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SPIES AND THINGS
Oct. 17th, 2011 12:38 pmO look! Amateur movie reviews! Just what the bloody Internets needs!
The Thing
Not the John Carpenter film, but the prequel to that film, covering the events of the Norwegian science team in Antarctica that originally discovered the alien ship and the frozen alien organism that can perfectly replicate any life form.
On the plus side, it does a decent job of creating a story that fits with the scenes of the decimated research station in the Carpenter film. If you watch both films in chronological order (and I did – I have Carpenter’s film on DVD), the continuity essentially works (apart from the music, some CGI and one arguably major gap involving Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s character). Also, they used actual Norwegian actors. So points for making the effort.
The downside, of course, is that like all prequels, you already know what’s going to happen, what the thing in the ice is, and how it’s going to end for everyone. Even the Ten Little Indians routine (who’s the human, who’s the alien?) seems academic, which means there’s very little of the suspense that drove the first film. Maybe if you’ve never seen the first one, you might find this one gripping. That said, if you actually haven’t seen Carpenter’s film, I’d recommend seeing it first, as it’s decidely the better of the two.
Spy Kids: All The Time In The World
The fourth installment in the Spy Kids series (coming out seven years after the last one), in which two all-new kids find out the hard way that their uncool parents (or in this case, stepmom Jessica Alba) is really a spy, who is called out of retirement to stop The Timekeeper, an archvillain who is – obviously – stealing time.
I’m a big fan of Robert Rodriguez, and while the Spy Kids films aren’t his most essential films, they’re generally fun for what they are. The actual film itself is the usual case of diminishing returns for sequels – the first Spy Kids film remains the best of the lot – but it’s still fun to watch, even if the story is as nonsensical as it sounds.
But I will deduct points for the “4D” gimmick, which is a mix of 3D + “Aromascope” scratch’n’sniff cards. I understand Rodriguez’s love of old 50s/60s cinema gimmicks, but I do expect that geekery to translate into a better experience. In this case, the smell-cards didn’t work and the 3D was nothing innovative.
Johnny English Reborn
Sequel to Rowan Atkinson’s bumbling-spy/Bond spoof (also coming out seven years after the last one), in which Johnny English is in seclusion in a Tibetan monastery after being kicked out of MI7, only to be reactivated when a plot emerges to assassinate the Chinese premier.
Like the first film, it’s hit-and-miss, but with enough good gags to keep it going (depending of course on yr opinion of Atkinson’s brand of comedy – personally I like him more than most comedy film stars at the moment). Still – also like the first one – it’s disappointing in that it doesn’t take enough chances as a Bond spoof (though the recurring homicidal elderly cleaning-lady was a nice touch). Also, I remain amazed that filmmakers can come all the way over here to Hong Kong to make a movie and still get basic details wrong about Hong Kong.
License to ill,
This is dF
The Thing
Not the John Carpenter film, but the prequel to that film, covering the events of the Norwegian science team in Antarctica that originally discovered the alien ship and the frozen alien organism that can perfectly replicate any life form.
On the plus side, it does a decent job of creating a story that fits with the scenes of the decimated research station in the Carpenter film. If you watch both films in chronological order (and I did – I have Carpenter’s film on DVD), the continuity essentially works (apart from the music, some CGI and one arguably major gap involving Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s character). Also, they used actual Norwegian actors. So points for making the effort.
The downside, of course, is that like all prequels, you already know what’s going to happen, what the thing in the ice is, and how it’s going to end for everyone. Even the Ten Little Indians routine (who’s the human, who’s the alien?) seems academic, which means there’s very little of the suspense that drove the first film. Maybe if you’ve never seen the first one, you might find this one gripping. That said, if you actually haven’t seen Carpenter’s film, I’d recommend seeing it first, as it’s decidely the better of the two.
Spy Kids: All The Time In The World
The fourth installment in the Spy Kids series (coming out seven years after the last one), in which two all-new kids find out the hard way that their uncool parents (or in this case, stepmom Jessica Alba) is really a spy, who is called out of retirement to stop The Timekeeper, an archvillain who is – obviously – stealing time.
I’m a big fan of Robert Rodriguez, and while the Spy Kids films aren’t his most essential films, they’re generally fun for what they are. The actual film itself is the usual case of diminishing returns for sequels – the first Spy Kids film remains the best of the lot – but it’s still fun to watch, even if the story is as nonsensical as it sounds.
But I will deduct points for the “4D” gimmick, which is a mix of 3D + “Aromascope” scratch’n’sniff cards. I understand Rodriguez’s love of old 50s/60s cinema gimmicks, but I do expect that geekery to translate into a better experience. In this case, the smell-cards didn’t work and the 3D was nothing innovative.
Johnny English Reborn
Sequel to Rowan Atkinson’s bumbling-spy/Bond spoof (also coming out seven years after the last one), in which Johnny English is in seclusion in a Tibetan monastery after being kicked out of MI7, only to be reactivated when a plot emerges to assassinate the Chinese premier.
Like the first film, it’s hit-and-miss, but with enough good gags to keep it going (depending of course on yr opinion of Atkinson’s brand of comedy – personally I like him more than most comedy film stars at the moment). Still – also like the first one – it’s disappointing in that it doesn’t take enough chances as a Bond spoof (though the recurring homicidal elderly cleaning-lady was a nice touch). Also, I remain amazed that filmmakers can come all the way over here to Hong Kong to make a movie and still get basic details wrong about Hong Kong.
License to ill,
This is dF
