Author: crunchonthis

Starring: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, and Billy Connolly

Directed by Chris Carter (The X-Files)

Rated PG-13 for violent and disturbing content and thematic material

Appropriate for ages 13+

The Good: There is an interesting premise here.  Having the plants of the Earth tell us that they won’t take it anymore and remind us that they have the power to give life and steal it – well that could be the makings of a good story. 

Other than the premise, the only other redeeming quality is the beautifully haunting score by composer James Newton Howard.  As he did for Shyamalan’s last two films, The Lady in the Water and The Village, Howard gives us music that elevates far above the movie he is scoring.

The Bad: Where do you start?  I guess that the most responsible for this mess of a film is writer/director/producer M. Night Shyamalan.  At least with his other films one could say that the directing itself was solid and there were just a few script problems.  Many of the scenes here look completely amateurish, like a B movie made by a below-average film student.  And there aren’t just a few script mistakes here – this script absolutely stinks.  Every page of it. 

The actors could probably blame the script for their lousy performances, but in actuality, the entire film was miscast and the performances were laughable.  I’m not sure what people would be acting like if something like this were to occur, but I can assure you it wouldn’t be anything like this.

Just like The Village, the film has been misrepresented by it’s advertising.  If you recall, The Village was sold as a horror film when in fact it was a drama.  Now they are billing The Happening as M. Night’s first rated R film.  That might be true, but the only reason it is rated R is to stir up interest.  The violence is lame and looks straight out of a Monty Python movie.  There was no need for the extra violence and only exists to manipulate uninformed movie goers into going.  Now you are informed. 

The Good: I have to admit that I didn’t want to like this film.  I’m a big martial arts movie buff and I felt like this might dishonor the genre.  Then I laughed.  And laughed.  And laughed again.  This is a very funny movie, thanks to the talent involved and should provide enjoyment for both kids and adults.  The colors of the film are mesmerizing and the pacing of the film is fast enough to keep the kiddos interested for 90 minutes. 

The Bad: While the movie is entertaining, it is still a tad bit silly (in a bad way).  Also, while the movie looks pretty, the quality of the animation isn’t even close to that which is being put up by Pixar.  While you can’t slight a film because it’s not cutting edge, I feel that Dreamworks could have done a better job with the film’s look. 

Also, there are some pretty scary scenes, so parents with young children might want to be aware.  There is nothing inappropriate, but a film about fighting might not be every parent’s idea of a family movie.

The Good: This is not a bad premise for a film.  In fact, the first half of the film is the funniest best first half of a Sandler comedy film I’ve seen in a decade.  While the bits are way over the top, you can’t help but laugh at this unique super-hero-like character.

I would really like to see what they could have done with an R rating.  After all, they had to keep it way too clean in order to reach PG-13, and an R could have brought the quality up while not having an effect on audience numbers.

The Bad: Once the story is set up, and the premise is through with it’s introduction, the film falls flat from lack of what to do next.  In fact it almost feels like Sandler and gang improvised everything (badly) once they passed the half-way point.  To make matters worse, Mariah Carey steps in for a cameo to prove to us why we hated Glitter so very much.  While I did enjoy the Dave Matthews cameo quite a bit, I found the tale was dead by the time he made his appearance.

The Good: Overall, the story is excellent and the characters stick to their guns.  If you liked the series, expect to like the movie.  The script is full of wit, laughter, and heartache and the actors all turn in solid performances. 

I was surprised at how well the men came off.  Men weren’t always the bad guys in the show, but they didn’t come off so perfect as this either.  The few flaws in the men were excused as being brought on by the crazy women.  More on that next. 

The Bad: While I basically like the characters, I can’t stand their self-absorbed, materialistic, irrational ways.  And because I can’t understand them, I can’t appreciate them enough to really enjoy them.  Sure their antics make me laugh, but I spent much of the film wanting to slap some sense into them.  I actually felt sorry for Big, even though he stood Carrie up at the wedding.  In fact, the only empathy I felt was for the poor men that had to put up with these ridiculous girls. 

I will chalk some of this up to this being a big-time chick flick.  I am not the target audience here and I am ok with that.  I’m not saying that men won’t enjoy this and if given the choice between seeing this or most other chick flicks, I would go with this one easily. 

The Summary: Although the girls tend to annoy me a bit, they stay true to their characters and should give their target audience exactly what they came for.

The Good: Disney has done a remarkable job of making this film look great (of course it helps to have Peter Jackson’s Weta Workshop on your side).  The melding of computer animation with live action and lush landscapes makes this a memorable film at least.

I also really enjoyed the last hour of this two-and-a-half hour long film very much.  The battle sequences trump that which was seen in the first Narnia flick in both scope and realism.

As for the acting, Ben Barnes was a perfect Prince Caspian (maybe a little too good-looking – but I’ll forgive him) and Peter Dinklage was equally strong as the dwarf Trumpkin.  As a side note – if you liked Dinklage here – check out his indie hit The Station Agent – he might be a little person, but he’s one of the biggest talents in Hollywood. 

There is some word going around that due to the violent nature of the film, that it might be too much for young children.  That depends on the parent.  There is no bad language, sex, nudity (even the female centaurs have shirts on), and while there is lots of violence, blood is almost non-existent.  I would have rather had it a little bloodier, but with young kids being the target audience, I can understand that artistic decision. 

The Bad: I found much of the action revolving around the four siblings to be a little annoying.  I loved the action with Caspian and crew, but the four returning characters only added storyline, not excitement.  Most of their dialogue was stale and their acting seemed more whiny at times than decisive.

I would have also liked the editing tightened up a bit.  Much of the second act drags senselessly.

The Summary: Breathtaking visuals and a strong new cast make Caspian an excellent sophomore Narnia pic.