I strongly urge you not to write this off as a kids' movie. Initially we were horrified to realise our last three movies have been "kid movies" as we sat through the (admittedly funny) sneak preview of Ice Age: Continental Drift for the third time in three weeks. We immediately resolved that our next film should be the much more grown up "Young Adult". But as powerhouse director Martin Scorsese's newest masterpiece unfolded, we realised this was much more than a kids' movie - it's also a movie for fans of movies in general and also for older kids who are fans of reading. In fact I think this movie is not very suitable for younger kids, being quite long and full of extended dramatic scenes.
This is an adaptation of Brian Selznick's illustrated kids' book "The Adventures of Hugo Cabret" but having not read the book previously I can't tell you how close the movie sticks to the book. It does, however, stick fairly close to many aspects of the real story of early filmmaker and effects pioneer Georges Melies who made over 500 movies in the late 1800s and early 1900s, without being about him at all. Note the movie is in English with no subtitles and most of the 'French' people have English accents. Don't hold it against them though, it makes the film more accessible I guess.
The movie follows a young orphan, Hugo Cabret, who lives in a secret apartment inside the walls of a bustling Paris train station in the 1930s and keeps the clocks and other mechanical aspects of the building running after the disappearance of his uncle. Hugo seems to have a fantastical life but the young boy is very sad and lonely with no family or friends and constantly having to evade the strict stationmaster who enjoys handing young thieves over to the orphanage. His only "friend" is an automaton (a self-operating machine) that his clockmaker father rescued from a museum and was trying to work with Hugo to fix until his untimely passing. Hugo's mission to fix the automaton is frustrated by a missing heart shape key and some other missing parts, which leads him to a showdown with the owner of a mechanical toy shop in the station. Befriending Papa George's god-daughter Isabelle leads Hugo on the adventure of a lifetime as they unravel the mystery of the connection between the automaton and Papa George, who turns out to be the once renowned and now forgotten filmmaker Georges Melies.
If that seems long and involved, it's really only a sketch of the complex plot and doesn't even touch on the sub-plots of the characters in the train station that Hugo encounters each day. The plot though is not even the most important thing in this movie, as it is simply a way into the major themes: the magic of movies, how we should respect things of the past rather than always look for the latest new thing, finding your purpose in life. The second half of the film is a completely enchanting flip through the history of early filmmaking, taking in the Lumiere brothers who kicked off moving pictures with short, realistic films and how this influenced Georges Melies who was previously a magician but then wrote/directed/starred in a massive number of films that tried to explore our dreams rather than reality, plus a look at early classics The Kid, The General, Safety Last!, The Box of Pandora amongst many others. I was totally blown away by this section of the film.
It's definitely not going to appeal to everyone, and it already looks like it's going to be deemed a commercial flop (budget of $170million and gross of $55million to date) but this movie is completely enchanting and wonderful if you're into books, movies and big words (an ongoing joke in the movie is Isabelle using big words that Hugo doesn't understand). So right up my ally! But it does have a number of good things going for it that might appeal to others as well:
1) Great performances all round - Asa Butterfield is perfectly sad and wide eyed but not too cute as Hugo, Chloe Moretz (Hit Girl from Kick Ass) is bold and smart as Isabelle, Sacha Baron Cohen is funny but touching at the same time as the Stationmaster and Ben Kingsley as Georges Melies is grumpy but wonderful. Ben Kingsley even looks a bit like the real life Georges Melies!!!
2) Great,subtle use of 3D to create a completely fantastical, immersive experience without anything waving at you. Plus you get to see early films transformed into a 3D like effect!
3) Typical strong Scorsese direction and storytelling. Plus a cameo from the man himself - see if you spot it (kudos to Ben who did - I missed it).
I really loved this movie so please give it a chance. It's not nominated for 11 Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, for nothing!
Sunday 29 January 2012
Friday 27 January 2012
#2 Movie - The Muppets
Wow this movie was just so fun! If you have ever been a fan of the TV show, you will definitely enjoy this new feature length film that gets the gang back together.
Set in the present day, the Muppets are no longer popular or even well known anymore, except to a set of brothers in Smalltown USA, Gary and Walter. So a bit of art imitating life there! Walter is a new muppet on the block, although it is never explained why he is a brother to Gary, played by Jason Segel. Walter is the biggest Muppet fan in the world who has not forgotten them, and longs to see the Muppet Theatre in Los Angeles. A trip there by Gary and his girlfriend Mary (played sweetly by Amy Adams) gives Walter the opportunity of a lifetime. But, uh oh!, the theatre has fallen into disrepair and the Muppets have gone their separate ways. Walter stumbles on a plan by an evil tycoon to take over the theatre and drill for oil, unless someone can come up with $10million dollars to save it. The shocked trio embark on an adventure to pull the gang back together and come up with the money.
The fun in all this is pretty obvious - seeing what all the old faves are up to now and then practising their act for the benefit show that is supposed to save the day. Kermit, Gonzo the Great, Swedish chef, Beaker, Dr Bunsen Honeydew, Fozzie Bear, Animal, Statler & Waldorf, the Electric Mayhem and the incomparable Miss Piggy. It's still really really funny and in a clever, child-friendly kind of way. An unexpected delight was the sprinkling of musical numbers throughout the film (one great song is now Oscar nominated) and also a range of star cameos. Slightly over-used were the knowing winks to the audience, such as the very pointed "Well this is going to be a short movie" when Kermit refuses to participate in the whole endeavour. I forgave them though because of the chickens.
Kudos to Jason Segel for pitching this whole idea to Disney, writing the script and starring in the film in a lovely role. His and Amy Adams' singing and dancing are of a pretty good standard although just a tiny bit hokey. Chris Cooper doesn't really suit the evil tycoon role either. But this is just nitpicking because in the end you watch the Muppets to see them doing their schtick, and they do it well here. I'd give this a solid 3.5 stars out of 5 on reflection (although I walked out feeling it was a 4 star movie at the time). An extended helping of the benefit show without so much plot would have been nice, but that'll have to wait until the new audience has fully embraced these old favourites. So is it just nostalgia talking again? We saw it with a Grade 7er and he wasn't laughing all that much but he said he liked it, so there is hope for a sequel yet. We gotta get some Piiiiigs innnn Spaaaace happening!
Set in the present day, the Muppets are no longer popular or even well known anymore, except to a set of brothers in Smalltown USA, Gary and Walter. So a bit of art imitating life there! Walter is a new muppet on the block, although it is never explained why he is a brother to Gary, played by Jason Segel. Walter is the biggest Muppet fan in the world who has not forgotten them, and longs to see the Muppet Theatre in Los Angeles. A trip there by Gary and his girlfriend Mary (played sweetly by Amy Adams) gives Walter the opportunity of a lifetime. But, uh oh!, the theatre has fallen into disrepair and the Muppets have gone their separate ways. Walter stumbles on a plan by an evil tycoon to take over the theatre and drill for oil, unless someone can come up with $10million dollars to save it. The shocked trio embark on an adventure to pull the gang back together and come up with the money.
