Matthew Vaughn’s Stardust (B+) is a whimsical adventure in the tradition of The Princess Bride. Michelle Pfeiffer, Claire Danes and Robert DeNiro are standouts in this fantasy about getting over the walls that block our way to our dreams. Witches, pirates, unicorns, voodoo dolls and so much more are part of the journey ahead. This is a pleasant surprise of a movie that nobody seemed to see in theatres but that has enchanted folks who have seen it.
Tag Archives: Action
Coen Brothers Craft Mighty “No Country For Old Men”
Joel and Ethan Coen’s No Country for Old Men (A-) is a cat and mouse caper told by amazing artisans. When Josh Brolin’s character finds a satchel of money, he thinks he’s hit the mother load, until he finds that there’s a tracking mechanism, and the tracking is being done by super-scary hitman Javier Bardem. This neo-Western breaks lots of rules – no music, minimalist sound sculpture, weird ending and the like. But it’s a consistently entertaining thriller that tells its story in its own idiosyncratic way.
“The Departed” is Supremely Entertaining
It’s a bit ironic that one of the most original filmmakers of our time has made one of his very best films by following someone else’s formula. A remake of the Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs, Martin Scorsese’s The Departed (A) traces a young undercover cop (Leonardo DiCaprio) infiltrating a South Boston crime syndicate led by Jack Nicholson while the mobster’s protégé (Matt Damon) has simultaneously penetrated the police department as an informer for the syndicate. Both DiCaprio and Damon become deeply consumed by their double lives and the plans and counter-plans of their respective operations; but when they discover there’s a mole in their midst, they must race to expose each other’s identity. This is Scorsese at his most efficient, with each and every sequence important to the plot and every shot of blink-and-you-missed-it importance to the big picture. It’s an astonishing adventure with a great trio of central performances plus many other great ones in the ensemble including Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin, Martin Sheen and Vera Farmiga.
“Revenge of the Sith” Partially Redeems the Prequels
Finally, the mess of a prequel trilogy gets some moments of badass as George Lucas’s Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (B) restores some dignity to the series. Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker and Natalie Portman’s Padmé Amadala are still the soapiest of characters – and now they are pregnant with Luke and Leia (guess it’s not a spoiler alert when you’re already in a prequel!) – and Anakin is still ticked at Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) for not making him a full Jedi. Lots of battles occur, and ultimately we get the anticipated volcano fight when Anakin finally transforms fully into part-man, part-machine Darth Vader. Of course, Lucas almost spoils that with a strange Frankenstein homage (the Ewoks weren’t available for a chorus of “Yub Nub”?) There’s at least some symmetry in this film that helps match it to the classic trilogy and foreshadows the continuing Skywalker saga to come. Did we care much about any of these prequel characters? Not really. There were some cool effects, and I guess it’s better to have a Star Wars movie than not (at least in some of Episode II ‘s case and most of Episode III). Fans will appreciate the plunge into darkness and the higher stakes than usual, even though the characters are still pretty undercooked.
David Cronenberg’s “A History of Violence” is Powerful
David Cronenberg’s A History of Violence, based on a graphic novel of the same name, is a powerful thriller in which Viggo Mortensen plays a low-key small town merchant who fends off some criminal types that come into town and outs himself as having a bit of a secret past. Mortenssen is dynamite, and Maria Bello is also spectacular as his wife. William Hurt is also great in a creepy extended cameo. Packed with secrets and poignant as a meditation on crime and American life, this was one of the best films of 2005.
Pixar’s “Incredibles” Lives Up to Name
Building on a legacy that includes anthropomorphic toys, fish and cars, Brad Bird’s entry into the Pixar universe, The Incredibles (B-) is one of the first to feature human protagonists. Like The Flintstones or The Jetsons, this animated situational comedy features a one-of-a-kind family. Because The Incredibles are all undercover superheroes, there’s a fun dichotomy between domestic bliss and all-out adventure. It’s all pretty fantastical but a touch forgettable, even with all the clever flourishes. Bird includes some deft touches and nostalgic homages, but ultimately I hoped this one would leap more tall buildings with a single bound.
