Watch it here
11/10/2009
14/06/2009
Quartets: a growing trend too far?
Once upon a time trilogies were a rarity. Even sequels could be a struggle to produce. But if a movie makes enough money in our current filmmaking climate then an entire trilogy is likely to be green lit before the additional scripts are even written. More often than not directors and actors find themselves contracted to a bankable franchise and a series of films just as the first is being released With each instalment having the potential to make a greater profit than its predecessor typically Hollywood is more concerned with bashing out the latest film asap while the original still resonates in the public’s psyche rather than taking time to produce an even better film. AKA quantity and not quality.
A major turning point in the development of trilogies came with the films Pirates of the Caribbean and The Matrix. Films which on paper should not have been successful (One was based on a Disney theme park ride and the other was based on Postmodernist Jean Baudrillard’s book Simulcra and Simulation) took the box office by storm. These brilliant standalone films were not initially conceived to be trilogies but this was before the backstage politics of Hollywood got involved. For the first time, both the 2nd and 3rd films of each franchise were made together as one big film to be released in two separate halves. What was mistaken for filmmakers making two films together to maintain and complete their vision was in fact a publicity stunt as well as a way of making two films quicker for a cheaper price whilst all the original cast and crew were still on board. In each case the second films The Matrix Reloaded and Dead Man's Chest were watchable, containing a minuscule amount of formula which made the first ones so successful. However both the third films The Matrix Revolutions and At World’s End had completely run out steam and were simply dull films making little sense but were nevertheless successful. By making a sequel that was similar to the first this was enough to reel viewers into the God awful third films thus making more than enough money back with audiences queuing up, desperate to see how each trilogy ended.
But now with Terminator Salvation and X-men Origins: Wolverine kick starting our CGI blockbuster filled summer of 2009, the latest Hollywood sequel trend now seems to be the fourth instalment: the quartet.
Similarly both Terminator and Wolverine were subject to massive controversy on the eve of their releases. I wouldn’t go so far as to claim there is a mass conspiracy going on within the film industry but it is rather convenient how mass media exposure to each film contributed to their success at the top of the Box office chart. A few weeks before the release of Wolverine a major leak from within the production company meant thousands of people had been able to illegally download a rough cut of the film before its release, thus reawakening the piracy debate in the most explosive scandal in cinema history. First of all 20th Century Fox claimed the copy which leaked was not quite finished and needed to be seen at the cinema to be truly experienced. But then, perhaps with the realisation that those who had seen the almost finished film knew it was very poor, Fox decided to play the sympathy card as Hugh Jackman himself expressed just how upset he was by the leak pleading for people to go to the cinema. This seemed to work.
A major turning point in the development of trilogies came with the films Pirates of the Caribbean and The Matrix. Films which on paper should not have been successful (One was based on a Disney theme park ride and the other was based on Postmodernist Jean Baudrillard’s book Simulcra and Simulation) took the box office by storm. These brilliant standalone films were not initially conceived to be trilogies but this was before the backstage politics of Hollywood got involved. For the first time, both the 2nd and 3rd films of each franchise were made together as one big film to be released in two separate halves. What was mistaken for filmmakers making two films together to maintain and complete their vision was in fact a publicity stunt as well as a way of making two films quicker for a cheaper price whilst all the original cast and crew were still on board. In each case the second films The Matrix Reloaded and Dead Man's Chest were watchable, containing a minuscule amount of formula which made the first ones so successful. However both the third films The Matrix Revolutions and At World’s End had completely run out steam and were simply dull films making little sense but were nevertheless successful. By making a sequel that was similar to the first this was enough to reel viewers into the God awful third films thus making more than enough money back with audiences queuing up, desperate to see how each trilogy ended.
But now with Terminator Salvation and X-men Origins: Wolverine kick starting our CGI blockbuster filled summer of 2009, the latest Hollywood sequel trend now seems to be the fourth instalment: the quartet.
