Last saturday night, there was a special screening of RoboCop held at the Bio Rex cinema at downtown Helsinki. The screening was of the unrated director's cut and in addition to the privilege of seeing this cinematic masterpiece on the big screen, director Paul Verhoeven himself was at the event to present the film to the audience.

 When I first heard about this I almost did a goddamn backflip because this man is a hero of mine. I've always held these directors to the highest respect who not only are able to tell great stories, but also fully understand the techical aspects of good filmmaking by which I mean clever camera blocking, use of music, pacing in editing and so forth. In this toughest league of filmmakers, Verhoeven has always been a master and RoboCop was simply the first film to really demonstrate his genius in the US. All of his Hollywood films that've followed (Showgirls included) have been entertaining to say the least. Even Hollow Man, the film which made Verhoeven reflect his own motifs in American filmmaking and eventually return to Europe, is very entertaining, fluent and especially well made.

 Now, granted, Verhoeven wasn't in Finland just to present RoboCop at the annual Night Visions film festival, but to promote his new book Jesus Of Nazareth co-written with Rob Van Scheers (author of Verhoeven's biography). At the screening Verhoeven kindly held two Q&A's, one before the film and one after. At this point I have to say that never in my life have I been more embarrassed to be a part of Finnish film audience because in the middle of the first Q&A some -and please pardon my French here- fucking douchebag interrupted the honored guest by yelling out "start the fucking movie already!". Luckily he was immediately put in his place by the rest of the audience (myself included). Afterwards, once the film had ended and the director was kind enough to continue with a thorough Q&A, he still stuck around happily for autographs and pictures with his fans. Not a selfish bone in the man's body.

 The film was of course still an undeniable masterpiece and the evening as a whole one I shall never forget. Mr. Verhoeven, thank you for all your films, I will stay tuned for whatever might be coming next, and also thank you sincerely for the picture. A film buff such as myself really couldn't ask for a more grand experience.

RoboCop at IMDb

Paul Verhoeven at IMDb

Directed by Sam Mendes
Starring Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Naomie Harris, Judi Dench, Ralph fiennes, Bérénice Marlohe, Ben Wishaw, Rory Kinnear, Albert Finney, Ola Rapace

As James Bond 007 celebrates 50 years, producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson release one of the best Bond films to date. Skyfall continues the new wave of Bond which started with the superb Casino Royale and continued with the somewhat lesser but still solid Quantum Of Solace.

 Craig has fully and effortlessly inhabited the role and this time works with a director already familiar to him (the two collaborated on Road To Perdition). Visiting writer Paul Haggis (Crash) from previous two films has exited to make room for John Logan (Gladiator, Star Trek Nemesis). The script is brilliant and introduces some radical changes back to the feel and ultimately the look of previous Bonds over the decades although this will mostly be evident only in the last five minutes or so (take notice of M's office for instance). Bardem as the main antagonist is a stroke of brilliance. As an actor, he is a force of nature and though very subtle, he creates a truly memorable gay character rarely seen in mainstream cinema, not to mention in Bond history.

 I was eagerly waiting for this film and though it doesn't happen as often as one would hope, it is always nice to have the film meet up with your expectations and perhaps in this case even more. As long as I can remember, I've always loved Bond films and Skyfall will definitely remain as one the best certainly at least in my mind.

SINIVALKOISILLE
Skyfall jatkaa Casino Royalen rohkeasti aloittamaa Bondien uutta aikakautta ja vaikka keskelle mahtuikin hieman löyhempi Quantum Of Solace, niin tällä kertaa pienoiset ongelmat on jälleen korjattu ja lopputulos on yksi parhaimpia 007-elokuvia sarjan 50-juhlavuotisen taipaleen aikana. Craig on kolmannella kertaa jo täysin sinut hahmonsa kanssa ja tekee vieläpä tutun ohjaajan kanssa työtä (he tekivät jo aiemmin yhdessä elokuvan Matkalla Perditioniin). Javier Bardemin hankkiminen pääkonnan rooliin on nerokas veto, sillä näyttelijänä mies on kuin luonnonvoima ja elokuvassa hän luo hahmostaan ikimuistoisen, joskin hienovaraisen gay-miehen, joka varmasti muistetaan etenkin Bond-leffojen saralla. John Logan (Gladiator, Star Trek Nemesis) on korvannut kahdessa edellisessä osassa vierailleen käsikirjoittajan, Paul Haggisin (Crash) ja Skyfallin käsikirjoitus, kaiken vaivattoman hienouden lomassa, palauttaa myös lopulta Bondin melko lähelle sitä asetelmaa, jossa 007 on ollut jo vuosikymmenten ajan. Visuaalisesti kuin tunnelmallisestikin. Loistava elokuva ja ainakin omasta mielestäni yksi ehdottomasti parhaita 007-seikkailuja kautta aikojen.

Skyfall at IMDb

Directed by Olivier Megaton
Starring Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen, Rade Sherbedzija, Leland Orser

The first Taken caught eveyone by surprise back in 2008 and especially Neeson himself who in an interview revealed that he thought the film would end up going straight to video. The sequel feels a bit forced at times thanks to over editing but ultimately conquers the odds against it. This time it's not Neeson's daughter who gets kidnapped but the man himself by the relatives of the criminals he iced the first time around. It would be folish to expect anything deep and meaningful from Taken 2 but I'd say that everyone who's seen the original and wants to check out the sequel is very aware of this going in. It is a solid sequel because the one thing that made Taken such a joy was Neeson's unforgiving "set of skills" and they have not faded to the second installment and neither has the man himself.

Taken tuli kaikille kulman takaa vuonna 2008 ja myös päätähdelleen, joka kuvitteli elokuvan päätyvän suoraan videolevitykseen. Lopputulos oli kulttielokuva periksi antamattomasta entisestä agentista, joka tekee kaikkensa saadakseen kidnapatun tyttärensä takaisin. Tällä kertaa mies kaapataan itse ja takana ovat ensimmäisen osan uhrien kostoa janoavat sukulaiset. Elokuva kärsii turhan sekavasta editoinnista, joka vaikeuttaa toimintakohtauksien seuraamista ajoittain, mutta sanoisin että muuten jos piti ensimmäisestä osasta, niin luulisi lämpiävän jatkoonkin. Tämä siksi että ensimmäisestä osasta tärkein ominaisuus, Neesonin ylivertaisuus "erikoisine kykyineen" on säilynyt ennallaan ja mies pistää pahikset pakkaseen tunteella ja ammattitaidolla kuin Paulig konsanaan. Jos joku erehtyy etsimään suurta henkilökehitystä tai draamaa tästä tekeleestä, niin omapahan on onnettomuutensa, sillä Taken 2 on puhdas ja onnistunut viihde-elokuva.

Taken 2 at IMDb

Directed by Len Wiseman
Starring Colin Farrell, Jessica Biel, Kate Beckinsale, Bokeem Woodbine, Bryan Cranston, Bill Nighy


It's always a tricky business remaking cinematic milestones and though the original Total Recall made in 1990 would be easy to brush off as just another Schwarzenegger actioner, that wasn't the case. Director Paul Verhoeven along with a brilliant fresh script and cast created a truly original scifi thriller and this new version falls short of everything with the exception of some decent performances, great action and elevated production value. The remake really has no soul of it's own, even though one has been tried desperately to create. In my opinion the film basically works only because it obides by the rules of good remakes: be true to the original but throw enough of your own in the mix to keep the distance. In this the film succeeds but as hard as it tries, the remake of Total Recall can only be viewed as an entertaining action flick shadowed greatly by the original.

Alkuperäinen, vuoden 1990 Total Recall - Unohda Tai Kuole olisi tietämättömän silmissä helppo ohittaa vuokraamon hyllyssä vain yhtenä Iso-Arskan vanhana rynkytysleffana, mutta se olisi virhe, sillä kyseessä oli yksi omaperäisimpiä scifitrillereitä vuosiin ja vaikka tämä uusintaversio kuinka yrittäisi, se on tuomittu elämään esikuvansa varjossa. Uusi Total Recall esittelee paljon hienoja tulevaisuuden visioita, muutaman mukiinmenevän roolisuorituksen ja filmin tehosteet ovat henkeä salpaavan hienoja, mutta tätä ja hienoja toimintakohtauksia lukuunottamatta elokuvasta ei muuta käteen jääkään. Se on viihdyttävä toimintaelokuva, ei muuta.

Total Recall 2012 at IMDb

Total Recall 1990 at IMDb

Directed by Phil Alden Robinson
Starring Ben Affleck, Morgan Freeman, Bridget Moynahan, James Cromwell, Ciarán Hinds, Liev Schreiber, Alan Bates, Ron Rifkin, Colm Feore, Philip Baker Hall, Sven-Ole Thorsen

I decided to give this fourth Jack Ryan film a look after a long while and it truly is a measure of how a decent action thriller is supposed to be made. Director Robinson has been known to make films of lighter genres (Field Of Dreams for example), but as he demonstrated with Sneakers back in 1992, he can easily pull off suspense and Fears is another magnificent benchmark of this. Neo-nazis are pinning US and Russia against each other by framing each other of terrorist acts and (in this film still up and coming) CIA analyst Ryan (Affleck) is the man to stop world destruction. Freeman's mentor to Ryan, Cabot beautifully reflects James Earl Jones' Admiral Greer from previous Ryan films while Cromwell and Hinds face each other off as presidents of the two fuming nations. You could cut the brilliantly built tension with a knife and the only small complaint comes from Affleck's mannerisms still on display at this point of his career. A special mention must be given to Jerry Goldsmith for a memorable and hauntingly beautiful score (as showcased below). A fifth self-titled Jack Ryan film is currently filming with Chris Pine as the lead, Costner lending support and Kenneth Branagh behind the camera. They better not fuck up the gold winning streak which has been going all the way from the superb The Hunt For Red October through Patriot Games and Clear And Present Danger to this. Here's hoping.

The Sum Of All Fears eli suomalaisittain Peloista Pahin on toimintatrilleriä parhaimmillaan. Jack Ryan-elokuvasarjan neljäs teos näyttää neo-nazit usuttamassa USA:ta ja Venäjää sotakurssille toisiaan vastaan ja välissä on vain Affleckin esittämä, vielä tässä vaiheessa aloitteleva CIA:n analyytikko Ryan. Freemanin esittämä Cabot heijastaa hienosti edellisten osien amiraalia Greeriä, jota legendaarinen James Earl Jones niin ikimuistoisesti esitti ja Cromwell ja Hinds revittelevät kahden suurvallan uhittelevina presidentteinä. Ainoa miinus tulee joistain Affleckin vielä tässä vaiheessa uraansa raskauttavista maneereista, jotka mies on tosin nyttemmin onneksi kitkenyt repertuaaristaan. Viidettä, tällä kertaa Jack Ryan-nimistä elokuvaa kuvataan parhaillaan ja ei voi kuin toivoa, että aina mestarillisesta Punaisen Lokakuun Metsästyksestä läpi Näkymättömän Vihollisen ja Iskun Kolumbiaan tähän leffaan jatkunut kultasuora saa arvoisensa lisän riviinsä.

The Sum Of All Fears at IMDb

Directed by Peter Berg
Starring Taylor Kitch, Brooklyn Decker, Alexander Skarsgård, Rihanna, Tadanobu Asano, Liam Neeson, Peter MacNicol

This alien-invasion-at-sea has been shit on by every professional critic on earth but then again you show me a critic who understands the simple fun of summer popcorn movies and I'll show you someone who doesn't have a pole up their ass. Battleship is (said to be) based on the legendary Hasbro board game but really, how do you make a movie out of a simple game of strategy which you can play with a piece of paper and a pencil? Answer: you don't. This movie could've done fine without the affiliation to the game since all they really do to tie the two together are couple of scenes where people bomb the invading aliens by using coordinates. Guess they just thought the tie-in would sell a few extra tickets. Battleship is a shamelessly entertaining action film created with the best photoreal special effects available and it's brutally honest about being nothing more than two glorious hours of blowing shit up.

Battleship on pääasiassa merelle sijoittuva avaruusinvaasioleffa, jonka on rytännyt järjestäen jokainen ammattikriitikko maan päällä, mutta toisaalta, näyttäkää yksikin kesään kuuluvia, massiivisia popcorn-leffoja todella ymmärtävä kriitikko ja minä näytän jonkun jolla ei ole jähmeää seivästä perseessä. Filmi perustuu hyvin, siis hyvin löyhästi kaikille tuttuun laivanupotus-strategiapeliin ja tällä tarkoitetaan vain paria kohtausta joissa alieneita pommitetaan sokkona pelkkien koordinaattien varassa. Muuten Battleship onkin rehellisesti aivoton ja hävyttömän viihdyttävä parituntinen toimintapläjäys, joka on toteutettu ajan parhailla tehosteilla ja muutamalla nimekkäällä näyttelijällä.

Battleship at IMDb

 One of the great directors of Hollywood's most gorgeous action movies is gone. Tony Scott was known for a unique style with his use of camera and editing.  Most likely best known as the director of Tom Cruise's career making hit, Top Gun and for being one of the definitive film directors of the 1980's, Scott continued to entertain audiences not only with spectacular car chases and shootouts but also his successful understanding of comedy timing in films like Beverly Hills Cop II and The Last Boy Scout.

