Aug 8: The Hunter

"Martin, a mercenary, is sent from Europe by a mysterious biotech company to the Tasmanian wilderness on a hunt for the last Tasmanian tiger."

Directed by: Daniel Nettheim, Rated: R, 102 minutes

Australian cinema has been on the rise in the last couple of years. The country is continuing to produce better and better films, with a list including the underrated masterpiece, Animal Kingdom, as well as the vampire flick Daybreakers, Red Hill, and now, The Hunter. The Australian outback is its own character and these films use the setting to great advantage, creating expansive worlds that blend isolation and beauty. The Hunter, of all these films, uses the environment the greatest, showing how far removed the characters involved in the film are from the rest of the world, and that the slightest mistake leads to a most certain demise. It's a great reminder of how beautiful, yet dangerous, the Outback is and shows the psychological toll it can take on a man. 

Isolate and alone, on a seemingly futile journey, a man can change. 

The Hunter's plot is not the most complicated, but there's a lot stuffed into 102 minutes. Martin David (Willem Dafoe) is a mercenary that's hired by Red Leaf, a company that's both mysterious and dangerous. Martin is hired to track down the mythical Tasmanian tiger, an animal thought to be extinct, and retrieve its DNA. He's told that he must retrieve the genetic material as quickly as possible, because there is sure to be many different parties seeking out the rare beast. Martin makes his way to a small Tasmanian town, where he's looked at as a dangerous stranger that's threatening to take the jobs away from the small town's population. He's immediately looked upon as something that must be expelled, and his interactions with the citizens turns violent almost immediately. Martin's given a room at the Armstrong household, where a small family, a boy, his sister, and his mother (Frances O'Connor) live. Martin begins to bond with the family during his stay, and they bring him in like one of their own, welcoming them with stories and music. Martin makes many expeditions out to the wilderness, searching for the tiger, and every time he returns to the home, he finds himself more involved with the troubled family. The film is simple in its exposition, but still feels like there's a lot going on. Everything unravels at a slower pace than you'd expect, but the revelations do give much more depth to the characters. 

The Tasmanian tiger is one of the most dangerous animals to exist in the last century. It's only fitting its once hunting ground be the deadly Australia.

Along with the setting, the star of the film is Willem Dafoe, who proves that he's one of the greatest working today. The Hunter provides one of, if not the best performance Dafoe has given in his career. The film uses very little dialogue and for a large portion of it, it's just Dafore tracking the beast through the harsh wilderness. Dafoe has an incredibly powerful presence that adds an intensity to the film you could only get from him. At first, Martin appears as a man who does a job and moves onto the next, but as his interaction with the Armstrong family grows, the layers of his character begin to show. The Hunter also has very strong performances from its supporting characters, especially from the two children played by Finn Woodlock and Morgana Davis. Sam Neil also shows up for a small, but important role, and in his brief moments on screen, you're reminded how good he can be. The beautiful Frances O'Connor plays the struggling Armstrong matriarch, and while her role is much smaller than the rest, she has a quiet strength about her that you can't help but admire.

Every time I see Neil in a hat like that, I hear the Jurassic Park theme song. 

The Hunter is a superb, beautiful little film. The story isn't profound or even all that impressive, but the performances that come out of the movie turn The Hunter into something worth watching. Dafoe steals the show as Martin and gives one of the best performances of the year. The Tasmanian wilderness transforms the film into something that is not easy to forget and reminds you that it's something that needs to be respected and revered. The Hunter is as mythical as the beast at the center of the film and it's hard to argue that most of the movie represents something greater than what is simply just on the screen. While The Hunter is not for everyone, it's worth the time and effort of tracking it down. 

The Good:

the mythical hunt for thought to be extinct animal proves to be a lot more interesting than you'd think

The Better:

the Australian environment molding the film into something gorgeous, with incredible camerawork capturing the intricacies and dangers of the setting

The Best:

Willem Dafoe reminded the world how powerful of an actor he can be, even if his role has very little dialogue

Overall: 8.0/10

Trailer:

June 10: John Carter

"Transplanted to Mars, a Civil War vet discovers a lush planet inhabited by 12-foot tall barbarians. Finding himself a prisoner of these creatures, he escapes, only to encounter a princess who is in desperate need of a savior."

So, um, yeah. John Carter... about that. It's not as bad as everyone makes it be. I can understand why it bombed as big as it did and that's about all I understood. The film is very, very, very confusing and tries to stuff a whole lot of story into 132 minutes. Which is a shame, because if the writers simplified the story and let the action reign throughout, John Carter could be a hell of a better than it is. I am not lying, for the majority of the film, I sat back wondering what the f**k was going on, completely confused as to who was from where and who did what for something or what not. All i know is that the entire thing looks incredible and for that aspect alone I am a little disappointed I didn't see it in theaters. The special effects are amazing and the entire scale of the movie is massive. It's a grand fantastical adventure that doesn't hold back on the action sequences but seriously, what the hell is going on?

