Adventure | MARKED MOVIES

Archive for the Adventure Category

127 Hours * * * 1/2

Posted in Adventure, Biography, Drama with tags 2010 on January 26, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Danny Boyle.
Screenplay: Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy.
Starring: James Franco, Amber Tamblyn, Kate Mara, Clemence Poesy, Kate Burton, Lizzy Caplan, Sean A. Bott, Treat Williams.

After bagging a surprising best director Oscar for “Slumdog Millionaire”, Danny Boyle’s next project was always going to gather some anticipation. Wisely, Boyle didn’t go for anything too big but he could maybe have set his sights just a little higher than this.

Based on the true story of professional adventurer Aron Ralston (James Franco) who, while hiking in the mountains of Utah, falls into a crevice, where his right arm is crushed and trapped by a boulder. Faced with impending death, Ralston slowly realises he needs to make some difficult choices.

During our introduction to Ralston, riding through the desert on a bicycle, there is no mistaking that he is a thrill seeker with infectious enthusiasm and Boyle’s kinetic, energised direction does well to capture this. It has the same vibrancy shown in “Trainspotting” and “Slumdog Millionaire” and the same eye for the landscape as “The Beach”. Using a mixture of Aron’s video diaries and his fantasies and memories we live through the daily torment and ordeal with him, as well as hallucinations and desperation taking hold. Again, good narrative devices used by Boyle. Franco puts in a good one man show, going through a mixture of emotions; from shock through anger and disillusionment to the eventual acceptance of his predicament. A remarkable true story of one mans determination to survive at any cost and Boyle does well to keep the film flowing despite it being contained in the one place for an hour and a half. However, as much as this is impressively done, it’s also somewhat hollow and uneventful. I won’t give anything away but if you’re aware of the story about Ralston, it’s almost like treading water until your told what you already know. This gives it an air of vacuousness and serves no other purpose than being a warning about going out to play by yourself.

This is a film with loads of talent involved. Franco’s performance is captivating and Boyle’s direction is flawless but although I can’t criticise, I also can’t sing too many praises either.

Mark Walker

Leave a comment »

The Hole * * *

Posted in Adventure, Family, Fantasy with tags 2010 on January 26, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Joe Dante.
Screenplay: Mark L. Smith.
Starring: Chris Massoglia, Haley Bennett, Nathan Gamble, Teri Polo, Bruce Dern, Quinn Lord, John DeSantis, Douglas Chapman, Mark Pawson, Dick Miller.

Is there any other director that can capture the adventurous imagination (Spielberg being a notable exception) like director Joe Dante? Done with the same awe and lighthearted feel that he brought with “InnerSpace”, “Explorers” & “Gremlins” and there’s even a shade of “The ‘Burbs” thrown in.

Doctor Susan (Teri Polo) uproots her two children, teen Dane (Chris Massoglia) and younger brother Lucas (Nathan Gamble), to that old cinematic staple, the small American town. Soon the kids, joined by literal gal-next-door Julie (Hayley Bennett), discover a bolted-up trapdoor in the basement, exposing a hole that’s seemingly endless and taps into each persons personal fears.

The master of the modern B-movie returns after a long hiatus and he hasn’t lost his touch, showing the same enthusiasm and tension we are used to from him. Much of the film is based on the relationships of the three young characters, rather than taking the most obvious root of diving straight into the action. When the action does happen, it’s impressively done, but unfortunately you can tell that it was intended to be viewed in 3D. On 2D it doesn’t have the same impact and this will probably be a common problem with films that rely heavily on that format. Nonetheless, it’s a well handled light horror that will appeal to all the family.

If your a fan of Dante’s earlier B-movie suburban adventure yarns, then you’ll find loads to enjoy with this recent addition.

Mark Walker

Leave a comment »

Star Trek * * * *

Posted in Action, Adventure, Science Fiction with tags 2009 on January 24, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: J.J. Abrams.
Screenplay: Roberto Orci, Robert Kurtzman.
Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Zoe Saldana, Anton Yelchin, John Cho, Eric Bana, Leonard Nimoy, Bruce Greenwood. Chris Hemsworth, Winona Ryder, Ben Cross, Jennifer Morrison, Faran Tahir, Clifton Collins, Jr, Tyler Perry.

Director J.J. Abrams, better known for TV’s “Lost”, injects a much needed adrenaline shot back into Gene Roddenberry’s “Star Trek” and brings back the sheer indulgence of the franchise.

An origins story taking us back to the beginning of how James Tiberius Kirk became Captain of the ‘U.S.S. Enterprise’ and how the crew was assembled.

