accountcrapper Reviews

Dead Air (I) (2009)

Excellent Budget Film

[7/10 · 26 March 2014]

I liked this film a lot. People have described it as like 28 Day Later - it isn't. Both films have zombies - the comparison ends there. This film is about post 911 paranoia - it says it right at the start of the film before any zombies appear the shock jock radio presenter said tonights shows is all about paranoia.

If you liked The Man From Earth or Frequency then I think you'd like this. It has that similar feel of a stage play or simple drama with heart. The actors were great- really strong in ensemble. I kind of fancy Patricia Tallman - she is easy on the eyes and she always seems like she has a warm heart - she always gives heart to a scene. The lead was really well played - he has a great voice and this film is nice to listen to which is a pleasant change from some of the more bombastic screamy action films you normally see.

So a simple genre movie with some decent exposition, terrific acting and solid pacing. You can find fault in this movie if you try to compare with movies that it is not - but I would prefer to watch this than some low calibre action crap. The world doesn't need another cheap action zombie horror - but the world could do with another few of these movies - thoughtful simple idea driven drama's. To all those involved - great job. Have watched it twice already and I enjoyed it both time.

Blame! (2003)

Nice addition to the comic

[7/10 · 14 March 2014]

Blame! is a strange one. The story is about an artificial human called Killy who has been created in order to find original humans possessing a special gene that allows them access a special network. Access to this network allows the user to control the megastructure/city the Blame! universe exists in.

The Megastructure is a large vertical city that seems to have originated on Earth but houses areas the size of Jupiter. Some of the megastructure was created by and for humans and most was created by machines. A chaotic virus has infected the megastructure causing it to build itself into increasing bizarre forms with no end in site.

The megastructure is populated by various beings - artificial humans, half human machines, silicon creatures, control creatures, clones, some kind of normal humans (lacking the required gene), and something called the safeguard.

The megastructure is out of control and the only way to fix the problem is to access it's control command network. The only people who can do that are original humans who have the special gene. Stopping anybody or anything else from accessing the control network is a body called the Safeguard. They are trying to protect the Megastructure from anything that is not an original human. However it is not at all clear that there are any original humans left so the safeguard kill everything and they cannot change their programming. It is Killy's job to find an original human to stop the safeguard and correct the megastructure - and so he travels through this seemingly endless and mostly empty vertical city searching for humans that once existed but may have died out long ago.

The Manga itself is a bizarre Gothic sci-fi set in the far future - a mix of horror, genetics and cyberpunk. The art is outstanding - the storyline is confusing and sometimes there is a total lack of coherent narrative with instead outlines of the megastructure itself, pages and pages of Killy walking through desolate tunnels and briefs introductions to creatures that never repeat in the storyline.

The anime based on the manga is more like a postcard from the Blame! universe rather than a linearly structured story. Without reading the Blame! manga first the Anime cannot make sense and like I said the Manga can sometimes be very confusing on it's own.

All that said Blame! is fantastic. Yes it is confusing, yes it doesn't have a linear story, but it makes up for that with image, feeling, and the sheer audacity of the idea's presented. The Blame! universe could be seen as a counter to Iain Banks Culture universe. A universe where things went horribly wrong and continued to go wrong even after there were no humans left. In some places there is evidence of earlier human existence - it other places it is totally synthetic and new. If you read Blame! treat it like a road movie - it has no start, no middle and no end - it is about the journey, the characters you meet and the sights along the way. There is no personal resolution as Killy is a machine, there is no real end as the Megastructure is essentially infinite, there is no meaning as this is the remnants of human technological decay and chaotic viruses.

I loved the Manga and the Anime can be seen as an enjoyable addition to the universe. In and of itself the Anime is not great as a service to fans of the Manga - I like it. 10/10 for the Manga - 7/10 for the Anime

The Thing (I) (2011)

Tight Movie

[8/10 · 28 September 2013]

Honestly if you give this film less than a 7 then you haven't really thought about it very much. A classic sci-fi horror creature feature with stunning real effects, a great ensemble cast and a true passion for both previous movies.

