Predators

Disappointed...

I don't think I came in expecting "too much". The original Predator still casts its shadow on today's action movies, there was no point expecting something anywhere close.

All I wanted was some balls out action with macho commandos. And I got that. Along with some very nice ideas.
But things bothered me. I don't mind stereotypical in this context, but some characters just stuck out. I didn't feel they belonged there (as an example, no offence to Dany Trejo, who I'm looking forward to watching right in his place in Machete!).
And what also bugged me were all the references to the first Predator (from weapons to situations to music) and some obviously tongue in cheek moments. I would have thought that it would have worked so much better as a no-nonsense movie (which the 1st Predator was).

On the upside, Andrien Brody was quite credible as an action man and with Alice Braga had beleivable characters. The movie is also very competently shot and as I mentioned some good ideas come in the mix: the initial freefall, the revelation of whre the team is, the fights (although I didn't really buy the samurai... Then again Danny Glover killed one), the place to the inital Predator, the origin of Alice Braga's character.
One could argue that actually the movie delivers in the right moments...

But on the whole, even small annoyances tend to spoil the sauce...
So I can't help to feel that this is a missed opportunity...

Inception

I have no idea how he does it, but (almost) every Christopher Nolan has made have had the same effect on me, when the credits roll: a chill (of pleasure) down the spine, a huge smile on my face & my mind ebullient by the spectacle I was given to watch...

Inception is no exception.

It's one of those movies that I find myself embarrassed to talk about, because I can't help to have a sort of maniacal smile on my face, need to speak loud with big hand gestures, because I find it so good I can only be passionate about it.

What's also amazing about his films is that he hasn't yet repeated himself. There's something in common. An elegance in the direction, a definite love of mind games, some fairly twisted (yet likeable) characters, but it always takes place in a different context. A film noir, a super hero movie, a magic trick...
In this occasion it's a heist movie. Ocean's 11, only by Nolan.

It's less of a puzzle than, say, Memento, as you know pretty much from the beginning where you stand. No magic powder thrown in your eyes either.
But don't get me wrong, it's no less groundbreaking. It feels almost wrong to reduce this as an action movie, because it takes such a fresh and cerebral approach to it.

Visually, it's stunning with visions that are from dreams yet grounded in reality (I guess in the same way that the Batman movies were realistic in a way).
And this being an action movie, there are some crazy set pieces, that 1) made me wonder how they did that and 2) were simply mind blowing. In some aspects, it beats Matrix to its own game (although they actually don't really play in the same park).

DiCaprio yet again confirms what a fine actor he is, with a performance that just might be his most relaxed to date (in the films I've seen of him at least, to illustrate, he's got very intense performances in The Departed or Shutter Island). But the rest of the cast is also to credit. I know I always tend to say that but just have a look at the cast: Helen Page, Joseph Gordon-Lewitt (if you haven't seen Brick, go see it), Ken Watanabe, Cillian Murphy... So much talent in just a few names...

And as for the concepts developped, just don't get me started. Shall I say that, as usual, the film isn't really throwing a "message" at the audience, yet the ideas raise so many questions, just choose how metaphysical you want to get...

I can't think of any way I could see something better this year...
Strange how I remembered thinking that when walking out of The Dark Knight...

Update: after mulling over it during the night, it might be more of a puzzle than 1st thought... :)

Toy Story 3

The 1st 2 Toy Story were definitely a tough act to follow...
Then again, excellence is the least to expect from Pixar.
So it comes as no surprise that Toy Story 3 comes out as an incredible end to an incredible trilogy.

Strangely enough, the only drawback would be that the 1st 2 came 1st, therefore taking the surprise away. So there are expected moments that do happen and therefore could feel like "box ticking".
Yet the movie never repeat any of its predecessors and still applies the subtle mixture of comedy, action and more nostalgic moment, making it accessible to kids of course but equally enjoyable (possibly more emotionnal even) to any adult that once had favorite toys...

New characters are introduced and well developped (Ken, as the fashion-obsessed bad boy refusing to be a girl's toy is a stand out for me...), but never at the depends of the main characters, still strongly in focus. The script moves seamlessly from clever idea to clever idea, integrating all its references and tributes into the story.

From a technical point of view, it's full marks on all counts, an amazing achievement, especially considering the standard it had to sustain.
But this movie is also more than the sum of its parts, for everything the story of those toys tell about us, our inner child.

So it's yet again a big thank you to Pixar for delivering such a ride, yet a heartbreak to have to say bye to those characters... All in all, worth it!

A quote...

"The reason Memento worked for audiences is that it was a tremendously emotional film. Which had nothing to do with me. It was all Guy. This genius actor comes into my film-noir maze and is playing it for real. And in playing the truth of that, he opened it up for the audience. It never would have succeeded otherwise."

That's from (in case you didn't guess) Christopher Nolan and although I think he's also a genius in his own right, he's spot on there...

The Rage Factor.

I had the privilege to be at Finsbury Park yesterday, for celebrating Rage Against The Machine's victory at the UK Christmas chart last year.

Well I don't think anyone present will say they don't know how to throw a party...
Brilliant organisation (I've never been served that fast at any bar anywhere...), incredible set up (3 massive LCD screens, cameras everywhere so no one misses a thing) and great support bands (The Gallows, Roots Manuva & Gogol Bordello)...
The weather was on top of this generous, with only a small drizzle here and there. It wouldn't have changed the mood anyway.

It wouldn't have been much if the headliners hadn't been in good shape, which of course wasn't the case.
Of course, they came in only after being duly introduced by (a cartoon) Simon Cowell...
Although clearly (and understandably) in full crowd-pleasing mode, they threw their usual energy in the set. That included Testify, Bombtrack, Know Your Enemy, People Of The Sun, Bullet In The Head, Guerilla Radio, Township Rebellion, Freedom, Sleep Now In The Fire and also a cover of White Riot from the Clash. They could just throw anything at the crowd.
We also had the opportunity to applaude the people who set up the Facebook group that started it all.
And then, after even very cheekily featuring the song they won against, it was time to finally blow the place up with Killing In The Name.

And to think that I had given up to actually see them performing live...
There was nothing more that I could have wished for. Well actually yes, but there was nothing more I could REASONNABLY have wished for. I mean, they did all this FOR FREE!!!

Huge thanks to RATM & all involved for making this possible.
Brilliant.

I took a few crappy pictures:

From El JhOjo's junkyard

From El JhOjo's junkyard

From El JhOjo's junkyard

You had to be there...

Ironman 2

I went to see this a few weeks ago but didn't take the time to talk about it here.
A shame really since cinema "reviews" (more like opinions) used to be pretty much the only thing I managed to keep doing... Anyway, better late than never.

I didn't expect anything from the 1st movie and came out begging for more. The downside is that I expected a lot from this sequel.
I'm happy to report that it didn't disappoint. In the "Hollywood blockbuster" genre, they still hold 1 of the best recipes currently in use.

In a clever twist, they manage to put Tony Stark in a similar position than the 1st movie: he starts as an obnoxious borderline-unlikable playboy (although Downey Jr. plays it perfectly and that the character has his own reasons for being that way) before redeeming himself to his friends and the audience. :)

This time round, he's also got a proper nemesis and Mickey Rourke proves (although unsurprisingly) a bad ass choice.
And I didn't even mention Black Widow... :)))))))))

It's also good to see that they didn't sacrifice character development for action. The drawback is that you end up wishing there was a bit more action, but that's also because the 3 set pieces here are really outstanding. Varied and just plain fun.

So again, this is not really art, but as Hollywood blockbusters go it's not dumbed down, it's spectacular, just dark enough yet fun enough...
A great movie therefore!

Bit Trip Runner

It's been a long time I didn't post.
I actually regularly think of things to post but I don't get to actually do it anyway.

Today I found an incentive.

I acquired Bit Trip Runner, the latest in the "Bit Trip" series, available on WiiWare. And I find it quite excellent.
I've been following the series with great interest and I could have sworn I mentionned it here but I can see now I didn't.
So to recap: it's a collection of games that take a "retro" look, ie big pixels, bright colors and simple (yet not simplistic) gameplay, with still some modern bells and whistles of the current technology. They also leave a non-negligible space to music, making them almost rythm games to some extend. 8-bits style of course.
And they all are devilishly difficult.
It's how I like my games: revolving around a concept rather than flashy graphics. That makes the series fresh and stylish.

Bit Trip Beat paid tribute to Pong & Arkanoid: you controlled a pad to send back dots (balls? pixels?) where they came from. It's the original concept, very simple yet completely addictive.

In Bit Trip Core, you would do kind of the same thing, but using "beams" that you could send in 4 directions. I liked it also but I found it way too difficult.

Bit Trip Void saw you control a "dot", trying to collect other black dots while avoiding the white ones. It reminded me of Ikaruga in many ways and with very clever design it does reproduce some "shoot-them-up" situations. However there's one thing that irritates me in this one: the background changes a lot and sometimes becomes dark, which is a cool effect, but prevents you from seeing the black dots you're supposed to collect. While I know this is done on purpose, I think it's rather cheap and that the game is already difficult enough without this.

And so all this built up to Bit Trip Runner. Wonder Boy is referenced here and the gameplay expands also, as you now control an actual character (although it's the same one you where controlling in the previous games, here you can see him better), who runs, jumps, slides & kicks. 4 actions then, all cancelling an obstacle you might run into. No life here, as the levels are partitionned in small segments. If you hit anything, you start from the beginning of the segment. To score points, you need to collect some gold on the way, which gives some interesting risk / reward dilemmas...
The general feel is less abstract than in the previous entries and has an incredible charm. The fact that you're running through levels in bite-sized segments make the whole thing a lot more approachable than the previous entries, in which you needed to sit through a complete level in 1 go (roughly 15minutes of intense concentration). This doesn't mean that Runner is easier. It just STARTS easier. By the end of the 1st level, you're already confronted to some meaty chains of moves that require you to refrain from blinking...

It reminds me of Vib Ribbon, on the Playstation, although here the levels are not auto-generated by the music you use. In recent memory, Cannabalt, which I already mentionned and Tomena Sanner (which is also a gem of Japanese nuttiness) come to mind.

Although it's gameplay at its simplest, it's just a joy to play. The graphics, controls, music come together to offer an experience that is charming & rewarding and it's a pleasure to revisit completed levels to try and beat your previous high score...

It appears 2 more games are planned for the series, I'm very much looking forward to seeing what surprises Gaijin games have in stock for those...

Cannabalt reloaded.

I replayed Cannabalt (which now features a vicious typing tutor) and got 8405m!!!

Run, Jesus! Run!

A flash game that's completely ridiculous, but that's why I love it:
Run Jesus Run

It does give you a crash course on the New Testament...

KICK-ASS

I went in expecting something close to Wanted (which I dug the hell out of).
I was glad I was wrong.

While KICK-ASS (I only can write this with capitals, I'm afraid) does carry the same strain of irreverance and anarchy Wanted did (both were originally written by the same person after all), it also manages to be a sort of bastard son of Watchmen & Spiderman.
We're talking a cross between 2 of the best super hero movies ever made, with the energy of one the the best actionner that Holywood produced in recent memory.
If that doesn't give you the picture, nothing will.

The concept only is genius: to make a comic book movie, so set in a comic book environment, but give the leading role to Peter Parker's "normal" friend. So you're not in the real world, but it gives that more edge, as the guy could be anyone.

Any genius concept wouldn't work without a great character to root for. KICK-ASS doesn't have 1, but 3. Big Daddy & Hit Girl will most definitely stay in all memories as the cutest yet deadliest father-daughter team.
Nicolas Cage is just awesome in this. He makes us believe in this deeply loving father who does shoot his daughter in the chest to show her how it feels. And I just loved what he did when he talks as Big Daddy. Completely iconic.
Hit Girl is just so sweet, even when she slices peoples limbs off.
2 characters like that could steal a movie. Yet the emphasis stays on Dave, the main character. Aaron Johnson is again perfect here, as just the "standard" teenager who decides to try and make a difference in his own way. Anyone who has been teen in the last 20 years could identify to him. I certainly would. It's a movie that brings the super-hero fantasy one step closer to the average joe...
They're all nuts, yet so likeable, you just have to root for them.

