WheelMan Press Reviews

An Excellent New Sci-Fi Classic

I Am Legend (Starring Will Smith) - $18.99

I must admit that I came into my viewing of "I Am Legend at a disadvantage. First, I haven't read the book upon which it was based (something I hope to correct soon). In addition, I'd heard much about the movie, both how brilliant Will Smith was in the role that had him alone on the screen for a significant portion of the movie, and also how the movie supposedly degrades in the last third. So when I finally got to see the movie last night, I was entirely unsure what to expect.

Having now seen "I Am Legend," I believe that the movie will go down as one of the classics in science fiction cinema. The cinematography is outstanding. When you see the epic shots of New York having been reclaimed by the wilderness, now the domain for the likes of lions and deer, the streets either clogged with deserted cars or choked by vegetation, you really believe that you are in the midst of the greatest tragedy of our modern times. The story is masterfully told in such a way that rather than being forced through a long expositional section providing the back story, or subjected to drawn out flashbacks that interrupt the forward momentum, the past is revealed in brief flashbacks, video clips that Smith's character, Robert Neville, constantly plays on his television, and other subtle but prevalent clues like photographs and newspaper clippings that are cleverly positioned within various scenes throughout early parts of the movie. This film, unlike many others these days, doesn't operate under the assumption that its audience is fairly clueless. It respects its audience, and I very much respect the film for that.

Both Will Smith and his canine companion quickly become beloved friends whom you care for, which makes the twists and turns that occur later on all the more moving. When the enormity of the very fact that, in Neville's mind, he is the only living human left on the earth (besides the vampire-like creatures who used to be humans) hits you, you too begin to feel the weight of his loneliness and can then understand why he is in many ways slowly going insane. If not for the daily ritual that he's structured his life around, one gets the feeling that this man would have ended his own life long before. And there's something haunting about the base story here, that some tragic event could in fact leave a once life-filled metropolis like New York a cold, empty monument to a once mighty race of beings. Could our own quest for advancement one day be our undoing?

While I must admit that the movie does seem to rush toward the ending, with the climatic moments seeming to come too soon after a major plot twist changes Neville's entire world view, I don't have a problem with the way the story ends. I suppose the ending is more "Hollywood" and less "deep" than I assume that the book is, but the ending in itself is very well done, and given the ordeal that this character has gone through, is one that works well for me. I just wish more time had been spent getting us to the ending because what this movie had, which far too few movies in this genre have today, is a solid plot that fed both the appetite of the action junkie and the person who prefers a great story. Another minor fault I must hold against the film is the vampire creatures, who would have been far more compelling if they were played by real people rather than CGI. The only CGI character that has yet to truly come alive within a real world setting is Gollum from The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, and that character was built upon the brilliant acting of Andy Serkis.

"I Am Legend" isn't perfect, and the fact that it came so close is what's most frustrating to me as a fan of both Will Smith and this genre of film, but what it does provide, it does so very well. This is a fun, thought-provoking film that years from now will be one of Smith's most lauded performances. I highly recommend it to everyone.

A Remake That Should Have Been Left Unmade

The Andromeda Strain Miniseries (Starring: Benjamin Bratt, Eric McCormack) - $16.99

Although my memory of them are vague, I have fond memories of both the original Michael Crichton novel and the 1971 film adaptation. So when I learned about the remake of the story, a four-hour miniseries, no less, I was very excited to see what would be done with this new incarnation of the Crichton thriller. Unfortunately the answer is "not much."

Probably the prototype for the classic "plague-sweeping-the-world" thriller, The Andromeda Strain in its original form is an exciting roller coaster ride of a thrillfest that kept you on the edge of your seat. The Andromeda Strain Miniseries, while not the worst film I've ever seen, or close to it, was a big disappointment compared to the expectations I had. Much of the plot and some of the characters were far too contrived, more like extraneous elements thrown in for effect than being integral parts of the tale. Although I enjoy a good government conspiracy story like the next guy or gal, the one woven into this piddling plot left me expecting to see the bad guys don black hats, grow long, thin mustaches, and cackle evilly as they grin into the camera for effect. Eric McCormack's character, the obligatory "whistle-blower, drug addict" that the government goes to the utmost ridiculous efforts to eliminate seemed so unnecessary that I began wanting to kill him myself.

Another flaw of this film is that it's practically got the words "deux ex machina" branded visibly onto every twist and turn, and some of those twists were as confounding as a dog trying to catch his own tail. If anyone sees this movie and thinks it even remotely reflects the writing skills of the original author, Michael Crichton, they will be grossly mistaken. In fact I feel that the author should the makers of this film for defamation of character, libel, character assassination, and any other trumped up charge humanly possible. In fact, the more I write about this movie, the more I realize just how much I dislike it.

