Sunday, February 08, 2009
Movie Reviews: CORALINE 3D & REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA
IN THEATERS
CORALINE 3D
..
Coraline Jones (Dakota Fanning) is bored in her new home until she finds a secret door and discovers an alternate version of her life on the other side. On the surface, this parallel reality is eerily similar to her real life and the people in it – only much better. But when this seemingly perfect world turns dangerous, and her other parents (including her Other Mother voiced by Teri Hatcher) try to trap her forever, Coraline must count on her resourcefulness, determination and bravery to escape this increasingly perilous world – and save her family.
Director: Henry Selick
Opened ..February 6, 2009
Runtime: 1 hr. 40 min
Rated PG for thematic elements, scary images, some language and suggestive humor
Genres: Animated, Family, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Review:
Coraline is a visual feast for the eyes that’s a Grimm Fairy Tale at its heart. Probably a bit too dark, especially towards the end, for very young children, Coraline isn’t the type of film that panders to children. Smartly written and directed with a wonderful sense of fantasy it’s a film that flows easily on the screen. Director Henry Selick also avoids the usual 3D tricks, things rarely pop out of the screen for no reason, and instead uses it to create a sense of atmosphere and texture to the magical world created on screen. A couple of scenes really stick out, a tour through the garden in the alternate world and the final battle which is truly awe inspiring. Outside of the technical wonders at play here, the actual story is like a modern Grimm Fairy tale. It doesn’t play it safe and does have its fair share of thrills. The voice talent here is pretty solid with Dakota Fanning doing very solid work as the titular lead. Teri Hatcher as Coraline’s mother and other mother is equally solid in her role. While this film is solid throughout it does tend to meander a bit and some might consider it a tad slow for the ADD age. Small pacing flaws aside this a beautiful piece of film making that reminds us that not all children’s films do not have to be mindless goofiness.
A
ON DVD
REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA
A worldwide epidemic allows a biotech company to manage an organ-financing program that allows it to foreclose on and harvest human organs.
Cast: Anthony Head, Alexa Vega, Paul Sorvino, Terrance Zdunich, Bill Moseley
Director: Darren Lynn Bousman
Opened November 7, 2008
Runtime: 1 hr. 37 min
Rated R for strong bloody violence and gore, language, some drug and sexual content.
Genres: Horror, Musical, Rock Musical
Review:
Repo! The Genetic Opera is an interesting film that is so derivative that it’s almost original. Darren Lynn Bousman film is gaudy, self serving and so over blown that it’s hard not to be intrigued. It’s the type of film that’s sure to be have some instant fans and some that will loath it within the first five minutes. For me it’s always interesting to see a filmmaker just say screw it and do what they want to do. Does it succeed on any level, partially but it’s not the new Rocky Horror Picture Show it hoped to be either. The talent assembled is an interesting hodgepodge to say the least. Anthony Head does the best work of everyone here and seems to really understand what the director is going for, something that some of the cast seem to lack. Head belts out a few solid numbers but the script gives his character far too little screen time. Alexa Vega is decent in her role but she seems a bit overwhelmed by the role at times. Paul Sorvino does the best he can with the role but doesn’t seem totally committed to it throughout. Paris Hilton is luckily limited to the side in what amounts to a cameo more than a full fledged role. This is a flawed film that doesn’t quite hit the mark it was going for but still it’s interesting enough to keep your attention. In the end Repo! The Genetic Opera feels like some odd love child of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Alice Cooper brought to life. Is it a terrible movie? Not really but it’s far removed from a great one as well.
C
No comments:
Post a Comment