Gotham. Sunlight gleams on the upper floors of skyscrapers, casting a golden glow around the rooftops, and reflecting down to the streets below. It's the end of the afternoon, or early evening at latest, and the Stock Exchange is still open, the city's financiers are hard at work, trading shares to make a profit for their respective companies, and raise the profile of Gotham as a whole. Inside, as two traders exchange speculative smalltalk while getting their shoes polished, a motorcycle courier enters and is buzzed through the security barrier. A supervisor tells him he has to remove his helmet for security reasons. The courier complies. Hell erupts now.
After disposing of the security staff, the masked mercenary known as Bane walks onto the main trading floor, his armed support team already in place. In a hail of gunfire he gains the attention of everyone that hadn't already noticed something was amiss. Bane approaches a young, terrified, but petulantly defiant trader. "This is a stock exchange!", he spurts, "There's no money here for you to steal!". The mercenary is unperturbed "Oh? Then why are you people here?" he retorts before slamming the yuppie into a console and using his credentials to open the computer. This is when the real work takes place. Bane's hacking team gain hardwired access to the trading program, and place several high-risk transactions in Bruce Wayne's name, using his stolen thumb-print as verification. The investments they make are almost guaranteed to fail, bankrupting Wayne and placing his company into crisis, whereby Wayne Enterprises board member John Daggett can use one of his other companies to subsume Wayne Ent and use the company for his own ends. "How long will the uploads take?", Bane asks his technologically adept henchman. "Eight minutes..." he confirms, and sets the automated program in place. We see a timer on the otherwise nondescript TFT screen, and a percentage indicator slowly increases above it.
Outside, the sunlight has disappeared and rain is beginning to fall on the now-grey streets. Alarms inside the Stock Exchange have alerted the police, who are arriving in their droves. Whether this is a robbery or a hostage situation is in dispute, and Deputy Commissioner Foley decides the best course of action in the interim is to cut the cabling to the building's cell-tower while they await contact with the criminals. Back on the trading floor, this move has let Bane's team know they have company outside. "Looks like they've taken out the wire", the lead-hacker reports. Bane takes this in. "Then it's time to go mobile!" he informs them. The upload is switched to wireless, and the raiders prepare to exit the building.
At the main entrance in the grey early evening, the assembled GCPD points its guns toward the doors, where a commotion is beginning to form inside. The doors swing open, and traders and staff members begin to swarm out on to the street, with Foley's call to his men to hold fire. Suddenly from behind the doors, three motorcyclists burst through the crowd still exiting the building, each with a hostage / human-shield riding pillion. The lead biker is Bane, following is his hacker associate, and another member of his team, all riding in the same general direction, but hoping to pull a police pursuit in different directions if the need arises. The police have begun to erect roadblock-ramps, thinking the criminals would be escaping in one four-wheeled vehicle, but the bikes clear these easily, and they're hastily lowered so that a chasedown can begin.
As predicted, the police have no knowledge of which biker takes priority, and they attempt to catch all three, although they're fairly sure the one in the lead is Bane. Racing through the undercity, we see the hacker take his tablet computer out of his bag to check on the upload; he still needs more time. We cut to the interior of a pursuing police car, as the officers inside notice the surrounding streetlights dip out and they're momentaily plunged into darkness, the result of an Electro-Magnetic Pulse device. A thundering growl approaches them from behind, and a vehicle with two massive wheels roars out of the night... the BatMan has returned. For the first time in eight years, Gotham's dark knight races through the rain-wet streets on the Batpod, chasing an adversary that only he stands a chance of catching. His brings his first target off his bike, leaving him for the police to arrest, and sets after his second - the hacker carrying the tablet that's in the process of bankrupting Bruce Wayne. Batman dismounts the rider, and pulls the computer out of his backpack in time to see the upload complete. Time has run out and the transactions have been made. Nothing more can be done from here, and the only option for Batman is to flee the police.
