What I'm watching

#418/#135 The Terminal

(Rewatch)

When his country diplomatically ceases to exist while he is in the air, Krakozihan Viktor Navorski (Tom Hanks) becomes confined to the JFK international airport until the matter can be resolved. Unable to leave the airport for New York or fly home, Viktor must learn English, how to make money in order to eat, and maybe even woo a lady (Catherine Zeta Jones).

You wouldn’t think the premise would lend itself to a whole movie but this film is surprisingly enjoyable the whole way through. Hanks isn’t exactly breaking new ground with his likeable nice guy role but why mess with a classic when he does it so well? It’s really easy to empathise with Viktor and it’s interesting to watch how he attempts to deal with living in the airport. Stanley Tucci also provides a good turn, as the bureaucratic airport manager trying to foil Viktor and a strong secondary character roster fills out the rest of the movie. Jones is the only one really out of place. She’s fine in her role but the love interest side-plot seems superfluous and tacked on.

It’s cliche in a couple of places, and its ending is a little twee, but overall the terminal is an enjoyable watch. I don’t see it making much of an impact on anyone’s life but it’s a feel good film I can’t see many people taking umbrage with. 4/5

#337/#54 The Hunger Games

In the dystopic future, yearly hunger game are undertaken by 2 tributes from each of the 12 districts in which participants fight until only one remains. This year sees the struggles of District 12’s female tribute, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), as she tackles life in the games.

I hate when I’ve got to review a film like this. A film that by every definition is a good film but just doesn’t capture the spark to make it a great one. It’s easy to say bad things about a bad movie but it’s difficult to pinpoint what’s missing to make an acceptable one better than it should be. It’s also more often than not a film I’ve already read the book/series of before it made its way to the silver screen. I don’t know if it’s higher expectations or just familiarity with the story but it happened to Harry Potter, it happened to Lisbeth Salander and now it has happened to Katnis Everdeen.

The good, first off, is plentiful throughout the film. The music, cinematography and set design really work to capture the feel of poverty in the districts and the decadence of the capitol. Additionally specific actors such as Jennifer Lawerence, Stanley Tucci and Elizabeth Banks all fill their roles perfectly and others such as Woody Harrelson, Lenny Kravitz, Amandla Stenberg and Donald Sutherland, while not what I had pictured from the books, all do really well to make their roles fit them properly. All of the behinds the scenes stuff with the game keepers and President Snow (Sutherland) was also a welcome addition.

The bad, however, comes when they decided to cut things out or speed things up that were paramount in the book. I’m not talking little things like cutting the character of Madge out. That made sense to keep the narrative flow going, but things like having Katnis find water right away, or meeting, bonding with and then losing Rue in such rapid succession or all the cave scenes. It kept the gist of why all those things were important but it lost the emotional impact that came with them. It lost the oppressive feel that even the games were trying to kill Katnis right from the beginning with something as simple as withholding water.

Additionally, in a similar vein to Dragon Tattoo’s Lisbeth Salander, Kantis does not vocalise anything. The majority of the context we get in the books is from her observations and inner thoughts so we lose a lot of this in the transition to the screen. They fixed this a little by adding the commentary by Tucci’s character but it still felt a bit like an abridged version of the story. All the same content just none of the context.

Lastly I didn’t like Josh Hutcherson as Peeta. I generally like him as an actor but he just felt pointless and out of his league acting along side Lawrence in this. I’ve never liked the character of Peeta but the first book was where he made the most sense to the hunger games storyline so you’d expect this film to be the one where he would establish his presence and it just doesn’t materialise here.

Overall I still enjoyed the movie, and I’m going to be checking out the further ones in the series, but there was a better version of this film that could have been made. 3/5

#328/#45 Easy A

(Rewatch)

Original Review

Nothing new to add here, just keeping the tally correct, but I will say that I forgot how much I love every scene with Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson in them. Their introduction scene at the beginning of the movie has got to be one of the funniest in the whole film. I quite enjoy the back and forth with Emma Stone’s character and the love interest boy as well. Usually he’s just the hunky guy in these types of film but he’s fairly well actualised in this movie. 4/5

#325/#42 Captain America

(Rewatch)

Original Review

Not a great deal more to add this time around other than the fact it’s definitely my second favourite of all the pre-avengers films after Iron Man. The whole film has grown on me over time but I still think the latter half is the most rushed and worst part of it. It in no way ruins it, it’s just not as well thought out as the rest of the film, knocking it down a couple points.

