Pixels

http://www.pixels-movie.com/site/

It's only after seeing Pixels that I have heard about the boycott against it for being a sexist movie that is trying to deny it's sexist nature. I can't honestly say that knowing that prior to me seeing the film would have stopped me, as it probably would have just intrigued me more, and in the interests of wanting to make my own informed opinions I think I would have seen the movie anyway.

Having seen it I can't honestly say that I know what the fuss was about. Yes there is an over sexualised female character who is the object of desire for Josh Gad's character. But from what little knowledge I have of the gaming industry I believe she is based on characters from games like Final Fantasy and Tomb Raider. Is it therefore the filmmakers fault that she is sexualised, or the makers of the games on which she is based? I mean you could argue that the Pac Man character is too round or yellow, but he's based on an existing character? The same people who have accused the film of being sexist have also seemingly overlooked the female Colonel character portrayed by Michelle Monaghan. Yes she has her moments of weakness (which I think are justified given her character's circumstances) but she is as badass as the boys and is much more than a love interest.

Debating aside I quite enjoyed the movie which is about aliens coming to take over the earth - with a twist. The twist being that a time capsule sent into space in the early 80s (to show our lives and culture) was taken by the aliens as a threat. They saw video games which seemed to be calling them out for a battle, and so when the aliens arrive for a showdown, they appear in the form of the characters they saw in the capsule. I was surprised to find that the so-called hero of the hour, Adam Sandler, has toned down his usual annoying tendencies and whilst he's never going to be a great actor, he was more than watchable and you did find yourself rooting for the geeks to win.

It's been touted as an action comedy and whilst I enjoyed it fine, I wouldn't say it was funny. The action sequences were different from the norm however owing to the addition of the game characters. I didn't really see why the movie needed to be in 3D though, as old games used to be 2D so this seemed an unnecessary gimmick.

Save yourself a few quid and see it in 2D if you're going to see it at the cinema, but it's probably only worth it if you're a retro games fan. 6 out of 10. 

Viewing Date ~ 28th July 2015

UK Release Date ~ 12th August 2015

Cast Overview:

Adam Sandler ~ Sam Brenner

Kevin James ~ President Will Cooper

Michelle Monaghan ~ Lieutenant Colonel Violet Van Patten

Peter Dinklage ~ Eddie Plant

Josh Gad ~ Ludlow Lamonsoff

Brian Cox ~ Admiral Porter

Sean Bean ~ Corporal Hill

Jane Krakowski ~ First Lady Jane Cooper

Dan Aykroyd ~ 1982 Championship MC

Director ~ Chris Columbus

Writers ~ Tim Herlihy (Screenplay and Screen Story), Timothy Dowling (Screenplay), Patrick Jean (Short Film).

Source Code

http://www.enterthesourcecode.com/

Here it is. The review that makes or breaks me as a credible, non-biased, professional film reviewer. Holy crap that's a lot of pressure.

My regular readers (or anyone who knows me) will know that the reason this review carries so much weight, is that I have an undeniable, ever present love of Jake Gyllenhaal. Not a crush. Lets not belittle this. It's an all consuming adoration. He is perfect to me. Always has been, always will be. I met him once for all of 5 seconds. It was the most magical 5 seconds of my life.

So now that you understand my affliction, maybe you understand why this review is going to be my defining moment. If I'm too biased I will never be a real, honest to goodness film reviewer. But how can I not be biased when I'm talking about Jake and his perfection? Let me tell you about the film and I'll deal with that conundrum afterwards.

The Source Code of the title is a device which allows a person to cross over into another's identity in the last 8 minutes of their life. There's a very specific explanation of the 'hows' and 'whys' of this in the movie, which I wouldn't want to attempt to re-iterate coz I'd probably get it wrong. The 'hows' and 'whys' aside, the guinea pig here is Captain Colter Stevens who has been placed in the body of a passenger on a train, which explodes 8 minutes later, just as he was getting to grips with what was going on. Capt Stevens mission is to be injected into this re-created scenario, over and over, until he discovers who bombed the train. The outcome of this discovery is to stop a further explosion planned for later that day by the same bomber. In a nutshell, the film is kinda like Groundhog Day crossed with Quantum Leap.

Sound confusing? Well it's really not as confusing as I've made it sound. The film is well timed and explains the technical stuff in a way which sheds light, but doesn't blind you with the science. You find yourself understanding it without feeling like you've been talked down to. Director Duncan Jones, who has only one other feature film under his belt (Moon staring Sam Rockwell), does an impressive job of shooting what is essentially the same scene several times, adding a different spin to each take.

Of course I can't review the film without talking about the performances. Here is where I am torn because I want to tell you that Jake did a great job. But I also don't want you to think I'm just saying that. He really did do a great job, my personal feelings for him aside. I honestly think this film wouldn't work so well without him. Or at least without someone who is able to be likable but also a little weird, and funny but also able to convey emotion. Jake does all of these things effortlessly. If thinking that makes me biased, well I guess my potential new career is down the toilet. But I think you'll agree that liking, or at the very least being on the side of, Capt Stevens is kinda essential to the film. 

My friend who accompanied me to the film thought it was predictable. I guess I'd agree with that to some extent but then I don't think Source Code ever labled itself as a mystery? *Spoiler Alert* I personally found the predictability to be a blessing as the ending I was hoping for whilst watching the film, is the ending I got. *End Spoiler* What did surprise me was the emotion of the movie. The last couple of scenes especially. And how grounded in reality the characters were, despite the fantasy setting. Cast wise, I felt it was a pity that both Michelle Monaghan and Vera Farmiga had little to do in their supporting roles as both were superb. I don't see how the script could have allowed their characters to do more but it was still unfortunate that their roles were so limited.

A film that stands apart from anything else on general release. Source Code will draw you in with it's premise but keep you hooked with it's humanity. 8 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 1st April 2011

UK Release Date - 1st April 2011

Cast Overview:

Jake Gyllenhaal ~ Captain Colter Stevens

Michelle Monaghan ~ Christina Warren

Vera Farmiga ~ Colleen Goodwin

Jeffrey Wright ~ Dr Rutledge

Michael Arden ~ Derek Frost

Director ~ Duncan Jones

Writer ~ Ben Ripley