Paradise Reel

Doom

I find myself running down a corridor towards what seems to be a dead end. Footsteps can be heard behind me as I’m sure my friend is following close. The lane opens out to a larger carpeted lobby with a single door leading into blackness. There is not much choice as to where to go so I run into the nether only to be confronted by a series of snaking steps heading upwards. No choice, I rush up the stairs and at the top, I’m greeted by a 100 foot tall behemoth of a cinema screen with displaying an image of the planet Mars. I think we are in the right place I whisper to my friend as we quickly find our seats near the top of the theater. What actually happened was that I accidentally bought tickets to the recent game-to-film adaptation “Doom” at the IMAX cinema instead of the regular cineplex (they share the same ticketing booth for some reason). So not only did we have to pay an extra dollar to the admission, we had to contend with craning our necks left to right and back to take in the whole spectacle of this action/adventure.

This film is based on the hit video game of the same name which has sold millions of copies of its software and which most likely was pirated twice of that number. “Doom” is a film posits itself in a long line of space marines [i.e. “Aliens” (1986) and “Starship Troopers” (1997)] genre films. You have the battle hardened, testosterone charged male soldiers defending an installation overrun with creatures that you can blatantly kill with no sense of remorse. This is a thesis on the guilty pleasure of violence and mayhem and all things bloody which uniquely captures the essence of that pioneer of a first person shooting video game.

The story is a simple one. ‘Man’ has colonised the planet Mars and are doing biological research on some remains they found buried millenias ago. The research goes awry (naturally) and our Rapid Response Tactical squad of He-men armed with more firepower than North Korea are sent in to neutralize the situation. Needless to say, they were unprepared to handle a foe of such diabolical ferocity and things, along with people, get blown up on numerous occasions. Somehow I felt that the creators of this film sat down and came up with ten interesting ways to die and THEN built the story around it. But that is not to say that this film lacks a cohesive narrative. One thing I did like about the story that is does not try to explain everything in the first ten minutes which gives the audiences something to latch onto for the exposition of the film.

Director Andrzej Bartkowiak tries to bolster the plot and story by layering the characters with more depth but still fails to hit the mark. This, in turn leaves us a lukewarm tray of half baked characters which we do not care much for their demise. It is only the character of Sarge (played by The Rock) who is “supposed” to undergo major character development but all we encounter is Bartkowiak’s not so sleigh of hand in switching out one Sarge character for another. This is literally a case of the body snatchers as there is hardly any transition between the Sarge at the beginning of the movie and the Sarge at the end. It is like someone just dumped his evil clone in the film and forgot to tell us why.

There is not much acting required for this movie as most of the actors oscillate between looking pensive and blood cold scared. Karl Urban (from Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” and “The Return of the King”) gives us a pretty convincing bio-archaeologist turned space marine with a chip on his shoulder as he looks the part. Same goes for the rest of the cast as they ease into their roles without much trouble. One character of note is Pinky, the paraplegic on hotwheels played by Dexter Fletcher (who was SSgt. John Martin in the HBO series, “Band of Brothers”). Fans of the game will notice this tribute immediately.

Now that I’m clean out of bashing fodder, I shall dwell my efforts on the aspects that make this film fairly enjoyable. If there is one thing that “Doom” knows it’s good at, its action. There are some visceral action set pieces in this movie to warrant the price of admission. This will keep any action fan pampered for the duration of the movie and on top of that, it also sports one of the best American fistfights in Hollywood cinema I have ever seen. With “Matrix” (and other copycats films) forcing American actors to dabble with kung fu (or Wu Xia) that result in some god-awful fight scenes. It is a sight for sore eyes (no pun intended) to see an actual free for all fisty-brawl that does not cut away from the action.

The term FPS stands for “First Person Shooter”. A first for action showcases is a sequence strategically placed near the end of the film where the camera takes the place of the main character so essentially you (the audience) are looking at everything the character is sees, thus ‘becoming’ the character. This is a new level for screen and audience interactivity where the film totally immerses you within itself. It is true that there are plenty of other films who have accomplished this before but not in an action film of this scale, and definitely not to this level of detail. From where I was sitting in that mistaken darkened IMAX theater, it appeared as if I was ‘IN’ a high graphic detail rendition of the video game itself.

