Although it pulls from other science fiction tropes, it weaves them together in a surprising and pleasant way. While I'm not a fan of Tom Cruise, I liked him in this role because it was outside of the box for him. Instead of playing the macho hero, his character is actually a bit of an ass, and a huge coward to boot. I was able to see past Tom Cruise and actually see William Cage, which is what you hope for in any movie. And don't get me started on Emily Blunt. The woman is amazing! She seems to have unbelievable chemistry with everyone she works with (if you haven't seen her and Matt Damon in the Adjustment Bureau, you really need to!), and here it's no different. Rita is an incredible, strong, determined character, and it's nice to see the female lead being the one to kick ass and take names, especially in a Tom Cruise movie. The pacing of this film was fantastic too, the loops and flashbacks edited perfectly to get the right tone and feel. It is a formula that could have gone horribly wrong, but didn't because the film makers actually used it sparingly and as a way to move the story forward.
While the film as a whole is excellent, I did have a few issues with it. First off, the plot is a little thin. While the premise as a whole makes sense on paper, there are quite a few plot holes when it comes to the explanation of the whole time-loop theory. I get that it's difficult to truly explain something so complex, but you're expected to go on blind faith for most of the film, just accepting the theory that Rita and Dr. Carter have come up with in regards to the Omega and it's link to the Mimic's. Now, it may be that, somehow, they figured all of this out while Rita was looping through time, but since we don't get to see what her experience was like, we'll never know. I have also heard rumblings about the ending being a bit of a cop-out, but on this one I disagree. While I would have been content if Cage and Rita had sacrificed themselves and stayed dead when the end credits rolled, I think that the addition of the last loop was clever. Cage's consciousness brought him back even earlier, to before everything started, but with alternate timeline already in place, the Omega destroyed. While it would have been easy for him to turn around and go on with his life, he made the decision to seek Rita out and see what happens now that the war is won. Maybe it's the romantic in me... I also really liked the fact that the film ended ambiguously, without Cage actually saying anything to her. Just a smile and a fade to black.
Overall this is an excellent, original sci-fi film, and it's unfortunate that it didn't do better at the box office in it's opening weekend. I blame the fact that it's coming off of the Tom Cruise led Oblivion, which was a disaster of epic proportions, and the terrible marketing campaign that Warner Brothers hatched for the film. The trailers that were released did not do the film justice, making it look, in part, like a sequel to Oblivion. If they had shown what a smart, witty film this actually is, I think that it might have been received better by audiences. Another mistake that Warner Brothers made was changing the title from that of the book, All You Need Is Kill, to Edge of Tomorrow. The original title was edgy and in your face, while the new title is pretty bland and generic. I don't know if a different title would have made that much difference in the long run, but I guess we'll never truly know.
**********SPOILER ALERT!!!!!**********
Now, I am not a Tom Cruise fan. Before this weekend, I believe the last Tom Cruise film that I had seen was Tropic Thunder. Yes, it was that long ago. And honestly, until Kristian Harloff and Mark Ellis over at www.schmoesknow.com highly recommended this movie, I had no intention of seeing it. And that would have been a terrible shame.
Edge of Tomorrow, based on the Japanese novel, All You Need Is Kill, tells the story of Major William Cage (Tom Cruise), an officer of the United States Military and spokesperson for the United Defence Forces, a NATO military outfit created to fight the escalating war with the alien race known as the Mimics, who have taken refuge on the planet and are attempting to destroy the human race. Through a series of unfortunate events, Major Cage finds himself among the first wave of soldiers on the eve of battle, even though he is not a combat trained soldier. Stripped of his rank and branded a deserter, he is placed in J-Unit, a group of misfits, not really fit to be soldiers in the eyes of those higher up. Although the attack was supposed to be a covert one, somehow the enemy knows that they are coming and the soldiers are ambushed. Cage stumbles around the battlefield, watching as everyone around him is slaughtered by the aliens. Just as he's about to be killed by a Mimic, he deploys an explosive, killing both the alien and himself in the process, in a rather gruesome fashion. And then he wakes up. He finds himself once again, at the Heathrow Airport base, the day before the invasion is set to begin. He tries to explain the situation to anyone who will listen, but is written off as crazy and just trying to get out of combat. The invasion happens again, and every time he dies, the day somehow resets and he finds himself waking up on the same morning, before the invasion, over and over again. He has somehow gotten himself in a time-loop and has no idea how to get out of it. When he saves Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt), and lets it slip that he's been here before, she tells him that when he wakes up, he needs to come and find her. It turns out that Rita knows exactly what's going on with him, as the same thing happened to her in the past. By getting doused in the Alpha Mimic's blood, Cage gained the ability to reset time. Turns out that all of the Mimic's are controlled by the time-controlling Omega and that if they can destroy it, they will be able to win the war. As the Mimic's try to locate Cage's consciousness, he will start getting visions of the Omega, giving them clues as to where to find it, so that they can destroy it. Through loop after loop, Cage and Rita get closer and closer to finding the Omega. Tired of watching her die no matter what he does to try and stop it, in one loop, Cage doesn't go to Rita at the base and instead goes in search of the Omega alone. He gets to the place in his visions, a dam in the Alps, but quickly realizes that it is a trap, as the Omega is not there and he is ambushed by an Alpha. The Alpha attempts to kill him by slowly draining his blood, therefore taking away his ability to time-jump, but he manages to drown instead, waking up the previous morning once again. Armed with the knowledge that the Mimic's are playing with them and the fact that the Alps are a dead end, Cage and Rita seek out a scientist, Dr. Carter, an expert on Mimic physiology, who may have a solution. On the authority of the UDF, he designed and created a transponder that would neurally link with the Omega, giving them it's location. The only problem is, it needs to be hooked to a live Alpha in order to work. Going on the hunch that Cage's blood, since it hold the ability to time jump, may work, they break into the UDF offices to obtain the device, this portion told through a number of off camera loops. Once they leave the building, UDF officers step in to arrest them, leading to a hectic car chase. Cage uses the transponder and discovers that the Omega is housed below the flooded Louvre in Paris. Before Rita can kill him and reset the day, their car crashes and they both blackout. Cage awakens in a military hospital, having been given a blood transfusion, wiping out his time jumping ability. He and Rita escape, determined to destroy the Omega before the invasion the following morning, in essence saving all of the soldiers about to deploy. Recruiting the soldiers in J-Unit, they head to Paris to stop this thing before it starts. Cage and Rita are the only two to survive the trip to the Louvre, and Rita eventually sacrifices herself so that Cage can destroy the Omega. As he is swimming towards it, grenades in hand, he is attacked by an Alpha. Dropping the grenades, he turns to look at the alien, showing it that he had pulled the pins before letting go. The grenades blow, destroying the Omega, which in turn destroys all of the Mimic's on the planet. As he is dying, Cage's body absorbs the Omega's blood. He awakens once again, but this time, two days before the invasion. The Omega has been destroyed and the war is virtually won. With his ranking still in tact, he finds Rita, who he has come to love. As he steps towards her, the screen fades to black.
