Now Very Bad…

Category: Reviews

  • The Last Starfighter (1984)

    The Last Starfighter (1984)

    140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW

    Not to be lost in the plethora of great 1984 films is this groundbreaking film that’s every bit as enjoyable as it was when I was a kid…

    The Last Starfighter

    Spoiler-free Movie Review of The Last Starfighter:

    Focusing on reviews of films celebrating an anniversary can be a mixed blessing. Not everything holds up the way you hoped it would, and some things simply are better in your memory than in reality. So I approached this viewing of The Last Starfighter with a little bit of trepidation. I was actually nervous that it seeing it 30 years later might ruin for me one of my favorites from my childhood. I needn’t have worried…

    The Last Starfighter

    The Last Starfighter came out during a glorious age: when video games and genre films were enjoying a huge popularity and there really was nothing geeky about enjoying any of it. Later on, genre pictures were considered fringe and people who enjoyed them were geeks, but at this point it seemed that everyone was in on it.

    The Last Starfighter

    This film doesn’t get as much recognition as 1982’s Tron for advancing the use of computer generated imagery, but frankly neither of them are acknowledged anywhere near as much as they should be. The Last Starfighter may be the first, certainly the best early use of three dimensional photo real computer graphics used in a photographed feature film. It really is amazing how advanced this was for 1984. I know the effects look a bit primitive, but compared to what was out there at the time it was groundbreaking.

    The Last Starfighter

    And even without the “for the time” qualifier, I think the film looks great. While there are a great many digital elements in certain scenes, the space battles in particular, there is always an effort to blend them with the photo elements. It may not always have been successful, but the film never has those completely digital scenes that are little more than animation, such as Tron‘s lightcycles.

    The Last Starfighter

    But the movie is really a lot more than the effects, or we wouldn’t need to watch it; we’d simply refer to it as an important step in the process and move on. The effects really are there to enhance the story, not tell it, which is exactly how it is supposed to go. It is a wonderful picture with a good message and a ton of heart. Possibly too much for some people, as it can seem a bit corny or naive, I’m sure. If I was seeing it for the first time today it may not have the same resonance as it did when I was 11. But when I screened it for my daughter, who was also seeing it for the first time at 11, she LOVED it!

    The Last Starfighter
    Starting childhood crush in 5, 4, 3…

    The concept behind the story is simple and effective: the arcade game that the protagonist has been mastering is in actuality a recruitment test that has been duplicated throughout the world (universe? this part is a little unspecific) and when the young man beats the game, the alien inventor knows he’s found his hero. Great idea, no? Even if the movie stunk, it would still be a great jumping off point for a reboot.

    The Last Starfighter

    The setting for the story is a trailer park, which is a nice location to really show how trapped Alex Rogan (Lance Guest) is. They moved the setting from the suburbs to a trailer park so it doesn’t feel too much like E.T. or Close Encounters. It’s not entirely the filmmakers fault that this attempt doesn’t totally succeed. Lucas & Spielberg owned the decade, and everything else feels derivative, no matter how hard you try not to copy them. It’s like being an English rock musician consciously trying not to sound like The Beatles. The movie is set (partially) in space – of course it reminds you of Star Wars. You try making a space film that avoids that comparison.

    The Last Starfighter

    The actors are really quite effective, anchored by Robert Preston in his final film role. Preston is absolutely perfect as Centauri, the flim-flam man who invents the game and recruits Alex to help defend the Frontier from the Ko-Dan Armada. (I just love saying that.) Most genre pictures cast an old farmhand to lend gravitas; in this case Preston is adding mischief – it’s perfect.

    The Last Starfighter

    The Last Starfighter isn’t the greatest film to come out of the summer of 1984, and as a result it had kind of a weak turnout. But it is a film that deserved much better and truly should be viewed not just as a time capsule or a stepping stone to CGI’s conquest of the film industry. It is a fun, well written and executed film with a good heart and that’s not a bad thing. When virtual reality finally is ready for prime time, look for my avatar to be cruising the galaxy in a Gunstar.

