Prometheus (2012)

There are already more than two weeks I think since I've seen the movie = immediately after I mentioned it in the summer preview entry .. as head of the list. The reason Why last week I picked another title is that I had a pretty long break since my last rated movie, and I wanted to have something deserving to be watched on my blog. The reason why I returned to "Prometheus" now is because I feel I owe getting it down from the top of the previews list (even if the list was just chronological according to the release date).

Because I might have started a bit too harsh (and I intend to end even more), "Prometheus" is not exactly a movie to be avoided. Unlike, for instance, the last blueish production signed by master Cameron here you have a script, some story, a bit of acting .. but no Sigourney Weaver (who's present in "the blue world" if the irony wasn't clear enough). It doesn't worth to get started with the subject for many reasons, from the spoilers (I'll have plety of those below) to the simple fact that I'm not in the mood. In case there is still somebody completely lost from the subject, what we have here is a prequel to the "Alien" series, and I will say that it seems to have the role of creating a spin-off. That's enough. The subject is after all one of the good points of the movie. The handling of it though ... Suficient atat.

I didn't see every Ridley Scott movie but I don't remember which one was the last that disappointed me like this one. I have to admit for instance that "Kingdom of Heaven" and "Robin Hood" were not exactly masterpieces but they were a bit above average, level that in my head was the guaranteed minimum for Scott (he's still the first in my top of directors by the way .. but I'll argue my option when I'll have something supporting this, if it doesn't change before). Again "Prometheus" is not bad. It's just .. medium quality. I don't know from where to start and where to and .. for me is somewhere at the same level with Jeunet's experiment in Alien 4 - which even if it was crazy at least it had some originality and sufficient action to be fun. I think this is the point where "Prometheus" lost - it wanted to get more philosophical than the script can handle (although the idea and the story have potential). And like this it lost the action in Alien 4, and it didn't reach to the deepness of Fincher's Alien 3 either (very underrated movie). It doesn't even worth comparing with the first two in the series. But if this would have been all, we would still have a movie "a bit above average". But no ... we have more ..

We have a ship that enters the atmosphere of an unknown planet and lands more precisely than a trained paratrooper exactly near the alien structure (yes, I know .. spoiler: there are many of those, come on, that's the justification ? .. one in every valley, huh ?).
We have a Guy Pearce with a makeup almost as horrible as J. Edgar's buddy in the last Eastwood movie .. was it really a problem to set the guy's age at 60 instead trying to make him look like 100 ? (you have to see the movie to answer this, but I'm sure that I can fight back any argument with an alternative challenge me ;) if you dare).
We have madame Shaw instead of Ripley who apparently wants to look more badass (spoiler again) by cutting and sewing back her own belly and after that doing olympics training in 100 meter hurdles races ... And no, there's no excuse in portraying her as in pain from time to time, neither that medicine in 100 years will be more advanced, and neither that the movie is a movie as long as it takes itself as seriously as it does. And still, maybe it would have been credible, but to end this, sorry, but Noomi Rapace is no Sigourney Weaver ;).

Rating: 3 out of 5

Get the Gringo (2012)

... or how it's written on the poster "How I Spent My Summer Vacation" as an alternate title, is the last production starring Mel Gibson in a lead role. Some time ago I was thinking that this guy, considering the bunch of problems he managed to get into, pretty much finished his career. I'm not totally sure that I wasn't right, but what can I say is that the situation seems to play well for the quality of his last movies. Unfortunately not financially speaking I'm afraid. I think that the release for the current one was delayed with something close to one year and it's also limited if I'm right = in some places didn't manage to get into cinemas and went straight to pay-per-view. But, getting back to the actual movie ...

In brief, we have something that seems to be like a sort of "Payback 2" with a scent of "Lucky Number Slevin" and mixed with some others of the genre that I can't remember now - but more gruesome and more crazy. To summarize it, the guy on the poster is a thief who manages to steal quite an amount of cash from .. let's say "somebody" so I won't spoil anything .. from San Diego, California. For the general knowledge, in case it wasn't known already, San Diego is quite close to Mexico. Where the unlucky fellow, without having too many options, and chased by the local corrupt police, decides to plunge through the frontier border. After this, he's picked up by the neighbor local police, relieved of his stolen money and thrown without many questions in a sort of ad-hoc prison. To define ad-hoc prison: a surrounded guarded perimeter, without cells but with a local economy = from sleeping places rented by the perimeter mafia up to kiosks with cigarettes and cola, and others. In this context every resident has to earn his daily living somehow. What happens further ... well .. we have action, romance, some twists .. everything wrapped up by a story that's more original than lots of productions with a quintuple budget.

