In 1981, Disney released Dragonslayer, a grim, dark, gritty fantasy film that was intended to be a showcase of state-of-the-art special effects. What tends to get lost, however, is the story itself which is yet another variation of the hero-quest in which an apprentice magician finds his destiny. In and of itself, there isn’t much behind the premise of the film to make it worth the time to view it — beyond the appeal of, perhaps, nostalgia. Fortunately, the immersive quality of the film’s setting, as well as the sinister design of the dragon, named Vermithrax, provide enough impetus to make Dragonslayer memorable — even if, ultimately, it’s an average film.

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Topics: Fantasy, Film Review
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Greetings, programs!

Beyond the glitz and style of Tron: Legacy is a story which is about finding one’s purpose and inner peace among the chaos of the world — whichever world you inhabit. I suppose it’s not surprising that some people will be so dazzled by the light show that they might distracted from heeding the film’s message. But make no mistake, this is not simply a cold, hollow, shell of a movie. It has a heart and soul and is well-worth watching. Of course, Tron: Legacy is not a perfect film. The pacing is surprisingly slow and methodical — mechanical, even — and the performances are stiff and uncharismatic — robotic, even. Still, this film is plenty fun to watch, makes purposeful use of the ridiculous 3D effect, and has meaning for viewers to consider. Ultimately, it’s a bit like its central character Flynn: good, if somewhat flawed.

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The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is an enjoyable, often swashbuckling movie. It’s not exactly an exceptional film — I doubt that it’ll ever be considered a cinematic “classic” — but for what it’s worth, this is one adventure that effectively captures the youthful wonderment of journeying to a world of pure fantasy … and danger. Obvious religious undertones aside, what is most effective about the film is its unabashed approach to fantasy: it doesn’t need to anchor the world of Narnia in the realism that so often creeps into modern cinema. The result is a film that is almost sincere to the point of naiveté — which is both a strength and detriment to the final product.

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Topics: Fantasy, Film Review
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The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is an improvement over the original Narnia film.  Indeed, Prince Caspian features a more mature storyline and actors who avoid most (if not all) of the juvenile acting issues that plagued the first film.  Additionally, this film has a stronger, more poignant message that makes the film much more valuable and meaningful.  Along with a darker, more disturbing presentation (and despite some rather obvious parallels to The Lord of the Rings, the end result is a movie that is well worth your time.

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Topics: Fantasy, Film Review
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Just what is it with Disney’s The Black Hole that makes it such a conversation piece for science fiction fans? Those that have seen it tend to fall into one of two camps: Those that applaud its dark imagery, macabre story and meaningful conclusion; or Those that deride its wooden, often campy characters, its plodding pace, and its jumbled, clumsy conclusion. In fact, much of the film is an exercise in paradoxes — and not just those that arise from spending time in the vicinity of an event horizon. It’s true, this film has plenty of flaws, but it’s also true that they just don’t make movies like this one anymore. Amongst the contradictory opinions, the simple fact remains: people are still talking about this movie more than thirty years later. That alone demonstrates an inherent value that no amount of criticism can explain away.

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Bleak.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 is a dark, oppressive, ominous film that marches relentlessly into despair and danger. And that’s to the credit of both the story and the filmmaker. In many ways, this film feels like the beginning of the end, like the deepest, darkest moments of night before the first tendrils of light creep over the horizon. Just don’t look for any rays of hope here.

If there’s an underlying theme or message it’s in the will to persevere, no matter how desperate the situation might be. And that goes for the audience as well. Sitting through this film might, at times, feel like a chore. But that’s the intent of the movie. And on that level, it’s a masterful example of filmmaking. Indeed, most of the criticisms of the film can be traced back to the source material. The result is a superb film that only makes one real critical flaw:

It doesn’t do enough to make this installment a standalone narrative on any measurable level.

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Topics: Fantasy, Film Review
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Clash of the Titans (1981) is a good example of how a film can still be considered a classic long after its visuals have become severely dated: craft a tangible, affecting story in which audiences care about the characters and become engrossed in the story. Do those things, and your visuals can look like … well, like those of Clash of the Titans. It’s true the stop-motion visual effects from master Ray Harryhausen may look clumsy and awkward to modern audiences, but that won’t matter much because the film has a way of immersing its audience in its fantasy world. In many ways, it was the Lord of the Rings of its time.

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With Inception, writer and director Christopher Nolan demonstrates that he is a solid, purposeful filmmaker. This is a movie that challenges its audience intellectually, emotionally, and visually. And it generates a lot of debate. Look just about anywhere on the internet and you’ll find quite a bit of spirited (and often heated) discussion about the film, particularly with respect to its final scene. It’s a film that demonstrates a great deal of craft and ingenuity — from the cinematography, to the acting, to the story itself. And Nolan deserves credit for creating a film that is neither a sequel nor a reboot. But for all its deserving praise, Inception is not an exceptional film. Most importantly, its flaws hinder the film’s central message and purpose: the importance of learning to forgive oneself.

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Clash of the Titans (2010) is a monstrosity. Literally. The film is a big, loud, obnoxious hodgepodge of monsters and villains and the grimy humans that fight them. It’s set against an avalanche of CGI and a thundering tempest of a soundtrack that assault your senses like a … like a titan assaulting a Greek city-state. And if you can manage to survive (or keep from feeling like your brain has turned to stone), chances are you’ll find that the film has been a mindless enough diversion to be enjoyable. But please don’t expect anything close to decent writing, acting, or directing. Not even the visuals and action are on the same level as contemporary films.

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The game is afoot!

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary sleuth — that’d be Sherlock Holmes, if you must know — is updated style for its third century in a new film titled, simply, Sherlock Holmes. It’s unlikely that a strict adaptation of Doyle’s original incarnation of the Holmes character would find much success in a run through the modern box office gauntlet. So there are many changes afoot for not only Holmes (Robert Downey, Jr.), but also for his partner and confidant, Dr. Watson (Jude Law). The emphasis is on character interaction (though not character development). The action is, inevitably, ramped up. And the dialogue is meant to appeal more toward humor than to character development, or even the typical exposition necessary in mystery stories. The mystery itself seems to be merely a means to an end, provided the necessary engine that drives its characters in and out of often dangerous, and usually amusing, situations. And if there was one word to summarize the film’s entire approach, it’d be: bravado. The result is a film that has the potential to be quite entertaining — even if it is, ultimately, just a hollow and empty tale.

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Topics: Film Review, Mystery
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