Showing posts with label films. Show all posts
Showing posts with label films. Show all posts

Thursday, 29 September 2011

231: Three Frame Movies (part II)

CAUTION: Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.

This is a continuation from yesterday's post, for the B3TA Image Challenge: Three Frame Movies:

"This week's task is to edit Hollywood classics down to the essentials, and relate the entire plot of a movie in just three frames. Easy."


Lord of the Rings
Lord of the Rings


Zombieland
Zombieland


Kick-Ass
Kick-Ass


Star Wars Saga (from a Palpatine point of view)
Star Wars Saga (from a Palpatine point of view)

Maybe more to come. Don't hold your breath, though, I think this horse is well and truly flogged for now.

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 organizations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.

230: Three Frame Movies

CAUTION: Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.

These pics are for the B3TA Image Challenge: Three Frame Movies

"This week's task is to edit Hollywood classics down to the essentials, and relate the entire plot of a movie in just three frames. Easy."


Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park


Back To The Future
Back To The Future


The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show


Temple of Doom
Temple of Doom


Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark


The Last Crusade
The Last Crusade


The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

...yeah, you thought I'd be doing Star Wars, didn't ya?

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 organizations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.

Friday, 23 September 2011

229: Snoochie Boochies! SMovie Season!

CAUTION: Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.


15 movies. 14 days. Let's do this



The usual season-rules apply:
• Because I've seen most of these before, they're not reviews, just thoughts-as-I-go, with a rating at the end.
• They're listed in the order I watched them in, not release order.
• Ratings are my own, and as such, not to be taken that seriously. What do I know?
• Oh, and the Q&A DVDs apply, seeing as they're four hours long. 'kay?





An Evening With Kevin Smith (2002)
On: 10th September 2011

• It's odd to see how restrained Smith was in 2002, compared to now after years of Smodcast. He's still more open than most directors, but there's a formality there that he doesn't have these days.
• It's great how little time Smith has for smartarses.
• This first Q&A feature doesn't really flow that well in the first 30 mins, as there's a lot of time spent listening to gushing fanboys with no social skills. If I wanted that, I'd stand in Forbidden Planet. I'd forgotten quite how irritating Fanboys are. Rein it in you dicks!

If you enjoy listening to Smith talk, you'll get a lot out of this, but it's not as smooth as his podcasts.
4/7



Cop Out (2010)
On: 11th September 2011

How bad can it be, right? When even the film's director plays it down…

• I've never seen New York look as much like Liberty City as in this movie, and I like it.
• Poison are on the soundtrack. Score another point.
• I'm liking Harold Faltermeyer's score, alot.
• It's not 'outstanding' in any sense (and it's probably a little longer than it needs to be), but it's a perfectly serviceable buddy-cop-action-comedy. Willis has certainly made worse, and I've seen worse. Fuck it, I've seen worse movies this WEEK.

I quite enjoyed this. I'm not sure what people's problem is.

Best Line: "I could knit the fuck out of a big nice sweater."

4/7



An Evening With Kevin Smith 2: Evening Harder (2006)
On: 11th September 2011

• Fucking fanboys >:(
• Smith's manner is a lot more relaxed than the first Evening With, although it's still essentially more of the same.
• I do wish he wouldn't get attention-whores on stage to make dicks of themselves. Although they do make the regular fanboys look normal...

As before, if you like watching a fat guy talking about himself for four hours, you'll enjoy.

4/7



Red State (2011)
On: 11th September 2011

• Not sure why this has been classified as 'horror', it's more action/thriller. Rooted in horror, for sure, but it strays into social/political thriller territory.
• Minimal titles at the start of the film, and straight in, I appreciate that.
• Michael Parks is fucking awesome. Probably nuts, but awesome.
• The first half hour is a slow burner considering the short runtime (88mins).
• Beautiful scripting, and nicely acted given the absurdity of the characterisation and situations, I just wish there'd been a little more scope to the story.
• BUT… It goes very odd at 70mins. The rest of the film's almost as if someone else took over the writing, wanted to wrap it up, and hadn't read the existing story that thoroughly…

The first hour and ten minutes are a beautiful break from the norm for Smith. The last 12 minutes are the equivalent of finishing your homework before the lesson by tacking on "and then I woke up and it had been a dream the end".
An extra half hour and a decent resolution could have made this Smith's masterwork.

