Reviews: Wall-E & Wanted

Hi, Robot

Pixar is Pixar, it will always win. This famous studio which began winning Oscars in short films (this feature has one with a frustrated magician fighting his famished, tenacious rabbit) has now built itself up as the studio winning Oscars for their feature films. Very good directors have been awarded the chance to bring their creative visions to the icon studio. My personal favorite still remains Brad Bird, who championed two Oscars for The Incredibles and Ratatouille. While I don't think this particular film is the absolute best from Pixar, I still believe that it is a worthy entry that deserves every bit of recognition it gets.

The little robot "Wall-E" (which is an acronym for Waste Allocation Load Lifter - Earth class) is the lone garbage man on Earth after the planet becomes completely uninhabitable due to the surplus amount of trash supplied by humans. Wall-E and his sole Earthly companion, an indestructible cockroach, enjoy a solitary world in which Wall-E becomes more interested in building a friendship (via his obsession with Hello, Dolly!). One day, however, he (for all purposes, we'll call it a he) gets a visit from a spaceship and a sleek, eggshaped robot, Eve (who, for all purposes, we'll call a she). Eve is sent to determine the stability of life on the planet and eventually forms a slight bond with Wall-E. That is until she returns to her spacecraft, for which he tags along, and discovers the ship that holds humans in the gluttonous conditions.

At the heart of Wall-E, which is present in all of Pixar's films, is a good natured story that has a character to match. Wall-E may seem like an unusual character to put in a lead role, especially considering the fact that he remains silent except for a few squeaked out words in robot tongue. However, he manages to create a real connection to the audience, and he is very endearing. The same can be said of Eve and an annoyed cleaning unit named M-O (who gives a new worthy phrase: "foreign contaminant"). The human element, which has been known to be missing in Pixar films, is severely limited here, although we do get clever voice performances from Jeff Garlin, Sigourney Weaver, Pixar regular John Ratzenberger and even Fred Willard, who is actually the only live action performer in the film.

The film's wonderful story and characters are matched equally by its marvelous technical elements. The wonderful sound design for one is magnificent and the sleek animation is really what is the highlight here. There is also a special mention to the magnificent score by Thomas Newman, an 0-8 Oscar competitor who should score his ninth (and possibly tenth with the original song) this year. In fact, I'd be in strong support for his first ever win that would return Disney's long held, and now lost, status in the musical Oscar categories.

While the film is very enjoyable, it does suffer from one element, and that is a twist in the story's last act that I feel is a cheap shot and a cliche. While normally I would think this is only a minor complaint, I find it more irritable because the whole movie actually dares to be different and take on a darker tone than most animated films in the past. The fact that the direction it takes also subtracts some of the impending doom and menace from a certain element means their risk only goes so far. However, it is only one complaint that I do not take very far. I still love this film, and I love the fact that Andrew Stanton, who previously won an Oscar for Pixar's current biggest hit Finding Nemo, has chosen a story that might not be well received across the board. I find it a commendable effort, and I hope that Stanton, come early next year, will have something else in common with Brad Brad. ***1/2 / ****; GRADE: A-




Dead, nor Alive

Here we go again. The fast paced world of comic book adaptations rears its occasionally ugly head again for this rip roaring action film. Many will be intrigued by this stylish film, and I will admit that there are times when the impressive style does just that. However, I would be guilty of some kind of unethical process if I didn't offer some kind of warning with this film, and it is why I can't really recommend this film.

The story follows Wesley Gibson, played by budding actor James McAvoy, who is unhappy with current cubicle ridden life along the ugly streets of Chicago (the Windy City will make another appearance in the coming weeks under the pseudonym Gotham City). However, his irritable life is interrupted when he gets a visit from Fox (Angelina Jolie) in the grocery store. Following a big shootout, we discover Fox and a group of other assassins called The Fraternity that have made it their duty to take out necessary targets. Morgan Freeman cashes in a paycheck role as Sloan, the current leader of the Fraternity, who reveals that Wesley must train to become a top notch assassin in order to take out the rouge agent that recently killed his father. They have faith because Wesley has a special gift that makes his heart beat faster and operate with highly developed senses (it's like a blend of spidey-sense and Matrix slow-mo).

