V For Vendetta

Year: 2006
Director: James McTeigue
Cast: Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea, John Hurt

Here we have yet another comicbook/graphic novel adaptation and it's unlike most comicbooks that feature a hero with superpowers destined to use it for the benefit of mankind. This one is much darker, and dare I say it, more fun.

Set in the future not too far from ours, V For Vendetta takes place in Britain, which is under the rule of Chancellor Adam Sutler (Hurt), a fascist type man who even resembles Hitler. The people live a somewhat normal life, but under the constant surveillance of Fingermen, government agents who need no concrete reason to arrest anyone. We are introduced to Evey Hammond (Portman) who breaks curfew one night to meet a friend and is confronted by Fingermen who wanted to do more than just arrest her. She is saved by a mysterious masked man who calls himself V (Weaving). V tells Evey of a man named Guy Fawkes who once attempted to blow up Parliament in 1605, then proceeds to blow up a building right before her eyes.

Sutler is of course not pleased and assigns Chief Investigator Finch (Rea) to find V quickly. V on the other hand continues to employ terrorist tactics to undermine the government. He kills several government officers and airs a video of himself encouraging the people to rise up against Sutler. And that's just the beginning. He saves Evey yet again when she tries to save him from getting arrested, and as the two get to know each other, they learn more about what they believe in and what they must do, as well as how they feel for each other. Evey is intrigued by the way V thinks and the reasoning behind his actions, while V learns more about other human emotions besides hate and aggression from Evey. As for Finch, he digs up more and more about V and uncovers many sinister plots within the government that question his faith in it.

This isn't like any other action film you've witnessed. It's smart, stylish, charismatic and well balanced too. There is enough drama to even out the violence and maybe even justify it. Credit goes to the Wachowski brothers, creators of The Matrix, and director James McTeigue for making it so thought provoking. It somehow reflects the way the world might become someday, and though it does not promote terrorism, it does promote self awareness and the need to decide between right and wrong. The dialogue and screenplay is also very well written and truly intelligent.

Portman shines as Evey, who is the heart of the film. She is the anchor that holds all the drama and emotion conveyed in the movie. It certainly beats the awful dialogue she had to convey as Padme in Star Wars. Weaving is a revelation though, being able to act splendidly while wearing a mask throughout the film. His expressions are merely through the sound and tone of his voice, and Weaving does V with such charisma, you'll find it hard not to pay attention to him. Rea also does well as Finch, the man who has to trust his instincts while chasing a supposed terrorist.

Hardline fans of the graphic novel, and writer Alan Moore has scoffed at this film for the way it has differed, but don't let it stop you from seeing it. V For Vendetta is brilliant moviemaking at work, with stellar performances by its cast. I've watched it twice now, and it's still awesome. (4/5)

Hot Fuzz

Year: 2007
Director: Edgar Wright
Cast: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jim Broadbent, Timothy Dalton

You know, I'm not much of a fan of British comedy. I did grow up watching Mind Your Language, and I liked it. But I usually don't find it too amusing. Not that I don't get it, I just can't appreciate it that much. I tried watching Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy once, and gave up after 30 minutes. I have trouble appreciating their quirky humour, which is very different from American humour. The former is more subtle, while the latter relies more on slapstick and crudeness.

However, when I saw the trailer to Hot Fuzz, I was intrigued and decided to give it a try. Unlike most critics who have already seen Shaun Of The Dead, the previous effort by the people who made Hot Fuzz, I haven't seen that film, so you won't get comparisons to that film from me. In fact, I know too little about Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost to talk about them, so I'll tell you like it is.

Hot Fuzz centres on Sergeant Nicholas Angel (Pegg) who is really good at what he does. He basically is the most decorated cop in London. His skills are unmatched by any of his fellow officers. He's the kind of guy that can make The Punisher look like a rookie. Anyway, the fact is, he's so good, his superiors think he makes everyone else look bad. So they relocate him to Sandford, a quiet town in the countryside, for his own good (at least that's what they think). Angel isn't pleased, but he has no choice. So off he goes to Sandford, and tries hard to fit in to the nice town. The chief of police there,Inspector Butterman (Broadbent) pairs Angel with his son Danny (Frost), a well-meaning but inexperienced rookie cop.

