The Expendables - Review

Can somebody explain to me why most action movies this summer have centered around teams of heroes? First there was The Losers, then we had The A-Team, and now we have The Expendables. Arguably the most hyped of the three, the Sylvester Stallone-directed Expendables features a cast of nearly every everyone recognizable action star of the 80s and 90s. Paying a tribute to the action flicks of the 80s, the cast sure packs a punch, but is it enough to warrant a ticket price?

The movie centers around a team of mercenaries known as The Expendables. Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) serves as the team leader with knife specialist Lee Christmas (Jason Statham) and martial arts expert Ying Yang (Jet Li) as his two most trusted soldiers. Also on the team is the unstable sniper Gunner Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), demolitionist Toll Road (Randy Couture), and heavy weapons specialist Hale Caesar (Terry Crews). The team is given an assignment from the mysterious Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) to overthrow a South American dictator. Upon arriving to the foreign land, they discover there might be more behind the merciless government than they originally had thought.

I'll say this, just like a have a bit of a soft spot for corny B-Movies (as I mentioned in my Piranha 3D review), I also get a kick out of cheesy action flicks. Seeing an ensemble cast of such legendary veterans of the action genre is a treat unto itself. Unfortunately, when the novelty of the cast wears off, there really isn't too much left in this film. The two most prominent actors shown in The Expendables are Stallone and Statham, who while fun in their own right, are easily the weakest characters of the team. They have their moments, and do their part when they get their moment to shine in some sweet action scenes. Jet Li, however, gets some decent screen time as well, but is also out-shown by the previous two.

Dolph Lundgren was surprisingly one of the most enjoyable actors in the movie. He brings his unstable charisma to a very fun character, but like most of the cast, is pushed aside for a lot of the run-time. Mickey Rourke has a very small part as a former member of the team. This was one of the most disappointing parts of the film, limiting the screen-time of who is easily the best and most credible actor in the movie. Some choice cameos from Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger (seriously, Arnold is in this movie!) were fun but had little impact on the film as a whole.

I don't have much to say about the villains either. David Zayas, Eric Roberts, and Steve Austin portray the Expendables main enemies of the film. Zayas and Roberts do their villainous schtick fairly well, while Austin's tendency to overact hasn't changed since his last few films. Their standard villains for this kind of story, but came off a bit flat. For a movie like this, it would have been fun to see a more over-the-top villain. Watch the movie Commando and you'll know what I'm talking about. For a movie with a concept that is so self-aware and cheesy, a crazier villain would have fit right in.

The writing overall was mixed bag. When the team was all together, the movie was awesome! The intro was great, as was the finale, but whenever it decided to chill out with its individual characters, it lost a lot of zip. There is a mostly pointless subplot involving Lee Christmas and his girlfriend, that adds little to no development for the plot or his character. There were a few other subplots that detracted from the movie's focus and what it represented. Plus, the violence was overall pretty tame for this kind of movie, save for the bloody opening and climax. Any gore looked like it was added in at the last minute, leading me to think that Stallone originally wanted a PG-13 rating, but changed his mind and added some last minute violence in post production to get an R rating. For a premise so thin, its a wonder why it feels so unfocused.

Typically, the movie knows what it is. I could complain about how silly and cliche the plot is, but that would totally defeat the purpose. The Expendables wasn't trying to rewrite the action formula, but rather deliver a nostalgic flick for those who have fond memories of the 80s. Typically it succeeded, but there were times it seemed like it took itself a tad too seriously, therefore killing the mood. Still, for the most part, its good 80s fun.

To no big surprise, the action scenes were pretty awesome... most of the time. There's a bunch of good explosions, some sweet fights (Jet Li always rocks), and a heavy dose of guns and knives. The finale alone delivered some crazy explosions that will likely satisfy anyone with nostalgic feelings for 80s action. Unfortunately, the cinematography was not up to speed. Stallone decided to use the Bourne-style shaky cam technique. When the camera wasn't shaking all over the place, it often used uncomfortable close ups on the actors' faces. Why? I have no idea. I will admit that action films on average have improved since the 80s, I still don't understand why shaky cameras have become so popular. An erratic camera is one thing, but I really prefer to actually see what is happening on screen. Overall, the action is fun when you can see it.

