movie reviews by PvtCaboose91

"Even if you leave this room, you can never leave this room."

Released in 2007, 1408 was the first theatrical Stephen King adaptation in a number of years, and it serves as a shrewd reminder as to why so many of the horror maestro's works have been adapted for the screen. 1408 actually started life as a short story as opposed to a fully-fledged novel (or novella), hence screenwriters Matt Greenberg, Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski were compelled to beef up the source material, altering and adding various things to produce a feature-length product. Luckily, the resultant movie captures the chilling spirit of King's work, making for a predominantly effective thriller that also stands as one of the stronger adaptations of a Stephen King story. If you like being spooked out without having your intelligence insulted, then 1408 is for you.

A non-fiction writer, Mike Enslin (John Cusack) has made a career for himself by writing about his experiences in supposedly haunted attractions. He has never seen a ghost or experienced a paranormal phenomena, and is therefore sceptical about every locale he visits. For his latest novel, Enslin decides to spend the night at New York City's Dolphin Hotel, in room 1408. According to the hotel's manager, Gerald Olin (Samuel L. Jackson), it's a cursed room that has been the site of countless deaths. Although Olin vehemently objects to Enslin's desire to stay in 1408, Enslin pushes ahead nevertheless, determined to stay overnight in the dreaded room. However, Enslin begins to change his tune when unexplained visions occur. Before long, Enslin is stuck in a nightmarish predicament, fighting for his life to avoid becoming another victim of the room's supernatural power.

Unfortunately, the concept for 1408 is not entirely suited for a 100-minute feature film. It's based on a short story, after all, hence a shorter movie would probably be more appropriate. It takes about half an hour to get to the feared hotel room, and once we're in, there's not a great deal for director Mikael Håfström to do, as he desperately fills the narrative with as much creepy imagery, suspense, and character dimension as possible. A bulk of it does work, but some of it doesn't, most notably a prolonged third-act detour that goes on for far too long and does not entirely work. Furthermore, it's clear that Håfström and the writers weren't sure how best to wrap up the movie, thus there are a handful of alternate endings. The director's cut ending is perhaps the most satisfying due to how dark it is, but none of the conclusions work particularly well, which is a shame considering how strong most of the lead-up is. It's not a deal-killer, of course, but it doesn't leave you with much of a lingering impression.

Nevertheless, 1408 is bolstered by some real positives. Håfström's direction is slick and effective, building an eerie claustrophobic atmosphere and displaying a proclivity for Hitchcock-inspired compositions. Håfström is a terrific visual stylist, and he has created some arresting images here. When the room reveals its true evil nature, the shocks are unsettling and inventive, even if the film does begin to wear out its welcome by the third act. 1408 is a PG-13 thriller, yet it doesn't feel gutted by the rating, with brief glimpses of disturbing images and plenty of honest-to-goodness tension. The experience is especially unnerving since Håfström never explains the exact nature of what Enslin is dealing with. Is Enslin being toyed with by the hotel staff? Is he in Hell? Could his sanity be eroding? Is Enslin projecting his inner turmoils on the room itself? None of these possibilities are debunked throughout the movie, and nothing is conclusive by the end. And even if 1408 is actually supernatural, we don't know what the cause is. Olin provides the best explanation: "It's an evil fucking room."

For the most part, 1408 is a one-man show, spotlighting Cusack alone in the hotel room struggling to deal with whatever horrors befall him. It's the actor's finest performance in years, calling upon a wide range of emotions, and transforming from aloof sceptic to a terrified man who's utterly out of his depth. Enslin is forced to confront demons from his past, and these scenes have an emotional impact thanks to Cusack, who lends them the right amount of weight. Cusack is simply terrific, and the picture would be doomed without him. Meanwhile, the supporting cast is barely seen; the only notable performer is Jackson, who brings his usual vitality and coolness to the role of the hotel manager.

Although uneven, 1408 is well worth watching, as it really soars from time to time. Not since In the Mouth of Madness have The Carpenters been so creepy, and never has Cusack been this deranged. 1408 is not about to set the world on fire, but it's so refreshing when compared to the usual dull standard for Hollywood horror movies, especially all the soulless PG-13 endeavours. Torture porn enthusiasts will find the movie lacking, but fans of creepy mysteries in the vein of The Twilight Zone will likely enjoy it.

7.0/10

"You certainly have the skills to pay the bills. If snails had to pay bills, that is."

Turbo might as well have been called Generic Animated Movie, as this effort from DreamWorks is one of the most aggressively predictable and formulaic in recent memory. With the protagonists of the story being a group of snails, this is a weird picture, but thankfully it's implemented with slick visuals and plenty of energy that's almost enough to distract you from its paint-by-numbers construction. Indeed, it goes without saying that the kids will likely adore it due to how light and colourful it is, but it won't prove to be a depressing experience for the older demographic, as it comes together in an entertaining enough fashion. It's not Pixar, but it is better than both of the Cars movies.

