A new trailer for The BFG, Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic story, has been released. This was always set to be Spielberg’s next film after Bridge of Spies and (hopefully) before Ready Player One, which is in pre-production.
Here is the trailer:
For those unfamiliar with the story, here is the book synopsis for The BFG:
The BFG is no ordinary bone-crunching giant. He is far too nice and jumbly. It’s lucky for Sophie that he is. Had she been carried off in the middle of the night by the Bloodbottler, or any of the other giants—rather than the BFG—she would have soon become breakfast. When Sophie hears that the giants are flush-bunking off to England to swollomp a few nice little chiddlers, she decides she must stop them once and for all. And the BFG is going to help her!
There is definitely a Spielberg feel to the film, though traditional fantasy hasn’t been something the director has explored much in his career. The BFG stars Ruby Barnhill, Rebecca Hall, Bill Hader, Jemaine Clement, and Bridge of Spies‘ Mark Rylance as the giant. The film will be released July 1 next year.
In the midseason finale of arguably Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.‘s best season yet, episode 10 entitled “Maveth”, had some good and it had some bad. While over the last few weeks AoS seemed to become more seamless in its storytelling, by finally doing more with less. It seems, however, to be back to its bad habit of doing too much and having too many plot threads.
“Maveth” focuses on several main plot pieces of the various members of the SHIELD team, all narrowing to its midseason finale and tease, for what will follow when they return.
Fitz is busy helping Ward find the mystery Inhuman and also secretly searching for Will, with Coulson in hot pursuit. Mac is managing the agents behind the scenes, as Daisy is leading what one could be considered our first look at what will become the Secret Warriors. While Simmons, must make her escape from HYDRA and rejoin the SHIELD team but, in the process unleashes Lash, who promises to protect her, from her HYDRA pursuers.
With that basic skeleton of “Maveth” out of the way, it’s the results of these various plots that really matter. First, while they aren’t much, finally getting to see some form of the Secret Warriors, even if we can only call it version one, was a step in the right direction. One of the biggest teases or promotions of the season was Daisy and her team, which has taken a lot longer to form than expected.
Next, with Lash released, the question will be how important or how much of a role will he play in the second half of the season? As well as how much this could effect May moving forward. Will Lash get pushed aside as another side story or will he take on a larger role as a villain, in SHIELD’s upcoming fight against HYDRA. Lash killed all of the Inhumans in the stasis pods, and it seems, that Andrew is no longer in control of himself at all. Does SHIELD immediately try and find him? Or does Lash join HYDRA as part of their secret team of Inhumans?
Finally, I think the results that occurred on the alien planet, will be the biggest plot to effect the rest of the season. With Grant Ward killed by Coulson (Sorry guys, doesn’t seem like Ward will become Task Master like many of you hoped) and his body taken over by this “Death” Inhuman or the HYRDA God, this keeps Ward (sorta) around as a villain at least for the rest of the season. It’s disappointing to see the actually Ward go, especially after being built up as such a bad ass for the past two seasons and dying from his chest being compressed, was a bit disappointing. Hopefully, with Ward’s body being controlled by this HYDRA Inhuman, there can be some sort of redemption. This will also have tremendous ramifications for Coulson, once he and SHIELD realize whatever this Inhuman actually is, has made his way to Earth.
The positives could be narrowed down to we are finally moving forward, as far as the Secret Warriors go and that’s about it. While the episode itself was entertaining and enjoyable, AoS once again went back to creating too many stories entangled with their overarching goal.
It was revealed by Will, or the Inhuman possessed Will, that he was once a part of the civilization that inhabited the alien planet. Is this something that will lead to or hint at other Inhuman civilizations, aka Attilan? Maybe, but it’s another question that will take up focus in the final half of the season, eating up time that could be used on the main story. I want to know more about the Inhumans in the MCU but, when AoS is focusing on so many other things as well, it just becomes too much.
Season Three was teased as being a season of “gifted” individuals, yet over ten episodes we’ve only seen four.
The same goes for the lack of Inhumans or really, the lack of “gifted” individuals this season as well. Throughout ten episodes there have only been two powered additions to the SHIELD team and two powered individuals outside of it, Lash and this HYDRA Inhuman. AoS has talked about Inhumans, but actually they’ve become back story to push Lash, without ever getting to see their abilities or the variety of potential this new species has.
