Man of Steel

Super-spoilers!

Man of Steel is brought to us by director, Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen) and co-writer/producer, Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight trilogy) - a formidable pairing if ever there was one. Joining these two is chief ideas-man (and writer of Man of Steel), David S. Goyer (Batman Begins). Collectively they have chosen to ground Superman in reality, just as they did with Batman - no easy task when you consider his alien origins and super powers. Despite the trappings of the character, each fantastic element has been reworked to fit the modern age and our ever fearful society. Inventive alternatives to the likes of the Fortress of Solitude, now form essential cogs in propelling the machinations of the character.

The film starts incredibly well! Beginning on a superbly conceived Krypton, we are firstly introduced to Jor-El (Russell Crowe, on great form). The planet is dying. Its resources have been depleted and the powers that be are ignorant to the fact that they've pillaged and poisoned their home. There are obvious comparisons to be made with our own planet here. It's a nice touch to comment on such a pertinent issue. Whether the comparisons have been made before or not is unclear - it certainly doesn't go unheard!
Just as he did with Master and Commander, Crowe exudes confidence in the role of Jor-El - an intelligent natural leader, making difficult decisions in the face of adversity. Jor-El's instincts tell him that the end is closer than the politicians and military (led by Michael Shannons Zod) would care to admit.
With time a factor, Jor-El readies his new-born - the only natural birth on Krypton, amongst the genetically engineered majority. Having convinced his wife that Kryptons time is at an end, they prepare a ship for their sons ongoing journey. Jor-El comes up against Zod of course - who plainly disagrees with his plans. Particularly as Jor-El has placed the Codex within his sons ship (an artefact which contains the Kryptonian genetic make-up).

The rest of the film takes place presently, with Clark/Kal-El (Henry Cavill) a grown man. His youth is told in flashback, as he considers the man he's become through the lessons he's learnt. Clark has yet to discover where he originally came from and is doing his very best to lead a good life - helping others whenever possible. Clarks adopted father, Jonathan (Kevin Costner - superb) was adamant that the world would fear and ostracise his son if they new of his powers. Like any sensible guardian, Jonathan has endeavoured to instil in his son a sense of responsibility - and it's clear that Clark has lived by his fathers caveat for some time. Exposing himself only when there's no alternative, Clarks super-human abilities have become folk lore to some - nothing more than an urban legend.
Of course where there's smoke, investigative reporter Lois Lane (Amy Adams - the best Lois yet) is never far away. The two meet through Clarks tales of heroism, as Lois follows his trail across America. They meet in the Antarctic, where both are investigating an anomaly reported to be buried in the ice (a Kryptonian scout-ship that arrived on Earth over 2000 years ago).
This is all great stuff - and what's more, it all makes sense. The cast are really terrific - Crowe and Costner the stand-outs.

Zod and his militant crew show up in the second half to claim back what's theirs - this includes Kal-El and the Codex. Clark is flying now - wearing the red and blue of his 2000 year old, pre-tailored suit! When Zod makes his demands, Clark must reveal himself to the world and the authorities - the American military, who are naturally running the show!
Shannon is suitably power-hungry as Zod - and makes for a terrific foil to Cavills, Kal-El. Everyone expects the two to face-off against one another - an opportunity for some truly super-powered action!
When the time comes however the fighting gets tired real soon. The special effects are good but the choreography is uninspired. In order to pin-point small figures within the action, the camera frequently zooms in. I don't know why this technique is employed, because the action is clear. All this effect does is cheapen the scope of the movie (reminding us all of Attack of the Clones once again)!

I have two distinctive problems with this movie which I believe could both have been solved by acknowledging the comics and Supermans hero mythos a little more.
Firstly is the destruction of Metropolis (at least a good portion of it). The ensuing carnage would've caused untold death and injury - something Superman is clearly against. Surely a fight in outer-space or a throw-down at the Grand Canyon would've been in keeping with Supermans moralistic codes.
Secondly is the death of Jonathan Kent. This is an intentional turning point in the movie, but completely unnecessary in my view. The Kents know their son is super and so does he. Why he didn't volunteer to save their dog from a tornadoes destructive path is beyond me. Instinctively, he would've just done it and to hell with the consequences. How was this any different to saving his friends on the bus or saving the men on the oil rig? Any onlooker would've been none the wiser - chalking the experience up to a miracle/act of god.
Just as Martin Sheen fully inhabited the role of uncle Ben in The Amazing Spider-man, Costner perfectly embodies the role of Jonathan Kent. I don't quite understand the notion of rebooting characters only to use them less efficiently than before - especially when you've got a top-class actor on board?
I have no doubt that a larger game is at play with this first entry. Perhaps we'll be rewarded for some of the lesser moments with fleshed-out explanations next time.

