Tag Archives: Disaster

Twister (1996)

05 Saturday Jul 2014

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When Jo was a cute little girl,
She witnessed the wind in a whirl.
Her father was trying
To help but went flying
When deadly gusts started to swirl.
 
Grown up, she now studies the weather
Which treats a large truck like a feather.
Her split husband Bill
Used to share in her skill;
They both used to chase storms together.
 
But now he is seeking divorce,
With his new fiancée, but of course.
Melissa seems nice,
Giving carnal advice,
But Jo doesn’t rush to endorse.
 
Then Bill learns of Jo’s latest cause,
A system improving what was,
Some sensors to map
A tornado death-trap;
It’s called DOROTHY, like in Oz.
 
Bill further learns Jonas is near,
His rival who’s less than sincere.
He’s copied for free
Bill’s idea: DOROTHY.
And Bill won’t let him pioneer.
 
So while Oklahoma begins
To waken with whirligig winds,
Melissa and Bill
Tag along for a thrill
To watch as a great tempest spins.
 
The first DOROTHY has a fall,
And Bill and Jo have a close call,
But soon they’re right back
On a double storm’s track;
Melissa’s near ready to bawl.
 
The team visits Jo’s rural aunt,
Who always has dinner to grant.
While there at Aunt Meg’s,
They have great steak and eggs.
They’d all like to stay, but they can’t.
 
The next twister found jumps about,
And DOROTHY II is knocked out,
Yet Jo is obsessed
With her funnel cloud quest,
And Bill has to stop her and shout.
 
Her father’s death gave her the drive
To see twisters’ power alive.
Bill tells her somehow
They must focus on now
In order for marriage to thrive.
 
A drive-in that’s showing The Shining
Is where their team ends up reclining,
But then a storm hits
And just rips it to bits.
The whole place may need redesigning.
 
By this time, Melissa’s distraught
And leaves Bill, for things are too taut.
Bill says he’s beyond
Love for storms and his blonde,
But she clearly sees he is not.
 
When Meg’s house is hit by a twister,
They all rush right there to assist her.
Once she’s safe and sound,
Yet another comes round,
A storm with no equal or sister.
 
They modify DOROTHY’s spheres
To catch all the wind as it steers.
It fails yet again,
But they’re horrified when
Jonas dies from not heeding their fears.
 
As the mile-wide twister swirls round,
Obstructions and dangers abound.
As Bill and Jo drive,
Trying just to survive,
The right opportunity’s found.
 
They let the last DOROTHY fly,
Exulting at their latest try,
But then the cyclone
Just won’t leave them alone.
They flee to a pipe shed nearby.
 
Securing themselves tightly there,
They watch as they float in the air.
They hold as they enter
The tornado’s center,
And it dies out, leaving the pair.
Now they have much data to share.
____________________
 

Many disaster movies like The Poseidon Adventure or The Towering Inferno are blown out of proportion for the sake of the film, while others like The Impossible are more realistic but focus on catastrophes that are still rare. Tornadoes happen all the time out in the Midwest, and sometimes it takes a film like this to remind those who don’t live there of the power and devastation of these storms. That’s not to say Twister isn’t rather overblown as well, with a convenient rash of tornadoes breaking out within driving distance (which is still plausible) and tons of special effects. While it received mixed reviews overall, even critics couldn’t help but praise the effects used to bring the twisters to life and iconically fly cows across the screen (or maybe the same cow).

They may not be Oscar-worthy, but Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton pair quite well as meteorologist action heroes, and both at least seem like real people. Jami Gertz also has some memorable moments as Bill’s overwhelmed girlfriend Melissa, and Philip Seymour Hoffman and Alan Ruck are great fun as the leaders of the storm-chasing entourage. Cary Elwes skillfully drops his English accent to play Dr. Jonas Miller, preparing him for other villainous roles later on. By the way, that was Alexa Vega of Spy Kids fame playing the young Jo at the beginning. In addition (Lost alert!), there’s Jeremy Davies, who played Daniel Faraday on my favorite show. It’s a small role as one of the members of Jo’s storm team, but when I saw this film after Lost, I said “Oh, my gosh, it’s Daniel!” (He’s the one who gets up from Meg’s table to let Melissa sit down.)

