Yet another X-Men movie

– is on the way, and it doesn’t have the word “Origins” in the title, even though it very well could have.

The “original trilogy” of movies based on the classic Marvel Comics was generally well received. In X-Men (2000) we’re introduced to the idea of mutants as a separate species, closely related to humans and yet so very different. We meet Professor X (Sir Patrick Stewart) who trains mutants to use their abilities for good. We meet his archnemesis Magneto (Sir Ian McKellen) who, disillusioned by the anti-mutant sentiment among “ordinary” humans, wows to destroy humanity so mutants can be free from prejudice. And we meet the people who fear what they don’t understand – a thinly veiled analogy if there ever was one.

In X2 (2003), arguably the best of the franchise, Professor X and his students try to mend the relationship between humans and mutants, but Magneto and his minions continue to ruin any attempts towards peaceful co-existence. In X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), the mutant heroes find their existence threatened by a “cure” that will take away their special powers, as well as by the most powerful among them apparently turning against them. Can Professor X and his students battle several enemies at once?

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) was promoted as the first in a series of movies telling the story of how the individual mutants came to be who they are. Logan aka Wolverine was possibly the most popular character of the previous three movies – and the one with the most mysterious origin. This movie told us how he discovered his special power and explained certain aspects of his somewhat…curmudgeonly personality.

The second origins movie (albeit without the word “Origin” in the title) will be X-Men: First Class. It will relate the story of two best friends, Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr, how their paths began to diverge and how they became mortal enemies.

Superheroes do lend themselves well to the big screen, especially with today’s CGI technology. No movie can survive on special effects alone, though, and what really made the previous movies in this particular franchise worth watching was the acting: stellar casts and solid performances. Due to the prequel nature of the new movie, practically all of the roles have had to be recast. One might fear if it is possible to find actors who can believably portray young versions of Stewart and McKellen – but I’d like to think writer/producer Bryan Singer and the rest of the crew have done it.

James McAvoy is one of the most talented young actors around, and his credits already include genre roles like Leto II Atreides in the Children of Dune mini-series (2003) and Mr. Tumnus the faun in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005). German/Northern Irish actor Michael Fassbender was in the critically acclaimed mini-series Band of Brothers (2001) – with McAvoy, by the way – but is probably better known for his role as the British agent Lt. Archie Hicox in another WW II “period piece”, Inglourious Basterds (2009). If anyone can fill the shoes of the two Shakespearean thespians and queen’s knights, these are your guys.

X-Men: First Class opens on June 3 – and my expectations are high. Judging by this trailer, they have every right to be:

 

Movie review: Iron Man 2

The Invincible Iron Man is back. With a vengeance.

After defeating his father’s old business partner turned evil rogue, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is now focusing his energy on preserving world peace, essentially by using his armoured suit as the individual equivalent of a nuclear deterrent. The authorities, however, led by an obnoxious senator (Garry Shandling), seem to think that this powerful weapon belongs to the American people (i.e. the US military), not to one man or his private corporation. Stark, naturally, disagrees – as it later turns out, both because of a sense of ownership and – primarily – for more personal reasons.

This is not Starks’ only concern, though. Rival weapons manufacturer Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) is also a growing concern for Stark Industries – and as if that wasn’t enough: While he is busy fighting both the government, the competition, and his personal issues, Stark’s past once again comes back to haunt him, this time in the form of the son of a former colleague of his father’s.

The first Iron Man movie was my favourite among the ‘new bunch’ of film versions made by Marvel and Paramount. It brought a refreshingly self-ironic approach to the superhero genre, managing to find the perfect blend of a relatively dark storyline and even darker humour. I am glad to say that the sequel also delivers and all those accounts – even more so than its predecessor.

Downey is perfect as the brilliant and brilliantly narcissistic billionaire, but the whole cast around him is what makes this movie so enjoyable: Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, the pithy PA with more balls than most of the men in the movie put together; Mickey Rourke as Ivan Vanko, the deranged evil genius; Don Cheadle as Lt. Col. James Rhodes, long-time friend and the Jiminy Cricket to Stark’s Pinocchio. A part he took over from Terrence Howard and – no offence to Howard – adds a lot more substance to.

