26.filmfeatures
Monday 24 October 2016
The Courier
Film Editors: Emma Allsopp, Zoë Godden & Simon Ramshaw
New York, New York (Comic Con)
GUILT TRIP Top Gun (1986) This week in our column of shame, Stephen Herring dons his aviator shades to tell us about his love for Tony Scott’s cheesy Tom Cruise cult classic.
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op Gun is one of my favourite films. There, I said it. It’s by no means one of the best films ever made, and I fully appreciate that. Is it underappreciated? Definitely. I put it to you that it is indeed ‘that sort of movie’, but it’s well worth a watch regardless, because it is a rare gem in otherwise mouldy pile of dated 80s cheese. The movie is topped to the brim with great action, even if it also has a rather under-developed plot to go with it (despite this, there’s more character development in this than you’ll see in many blockbusters of the time, or even of today). I’m not an action movie fanatic, but it really doesn’t take one to see that the aerial dogfight sequences are really spectacular.
“Top Gun features what could be considered the highest ratio of cheesy lines in recorded human history”
Action is what Tony Scott excels in, and it shows here. The cutting between in-cockpit with the actors and the shots of the planes themselves is smooth, and there were barely any moments where I was taken out of the action by an awkward cut that broke suspension of disbelief. On top of all of that, the film looks gorgeous. Unsurprisingly, Top Gun features what could be considered the highest ratio of cheesy lines to the rest of the script of any film in recorded human history. “Slider, you stink” is my favourite example of one of the cheesier lines. The script is filled with timeless zingers, and I admit it does reject other elements that need more development, such as the weird sub-plot of the mystery surrounding Maverick’s father, which is resolved in an unsatisfying and inconsequential way. The script sets up the zingers and action, and those are so good, everything else is forgivable.
The characters are one-dimensional, it’s got to be said, but there are saving graces which actually turn this around and make it very easy to forgive this. The way Goose and Maverick riff off each other means you can’t help but root for them. The acting does definitely brings the characters to life, especially in Val Kilmer’s case, playing Iceman. Given a rather dull character to play, there is one stand-out moment that does in all fairness manage to humanise him, through some rather good acting on Kilmer’s part. I understand why you could hate it, but don’t take it too seriously and it’s actually quite a good movie, which is a ton of fun to watch.
The USA’s second largest pop culture convention gifted us with loads of movie news; luckily Jamie Gomersall gave us the lowdown of the best and worst trailers from NYCC 2016.
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o begin positively, the trailer for John Wick: Chapter 2 was phenomenal. Fans of the original 2014 action thriller will be anticipating the return of Keanu Reeves’ legendary hitman, who in the first film, wipes out a slew of mobsters in a quest to avenge the death of his puppy, Daisy. This time we find Wick in Rome, and the trailer offers some beautiful visuals that suggest the sequel’s cinematography will be just as delicious as its predecessor. The trailer includes Wick handling all manner of weapons and sleek vehicles. Returning cast members include Ian McShane and John Leguizamo, with the addition of Lawrence Fishburne. If this trailer is anything to go by, then John Wick: Chapter 2 is going to be violent, stylish fun.
