At the Movies 2015: San Andreas

Posted on August 7, 2015 by cornholio1980

San AndreasSan Andreas
USA 2015
Written by Andre Fabrizio, Jeremy Passmore & Brad Peyton
Directed by Brad Peyton
Watched on 31.07.2015

I wasn’t especially keen on watching “San Andreas”, since the trailers didn’t really blow me away, and it looked like a movie that I wouldn’t particularly enjoy. However, when you got some friends who you repeatedly drag into movies that they don’t really want to see, from time to time, you’ve got to return the favor (I know. Bummer, right?). Now, actually, for a while it looked like I would dodge this particular bullet, since my friend and I repeatedly planned on seeing this movie, only for something to come up in the end, so one of us had to cancel. I guess the universe tried to tell me something. But did I listen? Of course not. So last Friday, when “San Andreas” was shown at the beautiful “Kino im Schloss” open-air-cinema, the weather was fine, and none of us had an excuse not to go, I finally went to see it after all, hoping against hope that I would actually like it. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be.

————————————— SPOILERS AHEAD —————————————

Mind you, it’s definitely not the worst disaster movie that I’ve even seen. Not even close. However, apart from a couple of cool things, it was extremely clichéd, and towards the end, more and more deteriorated from being “just” mediocre to plain bad. However, before we venture into the mediocre, the bad, and the downright ugly, let’s first discuss the things that I actually liked about it. First and foremost, that’s The Rock, who is his usual charismatic self. In my opinion, he’s the only worthy successor of the larger-than-life action heroes of old, who unfortunately more often than not is burdened with movies who are not worthy of his talents – like this one. Nevertheless, he definitely elevates the movie from something that without him would have been even more forgettable. He’s not the only one, though. I also really enjoyed the performances by the ever-reliable Carla Gugino and the increasingly interesting Alexandra Daddario. I also quite liked certain sequences, like the beginning in the canyon, or the first earthquake scenes in San Francisco and especially the one in Los Angeles, where Ray comes to the rescue of his ex-wife. That scene was also very exemplary of another strength of the movie: Director Brad Peyton definitely elevates this movie with many cool, long takes that really stood out for me. It’s a strong deviation from the nowadays more common zooms and quick cuts that make it nigh impossible to follow the action. There were also a couple of short moments that really stood out for me. I loved that during the scene in the parking garage, the characters actually had to use their brains to get out of this dangerous situation, and found a couple of clever solutions for the problem. It’s far too rare that protagonists actually have to think in movies, so I really loved that. Finally, there’s this one scene were Blake formulates a plan and urges them to move on. Usually in movies like this, when you got a leader, everyone follows him or her without question. Here, however, Ben actually took the time to speak out and say “Wait a minute, is this really our best option?”. Of course, they ultimately went ahed with her plan anyway, but I loved that they showed the characters actually think about it, trying to find a better solution. It’s something that’s hardly ever done in movies like that.

Unfortunately, these moments where the movie – however slightly – deviated from the common formula, made the clichéd rest just all the more jarring. One of its biggest offenders – and one of the occasions where “San Andreas” disappointed me the most – was the depiction of Emma’s new hubby. Because at first, it really looked like they would not take the easy route, and actually show him as quite a nice guy (whose main shortcoming is that he isn’t The Rock; but then again, who is?). The talk in the plane is a particular standout. So imagine my disappointment when he actually leaves Blake behind and flees in order to save his own skin. And as if that weren’t enough, he later shoves someone from a safe spot to take it over himself – finally making him the Billy Zane of the movie. Of course, after doing these devious things, he had to pay the ultimate price. Hell, they even had to take his professional success away from him, since his allegedly earthquake-proof building actually falls apart, while others are still standing in the end. Safest building my ass! Anyway, that was far too clichéd and over the top for my taste. I was also surprised by how uneven the effects were. Some shots looked absolutely stunning, while others seemed unfinished and/or artificial. The breaking of the dam and some of the longer shots where Ray is driving through San Francisco with his boat were particular bad. Maybe they ran out of time and/or money, or it’s a result of different companies working on different scenes, but I was rather startled by how artifical some of it looked. I also have to say, as much as I love San Francisco myself, and usually enjoy seeing it in movies, but… after many movies in recent years which featured it prominently, it does start to get a little old. And, of course, I really could have done without the – seemingly obligatory – patriotic shot of the raised flag at the end. Scenes like that just make me laugh out loud by now, sorry. At least movies like “Sharknado 3” aren’t serious about them – contrary to “San Andreas”.

My biggest problem with it, however, were the last 20-30 minutes. Before, it actually was mostly entertaining, despite some mishaps here and there. But near the end, the movie increasingly started to deteriorate. It starts with Ray’s recollection of the death of their (other) daughter, a scene that I might have found touching, if it wouldn’t have had “important information for the finale of the movie” written all over it. Now, for a while, I actually had hopes that I misread it, and that it was only there to give the movie and/or the characters some depth. But no, it happened just as I suspected it: His other daughter Blake pretty much ends up in the same situation as his deceased daughter did: Drowning right in front of him, with Ray seemingly unable to do anything about it. They even did the exact same thing that Ray described before, about the moment where his daughter realized that he wouldn’t be able to save her, and this look of resignation in her eyes. However, all of that didn’t work for me at all, because it was just way too obvious that this time, he would succeed where he previously failed. And maybe, just maybe, I might have been able to live with that. But if there’s one kind of scene that I can’t stand, regardless of the movie it appears in, it’s the “oh no, it’s over, (s)he’s dead, might as well give up now”-scene. I probably saw it first in “The Abyss”, and as much as I love the rest of the movie, I always hated that scene. I guess part of it is the feeling that whenever they do that, they cheat the audience. They want to have us emotionally invested and devastated, only to have someone jump out of the curtain and say “Haha, fooled ya!”. Plus, I generally have a problem with alleged deaths which then turn out to be not as final as previously assumed – and it just happens to irk me even more if said resurrection actually happens in the same friggin’ scene. Anyway, that was the moment where “San Andreas” lost me once and for all. And don’t even get me started on the huge amount of people who seemingly drowned when the tsunami hit San Francisco – but we’re not really supposed to care about them; it’s all right as long as the Gaineses’ are safe! Nah, sorry. It actually started quite strong, and for a while, I thought it could end up being better than I hoped, but then it increasingly became exactly the movie that I was afraid it would be. Maybe I’ve just seen too many disaster movies to enjoy another formulaic entry in the genre, but as heroic as The Rock may be, even he couldn’t save “San Andreas” for me.
4/10


IMDB

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At the Movies 2015: Slow West

Posted on August 6, 2015 by cornholio1980

Slow WestSlow West
USA 2015
Written by John Maclean
Directed by John Maclean
Watched on 28.07.2015

From the short description that I read online, I had high hopes for “Slow West” – which was shown as part of Vienna’s “Kino wie noch nie” open-air-cinema festival – hopes that, unfortunately, the movie ultimately met only partially. My reserved reaction, however, has nothing to do with the slow flow and the mostly quiet tone of the movie. That’s exactly what I was expecting, and I usually don’t have a problem with slowly moving films, thus I actually quite liked the slow buildup as well as the overall gloomy mood of the first hour or so. As for the landscapes… I’ve never been to Colorado, so I can’t testify about how much the locations in New Zealand captured here actually look like the region where the movie takes place. All I can say is that they looked absolutely gorgeous. As for the performances, I wish the movie would have done a little more with Michael Fassbender’s talents, but its undeniable that “Slow West” benefits from his charisma. Kodi Smit-McPhee is perfect for the role of baby-faced Jay, who is well-intentioned, but in way over his head. Ben Mendelsohn plays a serviceable, but also a little cardboard and unimpressive villain, and Caren Pistorius is a good choice for the charming young lady that Jay has cast an eye on. From the rest of the cast, however, it’s first and foremost Rory McCann who stands out, and who makes the best out of a role that, in less competent hands, could have been very forgettable.

