Movie Review: Battle for LA ... or Marines Vs. Aliens

Yes, its the long awaited film that had that creepy music in the trailer that made everyone who heard it, eager to see what world destroying aliens would do now. Battle for LA is in every way what Skyline wasn't. That isn't to say that it's the most epic of alien invasion flicks... but it is a superior film. How you ask?

Story-Plot

The movie centers around a planet wide invasion by our friends the mysterious and powerful aliens. However our particular story is focused one small unit of the Marine Corps. For non-Americans (there are people who aren't if you can believe it) the Marines are the toughest portion of the US armed forces, stronger and better trained then the army generally speaking. The movie is straightforward, this movie is about combat and warfare with aliens. No long expositions about the who the aliens are, no internal conflicts about if we deserve our fate, not even any fully fledged love story.



The writers of this movie have cut all the fat that is usually added to most summer blockbusters. Theres very little fluff, and what fluff there is short and to the point. The characters are somewhat 2 dimensional, but fit with the story very well. The typical character tropes are mostly there, and the brief character interactions at the beginning of the film are actually very well done. Better in fact than in any Michael Bay, or Roland Emmerich film.

The acting is fairly strong, with most notes being hit well by veterans like Michelle Rodriguez and Aaron Eckhart. There are a few chew the scenery scenes late in the movie that are anomalies, but generally the acting is better than in most modern action films. The rest of the cast fill out thier roles with varying success, but don't really stand out.

The effects are reminiscent of Skyline, and the aliens in particular are well thought out and the cg effects used to animate them are never in your face or over the top. There is some shaky cam, but it's mostly during battle sequences, and it makes for a movie that keeps you intensely involved and nearly ducking when fight gets up close.

The main difference between this movie and Skyline? Intensity and resolution.

Battle for LA makes you feel the sweat, dirt, and the pulverized concrete of an urban environment turned into a war zone. Theres no mourning period here, only the difficulties of loss and the struggle to persist in fighting an enemy who seems to be unstoppable. However the Aliens are fallable. They have in fact not thought of everything, and they can be hurt, killed. This is a refreshing more old school approach to the Alien menace. If your looking for a Halo-like movie experience, this movie sells it and does so with style and class.


Battle for LA ends...

That's right it has a definable ending. Unlike Skyline, that seems to persist even after they ran out of script. The writers for Battle for LA understand that most audiences seek a conclusion, a catharsis, a resolution to present circumstances, whether it be open ended or not. What are characters decide to do after the resolution is also interesting, and that is where I will end my review.

So see Battle for LA, its a movie that knows what it is, and what it wants, and an entertaining ride.

7.5 out of 10 stars. ******* 1/2

Movie Review: Skyline... or My Friend the Alien

Why is it that every time Aliens show up on our doorstep like an unannounced relative from some place you'd wish they'd go back to, they only want to kill us, or warn us, or both?

Skyline is yet another one of those... and while it's fairly shocking and has an unending unlike any other Alien Invasion flick, it still presents a fascinating myopic and pedestrian wrangling with the idea of aliens.

The movie unfolds like many before it, were introduced to our characters, and they like them or not, they present various incarnations of the plague of modern day excesses. Our man character/hero is visiting an old friend who has made good. It's never really explained why his friend has made so much cash as to be able to live in an exclusive and cavernously tall resort/condo in a posh part of LA, but then again it matters only a little as the plot throttles ahead to the coming Alien Invasion.

We aren't meant to like anyone but our hero and his girl, so the rest of the characters are shallow and pale, and lack any sort of likable quality. We dont' root for anyone,we ,like the dispassionate aliens that are attacking, care little for the daily struggles of these celluloid creations. So devoid humanity are they that we begin to lose interest until the explosions start. Like War of the Worlds (The Tom Cruise version not the book) this alien invasion is viewed from a narrow perspective.


Were introduced to the Aliens first method of sterlization, distraction and conversion through the use of pretty lights. Somehow, (and don't worry its not explained, and never can be) the light takes possession of those who see it, and propels them towards it, sort of like a mind worm, without the nasty skull boring part. The scenes where thousands of individuals are sucked up like dust bunnies is extremely well done but don't really advance the story, we already know that people are being abducted en-masse by that point. Seeing it is just more confirmation.

The obligatory attempt to escape is thwarted by who else... Aliens, and it's then we realize that this film is not about the flight from Aliens, or the fight against Aliens, its about the futile efforts that men will make in its attempt to avoid being wiped out. There's a little nuking, some soldiers, a lot of Aerial Combat ala Independence Day, and when all is said and done, Humanity is still doomed.

