Skip to main content

Coming Soon: TRON Legacy

Excuse me while I dust things off. Long time no write. Been looking for Brigadoon. So far no luck, but I remain hopeful.

I missed reviewing Sherlock Holmes and Daybreakers. I’ll write more about them when the DVD’s are released, but suffice to say for now that I’ll be buying both.

I still haven’t seen that box office behemoth, Avatar. My sister gave it a glowing testimonial: Absolutely gorgeous, beautifully presenting stupid characters and an even stupider plot. Seems consistent with most every review and/or comment I’ve heard or read. Except for those few who are so over-the-top in love with it they remind me of WALL-E fanboys. When I see it on DVD I’ll no doubt be told that it’ll suck because “you must experience it!” Well, sorry, but isn’t that a left-handed way of saying the story sucks?

Can’t argue with $2+ billion at the box office, though.

I could probably write about Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, but it’s not worth caring about. That it’s raked in so much at the box office may provide proof that the apocalypse is upon us. At least Avatar has superb visuals. Alice…naw. The only stand-out in the entire affair is watching Anne Hathaway as the White Queen. She’s incredibly ethereal. I’m beginning to believe Hathaway can play anything.

The real joy in seeing Alice in Wonderland in 3D is getting to see the first teaser for TRON Legacy in 3D. Can I get an “amen” here? Is anyone else going O.M.G.?

This little teaser just sets things up beautifully. How cool is it that once Sam gets (presumably) digitized the first image we see of the computer world is a Recognizer? What was a simple geometric construct in TRON here becomes something to behold. The series of cuts, brief glimpses of the computer world, of the overall feel of the film, are just so well done. I even reveled in the Daft Punk music, and there will be more to come as they are scoring the film.

Sons chasing after dads is not a favorite plot device of mine, but this one might be an exception. Mostly this is because Sam is a grown adult. He also rides a Ducati. This cannot be a bad thing. It’s also a simple way of setting up how well he can (apparently) ride a light cycle.

(And on a motorcycle note, they actually used the sound of Ducati, arguably the most gorgeous exhaust note in all motorcycledom, unlike times in the Matrix films. Bravo!)

This is the best film teaser I’ve seen in a long time. I am completely jazzed about what’s been done here with the world of TRON. If the story is half-decent, this will at least be a fun ride.

Now I have two films to look forward to this year, this and Kick Ass. Can I get another “Amen!”?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Have I mentioned I saw Monsters vs. Aliens?

It’s possible that Pixar is becoming a blight on the world of animation. Yes, they do some really great work ( The Incredibles , Ratatouille ), but they’ve also done some clunkers ( Cars , Wall-E ). Their greatest sin, though, is that they apparently radiate a variation of the Steve Jobs Reality Distortion Field, so that any other animated film – especially if done with CG – is automatically judged inferior. There is some justification to this, but you don’t see every live action film being compared to, say, the films of Ingmar Bergman (well, except by brooding people wearing dark glasses sitting in dim coffee shops smoking clove cigarettes discussing cinema, damn you ). In the traditional film world, it’s accepted that different artists turn out different products. In the animated world, everyone is supposed to match or surpass Pixar, or so it seems. Needless to say, that’s just a crock. Monsters vs Aliens is to your typical Pixar production as Spielberg is to Scorsese. And I h...
2 comments
Read more

Dune Part 2 (2024)

I have come not to praise Dune but to bury it. I am in a distinct minority. So be it. To explain why, there will be some minor spoilers ahead; sorry. The short version is #NotMyDune. Summary: Picking up where Dune Part 1 left off, we find the young Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) hanging out with the Fremen. Plots to overthrow rival houses and empires ensue. Go here to see what I thought about Dune Part 1 (2021) . Overall, I found it to be technically brilliant, but lacking a human heart, an exercise in frenetic slow motion. D2 is more of the same, though with far more action. Acting-wise, everyone is doing a fine, more than adequate job. Absolutely no one or nothing stands out. The way the characters are written (adapted, actually), their back and forths and interactions, are all weak and unengaging. I generally hate when they speak. I've read the novel a ridiculous number of times, and these films are prompting me to read it again. I understand that trying to translate the n...
1 comment
Read more

Rogan

The entire Joe Rogan controversy is an example of the kids being left in charge and the adults refusing to teach them any better. I’m not a regular consumer of podcasts. There are a couple I listen to from time to time, but nothing on a regular basis. While I’ve caught a few minutes of the Joe Rogan Experience on YouTube, I’ve never listened to his podcast. One of the primary reasons for that is that you have to subscribe to Spotify to do so, and I prefer Qobuz, Tidal, or even Amazon Music. Rogan is behind Spotify’s paywall and that’s that. But the nature of the fight is about more than who does or does not listen to Rogan. This fight goes to the very nature of the First Amendment and the fundamental concept of the United States. And yes, I understand that cuts both ways. What’s his name and Joni Mitchell are free to yank their creations from Spotify, no ifs, ands, or buts. I’m not denying their right, I’m questioning their reasons. Rogan talks to people. He does so largely unfiltered....
Post a Comment
Read more