Travis Keune

Review: MICMACS

Review originally published on March 18, 2010 as part of our SXSW coverage.

Favored French filmmaker Jean-Pierre Jeunet (DELICATESSEN, AMELIE) returns to delight audiences once again with MICMACS, his sixth feature film. Astounding visuals are abundant, washing the screen an alluring aura of cinematography. What sets MICMACS apart is its unabashedly comical nature, drawing influence from the silent masters. A love of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin is clearly present, making MICMACS a whimsically wild ride.

Danny Boon (THE VALET) plays Bazil, an unlucky man. As a boy, Bazil’s father was killed when a landmine exploded. His father was attempting to dispose of the explosive device. Now a grown man, Bazil works a simple job in a little video rental shop. On one otherwise normal and eventless day, a stray bullet ricochet’s into Bazil’s shop and plunks him in the head. Fortunate to survive, the doctors flip a coin to decide he’s better off having the bullet left lodged in is head, rather than risking the dangerous surgery. Such is the luck of Bazil.

In the following period, Bazil finds himself homeless. He’s resourceful and manipulates others efforts to get by, but adapts to his new life. Bazil’s misfortune on the streets is short-lived when he’s taken in by a ragtag posse of oddball misfits, all of whom share one thing in common… they’re not normal. Bazil shacks up with his newfound friends in their hideout, conveniently constructed beneath the grounds of a junkyard.

With his life altered by the bullet in his brain, the resilient Bazil concocts a complex plan to ruin the two rival weapons manufacturing companies that made the landmine responsible for his father’s death and the bullet that dealt his own disability. Enlisting the help of his awkwardly talented friends, and the junkyard from which they tinker their tools, the adventure begins and the antics take on a bit of a Rube Goldberg supplied by Acme hilarity.

MICMACS is beyond enjoyable, almost cute and adorable, yet slightly neurotic. Calculette (Marie-Julie Baup) is a young woman with an uncanny ability to calculate anything on sight, be it weight, distance or measurement of any kind. Jeunet regular Dominique Pinon plays Fracasse, driven and obsessed by his once-held World Record as a human cannonball. Petit Pierre (Michel Crémadès) is an ingenious inventor, utilizing the inexhaustible resources of the junkyard and “the rubber woman” La Môme Caoutchouc (Julie Ferrier) is a contortionist, capable of squeezing her body into nearly any position or tiny space.

What results is a sort of absurd and unlikely team with a common mission, a poor man’s dream squad a la Ocean’s Eleven, if you will? In some ways, the story is like a circus of clowns acting out a criminal heist story. In Jeunet’s own words, MICMACS is “like a cartoon” and this describes the live-action film very well. There is also a deeper layer to MICMACS, delving into the human experience.

The common theme throughout the film is that of less socially desirable characters, one could say characters cursed by their abnormalities, finding one another and making a place for themselves. Likewise, Bazil and “the rubber woman” develop a friendly romance as they carry out their plans against the weapons companies. There is a bit of political satire in MICMACS, poking at the arms industry, but it takes a welcome backseat to the character development and the charm of the interaction within this makeshift family.

Danny Boon is a new casting choice for Jeunet, but pulls off the role quite well, embracing the playfulness of the main character. The physical characteristics of Bazil’s personality and humor come off strong, producing laughter when necessary and evoking the correct emotional responses elsewhere.

MICMACS is colorful and vibrant, but still allows the somewhat rustic and cinematically aged feel of Jeunet’s palette to shine through, giving the film his familiar frame of reference. Each of these frames of film used as canvases onto which Jeunet pours his endless imagination. To some, Jeunet’s style is overwhelming, but if taken out of context and viewed only for the stylistic endeavor the film’s essence is lost. Jeunet is able to blend all elements of the filmmaking process to tell his story, generating an unforgettable experience.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Review: INCEPTION

“You mustn’t be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling.” – Eames

This line spoken by Eames, played by Tom Hardy (BRONSON), truly sums up so much about Christopher Nolan and his newest film INCEPTION. From a director already known for delivering original, mind-entangling and powerful films, INCEPTION is his precious baby of some 10 years in conception, now ready to be unleashed upon the world in all its glory. To put it simply, INCEPTION is one of those films too difficult to summarize effectively without spoilers. INCEPTION bends various genres to its will, combining elements of science-fiction and mystery with an intellectual story and blockbuster appeal. INCEPTION is a smart, action-packed heist film that makes the audience think.

