Review: 'Oblivion'

Back in 2010, when I saw 'Tron: Legacy', I was excited and thrilled, waiting to see what that film had to offer both visually and story-wise. So when I saw it, in IMAX and 3D mind you, I was pretty heavily underwhelmed.  Now it's not that it was a really bad movie. There were things about it that were great. For instance, I loved the musical score along with the sound design, and the visuals were great. The problem with it was that there was little to no story. Without that one crucial element, everything else is just mild. The reason I bring this up is because that film's director, Joseph Kosinski, also directed the new movie 'Oblivion'.

I saw 'Oblivion' in IMAX as well, and it looked and sounded incredible. If that's all you're looking for in this movie, it will not disappoint. Other than that, there is really nothing entirely original here. Many people are saying this movie is incredible with the 'twists and turns' it takes in the storytelling, and yet they don't have a whole lot else to say about it except that it looked cool. I will agree with that second part. The biggest problem that I have with the movie is the story.

Jack (played by Tom Cruise, who I'll get back to in a minute) is a kind of terraformer, though already on Earth, assigned to manage and help clean the earth back up after an alien invasion that occurred decades in the past. That past is our present, only a couple years ahead, in 2017. Jack's not alone though, with the assistance of his lovely partner, Victoria (Andrea Riseborough). But these two's normal, daily routine goes awry when a cargo ship carrying bodies crashes, killing all except for one, a woman named Julia (Olga Kurylenko). There's something odd about her though, seeing how she recognizes Jack, but he doesn't recognize her. How is that possible? Well, if there's one thing about science-fiction stories, it's that anything is possible.

So why does it have to be one that we've heard dozens of times before? And to add to that, it's several story-lines and sci-fi elements that have been done already, combined into one movie. It's, frankly, not very effective. The twists that are revealed in the movie are revelations into new plots that are taken from other much better science-fiction films. For instance, without spoiling anything, it starts out with there being no other man on earth except for one. That's pretty much 'I Am Legend' which was already a sci-fi story from the 1950's before the 2007 movie. After that, it turns into various 'Twilight Zone' episodes, then it turns into 'Moon' (2009), then it becomes 'The Matrix' (1999), and THEN it becomes 'The Terminator' (1984), etc. There's even slight hints of 'Wall-E' (2008) in there, an animated family film.

I don't hate this film. Not at all. There are things that I really admire about it. I loved the look of the film, both technically and visually. The production design and art direction was really cool and impressive. The performances were also good, making the various plot points bearable. So yes I actually liked Tom Cruise in this movie. Sure, he's played this type of character many times before, but nobody else does it like him. It's no wonder that he's still a pretty big movie star to this day.

If you have a chance to see this movie in the theatre, I would recommend seeing it in IMAX. That's where you'll get the best bang for your buck. Other than that, I would say rent it or give it a pass.

My Rating: 2.5 / 4

Review: 'The Place Beyond the Pines'

What is the 'Place Beyond the Pines', as the title suggests? What does it mean? Is it a real place, or just a metaphor for something the film is trying to say? All these questions plagued me quite frequently while watching this movie. Is it going to answer those questions, or just leave me hanging?

Ryan Gosling is a motorcycle stunt performer who desperately turns to robbing banks in order to provide for his family. But the cops gradually get closer and closer on his tail until they finally have their showdown with each other. I'm sure that sounds like an entire movie plot right there, all said and done. Actually, that's only a part of this whole thing. That's what makes this film fairly different from others. It takes the three act story structure, tweaks it a little bit, and turns this one movie into a trilogy of movies all in one sitting. I found that rather interesting and refreshing.

To mention anything else about the film's plot would give away many of the surprises. All I will say is that alongside Ryan Gosling, you have a cop, played by Bradley Cooper, and a corrupt cop, played by Ray Liotta, who's just as intimidating as ever. They eventually become deeply involved in what Ryan Gosling's character had started.

The movie tests your patience at times, as it did for me once the middle of the first act started to finally pick up. The strongest point in the entire movie is the middle. Everything started to accelerate from there into something bigger than your typical cops-and-robbers flick. This movie portrays very well how one thing, big or small, can affect an entire family, to an entire community. One person can make a difference, whether good or bad. And in this case, that's legitimately up for the viewer to decide.

I really admired this film, and I wish I could say more about it, but like I said before that would defeat the purpose and message of the film, if there even is one. Has the movie got some big flaws? Yes, some that are even nerve racking to not think about. But that can easily be set aside due to the great performances, interesting story-lines and twists that they make, and a tone that is at times dark, but quite beautiful as well. All I can say is see it, and figure it out for yourselves.

My rating: 3.5/4

Review: 'Schindler's List'

One of my neighbors, who is a long time friend and collaborator with Gerald R. Molen, gave me the privilege of introducing me to him tonight. However brief it was, shaking his hand and acknowledging his presence, it was the kind of thing every aspiring filmmaker dreams of. With that said, the reason for this is because Mr. Molen was in downtown Salt Lake for a Q&A after a special screening of Steven Spielberg's 'Schindler's List', of which Mr. Molen co-produced and won the Academy Award for best picture of 1993.

