Tag Archives: Based on book

Movie based on a book.

Amazing Spider-Man, The (2012)

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Director: Marc Webb
Writer(s): James Vanderbilt , Alvin Sargent, and Steve Kloves (screenplay), Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, (Marvel comic book)
Cast: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Martin Sheen, Sally Field, and Dennis Leary
Rated: PG-13
Sites: IMDb/trailer Official movie site

The Amazing Spider-Man movie review

I’m not the biggest fan of comic book movies these days. I guess I just got to the point where I kind of lost interest. I will still give them a try if one appeals to me or if it happens to be on TV, etc. but usually won’t go out of my way. Spider-Man, however, has always been one of my personal favorites. I enjoyed the Sam Raimi/Tobey McGuire Spider-Man films very much (and yes, I do recall even enjoying the third one). However, once I heard of this latest reboot, starring Andrew Garfield and directed by Mac Webb (who directed 2009′s 500 Days of Summer, one of my personal favorites), I was a bit skeptical.

Once I saw the trailer for this latest rendition, following a different storyline in the comic book series, I have to admit I was much more intrigued. The new cast and new storyline was exciting, and the action looked to be impressive. While I think the movies are cluttered far too much these days with movies based on comics, reboots, sequels, etc., I felt this one had the potential to bring something different to the table.

The story follows Peter Parker (Garfield), a high school senior who finds a clue about why his parents disappeared when he was a young child. While investigating, he’s led to Oscorp, where he meets his father’s research partner Dr. Connors (Rhys Ifans). At Oscorp, he’s also bit by a spider in a genetic research lab, which by no surprise gives him arachnid-like qualities.

On top of Peter’s new transformation, he struggles with many other things at home and in his personal life. He falls in love with Gwen Stacy (played by the outstanding Emma Stone), and constantly quarrels with his aunt and uncle (Sally Field and Martin Sheen). However on one tragic night, his life changes and effects all those around him as well. From that point on, Spider-Man has a new agenda of his own.

The rest of the story is full of well executed action scenes that provide both thrilling and comical moments. I think the main reason I’ve always enjoyed Spider-Man compared to other superheroes is that he’s a normal teenager. The reason behind his choosing of the Spandex suit and mask are shown well in the movie, and make sense. Garfield (who in real life is close to 30) does a great job playing the likable underdog.

This film really was the treat that I hoped it to be. It had a superb cast, a good storyline, and great fantasy action. It didn’t only just succeed with the action aspect, the drama surrounding family, love, and selfishness are explored well and drive the film, making it more than just eye candy. This is one of the under-appreciated films of last year in my opinion, and I’m most certainly looking forward to Part 2 in 2014! On a side note, I just had to chuckle when Irrfan Khan’s character said “Richard Parker”!

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Les Misérables (2012)

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Director: Tom Hooper
Writer(s): William Nicholson (screenplay), Alain Boublil & Claude-Michel Schönberg (book), Victor Hugo (novel) & Herbert Kretzmer (lyrics), Alain Boublil & Jean-Marc Natel (original: French text), and James Fenton (additional text)
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, and Eddie Redmayne
Rated: PG-13 (violence, some sexuality)
Sites: IMDb/trailer Official movie site

Musicals aren’t typically my thing, but that isn’t to say that I haven’t enjoyed a musical or two in my day. Usually I wind up really enjoying a music when I actually watch it. The problem, I think, is the initial appeal, getting myself to actually watch one.

How I cam about seeing Les Misérables was unsurprisingly somewhat unplanned. I went along with my girlfriend and her friend. Though I admit it would be unlikely I’d choose to see the film on my own, I was still very interested in the movie from some of the things I’ve seen.

As it turned out, I was glad I went to the film. What first got my attention was the opening scene. The huge ship full of prisoners backed by a thunderous soundtrack was a great way to open this larger than life film. I soon realized that while this certainly was a musical, it was going to be so much more.

The story follows Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) who’s spent several years imprisoned for a petty crime. He’s released on parole, but almost immediately breaks it in attempt to start a new life. His new journey leads him to become mayor and a reputable business man. When one of his workers, Fantine (Anne Hathaway), is forcefully thrown into the streets by a ruthless foreman and an unruly mob of coworkers. Fantine’s life suddenly goes down a dark path, leading her to take desperate measures to provide for her daughter, Cosette.

Valjean finds himself promising Fantine that he would care for Cosette on one fateful night. Little did he know, it was only the beginning of a new chapter of his life that would last for the next several years. The infamous Inspector Javert (Russell Crowe), who tormented Valjean during his days as a prisoner, has always been after Valjean since he broke parole and shows no sign of backing off.

Les Miserables 2012 movie review

The film combines so many different sub-plots and genres, there is really something for everyone. Over the course of the film’s timeline, we see everything from Cosette growing up, Valjean constantly evading capture, and ultimately the heat of the June Rebellion. There is action, drama, love, and even some comedy in there (thanks to Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter’s characters). The film does a brilliant job of spanning genres while being one giant tale made up of several different lives and events.

