Fantastic Mr. Fox: Wes Anderson's signature style shines through

Fantastic Mr. Fox (animation, adventure, comedy)

Directed by Wes Anderson

Starring the voices of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray and Michael Gambon

20th Century Fox | 2009 | 87 min | Rated PG | Released Mar 23, 2010

Video:

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC

Video resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Audio:

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

French, Portuguese, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles:

English, French, Mandarin (Simplified and Traditional), Portuguese, Spanish

Discs:

50GB Blu-ray Disc

DVD copy (with digital copy)

The Film 4.5/5

Wes Anderson’s films are traditionally quirky and full of complex themes, and his adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox is no different. Don’t be fooled by the fact that it’s animated (stop motion); this material is not targeted at children.

When we join the story, Mrs. Fox (Streep) is telling Mr. Fox (Clooney) that she’s pregnant. The two proceed to rob a chicken farm and narrowly escape capture. Mrs. Fox makes him promise to look for other work now that they are about to become parents. Mr. Fox agrees and finds a job writing a newspaper column. 

Mr. Fox settles down in his new life, but always regrets giving up his old ways. He’s also tired of living in a hole in the ground and wants a better home for his family. He goes to see Badger (Murray), who advises him about properties for sale in the area. Fox wants a house near three local farms, but Badger suggests that the neighborhood is too dangerous. The local children even have a rhyme about the farmers:

Boggis, Bunce and Bean

One fat, one short, one lean

These horrible crooks

So different in looks

Were nonetheless equally mean

Fox is aware of the danger, but yearns for his former chicken-stealing days. As Anderson regularly reminds us, these are wild animals. Fox can’t deny his nature and buys the new house so that he can be close to the three farms.

His decision goes directly against his promise to his wife and that was his first mistake.

There’s a lot of humor in the film, but it’s generally quite subtle. The family sits down to eat dinner and they eat like wild animals. The food is gone in seconds. Their son, Ash, is moody and craves attention from his father. He spits on the floor when he’s angry or disappointed and he clearly has problems. When his cousin Kristofferson comes to stay, the situation worsens. Fox seems to favor Kristofferson over his own son and compliments him constantly.

Forget that we’re dealing with animals for a moment and think about the story. If that happened in a regular movie, we would be dealing with a typical family drama. Husband and wife break promises and have trust issues, while their son is being raised by parents who don’t understand him. This is not the kind of story that small children would understand, although some of the scenes are funny and contain action that would appeal to a child.

Fox enlists the help of Kylie Opossum and the two steal chickens from Boggis. The action is typical animated fare and the way the two sneak around is funny. They lace blueberries with a sedative to get past the dogs and the way the dogs react is also funny. They successfully steal from Bunce and plan to stop once they steal cider from Bean. For the final robbery, Ash wants to come along. Fox won’t let him, but allows Kristofferson to take part. He seems to have very little idea that such a decision could hurt his son’s feelings.

The robberies are fun to watch, especially when the animals wear bandit hats. It reminds me of the robbery in Bottle Rocket when the participants decide to wear similar hats even though their victims have already seen their faces.

Ash yearns to be an athlete and wants to emulate his father’s success at Whack-Bat (a game which parodies cricket). Kristofferson is a balanced individual who regularly meditates and knows karate. Ash is extremely jealous of his cousin and his ability to win his father’s approval.

The three robberies annoy the farmers, so Bean (Gambon) decides to organize the trio and plans to kill Fox. This is where the film starts to take on a more serious tone. Mrs. Fox discovers that her husband has been lying to her and scratches his face in a fit of temper. This scene annoyed one of my friends who expected the film to be lighthearted and suitable for the whole family. Mrs. Fox acts like the wild animal she is. There’s another scene in which one of the animals is maimed. Although it’s presented in a humorous way, it could disturb people.

The remainder of the film deals with the three farmers finding ways to threaten the existence of Fox and his friends. They escape by tunneling deeper, but face the threat of starvation if they don’t find a solution. Some of the other animals resent Fox for putting them in such a dangerous situation.

There’s considerable peril which could worry small children, and a lot of humor which would probably fly over their heads. It was only given a PG-rating, but be aware that not every child will like this harsh world. The animals are true to their nature.