Bane has escaped both pursuers, and the Deputy Commissioner's priorities change, now. Ever the career-cop, and with the recent revelation that Commissioner Gordon will soon be put out to pasture by the mayor, he decides that the armed robbers aren't as great a priority as usurping Gordon's position by achieving what he failed to do: apprehend Batman. All units are diverted into chasing the vigilante through Gotham's streets, and Batman is finally cornered in the dead-end of an unlit side street. The police wait at the junction, knowing that their quarry is trapped, and that one way or another he'll have to emerge from the darkness.
As Foley is about to address Batman over a loudhailer, an engine starts up, and two piercing blue headlights stab out of night. Headlights that are too high off the ground to be the bike they chased in there...
Now, there are several things that bug me from this particular set-piece.
• The notion that a group of elite hackers can only access the stock exchange computers from inside the building, in this day and age, is comical. The entire point of the trading system is that people don't have to be in the same room, and even if a hardwired connection was needed (which is wasn't, they went wireless), they could have surreptitiously entered the system with far greater ease, even out-of-hours if they'd falsified times as well.
• It's ridiculous to believe that any trading performed from that room during the time of an armed raid would be allowed to stand. The later assertation that 'it'll take time to prove fraud' is a complete falsehood as all the raiders were unmasked, and there will be no evidence of Bruce Wayne on the premises other than a convenient thumbprint on the only item that requires it.
• How did Bane and his goons get the three bikes inside the building? He walks in from the street at the start of the scene, and his minions are already in place in there. Unless he has other people to bring bikes into reception areas constantly following him around?
• How can the standard motorcycle helmet we see Bane wearing fit over his face-mask? They're not exactly designed to leave a lot of wiggle-room, and it doesn't look especially bulky or unusual.
But I can brush those aside if I have to. They don't make any sense from the surface, but they're easy to skim over. No, what really boils my piss is this: How come Gotham goes from broad daylight to pitch-black night in eight minutes? The race against time is a recurring theme, literally and metaphorically, in the Nolan Batmanverse, and they make a point of giving visual and verbal indicators that eight minutes is the timescale, here. Fuck it, less than eight minutes. The timer's already on its way when Bane's bikers leave the Stock Exchange in daylight, and when Batman joins in it's dark. Everywhere. Dark. What the actual fuck? In order for night to fall that quickly, the Earth would have to be cube-shaped.
And it's no better later on in the film when Batman and Catwoman have their final talk before trying to stop the bomb*. They're talking in darkness when he tells her that they have a 45-minute window before detonation, and the next thing you know, it's daylight. Broad daylight.
It's not that big a deal though, really. Not worth, say, writing over 1300 words for, or anything...
*Don't even get me started on a bomb which is described as "becoming gradually more unstable", yet the uranium breakdown can somehow be timed to the very second with a clock on the side. A device that's been degrading to explosion-point for four months, yet 10 minutes before it's due to go off, can be thrown around in a 40-ft container as the truck makes a 20-ft drop onto concrete with no adverse effects. A nuclear device with a 6-mile blast radius that can fly to the horizon (ie 3 miles) and detonate without still taking out Gotham, or causing a tidal-wave that would take out Gotham. Actually, the bomb might annoy me more than the day/night thing, but that would make more sense, so I can't have it as my Major Beef™.
DISCLAIMERS: • ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
Now a lot has been said, since I first saw The Dark Knight Rises, about the vocal delivery of Mr Tom Hardy. In particular, the filtered, muffled effect of the mask he wears, combined with what some are purporting to be an upper-class British accent (I swear I can hear Dutch in there). I myself had more than a little difficulty making out all of his lines, with many of them only being given context by people's replies and reactions. And apparently this was after the vocals had been ADR'd.
I'm happy to say that the second time around, it wasn't as much of a problem. Nowhere near as much, in fact. Was that because I was already familiar with the nature of what he was saying? Was it because instead of sitting centrally in the cinema, I was beside the wall, and the balance of the surround-speakers was different as a result? Was it because the print running in Screen-1 has a different sound mix to the one running in Screen-5? I honestly couldn't say. Possibly one, possibly all. All I can tell you is, I can see why reports have been mixed, with some people having no problem with making out the speech. There were still one or two lines that whooshed right over my head, but it's no biggie.