Another complaint is simply the lack of powered individuals in general. This is the MCU and outside of the Absorbing Man in season 2, we haven’t gotten to see any of the other potential “gifted” characters in Marvel’s vast tapestry of characters, within their mythos. This season was teased as the Secret Warriors, putting together a team of gifted people to fight with SHIELD, except we’ve got only two characters, both of which are Inhumans. Is it too much to ask for to get someone who’s fallen into a vat of radioactive material or science experiment gone wrong, to be introduced as well?
Overall, while this first half of the season has been solid, it isn’t reaching its potential just yet. Week in and week out AoS is exciting and enjoyable but is missing something to put it over the top as special. I had thought they had begun to find their groove but, it seems it will be back to too many plots threads when AoS returns. There’s HYDRA, Lash, the Secret Warriors, character dynamics and of course, a Civil War tie-in as well. AoS is just trying to handle too much, and if it could just narrow itself down to a few key story lines, it would excel so much better as a show. Hopefully once again, the second half of AoS can work through these issues and be the series we all know it can be.
If you are a fan of animation, chances are you’ve heard of Genndy Tartakovsky; the creator of Dexter’s Laboratory and Samurai Jack. Back in the early 2000s it was hard to ignore Russian-American animator, director and producer. The sublime, anime-inspired Samurai Jack had won many awards and had established Tartakovsky as the hot-shot of western animation. In the aftermath of Attack of the Clones, the Expanded Universe was ready to tackle the conflict which had, up until that point, been mentioned only in passing. George Lucas was eager to commission a series of one-minute shorts set during the Clone Wars that would double as promotional material for Revenge of the Sith. Impressed by his work on Samurai Jack, Lucas approached Tartakovsky about the project. Tartakovsky was only interested in doing the show if they could be expanded to 3-5 minutes as any less would amount to little more than a glorified commercial. Lucas agreed and production began on Star Wars: Clone Wars.
Debuting simultaneous online and as the lead into Cartoon Network’s Friday afternoon programming, Clone Wars was a vastly different take on the universe that Lucas built. Taking heavy cues from his work on Samurai Jack, the series featured very little dialogue. It was a visual piece which relied on the strength of its writing, art and music cues to tell its story. Emotions were expressed through the characters themselves and subtle changes in lighting and shading. In a single scene in the opening episode, Tartakovsky managed to capture the love between Padmé and Anakin better than Lucas himself had done in an entire motion picture. As Anakin leaves for war, both are unsure about when or if they’ll see each other again. No dialogue is exchanged, no clumsy lines about sand, the animation tells us everything we need to know. Clone Wars trusted its audience, it didn’t talk down to it and that is why is succeeded.
Clone Wars was an unashamedly an action-show, but one with a deep-story at is core. Many of the early episodes act as a whistle-stop tour of the galaxy, giving insights into the many campaigns of the war. Whether it be Kit Fisto’s underwater liberation of Calmari, Mace Windu’s Kung-Fu inspired defense of Dantooine or Yoda’s siege of an ancient Jedi temple each gave a unique peak into the action on all fronts . Some episodes featured nothing but Clone Troopers, demonstrating the combat efficiency of the sons of Jango Fett. The elite ARC-Troopers operate akin to army rangers and their military tactics are as impressive as the animation that accompanies them. The audience is convinced that these are the ultimate fighting force and it makes it more believable that they would be able to eradicate the Jedi when Order 66 is given. excelled at world-building and marked the first time that the audience was able to see a lightsaber being constructed on-screen. Later episodes in the first season would focus on establishing the Dark-Side acolyte; Asajj Ventress. Tasked by Count Dooku to kill Anakin Skywalker, Ventress’ dogfight and duel serve not only as the young Jedi’s ascension to knighthood, but as one of the In a stunning scene set on Yavin IV, rains falls as they duel, with drops evaporating on their blades. It’s a scene straight out of a Kurasawa film with all the emotion and force of Luke’s duels with Vader in the Original Trilogy. It isn’t overly choreographed, but rather a blunt life or death battle. Words simply do not do it justice. Ventress, herself, isn’t given much in terms of a origin, but the audience is immediately drawn to her. She is already well-versed in the ways of the Force by the time she is introduced and her desire to viewed as a Sith hints an interesting back-story. The would-be Sith clearly as a gripe with the Jedi, describing them as corrupt and arrogant (which admitably they are) which only further intrigues us. She would go on to be fleshed out properly in other works, but if this was her only appearance it would be a memorable one.
