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Archive for 2013
Post number four and the final movie review for my new years post marathon! This is one of two science fiction films that I've invested my time on this year. Unlike the other, Star Trek: Into Darkness, this film wasn't listed on my 'must watch' films list. I've saved the best for last for this post marathon. Elysium not only made me a definite fan of director Neill Blomkamp (As the poster suggests, the director of my Sy-fy favorite), it has made me reflect myself as a film student as well.
Upon learning the technicalities and arts of film making, I can't help but to reflect myself with infamous directors of the art cinema Names such as Woody Allen and Jean-Luc Godard are often mentioned; to encourages us to make more artistic films. Yes, I admit that I'm imagining these problems in my head; thinking that someone or the public is pushing me to be an artistic filmmaker. I just can't help myself to think about these possibilities. The best that I can make out of it is self discovery; learning what I want specifically. What sort of filmmaker I want to be? Well, the reason lies on two things. I'm a geek and I'm a Muslim. So, moving on the review of this epic Science fiction, this film helped me discover that inner geek within me.
The visuals
While I feel that this film tackles a theme that's dangerously close to being cliche, the visuals are definitely admirable efforts of taking the genre to the next level. The feel of realism is elevated with handheld camera shots and I believe that's no easy task with massive amount of CGI. Not to mention the action sequence that really puts you on the edge of your seat. I'm no easy person to get hyped for action scene; the explosions and choreographed fights are just digested with almost no amount of enthusiasm. No, I don't hate it. It's just that I have a hard time to get excited about it. But that's all different with the action sequence in Elysium. I was especially excited during the kidnap scene.
The settings
It seems familiar; the whole dirty and corrupted world of Elysium and it doesn't helps when I'm now a fan of Dredd (Seeing much similarities with both film's settings). While I have no problem of seeing the same theme being tackled, I sense that this one doesn't tries to go beyond the tropes that most Sy-fy films go for. I can't deny that I have a big problem of engaging with Sy-fy films (Which is why I'm trying to dwell into it more) and perhaps this neglect is a major factor for my sense of dissatisfaction of Elysium's world. Sadly, this does affect the rating of this film; that instant feel I had when I left the cinema.
The dedication
Comes the part where self reflecting emerges out of me ever so strongly. I know I'm a geek but yet I'm confident that telling stories for the sake of commercialization wouldn't be satisfying. For a brief and scary moment, I see no solution. It's either I'm a geek, telling commercialized superhero stories, or an 'artist' who tells incomprehensible personal views of life (Oh my god, so deep). Seeing Blomkamp realizing his vision is definitely an eye opener and just plain awesome. I can't help but to compare him with J.J Abrams and especially with his latest film. I can see the dedication of Blomkamp using the genre of Sy-fy to express his views of the world. While I appreciate Abram's respect to satisfy the Trekkies and the franchise's universe itself, I take Blomkamp's work more personally; reflecting and assuring myself that it is possible and better yet, appreciated.
The story uses the high possibilities of how races and language can diversify the people of earth; most Hispanics are victims of a dying earth while Caucasians are living with the best health care in a space station named Elysium. In fact, this is a reflection of today's reality. The themes of races, medical care and politics are developed very well. I say, even more than the characters themselves. I guess this is an example of a film that focuses more on the story's settings rather than the character developments. Hmm, maybe that's another big reason why I couldn't indulge this film in full due to my taste of preferring characters. However, the theme's developments here are highly appreciated. The ending made me say to myself "This is Blomkamp's trademark" and if you've already seen District 9, I guess you can figure it out. The ending is also a strong attempt of making the themes of this story more apparent which made all of my conclusion of commending this film not commercialize worthy diminish. I knew then what sort film this is.
The verdict
I had my doubts during most of the time while I was watching this film and I regret it. It had cause me and I couldn't engage with the story to the max. After a long time of thinking it over, Elysium is a movie that's admirable with its almost altruistic ambitions with the story. This is a rating I gave after walking out of the cinema which differs from now (Which is higher). So, I give Neill Blomkamp's Elysium a strong 3.5/5.
This is post number 3 of my new year's post marathon! This film is the only animation in my 'must watch' film's list. Yes, I've heard loads of other good animation titles this year including the surprisingly (At least, to me) successful Frozen but I lack the effort of searching for more film titles and, sadly, dedication to watch them. Hmm, maybe that should be my new year's resolution.
While some people might say Pixar's marketing strategy is preventing them from producing more high quality animations, I must say that I love it. They release a sequel this year; catching the attention of old time fans (The 90's kids who are already grown up) and attracting new ones (The kids of the current generation) by releasing a new title in the following year. It is understandable that the pressure of releasing a film annually can stunt the creative growth. I also understand the lucrative side; of gaining more profits. While capitalizing films purely for profit will ruin it's full potential, I see that the marketing strategy here is working pretty well. With the exception of Cars, most Pixar films has succeed in capturing the hearts of the audience...and their cash. Haha.
The chemistry
At a first glance, it's obvious the Mike Wazowski takes the lead in this prequel. This is a surprise since none of the trailers highlighted this. Most of them suggest that the story purely revolves around the duo though Sully does have his fair share of emotional moments. To not spoil most of the plot, let's just say that Mike is the lead, without a doubt, and Sully supports that development in the most beautifully written way.
