Pacific Rim

Posted on July 11, 2013 at 6:00 pm

I know there’s only one question you have about this movie, and the answer is yes. If you ever wanted to see a movie with giant monsters battling giant robots, this is it.

And if you ever wanted to see a movie that is nothing but giant monsters battling giant robots, this is that movie.

Not much more to say after that. And thankfully, director Guillermo del Toro understands that. I don’t remember ever seeing a movie that gets to the point so quickly. Less than a minute into the running time there’s a monster attacking a city and cars falling off a bridge and moments later, we get, you guessed it, a monster fighting a robot. And it’s pretty much monsters and robots from then on.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that. These are some mighty fine monsters and robots.

So, here’s the deal. There are monsters. We don’t know where they came from but they arrive through some sort of “Thor”-like portal under the Pacific Ocean. Its cheeky conceit is that the dinosaurs were a sort of failed advance team and the monsters had to wait until humans evolved and deteriorated the environment until it was Goldilocks-just-right for them.

These are very, very big monsters known by the Japanese term “kaiju.” Del Toro loves monsters, and these are absolutely fantastic. Like Ray Harryhausen, del Toro and his character design team understand that we need monsters to be at the same time very strange and very familiar, impossible but possible. The structure of bone and muscle and teeth has to make sense to us. They have to be able to support their frames and their movements have to feel weighty and powerful. These monsters are masterfully designed, marvelous and scary. There are blue, glowing tentacles and massive jaws with pointed teeth. They attack cities like Godzilla’s gigantic brother, stomping and chomping.

What’s cool here is the sheer scale of the things. Over and over, it take your breath away.

At first, the humans think it is a one-time attack. But then there are others. And the earth has to recalibrate all notions of what is possible, all priorities. They have to find a way to fight the kaiju. They have to build robots the size of the Empire State Building.

The robots look great, with ninja heads and believable scuffs and dents. Some of what they do does not seem physically possible — how does that running and jumping thing work? — but mostly their movements seem to make sense and feel believably powerful and weighty. What goes on inside, not so much. We can build robots the size of a skyscraper but the arms and legs have to be operated manually, like a kind of gym stair-stepper? And what is this mumbo-jumbo about how the pairs who operate them have to be able to “drift” — meld their neural pathways so they can access each other’s thoughts? Oh, well, let’s get to the fights!

Charlie Day provides some comic relief without going overboard as a nerdy scientist. Ron Pearlman shows up as a colorful profiteer. He goes overboard, but that’s what he’s there for. Idris Elba gets to use his real accent for once, is majestic as the guy in charge. Charlie Hunnam, bulked up, fades into the background, more generic than the machines. Whenever they try to add some human interest, everything stalls, but fortunately that does not happen too often.

There are a couple of good touches about the way different elements of civilization respond to the monsters. I couldn’t really understand who was doing what some of the time or what they were saying much of the time (a lot of the usual sci-fi moments of people staring intently into monitors, but it is always nice to Clifton Collins, Jr., and he does better with the jargon than most people). But there were robots fighting monsters and in the middle of the summer, that’s good enough for me.

NOTE: Be sure to stay halfway through the credits for an extra scene.

Parents should know that this film has non-stop and intense sci-fi action violence with massive destruction and genocide, very scary monsters, chases, explosions, suicide missions, gruesome images, sad deaths, brief language

Family discussion: Why didn’t Staker want Mako to go out in the Jaeger? How is the cooperation between Gottleib and Geiszler like the drifting of the Jaeger operators? What are three different ways we saw characters respond to the attacks?

If you like this, try: “Independence Day,” “Top Gun,” “Blade Runner,” and the original “Godzilla”

Related Tags:

3D Action/Adventure Science-Fiction

After Earth

Posted on May 30, 2013 at 6:00 pm

“After Earth” goes off the rails in the first minute as Jaden Smith (the “Karate Kid” remake, “The Pursuit of Happyness”) opens the story with a near unintelligible voice-over narration with some mishmash about how a thousand years before all humans were evacuated from Earth because the environment had become uninhabitable (critic on board so far) and then some predatory monsters evolved (still with you) who are blind but track by smelling fear (starting to lose me) and can only be defeated by “ghost fighters” who somehow are not afraid to fight them but still haven’t figured out that with all the cool technology they have invented, it might be good to have some sort of phaser-style assault weapon rather than continuing to fight them with what are basically cavemen-style spears, or technology of 20,000 years ago (critic has left the building). Will Smith has done to Jaden with this movie what Rebecca Black’s parents did to her with “Friday.” At about 50,000 times the cost.