The final twister is truly spectacular in its enormity, tossing around everything from houses to oil tankers, but because it’s so big and powerful, it strains credulity that no one but the bad guy got hurt. I mean seriously, with all that debris flying around, none of it hurt Bill and Jo as they were running through the heart of it? It’s one of those action movies that conveniently protects the main characters from all harm, but the scenes of destruction are believable enough to make up for that. The drive-in scene and the collapsing house scene are both edge-of-your-seat sequences so impressive that they were recreated for the theme park attraction down at Universal Studios. Twister is a whirlwind of a movie with plenty of thrills and laughs, a memorably greasy breakfast scene, and remarkable visuals that have kept me from ever wanting to move to Oklahoma. No offense.

Best line: (Melissa, on the phone during a twister) “I gotta go, Julia; we got cows!”

 
Artistry: 5
Characters/Actors: 7
Entertainment: 9
Visual Effects: 8
Originality: 7
Watchability: 10
Other (language): -3
 
TOTAL: 43 out of 60
 

Next: #187 – Frozen

© 2014 S. G. Liput

147 Followers and Counting

 

Gravity (2013)

28 Saturday Jun 2014

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Three astronauts are conversing in space
As they work on the space telescope,
Till one gets a piece of debris through his face,
And the others are left without hope.
 
A medical engineer named Ryan Stone
Is sent whirling out in the void,
But Matthew Kowalski, with comforting tone,
Gets her to their shuttle (destroyed).
 
That onslaught of wreckage, an old satellite
That the Russians were unwise to blow,
Will orbit around and have them in its sight
In the next ninety minutes or so.
 
Matt calms her and tells her they’ll carefully soar
To the space station off in the distance.
Stone tells of her daughter, who died at just four,
And Matt tries to spur her persistence.
 
They make it, but Matt makes a bold sacrifice
And goes drifting away into space
To let Stone get aboard, though he gives her advice,
While she finds a way into the base.
 
As she floats through the halls, a fire breaks out,
And she narrowly gets to a pod,
A Soyuz spacecraft, which she’s happy about,
Till its chute won’t allow her abroad.
 
She tries to get loose but is hit by debris,
And she barely escapes that as well.
It shatters the station and sets the ship free,
But she’s out of fuel, she can tell.
 
She attempts giving up, but is spurred to survive
By Kowalski, or rather his ghost,
So she figures a way to (just barely) arrive
At a plummeting Chinese outpost.
 
She gets in the Shenzhou space capsule to land,
Determined to live or die trying,
She says that the ride down will truly be grand
And can’t avoid laughing and crying.
 
She tells Matt to visit in heaven her daughter,
And burns through the earth’s atmosphere.
She finally lands (just by chance?) in some water,
Thus ending her spaceflight career.
 
Her module and suit nearly cause her to drown,
But she swims to the pond’s muddy banks,
And, feeling Earth’s gravity weighing her down,
She walks off, relieved, giving thanks.
____________________
 

Gravity was the most eye-catching film of 2013 and with good reason. It is pure spectacle, full of long, continuous scenes designed to make the audience say, “How did they do that?” From the quietly tense devastation caused by the zooming debris to the seemingly simple weightlessness of the characters and everything else, Gravity is a wonder to behold.

At the heart of the Oscar-winning visual effects are the two leads, Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. Both are excellent, but I actually preferred Clooney’s performance. Bullock is certainly the star, but other actresses could have done just as well (Halle Berry, Cate Blanchett, or Julia Roberts, for example). Clooney’s smooth, reassuring voice gave his character much more personality, and I thought he was just as worthy of an Oscar nomination as Bullock.

Though it’s less than a year old, Gravity has already begun to earn a reputation as overrated, full of impressive special effects and little else. I agree to some extent, but it does offer more than just visuals. Ryan’s backstory is quite touching and emotional, as is her wish for someone to pray for her since she was never taught how.

In addition, films like Avatar and the Transformers movies were visual feasts for the eyes but were so long as to be overindulgent. Gravity is comparably short at just 91 minutes, and Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuarón achieved much more artistry in that time than any of those films combined. The scene of Ryan floating as if in the womb and that of her rising from the water in the evolution-inspired finale (with a welcome “Thank you” sent heavenward) are two beautiful sequences that wouldn’t be found in other effects extravaganzas. The immersive, Oscar-winning score does much to build tension and emotion, especially paired with well-timed cuts to spatial silence.

My VC felt there was too much of Bullock just breathing hard, as well as annoying alarms going off, but I prefer these to the vast stretches of nothing in the similarly artistic but nowhere-near-as-entertaining 2001: A Space Odyssey. While there are similarities to other space disaster films like Marooned, WALL-E (hello, fire extinguisher!) and Apollo 13 (especially since Ed Harris played “Houston” here as well), Gravity is a film like no other, presenting seamless visuals sure to blow you away.