In reality, the movie's no worse than a high budget "B" movie, somewhat like those that have become the staple of the Sci Fi Channel. The problem is that this film had much more promise, expectation, and a far higher foundation to build upon than most of those films, and somehow wound up being worse than those films. Those films knowingly don't take themselves seriously, but this film I feel wasn't taken nearly seriously enough. I hope the actors in this movie got paid well, because they certainly won't be getting any big time starring roles based on their work here. They all did their best with what they had, but unfortunately something from nothing is still nothing.

This is a first for me, but if I have to rate this film on a scale from 1 to 5, then I'd give it a 1. And except for those who are fans of completely mindless fun (and I'm not even sure this film qualifies as such), then the movie should be rated a negative 2. And since I rarely watch a film I find so many faults with, I think this film's failure is really sad.

"Meet the Robinsons" - Another Disney Treat

Meet the Robinsons (Starring Daniel Hansen, Jordan Fry) - $19.99

I'm a long time fan of the Disney movies, especially their 3D animated flicks by Pixar. Although I've seen almost all of these films, when "Meet the Robinsons" first premiered, I found myself not feeling overly compelled to see it. I'm not sure why, except that on the surface of the promotion it didn't seem to possess the same sense of magic and wonder that other films like "Cars" or "Toy Story" generated, so I never made an effort to see the movie until it premiered on cable a couple of weeks ago. And I am happy to say that the movie was a happy surprise.

What fascinates me about Pixar/Disney films is their ability to breathe such vivid life into animated characters, to create stories that are both heartfelt and compelling, and the way they seem to never lose touch with what's it's like to see things through the eyes of a child. When you watch the story of Lewis, an orphan with a brilliant mind who is desperate to find a place where he belongs, you don't see this as an animated tale, but the story of a real little boy. A few of the scenes, in particular the one's depicting newborn Lewis being left on the doorstep of an orphanage by his mother, contain the kind of elegant and sincere cinematography as a classic film of the 40s or 50s. In these scenes, the animated characters possess the same on-screen presence as real actors.

If the film lacks anything, it's consistency. While I love the movie for what it is, and I love all the elements of it overall, as a cohesive story, the movie does bounce back and forth from touching drama to flat out slapstick humor. While other Disney/Pixar films seem to have a natural ebb and flow that maintains a strong balance between the comedic and dramatic turns in their plots, this one feels just a bit disjointed to me. Perhaps if the villain, the "Bowler Hat Guy," hadn't been so over-the-top bumbling criminal, or if the Robinson clan hadn't seemed like a futuristic Addam's family who all needed to be institutionalized for their own protection, I wouldn't have come away with the nagging thought in the back of my mind that while I enjoyed the movie a lot, there was something missing that could have made it even better.

But I still found "Meet the Robinsons" one of the better family films around, and there are definitely enough laughs to keep your kids happy, and if you are like me an adult that still has some lingering connection with your inner child, you will find enough fun moments to keep you entertained as well.

Horror at its best and most frightening

28 Weeks Later (Starring Catherine McCormack, Robert Carlyle) - $19.99

For me, the best horror is that which touches on those things which, whether in reality or in the mind's eye, could be true. Some people find blood and gore, the ability to invoke the best (or worst, depending upon how you look at it) gross out reactions, as the definition of great horror. And while 28 Weeks Later, like it's predecessor, 28 Days Later, has enough gore to satisfy those with a love of such things, the movie is one of those seemingly all too rare gems in which the very story itself, and not the special effects or the star power of the lead actors, carries this film.

The story picks up six months after the previous film, during a time when humanity is picking up the pieces after the "Rage virus" decimated Britain, a horrible plague that turned anyone infected into a raging, zombie-like menace in a matter of seconds. It begins with a flashback to the time period of the previous film, where we find a man, his wife, and some friends being trapped in he infected zone trying to survive the plague-ravaged landscape around them. Not so surprisingly, their luck quickly runs out, and as most everyone is killed, the husband, in what I thought was a disgusting act of cowardice, leaves his wife at the mercy of these monsters and runs to save his own neck. Then we flash to six months later, the jumping off point for this film, when the man is reunited with his son and daughter, who had somehow been saved from the danger zone prior to the incident with his wife. The man tells the kids that their mother is dead, which is a reasonable expectation considering the predicament he left her in. But later, after the kids sneak back into the danger zone to retrieve mementos from their former home, shocks, surprises, and more await, setting in motion the tragic adventures that befalls these kids throughout the rest of the film.

28 Weeks Later is, on the surface, just a well-made zombie flick. But it's more than that. In the film, we explore the possible ramifications of what might happen if a virus like the Bird Flu, or some other unstoppable plague (natural or manmade) were to emerge into the global arena. No, we won't see some mysterious disease that will miraculous transform man into beast at the blink of an eye, but in 28 Weeks Later we see the panic, the confusion, the brutal forms of martial law where many might be sacrificed to save many more. Imagine having to decide whether to save a human life begging for help, or to slaughter this person because you can't take the risk of getting infected by them, should they be a carrier themselves. Unlike this mystical "Rage" virus, a real plague won't manifest itself in such an obvious way, so how will we know who is safe and who is not? How will we choose whom to save and whom to forsake for the greater good? This world has faced such plagues before, and scientists say that it will eventually happen again. We hope and pray that with today's modern technology and techniques that we can head off any potential disaster in time, but the very same technology could be used to create such a plague, one specially built to defy the very measures we have in place to stop such a thing.