To me, though, the most enjoyable performance, – apart from Downey himself – was Rockwell as Justin Hammer. He manages to switch effortlessly between complete deadpan and an almost Tom Cruise-like creepy craziness, and steals every single scene he is in.

A word of praise for director Jon Favreau: Not only has he proven – twice now – that he can put together a thoroughly entertaining big budget blockbuster action flick; he also manages to deliver an enjoyable performance as Stark’s chauffeur sidekick Happy Hogan.

Not much to say about the special effects: they are as good as could be expected from a movie of this calibre and budget size – which is to say, very good.

Like two of the previous Marvel movies (Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk), this movie also has the double function of building up to the announced Avengers movie. There are two more movies to come before that – Captain America and Thor, both scheduled for release in the summer of 2011 – to complete the cast. Watch out for the nice little easter eggs in this movie (and of course for the obligatory Stan Lee cameo). Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and his organizsation S.H.I.E.L.D. also feature much more heavily in this movie than in the previous two, and we get more of the background story for the organization. Hopefully, even more is to come next year.

Finally, in both Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk, there was an extra scene inserted at the end of the credits. This is the case again with Iron Man 2. Do yourself a favour and stay in your seat those 6-7 minutes. It is definitely worth it.

Iron Man 2 (2010) Starring Robert Downey Jr., Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sam Rockwell, Mickey Rourke, Samuel L. Jackson, Jon Favreau. Written by Justin Theroux. Directed by Jon Favreau. Rated PG-13. 2 h 04 min.

Movie review: Clash of the Titans

One should always be wary of remakes. So many classics have been ruined for a new generation by pointless reimaginings. The original Clash of the Titans was, maybe not a great movie, but still very good by 1981 standards – and it is certainly a classic. So, naturally, I was very sceptical when the remake was announced. At the same time, though, I could see the point in updating a movie like this, what with the possibilities of CGI.

Let it be said right away: The remake wasn’t a great movie, but it wasn’t as bad as some have made it out to be.

The story of demi-god Perseus and his quest isn’t exactly treated faithfully – but then, that wasn’t the case in the original either. In 1981, Perseus’ quest was brought on by the lesser sea goddess Thetis. In 2010, the main antagonist is none other than Hades himself. Perseus’ has a new love interest this time around. His winged mount Pegasus has been made into the token black guy (well, see for yourself). The main difference, though, is in the role of the gods. In 1981, Zeus was just a dirty old man, literally playing a game with human pawns, for his own enjoyment more than anything. In 2010, the story is much darker: the humans have come to think too highly of themselves, angering the gods, and there is real enmity brewing between the gods as well.

Perseus still fights Medusa, though, and the final showdown is still against the kraken – which makes no sense at all, since the kraken belongs in Norwegian folklore and certainly not in Greek mythology, which has its own gargantuan sea monsters. Kind of ironic that the main element from the original that was kept in the remake is really anything but authentic.

As for the acting: Sam Worthington certainly seems to be the new hot action hero (Terminator Salvation, Avatar, an upcoming Dracula project) and his Perseus is exactly what you would expect. Liam Neeson is suitably imperious as Zeus, and Ralph Fiennes makes a creepy Vold–I mean, Hades – although I did prefer Steve Coogan’s version in Percy Jackson (see my earlier review in this blog). As a Dane, I guess I have to mention Mads Mikkelsen, who plays Draco (a new addition compared to the original) and does what he does best: the drak, brooding anti-hero. My favourite, though, was Liam Cunningham as Solon, the pithy and grizzled veteran of Perseus’ band. His role is partly comic relief, but he fulfils it with a refreshingly deadpan delivery.

The computer-generated special effects are as impressive as one has come to expect these days. Let’s be honest: Ray Harryhausen’s stop-motion monsters in the original do look extremely dated in the eyes of today’s CGI-spoiled audience. Don’t get me wrong: I still watch “his” movies (the Sinbad movies, Jason and the Argonauts) with much enjoyment and even more nostalgia, but Harryhausen used the means at his disposal to the absolut best of his abilities, and I’d like to think that if he were still making movies today, he would have embraced the newest technologies – and excelled at them! If Harryhausen has seen the new movie, I hope he likes what they have done with it – and I was glad to see how they put in a nice little nod to him and to the original. Watch out for Bubo the owl…

Clash of the Titans (2010) Starring Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Flemyng, Gemma Arterton, Alexa Davalos, Mads Mikkelsen, Liam Cunningham. Written by Travis Beacham, Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi. Directed by Louis Leterrier. Rated PG-13. 1 h 46 min.