The reason I like the film so much is the style of humor. Like Bottle Rocket and The Darjeeling Limited, the characters speak with a sense of irony or sarcasm and most of the humor is tongue-in-cheek. It feels similar to Tarantino or the Coen brothers at times. There’s no swearing, but every character uses the word "cuss" in situations in which they would normally swear. I found that particularly funny. One animal questions why a ransom note was made using words cut out of a magazine when everyone already knew the identities of the kidnappers. That’s also funny to me. The missions all have elaborate titles and remind me of the way Tarantino uses chapters in his stories.

Fantastic Mr. Fox is an exercise in style. Mr. Fox himself is very stylish, dressing smartly and using his trademark whistle when he thinks he’s being clever or cool. Clooney was a great choice for the part and the other actors all do a good job too.

The story is essentially about a dysfunctional family and shows how Ash attempts to come to terms with his existence. Will Mr. Fox eventually become a better father? Will Ash grow up and take responsibility for his own actions? Do Mr. and Mrs. Fox strengthen their marriage, or will the trust issues tear them apart? There’s a lot going on beneath the surface.

Video Quality 5/5

The look of Fantastic Mr. Fox is virtually flawless. The frames were shot digitally with a high quality camera and the detail is superb throughout. You can see every hair on the puppets and the stitches in their clothing. Some scenes look deliberately flat when shot from a distance and the color palette is full of brown and yellow tints, but that’s all intentional too. I didn’t spot any errors in a single shot and the presentation looks as good as anything I’ve seen.

Audio Quality 4/5

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track has its moments, despite the quiet nature of the film. Most of the story is driven by dialogue, but there are occasional bursts of sound in scenes involving music or explosions. The rear speakers aren’t used prominently, but there’s no cause for complaint overall.

Special Features 3/5

The features were all shot in high definition.

Making Mr. Fox Fantastic (45 minutes) – A six-part feature which can also be viewed all at once. Topics include the look of the film, how it was adapted from the book and how the puppets were made. There’s an in-depth look at the filming process and a look at the actors behind the voices. The final segment shows Bill Murray talking to some of the animators.

A Beginner’s Guide to Whack-Bat (1 minute)

Fantastic Mr. Fox: The World of Roald Dahl (3 minutes) – Touching on the main points shown in the opening feature.

Trailer (2 minutes)

Fantastic Mr. Fox has a lot of intelligent humor and subtle charm and it’s clearly aimed at adult audiences. I wouldn’t rule out showing the film to children, but be aware that wild animals sometimes show their true nature and their world can be brutal. I’m a fan of Wes Anderson’s work and this met all my expectations in terms of style and humor. It’s one of the most complex and unusual animated titles I have seen and recommended for fans of subtle humor. The world is an interesting place to visit and the film is a lot of fun if you go in with the right expectations.

Overall score 4.5/5

Click here to see where Fantastic Mr. Fox ranks among my Top 20 animated films.


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Princess Mononoke: Raised by wolves, but ultimately human

Princess Mononoke (animation, adventure, fantasy)

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

Starring the voices of Billy Crudup, Gillian Anderson, Clare Danes and Minnie Driver

Miramax | 1999 | 133 min | Rated PG-13 | Released Dec 19, 2000

The Film 4.5/5

Here’s another film from Studio Ghibli that hasn’t yet seen a Blu-ray release. If you read my recent review of My Neighbor Totoro, you’ll know that I love Miyazaki’s animation, themes and characterization. This film has a different feel to Totoro and is aimed at older audiences.

The story lasts 133 minutes and is quite violent in places. The opening scene shows a boar possessed by a demon, which is an immediate threat to a village. Ashitaka (Crudup) tackles the beast and ultimately kills it, but injures his right arm in the process. The arm is essentially possessed and the infection is expected to spread throughout his body, killing him. He’s a danger to his own people and reluctantly has to leave in search of a cure.

Like most of Miyazaki’s characters, Ashitaka is a good person. One clue to his character is the way he treats Yakul, the red elk that he rides. The two seem like partners and it’s clear that he loves the animal.

Further clues to Ashitaka’s character can be seen when he saves another village from attack and rescues two drowning men from a river. We see that his infected arm seems to have additional strength and that enemies hit by his arrows can be decapitated. As I mentioned at the outset, the film is aimed at older audiences than those targeted by Totoro. It’s bloody and violent in places and death is always a possibility.

The first magical scene takes place in a forest. The locals fear it and the tree spirits that live there, but Ashitaka has no such fears. He sees the tree spirits as happy and childlike and willingly follows their directions. They lead him and the injured men to safety. He also catches a glimpse of the Forest Spirit, which is an altogether more powerful entity and has a big role to play in the story.

