The Dark Knight Rises

In preparation for seeing The Dark Knight Rises I re-watched Batman Begins and The Dark Knight for the first time in -- well, I'm not sure how long. TOO long. I'd forgotten the power of those films, and how they never fail to draw a deep, visceral, emotional response from me every time I view them, without fail. Christopher Nolan's darkly compelling reimagining of the Batman legend is storytelling at its finest, exhilarating, powerful, and moving. I feel as though I can't really look at this film as a single entity -- it really is just the third act of Nolan's Batman epic. And as such, I thought it was beautifully told. There are apt to be lots of spoilers below, just so's you know. :)

After I finished watching The Dark Knight, I went back to my old blog and read my thoughts on that film (that was 2008? where has the time gone?). I was once again powerfully struck by Batman's sacrifice at the end of TDK, where he takes the blame for the crimes Gotham's White Knight, Harvey Dent, committed as Two-Face prior to his death. If the Joker taught Batman anything, it was that there is a very thin line between hero and vigilante. If all -- or at least part -- of the reason Bruce Wayne initially donned Batman's cowl mask was to become a symbol for the people of his city, to embody the idea that anyone could make a difference, he takes a step towards the ultimate sacrifice by allowing himself to become the villain in order that Gotham might have hope, an ideal to cling to in the darkest night. As the then-Lieutenant Gordan explained to his son, Batman isn't the hero Gotham wanted, but the one she deserves. They'll chase him because they need to, and because he can take it, because he's willing to be whatever Gotham needs in order to give the people of the city the strength to rise up against crime and lawlessness. That was Batman's gift -- taking on Dent's guilt and leaving Gotham with the hope of something incorruptible and pure -- a line he crossed a long time ago.

The Dark Knight Rises picks up eight years after Harvey Dent's (Aaron Eckhart) death, the former District Attorney memorialized as a hero. The Dent Act, inspired by his heroism, has given Gotham's law enforcement the power need to virtually elimate crime. Superficially, all seems well -- but Gordon (Gary Oldman), now the police commissioner, is increasingly sick with guilt over his part in perpetuating the myth of Dent's nobility at the expense of Batman's reputation. Billionaire Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has become a recluse, whose notoriety only grows with each passing year that he spends in self-imposed seclusion on his estate. Following a large investment in Wayne Enterprises board member Miranda Tate's (Marion Cotillard) clean energy project -- a device designed to harness fusion power -- Wayne pulled funding when he learned that the device's core could be modified and transformed into a nuclear bomb. The failed project has left the once powerful and influential Wayne Enterprises in financial flux and turmoil, ripe for a takeover bid -- and waiting in the wings is an unscrupulous business rival, Daggett (Ben Mendelsohn), eager to deal the once-mighty company a final death blow.

Superficially, Gotham is more peaceful than it has been in years -- but as her once-mighty guardians Gordon and Wayne sit sick with the knowledge that the peace was bought with a lie, no matter how well-intentioned -- the city itself is crumbling from within. There are rumors of an army assembling beneath of the city, led by a ruthless mercenary -- as Gordon painfully discovers when investigating the kidnapping of a congressman. Gordon's only ally is a streetwise police officer named Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who grew up in an orphan's home funded by the Wayne family. Blake's family history is heart-breakingly similar to Bruce's -- and he has identified so strongly with the Bruce's family heartache that he's seen beyond the playboy persona and pegged the recluse as Gotham's Dark Knight. Blake and Gordon know their city needs its caped crusader -- but Batman has been absent for so long, could he survive another war with unspeakable evil? And as the ever-faithful Alfred (Michael Caine) worries, does he even want to?

Nolan doesn't miss a beat in bringing Batman's story full circle. I was blown away by how many threads from the first two films were woven into this final act. This is thorough, thoughtful, timeless storytelling. Over the years throughout this filmic journey I've been struck again and again by the manner in which Nolan utilizes the heroic journey template to bring Batman's story to life. In The Hero With a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell posits that the archetypal hero receives a call to adventure that requires him to set himself apart, venture into previously unknown territory, survive trials and complete quests, and then return to society where he shares the fruits of his knowledge and accomplishments. According to Campbell, the purpose of trials is to conduct individuals 'across those difficult thresholds of transformation that demand a change in patterns not only of conscious but also of unconscious life' (as discussed in my undergraduate thesis).

