It's A-Team time at South African cinemas
Six new films open in South Africa today, although I'm sure there's only one that has captured the public's imagination - even if the TV spots for said movie are completely bland. Anyway, we'll get to that film in a moment, after outlining the weekend's other new releases.
For lovers of Indian cinema there's Lafangey Parindey, a romantic drama about a street fighter (Neil Nitin Mukesh) and his relationship with a blind dancer (Deepika Padukone), who performs wearing roller skates. In limited release at Ster Kinekor Nouveau Theatres meanwhile, there's Italian comedy-drama A Stroke of Luck about two very different men who develop a strong friendship after meeting in a hospital ward; and the award-winning London River (92% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes), which stars Brenda Blethyn and Sotigui Kouyaté as parents world apart, who are nonetheless forced to join forces while searching for their adult children after the 2005 London bombings.
Parents with children, and VERY lowbrow entertainment demands, can also check out Furry Vengeance (8% Fresh), a live-action comedy about a real estate developer tasked with demolishing a forest for a new housing estate, much to the disgust of his family, and the furious animals who live in the woods. Brendan Fraser and Brooke Shields star.
Speaking of disgust, The Unforgiving, South Africa's first big torture porn movie - our very own Saw, Wolf Creek, or Captivity as it were - comes out today. Definitely an R-rated film for viewers 18 years and older, The Unforgiving centres on a young couple who break down outside Johannesburg and are abducted by a masked maniac who proceeds to torture them in all kinds of horrific, bloody and demeaning ways - pushing the limits of their bodies, minds and morality. Splatter horror isn't normally my thing but in a curious coincidence one of The Unforgiving's four main cast members attended my primary school while I was there. In fact, Craig Hawks was my sister's leading man, and the title character, in a Grade 4-5 production of Aladdin at the same school. And apparently our sweet, very conservative drama teacher has promised to watch The Unforgiving because Craig is in it. Sir, brace yourself for a shock!
Anyway, moving on to my movie pick for the weekend: The A-Team. I'm sure the people most excited for this action blockbuster are children and teens of the 80s, who decades ago sat glued every week to the cheesy, but nonetheless, iconic TV show on which the new film is based.
I've blogged before the A-Team movie, but for those of you that need a memory refresher, the A-Team is a elite military unit framed for a crime they didn't commit. While on the run from army authorities - and attempting to clear their name - this mismatched but loyal group of men act as soldiers of fortune, available for hire by anyone in need. The A-Team consists of cigar-chomping Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith (Liam Neeson), handsome Lt. Templeton "Faceman" Peck (Bradley Cooper), mentally unstable pilot Captain "Howling Mad" Murdock (South Africa's own Sharlto Copley) and surly muscleman Sgt. B.A. "Bad Attitude" Baracus (Quinton "Rampage" Jackson). Jessica Biel, Patrick Wilson and Mad Men's Jon Hamm also all appear in what is intended to be the first film in a lucrative franchise.
This said, in the United States The A-Team actually performed below expectation at the box office, and achieved a middling 47% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This suggests the film actually isn't as enjoyable as it could have been, with its positives negated by many, many flaws. The A-Team has been described as everything from "exhilarating," "likeable" and "brainless fun" to "loud," "overblown" and "unsatisfying." Then there's the faint praise that we've heard all too often this mid-year blockbuster season: "It's not awful; just ordinary." Hmmph. I wish I could say I'm surprised, but frankly none of the trailers have made The A-Team look like anything more than another generic, squad-based action movie. I may be wrong but the idiosyncratic flavour of the old TV show seems to be completely absent.
Anyway, I will still give The A-Team a chance, but I'll be entering the cinema with very moderated expectations... especially after comments that the action scenes in the film are horribly over-edited. A frenetic ADHD approach to depicting action scenes is one of my biggest movie peeves of all - having most recently wrecked Casino Royale sequel Quantum of Solace. I like being able to work out what is happening onscreen; not slapped by a flurry of incomprehensible images.
You may argue that I'm being overly fussy and overly skeptical about The A-Team, but I'm going to stick with my initial opinion. Go and watch the film but make sure to keep those warm, fuzzy feelings of nostalgia in check - lest you're horribly disappointed.