Had the story ended there, this would be an interesting but yet empty movie decrying and depicting the fall of humanity. Yet the movie persists. Our protagonist against all odds, continues fighting, and while he seems to present a beacon of hope for the one he loves, Humanity in general is left decaying in the basement of some extraterrestrial lab. This is not to say that all movies must have an upbeat ending, just that Skyline drops you off of a cliff, and offers only a hard water landing.

Skyline will leave you feeling empty, and a bit dry. Because most of us go to movies to be entertained, and yet in a time that seems to obsess over humanities coming destruction, Skyline says "No, we all can't win, but a few of us might." Sort of like a teacher telling her students that only one of them will be successful, but only after he loses his soul and body, and that the rest should just pack it in.

What it fumbles at saying is this "Any hope no matter how small is worth holding on to", yet, this moral feels empty and shallow once exposed to the harsh light of reality. Skyline offers little to the sentimental, and the whole production seems to mock the idea of heroism in general. While it's attempt is noble, it falls flat, and frankly I'm a bit miffed that I spent my time with it at all.

Hopefully the upcoming "Battle for LA" will rejuvenate my senses, and leave with a bit more encouraging ending.

Rating 4/10 ****

Inception: How Nolan Broke into Every Geek's Mind pt 2

The Effects

It's an old style of movie, from Ocean's Eleven to Alias Jimmy Valentine, but Nolan builds on this premise by adding a sci-fi/fantasy element that is undeniable and amazingly innovative. No this is no Blade-Runner, but it does open up a fantastic new genre of films that are niether Noir nor New Wave. Nolan has managed to take CG in films and use them in the opposite way of Cameron or Bay who bombard their audiences with hours and hours of CG fests. He's thoughtful and careful use of CG interspersed with real sets, real stunts and actual locations builds the world of the dream into a tangible, breathable and livable space.


Some reviewers complain that they wanted more fantastical scenes to satisfy their imagination. However this is not the aim of Inception, it instead targets a singular narrative, providing a warning for all those to hold on to the seat of their pants as the movies plot plunges forward at a particular speed. Our eyes are satisfied as well as our reason. The effects where most effective add to the experience, and don't distract us from the story Nolan is trying to tell.



Genre?

This film is difficult to categorize, While it remains a Heist film, there are elements of Film Noir, Spy films, and even direct and pointless action films. Yet there is a diverse set of likable and relatable characters, uncharacteristic of most action films, and rare in spy films. There is also a definite Femme Fatale in the character of Mal. Odder still is the inclusion of a deeply romantic thread running through the entire film, creating a multifaceted story that can be summed up by one genre.

Often when I watch a movie I think about what my dad would have felt about it. It was he who introduced me to films when I was younger. Mostly black and white affairs, westerns, and the occasional Sydney Poitier film. What struck me about inception was the fact that here was a film that could be set in any film time period from the Grainy black and white of the early 40's to the odd technicolor of the late 50's, from the gritty 70's to the post modern and the opulent early 80's. (Minus of course the special effects innovations) The plot works in any time period, thanks to the very subtle non-inclusion of technology. Even the weapons in the film are relatively low tech. This to me is a triumph, the creation of a film that will be popular not just for a few years but will continue to be relevant no matter what the time period.

The Sound Track...

Level 3...

Inception: How Nolan Broke Into Every Geek's Mind pt. 1

Level 1...

"Dreams feel real while we're in them. It's only when we wake up that we realize something was actually strange."

He can't do this. It's virtually unheard off. It defies all logic, precedent, and common sense. How often I have heard fellow geeks and nerds comment snark-ly the following, "Smart movies can't do well at the box office, most regular people won't get them, and they'll get frustrated at having to think too much." Sigh, how wrong they were.

The Director

Director - Writer, Christopher Nolan has done something few thought possible. He's known for his amazing ability to direct dark and sometimes noir-ish type movies. Case in point the Dark Knight. In fact that film did so well that it is know #3 in all time box-offices gross (domestic), arguably the best Comic book movie of all time. So how could he follow that? Surely not with an original movie, that's smart, visually compelling, an incredibly complex plot, has amazing acting, has a lot of dialogue and captures the viewing public like few other movie's ever have! Except that is exactly what he's done with Inception.

The Story

Imagine you could share your dreams. Imagine that you could construct an entire world in your mind that others could walk around and interact with? That's initial conceit setting of the entire premise. This is a dream world as in the fun house impossible physics of an MC Escher painting. This is a real dimension, based off our real world physics, populated and filled by the dreamers subconscious.