And because of the "realisticish" setting and the hardboiled nature of the story, you just fear something will happen to them so you just root even more for them.
Even more so because Mark Strong composes a very fearsome baddy to face them...

In the director's chair, Matthew Vaughn delivers like I would never had dreamed he would.
He manages to be gritty yet colorful, mastefully shifts the tone (even the incrusions into teen comedy are a joy) and give us some incredible action sequences.
The movie just moves from memorable moment to memorable moment. Hit-Girl's kung fu antics, a brilliant tracking shot reminiscent of Old Boy, the best in-the-dark-shoot-out since Equilibrium, a back story told in comic book... The list goes on.

It's a wonder that it ever got done and it's another credit to give Vaughn that he originally financed it on his own.
In fine, he single-handledly delivered one of the best comic book movies ever made and a revigorating breeze on the genre.
For that I'm forever thankful to him.

Alice In Wonderland.

When it was announced, teaming up Lewis Caroll & Tim Burton seemed like a match made in heaven. I just couldn't wait to see what this could give and there was no doubt it would nothing short of amazing.

Then as a few first reviews came out, wildly negative, I was stunned. What could have gone wrong? Could Tim Burton waste such an opportunity?
So I went in slightly worried, but with an open mind. After all, I've pretty much liked anything he did (Planets Of The Apes was a low, but still enjoyable), especially his latest Charlie & The Chocolate Factory & Sweeney Todd.

So is it the disaster the critics announced?
No.
Yet, it didn't entirely work for me either.

There is a lot of stuff here that I really loved.
Visually speaking, it's a pure delight. Burton's Underland manages to really blend Burton's visuals with what you would expect from Alice's Wonderland.
It's happening 10years on so the world is kind of derelict and has a darker side, which works perfectly. No character has the same size or proportions and it all fit together seamlessly.
And for someone who says that he doens't know how to film action scenes, I thought he did a fine job on the final battle...

I liked a lot of ideas brought to the world due to the fact that Alice is older, especially her ambiguous relationship with the Mad Hatter.

Speaking of which, the characters, also, are brilliant. My heart goes to the Cheshire Cat (voiced by Stephen Fry), all feline grace and vaporous apparitions. But Helena Bonham-Carter's red Queen is also superb, as is Anne Hathaway's White Queen (I really like her way to really go over the top in how the character is gracious, yet has this calculating way of having people do what shes wants). Not mentionning Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter. And then there's also Crispin Glover, Alan Rickman... What a cast...
The designs of the red Queen's soldiers were also a highlight for me. Generally the production design was incredible.

So what went wrong then?
Well if I have to blame something, I'd say the story.
For starters, it didn't feel like it flowed very well throughout. Motivations of the characters weren't quite evident to me and I could see sort of shortcuts that didn't feel quite logical.
I'm not one for over-thinking movies, I usually take what the director gives me, but this did prevent me from fully getting into it. More like, I would be sucked in, but something would throw me out from time to time.

Also, the end for me was way too over the top. It felt rushed and clicheed. It's not all bad, there are good ideas, but I just didn't feel it was introduced well enough for me to buy into it...
There's nothing worse than leaving the theatre on a bad impression...

So it's far from a disaster, there's a lot to like here and any one who says that Burton wasn't inspired here would be clearly out of his mind, given the amazing visuals. But I can't help to think it would have been so much better with a better script.
I'll try and watching it again someday to give it another chance...

Shutter Island

Well I'll make it short here, because discussing this movie without spoiling anything is way too tricky and to spoil anything would be just unforgiveable.

At least can it be said that Scorcese delivers a masterclass in storytelling, on how to slowly but surely capture the audience in order not only to make it believe anything, but also to make it physically go through what the main character does...
The cast supporting this is wonderful and DiCaprio shows once more that he's definitely more than the good-looking guy from Titanic.

And the result is a beautiful magic trick.
You have to be able to stomach it, as the pathos is quite strong. But I found that what stayed with me was the pleasure of having been tricked and working out how all the pieces of the puzzle brilliantly fit together.

It's always an honor to see a master at work...

The Hurt Locker.

