SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR

Basically…

Continuing on from the first installment nine years ago, we return to Sin City as some of the town’s toughest citizens cross paths. Based on Frank Miller’s graphic novels and heavily influenced by film noir, Nancy (Jessica Alba) struggles without Hartigan (Bruce Willis), Marv (Mickey Rourke) gets into more bother, while new characters Johnny (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Ava (Eva Green) take on the dark, cruel town that doesn't forgive.

In other words…

Cinematic beauty in all its glory.

The main men and leading ladies…

Returning favourites Rourke, Alba, Willis and Rosario Dawson continue where their characters left off almost a decade ago while fresh faces spark new life into the community.

Super Joe continues to be perfection, Green continues to ooze sexy power while Ray Liotta does, well, he does what Ray Liotta does best. Josh Brolin meanwhile takes on the role Dwight, replacing Clive Owen.

In the chair…

Robert Rodriguez, and creator Frank Miller, waited patiently for things behind the scenes to click back into place before putting together another Sin City masterpiece. Relying so heavily on the use of green screen was rare back then, but with technology, equipment and even the acting improving over nine years, the double act made this sequel look easy. 

So…?

Some critics say this is noting more than a carbon copy of the first – it’s not – it’s a seamless continuation. And even if it was a replica of the 2005 movie, what would be the problem? Why change something so perfect? Instead of killing the franchise with an extreme change in direction, Miller and Rodriguez have taken another step closer to making it a cult classic. It’s sexy, it’s sassy and it’s uniquely liberating. A film with real punch and attitude, it’s both powerful and daring in equal measures. I challenge you to find a more aesthetically pleasing film this year as even behind the scenes, with it’s graphic novel storyboards, this production was blowing everything else out of the water. The only criticism would be the lack of emphasis on colour compared to the first one. The flashes of red from the shoes, or the ball gown were a lot more striking and memorable in the first movie, but then that may have been because it was more surprising back then.

Worth the money? 
Yes, films like this were made for cinema. 

LUCY

Basically…

Lucy (Scarlett Johansson), a traveller in Taiwan, is forced into transporting a rare and highly dangerous drug in her stomach. But when the bag opens the drug is quickly absorbed into her bloodstream, subsequently increasing her brain capacity. Exploring the notion we only use 10% of our brain, she evolves beyond human logic.

In other words…

The prequel to Under the Skin…and Her.

The main men and leading ladies…

Scarlett Johansson makes it a sci-fi treble this year, playing powerful woman that bend the rules of society. In Lucy the CPH4 drug transforms her from victim to Lady Vengeance with mind blowing intelligence. Her distance from reality continues into Under the Skin until she makes the full circle transition into a computer operating system in Her. Unfortunately these films came out in reverse order though so don’t expect the ‘Scarlett’s boxset of Intelligence’ anytime soon. Meanwhile, Morgan Freeman plays a clever man with a voice of authority – must have been a challenge for him.

In the chair…

Writer and director of Leon, writer of Taken and the brains behind Nikita, Luc Besson gifts us another no-nonsense shit-stirring thriller. He’s not made the impact on the 21^st century he would have liked until now, but with a Leon sequel high on his fans’ wish lists, he’s at least hit home with another artistic, ambitious and gutsy creation. 

So…?

Besson described Lucy by saying “The beginning is Leon The Professional, the middle is Inception, the end is 2001: A Space Odyssey.” While this shows he’s aware of how familiar his concepts are, it also emphases the bold risks he took in tying them all together. There are hints of many films in Lucy – Limitless (only Besson is adamant his script came first), The Matrix (only less of a headache) and Tree of Life (only a whole lot better). But while cutting and pasting from a number of sci-fi thrillers, what makes this experimental product work is the fact it doesn't take itself too seriously. It knows it’s ridiculous, extravagant and a bit nuts, but it still maintains a straight face throughout. That charm, mixed with its kinetic energy makes it easy to get lost in and wholeheartedly buy the concept too.

Worth the money? 
As one of the stand outs of the year, yes. 

DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

Basically…

A decade has passed since the apes broke out of the testing lab and set up camp on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge. But their freedom is threatened by a group of survivors of the resulting virus and they take them to the brink of war to determine who will emerge as the dominant species.

In other words…

Human, animal and political rights all rolled into one blockbuster.

The main men and leading ladies…

Andy Serkis has owned performance capture since his Gollum days but his depiction of Ceaser is as equally, if not even more, outstanding. Jason Clarke plays Malcolm, the James Franco role of the sequal, providing a trusty ally for Ceaser. Both have their frenemies though, Gary Oldman being well fitted to the role of Dreyfus, the no nonsense jobsworth, while Toby Kebbell hits a nerve playing Koba.

In the chair…

Director of Cloverfield and Let Me In, Matt Reeves takes over from Rupert Wyatt who walked away from the hugely anticipated sequel because of creative differences. With a darker edge he makes the franchise grittier and sets us up well for the next instalment.

Pic: Reuters

So…?

It’s a sign of the times, and possibly Andy Serkis, that a film about talking apes rising to power is such a popular concept and taken so seriously. But while it’s hugely gripping and entertaining, Dawn also acts as a reminder that sadly war is the default solution to life’s problems. A challenge should be faced with a sensible head, but evidently as soon as guns enter the fray, things turn nasty. The special effects are excellent, the character depth is moving and with an even blend of action and a heartfelt storyline, we yet again find our sympathies lying with the apes. Tender, tense and morally complex, it entertains at a brain-dead level as well as ask deeper questions and leave a lasting impression long after you’ve left the cinema. Surely in with a shout for some Oscars?

Worth the money?

Yes, yes and yes again.