Best Line: "How much you think a cross like that costs?" "…you mean in dollars or common sense?"

4/7
^^ That'd be a 5 or a 6, if the end wasn't such a cop out ^^



Zack and Miri Make A Porno (2008)
On: 12th September 2011

• ...Elizabeth Banks. I don't think I need to say any more about that, just bearing in mind I said it in the same tones I usually reserve for Claire Forlani.
• This is Smith back to doing what he does best. Loud, brassy comedy.
• Justin Long is one of the greatest things in this film.
• The only downside to this is the godawful Star Wars puns. What can I tell ya, I'm precious about my SW.
• Traci Lords used to follow me on Twitter, until she realised either a) I'm not a celeb, b) I swear too much, c) a&b.
• The whole Dutch-Rudder scene with Jason Mewes is messed up. Seriously.

Best Line: "You believe that shit?" "…do you believe THIS shit?"
^^ That said, the first hour of the film spoils me for choice for Best Lines ^^

6/7
The final act slows the movie down a little, but I prefer it over Clerks II.



Jersey Girl (2004)
On: 13th September 2011

It has its moments, and it's certainly well acted, written and directed. But it's not for me.
It looks like Smith was aiming for maturity, and in a sense he succeeds, but it's just too bland for my tastes. Even in 2004, there was already way too much of this stuff around. Throwing Smith at the issue didn't help anyone, least of all Smith. That kid's fucking annoying, as well.

Still, Liv Tyler eh? It's not all bad.

Best Line: "Aw Dad, Isn't that cute? It's 8 o'clock and you both get a bottle!"

3/7



Clerks (1994)
On: 14th September 2011

Okay, let's go back to the start.
Not too much I can say about this. Beautifully filmed, beautifully scripted, patchily acted and slightly claustrophobic.

It doesn't flow as well as you remember, and yet it's always an absolute joy to watch.

Best Line: "I don't see how you can romanticise your relationship with Caitlin. She broke your heart and inadvertently drove men to deviant lifestyles…"

6/7



Sold Out: A Threevening With Kevin Smith (2008)
On: 15th September 2011

• By 2008, Smodcast was in full swing, and this is a lot more relaxed than the previous two Q&A DVDs. Rather than being intercut between different nights, this is one continuous show, which helps the Smith's storytelling flow.
• Smith takes 55 minutes to answer the first question, and the guy's standing in the aisle all the time, it's brilliant.
• There's a lot more focus this time on Smith and his storytelling, and less on the crowd and quantity/variety of questions.

Best Line: Don't boo me, I didn't fuck a kid! …although neither did he, allegedly…"

5/7



Mallrats (1995)
On: 17th September 2011

• Claire Forlani. That is all.
• Seeing Jason Lee and Ethan Suplee together in a proto-My Name Is Earl is awesome. I wish Smith would buy the rights to that show and make a movie to finish the story.
• This is one of my favourite movies of all time; I am always in the mood for this.

Best Line: (1) "Ha-ha-haaa… you dumb bastard, that's not schooner, it's a sail-boat!" - Willem
Best Line: (2) "What kind of man are you anyway? I'm talking comics and you bring up chicks and romance?" - Brodie

7/7



Kevin Smith: Too Fat for 40! (YEAR)
On: 18th September 2011

• As with 'Threevening', Smith's solo 'act' has evolved into essentially anecdotal standup (despite his claim in this that he's not a standup)
• Again, this is Smith doing what he does best: talking about himself frankly and with humility.
• It's essentially a one-man video'd SModCast. Which is fine by me.