As for the reasons for my rather reserved reaction to “Slow West”, my main quarrel is with its tone. Balancing humor, drama and tension can be a tough act, and not everyone is a Quentin Tarantino (who seems to have this down like few others). Over the course of the movie, there were already a couple of scenes where I didn’t know if I should be shocked, or moved, or amused, and it all culminates in one of the most tone-deaf scenes that I have seen in recent memory (keyword: salt). I mean, that’s supposed to be the dramatic climax of the story, the moment the whole movie built up to, and it’s actually quite tragic – but in all this sadness, there’s suddenly this absurd, semi-amusing scene. I still can’t decide if that was intentionally or unintentionally funny, but either way, it’s not good, since either the scene doesn’t work like it was supposed so, or it was (in my very humble opinion) ill-advised. Maybe I just don’t get John Macleans particular sense of humor – that kind of thing happens. But for me, this scene didn’t work at all. Actually, the whole showdown was rather disappointing, as was the way “Slow West” ultimately ends. Thus, as nice as the buildup was, the finale ultimately lets the movie down, and hurts it considerably. As always, your mileage may very well wary, but I’m afraid that because of the disappointing finale and the uneven tone, I can’t really recommend joining Silas and Jay on their bumpy journey.
5/10


IMDB

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At the Movies 2015: Learning to Drive

Posted on August 5, 2015 by cornholio1980

Learning to DriveLearning to Drive
USA 2014
Written by Sarah Kernochan
Directed by Isabel Coixet
Watched on 19.07.2015

There are movies where I get out of the cinema, immediately start taking notes on my phone, and can’t wait to finally get around and write my review. And then there are movies where I am at a loss of words. Not because they’re terrible, but because I don’t really have that much to say about them. Case in point: “Learning to Drive” – which is why I struggled with this review more and longer than usual. It was the surprise feature of this years “Kino wie noch nie” open-air-cinema festival in Vienna, and if hadn’t seen it there (or if I would have known that they would play it in advance) I probably would never have seen it at all. And while I don’t regret watching it, I also don’t think that I would have missed much.

At its center, “Learning to Drive” is about picking yourself up after life dealt you a considerable blow. In this case, Wendy not only learns that her husband has cheated on her (again), but that he’s in love with this woman, and thus is going to leave her, and file for divorce. Over the course of the movie, Wendy goes through the commonly known five stages of grief (which were a little bit too apparently shown for my taste), until finally getting her life back together – which is symbolized here by, as the title suggests, learning how to drive (which also symbolizes a higher level of independence than she had even before her life started to fall apart). More than the driving lessons themselves, however, her healing comes thanks to a new connection that she forms, with her driving instructor Darwan. Patricia Clarkson and Ben Kingsley are great in their respective roles, and I quite enjoyed the insight into Sikh culture. Unfortunately, I have very little tolerance for arranged marriages, and as much as “Learning to Drive” tries to explain the reasoning behind it, that part of the movie didn’t really work for me. Also, the entire movie is rather fluff, without any real substance to it. It’s nice and sweet and well acted and ideal (light) summer fare – but it’s also a movie that peels off quicker than gentle summer rain from your windshield while driving.
5/10


IMDB

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What’s on TV? #01: Sharnado 3 – Oh Hell No!

Posted on July 28, 2015 by cornholio1980

Sharknado 3Sharknado 3
USA 2015
Written by Thunder Levin
Directed by Anthony C. Ferrante
Watched on 25.07.2015

The first Sharknado mostly lived off its brilliant, original premise, the trashy charm, as well as that gobsmackingly dumb (in a good way) ending. The second one, inventively titled “The Second One”, was just as dull and unimaginative as that title suggested. They simply switched the location, and relied too much on cameos (of which most of them I probably didn’t recognize, since it was mostly US-C-celebrities) and on repetition (one chainsaw scene after another), instead of thinking up new stuff that would have been on par with the original. There were a couple of nice scenes and ideas scattered throughout, but overall, it was a lame sequel. Thus, I didn’t really expect much when I started my recording of “Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!”. To my own big surprise, though, it actually ended up being the most entertaining one of the lot so far – thus, “Oh Hell Yeah!” would actually have been a more apt title ;).

Like its predecessors, it’s not without its weaknesses, though. For one, Bo Derek – who still looks better, hotter and younger than her movie-daughter Tara Reid – is totally wasted. Seriously, what good is it to cast well-known faces if you don’t give them anything interesting to do? I really hoped for at least one badass moment, but unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be. They also don’t make that much out of David Hasselhoff’s involvement. Granted, it would have been nigh impossible to better his appearance in “Piranha 3DD”, and just doing the same as they did would have been lame and unimaginative. Nevertheless, nothing that he does here comes even close to his great, self-deprecating performance in “Piranha 3DD”. He gets a couple of nice moments and a great final shot, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that they could have done more with him – and that the part or the movie didn’t really profit that much from his presence (compared to “Piranha 3DD”, which would have been only half as good without him). The CGI looks incredibly cheap and laughable (and as much as I get that this is part of its charm, I would love for SyFy to spend a couple more bucks on those effects, given the huge success of these movies). After a great, strong beginning, the movie slows down a little bit, and there are a couple of segments that I ended up being rather dull. The middle part feels more like one huge commercial for “Universal Studios Orlando” (with a short commercial break for Nascar thrown in for good measure) than a horror comedy. And even though they toned it down when compared to the second one, I still found the scenes with the moderators (this time seemingly from morning shows) rather unnecessary.

Despite these flaws, “Sharknado 3” overall did a much better job to keep me entertained, than the last one. There are gags aplenty (none of which I want to spoil here), most of which hit home with me, and they thankfully also refrain from overexplaining them, like they did with the – otherwise cool – “jump the shark”-moment in the second one. I also liked the cameos in this much better than in the last one, where they relied too heavily on people that aren’t really known over here. This time, they picked more celebrities that even I recognized (even though I’m pretty sure that I still missed about half of them), and they even went international, including the german TV-moderators Oliver Kalkoffe and Peter Rütten of “SchleFaZ” (short for “The Worst Movies of All Time”). The best cameo, however, took place in a movie theatre. I wouldn’t even dream of giving it away, but it had me in stitches. “Sharknado 3” also does a better job of getting things going, and keeping me engaged. In the second one, the airplane sequence fell a little flat for me, but here, the beginning in Washington (after a brilliant parody of the James Bond gunbarrel sequence) was quite spectacular, and felt more like a finale than a beginning. To be honest, I was slightly worried that the rest of the movie wouldn’t be able to live up to that, but I was proven wrong. Over and over again, they managed to surprise me with imaginative, hilarious, over the top sequences, one funnier than the other, and ultimately culminating in the best birth scene ever seen on TV (sorry, “Sense8”). This, ultimately, is “Sharknado 3″s biggest achievement: Where the second one felt incredibly lazy, this time you can feel that they really put a lot of thought and effort into this movie, trying to make it as bonkers as possible. They also didn’t seem to hold back at all, rather throwing everything in there that they could possibly think of. Which, to be honest, now has me a little worried about the already announced forth one. However, if they should actually manage to keep this up, then I’ll gladly brave these Sharknados for as long as they keep making them.
5/10


IMDB

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At the Movies 2015: Ant-Man

Posted on July 27, 2015 by cornholio1980

Ant-ManAnt-Man
USA 2015
Written by Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish, Adam McKay & Paul Rudd
Directed by Peyton Reed
Watched on 24.07.2015

In “Serenity”, there’s this scene where Mal gets ready to set out on a heroic mission, and he tells his crew “Now, if I’m not back in an hour, I want you to take this ship, take off… and you come and you rescue me!” and right at the pause I knew that he would say that. Which is why, even though I could appreciate the gag on an intellectual level, it didn’t make me laugh. For something to be funny, it needs to be surprising. Unfortunately, with “Ant-Man”, there were plenty of jokes that fell flat with me because I could see them coming from a mile away.

