Office Space Review

        Mike Judge is one of those creators who’s under the radar that whenever he comes out with something, most of the time he hits it out of the park. Case in point being his Beavis and Butt-Head show on MTV. From then on, he has a certain style of comedy that is relatable. Like creating King of the Hill which spoofs living in Texas. With Office Space, he makes fun of the mundane life at working at a tech company. 

1. Modern Day Bartleby 

        You may be asking yourself “What in the Hell is Bartleby?” Well, to summarily entice you with old American Literature, Bartleby was a Scrivener. One day, he decided not to work and when asked why he respond with “I would prefer not to.” More or less, the film is somewhat inspired by this short story.

        We see Peter working as a programmer at the tech company Initech along with his friends Michael and Samir. He is extremely unmotivated with the job that his multiple bosses tells him the same thing he already knows. Wanting to breakout of his stalemate, he and his girlfriend go to a therapist. Which predictably goes wrong as Peter lives life carefree. 

        Seeing Peter go through his day is hilarious and terrifying. Having him to repeat the same answer to his various bosses is funny since we see him at wits end. The good thing that makes it better is his coworkers. They all go through different problems, but obviously not as existential as Peter’s. To further help the disgruntled worker is when he meets the waitress Joanna. She’s the female representation of having to deal with her boss at a restaurant. 

        I feel that the movie was ahead of it time when portraying a person being annoyed at work. It’s an understandable feeling, but it hasn’t been communicated in any sort of medium. Well except Bartleby, but that’s not the point. The point is that it shines a light on a job that is soul sucking and too hands on. Like Peter’s boss Lumbergh constantly at him for fixing an error. 

        The one character who just can’t catch a break and that’s Milton. He is the punching bag in the company. He stammers and he has a distinct red stapler, which my Algebra teacher from high school had and made me want to watch the film. Anyways, Milton is what I assume to be a version of Peter if he has no voice and is constantly moved within the company, right down to the closet.

2. A Better Life

        This is a thing that Peter does when he’s in his hypnotized mode. He takes things a little more relaxed. Right down to casually hanging up the phone when his cheating girlfriend calls him in distress. Not to say that everything around Peter is going great. We see just how mad his friends are when he gets promoted, but they are getting shelved. It shines a light that Peter is being carefree and almost forget what his friends go through. 

        It adds more levity to the film when he spends time with his new girlfriend and hanging out with his next-door neighbor. To a point though, as he begins to have the idea of stealing from the company in retribution of putting up with the mundane job. The new life that he has starts to alienate those around him. Which I think makes Peter into a more in-depth person. Since we see this idea fester in the movie, that it has to be real when Joanna questions Peter’s intentions. Well Joanna tries to stand up to her boss and is promptly fired.

        The more I think about it, the idea of just living life is kind of new when the context is placed in working at a dead-end job. And it really shows just how talented Mike Judge is since he did the double duty of writing and directing. He can take the most mundane concept and completely flip it and just make it more comedic than we would think. 

3. Legacy

        When the film came out it was a financial bomb. 20th Century Fox dropped the ball on its marketing since the poster you see on top wasn’t a good way to communicate the movie to the people. It really went through the motions of being a cult classic to a classic. Like airing on Comedy Central as a rerun and its video sales spiking since word of mouth spread on the film’s newfound popularity. To say it’s influential is underselling, since the restaurant that is in the film was partly inspired by TGI Fridays. Which had the “flair”, but after the film dropped them since employees could relate to Joanna constantly being reminded of how much less “flair” she has on.

        It wouldn’t be the last time Mike Judge would focus on something tech-wise. In the late 2010s, he created the show Silicon Valley on HBO. It’s a hilarious spoof of the tech world on that part of California and with startup companies in general. One last thing is that the stapler that Milton uses was a black stapler that was painted red. The actual company Swingline created a red variant and has become popular. I know this because I bought one which is now in my mother’s possession. 

4. Overall 

        Office Space is a comedic relatable movie that anyone can watch. Some would laugh at it, or cringe that it’s way too close to home. It’s a relic of the time and it still holds up. 