Overall, The Expendables was pretty fun, but with a cast like this, I expected more. Had the team had more screen time together, and the camera not been so erratic, I would have probably rated this higher. Overall, its worth a viewing, but probably only one.

My Score: A 2.5 out of 5!

Piranha 3D - Review

Just so my readers know, Piranha 3D was a movie that was actually made for me. I mean the filmmakers deliberately made this movie for me. They knew I liked cheesy B-Movie plots, that Jaws is one of my favorite movies, that laughably over-the-top casts are a guilty pleasure, and that insane horror movie gore make me giddy. Okay, well they didn't actually make it for me, but HOLY SHIT THIS MOVIE IS AWESOME!!! I have no doubt that I am going be to ostracized from some of my film-savy friends for praising such a cheesy movie, or that my non-horror watching friends are going to think I'm crazy for liking it, but I really don't care! This movie was everything a horror fan or B-Movie enthusiast would love, its an absolute blast!

Piranha 3D is a remake of Piranha, the 1978 Joe Dante-directed Jaws spoof. This movie takes place in the town of Lake Victoria, a small community on the eve of their annual spring break festival. The town is preparing for tens of thousands of young tourists to invade the lake community, leaving the town's Sheriff Julie Forester (Elizabeth Shue), Deputy Fallon (Ving Rhames), and a small ensemble of enforcers in charge of the town's safety. Unfortunately, an earthquake erupts on the eve of tourist season, opening up a cave at the bottom of the lake and releasing a school of vicious prehistoric piranhas. Now, with the lake full of drunk and horny college students, the hungry piranha take to the unsuspecting party-goers, including Sheriff Forester's children.

While I wouldn't call Piranha 3D a parody, it is certainly a self aware send-up of the horror/B-Movie genre. It knows exactly what it is and knows its audience. Its a bloody, sex-ridden, and balls-to-the-wall horror film that pulls absolutely no punches. It takes a special talent to deliver a "so-bad-its-good" kind of movie, and director Alexandre Aja has that ability. It has a good time poking fun at itself, but it doesn't let its sense of humor overshadow the fundamentals of a horror flick. I wouldn't say that a horror film necessarily needs to be bloody or gory, but if one chooses to go in that direction, than it better deliver on some creative death scenes.

So, is Piranha 3D bloody enough... OH GOD! This may very well be the bloodiest, goriest, most graphic movie I have ever seen. The best part about it is that every death and attack sequence is done so tongue in cheek and over-the-top, that it is hard not to laugh. The scenes are graphic (VERY GRAPHIC) but the executions (no pun intended) are so creative. When you consider that there is an approximately 15 minute scene of absolute mayhem, its a celebration of chaos. Of course, those who come to this movie hoping to see some hot naked women... you won't leave disappointed either ;)

One thing that surprised me is that Piranha 3D boasts a very impressive cast for a film of this caliber. As I mentioned before, Elizabeth Shue leads as the heroic Sherrif of Lake Victoria. Its just funny when you consider that such an accomplished (and Oscar-nominated) actress would choose to act in this. Her presence brings some credibility to a genre that is generally pretty lacking in the acting areas. Ving Rhames brings his enjoyable tough guy persona to his role as Deputy Fallon. Probably the most featured actor is the young Steven R. McQueen as Jake Forester, the teenage son of the Sheriff, who finds himself in an unfortunate situation with the carnivorous fish. McQueen is passable I suppose, he certainly brings the needed charisma to his role, but plays it pretty safe. There wasn't too much to his character other than as the reluctant hero persona seen in most teen horror flicks.

