When I was younger, I was
much more into sci-fi and fantasy flicks, so I missed a lot of the big action
movies of the 80s. I decided to remedy that, you know, to keep my 80s movie
street cred solid. One of the action flicks that receives a lot of discussion
is this fine film featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger. To some, it’s the ultimate
Arnold movie; to others it’s a laughable mess. Either way, it’s got some of the
best action one liners I’ve heard in a long time.
Summary:
John Matrix (Arnold
Schwarzenegger), yes that’s his real name, just wants to spend time with his
cute as a button daughter Jenny (Alyssa Milano). But alas, a black ops
commando’s work is never done. John is pulled in for one more job, to find out
who is killing off the other retired commandos from his old team.
Turns out the wicked Arius
(Dan Hedaya) has contracted the scenery chewing, chain mail wearing Bennett
(Vernon Wells) and his team to capture Jenny and force John Matrix to do his
dirty work. John Matrix won’t stand for this, because his name is John Matrix.
So he proceeds to hunt down and kill each of the bad guys with glorious pun
after glorious pun. Along the way he pulls poor Cindy (Rae Dawn Chong) into the
whole mess. Prepare yourself for endless gunfire, Arnold swinging across a mall
by a streamer, and of course the phrase “I’ll be back”. Nothing can stop this Commando.
Good Points:
Pure 80s action goodness
Pretty much moves non-stop
once Jenny gets captured
Some pretty cool and
exciting stunts in this movie
Bad Points:
Unapologetically 80s in
style and reckless abandon
The puns will have some
people groaning in agony
The music has been known to
drive some viewers mad
Overall:
Um, so yeah, this is pretty
much the perfect example of over the top action from the 1980s. I’m not at all
surprised it came out the same year as Rambo
II. What makes this movie so much fun is the hilariously bad puns Arnold
says with each kill. I also love the opening credit montage featuring scenes of
the happy family life of John and Jenny. The movie isn’t in on the joke, and
yet that makes the whole thing much more entertaining. They don’t make action
movies like this anymore; some might argue that’s a good thing. But I had a
good time with this one.
Scores
(out of 5)
Visuals: 3
Sound: 3
Acting: 3
Script: 4
Music: 3
Direction: 4
Entertainment: 4
Total:4
Curious about a full review,
sent me an email and I’ll make additional thoughts to this review.
In many ways Star Trek: The Motion Picture suffered
a fate similar to Star Wars: The Phantom
Menace. Both were preceded by a large hype machine. Both had fans eager to
see the continuing adventures of their favorite characters. Both had fans with
very distinct notions of what those adventures should be like. Both films had
directors that were shooting for something much different than the fans
expected. Both got hit pretty hard by the fans upon release. Of course the big
difference is that The Motion Picture didn’t
have Jar Jar Binks.
Summary:
When a mysterious cloud-like
entity destroys three Klingon warships and a Federation space station,
Starfleet becomes a bit nervous. When they determine that the cloud is coming
toward earth they decide to send their flagship, the Enterprise to investigate.
Admiral Kirk (William Shatner) pulls some strings to lead the mission, pushing
aside Captain Decker (Stephen Collins). Along the way they pick up Spock
(Leonard Nimoy) who has determined that pure logic may not be the answer to all
his questions.
The Enterprise confronts the
cloud and with it a strange energy probe that abducts Lt. Ilia (Persis
Khambatta). When it returns her, she appears to be a mechanical replica that
answers to a being called V’Ger. This being has crossed the endless voids to
find it’s creator, and it will stop at nothing to do so. Can the crew of the
Enterprise solve the puzzle of this mysterious being before it destroys Earth?
Good Points:
Amazing visual effects that
still hold up well today
Jerry Goldsmith provides
what I consider his masterpiece of film music
Captures the awe and
vastness of space exploration
Bad Points:
The characters don’t feel
like the familiar group
The movie takes its sweet
time doing anything!
The plot is recycled and
thin
Overall:
This movie needs to be
rediscovered. It is the only Star Trek film
to really embrace the spectacle and enormity of the unknown, and does it in a primarily
visual style. It falls directly in line with the ideals and themes of the
series, and avoids a direct comparison to Star
Wars. While it’s not the best of the series, it is the most ambitious and
most thematic of the films. Once you appreciate what it’s trying to do, the
movie really works.
