The films sets with Dr. Ryan Stones, a Bio-medical engineer and also a Mission Specialist on her very first space mission, STS-157. The team also consist of an experienced astronaut Matt Kowalski who is at that time will be commanding his final expedition before retiring. But on a seemingly routine spacewalk to service the Hubble Space Telescope, Mission Control in Houston warns the team that there will be debris from a Russian missile strike on a defunct satellite has caused a chain reaction of destruction and instruct the team to abort mission. Disaster strike as communication with Mission Control were lost and the debris damages the space shuttle (Explorer) causing all members of the team killed leaving Matt and Dr. Ryan the only survivor.
Dr. Ryan (Sandra Bullock) and Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) a somewhat solid performance
Dr. Ryan was briefly separated with Matt when momentum of the collision of the shuttle and debris push her away from Matt. But moments later Matt came to retrieved her as he was wearing a thruster pack. Tethered together, Matt suggested to make their way to Explorer but to only find out that the space shuttle was horribly damaged and the rest of the team were killed. With the experience of Matt, Matt then suggested to make their way to the International Space Station (ISS) which was not too far away from them to use a spacecraft (Soyuz) to return back to earth and stated that they have an estimated of 90 minutes before the debris field completes an orbit and threatens them again. As they reach ISS, they realised that its crew evacuated with one of the Soyuz modules and that the other's parachute was accidentally deployed, causing it to be all tied up with the space station unenabling them to return to Earth with it. However the Soyuz could be used to travel to a nearby Chinese space station (Tiangong) to retrieved another spacecraft to travel back to Earth. Disaster strikes again as Dr. Ryan runs out of oxygen while Matt's thruster pack runs out of maneuvering power. Dr. Ryan and Matt tries to grab hold of ISS when the came flying by but at the last moment Dr. Ryan's leg gold tangled up with the deployed parachute. While Dr. Ryan and Matt were still tethered together, Matt's momentum would carry both of them away from the ISS. Matt detaches himself from the tether so that Dr. Ryan could survive. When Dr. Ryan manages to enter the ISS, Dr. Ryan was forced to quickly make her way to the Soyuz as the space station was on fire.
Expect more spinning and stunning shots from the film
While the Soyuz was still tangled together along with the space station, Dr. Ryan has to spacewalk to release the cables but to just only succeeded as the debris completes the orbit and destroy the space station to pieces. While in the Soyuz, Dr. Ryan then has a another crisis to solve as Soyuz's thrusters runs out of fuel. Dr. Ryan runs out of ideas and has no will to live and decides to commit suicide by deactivating oxygen output from the spacecraft. She then begins to hallucinate that Matt suddenly appears outside and enter the spacecraft and tells her to use the it's landing rockets to travel to Tiangong. As motivation to live restores, Dr. Ryan restores the flow of oxygen and uses the rockets to make way to Tiangong. Unable to dock the Soyuz with Tiangong, Dr. Ryan has to ejects herself and intelligently uses the fire extinguisher as a makeshift thruster to travel to the Chinese Space Station. She quickly enters Shenzhou, a spacecraft capsule of Tiangong and travel back to earth as Tiangong starts to break up on the upper edge of the atmosphere, having been knocked from the orbit by the debris. The spacecraft then manages to land in a lake while Dr. Ryan swim to shore.
REVIEW
Matt Kowalski calming Dr. Ryan, not as easy as it looks
Gravity kind of remind of Life of Pi but Pi was accompanied by a tiger while Dr. Ryan was alone. I guess Gravity focuses on making a beautiful shots, a little scenery to look at while on space, which is quite breath taking, as the audience could see both sun rise, the street lights from Earth and the aurora lights. The view of Earth was produced in very detailedly while space shuttles and the way of communication were seemingly accurate. The film films in a way that the audience is really stranded in space alone. Especially when Dr. Ryan was hallucinating Matt entering Soyuz, which make me very happy to see a survivor and an highly experience astronaut to assist me, a noobie to return back to Earth. The film also gives a little glance of life on space and that it is not as fun and safe was we think it is, floating around with no worries and boundaries to take care of. The score of the film was good, enjoyed it a lot and it was one of the reasons that makes this film good as well. The negative side I kind of not liking is that it is a little too forceful to make it intense. For instances, Dr. Ryan encountering all sorts of problems everytime she reaches a space station or spacecraft. Could probably make the film a little longer to expand some emotional or story in this film including the debris come crashing in as well. Sandra Bullock was as usual fun, loving and entertaining but also keeping audience clenching the edge of the seat. George Clooney was also a fun character to have round to enlighten the mood up a little to both Dr. Ryan and the audience. Gravity was highly anticipated by a lot of critics and the film was usually covered up with great feedback and comment. But was still a little surprise to see so many audiences that watches this film in my hometown as I thought most would find it boring and dull. However I do know of a few negative feedback from acquaintance but manages to see one of them giving a two thumbs up.