    The Last StarfighterOdds & Ends:
    • Director Nick Castle played Michael Myers in the first Halloween
    • Noticed in the closing credits that Wil Wheaton was in the picture as “Louis’ friend”. Went back and found him near the beginning of the picture playing soccer – you won’t recognize him – it’s that fast.
    • Not in the closing credits but found on Wikipedia credits is Heather Locklear as “Rylan Indoctrinator”. I can’t confirm this.
    • The movie was made into an off-Broadway musical ten years ago…
    • These guys have made a freeware playable version of the game, since no one seemed able to get the game to market back in the day: http://www.roguesynapse.com/games/last_starfighter.php

    The Last Starfighter

    Poster:

    Trailer:

    Bechdel Test:

    Pass

    The Representation Test Score: C (4 pts)

    (http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)

    The Last Starfighter Representation Test
    [schema type=”movie” name=”The Last Starfighter” description=”A video-gaming boy, seemingly doomed to stay at his trailer park home all his life, finds himself recruited as a gunner for an alien defense force.” director=”Nick Castle” actor_1=”Lance Guest” actor_2=”Robert Preston” actor_3=”Catherine Mary Stewart” actor_4=”Dan O’Herlihy”]

    Main Cast Lance Guest Alex Rogan/Beta Alex, Robert Preston Centauri, Kay E. Kuter Enduran, Dan Mason Lord Kril
    Rating PG
    Release Date Fri 13 Jul 1984 UTC
    Director Nick Castle
    Genres Action, Adventure, Family, Sci-Fi
    Plot A video-gaming boy, seemingly doomed to stay at his trailer park home all his life, finds himself recruited as a gunner for an alien defense force.
    Poster The Last Starfighter
    Runtime 101
    Tagline In his wildest dreams Alex never suspected that tonight he would become…
    Writers Jonathan R. Betuel (as Jonathan Betuel) (written by)
    Year 1984
  • The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984)

    The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984)

    140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW

    May be no better than 3rd in the trilogy, but considering the quality of the series, that’s not bad. A little cutesy – not a deal-breaker…

    The Muppets Take Manhattan

    Spoiler-free Movie Review of The Muppets Take Manhattan:

    The Muppets Take Manhattan was the first of the film series that I didn’t see in theaters. I don’t think there was any particular reason to avoid – I continued to love the Muppets pretty consistently from childhood to whatever I’m in now. I suspect that the reason my family never got to it was due to the extremely prolific output of Summer 1984. There were just so many good movies, and this just wasn’t unique enough to make much of an impression. It wasn’t even the best movie that came out that day. (Bonus points if you know what was! Hint: I’m reviewing it tomorrow…)

    If the movie didn’t do as well as its predecessors, the filmmakers could hardly complain. This was the 3rd Muppet film in 5 years, and oversaturation was sure to be a factor. Coupled with the stiff competition that summer, including some huge franchises, an old-timey show tune piece with actors like Art Carney was pretty lucky to do as well as it did.

    The Muppets Take Manhattan

    And that is part of the problem with The Muppets Take Manhattan – it’s just a little tired, a little uninspired. The story features an amnesia plot, for goodness sake. You know you’re scraping the bottom with a bucket when you tread out that old yarn.

    The movie is sandwiched between The Dark Crystal & Labyrinth, both more creatively rewarding projects for Henson, et al, and I have to wonder if this was more of an obligation picture. It’s certainly written like one: main characters are big puppets on campus, go to the big city, struggle, disband, get big break, reunite, amnesia, recovery, happy days are here again.

    The Muppets Take Manhattan

    The non-Muppet cast are exclusively from the odd sock drawer of Hollywood, complete unknowns, and the cameos aren’t really any better. I know it was the mid-80’s, but these are some seriously weak walk-ons. (Note: my exhaustive research produced the nugget that Dustin Hoffman was to head up a group of A-listers participating in the film but he bailed out at the last minute – something he is infamous for – and when he split, they all followed. Not for nothing is Michael/Martin Weir character in the book and film Get Shorty based on that prima donna.)

