Brave - An Arrow That Lands Off-Center

As I've stated on this blog before, I am a fan of Pixar movies. They've been able to make great movies throughout their entire span, which still hold up even after a few years have passed. Then along came Cars 2 and for the first time I became worried that the studio may have been losing their edge. While I was looking forward to Brave anyway, I had my reservations based on the ad campaign (which seemed to have a "Lol, Scotland" feel at times). After viewing it today, I can say that while Brave isn't exactly perfect, it's at least a  step in the right direction for the studio.

Not all is well in the Castle of DunBroch (which, if my research is to be believed, translates to Castle CastleCastle). We open with the main character, Princess Merida (Kelly Macdonald), receiving a bow and arrow as a birthday present in her youth from her father, King Fergus (Billy Connolly). As she grows up, Merida becomes increasingly adept as using this weapon, but also becomes annoyed by her mother, Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson), teaching her how to be a true princess at an equal rate. When she is to be betrothed, Merida sabotages the event for the suitors and runs off on her horse Angus after a disagreement with her mother. In the forest, she follows a trail of Will O' the Wisps to the hut of a witch/wood carving enthusiast (Julie Walters), where she strikes a deal: in exchange for a pendant and the purchase of every wood carving, she would receive a pastry that will change her fate. When Merida returns to the castle, she offers it to her mother, with the most unexpected results.

As the movie went on, I felt as if this was a tale I had heard before, with some similar execution. There were some plot points that, after a while, I could predict a little, something I didn't feel that much in other Pixar films. I understand that a movie can have a plot done before but have a very good execution, something that doesn't ring as true here. The characters aren't as intriguing as the ones in, say, The Incredibles. In The Incredibles, there is a very interesting family dynamic that the audience gets to see multiple sides of and we learn a great deal about how everyone lives and interacts on a daily basis in normal situations. In Brave, the deepest character relationship we get in the mother and daughter bonding tale is that Elinor asks Merida to do something and Merida doesn't want to do it. Fergus comes off as the weird, supportive, dad and the triplets run around without any meaningful dynamic to speak of. They are willing to help their sister in a time of need, but not much else is taken from them. In a sense, Brave does what it can to get through its plot in a similar manner to other Pixar features, but it felt like there was something missing in the end and it didn't feel quite as original as others the studio has put out in the past.

If there's one thing Pixar never disappoints with however, it would be the absolutely stunning visuals. There is definitely an amount of painstaking detail put into the scenery and the stylized character models to bring the world to life. In fact, I heard that because of this, Pixar had to rewrite their animation program for the first time in 25 years. What impressed me the most about it though was the hair, especially with regards to Merida and Angus. There is an absolutely insane amount of detail with a lot of very realistic physics to raise the bar on what can be done in CGI. I also liked the effects on the fire and water, which seemed very real in a fictional world; it's a very nice combination. Unfortunately, no matter how good the visuals are, it can't completely carry the story to its conclusion.

As for the humor in this movie, it isn't as strong as other films in Pixar's past. I did laugh a couple of times, but it isn't as witty and contains humor focused on butts, and a snot joke, that didn't feel entirely necessary. I also couldn't really get into the fact that there is some modernity to this 10th century Scotland, such as the way certain characters behaved and the witch having, of all things, a potion-based answering machine (instead of pressing a button, you pour a vial into a cauldron). It doesn't completely bog down the movie, but it's a little distracting that they would include such anachronisms that feel very out of place. I would have preferred them to stick closer with the time period.

Brave, while a good movie, isn't as strong as other Pixar titles. The amazing visual impact can't completely make up for the somewhat unoriginal execution of the story, duller humor, and more hollow character development. I can safely recommend fans of other Pixar works to see it, but I feel that it will be a lot more appealing to kids (if the audience I saw it with was any indication) or parents that want a movie to see with them. I'm glad that Pixar is still on its feet, but this is the point where I feel that they are losing their creative edge.

On the bright side, it is a vast improvement over Cars 2.

Scooby-Doo! Legend of the Phantosaur

Note: This review contains spoilers for Scooby-Doo! Legend of the Phantosaur.

On this blog, we’ve covered films that we watched for their reputation, either good or bad. However, we haven’t covered many where just a specific iconic scene drew us in. Such is the case with 2011’s Scooby-Doo! Legend of the Phantosaur, the 16th installment of the long-running series of direct-to-video Scooby-Doo! films. While this one scene in particular, which I’ll go into later, was worth watching, the rest of the film felt very uneven.

2012 - The Highlights (EHeroFlareNeos)

With 2012 coming to a close, this is the time to look back at what came out this year and reflect on how we felt. While not all of it was great, there are still some things that deserve mention. Below, in no particular order, is my personal list of the top games, movies and disappointments of the year, plus a special new category (that hopefully I will never feel the need to use again).

Top Movies of 2012

The Avengers
As the culmination of Phase 1 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers combines humor with action and well-written characters to create the ultimate comic book movie. While Joss Whedon isn't reason enough to fall in love with this movie, his hand in it cannot be denied, for he shares both writing and directing credits. The Avengers is one of those movies that I would be willing to watch over and over again, having seen it three times already, and this small space cannot do it enough justice. This is simply a movie to see without question.

Wreck-It Ralph
Video game movies have always been the butt of jokes across industries, with complaints that aren't that unfounded. However, Wreck-It Ralph has managed to prove that not only can they not suck, they can be worth repeat viewings. Though it can be compared with Toy Story in some aspects, the different spin it has on its genre is rather unique and sends its message across in a way that doesn't talk down to anyone or appeal to a single niche audience. Although there is some fan service of sorts for avid video game players, there is enough to satisfy even complete outsiders.

The Expendables 2
Let me be honest here, The Expendables 2 isn't the greatest movie ever made, nor is it something I'm going to immediately watch again on DVD. However, I placed it on this list for its ability to not only advertise exactly what it was going to do, but also sticking with it and staying true to itself. It establishes early on that there will be badass moments of awesome and it delivers badass moments of awesome. It's a true action movie through and through and I have no regrets watching it.

