Category: Movies and Television Shows

Movie Review: Destination Moon (1950)

Destination Moon (1950)

3 out of 5 stars

Hmmm … quite the blast from the past.  I watched Destination Moon via Netflix DVD while visiting my daughter last weekend.  I placed this movie in my queue based on a recent post (one of his last) by John Scalzi over at his FilmCritic.com blog, wherein he mentioned nine science fiction films often overlooked or underappreciated. 

Even with the help of legendary science fiction author Robert A. Heinlein (both on the script and as a technical adviser), Destination Moon just doesn’t hold up well when viewed through the lens of the space age.  Yes, they got some things right and tried to demonstrate weightlessness, pricinciples of inertia and some of the obstacles needed to overcome and survive space travel.  For a hard scifi flick from the mid-20th century, I give the film an A for effort. 

I did not care for the ending though.  If you’re going to go to all the trouble to get to the moon, and almost not make it back due to poor planning (i.e. too much weight to return with the fuel alotted, no slack planned for when they had trouble landing and used extra fuel).   The only real drama from the entire movie boiled down to who might have to stay behind and die on the moon.  The characters finally achieve their weight goal with just seconds to spare and successfully take off from the moon. 

And that’s it.  The movie ends there.  We have no idea if they made it back to Earth or if they splashed down safely in the ocean (another idea they got ‘right’ as proven later by NASA and the Gemini, Mercury and Apollo programs). 

I found it interesting to compare and contrast with science facts from 1950 and what I now know in 2012, I don’t know that I’d consider this a ‘must see’ science fiction film.  Maybe at the time (in the early 50s), but not now.

Sherlock Returns, Adler Strikes

A Scandal in Belgravia

4 out of 5 stars

Masterpiece Mystery finally began airing the second season of Sherlock Sunday evening, May 6, 2012.   Based loosely on Doyle’s original story entitled “A Scandal in Bohemia“, and featuring the provactive Irene Adler, revamped and rewritten by Stephen Moffat (of recent Doctor Who fame). 

The scandal erupts in Belgravia, instead of Bohemia, and reaches as high as the British throne, and as far away as across the pond to involve the Americans (heavy handed ones .. poor Mrs. Hudson).  The episode begins, though, where we left off at the end of the first season.  Moriarity bookended the episode, but pulled the strings on many of the key characters. 

Sherlock and Mycroft are two peas from the same pod … no doubt about it.  They have quite the surreal conversation at one point, musing to each other if they are odd for their lack of emotional attachment to others. 

I’ll have to wait a couple of days to watch next week’s episode “The Hounds of the Baskerville” but the previews look thrilling.

Movie Review: The Avengers (2012)

The Avengers (2012)

4 out of 5 stars

Fun.  Early summer blockbuster.  Popcorn for the brain. Terry and I loved every minute of it.

Gives a new meaning to ‘can’t we all just get along?’

I was disappointed for Thor.  He makes a trip back to save the Earth (again) and still didn’t get to spend anytime with his girlfriend.

Movie Review: Ghost in the Shell (1995)

Ghost in the Shell (1995)

3.5 out of 5 stars

After reading Scalzi‘s Filmcritic.com post this week, which featured nine science fiction movies I might have overlooked, I added several of them to my Netflix queue(s) (both disk and streaming) with the intention of watching at least one of them over the weekend.  A few on his list I watched years ago.  Since I didn’t get my last disk in the mail until last Friday, I decided to watch the cyberpunk anime almost cult classic Ghost in the Shell.  I have Destination Moon (co-written by Heinlein, who also served as a technical adviser on the film) in the mail for Monday night.

I couldn’t have avoided anime if I tried with two artists for offspring.  My son, Derek, especially fits the target audience for this subject matter, although I’m not sure the deeper philosophical ‘meaning of life’ questions would have been absorbed by his consciousness a decade ago (when he was a sophomore in high school).  I remember my daughter being caught up in the Pokemon fad, even taking her to the movie theater to watch a film based on that character.  My personal favorite remains Miyazaki’s post-apocalyptic fantasy adventure film Nausicaa of the Valley of the Winds.   I not only own an unabridged subtitled (not dubbed) DVD but the manga as well. But I’m partial to post-apocalyptic tales.

Cyberpunk, on the other hand, just doesn’t do much for me.  Several years ago, I read the classic Gibson novel Neuromancer as part of a group read for discussion.  I still haven’t gotten around to reading the other cyberpunk ‘must read’ Snow Crash by Stephenson.  So I started Ghost in the Shell with some trepidation.

I enjoyed the visuals.  Kudos to mid-90s tech and the seamless integration of traditional animation (well, traditional for the Japanese anyway) and computer graphics.  I focused on the deeper undercurrents, the ghostly whispers heard by the protagonist, Major Kusanagi, and her musings and conclusions derived therefrom.

