Equilibrium Review

"You know, 1984 was a great book, wasn't it? But I have an idea...what if I replaced all those boring talky parts with explosions and katanas and gunfights? LOTS of gunfights! Wouldn't that be awesome?" I imagine that this was the question Kurt Wimmer posed to himself when he sat down to write one of the lesser known action movies of our time, a 2002 film entitled Equilibrium. Before he was Batman or John Connor, Christian Bale starred in Equilibrium as Grammaton Cleric John Preston, an elite police officer in the dystopian future city-state of Libria, where the populace is kept docile by a combination of an all-encompassing totalitarian dictatorship and regular injections of an emotion-inhibiting drug called Prozium. Clerics such as Preston are trained extensively in swordfighting and a new form of martial arts known as "gun-kata" to find and eliminate the citizens who do not take Prozium and are thus still capable of exhibiting emotion (called "sense-offenders" in the film). The story begins as Preston discovers that his partner is one of these "sense-offenders," and he wastes no time in dispatching him. The film then follows Preston as his doubts surface, he ceases his Prozium regimen, and he begins to question the system that he plegdged his life to uphold. The narrative works best without the dialogue, when the imagery of Libria is fully exposed to the viewer, combining a dystopian lack of color, a juxtaposition of cleanliness with filth, and the symbolism of reflection and obscurity. When the dialogue decides to appear, however, the film begins to tear apart at the seams. However, no one should be watching Equilibrium for its story. The action sequences in Equilibrium are well-choreographed, exciting, and brutal all at once. Keep in mind that the Matrix was still very new at the time, and Equilibrium cannot really be called a rip-off in that sense. John Preston is something of a modern-day Rambo, gunning down scores of faceless minions in practically every scene. One cannot help but enjoy a particular sequence where Preston effortlessly dispatches a dozen heavily armed men using nothing but the butts of his twin handguns, bashing in their faces and swatting away their machine guns like they were children's toys. This film is a love letter to the sort of action film which now permate the public consciousness; I daresay that had Equilibrium been released earlier, it may have become more well-known than it is today. As it stands, Equilibrium will be remembered by those with a love for on-screen ultraviolence; it's a competent and worthwhile demonstration thereof.

Clash of the Titans Review

The last two decades has seen a new trend in the prevalence of computer-generated graphics in television and film. The 1980's gave us relatively primitive computer effects with charming classics like Tron and The Last Starfighter, whereas the 90's gave us more complex effects; even films or shows created entirely using computer-generated graphics. As the 2000's come to a close, we have seen computer graphics grow in both complexity and frequency, from wall-crawlers to city-destroyers, and even robots in disguise. However, I want to take you back to a time before computers ruled the earth, a time when films had a different sensibility, a different viewing audience, and when they had one thing that can never be replaced: Ray Harryhausen. For decades, Harryhausen created fantastic creatures on the big screen with the use of stop-motion animation, special-effects that seemed wondrous in olden days, yet seems childish compared to the computerized creatures of today's films. Despite the massive gap in technology, there is a certain inexplainable quality about these older films which still manages to capture the imagination, and nowhere is this quality more evident than in one of Harryhausen's last films, the classic early 80's Greek mythological extravaganza called Clash of the Titans. Clash of the Titans retells the story of the Greek hero Perseus and his adventures, including his encounter with a giant sea-beast, his battle against the Gorgon Medusa, and his taming of the winged steed Pegasus (which the movie incorrectly attributes to him rather than Bellerophon, but it's best not to pull out D'aulaire's for this one). The cast is replete with some familiar and talented faces, including Lawrence Olivier as the god Zeus, Burgess Meredith as Ammon, a playwright, and Ursula Andress as Aphrodite. The story takes many liberties with its mythological roots, but this is easily overlooked for the film's other endearing qualities. Harryhausen's hand is evident in nearly every scene from the subtle (watching as the shadow of an individual changes and sprouts horns) to the dramatic (such as Calibos, the horned man in question as he skulks about the screen, a perpetual evil sneer affixed to his face). Even today, the sight of the mighty Kraken as it emerges from the sea is still a powerful and imposing image. It is an enduring testament to the pre-digital age of films, and proof of why those films are still so much fun to watch.

