Pacific Rim (2013)

This would make a good video game. As a matter of fact, this should have been a video game instead.

In the near future, specifically near 2013, an alien force emerging from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean attacked the Earth resulting in millions of people killed. These monsters are called Kaijus which literally translates as 'monsters' in Japanese. In an attempt to turn the tide against the invaders, the human race decided to settle all their differences and unite and build monstrous robots of their own called Jaegers, which is a German word for 'hunter'. The Jaegers prove effective but only during the first part of the war. The kaijus eventually learned how to properly combat the Jaegers and not only that, they have been appearing more often than usual to the disadvantage of the Jaegers. A former pilot of a Jaeger is called back to duty in hopes of finally ridding the world from the kaijus.

The concept for the film is definitely an interesting one. The idea of monsters coming from another dimension and using the bottom of the ocean as the gate to earth is new to me. What makes it more interesting is the reason why these monsters are invading earth in the first place. It makes you wonder who really are the rightful inhabitants of this planet. Guillermo del Toro and writer Travis Beacham made a great film in paper I presume but the final product was less than great but more than okay.

I'll start off with the good things in the movie.

As I have mentioned, the concept for this movie is really interesting. Other than that, the themes present are also worth praising. This is a great and exaggerated example that when humanity is losing against nature, then that will be the only time that everyone will be united for a cause. In this case, when we are on the brink of extinction against monsters who aim to colonize the earth, only then will we start cooperating with one another. This is further shown in the concept of having two people to pilot a Jeager instead of one because of neurological strain. One person would not be able to handle and control a Jaeger unless he/she has another person to share the strain with. Only then will controlling the robot be successful. The movie talks about trust, bond, and connection we have with one another. Sacrifice and love is also present but not entirely the romantic kind of love, rather, the love you give a person out of respect and admiration.

Being a sci-fi film, the success of the movie would also rely on the effectiveness of CGI and editing. Proud to say that the movie did not disappoint. I really love the design for both the Jaegers and the Kaijus. The Jaegers, or the robots, seem to have a character of their own. It's a given they have their own nationality depending on the country that built them but other than that, the way they move and fight in battle is very enticing and jaw-dropping. The pilots and the robot are synchronized and sometimes, you would even forget that there are human beings controlling it. The kaijus on the other hand are my favorite. Guillermo del Toro himself said he didn't want to make the monsters look post-modern. He wanted them to be different and unique. I like how each monster has a characteristic of their own and how each of them is inspired by an animal such as sharks and gorillas. The film is very pleasing to the eyes its grandeur would never go unnoticed. Of course, there were a few mishaps as well. One that really bugged me off is the fact that ajority of the fight between the Jaegers and the Kaijus are during the dark and when it's raining. I don't know if they really did it on purpose with the idea that monsters come out at night but it did not work with me. It made the kaijus more menacing in a way but you would not be able to fully appreciate its design unless they're well lighted. There were also instances where the scenes can be very messy and chaotic. But I guess you couldn't blame them since it's a monster and a robot fighting after all.

Since I started talking already about the bad parts, might as well continue.

One major disappointment in this film is it prioritized action over characterization. If you've been reading a few of my reviews before this, you would know how specific I am with the characterization. This is not the movie to watch when you're looking for character depth and development. Even in 3D, the characters are nothing but cardboard cut outs given lines and asked to deliver them. What really irks me off is the fact that it teases you at the early part of the film about the characters. It gives you hope that you would have that connection with the character but it leaves you hanging until the end. On the bright side, it has some memorable characters, but the bad news is that these memorable characters don't even have the lead roles. Charlie Day, Ron Perlman, and Burn Gorman who serves as the comic relief of the movie outshine the lead characters. 

The acting was mediocre. They're good at crying though but the deliveries of some lines were off and felt stiff. However, Idris Elba, who played the commanding officer, was really good. I wouldn't want him for a commanding officer if ever the world really came to this. He knows his character and he is able to act it well. He doesn't need to tell you who he is. You just know that he is the guy who you wouldn't want to mess with. 

Overall, the movie is great in terms of visual appeal and action sequences but fails miserably in the characterization department. The movie can be a bit draggy in some parts but it would eventually know how to wake you up when you end up dozing off.

Rating: 3/5

After Earth: Crash and Burn

After Earth is a movie than runs on a paper thin plot and with CGI animations that barely pass above average.

After Earth is a movie that takes place after the humans left the earth since it was deemed no longer fit for living. As the remaining of the human population venture into space, they find the planet suitable for existence and call it Nova Prime. The humans are not alone in the planet though. The humans find themselves against an alien species called the S'krell who wishes to conquer Nova Prime. The S'krell's secret weapons against the humans are beastly creatures called Ursas, blind and rabid creatures who hunt with the use of their sense of smell. They hunt by smelling their prey's fear and once they get hold of the scent, escape is almost inevitable. Enter the hero, General Cypher Raige (Will Smith) who was able to suppress his fear, a process called ghosting, which enabled him to save the world. His glory does not come free though since he loses his daughter to an Ursa after it attacked their home. A witness to his daughter's death is his son Kitai (Jaden Smith) whom his daughter chose to save and die for. Kitai, having witnessed her sister killed right before his very eyes is ridden with guilt and aims to be a Ranger like his father but fails to do so. Cypher is about to retire as a ranger and as he sets up for his last mission, his wife convinces him to take Kitai with him so they can bond like father and son. Aboard the ship, they encounter an asteroid shower which causes their ship to split into two and crash on the now evolved earth. With Cypher wounded,  his son must now go to the other half of the wrecked ship to retrieve the emergency beacon. Along the way, Kitai faces danger in the unfamiliar world and to make matters worse, the Ursa they carried on board the ship is set loose  and hunts down the remaining survivors.

