First Review by Chris

After watching Explorers, I thought of a news reporter interviewing 10-year-olds after they walk out of the theater. “How was it?” they’d ask. The kids would give responses like “Awesome” or “Best movie ever.” Explorers is one of those movies that I can see being good as a child, but viewing this for the first time in my mid-30s was a different story. I will be comparing it to many other ‘80s movies because scenes reminded me of many other ones.

 The movie starts off with a display of the day’s technology—flying through Tron on a quest to destroy the Death Star. I’m just making shit up. It had a class ‘80s soundtrack that was appropriate. We’re introduced early to Ben (Ethan Hawke who I thought looked like Brad Renfro a little bit) and Wolfgang (River Phoenix). This was both of their screen debuts and if this movie taught us anything it was that River’s death was a tragedy. From his opening scene, you could tell that he was a natural in front of the camera. I enjoyed the early nod to “This Island Earth,” the movie viewed in “Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie.”

The plot starts with typical middle school bullshit. In a scene where Ben is being beat up by Steve Jackson and company (one gang member was played by Bradley Gregg who would later play River Phoenix’s brother Eyeball Chambers in “Stand By Me”), we are introduced to Darren, the third main kid. This scene alone reminded me of “Monster Squad “where E.J. comes to Horrace’s rescue. E.J. then proceeds to “hang out” with the group despite being rather different from everyone else in it. I got a similar vibe here. Darren starts hanging out with Ben and Wolfgang as they start building their spaceship. Darren came from a bad home life which I really wanted to see at some point. Wolfgang’s family was nuts. I’m not sure how many kids they had. I wanted to see more of his family. There was a kid in a highchair eating through a Halloween mask and a mouse that pushed levers to speak. I like cheese. Classic. Though brief, these were considered my highlights of the film.

So through experimentation, they create some type of electromagnetic bubble that floats around. They make a bigger bubble and learn that you can fly around in it. Let’s build a spaceship and fly around. We have the technology. Why are they doing this? To explore? I know it’s the title and all, but I wanted more of a motive. Darren had a bad home life, Wolfgang’s family was nuts, Ben was beaten up and awkward around his crush (played by the late Amanda Peterson). Maybe they needed to get away. Maybe they wanted to get away. I wanted more. I wanted something more realistic. I know it’s a fantasy movie, but another comparison was with the movie “Radio Flyer.” In “Radio Flyer,” young Elijah Wood and Joseph Mazzello build a working airplane out of a wagon. They do this in order to have Joseph’s character escape from their abusive alcoholic stepfather. Motive. I wanted a reason to this movie.

They go to a junkyard to get material for their spaceship, and there’s a dog (reminded me obviously of “Stand By Me”). Instead of “Chopper, sick balls” we see them give the dog chewing gum. Gum seemed to be a reoccurring thing throughout the film. Never caught the logic behind that. So, the spaceship is finished and they call it the Thunder Road after the Springsteen song which never appears in the movie, but probably should have. They fly around and mess with people at a drive-in movie. I swear that one time the actors in the movie were reacting to what was going on in reality. Maybe it was just a coincidence with timing. It didn’t make sense. The homemade spaceship crashes into the concession stand and then apparently is flying again. Those kids must’ve really built a damn good spaceship.

After the movie theater fiasco, the spaceship is spotted by a helicopter (one of its occupants played by Dick Miller who played Mr. Futterman in “Gremlins,” another film directed by Joe Dante). Off topic, but I met Dick Miller and Joe Dante years ago at a convention. I have a signed “Gremlins” poster with the two of them and Zach Galligan. Anyhoo, this is kind of a rushed subplot. Someone’s on to the kids and their ship, someone from space is apparently calling for them. They have visions in which they draw diagrams to upgrade their ship. Blah blah blah. According to Wikipedia, the film was incredibly rushed for time restraints. This is clearly obvious with the final product.

