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The Rev. D.D.
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
203 Posts |
 Posted - 03/12/2007 : 8:16:16 PM
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Anyone catch it this weekend here in the States? I caught it Saturday at the local arthouse theater. I don't think I have enough for a full-fledged review, having only my memories, but I'll touch on a few things. I'll try not to spoil anything if I can help it.
The special effects for the most part were CGI, but were also pretty decent. I prefer physical props, but they did a nice job, and the monster was so fast and dynamic that they couldn't have done a lot of stuff without computer aid. (Its preferred mode of transportation when hanging from a bridge in particular...I don't know how the critter learned to move like that, but it's neat.) They had a nice prop for a few scenes, but the critter was mostly CGI. Unfortunately, the climax features some truly horrific effects which really stick out like a sore thumb. Anyone who's seen The Dead Hate the Living will get a feeling of deja vu...Not a lot of blood and gore, but the few bits are nicely done and not too disgusting.
The critter's design makes sense considering its origin, and was still suitably bizarre to real catch the eye. The mouth in particular is something else--like a big, evil flower, a comparison that is especially apt during the scene where it's getting a drink during a rainstorm. Despite appearances, it's just a big animal in terms of compulsions and intelligence--there are times it's quite cunning, and others where it just runs around.
The acting was a real surprise--very very good. Not a clunker among them, although the cross-eyed guvmint spook comes a little close. Still, it's at least half a comedy, and he's only on for a couple of minutes, so I let it go. Most importantly, the leads all do a great job. The Park family is credibly imperfect, and maybe a bit disfunctional, but they do seem to love each other anyway, and their attempts to rescue the young daughter of the protagonist are credible. And though there are some cliches, the characters themselves are more than mere stereotypes; the main character in particular is not what you'd expect of the hero in a monster movie, but it plays well. The two main kids (the daughter and the homeless boy) do well with their roles--I'm betting the girl in particular will have a good career in the future. She does some nice subtle acting during scenes with the monster, and is very effective. (I also give her props for doing most of the movie while caked in grime.) The young boy is genuinely adorable (rather than "Hollywood cute and precocious") and not at all grating, a true rarity in movies. He does a credible job for a boy of his age at acting scared, happy, and sad when he needs to.
As I mentioned, the movie is half a comedy, and half a horrifying monster movie. The swiftness it can change from one to the other is really jarring at times; sometimes it's effective, but often it's just distracting. The comedy is funny (although the brother's swearing gets a little old.) Most of the comedy is verbal, although there is a bit of physical slapstick as well. The monster scenes are well done, with some good tension, a couple of real shockers, and considering the mostly humorous tone, a couple of fairly rough scenes (one of the characters gets a swift and brutal demise, and another is subjected to a torturous-looking medical procedure.)
The pre-credit scenes are fairly swift but give us the reason for the monster's existence (and that's all you need, really.) I do wonder why the monster decided one day, a few years after first being found by a couple of fisherman, to suddenly up and rampage amongst a crowded riverside area, but I guess that's standard for monster flicks, so I can't blame it for this. The "monster carrying a virus" angle takes up a lot of the running time, and while it does help explain a few things (how the Parks can have so little trouble running around without getting picked up by the authorities, for instance), more than once I found myself wishing for the monster to show back up in its movie (something familiar for people who've seen some of the more recent Godzilla films).
The big sticking point with me was the length...about two hours, maybe a little more. On the one hand, most of the things going on do advance the plot or develop the characters a bit. On the other, the film does drag a bit, and like I said before, I was there for a monster movie. If I wanted a disease movie I'd rent Outbreak or something. It's hard to say what should've been cut--more viewings would probably help in that regard.
The sound effects are good. The monster's roar is fairly standard, but not annoying. The music mostly fits the film, although the music that plays during the credits (opening and closing) sounds like something that'd open a Poirot mystery.
Overall, I enjoyed it (except for the fact that the theater had their speakers turned up WAY too loud). The monster is great, the acting a pleasant surprise, the effects mostly well done. There's no Odious Comic Relief (tm) character, most of the humor works, and the tense and scary scenes are just that. A bit of tightening up and less focus on the disease angle and this would be a damn-near classic. If they'd made it a more horror-oriented film with some comedy, instead of the other way around, I think it would BE a classic, because the monster stuff's easily a match for the best I've seen. (My favorite scene in the movie features the daughter's attempt to escape...but she has to do it past the sleeping monster. A bit trite, but the payoff is one of the most tense scenes I've seen in a while.) As it is, it's still a fun time, and I don't regret my ticket purchase in the least.
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My first thread starter! Yay! |
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Neville
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
Spain
1590 Posts |
Posted - 03/13/2007 : 06:09:35 AM
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I saw this one this weekend too, and I only wished I had known in advance that it was going to be a dark comedy. It's a very good film, surprisingly effective in both the dark comedy / satiric and the horror fields, but I was expecting a strightforward monster movie, and this one isn't.
Still, I'd recommend it heartily to everybody interested in horror, it's a susprisingly refreshing take on a genre that's often overcrowded with cliches. |
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The Rev. D.D.
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
203 Posts |
Posted - 03/13/2007 : 11:00:53 AM
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I'd been prepared for the comedic stuff (dark and otherwise), thanks to Stomp Tokyo's review. I could see being disappointed if you weren't expecting it.
The satire...I hadn't touched on that specifically, but yes, it was effective and, for the most part, non-obtrusive to the story.
If people are thinking of something along the lines of Tremors they should be of a mind of what to expect.
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Now I want to see Tremors again. |
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Neville
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
Spain
1590 Posts |
Posted - 03/13/2007 : 5:21:58 PM
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I was more shocked than disappointed, but as the film progressed and I understood what the filmmakers were aiming at I felt far more confortable.
You know, this film is a rare animal. Even the monster scenes seem to be filmed against-convention, but they work very well precisely because of that. I can't imagine a western film that would have presented the monster in the same way as here, fully visible and in broad daylight.
And some of the satire was priceless. I was cracking up everytime they poked fun at government bureocracy, both at its overzeal and its incompetence. |
Edited by - Neville on 03/13/2007 5:57:40 PM |
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The Rev. D.D.
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
203 Posts |
Posted - 03/13/2007 : 6:41:52 PM
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Good point about the monster scenes. The darkest scenes featuring it were in the sewers, and even then they were well-lit. Not too many monsters wander around in the day like this one did. Very unique, and effective. Like I said, the monster stuff's easily some of the best I've seen in a long time. And I think you're right about an American film probably not going that route (again, Tremors being the exception.)
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Quit reading this and go see it already if you haven't! |
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Neville
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
Spain
1590 Posts |
Posted - 03/14/2007 : 4:32:29 PM
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| I have to put my hands on this director's earlier movie, Memories of murder. |
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