 Tony Scott was the brother of legendary Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator, Prometheus) of whom it has been said by critics that Ridley is a storyteller where Tony only did films for action. This is not true. Tony Scott's films were surely action oriented but they always had a heart at their core driving a relatable humane story. Just look at great films like True Romance and Spy Game. They are ultimately about people and not the commotion around them. Tony, your vision and the spirit you brought to your films will be missed.

Tony Scott at IMDb 

  

Directed by Gary Ross
Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Stanley Tucci, Lenny Kravitz, Liam Hemsworth, Elisabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, Amanda Stenberg, Wes Bentley, Donald Sutherland, Isabell Fuhrman, Alexander Ludwig, Toby Jones

Well, turns out that pretty much all that hype was for a film that wants to be radical and thought provoking social commentary but doesn't have the balls to seriously follow through. The comparisons with legendary cult film Batoru Rowaiaru (Battle Royale) are inevitable and the fact is that after such a film, The Hunger Games tastes like a diet soda after Royale's full flavored sugar version. The film is set in a dystopian future where young people from their "districts" are picked to compeed til death on a hugely popular reality TV show.

 For starters the film should've been made as rated R and not PG-13 because the deaths in the competition become indifferent when every kill takes place outside of frame or is shot in a way you can't tell what's really happening. This desensitization takes all the horror and sympathy for the demise of these characters out of the equation. Most of the "tributes" (contestants) are killed off immediately at the start of the game and are left to be just meaningless statistics. Lawrence and Hutcherson are both excellent actors but the material just isn't quite up to their par. The first half of the film is spend setting up the premise of the game itself and the relationship between Lawrence's Katniss Everdeen and Hutcherson's Peeta Mellark which is all fine and ultimately gives the film some soul and makes the whole thing worth a look but when they start to get close as the film progresses into game mode, this amounts to nothing more than teen soap. Couple of fellow gamers, Fuhrman (Orphan) and Stenberg (Colombiana) emerge from the crop and manage to raise some emotion.

 Banks, Kravitz, Harrelson, Tucci, Bentley and Sutherland are all left on the outskirts of the story with really nothing constructive to do especially in the second half. This may all change though as the sequels continue the tale. There're two more books, Catching Fire and Mockinjay and the latter is being cut up into two films. This is officially of course because "there's too much story to include in just one film". Greater box office returns naturally don't have anything to do with this, oh no. After all, it is highly likely the violence in this film was watered down in order to reach younger and thus larger audiences at once. Which is fucking bullshit.

SINIVALKOISILLE
The Hunger Games eli suomalaisittain Nälkäpeli tuli kankaille ryminällä ja odotukset olivat korkealla. Useimmat tiesivätkin jo valmiiksi kiistattomista yhtäläisyyksistä kulttiklassikoksi nousseen Battle Royale-leffan kanssa, mutta ajatus sivutettiin odotusten tieltä ja nyt kun elokuva on nähty niin ei voi kuin sanoa että Nälkäpeli on kevytlimu verrattuna Royalen maukkaaseen ja vivahteikkaaseen sokeripommiin. Ensinnäkin oli virhe tekijöiltä huorata elokuvan väkivalta kesymmäksi nuorempien katsojien ja siten suurempien lipputulojen takia. Useimmat kilpailijat kuolevat heti pelin alettua jääden vain tilastoiksi ja muut lahdataan kuvan ulkopuolella tai muuten epäselvästi kuvatulla tyylillä. Sympatiaa hahmojen kohtalolle ei pääse syntymään, sillä kauheus on peiteltyä ja siistittyä. Lawrence ja Hutcherson ovat molemmat loistavia näyttelijöitä, mutta käsillä oleva materiaali ei ole aivan heidän arvoistaan. Filmin ensimmäinen puolikas on kohtuullisen taidokkaasti koottua hahmojen rakentamista, sekä alustusta itse peliä varten ja tämä tekeekin Nälkäpelistä katsomisen arvoisen. Pari muutakin pelaajaa, Fuhrman (Ottolapsi) ja Stenberg (Colombiana) onnistuvat rikkomaan muotin ja herättävät kiinnostusta. Suuremmat nimet jäävätkin sitten sivulinjoille ja heitä toivottavasti käytetään paremmin jatko-osissa Catching Fire ja Mockingjay, joista jälkimmäinen jaetaan yllättäen kahteen elokuvaan. Virallisesti koska "meillä on niin paljon tarinaa ettei se mahdu yhteen elokuvaan", mutta todellisuudessa tietty lipputulojen takia. Show dem da money!

The Hunger Games at IMDb

Battle Royale at IMDb