Speed Racers Pt 6 (Fast & Furious 6, 2013)

The sixth film throws in a twist for Dom, Brian and their family. Letty is back, but now she appears to be their competition. Hobb’s has let the gang be, seeing as how they have stayed out of the heist scene since their last encounter…but a new crew of high precision vehicle themed criminals. Hobbs knows he needs help and seeks the skills of Dom and the crew. The carrot he dangles before them is the discovery that Letty is, in fact, alive and working with this group that is a threat to free nations everywhere.

The core of the story is Dom’s desire to get Letty back, but she seems to have lost her memory. This allows the film to have some playful and competitive flirtation between the two, but also gives the villain, Shaw, something to use against the crew. This is fairly effective. For Brian, he and Mia have a child and are looking at their future. What this means for Mia is that she is sidelined from the story, which is a bit disappointing for the character, however, the franchise’s cast tends to grow as fast as it loses characters.

And this is a big cast. The regulars are back and they are all in regular form, firing quips, arguing, and driving real fast. This film is as fun as the previous entry, with no fear to go big. For example? There is a big chase at the end that involves a giant tank.

This series has benefited from having a single director for the past few entries. The films feel like the story advances and was actually planned, rather than assembled backwards. Plenty of franchise sequels simply feel like they have the idea and try to fit it in…but it seems like Lin and the writers planned things out in advance.

Fast & Furious 6 continues the upward tick of the franchise, and makes for a fun adrenaline fueled time.

July 30, 2017 0

Speed Racers Pt 5 (Fast Five, 2011)

And uh…here is where things get a little weird for the franchise. Because, uh, the fifth film? It is probably the best film of the franchise at this point. This film embraces the absurd and becomes a full on heist film. Brian has joined Dominic as a fugitive after he and Mia free Dominic from a prison bus.

The three go to Rio where they join in an attempt to steal some cars from a train, which goes horribly wrong. Dominic, Brian and Mia decide they need to get back at the man behind the failed heist…who is one of the most connected men in Rio. They assemble a team which brings back cast members from the second, third and fourth films. This means Roman, Han and Gal Gadot’s Gisele are all back.

To put a wrinkle in their plans? Dwayne the Rock Johnson. He is the unstoppable Government Agent Hobbs. Hobbs is determined to bring the fugitives in at all costs. This results in several reversal of fortune moments for the fugitives and Hobbs that keep the viewer on their toes.

The group they have assembled make for a lot of fun. While Roman and Tej provide a lot of the comic relief, the film has a lot of fun with the flirtation between Gisele and Han. The core relationship of Dominic, Brian and Mia hold this group together.

Lin provides multiple exciting sequences, both in and out of cars. The cat and mouse with Hobbs culminates in an exciting chase through the streets of Rio with cars pulling a giant safe. I mean, like a vault. And even that has a giant twist.

Like I said, this film embraces the absurd, not worrying if anything is to over the top. The end result is a fun bit of action based escapism.

July 29, 2017 0

Speed Racers, Pt 4 (Fast & Furious, 2009)

For the fourth film, they dropped “The” from the title. Because…saving space on the poster? I guess? This film brings it back to the original. O’Conner is working with the Feds again, while Toretto and Letty are pulling heists. When Letty is murdered, O’Conner and Toretto’s paths cross again. Admittedly, it is a bit of a strained relationship. Dominic is seeking revenge on Letty’s killer, but Brian wants to bring her killer in. Brian also finds his relationship with Mia rekindled.

In the first film, O’Conner ultimately remained aligned to the side of the law. His devotion was challenged, and while he did not walk away, he made a choice that cost him the job, but he also stayed on the side of good, so to speak. This film challenges his faith in the law to make the right choices.

In the hopes of getting Toretto off the wanted list, Brian cuts a deal with his boss…but when the agency jumps the gun and messes up a planned bust of villain Campo, it falls on Brian’s head. He and Dominic set out to get Campo on their own.

