Brave review

I have experienced many disappointments in my life. The time I was picked last for kickball, I played my hardest to make sure the other team regretted not picking me. The time I was asked a girl in high school out, who will remain nameless, I knew she was not right for me anyways, and she was just missing out on the awesome, that is me. Waiting in line for Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace, do I really need to say it. All of which are huge disappointments, and have shaped my life forever, Brave however is at the smaller end of disappointments.

 
 Brave is the new adventure from Pixar, a company who’s track record is pretty amazing. I have only not really liked 1 film by them, Cars. Cars just had a little too much Chevon commercial, mixed with nascar, mixed with “dadgum”, for me. Cars was the least interesting of  interesting concepts and still looked amazing. The trailer for Brave seemed like it was going to be a fun fantasy adventure. The more I heard about this film the less interested I became. The concept just seemed so plain for Pixar. Young girl, that just wants to rebel against her mother trying to run her life. She just wants to be free and ride through the forest, and shoot arrows, sounds like a “first world problem”. Hey, guess what little red-headed princess: there are people in the world that have to work for their food and don’t live in castles, you have it pretty good, shut up

    The whole plot just seems so over worked. Parent trying to run a child’s life, child not really understanding the parent wants what is best for said child, and shenanigans. The film takes place in an interesting setting, a sort of faux Scotland, but I am sorry, it was done better in How to Train Your Dragon. I would watch that film over Brave any day of the week. The animation looks amazing and I am sure It would look good in 3D( I just saw it in 2D), but we have come to expect more from Pixar than just good animation. They are known for their interesting perspectives, and depth of characters for “kids films”.

    So it looked amazing, the main Character Merida’s hair was so amazing you could see each individual strand. The forest and creatures were stylishly crisp. Where this film failed for me was the lack of a interesting plot, and a lack of laughs to hold my attention. The script seemed to surround falling down humor, or the dialogue-less little brothers, who get themselves into mayhem. This filmed seemed like disney in the old days, are you going to start having filler songs in the middle to make up for the lack of plot Pixar? I almost thought this film might have Merida standing in the forest singing about her woes to all the woodland creatures. It would have fit this film’s feel, and just so we are clear- that is a bad thing.  
The Rating System
Production ( Directing, Editing, Music)4-5
Story ( Plot) 2-5
Characters ( Likability, Acting) 2-5
Writing ( Dialogue, Cleverness)3-5
Emotions ( Was it; Fun, Scary, Sad, Do I care)2-5
Over all score 13-25

Prometheus Review

What the hell happened to Ridley Scott? If you don’t know what Ridley Scott is, He is the director of such films as Blade Runner, Gladiator, Aliens, and Prometheus. He has been one of my favorite director since I was a child, when had no idea what a director was. I even liked Legend, which most people I have talked think it’s terrible, but when you watch something as a child that, “first watching experience” is locked in forever. You will never shake the wonderment and excitement you felt.

    I have found over the years that Ridley Scott likes to Director’s cuts of films. My First thought is, why? Most of the director’s cuts I have seen are better than the theatrical release. A great example of this is Blade Runner, much more depth of character and not-so-in-your face-film-noir stuff. No one saw the film Kingdom of Heaven, this 2005 film’s theatrical release was pretty bad, when I sat down to watch the 3 hours plus director’s cut, I loved it.

So this got me thinking, why does he always release different cuts of the same film? Time problems? All the most epic movies are crazy long, who cares. Lord of the Rings, Avatar, Gone with the Wind. Is the studio pressuring him to make is shorter? or change things, you are Ridley Fucking Scott, do whatever you damn well please! In Legend they changed the music for the theatrical release, is this all money based? The money says jump you say, “ how high”? You make a bad movie in the theatrical release, why should anyone see another cut of this film, if its so bad they don’t want to sit through it again?

Which leads me to Prometheus, I for one was very excited about this film. Ridley Scott making a science fiction film, set in the same universe as Alien, awesome! Unfortunately, it was not awesome, but one huge let down. The movie asks too many questions, and never answers any of them. All of it seems to lead to a sequel to answer questions, but wait, isn’t this a prequel to Aliens, aren’t you supposed to answering questions? This film had no reason to be connected to the Alien films, the ship’s were the same and some of the monsters and H.R. Geiger bullshit was just lazy film making in my mind. The Alien connection was just one big selling point to a crappy film.

When I left the theater I was like, WHO? WHAT? WHEN? HOW? nothing was explained. That is fine if you are making an art film that is supposed to get emotions stirring and provoking thought, like 2001, or The Fountain. This film just left me wanting more and not in a good way. You can leave some things unanswered, but when you don’t give the audience anything to go on why should they care to watch another film. This is not a good stand-alone movie, it feels like the first episode of a show, just getting you thinking about more show. Funny because one of the writers of this film is Damon Lindelof, creator of Lost the television show, Connection, I think so.

What these guys forget is that this isn’t a show, it’s a movie. You don’t have until next week to give me some answers, you have two hours and thirty minutes to have a beginning, middle and end. You are not coming out with a Prometheus 2 in six months, which if you saw the film would makes no sense! I hope I am getting my frustration with this film across to you. So much so I do not think I will spend the time watching a Director’s cut of this film. You lost me Mr. Scott. Someone with movie-chops, will have to come to me and say “ Dude, its so much better! you need to watch it!” Then I might consider it.

This film never got me to excited, the tension was flat and predictable. No sign of the subtle brilliance that is Alien. The characters were uninteresting and borderline pointless. There were whole scenes that had no place in the film and never had a follow through. The scene in the beginning when they talk about the surgery machine, they just happened to bring on board, “HEY, LOOK AT THIS AUDIENCE”, it made me sick.

So Ridley Scott, do you make different cuts because you really can’t decide what movie to make? Are you so unsure of yourself that you can’t make just one cut? Are studios really making you make crapper movies for the masses, or can you just not make up your mind and take a chance? Stop making directors cuts, make one good film, I don’t care how long it is, I am not an everyday moviegoer.

The Rating System

Production ( Directing, Editing, Music)3-5

Story ( Plot)3-5

Characters ( Likability, Acting)2-5

Writing ( Dialogue, Cleverness)3-5

Emotions ( Was it; Fun, Scary, Sad, Do I care)1-5

Overall score 12-25