If such a thing were possible, than it would also be possible for someone to use our own subconscious minds against us, exposing our darkest secrets, our biggest regrets, and quite possibly fundamentally altering our image of the real world. that is where Mr. Cobb and his team comes in.

In the movie the technology exists, and we aren't bombarded by the how, or the technical specs. You can enter a shared dream with a subject, and said subject populates the dream which has been created by an architect (in this case a real architect). If you are killed in the dream, you awake to the real world and your fine. No mess no fuss. To awaken normally from the dream you either wait until the drugs used to induce such a state ware off, or use a kick. (ie invoking a response via the appropriate stimulus.)

The Cast

Nolan has some help making this movie incredible of course. No matter how good the source material, the characters must bring the story to life. The stars of this film do this, and do it with such ease and charisma that it makes it nigh impossible to not admire their acting. The startling thing about Inception is the absence of a single weak performance.


Leonardo DiCaprio is at his best. His character (Cobb) is the central figure of the film. He is both hero and villain (we learn this later). His performance as Cobb sucks the viewer into the film. He brings someone to root for, even while we know what he does is morally questionable. Cobb is a man who has been cut off from his family, and living each day with just one hope in mind, finding away back to his children. He gets his chance when he encounters Saito (Ken Watanabe) a very powerful executive of an energy company with a 'job' that involves someone who has Cobb's particular skills. Saito comes across as an intelligent well-bred and confident man, not unlikable. Yet somehow he remains emotionally distant as an employer should.

Joining Cobb in performing the 'job' is Arthur, the 'point man'(J Gordon-Levitt). His job is to protect Cobb as he delves deeper into the subconscious, he is a loyal friend, and very good at his job. Gordon-Levitt has been an up and coming actor for some years now, this film shows off just how good of an actor he has become. Rather then being a distraction, he adds to every scene he is in, and enhances the overall experience through his presence and well disciplined craft.

Equaling J Gordon-Levitt is Tom Hardy, playing 'the forger' Eames. Eames comes off as an extremely intelligent scientist, someone who enjoys dreams for how they allow him to be someone else entirely. He's snarky, sarcastic, and deeply charismatic. His relationship with Arthur is both hilarious and familial. As the job progresses we see just what this Brit is capable of and why he is so confident in his abilities. Ellen Page plays Ariadne, a young architecture student who cobb recruits to assist him complete 'the job'. She is not your typical female heroine, she's plain, very smart, and deeply intrigued by the possibilities the dream world offers her. She's beautiful, but no overtly sexy, allowing her to be much more than simply eye candy (take note Mr. Bay).

Level 2.... up next...

To "Kick-Ass" ... A Geek Dream....: Movie Review

Who hasn't dreamed of dressing up as a costumed crusader and fighting injustice on the streets? Not me you say? Well I cry for you my uninspired friend. That idea is the exact premise of the comic book turned movie "Kick Ass". Let me warn you that this movie is not for the fans of the uber-innocent Batman of the 60's or the boy-scout Superman of Christopher Reeves. This superhero flick is serious as life, and revels in the humor of it's insane masochistic blood lust. Did I mention it has an 11 year-old going off like some strange hybrid of an anime-robocop-prepubescent-predator-mini terminator? No? Well it does, and she kicks more ass in 30 seconds then the entire cast of Kill Bill.

When Dave Lizewski decides that being a superhero can give his life meaning, he decides, rather stupidly, to build a costume, grab some numchucks, (fighting sticks for the layman) and start kicking ass under the moniker, you guessed it, "Kick-Ass". However his brief foray into the costumed saving people gig comes to a painful halt when he's stabbed by some thugs and run over by a car. Now most people would have called it a day at this point. Not Dave, he heals up, and the damage to his nervous system has had an 'uncanny' effect, he doesn't quite feel the same amount of pain as before, plus the tons of metal put inside him to piece his skeleton back together have given him a 'psychological' boost.

"Hey I look like Wolverine..."

Meanwhile, we are treated to two other superhero wannabees, only their not quite so benign. On to the stage comes a cute father daughter pairing, Big Daddy and Hitgirl. This not so nuclear family brings machine guns to a knife fight, and has no problem dishing out death and destruction to anyone or anything that gets in their way. These two are anti-heroes that would make Frank Castle tear-up, if he wasn't simply insane. Their main target? Drug dealers and the mob that has ripped apart their normal family.


