Soldier (1998) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_325" align="alignright" width="263"] Official Score = 3 Devils[/caption]

If you are a fan of movies or the theater, and you grew up loving one or the other, then there was at least one actor or actress… or even group of actors or actresses that you would grow up watching either on TV, on the big screen or on the stage… For me, one of those actors that I grew up watching is Kurt Russell (The Thing)!

Now Kurt Russell is one of my favorite actors, and the reason being is that no matter what form of leading role he played, rather it was playing Snake Plissken in such Sci-Fi/Action movies as the, ‘Escape’ movie series, or as R.J. MacReady in, The Thing (1982), or even in the comedy, Overboard (1987)… This guy brings a certain set of sarcastic humor, that will almost have you rooting for him even if he is a bad guy!

And you know what? A great example of this is, Soldier (1998), and that is really saying something… What I mean by that is that this movie which was written by: David Webb Peoples (Twelve Monkeys), and Directed by: Paul W.S. Anderson (Resident Evil), and which also starred, Jason Scott Lee (Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story), Jason Isaacs (Event Horizon), Connie Nielsen (The Devil’s Advocate), Sean Pertwee (Equilibrium), Michael Chiklis (Fantastic Four), and Gary Busey (Predator 2), told an interesting tale of how, ‘if it ain’t broke, then don’t fix it’ and how, ‘arrogance destroys all…’

What do I mean by this? Well simply put, in the future the American Government creates a band of super soldiers that are able to pretty much easily and exclusively win every war that they fight in…

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] The super soldier program[/caption]

Now with the success of these Soldiers, the government goes ahead builds the next generation of super soldier and arrogantly believes that these soldiers are above and beyond better than their predecessors! So much so that Colonel Mekum (Isaacs) brings his new soldiers over to the barracks that houses the old soldiers…

After they arrive, the Colonel pits one of his soldiers against 3 of his predecessors, and it looks like he may have killed all 3 of them… Or so he thinks…

You see it turns out that Todd 3465 (Russell) was still alive and gets dropped on to a dumpster planet along with some waste refuse… While there he comes across a group of people that had crash landed on the planet and made it their home.

During his time recuperating with the villagers, this super soldier finds more than he ever expected when he discovers his emotions, and that for the first time in his entire life that he actually cares about these people!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="699"] This old Super Soldier finds friendship when he is dumped on a Garbage planet![/caption]

With that in mind though, his old crew comes to the planet for an annual security sweep and to eradicate those that remain on the planet… And it will be up to this antiquated super soldier to go up against the next generation of his brethren, before they destroy the village that he has grown to love!

Another thing that I found that I really like about this movie is that it does show the horrors of war, but besides that, it also shows the power of the human spirit, and that despite the horrors that some people can do to other people, that it only takes the acceptance and love of the right person or people to destroy all of that evil programming!

In the end though, this is an action packed, special effects extravaganza that was definitely worth the experience!

http://youtu.be/AGuwzYN4qAc

Gattaca (1997) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_325" align="alignright" width="263"] Official Score = 3 Devils[/caption]

The 1990s saw a major change in technology for private use! Stuff that at this point has become the standard for most people, stuff like the use of, 'The Internet', 'Cell Phones', etc...

With that in mind, one thing that Hollywood does like to do is to make movies that ask the question, 'What if mankind took technology to such an extreme that, that technology began to take over?' A popular theme for these types of movies of course are movies that have to do with computer technology being taken so far that they gain their sentience and begin to take over the world.

A few of these examples of this type of film of course being, The Matrix (1999), and The 'Terminator' series!

But there is another slightly less dystopic (yet still quite unpleasant) version that begs the question of, 'what would happen if genetic technology was taken to the point where it was no longer fashionable to be, 'born' but to be created!

That is the question that the movie, Gattaca (1997) begs to answer!

Written and Directed by: Andrew Niccol (In Time). Starring: Ethan Hawke (Daybreakers), Uma Thurman (Pulp Fiction), Jude Law (eXistenZ), Gore Vidal (Shadow Conspiracy), Xander Berkley (Candyman), Elias Koteas (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and Alan Arkin (Grosse Point Blank).

[caption id="attachment_472" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke) living the dream![/caption]

Gattaca tells the story of a man by the name of Vincent Freeman (Hawke). A man who was born naturally in a world that frowns upon this sort of thing.

In this world, there are two classes: The upper class being people that have been more or less genetically engineered. While the lower class being those that have been born naturally....

Now Vincent dreams about someday going in to space. The only problem is that the only group of people that are allowed to go in to space are the upper class!

So Vincent arranges to take over the persona of a crippled upper class genetically engineered man by the name of, Jerome Eugene Morrow (Law), to achieve his dream!

So far this seems to be working out awfully well for Vincent, as Vincent ends up making it all the way to the point where his dreams are about to come true, as he has finally been selected to go to outer space... Of course that is until his project director ends up being murdered!

Now Vincent's dreams of going in to outer space are in jeopardy due to fear that his cover could be blown during the investigation in to the project directors death!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Vincent Freeman is going to get to live his dream![/caption]

I do have to say that although I think the acting is great, the story is amazing, and the special effects are spectacular, the best thing I think that makes this movie great is the message that this movie has for the world! A message that says, 'that in a world that is harsh, where choices are sometimes extremely limited, that you can still succeed and achieve your dreams and goals in life!

http://youtu.be/ZppWok6SX88

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_390" align="alignright" width="178"] Official Score = 1 Devil[/caption]

A few years ago when I first saw Iron Man (2008), I heard of a rumor that the plan for Iron Man, was to have him have his own individual movie series, but then to eventually create a sort of compilation movie, which would include, Thor, The Incredible Hulk & Captain America & the rest of The Avengers crew as well!

Now at the time I figured that the rumor would mean that there was going to be a whole slew of new superhero movies that would be coming out, including movies for, 'Thor', 'Captain America', and the rest of the, 'Avengers' crew from the epic comic book series from the epic Marvel Comic book series...

At the time though I didn't quite believe it, what with the fact that there were at the time only two, 'Incredible Hulk', movies and one, 'Iron Man' movie...

Boy was I wrong! I mean since then there has been another, 'Iron Man' movie, and, 'Thor' came out in 2011!

The only one that was really left was, 'Captain America', and low and behold... Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) was pretty much the last cog in the machine to be put in to place before the studios would start making, The Avengers!

Written by: Christopher Markus (You Kill Me), Stephen McFeely (The Life And Dead Of Peter Sellers) & Directed by: Joe Johnston (The Wolfman). Starring: Chris Evans (The Avengers), Hayley Atwell (The Return Of Captain Nemo), Sebastian Stan (Black Swan), Tommy Lee Jones (Men In Black), Hugo Weaving (The Matrix), Dominic Cooper (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter), and Toby Jones (The Mist).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Captain America (Chris Evans) as he has gone to war![/caption]

Captain America: The First Avenger, tells the story of a very patriotic young man by the name of, 'Steve Rogers' (Evans), who during World War 2, tries at every chance that he can to join the Army, but usually ends up failing for medical reasons!

That is until one night, when while on a double date with his best friend Bucky Buchanan (Stan), and his girl, Rogers decides to split away from the pack and try his hand again at signing up for the Army... This time he actually makes it in!

You see, there is a German scientist that is working with a special research unit of the United States Army and billionaire, Howard Stark (Cooper), in an effort to create a genetic super soldier!

Well the good news is, that the experiment is a success and actually makes young, scrawney Captain Steve Rogers in to a large power house super soldier!

The only problem is that during the experiment, Doctor Abraham Erskine (Played by: Stanley Tucci), the person who is the project director ends up being shot by a Nazi spy that had infiltrated the ranks of the guests that had been invited to watch the experiment!

Now instead of doing it right and sending Captain Rogers in to the war to kick some ass, the government decides to send him on a USO tour as, 'Captain America' to promote American values and the positive side of going to war against Nazi Germany...

That is until one day while entertaining the troops in Italy, Rogers learns that his friend Bucky had been taken prisoner by the forces of, 'Hydra' (An organization which is controlled by a Nazi by the name of Johann Schmidt 'A.K.A The Red Skull' (Weaving).

After Captain Rogers rescues these soldiers from the forces of Hydra, the permanently christened, 'Captain America', is given his own crew, and is sent behind enemy lines to destroy, 'Hydra'!

Now the truth is, is I have to admit that this movie was pretty disappointing to me, some of the story was unbelievable beyond the point of my tolerance, (to the point where I am pretty convinced that the ending was created in an effort to throw Captain America in to, 'Present Day' New York.)

Also I have always enjoyed a good World War 2 war movie, but this one was just bland!

http://youtu.be/-J3HfllvXWE