Rodent's Reviews

Part Of Rodent's 5 Review Pixar Marathon

Review #120 (5th of 5): The Incredibles



In a world where Superheroes (known as "Supers") exist but have been barred from using their powers, the Parr family have been forced into living a relatively normal life in the city of Metroville, with their true identities hidden from the world outside.
The father, Bob, goes to work in a pretty dead-end job but dreams of using his powers once again.
When a certain turn of events unfold in front of him at work, he shows his powers and his temper and loses his job... but more unexpected adventure awaits around the corner that will bring him and his entire family of Supers out of retirement... to save the world one last time.


Once again, Pixar have hit every nail right on the head.
Tapping into the spat of Superhero movies of the 2000s, they've created a relatively seen-before set of characters and events, but it's the classic nature and nostalgic feel of the movie mixed with top writing that brings out the excitement.

There's also lashing of situation comedy and that famous Pixar 'world appropriate' humour throughout the movie. With it being the superhero genre, it gives the humour much more of an explosive and loud-fun element compared to other Pixar movies.

The screenplay and overall writing, including dialogue are also bang on the money.
It's very well pieced together... you actually feel as if you know who these characters are, even after barely 10 minutes of running time. The audience connection is tip top.

The filmmakers have also had the great idea of giving the movie an Avengers/Justice League feel with the main family too: All with differing powers and differing personalities, all having to band together to save the day.
It adds such a fresh feel to the proceedings and the action.

The Incredibles though is really about the exciting action scenes and showing of the various powers of our Heroes. It's by far and away Pixar's most exciting movie. With the wonderfully colourful animation and the CGI itself being remarkably well rendered, it gives the more pacey scenes much more depth.
It's also brilliantly put together in 'choreography' terms too.

Piecing all of those things together and getting the final product to be as good as this, really couldn't have been easy... but Pixar's team of Superheroes managed it really very well.


The voicecasting is also a work of genius.
Craig T Nelson as Bob Parr/'Mr Incredible'.
Holly Hunter as Helen Parr/'Elastigirl'.
Spencer Fox as Dashiell Parr/'Dash'.
Sarah Vowell as Violet Parr.
Samuel L Jackson makes a nice appearance as Frozone, Mr Incredible's best pal. His natural loud persona gives the role an extra depth of humour and he plays off Nelson brilliantly.
Jason Lee steals the show though as antagonist Syndrome (real name Buddy). He extremely inept but actually gives the audience the threat of danger needed to keep the story going.

All actors involved though, whether it's the action scenes, the humour or some of the more emotional dramatic scenes... manage to hit their marks every time.


All in all, not Pixar's best work, but it's certainly the most exciting and has little dramatic scenes thrown in for good measure too.
Combining elements from many different seen-before-ideas and turning up the heat, The Incredibles is the kind of movie that is perfect for getting the whole family together on a Saturday night. It's simply lots of fun.
My rating 97%

__________________

I love The Incredibles. It's my absolute favorite Pixar film to date. It's definitely Pixar's most entertaining film, and it's about superheroes, one of my favorite subjects ever. Well done once again, Rodent.

Cheers matey!
Out of the usual ones I could have done... namely the 3 Toy Story movies, I decided to go with my gut and go for the ones that maybe people aren't fed up of hearing about all the time...

... and have a mix of differing elements in each review like I said in my last post...
Original: A Bug's Life
Bad: Cars
Creative: Monsters Inc.
Beautiful: WALL-E
Exciting: The Incredibles

Hope I got what I was after though

Wall E is great. The only pixar i put above it is Finding Nemo for sure. And then I really like Ratatouille and Up

I would like to suggest the next 5........best picture winners!

Noooo! I'm tired... so very very tired.


5 reviews in the space of 17 hours.

I've got to say I've never quite gotten the appeal of The Incredibles. Not sure what it is exactly but it's just never done it for me the way most of Pixar's work does.

__________________

Maybe it's the more real settings of the genre?
Most Pixar stuff is ants, robots, rats, toys... basically things that shouldn't have personalities and it gives the other movies more of a fantasy edge.

Incredibles has a real world element with the human lead roles based in a human city etc. Maybe that takes away from the fantasy element?

Maybe that's why Brave is doing mostly okay in the critical department? There are real humans in it, even though it is a fantasy setting. Maybe people just wanna see a little more creativity from Pixar instead of relying on humans and...cars (seriously, Pixar, WHY?).

Just as a random question does anyone know if Pixar has another movie in the works after Brave?

