Chappie: Powerful and Fresh Take on the Subject

Writer/director Neill Blomkamp (District 9, Elysium) delivers a far stronger film than expected with Chappie. While its resolution fizzles, the rest of this film is a mesmerizing dialogue on humanity and child abuse.

Premise: Crime in Johannesburg is controlled by a mechanized police force. When one police droid is given new programming, new life is born Result: A fresh new take on artificial intelligence and true life.

Deon Wilson (Dev Patel) sits atop his own world. His para-military automatons are wildly successful in helping to police the endemic catastrophe that is the Johannesburg city streets. But, he wants more, he wants to reach the answer to artificial life and despite repeated denials from CEO Michelle Bradley (Sigourney Weaver) and jealous madness from rival Vincent Moore (Hugh Jackman) his obsession grows.

Exodus – Gods and Kings: Flashy Version of Nothing New

Director Ridley Scott (Alien, Gladiator) continues his slide into obscurity with another Bible movie that needn’t be made. Essentially, Gladiator does Biblical folklore, Exodus isn’t much more than a shiny surface.

Premise: The story of Moses leading the Jews From Egypt. Result: Again. But with more CGI and fighting. Of course!

The film begins (as does Gladiator) with a pretty cool battle sequence in which the Egyptians, led by Pharaoh Seti’s (John Turturro) son, Ramses (Joel Edgerton), and his quasi-adopted brother General Moses (Christian Bale), descend upon the Canaanites. It is one of the few noteworthy moments to recount in an otherwise glossed up version of a quite literally ancient story.

Scott does a fair job of establishing the characters and devises/recounts a plot where Nun (Ben Kingsley) and his unhappy band of slave-Jews blow Moses’ cover leading to his banishment from Alexandria.  This leads him on a dangerous journey in the desert where he happens to find hot women and God in the form of a child, for some reason.

The 2012 Raised Glass Award (RGA) Winner: Sigourney Weaver

“God damn it, that’s not all! Because if one of those things gets down here then that will be all! Then all this – this bullshit that you think is so important, you can just kiss all that goodbye!”  Ellen Ripley, Aliens

 

Introduction

Sigourney Weaver was born Susan Alexandra Weaver in Manhattan, New York City on October 8, 1949 to Elizabeth Inglis (1913–2007), an English actress, and the NBC television executive and television pioneer Sylvester “Pat” Laflin Weaver (1908–2002).  While she had a comfortable childhood as far as creature comfort and luxury were concerned, the instability of a family constantly on the move (by 1959, the Weavers had lived in 30 different homes) as well as the cruel teasing by other children for her uncommon height (by age 13 she was already 5’10”), made her journey into adulthood more difficult than likely imagined.

The Cold Light of Day: Not That Original But Still Has Some Good Thrills

Director Mabrouk El Mechri orchestrates a strange but sometimes thrilling story that chronicles a day in the life of a man whose world has come crashing down.  While the film doesn’t accomplish much in the way of new ground, it is still fairly fun, getting some good thrills in before it sales out of recent memory.

Premise: After his family is kidnapped, a young business man is confronted by intelligence agents looking to recover a mysterious briefcase as well as the truth about his family. Result: A mediocre but still somewhat enjoyable film that does enough to keep audiences viewing but not much more

Will (Henry Cavill) is having a bad day.  His “consulting start up” is in bankruptcy and he can’t do much about it; fortunately, he is “stuck” in Spain on a beautiful boat with his family sailing around and filling wine glasses galore.  But suddenly, his job security and annoying family fade from the list of top issues: after nearly beheading Dara (Emma Hamilton), his brother Josh’s (Rafi Gavron) girlfriend, in a minor boating accident, he returns from a trip to get some medical supplies to find his family gone.

Fortunately, just when Will is destined to enter a black box like his family never to be heard from again, his father Martin (Bruce Willis) appears in time to save the day.  It seems, Martin isn’t who he appears to be, revealing that he is a CIA operative and the men who kidnapped his family are after a briefcase he had stolen from them recently.  There are, of course, the token, supposedly heartfelt apologies and the necessary shocked exclamations and gesticulations we would expect from such a revelation (mainly because we have seen them before).

