Lockout - Snapshot

Every now and then there are movies that aren’t promoted in a big way, owing to which you only learn of them later, often by accident. For specifically this purpose, I make it a point to research movies, director’s portfolios, and actor/actress filmographies, to hopefully identify such rare treasures. Lockout to me was one such discovery. The plot sounded interesting, as did the sci-fi premise, and the future prison in outer space. Guy Pearce plays a CIA operative who is given the seemingly impossible mission of infiltrating the space station and rescuing the president’s daughter, after the inmates break-free and chaos reigns supreme. The plot is about okay, though quite predictable, it fulfills its needs by sufficiently supporting the sci-fi action formula. Though the movie’s runtime is just 95 minutes, there were times when I felt it was dragging; needless to say beyond the superficial premise, and the silly-macho dialogs, it was lacking in the depth department. Also, a lot of the action sequences were crazy fast and very obviously CGI, taking away from the seriousness of the events. Guy Pearce’s performance as Snow is quite impressive though. I felt his character reminded me of Duke Nukem, who was in your face macho, to the point of it being comedic. Similarly, Peter Stormare (of Prison Break fame), who played CIA top dog Scott Langral, was convincing in his role as the government suit. Maggie Grace (of Lost fame), was about okay, nothing special but decent; she did justice to her character, the president’s daughter Emilie Warnock, who develops a love hate relationship with Snow. At the end of the day, Lockout is pretty forgettable, and perhaps therein lies the reason that it never became popular. So unless you’re a really big sci-fi action movie fan, you’re probably gonna find this movie sitting comfortably in the silly entertainment department.

My Recommendation: Dicey (Good for a casual watch and a lighter moment at best)  

Ant-Man - Snapshot

 

 

After the mammoth release that was Avengers - Age of Ultron, earlier this year, it seemed as if Ant-Man was a rather miniscule follow-up (pun intended), in the ongoing Marvel universe; so much so that I was even debating whether it deserved to be watched in the theatre. With the inclusion of Paul Rudd, it has the expected comedy feel, and was unlike any of the other blockbuster superhero movies in the Marvel lineup. As the narrative got rolling, the drama elements of the movie took center stage; with Ant-Man having more in common with the Spiderman movies, wherein a very normal and unexpected hero is born; one who has to battle with himself, as he learns to deal with his changes. That said, while I’m not a fan of the pacing of some of the Spiderman movies, Ant-Man holds audience interest throughout, and eventually settles in well into the Avengers ensemble; the usual Marvel style post end credits sequence, doing its bit. Perhaps the most notable component of the movie was the masterfully planned storyboard/scenes, made keeping in mind the special abilities of the Ant-Man character, truly showcasing his ‘shrinking’ prowess. The special effects employed in the action sequences are very impressive, with the intermittently changing scale contributing both to intense action and laughs a plenty. The cast also included Evangeline Lily of Lost fame; it was nice to see her in a role that had more emotion, in addition to her usual tough as nails persona.  It was a great reprisal for Michael Douglas as Dr. Hank Pym, the scientist behind the Ant-Man suit and abilities. Michael Peña is hilarious, adding some laughs by means of his snappy dialog. Judy Greer was remarkable as always in her supporting role, playing a mature character, in keeping with her aging visage. Should you watch Ant-Man? Hell yeah! It’s an unexpected gem, which will appeal to a wide range of audiences.

My Recommendation: Watch It + (A drama feature, in an otherwise action Marvel lineup)

