This might come as a shock to some, but before Charlie Sheen was famous for starring in passable sitcoms and having mental breakdowns on talk shows, he was a damn fine actor, starring in a range of films spanning several genres. The 'Hot Shots' films were spoof comedies in the vein of Naked Gun, with Part Deux being a parody of the Rambo series. Sheen returns as Topper Harley, sent by the government on a rescue mission to Iraq.
I enjoyed the sequel better than the original, as it had more visual gags, better jokes and was just in general funnier, with plenty of quotable dialogue and stand out comedic performances. Among my favorite scenes is Topper and co posing as fishermen while being interrogated by Iraqi soldiers. So much funny moments in that scene alone, such as the gibberish spouted back and forth, Topper offering the captain fudge, and the captain saying he was on a diet, and the captain exclaiming "Omar Sharif" in frustration.
But that's not all; Ramada is back and exchanging hilarious bastardized romantic cliches with Topper, Ryan Styles is hilarious as one of Topper's men in Iraq, and Lloyd Bridges as President Benson is rife with quotes. Saddam Hussein makes several appearances as "himself", dueling with Topper then Benson in the film's climax. As well as Rambo, Hot Shots Part Deux pays homage to Star Wars, Terminator 2 and Blood Sport with a memorable kick boxing sequence at the start. The jokes come fast and sharp and are genuinely smart and witty, rather than pop culture riffs you might find in today's spoof films. A great way to lift any depression you might have, and a splendid film to watch before the day ends. A classic, to be sure.
Monday, 29 August 2011
Tuesday, 16 August 2011
The Borgias: Episode Two
Episode Two of the lavish historical drama sees Alexander VI, newly elected Pope, start an elicit affair whilst securing his power in the papal throne by appointing thirteen new cardinals to sway the majority of the College. Helping him are his son, Cesare, a newly appointed cardinal, and an assassin/spy employed by Cesare to keep . Among his enemies looking to depose Alexander is Guliano, who accuses him of lechery by having an affair with a whore and of simony after Cesare is chosen to be a cardinal. However, before he can act, he is framed for the murder of the witness to the Pope's affair and flees. Meanwhile, Alexander begins an affair with a new mistress, who quickly befriends his daughter.
Jeremy Irons dominates every scene he is in once again, playing Alexander as a wary patriarch bored with his peers and his family. His reaction to Guliano's slander was the best moment in the episode. This being the second episode, we are used to the characters by now, and they all are memorable and comfortable. Sean Harris as Cesare's spy/assassin had his fare share of good moments, and the scenes with Alexander's daughter and mistress were a treat. I'm still not sure about the sons, though. It seems what we see is what we get with most characters. We know their motivations and goals, there is no mystery you might in dramas such as Mad Men or The Wire. Being historical fiction, there may be limited source material to adapt, but we shall see. The Borgias has the potential to be a winner, but so far only potential.
Jeremy Irons dominates every scene he is in once again, playing Alexander as a wary patriarch bored with his peers and his family. His reaction to Guliano's slander was the best moment in the episode. This being the second episode, we are used to the characters by now, and they all are memorable and comfortable. Sean Harris as Cesare's spy/assassin had his fare share of good moments, and the scenes with Alexander's daughter and mistress were a treat. I'm still not sure about the sons, though. It seems what we see is what we get with most characters. We know their motivations and goals, there is no mystery you might in dramas such as Mad Men or The Wire. Being historical fiction, there may be limited source material to adapt, but we shall see. The Borgias has the potential to be a winner, but so far only potential.
Sunday, 14 August 2011
The Borgias: Episode One
Jeremy Irons is the head of the clan, Rodrigo, who buys his way to the papal spot amid corruption and dissension with the help of his eldest son, Cesare, who's a bishop, albeit reluctantly. We also meet headstrong Juan, a soldier who looks to be on his way of becoming a psychopath. We also meet Rodrigo's daughter, Lucrezia, who flirts with her own brother and acts coy and darling around her father, although I sense a wise and cunning interior to her shallow facade. Like all historical dramas, it seems that she maybe in an incestuous relationship with her bishop brother, who is fond of getting his rocks off frequently.
When we see Isaacs in the first episode, he always seems to be scheming and plotting with the help of Cesare against the bureaucratic and backstabbing College of Cardinals, including Orsini, played by Derek Jacobi. After he is crowned Pope, Rodrigo is the target of an assassination at a banquet at Orsini's, but for the intervention of Cesare, who buys the assassin so Orsini is poisoned. The episode ends with Rodrigo vowing vengeance.
The highlights are great: Jeremy Irons portrays power, cunning, guilt, insanity and fear in Rodrigo, and is a reason in itself to continue watching. Secondly, the lavishness of fifteen century Rome and Rodrigo's coronation is sublime. I'll be watching the second episode tomorrow, watch this space.
When we see Isaacs in the first episode, he always seems to be scheming and plotting with the help of Cesare against the bureaucratic and backstabbing College of Cardinals, including Orsini, played by Derek Jacobi. After he is crowned Pope, Rodrigo is the target of an assassination at a banquet at Orsini's, but for the intervention of Cesare, who buys the assassin so Orsini is poisoned. The episode ends with Rodrigo vowing vengeance.
