tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137730880076755122.post2049465310389491608..comments2024-03-08T03:14:02.855+11:00Comments on This Island Rod: Immortals (2011)Roderick Heathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08107539379079558068noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137730880076755122.post-38536902801690692962012-06-07T17:50:01.027+10:002012-06-07T17:50:01.027+10:00Stephen, I'm truly glad you feel the same way ...Stephen, I'm truly glad you feel the same way as I do about both <i>Immortals</i> and <i>John Carter</i>. I would've turned off <i>Immortals</i> too and before the half-hour mark, but I was watching it with family, who were slightly less appalled than me. I don't doubt you could've beaten <i>John Carter</i>'s opening into shape, although I did ponder afterwards if structuring it that way wasn't likely a post-production decision, owing to someone's push to get the film moving faster. Of course, Singh's film cost a lot less than Stanton's did, which made it much easier to be a success, and I'm tactily willing to agree, as with <i>Heaven's Gate</i>, which I genuinely love, that in any event filmmakers shouldn't be allowed to get so profligate; but then again, the money's clearly there on screen, and part of what I'm enjoying. Whilst I have some affection for both <i>Avatar</i> and the new <i>Star Wars</i> films, I certainly agree that <i>John Carter</i> finally highlighted just what was missing from both creations. I actually re-viewed <i>John Carter</i> just this week, and found it actually improved: I liked Taylor Kitsch more the second time around, and realised what an incredible clip the story moves at. What you say about Disney and how it connects with his live-action tradition also hits home with me - <i>John Carter</i> put me in mind of my personal favourite Disney live-action adventure movie, <i>The Island at the Top of the World</i>, as well as <i>20,000 Leagues</i>, which I also love. And I have started seeing some articles that are starting to notice how nobody's noticed that <i>Battleship</i> is doing worse than <i>John Carter</i>, and the clear inferences this presents for the different ways film projects that start with the suits are treated to those that are the creatives' babies. In fact I said myself sometime in between the release of the two films that I would consider it criminal if <i>Battleship</i> was a big hit if <i>John Carter</i> wasn't: there is at least some justice in the world.Roderick Heathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08107539379079558068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137730880076755122.post-41797039343246953552012-06-07T09:49:01.575+10:002012-06-07T09:49:01.575+10:00Btw, I knew you'd written about JC over on Fer...Btw, I knew you'd written about JC over on <i>Ferdy on Film</i> but I held off reading for fear of spoilers. I just caught up with your excellent piece and find that we're much of the same mind.<br /><br />Meanwhile a glance at IMDB shows that <i>Battleship</i> also cost over 200 million and did worse than JC on its opening weekend, while its losses have barely attracted notice or comment.Stephen Gallagherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05280419153030490653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137730880076755122.post-53782315048198642962012-06-07T09:23:30.406+10:002012-06-07T09:23:30.406+10:00I managed about thirty minutes of this one and the...I managed about thirty minutes of this one and then gave up. But last week I finally got to see <i>John Carter</i>, and loved it. A ropy first twenty minutes with at least three false starts (coulda fixed that for 'em, they only had to ask), but solid, coherent and thrilling thereafter. To me it was the movie that all the later <i>Star Wars</i> sequels struggled and failed to be, and everything that <i>Avatar</i> stole, done much better. The first new movie in ages that I've immediately wanted to see again.<br /><br />Budgets aside, I'm at a loss to understand how a stinker like <i>Immortals</i> can saunter by unscathed while <i>John Carter</i> gets a stoning. While I can imagine it as a movie that Walt might have made -- it has a similar spirit to his live-actioners like <i>Swiss Family Robinson</i> or <i>20,000 Leagues</i> -- I can't ever imagine him washing his hands of it the way the current Disney management have. I bet he's spinning in his fridge.Stephen Gallagherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05280419153030490653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137730880076755122.post-86947587020380300852012-06-06T14:04:42.426+10:002012-06-06T14:04:42.426+10:00I suppose, Bev, I've often been resistant to p...I suppose, Bev, I've often been resistant to pure physical beauty in films when I don't feel there's a genuine aesthetic organising principle, but really here my increasing detachment was caused by the awful story. I certainly didn't get what I...well, spent the rental fee for. And <i>Conan</i>, oh dear god...Roderick Heathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08107539379079558068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137730880076755122.post-70317417346158894402012-06-06T13:28:16.727+10:002012-06-06T13:28:16.727+10:00Gee, I kind of liked this. Not that I can deny a b...Gee, I kind of liked this. Not that I can deny a bit of your criticism, except to say that I didn't get anything but blankness and muscles from Cavill.<br /><br />But I came expecting eye candy: Some lovely frames, crazy costumes and CGI architecture and landscapes. I don't think it matched the beauty of <i>The Fall</i>, or the story telling, but I got what I came for.<br /><br />I also watched the new Conan movie, and was much less impressed, partly because Jason Momoa looks so strange. Those eyebrows...Beveridge D. Spenserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12236771609113409521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137730880076755122.post-29854671363144568002012-05-31T12:59:51.782+10:002012-05-31T12:59:51.782+10:00JD, I wouldn't mind if I got the feeling I was...JD, I wouldn't mind if I got the feeling I was dealing with an actively creative director cutting loose on a bugfuck enterprise, but this is shallow and boring and yes, has a story you've seen almost exactly the same twenty times before.Roderick Heathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08107539379079558068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137730880076755122.post-75928773973562173162012-05-31T09:56:46.603+10:002012-05-31T09:56:46.603+10:00Wow, this sounds truly awful. The trailers already...Wow, this sounds truly awful. The trailers already hint at crappiness inherent in this film and your review basically confirms it.<br /><br />I thought THE CELL was a pretty interesting spin on the serial killer genre. Yeah, Tarsem wears his influences on his sleeve to be sure but I guess I didn't mind it so much in THE CELL because I was actually engaged in the story. IMMORTALS sounds like it has only the barest of stories to keep a series of CGI workouts together.<br /><br />Thanks for the heads up and the warning on this one.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08164105442273577128noreply@blogger.com