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Reviews
Æon Flux (2005)
A furball in the Matrix
If the movie title sounds familiar, 'Aeon Flux' was also a TV series (created by Peter Chung) which was made for MTV around a decade ago. It was designed to be weird, and the production was reportedly heavily influenced by anime (Japanese animation). I say "reportedly" because I have never had the chance to see the MTV series, but this movie seems to be its own story, and a major movie release should be able to stand on its own. So how does the Aeon Flux movie stand?
The main character (Aeon) is played by Charlize Theron, who is an athletic and attractive woman that is currently making movies. So the producers decided to take the same approach with this film as they did with Halle Berry in Catwoman; they had her do a lot of fight scenes involving acrobat-fu while wearing tight and revealing leather costumes.
The plot looks like it was originally cooked up by people under the influence of hallucinogens, before being taken over by competent people who were limited in the changes they were allowed to make. Meanwhile, the fight scenes director was allowed to stay under the influence. The result is a storyline where fights break out frequently, sometimes at random, and people can change rooms and teleport at will. There is also the threat of attack plants, such as grass that might stab you to death or blossoms which may fatally shoot at you. In short, the weirdness from the original series seems to be intact, and the plot changes direction frequently and with little warning.
The acting is competent enough, although the characters are a bit flat, due partially to the actors but more so to the script. Still, if you're looking for an action movie where you can put your brain in neutral while ogling the scenery, this movie should fit the bill. But if you go in expecting something at the level of 'Batman Begins', you'll likely be disappointed.
Serenity (2005)
Movie stew
Some movies try to follow a strict formula, while other movies make due. This story is an action space movie while in the cockpit, except for some parts of space where it's a monster movie. And when the ship lands on a planet, it's suddenly a Western. But this is oversimplifying things somewhat.
The ship which normally takes the heroes on their journey is often either state of the art (like the Millennium Falcon in Star Wars), or standard fare for space travel. The Serenity, which is the heroes' ship, is literally falling apart. The crew have the same devotion to each other as a dysfunctional family would (such as the Bundys in 'Married with Children'), except that not even blood ties this batch together. Their mission isn't to get rich, or to get famous, or to get even, but to get by. And the captain often has little idea what the next step is once he steps in, since basically they devise their plan as they go along.
If this sounds familiar, the movie is a big screen adaptation of 'Firefly', the series which had almost as many quiet reschedulings as it had episodes, before being canceled with less than a full season behind it. So of course, they made the story ready for a theater release.
But what's the oddest thing about 'Serenity'? Surprisingly, it's that it all works. This is a science fiction space action movie that doesn't take the space opera approach of the 'Star Wars' prequels, but of the original 1977 production which started the franchise. Despite the odd combination of elements, there's no point where you notice something and ask yourself "what the heck is THAT doing in here?"
In short, you don't have to be a fan of the original TV series to see this movie. What's presented here is a more complete and cohesive story than any episode of 'Firefly' was, and it's also self-contained. If you're a fan of the genre, this should be a safe bet.
Christmas with the Kranks (2004)
Ho Ho Hum
The past 70 or so years have provided us with some great Christmas movies, some decent holiday themed time wasters, and some true classics. "Christmas with the Kranks" is none of these.
The basic premise involves a set of parents living alone, and their plan to forego spending thousands of dollars on Christmas decorating, instead using that money for a holiday cruise. The conflict though, is their neighborhood assuming that every house on the block should go overboard, and pressuring Luther Krank (Tim Allen) and Nora Krank (Jamie Lee Curtis) to do likewise. Do the Kranks still want to set up a flashy holiday display? Was there a death in their family recently, or some personal matter which prevents them from enjoying Christmas this year? Did they just happen to change their religious beliefs over the previous 11 months, for one that doesn't celebrate Christmas? To the neighbors, that's irrelevant. And to those behind this production, such attitudes are normal. Even though I celebrate Christmas, I'm glad not to be in that neighborhood.
Of course, even the writers, producers, and directors realized that they needed more to sell the story. So Luther Krank decides to forego decorating the house with the decorations that they already own in the house as well. If it's in response to his neighbors constantly harassing him on the matter, as a "dig in your heels" response, that would be understandable. Because even if Luther was the type who shouted obscenities and waved his finger at every sight of his neighbors, it wouldn't be justification for the "comedy" which the neighbors and their actions bring. From there, the rest of the movie should be easily guessed by anyone who has seen at least a few "family holiday movies" before.