Elsewhere, I found tDKR a lot easier to watch the second time. Many of the aspects I had trouble with initially were easier to put into place once I knew where everything was was headed. In other words, I could take my foot off the gas and enjoy the ride without the danger of missing anything. I still don't see the point of holding the stock-exchange at gunpoint to facilitate hacking that could have been performed remotely, and I still don't see the actual need for Selina Kyle to be present (other to provide a happy ending*1 for Wayne). But most pertinently, I still don't see why Bane is the choice "to test Batman mentally as well as physically" *2. Hardy is shorter than Bale to begin with, not withstanding the bat-ears, and while he's bulked up, it's not to inhuman-levels (he's not even the shape he was in Warrior) and it's certainly conceivable that Batman's put down thugs bigger than this guy in the past. I can see why he barges his way through the civilian population of Gotham, but past the Batman? His only advantage seems to be that Wayne is out of practice.
Which leaves his psychological prowess. Now obviously, Bane's no moron in the film, but he's not the mastermind of the operation, he's just the frontman. Talia al Ghul is running the show, here, and Bane is essentially hired-muscle whichever way you look at it. Articulate muscle to be sure, but even that's up for debate given his choice of face-wear. Ultimately, I just didn't see Bane as a credible threat to Batman. He was kinda cool, but not a threat.
Outside of this blog, I've also been discussing Bruce Wayne's ongoing medical issues. In tDKR, he walks with a cane and a limp, and the doctor at the hospital makes a pretty plain case of how shredded his body is, but he doesn't seem to have any trouble winching down to Jim Gordon's room for a chat and back again. He also doesn't have much of a limp when he's dancing with Selena Kyle, but that's by-the-by. I've heard it argued that the x-ray shots the doctor is referring to could be falsified, and that Wayne's battered, failing body is part of his cover-story get him into the hospital, and to distance himself from Gotham's dark saviour. That said, if Batman hasn't been around for eight years, why continue the cover? Because of the approaching storm?
Either way, Bruce does construct himself a leg-brace to wear under the Batsuit, and the only other person who knows it's there is Alfred. There'd be little/no point in keeping up the pretence of limited mobility around his trusty servant, so it's safe to assume he needs some assistance in moving around. So if that's the case, why isn't the leg-brace needed once he escapes The Pit? He's in prison-garb, so clearly someone's stripped him down en-route to his new home, and they wouldn't leave the brace on, would they? If the idea is to restrict his movement and leave him to rot in the nick, they'd be as likely to leave him his utility-belt as they would to let him keep the leg-brace.
And while I'm on the subject, I'm not medically qualified but I really don't think the best treatment for a dislodged vertebrae which has been un-tended for several weeks, is to have Tom Conti string you up under the shoulders with a damp, tatty rope and have him punch-you-better in the spine. Even Conti admitted that it's the guy in the next cell who's the actual doctor. But hey, it could catch on.
All-in-all: It is great, but the points I've mentioned there show no sign of being explained with subsequent viewings, and I still don't think it's as cohesive a film as its two predecessors. It's a great complement to them, but it's not quite on the same level.
While I have no problem with films getting better each time you see them, it certainly shouldn't be a requirement…
*1 Not like that, filthy mind. *2 Chris Nolan quote. (link) DISCLAIMERS: • ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
*DISCLAIMER:Although this review doesn't feature any plot-spoilers, it could well colour your view of the film if you're reading this before seeing it. Obviously, this applies to reviews of all films, but it seems especially appropriate to mention it here. My advice? See the film without reading any reviews. Including mine.
This will be short, for two reasons: 1) I really need to see the film again to absorb things more fully, and 2) Without spoilers, I'm limited to what I can say.
• On the whole, it's as dark and intense as the previous two films in the series. Sometimes more, sometimes less, but always around the same watermark.