Top Video Games of 2012

Asura's Wrath
In a realm of gaming where God of War and Devil May Cry clones (and Bayonetta) run rampant, it's nice to see a game that manages to stand apart and take everyone else by storm. Asura's Wrath operates like an interactive anime, but it weaves an epic tale of a Deity named Asura, betrayed by his own kind and ripped away from his daughter. His resulting feats reach a status that exceeds its ilk and reaches beyond the heavens to deliver a very memorable experience.

Journey
Sometimes what doesn't really matter is the destination, but rather the journey. This is the tenet that Journey is built upon, drawing out the player's sense of isolation in a way that firmly establishes that video games can indeed be works of art. It may only last a couple of hours, but what truly matters is the experience it creates and that you may find yourself wanting to go on that journey again and again.

Penny Arcade's On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3
It may be better for fans of Penny Arcade like myself, but OTRSPOD 3 is a game that I liked well enough to put on this list. The painful wait and change of developers proved to be well worth it, thanks to the unique approach to gameplay and tidal wave of humorous lines and references to Penny Arcade's entire webcomic run up to that point. Plus, the plot surrounding the Four Below takes a darker turn and knows when to generate genuine suspense. Also, it's only $5 (this cannot be stressed enough).

Assassin's Creed III
As I played the Ezio Trilogy, I was really waiting for a fresh new assassin to join the ranks and give me something new to do. Thankfully, Assassin's Creed III does just that, shifting the focus to the assassin Connor and changing the setting to the American Revolution. Though Brotherhood and Revelations are still required reading, so to speak, this entry is when things really kick into high gear and the framing device actually becomes interesting. As the conclusion to a long build-up, Assassin's Creed III is not a game to miss. Plus, it has some significance to me thanks to some of my ancestors being involved in the American Revolution.

Top Disappointments of 2012

Brave
After Cars 2, I feel that Pixar has really started to let themselves go. Brave is an improvement, but that doesn't change that this seems like the point where Pixar has lost some of their luster; having already achieved their earlier visions, they have now become more of a regular movie studio. The characters in Brave aren't as engaging, the plot has some holes and unusual anachronisms and there just seemed to be an overall lack of effort to make me want to rewatch this mother-daughter bonding tale. But hey, kids and die hard fans seem to like it.

The Amazing Spider-Man
In the wake of the successful Marvel Studios movies, Sony created a reboot of their successful Spider-Man trilogy in order to maintain their grasp on the franchise. Unfortunately the result isn't as great as the Sam Raimi films, with a darker tinge to try and compete with Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, a plot that leaves several threads dangling (pun intended) and the revelation that being bitten by a radioactive spider actually gives you just Spider Sense and the ability to perform spider-based parkour. I wasn't impressed, but I won't challenge anyone for genuinely enjoying it (just don't say "because it was dark like Batman"). Hopefully the inevitable sequel will be better.

I Am Alive
This is an example of a game stuck in development hell and managing to come out, but as a different entity. I Am Alive originally had a very brilliant premise and gameplay ideas, but somewhere along the way it turned into a survival horror with only a few fleeting remnants of the original vision intact, thanks in part to the new setting being deemed "more realistic." I don't entirely regret finally playing I Am Alive after its seeming disappearance from the fabric of space, but in hindsight I'm still waiting to play the game that I got excited for.

Assassin's Creed III
I admit that it's weird to see Assassin's Creed III take up a slot on two contradictory lists, but just hear me out for a minute. The story was handled very well and there are plenty of improvements to the gameplay systems that make Connor one of the best assassins in gaming. However, the game also failed to recapture the addiction I felt when playing Assassin's Creed II for the first time and the mission structure just isn't up to par. While some bugs and annoyances have been fixed in a patch, what I played wasn't enough to keep me occupied for days on end. I'll play the sequel, but I hope Ubisoft actually puts more time into that installment than this.

Worst Video Game of 2012

NeverDead
Ever since the day I decided to play NeverDead, I have spent every day since regretting that awful two days of my life. Bryce Boltzmann is not a hero I can get behind, the gameplay is absolutely abysmal, the story falls flat on its face and the enemies are relentless so as to make the game a possible way to turn into The Hulk. Not even Megadeth's amazing contribution could bring this game up from being nothing more than a plastic container full of urine.

Honorable Mentions of 2012 (Not reviewed, but worth bringing up)

SoulCalibur V
It may be the game I exchanged NeverDead for, but I had a really great time with this game. This installment in the series manages to fix what was wrong with SoulCalibur IV and improve upon such things as story, art style and combat. It's a well-balanced fighting game that I think fighting game fans would appreciate, even if they are fresh to the series. Plus, you get to be Ezio Auditore, so what's not to like?

Stubs - Monty Python and The Holy Grail

Monty Python and The Holy Grail (1975) Starring: John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Michael Palin, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam. Screenplay by John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Michael Palin, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam. Directed by Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam. Produced by Mark Forstater and Michael White. Run Time: 87 minutes. Color. U.K. Comedy

One of the most intelligent, outrageous and funny television shows to ever come along was Monty Python’s Flying Circus, which debuted on the BBC in 1969 and ran until 1974. Even though John Cleese had left the show in its final season, he was back in the fold when the group made their first post-series movie, Monty Python and The Holy Grail. While there had already been a Monty Python movie, And Now For Something Completely Different (1971), it was basically a very low budget rehash of sketches from the comedy troupe’s first two seasons (called series in Britain) made for an unsuspecting and unnoticing, judging by box office, U.S. audience.

For this film, the troupe wrote an entirely new story, loosely based on the King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table legend. And while nothing in the series would have prepared viewers for this film, it still retains the same sense of humor the troupe showed on TV, starting with the use of the noise of cocoanut shells clacking together instead of real horses.

In typical Python fashion, the film starts out as another film entirely, the very real black and white British comedy Dentist on the Job (1961) before, presumably, the projectionist realizes his mistake. Next,the credits carry Swedish subtitles, which are really adverts for Swedish tourism. After the subtitlers are sacked and those that were supposed to sack them sacked, etc., the real film finally gets underway.

Yes, it is a real movie.

