» Capsule Reviews

PARANORMAN (Chris Butler and Sam Fell, 2012)

Gabe — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 21:42:11 +0000

What an odd duck this one is. A little bit horror, a little bit animated “feel good,” a little bit dark drama about social alienation. An extremely strange blend of genres and styles, ParaNorman somehow manages to pull it off…sort of. In the same way that it’s a messy mix of concepts and themes, it’s also messy in terms of execution. Some moments are inspired, charming, and/or funny, like Norman’s love/hate relationship with his sister and a clever little pro-gay rights moment near the conclusion . Others, like the actual zombies and their back-story, feel shallow, discombobulated and clunky. The plot itself—a boy who can see, and speak to, the dead (including his deceased grandmother) finds himself mocked by his entire town until an awakening of seven cursed corpses forces a change of heart—is funky and somewhat tired, yet has just enough original spunk to avoid being a chore. The banter between the characters is mostly above-average, and the emotional development is as well. There’s also something appealing about Norman’s triple-pronged challenges from the grownups/parents, other kids, and the undead—while this sort of growth in a film is hardly original, it’s executed pretty well here. There are just too many lulls and tonal inconsistencies to elevate ParaNorman above the “decent” threshold. That risk always exists when a filmmaker tries to straddle genres, and it’s on full display here. Still, there’s enough to like to earn a moderately positive overall assessment.

58/100

RISE OF THE GUARDIANS (Peter Ramsey, 2012)

Gabe — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 19:09:25 +0000

Alas, a sweet heart and a tender message aren’t enough to save Rise of the Guardians from its overly sugary ways. Occasional moments of genuine sentiment and emotion are drowned out by canned lines galore, uneven pacing, and mediocre voice-acting. The story, which pits the Guardians (Santa Claus,The Easter Bunny, The Sandman, and the Tooth Fairy, along with newcomer Jack Frost) vs. the evil Bogeyman (here, known as Pitch) in a quest to keep children’s beliefs alive, feels stale and uninspired (not to mention that the decision to place Jack Frost in the pantheon of the others, let alone make him the protagonist, seems like an odd choice). And the script is even worse: Rise of the Guardians is one of those movies where almost anybody can predict the next line before it comes out of the character’s mouth. On the plus side, the imagery is engaging, and nearly any animated picture about children and their dreams is bound to stir the heart of anyone who posses one, to some degree, anyway. But Rise of the Guardians is sufficiently dark that the youngest movie-goers should be ruled out lest they wind up with one of the Bogeyman’s nightmares…so while a certain child demographic should get a thrill out of the action and vanquishing of evil, the parents are likely to find this one severely lacking in plenty of areas.

42/100

THE EVIL DEAD (Sam Raimi, 1981)

Gabe — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 19:15:59 +0000

A cult classic of the highest order, Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead is the rare 80′s movie that actually feels worthy of its lofty reputation; relatively, anyway. Set in a cold cabin in the woods, The Evil Dead tells the story of five young friends whose plans for a fun, saucy weekend turn to terror when they find an ancient book of evil in the cabin’s cellar that releases evil spirits back into the world. Person by person is possessed, until only one remains, trying to fend off the demons and send them back from whence they came. The premise is as silly as it sounds, of course, but that’s obviously not the point: Raimi’s very comfortable in his own skin here, and the camp and sudden spooks are, for the most part, effectively delivered. Raimi uses creative pans, often 360-degrees, to enhance the mood, and the makeup is mostly pretty good (with a few moments serving as notable exceptions). The sound editing is excellent. And of course, there’s gore-a-plenty, with severed limbs, spurting blood, lunging branches, fire irons, and other such goodies. It all adds up to a rollicking good time for horror junkies, and even some entertainment for the rest of us, assuming the viewer in question isn’t the squeamish sort. Plenty of modern genre entries could take a cue from Raimi’s deft handling of the material.

64/100

WRECK-IT RALPH (Rich Moore, 2012)

Gabe — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 02:43:41 +0000

Despite being a perfectly entertaining Disney picture, Wreck-it Ralph leaves that nagging taste in the mouth that it could have been so much more. From the trailer, I’d hoped for a wildly enjoyable romp down video game memory lane bliss, more in line with the “Bad Guys Anonymous” meeting (an AA spoof) from the trailer (and early in the film), where a gaggle of gaming villains commiserate in a sad sack circle. Unfortunately, while there are a few other nostalgic highlights, Wreck-it Ralph mostly morphs into a generic Disney picture: harmless, simple fun with a clean message and uplifting conclusion. It’s basically what we’ve come to expect from Disney movies since the mid-90′s…which is charming enough, but a let-down given the creative premise of a video game villain desperate to taste what it’s like to be the hero, and game-hopping to earn a medal and find out. Caveats and expectations aside, Wreck-it Ralph does meet the threshold of family fun, and constitutes a fine day out at the theater with the kiddos. And Jane Lynch voices the militant female captain Calhoun to perfection. So go to the multiplex, but expect to see the same movie you’ve been seeing for the past 15 years.