The fun in all this is pretty obvious - seeing what all the old faves are up to now and then practising their act for the benefit show that is supposed to save the day. Kermit, Gonzo the Great, Swedish chef, Beaker, Dr Bunsen Honeydew, Fozzie Bear, Animal, Statler & Waldorf, the Electric Mayhem and the incomparable Miss Piggy. It's still really really funny and in a clever, child-friendly kind of way. An unexpected delight was the sprinkling of musical numbers throughout the film (one great song is now Oscar nominated) and also a range of star cameos. Slightly over-used were the knowing winks to the audience, such as the very pointed "Well this is going to be a short movie" when Kermit refuses to participate in the whole endeavour. I forgave them though because of the chickens.
Kudos to Jason Segel for pitching this whole idea to Disney, writing the script and starring in the film in a lovely role. His and Amy Adams' singing and dancing are of a pretty good standard although just a tiny bit hokey. Chris Cooper doesn't really suit the evil tycoon role either. But this is just nitpicking because in the end you watch the Muppets to see them doing their schtick, and they do it well here. I'd give this a solid 3.5 stars out of 5 on reflection (although I walked out feeling it was a 4 star movie at the time). An extended helping of the benefit show without so much plot would have been nice, but that'll have to wait until the new audience has fully embraced these old favourites. So is it just nostalgia talking again? We saw it with a Grade 7er and he wasn't laughing all that much but he said he liked it, so there is hope for a sequel yet. We gotta get some Piiiiigs innnn Spaaaace happening!
Thursday 26 January 2012
This week's squeeze
The squeeze is really on in the cinema this week as more new releases come out while there are still so many quality films on offer. With the art-house cinemas showing more mainstream fare it is really hard for films to last very long at the moment.
Newies this week are:
1. J Edgar, the biopic about the guy who pretty much invented the FBI and championed fingerprint technology, starring Leonardo di Caprio.
2. A Few Best Men which is from Aussie director Stephan Elliott who did Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. You would have seen the ads and previews for this, it is about an English guy coming to Australia with his 3 mates for his wedding to an Aussie girl. Comedic chaos ensues with our Olivia Newton-John returning to celluloid to play the coke-snorting mother of the bride.
3. Weekend, a low key indie flick about a guy picking up another guy in a bar, which leads to something more as they meet up again over the weekend and talk through some pretty heavy issues. Has scored some rave reviews so far with many likening it to rom-conversation films Before Sunrise and Before Sunset.
4. Underworld:Awakening. Vamps versus Lycans (werewolves) now in probably unnecessary 3D! You already know if you want to see this!
This weekend's Drawn to Screen program has Scott Pilgrims vs the World and camp classic Barbarella on Friday night, American Splendour on Saturday arvo, sorta superhero double bill Sin City and Spiderman 2 on Saturday night and Persepolis on Sunday arvo. Talk about a mixed bag!
Newies this week are:
1. J Edgar, the biopic about the guy who pretty much invented the FBI and championed fingerprint technology, starring Leonardo di Caprio.
2. A Few Best Men which is from Aussie director Stephan Elliott who did Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. You would have seen the ads and previews for this, it is about an English guy coming to Australia with his 3 mates for his wedding to an Aussie girl. Comedic chaos ensues with our Olivia Newton-John returning to celluloid to play the coke-snorting mother of the bride.
3. Weekend, a low key indie flick about a guy picking up another guy in a bar, which leads to something more as they meet up again over the weekend and talk through some pretty heavy issues. Has scored some rave reviews so far with many likening it to rom-conversation films Before Sunrise and Before Sunset.
4. Underworld:Awakening. Vamps versus Lycans (werewolves) now in probably unnecessary 3D! You already know if you want to see this!
This weekend's Drawn to Screen program has Scott Pilgrims vs the World and camp classic Barbarella on Friday night, American Splendour on Saturday arvo, sorta superhero double bill Sin City and Spiderman 2 on Saturday night and Persepolis on Sunday arvo. Talk about a mixed bag!
Thursday 19 January 2012
Beat the Heat - new 19 January
Four new movies to help you beat the heat this weekend:
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is a new film version of the classic John le Carre spy novel. If you are going to this one though, be aware that is nothing like the Bourne/Bond/Mission Impossible spy capers - this is a serious film about digging out a mole in the service using the talents of spies to blend into the background and observe. Lots of drama but very little gunfire I'd guess. Strong word of mouth on Gary Oldman's portrayal of George Smiley and a strong supporting cast, plus it's directed by Tomas Alfredson (director of the Swedish Let the Right One In) so there should be lots of atmosphere.
The drawcard of Young Adult could either be Charlize Theron, or the pairing up again of Diablo Cody (screenwriter) and Jason Reitman (director) who had a big hit with Juno together plus their own individual hits. This takes the premise of Bad Teacher and extends it even further - an early 30s hottie with low self esteem addicted to booze decides to move back to her hometown after seeing her old classmate happily married and having a child. She decides to convince him he would be happier with her. Dark comedy seems to be the order of the day.
Journey 2 the Mysterious Island is the sequel to the Journey to the Centre of the Earth film from a few years back. Seems to be for the tween audience, with a bit of adventure, Vanessa Hudgens and giant bees. The giant bird poo joke in the ad has definitely put me off - lame. And don't even get me started on the 3D scene of the boy throwing berries at The Rock's pecs and them bouncing right at you!!!! Oh Michael Caine who have you insulted to be in this?
Finally we have The Darkest Hour, another 3D adventure film. Aliens invade the world and a couple of teens on holiday in Moscow have to save the world. This looks pretty average in the storyline and effects, which is disappointing as it is directed by Timur Bekmambetov who did such a good job with the Nightwatch and Daywatch movies and Wanted.
I'm booked into see The Muppets on the weekend so stay tuned for that review of "the most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, Mupettational; this is what we call The Muppet Show"!!!
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is a new film version of the classic John le Carre spy novel. If you are going to this one though, be aware that is nothing like the Bourne/Bond/Mission Impossible spy capers - this is a serious film about digging out a mole in the service using the talents of spies to blend into the background and observe. Lots of drama but very little gunfire I'd guess. Strong word of mouth on Gary Oldman's portrayal of George Smiley and a strong supporting cast, plus it's directed by Tomas Alfredson (director of the Swedish Let the Right One In) so there should be lots of atmosphere.