At first, Angel finds difficulty in fitting in to a place where the only crime there is are underage drinkers at the pub and missing swans. But eventually Danny gets him to lighten up and show his more human side. Danny looks upon Angel as a hero, being a fan of action films. He occasionally asks Angel some really hilarious questions on being a cop, like "Have you ever shot two guns while jumping through the air?" Then Angel finally gets the action he needs when some grisly deaths start turning up, but unfortunately everyone thinks they're accidents and not murder. Angel is determined to dig deeper, and he suspects retail supermarket owner Simon Skinner (Dalton) as the prime suspect. But there is more to Sandford than meets the eye....

This movie is supposed to be a parody on the buddy cop genre, but it's only obvious in the final 30 mins. Hot Fuzz takes its time in building up its story, which is the only drawback of this film. Otherwise, it truly is funny on many levels. Pegg plays the strung up cop Angel to perfection, he rarely smiles unless he's actually warming up to Danny in a few scenes. He can even be touching, as in the scene when he tells Danny why he wanted to be a cop. Frost on the other hand plays off well against Pegg by being the earnest yet naive Danny, who finally gets the action he relishes for by becoming Angel's partner. Dalton hams it up as the villain, and makes it quite memorable too.

You'll love all the cliches that director Wright puts in during the final climax, where guns go blazing, bullets keep missing their mark and car chases and physical fights and foul language gets thrown in. Hell, Wright even throws in a classic action movie death scene which you'll love when you see it.

This film is fun, just remember to pay attention to all the subtle jokes slipped in between the lines. (4/5)

Night Watch (Nochnoi Dozor)

Year: 2004
Director: Timur Bekmambetov
Cast: Konstantin Khabensky, Vladimir Menshov, Viktor Verzhbitsky, Galina Tyunina

Night Watch is the first of a trilogy, a fantasy story co-written by director Timur Bekmambetov, set in Russia. At its core is the familiar struggle between good and evil, with a touch of horror and action thrown in.

The film begins with a prologue, about an ancient battle between the forces of good and evil. The good was called Light and the evil called Dark. The war between these two forces weren't between normal men, but special people called Others. Light was led by Lord Geser (Menshov) and Dark was led by General Zavulon (Verzhbitsky). On a fateful day, both sides fought on a bridge to a standstill, so Geser and Zavulon made a pact, where they would cease fighting for the sake of the world, but they were not allowed to do anything that would upset the balance between the 2 sides. In order to ensure that the balance was maintained, both sides would police each other over the course of time. The Light guardians are called Nightwatch and the Dark ones are called Daywatch.

Cut to present time, where a man named Anton Gorodetsky (Khabensky) meets a witch, with the intention to inflict pain on a former lover. He changes his mind at the last moment, and then sees the witch's true identity thanks to the presence of the Nightwatch. Nightwatch discovers Anton is an Other and recruits him. Soon, Anton is given a task: to find a boy, known to be an Other, who may upset the balance depending on which side he chooses. He finds the boy, and saves him just in time from two agents of the Dark side. Unfortunately, not only does the boy escape, Anton kills one of the agents, prompting the Dark to take action to seize the boy at all costs. Anton also learns about a cursed girl who may also hold the key to the ongoing war. Geser sends Anton to find her as Zavulon closes in on the boy...

This film may be in Russian, but it is no less astounding. Foreign languages have no effect on its quality. This is a great film, and it shows. But it isn't great because of its production value, on the surface it looks a lot like a B-grade flick. But it makes up for it with a creative filmmaking style, which although isn't unique, suits the film well. Director Bekmambetov uses quick cuts, fast forwards and weird camera angles to great effect, giving it a surreal feel. In this context, it certainly works better than Tony Scott's attempt with the same style in Man On Fire and Domino.

The acting is subtle yet convincing, especially Khabensky, who plays the tormented Anton well. The other cast members may not have much screen time in comparison, but they do add colour and humour to a film that may have ended up looking really quirky or dull, but thankfully didn't. Night Watch is by no means perfect, some subplots seem too complicated and there are several continuity issues you will notice. But on the whole, it certainly deserves a try, at least once.

If you're a horror fantasy fan, you may want to try this film. Its sequel, Day Watch is coming soon. I can't wait. (4/5)

Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer

Year: 2007
Director: Tim Story
Cast: Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis, Julian McMahon, Kerry Washington, Andre Braugher, Doug Jones

Marvel's first family, the Fantastic Four, return in a sequel to their successful 2005 film. Fans will be glad to know that all four original cast members reprised their respective roles this time around, and Julian McMahon also returns as Dr Doom. Director Tim Story also returns to helm this instalment.

In Rise Of The Silver Surfer, Reed Richards and Sue Storm are all set to tie the knot in a celebrity style wedding above their home, the Baxter Building. However, their matrimonial plans are put on hold when a mysterious alien covered in silver and flies around on a surfboard invades the earth. His presence causes massive global incidents: sea freezing in Japan, snow falling over Egypt and power outages in Los Angeles. The military, led by General Hager, turns to Reed for help.

The Fantastic Four spring into action but are unable to stop the surfer, so Hager calls in a favor: Dr Doom. Doom awakens from his metal state because of the Surfer's presence. Hager orders Reed and Doom to work together, despite the four's objections. Eventually they manage to capture the surfer, who reveals that the earth's fate is nearing its end. But more trouble ensues when Doom shows his true colours...

The first good thing about this film that I can tell you is the visual effects. What you will see this time around surpasses its predecessor in spades. The effects for the Silver Surfer are astounding. And I'm not just talking about the high speed chase between the Surfer and the Human Torch all over Manhattan. Basically everything visual in this movie was done beautifully, no doubt about it.

The cast perform well to expectations, though Gruffudd and Alba seem to try a little too hard in some scenes. Evans gets more screen time and a bigger role in the action scenes, but McMahon unfortunately doesn't get much to do, which is a pity since his performance as Doom is a lot closer this time to his comicbook counterpart. Doug Jones, who is well known for being in Hellboy and Pan's Labyrinth, does splendidly as the Surfer, though it is actor Laurence Fishburne who voices him. Somehow I felt that Fishburne's voice wasn't suitable for the Surfer, they should have let Jones do his own.

Despite the fact that the film is only 92 minutes long, it is well paced and there isn't a dull moment that I can recall while I was watching it. Okay, perhaps the ending was a little anti-climactic, but overall it was a lot of fun. Johnny and Ben still manage to provide the lion's share of the laughs. Keep an eye out for the awesome Fantasticar and a funny cameo by co-creator Stan Lee.

This is the better Marvel comicbook film this year, which is just as good, if not better than the first film. (4/5)

The Marine

Year: 2006
Director: John Bonito
Cast: John Cena, Kelly Carlson, Robert Patrick

I remember the first film starring a professional wrestler that I had watched. It was No Holds Barred starring Hulk Hogan, which wasn't half bad. Then I saw my favourite star The Rock appear in The Mummy Returns (forget the final fight scene where he was rendered digitally), The Scorpion King and The Rundown. The Rock can certainly act, and be a convincing action star.

But what about John Cena, you ask? If you're a fan of the WWE, you'll notice that Vince McMahon, chairman of the company is selling Cena the same way he sold The Rock to the audience, by promoting him as a hero for the fans. And they do love him to bits. As far as wrestling goes, Cena is the man right now, being WWE champion and all. But as an actor? That's something else.

In The Marine, Cena plays John Triton, a marine who disobeys orders during a mission in Iraq to save his fellow men. Because of that, his superiors discharge him and sends him home. (Shouldn't they give him a medal instead?) He comes home to his pretty wife, Kate (Carlson) and soon they go on a cross country trip. Unfortunately, they run into a gang of diamond thieves on the run, led by Rome (Patrick). The gang waste no time in killing people and cops at a gas station, and take Kate hostage. John is in hot pursuit, in true, old fashioned, one man mission style.

Being an action film with a really simple plot, there isn't much to think about, just sit back and enjoy it, right? Well, not quite. Times have changed, and action films should be a little smarter and more logical. For example, the gang really know nothing about being discreet, having absolutely no qualms about shooting everything and everyone in sight, even blowing up a police car in the middle of the city. What kind of criminal would want that much attention? Then there's that car chase scene between Cena and the gang, where they literally turn the former's car into swiss cheese with hundreds of bullets, and yet it just keeps running! If cars like that existed, I'd want one too.

And Cena? He does okay, if you want the kind of action man that just looks tough and cool, similar to Van Damme, Seagal and Keanu Reeves. Patrick does fine playing the bad guy, it's a walk in the park for an actor like him, though I wish the writers gave his character a bigger brain to think with. The most annoying character is Morgan, played by Anthony Ray Parker, who says and does the stupidest things on film. Whose idea was it to put this guy in this?

It's by no means the worst action film ever made, but it has a lot of room for improvement. I've seen better storylines in WWE than in this movie. The only thing worth remembering is a joke made in reference to Patrick's most famous Hollywood character. Other than that, don't bother with this film too much. (2.5/5)