Change Your Image
antonwegenast
Reviews
The 100 (2014)
An entertaining entanglement of genres
Given that this is a YA series, it mixes dystopian sci-fi commentary with a bit of teen drama and inexperience. The youths on the ground make believable mistakes and errors in judgement, that do not seem overly contrived to push the plot along. The adults in orbit make some errors of their own as a kind of counterplay to the adaptation going on surface-side.
While the series has the trappings of teen drama, such as love triangles and emotional outbursts, The 100 is not enslaved to that genre. Fans of dystopia will find the struggle to survive an equally meaty theme to the interpersonal relationships.
Tenet (2020)
Pushes audiences to both pay attention, and ignore details
Part international espionage thriller, and part heist film, Tenet is a visual showpiece for editing and special effects. Fans of such films as Looper, Memento (another Nolan classic), or even Heat, will be dazzled by Tenet's time-bending action and choreography.
This film often has to drag the audience along for a few rides, and your suspension of disbelief may be challenged. Some dense dialogue scenes give the viewer enough information to carry on, but often rely on parallel MacGuffins to prop up the narrative. Robert Pattinson's character often speaks indirectly to the audience with exclamations of, "It's best not to think about it too hard." Time travel, as a plot device, is inherently difficult to keep logically sound throughout. I would say Tenet is largely successful, so long as viewers realize the dazzle and twisting plot are the message, not necessarily the exposition that threads it all together.
This is why I see Tenet as a divisive project. It has the action sequences of a popcorn flick, but it has some of the dialogue of a tense intrigue that demands your attention. Paradoxically, Tenet also demands that you *not* pay too much attention to the finer details. Overall, this film is cerebrally challenging, for better or for worse. Tenet will likely see a cult following of fans who watch it multiple times to catch how good the continuity was. Sound scientific premises are not necessary for good storytelling, but Tenet often winks at the audience with a leap of logic, as it deploys a smokescreen of temporal special effects.
I would recommend this film to a viewer looking for visual flair, and a plot that's a bit convoluted. Do not approach this as a pure action film, I would say it is more akin to a heist film - with plot reveals that impact what you saw previously. Camera treatment of "this is important," will often not see its payoff for several scenes. You need to embrace a bit of mystery, and perhaps accept that knowing all the details is not what this film sets out to achieve.
Mission: Impossible (1996)
Espionage over action; unfortunately not repeated
Obviously, this film rebooted the Mission: Impossible franchise into a successful series of films. It has a few featured gadgets to be interesting and a little fantastical, which became one of the film series' pillars. It also features the iconic ceiling suspension/infiltration scene that set the tone for the genre (not just the M:I series) for a few years afterward.
Looking back, this first film stands apart from the others. It is far more of a spy film than an action film (although there is no shortage of action). The plot involves twists, gadgets, conflicted loyalties, and characters that become disposable at the next betrayal. This entry in the franchise is far more grounded than the others, it is less fantastical, less over-the-top (compared to later M:I films). This film features some actual espionage tradecraft, and a fairly realistic motivation for the villain.
A recurring theme in this film is how disposable state actors can be. There are quite a few deaths on the "good guys" side, and they aren't spectacular. Rather than going out in an drawn-out and choreographed fight sequence, many characters are simply snuffed out unceremoniously. This subdued approach to death also aligns with the film's more gritty and espionage-centric aesthetic. The killings drive the plot, and ultimately the deaths serve as a warning for protagonist Ethan Hunt - anyone inconvenient is disposable.
This film also differs from later efforts because Tom Cruise is the sole star. There are some strong actors on the roster, but the franchise hadn't developed its series mainstays yet. Ving Rhames makes his debut as Luther Stickell, the tech-centric support to Ethan Hunt, and is a consistently strong presence. TRIVIA: John Voight's character is Jim Phelps, the lead role from the Mission: Impossible television series. Jim's presence acts as a way for the producers to hand off the leading role from one iteration of the M:I franchise, to this one.
All told, this reboot of Mission: Impossible attempted to have an intelligent plot, supported by some MacGuffins and gadgets. There's a real sense of "whodunnit" throughout this film that is never seen again, unfortunately. After this, M:I focuses a lot more on stylized action sequences, and high-stakes threats to global stability. I am still disappointed that M:I didn't keep this film's direction of espionage-centric plot, and veered towards a more accessible popcorn cinema style with the sequels.
Mission: Impossible II (2000)
Worst entry in the M:I films.
This film is a franchise low-point. With the possible challenger of Dead Reckoning (Part I), this film is far more focused on style over substance. The action sequences are over-the-top, and the fight choreography is overly drawn out.
This film saw Cruise's character of Ethan Hunt transition from a spy (as seen in the previous reboot of Mission: Impossible), to a more by-the-numbers action character. John Woo always marries action with fantasy elements to make his protagonists supernatural, and almost phantom-like. In stark contrast to the Ethan Hunt of the first film, M:I2 sees Ethan able to infiltrate with relative ease, and yes...there is a white dove scene to serve as Woo's signature.
What makes this entry so particularly disappointing is that there is almost no character. The plot is entirely made up of MacGuffins, and the villain is more brute than brains - which again contrasts with both Ethan and the IMF agency the antagonist is going rogue from. While this serves as a narrative foil to Cruise's character, it also disrupts the audience understanding of IMF, and how its agents are supposed to operate.
This film was also released in 2000, sandwiched between entries from the James Bond franchise. It is hard not to see this film as an imitator, rather than trying to carve out an "M:I" niche, using the series' previous strengths. That's the issue though, M:I2 is far more stylized and comes off as derivative in the broader action genre. It's not an action film done in the M:I style, it's the other way around - and largely alienates an audience that was hoping for more clever delivery.
The Amityville Curse (2023)
Consistently bad for the franchise
The Amityville franchise has always been an "also ran." This movie really showcases why this series is largely ignored. While the idea of a haunted house with a disturbing legacy is a trope, this production is marred by far more weaknesses.
The cast is merely "ok." The characters are a bit of an odd mix of semi-obnoxious to bland. All-told, no character is engaging or memorable - and I'm including the house itself as a character! This movie rests on the laurels of previous history and films, as a kind of narrative shortcut. The dark past of the house is only casually referenced, so viewers are expected to see "the house" as a credible threat by virtue of the other films or folklore.
Once past the opening sequence, the film plods about. The majority of the early chills come from poorly executed jump scares; namely things falling off shelves. A few ghostly whispers are oddly explicit, the words are crystal clear, and just a bit too well-spoken. Rather than conveying vague suggestions or even indecipherable murmurs, the whispers deliver Scrabble-worthy vocabulary.
The special effects are laughable. I am usually quite forgiving of SFX that are restricted by a paltry budget. In the case of "Curse," the money was not well-spent. The ghostly presences are distractingly poorly depicted.
All told, this film is just incompetent. It's not able to build a necessary sense of dread or mystery about the House. The cast are uninteresting, and the chills are poorly executed all around. While the Amityville franchise has never been particularly strong, this entry is a straight-up waste of your time.