The IMDb description of the 1951 original reads "Scientists and American Air Force officials fend off a blood-thirsty alien organism while at a remote arctic outpost". If you have seen the 1951 version, and the and John Carpenters 1982, and you liked them, then I think it is fair to say you will like Matthijs van Heijningen's 2011 version. It is a play on a theme in regards to the basic premise so it cannot just invent a new premise. Given the basic premise I think this movie hit the tone just right.

I very much enjoyed the casting. It was refreshing to see a sci-fi horror film not dominated by American types. The Norwegians were great. The ensemble acting was just excellent.

The music was effectively unnerving. It had the right feel of tension and bombast. Simple never brilliant but always effective and never distracting. Just right.

The CGI, animatronics and effects were just great. Although they might seem old hat to some people just think about it for a minute - really do you see people wearing animatronic suits while burning up in flames running around screaming. Most films would just go CGI and leave it at that but this film feels much more physical for doing it the right way. I applaud them and I can only hope we see more actual humans in our effects. Plasticky CGI (The Hobbit) and shaky camera action scenes (Elysium) are just not thrilling. The mixture of effects techniques and the punctuation of the music and effects very much make this movie stand out from the normal CGI laden poorly shot garbage.

John Carpenter is the king of tone and beat so to think it could ever compare to the original in those terms is just unfair. This version of the The Thing was a great homage to the 1982 film and to classic sci-fi horror generally.

Secret Window (2004)

I would give this a 6... not bad, never brilliant, sometimes poor.

[7/10 · 3 November 2012]

Not bad if it's on Netflix and you've watched everything else. I would give this a 6... not bad, never brilliant, sometimes poor.

A psychological mystery about a recluse writer going through a marital break-up and a violent mystery man who claims the writer stole and published his story. Overall it is fairly standard studio production stuff that sometimes veers a bit too closely to daytime TV but you can see where it was supposed to be going. Let's put it like this while it's not The Shinning it's not Murder She Wrote either.

Neither Depp nor Turturro are particularly believable. Depp's performance is a little too mix bag. Someone a bit more downbeat would have worked better. Turturro is okay. He plays the role he does it well but it's just not believable. The other actors are more suited to the movie. It feels like a TV movie but it tries to be a Hollywood movie.

Overall it is a standard enough mystery with a fairly flat studio production and then some above average actors that don't quite seem to suit the film they're in.

I would give this a 6... not bad, never brilliant, sometimes poor.

Men in Black³ (2012)

1960's Agent K is about the only thing this movie has going for it.

[4/10 · 21 September 2012]

MIB 3 is not very good. The humour is missing. Tommy Lee is not in it enough and when he is in it I feel he doesn't want to be. It is not a bad movie just not a good one. Will Smith is the same old wisecracking fool but lately I feel Will Smith is not enjoying acting. A lot of his movies rely on that wisecracking youngster but he's just not that guy anymore. Will Smith is a different person and you can see he tries his best to get into the "Hell No" thang but his heart is just not in it and it rings hollow. The best actors were Griff and 1960's Agent K.

The general idea is good. Go back in time to save the day. The goofy looking aliens are still there but it doesn't work. The action scenes don't add up, there is no drama or tension at any point and the humour is hollow. And really there is only a single gadget.

The charm of the MIB 1 was the fish out of water element. The surly Agent K and the continuously amazed Agent J playing off each other in a kind of buddy movie. In this kind of movie you need to see someone experiencing the magic for the first time and you need to have two good buddies.

As it stands it's not bad. It is a monied film with high production values and it does stay true to it's own aesthetic but it loses the heart. It loses the buddy thing and it loses the wonder of discovery.

Lbs. (2004)

A Great Indie Film - Bravo

[10/10 · 4 September 2012]

A great indie film. People dealing with the difficulties of life and embracing change. The script rings true throughout. The acting is solid and heartfelt. There is not a single clanger in this film. Well edited, shot, cast, directed. A perfect indie film.

The story is simple, an ordinary fat man unhappy with his life, seeing his weight become a problem for those that love him puts himself into isolation to try and deal the problem head on.