The Ventress arc begins what would go on to become the focus of the show; Anakin’s fall to the Dark-Side. Attack of the Clones laid the foundation with his slaughter of the Tusken Raiders, but the brutality and impact of that action pervades throughout the micro-series. The ferocity with which he duels Ventress is later bolstered by an intriguing arc where Anakin helps free a people enslaved and experimented on by the Separatists. On the frozen tundra of Nelvaan, Anakin undergoes his trial of the spirit, the same trial his son; Luke, would face on Dagobah. Anakin is shown the abyss, shown glimpses of what he will become and in that moment, he blinks. Anakin’s turn is a more natural progression of his character, the logical conclusion to his arc, when placed in the context of this show. A spin-off shouldn’t just be something which shows us more adventures outside of the movies. Its something that should add to our viewing experience and provide sometime new.
Obi-Wan is more of a supporting character than one might expect. While he plays an important role in the first half of the series, his story-line is secondary to Anakin’s and is more focused on how he adapts to war. His development is two-fold. Firstly, its about him adjusting to his role as a general, something which the Jedi Order never prepared him for. This involves him learning to ingratiate himself in the army, even dawning Clone Trooper armour at one point, and serving as a shining example for his troop to follow. This leads him to a grueling battle with the regenerating bounty hunter; Durge which tests his skills as a warrior and as a leader. Secondly, Obi-Wan’s character arc focuses on the evolution of his relationship with his apprentice. The series progresses we really do feel that Anakin and Obi-Wan have moved past the awkward phase we found them in during Attack of the Clones. There is some animosity early on, but both soon learn that they need to trust each other. It culminates in Anakin being declared a full Jedi Knight and the two seeing each other as equals. It makes Obi-Wan’s heartbroken speech at the end of Revenge of the Sith all the more pointent. We truly do feel that the too saw themselves as brothers. Its also worth nothing that this marked the first time James Arnold Taylor would play Kenobi, a role he has played off and on again for over 13 years. Needless to say he does an exceptional job, with his interpretation of the character lying somewhere between Ewan McGregor and Sir Alec Guinness.
The most memorable part of the entire cartoon was, undoubtedly, the reveal of General Grievous. Nearly a full year before the release of Revenge of the Sith, fans were given a sneak peak into what sort of threat the villainous cyborg was likely to impose. As a fan who watch this when it originally aired, his introduction is harrowing. An entire battalion of the Grand Army of Republic decimated, only five Jedi remain, hidden in the remains of a gunship, as Battle Droids surround them on all sides. From outside a vile, mechanical voice tells them that though they are defeated they will at least be granted a warrior’s death. Grievous immediately invokes a sense of dread and fear, while at the same time a modicum of respect. His overconfidence is coupled with a sense of honour, which is inline with his tribal warrior back-story. The General Grievous present here is a far more fearsome foe than was portrayed in Revenge of the Sith. At first, its not clear if this is a droid or some kind of hybrid, but his power is unquestionable. Lucas’ choice to make him a coward was a misstep. In a way Lucas may be a genius, building up a character to be an unstoppable killing machine, but revealing that he is constantly running away from battles. The notion that Grievous’ power was in the legend and rumours that spread about him more so than his actual fighting prowess is interesting, but the version of Grievous presented in Clone Wars offers a lot in the way of development opportunities. Prima facie, the Separatists have a noble cause; independence from the Republic. It is natural that they would have honourable soldiers who believed in this cause. Exploring the plurality of war in such a context would have been vastly more interesting than simply labeling him a coward and killing him unceremoniously. Grievous had a lot of potential that was squandered in Revenge of the Sith.Clone Wars gives the character the respect that Lucas did not afford him.
Sadly, very few seem to remember Clone Wars. It’s legacy has been eclipsed by the six season juggernaut that succeeded it, the confusingly titled Star Wars: The Clone Wars. It is also seems to be have fallen victim to the great purge of the Disney reboot, cast aside as a mere legend. This is in spite of the fact that it was officially commissioned to act as the not only the lead into Revenge of the Sith, but to act as an animated version of that film’s opening crawl. It is astounding that it could just be thrown by the wayside, to the extent that it rarely talked about.The canon has lost something truly remarkably, something which contributed to the franchise is ways that few other projects dared to try. If you are a Star Wars fans in any capacity, you owe it yourself to watch this series. Clone Wars will always hold a special place in my heart, not only as one of the finest pieces of Star Wars story-telling, but as one of the greatest animated series ever created.~
Join us tomorrow as we take a look at NPR’s Star Wars Radio Play. In the meantime, why not have a look at yesterday’s article on Empire Jazz? May the Force be with you.