The drawcard of Young Adult could either be Charlize Theron, or the pairing up again of Diablo Cody (screenwriter) and Jason Reitman (director) who had a big hit with Juno together plus their own individual hits. This takes the premise of Bad Teacher and extends it even further - an early 30s hottie with low self esteem addicted to booze decides to move back to her hometown after seeing her old classmate happily married and having a child. She decides to convince him he would be happier with her. Dark comedy seems to be the order of the day.
Journey 2 the Mysterious Island is the sequel to the Journey to the Centre of the Earth film from a few years back. Seems to be for the tween audience, with a bit of adventure, Vanessa Hudgens and giant bees. The giant bird poo joke in the ad has definitely put me off - lame. And don't even get me started on the 3D scene of the boy throwing berries at The Rock's pecs and them bouncing right at you!!!! Oh Michael Caine who have you insulted to be in this?
Finally we have The Darkest Hour, another 3D adventure film. Aliens invade the world and a couple of teens on holiday in Moscow have to save the world. This looks pretty average in the storyline and effects, which is disappointing as it is directed by Timur Bekmambetov who did such a good job with the Nightwatch and Daywatch movies and Wanted.
I'm booked into see The Muppets on the weekend so stay tuned for that review of "the most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, Mupettational; this is what we call The Muppet Show"!!!
Tuesday 17 January 2012
Survey Says!
The results of a Bigpond Movies Survey are out and it seems that the #1 most seen movie in Brisbane is "Grease". According to the survey 1 in 3 people in Brisbane has seen Grease more than 5 times. That ain't bad considering it was made in 1978 and there must be a reasonable proportion of the population that weren't born then, this one has travelled well!
Grease (10+) was followed by Forrest Gump (0), Star Wars (original 1977 film I assume - 5), Love Actually (1/3) and Pretty Woman (3). The numbers in brackets are how many times I estimate I've seen these movies. So I'm not really in agreement with the survey participants. I know, you're shocked I haven't seen Forrest Gump. Sorry, just haven't gotten around to it yet. The Shawshank Redemption is another on that list, I really want to see that! When you watch a lot of movies, you tend to only have time to watch them one or two times. That would be standard for most movies in my collection.
But this makes me curious as to what are the movies that people have seen the most. Another issue that prompted this train of thought was a young friend who I discovered had not seen Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, a movie I estimate I would have seen at least 15 times. I made him watch it on Saturday night and I think he enjoyed it (even with me saying most of the lines, which backs up the 15 estimate). I think you really must see the movie that introduced the world to the fantastic Keanu Reeves, despite the fact that he would act woodenly in nearly every film after this.
So can you please share with me what movies you have seen the most? Not what you think are the "best" movies or your "favourite" movies, but what movies have you seen the most in total. Because there are many reasons why you might have seen a movie multiple times even if not your favourite, here are a few:
1) It's your partner's favourite movie. Aaahhh, so giving you are. In this category I place Billly Madison (8?) although I definitely rate this comedy myself. Also Office Space (7).
2) It's your child's favourite movie. Kids are wonderful at watching movies over and over and over and not getting bored.... I don't have personal experience in this one but I know some of you guys will. Toy Story, Cars, Lion King anyone?
3) It gets played on the television a lot. There are some movies that just always seem to be on telly no matter how good or popular they were on their original release. To this category I would attribute Shallow Hal (4) a movie which is not spectacular in any way but inexplicably seems to get shown on telly every few months. You start watching and then you just can't stop. Great concept (true beauty is on the inside) but how does he not figure out she's not a skinny chick - doesn't he have hands? What a mystery..... I think Pretty Woman could fall into this category as well as well as several Elvis movies.
4) You travel a lot. If you are flying frequently or staying in hotels there is a good chance you've seen a few movies more than once through lack of choice. Although portable devices wil probably put an end to this one.
5) You are obsessed with the actor. I went through this massive Emilio Estevez phase when I was a teenager so I would guess I've seen Young Guns (10+) more than anyone else. This possibly also explains The Crow (7) and Empire Records (6).
6) Family traditions. The Sound of Music (10+) - need I say more? I think every family has movies that they watch year after year. Although this one could also fit into the TV category. Is it a great movie? The jury is out as it seems to be loved more by people who associate it with their childhood than if they watch it now for the first time.
7) Seasonal traditions. Elf (4) and Bad Santa (5) are our usual Christmas eve movies to get us into the festive spirit. Both Christmas classics if you're slightly weird.
8) You just have to show someone this cool movie and have to watch it with them. Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure is just one example. Also Dead Snow (4 - pretty good since the first time was only 2 years ago) and Battle Royale (5).
9) It is actually a favourite and you prioritise watching it regularly. Clueless (7) and Terminator 2 (5) are on this list for me.
Tell me your most watched and more importantly, the reason why.
Grease (10+) was followed by Forrest Gump (0), Star Wars (original 1977 film I assume - 5), Love Actually (1/3) and Pretty Woman (3). The numbers in brackets are how many times I estimate I've seen these movies. So I'm not really in agreement with the survey participants. I know, you're shocked I haven't seen Forrest Gump. Sorry, just haven't gotten around to it yet. The Shawshank Redemption is another on that list, I really want to see that! When you watch a lot of movies, you tend to only have time to watch them one or two times. That would be standard for most movies in my collection.
But this makes me curious as to what are the movies that people have seen the most. Another issue that prompted this train of thought was a young friend who I discovered had not seen Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, a movie I estimate I would have seen at least 15 times. I made him watch it on Saturday night and I think he enjoyed it (even with me saying most of the lines, which backs up the 15 estimate). I think you really must see the movie that introduced the world to the fantastic Keanu Reeves, despite the fact that he would act woodenly in nearly every film after this.
So can you please share with me what movies you have seen the most? Not what you think are the "best" movies or your "favourite" movies, but what movies have you seen the most in total. Because there are many reasons why you might have seen a movie multiple times even if not your favourite, here are a few:
1) It's your partner's favourite movie. Aaahhh, so giving you are. In this category I place Billly Madison (8?) although I definitely rate this comedy myself. Also Office Space (7).
2) It's your child's favourite movie. Kids are wonderful at watching movies over and over and over and not getting bored.... I don't have personal experience in this one but I know some of you guys will. Toy Story, Cars, Lion King anyone?
3) It gets played on the television a lot. There are some movies that just always seem to be on telly no matter how good or popular they were on their original release. To this category I would attribute Shallow Hal (4) a movie which is not spectacular in any way but inexplicably seems to get shown on telly every few months. You start watching and then you just can't stop. Great concept (true beauty is on the inside) but how does he not figure out she's not a skinny chick - doesn't he have hands? What a mystery..... I think Pretty Woman could fall into this category as well as well as several Elvis movies.
