Real Steel (DVD+BluRay Combo Pack) Review

Image © 2011 DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Dir: Shawn Levy (Date Night, Night at the Museum)
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Dakota Goyo, Evangeline Lilly, Kevin Durand, Anthony Mackie, Hope Davis, James Rebhorn
USA/India, 2011

Reason to see: I love sport films and am big fans of many of the cast members including Hugh Jackman, Evangeline Lilly & Kevin Durand.

I was really excited to see Real Steel on DVD as I missed it in the theatre, it has Hugh Jackman (whom I love) and also qualifies as one step closer to being Oscar-ready with my film viewing as it’s nominated in the Visual Effects category.

Real Steel is a robot boxing film set in the near future from Disney film that came out in 2011, and right off the bat I really enjoyed it. There is a really strong, emotional story in the film that truly brings it to life. The storytelling and character development is very creative, and I loved how they show what the characters go through with such a creative, layered way in terms of showing process and development through robot boxing; it was an absolutely brilliant decision that really connects with the viewer. I was exciting going into the film just for the fact that Hugh Jackman was in it, but the transition to see him here almost felt like a challenge because his character of Charlie is not a super nice guy, which is very against type for him, but because he’s such a great actor he can totally pull that off. Charlie has flawed quality to him, but you still can’t help but love and root for him, even though you don’t feel like you should as his track record of being always down on his luck seems to stem from his own choices. But you still hope he’ll turn the corner and come out with better choices. We do see his life change a bit and shift to allow for more change, which is always and interesting tale to tell.

The human story of the film gives us an easy way to connect to it, but the robot boxing story reads just as strongly and is quite exciting. A lot of the choreography for the robot boxing was actually done by people, and it’s a combination of actual tangible robots and a CGI but many of the sets and fighting were actually real. It’s an interesting change over time to see, because the expectation now can be that it’s just awesome effects as oppose to an actual crowd and it’s hard to tell whether or not what we are seeing is real or not. I try not to let that tailor my opinion too much, but I was surprized to hear from the commentary how much was real, when my visual interpretation as a viewer, was that I was seeing computer generated effects. Bizarre, I guess it’s good learning and a testament that we don’t always know what we are seeing. That being said it was gorgeous to look at and I was impressed with not only the actual boxing and fighting in the film, but also the real human story in it that was easy to access and emotionally real. I didn’t expect to be caught by the tenderness of the story, but I truly was.

I also found the subtle near future seeing quite interesting, especially as it connects to a very timely theme of people being down on their luck and many one or two steps removed from the shiniest and newest technology, the theme of doing the best with what you have and also the value in something other than what’s the newest. That was very compelling. I would definitely recommend Real Steal.

DVD Extras:

• Feature Commentary with with director Shawn Levy on the film as a humanist sports drama, the balance of accessible yet near-future setting, serendipitous moments during the filming and creating of the film, of the tone and style of the film being different from his other work, the ongoing motif and theme of reflection & shadows, the amount of people that went into the design, creation and execution of the robots; and a lot about how how much we see is real in terms of the settings and the robots - they actually did build robots and use them in the film in combination with digital robots, he does talk about the robots but notes that that will be discussed more in other features, working with actors including what an amazing actor Hugh Jackman is, how likable Dakota Goyo is and when the dialogue was improved, on Danny Elfman composing the score. He also chats about the expected structure of sport films and the underdog story, what people want to and expect to see. I loved hearing about his directorial style and habits, and the importance of going with the plan (I love plans...), but also noticing and working with the beauty around you, as well as the concept of the best idea wins. I loved that. Plus, discussion the fights were choreographyed and fought by Garrett Warren and Sugar Ray Lenoard
• Making of Metal Valley (14 minutes) design drawing and specs, behind the scenes, shooting, film clips & interviews with director Shawn Levy, executive producer Mary McLaglen, production designer Tom Meyer, special effects supervisor Joe Digaetano, stunt coordinator Garrett Warren, stunt double Kelli Barksdale, 1st AD/executive producer Josh McLaglen, co-producer Eric Hedayat, visual effects supervisor Erik Nash, editor Dean Zimmerman on the creation of the Metal Valley setting in the film from using found elements and location, filling it in the set with props, robots, and rain; the set up and actual stunts (and test footage of the stunts), the choice to shoot outside, the practical effects and the safety consideration for the most complicated sequence of the film over it's 4 day shoot. A lot of focus on the stunts here, including rehearsals, testing, actual filming of actor/stunt doubles, the digital effects added and the final product.
• Building the Bots (5 minutes) film clips, robot design & creation, behind the scenes and including interviews with robotics supervisor John Rosengrant, director Shawn Levy, actors Hugh Jackman, Evangeline Lilly & Dakota Goyo ,production designer Tom Meyer, on the choice and affect of using real robots in combination with visual effects, seeing the robot creation including concept sketches & designs, the personalities behind the robots including choices on how they encapsulated personalities into the robots, the realism of using real robots controlled by puppeteers, plus being on site at Legacy Effects which carrys on the tradition on Sam Winston (Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Aliens, Predator),
• Bloopers (2 minutes) line flubbs, ad libs, physical goofs, these are hilarious. A a great set of bloopers, you can really feel the earnestness and love of the cast, I loved them all but especially seeing Hugh Jackman actually not being able to do something (is that possible?) and Kevin Durand's announcer ad libs were great.

BluRay Extras

• All DVD Extras (see above) Plus: deleted & extended scenes with introduction by director Shawn Levy, Countdown to the Fight: The Charlie Kent Story, Reel Steel Second Screen: Ringside with director Shawn Levy - simultaneously explore exclusive interactive content with your iPad or computer as you watch the movie and Sugar Ray Leonard: Cornerman's Champ
  

Real Steel is available on DVD+BluRay Combo Pack as of January 24, 2012. Check it out over at Amazon.ca & Amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I loved it
I'll watch it again & again
I widely recommend it

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

Also check out my review of Real Steel on Episode 60 of the Movie Moxie Podcast.



© Shannon Ridler, 2012

Shark Night 3D (DVD Review)

DVD Review of monster-horror film Shark Night starring Sara Paxton, Dustin Milligan & Chris Carmack


Image Courtesy of eOne Films

Dir: David Ellis (Final Destination 2, The Final Destination (2009), Snakes on a Plane)
Cast: Sara Paxton, Dustin Milligan, Chris Carmack, Joel David Moore, Katharine McPhee, Sinqua Walls, Donal F. Logue, Joshua Leonard, Alyssa Diaz, Chris Zylka
USA, 2011

Reason to see: Shark Movie! I don't know why, but I can't stop watching shark movies. Good thing there are a lot of them to go around.

It may, or may not, be that well know but I have a bizarre love of shark films. From the classic Jaws to the craziness of Deep Blue Sea & Sharktopus, I can't get enough of the scares and screams of shark films. It's lucky that we have lots to choose from! The most recent big screen shark film to hit DVD is none other than Shark Night which fills the bloody waters of the micro-genre well giving us lots of scares, crazy water works and even some new twists and turns following the dead-eyed creatures that chomp.

The film does starts with a well seasoned monster/horror movie premise of college kids going to relax and party on a waterside location, where the locals ain't all that happy to have them around. It's not all strangers in a strange land though they visit Sara's family cabin for the fun times, even if she hasn't been there in a while. I'll leave the rest of the story for you to discover while watching, and for most horror film fans I would definitely say hands-down just watch it & enjoy it. Shark Night happily surprized me on several fronts, first and foremost with the story which is almost embarrassing to admit that it actually surprized me but I'll give that as a compliment not only to the film but also to the marketing for leaving the story of the film... in the film itself. Kudos there for sure. I also was happy that they didn't go over the top with gratuitous nudity here, which may disappoint some horror fans but as a female horror fan I find it often what can turn me off a film. It decides to turn a different cheek here as it's actually Chris Zylka (Kaboom, 'The Secret Circle') who fills out this category the most.

