servoskull Reviews

Frailty (2001)

A much appreciated break from the norm.

[8/10 · 22 September 2008]

Ever since Scream became a surprise box office hit in 1996, Hollywood has literally saturated itself with unimaginative, predictable teen horror flicks so when a film like The Blair Witch Project or Frailty comes along its like a breath of fresh air.

Frailty's story centres around Fenton Meeks (Matthew McConaughey), a man who approaches the FBI with concern that his brother Adam might just be "God's Hands", a serial killer the bureau has been hunting. Using flashbacks to show Meeks' childhood, its revealed his father (Bill Paxton) believes he was chosen by God one day to destroy demons that inhabit human bodies. Because of this and the events that follow, Fenton believed his dad evil, while Adam regarded him a hero.

The plot is somewhat convoluted as the father claims to receive instruction from the divine to seek out and terminate 'demons'. Are they actual supernatural demons or real people who thought they'd got away with a heinous crime in the past? Or maybe the father is just deranged with murderous intentions? Intriguing twists and intense build-ups tantalise viewers into staying with this film to the end.

The standard of acting is surprisingly high throughout. Matt O'Leary and Jeremy Sumpter convincingly play the brothers in their youth alongside an excellent performance from Paxton. Frailty provides Paxton with his directorial debut too and his talent shows. There's very little gore in this film but it is very creepy nonetheless.

So, while I can appreciate the film won't appeal to everyone's taste, I would recommend you at least give Frailty a try. It's certainly a refreshing break from the usual no-brainer horror thriller and may just surprise you. I'd be very surprised if you weren't talking about it afterwards.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)

Die Hard made love to The Dark Crystal!

[9/10 · 26 August 2008]

Having enjoyed the first Hellboy movie, I made time to visit the cinema the other day to watch the sequel Hellboy II: The Golden Army. I often don't get time to visit the cinema and this can be really infuriating if I end up watching a less than great movie, but this certainly wasn't the case with Hellboy II! Once again, the directing and writing was overseen by Guillermo del Toro and, once again, he didn't disappoint. In fact, after Blade II, Pan's Labyrinth and now the Hellboy movies, I'm fast becoming an admirer of his.

The plot for Hellboy II is this: The mythical world that Hellboy was rejected from as a young child starts a rebellion against humanity in order to rule the Earth. An elf prince (played by former Bros singer Luke Goss) leads the assault and seeks control of the ancient mechanised Golden Army to virtually guarantee him victory. Hellboy and his team are assigned with stopping him.

I'll start by mentioning the many creatures in this movie. Guillermo del Toro knows how to do great, fantastical and scary looking creatures. If he ever does a Star Wars type movie (which I sincerely hope he does) my money is on it surpassing anything George Lucas has offered us. The creatures are nothing short of incredible. Several times during the movie, I thought I was watching the likes of Star Wars, Labyrinth and Total Recall all rolled into one.

Actually, the whole movie feels like the end result of Die Hard making love to The Dark Crystal. At one point, Hellboy takes on a huge forest elemental in the middle of a busy street while simultaneously trying to protect a baby and the whole experience is just brilliant. Also, early on in the movie, Hellboy and his team get attacked by tooth fairies. I bet any kid who lays eyes on them and what they're capable of will refuse to leave teeth under their pillow from then on. Even the elves go against more traditional imagery, their normally fair skin instead showing imperfections and unusual scars.

So, given that this isn't Shakespeare or some "lah-de-dah" period drama, the pace of the story and the standard of acting is top notch. I have to mention Luke Goss again. He surprised me as Nomak in Blade II and again he surprised me with another impressive performance as the elf prince. Forget a Bros reunion, Luke, you're best off sticking with your current profession!

Finally, there's the comedy, perfectly mixed in with the more serious aspects of the plot and the action scenes. There are several very funny moments but two really stood out for me; Hellboy and team mate Abe Sapien getting drunk together while discussing their love lives. A jolly old sing-along ensues and Barry Manilow's "Can't smile without you" gets murdered (if that's at all possible). Also, new character Johan Krauss is stereotypically German (or, at least, from near there) and this adds so much to his hilarious argument/punch-up with Hellboy.