4) You travel a lot. If you are flying frequently or staying in hotels there is a good chance you've seen a few movies more than once through lack of choice. Although portable devices wil probably put an end to this one.
5) You are obsessed with the actor. I went through this massive Emilio Estevez phase when I was a teenager so I would guess I've seen Young Guns (10+) more than anyone else. This possibly also explains The Crow (7) and Empire Records (6).
6) Family traditions. The Sound of Music (10+) - need I say more? I think every family has movies that they watch year after year. Although this one could also fit into the TV category. Is it a great movie? The jury is out as it seems to be loved more by people who associate it with their childhood than if they watch it now for the first time.
7) Seasonal traditions. Elf (4) and Bad Santa (5) are our usual Christmas eve movies to get us into the festive spirit. Both Christmas classics if you're slightly weird.
8) You just have to show someone this cool movie and have to watch it with them. Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure is just one example. Also Dead Snow (4 - pretty good since the first time was only 2 years ago) and Battle Royale (5).
9) It is actually a favourite and you prioritise watching it regularly. Clueless (7) and Terminator 2 (5) are on this list for me.
Tell me your most watched and more importantly, the reason why.
Monday 16 January 2012
Movie #1 of 2012 - The Adventures of Tintin
I considered doing this review in one word: Delightful. But that is not enough to tell you that I loved this movie and you probably will too. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association did too, this morning granting it the 2012 Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature Film.
Caveat: I read and liked some of the books as a child and I'd only had 4 hours sleep and was full of sugar from my pancakes and syrup just consumed for breakfast (don't you just love the Pancake Manor?). So I could have been in the perfect condition for this film. But I digress.
Boys' own adventure is the order of the day in this surprisingly violent (I'll get back to this) movie. I was worried about falling asleep after my late night but every second of it was fun and had me hooked in from the opening credits. They kick it off well with tributes to both the original comics and Saul Bass plus a very breezy tune from the maestro John Williams. It doesn't take long for the mystery to begin after Tintin buys a model ship from an antiques dealer at the market for 1 pound, then along come another 2 buyers who clearly wish to own the model themselves. Why these two strange fellows want the model so badly drives the storyline for quite some time, involving car chases, murder, dog chases, kidnapping and sailing the high seas. The reason is revealed more than half way through and then we are on the chase to stop the bad guys getting their hands on the prize.
Tintin is just the gung-ho boy detective you expect, with a very lovable and loyal sidekick in Snowy. Snowy gets one of the best action set-pieces of the film as he tracks the people who have taken his master. The movie wisely selects a source novel which introduces Captain Haddock and how he and Tintin become friends, as this is what makes things more interesting. A very salty old drunken seadog he is and full of funny curses such as 'blistering barnacles' etc. Without Haddock around Tintin is just a little too bland. Strangely though whenever I saw Haddock he reminded me of Peter Jackson (who produced and assisted Mr Steven Spielberg) despite being 'played' by the king of motion capture Andy Serkis. Wonder if that was deliberate...
Motion capture is a great way to create animation, and I can confirm that they have got past the 'dead eyes' issue from when it was first introduced. The facial expressions are quite good but we found the hands were a little weird. Unless Jamie Bell (Tintin) really does have huge hands. This movie just looked glorious the whole time and the 3D was well used to create depth. Most actors and voices were unrecognisable (especially Daniel Craig as the antique buyer Sakharine and Red Rackham) but I think that was wise to let you sink more into the characters. My fave duo Simon Pegg and Nick Frost were probably a bit wasted as Detectives Thomson and Thompson but I'm sure they will play roles in future films.
The action I think is what sets this film apart from other animated films. There are quite a lot of action scenes that are staged in spectacular fashion, full of good old fashioned derring-do and suspense. But also quite violent. From memory, Tintin did carry a small gun and knew how to use it, but I wasn't expecting such a lot of gunfire and people getting whacked on the head with bottles and other strong implements. Some blood is shown but not enough to raise the PG rating to an M obviously. It was more slapstick violence I think, which seems to be emphasised by the animation compared to live action. But what else should we expect from director Spielberg? All of his films seem to have an element of violence, whether they be kid films (ET), dramas (Warhorse - a lot of people have been telling me it was hard to stomach the war scenes)or the beautifully executed/sickening brutality of Saving Private Ryan.
Humour is also used well, I found myself giggling a lot at scenes that were either cute, slapstick-y or in-jokes. Or maybe I was just delirious. No, it was sorta funny. Just a great combination of funny, action-packed, smart and joyful. I just loved it.
Caveat: I read and liked some of the books as a child and I'd only had 4 hours sleep and was full of sugar from my pancakes and syrup just consumed for breakfast (don't you just love the Pancake Manor?). So I could have been in the perfect condition for this film. But I digress.
Boys' own adventure is the order of the day in this surprisingly violent (I'll get back to this) movie. I was worried about falling asleep after my late night but every second of it was fun and had me hooked in from the opening credits. They kick it off well with tributes to both the original comics and Saul Bass plus a very breezy tune from the maestro John Williams. It doesn't take long for the mystery to begin after Tintin buys a model ship from an antiques dealer at the market for 1 pound, then along come another 2 buyers who clearly wish to own the model themselves. Why these two strange fellows want the model so badly drives the storyline for quite some time, involving car chases, murder, dog chases, kidnapping and sailing the high seas. The reason is revealed more than half way through and then we are on the chase to stop the bad guys getting their hands on the prize.
Tintin is just the gung-ho boy detective you expect, with a very lovable and loyal sidekick in Snowy. Snowy gets one of the best action set-pieces of the film as he tracks the people who have taken his master. The movie wisely selects a source novel which introduces Captain Haddock and how he and Tintin become friends, as this is what makes things more interesting. A very salty old drunken seadog he is and full of funny curses such as 'blistering barnacles' etc. Without Haddock around Tintin is just a little too bland. Strangely though whenever I saw Haddock he reminded me of Peter Jackson (who produced and assisted Mr Steven Spielberg) despite being 'played' by the king of motion capture Andy Serkis. Wonder if that was deliberate...
Motion capture is a great way to create animation, and I can confirm that they have got past the 'dead eyes' issue from when it was first introduced. The facial expressions are quite good but we found the hands were a little weird. Unless Jamie Bell (Tintin) really does have huge hands. This movie just looked glorious the whole time and the 3D was well used to create depth. Most actors and voices were unrecognisable (especially Daniel Craig as the antique buyer Sakharine and Red Rackham) but I think that was wise to let you sink more into the characters. My fave duo Simon Pegg and Nick Frost were probably a bit wasted as Detectives Thomson and Thompson but I'm sure they will play roles in future films.