On top of the chomping and the general shark craziness and fun horror spins, what I really enjoyed about Shark Night was the cast. Sara Paxton in particular brought the cute girl who used to be a local to life, and I was happy to see this I saw recently in The Innkeepers where she was positively delightful and it's awesome to see that she can bring that again and again. It was also a treat to see Dustin Milligan (Repeaters) who fills the nice shoes, Chris Zylka (Kaboom) is great at being over the top charmer and Chris Carmack does a great job as the slightly weathered local Dennis.

Overall, Shark Night was a really fun horror flick that keep me guessing and keep on chomping. I'll happily watch it again and think it's a great addition to the fantastic frenzy of shark films.

DVD Extras:

• Shark Attack! Kill Machine! (5 minutes) Although it's not explained exactly what this is, I am pretty confident in saying that it's a chronological truncation of just the shark kill clips from the film. Would have been fun if they had a running kill count or crossing off character names; just a little something to add to the fun and cheer along with plus help make it clearer to know exactly you are watching.
• Ellis' Island (4 minutes) behind the scenes, interviews with director David R. Ellis on being around sharks his whole life, the shark research involved, having actors doing their own stunts, working in 3D and the challenge of working underwater, plus actors Chris Carmack, Dustin Milligan, Donal Logue, Sara Paxton, Sinqua Walls, Joel David Moore, Alyssa Diaz, Chris Zylka on working with director David R. Ellis, and the process doing their own stunts, working in the water, working in 3D, the importance and balance of character and action.
• Trailer
• Plus: Be sure to watch until the end of the credits for an awesome cast easter egg

Please Note: Although theatrically known as Shark Night 3D, I viewed this on DVD in 2D.

Shark Night is available on DVD as of January 3, 2012. Check it out over at Amazon.ca & Amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it
I'll watch it again
I strongly recommend it to horror fans & shark-film fans

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2012


Sara Paxton and Dustin Milligan star in SHARK NIGHT 3D. Photo Credit Steve Dietl Courtesy of eOne Films.


Chris Carmack stars in SHARK NIGHT 3D. Photo Credit Steve Dietl Courtesy of eOne Films


Chris Zylka, stars in SHARK NIGHT 3D.Photo Credit Steve Dietl Courtesy of eOne Films.

The Guard (DVD + BluRay Review)

DVD Review of the amazing dark comedy The Guard starring Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, Liam Cunningham & Mark Strong.


Image Courtesy Alliance Films
Legal Line © Boyle Film Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Distributed exclusively in Canada by Alliance Films. All Rights Reserved.

Writer/Dir: John Michael McDonagh - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, Liam Cunningham, Mark Strong, Fionnula Flanagan, Rory Keenan, David Wilmot, Katarina Cas, Michael Og Lane
Ireland, 2011

Reason to see: Highly acclaimed and so far I've loved all the Irish films I've seen (being a wee bit Irish meself likely helps!)

The Guard is a dark comedy following Sergeant Gerry Boyle (Brendan Gleeson) as a Irish policeman in community of County Galway which when a out-of-the-norm crime occurs, outside help arrives in the form of FBI agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle). Although both are officers of the law, their styles and conduct could not be more different from one another if they tried, and they may in fact tie. A unique spin on comedy, this (non) buddy cop film forays into new territory of humour, crime and bizarre circumstance.

I was initially hesitant going into this one not thinking myself a fan of comedy but I am so glad that didn't sway me away as The Guard is brilliant. It left me howling in laughter while also being aghast, with the kind of humour that you don't think it's possible to get away with but works and is funny every, single time. Brendan Gleeson (Perrier's Bounty, Harry Potter series) is formidable in the lead here as the morally ambiguous and often brash Boyle, yet there is also a very sensible and regular folk quality to him as well as a quiet, beautiful kindness. In high contrast we see the straight-shooter, always elegant and proper Everett who brings more formality to every situation. To add to the awesome cast, we have a fantastic set of baddies including two actors I always love to see: Liam Cunningham (Centurion, The Escapist, 'Outcasts') and Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes, Robin Hood (2010)). In fact Mark Strong as a British baddie delivers one of my favourite supporting performances of all of 2011. Extremely memorable and hauntingly dark.

The film plays beautiful with juxtaposition, with characters and situations seemingly ridiculous yet always perfect. Great timing, great chemistry, fantastic acting and a pretty freaking impressive story to boot. The Guard easily ranked high on both my Best Films of 2011 and Most Enjoyed Films of 2011. It's funny, and even though it's crass, brash and ballsy, the main characters aren't mean spirited which I think is ultimately what won me over.

The Guard if freaking brilliant. If I swore in my reviews I would swear for emphasis, but since I don't I'll get tell you to go see The Guard. I loved it and I highly recommend it.

DVD Extras:

• Feature Commentary with director John Michael McDonagh and actors Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle pretty entertaining commentary although oddly you can 'hear' them watching the film as their is some silence in talk which is okay because the film is really entertaining and it's clear they had a fun time making it and enjoy the jokes and there is lots of interesting commentary about the response to the comedy pluse a fair amount of discussing/notation to the styling and colours of the film, the inspiration behind the film, the laughter to sophistication ratio, the jokes that went over the heads of the audience, things that were cut from the film, actor shout outs, film references, favourite lines, choices on line delivery, lots of notations to what gets a laugh & great reveals, the explanation of few extras, when they did their own stunts, the dynamic between Brendan Gleeson & Don Cheadle's characters, challenges with the weather, nods to westerns and funny stories from filming.
• The Second Death - A Short Film that Inspired The Guard (11 minutes) directed by John Michael McDonagh and starring Liam Cunningham. Moody dark drama that's got a really impressive weight or remorse to it, and the ever-fabulous Liam Cunningham. Great DVD extra, and really happy to have a chance to see the short.
• Deleted Scenes & Extended Scenes (20+ scenes, 24 minutes) tons of great scenes are found in this set of extended and deleted scenes including more buddy cop scenes schooling the newbie police officer, crime theories, police procedures, interviews plus family drama & character delvopement and some more great camradarie scenes Brendan Gleeson & Don Cheadle; great scenes although many it's understandable why they didn't make the final cut as even for this film feel quite controversial and others give some more clear direction when ambiguity served them well.
• Outtakes (3 minutes) great moments, physical goofs, line flubs, funny tension and awesome laughter outbursts.
• Behind-the-Scenes (18 minutes) behind the scenes of filming scenes including scene set up to filming, clowning around on set as well as interviews with actors Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle, Liam Cunningham, Mark Strong, Rory Keenan, David Wilmot, Katarina Cas, Michael Og Lane,Fionnula Flanagan discussing their characters, the character histories & relationships and often specifically their connection or contrast to The Guard (Brendan Gleeson's) character and working with and impressions of writer/director John Michael McDonagh; as well as the actors on the ending of the film.

The Guard (2011) is available on DVD as of January 3, 2012. Check it out over at Amazon.ca & Amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I LOVED it - It ranked #5 in my Best Films of 2011 list and #6 Most Enjoyed Film of 2011
I have and will continue to watch it again, repeatedly
I highly & widely recommend it

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2012


Brendan Gleeson (left) and Rory Keenan (right) star in THE GUARD, an Alliance Films release.


