Year: 2010
Director: Louis Leterrier
Screenplay: Travis Beacham, Matt Manfredi, Phil Fay
Starring: Sam Worthington, Gemma Arterton, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Mads Mikkelsen, Pete Postlethwaite
Synopsis is here
Well what to say about Clash of the Titans? I will say I was happy to watch it in 2-D the way it was supposed to be viewed and not in the rushed, outsourced £-D that has been cynically placed during the 11th hour in order to boost the box office. Watching it in 2-D was a plus because instead of bitching about terrible £-D, I could bitch about the film instead.
So what aspects of the film will I bitch about? Not much. Oh. So what will I gush about? Not much either. COTT is a main meal of meh with a side order of shrug. There's nothing amazing about it, and nothing truly terrible. I'd love to write a review that goes either way but unfortunately Louis Leterrier's film sits stubbornly in the middle, doing no more, no less. I'm sure I could probably end the review there to be honest. But I feel I must finish for the seven people who enjoy my writing and press on.
My main issue with Clash may be that even though I'm not a scholar on Greek Myth, I still get the feeling that the film is still quite light on it's source material. In fact when looking back at the film, there really only is three scenes of interest and even then they feel usually light considering A) what the films about and B) what a film like this should contain. I understand that many don't go to a movie like this for dense plotting but even the (admittedly well captured) action feels more lightweight than expected. I'm not sure about yourselves but I expect a film with the name clash of the titans to feel more epic. Never the less, Clash isn't a terrible film. Leterrier handles his visuals well and manages to bring about enough excitement to the films set pieces to keep it watchable, although those who expect immense Kracken action may actually be slightly disappointed.
Once again, when it comes to the acting, I didn't expecting grand, epic displays but I was just hoping for the film to deliver something not awful. Once again Clash does merely OK. Sam Worthington can't get rid of his Oz accent which distracts from a moderately spunky everyman part. He doesn't suck, but he doesn't astound. Gemma Arterton holds enough screen presence to make me sightly more interested in the upcoming Prince of Persia blockbuster. Other displays of interest include a solid display of badassery from Mads Mikkelsen while Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes ham up proceedings more than a pig on a spit. Nicolas Hoult and Kaya Scodelario (both from Skins) turn up and look a bit lost in the surroundings but at least they have more to do than Danny Huston who appears to have had all his lines end up on the cutting room floor. There's a similar feeling for the sparse appearance for Pete Postlethwaite who could have done with more screen presence considering that his role is quite pivotal.
Clash of the Titans is the kind of forgettable fluff you expect to come out at this time of year. If you have a younger sibling or haven't let the child within you die then you may get more than enough enjoyment out of it. A lot of people however, just may be happy enough that it's shorter than Troy.
Saturday, 3 April 2010
Review: Remember Me
Year: 2010
Director: Allen Coulter
Screenplay: Will Fetter
Starring: Robert Patterson, Emilie de Ravin, Chris Cooper, Pierce Brosnan
Synopsis is here
It didn't take me more than a few minutes to guess the ending of Remember me. When the film's Gorgonzola cheese ending took place I had my head in my hands. I was slightly frustrated with what had took place. The reason? It almost undid all the good this movie has within it.
OK. Now don't laugh. As a straight, 26 year old man, who had so many issues with twilight I would need a therapist to get through them, I find this a hard thing to say...I really dug this movie. Now if I didn't write a film review blog and co-host a podcast I probably wouldn't go near a movie like this. Hell my girlfriend wouldn't touch it (she thinks Robert Patterson is ugly). However as a film reviewer with a podcast in tow, you do find yourself watching stuff you'd scoff at in real life.
The film has a tried and tested formula, the ending is not only predictable but cheesy and don't expect any visual mastery or epic storytelling. However, as a romantic drama, a date movie and a showcase for Robert Patterson...the film WORKS. Instead of being bored out of my mind, I found myself quite involved with the characters and the drama of the movie. This is a movie about guarded people who despite their losses, are given the chance to open up due to the connections they make, no matter how insignificant. It's not spectacular, it's not a high art, but it is thoroughly entertaining for what it is.