Some of you will come out of this film complaining about the mediocre plot and weak storyline but then ask yourself, why complain? This film does not make itself out than what it really wants to be, which is a late summer, early fall blockbuster actioner. Leave your brain with the usher and you will enjoy this film a lot more. This is a must-watch for any gamer and fans of action films as you will not be disappointed. Although marred by weak characterisation and stereotypical plot, this is one of the best game-to-film transitions ever. Forget “Mortal Kombat” and “Streetfighter”, “Doom” has finally managed to lift this genre from the pits of movie banality.

I do not normally post anything about television, or japanese anime for that matter, but this beckons an exception. Blood the Last Vampire was a one shot animated movie that was made in conjuncture with the release of the PlayStation 2 game of the same name. It was only 40 minutes long but it showcased some of the best 2D/3D animation techniques to date. Now, the guys at Production I.G. ,who brought us the mind blowing “Ghost in the Shell 1 & 2″ and “Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade”, finally acquiesce to the fans demand for more “Blood” by releasing a brand new ongoing series titled “Blood+”. It takes place in the present (the movie was set in 1966) and some of you might be unfamiliar with the main character’s new look but fear not, it still showcases the same animation quality that we have come to know and love from one of Japan’s top animation houses. It is up to episode 3 at the moment as it has just started airing in Japan. So do not hesitate and jump on now as the story just begun!

Click the picture or click here to check out the official website.

Mirrormask

It has been said that this film was the result of a dare. Universal pictures ventured to bet with writer extraordinaire; Neil Gaiman and partner in diabolical crimes of the literary nature, Dave McKean; that they could not result a family fantasy film for a mere budget of $4 million. Three years later, one terribly exhausted director and many a lesson learnt, the precocious pair have delivered us not only fantasy film fit for families outings, but a visual rollercoaster ride through a world of dreams that none
of us would ever want to wake up from.

In every generation there will be one film that will tap the audience’s desire to explore a place where magic persists and oddities are the norm. In 1939 we were whisked off to a faraway land by “The Wizard of Oz” and in 1986 we were introduced to the fantastic underworld of “Labyrinth”. For the new millennium, we have “MirrorMask”. The story is not a new one nor is it one that is going to reinvent any genres. But in the hands of the dynamic duo of storytellers, Gaiman and McKean, we are treated to a refreshing take on a very tried and true storyline packed with quirky characters, perculiar situations and a mystery most bizarre.

“MirrorMask” follows a circus girl, 15 years of age, who wants nothing more than to leave the life of carnival festivities and lead a ‘normal’ one. Her wish is granted one night and she is transported to the kingdom of dreams only to realise that she has no avenue to return. All is not well in this plane of existence as the balance between light and shadow is lost and the only way to restore equilibrium is by finding a certain ‘charm’. Off our teenage heroine goes on her quest to seek out this treasure and return it to its rightful owners.

Those totally clueless about Neil Gaiman’s literary genius, shame on you. But fret not, his modern-day fantasy tales “Neverwhere” is HIGHLY recommended, followed by “Coraline”) should be available in your local library and if not, complain vehemently to your librarian. Dave McKean on the other hand, does for art what Neil Gaiman has done for literature, and that is to push the envelope of visual imagery. He has produced countless covers for Neil’s Sandman comics and co-written numerous books (a notable one, “The Day I Swapped My Dad For Two Goldfish”). With that token, it is not a wonder why the pacing of the film turned out the way it did. Although retaining the standard three part acts, the film feels more akin to reading book than watching a typical Friday night blockbuster. It is as if Dave McKean separated the scenes into individual chapters for more palatable viewing. This may deter some from enjoying the film but it is a style does work very well for the kind of story that he is trying to tell. This method of pacing is reminiscent of the film “Serenity” which possess similar pacing and editing styles where the different scenes are portioned out in small segments.

