Reviews
Cloverfield (2008)
One hell of a ride...
Caught the film today...and after all the months of waiting, yes, it was worth it. CLOVERFIELD stands as one of the best, most visceral, suspense-filled films I have seen. It is a solid giant monster film, clearly in the league of GODZILLA (the original), THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS and most recently, THE HOST.
To be more honest, it is actually a character-driven giant monster film. *Spoiler* Yes, there is a giant monster--where it came from, why it's tearing through NYC and how the hell it can be stopped is never made clear (but there is a lot of speculation made during the film). And yes, pretty much almost everyone does not survive by the end of the film. But--you do care about these characters. You do care what happens to Rob and his friends as they try to survive what is truly a terrifying experience. The monster itself is a scary beast, because you never truly get to see all of it. Also, the POV provided by the video camera adds to the suspense. This film is experienced from the characters' point of view.
And while the film was funny in some spots (thanks to the character of Hud), it is a white-knuckle thrill ride. It also has some of the most realistic CG I've ever seen--I mean, the film supposedly cost only $30 million to make, but it looks like a lot more.
True, it has the "found footage" angle of THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, but CLOVERFIELD is much, much better. Some may see it as a reinvention of the giant monster movie, others may see it as a shameless exploitation of 9-11 (which it is NOT). Some may just call it a piece of crap...but they're wrong.
CLOVERFIELD is a taught, thrill-ride of movie, and it deserves to be the first true blockbuster of 2008. You've got to see this one.
I Am Legend (2007)
A big budget, character-driven movie that WORKS.
Having read Richard Matheson's original novel I AM LEGEND, I was curious to see how this third film adaptation would fare (the two previous versions were THE LAST MAN ON EARTH and THE OMEGA MAN).
**Spoilers** Does this film work? Yes. Is it good? Yes--quite good in fact, and better than the first two films. No, it is not an exact adaptation of Matheson's novel--don't go in expecting that (for one, the location in the film is New York City, not Los Angeles as in the novel; Neville is a white male in the book. But both Nevilles do end up meeting their Maker, if you know what I mean).**End spoilers**
What you will see is a tense, downbeat, occasionally funny and at times all-out scary character piece. Will Smith puts in an excellent performance as Robert Neville, who is trying to survive, a man who might very well be the last man on Earth following a horrific plague that has wiped out billions and has left many as vampire-like monsters. Neville is immune, but his routine is to stave of something else--the slowly dawning madness of being totally, utterly alone.
There is another more important character in the film--New York itself. The scenes of the deserted, abandoned city are simply stunning. Kudos then, to Smith, Francis Lawrence, and all involved for making one hell of a great movie. And kudos to Richard Matheson for penning the original tale over fifty years ago (has it been that long since the book was first published? Jeez!). Overall, a great film.
Sôkô Kihei Botomuzu (1983)
An anime and science fiction classic...
VOTOMS is one of the greatest anime ever made. Yes, it is old, it is not slick-looking, and it doesn't have cute kids.
But so what--it is an action-packed character-driven tale, taking place in the Astragious Galaxy-- a galaxy and a society not our own...yet in some ways, similar. The story follows Chirico Cuvie as he attempts to find out who nearly killed him on a secret mission. Along the way, Chirico meets a dedicated group of friends, a mysterious but beautiful woman, Fyana,and gets clues that lead to shocking revelations about his own forgotten past and his incredible destiny.
During that, we're treated to great characters and kick-ass mecha combat featuring one of anime's most realistic mecha--the Scopedog. VOTOMS never flinches from showing the harsh reality of war--people die (rather messily, too) and sometimes one cannot tell the good guys from the bad. The higher-ups are the ones moving the chess pieces, but even then, they too may be pawns as well...
VOTOMS is still popular in Japan after all these years, and a new series, THE PAILSEN FILES, just started in Japan. Once again, the original creative crew has come back, including Ryosuke Takahashi, the director; Shoji Yoshikawa, the writer; Norio Shioyama, the character designer; and Kunio Okawara, the mecha designer. Okawara is no mere name in anime, for the man is THE mecha designer, one whose long list of works (GUNDAM, DOUGRAM, SPT LAYZNER, DRAGONAR, for starters) set the standard.
It's too bad that only the original series is available in the US, and that there are not many VOTOMS fans here...but I could be wrong. It is still an excellent show, and while I don't agree that it beats out GUNDAM (the original 1979 series and the original three movies, not that GUNDAM SEED stuff), it is a worthy successor. At a time when people seem to think that starting wars is fun and has no consequences, VOTOMS reminds us in all its terrible glory that war, truly, is hell.
Flag (2006)
Brilliant, but unusual, war story...
FLAG is a new series (well, relatively new; it just came out this month in the US and originally aired in Japan in 2006) that takes a different approach to telling a war story.
