Time travel stories are hard. You have to have enough cause-and-effect philosophy and convolution to play to the sci-fi crowd, but not so much that it ruins the story for people who get headaches easily. Inevitably, this balance opens up questionable holes in the plot. But while Looper requires a hefty suspension of disbelief to get through, it tells a solid story with unexpected twists that draw you in.
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The general public has a complex relationship with the police. We give them training and weapons to defend the innocent and protect their own safety, and then get upset when they use them. We rely on them to uphold law and order, and then get angry when they pull us over for speeding. We need them to be warriors, but want them to be part social worker, part referee.
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In revenue terms, The Walt Disney Company is the biggest media conglomerate in the world. Most people will tell you that’s because it consistently develops quality entertainment products of wide appeal to children and families. The cynical among us will say it’s because The Mouse never stops looking for ways to stick his hand in your pockets. Indeed, the theatrical re-release of Pixar’s Finding Nemo, a wonderful film that nevertheless premiered less than 10 years ago, gives both groups ammunition.
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The tortured artist, plying his craft, is a cliché in our culture. In reality, artists struggle with their work no less than athletes struggle with their game, or businessmen struggle with the bottom line, or parents struggle with raising kids. Yet somehow, the creation of art is viewed as a uniquely mystical process, unfathomable to outsiders, and sometimes even to other artists. The Words plays heavily into this notion, and might have risen above the cliché thanks to some great performances, but ironically, it’s undone by poor writing.
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It may or may not be true that crime doesn’t pay, but in the movies it’s at least interesting. Lawless tells a good enough story, with good enough performances, to help you overlook its occasional flaws.
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Nobody needs a movie to tell them that bicycle couriers are crazy, but they’re certainly interesting enough characters to build one around. Premium Rush is the result, a smaller-scale chase film that definitely has a lot of rush, though it isn’t quite a premium experience.
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Many people are creeped-out by stop-motion animation, which is probably why it has been so effective in light-hearted spookfests like The Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride, and Coraline. Add to this list ParaNorman, a dark but lovable film that turns comedy horror into fun for (almost) the whole family.
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It’s surely no coincidence that The Campaign appears just three months before the real elections in the United States. Just like the usual arc of a real political campaign, however, the movie generates a lot of excitement in the early going, but ends up limping to the finish.
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As times change, technology improves, and stories resonate differently with new generations, it’s to be expected that a film remake will differ, sometimes radically, from the original. But while the new Total Recall improves on the vision, themes, and action of the Arnold Schwarzenegger version, it leaves out the essential qualities that made the 1990 movie a classic.
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Remember T-Ball when you were a kid? It seemed so easy – the ball just sitting there, ready to be blasted out of the park. Then you stepped up, swung your hardest, and it only went three feet. The Watch is much like this: teed-up perfectly at the comic strengths of its stars, writers, and director, it seems like a home run in the making, but in the end it barely gets on base.
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