The action I think is what sets this film apart from other animated films. There are quite a lot of action scenes that are staged in spectacular fashion, full of good old fashioned derring-do and suspense. But also quite violent. From memory, Tintin did carry a small gun and knew how to use it, but I wasn't expecting such a lot of gunfire and people getting whacked on the head with bottles and other strong implements. Some blood is shown but not enough to raise the PG rating to an M obviously. It was more slapstick violence I think, which seems to be emphasised by the animation compared to live action. But what else should we expect from director Spielberg? All of his films seem to have an element of violence, whether they be kid films (ET), dramas (Warhorse - a lot of people have been telling me it was hard to stomach the war scenes)or the beautifully executed/sickening brutality of Saving Private Ryan.
Humour is also used well, I found myself giggling a lot at scenes that were either cute, slapstick-y or in-jokes. Or maybe I was just delirious. No, it was sorta funny. Just a great combination of funny, action-packed, smart and joyful. I just loved it.
Thursday 12 January 2012
New Releases 12 January
Well, December/January continues to be a time for quality movie releases - perhaps to coincide with the Oscars campaign timing. There are heaps of new movies out this week, most of which seem to be attracting a lot of critical praise and thumbs up from the public as well. Amazing!
For me, The Muppets is the release of the week. Big fan of the show as a kid and a big fan of Jason Siegal (Forgetting Sarah Marshall and its wacky puppet show subplot was the perfect calling card for his role at creating, writing and starring in this movie). The "getting the gang/band back together" storyline is appealing. Word on the street it's actually funny, true to the well known characters and some good musical numbers.
For alternative "kids and adults" entertainment, try Hugo. Martin Scorsese turns his hand to his first kids film and his first use of 3D, adapted from the book The Adventures of Hugo Cabret. If that sounds weird, apparently it's not. This movie has already received 5 out of 5 star reviews from Empire Magazine and the Courier Mail Hit reviewer and I've heard the critics elsewhere are raving about it. A magical story about a young orphan living in a railway station in Paris, trying to fix a small automaton his father left him. He meets a man who may or may not be real life movie inventor Georges Melies (A Trip to the Moon et al). Definitely one for movie buffs as well as families. {Brisbanites note that the local newspaper this week had a coupon for Event Cinemas to see this movie for $8 in 2D or $11 in 3D}
Want something more grown up? It doesn't get much more grown up than The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. If you don't know what this movie is, I think you might've been living under a rock for the last few years. The US version of the mega selling book, directed by David Fincher (Se7en, Panic Room) and starring Rooney Mara as punk hacker Lisbeth Salander. A lot of people liked the Swedish movie trilogy so will the big name director or curiousity to see if the remake is better be enough to make this a hit? Be warned there are some extremely disturbing scenes set to appear in this version, just like the Swedish version.
Sex and violence not your cup of tea? Try The Descendants which should have beautiful scenery of Hawaii and family drama. George Clooney, for once not playing the smooth guy with all the answers, is a man whose wife has fallen into a coma after a boating accident, which brings his family together with dramatic consequences. Another movie based on a book, more talk about Oscar.
Arriety is the final new release in selected cinemas. A new Japanese animation from Studio Ghibli who are famous for Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle etc, however not directed this time by the guru Hayao Miyazaki. This is also a book adaptation, a different version on "The Borrowers" which is about small people only 3 inches high who live in the hidden spaces in our houses and borrow the crumbs and other small items to live on. 14 year old Arrietty is about to go on her first borrowing mission when a sick boy arrives at their house to be cared for by his aunt. The movie explores what happens when the boy discovers the tiny girl. Expect beautiful animation and a magical storyline. Check your cinema to find out whether they are showing the Japanese version or the version with English dubbing, depending on your preference.
Enjoy!
For me, The Muppets is the release of the week. Big fan of the show as a kid and a big fan of Jason Siegal (Forgetting Sarah Marshall and its wacky puppet show subplot was the perfect calling card for his role at creating, writing and starring in this movie). The "getting the gang/band back together" storyline is appealing. Word on the street it's actually funny, true to the well known characters and some good musical numbers.
For alternative "kids and adults" entertainment, try Hugo. Martin Scorsese turns his hand to his first kids film and his first use of 3D, adapted from the book The Adventures of Hugo Cabret. If that sounds weird, apparently it's not. This movie has already received 5 out of 5 star reviews from Empire Magazine and the Courier Mail Hit reviewer and I've heard the critics elsewhere are raving about it. A magical story about a young orphan living in a railway station in Paris, trying to fix a small automaton his father left him. He meets a man who may or may not be real life movie inventor Georges Melies (A Trip to the Moon et al). Definitely one for movie buffs as well as families. {Brisbanites note that the local newspaper this week had a coupon for Event Cinemas to see this movie for $8 in 2D or $11 in 3D}
Want something more grown up? It doesn't get much more grown up than The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. If you don't know what this movie is, I think you might've been living under a rock for the last few years. The US version of the mega selling book, directed by David Fincher (Se7en, Panic Room) and starring Rooney Mara as punk hacker Lisbeth Salander. A lot of people liked the Swedish movie trilogy so will the big name director or curiousity to see if the remake is better be enough to make this a hit? Be warned there are some extremely disturbing scenes set to appear in this version, just like the Swedish version.
Sex and violence not your cup of tea? Try The Descendants which should have beautiful scenery of Hawaii and family drama. George Clooney, for once not playing the smooth guy with all the answers, is a man whose wife has fallen into a coma after a boating accident, which brings his family together with dramatic consequences. Another movie based on a book, more talk about Oscar.
Arriety is the final new release in selected cinemas. A new Japanese animation from Studio Ghibli who are famous for Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle etc, however not directed this time by the guru Hayao Miyazaki. This is also a book adaptation, a different version on "The Borrowers" which is about small people only 3 inches high who live in the hidden spaces in our houses and borrow the crumbs and other small items to live on. 14 year old Arrietty is about to go on her first borrowing mission when a sick boy arrives at their house to be cared for by his aunt. The movie explores what happens when the boy discovers the tiny girl. Expect beautiful animation and a magical storyline. Check your cinema to find out whether they are showing the Japanese version or the version with English dubbing, depending on your preference.
Enjoy!
Saturday 7 January 2012
Lists, Lists, Lists! 2011 in Review
Welcome to my review of 2011! Please add your comments to tell me what you loved last year as well.