The engagement
I'm in University now so, of course, I had that small but effective moment of reflecting myself with Mike's first day of college. This is where Pixar films shines very well and the engagement gets only stronger when the story highlights that head scratching formula of being successful. In life, there's always the talented and the knowledgeable. Since I've just experience this phenomenon, it just makes me feel..."Urgghh, I know how you feel, Mike Wazowski". Sully, the talented, but ignorant Scarer was just so relatable, annoying and lovable! Together with the chemistry of the characters, it made the story just more engaging and enjoyable!
The realization
I'll point out the potential in the film had that could make it better but as of late, I've realized that perhaps I'm just too old for Pixar films--What am I saying?!--haha. It's hard not to notice the bashes that some cartoon or animation receives from adult critics. The most constant I heard, especially this year with their new games being released, is Pokemon. "The first generation was better!" or "The new designs suck!" are among the arguments. Aside from maintaining the freshness of an ongoing franchise, a big factor that concludes me to disagree is that the show is for freaking kids! It's meant to be colorful to catch their attention. The story is suppose to be shallow or simple (As I prefer) to relate with them more. While I agree that some shows has gone bad to a certain extent (Like how some Pokemon designs are silly), it's a teeth grinder to see or hear ridiculous arguments and even insults. So, this new notion has lead me to a head scratcher as to what trope, theme and character development that wasn't enough (Or even too much) to make Monster's University an all time favorite.
Take note that this is an instant reaction after watching the film. The opinion during that moment and after a decent amount of time are totally different. To be honest, maybe the film would be another all time favorite if I'd watch it again now but as for that moment when the end credits roll, I had a different reaction.
So, here's the downside of the flick. Because it was a prequel, the expectation that they'll be best friends and work at the Monster's Incorporation was more apparent and expected. Admirably, there were efforts of making it unexpected. I loved the climax. It answered that small question I had of what the human world was like in this story's universe. Again, because of the expectation, the ending couldn't be delivered in a more heart warming, tear jerking way. Make no mistakes, it was good but that high level of story you expect from Pixar wasn't delivered.
The conclusion
It's a kid's film and even better, it's a great and smart one! I'm starting to worry as there are other--not only bad--but uneducated movies for little children. As always, this Pixar film is engaging, heart warming and inspirational. It's also an admiration for the company's new bold move of trying out prequels. I give Monster's University a grade of 3.5/5 for bringing back James P. Sullivan and Mike Wazowski; reminding me that dreams can come true in the most unexpected way. The grade is also for the lack of the Pixar 'wow' factor due to it's firs time making a prequel film.
New years is almost here and I'm doing a post marathon before 2013 ends! This is the second post and yet another movie review. For your information, this film is not in my 'must watch' film's list and this is the first review of such titles for 2013! Wow! I need to update more! So, let's move on to the review!
Using the word hate is something I'd try to avoid when writing a review or even when I'm commenting on any films. I try to remind myself that the filmmakers, the fans of the film and my opinion should be justified through constructive criticism. After watching this film, I've tried my best for the past few months to find the proper words to express my feelings for this work of fiction. Here's what I can come up with:
Generalized
I sense an ambition within the story that is trying to be build; an emotion is trying to be created. Possibly, that same emotion when you're watching Christopher Nolan's Inception. No, that's not fair; to compare and overshadow a film with another. Perhaps, the right way to describe it is that they're trying to create that awesome feeling when you've been blown away with the plot twist. Yes, that's it and that's what I sensed from the start to the end of the film. The problem is that too much it was used and without much care of the emotional developments. One amazing magic trick to the next and we don't see good character developments except for this very stressful Mark Ruffalo. Not to mention that some of those 'illusions' were impossible. I was confused. Is this a movie about real magic or magic tricks? The ambition of taking 'advantage' of mind blowing plot twist seriously overshadowed the possibility of a great story and I do sense a lot of great story opportunities.
Like the word 'generalized' suggest, it's the sad and annoying notion that we must add more action and sassy to make it watchable for the whole audience. Admitting that it works is one thing but seeing it being abused to a point where half baked films are produced is another. This film, like Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, is a victim to the explosive box office generalization of brawn over brains.
The possibilities
This is the good part of the film but bear in mind that I'm pointing out what could have been and not the existing positive aspects of the film. I love the cast but they were not used to the max. For goodness's sake, it's Morgan Freeman, Michael Cane, Mark Ruffalo and Melanie Laurent! I am a fan of Mark since he's been in one of my all time favorite films. I've seen Melanie Laurent from the Inglorious Bastards. She's very stunning-hehehe-and it's good to see her being in mainstream films again. Don't get me started on Freeman and Cane! They're legends; enough said.
Cast aside, what bugs me the most is the ambitions of the main character and the movie title. At first, I thought that Jesse Eisenberg was the main character but I don't see him being highlighted well--heck, maybe not at all! We kept seeing a very stressful and clumsy Mark Ruffalo; he hates the four horsemen and is now suddenly in love with Melanie Laurent. Poof! Spoiler Alert! It turns out that he was the mastermind and in fact, he was the main character all along.
....what the heck?!
