The original Cabin Fever wasn't a great movie by any means, but had fun with itself while showcasing some convincing gory effects; a low budget body horror about a cast of dumb college age couples (and the odd man out) succumbing to a terrible flesh-eating disease in the woods. The 2016 version is just a modernization of the original, hitting all of the same story beats but giving our characters smart phones, automatic rifles, and pop culture references a-plenty. One character in particular is so unlikable that I wouldn't blame anybody for switching the movie off after enduring a few scenes with this guy. Overall, it's bland, visually unexciting, and doesn't replace the original in any way.
Reviews
6 Reviews
Just when I thought they'd hit their stride...
4 April 2016
What more can be said about this episode, other than that it will go down in history as one of the most infamous disappointments in television. In fact, it might be the prime example of how to cock it all up at the last possible moment.
Let's forget about the rampant advertising that disjoints the experience. The pacing is already bogus, because the writers are only concerned about the destination. The final moment of this episode could only have been one thing: that pivotal moment in the comics, that choice. Earlier in the season, some of the story beats ran parallel to events in the comics. Cool. You decided to make that choice, and expectations were high for the follow through in the finale.
But what a bungling mess they made! The journey for Maggie's meds, the roadblocks - I get the idea here, they needed some way for Negan to be introduced, but it really would have been a better idea to keep it confined within Alexandria. Instead, when the characters are all leaving and splitting up so as to facilitate ambush and capture situations, it just seems like a cheap way to contrive some melodrama even when we've seen time and time again that certain characters will survive, against all odds. Carol, whose brain has vacated the premises (not literally), is the prime example. Her predicament ended so predictably that it's not even worth mentioning.
Then there's the ending. A lot of long-time survivors in Rick's group have been rounded up, and you've got a surprisingly effective Jeffrey Dean Morgan giving the lay of the land. My first issue with this scene is that it's really unnecessarily long, but we figure out the reason for this: the writers wanted to save the big reveal for the next season's premiere, so they ended the episode on a cliffhanger. I'm not here to speculate whether or not they axed the expected member of the crew. I'm here to warn people that this is incredibly cynical, and by design. They just want you to tune into the premiere; the heads behind this thing aren't concerned about anything other than secured (and high) viewership when the time comes.
Never mind that the pivotal turning point of the comics was blue-balled. Never mind that any emotion a viewer might have experienced in this episode if the producers had the BALLS to take it all the way was snuffed. This kind of delivery and the motivations behind it CANNOT be accepted any longer, lest other productions follow suit in this exploitative, cynical milking of their fandoms. The Walking Dead has long overstayed its welcome, and this kind of finale is the sort of thing that really makes people question their willingness to slog through the advertisements while stifling their disappointment.
Terrible.
Let's forget about the rampant advertising that disjoints the experience. The pacing is already bogus, because the writers are only concerned about the destination. The final moment of this episode could only have been one thing: that pivotal moment in the comics, that choice. Earlier in the season, some of the story beats ran parallel to events in the comics. Cool. You decided to make that choice, and expectations were high for the follow through in the finale.
But what a bungling mess they made! The journey for Maggie's meds, the roadblocks - I get the idea here, they needed some way for Negan to be introduced, but it really would have been a better idea to keep it confined within Alexandria. Instead, when the characters are all leaving and splitting up so as to facilitate ambush and capture situations, it just seems like a cheap way to contrive some melodrama even when we've seen time and time again that certain characters will survive, against all odds. Carol, whose brain has vacated the premises (not literally), is the prime example. Her predicament ended so predictably that it's not even worth mentioning.
Then there's the ending. A lot of long-time survivors in Rick's group have been rounded up, and you've got a surprisingly effective Jeffrey Dean Morgan giving the lay of the land. My first issue with this scene is that it's really unnecessarily long, but we figure out the reason for this: the writers wanted to save the big reveal for the next season's premiere, so they ended the episode on a cliffhanger. I'm not here to speculate whether or not they axed the expected member of the crew. I'm here to warn people that this is incredibly cynical, and by design. They just want you to tune into the premiere; the heads behind this thing aren't concerned about anything other than secured (and high) viewership when the time comes.
Never mind that the pivotal turning point of the comics was blue-balled. Never mind that any emotion a viewer might have experienced in this episode if the producers had the BALLS to take it all the way was snuffed. This kind of delivery and the motivations behind it CANNOT be accepted any longer, lest other productions follow suit in this exploitative, cynical milking of their fandoms. The Walking Dead has long overstayed its welcome, and this kind of finale is the sort of thing that really makes people question their willingness to slog through the advertisements while stifling their disappointment.
Terrible.