Tortured by his parents' murders, Bruce became Batman for a two-fold purpose -- to make a difference, to become a symbol of resistance to evil, but also in an attempt to exorcise the demons that haunt him. Because fighting evil at the level Batman encounters cannot help but change a man -- and every time he puts on that mask, every time he faces unspeakable evil, he dances with the risk of losing his own precious sense of humanity. That, I think, is how best I can articulate Alfred's grief over his son in every way but name -- his heart's desire is to know that Bruce could live free from the shackles of the past. His devotion is raw, pure, and heart-breaking. Caine's portrayal of Alfred breaks my heart every single time, and every time leaves me breathless, on the edge of my seat in awe of Bruce's drive and wondering how he can possibly come back from one more ride as the Dark Knight.

I suppose  the "easiest" way to finish up my discussion of this film, and in the hope of touching on as many of the elements that I loved, is to talk characters. I have loved every second watching Christian Bale's journey as Bruce Wayne/Batman. When Wayne the recluse was first introduced, my first thought was "Look! Wayne's an American Rochester!" (A Jane Eyre reference is always appropriate, no? Ha!!) Ever since Rachel's (Maggie Gyllenhaal) death at the end of The Dark Knight, Bruce has remained "stuck" in limbo, because with her death he believed he'd lost his one shot at a life beyond Batman. The revelation that Rachel would've chosen Harvey Dent if she'd lived, and that Alfred had kept that knowledge from him was positively gut-wrenching -- especially in how it leads him to reject the ever-faithful Alfred.

Meeting Blake and Selina Kyle, a.k.a. Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) are turning points for Bruce, as through them we see, I think, for the first time him realize that he has an opportunity to sow into their lives, to take everything his experiences as Bruce and Batman have taught him and share it (the final step in Campbell's heroic cycle). In Blake, Batman recognizes a kindred spirit, someone willing and capable of stepping into his shoes as Gothoam's symbol of resistance. Joseph Gordon-Levitt was just amazing as Blake -- principled, driven, loyal to Gordon, willing to risk the ire of fellow officers like Foley (Matthew Modine) to follow his gut instincts. I loved the energy and physicality Gordon-Levitt brought to the role, and that hint of brokenness behind the eyes, so similar to Bruce's -- yet perhaps not quite so in danger of losing himself, because of how he seems grounded in serving/mentoring his fellow orphans. And while his full legal name -- Robin John Blake -- comes as no surprise by the end of the film, the official reveal is an extremely satisfying moment. I loved the fact that rather than develop a partner relationship between the two, Batman mentors Blake and then gives him the ability to continue as his heir.

I confess I was a little nervous when I first heard that Hathaway had been case as Catwoman. Catwoman has been a favorite character of mine ever since I was a child -- I loved her style, her cat ears, and as I grew older, that sense of ambiguity and attraction between her and Batman. The script handles her character brilliantly and Hathaway more than rises to the occasion. Selina Kyle is, in her own way, just as broken as Bruce Wayne, just as desperate for a fresh start -- and until she meets Bruce/Batman, unable to see a way to achieve that new beginning without selfishly doing whatever it takes in order to guarantee her survival. It isn't until she effectively signs Batman's death warrant at Bane's hands that you see regret crack her steely demeanor -- and when he returns, the realization that he still sees the possibility for good in her, in spite of what she's done, that is what empowers her to change. More than the momentary flirtation Bruce Wayne shares with Miranda Tate, I loved the soul-deep connection this film forges between Batman and Catwoman, and the way in which it explores the idea that these two broken, wounded people can rise above their pasts to make a difference in their world.

Tom Hardy as the mercenary Bane was interesting. I am really a fan of Hardy as an actor but the character of Bane left me a little...flat. Compared to the Joker or the fear unleased by Ra's Al Ghul (Liam Neeson), he struck me as such a run-of-the-mill terrorist. Absolutely, 100%, crazy and evil yes -- but more interesting because of his history with the League of Shadows and relationship with Ra's Al Ghul's heir than his status as an arch-villain. He didn't stand alone for me -- he was a puppet. I remember reading that Hardy had to redo his dialogue because the initial cut was so garbled -- and laying the re-done dialogue over the existing soundtrack didn't do Bane any favors, either. It seemed separate from the film, in a way.

That said, I loved the reveal of Bane's history and how it related to Miranda Tate, revealed to be the true mastermind behind the latest attack on Gotham, because she is the daughter of Batman's mentor -- Ra's Al Ghul. First of all, Cotillard is unbelievably classy-looking, and I loved her whole demeanor as Tate -- and then the turn, when she reveals that she's been playing Wayne all along. This was a long con, brilliantly executed, and her cold-blooded plotting honestly scared me more than Bane's thuggery.