Movie review: Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief

Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman) is an unusual teenager with perhaps not so unusual teenage problems: He’s battling with ADHD and dyslexia. His stepfather is a disgusting creep and his real father left when he was a baby. One day, though, Percy finds out why: his father is actually the Greek god Poseidon (Kevin McKidd). As if that wasn’t enough, it turns out that all the gods and other creatures of Greek mythology are still alive and well – they just don’t meddle in human affairs as much as they used to.

One day, Percy is accused of stealing Zeus‘ (Sean Bean) famous lightning bolt on behalf of his father. He gets two weeks to give it back, or a new war between the gods will break out. Percy is completely innocent, so his best friend Grover (Brandon T. Jackson) – a satyr assigned to protect him without his knowing – takes him to what is basically a summer camp for demigods. Here he meets and trains with other children of human-god unions. However, Hades (Steve Coogan), the last of the ‘Big Three’ brother gods, also believing that Percy has the lightning bolt, kidnaps his mother and keeps her in the realm of the dead, demanding the bolt in return for her life. Along with Grover and Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario), a daughter of Athena, Percy now sets out to rescue his mother – and hopefully find the real lightning thief along the way.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief is the tongue-breaking full title of this movie (at least in the US), based on a book by Rick Riordan. I haven’t read the book, so I’m unable to comment on the differences and what was left out, but I’m sure plenty of fans of the book will have plenty of strong opinions about that. Suffice to say that this is not a bad movie. The movie, like the book, is clearly YA, made for kids of about the same age as the main characters – apparently Percy is only 12 years old in the book, whereas the movie made him a high school student – which makes it at least a little bit less unrealistic for him to be doing sword fights and the like.

Because of the younger target audience the movie does spend some time introducing the various gods and other mythological creatures and explaining their properties, but it is done in a fairly subtle way and doesn’t interfere too much with the telling of the story – which follows the standard quest formula with no big surprises. That being said, the movie does a good job doing what it sets out to do. If it can create an interest in the subject matter among teenagers – more power to it. Also, the rich imagery of Greek mythology does lend itself well to film, and the CGI monsters are just plain eye candy on a big screen. The on-screen chemistry between the three young leads is a big plus, but some of the ‘grown-ups’ are worth watching as well – especially Coogan and Dawson as the unhappily married First Couple of the Underworld. The big names like Brosnan and Bean are really just phoning it in, though.

If you like the classic myths – and have just an ounce of inner child left – you should be able to enjoy this movie for what it is. For a more ‘adult’ treatment of the source material, wait for the upcoming remake of the classic Clash of the Titans – I’m certainly looking forward to that one. Oh, and stay tuned for an extra little scene inserted during the end credits.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: the Lightning Thief (2010) Starring Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Jake Abel, Sean Bean, Pierce Brosnan, Steve Coogan, Rosario Dawson, Kevin McKidd, Uma Thurman. Written by Craig Titley. Directed by Chris Columbus. Rated PG. 1 h 58 min.

Movie review: Sherlock Holmes

I was sceptical going into the theatre since I’m not really much of a Guy Ritchie fan, but I have to say, he won me over with this one. It’s Snatch or Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels meets The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (the comic, not the atrocious movie). It has all the hallmarks of a Ritchie film, especially in the fight scenes, which are certainly his forté (and which make sense, seing as the original Holmes was indeed somewhat of a martial arts expert). It also has all the elements one would expect from the Holmes universe: The pipe, the violin, the manic-depressive behaviour, the love/hate relationship with Inspector Lestrade of the Yard etc. All the nice little in-jokes were there, and fans of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s original Holmes stories should love this.

Purists might choose to comment on the discrepancies, such as Robert Downey Jr.’s Holmes being too scruffy, whereas the classic Holmes is neat to the point of perfection. Granted. They are, however, missing an important point: this is clearly supposed to be Holmes [u]before[/u] Holmes. It is supposed to be a younger version than the Holmes we already know, and the story very obviously takes place before Doyle’s stories. To me, this movie is to Basil Rathbone’s or Jeremy Brett’s Holmes what the new Star Trek movie is to the original series: a perfect example of how a reboot of a franchise should be done – how to add something new and fresh while at the same time paying a suitable amount of homage to the original.

