Movies, I Watched Movies, I Watched Lots and Lots of Movies

Friday was a day filled with many movies. Three movies, to be exact. All three were enjoyable, but only one was good.

District 9 is good. It is very good. I need to see it again before I call it great. Because it was not quite the film I expected. I'm not sure what I expected, but...

Whatever. This film offers up so much. It is several films in one. It's a mockumentary, an action film, a sci fi flick, a buddy pick, a horror film, and on and on and on. And it does all of this stuff well. Mayhap I or you may have wanted more of one than the film provided, but that is more our problem than the film's.

Plus there's a fair bit of black comedy and social commentary. This film does so much, it is really quite impressive. As are the effects. This whole film is handheld, with a loose, rough look and feel. And the effects are seamless. Blows GI Joe out of the water.

As does the acting. The lead is just great, he is asked to do a lot and he does it all. And does it well. Compare how he starts off the film, to how he ends up. That's a hell of an ark. Hell, that's several arks. And he is not always likable, he doesn't always do the right thing.

I want to write more, I want to talk about all kinds of little details, but I won't. Because I know there will be no end of opportunities to do so. This is a film that people will talk about. Not just for the effects or what no, but for the strange places the story goes to, the ideas underneath it all.

The idea underneath The Wicker Man, is creepy. I can see it working as a great suspense film. I hear tell the original is just such a beast. But the Nic Cage remake is not. Not at all. It is funny though.

The last half the film is just crazy silly. The problem is that you have to get through the first half of the film. Which is remarkable only in how poorly it sets the mood. It tries for dread but only ends up with odd. There all sorts of choices made here that I do not understand. Shot choices, editing choices, script choices. Then Nic cage spends the night in a flooded crypt.

When he emerges, he puts on his crazy pants. And the film goes from odd to nutty.

I enjoyed the film, but not the way intended. I want to see the original, because I'm sure it will creep me out.

Like I mentioned above, there were a lot of questionable choices made in the making of The Wicker Man. But I do not question that the people involved made said choices for no reason. There was a plan, a purpose. It was just horribly misguided. I don't think the makers ofStreet Fighter: The Legend of Chun Lihad any sort of plan. The whole thing is just inept.

Laughable. There is nothing good about this film. Which is the only thing that is good about the film. The sets look like sets. The slums look like a nice outdoor market. The teeming mass of humanity that I'm sure they were aiming for look like a small crowd of extras. The actors look like kids playing dress up.

The whole thing comes across like a bad pilot for a crappy television series.

Just did a quick search over at IMDB. District 9 had the smallest budget by far. Just goes to show that passion and talent and attention to detail sometimes actually pay off.