Moneyball Review

        Moneyball is one of those sports films and films in general where it invigorates some much-needed synergy to a sub-genre. Sports films by nature are mostly historical dramatizations since it’s based on an actual person or team. Here, the film about the 2002 Oakland A’s and based on the book by the same name shows a new approach to winning for an underdog. 

1. Billy Beane and Peter Brand

        Played by Brad Pitt, Billy is the General Manager for the A’s. He’s confronted with three key players that have been signed by other wealthier teams in the Major Leagues. While meeting with another executive in Cleveland, he meets Peter Brand. Brand has come up with a statistical program that details undervalued players with hidden talent called Sabermetrics. Basically, it means that a team pays nothing for a player that is overlooked but has talent. Throughout the film, we see just how much Billy is willing to do everything he can to make the team win.

        As far as I’m aware, this is the first time a sports film deals with the perspective of the General Manager. We see the meeting where Beane is meeting with the other scouts and is easily annoyed. Due in large part that the way the scouts describe a player isn’t adequate for Billy to ask if the aforementioned player can hit the ball. Beane is a no-nonsense guy who is devoted to the new way of scouting that he alienates the scouts. 

        Aside from seeing the team throughout the season in various points, there’s another story that focuses on Billy’s brief playing career. We get an understanding why he is sold on sabermetrics. Little moments when he was just a high school player and scouts were telling his parents the cliché wax poetic of describing a player. Billy wants to make sure that the same player coming into the league, doesn’t fall in the same rut as he did. 

        The overall chemistry between Billy and Peter works. They gel when Billy walks him through telling a player he’s either cut or traded to another team. It more or less gives the audience a closer look of how things are done, albeit in a dramatized way. I find that unique since it’s that moment where it’s personal to the GM and player and we’re like a fly on the wall watching it play out since a guy’s career is changing or ending. The best part is when they work together to make deals with other teams to get less valued but productive players.

        We gradually see Peter evolving from a just an member of the team's analytics to being an active role player to Billy's grand plan. It's subtle since he wears suits most of the time. But he gradually becomes comfortable as Billy teaches him the little things of a GM. Right down to wearing the team's ballcap when executing a trade. 

2. Winning an Unfair Game

        As the subtitle of the book implies or states, Baseball is unfair. And it goes with any sport, you can have the best players and coaches, but another team will always be better than the one you root for. That’s what’s going on with the A’s in the movie. I was shocked by how much money they had in comparison to the Yankees. The movie doesn’t go too in-depth as to why, but I investigated it, and they had overpaid players back in the 90s.

        What I like about the film is that it mostly sticks to the tropes of a sports film. At its core, it’s an underdog film. Billy and Peter are using a new method that brings in undervalued players to bring the A’s to a World Series. You have moments where the scouts and the Manager each question the GM about the new method.

        Billy is constantly bombarded, and we even hear sports radio talk as the film progresses. It’s a massive challenge to win, and you have to imagine hearing a bunch of armchair GMs dictate how the team is failing, without never being exposed to the internals of the team. Right down to his own daughter asking if he’ll be fired. Billy tries to prove all the naysayers wrong. And it shows as we see the team win a record 20 games.

        This also when we are exposed to Scott Hatteberg. He’s played by Chris Pratt, and he’s the audiences connection to the success of the Moneyball scheme. Throughout the film, Billy wants Scott to be on the rotation but the manager is adamant that he won’t be at bat. Inevitably, when the team’s record is in jeopardy. Scott is put in and the rest they say is history. 

        One last thing I want to talk about is that the film uses real footage of the season. Shocker I know that they couldn't actually get the actors to dramatize the season. What I find endearing is that immerses the whole film. With the streak being presented with the A's footage. Right down to the radio talk shows adjusting from the cynicism of questioning the team to praising them.

3. My Favorite Scene

        When you have a film that you like, it’s tough to explain why a specific scene is your favorite. Mine for Moneyball is when the team is on a losing streak. Prior to this, Billy gets frustrated and tosses a chair from his office to a framed picture. He’s had enough and storms into the bullpen. After a loss, the team is partying, Beane smashes the boombox and asks if losing is fun. 

