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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 30 June 2012

If your computer starts having problems, what’s the first thing you should do?  Don’t worry, this isn’t a trick question.  You’d see it being asked at the $100 mark on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.  The answer is to simply shutdown and reboot.  It doesn’t always work… but I’m surprised by how often it does make a difference.

It’s a practice that has now been whole-heartedly adopted within the film industry.  If a long-running series is showing signs of weakness, you don’t send it to the scrap heap.  You just shut it down, wait a little while and press “reboot”.  As we’ve seen with the Batman and Star Trek franchises, a fresh cast and a new director will lure the paying public back into theatres.

I say this often but I’m tiring of the lack of originality coming out of Hollywood and the frustrating trend towards sequels, prequels, remakes and reboots.  Films like Inception (my favourite of the past few years) are few and far between.  You’d be amazed to learn how many reboots are currently in production.  Brace yourself for new versions of Superman, Total Recall, Judge Dredd, Highlander, Robocop, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Starship Troopers and Godzilla.

I should get to the point and talk about the latest blockbuster reboot - The Amazing Spider-Man.  It’s a gamble for Sony Pictures in the sense that the previous Spider-Man series is still warm it its grave.  It was only ten years ago that we saw Tobey Maguire slip into his spidey-suit, hang upside down from a building and kiss the lips of Kirsten Dunst.  Do filmgoers want to see the “how did he become Spider-Man” story all over again?

Fresh off his superb performance in The Social Network, Andrew Garfield takes on the role of Peter Parker and transforms him into an extremely likeable superhero.  He’s never overconfident or preachy – he’s just a quiet, introverted guy with a wry sense of humour.  More importantly, he’s vulnerable.  Spider-Man isn’t a “perfect” superhero who can foresee every event and is never injured.  He has weaknesses and we see these through Garfield’s terrific performance.

The best moments in the film are easy to categorise – those where Andrew Garfield interacts with Emma Stone.  She’s one of the best young actresses working today (The Help, Easy A) and she can do no wrong in my eyes!  As Gwen Stacy, she’s more than Peter Parker’s naive love interest.  She’s an assertive, intelligent woman who can quickly size up any situation.  There’s an amusing scene on the rooftop of her parent’s apartment building where the two express their feelings for the first time (don’t worry, it’s not mushy).

What stops The Amazing Spider-Man from being a “great” film is the jumbled script.  For starters, we never get a clear perspective of the public’s feelings about Spider-Man.  This was achieved in the earlier movie by having Peter Parker work for the influential editor of a major newspaper.  That’s not the case this time around and we really only see things from the one-eyed viewpoint of the police chief (Denis Leary).

The villain is also a letdown.  Rhys Ifans plays Dr Curt Connors, a gifted scientist who is trying to develop a revolutionary drug that will allow humans to regenerate missing limbs.  It all goes wrong when he tries the serum on himself and turns into a giant lizard.  The problem is that we never really understand Connors and why he suddenly becomes so intent on world destruction.

Director Marc Webb (500 Days Of Summer) provides a solid action finale that looks great against the backdrop of the beautiful New York City landscape.  It’s just a shame things fall into place too easily.  How did no one manage to take a photo of the lizard while it was on the bridge?  Why was a 17-year-old intern given full security access to the laboratory?  How did all of those cranes (and drivers) happen to be in the right place at the right time?

Adding it all up, the positives outweigh the negatives with The Amazing Spider-Man (although it was a close call).  The intoxicating charm of Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone will distract audiences from the muddled screenplay.  Is it as good as the first film in the previous Spider-Man series?  I don’t think so.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 20 June 2012

“Let’s take the Snow White story, increase the focus on the evil Queen and turn it into a big budget Hollywood blockbuster.”  I’m not sure how… but two different groups of people came up with that same idea.  Mirror Mirror was released back in March and tried to add a comedic touch to the fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm.  I wasn’t a huge fan of movie but it did have a few positive qualities.

Snow White & The Huntsman is by far a better film.  It’s taken the famous tale of Snow White and transformed it into an epic adventure.  It’s not quite in the same company but the film reminded me of The Lord Of The Rings trilogy with its medieval appearance and magical flavour.

We begin with a brief introduction.  For many years, Snow White (Stewart) has been kept locked up in a very tall tower.  It is closely guarded and her only view of the outside world is through a small window.  She was placed there by her villainous step-mother, Queen Ravenna (Theron), who killed Snow’s White father and seized control of the kingdom.

Guided by her famous mirror, Queen Ravenna learns that she can achieve immortality if she kills Snow White and consumes her heart.  Unfortunately, she won’t get that chance.  Snow White seizes on an opportunity, escapes from the castle and flees into the mysterious Dark Forest.

Suffice to say that Queen Ravenna isn’t particularly happy when she hears this news.  It’s great watching her get angry and the versatile Charlize Theron (Monster, Young Adult) was a terrific casting decision.  She breathes life into the character and it’s kind of ironic that she does this by sucking the life out of others.

Blinded with rage, the Queen recruits a strong huntsman (Hemsworth) to head into the Dark Forest and capture Snow White.  It’s at this point where the film’s spotlight moves away from Queen Ravenna and starts shining on the vulnerable Snow White.  She meets an assortment of people within the forest and they provide valuable guidance in her quest to defeat the Queen and take her crown.

This is certainly a big step up for director Rupert Sanders.  He’s forged a successful career making award-winning television commercials but taking on a $170m production as your first feature film?  Now that’s a gutsy move!

The faith shown by Universal Studios has paid off because Snow White & The Huntsman excels in terms of its production values.  The sets look amazing and it seems no expense has been spared by Academy Award winning costume designer Colleen Atwood (Memoirs Of A Geisha, Alice In Wonderland).  James Newton Howard’s strong music score only further adds to the film’s “epic” nature.

It’s clear that a lot of thought has gone into the look of this fantasy world.  I speak of everything from the unusual mirror in the Queen’s bed chamber to the beautiful butterflies within the forest.  Some of the “camera trickery” involving the dwarves is a little obvious but on the whole, I’m impressed with what Sanders has been able to achieve.  Oh, and I’m no longer a Kristen Stewart naysayer.  I’ve been critical of her in the recent Twilight flicks but this is role that suits.

The film has been rated M in Australia and while it has arrived in time for the school holidays, I’d suggest the battle sequences make it unsuitable for young children.  For everyone else however, Snow White & The Huntsman is a satisfying start to what may become a long-running series.

You can read by chat with director Rupert Sanders by clicking here.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 27 June 2012

Polisse is a French drama that takes us inside the lives of those who work for the Children Protection Unit (CPU) in Paris.  We learn from the opening titles that these are fictional characters but the stories themselves are based on actual events.

Above all else, it’s an eye-opening film.  We see plenty of movies and TV shows focusing on police officers and their exciting adventures.  I’m not revealing anything new when I say that these films and programs tend to glamorise reality.

That’s not the case here.  Well, at least I don’t think so.  Polisse is shot like a documentary and this style gives it a huge dose of authenticity.  It feels like we’re just sitting in the corner of the room, watching these people go about their daily lives and eavesdropping on their conversations.  They’re an interesting bunch and you’ll quickly grow to like them.

Writer-director Maïwenn has covered a lot of material within the two hours duration.  For starters, we observe these officers in their professional setting.  They interview a father who has been accused of sexually abusing his daughter.  They go in search of a drug-addicted mother who has kidnapped her daughter from a child care centre.  They try to help a homeless mother who cannot care for her young son.

Just as enlightening is the perspective offered on the personal lives of these characters.  Child protection is a challenging profession and many of these officers have trouble “leaving their work at home”.  It’s not easy to spend your day interrogating an accused rapist and then coming home to relax on the couch with your partner.

It’s a subject matter that many filmgoers will find confronting but, for use of a better word, I “enjoyed” Polisse.  It’s an affecting film that’s has stuck with me since I left the theatre.  I’m guessing the jury at last year’s Cannes Film Festival had similar thoughts.  The movie took third place honours in the official competition (winning the Jury Prize) behind The Tree Of Life and Once Upon A Time In Anatolia.

My only criticism is that the film covers too many case files.  We’ll spend a few minutes listening to a person being interrogated and then not see them again for the rest of the movie.  A part of me wanted to know more and I’d have preferred an approach that is less fragmented and focuses more on certain individuals.

Building on the strong word of mouth from its screenings at the Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney Film Festivals, Polisse is now getting a limited release in Australian cinemas.  Make time for it.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 18 June 2012

You can (almost) always count on Pixar.  When it comes to creating top-notch animated movies, they are the best in the game.  I don’t think there’s any subjectivity in the argument whatsoever.  Since the made their debut with Toy Story back in 1995, they have released a total of 12 animated features.  These films have earned a total of 41 Academy Award nominations and have a cumulative international box-office of $7.2 billion.  All but two of the films have a critics score on Rotten Tomatoes exceeding 90%.

Brave is their latest and it arrives at the perfect time.  I’m a big fan of animated movies but I found the graduating class from 2011 to be somewhat underwhelming.  It was as if more time was being devoted to whizz-bang 3D graphics as opposed to creating compelling tales.

For me, the most disappointing trend has been a move away from dramatic storylines.  Writers tend to be favouring light-hearted, action-packed animated films (e.g. Kung Fu Panda 2, Puss In Boots) that don’t really challenge the audience.  These movies can be entertaining in their own right and I’ve enjoyed my fair share… but you can’t beat an emotive animated feature that pulls at the heartstrings.  The few recent examples that come to mind are WALL-E, Up and The Illusionist.

Brave is set in the 10^th Century and follows a young princess named Merida (Macdonald).  Her parents, King Fergus (Connolly) and Queen Elinor (Thompson), rule the kingdom of DunBroch and as their first born sibling, Merida is being groomed to follow in their footsteps.  It is her fate.  One day, she will be required to sit on the throne and lead her kingdom’s people.

Many would dream of being princess… but Merida does not fit into that category.  She’d prefer to live a life with no lessons and no expectations.  Her favourite days are those where she can escape her family’s castle and explore the mountainous countryside.  It gives her a chance to hone her already impressive skills with a bow and arrow.

Merida’s rebellious nature reaches a tipping point when she is told by her parents to find a suitor and get married.  They have organised a huge celebration where the sons of three lords will come together and demonstrate their strength.  The winner will get to stand alongside Merida at the altar and become a future king.

As you can imagine, Merida wants nothing to do with this.  She has no desire to get married at all.  With King Fergus doing everything he can to avoid conflict, it falls upon Queen Elinor to confront her daughter and explain that sometimes we don’t get to choose our destiny.  It’s just the way life is.

What follows is a captivating story filled with drama and a little magic.  Brave has a lot to say about “fate” and the importance of a bond between mother and daughter.  I also enjoyed its take on legends and their relevance in today’s world.  There are a few nice laughs but you’re more likely to remember the film for its strong characters and overall message.

You only have to look at a trailer to see that the quality of animation is superb.  A team of more than 80 animators have used new software to create a level of detail never before seen in an animated film.  You can feel the wind blowing through Merida’s beautiful red hair.  You can see the water vapour as her hand touches a waterfall.  I also loved the use of focus in certain scenes – as if it’s been shot using a real camera.

Brave is a shoo-in for an Academy Award nomination in the best animated feature category.  It sets the early benchmark and those films to be released in the second half of 2012 will have to work hard to catch it.

You can read my interview with star Billy Connolly by clicking here.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 26 June 2012

You wouldn’t put them in the upper echelon of the animated film world but the Ice Age flicks have been fun.  They’re simple crowd-pleasers aimed at a young audience with a cute assortment of creatures.  There’s Ray Romano as the level-headed mammoth, Denis Leary as the not-so-ferocious tiger and John Leguizamo as the clumsy sloth.  Let’s not forget the tiny squirrel who is forever trying to get his hands on an acorn.

I hate to be the one to break it to everyone… but it’s time these animals were put to sleep.  Their best days are now behind them.  There’s no need to shed any tears though.  Trust me, they won’t feel a thing.  We’ll just do the humane thing and stop making more Ice Age movies.

It’s the wafer thin premise in Continental Drift that has led me to this conclusion.  It begins with Manny the mammoth being separated from his family after an unexpected earthquake.  It has left him stranded on a tiny iceberg with Diego the tiger and Sid the sloth.  They’re joined by a new addition to the series – Sid’s feisty grandmother (Sykes) who pretty much does as she pleases.

They’re all desperate to return home but the iceberg keeps drifting further and further from the mainland.  Hope seems to have arrived when they encounter a large ship but lo and behold, it is controlled a group of pirates.  They are led by Captain Gutt (Dinklage), a villainous ape who is not renowned for showing mercy.

What follows is a silly adventure where our beloved creatures try to evade the pirates and find a way back home.  Things work out far too easily for these characters and as a result, there’s very little excitement or tension.  Every now and again, we cross back to the mainland for an even weaker subplot involving Manny’s wife and daughter who are having problems of their own.

A handful of moments left me chuckling but for the most part, this is a ho-hum film-going experience.  It’s hard to be too critical of something targeted at the family audience but when you compare it to last week’s Brave, a film with beautiful animation and a strong storyline, you’ll realise there are far better alternatives.

As a positive, those that see Ice Age 4: Continental Drift in cinemas will be treated to a 4-minute short film beforehand.  It’s a quick 3D Simpsons episode that revolves around Maggie trying to evade her arch rival, Baby Gerald, at the Ayn Rand School For Tots.  There isn’t a single piece of dialogue (must have allowed 20^th Century Fox to save on the voice costs) but it’s cute and I’m sure that fans of The Simpsons will find it amusing.