Best line: (Ryan Stone, in a massive understatement) “I hate space.”

 
Artistry: 10
Characters/Actors: 8
Entertainment: 7
Visual effects: 10
Originality: 5
Watchability: 6
Other (language and brief violence): -4
 
TOTAL: 42 out of 60
 

Next: #194 – Hoosiers

© 2014 S. G. Liput

144 Followers and Counting

 

Superman (1978)

18 Wednesday Jun 2014

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The distant planet Krypton, after stopping an attack
By Ursa, Non, and Zod, confines all three (but they’ll be back).
But scientist Jor-El still feels that Krypton’s on the brink
Of imminent destruction, which nobody else will think.
 
As Krypton starts to crumble, he sends out his infant son,
And once the world explodes, the young Kal-El’s the only one.
He flies throughout the stars before crash landing on our sphere
And is adopted by the Kents, who know he’s not from here.
 
“Clark” grows and calls the earth his home, the Kents his mom and dad,
But tries to hide the speed and strength that he has always had.
When Jonathan, his wise old father, passes from this earth,
Clark finds the hidden secret of his otherworldly birth.
 
He leaves with one green crystal for the Arctic, strangely led,
And throws it to create a giant fortress there instead.
Recordings of Jor-El reveal the secrets he will master,
The reason for his powers which he’ll use to stop disaster.
 
Years later, at the Daily Planet Clark Kent is employed,
Now acting timid; any danger he’s quick to avoid.
Though he’s a hero, strong reporter Lois Lane can’t tell
And thinks him geeky when he faints and says the old word “swell.”
 
A helicopter accident puts Lois Lane in danger
Until she then is rescued by a blue-and-red-clad stranger.
He flies around Metropolis, performing decent deeds,
Preventing crimes and helping citizens with all their needs.
 
Intent on learning more of him, Lane gets an interview
With enigmatic Superman, and one free night flight too.
Her articles and news reports attract the veiled attention
Of evil mastermind Lex Luthor, who drips condescension.
 
He formulates a wicked scheme to redirect two bombs
And sink the California coast without the slightest qualms.
He steals a foreign meteor that glows with greenish light,
Attracting Superman to cripple him with Kryptonite.
 
Though Superman is rescued and stops one bomb, he’s too late;
The other causes earthquakes, sealing California’s fate.
Our hero still saves buses, towns, and fault lines too, although
He cannot save poor Lois Lane from landslides even so.
 
Heartsick with grief, he breaks a rule, reversing our Earth’s time,
To bring back Lois and prevent the worst of Luthor’s crime.
He drops off Luthor at a jail, and flies ‘twixt Earth and space,
The ever-faithful guardian of all the human race.
_____________________
 

The first modern superhero movie, Superman was a really big deal when it was released in 1978, pulling out big name stars like Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman and charging big bucks for product placement. (I hope it was worth it, Cheerios.) Watching it thirty-six years later, the special effects are still effective, quite deserving of the Special Achievement Award they received, and John Williams’ magnificent score remains as iconic as it was then. Anyone who can compose for Jane Eyre and Superman and make them both synonymous with the film is a master composer.

As I said in my Superman II post, Christopher Reeve is Superman, and I have yet to see anyone who can wear the red cape as well as he could. Gene Hackman introduces Lex Luthor with the perfect blend of villainy and charisma. (Villains are always more menacing when you see their hands first, right?) Margot Kidder also does well as Lois Lane, and I like the little quirks the filmmakers added to her character, like her constantly misspelling of words. Embracing the role of Daily Planet chief Perry White, Jackie Cooper acts as an entertaining forerunner to J. Jonah Jameson of the Spider-Man films.

The film does have some faults other than the San Andreas one. Some scenes go on much too long, such as the rather boring opening credits, the construction of his Fortress of Solitude, and his flight with Lois Lane. Since they still had Williams’ memorable score, it’s not as bad as Star Trek: The Motion Picture in that regard, but these scenes make the film longer than it needed to be. Also, Lex Luthor makes some astounding leaps of reasoning to deduce that a particular meteorite in Africa came from Superman’s home planet, and “it stands to reason” that it must be deadly for the man of steel. It’s a good hypothesis, but there’s nothing to back it up. Likewise, the final scene where Superman reverses Earth’s rotation to reverse time is perhaps the least scientific portrayal of time travel ever put on film. Again, I don’t see how he knew his actions would have the desired effect when they could just as easily have caused more earthquakes or something worse.

