JayDee's Movie Musings

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JSA was okay. I have the DVD. Election was really good. There's another Election too, Triad Election.
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#31 on SC's Top 100 Mofos list!!



Miss Vicky's Loyal and Willing Slave
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mirror

Year of release
2002

Directed by
Peter Jackson

Written by
Peter Jackson (script)
Fran Walsh (script)
Philippa Boyens (script)
J.R.R. Tolkien (novel)

Starring
Andy Serkis
Orlando Bloom
Bernard Hill
John Rhys-Davies
Dominic Monaghan

The Two Towers


Plot – The fellowship lies divided. Sam and Frodo continue to edge closer to Mordor, and are joined along the way by a creature by the name of Gollum. Formerly no more than a normal hobbit-like being he fell under the spell of the One Ring long ago, and has been corrupted by its power ever since. While he agrees to lead the hobbits to Mount Doom his ulterior motive is always to snatch the ring for himself. Meanwhile, the battling trio of Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn are on the hunt for their kidnapped comrades, Merry and Pippin, but find themselves drawn into a battle at Helm's Deep, as they stand alongside the men of Rohan against the immense might of Saruman's army.

And now we come to the black sheep of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Though to be fair, can you really call a film that garnered six Academy Award nominations, generated a score of 8.7 on imdb to rank as the #21 film of all time and is the owner of a 96% freshness rating on rottentomatoes, the black sheep of anything? In general however it does appear to be the least loved of the series, and while I still think it's an absolute piece of cinematic brilliance I can understand why this feeling exists. While Fellowship was perhaps the most entertaining and adventurous of the trilogy, packed with the fun of meeting all the characters; and Return of the King the most epic, this is the film that has the unenviable prospect of moving all the pieces into place for the finale. The Two Towers does however have one or two tricks up its sleeve, the battle at Helm's Deep for instance (but more on that later). The absolute ace that this instalment has to play however is in the character of Gollum

Gollum has to rank up there amongst my favourite ever film characters, brought to life through a combination of incredible CGI and a performance from Andy Serkis that is arguably even more incredible. Gollum is an absolutely wonderful creation that succeeds both as a digital accomplishment and as a character. He's such a pitiful, wretched creature; and yet one I couldn't help but have a certain degree of sympathy for. The man he once was, Smeagol, was not evil, he has just been corrupted and poisoned by the ring. With his duelling personalities constantly in a battle for control, Gollum is like someone with the mind of a psycho, but the temperament of a child prone to hissy fits and tantrums. I have to say I also found him to be terrifically funny at times with his childish antics and constant insults towards Sam - “Stupid, fat hobbit!” And then of course there is one of the trilogy's standout scenes; the schizophrenic conversation that occurs between Gollum and Smeagol as they wrestle for control. It is a terrific slice of acting from Serkis as he just brings both vastly contrasting sides of the character vividly to the fore, and it's perfectly filmed by Jackson. It's such a simple techniques he employs, alternating the angle and location of the camera very slightly, but it just works an absolute treat. I remember at the time of the film's release there was quite a bit of discussion about whether Andy Serkis should be nominated for an Oscar, whether a CGI character should really be taken into consideration. I am definitely of the belief that he should have been nominated. Yes it may not be his face up on that screen but it is Serkis that truly creates that character with a wonderful performance. A performance of ticks, coughs, splutters, Tourette's-like outbursts and great chemistry with Sam and Frodo.

While Gollum may be the star addition, a number of his fellow newcomers also fit nicely into the large Middle Earth jigsaw and contribute strongly to the overall piece. Karl Urban delivers a strong warrior in Eomer, while Miranda Otto is lovely as Eowyn, creating a chacter of great strength and grace. On the other side of the good/evil divide the excellent Brad Douriff (an actor I've always liked) is a perfect fit for the slimy Grima Wormtongue. The other performance from a newcomer that really drew me in was Bernard Hill's turn as Theoden, the King of Rohan. Once he is awoken from his magic-induced slumber by Gandalf, Theoden just grows and grows into a tower of strength for Rohan. The character is also graced with quite a bit of depth, and Hill seems to relish tapping into it. After the torment he had been put through by Saruman I'm sure he would love nothing more than to ride out and smash the heads of an orc or two, but he feels the weight of the obligation to his people and must do what he feels is best for them. While Gandalf the White is a more non-nonsense proposition than his Grey counterpart and perhaps not as eccentric or likeable, the wonderful Sir Ian McKellen is still a joy to watch. We are also given the chance to spend a little bit more time in the company of the orcs, but they most certainly do not validate the old saying of the heart growing fonder with time; they're are still foul, disgusting beasts!