Ashitaka returns the men to their town and is thanked by the town’s ruler, Lady Eboshi (Driver). She’s one of the most interesting characters in the story. She’s capable of giving people a chance where others wouldn’t and has taken in prostitutes and lepers and given them honorable roles in her town. But she’s also fiercely ambitious and thinks she’s powerful enough to kill gods to gain more wealth and power. She’s a truly divided woman, but not definitely good or evil. She does seem to genuinely want to help the people under her care and protection. Her character changes significantly by the end of the story.

Princess Mononoke has been raised by a wolf-god (Anderson) and regularly rides one of its two cubs. She hates humans because she only ever sees them harming the forest. Her character is wild and reckless and will attack the town in an attempt to stop the people causing further damage to her beloved forest. She feels that if she kills Lady Eboshi, the threat will cease to exist.

Miyazaki’s animation doesn’t look modern. It has the look of a watercolor painting and is simply drawn; but with simple drawings, he’s capable of expressing a lot of emotion. When Ashitaka looks at his elk, the animal looks friendly, loving and intelligent. Its gaze and simple expression conveys all kinds of positive feelings. The forest is also a beautiful place and you’ll find that you want to see it protected and unharmed. The tree sprites project joy and innocence and that innocence is a common theme in Miyazaki’s work. I’m not sure how he does it, but it’s powerful and moving.

The final act is full of action and a number of key characters suffer major wounds. It’s not clear who will live and who will die, but not everyone survives. Some of the animals in the story are much more than dumb beasts and many are gods capable of mutual respect when they encounter souls who deserve it. There’s a sense of that respect throughout the film and the characters live by their own honor code.

Miyazaki places us right in the middle of the action and commonly uses a panning technique as if the frames were filmed instead of drawn. He also takes his time establishing scenes and it’s common to see water ripple, grass wave in the wind or clouds move across the sky. He seems to revel in the beauty of his worlds and I find that it helps me appreciate it all the more.

The conclusion of the story feels satisfying and right. It’s not a contrived ending at all, but one which could actually happen given the personalities of the characters and their situation. It’s interesting that Miyazaki’s villains usually consist of misguided people rather than truly evil individuals. This is often the case in real life and it works better than having a stock villain like those found in most animated movies.

The actors do a good job in the English version, but the Japanese dub is included with English subtitles for anyone wishing to experience the original version.

I have only seen Princess Mononoke three times and found it a bit muddled the first time. It improved with each viewing and I now consider it just below Miyazaki’s very best work. If you thought My Neighbor Totoro and Ponyo were too childish, give this a try.

Let’s hope that a Blu-ray release isn’t too far away.

Overall score 4.5/5

See where Princess Mononoke ranks among my Top 20 animated movies.

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My Top 20 animated movies: Part 1, #16-20

My Top 20 animated movies

Animated movies rarely get the respect they deserve. It’s common to hear people refer to them as cartoons and to regard them as lighthearted entertainment fit only for children. I suppose that idea comes from the fact that the majority of us enjoyed short cartoons when we were kids.

Classic Disney titles have been around for over 70 years and focus on material that is suitable for young children, but that doesn’t mean it’s not suitable for adults.

My Top 20 includes a number of Disney titles. Some have universal appeal while others are aimed at older audiences. Other films on the list contain messages that can appeal to people of any age. Some of the themes are complex and will only be understood by adults. I’ll mention which category each of my selections falls into.

It’s important to keep an open mind about animation and not label it as something too childish to bother with. You’ll miss out on some stunning stories if you do. There are currently 51 animated titles in my Blu-ray collection and the number would be much higher if other titles were available on the format.

Those of you who read my Top 20 Drama articles will know that Grave of the Fireflies is among my favorites. For that reason, I chose to omit it from this list.

That’s enough talk; let’s get started:

20. A Bug’s Life (1998)

Directed by John Lasseter and Andrew Stanton

Starring the voices of Kevin Spacey, Dave Foley and Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Pixar’s second movie focuses on a colony of ants. The story is about standing up to bullies and pursuing your own course even when you’re regarded as different or weird. That’s a good message for children. Flik (Foley) is a young ant with an imagination. He invents laborsaving devices to help his colony gather food for a group of aggressive grasshoppers, led by Hopper (Spacey). When an accident causes the gathered food to be lost, Flik is sent on a trip to enlist bugs willing to help the colony stand up to the grasshoppers. They are essentially getting rid of him and don’t expect him to succeed, but he returns with help. The new allies help the ants come up with a plan to defeat the grasshoppers. It’s a coming-of-age tale with lovable and quirky characters.

