I'm currently doing a (real) review for my fave film of all time but I find it hard to finish it because I need to brush up a lot of things from my cinematography class, my bias for the film, and the distraction brought by these awesome movies that I recently saw:* Reynolds did an unsafe move
…very well.
I am giving "Safe House" four out of five stars for three simple reasons:
3) Washington's humility. Dziga Vertov and company can curse me now but to hell with film theory and Rotten Tomatoes, I like being driven by my emotions at times and the half-amusing and half-threatening fact that Japan is turning us into robots progressively. One of the revered actors of all time, Denzel Washington (Tobin Frost, ex-CIA agent), appeared to be like the popular father of the male protagonist in a Dennis the Menace or Meet the Fockers story. He accepted it for reasons I haven't learned yet. Maybe he believed in the script or wanted to support developing actors like Ryan Reynolds (Matt Weston, the house keeper). But that acceptance is really noble for an Academy Award-winning actor like him. He didn't speak a lot throughout the film, and only a Denzel Washington can do away with script but still act in an intense and telling way. How does he do that? 2) The plot's floor is about how corruption can happen even inside the institutions that are supposed to be handcuffing the corrupt. That's cliché but overusing the truth doesn't make it less truth. It only means that the truth will never be enough. And there is no "safe house" in the world. Anyway, let's hope—continuously--that the movie has moved even a single soul in the shady compound.
1) I have been a fan of Ryan Reynolds since his Definitely, Maybe and The Proposal days. He surprised me in this film because of the physical demands of his role that he was able to do pretty well. Also estimable is his portrayal as a struggling "low-level agent." Thanks to that natural facial expression that intimates a sense of unawareness or the unpretentious psyche which I find very cute. :-P
"Wrath of the Titans" unfurled with Sam Worthington (Perseus) working as a fisherman with his son, John Bell (Heleus), and later on, being visited by Liam Neeson (Zeus) to ask his son for help due to the threat the kingdom of Tartarus might bring to the world. The story is very simple and predictable. Hence, it spoonfeeds you with the things you know already anyway, like the basics of Greek mythology. It's like watching a for-adult version of Robin Hood--it makes the audience omniscient and simply interested with everything but the ending. At the beginning of the film, you'd know very well how it would end and you just cling to your seat for the action scenes, the graphics, the production, and the little twists via the substories. It didn't really surpass "Clash of the Titans" in general, but I still love this sequel for two reasons: 1) To say that the production design is marvelous is an understatement. 2) I love the character of Queen Andromeda. (Here goes my bias again. Nyahaha!) Yes, I idolize women with strong will and become fierce when necessary, and they remain graceful and kind. :)
* A grand ship in a terrible sail
"Battleship", starred by Taylor Kitsch (Alex Hopper) and Alexander Skarsgard and directed by Peter Berg, has a no-brainer plot but I swear, it's worth watching for its superrrrrrrrb details, from the droll moments inside the ship to the breathtaking graphics that aggrandized the battles aesthetically!
Battleship swivels on the landing of aliens on Earth in response to the signal sent by NASA years ago. The scenes are well thought of if the movie's aim is to incite suspense and satisfy the violence-hungry audience while keeping it anchored on the cool-feel of the video game where it originated. However, it occurred to me that the graphics played safe a couple of times, capturing the scenes from a distance and resorting to a wide shot as a close-up might illuminate the flaws or inadequacy of the technique/s used. One of these scenes is the jump made by Hopper and the Japanese captain from their sinking ship.
Also, the director should have cut the unnecessary frames short or totally wipe them out, like when a scientist got caught by an alien inside the headquarters where the human went back to get his communication device. It didn't contribute anything to the film nor to the humor the film wants marked throughout the story. They could have spent those minutes for providing the audience background information about the members of Hopper's team or explaining what the government did to help the last battleship—because their meeting scenes appeared purposeless. Btw, you're gonna see Rihanna pressing buttons to launch bombs and running with a gun. I didn't get disturbed by the fact that she owns an "Umbrella." Well, that's a compliment. She did fine in the film, and it's a good warm up for her acting career. * Comic comics
"The Avengers" is not your ultimate superhero movie but it's highly entertaining! I'd give it the whole pie still. :) The Avengers Official Trailer
There's isn't anything new about the plot but I believe that the film is successful in satisfying the wish of the fans to see all the characters tossing lines to one another, performing their individual powers, and culling all that stuff to, as always, save the world. I personally love the witty lines that were spewed through Iron Man's (the talented Robert Downey Jr.) lips, and how the script made the angry Hulk a lovable creature you wanna cuddle with. One of my fave actors, Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye), is also in the film, and yeah, I got a little disappointed. Wish his character could have done something bigger in the story, given the actor's reputation in Hollywood. Other characters include Chris Evans as Captain America, Mark Ruffalo as Hulk, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, and my favorite, Samuel Jackson as Nick Fury. The visual effects didn't do bad or something outstanding either. I saw small flaws, but who would have time to notice it when Thor and Iron Man are fighting in the air? Overall, the movie shows the world what real entertainment is. :)
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