When you grow up watching enough films that range from awesome to mediocre at best, sometimes it takes a mind-blowing flick to knock some sense into you as to what "well done" really is. Long story short, watching the movie I'm about to review back when I was a teenager with little critical sense made me realize the true significance of spectacular cinematography, special effects, writing, and acting among other things when before I could barely make them out. Not to give myself any crap or anything, but even I find it amazing how this one film aided me in understanding many aspects of great and masterful filmmaking as I got older. So, without further adieu, I'm most eager to share the impact Inception -- one of the the most influential films of the decade -- has left on me since its release.
***SPOILERS BEWARE*** (and not everyone has seen the movie so I guess it matters this time)
The film summed up in one sentence: A Dream Within A Dream... within a dream... within a dream. BUT...! That's not all; if we're to get down to the nitty-gritty of the plot, it's about an extractor by the name of Dom Cobb (played by none other than Leonardo DiCaprio) who, along with his partner, Arthur (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt), conducts corporate espionage missions inside people's minds through shared dream worlds. However, Cobb's missions are often sabotaged by invasive projections of his late wife, Mal (played by Marion Cotillard), whose suicide as a result of them being in limbo too long is on his criminal record and causing him immense guilt and torment. He is soon offered a chance at redemption when his most recent target, a business man called Saito (played by Ken Watanabe), tasks him with doing the impossible: "incepting" the brain of Robert Fischer (played by Cillian Murphy) in an attempt to disband the energy company owned by Fischer's father. With assistance from his main crew as well as graduate architect student, Ariadne (played by Ellen Page), and identity thief known as Eames (played by Tom Hardy), Cobb travels into the depths of Fischer's subconscious as well as his own in hopes to both accomplish the mission and expunge his criminal history so that he can make it home to his hoped-for reality of being with his children.
If that alone didn't sound deep enough, the plot and themes truly are just that: psychologically deep and engaging. As I just demonstrated, one can hardly explain the fine details about the plot in one sentence especially when One Simple Idea isn't enough to explain the film to its entirety -- technically, it kind of is, but more on that later. The main reason for this is because the film's director/producer/writer, the renowned Christopher Nolan, worked so hard on the script's main idea for years to make Mr. Cobb's emotional journey match up with the dream worlds he created. And, boy, did he deliver. The mere premise of people sharing a dream space with one another as well as crafting different worlds within dreams is a concept I've been super interested in coming to grasp more since watching the film for the first time a few years back. While most of it may be science fiction writing (such as the film's explanation of the "dream technology" they utilize being for military experiments), the onscreen action itself offers the audience many reasons why, simply put, dreams as well as one's subconscious are fascinating.
The various dream worlds and action set-pieces that take place within them are all unique representations of the subconscious and their layers. For example, when we're first introduced to Saito's dream world depicting a Japanese castle at the start of the film, it is clear based on his secrecy and when The Dream Is Collapsing that he has something to hide that he doesn't want to disclose to Cobb and co. Later on, though, the mechanics of the dreams start to play in big time; between instances like Cobb waking up through being kicked into a bathtub and water inexplicably pouring into the Japanese castle dream and Fisher's projections of militarized men infiltrating the three levels of dreams during the main mission, the whole thing is mind-blowing. And if that's not extremely surreal-sounding, a zero gravity fight takes place in the hotel dream while the van tumbles down a hill in the upper level dream. As one who likes to simply observe a work of visual media without much reaction the first time around, I didn't really give much thought to the zero gravity fight the first time around, but then, the more I thought about it, this particular action scene is, without a doubt, one of the most exciting fight scenes in all of cinema! So, when put basically, if one hadn't given much thought about dreams and their effects before this movie, they'd be lying if they said they haven't since.