King Arthur (Graham Chapman) and his squire, Patsy (Terry Gilliam), go around the countryside looking for suitable knights to join Arthur at Camelot.  At the first castle, Arthur is questioned by a soldier (Michael Palin) about how they got the cocoanuts, a tropical fruit, in a temperate climate like Britain and how many migrating Swallows and of what type it would take to carry one.

Boring of the encounter Arthur moves on, only to get into a socio-political discussion with a peasant (Palin) when he asks about the resident of the nearby castle. When Arthur tries to lord over the peasants about being the King of the Britons, they not only don’t know they’re Britons, but they bristle at being his subjects.

"Help, help, I'm being repressed!"

Arthur moves on and encounters the Black Knight (John Cleese) who not only refuses to join with Arthur but also to let him pass. In one of the funnier and bloodier sword fights in movie history, Arthur takes down the knight, one limb at a time. This very funny, very over the top approach will become a hallmark of future Monty Python films.

King Arthur battles the Black Knight. It's only a flesh wound.

Following his literal dismantling of the Black Knight, Arthur enters a village, where a woman (Connie Booth) is accused of being a witch. The villagers take her to Sir Bedevere (Terry Gilliam) to pass final judgment. His scientifically flawed logic leads that if the woman weighs the same as a duck, then she must be a witch and faulty scales leads to her doom. But Arthur is impressed and invites Bedevere to join his quest.

Villagers ponder what else floats besides wood.

We’re not shown how Arthur assembles the rest of his knights, but we learn that brave Sir Launcelot, and yes that’s how it is spelled in the script, (John Cleese), pure Sir Galahad (Michael Palin) and the not-so-pure or so-brave Sir Robin (Eric Idle) have joined his ranks. Together they head to Camelot. But while they’re looking at the model, we’re treated to a song and dance about Camelot (perhaps a precursor to Idle’s Spamalot musical), which leads Arthur to decide to skip Camelot altogether. And once they do, God (voiced by Graham Chapman) appears and gives Arthur the quest of finding the Holy Grail as his purpose.

The audience with God.

But the quest gets off to a rocky start when at the first castle they come to, they are accosted by a French man (Cleese) who insults the knights and rains farm animals down upon them when Arthur attempts to storm the castle. Bedevere comes up with the idea of a Trojan rabbit but fails to think through that knights have to be inside it when the French take it into their castle. The rabbit is then catapulted down on the knights.

Just then, a modern-day historian appears and speaks to the camera about the Arthurian legend as if for a TV documentary. But then a knight, Launcelot (Cleese), rides through the scene and slays him. This murder sets off a police investigation.

Arthur decides to break up the knights and spread them out on the search for the Grail. The first knight we follow is Sir Robin, who rides with his musicians singing a song about how overly brave he is. The song includes references to body parts and torture until Robin gets squeamish and asks them to stop. In the woods, they encounter a three-headed knight (Chapman, Jones, and Palin) who wants to kill Robin, but who bicker so much between themselves that Robin is able to escape, which becomes fodder for more song.

The dreaded three-headed knight.

Next, we follow Sir Galahad who finds a castle with a Grail-shaped beacon. Thinking he has found the object of his quest, Galahad enters. Inside he encounters Zoot (Carol Cleveland), the mistress of Castle Anthrax, and later her identical twin sister Dingo (Cleveland), who oversees a castle of women. The Grail sign had been left on by accident and as penance, Galahad is told he’ll have to spank Dingo. The other girls chime up that they’ll have to be spanked too, and then Dingo says will follow the oral sex. Galahad is saved from this fate when Launcelot bursts in and “rescues” him.

Castle Anthrax's unfortunately Grail-shaped beacon.

Meanwhile, Arthur and Bedevere encounter the feared Knights who say Ni, led by a tall knight (Palin). Hearing the knights’ words cause Arthur to fear for his life. The Knights Who Say Ni demand a sacrifice: a shrubbery or else Arthur will not be allowed to pass alive through their forest.

"We are the Knights Who Say Ni."

Launcelot gets involved with saving what he thinks is a damsel in distress, but is really a sickly Prince (Terry Gilliam) whose father (Michael Palin) is marrying him off to a girl whose father owns large parcels of land. During the rescue, Launcelot kills many of the wedding guests, including the bride of the father. The Prince tries to escape down a rope made of bed sheets, only to have his father cut him loose and let him fall when he decides Launcelot might make an able substitute.

Arthur and Bedevere end up in a village where they come across Roger the Shrubber who provides them the shrubbery they need for the Knights Who Say Ni. Arthur and Bedevere are joined by Robin and they escape from the Knights Who Say Ni.

The Knights venture on to Tim the Enchanter (John Cleese), who points them to the Cave of Caerbannog, where the location of the Grail is written on the wall. At the cave, they face the killer rabbit that lives within. After losing Sir Bors (Terry Gilliam) to the rabbit, they employ the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch to defeat it. Upon entering the cave, they are attacked by The Legendary (and animated) Black Beast of Arrrghhh who devours Brother Maynard (Eric Idle), but the rest are saved when the animator (Terry Gilliam) dies from a heart attack.

The Killer Rabbit in Action.

Next, they venture to the Bridge of Death which spans the Gorge of Eternal Peril. Each Knight is forced to answer three questions by the bridge-keeper (Michael Palin) to pass over the bridge or if they fail, thrown into the gorge. After Launcelot passes easily, Galahad and Robin are not so lucky. When its Arthur’s turn, he accidentally tricks the bridge-keeper with a question about swallows into throwing himself into the gorge.

Launcelot, however, gets separated from Arthur and Bedevere and is shown being arrested for the murder of the historian. Meanwhile, Arthur and Bedevere see the castle of their quest and magically a boat arrives to take them over to it. But the French are already there and once again a Frog soldier (John Cleese) berates them. Arthur and Bedevere retreat back across the water and immediately call together their soldiers to attack the castle. But on their approach, the cops stop them and arrest Arthur and Bedevere for their part in the historian’s murder. The film ends when one of the policemen at the end knocks the camera down.

The film's Cop Out ending.

