Cowboys and Aliens (2011)

“Only two kinds of men get shot: criminals and victims. Which one are you?”

Synopsis: – Seriously. Its called Cowboys and Aliens, you don’t need a plot synopsis for this.

Cowboys and Aliens is a surprisingly good movie; it has a fantastic cast, skilled directing, beautiful scenery, and plenty of gun-slinging action. In fact, its so good that it may lure you into thinking its a decent adventure movie about real people and the western frontier. And just when you’re starting to take it seriously, it’ll slap you in the face with a juvenile action-cliche and remind you “hey, what are you doing! Are you actually expecting this to make any sense!? Its called COWBOYS AND ALIENS!!!”

Even though Daniel Craig is definitely not playing 007 this time, there’s enough action movie cliche’s and contrived gadget-saves to make you wonder if this character is really a time traveling James Bond. Once again, remind yourself, “this is a cowboy movie… with aliens…” and all will be put right. This won’t be making anyone’s top ten list, no matter how much they love cowboys and/or aliens. But besides the handful of western and science fiction cliche’s, there’s some genuinely good moments here.

What makes it good?

Westerns have a way of rounding up a star-studded cast, and here Cowboys and Aliens is no exception. Daniel Craig is sufficient as the archetypal amnesic anti-hero (see what I did there?) who can out-gun, out-ride, and out-brawl anyone despite not knowing his own name. His look and demeanor lend itself to this role well, though at times you can tell he’s struggling to subvert his English dialect and replace it with a sandpapery western one.
Harrison Ford is perfect as the semi-antagonist ranch owner with a dark past. Part of me wishes the aliens hadn’t shown up and stolen his villainous thunder. Ford’s screen presence brings a unique gravity and emotional depth to the film, not something you’d expect in a movie about aliens. (… and see what I did there?)  The supporting cast gives noteworthy performances which I’ll summarize briefly: Sam Rockwell (hilarious), Adam Beach (impactful), Clancy Brown (king of the one-liners), Paul Dano (who we love-to-hate), and Olivia Wilde (meh?)

Themes: Redemption

Pretty much every Western ever told is about redemption. Lone hero with a troubled past, father with an estranged son, pretty girl looking to avenge those who killed her family, etc. Its all been done before (well, at least without aliens). In one way or another, they’re all looking to redeem themselves and their relationships. There’s a strong theme of valuing life, relationships, and virtue, because we don’t know how much time we have before death.

Conclusion: “What you see is what you get.”

This is a cowboy movie. And its a sci-fi alien movie. But whether or not its greater or less than the proverbial ‘sum of its parts’ is up to you. You can get frustrated with its plot holes and disregard for basic physics, or you can enjoy it for what it is. Cowboys and Aliens follows a similar formula as the Indiana Jones films: “Take a B movie action-adventure and give it an A-level director, cast, and special effects.” The result is an enjoyable popcorn flick featuring the New Mexico desert, gritty cowboys, and of course, aliens.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Zipped Lips.

Cowboys and Aliens does exactly what it sets out to do: tell an old fashioned cowboy tale with aliens in it. In fact, its so well done that you’re in danger of taking it seriously and ruining all the fun.

Defiance (2008)

Defiance (2008) -Review by Isaac

Defiance Trailer 1 at Apple.com

“We may be hunted like animals, but we must not become animals. We cannot afford revenge, our revenge is to live.”

Based on historical events, Defiance is many things: It’s the story of three rough-edged, ordinary men who take responsibility for more than a thousand lives. It’s a tale of bravery, dogged perseverance and an unwavering desire to save others that parallels the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt. Finally, it’s a Holocaust story that was virtually unknown until Tuvia Bielski revealed its details shortly before his death in 1973.

Holy-Situational-Ethics, Batman! – This story is incredible. Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, and Jamie Bell all give terrific performances as the Bielski’s, three Jewish brothers who escape into the wilderness and build a sanctuary for Jewish refugees. Daniel Craig portrays the burden of ‘tough-decision-maker’ in Tuvia Bielski, and the audience genuinely sees and feels the story through his eyes. But the plot isn’t limited to Tuvia (Craig) as all three brothers face their share of moral conundrums. A society of Jews escaping Nazi extermination by hiding in the forest raises more than a few ethical questions. The Jew’s situation here is almost post-apocalyptic in nature, as they struggle to survive and develop community despite being outcast and treated as animals.
The more familiar you are with the Nazi’s antisemitism, the more you will appreciate the themes presented in Defiance. The dialog is salted with lines like “We will not live like animals,” “to live is our act of defiance,” “if we die, we will die like human beings.”

