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The Man of Steel returns to the big screen with this continuation of the icon's film legacy that picks up after the events of the first two Christopher Reeve films. Some time has passed since the events of Superman II and the world has gotten used to life without Superman (Brandon Routh) ever since his puzzling disappearance years earlier. Upon his return, he finds a Metropolis that doesn't need him anymore, while Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) has moved on with another young suitor Richard White (James Marsden) in the meantime. As the hero begins to tackle the fact that life on Earth has continued without him, he is forced to face his old arch-nemesis Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) and restore the life that was once his. Directed by Bryan Singer who eventually won the prestigious gig when he pitched the idea to not tackle the origin story again, but continue with director Richard Donner's original vision. Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, who introduced Superman in 1938 in a comic book, were Jews who were inspired by the Old Testament story of Moses and the supernatural golem character from Jewish folklore.The Christian allusions are recent innovations that compromise the integrity of the Superman myth, Bryan Singer said the notion of Superman as a messianic figure is simply another case of contemporary storytelling
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borrowing from ancient motifs. Singer, who is Jewish, said his neighbors' Christianity played a powerful role in the community where he grew up. "These allegories are part of how you're raised. They find their way into your work," he said. "They become ingrained in your storytelling, in the same way that the origin story of Superman is very much the story of Moses."
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Chronicles of NARNIA – 2005
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Four young children enter the timeless world of Narnia through the door of a wardrobe piece of furniture while playing hide-and-seek. And what a world it is. There are talking animals, dwarfs, giants, beasts, centaurs, and indescribable half-human combinations. And, in this world of Narnia there is a titanic struggle between the White Witch and her evil army and the good lion Aslan and his noble army.
Although it doesn't seem possible, you can suspend disbelief and become engaged in the story because the artistry and technology are so outstanding. The art direction, special effects, cinematography, editing and sound will most likely and should be nominated for Academy Awards. The lion Aslan dominates your attention in every scene he appears in, and as the story unfolds, he becomes as human-like as any of the four children.
The four children seem normal enough with their constant teasing and fighting among
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themselves, but when events truly matter, they come together and exemplify the highest standards of sacrifice, courage, fidelity and heroism. Both children and adults will find inspiration and role models in these four children.
The lion Aslan is a mystical and almost biblical hero. There are many parallels between Aslan and Christianity, and you can watch this film anywhere in the religious-secular spectrum you care to. I suspect that over many years the other six books that make up The Chronicles of Narnia will be made into movies and they will have the same type of financial and artistic success as The Lord of the Rings film trilogy had. That is high praise indeed.
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THE BROTHERS GRIMM – 2005
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THE BROTHERS GRIMM is Directed by Terry Gilliam and starring Matt Damon, Heath Ledger, Monica Bellucci and a host of notable cast, the movie is about the Grimm Brothers' adventures and is woven with the fantastical tales that they are famous for - Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel & Gretal, Sleeping Beauty...
The movie is a PG-13 but is ADORED BY CHILDREN OF ALL AGES and it's a great choice for parents and their children. This is the PERFECT film for kids. No sex or killer insects, just fairy tale thrills, good for all ages. Truly, a marvel of magic which is turning out to be as much fun for adults as for children.
The film is packed wall to wall with stories we know, images we have grown up with, characters we might not even know were connected. Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, and many more, are to be found in THE BROTHERS GRIMM. In no particular order, you might see: An old woman with an apple. Bread crumbs. A stack of mattresses. Enchanted trees. A big bad wolf. Sagely toads. A sleeping beauty. Magical beans. THE BROTHERS GRIMM is a film that perfectly captures the essential and sometimes forgotten wonderment in us all! Yes, in the dark, we are all children again.
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LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY
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As the triumphant start of a trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring leaves you begging for more. By necessity, Peter Jackson's ambitious epic compresses J.R.R. Tolkien's classic The Lord of the Rings, but this robust adaptation maintains reverent allegiance to Tolkien's creation, instantly qualifying as one of the greatest fantasy films ever made. At 178 minutes, it's long enough to establish the myriad inhabitants of Middle-earth, the legendary Rings of Power, and the fellowship of hobbits, elves, dwarves, and humans--led by the wizard Gandalf and the brave hobbit Frodo - who must battle terrifying forces of evil on their perilous journey to destroy the One Ring in the land of Mordor.
