Film Review: John Wick

If it's one thing action movies can teach us, it's that you don't mess with people who have nothing left to lose. John Wick hinges on the simple premise of a retired hitman who plows through the Russian mafia and leaves a mile-long body trail, all because they killed his puppy. And stole his ride. Somebody has to pay!

As silly this may sound, the film plays it all with a straight face, and it works because there is a good amount of heart to the setup. In the opening scenes, we see that this is more than the story of a man, his car, and his dog; it's the story of a loss and betrayal. Once the appropriate pathos is established, John Wick rises as the tough and skilled action hero we can root for. It doesn't take long for the butt-kicking to commence, but once it does, it's densely-packed, fast-paced, relentlessly-brutal, and very well-executed. Whether shooting, punching, stabbing, or running bad guys over, it is quite a rush to watch Wick descend into the criminal underworld and find payback.

As exciting and stylish as the film is, what really keeps it from falling into mediocrity is the title character. The film successfully evokes sympathy for Wick - the man who lost his wife, before losing everything else - and it provides a solid reasoning for why we should care about whether or not Wick succeeds. As the film goes on, Wick's journey takes him through a bizarre criminal world with its own set of rules, codes, and even currency. It turns out that it's a world Wick is already familiar with, and he has a history with most of the minor characters that pop up. Thus, the film unearths stark themes of how the past, present, and future are entwined.

This film is well-shot, with great-looking photography and editing. It is especially refreshing that the action scenes are solid and steady, with no fast-cutting or camera shake. I also think the color schemes and nighttime cityscapes lend the film a dark and grimy type of neo-noir appeal. Acting is fine for what it is; you may not think much of Keanu Reeves, but this film is proof that the man can act. His portrayal of John Wick is quite spot-on. And he can kick a lot of butt very impressively. Writing is not the best, but it gets the job done. This production has pretty good-looking sets, props, and costumes. Music choices, and the music score, feature really heavy beats and hard rock cues, and I found it awesome that way.

John Wick, much like A Bittersweet Life, is a dark crime movie with lots of action, but also a lot of emotional backing behind its characters. It's a simple story that's told well and features plenty of satisfying setpieces. Recommended for at least one viewing.

4/5 (Entertainment: Very Good | Story: Good | Film: Good)

Film: First Thoughts on Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

It's finally here:  the first teaser trailer for the next Star Wars film.  It's been almost ten years since the prequel movies were rounded off, fifteen years since they were first released, and 37 years since the original came out and rocked most of everybody's world.  Since the prequels, LucasFilm has left Fox and joined up with Disney, much the same way as Marvel left Fox and Sony to join Disney.  You might think it's weird for Disney, the company best known for animated classics like Mickey Mouse, would take the reigns for the Star Wars franchise.  Truth is, George Lucas probably can't ask for a better studio partner, given that Disney will leave creative control to him, but still provide a proactive role as producers, marketers, and distributors.  They are currently planning for a whole slew of new movies, which not only include Episodes VII, VIII, and IX, but also a number of spin-offs for all the different characters (such as Yoda and Boba Fett).  As for the next episode, Lucas has relinquished the director's chair to JJ Abrams, the man responsible for 2009's Star Trek and its sequel.  I know Abrams gets a lot of flack for his jittery camera work and use of lens flares (and fans have griped a lot about the storytelling decisions in the new Trek films), but if Super 8 was any indication, the man has a certain heart and energy that's on-par with the early works of Spielberg.  Letting Abrams direct may be the best decision Lucas has made of late, not only because Abrams will undoubtedly make an exciting film, but also because Lucas' direction has not been all that endearing; the prequels undoubtedly still leave a bad taste in people's mouths, due to the acting, writing, and massive use of CGI.