This film is the turning point for the series, it also sets the stage for each film trying to really top the big spectacle of the previous film. This one opens with a pulse pounding attempt to steal some tankers. It closes with a high speed chase through narrow tunnels.

Director Justin Lin (who directed Tokyo Drift) can put together a compelling action scene and keep it exciting. This time around, he has a much moire entertaining film, closer in spirit to the first film.

July 28, 2017 0

Speed Racers Pt 3 (the Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, 2006)

The name is derived from a style of racing called Drifting. It involves the driver over-steering and losing traction of the tires. It is more elaborate than that, but I am not a car guy. And that is pretty much all there is for a viewer in this film. Some cool racing scenes with cool looking cars.

Tokyo Drift opts to leave the country and focus on people other than our previous regulars. We follow white rich kid Sean who hopes to break into the Tokyo street racing scene, but finds it is tough, cause racism.

The film is a convoluted plot that involves the Yakuza and family drama and mean rich kids…but it never gels together. The characters are not particularly interesting and therefore it becomes hard to not get bored when there is no racing.

Because that is one thing this film has…pretty cool looking race scenes. But the film tends to feel overwhelmingly inconsequential, especially as part of a franchise.

That last line is kind of unfair, the film has a dramatic turn for the entire franchise, but that also creates a lot of confusion for the timeline of the series (a few of the films technically take place before Tokyo Drift).

July 27, 2017 0

Speed Racers Pt 2 (2 Fast 2 Furious, 2003)

I think we all know what comes after a movie is a modest success or better…the studios move on to the next project, happy with their success. Oh wait…no… they cry out for a sequel. And so, the embarrassingly named 2 Fast 2 Furious was made.

Dominic Toretto is missing in action this time around, instead pairing the ex-cop O’Conner with an Ex-Con friend named Roman (Tyrese Gibson) to help take down a drug lord. It involves cars again, because apparently that is why the government hires O’Conner. They are helped by a sexy undercover DEA agent (Eva Mendes…I said sexy, right?).

This is the film’s biggest problem. It is basically a buddy cop film in the vein of Lethal Weapon or Rush Hour. The first film emphasized the idea of family, both that of your birth and families you make yourself. This film lacks that, which removes the weightier concerns of O’Conner’s moral code that was present in the first film. There is no struggle for him here. His target is a bad guy.

They did try and do something different here, but Diesel’s presence is noticeable, and it was probably a bad idea to try and continue without him. Roman is not a charismatic enough replacement, instead he is more a comedic relief. The action in the film is competent, but uninspired, leaving us with a somewhat lackluster action film.

July 26, 2017 0

Speed Racers Pt 1 (The Fast and the Furious, 2001)

2000 and 2001 were a good couple of years for Vin Diesel. He had a supporting role in Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan, but only a small spattering of roles before that. His other “big” role was the voice of the titular character in Brad Bird’s the Iron Giant. But between Pitch Black and the Fast and the Furious, Diesel’s value rose prominently.

Rob Cohen (Daylight and Dragonheart) directed this tale of a young and reckless cop who goes undercover into the world of street racing to try and take down some skilled thieves. He of course, gets drawn in much deeper, falling for the sister of his target. You can pretty much connect the dots from there.

The fresh faced Paul Walker is special agent Brian O’Conner. He is trying to catch extremely muscular Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto, an infamous street racer and adrenaline junkie thief. He and his gang are pulling off daring heists using their souped up cars.

The Fast and the Furious never promises to be a new take, and it hits all the beats an “Undercover Cop Gets In To Deep” action movie will take. But it does so entertainingly with fun and daring stunts. The film is a complete knockoff of the 1991 Keanu Reeves/Patrick Swayze movie Point Break. A couple years ago that movie got remade. This is the better “remake”. The cast is generally likeable, including Jordana Brewster as Mia, the previously mentioned sister who complicates things and Michelle Rodriguez as Letty, Dom’s girlfriend and fellow thief. The Fast and the Furious is a fun action and popcorn film, though if you told me it would spawn seven more films (and an eighth sequel in the works) I would never have expected it.