5/7



Chasing Amy (1997)
On: 19th September 2011

• I seem to recall this movie looking more slick, but the DVD I've got is in 3:4 aspect-ratio, and has a horrible video and audio transfer. So maybe it is more slick?
• This film has a lot of baggage; nowhere near as easygoing as Smith's other movies (and I include Clerks and Red State in that).
• The first half an hour or so's good, but... y'know...
• Just. Stop. WHINING!

Best Line: "Ah, that's a bunch of horseshit! Lando Calrissian's a black guy, and he's a positive role-model!"

3/7



Clerks (The Animated Series) (2000)
On: 19th September 2011

• I don't care what anyone says, this is great. Ahead of its time, maybe, but I appreciated it back in the day as well. So, make of that what you will.
• Two guys in increasingly surreal situations. It's a little bit like a proto-Mighty Boosh.
• When I'm in the mood for this, it's awesome. Tonight? I am, and it is.

5/7



Dogma (1999)
On: On 21st September 2011

• Yay! Back to silly comedy with an overriding (silly) plot!
• Alan Rickman's Metatron is fucking awesome in this film, and the film's high-concept works all the better for his heavy handed exposition.
• Salma Hayek's Serendipity is also a great character, if let down a little by Salma's overacting.
• The film's also a lot stronger for having Jay & Bob as an integral part, rather than just tacked on at the end like in Chasing Amy.
• The only thing holding it back in the View Askew canon is that it's a little long. Not 'way' long, and I'm not sure where it could be tightened, but it still feels longer than it should.

Best Line: "Sex is a joke in heaven?" "…the way I understand it, it's mostly a joke down here, too".

5/7



Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)
On: 22nd September 2001

A worthy successor to Dogma and Mallrats, slicker than both and almost a mainstream comedy. Thankfully, harsh language and references to earlier SMovies keep it squarely in the ViewAskewniverse.

• Is this film really ten years old already? :/
• Speaking of which, jeez, Jon Stewart looks young.
• Three fourth-wall moments in one movie, I like that very much.
• It feels longer than it is (in a good way), because of the number of actors in it.
• You can really feel (and it's obvious enough) that this was intended to be the final Jersey Chronicles film.

It's low-brow, lowest-common-demoninator stuff, but I love it.

Best Line: "…and for the record? He loves the cock."

6/7



Clerks II (2006)
On: 23rd September 2011

• The first time I saw this, I realised how much Randall had influenced my outlook on life. A dry, weary sarcasm just trying to have a good time.
• 45 minutes in, with the go-karting scene, the film switches gear and the laughs kind of… ease up a little. Even the funny segments seem a lot heavier.
• That simpering look that Dante gives Becky during the dance sequence pretty much sums up that change of direction.
• Speaking of which… a dance sequence? Really?
• I could do without the moping and tears in the second half, but I'll concede they are necessary to make the final scene work.

Not quite as much fun as it should be, if only because of the whiny-romance aspect. Other than that? When it's good, it's great.

Best Line: "…oh what the fuck happened to this world? There's only one fucking Trilogy, you morons!"

5/7


So yeah! A fun two weeks, although Jersey Girl and Chasing Amy made it feel longer.
But what have we learned? Eh? Where's the GRAPH?

Okay you lot, calm down, here it is...

Kevin Smith movies. Click for bigger.
^^ Click for bigger. Opens in a new window ^^

In summary: The sillier the movie, the better. Smith's work is no place for issues although they often creep in anyway. That said, I still fucking adore the man and his work, and I'll happily watch anything he puts out.
Well, except for Jersey Girl II. Or Chasing Amy II.


Oh, and if you're a fan of Kevin Smith, you should be listening to his work on the SModCast network. If you're not, fix that, yeah?

SNOOGANS.



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 organizations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.

Monday, 19 September 2011

228: Review - The Change-Up

CAUTION: Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.


The Change-Up poster

The Change-Up
19th September 2011. Location: Cinema

With an average trailer and an awful title, this looked to be a time-filler movie. Something to watch on a day off, or a Sunday afternoon. But as with another terribly-monikered Jason Bateman vehicle this year, Horrible Bosses, I was pleasantly surprised as I watched it.