It reminded me of The Station Agent with Peter Dinklage another indie film about body issues, separation from normal society and the search for connection. Both are fantastic films and both mean a lot to me. Films about change and redemption, about the daily grind that is this life. Highly recommended!

Space Battleship Yamato (2010)

CGI is 3D but the Characters 1D

[13 August 2012]

The story is basically about a great spaceship which embarks on a holy mary trip to save planet earth from invading aliens. Along the way there are heroics, lost friends, romance and sacrifice. It is a fairly straight forward affair but mostly likely satisfying and simple enough for kids to enjoy and take meaning from.

The characters are fine and for the most part enjoyable stereotypes. Unfortunately the main actor is possibly miscast as he seems too old for the role. I have never seen the original cartoon but the main character, Kodai, seems to have the insolence, passion and doubt of a teenager in the body of a grown adult male. It is a mismatch.

The lead female is eye candy and little more. The character is given the opportunity to develop but I think she is not strong enough an actor to convey the emotions needed.

There are difficulties in the script where the crew stand about feeling things and emoting while they should be attentive to the job at hand. It tries to imbue camaraderie but it is ham-fisted. Possibly to be expected but it is too much.

That being said it is an enjoyable, if overlong, film that reminds me of 80's Anime. It is a simple straight forward story based on honor, courage and sacrifice. I just wish the main character was younger and little more likable.

The Newsroom (2012–2014)

Starts reasonably well goes down hill fast.

[6/10 · 25 July 2012]

This show starts well but descends into farce and banality fairly quickly. It might have been good to see some of the actual pressures and decisions made in rolling news programs but instead we get a lot of hackneyed characters, self congratulation, boring relationship dramas mixed in with low whimsy and preposterous coincidences.

The last episode I watched used the fatal shooting of 6 people and the near fatal shooting of Gabby Giffords in the brain as a vehicle for moral self congratulation - ending the segment with the anchor screaming "You're a real newsman" to one of his cohorts. Poor taste indeed.

Prometheus (I) (2012)

Craft and Style but no Substance

[7/10 · 8 June 2012]

The movie is a good blockbuster. I did enjoy the movie. I saw it in 3D on a 70FT screen and it really does have a mood. It's all there - the bio goo, the Geiger backdrop, robots in the uncanny valley. As much as I enjoy escapism and the cinema of sensation there are 3 major flaws that show themselves at least every 3 or 4 minutes destroying any ability to lose yourself in the world Ridley has created.

The first is a visual flaw. Some of the shots were clearly there for the 3D experience but too many of them exist outside the reality of the story and you are shown a shot that has no relevance to anything other than the technique of 3D. This highlights the technical fabrication of cinema and so destroys the illusion of reality. You know you are watching a technique and it is so clumsy and ill fitting to the story that it breaks the spell. Still as an experiment in 3D I can forgive this and some of the 3D is stunning.

The second flaw is the countless and seemingly endless plot holes or parts that are just weakly scripted. Again they are so frequent they destroy the reality and illusion of the film. They really are outrageously bad in parts. You think OK it is Hollywood just eat your popcorn and keep watching but you expect more and are given less and so you are let down.

The final and fatal flaw is in the characterization. The characterization is patchy and haphazard - with some characters seeming to exist in different films types. You are not sure who you are supposed to root for as there is no strong lead and as a result you do not care about any of them meaning there can never be any tension no matter how loud and staccato the music gets or how gory a scene becomes. You just do not care. If there is no lead you should then fall back on a great ensemble but again the characters do not gel. They never come together as a team. They are not believable as humans or as characters. This is not a reflection on the acting but rather the characterization and script development.

I enjoyed the film, the visuals, the experience of 3D, the extension of the Alien universe - I just wish it was a better story with more believable characters. The fact that one of the 3 flaws I noted shows itself at least every 3 or 4 minutes really makes it difficult to let the film carry you away to it's world. Too much technique not enough heart.

