"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader"
Richard's Review: 1 star
In 2005 "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" brought the first of seven of CS Lewis's beloved series of fantasy novels to the screen, to big box office returns. The second installment, "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" was a summer release and fared poorly, so the film's producers are hoping for a return to form with "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader," which arrives in theatres just in time for the family friendly Christmas season.
In this episode Edmund and Lucy Pevensie (Skandar Keynes and Georgie Henley) have been sent to live with their uncle in the English countryside to escape the dangers of World War II London. With no wardrobes in sight it looks like another trip to the fantasy land of Narnia isn't in store, but when a painting comes to life, dousing their uncle's house with sea water they (and their snot nosed cousin) are transplanted to a Narnian ship called the Dawn Treader and reunited with King Caspian (Ben Barnes). Their mission, should they choose to accept -- and you know they will -- is to battle against slave traders, uncover the mystery of the evil green mist and find seven enchanted swords to bring peace to all Narnians.
The Narnia movies should be a cross of "Harry Potter" and "Lord of the Rings," but for some reason they never caught fire the way those other fantasy franchises did. Like those other popular movies they have engaging central characters, fantastic creature creations and brave new worlds but they also have something the other movies don't -- dull storylines.
The books are classic but the oomph of Lewis's prose hasn't translated to the screen. The movies just kind of sit there, despite all the special effect pomp and circumstance. Add to that a deadly character named Eustace -- surely a candidate for the British Twit Hall of Fame -- and you have a movie that is more an endurance test than enjoyable seasonal entertainment.
"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" feels like a franchise that has overstayed its welcome and as it borrows liberally from "The Wizard of Oz," the Bible and even "Ghostbusters" could more likely be called "Voyage of the Retreaders."
"The King's Speech"
Richard's Review: 4 stars
If you think a movie about a soon-to-be-monarch trying to overcome a debilitating speech impediment sounds dull, think again. Imagine a royal "Pygmalion" brimming with wit, pain and perseverance. It's a moving and even occasionally exciting story that climaxes not on a battlefield or boardroom but with two men, one microphone and an historical speech.
Colin Firth plays the man who would be king, the Duke of York who later became King George VI when his brother Edward (Guy Pearce) abdicated the throne in 1936 and ran off with the twice divorced Wallis Simpson. A chronic stutterer, he tried every cure going, including smoking, which was thought to "calm the nerves and relax the larynx," and trying to speak with a mouthful of marbles. He has no success until he meets Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), an Australian voice coach with some unorthodox methods to help untie Albert's tongue. Befriending the royal, he delved deep, looking for the cause of the vocal tics rather than simply working on the mechanics of uninterrupted speech. Slowly the stiff-upper-lipped Albert opens up, and with the support of his wife (Helena Bonham Carter) and his tutor/confessor, he confronts the psychological roots of his problem.
Since debuting at the Toronto International Film Festival in September there has been heavy Oscar buzz surrounding "The King's Speech" but I think the pundits are getting it wrong. Colin Firth has been touted as a front runner in the Best Actor category, and he certainly has the film's showiest role, but for me, the most effortless performance comes from Geoffrey Rush who brings a warm naturalism to his role.
Either way, the movie is anchored by two terrific performances and is most effective in its quiet moments -- the look on Firth's face when his daughters stop calling him father and begin calling him Your Majesty, the film's climatic speech and Albert's heartfelt acknowledgement that Lionel, a commoner, is his best friend. Those underplayed moments are really where the gold is.
"The King's Speech" is, of course, about more than a speech impediment. It's about someone who didn't want to be king reluctantly accepting his duty, and not only finding his voice, but also giving a voice to England during the Second World War.
"The Tourist"
Richard's Review: 2 1/2 stars
"The Tourist" is a movie that asks the question, would one kiss from Angelina Jolie be worth risking your life for? Many would think yes, including Johnny Depp who plays the hapless eponymous character in this new thriller from Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, the director of the Oscar winning "The Lives of Others."
In this twisty-turny thriller Johnny Depp plays Frank, an American math teacher on a train to Venice who gets caught up in some international intrigue involving a missing banker, Scotland Yard and some murderous Russians when Angelina Jolie sets him up as a decoy to throw the police off the wherabouts of her fugitive boyfriend.
"The Tourist" -- a remake of the 2005 French film "Anthony Zimmer"-- plays like "Strangers on a Train" meets "True Lies" with a hint of "CSI: Italy" mixed in for good measure. It doesn't pack the kind of movie star magic promised by the pairing of Depp and Jolie -- he's too passive for most of the film for sparks to really fly -- and the storyline feels like a "Matt Helm" movie idea reject, but taken for what it is, a stylishly forgettable Euro romp, it's a bit of fun.
Despite Depp's presence Jolie is the star of the film. The camera fawns over her, luxuriating in her every seductive blink, curve and hair flick. Depp falls for her, as does everyone else, including the police who have her under surveillance who debate whether she is wearing underwear or not. Take her out of the equation and there'd be a whole lot less reason to watch the movie.