-This is a Spoiler Alert!- During a brutal civil war in an East Asian country, a single photograph taken by a female Japanese photographer becomes a symbol of hope, a symbol of peace. It is a picture of UN soldiers and rebels hoisting a flag together. The flag itself is now a physical symbol of the possibility of peace. However, when that flag is stolen, the UN recruits her and her teacher/mentor to join a special forces unit consisting of pilots and new, prototype bipedal combat machines to get the flag back...but as it turns out, the _real_ reason for the war is a lot more complicated...and a lot darker.
--End spoiler-- Of course, this is just a bare-bones summary. What really struck me about the series was how it was filmed. The whole series--only 13 episodes--was "shot" to make it look like it was cobbled together from video cameras, digital cameras--it has a strong documentary feel, with the cameras going in and out of focus, shaky hand-held footage, and still photographs. I have never seen anything like it in animation before...and I've seen a lot.
I wanted to see this show because the creator/director was Ryosuke Takahashi. I seriously respect his works, because he knows how to tell gritty, character-driven war stories that happen to have a lot of cool mecha. His most famous work is ARMORED TROOPER VOTOMS (1983-1984) and FLAG is a worthy follow-up. Once again, Takahashi is never afraid to show us the true horrors of war and its effects.
FLAG is an excellent, ADULT animated series. It is only 13 episodes, and the action is not high, but if you like serious, character-driven stories (and if you're a fan of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA), please see this show, which is now on sale in America. It isn't NARUTO or BLEACH--but it is another fine gem from one of anime's legendary directors.
Schindler's List (1993)
Most powerful film I've ever seen...
Simply put, this is the most powerful film I've ever seen in my life.
I missed it in the theater, but caught it on home video (VHS even! How quaint!). I had heard all the buzz about it...but I wasn't prepared for the IMPACT. At the end of the film, I was an emotional wreck, both amazed and horrified at the extremes of human behavior.
Yes, it is a film based on historical events. But it does not attempt to paint its characters as pure. Liam Neeson delivers as Schindler, while Ben Kingsley and Ralph Fiennes--hell, the entire cast--turn in some truly powerful performances.
The criticism of this movie astonishes me. I cannot, for the life of me, figure out some people in this world. Let me put it another way--if you are not moved even a little by this film, or if you use snarky, cynical reasons to bash it, you're not even human. You don't even have a soul. You don't care.
This film will resonate long after we are gone, as well as it should. The Holocaust did happen. And yes, millions of other people besides Jews were slaughtered. But SCHINDLER'S LIST reminds us to never forget the holocausts of history. Never forget--never again.
Nihon chinbotsu (2006)
A solid SF/disaster movie
I actually caught an ad for JAPAN SINKS in a Japanese magazine last year, and wondered what the heck it was until I saw the trailer for the film. It was then I remembered that I had seen the English translation of Sakyo Komatsu's novel some years back. I got it, and it was quite good, as well as chillingly realistic. It's enough to make the reader dread hearing any news about earthquakes in Japan.
Now, I've read the book, and seen this 2006 movie version (the first movie came out in 1973). And you know what? I thought the movie was quite good, even if there are major changes from novel to film (but that's understandable). The story is simple--a major tectonic shift will cause Japan to sink within a year. Massive earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis rock the country as frantic efforts are made to evacuate as many people as possible. One scientist has a plan that could stop the sinking of the country and save what's left of the landmass, but can it be implemented in time? I saw JAPAN SINKS at Otakon 2007, and while there were a couple of problems I had with it--it does run a bit too long, and a couple of the character moments were a little too sappy--I was nonetheless blown away. The sheer concept of an entire nation sinking into the sea was made terrifyingly real, and the effects were some of the best I've ever seen, rivaling anything that Hollywood has done. The film also plays no favorites with the main characters, with some not making it to the closing credits.
Frankly, I've been surprised by some of the negative comments made about this film. Difference of opinions, I guess. Personally, I enjoyed it. And I've read the original book.
Strange Days (1995)
Best film of '95; One of the best of the '90s
I remember seeing the previews for this film in mid '95. Being a major James Cameron fan I saw it opening day. Wow! What a great film this was! Excellent script, acting, directing (Kathryn Bigelow puts more action in this than ten male directors)--but then it tanked. Why? This film was provocative, intriguing, never boring. It showed a 1999 that may come all too true. I can only guess that because it came out after the O.J. verdict, it was doomed to fail at the theaters. Strange days, indeed. Along with Grand Canyon, I think that Strange Days is a definitive '90s film, showing all the hopes, fears, and life in this retread decade. It is Cameron's best screenplay, and Angela Bassett steals the show as Mace. Fiennes is perfect as Lenny, and who can forget Tom Sizemore's speech about "We used it all up"? Hopefully, more people will discover this film on video in time for the end of the millenium.