Probably the most enjoyable performances come from the supporting cast and a numerous lineup of cameos. One of the more enjoyable supporting roles comes from Jerry O'Connell as Derrick Jones, a drug abusing pervert filming a Girls Gone Wild-esque video. It looked like O'Connell was having a blast with the role, playing an incredible jerk of a character whose memorable fate is arguably the best in the movie. I won't spoil it, but I'll just say that its unforgettable. The cameos, however, are what really brighten up this movie. Richard Dreyfus makes a memorable appearance in the opening scene, unofficially reprising his role as Matt Hooper from Jaws. My personal favorite was Christopher Lloyd as Mr. Goodman, the local fish specialist. Lloyd brings his trademark eccentricity to the role. Fans of Back to the Future will immediately recognize some close similarities to his Doc Brown persona. Another honorable mention needs to go out to Eli Roth's short role as a wet tee-shirt judge... nice! Overall, the cast was fun, energetic, and looked like they were having a blast making this movie. Great choices!

Whats didn't work in Piranha 3D? Well, the film is definitely not for everyone. Anybody with a weak stomach for blood will want to stay as far away from this movie as possible, and I definitely wouldn't suggest bringing the kids to it. It pushes its R-Rating to its limit, with arguably the most blood, sex, and profanity the rating could accept before reaching NC-17 territory. Of course, if those kinds of things are why you are seeing Piranha 3D, that's hardly a bad thing.

One thing that bugged me was the ending. Like many horror movies, the ending is inconclusive and abrupt, leaving it open for a sequel. This has always bothered me when it comes to horror movies. I don't mind leaving a story open for another, but they really should have provided a bit more closure. Another that I wished I saw more of was from the cameos I mentioned earlier. Some of the appearances were so enjoyable, that I felt a bit cheated that we didn't see more of them, especially Christopher Lloyd.

Overall, Piranha 3D is an insanely enjoyable B-Movie throwback. If you're looking for 90 minutes of relentless gore, sex, and thrills than Piranha 3D will do the trick. Its a bloody good time!

My Score: 4 out of 5!

Salt - Review

Salt is an interesting movie. Well, actually the movie itself isn't that interesting but the story behind it is. The script, written by Equilibrium screenwriter, Kurt Wimmer, originally featured a male actor to portay Agent Salt. It was eventually greenlit with Tom Cruise set to star, but problems during production forced Cruise to drop the role, leaving the movie without a suitable male lead. Finding it difficult to find a new lead, the script was rewritten to accommodate a female lead, and Angelina Jolie was chosen as the new Agent Salt.

The movie centers around Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie), an elite CIA agent. Salt is a dedicated, respected, and trustworthy agent, until evidence is presented linking her to a group of Russian spies. Now, with her husband's life in danger and her name is question, Salt goes on the run to discover who is behind this.

Let me address what I wrote at the beginning of this review, "actually the movie itself isn't that interesting." That does not mean that I didn't enjoy the movie, on the contrary, I actually loved it! Its just that the plot... yeah its very generic. If my plot description seems lacking, its because I literally could not think of a creative way to describe such a oft-told story. Once you get past that you have a woman playing a character that is typically male, there's not much to else to get by. The premise was basic, characters were typical, and the ending was incredibly predictable. So like I said, the movie may be good, but its not particularly interesting.

The technical execution of the film is what really made Salt entertaining. I've heard a lot of critics dismissing Salt's action sequences as generic and "been-there-done-that." I understand where they are coming from, but after watching the movie, it occurred to me... for the typical summer blockbuster, what is generic action? Blockbusters nowadays are typically cg-laden, comic-bookish, almost fantasy-like over-the-top action. While Salt wasn't particularly realistic, seeing a movie with human characters doing stunt work not aided by heavy and/or obvious cg was actually quite refreshing. It reminded of movies like Die Hard or Speed, movies that used traditional film making to accomplish cool action scenes. Don't get me wrong, cg has become quite impressive, but its become such a staple of modern cinema, that creativity and imagination has been headed downhill for quite some time.

While Salt was occasionally being slowed down by a basic premise, the movie kept a good pace. The cinematography was surprisingly good for this kind of style. It utilizes the sort of Jason Bourne-ish hand held approach, but tones town the shake-factor so you can actually see what's happening. The action was appropriately erratic but not insane, and the less thrilling scenes didn't rely on shaky-cam gimmicks to increase any moods. For once, a cinematographer actually used this style well. The editing was quick and fast-paced as well. Not much of the movie was dragged out, but instead kept a good pace and didn't lose much of an intensity. It was impressive to say the least.

