Gibson Doesn’t Hack on Hacksaw Ridge: Explosively Awesome Movie

            American entertainment, most of us know it’s all about the extremes these days (extreme crudeness, extreme drama, extreme stupidity). Well tonight an extreme director, Mel Gibson, takes a shot at making a movie that might defy the simplistic trend of most cinema is today.  Tonight a buddy and I hit the theaters to check out Hacksaw Ridge, a war drama that pegs the life of a rare officer position (the combat medic). Will this interesting spin fit well in the library of battle based films, or has Gibson gone off the deep end.  Let’s get going

 

LIKES:

• Action Packed
• Balances faith with honor
• Inspirational
• Fantastic effects
• Good characters

 

Yeah, I have a lot of likes and it starts with the action this movie has to offer.  Hacksaw Ridge can be described as the pacific campaign of Saving Private Ryan, with plenty of explosions, bullets, and flamethrowers to light up the silver screen.  You’ll be cringing as all hell breaks loose in high definition sound and incredible special (not cheesy) effects that will drag you into the depths of battle. You might find yourself at the edge of your seat watching your hero tear through the scarred land, jumping through the carnage to take down a bunker.  Like realistic portrayals of war, this is the film for you.

But Hacksaw ridge isn’t just about soldiers getting dismembered or barbecued. No it’s a tale meant to inspire people to believe in their values, defy the odds, and yes help people without killing them. Gibson and his team have designed emotionally packed scenes where the cinematography alongside the stunning orchestral work bestows the honor of our soldiers. The dialogue also preaches the message Doss’ story is designed to tell, much of which involves faith being tested against tradition.  Sometimes it got a bit cheesy with the blatant, overdramatic deliveries, but it fit so well into the film it really didn’t faze me.  Regardless, both patriots and religious zealots will love the balance of faith with duty, and have a character you latch onto.

As for the cast, well Hacksaw Ridge has a little something for everyone to latch onto. Doss is the picture of a perfect, good spirited southerner, complete with hick like accent (thank you Hollywood stereotype).  His morals, loyalty, determination, and overall nice guy attitude are qualities that many will find endearing.  Too much of a good two shoes?  Well then go for the gung ho Yankee who wields a gun like Rambo named Smitty.  His character is all about the action, the adrenaline, and the war hero pride you love to see in these epics.  Still too serious, then throw in Vince Vaughn as a sergeant who has action, comedy, and a bit of compassion to round out the cast.  The company has strong heroes to lead the charge, amidst the extras whose names you might forget.

 

DISLIKES:

• Slow to take off/A bit rushed
• Characters lost in the carnage

 

Hard to find fault in this movie, as Gibson and company did so well making this epic war drama.  However, there were a few things my buddy and I found a little limiting. The main thing was how long it took the movie to take off.  Sure we have to have an origin story and build up how are character had his coming to Jesus moment (a rogue brick to his brother’s head).  Despite how good they did with this, it doesn’t help that it took a while for Hacksaw Ridge to take off.  The first thirty minutes in particular are rushed relationships with his parents and girl, which although establishes Doss’ life, drags at times as you wait for the training to begin.  In addition, some of these arks get dropped into the background, left to simmer until the ending when the campaign is over.

This was especially true for some of the soldiers, who after a five-minute introduction are dropped into a sea of extras almost never to be seen again. Doss and a few other troop members will get much of the screen time, while others will stand out only by looks before violently flopping on the desolate wasteland of the ridge.  You would think a little more involvement after taking the time to name them, but no not the case. In addition, some of the romantic and family dynamics are dropped like a bad grenade, only to be tied up at the end of the show. Outside of these small flaws, the only other thing we agreed on was some random additions of Japanese customs, which while accurate was kind of pointless in the grand scheme of things.

 

The VERDICT:

 

Hacksaw Ridge is one of the best modern war movies I’ve seen…period.  The nice spin on the protagonist being a pacifist drops a whole new light on the war theater and provided a character who was deeper than the barrel of a rifle.  Doss’ story is certainly inspiring, and it’s nice to see a movie where both faith and honor can work in tandem without being dragged out and dull (Unbreakable).  Yes it does take time to get stoked, but once the spark ignites, it shines in suspenseful, well-shot delight.  Of note, this movie isn’t for the faint of heart. Weak constitutions may get sick, or have nightmares depending on how mutilated, bloody bodies affect you (PLEASE DON’T TAKE SMALL KIDS TO SEE THIS FILM). I strongly encourage a theater visit to this movie, perhaps a couple of times if you’ve got the cash.

