Continuing my series of posts on Home Cinema. Two great films in the last post in this series, but two awful ones now.
Heroes (2006). This TV series is in its fourth year running now. The general outlay is that of ordinary persons who discover they have super-powers, and that there’s really a whole bunch of them many with their own agendas. So, it’s basically X-Men-lite without the costumes or great CG given its TV budget. The series garnered quite a following, so I decided to take a bite from the video rental service.
One season later, I still don’t get what’s so great about the series. The acting is hammy – especially the Indian guy. The numerous plots up the wazook are messy. Few of the characters likable. The two Japanese dudes were ok though but towards the end of season 1 their (mis)adventures got stretched. At least some of the super-powers were mildly interesting: like the guy who can slice open someone else’s head. And Hiro’s ability to stop time, even if everytime he exercises that power by squeezing his eyes shut it looks as though he’s about to take a dump.
And the CG work looks pretty cheapskate. In this age when shows like the large scale space battles in Battlestar Galactica shows what you can do on a TV budget, it’s surprising to see effects from 2006 look like they come from 10 years earlier.
So, on the overall: 
. Not gonna be watching Season 2 on rental.
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Max Payne (2008). I didn’t play the video game this film is based years ago, but from all counts, Max Payne the video game was pretty good with its use of bullet-time. Briefly, the video game plot was about Payne, a DEA agent whose wife and baby daughter are killed by the mob, and he goes undercover to find those responsible. Yep, it’s Punisher-esque.
The film version is about similar in plot outlay to the video game. Unfortunately, there’re problems. Mark Wahlberg is just wrong to play the character. Instead of looking conflicted and tortured, he alternates between looking bored and Keanu Reeves grade of wooden. The film alternates between film noir and John Woo styles with slo-mo, neither of which really do anything for the movie. It could had been shot and rendered in more real-world tones and imagery and the film would had been more visually pleasing.
Last of all, too much talking and too little action. Which would had been OK had the plot been interesting but it wasn’t. You’ve seen it all before: corrupt cops, witnesses who get killed sending the investigation downhill, bad guys you thought were good, and more bad cops.
Well, at least the last gun battle was interesting. Sort of.
Still, on the overall: – bleh.
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