To say that I was pleasantly surprised by this movie would be a gross understatement. A cross between Groundhog Day and any other alien invasion movie, I found myself thinking of Aliens as I watched it. Watching it gave me the same kind of feelings I get when I watch the James Cameron classic (once I was old enough to see it for the fantastic movie that it is and not let it scare the crap out of me, anymore). And that is not a bad thing at all. It is honestly, a great sci-fi flick, with fantastic humour and great heart. Although it pulls from other science fiction tropes, it weaves them together in a surprising and pleasant way. While I'm not a fan of Tom Cruise, I liked him in this role because it was outside of the box for him. Instead of playing the macho hero, his character is actually a bit of an ass, and a huge coward to boot. I was able to see past Tom Cruise and actually see William Cage, which is what you hope for in any movie. And don't get me started on Emily Blunt. The woman is amazing! She seems to have unbelievable chemistry with everyone she works with (if you haven't seen her and Matt Damon in the Adjustment Bureau, you really need to!), and here it's no different. Rita is an incredible, strong, determined character, and it's nice to see the female lead being the one to kick ass and take names, especially in a Tom Cruise movie. The pacing of this film was fantastic too, the loops and flashbacks edited perfectly to get the right tone and feel. It is a formula that could have gone horribly wrong, but didn't because the film makers actually used it sparingly and as a way to move the story forward.
While the film as a whole is excellent, I did have a few issues with it. First off, the plot is a little thin. While the premise as a whole makes sense on paper, there are quite a few plot holes when it comes to the explanation of the whole time-loop theory. I get that it's difficult to truly explain something so complex, but you're expected to go on blind faith for most of the film, just accepting the theory that Rita and Dr. Carter have come up with in regards to the Omega and it's link to the Mimic's. Now, it may be that, somehow, they figured all of this out while Rita was looping through time, but since we don't get to see what her experience was like, we'll never know. I have also heard rumblings about the ending being a bit of a cop-out, but on this one I disagree. While I would have been content if Cage and Rita had sacrificed themselves and stayed dead when the end credits rolled, I think that the addition of the last loop was clever. Cage's consciousness brought him back even earlier, to before everything started, but with alternate timeline already in place, the Omega destroyed. While it would have been easy for him to turn around and go on with his life, he made the decision to seek Rita out and see what happens now that the war is won. Maybe it's the romantic in me... I also really liked the fact that the film ended ambiguously, without Cage actually saying anything to her. Just a smile and a fade to black.
Overall this is an excellent, original sci-fi film, and it's unfortunate that it didn't do better at the box office in it's opening weekend. I blame the fact that it's coming off of the Tom Cruise led Oblivion, which was a disaster of epic proportions, and the terrible marketing campaign that Warner Brothers hatched for the film. The trailers that were released did not do the film justice, making it look, in part, like a sequel to Oblivion. If they had shown what a smart, witty film this actually is, I think that it might have been received better by audiences. Another mistake that Warner Brothers made was changing the title from that of the book, All You Need Is Kill, to Edge of Tomorrow. The original title was edgy and in your face, while the new title is pretty bland and generic. I don't know if a different title would have made that much difference in the long run, but I guess we'll never truly know.
Review: Finding Your Passion Where You Least Expect It...
The following is a review of the new Jon Favreau film Chef. If you have not seen Chef yet, I suggest that you do not continue to read this post, as it will contain information that will spoil the movie for you. If you like to be spoiled, then by all means, please continue....
**********SPOILER ALERT!!!!!**********
I have been waiting, rather impatiently, for over a month to see this film. Originally released in a limited run on May 5, it finally made it's way to theatres here this past weekend. A passion project of writer/director/producer/star Jon Favreau, it tells the story of chef Carl Casper and his fall from grace and eventual rise, as he once again discovers his true passion.
