Four Score and Seven Crucifixes Ago: Abraham Lincoln- Vampire Hunter Review

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Director: Timur Bekmambetov

By Alex Watson

Historical re-jigging in films is something that has very varied results. For instance we have seen a world where the Nazi’s triumphed in HBO TV Movie Fatherland, but on the flip side we have also seen a violently over the top end to World War 2 in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds. Changing a nations history can bring about some scary thought as to what potential horrors it could have unleashed? This week we focus on  Kazakh director Timur Bekmambetov’s adaptation of Seth Grahame’s fictional account of the one truly great American leaders and his secret dark past in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.   

The film follows the young Lincoln (Benjamin Walker) from his youth where he witness he mother murdered by a vampire Jack Barts (Martin Csokas). Soon into his adult years Lincoln after a failed attempt to kill Barts is taken under the tutorship of the mysterious Henry Sturgess (Dominic Cooper) where he begins to learn his craft of killing vampires! Vampires are the king of the slave trade in America and are run by the devious Adam (Rufus Sewell). This fact will inspire Lincoln to not only avenge his mother’s death but to become the most powerful in the United States!

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter may have appeared to be a sound idea of paper, but overall it just feels mediocre. The idea that one of the great presidents was simply trying to stop the vamps from taking over could well have given the film a much needed comic edge. Instead it seems to be trying to present itself as a straight thriller which given its subject matter makes the film fall flat!

If Bekmambetov and producer Tim Burton had stayed with the scenes of the younger Lincoln doing battle with the blood suckers this would have made a very offbeat and quirky film. But their messy approach to intertwining his slaying with his run for office is just filled with cliques and makes it feel like a radical history lesson for bored high school students!

But the real disappointment behind this film is the poor direction of Bekmambetov! After the one-two punch of the brilliant Russian vampire film Night Watch, to his gloriously pompous action flick Wanted. Bekmambetov has made himself out to be the new hot director from across the pond. But here due to very poor visual effects and laughable script, he takes a giant step back.  The initial signs for this film were good and it he seemed exactly right man for the job. But during the film we find ourselves crying out for his slick yet overloaded style. But in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter it appears he left it back at home and we left to reflect on what could have been!

Physically Benjamin Walker looks the part of Abraham Lincoln and single handed Walker raises the film from B movie hell. His later scenes and the elderly Lincoln genuinely impress and he brings a new heart to the screen and it at least makes it seem like more than an impersonation. Dominic Cooper is also impressive as his mentor Henry, through his bitter sardonic teaching Cooper gives a sense of mystery to his character and we wonder what his vendetta against Vampires comes from?

As the villain, Rufus Sewell is given little to do except look broody and speak with soft menace. Sewell’s talent as an actor has been obvious for years but it seems like he is permanently stuck in the rent- a- baddie side show roles. Hopefully one day he will get a role with the bite he deserves.

So it seems bending history isn’t always fun, Bekmamtov should have given us one of the daftest and funniest films of the year! Maybe when Wanted 2 is finally released he will be redeemed! You can only wonder what is next in line for alternative history, Winston Churchill: Mummy Slayer perhaps. The film world waits!

It’s Only Rock and Roll… But I Like It!!!: Review of Rock of Ages

Rock of Ages

Director: Adam Shankman

By Alex Watson

Musicals in Hollywood these days are hot property and whenever they are brought to our screens, the crowd sings along and stars are born. But this week we turn to a very different kind of musical, Rock of Ages has been a hit in London’s West End for some years now with its selection of 80’s nostalgia songs by Def Leppard, Bon Jovi and White Snake among others. When a Hollywood version was announced some have merely dismissed it as a celebrity sing-a-long.  In wake of the success of hit musical television show Glee, can Hairspray director Adam Shankman repeat the success of the stage?

Rock of Ages is set in 1987 Los Angeles, can era where rock is king and the crowds go wild. Small town girl Sherrie (Julianne Hough) arrives in LA with her heart set on fame, on her first night she meets fellow fame hunter Drew (Diego Boneta) who works as a barman at the notorious The Bourbon Room. The venue is having financial difficulties and the owner Dennis (Alec Baldwin) wishes that his love of rock and roll could keep it alive. Things aren’t helped by the mayor’s conservative wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones) wanted to close it down! Meanwhile rock idol Stacee Jaxx (Tom Cruise) has stop writing songs and now his crazy persona has grown out of control, but his last gig holds the hopes of club!