July 25, 2017 0

Swing High (Spider-Man: Homecoming, 2017)

Spider-Man has the distinction of having been rebooted three times in the last fifteen years. Both the Raimi Films and the Marc Webb films have good points. Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 is a high point for super-hero themed films. But they also never quite fully got Spider-Man as a character. Maguire’s Peter Parker could be to goofy, while Garfield’s Peter was to moody and mopey.

Sony hit some hard times, made all the worse by a major hack that exposed all sorts of internal issues. One thing it revealed? Sony had talked with Marvel about a deal that would allow Spider-Man to be a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The talks fell apart before the hack. But this brought them back to life.

Sony decided to let Marvel bring a heavy creative hand in. In exchange, Sony got to include MCU characters in their Spider-Films. The MCU introduced Spider-Man into their world via Captain America: Civil War. Spider-Man was a highlight of that film. And rather than try to retrofit Peter Parker in, as if Spider-Man had been there all along… they stepped into his career early, so he is new on the scene.

Homecoming picks up roughly eight months after Civil War, with Peter enjoying using his Stark supplied super-suit and anxiously awaiting his next big Avengers mission. Which seems to never come along. Instead, Peter races around trying to get better by fighting street crime and helping lost old ladies. His day to day life has, of course, been tougher since Tony Stark has come into his life, and he starts to withdraw to make more time. He dreams of beautiful classmate Liz and hangs out with his closest friend Gan-uh-Ned. Of course, he makes a major discovery, the adults don’t listen and Peter over-confidently decides to take on guys who may be out of his league.

One of the refreshing story points is that this is not about Peter learning about “with Great Power comes Great Responsibility”…at this point, he has learned that lesson. We only get vague reference to Uncle Ben’s death. In fact, the origin of Spider-Man is tossed out in a two second exchange.

Holland’s Peter Parker is sweet and awkward…his Spider-Man is quippy, but still learning. He is not yet the confident Peter Parker, he practices lines, tries to get into a good pose before alerting bad guys to his presence. But of the previous film versions, this is easily the strongest portrayal of Peter. He may be in-experienced, but there are just so many things that make this version…well Spider-Man.

The rest of the cast of characters are updated in some interesting ways. Ned Leeds is really Ganke from the Miles Morales Spider-Man comics, and he is a very fun character. This is largely due to the comic timing and enthusiasm of actor Jacob Batalon. I was most hesitant about Marisa Tomei as Aunt May…not because of her acting ability…but because she is only a few years older than me…and she feels more youthful and vibrant than traditional portrayals of Aunt May. But I ended up really liking her in the role.

Michael Keaton’s Vulture is a terrific improvement on the character. I never really cared for the comic version…he never seemed like he was all that much of a threat. And the green suit did not help. Keaton’s performance is solid and menacing…yet his motives are understandable. He is a guy who wants to provide for his family, and saw secret government agencies undercutting his business. He turns to crime to make up for that. The Vulture look is a nice combination of modern with hints of his original look. It works very well.

The action scenes are all nice and effective. Sometimes these films can get confusing during busy action scenes. Homecoming makes the action easy to follow. And the film is infused with humor. While theses were not absent from the previous versions, it is much more present here. And yet, the humor is not at the expense of Peter’s character. He feels the heavy weight of responsibility, regardless of his experience.

Admittedly, the film does not break new ground for Spider-Man…but I think it may be the best of the Spider-Man films so far. Or, at worst, a close second to Raimi’s second Spider-Man film. This is a fun film, and fun should be part of (a lot more) super-hero films. Being overseen by Marvel, there are plenty of easter eggs…but what Marvel is usually really good about is that the easter eggs are a bonus for fans who love the comics…and if you have not read the comics, you won’t feel like you are missing something.

Honestly, I recommend seeing Spider-Man: Homecoming in the theater. It benefits from being seen with an audience.