As for the acting, Downey as Holmes and Jude Law as Watson are the perfect odd couple in this movie. Some might call it homo-erotic undertones – well, judge for yourself. The on-screen chemistry was positively electric (yeah, I know). Rachel McAdams is lovely as the female love interest, and Mark Strong is equally sinister as the nefarious evil overlord (again: yeah, I know).

Finally, without spoiling too much, let’s just say some of the things introduced in this movie strongly suggest a sequel with even more well-known elements of the classic Holmes universe – given a Ritchie twist, to be sure. And if the casting rumours (spoiler alert!) about the main antagonist for the sequel are true, I for one can’t wait…

Sherlock Holmes (2009) Starring Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong, Eddie Marsan. Written by Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham, Simon Kinberg. Directed by Guy Ritchie. Rated PG-13. 2 h 8 min.

Movie review: Avatar

Say what you will about James Cameron, but he does know how to make box office hits. He may only have made seven movies in 25 years: The Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, Terminator 2, True Lies, Titanic – and now Avatar. Most of them have set new standards for how much money to spend on a movie and how much money can be made on a movie. More importantly, they have all set new standards for what you can do in a movie. With Avatar, he’s done it again.

The film follows young marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), who accepts an assignment to go to the distant forest moon of Pandora, populated by a humanoid race called the Na’vi. The environment on Pandora is hostile to humans, but by using remotely controlled surrogate bodies, socalled ‘avatars’, they can explore the moon from the safety of their base. Sully becomes involved with one particular tribe of Na’vi and soon discovers that things are not quite as his superiors would have him believe.

The story has been described as ‘Dances With Wolves in space’ (or, perhaps more aptly, ‘Pocahontas in Space‘?). This strikes me as very accurate – although Cameron is of course ten times the director that Kevin Costner is. Probably ten times the actor as well, even though his merits in that respect consist of a small cameo in Titanic. Avatar took 12 years to make. It does strike me as a bit strange that Cameron seems to have spent 11½ years on special effects and a couple of weeks on the script. The story is incredibly predictable; about 20 minutes into the movie you know how it will end. The environmental agenda is admirable but painfully obvious. Most of the characters except for the main protagonist are cardboard.

Worthington does a good job; with Terminator Salvation, Avatar, and the upcoming remake of Clash of the Titans, he seems to be really making his mark as the new leading man of speculative fiction cinema, just as Cameron is the leading director of that genre. As for the other actors, Giovanni Ribisi (yes, Frank Buffay, Jr. from Friends) and Stephen Lang make for some convincingly unsympathetic villains. Also respect to the Na’vi actors. It can’t be easy doing an entire movie in front of a green screen and truly get a feel for your character.

Still: don’t watch Avatar for the story. Watch it for the gorgeous imagery. Visually the movie is absolutely stunning – and I only watched it in 2D. I can’t say how impressive (not to mention vomit inducing) it would have been in three dimensions, but it was plenty impressive in two. For 2½ hours I really felt like I was on Pandora, walking through the jungle and flying through the air with the natives. So if possible, check your brain at the door, and forget about the preditable story. Avatar is a true feast for the eyes – just enjoy it for what it is…

Avatar (2009) Starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang. Written by James Cameron. Directed by James Cameron. Rated PG-13. 2 h 42 min.

Movie review: 2012

Let it be said right away that this is not a deep, thoughtful movie that will leave you pondering the big questions of Life, the Universe, and Everything. It is what it is: a disaster movie – and not a bad one at that.

The premise for 2012 is based on an ancient Mayan calendar, according to a misinterpretation of which the world is supposed to end on December 20, 2012. In fact, the Mayas never predicted such a thing. They simply divided their calendar into lesser cycles and greater cycles, lasting about 394 years and 3082 years, respectively. One of these greater cycles happens to end on December 20, 2012, and a new one will start on December 21. There is no evidence to suggest that the Mayas believed the world would actually end on that date.

