Watch out, there is a new completely derivative movie coming out soon. Considering it will star the overrated Leonardo DiCaprio, you can guarantee a couple of things: It will get far too much hype, it will make a profit, women will be the main audience (mostly in their late teens and early 20's).
Those are about all the positives that I see from the movie trailer for his film Inception.
The film is described as "A contemporary science fiction action thriller set within the architecture of the mind."
What does that mean? A story made up of the plots and devices of a host of other films. The list of films that make up elements of this film are not limited to:
The Matrix
Dark City
The 13th Floor
Tron
The Lawnmower Man
Fantastic Voyage
It's the latest rehash of the concept that in someone's mind, connected to a computer and thus made into a virtual reality, you can do almost anything. And if you are a greedy CEO, that wants the top secret plans to some new widget that will make you millions, you go into the mind and steal it.
This is an idea that has been done in part and in total many times before. But it tries really hard to disguise the copied material with lots of neat photography tricks, and ample helpings of CGI. The end result is a trailer that is uninspiring, and likely a movie that will only work for fans of the looks (not acting ability) of DiCaprio.
The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Ken Watanabe, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy and a small role for Michael Caine.
Now I like Caine and Watanabe. I'm glad that Hollywood continues to recall their talent and include them in major films. But this film appears to be a waste of time, and their excellent talents.
As for the rest, Joseph Gordon Levitt really needs help after the fiasco that was the GI Joe movie but this isn't it. Ellen Page wants another hit like Juno so she can claim to be an A-list star (with it's pay) but likely will not acheive that here. Marion Cotillard is relatively unknown and this film will help her stay that way. Much like the rest of the cast.
As an indication of what will be out for the 2010 blockbuster season (the film will be in theraters in July but after the holiday) I can only saw that it's a good thing you can always go and see Iron Man 2 again.
Showing posts with label Ken Watanabe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ken Watanabe. Show all posts
Friday, January 08, 2010
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Jackie Chan is too violent for China - Shinjuku Incident
If there is any movie that you might want to see, it is likely to be a film that you are told you cannot see. If that forbidden movie also happened to be an action film, with one of the most beloved and successful action stars in the world, then I’d say banning the film will drive revenues through the roof.
Such is the case with the latest film with Jackie Chan.
The film is Shinjuku Incident and it is not the usual Jackie Chan fare. This is a violent film, with Chan playing way-off of type. He’s not a hero cop or sweet good guy. He is a Chinese refugee in Japan, and working for the Yakuza or similar mob as a killer. And the film is being called more of a drama than an action film.
People lose hands, stabbed and shot in the most vicious of ways. It is because of this dark tone, and the violence that the film will not clear Chinese movie restrictions. (It could also be the fact that Chan is a Chinese refugee in Japan – an old social issue going back at least to WWII) Yet Chan himself describes the film as a drama far more than an action film.
This film will be release throughout Southeast Asia, and I have no doubt it will do well. It was filmed with a $25 million dollar budget – equivalent to a $100 million Hollywood blockbuster. It has Jackie Chan, Naoto Takenaka, Xu Jinglei, Daniel Wu, Fan Bingbing, and Ken Watanabe (maybe best known in America for The Last Samurai with Tom Cruise). And now it has the news it is too violent for China. How can they not make money on this film?
I have found a trailer, with translations in it. I suggest watching it twice, the first time reading the trailer, the second just watching it. From the looks of it I saw it will be a good film. And it may be the first film starring Chan in which he dies. It’s a bold move for him to try drama (if that is what this actually is), but a far better bet than say Sylvester Stallone or Vin Diesel doing comedy.
Such is the case with the latest film with Jackie Chan.
The film is Shinjuku Incident and it is not the usual Jackie Chan fare. This is a violent film, with Chan playing way-off of type. He’s not a hero cop or sweet good guy. He is a Chinese refugee in Japan, and working for the Yakuza or similar mob as a killer. And the film is being called more of a drama than an action film.
People lose hands, stabbed and shot in the most vicious of ways. It is because of this dark tone, and the violence that the film will not clear Chinese movie restrictions. (It could also be the fact that Chan is a Chinese refugee in Japan – an old social issue going back at least to WWII) Yet Chan himself describes the film as a drama far more than an action film.
This film will be release throughout Southeast Asia, and I have no doubt it will do well. It was filmed with a $25 million dollar budget – equivalent to a $100 million Hollywood blockbuster. It has Jackie Chan, Naoto Takenaka, Xu Jinglei, Daniel Wu, Fan Bingbing, and Ken Watanabe (maybe best known in America for The Last Samurai with Tom Cruise). And now it has the news it is too violent for China. How can they not make money on this film?
I have found a trailer, with translations in it. I suggest watching it twice, the first time reading the trailer, the second just watching it. From the looks of it I saw it will be a good film. And it may be the first film starring Chan in which he dies. It’s a bold move for him to try drama (if that is what this actually is), but a far better bet than say Sylvester Stallone or Vin Diesel doing comedy.
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