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Reviews
28 Days Later... (2002)
Intelligent Zombie-like Horror
Usually, when a genre begins to spoof and make meta-comments about itself, it means that the genre is dying. This was the case with Westerns and musicals, but somehow, the meta-flick "Scream" and the spoof series "Scary Movie" seem to have revitalized the horror genre. The last few years have seen a number of fresh new angles on the horror archetypes, including "The Others," "The Ring" and "Dawn of the Dead." The best of the new crop of re-energized horror/thrillers is definitely "28 Days Later." The premise of the film is that a bio-engineered virus turns regular humans into mindless, hungry killers, turning England into a post-apocalyptic war zone in the space of 28 days. During this time, Jim (Cillian Murphy, of "Batman") has been in a coma. He wakes up in this nightmare, and with the help of some fellow survivors tries to find a way to escape.
The movie was criticized by "Shaun of the Dead" (also brilliant) for not being a true zombie movie: the zombie-like monsters are not dead, and they move with uncharacteristic speed. Still, the premise of the comatose hero was stolen gracefully in Robert Kirkman's "Walking Dead" comic, and in the forward to that comic, it says that what defines a good zombie story, more than anything, is the way human protagonists react to their situation-- when everything we have ever known, and ever wanted, becomes useless, how do we keep going?
That is what makes this movie spectacular. Indeed, the zombies are not even the scariest villains-- the things that man does to man (and a little girl) in this movie are much more horrifying. At the same time, characters must sacrifice themselves to save the innocent, they must steal in order to survive, and at every step, they must question their morals, their priorities, and discover what makes them human. This film is a tremendous achievement, intelligent and gripping, that can be enjoyed by fans of genre and mainstream movies alike.
Friday Night Lights (2004)
A sports movie worthy of non-sports people
This movie is not what you might expect. It is not your typical sports movie, where a disparate team comes together to triumph over adversity as the music swells with a dumb sense of pride. This is a movie about people, kind of like Seabiscuit that way, except less happy and with no horses.
This movie is about Odessa, a medium-sized town in Texas with no economy and nothing to do besides obsess about high school football. It is a town where they pay the football coach twice as much as their teachers, where a boy's best chance out is to get a football scholarship to a faraway college, and where these boys are under so much pressure to win because the town seems unable to succeed at anything else.
A movie like this depends on its actors, because it is a character drama at its core. Much noise has been made of Billy Bob, and how he gives a great performance, and this is very true, but he is not the only star in this movie. The boys all do a great job too, especially Lucas Black. I have never noticed this actor before, but he is so intense as Mike Winchell that he makes you really feel for him. The other boys, including Derek Luke and Jay Hernandez, are also note-perfect.
There is a great moment at the end, after their final game, when they talk about what they are going to do next. They haven't graduated yet, but it is already over for them. There is a sense that nothing else matters. Subtitles tell us what happens to everyone. It is sometimes funny, often tragic, and always ironic, and you leave the movie feeling like you've met some new people who are very real.
The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
Waste of time
When you see a person like Jonathan Demme remake a classic movie, like Charade or now Manchurian Candidate, you have to ask, Why? What does he think he can add to those great movies?
There might be an answer to that question if he had chosen to ask it. With Manchurian Candidate, there was a great opportunity to draw parallels between the cold war and the war on terror by updating this masterpiece. Did he try to do this? Sort of. Did he succeed? Not really. This movie lacks the cleverness and heart of the first one, and it doesn't open my eyes to anything new. Save your ten buck, and rent the first one. Twice.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
Best by far
Here's how I feel about Harry Potter, so you know how I align with the fandom:
-The books are enjoyable if not genius-- 4th is the best and 5th is the worst.
-The first two movies were awfully disappointing. Near the bottom of big budget children's fantasy.
-Alfonso Cuaron is a director about whom all I know is that Little Princess was gorgeous.
Now you know what I was expecting coming into this. Coming out, I have to say that the viewing public is crazy not to love this movie, that it is not even in the same category as the first two, and that I am very sad that Cuaron is not directing Goblet of Fire (Mike Newell is).
In this film, everyone stops looking like that were stuck on a postcard and starts showing some chops. Emma Watson shines and Daniel Radcliffe emotes and cries, finally, like a pro. The CG is no longer just passable; it is top flight. And in the camera work, the whimsy that makes the books endearing is finally captured. I just can't find fault with this film.