VOL. NO.
17
LIFESTYLE 23
THE NANYANG
09 CHRONICLE reviews
FILMS RANGO
AMERICAN WESTERN/COMEDY Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Bill Nighy 107 min
,,,,, AT its heart, Rango is a love letter to the classic American Western, complete with southern drawls and gun-slinging costumes. The animated cast of characters such as rats, lizards and a chameleon are voiced by stellar talents like Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean) and Bill Nighy (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows). Gore Verbinski, famous for directing the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, delivers an animated film that appeals to adults as well as children. The story follows a chameleon—an aspiring playwright and actor—who finds himself in a desert after an unfortunate accident on the highway. He winds up in the small town of Dirt whose inhabitants—a suspicious and distinctive lot—are suffering from
a lack of drinking water. In a bid to be socially accepted, the chameleon proceeds to charm the townspeople with his make-believe tales of grandeur and adopts the name Rango. Combining a pretentious attitude with grand theatrical flair, Rango seizes the opportunity to use his acting skills. Through a series of unlikely events, Rango ends up becoming the new town sheriff whom the people believe will save them from their water problems. As Rango embarks on a quest to save the town, the movie changes pace, becoming an action-packed homage to the classic grandeur of the Wild West. Johnny Depp, who voices Rango, gives the chameleon a laid-back attitude with just the right dose of quirkiness that results in an interesting personality. In a movie featuring the director, composer and main
SADDLE UP: Rango (Johnny Depp, centre) and Beans (Isla Fisher, right) ride across the American desert in the grand traditions of the Wild West.
star of The Pirates of the Caribbean, Rango resembles a less hilarious but more heroic version of Captain Jack Sparrow, who was also played by Depp. Isla Fisher voices Beans, a lizard who stays rooted to her values of honesty and trust especially in times of trouble, and eventually wins the heart
of Rango. Her performance is solid, but unspectacular. Bill Nighy takes on a role that appears only much later in the film. Rattlesnake Jake is a character who is built up with much anticipation prior to his appearance. Nighy steals the show with his fearinducing slurred speech and a revolver for a rattle tail when
he finally shows up. Other than the characters, a story set in the American West would not be complete without its accompanying score. Highly acclaimed music producer Hans Zimmer (Pirates of the Caribbean, The Lion King) composes tunes that fit the setting perfectly.
At times, the hammy lines and elaborate action scenes border on ridiculous. But the universal tale of courage and friendship ultimately redeems the movie. Rango is a refreshing twist with its oddball characters interacting in the world of the Wild West.
-Celine Chen
BATTLE: LOS ANGELES SCI-FI/WAR
Aaron Eckhart
116 min
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WHEN will these aliens ever learn to give up? After countless failed attempts to conquer or exterminate the human race, aliens are back again in Battle: LA. US Marines are the heroes this time round, as they fight for their lives on the streets of America’s most dangerous city against a terrifying army of biomechanical creatures. Aaron Eckhart stars as Staff Sergeant Michael Nantz who leads a small squad of Marines through Los Angeles. Rather than engage the enemy head on, his mission is to recover stranded civilians and evacuate them before the Air Force bombs the city. Battle: LA begins with a bang. Within minutes of the opening credits, a mindblowing alien invasion of Earth is launched. While most war movies employ wide angle shots to show the action on a broader canvas, director Jonathan Liebesman prefers close-ups which exude a personal touch. The camera closely follows Nantz and his squad, which makes you feel as though you are part of the ever-dwindling squad as they battle to stay alive. The movie is first and foremost about action and excitement, and on those counts, Battle: LA more than delivers. It keeps you pinned to your seat as you root for the small band of Marines. Also noteworthy is that unlike other blockbusters such as Independence Day, which was all about blowing up aliens, Battle: LA is focused on more realistic ground tactics. In this manner, it brings to mind real life combat operations carried out in Iraq and Afghanistan, as seen in documentaries and news reports. Still, the movie is no District 9 with moral and ethical dilemmas. A key scene involves Nantz cutting open a dying alien’s body in order to find their weak point, played pragmatically instead of being tragic. The aliens do
RISE & SHINE: Fuller (Rachel McAdams) keeps Peck (Diane Keaton) and Pomeroy (Harrison Ford) happy.
MORNING GLORY
COMEDY Rachel McAdams, Diane Keaton, Harrison Ford 107 min
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ALIEN INVASION: Staff Sergeant Nantz (Aaron Eckhart) must fight to stay alive.
not have personalities nor do they represent any real nationality. The film carries none of the guilt and complexity of actual wars, making the aliens the perfect enemy—one that cannot be humanized. Aaron Eckhart does a good job of portraying the war-weary yet resolute Marine. However, his credible performance is undermined by the implausible way Nantz is able to instantly deduce complicated facts. For example, Nantz immediately knows that the aliens are tracking down his squad by the signals of their communication devices. The film gives no explanation for how he quickly comes to his brilliant conclusions. Still, despite the plot holes, Battle: LA is still an enjoyable popcorn flick. It definitely has enough action scenes to satisfy the even the most die-hard thrill seeker.
-Brenda Xie
PHOTOS | INTERNET
MORNING Glory takes a different approach to movies starring a female lead. Instead of trying to juggle both work and romance, the protagonist Becky Fuller (Rachel McAdams) states outright that she puts her career first. McAdams (Sherlock Holmes) is entertaining as Becky Fuller, a highly competent and driven television show producer. Fuller represents modern day women who are so determined to make their mark that relationships come second. “Work is all I do. It’s all I am,” she declares bluntly. Indeed, she is so obsessed with work that she interrupts a passionate kiss with fellow producer Adam Bennett (Patrick Wilson, Watchmen) to attend to her e-mails. The romance between Fuller and Bennett takes a backseat, as much of the film focuses on the platonic relationship between Fuller and veteran TV journalist, Mike Pomeroy (Harrison Ford). Reputed to be the “third worst person in the world”, Pomeroy proves to be Fuller’s biggest challenge in revitalizing her morning talk show, Daybreak. Pomeroy is a bad-tempered and unco-
operative co-anchor who refuses to take on any story that he deems below “his standards”. Pomeroy is thoroughly unreasonable, refusing to interact with any of the guests. However, as Daybreak’s already dismal ratings plunge further, Fuller decides to go to extreme lengths to increase viewership. Much of the comic element comes in here, as co-anchor Colleen Peck (Diane Keaton) is forced to perform absurd and wacky stunts. Because of Pomeroy’s stubborn refusal to take part in any ‘soft news’, it falls to Peck to take part in stunts like sumo-wrestling on the show. In one hilariously awkward scene, she dances along with rapper 50 Cent during his guest appearance. Peck and Pomeroy are constantly at loggerheads. A power rivalry leads to both wanting to have the last word of ‘goodbye’ on the show—since the last word is traditionally said by the ‘senior’ news anchor. Their ludicrous banter even while on air is part of what keeps the humour going. With Fuller’s help, Pomeroy eventually lightens up and surprises the producing team with a spontaneous cooking segment. Unfortunately the film has a weak ending, choosing to close in a conventional and contrived manner with lovers getting together and tensions being resolved. Still, both the director behind Notting Hill (Roger Michell) and writer of The Devil Wears Prada (Aline Brosh), do not disappoint with this refreshing comedy film.
-Theodora Theresa D’Cruz