WTP: The Dark Knight Re-release

What's the point?

You do know about the so-called "Oscar buzz" the Dark Knight is getting but that's just the result of fandom. Unfortunately, Warner Bros. has tricked itself into believing that The Dark Knight is Oscar-worthy by planning to re-release the movies in theaters in the next year for Oscar consideration. I'm kind of fine with that, except for one thing...
...the DVD has already been released. I even have an original copy in my hands. (Borrowed for ripping 'cause I'm cheap)

So what's the point in trying? Heath Ledger already got his Golden Globe nom, isn't that enough?

REVIEW: Phantom of the Opera (2004 film)

The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
Starring Emmy Rossum and Gerard Butler (pre-300)
Released by Warner Bros. Pictures
Directed by Joel Schumacher

This is going to be ugly.

First off, I have to say that I like Andrew Lloyd Webber songs and that I hold the Andrew Lloyd Webber with high regard. The songs in Phantom of the Opera are especially (and arguably) his most memorable to date, but the movie adaptation that follows the musical isn't.

And now, some quick history. Gaston Leroux first wrote the novel, then it was adapted into the silent horror flick. Later, Andrew Lloyd Webber adapted the story and turned the whole affair into a romantic musical which received tremendous fame (with Webber even working on a sequel, which isn't required) and is the longest-running Broadway musical in history.

In 2004 together with Andrew Lloyd Webber himself, Joel Schumacher made a movie based on the timeless musical, and that is the one I'm gonna review.

So what's the story? Well, it's about an orphaned girl named Christine Daae. When her father dies, the "Angel of Music", aka the titular character, takes her under his wing and teaches her how to sing. Later, when the Opera House's biggest primma donna walks out of the La Carlotta show, Christine gets her big break. Conveniently, her childhood friend Raoul becomes the Opera House's patron, and like all these kinds of romances, they recognize each other and fall in love once again. However, the Phantom doesn't like this new development, and obsessively wants Christine for himself, thus the troubling series of events that follow.

I have to be frank: I love the stylishness of it all. The sets are gorgeous and the film has some nice color grading. OK, maybe I didn't like the cemetary (the cemetary in Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas is more realistic) as well as the fact that there were candles going up and down the water without the fire being lit out, which was downright silly, the first time we see the Phantom's lair, but overall, the art direction deserves to be commended here. Oh, and did you notice that both have an abundance of fog machines?

I need not talk about the songs, as I have already in the paragraphs above, but the thing is that the voices of the musical aren't strong enough to justify the power needed to sing them. And while we're on the subject of voices, I suspected lipsyncing from at least one of the actors, and it turns out to be from Carlotta's and not Christine's.

Why did I suspect Emmy Rossum (who plays Christine) to be lipsyncing? That's because her face hardly moves at all, and only her voice expresses emotion, not her face. But perhaps I was expecting some hammed-up performances, since this is after all a musical, but I'm still bothered by her (and the rest of the cast's) inability to move their faces, especially in the first half. It's the second half that got my attention, also because it was the climax, but the end result didn't turn out as dramatic as I wanted it to be, partly because of some plotholes and said lackluster performances.

Let me elaborate more on "but the end result didn't turn out as dramatic as I wanted it to be". The mystique is all gone and the thrill of guessing which character actually survives this ordeal goes pfft because of the black-and-white parts which represent the "present-day" happening of it all. And while the transitions between them are almost seamless and appropriate, it doesn't exactly do much benefit to the film's so-called mystery. From the beginning you already know that Raoul survives, so the action scenes between the Phatom and Raoul trying to fight each other to the death fall down, down, down into nothing.

That, and the fact that Joel Schumacher altered the Phantom's backstory, doesn't do much good either. I mean, if that was how the Phantom came to the Opera House, doesn't that mean that it would probably be more appropriate (not to mention generic and... less awkward in hindsight) to see Madame Giry and the Phantom being the ones in love? This becomes a bit like those May-December affairs instead, which I don't really like watching very much, because those affairs typically don't captivate the audience, and also because it makes the love triangle's resolution all the more predictable as well.

