-
#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.
-
#368 – Mom and Dad Save the World (1992)
Mom and Dad Save the World (1992)
Film review #368
Director: Greg Beeman
SYNOPSIS: Dick and Marge Nelson are driving on their way to spend the weekend away for their anniversary. On the way, they are abducted and taken to the distant plant Spengo, where it’s evil emperor Todd intends to marry Marge himself before he destroys Earth with his “Super Death Ray Laser”. Dick must find a way to rescue his wife and save the Earth while also contendng with the local rebels and a bad back, so it probably won’t be easy…
THOUGHTS/ANALYSIS: Mom and Dad Save the World is a 1992 sci-fi comedy film. The film starts by introducing married couple Dick and Marge Nelson, who are about to drive on their anniversary getaway. However, they end up going a lot further than expected, as their car is abducted and taken to the far away planet of Spengo, where the ruler of the planet, the evil emperor Todd plans to marry Marge himself before blowing up the Earth with his “Super death Ray Laser”. The plot really is this simple, and essentially revolves around Todd trying to marry Marge, and Dick trying to stop him and rescue his wife. From the outset we see the couple are pretty average, with kids and some issues between them, but nothing that majorly stands out: Marge wants to be more adventurous, while Dick is unwilling to go beyond his comfort zone. Meanwhile we see the evil emperor Todd is a bit of an incompetent and non-threatening villain (not least because his name is Todd), and the whole film just has that cheesy, silly tone to it that shows it is not meant to be taken seriously. I suppose it is primarily a comedy film with some sci-fi and adventure elements as this middle-aged couple attempt to overthrow this not-so-evil dictator. The pair make for unlikely heroes, although their characters don’t offer too many surprises, it is unusual to see those types of characters in this type of situation, so it does make for a bit of a unique experience.
Although the film offers little surprise in terms of story or characters, there are some more noteworthy aspects to it. Firstly, there are enough jokes that land to make this film entertaining enough to sit through. There’s some occasions where it can get a genuine laugh, and others where it maintains the humour throughout, such as the “light grenade” scene. Most of the humour is family friendly, but there’s some jokes only an adult will get, so there’s a variety in there that will appeal to a wide range of audiences. Most of the humour however is pretty goofy and slapstick, as the planet Spengo is self described as a “planet of idiots”, and the plainly average Dick is regarded as a genius compared to them. Another positive to the film is the some of the production aspects. The alien costumes, which are anthropomorphic dogs and fish, are quite well done, and are able to convey a range of facial expressions that give them real character. The rest of the special effects are fairly typical of their time, but there’s clearly a decent amount of effort gone into creating the setting and characters. One other interesting note is that the actor for Todd voices Artie in The Simpsons, who on more than one occasion also attempts to steal Marge from her husband, making a very obscure reference.
Overall, Mom and Dad Save the World is a rather average film. It’s premise is silly, and it delivers some silly humour as you would expect. There’s some genuinely funny moments using a range of humour, and the costume designs are pretty good, so while not being the most stand-out film of all time, manages to be entertaining enough to warrant sitting through it.
-
#364 – 3 Giant Men (1973)
3 Giant Men (1973)
Film review #364
Director: T. Fikret Uçak
SYNOPSIS: A smuggling gang led by Spider-man is stealing precious artefacts in Turkey and selling them for huge profits in the U.S. The Turkish authorities call in Captain America and Mexican wrestler Santo in order to defeat Spider-man and stop the smuggling ring.
THOUGHTS/ANALYSIS: 3 Giant Men (3 Dev Adam) is a 1973 Turkish superhero film. The film centres around Captain America and Mexican wrestler Santo trying to stop a smuggling ring headed by Spider-man (or “the Spider” as he is called in the film). It may strike you from this summary that this is a completely bizarre concept for a film, and makes very little sense considering the characters themselves, but we’ll get on to that later. First, the story begins with a woman being caught by Spider-man’s gang and being killed by having a boat’s propeller reversed into her face (offscreen anyway, signified by the spraying of what looks like tomato ketchup onto the legs of a witness). With this smuggling gang stealing and killing all over the place, the Turkish authorities call in Captain America and Mexican wrestler Santo in order to stop the gang. The story unfolds without any surprising or complex elements; the premise is laid out at the beginning and it’s followed through until the end without interruption. The story reminds me of classic movie serials, which consisted in a lot of this constant back and forth of fight scenes, car chases, and investigating.