Fast forward to the worst part of it all. The ship somehow makes it up to space and they are brought aboard another ship. The three kids get separated, they’re going down slides (reminded me of “Goonies”), there are giant paparazzi robot spiders, creatures grabbing the kids in inappropriate places, it’s creepy, it’s kooky and it’s stupid. How can it get any worse? This is when we are introduced to Wak and Neek, two aliens that pretty much speak in multiple TV voices. It’s supposed to be funny, and I’m sure to kids it is. Wak, the male alien, reminded me of Max from “Flight of the Navigator.” And Neek, the female, was hitting on River Phoenix. A little disturbing. I actually have in my notes that Wak reminded me of JarJar Binks meets Bumblebee meets Johnny 5 meets Max from “Flight of the Navigator.” Long story short, a horrible attempt at comedy and again, no real motive as to why any of this is happening.

The kids and aliens talk. We learn that the aliens are afraid to come down to Earth because of how aliens are treated in Earth movies. They actually could’ve done something with this, I thought. Maybe taken a more serious approach. Darren has them listen to some Earth music. I swear he calls it 80s music. Wouldn’t it have just been called “music?” I grew up in the 80s, but I don’t recall it being called 80s music in the 80s. Maybe I misheard him. Anyhoo, we find out that the aliens are kids and their dad shows up and is pissed at them. Here’s a point that I thought could’ve been more effective had we seen Darren’s home life. He’s the one that points out that the aliens are kids and that the big creature is their father. A comparison to his own life perhaps? Maybe had we seen it?!

A long story short, the boys leave the ship and crash in a pond down on Earth. The ship sinks. Ben’s crush spies on them and later gives Ben a note, and then all four of them fly back up to space using some dream amulet the aliens gave them before they left. I don’t know; I was pretty much just waiting for it to be over by this point.

A good movie for kids, not so much for adults. It’s attempted fun with a lack of purpose. River Phoenix is greatly missed. Unfunny aliens. Maybe if they had had more time during production and didn’t rush things, we could’ve had something more concrete and worthwhile. I for one, simply didn’t care for this movie at all. I believe I’m going with a D+ on this one. Sowwy.

Initial review by Bobby

So... Battle Royale's premise is that society is struggling through a bad economy and children's complete lack of respect for authority. The solution to this is apparently a randomly selected class participating in a to-the-death Royal Rumble on some remote island. While the event seems to be a big deal with television coverage around winners, it doesn't seem like the class chosen to play has any clue about this. So, how it's supposed to resolve any of the issues that Japan is having, I don't know. Battle Royale is flawed... the plot is a bit wonky and the acting is a bit exaggerated at times. Frankly, I don't care. 

The beginning of the film sets the mood... crowds and television crew making a big deal of the winner of the Battle Royale, giving us the image of the bloody young victor, who smiles. This smile instantly made me think of Gogo, from Kill Bill. Interesting enough, Chiaki Kuriyama (who played the part of Gogo), is in Battle Royale... and I guess Gogo was based off of her role in the film, including all the crotch stabbing. Anyway, I liked the intro scene as a mood setter, but it felt disconnected from the rest of the film. 

Honestly, I'm sort of uninterested in any themes or social commentary from the movie. I do, however, wish we were given more on how the Battle Royales actually do any good, or what happens to the winners (beyond just surviving and being on TV for a moment). Maybe it was because we never say an connection between the Battle Royale and the outside world beyond the very first scene.. but that made it feel like there really wasn't a point to it all beyond the sport of it. There's a lot of focus on connecting and sacrifice among the children, as well as standing up to abuse of authority. There's certainly a poke at modern education as well. That's all well and good, and they add to what the film is. So, anybody who wants to look further into those, and other, themes can certainly find fuel for that fire. 

When it comes down to it, though, I enjoyed Battle Royale for what it is... an entertaining action movie filled with thrills and a dark premise. As odd as it may seem to say about a movie involving kids killing each other... Battyle Royale is a fun movie. The scene that really stands out, for me, is the instruction video. The video itself is fantastic. Her exaggerated excitement and mannerisms are in such conflict with video's subject and the horror the children are starting to feel. Once the interruptions start and Kitano throws the knifes... the back and forth from the kids' fear and disgust to the joyous video plays out well. I was worried that they were going to recite each and every student's name before we got going, and while that did happened, the introductions went well with the announcements throughout the battle.

