... yes?
Professor Norman, my name's Lucy.
We need to meet.
Easy there killer, what's this about?
Have I upset you with one of my less-than-favorable reviews?
I can recite them to you all by heart, if you wish.
Uh... is this a prank call, who put you up to this?
No, I'm all on my own.
Hey, what happened to that crappy sci-fi movie I was watching about accelerated intelligence?
Are you controlling my TV?
Yes.
And I can start to control magnetic and electric waves.
Not all of them, just the most basic.
Television.
Telephone.
Radio.
Impressive, but I bet you can't do this is Movie Night!
Hello and welcome to Movie Night, in-depth reviews in less than five minutes.
I'm your host, Jonathan Paula.
In tonight's episode I'm going to be reviewing three pictures that focus on the themes and
concepts of super-accelerated intelligence, which all coincidentally happen to begin with
the letter "L".
We'll begin with the oldest, "Lawnmower Man".
Very loosely based on the Stephen King short story of the same name, this science fiction
actor horror film tripled its $10-million dollar budget when it was released on March
6, 1992.
King was so unhappy with the adaptation however, he successfully sued the producers for attaching
his name, citing that the film "bore no meaningful resemblance" to his original short.
For better or worse, Brett Leonard directs the ambitious project, with opens with a wordy
title-card explaining how the future of the year 2000 will be populated with widespread
use of a technology known as "virtual reality".
A concept which was apparently, novel and exciting some 20 years ago.
Future James Bond player, Pierce Brosnan stars as an eager scientist, who converts his neighborhood's
mentally challenged landscaper into a violent genius through the application of computer
science, paired with some fancy drugs.
As the lawn boy who's constantly taken advantaged of, even sexually, Jeff Fahey does a decent
job exhibiting the slow transformation from dim-wit to mastermind - and you can tell he's
gotten smarter, thanks to his stylish new haircut, and tucked-in shirt.
Brosnan meanwhile makes the best of an empty script, and at least makes the story as believable
as possible, who remarks on his scientific advancements, "I think I've discovered a new
planet... but one I'm inventing instead of discovering.".
The under featured, and poorly acted supporting cast includes Jenny Wright, Geoffrey Lewis,
Jeremy Slate, and an early appearance from Dean Norris as a mysterious, and uncompromising
"director" character.
The familiar, and adequately paced "sudden acquisition of brainpower" story holds up
well enough, but it's the extremely dated visuals of a Fruity-Loops colored VR-environment
that drags the entire thing down.
Indeed, it's pretty hard to take any film seriously when wearing a fluorescent track
suit, and dicking around inside a Super Nintendo is considered "intellectually advanced."
The tragic outcome of Fahey is apparent from the outset, which means the 103-minute experience
feel more like a chore than actual entertainment... by the halfway mark, I was just ready for
it to be over.
Dan Wyman's melodramatic soap opera style music doesn't do the R-rated picture any favors
either.
A climatic, and virtual battle that involves a VFX shot of a lawnmower mouth inside a brain
is particularly ridiculous, and the final straw on what could have been a very interesting,
and exciting movie.
Instead, we're left with bad performances from good actors, wasted potential, and a
pissed-off novelist.
"The Lawnmower Man" might be terrible, but it's a passable entertainment, worth watching
for the morbidly curious.
I thought it was LAME.
Next up, "Limitless".
Based on Alan Glynn's novel, "The Dark Fields" - this $27-million thriller from director
Neil Burger was released in March of 2011, and eventually made over $160 million at the
box office.
The 105-minute movie's opening credits sequence features a really inventive sustained dolly-zoom
type-shot that is positively mesmerizing.
Bradley Cooper stars as a struggling New York City writer who comes into possession of a
powerful clear pill that allows him full access to his brain, resulting in hyper-awareness,
quick thinking, and substantially improved cognitive abilities.
In short, it's brain-Viagra; transforming him into a superhuman genius able to concur
every obstacle, from evading violent bad-guys to making millions overnight in the stock
market.
Cooper is a joy to watch in this picture, morphing from a disheveled loser to a sharp
and confident go-getter.
Alongside the handsome protagonist is Hollywood heavyweight Robert DeNiro as a shrewd and
observant business tycoon, who dismisses his new protégé's clairvoyance as "delusions
of grandeur", to which Cooper replies, "I don't have delusions of grandeur, I have an
actual recipe for grandeur."
His cocky attitude is both refreshing and annoying, as you're rooting for his success,
despite his frequent missteps.
While the potential for the PG-13 rated concept is, ahem, "limitless", it quickly becomes
bogged down by a manufactured conflict merely introduced to provide drama.