I've already mentioned how much I adore Caine as Alfred. It was also wonderful to see Morgan Freeman return one final time as Lucius Fox. I loved the moment at the end of the film when  he examines the Bat and realizes that Wayne had already fixed the autopilot issues -- and that against all odds he could've survived. That look -- oh it was priceless. In the category of people I never expected to see in this film, we have Burn Gorman, the Torchwood vet as Stryver, an associate of Daggett's, and then there's Sgt. Wu -- I mean Reggie Lee! -- as Ross, Blake's partner on the police force (thanks to Grimm I can't think of Lee as anyone other than Wu, lol!). I also loved seeing Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy) and Ra's Al Ghul make return appearances in this film -- Nolan never missed a beat. :)

Google The Dark Knight Rises and Charles Dickens, and you have your choice of articles discussing how Nolan was inspired by the classic A Tale of Two Cities when penning the script for Batman's final chapter. Dickens's tale of the French Revolution is all over the final third of this film in particular, lending a timeless quality to the chilling scenes of the show trials and Bane's efforts to get the Gotham populace to tear down its wealthy, and the scenes of the resistance led by Gordon and Blake. There is a particularly effective moment when Selena Kyle finds a family photo in a trashed home, and realizes, perhaps for the first time, the human cost of this "revolution."

When Bane throws Batman in his hellish pit of a prison, the trilogy really comes full circle. Batman Begins opens with Bruce Wayne in prison, so eaten alive with the pain of loss and rage that he was willing to live there in order to fight criminals. This time, this time the prison is not only literal but a symbol, and in breaking out of it, Bruce sheds the shackles of his past. He is literally and figuratively reborn when he emerges from the pit, ready for one final battle as the Batman -- but not just for himself, for his broken and besieged city. In making that final, apparently fatal sacrifice to save Gotham, Batman reveals that he is finally ready to relinquish his dual identity and move on with his life. (Side note: the look on Gordon's face when he realizes that Bruce Wayne, the child he offered comfort to years earlier has been his staunchest ally against crime, responsible for saving his son's life -- it's a powerful illustration of how one never knows what little, perhaps seemingly inconsequential moments, sow into the lives of others to bear fruit years later.)

At Bruce Wayne's funeral, Gordon reads the following passage from A Tale of Two Cities:

"I see a beautiful city and a brilliant people rising from this abyss, and, in their struggles to be truly free, in their triumphs and defeats, though long to come, I see the evil of this time and of the previous time of which this is the natural birth, gradually making expiation for itself and wearing out....It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known."

That is a fitting summation of Bruce Wayne's final gift to his city -- enabling them to rise above, to survive and (hopefully) thrive after Bane's assault -- the gift of faith that they could do so without him -- but he doesn't leave them forsaken. In willing the Batcave to a worthy successor in Blake, in seeing the Bat Signal repaired, lies an assurance to two o fhis staunchest allies that they will never be alone. Unlike the immortality Ra's Al Ghul saught to achieve, Batman's legacy as a symbol of sacrifice and hope is oh so much more powerful. And Bruce's final gift, of allowing Alfred to see that he'll be okay -- oh that brought tears to my eyes. He's finally, I hope, achieved a measure of the peace that proved so elusive.

I sincerely hope that come awards season The Dark Knight Rises receives a slew of nominations. This film, and the trilogy as a whole, is an epic accomplishment in every sense of that phrase. From Nolan's masterful direction, to the tightly-plotted scripts, character arcs, set and costume design, and yes, the musc -- love Hans Zimmer's scores! -- Nolan's Batman trilogy is a breath-taking, cinematic tour-de-force. Seeing Bruce's hard-won measure of peace -- it's been a long journey but one well worth the taking.

*Images copyright Warner Bros./DC Comics.

Wrath of the Titans

This weekend I went to see Wrath of the Titans with my friends Kaye and (the sadly blog-less, ha!) Lori. Wrath is the sequel to the 2010 film Clash of the Titans, the remake of the 1981 film of the same name. Now the only thing I like about the original Clash is its little stop-motion animated monsters (they are Ray Harryhausen classics after all) -- in all other respects I prefer the remake, which turned out to be a surprisingly fun and entertaining popcorn flick.

Now Wrath is a ridiculous movie. COMPLETELY RIDICULOUS (much like its predecesssor). If you're a serious student of mythology these are most assuredly not the films for you. But if you are in the mood for an action movie, with lots of flash and spectacle (and lava, in this case), this movie delivers on that score. Of course the main reason I wanted to see it was Sam Worthington as Perseus. I think he's adorable. ADORABLE. And this movie is kind of interesting because it gives Perseus a shade or two of vulnerability. Opening ten years or so after Clash, we learn that Perseus has done his best to live a completely normal (i.e. human) life, working as a fisherman and doing the single parent thing, raising his young son Helius (John Bell) alone following the death of his wife Io (Gemma Arterton). Side note: I thought Io was immortal, but apparently when Zeus brought her back at the end of Clash she became human again? I'M OVERTHINKING THIS.