An ambitious garden snail, Theo (Ryan Reynolds) dutifully continues his daily work routine inside a tomato patch, with his older sibling Chet (Paul Giamatti) keeping his brother in line. Theo wants to do something bigger, though, dreaming that he'll one day race alongside his personal hero, Guy Gagne (Bill Hader). Leaving the comfort of the garden one night, Theo is sucked into the nitrous oxide reserve of a street racing car, bestowing the snail with lightning speed. After saving Chet from a crow attack, the pair are picked up by Tito (Michael Peña), who works at a struggling taco stand and collects snails. Theo urges Tito to sign him up for the Indianapolis 500, with fellow store owners helping him raise the entry money. Rechristening himself as Turbo, Theo heads to the races in the company of Chet and several other snails, including Whiplash (Samuel L. Jackson) and Burn (Maya Rudolph). Before long, all eyes are on Theo, and Guy begins to feel threatened by his tiny competition.

Credited to three writers, the screenplay introduces an interesting conceit not unlike something we would expect to see from a Pixar project, but the plot's broad strokes are completely by-the-book. Of course Theo wants to be the fastest snail in history and gets to prove the naysayers wrong with his newfound abilities; of course Theo's racing idol turns out to be a cartoon antagonist; of course there are colourful characters along the way. The narrative is eerily similar to Pixar's Ratatouille, but Turbo lacks the heart, thoughtfulness and depth of that remarkable endeavour. It even sources ideas from Toy Story (there's a kid who likes to squash snails, but the tables are eventually turned on him). Indeed, Turbo is a Frankenstein creation through-and-through. Admittedly, it may seem difficult to avoid all the clichés, but Pixar seems to circumvent a lot of the big ones with their more successful movies almost effortlessly. Furthermore, the central message of Turbo is a bit muddled. After all, nitrous oxide is illegal in professional racing, yet nobody seems to care that Theo is competing despite being full of the chemical...

Turbo is probably at its best during the opening act. Before we get to all the racing, director David Soren concentrates on the everyday workings of the snail community, who spend their days picking and sorting tomatoes. Crow abductions are a regular occurrence, too, and the snails literally cannot do anything about it, so they just quickly lament the loss of their comrade before moving on. The real saving grace of Turbo is its gee-whiz eye candy. Even by the perpetually-heightening standards of contemporary CGI animation, the visual experience here is breathtaking. Rendered in 3-D, there's plenty to enjoy here, and it's the splashes of colour and snappy pacing that keep the feature watchable from start to end. However, the climactic race does drag on for too long. There are suspenseful beats, but the conclusion is pretty predictable, making the long-winded disposition a little disappointing. Turbo could've easily lost five minutes of racing action to make for a better, tighter feature.

Surprisingly, Ryan Reynolds actually stretches his range to some extent in voicing Theo. He often plays smart-aleck characters, but Theo is a different breed, and he manages to give some heart and personality to the titular mollusc. But it's Paul Giamatti who stands out the most, placing forth a spirited vocal performance as Chet. His comedic timing and delivery are spot-on, making him the most memorable character in the picture. With that said, though, there are some colourful turns by a number of other actors, most notably Samuel L. Jackson who oozes cool as Whiplash. Peña is also good, giving Tito a nice degree of welcome humanity.

Turbo is riddled with flaws, but it's not a bad movie - just an easy and simple one, devoid of much in the way of suspense. There are obstacles for Theo throughout the story, to be sure, but we know that he'll pull through and race, and everything will be conventionally happy at the end. A more daring treatment of the premise would be welcome, but Turbo is amiable and pleasant enough.

5.9/10

"I suppose in the end, the whole of life becomes an act of letting go, but what always hurts the most is not taking a moment to say goodbye."

Life of Pi is an adaptation of Yann Martel's 2001 novel of the same name, which is often described as "unfilmable." Yet, director Ang Lee and writer David Magee attempted it nevertheless, and the resultant movie is ultimately a mixed bag. It's certainly easy to appreciate what Lee was trying to achieve here - after all, 3-D is frequently applied to big-budget action extravaganzas, but Life of Pi aims to be an awe-inspiring visual experience that relies on the beauty of nature as opposed to colourful action scenes. While it's an incredible picture to study, it's at times a gruelling sit, with the experience ultimately becoming repetitive and exhausting. More pertinently, though, Life of Pi is built around a thematic punch-line that's such fallacious nonsense that it undermines the production as a whole.

The narrative is predominantly told in flashbacks. Pi (Irfan Khan) is visited by a writer (Rafe Spall), with whom he recounts his intimate life story. As a young man, Pi (now played by Suraj Sharma) was raised in India by his zookeeper parents, who decide to move the family to Canada for a fresh start. While en route aboard a Japanese freighter, a powerful storm sinks the ship, and Pi is the sole survivor. Scrambling on a lifeboat, Pi's only companions are a zebra, an orangutan, a hyena, and a Bengal tiger affectionately named Richard Parker. Adrift in the middle of the ocean, nature begins to take its course, leaving just Pi and Richard Parker on the boat, with the frightened Pi attempting to manage his existence and survive the ordeal without being eaten by the ferocious (and hungry) tiger.

Life of Pi would be a breathtaking experience if only it remained focused on the events that befall Pi and Richard Parker while on the lifeboat. Unfortunately, this constituent of the story takes up a bit more than half of the film's two-hour running time. Lee makes a critical error in focusing too much on Pi telling his story, for which he over-explains everything, breaking the flow and ruining the sense of immersion. Pi is one of those people who has stories for all aspects of his life; there's a tale behind how he got his name, how Richard Parker got his name, and so on. It's too self-consciously quirky. It doesn't help that most every facet of Pi's character is quirky for the sake of it - he even "collects" religions, for crying out loud. Worse, there is a big message behind Life of Pi. See, early into the film, we're told that Pi's story will make us believe in God. And late into the film, this is finally addressed. You see, Pi eventually tells an alternate version of his survival story that's more plausible, more mundane, darker, and far more depressing. Of course people prefer to hear the story with the tiger because it's more uplifting. "And so it goes with God," Pi tells the writer. In other words, we're basically being told that you should believe in God because it's more fun to do so. It's pretentious and cringe-inducing to extremes, closing the door on a sour note. Religious nuts may find it wonderful, but the rest of us will see it as the preachy bullshit that it is.

