Tomorrowland

#StokerScore 4/10

Brad Bird. The man behind my favourite animated movie, "The Incredibles", and the director of the best movie in the "Mission: Impossible" franchise. A man with a vision. A man who when he says he has a great idea for a movie, people listen. A man who evidently kept all previews and trailers under wraps until just prior to release and even then to a level best termed mysterious. 

I saw Tomorrowland a couple of days ago following a chance viewing of the trailer in front of Mad Max: Fury Road. I was aware of the movie and the magazines and articles I'd read talking about how mysterious the project was and how little was known about it and now, even having seen it, I have to admit I'm not sure where to start with this review. I suppose with that being the case I should just describe the general story without giving too much away but then that would clash with Mr Bird's original intention. He seemed to want everyone to arrive at the cinema in a state of curiosity, even though the trailer I saw explained it all very generally, with the possible exception of Hugh Laurie's role.

So look, it's a Disney movie. It's got lots of great visuals. It's got a solid cast. But for me it doesn't know what it wants to be. Most kids' movies work on an adult level to keep the guardians amused whilst at the same time entertaining the little ones. That was something I loved about "The Incredibles". This movie is way too complicated to maintain the interest of the audience members at which it is aimed (what is that, by the way?) and although I agree that it has a sense of charm and Clooney's Clooneyisms, it is overshadowed by its MESSAGE.

I don't think any movie deserves comparing to "Battlefield: Earth" but this comes perilously close, purely for gag reflex which keeps being induced everytime the director thinks the audience is unclear on the MESSAGE. I understand that audiences are being accused of being dumbed down but this doesn't hint at a problem and a solution, it picks you up and slaps you repeatedly with a week-old haddock.

As I said, visually stunning, but ultimately confusing and even a tad boring?

The Lazarus Effect

#StokerScore 2/10

Looking down the listings at the two local cinemas, hoping to see an early glimpse of Mad Max: Fury Road, I came across showing times for The Lazarus Effect. I hadn't really heard a lot about this movie, other than it's a horror movie, starring Olivia Wilde (the feisty and cute doctor from the Fox tv show House, not to be confused with the vulnerable and cute doctor from the Fox tv show House) and that it was a spin on the 80's movie Flatliners.

Firstly there are a few comparisons that can be made with Flatliners; medical ethics, past sins, and life after death to name some but that would be like comparing Superhero movies and complaining that the basic plot is the same. When you make a movie with similar subject matter to another, it's bound to draw comparisons and hey, isn't that why they made this movie in the first place?

The story, without giving anything away in terms of spoilers, is ok. It has many holes, as you'd expect from a horror movie churned out to relieve those of us who like the genre from a few shekels, but it also lacks charm. Where Flatliners had Oliver Platt and Kevin Bacon, The Lazarus Effect tries to make do by wasting its bests talent, Olivia, and then trying to get Evan Peters to cover for her.

Don't get me wrong, there were some jumpy moments, not all of which were signposted using neon lights, but ultimately the movie seemed to lack direction and could have fleshed out some more of the "what-the-hell-is-going-on-here" stuff.

I left dissatisfied and my wife left bemused as she was also trying to keep up with this nonsense with Indonesian subtitles and I really only recommend this if you have money that you're happy to throw away on a movie that is only 83 minutes long. Saying that, I can only imagine the Indonesian censor cut a few scenes as I'm sure it didn't seem as long as that. Maybe they also cut out the point.