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Gareth von Kallenbach (962 KP) rated WarGames The Dead Code (2008) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
It is hard to believe that 25 years have passed since a computer took the world to the edge of nuclear annihilation in “War Games” The film starring Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy was a cautionary tale about the dangers of taking the human factor about military decisions, and like films such as “The Terminator” a cautionary warning about dependence on technology.
As the two and a half decades unfolded, many films have emerged that feature a central theme of technology run amuck, and how despite our frailties, humanity in the end is the ultimate master of its own fate.
In the new film “Wargames: The Dead Code”, audiences are given an updated retelling of the classic tale with more than a few reverent nods to the original.
The film stars Matt Lanter as Will Farmer, a good natured techie who is as eager to help his neighbor fix his computer as he is to play online games with his friend Dennis (Nicholas Wright). When Will decides to take on a new game that features terrorist attack scenarios he inadvertently triggers a series of events that will soon cause hundreds of thousands of lives to hang in the balance.
The game is actually a top secret project that is designed to locate, test, and remove any potential threats and is overseen by a computer system named Ripley.
Will embarks on a school trip to Montreal hoping to spend more time with the lovely Annie (Amanda Walsh), and is unaware that forces are at play that thanks to a unfortunate series of events, will soon have Amanda and Will not only running for their lives but locked in a race against time to prevent a catastrophe of epic proportion.
The film has a good premise, but asks you to take several leaps of faith as it progresses and uses logic that at times is absurd even for a genre film. Much of the film unfolds as a movie of the week rather than a taut action thriller that should be expected with the talent attached to the film, as many of the characters are not developed enough for the audience to truly care about their fates.
The film is also surprisingly short in the suspense department, though it does try to make up for this with some nice chase sequences.
It is a shame that the talented cast could not be given a script worth of their talents or the premise of the film.
As the two and a half decades unfolded, many films have emerged that feature a central theme of technology run amuck, and how despite our frailties, humanity in the end is the ultimate master of its own fate.
In the new film “Wargames: The Dead Code”, audiences are given an updated retelling of the classic tale with more than a few reverent nods to the original.
The film stars Matt Lanter as Will Farmer, a good natured techie who is as eager to help his neighbor fix his computer as he is to play online games with his friend Dennis (Nicholas Wright). When Will decides to take on a new game that features terrorist attack scenarios he inadvertently triggers a series of events that will soon cause hundreds of thousands of lives to hang in the balance.
The game is actually a top secret project that is designed to locate, test, and remove any potential threats and is overseen by a computer system named Ripley.
Will embarks on a school trip to Montreal hoping to spend more time with the lovely Annie (Amanda Walsh), and is unaware that forces are at play that thanks to a unfortunate series of events, will soon have Amanda and Will not only running for their lives but locked in a race against time to prevent a catastrophe of epic proportion.
The film has a good premise, but asks you to take several leaps of faith as it progresses and uses logic that at times is absurd even for a genre film. Much of the film unfolds as a movie of the week rather than a taut action thriller that should be expected with the talent attached to the film, as many of the characters are not developed enough for the audience to truly care about their fates.
The film is also surprisingly short in the suspense department, though it does try to make up for this with some nice chase sequences.
It is a shame that the talented cast could not be given a script worth of their talents or the premise of the film.
Gareth von Kallenbach (962 KP) rated Vampires Suck (2010) in Movies
Aug 8, 2019
Vampires suck – but does the movie? We open on the San Salvatore Festival with the angsty Becca watching her beau, Edward Sullen, disrobe and expose his sparkly secrets- he’s a vampire! Cue the “True Blood- 40oz” toting, Mono-fang vampire to take Edward out….wait, we have to get the rest of the story! What follows is a parody of the first two movies of the Twilight Saga. Most of the characters analogous to the spoof’s target are introduced in the first 30 minutes; few of them are actually seen again throughout the movie.
Becca (newcomer Jenn Proske) is forced to move to Sporks, Washington, with her deadbeat father and town sheriff, Frank Crane (Diedrich Bader of The Drew Carey Show). Frank’s best friend is the rough-and-tumble paraplegic Native American, Bobby. His contribution to the plot is his hunky teenage son, Jacob White (Chris Riggi of Gossip Girl). The town of Sporks seems to have vampires on the brain and its population is only growing smaller.