• For a Batman film, there's not a lot of Batman. When he is around, everything's so 'explodey' that it's difficult to enjoy his presence. He's toned down his 'growly voice', thankfully, but he gets a couple of quippy lines that seem woefully out of place in the film.
• Bane seems underused, but I say that as someone with no real history with the Batman comics. Most of the Bane-hype has been built up by people who are versed in his history, and I suspect there's going to be a bit of grumbling in the Batfanverse over his portayal here. He didn't come over as a genuine threat, to me somehow. A lot of this is down to his ridiculous voice. About a third of what he says, you can't make out until someone replies to him to give his masked mumbling some context, and the rest of the time he sounds like Goldmember speaking through a Darth Vader mask. From a largely civilian point of view, Bane seems wasted here, and Tom Hardy is definitely wasted in the role, as he's capable of so much more. It was always going to be difficult to follow the charisma of The Joker, let alone best it, and it feels like the film-makers realised that, so didn't try too hard.
• Before today, I wasn't entirely sure what value there'd be putting Catwoman in the story. After watching the film, I'm still not sure. With all of the other characters that are introduced in tDKR, as well as familiar faces making appearances, it seems a little crowded for someone who doesn't bring that much to the party.
• I did enjoyed the end-sequence. I think they missed a trick, but it still made me smile, and it's a great way to end the trilogy.
After the credits: Nothing. As soon as the names appear on the screen, you can make your way to the exit.
All in all:Very enjoyable, despite my grumbling. It just feels like there's too much story fighting for attention, and the flow suffers as a result. But keep in mind that I wasn't head-over-heels with the previoustwo movies on my first viewings, either.
A strong five, but The Dark Knight Rises doesn't seem to have the intrigue or fun of its predecessors. As with Prometheus, the mainstream-anticipation for this film may be its undoing.
DISCLAIMERS: • ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
A twenty minute break, after Batman Begins is just enough time to whizz down to Sainsburg's for a sandwich (because I can't eat the shit that passes for 'hot food' in the cinema) and queue for another coffee…
The Dark Knight is another one I didn't exactly gush about when it was first released. I could see what everyone loved about it, of course, I just wasn't completely sold myself. Tonally, it's quite a different beast, adhering more closely to the model for superhero flick, although still with plenty of crime-thriller thrown in to keep it muted. Gone are the domed archways over the city's monorail system, the last vestige of Tim Burton's Gotham; in The Dark Knight, Gotham is presented as an actual breathing city, not just a fantastical backdrop for the man with the cape. A plot revolving around the city's crimelords and their ill-gained money and power stays just on the right side of convoluted, and doesn't feel stretched, even rolling in at two and a half hours. I don't think it's necessarily a stronger (or even equal) plot than BB, but that doesn't really matter when Nolan has an ace up his sleeve...
Whatever else it has going for it, this is of course Heath Ledger's film. Irrespective of the events that occurred after filming had closed, he steals every scene he's in and owns the film completely. What happened afterwards was undeniably terrible, but to let that colour your view of his performance is almost to cheapen it (imho). His portrayal of The Joker is priceless, and offset beautifully by the other characters having no real idea of how to deal with the threat he poses. Ledger shows us a masterclass in theatrical madness, with more than a hint of danger about it.
But it's not all fun and games. We have Bale putting on a frankly ridiculous voice as Batman, this time round, and Maggie Gyllenhaal has replaced Katie Holmes, making a character I wasn't bothered about actually unlikeable. The conclusion of the Two-Face arc also seems like a massive waste, given the amount of time and effort went into convincingly building the character.
As much as I love The Dark Knight, I can't ignore those flaws, given that two of them are central to the film itself. But ultimately, it's still a great ride.
DISCLAIMERS: • ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
It's at times like this, that Cineworld remind me of why I live 10 minutes away from one of their picture-houses and pay for that card every month. Notwithstanding the absolute shower of shit my local has been half-arsedly putting on recently*1, a one-night-only double-bill of two intense movies in preparation for a third intense movie is precisely what a geeky shut-in like me wants. So let's get wired on overpriced coffee and lost in Gotham...