But as audiences soon discover, the film isn’t about Martin and his attempts to bond with his son over his role as a badass CIA agent; instead they are all about Will, a man with no idea what is happening, who is suddenly his family’s only hope.  Naturally, this is how super heroes are made, born of daunting adversity with little to no resources.  And in this vein, Will steps up, somehow managing to put up quite the notable fight while thrilling observers.

Along the way he continues to uncover twist after twist, as he is stalked by Martin’s former crooked team, led by villain Carrack (Sigourney Weaver) and henchman Gorman (Joseph Mawle).  Will, fortunately, is no fool, and despite being clearly over his head, his smarts combined with some luck, manage to keep him from the morgue and firmly planted in Carrack’s side.

But what really helps him, in addition to his drive to save what remains of his family, is the introduction of a very unlikely but also essential ally in the form of Lucia (Verónica Echegui).  Lucia is also haplessly involved in the drama; after her uncle is murdered for associating with Martin, using her plucky brand of Spanish grit mixed with some powerful connections, Lucia manages to somewhat level the playing field.

Of course, as the plot progresses, Will, is also able to uncover the true nature of the deception and that much more is at stake than simply the lives of his family (even though this is, of course, his prime concern). It is this unraveling of a complex plot involving another supposed villain Zahir (Roschdy Zem) that garners the intrigue necessary to keep audiences in their seats.

From an acting perspective, the film is gifted with a talented cast. Cavill, no matter what can be said of his character and even past film choices, is a star, and his ability to helm this unsteady ship with a credible, thrilling performance speaks volumes. And Echegui, for her part, injects necessary nuance into her character, saving her from maiden-in-distress without turning her into Femme Nikita (a pitfall all too often ignored.)

Weaver, offers another strong performance, albeit with a distinctly different approach. While Weaver’s Carrack is unmistakable as the vile villain, her method is distinctly understated, infusing a state of chilling indifference in the character that at first seems like a lack of interest from Weaver, but soon turns out to be a calculated and frightening blend of purposeful ambivalence, the mark of a true psychopath.  While the script provides her with some tough turns, Weaver navigates them with aplomb.  And Mawle, as her co-creature, manages to add to this interpretation, as the terrifying and unshakable accomplice.

Willis, mother Laurie (Caroline Goodall), as well as Gavron and Hamilton are sadly relegated to the peripheries in this film.  While their actual performances are not required from a plot perspective, they do well with what they are given and might even have done better with more on screen time.

Of course, much of The Cold Light of Day seems no more than carbon copy of other recent action films that deliver deeper characters, richer plots, and stronger dialogue.  Additionally, while the action is still enough to satisfy in the long run, there are several sloppy moments that endanger the credibility of the film.

Overall, The Cold Light of Day is a film unlikely to be recalled long after its viewing.  It has the necessary thrills, acting, and plot elements to serve as a fairly enjoyable cinematic experience with relatively few cringes or guffaws (a feat not easily matched by other contemporary action trills. Think Haywire), but ultimately isn’t original or powerful enough to rise above the fray.  And so while there may be bright stars to be seen in this film, they are certainly obscured by the smog of mediocrity.

Rating: 6 – A mediocre Prosecco that a cute bartender served you

 

Abduction: OMG! I Luv This Movie! J/K LOL! =)

Abduction, as a film and an experience, can be thought of as the cinematic equivalent of a text-message break up: while we never really wanted it in the first place, the delivery made it that much more unbearable!  While director John Singleton (Shaft, Four Brothers) had a few positives to work with, the end result was a messy, millennial cyber-session gone all wrong: with a relatively decent plot, a strong adult cast who were apparently duped into the film with promise of eternal youth, a young cast that delivered a stellar performance of Acting 101, and dialogue fresh off a drunken Kayne Twitter diatribe, all hope was lost quickly.

Premise: When a young man sets out to uncover the truth about his life after finding his baby photo on a missing persons website, a terrible plot is uncovered with deadly consequences. Result: An action thriller gone off the rails, never truly forming past a mixture of cliché, outline, and cringe-worthy dialogue.