Acting was pretty standard overall. For a part that was originally intended for a guy, Angelina Jolie was the ideal choice. She brings a good charisma to the character without overdoing it. Plus, she avoids the typical movie cliche of a female agent dwelling on her sexual prowess as opposed to her skills. Of course, while saying Jolie isn't sexy in this movie would be a lie (lets be reasonable, its impossible for her not to look good), they don't dwell on it nor do they exploit it... wise move. The other performances were overall good. Nobody else really stood out, though Liev Schreiber did his usual good job.

The ending of Salt was left often for a sequel and possible franchise. If you ask me, they might have been a bit too optimistic to bet on this kind of concept to keep going. It was a fun movie, but the storyline wasn't nearly compelling enough to repeat itself, nor was the action breathtaking enough to leave one wanting more. A solid action movie, but I would be very surprised to see this one continue.

I give Salt 4 out of 5! A bit generous maybe, but it hit most of the right notes.

Predators - Review

One of the questions that has plagued man since the beginning of time... or rather around 1987 is this, "Why is it so difficult to make a decent sequel to Predator?" The classic Arnold Schwarzenegger sci-fi/action flick made quite an impact on moviegoers for its fun, suspenseful, and thrilling concept. It eventually was followed by a mediocre sequel in 1990, with Danny Glover filling in for Arnold. 14 years after audiences finished spitting out Predator 2's bad taste came Alien Vs Predator, a long hyped theatrical crossover between two of cinema's most memorable intergalactic baddies... and it sucked. Now that Predator 2 looked amazing compared to its over hyped successor, Hollywood decided to add some more insult to injury 3 years later with Aliens Vs Predator: Requiem... and then, the shit really hit the fan.

When all hope had seemed lost, a light at the end of the tunnel appeared, a light shined by fan favorite producer Robert Rodriguez, the filmmaker behind cult hits like El Mariachi, Desperato, From Dusk Til Dawn, Sin City, and Grindhouse. Rodriguez has almost always delivered in the world of action and horror movies, and therefore seemed like the perfect contender to produce (but unfortunately not direct) a new entry in the Predator lineup. Is Predators the sequel we've all been waiting for.

Predators takes a bit of inspiration from its sibling series, Alien, in both title and concept. Now instead of one predator preying on a group of people, its a bunch of predators hunting a whole horde of unfortunate humans. Instead of grunt marines, however, this is a group composed of psychos, convicts, and killers all dropped into a predator game reserve planet. On this unknown planet, the group tries to work together, protect themselves from the bloodthirsty predators, and find a way to get home.

That plot description was pretty vague, but to be honest, there really is not much more to it. Like every other film in the series, Predators is essentially a B-Movie. It features a group of human characters being chased vicious monsters. If you were hoping for a more dynamic or original plot, you'll probably be disappointed. Of course, if you're looking for some balls-to-the-wall, bloody, over-the-top action, than there is plenty here for you.

Its been a while since I've seen a brutal and bloody action movie, and I have to admit, it was a breath of fresh air. In terms of action, Predators delivers! It features some of the bloodiest shootouts I've seen in a long time. The fights were hardcore, the Predators are still big and tough, and the whole movie is such a wild rush that hardly ever settles down. Its a roller coaster ride of a movie... fast, fun, and thrilling.

One of the biggest surprises of the film was the talent recruited for the human characters. Leading the ensemble cast is Academy Award winner Adrian Brody! This actor has one of the most interesting post-Oscar film resumes of any award winner I can think of. He went from serious dramas like The Pianist to movies like King Kong, The Darjleeling Limited, Splice, and now Predators. Most of his movies aren't bad, just interesting choices for an actor of his caliber. Other members include Laurence Fishburne, Topher Grace, Alice Braga, Danny Trejo, and a few more. By in large, the acting is... there. That's really all I can say about the cast, nobody is particularly bad but none of the performances are by any means great or inventive. Acting-wise, its exactly what you would expect and all you really need. Hey, if the shoe fits...

Overall, Predators has a lot going for it. A fun premise, cool special effects, and sweet action make this the best Predator sequel so far. Still, it fails to outdo the original, and I still can't shake the feeling that the "definitive" predator movie has yet to be made. Its a good movie, but not amazing and isn't likely to wow anyone. Nonetheless, the Predator series seems to be back on track, and with Rodriguez in control, another sequel is very promising.