I won't say more of the story. In the end, the movie is quite far fetched, but it somehow manages not to surpass the limit = in the sense that pretty much every scene like: "come on (eyeroll), why ?" (= why the heck did it happened what I just saw in the previous second) can have a quick explanation. So there is a minimum degree of credibility in there. What I found a bit bothering, and I can't explain myself why, because I consider myself as having a pretty high level of tolerance, is the fact that is rated R and the scenes in this rating are plenty. Probably I just wasn't in the mood for something in this range, but getting over it the movie really deserves watching. Gibson makes a very good role, and it makes me feel sorry again that he's not really loved by the producers after the scandals he got into (apparently the Hollywood has a very big problem with dissociating between a guy's private life and what he does on screen). To get to a conclusion, the movie could have been better, but for one hour and thirty, although I start to repeat myself, the subject is sufficiently dense not to give you time to check your watch. Even if maybe the trailer doesn't suggest that ( but only the funny part ;) ).

Rating: 4 out of 5 ( a bit at the limit though .. :) )

Part 2 of Summer-Fall 2012 Movie Preview

In the beginning of September we have a SciFi that looks quite indie but seems nonetheless to have a decent budget behind. Because I'm writing in a hurry (as usual ...) I'll just stop at the idea that it reminds me about a classic by Carpenter: "They Live" from '88. For who did not see it yet, but who's tempted by both of them, better wait - the old one might create some disappointments about the one below ...


Since last time we had more Action-SciFi than horror in the true sense we can compensate this time with ... "House at the End of the Street". I'm intrigued by ... the title length ... And I can't get over the first topic on the IMDb boards that does a slight change: "Boobs at the End of the Street" (:P just quotin' .. not that I have something against it). Do I have to conclude that probably the trailer might be the scariest part of the movie ? ...


At the end of September we have scheduled what I think to be the most interesting title from this Fall. "Looper" seems to have everything it needs: a combination of SciFi with thriller with time travel on top which for me at least is the best possible, a director about whom I don't know anything but who wrote also the script (which usually is a good thing) and it doesn't seem to be exactly his first movie, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, what else to say .. the only thing that I find a bit disturbing in the trailer .. the makeup :|


For October we do not have yet many trailers released. So my options are pretty much limited to "Argo". Which looks like a decent title, adapted after a true story happened in '79, story that after a quick look-up on Wikipedia seems to be indeed worthy of a movie. But I won't give more spoilers than what's below ..


The first title for November, on which I stumbled upon the last days, is an animation from Disney. Disney as in Disney the main studio = no Pixar, thing that I'm not too sure if it sounds promising or the other way around (because I really don't remember what I've seen last time and when from them without the hopping lamb in the beginning). For the moment, the subject seems a bit too far fetched for me, even for an animation .. well, it's probably due to my job :) ...


The next Bond: "Skyfall" seems to be the most promising among the latest. And not due to the trailer that doesn't say anything, but because of the director - Sam Mendes. Even if I'm not a big fan (mostly due to the subjects he picks), he has done one of the top movies that I've ever seen in its genre: "Road to Perdition". It's true that this was long ago, but since from what he did after nothing was that close to a drama/thriller/noir I have hopes that "Skyfall" will catch at least a bit from what was there ...


We had animation from Pixar last time and one from the owner = Disney before, so I couldn't skip looking something from DreamWorks to compensate. And I found .. "Rise of the Guardians" - at the end of November, probably to be more close to the holidays considering what we can see below. About how it looks ... well, I hope (from all my heart) that it won't take itself too seriously. Otherwise I declare myself totally and unchangeable convinced that the Americans have a genetic problem that manifests through a chronic lack/need of super-heroes in everyday life. Otherwise I cannot explain myself how can you get up to transforming even the Easter bunny in something like this ...


Back later this week with a movie .. been some time since talking about something specific ;) ...

Part 1 of Summer-Fall 2012 Movie Preview

I'm back (I hope ...). No change though in my chronic lack of time. So let's get fast into the subject = what movies are coming out until December. This post - the Summer season:

The headline for the beginning of June is obviously "Prometheus". Well .. obviously at least for me :) = I mean, I could tell without doubt that this is "The summer movie" for this year in what I'm concerned. In case there still is somebody wondering what I'm talking about - Ridley Scott is back, after the first "Alien" from '79. Here we have the prequel, meaning: what happened before Ripley's vs. the long teeth animal hunting session on Nostromo. If it's still gibberish what I'm saying, go watch "Alien" (it's unbelievable how good can that movie look even today).


