Starring William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes, Georgie Henley, Ben Barnes, Peter Dinklage, Eddie Izzard, Liam Neeson.
Written by Stephen McFeely.
Directed by Andrew Adamson.
PG for epic battle action and violence
Having enjoyed the first Narnia film, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, I had eagerly awaited Prince Caspian. Being a huge fan of author C. S. Lewis, I had the same trepidation I'd had with the first installment over the filmmakers' faithfulness to the original material.
Well, the book had maybe one fight in it and one battle. This movie has about a hundred fights and a half dozen battles. I don't think a single solitary scene went by in which someone didn't either draw a weapon or hit someone or both. It has little or no blood in it but the body count is as great or greater than that in Braveheart. Even the swashbuckling mouse, Reepicheep, cracks jokes then kills his opponents by cutting their throats. The kids in the audience are busy chuckling during the slashing bit, though, so I suppose it's all good. A decapitation replete with rolling head in another scene, however, offers no such distractions.
I've got no trouble with all this on the face of it. It's a sword and sorcery war movie, essentially. Soldiers die in these things. But this movie is marketed primarily to children and Disney and the MPAA are blatantly gaming the ratings system by not assigning this a PG-13 - blood or no blood.
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Monday, May 19, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
DVD - Saving Sarah Cain (B-)
Starring: Lisa Pepper, Abigail Mason, Soren Fulton, Danielle Chuchran, Tanner Maguire, Bailee Madison, Elliott Gould
Written by: Brian Bird and Cindy Kelley
Directed by: Michael Landon, Jr.
Buy it
This adaptation of Beverly Lewis' novel The Redemption of Sarah Cain is another commendable addition to the oeuvre of family telefilm producer/director Michael Landon, Jr. Taking great liberties with the plot of the novel, the picture turns the usual Witness-esque story of the 'English' trying to adapt to the life of the Amish on its head. It places the devout orphans of the protagonist's recently departed sister in the heart of a major city and explores the effect it has on their hearts and their family dynamic.
The beginning of the film is worrisome due to extremely clunky, high school drama level dialogue that sounds like it was cobbled from a book of newspaper office cliches. All the editor (played with sorely-needed light humor by Elliott Gould of M*A*S*H and Ocean's 11 fame) needed was a cigar to chomp on and he'd be straight out of a comic book.
Fortunately, things improve dramatically once columnist Sarah Cain starts interacting earnestly with her sister's children. Landon's skill at drawing convincing performances from talented kids is highlighted throughout the rest of the film and, by the end, YOU may want to adopt some of them! And leading lady Lisa Pepper (unsung star of Anthony Hopkins' indie film Slipstream) is frequently good and shows great potential for success. She's very easy on the eyes (it's part of the Hollywood equation, folks) and definitely plays well opposite children.
My favorite part may be the flashback sequence at the end. I won't spoil it for you but it's very appropriate to the character and is beautiful, ethereal, evocative, and expertly photographed and edited.
Final score: B minus
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
DVD - Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (A+)
Starring Jean Arthur, James Stewart, Claude Rains, Edward Arnold, and Thomas Mitchell
Screenplay by Sidney Buchman based on a story by Lewis Foster
Directed by Frank Capra
This is my favorite film of all time. I watch it every election eve.
It paints a surprisingly frank picture of the ugly nature of politics and begs for just one honest man to make a difference. James Stewart is flawless and absolutely irreplacable as that man - Jeff Smith. The stellar Capra stable of players from Jean Arthur to Edward Arnold to H. B. Warner are pitch perfect. But my special favorite may in fact be Claude Rains, who plays an honest man gone bad with such conflict and realism that he makes a potentially cartoon "villain" feel all the more palpably plausible. This is why "Mr. Smith" may be the ne plus ultra of idealistic films but it is not unrealistic. And I have yet to see any film sustain a half hour that matches this film's third act - the filibuster - in intensity and exaltation.
It's interesting to see how many amateur reviews reveal the film as a Rorschach test for viewers' political leanings. One sees it as taking a stand against the liberal Democrats in power at the time, another as raising an alarm against Republican business interests controlling corrupt politicians. That's funny, because I always thought the film was FOR something, that it was a monument to the American ideals of truth, justice, equality, and the common good - regardless of party.
One more thing: It disheartens me to hear comments about how "cheesy" this film is and how all the manners and idioms of 1939 make it unwatchable. I think these folks are incapable of appreciating any culture but their own. They would probably go to Spain and make fun of people that speak Spanish. Even though it's set in the US, this movie takes place in a different culture: Depression-era America. Back then, people knew when you were "full of hooey" and called you a "crackpot" to let you know it. That may sound funny to some today but our current slang will probably sound even worse in 70 years.
