Movie Review: Snowpiercer

Snowpiercer (Seolgungnyeolcha)
Starring:  Chris Evans, Song Kang-ho, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer, John Hurt, Ed Harris
Director: Bong Joon-ho
CJ Entertainment, Union Investment Partners, Moho Films, Opus Pictures, South Korea, Czech Republic, USA, France 2013. 

 

To battle global warming cooling chemical CW7 was released to atmosphere. Unfortunately the plan worked and the Earth was frozen killing nearly all life. In 2031 the surviving humans are living in an ever moving giant train Snowpiercer. The train was created by rich industrialist Wilford (Ed Harris). The people living in the last cars are oppressed and living in slave-like conditions while the people in the front cars live privileged life depicting not so subtle social commentary. The leader of the poor people is a man named Curtis (Chris Evans) who has an older mentor Gilliam (John Hurt). Curtis has also a friend Edgar (Jamie Bell)

Gilliam, Curtis and Edgar

Curtis has to do tough choices

Snowpiercer's engine pushing forward

The poor people start a revolution and free a drug-addicted security expert Namgoong Minsu (Song Kang-ho known also from the movies Shiri, J.S.A. and Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance) and his clairvoyant daughter Yona (Go Ah-sung). The first "enemy boss" is Minister Mason (Tilda Swinton) who supports Wilford with religious fervour. Mason also holds an interesting speech about shoe. However the advancing of Curtis and his troops begins to disrupt the balance of the closed system in the train. The train also has some resources that are the last ones in the world such as bullets and cigarettes. 

Namgoong Minsu is smarter than it first seems

Minister Mason talks about shoe

Disturbingly perky school teacher

Travelling through different surreal cars offers serene moments in between bloody action scenes. The movie is a bleak depiction of future but has also some dark humour. For example there is a scene when the battle ceases and the combatants celebrate New Year as the train travels through a narrow bridge and pushes through snowbanks. Then the battle continues as if nothing happened!

Shouldn't have opened that door

The whole world is frozen

The train has even an aquarium

Snowpiercer is an unique style action scifi movie with inventive visuals. It has philosophical aspects and it works as an action film.

Here's an animated prequel that leads into the dark mood of the movie. 

Rating:Very good

Movie Review: Hesher

Hesher 

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rainn Wilson, Natalie Portman, Devin Brochu, Piper Laurie, John Carroll Lynch, Audrey Wasilewski, Brendan Hill 

Director: Spencer Susser 

The Last Picture Company, CatchPlay, Nu Image, Corner Store, Handsome Charlie films, American Work,  USA, 2010.

T.J. (Devin Brochu) is a young boy who has lost his mother in an accident. He lives with his depressed father Paul (Rainn Wilson) and grandmother Madeleine (Piper Laurie) whose health is not good. One day he meets long-haired guy named Hesher (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who has self-made tattoos. 

T.J.'s and his whole family are depressed

(In Urbandictionary.com one definition of hesher is:
"Hesher can be generally described as a grungy, long-haired person with a "still stuck in the '80s" image. Usually seen wearing leather motorcycle or denim jacket full of band patches, torn acid-washed jeans and an '80s rock t-shirt. Likes to listen to some heavy metal tunes while riding an old school van. Characterized by an outlaw attitude, probably drinks alcohol and smokes weed. Similar in appearance to a thrasher.") 

So true to the definition, Hesher has a rusty van and he lives in empty buildings. Because T.J.'s stumbling into his dwelling attracts the attention of police, Hesher is forced to escape. T.J. is bullied at school by Dustin (Brendan Hill) whose father is an used car dealer. Hesher does not directly help T.J. but he vandalizes Dustin's car. Dustin beats T.J. but T.J. is saved by grocery store cashier Nicole (Natalie Portman).

Nicole does not like being called "Lady"

Then T.J. notices that Hesher has moved in his house and threatens to hurt his family if T.J. does no co-operate. Hesher is vulgar and profane (his parables often involve some weird sex acts) but T.J.'s family tolerates him. Hesher also likes to burn things so he burns down Dustin's car. T.J. has a little crush with Nicole, but that does not go so well. Despite Hesher's anarchistic behaviour he has a soft side and in his own style he helps T.J.'s family to recover from the sorrow of losing loved ones. 

T.J. and his father have a new house-guest

Hesher is not content with TV channel selection

In the movie Hesher acts as the implementer of T.J.'s hidden desires, but T.J. must also learn to control the impulses not to go to far. The movie is an unconventional and darkly funny story about overcoming loss and grief. The excellent heavy metal soundtrack has songs by Metallica and Motörhead.

Let's burn Dustin's car!

Hesher joking

Rating: Good

Movie Review: Jumanji

Jumanji
Starring: Robin Williams, Kirsten Dunst, Bradley Pierce, David Alan Grier, Bonnie Hunt, Jonathan Hyde, Bebe Neuwirth
Director: Joe Johnston
TriStar Pictures, Interscope Communications, Teitler Film, USA, 1995. 

In 1869 two boys bury a chest in the ground. In 1969 young Alan Parrish (Adam Hann-Byrd) gets beaten by bullies. He goes to a construction site and finds the chest. Inside the chest there is a weird board game Jumanji. Alan's rich parents are sending Alan to a boarding school but he doesn't want to go. Alan plays the game with his friend Sarah (Laura Bell Bundy). Alan gets sucked into the game and Sarah flees in horror. Alan's parents spend their fortune on searching Alan and their shoe factory goes bankrupt. 

Young Alan finds a weird game

Wake not a sleeping lion

26 years later orphans Judy (Kirsten Dunst) and Peter (Bradley Pierce) move in the house with their aunt Nora (Bebe Neuwirth). They find the magical game and play it. Soon the board spits out mosquitoes, lions and other wild animals and finally grown-up Alan (Robin Williams) appears. 

Judy and Peter play a game

Alan with jungle beard

Alan lived 26 years in Jumanji's jungle so he is up to a culture shock. He also hears about the fate of his parents and the shoe factory. He is reluctant to play anymore. The wild animals and mosquitoes are wrecking the town. The only way to make things normal is to finish the game so the kids must persuade Alan to play. 

Peter, Alan and Judy go meet Sarah

Monkey bikers

Alan convinces Sarah to play

Former shoe designer turned cop Carl (David Alan Grier) tries to make sense of strange happenings. Sarah (Bonnie Hunt) was shocked when Alan disappeared and is now a eccentric fortune teller. The kids and Alan must get her also to play the game. Then also a trigger-happy hunter Van Pelt (Jonathan Hyde) comes out the gameboard. Eventually Alan must face his greatest fears instead of running away.  

Stampede of elephants and rhinos

Carl arrests Alan for suspicious activity

Van Pelt hunting Alan

The movie is a fun roller-coaster ride with good cast. Robin Williams delivers his role with charm as always. The movie is a good 90s style family adventure with some scary moments. The special effects combine CGI and animatronics, effects are good but show their age. The movie is based on the book by Chris Van Allsburg. The movie has also a spiritual sequel Zathura, this time with a space themed board game.

Rating: Good