Month: June 2015

Released: June 12, 2015

Director: Colin Trevorrow

Run Time: 124 Minutes

Rated PG-13

Cast:
Chris Pratt: Owen
Bryce Dallas Howard: Claire
Vincent D’Onofrio: Hoskins
Omar Sy: Barry
BD Wong: Dr. Henry Wu

Special effects, for better or worse, have been a major part of film for decades.  When Star Wars was released, the game changed.  Star Wars broke new ground in terms of story-telling, visual effects and camera-work.  It turned the entire industry on its head and inspired generations of film-makers, actors, and fans world-wide.  Star Wars set a new standard in 1977.  James Cameron, who directed films such as The Terminator and Aliens at the time, started to push the use of visual effects with The Abyss.  It wasn’t until Terminator 2: Judgment Day that broke new ground again in the use of CGI or computer-generated imagery.  The real behemoth of visual effects was realized in Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of Jurassic Park.  Based on Michael Crichton’s novel of the same name, Jurassic Park not only met expectations, it exceeded them.  The combined use of CG and practical was unprecedented and seamless.  You had no idea where the puppet ended and the CG took over.  When the T-Rex first escapes its paddock….well, let’s just say that’s one of the most iconic moments in film history.  It was brilliant, exciting and revolutionary.  No one had ever attempted anything on that scale before, and Steven Spielberg knocked it out of the park(pun intended).  This was 22 years ago, and I remember going to see this film in theaters.  It’s an experience that I will never forget.  I love dinosaurs and I love movies.  Jurassic Park did the impossible and successfully combined the two.  22 years later, we get a new entry in the series: Jurassic World.  How does it stack up against its predecessors?

Jurassic World begins as two kids are sent on a plane to Costa Rica where they get on a ferry to Jurassic World, a new dinosaur park that seems to be more successful than the park in the original film.  There are thousands of tourists and business seems to be booming.  After seeing the numbers falter, park director Claire and her team of scientists attempt to create a new kind of dinosaur, one that will both terrify and thrill audiences.  They succeed in creating the Indominus Rex.  When things go wrong(as they tend to do in these situations), Claire enlists the aid of her ex-boyfriend Owen, who is training velociraptors on a different part of the island.  If the story and plot seems familiar, it should.  If you’re tampering with genetics, something is going to go wrong.  Why don’t people ever learn?!  Jurassic World largely ignores the events of the previous two films and acts as kind of a re-boot.  But I find myself hesitating to use that word.  I’ll explain why a little later.  The first thing you’re going to notice when you watch this movie is that the park as apparently successful and has been for several years.  It has a very futuristic look about the whole thing.  It’s actually quite spectacular.  There’s a section where people get in these clear bubble-cars so they can roam with the dinosaurs as it were.  The other thing you will notice is that aside from BD Wong as Dr. Wu, nobody else returns from the previous films.

That’s one of the biggest issues I have with the movie.  Dr. Wu is a hold-over from the original film, but if they really wanted to keep the references to a minimum, they didn’t do a good job.  Yes, Jurassic World references the previous films….a lot, and not in a subtle way either.  I understand that kids today probably haven’t seen Jurassic Park, but for those of us who adore the original film, these references are painfully obvious.  Creating a new dinosaur to wow audiences?  As Owen says, “Dinosaurs. Wow enough.”  That element was particularly cliche, but I can’t argue with the results.  The Indominus Rex is spectacular, smart and enormous.  When it comes to the dinosaurs, you will not be disappointed.  From the raptors to the t-rex, the film is loaded with dinos.  Visually, the film is spectacular, especially if you choose to view it in 3-D.  Wow.  The landscapes are amazing and the CGI is off-the-charts.  This is definitely one you wanna see on the big screen.