I consider Defiance an excellent film because of the story it has to tell. This isn’t the emotionally haunting Schindler’s List, nor is it a war epic like Saving Private Ryan. In terms of pacing, gravity, and directorial vision, Defiance isn’t playing in the same league. But to compare Defiance to these WWII film giants is, in my opinion, doing Defiance a great disservice. This tale of the Bielski brothers is a unique story, a true story, and one well worth engaging in.

As an American, its easy to hold WWII and the Holocaust at a distance. American’s think of WWII as that time when evil emperor Adolph Hitler made Europe look like a bunch of pansies and the USA had to go in to kick some Nazi butt. (remember the trailer for Inglourious Basterds?) My point is, Americans get to feel like the heroes without identifying with, or even understanding the suffering most of Europe had to endure. Can you imagine Pearl Harbor on a nationwide scale? – I can’t. I have no mental wheels for processing WWII, let alone the Holocaust. It is completely foreign to me.

And that is why Defiance is important. Because the level of depravity carried out by Nazi Germany and the Holocaust should seem foreign to us. Normal people don’t round up their neighbors and send them to gas chambers. This is a bizarre, terrible, and unfathomable chunk of history. But these things really happened. The Nazi’s are more than just the go-to historical Super-villains for Indiana Jones and Hellboy, they are a historical reality. WWII revealed the utter depravity of man, and this is a lesson we desperately need to be reminded of.
Historical tales like the Bielski partisans open our eyes to something beyond our Band of Brothers perspective. My wife kept remarking: “they’re just people! Why do you have to kill them?” – which is, a good question. Despite their raids and occasional sabotage missions, the Bielski partisans were mostly families who were simply trying to survive. Tuvia Bielski never turned anyone away. At its peak, the Bielski camp had 1,236 people, and 70% of its membership consisted of women, children, and the elderly. This is a heroic story worth passing on.

“I almost lost my faith, but you… You were sent by God to save us.”

4.5/5 Zipped Lips

Daniel Craig + rebel Jews + fighting Nazi’s… could you ask for more?
Perhaps changing the title to Braveheart 2: Defiance ?

Renaissance: Paris 2054 (2006)

Renaissance: Paris 2054 – Review by Isaac

Synopsis: Paris, year 2054. A young female scientist named Ilona Tasuiev (Romola Garai) is kidnapped, and a controversial policeman, Karas (Daniel Craig), must find her as quickly as possible. Karas discovers that Ilona was a top researcher for Avalon, a megalithic corporation who deals in life and beauty longevity (*cough* Umbrella Corporation ripoff). Seeking help from Ilona’s sister, Bislane (Catherine McCormack), the two stumble upon a terrible mystery dating back to 2006. After several suspects are found murdered, it appears Karas isn’t the only one trying to find the missing scientist. Karas must investigate missing files, stolen identities, uncover the motive, outrun a group of assassins wearing invisible suits, and above all else, find Ilona before someone else does.

Renaissance unfolds like a beautiful graphic novel, giving the film a unique edge. The beautiful cityscapes are a cinematic wonder. Whether its an establishing shot or intense car chase, there’s some really stunning visuals here. The style allows Renaissance to be incredibly dark and eerie, supporting the futuristic detective story (think Minority Report and not Star Trek here). The producers used computer graphics and motion capture to create an entirely black and white film, and it works well… – But it has some downsides. Because its entirely in black and white and uses a lot of shadow, its difficult to tell some characters apart or remember their specific faces. I know people who can’t keep characters straight in normal movies (I’ll never watch Quantam of Solace with my parents again), so I can’t even *imagine* what Renaissance would be like (no no, that’s the *other* guy with the short dark hair and shadows on his face!) I spent half the opening scene severely distracted because I couldn’t keep the two sisters straight (that’s possibly because I was also folding laundry at the time).  Thankfully, the voice acting is especially good (Daniel Craig! Ian Holm!) and the voices associated with each character become very familiar. (This is a French film, so make sure you switch the DVD audio over to English. Not doing so makes the opening scenes pretty confusing.)

