Don't really know why but before its release this movie was kind of
giving me a bad vibe. I wasn't really looking forward to it and wasn't
expecting much good from it either. But there was no need for any that
though, as it later turned out. This simply is one enjoyable and also
rather good, old fashioned, adventure movie.
It's actually kind of refreshing to see a fairytale, that's actually
set in ancient times. Unlike most other recent genre attempts, this
movie doesn't feel the need to update or even urbanize its classic tale
and all of its characters. Sure it has plenty of additions to its story
but it's at least not done to update it for modern times, or to reach a
different sort of audience with it.
It still obviously remains a far from perfect movie though. In some
ways it still disappointing, such as most notably with its earlier
mentioned story. It's a bit of a shame that all of the additions don't
really add enough and the movie actually sort of feels overwritten. I
can understand why film-makers would feel the need to overcomplicated
things with its story and throw in a bunch of side-plots and multiple
different characters but I feel that in this case the movie truly would
had benefited from a more simplistic approach and story. A princess
goes missing in the land of the giants. A group of men brave goes after
her. The group of men battle the giants. The group of men rescue the
princess and go home...the end! Or well, that's how the story should
have been in my opinion. There really was no need to throw in all of
the power struggles, betrayal and war elements in my opinion, since it
only distracts from its main story and the core of it. It would have
felt right for the movie to have revolved around Jack and the giants
but above half way through it starts to become apparent that the movie
is trying to do way more than just that, which was all quite
unnecessary in my opinion. I was enjoying the movie good enough as it
was already and the story developments only took away some of the fun
of it.
Nevertheless, this remains one perfectly watchable and also enjoyable
adventure movie, with some of the classic genre ingredients in it.
There is plenty of action to enjoy and also plenty of fun with its
story and characters. All of the characters actually work out quite
well, even though some of them were still unnecessary for the movie in
my opinion.
Probably the foremost reason why most of the characters still work out
so well is because they are being played by some fine and likable
actors. I was especially fond of Ewan McGregor and Stanley Tucci in
this, maybe all the more so because they were playing some roles you
don't often see- or expect to, see them play.
It's also a good looking movie. I was kind of afraid that the CGI would
distract from the movie but the movie actually benefits well from its
visuals and computer effects. Still it's kind of disappointing and
ineffective to see a bunch of CG creatures battling a bunch of human
characters. I don't know, it's sort of killer for the tension, since
it's all obviously something fake that you are watching on the screen.
I kind of wish they would have used some more practical effects at
times, also to more 'humanize' all of the giant characters. Sure, they
are voiced by some great actors but they still really never come to
live as characters as well.
But even so, this movie was much better than expected and I also still
had plenty of fun with it as well, despite of all of my criticism
toward it.
A modern day fairy tale in which the long-standing peace between men and giants is threatened, as a young farmer leads an expedition into the giants' kingdom in hopes of rescuing a kidnapped princess. From: IMDb.com
Directed by: Bryan Singer
Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Stanley Tucci, Ewan McGregor and others
A modern day fairy tale in which the long-standing peace between men and giants is threatened, as a young farmer leads an expedition into the giants' kingdom in hopes of rescuing a kidnapped princess. From: IMDb.com
Directed by: Bryan Singer
Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Stanley Tucci, Ewan McGregor and others
(Review originally written at 15 August 2009) Well, this movie was a bit of a disappointment. It had all of the right ingredients in it needed to make a great and interesting movie with but yet it really wasn't one. It had Tom Cruise, Bryan Singer as director, a fascinating and a based on true events story but the movie just made some wrong choices in the process. The movie really isn't handling its story very well. Instead of telling the story honest and with respect it tells it spectacular and overblown. The movie is too Hollywood-like for its story and the real story and characters deserved a better treatment. But even so, the movie is trying to be Hollywood-like, it yet doesn't even fully succeed in this neither. The movie just isn't spectacular enough to watch for this. There aren't any big shoot-outs or a spectacular ending in which everything reaches a conclusion. There often is more talking than action, so I actually have no clue at which audiences they were aiming. Singer made the same mistake before with "Superman Returns". The movie also made a bad choice with its casting. Nothing wrong with Tom Cruise in his role, even though its also far from his most memorable one but casting some very British actors in some very German roles was simply a horrible choice. The accents did really bother and it was often quite laughable hearing a high placed German commander talking with a very thick British accent. Especially Hitler's voice really bothered me. Sure, the actor that played him (David Bamber) looked well enough like him but he sounded absolutely nothing like him at all. For all I cared they should had called in something to dub his voice but they didn't even bothered with it. It's a shame that most actors feel so out of place within this movie, since the movie does certainly feature some great actors in it, such as of course Tom Cruise but also Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Wilkinson, Terence Stamp and Thomas Kretschmann, among many others. It's of course a good looking movie and it's also put together professionally with its directing, editing, cinematography, music and such and it also certainly wasn't a cheap movie to make but this simply does not make the movie better or more interesting to watch. It just prevents it from being a total disaster to watch and gives the movie more than enough to still consider this simply a watchable one. 6/10 Watch trailer
OK Superman is back (and I'm glad he is)! But not with a blast.