As condiments to the film's main meat and bread (and by that I mean the outstanding action scenes and psychological premise), EVERY. SINGLE. ACTOR. in this is on top of their game thus making the movie all the more emotionally investing. I literally can't go without saying that Leo DiCaprio is absolutely golden in this as he plays a tormented Old Soul fighting to get over his tragic past with the death of his lover -- something Hollywood hardly even considers when writing love stories; another plus on Nolan's part! And to go along with that, Marion Cotillard does a great job of sounding like a delusional freak who can't discern reality from dreams in the flashback scenes depicting Mal after emerging from limbo with Dom. All the rest ranged from great to awesome at best, but I'd rather not be here all day describing each and every distinct performance by its characteristics (plus much of the main ensemble is carried over from The Dark Knight trilogy, which I also plan to review someday). If anything, though, the real show stealer is Tom Hardy as Eames. In the midst of this dark, serious, surreal psychological thriller/crime drama/noir/action movie, he's actually the one who gets the most laughs particularly in the layered dreams toward the end. When he steps in to assist Arthur in a shoot out by dreaming up a grenade launcher and transforms back into his plain self after projecting a hot woman in order to seduce Fischer's subconscious, I actually found myself cracking at his one-liners (e.g.: "You mustn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling.").
Nevertheless, no good film is without the icing on the cake and, in this film's case, it's the astonishing musical score by the man, the myth, the legendary film composer, Hans Zimmer himself. Surely, everybody remembers hearing that iconic horn from the trailer that has essentially defined numerous dramatic trailer themes throughout the 2010s. For that matter, those same horns and intense strings manage to up the intensity big time during the big action bits thus making them more epic as a result. Even the inclusion of fast-paced drums (or whatever instrument was used) during the Mombasa chase sequence gave me a rush of adrenaline watching DiCaprio storm his way through the marketplace full of civilians as his gun-wielding pursuers gave chase. If nothing else, it would be a crime to let go unsaid that the slower, more somber bits of the score manage also to bring out the film's overall drab, dream-like atmosphere. Though I cannot exactly recall when it plays during the movie, every time I hear the track titled Old Souls, I instantly imagine myself lost in a bizarre, foggy dream world searching desperately for a way out before ultimately being chased by nightmarish projections that kill me, thus waking me up. After painting a story like that for you readers, I will note that, if you've been paying attention at all, that littered throughout this review are a few of the track names on the soundtrack written in italics. Even if you haven't seen the film, I would strongly suggests giving them a listen and see what all you can come up with for mental images -- and I would also recommend the track Time as it is, without a doubt, THE greatest movie ending song in the history of mankind!
To sum it up, this film is SO fantastic, SO involved, SO well-directed that I could easily talk about for hours how well it manages to construct everything it has in store. From its deep, psychological premise and inventively breathtaking action/visuals to its superb ensemble casting/acting and phenomenally influential soundtrack, almost nothing negative can be said about what this film does unless maybe someone viewing doesn't fully watch it with a critically functional mindset. In regards, I will say that, although the movie's dream sequences don't follow the whole stereotypical dream-like feel (that being the blurry, white vignette full of ridiculously surreal environments/events), the fact that each dream setting is portrayed more realistically than one would imagine with at least some surreal elements is all done in a way that viewer can better understand each dreamer's subconscious. With as much as I've discussed the subconscious throughout this review, my subconscious says I give this movie a solid A and would strongly recommend for anybody looking for an awesome piece of cinema that's considered art more than anything.
Thanks y'all for watching and I will see you in the next review!
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Saturday, March 4, 2017
Jasonic Reviews The Lion King
When the words "Lion King" come to mind, what is the first thing that pops in your head? The grand, ear-splitting African vocalist in the intro? That famous opening shot of the spectacular sunrise? Or is it "Hakuna Matata"? Whatever the reason your's may be, at least one of them is bound to come to mind when I consider the impact this movie left on me as a kid. Like Toy Story, I grew up on this movie -- and its sequels for that matter -- enjoying it time and again without ever realizing the factors that played into it being a great source of entertainment. And how does it look to me today? Well, a quick disclaimer: No nostalgia goggles were applied in the writing of this review.
Most of us that were born in the 90s no doubt grew up on the amount of great Disney movies released during that time. This era was known as the "Disney Renaissance" for the reason that Disney themselves saw a great revival in their animated feature's critical success after a few decades of somewhat unsuccessful flicks. Not wanting to throw in the towel despite lacking its best animators (among them the beloved Don Bluth), Disney reworked much of its animated department to forward a lot of projects that they had no idea would be so successful. After kicking off this era with memorable successes such as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin, Disney traversed into a territory they hadn't quite touched yet: a Shakespearean play. Specifically, they drew inspiration from the somewhat lesser known Hamlet and incorporated into a story set in the African Savannah with animals and all. In hindsight, the mere idea isn't that ridiculous and is among many reasons The Lion King is remembered in the hearts of many.
