John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum

Directed by Chad Stahelski and screenplay by Derek Kolstad, Shay Hatten, Chris Collins, and Marc Abrams from a story by Kolstad, John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum is the third film in the John Wick series that has the titular character going on the run as a $14 million bounty is placed on his head to due to events that he created. The film explores a man who was once considered the finest assassin as he is now hunted over an incident that pushed him to the edge as Keanu Reeves reprises his role as the titular character. Also starring Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne, Marc Dacascos, Asia Kate Dillon, Lance Reddick, Anjelica Huston, and Halle Berry as Sofia. John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum is a rapturous yet exhilarating film from Chad Stahelski.

After breaking a taboo at the Continental Hotel in New York City and with a $14 million bounty on his head that increases, the film revolves around the infamous assassin who goes on the run as he also tries to find help with many reluctant to do so in fear that they would be destroyed by the High Chair. It’s a film with a simple premise as it plays into a man being hunted by the people he used to work for as he tries to find some form of redemption for his actions although it’s not an easy thing to do to win over the elders of the High Chair. The film’s screenplay doesn’t have much of a plot as it’s more about the sins of John Wick and how he survives being hunted as he also uses a few sacred objects to get help and reach those in the High Chair. Yet, even those who had helped him in the past like Continental Hotel manager Winston (Ian McShane) and the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) are both in trouble with the High Chair who send the Adjudicator (Asia Kate Dillon) to handle the situation as the director of the Ruska Roma (Anjelica Huston) is forced to take punishment in order to maintain her loyalty to the High Chair. Another ally of Wick who reluctantly helps him is Morocco’s Continental Hotel manager Sofia as a way to repay a favor that he did for her years ago.

Chad Stahelski’s direction is stylish as it picks up just a few hours after the events of the previous film where Wick and his dog both are on the run during a rainy night in New York City as it establishes the limited amount of time Wick has where he would be officially declared excommunicated. Shot on location in New York City and parts of Morocco, the film does play into a man on the run as he is trying to survive and figure out his next move. Stahelski’s usage of the wide and medium shots don’t just establish some of the locations that Wick is in but also this underworld that involves the Continental and the High Chair where Wick used to be a part of as it had its own set of rules. Stahelski also establishes what is going on as he definitely takes his time to showcase what is happening whenever Wick is fighting someone where he also uses a few long shots to play into the brutality of the action.

Stahelski also knows when to take a break from the action as it relates to the drama that Wick had caused where Winston and the Bowery King are given a week to settle their affairs as the latter finds fault about the rule of the High Chair leading him into some serious trouble with the Adjudicator and her hired assassin named Zero (Marc Dacascos). Yet, Zero is someone who is an admirer of Wick as he sees him as a true warrior where things become complicated in the eventual showdown in the third act where Wick returns to New York City with a task that he must do yet it would be at great cost of what he had already lost. Yet, it would have a chilling aftermath into not just the many flaws of the High Chair and those in power but also Wick’s revelations about the oath he had taken years ago as an assassin and then walking free for a life of his own. Overall, Stahelski crafts a gripping and intense film about an assassin becoming hunted over a taboo that he broke in the criminal underworld.

Cinematographer Dan Laustsen does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with its stylish usage of lights for many of the scenes set at night along with the usage of greyish colors for some of the daytime exterior scenes in New York as well as a naturalistic look for the scenes in Morocco. Editor Evan Schiff does amazing work with the editing as it emphasizes a lot on style but it also has a rhythm in its approach to the action while allowing shots to linger to establish what is going on as it is a major highlight of the film. Production designer Kevin Kavanaugh, with set decorators Letizia Santucci and David Schlesinger plus supervising art director Chris Shriver, does brilliant work with the look of Winston’s glass office at the Continental and its vault as well as the look of the High Chair elder’s tent home. Costume designer Luca Mosca does fantastic work with the look of the black suit that Wick wears as well as the stylish look of the Adjudicator and the robe that Sofia wears.

Hair designer Kerrie Smith and makeup designer Stephen Kelly do terrific work with the look of some of the characters as well as the tattoos many in the underworld wear to play into the gritty world they live in. Special effects supervisor Steven Kirshoff, along with visual effects supervisors Robert Nederhorst and Rafa Solorzano, does excellent work with not just the special effects that occur in the action but also in the visuals as much of the visual effects are used as set dressing but also help maintain the atmosphere for the film’s visuals. Sound designers Luke Gibleon, Alan Rankin, and Martyn Zub, with sound editor Mark P. Stoeckinger, do superb work with the sound in capturing the atmosphere of the locations as well as the sounds of gunfire and other noises that occur in the cities or in a room. The film’s music by Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard is wonderful for its usage of pulsating and brooding electronics with some heavy string arrangements that help play into the suspense and drama while music supervisor Kevin J. Edelman provides a soundtrack that mixes elements of classical music pieces along with some rock and electronic music cuts.

The casting by Salah Benchegra, Marisol Roncali, and Mary Vernieu is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Boban Marjanovic as a tall hitman Wick fights at a library, Randall Kim Duk as a doctor that Wick knew as he reluctantly helped before Wick’s official declaration of being excommunicated, Jason Mantzoukas as one of the Bowery King’s men, Cecep Arif Rahman and Yayan Ruhian as a couple of Zero’s students who also admire Wick, Jerome Flynn as Sofia’s former boss Berrada who does something wrong to Sofia to get into trouble with her and Wick, Tobias Segal as a hitman who works for the Bowery King, and Said Taghmaoui as the High Chair Elder as a mysterious figure who gives Wick another chance but with a major price for Wick. Anjelica Huston is fantastic as the Director as a woman who runs a Russian mob outfit as she reluctantly gives Wick a chance to leave New York City but would pay a price for her actions. Lance Reddick is superb as the Continental Hotel concierge Charon who is kind of the film’s conscience as he would also keep an eye on Wick’s dog when he leaves the city.

Asia Kate Dillon is excellent as the Adjudicator as a spokesperson for the High Chair who oversees what is going on as she makes some moves in order to get those affiliated with Wick punished. Marc Dacascos is amazing as Zero as a Japanese assassin who works at a sushi shop in NYC as he is hired by the Adjudicator to find and kill Wick although he’s a fan of Wick’s work from the past as he also sees himself as an equal as he gives Wick the chance to fight man-to-man as an act of honor. Laurence Fishburne is brilliant as the Bowery King as an underworld crime boss who aided Wick in the past as he is aware of what he did but finds himself at odds with the people at the High Chair. Ian McShane is incredible as Winston as the manager of the Continental Hotel in New York City as he deals with his decision to atone for his actions in aiding Wick or to defy the High Chair as he is a man who is just trying to survive and do what he does best.

Halle Berry is phenomenal as Sofia as a former assassin who runs the Continental Hotel in Morocco as she is an old friend of Wick who isn’t eager to see him but does owe him a favor for what he did for her as she reluctantly helps him only to realize the extremes of the High Chair prompting her to team up with Wick for a brief period of time. Finally, there’s Keanu Reeves in a sensational performance as the titular character as a once revered and feared assassin who is now on the run with a massive bounty on his head as he copes with being the hunted as he also tries to atone for his actions but then questions what he’s giving up as it this chilling yet intense performance from Reeves.

John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum is a spectacular film from Chad Stahelski that features a great performance from Keanu Reeves in the titular role as well as an incredible supporting appearance from Halle Berry. Along with its ensemble cast, gorgeous visuals, hypnotic score, and intense yet visceral action and fighting. The film is definitely an action-suspense film that has a lot of thrills but also a study of a man being hunted for his actions while trying to figure out what to do next as his back is against the wall. In the end, John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum is a tremendous film from Chad Stahelski.