That being said, it’s a pretty good premise for a disaster movie. In 2012, the worldwide catastrophe is kicked off by unusually powerful solar flares which make the Earth’s crust displace itself, causing massive earthquakes and tsunamis. Just like any other disaster movie, this one is an ensemble piece, following the – often intertwined – fates of several individuals, from the scientist (Chiwetel Ejiofor) trying to warn people, to the US president (Danny Glover) trying to save his people and the rest of humanity – naturally – to the divorced down-on-his-luck author (John Cusack) who gets to spend a little ‘quality time’ with his ex-wife and children while fleeing the destruction, to the comic-relief crackpot conspiracy theorist (Woody Harrelson) who turns out to be right after all. Add to this a metric buttload of CGI and you have the makings of a classic disaster movie.

Director Roland Emmerich is certainly no stranger to disaster movies (Independence Day, Godzilla, The Day After Tomorow) and it shows. The CGI scenes are simply first class – they really have to be watched on the big screen. The acting is not bad, although many of the characters are predictably cardboard – and yet you can’t help but root for little man in the face of overwhelming odds – indeed, in the face of Mother Nature herself. And of course they do. Of course the good guys survive. Of course there are heroes who sacrifice themselves so that other may make it. And of course there are egotistical bad guys who would sell their own mother to save themselves – but don’t worry, they get their come-uppance.

All in all, 2012 may not be a cinematic masterpiece for the ages, but as a disaster movie it delivers on all accounts. Don’t expect Oscar-class acting and well-hidden agendas. If you like the genre, just suspend your disbelief and take it for what it is.

P.S. A little side note: In the movie several symbols of Christianity (St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Christ the Redeemer in Rio) and western culture (The White House) are destroyed. The Kaaba in Mecca, however, is shown but not destroyed. Emmerich confessed that he wanted to but decided not to, apparently out of fear for a fatwa. That raises two important points. One: any Muslim who would (choose to) misinterpret a harmless piece of fiction like that as a crituque of Islam would be a disgrace to his or her religion. Two: If the international political climate forces artists to make compromises in their art just because someone might be offended, that art has completely lost its justification and purpose. But let’s not dwell on stupid details and just enjoy the movie for what it is.

2012 (2009) Starring John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Oliver Platt, Danny Glover. Written by Roland Emmerich, Harald Kloser. Directed by Roland Emmerich. Rated PG-13. 2 h 38 min.

Movie review: Zombieland

Once in a while, it’s refreshing to watch a movie that doesn’t require you to think. A movie that doesn’t try to deliver a “serious” agenda in the guise of light-hearted comedy or actionpacked violence. A movie that just aims to entertain you. A movie that doesn’t need two and a half hours to do so.

Zombieland is such a movie. The feature film debut by director Ruben Fleischer is delightfully brainless (no pun intended). I’m not a fan of zombies and zombie movies in any way, but this movie is so unlike most other zombie movies that hardcore fans of the genre probably won’t like it, for the same reasons they didn’t like Shaun of the Dead.

I like it. Mainly because the actual zombie action is kept to a relative minimum and at the same time so over the top that it doesn’t gross you out. Basically this is a road movie with zombies. In fact it’s Natural Lampoon’s Vacation with zombies – you’ll understand when you see the ending.

The focus is on what appears to be the last four non-infected people left in a post-apocalyptic world full of zombies: a neurotic geeky teenager on the way home to his family (Jesse Eisenberg), a – seemingly – bad-ass road warrior with a sweet tooth (Woody Harrelson), and two sisters determined to make it on their own (Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin). They team up because they have nothing better to do, kill some zombies (always double tap!) and have some fun adventures along the way – and that’s pretty much it. But boy are those adventures fun!

Harrelson carries the movie with a wonderfully laconic performance as the tough guy who becomes a sort of father figure for the group. The highlight of the movie, however, is the surprise cameo of the year – which I will just leave as a surprise, hoping you haven’t already had it spoiled by someone else. Absolutely hilarious. The final showdown is visually very enjoyable as well.

Zombieland may not be much in the way of a horror movie, and it may be a so-so comedy, but it’s pretty much the perfect combination of the two. To quote one of the important rules of zombie survival: Enjoy the little things. This movie is one of those little things. Just turn off your brain (again, no pun intended) for an hour and a half, sit back, and enjoy…

Zombieland (2009) Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin. Written by Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick. Directed by Ruben Fleischer. Rated R. 1 h 21 min.