Short-Take Reviews.
Feb. 18th, 2014 01:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kv0925Watched/read a few things lately that I wanted to note and review, but maybe not so in-depth. So:
Leon: The Professional
This has been on my to-watch list for ages--actually I'm sort of amazed I never watched it since it dates back to 1994! It's a Luc Besson film about Leon, a somewhat enigmatic and solitary hitman in New York City. He finds himself suddenly drawn together with Mathilda, Leon's precocious 12-year-old neighbor whose family is slaughtered as a result of a drug deal gone bad. In search of revenge for her family, Mathilda enlists Leon's help as they become fascinated by and attached to each other. It's a violent film for its day, but the violence is almost incidental to the story, which is by turns touching and disturbing--but mostly touching, as Mathilda and Leon alike struggle with their unfamiliar emotions. It's not a happy film, ultimately, but it's a darn good one. Jean Reno is very solid as Leon and Gary Oldman gives a stunning turn as the psychopathic DEA agent Stansfield, but there are almost no words to describe Natalie Portman's performance as Mathilda, especially considering her tender age of 12 at the time (part of her audition is here. Absolutely amazing.
Verdict: 58 on my 64-point scale.
MacGruber
I was actually turned on to this film by reading a Reddit AMA with its star, Will Forte, who seemed like a good guy. The film is a major spoof on the militarized one-man-army/unlikely-buddies types of action film, with a nod in substance and title to 80s tv show MacGyver. MacGruber is a highly-decorated, almost legandary special operative who has been in retirement and seclusion since the love of his life was brutally murdered at their wedding. He returns to action when his arch-nemesis, Dieter von Cunth (Val Kilmer in a fun role) pops back up bent on destroying DC with a nuke. There are laughs aplenty, but most of them rely on sheer ridiculousness and/or that old standby of toilet humor. Think Hot Shots!, but not as subtle. Ha! Go into this with an open mind and low expectations and you'll probably enjoy it if your tolerance for crudity is high. If not, give it a miss. :)
Verdict: 37 on my 64-point scale.
Horns by Joe Hill
I think I mentioned I was reading this one--Joe Hill is one of Stephen King's sons who is forging his own reputation as an author of horror, and I'd wanted to check him out, so when I saw this book on sale at the Dollar Tree I snapped up a copy. Horns is the story of Ig, a young man who wakes up one morning having sprouted a set of devil-like horns. He discovers as he interacts with people that the horns compel them to confess their deepest sins and darkest desires, and can even influence their behavior. With the help and curse of the horns, Ig finds himself unravelling the murder of his girlfriend Merrin, an unsolved crime for which Ig himself received the circumstantial blame. The story starts strong with Ig discovering the horns and their terrible power, and from there Hill does a fine job interweaving the story with flashbacks of Ig as he meets Merrin and befriends a boy named Lee. Twists and turns ensue, and even once the truth becomes known to Ig the resolution remains unclear until it arrives. Overall a good read, and I'm definitely interested in reading Hill's other novels. Sidenote: Horns is in production as a feature film starring Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe as Ig.
Verdict: 48 on my 64-point scale.
Leon: The Professional
This has been on my to-watch list for ages--actually I'm sort of amazed I never watched it since it dates back to 1994! It's a Luc Besson film about Leon, a somewhat enigmatic and solitary hitman in New York City. He finds himself suddenly drawn together with Mathilda, Leon's precocious 12-year-old neighbor whose family is slaughtered as a result of a drug deal gone bad. In search of revenge for her family, Mathilda enlists Leon's help as they become fascinated by and attached to each other. It's a violent film for its day, but the violence is almost incidental to the story, which is by turns touching and disturbing--but mostly touching, as Mathilda and Leon alike struggle with their unfamiliar emotions. It's not a happy film, ultimately, but it's a darn good one. Jean Reno is very solid as Leon and Gary Oldman gives a stunning turn as the psychopathic DEA agent Stansfield, but there are almost no words to describe Natalie Portman's performance as Mathilda, especially considering her tender age of 12 at the time (part of her audition is here. Absolutely amazing.
Verdict: 58 on my 64-point scale.
MacGruber
I was actually turned on to this film by reading a Reddit AMA with its star, Will Forte, who seemed like a good guy. The film is a major spoof on the militarized one-man-army/unlikely-buddies types of action film, with a nod in substance and title to 80s tv show MacGyver. MacGruber is a highly-decorated, almost legandary special operative who has been in retirement and seclusion since the love of his life was brutally murdered at their wedding. He returns to action when his arch-nemesis, Dieter von Cunth (Val Kilmer in a fun role) pops back up bent on destroying DC with a nuke. There are laughs aplenty, but most of them rely on sheer ridiculousness and/or that old standby of toilet humor. Think Hot Shots!, but not as subtle. Ha! Go into this with an open mind and low expectations and you'll probably enjoy it if your tolerance for crudity is high. If not, give it a miss. :)
Verdict: 37 on my 64-point scale.
Horns by Joe Hill
I think I mentioned I was reading this one--Joe Hill is one of Stephen King's sons who is forging his own reputation as an author of horror, and I'd wanted to check him out, so when I saw this book on sale at the Dollar Tree I snapped up a copy. Horns is the story of Ig, a young man who wakes up one morning having sprouted a set of devil-like horns. He discovers as he interacts with people that the horns compel them to confess their deepest sins and darkest desires, and can even influence their behavior. With the help and curse of the horns, Ig finds himself unravelling the murder of his girlfriend Merrin, an unsolved crime for which Ig himself received the circumstantial blame. The story starts strong with Ig discovering the horns and their terrible power, and from there Hill does a fine job interweaving the story with flashbacks of Ig as he meets Merrin and befriends a boy named Lee. Twists and turns ensue, and even once the truth becomes known to Ig the resolution remains unclear until it arrives. Overall a good read, and I'm definitely interested in reading Hill's other novels. Sidenote: Horns is in production as a feature film starring Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe as Ig.
Verdict: 48 on my 64-point scale.
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