For lovers of Indian cinema there's Lafangey Parindey, a romantic drama about a street fighter (Neil Nitin Mukesh) and his relationship with a blind dancer (Deepika Padukone), who performs wearing roller skates. In limited release at Ster Kinekor Nouveau Theatres meanwhile, there's Italian comedy-drama A Stroke of Luck about two very different men who develop a strong friendship after meeting in a hospital ward; and the award-winning London River (92% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes), which stars Brenda Blethyn and Sotigui Kouyaté as parents world apart, who are nonetheless forced to join forces while searching for their adult children after the 2005 London bombings.
Parents with children, and VERY lowbrow entertainment demands, can also check out Furry Vengeance (8% Fresh), a live-action comedy about a real estate developer tasked with demolishing a forest for a new housing estate, much to the disgust of his family, and the furious animals who live in the woods. Brendan Fraser and Brooke Shields star.
Speaking of disgust, The Unforgiving, South Africa's first big torture porn movie - our very own Saw, Wolf Creek, or Captivity as it were - comes out today. Definitely an R-rated film for viewers 18 years and older, The Unforgiving centres on a young couple who break down outside Johannesburg and are abducted by a masked maniac who proceeds to torture them in all kinds of horrific, bloody and demeaning ways - pushing the limits of their bodies, minds and morality. Splatter horror isn't normally my thing but in a curious coincidence one of The Unforgiving's four main cast members attended my primary school while I was there. In fact, Craig Hawks was my sister's leading man, and the title character, in a Grade 4-5 production of Aladdin at the same school. And apparently our sweet, very conservative drama teacher has promised to watch The Unforgiving because Craig is in it. Sir, brace yourself for a shock!
Anyway, moving on to my movie pick for the weekend: The A-Team. I'm sure the people most excited for this action blockbuster are children and teens of the 80s, who decades ago sat glued every week to the cheesy, but nonetheless, iconic TV show on which the new film is based.
I've blogged before the A-Team movie, but for those of you that need a memory refresher, the A-Team is a elite military unit framed for a crime they didn't commit. While on the run from army authorities - and attempting to clear their name - this mismatched but loyal group of men act as soldiers of fortune, available for hire by anyone in need. The A-Team consists of cigar-chomping Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith (Liam Neeson), handsome Lt. Templeton "Faceman" Peck (Bradley Cooper), mentally unstable pilot Captain "Howling Mad" Murdock (South Africa's own Sharlto Copley) and surly muscleman Sgt. B.A. "Bad Attitude" Baracus (Quinton "Rampage" Jackson). Jessica Biel, Patrick Wilson and Mad Men's Jon Hamm also all appear in what is intended to be the first film in a lucrative franchise.
This said, in the United States The A-Team actually performed below expectation at the box office, and achieved a middling 47% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This suggests the film actually isn't as enjoyable as it could have been, with its positives negated by many, many flaws. The A-Team has been described as everything from "exhilarating," "likeable" and "brainless fun" to "loud," "overblown" and "unsatisfying." Then there's the faint praise that we've heard all too often this mid-year blockbuster season: "It's not awful; just ordinary." Hmmph. I wish I could say I'm surprised, but frankly none of the trailers have made The A-Team look like anything more than another generic, squad-based action movie. I may be wrong but the idiosyncratic flavour of the old TV show seems to be completely absent.
Anyway, I will still give The A-Team a chance, but I'll be entering the cinema with very moderated expectations... especially after comments that the action scenes in the film are horribly over-edited. A frenetic ADHD approach to depicting action scenes is one of my biggest movie peeves of all - having most recently wrecked Casino Royale sequel Quantum of Solace. I like being able to work out what is happening onscreen; not slapped by a flurry of incomprehensible images.
You may argue that I'm being overly fussy and overly skeptical about The A-Team, but I'm going to stick with my initial opinion. Go and watch the film but make sure to keep those warm, fuzzy feelings of nostalgia in check - lest you're horribly disappointed.
Comments
I'm a little afraid that it won't be what we're hoping for, but if it's at least enjoyable and brings back memories of the old A-Team an gives my nostalgia some satisfaction, I'll be happy about that at least :)
You just can't hope for the same four guys to show up who were on the television show in the 80s. My wife even loved this movie...but Liam Neeson might have had something to do with that...
MJenks, I can't say I was disappointed. With the exception of the final "plan" it was the ridiculous "heists" that were my favourite parts of the film. As for Liam Neeson, he made a surprisingly active, virile Hannibal. *grrroooowwwwwllll*