Now, mind you: Nothing is more divisive than humor. What will bring someone to tears from laughter might not even make another one chuckle. And I know that I’m probably on the minority here (which seems to happen more and more recently), since many in the cinema laughed their asses off. However, for me, many of the gags didn’t really work. Be it because, as just mentioned, I saw where this was going and thus didn’t find it particularly funny anymore, or simply because it just wasn’t my kind of humor. For example, beforehand, I’ve read in a couple of reviews how funny Michael Pena is in this, but I’m sorry, his character mostly didn’t work for me. He was the amusing ethnic sidekick who was supposed to be hilarious because he talked funny. I also didn’t care for all the times where a scene that actually threatened to delve into emotional territory got derailed with a cheap gag – which didn’t just happen once, but multiple times. For me, this made the movie feel incredibly immature, like a male teenager who’s afraid to show his emotions, thus he makes a joke out of everything. Since when did making us feel something become a bad thing? I don’t know, I really didn’t care for this snarky tone that seemed to make fun of “Ant-Man”‘s own, emotional scenes – which for me were the moments where it actually worked best. Or would have worked best, if they wouldn’t have ruined the mood every single fucking time.

Another problem that “Ant-Man” shares with many other Marvel-movies: The bad guy is very bland. In that regard, “Ant-Man” reminded me very much of the ok-but-not-great first “Iron Man”-movie. Darren Cross seems like a carbon copy of Obediah Stone (they even share the same haircut 😉 ): a villainous business man who ends up in a suit very similar to the one donned by our hero. It doesn’t help that he’s clichéd beyond belief, taking out a business partner just because he has some concerns about his plans. That his nemesis Scott Lang fares better lies mostly with Paul Rudd, who gives this his all, and plays the role with incredible charm. Unfortunately, he’s hindered by a rather flat character who, in contrast to Tony Stark, doesn’t go through any sort of character development. Not only does he come out of prison already a good guy, but we hear later that he also already was a good guy while committing his crimes, only taking from the rich, like some semi-Robin Hood (“semi” because while he takes from the rich, he neglects to give to the poor; at least as long as said poor aren’t him). Thus, there’s no reformation taking place, no redemption. Which for me was one of the main reasons why “Ant-Man” didn’t quite reach the same (moderate) heights of the first “Iron Man”, which vastly benefited from Tony Stark’s character growth. I also didn’t really feel any chemistry between Scott and Hope, thus, the obligatory kiss at the end seemed to come out of nowhere (I definitely had to agree with Hank’s shocked/surprised “Where did that came from?”). I really wish they would have waited with that until the sequel. Finally, as much as I like the idea of Marvels shared cinematic universe, I could have done without the Falcon-sequence, which wasn’t particularly exciting (he’s not the biggest and/or most interesting MCU-star anyway), and felt a little forced and unnecessary.

It’s not without its merits and strengths, though. What really sets this one apart from previous Marvel superhero movies is the concept of a hero that can change his size with the push of a button. The sequences with a shrunken Scott are really marvelous, and definitely stand out. They’re extremely well done, the special effects are flawless, and there definitely were a couple of eye-opening shots in there (with the first shrinking in the bathtub and the “atomic level” two particular standouts). It also leads to some great, novel scenes like the fight on the model railway, as well as a couple of very funny moments. The whole movie was shot really well, with the action scenes a particular standout; dynamic, but still clear and comprehensible. Also, after a couple of movies where the 3D was mostly unnecessary, it really was worth it here – mostly because of the scales in the shrinking scenes. As mentioned before, I also really liked Paul Rudd in this role. As unnecessary as I felt the Falcon-scene to be, other allusions to the MCU fared better, like the post-credits-sequence(s) or the casual mention of a “wall crawler”. The best scene of the movie though, hands-down, was the opening, with a young Hank Prym (an extremely convincingly de-aged Michael Douglas) and an old Peggy Carter (an equally convincingly aged Hayley Atwell). Overall, “Ant-Man” is a decent movie with a charming lead, some standout moments and a couple of funny scenes – but in my personal MCU-best-to-worst-list, it nevertheless only manages to outperform “The Incredible Hulk” and “Iron Man 2” in terms of overall quality and entertainment value.
5/10


IMDB

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At the Movies 2015: Terminator Genisys

Posted on July 10, 2015 by cornholio1980

Terminator GenisysTerminator: Genisys
USA 2015
Written by Laeta Kalogridis & Patrick Lussier
Directed by Alan Taylor
Watched on 09.07.2015

Despite the fact that it was almost unanimously panned by critics… given my distaste for “Rise of the Machines” as well as the fact that I somewhat like “Salvation”, I expected “Terminator: Genisys” to land somewhere between the two. Well, guess what… the so-called “critics” can suck it. While definitely not a masterpiece like Cameron’s duology, “Terminator: Genisys” nevertheless is an entertaining flick that’s the best non-Cameron sequel of the series so far.

——— HERE WOULD BE A SPOILER WARNING – IF THE TRAILER WOULDN’T HAVE ALREADY TAKEN AWAY ALL THE SURPRISES ANYWAY ———

The movie that it reminded me of the most was actually “Jurassic World”, probably because it was a similar nostalgic affair that harkened back mostly to a beloved classic (in case of “Terminator”, classics), while ignoring the last two entries in the franchise. The only major difference between the two (all IMHO, of course) is that TG has its strongest moments in the beginning, while JW gets better with every passing minute, and saves the best for last. However, that alone doesn’t explain why “Genisys” was critically panned while “World” was mostly celebrated. What am I missing here? Where’s the huge difference? Anyway, enough talk about “Jurassic World” – and the (at least for me) baffling reaction from the critics – let’s focus on “Terminator Genisys” and my take on it. The beginning was incredibly well done and very promising. I love the fact that we finally get to see the final battle against the machines, and how the first T-800 is sent back in time, followed by Kyle Reese. The next bit was by far my favorite part of the movie. Alan Taylor and his team do a great job restaging the beginning of the original (with the occasional image taken directly from the source thrown in for good measure). Having watched the entire “Terminator”-series to prepare myself for “Genisys”, I could really appreciate the hard work and the attention to detail that went into reimagining that sequence. Also, face-replacement via CGI definitely has come a long way since “Tron: Legacy”. The “young” Terminator looks completely flawless, like they actually would have gone back in time to shoot that sequence with a young Schwarzenegger. Anyway, the fight of the two T-800s definitely was one of the standout-moments of the film for me.