Fatherhood has apparently really mellowed Perseus out when it comes to his own father Zeus (Liam Neeson, looking remarkably like Moses), as the daddy issues that consumed Perseus for most of Clash are largely absent. Yay for father/son bonding! HOWEVER, Zeus's favorite demigod son is still reluctant to embrace his divine(r) half, even though the world is apparently going to friggin' end because the gods have fallen out of favor and that means Kronos (and all evil Titans) are going to be unleashed on the earth, destroying humanity. So all that really means is that there's NO MORE OLYMPUS and all of the gods (except Ares, Posiedon, Hades, and Zeus) are apparently already DEAD. How this came about is never really detailed, however my theory is since Luke Evans' film career (he played Apollo in Clash, the most interesting god IMO) is taking off the filmmakers figured WHAT'S THE POINT in even trying to maintain Olympus. Wrath's loss is Middle Earth's gain, lemme tell you. Also, Zeus is no longer blindingly SHINY, and this makes me sad. But whatever, I still have Sam Worthington and he is ADORABLE with curly hair, even if as Perseus, his determination to live a normal life means he has really let his fighting and winged-horseriding skills go.

Look! I am ready to play Moses!

So OF COURSE Perseus should've listened to Zeus, because weird two-headed creatures pop out of the earth and go all crazy over his fishing hamlet. Whoops. Perseus leaves his son in the care of John Thornton's mother...I mean Clea (Sinead Cusack), some random woman whose apparently become Helius's adopted grandmother. When he tries to make contact with Zeus, Poseidon (Danny Huston) shows up instead with the horrible news that Hades and Ares have made a deal with Kronos and taken Zeus prisoner, and if he wants to defeat Kronos he has to take his trident to one of his own kids, some guy named Agenor (Toby Kebbell) -- AND THEN HE TURNS TO DUST (traumatic, no?).

Somehow Pegasus knows Perseus needs him which is good because Pegasus is COOL, so Perseus rides off to find his cousin, who is apparently attached to the Greek queen's court. The queen is in the battlefield, fighting off random creeptastic creatures, and she turns out to be JANE BENNET...I mean Andromeda, only this time Andromeda is played by Rosamund Pike and not Alexa Davalos. (I didn't remember this in the theater, so when Andromeda and Perseus are making eyes at each other and dancing around the issue of this oh-so-obvious mutual attraction, I didn't remember THERE WAS A HISTORY THERE. Apparently getting saved from the Krakken inspired Andromeda to become a kick-butt warror queen. More on her in a second.) Perseus's cousin turns out to be some sort of leech or something, but that's okay because he's really good-natured and provides some comic relief. (He may look familiar to those who've seen War Horse.) He just needed A CAUSE to set him on the right path! So yay, now everyone who wants the earth to LIVE has a plan: find a way into Tartarus and FREE ZEUS (who is being drained of his powers, horrors!).

Now it's time for the quest to COMMENCE. Everybody piles on a ship (which reminds me of Jason and the Argonauts) and heads off to find the fallen god Hephaestus, because he designed Tartarus so of course he can get them in. But that's easier said than done since he lives on an island protected by Cyclopes, which is a pretty neat little action sequence (and reminds me of the second Percy Jackson novel, The Sea of Monsters, which is weird because now a period mythology film is taking its cues for a YA novel? LOL). Cue the second surprise of the movie -- Hephaestus is a wee bit crazy and he's played by Bill Nighy, AND I LOVE BILL NIGHY, so the next few scenes are awesome. Not only did Hephaestus build Tartarus in his heyday, he's responsible for the Big Three's signature weapons -- the lightning bolt (Zeus), trident (Poseidon), and pitchfork (Hades), which when combined, form the Spear of Triam which is the only thing that can defeat Kronos, and surprise, surprise, Perseus is the only one capable of wielding it.