Essentially, the story follows an extremely talented extractor named Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) as he develops a team and formulates a plan to pull off the seemingly impossible… “Inception” or the planting of an idea in the mind of another without their knowing the idea was not their own. The science-fiction behind this is a bit complicated and, to be honest, not entirely important to the understanding of the film, yet still very fascinating and useful in creating the layered, enigmatic world of INCEPTION.

An extractor, to give a better understanding going into the film, is a person who specializes in “stealing” secrets from the minds of others. However, this is an endeavor that requires a team. Cobb’s team consists of his “architect” Ariadne (Ellen Page) made available to him by his mentor Miles (Michael Caine), his “point man” Arthur (Joseph Gordon Levitt), his “forger” Eames (Tom Hardy) and a biochemist named Yusuf (Dileep Rao). Together with Saito (Ken Watanabe) – Cobb’s employer on this job – the team proceeds to enter the mind of “the mark” Robert Fischer, Jr. (Cillian Murphy) through his dreams, but the journey will not be what any of them expected and everything will hang in the balance of Cobb’s own sense of reality.

INCEPTION was directed by Christopher Nolan, the filmmaker who brought us both chapters of the current BATMAN reboot, as well as THE PRESTIGE and MEMENTO, among other films deserving of praise. The film is 2 hours and 35 minutes in length, or so the official counter says. INCEPTION does not feel long in any sense of the word. For some, the beginning of the film may tread lightly on a slower pace, but this is quickly remedied.

One of the things Nolan does so remarkably well is to integrate sound and music into his films to enhance the emotional impact and – as is exceedingly evident in INCEPTION – move the story along at a comfortable and appropriate pace, without drawing attention to its self. This, perhaps more than any other element, is what allows INCEPTION’s long running time to feel much shorter, similar in context to how those who delve into the dream-state experience time faster than in their waking, conscious state. A few minutes in the “real” world may be up to a few hours in the dream-state.

Hans Zimmer’s score for INCEPTION is truly a thing to behold – powerful, mesmerizing and jarring all at once – the music embodies a technologically tweaked world of dreams that is more about feeling than wild visual imagery. While many films rely on a more traditional, orchestral sounding score, Zimmer creates a sound far more synthetic, employing deep rumbling horn sounds and electronic enhancements to take us deeper into the dream.

While INCEPTION does not rely on special effects, those Nolan chose to incorporate are simply mind-blowing. During a scene when Cobb explains the intricacies of designing a dream, the two walk within a dream state as Ariadne toys with what would happen if she turned physics upside-down within a dream. The result is straight-forward, but truly awe-inspiring. Other examples include the relatively low-key but intriguing idea of the stairway as a paradox, and the most impressive feat being the zero-gravity fight scene between Arthur and one of many militarized subconscious projections, intended to protect the dreamer from foreign invading elements… aka, extractors.

The manufactured landscapes of INCEPTION are realistic, but emit an aural glow of surrealism. Part Rene Magrite and part M.C. Escher, the “architecture” of INCEPTION’s dream scenes will induce wide-eyes and slack jaws, but once again – and I cannot emphasize this enough – do not draw away from the story or distract the viewer.

All around, the cast of INCEPTION delivers a solid and even-keeled performance. Personally, I felt Tom Hardy and Marion Cotillard – who plays Mal, Cobb’s wife – delivered exceptionally well and Ken Watanabe also shines. This is a highly valuable attribute for a script as complex and detailed as this. INCEPTION is a heavily cerebral story, with a plot that is vivid and textural, with layers stacked upon layers, but the story never become so involved or convoluted that the viewer loses focus or comprehension. This alone is an accomplishment that makes INCEPTION a must-see film.

