Simon West
2001
Grade: F
How does one begin to discuss this movie. I have never been a consumer of the game series so that tangent of conversation is denied me, but, at first glance, this is a film that is trying to do a couple of things. On the one hand it seems to want to be a globe-trotting, riddle-solving, treasure-seeking adventure in the vein of Indiana Jones-with a hefty dash of Batman thrown in. On another, it also seems to want to be part of the gun-chic, techno-soundtracked, high-octane action fare (Blade, The Matrix, The Fast and the Furious) that was popular in the late 90s and early 2000s. In fairness, there is some extent to which this movie is some of these things. I abhor giving failing grades to artistic endeavors. It is an extreme that gives the false impression that the item under discussion is to be considered among the worst of the examples of its kind. To speak in the parlance of a teacher for a moment, there is a grand difference between an F of the 55% variety and an F of the 25% variety, and this is nearer the former than the latter. I don’t want this review to become a haranguing, and I don’t have enough modern in me to find joy in self-congratulatory treatises on the weaknesses of someone else’s hard work. To that end, I will focus on the film’s two chief failings; plot and character.
The story struggles almost from the outset to find a coherent direction and ultimately fails even to justify its existence. The premise is that Laura has to prevent an evil secret society from obtaining two halves of a magical item that, if combined, will give them unimaginable power. The problem comes when it is revealed that these items are only obtainable for a short window of time during a planetary alignment that only occurs once every 5000 years. Unfortunately, owing to the fact that without Laura’s help the first piece of the triangle would never have been found before the end of the planetary alignment, the foundation of the film falls out from under itself as one realizes that the villain’s nefarious plans would have been defeated without fuss had Laura simply decided to stay home. There are a plethora of smaller narrative infractions, such as the narrative’s complex and contradictory relationship with its supernatural elements, but it is this Goblet of Fire level error that is the most disenchanting.
The characters likewise suffer from particularly weak writing which is a sadness because there is some real talent among the cast. Jolie’s Lara is cool, detached, and disinterested for much of the film to such an extent that the audience is forced to wonder if she’s really in any danger or is actually engaged with anything that’s going on around her (this is my chief complaint about the character of Deadpool). With the exception of a hidden gem of a scene with her father (played by her real life father Jon Voigt) at the end of the film, there is little in the way of emotional connection from or between any of the characters throughout the film. Iain Glenn’s Manfred Powell is a fittingly sinister if one-note villain and Daniel Craig does what he can given his almost cliched role as profit motivated rival treasure hunter and pseudo-love interest. Noah Taylor adds a little levity as the mouse-ish tech savvy assistant, Bryce, but the script does not do him any favors in creating a personality or genuine humor.
I guess the worst thing that can be said about this movie is that it's forgettable. I’m writing fewer than twenty-four hours after having watched it, and the majority of the film is already slipping from my memory. I think the closest thing that I can compare this to is my earlier viewing of The Phantom. What differentiates that movie from this in my mind really comes down to charm. I won’t say cynical as I don’t think this stoops to the greatest of artistic sins, but I cannot help but feel that this movie falls short on the sense of adventure and expresses an intrusive preoccupation with epicness of scope. The action sequences are flash without substance-or logic- in addition to a forced and irrelevant climactic fist-fight.
The history of video game movies is littered with less than impressive entries, so much so that one wonders if it’s the medium itself that makes the effort such a struggle. I don’t know to what extent this story mirrors its digital counterpart, but I suspect the connection is loose if it exists at all. Not wanting to let the only words on this movie be sour ones, I will say that Angelina Jolie has enough charisma as a lead to, in a small measure, compensate for the lack of character with which she has been provided. I will always appreciate the attempt to create an adventure however successful it may or may not end up being. It is not easy to create that sense of wonder and mystery and allure that come with following the tales of classic adventurers, and this is hardly a unique failure in that regard.
I wish I had more paint of a favorable color, but there is not much room left on this darkened canvas. There are not many things that go well for this story, and one of the kindest things that can be said about it is that it isn’t overlong and does not pretend to be anything other than it is. I unfortunately can’t recommend it to anyone other than the most strident Jolie devotee.
コメント