So, now I finally 'see' the main character/mastermind? This is just my assumption and if I'm wrong just--please, tell me. So, uh, what is this? An attempt to break the basic plot structure? Make no mistakes, I have no problem with such attempts, it's intriguing and admirable but all efforts of exploring more with the concept just failed. Why? Because of what I've stated before; being too generalized. Breaking the plot structure is no easy task, folks. And trying to make it box office worthy is another hard thing all together. Upon writing this, maybe this is the main reason why I find it very hard for me to love this film. It's frustrating that most of my friends loved it and bashed me for not having the same opinion. Was I being too harsh with my comments? Yes, so that's why I'm trying to state my words constructively as to why I have such feelings for this film.
Tricking the audience that the antagonist is actually the protagonist. It sounds familiar but I'm not sure where I've seen it before. So, this was the attempt I sensed in the film which was, sadly, not explored to the max.
The verdict
In all honesty, I did not had a good time watching this film. A rating of three out of five is the number I'd usually go for any simple but not bombastic films. In this case, I have to give it lower for being a victim of the typical box office formula and for not exploring the antagonist and protagonist concept very well. Now you see me earns a
2/5.
2013 is almost at the end and in terms of my spoil's list, I'm not even done!
There's a total of 8 films in it (Not including the video games and CD's) and sadly, I didn't managed to watch all of them in theaters. Heck, there's like two films that I haven't even watched yet! That's so frustrating! So, to make the geek side of my personality satisfied, I'm planning on making reviews for all of the films in my list (Thor 2 and Monster's University) and this year's films that were surprisingly awesome! This includes Elysium and Now you see me. Let's just hope I can discipline myself to finish all of this before new years; considering that I am having so much fun playing Batman Arkham Origins and Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag!!!! SO AWESOME--Okay! Calm yourself now.
Yet another Marvel film for this year and I must admit the jealousy I have for Marvel Studios right now. Ever since Disney bought the company, their movie marketing has been really crazy. It's almost impossible not to miss it whenever your outside and especially when you're at the mall. I've been keen on learning how to advertise artworks or films creatively; without the dependency of money. So, seeing them making Thor or Iron man a trend really makes me feel that my efforts are almost pointless. Thor is like everywhere and I can't accept the crazy advertising fondly because I don't think Thor is much of a big hype as compared to The Avengers. I understand if a company would go crazy with a film with that much of a big gimmick but for a character who's still young in the cinematic universe; having only two films (Thor one and The Avengers) is not enough to make this one an all time favorite. Yes, I do believe comic book characters need to age well in Cinematic universe. It has more certainty because to understand the character's legacy and translating it into another medium really takes time in the creative and thinking aspect. I mean, when it comes to Hollywood, anybody could make a big mindless explosive film.
Overall plot
On to the movie itself and to be frank, it didn't lived up to it's hype. While watching, I had a good time. I laughed and smiled. By the end of the film, as I walk out of the cinema, I felt nothing. There were no emotional engagement with the character or plot; none of those "I feel your pain *insert favorite fictional character here* ". None of those self reflection or even deep analysis of the plot and character. It is a fact that most commercial films has the same basic outline of the plot; hero has a problem, hero faces the problem and hero wins. And to complain about this is nonsensical, if you don't like it then go watch those art house films. The problem here is that there were no love for the characters; Thor, Jane Foster and the ever so shallow villain, Malekith.
The bad
I didn't know who Malekith was in the comic book universe and I didn't want to. I wanted to be surprised by the plot since knowing too much of the fictional history partially ruined my experience with The Dark Knight Rises. Malekith was just very one dimensional; a basic summary of his portrayal in the story. He wanted to conquer the 9 realms and that's it! No personal issues or self motivation; just a simple "Screw you, I'm evil!". I was however shocked when Thor's mother died. That was unexpected and it motivated me to love Thor but it was soon diminish when her death affected Loki's character development better.
The good
Ah, Loki. Perhaps, the most loved villain in Marvel's cinematic universe. I couldn't fathom this phenomenon at first. I see Loki, at first, only as that typical sympathized bad boy characters. He kills people with no mercy? It's okay because the love of his life was killed mercilessly. Haha. It's not boring, it just take time for me to appreciate since I notice how writers tend to use this often only as a tool to gain sympathy from audiences. I hate Kratos from God of War the most when it comes to these bad boy characters. However, I'm glad that I was finally proven wrong with Loki through this film. I felt him. I felt his anger. Like most audience would admit, he was the best thing of the film. Not to mention his brief funny scene while shape shifting into The Avengers. Sadly, that fire was almost ruined by an obvious 'there's a sequel' scene. I love sequels but I'd prefer to have one story at a time; concluding the stories first then make a new one.
The honesty
While I try to be constructive as possible, I must admit that the biggest factor that influences me for this film is that I really just don't care about Thor; not being a fan for the comics and in films. It's almost that same notion of Superman's dilemma; he's too strong and so you'd already expect that he would win unconditionally and effortlessly. Like I said, there were no love for the character and the love story was just bland. Loki is the star of the show and this is, sort of, sad because the effort was being put into Thor as the main character. On a side note, Idris Elba was also awesome! He was awesome in Pacific Rim too! He even get that brief epic moment as Heimdall! He even was also one of the few good things in Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. Okay, I'm repeating myself here.
The conclusion
This film is in the sequel's section of the list and it earns a solid 3/5 for a good time. I had a good time watching it; releasing my stress and all. That rating is also for convincing me to love Loki and, sadly, for the lack of love for Thor, Jane Foster and Malekith.