In an attempt to churn the rumor mill, not much has been released about Marvel’s acquisition from Sony and the use of Spiderman in the continuously expanding MCU. So what can we expect in the upcoming Captain America: Civil War and in Spidey’s new dedicated 2017 movie. As of now, not much.
Other than the idea that we will be seeing a brand new Spiderman, sub origin story (seriously, how many more times can we watch Uncle Ben die and Peter go on a small bad boy streak before we get the gist?) and with a brand new baddie yet to be named, it’s been pretty tight-lipped in the case of Spidey’s role in the MCU.
On the comics side of things, anyone who has a faint knowledge of the Civil War story is aware of Spiderman’s allegiance in Civil War, and his reveal of his identity is a major focal point of the entire run of the comics, so it kind of makes sense that he would play a crucial role.
Which is why I believe that the 2017 movie for Spiderman, while focusing on the story of Spidey with a baddie, is also the next run of Civil War. Maybe even Spiderman: Civil War.
Owing a sense of comic-like adaptation, we could see a similar titling to the comics in the movies. Starting with “Captain America: Civil War,” it makes it interesting to think that the Phase III and potentially Phase IV movies are each their own entry into the Civil War story. Let’s be honest, only one iteration of Civil War would be massively underwhelming and taking a hiatus would kind of jar a lot of the continuous storyline
What we do know:
Spiderman’s introduction in Captain America could be a major role, or a minor/major cameo that sets the stage for a Spiderman introduction into the MCU as a way for us to see and be like “okay, so he does exist.” in the theater.
He is set to face a villain that we have not seen yet in any of the current storylines. Say goodbye to Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Sandman, Venom, Lizard and Electro. Do we think that Rhino falls in that? Maybe. Aleksei Sytsevich’s appearance in The Amazing Spiderman 2 was small and comical, but it’s still someone we have seen already.
Not to take away from the actual movie itself, Spiderman will face off against a new villain, rumored to be either Kraven The Hunter or more recently, the Shocker or even Kingpin. Obviously, the third showing of Green Goblin would have been redundent, Doc Ock was easily forgettable in my opinion and the mess of villains from S3, ASM and ASM2 were a jumbled mess of trying to expand way too quickly. It was like using an air compressor to blow up a whoopee cushion, it expands fast, but all you’re left with is a silly outcome.
By introducing a good secondary villain, you encourage character growth and the ability to insert another sub-plot. Yes, the Civil War plot. Kevin Feige has touched on this, stating that MCU characters will appear in the film much like he appears in CA: CW.
Tom Holland might have actually been a good choice for Peter Parker/Spiderman, just because he looks the part. He is likely drawing inspiration from the Ultimate series, but not leaving the other ones out. I am still personally on the side of Andrew Garfield as the perfect Peter and web-slinger, just because build wise and sarcastic attitude fit the movies really well. I am, however, in full belief that Holland was chosen for a reason, other than the fact he passed tests with both Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans.
If what I believe is correct, we can expect RDJ to be a major background character. Tony Stark/Iron Man is probably going to feature strongly in the next few movies, clearly defining the two sides of Captain America vs Iron Man. Potentially, if what I feel can happen, we will see the eventual passing of the Iron Spider suit. We already know that he will wear the classic 1966-esque suit throughout the movie, but who’s to say he can’t wear both?
Since Captain America is a title character story with the overlay of additional characters, it serves to wonder if they are going to do that with Spidey and even Black Panther when he gets his major film debut.
Of course, this is me spinning my wheels. But I just have a hard time believing that the film is just for another reboot of the wall crawler, since most, if not all, of the MCU movies tie together. There’s no way that Marvel and Sony would have agreed to such a large deal if there wasn’t a bigger plan in action.
Anytime an audience sits down to see an Alejandro G. Inarritu film, it’s with the understanding the director is fully committed to the idea of cinema as an endurance test. Inarritu pushes himself, the audience, and in this case 19th century frontiersmen, beyond normal limits in The Revenant. The Revenant submerses the audience into a nightmarish, frigid, and forbidding American wilderness with grueling intensity and breathtaking imagery. In its attempt to bring together the Western Revenge thriller with an epic Western, The Revenant falls into the same trap that a lot of Inarritu’s work has done in the past: being too staunch that it detracts from the emotional connections in the film. Even with that being the case, this film rises to the top on the shoulders of a ferocious performance from Leonardo Dicaprio.