So everybody goes to the entrance to Tartarus, and the revolving "puzzle door" entrance and the subsequent layout of the labyrinth are really pretty cool. But before we can get to the maze Ares (this time played by Edgar Ramirez) shows up, and he has become a ROYAL JERK since Clash, consumed with daddy issues since he's a god and Perseus is only HALF-god but dad likes him better and DANGIT, THAT'S NOT FAIR RIGHT?!?! Sadly Hephaestus sacrifices himself in order to give Perseus, Andromeda, and Agenor a chance to enter the maze safely, and all I've gotta say is this film had far too little BILL NIGHY. *sigh* So ENTER THE MAZE, and like I said I think the design is really quite cool, and the whole experience is very stressful for everyone since they're seeing things and the walls are trying to crush them, etc. But I can't help but feel that somewhere Theseus is upset that he got gypped out of a film deal. Whatevs, though, because Perseus takes care of that pesky Minotaur gatekeeper thingy and Zeus gets rescued BUT IT IS TOO LATE because Kronos has SUCKED OUT MOST OF ZEUS'S POWERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EEEPPP!!!!

What's interesting about this movie is the overall theme of familial reconciliation and sacrifice (along with a healthy dose of family dysfunction). Hades (Ralph Feinnes), who caused all of the problems in Clash, even has a change of heart here, sacrificing a good portion of his power for his brother, and they end up having one last hurrah on the battlefield. And of course there's the issue of the problem with parental favoritism, as that clearly sent Ares off the deep end. In that respect I think Wrath improves on its predecessor by deepening its characterizations and their motivations to some extent. (Also an improvement -- the score by Javier Navarrete, who provides a more traditional, rousing adventure movie score than its predecessor got.) Of course along with that there's a lot more explosions and fighting and special effects -- and the last battle, especially, was just a bit too much. Kronos the lava monster really overwhelmed the screen, losing the human characters -- and while I realize all of that is to be expected in a movie of this type, I prefer the one-on-one confrontations, such as the final Ares vs. Perseus battle, which actually has a bit of depth to it since Perseus is fighting for his father and his son.

Hands-down the surprise of this movie is Rosamund Pike's performance as the warrior-queen Andromeda. I was really rather worried about her appearance in this movie since I'm used to her playing classy types like Jane Bennet. But I needn't have worried because she was really quite good -- she seemed to really throw herself into the role, and I have to imagine that all of the action scenes were a refreshing change from ther norm. She has the delicate beauty and demeanor of a lady, so seeing her prove an adept on the battlefield just makes her that much more awesome. :)

So slaying Kronos and seeing his daddy turn to dust has made Perseus realize that it is HIGH TIME he quits fighting the inevitable. All of this means the fishing gig is out and he needs to step up and embrace his inevitable destiny as a LEADER OF MEN. This is a handy realization because of course Amdromeda might like to make him her king if HE WOULD JUST KISS HER ALREADY...and after being egged on by Agenor, he finally makes that happen, and I am really happy about that so all is well. But then the filmmakers decide to stress me out by having Perseus give his sword to his son, and leaving me wanting to yell "don't pass the torch!!!! don't pass the flippin' torch!!!" Because people for as much fun as these two Titans movies can be, of this I am convinced...we don't need Revenge, Return, whatever of the Titans with Perseus junior. That would just be a bit too much. Leave me with the happy thought that Perseus and Andromeda are going to rule Greece and I'll be ecstatically happy . :)

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

I finally got around to seeing The Voyage of the Dawn Treader last weekend, and as hard as it is for me to type this, I probably would've been better off waiting to see it as a rental. That is so hard for me to say as I'm a huge Narnia fan, and despite changes made to the book storylines for the first two films, I felt that the filmmakers remained wholly faithful to the spirit of C. S. Lewis's stories. Sadly I do not feel that is the case with Dawn Treader. I have to wonder if the change in production partners (from Disney to Fox), and at one point, if memory serves me correctly, the questionable status of getting a third film made at all, resulted in such a change in tone and a great loss of focus on the wonderful source material available for this movie. In so many respects this is the first Narnia film where I've felt the storyline was unaccountably "dumbed down," and that just breaks my heart. But the movie isn't an entirely lost cause, so I'll try to balance my frustrations out with some comments on what did work. :)

First of all, I don't understand why the filmmakers insist on keeping the framing device of World War II as the real-world backdrop in this film series. It has been five years since the first Narnia film, and Lucy (Georgie Henley) and Edmund (Skandar Keynes) have very obviously aged more than one year between each of their Narnian adventures. Thus IMO the need for the framing device feels more than a little forced. That said, I am a huge fan of Henley and Keynes as the two younger Pevensie children - they have each really grown into their respective roles and they will forever be Lucy and Edmund in my mind. This story introduces their odious cousin, the aptly named Eustace Clarence Scrubb, brought to life wonderfully by Will Poulter. His casting was just perfect - he did a fantastic job bringing Eustace in all of his annoying glory to life, and he's the main reason, despite my reservations about this film as a whole, that I hope we get to see The Silver Chair on the big screen, since that story brings Eustace front-and-center. I absolutely loved Poulter's interactions with Reepicheep, and his transformation from dragon back to boy brought tears to my eyes.

