World War Z

World War Z, the 2006 post-apocalyptic novel by Max (son of Mel) Brooks, is one of the finest zombie texts ever written. A collection of interviews and first person accounts, the various chapters record the unfolding of a global zombie outbreak and humanity’s decades’ long struggle for survival. But rather than going for predictable scares and gory sensationalism, the personal accounts are focused more on the effects the outbreak has on geo-politics, military tactics, the world economy and organized religion. In the right hands, a book like this could be adapted into a terrific SF mock-documentary that is heavy on the social commentary in the same vein as District 9, but without skimping on the horror and chill factor so effectively conveyed in George A. Romero’s Dead series.

Trust Paramount Pictures to go mess up such a golden opportunity. Clearly the thought of making an intelligent zombie film is too much of a financial risk these days, so instead what we get is a bland disaster flick not far removed from Roland Emmerich’s back catalogue and directed by Marc Foster (who delivered the frantically edited Quantum of Solace, just to give you an idea of what you’re in for).

The plot, for startes, has been stripped of all substance and given a Spielbergian retooling that focuses on the decidedly cheesier themes of fatherhood and family values, which shouldn’t come as a surprise really, when Hollywood’s busiest dad has been cast in the leading role. The filmmakers involved believe that by making Brad Pitt’s UN operative Gerry Lane a devoted family man, the audience will identify with his pain for being separated from his loved ones. Instead, Gerry’s homesickness makes him a flimsy and occasionally inept hero, as exemplified by the scene where his black ops team is taken out by a bunch of zombies because he receives a phone call from his wife mid-operation.

Speaking of the living dead, if you were expecting the moaning, shuffling kind championed by Romero and actually featured in Max Brooks’ novel, you’re in for another crushing disappointment. The “Zekes” in WWZ the movie are more like twitchy, screeching, coked-up Usain Bolts that sprint across cities and for some reason spend very little time feasting on human flesh (which is the whole point of being a zombie after all, isn’t it?). Admittedly, the idea of the undead moving together like a compact horde of ants makes a stunning visual, but it’s yet another development that distances the movie further from the source material.

The only aspect of the novel that is somewhat faithfully reproduced on-screen is the globe-trotting. With the narrative moving from the US and South Korea to Israel and, err, South Wales, there is something wholly disheartening seeing the world’s capitals being systematically infested. The Jerusalem-set sequence in particular proves to be the best of the entire film, as the undead infiltrate the city by piling one upon another to climb the titanic wall surrounding the Middle-Eastern metropolis. It’s one of the rare moments where the events only hinted at in Brooks’ work are effectively portrayed on the big screen. Other memorable sections of the book however, such as the battle of Yonkers or the clearing of the catacombs of Paris, which would’ve also made for excellent set-pieces, are conspicuously absent.

While these are undoubtedly the rants of a disgruntled fan of the novel, there is no denying that Marc Foster's film is average at best. The action is derivative, the characters lackluster (you’d be forgiven for not noticing Lost’s Matthew Fox as a Navy SEAL) and the plot weakened by the many rewrites the script reportedly went through. And whoever thought that setting a game of hide and seek in a dreary medical centre outside of Cardiff would make a gripping final act should go back to film school.

For those of you who haven’t read the book and have low standards when it comes to popcorn entertainment, you might just sit through this fine. For those who instead were dying to see World War Z on the big-screen, you’ll more likely feel like you’re dying inside by the time you exit the cinema.

2/5

This Is The End

Film concepts don’t get more meta than the one for This Is The End: on the same night James Franco decides to host a star-packed house party in his new Hollywood villa, the end of the world inadvertently begins, prompting a handful of comedy divas to stick together to survive Armageddon. Seeing celebrities play warped versions of their real life personas is always entertaining, although in Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s debut film, you sometimes get the feeling the actors are having more fun than the audience. But that’s no biggie, as there are plenty of laughs and hilarious cameos to enjoy, with one in particular marking the most unexpected comeback of 2013.

3/5 

Before Midnight

There are plenty of films about falling in love and rekindling an old romance. Before Midnight instead is brave enough to deal with the challenges of being in a relationship for the long haul. Jessie (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) may have got a little older and more cynical about love and life since their last encounter in Paris nine years ago, but whenever these characters are chatting away against a picturesque European backdrop (this time, the idyllic Peloponnese) it feels like catching up with two dear old friends. It might not be the most enjoyable entry of the Before… trilogy, but it is definitely the most mature.