The action, when it does happen is absolutely thrilling and spectacular with big explosions and people chased and munched on by dinos.  But too much time goes by between set-pieces.  Yeah, I get you need to have character development, but when characters that aren’t Chris Pratt are irritating, you don’t really care about that.  The film shifts its focus from the action to a couple of annoying kids to try and give the film a sense of urgency.  You don’t need to have kids in peril to be a thrilling movie.  That also brings me to another point:  One of the characters in the film dies in an extraordinarily brutal fashion.  For a PG-13 movie, this particular death scene was particularly brutal.  So, yeah, don’t take kids under 10 to go see this movie.   It does get bloody and scary at times.  Not that I get scared, because I’m a man and we don’t get scared.  The acting isn’t terrible, but outside of Chris Pratt and Vincent D’Onofrio there’s nothing here that stands out.  The characters…oh, man.  We’ve got a park director, who is more interested in her numbers than her family, we’ve got another who barely knows how to fly a helicopter, and another who is the resident corporate scumbag.  I will say, that D’Onofrio does a fantastic as said scumbag.

Chris Pratt’s character is by far the most interesting character that the movie has going for it.  His character, Owen, is a former Navy SEAL, who has been brought on to help train velociraptors so they could, in theory, be used for military purposes.  That’s interesting because, Owen ends up actually successfully getting his raptor to obey his commands, so when he has to use them later in the movie, they don’t actually attack, because he presents himself as the alpha, or leader of the pack.  Chris Pratt has been making a name for himself in action movies since starring in last year’s Guardians of the Galaxy.  He’s got the talent, the looks and the charisma to be a major leading star.  There are rumors that he could be possibly end up playing Indiana Jones at some point, and I can see him doing that, because you see elements of Indiana Jones in Owen.

The music in the film uses the original theme by John Williams sparingly, but it is generally very good overall.  The film certainly has its issues, but I think the whole is more than the sum of its parts.  When I first saw a dinosaur in Jurassic World, my inner kid jumped for joy.  It is a spectacular film, but you need to be patient, because some of the slower parts of the movie are frustrating.  It just doesn’t have the same magic as the original film.  I can honestly say that I can still recommend this movie, because it’s still better than Age of Ultron.  I liked Jurassic World.  It’s a good movie, but it is no way comparable to the original.  Jurassic Park is one of those modern movies that I can say is damn near perfect.  Will Jurassic World get a sequel?  There’s absolutely no doubt.  The movie shattered records in it’s opening weekend earning nearly 210 million dollars. So, yeah, it’s safe to say that we will see another entry.  If they can lay off the blatant references to the previous films, that would be great.  At the end of the day, I’m going to give Jurassic World a solid 8/10.  It’s definitely worth watching on the big screen.

Released: April 2010(Germany)

Director: Uwe Boll

Run Time: 85 Minutes

Rated R

Cast:
Brendan Fletcher: Bill Williamson
Shaun Sipos: Evan Drince
Matt Frewer: Mr. Williamson
Michael Pare: Sheriff Melvoy

For people like me who love video games, the name Uwe Boll is synonymous with garbage.  There’s a reason for that.  Uwe Boll is notorious for directing movies based on popular video game franchises like House of the Dead, Alone in the Dark, Bloodrayne, and Dungeon Siege.  These movies are universally reviled by basically just about everyone who likes video games, movies, or both.  They are terribly made with lousy writing, acting, and effects.  And yet, we keep seeing Uwe Boll direct each of these movies one after the other.  Bloodrayne and Dungeon Siege each managed to get two sequels each.  So….how do these movies keep getting made?  Uwe Boll has been getting financial help from some kind of tax shelter in Germany, but some people thought and still think that it’s a great idea to take a game and make it a movie without realizing that what works in one medium doesn’t necessarily work in another.  Yet, they all keep trying like fools.  Boll is also notorious for speaking out against his critics in multiple ways, most notably fighting his critics in a ring.  Uwe Boll has been called the modern-day Ed Wood.  Well, as far as video game movies are concerned, I would agree 100 percent.  There’s only one video game movie that Boll made that I really like, and even then it wasn’t that great of a movie: Postal.  Uwe Boll released a video criticizing everybody in regards to KickStarter and IndieGoGo, but I’m going to address that issue in a different post.  There’s stuff that I want to say about that issue that doesn’t belong here.  Nope, I’m reviewing Rampage.  I never thought that I would say this about an Uwe Boll movie, but Rampage isn’t a bad movie at all.  Shocking, isn’t it?  Let’s get into it, shall we?