The film was adapted by Inarritu and Mark L. Smith from Michael Punke’s 2002 novel, which is set in 1823-24 in the “territories” (Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming). It centers around a fictionalized version of Hugh Glass (Dicaprio), a real man who worked for the Rocky Mountain Fur Co. Theirs is a life of hard work and peril, as we witness when the men are attacked without warning by Arikara Warriors. Right from the start, The Revenant establishes a stylistic approach by beginning with single unbroken shot that ends with an arrow connecting with a man’s throat.
For starters, The Revenant, must be admired for the sheer technical marvel of the actual film. There is almost a lyrical quality to it- a harmonic balance between the beauty and the horror of the natural world that grabs the audience right from the opening frame. Glass is traveling with his son, Hawk (Forrest Goodluck), a descendent from the Pawnee tribe on his mother’s side, and the two are fiercely protective of one another. The other trappers, led by the Capt. Andrew Henry (Domhall Gleeson), show Glass and his son the respect they have earned, with the exception of John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) who seem to have his own agenda as to why he’s part of the Rocky Mountain Fur Co.
And so there’s trouble brewing even before Glass ventures out and is mauled by a bear, in what only can be described as the most squeamish visceral scene of an animal attack that has been shown on screen, which seems to be more realistic due to the single take. Glass kills the bear but not before it rips him to shreds. The task of carrying Glass’s body off the snowy terrain gets to be too much, so it’s decided that Glass will be left behind with his son, Fitzgerald (really not the best idea), and a young Jim Bridger (Will Poulter), so he can be buried properly. Things don’t go nearly as well as intended. Glass is left for dead, buried in a shallow grave.
We quickly learn that a desire for vengeance can become its own form of motivation, as Glass manages to claw his way out of that shallow grave, find food, water, and stay alive long enough to begin the healing process. Since Glass can barely utter a word let alone a sentence, Dicaprio must convey Glass’s struggle through grunts, wheezes, and sharp painful breaths. One of simplest of moments that really hit that point home is Inariutu and Emmanuelle Lubezki’s abundance of close-ups, allowing for Dicaprio to mist up the camera giving an all too realistic feel to his struggle. Glass becomes the living embodiment of human endurance.
The only downside to The Revenant being so incredibly focused on vengeance is the film falls short of any sort of emotional connection it’s attempting to make. As an audience, we are asked to buy into the father-son relationship between Dicaprio and Goodluck, but what we witness is more of a utilitarian pairing than anything. At various points, Inarritu uses ghostlike flashbacks to show how much Glass loves Hawk and his mother, but these are more of a reminder of Inarritu’s film Biutiful than any sort emotional connection the film is seeking.
As the saying goes, “You save the best for last” and The Revenant is definitely one of the top 5 films of 2015, at least on a technical sense. The Revenant jettisons audiences down a bloody, barbaric, and beautiful road of nature/vengeance. After a tremendous portfolio of fantastic performances, The Revenant will be regarded as Leonardo Dicaprio’s finest moment as an actor and he will most certainly receive serious awards consideration this year. Whether or not that translates into Oscar glory remains to be seen. To be quite frank, whether or not a movie is “Oscar” worthy shouldn’t be the deciding factor. As an audience we should always do our best to support “quality” films and The Revenant is as quality as it gets.
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, the renowned Mexican film maker whose last film, Birdman, left film critics and cinephiles breathless and bereft of enough superlatives to laud the film’s genius while also leaving many casual movie goers scratching their heads and wondering what on Earth they were watching, has again produced a film in The Revenant whose appeal will most likely be dependent on just how you care about artistic cinema. On the one hand, in terms of directing, photography, and production design, the film is nothing less than a masterwork, a completely immersive experience for the viewer that never fails to feel authentic as it depicts one of 19th Century America’s most infamous frontier survival legends.
On the other hand, that experience is, in fact, so immersive that the film simply becomes a brutal endurance test in and of itself. At more than 2 and 1/2 hour in length, with long stretches during which there’s little to no dialogue whatsoever and at times gruesome to the point of being gratuitous, the production seems to be obsessed with its own ingenuity in replicating scenes of horror committed in the name of greed, retribution, or simple self-preservation. It doesn’t seem to matter to all parties involved whether or not what they’re producing is actually enjoyable to watch; on the contrary, it seems far more important to create a film that’s so harrowing in its stark realism that it’s likely to leave viewers as emotionally beaten down and exhausted as the characters on-screen are by the time the credits roll.
