The Man in Black fled across the desert and Jethro, lacking a map, got lost in the process of following him. But he didn't have it as bad as most critics who climbed The Dark Tower. This is the cinematic realization of Stephen King's epic fantasy novels. I think 95 minutes is too short a realization.
So what did Jethro learn from this? There's a Dark Tower in the land of Mid-World that holds up all the worlds of the multiverse together. Walter Padick (Matthew McConaughey), the evil Man in Black, wants to destroy the Tower so he and his fellow demons can destroy the universe. But he needs a child with immense psychic energy to bring down the Tower. Roland Deschain (Idris Elba) is the last of the knightly order of Gunslingers tasked with defending the Tower. Walter killed the other Gunslingers, including Roland's father. So Roland wants revenge.
Everybody got that?
Jake Chambers (Tom Taylor) sees this epic battle of good and evil in his dreams. Jake also has special psychic powers and Walter knows it. He sends some demons over to fetch him but he escapes. Jake finds his way to Mid-World and meets Roland. Roland has some misgivings but lets Jake tag along. He'll soon have to choose between vengeance and nobility when Walter closes in on Jake.
The three main characters are pretty well-defined in their roles. Roland is a heroic knight who lost his way, Walter is evil incarnate and delightfully smug and Jake is the kid at the center of it all. The screenplay makes them and their situations basically defined and comprehensible. I'm sure there was much more depth in the books but that's what we have here. (I mean, why does it have to be a psychic kid who has to bring down the Tower? The why is never explained.) There are a few funny moments from Roland's first encounters with Jake's Earth. That's a good thing.
The creature designs were pretty nifty when you can make them out. It's one of those movies that goes for dark cinematography and quick editing on action scenes. One cut to black was so abrupt I thought the projector stopped for a bit! The sound design was suitably creepy and the visual effects were adequate. The makeup work for Walter's minions was also good.
The Dark Tower is an acceptable dark fantasy film but it could've been better. An hour longer or several movies longer or a TV show like Game of Thrones. But 95 minutes is short not sweet. But at least it's not dreadfully incomprehensible or boring like Warcraft. Its greatest sin, if any, was that it was basic. Hopefully, someone does better the next time they set Roland and Walter and the others into motion.
About Me
- Jethrotcat
- This is the blog where I talk about the latest movies I've seen. These are my two Schnauzers, Rufus (left) and Marley (right, RIP). As of now, the Double Hollywood Strikes are officially over. May the next strikes not last as long as these ones did.
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Sunday, August 13, 2017
Detroit
After two consecutive films about the Iraq War, director Kathryn Bigelow and writer Mark Boal go back in time to another historical event in American history. This is Detroit and where's Robocop when you need him?
The film opens with the police raid on the blind pig that sets off the 12th Street Riot. The National Guard and the Army are brought in when local government fails to keep the peace. One night, the Dramatics, an R&B group, sees their first stage performance cut short by the rioting. Their bus trip out of town is cut short by more rioting and they head off to the Algiers Motel. They meet a few new characters, including Carl (Jason Cooper), who has a starter pistol in hand. He prank shoots another guy then shoots at some troops he sees from a window.
The cops mistake the starting pistol for a legitimate sniper attack. They trace the gun fire to the Algiers and raid the place. A racist creep named Krauss (Will Poulter) is the officer in charge. He and his fellow officers won't rest until the gun is found. They'll use psychological and physical torture of all means to get their shooter. The incident leaves three of the Algiers guest dead and a bad spot in American history.
The raid on the Algiers is the film's most arduous experience. It kicks off at about the fifty minute mark and goes on for almost an eternity. The officers, among other aggravations, take a guest to a secluded room and pretend to shoot them. It gets taxing after the umpteenth time of this. I wondered aloud at one point "how much more of this?" There is next to no relief, which I'm sure is the point, and they really nailed it in. The torture scenes in Zero Dark Thirty were much shorter but you got the point.
Please note: The film admits to partaking in dramatic license because the actual facts are sketchy. I'm not making that up. I summed up their disclaimer. Anyway...
The only relief comes when a kindly national guardsman liberates one of the guests from the "death game." He's later found by another cop who takes him to the hospital. There is humanity.