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After the breaking of the Fellowship, Frodo and Sam journey to Mordor with the creature Gollum as their guide in The Two Towers. Meanwhile, Aragorn Legolas and Gimli join in the defense of the people of Rohan, who are the first target in the eradication of the race of Men by the renegade wizard Saruman and the dark lord Sauron. Fantastic creatures, astounding visual effects, and a climactic battle at the fortress of Helm's Deep make The Two Towers a worthy successor to The Fellowship of the Ring, grander in scale but retaining the story's emotional intimacy.
With The Return of the King, the greatest fantasy epic in film history draws to a grand and glorious conclusion. Director Peter Jackson's awe-inspiring adaptation of the Tolkien classic The Lord of the Rings could never fully satisfy those who remain exclusively loyal to Tolkien's expansive literature, but as a showcase for physical and technical craftsmanship it is unsurpassed in pure scale and ambition, setting milestone after cinematic milestone as the brave yet charmingly innocent Hobbit Frodo continues his mission to Mordor, where he is destined to destroy the soul-corrupting One Ring of Power in the molten lava of Mount Doom. While the heir to the kingdom of Men, Aragorn, endures the massive battle at Minas Tirith with the allegiance of the elf Legolas, the dwarf Gimli and the great wizard Gandalf, Frodo and stalwart companion Samwise Gamgee must survive the schizoid deceptions of Gollum, who remains utterly convincing as a hybrid of performance and subtly nuanced computer animation. By ending the LOTR trilogy with noble integrity and faith in the power of imaginative storytelling, The Return of the King, like its predecessors, will stand as an adventure for the ages.
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PASSION OF THE CHRIST – 2004
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After all the controversy and rigorous debate has subsided, The Passion of the Christ will remain a force to be reckoned with. In the final analysis, the Passion of Christ ("Passion" in this context meaning "suffering") is a quite literal, in-your-face interpretation of the final 12 hours in the life of Jesus, scripted almost directly from the gospels (and spoken in Aramaic and Latin with a relative minimum of subtitles) and presented as a relentless, 126-minute ordeal of torture and crucifixion. For Christians and non-Christians alike, this film does not "entertain," and it's not a film that one can "like" or "dislike" in any conventional sense. (It is also emphatically not a film for children or the weak of heart.) Rather, The Passion is a cinematic experience that serves an almost singular purpose: to show the scourging and death of Jesus Christ in such horrifically graphic detail that even non-believers may feel a twinge of sorrow and culpability in witnessing the final moments of the Son of God.
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THE MATRIX TRILOGY - 1999 and 2003
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"The Matrix" centers around the travails of Neo, a young programmer whose vague sense that there is "something wrong with the world ... a splinter in the mind" comes to fruition when he meets the unspeakably cool Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne). He takes a pill Morpheus offers, and after a few trippy effects, discovers that his late-20th-century urban life is merely a virtual reality simulation (the Matrix). He and almost all of the rest of humanity are actually kept in womb-like cells, where they supply energy to a vast computerized artificial intelligence, while their minds are occupied with a completely fake "existence." Neo is reborn as "the One" who brings salvation to the world. Humans are slowly awakened and begin to rebuild thier planet.
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The brothers Wachowski are the writers and directors of the Matrix trilogy. They have utilized classic plot devices, and clichés from classic science fiction. They also utilize classic philosophical and religious traditions. The result is a New Age movie with the flavor of Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, and Schopenhauer, among others. Philosophers claim the film illustrates various key principles of their discipline. It has been called "a philosopher's Rorschach inkblot test" where thinkers detect the ideas of whatever school they like best: existentialism, Marxism, feminism, Buddhism, nihilism, or postmodernism.
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There's no rule against rock anthems from the 1970s in the soundtrack for a movie about a medieval jousting champion, but if you're going to attempt such jarring anachronisms, you'd better establish acceptable ground rules. Writer-director Brian Helgeland does precisely that in A Knight's Tale and pulls off this trick with such fun that you can't help but play along. Other vintage rock hits will follow and the ploy is handled with judicious goodwill, in what is an otherwise honest period piece about a peasant named William (Heath Ledger) who rises by grit and determination to the hallowed status of knighthood. As if the soundtrack weren't audacious enough, Helgeland casts none other than Geoffrey Chaucer (wonderfully played by Paul Bettany) as William's cohort and match announcer, along with William's pals Roland (Mark Addy) and Wat (Alan Tudyk), and feisty blacksmith Kate (Laura Fraser). Of course there must be a fair maiden, and she is Jocelyn (newcomer Shannyn Sossamon), who amusingly keeps refering to William as the "Hunter". William falls in love with her while battling the nefarious Count Adhemar (Rufus Sewell) on the European jousting circuit. Add to this an inspiring father-son reunion, Ledger's undeniable charisma, a perfect supporting cast, and enough joyful energy to rejuvenate the film's formulaic plot, and A Knight's Tale becomes that most pleasant of movie surprises--an unlikely winner that rises up, like its hero, to exceed all expectations. The noble knight and his mythological celestial heritage becomes apparent in the last thirty second of the film as the camera pans skyward.
