Point Break (1991) movie review

“An F.B.I. Agent goes undercover to catch a gang of surfers who may be bank robbers.”

— imdb

Fresh out of quantico recruit Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves) ‘a blue flame special’ is partnered with seasoned FBI agent Pappas (Gary Busey) and tasked with cracking the case of the ex-presidents - A gung ho gang of bank robbers who have successfully evaded arrest and robbed Twenty-seven banks in three years. The ex-presidents are good at what they do. In and out within 90 seconds and leave no trace of themselves behind. Pappas has a theory - a crazy wild theory - that the ex-presidents are surfers. Together they investigate the surfer scene in the hopes that they can flush out the gang.

Opening on beautiful slow motion majestic surfing shots intercutting with hyper aggressive target range practice by Utah (Reeves) it perfectly encapsulates Point Break . A stylish action thriller which tries to capture moments of calm philosophy with explosive action. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow and written by W.Peter Iliff. At the time, Kathryn’s then husband James Cameron suggested that the final shooting screenplay was re-written by him and not Iliff (Iliff was paid a paltry $6,000 dollars to write the screenplay for Point Break) although Cameron is never given screenwriter credit he is on hands as executive producer.

Bigelow’s aggressive style holds the movie together in what many would consider a very standard plot. FBI agent infiltrates a gang and finds a kindred spirit that he both loathes and loves in equal measure.

Patrick Swayze as Bodhi is brilliant as the zen surfer cum criminal mastermind. The foil to Reeves straight laced ‘Blue flamer’. It’s clear that Reeves struggled at times in the acting stakes not nearly as commanding or astute as Swayze especially given some of the clunky lines that Swayze had to deliver - ‘It’s where you lose yourself and you find yourself’ - Referring to what riding waves is all about. Yet he makes it play, convincing you of his aura of a ‘messiah’ of the waves. It is a ‘bromance’ of hostile thrill seeking each not willing to back down from the other. Adrenaline junkies, with each high bigger than the last

Gary Busy is great as the wise and grizzled Pappas. Not that you’re coming to this movie for thespian-like acting. It’s all in the action and Bigelow delivers. It’s kinetic and fast paced, visually appealing stuff.

A particular highlight a foot chase midway through the film where Utah chases one of the ex-presidents through alleys, back gardens and houses in pursuit of ‘getting his man’. Bigelow and cinematographer Don Peterman films with long lenses in an anamorphic style that draws you in while still giving you a sense of location and depth.

Not that everything in the plot makes sense. It’s obvious from early on who the ex-presidents are yet it takes a long time to get to that reveal. Even then Utah goes on a sky diving ‘adventure’ with them. Indeed the movie is at its strongest when it focuses on the action. In that regard it’s a tour de force of excellent action direction. A brash and in your face aesthetic that are hallmarks of Bigelow’s style in the 90s.

Overall Point break is an excellent film and far better in every way than the subsequent remake in 2015 which substituted physical action for an unengaging CGI mess.

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Aliens 1986 movie review

“Ellen Ripley is rescued by a deep salvage team after being in hypersleep for 57 years. The moon that the Nostromo visited has been colonized, but contact is lost. This time, colonial marines have impressive firepower, but will that be enough?”

— IMDB

Marginalised by a corporation that is only interested in the bottom line, Ripley is once again thrown, quite literally, to the wolves. Partnered with a group of Gung-ho colonial marines they embark on a rescue mission to LV-426 where contact has been lost with terra-forming colonists.

Made for an impressive limited budget (By today’s standards) of 18 million Dollars Aliens is the muscular sequel to the more sedate and measured Alien. With only a minor increase in budget from the original, James Cameron manages to infuse the movie with tension driven action while still keeping the underlying sense of dread that was pervasive in the original Alien.

Not an easy thing to do considering you’re already dealing with the dreaded sequel-itis where lovers of the original movie will be looking for more of the same. It’s testament to Cameron’s ability to know his strengths as a skilled action director that he took the franchise in this direction.