The rest of the scenes that are set in the 80s were really great, too. I loved the inclusion of a T-1000 in the shopping mall scene, and how Sarah saves Kyle, thus turning the tables, with the immortal line “Come with me if you want to live.” I also love the following dialogues between Sarah, Kyle and “Pops”. Schwarzenegger get’s some great lines and funny moments here, and I love how totally baffled and out of his element Kyle is. He came back expecting to having to save a young, innocent and helpless Sarah Connor that’s unaware of the danger she’s in. Instead, he meets this woman who, together with her protector, has prepared for this moment all her life. I don’t want to take away all the cool stuff that happens next, since that’s pretty much the only (few) surprises that the marketing campaign has left us with, but lets just say that there were some great scenes that went right back to Cameron and the idea of the unstoppable killing machine. As soon as the danger is over, we get some explanation about what the hell is going on here. To be honest, I understand everyone who found those scenes to be hardly convincing and a little tedious, but I didn’t really have a problem with that. I mean, with every time travel movie, you need a certain suspension of disbelief. And I definitely appreciated it that they at least tried to offer an explanation (contrary to “Rise of the Machines”), even though it might have been a little hokey. That’s still better, though, then just to throw some stuff on the screen and say “Screw it, it’s sci-fi, everything’s possible anyway”. There are also some nice additional moments between Sarah, Kyle and Pops (something that continues after the time jump). Granted, none of them are even remotely as good as the bonding-scenes in T1 or T2, but they’re nevertheless quite nice. Overall, I’d argue that “Genisys” did a better job to make me care for these characters, than either “Rise of the Machines” or “Salvation” did. Ok, granted, those are not really benchmarks, but nevertheless. So overall, I really enjoyed the part in the 80s.

Things get a little bit more problematic after the time jump. For starters, why did they choose this particular moment, instead of getting there a week, a month, or a year earlier? Why put so much pressure on themselves, by giving themselves only about 24 hours to prevent Judgment Day? Plus, the scene in the garage really suffers from the fact that one of the major twists of the movie was already given away in the latest trailer, and also on the fucking movie poster (which is why I deliberately used a different one). It really could have been a great WTF-moment in the tradition of the best similar moments from the first two movies. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be – however, I do strongly believe that this is nothing that can and should be blamed on the movie itself. It’s just a shame, that’s all. Anyway, the following action scenes where a little bit of a mixed bag. I quite liked the bit on the Golden Gate Bridge, even though that particular monument (as much as I love it; San Francisco was the first major U.S.-city that I visited, after all) has been featured in similar blockbusters a little too frequently in recent years. Contrary to many others, I also quite liked the helicopter chase. Yeah, it’s not as gripping and exciting and impressive as a similar scene in T2, but it was well shot and had some nice character beats thrown in for good measure. My major beef with the movie actually lies with the showdown, which I found to be a little disappointing. Action-wise, it just wasn’t as exciting as everything that came before. It was also completely devoid of any tension, despite a countdown that’s visible in almost every scene. One of the problems here might be that after they shortened the countdown, I didn’t “trust” the running clock any more. Mostly, though, I think it’s actually a problem that’s inherent in the (modern blockbuster) system. This feeling that everything is going to turn out all right (and no, I’m not going to tell you if in the case of “Genisys”, this feeling is justified). However, that’s not a specific problem with “Genisys”. The exact same thing can be said about “Jurassic World”, “Avengers: Age of Ultron” or most of the other Marvel and/or Superhero stuff. Which is why I’m so baffled why “Terminator Genisys” gets the brunt of this criticism, while the others mostly get a pass.

Anyway, it’s definitely true that because of this, the showdown in “Genisys” is far less gripping than in the first two “Terminator”-movies, and even T3 (hell, potentially even TS). Furthermore, there was one scene in particular that was supposed to be emotionally touching that missed its mark completely, at least with me. Both of which are my biggest problems with the movie. Apart from that, though, I mostly liked it, and felt quite entertained. There’s some nice humor here, but it’s not quite as persistent as in “Terminator 3”, where they were that close to turning the Terminator into a clown. Nevertheless, there are definitely a lot of funny scenes and lines here, that also mostly hit home with me (which is another major point where “Genisys” deviates from “Rise of the Machines”, where much of the humor fell flat for me). It was also really great to see Arnold in his most iconic role again. I know that none of his movies after his comeback managed to set the box office on fire, and I think that’s a damn shame. I’m a huge Schwarzenegger-fan, and while I was quite cricital of most of his output in the late 90s and early 00s, I think that most of what he did after his comeback was really great. He seems to have found that fire again, which seemed to be missing in his last appearances before he went to become the Governator. And while I enjoyed all his post-comeback-performances (and still have to see “Maggie”, thanks to the fact that it didn’t get a cinematical release over here), I think that he’s especially great in this one. There’s something about him playing a robot that tries to imitate human behavior that seems to suit him, acting-wise (I just noted that this comes off as rather snarky comment; please be assured that it isn’t meant that way). The rest of the cast is quite good too. Now, granted, I’m a devoted follower of Khaleesi, so I’m definitely not objective when it comes to Emilia Clarke. I just adore her. Nevertheless, I felt that she was really good here (even though Linda Hamilton definitely was more convincing as badass-chick in “T2”). I wasn’t quite as taken with Jai Courtney. He’s not bad, but rather bland, and his scenes with Emilia Clarke lack any chemistry. After this and “A Good Day to Die Hard” (seriously, dear critics, when you wanna see what a really disappointing and crappy sequel looks like, look no further than that), I really think that he’s one of those actors who are better suited for supporting, instead of leading, roles. Jason Clarke, on the other hand, is quiet good, even though there’s little that’s memorable about his performance. And Matt Smith is totally wasted. Actually, apart from Schwarzenegger, the biggest standout is probably J.K. Simmons, who also gets some really funny scenes, and – as usual – left an impression with me.

The special effects are flawless, Alan Taylors direction is solid (even though it misses the personal touch of McG and the style and flourishes of James Cameron), the whole movie looks incredibly well (especially the final battle of the Future War), and the 3D was mostly unnecessary. As for the soundtrack, I was rather sceptical when I learned that they hired Lorne Balfe, who – even though composing scores for video games, TV, documenary, and movies for a couple of years now – didn’t really ring a bell. And I already heard a couple of comments that his score sounds more like something coming straight out of a “Transformers”-movie. Now, I don’t know/recall those films (or their music) well enough to comment on that, and it’s definitely true that his work for “Genisys” sounds a little generic. It’s your typical bombastic blockbuster-score, and seems to be very much in the tradition and typical style of Hans Zimmer (who worked as music supervisor on this). And overall, I guess I would have preferred a score that – just like the film itself – would have gone back to the work of Brad Fiedel for the first two: More metallic and more synthesizer, rather than orchestral. It definitely sounds more like a generic modern blockbuster than a “Terminator”-movie. Nevertheless, from the post-Fiedel-soundtracks, his is by far the best. Emotional where it’s supposed to be, and not shying away from using Fiedel’s iconic work wherever it’s appropriate. It’s definitely not even remotely as good as Michael Giacchino’s work for “Jurassic World” (who faced a similar challenge), mostly because Lorne Balfe’s new themes didn’t really register with me. But at least it achieves what a movie score is supposed to do: Support and enhance what’s on screen. Finally, I was incredibly happy to see that – compared to “Rise of the Machines”, where they waved the “Fate”-card – the good old motto of the franchise, “No fate but what we make”, is very much back in business.

So, overall, I really liked “Terminator: Genisys”. It was highly entertaining and offered some decent action, many really funny scenes and lines, an Arnold Schwarzenegger who was as good as he has ever been, characters that I actually cared about, a good performances by Emilia Clarke, a serviceable story, a decent score, great special effects, and – in the first half – some nice nostalgic moments as well as a couple of great twists of scenes that we know and love from the first two “Terminator”-films. Sorry, critics, but I’m afraid that in this case, I’m in agreement with James Cameron – and thus in the best of company.
7/10 (which I might raise to 8/10 after I’ve seen it again)


IMDB

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Movie-Flashback #04: Terminator – Salvation

Posted on July 9, 2015 by cornholio1980

Terminator SalvationTerminator: Salvation
USA 2009
Written by John D. Brancato & Michael Ferris
Directed by McG
Watched on 08.07.2015

I know that I’m in the minority on this, but I actually liked “Terminator: Salvation”, and definitely prefer it over the very disappointing “Rise of the Machines”. It’s not great, let alone on par with Cameron’s first two entries in the series, which both were masterpieces, but it at least takes the franchise into a new direction, instead of offering the fourth variant of the same story (Terminator & Protector travel back in time to kill/save John Connor).