Of course I was thrilled to see Ben Barnes as Caspian again - he is just gorgeous. :) And story-wise, he's finally more the appropriate age for the Narnian monarch. The Dawn Treader is beautifully realized on screen, but I have some problems with the way the filmmakers brought the mission to life. First of all, why on earth was it necessary to change the mission from Caspian fulfilling a coronation promise to find his father's seven lost friends, instead turning it into some sort of rescue mission because now the lords fled Narnia and Caspian's evil uncle years earlier, and never returned. I can only think that the filmmakers couldn't visualize an more episodic adventure story like the Dawn Treader novel translating well to screen - but I have to believe that a more faithful adaptation of the book wouldn't have resulted in such a dumbed-down mess.

Instead of making this a film about the journey and the characters, a completely unnecessary subplot is inserted that transforms the voyage into a quest to "save the world" from evil green mist. Yes, you read that right - evil green mist, that - WAIT FOR IT - kidnaps people. That has to be one of the silliest plot devices I've ever come across in a film, and that's putting it mildly. *sigh* So, instead of searching for seven intrepid lords sent to explore unknown lands, Caspian and company are searching for seven lords who got the heck out of Dodge in fear of their lives. They just happened to each possess an ancient, magical sword, and if those seven swords are "reunited" at Aslan's table, the green fog will be vanquished forever! This entire reworked aspect of the storyline felt so forced and unnecessary and if I'm being completely honest made me mad. Wasn't the adventures in the book enough? Generally I am pretty open-minded about changes made in book-to-film adaptations, if the change serves the story well and results in a better film. Here this is sadly not the case as so many of the unaccountable alterations diminished the story's impact in my view.

But it's not all bad. There are some gorgeous visuals to be had - in particular I'm reminded of the snow scene where Lucy reads from Coriakin's book of spells. That library was a dream come true for this book lover. :) And I think many women can relate to Lucy's struggles to accept who she is, instead of longing to be more like the "beautiful" older sister Susan. I also really liked the way the film explored the friendship between Edmund and Caspian. Poor Edmund has always had to deal with playing "second fiddle" to his older brother, and without Peter looking over his shoulder on this journey to Narnia he's over-eager to prove himself to be just as worthy a Narnian king. The filmmakers made a special point of highlighting just how important all of the Pevensie children are to Caspian - more than friends they are family - and the way that plays out over the course of this film was nicely done. I also really loved the relationship between Eustace and Reepicheep (voiced by Simon Pegg). In keeping with the novel, Eustace is an absolute beast towards Reepicheep, and the two have a lot of "issues" to work through before they are able to reach a mutual truce. In this film it felt like Reepicheep liked Eustace, or perhaps a better way to describe it would be to say was amused by Eustace much earlier than is the case in with their friendship in the novel. I really feel like Eustace and Reep had a great rapport throughout this film, a pretty good achievement for the young actor Poulter to have such good buddy chemistry with a CGI mouse all things considered. :)

Back to a major problem with the film again, since I've brought up Reepicheep. I hate how the filmmakers minimized Reepicheep's quest to sail all the way to Aslan's country. The script makes it seem as though Reepicheep has no idea what the prophetic rhyme spoken over him at his birth means, and he sort of accidentally "falls" into the idea of leaving the Dawn Treader and journeying to Aslan's land. It was in my view a completely unnecessary alteration to the storyline and it really cheapened Reepicheep's presence in this film. In many respects one could argue that his passion to journey to Aslan's land is the heart and soul of the book, and taking away from that felt so unnecessary it just ticked me off.

The last twenty minutes of this movie saved it for me (actually brought me to tears). The conclusion of this movie encapsulated everything I wanted this movie to be, and left me feeling the way I wanted to feel about the entire film. I'm so, so happy they kept Aslan's (voiced by Liam Neeson) final words to Lucy and Edmund intact (knowing him by "another  name" in their world). And it was a poignant ending chapter to Lucy and Edmund's time in Narnia. Whether or not a fourth film is ever made, the last few minutes of Dawn Treader ends in such a way that it feels like a fitting closing chapter to the adventures of two of my favorite characters from Lewis's beloved series (at least until The Last Battle, and I can't even begin to think about how Hollywood might screw that book up, so I just won't go there).

