MOVIE REVIEW: ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL

Set several centuries in the future, the abandoned Alita is found in the scrapyard of Iron City by Ido, a compassionate cyber-doctor who takes the unconscious cyborg Alita to his clinic. When Alita awakens, she has no memory of who she is, nor does she have any recognition of the world she finds herself in. As Alita learns to navigate her new life and the treacherous streets of Iron City, Ido tries to shield her from her mysterious past.

Director: Robert Rodriguez

Cast: Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali, Ed Skrein, Jackie Earle Haley, Keean Johnson

Release Date: February 14, 2019

Genres: Fantasy/Science Fiction

Rating: PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for some language

Runtime: 2h 22min

Review:

Alita: Battle Angel is a movie I've been hearing about for round about 20 years now, if that's not completely accurate it's pretty close.  James Cameron's passion project has been gestating in one shape or form for a long while.  Originally he'd intended to direct the script he'd co-written but he'd become engulfed in Avatar and its subsequent sequels.  He finally handed off the film to Robert Rodriguez to finally bring the whole thing to life.  So simply put, is it worth the wait?  I believe so and that's coming at this Manga adaptation completed unfamiliar with the source material, like say Ghost in The Shell.  

The film is a surprisingly cynical free, cyberpunk adventure that has a lot to offer.  First and foremost, the world building and CGI visuals are all top notch with only a few hiccups here and there.  Alita, herself, is a fully realized motion capture CGI creation, after getting used to her large Anime inspired eyes, that's a true testament to the technical prowess of the people behind the film.  Rose Salazar's motion capture performance is endearing as she plays a nice balance between naive and lethal.  The world feels lived in and diverse even if it doesn't feel as fresh as most post-apocalyptic cyber punk landscapes did back in the 90s.  Still, it's well done and populated with a large variety of different characters to keep things fresh and interesting.  

The story itself feels familiar, which is a common issue with Mangas from the 90's or even William Gibson novels, but there are enough disparate story threads to keep you engaged in what's going on.  There are issues that pop up throughout, mostly due the script which has its fair share of clunky dialogue.  There's also the massive misstep of casting top line actors like Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly and Mahershala Ali to support Salazar and the story but never taking full advantage of their talents.  Instead the film opts to give Keean Johnson a spotlight even though he and Salazar don't share much chemistry.  Alita: Battle Angel's issues and how they affect your enjoyment of the film is totally dependent on whether you buy in early on.  The film throws a lot at you, everything from Motorball (a sort of Nascar meets cyborg roller derby), cyborg bounty hunters, cities in the sky and some sort of cataclysmic war that occurred 300 years before the start of film.  Does it resolve all plot points, not even close and a reveal at the end shows that Rodriguez and Cameron have more entries in mind, but I believe the film will either leave you wanting more or hating it with a passion.

B+

[Trailer] RoboCop

The first trailer for Jose Padilha's upcoming RoboCop remake is out and it gives us plenty to chew on in terms of visuals and tone.

Personally, I think this one feels just like the insipid and soulless Total Recall remake from last year...

MOVIE REVIEW: DARK SHAWDOWS

IN THEATERS

DARK SHAWDOWS



Entombed for 200 years after betraying vengeful witch Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green), 18th century vampire Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp) returns to Collinwood Manor in 1972, only to find his estate in ruins and his family plagued by macabre secrets in Tim Burton's reboot of the popular supernatural soap opera. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Tim Burton

Cast: Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, Chloe Moretz

Release Date: May 11, 2012

Rated PG-13 for Language, Comic Horror Violence, Sexual Content, Smoking and Some Drug Use

Runtime: 1 hr. 52 min.

Genres: Comedy, Horror

Review:

Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows is an endearing film which shows his obvious affection for the source material. The script written by Seth Grahame-Smith, whose humor is most subtle than the trailer suggest, peppers the film with plenty of melodrama to fulfill several soap operas. He hits on the major points of the original series and provides a workable narrative, it’s not perfect but not the slap stick mess it could have been. While it’s more lighthearted than the original series it’s not the parody some expected. Johnny Depp, in his Burton required mime make up, chews up the screen creating an endearing take on Barnabas Collins. I can’t say it’s different enough to make it memorable but still it’s well done if not singular. Eva Green is equally vampified, showcasing an obvious on screen glee playing her character throughout. The best sequences involve interchanges between Deep and Green as they riff and joust with each other during various points in the films. Sadly, the remaining cast has to deal with thinly written caricatures. A radiant Michelle Pfeiffer and Helena Bonham Carter get the most screen time but are given nothing to do. The rest aren’t required to do more than show up here and there and get out way. A fun finale caps off the film in fine fashion even if it leads to a totally unnecessary sequel set up. As a fan of the original series, I found Burton’s take an adequate homage to a cult classic.

C+

Movie Reviews: WATCHMEN

Sunday, March 08, 2009
Movie Reviews: WATCHMEN
IN THEATERS



WATCHMEN

300's Zack Snyder adapts Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' acclaimed comic book Watchmen for the big screen. Set in an alternate universe circa 1985, the film's world is an unstable one where a nuclear war is imminent between America and Russia. Superheroes have been forced to go into retirement due to the government's Keene Act, but the death of The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), an ex-hero commando, perks the interest of one of the country's last remaining superheroes, Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley).

Cast: Billy Crudup, Malin Akerman, Jackie Earle Haley

Director: Zack Snyder

Opened March 6, 2009.

Runtime: 2 hr. 43 min.

Rated R for strong graphic violence, sexuality, nudity and language.

Genres: Superhero Film, Science Fiction.

Review:

Zach Synder’s Watchmen is complex and entirely engaging adaptation of the watershed graphic novel that deliver most of the good with only a few bumps along the road. Dense, disjointed and, as a film, unfocused this adaptation demands a high level of attention from the audience throughout, threatening to abandon you if look away for too long. Synder creates a mystic almost ethereal tone from the start and maintains it for the better part of the film. A spectacular opening credit sequence sets the stages and covers a large amount of back story in a short time. Synder stays as close to the source material as possible, at times to fault, and recreates scenes almost page for page and gives fanboys plenty to squeal about. Still it’s an imperfect process. There are times when the script feels wooden and forced. Also Synder can’t help but indulge himself by staging action sequences in hyper slow mo that feels painfully out place. These 300 like action sequences take you out of the film so much that you start to wish they’d be over as soon as they start. It’s the type of film that would have benefited from more realistic action which would have been more in keeping with the story’s tone. The cast is an effective ensemble that brings these classic characters to life with wonderful vigor. Jackie Earle Haley is the film’s brightest star and delivers the most effective performance of the piece. His grizzled rasp and dead stares, when he’s unmasked, fit Rorschach perfectly. Patrick Wilson also turns in a wonderfully understated performance, perfectly channeling the character from the page. Equally effective is Billy Crudup as the god like Dr. Manhattan, delivering lines in measured monotone that fits his character’s overall detachment. A truly mesmerizing flashback scene really displays Crudup’s talents. Jeffery Dean Morgan is incredibly effective as the Comedian, giving an adequate griminess to his psychotic character. Sadly, Malin Ackerman misses the mark as Laurie Jupiter aka Silk Spectre II. The role is simply to big for her ability, there are lynch pin emotional scenes that simply fall flat with her delivery. She looks the part but can’t make a connection with the audience once the heavy lifting starts. Still as a group the cast is mostly effective and bring the appropriate gravitas to the proceedings. As the film traverses it’s nearly 3 hour run time, it rarely loses touch with the audience and delivers an engrossing experience. Not perfect but an effective attempt at capturing something as complex and subversive as the Watchmen graphic novel.

B-