For all of the nonsense bubbling underneath Life of Pi's surface, it's hard to deny that Lee and his crew have assembled one hell of a gorgeous motion picture endowed with striking imagery. The CGI is genuinely top-notch, and the movie was magnificently photographed by Claudio Miranda. The animals are predominantly digital, yet they are staggeringly realistic, to the point that it's very hard to tell where the live-action ends and the CGI begins. Various set-pieces - including the ship's sinking, Pi's encounters with whales, and the discovery of a strange carnivorous island - all make a tremendous impression and will stick in the mind long after viewing. Not many movies are worth the 3-D experience, but it's hard to imagine seeing Life of Pi in regular old 2-D. Lee and Miranda do not use 3-D as a money-inflating gimmick but rather as a legitimate moviemaking tool that reinforces the film's central themes of distance and separation. Moreover, it emphasises the sea's great expanse, making the experience all the more immersive.

Another positive attribute is the fact that Lee is never romantic about the tiger, nor does he imbue the beast with any anthropomorphism. It's established early into the movie that this is a wild beast, vicious and meat-eating, and it is a danger to Pi while he's trapped on the lifeboat with it. While Pi refuses to kill Richard Parker, the tiger would be more than willing to devour the boy without any consideration. A growing bond does emerge, but it does feel organic to the film, which is a huge accomplishment. The animation of the tiger is extraordinary, but young Suraj Sharma also deserves plaudits. This is Sharma's first film role, yet he delivers a terrific, complex performance, and it's all the more impressive considering that he was playing opposite a digital creation that was never on set with him.

Life of Pi is treacly, self-indulgent philosophical tripe, but it's gorgeous to look at, making this one of the most spectacular visual experiments since James Cameron's Avatar. A number of filmmakers have set out to adapt the Life of Pi novel in the past (including M. Night Shyamalan), hence Lee does deserve credit for rendering this "unfilmable" novel as skilfully as he did. It's definitely worth seeing, regardless of its undeniable shortcomings.

5.8/10

"Let him die. He's missing a hand anyway."

The concept behind Casa de mi Padre can be summed up very simply: Will Ferrell in a telenovela spoof - in Spanish! It's the type of pitch that one would expect for a short Saturday Night Live skit, which is unsurprising since Casa de mi Padre's writer and director have been involved in SNL for years. A Spanish-language parody of low-budget Mexican serials, this is an oddball comedy, but it's not nearly as insane or downright hilarious as it had the potential to be. Its restrained approach is commendable since it compels Ferrell to attempt a different brand of humour, but the finished movie is only marginally successful, with only a handful of laughs here and there. The premise would be better suited for a ten-minute sketch, as it feels too scattershot as an 85-minute feature.

Seen as a moron by those around him, Armando Alvarez (Ferrell) is the black sheep of his family, often being unfavourably compared to his successful drug-dealing brother Raul (Diego Luna). When Raul returns to the family ranch, he brings his new fiancée Sonia (Genesis Rodriguez), with whom Armando is immediately smitten. Further trouble soon arises in the form of The Onza (Gael García Bernal), a dangerous drug lord who enters a turf war with Raul. With death and destruction unfolding all around him, Armando is given the chance to prove he's not a screw-up and hopefully win the heart of Sonia as well.

The main joke of Casa de mi Padre, of course, is the fact that the white, completely non-Mexican Ferrell is playing a Mexican role, delivering his dialogue entirely in Spanish. But the humour does go deeper than that, with writer Andrew Steele serving up a steady stream of amusing moments that parody low-budget Mexican filmmaking. Casa de mi Padre is to Spanish melodrama what Black Dynamite is to '70s blaxploitation, with the characters delivering cornball dialogue in a hilariously sincere manner, and with the technical limitations of Mexican cinema being affectionately recreated by director Matt Piedmont. An establishing shot in town of a truck pulling into a parking space was done with phoney small-scale toy models, and the musical score abruptly comes and goes as if mixed by a clueless foreigner. Production values are daffy as well, with cheap sets and a white tiger that looks about as convincing as a teddy bear. A scene of Armando and Sonia riding horses is incredibly phoney, as the horses are clearly fake and they're in a studio against an obvious backdrop. Piedmont even throws in an opening title sequence that feels like something from a James Bond movie, supplemented with a catchy theme song performed by Christina Aguilera.

Unfortunately, it takes a while for Casa de mi Padre to hit its stride, as it's oddly sedate and flat before finally picking up steam into the second half. It's almost worth the wait, especially once the climax arrives involving a campy gun battle in which Armando harnesses his inner action hero. This role represents a considerable change of pace for Ferrell, abandoning his wildly overzealous man-child persona to play a more nuanced character in another language, compelling him to stick to the script rather than constantly improvising. Ferrell even sings at one stage, backed by a mariachi band, adding further flavour to the madness. Ferrell is actually one of the production's major assets, as he recognised the type of movie that this was and nails the requisite tone. Also good is stunning newcomer Genesis Rodriguez, who's skilled at comic timing and delivery, and has plenty of charm to boot.