A final article before I start my second semester in film studies.
To recap, Serious Steps are articles that highlight my works for my studies; a more serious effort (That's debatable) for causes outside my own. Only this time, I'm going to center works I did for a carnival that I'm volunteering since I'm not ready to share my videos to the world yet.
Soul Carnival , being held in MMU Cyberjaya, is a carnival that centers the idea of spreading the love and Islam; to share smiles and joy with all. It's a one day event that has games for children, talks and celebrity guests. Click on the link for more information!
Because I'm here to talk about my proposed artworks.
The artworks were done months ago! But execution of releasing them to the public was only recently; even then, only one or two were used. Why I designed these works is because of two things:
1. The longing for da'wah; my responsibility of sharing the teachings of Islam.
2. I had an idea. Once I have an idea, I tend to become obsessed with it
Earlier this year, I missed my post-SPM days where I spend my times teaching kids. I loved every single moment of it. I felt I was doing something meaningful for myself, society and Islam. So, after months of absence in the field, and the much stressful assignments, I figured that I could help out a little with the Islamic clubs in my university.
I volunteered for this carnival and I was tasked as a 'security' or an 'escort' for the celebrities attending. During one of briefing, I reached to one of the leading coordinators to pitch an idea that I've had for a long time.
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| Constructive criticisms are welcomed |
The Idea came from an observation as a geek; that hype loyal fans whom are artists create for their beloved work of fiction. I see so much of beautiful fan arts that are unique, passionate and satisfying. Sometimes, I prefer fan arts over original ones. For instance, due to the fact that Jaegers aren't real, we'll only see the same movie stills and posters of the characters. As fans, we want to see more and waiting two to three years for the sequel won't cut it. Thus the answer is fan art.
The fact that the artworks also create strong hype is also interesting; a free publicity, you might say. Thus with this carnival offering an opportunity, I just can't help but to experiment my styles and knowledge.
I've created a few concepts of art styles based on my observation and the type of audience it captures. The above picture is a Sepia style; a constant style that I see in social networks. Due to it's, especially, simplicity and artistic nature, it's quite teen-friendly. I believe anyone who has Instagram can do this; with a picture, a quote and the filters.
The picture above is an example I did; an extra picture I took for my previous assignments. I knew keeping those extra pics would come in handy someday. The picture beside is more experimental; mashing in random lines and textures. I, kind of, like it but I know it's not presentable.
The Cartoon/Mascot Style
This is a more kid friendly style. The idea was having people creating their own 'little me'; the same shape of body with a different colors and headgear. This could have been a stronger trend setter though but alas, there's not much time to rely on people designing their own. But one of the head coordinator did use it as a profile picture on facebook; that's it.
After seeing a tutorial of making pixel art, I just had to do it! Initially, it was intended to be another mascot style but instead it turned into my personal profile picture. Haha. I love it very much. To be on a safe side, it's 'me' wearing my favorite green hoodie.
Recently, I am fascinated by geometric art. I am not keen on visual art. I can come up with a decent story but not a solid canvas. This weakness lead to some fascinating discoveries of geometrical beauties . One where I find most interesting is rearranging photo(s) into shapes such as triangles, hexagon, octagon and so on. I think it's really cool and, frustratingly, it makes me jealous because I couldn't come up with something like that. Darn. This discovery was observed in social networks; those selfies that are distorted into some new found 'artistic' shapes. But I was impressed with a work I saw on a Photoshop tutorial page. That's when I became fond of this style. So, I did some for myself; for this carnival. And of course I did add some 'me' in it; a restriction if you might say.
The first draft
It's not much of a drastic rearrangement to a point you can't tell what it is. I have this strict 'style' that I must put some 'sanity' to it. It's a puzzle. That's what I could think of and I'm fond of it. The little misplacement of the clouds is something I really like....I can't elaborate why for the moment. I just do.
How would this help the bring hype to the carnival? I thought it would be interesting to bring hype to the fan art itself. Yes, the fan art is to bring hype for the carnival but having more hype before it happens just scream out certainty to me. People would like and share this artwork to reveal the logo and the fan art project. After decent amount of those two, we would introduce the project. Alas...again, there's no time to wait for a decent amount of 'social acceptance' (Likes and Share). This idea was scraped.
The final product. I love it! hehehe~
Finally, as always, I leave the best for last. Come to think of it, I love most of the works I did! Let's not get carried away now. Most fan arts I stumble upon are digital or manual drawings. From Assassin's Creed to Batman, there are thousands of designers dedicating their time to draw an awesome fan art. All the above is experimental with satisfying results but below is not; no new styles, no observing the masses. It's just me being me with my drawing. Sigh, I miss drawing. Take note that this was done months ago, around February. Film assignments doesn't give me much room to draw.
The Sketch
I forgot to mention that it's a collaboration with a friend. I would sketch and he would color. I drew with pencils and thicken the lines with pen to ease the vectorizing.
Yes, I'm aware that they don't have legs. I was, admittedly, lazy. Plus, I can't draw satisfying legs. I was afraid that I might ruin it if I keep erasing it with my eraser. If you'd ask me, I personally love the woman in the middle. I drew my favorite hijab style on her.
