Transformers The Movie (1986) Movie Review

Transformers: The Movie (1986)

Reprinted from The Young Folks as posted on June 28, 2014

The arrival of the fourth movie in Michael Bay’s Transformers series, subtitled Age of Extinction, brings attention to the fact that the last three decades (September 17 of this year will be the 30^th anniversary of when the very first Transformers television episode aired) have brought us multiple animated series’, one animated movie, and four live action movies built around the simple goal of having giant robots beat the holy hell out of each other. Selling toys is, of course, still the real incentive though. Even diversions into Beast Wars still carried through with those hard-set goals. There’s really not much to it, and yet here we are 30 years later as this premise continues to be milked for all its (relative) worth.

I, like many men born after 1980, certainly harbor some level of nostalgia for the Transformers, so I figured that as Bay’s latest installment in the long running franchise is upon us I would revisit the first of the robot films. No, not the first Bayformers from 2007, but the animated film made in 1986 during a height in the franchise’s popularity. Revisiting Transformers The Movie is a curious experience, one that almost definitely requires the viewer to hold dear to those nostalgic memories as they venture back.

In many ways, despite unflattering comparisons to the cartoon from fans, Bay’s Transformers movies aren’t so different from this one. The same criticisms lobbied at his iteration of the ‘robots in disguise,’ from incoherent plotting to mind-numbing action and paper thin/annoying characters, can be found here as well, so looking at this movie is all about how it filters through your perspective. On the one hand, it shows much nostalgia plays into your enjoyment of the movie. On the other hand, a reasonably short running time and actually being able to distinguish which robot is which during the action does make a difference.

Those may seem like small points, but after about an hour and a half of non-stop beat-downs, a few distinguishing factors go a long way. There is a ton of characters old and new, though as many fans know the old characters get the raw end of the deal here. This is a merciless movie that takes out the majority of the original cast within the first half. Optimus Prime and Starscream’s deaths are the most famous, but Ratchet, Ironhide, and others also bite the dust pretty quickly. Despite the naked motivation to kill these characters in order to focus on new toys in the merchandise line, seeing Optimus’ life slowly go out as his comrades watch still carries a charge of emotional resonance.

Since these rather heavy scenes (especially for a kids movie) are all packed into the beginning on Earth, this leaves the newly introduced characters to pull their weight for the remainder, to rather mixed results. The most memorable is the main villain Unicron, a planet-sized Transformer that devours worlds and provides Orson Welles with his last film role before his death. I’m sure Welles, the innovative director behind Citizen Kane who evolved the very language of film, didn’t expect his final contribution to be that of a giant planet-eating cartoon robot.

Some of the new Autobots make impressions, from the fast talking Blurr to the sole female robot Arcee, although many of them fade into the expansive cast. With the enormous amount of characters on display, it’s hard for the newcomers to leave their mark. The movie tries to compensate for this by hiring big name actors such as Judd Nelson (Hot Rod), Robert Stack (Ultra Magnus), and Eric Idle (Wreck-Gar) to provide the voices. Leonard Nimoy (who would later voice Sentinel Prime in Bay’s Dark of the Moon) comes out on top as Galvatron, who is basically just Megatron with a voice change and new paint job, but even these seasoned vets are overshadowed by fan-favorite Dinobot Grimlock.

All this isn’t to say that Transformers The Movie is without its pleasures. The soundtrack more than fills out the movie’s quota of fun 80s cheese, from Lion’s cover of the catchy Transformers theme song to Stan Bush’s cornball rock anthem “The Touch.” And for those looking for plenty of robot-pounding-robot action, at least until it has worn down the viewer by the third act, will get what they’re looking for. However, like many other pieces of pop culture from our youth, the movie works at its best for those walking in with their nostalgia filter on. Anyone not all that familiar with Transformers should only seek it out as a curiosity, or just remember that Toy Story perfected the plastic-toys-with-souls story.

Walker Stalker Con 2014 Hits Boston

Reprinted from The Young Folks as posted on June 21, 2014

Starting last Friday, June 13, the Westin Waterfront Hotel in Boston, MA was home to the Walker Stalker Con, a three-day long event where horror fans (among others) could converge for a weekend full of treats and chances to meet various people in the entertainment industry. Given the name, zombies were naturally the primary focus, with most of the booths spread around the Westin relating to the shuffling walkers in some way shape or form.

The stars of AMC’s hit television show The Walking Dead were the most prominently featured guests at the Con, with most of the Q&A panels and photo ops centered around them and booths set up for autographs and photos with the actors and actresses. Some of the bigger players from the show weren’t around, including Andrew Lincoln and David Morrissey, but the majority of the cast made appearances, from Jon Bernthal to Steven Yeun, Lauren Cohan, Chad Coleman, and many others.