My Score: 3 Out of 5!

The A-Team - Review

When I heard that they were adapting the campy 80s action series, "The A-Team" into a big budget Hollywood blockbuster... I have to admit, I didn't really care. It wasn't a horrible show, but it was so silly and over-the-top, that its appeal was based entirely on camp, something that a lot of productions can only keep fresh for so long. So, I basically figured would be little more than a mindless summer blockbuster that would, at best, be a fun movie yet ultimately forgettable. After finally watching the flick, its actually a bit better than I had originally anticipated.

The movie follows the same basic plot as the show, updated for the current time period. The A-Team is a group of four elite soldiers with contrasting skills and personalities, currently serving in Iraq (as opposed to Vietnam from the original series), carrying out secret missions and tasks for the US government. The leader of the team is Hannibal Smith (Liam Neeson), the cigar smoking tactician who "Loves It When A Plan Comes Together." Faceman Peck (Bradley Cooper) serves as the smooth talking, good looking, conman, and ladies man of the group. B.A. Baracus (Quinton "Rampage" Jackson) is the team's gruff enforcer and expert mechanic with a perpetual fear of flying. Finally there's the mentally unstable H.M. Murdock (Sharlto Copley), the team's highly skilled pilot and linguist. After carrying out a covert operation in Baghdad, their superior officer is killed, and the team is framed for crimes they did not commit. The four are sent to separate prisons, in which they all escape in an effort to clear their name.

There's usually an inherint problem with reviewing most summer blockbusters. Each season, you'll generally get one or two outstanding films and a few absolutely dreadful attempts at cinema. I can usually find a lot to say about a movie thats either extremely well made or the train wrecks. Of course, the average middle of the road summer blockbusters are more difficult to review. "The A-Team" definitely falls into the latter category, a stereotypical summer action flick. They appeal to a specific audience: those who love over-the-top action movies, and usually don't care about what critics say. That being said, it does have something of a charm compared to the usual summer lineup, enough to give it a bit of an edge.

That charm falls in the hands of the cast. One of the series' most enjoyable appeals came from the contrasting characters. The four have such different personalities, that their quarrels are often played out for some very enjoyable humour. Each actor plays their respective character perfectly. The two standouts for me are Liam Neeson, who looks like he's having a blast as Hannibal Smith, and District 9's Sharlto Coplay as the over-the-top H.M. Murdock. Of course, all four work off each other really well. Its this brilliant move in casting that give "The A-Team" an edge over the average blockbuster.

Now, a good portion of the reviews for this movie have been fairly negative. Many critics have criticized the movie's excessive noise, explosions, and ludicrous action scenes. My response to that is this... "What the hell did you expect???" Those were the kinds of things that I loved about this movie. Of course the logic makes absolutely no sense, the script is nowhere near free of holes, and that the action is excessive. Its okay, every now and then, to watch a movie for the sake of fun... do you remember that? I'm not giving "The A-Team" a free pass on the general rules of filmmaking, but every now and then, its okay to stop being a film snob and buy into the fun factor of a movie. The action was crazy, the movie was loud, and pracitcally nothing that happens would stand a chance of playing out in the real world, but for a film like this, I could really care less.

Thats really all I have to say about "The A-Team." If you're not a fan of over-the-top action movies, then you can probably skip it, just stop complaining. If you're looking for a fun filled, action packed, adrenaline rush, this should do the trick. I have a feeling that was the filmmaker's plan, and I do love when a plan comes together ;)

My Score: 3.5 out of 5!

Toy Story 3 - Review

I want you to think of every threequel you've seen. How many of them were bad? How many of them were mediocre? How many were good but not as good as its predecessor(s)? How many of them were the best in the trilogy? Movies like The Bourne Ultimatum, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, or Die Hard with A Vengeance both had great first entries, but so-so second entries, so a superior third was not too difficult to imagine. Then you have Spider-Man or X-Men which both had great first entries, superior seconds, but a mediocre third part. How about Return of the Jedi, a great film, but is seen as the weakest link in the original trilogy (mainly due to coming off the heels of its two fantastic predecessors.) So with that in mind, think about the past two Toy Story movies. The first was excellent, the second was even better... so when I say Toy Story 3 is the best in the trilogy... that's one hell of a compliment!

