Fantastic Four (4/10): There is nothing fantastic about this.

"With every new discovery, there is risk, there is sacrifice... and there are consequences."

I was surprised that critics and audiences were ripping this film apart because in my mind there was no way the producers could go wrong with this young and talented cast, so I was prepared to enjoy and defend this movie. I had heard about the production problems, but something similar had happened with Ant-Man and that movie turned out to be surprisingly fun. At least the director, Josh Trank, had decided to stay on board for this film despite reports of disputes with his producers. His first feature film, Chronicle, was a very entertaining and unique low budget found-footage sci-fi movie, so I thought that with a bigger budget he could deliver an even better film. Evidently I was wrong because Fantastic Four is a gigantic mess. There were several concerns over the film being rushed so that Fox wouldn't lose the rights to the franchise and the movie definitely felt that way. I don’t know how much blame could be put on Trank, because it seems that the producers took control over the film, so before you discard him as a terrible director I’d recommend you to check out Chronicle. See that film instead of this comic adaptation reboot. I’d even go as far as saying that the 2005 version was better.  

Fantastic Four is basically an origin story that ends up being so long that by the time the villain shows up it feels more like a cameo than anything else. The final climax of the film is one of the worst I've seen in a superhero movie. I wouldn't mind this as much if the origin story would've been interesting, but none of these characters were engaging and the dialogue was quite terrible. Every one of them seemed to have daddy issues or some sort of cliche that characters in this genre usually have. Even Toby Kebbell who played Victor Domashev in this movie shared all the basic stereotypical traits foreshadowing who he would later become, Dr. Doom. Superhero films always tend to follow the same basic formula, but the successful ones manage to stand out for some unique quality, either benefitting from a great central performance, its funny upbeat light tone, or its spectacular action scenes. Fantastic Four uses the same formula, but doesn't do anything unique with it. There is no chemistry between the cast and the delivery of some of their lines are overly dramatic at times. There isn’t a single strong performance here, there is no comedy whatsoever, and the action scenes (or should I say scene?) are underwhelming (especially if you compare it to other action Summer films like Mission Impossible and Mad Max). Unfortunately the film is a huge mess because it fails at setting up interesting characters and later rushes the final climatic action scene, completely changing gears on the slow and drawn out pacing that the movie had during its long introduction.

The main character in this film is Reed Richards of course, so we follow him from childhood. He dreams of creating a device that can teleport people into an alternate place. In school he befriends a tough boy named Ben who becomes his assistant. Reed is a genius and working from his garage he comes up with an impressive mechanism in which he manages to teleport some objects, but in the process he leaves the entire town without electricity. Several years pass and now Reed (Miles Teller) and Ben (Jamie Bell) are in a High School science fair showing off their invention. Dr. Franklin Storm (Reg E. Cathey) and his daughter Sue (Kate Mara) are impressed with Reed so they offer him an opportunity to work with them in their advanced state of the art laboratory. Victor (Toby Kebbell) had been working on a very similar project, but had unsuccessfully been able to teleport the objects back so the two begin working together to make their dream a reality. Dr. Storm’s other son, Johnny (Michael B. Jordan) also joins the project and when they succeed at teleporting a group of chimps to an alternate universe they decide its time for them to take the trip as well. Of course something goes terribly wrong and they each go through a unique physical transformation. They will have to learn to deal with their new acquired abilities, which the military takes a keen interest in, but Reed is focused on fixing them instead.

Miles Teller had been on a roll with strong performances in films like Whiplash and The Spectacular Now. He was even great in his supporting role in Insurgent, a film I didn’t like. But here he simply didn’t have the charm to tackle this super hero. Perhaps the blame can be put on the screenwriters, but he couldn’t do anything to make Reed an interesting character (not prior to his transformation nor after). Michael B. Jordan’s career seemed to be taking off after his impressive performances in Chronicle and Fruitvale Station, but he wasn’t able to do much with the small role that was given to him here. Reg. E. Cathey was perhaps the weakest link thanks to his overly dramatic delivery of each line with his deeply serious voice. Toby Kebbell came in a close second, but I really do have to blame the screenwriters here for making his character such a cliche. Villains have always been a problem in super hero films and it couldn’t be more true than it is here. I’ve heard a couple defenses claiming that this is more of a sci-fi centering on human transformation (with comparisons to Cronenberg’s The Fly), but that couldn’t be further from the truth because when these heroes acquire their new abilities the film inexplicably leaps forward in time showing these characters already adapted to their transformation and coming to terms with it. All the psychological trauma is ignored in order to prepare for the final climactic action scene which was to put in nicely, underwhelming.       

