Last night I watched two movies: Gattica and Drive Angry.
Gattica was a
movie of ideas and message, a near future science fiction story with a very Brave New World feel. The main character, Ethan Hawke, is born the
old fashioned way in a world that is becoming increasingly focused on genetic
engineering and eugenics. As a “non-valid,” the Hawke character is deemed fit
for only manual or menial labor, but he dreams of more and ‘buys’ the identity
of a “Valid.”
Drive Angry was
almost a live action cartoon. The main character, Nicholas Cage, escapes from
hell to save his granddaughter from being used in a Satanic ritual to bring
hell to earth. There are fast cars,
gratuitous nudity, and various numbers of explosions and gory deaths. Cage teams up with a young woman who is
driving a 440 Magnum Charger, and is pursued by “the Accountant,” who is the
death character and who wants to return Cage to hell.
I liked both movies. On
the down side, Gattica was quite slow
moving and made the future look very staid, boring, and respectable. Maybe that will be true; I don’t know. Drive
Angry had some pretty ridiculous looking special effects during the
climactic battle scene. Generally,
though, both movies met the goal of keeping me interested.
Overall, I have to say I enjoyed Drive Angry a little more.
And one reason was the young female co-star. Besides exhibiting the required level of
attractiveness, she got the best lines in the movie and could conduct herself
believably in a fight. In fact, she
voiced what has now become my current favorite tough “guy” line in the movies. When the villain told her in his southern
drawl that: “I’m going to kill you, and then desecrate your corpse.” She responded with, “Well, between now and
then, I’m gonna fuck you up.”
Now there’s a line I wish I’d written.
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I got a huge kick out of DRIVE ANGRY and hoped there'd be a sequel. No such luck, I guess.
ReplyDeleteSeems drive Angry is a movie perfect for relieve some stress and having fun
ReplyDeleteI just can't take any movie with Nicholas Cage seriously. I liked Gattaca when I saw it though. I like slow sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed Drive Angry, baby. It seemed up your alley. ;)
ReplyDeleteSnappy comeback, all right. I enjoy movie and TV dialogue where the characters you like get those lines. In the mouth of a villain, they make you hate them even more.
ReplyDeleteDrive Angry sounds as if it has possibilities. I haven't had much time for movies lately, but I did get to see Hunger Games when on vacation
ReplyDeleteGattica was almost too slow and bleak for me. Drive Angry was dumb but fun. Sometimes, I just want to be entertained.
ReplyDeletei'm 100% with patti, cage is a clown whose only claim to fame is his director/producer uncle....
ReplyDeleteIt's been a long time since I say Gattaca, but I recall liking it. Drive Angry, on the other hand, I really loved. Even bought it, which is a rare thing for me to do.
ReplyDeleteBill, no sequel so far anyway. Though it seemed set up for a sequel.
ReplyDeleteDeka, definitely good for that.
Patti, I don't know. I don't feel one way or the other about Cage. His name neither draws me, nor drives me away from a movie.
Lana, hum, up my alley eh? I guess we'll see.
Ron, most dialogue is so insipid in both movies and books that it's nice to see something that catches your attention.
Sage, I want to see Hunger games but I bought the book so want to read that first.
Alex, Gattica intrigued me but it will never be on my top list of SF films.
Laughingwolf, he does seem prett one dimensional but I don't really have any feelings one way or the other about him.
Chris, Gattaca might bear watching again because I probably missed things. I'd watch Drive Angry again just for that line about "fuck you up."
I haven't watched any sci-fi in quite some time, so I'll be on the lookout for Gattaca.
ReplyDeleteDrive Angry is one movie I can't get enough of.
I really liked the character of The Accountant, but Billy Burke's portrayal of a higly psychotic cult leader pretty much leaves everyone else's in the dust.
I haven't seen Drive angry yet, but I remember I thought Gattaca was one of Hollywood's better attempts at serious science fiction. I realize that might not be saying much, but I did enjoy it. I'll need to catch Drive Angry.
ReplyDeleteG. B., yeah, I liked the Accountant a lot too. But you're right, the cult leader guy was really good in the character.
ReplyDeleteKeith, yeah, Gattica was better than most in that the corporate nature of Hollywood didn't destroy the ideas at its core.
Dude i am sorry to inform you that if you have a true 440 you don't need a movie to have a fine woman riding with you.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. That is a great line. :)
ReplyDeleteMark,it worked pretty well for a friend of mine who had a 440 when we were teenagers.
ReplyDeleteBernard, indeed!
Drive Angry sounds like one long car chase with plenty of accidents and road rage galore. Not my kind. Haven't cared much for SciFi since the H. G. Wells movie of the 30's, which title escapes me.
ReplyDeleteCharles, thanks for the reviews. I think I'd like DRIVE ANGRY more, equally so for Nicholas Cage. It sounds more interesting.
ReplyDeleteI like the sound of the premise for Gattica--it can be interesting to see how near-future SF compares to the present.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reviews!
These are a couple of flicks that flew below my radar. The second one is one that I probably would want to see.
ReplyDeleteyeah, great line
ReplyDeleteHave a GREAT Week
Aloha from Waikiki,
Comfort Spiral
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I haven't seen either of those yet-though I have meant to.
ReplyDeleteAnd I feel you when it comes to the "I wish I wrote that,".
Oscar, war of the worlds, maybe? Great movie.
ReplyDeletePrashant, i like a movie that gives me something, even a line, I haven't heard before.
Golden Eagle, It was good. I generally like my SF a little further future but it as evocative.
X-Dell, I might have picked you for a Gattica type of fellow.
Cloudia, and you.
David J., sometime I'll put up a whole post of "I wish I'd written that."
Wasn't Nicholas Cage recently in another film where he drove a motorcycle and his head burst into flames? Oh, I checked, it's Ghost Rider. Anyway, he seems to have something of a niche in this cinematic area.
ReplyDeleteBoth sound pretty cool, thanks for the "double take."
ReplyDeleteYour assessment of Gattica matches mine. I saw it years ago. It seemed rather bleak to me. Didn't see Drive Angry.
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