Batman v Superman: Doesn't do it Justice!

OK, first of all this movie is not as bad as a lot of critics made out. It is watchable and decent popcorn fare. I didn't dislike it but that being said I didn't love it either. A lot of what I'm about to say is likely personal preference but for a spoiler-free review, here goes. 
 

Firstly, Lex Luther is too wimpy and flimsical ( I think I just made that word up - a hybrid of flimsy and whimsical). Jesse Eisenberg is playing a slightly deranged Mark Zuckerberg. I don't like it for Lex Luthor. It's not the Lex Luthor of the comics to me. Sure its decent acting but it is just bad casting. Jesse Eisenberg does not fit the profile of Lex Luthor and so we end up with a Lex Luthor who is more Joker than Lex Luthor - madly delirious rather than megalomaniac schemer.


Then there is Superman. Director Zach Snyder continues the analogy of Superman as a Messiah or a God but now the world of Metropolis is starting to question whether they really need him.  That isn't a bad direction to take the underlying themes if it weren't for the fact that with this Superman it seems more and more justified. Superman is supposed to be the Captain America of DC comics - his goodness was always his true power - but Zach Snyder is making him almost Hulk angry and unlikeable!
 
Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman does just enough to impress the traditionalists and the feminists but I can't help wonder if she may have been better served being introduced in a solo movie first rather than here as a competent but constricted cameo.

Finally, Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne is ok but I love him as Batman - he brings a lot more weight and physicality to the dark knight. Batman was always dark but most movies have made him more flashy playboy than a tortured vigilante (that being said I always enjoyed Bale as Batman but after seeing Batfleck maybe it was Nolan's universe I enjoyed more than Bale himself).  
Many will say that this movie is a little too serious for a genre that has thrived on Marvel's quipping and recently went through the roof with Deadpool's fourth wall sarcasm. The lack of both the Joker and the Riddler who were originally rumored to be in this movie speaks volumes to Snyder's intent to stay ultra-bleak but in the many wandering-through-fields-brooding-taking-itself-too-seriously scenes you can almost hear the Joker whispering "Why so serious?".




Again its not that the movie is bad but you just come out feeling like you got less than you hoped for. In short Dawn of Justice doesn't do it justice!



I think it's worth it for the new Batman, the fight scene between Batman and Superman and for Wonder Woman.
I'd give it a 7-7.5/10

"The Witch" - A Horrifying Deconstruction of Faith

Let me first admit that "The Witch" is a very well made indie horror movie from first time director, Robert Eggers
The lighting in particular stands out, with Eggers using natural light in his shots wherever possible. This not only helps create a haunting visual with its fading light and flickering shadows but also creates an authentic feel for this 17th century Puritan tale of witchery. And in many ways this is a welcome return to the old style horror that relied on cinematography and dialogue to create its tension and scares. But idle movie-goers beware, this is a wolf in sheep's clothing. For though it looks like a horror movie, and passes as a horror movie at first glance, in reality this is a scathing condemnation of religion and specifically, Christianity. The true horror here is the gradual realization that this movie has been subtly constructed to deconstruct and then tear apart a belief in Christ and religion.

Ralph Ineson as William in "The Witch"

The father of the family, William, is clearly set up as a type of Christ. With long hair and full beard accompanied by sad and haunting eyes, Ralph Ineson as William, creates a perfect Renaissance image of Christ. Additionally, from the opening scene where he challenges the established religious authorities, to a scene intentionally reminiscent of the last supper and on to the intercessory prayer scene where William prays that he might take upon him his family's sins, "The Witch" is laced with these moments designed to remind us that William represents Christ. His family represent his faithful followers.


Ultimately, for all his bravado and words, William's faith is shown to fail him and his family. In a scene some Christians may perceive as more horrific than any bloodied body or witch scene, William's daughter, Thomasin (played with just the right balance of innocence and potential sinfulness by relative newcomer Anya Taylor-Joy) tells her father that he is a hypocrite and a liar and that he is useless at providing for his family, he can't farm, he can't hunt and that all he is good at is "cutting wood". This stark assessment of her father serves to reveal the key theme of Egger's movie - that Christ is merely a carpenter and not the Son of God and not the Saviour and helpless to help his children.

Furthering this anti-Christian theme, Eggers shows this originally faithful family overtaken by an ever-increasing sense of despair as evil envelops and surrounds their once-hopeful family.

One might argue that Eggers is merely commenting in general on how religious extremism breeds evil and this message is certainly found within the eerily subtle frames of "The Witch" but its focus on William as a type of Christ is a clear message to all that Eggers wants us to believe that there is no hope in Christ.

It is telling that the movie was intentionally marketed to the Satanic Temple and its followers as a film that would resonate with those that live life "minus the God element".

From a movie-making point of view The Witch is a fantastic debut and quite possibly deserves it's Sundance director prize. As a Christian, I find it's message truly horrifying.

Avengers: Age of Ultron

So you want to know if the sequel to the highly successful Avengers movie is worth seeing? The reality is you'll probably go see it anyway no matter what I say, such is the hold Marvel has on the concept of "blockbuster" movie at the moment.

