Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes

Takashi Miike made a 3D movie. I never know what to expect from a Miike film, the prolific filmmaker jumps from style and genre almost as fast as he spits out his films on a half yearly basis. Here we have a very restrained, slow and steady tale. A contained and simple tragedy morning the loss of an era. In that sense the 3D was surprisingly restrained as well. 

Now I made the mistake of watching this at a late sessions straight after another 3D movie when I was already tired. The 3D projection was less than desirable, I've never been to a cinema with active shutter glasses, they were uncomfortable and made the image pitch black and reading subtitles on top of all that eye train when you are tired and watching a slow paced film really didn't help. But none of that is really the fault of the film, I was still engaged in the story. 

Don't mistake this for an action packed samurai tale. It's anything but. It felt more like one small plot of a Shakespearian tragedy. I don't know much of the original film but from what I hear this is a more intimate and focused approach to the classic. Can't wait to see what Miike comes out with next. 

Jack the Giant Slayer

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes

I'd read some terrible things about the film so I have very low expectations going in, which might account for my pleasant surprise. Look it's no award winner but I had fun and it was perfectly entertaining. Some really cool visuals and a few good set pieces. And they weren't afraid to show giants ripping guys in half in a kids movie, so there's that.

Not to say it's without its problems but while I probably won't remember all the beats of the film next week I enjoyed more than I didn't. Looked good in IMAX too.

Drift

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Aaron

Was lucky enough to be invited to the World Premiere in Yallingup, where much of the film was shot and where I spent a good portion of my life growing up. A 6 hour round trip but it was quite an event, with 1300 people showing up for the outdoor screening and red carpet event. It was a very cheery atmosphere and there was plenty of spontaneous applause as the huge crowd recognised their favourite breaks on the big screening or saw friends and family as extras. It felt like half the southwest was there giving it support.

I'll review the film properly on its cinema release later in the year so I can hear it with proper sound and away from all the hype of the premiere but I will say I enjoyed it and it contains probably the most beautifully shot footage of surfing I've ever seen.

Hyde Park on Hudson

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Tyler

Hmm, yeah it's pretty good. but it doesn't have as strong of a hook as something like The King's Speech. Our way into this historical event is from the point of view of one of FDR's mistresses and that main plot feels somewhat amoral in this day and age and not very fulfilling, whereas the actual interesting stuff surrounding the meeting between this president and king is not really focused on as much as I would have liked.

It's very well acted and put together but left me a little empty.

Performance

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes

I knew this one by its original title A Late Quartet when I was reading about it last year. In Australia the title's been changed to Performance but the end credits still listed the film as A Late Quartet anyway. Go figure.

This is a nice little drama though, with a good cast. There were a few places that felt a little too on the nose, the direction was not exactly subtle. In fact it was a little clunky sometimes, one or two decisions felt very out of place. For some reason Catherine Keener's performance never rang true to me either. But as a first narrative effort from director Yaron Zilberman it holds up fine despite lacking some subtlety.

I like that the entire audience stayed all the way through the end credits to hear Beethoven's music right to the end and were just as enraptured by that as the story in the film.

A Good Day to Die Hard

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Tyler

UUUUuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhh. Just let it Die. Hard.

What a pitiful excuse for a movie. It was like an 8 year old kid in the 80's wrote the script based on what he thought all those action movies he was never allowed to see were. And then a director got a hold of it and tried to desperately turn it into the next Bourne film because that's what action filmmaking is today. Something about the CIA and documents and helicopters and car chases and cameras so shaky you can't tell what's going on. As long as we light it with yellow and blue lighting it will look cool.

The out of character way John McClane bulldozes his way into the story is almost as ham-fisted as the father/son relationship dynamic. Every line that tried to sound like a Shane Black zinger only made me want him to die even more. His penchant for wanton destruction is completely out of hand and while I'm willing to suspend my disbelief that he can keep walking away from the bigger acts of violence in the film (and even radiation poisoning) I can't believe that there's absolutely no reprimand for the hundreds that have been killed in his wake on foreign soil for something that was absolutely none of his business.

Easily the worst in the series. Easily the worst scripted action film I've seen this year. So bad it goes past good and down to just plain unwatchable.

The Croods

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Tyler, Michael

Such expensive looking animation. Absolutely gorgeous design jobs for characters, a huge number of creatures and an even larger number of expansive settings. Doing a road trip movie like this as an animation much have given the poor scene planners a heart attack but visually it's pretty stunning. Doubly so in 3D.

Whoever was in charge of special effects was working overtime too. Some crazy technical challenges on this show.

The character animation is just left of completely cartoonish. There's a bit of Warner Bros style beatings and falling from great heights but mixed in with some nice realistic moments, which is odd. But they keep the story moving and the comedy usually works well. Thankfully there's nothing to pop-cultury or annoyingly meta, the film stands well on its own merits.

It's not as satisfying as my Dreamworks gold standard, How to Train Your Dragon, and doesn't quite have the heart of Kung Fu Panda either but even with the huge technical advancements aside, it's still one of their better outputs. Very enjoyable.