Pan (2015) film review

Year: 2015
Running Time: 111 minutes
Director: Joe Wright
Writers: J.M. Barrie (characters), Jason Fuchs
Cast: Levi Miller, Hugh Jackman, Garrett Hedlund, Rooney Mara, Adeel Akhtar, Amanda Seyfried, Kathy Burke, Jimmy Vee, Cara Delevingne

Pan open in Australian cinemas on September 24 and is distributed by Roadshow Films. To be released in the United States on October 9 and the United Kingdom on October 16.

Pan comes in with the tidal wave of prequels and sequels to much loved family classics gracing our screens this year. J.M. Barrie's "Peter Pan" has already met it's sequel in 1991's Hook, but the idea of a prequel does spark interest as there are questions that need answering from the original. How did Peter Pan come to be the beloved warrior and leader of the Lost Boys? How does Peter Pan fly? Was he born in Neverland? What did become of his family?

There is a great deal of potential there for a strong origins story about the boy who never grows up, all it needed was a good screenplay that answered these questions. The questions are absolutely answered, but the screenplay encompassing the story is incredibly weak and bitterly disappointing. Joe Wright's direction of all things intriguing and beautiful does little to enhance the flat dialogue he is faced with and what results is a film that knows the story it is trying to tell, but isn't sure how to tell it.

During World War II, many children in London were orphaned and among them a rather mischievous small boy named Peter (Levi Miller), who was left on the step of an orphanage by his mother when he was a baby. He starts to notice that other boys have been disappearing at night and it is only a matter of time before he is one of the chosen ones who is shipped off to Neverland to serve the formidable pirate, Blackbeard (Hugh Jackman). Peter is one of the lucky ones who makes it out of Blackbeard's clutches alive and sets out on a journey across Neverland, as he is convinced that this is where the mother he has been searching for so long is living and waiting for him. What awaits for him is adventure like he never imagined and the realisation of how important he really is.

The original story of "Peter Pan" was a tale for all ages and over the years has inspired many remakes and variations. Pan will inevitably draw comparisons to several of these films and while the production design and special effects are particularly stunning and superior to the large majority of predecessors, what it lacks in comparison is being a film for families as a whole. It is true, the screenplay is extremely basic in both dialogue and story so it is easy for children to follow. However, the film is also quite dark and can also be quite intimidating for little children on the big screen. Despite beautiful production design, the film lacks a great deal of well deserved colour, which is something the film is screaming for. The only scene which does impress with it's colour through lovely costume design is with the tribes, but this is not an appropriate scene for children as it is quite violent.

On the other hand, Pan does come across as too basic for adults to fall in love with. The film is not an emotional experience nor are there any underlying themes to bring further meaning to it. There's also the especially strange inclusion of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana and "Hey Ho, Let's Go" by The Ramones which are sure to raise a few eyebrows due to their bizarre appearance in the film. Pan also presents one with frustrating unanswered questions in its final moments and inconsistencies between the film and the original story. No sequel for this film is on the cards, so one cannot help but feel cheated when a gap in story is left between Pan and when he meets Wendy, Michael and John in "Peter Pan". Another strange decision by writer, Jason Fuchs is to include hints of flirting between Hook (Garrett Hedlund) and Tiger Lily (Rooney Mara), which seems a lame attempt purely to include some romance in the film.

The characters themselves are also problematic. While Levi Miller is fine as Peter Pan and rather enjoyable, Blackbeard and Hook are badly constructed characters and Hook in particular is given some strange characteristics. Hugh Jackman's Blackbeard is not given much of a background story as to who he really is and how he came to be the evil man with no consideration for human life. Although Blackbeard does have some of the best lines in the film and it is Jackman's comedic timing that provides a source of entertainment. Garrett Hedlund's James Hook is incredibly exaggerated. Physically and vocally he resembles Indiana Jones more than the traditional idea of the man he is yet to become.

Pan is a disappointment to it's film relatives. It acts as an adolescent who is still not quite sure who they are, but is attempting to be everything to everyone...which ultimately never works when you are trying too hard.

4.5/10

Country Strong

Country Strong
Year: 2010
Director: Shana Feste
Cast:  Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim McGraw, Garrett Hedlund, Leighton Meester

In My Own Words
Does anybody else find it funny that the only star of Country Strong who is first and foremost a singer outside this film, doesn't sing?