July 9, 2017 0

I Am the Law (Dredd, 2012)

When a new Judge Dredd film was announced, there was no real fanfare. What people did not realize is that the film was being written outside of the Hollywood scene. Alex Garland (writer of 28 Days Later and writer/director of Ex Machina)…Garland is a fan of 2000AD and Judge Dredd.

Keeping the story very simple, Judge Dredd is taking a trainee with him, a hopeful Judge named Anderson. She has some limited psychic ability. Dredd is tasked with evaluating her. When three skinned bodies fall from the sky, Judges Dredd and Anderson arrive at a 200 story building that is pretty much a city unto itself. Dredd and Anderson capture a drug dealer who works for notorious gangster Ma-Ma. To prevent him from being taken out, Ma-Ma has the building in lockdown and then announces to the entire complex that she wants the two judges killed.

This simple setup makes for a very effective story of survival. Our leads must work their way to Ma-Ma to bring an end to their situation. They are cut off from the outside world and must rely on their skills and wit.

The look of the city is grimy and lived in. Full of pollution and decay, the sets of the film are effective. The effects, specifically the sequences depicting the effects of the drug Slo-Mo (it makes the user feel that time has slowed down) are very well thought out. The viewer sees everything in slow motion, with a shimmering effect.

Garland understands what makes Dredd work. Keeping the story simple is such a benefit here. There are no over the top conspiracies. Karl Urban never shows his face without the helmet in this film. And he wears a permanent scowl. Never does Dredd break down. Even when he seems to be relenting on his firm stances, it is in a fashion that he is in line with his attitude throughout the film. Urban really embraced the character and does Judge Dredd real justice here. Anderson is very sympathetic as a rookie and owns up to her mistakes. At one point, she knows she has failed the evaluation but refuses to back down from the challenge of Ma-Ma and her gang. And Ma-Ma? This is no glamor role for Lena Headey (Game of Thrones). She is a drug addict and psychopath…cruel and vicious with scars to show for it.

Dredd has gained a cult following over the past five years, with people hoping for a sequel. A few years ago an April fools announcement declared Netflix was doing a Dredd series with Karl Urban and Thirlby returning. Fans were bitterly disappointed it was untrue. But every so often, we get word of the filmmakers trying to press ahead. And Urban has welcomed the possibility of returning to the role. Most recently, there is the word that a series may be on the way after all, possibly with Urban back as Dredd.

Dredd is a very effective cop survival story, gritty and violent with strong performances. The creators get the characters and manage to remain true to what made the character work in comics, without being alienating to those unfamiliar with the source material.

June 18, 2017 0

Rob Schneider in the Apocalypse (Judge Dredd, 1995)

Somebody looked at Sylvester Stallone’s chin and declared him perfect for the role of iconic British comic book character Judge Dredd. And they were not wrong:

(I know I already showed this…but it seems relevant for the review)

Anyhow, looking for a story, the filmmakers thought the best approach was to tell it through the eyes of SNL alum Rob Schneider. He is an ex-convict returning home who gets caught in the crossfire between thugs and Judges. A little background here. After a nuclear event society is rebuilt in heavily concentrated cities. In these cities are massive buildings, communities unto themselves. They are known as Megacities. Outside of the sprawling cities is a desert wasteland populated by outlaws and mutants called the Scorched Earth. The Society has combined Police Officers with Judges. You do not go to court, a Judge simply tells you your sentence and that is that.

The most famous Judge is Judge Dredd. Dredd has no tolerance for lawbreakers. The comic is a satirical look at fascist societies (the Eagle emblem is not a coincidence, it is meant to acknowledge both America’s national bird as well as the use of the bird as a symbol by fascist societies). Of course, fans also like the ultraviolence, making Judge Dredd’s popularity complex. As Neil Gaiman notes, the comic is one of the rare instances where you have something that is both the very thing being commented on and the commentary itself.

