This felt more like time standing still in this failed attempt to remake the Sci Fi classic movie the Day the Earth Stood Still. The director attempts to make us care for the characters at the start of the film creating a back story and an emotional arc of Jacob Benson’s father having died and the emotional connection between his step mother Jennifer played by Jennifer Connelly. But the movie just falls flat with a slow moving plot and many opportunities for intense action sequences are missed. Some of the casting decisions are absurd with John Cleese having a minor and insignificant role and Kathy bates was miss casted she did not fit into the movie at all. Keanu Reeves was the only highlight of the film working his best with the poor material he had he brought a vulnerability Klaatu with his performance actually evoking sympathy and having the audience care for the character. John Hamm was a long way from his outstanding work on Mad Men and was let down by a slow paced script. It was disappointing to have the central alien enemy Gort on screen for a limited amount of time with too much focus on the stereotypical military response, Gort could have been used to create intense battle sequences against the military that were sorely missing from this movie. Another failed attempt at a remake of a classic film.
You could almost hear the groans from die hard Transformers fans when it was announced Michael Bay would be directing the Transformers movie, would this turn out to be another Pearl Harbour fiasco? The answer was thankfully no and fans were treated to an adrenaline fuelled rush that did not disappoint from beginning to end. Fans could have only dreamed that their favourite toys and cartoon characters could be brought to life by state of the art special effects with such attention to detail as we watched Optimus Prime transform before our eyes. The movie in many respects strayed away from the cartoon’s original premise as Megatron was now not a gun as depicted in the cartoon series but now a more futuristic machine that allowed for a more menacing villain that suited the direction Michael Bay has gone with his adaptation of the franchise. Shia LaBeouf was a stand out as Sam Witwicky bringing a charismatic and comedic charm to the role. The story had a strong premise with carefully woven stories that intersected with each other.The movie has wide appeal brining about a new generation of Transformers fans and allowing others to reminisce about days spent watching the cartoons or playing with the action figures. Michael Bay’s trade mark fast paced action reputation was appropriate for the film, with unforgettable action sequences that sees downtown street ripped to pieces by waring Cybertrons and Decepticons and characterisation has not been sacrificed with characters that are easily relatable to the audience. The film is of course left open for the upcoming sequel, as this movie has clearly begun a successful franchise that will stand the test of time.
Many people go into a comic book movie with a great deal of trepidation and Iron Man was no exception, could this classic comic book character be tarnished by an adaptation to the big screen? The involvement of Robert Downey Jnr was also a concern, but all those worries were laid to rest as the movie began. Stunning visual effects were evident, but did not distract away of what was an engaging story of the origins of Iron Man. This proved to revitalise Downey’s career as he soared with his charismatic performance as Tony Stark and Gwenth Paltro surprised as her portrayal as the vulnerable Pepper Potts and they both showed terrific chemistry together as their relationship develops. Jon Favreau successfully adapted this film to the big screen creating dynamic layered characters and a sense of adrenalin as the story explores Tony Stark’s transformation into Iron Man as he is betrayed by Obadiah Stane played by Jeff Bridges. Humor is also injected into the film providing comic relief adding to the movie’s sense of fun. The film’s wide appeal has given people unfamiliar with Iron Man a chance to discover and enjoy this comic book icon and giving dedicated fans the satisfaction that Iron Man has been successfully conveyed to the big screen.
24 fans have eagerly awaited the premier of the 24 telemovie, a prequel designed to bridge the gaps between seasons 6 and 7, as they have endured the last year without new episodes thanks to the writer’s strike. The movie does not disappoint as the writers have gone back to the twist and turns and adrenalin fuelled stories that were absent during the 6th season. The story is set in Africa, with mesmerising cinematography of the African landscape that is a significant departure from the usual Los Angeles location. The story centers on Jack Bauer who has travelled to Africa for humanitarian work where he becomes involved within a military coup to recruit children into a rising army in the fictional town of Sangala. The movie also begins to set up events of the next season with the inauguration of the show’s first female president played by the delightful Cherry Jones and introducing a US conspiracy connected to the situation in Africa lead by Jon Voight. Production values are that of a feature length movie are evident as Keifer Sutherland continues his unique portrayal of Jack Bauer conveyed against the African setting and presenting a softer side of the character with his interaction to the children. The only downside to the film is the absence of key players such as Chloe played by Mary Lynn Rajskub and Bill played by James Morrison. The telemovie sticks to the real time format taking place over two and it delivers from beginning to end, and wets the appetite for what is yet to come next season.
The one question I have of this movie is why was this made? Was it George Lucas’ greedy thirst for money or his genuine attempt to tell more stories? Turning Star Wars into an animated adventure should have brought the fun back into Star Wars but instead was the first time I have ever been embarrassed to be a Star Wars fan. With George Lucas’ love affair with special effects clearly evident with the movie, and while there is no disputing that the special effects that were inspired by the likes of the Thunderbirds were impressive, that does not distract away from the movie’s flaws. The story follows Anikan Skywalker and introduces his Padwan, Ahsoka as they fight against Count Dooku and Asajj Ventress to rescue Jabba the Hutt’s son, referred to as ‘Stinky’, which is quite an appropriate term to describe this film. Ahsoka proves to be a general annoyance throughout the whole film constantly referring to R2- D2 as r-twoey and brining about much of the childish humor that is obviously generated at a younger audience completely alienating die hard Star Wars fans. The film takes a most bizarre turn with the introduction of Jabba the Hutt’s uncle who for some unknown reason turns out to be a cross-dressing hut; this was the point where the movie could not be saved. While this was obviously just the pilot to launch the television series, this is not just a disappointment for true Star Wars fans but for anyone looking for an enjoyable family movie, maybe this should have been saved for the smaller screen.
Mathew Muratore
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