Marvel have definitely packed a punch in this popcorn extravaganza. You have your mortals, your immortals, your robots and super robots and what looks like a mix of all of those with The Vision and let's throw a couple of mutants in there too! All fighting for peace. 

You have your drama and angst, your action and jokes and there's even time for a romance to rival Shrek and Fiona! 

It's got everything you could want in a Marvel summer blockbuster and if you are a Marvel fan you won't leave disappointed...but...I don't know, I just sense somewhere within I'm getting a little tired of the one-two, crash, bang, wallop and quip feeling that is the Marvel Universe. At some point they have to realize that all franchises have a life span and if they don't get us to the whole point of this soon they may end up sucking the life out of the general viewers (not the die hard fans but the regular movie-goers) long before this story is ever finally laid to rest.

I'm still enjoying the movies and Age of Ultron is a fine addition to the superhero genre but Marvel must make their Universe come of age before it ages all of us. 

McFarland - A Reminder of the Real American Dream

 There aren't too many definites in this world but put Kevin Costner in a sports movie and you can be pretty sure you will get your money's worth.
McFarland is the kind of movie that will never be a blockbuster. It wasn't aiming to be the biggest movie or to "better the rest" based on box office bucks. But it has heart and it has a great message.

Is it formulaic and somewhat predictable? Yes...but that's because "good", more often than not, is predictable.
McFarland is the true story of a coach taking a high school cross-country team from non-existence to competing in the California State Championships. The story is inspirational but it is the message that director Niki Caro has framed around the story that makes this movie stand out. You see, while the story maybe the typical cliche - a white guy inspiring a group of immigrant, unmotivated kids to become something - the message is really of how an immigrant community reminded the white guy of what the American dream really is.

The American Dream used to stand for something. It used to stand for opportunity. It used to stand for hard work. It used to stand for family.  It used to stand for equality and freedom and "in God we trust". Over the years this dream became simplified by mainstream to mean, bigger, better, and brighter. Today, that definition for many has evolved into ego, inequality and excess.
In McFarland we are introduced to a white family, pointedly called the White family, who seem to be failing at what they perceive to be the American dream. The father, Jim White, loses his job as a high school football coach and has to move to a largely immigrant town in central California called McFarland.  His home is downsized, his job is downsized and his expectations are down-sized - all of it far from the super-sized definition of the modern day American dream.

But as the White's are forced to live with the disappointment of their downfall and overcome the distrust they feel in their new surroundings with their new neighbours, slowly, somewhere in the dusty orange groves, and back-cramping cabbage fields of McFarland, they are reminded of the real American Dream.

Is this an overly patriotic American movie? No. Not at all. In fact, you will learn more about the Mexican culture than the American culture on the face of it. But throughout the film, director Niki Caro reminds the audience that it is the immigrant mentality that built America. Not with idle expectation or by demanding rights but on the backbone of hard work, humility and a healthy dose of love and respect for family, community and yes, even God.

You will get bigger blockbusters, you will get better award-winning, fashionable movies but if you want to be reminded of what life is really about, and at the same time enjoy a strong inspirational sports movie with the ever-likeable Kevin Costner, go check out McFarland.

Noah?...ah No!

Darren Aronofsky's Noah was released today. Widely anticipated but with many critics cautious about its cinematic clout at the box office, the wait is over and the result is underwhelming.

Instead of a clear account of the biblical epic, we have a mish-mash of many of the Noah/Great Flood narratives from across the world. Instead of some acceptable creative license for an admittedly lean story we have, for all intents and purposes, a completely new story that cannibalizes its origin. Instead of the anticipated return of the "biblical epic", we have a part-sci-fi, part-60's nature documentary, part-silhouette puppet, part-psycho-thriller, and part-bleak apocalyptic yarn. Noah, rather than the wise, faithful, strong prophet who spoke for God, was merely a delusional psychotic. And Methuselah, reported to be the oldest living man ever to walk the face of the earth, was reduced to a comical bit-part, as a berry-picking hermit.

This movie had so many mixed messages that it was clear that either this movie was an attempt to pander to all religions and cultures, including atheists, or it was just too afraid to pick one version of the story and tell that story.
God was called "The Creator" throughout as a nod to the Aboriginals and Creationists and the message for them appeared to be that nature was in control, possibly through a creator. Darwinism and "survival of the fittest" was introduced in an attempt to pander to the scientific atheists and the message was clearly the fittest will survive and that God, if he does exist, is a killer and not to be followed but rather, ignored. There was enough mention of Judo-Christian elements to suggest they were also trying to please that base but clearly they were not the main audience as they brutalized the traditional story and for the life of me I cannot see how any one particular group can come out of this pleased with the results. I suspect the familiar, faithful Noah was made a murderous madman in an effort to create a storyline for strong women to emerge from. But in truth, even the women still end up being the subject of infanticide, are left to die and ultimately, are only secondary characters.