The film opens in a small mid-western town as young Bill Williamson is working out and ends up getting the news that his parents are going to kick his butt out on the street.  So, he goes to work only to get criticized by his boss for not working hard.  After feeling dejected by everybody in town including his best friend, Evan, Bill has had enough of people and decides to go on one of the largest killing sprees in American history.  It’s a very simple setup, yet it’s strangely effective and understandable.  It’s helped by the fact the performances in this film are really good.  Brendan Fletcher’s portrayal of Bill Williamson is really good.  He does a fantastic job playing a guy who is ready to snap at a moment’s notice because of all the crap that’s been dumped on him.  The supporting does a fine job, but this is Fletcher’s film, through and through.  What’s interesting is that the actors were improvising their lines based on the treatment of the movie they were given.  As a result, a lot of the situations feel more natural and more in line with what you would expect during day-to-day life.  You generally don’t see that happen in a movie very often.  Most of the time it works.  The whole movie takes place from the perspective of Bill, so when the killing starts, the camera is right there with him.  I’m not a huge fan of the shaky-cam technique, but it’s appropriate here.  The actual killing spree starts off with the bombing of the local police department.  Then, with a bulletproof suit that he built himself, he goes around town gunning down people left and right.  It’s well shot, and the blood effects are not CG, which makes it a little more realistic.  It’s decent action, but it has me in a bit of a bind.  You see, sometimes I end up rooting for Bill to take down certain people like a coffee shop employee who is being an ass, but on the other hand, he ends up walking into a hair salon and butchers the workers.  Because we can relate to how the character feels before the murder spree, it makes the violence that much more uncomfortable to witness.  The film was released in 2009-10, and we had several mass shootings in the states already, so the film’s release probably couldn’t have come at a worse time.  Thing is, is that Uwe Boll has never been subtle or shy when it comes to controversy.  I’ll discuss more of that in a different post.  There’s lots of gun-fire and big explosions, so it’s never boring.

I’m not kidding when I say this movie is violent.  You see images and flashes of the massacre to come, so you know exactly what’s going to happen.  Boll’s use of violence is very peculiar.  While the character shows absolutely no mercy for most of the screen time, there’s a scene in which he goes into a bingo hall with a bunch of elderly folks just playing along.  I was honestly expecting Bill to whip out his uzis and mow everyone down.  He doesn’t.  The one time the character shows some humanity is a very poignant one.  While there seems to be a social commentary in the film, it seems to me that the message takes a back seat to the carnage.  The style of the shots is absolutely phenomenal, and the film is well-paced.  The film isn’t perfect by any stretch, there is some questionable use of computer graphics that just seem out of place, and some of the decisions that Bill has made are kind of head-scratching.  Why does spare some people and not others?  That’s never really explained.  I’m also not entirely sure I like the way the film ends.

I honestly never thought that I would say this about an Uwe Boll film, but Rampage is a damn good movie.  Yeah, it stumbles in places, but the overall quality of the film is light-years beyond anything else that Boll has released.  I guess it was a matter of time before he released a good one, but he did and I have to give credit where it’s due.  Uwe Boll has crafted a very solid action film with a kind of a message.  It’s a controversial film to be sure, but it is surprisingly important given the state of affairs in today’s world.  Rampage has garnered multiple positive reviews and even got a theatrical release in Germany.  Brendan Fletcher gives a very compelling and solid performance as Bill Williamson, especially when he goes crazy.  The action is hard-hitting and unforgiving, but stylish and spectacular.  I just looked out my window to see if pigs were flying, because Rampage is one of the more interesting movies I’ve seen in the past ten years.  And it came from Uwe Boll.  Who would have thought?  My final verdict on Rampage is an 8.5/10.  I loved it.  If Uwe Boll would give up the video game movies permanently, I can see him rebounding as a film-maker.  It’s clearly obvious that he has some talent behind the camera.  He really does.  This is a movie I can recommend.  Check it out.