Related: John Wick - John Wick: Chapter 2 - John Wick Chapter 4 - (Ballerina (2024 film))

© thevoid99 2020

X-Men: Days of Future Past

Based on the X-Men comic story by Chris Claremont and John Byrne, X-Men: Days of Future Past is the story where the surviving members of the X-Men led by Professor X and his longtime nemesis Magneto ask Wolverine to go back in time to 1973 to stop an assassination that led to an all-out war on mutants as Wolverine would meet the younger Professor X and Magneto. Directed by Bryan Singer and screenplay by Simon Kinberg from a story by Kinberg, Jane Goldman, and Matthew Vaughn, the film is a multi-layered story where Wolverine travels back in time in an attempt to save mutants as well as deal with what Magneto and Professor X were back then. Starring Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, Ellen Page, Shawn Ashmore, Nicholas Hoult, Omar Sy, Evan Peters, and Peter Dinklage as Bolivar Trask. X-Men: Days of Future Past is a marvelous and sprawling film from Bryan Singer.

In a world where mutants are being exterminated by gigantic robots known as Sentinels, the film is about the small band of X-Men led by Charles Xavier/Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Erik Leshnerr/Magneto (Ian McKellan) trying to survive the last days of the war. Upon learning that Kitty Pryde has the power to send people back in time through their consciousness, Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) volunteers since he is the only one that is strong enough to withstand the rigors of time travel. Wolverine travels back to 1973 in order to convince the younger Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik (Michael Fassbender) to come together and stop Raven Darkholme/Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) from assassinating the Sentinels designer Bolivar Trask. While the remaining X-Men wait for the army of Sentinels to attack while protecting Logan and Kitty, Logan would face an even bigger battle in convincing Xavier and Erik to come together despite their major differences.

The film’s screenplay by Simon Kinberg explores not just the fragile relationship between the young Xavier and Erik as they’re driven apart by their own differences but also in how much their falling out has hurt them. For the young Charles Xavier, he has become a despondent and bitter man that mourns those he lost and cared for as he becomes addicted to a serum that allows him to walk but not use his powers. For Erik, he becomes far more angrier as he is locked 100 feet below the Pentagon for killing John F. Kennedy, though Erik claims he was trying to save him, while becoming more determined to ensure the mutants desire as the number one species. Then there’s Mystique who is the lost woman who also endured the loss of many friends as she is torn between the two ideals of Erik and Charles as she would also be ultimately responsible for the Sentinels program to come ahead and set the wave for the end of mutants.

The antagonist in Bolivar Trask isn’t really a villain but someone who wants to ensure peace in the world as he admires mutants but also fears them as he would create the Sentinels in the hope that it would save the human race. Yet, he would be unaware of what his creation would do as his impending death would only mean more trouble which adds to the dramatic stakes of the film. Wolverine becomes a much more prominent character in the film as he is someone that does carry a lot of emotional baggage as he understands what the younger Xavier, Erik, and Raven are going through. Just as Xavier had helped guide him when he was lost, Wolverine realizes he must do the same thing to the younger Xavier who had lost so much hope over everything as Wolverine has to remind him of an even bleaker future where the young Xavier would meet his older version as the latter needs him to hope again. It would prompt Xavier to reach out to Raven and Erik in the third act to tell them what is at stake in this very spectacular climax.

Bryan Singer’s direction is very sprawling in terms of not just the set pieces and different time periods that is presented. It’s also a film where it is about the stakes of a small number of mutants trying to survive this dystopian and apocalyptic world. Much of the direction has Singer not only use a lot of wide shots to display the look of a bleak world where the X-Men are in China awaiting for the last stand against the Sentinels. There’s also some unique medium shots where the characters are placed in the frame while Kitty is sitting in a chair as she is taking Wolverine back in time through his consciousness. Singer’s direction for the scenes set in 1973 has a mixture of different aspect ratios and footage as it plays to a place in time where things are less complicated but it’s in a world that is on the brink of Armageddon.

While Singer would inject some humors such as a very powerful sequence where Xavier, the young Hank McCoy/Beast (Nicholas Hoult), and Wolverine help Leshnerr break out of prison with the help of a mutant known as Quicksilver (Evan Peters). It is still an action-suspense film where it takes place in various locations such as the U.S., France, China, and other places as it is a very worldly film where a lot is happening. Some of it would involve the fallout over the Vietnam War as well as this climax in Washington, D.C. where Xavier, Beast, and Logan have to stop Raven and Magneto in their separate pursuits to kill which is also showcase in parallel to the final battle between the X-Men and the Sentinels in the future. Overall, Singer crafts a very spectacular and engrossing film about a group of mutants trying to band together to stop their own extinction from happening.

Cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel does incredible work with the film‘s cinematography from the bleak look of fortress where the X-Men makes their last stand with its low-key lights to the more vibrant and colorful look of the scenes in 1973. Editor/music composer John Ottman does fantastic work with the editing with its stylistic approach to rhythmic cutting to play into the action and suspense while his music score is filled with some bombastic orchestral arrangements to play into suspense and drama while the soundtrack features songs from Roberta Flack, Jim Croce, and other artists from the 70s. Production designer John Myhre, with set decorator Gordon Sim and supervising art director Michele Laliberte, does amazing work with the set pieces from the Chinese fortress where the X-Men make their last stand to the prison that Magneto lived in as well as the school that Xavier used to run as it becomes a place of ruins.

Costume designer Louise Mingenbach does wonderful work with the costumes from the 70s clothing the characters wear in the 1970s sequence to the leather-uniform of the X-Men as they make their final stand. Visual effects supervisor Richard Stammers does brilliant work with the visual effects from the design of the Sentinels to the look of the dystopian world where the X-Men are at. Sound designers Craig Berkey, Warren Hendricks, and Chuck Michael, with co-sound editor John A. Larsen, do superb work with the sound from the way the Sentinels sound when they use their weapons to the layers of sound effects that occur in the action sequences.

The casting by Roger Mussenden is great for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small appearances from Lucas Till as Havok, Josh Helman as a young William Stryker, Mark Camacho as President Richard Nixon, and Michael Lerner as a senator concerned about the Sentinels program. Other noteworthy performances that are major standouts include Omar Sy as Bishop, Fan Bingbing as Blink, Daniel Cudmore as Colossus, Shawn Ashmore as Bobby/Ice Man, Adan Canto as Sunspot, Booboo Stewart as Warpath, and Halle Berry in a terrific performance as Storm as she helps lead the other mutants for the final stand. Evan Peters is fantastic as Quicksilver as a mutant who is known for his speed as helps out Wolverine, Hank, and Xavier retrieve Magneto while Nicholas Hoult is superb as the young Hank McCoy/Beast who watches the young Xavier while using his powers when he needed as he would often spar with Magneto.

Ellen Page is excellent as Kitty Pryde as the mutant who can walk and run through objects while having the ability to put mutants back in time through their consciousness as she deals with what she had to do. Peter Dinklage is pretty good as Bolivar Trask though his character is a bit underwritten as he’s not a full-fledge villain but one that is just simply afraid of mutants but also has admiration for them. Jennifer Lawrence is wonderful as Raven Darkholme/Mystique as a former companion of Xavier and Leshnerr who is torn between their respective ideals while eager to assassinate Trask unaware of what she will do and what will happen to her. Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan are amazing in their respective roles as the older Xavier and Magneto as two men who try to maintain their survival while displaying their own regret over the schism that tore them apart.

Michael Fassbender is brilliant as the young Magneto as a man who still filled with a lot of rage and frustration as he wants to wipe out the human race over not trusting the mutants while also wanting to kill Raven in an attempt to stop the future from happening. James McAvoy is incredible as the young Xavier as a young man ravaged by grief and bitterness as he refuses to see what lays ahead for him as he realizes the fears he has to face in order to save the world. Finally, there’s Hugh Jackman in a remarkable performance as Logan/Wolverine as the mutant who can attack with his metallic claws and heal pretty fast as he is sent back in time to convince Xavier and Magneto to come together while being aware that he’s the last person that can convince them considering the emotional baggage that he carries.

