Tag: Action

0

Martyn reviews: Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

'Planet of the Apes', now I'm sure you've heard of it, is the classic featuring Charlton Heston with a strong feeling of isolation and xenophobia. Now, it is not important however, to have watched the 1968 film to enjoy and understand the smash hit of the summer, yet the added context of the original does enhance the experience. However, Rise of the Planet of the Apes in my eyes, is where Hollywood gets it right. It literally takes what you expect from the story, and runs with it, beautifully. The film follows scientist Will Rodman, brilliantly played by James Franco, as he struggles to come to terms with his father's Alzheimer's disease. The cure he works on is tested in the lab on chimps, and when the project is sabotaged, Will is left with the task of putting down a baby chimp. Deciding instead that the life of the baby is his responsibility, he raises the chimp, called Caesar, at his home with his father. Without divulging anymore information, I can tell you that the film took the conventions of the mainstream film, and just knocked it up a notch. The brilliantly told story of heartache and desperation told through both Will's and Caeser's eyes hits all the right spots. Its a brilliant, and somehow believable ordeal, with a cast of characters and narrative to really take you along with it. The film's digital effects team work wonders on the animals, with close up shots of faces displaying stunning realism, which when mixed with the brilliant motion capture performance of Andy Serkis, you're treated with the suspension of disbelief. All in all, without boring you any further with the details, the directing is spot on for the standard, the acting is brilliant, the story progresses beautifully, and the film is just a good, old fashioned, get your popcorn and watch romp, whilst retaining the important element of making the audience think. Rise of the Planet of the Apes, gets an 8/10 from me, and if you haven't watched it yet, I seriously recommend it.

0

The Expendables (2010)

Sly is in good shape. Just in case you're wondering. Statham too. But we already knew that from his high speed marathon films (see Crank now if you haven't see it already!!). The expendables story isn't much deeper than what you get from the trailer. It's a bunch of Harley riding mercs that get booked for a job that's dirty and gets them into contrived, cheesy trouble with contrived, cheesy latin amercian soldiers on a contrived and cheesy made up South American island, that is strangely titled after the internet craze of picturing yourself naked with your bum in the air. (Google 'Vilena' and you'll see what I mean. Yes, granted there's no depth, no real frills, no surprises, a bag of money, and a reasonably helpless damsel in distress. All ingredients for fairly lame action film. And really it should never have been made - if it was someone else that made it. Fortunately Mr Stallone still knows how to entertain. So to understand this 'thing' that he's made, spare a thought for the evolution of the action film during the eighties: The poor divorced cop in a vest stuck in the Nakatomi building; The broke kung fu master stuck in the wrong place at the wrong time, probably in the wrong era; The big black guy with the big black machine gun that always save the day with by blowing everything up; The emotionally confused ex-soldier that takes mission after deadly mission in the urban jungles of the world to 'find himself'; And the traditionally European backstabbing anti-hero that never dies, no matter how many times you shoot, crash, ram, smack, shoot again and cut him; Do this and you will start to appreciate what an entertaining and strangely humorous film this is. Don't ask for more, don't peel back the layers. Save that for the French Art-house independent experimentalists at Cannes. Just eat your nachos and pop corn, and sit back and watch every explosion, every fight (yes Lundgren vs Li,  Austin Vs Couture, and Sly vs Austin, Statham vs pretty-much-everyone-in-a-uniform...), every car chase, plane ride, and every macho standoff and let ham be ham. Keep your expectables low and The Expendables will certainly entertain. 7/10 Kushal