Hugo (2011)

No Cinema Paradiso

[6/10 · 8 April 2012]

This film does not have a single relationship of note in it. I have no idea who is the lead character and as an ensemble it completely falls flat. I have no idea who reviews these movies but they have lost they're sense of smell. The acting was one dimensional and this is not the fault of the actors, this is the fault of the script. Actors are only allowed to express a single emotion throughout the entire film. There were also many seemingly useless characters in the film like the bookshop owner, the tea couple, the flower lady - I have no idea why those characters were given any time. There seemed to be three main stories but none of them were convincing or drawn out. They were superficial ham-fisted portrayals and with over 2 hours of this you have to wonder who edits in Hollywood anymore. There was a love scene to early cinema at various points which is absurdly odd as it has only the most tenuous link to the boys story - it goes on for a long time and is nothing more than a gratuitous and frankly tedious lecture - what happened to 'show don't tell' direction.

The sets looked like expensive lush sets and nothing more, no relationships, no lead character but extremely poor ensemble, confusing story arc with sections of what might as well be a documentary on early cinema - all wrapped in a bow with, count them, 4 happy endings.

If you want to see a good movie that inspired this extremely poor knock off then look for Cinema Paradiso and see how it should be done.

Source Code (2011)

Predictable and Boring

[6/10 · 29 April 2011]

Not sure what other people are seeing in this. Within 10 minutes I had the plot worked out. I very much disliked the cinematography. From the first scene with the cut aerial shots sweeping to the train and over the city I did not like it. The relationship between the girl on the train and the man was ridiculous. He had more on screen time and a better relationship with the military girl. I just thought it was not very good, boring shots very like good TV, very little drama. I do not understand the people on the edge of there seats comments. A 6 film, not awful but it felt like payola to me. The studio must be delighted to have somehow gotten away with it.

The Sunset Limited (2011 TV Movie)

Tommy Lee Is Great In This

[27 February 2011]

This is a truly good film. If you like thinking about life, death, suicide, God, the state of man - then this is a film for you. This film offers an intense dialogue between Mr.Black and Mr.White or two opposing sides of an argument. Tommy Lee Jones plays a cultured intellectual secularist and Samuel L. Jackson plays a violent uneducated ex-con who found salvation in God and Bible.

I really just wrote this review to applaud the performance of Tommy Lee Jones. He is almost unrecognizable in the role. He seems to have totally assumed the character. Samuel L. Jackson plays to his strengths. Sometimes Jackson comes off as a bit cartoonish or like he is playing a caricature of himself but usually it works.

Excellent. Like a stage play.

Fallen (2006 TV Movie)

Feeling of relief when the DVD finally stopped.

[2/10 · 8 February 2011]

I watched this a few years ago and I just happened to come to this page and all i can remember about this series is how truly boring it was. I rarely remember bad films. I filter them out like boring days. Oddly though I remember how awfully dull this was. I knew it was going to be cheesy, I mean Angels and Demons and all that, but you never know with these things. You're always hoping it might be The Prophecy or maybe Constantine not great but good fun American Gothic. Fallen is just tedious all the way. Predictable generic characterization with a side order of poor stiff lifeless acting. You know those poor shows with lots of pointless meaningful poses and heartfelt nothings followed intensely lightweight and bad action. I vaguely remember one or two bits where you think oh this looks good and then .... oh no it's not. I force myself to watch it because I rented the series but I remember a feeling of relief when the DVD finally stopped. Like I said I don't remember bad films but it struck me odd that I remembered this feeling by the sense of relief I felt when it was over. Truly a bad one - you should watch it.

Avalon (2001)

Surprisingly OK!

[7/10 · 29 December 2010]

A typical Mamoru Oshii style film. Slow, heavy handed but often effective use of lens filters, dreary soundtrack, poor Foley work, cinema noir poses and some art-house meanderings. The story is so so, reasonably similar themes can be seen in a lot of work coming out of japan these days. Virtual reality or online identity cross merging with the real world. It is very anime in parts but I am not sure anime works for live action. In anime you can forgive some of the stiffness or the poor Foley but in live action it makes it feel a bit dead. A problem I have with all Oshii's film.