Final score: A+
Screenplay by Sidney Buchman based on a story by Lewis Foster
Directed by Frank Capra
This is my favorite film of all time. I watch it every election eve.
It paints a surprisingly frank picture of the ugly nature of politics and begs for just one honest man to make a difference. James Stewart is flawless and absolutely irreplacable as that man - Jeff Smith. The stellar Capra stable of players from Jean Arthur to Edward Arnold to H. B. Warner are pitch perfect. But my special favorite may in fact be Claude Rains, who plays an honest man gone bad with such conflict and realism that he makes a potentially cartoon "villain" feel all the more palpably plausible. This is why "Mr. Smith" may be the ne plus ultra of idealistic films but it is not unrealistic. And I have yet to see any film sustain a half hour that matches this film's third act - the filibuster - in intensity and exaltation.
It's interesting to see how many amateur reviews reveal the film as a Rorschach test for viewers' political leanings. One sees it as taking a stand against the liberal Democrats in power at the time, another as raising an alarm against Republican business interests controlling corrupt politicians. That's funny, because I always thought the film was FOR something, that it was a monument to the American ideals of truth, justice, equality, and the common good - regardless of party.
One more thing: It disheartens me to hear comments about how "cheesy" this film is and how all the manners and idioms of 1939 make it unwatchable. I think these folks are incapable of appreciating any culture but their own. They would probably go to Spain and make fun of people that speak Spanish. Even though it's set in the US, this movie takes place in a different culture: Depression-era America. Back then, people knew when you were "full of hooey" and called you a "crackpot" to let you know it. That may sound funny to some today but our current slang will probably sound even worse in 70 years.
Final score: A+
Thursday, March 29, 2007
DVD - Christy: The Complete Series (A)
Starring Kellie Martin, Tyne Daly, Randall Batinkoff, Stewart Finlay-McLennan, Tess Harper
Buy it
Synopsis: Based on the bestseller by Catherine Marshall, Christy tells the story of an idealistic nineteen year old who leaves the comforts of her city home to teach school in an impoverished Appalachian community in 1912.
Upon viewing this series again for the first time in more than a decade, I was reminded anew of how much I deeply loved and respected it and how bitterly disappointed I was that it was cancelled after one season. I had forgotten just how much I missed it.
On its surface, 'Christy' looked like a simple attempt by CBS to recreate the alchemy of its hugely successful hit 'Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman,' with frontier family drama, a benevolent-fish-out-of-water heroine, and a dash of romance. But it ended up being a great deal more than that. It took those elements and added two other critical ingredients. One is well-worn in television storytelling, the other treated like the third rail of commercial TV.
The series was extremely conscientious about treating the denizens of the fictional mountain community of Cutter Gap with respect and dignity even as it showed the negative side of their almost feral life. Christy Huddleston was constantly learning not to condescend to them, even though many of their ways were not only backward but patently self-destructive, even deadly. She consistently learned as much from them as they did from her.
Most surprisingly, the series addressed religion in an adult manner, making it an organic part of the story rather than a theme to visit every so often. Christy teaches school to the mountain children as part of her service as a Christian missionary. She and the other missionaries speak of God as a matter of course and discuss their faith in honest, practical terms. They have faults and address them inconsistently but determinedly. The agnostic local doctor frequently confronts them with questions (some honest, some not) about their beliefs and motives and they respond honestly, sometimes learning more about themselves and their faith in the process, and frequently give the doctor something to chew on as well. And unlike most television Christians, they discover the error of preachiness without recanting the truth they were preaching. This balanced, faith-with-boots-on approach was bracingly refreshing and downright exciting in 1994. Recent attempts to 'humanize' religious characters by essentially making them act like agnostics (Aaron Sorkin, take note) get it all wrong. 'Christy' got it as close to right as I've seen yet.
Enough praise cannot be heaped on the then-19-year-old Kellie Martin, who carried the series with the aplomb of someone twice her age. She makes Christy not only adorable but admirable. And Tyne Daly, who won another Emmy for this role, is a constant treat.
My only qualms with this release echo everyone else's. Double-sided discs are a huge no-no. Handling them with care is always problematic. The low resolution necessary to fit them on so few discs is not too evident on a conventional 25" TV but is downright depressing on a larger set or a computer screen. There are no extras. The discs deserve a C+ at best
Still, take this prize of a series any way you can get it. It's a fantastic find. Just be warned it ended on a cliffhanger that was, sadly, never resolved (except in an inferior TV movie with a different cast).