The movie picks up 11 years after Toy Story 2. Andy is all grown up and is days away from leaving for college. His toys have dwindled in numbers and haven't been played with for years. There's a growing concern among the remaining toys (which includes Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Bullseye, Slink, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, Hamm, Rex, and a few others) regarding their fate. Will they be left in the attic, will they thrown away, or will they be donated or sold?

I don't want to give too much more of the plot away then that. I'll start by saying, Toy Story 3 is one of the most profound, deep, and flat out entertaining family mov... actually just movies in general. Pixar has one of the greatest track records of any studio, when your worst film (Cars) is still an overall critical success and box office hit, that's really saying a lot. I will admit, I was curious if Pixar could make lightening strike three times with this series, and for a while, it looked it was going to fall into the usual traps of the threequel, but it overcame in every way possible, creating a movie that is one of the most satisfying conclusions to a classic series.

As per usual, the voice acting is top notch. Tom Hanks returns as the perfect voice of Woody, the cowboy doll and de facto leader of Andy's toys. Tim Allen returns once again to bring his comic timing to Buzz Lightyear, the space ranger action figure. Other Toy Story alumni includes Joan Cusack as Jessie the Cowgirl, Wallace Shawn as Rex the Tyrannosaurus, John Ratzenberger as Hamm the Piggy Bank, Blake Clark (replacing the late Jim Varney) as Slinky the Dog, Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head, and Estelle Harris as Mrs. Potato Head, plus a few more. Newcomers include Ned Beatty as Lotso Huggin Bear, ex-James Bond Timothy Dalton as Mr. Pricklepants, Flight of the Concords star Kristen Shaal as Trixie the Triceratops, plus many more. However, the standout newcomer is most definitely Michael Keaton as Ken. Acting alongside the Jodi Benson-voiced Barbie Doll, Keaton brings his spot on comedic timing to a blatantly metrosexual depiction of the popular doll in a lot of the movie's funniest moments.

Pixar's talent for storytelling has always been top notch, with concepts that overshadow practically every other studio attempting to capture the same level of excellence. With Toy Story 3, however, they have really outdone themselves. In addition to the deep characters, hilarious comedy, the threequel boasts some incredibly compelling drama that most family flicks would be afraid to go near. The dramatic themes set forth in the first two come full circle in the threequel, throwing metaphors relating to mortality, death, and the afterlife. The first centered around a concept of self-realization, namely in that Buzz having to come to grips with being a toy. The second tapped on the issue of a toy's existence being finite, demonstrated mainly through Woody realizing that Andy will eventually grow up. Now, with Andy grown up, the movie shifts to a metaphorical presentation of death and the afterlife, showing depictions of toy limbo, reincarnation, Purgatory, Heaven, and even a toy Hell. Its a very profound movie, one I could spend hours interpreting and analyzing. Like any Disney movie, the ending is uplifting, yet very touching. Once the ending comes around, don't be surprised if you see grown men weeping like a little girl... yeah, its one of those movies.

The drama is a central part of the story, but it doesn't overshadow the fun elements from the film. As I mentioned, the movie has far too many hilarious moments to list, with humor bound to entertain everyone from little kids to grown adults. I have not even gotten around to mentioning the action scenes yet. By the third act, the movie turns into something of a prison break movie, taking inspiration from classics like "The Great Escape." By around the halfway point, a villain of sorts presents itself, making for arguably the most intimidating and interesting bad guy of the series. Between thrilling chases, great escapes, and creepy baddies, the story never lets up and never gets boring.