Scores
(out of 5)
Visuals: 5
Sound: 4
Acting: 3
Script: 3
Music: 5
Direction: 4
Entertainment: 4
Total:4
In Depth Review
Boldly watching what no man has watched before.
Contrary to popular belief, Star Trek: The Motion Picture did very
well in the box office. Often I see this film labeled a box office bomb, but
the film made its budget back and more. Star Trek fans may have been
disappointed, but they saw the film again and again. The success of the film
helped fuel additional movies that would lead into spin off television series
and a full-fledged franchise. So most Trek fans are willing to give the 1979
film that much, even if they find it dull, lifeless and plodding.
I will admit the film is
flawed. It could have used a few more passes with the script, and tightened a
few elements down. It could have made the characters feel closer to their
television series versions with a bit more banter and camaraderie. It could
have turned the story into something more crucial to the world of Star Trek, or
to the characters (preferably both). Instead the film focuses on the themes
more than the plot and characters and in that way is closer to 2001: A Space Odyssey than it is to Star Wars: A New Hope.
The Enterprise in the belly of the beast.
From that point of view, Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a
dazzling success, especially with the director’s cut that was released on DVD
back in 2001. It deals with man’s interaction with machine, on several
different levels. It examines the power of logic with the power of irrational
human emotions and reactions. And surrounding this core theme is the wonder and
awe of the unknown.
What is interesting to me is
that the special effects created back in 1979 hold up today (for the most
part). So much time and effort went into creating the detailed models, sets,
and assorted visuals that most of them were reused and reconfigured for the
most of the remaining franchise. A whole host of different visual effect
techniques were used, from in-camera tricks, to full-blown composite shots
using state of the art motion control techniques. The director’s cut adds a few
digital clean up scenes here and there. But nearly all of them would have been
possible if the production had a bit more time to smooth things over.
For me it’s the model work
that impresses the most. The Enterprise is beautiful creation, and seeing on
the big screen during its introduction is a real treat. The camera was able to
get incredibly close to the model, because of it’s size (8 feet) and the
amazing detail on it. In addition you have the detailed model for the V’Ger
starship, and immense creation that dominates the middle portion of the film. It is an organic, yet mechanical design
that is menacing and mysterious all at the same time.
The Enterprise is dwarfed by V'Ger.
A little less effective are
the new costumes for the film. The bright colors of the television series were
toned down to a set of drab jumpsuits. These provide an interesting unisex look
(something that would return with the first couple seasons of The Next Generation television series).
But the floating belt buckles are bizarre.
For the directors cut in
2001 the intended sound mix was used. The one on the theatrical cut was
actually a temporary track. The intended track actually brings a bit more power
to key scenes. The starship sounds, from the proton torpedoes, to the engine
room rumble are immersive. You also have a whole array of sounds for V’Ger, its
probe and various elements within its inner workings.
The music during the cloud exploration includes plenty
of Blaster Beam sound effects
I can write a whole blog
about the music for Star Trek: The
Motion Picture. It is usually considered one of Jerry Goldsmith’s best
creations. He creates a whole host of various themes, and utilizes them to the
fullest. But perhaps the most notable part of the score is the use of the
electronic instrument – the Blaster Beam. This creation is used for nearly all
the V’Ger scenes, and adds a whole new dimension to the score. The sound is
electronic, alien and powerful – all the things V’Ger is supposed to be. By
integrating this instrument into the score, Goldsmith adds and enhances the
visuals to an amazing degree. The film would not be half as successful if it
wasn’t for his work.
Unfortunately two elements
are lacking in this film and keep it from top marks. The first is the script.
The plot itself is very simple. Yes, the stakes are high, but there is nothing
really demanding about the situation for the characters. Our main crew of Kirk,
Spock and McCoy (DeForest Kelley) find themselves watching much of the action
in the film and not entirely participating. In fact most of the original crew
gets sidelined in the film.
Guest stars Decker and Ilia get all the action
It is the two “guest stars”
Decker and Ilia who end up interacting the most with V’Ger and each other. But
oddly, they are fairly bland characters. So we never get too connected with
them. When the finale arrives, it lacks power because it is happening to two
characters the viewers don’t care much about.
