Film Review – The Giver

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Alexander Skarsgård, Brenton Thwaites, director Philip Noyce, Divergent, dystopia, film reviews, Jeff Bridges, Katie Holmes, Logan’s Run, Lois Lowry’s, Meryl Streep, movies, Odeya Rush, reviews, screenwriters Michael Mitnick and Robert B. Weid, Taylor Swift, The Giver, The Hunger Games, young adult fiction

Based on Lois Lowry’s 1993 novel The Giver shows the darker side to young adult fiction and a dysfunctional dystopia.

The idea is similar to Logan’s Run, Divergent or even distantly to The Hunger Games, however less action packed.

Set in a colourless world that has eliminated all emotions, Jonas (Brenton Thwaites) is selected to be the new ‘Receiver of Memory”. Since no one can remember the past and no one is able to feel pain, anger, desire, joy and love one citizen in this bland utopia is chosen to feel and remember.

The Chief Elder (Meryl Streep in a wig) hints at a tragedy that accord to the last receiver, but one talks about it, even remembers properly. So when Jonas meets is mentor, The Giver (a craggy Jeff Bridges) he tries to find out what the secret is.

But unable to share what he is experiencing when the Giver shares his knowledge and allows emotions to erupt, Jonas soon finds life hard in the community, especially when he is at home, which they call dwellings. His dutiful but distant parents (Katie Holmes and Alexander Skarsgard) notice the changes and are concerned.

Luckily his best friend and love-interest Fiona (Odeya Rush) is more open to the idea of something new, but she is afraid of the strictly monitoring Chief Elder.

As the plot moves on and colour is infused into the scenes it becomes obvious that The Giver never quite grips it’s audience and just muddles along, a little like the community it is criticizing.

And while director Philip Noyce and screenwriters Michael Mitnick and Robert B. Weide have stayed close to the original story, it doesn’t translate to screen well, especially the bombardment of images at the seems like trying to hard.

Overall the strong cast just isn’t enough to turn The Giver from a bland tale of an unhappy future into a vivid story you can emotionally attach to. And even though newcomers Thwaites and Rush do try their very best, and receive good support from Taylor Swift, in a thankless walk-on role, they are just not convincing as 16year olds.

So if you want an action packed dystopia with a strong story and convincing actors maybe wit for The Hunger Games later this year.

Film review: R.I.P.D

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director Robert Schwentke, entertainment, film, Film review: R.I.P.D, film reviews, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Bacon, Mary-Louise Parker, movies, Ryan Reynolds

It’s hard to know where to start on the mess of a film that is R.I.P.D. It should be could fun as it is a buddy-cop movie mixed in with zombies and lots of CGI but it really isn’t.

Nick (Ryan Reynolds) is a cop in Philadelphia, one who likes to keep some of the loot for himself. But since he is a good guy at heart he decides to change his way and hand in the gold the stashed away. However his partner Bobby Hayes (Kevin Bacon) isn’t too happy about this development and kills him.

Finding himself in some sort or heavenly police department, the R. I P.D (Rest in Peace Department) sitting opposite agent Proctor (Mary-Louise Parker), Nick soon discovers a whole new reality.

Partnered up with old time wild-west Marshall Roysephus Pulsipher , big Roy(Jeff Bridges) Nick is sent back to Philly to track down and bring back ‘deados’, dead people who somehow stayed on earth and turned into evil demons packaged in human shells.

This leads to CGI chases around Philadelphia, massive cartoon like undead running riot and a show down with a massive portal threatening to end the world.

R.I.P.D is tries to be a bit like Men in Black or Ghostbusters, but it really isn’t. There is nothing new; the plot is weak and very predictable, the CGI is a little rough and the there is no real excitement.

Reynolds is the same character he always is, no matter if it’s his take on the Green Lantern or Wade Wilson in X-Men Origins : Wolverine he just furrows his brow and spouts a few one-liners.

Bridges on the other hand seems to have cornered the “old coot” market and his version of Big Roy is no different from his characters in Men who stare at Goats, Crazy Heart and True Grit.  The only difference is this time he is dead but his mumbling tobacco chewing intonations are no less annoying.

Bacon has perfected his sleazy bad-guy routine and offers really no surprises as Bobby Hayes. Parker is kind of cute as Proctor but can’t really offer any real support.

Whatever director Robert Schwentke was thinking when he made R.I.P.D, a big budget film, is anyone’s guess. So if you are looking to have some fun there are lots of better ways to spend 96min of your life