The charm of Rock of Ages is undeniable and the impressive ensemble blends together magnificently. Some might dismisses this as another conveyor belt hit where originality has long departed, but the collection of old hits captures every possible feeling and as we watch Tom Cruise belt out ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’ by Bon Jovi you will have to fight to stop your head nodding to the beat. It is to the credit of director Adam Shankman for keeping this film so fresh rather than giving us a 1980’s musical.

Although the plot has been done to death before (small town girl finds fellow fame seeker, one goes big and other doesn’t- soon problems are had!), the central romance makes the screen sparkle and the characters of Sherrie and Drew have enough to them to make us wanted to see them through. But the descent of the central characters is a point of intrigue; Drew’s rock dream stagnates to the point where he reluctantly joins a boy band! While Sherrie’s demise forces to seek another extreme side of entertainment. But its story of Stacee Jaxx that holds the main attention.

Through Shankman, we are shown a fallen idol that is truly lost in a haze of booze and groupies! The magic of the music has been lost to him and through his oily manager (Paul Giamatti) he merely gets by through being outrageous. It’s only when journalist Constance (Malin Akerman) hits him with some home truths that he is forced to take another look at his idol status. Though he is a thin veiled take on Guns N Roses singer Axl Rose, Jaxx provides Rock of Ages with some its key comic moments.

Boneta and Hough make a lovely central pairing and their vocal duets elevate the movie above normal, their star status has been noted and time will tell how they go from here. Alec Baldwin is entertaining as weary club owner Dennis and his scenes with his partner in crime Lonny (Russell Brand) gives a very un-likely romance as the film progresses. But its Cruise that brings the screen alive the infamous Jaxx, from the very moment he was cast, critics were questioning his singing ability- well it seems little Tommy sure can sing! His character is the kind of rocker of you will kill to party with, especially as he has a servant monkey called Hey Man. This role brings another side to Cruise’s star status and I hope he revisits this genre in the future.

I am going to put my masculinity on the line here and admit that Rock of Ages is one of my favourite films of the year so far! It might seem like a glorified mega star karaoke but it has a heart that is undeniable and will guarantee that you like the cinema with a grin to rival the Cheshire Cat. As the tag-line suggests its ‘Nothin but a Good Time’.

Papa Don’t Preach: Review of Juno

New Cult Classic

Juno (2007)

Director: Jason Reitman

By Alex Watson

Late on in the awards season there is always a film that comes out of left field that no one expects. These film’s charm us and they are destined to be on people’s ‘films to watch’ list soon after! Jason Reitman’s indie film, Juno fits into this category. In its simplest form this is film which deals with the issue of teen pregnancy and the problems that arise from it. Usually when this subject rolls around the character is usually from some white trash background; Juno however, is the flip side of this story.

The story begins when smart, quirky Juno (Ellen Page) gets pregnant with her lifelong friend Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera), because of this it means a premature descent into the world of adulthood, a world way beyond her super cool mannerisms. At first she at first considers abortion but then she sets out to find the perfect adoptive parents for her child and she finds them in the form of rich couple Vanessa (Jennifer Garner) and Mark (Jason Bateman) who both seem to be too good to be true. But then the problems begin to arise.

What makes this film so refreshing is that Juno is not presented as being some dumb kid who got drunk and then  pregnant, but as a hip, intelligent teen from a loving but blue collar family who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

In the beginning Juno has a seemingly blaze attitude towards her towards both her teenage years and her pregnancy in the beginning which exemplified in the scene where she informs her parents of her pregnancy and her plans to give the baby up, as she describes“And in what ah 30 or odd weeks we can just pretend that this never happened.” This shows just how young Juno really is and how she doesn’t seem to realize the risk of what she is prepared to do.

The young lady also possess a sly wit to her and seems to have a clever answer for just about every situation, but this is just a mask for Juno’s insecurities and how afraid she is to face the reality of the situation she’s in.