One thing is for sure about INCEPTION and that’s a need for this film to be recognized come Oscar season. Both for Best Picture and Best Director, the film deserves nominations, as well as for the special effects and score. There is so much to enjoy in this movie, so much that will appeal to viewers – from those who enjoyed THE MATRIX, MEMENTO or even James Bond films in the later portion of the movie — but never does INCEPTION feel unoriginal or old hat. While the entire concept of the film will have viewers mentally and philosophically engaged, the ending more than anything else will have people talking for days afterward, something few films do these days.

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Review: THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE

THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE is the second installment in a trilogy of films adapted from the books by Stieg Larsson, proving to be one of the most entertaining and epic mysteries to hit theaters in some time. This second film is directed by Daniel Alfredson and continues the story of Lisbeth Salander, the enigmatic and smart young woman caught within a string a tragically appalling circumstances. However, unlike in the first film, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, this film is told more from the controversial reporter Mikael Blomkvist’s point-of-view, but the plot remains primarily focused on Lisbeth’s story.

If you haven’t already seen THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO… then shame on you! As one of the most highly-acclaimed and widely-appealing foreign films in recent memory, seeing the first film is also crucial to fully appreciating the second, as the films create an ongoing story with plenty of back story of plot twists and turns. THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO is currently available on DVD and Blu-Ray… so, no excuses.

Noomi Rapace reprises her role as Lisbeth, the rebellious lesbian hacker with a brilliant mind for researching. This time around, a few years after the first film ended, Lisbeth sports longer hair and lives a more comfortable life travelling and holding up in fancy, expensive apartments. She has managed to stay clear of trouble, courtesy of the spotless positive reports files by her corrupt government-assigned guardian Nils Bjurman (Peter Andersson) who now ensures Lisbeth’s freedom since learning the hard way not to cross her.

All is well for Lisbeth, until she notices that Bjurman isn’t holding up his end of their little bargain, drawing her out of the woodwork and back to Sweden to reinforce her ultimatum to the man who raped her. Lisbeth’s return to Sweden sparks a new set of events and a whole new plot of conspiracy and murder to which she is unknowingly central. With the help of Mikael (Michael Nyqvist) her friends and Mikael’s fellow reporters, Lisbeth slowly uncovers the truth about her father and her connection to a secretive underground criminal sex trade.

Mikael becomes a larger role in this film than the first, with the story being told largely from his point-of-view. Mikael feels a sort of responsibility and duty to do whatever is necessary to clear Lisbeth’s name. Putting himself and his career at great risk, he embarks on a sort of Columbo-like investigative adventure to uncover the truth and save Lisbeth from being taken down by the police for something she didn’t do. In the process, his relationship with Lisbeth develops from that of a former lover into something more mature and meaningful; evolving into a father-daughter sort of intimacy, despite the two character separation until the end of the film. This element proves to be crucial in setting up potential story progression for the third film.

THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE goes to great lengths to take the viewer deeper into Lisbeth’s world, giving us a better understanding of who she is and what makes her tick, allowing us deeper into her past and her troubled psyche. One thing I found truly fascinating in the first film that is maintained in this second film, is the attention to detail. Throughout the films, great care is given to handling plot intricacies as well as small details within the set design and locations. There is always so much going on in the frame, but never in an excessive fashion. Two of the tiniest, least important details that caught my attention were a bartender in one scene wearing a Green lantern t-shirt and a Pippi Longstocking reference involving Lisbeth’s apartment. These are examples of the many blended elements of “cool” that appear throughout these films, adding to the experience without distracting from the story.

While THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO was intended partially as an introduction to the characters, more time is spent in THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE on developing a new mystery and intrigue, while ramping up the action and suspense. In many ways, this second film feels like a James Bond movie. We have a clear, yet reclusive villain that is the subject of investigation from not just the authorities, but the Millenium reporters and Lisbeth herself. Ronald (played by Mikael Spreitz) is an enforcer that is essentially a “Jaws” type character, resembling the tall, blonde and muscle-bound European thugs commonly found in middle-era Jackie Chan films, a la MR. NICE GUY and FIRST STRIKE. Ronald even has a cool medical condition that makes him quite the frightening nemesis to Lisbeth and her friends. However, this “enforcer” plays a slightly more integral role in the story and has greater depth.