Similarly both Terminator and Wolverine were subject to massive controversy on the eve of their releases. I wouldn’t go so far as to claim there is a mass conspiracy going on within the film industry but it is rather convenient how mass media exposure to each film contributed to their success at the top of the Box office chart. A few weeks before the release of Wolverine a major leak from within the production company meant thousands of people had been able to illegally download a rough cut of the film before its release, thus reawakening the piracy debate in the most explosive scandal in cinema history. First of all 20th Century Fox claimed the copy which leaked was not quite finished and needed to be seen at the cinema to be truly experienced. But then, perhaps with the realisation that those who had seen the almost finished film knew it was very poor, Fox decided to play the sympathy card as Hugh Jackman himself expressed just how upset he was by the leak pleading for people to go to the cinema. This seemed to work.
Then there is Christian Bale’s infamous four minute rant at the poor DP who distracted Bale when adjusting a light causing the film star to completely lose it and aggressively yell at him, still in character. Again with such media exposure unwittingly one of the world’s biggest stars completely losing it brought a lot of intrigue to the table. Viewers put their hands in their pockets not out of sympathy but out of curiosity, to see the piece of work which appeared to drive such a man to near madness. It seems clear that these acts themselves were not intentional, films leak all the time and actors always lose their cool but it was how the PR companies cleverly dealt with these mishaps and turned them right around into free marketing tools which contributed to their mass success.
Then we come to the films themselves. Both trilogies began life as landmark films which both rewrote the genre rule books. The Terminator was made on a shoestring budget by rising director James Cameron who managed to pull off a dark apocalyptic sci-fi film staring a bodybuilder. Similarly X-Men was the first in a long line of Marvel comic book adaptations. Staring a mixture of accomplished stage actors and nobodies, Bryan Singer’s characterisation and humanisation of the much loved mutant characters was strong enough to kick start Marvel film studios even before Sam Raimi’s Spiderman. But interestingly both films then had sequels which were superior films to their initial work. Auteurs Singer and Cameron were given full control as well as bigger budgets and were able to reach the peak of their visions to produce what is widely considered one of the best action films of all time, T-2, and the best comic book adaptation of all time, X-2. The films only needed one letter and one number in their titles rather than their wordy sequels desperately trying to reclaim our confidence.
But then with the third instalments came the trilogie's downfalls. In each instance the third films were met with development hell. X-men was without its visionary, Singer, who had decided (wrongly) to give birth to another dead franchise, Superman. So Layer Cake and Stardust Director who made his name producing Guy Richie movies, Michael Vaughn, was signed up. But after singing Vinne Jones on board as the Juggernaut he soon left, unable to cope with the pressure. Finally the third film was given to loud mouth talentless Brett Ratner. Thus the film was a mess, nothing other than a series of action set pieces and little heart. Similarly after ten years of constant rumours Terminator 3 finally came into being and Arnie now in his mid-fifties returned to the gym. Both directors were lucky enough to be given all the original stars and thus attempted to continue the vision which Cameron and Singer created and give it sufficient closure. Each third film may have been worst in the trilogy but they were still watchable to a degree and still attempted to continue the original story and partially develop the characters further. They were simple films that failed in enhancing the franchises but did nevertheless add to them. They will be remembered simply as lesser sequels added onto the first two works of art.
But my main concern with these fourth films is that they have deeply affected the original film’s plot perhaps even ruined their significance. With no plot left to expand, each fourth film has attempted to delve into the back-story of Wolverine and the adult John Connor who initiates the events in the previous films. Each film is depicting the events that we never see, the driving force of each narrative. Wolverine’s shady past made him a mystifying character in X-men and discovering his identity is what made X- 2 the best superhero film of all time. But with X-men Origins: Wolverine his past is exposed as a boring straightforward, unimaginative and nonthreatening period of events thus rendering the originals pointless. Similarly this dark dystopia we briefly see in the first Terminator which Kyle Reece describes in a terrifying monologue is exposed as a camp futuristic transformers full of robots hitting other robots and clichéd dialogue rather than a horrifying fight for human survival. The trilogies have survived due to our sense of discovery and imagination. Wolverine was a troubled man uncertain of himself and John Connor was a mythic figure, the greatest leader the world has ever seen. The initial films required us to use our imaginations and what we didn’t know was precisely the driving force behind each narrative. But with this degree of mystery gone there is only endless and disjointed CGI crammed into its place.
