Jack The Giant Slayer

It is probably the most “in” thing these days in Hollywood.  A trend that started a year or so back.  The fairy tale with a modern twist.  A story of Snow White which has the seven dwarfs but it also has elements of thrill and fear woven into it.  Or as in this case, the story of Jack and the Beanstalk.

Snow White and the Huntsman

How many adaptations of Snow White in a single year. 2 already. Mirror Mirror and now Snow White and the Huntsman. And news is that Disney is already planning a re-mastered release of the original animation this year. Technically, Mirror Mirror released last year world over and came into this country a wee bit later. So I guess it is one adaptation a year. The good news though is that all of them have been really well made and distinctly different from the other. Not just for getting news bites which say, “We have a different take on Snow White” but a serious attempt at differentiation.

Snow White and the Huntsman, is my first experience with a version of the fairy tale which is distinctly action oriented and not soppy fairy tale types. It begins with the story of Ravenna (Charlize Theron) who is saved by the king and taken back home to be the queen. But little does the king know that he is adding to the list of Ravenna’s victims to date. Ravenna’s desire to stay young forever drives her to move from kingdom to kingdom and she uses her power and magic to suck the youth out of young girls at frequent intervals. She takes over from the king and jails his daughter Snow White.

Many years later, when Snow White turns 18 and the mirror has to inform Ravenna that she is not the fairest anymore, Ravenna sends her brother to get Snow White. However Snow White escapes into the Dark Forest where Ravenna’s powers are useless. So she sends a desperate huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) after her by promising him a life time of joy and happiness by bringing his wife back to life. And so the chase begins.

This time around, the emphasis on the dwarves is very minimal. Although we have the likes of Ian McShane and Bob Hoskins playing them, their part is restricted to less than 25% of the movie. There are other aspects such as the sinister nature of the Dark Forest and the village of women who have scarred themselves in an attempt to stay alive have been given a lot of screen time.

And that’s what makes this version very watchable to say the least. Add to these twists, a finale that has an amazing set of special effects. Actually made me wonder why this was never released in 3D in India. Would have been brilliant. Something that debutante director Rupert Sanders missed out on I guess. And surprisingly too. Because he had only Charlize Theron to play with in the cast – who was brilliant as Ravenna – but the rest of the lead cast with the insipid Kirstin Stewart and plastic Chris Hemsworth gave him nothing much to play with. As such, it didn’t matter because the movie was well made and entertaining for certain. 6 on 10 and worth a dekko I say.

Trailer on http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2494275609/

Sherlock Holmes – A Game of Shadows

We started last year (CY 2010) with the first Guy Ritchie version of Sherlock Holmes hitting the screens. I hadn’t started reviewing movies then but I can tell you it was a stunning version of Holmes. I have, am and will always be a huge Guy Ritchie fan. But most of us are used to seeing him in the Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels versions which he has achieved so much expertise over the years that there is no one that can build a sense of suspense and mystery along with acidic humour that has over the years become a trademark of Guy Ritchie. To me, it was a thought that would never have materialized in my wildest dreams. Guy Ritchie directing a Holmes movie??? But when you step back and take a look at the humour in Arthur Conan Doyle’s masterpieces, you figure out that this is probably up Guy Ritchie’s alley than anyone elses (no pun intended). Not only did he deliver the goods the first time around, he has set himself up for a genre of cinema which can be actually called “Holmes”
A Game of Shadows takes a look at one of the greatest rivalries that has ever existed in the fictional world. But Doyle’s build up and description of the rivalry is so superb that, someone who is not familiar with it could be easily taken for a ride. Some schools of thought do say that the rivalry was inspired from real life characters but it has remained an urban legend. We are talking about Sherlock Holmes v/s Prof. James Moriarty. A rivalry that closed with a “fist fight” of sorts at the scenic Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland. Moriarty is believed by most, and rightfully I must say, to be Sherlock’s alter ego. Quite certainly, there could be no one else who is as gifted with respect to the powers of deduction. And Ritchie has bought Moriarty to life brilliantly to say the least. Not to take away anything from Jared Harris who has done the role absolute justice to say the least.

This part also gets to life the character of Mycroft (Stephen Fry) of whom Mary Watson (Kelly Reilly) so dryly says, “There’s 2 of you is it”? And Stephen Fry is brilliant right from his first appearance during the movie with the simple nuances of Mycroft such as not shaking hands and then walking around naked in his house despite being a diplomat of significant repute.

The purist Sherlock fans may not like the Guy Ritchie version and believe that Jeremy Brett is the quintessential Holmes. I take nothing away from Brett who is in the record books for having played Holmes the most times. But give credit to Robert Downey Jr. who gets in his own charm with a nonchalance that is admirable to say the least. I loved the first part for sure and A Game of Shadows came upto the same level if not better. They could have gone easy on the slow motion sequences – some of which were definitely over the top. But the overall package is a mouth watering treat for a Friday evening. 7.5 on 10. Don’t miss it!!!!

Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1860541977/

Hancock

If ever there was an award ceremony for the world’s worst super hero movie then Hancock would be there somewhere in the top 5. For the life of me, I have not a clue as to why Hancock was never nominated for the Razzies in the year of release. In fact it was defended quite strongly by the razzies that the movie was actually not all that bad. I beg to differ with the Razzies on this count and retain my point of view. There is hardly a point of view that Peter Berg even attempts to make through the movie. I definitely give credit to Peter Berg for his versatility of acting and directing which very few people can claim to do. But just putting your name in the director’s slot does not a director make right? One has to pay careful attention to aspects that go beyond stating, “Lights, Camera, Action”. There are several elements of movie making that you would be best placed to identify and us amateur film critics would not be so sure about. But I would guess that the list would include, acting, editing, screenplay, dialogues, cinematography, script amongst the more important aspects and would then go on to the lesser ones. Dear Mr. Berg – with all due respect, I would guess you have missed out on almost every single aspect of film making and focused on just putting together 90 minutes of crap based on some really big names in the business of acting.

Well you weren’t all that ill placed Mr. Berg. Quite certainly there would have been enough and more in the world who loved the concept of a normal looking human being who is a super hero. So what if he is drunk out of its wits more often that not? And so what if he causes more damage to general property that most of the bad guys would have anyways caused? It is all supposed to be for the greater good right? Wrong as the people of the city say over a period of time. It is not possible to sustain this random destruction of property in the name of saving human lives and stopping crime. And therefore, Hancock (Will Smith) very quickly finds himself in jail doing some time. But not before he is backed up by a Public Relations expert called Ray (Jason Bateman) whose life is saved by Hancock (what is the probability of being stuck in front of a train at a manned level crossing and the train doesn’t stop but continues to run into you. Obviously there is no one who has flagged the train to a stop earlier). Together Ray and Hancock try to repair Hancock’s ruined image in the market.

The only saving grace about Hancock seems to be the ethereal presence of Charlize Theron. Sadly, it has nothing much to do with her acting prowess and only to do with her looks. But I am not complaining. I could look at her for the rest of my life. So 90 minutes seemed more like 90 seconds. Consistency errors are the hall mark of Hancock and as mentioned earlier, there are no aspects that are basic to movie making which are actually followed in the movie. It may be random fun but it is not a good movie by any stretch of imagination. 3 on 10 is my verdict.

Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2497904921/