Franchise Reviews: Star Wars - A New Hope

Well, I figured I might as well start with the first movie. And by that I mean A New Hope, or just Star Wars for the those purists out there.

I think everything about this movie has been said. There's a war between a Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire, the Empire has a WMD called the Death Star, and the rebels have managed to steal the data tapes for it. Did I mention this was the Seventies?

Anyway, Princess Leia (played by Carrie Fisher) is about to get captured by the sinister Darth Vader and entrusts the plans to C3P0 and R2D2, a pair of bickering robots who end up in the possession of Luke Skywalker, a young farmer played by Mark Hamill. Luke embarks on a quest to bring the plans to the Alliance with the help of the old mentor figure Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness), cynical smuggler Han Solo (Harrison Ford), and his co-pilot Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew).

Despite the relatively simple plot, this film came out at a time when Hollywood's creative classes had the most creative control, yet it stood out amongst the rest. The Escapist's film critic Bob Chipman described this film as 'a bizarre dream project which combined mythic fantasy, samurai melodrama and pulp sci-fi". But does it hold up? I think so, despite a couple of flaws, most of which is nitpicking, but I'll try and go for the most glaring issues. Luke does get a bit whiny at times and Leia's British accent seems a bit off (definitely Liverpool). Plus, she does seem to take that whole "planet being destroyed" business rather well (which was satirised in Robot Chicken). Not to mention that C3P0 seems to make a couple of stupid choices, but I suppose he's out of his element. George Lucas is both writing and directing this one, so the acting and dialogue is wooden at times, but there are still plenty of notable quotables.

Then again, I love the imagination, with the ship designs and the aliens in Mos Eisley, and the main characters are suitably heroic to keep me interested. Not to mention there is some great action scenes, whether it's Luke and Han blundering their way through the Death Star to rescue Leia, or the climactic space battle at the end. That trench run scene always feels tense every time I watch it.

I suppose I'm letting nostalgia take up too much of this. Then again, the fact that such an experimental film with a cast of virtual unknowns (with the exception of Alec Guinness and Peter Cushing) was able to do so well is an impressive feat. Although I suppose the merchandising had something to with that. 

"Where the real money is made".

Overall, it's a fun sci-fi adventure that's a great little time-waster.

Franchise Reviews: Star Wars

Since I watched and posted reviews of all the James Bond films back in October, I figured I might see what other film franchises I could do the same with. With that in mind, I heard there's a new Star Wars film out. I haven't seen it yet. I was going to, but then a stomach bug got in the way. Karma can be a massive tosser sometimes.

So while I make a recovery and wait for another date to watch the new film, I figured I might pass the time by watching the original trilogy. The version I'm specifically looking at will by the 2004 DVD trilogy. It's not the best, but they did straighten out some of the more controversial changes of the 1997 Special Edition films.

Granted, there might be a fair few retrospective reviews coming out around this time, but I figured I might throw in my two cents as well.

James Bond Marathon: SPECTRE

Well, I'm 22 years old now, and is there better way to spend a birthday than watching the new Bond film on the day of its release? Well, apparently there is. But when you make a promise to the Internet you have to keep it.

The film starts with Bond in Mexico, foiling an attack on a stadium by blowing up somewhere else. After the unfortunate international incident that follows, M suspends Bond while trying to cope with a new merger orchestrated by Moriarty from Sherlock. Then a bunch of other stuff happens which results in Bond encountering a criminal organisation called SPECTRE, headed by Christoph Waltz.

This film seemed all over the place. It's like they couldn't decide whether or not they wanted to have a mindless action film or to try and explore the psychology of Bond. Yeah, it's a bit convoluted. I came into this film expecting something among the lines of Tomorrow Never Dies; the previous film was asking the question of Bond's relevance in an age of digital surveillance, so this film could decide the answer was "Yes." and go back to basics.

Christoph Waltz had the potential to be a great Bond villain, but I don't think he was able to pull it off. His character just didn't seem to bring the best of his talent out. Meanwhile, Léa Sydoux plays the girl of the week Madeleine Swann. Unfortunately, any interesting character development she expects devolves into playing the damsel.

To be honest, I think the real hero of this film is Q. He seems to save the day in the end, and he brings some great jokes into the film.

In conclusion, I found this film to be a rather disappointing one. Unless you're also planning to marathon all the films, you can probably give this one a miss.

Now, I'm off to see if I can upstage Sam Smith by doing a cover of the song he wrote for this using a party blower. And no, I'm not going to record that so don't ask me to.