Even I will say that it's easy to get burned out on Star Wars.  I've always been a shameless fan, and I've ignored most of the movies' shortcomings up till now.  Only now will I admit that, yes, the prequels are rather bland, the acting is rather bad, the Ewoks are kinda dumb; I think it's only my personal maturity as a film viewer that has allowed me to put aside personal preference and recognize the films' critical shortcomings. Above all though, the whole saga has been spread so far and wide, across all manner of films, TV shows, books, games, and more, that it can become hard to get enthused about something that's been done and redone repeatedly.  All that being said, I do think the saga overall has been the brunt of a lot of undue hate, thanks to fans ravenously complaining about the prequels and changes in the original films, causing them to all cry out against George Lucas himself like he's the son of the devil or something.  Seriously, one of the sentences I hate the most is  "George Lucas raped my childhood," and it's regurgitated day after day across the Internet.  Although I understand the meaning - that a person's most influential childhood film has been defiled - I personally think it's flaky that one's entire childhood can be nullified by something new.  As I see it, childhood is an intangible essence that's come and gone, and can never be taken away from someone (unless we develop the technology to alter memories).

In light of the love/hate relationship people now have for Star Wars, I have no doubt that people will look at the upcoming film with reservations.  I do believe that we shouldn't have anything to worry about.  Lucas' role in the next film has been purely in the creative process, leaving the actual film-making to other hands; the things that made the prequels weak shouldn't carry over.  Folks may have their own reasons to hate Abrams' direction, but aside from how he handles the camera, I think we can all count on him capturing the same nostalgic magic that has been desired since the original films.  We can always count on the films looking good, with no expense spared on each set, prop, costume, vehicle, weapon, or special effect.  If there is anything to worry about it's where the story's going.  Rumors about the sequel trilogy have been floating around since the 80s, but from the few who've read the story treatments, the feedback has always been positive.  The real icing on the cake may be the return of the original cast and crew members - they may be aging a lot, but they will be familiar faces playing familiar roles, and they will undoubtedly stir up some kind of emotional fervor in all us fans.

Filming has been ongoing over the past year, with extreme secrecy and a lot of rumors floating around (the same tactics Abrams used in the Trek films to dissuade leaks; any rumors you read online should be dismissed as disinformation until you hear otherwise).  Finally, we have a first glimpse of the upcoming film, thanks to the following trailer:

My reaction to this trailer is naturally positive.  It's short and doesn't reveal much, but I personally prefer it that way, so as not to ruin too much of it all when I finally see the film.  I'm especially enamored by the way the camera focuses on a desert, before John Boyega's head appears (it's almost like the way The Good The Bad and the Ugly started off).  The look of panic on his face definitely warrants interest.  The scene with the X-Wings over water is a thing of beauty.  And, of course, the final shot of the Millennium Falcon is incredible.  It does prove that Abrams will use some pretty wild camera moves here, but I was personally impressed by the way the camera tracked it upside down and everything, while still giving us a good view of the ships' details.  It's exactly the kind of thing that made the original films so good - the slick combination of unique camera work, editing, and special effects.  That scene in the trailer generally reminded me of the Falcon's approach to Yavin IV, or the Death Star battle, all of which had pretty wild camera moves for their time.

Here are some more specific thoughts on what I've seen in this trailer:

• John Boyega's brief scene seems to suggest that he's in distress (some would even joke that he's really one of the troopers in the first film, still looking for those droids).  It may be speculation, but the current belief is that he'll be one of the main characters - a stomtrooper who defects and joins the main characters.  Could this mean that he's part of a unit that goes through some kind of traumatic event? Could it be connected to the next shot showing advanced stormtroopers on a dropship?
• I got to admit, the "football" droid is pretty weird.  Not sure what to think of that at this time.
• The design of the new stormtroopers look great; it's just like the classic design, but seems sleeker and more futuristic.  The question now is, can they actually shoot straight?
• Not sure who the woman is who mounts the flying hovercraft and takes off, but it is a cool-looking vehicle, and she looks like an interesting rough-around-the-edges character.  Could she be a merc? A bounty hunter? An assassin? A heroine? Just another working-class citizen of Tatooine?
• The shot with the robed figure seems to have caused some controversy, thanks to his bizarre lightsaber with the added blades on the hilt.  Many people are asking what the point and practicality of that is; others defend it saying that practicality in Star Wars is a moot point.  I personally do think it's a cool-looking lightsaber; it is something new and unique.  I also learned that it's been used before in other media.  The bigger question should be directed at the figure himself.  Who is he? Some have speculated that Darth Revan will be the villain of the movie.  Others have suggested Darth Plagueis.  In any case, it sounds like the Sith are definitely going to be the source of the overall conflict.
• The various designs of the pilots and X-Wings look on-par with the original films.  It is quite refreshing and exciting to see things match up with the older films (I've read plenty of people griping about how the prequels looked "too shiny and new").
• You may notice that the Millennium Falcon now has a square radar dish.  You might think that's odd, but do remember that the original dish was knocked off the dorsal hull while Lando flew inside the Death Star II.
• You may notice that the words "Episode VII" don't appear anywhere.  It remains to be seen whether those words will appear in the film's opening crawl (they most likely will), but the omission in the marketing will likely keep it in line with previous sequels (Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi never had episode numbers; they were really only needed in the prequels, to let people know that they are in fact prequels).  I personally like the way the secondary title squeezes in between the Star and Wars.