4/5     

Man of Steel

Superman can be a tricky character to nail. Noble, handsome and omnipotent to the point of being near flawless, the character harks back to a time (1938, to be precise) when superheroes were the stuff of novelty and comic book readers would lap up pedestrian displays of superhuman strength and pompous monologues ripe with selfless heroism. But now we live in an age where lifting heavy objects no longer qualifies as pulse raising entertainment, with audiences liking their superheroes to be conflicted, prone to error as they are to the occasional quip and, crucially, a bit more human. Like Batman, basically.

Which makes Warner Bros’ decision to hire Christopher Nolan, hot off his acclaimed Dark Knight trilogy, as a producer to shepherd Man of Steel into the 21^st century entirely logical (despite being released in 2006, Bryan Singer’s maligned Superman Returns shared its DNA with the Donner/Reeve flicks from the late 70s, early 80s). Zack Snyder taking the director’s chair also made sense, as he’s had his fair share of experience handling comic book properties like 300 and Watchmen. Throw in a heavyweight cast of Oscar-nominees and you’re onto what Hollywood execs like to call “a sure thing”.

However, anyone who has learnt not to be fooled by a film’s line-up and marketing campaign will know better than to walk into Man of Steel thinking that, like its central hero, it’s going to be bulletproof. In fact, the movie does come with its fair share of flaws, some of which prove more detrimental than others.

The most glaring one that comes to mind is that, in a clear attempt to emulate Nolan’s success with the Batman franchise, MOS strips the character of all Golden Age nostalgia and emerges instead as, yes, a much darker and grittier film, with Superman even sinking among a sea of human skulls at one point. That’s not to say we should get a 2 hour film of Clark Kent picking daisies, but in terms and style and tone it is a bit of a departure from the source material. The similarities to Batman Begins are further accentuated by the film’s re-shuffled narrative structure, as we bounce back and forth between Clark’s troubled childhood and his present day quandaries.    

Another serious issue with the film is pace. Given Kal-El’s (the official name on Supes’ birth certificate) otherworldly origins, a sizeable chunk of the running time is spent on clunky exposition on Kryptonian history, politics and technology. Clearly this is screenwriter David S. Goyer’s way of showing he’s committed to the comic book's mythology, but surely he could’ve skimped on some of the details. And to those of you who thought that Transformers didn’t know when to end an action scene, you might want to bring a stopwatch and some ear plugs, ‘cause it seems like Zack Snyder is out to prove he can direct the longest, LOUDEST and most bombastic set-piece we’ve seen in a blockbuster for a while (seriously, never has so much abuse been inflicted on a metropolitan skyline). You might think it looks brilliant on paper, but the end result is surprisingly exhausting to watch. Perhaps these were the moments where Nolan’s sensibilities as a director would’ve come in handy and Snyder could’ve been reined in a bit more.

But despite its shortcomings, there are elements of brilliance in Man of Steel that are worthy of mention, such as Hans Zimmer’s epic score that brings the flight sequences to vibrant life, or the genius casting of Russell Crowe and Kevin Costner as the hero’s father figures. But the aspect of the character that is handled the best is the humans’ reaction to Superman’s existence. In the original Richard Donner film Lois Lane didn’t bat an eyelid when he revealed he was from another planet. In MOS, the world is understandably shaken by the sudden realization that a humanoid alien with godlike powers is walking among them, their wariness and paranoia completely justified. Superman’s relationship with Lois also gets an interesting retooling, the two sharing a delicate and believable trust before any romance blossoms.

As for the big blue boy scout himself, relative newcomer Henry Cavill turns in a likeable, if uneven performance. He pulls off the look effortlessly and gets to show range in a couple of scenes, but lacks both the innate charisma that Christopher Reeve displayed in his first outing back in 1978 and the gravitas a leading actor requires to carry a movie. Nevertheless, there’s enough work on display to suggest that, should he be back for a sequel (and early box office reports seem to indicate just that), he will grow into his star-making role.

As a device to repackage DC’s oldest property and mainstream him into the 21^st century, Man of Steel is a success. As a fully-rounded film in its own right, it is undeniably flawed. You could say that what we’re left with is not the Superman film we deserve, but the one we need right now. So here’s a challenge, Warner Bros: how about trying to make a sequel that is actually lighter than the origin story?

3/5  

   

The Iceman

With his uncanny ability to play deranged alpha males, you’d suspect Michael Shannon is a closet sociopath who uses his roles to channel his inner psychosis. The Iceman sees him play Richard Kuklinski, a real-life serial killer turned mafia hitman who, unbeknownst to his wife and daughters, murdered approximately 100 victims over the course of twenty years. Ariel Vromen’s film is a biopic by the numbers and while a few interesting names pop up in the supporting cast, none of them can hold a candle to Shannon. His performance is a cold, unnervingly restrained one, the kind that a young Robert De Niro or Christopher Walken would turn in.

3/5