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XMEN: Children of the Atom – 2000/2003
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In a time when race and religion don't separate people, but extra powers and mutated characteristics do, two longtime friends, Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen) part ways, only to become rivals over the issue of how much patience they should have with "normal" people. Living lives that scare most humans lacking the "X-factor" (a special power such as telekinesis), they fight over changing the general population into mutants. Xavier decides to help mutants in a special school while waiting for humanity to be more accepting, while Magneto opts to change all "normal" people into mutants in order to create a mutant-only world. Leading a group of four powerful X Men (and women) to rescue one lost girl (the mutant Rogue, played by Anna Paquin)--and the entire population of New York--Xavier recruits a new member to their group: Logan (Hugh Jackman), better known as Wolverine, joins the team with much reluctance, only to prove very valuable to the rescue effort. Adapted from Americas most popular comic book, the XMEN are based on the history of the Jewish nation and it's persecution by the Nazis.
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Michael Crichton, John McTiernan
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What happened to The 13th Warrior? Directed by John McTiernan (Die Hard), it's the tale of young Arab ambassador Ahmahd ibn Fahdalan (Antonio Banderas), who's vanquished from his homeland for loving the wrong woman. On his journeys he associates with a ragtag group of Vikings who are traveling back to their homeland to confront a nefarious threat that's cloaked in such superstition they're forbidden to speak its name. It is prophesied by a witch doctor that 13 warriors must confront the evil; however, the 13th chosen man must not come from the north. Suddenly Banderas is forced into the breach, somewhat against his will. More poet than battle-worn warrior, he must not only fight the aggressors but come to terms with the unfamiliar Norse culture. What follows is a vigorous and brutal adventure reminiscent of Kurosawa's Seven Samurai. Sumptuous and invigorating battle sequences fill the screen from beginning to end as the brave Norsemen battle insurmountable odds. This is the classic mythological quest revolving around twelve signs of the zodiac who joined by a thirteenth constellation - ORION the Hunter.
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Mel Gibson's Oscar-winning 1995 Braveheart is an impassioned epic about William Wallace, the 13th-century Scottish leader of a popular revolt against England's tyrannical Edward I (Patrick McGoohan). Gibson cannily plays Wallace as a man trying to stay out of history's way until events force his hand, an attribute that instantly resonates with several of the actor's best-known roles, especially Mad Max. The subsequent camaraderie and courage Wallace shares in the field with fellow warriors is pure enough and inspiring enough to bring envy to a viewer, and even as things go wrong for Wallace in the second half, the film does not easily cave in to a somber tone. One of the most impressive elements is the originality with which Gibson films battle scenes, featuring hundreds of extras wielding medieval weapons. After Eisenstein's Alexander Nevsky, Orson Welles's Chimes at Midnight, and even Kenneth Branagh's Henry V, you might think there is little new that could be done in creating scenes of ancient combat; yet Gibson does it.
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In the closing paragraph of his 1996 review of Dragonheart, noted critic Roger Ebert summed up this adventurous fantasy quite nicely: "While no reasonable person over the age of 12 would presumably be able to take it seriously, there is nevertheless a lighthearted joy to it, a cheerfulness, an insouciance, that recalls the days when movies were content to be fun." That's precisely the quality that makes Dragonheart so appealing, despite the fact that it didn't exactly take flight and breathe fire at the box office. The movie takes itself seriously without sacrificing the wit and cleverness that make it so entertaining. It's about the last of the great dragon slayers, Bowen (Dennis Quaid), who teams up with the last of the great dragons, Draco (and voiced by Sean Connery), after they realize that killing each other would put them both out of business! So they devise a bogus dragon-slaying act that's a huge hit as they tour from village to village. Later, they must rouse the peasantry against the loutish Prince Einon (David Thewlis), whose life was once saved by Draco, but who now violates the "Old Code" of honor with a ruthless reign of terror. It's full of exciting action, witty dialogue, and gallant heroism, and the celestial mythology becomes apparent at the end of the film.
