A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.... QUE MUSIC!!!!
It's been thirty years (THIRTY FREAKIN YEARS!!!!) since we last left Han, Leia, Luke, Chewbacca, R2D2, and C-3PO and the galaxy is in pretty bad shape. Luke has mysteriously vanished and in his absence The First Order arose out of the ruins of The Empire (consider them The Empire 2.0), their aim is total and complete control of the galaxy and they have a special weapon of ultimate destruction to aid them in their quest. One of the most feared leaders of The First Order is Kylo Ren, who has been spreading fear and destruction wherever he goes as he attempts to complete his own special, personal mission. The Galaxy's best hope lies in a stormtrooper named Finn and an orphaned scavenger named Rey.
This is the movie fans have been waiting for. It's big, heartfelt, very cool, touching, adrenaline-filled, and very, very fast. The whole film moves at a breakneck speed, but is unafraid to slow down for a few minutes here and there and has no problem with somewhat developing our new heroes and villains. I'm happy to report that Han Solo and Chewbacca are both lead characters here and we get to spend a great deal of time with them. Harrison Ford easily steps back into one of his most beloved roles and is just about flawless. The way he speaks, his mannerisms, his facial expressions....it's all still there. This is easily the best he's been in a very long time, and the material he's given to work with is strong stuff (and he interacts with our two new leads perfectly).
Chewbacca is exactly as we remembered him as well, and is still very memorable and funny. His chemistry and friendship with Han continues to be one of the defining things about this franchise. Carrie Fisher is also quite good, and the scenes she shares with Han and Chewie are simply fantastic and touching. The chemistry between Han and her is still rich. R2-D2 and C-3PO also show up for a few minutes. BB-8 is completely adorable as well, and makes for a welcome addition to our cast of humans and droids.
As for the new characters: Daisy Ridley as Rey was definitely a fantastic find. She is one fine actress that sells her role very well, and is also super pretty. I found myself falling in love with her as Finn did. Speaking of Finn, John Boyega as Finn was super likable and cool, even though he spends a good deal of the film in a panicked state as his first instinct is to escape from the clutches of The First Order (naturally, saner heads prevail). It was cool to have someone who is knowledgable about the weapons and tactics of The First Order, and therefore can better guide Rey and our returning heroes numerous escapes (not to mention he's pretty ok with a lightsaber). His chemistry and back and forth with Han Solo was highly entertaining and his relationship with Rey was sweet and believable (definitely more than I can say for the relationship between Anakin and Padme in the prequels).
Adam Driver as Kylo Ren commanded control of the screen whenever he was on. He is essentially Darth Vader 2.0. He is filed with a raw power, but lacks control. He is a tortured soul who is struggling with himself, but finds strength in the legacy of Darth Vader and has committed himself to becoming even greater and more powerful than Darth (And indeed, he is considerably more powerful than Darth. He does things we've never seen anyone do in previous Star Wars films. Call him whiny all you want, I personally consider him a bad-ass). Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron was also great as the head resistance fighter and ace pilot. He's cool, he's funny, he's likable....basically he's going to be our new Han Solo. He doesn't get much screen time, but I expect (and hope) that changes in the ensuing sequels.
One of the areas where The Force Awakens towers over the prequels are the action scenes. They are all beautifully shot (in fact, the whole film is beautifully shot), and the lightsaber battles are filled with raw adrenaline. The lightsaber battles in the prequels resembled more of a well-choreographed dance, but in The Force Awakens they feel real. It's two people fighting for dominance, control, and survival. The stakes are real, and the battles are intense and breathtaking. I forgot how much I loved seeing two people slashing at each other with lightsabers. The aerial battles are also fantastic. I loved the way the camera followed the numerous X-wings and Tie Fighters, swooping, diving, and spinning along with them....it's almost dizzying and gives you a YOU-ARE-THERE feeling.
Another thing I loved about The Force Awakens was the sound design. All the sounds from the original trilogy are back (one of the first scenes that really made me squee featured a tie fighter firing off rounds. This was my first time getting to hear that sound in theaters and it filled me with joy). There are also constant references to the original trilogy, although this never really bothered me. It all helped to bring you back into a world we all missed very much.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens drops audiences right back into The Star Wars world with little pomp and circumstance. Yes, there is some clunky dialogue here and there, and I feel that some characters could be a bit more well developed (That said, what we get here is still enough, and I expect them to continue to be developed with each sequel) but overall this is one hell of a successful film. I have no problems saying this is WAY, WAY, WAY better than Return of The Jedi. Star Wars has been redeemed and my interest in this awesome franchise has been renewed. I eagerly await the sequel. May the force be with you all.
