Review - Elysium

At the Theater - "Elysium" (or "Matt Damon Saves a Garbage Dump in Mexico") - All of the momentum that Writer/Director Neill Blomkamp established with his debut feature film "District 9" (I loved it) is destroyed with this half-hearted, muddled mess. It's a painfully ham-fisted, manipulative affair that has all of the subtlety of an unwieldy jackhammer, featuring a wealth of cardboard characters and only a few, brief moments of ingenuity regarding advanced weaponry and technology. The special effects are sharp, though you can only get in quick glances with all the suffocating shaky cam and motion blur gimmickry.   The whole experience reeks of a filmmaker blinded by big studio demands to recapture lightning in a bottle and the trappings of being given an exponentially larger budget to do so.

Set in a futuristic, poverty-stricken Los Angeles, Matt Damon (The Bourne Identity) portrays the ex-convict who's trying to go straight in "Max". Employed at a robotic drone manufacturing facility, and looking to work his way towards a "ticket" to become a citizen of the orbiting Space Station "Elysium", Max suffers a lethal dose of radiation in an on-the-job accident.  With mere days to live, and knowing that the wealthy, privileged citizens of Elysium have all-healing "med-pods" at their disposal, Max reluctantly joins forces with an underground resistance to somehow hitch a ride.

Damon has a couple of laughs here and there, but isn't given enough back story or exposition to fully develop a well-rounded character.  The film hinges on a strong presence that simply isn't here; it's missing a commanding figure that a potential audience can get behind as he/she challenges the system in a "Damn The Man!" type of story.  The Bourne films have proven that Damon can pull off  being a bad-ass on the silver screen, though his Jason Bourne was presented as a layered, three-dimensional character that audiences cared about and eventually found themselves rooting for.  That level of quality exposition regarding the main protagonist simply isn't allowed in Elysium- hell, it isn't allowed for ANY character therein.

Here's a thought: Why does our Hero have to be Caucasian here?  This wasn't a major personal gripe, but Matt Damon sticks out like a sore thumb (or a tattooed q-tip) amidst all the Latinos inhabiting the landscapes of a futuristic Los Angeles (a large portion of the film is shot in Mexico)- he's almost laughably out of place.  This would have been the perfect opportunity to have cast a Latino (or other minority) in the role of savior in a Sci-Fi Action film.  If one stops to consider all of the other entries in the hybrid genre, I think it's pretty clear-cut that it's dominated by whites.

There's obvious, politically-slanted references to the U.S.'s health care and immigration policies, with jabs at those 1 percenters that so many love to hate; Earth's trash-strewn wasteland teaming with Latinos is contrasted with Elysium's gleaming, shangri-la-esque refuge for wealthy white yuppies.  Coincidentally, Matt Damon's net worth is somewhere near $65 Million... just wanted to throw that out there.  It isn't that I necessarily disagree with the film's various agendas, it's more of a case of recognizing a glaringly-transparent and sloppy execution.  Where District 9 handled the underlying sociopolitical commentary (and allegorical references to Apartheid)  in an uncommonly heady and refreshing manner for a Sci-Fi film, Elysium fumbles the ball on the kickoff and continues to turn the ball over throughout the game.  Neil Blomkamp is listed as the sole Writer of the film so he deserves the blame for such a clunky, patchwork script- his work here as the film's Director is only marginally better.

The exo-skeleton/mech suit gimmick is something that's very en vogue in Sci-Fi, with films like Aliens, The Matrix: Revolutions, the Iron Man films, Avatar, District 9 and Pacific Rim utilizing their inclusion to mostly positive results. Next year's Tom Cruise vehicle Edge of Tomorrow will also prominently feature Mecha, as well.  The reasoning behind it's incorporation here is solid, yet I couldn't help but feel that it was decidedly underutilized- the same can be said of the film's robotic police/military force.  While on the subject of the military... 

***SPOILERS***

Elysium's space station defense capabilities are woefully inadequate, making one wonder just how many illegal immigrant landings there are in a year- if a couple of ships with the unwanted, both emanating from L.A., are able to slip onto the station in a five day period of time, I can only wonder about how many "border crossings" there are from other parts of the world in a month's time.  Furthermore, if ships of undesirables can successfully land on Elysium they can sure as hell crash into or fire upon Elysium.