Don Cheadle stars in THE GUARD, an Alliance Films release.


David Wilmot (left), Liam Cunningham (center), and Mart Strong (right) star in THE GUARD, an Alliance Films release.

Apollo 18 (DVD Review)

DVD Review of the science fiction conspiracy theory film Apollo 18

Image Courtesy of Alliance Films
Legal Line Package Design: © 2011 Starz Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. © 2011 Mirsand Limited. All Rights Reserved. Distributed exclusively in Canada by Alliance Films. All Rights Reserved.

Dir: Gonzalo Lopéz-Gallego (King of the Hill / El Rey de la montaña)
Cast: Warren Christie, Lloyd Owen, Ryan Robbins
USA/Canada, 2011

Reason to see: Whether it is scifi or conspiracy film I was curious from the first trailer

It's been a while since we've seen a good conspiracy film, or any conspiracy film but with Apollo 18 we get back in the groove of the what ifs? and could it be? and what did happen? questions as it combines a conspiracy film with found footage feel and takes on a science fiction angle, or to be more precise a historical setting of the science fact. Put all of that together and I was definitely intrigued at the possibilities of where it may go.

The viewer gets place as an observer in the edited footage of a secret mission of Apollo 18 to the moon, so secret that the astronauts couldn’t tell anyone what they were doing which gives them a tried and true unsung hero appeal. The film even shifts vibes from an almost documentary character, or subject, set up reeling us in as viewers into the lives of the astronauts and we slip into watching, caring and listening to them more so than wondering what they are doing going to the moon.

Apollo 18 certainly takes on a few challenges being both a found footage and a conspiracy film, both are style I often enjoy especially when paired with science fiction. As a found footage/ cinéma vérité film I think it works as one of the challenges of this style is the viewer can be stumped by who edited it, but this is thankfully dealt with so it's not a question but rather an answer sitting at the back of your mind. As a conspiracy film though, id didn't quite get me as much as I was very familiar with one of the actors Warren Christie who plays Ben Anderson and I watched all summer on the show 'Alphas', and he's great in that and great in Apollo 18 but it broke the mystique of the 'could this be real?', because I knew it couldn't.

As a science fiction/horror film, Apollo 18 completely got me. I didn't know what was going to happen, or even what could happen. Because of the (edited) found format you know you won't go too long with nothing going on (like Paranormal Activity 2), but I never felt like I was waiting for something to happen. There was always something interesting drawing me to the film be it the visuals, the story, the characters or the sound; it kept be in and kept me more on edge than I expected. It had scary moments, it was surprizing and it was creepy to boot. I am, however, not to surprized that the film may not have been received well south of the border considering alternative history of this era can step on pretty firmly on the toes in terms of patriotism, but it didn't faze me.

As it is a conspiracy film I don't want to say too much about it, but if you enjoy either science fiction or horror I would say this one is well worth a look. I enjoyed it much more than I expected and I look forward to seeing it again.

DVD Extras:

• Feature Commentary with director Gonzalo Lopéz-Gallego and editor Patrick Lussier, deleted scenes, alternate scenes & alternate ending.

Apollo 18 is available on DVD as of December 27, 2011. Check it out over at Amazon.ca & Amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it a lot
I'll watch it again
I'd recommend it to fans science fiction and/or conspiracy films

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2011

Fright Night (2011) Review 2-Disc BluRay Combo Pack with BluRay & DVD

DVD/BluRay Review of the coming of age vampire horror comedy Fright Night starring Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell, Imogen Poots and David Tennant


Dir: Craig Gillespie (Lars and the Real Girl, Mr. Woodcock)
Cast: Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell, Imogen Poots, David Tennant, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Toni Collette
USA/UK, 2011

Reason to see: Vampire Films are pretty much always a go, plus the casting is awesome

Going into Fright Night (2011) I was hyped to see a vampire film, but not having seen the original I didn't have much more than that to go on other than hesitation as recent track record for horror remakes have not been. Low and behold, I am happy I took the plunge and dived in as the film is fabulous! It has a great story, charismatic characters and an insightful look at power dynamics and relationships. All of that set in outside-Vegas suburbia, giving it a prime opportunity to play into high school insecurity drama and lots of beautiful people.

The film follows Charley Brewster (Anton Yelchin of Star Trek, Terminator Salvation & The Beaver) who is a pretty average guy for all intents and purposes, but gets trapped in between social crowds of his new girlfriend Amy (Imogen Poots) and trying to avoid his old geek friends including Ed (Christopher Mintz-Plasse of Kick-Ass), who suspects neighbour Jerry (Colin Farrell of In Bruges, Triage) of being a vampire. I was honestly already sold at the 'possible vampire neighbour Jerry', but as an added bonus we get a complex dynamics of social groups, awkwardness and power dynamics on many levels. I loved the power play in the film which is present at all times, especially between Charley and Jerry, the tense yet subtle negotiation as well as dancing around predator behaviour at every step.

The cast really makes the film a cut above. Anton Yelchin & Colin Farrell play off each other very well in creating the power struggle between their characters, which is something I didn't expect but also adds a great coming of age quality to it. We've actually seen several male coming of age stories in film this year with Stake Land & Bellflower, but those both lost me somewhere and Fright Night kept me in at every moment. Perhaps it's the comedic elements, and considering it's written by 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' veteran Marti Noxon was the magic touch as that show always finessed that beautiful balance between horror, comedy and pop culture. Another huge highlight of the film is David Tennant (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, 'Doctor Who') as Vegas illusionist Peter Vincent, whose performance alone is worth seeing the film as he's over the top in all the right ridiculous ways. I also loved that even though it has lots of comedy in it, it still is a true horror film where horrific things happen. I was literally shocked several times during the film, which isn't an easy feat, and they were all true to story or character moments - no pop scare or no cheap shots, but all truly great moments.

Overall it's a great vampire film, horror film and coming of age film and it's got a great sense of humour as sensational performances. Fright Night (2011) will definitely be one of my faves of 2011.

DVD Extras:

• Bloopers (3 minutes) includes practical goofs & mishaps, flubbed lines, extended reaction shots and lots of brilliant & awkward moments.
• Squid Man – Extended & Uncut (2 Scenes, 3 minutes) Awesome footage home video style of the superhero/role-playing of Adventures of Squid Man, Kid Comeback and Gladiator Boy full on with practical effects and creative editing.
• Kid Cudi Music Video (uncensored version) “No One Believes Me” (5 minutes) movie tie in video set in the tone and setting of the film.
  

BluRay Extras
All DVD extras of Bloopers, Kid Cudi Music Video (uncensored version) “No One Believes Me” and Squid Man – Extended & Uncut (noted above) plus:

• Peter Vincent: Swim Inside My Mind
• The Official “How to Make a Funny Vampire Movie” Guide
• Frightful Facts & Terrifying Trivia
• 5 Deleted Scenes with intros by Director Craig Gillepsie (Ride to School; Neighborly; Once A Freak, Always A Freak; Midori & Kerosene; and Back at the Penthouse)
  

Fright Night (2011) is available on DVD as of December 13, 2011. Check it out over at Amazon.ca & Amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I loved it
I'll watch it again, repeatedly
I highly recommend it to vampire film fans and horror comedy fans

See also: Fright Night Review on the Movie Moxie Podcast, All 2011 Films Reviewed, All Film Reviews and DVD Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2011

Warrior (2011) DVD Review

DVD Review of Warrior family drama/MMA fighting film starring Joel Edgerton & Tom Hardy as estranged brothers.