The cinematography is both bold and bleak, helping contrast the old world to be destroyed with the new world to emerge. The acting is acceptable but never outstanding and while if you ask an expert, the special effects would likely be described as technically superb, visually I was never really wowed. And neither the cinematography or special effects were enough to save this cinematic ark from sinking.
So you ask me - should you go see Noah.
Ah?...That's a No!.

At Any Price - The Moral Corruption of the American Dream

Have you ever gone for a slow drive in the cornfields of middle America in the warm sun of late summer? Do you remember how it felt? Away from the big city and the rush of modern life, there among the green side banks and golden husks and blue skies, didn't it feel just a little like this was how life was really meant to be? Didn't it feel almost perfect?
Ramin Bahrani's "At Any Price" takes you back to that place in this slow burn film about the American Dream and the uncompromising pursuit of it.
Henry Whipple (Dennis Quaid) is an Iowa farmer raised with an "expand or die" mindset in an ever-shrinking, highly controlled and highly competitive market. Meanwhile and much to his chagrin, Henry's two sons, Dean and Grant, are chasing their own dreams - away from the cornfields. Determined to expand the farm for his sons, Henry must eventually choose how much he is willing to pay and how much he is willing to lose to keep that dream alive for him and his sons.

There are some very solid performances from the lead actors Dennis Quaid, Zac Effron and Kim Dickens but for me the star of the show is Bahrani's modern parable itself that highlights how morally corrupt everyone has become in chasing the American Dream and not only morally corrupt but emotionally bankrupt too. Through infidelity, heartache and break up, through corruption and criminal investigation and even through murder, not one tear is shed by the Whipple family. It's as if Bahrani is suggesting America itself is past feeling. Sure we get angry, and greedy and still plenty of lust but when it comes to guilt or compassion or conscience we are on empty.

I'll leave it to you what lessons and conclusions you think Bahrani wants us to draw from this little gem, but it is no coincidence that the one family member who ends up deserting the cornfields and the American Dream at home, is the one who finds it travelling the globe.

A surprisingly good movie that is well worth watching.

Gravity - Go!...but don't let go!

If you want the short verdict before I get all thematic and psychological on you - GO SEE Gravity!

Sandra Bullock plays Dr Ryan Stone, a biomedical engineer, on her first space shuttle mission who is left drifting in space after a spacewalk goes terribly wrong. The duality in the film title Gravity, suitably foreshadows the films exploration of serious themes while keeping you riveted to your seat with its intense action scenes and nail-biting tension. Visually superb, with an absolutely stunning performance from Sandra Bullock, a solid supporting role from George Clooney and a great soundtrack, do not be surprised if this is an Oscar contender on a few fronts come February 2014.

To be quite honest, Hollywood throws a lot of trash at these big screens every year (yes, Lone Ranger, I'm still looking at you!) and often the ticket price is just not worth what is being served up, but if you are going to visit the movies one more time this year and want to make sure you get some bang for your buck, GO SEE Gravity!

Exploring themes of life and death, birth and rebirth, living vs. existing, holding on and letting go, Gravity brilliantly portrays the impact of tragedy in our lives and our responses to it. Terrifying on a very human level, director Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Men, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) has used space, the remotest of all locations to bring us a very personal and emotional reflection of our souls' innermost struggles. And I use the word "reflection" carefully - you'll notice very subtle placement of mirrors and reflections throughout the movie. 

Everybody at some point in their lives will experience "debris" in life - that is random uncontrollable events that can impact our lives suddenly and without much warning. The gravity of such moments is always experienced in deeply personal ways but for many of us, such turbulent and sometimes tragic times can prove so traumatic that our only reaction is to close up shop and shut down. Sure, life goes on but it is in survival mode, barely existing - almost waiting for the next tragedy to hit us, as it often does. We instinctively impose solitary confinement on ourselves, if not physically then at least emotionally curling ourselves into a fetal ball, sometimes even wishing we had not been born at all.

Gravity captures the awful loneliness of the soul in these moments with breathtaking visual effects, expansive cinematography and an incredibly nuanced performance from Sandra Bullock. 

But Gravity also offers hope, whether it be the simplest sound of a dog barking, or a little baby crying, a tear drop falling into space, or the sight of the sunrise on the Ganges - these simple things in an instant can affirm life, they keep us grounded - they are like our gravity in life. They speak to our soul in a way that sometimes words just can't. They tell us life does go on, it is worth living for. 

In a world currently dominated by terrorists, scare-mongering and fear, Gravity reminds us that trauma and pain is not only part of life it IS life and accepting it and dealing with it no matter how painful and how scary only makes us stronger individually.

45 years ago, Stanley Kubrick created what many claim to be the greatest science fiction movie of them all with 2001: A Space Odyssey, a frightening masterpiece that predicted if not the overthrow of humanity then the enslavement of humanity by technology. 

45 years later, Alfonso Cuaron has created his own science fiction masterpiece where we may be tethered to technology but we are still in control of our own destiny. And in Cuaron's Gravity, life and technology can be very fragile but the true conqueror is the human spirit.

A powerful and empowering movie experience. Go see Gravity.