Chef Casper has been the head chef at an LA eatery for a long time. On the eve of a very big critique, he plans an elaborate new menu, just the thing to impress a picky critic. The restaurant owner, however, has different ideas. Set in his ways, he insists that the staff stick with the tried and true, albeit tired menu that the patrons have come to know and enjoy. Needless to say, the critic is not impressed by the ho-hum fare, and writes a scathing review of the restaurant, focused mainly on his disappointment with the chef. Angry and disgusted, Chef Carl accidentally gets into a war on Twitter with the critic, not realizing that everything he says over social media is for public consumption. Finally, he calls the critic out, inviting him to another tasting, where he plans to show him just what he's capable of. The restaurant owner, played by a deliciously clueless Dustin Hoffman, will have none of it, basically giving the chef an ultimatum. Either he cooks the regular menu, or he doesn't cook at all. Chef Carl walks away, hours before the showdown with the critic, leaving his Sous Chef, Bobby Canavale, who is quickly promoted to head Chef, in charge. Needless to say, the critic is not impressed again, and this time, calls Chef Carl out, tweeting that he's a no show and must be afraid. Carl flips out and heads to the restaurant, where he rips into the critic, his rant rapidly going viral. With no job and all prospects dried up, he heads to Miami with his ex-wife, Inez (Sofia Vergara), so that he can spend more time with their son. She has been trying to get him to open a food truck, where he could be in charge and cook what he wants. He had always scoffed at the idea, but finally relents, meeting with her other ex-husband, a fabulously quirky Robert Downey Jr. He takes the truck, calls it El Jefe, and he, his son and his best friend, Martin (John Leguizamo), who quit being the new Sous Chef at the LA restaurant to join him, make the trip from Miami to LA, stopping in various cities along the way to sell their wares. Carl's son, Percy, uses the power of social media, and his dad's inadvertent huge following, to promote the truck, making them a huge success. Upon returning to LA, Carl realizes that there are more important things in life than being a huge success and working all the time, and the truck becomes a family business, so they can all spend more time together. The critic, realizing that Chef Carl has re-discovered his passion, offers to bankroll a new restaurant, where Carl would have complete creative control. Cue the happily ever after.
I really liked this movie. It's an interesting take on finding ones passion and truly experiencing life to the fullest. We only get a short time on this ride called life, and we should really make the most of it while we're here. Doing something that you're passionate about and loving what you do are steps in the right direction. I thought that the acting in this film was great, and that the actor that played Percy, EmJay Anthony, did an outstanding job. And of course, anytime that a movie features my favourite city in the World, New Orleans, I'm going to be all in! The movie does a great job of balancing the food and what it means to us and how it brings us together, with the more personal elements of the story. Visually, the film is gorgeous, showcasing ingredients and techniques that you would be hard pressed to find outside of an industrial kitchen. It's obvious that food is one of Favreau's passions, and he showcases it here beautifully. While the story is quite predictable, overall, the film is a joy to watch and I highly recommend it.
I did have a couple of issues with the film, however, the main one being how neatly everything was tied up in a little bow by the end. Not only was the food truck a huge success, but of course, the critic, who had sold his website for millions of dollars, is willing to invest in a restaurant because he believes in the chef again. The final scene of the film shows the restaurant, six months later, closed for a private event, which just happens to be the wedding of Chef Carl and his ex-wife Inez, making the three of them one big happy family again. While I do watch rom-coms, the syrupy sweet ending was a little out of place in the film for me. Just having the truck be a success and Carl finding his passion once again, would have been enough. Add on the restaurant and the happily ever after fairytale ending and it was just a touch over the top. Not enough to change my opinion of the film overall, but it was enough to detract from the overall message, I think. My other issue with the film is a bit of a nit-pick, but oh well. Someone please tell me, how a guy that looks like Jon Favreau, who I am sure is a really great guy, can get women who look like Sofia Vergara and Scarlett Johansson? I mean, seriously? Is it just because he's a chef? I guess it's true what they say... the key to anyone's heart is through their stomach.
**********SPOILER ALERT!!!!!**********
I have been waiting, rather impatiently, for over a month to see this film. Originally released in a limited run on May 5, it finally made it's way to theatres here this past weekend. A passion project of writer/director/producer/star Jon Favreau, it tells the story of chef Carl Casper and his fall from grace and eventual rise, as he once again discovers his true passion.
Chef Casper has been the head chef at an LA eatery for a long time. On the eve of a very big critique, he plans an elaborate new menu, just the thing to impress a picky critic. The restaurant owner, however, has different ideas. Set in his ways, he insists that the staff stick with the tried and true, albeit tired menu that the patrons have come to know and enjoy. Needless to say, the critic is not impressed by the ho-hum fare, and writes a scathing review of the restaurant, focused mainly on his disappointment with the chef. Angry and disgusted, Chef Carl accidentally gets into a war on Twitter with the critic, not realizing that everything he says over social media is for public consumption. Finally, he calls the critic out, inviting him to another tasting, where he plans to show him just what he's capable of. The restaurant owner, played by a deliciously clueless Dustin Hoffman, will have none of it, basically giving the chef an ultimatum. Either he cooks the regular menu, or he doesn't cook at all. Chef Carl walks away, hours before the showdown with the critic, leaving his Sous Chef, Bobby Canavale, who is quickly promoted to head Chef, in charge. Needless to say, the critic is not impressed again, and this time, calls Chef Carl out, tweeting that he's a no show and must be afraid. Carl flips out and heads to the restaurant, where he rips into the critic, his rant rapidly going viral. With no job and all prospects dried up, he heads to Miami with his ex-wife, Inez (Sofia Vergara), so that he can spend more time with their son. She has been trying to get him to open a food truck, where he could be in charge and cook what he wants. He had always scoffed at the idea, but finally relents, meeting with her other ex-husband, a fabulously quirky Robert Downey Jr. He takes the truck, calls it El Jefe, and he, his son and his best friend, Martin (John Leguizamo), who quit being the new Sous Chef at the LA restaurant to join him, make the trip from Miami to LA, stopping in various cities along the way to sell their wares. Carl's son, Percy, uses the power of social media, and his dad's inadvertent huge following, to promote the truck, making them a huge success. Upon returning to LA, Carl realizes that there are more important things in life than being a huge success and working all the time, and the truck becomes a family business, so they can all spend more time together. The critic, realizing that Chef Carl has re-discovered his passion, offers to bankroll a new restaurant, where Carl would have complete creative control. Cue the happily ever after.
