Skyfall Meets Sky-high Expectations

After a four-year hiatus while MGM scrambled to find money, the twenty-third Bond film has hit theaters and blows the expectations away. Daniel Craig returned again as Bond and he is joined by an all-star team. Talented Sam Mendes directs what some consider to be the "best Bond yet". 

I loved it. What makes this Bond amazing is that it is also a wonderful movie. People who aren't Bond fans can go and enjoy this film without needing to know anything again.

That being said - it still rewards its dedicated fans. There are many subtle throwbacks that a fan of the series will recognize and be delighted about. 

The key word that sums of this film is "redemption".  It's what Bond wanted and it's what I felt this film was. Quantum of Solace was a flop in my mind after the beautiful masterpiece that was Casino Royale. But this movie seemed to redeem the franchise (not that it was in trouble) and it seemed to complete the reboot that Casino Royale started. 

Ben Whishaw joins the franchise as young, adorable nerd Q. If you recognize his face, it might be because he was in the very recent Cloud Atlas. He does a fantastic job as the quartermaster. He successfully manages to merge the beloved personality with a new hipster nerd vibe. He would appeal to both the older and younger generations. It also doesn't hurt that many females find him adorable. 

And he is only the tip of the ice berg with the wonderful  cast. Judi Dench gives an award winning performance as M. She balances the act between lady and bitch perfectly. Ralph Fiennes is a fresh face that we will thankfully be seeing more of in the future. He was so fantastic that I forgot that I last saw him as Lord Voldemort. 

Skyfall fulfills every requirement that Bond films need. 

1) Bond Ladies - 007 is known for many things especially his weakness for beautiful women. It has sometimes been his greatest weakness. The fifty years has showcased a great deal of unforgettable ladies and borderline hilarious names. Honey Ryder was the start with her iconic white bikini. In Skyfall, Naomie Harris teased the audience with her sexually charged banter. While Bérénice Lim Marlohe made blood pound with her raw sensuality and vulnerability. These ladies fulfill this requirement. 

2) Action - Bond is known for making the impossible seem easy! Before any other franchise, Bond danced with death to bring some amazing stunts to the big screen. Skyfall does that in its first 20 minutes - a car chase followed by a motorcycle chase, climbing from a crane to jump into a train chamber, fighting on top of a moving train, falling from a height into a river. And that's before the song comes on!

3) Beautiful Scenery - from the exotic to the tropic and back to London, Skyfall shows it all. So, check!

4) Creepy Unique Villain - Javier Bardem gives a brilliant performance  that words will do not justice. He is amazing. The character is exactly how I would imagine Bond to be if be ever went bad. He is always one step ahead. 

Skyfall meets every requirement to their formula and then some. Either way - this is a movie to watch in the theaters! Go. Now.

 

Rating: 5/5

Terra Nova's Redeeming Villain

 Like most, I was intrigued by Terra Nova. The concept was interesting and it had Steven Spielberg's name attached to it. Plus, who didn't love Jurassic Park? When crime shows and sitcoms rule the television screen, sci-fi shows are a rare few. Off the top of my head, the few shows that come to mind is Doctor Who and Fringe. Terra Nova had potential pouring from its fingertips.

But the first episode left me lacking. The characters that were introduced were very one-dimensional and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't connect with them. So I didn't watch the show consistently. Instead, I'd watch it whenever I had time, because let's face it - there are so many amazing shows on currently. I thought the show would be cancelled like Firefly. But then I saw him.

Lucas Taylor. I fell in love with his character.

I read this article (click me!) and agreed with it completely.

Ashley Zukerman plays Lucas perfectly because he could have come off as a very fake, cartoonish character/villain. Instead Lucas comes off as a brilliant genius struggling with his demons. He feels real because some of the viewers can relate to his problems. Every child has had some sort of unresolved issue with their parents. Granted, most children don't want to kill them regardless of what Freud may think. But even then, it seems that a part of Lucas just wants to be accepted by his father. This complexity is believable in part due to Zukerman and in part due to his character's profile ("There is no great genius without a mixture of madness" - Aristotle).