Having seen this film once before some years ago, it had left a profoundly deep impact on me. It was eye opening not only from a technical standpoint, by how extraordinary the filmmaking is, but also how enlightening it was on the smallest of details that occurred in this dark time in history. 

I feel like I should explain what the premise/plot of the film is, but then I think that will only slightly take some experiences of the film away as you watch it. Just know that this film deals with the Jewish Holocaust in a very realistic, yet bittersweet manner. It is very hard to watch at times, but then again it is meant to be that way. People need to know and be aware of what had happened at that time. Before this film's release, the Holocaust had only been a footnote in history and then slightly shoved aside. 'Schindler's List' was able to help people realize how important it was to keep this significant event in history cemented in our memories. 

Due to another event I attended earlier today, I didn't show up for tonight's screening until the film was already more than halfway through. But even with that occurrence, the very moment I stepped into the theatre I had already felt the overwhelming emotion that the present scene had been depicting at that time. The movie is just that powerful. Whether you watch it all the way through from it's very first frame, or only see just a couple of scenes, you feel every ounce of effort and passion there was in making this movie as genuine as humanly possible. 

If you have not seen this film, I would strongly recommend that you find the time to watch it. It will be one of the most moving, powerful movie experiences you will ever have. This film gets the highest rating I can give. Giving it a rating any lower would almost be a crime against human dignity. You will not forget this movie once you've seen it.

My rating: 4/4

Review: 'Oz the Great and Powerful'

Review: 'Oz the Great and Powerful'

Knowing the history of L. Frank Baum, and how he has written more than a dozen 'Oz' books, it's surprising how there have never, or rarely, been any other adaptations of his books. I assume it's because of the success of the original movie that it was decided to leave it at that, so things wouldn't go down hill I suppose. With the actual story of how the wizard himself came to Oz though, I believe that part of the story was never even told. So when I first heard the idea behind this movie through promotions and previews, I became very interested. I've never read any of the books, so I have nothing to compare and contrast with them and this movie. This will mainly be with the original movie 'The Wizard of Oz' (1939) in mind. Come on, we've all seen it. It's the only one we know.

'Oz the Great and Powerful' was great to look at, with many things to admire from it. Director Sam Raimi, most well known for the 'Evil Dead' and 'Spider-Man' trilogies, has always had a real charm about him with his talent of camera work and techniques that many filmmakers have tried to copy to this day. Much of that is here along with a couple of new tricks. That's what this movie does best: Tricks. Haven't we all been fooled since the very beginning of films that what we were seeing is real? It's all smoke and mirrors, so to speak, we know it's not real, particularly for a genre like this one. So why do we keep coming back for more then? Well, it's the age old answer to the age old question: Enchantment and escape. We all want to believe that what's impossible is possible, and seeing it happen before our eyes, whether on screen or on stage, is all the more satisfying. It is all delivered both to characters in this movie, and to us the audience.

In early 20th century Kansas, a young illusionist who goes by the name of Oz (James Franco), is seeking more for his life than what he already has. Swept away by a fierce tornado, taking him to a magical land, he may yet find what it is he is looking for. Upon his arrival, he meets three witches, Theodora, Evanora and Glinda. All say that they are good witches, but we all know that one of them is lying. It becomes a whole 'which-witch-is-which' sort of deal. Everyone believes him to be the prophesied wizard that would save them from the evil in the land, but he may have some explaining to to do.

Many things about this movie are to be deeply admired. Like the homages to the original film and subject material. The way the film opens is great, with the 4:3 (4x3) aspect ratio and black and white picture. The references to things we already know I thought were handled wisely, like a brief inclusion of a 'cowardly lion', and how Oz uses his "magic" in the face of danger and desperation. I'd write more about what I liked about the film, but it would give away many of the things the movie has to offer. With that said, there are things in here that, of course, are not perfect. The tonal shifts from dark scenes to cheerful scenes are a little loosely paced, the cliched jump scares are there without offering anything new, and the predictability of many plot twists are very predictable of course. And I know this is a nit-pick, but I think it would have been a little cooler if they had the opening sequence in a more sepia toned look like 'Wizard of Oz' instead of just plain old black-and-white. But that's just me.

I mentioned earlier how it shifts to dark scenes. Well, sure, they can be. But only to the youngest of viewers. Honestly, the kids can handle it. They put up with a lot more scary stuff these days. And knowing both mine and your history with Disney movies growing up, I think it's only fair to say that their movies have left the deepest scars in our psyche. So really, why stop here Disney?

For Sam Raimi fans, you're going to love it. For 'Wizard of Oz' fans, I think you'll like it a lot. I myself am a fan of both, so I did like the film. Is it a great film? No. Is it even a very good film? Not even close. It has it's major flaws. But what it offers, it offers pleasantly, and that's more than enough for me to give this movie a good old recommendation.

My Rating: 3/4