While the group would go on to make three more after this one: Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979); Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl (1982) and Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life (1983), none would be better. This is their best combination of story-telling and humor. Life of Brian would offend many by its thinly veiled Christ bio; Live at the Hollywood Bowl was a greatest hits live performance with some new sketches and The Meaning of Life was more gross than funny.

Cinematic Python has very little to do with TV Series Python. While the two share a similar sense of humor and sometimes very witty dialogue, TV Python is much more about then-modern England and its foibles; though it did venture into period settings, it didn’t dwell on them. Cinematic Python, on the other hand, handles weightier subjects, like the quest for the Holy Grail with grittier depiction. We literally see peasants living in utter squalor while the King “rides” around in pristine white. As one villager remarks, he must be king since he’s the only one without shit on him. There are very few comedies that have scenes about the black death or show a man being cut apart limb by limb, but Jones and Gilliam manage as directors to navigate the precipice of being too over the top and still maintain the funny. Terry Gilliam would go on to a very uneven career as a film director, some would say never finding balance in very much.

I’m not going to attempt to delve into deeper meanings that may or may not be in Holy Grail, such as the separation of classes that existed in Medieval England and some might say still exists today, as the rich get richer, etc. That may very well be there, but I’m not sure if Python was trying to comment on it or not. I’ll leave it for others to do the socio-economic implications.

To date myself, I went to the first screening of Holy Grail in Dallas, Texas. While Dallas at the time might have been considered conservative and bible-thumping, the first television station to show Monty Python was KERA, the local public broadcasting affiliate. My friends at the time were all into watching the show, which had a new show on Sundays and was repeated the following Saturday. By then I’m pretty sure it had ended its run in England. This was, dare I say, before videotape, so we would make audio recordings of the show and play them back. And we were in line to receive our free uncut cocoanut, which at the time I don’t think we knew what significance it had until the movie started.

There are definitely things about this movie that never grow old, such as the substituting cocoanuts for horses and hooves. Overall, there is a timeless quality to the story and the story-telling. Unlike many films, which are obviously modern retellings, where actors are not in proper attire or there are current references in dialogue, Holy Grail seems to have tried to keep the emphasis on telling a comedy set in a particular period. Oh, the humor is more risqué than in King Arthur’s time and I doubt the Roundtable would have featured singing and dancing, but those are Python’s touches and they don’t seem to get dated, even watching this film 38 years later.

As much as I love this film, it is not for everyone. Small children should not be exposed to it without parental guidance. And there is a certain sophistication that the film assumes of its audience. But it is really far from being highbrow. If you have never seen Monty Python at all, I wouldn’t recommend starting with the movies. The TV series is your primer. But if you’ve seen that, but never one of the movies then this would be a great one to start with. Frankly, they are all downhill from here.

2012 – The Highlights (lionsroar)

Best Films of 2012

In no particular order:

THE AVENGERS

In some ways, this was a pleasant surprise. The five films leading up to this had been uneven. Iron Man was great, but Iron Man 2 had problems. Captain America was up, Thor was a bit down, though the film has grown on me since I first saw it. And I don’t have to say what a disappointment the previous Hulk films had been, of which, The Incredible Hulk was canon for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

But this film brought the good and bad together and came up with not only perhaps the best comic book movie ever, but also maybe the best film of 2012. There is action and humor mixed together and while the subject matter might be “light” the overall film is great.

WINGS

Okay, so technically this is a film from 1927, but since it was once considered lost and I saw it in a theatrical setting, I’m going to count Wings for 2012. One of the things that sets this film apart are the action sequences, which are as real as a film can get. The actors in the airplanes are actually the actors in airplanes flying them. Throw in Clara Bow at her cutest and a bit part for Gary Cooper and you’ve got a movie to remember and one that may be 85 years old, but can still take your breath away.

WRECK-IT RALPH

Finally, a video game movie that doesn’t suck. A spin on the Toy Story formula, we find out what video games do when the arcade is closed. Turns out the villains are more like us than the heroes. They have doubts about their worth, they seek out friendship and they long to break from the rut they find themselves in.

Biggest Film Disappointments of 2012

In no particular order:

BRAVE

I’m sorry to say that it seems Pixar’s best days may be behind it. The sequels seem to be having diminishing returns, see Cars 2 and Toy Story 3, and the new films aren’t as fresh as the first group the studio put out. Pixar in some ways is like a rock band that puts out all their best stuff, the projects they worked on and honed before anyone knew who they were. But now that they’ve played all those songs, their new batch isn’t quite as good as their original hits.

Brave isn’t a bad film, it just isn’t as good as I used to expect from Pixar. But now I guess I’ll learn to expect less and to accept less from Pixar in future.

THE CABIN IN THE WOODS

This is not a film I would normally pick to watch, but after The Avengers (Joss Whedon co-wrote and produced CABIN) and the hype I heard about the movie, I thought I’d give it a chance. The humor is a little too dark for my tastes and the satire goes a little too far.  And a blood bath is still a blood bath, even if you’re supposed to be laughing about it.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN

Hollywood makes films for all sorts of reasons. In the case of The Amazing Spider-Man, Sony made this film in order to keep the franchise. After the original run of the first three films, it is no surprise they would hope for the same success with the reboot. But there are so many problems with the movie that I don’t want to spend the space rehashing my original review. Suffice to say Andrew Garfield is no Tobey Maguire and Marc Webb is no Sam Raimi. No doubt there will be an Amazing 2; let’s hope it gets better from here.

Scooby-Doo! and Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery

As the Scooby-Doo direct-to-video movies continued to be pumped out every year, it was hard not to notice from a casual glance that there was at one point more of a reliance on crossovers, including Hanna-Barbera’s own Blue Falcon, DC’s Batman (the Brave and the Bold version) and two movies with the WWE of all things. To be fair on the last one, crossing over WWE with other Hanna-Barbera properties such as The Flintstones and The Jetsons was in style at the time. One that stood out to me, however, was a crossover with the band Kiss, named Scooby-Doo! and Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery. While I wouldn’t consider myself a member of the Kiss Army, I do enjoy some Kiss songs and I was curious to see how such a crossover would work, which I got the chance to do after recording a Boomerang airing of the movie. Though I wasn’t sure what to expect, I ended up enjoying to a degree, though it seemed more like a Kiss movie than it did a Scooby-Doo movie.