The visual style of the film is unmistakably McKean. Imagine a pop-up book of his designs brought to life and you have only scratched the cover of this immense collection of his artwork. The film is a mixture of live action, a bit of puppetry and healthy dose of 3D animation which McKean handles with care and delicacy. Primarily filmed on a “blue screen”; it is the process of filming actors separately on a blue or green screen (hence the name) and digitally inserting a background that was not present at the time; the actors do not look out of place in this 3D created world as he treats them as part of the overall artwork. What results is a successful suspension of disbelief that has been lacking from previous attempts at a fusion of live action and 3D animation. It was reported that Dave McKean took a full year and a half after shooting wrapped to work on the visuals and design of the entire film.

There is a definite underlying concept to the entire film. There is the theme of duality that runs throughout the film. We are exposed to the dull reality of Helena’s real world further enhanced by the bland and pale colours, contrast by the vibrant hues of the dream world. Even the title of the film “Mirrormask” is a to amplify the theme of duality. The figurative connotation of a ‘mask’ is something that one wears to disguise or conceal our true emotional self. The Mirrormask takes it one step further by implying that not only does that mask conceal our true self, we ‘become’ whoever we look upon and whoever looks upon us.

Stephanie Leonidas turns in a surprisingly experienced performance as the plucky Helena (Stephanie looks strikingly close to a younger version of Helena Bonham Carter…). A huge chunk of the films believability rests squarely on her shoulders and she knows it, delivering exactly what the role requires. The rest of the cast follow up with decent performances all around. A notable mention for the ‘acting’ abilities of the computer generated actors as the animators manages a brilliant job of rendering a palette of convincing facial expressions for the key digital characters.

My only gripe with the whole film, which is just me being my nitpicky self, is that director Dave likes to cut between an extreme long shot to that of a close up. Such a change in perspective can be jarring for some viewers but this does not occur throughout the film and is mainly isolated in the beginning. This is an excellent first attempt for novice director Dave McKean as he proves himself that he is able to tell a story not only text but by the screen as well. Mirrormask IS a fun movie that more kids than adults will enjoy. They movie is so laden with archetypical icons that one is still able to enjoy the film sans dialogue.

I would highly recommend this movie for fans of fantasy and all things quirky. Kids will love this film and adults will enjoy it. And for those of you who are inclined to watch rather than read, this will allow you to experience a taste of the witty, the odd and the literary, all neatly packaged in this pop-up book come to life.

I sent this link out to some people some time before. It is a sample clip from the film “Banlieue 13″ which I came across a while ago. It is a French movie that is produced by Luc Besson (”Leon The Professional” and “The Fifth Element”) and was released last year. It stars Cyril Raffaelli (”Taxi 2″ and “Kiss of the Dragon”) and David Belle who the founded of the “Le Parkour” movement in France. “Le Parkour” is simply ‘the art of movement’ in which individuals of extreme physical fitness overcome environmental obstacles in a new and creative ways. If you need an idea of what I am yabbering about, think of the film “Yamakasi”. Just a note, all of the stunts you see in the clip, are done WITHOUT any strings or wires. Think of it as “Ong Bak” of the West…

No word on an American or Singaporean release. Perhaps its already on DVD over in Asia so if anyone chances upon a copy, do let me know!

Click the picture to view the video or click here.

To view the trailer, click here

Elizabethtown

It was with much anticipation when I bought the tickets to this movie. I had heard a lot of comments flying about after the film’s debut at the Cannes Film Festival and some of them are not appropriate to repeat. I had to give this film a chance besides, it featured two of the hottest rising stars in Hollywood, Orlando Bloom (”Lord of the Rings Trilogy” and Pirates of the Caribbean”) and the lovely Kirsten Dunst (”Spiderman” and “Wimbeldon”). Furthermore, this film is directed by Cameron Crowe (”Jerry Maguire” and “Vanilla Sky”) who brought us the whimsical coming-of -age story, “Almost Famous” (which I enjoyed very much). Factor in that this film was on the pot burner for a good four years thanks to Cameron’s continuous ‘tweaking’. But sometimes, and in this case, leaving the movie to simmer and fester for that long a period may prove to be more detrimental than beneficial.

