Review: Riddick

If you want to see a textbook example of how a little success can lead to terrible excess take a look at the movie Pitch Black and its sequel The Chronicles of Riddick.  The former is a low budget action/thriller that grew into a cult classic by masterfully weaving isolationism and anti-heroism into a taut space narrative.  And because of that success director David Twohy was given the green light for a massive $200M+ budget to build a grand sci-fi space epic centered on Pitch Black’s protagonist, Riddick.  As it turns out, the increase in budget was indirectly proportional to the quality of the movie as Chronicles flat out stunk; leaving the franchise dead-in-the-water.  Only nothing is really dead in Hollywood and thus nine years later, Riddick has made its way into theaters.

The plot of the movie finds the title character (Vin Diesel) stranded on some unknown planet in what can best be described as a hostile environment.  How he got to that place and why he is so gruesomely injured is explained in a series of flashbacks that connects this movie to its predecessor.  When a series of environmental shifts makes the planet no longer safe to inhabit, Riddick sets off a beacon to attract mercenaries to his location in order to escape the planet.  Death and destruction ensue.

Right off the bat, I have to give director David Twohy credit for going into this film with full understanding of why the first film succeeded and the second tanked.  It is clear from the scope, plot, and pacing, that he and his creative team are trying to get back to Pitch Black’s winning formula.  Only they are a bit too zealous about it.  While it’s not a carbon copy in the same way that The Hangover 2 is to The Hangover, it’s a little too close for comfort.  So as you watch Riddick unfold, you are getting a distinct “been-there-done-that” feeling.

The second problem with this film is that the creative team is so intent on distancing themselves from the stink that is The Chronicles of Riddick that they dedicate the first half of the film to scaling the narrative down to one of pure isolationism.  Sure there are CG monsters wreaking havoc from time to time, but most of this is all about Vin Diesel.  And with all do respect, he is not nearly enough of an actor to pull this off.  Don’t get me wrong.  He is very entertaining in the right role (Fast & Furious), but Tom Hanks in Castaway he is not.

Still, the movie is not all bad.  While the balance of the film is questionable, Twohy does a nice job of pacing the more tense scenes and likewise does a good job framing the action.  No one will mistake this film for a deep artistic portrait with thoughtful character development, but the narrative does allow for some fun interplay between the supporting players; a most necessary plot element as there’s nothing like a bit of comic relief to mask whatever is ailing a flawed action film. 

Because the film has its short comings its easy to put that blame on Vin Diesel, especially because the first act is all on him.  But really, I think it’s a case of misusing his talent.  He’s not a great actor, but the Riddick character is proven to be something well within his range.  So why then does this not work the way it should?  The simple answer is that it is just too much Diesel.  In the original film, Diesel’s character spends the first half of the movie in the background and in the shadows lurking, while Radha Mitchell and a capable cast of characters push the plot forward.  And if the creative team should have learned anything from the second movie (besides the pitfalls of big budget excess), it’s that the character of Riddick loses its venom when you peel back the layers and over expose him.  Unfortunately, that’s one error that wasn’t corrected.

The supporting cast fares a bit better but not on the up and up.  Other than Katee Sackhoff, no one turns in a performance that would be deemed good, but Jordi Molla, Dave Bautista, and Bokeem Woodbine are entertaining in a way that is befitting of a campy B-movie.  It’s not always smooth and often times their scenes are almost darn near clunky, but they deliver some of the better chuckle inducing one-liners.  As for Matt Nable, he plays things very straight, but is perhaps the most uneven of all the performances.  Sure, there is supposed to be an element of ambiguity to his motives, but at times it feels like Nable is completely lost in what he is trying to accomplish.

