Tag Archives: Thriller

#42: Jurassic Park (1993)

14 Sunday Dec 2014

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The wealthy John Hammond has spared no expense
To bring to life dinosaurs grand and immense
And keep them behind an electrified fence.
 
A paleontologist named Alan Grant
Is brought to the isle where dinos enchant,
Where life is contained and humility’s scant.
 
With Hammond’s grandchildren, a mathematician,
A lawyer impressed by old Hammond’s ambition,
And Grant’s colleague Ellie, he gains free admission.
 
The ultimate theme park to wow everyone,
Jurassic Park’s ready for its trial run,
Until an unfortunate hurricane’s begun.
 
When one fat employee gets greedy and flees
And shuts down the fences and power with ease,
The T. Rex emerges from out of the trees.
 
As Hammond and company try as they might
To reconnect power, resolving their plight,
The T. Rex wreaks havoc and death in the night.
 
The children and Alan survive as they can.
When raptors break loose, not according to plan,
The pile of dinosaur poop hits the fan.
 
The running and screaming begin all the more,
As raptors learn how they can open a door
And cause greater terror than eons before.
 
The park and the isle to nature are lost;
Survivors escape from it, though at a cost,
For life finds a way when the wrong lines are crossed.
__________________
 

Jurassic Park is without a doubt one of the most thrilling sci-fi action films ever, an original spectacle predating the devolution of the genre into numbing banality. Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of Michael Crichton’s novel was my first introduction to how terrifying a real dinosaur could be, as opposed to the more cartoonish depictions on television.

I can usually handle action films just fine, even when horror elements are involved like in Aliens, but Jurassic Park is one of only two films that I’ve caught myself actually on the verge of hyperventilating from the breathless danger and close calls (the climax of Oliver! was the other time; weird, right?). My mom had a similar reaction; she actually saw it in the theater while she was pregnant and got such an adrenaline rush that she was concerned for the baby me afterward. Assisted by one of John Williams’ most outstanding scores, Spielberg and company created some iconic edge-of-your-seat sequences that never fail to thrill, from the T. Rex’s initial attack with the vibrating water glass to its pursuit of the jeep to the raptors’ cat-and-mouse chase with the kids (a.k.a. someone’s in the kitchen with dinos).

Even if the characters exist solely to be attacked, threatened, or eaten, the actors succeed in creating memorable victims, from Jeff Goldblum as odd, wisecracking mathematician Ian Malcolm; Wayne Knight as slovenly mole Dennis Nedry; Samuel L. Jackson as ill-fated Mr. Arnold; Sam Neill and Laura Dern as two likable dinosaur experts; and Ariana Richards and Joseph Mazzello as the requisite children in danger, one an up-and-coming scream queen, the other an amateur paleo-aficionado. As starry-eyed entrepreneur John Hammond, Richard Attenborough illustrates the blind hunger for success in those who “spare no expense” to make their dreams realities, proving he was as skilled at acting as directing. As is typical, Goldblum gets the best lines and stood out enough to warrant his own return to the world of dinosaurs in the good but lesser sequel.

Unlike the sequels, which succumbed to the cliché of people in danger acting stupid, there’s an air of intelligence to the original thriller, aided by the plausible method by which the great lizards are said to have been resurrected. Though there’s a winsome subplot about Dr. Grant’s bonding with the kids, the film is overall a science fiction frightfest, one of the greatest ever made, a nonstop thrill ride that nonetheless captures the wonder of a lost world and concludes on a placid, breath-catching note. Ignoring fictional aliens and shapeshifters and whatnot, the real terrors belong to the past, and I can only hope that scientists never play God and reanimate the worst of carnivores. I’m cautiously optimistic about the upcoming Jurassic World; let’s hope it’s a return to the excellence of the original.

Best line: (John Hammond) “All major theme parks have delays. When they opened Disneyland in 1956, nothing worked!”  (Ian Malcolm) “Yeah, but, John, if The Pirates of the Caribbean breaks down, the pirates don’t eat the tourists.”

VC’s best line: (Ian Malcolm) “God creates dinosaurs. God destroys dinosaurs. God creates man. Man destroys God. Man creates dinosaurs.”  (Dr. Ellie Sattler) “Dinosaurs eat man. Woman inherits the earth.”

 
Rank: 58 out of 60
 

© 2014 S. G. Liput

268 Followers and Counting

#44: National Treasure (2004)

11 Thursday Dec 2014

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The young Ben Gates was spellbound by
The Templar treasure legendary,
Which the Founders had to bury
Somewhere secret clues imply.
He teams with whiny Riley Poole
As well as Ian, a mercenary;
Though his father is contrary,
Ben keeps searching somewhere cool.
 
When Ben unearths the latest clue,
It hints a certain Declaration
Hides a map. This implication
Shows Ian’s lawless point of view.
Since Ian’s leaning toward the worst
And plans to “borrow” our foundation,
Ben decides its best salvation
Is for him to steal it first.
 