I really liked this movie. It's an interesting take on finding ones passion and truly experiencing life to the fullest. We only get a short time on this ride called life, and we should really make the most of it while we're here. Doing something that you're passionate about and loving what you do are steps in the right direction. I thought that the acting in this film was great, and that the actor that played Percy, EmJay Anthony, did an outstanding job. And of course, anytime that a movie features my favourite city in the World, New Orleans, I'm going to be all in! The movie does a great job of balancing the food and what it means to us and how it brings us together, with the more personal elements of the story. Visually, the film is gorgeous, showcasing ingredients and techniques that you would be hard pressed to find outside of an industrial kitchen. It's obvious that food is one of Favreau's passions, and he showcases it here beautifully. While the story is quite predictable, overall, the film is a joy to watch and I highly recommend it.
I did have a couple of issues with the film, however, the main one being how neatly everything was tied up in a little bow by the end. Not only was the food truck a huge success, but of course, the critic, who had sold his website for millions of dollars, is willing to invest in a restaurant because he believes in the chef again. The final scene of the film shows the restaurant, six months later, closed for a private event, which just happens to be the wedding of Chef Carl and his ex-wife Inez, making the three of them one big happy family again. While I do watch rom-coms, the syrupy sweet ending was a little out of place in the film for me. Just having the truck be a success and Carl finding his passion once again, would have been enough. Add on the restaurant and the happily ever after fairytale ending and it was just a touch over the top. Not enough to change my opinion of the film overall, but it was enough to detract from the overall message, I think. My other issue with the film is a bit of a nit-pick, but oh well. Someone please tell me, how a guy that looks like Jon Favreau, who I am sure is a really great guy, can get women who look like Sofia Vergara and Scarlett Johansson? I mean, seriously? Is it just because he's a chef? I guess it's true what they say... the key to anyone's heart is through their stomach.
Friday, 6 June 2014
Random Bits From The Week That Was....
So, here we are again... Friday... and it's time for my thoughts on the bits and pieces of news that came out over the last week, that I was too lazy to blog about, or they just didn't warrant a full post. Enjoy....
Star Wars Finds Some Females...
Earlier this week it was confirmed that Lupita Nyong'o and Gwendoline Christie will be joining the cast of the next Star Wars movie. This is fantastic news, as these ladies are top notch actresses, and this bit of casting news should quiet all of those that were complaining that the cast was very "male-centric." While I'm glad that it looks like there will be some strong female characters in the new trilogy, the lack of estrogen of the original announcement didn't bother me. I trust JJ Abrams and if in his new Star Wars trilogy, some weird virus wiped all the females off the face of the galaxy, then so be it. I'm just excited to be getting new movies from the universe.
Ant-Man Finds A New Director... Oh, Wait... Never Mind...
So, after the whole "creative differences" exit of Edgar Wright last week, speculation has run rampant on who would take over the next Marvel franchise. The short list of directors that was going around was interesting, albeit a little bizarre. Word did come out that Stepbrothers and Anchorman director, Adam McKay, had been hired, but that was quickly shut down, when it was revealed that he had actually turned the project down. While he wasn't my first choice to direct this project, I find it interesting that there was something about it that he obviously didn't like. The concern that I have, besides the fact that as of today, there is still no one attached to direct this project, is that the directors that Marvel is looking at seem to be very heavily focused on comedy. While I know that there are some comedic elements to the films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, up until now, they have been well balanced within the story. This full-on comedic approach worries me a bit, but I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens.
But, Apparently, Dr. Strange Is Good To Go...
So, while Marvel is busy scrambling to get Ant-Man on track and ready for it's release date a little over 13 months from now, they are already moving on with their next project. Word was released this week that Sinister director, Scott Derrickson, will be helming the film based on the Sorcerer Supreme, Dr. Steven Strange. Expected to be either their second release in 2016 or the early release in 2017, it will be a true departure for the studio, given that his story revolves around magic and mysticism. The choice of Derrickson is interesting, given his horror genre background. It makes me think that this is going to be a darker story, with maybe a bit of a sinister tone to it. The only thing that's troubling is that the writers who have been hired to write the script, other credits include Kung-Fu Panda and Spongebob Square Pants. While I love the Kung-Fu Panda movies, I'm not exactly sure how that style will transfer to a Dr. Strange movie. It will be interesting to see what happens and what Derrickson ultimately does with this project.
Is X-Men: Apocalypse Stifling The X-Force Movie Over At Fox?