The other truly notable and memorable addition alongside Gollum however would have to be Treebeard and his fellow Ents. Now I can see why the Ents wouldn't be the most popular of creations on screen; they are after all walking, talking trees! And while I will admit they are a rather silly and goofy concoction, I still like them. I find their goofiness rather charming, and the frustration they generate in others amusing. I also really love the herky-jerky movement they have been imbued with, it gives them a bit of a classic stop motion vibe which just adds to the charm.

I know that one of the very few complaints some die-hard Tolkien fans had over the big screen translation was over the depiction of Gimli, feeling that he was relegated to a bit of a fool just for comic relief. I've never seen this as a problem however. Yes he does provide some very welcome comic relief throughout this film, and the series as a whole, but the character is still given the chance to prove his heroism when he displays the qualities of a brave warrior in battle. And I think the humour generated from the character really helps make Gimli a likeable presence. Without it he would likely just have been a gruff weapon of destruction. The humour adds another little dimension on to him. As a result he was a character I really came to care for. I particularly enjoyed his friendship and good natured rivalry with Orlando Bloom's Legolas.

The one area where I would perhaps give TTT the edge over its two stable mates is in character development. Fellowship introduced us to the characters, this then moulds them into the characters that will feature in RotK. The vital transition of Aragorn from reluctant outsider to the heroic king in waiting really kicks into gear, with Viggo Mortensen truly beginning to shine here; an excellent package of courage and charisma. His love for Arwen also begins to come to the fore. The friendship between Sam and Frodo really comes into focus with Sam beginning to show his great strength, and the previously cheerful Frodo begins to feel the immense strain of the ring around his neck. While their fellow hobbits, Merry and Pippin, begin the journey from bumbling clowns to individuals of steely determination and bravery. The film is able to achieve this despite the fact the film is not as focused or tight as previously. In The Fellowship we had one large group encompassing all of our characters; here the fellowship have been split into three separate groups and storylines, with the film cross cutting back and forth between the narratives. The fact it all remains so fluid is a credit to Jackson, and his ability to juggle the disparate strands into a cohesive and satisfying journey.

And then of course there is the remarkable battle at Helm's Deep. Unfolding on a scale that had rarely been seen before, or indeed since, it was arguably the main talking point that people came away with at the time. From the brilliant scene where Saruman unveils his immense army to Grima and the audience you just get the feeling you're about to see something astonishing. And lasting some 40 or so minutes it is a roaring success in terms of its scope and sheer epicness. And it's not just all about the hacking and slashing; featuring thousands of characters on screen at any given time there is just such incredible depth there in terms of the design and the pure construction of it all. So much is going on all over the screen, so many little details, that you dare not look away for even the briefest of moments. While they may not be new or revolutionary tactics, the darkness that shrouds the mountain valley and the torrential rain that pounds the corpse-strewn field just creates such an atmospheric and ominous setting for the battle to unfold. It's a tremendously constructed battle, one that really tells a story instead of just being loud and bombastic. Jackson weaves the story perfectly, toing and froing back and forth, constantly keeping us on our toes as to the direction the battle will take. One moment our heroes will have the edge and then something happens to turn the tide in favour of the orcs. Then when all seems loss for the men of Rohan a ray of hope will place them back in the ascendancy. It's a tremendous mix of action and drama, with the odd touch of humour thrown in for good measure; it's like a little film in its own right. Truly one of the most exceptional examples of war even presented on screen. Oh and Legolas uses a shild as a surfboard; how awesome is that?!

Conclusion – While it may be my least favourite of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Two Towers is still a wonderful piece of epic fantasy in its own right. Incredible action, strong character work and the arrival of Gollum ensure this is still an absolutey first class film from Jackson.




