Brave (2012)

         Ask any person under the age of 25 (or their parents, for that matter), and they are likely to be familiar with such iconic animated characters as Woody and Buzz, Nemo, Lightning McQueen, Wall-E, and Dug the dog – just to name a handful. The collaboration between Disney and Pixar has produced thirteen feature films to date, including their most recent installment, Brave. Disney-Pixar films have garnered a reputation as the premier brand of children’s entertainment, due to their flawless blend of stunning imagery and heartwarming stories. These films have incredibly high expectations, which may have been why I found myself slightly disappointed with Brave.
         Princess Merida (Kelly Macdonald) has a passion for archery, and her unruly orange mane is almost as wild as she is – or desires to be, if only her mother (Emma Thompson) would permit it. Tired of rules, restraints, and potential suitors, Merida lashes out at the queen. She runs out into the Scottish woods, and happens upon a cottage, where a mysterious witch gives her a spell that she promises will help Merida “change her fate.” The spell turns out to be more terrible than Merida could have ever imagined, and she must quickly figure out how to undo it – before her family is torn apart forever. 
         While Brave holds up well as a film in general, it fell short of what I have come to expect from most Disney-Pixar films. (In fact, when the man sitting next to me in the theater asked his very young son if he liked the film, the son responded, “Yes. But Madagascar 3 was better.” ) The film is full of touching moments, funny beats, and extensive character development; but it lacks that grand, sweeping adventure that triggers this development. Merida undergoes a personal transformation, but takes no physical journey: most of the film takes place in her castle or the environment surrounding it. There is no “bad guy” – just an antagonistic situation. While that is all very well and good, I craved a little more classical adventure intertwined with the personal exploration.
         Brave holds many thematic parallels to Pixar’s 2003 film, Finding Nemo. In fact, Brave is to mother-daughter relationships as Nemo is to their father-son counterparts. Yet Nemo did it much better (and, let’s face it, first).
        About thirty minutes into Brave, the film takes a complete twist. For attentive viewers, it can be spotted ahead of time (there are several little clues, but I won’t spoil them here). We quickly realize that the plot is branching off into something new, and the themes morph accordingly. Merida is no longer fighting off potential suitors, but has a different, much grizzlier problem to solve.  The film’s tagline is “Change your fate,” but I felt that this theme only came into play at the beginning, and dissipated from there. In fact, the only action Merida consciously took to change her fate ended up being the one that put her family in great danger.  
         I also had a hard time figuring out just what made Merida so “brave” in the first place. At the start of the film, she is tough and strong-willed, but filled with teenage angst and rebellion against her mother.  She gradually learns to compromise and relate to her parents, but this makes her more open-minded than brave. Merida has the courage to stand up for herself and her beliefs, but isn’t this true of most Disney characters?
         Let me be clear: Brave is good as a film in general. But as a Pixar film, it underwhelms. Better luck next time, Lasseter.

Prometheus (2012)

        The summer movie-going season has officially kicked off with Ridley Scott’s Prometheus. Written by John Spaihts and LOST co-creator Damon Lindelof, Prometheus takes place in the year 2093 and follows small crew of scientists headed by Dr. Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and her partner and long-term love interest Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green). The team embarks on a mission to prove the existence of beings depicted in hieroglyphics they have uncovered across the globe. Shaw refers to them as the “engineers,” believing they were once responsible for the creation of the human race, although Weyland Corporation executive Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron) has little faith. Shaw and her team find what they are looking for, but things hardly go according to plan. The crew soon finds itself fighting for survival in an unfamiliar environment where they are clearly not welcome.
        Prometheus is, for all intents and purposes, a prequel to Scott’s 1979 Alien, and explores the creation and discovery of the iconic creatures. The film starts out slow, but builds nicely into a second half of almost nonstop action. Michael Fassbender plays David, an eerily humanesque android (think Replicants). One of the first characters we meet, David continues to steal the show throughout, and Fassbender portrays him in a way that is simultaneously endearing and menacing. Guy Pearce is completely unrecognizable in his role as the aged financier Peter Weyland. He blends into the prosthetics and computer imagery so well that I had completely forgotten he was even in the film until the end credits. Rapace is quite probably one of the toughest female leads since Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley; Shaw is inarguably and unabashedly badass, as evidenced by her remarkable ability to keep fighting in spite of extreme physical and emotional impediments.
        One of the film’s biggest strengths is deep character exploration. Background details that are not necessarily critical to the plot are provided, juxtaposing the characters’ lives onboard the Prometheus against the lives they left on Earth. Each player has their own emotional baggage: Shaw’s inability to have children and loss of her own parents at an early age; Vickers’ complicated relationship with Weyland and her thirst for control; David’s repressed desire to be human; even the home life of pilot Janek (Idris Elba) is subtly hinted at.
        While Prometheus has its moments of levity, the tone is generally very dark. It is a gritty take on the science fiction genre, much in keeping with the original Alien film, which has been missing from mainstream cinema as of late. (In fact, the only recently similar film I can think of would be Danny Boyle’s 2007 Sunshine, discounting the highly stylized Star Trek reboot and TRON sequel.) A particular sequence involving a medical pod had me feeling nauseated while at the same time suppressing laughter – not at the execution of the scene, but because it was so distinctly reminiscent of Alien; a perfect homage.
        In true Lindelof fashion, the film neglects to answer many of the key questions it poses, prompting further thought, discussions, and second viewings. The story is complex, the characters are well-rounded, and the visuals are stunning. If you’re searching for a place to escape the heat on a summer afternoon, look no further than the eerie, frigid world of Prometheus.

New Year's Eve (2011)

        Director Garry Marshall’s 2010 film Valentine’s Day was slaughtered by critics , and talks of a spin-off had filmgoers rolling their eyes and asking, “What’s next – Memorial Day?” True, the thought of an entire franchise based on holidays is enough to make any self-respecting cinephile gag, but the concept actually works very well in relation to December 31. It is the one annual night when people all over the world come together to reflect on the past year, and look forward to the promise of the future. What better night to illustrate the story of families, lovers, and strangers coming together in anticipation of the next chapter of their lives?
        Of course, what drives New Year’s Eve (and will no doubt rake in enormous sums at the box office in the weeks to come) is not the story; it’s the sheer star power. The film’s promotional poster features stills of eighteen of its “stars,” which include Halle Berry, Jon Bon Jovi, Robert DeNiro, Zac Efron, Ashton Kutcher, Lea Michele, Sarah Jessica Parker, Hilary Swank and Sophia Vergara – among several other leads and assorted cameos. Although none of the performances are groundbreaking, every character was likeable in some way. Efron’s tool with a heart of gold, Michelle Pfeiffer’s cautious office worker, Seth Meyers’ frazzled but competitive father-to-be, Katherine Heigl’s woman scorned – each managed to earn some measure of my affections. (The only exception being Kutcher’s unkempt, holiday-bashing comic artist; who, in light of recent events in Kutcher’s personal life, failed at evoking my sympathy.) Audiences will be amazed at how much Abigail Breslin has grown up since the days of Signs and Little Miss Sunshine, but she still brings her own childlike innocence to a film otherwise carried by adults. Vergara essentially plays her character from Modern Family (using incorrect vocabulary and telling stories about “my country”), but it works; she has the best comedic timing of the cast.
        What surprised me about this film is, ironically, its ability to surprise. Apparently, decades of working in romantic comedies has enabled Marshall to avoid many of the clichés inherent to the genre. At several points throughout the film, I found myself absolutely certain of what was to come next, only to be shocked to discover my assumptions were incorrect. Rather than falling victim to generic conventions, Marshall chooses to confront them directly. He teases the audience, almost as if to say, “You thought I was going to go for the obvious, didn’t you?” What is predictable about this film is how pleasantly everything wraps up – once midnight hits, all characters are instantly at peace. Yes, New Year’s Day is considered a “blank slate” for many, a fresh start at becoming the people they want to be; but that does not negate all of the complications attached to the days, months, and years prior (for example, a messy breakup between Heigl and Bon Jovi’s characters, which is easily reconciled in the film).
        New Year’s Eve is by no means a cinematic masterpiece from a technical standpoint. Dialogue is dubbed over shots wherein the actors’ mouths are not moving, and Jessica Biel’s pregnant tummy is laughably fake-looking. The pacing is inconsistent: the first half of the film is exceedingly slow (understandable, considering how many character introductions must be plowed through), while the second half picks up and begins intertwining, complicating, and eventually resolving all of the stories. However, New Year’s Eve serves its purpose as a feel-good film and succeeds in eliciting a few powerful sentiments from the emotionally-accessible viewer. The stories involving Halle Berry and Robert DeNiro are particularly touching.
        New Year’s Eve improves upon what Valentine’s Day did for the star-studded seasonal heartwarmer. This is certainly not the film anyone should expect to garner Oscar nominations, but it can be appreciated when one goes in with the proper mindset. It is the perfect fit for those seeking a little heartfelt entertainment. Not to mention a whole lot of celebrities.