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The Journey (2014)
A wonderful exploration of grief and love
Lance's film 'The Journey' is a wonderful exploration of love, loss and grief shot against the stunning vistas of Greece. Aside from being a visual treat, it is also a multi-layered story that follows several men who are connected by their own experiences of tragic loss and coming to terms with their past. Their paths intersect and cross, each discovering and learning. This is clearly a very personal film for the director, and despite some difficult production hurdles he has crafted an earnest film with a big heart. Whilst certainly an unconventional narrative, this is a film for audiences who are seeking something deeper in their entertainment, and it's a film that will stick with you long after it's finished. Highly recommended viewing!
Total Recall (2012)
A terrific sci-fi/action extravaganza.
I can't believe critics and audiences have condemned this remake so much - especially when films that are WAY WORSE get given so much latitude (ie. the Star Wars prequels, Indiana Jones 4 etc).
TOTAL RECALL (2012) is a superbly made, high-octane action thriller that hits all the right beats and is a VERY worthy remake. unfortunately, people have judged this film on the trailer alone and/or viewed this film through the murky glasses of nostalgia. They fail to remember that the original Total Recall was very much a B-movie, lacking much of what they criticize this remake for - thin characters, thin plot, poor dialogue and an over-use of special effects. It starred a muscle-man actor that couldn't speak English properly; it relied heavily on visually effects and was filled with B-actors running around on starkly-lit plastic sets. The script was filled with corny one-liners and silly exposition, with villains so evil they almost twirled their moustaches while talking about their evil plans. But in the last 20 years we have all grown to love the original (rightfully so, its great fun) and injected our own 'depth' into it. Arnie was no more or less a boring than Colin Farrell. The villains and allies were no more or less 'developed' either. Both films are stock standard, by the book hardcore action films - and nothing more, nothing less. Total Recall borrows only a few lines and ideas from the original film. These are more winks and nods than anything, and then does it own thing - very very well, I must add.
Colin Farrell is great as the central hero, and the world he inhabits is so beautifully realized it's worthy of Ridley Scott 'creating worlds' status. There are winks to Blade Runner in the production, and for that I am grateful - I've always wanted to see more of that world. The production design is jaw-dropping. I totally bought this as the future.
The remake has been blasted for ripping off every sci-fi film and doing it badly - but I say it's the opposite. This remake takes all those elements we've seen before - robot police, new technology, flying cars, virtual reality, laser guns (you name it) - AND DOES THEM PROPERLY. The Fifth Element, the Star Wars prequels, Minority Report, A.I. and I, Robot were all shoddy, flawed films (with interesting ideas) but this film makes those ideas WORK. Sure, those black-and-white cyborg cops are like Stormtroopers - but these ones are bad-ass and very cool, better than any Kiwi-accented CGI cartoons that George Lucas created.
The directing is tight and focused, the plotting sharp, the acting solid and the world is as real as it needs to be. The only problem is that the original Total Recall gave away the twist, so the remake can never really have the 'wow' factor. But lets face it, it's not that big a twist. This film is just as formulaic as any Batman or Marvel film, yet everyone forgives those without hesitation. Complaining about paper-thin characters in a film like this is just stupid. These films need archetypes - the hero, the villain, the girl etc etc. They were no more 'thin' than characters in The Matrix or any of these sci-fi action films. Having said that, the characters weren't paper thin anyway - I actually cared a lot for what happened to them. I was totally rooting for Colin Farrell every step of the way. They didn't set out to make Inception, with all it's deep, meaningful philosophy - they set out to make a summer blockbuster.
If you're a sci-fi nut, a film buff or someone who just likes great escapism, see this film. It's one of the best in this genre for years. It doesn't try to better the original, it just gives us a modern spin on the old narrative. I applaud this film for its amazing production, it's restraint in the action scenes and for taking me into an amazing world. If films like this are condemned, then audiences and critics truly are way too harsh.
Well done, Len Wiseman and team. And Colin, in a just world you would be a bigger star!
Terminator Salvation (2009)
This did not deserve the criticism it got!
Why Terminator: Salvation was so criticized is a mystery to me. It's a ripping action film, very well made, strongly acted and surprisingly - McG's direction is slick, fast-paced and very loyal to the franchise. Arnie's presence was not missed - and let's face it, he didn't save Terminator 3 from being corny and soft - in fact he ADDED to it.
Sam Worthington was very impressive as Marcus, and although Conner's role was not very interesting, Bale's performance was solid and delivered with conviction. Perhaps if the story was more layered and there were more 'character' moments the film would've felt deeper. This was why T2 was so memorable, because it had a very deep soul. But SALVATION is a much shorter film - and McG is not Jim Cameron, so it was never going to beat T2.
The action scenes are terrific and exciting with McG showing off his ability to stage long takes instead doing a Michael Bay - CUT, CUT, CUT, CUT - CUT! The whole movie is very gritty and feels realistic - very little green-screen work.
Overall, its not as satisfying as the first 2 Terminator films, but for a fun-filled action fest and a nod to the original films, T4 is a worthy addition to the franchise. I was personally disappointed that McG wasn't going to make the other two Terminator films he had planned.
Such is the power of bad publicity and poor reviews. No wonder I resent the film critics.