Is anything sacred in Hollywood?

With the number of franchises growing all the time, and remakes and reboots coming at us from every angle.  The question is, is anything sacred?  Will anything ever be spared the sequel, prequel, remake, reboot, re-imagination treatment?  If so, why?

That was the question that was discussed between myself and a friend after the release of the latest trailer for the Robocop reboot, due in February 2014:

Initially we were both very much against the idea of a Robocop reboot.  The original is without doubt a classic.  A film I could sit down and watch right now without thinking, "if only they were able to do this, or change that?".
Having seen the second trailer I'm warming slightly to the idea of a new Robocop.  Why?  It's becoming clear from Samuel L. Jackson's character's speech that the angle will be global unmanned warfare/policing.  This has grabbed my interest, and I would like to see where they go with it.  This 'finger on the button' style of disassociated warfare isn't new.  Whether it's warfare or just everyday living we've explored the idea of removing the human element.  We only have to look to Surrogates or I, Robot as examples here.  What I hope it adds to the Robocop reboot is a broadened horizon.  A more globalised element to the narrative that can only mean one thing, more spectacle.  For me, the simplicity of the story is what gives Robocop it's timeless quality.  So a global, 21st century facelift gives them somewhere to go with the reboot without having to tinker with the winning formula of the original.

When it comes to the question of what makes anything sacred?  Who knows.  In a time when we see Total Recall remade with nobody going to Mars, it's looking more and more like the answer is nothing.

Gravity...A force to be reckoned with...

After weeks of positive press and media attention.  Including a slew of glowing reviews over the last week, I finally got to see Gravity.  With a current Rotten Tomatoes rating of 97% expectation was high.

If you've yet to see the film, don't read ahead.

Wow.

Gravity tells the story of Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock), and Matt Kowalski as disaster strikes their routine spacewalk to service a satellite orbiting the Earth.  Seemingly stranded in space, will they make it back?

The only thing that I could consider to be negative about the film, or even the experience itself, was that it highlighted how unused to great, original screenplays I had become.  For a few brief moments during the beginnings of the film, I thought I was feeling underwhelmed.  At first I was inclined to equate it to the hype surrounding the film.  Then I realised I had grown accustomed to coming into the cinema expecting either mediocrity, or a franchise that I was already very familiar with.  The caveat to this being Prisoners and Captain Phillips, but I'm sure that anyone who has seen either will agree that they are paced and shot in a very different manner.

First you have the stunning cinematography.  There's no snappy, nauseating edits here.  The length of some takes must have been very intimidating for the actors.  Under any normal circumstances, long minutes of Sandra Bullock hyperventilating would make Speed look like Oscar bait.  In Gravity's case, it only serves to add to the aesthetic.

Then you have the soundtrack, or lack of.  As you would expect in space, everything is very quiet.  Space debris shredding through the spaceship and space station in near silence is incredibly unsettling.  Especially after we get to see first hand what the result of getting struck by even the smallest piece could mean.  The only music we hear is that played by George Clooney's character.  Firstly to Ryan's annoyance, and secondly to her comfort.

Finally you have Clooney and Bullock.  That's it.  The only other credits go to voice actors.  Check out this screen shot from IMDB:

Even with the main body of the dialogue between two characters, it never seems superfluous.  You have the nervous chatter of Ryan Stone, first time space explorer, and the distracting patter of Matt Kowalski, veteran commander.  The latter trying to keep the former focused and together.  The type of behaviour you would expect between the two characters in this situation.

All of this adds up to something scarily like space.  I've never been to space, but I'm pretty sure that's what it would feel and sound like.  I can't remember the last time I had sweaty palms watching a film, and I can safely say that I won't be writing out my application to NASA anytime in the future.

Even in the closing scenes of the film, Ryan Stone splashes down in the ocean and has to escape from the burning landing pod.  She pops the hatch and the water comes rushing in.  At this point, I'm almost on the edge of my seat, biting my tongue so I don't shout "how much more is she going to have to endure!".  Even after escaping the pod, she finds her suit too heavy to let her swim to the surface.  I had no trouble believing Ryan Stone's desire to live by the end.  The turning point being a wonderful scene, perfectly scripted between Stone and Kowalski within the Soyuz.

All in all, Gravity is one hell of a film.  One might even say it's out of this world...

I'm sorry.  I couldn't resist.

Captain America comes of age...

We've had the new trailer for Captain America: The Winter Soldier for a few days now.  In case you haven't seen it yet though, here it is...

You may notice the new outfit worn by Steve Rogers.  There was always going to be a certain amount of redesign going on for the new film.  Though for me it signifies something of a theme that I feel to be running through the trailer.

Think back to Captain America: The First Avenger with Rogers sporting the red, white and blue of his nation's flag.  Some found the film as a whole jingoistic, and whilst I'm one for finding patriotic chest beating in films nauseating (the flag against the building in The Amazing Spiderman being a prime example), if you can't do it in CAPTAIN AMERICA when can you?! 