Tweet it, and the controversy will come. Earlier in the week, Rob Liefeld, creator of the X-Force comic over at Marvel, tweeted that the development of X-Men: Apocalypse has basically quashed any hope of an X-Force movie being released by Fox. While I'm not sure that it's quite as dire as that, I understand Fox's need to move on with their current franchise, striking while the iron is hot, or so they say. Within nine days of release, Days of Future Past became the highest grossing film in the franchise, so it's perfectly understandable for the studio to want to continue telling that story. In an attempt to build a cinematic universe, there has been talk that the studio is looking to do spin-off and stand-alone films, so I'm sure that the focus will roll back around the their X-Force property eventually. Unlike Sony, who only has Spiderman and his villains, the rights to X-Men encompass a number of characters and teams and Fox would be foolish to not explore all the avenues at their disposal.
Game Of Thrones Becomes HBO's Highest Rated Show, Ever...
Long live Westeros! HBO's Game Of Thrones officially surpassed The Sopranos as the channel's most watched series. Averaging 18.4 million viewers this season, the audience for the show just continues to build. (Last season averaged 14.4 million viewers). Based on the A Song of Ice and Fire novels by George R.R. Martin, the cable giant is just about to wrap the shows fourth season. While I admit that I have yet to watch the show, I have read all of the novels, so when I hear about the goings on in Westeros, I understand the context. It is my goal to binge watch Games of Thrones this summer, so I will keep you posted as to how that goes! :)
Bad News For The Wachowski Siblings....
Warner Brothers and Village Roadshow Pictures have more or less pulled the plug on the Wachowski's latest project, Jupiter Ascending. Originally set for release on July 18th, they have pushed the film, which stars Mila Kunis and Channing Tatum, to the no-man's land of February, where movies go to die. Although no official word has been released in regards to the move, it can't be good news. There is only one reason that a studio pulls a big, action heavy flick out of a prime summer release slot, and that's because the movie is crap. While I was interested to see this film, I still had a bit of apprehension in regards to it, as I find the Wachowski's pretty hit or miss. It looks like my gut feelings might have been right on the money. Rumour has it that the $150M movie was tracking somewhere in the $25M range. Definitely not what the studio wants to see. It will be interesting to see if the move pays off, giving the flick the time and space it needs, and a lack of competition next winter. Only time will tell on this one.
And Another Director Is Headed To A Galaxy Far, Far Away...
Disney announced this week, following their announcement last week that Gareth Edwards would be directing a Star Wars spin-off film, that Josh Trank will also be directing one of their properties. Although no further details have been released, it is speculated that the Chronicle director will be helming a Han Solo film, with Edwards directing the much anticipated Boba Fett flick. Mark Reilly, the editor-in-chief over at www.schmoesknow.com wrote a fantastic article on this topic, which you can find here. It's an excellent read, written by a die-hard Star Wars fan, and I completely recommend checking it out. (And while you're there, check out some of the other cool things they've got going on!). I think that Trank will bring an interesting take to whatever story he is telling, and I really like his vision and style of film-making. I am curious to see what he brings to the table.
Is Marvel Really Trying To Sabotage The Properties That They No Longer Have Control Of?
An interesting tid-bit out of the interweb this week has Marvel sabotaging some of their own properties in a bid for dominance in the movie-sphere. Rumours are swirling that Marvel is using under-handed tactics to try and diminish the returns of their properties currently contracted out to other studios, which include the Fox owned The Fantastic Four and X-Men franchises. If they're to be believed, Marvel is in the process of cancelling it's Fantastic Four and Ultimate Fantastic Four comic series in an attempt to lower the profile of the franchise, before the movie hits theatres next summer. While it may very well be true that they are going to jostle their comic book titles around, to this nonsense about affecting the box office returns, I say, bologna. In the grand scheme of things, comic book readers represent a very infinitesimal fraction of the movie going public. The majority of movie goers have never even picked up a comic book, let alone read one, so this will have absolutely no impact on whether the movie is successful at all. I doubt very highly that the Marvel execs are sitting around their offices, trying to come up with ways to thwart the other studios anyway, as they are too busy counting their money and laying the ground work for world domination. It doesn't make any sense... but then again, conspiracy theories rarely do.
Star Wars Finds Some Females...
Earlier this week it was confirmed that Lupita Nyong'o and Gwendoline Christie will be joining the cast of the next Star Wars movie. This is fantastic news, as these ladies are top notch actresses, and this bit of casting news should quiet all of those that were complaining that the cast was very "male-centric." While I'm glad that it looks like there will be some strong female characters in the new trilogy, the lack of estrogen of the original announcement didn't bother me. I trust JJ Abrams and if in his new Star Wars trilogy, some weird virus wiped all the females off the face of the galaxy, then so be it. I'm just excited to be getting new movies from the universe.
Ant-Man Finds A New Director... Oh, Wait... Never Mind...
So, after the whole "creative differences" exit of Edgar Wright last week, speculation has run rampant on who would take over the next Marvel franchise. The short list of directors that was going around was interesting, albeit a little bizarre. Word did come out that Stepbrothers and Anchorman director, Adam McKay, had been hired, but that was quickly shut down, when it was revealed that he had actually turned the project down. While he wasn't my first choice to direct this project, I find it interesting that there was something about it that he obviously didn't like. The concern that I have, besides the fact that as of today, there is still no one attached to direct this project, is that the directors that Marvel is looking at seem to be very heavily focused on comedy. While I know that there are some comedic elements to the films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, up until now, they have been well balanced within the story. This full-on comedic approach worries me a bit, but I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens.
But, Apparently, Dr. Strange Is Good To Go...