Neither film should have been made. Hugh Jackman is a talented actor who brought millions of viewers back to the Oscars. Wolverine contributed to him becoming a household name, but it was time for him to move on five years ago, hopefully he won’t find himself typecast. But Christian’s involvement in the fourth terminator film is quite strange. Surely he has enough money and has offers coming in from all angles. He is also aware that the third was the worst of the Terminator trilogy and that he would only join the fourth film if script changes were made and it was an intelligent action film, which it is not. Other than that none of the original cast had returned to either franchise. Both Professor Xavier and Arnie are forced to be brought to life through CGI imagery rather than their actual presence towards the film’s end. Perhaps we will not need actors in the future as a film industry, already blinded by the wonders of CGI, will take things too far and leave Computers to dictate the films just like Skynet itself.
Then we come to the films themselves. Both trilogies began life as landmark films which both rewrote the genre rule books. The Terminator was made on a shoestring budget by rising director James Cameron who managed to pull off a dark apocalyptic sci-fi film staring a bodybuilder. Similarly X-Men was the first in a long line of Marvel comic book adaptations. Staring a mixture of accomplished stage actors and nobodies, Bryan Singer’s characterisation and humanisation of the much loved mutant characters was strong enough to kick start Marvel film studios even before Sam Raimi’s Spiderman. But interestingly both films then had sequels which were superior films to their initial work. Auteurs Singer and Cameron were given full control as well as bigger budgets and were able to reach the peak of their visions to produce what is widely considered one of the best action films of all time, T-2, and the best comic book adaptation of all time, X-2. The films only needed one letter and one number in their titles rather than their wordy sequels desperately trying to reclaim our confidence.
But then with the third instalments came the trilogie's downfalls. In each instance the third films were met with development hell. X-men was without its visionary, Singer, who had decided (wrongly) to give birth to another dead franchise, Superman. So Layer Cake and Stardust Director who made his name producing Guy Richie movies, Michael Vaughn, was signed up. But after singing Vinne Jones on board as the Juggernaut he soon left, unable to cope with the pressure. Finally the third film was given to loud mouth talentless Brett Ratner. Thus the film was a mess, nothing other than a series of action set pieces and little heart. Similarly after ten years of constant rumours Terminator 3 finally came into being and Arnie now in his mid-fifties returned to the gym. Both directors were lucky enough to be given all the original stars and thus attempted to continue the vision which Cameron and Singer created and give it sufficient closure. Each third film may have been worst in the trilogy but they were still watchable to a degree and still attempted to continue the original story and partially develop the characters further. They were simple films that failed in enhancing the franchises but did nevertheless add to them. They will be remembered simply as lesser sequels added onto the first two works of art.
But my main concern with these fourth films is that they have deeply affected the original film’s plot perhaps even ruined their significance. With no plot left to expand, each fourth film has attempted to delve into the back-story of Wolverine and the adult John Connor who initiates the events in the previous films. Each film is depicting the events that we never see, the driving force of each narrative. Wolverine’s shady past made him a mystifying character in X-men and discovering his identity is what made X- 2 the best superhero film of all time. But with X-men Origins: Wolverine his past is exposed as a boring straightforward, unimaginative and nonthreatening period of events thus rendering the originals pointless. Similarly this dark dystopia we briefly see in the first Terminator which Kyle Reece describes in a terrifying monologue is exposed as a camp futuristic transformers full of robots hitting other robots and clichéd dialogue rather than a horrifying fight for human survival. The trilogies have survived due to our sense of discovery and imagination. Wolverine was a troubled man uncertain of himself and John Connor was a mythic figure, the greatest leader the world has ever seen. The initial films required us to use our imaginations and what we didn’t know was precisely the driving force behind each narrative. But with this degree of mystery gone there is only endless and disjointed CGI crammed into its place.