Is it worth seeing? That depends on your tolerance for mediocrity, really. Picture the blandest stew that you've ever had. If you walked into a restaurant which offered that same stew, with other entrées which you could actually savor, would you still have the stew? Your answer will probably be the same for whether this humorless, predictable, Christmas themed movie is worthy of your entertainment palette.
Hotaru no haka (1988)
It's as good as you've heard
There are few movies which not only hold your interest throughout, but can stay in your mind for days later. 'Grave of the Fireflies' (GotF) is one such film. Among war films, it's one of the few which can convey its message without stating that there are good guys and bad guys, or heroes and villains, or "our side versus the enemy". Instead, the enemy is the indifference that war causes, and the pride which can blind people of their humanity. It's more of an anti-war film, since the opponent is the war itself.
14 year old Seita is the main character, who is suddenly tasked with caring for his 5 year old sister Setsuko during World War 2 in Kobe, Japan. In the opening scene, we see Seita's last moments of life, right before he joins the ghost of his sister. Seita's eyes don't have the youth, energy, nor enthusiasm which often goes with the age. His first words give the date of September 21, 1945, followed by "that was the night I died" before breathing his last. The rest of the movie is a flashback as to exactly how he got that way.
If you've ever seen Spielberg's classic "Schindler's List", you already know what sort of movie to expect. But since GotF is Japanese animation instead of being a live action Hollywood film, it's not as well known. And that's a shame. Many adults have likely seen the movie box when browsing for new titles, before judging it as an unworthy time waster for their children, when the story is really too powerful for many adults.
With a budget of $6,000,000 to produce, it's unlikely that a World War 2 era village could have been built, pyrotechnics could have been used to simulate the firebombing, special effects and stunt crews could have been set up and paid for, with all the other expenses involved in recreating the vital scene, with funds left over for everything else. (And if they did, that scene might end up having more screen time than the story actually needs.) Also, writer/producer Isao Takahata doubted that he'd be able to find child actors talented enough to pull off such a challenging role, and he was probably right.
In short, this isn't a great anime production, or a great war movie, or a great anti-war movie. It's just a great movie.
Monster (2004)
Suspense the way it should be done
This series held surprises into the very last episode.
I'm not really going to include any major spoilers for the series in my review. The closest that I'll come will cover what you've probably heard about from any general discussion concerning the TV series, or the books that the story comes from, or the opening TV credits for the very first episode. That means that some key elements from the first 4 episodes, which covers the first 5% of the 74 episode series, will be mentioned. But it's hard to even say what the series is about without going that far, and you're likely to get more spoilers in any major review of the latest Hollywood mega-release anyways.
In life, there are two types of monsters. The first is the type that most of us have probably thought of in our childhood, the type that we feared under the bed or in the closet, the type who our parents or guardians told us didn't exist. The second type, however, is what the title of this series refers to. This is the type which adults do fear, the type that does exist. This monster can plan human deaths with the same nonchalance that others have when they decide the details of getting their next coffee.
Naoki Urasawa's story is one that covers such a monster, but this monster isn't the main character. Instead, the main character is the highly skilled Japanese neurosurgeon Kenzou Tenma, working in Germany shortly after its reunification. Tenma believes that all life is of equal high worth, and that the value of life isn't changed with wealth, fame, nor with celebrity status. But he discovers that the hospital itself doesn't share that belief. The life that he saved, the life which more desperately needed his skills, looked so much like another anonymous life that was about to get wiped out by the hospital's lack of ethics. But Tenma unknowingly gave life back to a monster. And for the first time ever, Tenma regrets the life that he saved; so much so that he finds himself forced to correct that mistake.
From this point, if you saw the opening credits which cover the first 90 seconds of the very first episode, you can guess the general direction of the series. Picture the TV series 'The Fugitive', but with a single storyline which went from the first episode to the last. Now throw in a detective (Inspector Runge) who is as calm, confident, and calculating as the devil himself, pursuing Tenma. There are also other characters in the series, who are crucial to how the story builds, and who are rather difficult to introduce clearly without spoiling some of the many subplots which build through the series. These characters include Tenma's ex-fiancée Eva, as well as a retired detective, a reclusive billionaire, two criminal psychiatrists, members of organized crime, ones involved in possible illegal dealings with the Czech police, a crusading defense attorney, and others.