The first half of this movie really delivers - and is bookended by some nice moments and a great one-liner at the end! Superman is 75 years old this year. I'm all for giving a character a facelift now and again, but lets not forget what made this particular character the American icon he's become!

3/5

Poster image courtesy: http://www.mondoarchive.com/

Artwork by Martin Ansin who was also responsible for the Looper poster I chose. Check it out again here: http://alexsmith365.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/looper.html

World War Z

World War Z is based on the book of the same name, by Max Brooks. The book detailed the Zombie Apocalypse some ten years after its initial outbreak. In an unusual move, the reader learnt about the outbreak and the hard years that followed through a series of vignettes. A UN agent assigned to the Postwar Commission interviews a vast majority of different survivors from around the world, in an effort to better understand what caused the outbreak - and the effect to which it's had on the global community.

When news of the movies production hit, fans undoubtedly imagined a documentary-like pastiche of jaw-dropping set-pieces - brought together by a journalists quest for truth.
The production of World War Z has been long and "troubled". Four very talented writers (J. Michael Straczynski, Matthew Michael Carnahan, Damon Lindelof and Drew Goddard) were assigned at different stages of production to distil this opus. A good portion of the film was re-shot as a consequence - with test screenings and the like pushing the film in a more action-orientated direction.

It continues to surprise me when movies share little to no content with the property from which they're adapted. From a business perspective it makes sense to build upon a salivating and still-hungry audience. But surely if you change something to the point where it's no longer recognisable, your sizeable built-in audience will turn their backs on you?
What's most unfathomable is to learn that this one-note apocalyptic tale has done well enough in box office receipts to warrant a sequel? It would appear all people really want is more and more bang for their buck!

As you might imagine I went in to World War Z with pretty low expectations. Rather than it being ten years later, the audience is propelled in to the Zombie outbreak as it happens - through the eyes of our protagonist/journalist, Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt).
The Zombies in World War Z run rather than shuffle - echoing the "infected" of 28 Days Later rather than the traditional "undead". As a result the movies pace is tremendous. The action doesn't let up and the movie flies by at an alarming rate.

With his family in tow, Gerry witnesses first hand his home town fall to infection. A respite from the action sees Gerry and his family given sanctuary by a former colleague. As guests aboard the American Naval Fleet, Gerry and his family are safe. As a condition however, Gerry must enlist in the effort to save mankind. This requires him to travel the globe (accompanied by military personal) to find a solution to the life-threatening outbreak.
A couple of nice moments had me invested beyond mere atrophy, but come the half-way point there were few surprises. Having to suspend my already waning disbelief towards the end of the picture, not even the gratuitous Pepsi tie-in drew a smile!

Despite my grievances, World War Z offers up some striking visuals - and the shear pace of the movie is sure to appeal to the attention-deficit generation! It's difficult to know whether you've been entertained or not when the film-makers give little to no time for you to think (perhaps that's their trick)?
I was certain we were getting away from movies that lived or died on spectacle alone. The success of this movie has left me to believe otherwise.

2/5

Poster image courtesy: www.badassdigest.com

Fast and Furious 6

I was super-psyched to see Fast and Furious 6 after seeing it's predecessor on DVD. The clip which encouraged me to see Fast 5 in the first place was that of Paul Walker and Vin Diesel surfing a car off a ravine - WOW!

The original Fast and the Furious had ripped off a favourite of mine. Replacing extreme sports with fast cars, the film was almost a scene for scene remake of Point Break. After passing on three of it's sequels, Fast 5 pulled me back in. Director Justin Lin (who has been with the series since Tokyo Drift) pulled out all the stops with this entry - improving upon what had come before, while successfully hitting upon a formula for the series which worked beyond mere plagiarism.

The car-surfing sequence stood out because it looked like the actors were doing the stunt themselves. Many believe anything can be accomplished in this age of digital effects, but this learned eye can still tell. If I have to ask myself, "how did they do that?" (as I did in Fast 5), then the film-makers have successfully done their job!

Fast 5 also utilised the full series cast - bringing in players form the original and each subsequent sequel. Added to the mix for the fifth entry was Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, as the FBI agent assigned to hunt down Toretto and his gang.

The intention with most sequels is to go bigger and better. Lin and his crew lean towards this but wisely stick to the formula created with their fifth entry. Fast 6 comes very close to it's predecessor (in terms of greatness), but requires it's audience to suspend their disbelief that little bit further.

Fast and Furious 6 is hugely entertaining! In fact seeing this feature at the cinema made it even more enjoyable. This series plays like the adolescent nephew to "Bond". A crowd-pleaser that ticks all the right boxes - and fully engages it's audience just short of rapturous applause!

The influx of characters has certainly helped this series, however there's no one who really pops in Fast 6. Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson have charisma to spare, but rarely do they punch above their stoic shells. Tyrese Gibson and Chris "Ludicris" Bridges provide the laughs and show some growth as a humorous double-act.

Fast 6 places Johnsons FBI team and Torettos gang in bed together, rather than at logger-heads. It's a fun conceit which we all saw coming - but it works!

Both teams face military-trained Shaw (Luke Evans) and his gang. A comedic highlight sees Gibsons, Roman compare the heros to the villains. The two teams show an uncanny resemblance to one another!

The action takes place in London this time (save for a brief return trip to LA for Paul Walkers, Brian). Just as it works for the Bond series, the changing locals keep things fresh and visually exciting. They make a concerted effort here to utilise the more popular land marks - it's not everyday you see a couple of souped-up cars race through Piccadilly Circus!

With it's chief ensemble in place, this series can run and run. Players can come and go, as new heros and villains are inducted. The Fast and Furious audience will eat it up, so long as there's a considerable amount of spectacle on display! No doubt they'll continue to tick those boxes - here's hoping they keep the ridiculousness of the series on the right side of WOW!

3/5

Poster image courtesy: www.empireonline.com

Star Trek: Into Darkness

Well we knew this was going to be good didn't we!

Despite the televised saturation of trailers and clips (months in advance, I might add). Star Trek: Into Darkness managed to maintain a level of secrecy unlike most other marquee releases (Iron Man 3 did a pretty good job incidentally).

With four features to his name, J.J. Abrams has risen to the lofty echelons of top-tier directors. Hence forth he will no longer need an established franchise to pull in an audience. Comparisons to Spielberg are not unjustified (see Super 8 for an obvious homage to the man). There I was thinking M. Night Shyamalan had inherited the throne - but then The Happening, happened (finish your Unbreakable trilogy already)! With Abrams being offered episode VII of the new Star Wars trilogy (a no-brainer), it would appear he's followed the likes of Spielberg and co in to both critical and commercial success - the Hollywood holy grail!

With the first Star Trek, Abrams achieved the neat trick of starting over without truly doing so. Using time travel devices, he set the crew of the Enterprise on a different path - by way of the villainous Romulans.

His young cast pulled off the unthinkable (how do you recast Kirk and Spock?) - and the success of the film meant that fans old and new had embraced Abrams exciting new take on the franchise.

This new entry begins half way through a new adventure, as Kirk and co intervene in the life-cycle of a primitive alien species. Doing their up-most to remain unseen, the crew of the Enterprise eventually have to expose themselves in order to rescue one of their own. By potentially altering yet another timeline, Kirk has favoured the good of the few over the good of the many - or more appropriately, the good of the mission.

This conundrum is something Kirk faces time and again throughout Into Darkness. As a result of his unwillingness to subscribe to Starfleet values, Kirk is severely reprimanded. That is until all hell breaks loose!

Back on Earth (a fabulously conceived London of the future) the archival centre for Starfleet is bombed, in an apparent terrorist attack. The perpetrator is caught on camera (Benedict Cumberbatch) and an effort is made by the superiors of Starfleet to bring the man to justice. This plan is somewhat scuppered by the villains intimate knowledge of Starfleet. More attacks occur, leaving many dead. Kirk is personally affected and volunteers to capture the man responsible.

Cumberbatch plays a terrific foe. All steely eyed and clinical - in both physicality and intellect. Like any fanatic, he has his reasons. His only concerns are that of himself and his people - much like Kirk (the good of the few once again coming in to play)!

Kirk and his crew come to learn more about Cumberbatchs' vindictive villain, and consequently his motivations. Cumberbatch sees Starfleet as a threat to his and his own - and plays on Kirks anti-establishment stance.

Throughout Into Darkness J.J. and his crew offer up some compelling motivations and moralistic conundrums for Kirk and company. As with every Abrams feature thus far, there is more for the audience to chew over than mere visuals, stunning as they are!

Into Darkness is a fantastic follow-up to Abrams first Trek feature. There is a thrilling sense of nostalgia to Into Darkness - more so that the first. As the Enterprise continues on it's new trajectory, there's not just new adventures to engage in, but strangely familiar ones too!

Hats off to J.J. and his crew for once again displaying deep affection for what's come before, without boring audiences with a sense of deja vu!