X-Men: Days of Future Past is a phenomenal film from Bryan Singer. Thanks to its ensemble cast, unique concept, and sprawling visuals, it’s a film that has all of the tropes of a blockbuster film while also being a film that is smart and not wanting to take itself too seriously despite its grim tone. It’s also a film that manages to stand on its own in comparison to films of the franchise where it shows some clips from previous films but also allows enough ideas into what to expect from the characters and such. In the end, X-Men: Days of Future Past is a sensational film from Bryan Singer.

X-Men Films: X-Men - X2: X-Men United - X-Men III: The Last Stand - X-Men Origins: Wolverine - X-Men: First Class - The Wolverine - X-Men: Apocalypse - Logan (2017 film) - Deadpool 2 – (X-Men: Dark Phoenix) - (New Mutants)

© thevoid99 2014

Cloud Atlas

Based on the novel by David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas is the story about human beings being connected to one another in various places in time from the past to the future as they all deal with their role in humanity. Written for the screen and directed by Lana and Andy Wachowski and Tom Tykwer, the film is an epic story that bends all sorts of genres. With an all-star cast playing multiple roles that includes Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Ben Whishaw, Doona Bae, Susan Sarandon, Jim Broadbent, James D’Arcy, David Gyasi, Zhou Xun, David Gyasi, and Keith David. Cloud Atlas is a captivating yet exhilarating film from Tom Tykwer and the Wachowskis.

In the 1850s, a young notary named Adam Ewing (Jim Sturgess) travels to the Pacific Islands to discover a plantation run by Reverend Gilles Horrox (Hugh Grant) as it consists of slaves. Upon his return home to San Francisco, Ewing discovers a young slave named Autua (David Gyasi) who stows away on the ship as the ailing Ewing recalls his experience in a journal. In 1930s Belgium, a young musician named Robert Frobisher (Ben Whishaw) writes many letters to his lover Rufus Sixsmith (James D’Arcy) where he works as an amanuensis for the aging composer Vyvyan Ayrs (Jim Broadbent) where they collaborate on a musical piece together. In the 1970s, a San Franciscan journalist named Luisa Rey (Halle Berry) meets the aging Sixsmith where she discovers a chilling mystery about an oil magnate Lloyd Hooks(Hugh Grant) trying to manipulate the energy crisis as a hitman named Bill Smoke (Hugo Weaving) is after her.

In 2012 London, book publisher Timothy Cavendish (Jim Broadbent) is in big trouble over mounting debts to gangsters as he turns to his older brother Denholme (Hugh Grant) for help. Instead, Denholme tricks Timothy to live in a retirement home where Timothy has to deal with the cruel nurse Noakes (Hugo Weaving) as he fights for freedom. In the futuristic South Korea, a genetically-created clone named Sonmi-451 learns about her dystopian world as she meets a young rebel named Hae-Joo Chang (Jim Sturgess) where they decide to create rebellion. In a more distant future, a tribesman named Zachry takes a technologically-advanced woman named Meronym (Halle Berry) to an old palace to find meaning in their world so they can save humanity from an evil tribe and other dark forces.

The film is essentially a multi-layered, inter-weaving collection of stories of people making decisions that would change their own fates as well as the fate of others through six different periods of time. Through the recollection of one individual’s story, one character would discover that person’s story that would inspire something of their own that would eventually inspire another and so on. In these moments where they would discover these stories or pieces of work by a certain person, it would allow a character from different stories to be motivated to do something as it would eventually give them a chance to do something that would help humanity.

The screenplay by Tom Tykwer and the Wachowskis is truly dazzling for the way the narrative moves from one story to another in this inter-weaving style where it adds up to the dramatic momentum of the film. Even as they would provide moments that would play up the suspense of another story and so on. It’s part of the schematics that Tykwer and the Wachowskis wanted to create while slowing things down so that characters can find ways to connect with one another to feel something as if there’s a chance to really do something great. Yet, each protagonist in these six different stories would make decisions that could impact something that would become a key moment of their lives and would set the stage for another.

The direction of Tykwer and the Wachowskis is vast in terms of the presentation they wanted to create for this massive film. With Tykwer directing the two segments in the 20th Century and the 2012 segment while the Wachowskis helm the 19th Century story and the ones set in the future. The filmmakers give each story a chance to set out on their own as they each provide broad visuals to establish the world these characters live in. Notably as these segments also have moments of intimacy to help flesh the characters out even more in their development. Since the film is really a genre-bender that features elements of sci-fi, adventure, drama, comedy, romance, and suspense. It is still about people and the adventures they go into and how they deal with these opposing forces.

For the 20th Century and 2012 segments, Tykwer pretty much keep things straightforward in terms of the presentation though he does shoot scenes with elements of style. Even as he find ways to put every actor who plays multiple roles a chance to pop up every now and then. Tykwer also utilizes bits of humor in the stories as well as some truly jaw-dropping moments such as a scene where Frobisher and Sixsmith stand and freeze while china plates drop all over them. In the 19th Century and futuristic segments, the Wachowskis go all out in terms of the ambition where they create massive sceneries for their segments. Notably the future where it is awash with visual effects to showcase a world that is unique but also unsettling.

Particularly as it establishes the sense of chaos and mistakes humans made where it plays into the most furthest futuristic segment forcing one character to do something to bring some semblance of hope. Overall, Tywker and the Wachowskis create a truly grand yet engaging film about human connection and how they impact one another in different periods of time.

Cinematographers Frank Griebe and John Toll do amazing work with the film‘s photography from the naturalistic look of 19th Century and beyond future segments to the more stylish array of lighting schemes in the 20th Century scenes and the dystopian Seoul segment. Editor Alexander Berner does excellent work with the editing to create unique rhythms for the film‘s suspenseful and action moments as well as creating montages for certain scenes as well as intricate transitions to move from one story to another. Production designers Hugh Bateup and Uli Hanisch, along with set decorator Rebecca Alleway and Peter Walpole and supervising art directors Stepan O. Gessler, Kai Koch, and Charlie Revai, do spectacular work with the set pieces from the ship in the 19th Century, the homes in the 20th and 21st Century segment, and the futuristic places in the future-Seoul segment.

Costume designers Kym Barrett and Pierre-Yves Gayraud do wonderful work with the costumes to play up the very different periods of time that occur in each segment including the more stylish clothes in the dystopian Seoul segment. Makeup and hair designers Heike Merker and Daniela Skala do great work with the hair and makeup to have every actor look a different way in the various segments and play different races and nationalities in the course of the film. Visual effects supervisors Dan Glass and Stephane Ceretti do terrific work with the film‘s visual effects for segments involving Frobisher, the dystopian Seoul segment, and the beyond future scenes. Sound designer Markus Stemler and sound editor Alexander Buck do superb work in the sound to capture the different atmosphere of each location and world the characters inhabit.

The film’s music by Tom Tykwer, Reinhold Heil, and Johnny Klimek is brilliant for its low-key, orchestral-driven score to play out the very different worlds that take place in the film along with some touching piano-driven themes in scenes involving Frobisher and Ayrs. The soundtrack also includes an array of music that plays up in two segments such as the Luisa Rey segment and the Timothy Cavendish segments.

The casting by Lora Kennedy and Lucinda Syson is incredible for the large ensemble that is created where the actors get to play multiple roles. Notable small performances include Robert Fyfe as the old seadog and Mr. Meeks, Brody Nicholas Lee as Luisa’s neighbor Javier and Zachry’s nephew, Raevan Lee Hanan as Zachry’s child Catkin, and Martin Wuttke as Cavendish’s friend Mr. Boerhavve and a healer in Zachry’s tribe. Other noteworthy small parts include terrific performances from Keith David as Horrox’s servant/a friend of Luisa’s dad/a rebel leader/a futuristic chief, Zhou Xun as Zachry’s wife/a relative of Sixsmith/Sonmi-451’s friend, David Gyasi as the stowaway slave Autua/Luisa’s father/an associate of Meronym, and James D’Arcy as Rufus Sixsmith and a man who interrogates Sonmi-451.

