The Avengers (2012)

Some fun one-liners, entertaining inter relational dynamics, and of course great visual effects. But it's still an action movie primarily and you'll find little else.

Thor: You have no idea what you're dealing with.
Tony Stark (Iron Man): Shakespeare in the Park?

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Shichinin no samurai (1954)

Japanese master director Akira Kurosawa presents Seven Samurai, a 3.5 hour epic film set in 19th century rural Japan.

A peasant village is at the mercy of marauding seasonal thieves, so they hire people of great moral fibre (at least that is their intention) and military prowess to come and protect them.

I really enjoyed this film over 2 nights. The characters were colourful, flawed and unpredictable. The setting was thoroughly original and it was interesting just seeing agrarian Japan.

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Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)

Awesome flick about relationships from an insecure guy's perspective. Michael Cera plays himself, but the lines he delivers, the special effects, and throbbing soundtrack make this introspective film come alive.

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The Matrix Revolutions (2003)

Where there was satisfaction in the finality of the story, I think the resolution felt forced, a weak negotiation. The effects were terrific and the enigma at the beginning was fun, but the micro-stories during the battle were rather formulaic as was the final sacrifice.

A fun trilogy; I'm better for having watched it.

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The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

While there are obvious stylistic and realistic flaws in the telling of this story (as in Where do these "soldiers" find all that time to maintain such great hair? Where did Zion get all their supplies and energy to live deep beneath the earth? etc.), the story is compelling and brings out all the best questions about determinism. I personally enjoyed all the dialogue pertaining to free choice. That, and it's a great kung-fu flick too.

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Nacho Libre (2006)

Jack Black becomes a man of the cloth and a luchador of the ring in this zany collaboration with Mike White.

Ignacio (Nacho for short), a junior monk in Mexico is faced with either finding a way to earn big money fast or continuing to feed slop to the orphans in his care. Finding some inspiration from a new and hot nun, Nacho teams up with a violent vagrant to become a local masked wrestler. He faces some moral compromises along the way.

The film is elegant and understated from the costumes to the music allowing Black to truly shine as a stout hearted athlete.

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Shi mian mai fu (2004)

House of Flying Daggers is a disappointment storywise, though it contains some elegant and elaborate visual effects.

A group of rebel fighters who throw, um, daggers, are fighting the corrupt establishment. A luscious blind woman dagger thrower is captured but is rescued by an enchanted police officer. The plot cavorts like a live shrimp on a hot grill until it finally falls dead.

The film shared its eggs among the basket of special effects and flowing fabric and the basket of sentimentality.

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Kung Fu Hustle (2004)

Stephen Chow possesses unique film making powers and he demonstrates them most effectively in Kung Fu Hustle.

The Axe Gang is terrorizing neighbourhoods in Shanghai in the 1940's. The borough called Pig Sty is usually untouched because of its poverty, but a wannabe gangster troubles the water and the residents of Pig Sty are soon embroiled in a war with the Axe Gang. The most unlikely characters emerge as kung fu masters and some great fighting sequences ensue.

For me, the comedic elements are as interesting and entertaining as the action ones. Some of the comedy falls flat on western ears however and it's important to keep this in mind when one views Chow's films.

The film begins with a very graphic scene of violence in order to show the bestial nature of the villain. It is very rough for a film that is borderline cartoonish.

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JCVD (2008)

In an industry that likes to clone success, an original film like this one often does not get made - or at least doesn't usually get distribution. I'm glad this one was made.

The story is fictional, but I think it puts a relatively real Jean-Claude Van Damme in a unique situation where we can see more clearly what his reaction would be. Van Damme plays himself as a down and out actor whose life is in a the last rounds of a downward spiral. He's back in Brussels, Belgium where his stardom is still potent. He enters a post office/bank as an armed robbery is in progress and as the police arrives, they believe he is the perpetrator. We watch as Van Damme deals with the situation and his celebrity.

The best part of the film is Van Damme exposing a wretched self with a wellspring of goodness.

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Redbelt (2008)

Veteran screenwriter David Mamet directs another contemplative film. Honour is something that is often quickly sacrificed in western culture in order to cash in or avoid responsibility. When a Japanese understanding of the concept confronts Los Angeles culture, we quickly see the power honour has to influence others and the difficulty one has to perserve it.

Mike Terry owns a jujitsu club and teaches the martial art to his devoted students. As a principle, he has decided to avoid using his mastery of the art in competition as he believes it weakens the fighter, but when his life begins to unravel, one competitive fight could turn it all around.

Mamet's characters do not often seem to be multi-dimensional as they seem to personify issues more than complex people. I don't see this as a deficiency, just a unique and strong way of exploring issues.

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Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

A fourth film by Quentin Tarantino could really be nothing else but Kill Bill, a tribute to film violence.

Uma Thurman plays an assassin who awakes from a coma and then seeks revenge on those who killed her groom, her unborn child and just failed to kill her. And kill she does, in just about every way imaginable. The Bride carries near supernatural powers fueled by a sense of justice that denies any kind of mercy.

The movie is a celebration of violence, a terrible thing to celebrate. But it's actually not about violence in the real sense, it's about movie and television violence which is used to tell stories. Some stories would lose their potency without the violent element - including some of the most sacred ones.

I didn't find this story to be terribly emotional because it is simply over the top to the point of comedy. Tarantino defuses some of the gore by making it ridiculus.

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Wo Hu Cang Long (2000)

Ang Lee directs us to an imaginary China of the not too distant past where martial arts experts are able to fly. And really, it is such a thrill to watch that I dreamt about flying after watching this film. This is sort of an Adult version of Peter Pan that is set in a slightly more realistic land.

Aside from the exquisite beauty of the Chinese wilderness, we are given an intimate look at a relationship that never is, but should have been (kind of like Brokeback Mountain). We also look at expectation vs. desire through the life of a young female warrior. So this film becomes a rich story with rich characters set against a rich backdrop.

What appreciate too, more than the first time I watched the film, is the surreal and tragic ending that leaves us wondering a fair bit. Not many recent films achieve such bittersweetness for their viewers.

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