The main actress is good. She does hold the film together. Not much is asked from her in terms of character development or script but she gives more than is on the written on the page and imbues the film with a feeling of lose, fading away, remorseful acceptance.

I liked the film. I enjoy the theme. I thought the CGI was done well and there were some nice shots. The metaphors are a bit much but that is to be expected with Oshii. Boo to me but I wish he'd make GITS 3.

SPOILER (NOT REALLY)

I very much did not like the last scene. The is a scene where an orchestra perform the theme of the film Avalon with cuts going between a conversation outside and the orchestra inside. This for me was the worst scene. The filming of the orchestra was very standard TV style with no use of creative lighting to reflect the colour of the music, no close-ups of any of the instruments, no style at all just bad TV. Then it was clumsily cut with the conversation outside which were meant to reflect the lyrics of the opera. I thought it was very poor. And I thought the dog in the car was just stupid.

Stingray Sam (2009)

American Style Douglas Adams to Music

[10/10 · 23 November 2010]

I cannot give this film anything other than a 10. It is too unique and charming to be given anything lower. I like different films. I don't want to watch the same thing again and again and every so often an oddball unique talent comes out fully formed.

The plot is about a galactic lounge singer and an old friend being reunited and recruited by some government go to various planets in search of a kidnapped girl. Describing the plot does nothing to describe the film at all. The film is a series of set pieces or vignettes with a musical number in each scene. The music is funny, well performed, memorable and the set pieces often humorously surreal although near the end there are some sweet scenes played to lullaby music.

It's as if is a tight group of stage performers and friends have come together to make a simple charming film. You are not likely to see the likes of it again anytime soon. I prefer the American Astronaut another Cory Mcabee film, possibly because I saw it first, but more likely because the sci-fi elements are more unique. The sci-fi humour in Stingray Sam is similar to Douglas Adams dry, good natured, surrealist. The sci-fi in the American Astronaut is more 1920's Art Nouveau and I haven't seen it being done before or at least not so successfully.

The Book of Eli (2010)

Brings a whole new meaning to the phrase Bible Basher!!

[4/10 · 13 November 2010]

Not great but it did have a sustained atmosphere. The message was very heavy handed. The music was brooding but good for the most part. The acting was professional although there was not much scope for drama. Carrying out or reacting to violence, general brooding, being withdrawn or cold was about the extent of the acting needed. The lighting uses a gel of some kind to bath the whole film in a dusky sand. It can be annoying at times and doesn't seem to work as well with certain shots.The staging is solid.

The basic premise of the film is a bit obnoxious. It brings a whole new meaning to the phrase Bible Basher. The end of the film is the weakest. It will annoy most that it is deemed more important that a Bible survive than the printing press that has to reprint it. Any half witted twit would see that the survival of a printing press is more important that any particular book. All in all a mixed message from the film. It is more b-movie slock than blockbuster and more propaganda than art house. So you could call it b-movie propaganda and you might not be too far off. Although not a great film it does have a well presented general atmosphere and for that I give it a 6. I dislike the Christian basis personally so I take away 2 for obnoxious plot. Overall I give it a 4.

The Void (2001 Video)

Not great. OK if your very bored.

[4/10 · 16 August 2010]

This is not great. There is some science, some running around, a little romance and it is all very predictibull. The CGI is OK but looks pretty cheap. The sound is serviceable. The lighting and cinematography for the most part consists of bland offices and bright service areas. The acting is good TV acting in the way you do not believe these people are really anything other than actors getting paid. The general idea of the film is not great. It is basically a film speculating on media fears about the Large Hadron Collider at CERN creating a mini black hole and destroying the earth. All the characters are paper thin so it is very difficult to get any real drama out of the story. It was cheapish but I think it could have easily been done a lot better. At one point the disaster of a black hole exploding was explained as being like adding too much soap to the washing machine followed by "We've all done that." I don't know call me a hard reviewer but I think they could have tried harder - Overall I give it a 4.