So, while Marvel is busy scrambling to get Ant-Man on track and ready for it's release date a little over 13 months from now, they are already moving on with their next project. Word was released this week that Sinister director, Scott Derrickson, will be helming the film based on the Sorcerer Supreme, Dr. Steven Strange. Expected to be either their second release in 2016 or the early release in 2017, it will be a true departure for the studio, given that his story revolves around magic and mysticism. The choice of Derrickson is interesting, given his horror genre background. It makes me think that this is going to be a darker story, with maybe a bit of a sinister tone to it. The only thing that's troubling is that the writers who have been hired to write the script, other credits include Kung-Fu Panda and Spongebob Square Pants. While I love the Kung-Fu Panda movies, I'm not exactly sure how that style will transfer to a Dr. Strange movie. It will be interesting to see what happens and what Derrickson ultimately does with this project.
Is X-Men: Apocalypse Stifling The X-Force Movie Over At Fox?
Tweet it, and the controversy will come. Earlier in the week, Rob Liefeld, creator of the X-Force comic over at Marvel, tweeted that the development of X-Men: Apocalypse has basically quashed any hope of an X-Force movie being released by Fox. While I'm not sure that it's quite as dire as that, I understand Fox's need to move on with their current franchise, striking while the iron is hot, or so they say. Within nine days of release, Days of Future Past became the highest grossing film in the franchise, so it's perfectly understandable for the studio to want to continue telling that story. In an attempt to build a cinematic universe, there has been talk that the studio is looking to do spin-off and stand-alone films, so I'm sure that the focus will roll back around the their X-Force property eventually. Unlike Sony, who only has Spiderman and his villains, the rights to X-Men encompass a number of characters and teams and Fox would be foolish to not explore all the avenues at their disposal.
Game Of Thrones Becomes HBO's Highest Rated Show, Ever...
Long live Westeros! HBO's Game Of Thrones officially surpassed The Sopranos as the channel's most watched series. Averaging 18.4 million viewers this season, the audience for the show just continues to build. (Last season averaged 14.4 million viewers). Based on the A Song of Ice and Fire novels by George R.R. Martin, the cable giant is just about to wrap the shows fourth season. While I admit that I have yet to watch the show, I have read all of the novels, so when I hear about the goings on in Westeros, I understand the context. It is my goal to binge watch Games of Thrones this summer, so I will keep you posted as to how that goes! :)
Bad News For The Wachowski Siblings....
Warner Brothers and Village Roadshow Pictures have more or less pulled the plug on the Wachowski's latest project, Jupiter Ascending. Originally set for release on July 18th, they have pushed the film, which stars Mila Kunis and Channing Tatum, to the no-man's land of February, where movies go to die. Although no official word has been released in regards to the move, it can't be good news. There is only one reason that a studio pulls a big, action heavy flick out of a prime summer release slot, and that's because the movie is crap. While I was interested to see this film, I still had a bit of apprehension in regards to it, as I find the Wachowski's pretty hit or miss. It looks like my gut feelings might have been right on the money. Rumour has it that the $150M movie was tracking somewhere in the $25M range. Definitely not what the studio wants to see. It will be interesting to see if the move pays off, giving the flick the time and space it needs, and a lack of competition next winter. Only time will tell on this one.
And Another Director Is Headed To A Galaxy Far, Far Away...
Disney announced this week, following their announcement last week that Gareth Edwards would be directing a Star Wars spin-off film, that Josh Trank will also be directing one of their properties. Although no further details have been released, it is speculated that the Chronicle director will be helming a Han Solo film, with Edwards directing the much anticipated Boba Fett flick. Mark Reilly, the editor-in-chief over at www.schmoesknow.com wrote a fantastic article on this topic, which you can find here. It's an excellent read, written by a die-hard Star Wars fan, and I completely recommend checking it out. (And while you're there, check out some of the other cool things they've got going on!). I think that Trank will bring an interesting take to whatever story he is telling, and I really like his vision and style of film-making. I am curious to see what he brings to the table.
Is Marvel Really Trying To Sabotage The Properties That They No Longer Have Control Of?
An interesting tid-bit out of the interweb this week has Marvel sabotaging some of their own properties in a bid for dominance in the movie-sphere. Rumours are swirling that Marvel is using under-handed tactics to try and diminish the returns of their properties currently contracted out to other studios, which include the Fox owned The Fantastic Four and X-Men franchises. If they're to be believed, Marvel is in the process of cancelling it's Fantastic Four and Ultimate Fantastic Four comic series in an attempt to lower the profile of the franchise, before the movie hits theatres next summer. While it may very well be true that they are going to jostle their comic book titles around, to this nonsense about affecting the box office returns, I say, bologna. In the grand scheme of things, comic book readers represent a very infinitesimal fraction of the movie going public. The majority of movie goers have never even picked up a comic book, let alone read one, so this will have absolutely no impact on whether the movie is successful at all. I doubt very highly that the Marvel execs are sitting around their offices, trying to come up with ways to thwart the other studios anyway, as they are too busy counting their money and laying the ground work for world domination. It doesn't make any sense... but then again, conspiracy theories rarely do.
Tuesday, 3 June 2014
Review: How Long Does It Take To Get There?
The following is a review of the new film Locke, and may contain spoilers in regards to the film. If you have not seen Locke, and are planning to (which I really, really, really recommend), then I suggest that you close this browser and move along. If, you have no intention of seeing it (what is wrong with you?), or don't mind if a movie is spoiled for you, then by all means, carry on... but you have been warned!