Now, Spock and Kirk do have
smaller arcs they work through. Kirk gets his ship back, and comes to
understand what his role is as a leader. Obviously being an Admiral had made
him a bit rusty on this concept. McCoy calls him on not trusting his crew to do
their job and pushing too hard. It results in the ship nearly being destroyed
in a wormhole. Eventually Kirk gets back into his groove and is able to figure
out V’Ger’s puzzle.
The admiral uniform in this film inspired the admiral
uniforms in 2013's "Into Darkness"
What is interesting is that
most people forget that Spock reaches a major milestone with his character in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. He
finally comes to an understanding with his human half. The film starts with
Spock unable to complete the Kolinahr ritual. This would mean he was able to
purge himself of all emotion and live though logic alone. Because of his
failure in this regard, he returns to the Enterprise to meet with V’Ger, a
being he feels may be kindred spirit. As the film progressed, Spock understands
that V’Ger is incomplete, because it cannot understand emotions, or friendship
or even the simple feeling of hands clasping. This opens Spock’s eyes to the
fact that resisting his human and emotional half is futile. He embraces it
instead, and it explains why Spock is much more relaxed in The Wrath of Khan.
For the most part the acting
is solid. The script doesn’t allow much of the banter fans were used to, and so
for many folks the performances seem stiff. However, I’ve always found the
performances to be realistic to the situations that occur before the film. Kirk
has been in what is essentially a desk job, McCoy was retired and Spock had
gone back to Vulcan. So these three would feel a bit awkward around each other.
Things thaw a bit as the film progresses, but everything seems so serious at
times. Nimoy probably delivers the best performance, but his character is given
an actual arc to progress through, so maybe it isn’t fair to judge the others
against his performance.
The probe brings the Enterprise to V'Ger.
The director’s cut of the
film really makes a difference to the flow and pacing of the film. Some scenes
were trimmed a bit here and there, new scenes were added to give Spock some
more depth and add a bit more to Decker and Ilia. It’s a much better balance.
It also gives us some visual power with a new scene reveling V’Ger for the
first time, free of the cloud and closing on Earth. Some feel this takes away
from the mystery of V’Ger, but I think delivers a visual payoff of seeing the
new life up close and personal.
As much of an improvement
the new editing makes, it doesn’t change the fact that Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a slow, slow movie. It takes its
time setting up the simple situation. It takes its time getting us to V’Ger and
then delving into the mystery. I do think the exploration of the cloud
and the being itself are visually impressive, but they really drag the thin
story down. The main problem with the pacing is that it actually ends up
reducing the tension in the film. There is no real urgency here, and it hurts
the finale. I really believe that a few more passes with the script could have
yielded a better result.
The Enterprise survives for further adventures.
In the end the flaws end up
hurting the film for most viewers. They go in expecting an exciting space
adventure, and instead get a slow moving mediation on man and machine. It’s a
shame too, because I think the elements that set this film apart from other
films in the franchise and to other films of the era are what make it appealing
and fascinating to watch. Star Trek: The
Motion Picture was aiming high, and even its pretentious title seems to
indicating something grand in it’s vision. I admire the creative team for
having lofty goals and creating something unique and interesting. It isn’t a
perfect film and I think that the follow up, The Wrath of Khan is a more entertaining and better executed film.
But for all its faults, this is one trek worth taking and the director’s cut is
the way to take it.
I’ve been pondering writing
about the score to Star Trek: The Motion Picturefor a while. But I’ve always struggled with the best way to
approach it. I could write many, many pages dissecting each track and babbling
about how great it is. The thing is, my musical vocabulary is limited. Dammit,
I’m a film music fan, not an expert.
But I’ve listened to a lot
of film music, and so I can compare the work to other film scores for similar
films, or to scores for movies made during the same era, or even made by the
same composer. But still, unless you’re really into the world of film music,
that kind of thing isn’t that interesting.
Then I figured it out. I’ve
said on a number of occasions that the score to Star Trek: The Motion Picture is one of my favorite film scores and
the score that I consider to be one of Jerry Goldsmith’s masterpieces of the
art. Granted I haven’t heard everything Goldsmith has ever composed, so my
judgment may be subject to change. However, at this point, as amazing as
Goldsmith was – I haven’t heard a score that topped this one.
So here are the five reasons
I love the music to Star Trek: The
Motion Picture.