Okay let’s talk about the characters: first, Turkish cinema around this time is infamous for using characters and footage from other properties without permission, and I’m pretty sure this is another example of that. When the police chief first meets Captain America, he remarks how good his Turkish is for an American…except it is plain to see that he is not American, he is played by a Turkish actor, who consequentially does not resemble Captain America in any way. I wonder how much Turkish audiences in 1973 would be familiar with American superheroes, and since it is probably very little, I suppose they could get away with just doing whatever they wanted with the characters. The Mexican wrestler Santo is an original character for the film, and puts on his wrestler mask and cape whenever he needs to fight some bad guys. At one point he is seen wearing a native American jacket, which is a bit odd if he is Mexican, and I wonder if the filmmakers were just conflating the two out of laziness and/or ignorance. Spider-man being the villain is probably the oddest character of the film, as he is one of the most innocent and naive of any superhero. Here, however, he is portrayed as a ruthless murder, who stabs multiple people, tortures them and at one point sends some rats down a ridiculous contraption to eat someone’s eyes out. Perhaps the most bizarre part of his character is when Captain America is explaining that Spider-man cannot stand people who dress up in costumes (such as Captain America), and he will automatically attack them on sight. How does that work? Is he jealous that his ill-fitting suit is upstaged by other costumes? I assume it’s that. Either way, “The Spider” is a ruthless villain with absolutely no connection to the original character, Also his huge eyebrows are a major distraction…
I can’t quite figure out who this film is meant to be for: the superhero characters might make you think it is a more family-oriented, as the original characters would have been, but the all the brutal deaths and torture (even though it is mostly off-screen) is definitely not family viewing. Couple that with the semi-nudity and stripper scenes and you’re definitely looking at a film intended for adults. The film as you might expect is a very low budget affair, with cheap sets, costumes and props being the norm throughout. Again, it reminds me of the classic movie serials, which used a limited amount of sets and props to keep costs low. There are some surprisingly good points though: Captain America’s suit looks pretty well done (in contrast to Spider-man’s green and red suit, which as mentioned does not fit well), and the fight scenes are quite decently choreographed, although clumsily edited in parts. At the end, the fight between Captain America and Spider-man gets incredibly ridiculous, with Captain America killing off Spider-man in a number of silly ways, only for him to reappear around a corner, and the fight carry on somewhere else. I assume they are all body doubles, but with this film it’s hard to tell what logic it subscribes to from one scene to the next. This film is ridiculous: it’s portrayal of it’s characters is completely at odds with the source material, the story is fairly basic, and is filled with odd scenes that make no sense (what was the deal with the puppet scene?). The film also crams in some raunchy scenes and gory violence that makes it feel like the film is just throwing all sorts into the picture without any consideration for a consistent tone. In the end though, you’re never going to take this film that seriously, and it’s worth a watch just to see how bad it is, and you’ll certainly get a laugh out of how cheap and silly it all is.
-
#363 – Solaris (1968)
Solaris (1968)
Film review #363
Directors: Boris Nirenburg, Lidya Ishimbayeva
SYNOPSIS: Dr. Chris Kelvin has arrived on a space station orbiting the planet Solaris. When he arrives, he finds that his colleague is dead, and the two remaining crew are acting strange. Things get even stranger when his wife, who died ten years ago, seemingly appears on the station with no memory of what happened to her. He learns that people important to each of the crew appear to them, and this is somehow connected to the planet Solaris below them. Chris and the other crew must try to determine how these people have come to be on the station, and indeed if they are real…
THOUGHTS/ANALYSIS: Solaris is a 1968 TV film based on the novel of the same name. It is the first adaptation of the book, but the least well known, having been overshadowed by the 1972 Tarkovsky version, generally considered to be a masterpiece of cinema, and to a lesser extent the 2002 version, which saw widespread release. The film opens up with Chris Kelvin, an astronaut and scientist, docking his shuttle with the space station orbiting the planet Solaris. When he arrives, he finds a peculiar set of circumstances, with his old friend and colleague dead having apparently committed suicide, and the two remaining crewmembers being extremely vague as to what is happening on the station. The film’s plot unfolds slowly, with the mystery being slowly unravelled while new complications are constantly added. It is rather similar to the other two films versions, so I will assume it follows the plot of the novel with some accuracy. It’s slow-paced, but it fits the story well, since it gives the viewer space to reflect on the themes that the film is exploring.