It came out last summer and I missed it at the time but thanks to its epic Oscar win, it was rereleased so I finally managed to catch Kathryn Bigelow's latest.

I remember that I went to see Black Hawk Down a few years ago and it had very good reviews saying that Ridley Scott had filmed war unlike anyone before. I completely hated that movie, so I guess that made the cinematography less impressive than it probably was, but I thought that treating the Somalis like nothing more than waves of aliens was utterly shocking. When the subject is "proper" war, I just expect more substance, more gravita. Real people are killed, it's not to be taken lightly.

The Hurt Locker does the exact opposite. Firmly anchored on its characters, depicting how each copes (or doesn't) with the stress of war. No heroism, or faked manly friendship (they're all on a job), as you often see. That makes it very unusual in this genre and almost "un-hollywoodian", which makes the flurry of Oscars not only more surprising but also more satisfying.

And here, Bigelow DOES film the war like no one before. Close to the action, making you feel right there, almost experiencing the rush, the paranoia. It is an incredibly tense movie.
There are no big battles, but still the "action" scenes will be worth your while, most notably an incredible sniper exchange. But none of this is glorified, always grounded in reality.
It could almost feel like a documentary actually.

What's striking as well is how the movie manages to define characters exactly in just a few frames. It is quite surprising that Guy Pearce, David Morse & Ralph Fiennes only really have a scene each. But just in that time, their characters exist and matter to the rest. Not a lot of movies can do that.

With the same subtelty, you also get a picture of the more global context, the situation of the locals, despite the fact that all is told through the soldier's perspective. And you're left with a lot of questions to ponder.
But on the other hand, with the chaos described here, how could people not turn mad?

It echoes a bit with Jarhead, although they explore very different themes (Jarhead deals more with the "dehumanising" process that turns people into soldiers, while Hurt Locker is more about their day to day life). A lot might be down to the identical setting.

But as war movies go, this one is a must. On every count.

Metroid Prime Trilogy.

I managed not to know anything about the Metroid Prime series before getting this compilation.
To be honest I was really skeptical at first. I was a fan of Super Metroid and although the universe is great, I was fed up at the time of this habit to turn everything into an FPS. Did Metroid need that? Certainly not.

Yet given the raving reviews, the lack of a good FPS in my game collection and the fact this package was offering 3 games for the price of one, I just took my chances.
I'm glad I did.

Without any hesitation, I will say that Metroid Prime had the same effect on me as Maroi 64 did: it takes everything the previous entries that defined them and adapted them with a 3rd dimension thus adding value and creating something different and equally great.
The 1st brilliant thing in Prime is the level of immersion.
In any other FPS, you see through the eyes of the main character, yet you have various information (life, ammo, etc) that get in your view. No one usually sees that. Here it's completely justified: you're in a suit of armor! Every piece of data, menu becomes part of what you would see if you were actualy in Samus shoes. I think it's an incredible plus to the whole atmosphere of the game.

That also introduces the concept of visors. As you progress through the game, you can change the way you see the world. seeing in IR for example. Not only does it add a great depth to the various puzzles you encounter (you have to question what you percieve), it's also insanely cool.

The next great thing is that it's not a FPS. The Metroid games are not about shooting things. They're about exploring a world. And that, thankfully, is what Prime's about. That's what saves it to become part of the endless flow of standard FPS you see nowadays. The environments are big, but small enough so you can learn your way around it. You can spot areas where you know you will have to come back with a better equipment. It's a great drive. And since all environments are very well designed, it's a pleasure to backtrack and search every areas, listening for that hum that informs you a power up is close by.

The equipment progression is also great. Every new piece of equipment brings new possibilities and it leads you to which area you should go next. Silent storytelling. Very clever. Although the previous entries did that already, this is a token to how this evolutions stays true to its roots.

Last, but not least, the numerous boss fights are all brilliant, always challengng you to use all your equipment to the full, switching weapons, visors, all the while doging, jumping, etc, which the gameplay allows you to do very easily.
I found the difficulty very appropriate, being permissive enough so you don't die all the time, yet fights can usually get you just that close to death so you're always on your toes.

And then you finish this 1st Metroid Prime and think "oh gosh it'll be the same again in the 2nd one, same weapons, isn't that going to be a bit boring?". No it won't. Of course, you will get missiles, the morph ball, the charge beam. But you get enough twists that it all feels fresh. And by having a parallel dimension where the atmosphere is toxic so you lose health continually, Metroid Prime Echoes dramatically shifts the challenges. That and it enhances the graphics substantially. I thought Prime was already beautiful (for a game that's over 5 years old), but Echoes blows it out of the water.

And then you finish Echoes and Corruption awaits! And it's even better visually!
I only have started this one, but I'm expecting great things, still in Samus' shoes...

Thinking that Metroid: Other M is due for release this year and will bring yet another take on this unoiverse...
That's how any franchise should be handled...

Micmacs a tire-larigot

Jeunet's latest is a very good movie.

There is a lot to like in here, especially for fans of his style.
It's beautiful to look at, it's bursting with clever ideas in the way it's filmed, the actors are all excellent, with a very diverse cast involving the old guard (Dussolier, Marielle), Jeunet's usual (Dominique Pinon, for example) and newcomers.
Jeunet's film also have a very specific atmosphere which I find has a lot of charm.
And it's funny.
So it's an extremely well crafted movie, perfectly enjoyable.

There's a small hitch though.
It's strange, but although I did enjoy it very much, somehow, I expected more from the maker of City Of Lost CHildren, Delicatessen & Amelie Poulain...
It's something that says that Jeunet's been freewheeling here and that, should he have pushed just a bit more (the script maybe?), we'd have had something much much more substantial.
The self references (to Delicatessen & itself), for example, are funny yet they seem a bit too easy...
It's a weird feeling.

But in the end, it didn't spoil it for me, as a "minor" Jeunet is still miles away from the usual standard... :)
I just hope he'll get the chance to do something "bigger" next time.

The Lovely Bones.

Peter Jackson seems kind of "back from the geeks" with this outing. It seems definitely more serious than his previous work, carrying a lot of substance but still managing to show his incredible inventivity.

As most movies dealing with this kind of themes (the murder of a young girl), it is wrapped in a sort of crime mystery (will the culprit get caught?). However, as the good movies dealing with this kind of themes, the real focus is on loss & grief. Because a movie about death is also about life and because, in the end, everything else than a life ending is inconsequential. Death is a natural thing anyway and however it happens, life has to go on for the rest of the world. Chaos prevails.

Incredible turns from all actors involved, combined by fantastic visuals (the afterlife provides quite stunning vistas) achieve a brilliant result, that hits right at the heart.
Sure there are a lot of things in here and at some pointI wasn't sure where all of this was going. Yet it's also refreshing to see a film so bold & layered, enjoyable on so many levels, whether it's for the teen romance, the portrait of a killer, the suspence or the eerie atmosphere. It's also very cleverly constructed (and not overdone) for a story that's finally very simple.
Peter Jackson shows his versatility here and uses all his tricks to compell the viewer (I especially liked his use of extreme close ups and slow motion).

A brilliant, elegant, sad, harsh yet sweet & beautiful movie.

Update: I wish it got a BAFTA, yet there was a lot of competition and it wasn't really robbed...

Mission: Impossible - 3

I had never seen it before.

Well it's got brilliant cast and is aptly filmed, however it's OTT in the wrong way as far as I'm concerned...
I'm glad Abrams did Lost before this and Star Trek after...

Ethan Hunt's nowhere as good as Jason Bourne, I'm afraid.

Shady URL...

The site says "Don't just shorten your URL, make it suspicious and frightening."
What a brilliant idea that is! :)
Go on, try it, you know you want to!

And don't forget to bookmark the present website: http://5z8.info/foodporn_w2t1_launchexe
:D

(Originally read this from Ecrans)

One Button Bob

It's been a long time since the last flash game, so here it is.

One Button Bob.

Slightly more sophisticated than Cannabalt.
Not better (the music is all), but very clever still...

Due respect to Ecrans where I got the link...

Swede Mason.

This is utterly brilliant.



Reminiscent of Lasse Gjertsen's work...

More here... He doesn't miss a beat indeed...

I've also watched Jungle All The Way and GimmebackMason and they're a lot of fun as well...