Watchmen

Watchmen by Alan Moore is probably my most favorite story of all time. Every time I crack open the pages, I find something I missed before. Personally, I think Zack Snyder did a brilliant job in the adaptation. His attention to detail was enough to make comic fans drool, but all of his significant changes to the plot really helped bring the story into the modern world, as well as make it more presentable and understandable to a new audience. One piece of criticism is voiced over and over again: male nudity. Some boys will never grow up. There is significant meaning behind Dr. Manhattan’s nudity – his complete departure from the human race and therefore modesty, for one – but there’s no use telling that to the gaping, embarrassed, intimidated brat heehawing in the front row.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is one of my favorite books, but the adapted film was pretty anticlimactic. I bought the DVD today and watched it for the first time since its summer release in theaters, and I pretty much had the same reaction – thrilled to see the book on screen, nit-picking through the changes made, and overall ending with shallow disappointment. The book was all about mystery and excitement and the realization that there is a dark force trying to take over the Wizarding world. Although I see those attempts made in the movie, they are very obvious attempts. I love the films dearly and I enjoy seeing how they adapt the book for screen, but this was the first film that really left me underwhelmed.

The Antichrist

Lars von Trier’s The Antichrist, starring Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg, is perhaps the most mind-bending film I have ever seen. I do not know exactly why he decided to entitle this work “The Antichrist”, but the themes of nature as evil and woman as evil-doer run through the plot in a surprising twist of modern thought. The entire story is psychological, sexual, violent, and compassionate to an extent beyond comparison. A friend of mine says these adjectives describe other Lars von Trier works, so I may have to look them up and do some research. If one is not opposed to graphic sex and gore, and one prefers “artistic” rather than “Hollywood”, I highly recommend this film.

The Fourth Kind

The Fourth Kind tried to be an interesting movie, and to a degree it achieved this. Throughout the film there is this interplay of the “documentary” video feed and the “film” – an interesting concept in itself, it at least led many audience members to believe that they were watching “real” footage. Mystery surrounds the alien race and you never actually see them, but their Sumerian voices somehow escape the mouths of humans. The film was based on “actual” abduction cases, but I remain very skeptical.

Lord of the Rings, Men in Black, and War of the Worlds

TNT spent a day showing Fantasy and Sci-Fi, the films including all three from the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Men in Black, and War of the Worlds. Of course, there's not mut to say about Lord of the Rings except to echo its awesomeness. Men in Black could be likened to the Fifth Element in its success derived from sci-fi themes mixed with contemporary pop culture. Will Smith is an icon of pop culture to be sure. As for War of the Worlds, I know it gets a lot of bad criticism from the audience, but I enjoy it. It seems any time a Sci-Fi film with enemy aliens does not end with the humans kicking their butts gets negative criticism. Look at The Knowing and The Day the Earth Stood Still. Then again, these films star Tom Cruise, Nicholas Cage, and Keanu Reeves (respectively), who all seem to get a bad review no matter their roles. For my part, I like all of the movies listed here.

The Fifth Element

I think this movie was so successful because of its combinations of sci-fi, futuristic technology and contemporary pop culture - of course, the addition of great comedy helps. Examples of these combinations include the anti-gravity cop car parked outside a McDonald's, a priest representing an alien nation, and a vacation resort on another planet. The archetypal bitter ex-militant (Bruce Willis) and the man relying on faith (the priest) are also expressed in the film.