The Themes
When it comes to a legacy of
great themes Jerry Goldsmith is certainly one of the masters. But perhaps the
one theme that will live long and prosper will be his main theme from Star Trek: The Motion Picture. The
irony is, the film itself wasn’t the reason the theme is ensured its place in
the cannon of great science fiction themes. Roddenberry loved the theme so
much, he insisted that it become the main titles for Star Trek: The Next Generation.But if you haven’t heard the theme played by a full
orchestra (not the smaller one used for the television version) then you are
missing out. The versions performed in the “Main Title” and “End Title” of Star Trek: The Motion Picture present
the theme as it should be performed, with a massive orchestra bringing the real
power to the music.
Goldsmith created several themes
for the film. There is a love theme for Lt. Ilia. There’s a motif for V’ger, as
well as more mysterious theme for the unknown. There’s a rhythmic motif for
Starfleet. There’s even a great theme for the Klingons, that is only used in
the beginning of the film, but went on to appear in later films and television
episodes for the alien race.
Goldsmith gives all the
themes times to shine, and opportunities to change pacing, dynamics and
structure. Sometimes they melt together, such as when Ilia’s theme and V’ger’s motif
become intertwined after the halfway point of the film. Other times they run in
counterpoint to each other creating a musical conflict that’s a joy to listen
to. I wouldn’t go so far to say this is Goldsmith’s most thematic score. But
the way he uses the themes and the power of those themes is what makes Star Trek: The Motion Picture really
stand out in his filmography.
The Blaster Beam
Perhaps the most unique
element of this soundtrack is the electronic instrument known as The Blaster
Beam. It literally is a metal beam strung with numerous wires and mounted to
electric guitar pickups. The sound is altered by modifying the pickups,
striking the wires with different surfaces and striking at different points.
Craig Huxley created a refined version of the instrument that ended up being
used in many science fiction and fantasy films of the late 70s and early 80s.
Of all the scores that used
the Blaster Beam, Star Trek: The Motion
Picture highlighted it exclusively. Part of this was the style that Jerry
Goldsmith used electronics in his scores. For Goldsmith, electronics were only
used to create sounds he couldn’t get out of an orchestra. So in many of his
scores, the electronics stand out, because they are meant to. Rarely did he
blend them into the orchestra, or use them to support. They were often
presented in opposition or in solo formats.
The Blaster Beam is an
inspired choice for the film, because Goldsmith uses it as the voice of V’ger.
It is electronic, powerful and very alien. When presented with the lush
orchestra that often accompanies our heroes, it stands out, constantly at war
with the characters. Eventually the sounds are fused together, and woven with
themes. The track “The Meld” fuses the orchestral power with the Blaster Beam
and creates an impressive balance that matches the finale scene. The final result
is a film score that has been referred to as a symphony for orchestra and
Blaster Beam.
The First Ten Minutes
One of my favorite moments
in film music is the first ten minutes of the score to Star Trek: The Motion Picture. These ten minutes present a nearly
all the themes and motifs we will hear in the score. Each is given plenty of
time to shine. Each track builds to the next until we hit a finale that presents
V’ger as a definite threat.
Things start off with an
“Overture”. This is one of the last Hollywood films to actually start the film
with a musical piece over a still frame or dark screen. In this case, Goldsmith
selected Ilia’s theme to open the film. It’s a lovely piece and it flows along
gracefully. Then the “Main Title” explodes onto the screen with a triumphant
adventurous sound. The theme charges ahead until it ends … with a strong note
on the Blaster Beam over a shot of V’ger cloud.
The next sequence involves
the Klingons investigating and then attacking the mysterious cloud. Goldsmith’s
brilliant Klingon theme, militaristic and alien, starts out measured and proud.
But as the battle starts going poorly, the tension increases. The Blaster Beam
assaults the Klingon theme, and causes it to increase in tempo and distress. A
couple of brief shots of a Federation space station monitoring the battle introduce
us to the Starfleet motif as well as additional electronics. When the battle
concludes, the Klingon theme deconstructs in the face of the Blaster Beam. The
Federation space station determines the cloud’s course for Earth and the piece
ends with another ominous strike of the Beam.
These first ten minutes do
something really impressive. They set up a mood and atmosphere: first one of
beauty, then one of adventure and then present a sequence that plays out like
musical storytelling (I’ll get to that in a minute). When I first got this
score on CD nearly ten years ago, I couldn’t just listen to the first track, or
the first two tracks… but the entire 10 minutes. And I figured, hell I was this
far in, might as well listen to the whole thing.
