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More film reviews added to the archive
Imported a few more film reviews to the website, although there’s still a lot more to do. Any reviews not on the website can be found on my Tumblr blog.
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#374 – The Last Halloween (1991)
The Last Halloween (1991)
Film review #374
Director: Savage Steve Holland
SYNOPSIS: In the town of Crystal Falls, Michael and his younger sister Jeanie are eager to celebrate Halloween, but their Father, who owns the local candy factory, fears this will be “The Last Halloween” as the lake that powers the factory is mysteriously drying up. When aliens show up looking for something called “koobi” which their home planet of Mars has run out of, Michael and Jeanie help them to find some and unravel the mystery of the lake along the way…
THOUGHTS/ANALYSIS: The Last Halloween is a 1991 TV film/special aired at Halloween (Unsurprising, given the title). In the opening we are introduced to Michael and Jeanie: a brother and sister who live in the quaint U.S. town of Crystal Falls. Their Father and grandfather run the local candy factory, which is about to close down due to the mysterious drying up of the lake, which will make a lot of the town unemployed. Michael and Jeanie are still looking forward to going trick or treating however, and their Halloween night gets even stranger when four aliens land on Earth looking for something called ″koobi” which their home planet of Mars has run out of. Michael and Jeanie agree to help the aliens out, but meanwhile Mrs. Gizbourne is secretly using the water from the lake to fuel her experiments into attaining the secret of eternal youth. For a television special that only runs at around twenty five minutes, there is a lot going on in terms of story and characters. It crams a lot in so that in theory there’s something for a wide audience. It skips a lot on some of the details, but that kind of thing doesn’t really matter to kids, who can happily fill in the gaps with their own imagination. With all these different threads going on at the same time, the special nevertheless flows along quite nicely, and there’s always something fun or interesting happening on screen.
The film is definitely meant to have a “timeless” quality to it, so it can be repeated every year when halloween rolls around. It’s meant to be the sort of film that becomes part of the tradition, although it wasn’t shown much after it’s original airing as far as I can see, and there’s been no digital or home video release. Michael and Jeanie are plain and average children that younger viewers can relate to, but they have their own unique traits too. The aliens are probably the most interesting characters though, as each has their own look, voice and personality, and are entirely computer-animated, which was quite groundbreaking at the time have CG creatures interacting with real actors on-screen. This special was made my Hanna-Barbera, who produced a lot of traditional hand-drawn animated shows (Scooby-Doo, The Flintstones, amongst others), and this is one of their first forays into computer-generated animation. Nevertheless, they seem to have transitioned well, and the aliens all look, move and talk like they have a genuine presence. Obviously the effects look dated now, but again there is still a timeless quality to them that doesn’t spoil the overall feel of the story.
Overall, The Last Halloween, while being short and fairly harmless, manages to cram a lot of content into its runtime, with plenty of elements that will appeal to its younger audience. It plays it safe in many respects and is mostly harmless, probably appealing to well-established ideas to make it “timeless”, but owing to that, it does use what is known to be successful to make a successful bit of television. The animation is fairly decent for it’s time, and offers something new in terms of it being computer generated. Not that interesting for adults, but would have been perfect to get young kids in the mood for Halloween.
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“W.I.S.P.A.” and “Sealers Stories” officially launched
My two webcomics “W.I.S.P.A.” and “Sealers Stories” have now launched and will be updating regularly, starting with a 9-page prologue before launching into the first episode/chapters of each. More details on the schedule and other things on their respective websites.