Upon finding his wife, who died ten years ago, seemingly alive and well on the station, he realises that each crewmember has had someone personal appear to them. They suspect it has something to do with Solaris attempting to communicate with them, and somehow reaching into each of their subconscious’ and materialising a person within. This is one of the primary themes of the film, and the means of communicating with an entity or being that is completely unlike anything that could be encountered on Earth. It is explained decently, and explored primarily through Chris’ relationship with Harrie, or the facsimile that has been created, which leads to the distinction between the real and fake being increasingly blurred. It doesn’t have the style and depth of the Tarkovsky version, but this no-frills version still gets its message across. A lot of the film does focus on Chris and Harrie, and it seems like a lot of the science-fiction emphasis is sidelined in favour of the film being more of a drama. We never get to see the people ‘created’ for the other crewmembers or get any clue to who they are, so that leaves an odd mystery that will never be solved (in this version anyway). This further reinforces the main relationship between Chris and Harrie, again emphasising their drama more than the larger concepts of the film.
Even though this version doesn’t have the budget or vision of the Tarkovsky version, it still gets the story across well. Instead of elaborate sets and design, we see a rather sparse looking space station which instead emphasises a feeling of isolation, and gives the film a more horror-vibe at times. This is not a bad adaptation by any means: it delivers the story well, explains what’s going on clearly most of the time (there are some points, particularly near the end, that it gets a bit confusing), and explores its themes with a decent depth. However, given the 1972 Tarkovsky version is such a stellar adaptation and work of cinema, there is really not much value in watching this version, as everything in it is done so much better there. Overall, a decent adaptation, but completely eclipsed by its successor.
-
#362 – RoboDoc (2008)
RoboDoc (2008)
Film review #362
Director: Stephen Maddocks
SYNOPSIS: A hospital is being constantly plagued by lawsuits from a greedy ambulance-chasing attorney. With another doctor quitting and the hospital fast running out of money, Dr. Roskin arranges for a new doctor to be sent, but doesn’t expect R.I.P. Healthcare to send a robot doctor, who is seemingly able to carry out medical duties without ever making a mistake. This causes problems for Jake Gorman, the attorney who is making money off all the malpractice cases, and working with Dr. Callaby, another doctor at the hospital who is in league with Gorman, the two try to find a way to stop “RoboDoc” before their money-making scheme is ruined…
THOUGHTS/ANALYSIS: RoboDoc is a 2008 sci-fi comedy film that somewhat parodies the RoboCop films, as the name implies. The film starts out introducing Jake Gorman, an ambulance chasing attorney who has made himself rich by suing doctors for malpractice. His constant lawsuits are pushing the North Mercy (or “No Mercy”) hospital to its limits, with doctors continually quitting and having their lives ruined. The opening of the film consists of a variety of gags and satirical looks at the U.S. healthcare system: from the ambulance-chasing attorneys, the lack of insurance for patients, and the ambulance driver adorning a racesuit, there’s a decent amount of content to get into. RoboDoc was written by two M.D.’s and so obviously they have the necessary experience to write about the setting of the film. I think there was definite potential in the outset to make this film offer a more thorough critique of the healthcare system through a comedic lens, but the film takes it in a completely different route and goes for just another raunchy comedy like so many we’ve seen before. Even in this direction, it needs to push some boundaries in order to be effective, but again it just doesn’t do enough to make it stand out.
After another such incident of a doctor quitting over a lawsuit, Dr. Roskin, the chief of medicine arranges the R.I.P. Healthcare company (who fund the hospital) to send another doctor, which they do, in the form of MD-63, a robotic humanoid doctor who is appointed to the hospital. While Dr. Roskin, a technophile, is reluctant to let a robot do a doctor’s job, he is slowly convinced when he sees that “RoboDoc”, as he is nicknamed, is able to complete any form of care or surgery without mistakes, and thus making him impossible to get sued. This is the core plot of the film, with RoboDoc having to earn the trust of his fellow staff, as well as learn about compassion and the elements of care that go beyond his programming. These are all story elements that have been done to death, and so there are no real surprises here. The character of RoboDoc is also essentially a carbon copy of Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation; right down to the look and voice, which is a recognisable character, but again fails to bring any originality to the RoboDoc role, and doesn’t even satirise it. The actor playing RoboDoc does do a good Data impression though. The character of Attorney Jake Gorman also is well played, and his over-dramatic performances bring some life to the scenes he is in. The rest of the cast are pretty forgettable (apart from the few scenes with the character played by Michael Wimslow from Police Academy), and don’t have much significance in the story. There are the starts of some sub-plots initiated by these characters, but they never really go anywhere, making their roles rather muddled.