There is no question that this film is essentially a star vehicle for Taylor Lautner , trying to evolve him from pretty star to action star.  It plays to all his strengths, such as being pretty, shirtless, semi-masculine…um, pretty…that he gained from the Twilight series, to help with this progression (although it should be mentioned that the popularity surrounding those films is so inexplicable as to perhaps be more aptly named Twilight Zone!) Nevertheless, this film also uncovers all his weaknesses, leaving that gaping, eternal chasm between Borne Identity and Spy Kids, with no hope in sight.

The opening scene is a lesson in what not to do to seem cool: while Nathan (Lautner) riding on the hood of a speeding car for fun is intriguing for a moment, it is only moments later that the audience is subconsciously coughing “tool” under their collective breaths.  Worse still, the destination: a high school party out of Van Wilder with all the hot bodies and none of the charisma: here we have Nathan and his two best friends, Billy (Allen Williamson) and Gilly (Denzel Whitaker), – yes, they rhyme- getting wasted – however, not wasted like people get wasted…acting like they are wasted.  Or perhaps more aptly described as “over-acting” like they are wasted.  James Dean once said, “if you are going to smoke a cigarette, smoke a cigarette, don’t act like you are smoking a cigarette.”  This bunch could definitely take a lesson here; in fact, I have seen Mormons do a better job of faking a bender Buddhist Monks do a better job of faking a bender!  And don’t blame it on their youth; I’m sure Dakota Fanning and Chloe Moretz were playing drunken crack whores as fetuses.

However, for a brief period, we are given respite once the adults come back on.  Kevin (Jason Isaacs) and Mara (Maria Bello) save the day, temporarily, by playing his parents; they are an interesting family where, all foreshadowing aside, they like to play good cop/bad cop, complete with a  bizarre familial kick boxing scene that may have been lifted from one of the Mortal Kombat scenes. But for a brief period of time, the film seems to be making strides to make something of itself.  After a Sociology assignment casts doubt on Nathan’s origins and he confronts his Mother, it is only moments before the bad guys emerge on the scene (but fortunately not before a grandiose, albeit superfluous sob-scene from Bello ensues on screen).

The battle for their home is actually quite action packed and pretty fun, and ends with quite the literal bang.  But then the movie falls slowly back into an odd rut.  While there is a slightly interesting escape from the hospital involving therapist Dr. Bennett (Sigourney Weaver), the remainder of the film is a skeletal outline of what other action films typically are.  Texted from a lonely coffee shop somewhere, the plot meanders with some potentially interesting twists and turns that are strangled in the crib by a lack of depth and purpose.

Nathan and Karen (Lily Collins) begin a Carmen Sandiago romp through the US, although it is always confusing where they are.  Nevertheless, they always manage to evade not only International assassins but the CIA despite idiotic errors, like using a personal cell phone to contact people they love – even after they know it’s been tapped.  Have you not seen a movie since 1980??? Pull it together morons!  

However, it should be noted that they simply could not pull it off without Gilly, the baffling sidekick who somehow always manages to pop up at the most random moment with some much needed prize to save the day. It is entirely unclear how this chubby Steve Urkel manages to find them no matter where they are but both the CIA and Serbian Black Ops can’t!? =( 

The story that remains is fairly superficial, although there is somehow, inexplicably, an element of intrigue present deep within the folds, surfacing for air just enough to keep audiences watching through the heavy slits in their eyes.  There is an element of mystery behind Nathan’s father as well as the purposefully unclear nature of the villains.  However, the real interest in the villains stems more from their limited bouts with Nathan, than who they are.

Lautner can fight, that is for certain, and that at least holds promise for his future, should that ability to act thing ever kick in.  However, the villains are one-dimensional and only serve to work back to this pointless media-hyped tone: at one point he threatens to kill all of Nathan’s Facebook friends, which although initially has some weight, seems rather silly in hindsight.  Unlike!

The resolution of the film offers no salvation to this wayward end.  Despite death and mayhem in a crowded parking lot, everything is simply swept under the rug as if nothing had happened.  No police, no crowds, no reality! Worse still, they then go all romantic comedy on the audience, making it all the less satisfying.

Clearly, the acting and dialogue were the worst things about this film.  Lautner does an awful job and it is noticeable.  He does, to his credit, manage to master several nuanced characters: the guy reading off cue cards, the guy reading off a script, the guy practicing in front of a mirror. While this style may work among your peers, it stands out dreadfully against accomplished actors like Molina, Isaacs, Weaver, and Bello. 