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Arthurian mythology and modern day decay seem perfect complements to each other in this Terry Gilliam drama/comedy/fantasy. Shock jock Jack Lucas (Jeff Bridges) makes an off-handed radio remark that causes a man to go on a killing spree, leaving Lucas unhinged with guilt. Lucas's later, chance meeting with Parry (Robin Williams), a homeless man suffering from dementia, gets him involved in the unlikely quest for the Holy Grail. The rickety, and patently unrealistic stand that insanity is just a wonderful place to be, and that the homeless are all errant knights, wears awfully thin, but there are numerous moments of sad grace and violent beauty in this film. The screenplay by Richard LaGravenese launched his successful career and his smart wordplay helped garner Mercedes Ruehl an Oscar as Lucas's girlfriend.
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OH BROTHER WHERE ART THOU? – 2000
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Only Joel and Ethan Coen, the fraternal director and producer team behind art-house hits such as The Big Lebowski and Fargo and masters of quirky and ultra-stylish genre subversion, would dare nick the plot line of Homer's Odyssey for a comic picaresque saga about three cons on the run in 1930s Mississippi. Our wandering hero in this case is one Ulysses Everett McGill, a slick-tongued wise guy with a thing about hair pomade (George Clooney, blithely sending up his own dapper image) who talks his chain-gang buddies (Coen-movie regular John Turturro and newcomer Tim Blake Nelson) into lighting out after some buried loot he claims to know of. En route they come up against a prophetic blind man on a railroad truck, a burly, one-eyed baddie (the ever-magnificent John Goodman), a trio of sexy singing ladies, a blues guitarist who's sold his soul to the devil, a brace of crooked politicos on the stump, a manic-depressive bank robber, and--well, you get the idea. Into this, their most relaxed film yet, the Coens have tossed a beguiling ragbag of inconsequential situations, a wealth of looping, left-field dialogue, and a whole stash of gags both verbal and visual.
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O Brother (the title's lifted from Preston Sturges's classic 1941 comedy Sullivan's Travels) is furthermore graced with glowing, burnished photography from Roger Deakins and a masterly soundtrack from T-Bone Burnett that pays loving homage to American '30s folk styles--blues, gospel, bluegrass, jazz, and more. And just to prove that the brothers haven't lost their knack for bad-taste humor, we get a Ku Klux Klan rally choreographed like a cross between a Nuremberg rally and a Busby Berkeley musical.
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Even though the celestial origin of the hero with the bow and sword is the son of Herne the Hunter, this English version of Robin Hood is a VERY accurate re-telling of the classic legend of Sir Robert Hode, 4th Earl of Huntington (a real person) It will be enjoyed by students of medieval history and is Reminiscent of the swashbuckling classics made in the thirties and forties, this film transports you back to 12th century England, when the mighty Normans ruled with an iron hand. Sir Robert Hode (Patrick Bergen) is a Saxon nobleman who insults the sinister knight Sir Miles Falcanet (Jurgen Prochnow) and is branded an outlaw. Clever and quick witted, he changes his name to Robin Hood and a legend is born. Robin becomes an outlaw hero, celebrated across the land for his dashing heroism. He ambushes the tax collectors of the greedy Baron Roger Daguerre (memorably played by Jeroen Krabbe), and gives the money to the poor. Then with his true love, Maid Marian (Uma Thurman) about to be married to Falcanet, Robin and his band of loyal men embark on their boldest adventure yet, to storm the Baron's castle and rescue Marian from a fate worse than death. Well written and adapted for the screen, expertly cast, (too many memorable performances to mention here) and superbly directed by English director John Irvin, this relatively low budget production has never received the accolades it deserves. This movie is a thrilling medieval adventure filled with action, romance and humor.