Colored
My friend had some problem deciding what colors to use. In the end though, it's really good. It took awhile for me to digest. I know his style and this is definitely his style; seeing it fused with mine was just odd at first. In time, I did enjoy this product. Heck, even others complimented the colors. Here is his blog:
There would be booths and talks special for Muslim women; Sister's Zone. Some of my favorite Celebrity Muslimahs would be there, man! I wanna meet her! Men aren't allowed. I am sad. Najwa Latif, Diana Amir and the lovely Heliza Helmi! Weeee~!
Okay, calm yourself, man.
The Final Product!
Of course, the colored sketch wasn't enough. I need to put the logo to make it more obvious. So, this is the final that I went for. The background I did was a combo with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop to mimic the textures. It turn out well, Almahdulillah. I like how our names were incorporated. That's essential. I don't think most people would bother to read the descriptions.
Alhamdulillah, it's been awhile since I've updated my Serious Steps articles. Don't even get me started on the rare Islamic articles! I think this is the first one where I'm not that emotional. That's one of the reasons why I call it 'serious'; to show the lessons I learned from these works. I'm grateful that I could help the function in ways that I could. It doesn't end here though, there's still the even itself. What wonders and horrors awaits?
That's it for the third Serious Steps article, constructive criticisms are welcomed.
Salam and have a good day readers!
This is the first new title in my 'must watch' film's list! I know that I'm late upon wiring this review since it was released around 2 months ago but I was just too busy with assignments. Since this is the only new title film on my list that I've managed to watch, I just have to write a review about Guillermo Del Toro's passionate work!
Of course I knew very well about the genre; Kaiju and mecha. I have the need to highlight this because the general audience aren't very aware of this genre's traits and beauties. This notion gives me that annoying assumptions that the masses will automatically compare with Transformers; even worse, saying that it's a rip off of the Cybertronians. Screw this people. But that is one of the challenges of tackling the genre and that's the easy part. The hardest part, in terms of writing the story, was creating a solid universe that relinquish gimmick infringement from it's source material such as Godzila, Gundam and, the most common association from the fans of the genre, Evangelion. But what can I see for sure, besides the breathtaking graphics, is the passion put into the film.
Perhaps the primary traits of this film is it's visual; not only with the epic battles but also the story. I am not exactly a visual driven story teller. Heck, I don't even know how one does that. But upon entering film course, I have to and I begin to understand bit by bit. The world's design was Del Toro's dependency on revealing the depths of the film; not much strong dialogues were used. The Jaeger and Kaiju's design tell more stories behind the current conflict. I am the kind of audience who bashes films that has action conquering over story; when exaggerated explosions has no story significance. But the mayhem in this film was indeed significant in ways that reveals character development and monstrous beauties. For instance, when Raleigh Becket piloted Gypsy Danger with his brother, I noticed a different fighting stance when Becket was piloting with Mako Mori.
Which brings me to the next topic about the characters. First of, I've seen Rinko Kikuchi in another all time favorite of mine; seeing her finally in a big Hollywood film puts a smile on my face. It's good to know that she's making it big now. She's very talented and straight away I saw her performance being very good in this film; the distinctive body language and expression tells us all about the character Mako Mori and not the dialogue. And the scene where Mako dwelling in her past was just. So. Amazing. I just can't stand seeing a little girl crying; little Mako was just so helpless. Man, that actress was amazing. Stacker Pentecost was also a good character; it's freaking Idris Elba for god's sake, of course he was awesome! The man, at most times, is always awesome. He was even good in a Mumford & Son's music video, Lover of the light. He was also awesome in Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance! Good god that was an awful movie. But to be frank though, I must say that Raleigh Becket wasn't a memorable character. Mako is more memorable than him. I can't say for sure whether if it was the acting or the writing. Becket seemed one dimensional. He's that typical hero you always see; a loner who's trying to get away from his past. I can't feel the main character's presence in the film. That's the down side of Pacific Rim.
Another aspect I'd like to point out is the amount of strong dialogue's presence in the story. As I've stated, I'm a story drive guy so I have this feeling that the film could have been better if Del Toro took more time with character developments; of the dialogues and relationships. The best representation of character development this film has is the Drift. It's when two pilots share thoughts in order to control the Jaeger. Again, visual dependency is high and the Drift is such a strong way to highlight the relationships such as Mako's with Pentecost. Del Toro even took the time to explore the Drift's concept with Herc and Chuck Hansen; father and son. Such care were given for this story; bit by bit, I'm learning how to tell stories visually. Even character developments were taken to it's fullest potential with the huge battle scenes.
The battles were amazing. I felt every punch and exhaustion the Jaegers had to go through with the Kaijus. Yes, the CGI was breath taking but make no mistakes; it's not just ridiculous action that made it work. Finally, I can see what's happening rather than what we see in Transformers. Sometimes, I can't tell what the hell is happening when the Autobots are fighting. I don't see the punches clearly.
I admire the passion so much. To be frank, I have this assumption that I have to be a very deep artsy guy when dwelling in the film industry. When I ask myself, am I an artistic person? After recalling all of my inspirations and past works, I'm a geek! A fan boy! So, seeing the film made passionately by a self proclaim Otaku gives me hope that I can be myself in this industry. Thank god.
