Cinema Paradiso- All about Cinema

Friday, April 25, 2014

Son of God, Hollywood English Film movie review, Johnson Thomas, Rating: * * 1/2

Son of God(English) Rating: * * ½ This Epical Biblical movie is far more accessible than the recent ‘Noah’ but the problem here lies in the scale, mounting and poor effects. After all it was originally meant for TV !

English Film review

Johnson Thomas

Film: Son of God

Cast: Diogo Morgado, Greg Hicks, Adrian Schiller, Darwin Shaw, Sebastian Knapp, Joe Wredden, Simon Kunz, Paul Marc Davis, Matthew Gravelle, Amber Rose Revah, Roma Downey

Director: Christopher Spencer

Rating: * * ½

Spencer directs this sweeping Biblical epic detailing the life of Jesus Christ (Diogo Morgado) from his birth in Bethlehem right up to the Resurrection.+ This film is basically a big screen condensation of History channel’s “ The Bible” miniseries- Ten hours of footage chopped down to size the 138 min feature length time.

In terms of storyline, the film has all the highlights of Jesus’ life pat down. The miracles are there and so are the parables. But the story doesn’r have enough depth mainly because there’s little in the form od exposition to detail the myth. It tries hard to shock and awewith it’s preachy format and hunky sermonizing. And after a point gets on your nerves bigtime. The production values are pretty good, costumes are impressive, action and violence are convincing enough, Morocco makes a great stand0in for Jesus country yet there appears to be something drastically missing in the experience. The drama is certainly not sharp enough and especially because the magic is not impressionable enough. As long as the film deals with the politics of those times, it works.

After a quick montage through the Old Testament’s highlight moments and the nativity scene, the biopic finds thirty something Jesus (Portuguese model-turned-actor Diogo Morgado) on a metaphoric rise soothsaying his way to instant stardom. The actor Morgado, essaying Jesus, doesn’t have the expressiveness to make the experience weighty or meaningful. He can smile beatifically and look hunky but that’s. There’s little else to him. Peter (Darwin Shaw) is the one with all the emotion. While Jesus inadvertently stirs up ethnic pride and unrest in outlying Nazareth, Pilate and the Jewish high priest Caiaphas (Adrian Schiller) plot jointly and independently to launch a public relations campaign that discredits the prophet as a blasphemer and neutralizes the threat of political revolt. The governmental intrigue is the mainstay of this film. That’s the only time things get absorbing enough. The scripting credited to Spencer, Richard Bedser, Colin Swash, and Nic Young, has it’s drawbacks due mainly to the condensation and reconfiguration effort. Everything appears a little too strippy and discontinuous.

The narration is better suited to a Sunday school project, the cgi is pathetic and the actors, though good looking, look too dumb to be believable as catalysts of a civilization shaping eventology. It’s got all the big moments of Jesus life in focus but the in-between ones which could have added more depth in the characterization are missing. Greg Hicks as Pontius; (coproducer) Roma Downey as the Virgin Mary; Amber Rose Revah as Mary Magdalene; Adrian Schiller as Caiaphas, the leader of the council of Jews; Darwin Shaw as Peter; Joe Wredden as Judas are all similarly handicapped by poor direction, bad scripting and underdeveloped characterization. ‘Son of God’ may do the trick for the faithful but for the discerning one it’s just a little too slap-dash to be meaningful!

Johnsont307@gmail.com

Tarzan 3D Animation motion capture Hollywood English film Movie review, Johnson Thomas, Rating: * * *

Tarzan (/3D/Animation English):Rating: * * * This motion capture animation adventure focusing on the Greystoke heir’s initial years in the jungle is terrific on technique and completely satisfying in engagement.

English Film review

Johnson Thomas

Interesting origin story

Film: Tarzan 3D

Cast: Kellan Lutz, Jo Osmond

Director: Reinhard Kloos

Rating: * * *

A return back to the origin story, albeit a slightly updated one, of how the Greystoke heir crashlands in the jungle, is brought up by guerillas and then meets-up with Jane whose father is the key to the limitless meteorite powered energy source coveted by present CEO Clayton who would rather see Tarzan dead than have him usurp his well-entrenched authority over the giant Greystoke corporation.

Instead of the shipwreck, we have a helicopter crash this time. The young Greystoke here is not shown as a newborn- and he is talking when the crash happens. So , conbenientluy, when he meets Jane, he just has to recollect the words from his past. Not too much trouble with that. This film is certainly a more grown-ups version than a kiddie flick. There are no talking animals; there are people dying and there’s a lot of random evil happening thanks to Clayton and his nefarious ambitions. The mood is also quite somber and dramatic. The story may not be well-developed or completely satisfying seeing as it leaves you mid-way in preparation for a potential sequel. The effects though, especially the 3D motion capture animation is so very life like that you might just mistake this for a live-action animation flick. The depth and backdrops are amazingly rendered. It’s an all-round enveloping ride worth the multiplex visit.

Johnsont307@gmail.com