So if I had to rank the three movies, I would place Riddick between Pitch Black and Chronicles, but closer to the latter in regards to quality.  It’s a movie that never had to be made and probably got the go ahead only because Diesel headlines Universal's cash-cow-of-a-franchise - Fast & Furious.  I definitely would not suggest you run out to the cinema to watch this, but if you’ve seen the first two movies then I would not blame you if you were to give this a look.  It won’t make you hate the franchise more and will give you a measure of closure (as if you really needed it).  But if you’ve never seen any of the movies, I would suggest you go out and rent Pitch Black and forget that any sequels were ever made.   The movie works well as a stand-alone flick and will leave you entertained.

Standout Performance:  Katee Sackhoff.  No stranger to the sci-fi sphere, Sackhoff channels the snark and grit that made her a fan favorite on Battlestar Galactica and uses it to turn in the best performance in the film.

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Review: Star Trek Into Darkness

Rest easy Star Wars fans.  If Star Trek Into Darkness is any kind of indicator, then the fate of a galaxy far, far away is in very good hands.  In what is clearly a down year at the cinema, J.J. Abrams’ second entry into Gene Rodenberry’s universe is easily the best film I’ve seen this year.  Sure, there are plot elements in this film that are sure to enrage the guys who dress as Klingons for Comicon every year, but to those who are not wedded to some sense of cannon or are relatively new to Star Trek, this film will absolutely delight and entertain. 

When last we saw Abrams’ version of the Enterprise crew, all things Trek had been turned upside down with a nifty reboot.  Some four years later, we find Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the team exploring and observing civilizations on different planets.  When a mysterious figure named John Harrison emerges from the shadows to wage a one-man war against Starfleet, Kirk and crew find themselves caught between a web of dueling machinations executed by the aforementioned Harrison and Admiral Marcus (Peter Weller).

To say anything more about the plot, would venture into spoiler territory and you want to stay as spoiler free as possible going into this film.  There are twists and turns that unfold throughout the film that not only manipulate the plot but will also play with your emotions.  Does everything stand up to compulsive scrutiny?  No, there are a few logic leaps, but mostly the kind that should be checked at the door for a sci-fi action film.  Abrams and his team of writers (Orci, Kurtzman, and Lindelof) weave a tale that is as much about space travel and war as it is about family and friendship.  It’s not easy to balance hand-to-hand combat and bombastic explosions with character development, but the creative pulls it off. 

The cast that you came to know and love in the Abrams’ first Trek is back and each slip into their respective roles as though no time has passed.  Chris Pine’s Kirk is still cocky and defiant showing glimpses of the sensitivity and compassion that brims beneath Kirk’s bravado.  Zachary Quinto brings the same consistent effort to the role of Spock this time out and expertly elevates the character when the script calls for a new emotional layer for the beloved Vulcan.  Karl Urban as Bones remains a great sidekick to Pine’s Kirk, playing a great straight man for Pine’s sarcastic barbs.  But of the original crew Simon Pegg as Scotty steals the show by being the most likable of the bunch, adding the perfect amount of comedic relief to offset the grave tone of the second and third acts. 

As for the newcomers, it is hard not to be impressed with Benedict Cumberbatch.  The role of Harrison requires him to move seamlessly from cold and calculating to unbridled brutality and he does so admirably with the kind of presence that is necessary to be one of the key driving forces of a plot that is so large in scale and scope.  As for Peter Weller (Admiral Marcus), I found his work to be satisfactory at best.  Weller is no stranger to sci-fi action films and that may have contributed to his casting, but there are a large number of actors who could have easily brought a lot more to this role.  And rounding out the newcomers is Alice Eve as Carol Wallace.  Eve (from She’s Out of My League fame) is a nice actress who is very easy on the eyes, but she isn’t given much to do in this film beyond serving as a wink, wink to hardcore Trek fans.  Unfortunately, in a film with so many interesting characters, Eve’s Marcus get lost in the shuffle; a fate she shares with returnees Zoe Saldana (Uhura), John Cho (Sulu), and Anton Yelchin (Chekov).