Returning to the action and suspense of THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE, this is possibly the most engaging part of the film. The audience will be delighted to find a car chase, Swedish biker thugs and even some great hand-to-hand fighting. Two of Lisbeth’s friends are trained fighters; Miriam Wu (Yasmine Garbi) is not just one of Lisbeth’s lovers, but she’s also a kickboxer, and Paolo (Paolo Roberto) is a boxer. Both of these characters find themselves encountering Ronald in a fight for survival as they attempt to help Lisbeth in her mission of revenge. Likewise, we also find out Lisbeth is more than just a scrappy young firecracker, but also a trained kickboxer and are treated to seeing her in action as well.

THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE once again delivers with outstanding cinematography with rich colors and crisp detail by Peter Mokrosinki and a great score by Jacob Groth. By the end of the film, Lisbeth has been through the ringer yet again, creating a strong sense of empathy for the character that is only restrained by the fact that we’ve come to know Lisbeth as a strong, resilient survivor that simply won’t give up.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

New MACHETE Trailer is ‘Sharp’

The new trailer for MACHETE is pretty awesome, featuring a slew of exciting cast shots, including Michelle Rodriguez, Robert Deniro and Jeff Fahey. Personally, I am looking forward to finally seeing Steven Seagal finally “lose” a fight… SWEET! Watch it, love it… get pumped for pure, hardcore action violence as only Robert Rodriguez can deliver.

Official Trailer for WELCOME TO THE RILEYS

The official trailer for WELCOME TO THE RILEYS has hit the Internet. The movie was a big hit at Sundance and stars Kristin Stewart, James Gandolfini and Melissa Leo. Check out the trailer to see why We Are Movie Geeks found the film to be an “emotional, touching journey.”

Synopsis:

On a business trip to New Orleans, a damaged man seeks salvation by caring for a wayward young woman.

Review: LETHAL OBSESSION

For much of the general viewing public, the vastly under-exposed and endlessly creative world of low-budget filmmaking is commonly overlooked. While there are many genres that make up this bracket of filmmaking, perhaps the most popular and well followed of them is the horror genre, but the following is usually limited to existing fans of the genre. LETHAL OBSESSION would fall into this broad genre of low budget horror filmmaking, but should not be written off by anyone as just another slasher flick.

The first thing I tell people about viewing their first low-budget horror film is not to go in with any expectations. This isn’t meant as a way to make excuses for any shortfalls or somehow lessen my responsibility for recommending a film is that person doesn’t enjoy it, but rather to point out that in more cases than not, low-budget filmmaking must sacrifice the more commonly familiar production trends by way of financial necessity. However, this is in now way synonymous with it inherently being a bad film. For low-budget filmmakers, regardless of the genre, it’s all about the story.

LETHAL OBSESSION is written and directed by Chris Jay and co-directed with Jason Hignite. The movie tells the story of Detective Stevens (Kevin Stich) as he tracks a mysterious masked serial killer that preys on women working as adult Internet entertainers. The unique twist to this story is that the killer strikes while the women are performing on their webcams; therefore the murders are broadcast live and uncensored over the Internet.

Detective Stevens is really the central character in LETHAL OBSESSION as he struggles to crack the case, leaving the masked serial killer — resembling part Jigsaw from SAW and part Rocky Horror wearing a Kabuki-esque mask a la V For Vendeta — as more of a supporting character, but also ties in as a mystery of identity, giving the audience an extra layer of intrigue.

Elizabeth Waters (Kitsie Duncan) is not a likeable character, not just because she runs the adult webcam site, but also because she shows little remorse or concern for the murdered webcam girls or the safety of those not yet having become victims. Then again, the audience isn’t meant to “like” Elizabeth Waters, so the performance by Duncan plays off well. To be quite blunt, Waters is a real bitch, and Detective Stevens isn’t pleased about her attitude.