*SPOILERS BEWARE* (but it's an old movie that just about everyone knows, so who cares?)
By today's standards, the plot is rather basic, but, given that it's based on Shakespeare, this is very much expected. The film sees a young African lion prince named Simba (voiced by Jonathan Taylor Thomas young and Matthew Broderick as an adult) as he desires to become king of his pride just as soon as his father, Mufasa (voiced by James Earl Jones), passes on. This all changes when one day Mufasa's jealous younger brother, Scar (voiced by Jeremy Irons), murders Mufasa and causes young Simba to flee from his home forever thereby allowing Scar the title he always wanted alongside a pack of comedic hyenas. During his runaway years, Simba encounters two wastrels named Timon and Pumbaa (voiced by Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella respectively) and grows up with them free of responsibilities. Having not realized the disaster occurring during his absence, Simba is eventually snapped out of it with visitations from his childhood friend, Nala (voiced by Niketa Calame young and Moira Kelly as an adult) and his shaman Rafiki (voiced by Robert Guillaume). With that, he realizes he must confront his past and take his rightful place in the "Circle of Life".
Right off the bat, it is very easy to tell that the film is full of good, if not great voice talent. Matthew Broderick, while not the best of the bunch, was at least a decent pick for adult Simba, though I do think Simba's young voice did a better job overall. Jeremy Irons, meanwhile, does a masterful job at making Scar sound as menacing as he appears on screen. That said, if his scarred left eye doesn't strike at least some fear into children watching, his voice definitely will. On the other hand, Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella as Timon and Pumbaa, while not the most noteworthy of the ensemble, do bring their intended comedic vibe to their characters whom I most often associate their voices with. Ultimately, though, the real show stealer had to have been James Earl Jones's Mufasa; like with a lot of his characters, he brings a very fierce, commanding presence to his character that only a (lion) king would deserve -- interestingly enough he had even played a king prior to this movie with Madge Sinclair (voice of Sarabi in this movie) even. While not exactly the top selling point of this movie, I found the voice cast to at least be of note alongside its more major hookers.
It's no question that most everybody remembers The Lion King for its grand, breathtaking visuals and spectacular animation. Honestly, who in the world could forget the aforementioned shot of the opening sunrise as it glazes the landscape in a golden hue? On top of that, just about every locale is drawn richly and colorfully in a way that, despite being animated, whisks the viewer away into the huge environments of Africa. From the wide open plains surrounding Pride Rock, to the more confined, sinister Elephant Graveyard littered with bones, and even Timon and Pumbaa's paradise full of towering majestic trees and waterfalls, each and every environment is one that easily sticks in the viewer's head forever. In addition, the attention to detail in the character animations is most impressive for its time. It's clear that Disney did enough studying of African wildlife to make everyone move like actual animals and even had the right tools for the job to bring the more complex animations to life. Specifically, I am talking about the famous wildebeest herd sequence in which every single wildebeest was animated in CGI. And this was only full year before Toy Story came out in full CGI too!
Even back in the day, there's no doubt this film's soundtrack was all the Disney craze back before Frozen stepped in and took that spot for this generation. Aside from "Hakuna Matata" essentially being the "Let It Go" of the time in which this movie came out, it is clear that this film's many other musical numbers have left a significant impression on viewers such as myself to this day. Okay, maybe not necessarily the songs themselves are noteworthy so much as the visuals associated with them. That said, numbers like "Circle of Life", "Just Can't Wait to Be King", and "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" definitely enhance the scenes they go with, but are still memorable as songs in their own right. If anything, what's gotten to me most about the films score is Scar's villain song "Be Prepared" -- one of the most intense and menacing villain numbers in all of Disney's history -- as well as Hans Zimmer's masterful orchestrations that enhance the grand, majestic overall tone of the film. To this day, I still get emotional over little pieces in certain scenes such as the wildebeest chase, Mufasa's spirit appearing in the sky to Simba, Simba and Scar's final confrontation, and the ending medley after the finale, which ultimately leads into a short reprisal of "Circle of Life". All these and more add to the story and presentation and still keep me coming back every time despite minor flaws.
