Movie Review: Born to be Wild

This is a pretty straightforward film; a story about two different communities of orphaned animals.  One is elephants in Africa.  The other: orangutans in Borneo (Indonesia).  The movie begins by giving the background on the genesis of these two movies, then explaining how they operate.  Finally, it finishes up with a case study of an animal in each community.

First off, some of the scenes in this movie are very beautiful.  I watched it in IMAX 3D and it was very easy on the eyes.  The first 3D nature film that I have seen as well.  This is a huge plus and, in my opinion, the best aspect of the movie.

The movie doesn't try to do too much.  Sometimes, nature films and documentaries can get tiresome and boring very quickly.  This one incorporates only the essential parts of the story and the most beautiful scenes.  This is great because it never gets cumbersome.  On the other hand, the movie is only 40 minutes long.  The shortest movie I have ever seen in theaters.  Keep this in mind when doing your own cost-benefit analysis.

As far as negatives, it's hard to find many.  If you don't like hearing about orphaned animals, then you won't like this movie.  If you do enjoy that and love watching nature films, then you will enjoy this.  It really does seem as simple as that.  My one real criticism would be that the film doesn't go as in-depth as it could.  Perhaps this is in an attempt to appeal to a wider audience (which it clearly is trying to do).  But, I thought I would point it out.

One last point, you've got to love Morgan Freeman as the narrator.  All of our lives, we have loved the sound of his voice.  That doesn't change here.  The man is a narration machine.

It's quite limited in it's scope, but understandably so.  What it does, it does well.  As such, this is a hard film to criticize since you get what you expect.  Nevertheless, the subject matter is just "pretty good" as far as I am concerned.  Sure, I love animals and seeing awesome shots in 3D.  But, it's not exactly going to blow me away.

Rating: 7/10

My Very First Post and Movie Review: Sucker Punch

Movie Review: Sucker Punch


Sucker Punch is mostly spectacle with very little story.  The characters are, at the same time, one-dimensional and colorful.  The plot is edgy and textured, while simultaneously non-sensical.  The one consistency: it's just plain fun to look at.   


First off, I want to begin by saying that some of you will love this movie and some of you will hate it.  Director Zack Snyder isn't known for classical, serious film-making.  Instead, he is know for making rich and vibrant worlds full of blood, action, and dirty eroticism.  You've seen this before in 300 and you see it here again.  If you liked 300, you will probably like Sucker Punch.  If not, well, you can guess.


The movie is successful in several areas.  First, the action sequences are breathtaking.  Snyder really went all out in trying to create fantasy worlds where action and violence occurs at a level impossible in the real world.  These fantasies worlds are quite fascinating; zombie nazis, dragons, and awesome battle scenes pepper these worlds.


The film also succeeds in creating a very textured environment, setting the dark, surrealist tone.  The sepia tones in one universe contrast with the vibrant colors of another universe.  In the most violent fantasies, red and black dominate the screen.  All the while using an innovative soundtrack.


One aspect that won't be talked about with Sucker Punch that needs to be is the soundtrack.  Mostly a series of covers, the songs provide new takes on already existing classics such as The Pixies' "Where is My Mind?" and a mash-up of Queen's "We Will Rock You" with a pounding hip-hop beat.  Interestingly, the star of the film, Emily Browning, sings some of the songs.  Although she is by no means a professional singer, she holds her own and adds a touch of something special to the soundtrack.  


Critics have generally derided this film, and I will as well, for one major reason: the plot simply makes no sense.  Snyder has created a three layered universe where the story lines are intended to correlate.  However, it seems as though Snyder gets lost in his fantasy worlds and failed to make the different layers match up.  This leaves the audience pondering just what exactly happened and why.


All-in-all, this is more or less a "love it or hate it" type of film.  I loved it for the beautiful atmosphere and incredible action sequences.  Nevertheless, I confess that the plot leaves much to be desired.  So, I have to dock a few points.


Rating:  7.5/10