That's pretty much all we can extrapolate from this brief one-and-a-half minute clip.  There's still no telling how this new storyline will play out, but after thinking it over some more, I have my theories.  Given that all the trilogies up to now have followed the same basic pattern, then it may be safe to say that Episode VII will follow after Episodes I and IV.  Meaning, it will likely start with some kind of battle, causing a spaceship crash on Tatooine (it was confirmed in some news I read that a ship does crash on a desert planet).  Given that we see a troubled stormtrooper in the middle of the desert, perhaps it's the stormtrooper dropship that crashes or suffers some major incident, causing this specific trooper to desert and find help elsewhere on his own.  Maybe he'll group up with a bunch of new heroic characters.  Of course, the Falcon is seen flying over Tatooine, so maybe it's the ship that crashes (or maybe multiple ships crash, and the stormtrooper winds up allying with Han Solo and other heroes).  In any case, the heroes will undoubtedly gather on Tatooine, before taking off on some new adventure.  There are rumors that Luke Skywalker will become a Jedi so powerful that he can move mountains (which may be true, given that everybody in the original films claimed that he would be more powerful than Darth Vader).  He may even be a recluse up to this point (which seems to fly in the face of what's in all the books, but unfortunately, it is confirmed that the Extended Universe will be ignored for the next batch of films).  Above all though, I realize that the film will have to go above and beyond the normal scope of previous Star Wars films to confront the main antagonists who have always existed, but never really made a full-blown appearance.  The other movies have been about the rise and fall of the Galactic Empire; I believe this next film (and probably the two that follow it) will indicate that the Empire is just a small part of a larger Sith conspiracy to defeat the powers of good or light.  The most well-informed fans will know that Anakin Skywalker was actually the result of a Sith plot by Darth Plagueis, who manipulated life (midichlorians) to create "The Chosen One." Chances are that this will play into the next few stories to create an overarching conflict between good and evil.  This could be similar to the scope of Mass Effect, which started off small (colonies under attack), but eventually ballooned into a galaxy-wide struggle between various forms of life; I can easily see Star Wars going the same route, starting off with the galactic politics scene, but ballooning into a much larger struggle that will put earlier events into a new perspective.

I think it is exciting-looking stuff, I do believe Episode VII will be a great film to look forward to, and I already can't wait for next year when it comes out.  It remains to be seen whether general audiences will embrace the new film or not, but the film will surely make millions no matter what.  As the hype continues to build and I'll undoubtedly be geeking out over every other detail that emerges, I am confident that this will be one of the biggest movie events since Marvel's Avengers (although Avengers:  Age of Ultron will be a huge competing force next year).  I'm certain that I'll love Episode VII all the same, and I'm sure that other devoted fans will too.  It's an exciting time as ever to be a Star Wars fan.

Film Review: Interstellar

There always comes a time when children have to leave their parents. As children of the Earth, human beings may someday have to face a terrifying decision: leave mother Earth in search for a new home, or remain here to die. In the film Interstellar, mankind approaches this crossroad when the very dust of the Earth turns against us: a bleak future that mirrors the dustbowl, but on a global scale. As the film goes on, it becomes apparent that, thanks to the valor of the characters, we will not "go quietly into the night."