        We see just how it's played out. With the player standing up with his hands on his hips as Billy asks the simple question if losing is fun. Which then the player humbles up. As far as I’m aware, no sports film has ever tackled just how a team responds to losing. You would think that a lot of players would be mad in the most part. Here, we get an understanding as to why, their best players are gone, and they just accepted that the season is a lost cause. 

4. Overall 

        Moneyball is one of the best baseball films that I’ve seen. It’s easily up there as the best Sports films in general. 

The Adventures of Tintin Review

 

        Steven Spielberg and animation had crossed paths, but not in the way you would think. During the late 80s, his production company Amblin Studios produced two of animator Don Bluth’s films: An American Tail and A Land Before Time. Since they were both successes, with one of them spawning 11 sequels, Spielberg delved into producing a few animated series in the 90s with hits like Tiny Toon Adventures and Animaniacs. Additionally, Amblin spawned an animation studios, but it only existed within the 90s. It only made sense for a director who has directed a slew of genres to direct a style of animation that he can checkoff in his directorial checklist. 

1. What is Tintin?

        So you may be wondering what exactly is Tintin? Tintin was created by Georges Prosper Remi with his penname being Herges. It’s publication ran from 1929 to 1979. The series involved a reporter and adventurer named Tintin, along with his pet dog Snowball and the cynical Captain Haddock. They would globetrot around the planet to find elusive treasure. Sound somewhat familiar to the professor slash treasure hunter with a lasso. 

        In fact, when Spielberg was reading the reviews for Raiders of the Lost Ark, the French reviews kept referencing the series since they accused the film of being a rip-off. Both director and author kept in touch and the series was one of Spielberg’s pet projects. I feel that the film is more or less a complete circle of circumstance for the director. Since the film obviously evokes the Indiana Jones film, while also paying tribute to the Tintin series. 

        I haven’t had a chance to look or read the series. But looking at various panels, it has a distinct style that is obviously separates itself from whatever comic book series that came out during that time. And I feel that the animation was intentional since nowadays, some adaptations of comic books must be either live-action or animated. It would be tough to adapt to live action since Tintin has a very specific look, more so that the characters for the series also have a defining look. 

        The story is somewhat an amalgamation with other Tintin stories. Which involves changing some characters that aren't villains to be the antagonist. I feel that the story is easy to follow since it involves Haddock and a treasure that is tied to his ancestor and nemesis. We also have moments with the comedic duo Thompson and Thomson who are played by Nick Frost and Simon Pegg from Edgar Wright's Cornetto Trilogy. Who actually wrote the screenplay for the film.

2. Animation

        The animation is interesting, what both Spielberg and Peter Jackson used is called motion capture. It’s a style that includes an actor putting on an outfit with sensors around the suit. Which is then recorded on a computer. Looking at the behind the scenes, the production crew had to build a miniature set as a reference, which in turn the actors had to act and interact with objects that were there. 

        If there is one thing that separates itself with other animated films is that it’s an adventure film. There is one moment where both Tintin and Haddock are chasing the villain Sakharine, Haddock unintentionally destroys a dam, triggering a flood. The ensuing shot is continuous and it’s exhilarating with both Tintin and the Captain barely trying to keep up with the villain. Kinetic is the word to describe the action. The camera never constantly switches perspective and is mostly smooth when conversations occur and the tense moment involving the villain. 

        Although, with all the praise that I have with the film, it does suffer with the uncanny valley. What that means is that the characters look too real. I mostly attribute it with the characters looking like a real-life version of the characters but have life like eyes. Some might be turn off by it since it has a creepy thing for it. To me personally, it didn’t bother me as much when I saw other movies like Beowulf and The Polar Express, both by director Robert Zemeckis. 

3. Overall

        The film warrants a sequel but it’s currently in development hell, meaning that it’ll be a while for anything to happen. The Adventures of Tintin is a great animated film by Spielberg and Peter Jackson and an underrated gem of the 2010s. 