**********SPOILER ALERT!!!!!**********
This past weekend, my original plan was to see the new releases, Maleficent and A Million Ways To Die In The West. Thanks to the guys over at Schmoes Know, I avoided that catastrophe and instead chose to see a couple of indie flicks that sounded interesting to me. The first was The Grand Seduction (you can find my review of the Canadian charmer below this one) and the second was the new Tom Hardy flick, Locke.
First off, let's start this by saying that Tom Hardy is a beast. He has such a commanding screen presence that you just can't look away, and don't ever want to. I remember reading a review for the movie Lawless, that starred Hardy and Shia LeBeouf, in Entertainment Weekly, I think, and it always stuck with me in regards to Tom Hardy. In the review the author said, that while LeBeouf was trying very hard to be that tough, commanding presence, Hardy just showed us and was. He just was... and I couldn't agree more.
Locke tells the story of Ivan Locke, a construction foreman who's life is irrevocably changed in the hour and a half or so hours it takes him to drive in to London. Turns out, that, earlier in the year, he had an affair with a woman, a one night stand, and she's about to give birth to their child. He cancels the plans that he had with his family and leaves the most important job of his career, in order to be there for the birth of his child. As someone who was abandoned by his father at a young age, he refuses to not be there for this new child, even though it was conceived through a mistake of epic proportions. The film consists entirely of Tom Hardy in a car, driving towards London, as he manages phone call after phone call, in an attempt to keep everything in his life on track and prevent everything from crumbling around him. In the course of an hour and a half, he loses his job, keeps the concrete pour planned for the morning on track, admits his infidelity, talks to his dead father, calms down the hysterical mother of his unborn child, probably, irreparably damages his relationship with his wife, discusses a soccer match with and tries to reassure his sons, cries and hears his new baby cry for the first time. It's a roller coaster ride that keeps you enthralled through it's entirety.
Did I mention that Tom Hardy is a beast? Because he is. He's absolutely mesmerizing in the role, and he has to be, as he's the only one on screen for the entirety of the film. Ivan Locke is a very even, collected person, especially in his business dealings, and Hardy is great at being calm, but assertive, brooking no argument, with nothing more than the tone of his voice. There are an couple of instances in the film where his emotions threaten to over take him and his eyes well with tears, but you watch in awe as he pulls it back, once again stoic in the face of adversity. When he finally does let the tears fall, as he's talking to his wife and son, it's all the more poignant, because it shows just how deeply emotional he is about what he has done and the path that it's led him on. It's an incredible performance, and while I'm afraid that it's been released too early and too under the radar, it definitely deserves consideration come awards season. (but, like the tour-de-force performance of Ryan Reynolds in Buried, I'm sure that it will be overlooked).
Tom Hardy is quickly becoming one of my favourite performers. He has been choosing interesting, diverse projects, and has been knocking it out of the park with every one that's released. His range and ability to become the character that he is playing is unbelievable, and I look forward to seeing what he has in store for us in the future. But in the meantime, definitely check out Locke.
**********SPOILER ALERT!!!!!**********
This past weekend, my original plan was to see the new releases, Maleficent and A Million Ways To Die In The West. Thanks to the guys over at Schmoes Know, I avoided that catastrophe and instead chose to see a couple of indie flicks that sounded interesting to me. The first was The Grand Seduction (you can find my review of the Canadian charmer below this one) and the second was the new Tom Hardy flick, Locke.
First off, let's start this by saying that Tom Hardy is a beast. He has such a commanding screen presence that you just can't look away, and don't ever want to. I remember reading a review for the movie Lawless, that starred Hardy and Shia LeBeouf, in Entertainment Weekly, I think, and it always stuck with me in regards to Tom Hardy. In the review the author said, that while LeBeouf was trying very hard to be that tough, commanding presence, Hardy just showed us and was. He just was... and I couldn't agree more.
Locke tells the story of Ivan Locke, a construction foreman who's life is irrevocably changed in the hour and a half or so hours it takes him to drive in to London. Turns out, that, earlier in the year, he had an affair with a woman, a one night stand, and she's about to give birth to their child. He cancels the plans that he had with his family and leaves the most important job of his career, in order to be there for the birth of his child. As someone who was abandoned by his father at a young age, he refuses to not be there for this new child, even though it was conceived through a mistake of epic proportions. The film consists entirely of Tom Hardy in a car, driving towards London, as he manages phone call after phone call, in an attempt to keep everything in his life on track and prevent everything from crumbling around him. In the course of an hour and a half, he loses his job, keeps the concrete pour planned for the morning on track, admits his infidelity, talks to his dead father, calms down the hysterical mother of his unborn child, probably, irreparably damages his relationship with his wife, discusses a soccer match with and tries to reassure his sons, cries and hears his new baby cry for the first time. It's a roller coaster ride that keeps you enthralled through it's entirety.
Did I mention that Tom Hardy is a beast? Because he is. He's absolutely mesmerizing in the role, and he has to be, as he's the only one on screen for the entirety of the film. Ivan Locke is a very even, collected person, especially in his business dealings, and Hardy is great at being calm, but assertive, brooking no argument, with nothing more than the tone of his voice. There are an couple of instances in the film where his emotions threaten to over take him and his eyes well with tears, but you watch in awe as he pulls it back, once again stoic in the face of adversity. When he finally does let the tears fall, as he's talking to his wife and son, it's all the more poignant, because it shows just how deeply emotional he is about what he has done and the path that it's led him on. It's an incredible performance, and while I'm afraid that it's been released too early and too under the radar, it definitely deserves consideration come awards season. (but, like the tour-de-force performance of Ryan Reynolds in Buried, I'm sure that it will be overlooked).
