|
|
Post by benxtaron on Oct 21, 2006 0:44:19 GMT -5
All right, I have been raving about this movie for so long, and finally, I got to see it! Here is my review!
Acting: Top notch! Jackman and Bale are the focus of this revenge tale, and they deliver with fervor and grace. They really put all their effort into portraying two people who live a life of secrets, and will do anything in their power to destroy the other's life.
Score: A+
Story: Once again, Christopher Nolan has put together a masterpiece, breathing life into characters, and showing meaning behind his stories. Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale are magicians who start out as friends, but after a tragic accident, become rivals, and eventually enemies. They both seek out to destroy one another until it cripples them both, physically and mentally, and leads them head on into a fateful confrontation that leaves you breathless. A superb story!
Score: A+
Musical Score: It's decent. Not a whole lot, but it doesn't detract from the film.
Score: C+
Ending: New feature. One of the most shocking, brutal, sad, and jaw-dropping endings ever. Although I don't understand the last scene, (if anyone sees it, please let me know if you got it) the last 5 minutes blew me away. The moral, revenge will destroy yourself and everyone around you, sinks in with both characters, but as the credits begin to roll, you fear that neither one of them will or have learned their lesson.
Score: A+
Final Score: A
A great tale of revenge, and hopefully will get at least an honorable mention come Oscars. I am begging you to see this movie; there are but few that will actually change you, and this is one of them.
|
|
|
|
Post by jacksloststepkid on Oct 21, 2006 11:05:15 GMT -5
OK, I liked this movie alot, but I wish they had tweaked the twist a bit less obviously. Here is my general take on the ending. Do not read this unless you have already seen the movie:
So the main thing I didn't get was why the Jackman character would choose to kill himself 100 times over. Why not just do the trick the same way as the Bale character. The only reason I could think of is that he intended to trap Bale and get him charged with murder. That seemed obvious, but didn't jive with the ending where he talks about needing to see the people's faces.
So the very ending where they show Jackman's character in the tank is just to show you what almost anyone should already know - that Jackman was killing himself each night over and over.
Anyway regardless, I thought they gave away the whole twist way too early. I immediately noticed the F agan character as being off and that caught my attention way too early. Then as soon as I saw the hats and the cat outside, I generally realized what was going on with the Bale character. Over the next 10-15 minutes, once you knew what the twist was with Bale's character I felt like it was really obvious and then they kind of heavily handedly made sure that you got the point. Bale loved her some days and not others because he was two people, etc. And once Jackson's charcter showed the Tesla trick the first time, they'd already given you so much information that you realized that he was killing himself each time.
Don't get me wrong. I really llked this film a lot, and I love trying to figure out the ending and the twist ahead of time (one reason I like Lost!!!) and I felt like it was such a great concept for a twist that I wished they hadn't given away so much before the ending.
One thing I was interested in is how Bale got the duplicate, and the only thing I can think of is that it happened by accident at the exposition or something. I'd have to go back and look at the timing of the events in the film. Did the expo happen before he appeared in his wife's room with the tea pot?
Inevitably I have to compare this to Sixth Sense and it's twist. I randomly ended up seeing the movie it's opening day and it totally got me. When I saw the ring it just all dropped into place. It is really hard to craft that so well (M. Night hasn't been able to do it since in my opinion). After seeing this movie I got the impression it could have had that same effect, but they didn't quite execute the reveal quite right.
Once thing I did really like was the tie between the Caine character talking to the girl about magic at the beginning and the end when the father comes for her.... that was quite well done.
(note - I accidentally edited the original post by accident and changed it back to it's original - stupid mistake with the extra moderator buttons  ) |
|
|
|
Post by benxtaron on Oct 21, 2006 13:28:09 GMT -5
Hey, thanks! When they showed Jackman's character in the tank, I couldn't figure it out, but know, I think I have an idea, kinda crackpotty!
That was the tank that would allow you to slip your hand out of it and unlock the padlock, right? Well, maybe Jackman's other self was still alive in there, and got out after Bale left. Then again, I may be blowing it way out of proportion. And yes, I loved The Sixth Sense as well. |
|
|
|
Post by jacksloststepkid on Oct 21, 2006 13:47:05 GMT -5
Honestly I think it is pretty simple why the ending was what it was
I think that just in case people didn't understand that he was killing himself over and over, they had to hammer that point home
I think something like what you say would have been much better, but he didn't look alive. Something to show that the revenge cycle might still go on...
|
|
|
|
Post by jacksloststepkid on Oct 21, 2006 14:14:16 GMT -5
Some interesting threads to read discussing the movie as well: highlander-ii.livejournal.com/98586.htmlwww.mediablvd.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=34823&st=220some things that came out that I hadn't caught:
The Hugh Jackson character was a Lord from the very beginning. If you can remember his discussion with his wife about using a false name to protect his identity and save his family shame.
The Christian Bale character(s) were supposed to be identical twins, sharing one life. I'd always assumed that they were possibly copies through some accident that happened at the exposition with Tesla's machine.
|
|
|
|
Post by benxtaron on Oct 21, 2006 14:17:25 GMT -5
Honestly I think it is pretty simple why the ending was what it was
I think that just in case people didn't understand that he was killing himself over and over, they had to hammer that point home
I think something like what you say would have been much better, but he didn't look alive. Something to show that the revenge cycle might still go on...
If you have read the book, half of it is their descendants struggling with the sins of their grandfathers. Great book, still working on reading it. It's almost written like in the 1800's, but the person wrote it in the 90's. |
|
)