Pacific Rim Review

        Pacific Rim is my first exposure to Guillermo Del Toro. He made a name for himself for directing some Mexican horror movies before crossing the border and solidifying his unique directorial style. It’s evident that his taste pays tribute on the classic horror films and with Japanese pop culture like for instance the kaiju films. Just to get it out of the way, this is one of many definitions of a summer blockbuster. 

1. 2500 Pound of Awesome

        As I mentioned before, the film pays tribute to the classic Japanese monster films. More or less, the film explains that the kaiju appeared when an interdimensional rift opens in the bottom of the Pacific. As more monsters crawled out, The Pacific Countries cooperated and created the Jaegers, a mechanized weapon with two pilots. 

        The creativity in the film is such a thing to see. Obviously, a lot went in with creating the entire world and with the idea of using two pilots to control the machine. I must give credits to visual effects team at Industrial Light and Magic. Every gear and raindrop give the film a distinct look. While it was a complaint since some people didn’t like how the main fight took place at night during a storm. I believe that it showcased just how unique the monsters look alongside the Jaegers.

        One complaint that is expected with this movie is the characters. While they're not entirely deep, they're serviceable. Like we have Raleigh who's a former pilot, only to be roped in when monster attacks spike. We have the two scientists who study the monsters, with one of them being obsessed that he wants to make a neural connection to mimic the Jaeger pilots.  

        I sound like a broken record, but creativity is the key thing with this movie. Not one Jaeger or Kaiju looks the same. Throughout the movie, we see the different Kaiju that harkens back to how some of the Japanese monsters looked like. For instance, one is called Knifehead and the first monster our main character Raleigh faces off with his brother. The monster looks like one of Japan’s Gamera’s villains. 

        I really want to talk about just how the action absolutely works, but I must talk about the Jaegers. I’m glad that the film didn’t have one of the models look like another. Each that we see are of different versions and tailer made to the pilots. With one of them being piloted with triplets and a recent model being the faster one with a high kill count. What gives Gypsy Danger its uniqueness is that it manages to put up a fight. It can still stand with one of it’s limbs being removed. 

 

2. How to Make a Monster and Robot Fight 

        It’s very easy to make the action completely unreadable. Every failing of a giant monster film or giant robot is to have the action be too close. With the camera constantly changing positions, it can really confuse an audience and not be engaging in the least bit. With how the film was shot when focusing on both monsters and machines. The camera is mostly shot at ground level. It’s a classic way to show just how massive the two subjects are. 

        Now, I can understand that there’s shots where the camera is focusing on the two subjects in unreal positions. But it can be inferred that it’s where a helicopter is at, since there’s moments where the helicopter is hovering above the action to help out the mission control for the Jaegers. 

        With all that, the secret sauce for the action is that both bodies need to have weight. Now what do I mean by that. Well, whenever a Jaeger or Kaiju crash into a building, it doesn’t just knock over like it’s cardboard. When the collision happens, they only knock out parts of a building, not much to demolish it to oblivion. Each movement that the Jaeger makes is also slow. Since it’s a hundred something ton machine with moving parts that is colliding with an alien monster. Having it be too fast would ruin the immersion that one would expect when watching the movie. It's grounded in a way, but c’mon. Seeing Gypsy Danger drag a barge ship and using it as a baseball bat is a classic shot in cinema. 

3. The Sequel is Trash

        It took 5 years for a sequel to be made. Del Toro already moved on to other projects and even winning an Oscar. Universal Studios at this point had the rights to the film since the production company Legendary had made deal with the Comcast company. Just seeing the trailer, something was amiss. None of the characters came back, some did but something was wrong. 

        The Jaegers looked the same and the monsters looked generic. Even the action was too kinetic. Well it takes place during the sun shining, but it lacked that distinct look. This was a massive failure of a movie. Seeing snippets of the movie out of context sealed it that I didn’t want to watch it. Such as why would one of the characters have a son, and just not mention him in this movie. And I don’t blame it for bombing in the box office and being eviscerated. Some day I’ll watch it. 

4. Overall

        Regardless how the sequel was made, Pacific Rim kicks major Kaiju butt. And I thoroughly enjoy it.