 

My scores are:

 

Biography/Drama/Romance:  9.0

 

Movie Overall: 8.5-9.0

When The Lights Go Out, The Creeps Crawl In

            When things go bump in the night and the amount of light is limited at best, your imagination plays tricks on you. Often we perceive the worst thing lurking in the shadows, waiting to wrap its tendrils, claws, or whatever appendage around your body and finish you off. Well a short film project by David Sandberg laid the groundwork for a major motion picture that plays off of that fear. Welcome to another Robbie’s movie reviews and today we focus on the latest horror film to grace the theaters entitled Lights out. Lets get started!

 

The GOOD:

• The story
• Teresa Palmer
• The creepiness

 

Surprise, surprise, we actually have a horror movie with a plot this weekend. Lights out writers were able to craft a tale that had a little more depth than some of its fellow scare thrillers. One part digging into the past and another part progressing forward, Lights out does a nice job of balancing both sides of the coin during its short ninety minutes. The pace of the story is set nicely for most of the movie, though it does skip on the details sometimes that added the corny edge to it. For once, I wish the movie was a little longer so that we could explore a little more into the past (primarily Rebecca’s story). Those details could have added a little more depth and uniqueness to the tale and perhaps robbed the cheesiness we saw.

Fortunately, the lovely Teresa Palmer’s acting enriches the story. She hasn’t had the greatest roles, but this movie worked with her. Her edginess, sincerity, and attitude all mixed well to craft a character that was easy to latch onto and root for. Yeah some of the writing was a little corny at times, and her tough girl attitude was cute to see as she took on the spirit. Regardless, she played the mature, older sister very well and carried the movie. Her supporting cast only further supported her talent with Gabriel Bateman and Alexander Dipersia making an excellent pair to bring the tale to life.

In regards to the scare factor though, Lights Out’s strongest aspects is the creepy level. The trailers speak the truth when it says it makes your nightmares come to life. For me the shadows and feeling abandoned in the dark were the biggest thing to freak me out, especially in the realistic environments this movie takes place in. Seeing Diana (the ghoul in this movie) emerge from the shadows in her misshapen form only further sending a chill across my skin. All these factors build an epic suspense and heighten your fear of what lurks in the dark. But…

 

The BAD

• Lackluster Scares
• The ending

 

Despite all the build up and being stuck in the shadows, the actual jump scares were lacking for my friends and me. Most things involved the abrupt start of music and became very predictable in what tactic they would use. Perhaps it was due to Diana not doing much, or maybe they just couldn’t keep things fresh enough, but the scares were missing in some sense for me. Or maybe the actual face of the woman wasn’t as messed up as I though (those eyes though). Therefore, those looking to have themselves frightened to the point of peeing their pants are out of luck. Oh well, the creepiness will linger in your mind longer to tell the truth.

And despite all the good of the story, there were still some things that needed a little tightening up to get the full effect. As mentioned the pace is a little rushed, the background stories are lacking, and the lines are cornier than a maze in the fall. However, it is the ending that made me sigh in disappointment. After a prolonged, semi-exciting battle against Diana, the ending occurs rather bluntly. Yes it had some emotional fervor behind it, and it will make my more dark hearted audience members reel in delight. I just wish it had more kick behind it instead of the compromise we got. My guess is the fast pace led to the abrupt ending, either that or they couldn’t think of anything to finish out the fight in that epic manner (a.k.a Star Wars Episode III). Whatever the reason, the ending wraps things up and could be vague enough to allow for another sequel to grace the screen.

 

The Verdict:

   Lights out is certainly not the most original ghost story we’ve received. However, it still has the edge, presentation, and story to put this movie on an upper shelf of horror quality. In terms of scare factor, again the creepiness will leave you afraid to venture into the dark, but its not going to leave your hair white anytime soon. However, in terms of intriguing tale it definitely gets points in this category for me. Is it worth a trip to the theater? In my opinion…not really, and your money would be better spent on say Star Trek this weekend.

 

My scores are:

Horror: 7.5

Movie Overall: 6.5-7.0