Once we get into the field, we're greeted with instant action via crossbow. From there it was pretty non stop with the occasional down shifts for characterization and dialogue. It was interesting seeing the interactions between classmates, some friends turned enemy and some acquaintances revealing stronger relationships. I thought seeing how the students reacted in such different ways to the situation they were thrown into was really interesting. Some trying to group together and just happily survive as long as possible, while others more aggressively pushing the action.. be it out of fear or other motivation. Most of the deaths were well executed for how the film was presented, and having such a variety of deaths was important since we knew there had to be around 40 of them. The aforementioned Kuriyama kill of Niida stood out, as well as the showdown between the two most prolific killers, Mitsuko and Kiriyama. It seemed pretty obvious that we'd see Shuya and Noriko get through this, but I was all right with it... as their relationship with Kawada and final showdown with Kitano was satisfying enough. 

I mentioned how I heard of the film when Hunger Games first came out and was occasionally accused of ripping off Battle Royale. While we can clearly see the similarity of children killing each other, Battle Royale lacks the standout hero and rebellion. This only makes me wonder happens in the after math of Battle Royale... I doubt it ends with Kitano's death, but there weren't any signs that Shuya and Niroko were going to go on a crusade to put an end to it. Maybe they tackle that in Battle Royale 2, but from what I've seen it's bad to the point of not wanting to find out. 

I feel like I'm skipping a ton of things... like the plot issues with the hacking, building bombs, microphones in the collars, etc, so feel free to hit all the points I ignored. But, as I said, I'm okay with it all. Of course, with those things going on, I just can't put this movie in the A range. It was, however, certainly entertaining and kept me interested throughout... enough so to go B+

Initial Review by Sean

“I’ve seen it, it’s good but depressing”- Ashli Keller.

I think if you tell most people, hey do you wanna watch a movie with Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, and Luke Wilson they’d probably either say- “sure sounds funny” or if you’re Bryan Hartman you say “Ahh shit Riley. Kristen Wiig ceiling is D-.”  One thing I’m certain of is that Bryan was not expecting a movie about depression and suicide.  The movie doesn’t take long to let us know that’s exactly what we’ll be seeing starting with a pair of bi-coastal suicide attempts.  Almost immediately we get a solid Marley and Me joke to let us know that Hader and Wiig’s comedy chops won’t get lost in a 100% depressing movie.  Maggie and Milo haven’t spoken in a decade for some untold reason but the “gruesome twosome” are clearly more comfortable and able to be themselves around each other than anyone else. Their twin bond remained strong.  

We don’t get much background to their younger childhood to see if it was as screwed up but we know Maggie started making out with boys in 5th grade and that Milo was molested by his teacher at 15.  Their father committed suicide, their mom is now an eccentric who couldn’t bother to attend Maggie’s wedding.  Maggie’s psyche is fractured enough to bounce around to every activity the local YMCA has to offer and screw the instructor all the while lying to sweetheart Lance about planning a family.   A lifetime of pain leads the two of them to say the most hurtful things imaginable one-upping each other until Maggie finally suggests next time Milo should just cut deeper. They both immediately regret what was just said and moreso cannot take it back.   With Milo heading back to California and Maggies marriage potentially over she decides to finish what she was starting at the beginning of the movie.  Side note- weighing ones self down for a suicidal drowning has got to be among the worst ways to do it.  Luckily Milo arrives to save the day and the two of them embrace and the camera shows that the two goldfish survived their leaky bag near death experience as well. I’m sure some reviewers will downgrade the movie for tying a little bit too neat a bow on a movie with this subject matter suggesting all is well but I’m fine with it.   Speaking of that neat bow- we’re not left depressed Ashli, they made it.