Greetings fellow Space Cadets!  Sorry I haven’t been posting for a while.  Been playing Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for the past week and a half.  Highly recommended.  But anyhoo, that’s not what I’m here to talk about.  Nope, this one’s going to be another list.  But before I begin, I would like to discuss the importance of music in film.  There’s a lot of things that go into making a movie: directing, acting, special effects(if it applies), sound design, camera-work, but one of the most important aspects of a film is its soundtrack, or music as it were.  Music in a film serves many important functions.  One: It keeps the movie from getting boring.  Two: It adds the ambience and mood of a film.  Action movies have a very bombastic, fast and hard-hitting music that really gets the adrenaline pumping.  But the music isn’t always about the orchestral stuff, sometimes it’s the actual songs that are put into the soundtrack.  So, today’s list is going to be about what I think are the best movie soundtracks.  I’m leaving out the likes of Star Wars and Indiana Jones because those ones are too easy.  Let’s begin, shall we?  If you want to listen to a sample of these soundtracks just click on the title of the film.

Kill Bill

Quentin Tarantino is notorious for having a hand in nearly every aspect of the production of his movies.  That must be why they are so damned good.  His use of music in his films is absolutely unique.  Kill Bill is a movie(both parts included) that is heavily inspired by the kung-fu movies of the 60s and the soundtrack sounds very much like something that you would see out of a Shaw Brothers production.  There’s a track called Battle Without Honor or Humanity which has been used in multiple movies and commercials.  You may not have seen Kill Bill, but you would certainly recognize this particular tune. Composed by legendary rapper RZA, it’s a great soundtrack to a really good movie.

Dragonheart

Randy Edelman is one of the most underrated film composers in my opinion.  The music that he makes really has a way of evoking certain emotions at the right time.  Dragonheart is probably my favorite soundtrack that he has made aside from The Last of the Mohicans.  It’s an emotionally powerful soundtrack that can be very playful at times, but can really tug at the heart-strings at others.  Like the film, it fills you with a sense of wonder and imagination.  It’s an incredibly epic soundtrack that really captures the spirit of the film.  I can’t recommend it enough.  The link above really gives you the full range of the soundtrack.  A film’s soundtrack can be just as spectacular as the film it’s enhancing.

The Terminator

The Terminator is an absolute classic of a film in every sense of the word.  Released in 1984 to critical acclaim, Terminator not only made James Cameron a very bankable director, the film also cemented Arnold Schwarzenegger as a serious action star.  The soundtrack to the original Terminator is quite the unsung hero as far as I’m concerned.  It not only introduced the main theme that at least two of the sequel would use later, but it was also done in such a way that nobody had heard before.  Instead of using an actual orchestra, film composer Brad Fiedel opted for a more industrial and techno sound which really helps give the film its unique flavor.  Both the movie and soundtrack are very easy to recommend.

The Rock

Hans Zimmer is by far one of my favorite music composers of all time.  Why?  He gives each and every movie that he composes for 150 percent.  His music has a very epic and bombastic feel to it that really makes his movies interesting.  The Rock is one of the best Michael Bay movies of all time, and the soundtrack really solidifies the film as a top-notch action flick.  It’s epic, fast-paced and hard-hitting that really gives the movie a real sense of urgency.

Guardians of the Galaxy

While music is certainly important for a movie, rarely does it play an active role in a movie.  Guardians of the Galaxy is one such movie where the music is vital to the story of the main character, Star-Lord.  Yeah, the orchestral stuff by Tyler Bates is great, but it’s the music that Star-Lord listens to that really steals the show.  The Blue Swede, Norman Greenbaum, The Runaways, David Bowie and Marvine Gaye round out one of the best soundtracks to be released.  I bought the soundtrack on CD which came with both the orchestral score and the Awesome Mix, Vol. 1 CD.  I haven’t listened to the orchestral stuff because the other CD is that damn good.

Highlander

Ignore the sequels, the original Highlander had it all: Great acting, story, action, and music.  It was one of the most unique and interesting movies released during the 80s.  While it bombed locally, Highlander eventually found its audience on home video.  But the soundtrack was one for the ages.  Not only did the film have amazing orchestral movements by the late Michael Kamen, but it was also infused with the power of Queen.  I think it’s safe to say that Highlander would have been a much different experience if Queen wasn’t involved.  This is one of the most powerful soundtracks on this list.

That’s my list for what I think are the best movie soundtracks ever.  It’s also important to remember that the music doesn’t always make the movie, but when the soundtrack really shines, it’s kind of hard not to notice the soundtrack.