Stubs - Top Gun: Maverick

Top Gun: Maverick (2022) Starring  Tom Cruise; Miles Teller; Jennifer Connelly; Jon Hamm; Glen Powell; Lewis Pullman; Ed Harris; Val Kilmer. Directed by Joseph Kosinski. Screenplay by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, Christopher McQuarrie. Based on Characters by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr. Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, Tom Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie, David Ellison. USA Color Run time: 131 minutes. Action, Romance, Drama

It is rare that a sequel is better than the original. Spider-Man 2 comes to mind. Add to that shortlist, Top Gun: Maverick released recently. A vast improvement over the original film, Top Gun (1986), this is also one of the longest gaps between the original and its sequel; 36 years. As they say, things can age well with time.

Stubs - Eye of the Needle

EYE OF THE NEEDLE (1981) Starring: Donald Sutherland, Kate Nelligan, Christopher Cazenove. Directed by Richard Marquand. Screenplay by Stanley Mann. Based on the book by Ken Follett. Produced by Stephen Friedman. Run Time 118 minutes, Color. U.K. World War II, Drama, Thriller, Romance

Set during World War II, EYE OF THE NEEDLE follows two storylines. First it is the story of Henry Faber (Donald Sutherland), whose important position at the railway keeps him from national service. He seems like an affable, though lonely man, who lives in a boarding house and goes for a pint down at the local pub. But in reality, Faber is a Nazi spy. A German military officer, Faber is also known as the Needle. One is given to believe he got that name because of his favorite weapon, the stiletto, which we see him use over and over throughout the film.

Juxtaposed to Faber’s story is that of David (Christopher Cazenove) and Lucy Rose (Kate Nelligan). Newlyweds, married on the eve of David’s assignment, they have a terrible accident on the way to their honeymoon. Drunk and driving too fast, David drives off the road and crashes the car. The result is his paralysis from the waist down. He exchanges flying in the air force for tending sheep on Storm Island off the English coast. There they live a Spartan life with only their young son Jo (Jonathan Nicholas Haley) and the lighthouse keeper and helper Tom (Alex McCrindle) for company. While Lucy keeps a brave face, she is in fact miserable. David drinks too much with Tom and David and Lucy’s romantic life is down to zilch.

Faber, meanwhile, has been given the very important assignment of spying on General Patton’s Army, which the German military is convinced will be the lead force when the Allies invade Europe. Faber is told to find out what he can and to report back to the Fuhrer in person. A German U-boat will pick him up off the shore when he relays to them he is ready to be picked up. He is given two weeks to report back.

The truth is that Patton’s Army was a decoy and Faber takes photographs to prove the point and even with the authorities chasing him, manages to escape to Storm Island where his canal boat crashes in a storm. There he is rescued by the Roses. While Lucy nurtures him back to health, she also falls in love with him. And with her husband sleeping one of upstairs or at Tom’s, Lucy and Faber become lovers.

When David discovers the canister of photographs, he confronts Faber. And even though David puts up a heroic fight, he is no match for the stronger Faber, who throws him over one of the many cliffs on the island. Next Tom is also killed and Faber must wait for his next window to contact the U-boat, which waits for his signal between 6 pm to 6 am every day.

Faber tells Lucy that David is too drunk to come home, giving the two lovers another night together. The next day, when Faber goes to retrieve David, Lucy and Jo go for a walk on the island and Lucy discovers her husband’s dead body in the water. She is very upset, but when Faber gets back, he tells her that David is still too drunk to come home. Lucy knows something is up and bides her time to escape, even going so far as to have sex with Faber one more time, as if nothing is wrong.

When she gets her chance, Lucy grabs Jo and takes off towards Tom’s lighthouse, where there is the only radio on the island. Faber takes chase and even though her car gets stuck, Lucy manages to barricade her and Jo in the lighthouse. This is when she finds Tom dead as well.

Faber arrives and tries to gain entrance. Lucy does her best to stop him, even hacking his hand with an axe as he reaches in to undo one of the locks on the door. But Faber still gets in and while holding Jo hostage manages to contact the U-boat just before Lucy manages to short out the electricity. Faber must have feelings for Lucy, because he lets her live. And it is this act of “kindness” on his part that will lead to his own death.

Faber leaves the lighthouse and heads down to a row boat on the beach to get to the waiting U-boat. Lucy finds a handgun she had misplaced and takes chase. She shoots at Faber, but doesn’t stop him until he is in the row boat. With her last bullet, Lucy kills Faber and unknowingly saves the Normandy invasion.

A taught thriller, EYE OF THE NEEDLE has held up very well in the thirty years since its original theatrical release. While Donald Sutherland is great as Faber, it is really Kate Nelligan’s Lucy that holds the film together. She is the pivotal character, torn between the love for her impudent husband and the strong embrace from a virile stranger. A lonely young woman, who has never really been given a chance to enjoy life, Lucy rises to the challenge and single-handedly saves the world.

Buddy (2026)

Although horror is not necessarily my favorite genre, this theatrical year has ended up more horror-heavy for me than in previous years thanks to some more unique premises and the presence of a recognizable name or IP. Of all the horror films on my radar this year, however, few had me more intrigued than Buddy, the theatrical debut of Casper Kelly, the mastermind behind Adult Swim Yule Log and, more famously, Too Many Cooks. The premise of a horror spin on children’s shows alone caught my attention, but the casting of Keegan-Michael Key and the knowledge that Kelly had created it sold me, as I had faith that he could do the concept justice through his unique lens. As the release date drew nearer, and the more I saw of the rather clever marketing campaign, my anticipation grew, enough that I made the effort to drive to a theater further away than usual just to catch a morning showtime on opening day. While the final film wasn’t exactly the same experience one might expect if they were only familiar with the viral Too Many Cooks, it’s nonetheless very Casper Kelly and felt very much worth the extra effort.

Inside Out - Pixar Can Still Create Magic

Inside Out (2015) Voices by Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling, Directed by Pete Docter. Screenplay by Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve, Josh Cooley. Produced by Jonas Rivera. U.S. Run Time: 94 minutes. Animation, Comedy, Drama.

I hadn’t intended to write a review of Inside Out. It was a Father’s Day outing and I’d like to think there are some movies I don’t have to write about, but since this will probably show up on my top five for 2015, I thought I’d better post something to refer to later.

I feel like I have a personal and familial relationship with Pixar Animation. The first film my sons saw in a theater was A Bug’s Life (1998) and Pixar films had been must-sees for us from then on until Cars (2006). While John Lassiter’s pet project may have been a merchandising juggernaut, it was the first clunker for us. The studio that had seemed to be innovative and cutting edge fell back into the same routine as the big guys. They’d already made a sequel, Toy Story 2 (1999), but they made it a trilogy (2010). And they made Cars 2 (2011). Disney Animation, by then under Lassiter’s direction, even cranked out a Pixar-clone, Planes (2013). I have to imagine it’s only Thomas the Tank Engine that stands between us and Trains.

Definitely, it felt like the bloom was off the rose by the time Brave (2012) was released. While the studio is already in regurgitation-mode with a Finding Nemo sequel, Finding Dory, Toy Story 4, The Incredibles 2 and sorry to say a Cars 3 in production, they still can hit magic, something the studio has been missing the mark on since Up (2009). Sequels only make us nostalgic for experiencing the original, that sense that we’ve discovered something new and had a shared experience not only with the people we’re with, but the people in the theater and every theater showing the movie across the world. Sequels, try as they might to re-create that experience, usually fail to deliver something as wonderful the second, third and fourth time around. The production values might be better in subsequent sequels, but there is nothing like the first time you saw Toy Story.

Inside Out shows that there is still some magic left at Pixar. Maybe some of Tinker Bell’s pixie dust from parent Disney has cross pollinated its Emeryville subsidiary, but Inside Out is one of the most original concepts to come along in quite a while.

From Left to Right: Anger (Lewis Black) Disgust (Mindy Kaling), Joy
(Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith).

The film offers a look at what goes on inside a person’s brain and how memories and emotions determine who we are, allow us to make friends and have interests. Pixar selected five emotions: Joy (Amy Poehler); Sadness (Phyllis Smith); Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black) and Disgust (Mindy Kaling), which are enough to carry the day and tell the story. All of these reside in the brain or control center inside Riley Anderson (Kaitlyn Dias), a preteen who, along with her mother (Diane Lane) and father (Kyle MacLachlan), has moved from Minnesota to San Francisco.

The Anderson's Mother (Diane Lane), Riley (Kaitlyn Dias) and Father (Kyle MacLachlan)

Starting over is always difficult and it plays havoc with her emotions and consequently her core memories which are the building blocks of who Riley is. When everything is falling apart, Joy and Sadness have to work together to save Riley from making the biggest mistake in her life.

The voice acting is a little bit like a crossover episode of Parks and Recreation (Poehler) and The American Office (Smith and Kaling), two shows that were never quite as funny as they could have/should have been in my opinion. (Not that I don’t think Poehler is a very talented comedian.) Throw in Poehler’s fellow SNL alum Hader, who has made a second career doing voice work (Cloudy with A Chance of Meatballs 1 & 2) and stand up turned actor/commentator Black and you’ve got a very strong ensemble. Black brings his stand up anger shtick with him the same way Don Rickles brought his insult routine to Mr. Potato Head in the Toy Story franchise.

Like the emotions on screen, I found myself going through the range, from laughing out loud to literally crying before the film was over. Up was the last time Pixar had made me cry at one of their movies. Inside Out shows that Pixar can still be a studio with original ideas that can succeed with audiences all around the world. But no doubt if this is as big of a success as it appears we’ll be looking at Inside Out 2: Riley’s Teen Years in 2022 a year after Pixar and Disney reap the merchandise bonanza of Cars 3. (That is why they’re making it, right?)

The Incredibles - A Superhero Movie With a Heart of Gold

As stated previously on this blog, Pixar is an animation studio with a very impressive track record. With at least one exception, every movie they have made has been heavily praised to some degree, especially in regards to the Toy Story trilogy. This weekend is the studio's new movie, Brave, which I look forward to seeing. In the meantime, I have decided to watch one of Pixar's older movies, The Incredibles, that also happens to be one of my favorites from the studio. Though I've seen it numerous times since it first released in 2004, I never get tired of it.

Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) is one of many superheroes (referred to as "supers" in-universe) that exist in the world, protecting civilians from various supervillains using his super strength. When we first meet him, he is performing hero duties, such as rescuing a cat and facing a villain named Bomb Voyage, while still making time for his wedding, where he will marry a female super named Elastigirl (Holly Hunter). After the wedding, however, Mr. Incredible is sued by injured civilians as a result of that night, which ends up causing a domino effect on all the other supers. This leads to the creation of the Supers Relocation Program, in which supers will not face charges for past actions so long as they behave like average citizens. Though Mr. Incredible, aka Bob Parr, has a wife and three children, he still craves for the old days of the supers. After he is observed during a late night rescue with his friend Lucius (Samuel L. Jackson), who was formerly the super Frozone, Bob receives an invitation to relive his golden years, which he takes advantage of. Though he keeps this a secret from his wife Helen (Elastigirl), he later realizes the importance of his family when he faces a villain named Syndrome (Jason Lee), who, it turns out, used to be his biggest fan.

Though the movie is all around good, I believe I should still break down why it is so. For starters, the story is very well-written, neatly combining elements of a family movie and a superhero movie with a revenge plot. The concept of a world in which superheroes are turned into normal people by the government isn't new, having been done before in the graphic novel The Watchmen, but The Incredibles puts a spin on the dynamic by focusing on a family with superpowers instead of an unrelated group of people, aided by the lighter atmosphere of the product compared the heavy tones of The Watchmen.