A villainous figure fires two rockets from Earth to destroy two ships of immigrants just moments away from a potential landing on the space station, which makes one wonder about how easy it would be for a terrorist to bring the damned thing down...

***END SPOILERS***

Sharlto Copley (District 9) gives it the old college whirl as the grizzled, vicious, Earth-bound mercenary, "Kruger", though the normally highly talented actor can only resort to snarling tired threats once he realizes he has nothing in the way of quality material (or Direction) to work with.  His South African accent, as in District 9, is once again decidedly heavy here.  I could only wonder why his character, living in squalor amongst the slums of L.A. and showing an outright detest for those in power on Elysium, would continue working for those particular high-ranking, off-planet officials.  There doesn't seem to be any kind of payoff in sight, so what are his motives?  The eventual, mano y mano showdown between Kruger and Max is underwhelming.

Brazilian actress Alice Braga (Predators) is "Frey", a Doctor and single mother on Earth caring for her leukemia-stricken daughter. A childhood friend of Max's, the two meet up again by happenstance- the narrative draws on stapled-in flashbacks to set up a relationship between the two and, thankfully, there is no obligatory love story here.  Braga does fine work with what little she has to work with.

Jodie Foster (The Silence Of The Lambs) plays Elysium's scheming Secretary Of Defense, "Jessica Delacourt".  Those inclined, for shits and giggles, should pay close attention to Foster's lips during her dialogue and you'll realize that her lines (and accent) were changed post production- it's amongst her absolute worst, most insignificant roles... but Damn she has nice legs! 

Wagner Moura (Elite Squad) plays the sweaty smuggler and techno terrorist "Spider", while Diego Luna (Y Tu Mama Tambien) pops up briefly as a friend of Max's.  Faran Tahir (Iron Man) and William Fichtner (The Lone Ranger) round out the noticeable cast, portraying the President of Elysium and a stuffy industrialist, respectively.

Ultimately, Elysium has too much in common with Sci-Fi misfires like Johnny Mnemonic, Babylon A.D., The 6th Day, Surrogates, Paycheck, Lockout, No Escape (1994), Virtuosity, Soldier (1998), and Repo Men (2010) - I don't even feel it's worthy enough to lump it in with admittedly flawed, guilty pleasures like Terminator: Salvation, Total Recall (2012), The Island (2005), The Running Man, Fortress (1992), Runaway, or even Gamer.

The film is highlighted by a mid-movie hijacking scene that I felt was marred by too many guerrilla-style camera effects tricks.  It's a violent, R-rated film, though there are only two big action scenes to speak of- neither of which touch greatness.  It's moderately bloody with one scene of graphic gore that may stick with you. There was just too damned much talent involved here for Elysium to be this tedious and detached.  I felt my interest slipping away early as my issues with the film mounted...Elysium, Man Of Steel and Only God Forgives would be my top three personal disappointments of 2013, thus far.

Again, skip it and watch District 9, any of the guilty pleasures listed above, or other worthy Sci-Fi/Action films like Equilibrium, Minority Report, Outland (1981) Serenity, I, Robot or 2013's Oblivion instead...

5.0 out of 10.

Review - 2 Guns

At the Theater - "2 Guns" - This is a modestly-budgeted, Buddy Cop action vehicle (based on a graphic novel series from BOOM! Studios) that tries to please too many audiences at once, dancing around in different tones and often wobbling on the tightrope of believability. In regards to the narrative, there's too much here that I've seen before that's been assembled in a more confident manner- it's the effective chemistry and witty banter between the 2 leads that absolutely carries the film. Denzel Washington (Man On Fire) is once again rock solid while I was bowled over to find Mark Wahlberg (Ted) at his most charismatic. Director Baltasar Kormakur and co-star Wahlberg's previous collaboration, 2012's Contraband, was a bit of a mess- I went into this film with low expectations and ended up pleasantly surprised.

