The Finest Hours

Period drama. Huge, sinking ship.  Freezing cold conditions. Based on a true story.  No, I'm not referring to one of my favorite movie of all time, Titanic.  Last night I saw The Finest Hours, a relative flop released by Disney this year to mostly lukewarm reviews.  Unfortunately, I can see why; well-intentioned as the movie is, and incredible as its story may be, there's too much lacking in the character department to earn Finest a solid recommendation.  It's not a total bust though; the film has some pretty outstanding sequences that build good tension and feature an unnerving sound mix, but they are sandwiched in-between really lackluster dramatic scenes that feel rather inconsequential.

In 1952, near Cape Cod, Massachusetts, a young man named Bernie Webber (Chris Pine) and a young woman named Miriam (Holliday Grainger) fall in love and plan for a marriage right away.  But Bernie works at the Cost Guard station in Chatham, and the storm on this particular day is monstrous.  When the SS Pendleton, an oil tanker literally breaks in half due to the stormy conditions, no adequate rescue is possible.  Bernie, simply because it's the right thing to do, risks his and a small crew's life to bring a tiny lifeboat out into the merciless sea to rescue the men on the Pendleton.  The crew struggles to survive, coming up with creative ways to stay afloat and in one spot, but they know that their hours are numbered.  Despite constant urging from Miriam down at the station, Chief Quirey refuses to call the men back, stating that it's their job and they knew the risks.

Being a film shot for a 2016 audience, much of The Finest Hours' storm scenes are accomplished using computer-generated water, which frankly becomes the star of the show.  Combined with the sound design, the waves and the storm are incredibly visceral, especially in IMAX 3D.  However, there's so much water, and so many scenes that start to blend into one another, that the use of CG becomes overuse, and has a numbing effect.  The VFX used for the split ship are really well done, but unlike the aforementioned Titanic (which used mostly practical sets and models), the stakes don't feel all that real.  This isn't helped by the flat writing of the characters; Bernie is too much of a Gary Stu to get invested in and has no perceivable character flaws.  Miriam keeps edging on being interesting, with her insistence on calling back her husband, but I just don't know anything about her besides the fact that she lived in a time period that has strong restrictions for her gender.  Performances from the cast are fine, but Ben Foster in a supporting role steals the show entirely (as he often does).

I was much more invested in the story of the men trapped on the oil tanker, but once again, there aren't really any "characters" to be found.  Oh, look... there's the asshole.  Oh look... there's the timid one.  Oh look... there's the genius that no one wants to follow but clearly need to.  These aren't characters, they're archetypes; shells that the writers need to fill with fleshy goodness.  I understand that designing a story based on truth has its limitations, but I still feel more could be done here.  This doesn't help that the plot is paper-thin; there's really only enough material here to be interesting for about an hour, and the film pushes on two.  As a result, parts drag here and there and by the end there's a feeling of fatigue rather than relief.  The film has a sweet center, and a refreshing sense of optimism, but it doesn't have much staying power.

The Finest Hours rides on its spectacle, of which there is much.  There are moments that truly stun, like a grandiose image of the half-ship sticking emerging from a dark fog amidst the black, stormy sea.  The rescue of the men at the film's climax is also very well-choreographed, with some breathtaking shots and a few inventive extended shots.  Dialogue can be a bit corny at times, but that's not a problem for me; what sours it is the lack of investment I feel with the characters.  It isn't a bad movie, it's just a disappointingly hollow one that tries to honor a man for an incredible act of heroism without making him interesting.

5/10

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

In theory, the Mission: Impossible franchise should not be running anymore.  But man, am I glad it is.  In fact, for my money, the series' revival, starting with Ghost Protocol, has made it better than ever.  The cast is always great and likable, the action and stunts incredible, and the spy movie cliches used to brilliant (and sometimes hilariously over-the-top) effect.  Rogue Nation is no different; motorcycle chases, underwater deathtraps, and on-top-of-flying-plane fights are just a sampling of the action this fifth outing with Tom Cruise and company has to offer, and each is absolutely stunning in their own way.

Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), an agent working for the Impossible Missions Force, is wrapped up in an ongoing chase to uncover an international crime syndicate called... uh... the Syndicate (note: this is not a series known for its strong villains).  After stopping a terrorist plane full of nerve gas in the most entertaining way possible, Ethan tries to convince the CIA that the Syndicate exists and they are too dangerous to be ignored.  CIA director Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin) not only doesn't believe Ethan, but wants to disband the IMF altogether.  Ethan continues his search against his orders, and is labeled a fugitive by the CIA.  Six months later, Ethan has been putting the pieces together in order to find out where the Syndicate will strike next.  He needs the help of Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg), a technical field agent (with excellent comedic timing as a bonus).  Ethan and Benji get mixed up with Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), a double agent trying to infiltrate the Syndicate and take them down from the inside.  Are chase scenes, gunfights, and outragous explosions soon to follow?  The answer is a resounding YES.

The film as a whole is exiting, funny, and full of fantastic special effects, but nothing compares to its action. Its story may be cobbled together from other action-spy movies, but Rogue Nation's shear energy makes it all seem fresh.  Tom Cruise is famous for insisting on doing his own stunts in these films, and with the opening sequence (wherein he was actually strapped to the side of a real plane as it took off), he might just have outdone himself.  Another breathtaking scene involves a motorcycle chase in Morocco, where in my IMAX theater, I felt such exhilaration and impact... it was something special, as was an assassination attempt scene that was edited to perfection.  I won't go too far into describing a certain underwater scene, but I won't deny that I had to remind myself to breathe every so often.

While Cruise remains the star of the movie with his charisma, Simon Pegg is essential.  His comedic timing may be at its peak in his collaborations with Edgar Wright, but the man's a gifted comedian all on his own.  He helps ground the movie when things gets too absurd, and even though he's a tech expert, he gets his fair share of action.  The only other performance of note was Ferguson's Ilsa Faust, who kicks a considerable amount of ass and never feels like a shoehorned-in love interest for Cruise.  She remains unpredictable and interesting throughout, though Ferguson's physical presence leaves more of an impression than her actual performance.  The rest of the cast is fine (I was letting wishing Jeremy Renner had more to do), but nothing to write home about.

Sonically, Rogue Nation delivers on all fronts, from the outstanding sound mix to the classic theme song.  While most modern action scores are still BWAM-sound fests, the Mission Impossible movies keep their iconic TV theme alive and well throughout their film scores.  How damn hard is that, Transformers? The action would be nothing without its sound design, and the film's many locations settings, car chases, and operatic assassinations rely on a steady sound mix to keep everything feeling grounded. Visual effects are pretty much top notch, with a great deal of notable practical effects as well as CGI-aided set pieces.  I'm always happy to see more in-camera effects used in action movies, because they age better and create a better sense of tangibility.   I think Rogue Nation finds a good balance between the two methods, something I really wish the Marvel movies would take note of.

When I wasn't gushing over how incredible the action scenes were and how hilarious the comedy was, I was wishing Rogue Nation had a better villain with more clear motivations.  What does the Syndicate, or in other words, the titular Rogue Nation, really want?  If you're going to have a villain rehash a "take over the world" plot or give them a revenge story, make that character interesting.  We don't remember The Dark Knight's Joker because he had elaborate plans or even a defined backstory; we relish in his character.  I'm not saying every movie villain has to be the Joker (I'm not even sure there can even be another Joker), but the best action/spy movies give me someone I love to hate.  Rogue Nation might as well not have true villains, and that's a problem.

Although I didn't find myself getting caught up in the story's mystery, I did care about what happened to these characters.  That's where the joy comes from, and Rogue Nation is happy to be what it is.  If it doesn't quite match the balls-to-the-wall awesomeness of Ghost Protocol, that's not a criminal offense.  It does come close, and in spite of its weightless story, I desperately want to revisit this world.  I'd even call it better than this year's Bond film (Spectre), and that film features the largest practically-filmed explosion in cinematic history.  Full of spectacle and heart in equal measure, it's just a great time.