It’s not a perfect superhero film, but as one of the first comic book blockbusters, it’s an incredibly influential one for the genre, aiming for gravitas while also retaining some campy charm. The recent Man of Steel had plenty of the gravitas and much more eye-popping effects, but it lacked the charm. Superman Returns was unsuccessful at both for me.Though Marvel has taken over superhero films for the most part, DC had a strong start with Superman, and it still makes audiences “believe a man can fly.”

Best line: (Superman, during his interview with Lois) “I’m here to fight for truth, and justice, and the American way.” [I didn’t like how Superman Returns ruined that line.]   (Lois) “You’re gonna end up fighting every elected official in this country!”

 
Artistry: 6
Characters/Actors: 7
Entertainment: 7
Visual Effects: 5
Originality: 9
Watchability: 7
 
TOTAL: 41 out of 60
 

Next: #204 – Peter Pan (to complete my trilogy of films with people flying around)

© 2014 S. G. Liput

133 Followers and Counting

 

#210: The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

13 Friday Jun 2014

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The ocean liner named Poseidon cruises from New York to Greece.
Although he’s overruled, the captain says their ballast must increase.
As New Year’s Eve is wrapping up, with partying and ecstasy,
An underwater earthquake strikes, creating a catastrophe.
A towering wave, a great tsunami, makes the giant ship capsize.
Everything’s turned upside down to cries of terror and surprise.
 
At last, the vessel settles down, and partyers are grievers now,
But soon it strikes the Reverend Scott that they must all climb up somehow.
The bow is sinking so they must try climbing toward the skyward hull;
Poseidon’s purser thinks him foolish and exerts a halting pull.
However, Scott succeeds in swaying nine brave souls to join his hope,
But everyone else stays behind to wait or help the others cope.
 
The gruff policeman Rogo comes because of Linda, his loud wife,
And Belle and Manny Rosen want to be part of their grandson’s life.
The careful haberdasher Martin, who is single, tags along
And brings with him the grieving Nonnie, singer of the party’s song.
Then there’s the wounded waiter Acres, who does know the ship a lot,
And smart lad Robin and his sister Susan, who likes Reverend Scott.
 
They scale the party’s Christmas tree and get up higher just in time;
Explosions cause the party room to flood, and it’s too late to climb.
Throughout the topsy-turvy ship, the band of passengers ascends.
Although Scott acts so self-assured, they don’t know where their journey ends.
With water closing on their heels, they climb into a lofty shaft,
And while they rise, poor Acres then falls victim to the deadly craft.
 
Since Rogo hates Scott’s domineering, he insists they join a crowd,
But Scott is sure that they are wrong and tells them so and very loud.
He goes alone to find the wanted engine room that’s toward the stern.
Once he succeeds in finding it, he leads the small group to return.
The path’s already flooded, though, so they must swim to stay on track,
And Mrs. Rosen proves her worth but passes from a heart attack.
 
Though Mr. Rosen mourns his wife, her dying words help urge him on.
They find the target engine room and scaffolding to climb upon.
A sudden blast blocks their escape, and Mrs. Rogo falls as well.
To get them through, Scott turns a searing wheel while giving God a yell.
He clears the way and then lets go, compelling them before his fall;
The final six are rescued through Scott’s sacrifice to save them all.
_____________________
 

The Poseidon Adventure is one of those classic star-studded disaster movies of the 1970s and is easily the best, as far as I’m concerned. Boasting a number of Oscar winners, including Red Buttons (Mr. Martin), Jack Albertson of Willy Wonka fame (Mr. Rosen), Shelley Winters (Mrs. Rosen), and Ernest Borgnine (Mr. Rogo), it’s a film that doesn’t just display them for the sake of bragging but puts each of them to good use, and no one is put to better use than Gene Hackman as Reverend Scott. The first time she saw it, Hackman’s assured and intense performance made my VC admire him as much as Susan in the film. My favorite, though, is the Oscar-nominated Winters as Mrs. Rosen, a likable grandmotherly type whose death was the saddest for me.

Coming years before the likes of Titanic, the disaster scenes of the ship being overturned are fairly impressive for the time and garnered the first Special Achievement Academy Award at a time when there was no category for Special Effects. The film also offers some very unique visuals, showing entire rooms, stairways, and corridors upside down and sometimes underwater.