There’s a certain madness to film directing especially when there isn’t enough time nor budget to do what you really want to do and compromise is unfortunately the only option. Couple that with facing a crew who didn’t necessarily share Cameron’s vision or for his abrupt mannerisms and you have tensions that mirror those of the onscreen characters. It’s a wonder the film turned out as good as it has.

Ripley’s character is fully fleshed out making her strong and vulnerable at the same time. It is undoubtedly Ripley’s movie even with all the machismo on display, Cameron deftly infuses the story with consistent echos to motherhood, loss and family. Ripley’s strength as a character lies in her humanity equally with her ability to wield a weapon. She is a surrogate mother to Newt having lost her own child - a scene that should never have been cut from the theatrical release* - marooned in hypersleep for 57 years to find that life has quite literally moved on without her and promises have not been kept to her own child. She is a stranger in a strange new land, traumatised as much by her own choices as those enforced on her by an alien creature that kills ruthlessly without remorse.

Aliens is a tour-de force of design, action and suspense. Filled to the brim with a grungy used aesthetic borrowed from the first alien movie and enhanced. The sets are excellent and everything feels real. It’s impressive world building from costume design, art direction and cinematography. The late great cinematographer Adrian Biddle taking over duties after Cameron dismissed the first DOP.

Tinged with a metallic blue, harsh highlights and contrasty shadows. The grain in the film stock enhancing the used feel of the world, adding to the heavy smoke and atmospherics. James Horner’s score is excellent, foreboding and bombastic. Coupled that with the fact that almost every effect is practical, the acting is brilliant especially from Weaver and you have a winning combination.

The first half of the movie is all about the slow build up of tension. Arguably without this the subsequent action scenes wouldn’t have the punch or power that they do have. We’re along for the ride with these characters, stranded like they are, facing a legion of almost indestructible foes.

It’s very effective, building to a reveal in the finale that added to the original alien origin and ratcheted it up to ninety. The puppetry is brilliant as is the design of the creatures themselves especially the queen. We’re there along with Ripley - adoptive mother and daughter - determined not to repeat the mistakes of the past and keep her promise this time to newt..

When all is said and done Aliens is quite rightly heralded as a classic of the genre. Often copied but never outdone. The flip side of alien, it’s bombastic cousin. This time it’s war.

*included in the extended cut of the movie.

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BLUE STEEL 1990 MOVIE REVIEW

“A rookie in the police force must engage in a cat-and-mouse game with a pistol-wielding psychopath who becomes obsessed with her.”

— IMDB

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker, Point Break) and written in partnership between Bigelow and Eric Red(The Hitcher, Body Parts). Blue Steel is an action thriller from the 90’s echoing movies like The Hitcher, in particular, where a deranged psychopath takes a liking to an innocent and proceeds to make their life a misery by any means necessary.

Megan Turner (Jamie Lee Curtis) is a brash, rookie police officer, fresh out of the academy. On her first night on the job she witness a robbery in progress in a store. While her partner is taking a leak in the can she decides to tackle the robber. When the robber refuses to cooperate she guns him down, emptying six rounds into his chest sending him through a window pane onto the sidewalk. When the robbers .44 magnum goes missing, Megan is put on suspension for using unnecessary force. From here Megan’s problems escalate when her name is etched into 44. bullet casings used by ‘the 44. magnum killer’ on innocent victims..

Opening on extreme close ups of the cold steel of a weapon, Blue steel is a stylish thriller. Tinged with a cast of blue Bigelow paints each scene with shadows, highlights and smoke filled interiors. There is a gritty visceral feel to the action. Hyper real slow motion shots punctuated by effective sound design. It’s a precursor to the superior Point Break, a honing of Bigelows muscular style in the 90’s.

Megan is the lonely female surrounded by her male counterparts; a subtle sexism underpins the movie. She is continuously asked ‘What made you become a cop?’ insinuating that she isn’t best suited for the job because of her sex. Jamie Lee Curtis is excellent in the role, at times vulnerable and others brash.