The main talking point of Juno that has divided the audience is the Oscar winning script by former stripper turned screenwriter Diablo Cody. The chatty and almost sarky dialogue was met with mixed praise where some hailed it for being clever and more alternative than other dialogues before. But some saw it as being merely an irritation and highly pretentious. In the early stages of the film the speech threatens to spoil the film before it’s got anywhere at all and seems to be maybe trying a little too hard to be original.

But through Cody’s impressive eye for speech it coaxes a different side to Juno and through it we begin to see someone who is sensitive, caring but yet tries just a little too hard to impress (this is represented through the scenes with the babies father). But overall the script is a minor gem possessing dialogue that is both different but at the same time very relevant.

Ellen Page gives a brilliant central performance in Juno, as the fore mention teen she is very off the wall and seems to take things a little too casual. But through Page she finds another side to Juno and we see how much this scenario has changed her and how much she is hurting! This performance is one the best and coolest that you will see in a long time.

Michael Cera is also impressive as Paulie, the boy who deep down truly loves her but tries to play it cool! Cera went on to impress in Scott Pilgrim Vs the World after this. But the real surprise is Jennifer Garner, her role and rich but incomplete Vanessa showed us another tender side to her acting post Alias, and her scenes with Jason Bateman are genuinely moving in the movie latter part.

Overall Juno may be cliqued as the ‘Little Film That Could’ but in my opinion it is something else entirely. Juno is not only a charming piece but it ticks the boxes of both the mainstream lovers and the more indie fans of cinema. It is a film which has a lot of reasons to watch it. The messages in Juno will devide opinion and maybe some may find this a little difficult to swallow, but you won’t find out unless you observe.

When Two Tribes Go to War: The Untouchables Review

Classic from the Vault

The Untouchables (1987)

Director: Brian De Palma

By Alex Watson

These day’s people tend to snigger when they hear about a film starring Kevin Costner, after a golden start to his career things tailed off after his mega flop film Waterworld and his equally blasted adaptation of David Bein’s novel The Postman. But everyone tends to forget what a great presence he is on our screens and what charisma and heart he is able to bring to a character. There is no better time than to re-visit what is arguably his finest hour in Brian De Palma’s classic, The Untouchables.

Set in Chicago in the 1930’s the city is at the height of prohibition and gangster Al Capone (Robert De Niro) runs the city with absolute power. To toughen up the law the US Treasury appoints Special Agent Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner) to bring change to the city and to expel corruption within the Police Force. Initially his efforts are a failure due to cops being bribed and several busts going wrong as a result! But then Ness comes across Jim Malone (Sean Connery), an incorruptible Irish ‘beat cop’ and together they form a small band of similar officers including rookie George Stone (Andy Garcia) and accountant Oscar Wallace (Charles Martin Smith) and together will bring down Capone!

The band of brother’s feel of The Untouchables is what truly gives it heart, all the way through they grow as a team and their tactics grow more refined. But more than anything we know they will always watch out for one another, no matter what the cost. Early on we see that Eliot Ness has been given a thankless job within the department. Cops change their loyalty like they change their clothes, and in short he cannot change Chicago.

After the introduction of Jim Malone Ness’ character beings to grow. Malone through his old school methods teaches Ness ‘The Chicago Way’, ” You wanna know how to get Capone? They pull a knife, you pull a gun. He sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue. That’s the ‘Chicago’ way! And that’s how you get Capone.”

Soon the four are able to strike fear into gangland as they hide the mob’s secret hideouts. As their notoriety increases, they come under Capone’s ever watching eye and very soon he has dispatched his creepy enforcer Frank Nitti (Billy Drago) to send a powerful message!

But also in The Untouchables there are moments that remind us just how brutal Capone’s reign, in one scene he casually walks around a dinner table holding a baseball bat talking how it is his favourite team game. Moments later he shockingly beats a fellow gang member to a bloody pulp in full view everyone. The message is clear to all- anyone that snitches won’t live to tell the tale! But as the four men get closer to Capone, their methods begin to match his.

One notable example happens when the men execute a daring raid on a whiskey deal at the Canadian border. When a mafia man refuses to talk and scoffs at their efforts, Malone grabs his dead associate and pretends to threaten into talking. To finally scare the man into submission, Malone blows a hole in the dead man’s head! This frightens the man into talking and by matching their enemy, they get the result they need!