In conclusion then, I'll keep it short and sweet: watch this movie!

The Ruins (2008)

Nip any thoughts of watching this in the bud!

[3/10 · 22 July 2008]

The Ruins is one of those instantly forgettable horror films that Hollywood has literally saturated the genre with in recent years. You know the drill; a group of young adults played by sexy catalogue model types are picked off one by one at regular intervals thanks largely to some incredibly stupid decisions. You've no doubt seen it all before.

Tourists trapped on a remote Mayan temple ruin overrun with flesh eating foliage is a premise that could have been something good but instead the film is predictable, very silly and definitely not something that will give you sleepless nights. I'd like to say there's one or two exceptional moments worthy of mention but there really are none. There's a couple of good gore moments but that's about it.

If you're looking for some organic horror, check out Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Day of the Triffids and, to a lesser extent, Poltergeist and The Evil Dead instead.

Juno (2007)

If I could claim back the wasted 96 minutes of my life, I would!

[2/10 · 4 May 2008]

This film is about a supposedly clever and responsible sixteen year old girl named Juno who's (astonishingly) surprised to find she's pregnant after having unprotected sex and how the decisions she makes from then on affect her and the lives of those around her, notably the person she slept with, her parents and a couple eager to adopt her baby.

I'll start by saying that I really can't understand why some people heap praise on Juno. Teenage pregnancy, planned or not, wanted or not, is not a new and out there subject matter for TV and film. It's been convincingly done many, many times before and being unrealistic is the main problem here. I'm guessing the success this film has had is almost exclusively down to some impressionable young girls wishing they could have Juno's characteristics in real life.

Before I even get to her pregnancy, I must point out that Juno's language comes across as scripted and false, her personality is like that you'd expect from a US sitcom trying to be smart and hip and her knowledge on certain subjects is akin to someone at least ten years her senior. Combined, these things get very distracting and between them writer Diablo Cody, director Jason Reitman and actress Ellen Page (through no fault of her own) really sour the film. Why do US teenagers have to be portrayed by older people in film and TV, seen to be far more grown up than you'd expect from their age bracket? Why must US 'burb kids always be heard needlessly using words such as "like", whatever" and "dude" in normal day to day conversation? Certainly not something you'd expect from a typical sixteen year old girl (even one who declares herself to be "one of those freaky girls").

Moving on to Juno's pregnancy then, there are a number of things I just can't believe are handled so irresponsibly. For example, I find it incredible that taking precautions before having sex is barely even mentioned by anyone at any time throughout the film! Also, Juno tells the father she's pregnant and, before he's even had time for things to sink in, she's contently on her way making all the big decisions by herself in a totally carefree manner! In fact, almost everyone involved (exceptions being Jennifer Garner's and Jason Bateman's characters) behave exactly how everyday, civilised people wouldn't. Juno's father takes the news of her pregnancy unbelievably well! His sixteen year old daughter has a bun in the oven and he reacts as if she's just insisted upon painting her bedroom black! Any self respecting dad would have yelled her ears off, demanding to know who the father is! What kind of people do we have here? Certainly not normal.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that, according to this film, abortion and adoption seem to be the only options available to a modern day, pregnant teenager. Actually keeping the child hardly gets a mention and is quickly brushed aside. There's plenty more wrong I could mention but these would border on being spoilers so I'll leave it to unfortunate viewers to pick up on things for themselves.

If I could claim back the wasted 96 minutes of my life, I would! This slowly paced film is middle of the road at best and certainly not worthy of such a high rating and ranking on IMDb or the numerous nominations and awards it's received. I'd even go so far as to say that the film is inappropriate for adolescent girls as the subject matter is handled very irresponsibly, both in front of the camera and behind it.

Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)

Ultimately, yet more proof that good, adult sci-fi post-early 1990s is rare.

[4/10 · 24 April 2008]

Firstly, the story. What happened?