Then there's the animation quality. It was impressive for the time it came out, and amazingly it holds up after 8 years. Free-flowing hair moves very realistically on the character models, and even those with shorter hair see a lot of detail. Character movement is also very fluid and there is a wide range of facial expressions that accurately convey what everyone is feeling by way of subtle movements. This is supported by strong voice acting all around and a musical score that perfectly matches each scene. At times the music takes some cues from James Bond, though they are integrated rather well and don't feel out of place.

This being a superhero movie, it is also important to bring up the action. Whenever a character uses their powers on-screen, you will often see some sort of creativity with how they are utilized, especially when two or more supers are working together. An example of said creativity is when, after helping his friend Bob rescue people from a burning building, Lucius is able to use his ice powers against a police officer after drinking a cup of water. While there's plenty of enjoyable fight scenes to go around, Bob's strength powers also make for good comedy, such as when he gets frustrated while trying to exit his car.

The Incredibles is a fantastic movie that I think anyone would enjoy, if they haven't seen it already. The movie has a strong message about the importance of family and the inclusion of superheroes makes for some really nice action scenes along the way. Overall this is a very smart and funny movie that should not be left out of one's DVD/Blu-ray collection.

Stubs - Anora

Anora (2024) starring Mikey Madison, Mark Eydelshteyn, Yura Borisov, Karren Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan, Aleksei Serebryakov. Directed by Sean Baker. Screenplay by Sean Baker. Produced by Alex Coco, Samantha Quan, Sean Baker. Run time: 239 minutes. Color. USA Comedy, Drama

Sometimes the hype hits the road and it’s not a pretty sight. You hear over and over again how good a film is and how many awards its won and you think you need to watch it to keep up. A few years ago, it was Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and this year it’s Anora. But after watching, you wonder why it’s being hailed as a possible Academy Award Best Picture winner.

2013 - The Highlights (EHeroFlareNeos)

With 2013 nearing its final fleeting moments, now is a good opportunity to reflect on what we’ve reviewed here at Trophy Unlocked, both the good and the bad. Below, in no particular order, is my list of the top games, movies and disappointments from the year. This time, I’ve also not only resurrected a category I had hoped never to use again, I’ve introduced yet another that I hope not to use (the result may surprise you (or not)).

Top Movies of 2013

Monsters University

While Pixar has been known for making nothing but hits in its heyday, Cars 2 began a downward spiral that the studio seemed to only begin recovering from with the release of Brave. However, Monsters University is a noticeable return to form despite being a prequel to Monsters, Inc. It manages to capture the spirit of the original very well, though not perfectly, and has a good balance of serious and comedic elements. Though not perfect, I am, for the first time in a couple of years, actually wondering if Pixar will be able to replicate the success of this film with their next one, Inside Out; I now have a newfound hope for their future.

Metalocalypse: The Doomstar Requiem – A Klok Opera

Metalocalypse is one of my favorite animated shows and, as a result, Dethklok is one of my favorite Death Metal bands. Metalocalypse: The Doomstar Requiem – A Klok Opera has a very ambitious goal: Tie up many of the loose ends from Season 4, but present it in the form of a rock opera. Not only does it live up to its promise, it has great music, plenty of laughs and the best animation I have seen from the show yet. I can’t wait to see what Brendon Small has in store for the future of Metalocalypse.

John Dies at the End

Admittedly, this movie only just barely qualifies to be on this list since it achieved immediate cult status through its source material and choice of Director, but it makes it here because I am a huge fan of the original book (it is my second favorite one) and I greatly enjoyed seeing it in movie form (also it was theatrically released in 2013). While there may be a couple of missed opportunities here and there, and the finished product will definitely not appeal to everyone, watching it was a lot of fun and it was clear that Don Coscarelli had fun making it as well. It’s thought-provoking, funny and a little gross all at once and is a ride worth taking at least once (and perhaps only once if you are not familiar with David Wong’s literature but know a friend who is and has this movie on DVD/Blu-ray/VOD).

Top Video Games of 2013

DmC Devil May Cry

I’ve been a fan of the gameplay of the Devil May Cry series since Devil May Cry 4, but I have since played every other game and liked them (save the second one). When I first saw DmC Devil May Cry, specifically the new interpretation of Dante, I was a little thrown off by some of the choices they made, but almost immediately afterwards I gained a sense of optimism that only grew stronger as I saw the better elements refined and the worse ones forgotten; I even cosplayed as DmC Dante a few times. In the end, I saw that my optimism was not misplaced and thoroughly enjoyed the final result. Yes, the combat could have used a little more work, but it makes a necessary step by combining the abilities of both Dante and Nero (DMC4’s protagonist) to give a better sense of speed to the character. Story-wise, I actually liked the newer Dante as he showed compassion, empathy and a good deal of character development in a single game. While he isn’t completely perfect in his actions, nor is he able to provide the same testosterone/confidence boost from playing as him, this new Dante is still a character I can really get behind and I hope that a sequel can be made despite what you hear from the vocal minority.

Penny Arcade’s On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 4

Not only do I read Penny Arcade every time it updates, I own all of the book collections and have found the Rain-Slick tetralogy of games to provide an experience unique and very worthwhile to play. I really don’t mind that the combat is similar in nature to Pokémon because it managed to take the good elements of that franchise and refine them greatly, including the ability to have all of your monsters, whether they actually fought or not, gain EXP and level up at nearly the same rate. The final entry in the series manages to expertly combine serious and humorous moments together in a way that I will remember for years to come.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

Within the past year, I’ve played nearly every Metal Gear game (at least among the main entries), so I was looking forward to Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance based on its premise alone: a Metal Gear game set after Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and focused on Raiden as the main character. Not only is Raiden a total badass in this game, the game also delivers on its tagline, “Cut What You Will”, by allowing you to cut just about anything with physics that react exactly to where you cut an object. On top of that, the story isn’t that bad either and the soundtrack is one of the best I’ve ever heard (I even own a physical copy of Vocal Tracks). Even if you don’t care for the story, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance was a total blast to play through and a worthy entry into the Metal Gear franchise.