My Review: Snowpiercer (8/10)

¨Know your place. Accept your place. Be a shoe.¨

I was pleasantly surprised at how well Korean director, Joon-ho Bong, made the transition to this his first English language film because the style and tone of the film still felt entirely Korean despite starring some well known Hollywood actors. I enjoyed this film so much that I ended up watching it twice and that is something I rarely do. Based on the French graphic novel, Le Transperceneige written by Jean-Marc Rochette, Snowpiercer is an ambitious dystopian sci-fi film that despite having a very absurd premise works really well thanks to Bong's direction. It has some great performances with memorable characters, several exciting action scenes mixed with bizarre comedic moments, and a thought provoking metaphor on classicism. It is a bleak film but Bong handled the material so well that it kept me engaged and interested. Unfortunately the film does suffer from a rather unconvincing final act, but for most of its running time I was so entertained that I wasn't too disappointed.

Snowpiercer takes place in 2031 after a failed global-warming experiment has frozen all of Earth and wiped out all life. The only survivors are the passengers of a super train travelling across the globe with a perpetual-motion engine. Designed by Wilford, an engineer who knew the experiment would fail, the train has been running for 17 straight years and a social class system has developed as the passengers of the rear end live in extremely poor conditions. Here we are introduced to a young man named Curtis (Chris Evans) who is trying to come up with a plan to get past all the security guards in order to reach the front section where Wilford is presumed to be. He isn't alone on this quest as most of the passengers are upset for the abuse they've suffered and the extreme poor conditions in which they are forced to live in. A wise old man named Gilliam (John Hurt) who helped Wilford design the engine, has been helping Curtis rally the men together. Curtis's good friend, Edgar (Jamie Bell), is also awaiting the moment to begin their revolution as things begin to get worse once the guards take a few kids away from them. Tanya (Octavia Spencer) and Andrew (Ewen Bremner) are among the victims whose children have been taken away from them so they are also eager to attack. The first step of the plan involves freeing Namgoong (Song Kang-ho), a prisoner who has a special gift for unlocking the doors to each section, but the task won't be easy as the guards will do what it takes to make sure they stay at the rear section of the train.

Bong has directed several successful Korean films like The Host and Memories of a Murder, and in his first English language film his style remains untouched. Despite having some scenes that borderline in the ridiculous he somehow manages to balance those moments really well. For example there is this huge action scene that he has set up between the rebels and the guards who are awaiting them with axes. The bloody and violent confrontation begins, only to be interrupted as the train is approaching a bridge which serves as a landmark for the New Year. The fighting stops for a few seconds as everyone begins the countdown and admires the view of the outside world from inside the train, then the violence and mayhem continue. There are several moments like this where Bong perfectly balances these gorgeously crafted choreographed scenes with moments of quirky comedy and twisted sense of humor. The best example of this type of humor comes from the two characters played by Tilda Swinton (who is unrecognizable in this film) and Alison Pill who are terrific and steal the few scenes they are in. I really loved that classroom scene that felt completely out of place with the dark tail section of the train. I think it was those goofy moments that I enjoyed the most in this film. It was a great sensory experience to get to follow these characters through each section of the train and I have to give Bong credit for his visionary style because as our heroes progress to the front of the train things begin to get more and more bizarre and you never know what to expect. The film is short of being a masterpiece because the final 30 minutes are disappointing, but as a social satire Snowpiercer worked better than other recent sci-fi films like Elysium. It is a very weird and strange film, but it is really good and I enjoyed it even more on my second viewing.

My Review: Man on a Ledge (6/10)

¨Today is the day when everything changes. One way or another. ¨

Man on a Ledge is the latest thriller starring Sam Worthington who has made a name for himself in several blockbuster action films like Terminator Salvation, Avatar, and Wrath of the Titans. These films have been box office hits, but he still hasn`t managed to make it among the A-list actors in my opinion. This was a lower budget film and it had its flaws, but it was still an interesting and entertaining thriller. Sam actually chose this role because he liked the script and wanted to face his fear of heights since most of the film takes place on the ledge of a 200 foot building. This is Asger Leth`s first feature film, since he previously had only directed a documentary, and Pablo Fenjves wrote this original script which is actually his first screenplay as well since his previous work had been for television movies. I was surprised these guys got so many talented actors on board for this film, but I guess Sam`s presence helped. The script is interesting and it has some good thrills, but there are several plot holes in the heist that takes place, and many elements seemed borrowed from other famous thrillers we`ve seen before. Man on a Ledge lacks some originality, but the film still manages to entertain for most part. There is an interesting secondary cast and Worthington does a decent job as the lead although he doesn’t have much space to work with. Be warned this film could give you some goose bumps if you`re afraid of heights.

The film opens with a man renting a Hotel room under a fake name and then writing a suicide note before he opens the window and climbs to the ledge of the 200 foot building in Manhattan. Someone spots him from the street and calls the police. Soon the police arrive, and so do the firefighters and SWAT team. There is a flashback where we see the same man in prison. His real name is Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington) and he is talking to one of his visitors, his ex partner in the police force, Mike (Anthony Mackie) who is telling him that the case seems lost and he will have to spend 25 more years in prison. Nick claims to be innocent and escapes from prison when he is allowed to attend his father`s funeral. He has a discussion with his younger brother Joey (Jamie Bell) and when the police officers are distracted he escapes. This is what takes us to the present event, but now Nick is on the ledge of the building and asks for a high profile negotiator named Lydia Mercer (Elizabeth Banks). As the movie goes on we begin to discover new things about Nick and his case. There is more to the simple suicide attempt than meets the eye; Nick is really trying to clear his name and prove his innocence while a heist is going on across another building.