Neither film should have been made. Hugh Jackman is a talented actor who brought millions of viewers back to the Oscars. Wolverine contributed to him becoming a household name, but it was time for him to move on five years ago, hopefully he won’t find himself typecast. But Christian’s involvement in the fourth terminator film is quite strange. Surely he has enough money and has offers coming in from all angles. He is also aware that the third was the worst of the Terminator trilogy and that he would only join the fourth film if script changes were made and it was an intelligent action film, which it is not. Other than that none of the original cast had returned to either franchise. Both Professor Xavier and Arnie are forced to be brought to life through CGI imagery rather than their actual presence towards the film’s end. Perhaps we will not need actors in the future as a film industry, already blinded by the wonders of CGI, will take things too far and leave Computers to dictate the films just like Skynet itself.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. There is no conceivable way yet another wolverine/x-men film could be made. The Terminator franchise is dead but it’s ambiguous ending suggests the worst is yet to come. This is what I fear, countless fourth installments ruining landmark films the world over. Hopefully the lack of quality in each film will discourage Hollywood into making quartets trendy thus rendering the youth of today to exclaim, ‘the quartet is the new trilogy’ and ‘the trilogy was soooo 2007’! But given the box office success, this could be highly likely.
16/05/2009
Christian Bale Apology
Old news really as I've been mega busy with University work of late.
But nevertheless integral as I do believe in the right for people to explain themselves.
He does sound genuinely sorry I think.
To give him credit, he is currently the hottest action star in Hollywood right now which means he wouldn't have to apologise and he would still make millions. So the fact he went out of his way to ring a fairly small radio station is rather laudable. He seems to have a sense of humour about it all which is always good...........
He must be a bit of a hot-head though, he cannot deny the fact that he attacked his mother and sister!
But nevertheless integral as I do believe in the right for people to explain themselves.
He does sound genuinely sorry I think.
To give him credit, he is currently the hottest action star in Hollywood right now which means he wouldn't have to apologise and he would still make millions. So the fact he went out of his way to ring a fairly small radio station is rather laudable. He seems to have a sense of humour about it all which is always good...........
He must be a bit of a hot-head though, he cannot deny the fact that he attacked his mother and sister!
23/04/2009
21 Years - 21 Films
Having recently reached the milestone that is 21, I thought I would commemorate the occasion by picking out 21 key films that have charted my development from childhood into manhood. The films that have helped shape me as a person:1. Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
As the first ever full length animated feature this is not only a landmark film in terms of cinema, but it is particularly special to me as it was the first film I ever saw at the cinema. Roughly 4 years old, I cannot remember the experience personally, this is the initial film which may have subconsciously kick started my love for cinema.
As the first ever full length animated feature this is not only a landmark film in terms of cinema, but it is particularly special to me as it was the first film I ever saw at the cinema. Roughly 4 years old, I cannot remember the experience personally, this is the initial film which may have subconsciously kick started my love for cinema.
2. Aladdin
Released back in the mid-nineties Disney era this still remains my favourite cartoon feature. After receiving it for my birthday on VHS, it would keep me motivated throughout school. Often bored as the teacher droned on, the thought of being able to watch Robin Williams’s genie as soon as I got in would help get me through the day. Childhood escapism at it’s finest.
Released back in the mid-nineties Disney era this still remains my favourite cartoon feature. After receiving it for my birthday on VHS, it would keep me motivated throughout school. Often bored as the teacher droned on, the thought of being able to watch Robin Williams’s genie as soon as I got in would help get me through the day. Childhood escapism at it’s finest.
3. A Muppet Christmas Carol
One of my first and fondest memories is going to the cinema to watch this with my dad. Whenever I read A Christmas Carol or watch one of the many other adaptations I am overcome with feelings of nostalgia.
One of my first and fondest memories is going to the cinema to watch this with my dad. Whenever I read A Christmas Carol or watch one of the many other adaptations I am overcome with feelings of nostalgia.