Our heroine is introduced to Edward Sullen (Matt Lanter of Disaster Movie) and what follows is the “classic” story of girl-meets-vampire, girl-loses-vampire, girl-gets-threatened-by-vampire-nemesis, etc. Writers/Directors Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer use their formulaic approach to spoof movies by making the plot a cliff-notes version of the Stephanie Meyer’s original material, with ample jokes thrown in-in an attempt to beef up their rendition.
In fact, there are so many visual jokes in the movie that it left me wondering what a sight-impaired person might conclude of the movie. “What are all these people laughing at?” I noticed a few of the dialogue driven jokes weren’t even played off by the actors. They seemed to have been missed by everyone, including the editors. Other jokes are pop-culture references that will get stale with time. They’re integrated well, but definitely dated. The movie is redolent with the classic American comedy tradition of slapstick, which occasionally comes off as funny.
The production value left something to be desired as several scenes were obviously one-takes. I counted several instances where Becca’s kiss left Edward’s mouth with a smudge of his own flesh-tone showing through. But hey- at least single takes have continuity, right? The contacts, no doubt purchased in bulk, gave the characters an occasional Marty Feldman goggly-look. The effect is hilarious, although I’m not always sure if it’s intentional.
The cast has its standouts. Jenn Proske’s Becca comes dangerously close (like copyright-violating close) to the performance of Kristen Stewart’s Bella as the fidgety, twitchy, sullen and hormone-y heroine. And Ken Jeong (The Hangover) as Daro, while not appearing on screen much, definitely makes his comedic presence felt.
All in all, “Vampires Suck” didn’t really suck… it kind of chews, like gum. Gum out of the package is fresh, flavorful, but the longer you chew it, the tougher and more stale it becomes. This movie is fresh, funny, and quirky right now, but it won’t stand the test of time like more accomplished parodies.
Becca (newcomer Jenn Proske) is forced to move to Sporks, Washington, with her deadbeat father and town sheriff, Frank Crane (Diedrich Bader of The Drew Carey Show). Frank’s best friend is the rough-and-tumble paraplegic Native American, Bobby. His contribution to the plot is his hunky teenage son, Jacob White (Chris Riggi of Gossip Girl). The town of Sporks seems to have vampires on the brain and its population is only growing smaller.
Our heroine is introduced to Edward Sullen (Matt Lanter of Disaster Movie) and what follows is the “classic” story of girl-meets-vampire, girl-loses-vampire, girl-gets-threatened-by-vampire-nemesis, etc. Writers/Directors Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer use their formulaic approach to spoof movies by making the plot a cliff-notes version of the Stephanie Meyer’s original material, with ample jokes thrown in-in an attempt to beef up their rendition.
In fact, there are so many visual jokes in the movie that it left me wondering what a sight-impaired person might conclude of the movie. “What are all these people laughing at?” I noticed a few of the dialogue driven jokes weren’t even played off by the actors. They seemed to have been missed by everyone, including the editors. Other jokes are pop-culture references that will get stale with time. They’re integrated well, but definitely dated. The movie is redolent with the classic American comedy tradition of slapstick, which occasionally comes off as funny.
The production value left something to be desired as several scenes were obviously one-takes. I counted several instances where Becca’s kiss left Edward’s mouth with a smudge of his own flesh-tone showing through. But hey- at least single takes have continuity, right? The contacts, no doubt purchased in bulk, gave the characters an occasional Marty Feldman goggly-look. The effect is hilarious, although I’m not always sure if it’s intentional.
The cast has its standouts. Jenn Proske’s Becca comes dangerously close (like copyright-violating close) to the performance of Kristen Stewart’s Bella as the fidgety, twitchy, sullen and hormone-y heroine. And Ken Jeong (The Hangover) as Daro, while not appearing on screen much, definitely makes his comedic presence felt.
All in all, “Vampires Suck” didn’t really suck… it kind of chews, like gum. Gum out of the package is fresh, flavorful, but the longer you chew it, the tougher and more stale it becomes. This movie is fresh, funny, and quirky right now, but it won’t stand the test of time like more accomplished parodies.
Gareth von Kallenbach (962 KP) rated Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
For fans of the “Star Wars” saga, the notion of the Clone Wars has intrigued fans ever since it was first mentioned in 1977. Unfortunately fans had to wait until the Prequel Trilogy almost two decades later to lift the lid on the events of the war that changed the mythical galaxy far, far away.
There have been video games, books, and comics that dealt with some of the events, but since the film series focused on the start and end of the war, many believed that much of what transpired would remain a mystery.