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#373 – Brick Bradford (1949)
Brick Bradford (1949)
Film review #373
Director: Spencer Gordon Bennet
SYNOPSIS: Brick Bradford and his friends are assigned to visit the lodge of the scientist Doctor Tymak, who has developed “interceptor ray” that can intercept and destroy enemy rockets. It’s potential to be developed into a death ray as well has attracted the attention of the foreign spy Laydron, who wants to steal the ray. Brick and his friends must fight to keep the ray from falling into the wrong hands, and help Tymak finish his research as they travel across time and space to defeat the villainous Laydron and his goons…
THOUGHTS/ANALYSIS: Brick Bradford is a 1949 movie serial based on the comic strips of the same name. The opening introduces Brick Bradford and his friends Sandy Sanderson (yes that is apparently his real name), Professor Salisbury and his daughter Jane. They are visited by a U.N. official to assigns them to aid the work of Doctor Tymak, a scientist working on a secret project who may be the target of foreign spies. The spy Laydron manages to get to Tymak first, and while Tymak flees, Laydron pretends to be him when Brick and his friends get there in order to capture them. The plot of the serial follows the standard serial setups, with a constant back-and-forth between the heroes and villains, fist fights, getting captured, escaping and daring cliffhangers. I suppose what makes the serial unique is that it is a mix of all the usual elements of the format thrown together into one. For example, the opening third deals with Tymak fleeing to the moon after Laydron trying to capture him and Brick going to rescue him. While there, they get caught up in a civil war between a dictator and the rebels who want to restore democracy. This part of the story is very similar (practically identical) to a Flash Gordon serial, and while it will offer no surprises to viewers familiar to said serial, it offers an interesting setting and some fun traps. The next part of the film involves Brick and Sandy going back in time to find a note buried in a treasure chest that has the formula necessary to complete the interceptor ray. They get caught up in a battle between some sailors and a native tribe and the whole setting again offers something different. The third act revolves around the more standard serial plots of kidnapping, fist fights and chases as Laydron tries to get a hold of the interceptor ray. Add to all this the car chase scenes, invisibility devices and convoluted death traps and you’ve got a full-house in movie serial bingo.
The problem with the story is that while it does have plenty of variety, its different parts feel inconsistent with each other. The first part set on the moon is very similar (identical) to a Flash Gordon serial, and is probably the best written part, with a host of identifiable characters and plenty of danger and traps. The second part set in the 18th century is a bit more light-hearted and silly. With Sandy often making plenty of humourous quips. After these adventures throughout space and time, the final part resorts to the typical back-and-forth between the heroes and villains as they chase each other across the few sets the serial has. This is the weakest part of the serial, as it is difficult to top the first two parts. One reason for this disparity is that each part is written by a different writer, and clearly they all have their own ideas of what should be going on in the serial. The director, Spencer Gordon Bennet, did a number of these film serials, but his expertise doesn’t really fix the problems (he also directed the Batman and Robin, serial and after Brick Bradford the Superman serials, which were much better).
The movie serial format is a very outdated format. It’s multiple episodes re-used the same few sets as they were typically constrained to a low budget and would have to stretch what they had as far as possible (yet would keep viewers coming back to the theatre every week to watch the next instalment). Brick Bradford manages to have a good enough variety of settings thanks to the varied story, and is also aided by the fact that there are plenty of outdoor scenes. Obviously the moon having a breathable atmosphere and people living on it is a bit far-fetched today, but would have been somewhat believable back when the serial was released. The “time top” that Brick and Sandy use to travel back through time in is probably one of the first depictions of a time machine on film too, and I can imagine that it sparked people’s imaginations when they saw it for the first time. The characters themselves are all a bit dry and without merit, and Brick doesn’t really stand out alongside the Flash Gordon’s and Buck Rogers’ of the movie world. Overall, Brick Bradford can best be summed up as a “greatest hits” of the sci-fi movie serial: it has everything it needs from death rays, aliens, time travel, invisibility devices, mobs, car chases, convoluted death traps, all-american heroes, and a single female character. However, all of these elements feel very disjointed from one another, and the mix of writers with different perspectives gives the serial an uneven tone. There is a decent amount of variety throughout the fifteen chapters, but by the end the film has exhausted everything the format has to offer and it clearly shows. A valid attempt with familiar concepts, but nowhere near the best that the serial format has to offer.