Casa de mi Padre did not make me laugh as much as I wanted or expected it to, and it lacks a special spark to genuinely bring it to life, but it nevertheless remains a fun enough comedy that deserves plaudits for its amusing commitment to recreating goofy Mexican cinema. Although not a comedic masterpiece, it has its moments, and it's sure to become somewhat of a cult classic in future years even if it'll be appreciated more for its design than its actual delivery.

6.0/10

"I'm so glad we left the city. This is such a good place to raise a family."

In the very first scene of Grown Ups 2, Lenny (Adam Sandler) awakens inside his suburban home to find a deer casually hanging out in his bedroom. When his wife Roxanne (Salma Hayek) notices the beast, her screams cause the deer to nervously urinate all over Lenny's face. Following this, the deer runs wildly through the house, peeing on another family member and wreaking havoc. That's just the first few minutes of this rancid film. And right before the end credits begin to roll, Lenny farts while in bed with Roxanne. This is about all you need to know about Grown Ups 2, the lousy follow-up to 2010's disappointing but somehow still successful Grown Ups. Things are no better between the scenes that bookend the film, spotlighting Lenny and friends Eric (Kevin James), Kurt (Chris Rock) and Marcus (David Spade) aimlessly moving from place to place, leading to dumb jokes and tired slapstick that's never actually funny. Even Rob Schneider was unwilling to clear his schedule to star in this dreck. Ponder that for a second...

A lot of scorn can be tossed at Sandler's output over the past decade, but at least movies like Jack and Jill had an actual plot, adhering to a coherent structure complete with a beginning, middle and end. Grown Ups 2, on the other hand, literally has no plot or story. It's a string of vignettes, none of which are tied together in any way resembling a narrative. There are actually three credited screenwriters, which is fucking retarded, as Grown Ups 2 is just a random showcase of celebrity cameos and staggeringly terrible CGI. For crying out loud, it's so bad that it has actually prompted me to reference fucking Jack and Jill as a positive example!

There is no semblance of realism to anything that occurs throughout Grown Ups 2. The film is set up as something of a "day in the life" tale, yet nothing is relatable here, with a sense of Hollywood sensationalism hanging over all of the proceedings. For instance, Lenny's son wants a shot with the hottest girl in school and manages to win her over with no effort. In another half-formed subplot, Marcus has a son he never knew about, and although the boy is standoffish and arrogant towards his father, the pair suddenly bond without the audience for unknown reasons. Ostensibly the main narrative thread involves Lenny and Roxanne having another kid, but Dugan pays barely any attention to this malarkey, which is given no weight in the grand scheme of things. Grown Ups 2 is all about idiotic skits, after all - expecting logic or humanity from this nonsense is foolhardy.

With its haphazard structure, Grown Ups 2 feels like an episode of Saturday Night Live, especially since SNL alumni are all over the place, with Nick Swardson, Peter Dante, Steve Buscemi, and even Sandler's wife Jackie making brief appearances. Stretching the ridiculous budget to breaking point (seriously, this crap cost $80 million to produce?!), various other celebrities and pop culture figures show up for no discernible reason. Steve Austin, Jon Lovitz and Shaquille O'Neal are all present, while Arnold Schwarzenegger's son Patrick makes precisely little impact as a frat boy in the background. Astonishingly, the only actor who's worth a damn is Taylor Lautner, who goes for broke in his cartoonish role of a frat boy. Abandoning his self-seriousness from the Twilight films, Lautner is amusing here, embracing the ridiculousness and essentially parodying himself, showing that he does have potential as a comedic performer. But it's a serious problem that Taylor Lautner is the only funny one in this movie, scoring more laughs than Chris Rock. What the fuck?!

The order of the day in Grown Ups 2 is unfunny pratfalls, juvenile sight gags, and repeated returns to Eric's ability to burp, sneeze and fart in quick succession. It climaxes with an '80s party, which involves a brawl between the party guests and the frat boys, spurred on by local law enforcement, who don't seem to care about the myriad of assaults occurring all around them. In the hands of a comedic team who actually knows a thing about orchestrating hilarious nonsense, this might have been amusing. But it was handled by the tone-deaf Dennis Dugan, a veteran of Sandler awfulness, who makes the whole thing strangely boring and lousy. Grown Ups 2 has no rhythm or cohesion, but above all no purpose - there is no story, the characters remain unchanged by the end, and there are no satisfying laughs to be had. It's one of Sandler's worst, and that's saying something. It should be fucking banned.

1.8/10

"If history has determined that gods can die, it is also proven that they may return from the dead. It would seem you cannot be destroyed after all, Superman. It would seem."

Superman/Doomsday finds Clark Kent/Superman (Adam Baldwin) already set in his daily routine, working at the Daily Planet while carrying on a romantic relationship with reporter Lois Lane (Anne Heche), who doesn't know his true identity. Lex Luthor (James Marsters) uncovers an alien spacecraft during an excavation, which unleashes an unstoppable doomsday machine that seeks to destroy every living thing in its path. Arriving in Metropolis, Superman is confronted with the formidable Doomsday, testing him like nothing before. Superman defeats Doomsday but dies as a consequence, forcing the city to confront the reality of a world without their saviour. Crime rates are on the rise, and Lois feels more vulnerable than ever, but the Man of Steel suddenly comes back from the dead. While it's cause for celebration, Superman begins acting very suspiciously.