It's a recent trend in superhero movies to give the story and its character a deeper meaning and more realistic emotions. Most recent example of this is of course "Batman Begins" and other examples are "Spider-Man" and "Hulk". "Superman Returns" also tries to put this in the movie. It however does not suit the main character and is not true to the spirit and atmosphere of the other original previous Superman movies. The movie takes itself far too serious with as a result that it isn't always a fun or entertaining one to watch. It tries to be more than just another superhero movie but it never knows to fully convince.
The movie in the beginning takes it time to explain the story for the viewers who haven't seen the '78 original and its sequel, on which this movie is a direct sequel again. I can't say that I think this was the right choice. The movie would had been better of if the action, so to speak, started off immediately and didn't wasted any time on re-introducing all of the characters. The movie does however still show lots of respect to the original, mainly with its use of music. The opening credits are done in the exact same style as the original and they also didn't changed a not with its music, which really was the right thing to do. Let's be honest, the opening credits of the original '78 "Superman" movie are perhaps the most spectacular and most awesome opening credits of all time, which is mainly thanks to the John Williams music. Director Bryan Singer and John Ottman also seemed to realize and understand this and they use the John Williams at the exact right moments in the movie. John Ottman, on his turn, also composed a wonderful and suiting musical score on his own, complete with a wonderful new Superman theme.
The movie feels like two separate stories. One story concentrates on Superman/Clark Kent and the other on his eternal villain Lex Luthor, who is out of prison again, due to the absence of Superman during his court hearing. The movie doesn't feel as a complete whole and it is not until when the two stories mix that the movie starts to take pace and become truly interesting to watch. This however happens too late into the movie to completely save it.
The movie still could had a great one, despite its plot, if it had been a more entertaining one. The movie is lacking in some real good action. Basically the biggest and most spectacular action sequence of the movie is already in the beginning (the plane sequence). After that the movie and its action slows down and the end of the movie could had really used a big and spectacular finale. Instead now the movie doesn't know how and when to end. The ending is overlong, over-dramatic and completely unnecessary. They could had basically summed things up in 5 minutes but the movie chooses an overlong sentimental ending instead.
Brandon Routh is perfectly cast as Superman and he also really looks like Christopher Reeve. As expected Kevin Spacey steals the show as Lex Luthor but his presence is perhaps not as spectacular or as memorable as Gene Hackman's. Kate Bosworth is really miscast as Lois Lane. Lois Lane should be a strong, independent woman with lots of life experience. With all respect but Kate Bosworth looks like a fragile teenager.
Visually the movie is great and spectacular. All of the special effects are top-class (Oscar nod, no doubt) and they provide the movie with its best moments.
I'm glad Superman is back on the silver screen but the the movie itself is nothing too remarkable. In the end it's a pretty forgettable, overlong movie, that is too simple, even while it tries to be so much more than just a superhero movie.
I don't mean to sound cruel but you're better of waiting for the DVD. It's not really a movie worth seeing in cinemas.