Image courtesy of Alliance Films
Legal Line © 2011 Lions Gate Films Inc. All Rights Reserved. Distributed in Canada Exclusively by Alliance Films. All Rights Reserved.

Dir: Gavin O'Connor (Pride & Glory)
Cast: Joel Edgerton, Tom Hardy, Nick Nolte, Jennifer Morrison, Frank Grillo
USA, 2011

Reason to see: It's on my list of Most Anticipated Films of 2011 (#8)

Warrior stars Joel Edgerton (Animal Kingdom, The Square) and Tom Hardy (Bronson, Inception) as estranged brothers who separately dive into a MMA (mixed martial arts) competition. Both come from previous fighting backgrounds and are not only estranged from each other but also their recovering alcoholic father (played by Nick Nolte). I was completely ready to love Warrior. It was not one, but two of my current favourite actors (Tom Hardy & Joel Edgerton) and it's got mixed martial arts. That's well more than enough for it to be a film I've been looking forward to for over a year, but even with doing my best to avoid trailers and the marketing it felt very clear even before sitting in the theatre where the film was going. I know I'm more sensitive than most on spoilers and there is a certain attitude that sports films tend to sway the same way, but I still felt it was very clear where we are going. If I had connected to one or both of the brothers stories, I think it would have helped. It's not that they aren't compelling or timely, both of them are - I just didn't quite get there with them.

What I did love is the honesty in the family relationships, that they wore their own hurt and that family history lived in different memories of the two brothers and their father. That felt very real to me and I appreciated the emotional journeys of the characters. Switching gears completely, the other thing I loved about the film was the pomp and circumstance of the competition and general MMA-ness, it totally took me back to the days of when I watched wrestling for hours on end with my siblings and most often with my own brother. There is a certain attitude that goes along with that world of sports entertainment that is like no other. Oddly the space that divides those two things of pomposity and family drama is the space where I found the film sat the most, and I wasn't quite with it for that ride. And it was a long ride of 2h20min, and even on that I feel divided - I appreciated the depth of the stories but I just wonder if we needed it all. It also stands apart from many sport films as it doesn't feel like other of the characters are fighting for the joy of the sport or a strive to excellence, but rather for the money and there is an air of desperation and helplessness that's although resonates currently, it's not a comfortable place to be.

I think I need to give it some time and watch it again, because I want to love it and I only liked it. I would have loved to see the fighting itself more clearly as oppose to the fast cuts and often through or with obscurities, but I have a feeling that keeps it authentic with the MMA-verse. It's just the guys are all in such great shape it would have been awesome to really see the action a little clearer as a personal preference (this is addressed in the feature commentary on the DVD). But as a family drama and that speaks to the extraordinary challenges people face, I think it's a win-win.

Warrior (2011) is available on DVD as of December 20, 2011. Check it out over at Amazon.ca. & Amazon.com

DVD Extras:

• Feature Commentary with co-screenwriter/producer/director Gavin O'Connor, co-screenwriter/co-producer Anthony Tambakis, editor John Gilroy and actor Joel Edgerton; really interesting commentary that has a little bit of everything from bringing the film to life to conversations about how DVD commentaries can give away movie magic, lessons learned about test screenings, how there is a format to films that feel the need to start of with a big action scene, the importance of being invested in character, a lot about the exposition scenes in terms of importance, process and working to getting them right; inspirations for the characters, the training process & learning the choreography, inspiration & decisions on the fighting styles, the casting process including casting Joel Edgerton, what scenes they used for auditions, plus working together & with Tom Hardy, Nick Nolte, Frank Grillo & Jennifer Morrison, the iconic Pittsburgh notations in the film and the journey of the film as well as fun stuff like counting how infrequently Tom Hardy character smiles.
• Redemption: Bringing Warrior to Life Documentary (32 minutes) Absolutely fantastic documentary! It includes film clips, behind-the-scenes, stunt fight pre-visualization, training footage, & interviews with co-screenwriter/producer/director Gavin O'Connor, co-screenwriter/co-producer Anthony Tambakis, editor John Gilroy, stunt coordinator/fight choreographer J.J. Perry, executive producer John J. Kelly actors Joel Edgerton, Tom Hardy, Jennifer Morrison, Nick Nolte & Frank Grillo on the idea behind the film, the personal connections to the film, the theme of family and change, on the choice of MMA, discussions about the fights, prep work & training the actors as well as training the fighters to fight for camera; the choice of location, the short prep period, the importance and challenging of finding actors who could do not only the physicality but also the emotional range of strength and vulnerability, the actors on their characters & how they came to the film as well as working together (especially working with Nick Nolte); plus working with the talented crew including director of photography Masanobu Takayangi, 1st assistant director/co-producer Jamie Marshall and MMA trailer Greg Jackson. Plus interviews with fighters in the film including Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson, Kurt Angle, Nate 'The Great' Marquardt & UFC referee Josh Rosenthal on the film, input into the fights & the actors.
• Deleted Scene (1 scene, 3 minutes) with optional commentary with co-screenwriter/producer/director Gavin O'Connor, co-screenwriter/co-producer Anthony Tambakis, editor John Gilroy; discussion on why it wasn't included in the film plus how it was first scene shot, on the first take and as discussed in the commentary it received a standing ovation for Nick Nolte's performance.
• Cheap Shots: Gag Reel (4 minutes) Goofs, ad libs, practical jokes and gags.
• Selected Scene on Camera commentary with co-screenwriter/producer/director Gavin O'Connor and Nick Nolte (2 scenes, 8 minutes) This is pretty cool format that I've not seen before, as opposed to use just hearing a commentary it's literally watching them watching scenes of the film (plus stills from prep & behind the scenes) while discussing Nick Nolte's character, history, and his relationships with his sons in the film plus the connection to the film as a whole plus technical notations like blocking
• Brother vs. Brother: Anatomy of the Fight (11 minutes) a side by side comparison of storyboards & live action pre-visualization with to completed film footage for a major fight sequence in the film.
• Philosophy in Combat: Mixed Martial Arts Strategy (21 minutes) great discussion with MMA trainer Greg Jackson & actor Frank Grillo on MMA & their experience with the film including how they got involved, the inspiration & their connection to the film, how the film had changed along the way, the importance of how real they wanted the fighting and culture to feel for MMA fighters & fans, the training & lifestyle of MMA fighters and for the actors, how to approach MMA or any art form when you are just newly discovering it, the characters journeys and fighting styles, the connection of music to movement, plus training footage, rehearsal footage & demonstrations and explanations of various forms of martial arts that play a part in MMA.
• Simply Believe: A tribute to Charles "Mask" Lewis, Jr. (14 minutes) Tribute to Charles "Mask" Lewis, Jr., who was cast in the film, who the film was dedicated to and passed away just before filming; tribute including interviews with director Gavin O'Connor, people from the film and many members of the MMA community including referees, trainers, fighters, fellow Tapout co-founder & members on the impact he had on their lives and the legacy he created.

Shannon's Overall View:
I wanted to loved it, and on repeat viewings I'm growing more and more on me
I'd watch it again
I'd recommend it to fans of fighting films

Also see: All 2011 Films Reviewed, Most Anticipated Films of 2011 and All Film Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2011
Also originally reviewed for Theatrical Release - September 29, 2011


Tess (Jennifer Morrison) and Brendan (Joel Edgerton) in WARRIOR. Photo credit Chuck Zlotnick


Tommy (Tom Hardy, left) and Paddy (Nick Nolte, right) in WARRIOR. Photo credit Chuck Zlotnick


Joel Edgerton (left) stars as 'Brendan' in WARRIOR. Photo credit Chuck Zlotnick


Tom Hardy stars as Tommy in WARRIOR, an Alliance Films release. Photo credit Chuck Zlotnick

Dragonslayer (2011)

Dir: Tristan Patterson - feature film directorial debut
Documentary following skateboarder Josh 'Skreech' Sandoval
USA, 2011

Reason to see: Documentary following a skateboard is an easy yes from me!

