The Last Mimzy
I remember seeing the poster
for this movie on the side of a bus stop and wondering: “What the heck is a
Mimzy?” So when it came out on DVD at
the video store I worked at, I watched it with no small amount of curiousity. If you haven’t read the
book and don’t know what a Mimzy is either, don't worry. The beauty of the story, the
charming characters and the tantalizing mystery will captivate you regardless. “The Last Mimzy” is a precious rarity in children’s
films; a wondrous sci-fi/fantasy story firmly rooted in reality. Though it begins in the familiar mundanity of
suburbia, it slowly and subtly builds to involve the fate of the human race.
Two siblings, Noah and Emma,
find a mysterious box in the surf near their Seattle home. Once
opened, the box reveals an odd assortment of seemingly plain objects; a half dozen rocks, a
shard of green crystal, a blue globule, and a stuffed bunny rabbit. Emma takes the bunny and both she and Noah puzzle over
the rest. As they discover that
these objects contain great powers, the children also begin to display powers of
their own. Noah suddenly develops
genius-level scholastic skills, and Emma talks to Mimzy telepathically. Thankfully, these powers develop slowly, so that we stay grounded with the characters.
At its heart, “The Last Mimzy” is an excellent family drama, in large part
because the children act like real children.
Noah and Emma are neither shrill, ignorant brats nor are they snotty, mini-adult
know-it-alls. Their parents are also
surprisingly well-rounded and decent people, both of whom care for their kids
instead of viewing them as annoyances. When Noah accidentally fuses two of the strange objects
together, the power surge knocks out Seattle's entire electrical grid. Homeland Security is watching, and the whole
family is whisked away to a secure facility where the mysterious objects are studied
by scientists. However, the children must
escape back home as time is running out on their crucial mission.
I’ve been intentionally vague
about certain details because I could not bear to spoil the many wonderful
surprises that are revealed.
What is even more thrilling is the message that this film brings: hope. The ending is a blissful, exultant and
restorative affirmation of the potential for good in all of us and what we can
achieve if we can finally work together for the common good of all life on Earth. It’s easy to be cynical, but the more
challenging path of altruism is one we should all aspire to tread because of the
countless generations to come which will benefit.
Grandma’s Boy
Ok, now we’re going to totally
switch gears! I’ve not cared much for
the vast majority of Adam Sandler’s career.
The humor of the boorish man-child is lost on me. I rarely find immaturity to be very funny and
the celebration of such willful mental stagnation is repulsive. So it’s fair to say that I had zero expectations
for “Grandma’s Boy” knowing that it was made by Sandler’s production
company. The title certainly doesn’t
inspire thoughts of witty wordplay or appealing characters. However, after I was done laughing my ass off from beginning to end, my surprise gave way to wonder and finally awe.
Yes, I was awed by an Adam
Sandler movie! Technically, he had
nothing to do with the making of the film as he was only on the set the first day. But, his money made it possible, and
for that I’m very grateful. The film
begins in typical Sandler style: two grown men behaving like teenagers, doing bong hits and playing video games.
However, as the scene plays out, you begin to notice that the dialogue
is really good, WAY better than what you’d expect for this kind of movie. Almost every line is quotable and funny as
hell. Allen Covert (who also co-wrote
the screenplay) stars as Alex, a veteran game tester for Brainasium. He’s so good at his job that
he’s begun writing his own game on the side, and this secret project is what
moves the tiny bit of plot.
The vast majority of the film is astutely given over to examining the quirks and peccadilloes of a rogue’s gallery of misfits
that one might imagine make up the staff of many video game companies. J.P., the boy wunderkind game designer and genius, is such a social maladroit that he cannot even make friends among
his fellow freaks. His extreme awkwardness
is only magnified by the appearance of Samantha, a new Project Manager played
by the brainy and beautiful Linda Cardellini.
