Land of the Dead

cast: Simon Baker, John Leguizamo, Dennis Hopper

The good: enjoy
The bad: the ending
I have always enjoyed zombie-based movies, and The Land of the Dead is no exception. Its better than the first Resident Evil, but I found Dawn of the Dead to be better. Without comparing it to other zombie-fests, the film becomes just another one of them.

Directed by legendary horror filmmaker George Romero, The Land of the Dead features a world where, unexplainably, the dead have risen back to life, forcing the still living to adopt a secluded way of life in various outposts scattered around tactical locations in the world. The film begins a few years after the initial wave of this zombie outbreak. Riley (Baker), the leader of the expedition group of an outpost -- they are the ones tasked to collect food and supplies from the markets and stores of zombie-infested towns -- and Cholo (Leguizamo), his second-in-command, returns from a seemingly routine expedition. Riley, however, notices that something seems rather strange about the "stenches" -- they have become more intelligent. It's not long before the zombies decide to attack the outpost, showing the ability to communicate, use tools, and work as a team.

The film is enjoyable because the zombies are scaringly convincing. Their representation, however, in the film is inconsistent. During the first parts of the film, they move like the traditional portrayal of zombies in films -- slow, stiff, somewhat robotic. But later on, George Romero seems to have borrowed the running and amoking zombies from Dawn of the Dead and casted them in this film. Nevertheless, the zombies doesn't do much in terms of scare factor, and to be honest the film itself isn't really scary. The film is more actiony than scary.

The movie does tackle some seemingly important issues that the world may someday need to address. The denizens of the world in the film find comfort and safety behind their electrified fences and have decided to live in a illusory life (they even use the zombies as amusement tools). They see no point, or have not considered, braving the world out there looking for a solution. Should problems be faced, or ignored?

Land of the Dead is a triumph of modern filmmaking with its great zombie visuals and abundance of gunfire and action. It is a failure, however, of George Romero's very own creation -- the horror genre. (3/5)

A Sound of Thunder

cast: Ben Kingsley, Edward Burns

The good: novel idea
The bad: lousy production
The concept of time-traveling is one which is featured heavily in many sci-fi flicks. Films like Back to the Future, Timeline, The Time Machine, etc. all have relied on the dreamy pseudo-scientific principle. While the concept has been done time and time again before, A Sound of Thunder is really the first film to take the idea into new dimensions.

You see the concept of time-traveling should be seen as through its effects. Consider going back in time and changing even the slightest thing: wouldn’t it have a substantial effect on the present? This is the idea presented to us by the film. In the story, time-travel is discovered and used in a sort of amusement business where rich folks pay huge sums of money to “time-jump” and hunt dinosaurs. The only catch is that the killing of the prey must be done in a strictly limited time-frame – a point in time wherein the creature will naturally die anyway, a precaution so as not to disturb the normal flow of time. Of course, as with any human endeavor that plays with the nature of the universe, especially one which is run by a greedy, good-for-nothing entrepreneur (Ben Kingsley), something’s bound to mess up.

The sound of thunder, thus, comes into picture as the world is suddenly and gradually beset by evolutionary mistakes – things which shouldn’t have happened or appeared if time wasn’t toyed around with in the first place. The time-jumping team with the help of an anti-time-jump activist struggles to fix the holes in time; and they do, and in anti-climactic fashion (the ending’s really whack).

If it wasn’t for the lame ending and the low budget nature of the film, the story might up fared far better. I got sick of the dark cityscapes towards the end, and the monkey, lion hybrids made me snicker than scared. You’d go blind from the distracting flashlight-only lighting while the team moves around the devastated city. There is a bit charm provided by the low budget of the film (the CG vehicles are a laugh), but I’d prefer a more realistic rendition considering the subject matter.

Despite everything, A Sound of Thunder manages to keep me awake for the duration and actually triggers the hidden sci-fi geek blood running in my veins. What was presented wasn’t enough (somebody give background to the time-jumping thing), but what was presented was pretty ok anyway. (3/5)

Brothers Grimm

cast: Matt Damon, Heath Ledger

The good: quite funny
The bad: really poorly made

Brothers Grimm is a case of a good idea gone awry, a novel concept left at the hands of one-handed snakes (yes, I know, snakes don’t have arms – that’s the point). I liked it, and I wouldn’t ask for a refund. But, unfortunate, really, is the final outcome.

The Brothers Grimm is composed of two brothers: Wilhelm and (Matt Damon) Jacob (Heath Ledger). They are medieval scam artists. Skilled in deception, modern science at that time, and all-out tomfoolery, they go from town to town ‘exorcising’ all kinds of demonic creatures, building up a reputation, and earning big sums of money from the poor, deceived townsfolk It isn’t long, however, before their antics are discovered by the French authorities (the story’s set in French-occupied Germany), and they are forced to work on a case in a remote village where young girls are disappearing one by one – a case which the French believe to be the work of another team of scam artists. This isn’t the case, however.

Where the film succeeds is in its attempt to fuse together classic fairy tales (Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel, Jack and the Beanstalk) as the background or framework for presenting its storyline. References are often made and scenes are played out using the memorable events from the stories (like the girl dressed in a red hood who disappears in the forest – the movie actually gives a scene where Jacob, the nerdy-type of the two, lists the description of the girl as red riding cloak).