Though he and Riley do succeed
In borrowing the document,
They gain a girl without consent,
And Dr. Chase helps them proceed.
The parchment leads to other clues,
And though Ben’s dad knows where they went,
Still Ian guesses their intent.
The FBI as well pursues.
 
When Ben and Ian team again,
They find a crypt and secret stairs,
Which seem to sorely need repairs,
But Ian then abandons Ben.
Ben and his friends continue through,
Despite initial dead-end scares,
And soon the treasure room is theirs,
The end of every hidden clue.
_________________
 

National Treasure is probably the film I have seen, in whole or in part, more than any other movie. Every time it comes on television, it’s the perfect standby to turn to. It’s clean, amusing, exciting, and complex enough to deserve repeated viewings, an all-around satisfying helping of Indiana Jones-lite.

As the walking encyclopedia Benjamin Franklin Gates, Nicholas Cage spouts history, conspiracy, and American values, the kind of treasure-hunting idealist worth rooting for. His dutiful theft of the Declaration of Independence allows the audience to enjoy the gadgetry and cleverness of a heist film, while retaining the confidence that he’s still the good guy. This draws parallels with Jerry Bruckheimer’s other franchise Pirates of the Caribbean, as well as the “treason” of the Founding Fathers, as Ben feels called to attempt what is technically illegal to accomplish what is right. Justin Bartha is lovably nerdy as Riley, and Diane Kruger is intelligent and lovely as Dr. Abigail Chase. Sean Bean plays the cunning villain Ian and is actually a clever mental match for Ben, unlike Ed Harris in the sequel who let Ben do all the work. Other pleasing roles are filled by Jon Voight as Ben’s nay-saying father and Harvey Keitel as a Sam Gerard wannabe from the FBI. Also, (yet another Lost alert!) one of Keitel’s team is played by Mark Pellegrino, a.k.a. the mysterious island-dwelling Jacob.

The Mason conspiracy at the core of the treasure’s origins is hardly believable, but the film manages to still be a stimulating history lesson in its details, ranging from the cryptic clue from the Charlotte to the author of the Silence Dogood letters. These lesser-known facts lend credence to the film as a whole, though the chase for the treasure is such an entertaining thrill ride that any inaccurate or unrealistic elements can and should be ignored for fun’s sake. With plenty of twists and turns, both action-packed and perceptive, National Treasure is still a film I can see over and over.

Best line: (butcher lady in a market) “If you’re not a steak, you don’t belong here.”
(Abigail, hiding from Ian’s goon) “I’m just trying to hide from my ex-husband.”
(butcher lady) “Who, Baldie?”
(Abigail) “Yes.”
(butcher lady) “Honey, stay as long as you like.”
 
Rank: 58 out of 60
 

© 2014 S. G. Liput

268 Followers and Counting

#46: The Fugitive (1993)

09 Tuesday Dec 2014

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When Dr. Richard Kimble found
His dear wife murdered on the ground,
He fought a fleeing one-armed man,
Who wrestled him before he ran,
But fingerprints in court don’t lie,
And Kimble’s sentenced soon to die.
 
A train wreck on his way to jail
Lets him escape to no avail.
The U.S. Marshal Sam Gerard
Dispatches every cop and guard
To search for Kimble on the lam,
Who leaps to freedom from a dam.
 
From then on, Kimble’s on the run
To try to prove to everyone
That he is innocent in fact
And find the killer that attacked.
Gerard is right behind the doc,
And both find secrets to unlock.
 
When Kimble finds the one-armed man
And learns the whole backstabbing plan,
He fights a fickle former friend,
Who tried to orchestrate his end.
Gerard, who claims he doesn’t care,
Brings Kimble in, the truth to share.
___________________
 

Probably the best film based on a TV series, The Fugitive is everything one could want in a chase film: cheer-worthy leads, awesome stunts and set pieces, and a fast-paced plot that keeps the audience and characters guessing.

Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones are exceptional as fugitive Richard Kimble and his pursuer Sam Gerard. It may not be Ford’s most personable role, but his single-minded determination and unjust condemnation make him a worthy hero. Though he dares and survives some dangerous escapes, he never comes off as a superman; even when he’s ahead of the law, it’s just barely, and his risk of capture is always present, especially due to his more-than-worthy adversary. Tommy Lee Jones won Best Supporting Actor for his memorable role as the hardball U.S. marshal who matches wits with Kimble. Jones’s straight-faced delivery of unflinching demands and ornery impositions makes Gerard a dynamic presence, though at times I expected him to bring people’s attention to a certain neuralyzer. I thought Ford deserved a nomination too, but Jones’s performance was powerful enough to spawn the copycat sequel U. S. Marshals (see much lower on my list). Supporting players are well-cast, including Joe Pantaliano as Gerard’s right-hand man, Sela Ward as Kimble’s dead wife, Jeroen Krabbé as a seeming friend of Richard’s, Andreas Katsulas as the one-armed man, and (a long-in-coming Lost alert!) L. Scott Caldwell as Poole, the black lady on Gerard’s team (and Rose from my favorite show). Julianne Moore and Jane Lynch also found early roles as doctors Kimble encounters.

