Countdown to Skyfall: Bottom 5 Bond Films

Every Bond Save for one falls on this list... Guess Which one doesn't!

Bond recently turned 50 years old on the screen and it’s time to look back at the ultimate secret agent leading up to the 23^rd film in the Bond franchise Skyfall. We move now to the worst of the worst James Bond films. There are some really awful ones so let’s get right into the worst of the worst of Bond James Bond.

5. Quantum of Solace

If Casino Royale is a great gritty reboot that doesn’t lose the essence of Bond than Quantum of Solace is its terrible little brother that is gritty but looses the essence of Bond. Shaky cam in a Bond movie? Really? You’re kidding right? Shaky cam made the action sequences so awful that most were close to unwatchable. Pair this with a generic plot with a terrible villain and any lack of “Bond moments” and you’ve got yourself a really bad non Bond, Bond movie.

4. Diamonds are Forever

The end of the Connery era ended on an absolute dud. After the fantastic On her Majesty’s Secret Service (which PS is a rule now that after any great film in which Bond falls in love a terrible revenge film must follow see the above entry and now this one) Diamonds are Forever fell flat on every level including the rushed revenge plot that got rushed at the beginning of the film. Throw in the generic Bond plot and the beginning of the silliness of the Roger Moore era and we have one unappealing film, despite the Goldfinger crew being behind it.

3. Live and Let Die

Out of the many horrid Roger Moore films that could have gone on this list (like Man with the Golden Gun and Moonraker and The Spy who Loved Me (although I haven’t, nor do I want to see Octopussy)) Live and Let Die ultimately wins because of its overall deadness. There is no energy in this film at all and it goes on forever and ever and ever and ever. It’s only saving grace, Paul McCartney’s opening song which is the only thing that should be remembered from this dud.

2. Die Another Day

I hate this film. Let’s get that out of the way right now. The worst CGI I have ever seen in a movie ever and this one is chalked full of it. Add the stupid plot, a film that goes on for way to long, a dreadful villain, a script that could make a puppy cry, and Madonna and you have Die Another Day. Yuck!

1.  The Living Daylights

The film that almost singlehandedly killed the Bond franchise, this spot can only be reserved for Timothy Dalton’s first film as Bond, The Living Daylights. Dalton is a good actor, but being a good actor doesn’t make you a good bond by a long shot. Generic, poorly scripted, cold, and flat out boring, there are many reasons why no one went to watch The Living Daylights and why James Bond didn’t return for many years after the two Dalton films.

Wreck-It Ralph Review

Ralph with the "Bad Guys" in Wreck-It Ralph

Wreck-It Ralph

B

A Review by Frederick Cholowski

After many years in obscurity Disney Animated Studios has begin to find its stride again. From Princess and the Frog to Bolt the studio seems to be on the climb back to relevancy. Wreck-It Ralph is another solid film in the resurgence that, despite being fairly conventional, manages to have enough charm and video game references to make it the best animated film of the year so far.

Wreck-It Ralph (John C. Reilly) is a “bad guy” in the oldest game in the arcade Fix-It Felix Jr. In the game Felix (Jack McBrayer) gets all the credit as he is the “good guy” of the story while Ralph lives alone in the dump ashamed of whom he is. So Ralph decides to attempt to do something about it by abandoning his game and trying to get a medal from the first person shooter “Hero’s Duty”. After dealing with Hero’s Duty and its tortured leader Calhoun (Jane Lynch) Ralph crash lands into Sugar Land where a young glitch Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) steals Ralph’s medal to enter a race in her own game. Ralph must attempt to get his medal back while learning something about himself in the process.

The main problem with Wreck-It Ralph is that the story of the film has been done before in the past. Every plot point can be predicted from miles away and those who have seen an animated film can predict the ending about 10 minutes into the film. That being said the film manages to have enough charm to keep the film interesting and enjoyable. Most of this comes from the many videogame references from the late 80’s to the mid 90’s. The film has many great moments where videogame characters and themes have time to shine, whether subtlety or not so. Each reference is small enough that they don’t dominate the film, but frequent enough that it allows for the generic animated movie plot to remain interesting through most of the film.

