Mayday Madness!
Today is Mayday, so to commemorate the day in which we all dance around a maypole with bells on our ankles, I’m doing a themed Weekly Roundup- based around movies that are mad, bad, sad and make me feel glad. I wonder if the Mad Hatter will invite me over for tea after reading this…
This Week’s Watches:
Detention (2011)
Starring: Shanley Caswell, Josh Hutcherson, Spenser Locke & Dane Cook
Directed by: Jospeh Kahn
Rating: ★★★
This movie is most definitely MAD
What happens when an incredibly famous and successful music video director writes, finances and directs his own horror movie? Detention, which has to be one of the most (intentionally) insane films I have ever seen. In a good way.
Although it most definitely has its flaws, you can’t help but respect the frenetic energy, the wholly original narrative and the very strong performances from the young central cast. Taking in the fact that one character is a fly larvae, another is a vegetable based extra-terrestrial life form, and a robotic bear that aliens captured and brought to the town, which was then shot, stuffed and turned into the school mascot, but has since been transformed into a time machine, are all integral elements to the plot, Detentioncertainly gets points for both style and originality.
The opening sequence is one of the strongest I have seen in recent years, and sets up the (sort of) main ‘horror’ plot about a serial killer who is picking off high schools students. But this isn’t really the central drive of the film, as half way through we realise that Detention is actually about two students having to save the entire town of Grizzly Falls from certain doom. And an alien invasion.
Throw in a body swap, a terrorist threat and the male star of The Hunger Games, and you have a very odd-ball, off centre but thoroughly enjoyable film that tries something new, and somehow manages to succeed.
Super 8
Starring: Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning, Kyle Chandler, Riley Griffiths, Ryan Lee & Ron Eldard
Directed by: J.J. Abrams
Rating: ★½
This movie is certainly very BAD
Produced by Steven Spielbergo and directed by mad-with-power producer/writer/director J.J. Abrams who is soon to butcher the Star Wars franchise, Super 8 was a critical and commercial success.
But it’s completely crap.
Just like the mind meltingly terrible Hugo, Super 8 is beloved by critics because it is an homage to the wonderful artistry cinema darling. It intentionally pastiches 1970 Spielberg movies, which makes it oh so clever, but there’s really no substance to this cluttered mess.
It’s a shame really, because the first half of the movie is very strong, but then the script completely falls apart into an incoherent mishmash of alien invasion meets Hollywood schmaltz. It’s like E.T. mixed with Men in Black blended with Aliens vs Predator: a very strange recipe indeed.
Super 8 could have been really strong, but it isn’t because it focuses on some odd romance and father/son subplots, which launch the movie’s alien out of the running time and into outer space. What is the alien you might ask? Well I don’t think anyone really knows- it only appears about 10 minutes before the end for about two seconds. And the explanation for its existence and attack on earth are very dry- and the ending is nauseatingly cheesy.
In its defence, Super 8 has a very strong lead actor the train crash sequence is particularly good. But, just like Man of Steel, there is only so much unnecessary lens flare and poor narrative structure that I can take before my mind blasts off.
Young Adult
Starring: Charlize Theron
Directed by: Jason Reitman
Rating: ★★½
This film is, for many reasons, pretty SAD
It is all about Mavis (Theron), an immature alcoholic writer who returns to her home town because she wants to get back with her ex-boyfriend.
The idea is strong, and the fact that Mavis is such a dislikeable central character works well. Mavis is herself a very sad character, and the idea that you can’t escape your past is very potent. Unfortunately, the film doesn’t go far enough in making Mavis a complete remorseless bitch, so the ending isn’t as strong as it could be.
Theron’s acting is excellent, and her performance makes a you root for the horrible Mavis. I really enjoyed the fact that the film was about something slightly different and focuses on a unique style of character, and this made it interesting. I did however feel sad not only because there are people who really are as damaged as Mavis in the world, but because the film could have been so much better if it had just gone the whole way with the concept.
Young Adult is a good attempt at something different, but doesn’t deliver what it could have.
My Pick of the Week:
Olympus Has Fallen
Starring: Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart & Morgan Freeman
Directed by: Antonie Fuqua
Rating: ★★★★
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| Like an extended episode of 24, one man must save the President's life! |
This movie makes me feel GLAD
Why?
Because it is like the cheesy 90s action films that everyone loves. Remember Air Force One? Total Recall? Die Hard with a Vengeance? In the Line of Fire? These were some of the glorious 90s action films that used to be fun, thrilling and entertaining. It seems like, after the new Millennium, the life has been sucked out of every single action movie ever since
Luckily, Olympus Has Fallen does not fit into the brain dead and lifeless category of modern action film. It has all the key ingredients of a great action flick- it’s silly, exciting, violent and has lots of famous people in it!
Ignoring the diabolical Gerard Butler, the rest of the cast are very good and are clearly having a good time with the brilliantly over-the-top script. The action scenes are excellent, especially the initial attack on the White House. The violent, gory fight scenes, which are reminiscent of Arnie in his heyday, are really exciting too.
There are twists, turns, explosions, hostages and of course good old fashioned Americana, although the discovery that the White House is nicknamed Olympus is terrifying. I usually try to ignore the political and social implications of the whole Washington D.C. built to look like the Greco-Roman Empire thing, but this film really pushes it in your face. And we all know what happened to the Greek and Roman Empires…
Olympus Has Fallenhas everything you would want from an action-thriller. It’s a thrilling, rip roaring adventure, so sit back and enjoy the ride!
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