Weeks 37-40

Introduction

This entry we move right from the start of September on into October -- under three months of the year left!

As I mentioned last time, my 8-day trip to New York has brought about the first multi-week entry in almost two months; couple that with moving in to a new place and all the associated sorting, plus having almost two weeks' worth of TV to catch up on (and that taking up most of my viewing time), plus starting my final year at University, and this is a four-weeker! Actually, it's pretty much a one-weekender -- I didn't watch a new film until Thursday 4th!

And so, following that 'accidental' almost-four-week break, I'm finally getting on with moving past the aim of 100 and into the grounds of "let's see how far I can get". This entry I make it to... well, read on and see for yourself!


Weeks Thirty-Seven to Forty

It's an all-action extravaganza this entry, with no less than four films with a distinctly violent centre. But don't think it's all the same, oh no no -- between them they cover several continents, even more countries, and spread out from the ancient past to the distant (or, at least, alternate) future, via the present day of course. There are spears, swords, guns and fists causing pain left, right and centre... and a few more unusual objects too. If you thought "action movie" meant endless bullets and slow motion... well, it does tend to involve at least one of those... but still, have a look and see that there is room for some variety!

We begin with what will likely be the first in an on/off series I like to call "Films From This Year That I Missed At The Cinema And Am Finally Seeing When They Hit DVD"... with one that's technically from 2006. But it didn't arrive over here until March 2007, so, y'know, still counts...


101) 300 (2006, Zack Snyder, DVD) 4/5
Highly stylised (and praised) adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novel about the battle of Thermopylae. It's very much a Man's Film: long graphic battles, esteemed warrior values, mostly-naked women, heavy soundtrack... This doesn't mean it's without virtue: it looks stunning, and while the slow motion may be overused it creates some beautiful tableaus. There's even room for characterisation among the soldiers; these arcs may be familiar, but for once the filmmakers seem aware of that and keep such scenes to an appropriate, deftly handled minimum. The slight plot may be stretched a bit thin and the closing speech is sadly over-written, but 300 is nonetheless an enjoyable and surprisingly pretty minor epic.

102) Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (2005, Tetsuya Nomura, DVD) 3/5
For those who don't know, this isn't the seventh Final Fantasy film -- it's the second; though it's not a sequel to the first; though it is a sequel, to the game Final Fantasy VII (which isn't related to the preceding six). Just to be confusing, eh? Advent Children is far from standalone then, but with the help of a DVD featurette and some concentration it's possible to have an idea what's going on. It almost doesn't matter anyway: the main point is clearly the action, which is pretty spectacular; if you can bear the dense, plot-heavy first half (which does also contain several good sequences), the second is non-stop action, only occasionally marred by overactive camerawork. From a technical standpoint the CG is endlessly impressive (don't expect it to be lifelike, just extremely good) and the freedom afforded by the format is well used. I don't know how satisfying fans would find this (I'm sure they've all seen it by now anyway), but for us lay-people, if you can ignore the plot (or put in some effort to follow it) and enjoy impressively executed fights and chases, there's definite enjoyment to be had.

103) Transporter 2 (2005, Louis Leterrier, DVD) 3/5
Sequel to 2002's low-key, disposable but fun actioner. The plot is almost senseless and thoroughly familiar from the likes of Man on Fire or M:i-2, but that doesn't matter: the action's the focus, and on that promise it mostly delivers. In spite of the odd bit of CG-aided silliness, or the lack of anything as inspired as the first film's oil fight, the fights are still a lot of fun; one involving a fire hose is especially well executed. There's also a good number of amusing moments (both intentional and not, it must be said). It may not quite reach the first movie's simple highs, but there's still enough to like. More films in the series wouldn't go amiss.

104) Miracles (1989, Jackie Chan, DVD) 3/5
I've always been a bit wary of Chan's films: he's renowned for using comedy in his action (to help break away from the frequently-applied "new Bruce Lee" label), which isn't really to my taste; but after we were shown an impressive clip from this in a lecture I felt I had to give it a go. It's 1930s Hong Kong and Chan accidentally becomes the head of a mafia-like gang. The film follows a "gang war" plot for about 40 minutes before abruptly changing tack to become an identity-based farce! It's all a bit messy and most of the genuinely funny bits are still in Chan's excellent action sequences, which are mind-bogglingly impressive feats of acrobatics and choreography. Of course, it's these that we've come for, and the film would benefit from less pointless farcing about, a shorter running time, and more evenly distributed action sequences. Enjoyable, but flawed.