My primary concern with the film is its confused identity: not knowing whether to go the route of a comedy, horror, or fantasy. True, many movies manage to combine seemingly contrasting genres but The Brother Grimm isn’t one of those movies. I was disturbed when after a series of funny moments, the film conjures up literally two decapitated heads from a box. It’s this seemingly gigantic mood swings which detracts from the experience. The visibly poor production values doesn’t help matters any. Its funny seeing the Wolf Man prance around in bad CG.

Otherwise the performance of the two main actors gives life to the drab colors of the film. Damon and Ledger seems like a perfect match and we could be seeing the beginning of another Hollywood duo much in the same vein as Stiller and Wilson, Chan and Tucker.

Towards the end, the focus is not so much really on developing set plot points but on unraveling whatever else is in store. Much like fairy tales which has short life spans, The Brothers Grimm follows the same formula as it doesn’t bother with details; finishing the story is just enough.

The Brothers Grimm is a thoroughly enjoyable film with just enough humor and charm (wait till Jacob jumps from the tower towards the end – hilarious!). Its beset by unfortunately low production values which reduced its fantasy setting tremendously; hampered by a somewhat lacking script; dusted by less-than-even directing qualities, but the whole film still manages to offer a good time, and viewers with low expectations should surely watch it. (2/5)

My Neighbor Totoro

The good: the totoros, of course
The bad: feels kinda scary in some parts
The idea of a perfect movie exists in my mind. My Neighbor Totoro is a realization of that idea.

Two sisters and their father move into a quiet, little town to be near their sick mother. Satsuki, the elder sister, and Mei, in their curious adventures in the backyard forest, discovers and befriends magical creatures called totoros. They look like fluffier combinations of bears, pandas, and cats.

There’s a realism to this anime, a beautiful irony considering its animated form. Set in a traditional farming community in rural Japan (not unlike Grave of the Fireflies), the film provides moments of elation during the totoro parts, senses of grief when the hospital sends a letter to the family. Coupling with the beautiful art depicting its setting, the simple but actually serious overtone of an ideal family finds and takes hold of my attention. Not once in the whole film does it loosen its grip.

What makes the film so incredible is its quiet, reserved, and serene atmosphere. There is no bad guy here, no world destructing conflict, the story is simple and true, unwashed by insignificant elements. Satsuki and Mei find themselves fascinated by their new friends and so was I. The totoros, while cute, are attractive and charming not only for their physical pleasantry, but also for their child-luring nature. The totoros are the creatures which when we were little kids were the best friends we always imagined, but never had.

I am fascinated more and more with Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away, Grave of the Fireflies, Princess Mononoke). Their works transcend the limits of their medium and while most of the cynical world dismisses the animated medium as child’s fare, Miyazaki-san and company manage to strike at the very core of our hearts time and time again.

It couldn’t be the animation, or the music, or any other factor. There’s a distinct quality to these animes which makes them stand out, makes them unforgettable. I hope to identify that quality one day, but for now, I’m just happy to imagine the cute critters called totoros. (5/5)

The Cat Returns

The good: it’s cute, strange, delightful – the whole package
The bad: a bit short
Imagine a world where when you see a cat standing on its two back legs, brushing himself clean with his two front legs, talking to you, you casually say goodbye to it and go on with your life. This is the beauty presented in The Cat Returns—a removal of worldly prejudices and an absurdly happy collection of imaginative delights.

Haru is your typical Japanese student: finds it hard to wake up on time, ignored by a crush, and just keeps on encountering one bad event after another. On one seemingly casual walk to school, Haru notices a cat dropping a small package in the middle of the road. Struggling to pick up the package, the cat finds himself in danger of being run over by a truck. Haru instinctively runs toward the direction of the cat saving him using what seems to be a lacrosse stick. Then there’s the scene I described earlier about the talking cat. Turns out the cat that Haru just saved is the prince of the Kingdom of Cats: Prince Lune.

Go back to what you know about traditional films, or even American-style animation: the mood is either serious with realistic characters, setting, plot, or a lighthearted veneer with animals for characters, settings in space, and magical storylines. The Cat Returns, as with all other Studio Ghibli films, stays away from this setup and delivers a realistic (school life, city setting) yet at the same time fantastical (talking cats) story with just the right blend of humor and seriousness to make the whole package extremely palatable.

Take Muta, an overgrown cat who lives in a world outside the Kingdom of the Cats. He’s the rowdy assistant of Baron, a cat dressed in noble European attire, a statue coming into life when situations demand it. Another statue, the crow Toto, comes to life. They are able to come to life because their creators put a lot of effort and heart in creating them. I’d imagine that the DVD itself of The Cat Returns will be able to come to life seeing as it’s a magnificent labor of love. Anyway, herein we see the magic and the characters brought to life due to it. When we arrive at the Kingdom of Heaven, we’ll see and become fascinated by more characters. I pause and realize the beauty of it all.

There’s little sadness in the film, maybe the farthest the serious tone gets is Haru’s confusion of whether to stay in the cat kingdom or not, but while I was watching it I felt like crying. I envy the genius of its creators and I am saddened by the fact that few will be able to see the film’s genius. (5/5)