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#372 – Tomorrow, When the War Began (2012)
Tomorrow, When the War Began (2012)
Film review #372
Director: Stuart Beattie
SYNOPSIS: Seven teenagers in rural Australia go off into the wilderness for a weekend camping trip, but when they return, they find that while they were away, a foreign army has invaded the country, and rounded up all of their families. The group are hunted by the occupying forces, and must not only find a way to survive, but to fight back and save their town…
THOUGHTS/ANALYSIS: Tomorrow When the War Began is a 2012 Australian film based on the novel of the same name. The film centres around a group of teenagers who have to survive when their country is invaded by a foreign power. In the beginning, we are introduced to Ellie, a normal teenager who narrates the story, and is organising a weekend camping trip with her friends into an area of the wilderness literally called Hell. While they are away with no way to contact anyone, a foreign army invades Australia and takes over their town, as well as imprisoning all their families. When Ellie and the rest of the group return home to find everyone gone, they have to find a way to first of all survive, then figure out how to fight back. The film is quite similar to Red Dawn, which really remains the benchmark for these types of films. The plot unfolds steadily and more or less predictably, but given the constant danger that the cast is in, it creates a tense atmosphere in which you can believe that no one is safe, and danger could just be around the corner. The film exclusively centres around the cast of teenagers, and for most of the film they are just trying to survive before they can actually start to fight back. We don’t see their families captured, and neither do they try and free them because they are too busy just trying to avoid getting captured themselves, which sort of makes sense. The film also has a ‘coming-of-age’ feel to it as the characters are forced to grow up and confront adulthood a lot sooner than they were expecting. There is a lot of suspense in many of the scenes throughout the film, and a constant sense of danger that is executed well, driving many of the decisions that the characters take.
The most interesting part of the film is definitely the characters. Each of the teenagers that make up the group has their own recognisable personality, and a good amount of focus is given to each of them to see how they deal with the situation they find themselves in. The inter-personal relationships between them also get a good amount of attention, and so while some of the characters fall into very stereotypical roles, they develop unique relationships and responses throughout the film, which makes keeps it interesting. Being based on a book, you can certainly see where the characters were specially developed in the text and translated into film well. Sometimes there’s a corny line of dialogue that feels out of place, and takes you out of the drama of a scene, but the overall impression of the characters you get isn’t hampered by this. They really are a balanced bunch with elements of romance and animosity to give it some variety, and plenty of opportunities by the end of the film to overcome their shortcomings and truly ‘come of age’ (even if, again, it sometimes feels a bit corny or obvious). Ellie certainly leaves a strong impression as she starts as an ordinary teenage girl and quickly becomes scarred and hardened by the trouble she goes through (such as having to kill the enemy soldiers), but also has to contend with her still human side. Kevin’s cowardice is a constant burden to the group, but by the end he finally finds something to stand up for. Homer’s unruliness finds a place in executing and planning guerrilla tactics, Fiona is a bit of a princess, but isn’t afraid to confront her humanity and help out despite being aware of her limitations, and Robyn realises that following her religion isn’t so simple when she also has her loyalties to her friends who are also counting on her. Again, these are interesting characters to watch that evolve beyond the familiar stereotypical roles they begin in through well written dialogue and relationships.
The balance between drama and action is well maintained, and the scenes are well constructed to serve their purpose. There’s some great shots of the Australian wilderness which really define the location well and give it a unique sense of identity (while the themes in the film are familiar, they are rarely set in this part of the world). The soundtrack is full of fitting songs, and the production and direction is well executed. The film never gets too over-the-top, and while not overly violent or gruesome, does not shy away from the harshness of what is going on, which again accentuates the need for these characters to grow up quickly and confront their weaknesses. The plot eventually centres around the group attempting to blow up the only bridge in and out of town, thereby cutting off reinforcements from the nearby port. The film ends with their success, but with the war far from over and their families still imprisoned, they obviously have a long way to go. There were several more books that continued the story, but none of them were adapted into a film, which is a shame because by the end of the film the cast becomes very familiar and you are certainly left wanting more from them. Tomorrow, When the War Began follows familiar themes and tropes, but branches out to develop it’s characters and unique location in an interesting and refreshing way, and keeps the viewer engaged with tense action scenes and emotional drama. There’s the odd line of dialogue or performance which falls flat and interrupts the investment in the film, but overall it’s an entertaining and captivating watch.
