BALLISTIC: Ecks vs. Sever
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Video-game addicts on a forced hiatus until the carpal tunnel abates will LOVE this movie, even with the talking scenes. It will also be popular with people who felt there wasn't enough mayhem in Die Hard. Those who saw the trailers and are looking forward to a science-fiction exploration of killer nanite technology may be disappointed. Those shocked by the violence in Howard's End, well, should probably avoid American cinema altogether. People who merely enjoy action movies may not be enthralled. Sure, there's car chases, hitting, shooting, and explosions. Lots of explosions! Apparently all problems are best resolved by blowing something up. And there are problems. Obviously serious problems, because everyone in this movie is very serious. Remove ten seconds of film, and there'd be no humor in this movie at all. The audience at the preview screening giggled at an incongruously funny slow-motion, puddle-splashing sound effect, but I'm sure we all felt bad about it afterward. Director Kaosayananda apparently believes "Revenge is a dish best served REALLY LOUD." It's stylish, violent, and deafening. The sound engineer must have been chosen because his amp went to 11. My brain is still ringing. This is not to say there's nothing to appreciate about this film! There's a percussive, techno-classical score. Some good scenic shots of Vancouver, BC. A scene with a beluga whale. And it's very empowering of women, specifically one petite Asian-American woman when faced with hordes of heavily armed, dominant paradigm, authority figure men. What it has in style and volume, however, doesn't seem to make up for what it lacks in wit, humor, and character. Oh yes, there's also something about the value of family, but it didn't seem important.
If you liked the movies below, you may like this one (and visa versa):
Eight-Facet Info Rating, rated on a scale of 0 (None) to 4 (Lots!)): |