You recommanded Chaser to me and I watched it. It's good, but Memories of Murder ***** all over it.
Yeah, but you've got a serious hard on for that film. I prefered The Chaser.
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5-time MoFo Award winner.



Zodiac is definitely better than Memories of Murder. But both have set the bar so high in their field that most other serial killer movies just can't match up. Of course, there's also Vengeance Is Mine (1979), a film that I plan to catch soon.



Miss Vicky's Loyal and Willing Slave
Zodiac is definitely better than Memories of Murder.
Oh yeah forgot to say that when I was comparing them. While I wouldn't say I absolutely loved either I'd definitely give Zodiac the edge.

If you're on a Korean kick, may I recommend the two best Korean films I've seen. Brotherhood (Taegukgi hwinalrimyeo) and The Chaser.

I've heard good things about Election (Hak se wui), Attack The Gas Station! and JSA: Joint Security Area , all of which I have, but have yet to see.
Wow we're kindred spirits HK. I've also got Chaser, Brotherhood, Attack the Gas Station and JSA but never watched them as of yet. Also taped Election a while back but not watched.

Need to get back to my world cinema season, or indeed any films. Not watched any for a couple of weeks now.



Miss Vicky's Loyal and Willing Slave
mirror
mirror

Year of release
2003

Directed by
Peter Jackson

Written by
Peter Jackson (script)
Fran Walsh (script)
Philippa Boyens (script)
J.R.R. Tolkien (novel)

Starring
Billy Boyd
Miranda Otto
John Noble
Karl Urban
Liv Tyler

The Return of the King


Plot – The battle for Middle Earth comes to its conclusion. Frodo and Sam close in on Mount Doom with the ring, but they still have Gollum in tow and he has plans for separating the friends, and then separating Frodo from the ring. The remaining members of the fellowship are preparing for the battle of their lives on the Pelennor Fields. Merry has joined Eowyn in the Rohirrim, Pippin and Gandalf are part of the force protecting Minas Tirith, while the trio of Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas have travelled into the Paths of the Dead in aid of some unusual back-up in the form of an army of ghosts.

And now here we are at the end of all things.

It's a funny thing revisiting the films. As much as I love going back to watch them again, by the time Return of the King comes to a close I am left with a real sense of sadness and melancholy. I just love visiting this world so much that when it comes to an end it's an experience tinged with somber tone. I remember especially feeling that way the first time I saw it at the cinema. After two years of waiting, while I was absolutely desperate to see it, by the time I actually did I kind of wished I could get the anticipation back. It was a real shame that it was over. Just as it was now. Oh well, until next time Frodo and the gang. Before then however, onto my long ass ramblings!

More than anything this entry in the series really highlights the immense strength of the hobbits. Merry and Pippin complete their transformation from bumbling eejits of comic relief, to noble heroes possessing a courage that far outweighs their small frame. Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan are both of fine form here to portray this evolution. I also adore the little moment where Pippin sings “Edge of Night” for Denethor; mournful and heart-wrenching it's a beautiful scene. And then of course there is touching and legendary friendship between Sam and Frodo. Their scenes with Gollum continue to be amongst the most entertaining the films have to offer. I love how his rivalry with Sam continues to develop, and the way in which he plays the hobbits off against each other. With Gollum in his head, and the ring poisoning his soul Frodo's descent into darkness continues. But Sam will never give up on him, and as a result Frodo is able to return to the character we know and love. The strength of both men as they get closer and closer to Mount Doom is extraordinary, and who couldn't help but feel like cheering at the moment where Sam picks up an exhausted Frodo and carries him the final steps.

