6C • FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 2017
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‘Life’ film fans
EDITOR’S NOTE: Film Fans features local residents reviewing the movie of the week: “Life.” To be a film fan, email features@gwinnettdailypost.com.
WHO WILL LIKE THIS...
STANDOUT PERFORMANCE
PASS/FAIL
SEE IT NOW OR WAIT
OVERALL IMPRESSION
Pass: Excellent cinematography and special effects; interesting to watch; several well-done instances of terror and suspense. Fail: Unoriginal story line; uneven film pacing at times; problems with story continuity; so-so acting; a bleak surprise ending that wouldn’t fool a Tribble.
Although “Life” featured a couple of top Hollywood stars (Ryan Reynolds and Jake Gyllenhaal), no one really stood out among the cast. It was basically an ensemble delivering standard “space voyage” dialogue (and lots of it). The only character that stood out to me was “Calvin,” the CGI-rendered creature that was regenerated from a dirt sample from Mars; at least he was pretty fierce when he went after the inevitably-doomed crew. The rest of the actors pretty much seemed to phone it in.
Sci-fi buffs will be drawn to “Life” but it plays out more like a good TV movie than a major film. “Life” is basically a mashup of “Aliens” and “Gravity,” but not nearly as good as either of those films. Oh, and let’s not forget its obvious ripoff of 1971’s “The Andromeda Strain” as well. If you’re looking for some original sci-fi revelation here, you docked at the wrong space station.
See it at the matinee, or just wait for this one on Netflix. Although it is handsomely filmed with cool zero-gravity sequences, along with some pretty gripping and suspenseful moments, “Life” also has plot holes near the end that are big enough to fly the Starship Enterprise through.
“Life” is a beautifully-staged flick that has its entertaining and terrifying moments, but also doesn’t hit on all its warp cores, either. It was disappointing to see this much talent in one film and not have them do that much real acting, which meant that little character development was featured. By the time Calvin cut loose on the crew, I was ready to take a nap. The intense action and surprise ending were well done, but not enough to lift “Life” fully out of the ICU.
Pass: As a horror movie, it really hit its mark. It lured you in and set you up for a Flubber-type creature, but it was a far cry from a comedy. Fail: The predictability of the disasters and the futile attempts to justify them were evidence of rising producers and directors trying to emulate movies like “Alien.”
With tenacity, Hugh Derry, played by Ariyon Bakare, the only person of color on the ISS, fought through adversity, guilt and a sense of responsibility.
If you are a space horror enthusiast and would like to see something with shades of the “Alien” franchise, then this would appeal to your taste. I was at the edge of my seat with my hands partly covering my eyes.
Definitely a movie for home viewing unless you really want to see it on a really big screen. Wait for it on TV or rent it on Blu-ray.
The dramatic scores were well placed to heighten the level of anxiety or set up a sense of calm before the storm. The predictability of the disasters and the futile attempts to justify them were evidence of rising producers and directors trying to emulate movies like “Alien.” This is a B movie and as such not worth going to the theater to see. The R rating should be adhered to because it might be very terrifying for younger children and teens.
Pass: This movie had a lot of tension, drama and suspense after the specimen from Mars started taking on a life of its own. The characters all had to band together to meet the ensuing horror developing. You definitely felt nervous for them for much of the film as they tried to survive in the space station. Fail: A couple of times it was hard to tell exactly what was going on and a few scenes seemed a little far-fetched.
I think Rebecca Ferguson did a great job as Miranda North. She was very believable in the way she interacted with her team and had to emotionally deal with the roller coaster of events that happened throughout the film. Ryan Reynolds had a couple of standout moments, as well, as Rory.
I would say fans of space movies as well as those of thriller/suspense movies would be most likely to enjoy this film. Also, fans of Jake Gyllenhaal, as he had a lot of face time. Too much violence for younger or more squeamish audiences.
This is not a must see movie but if you are going to see it, it would be more action packed and scarier on the big screen and keep you more on the edge of your seat.
Without spoiling the ending, this movie was different from what I expected. It had some good parts and some gruesome parts as well. The dramatic sound track also added to the mood. I got caught up in the scariness of the situation and was definitely wondering what was going to happen. But if you’re looking for peaceful, pleasant entertainment, you’d be better off buying and reading the book, “Good Night, Moon,” which got attention in the movie.