Dragonslayer (2011) is a documentary following skateboarder Josh 'Skreech' Sandoval, and that was more than enough to get me interested although it's been a long while since I’ve thought about skateboarding, I've always thought it was one of the coolest things on the planet. The film has lots of skateboarding in abandoned pools, skate parks and competitions as well so there is lots of fun physicality to watch, and I really loved that they show the rhythm of it; that the repetion of trying to find the pattern of path plays as intriguing (over boring); and that is actually what the film feels like as a whole as well, that finding the pattern of life, feels intriguing even though arguable it doesn't always feel like that much is actually going on.

The film is stylistically more vérité than documentary, full on with shaky cam but it's very unusual to see that when the camera person is *not* the protagonist, or in this case subject - which really shakes up the format and makes you aware of who is shooting this film, and why; but then you go back to just watching in wonder as Skreech life unfold whether it be skating or competitions or personal relationships or travelling, it always has something interesting going on although it's hard to put a finger on it. I think the pacing welcomes and embraces the relaxed rhythm they show of the skateboarding lifestyle of going from place to place, park to park and always on the lookout for a great new spot to skate over. That always looking point of view reads clear in the tone throughout, and I feel like just as they are looking at the perfect spot, we are looking in the same way about the film; always looking.

I really enjoyed the relaxed point of view and tone created, and it was fantastic to see all the skateboarding for sure; and even though there isn't lots of informative help for the uninitiated I think it still reads strongly for fans and non-fans of the sport and lifestyle. You just have to go with it. I'm glad I did.

Dragonslayer (2011) opens in Toronto on December 16, 2011 and plays at The Royal from December 16 - 22, 2011.

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it
I'd watch it again
I'd highly recommend it to skateboarding fans and recommend it to fans of film that look at human nature

Also see: All 2011 Films Reviewed and All Film Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2011

The Debt (DVD Review)

DVD review of espionage film The Debt starring Helen Mirren, Jessica Chastain, Sam Worthington, Marton Csokas, Ciarán Hinds and Tom Wilkinson



Image: Courtesy of Alliance Films
Legal Line © 2011 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved. Distributed exclusively in Canada by Alliance Films. All Rights Reserved.

Dir: John Madden (Killshot, Proof (2005), Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Shakespeare in Love)
Cast: Helen Mirren, Jessica Chastain, Sam Worthington, Marton Csokas, Tom Wilkinson, Ciarán Hinds, Jesper Christensen
USA, 2011

Reason to see: Amazing cast.

Following a trio of Mossad agents, The Debt depicts the story of brave young team who go up against a notorious medically experimenting doctor (portrayed wonderfully by Jesper Christensen) during the 1960’s in East Berlin. Using an approach of then-and-now showing cause-and-effect, we see this trio in two time periods. The young guns are the charismatic and ambitious Stephan (Marton Csokas of Romulus, My Father), the shy and justice-oriented David (Sam Worthington of Last Night, Terminator: Salvation) and adept and driven Sarah (Jessica Chastain of The Tree of Life, The Help). I thought as a group, the young trio worked really well together displaying a great sense of distance for people newly working together as a group with the complex dynamics that can arise, as well as the closeness that comes with working in very tense situations. I was particularly impressed with Marton Csokas as the almost smarmy Stephan as well as with the Jessica Chastain for her acting as well as strong, believable physicality. The characters later in the timeline are portrayed as Sarah by Helen Mirren, Stephan by Tom Wilkinson (In the Bedroom, Michael Clayton) and David by Ciarán Hinds (The Eclipse), and I thought the transition and intensity of Jessica Chastain to Helen Mirren (The Last Station, RED) was fantastic, by am mystified in the choice of male roles almost purely because Marton Csokas and Ciarán Hinds look so much like each other I found it strange that they weren't playing the same character. In terms of acting though, everyone was great and tonally it's a fit but in terms of sheer likeness, I would have matched up Marton Csokas to Ciarán Hinds as David.

Espionage and mystery films tend to always get one over on me, I have a hard time seeing through deception especially if there are multiple layers of lies and/or time periods/and or issue, which may be one of the reasons that I really enjoyed The Debt, because I understood it but always was suprized along the way. It was the perfect intrigue, human drama and worldly issues to make it interesting, accessible and relevant on several levels.

I connected to the human drama elements of the stories the most, the pain of secrecy and the weight of living and knowing stories you want to tell or even more so the difference in people who want to tell versus having no issue keeping the secret. When and to whom do your loyalties and interests lie? Are you driven by your own need to share over the inferred or actual 'good of the people'. Is it in fact, better to know the truth? Very interesting questions to explore and with the fact the film is portrayed in the present as well as the past, we get the added weight of the effects of time. Overall I was quite impressed and I think it's a great combination of espionage & human drama.

DVD Extras:
Feature Commentary with director John Madden and producer Kris Thykier; A Look Inside The Debt, Every Secret Has A Price: Helen Mirren in The Debt and The Berlin Affair: The Triangle at the Centre of The Debt.

The Debt is available on DVD as of December 6, 2011. Check it out over at Amazon.ca & Amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it
I'll watch it again
I'd strongly and widely recommend it

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2011


Sam Worthington (left) and Jessica Chastain (right) star in John Madden's espionage thriller THE DEBT, an Alliance Films' release. Photo credit Laurie Sparham


Jessica Chastain (left), Marton Csokas (middle), and Sam Worthington (right) star in THE DEBT, an Alliance Films release. Photo credit Laurie Sparham


Ciaran Hinds (left) and Helen Mirren (right) star in THE DEBT, an Alliance Films release. Photo credit Laurie Sparham

Conan the Barbarian (2011) DVD Review

DVD review of the 2011 film Conan the Barbarian starring Jasom Momoa

Image Courtesy of Alliance Films
Legal Line Program Content and Package Artwork: © 2011 Conan Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Package Design and Summary: © MMXI Lions Gate Films Inc. All Rights Reserved. Distributed exclusively in Canada by Alliance Films. All Rights Reserved.

Dir: Marcus Nispel (Friday the 13th (2009), Pathfinder)
Cast: Jason Momoa, Rachel Nichols, Stephen Lang, Rose McGowan, Saïd Taghmaoui, Ron Perlman, Nonso Anozie, Leo Howard, Ivana Staneva
USA, 2011

Reason to see: Action epics are a yes for me

Ready to go into the brave the battlefield that births a warrior like no other? Then step into the world of Conan the Barbarian (2011)! I admit I was highly skeptical of a redux/reboot/rehash/renew of Conan, because Conan the Barbarian from the 80's starring Arnold Schwarzenegger is so iconic, much-loved by fans and I was surprized when I revisited it last year, it's actually overall a very good film. But I'm always up for an action flick, especially a sword & sorcery one with lots of fighting and awesome styling and therefore braved this new world with Jason Mamoa as Conan. They go with a very similar tone of character but a different enough origin story to make it interesting. I absolutely adored the set up story for the film and was hugely impressed by Leo Howard a Young Conan, keep an eye on this guy because he is a force to be reckoned with.