Jim Sturgess is superb as the young notary Adam Ewing as well as in smaller roles as a father of Sixsmith’s relative, Zachry’s brother-in-law, a highlander, and the rebellious Hae-Joo Chang. Ben Whishaw is superb as the melancholic Robert Frobisher as well as other small roles as a seaman, a record shop owner, and Denholme’s wife. Jim Broadbent is great as a sea captain, the very selfish Vyvyan Ayrs, a lab professor, a futuristic leader, a Korean musician, and as the troubled Timothy Cavendish. Susan Sarandon is wonderful as Rev. Horrox’s wife, a tribal witch, and Cavendish’s lost love. Hugh Grant is stellar as Reverend Horrox, a hotel tenant, the slimy oilman Lloyd Hooks, Timothy’s prankster brother, a perverse drug addict, and an evil tribe chief. Hugo Weaving is brilliant as Ewing’s father-in-law, a music conductor, the evil hitman Bill Smoke, a big nurse, a dystopian leader, and a demon who haunts Zachry.

Doona Bae is amazing as the clone Sonmi-451 who becomes part of a rebellion to stop a dystopian Seoul as she also plays other small roles such as Ewing’s wife and a Mexican woman who helps Luisa. Halle Berry is marvelous as the determined journalist Luisa Rey as well as notable small roles as a native woman, Ayrs’ wife, an Indian woman at a party, a Korean doctor, and a woman of the future in Meronym. Tom Hanks is remarkable as the tribe warrior Zachry who deals with demons and his tribe’s future while he also plays small roles as the devious Dr. Goose, a hotel manager, a thuggish writer, and a scientist who falls for Luisa.

Cloud Atlas is a spectacular film from Tom Tykwer and the Wachowskis that explores the world of humanity and its many connections. While it’s not an easy film in terms of its ambition and big themes, it is still an engaging one for the way it explores these themes in such grand stories. It’s also a film that has something for everyone and isn’t afraid to take big risks while featuring an amazing collective of actors. In the end, Cloud Atlas is an extraordinary film from Tom Tykwer and the Wachowskis.

The Wachowskis Films: (Bound) - (The Matrix) - (The Matrix Reloaded) - (The Matrix Revolution) - Speed Racer

Tom Tykwer Films: (Deadly Maria) - (Winter Sleepers) - Run Lola Run - (The Princess and the Warrior) - (Heaven (2002 film)) - True (2004 short) - (Perfume: The Story of a Murderer) - (The International) - (Three (2010 film))

© thevoid99 2012

007 James Bond Marathon: Die Another Day

Based on Ian Fleming’s stories, Die Another Day is the story of James Bond trying to find a betrayer within the British government who had him imprisoned for a year in North Korea as he gets help from an American agent. Directed by Lee Tamahori and screenplay by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, the film has Bond take on new foes as well as team up an agent who is considered an equal of his as Pierce Brosnan plays Bond for the fourth and final time. Also starring Halle Berry, Toby Stephens, Rick Yune, Rosamund Pike, Michael Madsen, John Cleese, Samantha Bond, and Judi Dench as M. Die Another Day is a film that has some fine moments but is hampered by its hackneyed script and nonsensical action sequences.

After a mission in North Korea goes wrong that left the rogue Colonel Moon (Will Yun Lee) dead, Bond is imprisoned where he’s tortured for 14 months until he’s released by Moon’s father General Moon (Kenneth Tsang) as a prisoner exchange for Colonel Moon’s henchman Zao (Rick Yune). After being suspended for supposedly leaking information to the North Koreans, Bond escapes his hospital stay to go to Hong Kong where he meets Chinese agent Mr. Chang (Ho Yi) who tells Bond about Zao killing a few Chinese agents as Bond travels to Cuba. After getting some information from a cigar manufacturer in Raoul (Emilio Echevarria), Bond meets up with an American agent named Jinx (Halle Berry) as the two make separate missions to a secret island where Bond finds Zao who was trying to have surgery. Things go wrong until Bond finds some diamonds that belongs to a billionaire named Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens).

Bond decides to meet Graves at a country club in order to find out more about the diamonds as Graves invites Bond to a ceremony he’s having in Iceland. After regaining his 00 status from M who also wants to know more about Graves, Bond is sent to Iceland where Bond learns that Graves’ assistant Miranda Frost (Rosamund Pike) is a MI6 operative also investigating Graves. Jinx also arrives at Iceland to continue her mission as she and Bond make a discovery about not just Graves but who is he in league with. Also learning about the satellite that Graves created which is really a weapon, Bond decides to report this to M where he learns about the person that betrayed him to the North Koreans. With some help from Jinx, the two travel to South Korea to stop Graves from unleashing his weapon in order to start a war.

While the premise of the film has Bond taking on a billionaire who could be in cahoots with a North Korean terrorist in order to start a war is an interesting one. It starts off great in which Bond tries to infiltrate a meeting where he meets this rogue colonel and his friend that is involved with diamond smuggling where suddenly things go wrong as Bond is betrayed and sabotaged. Then the story starts to devolve into a premise where Bond has to share his time with another agent as they work together to find a terrorist and this billionaire where the results aren’t very good.

Part of the problem with film’s screenplay is that Gustav Graves as a villain isn’t very interesting at all. Sure, there is a twist about him that is revealed in the film’s second half that explains his motivations but it is handled with such silliness that he is just a villain who likes to have stupid gadgets around him to defeat his villains. The Zao character is a bit more interesting as a henchman but ends up becoming a second-banana to Graves by the film’s second half. It’s not just some of the characterization and situations that doesn’t work but also some of the dialogue where it’s not as humorous as it used to be while some of it feels forced in its delivery.

Lee Tamahori’s direction does have some engaging moments in terms of the way he builds suspense as well as the film’s opening prologue scene that establishes a lot of what is to come. Yet, Tamahori seems to be taken by the idea of creating a film that goes into a lot of locations like Iceland, Spain, and Britain as well as setting it in places all over the world. Since he couldn’t go everywhere, he has to utilize CGI backgrounds to create shots of Hong Kong and some places where it doesn’t very realistic. It’s not just that some of the set pieces and visual-effects driven moments don’t work at all.

Some of the film’s action sequences get into very silly moments where it’s not just the use of CGI that hampers these moments. Tamahori’s emphasis to give into the conventions of action-style editing and shooting styles ends up creating a film that is incomprehensive to watch at times. Notably with the twists that are later unveiled in some of the dramatic moments where Tamahori makes some editing decisions that really kills the impact that it should’ve had. Despite a few decent moments in the film, Tamahori ends up creating a film that is just a flat-out mess.

Cinematographer David Tattersall does nice work with the cinematography for some scenes in the exteriors including some lighting schemes in Graves‘ secret base scene. Editors Christian Wagner and Andrew MacRitchie do some OK work with the editing in the film‘s suspenseful and light-hearted moments but ends up playing to the rapid-cutting style of most action films where not much makes sense in the fights and action scenes. Production designer Peter Lamont, with set decorator Simon Wakefield and supervising art director Neil Lamont, does some fine work with some of the set pieces such as the MI6 offices but the ice-made hotel that Graves lives in easily the worst set piece of all of the Bond films.

