Sherlock Holmes 2 (2011) vs. Mission Impossible 4 (2011)

.. or, to have the full titles: "A Game of Shadows" vs. "Ghost Protocol". Why "vs." ? Well, because these had simultaneous release, because though different both are blockbuster action movies, because "the main villain" wants pretty much the same thing, because both are sequels, and .. because it sounds good as a blog post title :p .

In the "Sherlock Holmes" sequel we have a story, or better said a script, that's a bit more "hollywoodish" than the first part. Or at least more close to a James Bond movie. Holmes & Watson have to deal this time with the probably most familiar enemy from the books = prof. Moriarty. Who (light spoiler), after buying weaponry, weapon factories, etc, sets his purpose in life to start a world war that will justify his investment. Well ... If two years ago I was (very) positively surprised by how Guy Ritchie managed to resurrect the classic character, this time the result is not that impressing. This because inevitably you'll compare with the first. If you skipped though the first part, what you'll get is a pretty different stuff from what you usually get to see as an action movie .. + comedy .. + a bit of drama .. + making full use of the times in the end of the 19th century (= you could say also a bit of "fantasy") .. + others.

Even if, opposed to the first part, the mystery to resolve is a bit lost (that's why I allowed myself the spoiler before) the rest is still there. Meaning a mix of all-genres-in-one, garnished with the same top notch acting, the same slow motion effects that reminds of the first John Woo Hollywood movies, the soundtrack that's not that brilliant as the first but still has Hans Zimmer written on it, and probably the most important ... "the British charm" to say so, that's usually found in the more "contemporary" Guy Ritchie productions = starting with "Snatch" as example.

Passing to the other half of this post title, the last "Mission Impossible" starts to suffer from the same issues as the Bond movies (since I was already mentioning them before) = 1. different director, different feeling in the same context with the same main characters 2. you don't have much chance to remember (unless you're not some crazy fan) what and how happened in the rest, but fortunately you don't have too many continuity elements .. although this might apply also to Holmes, but since we only have two parts there it's not the case yet. As a story, as I was saying we have pretty much the same base idea. A villain with some financial resources wants to start a global war, the difference being that in this case the purpose is not to gain money from it, but just pure madness. I won't say more, because I'll spoil the main plus the movie has. And that's ...

For the two hours and twenty minutes it has, you don't feel them. The action, even if it doesn't have much of a subject behind it, it's pretty well built not to bore you with interminabile fights & explosions ( as in "Transformers" ). You get enough variation, from the location setting = the geographical position, up to the actual buildings = Kremlin + Burj Khalifa. You can add to these the elements from the rest of the series = the gadgets & the sidekick team (completely changed this time, although Ving Rhames makes an appearance on the end). Actually, I think this is the most attractive element throughout the whole movie, because if we have had only Tom Cruise as a solitary Ethan Hunt what we'll get would be "just another Bond" clone.

The problem in report to Holmes, is that here on the acting part, if you pay some attention, you'll tend to get you're eyes rolling if you know what I mean. Tom Cruise & Michael Nyqvist (the bad guy) are ok. But for the rest ... if I was saying about the sidekick team ... we have a mix of the same Jeremy Renner from "Hurt Locker" (= pure drama role), the same Simon Pegg from "Hot Fuzz" (= pure comedy role), and a Paula Patton who I didn't see until now anywhere, but who I'm not sure I want to see from now on (at least not for her acting skills). In the end though, the result is tolerable, the reason being .. the directing = Brad Bird. If it doesn't sound familiar, he is the same guy behind .. "Ratatouille" & "The Incredibles" from Pixar. And the part with tolerable doesn't mean it's an exceptional directing, but just the fact that it has a sort of the same cartoonish atmosphere (actually it's like a sort of "The Incredibles" in a more serious tone), atmosphere that justifies some overacting here and there.

So .. since I already wrote a lot :) and I don't have many ideas left, what can I say as a short conclusion is that both titles are perfect as "holiday movies" = just plain entertaining fun .. even if there is some difference in the overall quality between them ..