You can see where this comes from. Will Smith is credited with the idea, and it is structured as an allegory for the wrenching moment of parenting he is at with his son, that precarious balance between wanting to protect them and needing them to have the courage, integrity, and skill to take care of themselves. Smith senior plays General Cypher Raige (these names are really over the top), a taciturn, demanding man who has spent more of his son’s life away from home than with him. Jaden Smith plays Cypher’s son Kitai, who, just as his father is returning home is notified that he has not qualified as a cadet. He is desperate to prove himself to his father, but due to a past trauma that will be revealed in great detail, is not sure of himself. Cypher decides the thing to do is to bring Kitai along on movie cliché number three, the “one last mission.” And, in movie cliché number two, something unexpectedly goes very, very wrong. And in movie cliché number one, two people who don’t know each other very well learn to respect and appreciate one another.

The spaceship crashes, everyone else is killed, Cypher is injured badly, and the only way for them to survive is for Kitai to make a very dangerous trip, by himself, to a remote location, so ET can phone home and they can get rescued. This is the part of the movie where the characters lay out the SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats), so we can see how they play out over the rest of the story. Are the little ampules for coating the lungs so Kitai can breath absolutely necessary? (Props to the foley team here; the sound these little disks make as he sucks them in are excellent.) Well, somehow Kitai will have to face a shortage. Is the holographic communications system attached to Kitai’s sleeve the only way his father can direct him to the communications disk that is their only hope of calling for help? Somehow it will have to break. And then there are the creatures “all evolved to kill humans” Kitai will run into along the way, plus various other difficulties, one requiring a “Pulp Fiction”-esque injection into the heart.

I have cherished the notion, as M. Night Shyamalan has gone from skillful, absorbing films like “The Sixth Sense” to gimmicky and increasingly self-aggrandizing claptrap (“Lady in the Water,” “The Last Airbender”) that some day we would again see his gift for cinematic storytelling. At times, he has shown an almost Spielbergian understanding of the language of film. But here, even his camera placement is pedestrian. And it is almost as though he sets out to make the worst possible use of his actors. Will Smith’s endless appeal comes from his energy and charm. All of that is tamped down here as he plays a rigid officer who cannot seem to decide if he is talking to his son or issuing orders. Jaden Smith showed himself to be a gifted performer with a nice easiness on camera, but here he is poorly directed. A far better director and a more experienced actor would have a hard time making so much time alone on screen work. Even Tom Hanks had Wilson to talk to. By the time we get to the monster, it is just a relief to know it is almost over.

Parents should know that this film includes pervasive peril and violence, human and animal characters in peril, injured, and killed, some graphic injuries and dead bodies, family member gored by scary monster, snake, spider, falls, and some disturbing images.

Family discussion: How does Moby Dick relate to this story? What do we learn from the way the characters evaluate their resources and options? Do you agree with the General’s distinction between danger and fear?

If you like this, try: “Enemy Mine”

Related Tags:

Action/Adventure Science-Fiction

Interview: Thomas Horn of “Space Warriors”

Posted on May 30, 2013 at 8:00 am

Thomas Horn, Jeopardy champion and star of “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close,” appears in this week’s “Space Warriors.” The movie premieres on Friday, May 31st at 8/7c on the Hallmark Channel and co-stars Ryan Simpkins, Danny Glover, Dermot Mulroney, Josh Lucas, and Oscar-winner Mira Sorvino.

Viewers can win a free trip to Space Camp by signing up now, and tuning into The Hallmark Channel on Friday 8/7c to find the secret keyword on screen.

Thomas Horn was nice enough to answer my questions:

What’s the scariest part of Space Camp?

I used a simulator called the multi-axis trainer that spins riders’ bodies in multiple axes, as the name suggests. Its a little bit nauseating and scary to watch, but it is less unpleasant than it looks.

What’s the most fun?

Conducting the space mission is definitely the most fun part of the camp, because you get to put what you have learned into practice. You get a feeling for what it is like to actually operate a spacecraft

If you were an astronaut, which job would you want?

I would want to be the mission commander, because they get to be in charge and make the final decisions on the spacecraft. It is the most difficult job, but also the most important.

What are the most important things an astronaut has to know?

As far as I know, an astronaut needs to be very familiar with physics and chemistry in general. Astronauts also have to know a large number of ordinary and emergency procedures.