Genesis Rodriguez, Edward Burns, Kyra Sedgwick, and Ed Harris are also among the talented cast. Rodriguez and Bell sort of have the funnier and lighter dialogues although I didn’t think it worked out really well. The film works thanks to a good performance from Worthington who always has you feeling like if you were on the ledge with him. Banks is also good in her role, while the rest of the cast really have no screen time. The heist scene is very interesting at first, but it begins to have too many plot holes and too many things have to go their way in order for it to really work. It wasn`t very believable, but it still was entertaining and had me at the edge of my seat at times. I really didn’t like how the end of the movie played out, but I can`t judge the film entirely based on the ending. I have to admit I had a good time during most of the movie so I can`t say this was a bad movie. If you are into thrillers then you will probably like this film. Man on a Ledge isn’t memorable or original, but it entertains and has some strong moments.

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My Review: The Eagle (4/10)

¨How can a piece of metal mean so much to you? -The eagle is not a piece of metal. The eagle is Rome.¨

The Eagle is based on a historical novel written by Rosemary Sutcliff called The Eagle of the Ninth (1954). It`s a fiction adventure novel, but it is based on some true facts (The Ninth Legion really did disappear around the 2<sup>nd</sup> Century and the Wall of Hadrian was built to protect the Romans from the Scottish tribes). Director Kevin Macdonald brings this novel to the big screen, and in my opinion it is one of his weakest films to date. I really enjoyed his previous two films: State of Play and The Last King of Scotland, but this one really disappointed me with its slow pace and lack of a good leading performance. One of the main issues in my opinion is that in his previous movies Macdonald got the casting right, but in The Eagle he was lacking that charismatic lead performance that say Forrest Whitaker gave in The Last King of Scotland. Jeremy Brock, who also worked with Macdonald in the past, adapted the screenplay for The Eagle and since I never read The Eagle of the Ninth I can`t say how faithful this film is to the novel. My main critique of The Eagle relies on the fact that I never really connected with the movie; the pace was really slow and I was waiting for the film to pick up at some point, but it never really did until the very end and by that time I wanted the movie to be over. I kept on dozing off while watching this film and was hugely disappointed with the pace. I wanted the film to end right after I had seen the first 15 minutes.

The story takes place around 140 AD when Britain was being ruled by the Roman Empire. It`s been twenty years since the Ninth Legion has disappeared in the Scottish highlands and lost the Golden Eagle, which was an emblem of honor for Rome. The loss of the emblem has been a disgrace for the Roman Empire. As a result of the defeat they had to build the Hadrian Wall in order to keep the barbarian tribes away. Now a young centurion named Marcus Aquila (Channing Tatum) has been sent to one of the lasts forts in Britain. He happens to be the son of the defeated Commander of the Ninth Legion, and dreams of someday restoring his father`s name. In order to do so, he will need to head north past the walls and into the uncharted highlands. The Romans are scared of passing the walls because they know these savages are dangerous. After experiencing an injury in battle and retreating to his uncle´s villa, Marcus is convinced he has to try to bring the Eagle back to the Romans. His Uncle Aquila (Donald Sutherland) tries to convince him not to, but Marcus is decided to take the risk. His only companion is a Briton slave who he has just saved named Esca (Jamie Bell). Esca despises the Romans, but he owes his life to Marcus and is forever indebted to him as his slave. Esca is Marcus`s only hope because he knows the world outside of the walls and can communicate with some of the tribes. Together they set out on an impossible mission to retrieve the golden Eagle and restore his father`s honor.

The story is actually pretty interesting, but I actually failed to connect with the characters in the movie. The pace is really slow and the performance from the cast was just average. I don’t think this was the right role for Tatum; at least I didn’t see him as a Roman centurion. The savages were also a bit over characterized. Mark Strong plays a villain once again and he is pretty convincing as Guern, one of the leaders of a savage tribe. The scenery is really beautiful, but as I said before I kept on dozing off due to the pace and lack of action. The chemistry between the two lead characters was ok, but I felt there could have been more done with their relationship. These two guys come from totally different backgrounds, they have opposing views of the world, but somehow they manage to get over their differences and we see how these two men who should be enemies end up becoming friends. Jamie Bell was pretty convincing in his portrayal of the Briton slave. He`s come a long way from his Billy Elliot days. There is not much more I can say about this movie, it just drags for long periods of times. The action scenes are well choreographed, but they are too few and far spread apart. It is more of a road trip between two different individuals who come together along the journey. The problem is that it`s a journey I wouldn’t want to be taking again.

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