Leonardo DiCaprio plays real life American frontiersman Hugh Glass, who along with his Native American son Hawk (Forrest Goodluck) serve as guides for a fur trapping and exploratory expedition along the Missouri River led by Captain Andrew Henry (Domhnall Gleeson). Glass and Hawk do what they can to keep the group moving safely through the unexplored wilderness, but far more dangerous to all of them than any wildlife are the Arikara, nicknamed the “Ree” by the Americans, a native tribe driven to rage and violence against American settlers after having been displaced from their lands time and again over the course of decades of colonial expansion.
After a bloody attack by the Ree leaves their party numbers decimated, Glass, Captain Henry, and the few remaining survivors cut their fur trapping efforts short and instead make their way north toward a fort where hopefully they can find shelter and safety. But along the way, Glass is savagely mauled by a grizzly bear, the damage to his body leaving him on the brink of death. Though at first Captain Henry insists that the group carry the injured Glass with them as they continue their journey, the mountainous terrain and growing cold soon make it impossible. Unwilling to leave any man to die alone in the wild, he leaves Glass with Hawk and two additional men, John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) and Jim Bridger (Will Poulter), and orders to stay with Glass until he expires and to give him a proper burial.
The events that follow the Captain’s departure form the emotional crux of The Revenant, as in very short order Glass does, in fact, find himself alone with his injuries, with only his resourcefulness and his will to not only survive but also avenge himself to help keep him alive day after day as the temperatures drop, food grows scarce, and the threat of the Ree continues to lurk just beyond the edges of his vision, they themselves on their own mission of blood and retribution.
The Revenant is arguably at its most entertaining in its first act, which features a battle sequence between the Ree and the trappers which may just re-define how Plains War-era skirmishes are depicted on film. Iñárritu and Oscar-winning director of photography Chivo Lubezki (Birdman, Gravity) let the camera follow characters fleeing from the arrows coming at them in all directions, creating a visceral sense of panic and chaos even as the few seasoned soldiers attempt to defend themselves and organize a retreat. In its own way, it’s as jaw-dropping a cinematic visual as those first rapid-fire scenes in Birdman were as you attempted to acclimate to the film’s storytelling style and grasp what was happening. The technical expertise at work throughout The Revenant is as evident here as anywhere else in the film, but it’s during these sequences when there’s not only that evidence of mastery, but also genuine excitement and palpable momentum that an audience can feel and relish as they might in a well-crafted horror or suspense film. If your heart isn’t beating faster and your adrenaline going by the time this sequence ends, you might want to see a doctor to confirm that you are, in fact, still alive.
But once that sequence is done, the film slows to a virtual crawl, matching the pace of the wayward group attempting to carry the wounded Glass to safety, and rarely returns to the heights of tension and suspense attained in the early going. Yes, the bear attack on Glass as depicted on film is utterly terrifying, unlike anything most likely you’ve ever seen depicted on film, and the subsequent desperate measures Glass takes in order to eat and keep himself warm despite his many grievous injuries are all displayed with unflinching realism — if anyone warns who has seen the film warns you not to eat before you see it, believe them. But there is, in fact, so much of that unflinching realism that the question becomes is all of it really necessary. Certainly, the clear commitment to cultural and environmental authenticity is clear in every frame, and that’s to be commended, particularly in a period piece, but really, are scenes of multiple disembowelings truly necessary to get the point across? For the average movie goer, the answer is most likely “no.”
And that’s really what it boils down to for The Revenant in terms of its mass appeal. Hardcore fans of DiCaprio and Hardy’s work will no doubt be left singing the film’s praises, as each performer delivers another study in commitment to character and emotional intensity. Hardy in particular, ever the chameleon with a gift for changing his manner and pattern of speech depending on the character he’s playing, is compelling here as Fitzgerald, the film’s most prominent human antagonist. Fans of Iñárritu’s previous work, not just Birdman but also 21 Grams and Babel, will see and appreciate the director’s unmistakable craftsmanship in the vision of the film and in the way he gives character to the bleak landscapes that form the ultimate obstacles to Glass’s survival throughout the film. And fans of westerns and survival dramas will have one more memorable cinematic venture into the wilderness to enjoy. As one fellow critic put it after seeing the film, “this is The Grey on steroids.”
But for everyone else looking for a good time or a solid adventure film at the movies on a Saturday night, The Revenant is a sure-fire buzz kill. One telling scene in the film features Glass carving into the ice words that describe his motivation to keep going and stay alive in order to remind himself of that motivation, because it’s been so long and he’s been through so much that its difficult to remember. Audiences may feel something similar watching that scene, as though they may need to be reminded exactly why they’re still watching the movie as it moves at its torturously glacial pace. If you’re looking for pure cinematic art, you should be pleased with what Iñárritu and his cast deliver here. If you’re looking for entertainment, on the other hand, or at least something you don’t have to worry will make your dinner come back up while watching it, best look elsewhere.