“Hopefully Power Rangers’ narrative will focus on the characters, and not descend into just another CGI explosion-fest” I wouldn’t use ‘fun’ to describe the next two trailers, which were similar in content. Both Underworld: Blood Wars and Resident Evil: The Final Chapter feature a kick-ass female protagonist combatting villainous monsters, and are the next instalments of film franchises that should have been left dead years ago. Though Resident Evil’s monsters and post-apocalyptic scenery are well-rendered, I have very little investment in Milla Jovovich’s central character, who is seen in this trailer diving through explosions and wrestling ugly creatures, always wearing the same dispassionate expression. Viewers who have sat
through the first five instalments in this series may enjoy seeing the franchise wrapped up, but it’s not a film I’m eager to see. The same can be said of Underworld: Blood Wars, the fifth Underworld film, which sees the return of Kate Beckinsale’s Selene, a Vampire assassin who has to navigate a war between the vampire clan, and the vicious werewolves known as Lycans. The phenomenal Charles Dance has been added to the cast, along with Divergent’s Theo James, but just as with Resident Evil, yet another sequel is not something I’ve been clamouring for. Power Rangers was certainly the most intriguing. A reimagining of the 1990s TV series, the trailer begins with an interesting rendition of Johnny Cash’s ‘I Walk the Line’ as we are introduced to the teenage cast. When they discover colourful alien objects, they gain the abilities of super strength and agility. In spite of the more dramatic moments towards the end of the
trailer, I found the initial introduction of the characters more compelling than later superpowerfuelled scenes. Hopefully, the narrative will focus on the characters, and not descend into just another CGI explosion-fest. I’m intrigued to see how this one plays out. I’ll leave the worst for last. The Great Wall was the most staggeringly stupid of NYCC’s trailers. This action film set in Medieval China is based on an alternative history where the Great Wall of China was built to keep out a horde of CGI monsters. Matt Damon, who seems to spend the whole of the film cosplaying as Robin Hood, must fight alongside a legion of Chinese warriors to prevent these monsters from crossing the wall. It’s unfair to judge a film by its trailer, but if it’s an accurate depiction of the film, then its only merit will be that the audience might proffer a small chuckle at how laughably bad it is.
Disney: through the looking glass With Mulan, The Lion King, and Aladdin all getting live-action reboots, is Disney going too far with its sequels and remakes? Chloe Mullins takes a look at this nostalgia frenzy.
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he magic of Disney has undoubtedly had a key role in most households across the world and arguably is a defining element of childhood. Everyone must have at least one fond memory of a Disney film or show as they were growing up. However, recently many may question whether this old nostalgia attached to classics such as Beauty and the Beast is being overexerted by Disney, as live-action remakes are just about to swarm to our screens. Mulan and The Lion King are among the latest to be reworked, although sadly, I believe they will never live up to the classics they are based on. Personally, I think that they will be successful as they will target at a new audience. Cinema is emerging with a more advanced technological framework, meaning that demands are higher now than ever before as society are becoming increasingly critical. For example, films such as 1951’s Alice In Wonderland no longer have the same quality that reaches our standards. Despite Disney attempting to digitally remaster their classics, the live-action version in which Alice slays the Jabberwocky is simply aimed at a different audience. Children in a modern society have different expectations to those in the 1950s and, despite older Disney fans taking a protective stance over the classics, a younger audience is sure to love them. However, not all of their remakes are trainwrecks. The recent revival of The Jungle Book was still a great film in its own right and the story really came to life in a more interactive way as it
was set in a more realistic framework. This is key because in a world of emerging scepticism, Disney manages to highlight that there is still a common need for fairy tales and a bit of imagination. Although I don’t believe it lives up to the original, those who have never seen the cartoon version may actually grow to prefer the live-action. Disney are managing to communicate to a wider audience, particularly as some snobs refuse to watch animation. Due to this, I believe that Disney h a v e not gone too far with the films that they have released to this point. However, as this trend continues to grow with Aladdin also scheduled for a remake, Disney should begin to focus on creating new films
“Disney manages to highlight that there is still a common need for fairy tales and a bit of imagination”
and continue to broaden imaginations without relying on previous hits. This is to prevent old nostalg i a being ruined by a potentially bad remake. Although it hasn’t yet occurred, the possibility still remains that a great reputation could be easily soiled.
“The recent revival of The Jungle Book was still a great film in its own right”
Additionally, Disney’s subordinate company, Pixar have also followed in its footsteps by producing sequels, such as Finding Dory released earlier this year, and by announcing The Incredibles 2. Although many older fans will praise this, especially after the cliffhanger ending in The Incredibles, it is still long overdue. Finding Nemo was a successful stand-alone film, and although as an avid Disney fan I was hyped for this, the sequel was not necessary, especially 13 years later. As a result, I definitely believe that Disney are gripping onto nostalgia. Although I personally am not fazed by this and enjoy the films for what they are, I can certainly see why people believe Disney are going too far.