I’m not gonna lie, I picked up Renaissance because it starred Daniel Craig and promised to be an intriguing sci-fi/action detective plot. Renaissance delivered in both areas. The action is ‘fairly’ realistic, using simple gunfights and chase scenes to keep the film exciting but not bloating itself to a ridiculous level. The sweeping shots over the city while characters chase after one another to an intensifying (though generic) soundtrack are thrilling. The hitmen wearing invisible suits are cool too. There’s a number of scenes that unfold to an almost entirely black screen, making the eeriness all the more intense. With that said, some critics could really tear this film apart. Daniel Craig hardly has to act, the script plays nicely to the strengths we saw in Casino Royale. The plot feels more complicated than it needs to be, winding in and around for a good 15 minutes or so before getting remotely interesting. Renaissance relies on A: the unique design, and B: the unique setting to hook you in the beginning. The story itself didn’t really grab me until about 30 minutes into it. So I understand why some people didn’t enjoy Renaissance, its too close to the well-trodden genre of futuristic-detective-dramas that all take themselves too seriously.

Renaissance isn’t the best science fiction, animation, or detective movie ever. But here’s why I liked it: Renaissance is unique. The animation grabbed my attention, the story is good, the plot engaging and subtley creepy. By the final act, I had quit folding laundry, closed my laptop, turned all the lights off, and sat glued to the screen. It wasn’t just that I wanted detective Karas to find the scientist, I was completely engulfed by the world of Paris 2054. When it comes down to it, Renaissance isn’t a “must-see” movie, but I enjoyed it. That’s right, screw you world of critics, I watched a movie that Rotten Tomatoes gave a 43%, and I LIKED IT.

Who I recommend this to: An adult who appreciates unique animation styles and likes a good sci-fi mystery.

Who I don’t recommend this to: 1. Kids. 2. People who get creeped out by stories about genetics. 3. People who only like mainstream animation. 4. Snobby movie critics

Rating: 3.5/5 Zipped Lips

I definitely enjoyed Renaissance: Paris 2054. Its dark and gritty plot isn’t accessible to mainstream audiences, and the rewatchability is pretty low here. Still, it was memorable and worth watching. If you give Renaissance a shot, check out the “making of” documentary, its quite interesting.

Isaac’s “Top 25 Must See Movies of the Decade” (2000-2009)

In developing ‘My Top 25 Movies of the Decade’, I knew there was no way I could rank my movies from 1st to 25th.  Any attempt would be futile.  How do I pit my favorite comedy against my favorite Pixar? Kudos to my friends who were able to achieve this, but for me it wasn’t possible. I instead organized them by year of release. Not only does this relieve the pressure of ranking each one, but emphasizes the time and context of its release.  I also included a number of honorable mentions to round out what I could not cover with just 25 titles.  (Also, just because I enjoyed and recommended it does not mean that it is appropriate for all ages.)

I know that this list is completely subjective. It is not the ’25 best ever’, it is simply my favorites and recommendations. Chances are, there are a couple films here that you disliked or were greatly disappointed in. But know this, I chose each and every one for a reason. Perhaps my review will bring something to light, some theme or value you might have missed before. In the end, these are just my recommendations. My goal is to champion movies worth remembering, challenge you to see something new, and recommend some great movies you might have missed.

1. Memento (2000)

Before Batman Begins and The Prestige, Christopher Nolan got warmed up with Memento. A rather under-watched film, Memento is the mystery thriller of a man who can’t make new memories. Most writers would consider this premise to be captivating enough, but Nolan doesn’t stop there. Oh no, he puts all the scenes in reverse order. When each scene begins, you have no context for what is going on just as the main character has no memory of what has come before. Nolan effectively simulates memory loss for his entire audience. The intriguing plot and unique storytelling lands Memento solidly in my list for the top 25 movies of the decade.