4. Toy Story
Another milestone in the history of cinema, this was the first full length CGI feature which turned Pixar into an overnight success. As well as being a technological achievement, it was the characters and the story which captured my imagination more than anything else. Even Before I had seen the film I was gripped by the characterisation having read the junior novelisation prior to my cinema trip.
Another milestone in the history of cinema, this was the first full length CGI feature which turned Pixar into an overnight success. As well as being a technological achievement, it was the characters and the story which captured my imagination more than anything else. Even Before I had seen the film I was gripped by the characterisation having read the junior novelisation prior to my cinema trip.
5. Star Wars IV: A New Hope
Back in 1996 the original trilogy was re released on the big screen and I became an instant fan. No blockbuster will ever as be as good given the nature of todays profit hungry Hollywood.
6. Terminator 2
No film have I seen more times than this one. Back when I had it recorded on video I watched it often enough for the tape inside the cassette to disintegrate. After complaining to my father he was kind enough to sellotape it back together so I could watch it some more!
No film have I seen more times than this one. Back when I had it recorded on video I watched it often enough for the tape inside the cassette to disintegrate. After complaining to my father he was kind enough to sellotape it back together so I could watch it some more!
7. Die Hard
The first 18 I ever watched which paved the way for my love of action movies before I got into dramas and art house material.
8. American Pie
Every generation has their Breakfast club, a film which perfectly captures and understands what it's like to grow up in the culture of the time. It was not just the vulgar humour which made this popular but it was the sense of camaraderie between the male leads and the adult issues it dealt with.
9. Jackass the Movie
As I was in my last year of school I had an unhealthy obsession with the MTV amateur stunt show. Not being 18 at the time of its release I downloaded it from Kazaa and brought all my friends round to watch it. Then when I got it on DVD I watched it endlessly with and without the commentaries. I just couldn’t get enough of it, I wanted to be a member of their gang.
10. Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Simply another film I have watched a countless amount of times. When it was finally released on TV I was swept up by the hype, the coolness it oozed and the witty dialogue.
11. Pulp Fiction
This is probably the first film that marked my transition from action films to more complex, adult material. Initially just a fan of Bruce Willis’s plot strand I soon started to understand the more adult humour.
12. Fight Club
Probably the most important film on the list. When I first saw this masterpiece I couldn't stand it. Thoroughly bored for over two hours I never planned on seeing it again. However somewhere in my mind it's intrigue and it's mystique stuck in my mind. A year later when it was aired on TV again I chose to watch it and I couldn’t believe the sheer intelligence of the material I had missed out on. This film again marks the transition in my life from enjoying brainless action films to more philosophical and existential dramas.
Probably the most important film on the list. When I first saw this masterpiece I couldn't stand it. Thoroughly bored for over two hours I never planned on seeing it again. However somewhere in my mind it's intrigue and it's mystique stuck in my mind. A year later when it was aired on TV again I chose to watch it and I couldn’t believe the sheer intelligence of the material I had missed out on. This film again marks the transition in my life from enjoying brainless action films to more philosophical and existential dramas.
13. Goodfellas
Such a kinetic, violent yet mesmerising film, I was transfixed throughout. This is what instantly made me a fan of De Niro and Scorsese who still remain to be my favourite actor and director. This is also probably where my love for gangster films began.
14. The Godfather Trilogy
With my growing fascination of gangster films I purposefully sought out the trilogy which has heavily been regarded as the best and I was not let down. The Godfather Part II still remains my favourite film of all time to date.
With my growing fascination of gangster films I purposefully sought out the trilogy which has heavily been regarded as the best and I was not let down. The Godfather Part II still remains my favourite film of all time to date.
15. This is Spinal Tap
The greatest comedy ever made really confused me when I first watched it. I must have watched this mockumentary three times to get my head around the concept and it’s original style of humour. Even now as my favourite comedy film, every time I watch it I still pick up something different. Easily The most rewarding watch on the list.