World War Z - Snapshot

I watched the trailer for World War Z around the time of its release, and found some of the effects quite impressive, and the theme was certainly of interest. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to watch it in the theatre, and only got around to watching it last night, almost 2 years after its 2013 release. I hear that it’s an adaptation from a book, but since I neither read the book nor have a perspective on it, my thoughts are solely based on the movie as a standalone. By itself, as a zombie movie, it’s actually pretty darn good. The movie wastes no time getting into the action, with audiences being startled and rudely drawn into the action, shortly after the calm paced opening moments. All such sequences throughout the movie are supported well by visual and sound elements, to provide for a gritty and intense viewing experience; consistently maintaining the suspense levels. The movie sustains a pretty engaging pace, from one goal to the next. Though the blood and gore are comparatively lesser than usual zombie movies, World War Z has its share of carnage. Unlike some of its bloodier mainstream slasher movie counterparts, it feels like a Roland Emmerich blockbuster, with a global crisis to humanity sorta perspective; think 2012 meets Resident Evil. Some of the special effect were indeed amazing, especially the rapid insect like behavior of the zombies in the sequences in Israel. Gerry Lane played by Brad Pitt is the UN agent and the central character the audiences follow through the plot. While his uncanny ability to survive every one of the life threatening situations is hard to believe, assume that he has nine lives like a cat, and as long as you watch it as entertainment, you’ll have fun. From a performance perspective though, he does very well, proving that he is a pretty solid actor, with a good deal of range. Also worth mention was Mireille Enos, who plays the lead character’s wife, Karin Lane. If you usually find disaster movies like The Day After Tomorrow entertaining, combining elements of a global disaster, and a family’s survival struggle to follow, you’ll enjoy World War Z. Technically, the presentation was excellent, video looking very nice, with some phenomenal sweeping shots that would look amazing on a big screen. Special effects were impressive, and sound effects complemented it all superbly.

My Recommendation: Kick Ass (A zombie epidemic with a human drama setting) 

Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy - Snapshot

I stumbled upon Anchorman - The Legend Of Ron Burgundy, by accident during my routine movie research. Released in 2004, it stars Will Ferrell, and is supposed to be based on true events, documenting the male dominated news channel industry during the 70’s. As with most Will Ferrell movies, audiences get the usual dose of big, dumb, silly, and obnoxious humor. Set in a period where commercial industry was male dominated, it covers the theme of the emergence and recognition of female talent. The beauty of it was the rather strong theme which was exposed to the viewers in casual and comic manner. While the movie shares intertextuality with the television series Mad Men in some sense, it manages to constantly keep things light and cheesy. There is a romance element woven into the plot, which runs parallel to the main theme, but does not interfere or take away from the key focus; that being the rise and fall of Ron Burgandy, and the shift to women in news anchor roles.  The movie has it’s over the top moments, where channel anchors behave almost like superheroes, living life at a level that most mere mortals can’t relate to. Co-written by Will Ferrell, it’s clear that the Ron Burgandy role was meant for him. Ferrell was impeccable in his portrayal, and while it’s easy to give credit to serious drama performances, people easily overlook perfection in comedy roles such as this. His co-star Christina Applegate, and band of brothers per se, played by Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, and David Koechner all do splendid jobs, making for one well put together comic look at the 70’s newsroom. If you’re usually the kind to sink your thoughts and mental faculties in Oscar nominated movies, then Anchorman - The Legend Of Ron Burgundy, is probably not right for you. But if you’re looking for crazy situational comedy, randomness, and cheesy dialog and performances, which are quality funny, then I’d recommend you give this one a watch.  The material I was sampling was a 1080p rip from a Bluray source. Colors were bright and vivid, highlighting the oddly colorful and bright clothing adorned by the cast of the movie. Sound was presented by means of a 6 channel DTS soundtrack. Positional sound was limited, but there was some use of surround. Importantly the dialog was crisp and clear.

My Recommendation: Watch It (A cheesy over the top Will Ferrell comedy, set in the 70’s newsroom era)

