Well, dang. I was hoping to get in a third film before the end of the year, but it didn't happen, for one reason or another, so here's two movie reviews to finish off last year. Interestingly, they're both epic films building on franchises, and while neither were bad, they certainly had different ways of respecting the legacies they were building on.
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This generation of filmmaking is going to be interesting to look back upon. When an action film isn't trying to become a cinematic universe, they're often sequels or remakes of something 20-40 years old in the desperate attempt at succeeding on sheer brand recognition. That's not to say you can't get a movie out of such a project, of course. Tron: Legacy and Ben Hur were excellent at recapturing a kind of classic magic and making it work for more modern audiences, but there have also been some pretty weak attempts as well. Gladiator II also has the same trial in trying to justify its existence after the excellent first film really didn't need a sequel. To its credit, director Ridley Scott is back, and so ensures that the movie will look and feel great, but the story and tone feel like they've been pushed back more for the sake of making it a more visceral action film than the first.
For the record, while I do like the first film, I recognize its not perfect. Some of the story beats feel forced in the third act, and while I may like its Shakespearean pretensions, I recognize that it isn't for everyone. As such, the sequel certainly tries to streamline the story and make it the circumstances and stakes feel more urgent and immediate. The story follows a former Roman named Hanno (Paul Mescal) who found a new home in Numidia, but when the Roman legions kill his wife, destroy his home, and take him into slavery, he finds a path to vengeance through the gladiatorial games, thanks to the patronage of Macrinus (Denzel Washington). However, General Acacius, the target of Hanno's revenge, is not happy with the state of Rome under the tyranny of the brothers and co-emperors Geta and Caracalla, and so he plans to get his army and overthrow them in the name of Marcus Aurelius and his "dream for Rome." From there, the two stories clash into a political thriller with the whole of Rome at stake.
Much of what's on the screen is solid enough. The sets and costuming are on point and Ridley Scott's direction ensures that the action is easy to follow. The acting is fine, though there were a few times when Denzel's mannerisms didn't match the historical tone of the film, though he's definitely having a lot of fun up there. The soundtrack provided by Harry Gregson-Williams borrows just enough cues from Zimmer's original, but mainly stays in the background this time. All of the pieces are there for a very solid sequel, but they just don't quite come together for me.
I think the main problem is that the emotional stakes that drove the original film are completely missing here. I didn't feel connected to the characters at all, and when the story took its twists and turns, I was surprised that I felt nothing at each one. I also think the trailers spoiled too much of the plot, so going in, I had a decent idea of what those twists would be, which doesn't help. Still, if the story and characters are presented well enough, going in knowing the story isn't that big of a problem, but it just didn't happen here. Perhaps I went in with my expectations set too high, and so maybe I set myself up for disappointment when the movie ended up just being a decent historical action film with above average film direction. Maybe if I rewatch it sometime in the future, I won't be so negative about it, but for now, this was kind of a let down compared to what I was expecting.
When I heard that a Lord of the Rings anime film was getting made, I was cautiously excited. As much as I love the idea, there are a lot of ways it could have gone wrong. I had heard of other anime projects based on Western properties that totally bombed or missed the point of why that franchise was worth adapting to the medium. Then, as the screenshots and trailers started coming out, I started to get really excited, and I was nervous I was over-hyping myself. When I finally got to sit down in a theater and see it on the big screen, I was still a little nervous, but as the movie went on, it only got better and better, and I came away completely satisfied.
Taking place about 200 years before The Hobbit, the story focuses on a time when King Helm of Rohan was approached by Freca of the Dunlendings, offering his son Wulf to Helm's daughter Hera as a political alliance. However, Helm saw through it as a power grab and when they couldn't settle their differences, they decide to settle it with their fists outside, only for Helm to kill Freca with a single blow. Wulf swears his revenge and disappears, only to come back with an army. From there, Hera takes the lead role, and we follow her through all the intrigue and war that follows, turning from some wild child into a heroic leader who helps her people with her wits and bravery.
I won't say the movie is perfect. It is a little slow in the beginning, as there is a lot of exposition up front to introduce all the important players and set the stakes. While Stephen Gallagher's soundtrack is fine, respectfully borrowing the Rohan films from the original trilogy, but it's not quite as punchy as Howard Shore's excellent work. The animation was a bit awkward at times as well, as their blend of 2D and 3D animation isn't quite as smooth and natural as a could be. However, when the action kicks in, the animation is incredible, and the story really kicks into high gear. A highlight for me is learning exactly how Helm got the nickname Hammerhand, as he goes bare-knuckle against the enemy hordes. The story is pretty straight forward, once the pieces come together, but the spectacle of the final battles was totally worth it, and I came out of the theater smiling.
This film is the best thing done in the name of Middle-Earth since the Lord of the Rings trilogy that came out over 20 years ago (yeah, I said it). And now that it's been dropped on a handful of streaming platforms now, there's very little excuse not to see it, as far as I'm concerned. TLOTR:TWOTR uses the medium of anime well to put a spotlight on a smaller, but certainly epic, tale and I'm glad for how good it was, and to feel the excitement for Tolkien's work once again.
I didn't end the year as strong as I'd hoped, as I wanted to have a few more things up, but I guess I'll live with it. I know I keep saying this, but I do have plans to post more to the site in the coming year. Of course, that will depend on what I get around to, whether it's movie reviews or my own fiction or what. In any case, here's hoping for a more productive year!
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