Working undercover for different agencies of the law (unbeknownst to each other in the early going), Denzel Washington's DEA Agent "Robert Trench" and Mark Wahlberg's Naval Intelligence Officer "Michael Stigman" find themselves having to evade a number of villainous sorts from various shady organizations after a fumbled attempt to bring down a Mexican Drug Cartel.  Audiences can expect a couple of car chases, a handful of gun battles and a few explosions (all very well filmed) to satisfy the action crowd, though the movie is at it's most entertaining while the two leads are bickering or playing off of one another in simple situations- the dialogue is often sharp in this regard while the performances are top notch.  Although I've never been much of a fan of Wahlberg's (I am a fan of Washington), I'd actually like to see these two work together again.  Naturally, that all comes down to box office, though.

Paula Patton (Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol) pops up a handful of times as a way too sexy DEA Agent and love interest for Trench- some of her expressions just don't match the onscreen proceedings, but I ain't mad at her.  Her character's "departure" from the story doesn't make a damned lick of sense when you spend more than one second attempting to apply reasoning to the matter.

Edward James Olmos (TV's Miami Vice) utilizes some extensive, and welcomed, screen-time as the head of a Mexican Cartel while Bill Paxton (Aliens) never really hits his stride as a sadistic, southern fried CIA agent- the latter comes across as more generic than anything.

James Marsden (X-Men) seems miscast as a crooked Naval Officer while audiences have seen Robert John Burke (Safe) play ever-so-slightly different variations of the same stock FED Agent/Cop countless times before.  Fred Ward (Tremors), a personal favorite of mine, is absolutely wasted in a pointless role as a contemptuous Admiral.

The climactic gun battle, complete with super-slow motion footage of our heroes back to back and blasting away at bad guys as burning one hundred dollar bills rain down around them, starts off promisingly strong but is disappointingly standard in it's resolution.  There's some legitimately funny moments and dialogue mixed in with some rather jarring brutality- although 2 Guns gets the job done, it doesn't always make sense and there's very little that's new or original featured therein.  Check it out in theaters only if you're a fan of either of the the two headliners and/or you're interested in seeing Paula Patton prancing around in nothing but panties- otherwise, it's a strong rental.

7.5 out of 10

Review - The Place Beyond The Pines

On DVD and BLU RAY - "The Place Beyond The Pines" - Although he gives an excellent performance here, Ryan Gosling (Drive) fans may find themselves disappointed with the scope of his involvement. Let's just say that this is not a "Gosling flick" and is much more ambitious than a straightforward story of cops and robbers- I wouldn't want to give too much away, but I will mention that the film is more of a sweeping tale that spans a 15 year period of time.  Directed by and co-scripted by Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine), this film is more about fathers and sons and the repercussions of the choices one makes in life-defining moments. It's an excellently crafted Drama with a few dashes of Thriller thrown in that never loses that distinct indie feel. Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook) puts in great work as well, but most will probably remember Dane DeHaan (Chronicle, Lawless) portraying the troubled son of one of the film's two leads. 

Ryan Gosling headlines as "Luke Glanton", a motorcycle stunt rider with a troubled past that turns to robbing banks to support his newborn son, while Bradley Cooper's "Avery Cross" is the well-intentioned rookie cop whose career is ultimately defined by their eventual confrontation.  Gosling and Cooper are first rate- it would have been a real treat to have had a cat-and-mouse type of narrative with these two talented, 30-something leads gunning for one another for the entire film's run-time, but Cianfrance has loftier goals...

Eva Mendes (Hitch) is Luke's on-again, off again love interest, "Romina", while Rose Byrne (Bridesmaids) portrays AJ's wife, "Jennifer".  Both actresses are fine in support, with Mendes given a bit more room to flex.  I must admit to having a silver screen crush on Mendes that knows no end...I just wanted to throw that out there for no apparent reason... 

26-year-old Dane DeHaan somehow pulls it off as the 16-year-old son of Luke and Romina- his troubled introvert, "Jason", is the strongest character in the film, with DeHaan cementing himself as a young talent to watch.  His is a teenaged character with that indefinable "it" that keeps gnawing at his soul, a restlessness in his blood that he can never quite understand.  Emory Cohen plays Avery and Jennifer's son, "AJ"- a meat-headed sort with a drug problem who takes a shine to Jason after a chance encounter in their High School cafeteria. Cohen's performance here as a spoiled thug with a lazy delivery is effectively annoying- most will find themselves wanting to knock the shit out of him. Unaware of their Fathers' past encounter, the relationship between the two "teens" is admittedly interesting and effectively conveyed as a tense countdown to disaster. 