James Bond Marathon: Wrap-up

My overall view of the James Bond films was that it got a bit formulaic after Goldfinger. I still think that's the case, but I have found they have still managed to have a lot of variety with this formula. Having said that, this null hypothesis does mean that I can find the more down-to-earth stories a very welcome break.

I think that the variety would stem from how distinct each version of Bond is. Sean Connery is great for setting up the groundwork, while Roger Moore was able to give the films a sense of fun and clever light-heartedness (for the most part). Meanwhile, I also enjoy the gritty realism brought to the table by Timothy Dalton and Daniel Craig. But while Dalton tries to maintain this within the formula, Craig more or less does as he pleases. Pierce Brosnan was able to balance the grittiness and light-heartedness, providing fun for all the family. I sometimes wonder what it might have been like if George Lazenby stayed in the role. He seems to be trying to emulate Connery, and didn't have enough time to truly grasp a character.

Anyway, I think I should include some kind of countdown of top 5 and bottom 5, so here goes:

The Tops:

5) The Spy Who Loved Me

4) The Living Daylights

3) For Your Eyes Only

2) GoldenEye

1) From Russia With Love

The Bottoms:

5) A View to a Kill

4) Diamonds are Forever

3) The Man with the Golden Gun

2) Moonraker

1) Die Another Day

I'll let you argue my decisions and plug in the gaps as you see fit.

As for the upcoming SPECTRE; I probably won't be able to see it right away, but when I do, you can expect me to do a post about it.

I hope you enjoyed these short reviews, and I'm sure I can think of something else to blog about if the fiction's slow. Until next time.

James Bond Marathon: Skyfall

I really can't decide whether the best film of the Craig era is Casino Royale or this one.

An MI6 safe-house in Istanbul has been raided, so Bond is trying to stop the perpetrator from escaping with a list of deep-cover agents working in terrorist groups. Following an action-packed chase culminating in a punch-up on a train, Bond is accidentally shot by his partner Eve, played by Naomie Harris, and falls off a bridge.

Three months later, Bond has been declared 'missing presumed dead', and M is under fire from her superiors in the government, especially Lord Voldemort. Following a bombing at the MI6 headquarters, Bond comes out of a drunken semi-retirement and returns to London. After being (incorrectly) declared fit for duty, this time without seducing any physicians, he is assigned to find out who is responsible for the attack. A trail from Shanghai to Macau soon identifies the culprit as Mr Silva, an ex-MI6 agent from M's past, played by Javier Bardem.

This film is very similar to GoldenEye, as it is once again examining Bond's purpose, this time in a digital age. However, it takes it a step further by examining M's relevance too. At the same time, they bring back some of the more classical elements of the films. We see the return of Q, now played by Ben Whishaw, but he doesn't have any exploding pens. Also returning is Miss Moneypenny.

Daniel Craig is certainly playing a very flawed Bond. He's a physical wreck, barely able to contend with the work he's going through, and soon finds himself questioning his loyalties. But the real star of the show is Mr Silva. He is diabolical while assuming a very flamboyant persona. I'm not the greatest fan of camp characters, but he pulls it off very well. It's certainly different from his performance in No Country for Old Men, but Mr Silva and Anton are villains I'd equally fear.

There is a great action-packed prologue, along with a climax at Bond's ancestral home. And the ending is very poignant.

This might be one of my favourites. Let's see how the next one fares.

James Bond Marathon: Quantum of Solace

Hmmm...not too sure about this one. I've heard it to be regarded as a bad Bond film, but I can't really see why.

The film essentially carries on from where the last film left off, in which Bond has captured Le Chiffre's employer, known only as Mr White. And no, he's not played by Harvey Keitel, but by Jesper Christensen. Anyway, he soon escapes from MI6 custody with the aid of a traitor who is promptly killed by Bond. He soon identifies the traitor's contact as environmentalist Dominic Greene, played by Mathieu Amalric, who is plotting to aid an exiled Bolivian general stage a coup. Oh, and there's a girl of the week who wants to kill the general to avenge her parents. That's on top of Bond being motivated by revenge for the death of Vesper.

The overall story is very similar to Licence to Kill, with a predominately South American setting and Bond seeking revenge. However, I think it does work a little better thanks to Bond being on official business this time. Then again, that scenario still might have more potential, but I'm fine with it. Although I'm not too sure about Dominic Greene's motives. It seems a little contrived.

Odd plots aside, the action is still great. There's a great gadget-free car chase at the beginning, along with a pulley-fight not long afterwards. So, why wouldn't people like this film? Perhaps it's Daniel Craig. He gets some of the coldest moments in the history of the character in this film. That's fair enough, as he's supposed to be closer to the Bond of the books. But the Bond of the books would be wincing at some of his actions.