Costume designer Lindy Hemming does very good work with the costumes in the dresses that Miranda Frost and Jinx wears to the tuxedos that Bond wears Special effects supervisor Chris Corbould and visual effects supervisor Mara Bryan do some decent work with some of the special effects but the CGI work is truly poor and shoddy. Sound editor Martin Evans does some terrific work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the action scenes as well as the party at Graves‘ ice palace. The film’s music by David Arnold is wonderful for some of the orchestral music that is played for some of the film’s action scenes though the electronic stuff isn’t very good. The title song by Madonna is truly one of the worst Bond theme song ever thanks to some bad production and the use of a vocoder that makes Madonna sound like Cartman.

The film’s ensemble cast is pretty good for the people that is hired as it features some notable small roles from Emilio Echevarria as Bond’s Cuban contact Raul, Ho Yi as Bond’s Hong Kong contact Mr. Chang, Michael Madsen as Jinx’s superior Damian Falco, Will Yun Lee as the rogue Colonel Lee, and Kenneth Tsang as Lee’s father. The worst small role comes in the form of Madonna as a fencing instructor named Verity where Madonna puts on a shitty British accent that makes her sound like a jackass. Bond regulars such as Colin Salmon as MI6 official Charles Robinson and Samantha Bond as Miss Moneypenny are very good while John Cleese is quite funny as Q. Rick Yune is terrific as the henchman Zao who tries to kill Bond while sporting a disfigured face while Judi Dench has some fine moments in her role as M.

Rosamund Pike is excellent as the MI6 agent Miranda Frost who is a skilled swordswoman as well as someone who isn’t keen on Bond’s charms. Toby Stephens is terrible as Gustav Graves due to the fact that Graves is a pretty lame villain who has to rely on an electric suit and swagger to get things done. Halle Berry is quite good as the agent Jinx as she is a woman who can kick ass and get things done as Berry does have chemistry with Pierce Brosnan. It’s just that she’s not given enough material to make her into someone really compelling as well as the fact that Jinx gets some pretty lame one-liners. Finally, there’s Pierce Brosnan in his final outing as James Bond where Brosnan maintains his sense of charm and wit to the role as well as a sense of grit but the script’s shortcomings really bog the character down as it doesn’t give Brosnan enough room to make Bond more engaging to watch.

Of the films in the James Bond series, Die Another Day is truly the weakest film of the entire franchise. Due to awful decisions from the part of director Lee Tamahori, misguided use of visual effects, a very weak villain, a lackluster script, and ridiculous action scenes that involves an invisible car. It’s a film that just puts James Bond into situations that are way too silly. While there are some moments that keeps the film from being a total disaster, it’s not enough to make it a worthwhile moment. In the end, Die Another Day is a terrible film from Lee Tamahori.

James Bond Files: The EON Films: Dr. No - From Russia with Love - Goldfinger - Thunderball - You Only Live Twice - On Her Majesty's Secret Service - Diamonds are Forever - Live and Let Die - The Man with the Golden Gun - The Spy Who Loved Me - Moonraker - For Your Eyes Only - Octopussy - A View to a Kill - The Living Daylights - Licence to Kill - GoldenEye - Tomorrow Never Dies - The World is Not Enough - Casino Royale (2006 film) - Quantum of Solace - Skyfall - SPECTRE - No Time to Die

Non-EON Films: Casino Royale (Climax! TV Episode) - Casino Royale (1967 film) - Never Say Never Again

Bond Documentaries: Bond Girls Are Forever - True Bond - Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007

© thevoid99 2012

X-Men 3: The Last Stand

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 5/28/06 w/ Extensive Re-Edits & Revisions.

When the X-Men comic books finally became feature films in 2000 with director Bryan Singer in the helm. The response at first was mixed but positive since it brought new fans a nice introduction to the cast of the X-Men team while giving Australian actor Hugh Jackman a real breakthrough as Wolverine. In 2003, Singer reunited with most of the cast for the sequel called X2: X-Men United that not only received better reviews but spectacular box office numbers as fans praised the film for a stronger story, more characters, and better performances from the cast. What really shocked fans in the second film was the sacrificial death of one of the story's major characters in Jean Grey. Yet, when fans heard she would return as the Dark Phoenix, it was clear that the X-Men franchise was getting into better storylines.

Unfortunately, plans for the third film was becoming very troubled as the development for the story was troubling as Bryan Singer chose to leave the franchise with his team to work on the much-delayed Superman movie. Problems also occurred when Halle Berry chose to leave the franchise for her own attempt in stardom but after 2004's Catwoman got destroyed in the box office, she returned awaiting to see who would become the new director. After Layer Cake director Matthew Vaughn was signed on and then chose to leave, Rush Hour director Brett Ratner came into the helm where to some fans, it leaves a lot of worries but Ratner ensured that he wouldn't screw it up. With the focus on the Dark Phoenix plot and the war between the X-Men and Magneto's Brotherhood in the story, X-Men 3: The Last Stand is well underway.

With a screenplay by Zak Penn and Simon Kinberg with Brett Ratner as director, X-Men 3: The Last Stand revolves around a vaccine that cures the mutation gene which gives mutants the chance to be cured. While neither Magneto or his former friend Charles Xavier are fond of the cure, it only increases Magneto's hatred for humans even more as he declares a war against them. Making things worse for the X-Men team is the re-discovery of Jean Grey's body that has evolved into something far worse as she becomes the Dark Phoenix who joins the Brotherhood. With the X-Men short on allies, it's up to Xavier, Logan, Storm, and company to save the humans and make a stand against the Brotherhood.

Returning from the previous parts of the franchise are Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Halle Berry, James Marsden, Famke Janssen, Anna Paquin, Shawn Ashmore, Daniel Cudmore, Ian McKellen, Aaron Stanford, and Rebecca Romijn. Joining the new cast are Ben Foster, Kelsey Grammer, Ellen Page, Shoreh Aghdashloo, Olivia Williams, Josef Sommers, Dania Ramirez, Vinnie Jones, and Cameron Bright. X-Men 3: The Last Stand has its moments but is a very un-compelling, messy film.

A new U.S. President (Josef Sommers) has maintained peace with mutants by being open to their cause with from its Secretary of Affairs in Hank McCoy/Beast (Kelsey Grammer).  When news about a cure for the mutant gene developed by Warren Worthington II (Michael Murphy), McCoy is worried as he turns to his old mentor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) about the cure and its source in a young mutant named Jimmy (Cameron Bright).  Xavier worries that it will give his old friend Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto (Ian McKellan) more reasons to fight as his comrade Mystique (Rebecca Romijn) has been captured.  With Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and Storm (Halle Berry) helping to train young mutants for combat, both are unsure if their pupils are ready with Scott Summers/Cyclops (James Marsden) still in mourning over the death of Jean Grey (Famke Janssen).

With news of the cure reaching Xavier's school, mixed feelings arrive among everyone though Rogue (Anna Paquin) sees it as a good thing as she isn't fond of her powers.  Even as her boyfriend Bobby/Iceman (Shawn Ashmore) has been taking interest towards Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat (Ellen Page).  Magneto meanwhile, uses the news of the cure as a rallying cry to forge the Brotherhood with help from his new protege Pyro (Aaron Stanford) and other new mutants in Callisto (Dania Ramirez) as they help retrieve Mystique along with a couple of mutants in Multiple Man (Eric Dane) and Juggernaut (Vinnie Jones).  When Scott goes to Alkali Lake where Jean has reappeared as Xavier senses Jean only to realize something is right.  Logan learns that Xavier used psychic blocks to prevent a dark personality in Jean in order to protect her as Logan's feelings for her lead to an escape.

With Magneto realizing that Jean is alive and more powerful, he tries to get her to his side as Xavier pleads to not to let her dark side control her while Logan and Storm try to fight off Magneto's Brotherhood.  Following a devastating loss and pondering what to do, Logan tries to find the Brotherhood and what Magneto is up to while Warren Worthington's mutant son Warren III (Ben Foster) joins the school as he helps out.  After returning from Magneto's secret base and learning his plans, Logan, Storm, and Hank along with younger, trained mutants decide to fight Magneto and his Brotherhood and the more dangerous Jean who is now Phoenix.

When the X-Men franchise was in the hands of Bryan Singer and his team, it allowed Singer to get a chance to develop the characters and create something that was more than a typical blockbuster action film.  Singer's departure along with his team changes things as the franchise goes into the hand of a much more commercial filmmaker in Brett Ratner.  While Ratner does have a good ear for humor and knows how to get the ball rolling.  The problem is that he along with screenwriters Zak Penn and Simon Kinberg cram too many ideas, storylines, and exposition into a film that becomes very messy.  The script doesn't allow the audience to figure out what's going on or to slow the story down.  Even as there's too many characters to follow where things needed to be simplified or have some of central figure to follow.

Ratner's direction does have a few excellent moments such as the training scene as well as some intimate scenes at Xavier's school.  For the rest of the film, it seems uninspiring and overblown at times.  The action scenes move a little too fast while the dramatic moments comes across as cheesy and unnecessary.  While Ratner does try to put some humor in scenes where he gets one notable humorous action moment right, the rest of it doesn't seem to work.  A lot of the big action moments don't feel very natural as the overall film is an excessive mess that doesn't stretch itself or simplify things for its audience. 

Cinematographer Dante Spinotti does an OK job with the photography though at times, he goes overboard with visual flair and digital coloring that makes the film seem unnatural in its look. Production designer Ed Verraux does excellent work in creating the look of the school and the meeting of the Brotherhood through its forests where most of it is shot in Vancouver. Visual effects supervisor John Bruno and team do great work on the visual effects, notably the final battle sequence and Magneto's movement of the Golden Gate Bridge. Sound designer Craig Henighan also does excellent work on the sound while editors Mark Goldblatt, Mark Helfrich, and Julia Wong do a decent job in the cutting work in giving the story some speed although the fast cuts tend to lose sight on the story.

Costume designer Judianna Makovsky does great work on the costumes while giving the X-Men suits a new look of sorts while make-up supervisor Rosalina Da Silva and her team do great work on the makeup, particularly for the character of Beast. John Powell also does good bombastic work on the film's score that plays up to the intensity of the action as well as the dramatic moments of the film.

The film's cast features some great, small performances from Anthony Heald as an interrogator, Haley Ramm as the young Jean Grey, Cayden Boyd as the young Warren III, and the cameos of Stan Lee, Olivia Williams as an associate of Xavier, and the voice of R. Lee Emrey. Bill Duke as General Trask and Josef Sommers as the President are decent in their brief roles while Oscar nominee Shoreh Aghdashloo as Dr. Rao is sorted of wasted in a thankless role. Michael Murphy is also good while Ben Foster is OK as Angel though he doesn't get much to do. Omahyra and Eric Dane are memorable in their role as Brotherhood mutants while Daniel Cudmore is somewhat wasted as Colossus since he only gets one line in the film. Rebecca Romijn is also wasted as Mystique since by the first 20-30 minutes, she's gone which is a shame to a very enjoyable character that only Romijn could do. Cameron Bright is terrible as Jimmy as he spends most of the film giving the creepy gaze that he's always done in a lot of his performances.

Dania Ramirez is awful as Callisto as she tries to be all tough when it doesn't really work as her dialogue delivery is very amateurish.  James Marsden's role as Cyclops is also brief as only becomes a plot device in the part of Jean Grey's evolution as Phoenix. Of all the newcomers to join the film, Ellen Page, in her brief moments, is a real standout in the role of Kitty Pryde as she reveals all the insecurities and attitude in what it takes to be a mutant of power.  Shawn Ashmore also stands out as Iceman as he develops from a character who finally gets to use the full potential of his powers for the use of good as he has a great scene with Aaron Stanford. Stanford really shines as Magneto's new right-hand man who apparently still has a lot to learn about morals in his scenes with Ian McKellan. Vinnie Jones is another big standout in the role of the Juggernaut as he has some great, hilarious one-liners and some cool moments where he quotes, "I'm the Juggernaut bitch!"

Of all the new actors to join the series, Kelsey Grammer is very good combining his intellectual wit that he brought from Frasier to the role of Beast. Grammer brings full advantage of a mutant who understands both prejudice and intolerance while he got to do some amazing fight scenes as well. Anna Paquin, unfortunately, despite her efforts couldn't make Rogue into a strong character that was expected from the comic book fans. Paquin is forced to act frustrated and lonely as she ends up being really wasted after having a flawed if strong performance in the first film. Ian McKellan is great, as usual, in the role of the villainous Magneto whose fury upon the humans reveals his prejudice and how blind he's become from the person he was early in the film's first few minutes in a flashback scene. Patrick Stewart is also great as the more tolerant Charles Xavier whose fear of Jean’s full powers show that he's a flawed man trying to do what is right for everyone including his students.

Famke Janssen delivers a good as Jean Grey/Phoenix as a woman whose emotional and mental disability clashes with the woman that fans knew in the previous film and the dark, maniacal Phoenix. Janssen reveals the troubles of the character full-on as it's a woman we all know we don't want to mess with but have pity for. Halle Berry is good as Storm can do and delivers a kick-ass performance by flying, shooting out lightning, and doing all sorts of stuff though her dramatic moments are weak due to the script's shortcomings. The franchise's breakout star Hugh Jackman is good though not great as Wolverine as he does what he's expected to do though he's not really given the chance to be more out there as it's a step-down from the more developed role he had in the previous film.

Despite some decent moments and some performances, X-Men 3:  The Last Stand is a very disappointing film in the X-Men franchise.  Blame should go to Brett Ratner for just trying to do too much and give people what they want except giving them a cohesive story and a central story to focus on.  It's no doubt it's the weakest of the first three films though it's not the worst film of the X-Men franchise which goes to the debacle that was the prequel X-Men Origins:  Wolverine.  It's a film that does have some entertaining moments but not enough to satisfy its fans who enjoyed the previous films as X-Men 3:  The Last Stand is a full-blown mess. 

X-Men Films: X-Men - X2: X-Men United - X-Men Origins: Wolverine - X-Men: First Class - The Wolverine - X-Men: Days of Future Past - X-Men: Apocalypse - Logan (2017 film) - Deadpool 2 – (X-Men: Dark Phoenix) - (New Mutants)

© thevoid99 2011

X2: X-Men United

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 8/12/04 w/ Extensive Revision.

When the first X-Men film arrived in 2000, it was a hit in the box office as director Bryan Singer helped create a wave of comic-book superhero films that was followed by Sam Raimi's 2002 film Spider-Man. Realizing that a franchise could be made with the X-Men series, Singer went ahead to create a sequel that would improve some of the shortcomings of the first film but also broaden the story more. The result would be 2003's X2: X-Men United.

X2: X-Men United picks up where the first one was left as the story centers around Wolverine who is trying to find clues of his past and his transformation into becoming a mutant. At the same time, a failed assassination on the U.S. president by a mutant makes those in the X-Men team suspicious as they interrogate their nemesis Magneto while being in pursuit from an army colonel. Based on the comic book with the screen story co-written with director Singer before turning into a script by David Hayter, Dan Harris, and Michael Dougherty, X2 is a film that allows the X-Men series to go into bigger ideas along with themes of prejudice and chaos. With a cast that includes those from first film like Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, Halle Berry, James Marsden, Anna Paquin, Famke Janssen, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, Bruce Davison, and Shawn Ashmore with new actors to the franchise, Brian Cox, Kelly Hu, Alan Cumming, Cotter Smith, and Aaron Stanford. X2: X-Men United is one of the smartest and entertaining of Hollywood blockbusters.