Plus, the movie's pace is too inconsistent. Sometimes, the scenes drag out to the point of boring, and sometimes, the film becomes a bit too fast-paced to the point of annoying. The scene involving Raoul going down somewhere whilst the Opera House's managers preparing Carlotta for a play (in song, of course) is an example not because it's confusing, but because the parties involved are singing two different tunes simultaneously!

So while we're in the topic of tunes, do the characters really have to sing almost every line? Can't they talk like normal human beings? Sometimes, a person needs a break from extravagant musical numbers, but this movie doesn't let up with the succession of musical numbers until the climactic (?) kissing scene, which you know will ensue, happens. Frankly, that part did not make me swoon because I had to pant for a while from all that singing!

Most important of all, the film lacks that sparkle of chemistry within the ensemble, and the Phantom doesn't exude that strong, intimidating aura at all. Perhaps, with that backstory, you could've stuck with Antonio Banderas (who sung "The Phantom of the Opera" in Andrew Lloyd Webber's 50th birthday concert) who exudes, well, something better than Gerard Butler. Plus, because once again of those black-and-white present day sequences, the sense of danger also wanes. And does the romance make girls giggle and swoon? I don't know, but I found that aspect to be extremely lacking if you ask my opinion.

Overall, the film is just OK. It's extremely stylish, and it features some nice songs, but... no dice. I don't think it deserves the Golden Globe nomination (for best Musical) at all, but I guess you can borrow and not buy the DVD from someone if you're interested to see if you like it or not. On the bright side, at least Joel Schumacher didn't put nipples on the costumes like in Batman and Robin. -shudder-

Rating: 6/10

The Dark Knight Review

The Dark Knight
Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Maggie Gylenhaal, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine
Released by Warner Bros. Pictures

In a nutshell: A movie that transcends the genre, and almost, almost a masterpiece.

After watching this a while ago, I have to admit that I found it to be a tad bit overrated, but nonetheless, a great movie. It's obvious that I've hotly anticipated this movie for quite a while, and I'm glad to say that the wait was worth it.

Story
Set one year after Batman Begins, The Dark Knight has Batman doing what he does best: beating up the baddies and tying them up for police capture. One unprecedented thing that happens however, is that although it was Bruce Wayne's original vision for Batman to become an inspiration to the helpless citizens of Gotham, it only spawned some imitators instead as seen in the first scene.

The thing is, however, his example has influenced District Attorney Harvey Dent to take a stand against the crime wave hounding Gotham, but a new threat lurks among Gotham in the form of the Joker- a smart, flawed and psychotic man of his word.

Still, Rachel, Batman's ex-girlfriend, is dating Harvey so yeah, Wayne definitely has some issues.

Psychotic
Now, this wouldn't be a review of The Dark Knight were I not to address the issue surrounding the performance of the late, great Heath Ledger. And with all the hype surrounding it since January, it would be no surprise if even professional critics got to discussing this point first. So now you're probably asking, "Was it worth the hype?".

My answer to you is a big, fat "Yes" and that's because his scenes are at times really intense, and you can even hear him and his saliva and making you think that he is indeed, a psychological mess. I mean, the Joker is indeed a nutcase, and even with all those past portrayals from Romero and the more famous Nicholson, Ledger's performance simply makes their names irrelevant, although that is not to say that Jack Nicholson is a lesser actor than Ledger, oh no, it's just that this Joker is definitely a believable, chillingly evil one that not only sends tingles to your spine at times, but balances it off with some dark humor that will guarantee your laughter.

Seriously, I was especially taken by surprise when during the part when people were being evacuated from Gotham General Hospital, a nurse that was taking care of Dent was actually The Joker. Wow, how slim is this guy?

Really, really long
People will probably be put off by the fact that the movie lasts 2 hours and 30 minutes long. But then again, Spiderman 3 was also 2 hours and 30 minutes long and it broke box office records.

Personally, I don't find myself really irritated by the length of this movie, but I think it would be a prerequisite for me to give you a heads up about this aspect. I mean, it does feel long, but the content is the thing that matters. Lord of the Rings didn't get that Oscar for nothing, you know?