Wreck-It Ralph also has enough of a vision that it doesn’t seem like a cash grab. Director Rich Moore, and the writers, who have worked on the Simpsons and Futurama, manage to keep the writing witty enough to sustain a steady stream of humor throughout the film. Sure through the middle of the film it has trouble sustaining a constant momentum but for the most part the humor has enough punch to it to keep the story afloat for most of the film.

On the voice over side of things John C. Reilly is great as usual. Reilly has played many lost souls over his career so this seems like a good fit for the actor. McBrayer gets to have fun as the kind of lame and over celebrated Fix-It Felix. Jane Lynch does solid work here as the tough woman programmed with the hard back-story and Sarah Silverman keeps the energy of the film up throughout the middle of the film.

The animation here is close to perfect within the context of the film. Bright colors and flashy animation is present here while still keeping the “video game feel” that makes the film special.  Characters move and talk like they are from their respective video games in a naturalistic fashion. Nothing here feels strange or out of place and the attention to detail is stunning. There is some great nods to video games in the score and what is original works well within the context of the film.

The short before the movie is again an example of the short before a Disney film that almost outshines the actual film itself. The short is entitled Paperman and follows a man with a monotonous job who attempts to reunite with the girl of his dreams that he encountered at a train station. The black and white film is magical and while not as good as say Pixar’s La Luna, still manages to capture many emotions during its brief running time. It’s fantastic that between Disney’s animated studios that the tradition of creative shorts before big movies continues.

Wreck-It Ralph is a solid animated effort and a good addition to Disney Animated Studios’ comeback lineup. While the film’s story is fairly uninspired and “been there done that” the film still manages to charm through the usage of references and witty writing. The film doesn’t feel cheap or like a cash grab and for this year of week animated films that’s good enough to make it the best in animated films this year.

Cloud Atlas Review

Tom Hanks and Halle Berry in one of their many roles in Cloud Atlas

Cloud Atlas

A+

 A review by Frederick Cholowski

Life, the universe, and everything; these are amongst the many philosophical mainstays covered by the Wachowski siblings and Tom Tykwer in the epic Cloud Atlas. Running at almost three hours and attempting to tell six separate, yet connected stories within said span of time Cloud Atlas is one of the most ambitious films of the last few decades. Fortunately Cloud Atlas also manages to be a fantastic film that had a divine effect on my mood coming after watching it. Cloud Atlas is a brilliant epic film and amongst the most amazing achievements in film in the last decade.

There is no point at attempting to explain the plot of Cloud Atlas because this review would end up going on forever. All that needs to be said is that Cloud Atlas spans six completely different story lines that span numerous centuries. The veteran cast of actors including Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving, and Jim Sturgess (more on them in a second) each play a role in each different story line thus connecting each story. Each story also seems to be a philosophical statement of some sort, whether it being the traditional allegory of the cave to different comments on sacrifice, religion and parallel lives. The overarching theme of the entire film is that we, as human beings are all interconnected and actions in our many “lives” have numerous consequences that can either open or shut doors.

Cloud Atlas is a very polarizing film. In other words you’re going to love this film or hate its guts. The camp I fall into (as evidenced throughout this review) is the side that fell in love with this film. The scope and scale of what’s being attempted in this film is absolutely fascinating, and around 99% of the time the film works elegantly. Each story line is connected in almost every way and each are transitioned to and from with a simple elegance. There are points in the film in which storylines bleed into each other, with a natural fluidity. The transitions between stories are so masterfully handled and none are ever jarring or jagged. For a film like this that is an amazing achievement.

Running at just under three hours (2hours and 52minutes) Cloud Atlas is by no means a short film. That being said the film also never outstays its welcome as each storyline is allowed enough time to breath, develop and wrap up in ways that are stunning and emotionally satisfying. Cloud Atlas is probably the most ambitious film in a long time (even more so than the Tree of Life) and for what the film attempts to do Cloud Atlas is a massive success.

Cloud Atlas also isn’t a subtle film. Whenever an allusion is needed it is loud and clear as to what it is. The main theme of interconnectedness is made clear throughout the film. The Wachowski siblings have never been subtle (cue the Matrix) and it works well enough here. It still takes some effort, and perhaps a few more viewings, to catch most of the illusions that the film has to offer so in that since it works well. The constant theme reminders often help when the storylines are a little far away from one another and a reminder is needed.

The acting here is a joy to watch. The large cast of veterans who play multiple roles throughout the film are magnificent throughout. There is no real stand out from the group as the films acting job seems mostly like a collective affair. There have been complaints about the makeup and making white actors play different ethnicities (namely Asian  American) and how that potentially bogs down the film. While the different ethnicity make up is fairly obvious it’s also not racist in or distracting in any way shape or form. The film would not work if the filmmakers had used different actors to fill all of their roles, as the whole point of the movie is having interconnecting stories with interconnecting people. Instead it just seems like running with the initial idea and potentially taking some flak for it later on. In this day and age of safe formulaic films this choice is admirable.

Visually the film is jaw dropping the whole way through. Each story has its own distinctive visual flair that helps accentuate the similarities and differences of each storyline. The film just looks stunning any way you can put it and the large budget that helped make this movie definitely shows. The score helps pull everything together providing a few different interludes and playing them with different instrumental voices throughout the film. It’s a beautiful score and the main theme of the score is subtle and haunting.

Cloud Atlas is the single most ambitious film I have seen in a long time. The film stuns as it succeed on practically everything it does (and it does a lot) with a grace and elegance that is rarely seen in today’s films. It’s also the film that changed my mood after I watched it and brought many genuine “wow” moments. One of the best additions to this year’s growing list of A+ level films this year, Cloud Atlas is a true stunner.

Countdown to Skyfall: Top 5 Bond Films

Bond, James Bond in all his many forms

Bond recently turned 50 years old on the screen and it’s time to look back at the ultimate secret agent leading up to the 23^rd film in the Bond franchise Skyfall. Let’s begin the countdown to Skyfall with the positives, the Best bond films to ever reach the big screen. There is only one real rule to this list, it has to be an official Bond film (sorry Never Say Never Again even though you wouldn’t have made this list anyways). So whether it’s Connery, Lazenby, Moore, Dalton, Bronsnan, or Craig here are the top 5 Bond films of all time.

                              

5. Dr. No 

#5 was a tough one because there are a few B+ level Bond films that can be interchanged in this spot. Goldeneye and For Your Eyes Only could have easily taken this spot, but when in doubt go with Connery (that just has to be a rule). Plus Dr. No is the first Bond film, the one that brought the super spy to the big screen, the one that made Sean Connery famous! Sure he’s not as great as in his later attempts nor were the producers used to the format of the films yet, but Dr. No still manages to be an entertaining, very old fashioned Bond film that is still a joy to watch 50 years later.

4. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

Sure George Lezenby is the worst Bond of all time and that makes this film lower on this list, but other than that On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is a near perfect James Bond film. The action, intriguing plot, and Bond falling in love all made this film one of the greats. Now if only Connery was in it…

3. From Russia with Love

If the first Bond brought the franchise to the big screen then From Russia with Love proved that it could be great. Everything in this film outdid its predecessor from Connery getting used to the character to the plot being more intriguing to the action having more of a punch etc. From Russia with Love is just fantastic and still is to this day one of the best of the best.

2. Goldfinger 

It was hard to place From Russia with Love and Goldfinger in their respective spots because they are so equal in almost every way. Goldfinger ultimately wins because of one reason, the villain. Goldfinger (and his pesky sidekick Oddjob) is one of the most memorable villains in Bond history and thus elevates the film that extra inch. Also Goldfinger seems to have most of my favorite Bond moments, whether it’s the amazing song sung by Shirley Bassey , the Odjob taking the statues head off with his hat, or the great exchange of “Do you expect me to talk?”, “No Mr. Bond I expect you to die.” Goldfinger is fantastic in every way and represents (along with the previous entry) the best of Connery.

1. Casino Royale

Controversial choice? Yes. Right choice? Also yes. Casino Royale is the riskiest Bond film of all time and it’s also the best. For the first time James Bond bleeds and feels pain, also for the second time in history Bond falls in love. The way this film is structured is genius. From the electric opening sequence, to one of the best Bond songs ever, to Craig being the best Bond since Connery, to the great poker game in the second act, to the heartbreaking third act, to the best use of the line “The name’s Bond, James Bond” ever at the end of the film (and arguably the best use of “The James Bond theme” ever), everything about Casino Royale is about as perfect as you can get. If I could have only one Bond film until Skyfall that film would easily be the fantastic Casino Royale.

So that’s only what I think. What do you think? Sound off in the comments

Next up: The Worst of the worst, and there are some really bad ones... Stay Tuned!

Argo Review

Affleck debriefing his fake film crew in Argo

Argo

A+

A review by Frederick Cholowski

It’s not often that the actor/director switch yields a better director than actor. Thus seems to be the case with Ben Affleck as his third film behind the camera (and technically in front of the camera as well as he is the lead actor) Argo (not to be confused with the 1996 modern classic Fargo) is an absolute triumph of a thriller that harkens back to the days when thrillers didn’t have to double as an action movie. The film is intense and pulse pounding without having to having things blow up or people being shot every five minutes. In this era of special effects driven action thrillers this is a massive, welcome breath of fresh air.

Argo is based on the true story of the rescue mission of six members of the American Embassy (Tate Donovan, Rory Cochrane, Christopher Denham, Clea Duvall, Scoot McNairy, and Kerry Bishe) in Iran. The six Embassy members were left hiding in the Canadian Ambassador Ken Taylor’s (Victor Garber) residence after Iran military students ransack the Embassy and take the rest of its staff hostage. Insert exfiltration expert Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) who needs to help the director of the CIA Jack O’Donnell (Bryan Cranston) get them out of Iran and back home without getting them killed. The plan is to create a fake film, a sci-fi Star Wars rip off entitled “Argo”, with the help of makeup artist John Chambers (John Goodman) and producer/director Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin) and pretend that the group trapped in Iraq is a Canadian film crew working on the project. Thus begins a near suicide mission that puts the lives of Mendez and the six trapped in grave danger.

It’s not often in a film that the “based on a true story” label is essential to the film. In Argo the label is used to full effect as Affleck really attempts, and very much succeeds, at capturing the feel of the American/Iranian relationship in the late 1970’s early 1980’s. The use of old footage and newscasts is really effective here as it creates an atmosphere that’s a little nostalgic and very frightening. The effective atmosphere aids in the draw of the film as time and place is a really important factor when telling a story such as this.

Argo also happens to be a very well written thriller that capitalizes on an older 1970’s and 1980’s style of thriller. There are no car chases, gun fights, or fist fights to be had in this film just a tightly weaved set of “that was too close”. There is constant tension throughout the film and even if one knows the “real story” moments going in it’s hard not to be at the edge of your seat throughout the majority of the film. Another great reason for “the edge of your seat” feel is because Affleck and writer Chris Terrio make these characters likable and easy to root for. Even though character is definitely not the focus of this film at all there are still great moments in which the characters get some great moments to shine (none probably as great as the running joke “Argo f*** yourself” that is used in many contexts throughout the film). The film is just over two hours but the ride is so tightly packed and so well made that it never feels its length.

Affleck is also quite effective in front of the camera with his muted performance of Mendez. Affleck is never flashy and stays mostly as fodder for his supporting cast to play off of, which isn’t a bad thing at all considering the amazing supporting cast he’s assembled. Bryan Cranston, who you could stick in anything (like the dud of a remake “Total Recall”) and he would be fantastic, is, in the moments he is used, quite fantastic. John Goodman and Alan Arkin help add a great since of humor to the film and adds lots of spice to the middle of the film (which in a lesser film would be filled with too much boring exposition).

The technical aspects of the film help create the atmosphere through the use of almost grainy 70’s like shots along with the implementation of the old authentic news clips. The film’s look is truly unique and it feels very close to the look of the thrillers of the olden days. The film’s score is a typical thriller score with “time ticking” tunes that always let you know when things are getting intense.

Argo is tight, extremely well made thriller that harkens to the days of classic thrillers that used suspense as their primary tactic. Argo is constantly exciting, and pulse pounding but it also has time to captivate through the use of interesting characters and great supporting performances. Overall Argo is a triumph and a great addition to the ever growing (this has just been a great fall so far hasn’t it) list of this year’s A+ level films.