Space opera films are slow-burners by nature, and Interstellar is no exception. Although it runs more briskly than most, it still takes its time with the narrative. The first act is dedicated solely to the Earth-based drama (a bit along the lines of like The Right Stuff), which sets the scene and the necessity for the mission that follows. Once the characters reach space, the film's visual splendor emerges, offering stunning views of Saturn, of wormhole travel, of far-away planets, and more. The conflicts are subtle, but they come to a full boil towards the end, before the film delivers a really bizarre reality-bending twist. The denouement is ultimately satisfying, although it does leave off with a few loose strands that the audience will have to reconcile on their own.

What makes Interstellar especially noteworthy will be its creditability. Regardless of how far-out the plot goes, the film sports some very real-looking designs for the spaceships, robots, and Earth-based scenes. The depictions of black holes, wormholes, planets, and all their related phenomenon (including the laws of gravity, relativity, time, and extra dimensions) are handled far more realistically than most other films on the market. The film even manages to visually represent what a tesseract could look like; I personally never thought that extra-dimensional space could be portrayed on film at all, but Interstellar succeeds in a plausible manner.
Unfortunately, the experience may be spoiled for many by various issues. The film has a penchant for exposition, including detailed explanations of the science involved. There are moments where the music and sound design drowns out the dialogue. There are moments where characters act less than rational. The film also makes an overt attempt to really yank on the audience's heartstrings. Whether or not these same issues affect you may depend on your disposition on Christopher Nolan's other work (in which a lot of the same issues are apparent, especially in Inception), and the genre.

Despite those contrivances and script issues, I found the story to be quite impressive. It is a grand tale with a lot of big, high-concept ideas. The film's story meticulously weaves the characters, plot, and science in a tight knot. It is ultimately twisted around on itself to form a complex, but easily-digestible moebius strip of a tale. What makes it most endearing will be its characters, which show a tremendous amount of heart and emotional power, and the themes. The film makes some very bold assertions on human progress, suggesting that the stars hold our destiny, in addition to overarching ideas of love, life, and death.

The film is well-made, featuring quality photography. There are impressive visual moments throughout the film, but it's rarely frivolous. Sharp and quick editing ensures that the film uses only what it needs to for the storytelling. The actors do their jobs well: Matthew McConaughey is quite spot-on as the main character, and I enjoyed the performances of Anne Hathaway, and David Gyasi. I found Matt Damon's and Wes Bently's characters the least endearing, but not necessarily because of their performances. Michael Caine and John Lithgow are effectively typecast in their signature smart-old-guy roles. Despite all the clunky exposition, writing is pretty decent. This production has really functional and real-looking sets, props, and costumes. Special effects are phenomenal. Locales are great. Hans Zimmer's music score is majestic and powerful, and really adds to the experience. As noted before though, the mixing of the music, sound, and dialogue could have been done better in some scenes.

Not everybody will be captivated by Interstellar - some may find it dull, overrated, annoying, contrived, or something. As far as space operas go though, it is as strong of a film as Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, with themes and intellect that can rival Tarkovsky's Solaris. It is a natural evolution of Nolan's storytelling prowess, which he exercised previously in Memento and Inception. For its strengths as a story and film (and especially as a work of hard sci-fi), Interstellar is worth seeing at least once.

4.5/5 (Experience: Good | Story: Very Good | Film: Very Good)

Out of the Blue: Excerpt, Chapter 3

For this year's National Novel Writing Month project, I decided to try and draft a sci-fi detective story.  This is one of those ideas I had that molded into shape with no real plot or characters in mind, until later on; I always fancied that it could be interesting and fun to play around with the tropes and styles of hardboiled detective fiction.  I came up with a simple premise of a pair of brothers who are at opposite ends of the scale - one is a righteous clean-cut federal agent, and other an amoral rough-around-the-edges private investigator - and one day the PI is framed for the death of his brother.  From then on, he struggles to find the truth, which plants him in the crossfire of an intense conflict between powerful corporations.