The Last of Us

Developed by Naughty Dog, known for the Jak and Dxater franchise, The Last of Us is their attempt to create a more mature game, and thus a new IP, for the PS3 that wasn’t an Uncharted game. They not only succeeded, but managed to create one of the most emotional games I’ve ever played, accomplished by managing to push the “father” button in me even though I don’t have kids. While I can see some points brought up regarding character interactions, and some plot points were a little more obvious to me, I still found myself drawn in and unwilling to let go until I was done. I found it hard to express my full opinion in this small blurb, so I encourage those interested to give it a go and see what you think of it.

The Stanley Parable

The Stanley Parable is a game whose true purpose is so thought-provoking that my review of it was deliberately void of information about what the player can hope to discover. Still, The Stanley Parable is worth playing for the funny, but subtle commentary. You might find the time to money ratio a little off, but I hope you can trust me enough when I say that the time it takes to play really has no bearing on the price of admission and that exploring every possible thing is an act that you should not only know to do, but feel inclined to do as its temptation of choice is so overwhelming that you’ll find yourself lost for hours on end. Its enlightening qualities are what help it qualify for this list as one of the best games I’ve played this year.

Top Disappointments of 2013

A Good Day to Die Hard

Though Die Hard has had entries both good and bad, I still enjoy watching most of the movies. I liked Live Free or Die Hard, so when I heard about A Good Day to Die Hard, I was hoping for something that would continue the spirit of the franchise in a way similar to the other films. Instead, I got treated to a boring slog of a movie that ignored even the most basic conventions that one would expect from Die Hard, down to complete mishandling of John McClane’s catchphrase. If this is the end of the franchise, as the sixth entry is in limbo, then it’ll be sad to know that it went out with a whimper.

Man of Steel

I’m not really a fan of Superman, since I haven’t really read any of the stories and he just didn’t appeal to me, but I was willing to watch Man of Steel to at least stay current with superhero movies and know what everyone would be talking about. When I finally saw it, it met my low expectations as it is not only a retread of Superman’s origin story, but it tries a bit too hard to emulate the Dark Knight trilogy in both tone and style, leaving behind the optimism that I admit I think Superman is supposed to embody. If this is truly supposed to be the new way the audience is supposed to see Superman, I think they got off on the wrong foot.

Star Trek Into Darkness

Reboots provide a rare opportunity to create an entirely new universe with completely original characters and stories (though it’s fair to want some familiarity as well for veteran fans). The 2009 Star Trek film was able to capitalize pretty well on said opportunity, but Into Darkness continues this baffling trend where those in charge feel a need to retread earlier stories, but slap a new skin on it. In this case, it basically has the cast reenacting The Wrath of Khan, except Benedict Cumberbatch’s portrayal of Khan is nowhere near as memorable as Ricardo Montalbán’s and the film has more of a pessimistic attitude about the future, partly due to the 9/11 conspiracy theories thrown in. It would be more understandable to revisit earlier stories if the movies came out at a quicker pace, but since the next one won’t be around for quite a while, it comes off as a decision they’ll probably regret later.

BioShock Infinite

Let me say right off the bat that BioShock Infinite is only on here because of the story, as well as how I feel that I am in a small minority for liking its gameplay more. Gameplay-wise, I consider the latest entry in the BioShock series to be somewhat of an improvement over the previous games during combat, though I will also admit that even that has its shortcomings. The story, on the other hand, feels like something cobbled together as it constantly abandons interesting plot threads to the point where I cared less for the protagonists as time went on, constantly changes the direction of the story and manages to retroactively erase any potential conflict from the choices made throughout the game (in a series explicitly about choice). I was excited at the prospect of being able to to finally dry off and get away from Rapture, but after seeing the ending, it’s very disappointing to know that both the fans and the developers (looking at you, Ken Levine) can’t seem to get over the fact that this franchise needs a game with a new setting, not one where Columbia, temporally speaking, is Rapture in disguise.

Deadpool

As a huge Deadpool fan, to where I have an effective monopoly on Deadpool books at my local comic book store and I can see a framed image of the character from where I’m typing this, I really looked forward to him finally have his own video game. Unfortunately, despite the laughs, the gameplay felt unpolished. Daniel Way isn’t the best writer, but his script for the game was filled with plenty of laughs and a few good cracks at game development in general, but I wish I could play a Deadpool game where combat isn’t a tedious grind. I hope this game gets a sequel so that I can play a game that does the character better justice.

Worst Movie of 2013

My Little Pony: Equestria Girls

I’ve been a fan of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic for quite a while now, since a good chunk of the way through Season 1, though my status has gone from curious (Season 1) to Brony (Season 2) to wavering fan (Season 3); My Little Pony: Equestria Girls certainly didn’t help. From the get-go I had very low expectations and no amount of trailers was able to raise them any higher. If I had to explain my reaction to seeing the movie to someone, as well as why I consider it the worst film of the year, then I’d say that with A Good Day to Die Hard I expected something and got nothing, I expected nothing from Man of Steel and got nothing and with Equestria Girls I expected nothing and got a negative result. What didn’t help was the audience I saw the movie with in the theater (but who goes to theaters anymore, right?), a group of Bronies so visibly obnoxious about their love for the franchise that not only did they treat the theater like their den at home, they also gave every other fan (including myself) a bad name. The edited TV version didn’t really improve on anything either, but I will never forget how awful that movie was or how awful my audience was (also, I will never forgive whoever yelled “wingboner” (for the uninitiated, it’s a fandom meme (one of many) that I don’t find funny) in a crowded theater with a little girl present in the audience).

Worst Video Game of 2013

Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I Don’t Know!

Adventure Time is a very fun show with interesting characters in a unique setting with gradually deeper themes and stories. You’d think then that there would be a lot of potential for a great video game to come out of it, one that would take advantage of the unique world and take full advantage of the various RPG tropes and D&D-like environment to create a game that would be fun and interesting for even the uninitiated, right? Wrong. Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I Don’t Know! doesn’t do any of those things, instead choosing to be a boring, repetitive and broken mess that only got through because Adventure Time was slapped on top of it. The only reason to play is for a shocking, canon, reveal at the end, but you could easily save yourself $40 and just look it up on the internet or even wait for the show to give the same info. I really hope the reins are handed over to another developer so that we can get a good Adventure Time RPG in the future, but until then, this is unfortunately all we have to work with.