They're doing a spinoff from Cars now too... imaginatively called Planes.

Jimbo And The Jetsets anyone?

They're working on a prequel to Monsters, Inc called Monsters University. It's basically supposed to be like how Sully and Mike meet up in college and become best friends.

Monsters University could be interesting... as long as they keep the comedy going. Monsters Inc. is certainly the funniest of all the movies.

Along with Monsters University they are also working on The Good Dinosaur which tells of a world where dinosaurs never became extinict. There are also two untitled films which are a few years off; one is centred around the Mexican Day of the Dead and the other is The Untitled Pixar Movie that Takes You Inside the Mind.

Little is known about it exceptthat's it an "inventive new film will take you to a place that everyone knows, but no one has ever seen: the world inside the human mind" and that it "takes place inside of a girl’s mind and it is about her emotions as characters, and that is unlike anything you’ve ever seen."

Review #121: Gladiator



Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, instead of allowing his son Commodus to take the throne when he dies, he is giving the position to a powerful Roman General called Maximus Decimus Meridius.
Upon learning of his father's 'treachery', Commodus murders his own father before word gets out that Maximus is to be the successor to the throne.
Commodus then takes the throne and orders the execution of Maximus and his family, but Maximus actually ends up in the hands of North African slave traders.
There, he is thrown into the harsh world of slavery and Gladiatorial combat...

... but Maximus' natural fighting prowess (through being a successful Army General) shine through and make a celebrity of him in the brutal circles of Gladiators and slaves, which will eventually lead him and his band of Gladiator Brothers to the Colosseum...

... for the ultimate battle of wits, skill and sharpened steel.


Ridley Scott's epic historical, even though several Historians were hired to aid in writing the movie, is far from accurate when telling the true events of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. Even many of the names included in the movie are also wrongly depicted throughout.
They have taken many elements of past inaccurate movies and books and added their own little twists and turns and have created the typical Hollywood flash and bang, awe inspiring popcorn flick.
It's very similar in accuracy as the other Ridley/Crowe collaberation, Robin Hood.
Gladiator however, is far better than Robin Hood, even though both contain the same mistakes and inaccuracies.

A lot of the changes to history are actually down to Scott saying that the truth is more weird and is actually less believeable than some of the liberties they took.


What Gladiator revels in though, is sheer scope of the story, breathtaking scenery and incredibly exciting battles.

The movie starts out with a bang, then goes relatively quiet and tells the story first, then does the usual screenplay thing of getting larger and larger in the action stakes as the movie progresses.
The story itself though, doesn't take a backseat to the action either. Instead, it adds more plotlines and a different depth to the storytelling and gives the viewer an incredibly strong connection to all of the characters seen throughout, including even the smaller supporting roles.

There's a number of CG shots contained throughout, especially in the third act of the film as the action and battles get larger. It also contains incredible detail for accuracy.
The Colosseum really is one of movie history's greatest scenes.


The acting is also some of the best you'll ever see in a movie of this type.
Russell Crowe as Maximus is obviously the standout role. The tortured hero made it to #6 in my Top 20 Heroes. Being honest, Crowe is probably at his best.
Joaquin Phoenix as Commodus is another top piece of acting. His spoilt brat and smarmy persona really shines through and makes a villain to really despise.
Djimon Hounsou makes a nice appearance as Juba, Maximus' new best pal.

Oliver Reed really makes the biggest impression though as Antonius Proximo, the owner of the Gladiators (including Maximus). In his final role (Reed died during production), he makes the viewer hate him, then love him, then adore him with his tales of his own past and the stories he tells of his own inner torment and even enlightenment. He's very good.

Support comes from Connie Nielsen, Ralph Moller, Tommy Flanagan, Derek Jacobi, David Schofield and the wonderful Richard Harris.


The overall action side of things though, as I said, is top drawer and the choreography is exceptionally good.
Most of it is live action with the odd backdrop of CGI and the whole lot is combined perfectly.
The last few battles are also very exciting too.


All in all, the best Roman Epic to be put to screen. Though seriously inaccurate, it's still very well written and exciting and the choreography is brilliant... and quite rightly, won 48 of the 119 Awards it was nominated for.
My rating 98%

Review #27: Batman Begins.

At first, I was extremely dubious about a reboot of the Batman franchise. After the debacle of Schumacher’s attempts I really thought the franchise in the movie world was dead and buried.

Christopher Nolan really has proved me wrong.