The success of Skeleton Twins, and any movie with its concept with 2 leads on screen at all times mostly together relies on the chemistry between those two leads, even moreso when you make them twins.  Not since Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny Devito  eamed up has Hollywood given us a better pairing.  You can very clearly see that chemistry between Hader and Wiig. Each joining SNL in 2005 and leaving only 1 year apart they have literally spent thousands of hours in the same room together.  The scene together in the dentists office harkens back to the years at SNL just being high and goofy and whether you can’t help but enjoy the moment.  The lip sync scene with the two of them twinning out is on the short list of funnest scenes we’ve had in the MMC.

Luke Wilson is an A+ in this movie.  He stole every scene he was in with the exception of the W face he makes when confronting Maggie about the birth control pills. I get it when people hate on the lovable buffoon persona that he and his brother play so well.  But here’s the thing about Lance.  We’ve all met the person who seems a little too enthusiastic and gung ho and interested in what you are doing or saying that it feels like total bullshit.  Time and again they continue to show the same zest for all things life and time and again you think, he’s this asshole. Eventually you accept they’re just a weird dude that genuinely enjoys other people and you can’t help but feel envious of that energy but at the same time think about how exhausting being that way would be.  Only it’s not exhausting to that person just to us normal people who don’t actually care.

“This harness has my balls in my throat, it’s all part of the experience.” This is one of those funny lines you hear and think, that was absolutely something one of the writers heard when he decided to check out the new climbing gym in town a couple of years ago and has been dying to use.

I’m not one of those guys that never cries at movies, I cry frequently when it’s called for.  Given the subject matter I’m surprised Skeleton Twins did not bring any tears.  A tear shed once or twice could’ve brought me to an A but I think I’ll go A- but can see myself being talked into B+

Original Review by Sean.

Original Review by Phil

When I first heard about “Locke,” I thought it was a novel concept that drew me in more out of curiosity than anything else.  Tom Hardy, in a car, on the phone, for 84 minutes.  That’s it.  It’s a strange concept, but somehow, it works wonderfully.  Locke could have very easily been nothing more than a gimmick.  It wound up being a fascinating character study for modern times.

I think this movie really spoke to me because every conversation happens via phone.  As technology advances, we are forced to have more of our meaningful interactions through the use of technology.  This really struck me as I thought back on how many of my major interactions in the past and still today do not take place face-to-face.

The company I work for is very big into “agile” workforces.  As a result, my manager is in Houston, and the three people who report to me are located in Green Bay, Tallahassee, and Mumbai.  Needless to say, you have to be a little adaptive with how you work in a situation like that.  I’ve had a couple projects where I’ve had to be very organized in order to talk someone on the other end through it.  Unlike Ivan Locke, I’m not nearly as organized or detail oriented.  If you know the Myers-Brigg personality scale, then you were probably able to peg Ivan as an ISTJ.  In comparison, I am an ENTP.  Pretty much as far away as you can get.  I got a kick out of the conversations with Donal as it reminded me of having to do something similar with an intern, and I was pretty scattered to say the least.  Thanks to that stupid “Perceptor” portion, I pretty much loathe organization and planning, opting for adaptability when things change.  Ivan had his plan and his backup plan.  He had the entire concrete pour down to a science (thanks “Sensor”), while I was much more likely to forget a step.  As a manager, I couldn’t help but respect Ivan.

I don’t have the same envy of Ivan in his personal life, as parts of it also hit a little close to home.  For the first two years of my relationship with my wife, we had a long distance relationship.  Long distance relationships suck.  Several conversations that should have been in person could not be b/c it just isn’t feasible to drive four hours roundtrip because someone had a bad day or was really questioning major decisions in their life up to that point.  It’s a feeling of powerlessness.  This was only exacerbated by me, b/c I consider myself a fixer.  Ivan is the same way.  Leaving things in a bad place isn’t in either of our DNA.  With the concrete pour, he had his plan, and he knew a capable person could execute.  He doesn’t have a backup plan here, as Bethan went into labor early.  It was amazing to see how a man could be so prepared and in control of one aspect of his life was so much the opposite in the other.  Ivan’s plan for his personal life was terrible, and all suffered as a result.  I thought these scenes were some of the best acting of the movie.  Hardy is great here, understanding the hopelessness of the situation yet still soldiering on, hoping to get another chance when he already knows that isn’t going to happen.  I couldn’t help but feel awful for everyone involved here.  Kristina had done everything to make sure Ivan was going to have a relaxing, happy night with his family – she got his favorite beer and she was wearing whatever stupid shirt Ivan liked.  However, I may have felt worse for his son, especially when he pleads with Ivan to come home and they’ll just rewatch the game like it’s live, essentially pretending this whole ordeal never happened.