The film sets in the year 1933 with a young boy visiting a Wild West exhibit. He was observing wax figurines of animals of the grizzly bear and some bull I have forgotten what it's called. The third wax figurine was a weird looking man which is stated as a Comanche Native American. While the small boy was looking deeply to it's soul, the eye of the wax figurine glance at him (horrifyingly) and seems to be alive. The alive and moving seemingly wax figurine is actually known as Tonto. Tonto then starts to tells the young boy of his experience of a certain friend, The Lone Ranger (which he mistakenly thought the boy as him, with the mask on). The story that Tonto tells brings us all back to the year 1869, where the first transcontinental railway was managed by a man named Latham Cole. John Reid, a lawyer was in one of those exclusive train heading to Colby, Texas and in the other car next to Reid's there's Tonto and an outlaw Burch Cavendish, being transported for his hanging after being caught and arrested by Texas Ranger Dan Reid, John's brother. Burch's gang came to rescue him in style, it even came to Burch jumping from the on moving train to the galloping horse without looking, with his back facing the horse (Bad @$$).
Tonto (Johnny Depp) and The Lone Ranger (Armie Hammer)
obviously have different fashion sense
Before all that happen, Tonto had the opportunity to kill Burch but was then ruined by good guy John Reid but end up both cuffed and could not do anything while Burch escapes. High action train maneuver scenes can be seen later. Upon reaching the destination, John imprison Tonto for god knows what reason he has and Dan deputises John as a Texas Ranger (not because he imprisons Tonto) with his own gang as well to go after Burch's gang. While the Texas Rangers were keeping up with Burch's gang, they were ambush and killed after the betrayal of one of the Texas Ranger, Collins. Burch then walk over to Dan's corpse, cut out his heart and eats it (it's true). Tonto somehow escapes from jail and ends up at the location where all these mayhem occured and buries the dead Texas Rangers. A white horse appears which is known as a spirit horse awakens John as a "spirit walker" which means John cannot be killed in battle. Tonto suggested John to wear a mask to protect his identity as he was thought to be dead as it is best to keep it that way and gives him a silver bullet made from the Ranger's badges and tells him to use it on Burch. Tonto and John then travels to a brothel where Collins recently visited where Red Harrington informs them of Dan and Collins fighting over a cursed silver rock. Meanwhile, Burch's men, disguised as Comanches, raid frontier settlements. John and Tonto arrive after raiders abduct Dan's widow and son, Rebecca and Danny. Burch instructed Collins to shoot Rebecca and Danny. Regretting his betrayal to the Texas Rangers, Collins attempts to help Rebecca and Danny escape but is shot dead by Latham Cole, who rescues them. Claiming the raiders are hostile Comanches
Latham Cole (Tom Wilkinson) the chess player
Latham announces the continued construction of the railroad and dispatches United States Cavalry Captain Jay Fuller to exterminate and kill the Comanche. A Comanche tribe captures John and Tonto soon after they found the railroad tracks in Indian territory. The tribe leader tells John of Tonto's past. As a boy, Tonto had rescued Burch and Latham from near-death and showed them the location of a silver mine, in exchange for a cheap pocket watch. The pair murdered the tribe to keep the mine a secret, leaving Tonto with great guilt making himself believe that the men were possessed by evil spirits within the silver and vowed to find and kill them both. Tonto and John escape as the United States Cavalry attack the Comanche. John and Tonto rides to the silver mine where they successfully capture Burch after killing his men. Tonto demands that John use the silver bullet to kill Burch, but John refuses and both of them have a little spat with each other regarding Tonto's past and ideas. Tonto attempts to kill Burch, but John knocks him unconscious and brings in Burch alive. Upon returning Burch to Latham and Captain Jay's custody. It is found out that Latham and Burch are partners and their plans to control everything. With shock and regret after Captain Jay found out they were both working together and attacked the innocent Capache but also fearing that if his actions are publicly revealed he'll be charged as a war criminal, Captain Jay sides with Latham. Rebecca and
Is this just another disguise of Captain Jack?
Danny are held hostage, and John is taken back to the silver mine to be executed. However, Tonto rescues him and the two flee as the Comanche attack and are massacred by the cavalry. Realizing that Latham is too powerful to be taken down lawfully, therefore John puts on the mask again and bad @$ mode on. John and Tonto rob a bank to steal some highly explosive chemicals and use it to destroy a railroad bridge. Tonto manages to steal the train with the silver and later on being pursue with a second train (which Rebecca and Danny are being held captive) by Latham, Burch and Captain Jay. Riding the white spirit horse, John with his bad @$ move still on, pursues both trains. After a furious chase and fights on both trains, both Burch and Captain Jay are killed while Rebecca and Danny are rescued. Tonto caught Latham in a corner and reveals himself by returning the watch he traded years ago, leaving Cole to drown buried beneath the silver ore after the train plunges off the severed bridge into the river below. After the heroic scene, John decides to decline an offer to be in a law enforcement position and rides off with Tonto. Travelling back to 1933, the young boy questions the truth of the story, however, the elderly Tonto gave him the silver bullet and asked him to decide it for himself.