The animation looks great, especially on Blu-ray. Every blade of grass looks real and the detail is incredible. The story is a little scary in places, but is ultimately a lot of fun. It’s suitable for the whole family. 

19. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

Directed by Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders

Starring the voices of Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler and Craig Ferguson

Here’s a movie that I expected to love, but it didn’t really grab me the first time I saw it. Maybe I was in the wrong mood that day because my opinion of it improved significantly on the second viewing.

The story is similar to the one in A Bug’s Life in some ways. It tells the story of Hiccup; a young Viking hoping to hunt dragons like most of the town’s inhabitants. The problem is, he’s undersized and seemingly lacks the requisite skills. He likes to invent things and one of his weapons hits the most ferocious species of dragon, a Night Fury. When he eventually discovers the injured beast, he finds that he’s unable to kill it. Instead, he names it Toothless and builds a device that will enable the dragon to fly again. The two form a bond and he starts to question whether his people are right in their assumption that dragons are dangerous and should be killed on sight. The story is full of action, which peaks during the flight scenes.

The Blu-ray presentation is excellent and the story should interest the whole family. There are currently eight books in the series and second movie is due to be released in 2014.

18. Mary and Max (2009)

Directed by Adam Elliot

Starring the voices of Philip Seymour Hoffman, Toni Collette and Eric Bana

Mary and Max is one of the weirdest animated films I have ever seen. It’s full of dark humor and is often sad, but I find myself laughing most of the time. Mary Daisy Dinkle (Collette) is an 8-year-old Australian girl, with a birthmark the color of poo, who picks a name at random from the Manhattan phone directory. The name is that of Max Jerry Horovitz (Hoffman), a 44-year-old Jewish man with Asperger’s Syndrome. Both are terribly lonely, so when she writes to him, the two develop a friendship. The dialogue is hilarious. Mary thinks that babies are found in the bottom of beer glasses; Max informs her that they actually come from eggs laid by rabbis. If you are Jewish, they are laid by Catholic nuns. If you are an atheist, they are laid by dirty, lonely prostitutes. The whole movie is full of similar dialogue. Max is brutally honest and says things that are completely inappropriate for 8-year-old Mary.

The claymation looks highly-detailed on Blu-ray. I wouldn’t be comfortable showing the movie to small children because it could raise some awkward questions. Themes include sex, theft, alcoholism and death. If you like weird humor, this is probably something you should check out.

17. Whisper of the Heart (1995)

Directed by Yoshifumi Kondô

Starring the voices of Brittany Snow, David Gallagher, James Sikking and Cary Elwes

If you read all 20 recommendations, you’ll see Hayao Miyazaki’s name mentioned several times. Although he didn’t direct Whisper of the Heart, he wrote the screenplay, and his imprint is all over the movie. Shizuku is a girl of about 13 who doesn’t really know what she wants to do with her life. She’s clever and creative, but lacks direction. She's intrigued when she discovers that almost every library book she checks out has previously been borrowed by the same person. When she meets the boy, the story starts to take off. It’s a charming story filled with people who are generally good. Children respect their elders and the elders have time to encourage the children. Friendships are strong and meaningful and it’s a nice world to spend some time in. It’s a coming-of-age story in which Shizuku discovers her calling in life. Don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s a teen romance; there’s so much more going on than that. Miyazaki creates characters that you’ll quickly like and often come to love.

Whisper of the Heart is released on Blu-ray in Japan on July 20, so there’s a good chance it will be available elsewhere by the end of 2011 or the start of 2012.

16. Princess Mononoke (1997)

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

Starring the voices of Billy Crudup, Gillian Anderson, Clare Danes and Minnie Driver

Princess Mononoke is an animated film dealing in adult themes. Its 133-minute running time is barely sufficient to explore the vast world and complex story and it’s a little disjointed at times, but seems smoother every time I watch it. It was the highest-grossing film in Japan until Titanic was released.

Our hero is Ashitaka (Crudup), who saves his village from a possessed boar, but suffers a wound that could eventually result in his death. He is forced to leave the village to seek a cure. He rides an elk and shares a strong bond with the animal. Ashitaka is a noble and heroic young prince who always has good intentions. We see him save two men from drowning and he returns them to their village. He enters the Forbidden Forest, which is considered certain death, but it turns out to be nothing of the sort. Ashitaka encounters forest sprites who are full of joy and childlike wonder, and they lead him to safety. As with virtually all Miyazaki films, most of the danger comes from misunderstandings rather than true evil. The story is deeply spiritual and demonstrates Miyazaki’s love of nature. Princess Mononoke is raised by wolves and hates humans, but Ashitaka tries to show her that not all humans are bad. It’s a sprawling story filled with gods and mystery, but the long running time never feels boring. The simple animation style is beautiful and the music enhances the whole experience.

There’s no Blu-ray release as yet, although it will eventually happen. The DVD is worth checking out if you don’t have the option to stream it. The story is quite violent in places with bloody scenes involving enemies being decapitated. It may not be suitable for small children.

Here's my full review.

Click here to see #11-15 on the list.

Click here to see #6-10 on the list.

Click here to see #1-5 on the list.

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Rabbit Hole: An uplifting film about death?

Rabbit Hole (drama)

Directed by John Cameron Mitchell

Starring Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart and Dianne Wiest

Lionsgate Films | 2010 | 91 min | Rated PG-13 | Released Apr 19, 2011

Video:

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC

Video resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 1.78:1

Audio:

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1

Subtitles:

English, Spanish

Disc:

Single 50GB Blu-ray Disc

The Film 4.5/5

Here’s a film which made just $2.2 million at the box office, but Nicole Kidman received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. Are you one of the few who bothered to go and see it? If not, is it worth checking out on Blu-ray?

The subject matter is the likely reason for the film being largely ignored. The title doesn’t give away much either. This is not another live action version of Alice in Wonderland. Rabbit Hole is about one of the worst things that could happen to parents; it deals with the loss of a child. That doesn’t sound like a fun watch, does it?

The film completely surprised me and I thought it was superbly done.

We aren’t told at the outset that Becca (Kidman) and Howie (Eckhart) have suffered a loss. The writing respects the audience and lets us observe their actions. Becca turns down a dinner invitation from a neighbor and doesn’t seem too happy when she discovers her sister is pregnant. Howie views a video of a child on his phone and we soon find out that their 4-year-old boy died eight months previously.

Becca is reminded of her loss everywhere she looks. Some of Danny’s pictures are still on the fridge; his room looks like it hasn’t been touched and she can see his fingerprints around the house. His clothes are still in the wardrobe so she decides to give them away. After removing the pictures, she informs Howie that she thinks they should sell the house as it’s another constant reminder.

We learn that Danny was run over by a car when chasing his dog into the street. The unfortunate dog is sent to live with Becca’s mother (Wiest).

Becca rejects all of Howie’s romantic advances because she presumably fears that it could result in another child that she might also lose. When she sits in the park or goes to the store, there are happy children everywhere. Imagine having to deal with that. She virtually shuts down her life so that she doesn’t have to face any situations in which she’ll be reminded of her dead son. 

The couple regularly visits a support group made up of other parents who are dealing with a similar loss. Becca can’t stand facing that and soon decides to quit. She follows a school bus one day and almost crashes while trying to keep up with it. She watches a boy get off the bus and go into his house. Who is he and why was she so intent on seeing him, but not talking to him? He has an important part to play in the story and is responsible for the film’s title, but I won’t reveal why here.

Despite the sad subject matter, there are plenty of moments of light relief. One involves Howie visiting the support group while he’s high and one of the group starts to talk about rage. I guess some things can seem hilarious when you’re in that state.

The story is about whether Becca and Howie will find a way to deal with their grief and move on with their lives. It seems as if they are always arguing about seemingly insignificant things as they take out their anger on one another. Each has ways of temporarily escaping the situation and it’s not clear whether their relationship will survive. That question is eventually answered and the whole story tackles the subject of losing one’s child in a delicate and authentic way.

I haven’t seen all of Kidman’s roles, but it’s hard to imagine her better than she is here. Eckhart also does a good job and Wiest is outstanding as Becca’s mother. We get to see the characters and their relationships develop and change by the end of the film and the resolution is somehow uplifting. It’s a shame that so few people saw it in the theater.

Video Quality 4.5/5

Due to the low budget, director John Cameron Mitchell shot Rabbit Hole digitally, but the end result looks fantastic. Detail is strong throughout and the digital image looks bright and clear. There are a few soft scenes, but there’s very little to complain about. I felt very involved with the events on the screen at all times.

Audio Quality 5/5

The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track isn’t something you would choose to show off your home theater system, but it’s flawless. This is a quiet film driven by dialogue. The characters reflect on their lives and there are no loud explosions or gunshots. Ambient sounds are evident during scenes in the city and in the park and there are no problems of any kind. Dialogue was crisp and clear throughout.

Special Features 2.5/5

Anyone wanting to know more about the film will have to listen to the commentary track. There’s really not much more to indulge in if you’re a fan.

Commentary with director John Cameron Mitchell, screenwriter David Lindsay-Abaire, and director of photography Frank G. DeMarco.

Deleted Scenes (3:07)

Trailer

Rabbit Hole was a complete surprise to me. I expected it to be almost too sad to watch, but it’s actually a well-balanced film. The story seems very truthful, the performances are strong and the Blu-ray presentation is excellent. If you like character-driven drama that’s heavy on dialogue, it’s definitely worth checking out. Although I haven’t revealed how things turn out, I had a sense of optimism when the credits started to roll. Don’t be put off by the strong subject matter.

Overall score 4.5/5

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Unknown: Don't expect Taken 2, but see it anyway

Unknown (drama, mystery, thriller)

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra

Starring Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger and January Jones

Warner Bros. | 2011 | 113 min | Rated PG-13 | Released Jun 21, 2011

Video:

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC

Video resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 2.40:1

Audio:

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

French, Portuguese, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles:

English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese

Discs:

50GB Blu-ray Disc

DVD copy (with digital copy)

The Film 4/5

Unknown’s plot is extremely simple once you know a key piece of information, but that’s not revealed until late in the movie. As a result, you’ll find yourself confused and having to guess what’s really going on. On first viewing, Unknown is full of mystery and puts the viewer in the position of the main protagonist, Martin Harris (Neeson). Like Memento, the story keeps letting us see events in a new context and their meaning changes as a result.

Harris flies into Berlin with wife Liz (Jones) for a biotechnology conference. He’s one of the speakers. While getting into a taxi at the airport, he leaves behind a briefcase containing his passport and vital documents. Does that seem like the act of a man with the supposed intelligence of Harris? He notices that it's missing when they arrive at the hotel and jumps into another taxi while his wife checks in. There’s no signal for his phone (really) so he can’t explain his actions.

The taxi is involved in an accident and plunges into a river. The driver, Gina (Kruger), pulls him out and then runs off leaving him in the hands of the medics. He wakes up in hospital and all he can remember is his name and that he’s married to Liz, who doesn’t know where he is. The doctor tells him that he’s been in a coma for four days.

Luckily, he sees a story about the conference on TV in his room and remembers that he’s supposed to be attending. It shows the hotel where he was supposed to check in. How convenient. After checking out and going to the hotel, he sees his wife at a reception. The problem is she says that she doesn’t know him. She even introduces another man as her husband, Martin Harris. The hotel security men throw him out. Are you confused yet? Is he really Martin Harris? Is everything we are seeing just some coma-induced dream? Is he crazy?

The story continues with Harris trying to prove his identity. He finds Gina and she agrees to help him. He also phones a friend in the US who he knows can confirm his identity. His memories slowly start to return and he notes everything he can remember. One piece of information tells him that he has a meeting arranged with Professor Bressler, who he communicated with by phone and email for a while. Maybe Bressler can confirm his identity? It wouldn’t explain his wife’s actions, but it would be a start.

I won’t reveal any more of the story because it would ruin the mystery, but it contains a few glaring plot holes. The exposition is also laughable at times and assumes that the audience is pretty dumb. My favorite example is: “So that’s got all your secrets in it, right?”

You might be wondering why I gave the movie such a high score if it’s full of so many plot holes and stupid dialogue. The reason is it somehow works. Neeson is such a good actor that he pulls it off. I found myself actually caring about his predicament and wanting to see him resolve it. Most of the supporting cast does a great job too and I was especially impressed with Bruno Ganz and Frank Langella.

Did you see the movie posters advertising the theatrical run? It showed Neeson holding a gun and looking ready to take on the world. In short, it was marketed as Taken 2. If you buy the movie on the strength of that image, you may be disappointed. Neeson doesn’t touch a gun at any point in the movie. There are a couple of car chases and scenes full of action, but this is nothing like Taken. Neeson does get into a couple of fights, but this is more a mystery than an action movie. Fans of Taken might like Neeson enough to enjoy this too, but be aware that the two movies are very different.