The reason for this is director Allen Coulter manages to coax convincing drama from the films actors and Will Fetter's mostly good natured script. It follows the right beats and hits the right mark. Coulter's time as a TV director clearly allows the people within film to breathe. The characters aren't special, but their well rounded and likable. We're not watching award winning stuff, but it is very manageable and goes down a hell of a lot smoother than I imagined.
A small amount of praise must go out to the two young leads who take something that should be quite tired passable. Robert Patterson with his wannabe James Dean brood and restraint quieter moments shows that when the material is stronger than "stand and look pretty" he is a capable actor. His most "showy" moment does show he weaknesses but his smile and all round charm minimize the damage. Emilie de Ravin's Ally is not only cute but a nice fit for Patterson's moody Tyler and levitates the role above the one note love interest display that it could have been. The chemistry works from the off and keeps the movie on it's path.
Seasoned pros Chris Cooper and Pierce Brosnan are slumming it a bit but still bring in the gravitas needed for their roles to be interesting. It was quite amusing to see Brosnan lose it in an office, as was Cooper going medieval on R-Patz ass. But I think that may be Twilight residue still inside me.
Unfortunately Remember Me suffers from having an obvious ending, badly executed, with an event that many critics have considered offensive. I'd love to say it's trying to deal with something that many would still find difficult...but alas it falls flatter than the pancakes that everyone is so interested in eating in the film.
But in all honesty, from a moral standpoint, I've seen far worse in the twilight films than anything that appears here. Before going in I was embarrassed to tell my girlfriend on the phone what i was going in to see. At the end of the film I phone her again and told her to watch it. The charm of the R-Patz eh?
Director: Allen Coulter
Screenplay: Will Fetter
Starring: Robert Patterson, Emilie de Ravin, Chris Cooper, Pierce Brosnan
Synopsis is here
It didn't take me more than a few minutes to guess the ending of Remember me. When the film's Gorgonzola cheese ending took place I had my head in my hands. I was slightly frustrated with what had took place. The reason? It almost undid all the good this movie has within it.
OK. Now don't laugh. As a straight, 26 year old man, who had so many issues with twilight I would need a therapist to get through them, I find this a hard thing to say...I really dug this movie. Now if I didn't write a film review blog and co-host a podcast I probably wouldn't go near a movie like this. Hell my girlfriend wouldn't touch it (she thinks Robert Patterson is ugly). However as a film reviewer with a podcast in tow, you do find yourself watching stuff you'd scoff at in real life.
The film has a tried and tested formula, the ending is not only predictable but cheesy and don't expect any visual mastery or epic storytelling. However, as a romantic drama, a date movie and a showcase for Robert Patterson...the film WORKS. Instead of being bored out of my mind, I found myself quite involved with the characters and the drama of the movie. This is a movie about guarded people who despite their losses, are given the chance to open up due to the connections they make, no matter how insignificant. It's not spectacular, it's not a high art, but it is thoroughly entertaining for what it is.
The reason for this is director Allen Coulter manages to coax convincing drama from the films actors and Will Fetter's mostly good natured script. It follows the right beats and hits the right mark. Coulter's time as a TV director clearly allows the people within film to breathe. The characters aren't special, but their well rounded and likable. We're not watching award winning stuff, but it is very manageable and goes down a hell of a lot smoother than I imagined.
A small amount of praise must go out to the two young leads who take something that should be quite tired passable. Robert Patterson with his wannabe James Dean brood and restraint quieter moments shows that when the material is stronger than "stand and look pretty" he is a capable actor. His most "showy" moment does show he weaknesses but his smile and all round charm minimize the damage. Emilie de Ravin's Ally is not only cute but a nice fit for Patterson's moody Tyler and levitates the role above the one note love interest display that it could have been. The chemistry works from the off and keeps the movie on it's path.
Seasoned pros Chris Cooper and Pierce Brosnan are slumming it a bit but still bring in the gravitas needed for their roles to be interesting. It was quite amusing to see Brosnan lose it in an office, as was Cooper going medieval on R-Patz ass. But I think that may be Twilight residue still inside me.
Unfortunately Remember Me suffers from having an obvious ending, badly executed, with an event that many critics have considered offensive. I'd love to say it's trying to deal with something that many would still find difficult...but alas it falls flatter than the pancakes that everyone is so interested in eating in the film.
But in all honesty, from a moral standpoint, I've seen far worse in the twilight films than anything that appears here. Before going in I was embarrassed to tell my girlfriend on the phone what i was going in to see. At the end of the film I phone her again and told her to watch it. The charm of the R-Patz eh?
Friday, 2 April 2010
Review: The House of the Devil
Year: 2009 (UK release date 2010)
Director: Ti West
Screenplay: Ti West
Starring: Jocelin Donahue, Tom Doolan, Mary Woronov
Plot synopsis is here
A modern horror, which takes its aesthetics from the films of the 70's and 80's; to try and recreate that same retro feeling of days gone by. In hearing a description like that, one may think that House of the Devil dwells from the stable of a certain Eli Roth. It doesn't. Although from a certain stand point, Ti West's piece of retro chic terror could be bundled in with the Hostels and Cabin Fever's of this world*. However with it's slow burn execution and satanic moral panic theme West has created a different beast. A clear homage to older horror but not with pastiche or irony. It will not be for everyone, particularly those who like their horror films to play out thick and fast. But those who have patience may find this to be a very rewarding genre flick.
At this moment, Mainstream America appears to be very preoccupied with remaking everything it can. Updating the "classics" with horror beats that lean more towards the modern generation. This way of thinking has altered the landscape of horror slightly, taking the likes of Dawn of the dead and changing it from an socially satirical horror film, to more of an action thriller. West's film is a regression, a modern horror filmmaker making a very deliberate 80's horror, in every sense of the word from the film stock (16mm) to the techniques themselves; which include zooms, extreme close ups and electro synth scoring among other things. This threw me off as a viewer and helped with West's build up of the films tension and story. I truly feel that if this approach was put in place in remakes such as Last house on the Left or The Texas Chainsaw Massacre I would have enjoyed them more.
It's the lack of slickness that made house of the devil so effective for me. A shot will last a half a beat too long, camera movements that lack their usual smoothness and music that doesn't just build up towards zinger moments (jump scares) but builds dread when there's no need. This is film making that harks back to the days of The Exorcist and Rosemary's Baby, in which even the movie's "nothing" moments don't feel right. For me, West's film kept that feeling of unease though out the film, using technique to generate atmosphere and install dread as opposed to excessive gore effects or cheap jumps.
West's film also features a neatly crafted, screenplay with a descriptively simple narrative naturalistic dialogue for it's protagonists and more than a hint of the sinister when it comes to it's villains. Working together with the atmosphere of the piece, the script not only introduces and builds a character that I can cared about and makes it hard not to feel for her as the rabbit hole gets deeper. The film really benefits in spending time with her
However it's the solid performance placed by Jocelin Donahue as Sam that completes the package for me. Channeling Mia Farrow and Jamie Lee Curtis, Donahue gives a likable performance, that reminded me of horror films with lead characters who are vulnerable, not just virgins. The film also features sinister performances from Tom Doolan and Mary Woronov. Displays, which unsettle, not with grand, OTT gestures but subtle glances and inflections on their lines.
Nowadays we expect "more" (in terms of actual action) to happen in our horror movies and for me this was a refreshing change. It has a feel that reminds me of some of my favorites of the genre with an climax which while feels a tad short, revels in it's satanic what-the-fuckery. There's a sense of dread throughout this film that we don't get in that many horror films these days but I wish a few more had. The house of the devil will have a hard time effecting the Saw generation but should hopefully find itself a nice little cult audience that will enjoy it's deliberate approach.
