I almost turned this movie off ten minutes in because I thought that the annoying kid from Spy Kids was way too overbearing. He was terribly written and nigh insufferable. Luckily though, I pressed on, because this is the movie's intention. Daryl Sabara's character Kyle is annoying to the point of surrealism, and his douchey tendencies really help to make the second half of the movie that much more satisfying.
It's hard to say much about the movie without giving away a lot. It really would be a disservice to explain the plot, because it's structured so well. It sort of pulls a From Dusk Till Dawn. No vampires, but there is a pretty odd shift about halfway through the movie in which it becomes a lot darker. Thankfully though, there is an undercurrent of sardonic humor throughout the entire movie to keep anchored to.
The acting is pretty good all across the board. Robin Williams is in top form; this is one of his best roles since his heyday (not that surprising considering the family friendly mediocrity that he tends to gravitate towards now) and he gives a great understated performance. The rest of the acting is good, although the writing does tend to make a lot of the characters intentionally unlikeable. That said, the writing is sharp, and the humor is quietly funny. It never becomes laugh out loud guffaws, but that would probably feel out of place.
The direction is great, and there is some truly fantastic sequences set to great music. The soundtrack in this movie is simply divine, ranging from some great indie rock songs to classics like Under Pressure. Overall, it's definitely worth a watch. Make no mistake, though, it's a fairly dark movie. It's bizarre in the way that indie movies often are, but when it's all said and done, it leaves you with a great feeling. And that's what movies should do.
1 comment:
Will definitely stay away from this movie!
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