I found myself invested in the story, even though I could see that parts of it were contrived or even ludicrous. Neeson plays it dead straight and is believable in his role. Kruger did a good job as his sidekick. I’ve watched the movie twice now and will be happy to watch it again despite its flaws.

Video Quality 4.5/5

I have no complaints about the picture quality. Fine grain is present throughout and detail is always strong. I detected one slightly noisy image in a dark scene, but that’s a minor quibble. Colors look accurate and the presentation is clean and bright. You’ll be very happy when you see it.

Audio Quality 5/5

The movie starts quietly, but gradually increases in volume as the action rises. Dialogue is always clear, but the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track really starts to shine when we see the car crash. The action scenes in the final act all benefit from heavy use of the surrounds and you’ll feel like you’re in the middle of the action. The audio presentation is flawless.

Special Features 1/5

There are two HD features which run for a total of nine minutes and the content of each overlaps with the other. I hoped for much more.

Liam Neeson: Known Action Hero (4:33) – Brief interviews with the cast and crew about the making of the film.

Unknown: What is Unknown (4:24) – Similar in content to the opening feature, but it’s more of an extended advertisement and appears to have been shot before the movie was released.

I’m not sure what Unknown is supposed to be. There are too many holes for it to be a serious drama or compelling mystery, but there’s not really enough action for it to fall into that genre. If you go into it with the right attitude, you’ll probably enjoy it. I had fun watching it the first time and enjoyed seeing it on Blu-ray. For fans of Neeson, it’s worth adding to your collection. For action fans, it could fail to meet expectations. The Blu-ray presentation certainly won't disappoint, but there's very little in the way of special features.

Overall score 4/5

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My Top 10 Horror Movies: Part 2, #1-5

My Top 10 Horror Movies (continued)


Silence of the Lambs would have been at the top of the list, but it's listed as a crime/thriller and I decided it was ineligible.

5. The Exorcist (1973)

Directed by William Friedkin

Starring Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow and Linda Blair

Like The Omen, here’s a film that relies on building suspense. The most frightening thing about the film is what it makes you think, rather than anything shown on the screen. It deals with possession and we see a sweet young girl transformed into a growling demon. Imagine if that were your child. How would you handle the situation? Would you resort to prayer even if you were an atheist? The main actors do a wonderful job of keeping the scenes serious. If they believe it, maybe we can believe it. The effects all had to be produced using whatever props were available and most look pretty good. This is a film that relies on mood and your ability to think beyond what you’re being shown. It’s genuinely frightening if you allow yourself to be drawn in to the story.

Click here for my full review.

4. The Mist (2007)

Directed by Frank Darabont

Starring Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden and Laurie Holden

Are you starting to notice a pattern in my choices? The Mist shows what happens when people are forced to abandon the normal rules of behavior. A group of customers take refuge in a supermarket when a strange mist descends. One man rushes in and shouts a warning that there’s something in the mist. Some people believe him, but most don’t. The plot develops and the incidents become more serious, until someone is finally killed. A small group witnesses the event and has to convince the other customers that there’s a real threat. People start to form into groups. One is led by a religious fanatic (Harden) and thinks that some form of human sacrifice is the answer. Another is led by the logical local artist, David Drayton (Jane). It’s interesting to see how people perform under pressure and who the true leaders are when the situation demands it.

Click here for my full review.

3. The Birds (1963)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Starring Tippi Hedren, Rod Taylor and Suzanne Pleshette

Hitchcock loved to deceive audiences and The Birds is a prime example. The first part of the film shows Melanie Daniels (Hedren) randomly encountering Mitch Brenner (Taylor) in a store which sells birds. After Brenner has left, she decides that she would like to know more about him. She purchases two birds and takes a long drive to his hometown. After questioning a few locals, she tracks down his address. The whole setup makes the film look like a traditional romance, but things change when she’s attacked by a bird while rowing across the bay to his home. The attacks start to become more serious and she eventually becomes trapped with Brenner, his mother and his daughter. Hitchcock never explains why the birds are behaving aggressively and doesn’t need to. The group has to battle to survive and the resolution doesn’t completely reveal whether they will be safe. It’s a snapshot in the lives of a few people in an extreme situation.