The long and short of it is that Star Trek Into Darkness is a really fun action movie.  The film takes the crew of the Enterprise on a harrowing journey that not only provides huge cinematic moments punctuated by expertly framed action scenes, but also allows for character development.  Perhaps the greatest trick Abrams’ pulls off is to make the movie feel like a stand-alone product while at the same time bridging it to its predecessor in a way that shows growth and the continuation of the reboot that defined the first Star Trek (2009).  In a year that has produced very few must see movies, Star Trek is the best of the bunch and a must see on the big screen.  Going forward, here’s hoping J.J. Abrams and company can bring this kind of storytelling to Star Wars Episode VII.

Standout Performance: Simon Pegg.  There were a lot of capable performances in this movie, but in my opinion, Pegg hits every mark with just the right touch.

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Review: Dredd

When last we saw Judge Dredd on the big screen, Sylvester Stallone was wearing the helmet and shield flanked by Diane Lane and Rob Schneider for two hours of glorious campy action circa 1995.  Needless to say, no Oscars were awarded for the performances in that film.  Some seventeen years later, Dredd makes his return to the big screen in a movie best described as an amalgamation of various action plots all rolled up into an unapologetic B-movie package.  Less slick and less tongue-in-cheek, Karl Urban’s version of the gun wielding judge is a grittier and more violent take on the character.

The film is set in Mega City One, a crime riddled place nestled in the northeast corner of the U.S. where the only thing standing between the guilty and the innocent are street patrolling judges, who not only act as judge, but also serve as jury and executioner.  The plot finds Judge Dredd on a day when he is charged with evaluating a rookie, Judge Anderson played by Olivia Thirlby.  While investigating a triple homicide, the two protagonists find themselves caught in the crosshairs of a drug cartel.

Based on a comic property from IPC Media, the movie is set in a post apocalyptic world rife with urban-warfare conditions and features such action movie elements as ruthless drug cartels, massive gun play, and the veteran and rookie cop dynamic between the protagonists.  Clearly this is a melting pot of action genre plot mechanisms loaded with allusions to a handful of other films ranging from Training Day to New Jack City, which at times makes it feel like a collection of borrowed plot points.  What works for this film is that it is a B-movie at its core and director Pete Travis and his creative team embrace this.  While there are moments when it borders on low rent and at times directorial short cuts are apparent, the lack of the prototypical Hollywood polish adds to the gritty quality of the film and reinforces the sense of decay that permeates the sets.  This isn’t a lavish story or an intricate plot with twists and turns.  This is a tense, violent, straight line narrative that is taut and well paced.  Sure, no awards of excellence will be lavished onto this version of Dredd either, but then that is clearly not the objective of Travis and his crew.  Theirs is an exercise in action and suspense.

In some ways, the nature of the title character makes it difficult to judge Urban’s performance as Dredd.  Such is always the case when an actor wears head gear that conceals his/her face throughout a performance.  And while he clearly is adept at holding Dredd’s signature snarl, the helmet prevents you from seeing Urban’s facial expressions and this disconnects the viewer from the protagonist.  That Dredd is more of a doer than a conversationalist exasperates this chasm.  Playing opposite Urban is Olivia Thirlby as Judge Anderson.  Of all the characters in the movie, hers is the only one that undergoes a personal journey – the only one who is not static.  Because of this, by time the end credits role, the film feels almost as much hers as it is Karl Urban’s.  Of the principle cast, her work stands out as best.

As for the rest of the cast, I found Wood Harris (Remember the Titans) and Warrick Grier as nefarious henchman to be adequate and not at all remarkable, while Domhnall Gleeson (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) as the clan techie strikes a sympathetic chord.  My biggest disappointment with this movie is with Lena Headey as the prostitute turned drug lord Ma-Ma.  Heady (300) has in the past turned in some strong performances, but her work here in this movie can best be described as a cracked out version of Sarah Clarke's Nina Myers from 24.  Her character is paper thin and in no way compelling and the iron grip she possesses over the men in her cartel does not feel credible.  The only threat she poses to our protagonists comes in the form of obedient henchmen with guns and once that is stripped away, you begin to wonder what the fuss is all about.