The Revenant
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter, Forrest Goodluck, Duane Howard, Arthur Redcloud. Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu.
Running Time: 156 minutes
Rated R for strong frontier combat and violence including gory images, a sexual assault, language and brief nudity.
Rejected movie scores are a dime-a-dozen in film history. This series intends to explore the history and even evaluate some of the music that has been rejected from movies. We’re starting off with one of the most legendary films with a legendary, rejected soundtrack: Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.
When Kubrick was prepping production of 2001: A Space Odyssey, he asked Alex North to write a score for the movie. Kubrick had previously collaborated with North on Spartacus and Dr. Strangelove. But as he was editing the film, Kubrick realized he preferred to use classical music to accompany his sci-fi opus. North had no idea his score had been rejected until he watched the film at its New York City premiere. He wasn’t happy at all that it had been rejected, but he did concede the selection of classical music was a better match for Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke’s vision of the future.
Afterwards, only snippets of North’s score were available in compilation albums. But it wasn’t until 1993 when North’s friend and colleague Jerry Goldsmith created a commercial recording of the original score, giving audiences the opportunity to picture 2001 with this score. However, it wasn’t until 2007 that North’s original recordings were made available through a limited edition CD by Intrada Records.
With North’s score available, some fans have gone out of their way to rescore some of the film’s iconic scenes, such as YouTube user Stephen Kilpatrick, who uploaded the opening title sequence with North’s score:
Looking at other scenes in the movie with North’s score replacing the classical music, one can see a strong fit for the movie. But maybe it’s because I’m so accustomed to the final soundtrack, it doesn’t feel quite as transcendental. North’s music is good and perfect for a sci-fi movie of the 60s, but that’s the problem, it makes the movie feel part of the time it was made. In the meantime, Kubrick’s musical choices make the movie, and the overall story fit with all of history. This makes sense because we’re watching all of human evolution unfold before our eyes. Ever since the film was released, we quickly relate The Blue Danube to the docking sequence, or Also sprach Zarathustra to the movie.
All that said, North’s score is a worthwhile listen. He was a very talented composer but this was perhaps one of those situation where Kubrick made the best choices.
“We’re sorry, Alex.”
If you’re interested in listening to the whole score, you can buy the Jerry Goldsmith recording here, and the original North recording right here.
For whatever reason, Lethal Weapon never gets the same sort of Christmas love as Die Hard, its 80s holiday action brother-from-another-mother. The debut of John McClane will forever be linked to the yuletide season, but Lethal Weapon is strangely overlooked in the category of tangential holiday classic. It may have even more Christmas imagery than Die Hard, but for whatever reason it’s ignored during the silly season. It could be because Lethal Weapon, for all its success and groundbreaking redefinition of the action genre, is a much darker, more threatening film. Sure, Die Hard may be a damn-near perfect action film top to bottom, but Lethal Weapon has something sinister boiling beneath its surface – a surface that has been redefined after years of increasingly cartoonish sequels – and a third act where the dynamic is deconstructed for something strange, minimalist, and arguably brilliant.
Give this Christmas flick it’s due this month.
Shane Black, who sets so many films he writes and/or directs during Christmas (I spotted a Christmas tree behind Russell Crowe in the trailer for The Nice Guys), broke out with Lethal Weapon, and defined a formula worn thin in the decades since. It’s the buddy-cop formula, and where it was created in 48 Hrs., Black reshapes it and flips the dichotomy between authority and loose cannon. This time, the straight man is an African-American family man, Roger Murtaugh, played by Danny Glover. Murtaugh is a straight-edged father and husband who’s thrives in his logical, measured existence. Enter Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson), a borderline psychotic (never mind how he’s still a cop) who lost his wife and, subsequently, his mind it seems. Even though he cries himself to sleep after chewing on the barrel of his service firearm, he’s a good cop, an ace sniper in the war, and he is partnered with Murtaugh to investigate the mysterious death a young woman who was the daughter of Murtaugh’s Vietnam buddy.