Batman Begins is literally that, how he becomes the Bat. Borrowing from the source material (the comics) and some of Burton’s Batman too, mixing in a few new things and an updated selection of Bat-Gadgets on the Utility-Belt, Batman Begins really hits the nail on the head on how to make a super-hero movie.

It revolves around Bruce Wayne’s parents being murdered and the subsequent slump of self-pity and depression he falls into over the following years.
After a soul-searching trek-of-the-world and studying various martial arts forms and getting into trouble with the law in various countries, he comes across an Illuminati who call themselves The League Of Shadows.
He’s trained in their forms of fighting and secrecy and eventually returns to Gotham City with the full intent of using his new found mentality and skills to strike fear into those who prey on the fearful.
Awaiting him though, are forces he cannot comprehend.

The movie is very well shot.
The Gothic feel of past Batman movies has been dropped slightly, it’s more brooding and moody than being Gothic.

The action feels a little held back but when it gets going, it really goes well. The filmmakers had the sense to make the action ‘just enough’ rather than going into the first movie with all guns blazing. It’s very cleverly put together.

The acting also is fantastic.
Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman is a brilliant choice. Some people say he’s a little too gruff when speaking his lines as Batman but I think he does the job well. He plays his naivety well at the beginning too. Bale took the physically demanding role so seriously, he bulked up his muscle mass too much and ended up having to actually lose some weight before they could fit the Bat-Suit.
Michael Caine as Wayne’s Butler, Alfred, is a perfect choice. He’s warm, funny, engaging and down to earth and is tough when needed. Alfred’s character this time round is more human too. He doesn’t beat around the bush when telling Bruce the truth. Caine is fantastic.
Gary Oldman as Detective Gordon is a marvel. He looks and acts like he’s jumped directly from the page of the comic book. Absolutely brilliant.

The only thing that lets the movie down is Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes (Bruce’s long time friend). She’s only on screen for a short time but you feel she’s just an add on, even when the character is placed in jeopardy. Holmes gives an apt performance, but Holmes herself just feels out of place.
As too is Cillian Murphy. Like Holmes, he plays the character well, you just feel as though another actor could have done it better.

The little cliff-hanger at the end between Batpants and Gordon really makes you yearn to watch the sequel.

All in all a near perfect starter for a super-hero franchise.
My rating 90%





Review #28: The Dark Knight.

This movie is the defining point of the franchise so far.

It’s based around The Joker and his unbending need for destruction. He’s been hired by the various mob bosses of Gotham to take out Batman. The Bat has basically destroyed their businesses and had most of their employees locked away.

The mob didn’t count on how incredibly dangerous and unhinged The Joker turns out to be. In the words of Alfred: "Some men just want to watch the world burn."

Again, the movie is shot perfectly, this time round they used IMAX cameras to give the screen a depth to it. It looks beautiful and detailed.

The broody feel of the first movie is still there, though it’s toned down slightly. The movie feels more open to the visual aspect of a real city.

The expansion of certain characters is worked on, especially Gordon. You see how he goes from being a standard cop to the 'Commissioner Gordon' we all know and love.
As too is Alfred, though it’s brief, there is a small insight to his background.
The writing is fantastically put together.

The Joker’s evil twist on literally pitting everyone against everyone is an absolute masterclass in how to write a real villain.

The way The Joker destroys Harvey Dent at a personal level is very well conceived.

As for the acting…
Star turns again from Bale, Oldman and Caine. Katie Holmes is replaced by Maggie Gyllenhaal, a wise move.
There’s a wonderful turn from Aaron Eckhart too, who acts both of his roles absolutely perfectly as ‘Gotham’s White Knight’ Harvey Dent.



Now, The Joker, played by the late Heath Ledger is something I was dubious about before I saw the movie.
Everyone was raving about his part in the movie and I couldn’t help but think, "It’s only because he died not long after making it". I was never a fan of Ledger or his movies, to be honest, I thought he was a mediocre actor at best.

After seeing the film, I hold my hands up now.

I was wrong.

Heath Ledger, who made it to #2 in my top 40 Villains, is by far the best thing in the movie.

Ledger spent a month in isolation in a hotel room with the script, just acting out the role before shooting even began.

You can tell too. He’s seriously uneasy to watch though at times he’s funny too.
The humour is more of a dark, black humour than the comic-book-Cesar Romero-Nicholson humour that we’re all used to.