I bet you didn't pick that up until you just read that! Tim McGraw lives and breathes country music being the winner of three Grammy's, married to another country superstar, Faith Hill and has sold millions of records. I can imagine many country music fans would have flocked to see Country Strong in hope of seeing their idol sing on the big screen. Yes he has been in other films in which he hadn't sung in, but this film surely would have been the one he did considering it is about country singers such as himself. Not that it is a bad thing at all because it seperates him as a true actor rather than a singer only trying to be an actor, but it is just interesting that he is the only singer before actor out of the four and the only one who doesn't sing. That's all.

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
Well, this is probably one cast you probably thought you would never see together in a film. We have Academy Award winner Gwyneth Paltrow, country music superstar Tim McGraw, TRON: Legacy heart throb Garrett Hedlund and Gossip Girl and sometimes pop singer Leighton Meester. Interesting cast, but what about the movie around the cast, Country Strong?

Country Strong is one of those films which require a lot of brain power. Not during the film, but to actually figure out whether you enjoy it or not. It has good points and bad points, just as it has good songs and bad songs. Yet, it is worth a watch for a bit of cheese and a bit of drama.Country music fans will be ecstatic at the long awaited release of a country music film which proves country music to be cool and fun, and not dreary like it is sometimes made out to be.

After a horrific night nine months before in Texas when country music superstar, Kelly Canter (Gwyneth Paltrow) appeared onstage drunk, fell over a microphone cord, plummeted and lost her unborn child, her husband and manager, James (Tim McGraw)belives she is ready for her comeback tour. However, Kelly's younger lover and country music start on the rise, Beau (Garrett Hedlund) is not quite as sure. James oprganises a sold out tour of Nashville, Austin and Dallas for Kelly and takes Beau and the young starlet, Chiles Stanton (Leighton Meester) along as support acts. These young stars are ready for their moment in the sun, but it seems that Kelly has already had hers.

There is always something fun about films based on the movie industry, and Country Strong is no exception. Something that Country Strong is also no exception for is that it is cheesy and contains stereo-typical characters for a film of this type. There are some great songs which would do well if they were released on their own ("Timing Is Everything") and then some really horrible and overly corny songs ( the horrible but somehow catchy and toe- tapping "Summer Girl"). There are moments of thrill and goosebumps where the the stars are applauded by massive concert crowds. Country Strong ticks all boxes for a cheesy entertainment based spectacular.

However, Country Strong is inconcsistent to say the least. The story is actually very good and quite entrancing at times, but the script is quite lame which destroys the vibe of the story. There are un-nesccessary lines where there should just be emotion through facial expressions and this would have made the movie far more endearing. For example, when Chiles gives her first performance in front of James to prove she is good enough to tour with Kelly, the audience would have benefited far more if her character had shown her ambition and then nerves through her body language and facial expressions rather than her lines. Yet, the ending is still strong and quite unpredictable.

Gwyneth Paltrow does very well in this film. She plays out well the woman who everyone thought was very close to making a full recovery and goes on a downward spiral into coming undone once again. At the beginning of the film, she is not quite as strong a character as what she becomes in the audiences eyes further into the film. The only thing about Paltrow's performance is that she really has no chemistry with her co-stars. She doesn't seem to be overly in love with her husband ( although at times you're not sure whether she actually is) and there is no chemsitry between her and Garrett Hedlund at all.

 Tim McGraw is also very good, yet one would expect him to be in a film which is based on his main career outside the film. He shows a tremendous amount of love and pain for his wife. It is unclear whether he is actually supposed to be a good guy or a bad guy in this film. He seemingly forces his wife back into the spotlight when she clearly is not ready, yet he never fails in his love for her and, unlike his wife, doesn't have a wandering eye.

Garrett Hedlund is fine. He does well, but his performance is not by any means spectacular. However, who knew he had the perfect voice for country music? Leighton Meester's Chiles doesn't have a particular strong character and at the beginning she starts off quite weak as a result of a bad script, but she finishes off quite well. When happy, her smile does definitely light up the screen.