Ben Mendelsohn (Killing Them Softly) has a memorable role as the mechanic infatuated with Luke's bike riding skills who eventually wrangles him into the business of bank robbery, while Ray Liotta (Goodfellas) puts in solid work as a corrupt fellow police officer.  Why has Liotta been relegated to a character actor?  Bruce Greenwood (Below) has a couple of scenes as an Internal Affairs officer while veteran actor Harris Yulin (Training Day) portrays Avery's Judge Father.  Mahershala Ali (Predators) rounds out the notable cast in playing Romina's husband and Jason's adoptive Father, "Kofi"- it's a character that I found myself wishing had been more fleshed out.

Although there are a couple of realistically staged police cruiser/bike chase scenes and a few shots fired throughout, potential viewers should understand that this is a 140 minute long Drama and not an action film- it abides by a traditional three act structure with each act ushering in distinct but related stories.  Events which transpire at around the one-third mark of this film may come across as a kind of sucker punch to some viewers, though a discerning audience that stays the course will undoubtedly recognize a well-crafted and poignant narrative concerning fateful encounters that strolls into epic territory.  Overall, The Place Beyond The Pines is a little cold to the touch and a tad overlong, but still very absorbing due to a solid script, an impressive cast and Derek Cianfrance's able direction.  It's not the story I expected (or was wanting, for that matter), but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Recommended.

8.0 out of 10

Review- Mud

On DVD and BLU RAY - "Mud" -This coming of age tale of two teenaged boys and the grungy, good-hearted fugitive they encounter on the Mississippi River will surely end up as one of the best Dramas of 2013.  Matthew McConaughey (The Lincoln Lawyer) gives a career-best performance as the superstitious, chip-toothed, titular character while 15 year old Tye Sheridan cements himself as the next young male talent to watch.  Expect a wealth of excellent cinematography (with Arkansas subbing for Mississippi) in this Stand By Me meets Tom Sawyer/Huckleberry Finn story of Southern manhood and the delusion of chivalry through the eyes of an adolescent.  It's a slow-burn affair that requires a bit of patience- just when I thought it was about to overstay it's welcome, it ends with a heckuva showdown and on an optimistic note.

Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland play "Ellis" and "Neckbone", respectively, two juvenile river rats whose exploits on the Mississippi River lead to the discovery of a boat left stranded in a tree on a small island.  With intentions to make the structure their treehouse getaway, they soon realize that a fugitive from justice has already claimed the site as a hideout.  In an effort to evade bounty hunters and the authorities via the waterways, Matthew McConaughey's "Mud" forms a pact with the two boys, promising them his .45 pistol in return for their help in setting up a reunion with the love of his life by making the craft river-worthy again. 

16 year-old Tye Sheridan (The Tree Of Life), essentially the star of the film, shines as a sensitive teen witnessing the erosion of his parent's marriage and faced with the prospect of losing his river-side home in the process.  Caught up in the middle of that uncomfortable transition called adolescence and experiencing the dwindling presence of his Father, Ellis takes a shine to the peculiar Mud and his rough-around-the-edges, noble-minded ways.  It's a subtle but powerful performance that should surely be recognized come awards season.  Sheridan faces a very bright future in film.

Matthew McConaughey couldn't be better in what I believe, thus far, to be the finest role of his career.  Mud is a tragic character that McConaughey breathes a wealth of fresh life and considerable depth into- the Uvalde, Texas native is putting in much sharper, more heartfelt work in what can be seen as a very promising resurgance.  It's good to see the actor part with the easy paychecks involved with the lazy Rom-Coms that he could have so easily settled into.

Jacob Lofland also puts in excellent work as Neckbone, Ellis's best friend- the 16 year old Arkansas native makes his film debut here, delivering the lion's share of the film's funniest lines.  I don't see anything else on his IMDB.com filmography, but there's no good reason he shouldn't secure future age-appropriate roles.