Abrams doesn’t mess around with this one. He’s quick to realise the franchise was dying a death with the previous films losing steam and he’s quick to deliver the action and edge of your seat set-pieces. No easy task, considering he had to re-imagine the story and focus on character development, introducing us to the crew of the Enterprise all over again. With this, there’s a real danger of the story dragging, resulting in less focus on the action, but to Abrams’ credit he uses exciting moments to indroduce Kirk, Spock, Bones, Scotty etc and even makes them more rebellious in their youth. It’s a great approach and despite these being pop-culture characters, that most of us know from our childhood, we get the chance to reacquaint ourselves with them and the actors involved do a fabulous job of making the roles their own.

A tense and explosive re-imaging that promises to get even better.

Mark Walker

Leave a comment »

How To Train Your Dragon * * * *

Posted in Action, Adventure, Animation, Family, Fantasy with tags 2010 on January 24, 2012 by Mark Walker

Directors: Dean DeBlois, Chris Sanders.
Screenplay: Dean DeBlois, William Davies.
Voices: Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, America Ferrera, Kristen Wiig, T.J. Miller, Ashley Jensen, David Tennant.

If your a fan of “Shrek” then this recent Dreamworks animation should be right up your street. It’s yet another cartoon that will appeal to both children and adults.

Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) is a young Viking, who’s father Stoick (Gerard Butler) is the Chief of the dragon slayers in their village. Stoick has the same expectations of his young son and longs for the day when he will become a man and take his place in the clan. Unfortunately Hiccup doesn’t seem to have it in him. That is… until he tries to prove his people wrong and make his father proud of him, by venturing out to slay a dragon of his own. He wounds a dragon in flight and when he finds it, he can’t bring himself to kill it. Instead he nurses it back to health and in the process, creates a strong bond with it. The relationship between them brings a new outlook to Hiccup who now believes the way to protect his village and people is by befriending the dragons, not by slaying them, much to the chagrin of his father.

A brilliant little film with good humour, excellent animation and a surprising emotional core throughout, that’s normally not dealt with in animated films. The relationship between Hiccup and his father is delicate and the bonding between Hiccup and “Toothless” the dragon is very well structured and engaging which adds to the exciting, edge of your seat adventure they take you on.

Mark Walker

Leave a comment »

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus * * * 1/2

Posted in Adventure, Fantasy, Mystery with tags 2009 on January 24, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Terry Gilliam.
Screenplay: Terry Gilliam, Charles McKeown.
Starring: Christopher Plummer, Heath Ledger, Tom Waits, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, Jude Law, Andrew Garfield, Verne Troyer, Lily Cole, Johnny Harris, Poloma Faith, Peter Stormare.

Should really be called “The Imaginarium of Terry Gilliam”. The director once again takes us on a weird and wonderful journey. His films are always fantastical and this is no exception. Although, you really have to be a Gilliam fan to take the most from it.

A modern day traveling circus act, run by Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) offers people the chance to see into their own psyche by entering through a magical mirror and what they get from it is entirely who they are themselves. On passing from city to city, Parnassus and his crew of entertainers happen upon a mysterious young man (Heath Ledger) who claims he doesn’t know who he is and joins their crew. It turns out he is harbouring a secret but Parnassus has secrets of his own – he has made a deal with the devil (Tom Waits) and the time is looming to pay that debt.

Like all Terry Gilliam films, it has to be seen to be understood and even then, it’s a bit of a brain teaser. Rest assured though, this is an absolute visual treat with some fine performances. Most notably from Plummer as the now downtrodden Doctor, regretting his colourful past and Tom Waits as Mr. Nick, the toothbrush mustachioed Devil, appearing throughout, when least expected to propose further wagers. This was Heath Ledger’s last film as he died during the making of it. Enforced changes to the script were then required to finish filming. Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell were brought in to play different aspects to Ledger’s character and although enforced, the scenes with these three actors are actually the most inventive and strongest parts of the film.

Classic Gilliam and his fans will certainly enjoy this, but it’s not his finest moment.

Mark Walker

Leave a comment »

Where The Wild Things Are * *

Posted in Adventure, Family, Fantasy with tags 2009 on January 24, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Spike Jonze.
Screenplay: Spike Jonze, Dave Eggers.
Starring: Max Records, Cathrine Keener, Mark Ruffalo.
Voices: James Gandolfini, Forest Whitaker, Paul Dano, Catherine O’Hara, Chris Cooper, Lauren Ambrose, Spike Jonze.