60/100

SENNA (Asif Kapadia, 2011)

Gabe — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:17:05 +0000

As someone who’s decidedly uninterested in auto racing, I was admittedly skeptical when a good friend highly recommended Asif Kapadia’s Senna, a documentary about the legendary Brazilian auto racer who died tragically in action at the age of 34. I shouldn’t have doubted him. Senna isn’t really about auto racing at all (though there are a few gripping finishes): rather, it’s about how one’s near-deity status in their profession of choice can touch the world on a nearly unimaginable scope. It’s also a surprisingly deft examination of the power of faith: while it feels suspiciously like the football player thanking God post-touchdown early on, it smoothly grows into a much richer subtext. A sequence near the end, where Senna’s close friend—and doctor—Sid Watkins, who wasn’t a religious man, feels the presence of a higher power right when Senna draws his final breath, is almost supernaturally powerful (it’s also creepy to note just how uncomfortable and nervous Senna was before the fatal race). Yet Kapadia’s assured editing assures that the biblical angle is never overplayed, and since Senna is essentially all archival footage, the moments that DO arise pack an emotional wallop. Senna‘s first half, which focuses more on Senna’s rise to prominence and his Federer/Nadal-esque rivalry with fellow F1 champ Alain Prost, is very solid, but it’s the second hour that really catapults this to must-see territory. The tragedy of Senna’s far-too-early death can’t be cheapened, but it’s heartwarming to see all the silver linings that came from it, a renewed determination to improve safety in F1 racing (since the death, Watkins has led the charge, and there have been no deaths) and a foundation that’s changed the lives of 12 million Brazilian children among them. I would have liked to have learned a bit more about Senna the man (his family, love life, etc), but since he seemed to live for racing and a greater purpose, that’s a minor quibble at most. Don’t let a lack of interest in the “subject matter” deter you from actively seeking Senna out—along with James Marsh’s Project Nim, it’s the best documentary of the year.

72/100

CLIENT 9: THE RISE AND FALL OF ELIOT SPITZER (Alex Gibney, 2010)

Gabe — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:56:45 +0000

The rapid-fire fall from grace of Eliot Spitzer, the former of Governor of New York, was indeed sudden and precipitous, and Alex Gibney’s documentary about the man, his flaws, and the many circumstances surrounding his outing is, for the most part, sharp and astute. Client 9 is creatively edited—some might call it scattered, but I really enjoyed the way Gibney bounced around between Spitzer’s strengths (a non-stop motor and thirst for results; a fierce desire to weed out corruption; a passion for equality and transparency) and weaknesses (an overly pugnacious approach with his peers that bordered on flat-out belittling; obtuse stubbornness). Rather than turn Client 9 into a sermon on morals or pigeonholing Spitzer’s idiotic mistake into an overall characterization of the man himself, Gibney shows us that Spitzer’s dalliances with prostitutes were a manifestation of something richer. What, exactly? Rampant insecurity, perhaps spurred by being the son of a highly successful real estate mogul? Self-loathing? A pure example of being power-hungry? We’re given flashes of all these possibilities—Spitzer himself speaks fairly regularly throughout the documentary, and candidly, at that—but I wish Gibney had dug even deeper into this fascinating, unique man. Because in so many ways, Eliot Spitzer sums up what we all suspect most politicians, in some form, are: brilliant but tainted individuals who, throughout their many years in the public spotlight, have accumulated many skeletons in their closets. The question becomes how much their mistakes should be held against them, and Client 9, by highlighting Spitzer’s fearless willingness to take on the biggest banks and Hedge Funds on Wall Street (numerous enemies made along the way be damned) without apologizing for his blunders and flaws, comes tantalizingly close to being a truly all-encompassing take on its subject matter…but doesn’t quite get there. It’s a solid documentary, one well worth seeing, but it could have been even better.

65/100

THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH (Chuck Jones & Abe Levitow, 1970)

Gabe — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:18:03 +0000

After a recent rereading of Norton Juster’s astonishingly intellectually astute “The Phantom Tollbooth”—a magical novel that holds up brilliantly over time—I found myself with the urge to seek out a cinematic version, as the story is ripe for the screen. Just one seems to exist: the legendary Chuck Jones’ 1970 film, which is 95% animation and 5% Dennis-the-Menace-esque live action. Well, the live action segments are pretty silly—Butch Patrick as Milo is a bit too hammy for my liking—but the animated portion, which covers the vast swath of the picture, is a surprisingly loyal adaptation that gives us all the wonderful characters that make the book so special. Tock, the Humbug, Azaz, the Mathemagician, DYNNE, the Whetherman, the Which…the list goes on and on, and The Phantom Tollbooth doesn’t shirk on many. The order of events is a bit mixed up, but that’s forgivable given Jones’ attempt to keep things brisk—ironically, The Phantom Tollbooth could easily have taken on an extra 15 minutes of weight without toppling over from bloated runtime syndrome. The animation is clean, with enough pop to do Dictionopolis and company justice. Parents and children alike could do much worse than giving the movie a go, but not until they’ve thoroughly engrossed themselves in the book several times over.