The story is a tad convoluted so I will try my best to keep it as straight and narrow as I possibly can. A young hot-shot shoe designer (yes, you read it right, S-H-O-E designer) on the eve of his biggest business fiasco being reported to the globe, has to venture to his father’s home town to settle his father’s funeral. He meets a string of interesting characters from an incessantly chatty air stewardess to boisterous family relations and in the process of getting to know his extended family, rediscover himself. And that is what the film TRIES to be but falls short terribly.

It will be easy to blatantly lash out at this film and run it six feet in to the ground but let us focus on some of the more positive aspects of the film. Cameron drags the cinematographer, John Toll (”Almost Famous” and “The Last Samurai”, from his previous outings to lens his latest film. The result is some very unique and poignant shots that will be etched into your mind. The scene in question is one where Drew Baylor (Orlando Bloom) releases a handful of ash out of the driver side window. Mr. Toll manages to combine the lush sky with the billowing of the ash to create a sense of melancholy that I have not felt in a long time.

A great director once said that your movie is half complete when you have a good cast. And in the case of “Elizabethtown”, it seems that Bloom was miscast as the lead character, Drew Baylor. There is a lot of responsibility resting on Bloom’s shoulders as the character of Drew is the backbone for the entire film. Orlando Bloom seems to be only capable of displaying one emotion at a time. It is either intense anger, profound sadness or constipated confusion. Mr. Bloom is unable to depict the finer, subtler emotions that is required of this character who is on the verge of self re-discovery. Perhaps he should stick to being either an archer or a pirate in his films from now on.

Kirsten Dunst is standard fare with nothing spectacular to note. One wonders if she is capable of playing more characters of depth and dimension or does she have a penchant for mimicking bubbly, overbearing blondes. She does show a bit of emotional range in a handful of scenes but overall, her performance in the film nothing out of the ordinary. One notable aspect of the film is Susan Sarandon’s (”Shall We Dance” and “The Banger Sisters”) short but memorable stint as recently widowed Hollie Baylor. The true highlight of the film is probably the memorial scene where Hollie Baylor pays a heartfelt tribute to her late husband by tap dancing to their favourite song. As in life, in the thick of an elaborate mess (such as this film), it is the simple but sincere gesture that touches us the most.

Cameron Crowe has an affinity for making movies that run close to the two hour mark. Although “Elizabethtown” is only two hours long it feels like four. The pacing of this film is jarring to the point that you begin to wonder what movie you are watching. As soon as one thinks that a scene has hit its stride, Cameron leaves it hanging and jumps to dwell upon another scene. There are some great portions to the film and dialogue within them but what is lacking here is a cohesive storyline to string them all together. It has been rumoured that this film is somewhat autobiographical and these are the experiences of the director which does explain quite a bit as to why the film turned out this way. What results onscreen is a mix bag of interesting filmic snippets and anecdotes that are unable to convey their complete message to the audience.

Although bursting with potential at the onset, it loses it quickly as it starts to meander between the plot of the young corporate turk coping with the death of his father and the disenchanted youth rediscovering himself by meeting the love of his life. There are elements of this film that feel mashed together just for the heck of it that if portioned out would make some interesting genre movies. The final segment to this film would have made an excellent road trip movie on its own.Till this film can make up its mind as to what it wants to be, we are basically left with something closer to a travelogue on gorgeous Kentucky than anything else.

The fun guys at doubleagent.com digitized this video from the adult swim network where the Halo boys take over the Donkey Kong game. A Nifty bit of animation I might add (and they retained all the retro Nintendo music to boot). Think they did it with the Halo figurines…

Click on the picture or click here.

Wallace and Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit!