RoboDoc is not a high budget film, and has to make do with a fairly limited range of effects. These effects are not particularly convincing, and combined with the uninspiring camera work and wooden acting from some of the actors, you will struggle to take it seriously. There are some positives as I have mentioned, and there are some more obscure references and satirical swipes that are more rewarding than the cheap innuendo jokes. The comedy on the whole does stick mostly to that juvenile, raunchy humour but offers nothing particularly new or memorable. Nevertheless, the film does garner a decent amount of laughs, and so as a comedy film it can’t be said to be a complete failure. RoboDoc is an uninspiring mess for the most part, but there are a few good performances and jokes that make this entertaining enough to watch if you’re not paying too much attention to some of the weaker characters and scattered story that often branches into meaningless dead ends.
-
#359 – The Beach Party at the Threshold of Hell (2006)
The Beach Party at the Threshold of Hell (2006)
Film review #359
Director: Jonny Gillette, Kevin Wheatley
SYNOPSIS: Twenty years after nuclear war has destroyed the U.S., the radiation levels outside have dropped to a safe level, and people can venture outside into what is left of the world. Tex Kennedy is on a quest with his two humanoid robots Quincy and Yul to retrieve the man destined to be the new King of America, but to do so they must cross into Hell (which is somewhere on the Florida coast apparently) to find him and face all the evils within…
THOUGHTS/ANALYSIS: The Beach Party at the Threshold of Hell is a 2006 independent post-apocalypse film. The film begins describing the setting of the film, with a mixture of narration and footage. In the year 2074, a nuclear war has rendered the surface of the United States uninhabitable, leaving all survivors stuck in underground bunkers. Twenty years later, the radiation has declined enough so that humans can venture outside. Tex Kennedy, having left his bunker, is now on a quest to follow the guidance of Clark Remington, a man who broadcast on the radio to the bunkers, who proclaimed his nephew Benny the new King of America, and Kennedy is on a mission to retrieve him and in the process become Vice-King. The story is told in a number of ways: through narration, through a kind of mock-documentary, with presenters/authors telling the history of what happened, and through the action itself. All these different methods of storytelling are constantly overlapping and cutting away from each other, which makes the film honestly feel like a bit of a mess. Maybe that’s because the film isn’t really sure about how to portray itself: I think it’s supposed to be a comedy, but there’s an awful lot of backstory and flashbacks that really makes a considerable effort to flesh out the story and the setting, but ultimately doesn’t really matter. For a film that is only ninety minutes long, it spends a lot of time explaining what is going on, and seemingly trying to justify itself by inventing this grand narrative that doesn’t really go anywhere, leading to a but of a confusing mess. I could forgive it if the film identified itself as more of a comedy film that treated the backstory as secondary, but the fact that it spends so much time setting up this world doesn’t really allow that as an excuse.
So Ted and his robot security guards arrive at the “Threshold of Hell”, where Benny Remington is hiding in a bunker, and they have to get him out and journey to a radio tower and broadcast their message to the entire country. However, the threshold of Hell is full of crazed characters that are out to stop them. These characters all have their own personality, but there’s just so many of them they only get a small amount of screen time each. and there’s not much time to really develop their roles. There’s Clark Remington’s son, calling himself Mr. Jackie, who wants to become the king himself after his Father disowned him for basically being a sociopath, and his whole gang, including his sadistic lieutenant. There’s also Yorick Schlatz, who is a cult leader who hosts the beach party at the threshold of hell and who also possess satanic powers that keeps the partygoers immortal and unaffected by the radiation for the past twenty years. Also Fidel Castro’s descendent Javier Castro shows up to create a dynamic with Tex, the descendent of President Kennedy…or he would do, if he stuck around longer. All these bizarre and nonsensical characters all have some potential to do some interesting things, but the film constantly over-explains everything and never lets the characters speak for themselves. Again, if the film is aiming to be a black comedy or focusing on dark humour, then it could have worked, but there’s just not enough focus on what it wants to be.
Being an independent film, you won’t be expecting any spectacular special effects or ambitious cinematography, and you won’t be surprised with what you get. The camera is all over the place and can barely frame a shot most of the time, the scenes that are filmed in front of a green screen are blindingly obvious, and the acting is pretty wooden throughout. One more surprising element in the film is that it is quite gory. Even though the blood and guts look obviously fake, it further still confuses the tone when it is trying to be funny and then someone’s organs get ripped out. There’s a scene in the middle of the film involved with a giant snake of some sort and the film instantly switches to a hand drawn animation sequence for about twenty seconds with no set-up or transition and it just feels like an acknowledgement that the film could not make this scene any other way, and just tacked in this sequence just to fill the gap. Overall, The Beach Party at the Threshold of Hell feels like it is trying to do far too much with far too little. It feels indecisive with regards to the tone of the film or what genre it is trying to establish itself within. Far too much time is spent describing characters and backstory instead of letting the film show it, and the constant interruption to the story to expand on these elements is distracting and makes retaining focus and interest in the film difficult. It has one or two laughs, but there’s nothing really worthwhile here.