As the story unfolds and the mystery develops, LETHAL OBSESSION leads the audience down a couple of potential paths in determining the killer’s identity, which I will not disclose, but I will say the audience can be assured not to be left out in the cold, wondering what happened by the time they’ve finished LETHAL OBSESSION. The ending is not predictable, nor does it come out of left field.

The acting in LETHAL OBSESSION won’t win any awards, but once again, keep in mind this is only relative. I’ve seen far worse acting in Cinemax flicks with far larger budgets and far less story. Acting can be one of the biggest hurdles for low-budget filmmakers. LETHAL OBSESSION does a decent job of spreading out the talent and keeping the dialogue real and not succumb to melodrama. Nothing about the film is over the top.

One of my favorite elements of watching LETHAL OBSESSION is the music. So often, music plays such an integral role not only in the story, but also in the overall success or failure of a movie, regardless of the budget. The soundtrack, provided by multiple bands including Otis and the Roofies, Rebel Inc, LONEgevity, Jocef and others, creates a fantastic dark and moody atmosphere for the story to unfold. The music sets up a somewhat Gothic, brooding tone, stepping up the hard rock side of the sound during the kills and simmering down into a softer, looming undercurrent in between.

While the visual style of LETHAL OBSESSION is clearly influenced by the equipment, the handheld, shaky camera work and the grainy, existing light look adds to the storytelling since online video plays such an integral role. In all honesty, the editing hits and misses, but nothing that draws too much from the story, especially given (once again) the visual style and online video element of the story. As for the special effects, the kill scenes and gore are an entirely different matter.

The kill scenes themselves — and this is an element of storytelling that is usually appreciated more by the genre fans than the general audience — a about 50/50 when it comes to originality. Some of them are relatively stock, tried and true kills, but others employ a bit more creativity, especially one near the end (not the pay off kill) which I have to admit — and this is despite my generally unflinching immunity to being disturbed — really had me cringing. Its more the implement and context than the gore factor itself, but I won’t spoil it for potential viewers.

I want to make one thing very clear… LETHAL OBSESSION does deliver on “eye candy” and for good reason. Telling a story such as this does sort of require that, and if the intention is to deliver a realistic, believable story in such a genre, attempting to do so with a PG-13 mindset would ensure the film’s failure before production even began. With that said, please do not make the mistake of going into this film expecting a purely T&A toss-away experience… it has more than this to offer. LETHAL OBSESSION falls somewhere between psychological thriller and disturbing shock cinema.

It should be clearly understood, and sort of a given, that LETHAL OBSESSION is not a film for children or those with weak hearts or weak stomachs. The film contains language, violence, gore and nudity… enough so that, if MPAA rated non-theatrical indie films, it would certainly receive an NC-7, but every bit of this plays its role and serves its purpose in telling the story.

In the end, what really matters on a holistic cinematic level is whether the movie holds the viewer’s attention. For me, LETHAL OBSESSION may not be a perfect film and is a short view at 69 minutes, but earns major movie brownie points for achieving this crucial benchmark of keeping me entertained.

LETHAL OBSESSION is available on DVD and includes the following extras:

Trailers for LETHAL OBSESSION
Bloopers — These aren’t just funny, but give an interesting and candid look behind the scenes.
Behind the Scenes 1^st Shoot – Photo Slideshow.
Drinking Games — Yes, the filmmakers included their own set of drinking games for fans to enjoy.
Alternate Ending — It does offer a creepier, even disturbingly twisted ending, but I’m glad it was cut.
Bonus Shorts and Trailers — An homage to some classic 80’s horror flicks.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Who Wants to See INCEPTION With the Movie Geeks?

With a track record like Christopher Nolan’s directorial career, anytime he comes out with a new movie it’s sure to be an event. Having made some seriously devout followers with MEMENTO (2000) followed by reinventing the franchise in 2005 with BATMAN BEGINS, followed by 2006’s THE PRESTIGE and the immensely successful Batman sequel THE DARK KNIGHT, I do not hesitate in calling Christopher Nolan one of the greatest new directors out there!