Once again, the body-swap plot is almost clockwork, and the mechanics of the grass is always greener lesson are layered on pretty thickly, but this really benefits from having four likeable leads in place to keep it moving along. I love Jason Bateman anyway, and Leslie Mann and Olivia Wilde are dependably great (given the limitations of their characters), but the real surprise was seeing Ryan Reynolds in a role where he's not completely average. It looks like everyone had fun making this, and characters that would typically be brash and unlikeable (Reynolds' Mitch/Dave) still carry enough warmth to make you want a happy ending, not just the 'back to their own bodies' one you know you'll get anyway.

What also makes this stand out from other body-swap comedies is the layer of Hangover humour dusted across the top. Constantly foul-mouthed, but not desperately so; frequently gross-out, but not overdone. It's a nice change for this particular movie, but I can see it creeping in and being standard from hereon-in.

And that's about it, really. A sturdy-yet-safe comedy, plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and a surprising amount of charm. More of a DVD/Sky movie than a must-see at the cinema, but if you're going anyway this week, you could do a lot worse than this.

6/7

It gets a 6 purely for being better than the other movies I've seen at the flicks this month. So far, anyway.

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.

Friday, 9 September 2011

222: If it bleeds we can kill it... Xeno Season!

CAUTION: Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.

If it bleeds, we can kill it: Xeno Season!

Oh yes, in the absence of any fresh cinematic releases that interest me, it's time to dive to the horror shelf and break out some films I don't watch nearly enough.

The thing is, in the midst of all my Star Wars merch, I always seem to forget how much I like Aliens and Predator…

The Aliens/Predator Collection. Click for bigger.
…By no means "hardcore", but probably more than a 'civilian' fan.


9 days, 9 films (well 9½), in chronological release order, theatrical versions where available. These are more 'thoughts as I go' than full reviews, so probably won't make much sense if you haven't seen the films. No change there, then.
So, without further ado, let the acid-drenched carnage commence!





ALIEN (1979)
26 August 2011. Location: Home

For many years, I wasn't a fan of this (indeed, Alan Dean Foster's novelisation is one of the few books I've given up on midway). Turns out I was watching it wrong. Viewed as a sci-fi film, this is badly paced and uninteresting. Viewed as a horror film, it's really quite beautiful.

Random thoughts:
• I love the antiquated computer screens and the fact that smoking is allowed onboard the Nostomo.
• The white-panelled sections of the Nostromo remind me of the Tantive IV from Star Wars.
• The OCD part of my brain admires the queen for laying her eggs in such an orderly fashion.
• As the facehugger's acid burns through Kane's visor, wouldn't any of it drip/splash onto his face? Just a little bit? He seems relatively unscathed.
• Why do they eject Kane's body into space? Before the Ash-revelation, surely they need to keep all the evidence they can on what's happened?
• I like how it's insinuated that other forms of life are known about, just not that one.
• The exponential growth rate of the xenomorph once it's hatched seems ridiculous, but that runs through all the films, I suppose.
• That's not an alien, it's a guy in a suit! It's not the design that gives it away, it's the movement.

So, for 1979, this is well ahead of its time. Ridley Scott's done well,there.

5/7
Yes, only 5. It's good, but not that good.





ALIENS (1986)
27 August 2011. Location: Home

This one's definitely Sci-Fi over Horror, although there's a greater balance of both than with its predecessor. James Cameron's continued the mistrust-of-authority theme, and added in some mech/lifter suits; both of which he'd use again in Avatar. Except when he did it in Aliens, there's an original story and characters you actually care about (mee-ow, I know).

Random thoughts:
• Seriously, how is Spunkmeyer even a name?
• I always seem to forget that this takes place on planet LV-426 from Alien, even though I know it.
• The lifter-suit wouldn't be fast enough to fight in, even against the bulky Queen-Alien. And why does a cargo-handling device have a blowtorch on it?
• The models look like models, the mattes look like mattes, and the stop-motion animation looks just like it should. It's awesome, and miles better than a-guy-in-a-suit.