The excerpt below is where the plot really kicks into gear - the PI had previously lost his gun while on a routine investigation.  He then met with his brother, the FBI agent, who warns him that his partner may be dirty.  This whole story represents a lot of experimentation on my part - it's my first time writing in present tense, and I find myself messing it up often.  I really wanted to use more slang in this story, but for now I'm sticking with a plain, straightforward prose (words can be swapped around in editing).  It may seem rather dry for now, but for a first draft, I think this scene turned out swell.  Hope you enjoy it!
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    It’s not a pleasant feeling knowing that there are people out there with your biometric data and your firearm, capable of planting it somewhere to implicate you for a crime.  I know it’s coming soon, and I need to keep moving to stay ahead of whoever is behind all this.
    When I return to my apartment/office, I find myself slumping in the chair behind my desk.  My legs are tired from so much walking, and the Californian heat makes me want to fall asleep.  Any motivation I had to keep moving suddenly vanishes, and my hand decides to move on its own, opening the bottom drawer of the desk to pull out a half-empty bottle of scotch.  I take a big, long gulp straight from the bottle, and I feel the smooth, burning liquid sliding down my throat.  I start to feel numb and loose.
    Moments pass, before somebody knocks at my door.  I check my phone, which connects to the camera I have mounted in the hallway.  I see a man standing there, flanked by two LAPD officers.  It must be Gabriel’s partner.
    I don’t bother to answer the door, hoping they’d assume I’m gone and leave on their own.  Instead, the federal agent plants a device over the door handle.  It slides a thin rod into the keyhole, and nanites expand out of it to fill up the lock.  The machine unlocks the door in about five seconds, and the man walks through with a look of triumph on his smug little face.
    Approaching my desk, the agent asks, “Marco Salinger?”
    “Yeah?” I say. “What’s the big idea, busting in here like this?”
    “When was the last time you saw your brother, Gabriel?”
    “Before I say anything, can I see some ID?” I demand.
    With an annoyed sigh, the man pulls out a small acrylic slide and holds it up.  A projection of the FBI seal appears, along with the agent’s name, grade, and credentials.  I read the man’s name – Agent Jay Schwab – before he tucks the device away.  He’s a young man, probably freshly-hired by the Bureau, no more than twenty-three years old.  He’s lean and fit, but he has a baby face that looks like it can be punched to a pulp easily.  His jet-black hair is neatly-combed and groomed, and his suit looks freshly-ironed and pressed.  He strikes me as a total newbie, with an air of arrogance and self-righteousness.  I’m certain this must be Gabriel’s partner, and I find it easy to believe that he can be corrupted and coerced as easily as Gabriel feared.   Jay just looks like a pathetic little snob.
    Jay says, “I work with your brother.  Do you know where he is now?”
    “Nope,” I answer.  And it’s true; Gabriel could be on Mars for all I know.  After meeting with him at Century City, we parted ways, totally oblivious to each other’s whereabouts.
    “When did you see him last?”
    I lie this time, telling the snotty agent, “It’s been months; I haven’t seen Gabe since mom’s funeral earlier this year.  You’re in the Bureau, why don’t you tell me where my good-for-nothing brother is?”
    “Well, I can tell you that.  We found him at Santa Monica, on the beach.”
    “So, he decided to take a walk.  Good for him.”
    “You shot him in the back, while he was taking that walk.  Your gun was found at the scene, with your fingerprints on its handle and all over Gabriel’s jacket.  I’m sure that a simple DNA test will place you at the scene.”
    And with those words, the prophecy is fulfilled; whoever stole my weapon has truly also stolen my fingerprints and DNA, and used them to set me up for my brother’s murder.  I feel sick in my stomach.  I would have expected a random stranger or somebody I never heard of to get shot with my weapon – but Gabriel, I never expected anybody to have the gall to shoot a federal agent and get away with it.  But with the evidence stacked against me, the real killer has committed the perfect crime.