16. Sin City
This is the first 18 I saw on the big screen. I was only 17 at the time and I was taken aback by the stark visual style. My dad however felt a tad queasy with all the vivid violence.
This is the first 18 I saw on the big screen. I was only 17 at the time and I was taken aback by the stark visual style. My dad however felt a tad queasy with all the vivid violence.
17. Requiem for a Dream
When I finally decided to study film academically my teacher recommended this film to me and I have never looked back since. Never has a film been so moving, depressing and touching as a director reaches the peak of his artistic craft.
When I finally decided to study film academically my teacher recommended this film to me and I have never looked back since. Never has a film been so moving, depressing and touching as a director reaches the peak of his artistic craft.
18. Anchorman
Overshadowed by the theatrical release of inferior Dodgeball this cult DVD hit was one of those films I watched repeatedly at University as it also helped me bond with others. Will Ferrel has not yet been able to surpass his performance as Ron Burgundy.
Overshadowed by the theatrical release of inferior Dodgeball this cult DVD hit was one of those films I watched repeatedly at University as it also helped me bond with others. Will Ferrel has not yet been able to surpass his performance as Ron Burgundy.
19. The Big Lebowski
Already fairly familiar with some of the Coen’s stuff, nothing could prepare me for the brilliance of Jeff Bridge’s ‘The Dude’ and his nihilistic attitude towards life. I must have rented it several times from the library before I finally bought it.
20. The Departed
With Scorsese being my favourite filmmaker this was the first of his films that I was able to see on the big screen. Coincidentally it was his first Oscar winner. It may not be his best by a long shot but I still love it.
With Scorsese being my favourite filmmaker this was the first of his films that I was able to see on the big screen. Coincidentally it was his first Oscar winner. It may not be his best by a long shot but I still love it.
21. There Will Be Blood
One of my favourite films to be released in the last few years. Luckily enough I managed catch it at my local art house cinema and it was the last film I saw that truly captured, confused and bewildered me. Daniel Day-Lewis's Daniel Plainview remains the greatest performance ever seen on film.
One of my favourite films to be released in the last few years. Luckily enough I managed catch it at my local art house cinema and it was the last film I saw that truly captured, confused and bewildered me. Daniel Day-Lewis's Daniel Plainview remains the greatest performance ever seen on film.
15 films funnier than Groundhog Day
During a debate with my father who proclaimed his favourite comedy film to be Groundhog Day I claimed that I could name 15 better comedy films. After several agonising hours of prioritising here is the list I came up with:1. This is Spinal Tap - Christopher Guest
2. The Big Lebowski - The Coen Brothers
3. Monkey Business - The Marx Brothers
4. Annie Hall - Woody Allen
5. There's Something About Mary - The Farley Brothers
6. Monty Python's The Meaning of Life - Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam
7. Dr. Strangelove - Stanley Kubrick
8. The Man Who Wasn't There - The Coen Brothers
9. The King of Comedy - Martin Scorsese
10. Modern Times - Charlie Chaplin
11. Anchorman - Adam McKay
12. Clerks - Kevin Smith
13. The 40 Year Old Virgin - Judd Apatow
14. The Naked Gun - Jerry Zucker
15. The Producers - Mel Brooks
16. Groundhog Day - Harold Ramis
As you can probably tell, some are on the list for their contribution to the art of cinema whereas some are simply personal favourites of mine.
Do you agree/ disagree? What are your favourite comedy films?
22/04/2009
Watchmen
Who watches The Watchmen?DETAILS:
Released - 6 March 2009
Certificate - 18
Running Time - 162 min
Director - Zack Snyder
Screenwriters - David Hayter and Alex Tse
Producers - Wesley Coller, Herb Gains, Lawrence Gordon, Lloyd Levin, Deborah Snyder, Thomas Tull
Cinematography- Larry Fong
Editing - William Hoy
Music - Tyler Bates
Theatrical distributor - Paramount
Country - USA
SYNOPSIS:
In this dark alternative to 1985 the world is gradually being brought to its knees. Democracy in particular remains in constant jeopardy as the cold war is still in full flight and war hungry Nixon remains president of the United States. Furthermore, illegal vigilantes consisting of the scantily clad ‘Silk Spectre' (Malin Akerman), blue ‘Dr Manhattan’ (Billy Crudup), camp ‘Ozymandias’ (Matthew Goode), shady ‘Rorschach’ (Jackie Earle Haley) and technical whiz ‘Nite Owl’ (Dan Dreiberg) are forced to reunite due to the suspicious death of their former associate ‘The Comedian ‘(Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and a conspiracy threatening the future of mankind.