The late great Ron Silver plays Eugene Hunt, a stockbroker cum .44 magnum killer. The stolen .44 caliber weapon becomes like a god to him. A twisted fetish, treating this cold hard steel like it is an extension of his person. At one point he accidentally ‘exposes’ it to an innocent man on the street. Possessed by the urge for gratification he guns him down in cold blood. Indeed his need for power and control would grow from there. Killing a prostitute bathing in her blood for pleasure. Seemingly a god, killing without reproach, untouchable by the law.

It’s a great turn by Silver. He is an intelligent psychopath playing a cat and mouse game with his prey. The cold blue steel of a weapon the twisted toy between them. Indeed the movie somewhat glorifies weapons. Filling the screen with glossy close ups; a fetish of hard steel.

The interaction between Eugene and Megan is the saviour of the movie, the other characters are stereotypes there to fill plot conventions. Not that the movie is perfect, it’s not. The biggest glaring mistake being the fact that a 44. Caliber weapon doesn’t eject shells yet they are found at every crime scene with Megan’s name on it. That in itself is quite a big gaff.

Arguably the first half of the movie is the most interesting with the slow descent of Eugene into madness. The second half becomes a little disjointed asking you to suspend disbelief a few too many times.

The inclusion of a sex scene 20 minutes from the end, at first seems odd but it descends into an effective albeit nasty power play between Megan and Eugene. Not only has Eugene to control her but he has to also take away her sexual power. It is a creepy and effective scene utilising sound effects in a very potent way. Eugene has completed his metamorphosis into a fully fledged monster. The only recourse for Megan is to give him what he most desires to die at her hands in a duel to the death.

In the end Blue Steel is far from perfect but it is for the most part entertaining. A quick moving gritty thriller from the 90’s.

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SEA FEVER MOVIE REVIEW

“The crew of a West of Ireland trawler, marooned at sea, struggle for their lives against a growing parasite in their water supply.”

— imdb

**Warning spoilers ahead**

Siobhan (Harmione Corfield) is an introverted scientist who struggles to interact with people. Her college charters a fishing vessel to monitor something (isn’t exactly made clear what - perhaps I didn’t hear because the dialogue mix isn’t the clearest) for statistical modelling. A rag tag bunch of life-long fishermen and women are initially thrown by Siobhan’s red hair - a curse of doom for fishermen - superstitious of red heads. They set sail off the west coast of Ireland to trawl for fish. Straying off course into a restricted zone they encounter a creature which latches onto the haul of the ship…

Siobhan - Sea Fever

Where do I start reviewing the movie Sea Fever? A sea faring B movie which borrows heavily from far better movies like ‘The thing' and Invasion of the body snatchers.

I had hoped it would at least attempt to add something different to the mix besides having it located in the west of Ireland (although it didn't look like Galway bay despite a fishing map showing otherwise - probably Sweden considering the investors). The biggest problem is it offered little in the way of tension. The opportunity was there to have a really tight, claustrophobic movie. All the details we're there: A crew afraid of the newcomer who happens to have red hair. The old sea faring superstitions coming to the fore. A bio luminescent creature which spreads parasites that finds humans to be the perfect host. Which is a shame really that the movie is executed in such an uninteresting way.

The screenplay offered little in the way of surprises. It was inconsistent, choc full of silly character motivations and stilted dialogue. In the end it was a bit of a bore. You’re hoping it picks up but it never really does nor does it help that some of the editing choices leave the movie feeling flat and lifeless, highlighting some of the less than steller acting. To be fair the screenplay doesn’t give the actors really much to work with - the characters for what they are are single dimensional. It’s all ‘oirish ' accents dipping and resurfacing, screaming at one another and saying nothing of interest.

In the end I didn't buy many of the characters for example: Siobhan (Harmione Corfield) is supposed to be a scientist yet it takes her to nearly half way through the movie to look at slime under a microscope despite taking a sample in a petri dish. When she first encounters the sea creature which incidentally has eaten through the hull of the ship - she purposely rubs slime between her fingers - good contamination control there. At one point she also argues that bleach wont kill the parasites. Why? She knew nothing about them. They are a new type of organism. Instead opting to electrocute the ship to kill them. Interesting idea - poorly executed in the film. It just happens. A few sparks and the mast head of the ship bursts into smoke. That’s it.

Looking for Parasites - Sea Fever

Speaking of the story: 1. The Captain’s decisions albeit driven by greed and the fact that they are behind in crew payments are completely nonsensical - once they escape the clutches of the sea creature they decide to catch fish despite the creature following them. They could have easily gone back out the very next day. It begs the question how far exactly did they travel to trawl for fish the whole point of the story is the fact that they’re 36 hours away from land yet the map looks like it shows them off the west coast of Ireland - I’ve been on a scientific fishing trawler off the west coast of Ireland, trawled for fish and been back in port by the evening. Sixteen hours tops. It just didn’t make sense to me. 2. Siobhan’s sudden insistence that the creature must be saved under the guise of a frail eco-friendly excuse then suddenly electrocuting the ship when the script needed a boost. The list goes on and on..

For a director as experienced as Neasa Hardiman I was expecting more really. Her script never really explores the body horror aspect despite the one really good scene where a fisherman’s eyes explode unexpectedly. After that it becomes a bit of damp squib. It doesn't know what movie it wants to be instead opting to be middle of the road never committing fully to anything.

On a positive note the bio-luminescent creature looks really nice and the effects of the creature are all quite well done. The cinematography for the most part is solid.

It’s just a shame the movie wasn’t claustrophobic, filled with anxiety, tension and fear. That’s the movie it should have been.

In the end would I watch Sea Fever again? No, probably not.

'Underwater' movie review

Underwater movie poster - movie review blog

“A crew of oceanic researchers working for a deep sea drilling company try to get to safety after a mysterious earthquake devastates their deepwater research and drilling facility located at the bottom of the Mariana Trench.”

— imdb

Set in the murky world of a deepwater drilling facility we open on Norah (Kristen Stewart) as she dresses, we assume, for her morning stint as a mechanical engineer on board of a massive drilling platform in the depths of the Mariana trench. Set in a heavily influenced ‘Alien’ grunge design aesthetic - from the long corridors to the deliberate slow moving camera movements - Norah is thrown into an emergency situation where the drilling platform is subjected to a massive earthquake, causing an evacuation.

It’s a great, fast paced opening. The effects are impressive and it’s easily one of the better sequences in the movie. Along the way Norah finds a rag tag group of employees. Together they must embark on a treacherous journey along the Mariana trench to find escape pods to the surface.

Diving preperation

Despite its obvious nods to Alien and the abyss I found the movie mostly entertaining. Kristen Stewart is often a very polarising actress, she has a somewhat limited range, but her performance here is quite good. Even through the script doesn’t ask very much of her. In fact it’s probably fair to say that the script doesn’t ask much of any of the actors. They are single dimensional characters, stereotypical of the genre adding nothing new.

A scene early on involving a ‘baby sea monster’ is a major misstep echoing far too closely a very famous scene from ‘Alien’. In truth the movie really wants to be ‘Alien’ underwater. From it’s grunge aesthetic to the lone female heroine and nods to scenes throughout the movie. Norah is Ripley lite, the reluctant hero. But what Alien had in abundance: Tension and suspense sadly Underwater lacks.

Kirsten Stewart - underwater

What it needed was a feeling of claustrophobia, being in the deepest part of the ocean under literal pressure where one misstep will cause you to loose your life. The movie didn’t feel very claustrophobic. For me it nearly would have made a better disaster movie without creatures in it at all. As it stands there is very little story to latch onto. The main plot is a series of narrow escapes, traveling from point A to B losing one crew member after the next.

For the most part the movie looks great, the design of the underwater suits are really nice. Cinematography is great and how they shot the underwater walking sequences are really impressive. It’s just a shame the creature design is a little uninspired.

I’m a huge fan of underwater movies like The abyss so this movie should have been right up my alley. For the most part I enjoyed it but I felt it strayed to closely to Alien at times which spoiled it quite a bit for me.

Overall the movie is very watchable and moves very quickly. If you’re looking for something more than that then you may be disappointed.