9 (2009)

Genre

Animation | Action | Adventure

Director

Shane Acker

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Elijah Wood, Fred Tatasciore, Jennifer Connelly, Crispin Glover, John C. Reilly, Martin Landau, Christopher Plummer, Alan Oppenheimer, Tom Kane, Helen Wilson

Storyline

In a world destroyed in a war between man and machine, a hand-stitched doll with the number 9 on its back (Elijah Wood) comes to life, and with the help of others like him he must save humanity.

Opinion

Back in 2005 a young Shane Acker made a short film that was nominated for an Oscar. Four years later, thanks to creative genius Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov, he was able to make an animated feature length out of it, and it's quite good.

Visually appealing though not providing a lot of food for thoughts, "9" is a breath of fresh air in terms of dystopian fiction and animation.

Shane Acker brought to the big screen a tale about the classical conflict between humans and machines, following "WALL·E" footprints, and borrowing maybe a little too much from other apocalyptic films like the abovementioned and "Terminator", but in the right way.

Still the film is not a nine. It suffers from a straightforward plot which ends exactly how one would expect it to, there aren't any real twists, or anything in the plot that makes it really engaging. Also there isn't a real explanation of what is going on. The characters had a lot of potential, all wasted though, and there is no character development.

The film also suffers from some dead moments and a swinging pace - very fast paced moments followed by long narrative pauses.

However, the animation, which is basically the reason I watched the film in the first place, is stunning. The scenery and landscapes are beautifully crafted, and although it is computer generated it really resembles the style of Tim Burton's stop-motion animation.

Overall it is quite enjoyable, and it's definitely worth checking out for the visuals.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Genre

Action | Sci-Fi

Director

George Miller

Country

Australia | USA

Cast

Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Riley Keough, Zoë Kravitz, Abbey Lee, Courtney Eaton, Josh Helman, Nathan Jones, John Howard, Richard Carter, Angus Sampson, iOTA, Quentin Kenihan, Jennifer Hagan, Jon Iles, Melissa Jaffer, Megan Gale, Gillian Jones, Joy Smithers, Melita Jurisic

Storyline

In the stark desert wasteland populated by a broken humanity driven with survival and the unending ravage for gasoline, a loner named Max (Tom Hardy) finds himself unwantedly caught in the middle of a chase while aiding the heroine Furiosa (Charlize Theron), and her female companions, she struggles to return to her homeland and escape the clutches of a ruthless dessert gang leader, Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne).

Opinion

Following a series of ups and downs, the Mad Max Trilogy ended in the worst possible of ways with "Beyond Thunderdome", a film starring Mel Gibson that somehow ends up on the set of "Hook". Ever since, George Miller had plenty of time to think. I imagine him brainstorming, trying to restore Max's name and dignity; and here he is, thirty years later, with a brand new film that will blow you away.

A ferocious, glorious, gripping, thrilling, and absolutely insane film, "Mad Max: Fury Road" is a masterpiece that goes far beyond the action genre.

As mentioned earlier, George Miller had plenty of time and he used it beautifully: not only he identified the weak points of his narrative, but he also realized that action without substance doesn't have any purpose. Miller renewed his post-apocalyptic universe and was able to express this complex and chaotic world to perfection through his people: every single face has a story to tell that is worth listening to.

You will be immediately catapulted into a mad world, where it is not recommended to let your guard down, between a sandstorm and an attack led by the War Boys. Adrenaline doesn't lower for a single moment, leaving you on the edge of the seat for the whole running time.

To a great story frantically paced is added a minimal use of CGI on behalf of the spectacular Australian landscapes and real stunts. The result is a mix of explosions, jumps and fights so real that no computer will ever be able to replicate. Also, the way the sick action sequences were filmed not only is revolutionary but is so fantastic there are no words to describe it.

But the real innovation is the presence of women. They are the real characters, and for once they break free from the 'objects to be saved and owned' label that our male-dominated society imposes, and they fight for their freedom. Among these stands out Furiosa, the heroine of the story with a dark past behind her.

Then of course there's Mad Max, no longer in the disguise of Mel Gibson, still a man haunted by his past, so tormented to force himself to an even greater exile than the rest of humanity has to deal with. To balance the whole there is Immortan Joe, a terrible tyrant and self-proclaimed god followed by the War Boys, warriors willing to sacrifice their lives to earn Joe's admiration.

As for the acting, Tom Hardy's talent for portraying strong, silent characters shines again in a subtle performance. Thanks to his impetuous and animalistic attitude, and a glance filled with madness, he really does a great job. However, the stand out is Charlize Theron who delivers an emotionally perfect and Oscar worthy performance as Furiosa. 

Yes, it deserves every single nomination. 

Hope is a mistake. If you can't fix what's broken, you'll, uh... you'll go insane. - Max Rockatansky

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)

Genre

Action | Sci-Fi

Directors

George Miller | George Ogilvie

Country

Australia

Cast

Mel Gibson, Tina Turner, Bruce Spence, Adam Cockburn, Frank Thring, Angelo Rossitto, Paul Larsson, Angry Anderson, Robert Grubb, Helen Buday, Tom Jennings, Edwin Hodgeman, Rod Zuanic

Storyline

Robbed of his possessions whilst traveling through the Australian outback, Max (Mel Gibson) stumbles upon Bartertown, a trading post for all manner of criminals and governed by Aunt Entity (Tina Turner) and Master Blaster (Angelo Rossitto). Forced to fight on behalf of Aunt Entity, he is later banished and finds a group of abandoned children to rebel against the town's queen.