“The Enterprise”
From a visual standpoint,
the sequence where Kirk and Scotty arrive at the Enterprise is six minutes of
watching two characters stand around and stare at a special effect. If you talk
to people who dislike Star Trek: The
Motion Picture, they’ll tell you that 90% of the film is watching other
people stare at a special effect. And when you really break it down – yes six
minutes is a hell of a long to have the story stop DEAD in its tracks. It would
never happen these days, and after Star
Wars presented such explosive action, the scene seemed way out of touch
with what people wanted in a space opera film.
Here’s the thing. This scene
is about more than two characters staring at special effects. It’s about a man
return to the love of his life. It’s about him seeing the most beautiful thing
he’s ever known, and lovely gazing at her, marveling in her beauty and her
power. It’s a love scene between Kirk and the Enterprise. In the original series,
Kirk was always willing to lay down his life to protect his ship and his crew.
The Enterprise is a symbol for everything Kirk loves. And that is how Goldsmith
scores this six minute scene.
Nearly every film score fan
will tell you that their favorite track from Star Trek: The Motion Picture is “The Enterprise”. Goldsmith takes
that bold adventurous theme from the “Main Titles” and turns it into something
beautiful and romantic. It almost sounds like it could be a dance scene, or
romantic walking sequence. It’s an amazing display of how to modify a theme to the
immediate need of the film and it allowed the composer to reveal the emotions with
almost no dialogue! The music concludes with a joyous and triumphant fanfare as
the lovers are reunited. All told, it is one of the best tracks of Goldsmith’s
career.
The Storytelling
Goldsmith was given a huge
gift with Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
So much of the film revolves around visual storytelling, with minimal dialogue.
While we can argue the merits of that approach, for a composer it is a dream come
true. This gets back to the purest form of cinema where visuals and music tell
the story. Listening to the score, you are taken on a journey.
With the massive 3 CD
release of this score in 2012 by La La Land Records, the entire score was
presented for the first time, and now all the elements that Goldsmith and his
team used to tell the story are available to enjoy. The storytelling is so
clear now. The music doesn’t just highlight the action but it creates and
builds emotions and moods.
The use of the themes, the
way the music is structured and the understanding of the ebb and flow of the
story really turns this into a musical journey. Most modern film scores do not
tie things so closely to the story. Many times they don’t have the opportunity,
because of dialogue heavy scenes and loud sound effects. But Star Trek: The Motion Picture really
was a showcase for the score. Scenes have greater impact because of the music,
and the music as a stand-alone listen has an impact because it tells a story.
In either the 3CD version or in the 1999 20th Anniversary Collectors
Edition single CD, you get to experience a story filled with wonder, adventure,
romance and triumph.
That is why I call this
score Jerry Goldsmith’s masterpiece of film music.
A fellow blogger, and an excellent writer to boot, John Kenneth Muir was asking for opinions on the top 10 science fiction films. He compiled a great list of films and used it to determine his readers consensus. The results were very interesting (and not totally unexpected). Being the movie fan that I am, I had to participate. This compelled me to not only figure out the 10 best science fiction films, but also my top 10 favorite science fiction films (not necessarily the same thing). For the picks of the top 10 "best" science fiction films, I picked 10 movies that not only impacted science fiction films, but films of all kinds. The greater the impact, the higher on the list they turned out to be. So here is my list, including a brief description of why I picked it. 10. The Matrix - 1999 Two main reasons for picking this one. Stylistically and visually The Matrix influenced countless movies throughout the 2000s. It may also be the first film to successfully exploit computer culture and virtual reality. While it isn't the first adaptation of cyber-punk, it is easily one of the most successful. 9. Close Encounters of a Third Kind - 1977 The combination of paranoia, alien abduction and conspiracy theory are all combined together in a way that thrills and entertains. It's no surprise that youths who saw this film went on to create some of the best alien abduction flicks in the 1990s. Without this flick there would be no X-files or many similar shows and films. 8. Akira - 1988 I wrote a whole blog on why this Japanese animated film went on to inspire and influence countless other creations. Keep in mind this is not limited to just animation, but includes Hollywood films and video games. It's innovations with characters and visuals still resonates to this day. 7. Alien - 1979 While the film itself plays out more like a horror film, there are elements of this movie that have carried over to science fiction. Most obvious is the alien and starship design, as well as Ridley Scott's visual style. It was also the first film to give us a truly Lovecraftian view of space, a dark nihilistic terror in the unknown. 