Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 26 July 2008

I need to see a therapist because I just don’t “get” films like this.  I think it is absolute rubbish.  Yet, I’ve said the same thing about so many over-the-top action movies.  I’m becoming as predictable as the films themselves.  How does this flick make $130m at the U.S. box-office and score a 7 out of 10 rating from the public on the Internet Movie Database?  What’s wrong with me?

When it comes to farcical action, there’s one film that you must see.  It’s called Crank and it stars Jason Statham from the Transporter movies.  They’re actually making a sequel which will be released next year.  I never fully reviewed Crank on my website but let me say that it’s FUN.  It subscribes to a theory that I’ve long believed in – if you’re going to create a crazy action film then it can’t take itself too seriously.  It should be light-hearted and entertaining.  Check it out if you haven’t seen it already.

You should now have an idea as to why I hated this film.  The storyline is silly and convoluted.  Were there any jokes at all?  I can’t remember laughing very often.  Instead of fixing the holes in the screenplay, Russian director Timur Bekmambetov (Night Watch) has spent the time showing off.  He tries to get our adrenalin flowing with crazy action sequences.  It didn’t work for me.  The special effects are blatantly obvious and it makes the whole thing look fake.  Was the whole movie made on a computer?  Are any of the actors even real?

It’s all about an ordinary guy named Wesley Gibson (McAvoy) who has a crummy job as an accountant.  His life changes when he is brought into the world of The Fraternity.  They are a secret organisation of assassins who kill people to help maintain world order.  What makes them special is that they can fire a gun and curve the bullets.  They can therefore shoot someone who is around a corner.  Don’t ask me how they can do this.

There’s a lot more to this story but I can’t be bothered going into it.  The reason that Wesley has been recruited by The Fraternity is too complicated to explain.  How this organisation continues to operate is also a mystery.  Wouldn’t the police be a little suspicious about all these killings?  Wesley is involved in a shootout early in the film and his face appears on the front page of the paper.  You’d think he’d be identified by someone but it doesn’t happen.  He continues to walk down busy streets and travel on public transport.

I respect James McAvoy as actor and can understand why he’s made a film like this.  After terrific performances in The Last King Of Scotland and Atonement, McAvoy is considered the “next big thing”.  Wanted is the Hollywood blockbuster that will launch his career in the United States and see his face plastered on huge billboards and magazine covers.  I hope he has a great career but this is not a role that I will remember him fondly for.  The same can be said for Angelina Jolie (A Mighty Heart) who plays a fellow member of The Fraternity.  You can tell that she’s been cast in this film for her looks rather than her acting ability.

I “wanted” to walk out of the cinema after about 20 minutes.  I regretted not doing so.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 18 July 2008

The title should tell you what this film is about.  What it doesn’t reveal is that this is based on actual events and it’s very, very interesting.  We’ve seen a lot of bank heist movies released over the years but this one has a few fresh twists.  It should keep you guessing until the very end.

In September 1971, the Lloyd’s Bank on London’s Baker Street was robbed.  A gang of thieves had tunnelled underneath the bank and into the locked vault.  They stole the contents of 268 safety deposit boxes.

It’s not the robbery that I found fascinating but rather what happened next.  The British Government squashed all media coverage of the event.  They issued a “D-notice” which prohibited the media from publishing certain information because it was a threat to national security.  The public therefore knew very little about what actually happened.

What was the Government worried about?  Let’s just say that people don’t always put money, gold or jewellery in their safety deposit boxes.  Some have valuable information which they want to keep well guarded.  What better place than a bank, right?

The crime was never officially solved.  Many bank customers refused to disclose what was in their safety deposit boxes and so the amount actually stolen could never be determined.  No one knew what became of the thieves either.  The whole robbery was shrouded in mystery.

If you want to know what really happened, you need to check out The Bank Job.  Producer Steven Chasman tracked down a few of the people involved with the crime to find the truth.  They helped shape the screenplay but did so under the condition of anonymity.  They have new lives now and did not want their past coming back to haunt them.

I enjoyed The Bank Job because of its story.  As you can probably already tell, it definitely grabbed my attention.  The overall film itself isn’t that great.  Too much time is spent focusing on the lead-up to the bank robbery as opposed to its aftermath.  The acting isn’t too flash either.  The two lead stars are Jason Statham (The Transporter) and Saffron Burrows (Reign Over Me).  I found it difficult to take them seriously and I believe the film would have been enhanced with some bigger name stars.  Perhaps they couldn’t be accommodated into the $20m budget.

The director is Australian born Roger Donaldson.  Some of his earlier films were rather forgettable (Cocktail, Species) but Donaldson has made some impressive movies over the past decade including Thirteen Days and The World’s Fastest Indian.  This isn’t his best work but it’s not bad.  It’s great to see another Aussie making his mark in the film world.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 21 July 2008

Four years ago, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock created one of the most influential documentaries of all time.  He starred in his own film and attempted to eat nothing but McDonalds for an entire month.  The film was Super Size Me and if you’ve seen it, you’ll know that it doesn’t paint a good picture for lovers of fast food.  It was no coincidence that McDonalds released its new healthy range that same year.

When Spurlock was last in Australia, I ran into him and his wife at an AFL match in Brisbane.  He was very friendly and he was interested to know what I thought of his movie (thankfully I liked it).  I’m happy to report that he’s put together a new documentary which is even better.

In Where In The World Is Osama Bin Laden?, Spurlock travels to countries including Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Afghanistan.  He speaks with the people of these Middle Eastern countries to find out what they think about the Taliban and also about the United States.  Oh, and yes, he’s hoping to find Osama Bin Laden in the process.  If he asks enough people, he figures that he’s bound to find the answer eventually.

This is a great film because Spurlock keeps things simple.  It’s shot similar to Super Size Me with Spurlock both the central character and the narrator.  He and his cameraman obtain some enlightening interviews with varying classes of people.  These discussions show a different side to the “war on terror” and will leave many viewers questioning the strategy of the U.S. government.

Now you might be asking yourself what’s the point of seeing this movie?  The majority of Australians are already against the war in Iraq.  Isn’t it just rehashing what we already know?  It does to a small extent but there’s a lot of interesting material that Spurlock uses to make his argument.  Even if you are opposed to war, you might learn new things to help reinforce your moral position.

I need to be careful though because when it comes to movies like this.  There are two very sensitive subject matters – politics and religion.  This film has something to say about both.  There will be some moviegoers who will be infuriated with Spurlock’s “propaganda”.

Regardless of how you stand on the issue, the film is sure to generate discussion.  That’s what makes it worth watching.  You’re still getting value-for-money after you’ve left the cinema.  Morgan Spurlock is a talented documentarian who loves to speak freely.  I look forward to hearing what he has to say next.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 15 July 2008

Without a doubt, The Dark Knight is the most anticipated movie of 2008.  The Batman franchise was reinvigorated with Batman Begins (released in 2005) and everyone has been waiting anxiously to see what happens next.  Over the past few weeks, a lot of people have been asking whether I’d seen the film and if it was any good.

I can finally say that… yes, I’ve seen the film.  I can also say that… yes, it’s good.  One must be careful though not to get too caught up in the hype.  If you go into the cinema expecting to see a masterpiece, you will be disappointed.  It’s not perfect and there are a few weak spots.  Still, of all the major blockbusters that we’ve been treated to in recent months, this one gets my vote as the best.

With the same director at the helm, The Dark Knight has been made in a similar vein to Batman Begins.  The overall tone of the film is gloomy and sinister.  This isn’t a light-hearted superhero flick (ala Ironman or Indiana Jones).  Gotham City is a depressing place.  It’s hard to distinguish the heroes from the villains.

There are two new characters of note in this sequel.  Harvey Dent (Eckhart) is Gotham’s new District Attorney.  The enthusiastic Dent is determined to clean up the streets and put the powerful mobsters behind bars.  Bruce Wayne (Bale) aka Batman is impressed with Dent’s work and his happy to see someone else standing up against injustice.

Then, there is The Joker (Ledger).  With a creepy voice and a face covered in make up, The Joker is a psychopathic madman.  He doesn’t appear to be after money and power.  He just loves the fun of being a villain.  The Joker’s actions may appear crazy but this guy has brains.  He wants to strip Batman of his “hero status” and will do so by turning the public against him.

In the first movie, director Christopher Nolan had to spend a great deal of time developing the Batman character.  That isn’t necessary here and it gives Nolan more time to expand on the supporting players.  Aaron Eckhart, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman and Maggie Gyllenhall are all great.  I only wish that Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman could have had more screen time.

This is a solid two and a half hours worth of drama.  Every character, at some point, makes an important decision that will affect the life of someone else.  Do they act in the best interests of themselves or in the best interests of others?  Are there times when a lie is better than the truth?  Watching these moral dilemmas unfold was the highlight of the film for me.

If I have a criticism, it’s that The Joker’s plans seemed a little too elaborate.  I don’t want to give anything away but I was left wondering how he was able to set up some of his explosions.  He’d look even more obvious given his appearance.  Was the last film this unrealistic?  I shouldn’t be too judgemental because this is a fantasy flick and Batman himself isn’t the most believable character.

Everyone is going to see this film (well, practically everyone) and the majority are going to be happy with what they see.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 18 July 2008

Jason Tripitikas (Angarano) is a teenager who loves kung fu.  When you see his bedroom, you’ll appreciate just how obsessed he is.  There are posters all over his walls he has a large collection of old martial arts movies.  He buys them from an old man who owns a run-down Chinese pawnshop.

Whilst he loves kung fu, Jason has no idea how to perform it.  He’s a scrawny looking kid and he’s never had any proper training.  His whole world is about to change… literally!  In attempting to escape from a group of bullies, Jason falls off the roof of a building and wakes up in ancient China.  In his hand is a bo staff that he took from the pawnshop owner.

Jason soon learns that there’s a story behind the weapon he carries.  It once belonged to a playful warrior known as The Monkey King (Li).  Five hundred years ago, The Monkey King was defeated in a duel with The Jade Warlord (Chou), an evil, power-hungry leader.  The Monkey King has been entrapped in a stone statue ever since.  The only way he can be freed is if precious staff is returned to his outstretched hand.

When The Jade Warlord learns that Jason has this weapon, he immediately sends in his army to get it back.  He wants to make sure that it is never returned to The Monkey King.  Jason will be helped by an unlikely new friend – a drunken warrior named Lu Yan (Chan).  Lu protects Jason from danger and starts teaching him a few kung fu basics.  Can they get the staff back The Monkey King or will The Jade Warlord stop them first?

The film is boosted by the presence of Jet Li and Jackie Chan.  They are the two most familiar names in Hollywood when it comes to martial arts movies.  You may be surprised to known that this is the first time they’ve appeared together in a major film.  They are joined by 20-year-old Michael Angarano who plays Jason.  I’ve been a fan of Angarano since I saw him in Sky High (released in 2005) and he’s great in this film too.  It’s a difficult age for any budding actor and I hope he continues to find good roles in the future.  He has talent.

When you size it up, The Forbidden Kingdom is best described as a family orientated martial arts film.  Younger audience will probably like it but adults may be let down by the limited storyline.  There are plenty of clichés and it’s all very predictable.  I know it’s what you’d expect from such a film but I was still hoping for something a little better.