For me, Batman Begins was a grower, if you'll pardon the expression. When I originally saw on its initial release, I was slightly underwhelmed, I can't deny it. Since I didn't read any of the advance press (hey, I'm spoiler-sensitive), I wasn't aware that it was a reboot, and consequentally spent most of the film trying to tie it in with Keaton-era Batman. Which clearly doesn't work.
A couple of years later, I watched it again, and while I got more out of it I still felt something missing. Something I couldn't quite put my finger on. Then late last year, someone (I can't remember who, sadly) told me what I'd been doing wrong. I was watching it as a superhero film. It sounds stupid, but seems so obvious: As a superhero tale, it touches on hardly any of the bases an audience is used to. The origins-aspect takes way too long, the plot sprawls wider than it should to be just the story of Wayne/Batman, and most importantly; it doesn't spoon-feed you a linear plot the way that most films in the genre do.
As a superhero film, Batman Begins is too loosely focused. As a dark, crime thriller that just happens to have Batman in it, it's pretty fucking awesome. And I'm not saying that all of the hero-genre should be like this, it just works really well in the context of Batman.
In fact, applying the thriller-aspect to the film, I wanted to see more of Scarecrow and Ra's al Ghul. The final sequence with the microwave-emitter on the train almost seems too comic-book in comparison to the tale that's been woven up to that point. Liam Neeson and Cillian Murphy are both on great form in BB, even (or probably because) Neeson is essentially being Qui-Gon Jinn again, only in a more jaded form.
I'm still not a massive fan of Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne, although I like his Batman persona (again, even if/because there's so much of Keaton's Batman in his cowled performance), and it's left to Michael Caine to bring the warmth to the scenes where we're meant to be sympathising with Wayne. I'm also not huge on Katie Holmes, but that's just me.
On reflection, and it's taken me time to reflect, there are a lot of things I like about Batman Begins very much, and they far outweigh the things I don't.
*1The Five Year Engagement, Katy Perry, and Friends with Kids / Magic Mike which I point-blank refuse to see. It's the fucking summer for fuck's sake - not everyone's at home watching the fucking sport. #Fuck
DISCLAIMERS: • ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
Watching the film again with the addition of a third-dimension has really only underlined its faults. It's still a good film, but it's not standing up to repeated viewing.
• The 3D's okay. Not 'great', but not as bad as it could have been. Useful in a couple of sequences, but just mostly background-depth apart from that.
• Why is Embeth Davidtz getting her name mentioned in the 'starring' lines promoting the film? She's got one proper line over two scenes and is about as important to the story as the Stan Lee cameo. Was it in her contract to be up with the main cast? Did she have a lot of scenes cut?
• Spidey's webbing is "stronger than steel", and yet when he cocoons The Lizard in it during the school-fight, he just tears if off like it's candy-floss. That's fine, maybe it's a device to show how insanely powerful Connors' alter-ego really is. Because obviously, large animals have no problem at all getting out of steel enclosures, that's why there aren't any zoos.
• And how did Parker come to be in the posession of a box-load of webbing anyhow? We see the OsCorp box on Peter's desk at home, but that amount of industrial-application tech would set Peter back a fortune (not that they'd sell a 'civilian' a box of the stuff anyway). So did he swindle or steal it?
• Connors grows a new arm before he transforms into Lizard for the first time. I can accept that in a comic-book/movie context, but why would it disappear when he reverts to his human form? That doesn't make any sense, even in a movie like this.
• Where does Peter get his Spidey-suit from? One minute he's hand-sewing an ill-fitting sex-pest mask to wear with his regular street clothes, the next he's got a full suit, which has clearly been 'designed', eye lenses an' all. I don't mind that the suit exists, it just appears suddenly with no explanation.