When it came to the performers I received a little added treat this time round which I had never received before. As I mentioned in my Fellowship... review it has been a few years since I revisited the trilogy, and at that time I had never seen the TV show Fringe. Now that I have watched five seasons of it (well four and a half), it was a great little bonus to see John Noble – Dr Walter Bishop in Fringe, and here as Denethor. And he provides a terrific performance as the selfish, demented Steward of Gondor. A lot of characters display the strength of man, Denethor is one of those who highlights man's weakness. I've got to say I had forgotten how awesome Miranda Otto's Eowyn was. When I think about the characters from the series those that usually come to mind are the members of the fellowship and Gollum. However she is fantastic; a character of great strength and bravery, but also of grace and beauty. And I love her friendship with Merry and the moments they share. She's just such a lovely character, I felt myself kind of falling in love with her this time round. And all of the series' old timers (McKellen, Mortensen, Astin, Wood etc) continue to uphold the high quality of performances that had been on show in both Fellowship... and The Two Towers. Just so many of the people seemed perfectly cast. And Andy Serkis is still an absolute treat as Gollum. It's wonderful to see his actual face as we are given the chance to see Smeagol and the normal being that he was before the ring entered his life and he was transformed into the creature that is Gollum. The voice Serkis imbues Gollum with is tremendous. And surprisingly infectious. Perhaps it's just me but I find myself occasionally talking like Gollum after I've watched the films!

While on the technical side of things the high standard that had been set in the previous two efforts is most certainly held up. Jackson's direction is still excellent, his inclination towards sweeping camera work is just a perfect fit for this kind of epic venture. Howard Shore's wonderful score continues to delight and move me, while the CGI continues to astonish.

Just as with The Two Towers the film features a truly staggering battle between the forces of good and evil. This time the setting is the Pelennor Fields, and while it may lack the moody atmosphere of the battle at Helm's Deep, it most certainly makes up for it with its sheer scale. Right from the moment where the armies begin to gather on the field the atmosphere begins to build and even for the Lord of the Rings films the scope is amazing. The battle features all manner of creatures and devices of war; from dragons to immense towers full of orcs, oliphaunts to trebuchets, a marauding army of ghosts to the evil Witch King himself. As with the battle at Helm's Deep the momentum sways back and forth between the duelling sides, and features a number of great sequences such as Gandalf taking charge and laying a serious smackdown on his foes, or Eowyn and Merry joining forces to take down the Witch King. Oh and I love the moment where the cavalry arrives in the form of the Rohirrim led by Theoden. Bathed in the golden light of the sun, Theoden delivers a rousing speech and backed by a wonderfully heroic piece of Howard Shore's score (which has a very celtic vibe to it) leads his men into battle as they mow down all the orcs who stand before them. It's just such a stirring moment that makes me want to stand up and cheer everytime I see it. The whole thing takes place outside the white city of Minas Tirith, another remarkably realised addition to this world. It's a regal and spectacular piece of architecture.

There's a great sequence which allows Peter Jackson to tap in to his horror roots more than any other moment in the trilogy. With Gollum having driven a wedge between the bond of Frodo and Sam, the wretched creature then lures Frodo into a trap. Leading the ringbearer to a series of dark, dank caves Gollum abandons Frodo to his fate. A gigantic spider begins to stalk little Frodo through the nightmarishly creepy caves, the walls thick with webbing. Shelob herslf is a truly foul and disgusting creature, really makes the skin crawl. Another vaguely horror-ish sequence occurs when the trio of Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas come to face to face with the army of the dead and find themselves caught up in an avalanche of skulls. The army of ghosts that Aragorn recruits also bear a strong similarity in appearance to the ghosts featured in Jackson's The Frighteners.

And now we move on to the issue of the 17 endings, or whatever exaggerated number of endings the haters would have you believe there are. Personally I have never understood the criticism that the film and Jackson himself receives over the multi-stranded close. After all how exactly are you going to wrap up a story that has spanned eleven hours (extended edition running times) and encapsulated dozens of characters in one neat little scene? And what exactly should have been axed then? The joyous reuniting of the fellowship when Frodo wakes? The union of Aragorn and Arwen and Aragorn's crowning as king? The hobbit quartet getting their due as everyone bows down before them? The hobbits returning to the Shire and Sam getting married? No none of these moments should have been lost. The characters that we have followed deserve these moments for all they went through, and we the viewers deserve these moments after going on this journey with them. And for the most part, people who are watching Return of the King will have seen and liked/loved the two previous instalments of the series, so why would you complain about having more time in this world with these characters? It also provides us with the joy of a return for Ian Holm, before providing an emotional close for the fellowship.

And the film is given the suitably majestic end that it deserves with the closing credits. While Annie Lennox's beautiful “Into the West” plays we are presented with a series of gorgeous sketches of the main characters who have graced the series. Oh and just a little side not – I'm so glad that no more of the main characters died here. After spending such a long time with them and coming to care so much I don't think I could have handled losing any of them, would have broke my heart!

