Movies

Warning, there are some spoilers in here, so read with caution!!

Just saw Universal Soldier Regeneration and it was surprisingly entertaining.  Oh, the plot and acting were terrible.  With tons of ridiculous decision making, wooden acting, and the like, but the action, that was tops.  The opening car chase is on par with something you'd find in a Bourne film, and most of the fights are a cut above most Hollywood movies in terms of creativity and brutal powow.  There were a lot of UFC inspirations in there with the holds, and it worked.  I was expecting an awful junker, but it was a nice gem, at least where action is concerned.  Jean Claude also reminded me of Old Snake from Metal Gear Solid 4.  He's old, he knows it, but don't pass him up as he's still got a bag of tricks and knows how to please the crowds.

I also rewatched District 9.  And though I really enjoyed it, I still think it's a tad overrated by most folks clamoring as this big milestone in Science Fiction.  The biggest problem for me was the whole ending action sequence with Wikus in the mech.  Let's just face it, it was really really cheezy.  He's screaming like a nut in what's clearly a soundbooth, and it comes off as ridiculous and over the top.  The mech stumbling around as it was getting shot also just screamed bad special effects the whole way through.  Christopher Johnson (the smart Prawn) is also running through this hail of gun fire for half a mile towards the ship, and holds this little piece of metal that apparently protects his ass the whole way.  Then the epic conclusion has Wikus grabbing a missile mid-flight to save the ship.  Come on.  Seriously?

Nit picking aside, I really liked the documentary style, and Wikus pulls off the ignorant bastard role perfectly.  He had to carry this movie for it to work and he really does so magnificently.  He's quirky, he's charismatic, he's unpredictable, and gosh darn it he's fun to watch.  My favorite scene with him was when he's there explaining out the popping sound of Prawn eggs being burned with a blowtorch is just like popcorn.

Special mention also has to go towards the Prawn.  If you ask me, they're far more interesting creatures than the Navi from Avatar.  Way more creative in their design.  You can basically figure all you need to know about the Navi in on sentence.  They're spiritual, they love the forest, they love their bizarre animals.  OK.  The Prawn, well, they're multi-layered and really felt like a real race.  Heck, they're almost human and in some cases more "humane".  All in all, a great film despite everything and I expect great things to come from Neill Blomkamp in the future.

It was surprisingly fun and definitely Guy Ritchie's best since Snatch.  On one hand, the movie will almost certainly offend Sherlock purists, as it plays out more like a buddy cop action movie than a real detective mystery.  On the other hand, it's the best buddy cop film in recent memory and shamefully entertaining all the way through.

The black magic aspect was especially well played, as it helped keep the film unpredictable and interesting.  Blackwood was unfortunately a tad one dimensional, which was mostly a problem of not being given more screen time to really flesh out the character.  Story was also more difficult to follow than it should have been, but at least the wrap-up scenes (ripped right out of your everyday CSI episodes) managed to keep things coherent.

All in all, a fun outing at the movies.

After so much hype, it didn't really deliver for me.  Lots of spoilers ahead, so be warned.

My comments after the break.