Unfortunately, even experience can’t lead anyone out of the dialogue tar pit. While Lautner and Colins are handicapped with the majority of the teenie-bopper targeted lines, no one is safe.  Even tried-and-true talent can’t make any character in the film memorable or interesting, and even Weaver’s closing sequence must have been phoned in by one of the executive producer’s nieces.

In the end, Abduction is guilty of holding our time hostage.  A few flashes and some lasting intrigue help to keep it afloat for a time, but ultimately it sinks into the quagmire of the lowest common-audience member.  And in this Twitter-Facebook day and age, that is saying something.

Rating: 4 – A case of PBR and a “Dear John” letter

Top 7 Bad-Ass Female Characters

Seven is the mythical number of perfection and so it is only fitting that this is the number of Characters selected for the honor of “Bad-Ass” Female Characters.  Listed below are seven of the most influential action-oriented female characters in film over the past half Century.  Each character must be notable for her action scenes, dramatic composure under pressure, ability to inspire and lead others either through courage or fear, and exhibit independence as a woman.

It is important to note that while the actress is often inextricably linked to the Character she plays, the highlight here is first for the Character herself.

 

 The Seven Most Bad-Ass Female Characters

 

Ellen Ripley (Alien Series) – Sigourney Weaver

For nearly twenty years, Ellen Ripley has reigned as one of the most formidable female power houses in film.  Debuting in 1979’s Alien, Ripley became a perfect model for power, as she battled the horror that destroyed her crew.  Ripley evolved as a character over the course of the films, becoming not only a strong female lead for the burgeoning Sigourney Weaver, but a legend in Science Fiction film as a woman capable of rivaling male contemporaries for sheer demonstrable awesomeness.  Her battle with the Alien Queen in the final moments of Aliens still polls as one of the most memorable action scenes in film history; or perhaps most quoted, as Ripley attacked the Queen with the immortal words, “Get away from her you bitch!” as audiences cheered uncontrollably.

In her next two films, Alien3 and Alien Resurrection, Ripley continued to grow as a character, defying all expectations as the central heroine.  Stopping at nothing, Ripley not only (spoiler alert!) destroyed herself to defeat the evil Alien Queen growing inside her and prevent The Company from taking it for their own sinister purposes, she also managed to resurrect as a clone hybrid of both herself and the Queen she had destroyed in previous film.  While the latter two films were the weaker in the series, the evolution of the character as a can-do-no-wrong badass is one of the most remarkable in film history.  While the Alien may have been the rightful Queen, Ellen Ripley reigns supreme among contemporaries.

Awards and Nominations:

This role garnered 8 nominations including an Academy Award Nomination for best Actress in Aliens. While Weaver only took home the Saturn Award for Best Actress (1986), the number and caliber of nominations itself is impressive for a role in Science Fiction, previously not considered a core film market. Specifically, Weaver as Ripley landed One Oscar nomination, one Golden Globe nomination, 4 Saturn Award nominations (including her 1986 win), one BAFTA nomination and a Blockbuster Entertainment award nomination.

 

Sarah Connor (Terminator/ T2) – Linda Hamilton

While Weaver’s Ripley may sit atop this list, it was certainly a tough call when compared with Linda Hamilton’s Sarah Connor (while there was a series based on Sarah Connor, the focus here is the film Character.) Like Ripley, Connor was faced with a seemingly invincible foe: the Terminator machines.  These robotic monsters destroyed everything in their path, except of course, for Connor, who managed to evolve into a machine of her own, not only escaping the threat, but serving as a formidable menace herself.

In the first film, Terminator, Sarah Connor evolves from woman into bad-ass super hero, able to eventually conquer and destroy the classic Terminator (then played by Arnold Schwarzenegger – who frankly looks scary as a human!) However, her evolution is complete in the second film, T2: Judgment Day, rivaling Aliens as one of the all-time best science fiction films. Here, she has become, even locked away in a padded cell, one of the most intimidating action personas in film, managing to escape from her cell and elude guards with cunning and raw power, all while never crumpling her pjs. Ever the matriarch, she manages a mixture of raw emotional power, vulnerability and cunning to generate one of the most impressive roles.  You believe her horror and her pain, giving up her life to save her son and the world.

