Season of the Witch (2011)

I've been quite interested in seeing this for a while now, I think I was hoping for a Gothic horror/thriller that was dripping with atmosphere and lots of detail.  Shame.  What I got was a fairly silly movie, with little atmosphere, a puerile plot and a bad script.

Nicolas Cage and Ron Perlman were OK, but in all honesty they were probably simply the pulling power for a film which otherwise would have slipped completely under the radar.  Both have been much better.  There is also a tiny and unnecessary cameo from Christopher Lee, probably just to keep his imdb entries ticking over!

I was never really sure who some of the peripheral characters were, even though they seemed to be more than red shirts.  Even worse was Stephen Graham’s character, who was specifically freed from his stocks to be the guide for the expedition.  Except he probably only said half a dozen sentences.  And after his inevitable death, no one seemed to care about the loss of the guide; they just carried on their merry way, thereby rendering the entire character pointless.  Rubbish!

OK, that's the specifics.  Overall; some of the locations were quite cool, (mostly eastern Europe according to IMDB) and the sets, in particular the towns, looked great - dirty and lived in.  I guess the (I use this word in its loosest possible way) twist at the end was nice, but overall the plot was sedentary, boring and predictable.  The finale put me in mind of Blade, but at least the SFX were better.  Director Dominic Sena seems to specialize in middle of the road thrillers: Kalifornia, Swordfish and now Season of the Witch.  But, well, you know, that’s just, like, er, my opinion, man.

Pacific Rim (2013)

Having already been a little disappointed with the only other blockbuster I’ll probably see this year despite having respectable names attached to it, I was wary about getting too excited about Guillermo del Toro’s latest offering.  The Hellboy films and Blade 2 both demonstrated that del Toro was able to create intelligent mainstream films with a mostly believable yet fantastical plot and at the same time fill them with plenty of inventive and (crucially) understandable action.  So it was my hope that Pacific Rim would up the ante in terms of spectacle yet still retain the attention to detail and storytelling that typifies some of del Toro’s previous work.

I wasn’t disappointed.  The design of the film was tremendous, the level of detail in the Jaegers (Hunters; huge robots) and Kaiju (huge monsters) is incredible.  There was also plenty of design to create the world inhabited by these two creations; downtown Hong Kong was as detailed and as full of character as the Troll Market in Hellboy 2 and I really loved the fact that there was a healthy black market in Kaiju body parts.  I was surprised that two guys had to physically be in the Jaegers to control them, I thought it would have been far more sensible to control them by remote.  On the plus side for the movie, there is far more danger and threat given that the drivers are literally in the heart of the action.  This gives the film a far more human element, especially as the two drivers have to mentality "drift" together (some sort of shared thought/memory thingy to be able to control both "hemispheres" of their Jaeger), an idea without which the film wouldn't have the same impact .

The cast were fine, and did well in bringing this human element to life, where otherwise we may not have cared.  Idris Elba was certainly the standout performance, perfectly cast as Stacker, the military general running the Jaeger project who provided an immovable point in whom everyone else could depend.  The "hero" duo of Charlie Hunnam and Rinko Kikuchi were OK but were fairly prefabricated and copy/pasted from any other action/adventure film.  Of course del Toro favourite Ron Perlman is in the mix, but his is a rather light-hearted role as Kingpin of the black market.  Charlie Day and Burn Gorman are the fairly irritating and cringeworthy stereotypical science nerds, but at least they’re fairly integral to the plot.

As well as introducing a very human story to the film, del Toro managed to create a lot of spectacular fight scenes that was still perfectly understandable.  The movie steered well clear of any Michael Bay-ish tendencies for fast over-editing and generally “fucking the frame”, so that we haven’t a clue what’s going on.  Though the whole premise of the film is rather over the top, the action never is; for example, even when a Jaeger takes out 2 Kaiju in Hong Kong, relatively little of the city gets destroyed, which seems to be a prerequisite for action movies these days (Superman destroyed far more of Metropolis killing far more bystanders in Man of Steel).  Throughout the action the CG was generally flawless, these massive beasts given a real presence, and the wind and the rain really lashes off the robots.

All in all I really enjoyed Pacific Rim.  Sure there were daft bits (Ron Perlman’s cameo), clunky bits (Idris Elba saying he’d die if he stepped into another Jaeger - simply for the payoff in the next scene), and cheesy bits (Today we are cancelling the apocalypse!); but the smart story, characters to relate to and care about, some tremendous action set pieces as well as del Toro’s eye for detail all combine to make a worthwhile robot/creature feature.  But, well, you know, that’s just, like, er, my opinion, man.