66/100

BRIDESMAIDS (Paul Feig, 2011)

Gabe — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:35:59 +0000

Sigh. Bridesmaids is yet another entry into the “OMG, I laughed my fucking ass off!” genre of contemporary comedies that I just can’t get into. Actually, Bridesmaids represents a pretty big step up on Knocked Up and The Hangover in my book. There’s a definite genuineness to the proceedings, and it’s well-acted across the board. Kristen Wiig has gotten most of the hype for her lead performance as maid-of-honor Annie Walker —and it’s deserved; she mixes deadpan with emotion very well—but I was equally impressed by “Damages” star Rose Byrne as the lonely-and-overcompensating Helen Harris. The real star, though, is Melissa McCarthy as the mannish, brutish-but-loving Megan. She steals every scene she’s in. And there are some definite very moments. So what’s the problem? Well, first and foremost, anything that has Judd Apatow’s name to it seems to go on far longer than it should. There was absolutely no reason for Bridesmaids to be over two hours long—at 85 minutes, it might have been a sharp, snappy barrel of laughs with some substance to it. But at its actual length, it drags far too often. I like that Bridesmaids aspires to be more than just a dumb comedy, but that doesn’t mean it needs to belabor its point for what feels like eons. Director Paul Feig tries to fill the time by having Annie hit rock bottom time and time again, which eventually starts to get wearisome and irksome. Perhaps I’m being slightly harsh on Bridesmaids, a movie that has its heart in the right place, but overstretched dramedies are a pet peeve of mine, so I just can’t go higher than a barely positive rating.

57/100

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART II (David Yates, 2011)

Gabe — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:11:18 +0000

For the most part, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II picks up right where Part I, the franchise’s shining beacon on a hill, leaves off. “The Deathly Hallows”, which marks the conclusion of J.K. Rowling’s celebrated series, is a dark, dark book, with plenty of death, sadness, and agony. In both Part I and Part II, director David Yates, who’s grown quite nicely since decent-but-unspectacular stabs at Parts 5 and 6 of the HP saga, properly chooses to tell the story with (mostly) imagery and music. Part I, in particular, captures the fear that grips the land with a surprisingly deft touch. Gone were the frequent goofy exchanges between Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Warson), replaced by ominous lighting and subtle glances. The atmosphere conveys more than dialogue ever could, and it’s a joy to watch, especially for die-hard Potter fans. Part II mostly keeps this pattern up—the whirlwind revelations of Snape’s (Alan Rickman) true motives and loyalties, a highly anticipated emotional powerhouse in the books, will bring tears to any fanboy’s eyes—but Yates occasionally lets himself slip: he can’t quite keep himself from slipping in a groan-inducing “zinger” here and there, and the postscript, which was arguably necessary in the novels, could definitely have been axed from the picture. Still, quibbles aside, it’s a very strong closing act to the cinematic adaptations of the beloved books. I found myself giving fairly weak entries, particularly Chamber of Secrets and Order of the Phoenix, a pass due to my joy in seeing Hogwarts and co. on screen in all its glory…but along with Alfonso Cuarón’s Prisoner of Azkaban, Deathly Hallows represent the finest films of the lot, and should become components of many a holiday marathon viewing session.

70/100

BLACK DEATH (Christopher Smith, 2011)

Gabe — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 00:02:41 +0000

An entertaining, if by-the-numbers, entry to the sword-and-shield genre, Black Death features lots of blood, disease, and the seemingly requisite Sean Bean with flowing locks, grimy beard and noble banter—after his roles in The Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, and Troy, among others, it’s almost surprising to not find him somewhere in the medieval mix. Anyway, Black Death tells the tale of the deeply religious knight Ulrich (Bean) and the young, naive monk Osmond (Eddie Redmayne): bound together by a common goal, if different motivations, they seek a village supposedly untouched by the deadly bubonic plague, where a fearsome necromancer is rumored to reside. The religious themes are laid on incredibly thickly—subtle, Black Death is not. It puts forth its questions about the power of one’s faith without any pretenses: in a way, you could call Smith’s approach similar to that of a very poor man’s Ingmar Bergman. Like, say, The Seventh Seal, Black Death relies on imagery and lighting to present its allergorical message. Mist, nature, faces in the water; it’s all memorably shot. Obviously, comparing Smith’s film to Bergman’s masterpieces is grossly unfair, but it’s a helpful analogy in terms of directorial approach to the issues (though Black Death is much gorier than anything in Bergman’s canon!). Otherwise, Black Death is pretty by the book—Bean leads a decent, if unspectacular, cast, and Smith’s direction can best be described as competent-but-risk-averse. All in all, this is a solid movie that should appeal to those who like the subject matter, though it won’t inspire anybody that finds the topic dull to reconsider with fresh eyes.

60/100