Considering that the violence was not graphic, it’s a shame that the filmmakers included several profanities. Also, I know he’s proud to be considered unorthodox, but Scott’s view of God seems rather contradictory. On the one hand, he talks about how God doesn’t concern himself with the individual (a clearly collectivist view) but mentions “that part of God within you” that will help you if you help yourself. Assuming he’s talking about the Holy Spirit, that’s God, indicating He does assist individuals. While Scott is certainly noble in his quest and sacrifice, I think his understanding of God and His role in the world and people’s lives is rather two-dimensional. Still, I do agree with part of the sermon he gives, as reflected in my Best Line.

The Poseidon Adventure was Irwin Allen’s crowning achievement and one of the best disaster films ever, putting focus on the characters as well as the terrible things happening to them. I’ll admit that I have not seen the 2006 remake Poseidon, but when the film is already this good, why redo it just for the sake of better effects?

Best line: (Reverend Scott, in his sermon) “God wants brave souls. He wants winners, not quitters. If you can’t win, at least try to win. God loves tryers…. So what resolution should we make for the New Year? Resolve to let God know that you have the guts and the will to do it alone. Resolve to fight for yourselves, and for others, for those you love. And that part of God within you will be fighting with you all the way.”

 
Artistry: 7
Characters/Actors: 8
Entertainment: 8
Visual Effects: 7
Originality: 9
Watchability: 8
Other (language): -6
 
TOTAL: 41 out of 60
 

Next: #209 – Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension (please don’t laugh)

© 2014 S. G. Liput

128 Followers and Counting

 

The Impossible (2012)

20 Thursday Mar 2014

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The Bennetts spend their Christmas in a Thailand beach resort
And enjoy their seaside holiday until it is cut short.
A massive wave of water strikes, and they are in its path.
The five are separated in the vicious aftermath.
 
Maria and her eldest son named Lucas are together,
And endure the vast tsunami many others could not weather.
The two survive the terrible and unrelenting flood,
And, once they get out, both are smeared with mud and dirt and blood.
 
They climb a tree with effort, but Maria’s badly hurt.
Thai villagers arrive and drag her through debris and dirt.
They take her to a hospital where death and pain are rife,
And overburdened doctors try to save Maria’s life.
 
When Lucas helps some folks, he reunites a dad and son.
Returning to his mother, though, he finds that she is gone.
Maria was mislabeled when her surgery arrived,
And Lucas is relieved when he is shown that she survived.
 
Meanwhile, Henry Bennett sifts through wreckage and debris,
As he searches for his wife and Lucas, parted by the sea.
His other children, Simon and young Thomas, are all right,
But Henry sends them off so he can search for one more night.
 
He starts to inspect hospitals and staggering mass graves,
Assisted by another who lost family to the waves.
He checks Maria’s hospital and thinks she isn’t there,
When Lucas finds his brothers and embraces the lost pair.
 
The family’s reunited, yet Maria’s fading fast.
In surgery, she dreams about the fierce tsunami’s blast.
Just as she reached the surface, she survives the surgery,
And the five fly home together o’er the vast and violent sea.
___________________________
 

The Impossible is a powerful film and, as emphasized at the very beginning, a true story. In my review for The Day after Tomorrow, I said the outlandish catastrophes depicted in that movie were entertaining because they were fictional. That was a popcorn movie; The Impossible is not. Film about actual disasters are always more affecting because they happened to real people and changed countless lives, offering examples of both pain and heroism that are much more deeply felt than, say, CGI tornadoes ripping through impersonal skyscrapers.

The Impossible is often painful to watch, particularly the scenes featuring Maria’s cringe-worthy leg wound. Yet, amid all the agony and death, there are moments of light: a presumably orphaned child being seen with a loving parent, a hopeless father hugging the lost son that a stranger found for him, and of course the tear-jerking reunion of Henry and his children. Other details, such as a nonchalant note left by a survivor’s missing family before the wave hit, illustrate how swiftly life can change for the worse.

The acting is superb across the board. Though Naomi Watts received the only Oscar nomination for her pain-filled role as Maria, Ewan McGregor as Henry and Tom Holland as Lucas also give Oscar-worthy performances that connect the audience to this family that’s been torn apart. My VC felt that the technique of muting the sound to evoke the passage of time was overused, but overall the direction is also excellent.

While the scenes of suffering are devastating to watch, I appreciate that the filmmakers didn’t make it as violent as they could have. There are still some brief scenes of female nudity and some wincing injuries that could have been left out. The main issue I have, however, is the fact that God is not mentioned at all. I understand if the family was not religious, but events like these tend to bring people to a realization of divine power and aid. Considering the astounding coincidences that took place to bring the family back together, some religious references would have been appropriate. Even so, when the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami hit, many in the U.S. could easily ignore it at the time since it was on the other side of the world; The Impossible brings this terrible tragedy home in a very powerful way.

Best line: (Henry, to his sons) “But you know the most scary bit for me?”
(Thomas) “When the water hit?”
(Henry) “No. After that, when I came up, I was on my own. That was the scariest part. And when I saw the two of you clinging to the tree, I didn’t feel so scared anymore. I knew I wasn’t on my own. You see?”

 

Artistry: 8
Characters/Actors: 10
Entertainment: 3
Visual Effects: 8
Originality: 7
Watchability: 2
Other (nudity, violence, and lack of religious awareness): -6
 
TOTAL: 32 out of 60
 

Next: #291: The Secret World of Arrietty

© 2014 S. G. Liput

 

Apollo 13 (1995)

18 Tuesday Mar 2014

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When astronaut Jim Lovell sees us landing on the moon,
He dreams of going there himself and gets his chance quite soon.
His lunar mission is moved up to lucky one, thirteen,
And he and Mattingly and Haise all practice their routine.
But days before the launch, they learn that Mattingly’s exposed
To measles, so he must be barred or else nobody goes.
 
He is replaced by ladies’ man Jack Swigert, and the three
All work together fine, although he’s no Ken Mattingly.
While Lovell’s wife is worried sick about this risky mission,
She sees him off, supporting his celestial ambition.
Lovell, Swigert, and Fred Haise at last launch into space,
And, over days, fly to the moon at just the proper pace.
 
All seems to go just as it should until they hear a bang,
And Lovell notices a leak that threatens their whole gang.
Their oxygen is leaking fast, and it becomes quite clear:
They cannot land upon the moon, although it is so near.
They get into Aquarius, the module used for landing,
And use it as a lifeboat, which will keep their vessel standing.
 
Returning to the Earth right through the shadow of the moon,
Jim dreams about how close he’s come, how it’s inopportune,
But now they have to get back home, and NASA’s engineers
Are pushed to solve the problems, and each person perseveres.
From saving the ship’s power to reducing CO2,
The scientists and Mattingly (who’s healthy still) pull through.
 
Though Haise gets sick and tension’s high, the crew continues on,
Eventually preparing to return from whence they’d gone.
The heat shield’s strength is still in doubt, but Lovell and the rest
Fly in the planet’s atmosphere, and everyone is stressed.
Four minutes later, Lovell’s voice alleviates concern,
And everybody celebrates the astronauts’ return.
__________________________
 

Apollo 13 is one of the most authentic and meticulously researched films about manned space flight ever made. The film is of particular interest to my family because my grandfather was himself involved with NASA’s Apollo missions (as well as Mercury and Gemini) and worked straight through several days and nights to assist in bringing those three astronauts home. My mom also participated in the Space Shuttle program and recognized various real names used in the film like engineer Guenter Wendt. The resourcefulness of these unsung heroes is laudably extolled as they come up with solutions that kept the astronauts alive.

Ron Howard’s almost documentary-like direction of the structured proceedings makes the viewer feel like he’s watching actual events, though this effect is tempered by the star presence of Tom Hanks as Lovell, Kevin Bacon as Swigert, and Bill Paxton as Haise. All fill their roles quite well, as does Ed Harris as Flight Director Gene Kranz, inexplicably the only one to earn a Best Actor Oscar nomination. (It was nice to hear his voice in the same kind of role in the recent Gravity.)

While the main characters are well-developed as a rule, particularly Oscar nominee Kathleen Quinlan as the long-suffering Marilyn Lovell, the best parts are the moments of space travel, whether the simple floating of the astronauts (achieved through putting the actors in a plummeting aircraft) to the grandeur of Apollo 13’s spectacular launch. The weightlessness is particularly well-done, and the way it was created is hidden surprisingly well. The film also has some effective moments of poignancy (Lovell dreaming of his lost moon landing) and tension (the Odyssey’s reentry, which manages to be nail-biting even though most probably know the outcome).

The main issue is, of course, the unnecessary profanity, but I also felt that the last half-hour of the astronauts being stranded could have been shortened. I realize that time dragged for the three spacefarers as they waited for NASA’s directions, but, by the time they came back to Earth, I was definitely ready for the film to be over. Nevertheless, Apollo 13 brings to life a nerve-racking time in American history, and Lovell’s ending monologue questioning when we will return to the moon remains as timely now as it was then.

