Tag: Michael Green

Movie Review – ‘Blade Runner 2049’ – The Special One

Directed by Denis Villeneuve
Written by Hampton Fancher (story and screenplay) and Michael Green (screenplay), based on characters from the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Jared Leto, Robin Wright, Ana de Armas, Mackenzie Davis, Dave Bautista, Mark Arnold, Wood Harris, David Dastmalchian, Tómas Lemarquis, Lennie James, Carla Juri, Barkhad Abdi, Edward James Olmos
Soundtrack: Benjamin Wallfisch & Hans Zimmer

1982’s Blade Runner still stands as one of the great technical achievements in the history of film as a whole, let alone the science-fiction genre, though its original theatrical release was unfortunately sandbagged by poor creative decisions imposed by the studio, namely Harrison Ford’s intentionally awful narration.

If you’ve never seen Blade Runner before, and wish to get caught up in anticipation of the sequel (which is not absolutely necessary but definitely helpful), I recommend The Final Cut.  Not only is it widely regarded as the superior version, it will also be the most useful in preparing yourself to see the new film (setting the tone, if you will).

Personally, I wouldn’t say I love either film, but both Blade Runner 2049 and its predecessor are more-than-deserving of theatrical experiences, and if you can find the new film in IMAX, I’d say it’s worth it.

In terms of the sequel relative to the original, some may call me a blasphemer, but I have no problem saying I enjoy 2049 more.  Both feature relatively simple stories, but 2049 has a bit more going on (sometimes too much, which I’ll get to), and as such I was much more on the hook.  Regardless of my own feelings, however, I have little doubt that Blade Runner fans will consider this a worthy successor, because it is, and it’s highly refreshing to see this kind of quality amid the vast sea of pointless remakes, sequels, and prequels we all swim in nowadays.

Much of this, of course, rests on the shoulders of director Denis Villeneuve, who has proven to be both versatile and efficient since his Engligh-language debut of Prisoners in 2013; which was followed in rather rapid succession by Enemy in 2014, Sicario in 2015, and Arrival in 2016.  Spoiler alert: none of these have been bad, and they’re all different, though he does have a particular style (and, much like Blade Runner 2049, I don’t know that I love any of them, but they’re all definitely worth seeing).

The strength of Blade Runner 2049 lies largely in the atmosphere it creates though stark visuals, consistent tone, and the electronic score from Benjamin Wallfisch and Hans Zimmer.  This is not to say that the story doesn’t matter, the story is quite a journey unto itself, but in this case, much like the original film, the style makes the substance, rather than the other way around.

If I have one criticism, however, it’s that the movie takes one or two turns too many, consequently increasing the already inflated runtime with elements that don’t feel all that consequential in relation to everything we’ve already seen.

Beyond that though, I don’t really have too much to complain about.  As I said before, Blade Runner 2049 is more-than-worthy of a theatrical viewing on the biggest screen you can find.  It looks great, it sounds great, and it’s anchored by many quality performances (I particularly enjoyed Dave Bautista, for what little he has).

Not much else I can say without getting into spoilers.

If you’re not a fan of the original, maybe this one isn’t for you, but if you are, or if you’re just mildly curious, or just a fan of Denis Villeneuve, I do fully recommend it.

Just make sure you get nice and comfortable.

Rating: ★★★★☆

P.S.
No stingers, which is welcome after a nearly three hour runtime.

P.P.S.
Naturally, and as usual, thanks to Alamo Drafthouse for the incredible glassware.

 

 

Movie Review – ‘Logan’ – Who Wants To Live Forever

Alright, break’s over.  Time to start reviewing new movies in a timely manner again (and, yes, the title of this review is another Queen reference).

Directed by James Mangold
Written by James Mangold (story and screenplay), Scott Frank (screenplay), and Michael Green (screenplay)
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Richard E. Grant, Eriq La Salle, Daniel Bernhardt
Soundtrack: Marco Beltrami

I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s been wearied by the fact that there have been eight X-Men films previous to Logan and a total of six of them have been Wolverine movies (regardless of whether or not they actually have “Wolverine” in the title), not to mention he’s got cameos in the other two (First Class and Apocalypse) that aren’t about him.

Frankly, I’ll be happy to see a future X-Men movie that has no Wolverine whatsoever (much like how I’m waiting for a Star Wars movie with no lightsabers).

However, there’s always been that one exceptional idea.  You know the one I mean: “Well, if they actually did justice to the character by making an rated-R movie…”

So, when rumors began circulating that the next (and hopefully last) Wolverine movie was going to feature Old Man Logan, and that it might actually be rated-R, I got a little bit excited.

And I was right to feel that way.

It’s hard to quantify exactly what Logan is, because it works on so many levels, but it’s definitely more emotionally substantive than I was expecting (and I was expecting something fairly mature to begin with).  Other than a based-on-a-true-story type war movie, I can’t remember the last thing I’ve seen that I could describe as fantastically violent and utterly beautiful at the same time, but Logan earns such a description.

Honestly though, the movie works as a mildly futuristic science fiction film, it works as a violent-as-all-get-out action movie (although, frankly, there might not be enough action to satisfy certain audiences), it works as something of a family drama, there are some western elements at play (not a surprise given writer/director James Mangold’s obvious love of that particular genre), and it works as a comic book movie (again, why this didn’t come out Valentine’s Day weekend, following in Fox’s own footsteps of Kingsman and Deadpool, is a mystery).  I won’t claim to be able to recognize every wink and nod to all of the various source materials (plus I think this is largely an original story from Mangold), but I know they’re in there (there’s even one shot that’s straight out of Cop Land).

It would be all too easy for a movie attempting to accomplish so much to just devolve into utter garbage, but thankfully Logan is anchored by a number of good performances.  Obviously Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart have been well-versed in their respective characters for many years, but I’d say they both do an admirable job of bringing something new to the table for this movie specifically.  Also, I was impressed with Stephen Merchant in a very much outside-the-box role for him, and, it must be said, Dafne Keen is a young star on the rise.  She can say so much without saying anything at all, and at certain points you can’t help but share in her child-like wonder (despite her darker side).

I guess if I were to sum up Logan as one particular thing, it would be a pleasant surprise, because I was not expecting this violent, R-rated mutant romp to be so heartfelt and beautiful in exploring themes of life and family.

Story-wise, I’m not sure exactly how well it will play with people totally unfamiliar with the characters, but it’s certainly more forgiving towards the uninitiated than, say, Rogue One.  I actually went into Logan pretty fresh (no research for this one, surprisingly) and was able to pick up the story just fine as it went along (although I did leave with a few questions, but nothing central to the plot).

If I have one particular criticism of Logan, it’s that certain elements become predictable as you get further along into it (and also not every performance is on the same level), but that’s a small chink in the armor of what may very well go down as one of the year’s best.

It’s brutal, it’s beautiful, it’s got just enough levity when it needs it, and it’s a fitting last ride for an iconic actor in an iconic role.

Even for non-X-Men fans, I highly recommend it.

Go see Logan.

Rating: ★★★★½ (out of five)

P.S.
As usual, shout-out to Alamo Drafthouse for getting into the spirit of the thing, including this month’s “Old Man Logan” special cocktail (it’s strong).