    So with all that said, I must really dislike the picture, yes? No, not at all. It’s a good movie. It’s just not as good as the first two. But when I tell you that I LOVED the first two, you can understand that I’m not insulting The Muppets Take Manhattan.

    The Muppets Take Manhattan

    The music is mostly really good, with the opening number “Together Again” the standout. Sesame Street writer Jeff Moss was nominated for an Oscar for his work on the picture. “Saying Goodbye” is also surprisingly moving.

    While the movie doesn’t contain any show-stopping scenes of puppetry, such as the bicycle ride in The Great Muppet Caper, it does have a whole sequence with the Muppet Babies. You may choose to view this as a good or bad thing, since they were so popular that it launched a cartoon that lasted for six years…

    The Muppets Take Manhattan

    The Muppets Take Manhattan is a very good kids picture. It really doesn’t excel beyond that unfortunately, but it’s only by comparison to the previous films that it can be viewed negatively. It is notable as the first film solely directed by Frank Oz and the last of a very good trilogy. By the time we’d see the Muppets in theaters again, Jim Henson would no longer be with us. So enjoy this last ride with a visionary…

    Poster:

    Trailer:

    Bechdel Test:

    Pass, if you count female pigs voiced by men. Actually, never mind – fail.

    The Representation Test Score: C (6 pts)

    (http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)

    The Muppets Take Manhattan Representation Test

    [schema type=”movie” name=”The Muppets Take Manhattan” description=”Kermit and his friends go to New York to get their musical on Broadway only to find it’s a more difficult task than they anticipated.” director=”Frank Oz” actor_1=”Jim Henson” ]

    Main Cast Jim Henson Kermit the Frog/Rowlf/Dr. Teeth/Waldorf/Swedish Chef/Ernie/Granny/Horse & Carriage Rider/Link Hogthrob/The Newsman (voice), Frank Oz Miss Piggy/Fozzie/Animal/Bert/Cookie Monster/Ocean Breeze Soap Board Member/Sam the Eagle (voice), Dave Goelz Gonzo/Chester the Rat/Bill the Frog/Zoot/Beauregard/Jim the Dog/Dr. Bunsen Honeydew/Penguin (voice), Steve Whitmire Rizzo the Rat/Gill the Frog/Baby Kermit/Chicken/College Student in Audience/Dog (voice)
    Rating G
    Release Date Fri 13 Jul 1984 UTC
    Director Frank Oz
    Genres Comedy, Family, Musical, Romance
    Plot Kermit and his friends go to New York to get their musical on Broadway only to find it’s a more difficult task than they anticipated.
    Poster The Muppets Take Manhattan
    Runtime 94
    Tagline
    Writers Tom Patchett (story) &, Jay Tarses (story) …
    Year 1984
  • The Transporter (2002)

    The Transporter (2002)

    140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW

    If you hate these type of movies I’ll never convince you to watch one, but I highly recommend it for its humor, irreverence & fun action…

    The Transporter

    Spoiler-free Movie Review of The Transporter:

    Co-written & co-produced by Luc Besson, The Transporter has been perfectly constructed to appeal to the largest audience imaginable. It’s really something else. Think about it:

    • In addition to your usual action movie fans, has cars for the car movie people, building off of the success of the previous year’s The Fast and the Furious
    • Statham famous for work in British crime films, so you pull in that crowd
    • Martial arts fans
    • Set and mostly filmed in France for European filmgoers
    • The female lead (Shu Qi) is Chinese
    • Although it’s hugely violent, there’s almost no bloodshed, and few deaths, so you can maintain the PG-13 rating
    • Statham is set up to be sex symbol to women, but they also include a scene of him kissing (actually getting air underwater from) a male co-star to appeal to gay men, as well. He actually appears shirtless and covered in motor oil…
    • The whole thing is filled with hip-hop music.

    It’s impressive; the movie is engineered so acutely to draw in all crowds that it’s amazing that it wasn’t actually created by a focus group.