The ties to Vietnam here add a layer to Lethal Weapon I never much considered when I was younger. Having both Riggs and Murtaugh serve in Vietnam creates a kinship, and here in 2015 creates this kind of odd machismo to their relationship (maybe this will become a thing with the Iraq war and heroes in the near future). It also shows how war can affect different personalities in different ways. They were both “in the shit,” but now could not be more different. Until they soon figure out they are exactly what each other needs. What makes Lethal Weapon work where 3 and 4 fail miserably (LW2 is still a great film, and a sequel on par with this original) is the personal connection to the very mechanical plot. The villains are drug lords and psychos who don’t have a problem with lighters on their forearm, but they all were borne from the hell of Vietnam, just like Riggs and Murtaugh. It’s what connects these violent men, but their wartime post-script is what separates them.
Something else elevating this first film is the way the plot unfolds without superfluous action scenes. In both the third and fourth films, Riggs and Murtaugh seem to fall into absurd shootouts and car chases that have no coherent ties to the story at hand, they just exist to dig up some laughs and cool stunts. Here, however, Shane Black’s story, directed with lean energy by Richard Donner, is utilitarian, always moving but never without reason. The kinetics are what breathe life into the film, and push the events to a weird, brilliant third act that – viewing it again – feels entirely unique to this story, stripped of any semblance of cliche nonsense.
As a buddy-cop film, Lethal Weapon abandons the static police-station setting in the first fifteen minutes of the film, and steadily continues stripping away convention. There is the “jumper scene,” created to show off Riggs’s instability, then an investigation leading to one shootout, an assassination via chopper, and then the film hums a personal tune. The plot invades Murtaugh’s home with the abduction of his daughter, and this then takes us out to the desert, and a standoff of grandiosity and, oddly, lacking any police “rules” in the film sense. These two war vets have returned to the battlefield, only now they are fighting against other American vets who’s lives have soured in the drug trade. This third act (or perhaps the second leading into the third, as there is a great deal of story left after the desert standoff) is stripped down to a bare-bones battle of survival, all the way up to the showdown between Riggs and Mister Joshua (Gary Busey) on Murtaugh’s lawn. It’s here where Lethal Weapon announces itself a sort of PTSD thriller.
And the use of Christmas here is, like Die Hard, more than background texture. It divides Riggs and Murtaugh even more before eventually bringing them together in the end. Murtaugh and his family are happy, whole, and their house is warm with Christmas decorations. Riggs, on the other hand, is alone, probably for the first time during Christmas after his wife died, understandably heightening his stress and instability. It pulls these two apart emotionally even further than they are on the surface. And when the war has been won, Riggs and Murtaugh have become closer than any two men could ever become, because they each have what the other doesn’t. And Murtaugh welcomes Riggs into his home for Christmas, theoretically adopting him into a new family. Without Christmas, there would be a certain emotional disconnect to the action inertia. It’s one of the many small details that work for Lethal Weapon, and shouldn’t be overlooked.
Ten days before Star Wars: The Force Awakens wreaks havoc on your local cinema; a secret TV spot was released. This teaser lets you know that Rey will be the bad-ass character for the next Star Wars generation, goosebumps!
We are not sure how secret this trailer is, as our only indication that it’s a secret is the title of the video.
Episode VII in the Star Wars Saga, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, opens in theaters December 17, 2015.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens, directed by J.J. Abrams from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan & Abrams, features a cast including actors John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o, Gwendoline Christie, Crystal Clarke, Pip Andersen, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow. They will join the original stars of the saga, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker.
Prince headlined Coachella in 2008 and covered Radiohead’s “Creep” and has spent the last seven years blocking the video from the internet. Thom Yorke even stepped in and asked the singer to unblock the videos, since Prince doesn’t have the right to block the cover for copyright reasons. The unique artist doesn’t own the song or the footage.
Clone Wars was an unashamedly an action-show, but one with a deep-story at is core. Many of the early episodes act as a whistle-stop tour of the galaxy, giving insights into the many campaigns of the war. Whether it be Kit Fisto’s underwater liberation of Calmari, Mace Windu’s Kung-Fu inspired defense of Dantooine or Yoda’s siege of an ancient Jedi temple each gave a unique peak into the action on all fronts . Some episodes featured nothing but Clone Troopers, demonstrating the combat efficiency of the sons of Jango Fett. The elite ARC-Troopers operate akin to army rangers and their military tactics are as impressive as the animation that accompanies them. The audience is convinced that these are the ultimate fighting force and it makes it more believable that they would be able to eradicate the Jedi when Order 66 is given. excelled at world-building and marked the first time that the audience was able to see a lightsaber being constructed on-screen.