6/7
I find it more accessible than the first movie, but it's still missing the sense of adventure that's in the next film in Xeno-Season...





PREDATOR (1987)
27 August 2011. Location: Home

Another twisted-genre movie. As a Sci-Fi, this doesn't work at all; as a throwaway Action flick? Gorgeous.
I honestly think it's a massive mistake to show the Yautja ship in the opening credits. It robs the film of its reveal later on. It's not relevant to the team's mission initially, and since the audience is one step ahead of the protagonists, their discoveries feel a little listless. If the film held back on the infra-red shots until after the enemy camp is discovered, the flow-of-info would work a lot better.

Random thoughts:
• Arnie really is an appalling actor, and although Carl Weathers isn't great, their scenes together make him look worse, too.
• Why is Hawkins wearing massive glasses on a spec-ops mission? Face-camo is supposed to reduce shine and reflection from your skin; with those geps, you may as well wear a hi-vis waistcoat.
• What little credibility the film has is also reduced by Arnie's godawful one-liners. But I suppose that's par for the course.
• Billy stripping off his shirt is ridiculous macho bullshit, even by Arnie's standards. The Predator has taken out an armed SpecOps squad, and numbnuts thinks he can take it out topless with a knife.
• Although this is matched by Arnie, when he smears himself in mud that he laughingly assumes won't warm to his body temperature as soon as it's dry and the moisture's evaporated from it.

It's rough'n'ready, but I get the impression it was meant to be a standalone vehicle for Schwarzenegger.

5/7
Intense, but great fun.





PREDATOR 2 (1990)
19 August 2011. Location: Home

"Okay, everybody just take a deep breath, loosen your sphincters. We don't need any rush-hour Rambos, there."

Even more fun than the first film, largely due to having funny characters, rather than scowling soldiers with corny lines. The city-setting and huge cast of extras reduces the feeling of claustrophobia this time around (which works better for me), and gives the feeling of a much larger budget.
Because Gary Busey's Keys and the feds know something about the Predator (like the audience), while the central characters don't, there's a definite feeling that the story is leading towards something bigger than just a face-off.

Random thoughts:
• There's enough characterisation in here that you actually care about the protagonists (and to a certain degree, even some of the human antagonists).
• Keys says that the thermal blast from Predator "destroyed enough rainforest to cover 300 city blocks" …and yet we saw Arnie out-run that? Hmm.
• Although he's portrayed as a brash bully, I find Keys' motivations more sympathetic, rather than Danny Glover's Harrigan, who's a 'good' cop, yet spends the entire movie disobeying orders and charging into crime-scenes as if he doesn't realise the importance of not contaminating evidence.
• …so Herb's wife hears the Predator roar in the bathroom, but didn't hear the bloody wall being caved in five minutes earlier? Okay then.

6/7
Minor flaws, but an excellent movie.





ALIEN³ (1992)
29 August 2011. Location: Home

"It's a long, sad story. And more than a little melodramatic…"

This line from Ripley is a pretty neat summation of the film, and it's certainly not what people were expecting after Aliens. The strong Brit-presence and muted dialogue make it less of a sci-fi and more of a dark melodrama. Just as the original Alien is a horror in a space setting, this is a drama first and foremost.

Random thoughts:
• It seems like a cheap move to a) re-hash the rescue procedure from the start of Aliens, and b) kill Hicks and Newt so that their stories don't have to be continued.
• Why is Ripley's gestation period so long when even the dog goes through a relatively 'regular' cycle?
• It almost turns into an Agatha Christie type tale, with the characters being picked off one by one. Except, obviously, we know who the murderer is.
• It's Henry Sellers! "I MADE THE BBC!"
• You can tell the majority of cast are British, the swearing's done properly...





It's a lot better than you remember.

