Enchanted is every little (big) girl’s dream; the fairytale comes to life in New York, for reals. Princess Giselle (Amy Adams) is thrown down a well by the evil Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon) to keep her from marrying her son and stealing her crown, the well just so happens to end in Manhattan, New York. Here is where the real adventure begins for the princess.
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The film follows a condensed, and rushed, variation of the original epic poem. After his hall is attacked by a fearsome creature known as Grendel (Crispin Glover), King Hrothgar (Anthony Hopkins) offers half of his fortune to anyone who can rid his kingdom of the monster. The legendary warrior Beowulf (Ray Winstone) arrives, for the glory of defeating the demon.
The film follows Beowulf’s battle with Grendel and his encounter with Grendel’s mother (Angelina Jolie) in the dark caves of the mountains. Secrets will be unearthed, curses laid down, and Beowulf’s glory will grow – though not without a cost.
In terms of look the film achieves much of what it sets out to do. The appearance of the characters (each taken from the individual actors) is the best I’ve seen human beings done in this type of computer animation. Also worth noting are the battle scenes which work quite well, especially if you have a chance to see the film in the IMAX 3-D version where the blood and spears shoot out at you.
Though the look works there are many problems with the non-human characters. The monsters in the film are scary in only a depressing B-movie kind of way. Grendel is a big dumb ogre, the dragon is ferocious but bland, and we never get to see the true form of Grendel’s mother (though it is often teased in reflection). The only real monsters worth mentioning are the sea creature Beowulf slays during a flashback in what is the best scene of the film.
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Based on the second book of a five book series by Susan Cooper comes a tale of a normal young American boy, Will Stanton (Alexander Ludwig), living in London with his five older brothers and young sister (Emma Lockhart). On his 14th birthday Will starts noticing odd events and becomes the focus of several strange adults who call themselves Old Ones (Ian McShane, James Cosmo, Jim Piddock, Frances Conroy).
It seems Will is the seventh son of a seventh son (and if you’ve read Orson Scott Card’s books you know that makes him special). He is also the last of the Old Ones and “the Seeker” of the six signs of power which have been hidden throughout time and only he can find. And find them he must, for unless all signs are united in five days the Rider (Christopher Eccleston) will usher in a new age of shadow and darkness. Will must unite the hidden signs and return the power of the Light before it is lost forever to the Dark. (And if you made your way through that without giggling or scratching your head you did better than me).
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The Dark is Rising Read More »
Excalibur. Arthur and Guinevere. Camelot. The Knights of the Round Table. Merlin. Everyone knows these names, and each conjures up images of magic, grandeur, tragedy, and action. With another new Arthur flick on its way to theaters this Friday, The Last Legion, we take a look back at four of Arthur’s more memorable experiences on the big screen.
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Here are four distinctly different takes on the King Arthur legend. Another, The Last Legion will be released in theaters everywhere this Friday.
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King Arthur’s tale has never been so well done. The classic love triangle that brought about the end of Arthur’s (Nigel Terry) reign and the downfall Camelot is beautifully told here by director John Boorman. The movie tells the tale of Arthur’s origins and birth including Uther’s (Gabriel Byrne) mad lust for Igrayne (Katrine Boorman) that leads to his death and the birth of Arthur. The movie’s main focus is on Arthur’s Camelot, his wife Guenevere (Cherie Lunghi) and his best knight and stalwart friend Lancelot (Nicholas Clay). The consummation of Lancelot and Guenevere’s love along with the scheming of Arthur’s half-sister Morgana (Helen Mirren) bring Camelot crashing down and lead to Arthur’s death. Not the happiest of tales but an unbelievably romantic one nonetheless. |
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Director Antoine Fuqua gives us a dirty, brutal, and more realistic look at Arthur (Clive Owen), Guinevere (Keira Knightley), Merlin (Stephen Dillane), and the Knights of the Round Table: Lancelot (Ioan Gruffudd), Tristan (Mads Mikkelsen), Gawain (Joel Edgerton), Galahad (Hugh Dancy), Bors (Ray Winstone) and Dagonet (Ray Stevenson). For those who love the magic and the mystery of the Arthur legend you should look elsewhere, but for a different take which tries to place the characters of legend in the real world it’s an entertaining adventure. The Director’s Cut DVD includes extra footage, alternate and deleted scenes, featurettes, and commentary from the director. |
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In this regrettable, and better off forgotten, take on the legend an aging Arthur (Sean Connery) prepares to marry the younger Guinevere (Julia Ormand) who falls for the dashing and troubled Lancelot (Richard Gere). Gere and Ormand bat eyes at each other before stealing a kiss that brings down the kingdom. King Arthur was never so much a soap opera as it is here. And to make it worse the film ends with Arthur’s death, Camelot’s ruin, and Lancelot and Guinvere living happily ever after??? Seriously, WTF!! Not worth the film stock which was used to shoot it, and don’t even get me started on the spotlessness of the entire movie! What, there was no dirt in Camelot? A long way from director Jerry Zucker‘s best film. |
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Disney does T. H. White’s King Arthur. One of the most lasting Arthur tales, even for those (like me) who aren’t in love with White’s Arthur, is this animated 1963 take on the young boy known as Wart (Rickie Sorensen, Richard Reitherman, Robert Reitherman) and his fulfillment of destiny as he pulls the sword from the stone. Mostly memorable for its music and Merlin’s (Karl Swenson) battle with Madam Mim (Martha Wentworth) as the pair transform into every creature imaginable to a young child. Far from Disney’s finest hour, but a good film to introduce the legends of King Arthur to younger children, and sweet and memorable in its own way. The “Gold Classic DVD” includes a deleted song, a scrapbook, short animatics, featurettes, and sing-a-long versions of “Higitus Figitus” and “That’s What Makes the World Go Round.” |
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Arthur, King of the Britons Read More »
Tristan (Charlie Cox) is your average leading character, a dreamer, a bit of a bumbler, from modest backgrounds, and in love with a girl (Sienna Miller) who doesn’t take him seriously.
To prove his love Tristan vows to go over the wall and bring back a falling star. Though Tristan makes it over the wall his quest leads him where he least suspects for on the other side of the wall exists a magical realm which includes witches (Michelle Pfeiffer, Sarah Alexander, Joanna Scanlan, Melanie Hill), princes (Mark Strong, Jason Flemyng, Rupert Everett) with agendas of their own, and pirates (Robert De Niro, Dexter Fletcher).
Tristan’s goal is further impeded when the star itself turns out to be a sentient creature named Yvaine (Claire Danes) whose life is now in danger from those who wish to kill her and take her power. Tristan’s journey home with Yvaine will teach him much about himself and the world, help him discover where his heart truly lies, and give him clues to his past and his destiny.
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Neil Gaiman’s Stardust Read More »
