The DC Animated Universe

Believe it or not, this post has been planned for a while now, and it's only serendipitous that it comes shortly after Warner Brothers announced that the live-action Justice League movie is on the cards. I'm not going to weigh in on the Batman reboot (though they really should wait until they get The Dark Knight Rises out into the world first) or the optimistic 2013 target date- I'm going to talk about some animated DC movies.

DC Universe Animated Original Movies are direct-to-DVD features, borne out of collaboration between DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation. There've been ten thus far, with another Green Lantern film and an adaptation of Frank Miller's Batman: Year One to come, and seeing as how I've been keeping track of their output, I've been meaning to sample some of their films here on the blog.

Their most recent release, still yet to be released in the UK, is All-Star Superman, based on the Grant Morrison-penned comic series and adapted for animation by the late Dwayne McDuffie. Superman has a brush with death that makes him more powerful than ever before, but also suddenly aware of his own mortality. He makes things right with the love of his life, Lois Lane, but he must also fend off the machinations of his enemies- most of all, Lex Luthor.

There are sequences in All-Star Superman that would be perfect in any live-action Superman film. The indisputable highlight of the film comes when Clark Kent interviews Lex Luthor in prison, and his presence allows Parasite to break out of his cell to go on the rampage. It poses an actual challenge to the Man of Steel- Clark has to protect everyone without revealing his identity to them, especially not his arch-nemesis. It's a fantastic idea, very well executed on-screen, but the pitfall is that it features in a film that also has some very ridiculous stuff.

I suppose if you subscribe to the notion that Zack Snyder should have kept the giant squid ending in his Watchmen film, you'll find some of the weirder stuff in All-Star Superman easier to swallow. Research shows that it's very faithful to the comic, but to me at least, that made it seem far too busy. There are too many opponents in this film, often introduced and written out all too  brusquely, for it to flow very well. The anime-influenced style of animation looks gorgeous, but the story could have been more focused.

It's only in comparison to this particular Superman story that a Batman story could look light by comparison, but that's not entirely what you get with Batman: Under The Red Hood. It's mired in continuity, but the basics of the story are as follows- it's been several years since Jason Todd, Dick Grayson's successor as Robin, was murdered by the Joker. Batman is still reluctant to work with members of the extended Bat-family, but he may need all the help he can get as the mysterious Red Hood begins to corral Gotham's terrorised criminals to his own end.

On the surface, this one looks like everything a Batman fan could want- a moody and atmospheric tale that's faithful to the comic it's based on, to the letter. The reason why Christopher Nolan is doing so well with his take on Batman is because he's being faithful to the comics but tempering that with new stuff. You can still be surprised by the plot of a Nolan Batman film, but it somewhat undercuts the detective story of something like Under The Red Hood if you figure out what's what before Batman does. That's certainly got something to do with the fact that I had already read Under The Red Hood before watching this adaptation, but that doesn't make it a bad film, by any stretch.

There's a stellar voice cast that includes Bruce Greenwood and Jason Isaacs, there's some very clever treatment of villains we don't see an awful lot of, like Ra's al Ghul and Black Mask, and the animation looks fantastic, as ever. However, it's like Nolan's films in the wrong ways. It imitates the style and the storytelling of The Dark Knight when you need look no further than the animated series from the 90s, or its movie spin-off Mask of the Phantasm to see that the animated adventures of the caped crusader do much better in their own niche than they do when they mainly target an older audience.

And finally, for this post anyway, we come to Wonder Woman, which is arguably everything an actual film about Wonder Woman should be. Goodness knows it's better than the Super Ally McBeal TV series rendition sounds. It tells the origin story of the Amazon princess as related in a reboot story arc in the 1980s. The mighty Diana has her first brush with the world of man when US Air Force pilot Steve Trevor crash-lands on the usually concealed island of Themyscira. The crash coincides with the release of god of war Ares, who has been kept prisoner on the island for centuries, and now wreaks a terrible vengeance against the Earth.

As with Under The Red Hood, I got the feeling that this could really have been a live-action film if Warner Bros. wanted to take it in that direction. Unlike Under The Red Hood, this has no continuity baggage- it's an origin story. It's a damn good one too, and although it's not above certain clunky bits of expositional dialogue and the jarring introduction of Wonder Woman's invisible jet, I struggle to imagine how a different live-action origin story could do it better. Especially as the voice acting is superb, with big names like Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, Alfred Molina and Rosario Dawson being just as perfectly cast for their vocals as they would be if they made this script in live-action.

The animation is great, and the action is surprisingly brutal without ever exceeding the 12A barrier. It balances the action with a good-natured sense of humour- I quite enjoyed one scene where Fillion's Steve Trevor tries to loosen Diana up on a boozy night out, only to discover that she's not as susceptible to tequila as he is. But best of all, it's not only the action or the well-judged comedy that lends it maturity- it also manages to adapt the character without gentrifying either gender, males or females. Diana might be a bit of a Disney princess while hanging around on Themyscira, but she's more like one of the kickass ones.