Also, the film ends with the teasing words “end of part one”, which suggests more to come, but a sequel was never made, which is probably for the best.
-
358 – BraveStarr: The Movie (1987)
BraveStarr The Movie (1987)
Film review #358
Director: Tom Tataranowicz
SYNOPSIS: On the colony planet of New Texas, the evil demon Stampede and his henchman Tex Hex have assembled a gang of outlaws and villains to take control of the planet’s rich supply of the valuable mineral kerium. The inhabitants request help from the Galactic Marshals, the peacekeepers of the galaxy, but are less than impressed when only a single Marshal named BraveStarr and a new judge arrive, the residents are less than impressed, and BraveStarr must prove himself by defeating Tex Hex and also fulfilling his destiny…
THOUGHTS/ANALYSIS: BraveStarr the Movie (also known as BraveStarr the Legend) is a 1987 sci-fi animated film. The film is an extension of the BraveStarrcartoon series, but tells the origin of all the characters and how they met. The story begins with a Shaman telling the story of an evil creature known as Stampede and his plans to conquer the galaxy by mining the mineral Kerium, which is essential to space travel, on the planet of New Texas. He enslaves a rogue space mercenary called Tex Hex and grants him new powers to terrorise the planet. The shaman is unable to defeat Stampede, and when his ship is about to crash land on New Texas, he sends his young protege out in an escape pod with the promise that they will meet again and fulfil their destiny to banish Stampede. The way the story is told as a narration does go on a bit too long, and prevents the viewer from getting fully immersed in the story when it’s just being told to them rather than it playing out as it happens. This happens again about a third of the way through, and it just feels like the film takes a while to get into the action. It does take its time to establish the backstory, since the purpose of this film is intended to explain the origins of the characters and settings of the cartoon series, but even then the specific details are a little vague. Maybe the cartoon series fills in some of the gaps, but having never watched it, I cannot judged. When the film eventually does get going, it’s entertaining enough for kids, with plenty of action, colourful characters and a unique setting to enjoy. Nevertheless, it does try to push the envelope a little, and it feels a little darker and more menacing than other cartoons of the time, being set on this hostile world plagued with nasty looking villains who create a genuine sense of terror.
The titular character BraveStarr is an interesting character in terms of his design: he is a native american who is also a cowboy (space cowboy anyway…). The two roles are often placed in opposition, so it’s interesting to see a synthesis of these two tropes, and especially seeing a native American character in the lead role was practically unheard of (and is still quite rare). I think as a character that synthesises the two roles it allows children to see the role of native Americans as the heroes for a change. Whether he is an accurate or authentic depiction of native Americans is perhaps a more nuanced discussion, but honestly, as a kid’s show, it’s a good opportunity to introduce children to a more diverse set of heroes. The rest of the characters are also a varied bunch, with the main villain Stampede being a gruesome bull/skeleton hybrid, his henchman Tex Hex being a more typical cowboy villain, and a whole host of varied villains with different powers. Thirty-Thirty, BraveStarr’s part horse, part sidekick/partner is an interesting dual role character too, and his short temper and cavalier attitude give him some fun action sequences as well as some funny dialogue. Judge J.B. as the only female character also has a strong personality and exerts just as much authority as BraveStarr most of the time, as well as occasionally putting him in his place. then you have the native inhabitants of New Texas, a race of mole-people including Fuzz, who serve as the cutesy mascot characters. It all adds up to a large cast with some interesting and original characters for children to imagine in all sorts of adventures. Let’s be honest though, such a large cast is primarily aimed at selling lots of toys of all of these characters (the toys actually released before the cartoon so you can see where the priorities were).
The animation for BraveStarr isn’t especially great, but it’s okay for it’s time, and is consistent with the other cartoons that Filmation put out (He-Man, G.I. Joeetc.). The music however is pretty good, with an orchestral, epic feel that heightens the tension and the stakes. BraveStarr overall doesn’t stand out too much from the cartoons made to push merchandise that were rife in the 1980′s, but if you look a little deeper, you find an interesting and unique world populated with some similarly interesting characters, including the titular character. As a standalone film it is a fairly standard depiction of good vs evil, using the cowboy tropes and giving them a sci-fi twist. As a kid’s film it doesn’t really need to be much more than that. Some scenes (particularly the narrated ones) go on for too long and may not sustain younger viewers attention, but there’s also plenty of action and variety in the characters to rescue it. You don’t have to have watched the series to maker sense of the film (as I haven’t), but undoubtedly learning the origins of these characters would make it more rewarding. I don’t think films like this need to be anymore complicated than what is done here: they’re designed to sell toys, and this essentially provides a springboard for children’s imagination to make their own stories to play with said toys, so in this sense I can happily accept BraveStarr the Movie as it is, despite some flaws and a lack of appeal and originality for more mature audiences.