Ledger’s portrayal of a hyperactive, giggling psychopath is almost primordial and is very disturbing. Especially his eyes and the little ‘ticks’ he occasionally shows.

As ledger, he’s completely unrecognisable. He is The Joker.



All in all, better than the first and even if Batman isn’t your thing, it’s worth watching for Ledger’s performance.
My rating 95%





Review #122: The Dark Knight Rises


Bruce Wayne, still suffering after the aftermath of TDK, has locked himself away from public eye for near a decade. He doesn't socialise, nor does he have a life.
His existence is based around regret and remorse and the inability to move on from the past.
When a new and more deadly enemy of Gotham surfaces, he is called into action by the people he respects more than anyone else... and in the process he hopes to gain closure on his Ghosts... and makes a few new allies as well.


The third and final Nolan Bat sees an incredibly detailed screenplay brought together with awesome action and an almost perfect story arc. Some scenes are hard to watch, it's the first real beating that the viewer sees the Bat take.


The movie does have faults, but not many. The main thing is that it's not exactly universal. If you haven't seen the first two... don't bother with this one until you have.

The other thing, is the overly used action shots in TDKR's trailers. The movie actually isn't an all out guns blazing blast-em-up from beginning to end. There are a number of plot setups and quieter scenes throughout that give the entire film and some wonderfully playful plot twists throughout... that give a completely different edge over it's predecessors.
Ignore the trailers, they give completely the wrong impression.


The filmmakers have actually managed the impossible task of finishing a movie series properly. There are some things within the storytelling that some viewers and Batfans won't like, but as you watch the film, you can't help but be swept up the the sheer excitment of witnessing the climax of Batman's story.

The ending is also extremely heart-pounding, it wraps up the trilogy perfectly and is brilliantly concieved.
My heart is still racing now, the movie ended about half an hour ago.

The action is based mainly around the third act and a little of the second act but it's very well put together. It edges more towrd the fantastical side of the Batman Comics but still has the brilliant real world flavour of the first two movies.
It's also highly exciting and very, very explosive.


Not much to say about the acting that hasn't been said in my other two reviews of Nolan's Bat.

Tom Hardy however, is fabulous as Bane. He's not just a piece of meat to give Batman a kicking. He's like a cross between a bulldozer and The Joker and Hardy is absolutely fantastic in the role. His voice is a little hard to get used to at first, but after he recites a few lines, you get used to it.


All in all... the finest end to a movie series I have yet to see. History has been made.
I even shed a few tears at the end through sheer joy, and the privilege of seeing the best Bat Series put to screen getting the ending it deserved.
My rating 98%

I strongly agree with your reviews of the TDKR. Tom Hardy did an amazing job as Bane.

Review #123: King Kong



Carl Denham, a failing movie director on the brink of losing his job and career, dupes a ship's crew and its Captain, a bunch of friends and a blonde waif called Ann Darrow into following him to a mysterious unexplored island to make what he thinks will be the biggest Blockbuster movie in history.
When they get there though, all they find is pain and death and a lost world of primitive humans and dinosaurs... and a giant gorilla called Kong.

Seeing it as a chance for fame, the group decide to capture Kong, and market him in America as the Eighth Wonder Of The World.


Peter Jackson's remake of the 1933 classic is basically that, a remake. It has many, many new things throughout and a few extra plot points for the main groupo of characters, new creatures, magnificent scenery and many respectful nods toward the 1933 original.

What makes Jackson's movie stand out from it's predecessor, are the effects and the action.
The whole movie is pretty much an engine for CGI capabilities. A lot of the time, the storytelling takes a back-seat for the CG action scenes, but still, when the story and plot are actually used, it adds a massive depth to the movie that isn't seen in any other CGI laden movie that is based on this scale.

Some of the action sequences are a bit OTT though, especially the Apatosaur Stampede sequence.
The classic showdown rumble between Kong and the Vastatosuarus Rex is edge of the seat stuff though.


The overall writing is also pretty good. You actually have a connection to the characters seen and especially to Kong and his relationship with Ann.
A lot of the emotional connection with the characters is made through little hits of humour and really great acting, especially from Naomi Watts as Ann Darrow.

Think of it as a well written exploitation film for CG Imagery, albeit with a budget... lots of nicely rounded characters being thrown into as many exciting action sequences as possible.
Some of the sequences are also quite disturbing too, especially if any of the viewers have phobias about creepy crawlies.