8/10

American Idol: The Farewell Season Premiere

No. NO. That's impossible.  American Idol did not premiere FIFTEEN YEARS AGO.  I refuse to believe it.  Regardless, here we are on the eve of the season premiere of what will be the last season of the show.  In the early 2000s, Idol redefined reality television and spawned countless imitators in the intervening years that have mostly been interesting, but never quite captured what American Idol has, or at least what it used to have.  Based on the British reality show Pop Idol, the first few seasons were cultural phenomenons because of a few golden factors, chief among them being two questions you could "How cruel can Simon Cowell be?" and "Who out of these everyday nobodies is going to be the next ultra-famous pop star?"  Everyone was addicted. Without those two factors, it's just another talent show, and unfortunately, that's kind of what it turned into.  Simon's been gone for years with no one asshole-ish enough to replace him and Idol winners just don't go on to become stars... like at all.  No more Kelly Clarksons, no more Carrie Underwoods, and no more Chris Daughtrys.  But all of this is ok; American Idol was special because it was lightning in a bottle. It's good to see it bow out now before it jumps the shark... oh wait, Nikki Menage was already a judge.  Ok, so it won't be going out with dignity, but it is nice to see that the producers are proud of it enough to make its final season seem like a big deal, in spite of what I'm sure must be cataclysmic ratings.

What to make of the premiere?  I haven't followed the show in years, but not much has changed format-wise.  Good ol' Ryan Seacrest is still charming his way through scene transitions and the judges are still clearly trying too hard to ad-lib (which is part of the fun), but there's definitely a sense of deflation when it comes to the formula.  These judges are no Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul or Satan himself, but I suppose they're alright.   Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban, and Harry Connick, Jr. clearly know the business well enough, but they like to use the word "pitch" a lot without giving much interesting criticism to offer to the people they pass or the ones they reject.  They lack chemistry and good interactions,  so they're little jokes, like standing in different places before an overweight honky-tonk singer, come off as a bit forced.  One of the contestants fake arrests Harry at one point.  Um... hilarious?  I don't know, I think it would have been more fun if they'd somehow reunited the original judges, or maybe even got some Idol alums to judge.  That might have been fun, no?

I have to admit that I did get a good laugh at the build-up of sad stories culminating in the sixteen-year-old yodeling girl who busts out her whole privileged life story without taking a breath.  Good to see that the producers can parody themselves a bit.  But there were a few good tearjerkers, including a fifteen-year-old who lost his brother and sings like a freakin' angel.   Seriously dude, your voice just dropped, like, last year.  While many of the talent that made it through was pretty mediocre, there were a few teens who were absolutely stellar.  Also, since when can you bring an instrument to the audition?  Last I checked, this was a singing competition first, and then later on people could play an instrument if they wanted.  It seemed like every other contestant was playing guitar, which... I don't know it just feels like a distraction.  A cappella is much harder to pull off and can be more impressive (or more damning).

Part of the (admittedly mean-spirited) fun of watching the auditions is to see some really bad auditions (probably the third major reason Idol took off the way it did), and I must say there wasn't anything all that memorable.  One of the rejected men, the previously mentioned honky-tonker, was let down rather cruelly after the judges all danced and sang along with his audition.  It's a combination of mean-spirited and awkward that's just cringe-inducing.  Have all the whacked-out people auditioned already?  We Americans are a bloodthirsty bunch, and we need weirdos to make fun of and make ourselves feel better! Oh well.  This was only Georgia, there's still time.  Also, can someone explain what that Kanye West stuff was at the end?  I mean, besides the ego stroking.  I got that loud and clear.

Knowing that the winner of this competition might not be a superstar kills a bit of the mood the show needs to keep it interesting, and the judges are less-than ideal, but I can't say it was a bad two hours of television.  It's still better than the average reality show, and a few of the winners did hit me right in the feels against my better judgement.  And who knows?  Maybe because it's the last season, the show will get more attention and the winner will be something special, but only time will tell.  In any case, I might as well enjoy the show while I can and see if I can get wrapped up in it the way I used to.

I'll give it six Sanjayas out of ten William Hungs.