Director Michael Apted keeps the action flowing at a brisk pace - I just wish that he & the actors had a better script to work with that didn't resort to such cartoonish plot devices like killer smoke. I'm also a pretty big fan of composer David Arnold's work - the man has worked on everything from James Bond films to BBC's Sherlock, so he has a great track record. The score is lovely, and Arnold includes a few flourishes reminscent of Harry Gregson-William's work for the first two Narnia films that nicely ties the series together musically.

I feel like this is rather a departure from my normal type of movie review. But I'm so ambivalent about this movie that it's hard for me to really muster the enthusiasm I can normally find to really dissect it scene by scene. *wink* Will I be adding it to my DVD collection? Definitely, it's worth that based on the conclusion alone. Plus, I'm a series completist. :) And perhaps upon further viewings my opinion of it will mellow a bit, allowing me to appreciate - well, let's not overreach here - tolerate it as an entertaining, if somewhat generic, fantasy film. I just desperately hope that if The Silver Chair moves from "in production" to "production," that the end product doesn't emerge as a mangled version of the story I love so well. Take a lesson from the last, brilliant twenty minutes of Dawn Treader and give Narnia fans a film version of Silver Chair that keeps the heart and soul of the story intact.

The A-Team

After the big push to get everything out of the old apartment was finally (FINALLY!) completed last Thursday, I took Friday to recover a bit & begin the settling in process. Then Saturday I left all thoughts of the disaster area that is my new abode behind and went to see The A-Team movie with my friend Kaye. I should probably give you a little bit of context here…I absolutely adore the television show, so this film had A LOT to live up to. Hannibal, B.A., Face, and Murdock are pop culture ICONS, for goodness’ sake! Could the hilarious, wonderful “buddy” chemistry between the new team of actors even come close to the combination of George Peppard, Mr. T, Dirk Benedict, and Dwight Schultz? More importantly, could ANYONE make me forget, even momentarily, my long-standing infatuation with Dwight Schultz’s Murdock?! Critical questions people, critical questions…

I’m THRILLED to report that the essence of the A-Team remains intact, and in a few instances I daresay improved, in this new movie. If you’re in the mood for a fun summer action flick, The A-Team delivers in spades. It’s every bit the insane, improbable, escapist brand of entertainment that defined the TV show, with explosions and action amped up to make an appropriate big screen spectacle. Story or logic (for me, anyway) isn’t really the point of The A-Team, so I’m going to talk about the characters for a bit and how the new actors measure up to their classic small-screen counterparts.

First up, there are the brains of the A-Team, Hannibal. Now I love and adore George Peppard (Breakfast at Tiffany’s anyone? Hello? Oooh, or even better, Home From the Hill? Excuse me while I swoon…I should blog about Home, if you are in the mood for something epic about wildly dysfunctional people it fits the bill). No one will ever be able to match his unique brand of swagger and the way he says “I love it when a plan comes together.” However, Liam Neeson was surprisingly successful as Hannibal. I am a huge fan of his work and think he’s a fantastic actor, but I had some reservations about whether or not he could pull off balance between action and comedy that makes Hannibal & team so much fun. Neeson just seemed like he was having a blast making this movie, and he brings all of the bravado and humor one could wish for to the role, while being rather more believable as an intense, action hero type.

If I had to guess, I’d say Mr. T’s portrayal of B.A. Baracus is probably the most well-known and memorable character to come out of the TV show. I’ve got to say, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson did his homework and brings his own spin to all of B.A.’s memorable quirks, from his fear of flying to his obsession with that black van. The script here adds a smidgen of extra depth to B.A.'s character, and Jackson plays the role really well.

Jackson played off Sharlto Copley’s Murdock beautifully. That pair of characters has always cracked me up, and thankfully this movie doesn’t lose any of that entertainment value (I just loved the moments when Murdock would bribe B.A. with his favorite foods, too funny!). Murdock is the character that concerned me most when I heard about an A-Team movie. I adore Dwight Schultz in that role, and Murdock has always been far and away my absolutely favorite member of the team. Murdock’s hot people, I’ll just go ahead and say it. If you don’t believe me, watch my all-time favorite Murdock-centric episode, “The Spy Who Mugged Me” sometime (it’s from season 5). In fact, here is a link to the episode (not that I'm trying to push the issue or anything, haha!!). Before I get too distracted and turn this post into a Dwight Schultz lovefest, let me refocus on Copley’s Murdock. He is thoroughly entertaining, and definitely brought an extra level of crazy to the character that makes the television Murdock seem almost sane(r).