-
#355 – Ku! Kin-dza-dza (2013)
Ku! Kin-dza-dza (2013)
Film review #355
Director: Georgy Danelia, Tatyana Ilyina
SYNOPSIS: A world-renowned cellist is on his way home when he is approached in the street by a young DJ claiming to be his nephew. The two see a strange looking fellow who wants to know “the number for their planet”, and when they press the button on the device in his hand, are instantly teleported to an alien world. The two of them must work together to find a way home, while also trying to navigate a dystopian society that very little sense to them…
THOUGHTS/ANALYSIS: Ku! Kin-dza-dza is a 2013 Georgian/Russian animated film, and a remake of the 1986 soviet film Kin-dza-dza. The original is a much loved film in it’s home countries, and is a very good dark comedy that also addresses issues of discrimination through its absurd setting. The story of the remake is very similar to the original: some of the scenes are practically identical, and for the most part, it captures the essence of the first film pretty well. Vladimir Chizhov and Tollik Tsarapkin are teleported to a distant alien planet after accidentally pressing the buttons on a device that a strange man was holding on the streets of Moscow. They find themselves on the planet Pluke, and encounter Bi and Wef, a pair of locals who try and swindle the two of them out of everything they have. The group forge an uneasy alliance as Uncle Vova (Vladimir) and Tollik try to find their way home, all the while trying to adapt and survive on this planet whose social structure is completely unlike anything they have ever encountered, such as social status being at least partially determined by the colour of one’s trousers. The film retains the story of the original, and so keeps most of the fun and satirical elements that made it so popular. In some parts the darker elements feel a bit lighter, as this remake is intended to be aimed at a more general audience.
One of the biggest changes is the names and occupations of the two main characters have been changed: Vladimir is now a world renowned cellist (in the original he could play the violin, but the instrument wasn’t his) instead of a foreman, and Tollik is a DJ. One of my main criticisms of this remake is that these small changes do end up ultimately harming the essence of what made the original successful. One of the key strengths of the original was the banality of the main characters and their mundane existence suddenly having to cope with the rules and social structure of an alien planet. In this version, having Vladimir be a famous violinist sets him up as having a backstory that disrupts this banality. There’s also a story about his ex-wife that is quietly built up in the background too, which again loads up the character with a bit too much baggage, rather than a blank slate that doesn’t bring as many complications into the story. Having Tollik be distantly related to Vladimir as well undoes the original’s premise of two men who just happen to be walking down the street at the same time and having never met each there before having to work together on an alien world is complicated through trying to develop these characters independently of the situation.
There are some changes, however, which add some good and interesting takes on the story. Being an animated film, there’s much more scope to be creative with the characters and design of the alien world. There is, of course, a risk of again disrupting the plainness of the original by being too over-the-top and fantastical, but to the film’s credit, in this respect it pulls it off quite well. Being set on an alien world, the characters are drawn with a more alien appearance, but they’re just alien enough without it being distracting. Other minor characters are more odd in appearance, but since they’re only on screen for a short time they don’t disrupt the tone of the film. Credit should be given to the film for achieving this balance. The animation in this film should also be commended: it is fluid and full of expression, and offers some detail and scenery that the original could not provide.
Overall, Ku! Kin-dza-dza is a faithful remake of the original, but ultimately doesn’t offer anything new or improve on what has gone before. The original was a sparse, small production, whereas this remake has a big budget and funding to appeal to a larger audience, and the changes that are made to accommodate this mostly end up affecting it a negative way. It’s not a bad film, because it sticks close to the original, and the original is very good: but when you’re remaking a film that was more or less perfect, you need to have a damn good reason to do so. Changing it to an animated film brings with it some benefits, but on the whole there just doesn’t feel like there’s enough substantial difference to justify the remake, and there’s no real reason to recommend it over the original.
-
#352 – 1. April 2000
1. April 2000 (1952)
Film review #352
Director: Wolfgang Liebeneiner
SYNOPSIS: In the year 2000, the newly elected Austrian Prime Minister declares that the country will no longer be making payments to the World Union and declares its independence of the Allied forces that have overseen it after the end of the second world war. This brings down the wrath of the World Union, whose president sees them as a threat to world peace and arrives in Austria in order to put the Austrian Prime Minister on trial that very crime. He defends himself by showing the World Union that he is no threat, and that the rich cultural history of Austria is a legacy of peace and unity.