But the Walking Dead cast members weren’t the only people to be featured at the Con. With the event in Boston, it wasn’t too much of a surprise to see the cult hit film The Boondock Saints have a decent-sized presence, including a Saturday screening and follow-up Q&A. Not having Norman Reedus there (at least on Sunday when I attended the Con) was unfortunate, as he would have created a nice bridge between the horror and gangster stuff, but other Saints actors Sean Patrick Flanery and David Della Rocco were on hand to talk to attendees.

Fans of the horror genre were treated to some other nice surprises, including the chance to meet original Night of the Living Dead actors Judith O’Dea and Russ “Coming to Get You Barbara” Streiner. Friday the 13^th series fans had a few notable guests of their own, such as the lead actresses of the first two movies, Adrienne King and Amy Steel, and Tom Morga, one of the many actors to play Jason Voorhees, as well as Michael Myers too. Some other examples of the eclectic line-up of guests included Melissa Hutchison from Telltale Games (who are responsible for the fantastic Walking Dead episodic games), AMC’s Comic Book Men, and the Science Channel’s Oddities.

 

Other vendor booths set up shop around the Westin provided a variety of goodies and entertainment, from artist zombie renderings to a pellet gun range with zombie targets. Movie posters of all kinds could be found almost anywhere in the Con areas, while comics, toys, DVDs, music and other merchandise were available too. Friday night was host to the Zombie Bash dance party to shake things up, while attendees also found themselves visiting the zombie makeup vendor to get decked out in gnarly prosthetics to look more like members of the shambling undead.

But this won’t be the last time that the Walker Stalker Con makes an appearance in 2014. The convention will next make its way to Atlanta from October 17-19, where guests such as Michael Rooker, Melissa McBride, David Morrissey, and Greg Nicotero will be there.

Go (1999) Movie Review

Go (1999)

Reprinted from The Young Folks as posted on June 12, 2014

The career trajectory of director Doug Liman is one familiar to many other filmmakers. After getting his starting in the world of independent film, Hollywood eventually came knocking on Liman’s door, and the man whose first film was the small-scale Swingers soon gained prevalence as an action director with The Bourne Identity, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and the recently released Edge of Tomorrow. But some time before his action-oriented realignment with Bourne, Liman made a film by the name of Go that both serves as a bridge between the two stages of his career and arguably still stands as his best film.

Although Liman didn’t write Swingers or Go (that would be Jon Favreau and John August respectively, two writers who would also find themselves working in blockbusters eventually), both films share a penchant for witty wordplay and high energy. Liman also carried over the sense of hip attitude from Swingers into the following film, and Go shows the filmmaker fully confident in his ability to expand onto a wider canvas, one which covers the span of one wild Christmas night.

Upon its release, Go carried the reputation of being yet another Tarantino copy with its ensemble cast and branching storylines. But where other movies of that type at the time failed by trying too hard to be slick and cool, that aspect comes through much more naturally here. A large part of that comes from the talented cast, many of whom were relative up-and-comers at the time that went on to bigger things, clicking together with August’s script and their onscreen chemistry.



The story is broken up into three distinct chapters, each of which starts at the supermarket where most of the characters converge before going off on their own adventures that occasionally cross over with each other. The first story deals with Ronna and her friend Claire, played by Sarah Polley and Katie Holmes, conducting a drug deal in order to make some desperate cash, and it functions as a nice lead-in for the following events to play off of. Part of this has to do with these two playing the most relatable of all the characters, so Polley and Holmes are able to ground the audience in the increasing chaotic events.

Their section also does a great job of establishing the tonal mix of tension-filled situations and dark comedy throughout the film, especially during the escapades of Desmond Askew, Taye Diggs, and Breckin Meyer’s characters as they plow their way through every thing that could go wrong in Vegas. Liman stages the various absurdities with plenty of style and style to spare, taking his characters through psychedelic raves, car chases, and unexpected twists.



Along with actors Jay Mohr and Scott Wolf, whose plotline is both the strangest and the last leg of the overarching story, William Fichtner, Jane Krakowski, and then-newcomers Timothy Olyphant and Melissa McCarthy fill out the rest of the cast. Much of the movie’s clever fun comes from how each of these characters unknowingly affects events that happen in the parallel plot threads. Events that seemingly come out of nowhere, like the shock gag that occurs at the end of Ronna’s story, are eventually explained from another angle. The comical unpredictability of such moments keeps viewers on their toes to expect anything, before being rewarded with payoffs that interlock all the pieces.

