Revolver (2005)

I have been waiting for this movie for ages, as you can see the movie was released in 2005 but I have only just picked it up from the local video store.

High hopes …

I did have high hopes for this movie but I should have known that it was not as good as it sounds due to the fact that it did not have a theater release in the US (I don’t know how it did in the UK). All the elements are there, Jason Statham back with Guy Richie directing and written by Guy Richie and Luc Besson.

On top of that you have an evil Ray Liotta playing the boss, Terence Maynard paying his heavy, Vincent Pastore and André Benjamin playing a couple of shady dudes who give Jason a run for his money (literally).

This seems to be setup to be a humdinger of a movie but it has issues.

What I liked …

I liked the characters and the violence, the world they created for the characters to live in is larger than life, everyone has a quirk that makes them stand out. As I said, the violence, any Guy Richie movie is splatter (again, literally) with people getting their just deserts, this is no exception, each death is beautifully choreographed but not overdone.

The plot …

It started out as standard fare, Jason Statham does time for Ray Liotta and he wants to get even, that seems simple enough, well things get complicated with the arrival of Vincent Pastore and André Benjamin who have something over Jason that makes him do whatever they want.

It works out that the whole thing is a con on Jason of the highest caliber, orchestrated by Vincent Pastore and André Benjamin.

What is wrong with it then …

Well the problem is that the intricacies of the plot are too subtle especially for a Guy Richie movie. Yes, it is interesting, though provoking but I don’t want that from this type of movie, I want colourful characters beating the crap out of each other. I don’t want a tortured soul (souls in this case with Ray Liotta being a nutbag as well), I can get that sort of thing listening to Dr. Phil.

The best scene in the movie …

This was the scene when the main character played by Jason Statham is in a lift and he is fighting his alter ego, the scene cuts between him (all quite and cerebral) and his other side going mental, shouting, hitting the walls of the lift and generally being a nutbag (I like that word).

The other best scene in the movie was the montage of death by the hard nosed hit man who gets a conscience when the bad guys are about to kill a child (bad bad people). He goes through about 10 heavies with grace and flair, he gets it in the end but it is an honorable end to his life of misdeeds.

Who was that ?

Francesca Annis makes an appearance in the movie, she has not aged well, I didn’t recognise her at all and only found out she was in it when I read the cast list on the DVD cover. How the mighty have fallen.

Jason, be careful …

Jason Statham is a great action star, Trainsporter, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, Cellular; all great movies, good action and interesting stories.  Then he did Crank and In the Name of the King and this one, not good choices in my opinion.  I will still go and see him in his movies but he better be careful that he picks better movies or people will start to walk.

Bottom line …

I sort of liked it mainly for the characters; I want to call out André Benjamin he is great in this movie, understated but powerful, a pleasure to watch. The plot leaves something to be desired but the violence makes up for it. The main problem is that I think that it was trying to be too clever.

Ratings
Overall rating:	5/10
Violence:	8/10
Acting:	7/10
Music:	6/10
Where seen:	DVD at home
Perceived length:	Medium

//*Eggbox

Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007)

Well, what can I say about this movie that will shock you? Not much really you will be shocked enough when you see the movie.

The studios way of thinking …

One way of looking at the movie is that it is a cute fun loving account of some very funny (and furry) chipmunks that make it big in the music industry causing much hilarity along the way.

My way of thinking …

<rant mode on>

Another way of looking at it is that it shows how the commercialization of Christmas leads to habitat destruction (Christmas trees) causing rodents (the Chipmunks) to find refuge in human surroundings. It also shows how the music industry exploits their stars and in this case leads to child labor (the Chipmunks are kids). It also shows how children are fed with media to get them to want more material things rather than the simple things in life.

<rant mode off>

Cute to the extreme …

Apart from that the movie was fine, standard fare for this type of movie, you know that everything will be alright in the end it’s just what happens in between that makes it entertaining (or boring). The animation of the characters is very good indeed, we come to expect a lot more from the animation studios these days and this one does not disappoint. The only thing that I can think of that was a problem (till about a third into the movie) was that the chipmunks all looked the same, it wasn’t until Simon got glasses and Alvin got a shirt with a big A on the front did I get to know one from the other.

The good guy is just OK …

The main human character is played by Jason Lee of My Name is Earl fame, he plays a musician who is down on his luck until he finds the guys. He is a pathetic shell of a man who is pushed around by the excellent David Cross who plays the hard nosed (and a bit creepy) music executive. He also has an (ex) love interest Cameron Richardson who thinks he is mad when he says that he is being haunted by talking chipmunks. She changes her tune very quickly to accept them when she gets the contract to take photos of the little stars, and she thought that Jason Lee was weird.

I liked the bad guy …

I first came saw David Cross in Small Soldiers where he played a kind hearted geek but he is much better in this movie. Evil to Jason Lee from the outset which is just the beginning, he then proceeds to take advantage of the chipmunks by working them to exhaustion. One of the funniest scenes in the movie was the chipmunks being given coffee during a recording session and they start (literally) bouncing off the walls, seeing one of them slide down the window in a caffeine induced stupor is classic.

The music (if that is what you call it) …

This is where the younger kids will enjoy the movie but the adults will just squirm. Bad is an understatement to the extreme, how these tracks make money is a mystery to me. You have no idea what they are singing about and the high pitch is just painful.

Bottom Line …

Not a waste of an hour and a half but having a few drinks before seeing the movie would make the experience a lot better (and if you pass out it will be even better).

Ratings
Overall rating:	5/10
Special effects:	5/10
Acting:	3/10
Music:	2/10
Where seen:	Movie Theater and DVD at home
Perceived length:	Medium

//*Eggbox