Colossus: the Forbin Project review

Remember the Cold War? I sure don't. But that era in world history spawned a multitude of topical films, television shows, and all sorts of other media. A great deal of it has endured to this day, reminding us of just how crazy countries with too many nukes can get (after they've had a few martinis). And on a similar (completely different) note, remember when computers were the size of buildings and ran on tapes? Yeah, me neither. But you'll find a healthy dose of both in 1970's Colossus: the Forbin Project, or as I like to call it, the WarGames before WarGames. Colossus concerns the launch of a new, highly advanced supercomputer named "Colossus," built for the purpose of defending America from its Communist foes. Things go quickly awry when Colossus detects a similar Russian supercomputer called "Guardian," and the two systems begin to interact with one another. Dr. Charles Forbin, (Eric Braeden) the creator of Colossus and his team attempt to sever the connection, but both computers respond with launching nuclear weapons. The situation worsens from there as both countries are held in the thrall of the combined Colossus-Guardian entity, forcing them to build security cameras for it to access and granting it more and more functions. Eventually, Colossus assumes dominion over essentially the entire world, as it states clearly in its initial address to the people of the world: "This is the voice of World Control." The film is deeply rooted in its Cold War environment, and the sight of tiny dots on a radar screen approaching their targets is truly chilling for the characters and the audience. The human element of the film is well-developed and realistic, in stark contrast to the cold, impersonal menace of Colossus which looms over every scene, it's "eyes" and "voice" permeating every structure like a computerized Big Brother. The scenery is both larger-than-life and all-too familiar, and the dialogue is rendered almost too realistically, sentences are interrupted and relatively simple adjectives are used to give a feeling of verisimilitude which complements the film nicely, yet some lines manage to fall flat, and the ending is abrupt and leaves the viewer wanting more. All in all, Colossus is a solid example of Cold War-era science fiction, and a capable statement on the dangers of the technological singularity.

Kronos Review

The 1950's were a hotbed for alien invasion science-fiction films. Some were good, some were not so good, and some were legendarily awful. One film from this era which might not immediately spring to mind is 1957's "Kronos," also known as "Kronos, Destroyer of Worlds." The film depicts an alien invasion on two fronts: an alien presence possesses the body of a government observatory director, while simultaneously a massive mechanical behemoth emerges on the coast of Mexico, dubbed "Kronos." Kronos begins a destructive rampage across the countryside, absorbing nuclear energy as it goes. The addition of the more intimate human element of the invasion vis a vis the possession is a strong counterpoint to the looming presence of Kronos itself, which has a unique and memorable design. The sense of the monsters' size is easily conveyed. The special effects are above-average for the time, as is the tightly-paced storyline. It is a shame that "Kronos" does not share the limelight with its contemporaries, as it is a fine example of science-fiction cinema, and demonstrates the strengths of the genre without overindulging itself overmuch. As evidenced by the recent surge of remakes, 1950's science-fiction maintains a strong presence in modern popular consciousness. There is a charm and sophistication to these films which does not seem to have been replicated in modern science-fiction. The moviegoers of yesteryear were perhaps more patient, more cerebral, or perhaps simply had a different set of standards for their viewing entertainment. Perhaps "Kronos" has more to teach a modern audience than one would expect.