When it all comes together, Go is more about having a good time and going along for the ride rather than anything deeper. It captures the lively spirit of embarking on that “one crazy night” and then going off into directions and situations that one wouldn’t want to be caught in but would love to watch unfold from the sidelines. Even though it has been 15 years since the release of Go, its clear in the much bigger budgeted Edge of Tomorrow that Doug Liman still has some of that madcap nature left in him. With that film underperforming in U.S. theaters, perhaps its time for the director to take a page from his Swingers writer Jon Favreau and return to the smaller-scale roots that started his career.

Godzilla and the Primal Nature of Family

Reprinted from The Young Folks as posted on June 2, 2014

The new Godzilla film by director Gareth Edwards has attracted multiple comparisons to the work of Steven Spielberg, whether it is for the tease-and-delay monster revealing from Jaws or the terror-tinged wonder from Jurassic Park. But one comparison that hasn’t quite been brought up as much is the bond of family that runs through most of the veteran director’s work. In the case of Godzilla, family bonds run so strong that they form the backbone of nearly every important action and motivation from the primary characters. Major spoilers are to follow from here on out.

The most frequent criticism that has been leveled against the new Godzilla has been its thin character development, which is a valid one for certain. It’s a constant that runs throughout the entire Godzilla series; the monster(s) are cool and the humans are dull. But the King of the Monsters’ 2014 film revival mitigates this to a degree by tying together the characters, even the monsters, by the universally relatable motivation of family. As Ken Watanabe’s Dr. Serizawa repeatedly warns the others, nature is a primal force that humans cannot hope to control. He’s referring to the destructive power of the great beasts, but what is more primal than protecting those closest to you?



It’s a narrative shortcut that ends up working in the movie’s favor. Joe Brody (Bryan Cranston) loses his wife Sandra (Juliette Binoche) early in the movie due to an accident caused by the M.U.T.O. creature. When Aaron Taylor Johnson shows up as his grown up son Ford (did I mention a film whose lead character is named Ford Brody has been compared to Spielberg?) 15 years later, Joe is leading a one-man crusade to expose the truth. After Joe’s life abruptly ends at the same site where his wife perished, Ford is left with two things that keep him going forward: making sure his parents’ deaths don’t go in vain and keeping his wife and son out of danger.

Even Serizawa, who is otherwise just an exposition vessel, has a moment of human clarity. Later on he reveals that the pocket watch he carries around once belonged to his father, and then stopped after the Hiroshima bomb in 1945. During the suspenseful Honolulu airport sequence, Ford pledges to protect a boy on the tram when he is separated from his parents. For a brief moment after surviving the incident, Ford thinks he lost the boy to the crowd, perhaps scarily reminding him that he is still unaware of his own son’s whereabouts, until he witnesses a touching moment of family reunion as the couple embrace their child.

There is a similar moment between the male and female M.U.T.O.s that occurs prior to the thrilling third act monster throw-down. Both creatures share an unexpectedly tender moment as a father and a mother ready to embrace and nurture their litter of crab-like hellions. Their violent temperament positions the M.U.T.O.s as villains, but when looking at the root of things their motivations aren’t too dissimilar from the helpless humans. Then again both species also share an affinity for advanced technology meant for destruction.

That leaves Godzilla as the anomaly of the pack, to an extent. On the surface he’s a lone wolf, seemingly the last of his kind who shows up in unpredictable intervals to clash with the M.U.T.O.s. The humans, excepting Serizawa, see the titular monster as a last resort to their problem. What the humans don’t understand is that not only is Godzilla their biggest hope for survival, but that he sees them as his family. He has no one else except them. He protects them much like the M.U.T.O.s protect their nest and Ford protects that boy, and he even protects them from themselves.

During the Golden Gate bridge sequence, the Navy does that foolish movie trope of firing missiles at the monster when other humans are close by. But rather than dodging the missiles like Not-Godzilla did in the 1998 movie near the Chrysler Building, Godzilla jumps right in to block the missiles from hitting the bridge traffic. In fact, the big man might not have knocked into the bridge just afterwards had the Navy stopped attacking him. As the climatic brawl in San Francisco nears its end, Godzilla and Ford share a moment together in their battered states, perhaps sensing an understanding together of what drives them.

When Ford makes his sacrificial move with the bomb and the mother M.U.T.O. desperately attacks to avenge her fallen kin, Godzilla works up his strength to end the M.U.T.O.’s reign of terror once and for all with an applause-worthy finish. In the ending minutes, Ford finally reunites with his wife and son after the perilous journey halfway across the world, and Godzilla completes his role as the savior of humanity (give or take a few skyscrapers that crumbled in the process) as everyone freezes in awe at their protector. Nature finds its balance again at the conclusion of Godzilla, showing that the driving force behind nature, one that audiences can easily relate to, is the primal instinct of protecting and living up to those who mean the most to you.