*Ironically Ti West directed the straight to video sequel to Cabin Fever. He's disowned it.
Director: Ti West
Screenplay: Ti West
Starring: Jocelin Donahue, Tom Doolan, Mary Woronov
Plot synopsis is here
A modern horror, which takes its aesthetics from the films of the 70's and 80's; to try and recreate that same retro feeling of days gone by. In hearing a description like that, one may think that House of the Devil dwells from the stable of a certain Eli Roth. It doesn't. Although from a certain stand point, Ti West's piece of retro chic terror could be bundled in with the Hostels and Cabin Fever's of this world*. However with it's slow burn execution and satanic moral panic theme West has created a different beast. A clear homage to older horror but not with pastiche or irony. It will not be for everyone, particularly those who like their horror films to play out thick and fast. But those who have patience may find this to be a very rewarding genre flick.
At this moment, Mainstream America appears to be very preoccupied with remaking everything it can. Updating the "classics" with horror beats that lean more towards the modern generation. This way of thinking has altered the landscape of horror slightly, taking the likes of Dawn of the dead and changing it from an socially satirical horror film, to more of an action thriller. West's film is a regression, a modern horror filmmaker making a very deliberate 80's horror, in every sense of the word from the film stock (16mm) to the techniques themselves; which include zooms, extreme close ups and electro synth scoring among other things. This threw me off as a viewer and helped with West's build up of the films tension and story. I truly feel that if this approach was put in place in remakes such as Last house on the Left or The Texas Chainsaw Massacre I would have enjoyed them more.
It's the lack of slickness that made house of the devil so effective for me. A shot will last a half a beat too long, camera movements that lack their usual smoothness and music that doesn't just build up towards zinger moments (jump scares) but builds dread when there's no need. This is film making that harks back to the days of The Exorcist and Rosemary's Baby, in which even the movie's "nothing" moments don't feel right. For me, West's film kept that feeling of unease though out the film, using technique to generate atmosphere and install dread as opposed to excessive gore effects or cheap jumps.
West's film also features a neatly crafted, screenplay with a descriptively simple narrative naturalistic dialogue for it's protagonists and more than a hint of the sinister when it comes to it's villains. Working together with the atmosphere of the piece, the script not only introduces and builds a character that I can cared about and makes it hard not to feel for her as the rabbit hole gets deeper. The film really benefits in spending time with her
However it's the solid performance placed by Jocelin Donahue as Sam that completes the package for me. Channeling Mia Farrow and Jamie Lee Curtis, Donahue gives a likable performance, that reminded me of horror films with lead characters who are vulnerable, not just virgins. The film also features sinister performances from Tom Doolan and Mary Woronov. Displays, which unsettle, not with grand, OTT gestures but subtle glances and inflections on their lines.
Nowadays we expect "more" (in terms of actual action) to happen in our horror movies and for me this was a refreshing change. It has a feel that reminds me of some of my favorites of the genre with an climax which while feels a tad short, revels in it's satanic what-the-fuckery. There's a sense of dread throughout this film that we don't get in that many horror films these days but I wish a few more had. The house of the devil will have a hard time effecting the Saw generation but should hopefully find itself a nice little cult audience that will enjoy it's deliberate approach.
*Ironically Ti West directed the straight to video sequel to Cabin Fever. He's disowned it.
Sunday, 28 March 2010
Review: Kick-Ass
Year: 2010
Director: Matthew Vaughan
Screenplay: Jane Goldman, Matthew Vaughan
Starring: Aaron Johnson, Chole Mortez, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Clark Duke, Mark Strong, Nicolas Cage
I can't lie when I say this but I found it to be very difficult to truly get down with the buzz of Kick-ass. When sites like Ain't it cool cooed over its more than warm reception at comic-con, I found it hard to be that excited. It's a super-hero movie based on a comic book written by a notable comic book writer. Call me a cynic but is it really that hard to get comic book fans that impressed over something like this?