INCEPTION looks to be an exciting sc-fi/thriller filled with eye-popping, mind-boggling special effects. INCEPTION is an original story, written and directed by Christopher Nolan, and features a massive knock-out cast including Leonardo Dicaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen page, Cillian Murphy, Michael Caine, Marion Cotillard, Tom Berenger, Pete Postlethwait, Lukas Haas and Kan Watanabe.

Synopsis: In a world where technology exists to enter the human mind through dream invasion, a single idea within one’s mind can be the most dangerous weapon or the most valuable asset.

The Contest:

WAMG has a limited number of free passes to an advanced Saint Louis screening of INCEPTION, being held at on Tuesday, July 13th (7:00pm) at the historic Tivoli Theatre on Delmar Blvd. We will be giving these passes away to some lucky WAMG readers, IF these contestants can accomplish the following movie trivia mission…

Here’s How To Win:

First and foremost, this is a Saint Louis screening, so if you’re not going to be in Saint Louis on Tuesday, July 13th, please do not enter to win this contest!
Answer this: What is the title of Christopher Nolan’s first “feature length film” and what is the running time (in minutes) of that film?
Locate our Top 100 Tuesday: 100 Best Movies of the Decade article on the site and tell us where MEMENTO ranked on that list.
Tell us your which movie about “dreams” is your favorite.

Send me your answers in an email to travisk @ wearemoviegeeks . com with “INCEPTION” in the subject line and you’ll be entered automatically into the drawing! This contest ends on Thursday, July 8th and winners will be announced by midnight on Friday, July 9th.

Even if you don’t win free passes to this advanced screening, be sure to check out INCEPTION when it opens in theaters nationwide on Friday, July 16th, 2010.

Celebrating Akira Kurosawa at 100

Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998) was one of the greatest filmmakers of all-time and yet, I’d bet most people have never even heard of him. That’s a shame, because his long and extremely accomplished career has produced some of the most beautiful, most influential films the world has ever seen. Viewing, no… experiencing Kurosawa films such as RASHOMAN, IKIRU, RAN or THRONE OF BLOOD are simply a necessity of life, something that must be done before one dies. Period.

Filmmakers across the globe have drawn endless inspiration from Kurosawa’s work, including the Hollywood remake of SEVEN SAMURAI (THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN), the spaghetti western remake YOJIMBO (FISTFUL OF DOLLARS) by Italian filmmaker Sergio Leone and even George Lucas himself has cited Kurosawa’s THE HIDDEN FORTRESS as the inspiration for his creating C3PO and R2-D2.

So, with such a powerhouse of cinematic prowess and one of my top 3 favorite filmmakers of all-time, it’s certainly a cause to celebrate Akira Kurosawa’s centennial. This is why I am proud to announce that the Webster University Film Series — right here in my hometown of Saint Louis, Missouri — will be presenting 17 of Kurosawa’s incredible films over a one month period beginning today, July 2… all on glorious new 35mm prints, some of which recently restored!

Check out this basic full schedule here, but be sure to visit the Webster Film Series’ website
for more information on tickets and short synopsis of the films.

Ran — July 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 @ 7:30 pm (1985, Japan, 160 min)

Drunken Angel — July 9 @ 7:30 pm (1948, Japan, 98 min.)

Stray Dog — July 10 @ 7:30 pm (1949, Japan, 122 min.)

Rashomon — July 11 @ 7:30 pm (1950, Japan, 88 min.)

Ikiru — July 12 @ 7:30 pm (1952, Japan, 143 min.)

The Seven Samurai — July 16 @ 7:30 pm (1954, Japan, 207 min.)

I Live In Fear — July 17 @ 7:30 pm (1955, Japan, 103 min.)

Throne Of Blood — July 18 @ 7:30 pm (1957, Japan, 107 min.)

The Lower Depths — July 19 @ 7:30 pm (1957, Japan, 125 min.)

