YGoodwriter Reviews

Sherlock Holmes (2009)

Downey and Ritchie Successfully Make the Cerebral Victorian Detective into an Action Hero

[6/10 · 26 December 2009]

SHERLOCK HOLMES: Holmes' famous catch phrase "the Game is Afoot" should be replaced by Full-Speed-Ahead in this kinetic adventure film, directed by Guy Ritchie. The cerebral Victorian detective has been transformed by Ritchie into a thrill-seeking action hero. Whereas the literary Holmes, created by Arthur Conan Doyle, would seek solace from boredom between cases by indulging in narcotics, this new Holmes is equally likely to seek out an underground fight club as he is a crack pipe.

That's not to say that this new Holmes (Played by the always watchable Robert Downey Jr.) is lacking in intellect. We naturally get the requisite astute deductions based on trivialities invisible to anyone else. However, this modern Holmes has a Fools-Rush-In-Where-Wise-Men-fear-To-Tread mentality. He rarely thinks things through until after he's waded hip deep into danger and mayhem. It's only when he's face-to-face with impending disaster that his magnificent mind kicks into action and starts plotting his strategy. For instance, when Holmes is going toe-to-toe with an opponent in fisticuffs, his great brain begins to pre-choreograph the battle. We see inside Holmes' mind as he anticipates every blow, lists his enemy's weak spots, calculates how long it will take for the bad guy to fall and how long it will take him to get up again. As soon as he's satisfied with his pre-fight prediction, we see Holmes leap physically into the fray, which invariably ends just as Holmes anticipated.

It's as if this version of Holmes needs to be under pressure in order to motivate his amazing deductions. He seems to be more in love with danger than with solving puzzles, as the classic Holes was. Downey's Holmes is much more of a warrior than earlier versions of Holmes. He's not the type to sit in his room, smoking his pipe until an epiphany hits him. This Holmes has danger as his muse. It's hard to imagine Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce (Who starred in the most popular classic film versions of Holmes and Watson) storming into a room full of armed thugs, carrying nothing but a walking stick and some Nun-chucks, and besting the baddies in a wild brawl.

And speaking of Watson, Jude Law makes a very dapper Doctor John Watson, and plays off well against Downey's quirky Holmes. Watson is engaged to be married to Mary Morstan (We don't know where Watson met Mary, since Holmes is only introduced to her after Watson has decided to marry her. Watson clearly didn't meet her in Holmes' case "The Sign of Four", as Doyle wrote her) who has a very unpleasant introduction to Holmes. Holmes is clearly threatened by Mary's relationship with Watson and does his best to sabotage it. (The scene where he uses a fake psychic to predict that Mary will become fat and grow warts is very funny). There is a subtle homo-erotic aspect to the Holmes/Watson relationship that today would be called a bro-mance. (They share clothes. Holmes doesn't like Watson's girlfriend.) But both men have their own love interests. Watson has Mary and Holmes has Irene Adler.

Irene (Rachael McAdams) flits in and out of the movie, tantalizing our hero with her feminine wiles. They have a Batman/Catwoman sort of relationship. Holmes is fascinated by Irene since she's the only one who has ever outwitted him (As she does several times in this film) while Irene herself is working as the agent of a mysterious enemy, but her feelings for Holmes cause her to waver in her mission. McAdams makes a very pretty Irene (Who Holmes does not refer to as "the Woman", the way he did in the Doyle cannon.) And—as you might expect—she has the requite scene where the pretty girl beats up a couple of large guys.

The plot: Holmes has captured the evil Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong) who is using ritual sacrifices to call up some unnamed evil. Blackwood predicts his own resurrection and sure enough, no sooner has Watson pronounced him dead from hanging than Blackwood is back, up to his old sorcerer tricks again. It's up to Holmes to find out what the resurrected villain is planning before disaster hits England. Unlike the classic Holmes stories where our hero must save one of two lives, here Holmes is saddled with a Guy Fawkes type plot to destroy parliament and also to re-conquer the American colonies.

Downey's Holmes often seems more like Hugh Laurie's Greg House from "House MD". He's scruffy, witty, sarcastic and always messing up his best friend's private life. (As many already know, House was based on Holmes, so Ritchie brings the whole thing full circle by basing the new Holmes on House.) The bantering relationship between Holmes and Watson certainly seems inspired by House and Dr. Wilson.

There are lots of little Easter-eggs and inside jokes for fans of previous books and films to catch if they're paying attention. The standard Sherlockian trademarks are present, such as the disguises and the oft disdainful relationship with the semi-competent Inspector Lestrade. It actually retains more of the Doyle Holmes than the trailers and previews would make it seem. True, it strays very far from the source material and it may be hard for purists to accept Downey's unkempt urban warrior as the same character portrayed by Basil Rathbone or Jeremey Brett. However, if you can overlook the inaccuracies, this is actually a fun action film. Think of it as a Victorian 'Buddy Cop' action comedy and purists may enjoy it. As for people who don't know much about the Doyle Holmes, they'll find Downey's man-of-action version a lot of fun.

Tin Man (2007)

No magic here

[3/10 · 4 December 2007]

Admittedly, I've only seen the first two parts at this point (maybe the conclusion will change my mind, but I doubt it) but I have to say that I'm disappointed by "Tin Man" so far. True, my expectations were not high, but this mini series is a long, dull exercise in style over substance.

On the positive side, the effects are very good (but over used) and the gorgeous Kathleen Robertson is excellent as the evil Queen Azkadelia. She manages to be both sinister and sexual, easily stealing the show. In fact, the story only seems to come to life when she's on the screen.

On the flip-side, however, there is a lot of bad here. The director and writers have focused too much on the dark, grim side of the Oz mythos. True, other films have tried to darken the land of Oz before ("Return to Oz" and "the Wiz" were grimmer versions of the tale) but in this case, the Sci-Fi channel has managed to drain all the magic and wonder out of one of the greatest fantasy tales ever written. At 6 hours, this bloated mini-series drags and drags, and it becomes a challenge to keep interested past the third hour.

Zooey Dechanel is basically likable as our heroine DG, but she is far too bland to be the centerpiece of all this. Her character seems more bored than amazed by her situation. The titular Tin Man (I don't understand why he's the title character, since he's clearly a supporting player) is a cop from the O.Z. (the "Outer Zone") named Wyatt (as in Earp) Cain (just like Gary Cooper's Sheriff character in "High Noon") intent on revenge against the Witch's henchman Zero. Neal McDonough plays Cain with intensity, but his one-note performance becomes tiring after a time.

Glitch is the man without a brain, (Alan Cummings, doing his best with weak material) and we even have a lion-like character, although he has little to do. Toto pops up, in a very strange way, and the Mucnkins have been turned into Ewok wannabees.

Richard Dreyfess--who can do much better--appears as the great and powerful "Mystic Man" but his part is so badly written, its a wasted opportunity for the best actor in the series. Too bad.

Overall, very disappointing. Its true that its very difficult to capture the wonder of Frank Baums' classic books on film, but it has been done to better effect. The 1939 version is generally ranked as one of the greatest films ever made. This version pales in comparison. I don't want to totally bash it because there were a few good points (Kathleen Robertson mostly) but I can't recommend it.

Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985)

Big Fun from Burton and Reubens

[8/10 · 29 November 2007]

This movie is a sentimental favorite of mine. When I was in college, my pals and I watched this over and over and we never got tired of it.

An early, under-appreciated gem from Tim Burton, this movie is harmless, lite-hearted fun from beginning to end. Its a live action cartoon with no pretense of being anything other than pure, silly entertainment.

The plot (which exists only to set up the gags) involves childlike adult Pee Wee Herman (played hilariously by Paul Reubens) who lives in perpetual boyhood, surrounded by toys and games. His most prized possession is his super rigged-up bicycle. When his precious bike is stolen, Pee Wee becomes obsessed with finding it. When he is falsely directed to search for it at the Alamo in Texas, the scene is set for a wonderful parody of road movies.