Oculus (2014) Review

Oculus

Supernatural horror films have experienced a prolific resurgence recently. Blumhouse Productions has frequently been at the forefront of this movement with such popular titles as “Paranormal Activity,” “Sinister” and “Insidious.” As with any category of film there comes a set of clichés that defines it, so it’s welcome when a horror film tries to branch out on its own and break the mold. Unfortunately, the new Blumhouse produced film, “Oculus,” makes passes at something fresh and comes up short in the process.

10 years after a traumatic event sent Tim Russell into the psychotherapy ward, he has recovered on his 21^st birthday and is released into the care of his sister Kaylie. Tim has since repressed the belief that supernatural forces caused the terrible event, but Kaylie still refuses to believe otherwise and obtains the ominous mirror that she believes is the source of their trouble. As the siblings set up recording equipment to prove what no one else believes, the mirror awakens to twist reality to its will.

At the same time, “Oculus” shifts between these events of the present and those of the past where the Russell family was torn apart by the mirror’s omnipotent force. In spite of the present day scenes being the framework for the story, the stuff in the past is where “Oculus” finds its most compelling material. The actors cast in the film can be attributed to this, and while Karen Gillen (old Kaylie) “Doctor Who” fame is given top billing, her and Brenton Thwaites (old Tim) are overshadowed by their younger acting counterparts, Annalise Basso and Garrett Ryan respectively.

Writer/director Mike Flanagan, adapting his own short film of the same name, would have been better off sticking to the story of young Tim and Kaylie experiencing the deterioration of their family. Instead, he creates an awkward parallel structure that both withholds information simply for the sake of forcing a sense of mystery and yet explains too much. In the present, it’s hard to identify with the characters initially when we don’t fully understand their grief. On the other hand, when Kaylie drops a load of exposition explaining everything, it robs the past story of its unpredictability.

Another question of execution comes with the portrayal of the mirror’s supernatural grip. The film is at its strongest when it creates an atmosphere where anything can happen and what we’re seeing isn’t necessarily reality. When Flanagan toys with the audience and keeps things low-key, like in one hair-raising scene concerning a light bulb, the psychological ambiguity he builds up showcases the films potential. When he turns to run-of-the-mill ghost frights, it dilutes the ingenuity of the premise.

The more frightful material comes from the strange behavior of young Kaylie and Tim’s parents, played by Katee Sackhoff and Rory Cochrane. Their descents into madness bring to mind comparisons to “The Shining,” and the storyline would have been strong enough on its own. The film almost seems to self-consciously recognize this as the plotline in the present becomes more and more like an obligatory footnote. Very little actually happens after the siblings set up shop with the mirror, and the ending only serves as a shock since the plot hasn’t been building up to much.

There’s a compellingly chilling story that can be found within “Oculus,” but it is buried in a shroud of cleverness that hinders rather than enhances the film. Making an attempt to shake things up is not enough, especially when that attempt simultaneously dulls the overall impact and resorts to some old tricks.

The Raid 2 (2014) Review

The Raid 2

“The Raid” was one of those film surprises a couple of years ago that came out of nowhere and gave some revitalized juice to the action genre by showing up just about every one of its bigger budget brethren. Director Gareth Evans combined the claustrophobic setting of “Die Hard” with hard-hitting martial arts violence in such a way that was fresh and invigorating. Now Evans returns for its sequel, “The Raid 2,” to expand the story of the Indonesian original beyond one building and into the realm of an operatic gangster thriller.

Rookie Officer Rama may have escaped from the nightmare apartment block but quickly finds out that he merely stepped into a larger picture. He is swiftly sent undercover into a crime syndicate in order to uncover corruption that runs through the police force. After serving a stint in prison to create a new identity, Rama finds himself getting close to the crime boss’ son, whose brash attitude eventually sparks a flurry of gang violence between the local crime families.

Like many of the best sequels, “The Raid 2” sets itself apart by not repeating the formula of the first film. Rather than dilute the tightly wound storytelling, the widened story scope allows Evans greater freedom to lay out his plan and then unleash it in a torrent of impeccably choreographed action. If the original “Raid” succeeded because of its fat-free simplicity, it’s follow-up relishes in setting up the dominos with a fleshed out story and then toppling them down one by one.

Rama, a hero with only the barest of character qualities last time, benefits the most from this as he worries about the safety of his family and begins feeling the strain of diving headfirst into criminal activity. Evans also serves up a cache of memorable villains with their own distinguishable trait, from the arrogant Uco to silent assassins Hammer Girl and Bat Boy. Their titular weapons don’t go to waste once the action kicks in.