Cooper's meteoric rise is constantly at risk from a savvy Russian bookie... who only decides
to pursue his mark thanks to an outstanding debt.
But if Brad is super-smart why did he flake out on paying him back?
It's a frustrating development that artificially props-up the rest of the narrative.
Although the picture is aided by helpful expositional voice-over narration from Cooper, this plot
his never adequately explained.
In addition, the intriguing themes of "untapped intelligence" falls victim to the tropes of
a predictable addiction story, as we see Cooper crash hard after running out of meds.
But when he finds them again, an effective use of saturation and warming filters helps
signal Cooper's transition to "smart" mode.
Once this "sparkling cocktail" takes affect, he turns into an amped-up version of "Sherlock",
able to decipher clues, recognize patterns, and deduce solutions in the blink
of an eye.
The inventive visual style utilized to present all of this information is done rather cleverly
as well, including layering the same actor into a shot several times to show his speed
and progression within a scene.
Although the experience is, ironically, a bit unfocused - it remains a very fun "what-if"
scenario that does a good job of exploring one man's potential when he's unrestricted
by his own limitations.
Definitely worth seeing once or twice, "Limitless" is a fascinating fantasy with strong characters,
here's what you had to say about it.
Although most enjoyed the concept and exciting story, it definitely felt like the movie left
some potential behind.
You rated it a SEVEN, and I'll score it an EIGHT.
Third up tonight, "Lucy".
Despite polarizing reception, this action thriller was a surprise hit when it was released
in late July of 2014.
The $40 million dollar production eventually earned more than ten times that amount at
the box office.
The briskly paced 89-minute story stars Scarlett Johansson who is accidentally infected with
large quantities of a mind-strengthening potion after an international drug-deal goes south.
The drop-dead gorgeous Johansson is wonderful in the titular role, evolving from a mousey
and hesitant call girl to a ferociously powerful force of intelligence and violence.
Her take-no-prisoners approach against the cartel responsible for her dilemma is exciting
and satisfying to watch.
When cornered in a brightly lit hallway, it's awesome to watch her utilize her new abilities
to disable the enemies and escape unharmed.
Remarking on her rapidly growing intellect, she says, "Ignorance brings chaos, not knowledge."
Indeed, a healthy amount of the dialogue here is littered with overly-simplified platitudes
that sound like some motivational JPEG you'd find on Tumblr.
With the exception of Morgan Freeman, the majority of the supporting cast will likely
be unfamiliar to American audiences, but they service the bizarre sci-fi narrative well
enough.
Freeman himself however lacks confidence in the dialogue he's delivering.
Perhaps that's with good reason though, as the entire premise is infamously based on
a scientific falsehood.
That garbage about only using "10%" of your brain is not only woefully inaccurate, the
supposition that 100% capabilities would somehow trigger omnipresent and psychokinetic powers
is downright laughable.
As with most Luc Besson productions, the story and characters take a back seat to the overly-stylized
action and cinematography.
And to that end, the hand-to-hand fights are often confusing thanks to rapid fire editing.
During the slower sequences however, Besson uses IMAX cameras to frame the proceedings
with artistically inspired angles and lighting, giving the picture a much loftier feel.
In fact, this is the first R-rated film to be partially shot on that large-frame format.
What begins as an intriguing and unique action thriller becomes a bit too preachy and increasingly
unbelievable as the script rolls along.
I'm reminded of the classic 1990s alien-exploration movie, "Contact"... which similarly ends with
an ambitious ending audiences will either love or hate.
The underlying theme here is a bit hypocritical, which seems to suggest aggressively living
life to the fullest... yet it was a some super brain drug that allowed the protagonist to
even get of her ass in the first place.
Fans of ass-kicking female leads and Besson's unique style will no doubt enjoy this picture,
but once was enough for me.
"Lucy" has flashy and frantic action bogged down by an aimless concept.
Here's what you had to say about it.
While plenty praised the premise, everyone agree the execution was disappointing.
You rated it a MEH..., and I thought it was an ALRIGHT movie.
Finally, let's take a look at what you're saying about films currently playing in theaters.
If you see a new movie in theaters, Tweet your review with the #JPMN hashtag.
Next episode we'll be reviewing movies about immortals, "Interview With The Vampire", "Man
From Earth", and the brand new release, "The Age Of Adaline".
If you've seen these films, share your opinions by voting in the polls below, or by leaving
a comment review - I read them all, and will include the best in the next episode.
If you'd like to watch more Movie Night videos, check out the "related reviews" on the right,
or SUBSCRIBE if you'd like to see more of this show in the future.
Also be sure to follow me on social media for updates and exclusive content between
episodes.
Once again, my name is Jonathan Paula, thank you for watching and listening.
Until next time, have a good Movie Night!