The film also features Reese Witherspoon (Walk The Line) at her white-trash sexiest as Mud's star-crossed lover, "Juniper".  It's an underwritten role, though Witherspoon puts in solid work. Sarah Paulson (Serenity) and Ray McKinnon (The Blind Side) portray Ellis's Mother and Father, respectively- Paulson is commendable while McKinnon, often cast for his outwardly southern attributes and interesting face, has grown into an excellent character actor.

Sam Shephard (The Right Stuff) is great in support as a man from Mud's past- his talents as a former sniper come into crowd-pleasing play late in the film.  That damned high flat-top haircut his character sports is somewhat distracting, though.

Michael Shannon (HBO's Boardwalk Empire) is mystifyingly underutilized in a few brief appearances as Neckbone's cool, likeable Uncle, "Galen".  Shannon has starred in the two previous films from Director Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter, Shotgun Stories) and I'm guessing their good rapport led to the cameo here- so much more could have been done with this character that I felt it was the film's only outright blemish. 

Joe Don Baker (1973's Walking Tall) plays the vengeful Father of the man whom Mud killed in a dispute over Juniper, while Paul Sparks (HBO's Boardwark Empire) plays his menacing, surviving son- expect a rather strange scene where Baker's character kneels with his hired guns before sending them on their manhunt. 

Director Nichols keeps proceedings moving at a leisurely but deliberate pace towards a confrontational conclusion.  The film's 130 minute run-time might prove a bit trying for some, though I'd highly recommend sticking with it- the ominous setup of a creek teaming with water moccasins gave me the willies while a nifty, climactic shootout was most rewarding. There's an undeniable undercurrent of impeding doom throughout the film, with an intelligent, well-rounded script and the likeable performances supplied by Sheridan and McConaughey working wonders to help effectively build tension for an invested audience. It's a beautifully shot, excellently acted Southern Drama that's comfortably amongst the best, truly American films released in the last several years.

Again, Highly Recommended for those interested.

8.5 out of 10

Review - The Wolverine

At the Theater - "The Wolverine" -  What we have here, for the most part, is a refreshingly stripped down, harder-edged action-movie with Hugh Jackman's, gruff, hard as nails titular mutant chewing major Eastern scenery and slicing his way through human foes in the streets (and railways) of Japan-  a showdown atop a bullet train is pretty damned thrilling. The majority of this enters the best X-Men movie ever made territory, though it's somewhat disheartening to report that the film's third act suffers a tonal schism that knocks the overall experience down a notch or two. As is, it's leagues better than 2009's awful "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" and the best Superhero movie of 2013. 

This film marks Hugh Jackman's sixth cinematic appearance as the adamantium-clawed mutant that most have come to know as The Wolverine, though the character has often gone by "Logan".  Living a loner's existence in the mountains of the modern day Yukon territory, a disheveled and destitute Logan is tormented by nightmares and racked with guilt over the death of his former lover, "Jean Grey" (Famke Janssen) by his own, um, claws.  After a certain element contacts him and subsequently requests his presence in Japan, the Wolverine reluctantly decides to accept the invite after a major disagreement with the locals.  I wish there had been a bit more footage of the Wolverine in this environment, though I could have done without a lame early segment featuring the wonky effects regarding a Grizzly bear and the tired, liberal Hollywood depiction of hunters as sadistic, simpleton rednecks- why hasn't this garbage petered out yet?

Shortly after reaching Japan, our Hero finds himself embroiled in an assassination attempt and thrust into the role of protector.  Hounded by a host of Yakuza and Ninja enemies out to kill him, and after certain events leave his healing abilities impaired, audiences are treated to a version of the Wolverine that's uncharacteristically vulnerable.  I appreciated this approach in that it worked to make his human antagonists, and their many weapons, much more of a weighted threat- there's plenty of footage where an injured Logan must cope with gaping, bleeding bullet and knife wounds that don't heal as they have in past X-Men films.  Expect plenty of foot chases, hand-to-hand and sword-to-claw confrontations, with competently filmed action sequences to please those so inclined- people die left and right, and the violence isn't relegated to or lost upon special-effect creations.  

The first two acts of this particular narrative should prove to be a decidedly lesser-scaled, much more intimate experience than fans are accustomed to, as well, with an element of mystery throughout and a substantial love story thrown into the mix for good measure.  The majority of this film is a welcomed departure from the large-scaled bloat and computer-generated chaos that has recently dominated the theaters lately- the Japanese setting and on-location footage (Tokyo, Hiroshima and Tomonoura) does wonders for providing a grounded, real-world tone that effectively anchors the story.

