Total Recall (2012)

Undeva intr-un viitor mai mult sau mai putin apropiat si mai mult sau mai putin post-apocaliptic s-a intamplat un plot-device in urma caruia Pamantul a devenit habitabil in doar doua zone, care, in mod oportun povestii, sunt fix opuse pe planeta. Una este in Europa si cealalta in Australia, iar cele doua zone sunt in conflict in urma lipsei de spatiu.
Australia a redevenit cumva colonie, iar in lupta pentru independenta (cred), teroristi ai Coloniei tot amplaseaza bombe in partea europeana, dorind astfel sa obtina… ceva important, sunt sigur.

 In toata aceasta distopie il gasim pe Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell), care, desi e casatorit cu Kate Beckinsale, este nefericit cu viata sa. Asa ca se duce la o clinica unde clientilor li se implanteaza amintiri pe care altfel nu si le-ar permite: o amanta de lux, o excursie pe Marte, o aventura de spioni etc. Quaid o alege pe cea din urma, dar inainte ca inception-ul sa poata avea loc, o echipa de mascati iau clinica cu asalt, omorandu-i pe toti cei prezenti, minus Quaid, care brusc are super-abilitati de spion si scapa cu viata, dar nu inainte sa omoare 13 agenti mascati.
 Lumea lui este data peste cap cand primeste o serie de indicii care ii arata ca el de fapt chiar este un spion ale carui amintiri au fost alterate si ca este adanc implicat in reteaua teroristilor de pe colonie.

 De partea cui lupta de fapt? Este totul doar o simulare? Va primi fata la final? Si pe care din ele? Toate aceste intrebari si altele primesc un raspuns vag sau niciunul, in urmatoarea ora de impuscaturi, explozii si turnuri de poveste irelevante.

 "What is real?"  Este un tagline care se potriveste filmului original sau povestirii lui Philip K. Dick pe care se bazeaza acesta. Asta deoarece aici povestea se concentreaza mult mai mult pe ambiguitatea realitatii in care traieste personajul. El crede ca lupta pentru o cauza buna, dar tot ce face e foarte posibil sa fie doar o simulare, caz in care orice actiune a sa ar fi complet futila. Dar daca totusi e real? O tematica ce da filmului un nivel in plus celui de film de actiune. Tema care face o aparitie si in noul Total Recall, caci povestea e bazata pe lucrarile mai sus mentionate, dar este repede data la o parte si uitata in favoarea scenelor de actiune intortocheate a caror functiune e greu de explicat. Unde vreau sa ajung e ca filmul nu este un SF inteligent, daca la asta va asteptati, de la premisa generala implauzibila pana la detaliile care o compun. Exista unele elemente in care o viziune gandita a unui posibil viitor isi iveste capul, dar destul de putine.

L-as vedea din nou?
Nu.

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The A-Team (2010)

I'm sorry, but I really need to start this review this way




...simply because the movie a) did not play it enough, b) only played the first part of it (which admittedly is the only part worth listening to, but still), not even during the end credits.

But aside from that, there is not much I could criticize. It's a pretty good movie, provided your expectations are low enough.
I mean really, do you remember the show, it was camp, and silly, but it was fun to watch. Well, that's what the movie is, fun to watch, genuinely. Not in the "Oh my God, this is so bad it's actually funny" kind of way. There's some good punchlines, many over-the-over-the-top action scenes, which cannot help but find AWSM. There is a flying fucking tank, and you love it!

The reason behind this is because of the good transfer from TV screen to big screen. We had it before, "Charlie's Angels" and "Starsky and Hutch". I didn't see the second TV show, but I know that with "Charlie's Angels", they just kept the concept of three secret agent women, without keeping the characters, they put in some action sequences and some humour, and voila: nothing really special.

With "The A-Team" they managed to keep the characters as we remember them, which made the show successful in the first place. The four guys, the brain, the muscle, the suave guy and the looney. And the actors managed to catch their characters essence, especially Sharlto Copley (whom we last saw in "District 9" yelling "Fookin' Prawn!" every five minutes) is brilliant and funny as the crazy Murdock.

Don't expect a comedy, and don't expect a genuine action movie. Just expect a really funny (almost parodic) actionfilled film that doesn't really require using your brain (if you do, you will probably be too busy pointing the plotholes, which otherwise you won't notice thanks to the alert rhythm of explosions, fights and comedy). A film which had every reason to fail, and yet managed to entertain.