Blade II (2002)

Before Guillermo del Toro found mainstream recognition with his two Hellboy films, he directed the second of the Blades.  This second installment is far more entertaining than the first, probably because it's simply a better film.  The first 5 minutes are more creative and dynamic than the entire first film; the cast are a lot better, and at no point do vampires try to be day-walkers by wearing sun block!

Wesley Snipes seems to have settled into his role a little, and doesn't seem as stilted as he did in the first film.  Surprised as I was that Luke Goss was great as Prince Nuada in Hellboy 2, I wasn't aware that del Toro had used him before; he was very convincing as the mutant vampire Nomak.  And he's not the only surprise; Cat from Red Dwarf (Danny John Jules) features as a vampire in the first half of the film!  I was a bit disappointed that Tony Curran wasn't used more though; he's great as Marcus in Underworld Evolution and wonderful as Vincent van Gogh in Doctor Who.  Ron Perlman is Ron Perlman playing a vampire, and is therefore quite cool. So the standard of acting is a significant improvement from the first film.

The plot was one of the (highlights is too strong a word given the inconsistencies I didn't like) lights of the first film, and there is no disappointment here either.  A more consistent and engaging story, and even a little twist; David S Goyer showing that he is continuing as an inventive writer worthy of his plaudits.  I have quite a soft spot for Vampire mythology movies (Underworld and Evolution are real guilty pleasures), so I was rather disappointed by the first Blade; happily Blade 2 belongs to the guilty pleasure pile, helped by creative direction a smart story and a pretty decent cast.

Alien Resurrection (1997)

Ripley has been cloned, along with the Queen that was inside her in Alien 3! Finally, the scientists have got hold of her, extracted the Queen, and with the help of human cargo from the crew of the smuggling ship The Betty, are breeding Aliens. What could possibly go wrong? I actually quite like the start of the film, the idea that the Company (see later) has finally got their hands on the prize and are trying to investigate this new species. Ignoring the ludicrous idea of cloning Ripley and the Queen, it is the unexpected crossover of human/alien traits (giving Ripley super-strength and acid-blood); that provides the interest in the film. Is she human? Is she Alien? Where do her loyalties lie? Under these ambiguities I thought that Sigourney does a good job of rediscovering herself.

But then The Betty turns up and the film goes to pot. Who cares about this crew? I don’t! Never mind them bringing the human cargo, they should have been the human cargo and been impregnated themselves! Written by Joss Whedon, the film could have been so much better. Indeed it should have been had Fox not told him to re-write his script to include Ripley! To hell with the fact that she’s dead. So in his attempt to shoe-horn Ripley in (and fair enough Ripley’s character is interesting in a different way) I think he forgot to write much about the other characters. Within 5 minutes of meeting the crew of the Sulaco in Aliens we already know their dynamic, who the jokers are and who the hard-asses are. Within 30 minutes of meeting the crew of the Betty, I still couldn’t tell you any of their names, and I’m struggling now even having watched the extras!

I also think the choice of director was wrong. Jean-Pierre Jeunet had made Delicatessen and City of Lost Children up to this point and was working on Amelie. An Alien film is nothing like any of these; so why? Danny Boyle was initially approached to take the helm, and I can’t help but think that he would have made a more appropriate Alien film. JPJ tries to introduce too much humour which I don’t think has any place in an Alien film. Ripley saying “Fuck” instead of “Fork”, General Perez poking in the back of his head to pull a bit of brain out (was the alien pausing for this comedy moment?), and the whole “Ripley, I thought you were dead!” “Yeah, I get that a lot!”. None of this should be in an Alien film.

There are plenty of other silly, inappropriate and just plain wrong moments in the film. Please indulge me three. The film is set 200 years after the events of Alien 3, and we are told fairly near the beginning that “The Company” Weyland Yutani no longer exist. Walmart bought them! Yes, Walmart! Another attempt at humour I think. This is just stupid, there is absolutely no place for anything contemporary in an Alien film; it lowers the tone, in fact it ruins any tone there was. It’s as bad as Todd from Home and Away offering Death Sticks to Obi-Wan in Attack of the Clones!

Also near the beginning, the Captain of the Betty (Frank according to IMDB, I’m damned if I could remember his name) is talking with Perez and observes that whatever is going on cannot be very legal because the spaceship is operating in unregistered space. Unregistered space from which Earth can be reached in under 3 hours on 49% engine power? That seems unlikely. My final gripe is as Brad Dourif is explaining to Ripley her origin, he says that they cloned her from blood ffrom Fury 16. Fury 16?! It was Fury 161! Did the writers/director/cast even watch the previous film? Grrr.