Kevin Costner gives a fine performance as Ness. Although very bookish at the beginning, Costner as the film progress finds room to make Ness more assertive. His final showdown with Billy Drago gives us one of the coldest deaths in movie history!  But The Untouchables belongs to Sean Connery’s great turn as Malone. His grizzled veteran is as much teacher as he is father figure for Ness, Connery is the force that pushes the film into greater territory and for this he was rewarded with his only Oscar! Although Robert De Niro only features briefly as Capone, his presence is still a terrifying one. Capone has the city in his pocket and there is nothing he won’t do to keep himself in power!

For proof that there is life left in Costner then please check this out. De Palma’s film will keep you gripped from the very starts and features one of the greatest shootout sequences ever filmed! Chicago is a city in crisis and it needs a band of heroes. With Costner and Connery on the job- results are assured!

On Stranger Tides: Prometheus Review

Prometheus

Director: Ridley Scott

By Alex Watson

 

Ever since its announcement, Alien fans everywhere have been debating whether or not Ridley Scott’s new film, Prometheus is a prequel to the series. The argument is strong on both sides, but through an impressive viral campaign we have gotten the impression that Scott isn’t interested in just giving another re-tread of his sci-fi masterpiece and instead hopes to give us a whole new experience. But with no Ripley present, how will his return to the genre that made him great stand out? What is lurking in the darkness in this film and more importantly, will any chests burst?

When scientists Dr Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) find cave paintings with appears to be a star chart; they are convinced that this is a calling from higher beings to come and find them. Soon they are attached to Weyland Industries project landing upon uncharted planet LV-223, accompanied by icy Weyland Executive Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron) and android David (Michael Fassbender). Initially they are excited about potential meeting their creator, but soon events take a dramatic turn!

Prometheus fits well into Ridley Scott’s alien universe but this isn’t strictly a prequel to the events proceeding. In some ways you could view this as a whole new take on the saga. Throughout the film you can feel Scott’s passion for the project, the effects are beautifully presented and in 3D this will be a well spent experience. But it also has very different feel than its predecessor because it is darker and has an almost rougher outline to it.

Also this film asks more interesting questions, the big one being ‘Who are we? And where do we come from?’ This effect is treated like opening Pandora’s Box; at the beginning we are as thrilled as Shaw and Holloway about discovering the answer. But as the bodies stack up and the feeling grows tenser, we get the common vibe that some answers are meant to be found!

But underneath the layer of gloss it isn’t such a pretty affair, because unlike the original Alien which was tension personified, Prometheus suffers from a lack of suspense and at times feels flat. Because of this when the terrible events do happen we merely shrug them off! It is a shame that Scott didn’t expand of this effect because this could have elevate this film to be Sci-Fi of the year! Also the characters in this place just feel bland and formulaic, and just mainly feel like lambs to the slaughter.

The real missing ingredient however, is a strong female presence. Shaw is an interesting character but she doesn’t feel able to hold the film centrally and seems to a great dealing of mainly running through corridors looking afraid. The saving grace is the creation of David, the mysterious android aboard the ship. He differs from previous androids like Ash because he is the loyal servant who serves his master well, but perhaps too well and throughout the film we are always guessing as to what his motives truly are. His presence alone gives the movie the mystery it needs and we sit in wait for David to reveal his true colours!

Michael Fassbender gives the best performance in Prometheus as David. His portrayal is a smart one because rather than just copying typical android psycho Ash, Fassbender finds another level and plays David with almost child-like naivety and throughout we wonder what is running through his circuits? This is yet more proof that Fassbender is truly a name to watch out for. Noomi Rapace does well as Elizabeth Shaw and she is a very different female presence than we are accustom to in Scott’s universe. For those who saw her as Lisbeth Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo– this will almost seem like a far soft side to her!

But Charlize Theron is underused as corporate suit Meredith Vickers, at first it seems like she fits into the stereotypical role of the movie bitch. But Theron gives a thinly veiled humanity in her quieter moments and we discover that her motives aren’t all work related! More of her could have given the movie another edge.

Spiritually Prometheus should have been the perfect prequel to the Alien saga, but sadly after viewing this I went hope with an empty feeling inside. It is still worth a watch to get a glimpse of where it all began, but ultimately this just feels like Fox’s big summer hope has missed the mark. Thanks for coming back Sir Ridley, hope it’s a better visit next time!