“Kill Bill: Volume 2” a Somewhat Satisfying Conclusion
Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill: Volume 2 (B-) is the necessary conclusion to the vengeance spree being enacted by Uma Thurman’s jilted Bride; but it’s grittier and less fun than its 
predecessor. David Carradine gets more screen time as Bill along with a game cast. The action and body count continue to mount. It’s still very clever but not as fresh as the initial volume.
“X2: X-Men United” Mutates into Full-Fledged Action Film
With the origin story and mythology behind him, Bryan Singer is free to plunge viewers right into the action of a cloak and dagger adventure with his ensemble of mutant superheroes in X2: X-Men United (B+). Few of the affairs are as fast or fresh as before, but it’s fun to watch the deepening of characterizations such as Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. Singer continues to plumb the analogies of the mutants’ outsider status to contemporary civil and human rights issues, lending more gravitas to the adventure than would normally befall an action adventure.
“Hulk” (2003) Doesn’t Know What It’s Trying to Be
A rare misfire from acclaimed director Ang Lee, the comic book thriller Hulk (C-) is schizophrenic indeed. Ostensibly it’s supposed to be an action movie; but in trying to draw out the human elements characteristic of his greatest works, Lee creates a soapy, off-the-rails domestic drama. The story about the man who becomes a monster when enraged is shrouded in a blur of inconsistent effects and sloppy storytelling. It’s often quite a mess, despite admirable work by Eric Bana as Bruce Banner/The Hulk, Jennifer Connelly and Nick Nolte. I’m not completely sure how this curiosity in its current incarnation ever got green-lit.
“Lord of the Rings: Return of the King” a Satisfying Finale
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (A) has such a graceful finale, director Peter Jackson ends it three or four times. But it’s hard to admonish this visionary for wanting to take an extended curtain call to send off such a magnificent cast of characters at the end of what has become such an epic film trilogy about Hobbits and other inhabitants of Middle Earth. Viggo Mortensen gets his best showcase this time around, and the characters get to truly stare evil in the face as they end their quest. The film sustains moments of charm, introspection, delight, full-blooded adventure, wonder and thrills. Because of the goodwill developed for these characters, the film can plumb truly dark territory as the titular ring works its soul-crushing magic. By the end of Jackson’s three-part masterwork, he has reinvented film fantasy.
“Kill Bill: Volume 1” is Giddy, Gritty Bloodbath Delight
Kill Bill: Volume 1 (B+) is vintage writer/director Quentin Tarantino material if ever there were. When “The Bride” (a fierce and feral Uma Thurman) is gunned down and nearly killed at her own wedding, she embarks on a global vengeance spree against the crime ring responsible. The film chronicles, in out of order episodes, of course, the colorful and outrageous interactions that often lead to bloody revenge. Inspired by grindhouse films, samurai epics, anime and so much more, this is a creative and unexpected action thriller. The wordplay mixes wonderfully with the swordplay, and it’s often a riotous ride.
“Attack of the Clones” is Subpar “Star Wars”
George Lucas’s Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (C) upgrades the effects and the action from its prequel predecessor but leaves at its centerpiece a burgeoning and head-scratching love affair between Hayden Christensen’s pouty Anakin Skywalker and Natalie Portman’s listless Padmé Amadala that is so poorly written and acted that it threatens to bury the whole franchise in the sands of Tatooine or the waters of Naboo. Some bounty hunter espionage helps put a spring in the film’s step, and Anakin gets to show a darker side when he kills some Tuskin Raiders (hey, aren’t those guys bastards anyway?); and the action of the passive voice title seems to partially occur. It’s largely an attack on good sense. John Williams’ love theme is pretty but underscores a Harlequin romance. Ewan McGregor is again wasted as Obi-Wan Kenobi solving a parallel mystery.