6. Blade Runner - 1982 Another Ridley Scott film that influenced countless films (and anime and video games) with it's amazing production design. It seems as if the darkness of Alien crossed over into this film but with even more depth to the world it created. It is also one of the best examples of science fiction crossed with film noire. 5. Forbidden Planet - 1956 So many elements of this film went on to inspire countless others. The production design is amazing, creating so many unique and surprising visuals. Then you have the direct correlation between the space explorers here and the ones in Star Trek. Then you have the concept of taking an older story (Shakespeare's The Tempest) and adapting it to science fiction. 4. The Day the Earth Stood Still - 1951 When it comes to flying saucers, and alien visitors, the template really started right here. So many elements of this film became iconic that many modern film viewers just take them for granted. "Take me to your leader", the giant robot sidekick and Bernard Herrmann soundtrack using Theremin. 3. 2001: A Space Odyssey - 1968
Everything about Kubrick's film can be considered iconic. The visuals are stunning in their detail and presentation. The music is both familiar and alien. The story is told in a purely cinematic sense, not relying on dialogue to express it's ideas. In that way it became a puzzle, one that inspired countless of film makers. 2. Metropolis - 1926 It's impossible to make a science fiction film that doesn't have an element seen or introduced in Metropolis. It gave us one of the first synthetic human character (or robot if you prefer) on the screen. It goes for an immense scale at times, and examines social and psychological ideas using science fiction as the filter. So many films are influenced by this one, and probably don't even realize it. 1. Star Wars: A New Hope - 1977 I almost didn't include this on my list, because the story is really a fantasy adventure that uses science fiction for color. But the simple fact that so many people immediately think Star Wars when you say science fiction tells you how influential it really is. Not only did it redefine what sci-fi in film could be, but it also changed story telling style. It's brisk pacing, character banter and uplifting tone would be mimicked, adapted and refined in the passing years. What makes it surpass Metropolis in influence is that, for good or ill, the style and construction of Star Wars has influenced films far outside it's genre and well into cinema as a whole. A truly impressive legacy. Top 10 Favorite Science Fiction films These are films that enjoy revisiting again and again. Many are the list for personal reasons and while I could defend them as being worthy of your time, some are often considered average at best. That doesn't keep me from enjoying them. It's harder for me to put these in any order, so I'll just list them and tell you that at any time, one of these may be my current favorite.
Japanese animation director
Mamoru Oshii is probably most famous for his two feature length adaptations of Ghost in the Shell and Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence. But
he’s worked on quite a few other projects, including some live action films and
screenwriting. In 1999 one of his scripts was adapted into a feature length
animated film that many felt was a game changer for anime – finally bringing it
to the mainstream. But we’d all heard that story before.
Summary:
The story occurs during the late
1950s in a world (including Japan) that has lost World War II to the Germans. Japan is ruled like
a police state, and the people are rising up attempting to buck off the harsh
rule. To quell the protests Japan creates a special police force (since they
are not permitted an army) known as the Capital Police. These heavily armed
teams are permitted to act with extreme measures to ensure public safety. Within
this force is a secret counter intelligence unit, known as the wolf brigade. It
is their job to ensure that the Capita Police retain the power they have within
the political organization.
We meet Kazuki Fuse (Michael
Dobson) a member of the Capital police who finds himself in a bit of a mess.
During an operation that involved eliminating members of a militant group called
The Sect, Fuse comes face to face with a pretty young girl. Dressed in a red
coat and obviously transporting a bomb, she is cornered by Fuse. He tries to
reason with her, unable to just kill her outright, as he is ordered to. Instead
the girl blows herself up in front of him.
Now Fuse is being
investigated for his inaction. He’s being watched by organizations within the
government – did he act out of compassion, or is there something else going on?
He eventually meets Kei Anemiya (Moneca Stori) a young woman who looks a lot
like the girl he watched die. They become fast friends, as Fuse attempts to
reconcile what he’s done. But even Kei is not what she appears. The stakes are
raised as the Capital Police’s function is questioned.In the end Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade will be forced to act and Fuse will be
caught in the crossfire.
Good Points:
Amazing animation and
backgrounds
Period and technical details
are impressive
A moody musical score by Hajime
Mizoguchi
Bad Points:
Deliberately paced
The political machinations
require close attention
The film is very morose and
dark
Overall:
From an animation
standpoint, Jin-Roh is an impressive
piece of work. The design and execution of the visuals is some of the best from
the 1990s, and from hand drawn animation. But the story itself is dreary and
dark. Combine this with the entire atmosphere from the visuals and music, and
the slow pacing and you end up with a movie that isn’t entertaining. It’s a
slog to make it through, but it delivers an emotional punch at the end.
Scores
(out of 5)
Visuals: 5
Sound: 4
Acting: 4
Script: 4
Music: 4
Direction: 3
Entertainment: 2
Total:4
In Depth Review
The wolf finds red riding hood.
I’m very conflicted about Jin-Roh. I haven’t seen it since its
release on DVD in 2002. I appreciated so many artistic factors to it, but I
couldn’t bring myself to delve back into that dreary world of despair. There is
very little hope presented in the film, and none of the characters we meet
escape the events of the film without injuries – mental and physical.
Let me qualify something
here. I don’t mind tragic stories. I enjoy the power behind them, and
understand how they can be very effective entertainment. In fact some of my
favorite films are tragic in their nature. When it comes to Shakespeare, I find
his tragedies much more engaging than his comedies. I love horror films (which
are based on the tragedy mold). But there is something missing in Jin-Roh that turns it from tragic and
into nihilistic.
Lets look at the good points.
There are many and that is the reason I can’t write this film off. The
animation is extremely impressive. Set in an alternate version of the 1950s, we
get a view of Post War Japan that is very detailed and authentic. The cars,
clothing and hairstyles reflect the time period and pull you into the world
director Hiroyuki Okura creates.
In addition, the mechanical
design for the weapons and armor used by the Capital police looks fully
functional, and realistic. The helmets recall German design. The heavy armor,
glowing night vision scopes and heavy weaponry not only appear realistic, but also
intimidating as hell. To see these soldiers coming toward you means certain
death.
A very realistic post war Japan
The character design in Jin-Roh is very realistic. You don’t
have any crazy hair or clothing here. The people are all designed to look like
real people, much like the work we see in Satoshi Kon’s work (such as Perfect Blue) or even in Ghost in the Shell (which did rely more
on Shirow’s character design). But unlike Akira
it is easy to tell all the characters apart. They do a good job giving
characters distinctive facial features, clothing elements or body types.
The action scenes are some
of the best I’ve seen. There are three set pieces, each one fluid, violent and
intense. The way the armored troops move feels authentic. Later when one man
attempts to take out a group of several armed guards, his motions are very
realistic. The animators never shy from showing us all the moves, all the
violence and the blood that these encounters create. Jin-Roh is a violent world.
Overlaid on all of this is
the atmosphere of control, repression and despair. Nearly every scene in the
film occurs during the night, dusk or early dawn. The sun rarely appears, and
even when it does, the days are cloudy or rainy. There's a dusty color scheme to everything. It makes the visuals appear soft and faded like an old photograph. Visually, it’s a murky miserable world. And while some of the characters speak of hope, or of times
changing – the visual cues are quite the opposite. It’s an oppressive mood,
effectively created.
The realism also spreads to
the sound design. Most of the film occurs in Tokyo, and you get plenty of crowd
and traffic noise. But even quieter moments are well defined with gentle wind
or rain adding to the overall film.
Turmoil rages in the streets. Order must be maintained.
Hajime Mizoguchi is no
stranger to orchestral scores, since he worked with Yoko Kanno on Vision of Escaflowne, which sported a
huge orchestral score with full-blown choral moments. For Jin-Roh he keeps things a bit more low key, but very effective. The
score uses a mix of synthesizers, orchestra, solos by cello or electric guitar
and some vocalizations.The score
gives a few moments of hope for the characters, and is very effective as a
whole. The most impressive piece is the end credits, which I blogged abouthere.
I have to say the English
voice acting is pretty solid. Dobson plays Fuse pretty close to the chest. This
makes sense for the character, and also ties into the fact that Fuse doesn’t
have a lot to say. Most of the character is developed through is actions and
his reactions. Instead Stori gets most of the heavy lifting in her role as
Amemiya. She has lots of one-sided conversations and develops a character that
has several layers. The supporting cast does a good job with their parts,
giving us various shades of grey to work with.
