The Backend
R.R. Bénédict:
«Der Gasthof zum Harten Stuhl»
Als ich diesen wiederentdeckten Klassiker zum ersten Mal in den Händen hielt, musste ich mich erst mal hinsetzen, um die doch sehr trockene Materie zu verdauen.
Der zugegebenermassen etwas zähe Handlungsverlauf bringt trotz allem aber viele Stunden Unterhaltung und bleibt für eine lange Zeit haften.
So let’s do this. I’m writing kinda «live» from the rooftop bar @ the Blue Balls Festival Lucerne. This is the place where I’m trying to find out whether I liked «Star Trek Beyond» or not or if I will just refer to the much recitet «rule» that every odd-numbered installation of the franchise is one of the bad ones and call it a day – or in this case – a review.
Well, I wrote too much about «Independence Day: Resurgence» (what an awful word to write on those tiny phone keys, gonna try to activate auto-correction now. Just give me a sec… Well that didn’t help much.)
Where were we? Right. I had just written too much about the mediocre but somehow likeable second part of ID4 to let «Beyond» just slip through. Mostly because the newest Star Trek is quite mediocre itself, I’m sad to say. I figure that Simon Pegg’s wonderful writing that I loved in the «Cornetto Trilogy» works much better when it’s brought to live on a smaller scale, taking advantage of the limitations given by a smaller budget. On the other hand: «Star Trek Beyond» sure looks better than «Independence Day: Retelling The Same Story» (as far as I could tell through those godawful 3D glasses), it sounds better, and it even has a tighter story, which doesn’t mean much. But it all remains another by-the-numbers Sci-Fi action adventure that happens to have «Star Trek» in the title. I really missed the almost perfectly written and cleverly re-introduced characters from the first one.
After the creators pulled off the seemingly impossible and rebootet one of the most iconic franchises in the known universe, they got lazy and went back to the standard handbook of cashing in on a blockbuster with «Into Darkness». (Not that «Star Trek» 2009 was especially original, but it sure as hell worked for me.)
«Beyond» is not much better. The tighter story makes more sense in a way for sure, but the characters didn’t really seem to care too much about the arcs they’re shoehorned into. With the exception of Scotty maybe, but it didn’t help that I keept thinking: «of course he would do that, he (Pegg) wrote the damn thing!». And as soon as I realized that Idris Elba was in this one (that wonderful, wonderful voice) I wanted to see more of him – sans the make up. But be careful what you wish for…
Which somehow brings us to the end of the second act of the movie: That’s some really impressive filmmaking right there and one of the most interesting sci-fi action sequences I’ve seen in a long time. And most importantly: it’s very funny. That sequence alone saves the movie from being just «the next one», highly forgettable instance of its franchise.
In the end, it sadly falls flat again and steps back onto the path which much too many movies have, not so boldly, gone before.
So let me do that, too: After writing a mediocre, hopefully tight review with the best ending possible, quoting some Star Trek, let me just keep writing on, just for the sake of a last paragraph:
No, «Star Trek» with the number 13 on its cover (or 3, depending on how you count) isn’t one of the bad ones. But it is, and always shall be, one of the not too great ones.
(Nailed it!)
Well, that was silly! But to be honest, not much sillier than the first part, more than twenty years ago. And surely not sillier than let’s say «X-Men: Apocalypse».
I must say I really enjoyed «Independence Day: Resurgence».
And why shouldn’t I? In a sense it’s mostly an almost shot for shot remake of the original. With a lot less charm because of the lack of the impressive practical effects from back then which where replaced by state of the art, but still kinda copy and paste CGI (which isn’t improved by the green screen and compositing quality that somehow seemed to be stuck back in the nineties).
I admit I give the movie a lot of slack because its predecessor was one of the first high concept «let’s just blow some shit up» movies I loved as a child, which I think has to be given credit.
And I liked the characters: There’s of course Goldblum, Pullman and Spiner who I just loved the shit out of (minus one really too silly moment that I loathed). The second Hemsworth and the one and only William Fichtner who really wears those kind of characters like a glove. And I reeaally loved what they did to poor Will Smith (which is kinda mean, but I guess the second part of the movie that really put him on the map has somehow the right to make fun of his arrogance, in a way.) And somehow they also dragged Charlotte Gainsbourg into this which surprisingly didn’t hurt the movie any more than some other side characters I think they could’ve skipped.
Though for today’s standards the whole movie is kind of «been there, done that», I really liked this one, mostly because it doesn’t take itself serious at all, serves the fans with a big plate of references to the original, the one movie that startet it all back then as one of the first of its kind of that era.
As a fun action movie, it never reaches the quality of «Captain America 3 – Civil War» or to be honest, any of the Marvel Movies, but «ID4» 2 never annoyed me, because it doesn’t try to be anything that it isn’t. It knows that it’s silly and just goes with it; takes all its stupidity, ludicrous one-liners, over-the-top patriotism and heroism and shoves it up my ass right up to my pleasure center (which normally is not my preferred path of delivery).
If you’re old enough to have enjoyed the first one, I think you’ll like this one. If not, I’m not so sure, because there where a lot better films in the meantime that have done the same thing, much better (e.g. «Pacific Rim»).
And correct me if I’m wrong. But didn’t I spot a reference to «Citizen Kane» in the last act?! I sure loved the boldness in doing that.
This is neat, too: http://www.independencedaymystreet.com
And of course: Aurora.
New series! #whatsitcalled
Name the things you never even knew had a name.
Here’s some thought about one of my favourite movies of the last few years: «Drive» (which I am enjoying as I write).
I’ve always loved the movie, maybe even more every time I rewatch it. But I never really thought about the reasons why.
The things I registered up to now where that the overall mood of the film is somehow bright and dark at the same time, but in any case, very intriguing; The world of LA that is built seems sureal but inviting; the captivating pseudo-eighties soundtrack is great; and the colorful characters are interestingly written and even better executed by Cranston, Mulligan, Brooks, Hendricks, Perlman and Isaac (which I didn’t even remember was in that one).
But wait,… all the characters? …Of course not.
The main character, the nameless driver played by Ryan Gosling remains stoic, unapproachable even, unmoved by the occurances around him, may it be a heist, a car-stunt or some good ol’ boot heel kicking the shit out of a man’s skull.
Of course the internet has some opinions about this characterization: Some stated that he might be an autist or some kind of psychopath, (which he probably, surely is).
But though that might be an suitable character-trait (or better: the absence of such), I think the creators of «Drive» may had a different goal in mind:
While the protagonist’s behaviour could (and would) be interpreted as just awesome, unshakeable coolness, which is surely a trait that a male thirty-something viewer gladly can and will identify with, there might’ve been a difference plan at play.
Maybe it’s not so much a coolness but the mentioned absence of character that makes this movie so darn good. Instead of developing a «real» person the audience hopefully can identify with, the creators might intended to try out a different route: The video game approach.
Making the playable character in games often mute, sometimes faceless or having a customizable appeareance to mirror the player’s personality (or their wishes and fantasies) helps the player to project himself onto (into?) the main character.
This interpretation of «Drive» is probably old news, but it just got to me now:
«Drive»’s main character might have been left blank intentionally, for the viewer to fill in and by doing so, getting a more immersive viewing experience. (And Ryan Gosling’s looks surely help to make this projection even more inviting.)
So there you go. Probably not my best article, surely not written in my best english, and lacking some kind of arc. But «Drive» is still a hell of a great movie, nonetheless. If you haven’t watched it yet. Whattaruwaitingfoor?!!!
Post scriptum:
Watching the third act, I just realized that this movie is even more cleverer (yes, I just wrote that) than I thought (and I probably missed the whole point of it up until now):
In the final act, the whole no-character theme is taken to the next level when the driver puts on an almost life-like latex mask to hide his personality (even more) while doing some nasty deeds. Adding the given elevating soundtrack in this scene to the mix, it seems like the Driver all but reaches a state of complete absence of identity and personality, finally achieving some sort of climax of his evolution, becoming some kind of Über-mensch (no Nazi-relations intended, but some transportation business ones are).
The soundtrack underlying the last scene («real human being») seems to support the theory that the movie tries to make a point that the protagonist only finds his own humanity after he’s shed all his earthly individual traits and characteristics.
With «Independence Day – Resurgence» coming to theaters, it’s only appropriate to share my last big filmschool project from 2007: «Aurora – A Fictitious Trailer», which was heavy influenced by over-the-top, big event, high-concept blockbusters like «ID4».
Enjoy:
And here’s some outtakes and bloopers for your viewing pleasure:
Big Thanks to all the nice people who helped realizing this project. I had the most fun I’d had in a long time creating it.
Trivia:
Being a nod to the idea what «Independence Day» would’ve looked like if it was set in Switzerland, I named the project inspired by the first verse of the Swiss national anthem: «Trittst im Morgenrot daher…» («When the morning skies grow red, and over us their radiance shed Thou, O Lord, appeareth in their light…») and I borrowed the name of the roman goddess of dawn: Aurora,… mostly because it sounds cool.