Brooding stares don't help, John. 

I am going to attempt to explain the story of the movie. John Carter (Taylor Kitsch), a Civil War vet is transported to Mars by the force of some magical medallion. Upon his arrival, he discovers that he has superhuman strength and can leap long distances (similar to Superman in that he has "powers" in a foreign world). Carter is captured by Tars Tarkas (voiced by Willem Dafoe) and taken prisoner to their city. Carter escapes with a woman alien and a frickin' awesome dog monster creature speedy fiend. The group encounter Dejah, who turns out is the princess of Helium, one of the major cities on Barsoom (what they call Mars). Helium is at war with Zodanga, another city. The princess is arranged to be married to the leader of Zodanga, Sab Than (Dominic West) in a way to bring peace to the land. Carter's arrival throws a wrench into the plans of, well everything. Of course, he picks a side, wages war, and kicks a lot of ass in the process. This synopsis is with the help of the John Carter Wikipedia page, but I am still as confused as I was beforehand. 

Just stay calm and love the Woola.

John Carter is a marvel in its own way. It's heart is in the right place and its attempt to be something epic is worthwhile. It's just a shame, however, that the plot couldn't be as strong and as clear as the visuals and the action. I can honestly say, I truly, fully enjoyed most of the film even with its flaws. Taylor Kitsch does an okay job in the title role, but he still feels rather wooden and hollow in the role. He's much better than Sam Worthington (the other "it" actor) but they both still play the similar, shallow, and cliche characters that are nothing more than a symbolic hero that helps move the story forward. The action is badass, but the battles are few and far between. Each sequence is somewhat reminiscent of 300, with aliens and a lot of blue bloodshed instead of the normal crimson. In the end, ignore the bad reviews of the film and honestly give it a chance. John Carter is creative, it's pretty to look at, and it is on an absolutely massive scale (brought to by Pixar director, Andrew Stanton, who really wanted to make something special) that hinders and also strengthens the movie. 

The Good:

special effects on a completely new level that blend live action and CG wonderfully and continued incredible work from composer, Michael Giacchino
The Bad:

a story too confusing to even look for loop holes in, with way too much everything crammed into one movie

The Ugly:

realizing this film honestly could be a masterpiece if everything was firing on the same cylinders... and I kind of want a sequel

Oh f**k it, even if it's confusing, I really liked it... and I really do want to see a sequel.

Overall: 7.5/10

Trailer:

March 10: Daybreakers

"In the year 2019, a plague has transformed most every human into vampires. Faced with a dwindling blood supply, the fractured dominant race plots their survival; meanwhile, a researcher works with a covert band of vamps on a way to save humankind."

   First off, take a look at that poster. It's pretty awesome. Just need to state that right away. Daybreakers, as a film, is just as cool. It's bloody, it's violent, it's original, and it has a good chunk of badassness. Ethan Hawke stars as Edward Dalton, a vampire scientist who goes rogue (he joins humans, not eats (or falls in pedophilic love with) humans) and finds that there may be a cure for vampirism. And, as the world's blood levels run low, a cure or blood replacement is very important.  It's never meant to be taken seriously and it relishes in that fact, going over-the-top with the action and style. It's fun, and in a time where a new vampire movie hits the market every time a Twihard hits puberty, Daybreakers is a breath of fresh air. 

Thankfully, teenage tears do not contribute to box office dollars. 

   Now, Daybreakers is not perfect. It has it's faults. None of the acting is incredible and, even Hawke, who I am a huge fan of, overacts at times. Sam Neil, who plays the villain, is his usual self and, as time goes on, he continues to show that he's just going to keep being himself in every thing he does. Which isn't horrible, but gets the slightest bit repetitive. However, everything does work very well when combined together. It's a great combination of Equilibrium, From Dusk til Dawn, and Blade. Oh, and it has Willem Dafoe. Playing a guy named Elvis. Yes, Elvis. 

All vampires need swords. 

   Overall, I enjoyed Daybreakers a lot more than I thought I would. Vampire movies are getting disgustingly stale, and finally watching something fresh and original in the genre gives me hope that vampires, as a "species", are not ruined (also see 30 Days of Night). The action throughout is intense and fun, the gore and blood is just enough, and the suspense keeps you interested, at the edge of your seat. The special effects are hit and miss while being mostly good, but the style of the film itself gives plenty to the dark, moody setting. I would definitely recommend Daybreakers. 

The Good:

a very, very original story

The Bad:

just an OK script with about the same quality of acting

The Ugly:

knowing that more films like this won't be coming along as often as every Twilight movie we're all polluted with

Overall: 7.5/10

Best Quote:

Elvis: "Living in a world where vampires are the dominant species is about as safe as bare backing a 5 dollar whore."

Trailer: