Absolem Reviews

Man of Steel (2013)

Superman revived for the 21st Century

[8/10 · 22 June 2013]

After a string of underwhelming installments, Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen) and David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight Trilogy, Da Vinci's Demons) resurrect the Superman franchise for the modern age.

Henry Cavill (previously dubbed "The Unluckiest Man in Hollywood") takes on the lead role of Clark Kent/Kal-El and successfully brings his struggle to life. An outcast trying to find his place in the world, Clark attempts to discover the truth behind his otherworldly abilities.

Clark is helped in his struggle by his foster father Jonathan who embodies the most interesting aspect of the film. Kevin Costner plays a unique paternal figure who advises his son to hide that part of himself, as he is an extraordinary being who the world is not yet ready for. Diane Lane's Martha Kent proves a wise figure who teaches Clark to use his powers for the greater good.

Russell Crowe brings a level of humanity to Jor-El, who makes the ultimate sacrifice to save his son and the future of his people, while Michael Shannon cuts an imposing figure as General Zod and embodies the character's determination and drive.

While Academy Award nominee Amy Adams has undoubtedly proved her merit as an actress, her character Lois Lane is not particularly memorable or interesting. The way in which the character is written, anyone could have played her.

Surprisingly, the film's standout performance is Antje Traue as Faora, Zod's write hand woman. Given some of the best dialogue in the film, she manages to make the character both elegant and menacing.

Goyer's script is well written and includes a lot of inspired dialogue, while Hans Zimmer's score is excellent. But Snyder's directing gives the film it's unique style.

Snyder is very much a visual director, and nowhere does he excel at this more than Krypton, which contains a lot of throwbacks to classic science fiction. For the most part the planet looks like something from Star Wars, while the technology harks back to the Alien franchise (the helmets worn by Zod and his supporters very similar to that of the Space Jockey).

That being said, the film does have some flaws. While the action scenes are impressive, there are too many of them and they start to drag out towards the end. Though the flashbacks of Clark's childhood help to humanize the character, the last one is very corny and forced and the film would have been better off without it.

Overall, a very good film and a decent revival of the franchise. It will be interesting to see a sequel and where the series goes from here.

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

The ending we deserved and the ending we needed

[10/10 · 20 July 2012]

Batman has been a major part of popular culture for the better part of the last century. With this film, Christopher Nolan concludes his interpretation of this iconic character. And what a conclusion it is.

Picking up eight years after The Joker's rampage, we spend the film's first act observing the state Gotham is in. Harvey Dent is still seen as the hero, Batman the villain. Organised crime is a thing of the past and the city is at peace. Crippled by the fact that he is no longer needed, along with the never ending pain he suffers from the loss of his parents and his beloved Rachel, Bruce Wayne has become a recluse. Christian Bale portrays brilliantly portrays the character's agony with stunning accuracy.

Bruce is brought out of hiding by a number of factors. His loyal butler Alfred (Michael Caine) contributes greatly to a number of the film's more tear-jerking scenes. Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) once again delivers his sharp wit as he puts things into perspective. Idealistic rookie cop John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) proves a character that Bruce can relate to on a personal level. Philanthropist Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard) shows Bruce that love can still be found when it is thought to be lost. Finally, cat burglar Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) makes Bruce question his place in society, and whether his is doing enough with the wealth he has been given.

However, the biggest factor is Bane (Tom Hardy). With his unyielding strength, brilliant military tactics and unending will, he proves to be Batman's greatest foe. After the impressive turn from Heath Ledger as the Joker in the previous film, it was a masterstroke to introduce a villain who was the complete opposite. With Bane, nothing is left to the imagination. While the villains of the previous films never felt like a match for Batman, Bane proves himself to be one. For once, you actually worry that Batman will lose.

Taking on the iconic role of Catwoman, Hathaway proves herself the ideal choice for the role. Showing the characters morals, physical prowess and conflicted nature in equal measure, she brings the character to life like never before. Hardy is menacing as Bane, and Gordon-Levitt stands out as the only police officer besides Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) to show genuine passion for the city's welfare.

The film's final act brings a gut-wrenching, heart-stopping and emotional climax like no other. The past comes back to haunt the characters and the trilogy is brought full circle is the most satisfying way imaginable. Nolan achieves what many considered to be impossible and outdoes himself once again. So ends the greatest series of superhero movies the world has ever seen. I pity whoever has to reboot the franchise after this.

The Avengers (2012)

Very entertaining. Superhero ensemble done right.

[8/10 · 26 April 2012]

Over the past five years we have been exposed to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has introduced us to a multitude of characters. Finally, it all comes to a head in this massive ensemble. Following the arrival of the Norse God Loki (Tom Hiddleston), S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) assembles a team of six of the most powerful individuals the world has ever seen to combat the threat. However, their egos and suspicions of one another create a lot of friction in the group. Many feared that the screen time of this film would be dominated by a single character, with the rest simply playing supporting roles. They needn't have worried, as each Avenger is given an appropriate amount of attention. Returning to their roles from the previous Marvel films are Robert Downey Jr. as the pretentious yet well-meaning industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man, Chris Evans as the recently resurrected World War II hero Steve Rogers/Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Norse God Thor (Loki's stepbrother) and Scarlett Johansson as enigmatic spy Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow. Jeremy Renner expands upon his brief cameo in "Thor" as Clint Barton/Hawkeye, by far the most interesting member of the group. Replacing Edward Norton as Bruce Banner/The Hulk is Mark Ruffalo, who fills the role surprisingly well. Badass as usual is Jackson as Fury. We also see quite a lot of fan favorite Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg), who makes his most memorable appearance so far. Returning in supporting roles are Virginia "Pepper" Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and Dr. Eric Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard). Introduced in this film is Agent Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders), who doesn't really get enough screen time to make a proper impression. While the entire cast is solid, the best performance by far is by Hiddleston. As the film's primary villain, he cuts an imposing figure, peering a death glare at the audience and relishing every word as he attempts to get inside the heroes' heads. Director Joss Whedon, the man behind "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" and "Firefly", once again shows his ability to create a well-made ensemble piece. Following in the footsteps of Jon Favreau, Kenneth Branagh, Louis Letterier and Joe Johnston, he was the ideal choice for this film. Whedon was able to cover all of the necessary areas, from the emotional impact of the death of a major character, to the film's many moments of humor and the many heart-racing action scenes. Another triumph is the film's special effects. The motion capture used to create the Hulk has made him look more realistic than any previous live-action portrayal, Loki's army of Chitauri aliens are a convincing force to be reckoned with and vehicles are created that could never exist in reality. Furthermore, Whedon alumni Alexis Denisof is unrecognizable as The Other, a mysterious villain who hints at what is going on behind the scenes (and what will come to the front in future installments). While it won't win any Oscars, The Avengers succeeds in all of the intended areas. A character-driven story with heart, action and humor, it brings these iconic characters to the big screen in a way that does them justice, and will thrill audiences from beginning to end.

Black Swan (2010)

Decent, but Aronofsky repeats himself

[5/10 · 12 February 2011]

Black Swan was not an easy film to make. It took ten years for the it to be adapted to the screen. The lead actresses, Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis, went through the harsh process of attaining a body type and muscular tone similar to professional dancers, which required them to work out for five hours a day for six months, with exercises including ballet, cross-training and swimming. During the course of filming, Portman suffered a head injury as well as a twisted rib, which delayed the production.

Portman plays Nina Sayers, a ballerina in the New York City ballet, who lives with her mother who still treats her like a child. She dreams of being the lead in the production of Swan Lake, which is has a new twist to it. The story of Swan Lake focuses on a princess called the White Swan, whose lover is stolen by her evil twin, the Black Swan. Nina is cast as the Swan Queen, which is a fusion of both parts and the main element of this new interpretation.

She faces stiff competition from newcomer Lily, played by Kunis, who has a more natural feel. Pressured to perfect both parts and switch convincingly from one to the other, Nina suffers a lot of strain and several injuries. Ultimately, it is carefree Lily who is the more likable of the two, in contrast to the perfectionist Nina.

While Kunis and Portman play their parts well, the audience's attention is always caught by the charismatic Vincent Cassell. He plays the production's director, Thomas Leroy, a perverse individual who pulls no punches, and pushes Nina to the limit, using sensuality to direct her. Nina's attraction to him is what drives her to perfect the role, and her fear that Lily will take both her part and Thomas is where the homage to Swan Lake becomes apparent. Winona Ryder has a short but memorable role as the jealous former lead ballerina.

As the film progresses Nina's obsession with the role begins to damage her mental state. This is effectively shown through her hallucinations where she sees herself slowly transforming into the Black Swan.

One of the places the film falls short is the way certain scenes are delivered. Often they end up being funny when they are meant to be serious. In one such scene, Nina is on a subway, and an old man blows kisses at her and touches his crotch at the same time. While this scene is clearly intended to be disturbing, the audience find themselves laughing.

In the end, the film's biggest flaw is that for anyone with a knowledge of director Darren Aronofsky's work, it is all too familiar. The plot and story structure have noticeable similarities to his second film Requiem for a Dream. It focused on a group of junkies and the effect that drug abuse had on their lives. As those people were addicted to drugs, Nina is addicted to the idea of achieving "perfection". In both films, the plot has a slow start, then it begins to pick up, and towards the end it enters strange territory.

While Black Swan is a solid film, Aronofsky ends up repeating himself. If you haven't seen Requiem for a Dream, then Black Swan may impress you. If you have, I wouldn't bother.