NOVEMBER, 16


NEW WORLD II: HEROES OF THE REBELLION

Sci-Fi / Action Adventure
Cast: Gerard Butler, Keira Knightley, Patrick Stewart, Gary Oldman, Ralph Fiennes, John Hurt. Cameo by John Daws.
Director: Ridley Scott
Producer: Tony Scott
Screenwriter: John Daws

Box Office: 258 mill.
Net Gains: 293 mill.

Stark’s Reaction:
…and this wonderful Season keeps on going! Yeah, another amazing box office’s turnout! Another franchise that definitely takes off with its second installment! It’s the third best release of the Season after ‘Metroid’ and ‘Justice League 2’. I have run off of words to describe my ecstasy!

DARK THEY WERE, AND GOLDEN EYED

Sci-Fi / Space Travel
Cast: Matthew Fox, Maria Bello, Rafi Gavron, Chloe Moretz, Jake T. Austin, Alan Tudyk, Kevin Durand
Director: Jack Bender
Producer: JJ Abrams
Screenwriter: Chad Taylor

Box Office: 67 mill.
Net Gains: 134 mill.

Stark’s Reaction:
This movie had it hard to compete against ‘New World II’. So what has happened? Sci-fi fans went to the theatres to watch ‘New World II’ but then they bought the DVD of this one. That explains those splendorous net gains.

MOUSE GUARD

Action Adventure / Animation
Cast Of Voices: Dominic West, Hugh Laurie, Anton Yelchin, Andy Garcia, Al Pacino, Diane Kruger, Cobie Smulders, Kiefer Sutherland
Director: Joe Carnahan
Screenwriter: Dawson Edwards

Box Office: 166 mill.
Net Gains: 171 mill.

Stark’s Reaction:
I am so happy that this movie has worked so well. I just love it. I think it is a wonderful work and I’m so happy that moviegoers have supported it so strongly. You have a new franchise in your hands, Mr. Edwards!


NEW WORLD II: HEROES OF THE REBELLION

‘It is funny. When ‘New World I’ was released, some reviews accused the movie of not being nothing more than a non-stop action show underneath all its paraphernalia. Now, when ‘New World II’ has been released, I have to write exactly the opposite. The main problem of this sequel – at least for me, because it is obvious that audiences have loved it – is its lack of pace. Action does not begin until the second half of the movie. The first half is a dense succession of dialogues (that conversation between Hurt, Butler and Knightley just never seems to end…) that becomes too exhausting. I have the feeling that John Daws is so interested in making us clear the complexity of the universe he has created that the screenplay becomes a too exhaustive explanation of it, something that ends up damaging the pace of the movie. The second half is a much more entertaining show, closer to the original movie. But the final result is an irregular and too long movie, maybe more interesting than the first one from the ‘sci-fi’ point of view but much less entertaining from the ‘action adventure’ perspective.’
-Charlie Kiggs

‘In order to create an own universe, this saga of movies does not care to take elements from other cinematic universes. We have here references to ‘Star Wars’ (besides the use of light sabres, aren’t Riddick Marquais and Dalsha Simms parallel characters to the Emperor and Darth Vader?); ‘Blade Runner’ (not only a clear reference in the design of a dark decadent and oppressive civilization but also on the intimate and essential doubt of the main characters: ‘are we humans or not?’) and even ‘Planet Of The Apes’ (that vision of a semi-destroyed Empire State Building makes a similar impact than the vision of the Statue Of Liberty in that one). Daws has mixed all those references in an intelligent way, not trying to hide them but, at the same time, creating a new and different universe with the sum of all of them. So maybe ‘New World’ is not as original as it may seem, but it is an interesting and not inconsiderable attempt to create a new adult sci-fi saga that might become a future reference for the genre.’
-Vic Carter

‘Ridley and Tony Scott show two things with this movie: their ambition as moviemakers and their talent in terms of visual creativity. And these two things do not work at the same level in the movie. When ambition is too evident, even a bit forced, it can easily turn a movie from ambitious to pretentious. ‘New World’ is such a pretentious saga as it looks so hard to convince moviegoers that it is something big, new, complex, different and extraordinary. The Scott Brothers want so hard to show us that they are not making just another flashy action movie but creating a whole and sophisticated new universe. And being so evident in their ambition may become irritating at some moments. But, on the other side, the visual power of the movie is undisputable. That disturbing and eerie vision of the Wastelands, a horrific post-apocalyptic scenario shot with a wonderful cinematography, shows the talent and experience of Ridley Scott, upgrading to another visual level the rainy and dark streets he shot in ‘Blade Runner’. Again, the visual strength becomes the main virtue of the Scott Brothers, always more talented as creators of unforgettable images than as simple storytellers.’
-Tim Reeve

DARK THEY WERE, AND GOLDEN EYED

‘Bender, Abrams, Fox? A group of people going through strange events in a hostile place? No, I’m not talking about the tv series ‘Lost’. Or am I? It seems like this old friends’ reunion has not been able to get completely rid of their precedents. But that’s not something necessarily bad. This movie tells an intriguing and disturbing story with efficiency. It does not have a too elaborated plot but still it keeps you interested and wondering about what’s going to happen next during its whole length. We are not talking here about another huge and epic sci-fi mega-production but about a little and engrossing mystery tale that works well enough to keep you staring at the screen for 90 minutes. That’s more that can be said about many productions lately.’
-Andrew Stampton

‘JJ Abrams seemed call to become one of the main directors of top budget productions in CMP. His two first movies for the Studio, ‘Faction 12’ and ‘Netchasers’, became big blockbusters that directly took him to the top positions of CMP’s ‘blockbusters-makers’. But the weak box office made by his following works – the two ‘Earth 3k’ movies and the only CMP’s superhero movie that has not worked too well at box office, ‘Booster Gold’ – deflated a bit his prestige. Maybe conscious of that, Abrams has taken a step in another direction, becoming only the producer of this more adult and artsy sci-fi proposal. And that has been only a partially good move. ‘Dark they were...’ is a correct movie, a more creative challenge than the previous Abrams’ projects for CMP. But it is not good enough to be considered a kind of sci-fi classic or a cult movie. It is only a modest and decent production. Abrams still will have to wait to fully recover part of his lost prestige in the Studio.’
-Amy Ratched

‘If ‘Justice League 2’ or ‘New World II’ and all their respective ‘grandeur’ has left you exhausted, I recommend you this minor movie to spend a less ambitious but still entertaining time at the movies. ‘Dark they were…’ is called to become a hidden gem, a rarity in a world ruled by top budget productions full of digital effects, epic soundtracks and spectacular action sequences. It takes you back to another conception of sci-fi, something closer to the disturbing horror of the ‘Body Snatchers’, with a man noticing how everybody around him – his family members included – are changing and not being able to do anything to avoid it, until he himself surrenders to the inevitable. The result is not a wonderful or unforgettable movie, but an entertaining one. No matter all its lacks and limitations, I cannot help feeling sympathy for this modest but honest movie.’
-Jake Cobb

MOUSE GUARD

‘In a world ruled by the visual style of Pixar, ‘Mouse Guard’ is a brave attempt to make something completely different in the animation genre. It was an extremely risky bet to make a movie that returns to classic concepts of animation – a possible reference here would be Ralph Bakshi’s animated version of ‘The Lord Of The Rings’ from 1978 – telling a story far away from the parameters of contemporary animated features like this epic tale of medieval mice is. But Carnahan and Edwards have succeeded with it because of two main reasons: the beauty of the drawings and the solidness of the story. ‘Mouse Guard’ is a delicious surprise. It is both a beautiful movie but also a highly entertaining one. And the sum of those two elements turn it into a masterpiece of animation that proves that there is an alternative to Pixar – and that does not mean a critic to the wonderful Pixar’s movies – that can also be very appealing for wide audiences.’
-Anne Roman

‘Can an animated movie win the Best Picture GMA? Can a moviemaker win the Best Director GMA with an animated feature? Probably not. And it’s a shame. Joe Carnahan has directed here what is without doubt the best movie of his career. He has avoided all the clichés of animation. Carnahan has not adopted a childish perspective to tell the story. He has not fallen into the temptation of treating the characters just as ‘cute little mice’ but he has given all of them an own and solid personality. And he has shot the movie just as if it was a live action movie, designing wide and epic scenarios and using wide camera angles not seen too often in animated movies. Carnahan has directed an epic medieval adventure. By chance, it is also an animated movie and the characters are mice… But that has not limited Carnahan in any way in order to tell us a bigger than life and highly entertaining story suitable not just for kids but for all kind of audiences.’
-Roy Winslow

‘Sometimes you don’t have to look for alternative realities or futuristic universes to tell a big story. Sometimes you don’t need heroic men and sexy and brave women to create appealing and epic characters. Dan Petersen thought so when he decided to create the ‘Mouse Guard’ saga, a series of comic books that ignores the impositions established by DC Comics or Marvel. Now, Dawson Edwards and Joe Carnahan have translated Petersen’s universe to the big screen and the magic and beauty of the books have stayed invariable. ‘Mouse Guard’ is a must see not only for fans of animation looking for something more than the usual 3D show but also for those that also like heroes with no particular superpowers.’
-Jackie O’Callaghan