Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

Peter Weir, 2003


3/5

This epic, based on the book by Patrick O'Brian, follows a British ship as it battles in the open sea against Napoleon's France. With his closest adviser growing impatient with his hunger for war, he continues to struggle to maintain a stronghold in the South American waters and also keep his soldiers morale at healthy levels.

Russell Crowe stars as Captain Jack Aubrey, a veteran captain who has lived through many battles and served under many famed leaders. You get the feeling that he doesn't like the feel of soil, it seems as if his true comfort zone is on his ship. There is a noticeable benevolence that he shows to the youngsters on his ship, with the hopes that he can set a good example for them as they will lead one day themselves. He clearly sees a lot of himself in them, and treats them to stories of his early days as he sips his wine. The film is not just a lengthy war movie, it's a character study of Captain Aubrey - and his interminable hunger for battle. He obviously wants to make his mark in the history books.

The film won Oscars for Best Cinematography and Best Sound Editing. The camera work is very impressive, seeing as the entire movie is shot in the obvious presence of water - which at times is delivered in the form of violent storms. The ship itself feels like it's in another world at times. Almost other-dimensional, like in Valhalla Rising. The cabin is beautifully constructed with some memorable shots of the camera moving through battle scenes, showing cannon fire and soldiers frantically rushing to their posts. Shots of the foggy horizon, with the sudden orange glow of an impending onslaught. While the loaded dialogue is difficult to keep up with at times, the film is still quite alluring. Weir effectively develops characters that you take a genuine interest in.

World War Z

Marc Forster, 2013


3/5

In this adaptation of the popular Max Brook's novel, Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) is a former UN employee who has to renew his role to help stop an outbreak that is moving so quickly that the entire human race is quickly vanishing by the millions.

Marc Forster (Monster's Ball, Quantum of Solace, Finding Neverland) directs this story that is an interesting take on the zombie genre. It focuses more on the macro effect of a zombie outbreak than the micro. Instead of following a small group of survivors, you are witnessing a group of panicked high-ranking military officials strategize as large governments have fallen. Instead of a simple foot pursuit, you're seeing swarms of creatures piling on top of each other and hanging fearlessly from helicopters. They come very rodent-like in that sense, which ultimately feels more realistic. The zombies in the film are pretty terrifying (although they look more like the creatures in I am Legend than a George Romero creation). Rapid infection turns into seizures, which is followed by the sound of their bones breaking as their bodies make erratic twitches and jerking movements. The first ten minutes of the film are gripping as the outbreak hits Philadelphia while Gerry and his family are stuck in their car in the middle of a traffic jam.

The biggest flaw with the film is the fact that it has a PG-13 rating. It watered down the carnage, which one would come to expect in this age of The Walking Dead. When the camera pans away quickly to avoid the view of bloodshed, something just isn't there. That makes films like 28 Days Later stand out so much, that sense of realism. There is a certain requirement for gore that reinforces the barbaric nature of a zombie. Also, with that PG-13 rating you lose a certain sociological component. The unpredictable nature of not only the zombies but fellow humans. People aren't so willing to open their doors to strangers in the middle of the apocalypse. You find that the world is limited to three commodities: guns, gasoline and food. World War Z lacks that dystopian element. You don't get a sense of that darker side of humanity in this film. Instead, strangers open their doors and offer food and shelter. Generous and inspiring, yes... but not realistic. Part of what makes zombie films so interesting is not only the idea that you are fighting off these blood-hungry creatures - you are also fighting off your fellow man. At the end of the day, it's just not THAT type of zombie film and that's still okay. The action sequences are satisfying and Brad Pitt is effective in his role as Gerry. Pitt dedicated the film to his two sons, who are both zombie fanatics. I suppose there is room for both types of films in the genre, and World War Z still makes an impression with some original ideas and visual elements.

The rumors were running wild during the production of World War Z. The ending was re-shot which pushed back the initial release date (Q1 2013). The ending of the film leaves it open for a sequel, but ultimately does a good job of wrapping things up. It certainly seems to be well-received - people were actually applauding in the theater during the end credits.

Game of Thrones (Season 3)

David Benioff & D.B. Weiss, 2013


5/5

          There has been much bloodshed, and no end is in sight. Rumors of dragons continue to echo through the world. Many of the royal families have endured much loss and many of of them are struggling to find their way back to each other. The death of Ned Stark still lingers. While Daenerys slowly builds her army piece by piece, King Joffrey Baratheon becomes more consumed with his rule in King's Landing. Robb Stark seeks vengeance for his father's death, while Stannis Baratheon continues to plan his next move using darker methods. 
          Season 3 of Game of Thrones appears to have more gore and torturous violence than the previous seasons. The series is incomparable, and each episode could be on par with any feature film. The study on such a barbaric existence that it makes you question what your own life expectancy would be if you were there. The series continues to prove that it's another trophy on the shelf of HBO's achievements, with much company. Each episode has a $6M budget, and you can see it in the rich effects and detailed set design. Joffrey Baratheon is one of the most cruel and sociopathic characters ever put on the screen. Still laughing over the scene where Tyrion asks him "did you kill any puppies today?" You get a sense of the arch's that are bound to happen at some point in the distant future. Some of the scenes this season are haunting, and will certainly stick with you (especially one of the episodes in particular, which may be one of the most shocking of the series thus far). Intricate story and sophisticated character structure, distinguished imagery. It's certainly hard to find a flaw with this series, and it continues to maintain all of its qualities. It's gained much popularity - fortunately or unfortunately. I would imagine years from now my son (who doesn't exist yet) will be dating girls named Sansa and Cersei - and they won't be nearly as interesting as the characters on Game of Thrones.