THOUGHTS/ANALYSIS: 1. April 2000 is a 1952 Austrian sci-fi political satire film.The film takes place – as the title suggests – in the year 2000, some forty eight years after the film was released, and sets the scene as a possible future based on the (then) current situation in the world following the second world war. The backstory being that Austria, having been a part of the alliance that lost the war, were subject to oversight from the winning alliance and had to make reparations to them. The film opens up with a newly elected Austrian prime minister announcing that he is refusing to pay anymore reparations to the World Union (a not-so-subtle parody of the United Nations), and is declaring Austria independent of the allied powers of the U.S., U.K., Germany and the USSR and their oversight. The citizens are overjoyed at this, but this act of rebellion does not go unnoticed at the World Union, and they have sent their troops and president to “maintain peace.” They put the prime minister on trial, accused of disrupting world peace, and he must defend himself and his country by showing the World Union that they simply wish to be free, and present no threat. This is done through showing the various achievements in Austria throughout history, and its value in the larger world. The film goes through the various stages of this trial, with the prime minister showing evidence that acts as a historical lesson for the World Union and the viewer. The message of the film is rather plain to see, even if it is set in the future: that there is no need for the allied powers to occupy and oversee Austria to prevent another world war, and it is a country that simply needs to be free…and this is as true in 1952 as it is in the speculative year 2000. All the arguments made in the film could be made for the time that the film was made, but the setting of the future shows that there could really be no end to the reparations and oversight, and there is no ideal time at which it should be stopped, so it should be ceased immediately. The film’s strength lies in its informative message, while still managing to be entertaining, with an interesting cast of characters, and the almost haphazard approach of the prime minister creating his defence with no time to plan further shows that their is no grand scheme or plan in his head, just the simple idea of freedom for his country.
The setting of the year 2000 is a future filled with super fast rockets for travel, laser guns and ridiculous headgear for TV camera crews…but apart from that nothing seems vastly different in this future. This may be because Austria cannot afford any new technological advances under its oversight, or simply that the film is focused more on showing Austria’s past, and so it being too futuristic would distract from that. Either way, these futuristic elements are shown to do nothing to fix the basic problems that the film is trying to address. For example, when the World Union’s rocket is heading for Austria with its troops, they accidentally go to Australia instead, which shows their lack of consideration or interest in those countries it is leaving behind technologically, as well as a typical bureaucratic blunder people can make. The effects for the spaceships are quite well done, as they land around Austria’s cultural landmarks it gives it a real sense of authenticity. On the other hand, an element that hasn’t aged well at all is having all the different representatives of the countries of the world (black, Arab, Chinese) all being portrayed by white actors, which doesn’t really look good.
The satirical nature of the film means that a lot of the content is not too be taken too seriously, nevertheless there is a serious message that the Austrian government (who funded the film) wanted to project: that they were a legitimate country with a rich history, and should be taken seriously. Some of the plans of the prime minister include putting on plays and composing songs to persuade the World Union members to give Austria its independence, all of which are executed in a comedic manner that you can’t really take too seriously. The plot does go all over the place, and the ending makes the whole trial redundant anyway, which further emphasises the satirical, comedic aspect. Overall, 1. April 2000 is an interesting film that is informative, satirical and is a protest at the then current state of affairs through a science-fiction lens. While there is a serious message, it is wrapped up in theatrics, silly looking futuristic technology and ad-hoc schemes that are entertaining to watch while also not diluting the historical figures and events that it shows. Some of the dialogue and characters are outdated, and the story feels very loose in places, but again, overall it is an interesting look at a time where the world was rebuilding, and how the future might unfold without anything really changing.
