Prometheus (2012)

3/5

Ridley Scott's Alien quasi-prequel Prometheus is one of the most frustrating films I've seen recently. It has a lot of big ideas, thought-provoking dialogue, and terrifying science fiction coupled with unanswered questions and endless let downs. It is undeniably awe-filled but also incredibly unsatisfying. The movie starts with what I assume is the dawn of man in an infuriatingly ambiguous but visually stunning introduction. And it continues in much the same manner; every positive that the film contains is perfectly balanced by a negative. Crisp cinematography coupled with poor pacing; inspiring dialogue matched to flat acting; and stimulating thematics married to simplistic answers. At the end of the movie, I was left grasping at straws, remembering scenes of horror and moments of wonder and always wishing they gave me more than what they did. This is obviously required viewing for any fan of Ridley Scott or the Alien series, but it's only going to irritate everybody else.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1446714/

Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows (2011)

4/5

Guy Ritchie's sequel, Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows, is an entertaining action flick that fails to engage the audience in the same way that the original did. The plot centers around Professor Moriarty (Harris), who has been planting bombs in government buildings to incite fear and anarchy. Holmes (Downey Jr.) and Dr. Watson (Law) must figure out his plan and stop him before he starts a world war. The plot itself doesn't matter, however, because this is just a summer blockbuster that was released 5 months too late. Ritchie (or his screenwriter) has eliminated the complex, flawed characters from the first film and instead replaced them with hero archetypes without any unique characteristics. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his creations are nowhere to be found in this film. Just Guy Ritchie and his eye for cool.

This is a solid action movie, exciting and enthralling, dripping with slick humor and slicker style, but there's no substance. Just like the popcorn you eat while watching, nothing on the screen satisfies. It's just empty calories that never seem to fill you up. But this is some of the best popcorn I've had this year.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1515091/

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest (2009)

3/5

The final part of the Millennium Trilogy, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest, is one of those movies that probably didn't have to exist at all. It reveals nothing new or interesting about the characters and instead just drags them into pointless scenarios for the illusion of franchise closure. The movie brings back characters that were pretty much dead at the end of the second movie, only to kill them off again. It puts the protagonist on trial for murder, only to find her not guilty (sorry, spoiler alert!). It does all this useless stuff to make the movie seem interesting or important, only to have nothing actually matter in the end.

Directing-wise, the movie is less impressive than the second one, which is less impressive than the first one. Mr. Alfredson tries to deliver fictional tension, but we rarely feel it because the scenes have no meaning behind them. It progresses at a stop-and-go pace, varying between exciting but nonsensical and brooding but pointless. I'm not sure if there is more to the book that the movie skimped out on or if it's just the book itself, but this is a movie that has no reason to be made. And to be fair, the movie itself isn't bad, I just don't know why it exists. The sad part is that everybody who saw the first two will see this one too, no matter what I say in my review, because people can't stand knowing there's a sequel to a series they've started just sitting there unwatched. Well, watch away.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1343097/

The Girl Who Played With Fire (2009)

4/5

The Girl Who Played With Fire centers around journalist Blomkvist (Nyqvist) and computer hacker Salander (Rapace). When Salander is suspected in a triple murder, Blomkvist attempts to get to the bottom of it. And that's about it for the plot. The Girl Who Played With Fire is, like almost all sequels, not nearly as good as the first one. Part of it is the writing (this being the middle of a trilogy) and part of it is the directing (this being a different director). The movie as a whole just doesn't seem as tight or as meaningful. The cinematography feels video-esque and the atmosphere less moody. Unnecessary scenes are retained and almost emphasized. Despite that, it's still a good movie. There were tense moments where the lives of people you cared about hung in the balance. There was fascinating depth added to Salander's originally superficial character. But overall, it feels as if there just wasn't as much care put into it or as much detail paid attention to.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1216487/

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009)

4/5

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is an incredibly immersive tale of mystery and suspense. The environment is dark and dismal, with men arbitrarily assaulting women, raping them, and murdering them in brutal ways. The original title is literally translated to Men Who Hate Women, which is a far more apt title based on the thematics threading themselves through every plot line. Lisbeth Salander (Rapace) is a computer hacker investigating journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Nyqvist) on trial for a libel suit. Mikael is hired by Henrik Vanger (Taube) to investigate his niece's disappearance from 40 years prior. He believes she was killed by a member of his own family, of which three are neo-Nazis and the rest are cruel and hateful. He has reached a dead-end when Lisbeth, who is still hacking his computer, discovers the answer to the puzzling set of numbers that stopped him. He enlists her help and together they stumble on something far bigger and more disturbing than they first imagined.

Lisbeth is inwardly preoccupied, but incredibly resourceful when the outside world intrudes on her. We imagine Lisbeth's past based on a few facts--she has a probation officer and she was previously in a psychiatric hospital--but we end the film knowing very little about her history with any certainty. We are forced to witness her current abuse, by strangers and by authority figures, in scenes that are difficult to watch. But they are necessary for us to understand her sense of meaning and rightness in the world. I do not believe we are meant to relish the revenge that is taken against these women-hating men, but it is clear that the author believes in some form of justice despite the horrible events that take place. It seems that what Lisbeth represents may be far more important than who she actually is.

The acting was phenomenal, due to Rapace's burning intensity and Nykvist's everyman curiosity. The cinematography and editing suffered from a few mistakes, but on the whole they never detracted from the experience. The cinematics were surprisingly precise, with almost all of the elements combining into a taut, intellectual thriller that kept you guessing until the very end. There are only a few suspects, so it is possible you may have guessed the evildoer before being revealed, but by that time the whole crux of the movie has shifted so that what you thought was fact turns out to be a lie. It very effectively gives us a plot twist that is neither predictable nor gimmicky. This is a well-made movie, unexpected but much appreciated, depressing but hopeful, that will keep you gripped to your seat. Watch it. I plan on watching the sequel while it's still in theaters. Stay tuned.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1132620/