Pee Wee travels across country, meeting bizarre friends, foes and even a ghost. Nothing will deter him from finding his bike. The chaotic finale at the movie studio is probably the weakest part of the movie, but getting there is the real fun.

Burton managed to give a genuine charm to this antic film, and Reubens is genuinely likable as the childlike Pee Wee. He just wants to live his Peter Pan life without the problems that plague most of us adults. I can empathize with him. Can't everyone?

Doctor Who (1963–1989)

This show will live on through time

[10/10 · 15 January 2007]

DOCTOR WHO is a triumph of the imagination. A premise that is elegantly simple with an enigmatic hero, who is staggeringly brilliant and yet endearingly flawed. The show's strength has always been its consistently powerful writing, and the performance of the lead actor, of who there have been many. (Seven all together in this series.) The premise: A time traveler from an advanced race flees his suffocating, antiseptic society, to experience the wonders of the universe in his time/space vehicle, the TARDIs (Time and Relative Dimensions in Space). He starts out as purely an explorer, but soon becomes a galactic crusader, using his amazing science and resourceful ingenuity to defend the weak and fight evil.

When the series first star, William Hartnell, became too ill to continue on in the role, the writers came up with the ingenious concept of "regeneration". Whenever the Doctor is dying, he can regenerate into a newer, healthy form. This explains the seven varying actors, who not only don't look alike, but have decidedly differing personalities.

Doctor One was an aging, eccentric curmudgeon. He had little patience and he didn't suffer fools gladly. He could be very intolerant and dismissive of his traveling companions (except for his beloved Grand daughter Susan) although he started to lighten up as the show went on, learning to enjoy a bemused chuckle once in a while.

Doctor two was a complete reversal. He was friendly, funny and frivolous. He liked to play his flute, wear disguises and use lots of puns. He was like a mischievous little imp. He would certainly show fear at a frightening moment and was not adverse to running away when the situation warranted it. He often played the fool, making himself seem like a bungler...but this was all an act, designed to make people underestimate him. And he knew when to stop playing games. When he was all business, he was very formidable.

Doctor Three Was the most physical and action oriented of the Doctors. Although he was certainly not a young kid, he was athletic and a master of a unique form of martian arts. This Doctor was a product of the James Bond era, relying on gadgets, like his cars "Bessie" and the Whomobile. He was elegant and classy looking, in his ruffled shirt and opera cloak. He exuded a sense of supreme confidence. He always seemed to be in control, no matter what the odds against him.

Doctor Four was eccentric, unpredictable and maybe just a little bit crazy. There was no telling what he'd do or say next. He had a childlike enthusiasm and a sometimes a childish petulance. He would frequently enrage an enemy with his verbals barbs. Wrapped in his long, multi-colored scarf, he'd bound recklessly into danger, grinning that big boyish grin, as if the idea of defeat had never occurred to him. He was as fearless as he was curious.

Doctor Five was a kinder gentler Doctor. He was patient, gentle, and displayed more vulnerability than other Doctors. His amiable nature was often put to the test, since he was saddled with the most disagreeable and argumentative group of traveling companions that any Doctor had ever been burdened with. He tried to play the adult and keep peace among his squabbling crew, but sometimes he just had to storm out and get away from these pests. He was a big sports lover and always dressed in a Cricketers outfit.

Doctor Six was the most unlikable and irritating of all the Doctors. He was bombastic, boastful and belligerent. He showed little sympathy for his companions, and was quick to use lethal force to defeat an enemy.

Doctor Seven began an a comical, impish fun lover, but soon revealed a darker side. He was the most enigmatic Doctor since Hartnell and displayed many layers of mystery beneath his smiling exterior.

The tone of the show changed with each Doctor, and allowed the writers to reinvent the show over and over, keeping it as fresh in it's 26th year as it was in it's first.

