Spring Wrap-up Part Four

S1m0ne (2002)

I'm a big fan of Andrew Niccol's directorial debut Gattaca but had not seen another one of his movies yet. S1m0ne was his second movie, which like Gattaca he also wrote the screenplay for.
Al Pacino plays once a once successful film director named Viktor Taransky who is now struggling for a hit movie. After a demanding star actress (she only eats red M&Ms!) leaves the production of his current film it seems all is lost, until Taransky is given a computer generated actress from a computer scientist friend, which Taransky can manipulate any way he wants and is indistinguishable from reality. We even get the see images of the actresses that Simone is drawn from, in a subtle but hilarious joke includes... Ernest Borgnine?!
It is probably the dream of every director to be able to control their actors in this way and its fun to watch Taransky directing the fakery of Simone. While this starts off with Taransky controlling her acting, it quickly leads to him also having to keep up the illusion that she is a real person due to her skyrocketing popularity!
S1m0ne was ahead of its time in that it deals with concepts such as CGI, holograms, Photoshopping movie posters, technology in films like Avatar, and even reality TV. The themes of hero worship, cult of personality, celebrity culture, "manufactured celebrities," are hammered home with imagery that focused on cameras and eyes.
S1m0ne is a satire that feels like a Charlie Kaufman film with the biting wit of Heathers. Since the movie is a satire it doesn't take place in the real world, but instead in a universe that is real enough only with exaggerated features to prove a point. For example, Taransky works for "Amalgamated Film Studios" and the other women up against Simone for the Best Actress Oscar all have the last names of software (Apple, Corel, etc.).
Here are some of my favorite lines:
"I can't imagine any other actress playing the part!" "Hal, it's a remake..."
"It was so artificial... I didn't believe it was 17th century Lisbon!
"The escalating threat of violence and all out war was overshadowed today by the Oscar nominations"
"We're okay with fake, just don't lie to us"
Although I really liked S1m0ne, it does have some flaws. The two paparazzi guys are funny enough but I felt they were never fully pulled into the story. From the beginning they felt like a humorous but unnecessary side story. At first I thought the pair were stalker fans until it was later explained that they work at a newspaper, which was confusing.
The concert scene in which Simone becomes a pop star is a showstopper. Sure its necessary to show how big of a star she is, but did we really need to listen to her sing an entire song to prove this point?
Without giving anything away, the ending is a deus ex machina. Satires usually have trouble with endings as they often don't have an answer for how to solve the issue they are discussing. This is the case with S1m0ne, although to be fair I'm not sure how else the movie could have ended without making a huge shift in tone. The ending basically accepts the problem of celebrity overload but a great satire should figure a way how to fix the problem. Even though I felt the ending was a weak spot and could have been better, it didn't really harm my enjoyment of the movie as a whole. I can't wait to see more of Niccol's work!
8/10

Ghost Rider (2007)
I'm not a huge comic book reader and have never read any Ghost Rider. This movie is based on the Marvel comic and is one of the few Marvel properties that got a film which Stan Lee had little to nothing to do. Mr. Excelsior is listed has a producer but we don't get a cameo from Stan the Man!
Nicolas Cage plays our main character, stuntman Johnny Blaze, who becomes the superhero (or perhaps antihero in this case) Ghost Rider. Cage delivers a fun performance. It is not one of his better roles but that has to do more with the screenplay than his acting.
The premise is a deal with devil story in the vein of Faust. Johnny Blaze makes an agreement with Mephistopheles to cure his father's cancer in return for Johnny's soul. This eventually leads to events which cause Johnny to become Ghost Rider.
Sam Elliot does a nice job as the Caretaker, a predecessor of Ghost Rider. The Caretaker in the movie is apparently an amalgam of the character of the same name from the comics and and the Phantom Rider comics character.
I don't usually get into spoilers but there was something near the end that bothered me.  Highlight the text below if you are fine with spoilers.