So what did I like? Well, like I say, I did like the idea that the scientist have finally started to breed the aliens in an attempt to study them, I thought that was a good jump off point for the disaster that would inevitably ensue. I was also impressed by the underwater sequence, especially having watched the extras and seen how it was made. Ripley’s character is also a plus point for the film, not knowing how she would react to the other characters at any one point. For me though, these minor points can’t save the mess of this film. Shoddy story, inappropriate direction and forgettable characters. Ripley has a good character arc, as does Winona Ryder’s character Call; but the rest are just packing material, even the usually memorable Ron Perlman. Of course Brad Dourif is always watchable. I shall finish with a quote from producer David Giler when he first read the script: “This is going to ruin the franchise, this just doesn’t work at all”. We would have to wait 15 years before hearing another peep from this franchise.

Drive (2011)

Drive follows the story of a nameless Driver (Ryan Gosling), a Hollywood stuntman who, in his spare time, hires himself out as a getaway car driver. He has very strict rules: for 5 minutes he is at the disposal of the criminals, no matter what occurs; 1 minute either way and the crooks are on their own. He doesn’t carry a gun, he just drives. This serves him well, despite looking bit bored with life. However, his life is altered in a way he couldn't predict when he meets his next door neighbour Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her husband Standard (Oscar Issac) who has just been released from prison.

Despite the film being called Drive, there wasn’t too much driving (fine by me, I’m not a petrol head by any means) and it certainly doesn’t glamourise cars. When Ryan is driving, the film is kept fresh and dynamic by sharp editing and clever uses of the camera by director Nicolas Winding Refn. The film is very stylish (not the cars particularly, except for the Mustang), but just in the slick way it is filmed. Ironically I didn’t think that Ryan’s character was that stylish; he constantly wears a jacket with gold embroidered scorpion on the back and has a toothpick permanently poking out of the side of his mouth.

The focus of the first half of the film is the growing relationship between Ryan and Carey, and they are both brilliant. Ryan is always very cool and calm, and having come across as being fairly disinterested and bored with life, he starts to come to life as he gets to know Irene. Carey Mulligan is very good once again, she is very cute and bashful, not knowing how to play the relationship with the Driver, knowing that her husband is getting out of jail.

Having slowly built up the relationship in the first half of the film, there are some tremendously shocking moments in the second half; again the Driver showing how cool and calm (and lethal) he is under pressure. The film really accentuates the shocking moments by turning down all the sound prior to the scene that will make you jump out of your seat. The mob element was nicely done, Ron Perlman was fairly scary and Albert Brooks was very scary. Oscar Isaac played Standard in a very clever way, I really didn't know how he was going to react to the Driver's relationship with his wife. He showed that it wasn't a fluke that he was the best actor in Sucker Punch.

A great movie that was very well made, with the right balance of character development and hard hitting action. This film really goes to show how a simple concept, well written characters, and good film making can make a stand out film. Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan are both fantastic, though I think I would have appreciated a little more time spent with Mulligan’s character because she’s a great actress. I didn’t expect to be quite so shocked, but there were moments when I had my hand to my mouth in surprise. Definitely one of the most original and well-crafted films this year.

Bank Holiday Monday Double Bill: Hellboy

Professor Trevor 'Broom' Bruttenholm: What is it that makes a man a man? Is it his origins, the way things start?
The Dude: Sure, that and a pair of testicles.

This is how Hellboy starts, kind of! At a time when the Nazis are trying to gain the upper hand in World War 2, they turn to their studies of the occult in the hope that they can find an ultimate weapon. In the ruins of a castle in Scotland, a ritual to open a portal and transport some demons over from another dimension are disrupted by the Americans (Allies?). However, in the ensuing melee, the Russian dude used by the Nazis to open up the portal is sucked into the other world; in exchange for a small red thing with horns and a huge red hand: Hellboy.

Hellboy is looked after by the Allies (Americans?), particularly by Professor Trevor “Broom” Bruttenholm, and when he reaches adulthood, becomes the cornerstone of The Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense (Hellboy is based in Area 51!). Of course, it turns out that the Russian guy (Grigori Rasputin) didn’t die when he has sucked into oblivion; he became possessed with a demon that could be resurrected (all the way over in Moldavia (which doesn’t exist anymore but is associated with Transylvania and Vampire lore). Grigori ultimately lures Hellboy to a catacomb under a mausoleum somewhere near Moscow; where it turns out that his huge right hand’s purpose is to open another portal to demon-world. Hellboy gets out of this scrape, saves the girl (Liz - a firestarter), and kills the demon that Grigori turns into.