When a horror movie leaves me with these kinds of deep thoughts long after having watched it, that's when I know that the movie was good. If you like visual horror, this film has plenty (in my opinion, more than it needs) to satisfy you. But beware. You might come away not so much afraid of the monster hiding under the bed, but fearing the ticking time bomb lurking in the inevitability of our far too real future.

Great film, but just lacked something I can't quite put my finger on...

American Gangsta (Starring Denzel Washington) - $14.99

There's no doubt that American Gangster is a great film overall, especially if you're into this sort of movie. The cast is excellent, and I'm particularly thrilled that Ruby Dee just won a SAG Award for her supporting role in the film. It just serves as validation for a lifetime of incredible work. And of course Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington deliver spot on performances as always, bring the perfect amount of intensity and vibrancy to their characters.

But there's just something about the story, the way in which it was structured, that just didn't connect with me in the way I'd hoped it would. The story is broken up so that we bounce back and forth between Washington's character, as he builds his drug empire, and Crowe's character, as he mounts his investigation to find and take down this man. Both characters are, as I've already said, excellently portrayed, yet I could never quite find reason to become emotionally involved with either. Frank Lucas (Washington) seems a cold-blooded killer who shows no hint of concern as he brings his brothers into his business, and I never quite understood why this man became who he was. From the very beginning, he is driven to better his predescessor and to rule the underworld. But I never understood exactly why, and in life, there's always a reason for people becoming who they are. I'd like to have seen what Lucas' reasons were. Crowe's character was better fleshed out, but the fact that he seemed to be the only clean cop in New York just rang a bit strangely in a film based on real life. Nothing is ever quite that black and white.

Another thing that bothered me was that because we bounce back and forth between Washington and Crowe, we get scenes from each of their lives, but again we never get emotionally involved with either. For me, anyway, it's that emotional investment in a character that makes a film truly compelling. And while I found nothing technically wrong with this movie as a whole, it seemed to be done in a semi-documentary style that took away from the underlying story of who these two men were. And in such a movie with such intense violence and action, you'd think the ending would be good. But because the film does not end with the final confrontation between Washington and Crowe, and what develops after that moment, it seemed somewhat anti-climatic. I think that disappointed me more than anything else.

Overall, it's not that American Gangster isn't a great piece of cinema. It's just that for me personally, the story fell short of really taking me inside the head of these characters, and never really gave me a chance to feel empathy for either of them. Which is surprising because all of the other elements are there, and Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe are definitely at their best.

If you want to see a great, entertaining mob movie, this is one of the best. If like me, you like to get involved with the characters and learn something about life and how it molds and shapes us, I'm not sure if this is the film for you. You should however watch and decide for yourself.

An amazingly touching movie

Bridge to Terabithia (Starring Josh Hutcherson, AnnaSophia Robb) - $14.99.

I can't express how surprising it is to me to come here to review this movie, and to see that some people actually rated it a 1. Everyone has different tastes, and different ideas of what constitutes a good film. But "Bridge to Terabithia" is one of those films that, for me at least, crosses all boundaries and has something to offer to each and every person.

I won't recap the plot, as I'm sure you will find plenty of other reviews here that do just that. But first I have to say that the young leads in this movie, Josh Hutcherson and AnnaSophia Robb, are the heart and soul of this movie. Little Bailee Madison also hold her own. Too often these days filmmakers rely on the dazzling CGI and the heart-pounding action sequences to drive the story. But in this film, whether by intent or not I can't say for sure, these kids take the reigns from the very start and they drive the story forward with the skill that many far older actors could stand to learn.

"Bridge to Terabithia" reminds me of films like "Old Yeller," and of books like "Where the Red Fern Grows," with a bit of "The Wizard of Oz" wonder thrown in for good measure. Yes, there is sadness and loss in this movie, and I know that turns some people off. But there is sadness and loss in the real world, and try as we might, sometimes it hits so close to home that we can't protect our children from it. I would not suggest it for very little kids, or for those who are fragile emotionally. But there are lessons to be learned from this film, about friendship and love and feeling like a freak or an outsider (I could tell you stories about the last item for sure!), and also on how to deal with grief and loss. Those aren't things you learn after you become an adult. Those are things we must learn when we're young and wide-eyed and open-minded. Those are the lessons that help us become adults.

"Bridge to Terabithia" is one of those films that you really should let you children see. And I suggest that you sit down and watch it with them. It's rare to see a film that can actually foster the growth of family bonds and also provide life lessons for your kids in a fun and exciting way. Don't miss this little gem of a film. The hype around it when it was originally released was great. But in truth, the film itself is far, far better than the hype ever let on.