2012 so far: film comments

I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while. I am back now, after an eventful first half of 2012, to hopefully write more than I ever did in my entire life in dog years. I will ease into this endeavour with short comments on the handful of films released this year that I've seen so far:

Men in Black 3 (Sonnenfeld,2012) **1/2 Fun, somewhat of a throwback in the pacing of the film. It's not in a rush to get anywhere. It doesn't really get anywhere memorable either.

Prometheus (Scott, 2012) ***1/2 There's so much to admire in this film, and so much to dislike as well. On the plus side, it's atmospheric, well photographed, and thought provoking (I highly recommend reading cavalorn's analysis). On the annoying side, its characters and entire reasoning behind the "aliens" need a little rework, especially Charlize Theron's disappointing arc and whatever happened to cross-mating aliens. There's little "science" in this sci-fi work. Noomi Rapace has a really cool sequence that, if you think about it, makes no sense. Oh Ridley, you are frustrating.

Moonrise Kingdom (Anderson, 2012) ***1/2 The film is a gorgeous living postcard. Unfortunately, the emotional core - which normally lends weight to Anderson's whimsical pictures - is postcard-sized too. It is stiffly stylized, which makes it the odd one out in Anderson's carefully considered feeling universe. I enjoyed the film. I wish I loved it.

Marvel's The Avengers (Whedon, 2012) ***1/2 So much fun, I almost wished I'd seen it twice. Scarlet Johansson gave her character such surprising depth, almost outshining everyone in the film for me.

Hodejegerne (Headhunters; Tyldum, 2012) **** An amazingly tight and funny film that deserves to be seen by anyone who loves a good oddball thriller. You should probably watch it before Hollywood steals its identity and turns it into an American film.

The Cabin in the Woods (Goddard, 2012) *** Good time at the theatre - way funnier than it was scary. Except for that Japanese ghost. I hate little ghost girls. So much.

The hunger games (Ross, 2012) ** Talk about a silly picture aimed straight for the under age crowd. If you got more guts, may I suggest Battle Royale?

Serbuan maut (The raid: redemption; Evans, 2012) ***1/2 Speaking of guts, this picture delivers a lot of it, probably in compensation for its brain. But who cares about a good story with nuanced characters when you got some seriously breathless and spectacular chop sockying to do? 

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