Tom Hardy is quickly becoming one of my favourite performers. He has been choosing interesting, diverse projects, and has been knocking it out of the park with every one that's released. His range and ability to become the character that he is playing is unbelievable, and I look forward to seeing what he has in store for us in the future. But in the meantime, definitely check out Locke.
Monday, 2 June 2014
Review: You Can Seduce Me Anytime...
The following is a spoiler review of the film The Grand Seduction. If you have not seen the film and are planning on it, I suggest that you turn back now, as later it will be too late. If you don't really care if you're spoiled, then please, by all means continue...
**********SPOILER ALERT!!!!!**********
Being a proud Canadian, it is with a heavy heart that I claim that our history of cinema is very hit or miss. There are some really great Canadian movies out there, like Men With Brooms, Eastern Promises and The Sweet Hereafter. But, there have also been some real stinkers, (I once saw an atrocious production of Beowulf) and let's face it, we're not really known for our outstanding cinematic achievements. Sure, there are a lot of top notch directors out there that hail from Canada, like Ivan Reitman and James Cameron, but the films that they make are usually big Hollywood studio productions.
But, every once in a while, something special comes along. The Grand Seduction is one such film. Set in the small harbour of Tickle Cove, Newfoundland, we find out that it is dying, it's 115 or so residents forced to collect welfare after the fishing dries up. They are attempting to lure a large petro-chemical company to build a factory in their area, but need a doctor in residence, before their bid will even be considered. Enter Dr. Paul Lewis, played by Canadian actor, Taylor Kitsch. Blackmailed into spending one month in the harbour, the residents then proceed to "seduce" the doctor into staying, using everything from cricket (the doctors favourite sport), to guilt (they spread a rumour that the only person who could patch them up was the old butcher and faked huge, nasty scars as proof of his incompetence), to finding money where you least expect it (there's a running gag about that that continues throughout the film).
Although the plot is quite predictable, the story and residents of Tickle Harbour are extremely charming and likeable, and completely draw you in. I am a big fan of Taylor Kitsch, and think that he's a really good actor who has just, for one reason or another, chosen the wrong projects or been involved with projects that have been handled poorly by the studio (I'm looking at you John Carter!). He is well cast here, and he appears to be having a ball in this small, Canadian indie. The jokes are humorous and plentiful and I found myself laughing out loud on a number of occasions. There is the predictable love interest, as well as the extremely common, "the truth comes out" confrontation at the end, and of course, everything was wrapped up in a neat little bow by the time the end credits began to roll, but I found that I didn't mind these predictable tropes, as the overall charm of the movie was more than enough to satisfy.
While I wouldn't call this the greatest movie that I have seen this year, I would definitely recommend it. It's a heartwarming and charming tale that embraces you like a warm hug. If you are in Canada, I would definitely recommend that you check it out. If you aren't, well, I'm sure that eventually it will either roll around to on-demand or, eventually, Netflix. Just keep your eyes open for it. It's a lovely little piece of Canadiana that I'm sure you'll enjoy.
**********SPOILER ALERT!!!!!**********
Being a proud Canadian, it is with a heavy heart that I claim that our history of cinema is very hit or miss. There are some really great Canadian movies out there, like Men With Brooms, Eastern Promises and The Sweet Hereafter. But, there have also been some real stinkers, (I once saw an atrocious production of Beowulf) and let's face it, we're not really known for our outstanding cinematic achievements. Sure, there are a lot of top notch directors out there that hail from Canada, like Ivan Reitman and James Cameron, but the films that they make are usually big Hollywood studio productions.
But, every once in a while, something special comes along. The Grand Seduction is one such film. Set in the small harbour of Tickle Cove, Newfoundland, we find out that it is dying, it's 115 or so residents forced to collect welfare after the fishing dries up. They are attempting to lure a large petro-chemical company to build a factory in their area, but need a doctor in residence, before their bid will even be considered. Enter Dr. Paul Lewis, played by Canadian actor, Taylor Kitsch. Blackmailed into spending one month in the harbour, the residents then proceed to "seduce" the doctor into staying, using everything from cricket (the doctors favourite sport), to guilt (they spread a rumour that the only person who could patch them up was the old butcher and faked huge, nasty scars as proof of his incompetence), to finding money where you least expect it (there's a running gag about that that continues throughout the film).
Although the plot is quite predictable, the story and residents of Tickle Harbour are extremely charming and likeable, and completely draw you in. I am a big fan of Taylor Kitsch, and think that he's a really good actor who has just, for one reason or another, chosen the wrong projects or been involved with projects that have been handled poorly by the studio (I'm looking at you John Carter!). He is well cast here, and he appears to be having a ball in this small, Canadian indie. The jokes are humorous and plentiful and I found myself laughing out loud on a number of occasions. There is the predictable love interest, as well as the extremely common, "the truth comes out" confrontation at the end, and of course, everything was wrapped up in a neat little bow by the time the end credits began to roll, but I found that I didn't mind these predictable tropes, as the overall charm of the movie was more than enough to satisfy.
While I wouldn't call this the greatest movie that I have seen this year, I would definitely recommend it. It's a heartwarming and charming tale that embraces you like a warm hug. If you are in Canada, I would definitely recommend that you check it out. If you aren't, well, I'm sure that eventually it will either roll around to on-demand or, eventually, Netflix. Just keep your eyes open for it. It's a lovely little piece of Canadiana that I'm sure you'll enjoy.
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