I guess this is the point where I am supposed to find something about the movie I didn't like. To be honest... I can't think of anything I didn't like about the movie... seriously. Everything just works so well, balancing the humor, thrilling, and dramatic moments perfectly. I guess some might say Toy Story might be a little too dark for the very young viewers and might be prone to scare some of them. I will say this, Toy Story 3 is easily the darkest of the series, and some of the villains (particularly the monkey... just watch and see) might be a little much for some. That being said, I personally never felt that it was too much. When I look back at a lot of the kids movies I watched back in the day, a lot of them had much much much more disturbing moments. Look at it like this... this movie is no scarier than practically anything else Disney animation has released (actually, some Disney movies are much scarier that this) ... if your kids are able to stomach those, I can't think of a reason Toy Story 3 would be any worse.

Overall, Toy Story 3 is by far the best movie of the summer and, so far, of 2010. Pixar's standard of excellence continues, bringing another one masterpiece in a classic series. If you haven't seen it yet, go see it right now! You won't regret it.

My Score: 5 out of 5!

Splice - Review

Have you ever seen a movie in which after it ended, it left you thinking, "What the Hell did I just watch?" You don't know right away whether you loved or hated it, but after you get over the initial WTF factor, you realize the inherent brilliance in the film you just experienced. For me, it was movies like A Clockwork Orange, Blade Runner, and now Splice that illustrate that example perfectly. Okay, well I didn't love Splice as much as A Clockwork Orange (one of my favorite movies of all time) and Blade Runner (also a great one) but its perfectly evident that Splice is one of the most interesting, unique, and creative Sci-Fi movies released in the last decade.

The movie centers around Clive Nicoli, played by Adrian Brody, and Elsa Kast, played by Sarah Polley (hehe, I'm liking the Bride of Frankenstein reference). The two are young and ambitious scientists who have achieved fame for the splicing of DNA from different animal species. Despite Clive's initial reluctance, Elsa convinces him to splice animal DNA with that of a human, an act though seriously frowned upon but not technically illegal. The result is Dren, a female animal/human hybrid. The two form an attachment to their new creation but have difficult controlling her as Dren rapidly grows into a far more deadly being.

I've been hearing Splice referred to as a modern interpretation of Frankenstein. It definitely takes some inspiration from the story. Both involve an obsessive scientist who creates a living creature and looses control of it. The fact that the two main characters' names are a reference to Bride of Frankenstein also supports the claim. That being said, the themes and twists and very different, most of which I dare not spoil (trust me, you DO NOT want anyone to ruin the story.) However, instead of a neglectful father-type figure from Frankenstein, the creator in Splice is more of an obsessive mother. Of course, how they develop that characteristic is part of the surprise (again, which I absolutely refuse to spoil). I could write a lot about the story, but there's only so much I can describe without blowing the ending. I'll finish with this, its definitely a science fiction movie that keeps the science in the fiction without letting it overshadow the fiction aspect.

The acting is overall quite impressive. Adrian Brody and Sarah Polley hold their own for most of the flick. You can really feel their characters' personal demons and the struggles they endure. At times their chemistry didn't always flow, but that might have been intentional. The standout performance comes from Delphine Chanéac as Dren. Her natural beauty in combination with top notch make up and cg effects made for one of the most interesting movie creatures in recent memory. Chanéac brings about a very complex personality to the character, one with the instincts of a psychopath but the demeanor and innocence of a child. Its nothing like I expected and must be seen to fully understand.

This is the kind of movie that I wish I could just overlook the shortcomings, but I would not be much of a critic if I did that. Splice is a total mind-trip (with a more profane word), which ends up being both good and bad. One thing I love about independent cinema is that filmmakers are given more freedom and less incentive to censor their artistic vision. Only when you let that said artist get such freedom, its easy to abuse it. Some of the more disturbing moments appear to be done purely for shock value, in a movie that didn't need that much of it. The story itself holds its own with such a immersive and gut-wrenching concept, that some of the scares felt quite unnecessary. Its also a shame to see Splice fall victims to some really overdone horror cliches. Some of the cgi wasn't particularly impressive either. The effects accomplished on Dren were great, but some of the supporting creatures were average at best. A few gaping plot holes did not help its cause either.

A lot of these faults were quite apparent, and unfortunately did hold back what could have been an incredible movie experience. That being said, Splice is most definitely worth a watch. It is easily one of the most interesting and unique cinematic accomplishments in recent memory.

My Score: 4 out of 5!