The Big Hard World

Conditions: Annoying

Film Review: Non Stop

The latest in the Liam Neeson Punches People franchise, Non Stop features Neeson as an air marshal who is confronted with a rather unique hostage situation on an airliner at 30,000 feet over the Atlantic. Someone has threatened to kill one person every 20 minutes unless 150 million is deposited into a bank account. Liam has to try and sort out who is doing it, and how. Along the way he’ll have to kill some people, deal with panicked passengers, clear his own name, calm the crew, and rescue a little girl’s toy bear. Awww.

This is actually a pretty effective thriller, similar to Jodie Foster’s Flightplan that came out a few years ago. That is a better film, but this isn’t too far behind. As the plot develops Liam has to work hard to figure out just what exactly is going on, and we’re as much in the dark as he is. And as the mystery unfolds it actually proves to be fairly clever. I guess the problems in comparison with Flightplan are twofold. Firstly, there just isn’t the same level of drama. Liam just has to find the bad guy because ...that’s his job. He conceivably could have just stayed in the toilet and smoked some more cigarettes instead and left the plot to itself.

Secondly, for all his gruffness Liam kind of has only one note to his performance. Things happen, and he’s confused. Things continue to happen, and he is still confused. Things develop even further, and Liam remains in the realm of confusedness. Even when he’s roughing people up there’s still that note of confusion there. I guess it’s as much about how the character is written as it is how Liam plays it, but it is kind of exhausting to be stuck in that one note throughout the entire film. But there is some good characterisations with the various passengers we get to know as we go along, some clichés are attacked and some themes are discovered. Finally the motives are revealed, and the wheels sort of come off the landing gear, but it’s still been an exciting ride. Three texts out of five.



Film Review: 300: Rise of an Empire

So to be fair on the new film I decided not to watch the original 300 before heading out to catch the sequel. You know, Let the new one stand on its own feet, give it a chance. It’s not actually a sequel, it’s kind of a prequel – and a side-equel. See, while King Leonidas and the brave 300 were staunchly getting slaughtered by the Persian army, the Greek navy were engaged in a massive battle off the coastline. The Persian navy is led, amazingly, by Eva Green – in full-on fire and brimstone mode. Hers is the stand-out performance of the film. The smaller Greek navy is led by a guy called Themistocles, who is desperately trying to rally the Greeks to make a stand and fight Xerxes’ massive army. And basically the film is about a series of engagements the two sides have.

This film is pure sex and violence. Especially violence. Lots and lots of violence. A relentless smorgasbord of blood. And some sex in the middle. The blood is splashed across the screen early and often, the plot requires lots and lots of battle sequences where limbs are hacked off with wild abandon. In fact, the film is so gleefully violent it kind of disconnects itself – it’s kind of hard to take a film seriously when it keeps stopping to literally splash blood across the screen. I feel like the new director has kind of missed the point. 300 wasn’t really that violent. It was hardcore, and a bit mad, but – especially in comparison to the sequel – it wasn’t just a relentless bloodbath.

Ultimately, this film isn’t as good as the first one. That had the dedicated and half-mad Spartans facing doom and glory, and it was pretty awesome, with big speeches and bold moves. This one feels dialled back a little. It’s more complicated, more talky, less iconic, more in support of the first film. Previous director Zach Snyder has moved to a producer role, and his prodigy of sorts has taken the big chair. So the same sort of historical comic book feel is there, and it’s a high old time, but really in the end it just makes me want to watch the first one again, at maximum volume. Two doomed slaves out of five.



- Peace out