What really made the film stand out were the acting performances. The live singing is impressive enough, with its raw and realistic feel. But the acting felt truly genuine and full of emotion. It may sound like an exaggeration, but I honestly felt like the whole cast did a superb job that deserves all of the praise they are getting.

This is a film that needs to be seen, even by those, like me, who don’t think they like musicals. The film doesn’t seem like a musical at all. It is a solid drama where the dialog just so happens to be in song. A few minutes in, I didn’t really think of it as singing, but just accepted that it was simply how they spoke in the film. This is an exquisite display of filmmaking, acting, and music all combined to be one great experience.

While I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated this film, I will say that the longer runtime did start to be apparent halfway through for me. It’s not that the film was boring, I really was invested in what was going on, but scenes did tend to drag on at times. I attribute this to the song aspect, in that a scene that may only be a minute with normal dialog might go on for 10 minutes in Les Mis due to the songs. This is a price you pay for such a unique movie experience, however.

I was pleasantly surprised by this film, despite putting my ability to stay focused and alert to the test. While it isn’t necessarily a feel-good movie, it does provide a slice of life that, despite taking place in another era, has much relevance and humanity that everyone can appreciate and be affected by.

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Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The (2012) – High Frame Rate 3D review

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Director: Peter Jackson
Writer(s): Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, Guillermo del Toro, and J.R.R. Tolkien (novel)
Cast: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, and Andy Serkis
Rated: PG-13 (violence)
Sites: IMDb/trailer Official movie site

I’ve been looking forward to The Hobbit for a long time now. I am a huge fan of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and was very excited at the idea of experiencing another Middle-earth trilogy. On top of that, upon hearing of the early “High Frame Rate” (or HFR) screenings that have been garnering a lot of controversy, I had a lot more curiosity about director Peter Jackson’s latest fantasy epic.

The Hobit movie review

Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins

Luckily, my local theater was one of the few across the country actually running the HFR version in 3D. I was very eager to see what the fuss was about. I don’t often make a big deal about seeing 3D films, I’m not against them but only will pay the extra amount if I think the 3D would add something to the experience. For example, I thought Avatar in 3D really enhanced the world of Pandora and was a fine example of 3D done well. In the case of The Hobbit, under normal circumstances I most likely wouldn’t go for 3D, but the HFR is what had me interested.

Before I get into what I thought of the movie itself, I feel like I have to comment on the HFR 3D. At first impression, I was instantly mesmerized by the overall clarity of the picture. For those not familiar with HRF, the film is shot at 48 frames per second (fps) as opposed to traditional 24 fps. This difference was very noticeable for me. Not only where things clearer and pristine, but images seemed to move faster and with less distortion. The green landscape of the Shire stood out with every blade of grass showing great detail. The characters were especially lifelike, and watching the film was as if I was peering into a window and observing another world.

Many critics, well most as it would seem, have been really bashing this new format. Personally all I have to say is this: get over it. I love traditional cinema as much as the next movie fanatic, but this is a format designed to achieve a completely different movie going experience. Now if one is physically affected while viewing, that’s one thing, but simply bashing the format because it doesn’t look like a movie or too “video game-like” is a bit whiny. I’m likely going to buy The Hobbit on home video when it comes out, and it’s going to be a different experience than in the theater. Maybe I’m just more open to experiencing change when it comes to movies, but I don’t see the point getting upset about these things. Personally, I have to say I’m glad I saw the version I did, the experience was certainly unique and different and had many definite pros.

RIchard Armitage as Thorin

Richard Armitage as Thorin

Ok, rant aside, the film itself was actually a big surprise for me. Never having read the novel, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had heard that the film wasn’t quite as exciting as the original trilogy, but honestly I did not feel that was the case. The main and obvious difference between this film and the original trilogy is the different characters and storyline. Instead of Frodo and company, The Hobbit follows Frodo’s uncle BIlbo Baggins (Martin Freeman). Bilbo is approached by wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellan) and a group of Dwarves to take part in an adventure of his own. Really the difference is instead of a quest to destroy the ring, we jump back to a young Bilbo on a quest to assist some Dwarves, led by Thorin (Richard Armitage) in taking back their home land. I felt that the journey here had equal amounts of danger, excitement, and uncertainty as the Rings movies.

The film had all of the aspects I loved about the Rings films. The adventure was exciting, full of ugly, nasty, sometimes silly but more often scary, creatures and thrilling battles. The scenery was also breathtaking as one would expect, you really can’t get much more ideal that how they did it in terms of depicting the gorgeous and magical settings.

There is a lot of worry about how they’re going to manage to squeeze two more films about of the relatively short novel, but if the next installments are consistent with this one I can confidently say those worries can be put to rest. While it will be hard to top the Rings trilogy, these Hobbit films should offer the same spirit and adventure with a handful of new characters to get to know and love. While the HFR screenings may give the film some unfortunate controversy, we as fans should all be ecstatic that the world of the Shire can continue in a new trilogy of epic films that we can get submerged in.