Isolated, Meandering, Without Stakes
20 March 2016
Warning: Spoilers
The Hunger Games: Mokcingjay - Part 2 is a movie which dedicates its time to showing people talking while walking, sitting, standing, or performing any manner of action. It's a shame, then, that characters in this movie say so little of substance, and so few perspectives are shown. Characters speak only to assert their present allegiances, and it feels like there's less at stake than ever. This is due to a hollowness in the plot of the film, and a total reversal of the status quo between the two Mockingjay films: somehow, the war has swung into its final stages with the front lines brought to the capital.
It's as if there was so little left to adapt, and an entire two hours needed to be filled. The first of the Mockingjay movies, while with a few faults of its own, at least managed to flesh out the breadth of the conflict, and presented to us Katniss' role as a tool that everybody wanted so desperately to grab a hold of and use for their own purposes. In part two, all of the stakes are lost, with an ineffectual and totally underwhelming Snow, an entirely predictable and one-note Coin, and a Katniss without any charisma or chemistry with a confused looking Peeta.
Everything falls apart after the half-hour mark in part two. Katniss and a few familiar faces are infiltrating the capital, but are meant to avoid conflict and shoot propaganda. On the front lines. Where they're most likely to be killed, captured, or worse. Things go predictably for the party; thank god we never got to really know any of these people anyways. After a big CGI extravaganza, we bear witness to one of the most silly and contrived twists possible: Snow calls for refugees in his city to gather at his mansion, only to blast them all to bits, to hold the rebels back or something. Of course, the reality was that he was on the brink of surrendering and that it was Coin's doing, all along. Somehow, Katniss' sister was in that crowd, and you see her for all of two seconds before she's gone - how is this supposed to have any sort of impact? I could barely believe that Katniss and Gale somehow managed to disguise themselves as refugees, make it all the way through the most concentrated area of hostiles, and then stop just a few paces short of the blast radius of the bombs. The most satisfying moment in the movie was when Katniss slayed Coin in the streets of the capital, with Snow laughing like a madman as an angry mob tore him to shreds.
The ending isn't too bad, though, and the sense of remote isolation persistent throughout the film finally fits for once. It's a bit more upbeat than the novel, but works well enough anyways. In the end however it's not enough, and the movie never really comes together until your interests have totally waned anyways. Mockingjay: Part Two: it's slow, it lacks substance, and it feels longer than it is.
It's as if there was so little left to adapt, and an entire two hours needed to be filled. The first of the Mockingjay movies, while with a few faults of its own, at least managed to flesh out the breadth of the conflict, and presented to us Katniss' role as a tool that everybody wanted so desperately to grab a hold of and use for their own purposes. In part two, all of the stakes are lost, with an ineffectual and totally underwhelming Snow, an entirely predictable and one-note Coin, and a Katniss without any charisma or chemistry with a confused looking Peeta.
Everything falls apart after the half-hour mark in part two. Katniss and a few familiar faces are infiltrating the capital, but are meant to avoid conflict and shoot propaganda. On the front lines. Where they're most likely to be killed, captured, or worse. Things go predictably for the party; thank god we never got to really know any of these people anyways. After a big CGI extravaganza, we bear witness to one of the most silly and contrived twists possible: Snow calls for refugees in his city to gather at his mansion, only to blast them all to bits, to hold the rebels back or something. Of course, the reality was that he was on the brink of surrendering and that it was Coin's doing, all along. Somehow, Katniss' sister was in that crowd, and you see her for all of two seconds before she's gone - how is this supposed to have any sort of impact? I could barely believe that Katniss and Gale somehow managed to disguise themselves as refugees, make it all the way through the most concentrated area of hostiles, and then stop just a few paces short of the blast radius of the bombs. The most satisfying moment in the movie was when Katniss slayed Coin in the streets of the capital, with Snow laughing like a madman as an angry mob tore him to shreds.
The ending isn't too bad, though, and the sense of remote isolation persistent throughout the film finally fits for once. It's a bit more upbeat than the novel, but works well enough anyways. In the end however it's not enough, and the movie never really comes together until your interests have totally waned anyways. Mockingjay: Part Two: it's slow, it lacks substance, and it feels longer than it is.
Sicario
(2015)
Confusing by Intention: the Anti-Story of Sicario
13 October 2015
Here we have Sicario. It's a film that twists and turns from its opening minutes, presenting a gritty tale of unprecedented carnage and deception. The world of the film is a smear of desert colors and rolling storm-clouds, high tech government labs and sprawling, dilapidated shanty towns. Sicario presents a striking visual style that cements the setting of the story.