5/7





ALIEN: RESURRECTION (1997)
31 August 2011. Location: Home

"So… who'd I have to fuck to get off this boat?"
Wise words, Sigourney, but you should have asked that before principal photography even began.

With Joss Whedon writing, and Ms. Weaver in co-production, this should have been handled brilliantly. Unlike its predecessors, it's out-and-out science fiction, and subsequently much weaker for it. Little touches like the hydratable whiskey-cubes are as corny as the whole space-pirate thing, and it feels like a 14yr old's take on the canon.

Now by this point in the saga, we're all very aware of what the Alien design looks like, but there's absolutely no 'reveal' at all, they're just filmed as if they're regular members of the cast. Ron Perlman's pretty good in this - he's playing someone who can't act. Speaking of which, even bearing in mind Winona Ryder's character, she's completely wooden. The only saving grace in the acting department is Sigourney herself, who gives a nice 'otherworldly' performance as a cloned version of Ripley, although it isn't enough to save the film, unfortunately. Even though all bets are off as to will survive 'til the end, there's no tension as you really don't care which of the unlikable characters is picked off next.

Random thoughts:
• The first corridor shootout is so slow-paced as to be completely unbelievable, even for a "space film".
• Versions 1-7 of the cloned Ripleys are so disparately wrong, I find it hard to believe they suddenly got it right with version 8. There doesn't seem to be any actual progress made between revisions, and it looks like the genetic equivalent of throwing Lego at the carpet and hoping it lands in the form of a car. It certainly wouldn't work the eighth time you try it.
• For the record, I'm fine with the swimming Aliens. The underwater sequence was one of the few I enjoyed.

Some interesting ideas, but I think they'd have worked better in the comics/novels (indeed, the false-Ripley has been done better in the novels). The film's reach exceeds its grasp.

2/7





BATMAN: DEAD END (2003)
02 September 2011. Location: Home

Yeah, I'm including this, what of it? It's flipping awesome! It gets a mention not because of its running time (8 mins), but because of its production values.

It's Batman vs. Aliens vs. Predator. A fanboy dream come true. Back in 2003, AVP was still a year away, and we'd hoped it was going to be something like this. Well, we could hope, couldn't we?

Click the link up there to watch this short film, and be amazed at what passion for film can generate.

6/7





ALIEN vs. PREDATOR (2004)
02 September 2011. Location: Home

…it's Jurassic Park, isn't it? That's not intended as a detraction in any way, just an observation. Predator movies have always been loud, brash action films, and this is 66% Predator, 33% Alien.

As an addition to the Pred-canon, there are some nice chunks of backstory development. As an addition to the Alien mythos, other than the Weyland/Bishop backstory, there's fuck all. Not that it really matters too much.

Paul W.S. Anderson directs, and there's a definite feel of his Resident Evil movie, as we move between locations via a wireframe graphic display, and Colin Salmon and Liz May Brice are both here, who also starred (briefly) in RE1.

The amount of time that the facehuggers spend on their hosts is suspiciously short in this version of events, and the hatchling-to-adult process is also sped up ridiculously. I know we've got to keep the plot moving, but still. And while I expect a fairly short awake-gestation period for the humans (remember Kane wasn't up and about for long in Alien before the chestburster), the infected Predator takes a bloody age, but I'll put that down to a different physiology. Oh, and why didn't the Yautja's various vision ranges pick up the gestating PredAlien at the end? After all, it was possible to see Weyland's cancerous cells earlier on.

All in all, it's a dumb action film. That's what Predator does best, let's not require too much of this. It's still pretty entertaining.

5/7





AVP2: REQUIEM (2007)
03 September 2011. Location: Home

Oh, I see, let's spend film-one building up Alexa as a warrior that's recognised by the hunting clan, start film-two directly in conjunction with the first one… then forget about that character, kill the hunting clan, and make a teen-slasher movie. …right.