I found it odd, and perhaps a bit ironic, that the climax erupts in an abandoned museum, riddling murals of dinosaur fossils and a tree of ‘life’ rooted in ectoplasmic ancient history and branching up to the pinnacle of hominids with bullet holes, culminating with the evolution of a new life form from the ruins and desolation of human endeavors.

But what really got me scratching my head came during the epilogue, with an awakened and evolved cybernetic child’s first image, seen dimly across the room, is her own image in a dark mirror.  And just a few seconds lately, she explains to her ex-partner and rescuer, the meaning behind her previous whispers, and then quotes the Bible!  Specifically 1 Corinthians 13, with just  touch of artistic license to add some personalization for the character.

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways.

1 Cor 13:11 (NRSV)

But it’s the next verse that whispered to her earlier:

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.

1 Cor 13:12 (NRSV)

This verse is no stranger to science fiction.  Philip K. Dick used it obliquely in the title of his 1977 novel A Scanner Darkly.  I think there’s even an original Star Trek episode that includes some variation on this verse, perhaps it was Mirror, Mirror?

Other translations of the twelfth verse offer different reflections:

For now we see through a glass, darkly ; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

KJV

Now we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me now.

NLT

It is the same with us. Now we see a dim reflection, as if we were looking into a mirror, but then we shall see clearly. Now I know only a part, but then I will know fully, as God has known me.

NCV

I must assume the use of these quoted verses by the director and/or writers of Ghost in the Shell plucked them from First Corinthians and intended to use them completely out of context with the rest of the thirteenth chapter (more commonly known as ‘The Love Chapter’ and a frequent wedding vow inspiration).  For there was little of love, an absence of faith, and a scarcity of hope, for humans at least, in the Ghost in the Shell.

So these three things continue forever: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love.

1 Cor 13:13 (NCV)

Movie Review: War Horse (2011)

War Horse (2011)

4 out of 5 stars

I found this film difficult to watch.   Spielberg is a master at tugging my heart to places it fears to tread.  And this horse went to places of heart-stopping beauty and through circumstances of heart-rending destruction.

Two aspects of this film, excluding the beautiful equines, that hit a home run (for me at least) were the cinematography and the music.  I expect that from the likes of John Williams for the latter.   I will pay attention to cinematographer film credits in the future to be sure I watch anything by Janusz Kamiński.  He worked previously with Spielberg on Saving Private Ryan and Schindler’s List.  Of course, it’s hard to go wrong with landscapes found in Dartmoor, Devon.  And a nice ‘book end’ touch to the film included almost identical scenes, one of dawn over Dartmoor (and the birth of Joey) and the other at dusk.

I knew the plight of men who went to battle during the Great War.  I am blessed to live within thirty miles of the National World War I Museum housed under the Liberty Memorial.  I highly recommend you visit the museum if you ever find yourself in Kansas City, Missouri with a day or so to spare.

I did not realize the extent of equine casualties during WWI.  According to the Wikipedia article on War Horse, the section relating to the research done by the author of the children’s novel of the same name:

Morpurgo researched the subject further and learned that a million horses died on the British side; he extrapolated an overall figure of 10 million horse deaths on all sides. Of the million horses that were sent abroad from the UK, only 62,000 returned, the rest dying in the war or slaughtered in France for meat. The Great War had a massive and indelible impact on the male population of the UK: 886,000 men died, one in eight of those who went to war, and 2% of the entire country’s population.

Background, War Horse, Wikipedia

Similar to Black Beauty in time period and focus, the true star of this film was Joey, the English thoroughbred.  “During filming, fourteen different horses were used as the main horse character Joey, eight of them portraying him as an adult animal, four as a colt and two as foals; four horses played the other main equine character, Topthorn. Up to 280 horses were used in a single scene. … Working with horses on this scale was a new experience for Spielberg, who commented: ‘The horses were an extraordinary experience for me, because several members of my family ride. I was really amazed at how expressive horses are and how much they can show what they’re feeling.'” (War Horse Wikipedia article).

And the most surprising tidbit I picked up from that article: “According to Spielberg, the only digital effects in the film are three shots lasting three seconds, which were undertaken to ensure the safety of the horse involved: ‘That’s the thing I’m most proud of. Everything you see on screen really happened.’ … Representatives of the American Humane Society were on set at all times to ensure the health and safety of all animals involved, and the Society awarded the film an ‘outstanding’ rating for the care that was taken of all the animals during the production. An animatronic horse was used for some parts of the scenes where Joey is trapped in barbed wire; the wire was rubber prop wire.”