Near the end of the movie the Caretaker reveals his true identity. This sets up that Ghost Rider is going to team up with the Caretaker to battle the villain. But right before the big showdown, the Caretaker changes back to human for no reason and says he used his last change which means he has permanently lost his powers. It was so stupid and disappointing as I was pumped up for a cool final battle and it ended up being a letdown.

Ghost Rider is not a good movie but its not terrible either and entertaining enough. A sequel came out in February this year and despite David Goyer (Dark City, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight) having a writing credit I think I'll pass on it.
4/10

The Last Unicorn (1982)
Rankin/Bass is probably best known for their Christmas specials such as the stop motion Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) and the animated Frosty the Snowman (1969). Besides these holiday specials they also made many TV series and feature films, such as The Last Unicorn. Peter S. Beagle wrote the fantasy novel upon which this film is based but I never read it.
The fantastic cast includes the voice talents of Christopher Lee, Keenan Wynn, Angela Lansbury, Jeff Bridges, Mia Farrow, Alan Arkin, and Rene Auberjonois. The animation is also quite good though you'll never get it confused with a Disney film.The Last Unicorn is a kids movie but is intelligent and never plays down to its audience, which I highly respect. It's not the best animated movie ever but certainly something kids can enjoy with their parents. There is some slow pacing and weird stuff like the harpy and the "Red Bull" but I overall I liked it.
6/10

Thus concludes the final spring wrap-up post!

Next up: Two movies by a famous director, Two baseball movies, 2012 movies I have seen so far, and TV shows I am watching this summer.
And if you didn't notice the banner on the right, I'll be participating in the My First Movie Blogathon hosted by Forgotten Classics of Yesteryear in early August.

Tron and Tron: Legacy

Tron (1982)
I tried to watch this movie on two separate occasions when I was younger but couldn't get past the first 20 minutes either time as I found it boring. Now that I'm older I wanted to give it another shot.

Tron has great special effects. Sure its a bit dated but the look still holds up pretty well for a 30 year old movie. The style is still pretty unique with neon and desaturated colors. The visuals are stunning despite the slow pacing so its similar to Star Trek: The Motion Picture in that respect. Syd Mead helped design both movies as well as others such as Blade Runner which came out the same year as Tron.

The scenes before Kevin Flynn (played by Jeff Bridges) goes into the computer are pretty boring with a bit too much exposition so I can see why I didn't get further into it when I was in high school. Of the early scenes I did like the match cut from the neon world of the computer to the lights on a helicopter. There is a similar shot near the end in which the real world city looks like the game world.

When it comes to the acting we have fun performances by David Warner (who plays all three villains: the human Dillinger, the program Sark and the Master Control Program), Jeff Bridges, and Bruce Boxleitner. Like Vincent Price, David Warner is one of those actors who was in a lot of films and even though many of them were bad, always took his roles seriously and made the movies watchable. Tron also features character actors Barnard Hughes (The Lost Boys) and Dan Shor (Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure).

I was surprised that Tron had some religious undertones such as the programs fighting each other over their the belief of the users that created them. This leads to the dual roles for most of the actors as they programs appear as the real people who created them or work at the company. I thought this was clever and made it feel like a high-tech version of The Wizard of Oz in this way.

The story is predictable as we have rebels who try to stop bad guys who wants to take over the world. There is a new spin on it with the computer stuff but its still a typical man vs. machine story. A love story is added late and it feels forced in there. The music isn't very good as none of it is memorable or fits particularly well.

The film was disqualified from receiving an Academy Award nomination for special effects, because the Academy felt at the time that using computers was "cheating". Tron was nominated for costume design and sound but this is still a huge snub, especially these days with movies like Avatar taking home the visual effects awards. Tron and others movies such as The Last Starfighter were pioneers when it came to early CGI and films like Avatar wouldn't exist without them.

I liked Tron and I'm glad that I gave it another shot now that I am older. But when it comes to early 1980s movies about computers I still prefer WarGames!

I must say I am surprised Tron got a sequel 28 years later. I guess this is due to the movie's cult following as Tron was only mildly successful during its initial release. But even forgetting the passage of time the original pretty much wraps everything up in the end. Well, it's time to watch Tron: Legacy and see how they handled it!
6/10

Tron: Legacy (2010)
Tron: Legacy was made 28 years after the original and the story also takes place the same amount of time later. Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner reprise their roles (Kevin Flynn and Alan Bradley respectively) from the first movie which is pretty cool.