Jackman is as game and as ripped as ever- I believe he's one of Hollywood's top three leading men, with range and presence to spare.  The Aussie's excellent in what has become his defining role and there's little reason to believe that he won't continue his run as the character for many years to come.  He's often at his crowd-pleasingly grittiest here- if Hollywood ever sees fit to reboot the Dirty Harry franchise, I think Jackman would be a no-brainer... 

Hal Yamanouchi (The Way Back)  portrays the elderly and dying "Yashida", a powerful corporate billionaire and tech giant who offers Logan a chance at mortality in return for a past good deed.  Ken Yamamura portrays his younger, WWII era self.  Fans of the X-Men film franchise may recognize that a previous film's story-line has set up what can only be seen as a major plot hole concerning The Wolverine's memory of past events in this particular film.

Russian actress Svetlana Khodchenkova (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy) portrays "Viper", a vampish scientist who happens to be immune to all toxins- watch out for this chick's breath, it will melt your face off!  I couldn't shake the notion that the actress bares an uncanny resemblance to a younger Kim Cattrall, and I wished that the filmmakers had somehow utilized her character more.

Japanese model Tao Okamoto makes her silver screen debut as Logan's potential love interest, "Mariko".  The heir to her grandfather/tech-giant's throne, Mariko soon finds herself marked for death by the Yakuza and other unseen deadly forces.  Okamoto is solid in the role and is very pretty to look at, though I couldn't get over how very thin the actress/model was- apparently this isn't just an American issue...

Rila Fukushima also makes her Theatrical debut as "Yukio", a shifty, sword-wielding assassin with the Shingen clan who possesses precognitive abilities. Most will probably recognize an intended, anime-inspired look regarding Yukio, while Fukushima is an athletically talented sort that will probably land future roles based on that particular prowess coupled with an interesting appearance. There's promise of a future traveling partner for Logan, as well.

Hiroyuki Sanada (The Last Samurai) plays "Shingen", Mariko's Father, while Will Yun Lee (Total Recall 2012) is "Harada", a deadly archer and Mariko's protector.  I must admit to becoming quite confused with these two characters' allegiances and motivations by film's end.  Brian Tee (We Were Soldiers) makes a couple of appearances as a corrupt city official.

Famke Janssen (Goldeneye) makes a handful of flashback-style appearances as Jean Grey, often haunting our Hero's dreams in negligee (and I'm A-O.K. with that).  As major Comic Book characters never really die, I'm sure we'll see her again in future X-Men films and more than likely in a more substantial role. 

James Mangold is a streaky Director (Cop Land, Identity, 3:10 to Yuma 2007) who can't seem to put a homerun film together.  He's come very close a few times and I've enjoyed a handful of his movies, though there always seems to be some particular aspect of his films that doesn't quite gel.  The Wolverine is no different...

A climactic title fight between Logan and a massive, robotic "Silver Samurai" isn't staged as well as it should have been while Viper's comeuppance is disappointingly lame.  Throw in a poorly handled, 11th hour twist/reveal and a couple of ill-conceived one-liners and most will find the third act to be the weakest portion of what was previously a highly entertaining film. By no means does the flashier approach ruin the film, but I found myself wishing that the narrative had kept the grounded, realistic tone throughout- there will be plenty of opportunities to go bonkers with garish CGI and cartoonish mayhem in future films/sequels, so why ditch a formula that (at least in this viewer's opinion) was working so well?  I also have to wonder about the disappearance of an army of ninjas from the climax, but then again, isn't that what ninja's do best?  Disappear, that is...

All things considered, The Wolverine is still well worth watching for those interested- stay a few minutes into the post movie credits for one of the more solid tack-ons.  Recommended.

8.0 out of 10

FWIW- The Fims in the X-Men Franchise-

X-Men (2000) - 7.5
X2 : X-Men United (2003) - 8.5
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) - 6.0
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) - 5.0
X-Men: First Class (2011) - 8.5

The Wolverine, along with a host of your other favorite mutants, will return in 2014's X-Men: Days Of Future Past...