I like McAvoy, but it seems like when he loses that nice accent, he also loses a bit of that European charm. His problems might also extend from the fact that his character is poorly developed and is actually not someone to really root for. Everyone else glides along in their respective roles and with the exception of an occasional stunt, they don't really offer that much. Although, I do give credit to Freeman for being able to pull of the line "Shoot this motherfucker" so well that it almost covers the price of admission.

Director Timur Bekmambetov makes his English language film debut here, and something definitely gets lost in the translation. Bekmambetov relies heavily on an overtly visual style, and in some parts it does work. Most of the time, however, it only serves as a reminder that the foundation that is the script is so inherently weak that the visuals have to compensate. I'm sure this director can work magic in his own language, but a film needs much more than nonstop action all the way through. People need to breath at some point and, sometimes, actually be given at least ONE stunt that is halfway believable.

In a few weeks, The Dark Knight will be released in the theatres and it will probably be heavily praised. The reason: Christopher Nolan not only creates an exciting action picture but also grounds it in a state of reality with a believable story and characters. Even other successful comic book adaptations, such as Spider-Man 2, work because the characters became very developed without losing the action potential. Wanted tries so hard to compensate for its weak story that it overdoses on the visuals. Some might be turned on by this, but I was not. I hope future comic book adaptations, or maybe even a possible sequel, can become more invested in characters and story because they would then realize that's all they need. ** / ****; GRADE: C

Review: The Incredible Hulk

Green with Envy

It's hard to imagine a film like this could make another filmmaker jealous. But it is certainly an interesting thing to wonder. Everyone remembers the colossal failure that Ang Lee brought to audiences five years ago with his imagining of Hulk. Lee's problem was that he put too much confidence in the American movie-goer, thinking that those who praised his balance of action and story in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon would also be pleased with his re-imagining of the comic story by replacing slam-bang action with brooding and cerebral brain puzzles. This time around, however, the new behemoth green man has a lot more of the former category, and will probably be more pleasing to today's audience.

The total revamp of the series puts David Banner (Edward Norton) on the run from the military in remote places on the globe. His threat is not only that monster lurking inside of him, but also General Thaddeus Ross (William Hurt). Originally in Rio, Banner gets chased and smashes his way back to New York where his lovely girl from the past Betty Ross (Liv Tyler) awaits to aid him in his endeavor. However, Banner soon finds bigger problems at hand: Ross has taken another soldier (Tim Roth) and turned him into another hulk-like creature known as The Abomination.

Many would argue that this is a far superior version than Lee's film, and in some parts that is true. As an action film, it well establishes itself as a loud epic that devotes much of its screen time to big explosions, giant car crashes and a great loud roar from the big green guy. It also succeeds in making the Banner character just as interesting as the Hulk, which was something Eric Bana had difficulty doing during his time. Norton is a fine actor, and there is never one moment when he loses us, even when he is forced off screen by the CGI Hulk. Unfortunately, that's all that can be said of the cast. Everyone else, even the all important love interest played by Tyler, are just cookie-cutter stereotypes of of how these characters should be played.

The other change that the new film has is its director. Louis Leterrier has very strong action roots, making such masterpieces as The Transporter, Unleashed, and the unjustly Oscar-snubbed Transporter 2. Leterrier can indeed bring his audience in for some heart pounding action that gets the adrenaline pumping, but more than once it seems like that's all he can focus on. After the tenth loud noise, one tends to realise that this movie likes banging things around and keep its lead character moving without really acknowledging why. He makes up some of these faults with his numerous homages to not only the comic book, but also the 1970s television show. Whether it's the underscore using the series' closing piano notes, or the cameo appearances by Lou Ferringo (who also provides the voice of the Hulk) and even the late Bill Bixby (provided by footage from his days on "The Courtship of Eddie's Father"), the winking to audiences puts a smile on the face. However, those quips quickly dissolve into the action scenes that run a little too long.

This will be more praised than the original film, and more than likely will be more profitable. It succeeds here, it fails there, but it is definitely a film that provides a good time at the show. When the figures of the earnings start to come in, everyone involved will be celebrating. But where will Ang Lee be? He'll probably be admiring his Best Director Oscar and waiting to see if Letterier will see him at the Oscars with Transporter 3. That thought should put the same smile on Lee's face as everyone elses. *** / ****; GRADE: B