REVIEW:
The studio politics which surround Watchmen are almost as complex as the source material itself. Having already suffered at the hands of Terry Gilliam and Paul Greengrass, who both famously abandoned the project deeming it impossible to make, the project was left on the scrapheap for many years before it was picked up by self proclaimed ‘fanboy’ Zack Snyder. His previous work may have received a great deal of critical backlash but the fact he has risen to a challenge that was beneath Gilliam and Greengrass is a laudable achievement in itself.
And as the opening credits role it does feel as if Snyder has managed to actualise the impossible. His beautifully shot opening montage skims through an entire back story of superheroes and effectively crams in all the essential information you need to contextualise the period in a matter of minutes. As his vibrant visuals leap off the screen to Bob Dylan’s "The Times They Are a-Changin", you feel as if you could be in for something special.
But despite the fact Snyder may be able to produce such fantastic imagery, he is unable to back it up with any substance. As events unfold the film itself feels like an extended montage of breathtaking images glossed over with pop culture references and some brief political context without actually delving beyond the surface.
This is not an adaptation of the comic book but more of a tribute to its brilliance. Instead of developing his own screen narrative to give the film its own cinematic identity, Snyder has simply tried to cram far too much of the original story in as possible which has resulted in a rather disjointed and over long picture.
Constantly switching between the development of several characters, those unfamiliar with the source material will often feel bored, confused and alienated. It is the compelling story of Rorschach, brilliantly captured by Jackie Earle Haley, which keeps the film together. Whenever his film noir narrative is left behind to concentrate on the pointless latex eye candy that is Silk Spectre or the sombre and far from engaging Dr. Manhattan the film loses its momentum.
Similarly the fight scenes are just as unimaginative as every single one annoyingly unfolds in the same way. Primarily used as a device to prevent people from nodding off, the punch -ups themselves become more boring than the actual ‘talking bits’ as it were. With every punch and kick perfectly landing in exactly the right place whilst Snyder adds pointless slo-mo to drag these set pieces out for as long as possible, the results are tedious. If it were not for CGI, visual effects and a team of people below him Zack Snyder would not have a career as he is unable to direct drama, tension, characters or storyline.
Therefore fans of the comic book will either feel grateful for watching a film as faithful as this or let down for it’s dumbing down of the original story. Whereas those who are not familiar with the book will wonder what on earth all the fuss is all about as what is widely considered the Citizen Kane of the comic book world has not been given its due.
TO SUM UP:
Watchmen looks impressive but it has nothing profound to say in the long run. A rather plain film that does have its compelling moments through Rorschach's character this was a missed opportunity that will severely divide its fan base. What was originally a satire and a deconstruction of the comic book superhero has now become a stereotypical, albeit fairly entertaining and watchable, product of the genre
04/03/2009
The Kermodes 2009
In this, 'the corrective to the oversights of the Oscars' as he puts it, here are the results of my favourite film critic's own awards ceremony:Best Supporting Actress
Ashley tisdale High School Musical 3
Supporting Actor
Eddie marsan - Happy Go-Lucky
Eddie marsan - Happy Go-Lucky
Best Actress
Belen ruede - The Orphanage
Best Actor
Michael fassbender - Hunger
Best Screenplay
Garth Jennings - Son of Rambow
Best Foreign Film
Gomorrah – Roberto saviano
Best Film + Best Director
Terence Davies - Of Time And The City
Fellowship Award
Terry Gillingham
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