Movie Review - Tomorrowland

Tomorrowland

Starring: George Clooney, Britt Robertson, Raffey Cassidy, Hugh Laurie, Tim McGraw, Kathryn Hahn, Keegan-Michael Key, Thomas Robinson, Pierce Gagnon, Chris Bauer, and more.

Directed by: Brad Bird Screenplay by: Damon Lindelof and Brad Bird Story by: Damon Lindelof, Brad Bird, and Jeff Jensen Cinematography by: Claudio Miranda Music by: Michael Giacchino

Premise: Casey's dream is to go to space, so she's been sabotaging the equipment being used to dismantle NASA's launch platform trying what she can to keep it alive. When she's caught and then released, she ends up with a strange pin she's never seen before. And when she touches the pin, it lets her see a marvelous city full of technical miracles. But when she uses up all the power on the pin and heads off to find information about it at a SF collectibles store, she finds there are people out there willing to kill her just for having it. (Rated PG)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Tomorrowland has a great cast - especially the kids. Thomas Robinson and Raffey Cassidy were totally adorable in the 1954 sequence. Thomas rattled the technical terms and explanations like a total pro - and his instant attraction to Athena was like a neon sign. Britt Robertson did a great job as the spunky Casey. Her reactions to the insanity were great. George Clooney as Frank Walker was an excellent choice, just the right amount of disillusioned bitterness and sparkling hope. Sparring verbal matches between Clooney and Britt were a lot of fun.


2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The special effects are totally worth seeing in IMAX. From the giant wheat field to the lovely lines of the city in Tomorrowland, there's so much to enjoy visually. A lot of attention is paid to detail, even going so far as to adjust the tech and look-and-feel of it during the different periods we see Tomorrowland or technology on Earth derived from it.

From the pin to the different permutations of the jetpack, the special effects group wove in subliminal homage to a ton of SF from the past - Jules Verne/Steampunk, 2001 Space Odyssey, Flash Gordon, Star Wars, Star Trek, The Day the Earth Stood Still and more. (And that's on top of the ton of SF related material flashed around at the collectibles shop!)

The sequences where Casey touches the pin are fab. She's lucky not to have broken something! lol. The switching back and forth was seamless, making it that much easier to believe it was really happening.

Tomorrowland itself was fabulous! We get a little bit of a quick tour, but it will need a couple of viewings or more to see everything, there's so much going on. Heh heh. Also the effects used for physically travelling to Tomorrowland and those for the tachyon time distorted future images came out really well, giving both a nice unique touch.

Extra kudos for changing the Disney castle intro to match Tomorrowland. Super nice touch!


3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: The film covered all sorts of themes - family, dreams, not giving up, love that transcends, making a difference, good and evil. Many of these are interwoven together and played off each other as well. There's also a lot of minutia in the visuals to fill in information even before some of the themes are explored.

A few bits at first seem not to make sense or appear to be errors, but this is only because the pace is so fast the audience is expected to realize the reasons for themselves. For example: automatons killing people and trying to kill the main characters on Earth, yet these same characters not being immediately shot in Tomorrowland - at first it seems an odd incongruity until you realize that on Earth their actions are not being seen while in Tomorrowland, the same actions would be noticed and commented on by those with power to make a stand. With the consistently fast pace of the film, you have to put things together on the go!

All the scenes where there are one-to-one interactions really were well setup and executed. The whole section of Casey trying to get into the house and what she does to get in and what happens with Walker after she does are priceless.


4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Most of the gags were usually a mix of CGI and live action. For the most part you couldn't tell which was what and worked together to great effect. The chase and battle scenes at Walker's house were fab!

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: The cinematography was awesome! The view of endless water in the secret room under the World's Fair, the golden wheat fields in Tomorrowland, all the shots of Tomorrowland itself, and what they do with Paris - everything seemed bigger than life, the amazement factor ratcheted up high. The time lapse sequence of the NASA launch pad and the other visuals from using the time map were very cool.

6) Music - Total Thumbs Up: Michael Giacchino did a great job on the score. It had a very strong John Williams vibe to it. It was almost as if the music, and not just the visuals, were paying homage to all the SF that has spanned and entertained us for the last 60+ years. Nice!

Conclusion: Tomorrowland is a fun, fast paced adventure. Great visuals and lots of witty repartee. There also a three second or so extra bit at the very end of the credits that was the perfect conclusion for the film. :)

Rating: 3.75 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price to See Again!)

  

Movie Review - Elysium

Elysium

Starring: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga, Diego Luna, Wagner Moura, William Fichtner, Brandon Auret, Josh Blacker, Emma Tremblay, and more.

Directed by: Neill Blomkamp Written by: Neill Blomkamp Cinematography by: Trent Opaloch Original Music by: Ryan Amon

Premise: Living on a polluted and overpopulated Earth, Max always dreamed of going to Elysium. But when he takes a fatal dose of radiation during a work accident, finding a way to get to Elysium is the only way he might be able to save himself from an ugly, agonizing death. (Rated R)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Matt Damon did a great job as the disillusioned and dying anti-hero, Max. Jodie Foster's portrayal of Delacourt, the head of keeping Elysium secure, was chilling. Sharlto Copley was beautifully manic. It was a total treat to watch the cast interacting.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The special effects team did some truly detailed work on the film. Elysium itself was definitely a work of art. There were also plenty of fun gadgets and robots to drool over. The healing beds were cool. And I totally fell in love with John Carlyle's personal transport.

The Cherry Blossom trees in the heart of Elysium with their petals blowing in the breeze were gorgeous. But aside from the symbolism they were meant to evoke, the placement seemed incredibly odd, since it was deep inside the station and not one of the 'people' areas.

Kruger's reconstruction scene was as awesome as it was unnerving.