While attempting to hide in a robot to avoid death by gang members or a Judge, Fergie (Schneider) is caught and sentenced for tampering with the robot. In the meantime, Judge Dredd is framed for murdering a critic of the Judges. He is sent to the Scorched Earth, where he runs into Fergie. They return to stop a conspiracy to destroy the Judges and establish a new regime.

Judge Dredd is not very good in its story. It tries to give some emotional depth to Dredd that ends up feeling odd. Family angst is not something that drives the character and is an unnecessary addition. The film also tries to hint at a romantic tension between Dredd and Judge Hershey (Diane Lane) who plays the role of the angel on Dredd’s soldier, pressuring him to be less harsh.

There are some notable things about the film. The costumes look great. They feel like they are ripped from the pages of 2000AD. The sets are also like the strip come to life. The cities and the Megacity blocks are appropriately broken down and seedy looking and the Scorched Earth barren and unforgiving. Visually, the film is pretty impressive looking. There are some nice nods to other 2000AD characters (most notably the use of the ABC Warriors robots). Mean Angel (a cyborg and member of a cannibal outlaw family) stands out.

The cast includes Max Von Sydow, Diane Lane, and Armand Assante. Most of these choices are good choices. Rob Schneider is there as comedic relief, but it is not very organic in the story. There is one amusing moment where Schneider looks over to Dredd on the prison transport and tries to figure out why he recognizes him…Schneider uses his hand to cover the top of Dredd’s head and recognizes him based on the chin.

No, where the film fails is not in its look. It’s the story. Trying to create an origin for Judge Dredd makes all sort of unnecessary explorations of his character. Dredd does not question the Law. The Law is his life. You can have Judge Dredd question the application of the Law, but the character loses meaning if he questions the Law itself.

The biggest issue here is that ultimately, they did not hire Sylvester Stallone to bring Judge Dredd to life. They hired him to be a stock Stallone Action Hero. And Stallone delivers his lines as such. It is not that Dredd does not make jokes…but he does not deliver them as one-liners. He should always sound deathly serious. Also? Dredd does not smile. And most importantly…remember that gag I mentioned with Schneider recognizing Dredd? That scene should simply not happen. Judge Dredd is never seen in comics without his helmet. Never. I mean NEVER. And yet, in this film? He is seen far more without the helmet than in it. This is because it is a star vehicle for Sylvester Stallone, rather than Stalone making a character live on screen.

Judge Dredd pretty much killed other 2000AD film deals, and frankly, it is obvious why. The film fails in all the areas where it needs to succeed. Character and Story.

June 17, 2017 0

The Hunter or the Hunted? Pt 11 (Alien vs Predator: Requiem, 2007)

While critics and plenty of fans pummeled the first film, it was more than successful enough to get a sequel greenlit. Directed by the Brothers Strause (that is what they direct under), Requiem is a real mess in more ways than one.

The cast is immense, so you start figuring out who will die sooner than later based on how much attention they get. The film picks up right after the first film, with a xenomorph bursting from the body of a predator. It has the predator mouth and dreadlocks., so it gets nicknamed the Predalien. It rapidly makes trouble for the Predator ship crew and their ship crashes in a forest.

The predator and a couple face-huggers escape, a new Predator comes to earth after getting an emergency alert from the crashed ship. Soon the town is besieged by Aliens.

It is all pretty much what you would expect, unfortunately there is little to set it apart. Oh, the “Predalien” looks big and aggressive, and instead of laying eggs, the Predalien shoves it’s secondary mouth in your throat and feeds live larva into your stomach. It gets pretty gross when the Predalien takes over a hospital and assaults multiple pregnant women. The vast majority of characters are there to be alien fodder.

Time has no meaning in the film…the Predator make it from his planet to Earth in a couple hours, aliens grow to full size in a couple hours…as usual, the practical effects are the high point and the digital a bit dodgy. This film also messes with the timeline, at least the first film ends in a way you could argue humanity is not aware of the Xenomorphs. That is wholly implausible in this film. I can understand why Scott blew this crossover off for Prometheus.

June 7, 2017 0