The Red Spectacles (1987)

Less Than The Sum Of Its Parts

[5/10 · 31 July 2010]

Red Spectacles is an odd mix of film noir, surrealism, slapstick and anime mech(at the beginning and end). As a whole it does not work. I think possibly as a series of vignettes it might work better but collectively the parts do not sit well together and the humour for me at least is sadly lacking.

The cinematography ranges for excellent to below par. Some shots are very film noir and others have bad framing with heads cut off and shot without enough shadowplay to justify there lenght.

The sound is very poor and distracting. All sound was added in post production so there is a spareness to the sound which makes everything seem overly poignant and frankly off putting. The score is poor for the most part and sometimes inappropriate music is used for a scene, at least inappropriate to western culture.

As an art film it does not really compel this viewer, neither does it have any particularly outstanding aspects technically or thematically. It is run of the mill with a few nice visuals.

Clash of the Titans (2010)

Instantly Forgotten

[5/10 · 10 July 2010]

This film is not good or bad. It does not have any of the spark of a b- movie nor does it have any of the action drama of an A movie. It is honk stuck in the middle. Fine, blandly edited/shot performances of fine actors saying fine expectable lines. A cute girl who should have been used more I think. A hunky hero with not much to say passed the occasional grunt and screaming "NEVERRRRR" every so often and that should do. Some passable but below par and overall unbelievable CGI. The kind of CGI that makes you wonder if you are ever going to see old school special effects again. The kind of CGI that makes you think that nothing moves like that in reality and really these people are just standing around on a set pretending to look astounded. It just makes it seem a little foolish. Not epic regaurdless of the theme, not enough GOOD action for action, no humour at all, no romance, no friendships although they tried to fake one up it just didn't stick or was lost on the editing floor. Overall I instantly forgot this film and have barely no memory of it other than a very large BLAHHHHHHHH.... and I only watched it last night.

Riverworld (2010 TV Movie)

Not Good

[5/10 · 20 April 2010]

A B-Movie in 2 parts. Both parts are bad. I only watched this a few weeks ago but I cannot seem to remember much. It did not leave any impression on me. There is a basic premise that seems good but the development is pretty terrible. Some of the acting was over the top hammy. Watching the film I could imagine the book being better.

There is not much to say. It's is reasonably well filmed, has some cgi, has annoying characters and a plot that moves sluggishly from A to B to predictable ending. The script does offer some excitement but it isn't carried off. It should have been better than it was. As it is it is just boring and as I say in 2 movie long parts.

I wonder would a fan edit be better. You could cut a lot of crap and make it 1.30 or 1.40 mins long and just try to keep it going and maybe kill of some of the hammier accents and actors. Ya I think a fan edit would be better. Couldn't be worse.

Defendor (2009)

Not for me.

[6/10 · 17 April 2010]

In my opinion this film borders on being bad and in some parts crass. Retarded violent man believes he is a superhero and that is the joke. There is not much for me to say other than I did not like it. I did not like the premise of the movie, I did not really like the acting, I did not like the action or the comedy, if it was a drama it was ridiculous and I tend not to like dramas anyways.

No fun, glum, a little bit tacky and not really a heartfelt drama. Just not for me. I find it strange that it generates such high marks from others. Possibly it is a niche things or suits a particular person but if your looking for something cool and different, this is not it. If you are looking for a comedy this is not it... not sure.

High Plains Invaders (2009 TV Movie)

Hammy & Toothless

[3/10 · 20 March 2010]

Aliens invade a small town in westernville land. That's it for the plot. There is a lame attempt at a love interest sub plot but it never takes off and just seems like wasted lines.

This movie felt like I was watching grown men playing 'lets pretend' out in the back garden. It just had nothing to it that you could believe in. There was no single point throughout the entire film where there was an emotional connection with the audience. The acting was for the most part ridiculous not just hammy and poor but ridiculous. The female bounty hunter was just... I can't think of a superlative to meet so I'll just say miscast. Shouting out her corny lines in this schoolyard westernville town cheap TV accent.