Big Daddy is some odd surreal combination of Batman, Punisher and Dirty Hairy, he's a man unhinged, and with his own nearly insane sense of justice, a trait that he has instilled in his young daughter. Hitgirl is every typical 11-14 year old girl who's been raised firing an Ak-47 and practicing her knife wielding skills. She'd much rather slice up bad guys then play with puppies, and she's damn frightening. These two are skilled killers, martial artists, and have serious conviction to kick ass, and leave bullets, and lacerations in every creep they encounter.


So how does Kick-Ass (the main characters moniker) match up with these serious Bad Asses? He doesn't, at least not at first. There is a gulf between them, Kick Ass is a like a 1960's DC character, wanting to do good, and protect the innocent... golly gosh. His intentions are altruistic, and he probably couldn't kill someone even if he tried. As Big Daddy quips... "He should be called Ass-kick, cause that what he's good at."

Big Daddy and Hitgirl are Marvel antihero's as in the fashion of the late 70's. They are darker, edgier, and they curse people out before making them shoot themselves. As they hack away at the bad guys, you might well wonder... Why does Kick-Ass even belong in the same universe as these guys?

The answer? Conviction.


Being a superhero is not about the size of the gun you wield, or how fast you can disembowel someone, or how hard your punch is. It's about how far you're willing to go to make a difference. Kick-Ass has a dedication that won't be denied, the guts to get his ass-kicked and get back up and ask for more. That's why Hitgirl recognizes him as a fellow hero even if he doesn't know how to throw a ninja star to save his life. In the end Kick-Ass does kick said 'ass'... and we love him for it.

So will this movie make you want to be a real life, street haunting, bad mother*%@#&! 'Shut your mouth!', 'just talking 'bout' - superhero?

Hell No! Not unless your mentally unstable, or have serious emotional issues, or have a major masochistic streak. Still it makes for some great entertainment with a serious edge.

Final Score.... 8 Vigilante street fighters out of 10

Caprica: A Review

What do you get when you combine a BladeRunner, Battlestar Galactica, The Godfather (Part 2), and with a heaping helping of a Bear Mcreary score? Apparently Caprica. The show is an intended prequel to Battlestar Galactica, but that show is not requisite viewing for R. Moore's latest outing. Caprica is science fiction television done right, large expansive yet simple sets, beautifully designed cgi that tastefully adds (not distracts) from the story, and a complicated and yet thoroughly engaging plot.

The pilot begins by showing us the titular planet and city that the show is based in. Caprica City is a compelling mix of post modern New York and Tokyo, taking the technology of one, and the smoky 'noir'-ish elements of the other. It's a city inhabited by the Graystones, a small rich and troubled family, whose father, Simon Graystone happens to be the 12 Colonies version of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. His company Graystone Industries is... drumroll please... responsible for creating the first Cylon.

His daughter Zoe Graystone is a typical dysfunctional teenager, plus she has the mind of a genius and the conviction of a terrorist zealot. In secret, she has been designing an avatar, a perfect AI copy of herself, she uses the holoband, a super fast and incredibly lifelike internet (another nifty invention of her father) that allows the users to create networked worlds like mini matrices. (think 'the matrix' if not used in a near apocalyptic dystopian future) Her Avatar, is disturbingly real, a copy so perfect that even her own father has troubling distinguishing
them apart.

His wife, a doctor at a local hospital, married into money, and enjoys a life that most would consider ideal. However all is not well in the Greystone household, and life gets worse in a hurry. Zoe planned to runaway from home, for not only was she a genius, but also a new convert to a growing 'extremist' religion, monotheism. Thats right, The one "true" god. Before she's able to escape however, she is killed in a terroist attack orchestrated by her boyfriend, Ben, whose zealotry and extremism obviously ran deeper and darker then Zoe's.

Into the mix are thrown Joe Adama and his Tauron family. Think of Tauron's as a combination of all the worlds cultures that have mafia and gang stereotypes in them. There Italian-Irish-Russian-Corsican, plus a couple I missed. Joe Adama, somewhat corrupt lawyer/family man lost his wife and daughter in the bombing. He's a man who has been straddling two worlds, the Halatha (Mafia) and the straight and narrow, and the bombing throws his world into chaos. Without the grounding of his wife and daughter he begins to fall back on his roots, and rely on the dangerous power the syndicate can give its members. His son, who is later revealed to be Bill Adama (later Commander Adama of Battlestar Galactica) now looks up to Joe's much grittier much more dangerous brother, Sam. Sam who has embraced being Tauron and revels in the respect such thuggery brings, is not exactly an ideal role model.