Final score: A
Sunday, March 11, 2007
DVD - Celtic Woman: A New Journey, Live at Slane Castle (A-)
Featuring Chloe Agnew, Orla Fallon, Lisa Kelly (PBA), Meav Ni Mhaolchatha, Mairead Nesbitt, Hayley Westenra
Buy it
Ever since they began conquering the world a couple years back (or at least the part of it that watches PBS) the Irish vocal troupe Celtic Woman has owned the top spot of the Billboard World chart, with each disc knocked off only by their own projects. This concert will only further entrench them in that position.
Even with those breakout CD sales, the core of their success has lain in their concert presentation. The CDs have been like talismans that invoke the concert experience and keep it fresh until you have time to sit and watch it again. But the stage is where they truly rule.
The first video, recorded at Dublin's Helix Theatre, was beautiful, ethereal, and occasionally almost spiritual. But "A New Journey" adds one more element: Fun! Only fiddler Mairead Nesbitt did any real moving and shaking in the original. The vocalists were - apart from gracefully walking up and down ramps - fairly static. This actually lent itself to the otherworldly quality of the show but also subtracted color from the ladies' personalities.
Well, they are alive and in living color in this show filmed outdoors at famed Slane Castle. The greatest benefit goes, hands down, to singer Lisa Kelly. More than the other vocalists, who hearken primarily from classical and traditional roots, Kelly's background is predominantly in musical theater. Her skills in dramatic presentation, audience connection, and dance are unleashed here and she absolutely relishes it. And Nesbitt? Her already energetic presentation takes off into the utterly dynamic.
This shift is apparent in all the performances. Meav Ni Mhaolchatha, only months removed from maternity leave, seems to find a whole new level of characterization and assurance and it suits her. And the addition of the nearly operatic Hayley Westenra gooses everyone's vocal game up another notch.
If I have a nit to pick on the concert, it would be that the setlist frontloads much of the new material and leaves you with repeats from the first video toward the end.
Something else I'm mulling: The crowd reaction shots that punctuated the PBS version are largely gone in this home video edition. That gives more uninterrupted screen time for the attractive ladies but it takes away some of the emotional energy generated by the visibly captivated and moved audience. As an example, here's the charming Lisa Kelly's performance of "Caledonia" from the PBS edition:
On the DVD. I sort of miss the people.
Overall, however, the concert video scores a solid A.
The extras are thin. There's a well-done "Making Of" featurette that explores the logistics of pulling off this massive production outdoors. But it contains little on the show's stars. And that's it, folks! Unlike the Helix DVD, there are no individual interviews with the ladies here. I'd give the extras a B at best.
Total DVD score: A minus
Buy it
Ever since they began conquering the world a couple years back (or at least the part of it that watches PBS) the Irish vocal troupe Celtic Woman has owned the top spot of the Billboard World chart, with each disc knocked off only by their own projects. This concert will only further entrench them in that position.
Even with those breakout CD sales, the core of their success has lain in their concert presentation. The CDs have been like talismans that invoke the concert experience and keep it fresh until you have time to sit and watch it again. But the stage is where they truly rule.
The first video, recorded at Dublin's Helix Theatre, was beautiful, ethereal, and occasionally almost spiritual. But "A New Journey" adds one more element: Fun! Only fiddler Mairead Nesbitt did any real moving and shaking in the original. The vocalists were - apart from gracefully walking up and down ramps - fairly static. This actually lent itself to the otherworldly quality of the show but also subtracted color from the ladies' personalities.
Well, they are alive and in living color in this show filmed outdoors at famed Slane Castle. The greatest benefit goes, hands down, to singer Lisa Kelly. More than the other vocalists, who hearken primarily from classical and traditional roots, Kelly's background is predominantly in musical theater. Her skills in dramatic presentation, audience connection, and dance are unleashed here and she absolutely relishes it. And Nesbitt? Her already energetic presentation takes off into the utterly dynamic.
This shift is apparent in all the performances. Meav Ni Mhaolchatha, only months removed from maternity leave, seems to find a whole new level of characterization and assurance and it suits her. And the addition of the nearly operatic Hayley Westenra gooses everyone's vocal game up another notch.
If I have a nit to pick on the concert, it would be that the setlist frontloads much of the new material and leaves you with repeats from the first video toward the end.
Something else I'm mulling: The crowd reaction shots that punctuated the PBS version are largely gone in this home video edition. That gives more uninterrupted screen time for the attractive ladies but it takes away some of the emotional energy generated by the visibly captivated and moved audience. As an example, here's the charming Lisa Kelly's performance of "Caledonia" from the PBS edition:
On the DVD. I sort of miss the people.
Overall, however, the concert video scores a solid A.
The extras are thin. There's a well-done "Making Of" featurette that explores the logistics of pulling off this massive production outdoors. But it contains little on the show's stars. And that's it, folks! Unlike the Helix DVD, there are no individual interviews with the ladies here. I'd give the extras a B at best.
Total DVD score: A minus
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