The answer? Probably. We all know how finicky fanboys get when Hollywood comes over with it's millions; purchasing material left, right and center to make dubious movies like Catwoman (A film I watched for free and still wanted my cash back). Kick-ass is a little different in that it was more independently produced and had no one to really answer to. This is probably why we've had such a intrusive ad campaign for the project. So meddlesome were the rollover ads, that at one point when checking my mail, the ad was also blocking ANOTHER ADVERT FOR THE BLOODY MOVIE. If the aliens of They Live existed then we would have been under their control to obey in minutes.
Anyway, all that aside there was a lot of hoopla surrounding the film and sometimes with an arsehole like myself this can go the other way from what people want. I've had cinema managers stating it's the best comic-book movie in the last five years, I've had people who were on the film telling me years in advance to watch out for it, So after all the talk, the buzz and ads that block ads advertising the same thing...was it worth it? The answer is yes. I found Kick-ass to be a very satisfying movie. Part coming of age, part comic-book movie, but most importantly all fun.
Picture Watchmen without the anguish, Spiderman without the cheese factor and you get the gist of what your expecting. It's a comic-book movie that loves it's source material and takes pleasure in its absurdity without getting too bogged down in the mental misery that tortures Bruce Wayne in his sleep, or bothers Clark Kent when he's stalking his kid. There is angst throughout the movie, but it's handled well enough that you don't wish to punch the characters in the face. Quite the opposite actually, as screenwriter Jane Goldman (Johnathon Ross' amply breasted wife) and director Matthew Vaughan bring us characters that are very likable and enjoyable to follow.
While it takes narrative points from the aforementioned Spiderman, Kick-ass manages not only to feel fresh but also remain amusingly subversive at times, the titular Kick-ass character likening super-heroes to serial killers is one of the quieter highlights with other moments include aspects such as tracking down Kick-ass' secret identity; a moment which I thought about first and was pleased when the characters brought it up. The film also revels in moments of meta-fiction; idea of a film of a comic book character who then gets his own comic book within the film is a bit of a trippy one, along with a certain filmmaker craftily making sure his wife gets a piece of the action. Also, fans of Layer Cake will not wonder where they've seen that 4x4 before.
But with all the self-referential winks to the audience what Vaughan doesn't forget what they've has come to see and fills the film with some bold set pieces, including two action sequences involving the films break out star Hit-girl (a superlative display from Chloe Moretz) that I absolutely adored. He also helps coax some great performances out of his cast. The aforementioned Moretz is great fun, while Aaron Johnson once again shows off the potential that made his portrayal of John Lennon so appealing in Nowhere Boy. Mark Strong is slowly becoming the go-to guy for general villainy (he makes it look easy). On a lesser note Christopher Mintz-Plasse looks like he may become the next Micheal Cera, while Lyndsy Fonseca is gorgeous but don't look for a show stealing turn as she hasn't got too much to work with. Clark Duke shows his comic timing and made me smile often as Marty. It's a little unfortunate he didn't have me biting the inside of my cheek as much as Nic Cage; two words: Adam West.
So final thoughts on Kick Ass? It works. It's fast, snappy and fun. It took me a little while to get into but once the film finds it's rhythm then I was with it all the way. A film with genuinely enjoyable characters wrapped in an action packed ultra violent package. Empire is suggesting on it's front page as "your new favorite film" which of course comes off as the hyperbole it is but as a piece of mainstream entertainment it's a damn good laugh.
Director: Matthew Vaughan
Screenplay: Jane Goldman, Matthew Vaughan
Starring: Aaron Johnson, Chole Mortez, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Clark Duke, Mark Strong, Nicolas Cage
I can't lie when I say this but I found it to be very difficult to truly get down with the buzz of Kick-ass. When sites like Ain't it cool cooed over its more than warm reception at comic-con, I found it hard to be that excited. It's a super-hero movie based on a comic book written by a notable comic book writer. Call me a cynic but is it really that hard to get comic book fans that impressed over something like this?