The film has interesting mythic elements that add to the sorcery storyline, mostly encapsulated by the fantastic Rose McGowan as Marique (who again had a great young counterpart with Ivana Staneva). I loved the character of Marique, and the styling of her character. Jason Mamoa was pretty intense as Conan and a great fighter, he didn't make me love the character though, who isn't a hero so much but more of a rambunctious vengeful perma-thorn-in-the side feel with an occasional Robin Hood moment, with expected paybacks from some of the more pretty people he saves. I do like that the film managed to balance the harshness with some fun moments, but the heart of it is the truly visualized and stylized world with epic battles throughout.

This year we've had quite a wave of action films with an pretty extreme level of violence, from the over-the-top antics of Hobo with a Shotgun to the sword & sandals epic of Immortals and makes Conan the Barbarian sit with them in good company. I feel like I shouldn't be surprized at the violence level in Conan the Barbarian (2011) looking at director Marcus Nispel past works of Friday the 13th (2009 and Pathfinder (which along with the original Conan was a part of my 2010 Sword & Sandal Marathon!), and although I didn't mind it here myself, it does make it impossible to widely recommend the film. There is lots of blood, torture, maiming and more which doesn't feel out of place in it of itself but there is a certain revelling in the enjoyment of the violence that put me off a little. It does add a bit of fun that balances the seriousness but overall the tone is pretty freaking dark. I'm sure there are fans of the character for which that is exactly what they are looking for and they don't have to look hard because it's in the film from the bitter beginning to the very end. Seeing it on DVD you could feel the moments that were in 3D which was a mild distratction, but not so much that it detracted from the overall enjoyment of the film.

I'm a little conflicted on the female characters though, as they were 2 great female characters but there was also a big dose gratuitous nudity. Not my thing, and I'm sure it balances out. I can't say I'm surprized, but I am a little disappointed even though it's completely true to the Conan world. Overall, I feel a bit conflicted about the film as I thought I wouldn't enjoy it but in fact I did. Is it possible to be disappointed *because* you enjoyed something, as opposed to not? I don't understand it, but I do know it's the truth. If you are looking for bloody mayhem, beautiful battles on real locations and a bucketload of sword work and some sorcery all styled beautifully in authentic costumes with a charismatic cast, then Conan the Barbarian is definitely for you. I had no idea that would mean it would also be for me!

DVD Extras:

• Audio Commentary with director Marcus Nispel on working with the actors Leo Howard (Young Conan), Ron Perlman, Stephen Lang, Jason Momoa, Rachel Nichols, including how they got involved and their characters, filming in Bulgaria, on the importance of specific scenes & moments, the master/disciple relationship, movies that influenced him as a director, working on a remake and the challenges & choices made in terms what to include, the character of Conan and the choices made for his physical representation, different permutations of different scenes along the way, the realness of working the chase scenes with the horses and how many of the actors did their own stunts (including Rachel Nichols), the use of magic in the film and sword & sorcery in the film and the mythos, and interesting discussion about Pathfinder and what did and didn't work with that film and also how the character in that film is similar to Conan, working, filming & the process of 3D, the different expectations on tone & style and his vision of the story, character and bringing it all together as well as even talking about the impact of Twitter in relation to the film (wow!)
• Audio Commentary with actors Jason Momoa & Rose McGowan discussing seeing the film for the first time at the premiere,the 3D, working with the other actors (or being in the same film with) including Ron Perlman, Leo Howard, Stephan Lang, Ivana Staneva, their favourite fight scenes, props & love for the crew including costume designer & make-up artists, creating their characters, working with the horses, challenges and favourite fight sequences and moments, the epic level of the battle scenes, going to Comic-Con, chatting about the order in which they shot, which shots are their stunt doubles, noting the numerous real locations, how fun and brutal things were and how cool it all looks, a previous/alternate ending, and of course a lot about the character of Conan (including pronunciation). They are very entertaining & enjoyable to listen to but it's odd as sometimes differences in noting who did what in terms of stunt, ideas, etc from the directors commentary and also shows the juxtaposition of how there are huge portions of the film that they aren't actually in but they still make it entertaining and they have enlightening commentary and shout outs throughout.
• The Conan Legacy (18 minutes) film footage, behind the scenes, interviews with writer Sean Hood, writers Joshua Oppenheimer & Thomas Dean Donnelly, Paul Sammon (author of Conan the Phenomenon) Roy Thomas (former writer & editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics), producers Boaz Davidson & Fredrik Malmberg, executive producer Avi Lerner, actor Jason Mamoa (plus audition footage and test footage) & Rachel Nichols, director Marcus Nispel, Craig Morrison (game director and producer of Age of Conan), on their introduction into the Conan world, pulp novels, the character of Conan as originally created by Robert E. Howard and the world and age he created including the re-launching and resurgence of the character including through comics, the initial idea for the film and vision of the film and the many faces and roles of Conan, casting Conan in this film version the choice of going with low fantasy and a hard-R, the 1982 Conan the Barbarian with Arnold Schwarzenegger and other Conan properties throughout the years; plus stills of Robert E. Howard and the pulp novels, concept art & drawings of Conan & the world, comics and visuals from presentation by director Marcus Nispel which are gorgeous.
• Robert E. Howard - The Man Who Would Be Conan (11 minutes) photos of Robert E. Howard plus interviews including with with Paul Sammon (author of Conan the Phenomenon), Rob Roehm (editor, The Collected Letters of Robert E. Howard), Roy Thomas (former writer & editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics), writer Sean Hood discussing the biography and history of of Robert E. Howard from family history, personal life, being a writer, influences & interests, pulp magazines and specifically Weird Tales and the way to incorporate supernatural elements into his adventure stories and touches on character like Soloman Kane, the origins and genesis of the Conan character and the world he created, the attraction of the Conan character,
• Battle Royale - Engineering the Action (10 minutes) behind the scenes footage, training, visual storyboards, film clips and interviews with director Marcus Nispel, stunt coordinator Noon Orsatti, production designer Chris August, executive producer Avi Lerner, second unit director David Leitch, writer Sean Hood, producers Boaz Davidson & Fredrik Malmberg, actors Jason Mamoa, Stephen Lang, Rachel Nichols & Rose McGowan on the real-feel and grittiness of the action, the sword style, the concept behind some of the creatures/fighters in the film, the use of real locations for so many of the settings, creation & execution of horse chase scene including the challenges of and the fact that most of the riding & stunts were done by the actors, the challenge of and the style and strength of Jason Mamoa.
• Staging the Fights (5 minutes) 5 pre-visualizations created by the stunt team to choreograph the complicated fight scenes here shown, often side by side with the final film sequences and it's pretty freaking amazing to see it go from concept to the slick, final product.
• Theatrical Trailer

Conan the Barbarian (2011) is available on DVD as of November 22, 2011. Check it out over at Amazon.ca & Amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it more than I expected
I'll watch it again
I'd recommend it for fans of gore-heavy action flicks & revenge films

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2011


Jason Momoa stars as Conan in CONAN THE BARBARIAN. Photo credit Simon Varsano


Tamara (Rachel Nichols) and Conan (Jason Momoa) in CONAN THE BARBARIAN. Photo credit Simon Varsano


Young Conan (Leo Howard, left) and Corin (Ron Perlman, right) in CONAN THE BARBARIAN. Photo credit Simon Varsano

Immortals

Review of the highly stylized action epic Immortals starring Henry Cavill, Luke Evans and Mickey Rourke



Dir: Tarsem Singh (The Cell, The Fall)
Cast: Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke, Stephen Dorff, Luke Evans, Freida Pinto, Isabel Lucas, Kellan Lutz, John Hurt, Joesph Morgan, Daniel Sharman
USA, 2011

Seen: November 15, 2011 at Scotiabank in 3D

Reason to see: It's on my list of Most Anticipated Films of 2011 (#14)

I was really looking forward to Tarsem's foray into the epic sword & sandal as I love the genre and I enjoyed his previous films The Cell and The Fall; both which had interesting stories and were set highly stylized & adeptly realized environments. Immortals continues the trend of highly stylized and visually stunning films, but I did not connect to the story or characters anywhere near as much as I had hoped. The film follows Theseus (Henry Cavill of 'The Tudors'), whom is an outsider in his home village but maintains strong relationships with both his mother and a wise old man (John Hurt), who trains him in the ways of a warrior. His fighting skills certainly are believable but aren’t appreciated or wanted when the tides turn and the fearsome King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) sets his sites on releases the Titans to create a war among the Gods. Who will stand up for the mortals? Who will they place their faith in? That is a really good question, because it really doesn’t seem to be….Theseus.