    The Transporter

    Of course, I’m as susceptible to this as the next person, and really like this movie. Partly it’s because of some of the reasons from above:

    • I like action movies if done well (though I have no time for car movies without Steve McQueen)
    • I like British crime movies, and Statham has been in my favorite – Snatch
    • The martial arts are very impressive. Choreographed by Jet Li collaborator Corey Yuen, the film is a mix of intense, funny, and downright absurd fights. The humor that Jackie Chan invokes with his gravity defying and creative work must certainly be the model here, but there is also a ridiculous quality to some of the scenarios that is clearly intentional and done with a great amount of fun and irreverence. The movie refuses to take itself too seriously, which is the saving grace.
    The Transporter

    The other thing that makes The Transporter work so well is the quiet effectiveness of the actors. I realize that quiet isn’t the first word you reach for when describing this picture, but the dialogue and methodical, precise way that Statham’s character, Frank Martin, navigates this increasing insanity is a really nice counterbalance to the non-stop action. It helps that Statham is just a really likable and charismatic actor. Shu Qi’s character Lai is also a deceptively enjoyable watch – she really grows on you and hints at some depth that sadly doesn’t totally come to the surface.

    The best relationship in the film, however, and the main reason I really enjoy The Transporter, has to be that of Frank Martin and the local police inspector, Tarconi (François Berléand). Tarconi has this beautifully French subtlety, suggesting he understands far more than he lets on. The two characters have this nice chemistry and a relationship clearly meant to invoke the most beautiful of all friendships, that of Humphrey Bogart’s Rick Blaine and Claude Rains’s Captain Louis  Renault in Casablanca.

    Poster:

    Trailer:

    Bechdel Test:

    Fail

    The Representation Test Score: D (1 pts)

    (http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)

    The Transporter Representation Test

     

    [schema type=”movie” name=”The Transporter” description=”This film is about a man whose job is to deliver packages without asking any questions. Complications arise when he breaks those rules.” director_1=”Corey Yuen” director_2=”Louis Leterrier” actor_1=”Jason Statham” actor_2=”Shu Qi” actor_3=”François Berléand” ]

    Main Cast Jason Statham Frank Martin, Qi Shu (as Shu Qi) Lai, Matt Schulze Wall Street, François Berléand Inspector Tarconi
    Rating PG-13
    Release Date Fri 11 Oct 2002 UTC
    Director Corey Yuen (as Cory Yuen)
    Genres Action, Crime, Thriller
    Plot This film is about a man whose job is to deliver packages without asking any questions. Complications arise when he breaks those rules.
    Poster The Transporter
    Runtime 92
    Tagline Rules are made to be broken
    Writers Luc Besson (written by) &, Robert Mark Kamen (written by)
    Year 2002
  • Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

    Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

    140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW

    Blackest of black comedies is 50 years old & still so very good. Brilliant writing, gorgeous photography, good character actor performances.

    Dr. Strangelove

    Spoiler-free Movie Review of Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb:

    It can be a challenge to review absolutely masterful films like this one, so I often do a bit of research on the interwebs, looking for some colorful background. I remembered that Dr. Strangelove was sort of loosely based on a novel, so I started there, and its an interesting story.

    Dr. Strangelove
    “Well, I, uh, don’t think it’s quite fair to condemn a whole program because of a single slip-up, sir.”

    Red Alert (released in England as Two Minutes to Doom) was written in 1958 by British author Peter George. The novel was optioned by Stanley Kubrick, who worked with George and Terry Southern to turn it into a satirical black comedy. The only hitch was that there was another film scheduled for release in 1964 that was also about an accidental nuclear war; Fail-Safe, based on a bestseller by Eugene Burdick & Harvey Wheeler. In order to make sure that Strangelove was the first to theaters, Kubrick & George accused the writers of Fail-Safe of plagiarism, bringing a lawsuit that tied up production on the rival film. The case was settled out of court, and Fail-Safe would go on to be a great movie – but not as successful.

    Dr. Strangelove
    “Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here! This is the War Room.”