When you look at the film in its totality, it is an entertaining albeit flawed movie.  What makes it entertaining is that there is a simple narrative with a clear objective and mechanisms in place to keep the plot rolling forward.  The locked down high-rise and the wave of goons keeps the tension amped up enough to keep viewers engaged even if the inevitable outcome is telegraphed.  At the end of the day, the cast and crew make no apologies for Dredd being a violent B-movie (nor should they), so I don’t feel compelled to do so on their behalf either.  While the movie may be a bomb at the box office ($6M opening weekend), I would still recommend this as a rental.  Action movie enthusiasts will find entertainment value in it, while those looking for deep character development and emoting will perhaps not.  Still, it’s worth a look.

Standout Performance: Olivia Thirlby.  She rebounds nicely with Dredd after appearing in one of the worst movies I have seen in the last year, The Darkest Hour.

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Review: Priest

I was on the Paul Bettany bandwagon for a little bit.  He had a nice run with A Knight’sTale, A Beautiful Mind, Master and Commander, and Wimbledon.  Those were movies with varying degrees of merit and success, but Bettany usually stood out as a solid performer.  His career seemed to get derailed with The Da Vinci Code and this launched a long string on unremarkable performances in mediocre films.  To me, the best work he has done in the past six years is as the voice of Jarvis in the Iron Man and The Avengers films.  So I really expected very little when I sat down to watch Priest – a movie that’s been sitting on my Netflix queue for months.  Despite these diminished expectations, I still found the movie to be incredibly underwhelming.

The premise of film rests on a war between humans and vampires for control of a post apocalyptic Earth where a special order of Priests is the key weapon against the blood sucking fiends from beyond.  So when Karl Uban’s Black Hat leads the vampires in a revolt against humankind, Paul Bettany’s Priest is forced out of retirement to spring into action.

Besides a few recognizable names, everything in this movie feels 2^nd and 3^rd rate.  There’s not anything inherently wrong with that as there are a slew of B-level movies that are incredibly entertaining, however that kind of success is born from a willingness on the part of the cast and crew to bask in the inherent shortcomings of such a project.  In Priest, the production value feels like a bunch of cinematic concessions executed by individuals going through the motions and that makes it difficult to emotionally invest in a fanciful narrative when the performers themselves don’t seem fully vested.

As the lead, relatively little is asked of Paul Bettany beyond reprising the visual appearance of his character from the Da Vinci Code.  His lines are sparse and much of the physical action in the movie is provided by stunt doubles and computer graphics engineers.  Still Bettany manages to deliver a performance that is completely void of any charisma and while some of this is due to the nature of the character, at the heart of any good story there must be a protagonist that the viewer can empathize with and this, he fails to provide.

As for his supporting cast, Karl Urban (Star Trek) as Black Hat is plain boring.  This is a disappointing turn as Urban has shown himself to be a strong participant in a number of action movies.  There’s just not a lot of meat on the bones of this role, but Urban does nothing to compensate for this shortcoming.  Likewise, Maggie Q as the priestess, Lily Collins (Mirror Mirror) as Lucy Pace, and Cam Gigandet as a green sheriff, are utterly drab in their respective portrayals of paper-thin characters and fail to add any entertainment value to the film.  And as for how they got Christopher Plummer to appear in this movie, I have no idea.  Needless to say, not even he is able to rise above the morass.

So in the end, what you get with this movie is exactly what you would expect from the one-sheet or DVD cover - lots of darkness, guns, knives, and church iconography.  And what you don’t get from Priest is also exactly what you probably expected not to get – which is a good movie.  Obviously I do not recommend this movie as a rental or on television, unless you are incredibly bored and the only other options staring you in the face are Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood or Sex and the City 2.  In that case, you have my blessing to proceed.

Standout Performance: None.  

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