Now back to The Winter Soldier trailer and Rogers' new outfit.  Gone are the patriotic colours, replaced by more muted, darker colours.  Only the silver star remaining across his chest.  We also have Robert Redford's character telling Rogers, "to build a better world, sometimes means tearing the old one down...and that makes enemies".  Immediately following this we cut to Nick Fury walking into a room.  This may well be a completely different scene, but add this together with several shots of Rogers looking pensive, thoughtful and uttering the line "I joined S.H.I.E.L.D to protect people" and it looks like you have Rogers considering who his enemies really are?  We know that Rogers had concerns with S.H.I.E.L.D and their development of Hydra weapons in Avengers Assemble, so we already have an element of distrust there.  Gone are the days of World War 2 when it was everyone vs. The Nazis.  The Winter Soldier I hope gives us chance to further explore the complex modern day world of technology and terrorism that Rogers now finds himself in.  A time when the enemy isn't so clearly defined.  All of this will ultimately bring to the fore the characteristic of Captain America that I love best.  He's just a man.  He remembers what it's like to be the little guy, and that's who he's trying to protect, regardless of who that puts him up against.

We haven't even said anything about The Winter Soldier himself yet!  It remains to be seen how true to the Winter Soldier storyline they keep.  The basic idea is straight forward enough to not necessarily need much tinkering with.  If you keep watching until the very end of the trailer, you'll see one thing's for certain.  The Winter Soldier is a bad ass.  In pursuit of The Winter Soldier, Captain America throws himself out of a window onto a rooftop.  He then follows it up with his signature shield throw, and The Winter Soldier simply turns round and catches it out of the air.

April 2014 can't come quick enough...

Pirates invade Hollywood...

...Only this is the kind of piracy that Hollywood, and the rest of us for that matter, won't mind seeing more of.

**Spoilers ahead**

It seems like a strange thing to say, but for those of you who have seen Captain Phillips, it's a sentiment I'm sure you'll agree with.

This is in no small part down to a truly magical performance from Tom Hanks.  Who once again shows us why he is one of Hollywood's greats.  The sequence at the end once Captain Phillips has been saved and is aboard the Navy ship is one of the most moving pieces of cinema I have seen for quite a while.  Add to it the way the medic is continually talking to him to keep him focused, it adds a visceral level of realism to proceedings.

This feeling of realism stood out from the very beginning with the distinct lack of title music and opening titles.  Follow this up with some Paul Greengrass signature close camera work, and a brilliant supporting cast alongside Tom Hanks, and I was immersed.

The real beauty of the film though, comes after the end credits.  It may be 15 minutes later, in the bar sharing a drink with friends.  Maybe it's an hour or two, after the drive home.  Sat on the sofa with a cup of tea and a biscuit.  For me it was the latter.  I was marvelling at the themes of the film, and how they changed and shifted from character to character.  Was it really possible to feel sorry for the pirates?

There's a point in the film when Captain Phillips, in a conversation with Muse, says, "we all got bosses".

This quote is one that got me thinking the most.  It's also one that signifies the films intention to not paint the Somali pirates with the 'axis of evil' brush.  Something that I think it does very well.  There are scenes on the Somali pirate boat, that with the addition of a big glass table some suits and ties, could take place in any number of corporate offices around the world.  The real evil in the film is the one we don't see.  Or the one you only hear on a radio, or a telephone, issuing commands.  Distantly disconnected from the situation and in relative comfort.  The Somali Warlord who isn't getting his hands dirty, or the commanding officer instructing the warship captain to take any means necessary to stop the pirate vessel from reaching the shore.  The film is full of people facing a morale struggle with choices that aren't their own.

Captain Phillips is a superb film.  Relevant and allegorical, with some brilliant acting.  I look forward to watching a film that contains a lead acting performance to threaten Tom Hanks for the Oscar.

Die Hard in The White House...

Or to use it's alternative title, White House Down.

For those of you concentrating, it may have been obvious from the very beginning.  I'm tempted to use the excuse that I was giving the film chance, in reality I was just enjoying myself.  When you get 30 to 40 minutes into the film however, if you hadn't already made the Die Hard connection, you get a big fat 'I'm just Die Hard set in the White House' slap in the face.

**If you haven't seen the film yet, spoilers lay ahead**

Let me set the scene for you.

A techno-geek by the name of Tyler is brought into the White House secure bunker by the bad guys.  Here he proceeds to get himself set up, opening up laptops, logging into systems, laying out a cup holding several lollipops (one of which he unwraps and puts into his mouth).  All the while getting giddy with excitement, much like a kid at Christmas.  A triumphant crescendo of well known classical music (when I say well known, I mean that I recognised it but couldn't tell you the name) volumes up in the background.

Ladies and Gentleman, I give you...

