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Judge Dredd: Cursed Edge (2013)
Good effort, needs some work.
In a nutshell, I can start by saying this: Wonderful shots, some superb CGI, excellent Judges uniforms, an original soundtrack and some quirky character realisations. On the other hand, some choppy editing, an inconsistent tone and an overly convoluted plot. However, that last sentence in mind, I believe there is actually a quite simple remedy which involves separating out a gallant attempt at the amalgamation of two productions.
It's clear when Cursed Edge starts, we have someone who can produce some pretty slick titles – it looks professional, no question about it. That's not the extent of his abilities however – despite a quite ropey looking Mega City One shot early on in Episode 1(which rapidly improve in later episodes), later shots of it are glorious. City shots and wide shots are fully realised. Add in the score, which is original and I was starting to get a feel of Tron: Legacy over Dredd 2012.
Episode one introduces us to an undercover female Judge, who we later determine is Judge Hollister. It's simple enough, Hollister frames a punter, her pimp catches it on video – Hollister shoots all except the pimp. Pimp is arrested. We then change tone to see the assassination of a Judge, in a wood
.hmmmm, intriguing.
Episode 2 does somewhat drag out initially. After starting with an intro from Hollister, we do unfortunately take nearly four minutes to get back into a new story. It feels too long to get back to Hollister, after we are actually treated to an intriguing start. Hollingdale shifts us back into the woods, with the assassin that kills the Judge at the end of episode one(with a longer version). With a highly saturated look and ambient score, it takes on a sort of dreamlike quality. The simplicity of children playing, staring and ultimately, aggressively contrasted in the same way with the Judges death makes for a promising start to this episode.
Unfortunately this doesn't continue. Over the next two episodes, three separate plots are introduced that loosely tie together. The downside to this is an over convoluted plot line, where it's difficult to ascertain who the main protagonist is, who the characters are, their motivations and a lack of character development – at this stage.
In the course of the next two episodes, Hollister lightly pursues her own investigation (with a great introduction to Dirty Frank), new Judges Cho and Logan arrest a perp, Cho talks to Judge Struss about a new recruit(Smoke), a Judge Eames is asked to investigate the assassination with Brit Cit Judge Labelle, a Judge Smoke kills some gang members and we see a Geek Gorgan get aggressive and shoot down a drone, Eames and Labelle fight the assassin. Phew. All that in 2 mini episodes?? I know this isn't US TV Show, with US TV Show budget – but remember the old adage – KISS : Keep It Simple, Stupid. Wasn't this why Dredd 2012 was so memorable and effective??
What hasn't been made obvious is that Cursed Edge has incorporated a separate production into the overall plot. The American produced 'The Deep End' is carved into smaller chunks and distributed over the 2nd and 3rd episodes of Cursed Edge. As stated, all this really does is effectively add three additional characters that we're left scratching our heads at what they're doing and why we're seeing this.
The Deep End also feels tonally different to Cursed Edge. It tries to retain the simple, brute force, action, gritty Judge element of Dredd 2012. It even utilises a similar score. Contrast this to the sort of neon saturated, lens-flared (too much Mr Abrams, Mr Hollingdale??) ambient sounding film that Hollingdale is creating creates a total tonal shift that can be awkwardly felt.
Having viewed The Deep End later on as a single 10 minute feature in its own right utterly convinced me that the problems Cursed Edge is suffering are as a result of combining those films. Separating them would certainly strengthen The Deep End and make Cursed Edge more streamlined and get to the plot quicker. As it stands, Cursed Edge, with The Deep End introduces four additional characters(Cho/Logan/Struss/Smoke) on top of the three apparent leads of Cursed Edge(Hollister/Eames/Labelle), not to mention what looks like an antagonist in Geek Gorgon.
With so much going on, it's simple to see how we manage to get up to fifty odd minutes of airtime and haven't really progressed any story lines or they fall flat too early. Indeed, the Eames/Labelle investigation of the assassin (who we find out is called 'Bloodletter') is actually built up rather nicely to start with. Bloodletter is a crazy war veteran, who has already assassinated a Judge. Eames and Labelle are warned that they may be IN TROUBLE going after him into the woods (Genetically Engineered Organism by the way, not really woods). It looks good, but is quickly let down by a short fight where Bloodletter is killed rather quickly. The tension is lost, plot line apparently over. Eames never really feels in danger. It could have used more cat and mouse in this section. Less Deep End, more Cursed Edge. This in turn leads to less characters and more importantly, time for the characters to grow. The script could use a few more moments like these. A single moment in the shorts so far needs which we need more of : Labelle and Eames, whilst waiting for the GEO rep, Labelle asks Eames if he likes to swim. Eames just looks at him in disgust!
5/10 at the moment. However, I hear reshoots and RE-editing are on the way!
TL; DR : Great cinematography, great score, great uniforms, great CGI. Convoluted plot, not enough character development, separate feature 'The Deep End' needs splitting out.
The World's End (2013)
So disappointed....
I view Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz as wonderful, brilliantly written and directed parodies. Even without Edgar Wright, Paul was still great. However somehow, The World's End just fell completely flat.