That brings us to one key piece missing from Immortals and one thing I often look forward to in a sword & sandals film: a hero. Theseus is many things including a great fighter, a dedicated son, a man who persisted through challenges, extremely fit & capable but he is NOT a hero. They even talk about what a hero is in the film - and he doesn't meet that on any level, especially when it comes to believing people would follow him. It’s a very much fend-for-yourself mentality of individuals which seems completely at odds with the principle of the story trying to rally folks together either through faith, on by fear. Another elements I would have loved to have seen but sadly weren’t used include that the film didn’t have a sense of adventure (travelling vast distances/solving puzzles/looking for treasure), there is no moral question, there are no grey areas; it's just brutality and oppression in contrast with action and beauty.

Now, looking at it from the perspective of action and beauty alone, it does provide both in abundance. Immortals fits snugly in the 18A high-gore, brutal-violence camp that has been growing all year and although the action wasn’t quite my cup of tea (slow-mo, amp’d up, 3D-centric, etc), it was well done and entertaining. There were some great fights and monsterous characters, which brings me to the art direction and styling which I have to commend on all levels. The costumes and characters are fully realized; they are deeply a part of each and every character and often push the envelope to new levels. The art direction and visual stylings they are formidable in both the gruesome and beauty beds, but in particular the costuming & armouring of King Hyperion's army is fantastically hideous. I also was impressed by the performances of Joesph Morgan as Lysander, Luke Evans as Zeus and it was also cool to spot Robert Maillet (Monster Brawl, Sherlock Holmes) as one of the baddies.

I did wish there was more alignment to the things we know the gods as to their fighting styles implemented into the action, but I can see the reasoning behind going with something different. I did love the visual depiction of the Titans, although didn’t love the energy that came with them. And I was really disappointed in Athena's character - for the goddess of war she ended up being a Daddy's girl and that just ain't right.

The easy quip would be to say its style over substance, but it isn’t. The truth is I liked style, but didn’t like the substance which is a strong revenge tale with hints at ideas on the gods, faith, disbelievers, diplomacy and power. Sadly, although it’s gorgeous to see the style of the film I didn’t enjoy spending that much time with characters who aren't interested in helping anyone but themselves.

Shannon's Overall View:
I wanted to enjoyed it
I'd watch it again for the gorgeous art direction
I'd recommend it to fans of action films that are heavy on brutality

Also see: All 2011 Films Reviewed, Most Anticipated Films of 2011, and All Film Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2011

In Time

Writer/Dir: Andrew Niccol (Gattaca)
Cast: Justin Timberlake ,Amanda Seyfried, Cillian Murphy, Olivia Wilde, Matt Bomer, Alex Pettyfer, Johnny Galecki, incent Kartheiser
USA, 2011

Seen: November 12, 2011 at AMC

Reason to see: It's science fiction and and I loved Gattaca

In Time is set in a world/time where time acts as currency, and once you hit 25 your body stops physically aging and will keep running indefinitely as long as you have enough time on your biological clock. In this world we follow Will (Justin Timberlake), who does manual labour job, lives with his mother and literally clocks day by day and hopes one day to have more time on his arm (clock) than hours in the day.

It's a great way to understand the pressure of the need to earn to live, but what didn't quite jive is that it was very clear that you need more than the hours of the day on your arm if you are going to get anywhere or do anything, so right there I had a disconnect with not understanding how much time anyone would need to last a day and that was an early warning bell for more confusing and issues. It's so sad because the film has such a great premise, I was intrigued since the first trailer as it's an interesting analogy to wealth having it literally wired to life and a fascinating way to show the different in economical levels, how society works (or doesn't), priorities, pressures, subcultures and the like. Although the film does actually touch on most of those interesting ideas, it falls into so many sand traps along the way including ironically pacing. There are moments there are very specifically noted to take a lot of time in one instance, and then are show very quickly later and that just made me not believe in the film at all. You have to follow the rules you set up, especially if they are intrinsic to the basic (and unique) concept of the story, otherwise you are going to lose people.

I did like Justin Timberlake as Will, he was very charismatic & believable in the different hats he wears for the role from being a concerned son, to a bit of a bruiser or a charmer (or a bit of both). I've been wondering how he'd fair as a leading man since The Social Network and I think we will see a lot of him in the future, although I had lots of issues with the film I didn't have any issues with him. Justin Timberlake was great in the action sequences, had a good emotional range and was charismatic throughout. Which is impressive in a film that also stars Cillian Murphy who is outrageously charismatic & talented and was a highlight here as the timekeeper/law enforcer who had been around since things were different which was one of the other things I wish they had played with in the film; if people could literally be timeless, how would that effect trends or eras or the passage of time? Everything felt so 'now', which didn't seem to fully explore the concept at all. I also kept wondering why they didn't go into different directions or explore more ideas. It really focused on economy and wealth; aligning the poor to the dregs of the world and the rich to elites and never the two to meet; and there was certainly an uncomfortable idea of that having more time was 'dangerous' to all involved. Great for drama, but disturbing as a concept.

It would be easy to harp on things little and big like not everyone looked 25, the sad uncaring and selfish nature of most of the people in the world, the glaring oddity that the time exchanges aren't tracked but for me the big question was why would this every happen? What's the advantage and how was it implemented? Does no one try and undermine the system? How much time do you need to survive a day, month, year; or send your kids to school (if there is school?), or get training, buy a magazine or take a trip? No idea. It all felt either easy or too hard. There was no in between.

I really wanted to like In Time, but it was so sad to see it not fully explore a fascinating idea and to be honest the fact that it had pacing issue made me literally mad. That was a deal breaker. I did enjoy the performances of Justin Timberlake, Cillian Murphy & …. As the big rich bad, but I shook my head at the mangling of such an interesting idea to a mostly messy film.

Shannon's Overall View:
I didn't love it
I'd would watch it again
It's a challenge to recommend, I think sci-fi fans will be disappointed and they are the target audience

Also see: All 2011 Films Reviewed and All Film Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2011

The Three Musketeers (2011)

Review of the adventure film The Three Musketeers starring Logan Lerman, Milla Jovovich, Matthew Macfadyen, Ray Stevenson and Luke Evans adapted from the book by Alexandre Dumas



Dir: Paul W.S. Anderson (Resident Evil, Resident Evil: Afterlife, Death Race (2008), AVP: Alien vs Predator)
Cast: Logan Lerman, Milla Jovovich, Matthew Macfadyen, Mads Mikkelsen, Ray Stevenson, Luke Evans, Christoph Watlz, Orlando Bloom, Freddie Fox, Juno Temple
USA/UK/France/Germany, 2011

Seen: November 17, 2011 at Scotiabank in 3D

Reason to see: It's on my list of Most Anticipated Films of 2011 (#21)

I wasn't quite sure what to make of The Three Musketeers (2011) before heading in, as it's a highly noted classic adventure story that has been adapted in to so many films over the years and then to have the man who brought us the Resident Evil films, Paul W.S. Anderson directing, I was even more dumbfounded. But the trailers looked fun and I adored the cast (Mads! Milla! Ray! Oh my...), so I picked it for the Book to Film Club and said I was going to give it a chance.