Rating:
SH 2 - 4 out of 5
MI 4 - 3 out of 5

Real Steel (2011)

Ok .. I know .. "Real Steel" doesn't sound that good for the current period, but the title is misleading. Even if the movie was released in October, I say that it's quite fit for the winter holidays. Reason for I've actually chosen it as the subject (well .. I actually didn't have many recently seen options to choose from). From start I have to say that the rating in the end is quite objective. If I would have to refer at "the usual feeling" that's associated with these days (sorry, I didn't find any other better way to name it :) you know what I mean), than it would be one point higher for how well it fits.

We have a sort of family story with a happy end that's more than predictable, but that's not a big problem :) you want it like this & you get what you want. In brief, in a future that's not far, professional boxing was replaced with robot fights. That's where the title comes from ... The competitors are the owners of the steel machines fighting in the ring based on remote control - by joystick, voice, or even mimicking the moves made outside the ring by the player (actually an interesting idea .. I'm wondering if there isn't some potential for something like this when the robotics will get more advanced). In this context we have a real ex-boxer, who switched to the new "sport", and who also tries hardly to make some money but manages to blow it and not only in his "career" but apparently on everything. His girlfriend, the owner of the robot service that gets almost bankrupt, is ready to break up completely with him. His son, being 10-11 years old, hates him for the fact that was neglected since his birth until his mother died, and more .. now for the custody being "sold" to an aunt (actually to the aunt's husband). Well .. I don't know what to say more. If you watch the first 20 minutes you'll already know pretty much of what's next. And I've already said that the end is happy. So .. it's enough :)

I don't have any filmic details to give. I can't say that I've watched something that impressed me in some detail ( well .. I'll refrain from starting to "analyze" Evangeline Lilly's smile because I'm not sure is of general interest ;) The movie, overall, is perfect if you want something light, to give you (or adding more to) a positively-optimistic mood. It's also sufficiently alert to catch your atention. But besides the action, the title, the fighting context, etc .. the result in my opinion is something quite non-violent (remember, robots fight, not the people) that eliminates pretty much every inferior limit for a targeted age. It's also a bit too .. how to put it .. "american" = the obviously happy end, a series of cliche/rolling eyes scenes + (a bit of spoiler here) in the end I had a vague feeling that I've seen a remake of "Rocky". But exactly this is what it makes to be what I've said above it is = sort of fit for this time of year. Ocasion for, I'm also sending a "Happy Holidays !" wish to everybody ;)

Rating: 3 out of 5

Babette's Feast (1987)

I have the luck from time to time to find a movie that fits perfectly to my mood when I see it .. because if I would watch it at another moment, I won't probably be very impressed. That's what happened with "Chocolat" when I've seen for the first time. And the second ... And even the third (yes, somehow I managed to watch that movie at least three times). But before "Chocolat" was "Babette's Feast". It's a Danish production, quite old, with a pretty similar idea, on a much smaller budget, probably slower and more boring, but which actually fit the moment for me as I was saying above. I'm quite sure that seeing it another time in another place there would have been chances to stop watching before half of it. Well .. I started with a pretty long intro, and not very close to the subject, mostly because it's a bit hard for me to write about this movie due to some reasons exposed below.

Who knows me a bit better, probably never heard me talking (in depth) about religion, faith, etc. The reason - in my opinion is a personal matter, as in your own, yours only & only for you. at least in case you're not a priest, Rabi, you want to establish a sect, etc, and opening your mouth about the subject falls in your job specs. If it's not the case, your own beliefs are your own problem, and that's that. I already wrote more than enough to get to the point I want to. And that is that this movie is probably not recommended for some categories of viewers: on one hand the Christian fanatics (I'm sorry for the term, but there exist) might consider it a mockery up to a point that it's quite advanced in the timeline, but if they resist up to the end anyway, they would probably be satisfied enough by the outcome to start the next day to share Bibles in the neighborhood instead of posting in IMDb boards entitled "Anti Christian movie" (that's a quote from what you find on the "Chocolat" page by the way); on the other hand I won't recommend the movie neither to who's a convince atheist, because these ones probably would be satisfied by the movie from the start to the end and begin extracting scenes to post on fb, their own blog, wherever under a title like "How to Control the Masses. There is no God. Let's get a beer.". Maybe I'm a bit to radical, but but what's above is about extremes. If I think a bit, I guess that, as incredible it may seem after you've seen the movie, a Muslim, Budhist, etc, probably would watch it more detached and would be able to see more clearly the main idea transmitted (however, it would probably be the same thing, if the movie would quote from Quran instead the Bible). Oh .. I almost forgot, there is another group of viewers that maybe will disapprove with what they'll see: hardcore vegans, although here I want to believe (assuming they're not in any of the above categories) that there are enough sufficiently open minded to get the message behind the subject. Because the subject is ...

