Friday 14 December 2012

Film Review: Serenity - (2005)


Director: Joss Whedon

Starring: Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk, Gina Torres, Jewel Staite, Adam Baldwin, Sean Maher and Summer Glau
Running time: 119 minutes
Age Rating: 15
Release date: 30th September 2005


"This is the captain. We have a little problem with our entry sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and then - explode."

Serenity is the film adaptation of the cult American TV show Firefly, both being created by the geek mastermind Joss Whedon. It tells the story of six outlaws who take in two fugitives trying to escape the grasp of the evil empire,the Alliance  The biggest question I had before seeing Serenity was if the TV show could be turned into a much bigger scale science fiction film. The series and director are known for the large cast of characters and how interesting they are. With a TV show, specific episodes can be used to explore each character and present their personalities to the audience  Films can't really do this, as while longer than a single episode they don't have an entire series to make the audience care.


Fortunately Joss Whedon knows what he's doing. There is a grand plot in the film, but you care much more about what happens to Serenity's colourful cast of characters. It all takes place in a unique setting where American and Chinese cultures have merged together, giving a unique vision at what could happen if the political powers came together to reach space. While it has a few elements social commentary, it is truly a fun and action packed science fiction adventure movie. And it is fun.



So like I was saying, this is a character driven piece and all of the original cast return in full form. Leader of the group and captain of the ship Serenity, is Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan Fillion). Second in command is the battle harderned Zoe Washburne (Gina Torres), who is also married to the humorous pilot Wash (Alan Tudyk). The  mechanic is Kaylee (Jewel Staite) and muscle is  Jayne (Adam Baldwin). Finally there is Simon (Sean Maher) and River Tam (Summer Glau), brother and sister on the run from the 
Alliance. These actor all have the advantage of having great on screen chemistry because they have done this all before. The dialogue that drives the plot is a little bland, but banter between different people at times is amazing. Its no wonder the director is renown for witty and clever writing.

My biggest issue with Serenity is that it doesn't handle action very well. The punch ups are a little dull and apart from one scene the space stuff looks a little cheap. Admittedly a few memorable scenes are pretty well choreographed, but they don't have much impact or meaning. A verbal confrontation between people is far more interesting then a flat fight scene. This is a small complaint, as that's not really the point of the film. Its about characters coming together and making a stand against something far greater then themselves.





At this point I understand that I am somewhat bias after watching the TV show before the film. I went into it already attached to the characters and aware of the back story. For a fan of the show its a perfect send off for it's cancelled predecessor  The problem is that it comes of as a bit underwhelming for everyone else. Its still a good film, but it misses the emotional punch for everyone who doesn't understand why certain things are important. I still highly insist you check out Serenity. Its a fun film with very witty dialogue and a great cast.



"I am a leaf on the wind. Watch how I soar."

Tuesday 11 December 2012

Film Review: Argo - (2012)


Director: Ben Affleck
Starring: 
Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman and Alan Arkin.
Running time: 120 minutes
Age Rating: 15
UK release date: 7th November 2012



I've got to give it to Argo. It makes what could have been a really slow film with an uninteresting ending, one of the tenses pieces of cinema this year. Yes Argo is a good film; it may even be a great film. But I'm not spoiling that just yet.

Argo is based on the actual events of the 'Canadian Caper' operation back in 1979. For those of you who don't know what that is, it’s basically where six American diplomats were rescued from Iran by pretending to be Canadian filmmakers shooting a science fiction film. It’s a pretty interesting story, though it never seemed like great film material. This is because it basically involved a lot of waiting round and concludes with the diplomats getting on a plane and flying back. In the film Ben Affleck (who also directed the feature) is Tony Mendez, a CIA agent who is tasked with getting the diplomats out of Iran. And that's all you really need to know, it’s a really accessible film that a wide range of audiences can enjoy.



The greatest achievement of Argo is how well it handles tension and suspense. This is one of those films where you can probably tell what will happen from the beginning, yet it really draws you in during some of the later scenes. The film has a ticking clock element, where the diplomat’s identities are slowly being pieced together. This is cut in throughout the film and even makes the planning stages of the escape feel tense. You'll be on the edge of your seat by the time it gets to the finale.

Argo is essentially a thriller, but evokes elements from classic spy films and heist movies. On top of that it's both a realistic retelling and has distinct comical elements. While this mix sounds cluttered it's actually really well put together. In fact one of the film's greatest strengths is the contrast between the Hollywood scene and the more serious ones in Iran. One problem with the may be the historical accuracy of the piece. I can see that there are aspects left out, however I feel that in service of the overall story this is a fair trade off.



It’s not often that a film like Argo is made. It’s serious yet equally as fun. I'd highly recommend this film to anyone looking for a great thriller, combined with aspects of spy and heist films. And a special mention goes out to the great performance from Ben Affleck's Beard.


"........." - Ben Affleck's Beard.

Sunday 9 December 2012

Film Review: Indie Game: The Movie - (2012)


Director: Lisanne Pajot and James Swirsky
Starring: Johnathan Blow, Phil Fish, Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes
Running time: 96 Minutes
Age Rating: N/A
Release date: 12th June 2012 


"My whole career has been me, trying to find new ways to communicate with people, because I desperately want to communicate with people, but I don't want the messy interaction of having to make friends and talk to people, because I probably don't like them"

I'd love to say that I watch loads of highly sophisticated 
documentaries about really intellectual subjects. But I don't. I find that a lot of documentaries are based on boring subjects that don't really resonate with me. This is possibly the best documentary I have ever seen.

So that last statement is pretty bold. I'll admit that it probably isn't the best documentary in the world, but for me it has a much closer connection than any of the others. I love video games and when I'm not watching films you can be pretty certain I'm playing games, so as you might expect I really like the topic of this film. Indie Game: The Movie follows the stories of three different groups of independent game developers. The first is Johnathan Blow, the developer of Braid and at the point the documentary had already released his game. The second group is Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes, the two creating the game Super Meat Boy. The film follows them during late stages of development and the game's release. The final indie developer is Phil Fish, who during shooting is developing the game Fez. 



For a documentary the cinematography is extremely exciting and dynamic. Its colourful and interesting to watch on purely a visual level, which is a great achievement for such a low budget documentary. Great detail has gone into finding nice locations and establishing shots in each of the developer's home towns. The lighting is used effectively for setting the mood, with more lighthearted interviews having a warm glow and the ones that are darker having a grey and bleak feel. This is a great use of techniques for presenting the content of the film to an audience.


The documentary is really compelling as a whole. The three stories are interlaced with each other, cutting between each one. It manages to build them into a dramatic climax for the ending. This is the result of expert editing and a clear sense of how to properly structure a documentary. On top of that, the personalities of each developer really is what drives the piece. It's comical and heartbreaking, but never makes fun of or condescends these people. It's truthful and honest about the people who makes video games. They are people. They struggle with money, work and other people.



I know that I enjoyed this as much as I did because of the subject matter. I'd highly recommend this to anyone with an interest in indie games or game development. The difficult part is deciding if an audience could enjoy this film without having knowledge of the subject.

I've come to the conclusion that overall its a really great film. I feel that anyone who can open up to the concept will enjoy it. its a moving, compelling and eye opening documentary that details the lives of struggling game developers trying to create something truly personal to themselves.


"Part of it is not trying to be professional. A lot of people come into indie games trying to be like a big company. What those company's do is create highly polished things that serve as large as an audience as possible. That creation of a highly glossy commercial product is the opposite of making something personal. Things that are personal have flaws, they have vulnerabilities  If you don't see a vulnerability in somebody, your probably not relating to them on a very personal level. So its the same with game design. You know making it was about, let me take my deepest flaws and vulnerabilities and put them in the game."

Thursday 6 December 2012

Film Review: Scott Pilgrim Vs The World - (2010)


Director: Edgar Wright
Starring: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin and Jason Schwartzman.
Running time: 112 minutes
Age Rating: 12A
UK release date: 27th August 2010

"Scott, if your life had a face, I would punch it."

Scott Pilgrim Vs The World is the tale of a 22 year old named... well, Scott Pilgrim. He is jobless, completely devoid of motivation and still hasn't recovered from being dumped by his ex girlfriend. Scott is not exactly your traditional heroic protagonist. At the beginning of the film we learn that there are only two things really happening in Scott's life, his band and his new girlfriend (Knives Chau), who is only 16. But then something happens: Ramona Flowers. The mysterious American arrives in Torronto , and of course Scott falls for her. Now this is where things get weird. To get the chance to be with Ramona, Scott must defeat her seven evil exes.

Now I'm going to admit that I absolutely love this film. I had never read the graphic novel before seeing the film, but this didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of it. The genre of Scott Pilgrim Vs The World is difficult to pin down. I'd say that its a romantic comedy with elements from kung fu action films and geek culture. Director Edgar Wright is well known for blending genre elements together with his previous films (Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz) and it works just as well in Scott Pilgrim. After reading the graphic novels, I found that it isn't that faithful to the six book series. There was just too many back stories and side characters to fit in to a 112 minute feature. This isn't a bad thing though, in fact its much more interesting because it is different. You don't have to wait for an endless amount of sequels with the final book being split into two parts! It's a self contained story with a definite conclusion. Which in my opinion, we need much more of.



Scott Pilgrim Vs The World is truly unique. It's a film that feels equally like a graphic novel and video game through the uses of the visual style. During fights a combo meter will appear counting up successful hits, punches impacting with people will have exaggerated sound effects and neon backdrops will appear when two characters charge at each other preparing to battle. At one point a character is thrown through a wall into another area and the divide between the two looks like the space between comic book panels. This film is so colourful and exciting that you'll never want to look away. The cinematography supports this by being just as slick as the action, it follows the action and wants you to see it unlike the recent rise in shaky cam action scenes.

The actors all seem pretty appropriate for their roles. I know that's not exactly glowing praise so I'll say this, everyone does a good job and the film isn't ruined by any performances, but I don't see anyone winning an award any time soon for starring in it. Michael Cera plays the title character and does a good job of carrying the movie. However a lot of the side characters truly stand out for great comic performances. The biggest example of this is Kieran Culkin, who plays Scott's roommate. He always has a one liner about something and is Scott's voice of reason (Even if 90% of the time he's being sarcastic). A few celebrities have cameos as evil exes, such as Chris Evans, Brandon Roth and Jason Schwartzman who have great fun playing over the top villains. I'd say that the casting choices are pretty good, the actors are all very faithful to the one's in the graphic novels

This is a tribute to the people who grew up with video games, comics and cartoons. This film is so packed with references and call backs, you'll need multiple viewings to catch them all. Yet it never makes them the primary focus of the film. Edgar Wright understands that there needs to be substance as well for it to be a great movie. I can completely relate to Scott Pilgrim, even if he is a terrible person. The film is basically about how young people (ie Scott Pilgrim) deal with relationships and most importantly, get over themselves. This film isn't just a bunch of fan service, it has a heart as well.



So then, here we are, I'd highly recommend Scott Pilgrim to anyone. Its a love letter to geeks, but doesn't alienate other spectators. Its got fun action scenes, laugh out loud humor, quirky soundtrack and a genuinely heartfelt message. This film has been crafted with love. Its more than worth your time.

And just a quick note: If The Legend of Zelda, Street Fighter, Mega Man or No More Heroes means anything to you then you need to have seen this film yesterday.


"No. I want to fight you for me."