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#371 – Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019)
Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019)
Film review #371
Director: Rob Letterman
SYNOPSIS: When Tim Goodman gets news that his Father has been killed in a car crash, he travels to Ryme City where he worked as a police detective, to collect his things. While there, he finds a Pikachu who for some reason he is able to understand. Tim also learns that this Pikachu was his Father’s pokémon partner, and he has had his memory wiped. Tim decides to team up with Pikachu to help him regain his memories and carry on the case that he and his Dad were working on before he seemingly died…
THOUGHTS/ANALYSIS: Pokémon: Detective Pikachu is a 2019 film based on the successful video game franchise, and loosely follows the 2016 game Detective Pikachu. The film starts off introducing Tim Goodman, a 21-year old insurance salesman who gets news that his father has died in a car crash in Ryme City. Tim heads to the city to collect his father’s things, but while in his apartment finds a Pikachu that Tim can understand when he speaks. Not only this, this Pikachu was his father’s pokémon partner in his job as a police detective, and has lost all his memories, so Tim gets caught up in this curious mystery that he teams up with Pikachu with, to try and work out what happened to his father, and what happened to Pikachu’s memories. The plot of the film is focused on unravelling this big mystery, which impacts on each of the characters, but becomes tied into the fate of the city as a whole too, meaning it has lots of facets and interesting avenues to head down. Nevertheless, the story is fairly simple to follow, while also offering some decent twists along the way. The different elements of the plot perhaps don’t weave together enough though, as scene-by-scene it focuses on either story, action or emotional aspects, and they don’t overlap too much. With this in mind the villain’s big plan can feel a little muddled, especially in comparison to the much more interesting mystery concerning Pikachu and Tim’s father.
It should be noted that you don’t really need to have an extensive knowledge of Pokémon to enjoy this film: it is easy enough to follow the mystery without knowing what all the pokémon are. Nevertheless, the film is clearly aimed at fans of the franchise, and there’s a ton of little references that will satisfy the hardcore fans, and they will be the ones who get the most out of this film. Every pokémon has their own personality and comes alive on the screen, and while the human characters sometimes do not possess that amount of presence, they have their own specific roles that they play out well. Overall the film is easy to follow, and offers plenty of entertainment tailored to the pokémon themselves.
One of the most noted aspects of the film are the pokémon visuals: they have a unique aesthetic that maintains the original designs, while also making them more ‘believeable’ in the real world, such as accentuating the fur on Pikachu and others. Altering and adapting character designs is always a challenging task to pull off, as any alteration will no doubt anger fans and purists. However, Detective Pikachu seems to have struck the perfect balance with it’s designs: it makes the pokémon more ‘real’ looking, while also keeping the proportions and feel of the original designs, which went over well with the significant majority of fans. Sometimes the CG lets itself down (particularly with regards to Mewtwo), but on the whole it is pretty solid. The pokémon are also full of character, and their facial expressions (especially Pikachu’s) really bring them to life. Ryme City itself has its own unique aesthetic as a mix of London, New York and Tokyo, while also bringing in its own original elements to give it a feel of something new and also as a distinct place in the pokémon universe. Overall, Pokémon: Detective Pikachu is a success in translating the franchise into a live-action setting for the first time: it offers something new without deviating so much that it is unrecognisable to fans. The story is easy to follow, and the characters are entertaining, and the negatives don’t detract too much from the overall enjoyment. I think the film really is intended both for die-hard fans and (equally) also for those who were only into the franchise when they were a kid many years ago, and will appreciate the nostalgia trip. Even with all the new pokémon they would have never seen before, there’s still plenty of classic pokémon they will recognise and enjoy seeing again.