Emily Blunt's Kate is among the first of the characters we're introduced to. Their names we learn usually by proxy, and the film quickly introduces more characters than you can handle, all the while escalating the action and intensity as Kate is pulled back and forth along the Mexican border, which exposes two very contrasting territories. It's a story about catching the real bad-guys and making a difference in the drug war, or so we're led to believe. Of course, what unfolds is the proverbial "tip of the iceberg" scenario where everything Kate, our surrogate, considers to be right is turned on its head and left spinning as she makes the plunge.
The film does have some problems, mainly with pacing. One entire subplot remains detached from the main thread until the climax of the film, and sees no real development despite reappearing multiple times throughout the film. The payoff is meant to be a shocker, but it ends up being fairly predictable by the standards the film had already set for the world. Having said that, the climax itself was gripping, as well as the minimalist score which is used to great effect. The ending leaves something to be desired, though I believe the effect is to leave one saying "wait, that's it?", just in the best possible way. The reality is that to this tale, there is no real resolution - to continue is a matter of resolve, to continue if one dares. In all, there are a few scenarios that make it difficult to uphold a suspension of disbelief, but keep in mind that this movie is designed to be a disturbing journey through and through. While it has its low points, the film never leaves your attention to wander for too long.
Very good film, all in all. Don't bring kids to this (somehow, this snagged a 14A rating in my country of residence).
Emily Blunt's Kate is among the first of the characters we're introduced to. Their names we learn usually by proxy, and the film quickly introduces more characters than you can handle, all the while escalating the action and intensity as Kate is pulled back and forth along the Mexican border, which exposes two very contrasting territories. It's a story about catching the real bad-guys and making a difference in the drug war, or so we're led to believe. Of course, what unfolds is the proverbial "tip of the iceberg" scenario where everything Kate, our surrogate, considers to be right is turned on its head and left spinning as she makes the plunge.
The film does have some problems, mainly with pacing. One entire subplot remains detached from the main thread until the climax of the film, and sees no real development despite reappearing multiple times throughout the film. The payoff is meant to be a shocker, but it ends up being fairly predictable by the standards the film had already set for the world. Having said that, the climax itself was gripping, as well as the minimalist score which is used to great effect. The ending leaves something to be desired, though I believe the effect is to leave one saying "wait, that's it?", just in the best possible way. The reality is that to this tale, there is no real resolution - to continue is a matter of resolve, to continue if one dares. In all, there are a few scenarios that make it difficult to uphold a suspension of disbelief, but keep in mind that this movie is designed to be a disturbing journey through and through. While it has its low points, the film never leaves your attention to wander for too long.
Very good film, all in all. Don't bring kids to this (somehow, this snagged a 14A rating in my country of residence).
Jurassic World
(2015)
A Fun Movie That Gets Worse the More you Think About it
18 June 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Jurassic World has pretty much everything a summer blockbuster should have to merit watching it purely for the enjoyment of the movie-going experience. The effects are great, there are some tense action scenes, and the movie manages to recapture some of that JP magic, if only for a few brief moments. It's unfortunate, then, that Jurassic World has so many problems, most notably with its script.
The primary incident, for instance, is entirely borne of our idiotic cast, who time and time again fumble and end up squarely in the jaws of the dinosaurs. Any logical approach to the crisis is ignored or magically deflected, and plot threads vanish mysteriously, never to return.
The movie will have you asking questions like: Why did Claire decide to send people into the dino pen when they didn't know where the dino was, and they had a tracking beacon? Why would you send a team of people after a 50ft long dinosaur with little more than cattle prods? Why did Owen and Claire decide to spend five minutes easing a dinosaur to its death when the two kids they're supposed to be looking for are in certain peril? Why didn't the helicopter's minigun have any effect on the escaped dinosaur after it was riddled with bullets? Why, when the strike team had it cornered with the raptors near the end, did nobody decide "yeah now's the time to fire all of our rockets"? Why does Owen use such an impractical weapon that he spends more time reloading in the one scene where it gets significant use? Where did the pterodactyls that were released from the glass dome go after wreaking havoc on everything? How did Claire outrun a T-Rex in heels? Where did the Asian head scientist go after hell broke loose in the labs? All these questions and more you'll be asking yourself, and it makes it hard to see the movie in a good light. It's definitely a movie to watch in 3D, on the largest possible screen, but unfortunately not one to think too hard on, lest you become frustrated.
The primary incident, for instance, is entirely borne of our idiotic cast, who time and time again fumble and end up squarely in the jaws of the dinosaurs. Any logical approach to the crisis is ignored or magically deflected, and plot threads vanish mysteriously, never to return.