REVIEW
One word to describe The Lone Ranger: FUN. Yeah, I find it fun to watch although there are some scene which were unexplainable and does not define reality, probably those kind of scene are the reasons that make this film fun to watch. For instances, the white spirit horse (which is called Spirit by the way), somehow manages to climb on trees and rooftops, John and Tonto jumping off trains without getting a hurt and some other part of the film I've forgotten, sorry. The scene where Burch's gang comes to rescue him at the beginning of the film reminds me of a scene from Fast Five (which is also at the beginning of the film) however the cars were replaces by galloping horses for this film (just pointed that out for fun). Tonto then also reminds me of a certain character that was also played by Johnny Depp, Captain Jack Sparrow (DUM DUM DUM). At some scene I would thought that the theme score of Pirates of the Caribbean would be playing but hey, who wouldn't want Captain Jack Sparrow and Tonto
Spirit and Tonto have some intimate moments
teaming up together, they will be a deadly duo with randomness acts to follow (although Tonto seems to be someone who doesn't really too much on improvisation). Both characters were quick witted, fun and charming and both with a mysterious past (but in for Tonto it's pretty much revealed a little). As Empire, a film magazine reviewed, "The device of an oldster telling a tale to a boy was genius in William Goldman’s The Princess Bride and it works as nicely here, the youngster’s intermittent objections, indignation and incredulity over aspects of Tonto’s story taking us back and forth in time periods and effectively linking episodic adventure into one big story in five acts". It was some sort of a brilliant idea to also tell the audience of the classic story. The score of the film was brilliant, absolutely loved it, because it was by the legendary Hans Zimmer. The last ending credit soundtrack "Home" kind of sound like "Time" from Inception which both of these score I love to listen to over and over again. One more thing before this concludes, the scene where John and Tonto chase and fights with Burch, Latham and Captain Jay with "Finale" also makes my eyes in tears (don't know why), it was fun and action packed with a well known music playing into your ears is some of my favourite scene of the film. Another scene to highlight is while the credits role, filming elderly Tonto walking through a canyon is also enlightening and mysterious while "Home" continues to play while he walks. Probably a tiring scene to walk for so far in a slow and gentle pace. Audience that have watched or have not watch the previous shows or films of The Lone Ranger would probably enjoy this new film.
Richie Furst (Justin Timberlake) and Ivan Block (Ben Affleck)
Runner, Runner is mainly about a young man named Richie Furst, the protagonist of the film. It all started explaining that Richie losses all his money to an online poker gambling scam and then flies to Costa Rica to "kind-of" confront a big shot online gambling tycoon, mega rich, supposedly "you can't do anything against me with all my cash and glamour beside me" kind of guy, Ivan Block. Then Ivan Block makes a deal with Richie that could turn Richie's life to the other way round with plenty of cash to spent all he wants, an offer Richie chooses not to refuse. Well as usual, all goes well for Richie as he is a smart kid, a Princeton grad student (if that matters). Him working hard and doing whatever the boss (Ivan) says and instructed. Earning loads of cash within the few months Richie first step foot onto Costa Rica. Then, there's a girl (there's always a girl), Rebecca Shafran, which Richie falls to but Rebecca is kind of Ivan's babe too (Oh maaan). Then both Richie and Rebecca kind of have a romantic relationship which Ivan seemingly does not object as he more or less said to Rebecca "do whatever you want, as that's what I have been doing as well". Then there's an FBI agent, Shavers who confronts Richie and threatens Richie to cooperate in convicting Ivan because Ivan's business is not what it seems to be. As time goes by Richie learns of the dirty ways of how this business works and how Ivan had been using him all along to save his own skin. So then the protagonist, being as smart as he is, plans his way out of all the mess he was brought into and end Ivan's reign as the billionaire online gambling tycoon.
REVIEW
Rebecca Shafran (Gemma Arterton) and Richie Furst (Justin
Timberlake) getting a little too close
Here's what I think, Runner, Runner has been "weak" as a whole. There is no solid storyline, script, acting personas. Well, the protagonist Richie Furst is portrayed as a very wise and calm kid that knows what he is doing and plans probably ten steps ahead of everyone else including a professor of Princeton. But it's a little too much for me. No expression of whatsoever from the protagonist of either he's afraid or worried when trouble is heading his way as if he has already figured out how to solve the problem a second later. Simply put, he's too much of a smarty pants for me. Storyline was weak, too simple and predictable (maybe I expected more). There are some shots that I enjoyed for example a little scenery of Costa Rica but there is also some shots unsatisfying to me at least, the part where Richie was in the party the camera swindles round and round around Richie to express the fun and glamour of the party. Even more disappointed once the credits role and I saw Leonardo DiCaprio as one of the producers.