The awesome one-take train crash sequence alone is worth the price of admission, but the rest of the film is a tense pursuit that manages to be more engaging and interesting than any of the Bourne films. A hit with viewers and critics alike, The Fugitive only deepened Ford’s action persona and afforded Jones a well-deserved Oscar.

Best line: (Kimble, holding Gerard at gunpoint) “I didn’t kill my wife!”  (Gerard) “I don’t care!”

 
Rank: 57 out of 60
 

© 2014 S. G. Liput

265 Followers and Counting

#50: Inception (2010)

04 Thursday Dec 2014

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Extractor Dom Cobb has an interesting job,
To steal people’s secrets through dreams.
On one inner outing, the target starts doubting
And knows all is not as it seems.
 
This Saito solicits their service illicit
To plant an idea in one’s brain.
With just one exception, attempting inception
Has always been ventured in vain.
 
Cobb gathers a team to invade someone’s dream,
The rich Robert Fischer, an heir,
But the image and strife of Mal, his dead wife,
Lurks still in his mind’s inner lair.
 
They enter the dream with a qualified scheme
That’s more hazardous than designed.
Each resolute sleeper goes deeper and deeper
Through levels of Fischer’s taut mind.
 
As deep as Cobb goes, there is guilt to expose,
And he must let go of his wife.
The mission complete, the rewards for the feat
Allow Cobb’s return to his life?
____________________
 

Even with his prior success with The Prestige and two popular Batman movies, Christopher Nolan’s Inception was a bolt from the blue, a film so startlingly original in plot and scope that it cemented him as a truly brilliant director. It also is the only film I’ve seen (or wanted to) that allows me to see Leonardo DiCaprio as anything but Jack from Titanic. On top of that, it’s the only film that so blew my mind that I was left with a thunderstruck “Whoa” at the end.

There is so much going on in this movie that anyone who left to get popcorn surely missed something. Nearly every scene held meaning, whether to understanding the mission, Nolan’s rules of the dream world, or the relationships between Cobb and Mal or Fischer and his father. One thing my VC does not enjoy is not knowing what’s going on in a movie without some quickly forthcoming answers. Mystery is one thing; it’s another to give a strange, random train riddle in the first hour and then not explain its significance until almost the end. While it was all too much for her, I was impressed that everything did have significance. Nothing was thrown in without a reason, a reason I felt was worth waiting for. The mazes and time differentials and dreams within dreams and dreams within memories within dreams can get confusing on the first viewing (or the fourth), but the audacious complexity lends itself to watching over and over with new appreciation.

I mentioned way back in my review for Entrapment that I’m no fan of heist films, due to their convincing audiences to root for those committing an illegal act, which they typically get away with. While that concern is still present, Inception has so much else involved—visually, emotionally, artistically, technologically—that the morality of the central plot falls to the wayside, for good or ill. Cobb’s ultimate reason for taking the job, to be reunited with his kids, does raise the emotional stakes, but considering the unforeseen results of his previous success at inception, I can’t help but wonder what will happen to Fischer.

The cast, composed of many Christopher Nolan favorites, fill their roles admirably, with the standouts being (of course) DiCaprio as Cobb, Ellen Page as Ariadne, Marion Cotillard as Mal, and Ken Watanabe as Saito. Despite not having much screen time or deep personality, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, Dileep Rao, and Cillian Murphy do an outstanding job with their supporting roles. My VC did comment on the film’s lack of character development for these minor players, a reason to care for them, but such a deficiency need not detract from the ensemble and the awesomeness of their mission. Besides, the pathos of Cobb and Fischer is surprisingly well-realized considering how swiftly the plot moves along.

With its philosophical discussion of dreams and the frustratingly dubious conclusion, Inception was sure to spark conversations. There are plenty of theories as to the meaning of totems and what scenes might or might not have been dreams. Did the top fall or keep spinning? Was Cobb’s totem really his wedding ring, which he only wore in his dreams with Mal and was not wearing in the final scene? Was Mal right, and Cobb was in limbo the whole time? Was it all perhaps an inception on Cobb to rid him of his obsession with his dead wife? I tend to accept the straightforward, happy ending, but few films have garnered such consistent mind-boggling debate.

The film as a whole was rewarded with Oscars for Best Cinematography, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Visual Effects, as well as several other well-deserved nominations. With some astoundingly memorable visuals (that gravity-shifting fight with Gordon-Levitt is stupefying), a climax that is extremely fast-paced and layered, and an emotional payoff that left me satisfied despite that darn top, Inception is a modern cinematic wonder.

Best line: (Cobb) “Listen, there’s something you should know about me… about inception. An idea is like a virus, resilient, highly contagious. The smallest seed of an idea can grow. It can grow to define or destroy you.”

 
Rank: 57 out of 60
 

© 2014 S. G. Liput

264 Followers and Counting

#59: The Sixth Sense (1999)

25 Tuesday Nov 2014

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A patient troubled by his lot
Sneaks into Malcolm’s home, distraught
And furious that he forgot
His promise; Dr. Crowe is shot.
 
