MYST POST #6:  BATTLE OF THE YEAR

                                                                                            
This past weekend, I watched the movie Battle of the Year with my family.  I was expecting it to be just another dance movie.  However, after watching it I realized how unique and amazing the movie really was.  The movie, directed by Benson Lee, is about an ultimate break dancing competition.  In order to finally compare to the rest of the world and their talent, America puts together a dream team of the best break dancers across the country to compete.  The movie consisted of a compelling story about friendship, teamwork, and self discovery.  Also, all of the dancing throughout the movie was awesome to watch.  I could tell that the actors had to work really hard to nail all of the choreography.  I would give this movie a 3.5 out of 5 stars.  The acting in general wasn't the best.  However, the messages were inspiring, which made the movie a lot better.

One key scene that stood out to me was when the dream team was in France for the national competition.  After training and practicing for hours, the team was given one night to go out and enjoy themselves.  The boys went to a bar and unfortunately ended up getting in a fight with some other contestants.  The coach of the dream team (played by Josh Holloway) was furious that the team had been involved in a fight.  While the coach was going off on the team, all of the boys were sticking up for each other.  They each gave heartfelt speeches about how much they had grown as a team and how much they had changed since that first day of practice.  This scene was really important because it showed major character development and provided a lot of pathos.  Seeing all of the characters and teammates unify and come together was a definitely a changing point in the movie.

The movie had a wide variety of interesting camera work and techniques.  For example, during the scenes in France, the camera shot each teammate walking through the city and made it look as if the teammates themselves had shot the footage.  It had a casual look to it and the scenes consisted of different snapshots and "selfies".  It was an effective way to shoot the scenes because it allowed the audience to feel as if they were right there with the team touring the city.  Another technique that was used was slow motion.  During the major dance battles and competitions, slow motion was used to emphasize and capture the different positions and moves that the dancers hit.  This made it easier for the audience to really visualize each aspect of the performances.  Because break dancers are moving so fast, no one would know what was going on without the slow motion technique.  It created style and really added to each dance scene in the movie.

Overall, I feel that Battle of the Year was so much more than just a movie about dance.  The themes and underlying messages helped show the audience what it means to be on a team.  I'm sure many people could relate to the problems that took place throughout the movie, such as the struggles of working with an enemy, poverty, etc.  This movie reminded me of Remember the Titans.  It was directed by Boaz Yakin and had similar messages about teamwork.  Even though this movie was about dancing and Remember the Titans was about football, both movies greatly displayed how teams can overcome differences and fight together.  Battle of the Year is a movie for all ages and genders.  If interested at all, check out the movie trailer below...

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1532958/

MYST POST #5:  UP

This past weekend, I watched the movie Up with my little sister.  As cheesy as animated movies can be, I actually really enjoy watching this movie.  It is about an old man named Carl who lives by himself and appears to be bitter to the majority of his neighbors.  Carl lives a normal, yet slow life of sitting around his house and watching his society become more and more advanced and modern.  Then one day a little boy named Russell knocks on his door and ultimately changes his life.  Russell, a young boy scout, has many annoying habits that Carl hates, but by the end of the movie the two develop a loving friendship.  Up contains many adventurous scenes and has cute, heartfelt messages.  Even though the audience is aimed at children, I believe that anyone would enjoy this movie.  I would give Up a five out of five stars for its creativity and unique plot line.

There was a lot of interesting camerawork throughout this movie.  For example, the director used a lot of extreme long shots in order to show the setting.  Carl and Russell are trying to go to Paradise Falls in the movie, but it is taking them a while to get there seeing that they have to overcome many obstacles.  When the two finally reach their tropical destination, the camera pans out and shows the tiny house perched on the edge of the waterfall and canyons.  It was a cool shot because it showed the houses size and relation to the rest of the scenery.  Also, I think that this shot symbolized Carl's role in his life and how he feels like he is small and insignificant compared to the rest of the big world outside his house.  There was a lot of color used in this movie as well.  Each new scene consisted of bright blues and greens for their tropical setting and location.  The balloons were a key symbol in the movie, and each balloon brought a variety of color.