-
#351 – 10000 Years Later (2015)
10000 Years Later (2015)
Film review #351
Director: Li Yi
SYNOPSIS: Ten thousand years after advanced civilisation was wiped out and the world reverted to a pre-technological state, Joma and Yalayam of the Ballad tribe are travelling the western region to tell the tale of the fall of civilisation. Unfortunately, Wugreb, who once tried to steal the ancient powers to rule the world, has returned, and Joma alongside her new friends must find a way to stop Wu before he releases the ancient civilisation’s power back onto the world, all controlled by him…
THOUGHTS/ANALYSIS: 10000 Years Later is a 2015 Chinese animated film. It is a mix of post-apocalypse, science-fiction and fantasy elements, as it is set (as the title suggests) 10000 years after civilisation suffered a catastrophe that sealed away all of its advanced technology and left the world in a pre-technological state. The world is now separated into various tribes, which include anthropomorphic animals and various mutations brought about by the catastrophe. Joma and Yalayam are from the Ballad tribe, who wander through the western region telling the story of the fall of the ancient civilisation to the other tribes. They also tell the story of Wugreb, who once tried to steal the ancient technology that is sealed away and rule the world with it, warning that anyone who tries to do the same will be met with the same fate. However, Wugreb (or Devil Wu, as he is also known) has returned, and is attempting to once again take the technology of the ancient civilisation for his own. The story relies a lot on this extensive world-building, and how the world has changed since the fall of civilisation as we know it. Sometimes it is easy to follow, but at some points it gets overly complicated, and for a film that is just over ninety minutes long, the explanations and exposition it gives do seem a little excessive. Nevertheless, it is an interesting world that is built, and the variety of locations and characters give it a unique sense of life and vibrancy. The people refer to famous people throughout history (Einstein, Beethoven etc.) as the “Gods” of the old world, and it is an interesting way to interpret history’s most pivotal figures. There are these odd scenes which play out quite nicely, but they are mostly used to explain the state of the world, and when the film returns to the main characters, they seem much less interesting.
Joma goes to see an oracle, who tells her that she is the only one who can stop Wu, and she must go to Kuger, the tomb where Wu was imprisoned, to stop him. Along the way Joma is joined by a cast of characters from different tribes who all inject their own personalities into the film. The film very much has a Lord of the Rings feel to it, with the group travelling to their destination to stop the oncoming evil, and all the perils that they encounter. But again, there’s a lot of backstory and exposition that disrupts the flow of the film, and you really have to focus and pay attention to follow what is going on. The characters on the whole, though, are distinct enough to be able to follow, but for all the explaining and exposition, don’t really do much, so it’s hard to get to know them as characters. At once point the film deals with the meeting of the Gods which I can’t really make sense of; and whether they are actual Gods or not is anyone’s guess. Joma as the main character is also a bit bland and uninteresting: even though she is marked as the chosen one, she doesn’t really have any defining traits or character defining moments that make her stand out, and she is often very passive to the events of the film. The ending of the film also does little to elucidate the significance of Joma’s role, and makes little sense. The designs of some of the villains, with their multiple faces or limbs and other bizarre features are both scary and creative, and the somewhat imperfect animation actually helps exemplify their grotesqueness.
This film is entirely CG animated, and for the most part it creates a world that has immense scale, colourful diversity and interesting locales. We see ruined versions of recognisable cities such as New York and Sydney, which add some interesting shots and perspective on the story. There are some moments when the animation gets a bit clunky, and facial expressions and movements sometimes look a little stifled or flat, but otherwise it doesn’t distract too much from the film. It’s not cutting edge in terms of its graphics, but it is passable for a kids film. Apart from the Lord of the Rings influence mentioned above, there is also a certain amount of ‘inspiration’ taken from the Marvel Avengers films. When I say inspiration, that often becomes blatant copying, such as the five stones that Joma carries containing seeds from across the western region clearly being based on the “infinity stones” in the Marvel universe, and there is a shot which copies exactly the iconic shot from the 2012 Avengers film of all the superheroes together for the first time on the streets of New York City. All this copying does cheapen the film’s overall image, but being a Chinese film, where these films would not have seen much of a release, the audience probably won’t even know they are being copied. The editing of the film also feels quite choppy in parts, such as when the big final battle begins, the enemy soldiers slowly emerge, and it instantly cuts to the whole army appearing, which really interrupts the flow of the film (though it probably saves on the animation costs).
One more significant aspect of the film is the amount of gore and violence throughout. I can’t really tell what the ideal age range is for this film: it seems mostly kid-oriented, but even from the opening, there are people being sliced up, bloody battles with people being cut in half and stabbed, and so on. I’m not sure what the standards are for Chinese cinema in terms of violence in children’s films, but it definitely wouldn’t be a child-friendly film in the west. Overall, 10000 Years Later creates an interesting and colourful world with a rich back-story, but the focus of the story and its main characters are often lost in the overly complex world and narrative that can be difficult to follow. The character designs are creative and unique, but again the personalities of the main characters are dull by comparison, and often get lost in the grand scale of the world. The large-scale battles are impressive and entertaining, but it is obvious that they are copying from the Marvel films and Lord of the Rings, which obviously do them much better, and make the film feel like a cheap imitation…which, let’s be honest, is exactly what it is. There are some emotional moments (there’s a scene right at the start which pulls you in instantly…you’ll know it if you see it), and the gratuitous use of gore and violence really gives weight to the fighting scenes, but ultimately there is no real pay-off to investing in this world, and it offers very little that is unique.