The highlights are great: Jeremy Irons portrays power, cunning, guilt, insanity and fear in Rodrigo, and is a reason in itself to continue watching. Secondly, the lavishness of fifteen century Rome and Rodrigo's coronation is sublime. I'll be watching the second episode tomorrow, watch this space.
Wednesday, 10 August 2011
Watchmen (2009) film review
This film adaption of Alan Moore's 1987 comic is grittier, darker and gorier than typical comic book films, and is as good an adaption as there ever will be. Complete with plenty of sex, murder, conspiracies, rape and infanticide thrown in, and seems to be a deconstruction of the genre in the same way the book was. There are no clear cut heroes of villains, every character seems to have a secret or a mean streak; black and white fuse, heroes are not necessarily good and life and death are cogs in a march larger machine.
Set in an alternate 1985 where superheroes exist; Richard Nixon is still the US president, America has won the Vietnam war, and the threat of nuclear war between the West and the Soviets is all but inevitable. A retired vigilante and former government black-op named "The Comedian" is brutally attacked in his home and murdered, setting off the plot of this three hour long character-driven piece. And it is character-driven, rather than a popcorn spectacle. These heroes, Rorschach, Nite Owl, Silk Spectre, The Comedian, Dr. Manhattan and Ozymandias, are what drive the plot.
The violence is lot more explicit than it is in the book; limbs are broken and cut off, women are beaten brutally; nothing is left to the imagination. It also looks very stylish, the scenery is practically pornographic and the characters are all beautiful in their own way. However, the characters and story come first. These heroes are tragic characters caught up in reality. They are all faithful adaptions of the comic counterparts and translate well to screen, something I wasn't sure would be possible given the many layers the story has. This story was described by Alan Moore as a graphic novel, not a film, but Zack Snyder makes a go of it, and the result is an entertaining deconstruction of the Superhero genre. The actors play their parts well, particularly those who played Nite Owl, Rorschach and The Comedian, all looking the part. The actor playing Adrian Veidt hams it up a lot, though for good reason. It should be worth pointing out how bleak this film is. Besides some funny moments from Dan Dreiberg/Nite Owl and Rorschach, the film's humour mostly relies on irony and melodrama. It's almost always raining, there's a monotone humanoid who doesn't value humanity willing to explode people by will, and there are nihilist sociopaths running around this crapsack world talking about hookers and death.
In some cases, the film improves on the novel, including the ending. I was worried that the film would opt for an audience friendly ending, but as I saw the death, violence and unromantic view of the world, it was clear what kind of film this was, and that I wasn't going to be disappointed. There are also scenes in the book that work better on screen, though I won't say which ones, though they involve characters dying. There's an interesting soundtrack in this film, such as Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" playing during a graphic sex scene seconds after the characters in said scene rescue a family from a burning building. This isn't your typical popcorn flick, so if you don't already know about its mature content, beware. Otherwise, enjoy.
Set in an alternate 1985 where superheroes exist; Richard Nixon is still the US president, America has won the Vietnam war, and the threat of nuclear war between the West and the Soviets is all but inevitable. A retired vigilante and former government black-op named "The Comedian" is brutally attacked in his home and murdered, setting off the plot of this three hour long character-driven piece. And it is character-driven, rather than a popcorn spectacle. These heroes, Rorschach, Nite Owl, Silk Spectre, The Comedian, Dr. Manhattan and Ozymandias, are what drive the plot.
The violence is lot more explicit than it is in the book; limbs are broken and cut off, women are beaten brutally; nothing is left to the imagination. It also looks very stylish, the scenery is practically pornographic and the characters are all beautiful in their own way. However, the characters and story come first. These heroes are tragic characters caught up in reality. They are all faithful adaptions of the comic counterparts and translate well to screen, something I wasn't sure would be possible given the many layers the story has. This story was described by Alan Moore as a graphic novel, not a film, but Zack Snyder makes a go of it, and the result is an entertaining deconstruction of the Superhero genre. The actors play their parts well, particularly those who played Nite Owl, Rorschach and The Comedian, all looking the part. The actor playing Adrian Veidt hams it up a lot, though for good reason. It should be worth pointing out how bleak this film is. Besides some funny moments from Dan Dreiberg/Nite Owl and Rorschach, the film's humour mostly relies on irony and melodrama. It's almost always raining, there's a monotone humanoid who doesn't value humanity willing to explode people by will, and there are nihilist sociopaths running around this crapsack world talking about hookers and death.
In some cases, the film improves on the novel, including the ending. I was worried that the film would opt for an audience friendly ending, but as I saw the death, violence and unromantic view of the world, it was clear what kind of film this was, and that I wasn't going to be disappointed. There are also scenes in the book that work better on screen, though I won't say which ones, though they involve characters dying. There's an interesting soundtrack in this film, such as Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" playing during a graphic sex scene seconds after the characters in said scene rescue a family from a burning building. This isn't your typical popcorn flick, so if you don't already know about its mature content, beware. Otherwise, enjoy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)