J.P. and Alex vie for Samantha’s attention, but J.P. has been isolated
too long. He hasn’t got a chance. J.P.’s insecurities and jealousy compel him to steal Alex's game and claim it as his own.
The writing makes the film work, which is a damn good thing because the movie is SUPER dumb. However, it knows
what it is and doesn't try to be more. The supporting cast is
great, and features many familiar faces at the beginning of their comedy
careers, but even such talent cannot win the day without the words. The
countless acerbic zingers that whiz by like arrows on a battlefield are perfect examples of how even low-brow
comedies must be built on a smart foundation if they aren’t going to fall apart
after ten minutes. “Grandma’s Boy” is by turns moronic, filthy, adorable and
Zen. "Let’s swim with the dolphins, Mr.
Cheezle!"
Gattaca
Andrew Niccol’s later career
contained more misses than hits, but the first film he wrote and directed is one of the best examples of social science fiction that I’ve
ever seen. Set in the “not too distant
future”, eugenics technology now allows humans to ensure that their
children are as genetically perfect as possible before they are even born. This biological purity quickly becomes the new
yardstick, and society is divided into the “Valid” and “Invalid.” Your family name, your race or your education cease to be pertinent factors in your destiny. Your DNA signature becomes the key to opening the doors
that you desire. Your blood is tested
constantly, and those whose helix's are not filtered fall to the bottom of the
social ladder, consigned forever to clean glass through which they will never see the
world.
Ethan Hawke plays Vincent, an
“Invalid” who has dreamed of spaceflight from infancy. Yet his parents trusted in God to make their
son instead of the local geneticist, and so Vincent is doomed to only glimpse
the stars from the ground. However, life
is not as easy at it seems for all "Valids."
Great genes are not a guarantee of success. Such ephemeral human qualities as
ambition are still beyond replication, and even the most consciously
constructed genius can still fall short.
When they do, their genetic identity can be sold on a thriving black
market, and Vincent uses this to his advantage in the hopes of finally breaking his
Earthly bonds.
“Gattaca” comprises several
genres aside from science fiction. It is
a romance, a detective story, and a tragic fraternal tale of two brothers
torn asunder. Through his black market
connections and a painful amount of surgical subterfuge, Vincent is able to
gain entry to Gattaca, the premier spaceflight training facility. However, a sudden murder begins an investigation
that threatens to reveal his deceit.
Vincent’s "Valid" brother, Anton, whom he has not seen in years, is part of the team
working to solve the murder. Yet, when Anton discovers that Vincent is an employee
of Gattaca, instead of turning him in, Anton tries to convince Vincent to leave voluntarily because he doesn't belong. Even Vincent's own brother doesn't believe that he has what it takes.
Gattaca’s tagline, “There is
no gene for the human spirit”, beautifully evokes the contrast between those
who accept their limitations and those who strive to overcome them. Anton may have been engineered
to succeed, but instead of pursuing achievement he has become seduced by the
idea of exclusion. Vincent was hurled
into the world faults and all, but is relentless in his drive to exceed his
predefined bounds. A childhood game of
chicken between the brothers becomes the final test of Vincent’s unswerving
dedication, and “Gattaca” presents the soul-stirring argument that what you are
made of is not all that you are. What
you dream and hope and believe is also an integral, if not more important part
of what it means to be human.
The Emperor’s New Groove
Tom Jones is the reason I am
writing this review. If he hadn’t sung
the title song for this little-discussed Disney entry, I would not have had the
distinct pleasure of laughing myself silly at one of the smarter, hipper Mouse
House movies in the entire canon. “The
Emperor’s New Groove” was not an internal production, and I think that this is why
the script feels so fresh, zany and exciting.
While celebrity voices in animation are often distracting because they're too distinct, John Goodman and
David Spade are excellent choices for the main characters, Pasha and Kuzco. Eartha Kitt brings a saucy, husky glower to
the villainess Yzma, while Patrick Warburton almost steals the entire movie as
Yzma’s brainless but lovable henchman, Kronk.
