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Django Unchained 2012
Tarantino presents a revisionist blaxploitation western full of extreme characters that act with immunity and indulge in Tarantino speak.
The story arc is also a little perplexing as the narrative starts to flounder once Foxx is forced to carry the film. He lacks the required charisma and the level of tragedy always feels minimal. The anti-slavery aspect also has a modern sentiment that starts to enter a schmaltzy realm.
A critical flaw is the lack of a memorable set piece…
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The Avengers 2012
Dull exposition and mild zingers are at the core of this fanboys dream. Important questions are answered such as can Hulk lift Thor’s hammer?
The minor drama leads towards a battle for Earth that ends within the afternoon with an ending not too dissimilar to Battlefield Earth.
The Reverence: Hulk Smash Thor beats Hulk Smash Loki and a computer screen that defines a percentage for a global search.
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The Dark Knight Rises 2012
Nolan completes his trilogy of terrorism with a level of melancholy in this unsatisfying finale.
Bane appears as a masked non-villain, unable to emote beyond the use of his eyeballs. A little humour goes a long way and he provides none of this. It is hard to not have a desire for The Joker to be transplanted into his role.
The film gets preoccupied with its own mythology and even begins to unwind some of the more interesting aspects of…
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Drive 2011
A well-crafted adrenaline ride with a fantastic set of supporting characters. Pulling together other aspects such as racing and stunt driving opened the film up to enormous possibilities. Ryan Gosling would also go on to star in a film where he is given a speaking role.
I had hoped for a more post-modern ending. Perhaps with Ryan Gosling left in an ambiguous state at the end. The film seemed to be going for this and the coda seemed a little…
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Skyfall 2012
Daniel Craig returns as a desexualised and gritty Bond caught up in a film that jettisons a plan for world control in favour of a simple revenge plot.
This actually leads to a film that is more character oriented and Javier Bardem supplies a very memorable villain. The plot itself is a wonky set of connections, however this is forgotten as the characters interact.
The film thankfully sidesteps numerous action set pieces however a major fault is its limited sense…
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Looper 2012
Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis star in what inevitably becomes a morality tale set against a science fiction world.
The loopholes that seem to exist in the film are easy to ignore as that comes with the territory. It still seems slightly strange the assassin is sent back to be killed by himself, and the point at which this occurs seems particularly arbitrary.
It does seem hard to buy into Gordon-Levitt’s drastic change of heart and this seems motivated by…
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Argo 2012
Affleck delivers a well directed political thriller where the true story need not get in the way of needless thrills.
The film manages to add depth to a myriad of characters even if some do inevitably fall into clichés. The central plan is the core of the film and delivers, with the aid of comedic relief and some great dialogue.
Strangely the final parts of the film seem to lower in tension as everything enters an inevitable path. The real…
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Inception 2010
The Nolan Dream Special.
The overall aesthetics of the film are a thing of wonder. As with Nolan’s other work, he manages to blend the less believable elements with reality. This is his greatest gift in a film that could easily seem like science-fiction rather than a taut thriller. Rather than having a dream world devolving into fantasy, his aesthetics are grounded with a love of architecture, fine suits and a motif of gravity.
In fact the architecture element harkens…
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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 2012
Jackson returns to his beloved universe with a less epic and noble adventure, elevated by its comedic edge.
The film has a great introduction as it explains its mythology well and is essentially a hint of things to come. It is certainly a fun side adventure.
There are some peculiar choices. The CGI seems used in an overabundance with the orcs in particular losing a menacing aura. Several cuts in the film made it seem disjointed and the pivotal scene…
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Prometheus 2012
Ridley Scott presents a strongly themed exploration film that relies on its mystery over monster movie elements. At least initially.
The conspiracy element is the most intriguing with various motives in play. This wraps up in a logical manner. The questions the films asks provide an inevitable answer. Given that exploration films are generally underwhelming, the conclusion is at least satisfactory.
The aesthetics provide an amazing view of future technology. However the digital interfaces provide a great incongruity with the…
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Moonrise Kingdom 2012
Wes Anderson presents an extremely symmetrical film that revels in its quirkiness.
The film follows two emotionally disturbed outsiders who run away. There is some form of subplot but this is left mostly undeveloped.
The film also lacks any emotional chord to the point where any emotions exist in a void. The star power of the actors is also distracting given how they are all in supporting roles.
The visuals are perhaps the standout and reason enough to make the film watchable.
The Reverence: Child violence beats out an unnecessary narrator.
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The Cabin in the Woods 2012
Cabin in the Woods is a film that deconstructs the horror genre whilst maintaining the cardboard cut-out characters endemic in the genre.
The back and forth between the two plots also makes it hard to root for any particular side, as a greater purpose seems to exist. When this finally emerges it seems to raise more questions, including why the controlling group is so joyously unprofessional when the world is at stake. Their unprofessional nature however helps to lighten the…