——————————— HERE BE SPOILERS ———————————

Now, obviously, it’s not without its problems. One of which is that they seemingly couldn’t decide if this was supposed to be a reboot of the franchise, or rather a prequel to the future war-bits from T1 and T2. John Connor makes it clear that “this is not the future my mother warned me about” (even though that logic is insofar flawed as her knowledge of the future obviously would be very limited; something like Marcus could very well have existed in the original timeline too, but Kyle simply didn’t have time and/or feel the need to mention it.). It’s also obvious that “Salvation” follows “Rise of the Machines” and thus the timeline that was established there (meaning that Judgment Day happened in 2003, and not 1997). But now it’s only 2018, and Skynet already produces its first T-800s, which, in the original timeline, were a brandnew invention in 2029, shortly before Kyle Reese travelled back in time. So for whatever reason, and despite the fact that Judgment Day actually happened 6 years later, the sequence of events seems to have accelerated. Add to that the fact that Marcus is a new kind of Terminator that seems to be above Skynet’s abilities even in 2029, and it’s clear that John Connor’s statement that this is a new timeline is true. However, he still gets the same scars at the end that we could see on his face in the future war-scenes of “Terminator 2” (in the original timeline). Huh? So does this mean that “Salvation” will lead up to the same events after all? I dunno, I just found this very confusing, and would have preferred if they’d simply stayed with “this is a new timeline” instead of desperately trying to tie it into the events established in T1 and T2.

Another big problem of the movie is that Skynet’s big evil scheme doesn’t make any sense. If it was all about killing Kyle Reese and John Connor, then why didn’t they programm Marcus to do exactly that as soon as he got the chance, instead of leading them to its headquarters? Also, the scene where Skynet reveals its big plan to Marcus felt right out of a James Bond-movie; it was extremely clichéd and forced, and – again – didn’t make any sense. Skynet had them, Marcus accomplished his mission. Why tell him the role that he played in the proceedings, and that he was just a pawn – other than for the sake of the viewers? Why restore and reactivate him at all, if he has served his purpose? It didn’t feel logical, but only sadistic – which didn’t really gel with the idea of an unemotional machine intelligence – and stupid, since this gave him the chance to actually save them. I also didn’t care for Star’s “spider-sense” concerning Terminators. There actually is an explanation for that in Alan Dean Foster’s novelization, but since it ends totally different from the movie, I don’t think that’s valid. As it stands, this idea of a little girl that has some kind of inner Terminator-detector – which never even remotely gets explained – felt weird to me. Also, the big harvester would have felt more at home in a “Transformers”- than a “Terminator”-movie, and the wormlike machines seemed to come straight out of “The Matrix”. The fact that so much of the movie takes place during the day also leads to a significant visual discontinuity compared to the future war-glimpses in the previous movies (which invariably took place at night). And the “Here, just take mine”-ending is rather far-fetched and asks quite a lot from the viewer in terms of his willing suspension of disbelief.

Still, in my book, the good outweighs the bad. And even though I might lose a lot of geek-cred with this statement, I strongly feel that one of its greatest strength is McG’s direction, which to me seemed to be far more in line with James Cameron’s style than Jonathan Mostow’s “Terminator 3” was. He celebrates the action, and shoots it with a lot of flair and style. I especially loved the long shots without a (noticeable) cut (a proclivity of mine), like the helicopter-crash. That scene was in the best tradition of James Cameron, IMVHO, and a true eye-opener. I also quite liked Marcus as a character. He starts off from such an unsympathetic place (seriously, saying “So that’s what death tastes like” after kissing Dr. Serena, who’s dying of cancer, was incredibly cruel), but thanks to his “second life”, gets a chance to redeem himself – which he embraces. The whole movie, ultimately, is about exactly that: Second chances, redemption, and – hence the title – salvation, and Marcus is very much at the center of that. However, I also liked our glimpse of young Kyle Reese, and how he, over the course of the movie, started on his path to become the resistance fighter that later is going to travel back in time. John Connor plays a much smaller role than the marketing back then would have had you believe, but that never really was a problem for me, since I found Marcus and Kyle more than enough to hold my interest. Also, John very much is the impetus that drives the movie forward – even though he might get less screentime than some would have liked. I also really liked how the movie revealed that becoming the leader of the resistance wasn’t an easy task, since many saw some sort of false prophet in him. That was a new and interesting angle.

As for the performances, I was and am especially taken by Sam Worthington’s turn as Marcus. While I wasn’t that smitten with his work in “Avatar”, which got released a couple of months later, I really liked his performance here, especially after he finds out what he is. For example, watch his face as he’s standing in front of the gate to Skynet’s headquarters. When they let him in, you can actually for a second see disappointment flicker through his eyes. I also really liked Anton Yelchin as a young Kyle Reese, since it was such an unlikely (and unusual) choice. I wasn’t quite as taken with Christian Bale, though, who – for whatever reason – seemed to work mostly on autopilot. Maybe that’s partly due to the problems on set – or maybe it’s the other way around, and those problems were symptomatic of his dislike for the project. Whatever the reason, he seemed a little bland here. I was also rather disappointed by the extremely little role that Kate played in the proceedings. Bryce Dallas Howard does her best, but they just didn’t give her much to do. Moon Bloodgood fares slightly better, but she’s no Linda Hamilton, and her character is no Sarah Connor. As for Helena Bonham Carter’s much discussed apperance at the end: For me, the reason why she would appear that way made sense. So while I understand anyone who could have done without that rather well-trodden portrayal of an artificial intelligence, it didn’t bug me.

Danny Elfman’s score is ok. He creates a new theme, but Fiedel’s influence is still palpable, like, for example, in the instruments that he uses. Nevertheless, I would have wished for a more frequent use of Fiedel’s iconic theme, since there were a couple of scenes where I would have found it quite appropriate (one should also note that the so-called “Terminator drums” are not featured on the soundtrack CD – which could be because of legal reasons, or might be an indication that they were only added retroactively, after Elfman turned in his score). One of my favorite parts of the movie, though, is our glimpse into the prior stages of the future war, which would later lead into the scenes from it that we saw in the previous movies. I especially liked the older Terminators, like the T-600 with his rubber skin. Also, the animatronics and the effects were again absolutely flawless – with the digital makeup-effects on Marcus, the appearance of the Schwarzenegger-Terminator and the T-800-torso being particular standouts. Mostly, though, the strengths of the movie lie in individual, great scenes, like the helicopter-crash, the first confrontation of Marcus and John, the following hunt of Marcus, and especially most of the showdown in the Terminator factory (where my only complaint lies with the aforementioned Marcus/Skynet-scene). I was especially pleased by the appearance of the good old Schwarzenegger T-800, which when I saw the movie during my visit to the U.S., led to cheers and applause in the cinema. Overall, and despite its undeniable flaws, I found “Terminator: Salvation” to be much more entertaining and enjoyable than the irritating “Rise of the Machines”.
6/10


IMDB

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Movie-Flashback #03: Terminator 3 – Rise of the Machines

Posted on July 8, 2015 by cornholio1980

Terminator Rise of the MachinesTerminator 3: Rise of the Machines
USA 2003
Written by John D. Brancato, Michael Ferris & Tedi Sarafian
Directed by Jonathan Mostow
Watched on 07.07.2015

God, I hate this movie. On an objective level, I can acknowledge that it offers decent action movie fare, but there are just so many things about “Terminator 3” that rub me the wrong way. Add to that an overall laziness to the proceedings, as well as the fact that while James Cameron’s “Terminator”-movies both were extraordinary, this is decidedly run-of-the-mill, and you got a movie that – save for that great ending – disappointed me immensely when I saw it for the first time, and still feels incredibly worthless to me today.