With the death of Zoe Greystone, her AI-Avatar is thrown into minor chaos, and is soon discovered by her father. The tantalizing prospect is now there, to reconnect with his daughter through the form of immortality shes has created. A prospect he dangles in front of his new friend Joe Adama, just the sort of thing you don't do to a man whose just lost most of his world. Simon hatches a plan to move his daughter into the real world. He just needs a little favor from Joe, a theft from a rival corporation for the right processor. The plan works and soon he's beta testing his daughters new robotic body, you guessed it... a cylon prototype. Unfortunately, his attempt appears to fail, and he lossed his daughter in the digital soup of the machine.

However the Zoe avatar survives and is now bonded with her robotic extension, enabling it to have the reaction time, and reflexes of an actual human being. We leave the pilot not knowing what will happen next, but this is an amazing and tantalizing start to a great show.

The world of Caprica is rich and full of life, and reminds of our world, while yet being just out of reach. It's not as dark and depressing as Battlestar, but it retains its "real" edginess. It asks questions, but doesn't leave us with moral lessons, just more questions. In part two of this review I'll discuss the first episode so stay tuned....

Caprica airs on SYFY channel on Friday Nights. Check your local listings...

5 cylons out of 5

Avatar Review: We are all Jake Sully... pt. 2

At first the opportunity to walk again even if it means through an alien creatures eyes, is amazingly clear. Jake almost salivates when he enters his avatar for the first time, running and jumping about, and enjoying a renewed freedom.Jake's life is a tragedy unto itself. He's lost the use of his legs, confining him to a rugged wheel chair. He's status in his life so far is painfully clear, and it's painted on the back of that chair in the word 'Grunt'. He's given part of his life to the military and they have seemingly returned precious little. Adding to his tragedy is the loss of his twin brother. It's never implicit on screen, but one can infer and imagine that his brother was a research scientist and also at odds with his twins warlike ways.












...experience as a human in jungles
of earth or on other worlds will not
help him on Pandora.

As Jake begins to explore the jungle he, like us, is mystified and stunned by the beauty and the elegance of the Pandoran jungle. Soon, through a wild animal attack and a night of fear, we meet our first Naavi, Neytiri, a princess of the Naavi people. (Why does it always have to be a princess?) She is thin, but strung and agile, and everything action she takes is efficient and or deadly. She is as dangerous as the jungle she calls home, and Jake's intrusion into that world is one that is unwelcome...at first. She saves Jake's life, though she is disgusted by his very existence. She quickly shows the naive Jake that his experience as a human in jungles on earth or on other worlds will not help him on Pandora. One of the most shocking things is her putting out his fire. This is an act that has some many layers of significance.












Fire for humans is a sign of civilization, it is one element what separates us from the animals, and its duel purpose of protection and destruction embodies our relationship with technology. For Neytiri to extinguish Jake's fire would be an act tantamount to murder for many of our ancestors. Yet she does so because the fire makes jake blind to the world that he thought he was seeing. The act opens his eyes to the illumination the Pandoran jungle provides for itself, and yet another amazing dimension of Pandora dazzles our eyes.

It is easy to see humanity becoming
the aggressors as they are in Avatar.

The Naavi are an amalgamation 0f many different native cultures. The tribes of south america, the now nearly extinct cultures of North America, the zulu warriors of Africa, the Dayak tribes of Indonesia. Yet they are different then these, and here is where nuance is shown. They are reflections of a people more in tune with their environment. Wether technology has ever been a facet of thier lives is not known, nor is it asked here. They confound us, especially during a time when most of us have a link to technology nearly from birth. It is easy to see humanity becoming the aggressors as they are in Avatar. What is shown, is their stark contrast to the technology crazed and greed driven humans that have come to their world. While not all humans share in this greed, it is not hard to draw direct allegory to some of the events in our own shared history. An examination of which still inspires ire and anger at the ravages of our own species.














After being examined by the Na'avi, Jake is allowed to live and invited to learn the ways of the Na'avi. At which point the second act of the movie begins. It's a period of learning and unlearning, and a time for us to learn just how connected to the planet the Na'avi people are.











While the plot of the rest film at this point is predictable, the execution of the storyline is where Cameron shows brilliance. There are a handful of lines that or clumsy and not 'poetic' but there are moments of cinematic brilliance where what is seen on screen creates a spectacle that both awes and inspires.

If you don't see Avatar, then you will
have missed a major part of the beginning
of the second century of film making.

By the films end, we have seen our hero undergo a transformation, and find an ending a bit different then Cameron's pastiche for bleak or bittersweet conclusions. If you dont see Avatar, then you will have missed a major part of the beginning of the second century of film making. Sci-fi movies have a new standard to reach... one created on a planet called Pandora.