Despite most aspects of this movie being considered masterful, it is not without minor flaws. Like Frozen (with which it incidentally shares some plot similarities) after it, the first act feels more well put together than later down the line. After Mufasa dies and Timon and Pumbaa enter to teach Simba their inadequate philosophy, the film greatly brightens up in a way that almost makes you forget the previous tragedy. Granted, it's not as jarring as the transition between the off-screen death of Bambi's mother and the happy spring montage in, well... Bambi, but still, I couldn't help noticing this in my recent viewing. Then again, this may have been a deliberate attempt on the creators' behalf to help the audience better connect with Simba's sudden change in attitude -- me and my positive outlook on things, huh? In addition, Timon and Pumbaa, the more I think about them, may not be the greatest Disney comic relief of all time, but they at least don't drag the film down in any way and get a few good laughs every now and then. Other minor characters such as Zazu (voiced by Rowan Atkinson) are sadly forgettable, but at least keep things fun enough to watch when they're around. And though my older adult self admits that this isn't quite the perfect Disney film, it is still up there on my list of favorite Disney movies and movies in general.
So there you have it; an honest adult's non-nostalgia goggled review of one of the most iconic Disney films in both the Disney Renaissance and of all time. It still holds up to this day in more ways than one and remains one of the most aesthetically significant films in recent history. Between its interesting choices of casting, the iconic imagery and animation, and memorable score (musical or not), despite minor, insignificant issues, The Lion King is, without a doubt, one of those movies you're bound to remember forever. Overall, I give the film a solid A and consider it a must see for anybody whether old or young and Disney fanatic or not.
Thanks y'all for reading and, as always, I will see you in the next review!
Most of us that were born in the 90s no doubt grew up on the amount of great Disney movies released during that time. This era was known as the "Disney Renaissance" for the reason that Disney themselves saw a great revival in their animated feature's critical success after a few decades of somewhat unsuccessful flicks. Not wanting to throw in the towel despite lacking its best animators (among them the beloved Don Bluth), Disney reworked much of its animated department to forward a lot of projects that they had no idea would be so successful. After kicking off this era with memorable successes such as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin, Disney traversed into a territory they hadn't quite touched yet: a Shakespearean play. Specifically, they drew inspiration from the somewhat lesser known Hamlet and incorporated into a story set in the African Savannah with animals and all. In hindsight, the mere idea isn't that ridiculous and is among many reasons The Lion King is remembered in the hearts of many.
*SPOILERS BEWARE* (but it's an old movie that just about everyone knows, so who cares?)
By today's standards, the plot is rather basic, but, given that it's based on Shakespeare, this is very much expected. The film sees a young African lion prince named Simba (voiced by Jonathan Taylor Thomas young and Matthew Broderick as an adult) as he desires to become king of his pride just as soon as his father, Mufasa (voiced by James Earl Jones), passes on. This all changes when one day Mufasa's jealous younger brother, Scar (voiced by Jeremy Irons), murders Mufasa and causes young Simba to flee from his home forever thereby allowing Scar the title he always wanted alongside a pack of comedic hyenas. During his runaway years, Simba encounters two wastrels named Timon and Pumbaa (voiced by Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella respectively) and grows up with them free of responsibilities. Having not realized the disaster occurring during his absence, Simba is eventually snapped out of it with visitations from his childhood friend, Nala (voiced by Niketa Calame young and Moira Kelly as an adult) and his shaman Rafiki (voiced by Robert Guillaume). With that, he realizes he must confront his past and take his rightful place in the "Circle of Life".
