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Concerns for “Jurassic World”: Nostalgic and Manipulative?
Guys (and gals), I think Jurassic World might really suck.
This isn’t so much a reaction to a new trailer or piece of movie news as it is a general opinion on the upcoming entry into the Jurassic Park franchise, Jurassic World. I would guess that most people have seen at least one trailer for the film (hell, we got a TV spot during the Superbowl!), and have a general understanding of the plot, but I will provide a basic summary regardless. Jurassic World is set on the same island as the original movie, but the park has been running without incident for the last 20 years or so. Chris Pratt plays a velociraptor trainer who respects and hunts with the dinosaurs (the reason why is unclear), and he is tasked with inspecting the paddock of a new dinosaur attraction at the park, to make sure the paddock is capable of holding the new creature. See, Jurassic World (the park) has been losing money, so the executive board has insisted on genetically engineering a new dinosaur. Of course, it is very smart and destructive, it escapes, and very bad things happen.
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Pixar’s “Inside Out” Receives Standing Ovation at Cannes Film Festival
The newest Disney and Pixar film, Inside Out, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier today to uproarious applause. Directed by Pete Docter, Inside Out is the first Pixar film to debut at Cannes since Up (also from Docter), and looks to be a worthy entry into the Pixar canon. In celebration of the successful showing of Inside Out, of which I have been excited for nearly four years, I decided to post this reaction to the most recent full trailer for the film which can be seen here.
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Mad Max Blows Top off Cannes, Impresses Critics
Mad Max: Fury Road opens in theaters tomorrow in the United States, and the critical reception that this film has received is absolutely staggering. This morning, the movie played at the Cannes Film Festival to much excitement, and the positive reviews are already stacking up. If you find yourself unaware of the Mad Max movie and the buzz surrounding it, consider this a pep rally of sorts for a film that, for me at least, began the year lumped with other blockbuster sequels (like Jurassic World and Terminator: Genisys) but has slowly built itself up to a curiosity with its trailers, and now enjoys the status of full-on must-see.
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Intriguing Paul Verhoeven Film “Elle” To Be Distributed by BSB Productions
It was announced in a Variety Exclusive today that Paul Verhoeven’s new film Elle will be distributed by Said Ben Said’s production company BSB Productions. This is the same production company that had a hand in films by other visionary directors like Roman Polanski’ Carnage, Brian de Palma’s Passion and David Cronenberg’s A Map to the Stars, so there’s definitely a track record of quality films, here. I don’t normally delve into production news, so this piece is more of a reaction to Verhoeven’s comments on the film, which has me quite excited.
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What’s Wrong with American Godzilla Movies?
Godzilla, as an idea, is not complicated. He is a large, God-like lizard capable of great destruction and power. The Godzilla films of the past pay respect to Godzilla as a mystical being, as something to be feared as a vengeful deity, or revered as a benevolent savior, depending on the particular plot. But, Godzilla as conceived in 1950’s Japan is a symbol of the dangers of atomic weaponry and warfare. He is a sci-fi veiled warning that an unabated nuclear arms race poses a grave threat to all of humanity. This aspect is absent any and all American attempts at portraying the titanic lizard on screen, as the ideas which Godzilla symbolize are replaced by cheap destruction, CGI, and failed attempts at providing a human element to the story. The substance is gone, and no amount of scenery-chewing A-listers can bring it back.
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Alicia Vikander is Exploding – And That’s a Great Thing
Go check out Alicia Vikander’s IMDB page. You’d be forgiven for not recognizing Vikander or much of her work at this point in time, but very soon that will no longer be the case. This young actress has established herself in smaller indie and foreign titles, and casting directors are starting to take notice. I’d like to draw your attention to a few particular items in her filmography, and then marvel at the films that she will appear in over the next 12 months.
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Halo + “Groundhog’s Day” = “Edge of Tomorrow”: A Review
Last year, when Edge of Tomorrow was released in theaters, I remember being vaguely aware of it. I tried to get a friend or two to accompany me to one of the few showtimes left, but nothing came of it. I resigned myself to seeing it at some point. I knew it was supposed to be an interesting piece of science fiction action, and that meant that it would cross my plate eventually. I waited far too long, because this movie is fantastic.
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Kevin Smith Pens Script for “MallBrats”
On his instagram account yesterday, Kevin Smith posted a screenshot of the complete first draft of the newest entry into his View Askewniverse: a sequel to 1995’s Mallrats with the current title of MallBrats. Since struggling with directing Cop Out, the only time Smith has helmed a movie he did not write, Smith has gone in a strange direction. Red State is a fascinating departure from what he usually does, and you would be forgiven for not even noticing that it is a Kevin Smith film. Most recently, he directed the first entry in his Great White North horror trilogy: Tusk, about a killer walrus (Yoga Hosers is in post-production and Moose Jaws will round out the series in 2016). Suffice to say, Kevin Smith is up to a great deal lately, but this will be his first return to the comfort of his old world.
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Enjoy “Avengers: Age of Ultron”, it May Be the Last of its Kind.
Avengers: Age of Ultron is everything one could want in a big budget summer action movie: multiple great action sequences, compelling characters, and kicking ass. Obvious comparisons will emerge between this film and its predecessor, but I very much see them as equals. Both films balance humor and action, juggle myriad superheroes, and portray interpersonal relationships with nuance– making them far more meritorious than your standard Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) installment. Essentially, however you felt about the first Avengers, you will feel mostly the same thing, plus or minus a few specifics. It is the focus of this review to opine on those specifics, while offering a caveat for the future of this franchise, and the MCU in general.
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Has Anyone Even Heard of “Self/less”?
One of the trailers that played before Avengers: Age of Ultron this weekend was a psychological science fiction thriller starring Ryan Reynolds, Matthew Goode, and Ben Kingsley called Self/less. The trailer, which can be seen here, is intriguing, but may reveal too much of the plot for my liking. Kingsley plays a billionaire genius stricken with a terminal disease. He is contacted by a mad scientist type (Goode) who gives him the chance to transfer his consciousness into a younger body (Reynolds). This is cool for a while, until he learns that his old body wasn’t just some empty vessel. The old consciousness starts to creep back in, and he learns that this procedure has some nefarious drawbacks. Hopefully there is a little more nuance to the story than just the younger consciousness fighting back, because the concept of feeling your own consciousness being replaced by another could be a great dramatization of dealing with death. There are definitely some cool ideas here, and I would like to see how they are developed.
Film Criticism and Fiction Writing by Derek Jacobs