2. Psycho (1960)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Starring Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh and Vera Miles

More Hitchcock and another deceptive plot. If by some chance you haven't seen the film, please skip the rest of this summary. The plot is fairly simple, but unexpected. A young woman (Leigh) steals money from work and decides to flee the town. The setup leads us to believe that the story will be about her struggle to evade pursuit. But she stops in a motel for the night and is murdered by the owner, Norman Bates (Perkins). I like how Hitchcock makes us root for Bates and we almost want him to avoid being caught. Perkins plays the role perfectly and appears logical and nervous at the same time. The strength of the film is that it could happen. It's more psychological horror than slasher movie and Bates is a character that we can pity. Some of the shocks were original at the time, but probably seem pretty lame now that we know about such techniques. Imagine seeing this 50 years ago. The Blu-ray presentation is incredible.

Click here for my full review.

1. The Shining (1980)

Directed by Stanley Kubrick

Starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall and Danny Lloyd 

Kubrick was comfortable working in any genre and The Shining was his attempt at horror. I like so many of his films, but this might be his best. It’s not a strict adaptation of Stephen King’s novel, but I like the changes that he made. Technology probably wasn’t capable of showing Danny’s solo encounter in the hedge maze, but it would have been great to see it. Jack Torrance (Nicholson) is a writer who takes a winter job as caretaker of the Overlook Hotel. The setting is perfect for a horror movie. He takes his wife (Duvall) and young son (Lloyd) and they plan to live there alone until the hotel re-opens in the spring. All three family members witness weird events. Torrance is a recovering alcoholic and finds that the bar is full of people. The hotel is supposed to be empty. He drinks and talks to the barman. We start to see ghosts of people who lived, stayed or worked at the hotel. The story is about how Torrance loses his grip on reality and becomes a danger to his family. It’s full of mysteries and many are never explained. Kubrick’s film creates its own atmospheric world and it’s good to visit when you’re in the mood.

Click here to see #6-10 on my list.

Did I mention any of your favorites? Feel free to let me know what you think of the list or post your own Top 10 in the comments section.

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Upcoming Blu-ray releases: June 20-24

US Blu-ray releases

June 21 

The Adjustment Bureau

Cedar Rapids

Ceremony

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules

The Eagle

Ghost In the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Individual Eleven

Ghost In the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: The Laughing Man

Ghost In the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Solid State Society

Growth

Happythankyoumoreplease

The Island

Kiss Me Deadly

Louie: The Complete First Season

The Medallion

Mega Python vs. Gatoroid

Priest of Love

The Rig

The Romantic Englishwoman

Scenic Routes Around the World: Africa

Scenic Routes Around the World: Asia

Scenic Routes Around the World: Europe

Scenic Routes Around the World: Far East

Scenic Routes Around the World: The Pacific

Scenic Routes Around the World: South America

Stonehenge Apocalypse

Unknown

WWE Over the Limit 2011

You Got Served: Beat the World

Canadian Blu-ray releases 

June 21

The Adjustment Bureau

Agatha Christie's Marple: Complete Series 5

Arthur and the Invisibles

Arthur and the Invisibles 2 & 3: The New Minimoy Adventures

Cedar Rapids

Clerks / Clerks II

Day of the Triffids

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules

The Eagle

Equilibrium / Renaissance

Funkytown

Ghost In the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Individual Eleven

Ghost In the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: The Laughing Man

Ghost In the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Solid State Society

Happythankyoumoreplease

The Island

Kiss Me Deadly

Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen

Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen (Collector’s Edition)

Louie: The Complete First Season

Mega Python vs. Gatoroid

The Rig

Stonehenge Apocalypse

Unknown

You Got Served: Beat the World

UK Blu-ray releases

June 20

Brighton Rock

Cat o’ Nine Tails

The Eagle Path

Evangelion: 2.22 You Can (Not) Advance

The Fighter

The Great White Silence

How Do You Know?

Howl

I Am Number Four

Mozart: The Marriage of Figaro

The Rite

Robinson in Ruins

Season of the Witch

The Twilight Zone: Season 2

West is West

Australian Blu-ray releases

June 22

District 13: Ultimatum

June 24

Season of the Witch

French Blu-ray releases

June 21

Big Stan

Bleach: The Film – Memories of Nobody

Cold Prey / Cold Prey II / Cold Prey III

Gnomeo & Juliet

House M.D.: Season Six

Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro

The Reef

Two Eyes Staring / La Diabolique

XIII: The Conspiracy

June 23

Le Ble en Herbe

Festival De Verbier 2009-10

La Jument Verte

Mozart: Messe En Ut Mineur K.427. Adagio & Fugue

Puccini: Turandot

Sanctum 3D

True Grit

Various: Argerich / Maisky