Author Archive for Gavin Greene
Watchmen
Take at least a half star off from this review if you read the 1988 graphic novel. It matters that much. But whatever emotional ties you have to Alan Moore’s dystopian vision of an alternate New York, director Zack Synder still manages to craft a visually splendid, achingly entertaining film that anyone with a hunger for an action film with a mind behind it needs to see. It’s just a matter of how much your reading experiences make you realize how much better it could have been.
Clive Owen Goes ‘International’
How appropriate, in current economic conditions, that an action film is released that demonizes bankers. More specifically, the antagonist of “The International” is a bank that exists above the law – stationed in neutral borders and holding a big enough profit to bribe God – whose illegal business practices are safeguarded through the routine “accidents” that happen to anyone and everyone able to fight it.
Not “Taken” to a New Level
The critical part of my brain despises the movie “Taken.” It has developed an annoying habit of whining about tired narrative clichés and predictable dialogue right after the credits start rolling. Despite the nagging voice in my head, there were many moments in Pierre Morel’s new film – about ex-government agent Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) who is sent into brutal vengeance mode after his daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) is kidnapped by Albanian flesh peddlers in Paris – that transcend the film’s overall mediocrity and make the cost of admission somewhat worthwhile. But these moments are just too sparse to make this film more than a good way to kill an afternoon.
Looking Ahead to Video Games in 2009
While 2008 didn’t reach the pinnacle of video game awesomeness that 2007 embodied, the past 12 months also provided an incredible lineup of hardcore titles from nearly every genre, with “Metal Gear Solid 4,” “Fallout 3″ and “Grand Theft Auto IV” emerging as the most stunning available releases.
“Australia” Goes Big
Somewhere between the westerns of the 1960s and the melodramas of the 1930s lies Baz Luhrmann’s original vision of “Australia.” The outback native’s fourth film strays far from his sling-shot angles and obsession with close-ups to give a sweeping, epic view of both the breathtaking Aussie landscape and the epic romance he created for it.
Sacred Hypocrisy: The Vocabulary of Traditional Marriage
Denizens of Orange County couldn’t escape the barrage of yellow lawn signs that littered the landscape these past few weeks, demanding a yes vote on Proposition 8. Beneath the picture of a happy stick-figure family was the simple tagline, “Protect marriage.” It’s as if the “Yes on 8″ camp wanted voters to envision themselves galloping to the rescue of Maiden Marriage, imprisoned in the castle of the godless sodomites—creatures of no morals, content in ravishing the modern family in between bouts of drug abuse and deviant sex.
Heartwarming ‘Porno’ for Smith
You wouldn’t think a film with a title as blunt as “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” would be this season’s mushiest movie, but there is an undeniable charm sprinkled throughout Kevin Smith’s latest post-Jersey flick, somewhere between the anal sex and bubbles blown from below the belt.
Pixels on Screen: The Failure of Gaming Movies
“BioShock” the film, once a rumor kept afloat by Internet postings, has become an official production. Gore Verbinski, director of the “Pirates” trilogy, is to helm the project that was penned by “Sweeney Todd” writer John Logan. It is one of the more grand examples of Hollywood’s relationship with the most successful of video games. The reason we do not see every single game that grosses over 500,000 copies on the silver screen is that, historically, video game-to-movie transitions have been one of the least successful collaborations between the two industries.
