jemcgarvey Reviews

Cargo (2009)

Riveting.

[8/10 · 24 April 2010]

Most lower budget films are good for a laugh or two, or offer a simple thriller/slasher fix, but Cargo is extremely impressive. It reminds me of what I had hoped for in event horizon, but doesn't take the downward spiral into the realm of "hell in space" nonsense. Aside from some minor flaws in pacing (why do the main characters seem to grow immediately intimate without any real interaction), the characters are almost entirely fascinating. I found myself interested in what happened to them rather than the usual "well he's going to get offed and no mistake" of space thrillers.

The other major aspect that I thoroughly approved of is that the characters are all believable. In standard thriller fare (from your generic zombie flick to something like Pandorum), the anti-heroes always seem to be completely irrational. It is very frustrating to try and take a film seriously when characters are constantly betraying others for no other reason than to "create drama". In Cargo, the characters all act rationally according to their motivations which are revealed as the plot unfolds (no spoilers). The drama is refreshingly natural, and leads to a very satisfying and thoughtful experience.

I also second the praise of the audio work. This film's soundtrack (I screened it with the DTS core track) is very crisp and positionally accurate, and the ominous sounds of the machinery blends together very smoothly with the musical score.

I would give it 9-10 stars if it weren't for some slight awkwardness in dialog and the obvious limitations of cgi (overall, the visuals were superb, but there are some scenes where the animation is evident to an observant eye).

Avatar (2009)

Audio/visual splendor but without character development expected of Cameron

[7/10 · 13 January 2010]

I was quite impressed with the audio/visual aspects of the film, the creatures and scenery, but I was really let down by the story. I mean it sort of had a "The New World" feel to it in my eyes (which I liked) but the characters never got the chance to develop very far, and seemed to get lost in the physical action. The ex-Colonel was as shallow a meat-head as they come, and it seemed a little contrived how far he went with his vendetta against the Na'vi. I guess it does make more sense if you realize that they are contractors, not military, and have a mercenary mindset.

Overall, my greatest satisfaction was in seeing that the animated characters displayed excellently the actors' facial expressions and gestures. My biggest fear was that (as in many CG films) the characters would have action figure syndrome, and look goofy. However, I found that it wasn't hard not only to sympathize with, but to actually feel an attachment to these characters who were completely animated and not even human.

Terminator Salvation (2009)

Plot: down 2 points, Audio: up 10

[9/10 · 22 November 2009]

I was lucky enough to screen this in a newer AMC theater. McG's audio department has, in my opinion, raised the bar on soundtrack and audio effects quality. I was absolutely blown away. The first scene where Marcus and Kyle are hunted by a large terminator is now my primary track for benchmarking home theater systems.

I also agree with the comments about "Rooster"; it was a clever way of tying in the world of Terminators with our own society.

Overall, I was thoroughly impressed. Christian, Sam, and Anton give exceptional performances, and Michael Ironside is a classic touch. The story wasn't as impressive as Terminator 2: Judgement Day or the original Matrix, but sequels rarely can rival their genre originals. I rate this 9 stars because there is room for improvement, but it is also quite underrated by a public which takes fluidity of action, interesting characters, and pristine audio for granted.

Generation Kill (2008)

I'm glad they're doing this right (mostly)

[10/10 · 15 July 2008]

I'm also glad there is no music. Music (though moving) would have taken away the grit to this story and given it a more artificial feel. It's amazing how much of the dialog and situations are straight from the book, and how perfectly spot on they are showing Recon Marine culture.

I'm glad Rudy and Kocher got to play themselves. Though I only personally know Pappy out of these characters, it's obvious they are working as hard as they can (within Hollywood's tradition) to portray it as it happened. I hope they continue this series at least until the end of the invasion. I can't wait to see the action at the bridge and the other ambushes.

Oh, and the Sgtmaj. harping on grooming standards during combat operations is so hilarious because it's so true!