4/5

Poster image courtesy: http://paulshipperstudio.com/
Many of you will know the works of Drew Struzan - the incredibly popular poster artist, who's since retired. Paul shipper and Mike Butkus share a similar talent and approach their works in much the same way. It may be an old-school approach to (film) poster design but damn, if it doesn't draw you in!!
See also: review of Django Unchained (poster by Mike Butkus) http://alexsmith365.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/django-unchained.html

Iron Man 3

With the success of The Avengers, it would appear the Marvel machine is now unstoppable. For all those in the know, Iron Man 3 represents a mere fraction of what's in store from this studio. So as exciting as it is to see Tony Stark in action again, it does feel like less of an event than some of the stand-alone movies coming our way this year (Man of Steel for one). This being said, Iron Man 3 is no less entertaining as it's predecessors - and does the job of furthering it's hero's journey with aplomb.

Shane Black takes over directing duties from Jon Favreau this time. Black takes a co-writing credit also, which is no surprise when you consider his past. Black was the go-to guy for testosterone-fuelled action scripts, overflowing with inventive and witty humour. His credits include; Lethal Weapon, The Last Boy Scout and The Long Kiss Goodnight. In 2005 Black made his directing debut with the fantastic, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (starring Iron Man himself, Robert Downey Jr).

Blacks presence is evident upon watching Iron Man 3 - particularly in the script. The Iron Man films have all had humour. This time however we get some of the best gags from the least likely of sources; work for hire henchmen, an only child with Stark-like aspirations - and a particularly funny turn by one of the movies main stars!

Iron Man 3 kicks off after the events of The Avengers. In an interesting move (all be it obvious, from a serialisation point of view) the film deals with the repercussions of the extraterrestrial threat which the Avengers faced. Stark himself is deeply affected - and Black and his team present the human populous as forever changed and curious about their new guardians.
In an effort to get through his other-worldly experience, Stark does what he knows best - he tinkers! Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and Stark are still very much in love and Tony still has a handful of (lesser-powered) friends to his name, including James Rhodes (Don Cheadle). Despite the support in place, Stark is suffering greatly with anxiety. To add insult to injury, there's a new villain in town - in the form of the Mandarin (a terrific Ben Kingsley). The Mandarin is a pastiche of middle-eastern fanaticism, intent on disabling western ideals.

After a spectacular attack on his home, not to mention the injury of one of his closest friends (security guard Happy, played by Jon Favreau), Stark finds himself far from home. His suit (by way of super computer, Jarvis) sends him to colder climes in an effort to solve one of many suspicious deaths. It would seem a handful of people have been spontaneously combusting - the cause emanating from a foreign substance in the body.
It's at this point one of the more popular Iron Man tales gets it's movie make-over. Extremis acts like a super drug, bonding with it's host in an effort to make them superior in every way. Like any other drug, if the hosts tissue/DNA rejects the substance, an overdose is inevitable. In this instance they tend to heat up!
With a madman such as the Mandarin controlling such a substance, Iron Man 3 offers up a different kind of villain. It's a refreshing change from another iron suit - although there's still plenty on the side of the hero this time (for all you metal-heads out there)!

Unfortunately (and this is my only real reservation) the last act offers up yet another shipping yard/dock-set action spectacle (which is anything but). After The A-team, The Losers, Red and countless others, surely the shipping yard finale/action scene has been done already. No doubt it's a cheap and effective way of staging an action scene, but it lacks smarts and inventiveness (see the Air Force One rescue earlier in Iron Man 3, for a truly memorable sequence). With the dock scene so close to the end, it regrettably leaves the viewer a tad underwhelmed.
Iron Man 3 has many attributes however - and can certainly stand along side it's predecessors with it's head held high!

No one has yet dropped the ball within this Marvel/Avengers movie-verse (we don't count The Incredible Hulk, do we?) and it pleases me to report that Iron Man 3 maintains the standard to which each adventure has aspired.
Thor: The Dark World is mere months away - and a week rarely goes by without a still or trailer for forth-coming adventures from the Marvel stable.
These characters and their ever expanding universe are here to stay - and I for one look forward to each and every adventure. Lets hope the ball stays in the air a while longer!

4/5

Poster image courtesy: http://www.4twenty.co.uk/
Iron Man 3 poster illustrated by Jock - a comic-book and conceptual artist. Check out more of his amazing work at the above address!
See also: review of Dredd (poster by Jock) http://alexsmith365.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/dredd.html

Warm Bodies

Warm Bodies is the next in what can only be described as the strangest sub-genre to emerge in recent years - the zom-rom-com! Warm Bodies presents us with another apocalyptic landscape, with Earth overrun with zombie hordes. Only a small number of humans remain, eking out a meagre existence in an effort to survive.

