The Last Witch Hunter, Crimson Peak, and The Walk - All Worth Seeing

 
   The Halloween spirit is upon us and the scary, monster movies are making their way into cinemas. This week's new action/adventure "The Last Witch Hunter" won't fill your scare quota, but it will entertain you nonetheless. Vin Diesel stars and Breck Eisner (Sahara, The Crazies) directs this fantasy story about an immortal warrior who polices the activity of the witching world throughout the ages. It's a fairly straight-forward story that will probably win the box office this weekend.

   So, Vin Diesel plays Kaulder, a man from the 13th century, who hunts down freaky-looking witches in order to rid the world of their evil. With vengeance in his heart, he wields a ferocious flaming sword as he hewns down his foes. When he and his group have a run-in with the powerful witch queen, Kaulder is cursed with immortality. He uses his new found lifespan to continue hunting down witches throughout the world. Having a foot in both the magical and real worlds, he's despised and feared throughout the witching community. A holy order of priests called The Axe and Cross assist Kaulder in his efforts. Michael Caine and Elijah Wood play his current side kicks. With their help, as well as the help from a dream-walking witch named Chloe (Rose Leslie, Game of Thrones), they strive to thwart an ever-growing threat in present day New York. It's a wild story that is entertaining enough; a definite popcorn flick.

   The acting isn't bad. Michael Caine is brilliant in anything he does. He portrays a more fatherly-type figure as the reigning sidekick. His warm, experienced charm is balanced with the new, young, and eager replacement (Wood). Rose Leslie is enchanting and awesome, but for anyone who has seen Game of Thrones they would already know that. She's great in this movie. Vin Diesel, well...he tries. I mean, I like the guy and all, but it was tough not to see him as Dom Toretto. When he's 13th century Kaulder, with his ZZ Top beard and cray cray mohawk, he felt more like a new, distiguishable character. I know something as simple as costume might not make a whole lot of difference, but for this movie, for me at least, it does. Maybe keeping some hair or facial fuzz might help. I don't know, but I'm just tired of seeing Dom Toretto in every movie he does. It doesn't help that his acting is fairly wooden, with his deep, mumbly voice and stone-faced expressions. For a character who has spent 800 years on the earth though, it sorta works; and it would be fair to say that Kaulder's sword-weilding is nothing short of...fast, and furious. (See what I did there? Eh? Eh?)

   The action is fun, the CGI isn't bad and the story moves along at a decent pace. With four or five movies opening this weekend, making a decision as to what to watch might be harder than usual. This movie, despite its flaws, is still pretty fun. I enjoyed myself, and I think most people will feel the same way. Like I said, it'll probably take the weekend box office, which is okay. Whether it's this weekend or next, give The Last Witch Hunter a try. You'll be entertained.

Also this week:

   Guillermo del Toro's haunting film "Crimson Peak" is, I'm afraid, a victim of poor marketing. Much like the highly underrated M. Night Shyamalan film "The Village"--which was a romance marketed as a horror movie--"Crimson Peak" is also a romance marketed as a horror movie. Are there horror elements to it? Sure, but believe me when I say that it's not a horror movie. That being said though, it's still a beautiful film to watch. Del Toro's films are always visually stunning. No matter the quality of the story, you can always bet you'll see something beautiful, harrowing, and original. As much as I love The Hobbit trilogy, a part of me really wants to see del Toro's take, since he was originally suppose to direct it. I've really enjoyed his films, and this one wasn't bad either.

   In the aftermath of a family tragedy, an aspiring author named Edith (Mia Waskikowska, Alice in Wonderland) is torn between love for her childhood friend Alan (Charlie Hunnam, Pacific Rim) and the temptation of a mysterious outsider named Thomas (Tom Hiddleston, Avengers). Trying to escape the ghosts of her past, she is swept away to a house that breathes, bleeds - and remembers. The house itself is a character all on its own. Built on red clay, the old, sinking house oozes with the clay with which it sits, giving it that bleeding look. It's vibrant imagery indeed.

   The story leaves you wanting. It's really not that complicated of a plot, nor does it really grab you all that much. The acting is decent and the characters are intriguing. Tom Hiddleston and Jessica Chastain (who plays Tom's sister Lucille) both give really good performances, where as the lead Mia Waskikowska was just okay. But the visual pallet del Toro gives you is something sort of breath-taking. The creepy ghouls of Edith's past lounge around the house and when they appear it's eerie and striking. Though most are CGI, you can recognize del Toro's style in how they look. Much like the creepers from Pan's Labyrinth and the Hellboy films, the ghosts carry the same del Toro look; elongated fingers, accentuated features, and an overall gruesomeness.

   If you're going into this movie thinking you're going to be scared out of your wits, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed, It's a beautifully made film that just won't resonate all that much with its story. Is it entertaining? Absolutely. Do I recommend it? I sure do.

Also:

 
   So I finally got to see Robert Zemeckis' film "The Walk" this week, and man was that a fun movie. Based on the true story, Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as the famous high wire walker Philippe Petit as he ventures out to obtain his dream of walking across a high wire between the tops of the World Trade Center towers. It's a wonderful movie, with emotion and heart.

   This film is a great example of how the use of 3D can influence the experience in a positive way. For most of the movie, the 3D isn't much of a help. I mean, you have that layered effect, and when Petit is on his wire it feels as though you're there with him. It's not until he is walking across the two towers where you are at the edge of your seat. There have been reports of people getting nauseous and vomiting during this movie while watching Petit accomplish the impossible. I didn't throw up or get sick to my stomach, but I can understand why. Zemeckis puts you out there on that wire with Petit, and man is it high! You really get the sense of danger Petit was playing with when attempting this feat. It's truly amazing.

   The acting was pretty good. Joseph Gordon-Levitt does a great job even though his French accent was so-so. It wasn't enough to take you out the movie though. His compadres, or "accomplices" as he calls them, are funny and really help round out what really is a singular storyline. The movie is about Petit and everyone around him is able to boost his story that much more. It's a fascinating tale, one that actually happened. Zemeckis has this way of really engaging an audience with his characters and his story that not a lot of directors do today. I think he's a highly underrated director and his films only prove his talent.

   The Walk has been out now for a few weeks and it's one of the better films you'll see in cinemas currently. If you really want to go see it I strongly recommend you see it in 3D. I'm sure the movie will still work in the regular 2D format, but the overall experience is so much greater in 3D. With good acting, a compelling story, stunning visuals, and fantastic direction, The Walk is worth the viewing.


*Not sure if 3D is really worth it? Click here and check out this Optimist v. Pessimist discussion about the merits of 3D.