Who's taking a look from time to time over what I'm writing probably knows that I'm not a very big Pixar fan, but this year I have something on my "must see" list: "Brave". Even if, again, it will result in something covered by their trademark "more tear jerking than a pot of chopped onion" (although I hope this time they'll see the limit), there are at least two reasons to watch this movie - Kelly Macdonald who does the voice for the redhead in the trailer and Billy Connolly as her father. You can hear them both below:


Since I've started with the "Alien" prequel, I thought it should be fit to end June with something announced for release at that time in UK - "Storage 24", that seems to be a variation of the same theme but with an indie movie budget. Now .. there have been countless variations of the theme .. some good, some bad. We'll see about this one ...


I'm confused about the American appetite for super-heroes, but since I don't have anything better for the start of July, I'll go with "The Amazing Spider-Man". It's indeed something to do a reboot to a trilogy since ten years from the first movie, that seems to be reused (well, it's the story) for at least a third of its length. But maybe the green evil character is more interesting this time although I have my doubts (yes, it's still green .. I assume, well .. on IMDb it's written "The Lizard"). I didn't see yet "Avengers" and I'm not very tempted, so what to say about this one. There is an exception though on this genre ... following ...


"The Dark Knight Rises" is supposed to end the Batman trilogy in the Cristopher Nolan version. But, I've already heard some reboot rumors .. in 2015 .. also with Nolan (but only for the script). That's just in case that the idea for a new "Spider-Man" version above didn't sound crazy enough. But let me get back to the subject. As I was saying it's pretty much the only exception in the area of super hero movies that keeps me interested ... probably because when I was around 10 years old, during a winter, I went to see "Batman Returns" in cinema and maybe I got a nostalgic fixation since then (for me by the way, it's still the best Batman, no matter what anybody's saying). I don't know if I don't start repeating already from what I wrote some other time, so let's better move to the trailer:


There are also some other titles announced but .. for the end of July I'm stopping at "Ruby Sparks". I don't know exactly why. Generally I pretty much avoid both the comedies and the romance stuff, and here is clearly a mix of both. But the context ... I'm just curious in case I'll convince myself to watch this if it will leave me with a normal smile, a bitter one, or the third option which I think I actually want: a big yawn ...


At the beginning of August we have "The Bourne Legacy". The nice thing about "The Bourne Trilogy" is that is based, more or less, on the book series by Robert Ludlum. I say "more or less" because if you want to see something more close to the original, at least for the first book, it's more recommended to watch the TV version from '88 with Richard Chamberlain. For me that's a movie that's more spy thriller than the new ones, but this doesn't mean that the big screen productions are not ok up to very good. But I stay at the opinion that the main reason lies in the fact that they're based on a book. Unfortunately from what I know Ludlum didn't get to finish others. He was continued by a semi-obscure writer of novels of this type, who I have no idea if he managed to come close to the original. Ludlum for me is in top 3 ever on this area, so I doubt it even compares. Well .. I have no idea on what's based the movie here, if it is. The screenwriter (and director) is Tony Gilroy, the same as before, who besides Bourne wrote "Extreme Measures", "Devil's Advocate", "Michael Clayton" .. but also "Proof of Life" and the lame remake for "State of Play". I have hope .. even if in this case we have .. surprise: a Bourne without Bourne ..


After prequels, reboots and sequels, what's left .. a remake (well remake .. reboot pretty much the same): "Total Recall". Since I'm always hungry of P.K.Dick I can't complain. It's unbelievable how many short stories this guy wrote that made up to movies (the one here, "Minority Report", "Paycheck", and .. well .. "Impostor" and the pathetic adaptation after "The Adjustment Bureau"), that's to give an idea of the potential his novels have. I doubt that the current version of "Total Recall" can somehow subclass the Verhoeven classic from '90 with Schwarzenegger, but I also don't think it can end up a disaster + for the female cast I tend to prefer the Kate Beckinsale/Jessica Biel version towards Sharon Stone/I don't remember who was the good girl.


I'm closing August and the summer with a guilty pleasure: "The Expendables 2". Yes, I know. The first was a complete mess as story, script and others. But the first didn't have Schwarzenegger back apparently in a more consistent part since many years ago, didn't have Van Damme, Chuck Norris, had only a couple of seconds of Bruce Willis .. I wonder why I started enumerating the cast .. because probably even them should keep it secret as "the subject", since I don't know if you have something else to get from the movie neither this time :P . But starting with low expectances .. who knows ;)


Next week, the Fall season ;)