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Reviews
Starship Troopers (1997)
Brilliant & timely critique of fascism
The truth is that this is a brilliant film that, like Verhoeven's earlier "Robocop", is an insightful satire and critique of fascism and at the same time succeeds as a sci-fi thriller. It can be enjoyed at both levels, though obviously it is much richer when the viewer comprehends the satirical and critical level as well.
It's not as if the satire is so subtle it's hard to get. If anything, it hits you over the head with it. But at the same time, it is very disciplined and consistent in not tipping its hand and giving the game away, which to me makes it much more successful and enjoyable than if the satire and social critique were blatantly broadcast. That's the strange and wonderful thing about "Starship Troopers" and "Robocop" -- one viewer might totally not get it, while to another, the critical/satirical level is totally in your face and is what the film is really all about.
I don't know if I'm describing it well, but watch it with the film-makers' commentary turned on (on the DVD version), and director Paul Verhoeven and writer Ed Neumeier lay it all out very clearly: the film is about how war makes fascists of us all. Very timely today (2004) with US imperialism wreaking havoc in Iraq & Afghanistan.
On a technical level, the film is excellent. The bug special effects are top notch and the whole bug society and hierarchy is deeply thought through, as is the future Earth society's politics and technology. The acting is excellent, and the balance between the characters' interpersonal story line, the bug war story line, and the underlying political satire and critique, is perfectly handled.
A truly exceptional film, Verhoeven's best so far, topping even "Robocop" in my opinion, and fully deserving a 10 out of 10 score, which I rarely give.
The Saddest Music in the World (2003)
Brilliant and hilarious
This is an excellent film, as bizarre and otherworldly as anything by David Lynch, but in the end more coherent, more meaningful, and many times more funny. I knew this film would be surreal and hallucinatory, but I didn't expect it also to be so incredibly hilarious. At one level, the film is first and foremost and extended and brilliant parody of 30's-40's Hollywood melodrama, and since that body of work basically framed almost all cinema since, Maddin's parody here touches the world of film and more broadly art itself and it's relation to your own internal representation of the world. That may sound really artsy and high-falutin', and certainly the film acquits itself well at that level, but at the same time there is a wonderfully absurd, anarchic humour that evokes great TV parody comedy like SCTV, Saturday Night Live (during its occasional moments of excellence), Kids In The Hall (whose Mark McKinney stars in this is perfect), Codco (another Canadian Patric TV show from the 90's that was truly brilliant), etc. SCTV especially, and this film reminded me of the series of films featuring former SNL and SCTV people starting with Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, Best In Show, and A Might Wind. Though more absurd and surreal than those shows, and more consciously (and successfully) poetic and artistic, "Saddest Music" achieves a similar blend of sustained parody along with stories, characters, and situations sufficient to sustain the film even if it wasn't parody. If you like those films, there's an excellent chance you'll also find "Saddest Music" very satisfying and very funny.
Bionicle: Mask of Light (2003)
Odd virtues
Not a terrible film -- my 10 year old boy loved it, and he would be the target demographic, so I guess they hit the spot. Pretty dull for an adult though.
Hard to relate to animated lego characters, even mod high-tech ones.
I thought the choice of the three great virtues of the Bionicle world was a bit odd -- unity, duty, and destiny. Am I the only one who thinks those sound just a bit fascistic? Especially destiny. What about freedom, equality, justice, etc.?
Oh well, it will sell Lego. Kind of dull for a movie, but not bad for a 74-minute advertisement. Could have been a lot worse.