Right off the bat, it is very easy to tell that the film is full of good, if not great voice talent. Matthew Broderick, while not the best of the bunch, was at least a decent pick for adult Simba, though I do think Simba's young voice did a better job overall. Jeremy Irons, meanwhile, does a masterful job at making Scar sound as menacing as he appears on screen. That said, if his scarred left eye doesn't strike at least some fear into children watching, his voice definitely will. On the other hand, Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella as Timon and Pumbaa, while not the most noteworthy of the ensemble, do bring their intended comedic vibe to their characters whom I most often associate their voices with. Ultimately, though, the real show stealer had to have been James Earl Jones's Mufasa; like with a lot of his characters, he brings a very fierce, commanding presence to his character that only a (lion) king would deserve -- interestingly enough he had even played a king prior to this movie with Madge Sinclair (voice of Sarabi in this movie) even. While not exactly the top selling point of this movie, I found the voice cast to at least be of note alongside its more major hookers.
It's no question that most everybody remembers The Lion King for its grand, breathtaking visuals and spectacular animation. Honestly, who in the world could forget the aforementioned shot of the opening sunrise as it glazes the landscape in a golden hue? On top of that, just about every locale is drawn richly and colorfully in a way that, despite being animated, whisks the viewer away into the huge environments of Africa. From the wide open plains surrounding Pride Rock, to the more confined, sinister Elephant Graveyard littered with bones, and even Timon and Pumbaa's paradise full of towering majestic trees and waterfalls, each and every environment is one that easily sticks in the viewer's head forever. In addition, the attention to detail in the character animations is most impressive for its time. It's clear that Disney did enough studying of African wildlife to make everyone move like actual animals and even had the right tools for the job to bring the more complex animations to life. Specifically, I am talking about the famous wildebeest herd sequence in which every single wildebeest was animated in CGI. And this was only full year before Toy Story came out in full CGI too!
Even back in the day, there's no doubt this film's soundtrack was all the Disney craze back before Frozen stepped in and took that spot for this generation. Aside from "Hakuna Matata" essentially being the "Let It Go" of the time in which this movie came out, it is clear that this film's many other musical numbers have left a significant impression on viewers such as myself to this day. Okay, maybe not necessarily the songs themselves are noteworthy so much as the visuals associated with them. That said, numbers like "Circle of Life", "Just Can't Wait to Be King", and "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" definitely enhance the scenes they go with, but are still memorable as songs in their own right. If anything, what's gotten to me most about the films score is Scar's villain song "Be Prepared" -- one of the most intense and menacing villain numbers in all of Disney's history -- as well as Hans Zimmer's masterful orchestrations that enhance the grand, majestic overall tone of the film. To this day, I still get emotional over little pieces in certain scenes such as the wildebeest chase, Mufasa's spirit appearing in the sky to Simba, Simba and Scar's final confrontation, and the ending medley after the finale, which ultimately leads into a short reprisal of "Circle of Life". All these and more add to the story and presentation and still keep me coming back every time despite minor flaws.
Despite most aspects of this movie being considered masterful, it is not without minor flaws. Like Frozen (with which it incidentally shares some plot similarities) after it, the first act feels more well put together than later down the line. After Mufasa dies and Timon and Pumbaa enter to teach Simba their inadequate philosophy, the film greatly brightens up in a way that almost makes you forget the previous tragedy. Granted, it's not as jarring as the transition between the off-screen death of Bambi's mother and the happy spring montage in, well... Bambi, but still, I couldn't help noticing this in my recent viewing. Then again, this may have been a deliberate attempt on the creators' behalf to help the audience better connect with Simba's sudden change in attitude -- me and my positive outlook on things, huh? In addition, Timon and Pumbaa, the more I think about them, may not be the greatest Disney comic relief of all time, but they at least don't drag the film down in any way and get a few good laughs every now and then. Other minor characters such as Zazu (voiced by Rowan Atkinson) are sadly forgettable, but at least keep things fun enough to watch when they're around. And though my older adult self admits that this isn't quite the perfect Disney film, it is still up there on my list of favorite Disney movies and movies in general.
So there you have it; an honest adult's non-nostalgia goggled review of one of the most iconic Disney films in both the Disney Renaissance and of all time. It still holds up to this day in more ways than one and remains one of the most aesthetically significant films in recent history. Between its interesting choices of casting, the iconic imagery and animation, and memorable score (musical or not), despite minor, insignificant issues, The Lion King is, without a doubt, one of those movies you're bound to remember forever. Overall, I give the film a solid A and consider it a must see for anybody whether old or young and Disney fanatic or not.
Thanks y'all for reading and, as always, I will see you in the next review!
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