One scene that really stuck out to me was the ending scene.  Carl and Russell were finally back home from their journey and were getting ice cream at a local ice cream place.  Earlier in the movie, Russell brought up this ice cream place to Carl and stated that his dad used to take him to the place, where they would spend quality time together.  Since Russell's father left him though, the two hadn't done that in a while.  The end scene shows Carl and Russell at the same ice cream place, sitting on the side of the road.  They are playing games, talking, and sharing each other's company whilst enjoying an ice cream cone.  This was a really important scene because it showed Carl's more sensitive side.  It provided pathos also since the scene represented the fact that Carl had sort of taken over the fatherly role in Russell's life. 

Up reminds me of the movie Shrek.  Just like Up, Shrek goes on a long journey with Donkey.  Donkey relates to Russell because both talk a lot, portray kid-like attention spans, and most of all annoy their companions Shrek and Carl.  However, Shrek ends up caring a lot for Donkey in the end, just as Carl cared for Russell.  Shrek was directed by Andrew Adamson though, while Up was directed by Pete Doctor and Bob Peterson.  Still, the two movies have very similar plots, themes, and messages.  Overall, Up is a really touching movie and appropriate for all ages.  If interested at all, check out the trailer below...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkqzFUhGPJg

FORMAL FILM STUDY:  Michael Bay

           

For my formal film study, I reviewed the director Michael Bay.  The three films I chose by him are Transformers, I Am Number Four, and Pain and Gain.  All of these movies are action films, which Michael Bay is known for.  He is the type of director that enjoys making big production movies.  “A lot of directors don’t want the pressure of a movie the size of Pearl Harbor.  But I love it.  I thrive on it,” says Michael Bay (http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/michael_bay.html#MhmzOxCGFqV6w30o.99).  The three movies have many similarities but also many differences.  For them all to be from the same genre, Michael Bay does a good job of creating different experiences for each movie.  In each movie, the style is very colorful and has a lot of special effects.  Transformers and I Am Number Four both have elements in the movie that are unrealistic.  For example, there are talking robots in Transformers and alien creatures in I Am Number Four.  In the movie Pain and Gain, there really isn’t any sort of Sci-Fi feature.  However, Bay does use color to make the movie have more special effects and style.

            The cinematography and technology in all three movies is very impressive.  After reviewing how movies were back in the day, I can really tell the technology in movies has come a long way.  In Transformers, the talking/transforming robots were obviously a big aspect in the film.  Throughout the entire movie, the robots were present.  There was also this big fight scene in the end where the robots were fighting, but real people were also fighting along-side them.  The technology and special effects really enhanced the film and made the fighting more realistic.  In Pain and Gain, there was a lot of guns and violence used.  It kind of surprised me because it was definitely more graphic than the other two movies.  The technology and cinematography with the guns added to the film also.  Audience members actually got to see people getting shot.  In I Am Number Four, there were a lot of explosions and fire bursts.  To film this, I know that the director had to use advanced technology.  It seems that in a lot of action movies nowadays, they can’t really be made without using high technology because otherwise the action wouldn’t seem interesting or believable. 

            The culture element in each movie was different.  In Pain and Gain, there was an antihero as the main character.  He was actually the bad guy in the situation, which was cool to watch because it gave a whole new perspective on the plot.  What the movie was trying to say though was that Americans are huge social climbers, and how sometimes in life, we all do what we need to do in order to achieve wants and desires.  For Transformers and I Am Number Four, the messages were somewhat related.  Both movies had hero-like main characters that saved the world.  In one the hero was working along-side robots, where in the other the hero had special abilities.  Both movies had humans working with aliens.  Because of this, it displayed the message of different people coming together for a good cause.  

            There was a lot of cool camera work in all three movies.  In all of the movies, there were many long shots taken where you saw the main character fighting or running from something/someone.  For example, in both Pain and Gain and Transformers, the main characters had a long, drawn-out scene of running in slow motion.  It provided a different feel during intense battle or fight parts of the movie.  Also, there were many times in the movies where the camera would follow someone who was in action.  For example, there was this scene in Transformers where a soldier had to shoot up at a robot from the ground.  As the soldier slid on the ground shooting up, the camera panned out on the shot and followed the movement of the soldier.  It was a useful technique.

            One main discovery I found with all of the movies was that Michael Bay really incorporated and emphasized the use of narration.  Each movie began with some sort of monologue or narration from a main character.  The narration sort of set the scene for the movie and gave an introduction to the plot.  I thought this was great because it added style to the film, while also explaining details to the audience.  Each movie had a complex storyline, therefore it was a good idea to include the narrations to simplify and explain what was to happen.  Then also at the end, a speech in the form of a voice over/narration was given.  This was effective because it acted as a conclusion for the movie but left the audience hanging for a sequel.  The narration aspect in each movie allowed for the audience to get the feel that the story was being told from the main character’s perspective.  Instead of being a bystander in the story, the narration let the audience become part of the film.  I think more films should include the element of narration.

            Other small discoveries I made dealt with jump cutting.  Director Michael Bay used jump cuts during the major fight scenes.  His reasoning for using this technique was to show what the main character was doing during the big battles.  For example, in Transformers, the major fight scene in the end would jump from showing the soldiers fighting the robots to the main character (Sam) running with a very important object known as the cube.  The jump cuts were effective because it allowed for the audience to gain some perspective on where everything was.  There was clearly a lot going on in every fight/action scene, and so the audience was able to see each thing that was happening.  All in all, I really enjoyed each of the three films I watched.  They were all unique in their own way.  Michael Bay, in my opinion, is a good director when it comes to action films.  His story lines are complex but interesting.  They always keep the audience intrigued.  Below are some trailers of the three films I watched.  Check them out if you are interested at all!

Pain and Gain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEQ8jyvmYtw 

Transformers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAjgXlvVexI

I Am Number Four

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5djHG3hPu0 

1975 Movie Project

Local news anchor Samantha Guilding has two loves in her life, her job and her husband Tom.  In her eyes, life couldn’t be any better than living in the small town of Greensville.  Then, everything changes the day she receives a letter from mysterious fan Larry Wolf.  In the letter, written in blood, are three words… I Love You.  Weeks pass and Samantha’s fear rises as Wolf’s presence and stalker-like ways become more apparent.  Her only solution is to escape.  Samantha convinces Tom to then take a summer-long road trip across the country.  What he doesn’t know won’t kill him right? Wrong.  Through woods, state parks, and unfamiliar towns, Samantha does all she can to keep Tom uninvolved while also running from Wolf and his madness.  The New York Times calls it “the best chase of the ‘70s.”  Will Tom ever find out about Samantha’s stalker?  Will Samantha ever be free from Larry Wolf?  This film goes to new levels of horror and drama.  This is The Great Escape, starring Rachel Roberts and Jack Nicholson.  It is directed by Peter Weir.

I think this movie would work for the '70s because horror movies were really popular back then.  The combination of horror and drama is also fitting because genre hybrid's were increasingly becoming more well-known.  The style of the movie is a sort of ominous and mysterious.  I wanted the audience to really sit at the edge of their seats when watching The Great Escape.  The message of the movie is really about safety.  In my Constitutional Law class, we studied stalkers and the fact that news anchors/famous people have jobs that attract the most stalkers.  I thought it would be interesting to make a movie about a woman who is getting stalked, but the husband doesn't know about it.  It makes the story scarier and has Samantha appearing more vulnerable.

I picked Rachel Roberts as the female lead in this movie because she was known for making horror movies in the '70s.  She also starred in Picnic at Hanging Rock, which was a famous horror film in the 1970s.  I chose Jack Nicholson as the male lead because he was in the movie, The Shining, which was a very successful thriller and horror film.  The two paired together would definitely make a suspenseful film.  Director Peter Weir was perfect for The Great Escape because he was famous for making well-known drama actors into excellent horror actors too.  Universal Studios is going to produce this movie because they are a big movie company and I wanted to make a successful film that sold well in the box office, rather than an artsy independent film.  While the independent films and independent movie companies were big during the '70s, I wanted my movie to sell.  Universal Studios made the movie Jaws also, and therefore I know they would do a good job on my movie.  I wanted to highlight make-up in my movie, and Pierre LaRoche is going to be the costume-make-up artist.  He did all of the costumes for the Rocky Horror Picture Show, another well-known movie in the '70s.

My movie is going to be rated R for violence.  During the '70s, movies were either G or R, and there weren't that many movies in between the two.  I didn't want to be limited in the amount of blood and violence that was shown because I wanted to make the movie as realistic as possible.  Each shooting or stabbing or violent scene that takes place in the movie will be shown on camera.  Movies in the '70s tended to show these elements.  The Great Escape would have been a classic movie in 1975.  I chose this movie because I knew that horror movies always are popular ones and they make a lot of money.  Also, I think it would have been interesting to make a horror movie.  That way, I could have been creative with it and made it my own. 

MYST POST #4:  The Way Way Back

 

 

The Way Way Back came out this year in 2013.  I had heard about it being in the theaters and from my uncle, who claimed to like it.  However, I didn't think I would like it as much as I did.  The movie is about a shy 14-year-old boy who spends his summer vacation with his mom and her boyfriend.  The main character, Duncan (Liam James), deals with the typical teenage struggles of finding out himself.  Throughout the summer, he tries his best to avoid his mom's obnoxious boyfriend, Trent (Steve Carrell).  Duncan then comes across a local water park, where he proceeds to spend majority of his days.  He has many unexpected experiences at the water park and slowly becomes someone he never knew possible.  There is also a cute love interest with Duncan and the character Susanna (AnnaSophia Robb).  I believe this movie should get 4.75 out of 5 stars.  The messages and subtle, yet hysterical comedy in the movie make it very interesting to watch.

 

The movie isn't really shot any specific way.  Each scene highlights the key moments of the characters and the plot.  However, there are many times throughout the movie where the camera is behind Duncan.  It is like the camera itself is trailing behind him.  This camera angle was very effective in having the audience feel and see what Duncan feels and sees everyday.  It allows for the audience to relate to Duncan, which is a crucial and important part of movie making.  Also, another technique used in the movie is the element of sound.  Duncan's character is awkward and quiet, therefore dialogue isn't really a big factor of the movie.  The music and sound that is used allows for the audience to understand Duncan's emotions without him actually having to say anything.  It also lays out the mood for each scene. 

 

One specific scene that stuck out to me was when Duncan, his mom, and his mom's boyfriend were all sitting at a restaurant for dinner.  Unfortunately, the mom's boyfriend has been cheating.  Duncan has known about it for a while, but didn't say anything because he didn't want to get involved and wanted to avoid the situation altogether.  Duncan's character tends to push problems aside instead of facing them head-on.  However, in this scene, the truth comes out and Duncan confronts the boyfriend about the whole thing.  There is a lot of intense actions during this scene.  For example, Duncan's mom is hysterical and crying with horror about the boyfriend's cheating.  Also, Duncan has so much rage for the boyfriend.  It actually comes to a point where Duncan starts fighting the boyfriend, who is more than twice his age!  This scene was important to me because I really understood all of the family struggles in his life.  This was Duncan's climactic moment because it was when he showed his true colors and stood up for his beliefs and his mom.  His confidence really escalated during this scene.

 

Overall, this movie was quite good.  I think people of all ages and genders would enjoy watching this movie.  I watched with my parents, who are a lot older than me, and they loved it too!  My mom even cried at the cute and sentimental ending.  I thought this movie was similar to The Perks of Being a Wallflower.  In both movies, we see the main boy character transform from nerdy and awkward to confident and opinionated.  Movies with major development of characters always turn out to be great.  The director, Nat Faxon, has also directed the movie Bad Teacher.  In this movie, there is also a change in the main character.  However, this transformation consists of the teacher becoming a better person morally.  If this post sparks any interest, go out and watch The Way Way Back!  You won't be disappointed.  Check out the movie trailer below...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qoaVUdbWMs



REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE RESPONSE

The movie Rebel Without a Cause has many meanings and messages.  I believed the film was well directed and portrayed.  While awkward and clunky at times, I do not think this movie is a dated relic, unable to speak to the contemporary youth.  Old movies can still have major impacts on the people that watch it today.  They are definitely timeless movies and have long-lasting effects on each generation.  I believe that this movie is still relatable to modern day teens.  The issues presented throughout the movie are things that teens nowadays deal with too.  For example, the issue with Jim and his father not supporting him or being there for him.  I feel most parents will always support their children.  However, sometimes parents make mistakes too, and kids feel like parents don't listen to them.  Also, Plato's dad walked out on his family.  I know for a fact that there are many single-parent families in our society today.  The ideas and struggles shown in the movie are not just for people in the past, but also for this generation of kids and really for all generations of kids.

MYST #3:  A Cinderella Story

A Cinderella Story is such a classic movie.  I have seen it probably a million times and it still never gets old.  Yes, it is a cheesy, typical, romantic, chick flick movie, but I still love it.  It is basically a play off of the original Cinderella movie, but focused more on a modern day scenario.  Sam Montgomery (Hilary Duff) lives her life for everyone else.  Her dad died as a little girl, and she was then forced to live with her evil step-mom and step-sisters.  They, of course, make her life terrible.  The only thing that gets her from day to day is the fact that she has a secret email relationship with an unknown fellow student (Chad Michael Murry).  What Sam doesn't know is, the guy she has been emailing is really football captain, Austin Ames.  The movie is really funny and cute.  I would definitely recommend it for girls who love classic romantic movies.  I would give it 4 out of 5 stars for its ability to make a classic fairy tale relatable to modern girls.

There really wasn't a lot of interesting camera techniques or angles in the movie.  During this one scene at the Halloween dance, the camera gave a bird's eye view of the dance floor scene.  I thought this was really interesting because the audience was able to see all of the cool costumes from a high above angle.  Also, in another scene, the camera showed a long, narrow shot of Sam walking through the hallways with all these people making fun of her from behind.  This is a key scene because the way it was shot shows how Sam is compared to the rest of the world.  It is used to show how out of place she feels.  This movie reminds me a lot of the movie Sydney White with Amanda Bynes.  That movie is supposed to be based off of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.  Again, like a Cinderella Story, the movie modernizes a classic fairy tale story.  Both have a happy ending where the guy gets the girl. 

One key scene that really stood out to me was when Sam and Austin are dancing together at the Halloween dance.  They were outside alone in this really pretty gazebo with flowers all around.  Music was playing and it was just the two of them.  They were dancing and playing 10 questions to see if Austin could guess who Sam really was.  At the time, he still didn't know who she was since she was wearing a mask.  It was a really cute scene in the movie and it allowed the audience to see how the two interacted face to face versus email to email.  Also, the camera sort of spun around the gazebo while they danced, focusing only on the two of them.  It was a scenic setting and made for a good part of the movie.

Overall, I really enjoyed watching this movie.  If interested after reading this post, check out the movie trailer...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBkrUVRoAY8

'30s BLOG POST

Hit or Miss is a story of a woman's dream.  The plot of the movie revolves around the life of Sara Ruth (Ginger Rogers).  As a kid, Ruth's father taught her everything she knew about baseball.  However, she grew up in a society where baseball is limited to only men.  She was then forced to follow the norm, and eventually she becomes a journalist.  Now, after interviewing famous baseball player, Henry Andrews (Cary Grant), she is brought back to her roots and her love for the sport.  I think this story would work well for a film in 1935 because it relates to the traditional times of America, back before technology and social media popularity.  I feel like baseball, being America's favorite pastime, would be a fitting topic for a movie.  The style for the movie is simple.  The message of the movie is to follow dreams.  Ruth, throughout the movie, is challenged with what she is "supposed" to do versus what she truly wants to do with her life.  The movie promotes the concept of following your heart no matter what the consequences are.  

Hit or Miss would be a lovable comedy with a hint of romance, and it would be for all ages.  I believe this genre is perfect for the 1930s because comedy was still really popular back then, but also more romance movies were being made.  The combination of both is destined to be a hit.  The comical aspect of the movie would come from the dialogue and causal conversations.  The romance would come from the love that would arise between Sara Ruth and Henry Andrews.  Their love for baseball would ultimately lead to a love for each other.  The studio involved with this movie is 20th Century Fox.  I chose this studio because they are known for doing comedies.  Hit or Miss would be a large scale production because 20th Century Fox has come out with some big name movies in the past.  Also, the goal of the movie would be for it to appeal to the audience more than have it please critics.

The cast consists of the main characters, who are Ginger Rogers and Cary Grant.  Then, there is Charles Coburn, who will play the Coach of Henry Andrews.  I chose this cast because they all starred in the movie Monkey Business.  That movie was a romantic comedy, so I figured the cast would be fitting and the actors would work well together.  Also, Ginger Rogers was ranked #2 in top comedians during that time, so she would be perfect for the movies.  The director would be Howard Hawks, who also directed Monkey Business.  He was chosen because he was part of the Monkey Business lineup, but he also has done many movies with 20th Century Fox.  Sound would be the main focus in Hit or Miss.  The sound editor would be Thomas T. Moulton.  He was chosen because he is a famous sound editor and has worked with the cast before.

The Hays Code affects the movie because the director wouldn't be allowed to show any extreme or risque romance scenes.  Even though Ruth and Andrews fall in love, the kissing must be tasteful and limited due to the code.  Also, there was going to be this scene where Henry Andrews gets beat up by some other baseball players and therefore cannot play in the game.  Sara Ruth was supposed to then take over for him.  However, because of the Hays Code, the beat up scene couldn't be shown in the movie.  Our movie wouldn't need any real advanced technology.  The setting would mainly take place at the baseball field, which is outside.  Any lighting or special effects would be a small amount.  There isn't a lot of disagreements I had with my group.  I feel like all together we came up with an interesting and fun movie.  If I could change one thing, it would be that I would make the movie more inspirational and less comical.  Because the movie is going to be made in the 1930s when the Great Depression is happening, I think an inspirational about dreams and baseball would really give people hope and make the movie more enjoyable.  Overall, Hit or Miss would be a fantastic film!

MYST POST #2:  21 Jump Street

I recently watched the movie 21 Jump Street and even though I have seen it many times, I never get bored of seeing it.  The main characters in the movie are played by Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum.  Together, the two make the perfect pair.  The movie is about these two cops who go undercover at a high school in order to infiltrate drug dealers.  They experience the differences of modern day high school from when they were teenagers.  As the movie goes on, the main characters (Schmidt and Jenko) learn about who they really are as people and realize the importance of friendship.  It is a comedy and an action movie, which makes it that much better.  Tatum and Hill provide the right about of humor.  Hill is more of the nerdy, clumsy guy, where Tatum is built, strong, and athletic.  Their performances are hilarious and anyone who loves a good comedy should definitely see this movie.  I would give this movie 4.5 out of 5 stars because the plot was exciting and the comedy aspect of the movie was really enjoyable to laugh.

 

The directors, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, use a lot of interesting techniques and camera angles.  During one of the major end fight scenes, the shots go into a slow motion pace.  This ultimately has the effect of adding comedy to the scene, while also allowing the audience to see each individual thing that is happening.  During another scene, the camera pans out to an extreme long shot where the audience has a full length view of the house Schmidt and Jenko are staying at.  The scene includes the characters completing chores such as taking out the trash or mowing the lawn.  The reason why this camera angle is effective is because it allows for the audience to see the setting of the house.  However, the scene is also really funny to watch because we are watching two grown men doing household chores for their mom.  Overall, I thought that the directors did a great job of using special editing and stylistic techniques.  Here is a link to the yard scene I was talking about above....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTFL1E3wU58

One specific scene that stood out to me was when Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill are forced to use the drugs that the dealers at the high school are selling.  Since they are "undercover", they are forced to try and fit in with the cool people at the high school and ultimately find the drug dealers.  In one scene, they actually have to use the drugs themselves.  The scene shows the sequential effects of the drugs, some of which include being super hyper and hallucinating.  The scene is hilarious because it flips back and forth from how the drugs affect Hill to how the drugs affect Tatum.  Hill ends up going on stage in front of a drama class and belts out a song, while Tatum barges into the band room and begins banging on percussion symbols.  At the end of the scene, the drugs cause them to fall wherever they into an instant deep sleep.  This scene definitely worked because it allowed the audience a preview of how the drugs worked and it provided a lot of comedy.

The pairing of Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum reminded me a lot of the pairing of Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson in the movie Wedding Crashers.  Vaughn, like Tatum, is a big tall guy who has a unique sense of humor.  Wilson, like Hill, is more on the shorter and skinner side.  They come together in the movie and make a good comical duo.  Also, the movie 21 Jump Street is similar to to the movie So Undercover, with Miley Cyrus.  In that movie, she is also a detective that goes undercover as a college student.  I think the undercover movies are really funny because the audience gets to see how these characters attempt to have normal teenage lives.  They are forced to "fit in with society" and take on more juvenile characters.  I know that the sequel, 22 Jump Street, is coming out soon and I can't wait to go see that. 

FORMAL FILM STUDY

Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Wanted, and the Bourne Supremacy

                I love action movies and that is why I chose to do my formal film study on the genre of action.  After watching each action movie, I definitely saw some similarities and some differences.  Overall, the style of each movie was comparable in that suspense was a key aspect.  There were multiple scenes where everything was fast pace and some character was either being attacked or chased.  The editing as well was done so that the audience felt as if they were running right alongside each character.  It made the fight scenes cooler and more realistic.  Wanted and the Bourne Supremacy were both made my Universal Studios, however, Mr. and Mrs. Smith was done by Fox.  Each movie has a different director, but no matter what the style is still similar because it mimics a typical action-type movie.  Also, all of these movies were made in the 2000s, so the timing in Hollywood was relevant and similar.

                The sound and special effects were really interesting in all three movies.   Because they are action movies, guns are key weapons that are used and are present throughout each scene.  The special effects of people getting shot or people standing on top of buildings makes the movies more thrilling. 

There was this awesome scene in Wanted where Angelina Jolie was in a car chase.  She ends up having to lay on top of the car in order to shoot the bad guys behind her.  While this seems totally unrealistic, it was an exciting effect/scene of the movie.  Also, many scenes in all three of the movies used slow motion during fight scenes to emphasize the fighting.  Because the movie Wanted is about assassins who can curve bullets, many of the slow motion techniques were used to show the bullets actually being shot through the air.  Not that many other action movies had that effect.  Jeffrey Lyles gives a positive review of the movie Wanted on Rotten Tomatoes.  He believes that “director Timur Bekmambetov pumps the volume on the action up to 12 with unique angles including a slow motion look at a bullet’s path to its target, certainly providing that “whoa…cool!” reaction he wants from the audience” (http://lylesmoviefiles.com/2013/08/17/review-wanted-2008/#more-12129).

To reiterate, the common theme in each of the three movies was being mainly about teams of well-trained assassins.  With respect to culture, the fact that these movies were made all around the same time period says something about our society.  Crime rates have been on the rise for the last couple of years and more violence is prevalent day to day.  Action movies aren’t just about “defeating the bad guys” anymore.  These movies took audience members into the world of killers and the way assassin are trained to think and act.  The messages in the movies certainly aren’t promoting the use of violence; it is still just for entertainment.  However, I think it is interesting that the movies are so fitting for the way our society is nowadays.  Plus, it makes each movie more relatable.  Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Wanted don’t really relate to politics that much.  In Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt were both part of a secret assassin companies.  In Wanted, James McAvoy gets recruited also to be a part of a secret society of assassins.  The rest of America can’t and doesn’t seem to have knowledge about each team of killers.  However, in the movie the Bourne Supremacy, the government is actually getting involved to track down the main assassin and character.  The Bourne Supremacy came out a couple of years after 9/11.  While the movie had nothing to do with foreign terrorism, it is still based on the subject of killing people.  I can definitely see some correlations with these action movies and what is going on in the outside world.

 

                The camera work in all three movies was very well done.  The directors would have extreme close ups on people’s faces during intense scenes to display their reactions and emotions.  Also, there would be long shots to show important fight scenes or action sequences.  Each movie had a major car chase scene in it where the camera would follow along with the cars.  This had the effect of making the chase seem more realistic and it made the audience feel as if they were a part of the scene too.  In Mr. and Mrs. Smith, people attack the Smith household and it leads to this big fight scene.  In the end, there house end up exploding with fire and everything.  The long shot camera angle used during this scene was helpful in that it allowed us to see how the shooting and fighting affected the outside setting, such as their house (which was completely destroyed).  However, they are assassins and didn’t seem to care that much about the explosion.

                Throughout each movie, my main “discovery” was the use of sound and music and how it enhanced the style of the movies.  For example, there was a scene at the end of Wanted where there was absolutely no sound or music and the camera allowed the audience only to see a close up of the back of this guy’s head.  Then, all of a sudden you hear the sound of a gun being loaded and the audience immediately knows that someone has a gun on the guy.  The sounds used during that scene provided the right amount of suspense for the audience to feel shock and surprise.  In general, all three movies incorporated thrilling, dark music to keep the audience interested and alert.  During the most intense scenes, little to no music played for the effect of keeping people on the edge of their seats in anticipation.  During the fighting scenes, there would be loud, pounding music to emphasize the build-up and importance of the action that was taking place.

                Overall, I thought the three movies I watched were unique and interesting in their own way.  They all had a lot of cool special effects and scenes that made them appealing to watch.  Action movies in general are griping and exciting.  If fight scenes are tastefully done, they end up having an awesome effect.  I would definitely recommend any one of these movies.