This movie soared high but crashed and burned. Star Trek Into Darkness just came out less than a month ago and it definitely set the bar high for any upcoming sci-fi films to follow its lead. What After Earth lacked that Star Trek had was the grandeur of what a sci-fi film should look be. We expect to see futuristic gadgets, spacecrafts combined with an action pack adventure. After Earth was nothing more than just a boy running for his life in a jungle that was supposed to have evolved drastically but can be barely seen in the movie.

The story of After Earth was written by Will Smith after being inspired from a show he watched on tv about a father and son stuck on a mountain. Originally not a sci-fi, Smith thought it was a good idea to have the same concept in a movie set 1000 years into the future. Sadly this film might not even be remembered for the next five years, how much more a thousand. 

The entire movie is cold. From the story to the characters. It does not have an emotional attachment to its audience the way Avatar (James Cameron) or Star Trek has. From the beginning till the end, all we see is Jaden running for his life and fighting off animals. The characterization of Kitai and Cypher is poorly executed as well since it's not given much importance. A grave mistake such as this will only make the audience apathetic and distant. The story of your life can be playing right in front of you but you will wonder if it really is your life on the screen.

Don't get me started on the acting. Jaden's acting would not exactly be something to be proud of. I don't know what his father might think but I'm certainly not convinced. Such a pity considering the name his father made in the business. I cannot help myself from wincing every once in a while whenever Jaden has a big act to deliver. Nepotism really has its price. Will was the one who personally chose Jaden to act along side him. 

In terms of CGI animation, it was okay. More than satisfactory at most but not great. The newly evolved earth was promising but unexplored. It's actually fun thinking of what the earth will look like a thousand years from now and I'm sure that the writers of the script had fun thinking about it too.What I don't understand is by the time the movie is out, all I saw were bigger animals and moving plants. Lots of moments that you would actually forget that the story takes place on earth after a thousand years. A few effects were also a bit unrealistic. It was as if they were still under post-production.

Director M. Night Shyamalan is not doing well for his past few films. The Last Airbender was a complete failure and the only reason why I still watch his works are because of his previous films. The last film he made that was worth watching was probably the 2010 film 'Devil'. To be fair, After Earth can be considered as a good stepping stone. This was by far a bit...just a bit better than the others he made.

In conclusion, After Earth is a movie that fails to entertain. Cheap shocks, mediocre editing and poor characterizations is not really something to be proud of. To be clear, It wasn't a good movie but it wasn't all that bad. I've seen worst movies and After Earth can be the last on that list.


Rating: 1.5/5

The Host: "Agonizing"

Been a while since I blogged. Too long actually. I figured I'd do so since one of the film industry's brilliant minds has passed away, Roger Ebert. He's actually someone whose reviews I would often read to see if a film is worth watching. So this movie review is dedicated in his memory. Sadly, this movie is not worth anyone's remembrance.

Let me first share how reluctant I was in watching this film. But the thing about me is I always give movies the benefit of the doubt. I can only say it's good or bad only and only if I watched it myself. Soooo...

20 minutes into the film I wanted to walk out of the theater already. Yes it was that bad (in my opinion). Let me point out my complaints:

1. The novel to movie adaptation

The moment Melanie talked to herself, I was like "Wait, is this serious?" I haven't read the book, but the more I was watching the film, I was trying to see it as a novel. (to the point that I even googled it on my phone during the film) The taking-to-oneself MAY have worked for the novel but it does not work in the big screen. This is one book that should have never been made into a film in the first place.

2. Unrealistic

No, I'm not talking about the alien. I'm talking about those simple human actions and decisions that are so obviously scripted and would never happen in real life. Example, we have the alien-Melanie almost killed by some human guy and the next thing we know, she falls in love with him in the span of, I don't know, one or two days? Same goes for the human, as a matter of fact, he (human) even took the side of the alien against his own brother. Now some of you might be saying "It's fiction! Not a documentary". Well, if that's the way you think then maybe we can all just start making movies then.

3. Neither exciting or romantic

It was stale and boring. Maybe they wanted less action to focus on romance but the love story wasn't anything to be complimented either. I found it rather awkward.

It pains me writing this review so I'll stop here. What really irks me the most in this film is how unrealistic it is. Not to mention cliche. A "making-out-in-the-rain" flashback???? Really? It was silly. I felt like it was a comedy film but even as a comedy I probably wouldn't have laughed. I apologize to all the fans out there but I just didn't like it.

The moment alien-Melanie was given a new body, I walked out of the theater already. Figured it really didn't have anything else to give.

I actually like "The Host" (Gwoemul), a 2006 South Korean film, much better. 

Rating: .5/5