Comments on the movie
I definitely liked the movie and frankly, it met my high expectations (although my expectations are higher for Wall-E). I mean, I never knew how the movie could tie Two-Face and the Joker's backstories together, but damn they sure did.

To be honest, I really find it hard to make comments about the movie because I risk spoiling everything for you.

With that in mind, I'm just gonna say that the action scenes are really good (the one in the trailer kicks ass) and you can see Christopher Nolan's increased confidence in his direction of these scenes, and that the movie simply doesn't care about no standards nor boundaries, it just does stuff freely, therefore it even transcends the comic book genre and the stereotype of the typical superhero movie which is mindless fun.

Intelligence
Now this is where the screenplay's intelligence comes into play. It does away with the unrealistic set pieces found in its predecessors (the Joel Schumacher and 60's movies) and goes for that gritty, realistic view of the world's current problem of crime and terrorism. What I mean by that is that this, sans all the technology blahs, can actually happen in real life when you think about it.

The fact that vigilantes, despite good intentions, could also be regarded by many as a villain, is a prevailing topic in this movie, and that in reaching towards a goal, the fact that others will suffer for your endeavor is simply the inevitable truth.

Other than that, witty writing also goes to its lighter, comedic moments such as Commissioner Gordon after "re-appearing". I mean, that pun I got an hour after watching the movie. Damn, I'm so stupid.

Also a case study?
You can actually consider this movie to be a case study not only between the relationship of the Joker and the Batman, but also the balance of nature: If there is one of this, there is also a contrasting that.

Another interesting case study made by the movie is the study of the righteous man itself, with Harvey Dent as Exhibit A and Batman as Exhibit B. They could either succumb to the temptation of revenge or go back to their senses and remain incorruptible- It's all about choice, and the resistance of man to sweet, but empty promises and words.

There are a lot of these to be found (I had another example in my brain, but I forgot because Nuevo buzzed me), and it would probably take a lot of analyzing and a second viewing to understand all the underlying themes the movie seems to tackle. Of course, I'll leave that to the nerds.

Simply intense
I simply can't express my feelings into words, so here I give you an almost accurate representation of how I feel, through a link. Yeah, it's not me, but it sums up almost accurately how I feel about the film. And that's not exactly bad either.

A minor annoyance
It's Christian Bale's Batman voice... it sounds like he should be doing Catman instead. -Growl growl growl-

Overall
I can't think very straightly since it's pretty late. But bottom line, this movie is the best superhero film ever made, and it even transcends into the ranks of The Departed and that's because it just feels so seemingly real, it's creepy.

Take note though that this movie is not made for audiences looking to have a good time, that's Mamma Mia's job. But if you are looking for something that's surprisingly thought-provoking and serious, this is the movie for you. Personally, this movie has kept me pretty satisfied, that is, until Wall-E.

The only thing that scares me now is if Nolan will return as director next time! Tim Burton also made the darker movies in the early days, but after making 2 Batman movies, he was booted off. Hope Nolan doesn't meet the same fate (although I've heard he only chose to reprise his directorial role in the resurrected Batman series because the script, or rather, concept appealed to him). This, of course, is a great new addition to his budding resume, and I'm looking forward to the next Nolan film.

Rating: 9.5/10

BLU-RAY vs HD-DVD: The War Is Finally Over

Yup folks, it's true. Blu-ray has won the High Definition battle and Sony has had its revenge (for the failed Betamax).

How?

Bloggers have been speculating over the weekend about HD-DVD's demise. And it seems to have become official when Toshiba announced its surrender on February 20 (Philippine time). So yeah, they're getting all those cheap 100 dollar players off the shelves and ceasing production of the optical discs and letting Blu-ray fully bask in the limelight. It could have also been affected by several obvious factors such as Warner Bros.' move to exclusively support Blu-ray, as well as the loyalty of the many others before it. From the start I thought Blu-ray would win this, and I was right.

