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Yet again, I’m dragged to see a movie I didn’t want to see. However, my annoyance at certain actors should have nothing to do with my enjoyment of a movie.

The most striking part of the movie is its color scheme. Most of the costuming and scene dressings are in neutrals- check Mr. Pitt in a light cream shirt, beige sweater, and tan sport coat. The set design follows similar patterns, but it isn’t boring: I would call it vibrant neutrals, but that doesn’t quite capture my meaning. The movie is full of textural interest without being garishly colored.

This is all very beautiful and only fitting when two of the western world’s most visually stunning people are on one screen. The smooth bedside lamps and beautiful silk damask comforter create an almost tactile scene, but the two actors make the final addition to that beauty. The only flaw is when the costume changes are only for costume’s sake, such as matching suits for the two Smiths complete with eyewear. Their first scene in this garb looks more like a catwalk than armed maneuvers in combat.

Suspension of disbelief is a must for this film. Each situation is elaborately impossible; however, the film is not trying for realism or any heavy messages. As the plot unfolds, the physical surroundings deteriorate in a way that somehow reminds me of sexy, tousled hair.

The acting is very good, with Pitt in the type of role he used to eschew before Meet Joe Black. Many a heart fluttered with joy when he started to embrace his status. He adds his own quirks to the role, supplying a well-acted performance. Jolie is at her most beautiful; I know that an actor is perfect when I can’t visualize someone else in the role. To boot, Vince Vaughn’s comic relief is not overly slapstick and humiliating, and he delivers with heart and humor. Not too bad on the eyes either. Mmm mmm.

Of course, nearly the entire thing is implausible, but the movie is a fun little romp that is worth a look if you like action movies.

[rate 3.5]

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I keep mentioning actors I dislike, so let me start this review by mentioning one I like: Ewan McGregor. From the bizarre but powerful Trainspotting to the Bizarro but entertaining Moulin Rouge, he delivers powerful performances almost every time. Even with weaker scripts (read: Episode II), McGregor give the part everything he has.

Despite my misgivings from seeing trailers, I Netflixed the film. The trailers give away the “big secret??? that the wealthy of the future create clones of themselves. It’s tragic that they did so; all this film had going for it was suspense. Better films can be reminiscent of a Shakespearean play: give away the entire plot before the film begins, and see how a quality script- rich with dialogue and insight- unfolds. It’s no less of an impact than if the plot is not revealed.

The film is slick, but it doesn’t look like the future: it looks like a cool interior design for 2005. I usually love to marvel at the inventions of film: a screenwriter is not tied to budget or plausibility and is free to invent impossible technologies. I was nonplussed by The Island.
Of course, the lesson of the film is that Clones Are People Too and that we should Be Careful With Genetics. Um… who doesn’t already know this? I am worried that our ability with technology has outpaced our ability to handle the ethical problems, but who isn’t?

Scarlet Johanssen delivers as good of a performance as can an ingénue with a poor script. The saving grace of the film was that Ewan McGregor delivers, as usual, a magnificent performance.

If you want to see a vapid movie with no brain or heart, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

[rate 1.5]

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A note to the anti-science fiction crowd: please keep reading. It’s worth it.

This marks the third time I’ve seen this movie, and it most certainly is not the last time. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention why this movie was made.

While at GenCon this year, some of my cronies were watching scenes from a movie called Serenity, and buying books called Firefly to be autographed by Ron Glass. They were very excited about it, but I had never even heard of it.

Then my evil friend Oz lent me his DVDs of the Firefly series, a show that was cancelled midseason before some of the episodes ever aired. The network had poorly promoted it, then moved the time slot several times. Seriously, how did I not hear of this until it was off the air for two years? About halfway through the second show, I exclaimed, “why was this cancelled?!?” It is a question that has been asked by me- and by millions of others- countless times. Needless to say, as a geek and a lover of good dialogue, I was hooked. I won’t review the entire series here, but I recommend it highly to anyone who would like to watch it.