Conclusion – Well there we have it. After 682 minutes of visual perfection; based on over a 1000 pages of literary source material, which accrued a total of 17 Oscars from 30 nominations and made a combined box office killing of $2.91 billion, I have once again reached the end of the Lord of the Rings' epic story. And I still find them to be the amongst the most extraordinary achievements in the history of cinema. Peter Jackson created something truly astonishing; adapting a seemingly unfilmable book, corralling a series of impeccable performances from a massive cast and producing something for the ages.


Oh and to add to the numbers I was throwing about above, combined my three reviews encapsulated over 5000 words. So if you were able to read through all of them you have my respect and congratulations. Especially as they weren't perhaps reviews in the traditional sense, just inane fanboy ramblings.





Very, very nicely done. All three were great reads, and obviously, I feel the same way.

I got my first Blu-ray player for Christmas (took a while, I know) and just ordered the extended edition trilogy. Very much looking forward to diving into them once again, this time with all that extra footage.



Excellent reviews, JayDee. Those films truly rival (and in some ways even surpass) Star Wars in terms of combining grand scope and detail into an unforgettable adventure, It's amazing how well-realized that fantasy world and its inhabitants is.



I got my first Blu-ray player for Christmas (took a while, I know) and just ordered the extended edition trilogy.
Yeah, cos the one thing that trilogy was screaming out for was a longer running time.



Miss Vicky's Loyal and Willing Slave
Excellent reviews, JayDee. Those films truly rival (and in some ways even surpass) Star Wars in terms of combining grand scope and detail into an unforgettable adventure, It's amazing how well-realized that fantasy world and its inhabitants is.
Nice reviews of LOTR... awesome films.
Very, very nicely done. All three were great reads, and obviously, I feel the same way.

I got my first Blu-ray player for Christmas (took a while, I know) and just ordered the extended edition trilogy. Very much looking forward to diving into them once again, this time with all that extra footage.
Thanks guys, I appreciate it. And if you really did read every word then the three of you do indeed have my respect. Especially as they're not the most disciplined or structured reviews, particularly the last two. They descended into scattershot ramblings. Though a lot of that was down to doing a trilogy which is basically one big film so I couldn't really talk about the directing in every review; it would just be the same thing over and over again.

Have you never seen the extended editions before Skepsis?



The past two days I have watched both Fellowship and Two Towers, and will complete the trilogy soon, of course I have seen them before but recently bought the trilogy on blu-ray for a nice Ł9.

Watching them again reminds me just how spectacular the films are, you can't help but admire just the scale of the fantasy world created. Three great reviews as well, not sure I'll be doing three individual ones, big credit for that man, top stuff
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Good whiskey make jackrabbit slap de bear.
Fantastic reviews of the trilogy, JayDee. It was Fellowship (along with T2) that made me fall in love with the art of cinema.
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"George, this is a little too much for me. Escaped convicts, fugitive sex... I've got a cockfight to focus on."



Miss Vicky's Loyal and Willing Slave
Three great reviews as well, not sure I'll be doing three individual ones, big credit for that man, top stuff
Fantastic reviews of the trilogy, JayDee. It was Fellowship (along with T2) that made me fall in love with the art of cinema.
Thanks guys. Interested to see what you come up with Daniel. And I'm in the same boat as you Tyler, it was Fellowship that really exposed me to the true magic of the movies.

Nope, just the theatrical cuts. Really looking forward to it.
With you being a big fan I'm really surprised. It's so long since I've seen anything other than the extended editions that I can't really remember what's different anymore but I believe you're in for a treat, there's some great stuff added in there if my memory serves me right.