——————————— HERE BE SPOILERS ———————————

By far my main beef with the movie is how it totally contradicts the great message from “Terminator 2: Judgment Day”: The future is not set? There’s no fate but what we make? According to “Terminator 3”, that’s all bullshit. The future is set. We might be able to delay it for a little while, but ultimately, that’s all we can do. What must happen, will happen. Which is just such a 180°-spin from what James Cameron wanted to say with “T2” that I had a hard time accepting it. Plus, just like “Alien: Resurrection”, it destroys the great ending of its predecessor – since ultimately, everything that they did, all the sacrifices by Miles Dyson and the T-800, were completely meaningless. Which really irks me the wrong way, not just because I don’t believe in fate and thus vastly prefer Cameron’s message, but also because it feels incredibly disrespectful of his work on the prior two films. Now, of course, I get it. They wanted to continue the franchise, and for that, they had to double back on that ending of “T2”. But they didn’t even try to come up with a good explanation for it. It’s just predetermined, and that’s that. And it angers me because I’m just a stupid movie fan, not a scriptwriter, director, filmmaker etc., but after I saw “Terminator 3” even I immediately had two better (?) ideas for doing it: A) Have Skynet send the T-X back in order to ensure that Judgment Day will indeed happen, just in case something went wrong (time travel is a tricky business, after all). Kyle (or Kate) also sends another reprogrammed T-800 back to prevent exactly that. Immediately, you have a far more interesting movie, since instead of rehashing the concept of the first two, with the Terminator hunting the Connors, the hunter becomes the hunted, and John, the T-800 and for all I care also Kate have to find a way to stop an unstoppable machine from destroying humanity. Or B) Use the “3” in the title for a twist where we learn in the end that there actually were three Terminators: One to protect John, one set out to kill him, and one to make sure Judgment Day happens. The second Terminator, thus, serves mostly as a distraction, to keep John and the others busy running for their lives, instead of trying to prevent Judgment Day.

Now, feel free to think that both ideas are incredibly dumb, and even worse than what we’ve got. But for me, they would have eliminated my major problem with the movie. See, it’s less the fact that Judgment Day does happen after all. Actually, the message that the battle against evil isn’t won in one day, but that it’s rather a constant struggle, could have been just as meaningful as the hopeful ending of “T2”. That we have to fight, every day, to prevent our own extinction. But that’s not what they do here. They don’t say “We have to keep fighting, otherwise we’re doomed”. They simply say “We’re doomed”. And that, for me, was just that one big step too far, which is why I wish that they would have found a better explanation for why Judgment Day happened after all, instead of just waving a huge signpost with “fate” written on it. Which also feeds right into my next criticism: “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines” is an incredibly lazy movie, in so many regards (and not just the “Fate!”-explanation). For example, how about – if for whatever reason, Edward Furlong wasn’t an option – casting someone who looks at least remotely like him? And if they absolutely had to have Nick Frost – again, for whatever reason – couldn’t they at least have dyed his hair? As I said: Lazy. Same can be said about the fact that John Connor and Kate Brewster conveniently meet at the exact same time when the terminators come back to get/protect them (or was that, too, fate?).

There are also quite a few inconsistencies that they didn’t care to iron out. For example: If John Connor is so sure that the future was averted (and if he wasn’t, why would he express that much disbelief when he learns that it’s inevitable after all?), then why go into hiding? How does Skynet know that John Connor has an emotional connection with that particular T-800 model, thus sending it out to kill him? Why would Kate program things like looking for the car keys in the sun visor, which he learned from John in “T2”? Also: I assume that both terminators come from a new timeline, given the fact that the war was supposed to end in 2029 (with John victorious), but here it’s still going in on 2031-ish? And Connor seemingly dies before humanity prevails against the machines, instead of winning the deciding battle of the war? All of that really confused me, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’m caring way more about all of that than the filmmakers, who, it seems to me, just didn’t give a fuck. Also, one of the very worst scenes of the movie, that made John Connor look like a complete idiot, was him asking the T-800 if he remembers him – seemingly thinking that this is the same Terminator that saved him in “T2”. What. The. Fuck?!?! Dude, you and your momma lowered him into hot molten steel, and he fucking “died” right in front of your eyes! What are you, brain-dead? I also didn’t care for the new direction they went with Skynet. First of all, I’m (yet again) not sure how that was all supposed to work. But even besides that, I preferred the whole development as established in “T2” – of Skynet, days after getting activated, becoming sentient, and only then deciding that humanity is a threat that has to be terminated – to how it’s portrayed here, where it seems like from the very beginning Skynet was some sort of computer virus/software/A.I. that started scheming to ensure that it would get access to all the military computers. Thus, it seemingly planned to destroy us right from the start, even before it really existed and/or became self-aware. It might seem like a small detail to you – and given everything else that’s wrong with “Terminator 3”, it actually is – but it still bugged me.

But even when blocking out all of this, “Rise of the Machines” still doesn’t hold a candle to both its predecessors. Where those managed to makes us feel a connection with the characters, here I couldn’t have cared less about what happened to any of them. Also, Jonathan Mostow is no James Cameron. His direction is serviceable at best, but is totally missing all the cleverness and flourishes that made the previous movies stand out for me. And the action is kind of a mess. They try to trump the predecessors with more and bigger spectacle, but it’s all shot without any style or flair. Also, “Rise of the Machines” suffers from the action style that got increasingly popular in the noughties: Fast cuts, constant close-ups etc. Thus, at times it was quite hard to grasp what the hell was going on. There was also not one major moment in all the action scenes that really stood out for me. Arguably, they confused “bigger” and “more” with “better”, which simply isn’t always the case. Same is true, by the way, when it comes to the humor. While I have nothing against a couple of good jokes to break up the tension, there were far too many (and too on-the-nose) gags in this one, with Arnold offering one funny line after another. Thus, he seemed more like a clown than a killing machine. Seriously, at times “Terminator 3”, more than anything, felt like a comedy or self-parody. Also: Why did they choose Marco Beltrami, of all people, to make the score? Don’t get me wrong, he offers up solid work here (as he usually does), but couldn’t they have afforded a more renowned composer to take the rains from Brad Fiedel? I also was vastly disappointed that we hear Fiedel’s iconic main theme only during the end credits – something that is worsened by the fact that none of his music, with the sole exception of his track “Radio”, left an impression with me. It’s in one ear, and out the other. “Terminator” deserves better. And, finally before we get to the stuff that’s actually good, one last observation: Was I the only one who thought, when the T-800 at the end says to John “We’ll meet again”, that the second – unspoken – part of that sentence is a rather ominous “…when I kill you.”?

Despite all of that, though, “Terminator 3” is not entirely without merit. As much as it pained me to hear about her (off-screen) death, there’s something very affecting about Sarah Connor saving humanity, only to then die herself just a couple of years later. I also loved the story about her fighting her sickness to live just long enough to make sure that Judgment Day really was averted (or at least, so she thought). I also quite liked the T-X – its design as well as it’s conception as a Terminator-killer. Yes, they arguably went a little too far with its swiss-army-knife-like appendixes, and I really wish they would have skipped her ability to transform into other human beings, since that was one aspect where she was too similar to the T-1000, but other than that, she was a great foe. I especially liked her ability to control other machines (and actually wish they would have done more with this idea). Plus, in my opinion, Kristanna Loken played her really well, and with a certain glee that set her apart from previous (unemotional) Terminators. The rest of the cast was quite good, too. While this may very well be Arnold’s least dedicated performance (even though calling it “lazy” would go way too far. Whatever you may think of him as an actor, he usually gives 100%; this time, it seemed more like 70%, like he was a little tired with acting, and already preoccupied with his upcoming political career.), he’s still quite good, and he especially shines in the scene where he’s of two minds. Also, the effects were absolutely great in this, no matter if we’re talking about the animatronics, the make-up, or the CGI (I was especially impressed with the shots where the head of the T-800 is dangling from its neck, and Arnold’s half-burned face).