10 Best Movies of 2011
Hmmm this is harder than I thought it would be to narrow down to 10. In relation to my goal of seeing more movies, I definitely achieved that one. Seeing more movies in the hope of seeing more good ones? Tick. I enjoyed most things I saw last year. I've seen 21 of Empire's Top 50 of 2011 as well. Here are my best 10 movies:
1. Super 8
2. Source Code
3. Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Part 2 3D
4. The Guard
5. Hanna
6. Captain America: The First Avenger 3D
7. Rise of the Planet of the Apes
8. Paul
9. Comic-con Episode IV - A Fan's Hope
10. Horrible Bosses - funniest movie this year. Unfortunately for Bridesmaids, which was also good and very funny, it just didn't stand up to repeat viewing - for some reason I did not find it anywhere near as funny the first time. I think there was a surprise factor in Bridesmaids that won't be there in Horrible Bosses.
Another 10 great movies that surprised me this year:
1. Tucker & Dale vs Evil - funniest and cleverest horror movie of the year.
2. Fright Night 3D - best use of 3D, smart and sexy.
3. Limitless - better than it looked and clever visuals.
4. Medianeras - an Argentinian film from the film festival. Hope it comes out here.
5. Drive - slow burning gritty moodpiece.
6. Cyrus - John C Reilly as a sad sack battling with his new girlfriend's weird son played by Jonah Hill.
7. X-Men - we were prepared for badness after Wolverine but this was actually great.
8. Everything Must Go - Will Ferrell gives another strong dramatic performance in an undervalued movie.
9. Thor - better than expected origin movie.
10. Never Let me Go - strongly acted and intriguing premise.
There was some great acting this year:
10 Best Performances of 2011
Ryan Gosling as Driver in Drive (with a best supporting actor nom for his abs in Crazy Stupid Love)
Kirsten Dunst as Justine in Melancholia
Mel Gibson as Walt in The Beaver
Koko the dog in Red Dog
Natalie Portman as Nina in Black Swan
Brad Pitt as Billy Beane in Moneyball
Andy Serkis as Ceasar in Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Saoirse Ronan title role in Hanna
Brendan Gleeson as Gerry in The Guard
James Franco as Aron Ralston in 127 Hours
It was definitely the year of Ryan Gosling - 3 big performances in Drive, Crazy, Stupid Love and The Ides of March (which rated well and is making a lot of Top 10 lists but I didn't see it yet) plus voted the US People Magazine Sexiest Man of the Year which I probably can't disagree with after he made us all swoon in the bedroom scene of CSL.
I think it was also a year for Michael Fassbender (Magneto in X-Men prequel but also several other performances) and we will no doubt see more of him in 2012.
I was going to do the "Worst Movies" as well but I really didn't see anything I didn't like last year. I must have chosen my movies to see really well. So the best I can do for you is this:
The 5 Most Disappointing/Overrated Movies of 2011:
Yes, thank you very much if you were going to comment, two of these movies were on my 'Most Anticipated for 2011' list I made in a post earlier this year. Where did it all go wrong? Scripting or acting issues mainly, or just too much overhyping and promotion on things that were just average.
1. Sucker Punch
2. Friends with Benefits
3. Your Highness
4. Bad Teacher
5. Arthur
Biggest mystery of the year
How did the movie "In Time" (no hype, starring Justin Timberlake, poorly reviewed) last at the cinema for 2 months when other quality movies came and went within two weeks?
Highest Grossing Movies of 2011
Sequels ruled this year, some possibly undeservingly (I still refuse to watch Breaking Dawn Part 1 as it will be the most boring film ever despite the fact I liked the book series). If it wasn't a sequel, it was probably a superhero. Congratulations to a couple of smaller original movies which managed to make the cut against sequel-itis and franchising power. Yes I'm talking about you Kristen Wiig who wrote and starred in a totally original movie that was also a surprise hit.
Australia
1. Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Part 2 ($51.3m)
2. Transformers: Dark of the Moon ($38.8m)
3. The Hangover Part 2 ($35.3m)
4. Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides ($29m)
5. Bridesmaids ($28.8m)
6. Twilight Breaking Dawn: Part 1 ($27.2m)
7. Fast Five ($26.7m)
8. Tangled ($22.5m)
9. Cars 2 ($20.8m)
10. Red Dog ($20.6m)
Full list of top 100 for Australia here http://boxofficemojo.com/intl/australia/yearly/?yr=2004&p=.htm
United States
1. Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Part 2 ($381,000,000)
2. Transformers: Dark of the Moon ($352m)
3. Twilight Breaking Dawn: Part 1 ($266m)
4. The Hangover Part 2 ($254m)
5. Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides ($241m)
6. Fast Five ($210m)
7. Cars 2 ($191m)
8. Thor ($181m)
9. Rise of the Planet of the Apes ($177m)
10. Captain America: The First Avenger ($177m)
11. The Help ($169m)
12. Bridesmaids ($160m)
13. Kung Fu Panda 2 ($165m)
14. X-Men: First Class ($146m)
15. Rio ($144m)
Movies I Wish I'd Seen in 2011 but will have to catch up later:
1. Submarine
2. Snowtown
3. Hobo with a Shotgun
4. True Grit
5. Winter's Bone
6. Attack the Block
So there you have it. I look forward to hearing your own best/worst movies.
10 Best Movies of 2011
Hmmm this is harder than I thought it would be to narrow down to 10. In relation to my goal of seeing more movies, I definitely achieved that one. Seeing more movies in the hope of seeing more good ones? Tick. I enjoyed most things I saw last year. I've seen 21 of Empire's Top 50 of 2011 as well. Here are my best 10 movies:
1. Super 8
2. Source Code
3. Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Part 2 3D
4. The Guard
5. Hanna
6. Captain America: The First Avenger 3D
7. Rise of the Planet of the Apes
8. Paul
9. Comic-con Episode IV - A Fan's Hope
10. Horrible Bosses - funniest movie this year. Unfortunately for Bridesmaids, which was also good and very funny, it just didn't stand up to repeat viewing - for some reason I did not find it anywhere near as funny the first time. I think there was a surprise factor in Bridesmaids that won't be there in Horrible Bosses.
Another 10 great movies that surprised me this year:
1. Tucker & Dale vs Evil - funniest and cleverest horror movie of the year.
2. Fright Night 3D - best use of 3D, smart and sexy.
3. Limitless - better than it looked and clever visuals.
4. Medianeras - an Argentinian film from the film festival. Hope it comes out here.
5. Drive - slow burning gritty moodpiece.
6. Cyrus - John C Reilly as a sad sack battling with his new girlfriend's weird son played by Jonah Hill.
7. X-Men - we were prepared for badness after Wolverine but this was actually great.
8. Everything Must Go - Will Ferrell gives another strong dramatic performance in an undervalued movie.
9. Thor - better than expected origin movie.
10. Never Let me Go - strongly acted and intriguing premise.
There was some great acting this year:
10 Best Performances of 2011
Ryan Gosling as Driver in Drive (with a best supporting actor nom for his abs in Crazy Stupid Love)
Kirsten Dunst as Justine in Melancholia
Mel Gibson as Walt in The Beaver
Koko the dog in Red Dog
Natalie Portman as Nina in Black Swan
Brad Pitt as Billy Beane in Moneyball
Andy Serkis as Ceasar in Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Saoirse Ronan title role in Hanna
Brendan Gleeson as Gerry in The Guard
James Franco as Aron Ralston in 127 Hours
It was definitely the year of Ryan Gosling - 3 big performances in Drive, Crazy, Stupid Love and The Ides of March (which rated well and is making a lot of Top 10 lists but I didn't see it yet) plus voted the US People Magazine Sexiest Man of the Year which I probably can't disagree with after he made us all swoon in the bedroom scene of CSL.