The next fall, Malcolm’s hoping he
Can fix his past mistake and free
The young Cole Sear, who tends to see
And hear dead people and their plea.
 
Cole’s mother worries for her son
And wishes he would speak, not shun.
Though Malcolm doubts like everyone,
Soon his acceptance Cole has won.
 
Though growing distant from his wife,
Crowe posits that the spirits rife
Want Cole’s assistance with their strife
To move on to the afterlife.
 
As Malcolm’s guesses recommend,
Cole finds out what the ghosts intend,
Confiding in his mom and friend.
Don’t worry; I won’t tell the end.
________________
 

The Sixth Sense was not only M. Night Shyamalan’s ticket to Hollywood fame but also remains one of the best horror movies ever made. So many horror films are preoccupied with blood, gore, the occult, and finding the most inventive way to deprive characters of their lives and/or limbs. Some are more tasteful than others, and some manage to combine their frights with comedy or action elements that still make for enjoyable entertainment. Yet few horror films reach the dramatic depths of The Sixth Sense.

The acting truly is phenomenal, from Bruce Willis’s tortured Dr. Crowe to Oscar nominee Toni Collette’s overwhelmed Lynn Sear. Yet Haley Joel Osment shines brighter than them all. Truly great child actors are rare; as much as I enjoy Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone, his comedic and dramatic antics are clearly those of a likable child who has simply memorized his lines. Nothing about Osment’s performance feels forced or artificial. He displays convincing anxiety, melancholy, mental distress, and phasmophobia, not just for selected scenes but throughout the entire film. If ever an under-12 actor deserved an Oscar, it was Haley Joel Osment for The Sixth Sense. (He lost to Michael Caine for The Cider House Rules.)

In addition to its famous quote (see below), the film is well-known for its infamous twist ending, which (along with Fight Club that same year) re-popularized such surprise conclusions. Sadly, the surprise was spoiled for me, thanks to a Ken Jennings trivia book, but in 1999, audiences were thoroughly blown away by Shyamalan’s clever tactics, which made The Sixth Sense a film to be studied rather than simply watched. The same effect has since been attempted with varying success by the likes of James Wan, Christopher Nolan, and Shyamalan himself, who has never quite reached the zenith of his first big hit.

Eschewing gore, The Sixth Sense still has the jump scares and tension that make for a good horror film, but everything is more subtle than usual scare fare, with a greater eye toward characters, clues, and color, such as the repeated presence of stark reds. Not everything is explained, such as the details of Cole’s first ghostly intervention, but the raw emotions and refined storytelling make up for any weaknesses. Another thing that sets this film apart from most horror films is its mostly positive outcome. There’s no evil triumphing, no unforeseen threat that might return for a sequel, just relieved reconciliation and bittersweet peace.

The Sixth Sense is Shymalan’s masterpiece. Unbreakable and Signs are Shyamalan’s only other films on my list, and it’s a shame that his reputation has fallen from such early heights. He seemed to do his best work with Bruce Willis, and they’re currently working together on Labor of Love for next year. Here’s hoping it will be a return to dramatic form for both of them.

Best line (the obvious): (Cole Sear) “I see dead people.”

 
Rank: 56 out of 60
 

© 2014 S. G. Liput

255 Followers and Counting

#84: Aliens (1986)

31 Friday Oct 2014

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When Ripley and her dormant cat are woken from their sleep,
She learns that decades have elapsed while she was counting sheep.
The Company through Burke assures her everything is fine;
The hostile sphere she visited shows no unfriendly sign.
Though she insists an alien originated there,
Burke tells her that a colony was founded with no scare.
 
But when contact is lost with it, Burke wants to check it out,
Convincing Ripley to advise, despite initial doubt.
She meets some swaggering marines, all eager for offense,
And android Bishop, whom she hates from past experience.
The colony is empty, though there clearly was a fight,
And only Newt, a shaken girl, survived the violent fright.
 
Their search for captured colonists in dark and sticky halls
Soon threatens their survival as the creatures climb the walls.
Their numbers are diminished, and when they attempt to leave,
Their landing ship is totaled; it’s game over, they believe.
Retreating to the building where they hole up to prepare,
They learn that Burke had other plans he did not want to share.
 
He tries to salvage his whole plan and traps Ripley and Newt
With two facehuggers in a room with nothing they can shoot.
The two are rescued just in time for everything they feared,
Which thins the herd to only three when Newt is commandeered.
The complex is about to blow, but Ripley follows Newt,
Retrieving her and ticking off the alien queen to boot.
 
Though Bishop swoops in just in time to clear them of the blast,
The queen appears on board the ship to menace to the last.
Within a power loader, Ripley fights the ugly face
Until she blows the giant nightmare into outer space.
The few survivors settle down for travel stasis then,
And Ripley’s free of aliens…until she wakes again.
_________________
 

How convenient that a sci-fi horror should fall on Halloween! Just as James Cameron turned his unnerving The Terminator into a slam-bang actioner, he traded the ominous chills of Ridley Scott’s Alien for all-out combat (and added an s) for its sequel.  In doing so, he created one of the best of all three genres: action, horror, and science fiction. Aliens has reckless gun fights, punk Marines, and giant explosions, coupled with claustrophobic interiors, spidery stalkers, and a terrifying addition to the lineup of giant movie monsters. All of it combines to keep hearts racing in every scene (and perhaps a little the following night as well).