That's about it. I'll just say "It's good. Not Great."

Hang on, the environmentalist villain certainly does recycle elements and imagery from the older films.

Sorry, I'll go now. I've only got one film left to do.

James Bond Marathon: Casino Royale

Well, after the utter train-wreck that was Die Another Day, the powers that be decided to reboot the franchise. So, we have a new James Bond played by Daniel Craig and an official adaptation of the first Ian Fleming novel.

The film begins with Bond killing a corrupt MI6 officer following a brutal fight with his contact in a public toilet. Carrying out these killings gets him promoted to the 00 Section which grants his Licence to Kill. Later, he kills a bomb-maker in Madagascar and traces his employer to the Bahamas, allowing him to prevent a terrorist attack in Miami. Following this, M sends him to Montenegro to play in a high-stakes poker tournament against Le Chiffre, a terrorist banker played by Mads Mikkelsen who had funded the attack. While there, he falls in love with Vesper Lynd, his treasury contact played by Eva Green.

I originally saw this film in the cinema back in 2006, and I have to admit that I didn't like it. Maybe because The Phantom Menace had made me sniffy about prequels, or that I hadn't really warmed up to the direction the franchise was going. However, I saw it again a few years later after reading some of the books, and it has grown on me. Daniel Craig plays a much more reckless and inexperienced Bond, who often lets his overconfidence get the better of him. This kind of attitude makes the calm and calculated Vesper stand out compared to previous girls of the week. And the action is still great, with free-running chases across a building site and a car chase through an airport, this time without any fancy gadgetry.

Overall, this is a great film, especially if you've read the books. I'm actually surprised that they managed to create a faithful adaptation while simultaneously expanding it and updating the setting to a more modern (and politically correct) time.

That's about all I have to say. Until next time.

James Bond Marathon: Die Another Day

I think Pierce Brosnan should have quit while he was ahead.

Bond is on a mission to eliminate Colonel Moon, a rogue North Korean general who is trading weapons for conflict diamonds. Unfortunately, Bond's cover is blown by an unknown traitor and he is imprisoned and tortured for fourteen months as the audience is tortured by an awful Madonna song. Anyway, after being exchanged for a North Korean war criminal named Zao, he is dishonourably discharged by M. Eager to redeem himself, he tries to conduct his own investigation from Havana to London to Iceland, leading to billionaire playboy Gustav Graves, played by Toby Stephens.

However, Graves is planning something nefarious with a satellite named Icarus and...hang on a minute, this all seems familiar. Meanwhile, Bond finds himself involved with two girls of the week: NSA agent Jinx, played by Halle Berry, along with Miranda Frost, an undercover MI6 agent played by Rosamund Pike.

I think I've established early on that I hate this movie. It's a shame, because it starts out really well (electro-pop aside) with an action-packed hovercraft chase and some good drama. Unfortunately, they had to go and spoil it. Jinx is supposed to be Bond's equal, and she does prove herself several times, but her dialogue is comprised entirely of double-entendre that's cheap even by James Bond standards. I guess they were saving up for the CGI budget. Once the action goes to Iceland, we get an invisible car, a mech suit, and a Bond car battle between Bond and Zao.

Christ, I really nitpicked this one. But these are some serious issues. I was willing to accept a Lotus that turns into a submarine, an Aston Martin with a rocket booster, and a BMW that's remote controlled. But an Aston Martin that can turn invisible to the human eye might be a step too far. Although I will give credit to the relics in Q's lab. After all, the film franchise was 40 years old at this point. Why not bring a few memories?

All in all, it had a promising start, but the film was let down by science fiction elements more suited to Metal Gear Solid than James Bond, and a story that was more or less a remake of Diamonds are Forever (which I also didn't like).

40 years on and this was one of the lowest points in the franchise. So much so that Pierce Brosnan had to wash his hands of the role with an even more embarrassing one.

James Bond Marathon: The World is Not Enough

Hello, John Cleese.

Following the assassination of Sir Robert King, an oil tycoon and old friend of M, Bond is assigned to watch over his daughter Elektra, played by Sophie Marceau.  Elektra had previously been kidnapped by anarchist Renard, played by Robert Carlyle, who survived an assassination attempt which has left him unable to feel pain. Anyway, Renard is back and plotting to steal plutonium while targeting Elektra again. Bond must investigate with the aid of nuclear physicist and alternate girl of the week Christmas Jones, played by Denise Richards, but soon suspects that his charge isn't all that she seems.