"Have you got power on that thing?" "Yeah, I just need some light..."
Yet again, the lead character sums up an entire movie in one sentence. It's not thematically dark, just visually. In fact, thematically, this is a sort of beige…

First things first: Why the fuck is this film so damned dark? I can't see what the hell's going on, and I watched it indoors with the curtains drawn.

Second things second: This is, yes, a teen slasher movie, but with monsters instead of a madman. You know it's going to be just great when the cast-list contains no-one you've heard of before. A staple of the slasher film is having teenagers dying left, right and centre. Sadly, a staple of the Predator series, is having characters that you don't want to die, and that's where this film falls down. BIG time.

At no point do the central characters appear to work out what's going on and what they're up against. They're so clueless, they manage to hole up in a fully stocked gun-store, and still fuck things up. Frankly, it's a relief in the final moments when the government decides to just nuke that area of Colorado and draw a line under the whole sorry mess.

On the plus side, we get to see a little bit of the Yautja homeward (MORE PLEASE), and the closing reference to the Yutani Corporation was a nice touch, but they seem like bits of the original screenplay which have been dropped into a below-average straight-to-video sequel.

Like Alien³, this isn't a horrendous movie per se, it's just fucking awful at being a Predator one (let alone an Alien film). I'd expect this from a spinoff TV series, not from an actual bona-fide sequel.

2/7
(because I'm here to review Aliens/Predator, not the cash-in shit in Blockbuster with the 'homage' cover.)





PREDATORS (2010)
04 September 2011. Location: Home

Okay, last movie. With Robert Rodriguez's name on it, and Danny Trejo starring, this should be fucking awesome, right? I mean, you saw Machete? Yeah?

…it's pretty good. Not brilliant by any standards, but certainly back-on-track. We're in a jungle environment, the characters are (kind of) intelligent, and at least they're learning as they're hacked to pieces by the Predators. The infra-red-vision has been updated, which is very welcome in my book. All in all, this is a Predator movie. YAY!

Random thoughts:
• Adrien Brody's great, but not really for this 'badass' role as Royce. He's way too sympathetic from the word go, considering he's meant to be a mercenary by trade and nature.
• I get the feeling that Alice Braga was the second-choice for the part of Isabelle, and that it was written with Michelle Rodriguez in mind.
• For an alien planet, it looks suspiciously like Earth, except for the one single plant that stands out like the out-of-place prop it is.
• This reveal-shot 25 minutes in where the characters work out they're not on Earth by seeing all these planets in the sky: that's not the first time in the movie they've been in an area open enough to see the sky in front of them. If the sun hasn't moved (as Royce says), it stands to reason that the other planets-in-view would always have been there. And don't even get me started on the gravitational anomalies with having planets of that size so close to one another.
• The creature-shots of the Yautja attack-dogs are beautiful.
• It's fucking criminal to kill off Danny Trejo so early in the movie.
• Lawrence Fishburne is delightfully nuts as Noland.
• I see we get another "take my shirt off and fight in honourable melee combat" moment. Although, amazingly, it sort of works this time.
• Let's just ignore that bit in the trailer where Royce gets covered in the Predator tracking-dots, yeah?
• Why is Isabelle so surprised when Royce suggests booby-trapping the injured Edwin? They're all meant to be mercenaries, and Royce is acting like a merc. For once.

Despite its lukewarm reception last year, this is a good return-to-form for the Predator series.
More like this, please.

5/7



SO! That was a fun week-and-a-bit fo'sho! But have I learned anything from this? How does the progression of the canon over thirty-plus years fare, in a comparative sense? Are there any trends or waves that stand out?

There's only one thing that can help us… A GRAPH!

The Aliens/Predator chart - click for bigger
^^ Click to see that bigger. Opens in a new window.

I think we've learned that they don't make 'em like they used to, but Predators is a step in the right direction.


And that's about yer lot!
It's been fun, it's been exciting, it's been emotional. And dripping with acid.

LOLpredz

LOLpredz

LOLpredz

LOLpredz

LOLpredz

LOLpredz

Watching all of these in a row does something to you...

Sleep well!

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.