The answer? Probably. We all know how finicky fanboys get when Hollywood comes over with it's millions; purchasing material left, right and center to make dubious movies like Catwoman (A film I watched for free and still wanted my cash back). Kick-ass is a little different in that it was more independently produced and had no one to really answer to. This is probably why we've had such a intrusive ad campaign for the project. So meddlesome were the rollover ads, that at one point when checking my mail, the ad was also blocking ANOTHER ADVERT FOR THE BLOODY MOVIE. If the aliens of They Live existed then we would have been under their control to obey in minutes.
Anyway, all that aside there was a lot of hoopla surrounding the film and sometimes with an arsehole like myself this can go the other way from what people want. I've had cinema managers stating it's the best comic-book movie in the last five years, I've had people who were on the film telling me years in advance to watch out for it, So after all the talk, the buzz and ads that block ads advertising the same thing...was it worth it? The answer is yes. I found Kick-ass to be a very satisfying movie. Part coming of age, part comic-book movie, but most importantly all fun.
Picture Watchmen without the anguish, Spiderman without the cheese factor and you get the gist of what your expecting. It's a comic-book movie that loves it's source material and takes pleasure in its absurdity without getting too bogged down in the mental misery that tortures Bruce Wayne in his sleep, or bothers Clark Kent when he's stalking his kid. There is angst throughout the movie, but it's handled well enough that you don't wish to punch the characters in the face. Quite the opposite actually, as screenwriter Jane Goldman (Johnathon Ross' amply breasted wife) and director Matthew Vaughan bring us characters that are very likable and enjoyable to follow.
While it takes narrative points from the aforementioned Spiderman, Kick-ass manages not only to feel fresh but also remain amusingly subversive at times, the titular Kick-ass character likening super-heroes to serial killers is one of the quieter highlights with other moments include aspects such as tracking down Kick-ass' secret identity; a moment which I thought about first and was pleased when the characters brought it up. The film also revels in moments of meta-fiction; idea of a film of a comic book character who then gets his own comic book within the film is a bit of a trippy one, along with a certain filmmaker craftily making sure his wife gets a piece of the action. Also, fans of Layer Cake will not wonder where they've seen that 4x4 before.
But with all the self-referential winks to the audience what Vaughan doesn't forget what they've has come to see and fills the film with some bold set pieces, including two action sequences involving the films break out star Hit-girl (a superlative display from Chloe Moretz) that I absolutely adored. He also helps coax some great performances out of his cast. The aforementioned Moretz is great fun, while Aaron Johnson once again shows off the potential that made his portrayal of John Lennon so appealing in Nowhere Boy. Mark Strong is slowly becoming the go-to guy for general villainy (he makes it look easy). On a lesser note Christopher Mintz-Plasse looks like he may become the next Micheal Cera, while Lyndsy Fonseca is gorgeous but don't look for a show stealing turn as she hasn't got too much to work with. Clark Duke shows his comic timing and made me smile often as Marty. It's a little unfortunate he didn't have me biting the inside of my cheek as much as Nic Cage; two words: Adam West.
So final thoughts on Kick Ass? It works. It's fast, snappy and fun. It took me a little while to get into but once the film finds it's rhythm then I was with it all the way. A film with genuinely enjoyable characters wrapped in an action packed ultra violent package. Empire is suggesting on it's front page as "your new favorite film" which of course comes off as the hyperbole it is but as a piece of mainstream entertainment it's a damn good laugh.
Sunday, 21 March 2010
Review: The Spy Next Door
Year: 2010
Director: Brian Levant
Screenplay: Jonathan Bernstein, James Greer
Starring: Jackie Chan, Billy Ray Cyrus, George Lopez
The plot Synopsis is here
If your a follower of this blog, you should know not only do I write reviews here but I also co-host a film podcast at Geek Planet Online. The show (Cinematic Dramatic) allows me to yell even more pompously and pretentiously than I do here. Due to my ranting, my Co-host Iain decided that followers of the podcast should suggest in the forums which "bad" flick I should watch this week to talk/rant about along side the main review I Love You Phillip Morris. The boards decided to inflict The Spy Next Door on me and in a bizarre turn of events; I found myself enjoying Jackie Chan's children adventure a lot more than the aforementioned ILYPM for the simple reason that it knew what it was and did what supposed to well enough.
