Movie 43 (2013)

I don’t presume this will be long.  Movie 43 has the all-star dream cast, yet disappointingly fails at doing anything worthy with it. Another high profile movie with quite the ensemble as well, although not as spectacular as M43, is This Is The End.  Both being comedies, and both following a storyline of utter silliness, I can’t help but judge one as the counterpart of the other. Only what Movie 43 set out to do, did not produce the expected effects, and where it failed, This Is The End succeeded.

Let’s start with the cast. There is no point in commenting on the acting because there wasn’t much involved or required. Everyone seems to get around 15 mins to do their part and then we move on. Some of the stories were better than others, some were mildly comical, to evade using the word “funny”, while other were complete and utter non-sense. Somehow they found a way to link everything up, while the ending is cut up and edited as if it were done by a 3-year old just discovering Media Player.

The humour, if I may call it that, is based on shock value. Whether that makes you laugh or not will depend on the kind of person you are. For me, it really wasn’t funny.  What I expect in a comedy is intelligence. You may find that silly, but according to my modest opinion, the funniest comedies are always the ones that were most brilliantly thought through, hence, the most intelligent ones. Consequently, Movie 43 wasn’t and although it had its moment, the whole just doesn’t cut it.

There’s barely anything else to say for there’s barely anything else to the movie. I don’t know why so many actors would agree to such a lifeless film.
For me, it has nothing to offer. 3/10

Michalex Jackson.

Pacific Rim (2013)

I went to see Pacific Rim at 22h on Thursday night, making it the first time ever I’m going for an advance screening and boy was I glad I did it.  The trailer gave us a glimpse of the action and had us all excited to see it. However, nothing, not the trailer, not the hype, not the director’s stature,  could have prepared you well enough for the visual spectacle that is this movie.

The opening sequences, right up to the title (which doesn’t appear until 10-15 mins in) are just wild! You get about 3 seconds to learn the only terminology you’ll need throughout the remaining 2 hours and you are then plunged into the film’s foundation: the war between aliens and humans, or in context; kaijus and jaegers.  The voice-off introduction gives you a quick but concise summary of the background story, making the build up absolutely effortless.

You don’t waste any time trying to understand what happened and what is happening for the plot is simple, but executed beautifully.  At $180 million, and 132 minutes, nothing is wasted.  Money was poured into the right areas (3D filming, special effects  & sound effects) and time was given to the right scenes (storyline, fight scenes and human interaction).  By the way, do yourself a favour and watch this in 3D. The medium hasn’t been that brilliantly exploited since Avatar. Also, it may only be July, but in my opinion, the sound mixing and editing team is sure to earn Oscar nominations. Everything was hit; the moving robots, the screaming aliens, the destroyed buildings, everything! Down to the tiny frightened birds flying away from the harbour.

I was totally blown away by the sheer size of this film, both the aliens and the robots are massive and every single camera angle is respectful of it. Come to think of it, everything in Pacific Rim is respectful of that; the movement of both, their comparison to cities and buildings, the amount of power each is capable of emanating, and especially the fight scenes.  The choregraphy of the latter is by the by, brilliant. Wildly entertaining, superbly executed, and unique in every way.  It was like seeing the robots of “Reel Steel” and the aliens of, well,  “Aliens“,  engaging in combat but taken to a level that was nothing short of supreme.

The other big strength of Pacific Rim was the act, the actors and the acting. The film follows a simple storyline, giving just enough information for you to believe and immerse yourself in it. The actors were all well cast, and were dedicated to their roles thus producing strong performances across the board. I couldn’t help but notice Idris Elba was the only black actor present, but make no mistake, he is the true backbone and soul of Pacific Rim. His resolve and strength carried through to his character and his gaze is unmatched.

As for Guillermo Del Toro, he directs Pacific Rim like a true master. No detail is left untouched, no compromise is made and with a mind like his, the result is a pure jewel of a movie.
The only thing I could say was a minor setback was the slight change of pace a third of the way through the film.  After such a wild opening, it slows down a wee bit for character development and the right build up. Although once it picks up again, it is a non stop exciting and entertaining action masterpiece.

It was hard to keep myself together towards the end and even after the movie. Granted, films overwhelm me and I cry very easily but to create that much emotion from a robot v/s alien movie?

Guillermo Del Toro Sir, you are at the top of your art.
9.5/10

Michalex Jackson

The Lone Ranger (2013)

This will be a fun one.  I went and saw this yesterday night and I was pleasantly surprised although my reasons may not be what one would expect.  The Lone Ranger is very faithful to its trailer, has definitely more strengths than weaknesses and does well on many levels. Now, I’m not sure why they would cast a rather unknown actor to co-star alongside Johnny Depp but I have to say I’ve got mixed feelings about Armie Hammer.  On the one hand, he tries his best to match Depp’s ability and is very believable as the educated law man, fresh off the world of suits and books, finding himself uneasy with a gun in the world of “savages” and Indians. However, he does not add any psychological dimension to his role and it’s hard to connect to him emotionally. His transition from law man to outlaw is one that we take for granted as we see it unfold on the screen; we do not question it, we do not debate it, we simply accept it because he wasn’t that complex to begin with.
Johnny Depp is, of course, Johnny Depp.  Hats off to the make-up team for starters.  His portrayal of Tonto is wild, funny and interesting. He carries the background story of his character extremely well and we get to see his vulnerability and his resolve at several points. He definitely lives up to his name and we shouldn’t expect anything less from him.

As for the movie itself, it is maybe about 20 minutes too long but nothing that should bother an appreciative viewer. The story develops well, finds itself in a few marvelous twists and builds up to an incredible sequence of raw, legitimate and magnificent fun. Yes, FUN! I honestly did not see it coming but from the moment Depp steals the train, we are thrown into a wild, FUN ride. Among the gunfights, the jumping, the throwing, the horse riding, the acrobatics and the destruction, it is an absolute pleasure to watch.  By the way, when Depp climbs up that ladder, then gracefully and solemnly gets off of it seconds before it shatters into pieces, I had only 3 words to say: LIKE. A. BOSS.
I also want to acknowledge the team who worked on the score for it was spot-on. Every scene, every tone, every moment was conveyed beautifully and reflected what was going on. I watched for the credits and of course! I should have guessed, “Music by: Hans Zimmer“.
The other big thing for me was undeniably the cinematography and the photography. As expected from the man who brought us the first 3 Pirates of the Carribean, The Lone Ranger, from start to finish is just beautiful. It is a widescreen spectacle and many shots were simply breathtaking. (Special nod to the first shot of the spirit horse, a truly magnificent white horse against the truly magnificent rocks of the canyon)

Amidst all of this, TLR is not perfect, and mainly because of one thing and that’s the storytelling method. What in the heavens’ name was all that museum/Old-Tonto-narrating-to-a-young-boy-stuff all about?   This is where the 20 mins could have been saved(among other places).  Besides being completely out of place, it raises many pointless questions, and provides a really lame intro/outro window.  I may have completely missed the point, but I thought it was unrelated, unnecessary and a real hindrance to the film.

That’s about as much as I have to say about The Lone Ranger.
For me, it is a solid 8/10.

Michalex Jackson.