Almost every other character in Terra Nova could be easily replaced by another actor because their characters are that boring. Somewhere along the line, somebody dropped the ball. Either way, Lucas comes off as the most interesting and resonating character in the series.

Frankly, even as creepy as it is, I really enjoy Lucas and Skye together, more then Josh and Skye. Josh and Skye, despite being the obvious cannon pairing, are BORING together. THEY feel more like brother and sister to me personally unlike (ironically) Lucas and Skye. Besides the major UST (Unresolved Sexual Tension) there, Lucas and Skye challenge each other. He threatens her and her loved ones, she lies and shoots him. Their interactions are complex and much more interesting then the adorably sweet but one dimensional couple of Maddy and Mark.

Skye is another good character (though Lucas still tops them all) because of the conflicts she had to face like betraying Terra Nova for her mother. Her character grew better as the episodes came because I remember in the first episode, I was not impressed. In the first episode, her character was very cliche.

If this show gets renewed for a second season, I hope they make their characters and conflicts more interesting and make Ashley Zukerman main cast instead of a recurring characters because I know he's one of the biggest reasons my friends and I watch Terra Nova.

Cruise does the "Impossible" for the 4th Time

Even for someone who has not seen any one of the Mission Impossible movies (why wouldn't you?), you know what it is about. Chances are you know of the scene where Tom Cruise's character drops down on a wire and hacks into a computer whilst being suspended in air. This scene has been parodied in many movies as well. This series belongs to a select group of movies: cult classics. These are the movies whose scenes or lines are known to everyone. Like Star Wars' "Luke, I am your father" or the Sixth Sense's "I see dead people". They are heavily involved in pop culture. 

The formula to this movie is simple - beautiful locations, action, cars, action, attractive people and did I mention action? It's the classic formula that appeals to the male species. Personally, I love the locations in particular. I don't get the chance to travel as much as I want to (it's expense!) but movies like this shows me and its audience different parts of the world. This movie filmed in parts of UAE, Russia, Czech Republic, India and even Canada! I could not help chuckling as I saw Bollywood's Anil Kapoor play the Indian billionaire womanizer, a character much different then his own personality and other Bollywood characters he has played.

This series is similar to James Bond in one particular way - stunts. Like the name suggest, Tom Cruise's character, Ethan Hunt, always does the impossible. The fourth one was no way lacking either. From climbing the world's tallest tower and dropping down a vent (similar to the first film's iconic stunt), there were plenty of impossible stunts. One of the things I particularly enjoy about the mission impossible series stunts though, is that Ethan Hunt gets hurt doing them! He smacks his head many times, breaks his leg and other very painful injuries that make the audience wince almost every time.

There was one detail in this movie that I loved though. Usually in movies, Bond movies in particular, the romantic interest of the male lead was replaced so easily. I remember watching the old Bond movies and wondering what happened to the previous girl. I always wanted to know, did they just not work out or did she died? What happened? But this movie and the re-launched Bond movies, show what happens to the lady. I won't tell you exactly what happens because I think most should see this movie, but the absence of Ethan Hunt's wife (he married in the third film) is explained in great detail in this movie. It's one of the subplots too as it affects many of the characters in this movie.

If you are into action and stunts, then GO SEE THIS MOVIE! I wouldn't recommend this for a date movie though unless your girlfriend likes action too because the action in this film greatly outweighs the romance.

Rating: 3.5/5

Breaking Hearts in 'Breaking Dawn'

Frankly, I'm not a fan of Twilight but I don't hate it either. I just don't think the hype behind it matches the popularity it received.

I went to see the movie with a couple of friends though who love Twilight. One actually loves Taylor Lautner (or rather, his abs) so she was giddy when his shirt was off in the first five seconds of the movie. I have to give them credit because Bill Condon (the director) certainly knows what the 'Twihards' want and gave it right up.

Honestly, the plot is quite cliche. There doesn't seem to be a great thought put into the storylines, just a basic love triangle plot line. But that's not really the fault of the movie because it is based off the novel.

In this movie, Edward and Bella get married at the tender age of 18 and just over a century. During their honeymoon, Edward gets Bella pregnant. Things become angsty as the family is divided. The vampire baby kills Bella but Edward revives her as a vampire in time.

I still don't understand how a vampire can impregnate a human. Isn't every part of them dead, so shouldn't the cells be dead too? It really doesn't make sense to me.

But the pregnancy was very well done. Bella had sunken features and darkened eyes. She really did at one point look like a skeleton. I was squirming in my seat because of the well-done special effects. In a way, it made me appreciate how much Bella loves Edward because there is no way you'd go through that much pain for someone without seriously loving them.

It was interesting to see the family divided about Bella's baby. Rosaline was the only one who from the beginning wanted to protect the child. Everyone else just saw the baby as a disease that was killing Bella. Edward only started loving his own baby after hearing his thoughts. It was interesting to see Bella and Edward actually in an argument. Now that they are married, they cannot run away from each other anymore and have to face each problem together. It was well done because I could see both sides of their argument.

There was a twist at the end though. The twist though is a make or break. For me, it broke. I won't spoiler it but it just gives me shivers. I did not like it at all.

Rating: 3/5

The End of Potter

At the end of the final Potter movie, there were very few dry eyes. It felt like the closing of the childhood to many of the Potheads.

J.K. Rowling's seven little books managed the impossible in generation addicted to gaming and television. She made kids read. Millions of children, teenagers and adults flocked to the bookstore every year to buy the new book in the series. Potter pandemonium erupted over the world and Hollywood capitalized on it. In 2001, the journey started and ten years later, in the birth month of the protagonist, the series came to the end.

A little after midnight of July 15, 2011, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two started and from moment one, the audience was hooked.

Despite this being the most darkest book, they managed to find ways to lighten it up. From McGonagall's cute happiness at using a spell to Neville's complete kick-ass attitude. Heck, even Voldemort's behaviour brought out huge laughs from the audience. There was tons of romance from Harry and Ginny, Ron and Hermione and even Neville had a crush on Luna. Hollywood managed to even make the final battle more interesting then in the book - though there was still a lot of talking!

There were only a few places which I cringed at. One of them was during the moment when Harry was living them to face Voldemort in the forest. The interaction between Ron, Hermione and Harry was completely awkward. Ron especially, as he remained sort of aloof despite his knowledge that his best friend was going to his death. Yet at the same time I understand, because what can you say in that situation. While you don't want him to die, he has to. There is nothing to say that would help.

Another one is the Ginny and Harry romance. I can't blame this on the movie though because it's a factor in the books. But it still doesn't make sense to me, they were no clues in the books, though the movie showed subtle clues. The romance between Harry and Ginny came out of nowhere and just felt awkward and completely wrong. There was no attraction or chemistry. It's not just me, even the audience slighted in their seats in discomfort. Most people I talk to agreed that what is supposed to be a great romance is just weird.

Actually while it is realistic, most of Rowling romances were never as great as I wanted them to be. In fact, her greatest love story was never told. The love between James Potter and Lily Evans was never told in detail but of greatness. In a way, I appreciate that because I get to imagine what I want.

However, the part that always teared me up every single time I watched that movie, was ironically, a romantic part. But can you really call unrequited love a romance or heartbreak. Snape's unchanging love for Lily can make even the coldest of hearts melt a little inside. The moment you see, through Snape's memories, just how far he went for Lily is so moving. Snape's struggle is something everyone can relate too - the sting of unrequited love, heartbreak. That's my favourite love story from the Potter series.

Regardless, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two had a little bit of everything for everyone. There was romance, humor, adventure, triumph, loss, heartache, hope, life and death. One moment, you'd be scared for a character then you'd feel relieved when everything worked out for the best.

All in all, I'll mourn the loss of the Potter world as will every other child that grew up with it.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars