Let me be clear, I don't mean it's not for everyone with any kind of condescension, it's just that The Prisoners of Ghostland leans more towards the surreal then it does towards a typical Sci-Fi Action flick. And, I think, it would be perfectly reasonable for someone to expect that, especially with Nicolas Cage and Sofia Boutella in it.
Trust me. It that's what you are looking for, Prisoners of Ghostland will be a disappointment. I think that is reflective of many of the low rated reviews here.
Plot wise, essentially, it is a kind of "Escape from New York" set in a dystopian future resembling a mash up of Japan and the Old West. Nicolas Cage plays, "Hero," a bank robber allowed at a chance of freedom if he finds a man's granddaughter. The man is called the Governor and runs a bizarre future town that has saloons and bordellos with gunslingers, geishas, and samurai. The Governor is played by Bill Moseley, doing every bit his best to channel his inner Dennis Hopper.
So, Hero is imprisoned after a bank robbery gone horribly wrong, and to regain his freedom he must find the Governor's granddaughter as I mentioned.
This dystopian future appears to be Japan, but there is no rhyme nor reason that I could detect why there is a Western styled town with gunslinging cowboys in it. There are a lot of fun set pieces and colorful geishas that might wear some people thin, but I found entertaining. As, Hero heads out into the wasteland, we later learn there was a nuclear disaster that created the dystopia. He goes on a few adventures before finding the granddaughter, played by Sofia Boutella. Each adventure is a little stranger then the last and is reminiscent of the film Road Warrior. If you try to follow the film as a straight narrative, you'll most likely get bored and/or irritated. But, if you watch it, with a sense of fun and let go and some of the more surreal elements, it can be just that. Fun.
Since the film's strength relies on its visual elements, it's a little hard to describe each scene and I don't want to spoil anything. Safe to say, Hero, does make it back to see the Governor and that's where the Prisoners of Ghostland has its explosive climax.
The film's director Sion Sono also directed the films, Why don't You Play in Hell? And Suicide Club. More accessible, in my opinion, but also on the strange side. I didn't realize, at first, that he was the director.
This film aside, I must admit, I'm really enjoying seeing the journey Nicolas Cage is taking as an actor. Definitely hit or miss, but it's fun to see what he'll be in next.
Trust me. It that's what you are looking for, Prisoners of Ghostland will be a disappointment. I think that is reflective of many of the low rated reviews here.
Plot wise, essentially, it is a kind of "Escape from New York" set in a dystopian future resembling a mash up of Japan and the Old West. Nicolas Cage plays, "Hero," a bank robber allowed at a chance of freedom if he finds a man's granddaughter. The man is called the Governor and runs a bizarre future town that has saloons and bordellos with gunslingers, geishas, and samurai. The Governor is played by Bill Moseley, doing every bit his best to channel his inner Dennis Hopper.
So, Hero is imprisoned after a bank robbery gone horribly wrong, and to regain his freedom he must find the Governor's granddaughter as I mentioned.
This dystopian future appears to be Japan, but there is no rhyme nor reason that I could detect why there is a Western styled town with gunslinging cowboys in it. There are a lot of fun set pieces and colorful geishas that might wear some people thin, but I found entertaining. As, Hero heads out into the wasteland, we later learn there was a nuclear disaster that created the dystopia. He goes on a few adventures before finding the granddaughter, played by Sofia Boutella. Each adventure is a little stranger then the last and is reminiscent of the film Road Warrior. If you try to follow the film as a straight narrative, you'll most likely get bored and/or irritated. But, if you watch it, with a sense of fun and let go and some of the more surreal elements, it can be just that. Fun.
Since the film's strength relies on its visual elements, it's a little hard to describe each scene and I don't want to spoil anything. Safe to say, Hero, does make it back to see the Governor and that's where the Prisoners of Ghostland has its explosive climax.
The film's director Sion Sono also directed the films, Why don't You Play in Hell? And Suicide Club. More accessible, in my opinion, but also on the strange side. I didn't realize, at first, that he was the director.
This film aside, I must admit, I'm really enjoying seeing the journey Nicolas Cage is taking as an actor. Definitely hit or miss, but it's fun to see what he'll be in next.
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