I think it was also a year for Michael Fassbender (Magneto in X-Men prequel but also several other performances) and we will no doubt see more of him in 2012.
I was going to do the "Worst Movies" as well but I really didn't see anything I didn't like last year. I must have chosen my movies to see really well. So the best I can do for you is this:
The 5 Most Disappointing/Overrated Movies of 2011:
Yes, thank you very much if you were going to comment, two of these movies were on my 'Most Anticipated for 2011' list I made in a post earlier this year. Where did it all go wrong? Scripting or acting issues mainly, or just too much overhyping and promotion on things that were just average.
1. Sucker Punch
2. Friends with Benefits
3. Your Highness
4. Bad Teacher
5. Arthur
Biggest mystery of the year
How did the movie "In Time" (no hype, starring Justin Timberlake, poorly reviewed) last at the cinema for 2 months when other quality movies came and went within two weeks?
Highest Grossing Movies of 2011
Sequels ruled this year, some possibly undeservingly (I still refuse to watch Breaking Dawn Part 1 as it will be the most boring film ever despite the fact I liked the book series). If it wasn't a sequel, it was probably a superhero. Congratulations to a couple of smaller original movies which managed to make the cut against sequel-itis and franchising power. Yes I'm talking about you Kristen Wiig who wrote and starred in a totally original movie that was also a surprise hit.
Australia
1. Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Part 2 ($51.3m)
2. Transformers: Dark of the Moon ($38.8m)
3. The Hangover Part 2 ($35.3m)
4. Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides ($29m)
5. Bridesmaids ($28.8m)
6. Twilight Breaking Dawn: Part 1 ($27.2m)
7. Fast Five ($26.7m)
8. Tangled ($22.5m)
9. Cars 2 ($20.8m)
10. Red Dog ($20.6m)
Full list of top 100 for Australia here http://boxofficemojo.com/intl/australia/yearly/?yr=2004&p=.htm
United States
1. Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Part 2 ($381,000,000)
2. Transformers: Dark of the Moon ($352m)
3. Twilight Breaking Dawn: Part 1 ($266m)
4. The Hangover Part 2 ($254m)
5. Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides ($241m)
6. Fast Five ($210m)
7. Cars 2 ($191m)
8. Thor ($181m)
9. Rise of the Planet of the Apes ($177m)
10. Captain America: The First Avenger ($177m)
11. The Help ($169m)
12. Bridesmaids ($160m)
13. Kung Fu Panda 2 ($165m)
14. X-Men: First Class ($146m)
15. Rio ($144m)
Movies I Wish I'd Seen in 2011 but will have to catch up later:
1. Submarine
2. Snowtown
3. Hobo with a Shotgun
4. True Grit
5. Winter's Bone
6. Attack the Block
So there you have it. I look forward to hearing your own best/worst movies.
Road to the Oscars 2012 - Are we excited yet?
This trailer is pretty star studded but could've been funnier. However I think Billy is going to do a better job than James Franco and Anne Hathaway last year. Likeable people, just tried a bit too hard.
I have a feeling the awards nominations this year will be full of recent movies released in the US that will barely be out in Australia before the ceremony so it may be hard to get too excited. I'm crossing my fingers right now for Kirsten Dunst since seeing Melancholia.
I have a feeling the awards nominations this year will be full of recent movies released in the US that will barely be out in Australia before the ceremony so it may be hard to get too excited. I'm crossing my fingers right now for Kirsten Dunst since seeing Melancholia.
Thursday 5 January 2012
Elementary my Dear Watson
Only one new movie out this week, Sherlock Holmes 2: A Game of Shadows. The original was big dumb fun, retooling Sherlock as slightly more eccentric and beefier than previous versions (the slow mo fight scene break down was a knockout, pardon the pun). The trailer promises more of the big (train set piece), more of the dumb (Holmes in a dress) and just as much fun (all the rest of the trailer).
If you're into foreign arthouse, The Salt of Life is showing at the Regal Twin only which seems to maybe be a new film. An Italian film about a 60 year old bloke pondering on whether to take a mistress and whether anyone will have him.
Otherwise there's still plenty of choices from the Boxing Day releases with all of the big movies still having multiple screenings per day. I should be off to see Tintin any day now so stay tuned for that review. Also in draft phase but soon to be posted is my review of 2011, which will be followed up pretty quickly by a peek at what movies are coming up this year and when, what to look out for.
Hope you've enjoyed reading last year and let me know what you want to see more of this year.
If you're into foreign arthouse, The Salt of Life is showing at the Regal Twin only which seems to maybe be a new film. An Italian film about a 60 year old bloke pondering on whether to take a mistress and whether anyone will have him.
Otherwise there's still plenty of choices from the Boxing Day releases with all of the big movies still having multiple screenings per day. I should be off to see Tintin any day now so stay tuned for that review. Also in draft phase but soon to be posted is my review of 2011, which will be followed up pretty quickly by a peek at what movies are coming up this year and when, what to look out for.
Hope you've enjoyed reading last year and let me know what you want to see more of this year.
Wednesday 4 January 2012
Movie #33 - Tower Heist
Last movie review for the year 2011! Managed to squeeze one more in.
Tower Heist is an enjoyable romp stuffed with quality stars. The one mistake you might make going into this movie is thinking it's going to be a comedy. Don't worry if you did think that, because I did too, and this view is definitely encouraged by the fact that the two leads are Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy. However, this is really not a comedy. It's more of a slightly funny action/crime caper. Like Ocean's 11 but less suave.
Before I outline the plot, the one thing you do need to know is that Eddie Murphy is back. And it feels so good to have him back that I felt the urge to share that comment with Ben out loud twice during the movie. There wasn't enough of him in this movie, but he's still back, big time. No fat suits, cross dressing or family oriented jokes and pratfalls. In this he was all fast talkin' jive and attitude as the petty criminal, Slide, who is enlisted to help the gang pull off the heist. So if you love Eddie Murphy's old stuff better than his new stuff, this movie will fill you with a warm and fuzzy feeling.
Ben Stiller plays the main character Josh Kovacs, who is the building manager at an exclusive apartment building in New York. He does a great job leading this team and knows all the residents very well. Life is great. Until one day he spots wealthy resident and financial guru Mr Shaw being kidnapped. In a very inplausible scene he gives chase to the speeding van, only to be clotheslined by FBI agent Tea Leoni who is trying to stop Mr Shaw from escaping from being arrested for fraud. As Josh slowly becomes disillusioned with Shaw (played by Alan Alda who I couldn't stop thinking of as Hawkeye from MASH and makes a rather cuddly and non-threatening villain) he realises that the pension fund of all the staff at "The Tower" was invested with Shaw and is likely all gone, never to be clawed back thanks to Mr Shaw's powerful connections and a lack of evidence.
This for me was one of the strong parts of the movie, as you see Josh become disillusioned and then angry (after the attempted suicide of a staff member who was due to retire but now can't) and then angrier still when it seems that justice is going to elude the staff. As the one who asked Shaw to manage the staff pension fund, Josh takes a lot of personal responsibility for what happened. Making it much more believable that he would plan a heist to break into Shaw's closely guarded apartment and try to locate the $20 million spare change that the FBI loosely speculate Shaw must have hidden away. You know, it seems to me that these days the idea of personal responsibility is really falling by the wayside (everything is always someone else's fault, blame them, sue them) which I think is wrong, and it was totally refreshing to me to see a movie based around personal responsibility and making amends, no matter how far-fetched the scenario.
Josh puts together his team of trusted souls including Matthew Broderick as a former resident fallen on hard times, Casey Affleck as Josh's brother-in-law who in hard times with a baby on the way and losing his concierge position, and Michael Pena as Enrique the new elevator boy, plus Gabourey Sidibe (the girl nominated for an Oscar last year for Precious) as the Jamaican maid. Most of the funny scenes in the movie centre around the team's "training" and preparation for the heist with Slide as their mentor.
When it finally comes, the heist itself is surprisingly tense and a really good extended action sequence. At one stage there I was genuinely nervous for the actors even though in my mind I knew it was all special effects and perfectly safe. Again there are gaps in the logic and continuity which the director chooses to simply skip over as there could be no logical explanation. You do have to kind of just 'go with it'. But by this stage you'll either be into it or gone so you'll probably be able to forgive this.
Overall I think critics would call this "undemanding holiday fun". And I would mostly agree with this. I felt happy and entertained when I left and glad that nothing embarrassing happened to Ben Stiller unlike practically every other movie he's been in. It is only in writing this review that I've reflected on the deeper themes of the movie and realised that there actually were some fairly good points to be made about personal responsibility and morality. Like whether it is necessary to do wrong if it is justified. Oooh, that's not really my style but it is interesting and like I said I'm a fan of taking responsibility and righting your own mistakes. Or you could just ignore this and watch the great cast have some fun!
Tower Heist is an enjoyable romp stuffed with quality stars. The one mistake you might make going into this movie is thinking it's going to be a comedy. Don't worry if you did think that, because I did too, and this view is definitely encouraged by the fact that the two leads are Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy. However, this is really not a comedy. It's more of a slightly funny action/crime caper. Like Ocean's 11 but less suave.
Before I outline the plot, the one thing you do need to know is that Eddie Murphy is back. And it feels so good to have him back that I felt the urge to share that comment with Ben out loud twice during the movie. There wasn't enough of him in this movie, but he's still back, big time. No fat suits, cross dressing or family oriented jokes and pratfalls. In this he was all fast talkin' jive and attitude as the petty criminal, Slide, who is enlisted to help the gang pull off the heist. So if you love Eddie Murphy's old stuff better than his new stuff, this movie will fill you with a warm and fuzzy feeling.
Ben Stiller plays the main character Josh Kovacs, who is the building manager at an exclusive apartment building in New York. He does a great job leading this team and knows all the residents very well. Life is great. Until one day he spots wealthy resident and financial guru Mr Shaw being kidnapped. In a very inplausible scene he gives chase to the speeding van, only to be clotheslined by FBI agent Tea Leoni who is trying to stop Mr Shaw from escaping from being arrested for fraud. As Josh slowly becomes disillusioned with Shaw (played by Alan Alda who I couldn't stop thinking of as Hawkeye from MASH and makes a rather cuddly and non-threatening villain) he realises that the pension fund of all the staff at "The Tower" was invested with Shaw and is likely all gone, never to be clawed back thanks to Mr Shaw's powerful connections and a lack of evidence.
This for me was one of the strong parts of the movie, as you see Josh become disillusioned and then angry (after the attempted suicide of a staff member who was due to retire but now can't) and then angrier still when it seems that justice is going to elude the staff. As the one who asked Shaw to manage the staff pension fund, Josh takes a lot of personal responsibility for what happened. Making it much more believable that he would plan a heist to break into Shaw's closely guarded apartment and try to locate the $20 million spare change that the FBI loosely speculate Shaw must have hidden away. You know, it seems to me that these days the idea of personal responsibility is really falling by the wayside (everything is always someone else's fault, blame them, sue them) which I think is wrong, and it was totally refreshing to me to see a movie based around personal responsibility and making amends, no matter how far-fetched the scenario.
Josh puts together his team of trusted souls including Matthew Broderick as a former resident fallen on hard times, Casey Affleck as Josh's brother-in-law who in hard times with a baby on the way and losing his concierge position, and Michael Pena as Enrique the new elevator boy, plus Gabourey Sidibe (the girl nominated for an Oscar last year for Precious) as the Jamaican maid. Most of the funny scenes in the movie centre around the team's "training" and preparation for the heist with Slide as their mentor.
When it finally comes, the heist itself is surprisingly tense and a really good extended action sequence. At one stage there I was genuinely nervous for the actors even though in my mind I knew it was all special effects and perfectly safe. Again there are gaps in the logic and continuity which the director chooses to simply skip over as there could be no logical explanation. You do have to kind of just 'go with it'. But by this stage you'll either be into it or gone so you'll probably be able to forgive this.
Overall I think critics would call this "undemanding holiday fun". And I would mostly agree with this. I felt happy and entertained when I left and glad that nothing embarrassing happened to Ben Stiller unlike practically every other movie he's been in. It is only in writing this review that I've reflected on the deeper themes of the movie and realised that there actually were some fairly good points to be made about personal responsibility and morality. Like whether it is necessary to do wrong if it is justified. Oooh, that's not really my style but it is interesting and like I said I'm a fan of taking responsibility and righting your own mistakes. Or you could just ignore this and watch the great cast have some fun!
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