... a dinner. Yeah, well, this is the climac of the movie - a dinner. I know that I said a lot up to here and also nothing, but I still don't want to disclose more. I already referred to "Chocolat". What's here is not far away from that, and in "Chocolat" you don't really have an action thread long enough to start describing, so the same applies here. What I can say, in this case, is to be patient and to pay attention to details (there is minor stuff, but somewhere it gets some meaning, more or less explicitly - ex: think why he sent her to them .. is cryptic, I know :) but considering that the movie might look quite boring in the first part I hope I might raise some interest).

I hope I didn't offend anybody with what I wrote above. Anyway, if I did, it should be pretty much everybody :)), just to make sure that I get rid of all the viewers (from the "ton" I have). Once again I have to say that the "guilty" paragraph targets the groups with extreme views. Incredibly but true, there is a middle path (yes, in the middle) or at least a bit more moderate. But I'm already starting to do what I said I'm not doing ... So, I'll wrap up. Before that ... if I enumerated the potential watchers that should avoid the movie, maybe it will be better to actually recommend it to somebody too. If you ever wanted in your life to accomplish anything, but the faith, luck, kismet, etc weren't too kind to you and sent you on a different path, see this. You won't regret it (well .. it's recommended anyway to not be chronically depressive :))) I forgot this group).

Rating: 4 out of 5

To still keep the action, the minimum that it is, not spoiled, I preferred what's below, although I'm not sure I can call that a trailer. However, a search on YouTube will lead you quite quick to a clip presenting a 3 minutes review from an NY Times critic. The problem is that after you might not have the patience to see the movie (although it doesn't give you exactly the main stuff), but for who wants more info can look for it.

Repo Men (2010)

Unfortunately I don't have anything left to preview, and I have to fall back to something seen a bit longer ago since this week I didn't have time for movies. But since "a bit longer ago" wasn't that long ago and "Repo Men" is a Sci-Fi that surprised me positively, I fortunately have a subject. I would have preferred though something more accessible because I must start by saying that you have to have a tough stomach to get over this movie from start to finish (no pun intended :), you'll get it when you'll see the movie) ...

What's the idea ? Well, in brief we have a not very far future when there exists the possibility to save your own life (sort of speaking ...) by using the services provided by "The Union" - a sort of corporation that deals with medical services that consist in organ transplant without waiting queues. But, there's a catch ... Primo - the prices are huge and generally imply monthly payments with an interest. Secundo - in case of payment delay, the company property = the liver, the heart, etc is returned .. by force. Meaning that the corporation has a special department of "repo men" apparently having some skills in surgery .. what makes the movie a bit more bloody in my opinion than it should be. As a feeling I got, if you manage to get over the first 5 minutes it's fine :) .. you won't get much more intense than that (just more bloody but the maximum psychical effect is passed .. I guess).

Without saying too much, the story follows two of the repo guys, best buddies, one of them adding involuntarily to it's marital troubles related to the job also a physical one = a new borrowed heart. More details in the movie. The idea is that up to the moment where this happens, the script makes everything it cans to disgust you (starting with the first 5 minutes from the beginning). Not necessarily visually, but more related to the idea of "humanity" that's sent. In other words what you get first is one side of the story - the one seen by the "repo service". After the mentioned guy gets his new heart, he slowly gets drawn and ends up on the other side (no spoiler here, it was probably obvious) - the side of the ones potentially prone to get hunted if they didn't pay on time. And something changes, obviously also in the tone of the movie. Besides this, the story starts to get some complexity, and the ending is one that has serious chances to surprise you. Without saying more than I should, it at least a part of what you'll see leaves you an impression that's stretched too far to be credible, just wait ...