Despite the repeal the Mutant Registration Act that was led by one of its original supporters in Senator Kelly (Bruce Davison), a teleporting mutant named Nightcrawler/Kurt Wagner (Alan Cumming) has made an attempted assassination on President McKenna (Cotter Smith). With suspicions arising that the attack was orchestrated by Magneto/Erik Lehnsherr (Ian McKellan) who is currently in a special prison. McKenna asks Col. William Stryker (Brian Cox) to investigate as Senator Kelly makes a visit asking about Lehnsherr's whereabouts. Meanwhile, Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), Storm (Halle Berry), Jean Grey (Famke Janssen), and Scott Summers (James Marsden) learn about the president's attack during a field trip with students as Xavier looks for Wagner's whereabouts. Logan/Wolverine returns to Xavier's school following a failed search for a base at Alkali Lake as he asks Xavier for help to search for lost memories. Xavier reluctantly refuses as he asks Logan to watch over the students as he and the rest of the X-Men investigate the attack.

With Jean and Storm trying to find Wagner to asks questions as it's revealed that he doesn't know what he's done. Xavier and Scott go to the compound to meet with Magneto. Magneto is under the influence of a drug as he reveals to Xavier he gave some information to Stryker leading to a trap as Xavier and Scott are captured by Stryker's assistant Yuriko Oyama/Lady Deathstrike (Kelly Hu). Back at Xavier's mansion, a raid led by Stryker happens as Logan helps many of the students escape only to be met with Stryker who knew Logan from many years ago. Haunted by Stryker's presence, he is saved by Rogue (Anna Paquin) and Bobby Drake/Iceman (Shawn Ashmore) to escape with their friend Pyro (Aaron Stanford) where they hide out at the home of Bobby's family.

At Stryker's secret hiding facilities, Xavier learns what Stryker is up to as he is forced to be under the control of Stryker's son Jason (Michael Reid McKay) who gets into Xavier's mind. After finding a device in a car that belonged to Scott, Logan makes contact with Jean and Storm as cops surround Bobby's family home after a call from Bobby's younger brother leading to Pyro to attack the cops that is stopped by Rogue. When Jean and Storm arrive with the X-Jet that includes Wagner, they try to evade the air force as they're eventually saved by the escaped Magneto and his henchwoman Mystique (Rebecca Romijn). Realizing what Stryker is up to, the X-Men realize they have to work with Magneto and Mystique in order to stop Stryker while Logan learns about what happened to him years ago in Stryker's hands. With the X-Men retrieving the students that were captured and trying to stop Stryker, one of them makes the ultimate sacrifice.

While the plot formula is similar to the likes of Spider-Man and other comic book stories, what sets X-Men apart is the fact that the X-Men are reluctant superheroes and in the second one, their reluctance is challenged more than ever. The story in the second one is far more superior, especially with the storyline of Wolverine trying to find his past that is the key story that moves the story. It allows that character to be more fragile as he yearns for the company of the X-Men and students that gives him a reason to fight. There's also more development in the characters along with themes of faith that is carried by Wagner who develops a relationship based on faith with Storm. The credit really should go to director Bryan Singer for tightening up the film's story and his eye-wielding direction that is crafty with fast camera angles and intense action and dramatic moments.

With cinematographer Thomas Newton Siegel, the film has this amazing, cold look in many of the scenes while its complemented with the work of production designer Guy H. Dyas, who helps brings an eerie, bleak look in many of the film's dark scenes in the Alkali Lake sequences. Helping with the film's spectacular visuals are the visual effects from supervisor Michael Fink who helps bring in intense, wondrous effects, notably for the Nightcrawler and Mystique characters who often do a lot of teleporting or in Mystique's case, change into other characters. With a film score by John Ottman, who also serves as an editor, the film plays up to what a comic-book action movie should be in style and substance as the score just helps move with the story and scenes.

Then you have the film's wonderful ensemble cast that includes some wonderful small performances from Bruce Davison, Cotter Smith, and Daniel Cudmore as Colossus who shines in the school raid scene with his powers while Ty Olsson stands out in his role as Magneto's prison guard Laurio is excellent, especially in a scene that involves him making with Rebecca Romijn-Stamos. Though Anna Paquin had a bigger role as Rogue in the first film, her role is cut down a bit though Rogue in this film seems a bit more comfortable despite her powers while she has nice scenes with Shawn Ashmore's Iceman, who really gets more time than the first since he's having trouble dealing with being a mutant while is the only person who uses his powers for good. Aaron Stanford is a bit more of the conflicted character as Pyro who seems cocky for his fiery power and when he meets with Magneto, you see how easily he can be seduced with power.

Rebecca Romijn does an excellent job as Mystique by just projecting a lot of movement and spark into her performance while Kelly Hu is excellent as the villainous Yuriko with her own powers despite rarely having any dialogue when she uses actions rather than words, notably in her fight scene with Wolverine. James Marsden is excellent in his role, despite not being scene for an hour in the film, as the more disciplined Cyclops who still has some tension with Wolverine, even for the affections of Dr. Jean Grey. Famke Janssen is really amazing in her more difficult role as Grey since she has trouble with her telepathy and her feelings over Wolverine while she becomes more and more reluctant about her own powers. Halle Berry meanwhile, is very good in her performance as Storm, especially by getting rid of a classy accent in the first film, where she has really wonderful scenes with Alan Cumming's Nightcrawler. Cumming is a notably standout as he is thought of a villain at first but then he comes out as a character of morality and goodwill, including in the jet crash scene where he risks his own life to save someone. Cumming brought a depth and conscious that is rarely seen in an action film.

Then you have four of the film's greatest performances starting off with the always-amazing Brian Cox as William Stryker. Cox brings a demeaning charm and intelligence to a villain who isn't just hell bent on destroying mutants but in his scenes with Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, we see how far he'll go to destroy Wolverine's mind. Cox is devious and just a great villain who isn't a stereotypical villain but one that is enjoyable and hateful at the same time. Ian McKellan is another enjoyable villain but in X2, he kind of plays a good guy for a bit since he knows that mutants are in trouble and wants to help battle Stryker despite his own intentions for humans. McKellan brings a sly wit and charisma that is seductive even though he's a villain but one that is smart and cares for his group of people.

Patrick Stewart is also amazing in his classy performance as Professor X as he tries to find clues to the president's assassination attempt while trying not to be manipulated by Stryker's methods as he himself, becomes reluctant in trying to help Wolverine. Hugh Jackman is the easily the film's star and his performance in X2 outdoes the first as he displays more dramatic textures with a balance of action. Jackman brings humanity to Wolverine who tries to find clues to his past and when he does, we see how anguished and troubled he's become where he is forced to accept the role he will take part in.

X2: X-Men United is a fantastic film from Bryan Singer and definitely the best film of the X-Men franchise so far. Featuring a great ensemble cast and amazing technical work, it's a film that surpasses the first film in terms of a stronger story and a broader vision. Fans of the franchise will no doubt see this as the best of the film as it has more action and more engaging characters for them to relate to. In the end, X2: X-Men United is a fantastic film from Bryan Singer.

Bryan Singer Films: (The Usual Suspects) - (Apt. Pupil) - X-Men - (Superman Returns) - (Valkyrie) - (Jack the Giant Slayer) - X-Men: Days of Future Past - X-Men Apocalypse - (Bohemian Rhapsody)

X-Men Films: X-Men III: The Last Stand - X-Men Origins: Wolverine - X-Men: First Class - The Wolverine - Logan (2017 film) - Deadpool 2 – (X-Men: Dark Phoenix) - (New Mutants)

© thevoid99 2011

X-Men

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 5/19/06 w/ Extensive Revisions.

The comic book from Marvel about a group of mutants who become superheroes known as X-Men arrived to the comic book world from the mind of Marvel's comic book main man Stan Lee (who also created Spider-Man) and Jack Kirby in 1963. The X-Men comic book became very popular among its fans with its array of characters in a battle between good and bad mutants over their survival as the good are known as X-Men who believe that humans and mutants can work together while running a school teaching young mutants. Throughout the years, the comic's popularity spawned cartoons and comic book spin-offs where finally in 2000, a movie about the X-Men was finally ready to be made.

To create the first X-Men film, producers and Stan Lee turned to screenwriter David Hayter to write a script with additional help from fan and Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon. For their choice to direct the film, the turned to Bryan Singer who already created some buzz with his debut feature, 1995's The Usual Suspects and 1998's Apt Pupil which starred Ian McKellen. In the first X-Men movie, the plot revolves around a mutant named Magneto and his hatred for humans as he is in conflict with former friend named Charles Xavier. In the middle of this conflict, a young girl named Marie who has runaway from home and found refuge in a mysterious mutant named Logan (aka Wolverine) where they find themselves in the middle of a war. With a cast that included McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, Hugh Jackman, Anna Paquin, James Marsden, Ray Park, Tyler Mane, Rebecca Romijn, Bruce Davison, and Shawn Ashmore. The X-Men movie is a fun, entertaining film that is a bit faithful to the comic book.

Fear emerges with humans over the growth of mutant population as Dr. Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) tries to assure the U.S. government that mutants are a threat much to the chagrin of Senator Robert Kelly (Bruce Davison). One mutant who doesn't like humans is Erik Leshnsherr/Magneto (Ian McKellan) who used to be a friend of Grey's mentor Charles Xavier/Professor X (Patrick Stewart). Meanwhile, a young girl named Marie/Rogue (Anna Paquin) has ran away from home after accidentally kissing a boy that drains his powers where she ends up in Alaska meeting a strange man named Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman). Logan fights humans for a living as an attempted attack has him taking Marie with her only to be attacked by huge mutant beast named Sabretooth (Tyler Mane) as they're saved by a couple of mutants named Scott Summers/Cyclops (James Marden) and Ororo Munroe/Storm (Halle Berry).

Logan and Marie arrive at Xavier's school for young mutants where Logan meets Jean who is revealed to be telepathic along with the more powerful yet wheelchair-bound Xavier who offers to help Logan recover lost memories. Meanwhile, Magneto makes plans of his own with his frog-like mutant Toad (Ray Park), Sabretooth, and the ever-changing Mystique (Rebecca Romijn) as she abducts Senator Kelly for an experiment. Back at Xavier's school, Logan learns about Marie's powers after a nightmare he has where she leaves as Xavier finds her through his Cerebro machine where Logan tries to convince her to go back to Xavier's as they're attacked by Magneto and his henchman with Scott and Ororo trying to help Logan.

Realizing what Magneto wants all along as well as information from an ill Senator Kelly, Xavier tries to figure out what Magneto is up to only to be poisoned by a trap set up by Mystique. With Jean using Cerebro to find Magneto's henchman, Logan teams up with the X-Men to battle Magneto and his team.

While the film does provide a lot of entertainment in terms of action, humor, and drama, it also carries some flaws. While David Hayter's script, that also featured work from Tom DeSanto and Singer, has problems in weaving out the development of some of the characters while hashing out lines that end up being uninspiring at times. Director Bryan Singer does manage to bring in a film that keeps the audience interested. Despite the flaws in its plot and presentation, Singer does create moments where everything does excite the audiences including the battle between the X-Men and Magneto's Brotherhood where it reveals the reluctance of the X-Men in playing the superhero character. They're not perfect yet they all have cool powers and wanting to do the right thing. While Singer does excel in telling the story, he still couldn't develop some of the characters due to the script's shortcomings. While there's full development from Logan, Magneto, Xavier, Jean Grey, and on a lesser extent, Rogue. The rest though are played as second fiddle where from the standpoint of purists, it's pretty upsetting despite the fact that they have some great moments.

Helping Singer with the visual department is cinematographer Newton Thomas Siegel for bringing some wonderful lighting, especially with the blue look for the film's early scenes in Alaska as well as the some of the battle for the atmosphere of the film's look. Production designer John Myhre and art directors Paul D. Austerberry and Tamara Deverell also do great work in creating the metallic look of the underground part of the school. The costumes by Louise Mingenbach also does great work in creating the costumes including the leather suits for the X-Men team. Visual effects supervisors Michael L. Fink and Theresa Ellis do great work in creating the film's visual effects. Steve Boeddeker also does great work on the sound design while editors Steven Rosenblum, Kevin Stitt, and John Wright do great work in capturing the action and intensity of the film. The film's music also plays to the intensity from the late Michael Kamen with his rich, bombast orchestral score with additional work from Matthew Ferraro and Klaus Badelt.

Finally, there's the film's cast where in many ways, it's just a starting point. While Tyler Mane is pretty cool as Sabretooth and Ray Park is funny as Toad, neither actor really have much to work with in their performances. Even then-newcomer Shawn Ashmore's part as Bobby Drake/Iceman doesn't have much but since it's a minor character, Ashmore got to bring a lot of charm where his role was expanded to greater use in the next feature. Rebecca Romijn brings a lot of interesting qualities and a unique presence to her role as Mystique with her wonderfully, curvy body while proving to be a real menace in an excellent performance. Bruce Davidson is great as Senator Kelly whose conservative, cynical take on mutants takes on a great development when he becomes mutated as he learns about their plight. James Marsden is fine in the role of Scott Summers though the subplot about his relationship with Jean Grey is weak as Marsden acts a bit whiny while his scenes with Hugh Jackman are filled with great tension and humor.

Halle Berry is a fine actress in her own right but whenever she’s not doing cool powers or any kind of fighting, her dramatic approach doesn't seem to work, especially with a very bad African accent. It seems throughout some of those moments, Berry seems uncomfortable in that accent where it really suffers in her performance. Anna Paquin also suffers from working with accent as she employs a Southern accent that doesn't help matters, even in some intense dramatic moments despite some nice chemistry with Hugh Jackman. Though Paquin is a very important character, it's pretty badly written in the way she's emphasized, especially among comic books purists who see Rogue as something much stronger. Famke Janssen is the best female performance of the entire cast as she reveals her own insecurities with the potential of her powers and her reluctance to be a field leader as Janssen has wonderful scenes with Stewart and Jackman.

Ian McKellen gives a great performance in the role of Magneto as a villain whose hatred against humans is understandable while his desire to rid of them is good enough to even kind of root for him. McKellen brings a complexity and superiority to his performance that stands out in every way. Patrick Stewart is also great in another complex, superior role as McKellen's opposite, Professor X. Though Stewart is more understated and optimistic, he brings a calmness and almost mentor-like quality to his role as he becomes the one person who can calm the often aggressive Wolverine. The film's real breakout performance is then-newcomer Hugh Jackman. The Australian actor brings a lot of qualities that makes the Wolverine character cool as hell. Jackman brings a wonderfully brooding yet aggressive approach to the character of Wolverine along with a sensitivity and humor to the role as he has great chemistry with his cast. In many ways, the film really belongs to Hugh Jackman.

X-Men is a very good from Bryan Singer that does create an engaging origin story despite some flaws in the script. While comic books will enjoy seeing these characters come to life including Wolverine. The film also serves as a real breakthrough for then-newcomer Hugh Jackman who makes Wolverine into his own as he's supported by a great supporting cast including Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan. In the end, X-Men is a fun, entertaining film from Bryan Singer and company.

Bryan Singer Films: (The Usual Suspects) - (Apt Pupil) - X2: X-Men United - (Superman Returns) - (Valkyrie)

X-Men Films: X-Men III: The Last Stand - X-Men Origins: Wolverine - X-Men: First Class - The Wolverine - X-Men: Apocalypse - Logan (2017 film) - Deadpool 2 – (X-Men: Dark Phoenix) - (New Mutants)

© thevoid99 2011