3) Plot/Story - Neutral: On the story arc itself there was much to like. The fact Max was an anti-hero, and staunchly remained so for most of the film, was an usual direction and made the film more realistic and the ending more poignant as a result. There's also a silent moment where Delacourt truly realizes what is about to come to pass and her role in it all - how she was the one to bring her worst nightmare to life - and accepts responsibility in the only way left open to her.

Sadly, however, though the story itself worked very well, some of the science and world building around it, did not. While exoskeletons will give the wearer more strength and the ability to hold up more - Max's suit was missing a couple of vital pieces to allow him to do much of what he does. He uses his hand to bend a car's metal doorframe - but since he is using his bare hand, and not one in a hydraulic glove, his fingers would not have been able to exert the necessary pressure on the metal on their own. His feet have the same issue with regard to his kicks. While the exoskeleton would give him the power to exert that much force, his feet are not protected, so he would have broken one the first time he tried it.

The medical beds, while totally cool, could be found in every household in Elysium. This implied the technology was easy to mass produce. No reason was ever given as to why they could only be used in Elysium. (Like huge energy costs, or the need for super rare materials - though that would still be hard to believe as prevalent as the units seemed to be.) Since it was likely an Armadyne product, it made even less sense they wouldn't use it at their factories on Earth. Those in power might believe life was cheap, but educated/trained workers are hard to come by. Training a replacement would cost them more than just healing the injured party and putting them back to work. It would have also done wonders in cutting back the resentment from those stuck on Earth, able to only watch as Elysium drifted overhead with medical wonders that could have been used to heal their loved ones.

4) Stunts - Thumbs Up: Some good fights and stunts were sprinkled through the film. Most looked great as well, except when they descended to using the shaky cam. My husband took points off major points for that. Luckily, aside from one battle, they were sparing with the technique.

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Filmed at several locations, including Mexico City and Bear Creek Park in Surrey British Columbia, they found the perfect spots for conveying the subpar Earth living and the idyllic existence in Elysium. (This is also a sad thing, as people really do live in such impoverished places.) The spanning shots of the city, but more so the ones of Elysium, were stunning.

6) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: The makeup department did a spectacular job. Especially with Kruger's face and Max's head. For Kruger it was the ports and bits of tech he'd had embedded into his skin and seemed a part of him. Max's were obviously more of a 'hatchet job', which gave a nice subliminal contrast between the two men.

Conclusion: Great characters, good action scenes (except those spoiled by shaky cam), and cool visuals made "Elysium" quite entertaining. The bad science, bad world building, and shaky cam dragged it back from being a great film.

Rating: 3.75 out 5 (Hubby's Rating: Better for Matinee)

Movie Review - Les Misérables

Les Misérables

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, Eddie Redmayne, Aaron Tveit, Samantha Barks, Daniel Huttlestone, Isabelle Allen, and more.

Directed by: Tom Hooper Screenplay by: William Nicholson Based on the Novel by: Victor Hugo Lyrics by: Herbert Kretzmer Music by: Claude-Michel Schönberg Cinematography by: Danny Cohen

Premise: Javert and Jean Valjean spent nineteen years together as jailer and prisoner. Yet after Jean Valjean is given parole and a kind man turns his heart from despair, the two are fated to meet again and again as France and her citizens once more grow dissatisfied under the present king's rule. (Rated PG-13) 

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: The acting in this film was fabulous. Great job by Hugh Jackman and Russel Crowe. Anne Hathaway will have you in tears. Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter were delicious as the entrepreneurial and ever so lucky Monsieur and Madame Thénardier. But I was even more amazed by Eddie Redmayne. The emotion pouring from him as he sang of the friends he would never see again was breathtaking.

The kids in the film were also wonderful. Little Cosette was adorable and made you totally believe in the castle in the clouds. Daniel Huttlestone tried to steal the show with his great energy and charm in his role as Gavroche.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: Most of the special effects in the film have to do with CGI for scene backgrounds or overhead views. Some really imaginative creations they were, too - especially the ship yards at the very beginning of the film.

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: A lot of those going to see the film will already be familiar with the story line from the famous musical. For those not acquainted with "Le Misérables" or in love with the music and lyrics, the film may seem somewhat long at 157 minutes. (Some 'significant others' might be disappointed, expecting more action than is actually present in the film.)

4) Locations/Cinematography - Thumbs Up: Some truly nice spanning shots, especially in the first ten minutes or so. The shipyards, the barren hills, the monastery, different sections of Paris, all were shown to great effect. I wished they'd done a lot more of it.

When a musical is made into a film, one would hope it is with the thought of making the size of the stage even wider. But while this film definitely does that at several points, there was also an amazingly and disturbing amount of long drawn out closeups. And they were so close they cut the top off the actors' heads. While this might be a technique that could be used to add emphasis to a scene, it doesn't work well when it's done all the time. With the great backdrops and sets, it was a pity we are denied seeing more of them due to the rash of long closeup scenes. It made the grandeur we glimpsed now and then in the medium seem a waste, it was used so little.

5) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: Some great makeup work in the movie. The film spans several decades, so the touches to Hugh Jackman and Russel Crow to show their progressing years was decently done. Their makeup for Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway for their last few hours of life, however, came out even better. They truly did not look to be feeling well. Nice job!

Even more surprising was the amount of trouble they went to to show the unwashed masses. The dirt on Éponine as she changed into the boy's clothes was a very nice touch.

Conclusion: Fans of Hugh Jackman, Russel Crowe, and Anne Hathaway will totally enjoy their performances. Fans of "Les Misérables" will be pleased with the music though they'll also note that a little of the grandeur that should have come from the musical being converted to a film didn't entirely make it through. Those new to the story might wish the director had snipped off a few minutes here and there.

Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Better For Matinee)