• I can't believe they just abandon the subplot with Spidey wanting to apprehend Chad Kroeger for killing his uncle Ben. I know they wanted to leave something for the sequels, but it just seems like it's been forgotten about (even with the wanted-poster in shot at the end). It's understandable that the story with Richard Parker and OsCorp will unwind into the forthcoming films, but not closing out the Milton-Out-Of-Drive-Angry thread seems sloppy.
…but those questions are nothing… nothing, compared to the one that really bugged me watching the movie a second time…
• You know that bit with the cranes? Where Spider-Man has previously rescued a crane driver's son, and he's crowbarred back into the story to illustrate that the man on the street supports Spider-Man (not like the Police! Boo!), and he really is The People's Arachnid™? The crane driver notices that Spidey's in trouble (since the TV news reporters suddenly stop speaking like they're on TV and start broadcasting in concerned, conversational tones), and he gets All The Guys™ to swing their cranes out in a line over Sixth Avenue, so that the injured web-slinger can get to OsCorp Tower quickly and without obstruction? Well, when Spider-Man is limbering up for his initial run/jump/swing, a helicopter is hovering overhead. A fucking helicopter. That's what Spidey needs, not a series of fucking cranes! Save the boy a bit of energy (and ridiculously expensive webbing), and give him a lift, you bastards! I can't work out if it's a Police helicopter or a news-channel one, but either way this sequence is ridiculous. Even my brother-in-law (an old-school Spidey fan) thought it was over the top.
But don't let all that put you off, it is a good film, it's just flawed slightly.
DISCLAIMERS: • ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
CAUTION: Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
The Amazing Spider-Man (2D) / *Mild Spoilers* 136mins / Dir. Marc Webb (HA HA! WEBB! LIKE A SPIDER WOULD MAKE! AS IN WEB! I AM FUNNY.)
I wasn't impressed by the trailers when I saw them at the cinema. Largely because a) I grew more and more civilian towards the web-slinger with the last run of movies as they went on, and b) When you're Marvel and you've already released Avengers this year, is there really any point in a reboot of an origins story that most folks still remember from ten years ago, and only features one superhero anyway?
The Good: Andrew Garfield plays a good Spider-Man. I'm not convinced about his portrayal of Peter Parker, but I think that's more down to the character than the actor. When he's not being the awkward whiny teenager that the role apparently requires, he's surprisingly likeable. Also putting in a good turn is Emma Stone. Sure, she over-eggs the pudding from time to time, but she's nowhere near as annoying as she could have been (ie: Kirsten Dunst). Elsewhere, the supporting players are competent in their supporting/comic-book roles (see my exception in The Ugly). There's not really much you can do with 'Stern Police Commissioner' or 'Weeping, Concerned Aunt', so in that respect, they're all fine.
The visuals, in the 2D I saw it in, are pretty spot on (see my exception in The Ugly) and Spidey looks good swinging around New York. Certainly less plastic than his last three outings, but the camera-work's a lot more choppy this time around too, so that will hide any limitations in the animation.
Considering this is a bona-fide origins tale (and considering the arse-numbing running time), the story skips along at a fair old rate. In this case, I count that as a good thing, because there are certain events you're waiting for anyway, so no time's wasted getting them laid out. The spider-bite sequence occurs rapidly and without fuss, and the 'getting to know my powers' montage is equally underplayed. In fact, the 'Other Defining Moment in Spider-Man's Formation'™ is compressed to around a minute, which pretty much robs it of the impact it had in previous tellings...
The Bad: And yet, despite the cramming in of plot-points and origin-exposition, it feels like not a lot actually happens. One of the biggest questions the film asks is left unanswered for a sequel, and various others seem not to matter, apparently. I suspect it'll become clearer after another viewing, but I can't work out why it took them over two hours to tell this story. Avengers was only ten minutes longer, and they had seven lead characters. The film certainly doesn't drag, but I was very aware that I'd been in the cinema for bloody ages. On top of this, there are parts of the trailers that aren't in the film. Nothing unusual there, but they seem to be talky bits, which the plot sorely needs.
Oh, and the bit with the cranes? My facepalm nearly gave me concussion.