Let's discuss the villain. Will Poulter as Krauss is unlikable from scene one to scene last. His only ounce of humanity comes when he reacts in horror to his partner botching the "death game" by killing a guest ... then he loops it around by planting evidence and shooting another guest in cold blood. I dislike this character.
The best I can say about the acting is that I saw them as characters. A few standouts include Mitchell, Algee Smith as Larry, lead singer of the Dramatics, John Boyega as Dismukes, a security guard who gets involved in the mess and Anthony Mackie as Greene, a Vietnam vet. You really feel for them as the injustices unfold. A few might question why none of the guests came clean about the starter pistol. But perhaps they know the cops won't believe them because they're them. I'm sure it's a persistent sentiment today.
The technical side deserves some credit. Editor William Goldenberg builds up the tension from the very beginning. Together with cinematographer Barry Ackroyd, his work really emphasizes the claustrophobia of the Algiers incident. Sound designer Paul NJ Ottosson does a great job in creating the urban chaos. James Newton Howard's score is strong and the old standards on the soundtrack are memorable.
Detroit is a film that may take time to invite a second viewing. It's technically proficient and deeply resonant, but its centerpiece segment is unendurable by design. It would've been better if the aftermath of the Algiers incident wasn't essentially breezed over in the last part. How did it impact the city other than one more Kangaroo Court? It feels much longer than 143 minutes.
The film opens with the police raid on the blind pig that sets off the 12th Street Riot. The National Guard and the Army are brought in when local government fails to keep the peace. One night, the Dramatics, an R&B group, sees their first stage performance cut short by the rioting. Their bus trip out of town is cut short by more rioting and they head off to the Algiers Motel. They meet a few new characters, including Carl (Jason Cooper), who has a starter pistol in hand. He prank shoots another guy then shoots at some troops he sees from a window.
The cops mistake the starting pistol for a legitimate sniper attack. They trace the gun fire to the Algiers and raid the place. A racist creep named Krauss (Will Poulter) is the officer in charge. He and his fellow officers won't rest until the gun is found. They'll use psychological and physical torture of all means to get their shooter. The incident leaves three of the Algiers guest dead and a bad spot in American history.
The raid on the Algiers is the film's most arduous experience. It kicks off at about the fifty minute mark and goes on for almost an eternity. The officers, among other aggravations, take a guest to a secluded room and pretend to shoot them. It gets taxing after the umpteenth time of this. I wondered aloud at one point "how much more of this?" There is next to no relief, which I'm sure is the point, and they really nailed it in. The torture scenes in Zero Dark Thirty were much shorter but you got the point.
Please note: The film admits to partaking in dramatic license because the actual facts are sketchy. I'm not making that up. I summed up their disclaimer. Anyway...
The only relief comes when a kindly national guardsman liberates one of the guests from the "death game." He's later found by another cop who takes him to the hospital. There is humanity.
Let's discuss the villain. Will Poulter as Krauss is unlikable from scene one to scene last. His only ounce of humanity comes when he reacts in horror to his partner botching the "death game" by killing a guest ... then he loops it around by planting evidence and shooting another guest in cold blood. I dislike this character.
The best I can say about the acting is that I saw them as characters. A few standouts include Mitchell, Algee Smith as Larry, lead singer of the Dramatics, John Boyega as Dismukes, a security guard who gets involved in the mess and Anthony Mackie as Greene, a Vietnam vet. You really feel for them as the injustices unfold. A few might question why none of the guests came clean about the starter pistol. But perhaps they know the cops won't believe them because they're them. I'm sure it's a persistent sentiment today.
The technical side deserves some credit. Editor William Goldenberg builds up the tension from the very beginning. Together with cinematographer Barry Ackroyd, his work really emphasizes the claustrophobia of the Algiers incident. Sound designer Paul NJ Ottosson does a great job in creating the urban chaos. James Newton Howard's score is strong and the old standards on the soundtrack are memorable.
Detroit is a film that may take time to invite a second viewing. It's technically proficient and deeply resonant, but its centerpiece segment is unendurable by design. It would've been better if the aftermath of the Algiers incident wasn't essentially breezed over in the last part. How did it impact the city other than one more Kangaroo Court? It feels much longer than 143 minutes.
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