Wonder Woman is easily the best of the DC Animated Universe efforts I've seen to date. It introduces the character in an exciting way, and prominently broaches the topic of gender inequality, but it's never one-sided or simplistic. I know Batman, and I know Superman, and despite knowing nothing about Wonder Woman, this film surpassed everything with those other characters that I've seen from this studio.

Batman: Under The Red Hood and Wonder Woman are now available on DVD. All-Star Superman will arrive on DVD in the UK later in 2011.
------------------------------------------------------------------
If you've been watching what comes out of the DC animated universe, why not share your comments below?

I'm Mark the mad prophet, and until next time, don't watch anything I wouldn't watch.

WAKE WOOD- Review

It turns out that the third time is the charm for the reinvigorated Hammer studios. After the commercially disappointing Let Me In and all-around disappointment The Resident, the studio blasts back with the kind of film only they used to make, and it's a pretty gripping horror flick.

Wake Wood is the name of a rural township, and Patrick and Louise are a bereaved couple who relocate there after being struck by tragedy. Their young daughter was killed, and their marriage has suffered from their collective grief. But Rabbit Hole it ain't, because Wake Wood has a secret. Through a dark ritual, the town elects to help out Patrick and Louise, but it means meddling in forces that soon spiral out of their control.

It's no disservice to the film to be so vague about its story, because the major turn-off for some will be that it's very predictable. That's generally because the way that horror films are structured and the way their characters are built are recognisable, but the predictability of the story doesn't get in the way of the fact that it's a very well made film. In fact, the things that are good about it almost obscure the inevitable from the viewer.

For one thing, it's a horror film that puts the effort into getting very good actors to give good performances, which was one of the main reasons that I trumpeted the praises of The Last Exorcism all last year. Patrick and Louise are ably played by Aidan Gillen and Eva Birthistle, who are both equally able to pull off the characters' inconsolable grief and their later enterprise in exploiting the supernatural. Timothy Spall looks like the best thing about it, with his genial creepiness as pillar of the community and hoodoo-monger Arthur, but unexpectedly, it's young newcomer Ella Connolly who steals the show.

There might not be much unexpected about her actual character of course, but as I've said, I didn't mind the fact that I could see my way to the film's conclusion from the first ten minutes because I was enjoying the film on the whole. There are a couple of missteps, like the odd sensationalised surgery scenes, carried over from The Resident. You could argue that the animal C-section performed by veterinarian Patrick foreshadows later events, but it still seems kind of strange to me.

But on the plus side, it has to be said that this is something different, the likes of which I haven't seen in a horror film for a good length of time. Its roots snake through The Wicker Man and Don't Look Now, but it never feels less vital for its obvious influences. It's not merely the performance, but the slightly grimy look of the whole thing. It's not a clinical or over-polished film like The Resident- its ends are not cauterised and cleaned up but left hanging, to the effect of making it feel very edgy and intense.

If, as suggested, Hammer's future is in remaking its older hits such as Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires or Captain Kronos, here's hoping they find time for more films like Wake Wood. The small budget makes for an inventive endeavour from a strong cast and a skilled crew. It is kind of predictable and it's not exactly a game-changer, I admit. However, it's also the kind of film that can't have cost an awful lot, but which gets the job done anyway, and in a way that's grisly and strangely satisfying.

Wake Wood is now available on DVD.
------------------------------------------------------------------
If you've seen Wake Wood, why not share your comments below?

I'm Mark the mad prophet, and until next time, don't watch anything I wouldn't watch.

RUBBER- Review

"In the Steven Spielberg movie E.T., why is the alien brown? No reason. In Love Story, why do the two characters fall madly in love with each other? No reason. In Oliver Stone's JFK, why is the President suddenly assassinated by some stranger? No reason. In the excellent Chain Saw Massacre by Tobe Hooper, why don't we ever see the characters go to the bathroom, or wash their hands, like people do in real life? Absolutely no reason. Worse, in The Pianist, by Polanski, how come this guy has to hide, and live like a bum, when he plays the piano so well? Once again, the answer is "no reason". I could go on for hours with more examples, the list is endless. You probably never gave it a thought, but all great films, without exception, contain an important element of no reason. And you know why? Because life itself is filled with no reason."

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the weird world of Rubber.

Yep, this is that killer tyre movie you've been hearing about. Quentin Dupieux writes and directs the film, and nails his colours to the mast with the monologue quoted above. Stephen Spinella's Lieutenant Chad delivers this statement of intent, seemingly to the fourth wall, but then sets up a group of voyeurs with binoculars in the middle of the desert. They watch as a tyre comes to life, seemingly without reason, and starts killing almost everything it encounters. For no reason.

Via the framing device of the intrigued audience, distanced from the action and closer to you, the actual viewer, we get the clearest idea of what Dupieux is trying to do. Rubber is, as some might expect from the premise, a highly intellectual and comical take on monster-centric B-movies, like Sharktopus and its ilk. And in my experience of it, I strongly suspect that how well it works for you will be whether or not you find it funny, as well as comical, or smart, as well as intellectual.