The movie sidesteps the frequent action film problem of repetitive action by creating set pieces with their own memorable qualities. Escalation in the action is another factor as the action continuously tops itself with each consecutive sequence. What sets this film apart from others in the genre is Evan’s camerawork that captures and tracks every punch and kick with smooth gliding motions.

The climatic kitchen duel is an exquisite example of how to build tension and dramatic investment through action rather than simply create noise. This isn’t a film that holds back on the violence either. Characters, for the most part, aren’t clean-cut invulnerable supermen as they take and dish out brutal punishment, and the squeamish are advised to stay away from this one.

But there’s a certain beauty to the action that offsets its rough edge. The immaculately clean environments of the rich gangsters serve as a contrast to the grungy settings that their clashes play out in, and the harsh blows are filmed with such fluid grace that it’s hard to look away. “The Raid 2” may leave you battered and bruised once it’s finished, but you’ll also exit in a rush of delirious adrenaline that won’t soon go away.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) Review

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

At multiple points in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” the newest installment in Marvel Studios’ expanding superhero universe, characters justify their actions with explanations akin to, “Out with the old, in with the new.” It’s something that Captain America, a.k.a. Steve Rogers, deals with as he acclimates to the current state of modern warfare. He’s a bright colored model plopped into a grey world that challenges his steadfast resolve as the stakes, both personal and broad, are raised higher than ever for him.

The eponymous hero, still figuratively frozen in his 1940s ideals, struggles to comprehend agency S.H.I.E.L.D.’s overzealous measures taken to ensure national security in the wake of New York City’s alien invasion from “The Avengers.” With leader Nick Fury and partner Natasha Romanoff engaging in secrecy behind his back, Rogers feels that his trust has been betrayed. But when a mysterious assassin, known only as The Winter Soldier, and hostile forces from the past threaten to upend the entire establishment, Rogers must figure out where his true loyalties lie when nothing is as it seems.

Much like with “Iron Man 3,” “The Winter Soldier” shows a side of Marvel willing to inject real world themes into its stories of super-powered beings. The actions of S.H.I.E.L.D. act as a mirror image of the current United States political landscape where paranoia runs rampant and drone armies are being built up. This doesn’t sit well with Steve Rogers, who comes from a time when America put faith in its people without having to monitor every action being they take.

The Winter Soldier himself, with strength and agility that matches the Captain, represents that corrupted side of America, even as he’s underserved within the plot. He’s a man that has lost sight of who he once was, and the relentlessness of his pursuit leaves little in its wake when the paths of him and Captain America cross. The fight sequences in “The Winter Soldier” carry a level of intensity unmatched by any other Marvel entry that sells the danger our heroes experience by grounding the action in the (relative) real world. Only in the climax do the special effects take over, but that hardly matters when the film has so successfully attached us to these characters.

Anthony and Joe Russo’s past in television (“Arrested Development” and “Community”) no doubt informs their work as directors here as they give equal due to the character relationships amidst the conflict. Everything is deftly balanced with new characters such as Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson and Robert Redford’s Alexander Pierce making strong impressions even as old standbys like Natasha and Fury are able to become the fully fleshed out characters they never quite were before.

And at the center of everything is Chris Evans` Steve Rogers, whose understated performance carries the weariness of a man still trying to find his place in this world he still doesn’t quite understand. Evans finds the heart and light touch in a hero who doesn’t have the bluster of Thor or jest of Tony Stark, making him arguably the most endearing of Marvel’s super lineup. He’s also got the most emotional baggage too, especially once he learns the truth about the Winter Soldier and everything he thought he was fighting for.

Even with the grave circumstances at hand, the Russo’s remember that this is a comic book movie first and foremost and embrace that sensibility when appropriate. Evans, Mackie, and Scarlett Johansson have an easygoing chemistry between them with lighthearted quips to break the tension when appropriate. The directing duo and returning “Captain America: The First Avenger” screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely carefully weave in references to other Marvel characters in ways that feel organic to the established world, some of which alter perceptions of events in previous films.

With shattering changes for these characters and implications for where their story leads them next, there’s the sense of a new dawn for the Marvel Cinematic Universe going forward. The testing of limits has made their bonds even stronger as they venture off into the new world. Yet in it’s final scenes (both in the main film and the second of two post-credits scenes), “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” also presents a yearning to rediscover the past and reclaim a heroic ideal that has faded over time. Thankfully Captain America, the quintessential Man Out of Time, is here to keep that ideal beating strong and insuppressible.