It didn't help that the lead protagonist is completely unlikeable. If you don't like a protagonist, you won't connect with them or sympathise. Also, a protagonist should grow. Shaun and Nicolas Angel from the previous films grow and notably, always have the buddy buddy relationship with Nick Frost's character. This is what draws us in - yet here, Gary King is completely unlikeable. There's no buddy buddy relationship to fall back on. He doesn't grow as a character. There's no character that we can directly relate to.
Characters are underdeveloped and nothing makes us care about any of them.
The humour isn't there either. The wit is gone. OK, there's a few laughs here and there, but it's not enough to elevate this up to the greatness of the previous films.
There is an attempt to sort of ham-fist a statement on technology in this film, but that doesn't really work for quite a letdown of an ending.
The only really good thing this film has going for it is the soundtrack. I simply can't believe there are people out there lauding this as the 'best film ever'.
I think Pegg/Wright/Frost got a little carried away here trying to make some statement on the state of society and technology, forgetting to make a comedy instead.
Sanctuary (2008)
Not Bad - Gothic X-Files meets Buffy?
Interesting way to release this new series - webisodes every couple of weeks that are about 15 minutes long. Put them all together and you potentially have a pilot of just over two hours.
For Amanda Tapping, this is a good move - she's not Sam Carter anymore, playing the enigmatic and potentially very sexy Helen Magnus, aided by her slightly stereotypical teen-angst-ed daughter Ashley, some gentle-monster beast and a newly inducted fish out of water type, Will.
The concept is nice, 'Sanctuary for all' - being 'all' are non-humans, (but it does come across that they're all sort of imprisoned anyway). There's a sort of 'Gothic Buffy' feel about the scenario and the circumstances, but minus the classic Whedon Buffy humour.
The production values aren't superior and it's obviously CGI, there are some sub-par blue/green screens going on in places...but you can forgive this for a decent enough premise and storyline. Knowing that this hasn't been funded by a studio and Tapping herself is an executive producer, one should actually give the production some credit.
Tapping is fairly good in this role - we see her move out of the clever and cute Samantha Carter and flex her acting muscles somewhat in the portrayal of an 18th century English woman. Her accent isn't flawless, but you can forgive this - I'm sure it would be explained away that Magnus has been living in the USA for some time. There is no explanation as to why she's in the USA - or if she even is in the USA - the location is not revealed, but one assumes it's in North America.
Other actors put in decent enough performances, but there's nothing outstanding. Character wise the weak link here is the character of Ashley. Far too stereotypical, hard and cold. One supposes that she is in some way meant to contrast her mother, but we've seen characters like this far too many times before...she needs some depth.
This will be compared to Buffy - the characters aren't immediately associated with the former series - but it's there in the design of the monsters - the characters are also somewhat similar - the blonde fighting machine(Ashley/Buffy), the clever researcher (Magnus/Will/Giles) and monsters that work for the 'good guys'.
This 'pilot' doesn't go that far and we need a whole season of this to make a judgement call really. Based on this pilot though, I am intrigued and would like to see more.
Half Light (2006)
Average, predictable, let down at the end.
After reading a few of the comments here, I got this expecting a sort of spookiness ala The Others or The Sixth Sense.
What I actually got was some fairly predictable storytelling and an anti-climatic ending ruined by revealing all too soon.
It sets up nice, although you can see the death of the son coming a mile off. Her retreat into Scotland and isolation make for some nice scenery and inevitably she meets the young Scot who runs the lighthouse. From the word go here, by his very statements etc, I was already thinking- this guy isn't who he says he is and when we move onto the party, a no-show from him - quietness descends when his name is mentioned and once again, I was about two steps ahead of the film...
Certain more supernatural elements of this film are blatantly ignored - The Son, The Psychic - we are led earlier into the film thinking the Son maybe malevolent, but this is forgotten later on, as he no longer appears. The psychic, all madness to start with, normal by the end.
When all the plot twists are revealed....it's just too soon and the atmosphere leaves the film and turns it into a plodding drama until the end.
There are a few plot inconsistencies, you will finish watching and start asking a few questions- how this or why that? Overall, Demi Moore is pretty solid in this, in fact made every bit to look like the wild Celtic woman she isn't.
This is an average film really. Someone forgot the lessons of suspense half way through and radically underused some of the more interesting elements....the ghost and the psychic. However, it is enjoyable and much better than some of the other rubbish 'horror' that's around.
Harte Jungs (2000)
Mediocre
Indeed, perhaps the German version of American Pie. Same kind of confused, inexperienced guy likes certain experienced girl etc. Has a few friends who want to help out. Gets himself into a few 'laughable' situations. Thats where the similarity ends.
This film simply doesn't have the well-written edge and performances that American Pie does. You really feel for Jason Biggs, but certainly not for this guy. At 15, you also know he's not going to get some anyway. So where exactly is this going? It's highly predictable and there's no real character development here. As for his talking Johnson - well, what's the point of that?
The film desperately wants to be American. With the exception of the few buildings you actually see, you'd hardly know this was in Germany. (Plus the fact that the dubbed version uses American accents.)
As for the girl he ends up with? No way. Why why why?
I watched the English dubbed version, so I suspect some things may have been lost in translation. This however does not make up for an essentially dull and predicable story.
A few comments here are saying this film is good. I see they're all German/Hungarian. It's nice to be patriotic and support your own films, but seriously - if you've seen American Pie - give this a miss.