This year's new title, Pacific Rim, earns a strong 4/5 for it's strong visual story telling and the passion Guillermo Del Toro gave for this film. Perhaps if the main character was given more 'unique' attributes, this film could have been better. The Jaegers beat their way up; surpassing my ratings for this year's 'main event' film Man of Steel . Damn, I put so much hope for the Kryptonian.
OH MY GOD!
It's Eidul Al-adha and it's been months since I posted anything here! A lot has been through with my life which can affect the foundations of this blog:
1. I'm a film student now which brings the question what this blog should be about? I always tried to make my articles 'graphic' based (If it's not about reviews). So, should I just show the short films I did for my assignment?
2. I haven't draw for a long time! The X-factor that drove me to write and procrastinate on this blog.
So many questions yet I gave not much attention to figure it out. While I seek the answers for this question, I'll fill my holidays with this one article. A tribute to Kamen Rider.
It's that time of the year again for Rider Fans: the end of a series and a beginning of a new one! Above is the new fruit/samurai/locks themed Rider. Now that I've done watching Kamen Rider Wizard (The previous one) and Kamen Rider W, I have so much to say about the franchise.
It's safe to say that I'm still a fresh Kamen Rider fan; having to only finish six Rider series. But I can't help to notice the constant teeth grinding cliches' that exists within the franchise. Characters always arrive in the fighting scene on time (With no effort of the writers making it seamless), weakly written punching bags (The weekly monsters to be slaughtered), one dimensional fighting choreography (Every Rider is either a swordsman or Gun fu expert and the main Rider is always both) and bad acting (Just odd body languages).
Of course, there are trademarks that is annoying at a certain point but can't be complained. Such as the toy weapons and gears. Number one rule of getting into Kamen Rider (Especially for those artsy film critics), it's a merchandise-driven show. All of those fancy transformations and the impractical weapons are meant to sell the merchandise to kids and adult collectors. If you complain about that then don't bother watching Kamen Rider in the first place.
Like WWE, I'm having problems of loving these franchises. Both have predictable, boring and repetitive plot devices. That is until I am reminded of the very reason why I love Riders in the first place.
Fang/Joker
One of the hero's power forms in Kamen Rider W; a series I've recently finished watching
Of course, there are trademarks that is annoying at a certain point but can't be complained. Such as the toy weapons and gears. Number one rule of getting into Kamen Rider (Especially for those artsy film critics), it's a merchandise-driven show. All of those fancy transformations and the impractical weapons are meant to sell the merchandise to kids and adult collectors. If you complain about that then don't bother watching Kamen Rider in the first place.
Like WWE, I'm having problems of loving these franchises. Both have predictable, boring and repetitive plot devices. That is until I am reminded of the very reason why I love Riders in the first place.
One of the hero's power forms in Kamen Rider W; a series I've recently finished watching
For Kamen Rider, I always admire the ridiculous amount of creativity. After finishing any Rider series, I always notice the layers of gimmicks of the story. Hence, the fruit/samurai/lock themed Kamen Rider Gaim. And for the debut of Kamen Rider Gaim, here's my own way of a tribute to the franchise.
A story idea
"About a year ago, Mark Rawlins, a private investigator, lost his mentor in a mysterious hurricane incident on an Island during a case they were investigating. The suspect, Alexander Kane, an archaeologist who also lost his 23 year old son in the hurricane blames both Mark and his mentor. Now in the present, Mark stumbled upon supernatural cases that leads to Alexander Kane. His only leads are mysterious artifacts from an unknown culture long time ago whom Alexander Kane recently discovered one of them in his excavations. Suddenly, Mark knew that he was in some very dark secrets that redefines logic. But with help, he might get through all of this madness. That help is Daniel Kane."
The Concept
Alexander Kane believes in the fairy tale of Gaia's Guardians. Mother nature was worried about her earth being destroyed by mankind's parasitic nature so she chose a family to protect it. Instead of violence, Gaia tasked the chosen family to guide the men and women from further damaging her soil; of the ecosystem, consumable energies and many more. With each passing families of every generation, they each acquired a totem that holds their memories; of their sacrifice, love and secrets. Each totem has three distinctive features and they are animals, elements and gems; all representing the families legacy. Not much is known of what these artifacts are capable of but Alexander Kane seeks to find that out.
Upon finishing Kamen Rider W, I notice a huge story possibility in the near ending episodes; a story aspect that can be emphasized in more unique ways. So, this story idea is based on Kamen Rider W and if you have watched the series, it should be very obvious.
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| The heroes of the series. Both men are required to transform into a single Super hero. Guess who's the detective. |
To summarize for those who aren't aware of the show's story, basically it's a detective flick who has superpowers. They investigate supernatural cases but it wasn't emphasized in a way you'd expect. Capiche?
Mind boggling, right? The show's terminology of their source of power is very creative and it inspired me to write the artifact's concept in my idea. The heroes source of power comes from earth's 'memories'. From there, some villainous scientists created the Gaia memories...that looks like thumb drives. Hence, comes my idea of Gaia's Guardians and their artifacts that contains their memories.
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| It's just clever merchandising...okay! Don't ask. |
The heroes and even villains transform by using these Gaia memories. What comes next is who I imagine acting out as Mark Rawlins and Daniel Kane.
From my favorite movie, Mark Ruffalo (left) plays the detective! He's just so cool and charming in this film. Not to mention, the fedora.