4 STARS
Sunday, December 20, 2015
Thursday, December 10, 2015
KRAMPUS GIVES SMALLS CLAUS-TOPHOBIA
Michael Dougherty previously directed the great Trick r' Treat. Krampus is his latest outing and he does not disappoint.
In Krampus, Max (Emjay Anthony) is struggling with the fact that each proceeding Christmas has been getting rougher and rougher. His mom, Sarah (Toni Collette), and dad, Tom (Adam Scott) seem to be falling out of love, his older sister Beth (Stefania LaVie Owen) doesn't spend as much time with him as she used to, and his grandmother, Omi (Krista Stadler) seems to always get weirder around this time of year. Making things much worse are his cousins' family, which are a bunch of intolerable jackholes led by patriarch Howard (David Koechner), his wife Linda (Alison Tolman), the awful Aunt Dorothy (Conchata Ferrell), and their kids. After the family dinner ends in tragedy, Max denounces his belief in Santa and throws his list to Santa out the window. Unfortunately, this simple act has drastic consequences for Max and his family, as Krampus (a Christmas devil who kidnaps naughty people) is summoned to the house and proceeds to wreck his own brand of yuletide terror on the inhabitants within.
The story of Krampus has been around for literally centuries. I've been waiting for a film that does this creature justice. I was sorely disappointed in Rare Exports, but with the new movie Krampus, I am happy to say I've finally been granted my wish. I'm not saying Krampus is perfect, but it does get Krampus right and to me, that's really all that matters.
The stand-outs are Emjay Anthony as Max (A good kid who has a tendency to get in fights about Christmas. Emjay did a fantastic job.) , Toni Collette as Sarah (a frazzled and disheveled mother who is trying her best to stay afloat. Toni Collette was a natural in the role, and I really liked her.) , Adam Scott as Tom (Adam Scott is actually kind of a bad-ass here, and gets to have fun with some guns. I really dug his character as he gets to show that he is not a wimp in any way), Stefania LaVie Owen as Beth (the older sister who cares about her family but is a bit busy with boyfriend issues. I thought she was super cute, and I liked that the filmmakers made her character not the typical older teen sister), and Krista Stadler as Omi (the cool and kind of creepy grandma who only speaks in a foreign language). I found that I genuinely liked and cared for each of their characters, and wanted to see all of them make it out in one piece. The same cannot be said for David Koechner's Howard and family. They are all a bunch of ugly Americans, and I honestly could not wait to see how they would be dispatched during the film.
Weta created the creatures in this film, using both practical effects and CGI. Needless to say, the designs are impressive. We get homicidal gingerbread men (who are more goofy than anything else, think Gremlins), dark elves (They were very cool, I loved their design), snowmen (Super creepy, they don't do anything but I loved how they looked), a demented jack-in-the-box (super disturbing), and of course Krampus himself (Loved him). It warmed my heart to see how cool the practical effects in this film were and while we only get 3 scenes with the titular Krampus, he is still a sight to behold. I must say I kind of wished there were more scenes with Krampus and crew, that said they are still in the film a good deal. All together, Krampus and his holiday horrors make for quite the obstacle for our family to overcome.
Now, Krampus is PG-13, and this worried me a good deal. Well, it really shouldn't have. The lower rating doesn't kill the film, though I can't help but feel that this film should have been rated R. Some of the scenes involving Krampus and crew feel a bit neutered, and there are definitely parts where you could tell characters were begging to drop an F bomb. I'm hoping they release an R rated cut for blu-ray, but as a PG-13, Krampus still works fine. It's clear the PG-13 was slapped on there in attempt to market this film as a horror film for the family, but even with that rating a family film this is not (There's definitely stuff in here that could give your kids nightmares).
At it's dark heart, Krampus is a film about family and what happens when you lose faith/hope in Christmas. It's definitely tons of fun, but it's also a great deal sad too. The atmosphere and sets in the film are top-notch, and succeed at creating a beautiful dark, creepy Christmas vibe. Krampus manages to pull off comedy, sadness, darkness, a rich atmosphere, super-likable leads, and ties it all up with an ending that's way darker than you would expect it to be (It's completely perfect). Krampus makes for a fine holiday treat.
3.5 STARS
In Krampus, Max (Emjay Anthony) is struggling with the fact that each proceeding Christmas has been getting rougher and rougher. His mom, Sarah (Toni Collette), and dad, Tom (Adam Scott) seem to be falling out of love, his older sister Beth (Stefania LaVie Owen) doesn't spend as much time with him as she used to, and his grandmother, Omi (Krista Stadler) seems to always get weirder around this time of year. Making things much worse are his cousins' family, which are a bunch of intolerable jackholes led by patriarch Howard (David Koechner), his wife Linda (Alison Tolman), the awful Aunt Dorothy (Conchata Ferrell), and their kids. After the family dinner ends in tragedy, Max denounces his belief in Santa and throws his list to Santa out the window. Unfortunately, this simple act has drastic consequences for Max and his family, as Krampus (a Christmas devil who kidnaps naughty people) is summoned to the house and proceeds to wreck his own brand of yuletide terror on the inhabitants within.
The story of Krampus has been around for literally centuries. I've been waiting for a film that does this creature justice. I was sorely disappointed in Rare Exports, but with the new movie Krampus, I am happy to say I've finally been granted my wish. I'm not saying Krampus is perfect, but it does get Krampus right and to me, that's really all that matters.
The stand-outs are Emjay Anthony as Max (A good kid who has a tendency to get in fights about Christmas. Emjay did a fantastic job.) , Toni Collette as Sarah (a frazzled and disheveled mother who is trying her best to stay afloat. Toni Collette was a natural in the role, and I really liked her.) , Adam Scott as Tom (Adam Scott is actually kind of a bad-ass here, and gets to have fun with some guns. I really dug his character as he gets to show that he is not a wimp in any way), Stefania LaVie Owen as Beth (the older sister who cares about her family but is a bit busy with boyfriend issues. I thought she was super cute, and I liked that the filmmakers made her character not the typical older teen sister), and Krista Stadler as Omi (the cool and kind of creepy grandma who only speaks in a foreign language). I found that I genuinely liked and cared for each of their characters, and wanted to see all of them make it out in one piece. The same cannot be said for David Koechner's Howard and family. They are all a bunch of ugly Americans, and I honestly could not wait to see how they would be dispatched during the film.
Weta created the creatures in this film, using both practical effects and CGI. Needless to say, the designs are impressive. We get homicidal gingerbread men (who are more goofy than anything else, think Gremlins), dark elves (They were very cool, I loved their design), snowmen (Super creepy, they don't do anything but I loved how they looked), a demented jack-in-the-box (super disturbing), and of course Krampus himself (Loved him). It warmed my heart to see how cool the practical effects in this film were and while we only get 3 scenes with the titular Krampus, he is still a sight to behold. I must say I kind of wished there were more scenes with Krampus and crew, that said they are still in the film a good deal. All together, Krampus and his holiday horrors make for quite the obstacle for our family to overcome.
Now, Krampus is PG-13, and this worried me a good deal. Well, it really shouldn't have. The lower rating doesn't kill the film, though I can't help but feel that this film should have been rated R. Some of the scenes involving Krampus and crew feel a bit neutered, and there are definitely parts where you could tell characters were begging to drop an F bomb. I'm hoping they release an R rated cut for blu-ray, but as a PG-13, Krampus still works fine. It's clear the PG-13 was slapped on there in attempt to market this film as a horror film for the family, but even with that rating a family film this is not (There's definitely stuff in here that could give your kids nightmares).
At it's dark heart, Krampus is a film about family and what happens when you lose faith/hope in Christmas. It's definitely tons of fun, but it's also a great deal sad too. The atmosphere and sets in the film are top-notch, and succeed at creating a beautiful dark, creepy Christmas vibe. Krampus manages to pull off comedy, sadness, darkness, a rich atmosphere, super-likable leads, and ties it all up with an ending that's way darker than you would expect it to be (It's completely perfect). Krampus makes for a fine holiday treat.
3.5 STARS
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)