The CGI used to make Bridges look younger was quite good. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and X-Men: The Last Stand both used similar techniques.

The score by Daft Punk fits better than the music for first movie did, but I was still expecting better from these guys. Like the original, we have great visual effects and solid acting by Jeff Bridges. For some reason Bridges is kinda like a Jedi this time. And I don't just means that he is more wise but even in the way he dresses and uses his powers. In a way he's a cyber-punk version of The Dude!

Our main character this time is Sam Flynn, the son of Bridges' character. Sam is played by Garrett Hedlund and while he's nothing special he isn't terrible. He's way better than Shia Labeouf in those Transformers movies!
I would have liked to have seen more of Tron the character. I mean these movies are named for him after all! I am guessing this is because Jeff Bridges is simply a bigger name than Bruce Boxleitner and I guess I should be glad he is here at all.

While the computer world looks great I miss the faces being in black and white. I guess that the faces were only in B&W in the original due to the limitations of the special effects at the time but it did create a striking and unique style.

There was one thing that took me out of the movie: the David Bowie guy pictured above. Michael Sheen plays a minor but important character who looks and act like 70s David Bowie. I don't understand this at all and even though I found his character funny it was still pretty distracting and out of left field.

What happened to the female character and program (Lora/Yori played by Cindy Morgan) from the first movie? She is never even mentioned which is kinda odd. To be fair she was somewhat superfluous in the original film. Still, they could've just said she married Alan Bradley or something if they couldn't get her for a cameo. Maybe they are saving her (and perhaps David Warner) for the sequel?! Just don't wait 28 more years this time!

Like the original Tron there are still some slow pacing and story issues. The villains in both movies want to take over the world! Why? Because they're bad guys! But to be fair it was interesting to use Clu (Kevin Flynn's alias/alter ego from the first movie) as the villain this time around.

Tron: Legacy differs from its predecessor in that there are action scenes before Sam Flynn entered the computer world. I guess this was done to show Sam was ready to these stunts later but it would've been a better contrast if we only got the action in the computer/game world. I wonder this is simply the result of the post-Matrix/Inception world we live in.

Although Tron:Legacy updates the material for a new generation I have some of the same complaints as I did the first (slow pacing and generic good vs. bad story). I liked it but a sequel was unnecessary even though it does follow up on characters and events from first movie. While I liked both Tron movies about the same (I prefer original) I don't think that for most people liking one means you will like the other as they both feel like products of their respective times. Considering they waited 28 years, it was amazing they actually made a pretty good sequel.

I don't know if there will be a Tron 3 but since the movie was a box office hit making over $400 million worldwide it wouldn't surprise me. Dillinger's son has a small role in this movie and is played by Cillian Murphy (Sunshine, Batman Begins, Inception) so if there is another one I think he will play a bigger role.
6/10

First Blood (1982)

First Blood (1982)
Directed by Ted Kotcheff
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Brian Dennehy, Richard Crenna
IMDB: First Blood

Why I wanted to watch it: Rambo is an iconic character, so I felt it was one of those movies I had to see.

Plot Synopsis: A mentally unstable Vietnam war vet, John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone), begins a one man war after being abused by a small town's police force.

Thoughts: I was not expecting this coming into First Blood, but what struck me the most was how many beautiful shots there were for an action movie. The film takes place in the Pacific Northwest and was shot on-location in British Columbia. The landscape and gorgeous backgrounds are almost their own character. Most of the movie takes place in the woods and it is fascinating to see how Rambo adapts to and then uses this environment to his advantage. Jerry Goldsmith puts in a good score which complements the scenery, although the song sung over the end credits felt a bit out of place. The directing was quite suspenseful, as this is really more of a thriller than an action movie. Much of the movie is about Rambo trying to survive as it is about him fighting the police and National Guard. The focus shifts from Rambo's point of view to that of the police force and national guard, so that we don't know what Rambo has in store for the police force. We see Rambo making preparations but since we never get a good, long look at what he is doing, we don't know exactly how he will fight back. The way Rambo used the landscape to fight against, or really hunt down a large group, reminded me of Predator. How is there not a Rambo vs. Predator comic?!