The sound was pretty decent. The lighting I did not like. I think maybe a tint or some basic attempt at contrast was needed but it was all very samey and bland. The CGI was just passable not good but it was better than cardboard (although not a funny). All in all a film with very little charm or wit to carry off the lower budget. If you want to see a similar theme in a different setting (i.e. not westernville land town) look for Alien Raiders to see how a film of this kind can be made so much better on similar (if not smaller) budgets.

Mary and Max (2009)

Tragedy & Claymation do not mix well.

[7/10 · 16 March 2010]

In essence the movie is about Mary a young girl with a cruel life becoming a penpal to Max a middle age man with diagnosed aspergers. In a movie like this you would expect there to be some kind of resolution, some glimpse of hope but the film just seems to get worse and worse. Tragedy after tragedy befall the hopeless pair. Even brief glimpses of happiness are marred by tragedy until in the end we are left with only tears, death and the half hearted sentiment that friendship no matter how intangible is maybe enough to salve deep scarring wounds.

To put it bluntly this movie is a downer. I think that the subject matter may not be suitable to claymation. Claymation usually offers something distracting, madcap, surreal.... but tragic? It's like the forms do not mix very well. It's as if it is a lie or somehow betraying the truth.

I do not dislike the film, it is unique and extremely well crafted I just feel like maybe the next one will be better.

Cyber Wars (2004)

The Future of 1986

[7/10 · 3 February 2010]

A decent movie with a good cyberpunk theme. A very Gibsonesque world complete with wetwiring, neural links, the matrix and even a holo-dolphin being used as an semi-sentient afterlife avatar. The main character is a tough independent women caught up in a world of technocratic intrigue playing a short hand against tough odds. So the scenery is familiar to fans of cyberpunk and anybody who has read mid 80's Gibson.

Of course the world has moved on and in 2010 the film seems oddly dated. For a more current take on cyberpunk look to Vexille or Paranoia 1.0. This aside I give it kudos for portraying a more honest 80's idea of a virtual world than maybe something like virtuosity. The themes are solid, if a little cartoonish and flat.

Main gripe would probably be the lead role. She just did not seem to engage with the role. The material may not have been there but I have seen good actors giving a lot more with a lot less. She never seemed hurried or overly perturbed even with the bullets flying and people dieing in front of her. A gunshot wound was just another cheap squib and her acting was not up to the task of making you believe it was anything other. The threatening claustrophobia you would expect from a good techno or cyber thriller was absent.

Supports were better and gave a solid B grade performance.

One of the other problems was a noticeable inconsistency in the sound. Some parts were noticeably poorly miked and there were differences in tone and sound continuity. A distraction but not so bad. The music was good and had the right feel.

Also the lighting never seemed right. The whole film was too bright. Cyberpunk is film noir at heart and there should have been more play with shadows and colours. There was plenty of scope for light play. Scenes where subways lights go out could have been played for darkness but they were not.

That being said I still enjoyed it. There are not too many movies of it's kind. A Gibonesque story can be hard to pull off even with the best actors, production crews and serious money to throw around (Johnny Mnemonic). The Matrix as envisaged by Gibson always looks a bit cheesy (think lawnmower man) and as I said in 2010 there are real threats from networks that make the 80's cyberpunk themes seem pale (drone war planes, hikikomori, identity theft, net surveillance, rfids and GPS positioning).

Think of this film as picture postcard from a day at a Gibson beach. Your not really there but it looks nice enough.

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

My kid wanted to leave

[6/10 · 9 January 2010]

The film is good but for me would have made a much better 1 hour special. I like kids films and I did not really enjoy this. I think it is more aimed at adults who want to regress to childhood rather than for children themselves. For me the music did not work in a children's film. The set music pieces did not work, the choreography was a little stilted. The rat knife fight was a little more vicious and aggressive than is necessary in a children's film.

The last few years as the US is going from bad to worse war, financial collapse, vicious political divides they seem to be wanting cinema that is not representative of the rest of the world. UP is an example of a film not really for children but childlike adults. Slumdog Millionaire got an Oscar for best film. While it is a good film I think it is more reflective of the US audience wanting to feel good and needing films that are innocent and simple.

Like I said my child wanted to the leave the cinema after 45 minutes and I was not to sad to go.