WARNING: POSSIBLE MINOR SPOILERS So many people hate this movie. They hate it because they hate Stallone. They hate it because they're such big fans of the original cult classic. They hate it because... they have no taste in movies. I've seen the original, and I respect the original, and I liked the original, but this is a very good remake, and a well done movie on its own.
As the previous review stated, Stallone's acting is top notch, and those people who only see him as he was in "Tango & Cash" and "Judge Dredd" need to remember that he was also in the "Rocky" series and "First Blood" which all required good acting. In this, he comes across as a character who is tough for a living, not because he necessarily is tough, but because he has to be, and underneath he is a real person with real human emotions. But a tough man in a tough underworld can't let others know he even has emotions, so it stays buried... and yet, we know he cares. An excellent performance by Stallone.
The supporting cast is just as good, with Michael Caine (who plays Carter in the original), Rachel Leigh Cook (who proves in this movie she's more than just another cute teen), Miranda Richardson who is as strong as ever, Mickey Rourke, (finally getting good material he can work with), and Alan Cumming, who (besides Stallone) stole the movie. Alan Cumming is incredible... (see "Titus" or "Anniversary Party" to see what I mean).
What really makes this movie to me though, is its style. The grainy look making it feel somehow more real and less like a movie. The use of light is amazing, and when added to by the quick jerky editing, creates an interesting and almost paranoid look, similar to the recently released "Insomnia" from director Christopher Nolan. (And, despite what most critics say, there ARE ways of doing jerky cuts and quick editing and still make a movie that isn't compared to a music video or a Superbowl commercial. It's all in the director. David Fincher was slammed by critics when "Se7en" first came out, and everyone said he was just another MTV guy making his break into Hollywood. Now critics everywhere respect him and hold him up as one of the most original and innovative new filmmakers... see?) I really hope that director Steven Kay doesn't have second thoughts about doing anything else just because fans of the original bashed this one all to pieces, because I'd like to see what else he'd do. Even the use of the camera, for instance: a shot of Stallone sitting in a car while everything is going wrong. Instead of inserting some kind of corny dialogue or, even worse, doing nothing and quickly cutting to another scene to keep a fast pace, the shot just literally turns upside down. Very easy, not much high tech wizardry needed or special effects to make a point come across, the director opts to just turn our perspective of the world upside down so we can identify with the character. Good stuff. Simple, but effective.
For those who have heard of the movie, but haven't had the guts to go see it because all you've heard is bad stuff... don't listen to THEM! This movie is very well done, I think even better than the original, because this 'version' decides right from the get-go that it's not going to be just another action movie where some guy goes around beating everybody up to get revenge. I don't even hold that it's and action movie at all, more like a suspense-drama with a faster heart-rate. It's about the search for truth and redemption, and the price all of those involved will pay while finding it.
As the previous review stated, Stallone's acting is top notch, and those people who only see him as he was in "Tango & Cash" and "Judge Dredd" need to remember that he was also in the "Rocky" series and "First Blood" which all required good acting. In this, he comes across as a character who is tough for a living, not because he necessarily is tough, but because he has to be, and underneath he is a real person with real human emotions. But a tough man in a tough underworld can't let others know he even has emotions, so it stays buried... and yet, we know he cares. An excellent performance by Stallone.
The supporting cast is just as good, with Michael Caine (who plays Carter in the original), Rachel Leigh Cook (who proves in this movie she's more than just another cute teen), Miranda Richardson who is as strong as ever, Mickey Rourke, (finally getting good material he can work with), and Alan Cumming, who (besides Stallone) stole the movie. Alan Cumming is incredible... (see "Titus" or "Anniversary Party" to see what I mean).
What really makes this movie to me though, is its style. The grainy look making it feel somehow more real and less like a movie. The use of light is amazing, and when added to by the quick jerky editing, creates an interesting and almost paranoid look, similar to the recently released "Insomnia" from director Christopher Nolan. (And, despite what most critics say, there ARE ways of doing jerky cuts and quick editing and still make a movie that isn't compared to a music video or a Superbowl commercial. It's all in the director. David Fincher was slammed by critics when "Se7en" first came out, and everyone said he was just another MTV guy making his break into Hollywood. Now critics everywhere respect him and hold him up as one of the most original and innovative new filmmakers... see?) I really hope that director Steven Kay doesn't have second thoughts about doing anything else just because fans of the original bashed this one all to pieces, because I'd like to see what else he'd do. Even the use of the camera, for instance: a shot of Stallone sitting in a car while everything is going wrong. Instead of inserting some kind of corny dialogue or, even worse, doing nothing and quickly cutting to another scene to keep a fast pace, the shot just literally turns upside down. Very easy, not much high tech wizardry needed or special effects to make a point come across, the director opts to just turn our perspective of the world upside down so we can identify with the character. Good stuff. Simple, but effective.
For those who have heard of the movie, but haven't had the guts to go see it because all you've heard is bad stuff... don't listen to THEM! This movie is very well done, I think even better than the original, because this 'version' decides right from the get-go that it's not going to be just another action movie where some guy goes around beating everybody up to get revenge. I don't even hold that it's and action movie at all, more like a suspense-drama with a faster heart-rate. It's about the search for truth and redemption, and the price all of those involved will pay while finding it.
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