And Robert Pattinson to play Daniel Kane. I don't know, I imagined a spoiled rich kid in his 20's...out pops Robert in my head.
Michael Caine as Alexander Kane. For some, when they imagine a wise and charming veteran, they might think of Gandalf. Well, I think of Alfred Pennyworth. Another key point in the plot you should know is that the detective's partner in Kamen Rider W is the son of the main villain. So, their relationship is also important in my story idea.
So, what's the point of these ideas? How does it pays respect to the franchise? This idea is for both fans and non fans alike. I wanted to create different perspectives of seeing the Kamen Riders; of how much inspiration you can get from this merchandise-driven show. Yes, at times the show makes me roll my eyes to a point where it goes white but I have to appreciate and admire the constant fresh ideas every year. It's not easy making a franchise lasted for more than 30 years, you know? So, here's hoping for our favorite franchise to still carry on, Pokemon (Pokemon X & Y's hype is crazy!), WWE, Doctor Who, Digimon, and Ultraman, have a nice day!
This is the main event on my list; a movie with high expectations and anticipation!
Expectations
A writing innovation is what I'd expect from Man of Steel; much like The Dark Knight trilogy. No, I didn't wanted it to be too grounded. I wanted Superman's fictional history to be treated as a mythology; respecting the source material while having a smartly written narrative. As I expected, and thankfully wanted, the film centers Superman as a wondering alien and not that prime example of an old school superhero. And with that, the film started out with good reactions from me. This is gonna be a long post.
The star power of this film is really powerful; even Laurence Fishburne plays as a minor character (Perry White) and his status is very big and talented. Amy Adams as Lois Lane was odd; considering that Miss Lane is infamous for having black hair. However, her performance was superb as to what I'd expect from this talented woman. Henry Cavill as the man of steel himself was spot on. I love him and he was definitely bad ass. Though I can't help to think that Christopher Reeve's influence still impacts to this day. Cavill's nose, blue eyes and jaw had some strong similarity to Reeve's. Michael Shannon, whom I loved in Boardwalk Empire, brought his own flare with General Zod which fit just nice in the universe. To be frank, I don't bother to write about actor/actress's performances because, at most times, they'll perform nicely. But I just feel like I have to due to the enormous names being involved.
Aftermath
Let's continue with the positive, which is how I feel for this film, I love the innovation in general; where they are going with the story is what I'd expected and, thankfully, loved. Superman's story was told from the aspect of a wondering alien which haven't been done before in film. Although it would be new to the general audience but it's somewhat of an old story for hardcore fans. I definitely love the suit, no complaints.
As I indulge in the story, I love the scenes where Clark was with his parents. It should have been emphasized more and, yes, the film lacked those heartfelt scenes as it was overshadowed with CGI madness. Clark's scene with Jonathan Kent was one of the highlights in the character developments and I hope he'll return in the sequel; of course, in a form of a flashback. It's kind of funny, you see, because I watched Superman II (For the first time) on that very night after watching Man of Steel. Yes, we can't compare those two due to the gap of years; the technology and mentality. But it's interesting to see the development of General Zod in the 80's to today's Zod. Where 80's Zod was a curious and somewhat arrogant tourist on earth, today's Zod is a man on a mission. That typical conquering alien motive is still there but as we travel deeper in the story, Zod is not a shallow villain; he only wanted the best interest for his people and you could really see that motive being portrayed as humanly as possible. Like Dr. Connors in The Amazing Spiderman (Though a badly written villain), General Zod was the perfect villain to start and expand this new Superman universe.
Having writing all those positive aspects of the film, it's time to point out the flaws and, yes, the flaws are big enough to withhold it's potential of being an epic film. The biggest problem I had was the CGI madness; it overshadowed the character developments. To be more specific, Metropolis was bashed and battered worst than Manhattan in The Avengers. And the characters were almost A-okay with the destruction at the end of the film; there were no trauma or character developments. That bothered me because it did effect it's full potential. Also, the story gave some unnecessary amount of screen time to classic but
minor characters. Perry White, Louis Lane's boss, was important but the
scene where he and a few of his employees ran for their lives (In the chaos of
Metropolis being attacked) didn't help bringing the climax to its fullest
potential.
Yeah, I am aware the mainstream critics aren't a fan of this film as a whole. And I always consider the critics. Though frankly, I had a good feeling of satisfaction when walking out of the theaters and that's where it counts. Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (Gemma Arterton is so stunning!), The Last Stand and Fast and Furious 6 are examples of this year's films I've watched that didn't gave me satisfaction; especially FF 6! Man of Steel didn't live up to it's hype; that's the reality. It didn't gave me that 'Epic' feeling like The Dark Knight Rises did. So, with these two outcomes of mine, here's the verdict:
Man of Steel, this year's main event, earns a 3.5/5. Lesser than Iron Man 3 (Aww [ =( ] ) and The Dark Knight Rises . That rating is for it's right path of innovation; of where the story should be and the lack of character developments from most characters except for Kal-El and Zod.
This Space Opera is also on my must watch film's list. I have this habit of categorizing things and this film is in the new genre section of the list. Others include sequels (Iron Man 3), new titles and animations.
What I like about this reboot of the original TV series is the smart writing; the way it utilizes the universe's fictional history. Like Superhero films, this particular film has a lot of room for me to study.
