puppetmaker (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
puppetmaker) wrote2012-06-10 11:55 am
puppetmaker) wrote2012-06-10 11:55 am
Movie Reviews for Two Very Different Films
Friday I saw two films Prometheus and Madagascar 3: European’s Most Wanted. It was a bit of a contrast between the two.
As usual spoilers are behind the cut and in the comments.
Prometheus is Ridley Scott’s foray back into the universe he played in back in 1979 and his first Science Fiction film since Blade Runner which was 30 years ago. He had been rather busy since then with numerous projects some known and some less known. I saw Alien when it came out in the theaters and thought it was a good haunted house film in the classic form of a Monster Movie.
It is interesting how he takes the elements from Alien like the Weyland Corporation and androids and mixes it with believe vs. proof. The casting is top notch and the direction is very fine. Yes, there are the jump out of your seat moments harking back to that haunted house kind of Monster movie but this movie is more than that.
I would not recommend this film for children or the faint of heart. There is another trigger subject I will discuss under the cut but I will say here that it has to do with women reproductive rights so take that as a warning.
The rest of my review of Prometheus is under the cut.
Madagascar 3
Honestly I like the first one, didn’t think much of the second one, and didn’t have much hope for the third. I was pleasantly surprised by the film. They managed to come up with a story that worked for me and honestly if this is where they leave it, I am fine with the end they give. In fact I am hoping that this is where we leave these characters because I left the theater with a smile on my face and a warm feeling in my heart. The cast has grown rather large but they give each character, or set of characters, a moment to shine and don't over use anyone to the point where I hope the character gets eaten by another character.
They introduce some new characters to the series that fit well with the rest of the characters. Bryan Cranston does a good Russian Tiger. And Martin Short makes a great Sea Lion.
It is PG for cartoon violence which is not unusual for this series but younger children might be a little frightened of Captain DuBios. By younger I am talking under 5.
This is one of the few films I will recommend seeing in 3-D. It works with the film and gives it another dimension. It doesn’t feel layered on. Disney could learn a trick or two from Dreamworks in this regard.
Madagascar first:
I really liked how they had the characters grow through their adventures. And in the end they decide to go with the circus once they see how they had grown beyond the Zoo. Alex’s journey is probably the greatest from the first film to the third. Most of the rest of the characters are along for the ride.
I loved Alex telling the animals about Cirque du Soliel which has no animals so the animals would do a circus without any humans.
Vitaly and Stephano were good adds. Caroline’s new favorite character is Gia the female leopard(?). Having the circus animals act the way that circus performers act (you are circus or you are not circus. If not circus, then no interest in one at all) was a nice touch. And in the end our heroes were circus.
Now Prometheus:
Noomi Rapace’s Elizabeth Shaw out Ripley’d Ripley. Get my vote for biggest bad ass in the Alien universe. She gives herself a caesarian to get the unwanted life form out of her belly then staples herself shut and goes after the bad guys. The idea that she and David went to find the engineers works for me and I bet they find them. She seems like a timid character at the beginning but when push comes to shove she is one heck of a BAMF.
Michael Fassbinder’s David is great fun in a very twisted way. He is amoral because he has never had feelings much less morals. He has figured out over time that he is smarter than anyone on the ship and he does have a survival instinct. To him this whole trip is one giant experiment where he manipulates just about everyone to see what happens.
Charlize Theron was supposes to play Dr. Shaw but due to commitments to Mad Max, she bowed out only to find herself with the time to do the film because Mad Max got pushed back. She plays Meredith Vickers the spokesperson for the Wayland Interests in the expedition. One of the unbelievers that by the end of her journey believes in something, just not what she thought she was going to find.
The rest of the cast I would label “fodder” and they do what they need to do to move the story forward but it is excellently acted fodder.
Yes, in the end it is basically a prequel to Aliens but it is a very good prequel and I am glad that I saw it. I didn’t see it in 3-D because Ridley Scott films tend to be dark and this is no exception.
I am grateful I got to see two such contrasting films.
As usual spoilers are behind the cut and in the comments.
Prometheus is Ridley Scott’s foray back into the universe he played in back in 1979 and his first Science Fiction film since Blade Runner which was 30 years ago. He had been rather busy since then with numerous projects some known and some less known. I saw Alien when it came out in the theaters and thought it was a good haunted house film in the classic form of a Monster Movie.
It is interesting how he takes the elements from Alien like the Weyland Corporation and androids and mixes it with believe vs. proof. The casting is top notch and the direction is very fine. Yes, there are the jump out of your seat moments harking back to that haunted house kind of Monster movie but this movie is more than that.
I would not recommend this film for children or the faint of heart. There is another trigger subject I will discuss under the cut but I will say here that it has to do with women reproductive rights so take that as a warning.
The rest of my review of Prometheus is under the cut.
Madagascar 3
Honestly I like the first one, didn’t think much of the second one, and didn’t have much hope for the third. I was pleasantly surprised by the film. They managed to come up with a story that worked for me and honestly if this is where they leave it, I am fine with the end they give. In fact I am hoping that this is where we leave these characters because I left the theater with a smile on my face and a warm feeling in my heart. The cast has grown rather large but they give each character, or set of characters, a moment to shine and don't over use anyone to the point where I hope the character gets eaten by another character.
They introduce some new characters to the series that fit well with the rest of the characters. Bryan Cranston does a good Russian Tiger. And Martin Short makes a great Sea Lion.
It is PG for cartoon violence which is not unusual for this series but younger children might be a little frightened of Captain DuBios. By younger I am talking under 5.
This is one of the few films I will recommend seeing in 3-D. It works with the film and gives it another dimension. It doesn’t feel layered on. Disney could learn a trick or two from Dreamworks in this regard.
Madagascar first:
I really liked how they had the characters grow through their adventures. And in the end they decide to go with the circus once they see how they had grown beyond the Zoo. Alex’s journey is probably the greatest from the first film to the third. Most of the rest of the characters are along for the ride.
I loved Alex telling the animals about Cirque du Soliel which has no animals so the animals would do a circus without any humans.
Vitaly and Stephano were good adds. Caroline’s new favorite character is Gia the female leopard(?). Having the circus animals act the way that circus performers act (you are circus or you are not circus. If not circus, then no interest in one at all) was a nice touch. And in the end our heroes were circus.
Now Prometheus:
Noomi Rapace’s Elizabeth Shaw out Ripley’d Ripley. Get my vote for biggest bad ass in the Alien universe. She gives herself a caesarian to get the unwanted life form out of her belly then staples herself shut and goes after the bad guys. The idea that she and David went to find the engineers works for me and I bet they find them. She seems like a timid character at the beginning but when push comes to shove she is one heck of a BAMF.
Michael Fassbinder’s David is great fun in a very twisted way. He is amoral because he has never had feelings much less morals. He has figured out over time that he is smarter than anyone on the ship and he does have a survival instinct. To him this whole trip is one giant experiment where he manipulates just about everyone to see what happens.
Charlize Theron was supposes to play Dr. Shaw but due to commitments to Mad Max, she bowed out only to find herself with the time to do the film because Mad Max got pushed back. She plays Meredith Vickers the spokesperson for the Wayland Interests in the expedition. One of the unbelievers that by the end of her journey believes in something, just not what she thought she was going to find.
The rest of the cast I would label “fodder” and they do what they need to do to move the story forward but it is excellently acted fodder.
Yes, in the end it is basically a prequel to Aliens but it is a very good prequel and I am glad that I saw it. I didn’t see it in 3-D because Ridley Scott films tend to be dark and this is no exception.
I am grateful I got to see two such contrasting films.