    Of course, while the source material may have invited comparison, the similarities ended there, as Dr. Strangelove is unquestionably played for laughs. Interestingly, although I howl every time I see it, I’ve found upon screening it for newcomers to the film that not everyone appreciates the black comedy, finding it dark and depressing. I guess there is a gallows humor aspect that I am drawn to, but I can understand why some people find the film uncomfortable. The sad truth is that while the film is very funny, the reality of Mutually Assured Destruction and the ease with which we all could go up in smoke is very unsettling. The film works not because it’s so far-fetched, but because it isn’t. At all.

    Dr. Strangelove
    “Of course, the whole point of a Doomsday Machine is lost, if you *keep* it a *secret*! Why didn’t you tell the world, EH?”

    The movie is an absolute masterpiece. Maestro Director of Photography Gilbert Taylor made two pictures in 1964 – the other was A Hard Day’s Night – pretty good year. Production Designer Ken Adam, who created the amazing sets for Bond films like Dr. No & Goldfinger, had one of his finest hours with the War Room design. The pacing of the film and the changes in scene locations really sustain the tension, unusual for a comedy. The actors are given room to breathe and time to establish their characters. I’ve avoided saying much about the acting – it’s very good, with George C. Scott & Sterling Hayden particularly fine. I’m a bit conflicted about Peter Sellers. It’s an amazing performance, certainly, but I reflexively hate actors taking on multiple roles in a film. It’s gimmicky and unnecessary, no matter the actor. And while Captain Mandrake & President Muffley are played very effectively straight, the Strangelove performance is just a bit too over the top for me. The affectations are fun, but the reliance on physical gags is wearisome and threatens to devolve the film into farce, just as the original “pie-fight” ending surely would have.

    Dr. Strangelove

    Probably the greatest black comedy ever made, and one of the funniest films of all time, Dr. Strangelove is still meaningful long after the end of the Cold War, because while the circumstances change, it skewers an organizational way of thinking that sadly may always be with us.

    Poster:

    Trailer:

    Bechdel Test:

    Fail

    The Representation Test Score: D (1 pts)

    (http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)

     

    Dr. Strangelove Representation Test

    [schema type=”movie” name=”Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” description=”An insane general triggers a path to nuclear holocaust that a war room full of politicians and generals frantically try to stop.” director=”Stanley Kubrick” actor_1=”Peter Sellers” actor_2=”George C. Scott” actor_3=”Sterling Hayden”]

    Main Cast Peter Sellers Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake/President Merkin Muffley/Dr. Strangelove, George C. Scott Gen. ‘Buck’ Turgidson, Sterling Hayden Brig. Gen. Jack Ripper, Keenan Wynn Col. ‘Bat’ Guano
    Rating Approved
    Release Date Wed 29 Jan 1964 UTC
    Director Stanley Kubrick
    Genres Comedy, War
    Plot An insane general triggers a path to nuclear holocaust that a war room full of politicians and generals frantically try to stop.
    Poster Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
    Runtime 95
    Tagline the hot-line suspense comedy
    Writers Stanley Kubrick (screenplay) &, Terry Southern (screenplay) …
    Year 1964
  • Soul Music (1997)

    Soul Music (1997)

    140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW

    The first of two animated adaptations of Discworld novels, features some great Pratchett humor & terrible British animation. Faithful & fun.

    Soul Music

    Spoiler-free Movie Review of …:

    The best author you’re not reading, Terry Pratchett, has produced 40 novels (to date) taking place in the Discworld, a setting of his own creation that mirrors our world. So much great satire in genre fiction like fantasy is possible by placing our struggles in another fictional land, thus enabling us to detachedly note how preposterous so many of the things we have long since accepted in our own lives truly are. Pratchett is a master of this, and I cannot more highly recommend his novels.

    One of the impressions nearly everyone comes away with upon reading a Terry Pratchett novel is how filmable it seems. His stuff seems to lend itself easily to visualizations of the rich characters and settings, and there have been prints, art books, figurines, theatrical productions and film versions of his tales and Discworld denizens.

    But while the tales may be cinematic, it’s another matter to translate these stories to the screen. For one, Pratchett’s style of writing includes frequent use of footnotes for humorous asides and explanations that would be nearly impossible to reproduce on film. Also, a great deal of the stories rely on what the characters are thinking and unspoken decision making and character growth are common. So while you can film the events entirely faithfully, you’re still missing a lot of the story.