It'd be nice to think that Spidey has been rebooted so that he could make an appearance in Avengers 2, but I don't think the Paramount/Columbia divide isn't about to be bridged any time soon. It seems odd though, that no other superhero activity is mentioned in The Amazing Spider-Man, and yet the public are surprisingly calm with a vigilante that can climb walls, and no-one seems fucking terrified enough at the prospect of a seven-foot man-lizard throwing cars off of Brooklyn Bridge. Speaking of which…
The Ugly:The Lizard looks like he's been animated in Claymation. I'm not normally one for slagging off CGI, but he really stands out in this film as being like an animatic that someone forgot to finish. Maybe it's the bizarrely human features on an otherwise lizard-like body, maybe it's because they tried to leave something of Rhys Ifans to come through in the performance, but something about him looks awful. And acts pretty awful, too, but that's almost besides the point.
After the credits: There's a short scene after the first batch of names, which serves as a reminder that they haven't answered the question that's been asked for the last two and a quarter hours. And at the very end? I don't know, I didn't hand around that long (this time).
Is there a Wilhelm Scream™? Not that I heard, but I could have missed it if it was low in the mix. Even Rock of Ages had a Wilhelm, sort it out Marvel!
Is there a Stan Lee cameo? Yes, of course there is, although it's not a speaking role this time. Although the sound of your palm slamming into your face will drown out anything he says anyway, as it usually does.
Worth £8+? If you're on the fence about Spider-Man, yes, probably. If you know it's not your thing, it's not going to change your mind or surprise you.
For a film that's as completely unnecessary as The Amazing Spider-Man, it's pretty good. Not great, but pretty good.
Disclaimer: That's a tentative 5/7. Further viewings could alter that. Although it's unlikely to go up.
DISCLAIMERS: • ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
As I may have mentioned before, the thing that really winds me up about the 'found footage' genre is the marketing approach of "oh, this really happened! And we've managed to put it out on general release despite it being a) police evidence in an ongoing crime investigation or b) highly sensitive government property!" What pisses me off more than that is the fact that people seem to buy into it. *growls*
Anyhow, it's worth stating from the outset that Chronicle does not purport to be a record of covered-up events. The fact the film is shot in first person is a storytelling device to ensure that the audience only sees what the characters themselves (or the camera, at least) see. While some may complain that certain plot-points aren't fully explained in the film, that also comes back to the fact that the central characters don't find all the answers, and we're seeing the world from their viewpoint.
The Plot: Three teenagers, from varying rungs on the social ladder, find a common bond when they develop telekinetic powers after a mysterious underground encounter. As their abilities grow, so do the pressures to use their new gifts responsibly, which is often easier said than done...
The Good: Considering how outlandish the effects are in Chronicle, they're beautifully underplayed. If you can accept that the three leads can suddenly move objects using their minds alone, not once do the vfx look overdone. This is supported by the excellent performances of Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell and Michael B Jordan: They're excited at their abilities, but they never look like they don't believe what's happening. Because of that, you can't help but be swept up for the ride.
The Bad: There are elements of shakycam in the first 15 minutes or so, which is distracting on a cinema-sized screen. That being said, this is largely remedied when Andrew (DeHaan) gets a more modern camera, presumably with shake-control, and then starts to levitate the camera around, getting rid of all the shudder (which is also a neat device to show us what the camera sees, but also have all the characters on-screen at the same time).
The Ugly: Nothing to report. In my humble opinion.
Worth a punt? If you've ever wanted super-powers, even as a kid, you'll get a lot out of this. It's nice to see a real approach, where the characters don't go out in search of crimes to foil, but just start to enjoy their powers instead. It's also a nice how the guys set out some ground-rules for using their telekinesis in public… and then largely disregard them. Just like I would :D
At less than an hour and a half it's short, but you don't really notice as it's structured so well. Because of the nature of cam-footage, you won't lose a lot by watching this on DVD, but I recommend the cinema purely to see the clarity of the special effects.
DISCLAIMERS: • ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