What are the most important qualities an astronaut has to have?

An astronaut has to be clever and decisive, but also patient. They have to be hardworking, physically fit, and good team players. For my character in the film, this last requirement is the hardest.

What surprised you the most in what you learned about the space program?

I was really surprised when I heard that the astronauts returning from the Apollo missions had to land in the ocean, but couldn’t aim themselves very well, so they sometimes had to wait for hours to be picked up by a ship. That’s bravery.

What did you and the other kids do to have fun while you were making the movie?

We did a lot of swimming in the hotel pool (temperatures were 90+ for all but 2 days during the shoot), and we saw a lot of movies, including two in which my co-stars acted!

What’s the best advice you ever got about acting?

Be natural.

What makes you laugh?

Jokes are great, but the funniest moments are always accidental.

Star Trek: Into Darkness

Posted on May 16, 2013 at 9:36 am

B+

Lowest Recommended Age:	Middle School
MPAA Rating:	Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence
Profanity:	A few s-words and a couple of other bad words
Alcohol/ Drugs:	Drinking, bar
Violence/ Scariness:	Extensive sci-fi/action violence including acts of terrorism, characters injured and killed
Diversity Issues:	Diverse characters
Date Released to Theaters:	May 16, 2013
Date Released to DVD:	September 9, 2013
Amazon.com ASIN:	B00AZMFJYA

This time, there’s crying in “Star Trek.” And some very significant time on Earth as well. This story is in the most literal sense, close to home.

Writer-director J.J. Abrams, who rebooted Gene Roddenberry’s original “Star Trek” saga with a rousing 2009 origin story prequel now takes us closer to the place where the original series began. There’s just a touch of the famous soaring theme song and some references the old-school Trekkers (don’t call them Trekkies) will love. A tribble plays a key role, and there’s a mention of a certain Ms. Chapel, who is studying to be a nurse. A character from the original series appears to give us some more of his backstory. And we get to hear Uhura speak Klingon.

But the primary focus is on the relationship between the main characters, Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Scotty (Simon Pegg), Bones (Karl Urban), and especially the cerebral half-Vulcan Spock (Zachary Quinto) and the impetuous Kirk (Chris Pine). We rejoin the story mid-chase on a remote planet with a massive volcano about to explode and the Prime Directive (the Federation observes and reports but does not interfere with other civilizations or alter their destiny, even by being seen by them) is about to be jettisoned once again.

As in the original series and its sequels, “Star Trek: Into Darkness” takes on moral dilemmas and geopolitical allegories with the same full-on gusto with which the characters engage with the adventures of the universe. The issue of the few weighed against the many and the personal connections weighed against the larger world (or galaxy) comes up several times, in increasingly complex variations. And, of course, there’s a ton of action.

It is impossible to say much more — including some minor quibbles — without some serious spoilers, though I will object to the under-use of the talented Alice Eve, who is playing a brilliant scientist but for no reason whatsoever has to appear in her underwear. As for plot, I will just say that a terrorist-style attack in London leads to an interplanetary chase into Klingon territory. But as so often happens in the allegorical Roddenberry universe that gives all of “Star Trek” its resonance, the real enemy may be ourselves. The performances are all superb, including Benedict Cumberbatch of the PBS series “Sherlock” bringing terrifying power and ferocity to the role of the villain with the English accent. They go where many, many men and women have gone before, but they do it right.

Parents should know that this film includes constant sci-fi/action violence including chases, explosions, fights, guns, terrorist-style attacks, characters injured and killed, brief disturbing images, some non-explicit sexual references and situation, drinking, and some strong language (s-words, etc.).

Family discussion: Several characters have to make choices about who is more important — the people they know or the larger group of strangers. What are some real-life situations where people have to make similar decisions? What factors should they consider? Why does Pike think that Kirk deserves a second chance? How do you know when to break the rules? Is it because there are other rules that are more important?

