GDC Reviews

Batman Returns (1992)

The Dark Knight at his darkest

[8/10 · 12 December 1999]

In a bare squeaker decision over its predescessor, this one gets my vote as the best of the Batman movies. This is the Batman mythos as it should always be: a dark, twisted world populated by deeply damaged people. Batman has never been a typical superhero, and this is no typical superhero movie.

Yes, it has its share of action and mayhem, but the central pillar holding it all up is the interaction of profoundly disturbed people in bizarre outfits, and the question of what really makes Batman any different from the villains he thwarts.

The Penguin, a villain I've never really cared for, is given a great new background here; a tragic, twisted, past worthy of the hero himself. DeVito comes off very well in the role I was convinced Burgess Meredith would own forever. The Catwoman has also been rethought with a strangely ambiguous origin and an unexpected feminist theme. I was originally convinced that Pfeiffer was wrong for this part; I should have learned to shut up after the Michael Keaton contraversy.

Special mention should go to Bo Welch's production design, which bounces back and forth between skewed circus-from-hell to Speer-like Aryan designs with out-of-control proportions. While very different from Anton Furst's designs of the first film, it complements the story perfectly. Another special mention to Danny Elfman's score, still one of his best.

From its stunning wordless opening sequence to its actionless melancholy ending, this is the thinking person's superhero film.

Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982)

Not so much a movie as a deeply disturbing experience

[9/10 · 12 December 1999]

No other movie in my memory can be more accurately described as an experience than "Pink Floyd The Wall". Everything that was true of the album (perhaps the greatest in rock history) in auditory terms is true of the movie visually. The incredibly eclectic Alan Parker, who can't seem to settle in a genre, does a brilliant job of bringing Roger Waters' masterpiece to life. Bob Geldof, with almost no spoken lines, creates one of the most disturbing portraits of madness and isolation I've ever seen. And of course, there's the music; haunting, dark, and so deeply personal, you almost feel like voyeur hearing it. What almost takes over the film, though, is Gerald Scarfe's incredible free-flowing animation, melting from one disturbing image to another, then segueing into his great production designs until you can't tell what's real anymore.

Side note: buy the DVD! The extra features alone make it worth the purchase.

The Iron Giant (1999)

Another ignored classic

[10/10 · 7 December 1999]

One of the most frustrating things about Disney's stranglehold on the animation industry is that when a truly great animated film does come along, fans ignore it in droves. Such a case is The Iron Giant. Many people are blaming its poor showing on Warner Bros lack of advertising, which is ridiculous. I dislike the idea that unless we're inundated with Happy Meal tie-ins and action figures, the film is under-advertised. There certainly was adequate advertising for this film; it simply wasn't in titanic Disney proportions.

The Iron Giant is, no exaggeration, one of the best animated films of the last ten years. As a childhood fable, as a view of fifties foreign paranoia, as a statement on violence, it works perfectly. There isn't a single flawed scene from beginning to end. And it proves conclusively that animation can work without cute animal sidekicks or overwrought musical numbers; just a great story, brilliantly timed comedy, and some truly touching moments.

The combination of cel animation and computer imagery is seamless, with each technique used to its best effect. The voice-acting is top-notch, with Christopher MacDonald particularly good as the paranoid government agent. Having not read the book myself, I can't vouch for the film's adherence to the original story, but I highly recommend it to any lover of animation.

Incidentally, lest you think it's purely for children, I watched it with a group of men over thirty, and we all loved it. Let's hope this film gets the discovery on video it was denied in the theater. A solid 10.

Drive (1997)

At last, Hong Kong comes to America

[8/10 · 7 December 1999]

For the last few years, Hollywood has slowly been taking notice of the popularity of the Hong Kong action film. Gradually, a few film-makers have begun to pick up some of the Hong Kong style, bringing new excitement to American action cinema in such movies as The Matrix and, most notably, John Woo's own Face/Off. But the very best Hong Kong-style action is found in this little-known low-budget piece.

Mark Dacascos (who, I'm sorry, doesn't look remotely Chinese, guys) shows heretofore unseen promise in the hyperaction arena in a nearly endless slew of one show-stopping fight after another. These perfectly choreographed set pieces are dead ringers for the Jet Li/Jackie Chan mayhem we Hong Kong fanatics have been enjoying for years. The director is Steve Wang, whose "Guyver 2: Dark Hero" is another undiscovered gem (but stay away from the first one). The often annoying Kadeem Hardison is actually quite funny here, pre-dating Chris Tucker's befuddled sidekick routine in "Rush Hour". Special mention has to go to the terminally cute/sexy Brittany Murphy, who walks away with every scene she's in. I was quite disappointed when the heroes moved on without her.