The movie will have you asking questions like: Why did Claire decide to send people into the dino pen when they didn't know where the dino was, and they had a tracking beacon? Why would you send a team of people after a 50ft long dinosaur with little more than cattle prods? Why did Owen and Claire decide to spend five minutes easing a dinosaur to its death when the two kids they're supposed to be looking for are in certain peril? Why didn't the helicopter's minigun have any effect on the escaped dinosaur after it was riddled with bullets? Why, when the strike team had it cornered with the raptors near the end, did nobody decide "yeah now's the time to fire all of our rockets"? Why does Owen use such an impractical weapon that he spends more time reloading in the one scene where it gets significant use? Where did the pterodactyls that were released from the glass dome go after wreaking havoc on everything? How did Claire outrun a T-Rex in heels? Where did the Asian head scientist go after hell broke loose in the labs? All these questions and more you'll be asking yourself, and it makes it hard to see the movie in a good light. It's definitely a movie to watch in 3D, on the largest possible screen, but unfortunately not one to think too hard on, lest you become frustrated.
The Legend of Korra
(2012–2014)
A disappointing yet enjoyable series so far
10 July 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Avatar: The Last Airbender is easily my favorite recent example of western animation, so not only were my expectations high for Korra fairly high. When I first heard that there was going to be a sequel, I couldn't be more excited. The hype and buildup for this show was incredible for a lot of people - a more modern Avatar world with an older, more headstrong female protagonist set in the cultural hub of the world is simply as good as it could possibly get, and for the first few episodes of the series, a lot of great ideas were established and the characters at the time were shown to have great potential for growth and lasting importance. We have a populous cultural capital in an industrial boom, an older, more articulate cast, a plot centralized around themes of equality between benders and non-benders, and some of the most gorgeous animation ever to be featured in a cartoon.
Sadly, the writing couldn't hold up. Bryke just couldn't maintain so many of the elements that to us would seemingly write themselves. The pacing is all over the place, with some episodes taking place weeks after their predecessors, and others starting and finishing entire plot threads in a single episode. Interesting themes and ideas established early on degrade into predictable shlock, the most prominent offender being the romance between the protagonist and another character, which for me stands as one of the most poorly done I've ever seen in any animation. The finale could have been the one saving grace as Amon, the central antagonist, was one of the series' high points with interesting motivation and a background that could have had an amazing story to it. Unfortunately, he too falls prey to the lightning-paced exposition, and the writers fumbling eventually ends up defeating the entire purpose of his existence and his "equalist" movement in the span of five minutes. By the end of the finale, almost every single problem for the cast of characters is magically solved, but the final insult comes with how Korra's final problem is solved. It quite literally comes out of nowhere, and it leaves her character, as well as almost every other character, with now growth to speak of whatsoever.
I understand that a second season was not green lit until most of the material for season one was set in stone, and thus this season was very self contained, but it really isn't an excuse for the incredibly lackluster writing. What makes all of this so frustrating is the fact that at face value, the show is still very entertaining. The action later in the show was visceral and exciting if you turned your brain off to the plot armor and obvious outcomes. There was some nice lighthearted stuff from time to time, and the voice actors, particularly Dee Bradley Baker and Steve Blum, steal the show with some impressive delivery.
All in all, a massive disappointment, but still a good show that's enjoyable at face value. I'd recommend it to anybody not setting their expectations through the roof.
Sadly, the writing couldn't hold up. Bryke just couldn't maintain so many of the elements that to us would seemingly write themselves. The pacing is all over the place, with some episodes taking place weeks after their predecessors, and others starting and finishing entire plot threads in a single episode. Interesting themes and ideas established early on degrade into predictable shlock, the most prominent offender being the romance between the protagonist and another character, which for me stands as one of the most poorly done I've ever seen in any animation. The finale could have been the one saving grace as Amon, the central antagonist, was one of the series' high points with interesting motivation and a background that could have had an amazing story to it. Unfortunately, he too falls prey to the lightning-paced exposition, and the writers fumbling eventually ends up defeating the entire purpose of his existence and his "equalist" movement in the span of five minutes. By the end of the finale, almost every single problem for the cast of characters is magically solved, but the final insult comes with how Korra's final problem is solved. It quite literally comes out of nowhere, and it leaves her character, as well as almost every other character, with now growth to speak of whatsoever.
I understand that a second season was not green lit until most of the material for season one was set in stone, and thus this season was very self contained, but it really isn't an excuse for the incredibly lackluster writing. What makes all of this so frustrating is the fact that at face value, the show is still very entertaining. The action later in the show was visceral and exciting if you turned your brain off to the plot armor and obvious outcomes. There was some nice lighthearted stuff from time to time, and the voice actors, particularly Dee Bradley Baker and Steve Blum, steal the show with some impressive delivery.
All in all, a massive disappointment, but still a good show that's enjoyable at face value. I'd recommend it to anybody not setting their expectations through the roof.
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