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On Earth, an ancient device is discovered, that when activated, opens a door to the other side of the universe. So is the general plot of Stargate, and it makes for a very enjoyable movie. James Spader plays Daniel Jackson, a language expert who deciphers the Stargate's code, and Kurt Russell plays the leader of the military expedition who goes through with Jackson on reconnisence to find out what is on the other side. They find a civilization of humans, kept by the "god" Ra as slaves, and everything goes from there. Stargate delivers a fairly intriguing story with good action scenes, made all the better by excellent speacil effects, including an insanely cool "pulse rifle" weapon. The acting is fine; you can't help but laugh at Spader's nerdiness, and even Russell does well as a hardened military man trying to get over the death of his son. One of the best points about the plot is that while Russell at first appears to be the standard military hardnose, he eventually ends up working along with Spader and the rest, avoiding the cliche of him fighting/betraying his comrades in the name of the mission. The final action scene is a great intermix between three seperate events, which keeps the pace up beautifully. The story is also interesting to follow, from Spader's working out the Stargate symbols to his discovery of the people history. There are a few holes in the plot. The relationship between the two Stargates is never really explained; its hard to tell whether they work together, or both of them just send you to one point, regardless of where the other is. Near the end of the movie, the power of a particular bomb is fairly overated. However, minor flaws aside, Stargate is definitely worth purchasing, combining good action and intersting science fiction. And of course, insanely cool pulse rifles.
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STARWARS I: The Phantom Menace - 1999
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The Phantom Menace was probably the most heavily anticipated movie in history. It was the prequel to the original Star Wars series and George Lucas was taking the helm as director for the first time since Star Wars in 1977. The film was hyped incessantly and, of course, the final product failed to live up to the expectations. The Phantom Menace is not a bad film. It actually is absolutely amazing to look at and the special effects are incredible. The problem with the film is the plot. It seems disjointed as it bounces around from scene to scene. It seems that Mr. Lucas was to preoccupied with getting the film to look right than the actual story/mythology (which is what made the first Star Wars so great). Many people weren't happy with the casting of several roles, especially Ewan MacGregor as Obi Won Kenobi, but he does a decent job in an undeveloped role. Liam Neeson is commanding as Qui Gon Jin and Natalie Portman is quite good as Queen Amadala. The biggest complaint that most people had with the film was with the Rastafarian-like character of Jar Jar Binks and I won't disagree with most of what's been said about this annoying character.
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STARWARS II: Attack of the Clones - 2002
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If The Phantom Menace was the setup, then Attack of the Clones is the plot-progressing payoff, and devoted Star Wars fans are sure to be enthralled. Ten years after Episode I, Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman), now a senator, resists the creation of a Republic Army to combat an evil separatist movement. The brooding Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) is resentful of his stern Jedi mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), tormented by personal loss, and showing his emerging "dark side" while protecting his new love, Amidala, from would-be assassins. Youthful romance and solemn portent foreshadow the events of the original Star Wars as Count Dooku (a.k.a. Darth Tyranus, played by Christopher Lee) forges an alliance with the Dark Lord of the Sith, while lavish set pieces showcase George Lucas's supreme command of all-digital filmmaking. The clone nursery, the triple execution scene, the Jedi forces battle and Yoda kiking some serious bad guy booty is worth the inflated ticket prices at the theater. All of this makes Episode II a technological milestone, savaged by some critics as a bloated, storyless spectacle, but still qualifying as a fan-approved precursor to the pivotal events of Episode III that will becoming to a theater near you in the not to distant future.
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STARWARS III: Revenge of the Sith - 2005
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A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.... the Clone Wars are nearly at an end. After three long years of relentless fighting the final catastrophic battles of the Clone Wars are taking place galaxy wide -- including one in the skies above the city-planet Coruscant, seat of the crumbling Republic and also home to the Jedi Knights. Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi have become legendary heroes in their campaigns against the droid forces of the evil General Grievous. Anakin and his secret wife, Padme Amidala, have been separated for months, and he finally reunites with her to learn that she is pregnant. He is plagued by visions of her dying in childbirth, haunting images of a possible future. Anakin is determined to stop her from dying--no matter the cost. Faced with a choice between losing the one he loves or giving up his soul to gain the power to save her, Anakin will fall prey to the seductive temptations of the dark side of the Force. This leads Anakin down a dark path to commit terrible deeds. Obi-Wan Kenobi must face his former apprentice in a ferocious light-saber duel on the fiery world of Mustafar. Jedi hero Anakin Skywalker is seduced by the dark side of the Force to become the Emperor’s new apprentice – Darth Vader. The Jedi are decimated, as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jedi Master Yoda are forced into hiding. The only hope for the galaxy are Anakin’s own offspring – the twin children born in secrecy who will grow up to become Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa.
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