The first in what became a long-running series of DC Universe Animated Original Movies, 2007's Superman/Doomsday is a 77-minute retelling of three major storylines from the Superman comics: The Death of Superman, World without a Superman, and Return of Superman. It's more or less a pared-down version of the comic books, stripping away certain characters and subplots to provide a simplistic representation of this story arc. But instead of focusing on one storyline for better effect, writers Duane Capizzi and Bruce Timm compress all basic plot points from Death to Return into the script without giving each story the breadth and runtime that they deserve. In fact, Doomsday becomes a secondary presence in his own movie, relegated to only the first third. The battle between Superman and Doomsday is impressive, but it's over far too soon, and Superman's death does not have as much emotional resonance as it should. The truncation of the source looks all the more disappointing in 2023 following the release of the positively epic two-part adaptation of The Dark Knight Returns, which did genuine justice to the rich source material. Thankfully, this was later rectified with a two-part animated movie about the Death and Return of Superman released in 2018 and 2019.

While Superman/Doomsday is disappointingly underdone, it does tell its story in an entertaining fashion and remains eminently watchable throughout. Warner Premiere does not exactly have the funds to splash out a few hundred million dollars on the project, hence the animation is rather basic here, lacking in fine detail. Still, the animators make the most of their scant resources, creating a handful of tremendously exciting battle sequences. The throwdown between Doomsday and the Man of Steel is a highlight due to its sheer brutality. Superman/Doomsday carries a PG-13 rating and features content that is a bit stronger than what you would normally find in a kid-friendly Superman adventure. The tone here is dark and there are some intense sequences involving blood, not to mention there's some harsh language and unexpected innuendo. It's not gratuitous, though, and it does suit the nature of the material since this is a dark story. Also impressive is the cast. Voicing Superman is Adam Baldwin, better known as Jayne from Firefly. He disappears into the role, giving Supes a distinctive voice that sounds wholly different from Jayne.

Even though Superman/Doomsday fails to do justice to its expansive source material, it does work well enough as a standalone comic book movie on its own terms. Given its limitation, this is about the best retelling one could reasonably expect in this one-shot format. With its skilful if not exactly mind-blowing animation, and with terrific voice work and a great score, it's a good watch, and it'll be of interest to casual Superman fans or anyone who just enjoys superhero movies.

6.0/10

"Ladies, gentlemen, you've eaten well. You've eaten Gotham's wealth. Its spirit. But your feast is nearly over. From this moment on, none of you are safe."

In 1986, iconic graphic novel author Frank Miller shook up the comic book industry with his four-part miniseries The Dark Knight Returns, which reimagined Batman as an aged vigilante coming out of retirement to fight crime in a gritty, noir-ish vision of Gotham City. Hot on the heels of the immense acclaim, Miller teamed up with artist David Mazzucchelli for Batman: Year One and retained the intelligence and grit that defined The Dark Knight Returns to explore Batman's origins. Although Christopher Nolan used very little of Miller's ideas for Batman Begins, the source material was ideal fodder for Warner Premiere's series of DC Universe Animated Original Movies. Fortunately, Batman: Year One for the most part translates well to the format. It's not perfect, and a higher-budgeted production could've yielded a smoother adaptation, but there's a lot to enjoy here.

After spending a number of years travelling the world, millionaire Bruce Wayne (Ben McKenzie) returns to Gotham, taking up residence in his family's long-time mansion overseen by loyal butler Alfred Pennyworth (Jeff Bennett). Meanwhile, Jim Gordon (Bryan Cranston) transfers to Gotham City Police Department, only to find the city plagued with corruption and crime. Fearing for the safety of both himself and his pregnant wife, Gordon is compelled to just do his job, turning a blind eye to the corrupt activity within the force. But a glimmer of hope soon emerges for Gordon, as Wayne begins to hit the streets as Batman, cleaning up crime vigilante-style. While Gordon is ordered to investigate Batman and arrest him, the lives of both men eventually converge, leading to a mutual respect for one another and a partnership that could bring order to a city lost in chaos.

Tab Murphy's screenplay is apparently very faithful to the source, resulting in a fairly short movie that only clocks in at a bit over an hour. Unfortunately, Batman: Year One feels too short, briskly skimming over weeks and months while only spotlighting a handful of key events. Such a structure works on the pages of Miller's graphic novel since a reader can move at their own pace, but as a fast-paced screen adventure, it feels underdone and slight. A longer, more complete movie would've been superior. With that said, however, the movie in its current form is still satisfying. One of the strongest aspects of Batman: Year One is the way that it balances the stories of Bruce Wayne and Jim Gordon, observing the beginnings of both characters and allowing us to hear both of their inner monologues. Indeed, Year One carries frequent voiceovers in keeping with Miller's graphic novel, but they never grow too heavy-handed or bothersome; they enhance the experience.