Hidden Fortress — July 23 @ 7:30 pm (1958, Japan, 139 min.)

The Bad Sleep Well — July 24 @ 7:30 pm (1960, Japan, 150 min.)

High and Low — July 25 @ 7:30 pm (1963, Japan, 142 min)

Red Beard — July 26 @ 7:30 pm (1965, Japan, 185 min.)

Yojimbo — July 30 @ 7:30 pm (1961, Japan, 110 min.)

Sanjuro — July 31 @ 7:30 pm (1962, Japan, 96 min.)

Kagemusha — August 1 @ 7:30 pm (1980, Japan, 162 min.)

Dreams — August 2 @ 7:30pm (1990, Japan, 119 min.)

Review: THE LAST AIRBENDER

With THE LAST AIRBENDER, M. Night Shyamalan returns to the big screen for the first time since 2008’s THE HAPPENING, which received mixed critical reviews, at best… heavy on the side of dissent. Shyamalan has been suffering a nose dive in general favor of audiences and critics alike since 2006’s LADY IN THE WATER, which was widely considered a disaster. Personally, both of his last films – considered by many to be his worst – I have enjoyed a great deal.

The full title being THE LAST AIRBENDER – BOOK ONE: WATER, this is a story of a special young boy with great elemental powers returning to a land ravaged by war after a 100-year absence. This boy named Aang is discovered quite accidentally by Katara (Nicola Peltz) and her big brother Sokka (Jackson Hathbone) in the icy Southern Water Nation. His coincidental arrival could not be better timed as the industrious and greedy Fire Nation, led by the Fire Lord Ozai, wages a devastating war on the Water, Air and Earth Nations, striving to prove their dominance and superiority by systematically isolating and imprisoning the “benders,” special people with the ability to bend their birth elements to their will. Aang is the prophesized one known as The Avatar, meant to bring balance between the four Nations, but he finds he has some learning and maturing to do before he can realize his fate.

THE LAST AIRBENDER marks the first film Shyamalan has taken on that is not of his own original creation. Shyamalan’s film — which he both wrote and directed — is an adaptation of the 2005 animated television series titled AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER. One can assume that the title was changed, dropping AVATAR, in some part due to the recent release of James Cameron’s 2009 CGI sci-fi adventure film AVATAR.

This brings me to one of the smaller complaints I have about Shyamalan’s THE LAST AIRBENDER, being an accumulation of “little things” that, on their own are insignificant, but when combined create a snowball effect throughout the 103-minute running time. The main character, Aang (played by Noah Ringer), is repeatedly referred to as The Avatar, pronounced “Ah-vatar” in the traditional Schwarzenegger dialect (think “Ah-nold”). My only explanation for this is that an effort was being made to further distance this film from Cameron’s, despite the two having absolutely nothing to do with each other.

Having never seen the animated series myself, I can only speculate on many of the small plot details and such, but I can say – based on various audience reactions during and after the film from folks clearly aware of the animated series – that Shyamalan did not stick strictly to the source material. Unfortunately, that is all I’m able and willing to say on the subject until having seen the series myself… a goal I hope to accomplish in the not-so-distant future.

Speaking of the animated series, which runs in the same rather broad category known as anime, Shyamalan’s THE LAST AIRBENDER appears to suffer from a tragic condition of cinema… the dreaded Double-E! That stands for “excessive extrapolation” and this film is riddled with it from beginning to end. There’s something to be said for this style of dialogue as it’s used in traditional anime fare, especially in the many often long-running and complex series that involve endless characters and plot lines. However, in a feature film, especially a live-action feature film with real actors portraying characters we need to connect with, excessive extrapolation does not fare well.

One of the oldest rules in the big book of filmmaking is to “show rather than tell” with dialogue. Shyamalan’s THE LAST AIRBENDER violates this rule on two fronts: First, there is far too much screen time wasted with characters explaining to other characters what needs to be done, what they will do, etc. “Show” this to us, which will ultimately find the audience far more engaged than having that character tell us what they’re going to do. Second, there is too much voice-over narration. This isn’t taboo is and of itself, but the use of it when not necessary can actually pull the audience out of the story and even result in boredom… often the case with my own experience watching the film. Voice-over narration is a sticky-tricky storytelling technique and should be used sparingly and cautiously.