In an industry where traditional animation is making way to the three dimensional computer generated images, it is reassuring to see that there are still animators out there who are churning out animated films such as this film. Perhaps the animation arena is undergoing a renaissance with two big budget animated features to grace our screen, one of which was Tim Burton’s “Corpse Bride” and now we are treated to Nick Park’s Wallace and Gromit and the Curse of the Were-Rabbit”. For those we have never seen a Wallace and Gromit animation before, you are really missing out on an intelligent comedy series that is a world apart from any Hollywood fare.

The annual Giant Vegetable growing competition is upon the little town of West Wallaby but an overgrown herbage chomping bunny is terrorizing the neighbourhood by eating all the produce. Enter Wallace and his trusty canine, Gromit as the Anti-Pesto pair who solves all your garden annoyance the humane way. Little do they realise what or WHO they are up against when they finally come face to face with the Were-Rabbit!

Wallace and Gromit springs from the imagination of Nick Park (”Chicken Run” and “Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers”), currently Britain’s leading Claymation export. ‘Claymation’ is similar to stop-motion animation (ala “Corpse Bride”) except that they utilise clay and plasticine models instead of hard moulded puppets. The same arduous task of capturing individual images and stringing them together to create the illusion of motion still remains. However, with four hit films and three Academy Awards under his belt, he must be doing something right.

Steve Box and Nick Park share directorial duties on this film and they manage to weave a charming and witty story through the Wallace and Gromit universe. Do not let the fact that this is primarily a British production (distribution rights went to Dreamworks) deter you from stepping into the cinema. Although characteristically British, the humour is hardly dry. Yes, there are puns abundant and witty wordplay but it is very refreshing from having to endure the banal slapstick and the irrepressible ‘fart’ jokes that has plagued animated features of late (ie. “Shrek 2″ and “Madagascar”). Some of their jokes are so cunningly concealed that blink and you might miss some very clever visual gags.

Peter Sallis reprises his role as the shy, gadget extarordinaire, Wallace. It has been six years since his last excursion as the bumbling inventor but he has not lost his touch to bring out Wallace’s endearing qualities. Ralph Fiennes (”The English Patient” and “Schindler’s List”) plays the antagonist, Victor Quartermaine. Who, incidentally along with Wallace, is vying for the heart of Lady Tottingham’s (Helena Bonham Carter of “Corpse Bride” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”). Hilarity ensues when Wallace and Victor both join the hunt for the Were-Rabbit in a bid to win the heart of Lady ‘Tottie’.

Mr. Fiennes is splendid as the voice of the smarmy, villainous Quartermaine. He has played some memorable villains in the past and soon to be immortalised as one of the greatest adversaries a young bi-spectacled wizard has ever to face. Helena Bonham Carter, fresh off her role as Emily on the “Corpse Bride”, reminds us once again of her acting talent. Her character comes off perfectly as the reserved and unassertive Lady Tottingham. Do note that voice acting can be somewhat more difficult than conventional acting as you do not have the luxury of props or other actors to help you get into character. Everything that results on screen rests upon one’s acting ability and imagination as all you have is four walls of soundproofing material and a microphone.

Bring your kids to see this movie as I guarantee they will enjoy it. It does come off slow at the start but it picks up very quickly and rides you all the way to the full moon. There is also something for adults who are accustomed to the more intellectual fare (there is a gag in the film which actually requires you to know your literature…), spot the visual and verbal double entendres and they will have you ‘howling’ in the theater.

For those of you not familiar with the film “Doom”, it is the film adaptation of the hit PC game (et Mac) of the same name. Yeah, you all scoff at it as a marketing gimmick, milking the cash cow that is the behemoth that the game has evolved to. And in the wake of MANY game-to-film failures (anyone even WANT to remember “Mortal Kombat” or “Street Fighter”?) this film has a pretty steep hill to climb when it opens on the 21st of Oct. But the trailer looks promising and recently the nice folks at IESB.net has posted 7 clips of the film online so go check’em out!

Click the picture to view the videos or click here.

In Her Shoes

To say that this is a “Cameron Diaz” movie is basically doing the film an injustice and missing the point of the film completely. Although Cameron’s moniker gets top billing and her face adorns the movie poster, this film also belongs to Toni Collette for she shines just as well as Cameron’s struts. If one must label this a “chick flick” (ie. “The Sweetest Thing” and “Charlie’s Angels”; coincidentally both starring Cameron Diaz as well) then I would have to say that this is one film that reinvents the genre for this generation.

“In Her Shoes” is basically a character study of these two estranged sisters, Rose and Maggie, cleverly packaged as a heart felt drama but that is putting it mildly. This is a more of a story about overcoming the obstacles that one puts in front of oneself. As the story unfolds, the two main characters are taken out of their element and thrown into a world that they have no inkling as to what to do. There is a slight role reversal between the two sisters as one obtains a steady job while the other, leaves hers. So aptly named is the film, “In Her Shoes”.

For those of you who are expecting Cameron Diaz to reprise her goofy ‘dumb-blonde’ character from her previous works such as “The Sweetest Thing” or “There is Something about Mary”, go rent “Charlie’s Angels” or something similar. Cameron Diaz introduces a fresh facet to the role that made her a household name. Here she is again, playing the party animal, family wash but half of a sister duo but there is something more to her character in this outing. Diaz manages to inject more depth into the character of Maggie Feller by both showcasing her flaws and highlighting her strengths at the same time. In a sense, she reinvents the stereotypical blondes-just-wanna-have-fun into a fully realised, three dimensional character who forges towards what she wants but does not necessarily know WHAT she wants.

Toni Collette should be given more roles like this and definitely more awards too. A terribly underrated actress who is able to create, real living breathing characters that we all can relate to. My first encounter with this lass was the film “Muriel’s Wedding” and I have not been disappointed with any of her films I have watched (”Connie and Carla”, “The 6th Sense”, “Emma” “Changing Lanes”, “About a Boy”) and “In Her Shoes” is no exception to that rule. Collette’s Rose is the perfect counterforce to Cameron’s Maggie. She is the poised but slightly neurotic, straight laced Philadelphian lawyer that fills the other half of that sister duo. Rose is shy, mousey, hardly ever ventures into the world of dating, buys countless shoes upon shoes but never wears them. Toni Collette adds a human quality to the film that balances Cameron Diaz who represents the eiptome of the body most women want and most men want to sleep with.

The onscreen chemistry between the two leads is unmistakable. There is a very unique dynamism between Cameron and Collette that allows one to buy into their characters immediately. Not since “Steel Magnolias” (1989) have there been a film that portrays the relationship between the leads with such familiarity. One really believes that the two characters have grown up together and knew each other their whole lives. Shirley MacLaine (”Terms of Endearment” and “Irma la Douce”) delivers a very calculated and refined performance that can only come from a career in showbusiness spanning over fifty years. Those who are looking forward to Shirley may be a slight disappointed as she only shows up near the middle of the film but she does the magnificent job of balancing the youth and vigor of the two leads with her statuesque composition.

There is a certain style to the films of Curtis Hanson (”L.A. Confidential” and “The Hand that Rocks the Cradle”). He tries to reflect the central theme of the story not just through the plot or the acting but the scene composition as well. All of the three women have some sort of obstacle that is keeping them from moving on. Curtis Hanson and his cinematographer, Terry Stacey, compose the actresses either on the far left or far right of the frame which leaves a lot of empty space opposite of where the actress is. This is uncommon in Hollywood as leaving such an empty space throws off the aesthetics of the shot. But here it is employed effectively as it subtly enhances the feeling of emptiness the audience feels for the characters. This film is littered with specks of ingenuity which I will leave for you to discover on your own.

This film is a feel-good type of movie that does not patronise. It is a genuine film about the bonds between sisters and family. “In Her Shoes” may not evoke tears but it tugs at your heartstrings masterfully.

For all you fans of the macabre plus Halloween is just around the corner, Amazon.com is having a sale for a slew of Asian Horror DVDs from the company Tartan Extreme. The price range is from 6-13 bucks and its a mix of movies from Japan, Korea, Bangkok and Hong Kong.

Click here to check out the list of DVDs for sale!