Spike Jonze is a very imaginative director and I enjoyed his previous films (“Being John Malkovich” & “Adaptation”) but he has bitten off more than he can chew with this one. “Where the Wild things are” is based on the childrens story by Maurice Sendak. I admittedly haven’t read it but apparently it’s very short and only several pages long. If this is true then it shows in the translation to film.

Max (Max Records) a young boy who is having problems at home and to escape these problems, he allows his imagination to run wild. He arrives upon a land that strange creatures inhabit. They are looking for guidance and young Max is only too happy to be their leader in his fantasy world, but soon realises that these creatures have the same problems and emotions as people in the real world.

Despite director Spike Jonze being very creative in his earlier films, he has absolutely nothing to hold your interest here. The fact that the childrens book was brief doesn’t help the flow of this, as the film really drags and shows that there wasn’t enough material to adapt in the first place. It’s too childish for adults and too frightening (at parts) for children. In the end, the film can’t really identify with an age group and just meanders.

It felt like telling a toddler – lagging behind – to hurry up. Really it should be re-titled “Where’s the script writers at?”

Mark Walker

Leave a comment »

Avatar * * * *

Posted in Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Science Fiction with tags 2009 on January 21, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: James Cameron.
Screenplay: James Cameron.
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Giovanni Ribisi, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, Wes Studi, CCH Pounder, Joel David Moore, Laz Alonso.

Director James Cameron and science fiction have proved a good combination in the past (“The Terminator”, “Aliens”, “The Abyss”, Terminator 2″) and this is a fine addition to his earlier films.

Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is a paraplegic marine, who finds a new lease of life and mobility while researching the planet of Pandora and the “Na’vi”, the indigenous tribe living there. Humans being the greedy and power hungry virus that we are, intend on destroying the Na’vi and exploiting their land. Jake meanwhile, has become accustomed to the Na’vi ways and must choose which side he is on pending a full blown attack on the planet.

Cameron has shot this film with specially designed 3-D cameras and took the first step in changing the way we will be viewing films from now on in. Directors such as Spielberg and Scorsese have now used the technique, and for that, Cameron has to be applauded.
The plot, however, isn’t the strongest thing about the film and quite frankly without the special effects and wonderful visuals, it would have had nothing going for it. Thankfully though, the special effects are something to behold and Cameron has created a stunningly visual treat. It is almost like watching animation or a beautiful canvas and for a change, it’s forgivable that the story becomes secondary in a film. I never seen this in 3-D as it was intended to be viewed but I wish I had. Oscar winner for Cinematography (Mauro Fiore), Art Direction, and Visual Effects.

This is an innovative piece of work and Cameron can now hold his head up again, after the disastrous “Titanic”.

Mark Walker

Leave a comment »

Toy Story 3 * * * * *

Posted in Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Family with tags 2010 on January 14, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Lee Unkrich.
Screenplay: Michael Arndt.
Voices: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty, Michael Keaton, Don Rickles, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, R. Lee Ermey, Estelle Harris, Jodi Benson, John Morris, Laurie Metcalf, Timothy Dalton, Bonnie Hunt, Richard Kind, Whoopi Goldberg.

This is most likely the last adventure we’ll have with our plastic and stuffed little friends. So, it’d be wise to lap it up and enjoy it as much as you can. Thankfully, that’s not very hard to do with this wonderfully adventurous final
installment.

This time around, Andy is now 17yrs old, meaning that his old and faithful toys Woody, Buzz, etc. are now relegated to an old box and have not been played with for years. During a clearout before Andy leaves for college, the gang are mistaken for a bag of trash and left for the dumpster. Having escaped this minor mishap, all but Woody agree to be donated to a children’s daycare centre, where they will be valued and adored by kids other than Andy. Once at the daycare centre though, all doesn’t turn out as planned. It is controlled and run like a prison by a jealousy fuelled and tyrannical bear who has been abandoned by his previous owner, leaving Woody to rescue his old chums from their incarceration.

Pixar, yet again, manage to balance their film perfectly for the audience. Like the previous films, it appeals to both adults and children, which is probably the hardest task it had in being successful again. Without taking away from the familiar ones, the story is fleshed out with additional joyous characters, namely, the inclusion of a shallow Barbie & a dark and scheming Ken, to hilarious results. There is also a wonderful little homage to “Cool Hand Luke” when the toys are told if they step out of line they’ll “spend a night in the box”. Visually, it’s outstanding. The animators have really excelled themselves and it should be seen in glorious Imax 3D, to fully appreciate it’s intricate beauty.

A wonderfully exciting treat for all and several of cinema’s best little characters will be sorely missed, but in the words of Randy Newman’s recurrent song…Toy Story’s “got a friend in me”.

Mark Walker