I don't have time to write much more. The main cast - Jude Law, Forest Whitaker, Alice Braga, Liev Schreiber does an excellent job. What I would like to point out anyway is the score that's superb. I don't remember exactly what's coming from the main composer = Marco Beltrami, but what left stuck in my head is the usage of some songs here and there having a very powerful effect on the associated scenes. For instance, if I'm not mixing them already ... those 5 minutes from the start which I keep mentioning are rolling on a version of the well-known "Sway". To symmetrically complete it, Dave Stewart (who should sound familiar at least due to "Lily Was Here") has a song on the end credits, that fits so well as conclusion that made me stuck my eyes on the screen until the final frame.

As an ending idea it's a movie that I consider underrated, but unfortunately I had to admit that there are reasons to, probably the cause being the aggressiveness excess. Anyway .. trust me .. even so this is not completely gratuitous = if you like SciFi's with some substance behind you should see it.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Part 2 of Winter-Spring 2011-2012 Movie Preview

I'm getting directly into the subject because I don't have much time for writing. I suppose that everybody heard about Tarzan. However I don't know who heard about John Carter. What's the catch ? Both were created by the same author - Edgar Rice Burroughs - being featured on the cover of a significant number of books (individually, not together, obviously - the first is lost in Africa, the other on Mars). Well .. if Tarzan got enough coverage during the last century, next March it seems we get the first big budgeted production for pentru John Carter. For me looks like an YASM - Yet Another Superhero Movie ... but we'll see ...



If we're already on the American literature area let's move on to another Edgar. "The Raven" which for my expectations is top of the list for the next Spring is an apparently awkward mix between the dark tales of Edgar Alan Poe and .. Edgar Alan Poe himself. What is probably not that known, and by chance I've found out myself quite soon from a book that got into my hands, is that Poe was a pretty complex character let's say for the first half of the 19th century when he lived, besides the prose having also written a series of essays related with the origins of the universe, physics, etc ... nothing really serious as far as I know but nevertheless interesting to read. Anyway, until I'm not starting to get to far from the subject, coming pack to the production which in the end I really doubt that has something to do with the real Poe besides the literature part, what I'd like to point aout is the director: James McTeigue this being after all the reason for which I'm waiting for the movie. To be more exact I doubt that it would be comparable with "V for Vendetta", but if it's above "Ninja Assassin" it's already very good.



Since I didn't have any animations from last time up to this moment I'm closing March 2012 with "The Pirates! Band of Misfits". As the trailer says, the movie is produced by the same studio - Aardman - that released "Chicken Run" (which I didn't get to see yet) and the shorts series + the movie featuring Wallace & Gromit, stuff that for me was genius work. Unfortunately Nick Park who nailed a few Oscars with those doesn't seem to be associated in any way with the present title. Anyhow, I still hope for something above average ...



In April we have "Safe" which I find to be something like a sort of "Mercury Rising" reloaded. In case nobody remembers about "Mercury Rising" don't worry you have no reason to, it's a movie with Bruce Willis since before 2000 which was a major flop. But at least it had Bruce Willis ... Here, besides the reused idea we have also Jason Statham on the reloaded track (I'm asking myself if this guy couldn't optimize a bit his incomes and career = to shoot more movies at once, it's anyway the same role in each).



As it can be already observed I don't have many titles left for the next Spring, so even if I'm not a very big comedy fan, I don't have any options left for the next April besides "American Reunion". It's a sequel. For "American Pie". What's the number ? I have no idea ... I lost count ...



In case somebody forgot the superheroes invasion lately, it's not a problem - in May the next year, everybody comes back in "The Avengers". Since I'm more than fed up with the genre, I won't spend any time enumerating them, you can look for yourself in the trailer ...



I'm closing this preview (without much hope) with "Battleship" because that's pretty much the last trailer momentarily available for the end of next Spring. The only reason that made me mention it is the fact I've seen Liam Neeson around there but I'm not sure that's enough to guarantee that we won't end up with an aquatic Transformers ...



Next time I'm back with a movie. Ciao ;)