    Jay is in on it, I’m certain.  Gabriel suspected him, and looking at the young agent’s face, I’m also convinced that the smug twerp is being paid off.  I can’t arbitrarily accuse or attack him with the LAPD escorts, and without evidence.  I realize how badly this sucks, because Jay and the law have all the evidence to put me away for good, and I have no way to prove my innocence.
    Pulling his phone out, Jay flashes a document on the screen:  an arrest warrant.  He says, “Marco Salinger, you’re under arrest for the murder of Gabriel Salinger.”
    The two cops start to make their move, pulling out their titanium handcuffs.  As they close in, I realize that once those cuffs are put on my hands, I’ll be powerless.  Even if I do go in quietly and peacefully, and get a good attorney, there’s no way to disprove the hard evidence planted against me.  I have only one alternative:  resist arrest, get the hell off the grid, and figure this out myself.
    Like an animal backed to a corner, I feel a burst of adrenaline that punches through the drowsiness from the heat and liquor; I immediately seize the bottle of scotch and smash it against the nearest officer’s head.  The bottle shatters and the liquor pours over the officer, drenching him.  A big gash appears on his forehead, oozing blood.  He shouts in pain, but I kick him in the gut to knock him to the ground.
    The other officer comes around the desk and tries to flank me.  He goes for one of my arms; I pull back and grab one of his arms.  Flipping his hand down, I get him to latch one end of his handcuffs to his other arm.  Thrashing his free arm up, he hits me in the face, and I stumble backwards into the wall.
    Jay pulls out a gun and points it at me.  It doesn’t scare me:  I’ve dealt with plenty of creeps on the street before, and I even took bullets from all kinds of guns.  Sure, they hurt and they get messy, but aiming is everything.  In tight quarters, with so much commotion, Jay’s aim couldn’t be worth jack s#!t, even if he had any kind of fancy FBI training.
    I lunge at the agent sideways, ramming myself into him with my shoulder.  The gun goes off, and a single bullet cuts through the air and hits the wall behind my desk.  With my weight bearing down on him, I slam him into the floor and slug him in the face.  Blood spurts from his mouth, but somehow there’s still a stupid little smile on his face.
    The cop approaches me from behind; I fling my foot backwards and kick him in the gut.  He falls backwards on my desk.  I turn to face the policeman, but he rebounds off the desk fast and throws his fist into my face.  It feels like a brick hitting my jaw; there’s a sudden throb of pain, and a sharp flash of red across my vision.  He grabs my hand, intending to handcuff me, but I yank it away and punch him in the gut.  When he keels over, I grab his arm with the handcuff, and latch the free end of it to his leg.  With his arm attached to his leg, the officer is stuck in place, bent over awkwardly.
    Turning, I see Jay climbing to his feet with his gun in his hands.  I kick him in the @$s, knocking him back to the floor.  With a sharp kick to his hand, I knock his gun free, and pick it up.
    Glaring up at me, the agent says, “Resisting arrest, and your failure to acknowledge the charges, confirms your guilt.”
    It’s true that the Miranda rights were abolished some years ago, and if I was smarter I would have denied all charges before making my move.  What’s done is done though, and I need to move fast.  I quickly move to a closet across the room, and open up a box I have hiding there.  I pull out a wad of emergency cash.
    Jay stands back up, but I point my gun at him.  When he puts his hands up, I tell him, “It’s true I hate my brother, but I didn’t kill him.  Somebody stole my gun and my biometrics, and I think you have something to do with it!”
    “I am a federal agent,” Jay defends. “Gabe was my partner.  Has been for months.  I’m more of a brother to him than you ever were.”
    It’s bulls*#t and I know it; Gabriel told me himself that he suspected Jay.  But Jay doesn’t know that I met with Gabriel already, and I even have a card full of FBI intel that may give me some answers.  Of course, Jay can’t know I have the card; he might spin it as motivation for killing Gabe.
     All I tell him is, “You’re full of it, and I’m going to find out what’s really going on.”
    “Come on, you can’t deny the evidence,” Jay says, stepping closer. “Just give me the gun–”
    I can tell that he’s reaching to disarm me, so I shoot.  The bullet cuts through his hand, drilling a bloody hole through it and exploding out the other side.  Jay shrieks loudly, clutching his arm, his eyes wide in disbelief.  I leave him there, busting through the door and running out of the building.