David Spade voices Kuzco, a
spoiled rotten stripling of an Emperor determined to build a summer
vacation palace on a hillside already occupied by Pasha and his family. Spade's sneering adolescent narcissism perfectly mirrors Kuzco's vanity, while Pasha is the epitome of the earthy rustic
farmer, and is given more veracity by the sonorous rumblings of John
Goodman. Pasha is incredulous that Kuzco
doesn’t care about displacing his family and village, and Kuzco doesn’t care to
explain. He’s the Emperor, buh-bye!
However, Yzma also cannot stand the brat
prince, and with Kronk’s bumbling assistance, Yzma plots to kill Kuzco and take
his throne for herself. Of course, plans go awry,
and instead of killing Kuzco, Yzma’s magic potion turns him into a llama! Kuzco and Pasha find themselves stranded deep in
the jungle, and their journey back to the palace forces Kuzco to begin
thinking about things other than his own selfish needs.
“The Emperor’s New Groove” is
a delight from start to finish, due in large part to the presence of a very
elusive essence: comic atmosphere. While
most children’s films suffer from a frantic pace that often feels forced, this
film is clearly influenced by the barely contained exuberance of Looney Tunes. Creative joy bursts from nearly every frame,
and the sense of frivolity is infectious.
The characters play brilliantly against each other, and the visual
design is simple yet very striking. There is
also a lot for adults to appreciate, especially references to such films as “Starship Troopers” and the original version of “The Fly!” The stellar scene involving the squirrel with the balloon animals had me rolling
on the floor, breathless with laughter because I recognized that
someone in the animation department was fan of Steve Martin in his stand up
years!
Equilibrium
When this film came out on
DVD, it looked to me like an overt and clumsy attempt to ride on the coattails
of “The Matrix.” Yet after I saw it, I
earnestly wished that Christian Bale had been cast as Neo, because his
performance in this film had all of the sombre gravitas that Keanu Reeves
just cannot seem to conjure. Of course,
we didn’t know yet that the following Matrix films would be crushed under the
weight of their own arrogance, so it’s better this way. While “Equilibrium” has just as many plot
holes as the Matrix trilogy, it is so entertaining that it doesn't matter.
After World War III
devastates the Earth, humankind decides to outlaw emotion as a way of
preventing further conflict. Almost
everyone voluntarily tranquilizes themselves, and specially trained enforcers
called Grammaton Clerics who employ the martial art of gun kata strive to eliminate
the few remaining factions that still wish to feel. All art; books, music, and painting are being
systematically destroyed. Christian
Bale plays John Preston, one of the best Clerics, who even allowed his own wife to
be convicted and put to death for “sense offense.” However, emotions have a way of hibernating,
and even Preston is unaware of what sleeps beneath his conscious state.
The story begins when John Preston’s partner in
enforcement, Cleric Errol Partridge, keeps a book of poems after a raid, and Preston is
forced to execute Errol for reading the poems instead of turning in the
book. This ignites a chain of events
that leads Preston to rediscover his emotional soul. He tries to continue with his Cleric duties,
but Preston's heart, starved for emotion, cannot be assuaged. He begins skipping his daily dose. Preston’s new Cleric partner, Brandt, played by
the suave and wily Taye Diggs, watches Preston like a hawk, waiting for the cracks
to show. When Preston
is recruited to infiltrate the Underground resistance as a sympathizer, he risks revealing too
much of his internal struggle.
What makes “Equilibrium” so engrossing is that this very strong emotional undercurrent builds slowly to a final
paroxysm of kinetic release within some of the better choreographed and staged action scenes I’ve
seen in an American film. Each fight has
a distinct feel and is shot so that you can easily follow what’s
happening. This was a great relief to me,
as most modern shoot-em-ups have become so incomprehensible that you just stop
caring. “Equilibrium” does not make that
mistake. The action is superlative, and
is further enhanced by how much we care about John Preston’s desire to finally allow his heart to beat again.