Country Strong is not the dramatic film which director, Shana Feste may or may not have wanted it to be. It has as many flaws as it does strengths, and like it or not, it is still a fun watch. The combination of Paltrow, McGraw, Hedlund and Meester is enough to bring in the curious folk.
6/10

TRON Legacy

TRON Legacy
Year: 2010
Director: Joseph Kosinki
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Michael Sheen

In My Own Words
How excited are sci-fi fans about this film? After 28 years since the original "TRON", fans finally get to see the revamped version of the old Disney classic. I never watched the original "TRON". One of the reasons being that I was born in 1982 so it wasn't a new release I got to see at the cinema. My only memory of it is of it being one of the trailers on my other Disney movie videos (yes, videos....let me know if anyone needs reminding of what a video is). At that point in time I was more interested in Disney films with talking animals rather than science fiction films. Since then, it is not a movie I have seen on DVD. I believe it is on DVD, but it is very hard to come by. I would watch it if I could find it! I am sure a few of the questions which I have about "TRON Legacy" would be answered if I had seen "TRON". Maybe I would have appreciated it more, but I'm not quite sure. Maybe I would have been comparing it too much and would have hated it! Who knows! Personally I thought the best things about the film were the music and the visuals. Without the impact of those two features, the movie would have just been a confusing and boring 2 hours. I never thought I would credit Daft Punk with making a movie worthwhile. Of course, if you are a sci fi fan, you are obviously going to disagree with me. This film could well be your bread and butter.

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
28 years after Disney released "TRON" in cinemas, it's sequel "TRON Legacy" finally comes to our screens. The original "TRON" was seen as a break through in cinema as it was released at a time when computers hadn't been around for very long and a movie about someone being sucked into a computer system created a great deal of interest. However, 28 years later in 2010, it doesn't create quite the same interest in our worlds where the internet is a necessity to many. The story is out dated and dull, only to be saved by the impressive visuals and soundtrack. Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) is the son of Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), the video game creator who has been missing for years. When Sam investigates in his father's abandoned video game arcade, he finds himself sucked into the digital world which his father created. However, the world is now ruled by Flynn's creation gone bad, Clu ( also played by Jeff Bridges). Sam soon finds that he is the enemy of Clu and that his father is alive and living in exile inside the Grid.

It just seems as though Disney left it way too long to release "TRON Legacy" in order for it to be a success. Disney only confirmed 2 years ago in 2008 that their were serious aboit releasing a "TRON" sequel. Leaving it this long meant that times have changed as have what people find intriguing. We have seen many movies which are set around or in computer generated worlds that in the age of computers where anything is possible, it is hard to impress. Also, there will be many people who haven't seen the original "TRON" as it was released nearly 30 years ago.The film will pose many questions for those who haven't seen the original "TRON". For a film that is hard to come by these days on DVD, this was always going to be a problem. One can guess themselves what happenned in the first film, but there is still a great deal of film concepts that would become so much clearer for the audience if they had seen the first. Unlike many other sequels, this film is easier to be judged as a stand alone film rather than a sequel. This may not do the film any justice, which is a rarity for sequels.

On the other hand, visually "TRON Legacy" has perfect timing. The film was not made for 3D, but post-production made it possible. The computer generated images during the film, such as the games of survival are truly amazing and exciting to watch. The techniques used to make Jeff Bridges 30 years younger are absolutely intriguing. It is amazing what can be done during post production of films these days. The costumes and make up are also very impressive. The soundtrack to the film, as done by Daft Punk, is one of the key elements of the film. Even for people who are not fans of the electronic scene, there is no denying that the music adds to the effectiveness of the film. Each piece of music enhances the scene which it is in and brings it to life. The direction and post-production of this film is really quite commendable.

The acting in this film is quite simple. The only two actors who show any type of emotion are Jeff Bridges and Garret Hedlund in the reunion scene and goodbye scene. Otherwise their acting is quite bland. Olivia Wilde as Kevin Flynn's sidekick, Quorra doesn't do anything spectacular in this film and it is not a very hard role for her to play. As Zeus, Michael Sheen seems to be channelling his inner David Bowie, and does so successfully. He is un-nerving and bizarre, but strangely interesting. The film is actually quite well choreographed during scenes such as with the sirens supplying Sam with his disk.

"TRON Legacy" is a hard one. The story and script is outdated and the acting is not spectacular, as one would'nt expect from a film such as this. However, it takes full advantage of the CGI which is available today and the film strives on this throughout the film. Without the CGI, there wouldn't be much of a film. Sci-fi fans will love this film, while others will either take it or leave it. The CGI can only take you part of the way to a good film, a good story and script will take you the rest of the way. Which makes "TRON Legacy" only partly a good film.
5.5/10