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Reviews
Transformers: Dark Awakening (1986)
A dramatic highlight in the G1 series
Having watched this episode over and over again, I have to admit that I am fascinated, if not somewhat obsessed, by these 22 minutes. There is something about this episode that keeps me coming back. The atmosphere is great, despite, or maybe helped by, the lackluster animation and bad art. Its low-level production values make for a suitably creepy B-movie flavor, but the quality of writing as well as the delivery is outstanding. Peter Cullen (Optimus)and Dick Gautier (Rodimus) in particular do a great job of helping to raise this episode above and beyond the run-of-the-mill 1980s cartoon crop.
Originally this episode aired with a different ending and was not intended to lead to "the Return of Optimus Prime" two-parter: Yes, Optimus was meant to stay dead. As a child, I could not bear to watch the ending of Dark Awakening, it was too sad and shocking, and a huge departure from the relatively carefree pre-Movie seasons. As an adult, however, I can appreciate its themes, great acting and shocking conclusion. But this is certainly not for everyone.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Mediocre in almost every way, alas.
Spielberg was setting himself up for defeat while making this movie, which went through development hell for some 15 years, all the while building up an obscene amount of hype that would be impossible to live up to. A bit like the Star Wars films, actually, only this feels like it has done a lot more damage to the Indy name. We had a nigh-on flawless trilogy: even the often maligned "Temple of Doom" was highly entertaining and frankly sported better effects than Indy's latest outing.
What is it, then, that makes this fourth installment of one of the best film franchises ever such a let-down? The film works well on paper, but the execution is sub-standard. After an admittedly great opening scene, things go downhill pretty fast. For starters, the special effects are simply not good enough. The rodents, the apes, while meant for comic relief, look cheap and are over-used. The action sequences are often overblown, too implausible (Mutt's rope-swinging), and go on for far too long.
Indy's adversaries, too, aren't threatening at all. Cate Blanchett, a gifted actress, just can't deliver, although the writing can probably be faulted here as well.
Personally, my biggest problem with this movie is the total lack of tension between Indy and Marion. They had great chemistry in Raiders of the Lost Ark, where their constant bickering added great comic relief as well as portraying Marion as just being slightly unpredictable with regard to which side she was on. Here, she constantly looks at Indy with the admiration of a little schoolgirl.
What partially redeems the film is Indy himself. I have absolutely no problems with Harrison Ford, who admittedly looks a little older, but fit enough to kick your twenty-something ass, let there be no mistake. I enjoyed Ray Winstone's and Shia LeBeouf's performances quite a lot as well.
That said, ultimately this movie feels lazy, and that's typical of modern-day Spielberg, a once-great director who simply has too much power in Hollywood for his own good. The same can basically be said for Lucas. Let's hope these guys can cook up something fresh and exciting instead of tampering with their old franchises.
Terminator Salvation (2009)
Decent looking, lacks punch
Like many other it seems, I did not have stellar expectations of this fourth outing in the Terminator franchise. The first two films, each in their own way, are cutting-edge sci-fi blockbusters which have set a standard for this series that has not been met since.
The problem with this fourth movie is that it seemingly lacks the sense of urgency that made the first two films (especially the first one) so great. Sure director McG has played around with the style of the film, as he comes up with exquisitely shot action scenes and a very convincing post-apocalyptic depiction of L.A.. But even though these elements are in place, and the film itself looks suitably worn (McG apparently left the film reels to deteriorate in the sun for said effect), it doesn't give off the feeling that the stakes are high.
The last act of the film is plagued by typical Hollywood clichés. Even though the final action scene is still mildly engaging, it never becomes "edge of your seat" material.
The dialogue isn't anything stellar either, and the cherished references to the older films are a bit too forced for my liking. That said, the acting is mostly OK. Sam Worthington does a great job of portraying Marcus Wright, however, and easily outperforms Bale who resorts to his usual tough-guy shtick.
As a summer action flick this is decent stuff, even though fans will probably be left wanting.
Transformers (2007)
Wonderfully Overblown but never Pompuous
First and foremost, people should keep in mind that this movie is made to entertain. It's not high art, it's not though-provoking in any sense, and I see that some critics take themselves way too serious when reviewing this film. It's a thrilling and lovingly crafted popcorn ride from beginning to end. I'm a massive movie fan who enjoys Almodóvar, Truffaut and Welles (wait a minute, that's Unicron!) as much as the next person, yet enjoy the movie for what it is: a totally over-the-top, humor-littered action flick based on a line of toys.