Shyamalan’s THE LAST AIRBENDER is not a terrible film, but I am having difficulty liking the experience I had. Truth be told, I did walk away from the film having been mildly entertained and did not feel cheated, but there are many flaws. The cast is not one that glitters with big stars and familiar faces. Perhaps the most recognizable name and face is that of Dev Patel, who plays the banished Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation. Patel is best known for his lead performance in the Academy Award-winning SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE.

Aside from Patel, few of the cast may look vaguely familiar, such as Cliff Curtis (10,000 BC) who plays Fire Lord Ozai and Prince Zoku’s cold and heartless father. In a film where Shyamlan strove to cast relative unknowns, I can’t criticize the performances, given the script they had to work with. More than anything else, the dialogue is the lynch-pin in Shyamalan’s THE LAST AIRBENDER.

Fortunately, THE LAST AIRBENDER has plenty to praise, making the film a worthwhile matinee option, especially for those with kids. I suspect the film — which is likely the first of a trilogy, assuming it doesn’t suffer a fate similar to THE GOLDEN COMPASS – will do well amongst young boys up to the age of 8-10. Any older and there runs a great risk of this audience being familiar with (or even fans of) the animated series. This presents a problem if the film hasn’t followed the source material closely enough, turning fans off and creating negative word of mouth.

The most successful factor in Shyamalan’s THE LAST AIRBENDER is two-fold, beginning with the score. THE LAST AIRBENDER’s score is composed by James Newton Howard (DEFIANCE, THE DARK KNIGHT) and offers a great deal of atmosphere and mood to a story that seems to be something of an allegory, pitting a modern technological culture unconcerned with selfless acts of compassion against a more traditional spiritual culture that respects and honors life and a balance in nature.

While not extraordinary, the special effects in THE LAST AIRBENDER are certainly worth noting as a saving grace for the film. Just the idea of watching martial arts action play out through characters connected with the elements in a way to use them as tools of war is cool, and the film pulls this off with relative success. The action choreography, quite naturally, is heavily CGI, but uses the technology in a way that draws minimal attention to itself. The sets, landscapes and structures are largely CGI as well, but are accomplished and welcome visual treats, including Aang’s giant floating beast called Appa that resembles the offspring of a pug and a beaver.

M. Night Shyamalan will not amaze audiences, which is a shame as many hoped this would be his Hail Mary effort to reestablish himself as the phenomenon he was with THE SIXTH SENSE. He may however, manage to pull off enough of a box office success from genre fans and kids to earn himself a foot back in the door. My initial response was to give THE LAST AIRBENDER 2.5 stars out of 5, but I have decided to defer an additional half-star to Shyamalan for the effort, in the hopes that THE LAST AIRBENDER – BOOK TWO: EARTH will benefit from his learning from past mistakes.

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

TWILIGHT NIGHT – St. Louis Turns Out Big Crowd

TWILIGHT NIGHT in Saint Louis had a huge turnout, setting the bar for the massive record-breaking crowds that turned out for the opening of THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE.

From Variety: “TWILIGHT: ECLIPSE, descended on the fanatical masses at midnight, as it debuted with an estimated $30 million and topped the highest grossing midnight movie of all-time.”

The event had plenty for fans to enjoy, including Nordstrom Team Edward and Team Jacob make-overs, photo opportunities, lots of great free TWILIGHT giveaways, a fantastic cover band and an evening outdoor screening of THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON… and much more.

The icing on the cake for the fans was a guest appearance by TWILIGHT star Jack Huston, who plays Royce King in ECLIPSE. While many had an opportunity to see him in person, a select few fans won VIP Meet and Greet access to the star, complete with autographs and photo opportunities.

Some of the lucky TWILIGHT NIGHT VIP Meet and Greet Fans: