Jacob’s Ladder, Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures, Full Metal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa
Jacob’s Ladder
[ 3 stars out of 4 ]
I don’t know whether or not to recommend this picture because I’m kind of disappointed since I expected a different kind of film. But in a way, original expectations aside, this is a pretty solid and original piece of filmmaking which helped inspire modern psychological-thriller films that generate various valid interpretations due to a controversial ending. Creepy images are aplenty, some of which I’ve seen from the classic “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and the horrendous “One Missed Call.” I thought the writing was strong because it kept me guessing from beginning to end. Just when you think you got it all figured out, a missing piece of the puzzle is provided so then you have to take that into consideration and perhaps change your idea of where the story is really going. Tim Robbins as a war veteran who experiences strange phenomena is terrific here. He really embraced that he was in danger… but during the more sentimental moments, you cannot help but care for him because he really is a good guy. There is no one explanation that elucidates everything that is going on with this picture. I tried to watch it in two major angles: science and religion. Both work to justify the ending; it’s up to the viewers to draw their own conclusions. I’m ultimately recommending this movie because it makes its audiences think and it gives them really strange images, which are usually found in nightmares.
Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures
[ 4 stars out of 4 ]
I love this movie because it goes over not only all the movies that Stanley Kubrick had made, but also his relationship with his family, the actors that he worked with, and the media. Instead of turning into a sappy picture, it actually celebrates Kubrick’s accomplishments but not to an extent where he is treated as perfect in every way. In fact, that’s what I love most about Kubrick: even though he is deeply flawed like most of us, he is able to acquire such an accurate view of the human condition and present such views into film in an artistic and unforgettable manner. I couldn’t help but feel sad when the documentary is going over Kubrick’s movies because I’m reminded of the fact that I would never see a new movie made by Kubrick ever again. He puts such thought and craft in each of his films, to the point where each of them is different yet very special. I’ve seen most of Kubrick’s films and I can remember each of them vividly. When the word “Kubrick” comes to mind, I instantly think of signature images: money flying all over the place such as in “The Killing,” a flood of blood pouring out from an elevator such as in “The Shining,” a human baby next to the earth such as in “2001: A Space Odyssey,” and much more. It was also great to hear what other great directors, such as Steven Spielberg and Woody Allen, comment on Kubrick’s work. This film made me wish that Kubrick made more movies, but at the same time I’m glad he didn’t make a lot because each one that he made is close to perfection. I hope future filmmakers will watch this movie and be inspired to make uncompromising films like the legendary Stanley Kubrick.
Full Metal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa
[ 2 stars out of 4 ]
I didn’t watch the series so I didn’t get what was happening throughout the movie. But that doesn’t automatically mean that it’s a bad film. It’s just that I think I would’ve liked it more if I was familiar with the characters already because the picture did not have much room for character development. However, one can argue that movies should always be able to stand alone, regardless of whether it’s a continuation from a series or not. I did like the animation, especially the battle sequences because I thought there was a lot of energy that was put into it. As for the story, it was a little confusing because it has something to do with Nazis and Hitler. I learned that Hitler was obsessed with the paranormal from school and other films so I thought that part was pretty good. What I didn’t like was the lack of presence of the main villain. By the end of the film, that main enemy stepped up a bit more but it was so forced–it was easy to believe that the villain had no chance of winning. And what was up with Envy, Wrath, and Gluttony? Were the other four deadly sins covered in the series? I’m reluctant to give this a one star out of four because I didn’t have enough background to fully understand the big picture.