Thankfully, creator George Lucas and a talented team of digital artists has set to the task of filling in the missing pieces in the form of a animated series which is scheduled to debut in the Fall.
The new series gets a cinematic boost with the theatrical release of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”, which is a welcome treat to fans of the series. The film opens with the news that the son of gangster Jabba the Hutt has been kidnapped, and Obi Wan Kenobi, and Anakin Skywalker are tasked with rescuing the captured infant.
The Separatist forces under the leadership of Count Dooku, have restricted many of the main Hyperspace routes in the galaxy, and the Hutts control key routes that the Republic will need for troop deployments. The Jedi hope by rescuing Jabba’s son, they can secure a treaty with the Jabba which will allow them greater access to Hutt space and will keep the Hutts from supporting Dooku and his minions.
Unfortunately, Anakin and Obi Wan have their hands full leading a squad of Clone Troopers against a massive droid army as they attempt to hold out until reinforcements can arrive. After an impressive battle sequence, help finally arrives as does an unexpected surprise in the form of a young Jedi Padawan named Ahsoka.
Ahsoka informs Anakin that she has been assigned by Yoda to be his Padawan learner, and despite his misgivings, Anakin takes the talented yet young and naïve learner under his care.
Unknown to the Jedi, a larger and more sinister plot is underway and Dooku and his assassin Asaj Ventress are orchestrating a very deadly plan that will leave the fate of the galaxy hanging in the balance.
The film is a grand adventure and contains much of the ingredients that made the live action series a true juggernaut in cinema history. The film deftly mixes action, adventure, and humor with a story that is entertaining with solid pacing.
Matt Lanter does a satisfactory job of voicing Anakin and the cast does a great job of voicing the CGI recreations of the beloved characters.
The CGI effects are top rate and unlike the last films in the series never overshadow the characters and the story. The sound effects were equally impressive from the distinctive sound of the lightsabers and blasters, to the sound of the war machines, I soon found myself forgetting it was a cartoon, and instead saw only the Star Wars that I have loved since I first saw the original as a small boy.
While some may say that the film is little more than a glorified television Pilot, I prefer to look at it as a very welcome return to the big screen of the greatest Sci Fi series ever made.
There have been video games, books, and comics that dealt with some of the events, but since the film series focused on the start and end of the war, many believed that much of what transpired would remain a mystery.
Thankfully, creator George Lucas and a talented team of digital artists has set to the task of filling in the missing pieces in the form of a animated series which is scheduled to debut in the Fall.
The new series gets a cinematic boost with the theatrical release of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”, which is a welcome treat to fans of the series. The film opens with the news that the son of gangster Jabba the Hutt has been kidnapped, and Obi Wan Kenobi, and Anakin Skywalker are tasked with rescuing the captured infant.
The Separatist forces under the leadership of Count Dooku, have restricted many of the main Hyperspace routes in the galaxy, and the Hutts control key routes that the Republic will need for troop deployments. The Jedi hope by rescuing Jabba’s son, they can secure a treaty with the Jabba which will allow them greater access to Hutt space and will keep the Hutts from supporting Dooku and his minions.
Unfortunately, Anakin and Obi Wan have their hands full leading a squad of Clone Troopers against a massive droid army as they attempt to hold out until reinforcements can arrive. After an impressive battle sequence, help finally arrives as does an unexpected surprise in the form of a young Jedi Padawan named Ahsoka.
Ahsoka informs Anakin that she has been assigned by Yoda to be his Padawan learner, and despite his misgivings, Anakin takes the talented yet young and naïve learner under his care.
Unknown to the Jedi, a larger and more sinister plot is underway and Dooku and his assassin Asaj Ventress are orchestrating a very deadly plan that will leave the fate of the galaxy hanging in the balance.
The film is a grand adventure and contains much of the ingredients that made the live action series a true juggernaut in cinema history. The film deftly mixes action, adventure, and humor with a story that is entertaining with solid pacing.
Matt Lanter does a satisfactory job of voicing Anakin and the cast does a great job of voicing the CGI recreations of the beloved characters.
The CGI effects are top rate and unlike the last films in the series never overshadow the characters and the story. The sound effects were equally impressive from the distinctive sound of the lightsabers and blasters, to the sound of the war machines, I soon found myself forgetting it was a cartoon, and instead saw only the Star Wars that I have loved since I first saw the original as a small boy.
While some may say that the film is little more than a glorified television Pilot, I prefer to look at it as a very welcome return to the big screen of the greatest Sci Fi series ever made.