However, back to the performances: I personally may think that Nick Stahl was incredibly miscast in this, but that doesn’t mean that his acting is bad – which it isn’t. As for Claire Danes… I’ve definitely seen better performances from her (however, she’s also a little handicapped by her role), but at the end, when they finally give her something meaningful to do, she shines. Which finally brings us to the biggest asset of the movie: The ending. Now, to get my only quibble with it right out of the way: Compared to James Cameron’s horrific, nightmarish depiction of Judgment Day, this was almost too clean and sterile in its execution. However, I can’t deny that the images, as presented here, had an eerie and haunting beauty to it, which stood in stark contrast to the harrowing meaning behind it; which definitely was an interesting dichotomy. I also really loved this twist in general, as well as how the movie built to it, and how it was executed once they finally arrive at the bunker. Seriously, when I saw the movie for the first time, I was totally stumped by that revelation, asking myself – just like the characters – what the fuck is going on here. Never would I have expected, in such a mainstream blockbuster-movie like this, where they fight all movie long to keep the end of the world from happening, that they actually might fail in their mission. The rest of the movie might have been painfully lazy and not very well thought out, but his idea was absolutely brilliant, and also very well realized by Jonathan Mostow, Nick Stahl, Claire Danes and Marco Beltrami, which – together with all the other people behind the camera who worked on this sequence – really gave it their all to make it shocking and touching and devastating. If only the movie that preceded it would have been even remotely as good as the finale itself…
4/10


IMDB

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Movie-Flashback #02: Terminator 2 – Judgment Day

Posted on July 7, 2015 by cornholio1980

Terminator Judgment DayTerminator 2: Judgment Day
USA 1991
Written by James Cameron & William Wisher Jr.
Directed by James Cameron
Watched on 04.07.2015

Forget about “The Godfather, Part II”, “Aliens” and “The Empire Strikes back”… in my very humble opinion, “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” is the best movie sequel ever. More than that, it ranks as #04 on my list of the best movies of all time. Don’t get me wrong, I also really love the first one, which arguably was grittier and bleaker; the sequel definitely is more polished, and doesn’t quite carry the same indie/B-movie punch. Is also was definitely more revolutionary, and arguably moved at a more breathless pace. Other than that, though, “Terminator 2” trumps its predecessor in every way.

——————————— HERE BE SPOILERS ———————————

There’s a lot of turmoil right now about the latest trailers already giving away one of the biggest twists of “Terminator: Genisys”. As someone who likes to see movies as unprepared as possible, that really bugged me too. However, one might say that it has tradition in this franchise, since while James Cameron does his best to hide the fact that this time, Arnold is the good guy (just an example: He doesn’t show us the arrival of the T-1000, since the fact that he probably didn’t shiver like Kyle did might have tipped us off to his true identity. Also, we don’t see him shapeshifting before his first encounter with the T-800), the trailers unfortunately already gave it away. It’s a testament to how good the movie is that it’s none for the worse for it (a feat that I don’t expect “Genisys” to repeat); and, of course, it’s not quite as bad, since it’s not all the movie has going for it, and also, that revelation already comes around 20 minutes into the movie. Still, I sometimes wonder what it would have been like to be caught totally unaware by that twist. Nevertheless, the first confrontation definitely is one of the highlights of the movie, followed by an incredibly chase scene through the canals. I also have to mention the beginning of the movie, with Sarah Connor’s voice over, and our only glimpse of the Future War this time. It’s a stunning sequence, much more spectacular than in the first one, but still feeling equally gritty and grim. Also, the Terminator-torso is a thing of stunning beauty. Plus, flourishes like the Terminator stepping on a human skull are what make this movie so special for me – and show James Cameron’s incredible talent as a filmmaker.

It’s something that can be seen through the entire movie, and while I don’t want to bore you with an analysis that’s too in-depth, let me give you one example: Sarah Connor’s attack on Miles Dyson. There would have been a lot of chances to fuck it up, but on each and every turn, Cameron makes the right decision. He actually has Sarah pull the trigger, her intended victim only saved by pure chance. She then enters the building, still very much determined to kill him, but ultimately, with his son and his wife lying next to him and begging her to stop, she’s unable to go through with it. Another, lesser, director would have had John and the Terminator arrive two minutes earlier, finding Sarah with the gun pointed at Miles, and trying to talk her out of it. The fact that she actually decides to lower the gun for herself, and then crawls to the wall and starts to cry, is what makes this scene for me – and also what makes it stand out from the zillion similar scenes in a zillion other movies. While we’re at it: The direction that Sarah takes in this movie is one of its biggest strengths. She is about to become exactly what she fears, and what she fled from in the first movie: A seemingly unstoppable and remorseless killing machine. A Terminator. That she ultimately chooses not to go though with it packs an incredible important anti-war and anti-violence message that is especially noteworthy for a movie that relies so heavily on action.

Said action, by the way, is nothing short of stunning, and shot absolutely flawless. There are many impressive action sequences and incredible stunts, and it all still looks remarkable even today. It’s spectacular, and exciting, and thrilling – and, whaddayaknow, it manages to do so without cutting the action to pieces or zooming in with the camera so far that you can’t make out what’s happening any more. I really wish some modern filmmakers would take note, since in my mind, action doesn’t get much better than this. The effects were absolutely revolutionary too, and still hold up incredibly well. No matter if it’s the make-up on Arnold’s increasingly worn-out T-800, the practical effects, or the CGI of the T-1000, it’s astonishing how well it all looks, especially compared to some cheap CGI-effects today. Why could they do it almost 25 years ago, but more often than not fail to achieve a similar quality today? It’s baffling. The soundtrack is great, too. While I already loved Brad Fiedel’s score for the first one, it definitely was rather erratic. Here, while very much staying true to his origins and offering some rousing music for the action scenes, he overall offers a more symphonic and calmer soundscape – thus perfectly capturing the quieter and more thoughtful tone of the movie. The acting is stellar, too. In my opinion, Linda Hamilton would have deserved an Oscar for her performance here, and Edward Furlong is also quite good. Robert Patrick isn’t quite as iconic as Schwarzenegger as the big, main villain (then again, who is?), but he still captures the robotic nature of the T-1000 perfectly, without simply copying what Arnold did on the first one.

Next to Linda Hamilton, however, Arnold Schwarzenegger once again is the MVP of this movie. He was in his prime when he shot “T2”, and his performance benefits from the fact that he’s allowed to let a little loose and have some fun with the role this time. Which brings us to the next aspect: As much as I love the dark and somber tone of the first one, but this time, we also get a little humor to lighten up the mood from time to time. I especially love the scene in the biker bar, or rather right after, where he first grabs the shotgun, then the sunglasses, and suddenly, “Bad to the Bone” starts to play. However, there are many more gags to be found throughout, which all hit home with me. Nevertheless, “T2” is far from being a comedy. On the contrary, one of the things that are so great about the movie is how it balances so many different ideas, elements, and tones. Yes, it might be funnier than the first one, but that never ever detracts from the tension that it reaches during its action scenes. Plus, those moments are in stark contrast to what for me is one of the most brutal, horrifying and nightmarish scenes in movie history: The depiction of the atomic explosion in Los Angeles. It’s a scene that, after I saw the movie for the first time (where they might have cut out some of the more brutal parts, but, inexplicably, not this), gave me nightmares. The explosion, how everyone (at a children’s playground, for fuck’s sake!) starts to burn and turns into ash, how Sarah grips the fence, her flesh slowly burning off until only her skeleton remains, until finally it too dissolves… Holy shit. I get the creeps just thinking about it.

Despite this harrowing scene, however, “T2” ultimately is a movie about hope. It teaches us that our future is in our own hands – “No fate but what we make” – and also, that it’s something that’s very much worth fighting for. This is what “T2” ultimately sets apart from the first one for me. Despite all the tension and the spectacle, it also has some incredibly depth, substance, and especially heart. Like John Connor, we come to like this killing machine that during the course of the movie, gets more and more human – until it arguably reaches sentience, and is able to defy John’s command in order to achieve a greater goal. The relentless killing machine, the Terminator, gives his life in order to save humanity. It’s an incredibly moving scene that gets me every time – and which leads us to the perfect ending not just for the movie, but also the entire franchise (if only). Where “The Terminator” ended on an ominous note about the “coming storm”, “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” ends on a more hopeful note, with one of the best ending monologues in the history of cinema, which always gives me goosebumps.

As for the question “Theatrical version or Director’s Cut” – I usually opt for the latter. Don’t get me wrong, the theatrical version is equally great. And there are a couple of scenes in the DC that arguably aren’t necessary. For example, I think that it actually works better when we meet Miles Dyson and his family for the first time when Sarah Connor approaches his house to kill him. Nevertheless, overall, the Director’s Cut feels more rounded and complete. It also features a couple of scenes that I always miss whenever I decide to watch the theatrical version after all, like Kyle’s visit, the damage the T-1000 shows near the end, and most notably the scene where they take out the chip of the T-800 to make it possible for him to process new inputs. That one’s especially important, not just because it’s an incredibly well done sequence, but also since it’s the first time that we get a glimpse of John Connor, the future leader of the resistance. Plus there are a couple of nice moments that reinforce the growing friendship between John and the T-800, which give the ending even more gravitas.

“Terminator 2: Judgment Day” is an absolute masterpiece. It’s the best action movie ever made, the best sequel ever made, and the best movie by James Cameron (so far); and with an impressive track record like his, that really is saying something. It’s a movie full of dread and despair, that nevertheless ends on an irresistible flicker of hope. Stunningly acted, produced, written and shot, it perfectly embodies what movies – at their best – are capable of: To entertain the shit out of us, but at the same time also to make us think, and to affect us emotionally. What more can you ask for?

“The unknown future rolls toward us. I face it, for the first time, with a sense of hope. Because if a machine, a Terminator, can learn the value of human life, maybe we can too.”
10/10


IMDB

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Movie-Flashback #01: The Terminator

Posted on July 6, 2015 by cornholio1980

The TerminatorThe Terminator
USA 1984
Written by James Cameron, Gale Anne Hurd & William Wisher Jr.
Directed by James Cameron
Watched on 02.07.2015

Welcome to a new feature on my blog: Movie-Flashback, where I’ll discuss past films – good or bad, old or fairly new, well-remembered or rightfully forgotten. And since “Genisys” is just around the corner, I decided to go back and re-watch the whole Terminator-franchise, which is why “The Terminator” has the honor to kick it off. Or should I rather say, it is my honor to kick it off with “The Terminator”?

James Cameron’s second full-length feature film (and kinda his first real one, given that he didn’t have as much creative control when shooting “Piranha II”, and got rather sick during the shoot) is his first (but definitely not last) masterpiece, and probably the best B-movie ever. It mixes elements of different genres – science fiction (the future war, time travel, and so on), action, horror (the ruthless and unstoppable killer), romance – and molds it into something new, original and (then) unique. I was probably about 10 years old when I watched it for the first time (on television, in a cut version), and I remember being completely engrossed by it almost instantly. Our first glimpse of the future war, the Terminator travelling back in time and his encounter with the punks, Kyle Reese’s arrival, our introduction to Sarah Connor… within minutes, my eyes were glued to the television screen, and didn’t leave it again until the credits rolled. There’s such a wild energy to it, and an astonishing inventiveness. This is the best possible result when you’ve got a young, hungry filmmaker with something to prove, and everything just comes together perfectly – and you end up with a piece of magic. The script is absolutely great, finding a perfect balance between action, exposition, drama, and establishing the characters. I love how the exposition is broken down into easily digestible pieces, and is sometimes intermingled with the action. When you see the movie for the first time, you’re just as enamored with the plot and with finding out what the heck is going on, than you are with the (incredibly shot, and very down to earth and realistic) action.

Basically, “The Terminator” employs the well-known trope of an everyday man or woman becoming a reluctant hero because of exterior circumstances. However, especially back then (and hell, to be honest, even know), most of the time those heroes were men. James Cameron already broke the mold by making Sarah Connor the hero of the piece, and while she may start off as your regular damsel in distress, she gradually develops into the heroine of the piece – and the person that will later teach John Connor everything that he needs to know to fight, and beat, the machines. She’s a great character, played perfectly by Linda Hamilton, who at the beginning encapsulates the epitome of the everyday girl, who is thrown into these extraordinary circumstances, and is forced to evolve and grow in order to survive. Kyle Reese also isn’t your typical clear-cut hero, but rather a troubled war veteran hardened and broken by the future that he fled in order to protect it, and who is now meeting the girl of his dreams. Despite the fact that their characters only share a couple of hours, Michael Biehn and Linda Hamilton totally sell their feelings for each other – helped by the great script as well as Brad Fiedel’s score which, while usually rather frantic, provides us with a stunning, romantic piano-interpretation of his memorable main theme during their love scene. While we’re at it: His entire score is great. It’s probably not necessarily what you’d call easy listening, and it’s a score that definitely works better with the images accompanying it than on its own, but with its very mechanical and dissonant sounds he perfectly captures the essence of the movie. His music is chaotic and frantic and unique and dynamic and absolutely right for the movie.

Kudos also has to go out to the two men that created the Terminator, one of the most memorable creations of cinema. Arnold Schwarzenegger might not have been Cameron’s first choice, but without him, the Terminator wouldn’t be the cinematic icon that he is today. With his incredible physique and his very controlled, minimalistic, efficient and well thought-out movements, he proves to be the perfect choice for the role. The other person is Stan Winston, who was responsible for what can be seen underneath Arnold Schwarzenegger’s impressive body. Granted, the stop-motion-animation may look a little dated now – it’s the only thing about the movie that IMHO doesn’t quite hold up. Other than that, though, his work for the movie was absolutely incredible, especially the (iconic) head and torso that he designed and built. And the “operation”-scene definitely stuck with me back then; that was just something that we (or at least I) had never seen before. Absolutely stunning. Also, who could ever forget the shot of the terminator rising from the flames? Which brings us back to the man who envisioned it all: With just his second feature film, James Cameron already proved himself to be an incredible talent, and more than 30 years later I still rank him among the best filmmakers of all time. He’s the only director that I can think of with a clean slate (well, at least “Terminator”-upwards), with not a single misfire on his résumé. His skill to build up tension, the immediate way he shoots the action, and how he, despite all the spectacle, still doesn’t forget to tell a gripping story and to make us care for the characters… god, there are so many things that modern filmmakers could learn from him. Finally, I just love love love love love the way it all wraps up in the end, when we learn that Kyle is actually John Connors father (which obviously opens up a fascinating chicken-and-egg-paradox), and where we see how the picture was taken, and then get the ominous reference to an upcoming storm. It’s a perfect ending for a near-perfect movie, which rightfully ranks among the all-time classics of not just the science fiction-genre, but cinema in general.
10/10


IMDB

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