One such group of survivors is led by Grigio (John Malkovich). With his daughter Julie (Teresa Palmer) in toe, their group have the distinction of having military support - Grigio being a colonel of old.

The humans are of little interest in this movie however, as the majority of the running time is taken from the perspective of R (Nicolas Hoult), one of the living dead. R moans and groans like any other zombie, but his interior monologue is perfectly audible, as he goes about informing the audience of the state of the nation - and more importantly the details of his daily routine.

It's not long before the inevitable face-off of course. During a routine supply run, Julie and her team are besieged by an undead horde. Most of Julie's team are killed, yet Julie is spared by the love-struck R.
It would appear R is different to the rest of the undead. Upon saving Julie, he takes her to his den - a grounded passenger plane, decked out with trinkets of a once animated Earth. Despite R's undead status, it would appear he's not yet given up on the notion of living. His meeting Julie magnifies this, to the point where the spark of new life is present in his body.

Warm Bodies is wonderfully playful. Nicolas Hoult must be applauded for R's contradictory nature - his upbeat narration at odds with his near-wooden, physical self.
Teresa Palmer is beautiful and together, Julie and R make for an endearing couple.
The two young stars are ably supported by their friends (alive and undead). Rob Corrdry and Analeigh Tipton generate a lot of laughs, as R's Zestie and Julie's bestie, respectively!
The aforementioned Malkovich adds gravitas to proceedings, but beyond his parental concern, there is little for Malkovich to do (see Red and it's forthcoming sequel for a more entertaining performance).

With Romance at it's core, Warm Bodies offers a cure to the zombie plague. In a very sweet move the movie suggests love is the answer - the only thing to swell the heart and potentially get it pumping again! Warm Bodies goes further suggesting we love and respect our neighbour, regardless of viral out-break!

Warm Bodies is a fun addition to this new genre. Not as laugh-out-loud or as original as some, but it certainly wears it's heart on it's sleeve - giving romantic hope to the most miserable and down-trodden zombies among us!

3/5

Poster image courtesy: www.sftv.com.au

The Company You Keep

The Company You Keep is the new film by Robert Redford, director of A River Runs Through It, Quiz Show and the recent, Conspirator. This new film is a good fit for Redford (who also stars), having made his name with other politically-conscious movies (All the Presidents Men and Three Days of the Condor).

Redford would be no stranger to the plight of the Weathermen - a group of young activists intent on bringing the government to it's knees over their involvement in the Vietnam war.
Violent in their actions, the Weathermen were successful in their campaign until the robbery of a Michigan bank in 1980 (the actual robbery was that of an armed car in New York, the following year), which turned sour. A guard was shot dead by one of the group, ending their reign of terror and leaving each member a fugitive of the state.

These facts are presented to us in a pre-credit sequence, allowing the rest of the film to take place in the present day.
With a lifetime to dwell on their actions, many of the former activists went underground, forging new identities and finding the means to pass on their beliefs and ideals through more passive acts, such as education and law.
After 33 years, one of the group (Susan Sarandon) feels it's time to atone for her sins and offers herself up to the F.B.I. So begins a house of cards, as connections are made to each of the former Weathermen - principally by a hot-headed young reporter (Shia LaBeouf).

Robert Redford plays Jim Grant, one such former activist. A widowed father, Grant has a young daughter to his name (many former Weathermen have families and deeply rooted attachments now). Grant decides to track down his former comrades in the hope of finding the still elusive (and somewhat active) Mimi Lurie (Julie Christie), in the hope of clearing his name and returning to his daughter.

Redford has assembled a great cast for this film - particularly in the long since retired Weathermen. Many are contemporaries of Redford, who set alight the cinema of the 70's and 80's. From Nick Nolte to Susan Sarandon, these actors continue to bring class and gravitas to the cinema today - and this film continues to highlight their individual expertise.
The only character I didn't quite buy was Julie Christie's, Mimi. As a seventy-something freedom fighter, Christie has the toughest role. Despite her efforts, it's hard to get past the glamorous, movie-star exterior.

The first half of this film is excellent! Through Grant and his former comrades, we learn how ultraism inevitably leads to casualty, how much can be achieved through knowledge and communication alone and how, as we inevitably age and bring children in to the world, we reassign importance . These grandiose themes are replaced with a more personal story towards the end of the movie.
Regardless, The Company You Keep is never less than captivating and thought provoking.

4/5


Poster image courtesy: ca.eonefilms.com