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GypsyGeo
Reviews
Romulus, My Father (2007)
Beautifully filmed "slice of Life"
I doubt if Hollywood could ever make a film like this. The photography was beautiful, and the characters were excellent. The most striking feature was the way the story was constructed - often without dialog. The languid pace gave a pastoral view of a time in post war Australian history, when migration was so important to national growth. Many 'New Australians' would identify with the plight of this family. It was so true to life - not relying on any formal 'formula' plot, but told as it happened with all the inconsistencies of real life. Anyone looking for police chases, explosions, or over the top effects should look elsewhere. This film is for connoisseurs of fine films. It takes its time to unravel the subtle story of a man desperate to find love, but betrayed by his wife, his overseas girl-friend, and his brother. Only his son stays loyal to him, and he finally understands what really matters. It is not the stuff of daydreams, but the presence of people in his life who really matter, that make the difference. If you love fine films, this is 'must see' material.
The Water Horse (2007)
a lovely film
I'm usually critical of children's' films, but this one is quality through and through. It was filmed in New Zealand, (Which looks a lot like Scotland). The production was brilliant. The challenge for the crew was to create the feeling that the New Zealand fjord was a Scottish Loch, and they did a first class job with it. The cast was excellent. Alex Etel,the child lead, was very competent and shows a great deal of maturity in a difficult task. Apparently he did all his own swimming and stunts, so he must be a tough little actor. I hope we'll be seeing a lot of him in future films, The script was well paced and finely crafted. It balanced the emotional content with realism and humour. It's not easy to do. It avoided sentimentality and slap-stick comedy. (The dog was brilliant). If we want to fill seats in cinemas, we must educate our children to appreciate fine films. This is an excellent piece. It will become a children's' classic. Well done!
The Golden Compass (2007)
a very Boring film
How could such a "good" film with such expensive sets and costuming, special effects, etc. be so boring? Super boring. It's all about script craft. We accept the fact that it was "Hollywoodised" (which generally ruins a film.) The spin doctors behind productions tend to ruin everything. This time they slipped up badly. There is no emotional content. I didn't shed a single tear - I didn't even yawn, it was so flat. The costumes and sets and appearance were fantastic. But there was never a feeling of threat or danger. The kidnapped children were taken to a beautiful school, well fed, well clothed. The super-confident heroine was all over the bad guys like a rash - they didn't have a hope of being really evil. The bear was a beautiful bit of CGI but treated with contempt - so predictable. This film will stick about because it is "safe" for the kids to watch. When the school kids get restless, the teachers can put the DVD on and let them watch without much to worry about. I'm sure the commercial goodies will sell well in the toy-shops. This (yawn) film shows why the kids are not heading to the cinemas in droves. They get more fun playing on the P.C.
The Last Legion (2007)
Disapointingly boring
While there was nothing particularly wrong with this film, it was predictable and very boring. The production standard was satisfactory, the acting adequate, and it should have been enjoyable, but it wasn't. There was no excitement - no action. Lots of things happened, but sword fighting and movement do not make for excitement.At the start, the boy emperor was threatened with having his hand cut off, but we knew it wouldn't happen. The magic sword was crafted from a meteor. (What a cliché). It gets tossed away at the end of the film and ends up sticking into a rock (so that Arthur can find it later and pull it out). It would have been better if the boy emperor was under a much greater threat and the danger to him was more pressing. Everything in the film was so predictable. The idea was fine, but it was let down by the very dull script and the lack of adventure. It could have been a fine film. It wasn't.
August Rush (2007)
Well done
I'm hard to impress, but this one is worth full marks. Obviously, its a fairy story set in modern times, so a lot of things in it are coincidental, illogical, and even magical. Actually, this adds to the charm of the story. It isn't meant to be analysed critically. It's meant to be enjoyed, and in this it succeeds. I was impressed by the way the ambient sounds were incorporated into the music. The actors were first class, and I even liked Robin Williams playing the Fagin part. Freddie Highmore is highly polished as August. The orphanage looked a bit Dickensian, and not like a modern children's home. (Wouldn't be permitted to operate here.) The kid buskers in Wizard's theatre looked like a pinch from "The Thief Lord". It was heavily dependent on "Oliver Twist". But we must remember there are only seven stories, and this one removed itself from the originals. So I didn't give it a ten, but a nine is very good. As far as ratings are concerned, the film is quite suitable for kids. It has no real violence or profanity. I wouldn't mind letting anyone over 9 watch it. The social issues are worth discussing, and the music is a pleasant blend of new and old, put together in a way that doesn't jar the senses. Well done, everyone involved.
The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising (2007)
Good potential but badly made story.
Alexander Ludwig did a terrific job as Will Stanton. The story is for teenagers and young adults, but was changed to suit American viewers in the P.G. age group. A bad decision. The story is far too intelligent for dumbed down viewers with short attention spans due to watching rubbish TV and playing video games. It was edited too short. 90 minutes was far too short a time to build up the scenario. Important plot points were often reduced to sound or vision bites - blink and they're lost. This made the film difficult to follow. From the features, it's obvious that a lot of thought, time and effort went into making the film. But there is more to filming than making the movie. It wasn't well distributed in Australia, for instance. The philosophy behind it was not well thought out. Yet the story is worth telling. I hope if they do it again, and they should, it will follow the original story, be aimed at an "M" rating with more tension and horror. Also, it should be much longer with more exposition. The story needs to be told well. It's actually as good as the Narnia series. It needs to be discovered by a really good production team.
Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker (2006)
a disappointing effort
I found the film disappointing. True it varied from the book and this is understandable to meet the demands of filming. There was plenty of action, but it seems to me the producers patronised their young audience. There was a slight, irritating, sense of comedy around the villains - making them more like cartoon characters than real 'nasty people'. Also, the action was over-hyped. Alex outdid James Bond most of the time. He didn't seem to have any 'weaknesses' which are the factors that make heroes believable. The film didn't create the sort of logic that young viewers want in a story. As the final credits rolled, I yawned and thought, 'Stormbreaker - Was that it?'. If they do another, I hope they select a different actor to play Alex Rider. Pettyfer was adequate, but not wholly convincing. I'm sure he did his best. He might do well to study acting in the U.S.A. which is currently producing brilliant child stars. (Cameron Bright, Cayden Boyd, Jimmy Bennett and a host of others.)or is it the stodgy unimaginative work of British directors and producers. I was going to buy a copy of the DVD when it comes out, but now I'm not sure if I'll bother. I hope they do make another Alex Ryder film, but I hope they do it a lot better than this one.
Tracks (2005)
very boring
"Tracks" is supposed to be about young teenagers 14 to 16 years of age being tried as adults and placed in an adult jail. Chris Gunn just doesn't look the part. He is too old, and this deprives the film of any impact. America has a reputation of being cruel towards juveniles. There is the possibility of a story along these lines, but the film doesn't manage to come across. There is a sexual harassment scene, and a couple of fights - almost compulsory stereotypes in this sort of story. But it is boring, boring, boring. The 'David and Goliath' factor, where a young and fragile hero goes up against a powerful brute villain is missing completely. There must be many young teenage actors who could do the part successfully. "Salems Lot" and "Dune" had the same problem. When will producers learn?
Svolochi (2006)
Surprisingly well done
I was surprised by the quality of this film. Sure, the ending was hyped, but just look at American films. (Boys on bicycles flying past the moon?) Why can't foreign films use a little hype now and then. Nobody seems to claim this is a true story, and it isn't. It is a boys' fantasy. Perhaps a bit too much blood and gore to get a PG rating, but part from a few swear words (Mother who?) well I've seen worse. Quite a few kids are killed and suffer violence, Not much worse than "Goblet of Fire" really, but I think, if anything, they pulled their punches in the training scenes. Real kids commando training is very much rougher than they showed. I'd be happy for teens over the age of fifteen to watch it. The film deals with the subjects of attitudes to boys, boy bashing, and the use of child soldiers. It also has a lot of moral issues that can be discussed. On the whole, I'd like to see a film with English dubbing. it would be worth it. Well done, guys. The kids acted well, too.
Durango Kids (1999)
A good action film for kids
I enjoyed this film because it reminded me of the stories I used to love when I was a kid. There was plenty of action, a couple of fist fights, the kids got captured by the crooks and then turned the tables on the villains who got their just deserts. Reminds me of the old "ripping Yarns" stories. The acting by the kids was natural and seamless - showed a quality of training. Well done! I'd like to see more stories like this for youngsters. Many childrens films pull the punches to be politically correct and lose something of the magic of story telling. This one didn't make that mistake. I'm surprised i haven't heard of it before this video release. I haven't got any real negative comments to make - for what it was, the film was well done.
Dune (2000)
I'd like to see it done a third time.
There are two films I'd like to see re-made - Dune, and Salem's Lot. The originals didn't do their books justice. Therefore, i was glad to see someone was taking a second shot at Dune. But...
Allowing for the fact that it was a low budget attempt at the film, I was disappointed. The visual effects were fair, but not outstanding. The plot followed the novel mostly, and the acting was competent, but ordinary. I'm sure everybody did their best when making this second attempt, but it fell very short of the mark.
For instance, it seemed at times as if they were attempting to copy the style of the first film. Techno-feudalism is getting boring. I felt the set designs and costumes were unimaginative.
My biggest complaint in casting, is that bearded young men - no matter how attractive - are usually unsuccessful playing boys' parts. The story is in the Scion (lost prince) genre. This requires that "David confront Goliath" as it were. Putting a young man to play the part of a young teenage boy just doesn't work in this type of story. (When they remake Salem's Lot, I hope they avoid these mistakes.)
I realise that the story spans a period of time, and in this case, they should have used 2 actors to play Paul. I couldn't see anyone outstanding amongst the cast. They were adequate, but not brilliant. The Harkonens were gross - more suited to pantomime parts.
I presume the dialogue was dubbed into English, because it was so stilted and slow. Dialogue doesn't really worry me and I can forgive it, especially if it is dubbed.
Now to be positive. The film was lightly funded, and I believe the makers have a real future if they persevere. I would like to see a remake of "Dune" with a much lighter treatment - more like "Treasure Island". It is, after all, a boys'adventure story - not a demagogic tale of dark horror. Perhaps Disney could have a shot at it.