Quick Thoughts: World War Z, Only God Forgives, Monsters University

I surprised myself last week by dragging my lazy ass to a staggering THREE preview screenings last week, none of which I had to review... But thought I'd share a few quick words here if anyone cares to read.

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World War Z - It's not as bad as the negative pre-release press (ballooning budget, last minute rewrites) would have you believe, but meh, it's nowhere near as good as you want it to be either. I haven't read Max Brooks' zombie apocalypse novel which it's based on, but word is that Marc Forster's adaptation removes everything remotely interesting in favour of making a dumb, blockbuster action-centric thriller.

The decision to keep carnage off the screen where possible to get a PG-13 rating is crippling and laughable: there's a scene where a character whose hand has just been chopped off is bandaged up with not a drop of blood in sight. You really expect us -- adults -- to buy this? There are a few suspenseful moments, and I was moderately entertained in the moment, but as the film limped to its disappointingly scaled-down climax, I started to care less and less until walking out of the film feeling unsatisfied. World War Z opens on Thursday, and if you hate 3D, I recommend that you do not see it in its worthless 3D state.

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Only God Forgives - I was surprised at how quick this got a screening here.. within a couple weeks of its booing at Cannes! It's not getting boos from me though, but nearly a week since seeing it I'm still yet to be able to formulate a coherent thought about it. Any Ryan Gosling fans casually heading along to see their favourite hunky Drive star act tough and cool will probably be in for a deeply unpleasant time at the movies: Nicolas Winding Refn's ultra-stylized neon-splashed noir, set in the sordid underbelly of Thailand, unfolds with the blood-curdling, unsettling tenor of a horror movie rather than your traditional crime drama.

Gosling's performance, all smoldering glances, is even more pared-down than in Drive; how many pages of dialogue did he have to remember, like two? Maybe less. If you don't mind pure style, visuals and atmosphere over plot and everything else, Refn's film might seduce you. Dig that Alejandro Jodorowsky dedication in the credits. Only God Forgives opens August 1st.

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Monsters University - I for one would prefer if Pixar stuck to new stories instead of cashing on their existing franchises, but when it's as expertly conceived as this Monsters Inc. prequel, it's hard to complain. University definitely has a Pixar-by-numbers feel, as opposed to say, Toy Story 3 - but it's also another a smart, funny and visually dazzling demonstration of what they do best. Monsters University is out in theatres July 11.

For the Star Wars Fan with Everything #18

Ever think that the Star Wars prequels were too waffly, too boring, just too shitty? Well actor/editing enthusiast Topher Grace (That '70s Show, Venom from Spidey 3) probably thought so too, and has gone and re-edited the three films into one 85-minute feature. The bad news is that it'll probably never see the light of day, for obvious reasons. But the good news is Peter Sciretta from SlashFilm attended the private screening of the cut and has the lowdown here.

By the way, Alexandre O. Philippe's fan-assisted documentary The People vs George Lucas is coming to DVD next month. Here's a clip... hate or love Lucas, it looks pretty good:

The Reboot Blues: Alien

These days Hollywood aren't content just to remake films - they're now REBOOTING them (whatever that means). The Incredible Hulk, Star Trek, Terminator: Salvation, the forthcoming Predators... The latest example of the studios' dirth of imagination is a proposed upgrade of the original Alien film produced by none other than its original director Ridley Scott, along with brother Tony. But hold on - before you start crying, it's actually a PREQUEL, so it's not technically a REMAKE. Carl Rinsch, a commercials/music video dude, is going to be directing the film for Fox, who apparently feel the recent Alien spin-offs - the ones with more than one alien - didn't really work. Top solution, guys. This Polish Alien poster sums up my reaction to this news:

PS: A Tomb Raider reboot/prequel/whatnot is on the way too.