In films like this, most of the characters are mere afterthoughts meant to be exterminated, but Cameron succeeds in creating memorable individuals amid all the hysteria. Bill Paxton’s panicky Hudson, Paul Reiser’s weasely Burke, Jenette Goldstein’s brawny Vasquez, and Michael Biehn’s level-headed Hicks feel like real characters amid all the action, even though they lack the mundane setup of the first film’s victims. Lance Henriksen’s Bishop tows the line between creepy and reliable, thankfully offering the opposite of the original’s Ash. Above all, Sigourney Weaver continues her compelling role of Ripley and gets an opportunity to display motherly tenacity as she bonds with the traumatized Newt. Her fierce performance even gained her an unforeseen Oscar nomination.

For still being a fairly new director at the time, James Cameron brilliantly recaptures the mood of the original while intensifying it in some ways. How do you enhance a creature feature? Answer: by turning one monstrosity into hundreds. What’s more affecting for an audience than a cat in danger? Answer: a child in danger. Although it’s much more fast-paced than the original, there’s still plenty of nightmare fodder, particularly some now iconic scenes, like the aliens crawling through the ceiling or one rising up behind Newt.

Aliens also stands in my memory as the first film in which I heard the F-word. That could have been cause for me to dislike it, but ignoring the profanity, the chest-bursting, and the character being torn in half, the movie’s thrilling entertainment value makes up for these negative aspects and leaves the first film in the dust. My VC also loves the film, even though she had to check under her bed after first viewing it. This was the Alien franchise’s high point (don’t bother with the other sequels) and a high point in multiple genres.

Best line: (Hudson) “That’s it, man. Game over, man! Game over!”

 
Rank: 54 out of 60
 

© 2014 S. G. Liput

236 Followers and Counting

 

#90: Star Trek into Darkness (2013)

23 Thursday Oct 2014

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When Kirk and the rest of the Enterprise crew,
Decide to save Spock in a crisis that grew,
They break regulations no captain should break,
Which leaves Kirk demoted for one Vulcan’s sake.
 
Meanwhile, John Harrison, some renegade,
Employs terrorism that’s sadly well-played.
To the Klingon home world, he flees after his strike,
Which murdered Kirk’s advocate, Admiral Pike.
 
Intent on revenge, Kirk demands a pursuit,
And Marcus bestows some torpedoes to shoot.
A clash with the Klingons endangers their mission,
But Harrison helps, yielding no opposition.
 
His ship somehow stranded, Kirk speaks with his catch,
Who dares him to open his torpedo batch.
They find human popsicles, centuries old,
Through whom Harrison was discreetly controlled.
 
Explaining that Khan is his real name (who knew?)
And that all the sleepers are his ancient crew,
He tells them that Admiral Marcus had plans
To start a war with weapons safe in his hands.
 
The Admiral shows up to wipe evidence,
But sabotage spares them some time for offense.
When Khan and Kirk seize the ship, Khan takes control
Till Spock turns the tables on Khan’s vengeful goal.
 
Both ships are quite damaged, but one sacrifice
Gives Enterprise power but at a steep price.
Khan’s vessel, however, crash-lands on the earth,
And Spock threatens him till he learns of Khan’s worth.
 
Despite heavy losses, Kirk’s crew and ship make it;
A five-year assignment appears, and they take it.
With Marcus’s daughter as part of his crew,
Kirk boldly goes searching for ventures all new.
_________________
 

Since readers know that Lost is my favorite TV show, it should be no surprise that show creator J. J. Abrams would contribute films to my top 100. After his game-changing reboot of the Star Trek franchise in 2009, fans were eager for the next installment, and Star Trek into Darkness did not disappoint. Some accused its reworking of Wrath of Khan to be plagiarism rather than homage, but the film clearly possesses enough originality to offset the cries of its detractors.

While Sulu and Chekhov are underused, the rest of the Enterprise crew continue to be memorable revisions of The Original Series cast. Particularly, the relationship between Chris Pine’s rebellious Kirk and Zachary Quinto’s conformist-yet-cheeky Spock is a highlight of character-building, and Simon Pegg’s Scotty is given a chance to engage on a deeper level than the usual engineer role. Peter Weller’s villainous turn as Admiral Marcus is all right but pales in comparison with Benedict Cumberbatch’s potent, authoritative presence as Harrison/Khan. Being a fan of Cumberbatch in Sherlock and Amazing Grace, I believe his casting as Khan was genius (even if it was criticized as “whitewashing” Khan’s original ethnicity) and, along with The Hobbit, will forever cement him as a go-to villain.

If I had to criticize the film, I suppose it would be for its obvious attempts at a plot twist. We’re not supposed to see twists coming, but they’re not particularly well-hidden. For instance, Alice Eve’s portrayal of Carol Marcus is originally under the name Carol Wallace. Why? Fans of Star Trek could see that coming simply from Admiral Marcus’s inclusion, and for non-fans, the name Carol Marcus doesn’t hold any significant meaning. Khan’s fake identity makes a bit more sense in the plot but wasn’t all that necessary. While many have pointed out plot holes in the film, the only major discrepancies I noticed were the diminution of distances, with transporters and warp engines traversing great spans much faster than they should at this point in Star Trek history. Also, while a certain scene echoing Wrath of Khan is quite effective, its consequences are wrapped up far too quickly.

While the film’s action sequences don’t quite hit the zenith of the first film’s drill showdown or ice planet chase, the special effects are well-employed to create some awesome visuals, such as during the tense space jump. The Enterprise’s descent into the atmosphere is a particular wonder, with gravity shifting to turn the ship into a giant Tilt-A-Whirl. So many films sacrifice their intelligence in favor of spectacle; J. J. Abrams and Marvel seem to be the main ones able to balance the two to create entertaining films, worthy of multiple viewings. With clever references to The Original Series and the introduction of Klingons to this altered timeline, Star Trek into Darkness stands on its own and sets the stage for what I hope will be an even more impressive threequel.

Best line: (Dr. McCoy, after helping to save Kirk) “We synthesized a serum from his… super blood. Tell me, are you feeling homicidal, power-mad, despotic?”   (Kirk) “No more than usual.”
 
VC’s best line: (Kirk, speaking of Spock, to Uhura in turbolift) “Wait, are you guys… are you guys fighting?”
(Uhura) “I’d rather not talk about it, sir.”
(Kirk) “Oh my God, what is that even like?”
[Turbolift opens to reveal Spock, and Uhura walks by him coldly]
(Kirk, to Spock) “Ears burning?”

 

Rank: 54 out of 60
 

 © 2014 S. G. Liput

231 Followers and Counting

 

#95: Signs (2002)

18 Saturday Oct 2014

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Crop circles appear in the field
Of Reverend Graham Hess, who’s not healed
From the loss of his wife,
Which has emptied his life
Of meaning and faith he can’t wield.
 
Both Merrill, his brother, and he
Know someone’s outside, who must flee.
Odd things start occurring;
Graham’s kids are concurring
An alien force it might be.
 
Graham’s sure that it must be a hoax,
Some puerile, fame-seeking jokes,
But when, in his scorn,
He goes out in the corn,
His calm rationality chokes.
 
He thinks of the sad accident
That left his wife pinned ere she went.
She spoke of nonsense,
Which left Graham in suspense
Till he realized what little it meant.
 
Afraid, Graham tries taking command
When he learns of the danger firsthand.
They don’t run away
But instead choose to stay
In the house as more aliens land.
 
The Hesses aren’t caught unawares
Yet flee to the shelter downstairs.
Graham’s asthmatic son
Needs a drug but has none,
And Graham still denies any prayers.
 
They get through the torturous night
And think that it might be all right.
They hear at the dawn
That the creatures are gone,
And venture out into the light.
 
With heart-stopping horror, they find
One last hostile guest left behind;
It’s then that Graham sees
The divine expertise
That saves them and comforts his mind.
_________________
 

Most filmmakers start off weak and improve with practice, but then there’s M. Night Shyamalan, whose artistry burst onto the movie screen with the flair of a virtuoso and has since diminished to an unfortunate nadir. Everyone hails The Sixth Sense as his greatest achievement, which it is, but forgets or downplays his second stroke of genius in Signs.

A cornfield used to be just another bucolic piece of acreage, but Steven King’s Children of the Corn and this film forever made it a foreboding lair to be feared. When James Newton Howard’s suspenseful score plays, the tension builds; when the score is nonexistent, the cinematography and quiet discussions of unnatural circumstances and potential invasion reinforce the tension even more strongly. In certain scenes, such as Graham’s cornfield exploration and some jump scares toward the end, the anxiety comes to a head with bloodless encounters from which other horror films could learn and which I and my VC certainly appreciated.

Amid all the suspense, there are examples of Shyamalan’s unique framing technique, subtle and profound performances from Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix, and unexpected moments of welcome humor. Above all, it boasts one of the most reserved yet God-affirming messages of any recent Hollywood flick. Graham’s loss of faith and anger at the Lord are understandable, for he sees his pain as meaningless; but, even at that time of greatest distress, God was sending him messages he had yet to interpret. There’s a moment near the end in which everything clicks: Merrill’s eagerness to swing in baseball, Bo’s water fixation, Morgan’s asthma, details that added to their characters but seemed like trivialities, even nuisances, in their day-to-day lives. It reminds me of the passage in Isaiah in which God explains how superior his ways and his plans are above our own, and when Graham recognizes this, he realizes he is not alone (in a good way). Note how Graham tells God “I hate you,” just as Morgan had to his dad, yet in the end both father/child relationships are restored.

A coworker of mine once decried Signs as among the worst movies she had ever seen, and I suppose its appreciation depends on the viewer. What I saw as contemplative, portending, compelling, and well-crafted, others viewed as self-important, tedious, implausible, and manipulative. Others have criticized the under-explained alien invasion and the invaders’ preposterous weakness, but I enjoyed the film’s more personal take on such a crisis and could compare the creature’s undoing to the aliens’ germy downfall in War of the Worlds. In many ways, Signs is the antithesis of Independence Day; everything is smaller, with no explosions, no bombastic victory, no clichéd relationships, and all for the better. It’s a tense, non-gory thriller with hardly any profanity and an uncommon theme of finding lost faith and recognizing God in what seems like coincidence.

I dare anyone to watch Signs and then enter a dark corn maze without being a little nervous.

Best line: (Graham Hess) “See, what you have to ask yourself is what kind of person are you? Are you the kind that sees signs, that sees miracles? Or do you believe that people just get lucky? Or, look at the question this way: Is it possible that there are no coincidences?”

Other best line: (young Bo, waking her father up one night) “There’s a monster outside my room, can I have a glass of water?”

 
Rank: 53 out of 60
 

© 2014 S. G. Liput

229 Followers and Counting

 

Air Force One (1997)

06 Monday Oct 2014

Posted by in Movies, Poetry, Reviews, Writing

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When President Mitchell assists Russian forces
With capturing Radek, a dangerous threat,
He vows to stop tyrant regimes at their sources,
Though most of his Cabinet’s not ready yet.
 
Not long after takeoff, his plane is hijacked
By terrorists led by Egor Korshunov.
They want Radek swiftly released, though the fact
That Mitchell escaped really ticks Egor off.
 
The Vice President’s politics are ignored
By Egor, who threatens continual slaughter.
The President, though, is still hiding on board,
In hopes of retrieving his wife and his daughter.
 
He plays cat-and-mouse with the terrorist band
And calls Washington for some needed advice.
Through sabotage, Mitchell disrupts what was planned,
Although interference does come with a price.
 
A helpful distraction allows him to sneak
The hostages out from the maniac’s grip.
When captured by Egor, things start to look bleak
Until Marshall violently gives him the slip.
 
Although he’s retaken his family and plane,
He now has to watch out for enemy fire.
The plane is soon damaged and cannot remain
For long in the air with no capable flyer.
 
Support gets his wife and his daughter away,
And they just have time for a last-minute run.
One final attacker can’t quite win the day,
And Mitchell escapes to the new Air Force One.
_______________
 

Air Force One is a clear imitator of 1988’s Die Hard, featuring a terrorist team that seizes control of a supposedly secure fortress, takes hostages, and is undone by a lone defender. The first terrorist killed even yields the protagonist his first weapon, a machine gun minus the “ho, ho, ho.” What Air Force One has over its predecessor is (A) an even direr situation aboard an airplane and (B) Harrison Ford as the President of the United States.

Ford’s star power and his sympathetic portrayal of a family man willing to do what’s right over what’s popular make him an ideal champion. I did like how his daughter’s complaint about her desire for mature involvement was depicted merely as normal angst rather than some kind of told-you-so in which she proves she knew better than Dad; such situations are all too common in film. Gary Oldman is an effectively intense Hans Gruber stand-in, and while he’s clearly insane, he obviously considers the ideological reasons for his crimes legitimate, making him an intimidating zealot. Most of the other performances, such as Vice President Glenn Close, are serviceable, but the film does feature a number of recognizable actors, at least to me. The Secretary of Defense is played by Dean Stockwell, better known as the hologram Al on Quantum Leap, and Egor’s pilot Andrei is portrayed by Elya Baskin, Peter Parker’s landlord in Spider-Man 2 and 3. Not to mention the Lost alert: another terrorist, who holds the President at gunpoint before a lethal scuffle, is Andrew Divoff, known to Lost fans as Mikhail or “Patchy.”

The action itself is taut and suspenseful, much like Die Hard, and refreshingly intelligent. None of the characters make foolish or stupid decisions, and a number of believable precautions and attempts at sabotage and diplomacy are carried out, such that the film carries some sense of realism. The end rescue is particularly intense, even if it is reminiscent of Airport 1975. The effects and explosions are often impressive, though their computer-generated origins are glaring in a few over-the-top scenes, such as the impact in the finale.

Despite frequent violence and language, Air Force One is an edge-of-your-seat actioner that upheld the familiar roles of Harrison Ford as hero and Gary Oldman as diabolical villain. It’s quite the flight. Harrison Ford for President, anyone?

Best line: (President Mitchell) “Peace isn’t merely the absence of conflict, but the presence of justice.”

More obvious best line: (President Mitchell, to Egor) “Get off my plane!”

 
Artistry: 8
Characters/Actors: 9
Entertainment: 10
Visual Effects: 8
Originality: 7
Watchability: 10
Other (language, violence): -1
 
TOTAL: 51 out of 60
 

Next: #105 – The Green Mile

© 2014 S. G. Liput

218 Followers and Counting

 

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

06 Monday Oct 2014

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As patriotism is reaching a high at the time of the Second World War,
Steve Rogers is eager to join with a corps,
Since freedom and goodness are worth fighting for,
But since he is sick, he is not their first pick
And simply could not get his foot in the door.
 