I’ve never really given Bradley Cooper much thought as an actor, but he really worked for me as Face. Most fans of the TV show that I know loved Dirk Benedict as Face first and foremost, and I get that – I mean what’s not to love, the guy is gorgeous! But I’ve always been a Murdock fangirl, which is just another indication of how weird I am, as if anyone reading this blog needed any more reasons to thinks so (HA!!!) – all that to say, I never had as much invested into Face’s character as other fans of the show, so I feel like I could come to Cooper’s portrayal with a relatively open perspective. Cooper’s take on Face is a bit more angsty than I can ever remember the character getting from the TV show. Here the filmmakers go to some pains to show that Templeton Peck isn’t “just another pretty face” (sorry, couldn’t resist!), but he has some relationship baggage dangit (thanks to Jessica Biel’s character, the “one” girlfriend Face was apparently willing to get serious with a couple years ago). I did like how the film matures Face a bit and allows him to develop his own insane schemes.

There are a couple of nods to the original show scattered through the film that I really appreciated and want to mention, starting with how the team first meets in Mexico, perhaps hearkening back to the first episode of the show which also takes place there (it’s the little things, right?). Jessica Biel’s character, Charisa Sosa, is, all things considered, pretty unbelievable (I’ve never seen a female member of the Army where such spiked heels while on duty, but whatever), but I didn’t mind her. In the right role I really like Biel’s performances (especially in The Illusionist and Easy Virtue), and I sort of felt the Sosa character was a nod to Amy (Melinda Culea) and Tawnia (Marla Heasley), female sidekicks with extended episode runs on the television show. I also loved the fact that Colonel Morrison (played in the movie by Gerald McRaney) shows up in this movie, since it’s also a Morrison who authorized the mission that gets the team in so much trouble in the show. My favorite twist on a TV show character, though, has to be Lynch, played here by Patrick Wilson. In the television show, Lynch was simply an officer obsessed with capturing the A-Team, while in this movie Lynch becomes the latest in a succession of smarmy CIA agents*. The recurring jokes about “knowing a Lynch” back in the day cracked me up. It was a lot of fun watching Patrick Wilson fall apart by the end of the movie, and it was REALLY fun watching Liam Neeson beat up on him, I cannot lie.

*Note: This movie doesn’t require a sequel, but the door is definitely left open to the possibility. I’d like to state for the record that they NEED to make a sequel, since at the end of this movie Jon Hamm is the new Lynch, and I’m dying to see how that plays out.

The A-Team pretty well covers all of my requirements for a summer popcorn flick. It’s action-packed, fun, escapist entertainment at its best. Suspend your disbelief at the door and enjoy the ride, know what I mean? Oh, before I forget, I have to mention that I loved Alan Silvestri's score for this movie. The original theme music of the show makes a couple of welcome appearances, but beyond that it's just a really fun action show that complements the action on-screen nicely. So, any fans of the show want to share your thoughts? :)

And just because I can...my darling Murdock. Isn't he PRECIOUS?! :)

Upcoming movies...the summer edition, part one...

Well, sorry to spring another upcoming movies post on you so soon, but this is turning into quite a week. I'm in the middle of a few books (reviews to come of course!), I still haven't reviewed Iron Man 2 or Letters to Juliet (loved 'em both just in case you were wondering), and I finalized plans to move sometime within the next month. Let the packing frenzy commence!

Since May is already half over (can you believe it?!) the summer movie season is gong to be kicking into high gear. There's a handful of movies coming out in June that I'm interested in seeing...here you go:

You all know I'm a sucker for a good historical epic. :) Princess Ka'iulani has already opened in limited release, mostly on the west coast (I think). There's no telling if it will ever make it's way to Tennessee, but if it does I definitely want to see it. Starring Q'orianka Kilcher, who played Pocahontas in the gorgeous film The New World.



Killers opens 6/4, starring Katherine Heigl and Ashton Kutcher. Looks fun but it may end up being a rental:



The A-Team opens on 6/11, and people I can not WAIT for this one. I absolutely love the TV show. While no one can fully replace George Peppard as Hannibal, and no one can ever, EVER replace Dwight Schultz as Murdock (LOVE him!), this cast looks like it will do a decent job. :) Starring Liam Neeson as Hannibal, Bradley Cooper as Faceman, Sharlto Copley as Murdock, and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson as B.A.



Last but certainly not least, Knight and Day opens 6/25 starring Cameron Diaz and Tom Cruise. I am endlessly entertained by this trailer, which is really something if you know how long I've spent loathing Tom Cruise (I've mellowed on that somewhat...loved Valkyrie, bad accent & all). If it comes down to a choice between this movie & Killers, this one will win, no contest...