polarcola Reviews

Scream 4 (2011)

"The first rule of remakes: don't f*** with the original"

[8/10 · 13 April 2011]

I literally just came back from a midnight screening of this and I had an amazing time. Craven's managed to reclaim the franchise with a worthy instalment that's a fantastic sequel as well as a quality slasher film in its own right. Honestly speaking, there aren't too many surprises to be had in Scream 4. No matter how mordantly self-aware the movies are (and believe me, Scream 4 gets a little tediously indulgent in its postmodern cleverness), there's an inevitable predictability to some of the proceedings but anybody who's a genre-savvy horror fan will appreciate how brilliantly everything is executed. The opening sequences, for example, are one of the best parts of the movie and are a perfect reintroduction to the franchise and while the bulk of the story lags a little, it's redeemed by the ballsy ending.

The acting is great with the core trio (Campbell, Arquette and Cox) delivering their usual, strong performances and the rest of the cast, however limited their respective roles, are just as entertaining. All you TV buffs there will get a kick out of seeing actors from Heroes, Veronica Mars, True Blood, Mad Men and Community share the silver screen and camp it up. More importantly, the film is hilarious and just a whole lot of ridiculous fun. Craven isn't afraid to take the story to some beautifully insane places and the ending was, to me, perfect.

All in all, it's a great, irreverent slice of horror that's hilarious and true to the franchise. Highly recommended.

The Dark Knight (2008)

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

[10/10 · 16 July 2008]

No words can quite aptly describe the dark, sinuous genius of Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight". A sequel to the 2005 "Batman Begins", the film defies the industry cliché of being a shameless exploitation of a franchise.

Much has already been said about Heath Ledger's electric performance as the demented Joker and little else can really be said. It's a performance that displays every psychological tic with sadistic glee and Ledger, virtually unrecognisable behind both the makeup and the mannerisms, imbues his character with terrifying insanity.

Of course, Ledger is just one of the many gems in a fine cast. Christian Bale is predictably good in the titular role but he's overshadowed by some other key players. Maggie Gyllenhaal is good as are Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldman but it's Aaron Eckhart who gives a truly amazing performance as Harvey Dent, Gotham's idealistic DA and the city's moral centre. Eckhart's innocuous golden boy looks belie his dramatic finesse and he conveys the duality of Harvey's character and ideals with great deft.

The high calibre of the cast is reason enough to go see the movie but it's the screenplay, written by the Nolan Brothers, that allows "The Dark Knight" to become more than just an adequate sequel. For all the cartoonish connotations of its comic book origins, the movie is a rich and fascinating study into the machinations of justice and humanity. In a genre of such formulaic conventions where "doomed romance" and "final showdown" are automatically entrenched in the storyline to inspire the same old message and emotions, it's hard to find some new ground. "The Dark Knight" succeeds, however, in toying with these very conventions and while the message that it sends is as subtle as an anvil crashing on your head, it's surprisingly powerful.

Say what you will about the hype and about the free publicity that Ledger's death has earned this film but to credit it's commercial or critical success so cynically would do both the actor and this film an injustice. At the end of the day, "The Dark Knight" is brilliant entertainment with some phenomenal performances.

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

Bones (2005–2017)

"Been there, done that" with great potential

[8/10 · 30 August 2006]

In the context of the latest forensics hype in TV-land, (see CSI and its numerous spinoffs) 'Bones' is nothing innovative. Emily Deschanel's Temperance 'Bones' Brennan is the cynical, if not clinically objective, forensic anthropologist with social issues whilst Seely Booth (played by David Boreanez), a former CIA sniper, is her cocky, and far more human, counterpart. Throw in some yet-to-be-resolved sexual tension that's bubbling at boiling point and some pleasantly quirky secondary characters and you have a seemingly formulaic but charmingly earnest show.

Despite the continual sense of deja-vu that reappears again and again throughout each episode, there's enough to make it seem original. The cases are interesting, the science compelling and the chemistry between Deschanel and Boreanez keep a fine balance between the professional and personal elements of the show.

This isn't breaking the genre mold anytime soon but for the strong-stomached viewers with an obsession for corpses, maggots and everything in between, 'Bones' is sure to satisfy their grisly appetites.

D.E.B.S. (2004)

Fun (perhaps not "for the whole family")

[8/10 · 10 January 2006]

I won't try to justify my liking of this film by making excuses for it. The fact remains is that D.E.B.S., both low-budget and low-key, was far more enjoyable than any major blockbuster or highly acclaimed movie I've seen in a while. Honestly, there are no major aspirations in this film and audiences should discard any major expectations too. Essentially, this is a movie that relies on a concept that has long been drained out of film-making - fun. The story itself, though weak in true substance, is hilarious and satirical. The characters are each interesting and worthy of further elaboration. Inevitably, the lesbian love story will always be the central point of D.E.B.S.'s popularity but somehow, it deserves to be. The romance between the hero and the villain, a concept that's a parody in itself, is especially charming.

So forget all your movie snobbery and just watch the damn movie. It's a beautiful way to spend 90 minutes.