There really isn't much of a story told in Requiem which is disgraceful given the time this franchise has had to put something decent together. The Aliens/Predator comics from the early 1990s provided many great ideas to wrap around such an epic clash of sci-fi titans and yet these have been largely ignored by the script writers of both AVP films, particularly Requiem. If you're expecting a truly suspenseful, shocking, scary story oozing creativity, imagination and stand out scenes and effects like you get with Predator, Alien and Aliens, you're going to be sorely disappointed.

Continuing immediately on from the end of the first AVP film (which I hate to say is the better film in my opinion), not a great deal happens. I kid you not. Predator fights Alien in the usual way around some rural, small American town, gormless people you don't care about die at regular intervals, predictable stuff happens throughout and the ending delivers a lazy, effortless opening for another sequel. No character development, no plot twists or decent surprises to be had here!

I must say too that Requiem is really dark, but not in a moody, atmospheric way! After checking that the Brightness on your TV isn't set low, you're left struggling to make out what's going on throughout much of the film! The fight scenes involving Aliens and Predators that we all look forward to and sometimes overlook a poor plot for are ruined because of this. Ultimately, yet more proof that good adult sci-fi post-early 1990s is rare.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)

Sacha Baron Cohen stole the show!

[4/10 · 26 February 2008]

Yep, Sacha Baron Cohen's performance was the sole highlight of an otherwise over-hyped musical that failed to deliver on so many levels.

Johnny Depp's Todd was just a mash of characters he's previously played. There was strong essence of Captain Jack Sparrow and Edward Scissorhands in his portrayal. Also, after their initial introductions, Timothy Spall's, Alan Rickman's and Jayne Wisener's characters were sorely under-used. Far too much focus on Depp and Bonham Carter and yet nothing really bonded or deepened their characters.

Suspenseful, intense scenes involving gore and violence were virtually non-existent. I barely batted an eyelid as Todd took his razors to the throats of his victims. London, as a backdrop, was wasted. Fleet Street felt more like a very small cul-de-sac. Surprisingly for a Tim Burton film, the surroundings didn't feel all that dark and dreary.

Finally, as much as I didn't want it to be, the ending was very predictable and therefore a real let down when it arrived. The movie could have been better executed, but in the end the theatrical cut was dull.

The Heartbreak Kid (2007)

First half so-so, second half quite funny.

[6/10 · 26 February 2008]

The Heartbreak Kid isn't right up there in the list of great comedies starring Ben Stiller. It's a bit further down, nestled in amongst the likes of Along Came Polly and Envy.

That's not to say it isn't a good film. As far as romcoms go, it's alright. I think it's fair to say the first half trudges along quite slowly but stick with it while the main characters are introduced and the plot is founded because the second half is nicely paced with some very funny moments as things start to conclude. The cliffhanger ending is surprisingly delightful and watch for a final funny scene around halfway through the end credits.

Enemy Mine (1985)

Certainly worth your time if you get chance to watch it.

[8/10 · 23 September 2006]

I found a video tape of Enemy Mine up for grabs at a jumble sale for 50p. As I stood reading the blurb on the back cover to determine if it was worth such a princely sum, I soon realised I'd seen the movie before when I was around twelve years old. With hazy recollection, I pictured two enemies, one a human and the other an alien, forced into getting along while stranded on a treacherous planet; the result of a Star Wars-type space battle. The cash exchanged hands.

The evening came and, with Chinese take-away in hand, I sat down to watch it, not really expecting much more than a bit of cheesy retro fun. Surprisingly though, the movie was far better than I expected. From the beginning, the story held my interest and although it did have a few questionable moments and one or two cringe-worthy lines, on the whole it was quite serious, compelling and well-paced. The main characters acted out their parts convincingly and I did feel for them as they went through their ordeals. As for retro space battles, alien creatures and explosions, I was actually quite surprised by just how good the effects were. Nothing looked dated or ridiculous and, most importantly, the effects weren't overdone. In this case, less was definitely more!

In conclusion, I feel Enemy Mine is quality science-fiction that deserves far more recognition than it currently gets. It caters well to a broad age range and I imagine everyone in the typical family would be entertained by it one way or another, even those who wouldn't normally watch sci-fi. It's not a masterpiece, but as the end credits rolled it felt like I'd just watched a forgotten classic. Certainly worth your time if you get chance to watch it.