A must-see for any fan of Hong Kong cinema, or anyone who wants the feel of the genre without all that horrible dubbing.

Fist of Legend (1994)

One of THE martial arts films

[10/10 · 7 December 1999]

Simply put, Fist of Legend is one of the very best martial arts films ever made. It stands in a group with Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon, Jackie Chan's Drunken Master II, and...as soon as I think of anything as good as those three, I'll let you know.

Choreographed by the legendary Yuen Wo-Ping, this is Jet Li at his best (and that's saying a lot, folks). Eschewing the arial wire stunts, Li relies on skill, speed and agility, and is more than up to the task. These fights - and there are a lot of them - are stunning. But the real wonder is that there's a real movie here underneath all the stuntwork. Interesting characters, an intriguing plot, and conflict that goes deeper than "you killed my master"; there's even some political comment. This is a thinly-veiled remake of Bruce Lee's "Fist of Fury" (or "The Chinese Connection" in the US, for some bizarre reason), but the story's been widened and given more depth. There's less Japanese-bashing, with more of an attempt to pin blame on individuals instead of nationalities.

If Jet Li is ever going to have a formidable American presence, it's films like this one that should be making the conversion, instead of merely above-average fare like "Black Mask".

Castle in the Sky (1986)

Yet another Miyazaki masterpiece (surprise).

[9/10 · 18 November 1999]

It almost sounds demeaning to call this one of the most enjoyable animated films I've ever seen; it is, in fact, one of the most enjoyable films of any kind I've ever seen. Anyone familiar with the work of Miyazaki will find a lot of familiar territory here: the rural setting, the preoccupation with aircraft, the mythic themes. What separates this (along with the hilarious "Porco Rosso") is its playful brand of movie-serial cliffhanger action. There's much more to smile at here than in its more serious cousins such as Mononoke and Nausicaa. It's one of the handful of films that one can point to when trying to demonstrate the heights of which animation is capable.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

A masterpiece, if you can find the real version

[10/10 · 18 November 1999]

First off, let me state emphatically that I'm referring to the REAL version of the film, not the pathetic crippled creature distributed as "Warriors of the Wind" on video. Although I must admit that I first fell in love with the movie in that form, I have now seen the full subtitled version, and I place a hideous curse on those who hacked over 20 minutes from its running time.

Although the incredible "Princess Mononoke" later upstaged this early work in terms of art and detail, in many ways I still prefer "Nausicaa". Its imaginitive and well-conceived world puts me in mind of Dune with its feuding factions, its giant creatures, and its strong ecological message. Even with a rather long running time, the story moves very briskly (boiled down as it was from a very lengthy manga series). The music deserves special mention, as well, as it is a large step up from the electronic pop stylings of most anime.

If you can get your hands on a copy of the original version, you'll find it more than worth the effort.

Princess Mononoke (1997)

Disney left in the dust

[10/10 · 8 November 1999]

Not only better than anything you're likely to see from the Disney school of factory filmworks, but quite possibly THE best animated film ever made. The sheer imagination, artistry, and detail in every frame of this work is breathtaking. I applaud Miramax for leaving the American release unedited, both for length and content. The voices are a mixed bag; Danes and Crudup are adequate; nothing any competent voice-actor couldn't have pulled off. Thornton's southern accent, though he tries to coneal it, is a bit distracting set among the visuals of historical Japan. Minnie Driver and Gillian Anderson are both quite good, however. For fans of Miyazaki, the brilliance of this film will not come as a shock, but for everyone else, it should be quite an eye-opener. Just don't take your children expecting a Happy Meal cross-over with cute sidekicks and musical numbers.

Porco Rosso (1992)

Miyazaki is God

[9/10 · 8 November 1999]

When I sat down to watch this, I had just seen Princess Mononoke and Nausicaa in the same day, and harbored doubts as to whether Miyazaki could do an all-out comedy. As it turned out, he is as unnervingly brilliant at evoking laughs as he is at fantasy. This is a rare animated film that works on every conceivable level, almost BECAUSE there's no compelling reason for it to be animated. Aside from the hero's identity as a pig (which is never fully explained, mind you), everything here is pretty much real-world (or the screwball comedy version of real world). The level of detail is, as expected, mind-boggling, and the flight models of the maneuvering planes are gorgeous. Fans of animation, aviation, comedy, or pretty much anything else should look into this.