Wanted (2008)

If you want some lame, youthful looking loser to whine incessantly, why divert from Shia LeBoeuf? James MacAvoy plays the younger and exceptionally less funny version of Lester Burnham. And voice-over galore. Baby-Burnham does have his moments, but they can never quite compare to the original.

This is one of those films that doesn't really play on anyone being a superhero. However, they choose to disregard the laws of physics and probability to an exceptional degree, even when not relying on the "powers" of our friends. Meaning the set-pieces are extravagant but whimperingly stupid, an effect emphasized by overuse of slow-motion.

Another thing that lacks believability is the development of our protagonist. It takes him a stapler and a fat boss to go straight from loser to rockstar. MacAvoy isn't all bad. The script is, though. "Let your instincts guide you"? Even George Lucas at least made a faint attempt at explaining how his attempted superpowers work.

I can understand why Angelina Jolie would do this flick, as she is reported to be somewhat crazy and her acting skills are limited. Her part here is impossible to grasp in any logical way as the director is much more interested in showing off her naked skin than any depth. So cudos for that then, I suppose. But why would Morgan Freeman get involved? Surely he must have been sent a script at some point?

Danny Elfman composed a great theme for this film, and that adds to a few of the scenes, but mostly the music is the kind of crap rock you would expect in a Michael Bay-flick.

This film tries so hard, and does everything to the extreme. The set-pieces, the violence, the cruelty. It so badly wants to be cool. As it is, it's hardly even slick. And the twist is so unfathomably disconnected from the story, that it's hard to believe that it was all written by the same guy.

So, are there any redeeming features? Yes, it's not badly cast and it has plenty of action. And I must admit, the trick with the rats is very cool. See? Low-tech ftw!

3/10

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016)

So Tim Burton has decided to make something strange and gothic without Johnny Depp? With an almost exclusively British cast, not featuring his wife? I wonder if my umbrella holds frogs and pigs at a high velocity.

Let's make it perfectly clear that I have never read the novel, so I shall base this review solely on the film itself.

In trying to explain it using other films, it's sort of "The Others" meets "Groundhog Day" when it comes to the plot, and more Benicio del Toro than Tim Burton in scenography. And let us start with the latter. I have come to expect more distinctiveness from Burton in that area. It is gothic though, and the fact that he (mostly) refrains from overdoing it, adds to the creepy feeling of. Besides, he does bring out the big guns on occasion. You will never see a cooler ghost ship.

On to the actors. The mains are mostly unknown to me, but all very good. Particularly Purnell and Butterfield excel and their chemistry is undeniable. Extra cudos to Burton for finding just the right balance to develop their relationship, and timing it aptly. There are some utterly brilliant veteran choices in the casting, in particular Terence Stamp and Allison Janney. Samuel L. Jackson is a bit hit-and-miss, whereas Rupert Everett and Judi Dench are talent completely wasted here.

The biggest problem I have with this flick, though, is the same as I had with Dark Shadows. It seems as if he has too much material with which to fill his film, and so it feels a bit erratic and coincidental at times. There are too many characters, and to use a seasoned veteran for a nothing of a part only makes the teaser trailer more interesting. Not the character itself. There are a lot of characters that scream out for some explanation as to their motivations, but alas, they do not come.

But Burton does very well with emotions. It's tense throughout, has a few good scares and is outright exciting and enthralling towards the end. He lacks a bit in the humour-department this time around, but I suppose it brings more seriousness to a film that does involve the very serious death that can occur to young children in supernatural environments. Fart-jokes might have been edited out, I suppose. And as always, Burton has a keen sense of detail, meaning that the observant viewer can pick up a little something extra. He never ceases to give us that little piece of magic we imagine we are the only ones that picked up.

And for that, I shall always remember Burton with joy. Despite "Planet of the Apes".

7/10

Small Soldiers (1998)

Who could be a better cartoonishly greedy and callous CEO than Denis Leary? But do we really need another movie where toys comes to life? Well, at least this flick has the common courtesy to use technology rather than magic.

The story is a problem though. Both the main story and the sub-plot are so exceptionally known, that you need something with Meg Ryan in it to be more predictable. The same goes for the characters. But for those of you that thought Kirsten Dunst had her debut as a cute girl next door in Spiderman... Think again. It appears to be her best asset. Thankfully both the little brats are decent actors, helping the flow immensely.

What Small Soldiers does best is the animated characters development. As they are able to learn, they start on a very low level, and gradually understand more about the world they have been dropped into. Naturally, the commandos learn much narrower. A point lost on few as morals in American films rarely amount to subtlety.

Another strong point is the creativity as to how the toys develop and create weapons. This is a bit underplayed, though. A stronger emphasis could have improved this.

So it's quite entertaining, and the leads have a good chemistry. But since the story is extremely straightforward and uninteresting, parts of it just doesn't catch your interest. That it exceeds the maximal limit for kids' flicks of 90 minutes does noting to hel it. Jerry Goldsmith's score is fantastic though.

6/10

State of Play (2009)

Nothing like a double murder and some Irish folk music to start off a conspiracy theory.

