‘Oblivion’ Is Gorgeous And Engaging, But Familiar (Movie Review)
To speak about Oblivion to those who have not yet seen the film and do not want to be spoiled on what is in store for them, I have to not mention the many different films and sci-fi concepts that it lifts from. A film I can mention, in comparison, would be Prometheus. It is not because the films are related from a story standpoint in any way, aside from them both being gorgeous sci-fi features, but more due to expectation versus results. While Ridley Scott returning to sci-fi, via Alien, to a loose degree, was much more exciting in concept, both Prometheus and Oblivion set up a certain level of expectation, only to both fall victim to familiar plot devices and concepts not as fresh as some may have hoped. That said, Oblivion manages to accomplish a number of things that are quite refreshing to see. It looks great (in 2D!), it is strongly acted, and it works as a standalone film, as opposed to one expecting to be a new franchise. This ‘original’ sci-fi property may not feel excitingly new, but it still delivers in many areas where it really counts.
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I recently watched Blue Valentine for the first time. This was the 2010 anti-romance/drama that first brought together writer/director Derek Cianfrance and star Ryan Gosling. There was a lot of good to be found in that film, particularly from co-star Michelle Williams, but the film was not without its issues. That said, Cianfrance left a good impression of a director I was curious about seeing more from. The Place Beyond the Pines is Cianfrance’s follow-up effort to Blue Valentine, and it really feels like a fantastic accomplishment from a director who is even more confident in what he can bring to the screen. It is a film that has an ambitious story to tell and it does so with enough confidence to unfold slowly, mixing in high moments of tension and emotion. Add to that some truly great performances from some of the film’s key players and you have what is already one of the great dramas of 2013.
I don’t acknowledge this very often, but I like to bookend my reviews with quotes from the film. Sometimes they sum up the film in a sense and other times they are just quotes I enjoyed the most. The two I have chosen for 42, a film that chronicles the introduction of Jackie Robinson into Major League Baseball, are featured in the film, but are also actual quotes from the men who said them. They are not the most inspiring words I have ever read, but 42 also isn’t the most inspiring movie I have ever seen. Regardless, it is a film that I have wanted to see, as the subject matter is important. While the film is only good, as opposed to great, it is occasionally quite moving, well made and acted, and a fitting tribute for a man who mainly just wanted to play baseball.
To bring some up to speed, I am a huge fan of the original Evil Dead trilogy. These films, directed by Sam “Spider-Man” Raimi and starring Bruce “Don’t Call Me Ash” Campbell, are ones that I watch every year in a marathon session and are known as cult favorites among many horror film fans. The idea of a remake could have been seen as sacrilege for a fan such as myself, but the fact that Raimi, Campbell, and producer Rob Tapert were behind the idea and heavily involved with the production made me hopeful. Given how the film played out, my optimism paid off, as this new Evil Dead is a wild ride that holds onto the spirit of the original, while amping up the quality of the blood, gore, dismembered limbs, vomit, and overall terror we see, thanks to the latest in modern technology when it comes to making this kind of movie. All of this and the film still managed to combine characters who take this stuff seriously with the wild and crazy fun seen in the film’s direction.
2009 saw the release of G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. While that film was a financial success and has its fans, it did not quite set the world on fire in the same way that Transformers, the other Hasbro toy-based movie franchise did. The consensus seems to be that it was too campy for its own good. While I may disagree, the idea for this sequel seems to have been to make it a lot more earnest, while still maintaining a level of fun. The results are good enough, even if the film is more of an equal, as opposed to a greater piece of work than the former. Retaliation may be a sequel that really wants to disassociate itself from the first movie, despite continuing on with where the first film’s story left off, but despite being ‘more serious’, it still has a lot of inherent goofiness and ridiculous, but enjoyable action sequences. I may not be the biggest G.I. Joe fan (I had Star Wars toys), but this still fits as the kind of movie I would want to see made from this franchise.
I love how in the dark I was about this movie. The reason I jumped at the chance to see Trance is because I love Danny Boyle’s work, as he always tackles a new genre and injects his kinetic style into it. This generally makes for a film that is quite unique, regardless of its quality. Trance also features stars James McAvoy, Vincent Cassel, and Rosario Dawson, providing me with another reason to have wanted to check this film out. Knowing nothing about the plot of this film going in, I was quite pleased with the results. Much like how Stephen Soderbergh recently dabbled into the realm of neo-noir with his latest film Side Effects, Boyle has also made a film with noir-ish elements, while also exploring the idea of false realities created by hypnosis. It is an interesting story, with plenty of energy to keep everything moving, and the added joy of providing the film with the structure of a sexy thriller.