Opinion

Following a bad start, and a good recovery, this final instalment of the Mad Max Trilogy seems to return to its roots, not sure why. Maybe George Miller didn't put his whole heart into it because of the loss of his friend and producer Byron Kennedy, to whom the film is dedicated, or maybe Hollywood stepped in and did what Hollywood do better, ruin things.

Too messy and dragged to be an enjoyable experience, "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome" is quite hard to sit through.

Apart from the misleading opening with Bruce Spence who made me believe the film would have followed the events of "The Road Warrior", the start is great. The thunderdome concept -- Two men enter, one man leaves -- is interesting, and from the title someone would expect to see Mad Max fighting in the thunderdome, maybe in some sort of tournament. That is exactly what happens, in the first 20 minutes or so. But it's just one fight, one killing and it's all over. Then there is the middle of the film. It is dreadfully boring as we see Mad Max stumbling across a colony of young people, and the film's genre seems to be shifting from science fiction to children's fantasy. Eventually stuff happens -- I am not sure what because I lost my attention several times -- and the film returns to the good, old Mad Max, with a decent chase sequence through a desert Australia.

Another disappointment is the killing sequences. They used to be quite immediate and macabre, now they are over long and choreographed, lacks blood and nastiness. 

Benefiting of the budget are the settings, more impressive and detailed than ever, and the special effects, which proves explosions worthy of Hollywood.

Mel Gibson somehow manages to do a good job, but unfortunately seems to be the only one working as hard as he can to make the film work. Tina Turner does a decent job as Aunt Entity, but she should probably stick to music.

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)

Genre

Action | Sci-Fi

Director

George Miller

Country

Australia

Cast

Mel Gibson, Bruce Spence, Vernon Wells, Emil Minty, Michael Preston, Virginia Hey, Kjell Nilsson, Max Phipps, Arkie Whiteley, Moira Claux, David Downer

Storyline

Former police officer Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson) is now a lone wanderer, traveling through a devastated Australia after a nuclear war looking for now-priceless petrol. He lives to survive and is none too pleased when he finds himself the only hope of a small group of honest people running a remote oil refinery.

Opinion

Good news everybody. You can see "Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior" without having to watch the dreadful "Mad Max". Infact, the film opens with a brief summary of the first installment, and rather tries to connect that story with the new reality instead of making a real sequel. Also, unlike its predecessor, this film does set the basics for a post-apocalypse movie.

A violent, destructive action flick, "The Road Warrior" may lacks in plot and dialogue, but makes up with great action sequences and unique characters. 

The plot is quite simple but well-executed, and the idea of the escape is far better and far less clichéd than the good old revenge plot device. Also the plot is more cohesive and the characters are more interesting and better defined. Humungus is as good as Toecutter, probably even better, and then there's a little fella, the feral kid, who shows that size doesn't really matter when it comes to fighting. Maybe the character of Mad Max suffers a little in this film, since he is more an ideology than a character.

Once again directing, George Miller uses well the low-budget, and offers a setting that is the strongest part of the film: an empty Australia, made of dusty deserts, desolate roads and abandoned corpses, all to emphasize the end of civilization.

On the road again, this time with a dog, Mel Gibson is back in one of his finest roles, and he does a great job as the lone wanderer Mad Max. Unlike their predecessors, the actors in this one actually give nice performances.

The Rover (2014)

Genre

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Director

David Michôd

Country

Australia

Cast

Guy Pearce, Robert Pattinson Scoot McNairy, Gillian Jones, David Field, Tawanda Manyimo, Anthony Hayes, Susan Prior, Nash Edgerton, Jamie Fallon, Samuel F. Lee

Storyline

10 years after a global economic collapse, a cold-blooded drifter (Guy Pearce) pursues the men who stole his only possession, his car. Along the way, he captures one of the thieves' brother (Robert Pattinson), and the duo form an uneasy bond during the dangerous journey.

Opinion

After the success of Animal Kingdom, David Michôd strikes again with this thrilling film. The Rover is a violent, raw film of few words, that despite its extreme slowness manages to capture the audience's attention 'till the end.

Written by Michôd himself, the harsh story is set in a post-apocalyptic desolate Australia, where the only 'rule' in force is to kill before getting killed, as indeed happens in other films/tv shows of the same genre.

For the whole time I kept wondering why Pearce's character wanted his car back so bad. It's finally shown in the final scene, which is one of the most beautiful final scenes ever as it shows that despite the lawless world the man lives in, principles are still meaningful.

The hypnotic soundtrack, the cinematography, which creates a beautiful scenery for the sense of desolation, and the way the story is told, contribute in creating a spectacular film, but not suitable for everyone.

Although it would have been nice having some background of the characters, to understand why the act the way they do, they still are very interesting, and, most of all, they are played to perfection by the two leads.
Barely changing his facial expression, Guy Pearce is very believable as the lonely determined man, who does not have feelings other than anger.
Robert Pattinson is an excellent co-star. As I used to see him in other kind of roles - wizard in Harry Potter, vampire in Twilight, and lover in other films - he has been a huge surprise. He doesn't only renounce his sex-symbol status by appearing uglier, slovenly, and with a crooked walk, but he has also done some excellent work vocally speaking.

You should never stop thinking about a life you've taken. That's the price you pay for taking it. - Eric

Not everything has to be about something. - Rey