Crowe is his usual excellent self as a scruffy journalist with below average work ethics, and far below average morals. Mumbling when confident and bored. Utterly disdained by new practices as bloggers, he s a dying breed.

More surprisingly, Affleck is good. But perhaps the best casting here is the ensemble. Jeff Daniels, Helen Mirren, Robin Wright and Harry Lennix all provide excellent support, and there is very little attempt to fill the void with young pretty people with lesser talent. Fantastic. No one tells people to fuck off like Helen Mirren.

The breadcrumbs are decent and nicely executed, helped by the solid acting of Crowe. Director MacDonald takes time for quiet scenes, and generally shows that he wants to make a good story, not just a film instigated by PR. The excitement is good enough to keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat most of the time.

A good word for the music of Alex Heffes. Though the theme is a bit overused throughout, it is used with a variation of instrument and in production. Besides the theme is brilliant.

And it's good to see some good, old-fashioned journalism again in a time where every "reporter" seems to be trying to find out who had sex with Olly Murs last week. The friend+reporter-thread seems a bit unnecessary, but other than that, the story is pretty good.

So though it may not be as smart as the conspiracy-films of old, it is a modern and fresh instalment. And with Crowe on top-form, it really is worth a watch, just to know that Hollywood still has other things than formulaic and daft, though it falls very stupidly in the "one more twist" ending. And I shall dock a point for this, as it is most overdone and annoying.

7/10

The Odessa File (1974)

Based on a novel by Frederick Forsyth, this spy-thriller actually introduces its protagonist with a polka. Jon Voight looks fittingly scared and distraught. Like a man who has not slept for weeks. It's only about to get worse for him, though.

These opening scenes are strangely long, and it's unknown what effect they are trying to achieve or show. Not even the opening credit is long enough for it, nor the main theme. 

As this film deals with the aftermath of the war, and in particular parts of the holocaust, it is a bleak story. Slow, unnerving at times, particularly the first third. The Germans are not interested in more stories about Jews as it reminds them of the war, thus making clear the frustrations of our protagonist as no one will support his work. This angle disappears after a while, but gradually enough for it not to feel disjointed.

Where the film goes very right, is in the creation of increasing danger. In the beginning, the hidden agendas consider our protagonist as little more than a nuisance, and his biggest problem is that he is stonewalled. A further poke at the right people, and he is given a beating. A little further and they make an attempt to kill him. After this, it is obvious he has been noticed, and the danger spreads to those around him. Very nice build-up.

I do prefer the older spy-flicks to the modern. Particularly for the fact that they don't have a timer for when they have to have someone shoot or blow something up. Thus meaning one does not lose the natural flow of the story. And more importantly: It leaves room for clever dialogue and intellectual traps. Try to find that in Jason Bourne!

Why they would hire a known quantity as Andrew Lloyd Webber to compose the music seems strange, as music is very rarely used (and God-awful). I like the effect though. Silence leaves so much more room for little sounds and observations. Kudos to director Roland Neame. It leaves the sneaking parts much, much more tense and has the viewer at the edge of his sear.  
On a more sour note, it feels unnecessary that all actors speak with a German accent. OK, so the story is German, but if you want to make a German story in German, then hire German actors. Hearing Americans trying to have a German accent is most annoying. That they shout "prost" when they drink schnaps, only strengthens the hypocrisy.

All in all, this is a good spymovie with a decent plot, and as it is an old one, it even has a cool twist, that isn't simply stupid.

7/10

Shaft (2000)

This was the part they had been waiting for Samuel L. Jackson to get old enough to play. It is impossible to imagine anyone else replacing Richard Roundtree (naturally given a cameo) as John Shaft. So does it deliver?

It's all business as usual from the beginning as the voice of Isaac Hayes dwarfs some very funky guitars and the vignette has many boobs and cool effects like handcuffs and guns. From there, it's straight to the murder scene and only two minutes later, Jackson is having a very interesting tête-à-tête with a young Christian Bale, and naturally solving all mystery in seconds. Bale really is discusting as a racist yuppie, though. There is nothing you want more than to see Shaft get him. Though at five minutes in, it makes everything a bit simple and cut & dry.

Jeffrey Wright is most entertaining, but other than that the cast here is negligible, both the actors and the parts. It's painfully clear that they're all décor for the force that is John Shaft in this flick. It's always nice to see Pat Hingle though, even if he only has a couple of lines.

As for humour, Jacksons one-liners are very cool and very, very black (It's my duty, to please that booty).

A bigger problem is that there is no real plot here. We know the killer, we know the hero, and, quite frankly, we know the ending. There's not even a twist to be found. There are some clever moves, and ideas though, and Toni Collette does provide a MacGuffin of sorts. But I've seen Indiana Jones dig for 3000 year old artifacts, that have more of a backstory than her.

The action is decent, but not very well divided. Meaning you are bored at times, and exhausted at others. And the cursing is most solid. Enough for them to must have hired consultants on the area.

So in summation, Jackson as John Shaft is one of the coolest characters of the decade. Unfortunately, they couldn't be bothered to get him much of a script, and all other characters have the depths of a puddle in Sahara

5/10