I initially had my reservations when I heard that this flick was to be directed by Michael Bay. However, now I can see that Mr. Spielberg wasn't talking total PR- babble when he said that Bay was the ideal director for Transformers. Yes, the action sometimes is overblown and it's often difficult to make out what is going on (especially with the admittedly spectacular one-on-one robot fights), but here Bay's bloated style totally fits. And his signature car chase sequence is stirring stuff.
As for the characters: even though there's little room for character development here with all the action, what is actually there is handled very well. The robots remain fairly underdeveloped when compared to the human characters, but that's more due to the nature of the introductory storyline. I'm sure that the inevitable sequels will give the robots (and hopefully the Decepticons and Starscream in particular) a little more screen time. Even so, it has to be said that the Autobots' personalities are handled very respectfully in regard to their original incarnations.
In the end, what we have here is a very engaging action film that establishes its core cast well enough to make a genuine emotional connection, and sets the door wide open for a sequel. Its shortcomings lie in its simple plot and its lack of background explanation- although a prequel novel and comic do a reasonable job of providing a bit more depth. A roller-coaster ride that looks and sounds spectacular and thankfully doesn't take itself too serious. Hopefully its audience follows suit.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)
High quality television series which knows no peers
Buffy is a premier showcase for how the medium of television can be used. Here is a series that takes its audience seriously, but is thankfully also never condescending. It can be dramatic, heartfelt, witty and is laden with pop culture references throughout. On top of that it has 'epic' stamped in big bold letters on its forehead.
After the admittedly dismal 1992 movie Whedon himself took charge, and the results are nothing short of stunning, and also very consistent throughout its entire 7-season run. Despite being just a little mundane at the beginning (even though that may be a little to harsh), the series quickly gains momentum and establishes itself as a roller coaster ride which knows no peers. Admittedly the series has been discussed and analyzed to death, but I still like to point this out: the series really is about growing up. Overcoming problems, making decisions based on one's own intuition, love, hate, sex, relationships, friends and how we deal with all of this.
Buffy's world is wonderfully rich, character development is very well handled; characters are very recognizable and also often quite flawed, and there's always a reason for their behavior. As corny as it sounds, we learn about life by watching Buffy. When all of the action elements and pop-culture references (which of course will be dated in a couple of years) are stripped away, we are left with the writing, which has a brightly radiating soul, and really is as strong as anything in contemporary literature. This extremely successful combination of action, drama, and humor will firmly cement Buffy in the canon of high quality television drama for years to come.
Leef! (2005)
A wasted opportunity.
With Simon well over a year ago, I had high hopes for Dutch cinema. This was a great film, about genuine people dealing with all things life (and death) in a genuine way. At least it got some well-deserved recognition outside the Netherlands, although I'm not sure how the movie performed across the pond- but I guess it stirred things up quite a bit in the US because of its daring content.
Anyway, for those expecting Leef! to prolong the high standard set by Simon, prepare to be vastly disappointed. The film is incredibly pretentious in style and presentation. Why did it have to take 108 minutes of awkward dialogue and often pointless scenes to get to that point? I have no problem with it being pretentious, but not living up to it I do have a problem with. The camera-work and editing, especially in the first half, are overly artsy, sometimes hysterical and often completely unnecessary. On the contrary, it harms some of the (admittedly fine) performances in such a way that we cannot relate to the characters in any way, except for maybe Sybille, played by Anne-Wil Blankers, a great actress who is wholly out of place here. Jeroen Krabbé, always a treat, has a small part which is fine, but ruined by the horrific editing in that particular scene. A shame, I say.
The dialogue is typical Dutch theatre fare, in that it is overly pretentious and artificial, which is a major gripe I have with Dutch theatre anyway. Even though this might have worked better on stage, it's still far too stiff and and insignificant to make the audience relate to the characters on an emotional level. Why not just trim it down and get to the point? Being mundane is no sin if the delivery is good. Here we the see actors struggling with lines they themselves most likely found to be awkward, which explains the wooden acting on the whole, I guess.
Overall, what could have been a wonderful film about (family) life is a missed opportunity. This film gets lost in its own pretentiousness because of its lack of content and genuine emotional depth. Which, ultimately, to me, makes it a pointless affair.