Awards and Nominations:

Unlike Weaver, Hamilton was never recognized for this role (she was for other characters) in any major award categories, but did manage to garner 4 nominations and three wins: while only nominated for the 1985 Saturn Award for Best Actress for Terminator, she won the same award 7 years later for T2: Judgment Day and also managed to score the1992 MTV Movie Award Best Female Performance for: T 2: Judgment Day (1991) and Most Desirable Female.

 

The Bride (Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2) – Uma Thurmon

Unlike both Ripley and Connor, both of whom are as much heroes as victims on screen, Uma Thurman’s “The Bride” in the Kill Bill series is very much the master of her fate, choosing to take revenge on her enemies for a wrong done before. Hers is a future of calculated misery exacted on her unsuspecting prey, the band of monstrous female assassins she must destroy so that she can finally “Kill Bill.”

Played somewhat like a video game where villains are constructed and deconstructed by her clever maneuvers and laser-like precision, The Bride manages to evolve on screen as an unstoppable force herself, a killing machine every bit as ruthless and determined as the forces that conspire against her. Her battles against villains Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah), Gogo Yubari (Chiaki Kuriyama), and O-Ren Ishii (Lucy Liu) are every bit as momentous as they are disturbing. Director Tarantino also manages to weave in a story that gives her even more personal strength as her motivation for her onslaught is somehow justified, and her audiences watch willingly, tacitly supportive of her monstrous acts.

Awards and Nominations:

Thurman’s The Bride was nominated 6 times overall including back to back Golden Globes in 2004 and 2005 for Volume 1 and 2. She did manage to win the Saturn Award for Best Actress for Kill Bill: Vol. 1 in 2004) and receive further nominations for the Saturn Award for Best Actress for Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2005), a BAFTA Film Award (2004), and a Critics Choice Award (2005).

 

Alice (Resident Evil Series) – Milla Jovovich

Much like The Bride who awakens to a nightmare she cannot recall, Milla Jovovich’s Alice finds herself in the center of a horrific conspiracy that pits her against zombies, mutants and the uber-evil Umbrella Corporation.  While timid and confused at first perhaps, Alice evolves into one of the most astonishing killing machines in all of Science Fiction.

Alice’s evolution over the course of the films rests not only on metaphors but on actual mutation as she becomes part of the experiment that is claiming the Earth.  By the time we reach the latter films, Alice is not only able to physically engage her enemies with an endless arsenal of kick-ass moves, but she has telekinetic powers so intense it could only have been imagined by J.K. Rowling. In one scene she even manages to stunningly engulf a vast murder of infected crows with a conjured wall of flames. There is no scene where audiences do not root for her and where she does not deliver.

Awards and Nominations

While it is apparent that Jovovich is far better acknowledged for her work in The Fifth Element, her Alice was able to garner a 2003 Saturn Award Nomination for Best Actress.

 

 Selene (Underworld Series) – Kate Beckinsale

Beckinsale’s Selene in the Underworld series (specifically Underworld and Underworld: Evolution) is one of the most elegant killing machines in recent film. Unlike The Bride or Alice, Selene, the graceful and powerful vampire warrior believes that she understands the world around her.  She recognizes the need to contain and destroy the Lycans, the historical arch-enemy of Vampires, and she does so with amazing skill.  She brandishes an endless arsenal of weapons, an impressive repertoire of combat moves a la Jackie Chan, and an imposing sense of will that immediately commands attention.  It should also be noted that she is the only non-human character considered on this list, and as a vampire, Selene brings not only a sense of terror but beauty that is common to all heroines.

Of course, her true test is when her world begins to crumble as the truth of her history – as well as the lies told about the war between the Lycan and Vampire- come to “light.”  Selene evolves from simply a powerful vampire in the first film into an unstoppable queen as she continues to protect her lover Michael Corvin from the true menace.  Due to Corvinus’s sacrifice in the second film, Underworld: Evolution, Selene becomes a more powerful vampire than ever before, enabling her to fight the true horror.