As with Miller's book, Batman: Year One is a film noir interpretation of the Batman mythos, humanising the characters of Bruce Wayne and Jim Gordon. The animators do a superlative job of retaining the grit and gloom of Mazzucchelli's original artwork while giving the movie a magnificent sense of fluidity. Visually, Year One evokes noir-ish anime like Ghost in the Shell and Cowboy Bebop, and there's a thick sense of atmosphere pervading every frame. The flick especially shines during the action sequences, with hand-to-hand combat that frankly looks like motion capture work. The fights are rough and brutal, and you feel every punch and kick. Especially great are the scenes involving Catwoman; she moves in a fast, catlike fashion, and the battles are very exciting. Equally great is the music by Christopher Drake, which belies the low-budget origins of the production. Drake's score is exciting and majestic, giving the picture a genuine theatrical feel.

Batman: Year One is also bolstered by a mostly solid voice cast. Unfortunately, the weak link is McKenzie as Bruce Wayne/Batman. He's especially ineffective during the voiceover narration, coming across as bored and stiff, and he's not much better when it comes to regular dialogue. It's a completely unremarkable performance, and one must wonder why the filmmakers didn't recruit fan favourite Kevin Conroy or even Bruce Greenwood. Thankfully, Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston picks up a lot of the slack as Jim Gordon. Cranston actually turned down the role initially but changed his mind after being exposed to Miller's layered storytelling. He's easily the star of the show, and it doesn't sound like he's just reading lines for the sake of a paycheque. Year One features a pretty impressive roster of supporting players, including character actor Alex Rocco as mob boss Carmine Falcone, Katee Sackhoff who's downright lovely as Detective Sarah Essen, and a very bubbly Eliza Dushku as Selina Kyle, better known as Catwoman. Batman purists might be shocked to find that Kyle is, in fact, a prostitute in this story...

Despite its shortcomings, Batman: Year One is a smart, faithful animated action-adventure that gets more right than wrong. It's a must for die-hard Batman fans or for anyone who just enjoys watching comic book movies. Year One was actually planned to be a live-action movie helmed by Darren Aronofsky back before Batman Begins was made. While that prospect sounds very enticing indeed, and would have probably been a downright masterpiece, this animated production is good enough for now.

7.2/10

"I ask one thing in return: a front seat to watch Earth burn."

With Iron Man 3 having kicked off Phase Two of Marvel's highly lucrative superhero franchise, 2013's Thor: The Dark World represents the next piece of the cinematic puzzle that will culminate with another Avengers extravaganza in 2015. Directed by television veteran Alan Taylor (Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, Mad Men), this second screen outing for the God of Thunder is a suitably lavish fantasy adventure, but, although it's fun in places, it's not an entirely satisfying addition to the Marvel canon. Taylor reportedly clashed with Marvel executives over the film's tone and content, and there's evidence of creative battles all over the finished product. It does possess a sense of grandeur at times, but for the most part, The Dark World feels entirely made by a committee, in need of a stronger creative vision.

Picking up in the aftermath of The Avengers and about two years after the events of the first film, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) has brought his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) to face justice in Asgard. With Loki imprisoned under orders from King Odin (Anthony Hopkins), Thor becomes concerned with bringing peace to the Nine Realms, but the universe is threatened by the re-emergence of the Dark Elves, led by the vengeful Malekith (Christopher Eccleston). Meanwhile, on Earth, Thor's mortal love, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), becomes an unwitting vessel for an ancient evil called the Aether. With Asgard under siege and Jane in danger, Thor reluctantly teams up with Loki to prevent the realms from falling into Malekith's hands.

Above all else, The Dark World is marred by its lack of substance and humanity. 2011's Thor was deftly handled by director Kenneth Branagh, whose background in dramas perfectly prepared him for the task of humanising these characters. Unfortunately, the ensemble in this sequel is less interesting. Thor is inherently a one-dimensional character, an aspect that's increasingly apparent throughout The Dark World. Whereas the first movie introduced an absorbing arc for Thor, part deux is less interested in such depth, rendering this an exceedingly surface-level experience. Since there is so much exposition to explain the elaborate mythology, the lack of a human touch results in leaden pacing between the colourful action scenes. Moreover, the film feels too emaciated at about 110 minutes. The war between the Nine Realms is especially underdone, as this aspect does not feel as substantial as one would expect. Still, The Dark World does have its charms. There's a welcome smattering of humour throughout, probably thanks to Joss Whedon's emergency script polish at the eleventh hour. Plus, the movie closes on a cliffhanger of sorts that brilliantly builds anticipation for future Marvel productions.

Fortunately, The Dark World springs to life during isolated sequences in which Taylor imbues the production with the same brand of grittiness that defined Game of Thrones. The scene is set with a terrific opening battle sequence which makes good use of Taylor's GoT experience with its medieval vibe and forest setting. It's over a bit too soon, to be sure, but Taylor orchestrates the set-piece with a sure hand, displaying smooth mise-en-scène that's carried over to other parts of the picture. The climax in London is also notable, as it's both thrilling and enjoyably comedic. Another huge asset is composer Brian Tyler (Iron Man 3), who provides a score that's suitably rousing and intense, not to mention epic with its orchestral disposition. However, despite mostly competent production values, some of the CGI is strangely obvious and shoddy, and the Dark Elves look cheap. In fact, the villains as a whole are underwhelming, with only Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje making an impression in a minor henchman role.