The Terminator - Snapshot

As part of yet another run-up to an iconic franchise, I decided to fire-up The Terminator for a re-watch. When this movie was released in 1984, clearly I was too young to see it, and my parents flatly disallowed it. In fact, it was only after seeing Terminator 2:  The Judgement Day, that I got around to watching the opening installment. My first experience with it was an original region 4 Australia DVD; specs were really good, and on a modest TV with a stereo home-theater setup, it was a decent watch. I recall the movie being a little slow, and not so much a blockbuster like the sequel. Watching it today in 2015, as a much more discerning viewer, on a 5.1 surround sound system, and a big screen, introduced me yet again to the beginning of the Terminator saga. Online research will tell you that this was a comparatively low budget effort, that was unexpectedly successful, which garnered a cult following of sorts. In keeping with that, the movie has its dull dated almost B-movie moments. Expect no glitz and glamour, usually reminiscent of blockbuster movies. Special effects are decent, considering the age of this movie; and the 6 channel surround is actually pretty impressive. I was pleasantly surprised by the positional audio in many of the scenes, some even being just ambient environment sound transitions. Though the budget was low, the acting limited, and the movie slow and dark, what shines is the narrative process. Some of it is predictable, but that’s not to say that the slow exposition of key story elements isn’t interesting. Knowing and having seen the rest of the franchise, the awe and surprise is somewhat lessened. Camera work, angles, and how some sequences are depicted are quite distinctive and memorable. There are some slightly gruesome scenes, especially the manual repair sequences for the cyborg Terminator. Going into the franchise though, a lot of the key characters are introduced here, including the doctor at the mental institution in the next installment. Similarly there are several iconic dialogs, including “Come with me if you want to live”, and “I’ll be back”. If you’re a Terminator fan, this is a must watch. On the other hand, general modern day action movie goers may find it hit or miss. 

My Recommendation: Watch It (The humble beginnings of possibly the best movie franchise ever)

I Love You, Beth Cooper - Snapshot

During a road-trip vacation in 2013, a couple of friends and I decided to watch a movie post dinner on a netbook, and the random pick from a portable external drive happened to be I Love You, Beth Cooper. Having stumbled onto it completely by accident, it came as a surprise to me to see Hayden Panettiere in it; whose existence I was unaware of, prior to the extremely popular TV serial, Heroes. Online research revealed that she has in fact done a bunch of movies and TV serials prior to Heroes, and this was one of them. The rest of the cast is not really popular, but it’s worth mentioning that they all did well, in this crazy high-school comedy. The male lead Paul Rust is pretty funny in his geeky performance, alongside other stereotype yet funny characters. Going into it, I knew nothing about the movie, but watching the non-stop nonsense unfold in a manner similar to the Harold and Kumar movies, made for a pretty entertaining watch. The bulk of the movie happens over the course of an all-night adventure, which undoubtedly ends well. Just think Harold and Kumar with a touch of romance, and that’s I Love You, Beth Cooper for you. The content we sampled was a lossy DivX DVD rip, so picture was washed out, and audio was a plain-Jane stereo mp3; for casual viewing on a small screen though, it sufficed. If you’re in the mood for something casual, silly, and fun, you’ll probably enjoy I Love You, Beth Cooper.

My Recommendation: Watch It – (A run of the mill, high-school comedy)

Bruno - Snapshot

Ever since my Borat experience I have been an ardent Sacha Baron Cohen fan, because what he delivers as a package, from the concept, to the lead role, is usually fantastic, and makes for phenomenal comedy. That’s how I stumbled upon Bruno, released in 2009, three years after Borat. Though the critical acclaim was lesser, I finally got myself an HD rip and checked it out. In keeping with his over the top concepts and portrayal is Bruno, a very queer, intensely ridiculous, story of an Austrian entertainer who wants to make it big in showbiz. Similar to Borat he moves to the US, this time in search of fame, only to do things that are wrong at so many levels. Be warned that if you’re homophobic, Bruno as a movie is literally on the edge of what maybe too much. That said, this intensity is why Sacha Baron Cohen is brilliant, and expect to be cracking up and just totally losing it. As expected, he owns, lives, and breathes the Bruno character. The documentary style shooting, the narration from the lead character, and the overall plot progression of ridiculous and obnoxious attempts at achieving a goal is very much in keeping with the format used in Borat. If you enjoyed that craziness, in all likeliness this is worth the watch. On the other hand if you’re looking for something completely original and different, or are easily put-off by queer themes, steer clear of Bruno. The content I was sampling was a 720p rip from Bluray, with a 6 channel DTS soundtrack. The video has a documentary film camera kinda look, with film grain. The presentation was clear and favored warm colors. The strategic use of music to amplify funny moments was done brilliantly.

My Recommendation: Watch It (Gratuitously Gay Madness)