I had missed the special BrownCoats screening that was held a few months before the general release. As Joss Whedon says in his intro, this movie was a miracle. Failed TV shows aren’t made into major motion pictures. But the fan base that had built was so tenacious that the movie was made.

The movie had a shoestring budget of $40 million (that is low for a SciFi picture), but most of the effects are very good. The things that distinguish this film from most in its genre is that A) there are no aliens and B) there is a plot.

The movie doesn’t rely on elaborate alien beings (no JarJar here!) to be visually interesting, and the musical score is amazing. The first time we see the spaceship Serenity, the score has an amazing crescendo in keeping with the Wild West flavor of the television series. I had chills the first time I saw it- and this time too.

The world created is interesting- allow me to explain. No, takes too long, let me sum up: of the superpowers on earth, North American and Mandarin Chinese cultures have survived (with a bit of Indian flavor on the Registered Companions- the new Geishas). Both languages are spoken in the film, but Mandarin is reserved mostly for cursing, so don’t worry about needing new language skills. The ship is a “Firefly” class (hence the series name) and the specific vessel is Serenity (hence the title). Some of the more interesting background plot points are explained in the DVD’s deleted scenes.

Joss Whedon is clever, funny, and inventive with his script, creating a world of the future that seems plausible (no Tribbles here!) and interesting. Best of all, though the world itself is fascinating, the movie would carry just as well if it were set on present-day earth. The film isn’t leaning on its SciFi roots and settling for interesting concepts and fun special effects. The characters are each interesting (except for Inara, who tragically has so little screen time that unless you’ve seen the series, you’re out of luck. Go buy the TV series on DVD…but again, I digress).

This is worth at least one look by anyone who enjoys action movies with good dialogue (what a rarity!), and is worth multiple viewings by all of us nerds. For the supernerds, quoting the movie’s quasi-western-southern slang is necessary. For the UltraNerd: quote the Mandarin Chinese.

Don’t rent it. BUY IT!!!

[rate 5.0]

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The tagline “first loves last. Forever” and the title of this movie relegated it to- please accept my apologies- Chick Flick status in my book, and relegated this movie to the back of my DVD cabinet for four years. It was free with purchase of some software, though I can’t remember what. Then, my mother-in-law was in town, and it seemed like a good movie to watch with her, plus a friend had recommended it no more than a week ago.

The movie begins slowly through the mist, and I was uncomfortably edgy. I have been watching lots of action movies, Justice League cartoons, and grisly thrillers. It took me the entire opening sequence to become accustomed to the pacing. This pacing continues throughout the film. Even through the highest drama sequences, the pace is deliberate.

The opening sequence is of a fishing boat in the mist and the plot surrounds this incident. The creaking of the fishing boat, the flames of the lamp, and the sounds of the fog are repeated throughout the movie. Other than the forest, the whole movie seems to take place on a vessel, not dry land. The courtroom in particular mirrors the fishing vessel- right down to a scene where oil lamps are lighted. Visual quality of this film is incredible, and carries the Japanese tradition of deliberate visual art. However, this visual nature becomes very heavy-handed at times, such as a scene showing a cedar branch with water rushing over it on the floor. The shot lingers a little too long, saying “look at me! I’m visually symbolic!”

The plot was very interesting, and definitely kept me engaged. The characters are richly painted and their tribulations are real and relevant, both to the time of the film (WWII-era) and to current times. The plot does struggle under its own weight as it shows the Japanese-American war camps, but recovers nicely as Hatsue (Youki Kudoh) develops. The character development, visual flashbacks and themes, and general melancholy of the entire film are all reminiscent of The Sweet Hereafter (another tragic but excellent picture).

Finally, I enjoyed the film’s treatment of first young love. I can’t really say more than that without revealing more than I would like about the plot. This film appeals to a wide audience and should make it onto your Netflix list.

[rate 3.5]