First Blood has a lot of great lines such as "Hunting? We ain't hunting him, he's hunting us!" "God didn't make Rambo, I made him!" and "a good supply of body bags!" My favorite had to be when Rambo takes a solider driving a truck at knife point and says: "Don't look at me, look at the road. That's how accidents happen."
At its core First Blood is a film about the Vietnam War.  However, it is not a war film and takes place in America years after the war. Besides the treatment of Vietnam vets, another theme is that of generational conflict. When it boils down to it, this movie is really Rambo vs. Sheriff Teasle (Brian Dennehy).
Something else I noticed was that the portrayal of Rambo in popular culture seems to be taken more from the sequels than from First Blood. First Blood is a suspenseful thriller and not "war porn" like the sequels may lead you to believe. The film has a shockingly low body count (one death and Rambo isn't even directly responsible, although there are several injuries). The movie doesn't contain that much blood or gore given the subject matter. I think if First Blood came out today it would be rated PG-13 since that rating did not yet exist when the film was released in 1982.

Col. Samuel Trautman (Richard Crenna) enters the story late for a main character as he doesn't appear until about a third of the way in. However this works since by this point in the film we know Rambo, but not much about his background other than the fact that he fought in Vietnam. So when Trautman is introduced we are instantly intrigued as we want to know more about the man who trained Rambo and served as him commander in Vietnam. Trautman also adds to the plot's conflict and suspense. While we want to know if Rambo or Teasle will win, we also want to know if Trautman can get Rambo to stop his crusade against the town.

Stallone puts on what is arguably his best acting performance. He does a good job of bringing the character emotion, especially in the final scenes. John Rambo is human, not just a mindless killing machine like the popular image of Rambo, which is parodied in everything from UHF to Robot Chicken.
Although I liked the film, it is not without its flaws. How was Rambo not more seriously injured when he jumped off the side of a cliff and used a tree to break his fall? That said, I have a feeling this movie is still a lot more realistic than the sequels. Also, I don't understand why Rambo starts walking back to the town after the sheriff drives him away and tells him to leave. I know he was trying to prove a point, but couldn't he have a least waited until the sheriff drove away? I think the answer is that Rambo had to get revenge once the sheriff kicked him out of town for no reason. In the words of Rambo, Teasle "drew first blood" which forced Rambo to retaliate. Still, this could have been more clear as it took away some of my sympathy for the character at the moment.

Trivia: Although most people don't know it, First Blood is actually based on a book written by David Morrell. In the book Rambo dies at the end, as well as Sheriff Teasle. On a similar note, the original ending of the film was that Rambo would kill himself with Trautman's gun. However, test audiences found the ending too depressing so it was changed. It would have been hard to make the sequels had they kept that ending!
While its hard to believe, Ted Kotcheff is actually the same director who brought us Weekend at Bernie's!
A lot of big name actors were considered for or turned down roles in this film. Clint Eastwood, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, Nick Nolte, John Travolta, Dustin Hoffman, James Garner, Kris Kristofferson, Michael Douglas, and Terence Hill all could have been Rambo. Gene Hackman and Robert Duvall turned down the role of the sheriff, while Lee Marvin, Kirk Douglas, and Rock Hudson all declined the part of Col. Trautman.
David Caruso has a minor role as Mitch, a young officer in the town's police force. Caruso is well known for his role as Lt. Horatio Caine on CSI: Miami.

Score: 8/10
Closing Thoughts: First Blood was a pleasant surprise as I liked it more than I thought I would. The directing, cinematography, and acting were all better than I expected. I'm glad that the focus was on the characters and not the action. Unfortunately this does not appear to be the case in the sequels.

On Saturday I'll discuss some movies that I actually would like to see remade! Then on Sunday I'll post the Weekly Round-up.