The CGI is also tip top. There's an element of cartooniness to it, and you get the impression that it's mostly green-screen apart from the odd prop or two.
Kong however is exceptionally well rendered.
As too are the other larger creatures seen on Skull Island. It's one of the few CG movies that makes me feel a bit nervous while watching these monsters do their thing.


Naomi Watts as Ann Darrow is about the best on show out of the humans. She's very good at the little-lost-girl thing and really holds the movie together when she's alone with Kong. Very well played.
Adrien Brody as Jack Driscoll is also good. Watt's love interest and a kind of 'hero' for Watts' damsel in distress.
Jack Black makes a really nice presence as Carl Denham though. He's not doing his zany comedy thing for once... he has a humour about him for sure, but Black is actually acting for a change.

Backing them up are Thomas Kretschmann, Jamie Bell, Evan Parke, Kyle Chandler and Andy Serkis as Lumpy The Chef.

Serkis also plays Kong... and he's exceptional. Serkis has become a bit of a stigma these days because he's the go to guy for Motion Capture... but in King Kong he's really very good. Not as good as he was in Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes, but his work with Kong gives the character such a brilliant personality... it makes the film.


The major problem with the movie, is that it doesn't translate to small screen very well. I saw it at the cinema at time of release and it's much better suited to a big screen.


All in all, occasional OTT action scenes, lashings of well rendered CGI, top acting, nicely written in terms of the extra plot devices.
May not reach the heights of 'Classic' like the original did, but still a movie that will live with the viewer for a while after watching.
My rating 87%

Review #124: Mortal Kombat



Chan Kang, brother of Liu Kang, is killed by a powerful sorceror called Shang Tsung while fighting for Earth's survival in an ancient fighting Tournament.
Seeing Chan's death in a dream, Liu Kang vows revenge and enters the Tournament, against the wishes of his uncle.
Tagging along are Sonia Blade, a head-strong and overly proud U.S Special Forces Officer who is also after revenge for the murder of her partner... and a stuck-up Hollywood martial arts actor called Johnny Cage, who has been branded as a fake by the press and is out to prove the world wrong about his fighting prowess.

What the three amigos aren't counting on though, is that the Tournament revolves around the end of our world if they fail to win... and all three of them will face certain death at the hands of their seemingly invincible opponents.

Under the guidance of a powerful Thunder God called Raiden, the trio set about to face their destinies, face their own fears and face their own destruction... in Mortal Kombat.



Paul WS Anderson's second movie brings audiences of the much loved videogame a taste of chop socky martial arts mixed with brilliantly choreographed fight scenes, a story that could have been written by a 5 year old... and really terrible acting.

The highly simplistic story manages to piece together the inevitable fight scenes between the various disparate characters and gives the audience exactly what they wanted... live action fights between their beloved videogame characters.

That's about it really as far as story goes, but what MK is all about is the fights.
They're loud, proud, sound effects have the bass turned up to 11 and they're extremely well choreographed.
Stunt actor Robin Shou, who plays Liu Kang, actually rated his own fights by 'breakability': Depending on how many bones he broke depends on whether he liked the way the fight went.
That's pretty much how the action is throughout. It's pretty hard hitting at times.

The movie contains a number of CG shots too, particularly with the powers that some of the characters possess and with the character called Reptile... they're well rendered but not perfect. Even back then, when CGI was relatively new, they impressed the audience but weren't raved about hugely.


Robin Shou as Liu Kang is ok, he's more there for the fight scenes though.
Christopher Lambert is seriously miscast as Lord Raiden. He does the job well, but just feels incredibly out of place.
Cary Hiroyuki Tagawa is the best on show as Shang Tsung. As always with Tagawa, he's professional and gives an apt performance in the fight scenes. He has an air of cheesiness about him, but it feels intentional with Tagawa. With the others, it's because they can't act.

Backing them up with lots of woodeness are Linden Ashby as Johnny Cage, Bridgette Wilson as Sonia Blade, the late Trevor Goddard as Kano and Talisa Soto as Princess Kitana.

The movie also contains a number of plotline references to the entire Mortal Kombat game series. The first film isn't based on the first game, it's more of a modge between the first and second games.
MK fans will notice, anyone else probably won't care though.


All in all, for a videogame-movie crossover, it's pretty good... certainly better than it's competition Street Fighter.
There's lots of action and the cheesy/wooden acting is kept short and sweet. The story and plot won't impress, but the awesome fight scenes and thumping soundtrack will certainly keep any martial arts fan and fan of the games, glued to the screen from start to end.
My rating 65%

"Get over here"