Predictions

It seems that the only future of CD's we'll be going through is blu. PS3's will be flying off the shelves and surpass Wii (it almost did it one time), and price drops are going to be very, very frequent for the players and the discs. So expect to see a 300 dollar PS3 in like, 7 months or so, as well as standalone Blu-ray players that will be dirt-cheap. I just don't know how Filipinos will be able to react to this. I mean, we have no law stating that we should cut out all analog television stations and make the switch to HD or something, and Filipinos don't really care about the HD revolution so... the future is still pretty bleak locally at least. I mean, pirated DVD's are still the rage for Pete's sake!

Golden Globe/Oscar nominee review #3: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

SWEENEY TODD: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Directed by: Tim Burton

Released by: Dreamworks SKG, Warner Bros. Pictures

Noms: Oscar Best Actor, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design (parang puro Tim Burton film may Costume Design or Make-up nom... LOL), Globes Best Picture - Musical or Comedy, Best Actress - Musical or Comedy, Best Actor - Musical or Comedy, Best Director

Wins: Globes Best Picture- Musical or Comedy, Best Actor - Musical or Comedy

Tomatometer: 87%

In a nutshell: It's a magnificently vicious gorefest that's perfectly directed, greatly acted, surprisingly well-sung and just wonderfully made! One gripe though, the last 4 minutes lack a bit of sentimental punch!

OK, so maybe I shouldn't have put the damn subtitle on the title (even the opening credits don't), but hey, there has already been a few movies based on the same musical that also have the subtitle as its title. OK, I'm babbling now, and I'm not sure this introduction is even decent anymore, so moving on...

Benjamin Barker (Johnny Depp) is a man who has a beautiful wife and a daughter named Johanna. But because Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) wants his wife, he wrongly dumps Barker to Australia for 15 years in exile. But now that his sentence is over, he returns to London and changes his name to Sweeney Todd. He meets his former landlady Mrs. Lovett who owns a shop which sells "the worst pies in London". Now he knows that his wife is presumably dead from poison and Judge Turpin has taken Johanna into his care (and plans to marry her), he wants to take revenge, not only to him, but also to the other people who have helped ruin his life.In Tim Burton's sixth collaboration with Johnny Depp and fifth collaboration with his domestic partner Helena Bonham Corter (not including their other two "collaborations") and Depp and Carter's second (?) movie together, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street offers a powerhouse cast lead by Burton's two favorites (who are rightfully acclaimed for their performances). Right from Anthony, Toby to Beadle Bamford, they are all noteworthy and distinct and that's what I like about it.

Actually, in the first half of the movie, I asked myself why the hell it's even rated R, especially because there wasn't anything direly wrong about that first half anyway. I even thought that the movie should've been rated PG-13 or just PG! I mean, the only swear word you'll ever find is...
Sorry... but you get the point. (P. U.! I can even smell the picture!)

But in the second half, when Sweeney gets his first chance at murder, you get sort of a shock because you don't actually expect that much blood to come out of someone's throat (I'm talking too much already) and that image is still shocking everytime he does it. Still, even in its most gruesome glory, the art direction of the film still shines and rather eye-popping. (Damn, the poop is still showing in the damn blog editor!)
Even though Burton perfectly directs everyone and the risk he took with the actors have paid off (because they don't really sing), but even with the powerhouse performance of the whole cast, I think the last four minutes of the movie (I won't elaborate about that, of course) needs a bit more of a revelationary (if there was such a word) punch! I think it needed to be more dramatic, but then again, I'm not saying that the ending didn't convey its message wrongly.But even with that, this movie is my new favorite musical, and if Juno didn't exist, and if that ending had more punch, the movie would've earned my 2007 Unanimously Best Picture award and a perfect 10 respectively. I love the way it was helmed, the vision of Burton which blends in well with the story and the magnificent music of Sondheim, and everything. It's well-made and once again, I just love it.

Rating: 9.7/10 (It's almost perfect, but one thing just keeps the movie from hitting it. It's a visceral cinematic treat you should watch, especially in the theater if you can.)

PHOTO CREDIT: The Daily Poop, Rotten Tomatoes