Best line: (Blanche, Jim Lovell’s mother, as she is introduced to Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin) “Are you boys in the space program too?”

VC’s best line: (Jim Lovell, using German accent) “Ah, Guenter Wendt! I wonder where Guenter Wendt?”

 
Artistry: 7
Characters/Actors: 7
Entertainment: 6
Visual Effects: 8
Originality: 5
Watchability: 5
Other (language and length): -6
 
TOTAL: 32 out of 60
 

Next: #293: Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas

© 2014 S. G. Liput

 

The Day after Tomorrow (2004)

16 Sunday Mar 2014

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Antarctic ice begins to crack;
A climate expert takes some flak
For saying global warming may
Cause worldwide tragedy one day.
 
But this Jack Hall is proven right;
Disasters happen overnight.
The temperature begins to drop
Around the world and doesn’t stop.
 
In New York City, Sam, Jack’s son,
Observes strange weather has begun.
It’s raining there for days on end,
And even worse events portend.
 
Japan is struck by giant hail;
Tornados in L.A. assail.
New York is flooded by a wave
That makes the streets a massive grave.
 
While Sam takes shelter with his pals,
More weather strikes diverse locales.
Jack sees three hurricane-like ice storms
Will rage till Earth’s climate transforms.
 
A freeze descends on New York, so
Survivors flee across the snow,
But Sam and company decide
The library is where they’ll hide.
 
Jack leaves with friends to find his son,
Despite his warning everyone.
Meanwhile, Sam’s almost on a date
As he grows close to one classmate.
 
When Laura needs some medicine,
Sam knows a ship that’s floated in.
He faces wolves (we need a villain)
To bring her back some penicillin.
 
They’re threatened by an instant freeze
And get in as they lose degrees.
They burn the books to keep them warm,
While Jack takes shelter from the storm.
 
At last, Sam’s rescued by his dad,
Who is relieved to find the lad.
Now that the storms no longer rage,
We must survive this new ice age.
_____________________
 

I think that any viewer, whether they believe in global warming or not, can agree that The Day after Tomorrow is shameless environmental propaganda that offers a sensationalist scientific explanation that even global warming proponents have decried as faulty science. Climatologists have stated, even in the film itself, that the cataclysmic events that occur would happen over hundreds of years, not days, if they happened at all. Still, as a special effects extravaganza, it’s just as impressive as director Roland Emmerich’s other film Independence Day. It borrows many aspects of this earlier film, including an initial destruction of aircraft (this time with ice rather than fire) and the death of a First Family member (this time the President himself rather than the First Lady).

Unlike Independence Day, though, The Day after Tomorrow has a much more serious and realistic tone, despite its unrealistic premise. There’s plenty of humor too but none of the campy stylings of the earlier alien invasion film. The film’s main draw is its sequences of impressive destruction: tornados ripping through downtown Los Angeles, a huge wall of water flowing around New York’s skyscrapers, etc. Some of these scenes have attained semi-iconic status, like the obliteration of the White House in Independence Day. If one ignores the half-baked climate change explanation and just takes the upheaval at face value, it’s actually a very entertaining film.

While Sam’s revelation of his attraction to Laura seems rather out of place and overly personal amid the worldwide disasters, I actually think the scenes featuring Jake Gyllenhaal, Emmy Rossum, and the others in the library are the most engaging parts. It’s always fun to see various absurd calamities happen to fictional people, but it’s even more interesting to follow the characters as they survive the aftermath. This survival aspect is something Independence Day didn’t have and something that has been highlighted in other such films, like The Impossible and Gravity.

The beginning and the very end are the main stumbling blocks, where the global warming message is proclaimed too loud and clear for my taste. After all, they seem to blame the Vice President, when his reaction to the one scientist’s claims is rather understandable; even if he had listened and cut down fuel emissions and whatnot, the disaster came fast and furious and couldn’t really have been averted by him. There are also some moments of utter stupidity, like when someone takes their gloves off in freezing weather to support a friend’s weight on broken glass! Yet, ignoring the environmental evangelism, The Day after Tomorrow is a feast for the eyes, at times more thrilling than Independence Day, and with an appreciated lack of objectionable content.

Best line: (Brian, as two other survivors argue over burning Nietzsche’s works) “Uh… ‘scuse me? You guys? Yeah… there’s a whole section on tax law down here that we can burn.”