Like Schindler’s List and The Passion of the Christ, I’m glad I watched this film, but I’m not sure I could watch any of them a second time.  No, it doesn’t rise to the human tragedy and triumph of the two I mentioned, but War Horse reverberates on a similar harmonic.

Movie Review: In Time (2011)

In Time (2011)

3.5 out of 5 stars

I’m not the first one to mention this in a review of In Time, and probably won’t be the last.  The comparison to Logan’s Run is inevitable, but I see it also as a retelling of Robin Hood, at least the second half of it.  Dystopian science-fiction is all the rage, especially now that The Hunger Games have made it to the big screen.  But what the Hunger Games lack in depth (but make up for in violence), In Time brings a thought-provoking story and a message about just how much you can accomplish with only one day left to live.

Movie Review: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

3 out of 5 stars

I really should have read the book by John le Carré first and I have no excuse for not doing so.  I own a paperback edition of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and know exactly where it resides in my library.  I had hoped that by not reading the novel, I would be enjoy the film and be ‘surprised’ as it unfolded.  For the most part, I felt confused by the plot and unconvinced by the players.  I did not expect to make a connection with any of the characters.  Spies rarely come across as very likeable or sympathetic, not if they are doing their jobs well.  Only the character of Ricki Tarr came close, but I suspect that was the intention of the author and director.

Tinker Tailer Soldier Spy is a slow paced spy film for such a fast paced generation.  I enjoyed the period cars, costumes and locations.  The state-of-the-art spy tech of the period contrasts nicely with our current high-tech mobile instant gratification society, where privacy has shrunk to near nonexistence for most average citizens – the price we pay for convenience?  But I’ll leave that to another post and another day.

Movie Review: Dream House (2011)

Dream House (2011)

3.5 out of 5 stars

I can’t relate much of the plot to this movie without giving away too much.  I will limit my review to the performances of the actors, all of whom did well in this strange story.

Daniel Craig had me completely fooled right up until the point of revelation to the audience.  Usually, I see these types of things coming from a mile away.  I really should watch this movie a second time to catch all the clues I must have missed from before this point in the plot.  Rachel Weisz and Naomi Watts both also performed remarkably well, balancing out the dark and light halves of Daniel Craig’s character’s life.

I love watching a good thriller, but I vastly prefer those that are not gory (and come with a less than R rating).  I selected this DVD from Netflix because it had a PG13 rating and better than a three star rating from Netflix viewers.  This, I reassured myself that any scares and thrills I might experience would not overwhelm me with shock and gore.  Dream House did not disappoint.

Movie Review: Larry Crowne (2011)

Larry Crowne (2011)

3 out of 5 stars

Terry and I watched this early Saturday evening.  A pleasant if unexciting way to spend a couple of hours together.  We laughed out loud several times, so the comedy portion of this romantic comedy worked well.  The romance, however, never really sparkled.

Julia’s performance seemed a bit off, until near the end, and even then left me indifferent.  Tom does well no matter what character he plays.  George Takei just came across as creepy for the most part, but I believe that was the intent.

Movie Review: Hatari! (1962)


Hatari! (1962)

4 out of 5 stars

I did a double-take when I realized this movie is fifty years old this year.  I grew up with this movie.  I’ve seen it I don’t know how many times.  So when I had a chance to catch it again this week via HDNet movies, I snatched it.

No, there’s not much plot, but there’s plenty of comedy, ridiculous romance (it was the early 60s) and action.  Hatari! provides a  feast for the eyes, with gorgeous cinematography of north Tanzania (back then it was Tanganyika) and the dormant volcano Mount Meru as a backdrop plus great action sequences, including an astounding close-up of a charging rhinoceros.  For my ears, I relaxed to the soothing jazzy soundtrack composed by Henry Mancini, including Baby Elephant Walk … one of the first songs I learned to play on the piano.

Most of the actors have passed on (John Wayne in 1979, Bruce Cabot in 1975, Red Buttons in 2006), leaving only Elsa Martinelli, who portrayed Dallas, and Hardy Krüger, who portrayed Kurt, but who is probably more famous for his role as Heinrich Dorfmann, the model plane engineer from The Flight of the Phoenix(1965), still alive today.

Interesting tidbit or trivia from the Wikipedia article on Hatari!

According to director Howard Hawks, all the animal captures in the picture were performed by the actual actors; no stuntmen or animal handlers were substituted onscreen. The rhino really did escape, and the actors really did have to recapture it – and Hawks included the sequence for its realism. Much of the action sequence audio had to be re-dubbed due to John Wayne’s cursing while wrestling with the animals.

The title of the film is the word “hatari,” which means “danger” in Swahili.

If no stunt double were used, then it’s a miracle that Hardy and Gerard Blain were not killed or seriously injured when their Jeep went tumbling across the African plains.  Danger, or Hatari! for real!