Hopefully for those of you who have now seen Die Hard in the White House, you will know which seen I am relating this to.

Even though the Die Hard link has now been made in my mind, my enjoyment of the film has not been diminished at all.  I am, however, now entering into a game of which White House Down character relates to which Die Hard character.  I came up with the following:

Let's get the most obvious one out of the way first.  Where would Die Hard be

without a variant shade of white vest clad Bruce Willis?

White House Down comes complete with Channing Tatum.  Don't worry,

although he starts off looking dapper in a suit.  He soon discards this for every

heroes favourite, the white vest.  What better way to single handedly take on a

group of highly trained paramilitary types?!

Next up we have our vision of Aryan perfection, fan favourite Karl.  His failed attempts

at killing McClane frequently reduced him to a gun toting rage.  Impervious to pain,

practically indestructible.

Our White House Down replica is Jason Clarke's 'Stenz'.  Equally tough, equally angry.

The only thing we're missing is a final hurrah whereby Stenz rises from the rubble of

the White House in one final attempt to kill Cale.

That brings us to Sgt. Al Powell, whose final act is to overcome his fear of firing his gun.

Thereby saving McClane and finally killing Karl.  His plucky, witting, and sometimes

heartfelt radio chatter keeps our hero going through some of his more difficult moments.

White House Down sees Sgt. Powell replaced by the glamorous Finnerty, played by Maggie

Gyllenhaal.  And whilst a radio is replaced by a satellite phone, you can expect the same

plucky, witty and sometimes heartfelt chatter.

Holly Gennero McClane, hostage who is then discovered to be our heroes significant

other.  Then dutifully used as bait to draw McClane into a trap.  Holly and John have a

frosty relationship at the beginning of the film to say the least.  But the events at Nakatomi

Plaza bring them back together.

....Surely you're starting to get the picture by now?!

Don't worry it doesn't stop there.  Die Hard's antagonist Hans Gruber, is replaced in White House Down by James Woods' Walker.  The villainous techno geek Theo seen in the video clip above is replaced by Tyler.  I'd even go as far as to say that limo driver Argyle...

(you know, the guy who spends all his time with the teddy bear?)

...is re imagined as Donnie the Guide.

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and I loved Die Hard.  So they could do far worse than to flatter such a great film.

They'll be no Oscars, but you'll enjoy it.

If it was good enough for The Avengers...

I'm a fan of Marvel, and have a great deal of love for what Disney, Marvel Studios and everyone involved has done in creating MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe).  I'm also a fan of Joss Whedon.  I'd be lying if I said Buffy the Vampire Slayer wasn't a part of my teenage years, and I love Firefly.  So imagine my excitement at the knowledge that these 2 loves were being brought together for Avengers Assemble.  Picture a kid at Christmas, then times it by a very large number.  As well as being an annoyance for Family, Friends and Colleagues, I kept a close eye on how much longer I would have to wait to see Avengers Assemble by using a countdown app on my phone.

So after watching the latest Iron Man 3 trailer (below, for any who haven't seen it yet),

I decided to fire up the old countdown app:

Because where would we be without Iron Man?  Undoubtedly the catalyst for the MCU as we know it today.  Marvel had had big screen outings in the past, as far back as Howard the Duck in 1986.  But even the more notable and recent entries, Spiderman, X-Men, and the Fantastic Four, were insular at best, and only just palatable at worst.  The arrival of Iron Man in 2008 changed the landscape for Marvel completely.  Understandably there were things going on behind the scenes to help things along.  The creation of Marvel Studios new base of operations, the appointment of Kevin Feige, and the systematic recuperation of the rights to all it's now stable characters, among others.

For me, the fan, Iron Man was the signal of a new beginning.  A beginning that has now lead us to this, Iron Man 3 and the start of MCU Phase 2.  Let the count down begin.

p.s. since starting to write this post, the countdown is down to:

6 weeks, 5 days, 22 hours, 38 minutes, 15 seconds

Ant-Man just keeps getting better...

A lovely post appeared on my Twitter feed recently from @SciFiNow.  They'd found an article on IFC.com about Mary Elizabeth Winstead.

http://www.ifc.com/fix/2013/02/spirit-awards-mary-elizabeth-winstead-edgar-wright

Having worked together with Edgar Wright on Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (as Ramona Flowers, pictured above), Mary Elizabeth Winstead expressed her desire to work with him again at a recent awards ceremony.  In particular when asked about his upcoming work on Ant-Man.

Now that Ant-Man is slated for a 2015 release as part of Marvel's 'Phase 3' and post Avengers 2, we're still a long way off getting anything like concrete casting at this point.  But with Marvel being hot property at the moment, they'll be no shortage of interest in the lead roles.  Knowing Winstead's name could be in the mix makes it all the more interesting.

I could see Mary Elizabeth Winstead as The Wasp, couldn't you?

Next on my wish list is Ultron....