One of the biggest charms of The Dark World is the return of several actors from the original film. As the God of Thunder, Hemsworth could hardly be better cast. Well and truly comfortable in the role at this point, the Australian beefcake has plenty of charisma and gravitas, making him an ideal protagonist. But it should come as no surprise to learn that it's Hiddleston's Loki who walks away with the entire movie. More scenes featuring Loki were filmed in post-production, and it was a wise choice. Hiddleston is a playful villain, charismatic and unpredictable, and he savours every snarl and wisecrack. Indeed, a lot of the humour stems from Hiddleston, who clearly had a ball playing the role. Also returning here is Hopkins, always a pleasure on-screen as Odin. He is somewhat underused, but Hopkins is great, giving the king a thunderingly powerful demeanour. Portman is good here, too, while Kat Dennings is an utter delight in her expanded role as Jane's friend Darcy. Plenty of other performers also return, including Stellan Skarsgård as Dr. Erik Selvig, Idris Elba as Heimdall, as well as Ray Stevenson and Jaimie Alexander as a pair of Thor's friends. Suffice it to say, all of them hit their marks effectively. Chris O'Dowd has a nice cameo, too, making the most of his limited screen-time.

Ultimately, Thor: The Dark World falls towards the lower end of the Marvel spectrum, somewhere between the fun mediocrity of Iron Man 2 and the dismal misfire of The Incredible Hulk. While it does admittedly deliver well enough as pure entertainment and contributes a decent amount to the Marvel franchise mythology, it's still pretty messy, and a considerable step down after the first Thor. It's not terrible by any means, but it's below the usual Marvel standard. Be sure to stay all the way through the end credits for two additional scenes: a mid-credit tease and a sly post-credits wrap-up complete with a gag.

6.1/10

"Machete don't tweet."

Although Robert Rodriguez has demonstrated the ability to produce sophisticated motion pictures (Sin City), he predominantly partakes in moviemaking for the sheer fun of it, essentially making goofy backyard productions for millions of dollars with his actor friends. As a result, there's a unique brand of zeal and enthusiasm to Rodriguez's action movies, as they feel like the work of a non-cynical director who's out to provide a fun time and push the boundaries of ridiculousness with tongue firmly planted in cheek. Luckily, all of these idiosyncrasies are present in 2013's Machete Kills, another affectionate throwback to the sleazy grindhouse exploitation pictures worshipped by Rodriguez. Retaining its predecessor's proclivity for ultraviolence and over-the-top action, and amplifying the insanity, it's a total blast, showing yet again that nobody does cheesy grindhouse-style cinema like Rodriguez.

Recruited by the President of the United States (Charlie Sheen), Machete Cortez (Danny Trejo) is sent to Mexico on a mission to assassinate Mexican drug lord Mendez (Demian Bichir). Mendez is determined to destroy Washington with a hijacked missile, but Machete cannot kill the madman, as the missile's countdown clock is connected to Mendez's heartbeat. Machete is therefore forced to transport Mendez back into America alive to defuse the bomb, but a bounty is soon offered for the heads of both men, forcing Machete to fight for his life. Upon realising that Mendez is only a patsy, Machete turns his attention to Luther Voz (Mel Gibson), a crazy weapons manufacturer who hopes to destroy the world and repopulate it with his race of superior beings.

To state the obvious, the Machete flicks are not built for Academy Awards consideration; instead, Rodriguez aspires to deliver dumb fun filled with action, gore and nudity for viewers who like this brand of cartoonish escapism. Once again, Rodriguez displays a magnificent sense of invention throughout the action set-pieces, with moments that often go beyond outright preposterous, but it's all pitched at the right tone. For crying out loud, on top of limbs being chopped up by boat engines and helicopter blades, there's even a "Swiss Army" machete and a bra worn by Sofía Vergara that shoots knives and bullets. Thankfully, the pacing is so brisk, and the material is so affectionately goofy that it's hard to hold any of this outlandishness against the flick since Rodriguez is just following through with what was promised on the tin.

Surprisingly, for what was ostensibly just another fun Robert Rodriguez action flick, the original Machete was instilled with a certain degree of depth and heart, making it feel more substantial than Rodriguez's typical output. Machete Kills is a bit more on the slight side, however, backgrounding the political grandstanding to allow Rodriguez to just cut loose and have fun. There are still messages, sure, but it's minor subtext; as a result, this is more of a dumb action film with a few things on its mind. The story of Machete Kills is completely scattershot, and it literally feels like the script was written on the fly, with Rodriguez and credited writer Kyle Ward likely coming up with goofy bits and pieces mere minutes before shooting. A considerable chunk of time is actually devoted to setting up the planned third movie in the series (Machete Kills Again...In Space), transitioning from a regular B-grade actioner into a campy Moonraker-inflected sci-fi adventure.

Machete Kills is frequently amusing, with Machete's blunt one-liners ("Machete don't smoke," "Machete don't fail"), the cornball characters (Mendez has multiple personality disorder, regularly switching between evil, good and neutral), in-jokes (Charlie Sheen is the President?!) and hilarious quirks to show how badass Machete truly is (while hanging from a noose, he just nonchalantly stares at his would-be killers, completely unaffected). Voz is even a self-proclaimed Star Wars fan, and the proposed third picture promises scenes of Trejo hacking up goons with a machete-shaped lightsaber. (Rodriguez, if you're reading, please follow through and complete the trilogy!) If there's anything to criticise about Machete Kills, it's that the narrative is perhaps a bit too dense, leading to a few dry spots during which momentum flags, and we've left yearning for the next big action scene. Added to this, Rodriguez leans a bit too heavily on obvious digital blood effects when practical squibs would be far more suitable for this type of throwback effort.