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Headhunters (2012)

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Director: Morten Tyldum
Writer(s): Lars Gudmestad, Ulf Ryberg, and Jo Nesbø (novel)
Cast: Aksel Hennie, Synnøve Macody Lund, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, and Eivind Sander
Rated: R (gory violence, nudity)
Sites: IMDb/trailer Official movie site
Notes: Official Facebook

aka Hodejegerne

Headhunters movie review

I have always had a big interest in Scandinavian films. I don’t often come across them in my neck of the woods, but almost always I end up loving their films. Once I saw the trailer for the Norwegian film Headhunters, based on the novel by the increasingly popular author Jo Nesbø, I just had a feeling I would love it.

The film is introduced by its main character, Roger Brown (Askel Hennie), who gives us the insight into his life. One the outside, the relatively short man has a glamorous life complete with a fancy house, nice car, expensive suits, and a gorgeous wife (a breakout performance by newbie Synnøve Macody Lund). As they usually are, things are different behind the scenes for Roger. Aside from some issues with his marriage, Roger happens to also have the secret of being an art thief when he’s not doing his day job as a corporate headhunter.

Roger’s wife, Diana, happens to own an art gallery. As fate would have it, an acquaintance of Diana’s, Clas Greve (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) tells her about a very rare painting he is in the possession of. Upon hearing of this, Roger decides this is his next mark. Roger, along with his accomplice Ove (Eivind Sander) coordinate the heist. The situation turns out to be more than what Roger bargained for when its discovered Clas is a former mercenary and a big wig of a tech company that makes GPS tracking devices.

Headhunters movie review

The film’s sly sense of humor and charismatic lead immediately drew me into the picture, but I have to say once the action of the plot kicked in, I couldn’t turn away. I honestly didn’t expect the action the film had, and the several twists and turns it took. The movie just doesn’t let up, but it’s far more than just being about the action. The storyline is clever and exciting and the film does a great job of building on the characters and making us feel something for them.

Headhunters is yet another example of how the Scandinavians are doing something so right that Hollywood can’t seem to grasp. The movie was an exciting thriller while also having a well thought out plot and well written characters. What I really appreciated was the amount of dark humor the film had, which wasn’t arbitrarily added in, it naturally added some comic relief without being turning the film into a farce. There’s also the drama between the characters, especially Roger and Diana, that felt genuine and again built on our feelings towards the characters.

This film is likely my favorite of the year. It had it all: crime, action, plot twists, and the pacing was perfect. The film looks great and has a cool style to it, but it manages to pull of being a stylish flick without showboating or coming off as being full of itself. Headhunters is certainly a serious film, but it’s intelligent way of combining the many aforementioned traits keep it quite entertaining.

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Hugo (2011)

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Director: Martin Scorsese
Writers: John Logan (screenplay) and Brian Selznik (book)
Cast: Asa Butterfield, Chloë Moretz, Christopher Lee, Sacha  Baron Cohen, and Ben Kingsley
Rated: PG
Official movie site | IMDb/trailer

Hugo

I went into Hugo knowing very little about it, which can either be a really fun way to watch a movie or it could be a huge mistake. Luckily for me in this case, it was a great thing. The Martin Scorsese-directed family movie ended up being a great time at the movies with a fascinating, and partly true, story.

Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield) is a young orphan boy living alone after his father passes away (and later his uncle). He maintains the clocks within the walls of a Paris train station, stealing food as needed. He eventually meets a grumpy old man (Ben Kingsley) who owns a toy shop at the station as well as the man’s goddaughter (Chloë Moretz). The two youngsters go on a few adventures, one including an automaton left by Hugo’s father which he believes contains a message.

The few facts I knew about the film were mainly revolving around the fact that it was a family adventure movie. About half way through the film though, the topics of early film production and preservation come into play. Much reminiscent of Cinema Paradiso, Hugo has a lot of film spirit that any movie lover will appreciate. The scenes involving both clips of old movies and the characters’ memories and thoughts on film make the viewer appreciate what the movies are really about.

The acting is all-around well done. The surprise standout for me was Sacha Baron Cohen as the Station Inspector. The two young leads are just incredible and believable, and it goes without saying that Ben Kingsley did a wonderful job as the legendary Georges Méliès. There are also a few characters placed around the train station that make everything so much more realistic and inviting. From an older fellow trying to swoon a woman (even though her dog doesn’t approve) to a quiet and charming flower shop girl…there are small details and people that, while they seem minor, without them the movie wouldn’t be the same.

Hugo really is a fun movie and a great experience. I had no choice but to watch it in 3D at the theater, which I probably could have done without (though a few scenes did look awesome in 3D) but it still didn’t take anything away form the whole experience. The music, classic film clips, and performances are not to be missed. It’s got the spirit and enthusiasm that a family movie should have. This one really makes you not only appreciate film, but those close to you as well.

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