Guillermo del Toro made a cool film in Hellboy. It has great scope and has an almost epic feel about it, as the characters travel all over the world. However, it doesn’t really do anything special. Don’t get me wrong, I think this is a great film; it just feels like del Toro was holding himself back, or had been told to hold back to prove that he could make an action blockbuster. Having said that he does manage to create a lovely sinister atmosphere. The opening scenes in Scotland are very moody (it very much reminds me of Return to Castle Wolfenstein - for all you gamers out there). And Kroenen (the weird Nazi robot made of sand and clockwork, with whirly-knife attachments) is particularly sinister, especially when we find out about his surgical addiction. I can’t help thinking that he was the inspiration of all the steam powered Nazis in Sucker Punch. Of course the big demon at the end of the film has lots of eyes; very del Toro.

                                                            Kroenen - Sinister

Ron Perlman was the obvious choice for Hellboy, and he is perfect; with many cigar smoking Ooooo Craps! Jeffrey Tambor is also great, very sarcastic, as Tom Manning. Doug Jones seems to be just right for the semi-aquatic Abe Sapiens (voiced by David Hyde Pierce; aka Nils Crane -Frasier’s brother). Karel Roden plays the demonic Grigori well, and of course John Hurt is as good as John Hurt usually is; he just has a wise knowledgeable voice; perfect for professor Bruttenholm.

Hellboy 2 starts with a flashback of Professor Bruttenholm telling a young Hellboy the story of the Golden Army. Many years ago the King of the Elves had a Golden Army built with the help of the goblins. The army was only for use against Men who have an insatiable desire for conquest and warfare. Controlled by a crown worn by the Elven King, the army is eventually used when men once again rise up to wage war. However, the King is ashamed by the havoc the army wreaks; so he has it entombed and breaks his crown into three pieces so that they may never be used again.

The King’s eldest son, the young Prince Nuada, believes this is the wrong course of action, and for his war-like tendencies is banished. Of course, this wasn’t just a bedtime story! Now Prince Nuada has now returned from exile and is determined to re-activate the Golden Army and defeat the world of men once and for all. Can Hellboy and the gang stop him?

Whereas the first film was relatively restrained, del Toro really goes to town in this film. The best example of this is the Troll market. It’s almost as if a lot of the more fantastical ideas from Pan’s Labyrinth were put on hold and rolled out for use in the Troll market; but not in a bad way, the whole thing looks amazing. The design of the whole film is so much more subtle, detailed, and beautiful. The animation at the start of the film telling the story of the creation of the Golden Army is really cool; giving everything a wooden effect makes it look less cartoony.

The Forest Elemental is also brilliant, I really love the way all the goo that comes out as it dies turns into grass and flowers. I usually don’t try to over-analyse these kind of films, as they are first and foremost great entertainment; but I think it’s clear that the forest elemental is a comment on environmental issues. Just before releasing it, Prince Nuada says that it is the last of its kind, and if it is killed the world will never see its like again.

The Golden Army itself is brilliantly realised; great mechanics and a very fiery core. The BPRD is a bit more involved now; walking around Area 51 near the beginning of the film is very much like Tommy Lee Jones taking Will Smith around the MIB building. Finally, to finish off the whole del Toro look of the film, the Angel of Death has loads of eyes in a weird place: on its wings!

In terms of the cast, all the usuals are back; but now we have the evil-looking Prince Nuada played by Luke Goss. Who would have thought one of the members of 80s boy-band Bros would one day be a cool evil elf in a big budget blockbuster?! Selma Blair returns as Liz, but gets to do far more with her character than she did in the first film. We also have the new BPRD member Dr. Johann Krauss; a weird sort of vapour-powered gadget-loving genius in a deep-sea-diving suit! Krauss’ voice in none other than Family Guy writer Seth MacFarlane. Random, but cool.

                                                     Steam-powered Johann Krauss

                                                           Which one is the scary elf?

                                                               Oh. That one!

I think I prefer the second film. Both are great stand alone films; but the detail and the richness of production of the The Golden Army steals it for me. There is often a danger with the second instalment of a film to try and over-complicate the plot to show what more can be done with the particular mythology (Dead Man’s Chest, Matrix Reloaded), but Golden Army doesn’t try to do anything particularly complicated. Rather than trying to be clever it shows a far more detailed universe than we were aware existed in the first film.

Overall, both films are great. Very enjoyable, with a mixture of fantasy, action, a little romance, inspired production, and characters to relate to; even if they’re huge, red, and have horns. But then Hellboy is such a flawed character he’s more human than many other superheroes.

Season of the Witch

Nicolas Cage seems to be perplexed by something off in the middle distance, completely unaware that a fiery pentangle is attached to his chest!

Still, at least Ron Perlman is in it. Silver lining and all that.