 
Artistry: 5
Characters/Actors: 5
Entertainment: 7
Visual Effects: 6
Originality: 5
Watchability: 7
Other (brief language and silly concept): -4
 
TOTAL: 31 out of 60
 

Next: #295: The Iron Giant

© 2014 S. G. Liput

 

Independence Day (1996)

10 Monday Mar 2014

Posted by in Movies

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A giant object nears the earth and freaks us humans out.
We’ve all suspected aliens, but now there is no doubt.
When several ships break off from it and hover over cities,
The world debates what they should do in jittery committees.
A pilot in the desert by the name of Russell Casse,
Who insists he was abducted, fears they’ve come to kill our race.
 
Then David Levinson, a tech who’s skilled in playing chess,
Discovers there’s a countdown that is unknown to the press.
He has his Jewish father drive him that night to D.C.
In hopes his ex-wife Constance might enable him to see
The President Tom Whitmore. When he warns the President,
They leave the city just before a terrible event.
 
In every major city with a spaceship overhead,
The aliens shoot beams that cause destruction as they spread.
The government reciprocates but cannot harm E.T.
Because a shield surrounds the ships, which shoot them as they flee.
A Captain Steven Hiller, whose own lover did survive,
Prevails against one alien and captures it alive.
 
The President and David and the rest on Air Force One
Then fly off to Nevada, where some research has been done.
Apparently at Roswell, these same aliens were caught,
And their captured ship’s been studied ever since it first was brought.
When Steven brings the creature, they do surgery until
It massacres the doctors and confirms they’ve come to kill.
 
Though all seems lost since many, like the First Lady, have died,
Smart David comes up with a plan he hopes will turn the tide.
Both he and Steven fly the spacecraft to the mothership
To spread a harmful virus that will make their defense slip.
Meanwhile, everybody, counting Whitmore too and Casse,
Prepares to fight the vessel that is headed for their place.
 
When David sends the virus, all the vessels’ force fields drop,
So Casse goes kamikaze, bringing E.T. to a stop.
When Steve and David blow the mothership back to the stars,
They crash to earth and hug their wives while smoking big cigars.
America then tells the world how best to blow away
The enemy from whom we claim our independence day.
___________________________
 

Independence Day is the epitome of a big special-effects-laden summer popcorn movie, back before the Transformers films gave that genre a numbing bad name. At first, it seems like a campy alien movie spoof with a host of comedic touches, such as the opening song being R.E.M.’s “It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine).” Plus, our first attempt to communicate with them involves bright lights because…well, they must have seen Close Encounters. Then, when the aliens actually attack, the level of absolute devastation takes the audience aback with the sheer scope of it all; after that, the two tones go back and forth, such as when they introduce Brent Spiner’s geeky Dr. Okun at Area 51 only to brutally kill him off in a scene reminiscent of the Alien movies.

Considering the immensity of the destruction here, which is actually quite sobering, it’s surprising that the writers infused so much campy humor into the proceedings, helped by Jeff Goldblum as smartest-person-in-the-room David Levinson, Judd Hirsch as his stereotypically Jewish father, and Will Smith as the brash pilot Steven Hiller. They each have some moments of drama as they think about the apocalypse that’s upon them, but most of the time they’re there for laughs or to deliver amusing action movie slogans.

Director Roland Emmerich has a penchant for destruction, and he puts special effects to good use in that department, though they’re not perfect. If you want to see government buildings blown apart spectacularly, this is your movie. Despite many disaster movie clichés, some elements have found their way into other films. For instance, Spielberg’s aliens in War of the Worlds look suspiciously like the ones in this film. The end is quite satisfying overall, even if the President’s speech about July 4 becoming the world’s Independence Day wasn’t well-received overseas. Still, it’s an American movie, so what the heck?

Overall, it has some foul language and some less-than-moral elements, and there are too many underdeveloped characters for viewers to really get emotionally involved with the story, but, as entertaining blockbuster fare, Independence Day is pretty impressive.

Best line: (news reporter in Los Angeles) “Once again, the L.A.P.D. is asking Los Angelenos not to fire their guns at the visitor spacecraft. You may inadvertently trigger an interstellar war.”

VC’s best line: (Constance, referring to a career) “Haven’t you ever wanted to be part of something special?”  (David, referring to their marriage) “I was part of something special.”

 
Artistry: 3
Characters/Actors: 6
Entertainment: 8
Visual Effects: 7
Originality: 4
Watchability: 6
Other (language): -3
 
TOTAL: 31 out of 60
 

Next: #300: The Godfather (that’s right)

© 2014 S. G. Liput