If you like this, try: the “Star Trek” movies and television series, the comedy “Galaxy Quest,” and the documentary “Trekkies”

Iron Man 3

Posted on May 2, 2013 at 6:00 pm

B+

Lowest Recommended Age:	Middle School
MPAA Rating:	Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence throughout and brief suggestive content
Profanity:	A few bad words including a crude insult to a child that is slang for private parts
Alcohol/ Drugs:	Drinking, scene in a bar
Violence/ Scariness:	Extensive comic-book-style action violence with a few graphic images, terrorism, guns, explosions, characters in peril, references to suicide
Diversity Issues:	Diverse characters
Date Released to Theaters:	May 3, 2013
Date Released to DVD:	September 23, 2013
Amazon.com ASIN:	B00CL0J99K

Good for Marvel/Disney in keeping the title simple. No fancy Roman numerals, no colon, so extra words about the return of this or the revenge of that. But if there was a second title for this third in the “Iron Man” series, it could be “The Rise of Tony Stark.” The first two films were about the man who describes himself as “genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist,” (and also says, “I am volatile, self-obsessed, and don’t play well with others”) literally losing his heart and becoming something between a robot and a rocket ship. In this one, Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) loses almost everything else and begins to find himself.

Jon Favreau, who directed the first two films, turns over the reins to screenwriter-turned-director Shane Black, who showed a sensibility ideal for bringing out the best in Downey in the breakthrough film, “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.” And Downey’s best is as good as it gets. Black, who co-wrote the film, has a darker humor and a more twisted take on the story, and it works very well, even bringing in Favreau for a small but important part as Happy Hogan, Stark’s loyal head of security, a tough guy with a soft spot for “Downton Abbey.” Don Cheadle returns as Colonel Rhodes, whose iron suit persona has been re-branded from War Machine to the more family-friendly Iron Patriot. And the repartee with Pepper Potts (Gwenyth Paltrow) is dry as a martini, knowing, sexy, and harking back to the sublime banter of “The Thin Man.”

It begins with a flashback to New Year’s Eve 1999, where we see the old Tony, careless in both respects. He does not care about what happens to other people and he does not care what happens to him. He leaves a note for a woman with whom he shared a one-night stand: “You know who I am.” But even he does not know who he is. He barely notices anyone else, which turns out to be a major mistake personally, professionally, and in terms of setting off some very bad consequences for the future of the planet.

By the time he figures that out, he will be more vulnerable than he has ever been before. He has allowed himself to open his arc reactor-fueled heart to Pepper, so he has much more to lose. And he is struggling to recover from the trauma of the fight against Loki (“The Avengers”), so it will be harder for him to respond. He does not sleep. He barely notices what is going on around him. He just works furiously to perfect his iron man suit, his only companion in the lab the artificial intelligence butler/sidekick Jarvis (impeccably dry delivery voiced by Paul Bettany). “I’ve also prepared a safety briefing for you to entirely ignore,” Jarvis says briskly.

Outside, it is December and Christmas celebrations are everywhere. But a villain who calls himself The Mandarin (Sir Ben Kingsley, clearly having a blast) is causing damage and unrest. “Some people call me a terrorist,” he says to the world. “I consider myself a teacher.” He explains that he is acting in the tradition of a notorious American attack on an Indian settlement when they knew the warriors would not be there, killing the unprotected women and children.

Happy is critically injured in an attack, and it is too much for Tony, who implusively gives out his home address and dares The Mandarin to come after him. Invitation accepted — target destroyed. Everything he has worked on is gone. So is every place he feels safe. To keep Pepper safe, he goes underground, allowing the world to think he is dead. But that removes him from his money, his home, his power, his equipment, and his iron flying suits. He has to fight The Mandarin — and a more powerful enemy he does not even know about — with some supplies from the local hardware store and a little girl’s Dora the Explorer (limited edition) digital watch.

There’s a lot to process. I haven’t even gotten to the giant stuffed bunny, the beauty pageant, the secret experiments, and the attack on Air Force One. And, of course, the stunts and special effects.

The plot is a bit cluttered, though it helps that the detours include unexpected help from “Happy Endings'” Adam Pally and a mechanically-minded latchkey kid (Ty Simpkins). Not so much the cameos from Bill Maher and Joan Rivers, which feel tired and superfluous. The stunts are fine. The script has some clever lines and some cleverer digs at messaging and brand strategy. What matters, though, is Downey’s total commitment to playing Stark as a flawed, complex, but greatly gifted character.

Parents should know that this film has non-stop comic-book-style violence including terrorism, with chases, explosions, and shooting, intense but only briefly graphic, some strong language, some alcohol, some sexual references, potty humor, and references to suicide.

Family discussion: How do Tony’s actions in 1999 set the movie’s events in motion? How do we see both the heroes and villains think about the importance of public relations? How can desperation be a gift?

If you like this, try: “The Avengers” and the first two “Iron Man” movies