Miss Vicky's Loyal and Willing Slave
Micro Musings


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Year of release
2001

Directed by
Takashi Miike

Starring
Kenji Sawada
Keiko Matsuzaka
Shinji Takeda
Naomi Nishida
Kiyoshiro Imawano

Happiness of the Katakuris

+

I so wanted to like this film. Hell I wanted to love it! It's the kind of weird, culty film which is 'cool' to like. The kind of film that gets you 'street cred', or forum cred if you will. But it just didn't happen. I just found it too silly, too goofy, and perhaps just too Japanese. The film opens with a woman eating soup in a restaurant, when all of a sudden a little goblin like creature emerges out of the bowl. All of a sudden we are transported from live action into a world of crude claymation as the creature mistakes her uvula for a heart, leaps into her mouth and tears it out. What follows is a circle of life style sequence as one creature eats the one that proceeded it. And the film's weirdness levels pretty much don't drop for the next 100 or so minutes. Happiness... features a series of novelty deaths, characters spontaneously breaking into big song and dance numbers, a prevalence to return at any interval to claymation form, victims rising from the grave for a zombie sing-along etc. There were a few nice performances from the cast, and a few moments that were just so extremely absurd that I couldn't help but be entertained. I'm hoping that a repeat viewing may turn it round for me in future, as I think it's such a unique film that it really needs to be seen in the perfect mood. And I do have a little reason to hope that's the case. I watched this over two sessions; the first I really struggled to get into it but I felt it finished a lot stronger and I enjoyed it a lot more in the second part of my viewing.


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Year of release
2010

Directed by
Jalmari Helander

Starring
Onni Tommila
Jorma Tommila
Tommi Korpela
Per Christian Ellefsen

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale

++

A fun if slight little oddity which makes for a decent entry on the list of alternative Christmas flicks. I know there are a quite a lot of films these days which cast Santa Clause in the light of evil, or as a serial killer. I've never been particularly interested in viewing them, and I'd say this is probably a little different as it really builds up a bit of a mythology for the character in a fairy tale kind of manner. The film has quite a cool aesthetic with a bleak, atmospheric outlook, and delivers a nice blend of laughs and a sinister tone. It's nicely paced, can be genuinely quite creepy when required and is well acted, particularly in the form of young Onni Tommila as the heroic kid who knows before anyone else what is going on and will be instrumental in stopping Santa.


mirror
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Year of release
2011

Directed by
Sarah Smith

Starring
James McAvoy (voice)
Hugh Laurie (voice)
Bill Nighy (voice)
Jim Broadbent (voice)

Arthur Christmas
-

A decent, if ultimately disappointing festive flick from Aardman. It's got a few laughs but it's most certainly not the new Christmas classic I was hoping it may prove to be. The main problem I felt was the tremendously thin plot it was working on. It was the kind of story you seem to find in a little kids book which usually lasts for about 16 pages, and has just 4 sentences per page. So to use that as a template for a 90 minute film felt like a real stretch for me. It does have a few fun sequences, mostly featuring the commando-like elves, and some decent voice performances from the likes of James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie and Ashley Jensen but it's certainly not going to be a film I shall be revisiting each and every year at Christmas. To be honest it will do well to get another watch any year.


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Year of release
2010

Directed by
Jorma Taccone

Starring
Will Forte
Kristen Wiig
Ryan Phillippe
Val Kilmer

MacGruber

+

This certainly isn't a good film, but then I wasn't under any illusions it would be. It is however an occasionally rather funny one. I've got to admit that I did actually get a few good laughs from it, even if I wasn't particularly proud of myself for being entertained by such trash! Running gags include the villain's surname of Cu*th, and the insertion of celery up someone's backside as a distraction. Classy stuff! Of the cast, Will Forte throws himself into the nonsense gamely, but the star for me was definitely the lovely Kristen Wiig as the wonderfully named Kitty St Elmo. Also scoring big, and stealing several scenes, was Val Kilmer as the villainous Dieter Von C*nth. Not taking himself seriously whatsoever he seems to be having great fun in the role. I wasn't at all familiar with the character of MacGruber or the SNL skits he starred in, but as a big fan of the classic 80s TV show MacGyver I was intrigued by the prospect of a spoof of the character. While there is some material mined from that avenue, it is more a spoof of macho action movies in general; particularly of the Rambo films. And while it's not bad, if that's what you're looking for I'd certainly direct you to the Hot Shots films or Team America: World Police instead.



The director of The Happyness of The Katsakuris, Takeshi Miike is known for some macabre stuff and surprising inconsistency.
For this particular movie, I believe he borrowed some stuff from the Korean " The Quiet Family " , which was a much better movie.