Friday, August 24, 2007

Amnesia or Alien Invasion?

I've recently caught two action movies, which is such a big change from my usual video fare. While one was better than the other, I still feel the genre is not value for money for my viewing pleasure. Action flicks don't excite me, which is odd given that they're packed with special effects and enough adrenaline rush tactics to raise one's excitement. But most of the time, I leave the theater bored.

In INVASION, a remake of the 1950s science fiction book and movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Nicole Kidman is the heroine out to save the world from alien invaders, represented by a gooey substance that creates facsimile of a person by tossing the soul out the mental window. Since I became a Daniel Craig fan (post-Casino Royale), I had to choose between watching a film with one actor I like and an actress I don't like. Cannot for the life of me understand why she continues to get major roles for acting that's as cold as a witch's tit. In Invasion, her relationship with DC is barely beyond platonic. Here's the review from Slate:
"She's aided by ... Dr. Ben Driscoll (Daniel Craig), a kind, hunky doctor whom Carol likes only as a friend (more evidence that she must have been body-snatched already: What flesh-and-blood earthling isn't attracted to Daniel Craig?)."

As NK and DC are also working in tandem on the movie remakes of the Philip Pullman series (the books were good, looking forward to the cinematic version), I'll have to suffer her acting for 3 more films.

With a modicum of interest in the last (one hopes) Bourne movie, the Bourne Ultimatum, I was reeled in by the good reviews and strong word of mouth. I had seen bits of the first chapter, and saw most of the 2nd, hoping that, like any good film, I wouldn't have to know all the details of the first and second to understand the third. And given the relative limited dialogue in any action film, the complexities of the relationships and the reason for his quest were not that hard to pick up. He does gain the information he seeks, retribution is attained, and there's hope at the end that perhaps a fourth film will be made. But I hope not. (Spoilers) What will he do now that he knows his real name? Go back to the Midwest and raise soybeans? Will we have to watch the Bourne Harvest? Meet the Bournes? Re-Bourne? Will he run away to save Nikki from her CIA black-op avengers who won't rest until all those who oppose them are dead? And doesn't it get a wee bit implausible that a man can turn a policecar turtle several times, get smashed on all sides and still walk away with barely a limp, nary a bloody bruise?

Over the next few weeks my next cinematic forays may include Hairspray, No reservations (although the reviews have been barely positive), and I hope we get Stardust; loved the Neil Gaiman book on which the movie is based. I can only hope it's half as good.

3 comments:

ChichaJo said...

Aw, c'mon M! He kinda had a small limp after that crash ;) Hahahaha!

I miss DC!

christine said...

"Bourne Harvest? Meet the Bournes? Re-Bourne?" Hehe I love that. I love a good action movie, the one that has me literally on the edge of my seat. It's so disappointing to hear the lukewarm reviews of No Reservations. I was really looking forward to it.

Watergirl said...

Joey, DC isn't as smooth in Invasion as he is in Casino, but i'm not going to complain. Just fast forward on the Nicole parts hehehe.

Nena, yes, most of the negative reviews seem to be around Catherine Z-J, but I hear abigail breslin does good in the part of the niece.

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