Oh and Tommy Lee Jones and Stanley Tucci just own in this film. 3.5/5

Wilhelm scream #24

#190 Captain America: The First Avenger

Sickly little Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) just wants to do his part for his country and fight in World War II but he keeps getting knocked back for his health. Steve’s ever determined attitude garners him the attention of a scientist (Stanley Tucci) who is working with the government on a super solider serum and soon Steve is chosen as the first test subject resulting in him becoming Captain America. Unfortunately the scientist is killed, and his serum lost, leaving Steve the only one capable of taking on the forces of Hydra and its leader, Red Skull (Hugo Weaving).

Rounding out the last of the 4 superhero films this summer and Captain America is looking like a pretty strong contender for spot no 2. Nothing was going to beat X Men First Class for me, and it was doubtful it was going to be as big a disappointment as Green Lantern, so the only real question was if it was going to out compete the middle of the road Thor. And it did…I think. To be honest I’m still not quite sure what I feel about this film. I know I liked it but it didn’t wow me in any real way.

The casting was really great, I don’t think there was a single actor amongst them that didn’t shine in their role. The characters were diverse and interesting enough that they held your attention. A good, if somewhat stereotypical, baddy played by a well known villainous actor. A pitch perfect depiction of the style and feel of the time period. Some absolutely fantastic costumes, set design and makeup work which, thinking back on, might actually be the best parts of the film. All of this was good but the plot was just a little bit of a dud.

Don’t get me wrong, the build up to Rogers becoming Cap was really well done, as was his time as a propaganda machine and his first incursion on a hydra base but after that it all got a little montage-y, a little rushed and a little flat. The epic final battle was a sort of a non-event really. Good build up but a bit of a let down with the pay off.

There were also a couple of questionable effects/CGI and a couple of really hokey lines throughout but it was all readily forgivable just to get immersed in the atmosphere of the whole thing. If nothing else I came out of it having enjoyed it, whereas Thor I was still trying to figure out how I felt about the film. 3.5/5

P.S. I saw it in 3D and it was fine. It wasn’t used that much however and so I really wouldn’t bother with it if you have the option, it’ll be just as good in 2D.

Wilhelm Scream #10 (I’ve missed this scream)

#152 Easy A

After a rumour begins to circulate about Olive Penderghast (Emma Stone) losing her virginity over the weekend, things quickly begin to spin out of control until everyone thinks she’s the school slut as she pretends to have slept with all the unpopular boys to help them. This angers the Christian section of the school and what started out as a joke becomes more serious.

This is a funny comedy about all the stupid labels put on people in high school around sexuality. There are a lot of good jokes in this film and the writing is probably the strongest part of the movie.

As I said in my mean girls review, Stone has sort of stepped in to fill the Lindsay Lohan roles however I also think she’s a better actress and more believable in her parts. Her reactions and insight are somewhat similar to Ellen Page’s in Juno as well. Thomas Haden Church, Lisa Kudrow, Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci should all also be singled out for praise in their roles. They’re all funny and add something to the story.

While I liked the film, it is rather heavy handed in it’s message and really vilifies the Christians present. I’m not saying there aren’t nut job Christians out there but they’re the only type shown in this film. There’s no ‘turn the other cheek’ Christians it all ‘shun the harlot’ ones which I doubt there would be so many of in a standard public school. Again this might be a cultural thing. Barely anyone gives a fuck what your religious views are in Scottish public schools (at least mine anyway). It’s more of a ‘feel free to worship (or not worship) anything you like, just keep it to yourself’ mentality, which I quite like.

I also learnt twat is a much bigger insult in the US than it is in the UK, and they say it weirdly as well. Like twot with an elongated w. If you’re called a twat it just means you’re an idiot here.

A good film overall, which let itself down a little in the end, but still fairly solid. 4/5