There will be a few times where the main storyline seems to be put on hold, and a new storyline with new characters will be introduced. And you'd likely be wondering why things have taken a detour, or when they'll get back to the actual story. But the overall plot is much more complex and detailed than you may have seen on other serial thrillers such as 'Alias', '24', or 'Lost'. The seemingly disjointed story lines in 'Monster' slowly build to be a critical part in the overall plot, and the series overall doesn't have any wasted scenes or episodes (filler), nor the jumps and jolts which betray signs of last minute rewrites.
If you're hoping that the upcoming Hollywood movie based on the series will be as good, you might want to reconsider. For starters, it'll mean rewriting a story which takes 37 broadcast hours to tell, and re-conveying that over a time slot of 90 to 100 minutes. Also, it'll be coming from the same talent pool which took the highly rated Japanese movies 'Ringu', 'Ju-On', and 'Shall We Dance', and turned them into the mediocre Hollywood productions 'The Ring', 'The Grudge', and 'Shall We Dance'. (From 94-64-79 to 72-40-49, according to RottenTomatoes.com.) While Hollywood can make a good original movie occasionally, their record at remaking movies leaves a lot to be desired.
In short, this is one of the better suspense stories out there. The writing is solid, the characters are believable (even when their character changes), and the story always makes sense. In some story arcs, just when you think they're getting ready to wrap things up, they find a way to ratchet up the tension again. But it never seems forced, or cheap, like what is by far more common in most thrillers I've seen. 'Monster' is definitely a series which requires your full attention when watching it, due to the pace which events happen and the number of details which all come together as the story progresses. And if you don't mind a long story with a lot of twists and turns, this is definitely one worth following.
Kimi ga nozomu eien (2003)
Realistic, dramatic portrayals of people at their limits
Before I start the review, there are a few things I should clear up involving the biggest stumbling block which many people will have with the series -- its format.
In 'Kimi ga Nozomu Eien', what you get is a single story, involving a small and believable cast of characters, facing circumstances which can only change them. (In other words, not a soap opera.) If you're US raised and approach this series thinking "it's a cartoon", you'll tune in expecting something comparable with other cartoons you've seen. But Disney, The Simpsons, and Saturday morning fare have nothing to do with this. That's assuming that you don't outright dismiss the series before you can fairly judge it.
And if you approach the series thinking "it's Japanese", you might wrongly go in expecting to see plenty of shouted lines, giant robots fighting, and unfamiliar customs. Again, that's not what the series is about.
So why is the series animated in the first place? I don't have an official answer, but my guess is that it's due to the main story already being popular in Japan through the PC game, which already featured characters drawn in an anime (Japanese animation) style. And the people behind the TV series, by my guess, wished to keep the identity of the characters as recognizable as possible.
The series covers 14 half hour episodes, told over a single story arc. Most of the first two episodes may wrongly lead people to believe that the story is a harem series (several cute girls competing for the same guy), but what happens at the end of the second episode is the curve ball which sets the tone of the series. The spoilers I'll include will only cover the events before this curve ball hits.
The main character is Narumi, who at the start of the series is a high school student and is generally a nice guy, slightly irresponsible, and a procrastinator. When his good friend Mizuki introduces him to her friend, the shy but head-over-heels Haruka, it's the start of a new relationship which becomes the crux of the series. As the characters age, they mature over time. They face situations that are sometimes as extreme as they are realistic. They'll show changes which can be extremely marked, but at the same time 100% believable in how they play out. Those who've played the game know that the choices which Narumi makes not only determine which girl he'll end up with, but the impact on the other characters. (In the game, the wrong series of choices can lead to a triple suicide, for example.) When a character hits bottom, it's believable, and understandable. As in real life, not everything is spelled out. Characters sometimes succeed in picking up on cues, and sometimes fail, and their response can determine how others act and react.
In short, I don't watch soaps, and I don't care for most dramas. But this series is so well done that it's one of exactly two Japanese series which not only has me wishing for a US release, but has encouraged me to obtain the Japanese DVDs, despite my not speaking Japanese. If you can track down the fansubs and don't mind subtitles, and have an open mind about anime if you don't already, this is definitely one of the better series out there.