Grendel (2007 TV Movie)

Feed this movie to Grendel

[3/10 · 14 January 2007]

Why oh why can't anyone make a decent film out of a legendary tale? This is the second adaptation of "Beowulf" I've been disappointed with in a year. But I have to say, the previous version ("Beowulf & Grendel", starring Gerald Butler) was far superior to this. That one was only a little disappointing. This one is a mess!!!

What bugged me most? Was it the useless plot elements they added in for no particular reason (Human sacrifices? Pointless love interest?), or the bad CGI, or the inconsistency of the characters or the uninspired acting? Even worse was the way they made beautiful Marina Sirtis look so horrible!!! And lets not even talk about that ridiculous crossbow?

And why did they continually remind us that Beowulf had the strength of 30 men, and yet he never showed the slightest sign of such strength throughout the entire film. He was tossed around by both monsters he fought, relying on his sidekicks to save his bacon. Even when he slugged the arrogant prince, he didn't knock him out. He was much too reliant on weapons. Beo-wimp is more like it. This was certainly not the powerful Beowulf of the epic poem!

I'd like to end this on a positive note but I can't really think of one offhand. All I can say is, if you've ever read "Beowulf", you'll be infinitely disappointed by this dismal, inaccurate excuse for an adaptation!

Flash Gordon (I) (1936)

A legendary hero's first screen appearance

[8/10 · 12 December 2006]

The brainchild of comic strip pioneer Alex Raymond, "Flash Gordon" was the grand daddy of all sci-fi epics. This serial is the first time Flash was brought to celluloid life. Despite it's low budget, this is a great space opera.

The story begins with Earth doomed to apparent destruction, when the Planet Mongo comes hurtling through space on a collision course. Maverick scientist Dr. Zarkov is headed off for the approaching planet in a self-made rocket ship, convinced he can do something to stop the runaway celestial body. He gets some last minute recruits in the form of resourceful athlete Flash Gordon and beautiful Dale Arden. Once they reach Mongo, their problems really begin. They run afoul of dastardly Emperor Ming the Merciless, conqueror of his world, who has some ambitious plans for Earth.

The rest of the serial revolves around Flash's desperate attempts to save the earth; the assorted alien cultures he encounters; the allies he makes; space ships he flies; the battles he fights, and the monsters he slays.

Brilliantly conceived by Raymond, "Flash Gordon" features classic archetypes from legendary myths and fables of antiquity. Echos of famous tales, like the sagas of Troy and Camelot and Sherwood Forrest are seen here. You have the dashing, handsome hero, on a quest to save the kingdom (Flash); The evil king (Ming); The old wise man (Zarkov); The lovely damsel in distress (Dale); the seductive siren (Aura); loyal allies (Thun, Barin, Vultan); Plus monsters, dragons and assorted beasties.

Flash is a modern Robin Hood, Jason or Beowulf. Ming is Prince John or Aggamemnon. Dale is Helen of Troy or Gwenevere or Maid Marion. Zarkov is Merlin or Odysseus. (Or Gandalf) Thun/Barin/Vultan are the Merry Men or the Knights of the Round Table.

You get the idea.

You can't help but notice how many ideas from "Flash Gordon" would later reappear in STAR WARS. The cloud City; The ice World; The forest moon; The scrolling opening text (From the second serial); There are others, but you get the gist. The whole sci-fi genre owes a great debt to this timeless classic.

Buster Crabb is the perfect action hero, and I personally think he's better at this sort of role than any of the current crop of action stars. He also played Buck Rogers and Tarzan.

Charles Middleton is the embodiment of diabolical nastiness as Ming. Sure, he seems a bit melodramatic today, but that was what audiences expected from their bad guys in the 30's.

Jean Rogers is our hero's love interest Dale Arden, and I had such a crush on her when I first saw this as a boy. I can readily understand why Flash always rushed to her rescue. She's the quintessential good girl, to counterpoint the seductive manipulations of Aura, the quintessential bad girl.

The supporting cast seemed perfectly chosen to emulated their comic strip counterparts, and despite the now-silly looking FXs, there was a lot of thrilling action in this groundbreaking serial.

An all around fun romp and the beginning of the sci-fi genre in cinema.