The script by Oshii is based
on a series of movies, manga and radio dramas he worked on in the late 80s and
early 90s. He created the world of Jin-Roh,
including the Capital Police and the back-story that lead to their creation.
This film doesn’t assume you’ve seen or heard any of the previous stories. And
the first few minutes of the film are pretty much an info dump of history
leading up to the events of the film.
Is she befriending a man or a wolf?
The most interesting theme of the story is the idea that to fight terrorism, a soldier must descend to the level
of the beast. The obvious connection here is to the story of Little Red Riding
Hood. There are constant allusions to the fairy tale, and to its more
horrifying original version. Fuse and his comrades are often referred to as
dogs, being part of a pack and talk of hunting. Wolf imagery abounds with key
scenes taking place in a natural history museum in front of a diorama featuring
wolves. In the Japanese version, the special unit is called Kerberos, the Greek
spelling of the guardian of Hades – the three-headed dog Cerberus.
Then you have the two young
girls who feature prominently in the story. Both wear red jackets with hoods.
Both connect with the “wolf” on some level. Both wander into the dark dangerous
inner working of the city. And both face fear. The outcomes are very different
from each other (and from the original fairy tale). But the theme is obvious.
It is interesting that Oshii
was exploring this theme of a strong military that de-humanizes it’s soldiers
to fight terrorists, a few years before world events really put a spotlight on
this aspect of war. Not surprisingly, Jin-Roh
was released in North America in 2002, two years after it’s premiere. It’s
one of those things that may have made the film more relevant to anime fans at
the time, and lead to the highly favorable reviews of the film upon its
release.
The real motivators in the film.
But the film isn’t really
about the terrorism, or the conflict between the people of the nation and their
powerful police. It’s about the political machinations of the men in power who
want to stay in power. This is what makes the film hard for me to relate to.
It’s about men moving pawns, using people to obtain their own vague ends. Fuse
and Amemiya are interesting characters with their own motives, sometimes buried
deep down. But in the end, the movie isn’t’ about them. It’s about the men
behind the scenes. Yes, Fuse fights with the fact that he has a soul and can’t
kill a young girl (or is it all a ruse?) But the reality is that all the men in
power have already removed their souls. They are willing to destroy just about
anyone (or take souls from anyone) to stay in power. It’s a bleak statement.
Even though Oshii didn’t
direct Jin-Roh, Hiroyuki Okiura does
keep Oshii’s pacing in mind. The film moves very slowly, allowing the viewer to
absorb the wonderful animation and become immersed in the atmosphere. At the
same time, the tension that should be building often feels lost among the
turgid meandering. I feel the movie needed to deliver its final gut punch with
more speed and power. Instead, the movie ends with tragedy, but it’s taken so
long to get there that we are just left feeling that all the depression up to
that point couldn’t end in any other way. It’s not a surprise really; it just feels
like a natural extension of this dark world.
A pack of wolves.
Let me put it this way. I’ve
only watched Jin-Roh twice since I
picked it up in 2002. It is impressive visually. I’ve listened to the score
many times. But I never feel compelled to return to that world and those
characters. It’s not an entertaining movie – not even from the perspective of
tragedy. That is my biggest issue with this film. Take another extremely tragic
anime feature: Grave of the Fireflies.
It’s a sad story about two children attempting to survive during World War II
after their village has been firebombed. They have no family, no one to look
after them. They don’t have a chance. But there is hope in the film, it
glimmers in the darkness, but it never goes out. And when the film ends, as it
must, there is a catharsis at the children’s journey. Grave of the Fireflies is depressing, yes, and draining. But Jin-Roh lacks that catharsis. It’s
depressing, draining and meandering. It ends and I’m thankful instead of
reflective. And that is why I can’t give it top marks.
Composer Hajime Mizoguchi serves up an interesting score for the film Jin Roh: The Wolf Brigade. For the most part it is a low key score, using a mix of orchestral and electronic elements. There are some interesting action cues and for the more touching scenes Mizoguchi serves up the right emotions. But the cue that makes the score is the end credits track called "Grace" or "Grace - Jin-Roh - Omega". In this cue Mizoguchi takes his main theme, adds female vocals by Gabriela Robin (aka Yoko Kanno). Kanno also performs the piano in this track. It's a lovely piece, one of my favorites featuring Kanno's singing.