You get the sense that Dupieux is very full of himself, in making this film, and at times, the smuggery of it all makes it a difficult watch. If you saw the trailer and hoped for dumb fun, you're best off sticking with the trailer. While Rubber is an intensely silly film, it's also very arch in its approach. It not only requires you to think about the monster/killer movies that have long been a staple of schlocky cinema, but it flat out asks you to think about it, and that's what will turn some people off the film.

It's a film that lasts just over 75 minutes, but it's very dry stuff in the beginning. After the initial idea of a head-sploding tyre roaming around the desert is established, it does become a succession of scenes in which our high concept trundles from place to place killing things off. There's some room to appreciate how well it's put together- the cinematography, sound design and special effects are all superb, and they elevate a script that would otherwise have less reason to be so pleased with itself. Luckily, it picks up somewhere in the last 20 minutes with a quickfire round of memorable scenes and quotable lines.

If you can stick with it during the lull, despite any lull being frankly unforgivable in a film so short, then there's some good stuff to be found in Rubber. The irony of it all works best when Stephen Spinella is on screen as the wily and yet incompetent Lieutenant Chad, and it's a great technical achievement, very well put together. But it is a high concept, ideally suited to a short film rather than a feature, pushed out for the maximum amount of mileage- and honestly, it's difficult to imagine such an assault on popular cinema appealing to everyone. At the moment, it costs $9.99 online, just to rent it. Why wouldn't you wait for the DVD or the limited cinema release and see it for cheaper? No reason.

Rubber is available from video on demand sites now, and will be released in the UK on DVD and Blu-ray on April 11th.

------------------------------------------------------------------
If you've seen Rubber, why not share your comments below?

I'm Mark the mad prophet, and until next time, don't watch anything I wouldn't watch.

EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP- Review

Sometimes, there's a Friday in which you look at the new releases and say "I don't need that pain in my life." While I hear generally positive reviews about that Justin Bieber thing, Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son stands at a proud 8% Fresh ranking on Rotten Tomatoes. I'm not seeing either of those movies, so let's do some awards season stuff.

Exit Through The Gift Shop is a film by guerilla artist Banksy, and it's been nominated for Best Documentary. Having seen it, I think that might be tantamount to nominating Cloverfield in that category, but whether it's all for real or not, it tells a true story. The story is Thierry Guetta's- he's a bloke who records his everyday life as a hobby and decides to make some footage based on the emergent street art movement. He gets exclusive contact with Banksy, the biggest name in street art, and Thierry's life begins to change.

We don't often review documentaries in these parts. It seems that whenever I do review a documentary, there's always some doubt about whether or not it's actually part of the recent resurgence in mockumentary films. I'm Still Here was an out-and-out hoax, and Catfish was a film with no less mediation than any other verite documentary, but one which I wanted to be a fictional construct so I wouldn't hate the filmmakers so much. And then there's Exit Through The Gift Shop.

If we can take the hooded Banksy at face value, which we can't because he's Nazgul-faced throughout this film, then it's enough to simply applaud this film as an extraordinary accomplishment of editing. Face or no face, the claim is that Banksy created this film from over 10,000 hours of documentary footage shot by Thierry. The handover of the footage from Thierry to Banksy is a plot point in the film, but the film itself is about Thierry. We're through the looking glass here.

Turns like these are probably the main reason I and others have for doubting its veracity. As mentioned before on this blog, and of course, long before this blog or even I came into existence, documentaries are not reality. They're a depiction of reality, and what's troublesome in this case is that documentaries very rarely come together as art. What's so engaging about this film is that even with 10,000 hours of actuality at its disposal, it doesn't play it straight-faced.

Therein lies the only real subversion. The blurb on my DVD of the film claims that it's "shocking" and "provocative", which builds expectations to a point of inevitable letdown. In truth, the film never shocked me, nor did it provoke me, but then maybe that was what the street artists' excursion to Disneyland was meant to be. I did find it amusing all the same, but I don't see what's so avant-garde or subversive about the thing as a whole.

On a topical note, I finally decided to watch the film after hearing last week's news about Banksy's visit to Los Angeles before Sunday's Oscars ceremony. Apparently, the Academy have declined Banksy's request to appear in disguise at the ceremony, probably in case he does anything subversive during the very high-profile television coverage. Personally, I hope the Academy reconsiders, if not to celebrate the good work he did with this film, then to keep me up as I pull an all-nighter watching their bloody awards this weekend. What else am I supposed to do to stay awake? Hope for something like last year's majestically stupid Hurt Locker-based interpretive dance?

Exit Through The Gift Shop seems to shed its documentary trappings as it goes on, and that's why I wonder how much of it is put on. That said, I concede that I found it very interesting indeed without knowing anything at all about the street art scene. Banksy's reasons for making this film, as stated within its own framework, is to capture the creativity and vitality of the street art movement, which he believes has a short lifespan. In that much at least, the film is a triumph, and it's all the better for me not being able to get my head around it.

Exit Through The Gift Shop is now available on DVD and blu-ray.
------------------------------------------------------------------
If you've seen Exit Through The Gift Shop, why not share your comments below?

I'm Mark the mad prophet, and until next time, don't watch anything I wouldn't watch.