Awards and Nominations

Selene in Underworld posted one serious nomination in 2004 for the Saturn Best Actress award.  In addition, Beckinsale hit pay-dirt in the teenie-bopper demographic as Selene with a 2006 nomination for the Best Actress MTV Movie Award for Underworld: Evolution and then a Teen Choice Award (2004) nomination for Underworld (shared with Van Helsing; yes, really).

 

Cherry Darling (Grindhouse– Planet Terror) – Rose McGowan

While Rose McGowan may best be known for her villainous turn in Jawbreaker (1999) or on the TV series Charmed, she ought to receive praise for her completely bad-ass performance as Cherry Darling, the shotgun/peg-legged stripper at mortal war with zombies in Grindhouse – Planet Terror.  In Robert Rodriguez’s mortifying portrayal of a zombie-ridden apocalypse, he raises atop a metaphorical bad-ass pedestal a creation like none-other.

Cherry has her leg amputated after a horrific zombie assault and manages to escape with her life.  However, the amputation serves as a blessing in disguise.  In a completely over-the-top acrotomphiliac move, Rodriquez allows Darling to use her amputated stump as a Mr. Potato Head of unstoppable weaponry.  Once the machine tgun becomes her limb, even the zombies have nowhere to hide.  I could say more, but I think special kudos must be given to a woman who not only survives a zombie attack, but has her amputation stump become a gun.  That is, in fact, bad-ass.

Awards and Nominations

Unfortunately, Cherry may have been the darling of zombie fans, but the same cannot be said for awards.  McGowan as Cherry Darling managed only one nomination, Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress (2008) for Grindhouse.

 

Hit-Girl (Kick-Ass) – Chloë Moretz

In some ways perhaps the most controversial of all the nominees, Mindy Macready is really only a child, and an adorable one at that.  That is, of course, until she transforms into Hit-Girl, the ruthless, unstoppable, foul-mouthed standout of the 2010 film.  Moretz elicited much controversy due mainly to her toilet-mouth, spewing swearwords that even today’s liberal audiences found somewhat uncomfortable.  Of course, that was merely part of her charm.

Hit-Girl is unstoppable; as a human weapon basically raised as a vehicle of vengeance by her father Damon Macready / “Big Daddy” (Nicholas Cage), and has more moves than Bruce Lee and more sass than a Drag Queen float at NY Pride.  It is this magnetism that makes Hit-Girl stand-out, and shock as we consider what she will be like when she grows up!  Look out Ripley!

Awards and Nominations

For her role as Hit-Girl, Moretz was certainly rewarded winning several minor Film Festival awards including Austin and Ohio. At the MTV Movie Awards (2010), she won the Best Breakout Star MTV Movie Award and was nominated for Best Fight. In addition, she won the 2010 PFCS Award for Best Breakout Performance and was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role as Hit-Girl.   She also scored a nomination from her fellow “kids” at the 2010 Teen Choice Awards for Breakout Female (2010).

 

Honorable Mention

Trinity (The Matrix) – Carrie-Anne Moss

The diva and love interest to Neo in the Matrix series, Moss portrayed a powerful woman essential to the rise of the Chosen One. Her bad-ass moves and independence actually decline over the course of the series as she becomes much more of a worshipper at Neo’s altar.  However, her moves in the first film alone (arguably the only good film of the three) warrant a special place on this list.

Leeloo (The Fifth Element) – Milla Jovovich

The list would be far from complete without a reference to the breakout star of The Fifth Element, a Bruce Willis vehicle that saw his vulnerable and unstoppable co-star Milla Jovovich as Leeloo.  She is ethereal and deadly in a crunch, but ultimately, as a character, there is too much destiny and dependence on Willis to launch her into the top of the list.  Memorable nevertheless, even more so as Jovovich is the only actress to register twice.

River (Serenity) – Summer Glau

Glau reprises her role as River Tam from the classic, if short-lived, Joss Whedon series, Firefly. Serenity is the film version of the series and River is as bad-ass as ever.  Here, perhaps, she is even more powerful than in the series, given a focused story-arc and a road to somewhere, fast.  Unfortunately, like Leeloo, this character is led by forces largely out of her control, namely the images and the programmed actions in her mind, therefore not exactly uplifting in the independence category of consideration. Although the film went nowhere at the Box Office, Serenity and River tam, have a special place in film history.