Tim Weekley, Suwanee
★★★★
Gail NunezBlackshear, Lawrenceville
★★★★
Cindy Evans, Duluth
★★★★
COMING SOON TO OWN DISC SPOTLIGHT • “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” (April 4): The latest chapter of the intergalactic saga introduces Felicity Jones as a rebel involved in a counterattack on the evil Empire. (PG-13) • “Office Christmas Party” (April 4): Workers refuse to let their branch’s pending closure wreck their holiday bash; Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman and T.J. Miller star. (R) • “Silicon Valley: The Complete Third Season” (April 11): Richard (Thomas Middleditch) ponders his next move after being ousted as Pied Piper’s CEO. (Not rated)
MICHAEL CLARK
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town 80th Anniversary Blu-ray (NR) Movie: ★★★★ Disc: ★★★★ Later remade into a laughably bad movie starring Adam Sandler, “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town” is one in a handful of timeless classics directed by Frank Capra and is a perfect fit in his “everyman” canon of titles. Gary Cooper plays the lead, a small town businessman and would-be greeting card writer who is notified that a relative he never knew has left him millions. Facing a series of road blocks concocted by a snake of a lawyer and a reporter (Jean Arthur) trying weasel her way into his heart, Deeds ends up having the last laugh. Technical specs: aspect ratio: Full screen (1.33:1/1080p), audio: dubbed English (Dolby DTS-HD MA 1.0), five other languages (Dolby Digital 1.0), subtitles: English, 14 other languages. Special features include: • Commentary • 4K restored print • Featurette • Vintage advertising gallery • Original theatrical teaser (Sony, $19.99)
• “Veep: The Complete Fifth Season” (April 11): Selina Meyer’s (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) bid for another round as the American president hangs in the balance. (Not rated) • “War On Everyone” (April 11): Alexander Skarsgard and Michael Pena play corrupt policemen whose extortion attempts finally backfire. (R) • “Hawaii Five-O: The Complete Original Series” (April 18): Jack Lord stars as police-unit chief Steve McGarrett in the crime drama that had a 12-season run. (Not rated)
NOW SHOWING Recently reviewed films now playing in metro area theaters. Ratings are out of 4 stars. • CHIPS (R) — 4 stars Dax Shepard and Michael Pena star as Jon Baker and Frank “Ponch” Poncherello in a comedy loosely based on the late 1970s TV series. Ponch, an undercover FBI agent, is teamed up with ex-dirt bike star Baker in the California Highway Patrol. Together they investigate a heist that may involve other cops in the CHP. If you like raunchy comedy, the laughs are almost non-stop and interspersed with some nice motorcycle chase action sequences. Vincent O’Onofrio, Adam Brody and Kristen Bell also star. — Michael Buckelew • Life (R) — 2 1/2 stars The International Space Station is turned into an orbital charnel house in this sci-fi horror flick that wants to be both “Alien” and “Gravity” but lacks the morality tale aspect that made them exceptional. The ending ruined an otherwise taut story for me but that’s a matter of one’s taste for neat conclusions. — Khari J. Sampson • Before I Fall (PG-13) — 2 1/2 stars A high school senior (Zoey Deutch) is forced to live the day she is killed in a car accident over and over, making her realize what’s important in life. With a cast of relatively unknown, young actors, director Ry RussoYoung is able to turn this angsty-style
“Groundhog Day” into a heartfelt lesson that will be enjoyed by many audiences. — Alex Tostado • Rock Dog (PG) — 2 1/2 stars A Tibetan Mastiff named Bodi (voiced by Luke Wilson) wants to become a musician instead of guarding the town’s sheep like his father, Khampa (J.K. Simmons). Bodi goes on a quest to learn from rock star Angus Scattergood (Eddie Izzard). It is a simple tale with some humor that slows down a bit in the middle.
But the journey isn’t without a little fun and will probably delight most of the youngest viewers in the audience. — MB • The Red Turtle (PG) — 3 1/2 stars Quietly beautiful and sobering, this Oscar-nominated, mostly handdrawn tale of a shipwrecked man is at once realistic and fantastic; adult and family friendly. Entirely wordless, it’s the purest example of feature-length animation that exists today. — KS