The reason why Star Trek is in the new genre section of the list is because I am not fond of Science Fiction (Specifically Space Opera); the spaceship dogfights just doesn't stimulates me as much. Heck, I watched the first installment of this reboot on TV. But I am aware of it's huge fandom, both the film and genre, thus leading me to take some note.
First things first, I just have to start with the villain. It is due to a film that I watched two days before this; Fast and Furious 6 was just bad for me. It was spontaneous and I thought 'why not' since I don't do that much often. It is that typical action-popcorn flick that I don't go for in theaters (Making me uninterested in writing a review for it) and I have highlight this one particular point to make you understand my next point regarding Star Trek. I hate the villain. The villain in FF 6 was so forced; trying to make him this bad ass, cold fella who's somehow always 3 steps ahead of the heroes (For the sake of the plot of course). It gives me this idea that people in Hollywood are desperate to make a bad ass villain like the joker because it sells. Whether it's true or not, it was just too forced. That what I was expecting from the villain in Star Trek into Darkness; another planner as the villain. Thank god, he wasn't! (Hence, why I chose the poster with him being highlighted)
Khan, which is an awesome name, is the villain in this year's Star Trek; a re-imagine character from the TV series. He wasn't a cliche' villain, he--maybe the best word to describe him is 'perfect'; specifically perfect in the universe. Khan, at first, simply wanted the safety of his captured crew which has a reflection of a small part of what the story revolves around; a captain's responsibility for his crew. It really hit me when he cries in his prison...man, that was a good scene. Another aspect that I see is that the film, technically, have two villains; the Fleet Admiral Alexander Marcus. It's almost like watching a superhero film because it's the genre that highlights two antagonists very well. The existence of the Admiral helps making Khan's presence more of a multi layered character rather than just a one dimensional villain.
Another point is Spock and Kirk's chemistry. It really is the center of the film and I can see why the two are very popular in pop culture. I, especially, preferred Spock because the idea of him being an alien that thinks emotions are irrelevant is shown very well. It's not easy to do write such things, the slightest error in the dialogue might diminished that idea. And his character development of accepting his human half; of being afraid of death is just so awesome. What about Kirk's death? It was used well but it was very cliche'. Perhaps, that's the only big flaw of the film to me. Kirk's death was too cliche'.
On a side note, I am aware that each of the crew has a place in the fan's hearts. As a series, the opportunity of highlighting each of them are wider compared to movies. Interestingly, Nyota Uhura, Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Scotty and the rest were presented well; each having their own strong amount of screen time. The Klingons made an appearance...very interesting. I'm not a Trekkie. I knew this pop culture phenomenon through the documentary. Through that, I knew that the series produced and actual alien language that now has been used to translate a few books. So, yeah, it was interesting to see them. We even get to here Zoe Saldana speak some Klingon.
In summary, the film is an okay introduction for me to the Space Opera genre and I hope I get to write some good science fiction story in the future. I give Star Trek Into Darkness a 3/5 for a damn smart writing.
Here are past works I made for my assignments labeled "Serious Steps" .
But I am working on a post and it's coming soon. Before that, I just wanted to write about the upcoming series, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. No, I'm not going to be all geeky for this series. I just had to write about this because, to me, it's has a huge possibility of changing the Comic Book landscape forever!
No, it's not being geeky! Just think for a second of the possibility!
It's a tie-in series to the Marvel's Cinematic Universe; a hoard of Marvel superhero films that escalated in The Avengers. Yes, we've seen tones of movie tie-in series but this one is somewhat different in terms of it's basic plot. First of, it's a series to the universe which means we're not gonna see forced stories just to cope or catch up with the films; the room for creativity is wide enough for a solid writing. Secondly, and if I haven't emphasize this enough, the show is a true leap forward in the comic book industry. Why, you may ask; it's no stranger that comic books heavily relies on rosters of characters and the series allows those lesser titans in the roster a chance to appear in live action. Yes, it's that simple, commonly unattended, uproar of fans to see their favorite heroes come to life. Finally, we can see unattended heroes like Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Black Cat (Who seems impossible to be brought to life due to possible'gimmick' infringement of Cat Woman) and even, the Inhumans! The bridge between the colorful pages of comics and live action could almost be diminished.
Well, that's all there is to it for positive expectations. In the more depressing possibilities, there is the tendency of television series of using the drama genre quite annoyingly. For example, there is DC's Smallvile. I am aware that the show did well but alas, for fans of my taste, it was just too dramatic. Ridiculous conflicts of miss-communication between gals and pals. Don't get me wrong, the drama always make the story more strong; it's just to what are they crying for is bothering me. I just can't bear that the character has to deal with his girlfriend being dramatic while he has to save the freaking world! I would be like 'Woman, stop being selfish! The man needs to stop the train from exploding!'. But hey, that's what that sort of drama--okay, let's just call it chick flick. That's what chick flick wants from the audience; a reaction of love or hatred towards the characters. There is also, and I shall make it brief, the C.S.I. investigating shit. I hate it. Don't put it in there.
Agent Coulson is back...yeah, I'm not that excited about it. Intrigued but not excited.
So, that is all for this brief post. I haven't posted something like this in awhile; feels rewarding somehow. Also, I can't wait to write for the next post; it is sure to have some decent amount of my art piece. I am now still touching up the works.
Salam and have a good day everybody!