What did it do? Well it had Jackie Chan despite being past his prime, pulling off nutty stunts. It had a cheesy script that made no sense but still had enough cheap shots to amuse a loser like myself. Expecting the film to be a life changing piece of cinema is like the kid that gets picked last at football to score the last minute cup-winning goal. But it works fine as a dumb piece of knock around fun.
Why did it work? I guess it was the physicality of it all, watching a Jackie Chan family film with stunts that are still done by the guy despite being in his mid-fifties is still ten time better than sitting down with The Pacifier or Are we there yet? Chan's grinning face and slightly less daring feats than before get us through the film. The film is sub-par but Chan's charm is still quite high with me and sometimes it's that alone that make certain scenes palatable.
The rest of the film? Pretty much tosh to be frank. There's some risible child acting, Billy Ray Cyrus shouldn't be allowed near anything to do with film and Brian Levant's direction and editing of the action seem to be trying it's hardest to ruin what ever excitement that is generated from the medium flying stunts (not really high flying as Chan is clearly not in his 20's anymore). Yet with these issues in tow the film is still just about passable. It's sweet but not too saccharine, its heart is in the right place and it does what it's supposed to; which is of course keep kids quiet for 90 minutes and hey presto it works! Of the all the naff films that come out for children these days, I'd rather sit through something like this than the next CGI filled, Pop-Culture clustered, Animal Yakking, Dreamworks nonsense. I'm sure my kids (when I get them) won't mind if I showed them this either...I think it could only be the once however.
Director: Brian Levant
Screenplay: Jonathan Bernstein, James Greer
Starring: Jackie Chan, Billy Ray Cyrus, George Lopez
The plot Synopsis is here
If your a follower of this blog, you should know not only do I write reviews here but I also co-host a film podcast at Geek Planet Online. The show (Cinematic Dramatic) allows me to yell even more pompously and pretentiously than I do here. Due to my ranting, my Co-host Iain decided that followers of the podcast should suggest in the forums which "bad" flick I should watch this week to talk/rant about along side the main review I Love You Phillip Morris. The boards decided to inflict The Spy Next Door on me and in a bizarre turn of events; I found myself enjoying Jackie Chan's children adventure a lot more than the aforementioned ILYPM for the simple reason that it knew what it was and did what supposed to well enough.
What did it do? Well it had Jackie Chan despite being past his prime, pulling off nutty stunts. It had a cheesy script that made no sense but still had enough cheap shots to amuse a loser like myself. Expecting the film to be a life changing piece of cinema is like the kid that gets picked last at football to score the last minute cup-winning goal. But it works fine as a dumb piece of knock around fun.
Why did it work? I guess it was the physicality of it all, watching a Jackie Chan family film with stunts that are still done by the guy despite being in his mid-fifties is still ten time better than sitting down with The Pacifier or Are we there yet? Chan's grinning face and slightly less daring feats than before get us through the film. The film is sub-par but Chan's charm is still quite high with me and sometimes it's that alone that make certain scenes palatable.
The rest of the film? Pretty much tosh to be frank. There's some risible child acting, Billy Ray Cyrus shouldn't be allowed near anything to do with film and Brian Levant's direction and editing of the action seem to be trying it's hardest to ruin what ever excitement that is generated from the medium flying stunts (not really high flying as Chan is clearly not in his 20's anymore). Yet with these issues in tow the film is still just about passable. It's sweet but not too saccharine, its heart is in the right place and it does what it's supposed to; which is of course keep kids quiet for 90 minutes and hey presto it works! Of the all the naff films that come out for children these days, I'd rather sit through something like this than the next CGI filled, Pop-Culture clustered, Animal Yakking, Dreamworks nonsense. I'm sure my kids (when I get them) won't mind if I showed them this either...I think it could only be the once however.
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