This one seems up and down. There is some great action, like a boat chase across the Thames ending at the Millennium Dome, a ski chase with parahawks, and an attack by logging helicopters. I also think the twist is a good one for your typical spy thriller. Robbie Coltrane also makes a welcome return as Valentin.

Christmas Jones seems interesting enough, but she doesn't seem to do that much other than spout technical exposition. However, my biggest issue is with Bond. At the beginning, he falls from a hot air balloon and dislocates his shoulder, but seduces the MI6 physicist into clearing him for duty. This gives him an opportunity to be a handicapped badass. Sometimes they use this, but other times they just ignore it. You need to be consistent with something like that.

This one seems like a generic run-of-the-mill Bond film, although they did try something different. They just could have executed it a little better.

One other thing before I wrap this up; this was the last film in the series to feature Desmond Llewellyn as Q, as the actor was killed in a car accident after the film's release. However, it's discussed within the film that Q was retiring and is grooming a replacement, John Cleese as R.

Well that's about it. The calm before the storm, as I know how much of an utter headache the next one is. So much so I plan to justify a mistake I made at the beginning of the marathon.

James Bond Marathon: Tomorrow Never Dies

It's about time somebody put Rupert Murdoch in his place.

The prologue takes place on the Russian border, where 007 is infiltrating a terrorist bazaar and witnesses the exchange of an American GPS Encoder. Unfortunately, a sudden naval strike forces him to steal a jet carrying tactical nukes and get into a dogfight while flying with his feet. Anyway, he is soon assigned to thwart the plans of unscrupulous media baron Elliot Carver, played by a very hammy Jonathan Pryce, who seeks to engineer a war between the UK and China for the media coverage.

I guess after GoldenEye's exploration of Bond's relevance following the end of the Cold War, the powers that be decided the answer was "Yes" and opted to go back to basics. So, we have a somewhat generic and formulaic action flick that goes from Hamburg to Saigon, as Bond finds himself cooperating with Chinese agent and girl of the week Wai Lin, played by Michelle Yeoh. Also present is Teri Hatcher as Paris, Carver's trophy wife and an old flame of Bond's, but she gets about three scenes.

Carver is your typical megalomaniac Bond villain, who manufactures his news stories to get maximum coverage, but his methods are more than underhanded. He sinks a British destroyer in the South China Sea and has his brute Stamper gun down the survivors. Christ, there's phone hacking and then there's that.

But is that megalomania a bad thing? Not at all. It's what makes him so memorable. That, along with a few action scenes like an infiltration of his paper, a car chase through a multi-storey car park with a remote-controlled BMW, along with Bond and Wai Lin escaping on a motorcycle while handcuffed together.

All in all, it's a good film, with adrenaline-pumping action scenes and an easy story to comprehend, but it's not as great as the previous instalment. Then again, that was a hard act to follow.

James Bond Marathon: Goldeneye

This was one of the first Bond films I ever watched, stemming from knowledge of the Nintendo 64 title. Who remembers that gem?

The prologue involves Bond, now played by Pierce Brosnan, infiltrating a chemical plant in Russia with fellow 00 Agent Alec Trevelyan, played by Sean Bean. Unfortunately, Trevelyan is captured and executed by Colonel Ourumov, played by Gottfried John, and Bond escapes before the plant is destroyed.

Nine years later, Bond is on a mission in Monte Carlo to observe Xenia Onatopp, played by Famke Janssen, a suspected member of the Janus crime syndicate. Xenia is there to steal an experimental helicopter with EMP shielding, which is used to steal a secret Russian weapon satellite known as GoldenEye. Bond travels to St Petersburg to find Janus and determine his motives, in order to prevent the GoldenEye from being misused. He is aided in his mission by CIA agent Jack Wade, played by Joe Don Baker, ex-KGB agent turned mobster Valentin Zukovsky, played by Robbie Coltrane, and GoldenEye programmer Natalia Simonova, played by Isabella Scorupco.

This is a great film, with some fantastic action scenes like the tank chase. It also explores Bond's purpose, both as an agent after the Cold War and as a womanising scoundrel in an age of political correctness. Natalya is a pretty cool character. She's crafty, she thinks on her feet, and she's the one who ultimately saves the day.

If there is any real issue I have, it's that the GoldenEye seems rather destructive for an EMP, but that's kind of minor.

So yeah, not much to really say, other than that nostalgia aside, it still holds up as a strong movie. And 007 is still relevant.