Machete is vehemently a joke character, an opportunity for Rodriguez to position aging character actor (and long-time friend) Danny Trejo as a lady-attracting, super-human action hero despite his wrinkled face and stony demeanour. Trejo does not let us know he's in on the joke, committing to the ludicrous material with utter sincerity, which is what makes the film work. But he's shown up by Gibson, a perfect pick for the role of Voz. Gibson is clearly loving it, relishing the chance to play his first real villain role. He hams it up to extremes, playing Voz in the most deliriously over-the-top manner imaginable. He's the movie's secret weapon, lightening up the mood and keeping Machete Kills compelling for every second of his screen-time. Gibson is so good, in fact, that it's a shame he's only relegated to the final third. Like the first film, there's a lot of stunt casting here, with the likes of Cuba Gooding Jr., Antonio Banderas, William Sadler and Vanessa Hudgens showing up, while Lady Gaga has such a small cameo appearance that it's possible she was just hastily written in so Rodriguez could advertise the fact that Lady Gaga is in the fucking movie. Sheen is also fantastic, nailing the requisite demeanour for this type of endeavour, while Vergara wholly commits to her colourful supporting role.

Machete Kills is undeniably messy and, at times, pretty sloppy, with haphazard plot points and an astonishingly incoherent narrative, but it's all watchable and fun, even if it cannot be defended from a serious critical standpoint. Those who enjoyed 2010's Machete should enjoy this follow-up as well, as it offers more of the same in terms of cheesy casting and insane action set-pieces, and the presence of Mel Gibson is a stroke of genius.

7.1/10

With DVD and Blu-ray discs being perceived as the norm for physical media in this day and age, and with media distribution gradually moving towards an all-digital delivery model, video cassettes have faded into obscurity, replaced with superior formats that have led to VHS being discontinued. But Rewind This! is not quite as dismissive towards the original home video format. Masterminded by Josh Johnson, this documentary concentrates on the collectors who take pride in their collection of VHS cassettes, hunting for obscure titles at flea markets and keeping their sense of nostalgia alive. But Rewind This! also offers far more than this, tracing the origins of VHS and examining both its cultural and historical impact, showing us how the media industry was changed forever with the ability to watch motion pictures at home.

Rewind This! introduces a number of eccentric VHS collectors who maintain an extensive library of video cassettes despite the advent of streaming, downloading and disc-based media. They treat their purchases like collectible baseball cards, treasuring obscure titles that will probably never be transferred to a more stable medium. A segment of the documentary even reveals some of the most cherished possessions of the collectors, from the ridiculous (Corey Haim's self-aggrandising video Me, Myself and I), the downright obscure (a Windows instructional video, starring Matthew Perry and Jennifer Aniston who play their Friends roles), the eccentric (Leslie Nielsen's Bad Golf Made Easier), and the fucking weird (Bubba Smith's workout video Until it Hurts, in which the hulking Smith says that he loves the viewer...). And to heighten the charm of the documentary, notable clips from some of these videos are shown.

While Johnson does not explain the mechanics behind VCRs, Rewind This! has a segment devoted to the genesis of VHS, recalling both its creation as well as its war against Betamax to become the dominant home video format. The overview of VHS's history is also interspersed with ancient ads for VHS and Betamax, including a very amusing commercial featuring John Cleese interacting with a cat. Other topics include pan and scan, introduced because consumers felt duped if they saw black bars on the top and bottom of the screen, oblivious that they were actually seeing the most visual detail possible because of it. Rewind This! also reminds us of a time before the internet, when consumers could only choose to watch films based on cover art, unable to check reviews on their smartphones. And because there was such a huge demand for VHS tapes in rental stores who wanted as many videos as possible, shelves were filled with the cheapest, most Z-grade titles imaginable (oftentimes shot on video), but said features still made bank thanks to their inventive box art. Indeed, these days we never see such ridiculously exciting video covers anymore.

Johnson additionally gauges opinions on the current state of media distribution. The documentary doesn't ignore the fact that a lot of people are simply not interested in a physical media collection, opting instead for streaming and downloading. One of the interviewees discusses the fact that the death of physical media will change the meaning of ownership forever because companies will wind up controlling a consumer's access to media. After all, even if one purchases a digital copy, it's possible for film companies to remotely lock access to it.

The biggest success of Rewind This! is the way it affectionately reminds us of the VHS era. While we can be thankful for modern advances in home media technology that allow us to watch movies in perfect quality in our own living rooms, one is forced to ponder a simpler time. Rewind This! shows that there is still a market for VHS tapes today, mirroring the fact that vinyl records are still a hot cult item. Quality is not important to the collectors, but rather the nostalgic factor, as well as the fact that hundreds of movies will only exist on VHS as they cannot be transferred to a superior format. Many casual movie-watchers completely neglect these facets, but Rewind This! provides fascinating food for thought, and the uninformed should find it completely enthralling.

Rewind This! is an energetic documentary, briskly delivered and full of information. Momentum does flag from time to time, but otherwise, there are very few missteps, and it manages to give each topic its due attention. It's a delightful piece of work that educates and evokes nostalgia, and it deserves to be seen by a wide audience.

8.2/10