Now, I do have to admit that getting through the book The Three Musketeers was a HUGE challenge. It was the hardest read (but I didn't dislike it) and the biggest challenge of the 2011 Book to Film Club because it was so long and so dense. Thankfully, the film is a lovely adaptation trimming away oodles and oodles of things I didn't miss and keeping all the adventure, including main story and the spirit of all of the characters. Before reading the book I was mostly excited because of the casting. I'll see anything that Mads Mikkelsen (After the Wedding / Efter brylluppet, Valhalla Rising) & Ray Stevenson (King Arthur, Kill the Irishman) are in, especially together, and I continue to love Logan Lerman (Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief) , Milla Jovovich (Resident Evil Series) & Luke Evans (Tamara Drewe, Immortals). Plus, now I have to know where the heck Matthew Macfadyen has been hiding (period films?) because he in instantly going on my to-watch list as he is an excellent actor.

I know that is a lot of names, but that is because the film has so many delicious characters from our young protagonist D'Artagnan (Logan Lerman) who is off to prove himself and quickly becomes entangled with the Three Musketeers of Athos (Matthew Macfadyen), Porthos (Ray Stevenson) and Aramis (Lucas Evans) who although highly skilled are not really needed anymore and come to odds with the Cardinal's (Christoph Watlz) guards lead by Rochefort (Mads Mikkelsen) and pretty much rule the place even though it's in the hands of a very king Louis (Freddie Fox). And then of course we have Milla Jovovich as the cunning Milady, whom is highly skilled in many ways.

How they flushed out all of the characters so well is a huge feat in it of itself, I'm a big fan of ensemble casts in action/adventure films and they are able to create and hone the characters including their own unique set of skills, they interpersonal relationships, histories and motivations all without feel like it's being telecasted to you. And I didn't go in super knowledgeable reading the book - I could barely tell the Musketeers apart! But here, it was easy and delightful to know who was who; and what trouble they are getting into. And there is a lot of trouble to get into, the film is full of plots and trickery and the mystery of solving your counterparts motivations and the meticulous planning to work on and through the deception. Honestly, the planning won me over more than I anticipated. But the art direction and styling was also gorgeous, although they certainly took some liberties with devices which gave it a fun vibe and you really just have to go with it.

I loved watching The Three Musketeers, it is literally one of the most fun out of all of the movies I have seen all year. It's outrageous, outlandish and over the top but it's backed by a solid plot, a fantastic set of characters and a brilliant cast. I really enjoyed the performances of each and every person in the film who breathed in the joy, romance, adventure and life into the film. Absolutely wonderful!

See also: The Three Musketeers (2011) DVD Review

Shannon's Overall View:
I loved it - I was grinning from ear to ear the entire time
I'll own it
I highly recommend it to fans of adventurous and fun-spirited films

Also see: Most Anticipated Films of 2011, 2011 Book to Film Club and All Film Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2011

Bellflower (DVD Review)

DVD review of the indie sweetheart film Bellflower; feature film directorial debut from writer/director Evan Glodell


Writer/Dir: Evan Glodell - feature film directorical debut
Cast: Evan Glodell, Tyler Dawson, Jessie Wiseman, Rebekah Brandes, Vincent Grashaw
USA, 2011

Reason to see: Great buzz off the festival circuit

I was drawn to see Bellflower from what felt like an outrageous premise of following two friends Woodrow & Aiden (played by Evan Glodell & Tyler Dawson) who are fondly creative their own version of Max Max-like items apocalypse surviving items including an car, and that might sound like an outrageous reason to be interested in a film but it's the straight-up truth. I was pretty surprized that it's actually more of a relationship drama between Woodrow and Milly (Jessie Wiseman) and a new girl that plays the often-used 'drive a wedge through friendship' role which pitches the to see-saw between Woodrow relationship with Milly and friendship with Aiden. There certainly is a vibe of embracing slackerville 2.0 in Bellflower, where there drive of the characters feels almost non-existent as they are just living for and in the moment without a care of what the next day may bring or how it could affect themselves or those around them. The one big exception to this rule was the keen long-term projects of Woodrow and Aiden, in their dream of creating machines and devices a la Mad Max that would increase their own chances to survive an apocalypse. That really is as cool as it sonds.

I had pretty high expectations of Bellflower from the indie love wave it's ridden off the festival circuit and I'm always happy to festival & independent films get a lot of love. It and impressive first feature, even with its bumps in logic and the grand omission of not provide any context of how the characters made any money, but the vision is big, the tension is electric and it has bucketloads of chutzpah. When you compare the gutsy vision with slightly bumpy narrative I think you end up with a fine balance but I the one thing I can't quite get about the film was that I had huge issues with the female characters in the film. I've never met a woman who is as self-serving and twisted as Milly; and I really didn't understand Courtney whom I felt was there to provide more encounters and complications. I did find that both Jessie Wiseman and Rebekah Brandes performances impressed me at times, but that feels like a conflict statement when paired with not always understanding their characters.

Considering the bizarre nouveau feel to the film, the combination of belief and confusing is perhaps perfectly fitting in its contradiction. Either way, there is no denying that Bellflower is a vibrant, visceral journey film that burns its way into the hearts and minds of it's viewers. The gorgeous packaging and electric extras will make many a fan happy to get their hands of the DVD.

DVD Extras:

• Behind-the-Scenes of Bellflower - a look into the apocalypse love story (24 minutes) film clips, on set footage, interviews with writer/director/actor Evan Glodell and actors Tyler Dawson, Jessie Wiseman & Rebekah Brandes, director of photography/editor/co-producer Joel Hodge, co-producer/production coordinator Chelsea St John, producer/editor, actor Vincent Grashaw, gaffer/sound/engineer/co-producer Paul Edwardson, co-producer/assistant camera Jet Kauffman, first A.D./co-producer Lenny Powell, composer/editor/co-producer Jonathan Keevil on how the film came to be and/or how they became involved in the film, the honest initial reaction to the script and whether they 'got it' or not, the films theme and heartbreak, loss & grief and the destructive nature that can go hand & hand with that, the intense drive to keep the project going; the history, reactions, versions & testing of the flamethrower, plus footage and discussion of key scene in the film, specs, reactions and how the Medusa car works, challenges with the the film including reactions initial test screenings, the story of how the film got into Sundance plus cast & crew reactions to being at the festival and footage at the festival, as well as a lot of fun and horsing around. You can really feel the love for the film and between all of the people involved in the project, it's really quite touching.
• Medusa Rundown - an in-depth look at the hand-built car (10 minutes) rundown on how Medusa car works with writer/director/actor Evan Glodell, the car being worked on, how much parts were, in action plus film footage with and about the car.
• Outtakes from the Set (7 minutes) lots of fun reactionary moments during filming including goofs, tech issues, stunts, effects, impromptu character discussions and lots out & out lunacy.
• Original Theatrical Trailer

Want to hear more? Check out my podcast review of Bellflower here.

Bellflower is available on DVD as of November 22, 2011. Check it out over at Amazon.ca & Amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I wanted to love it
I may watch it again
I'd recommend it to indie film fans and dark relationship dramas

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© Shannon Ridler, 2011