    Soul Music

    Except for an 8-minute portion of Reaper Man called Welcome to the Discworld, which was probably just a demo reel, Soul Music is the first tv/film production of one of Pterry’s stories. Released in May of 1997 on England’s Channel 4, it would very soon be followed by an animated adaptation of Wyrd Sisters.

    Soul Music is kind of an odd first choice of books to adapt in some ways. While it’s a great story that doesn’t require previous knowledge of the other books, it really is weakened if you haven’t read the stories leading up to it. I imagine that parts of the tale miss an unfamiliar audience.

    Whenever talk of making one of his books into a film  comes up, it is almost always Mort, the tale of how Death takes on an apprentice. That story is usually deemed the most filmable and containing the best standalone elements for newcomers, and I tend to agree. Mort introduces Death’s adopted daughter, Ysabell, who with Mort raise a daughter, Susan, the protagonist of Soul Music. (One of two protagonists, anyway. Another feature of Pterry’s books is a multitude of “main” characters.)

    There are really two main stories: the invention of rock & roll, and a distraught Death (the personification of the phenomenon) taking some personal time, necessitating his granddaughter Susan filling in as the Grim Reaper. Both are excellent; I’m not going to review the story here, as that should probably be saved for a review of the book, but it is a typically excellent effort by Pratchett and the story translates very well to animation.

    Or it would if the animation was any good. This is pretty poor quality, however. English animation studios seem to have retained the design aesthetic of the 1960’s in everything they do, and the production value is no better than 1980’s Saturday morning cartoons. It was made for television, I realize, so I don’t want to be too hard on it. Had this been released in the 1980’s, it would have been perfectly suitable. But for 1997, it’s underwhelming.

    The voice work is suitable, with Christopher Lee nicely voicing Death. The sound design is very cartoonish, however, as if it wasn’t being taken very seriously. This, combined with the animation lead to a very amateurish feel to the whole affair, even if there are professionals at work here.

    As for the adaptation, it is done well. I have always maintained that the only way to properly adapt Pterry’s books is by serializing them, and blissfully everyone who has gotten green-lit seems to feel the same way. For British tv, this was split up into 7 episodes, each under a half hour. For the home video release, it’s split into two parts of about 100 minutes, which works pretty well. It doesn’t contain everything from the books, but very nearly. I’d go so far to say that it’s less an adaptation than an illustration.

    Soul Music is definitely recommended for fans of Pratchett’s work. I’d like to recommend it to non-fans, but I’d really suggest you read the novel first for maximum enjoyment. If you want to start with an adaptation of his work, I’d probably point you to the next project featuring the wonderful character of Susan, Hogfather.

    Poster:

    Soul Music

    Trailer:

    Bechdel Test:

    Pass

    The Representation Test Score: B (8 pts)

    (http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)

    Soul Music Representation Test

    [schema type=”movie” name=”Soul Music” description=”The young druid Imp y Celyn comes to Ankh-Morpork to become a famous musician, but a new guitar from a mysterious shop possesses him with a new kind of music – the Music with Rocks In. To make matters worse, Death, saddened by the death of his adopted daughter, has gone away to try and forget, and his granddaughter Susan suddenly has the family duty passed on to her.” director=”Jean Flynn” ]

    Main Cast Christopher Lee Death (unknown episodes), Graham Crowden Mustrum Ridcully (unknown episodes), Andy Hockley Imp y Celyn (unknown episodes), Neil Morrissey Mort (unknown episodes)
    Rating PG
    Release Date Mon 12 May 1997 UTC
    Director Jean Flynn
    Genres Animation, Comedy, Fantasy, Music
    Plot Based on Terry Pratchett’s Novel. On Discworld (a world carried by four elephants standing on a huge turtle in space)…
    Poster Soul Music
    Runtime 159
    Tagline A story of reality, fantasy and the bits in the middle
    Writers Terry Pratchett (novel)
    Year 1997