The Island of Doctor Moreau Review

Are we not men? This is the question posed to us by the 1996 film adaptation of the classic novel "The Island of Doctor Moreau" by H.G. Wells. The story begins as United Nations functionary Edward Douglas (David Thewlis) suffers a shipwreck and is found by a man named Montgomery, (Val Kilmer) who takes him to the eponymous isle. It doesn't take Edward long to discover that the island is populated with hideous half-man half-animal hybrids, created by the brilliant yet twisted Doctor Moreau, here portrayed by an aged, corpulent Marlon Brando. Faster than you can say "four feet good, two feet bad," the animal-men revolt and the island descends into madness, owing to Montgomery and Edwards' actions. The main problem with the film is that it is simply boring to watch. The plot only seems to last for the first half, after which the film wanders around showing us random, sporadic scenes of violence hoping to somehow stumble back into its narrative structure. The acting is for the most part lethargic, and Thewlis in particular delivers a particularly narcoleptic performance. The only halfway decent performance in the whole film comes from Brando, but it is clear he is straining just to deliver a mediocre job. It's sad to see a once-shining talent reduced to such a state, spending most of the film clad in ridiculous makeup and downright silly costuming. Speaking of silly costumes, the animal-men's appearance is unconvincing and look better suited for a second-rate monster movie, which by the end of the film is what it has become. Overall, "The Island of Doctor Moreau" is yet another example of how a great literary classic can be turned into a great Hollywood joke.

The Spirit Review

The 1930's and 40's were rife with new and exciting heroes, including those pulp heroes. Among the most widely recognized of these heroes is the Spirit, a character created by famed comic book artist Will Eisner. The Spirit was a complex, multi-layered character whose adventures were many and varied. He captured the imagination and revolutionized comics as an art form. So what does Frank Miller's 2008 film version give us? A gritty-voiced pretty-boy who spends half the film narrating to a bunch of cats. Nice going, Frank. The eponymous character, played by Gabriel Macht, is a vigilante who is back from the dead, on the trail of the criminal mastermind known only as the Octopus, played by Samuel L. "I've had it with these motherf***ing snakes" Jackson. In the first ten minutes of the movie, we get a mud-spattered confrontation between the two, as the Octopus whacks the Spirit over the head with a toilet seat and loudly proclaims: "Toilets are ALWAYS funny!" These are the sort of lines we can expect from this film, as Miller treats neither the source material nor the audience's expectations with much respect. The film attempts a noir-ish tone, but it is ultimately lost inside the scarce narrative and heavily cartoonish atmosphere. Macht gives a decent performance, and might benefit from a script not written by Mr. Miller, whereas Jackson seems to be having the time of his life, hamming it up beyond even Shatner levels of overacting. One particular sequence near the end seems to evoke a certain style with which we are all familiar. All things considered, it is a fun movie to watch without the use of the higher brain functions. Just make sure you're in the mood for a cartoon, and not an actual film representation of the Spirit.

Cool World Review

Do you recall the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit, about people and cartoons interacting with each other? Imagine watching it after taking a massive injection of mind-altering drugs and you’d get Ralph Bakshi's 1992 head-trip known as "Cool World." Those familiar with Bakshi's work (Fire and Ice, Wizards) will know that odd, hyper-colorful animated opuses are right up his alley. Cool World, however, manages to descend to new depths of insanity, a feat which leaves the viewer both bemused and bewildered. Cool World opens with a young man from 1945 named Frank Harris (Brad Pitt) being forcibly pulled into the film's eponymous realm immediately following his mothers' death. The "Cool World" turns out to be a zany, nightmarish realm populated entirely by cartoons known as "doodles." Cut to the present day, where we meet comic book artist Jack Deebs (Gabriel Byrne), who is also pulled into the Cool World. Frank is soon on Jack's case, preventing him from forming a relationship with the voluptuous doodle Holli Would (Kim Basinger), spouting the immortal warning: "Noids do not have sex with doodles." The film is busy, and at all times the screen is clogged with cartoon animals and God knows what else clobbering each other senseless. It's easy to be overwhelmed by the films' aesthetic, and just as easy to be underwhelmed by the human element. The rotoscoping effects are done competently enough, but there's no real point to the film, it simply meanders around until reaching its conclusion. Coupled with Bakshi's trademark irreverence, you have yourself a real monster of a film. Despite this, the doodles' voices are rendered well enough, with veteran voice actors like Maurice LaMarche and Charlie Adler rounding out the cast. Overall, Cool World isn't so much "cool" as it is lukewarm.