Our last important relationship is that with Bethan, Ivan’s one-night stand and now baby mama.  Here, we see the “Thinker” portion of Ivan’s personality in full force, and again, his interactions with Bethan felt relatable in a very bad way to me.  Ivan has a problem with being brutally honest.  It’s what got him in this situation to begin with.  I appreciated and understood his entire interaction with Bethan.  He refused to lie to allow her to feel a little bit better, essentially admitting he felt nothing for her.  This is a very “Thinker” trait I know all too well.  Ivan is brutally honest to a fault, refusing the let Bethan believe that she is anything more than a fling.  The same happens with anyone he talks to about her.  It’s commendable and cringeworthy.  I think this also works itself into the “fixer” aspect that I felt like Ivan had.  Thinkers have a difficult time grasping that time will heal all wounds.  Instead, there must be definable actions that lead to the positive outcome.  We don’t understand things getting better by doing nothing.  This is what I would expect to happen with Kristina, eventually being willing to forgive Ivan once the emotion of the situation has gone down. It could take a while, years even, for that emotion to subside.  In general, thinkers struggle with emotion.  We tend to come off as callous, not willing to fake an emotional reaction that doesn’t exist.  It’s easy to think of Ivan as a jerk in his reactions with Bethan, but that wasn’t how I interpreted it at all.  He was just honest, helping her understand the reality of the situation.  He wanted to help, he wanted to see his infant son rose well, but wasn’t going to marry Bethan or anything like that.  Ivan understands how things will play out based on his actions – it’s why he wasn’t at all shocked with how everything played in his personal and professional life on that car ride.

So, ultimately, how do we all feel about Ivan’s decision to go see Bethan on that night?  It’s easy to see it as selfless as noble, but I found it to be an extremely selfish decision.  In the first shot, when Ivan is deciding to turn left or right, he’s playing the scenarios out in his head.  He knows what will happen if he goes to Bethan.  He’s played the entire movie out in his head, yet he still does it.  Is anyone better off by his actions?  Ultimately, yes, one person is better off – Ivan himself.  We see it in the final shot, the look of satisfaction that he knows he made the “right” decision.  He has no problem jeopardizing a concrete pour costing millions of dollars or wrecking his own family in order to relieve himself of the guilt of not being there for the birth of his bastard.  He could have come later, as his feelings for Bethan are made perfectly clear and it never seemed to me like he was doing it for her.  Once we have the reveal that Ivan grew up without a father, everything fell into place.  This was a make-up call for his upbringing.  Ivan reflecting alone on his own father is the one part of the movie that felt clunky and out of place.  Hardy yelling at a ghost in the backseat just felt really goofy and dumb.

 “Locke” is a movie that works for me because of how relatable Ivan was to me.  I can understand a person really hating this movie, but I think that depends on who you are as a person.  Ivan was a very relatable character to me, as we share several character flaws.  I don’t agree with his decision to go to Bethan, nor do I find it noble, but I do understand it.  He made one bad decision, and he gave up everything to pay for that decision.  He did it willingly though, which is what makes him such an interesting character.  I’d like to think he gets back to a sense of normalcy someday, when time has healed all these wounds.  However, I know Ivan – I don’t expect him to sit idly by and wait for that.

+ Fascinating character study

+ Well acted

+ Proves to be more than a gimmick

- Dad ghost stuff was silly

Grade: A