One Abraham Erskine, a German defector whose serum can better a man,
Gives Rogers a chance at the Army’s new plan:
This serum could take down the whole Nazi clan.
Although Steve is weak, he’s courageous and meek,
And Erskine picks him to do what few men can.
 
Assisted by Howard Stark, Erskine transforms the weakling he’d luckily found
To quite the he-man, unimpaired, muscle-bound.
They praise his success until Erskine is downed;
The serum’s destroyed by an agent employed
By the evil Red Skull, who is now gaining ground.
 
The Red Skull, who once used the serum himself, has found the arcane Tesseract.
He’s planning to harness its power intact
And conquer the globe and the Third Reich, in fact.
Meanwhile, Steve’s stuck selling war bonds with luck
But hopes to make more of a worthy impact.
 
He hears his pal Bucky was captured by HYDRA and sadly is most likely dead.
Both Stark and the fair Agent Carter are led
To get Steve past enemy lines with no dread.
He frees prisoners and his friend is no worse
So Steve’s private team gets the glad go-ahead.
 
Brave Captain America, Bucky, and team attack the Skull’s depots and bases,
But when they catch one of the Skull’s science aces,
Arnim Zola, poor Bucky falls with no traces.
Then Cap’s purposeful to take down the Red Skull
And rid the world of his most dreadful of faces.
 
Assaulting his headquarters, Cap follows closely aboard an explosive-filled plane.
The Skull is dissolved by the Tesseract’s strain,
But Cap sees his efforts to land are in vain.
Despite the steep price, Rogers crashes in ice…
And wakes up years later where S.H.I.E.L.D. must explain.
__________________
 

Yes, I consider Captain America: The First Avenger the best pre-Avengers Marvel film, as does my dad. Director Joe Johnston had already attempted a retro superhero flick in 1991’s The Rocketeer, and his treatment of Cap’s origins feels both familiar and fresh. The cinematography and the recreation of 1940s New York have the faded nostalgia of an old photograph, and the spectacular explosions and stunts set against this background (plus an Alan Menken musical number) make it uniquely entertaining.

Plus, the film boasts the unexpected star power of Chris Evans, whose gung-ho patriotism and intrinsic goodness are surprisingly convincing following his bad-boy impudence as the Human Torch in the lackluster Fantastic Four films. His goody two-shoes persona could easily have been boring, yet another hero we ought to cheer for just because, but the ways in which his character displays his selflessness gain the audience’s sympathy even before the famed experiment that transforms him into a beefcake. The effects used to diminish Evans’s physique are impressively seamless. Supporting players are alternately amusing and poignant, including Stanley Tucci as the Yinsen-esque motivator Dr. Erskine, Tommy Lee Jones as swift-tongued Colonel Phillips, Hayley Atwell as love interest Peggy Carter (who will soon have her own mini-series appropriately titled Agent Carter), Dominic Cooper as Iron Man’s father Howard Stark, Toby Jones as HYDRA scientist Dr. Zola, and Sebastian Stan as fallen friend Bucky Barnes. As far as comic book villains go, Hugo Weaving excels as the Red Skull, whose makeup could easily have become absurdly cartoonish but succeeds as an outward manifestation of his sanguinary intentions. The Matrix proved Weaving’s talent for villainy, but here his German accent and Nazi origins enhance his malevolence. The film also features an assassin played by Richard Armitage, who would go on to play Thorin Oakenshield in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy.

In addition to Barnes’s sorrowful fall from the train, the thrilling climax aboard the Red Skull’s plane is deftly imagined. The villain’s “death” from the Tesseract is sufficiently ambiguous to make one wonder if he was really killed or perhaps transported elsewhere (you never know), and the film ends with one of the most credible instances of the he’s-dead-no-wait-never-mind cliché. I’ve mentioned this cliché before: used in countless films, many animated, it milks often contrived pathos from a character’s apparent death before resurrecting him, sometimes right away for a cheer, sometimes near the end as a deus ex machina. This doesn’t necessarily hurt a film overall; it just hampers its originality. The reason Captain America’s version of it works so heartbreakingly well is that, from the perspective of everyone he knew, Cap really did die, just as most of them had died by the time he was awoken. The final scene brings him up to speed with S.H.I.E.L.D. and the contemporary Avengers, but his sense of loss provides a somber conclusion to an otherwise rousing adventure. As the last film in Phase One of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, Captain America: The First Avenger completed the cast for the subsequent Avengers team-up (even though Cap was not a founding member in the comics; just sayin’).

Best line: (Colonel Phillips, after Cap kisses Agent Carter and glances at him) “I’m not kissin’ ya!”

 
Artistry: 8
Characters/Actors: 8
Entertainment: 9
Visual Effects: 10
Originality: 7
Watchability: 9
 
TOTAL: 51 out of 60
 

Next: #106 – Air Force One

© 2014 S. G. Liput

216 Followers and Counting