Hot Fuzz (2007)

Film: Hot Fuzz
Release: 2007, theatrical
Starring: Nick Frost, Simon Pegg
Directed by: Edgar Wright
Previous in the series: Shaun of the Dead
Next in the series: The World's End
IMDB page: Link opens in a new window
Description: Ace police officer Nicholas Angel is sent to the sleepy English village of Sandford because he's so talented that he makes the other officers in London look bad by comparison. There, what should have been an uneventful stationing turns out to uncover that the village of Sandford may not be as innocent as it appears.

Hans' thoughts:

Two things that British entertainment is known for is really good comedy and really good crime stories. So obviously they will be brought together from time to time and so they have in "Hot Fuzz" - The tale of an overqualified police officer who has to deal with one of the weirdest mysteries a small town in England can offer.  Following the success of "Shaun of the Dead", writer/director Edgar Wright brings back comedy duo of Nick Frost and Simon Pegg in the second installment of what would later be called "The Cornetto trilogy". A series of film not connected by narrative but by the reference to Cornetto Ice Cream throughout all three, well that's one way to ensure a marketing deal. 

Hot Fuzz is not only a funny movie when it comes to the dialogue, tons of little snippets of information and running gags are thrown into the movie that you might not all catch up on in the first viewing, this makes the movie rewatchable i close succession without it being redundant which is something you don't see happening to a lot of movies - it's definitely not something I would call a common goal of film directors. Another thing you'll notice right away is also the editing, the film deals in very rapid editing which results in making every scene seem heart pumping - even if the main character is just doing paperwork in the police station. The movie also has that distinct Anchorman quality to it, being extremely quotable and littered with hilarious and memorable moments. I also have to commend the writing for this one, a lot of comedies relies on the excuse that something just kinda happens but in this film everything has a setup and everything is kept tabs on throughout the tale. You will definitely be missing out if you don't pay attention while watching this.

All main characters are also given their own character arcs, as well as even some of the fairly minor ones. Characters will learn to doubt everything they thought they knew and it's all delivered incredibly well by a cast that may not be starstudded but is very talented and manages to deliver even the smallest jokes with timing only backed up further by the editing. The way jokes are set up is almost reminiscent of a sketch comedy show or a really well-written sitcom. Some jokes are thrown at you in rapid succession while others are set up and very carefully executed. Hot Fuzz is in conclusion a very funny and over-the-top take on the action movie genre and the knack for mysteries. With a genuinely surprising twist as well as a great cast of actors the film is for anyone who likes a good laugh, and who doesn't?

Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix (2007)

Film: Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix
Release: 2007, Theatrical
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint
Directed by: David Yates
Previous in the series: Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire
Next in the series: Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince
IMDB page: Link opens in a new window
Description: When Harry and his muggle-cousin Dudley are attacked by Dementors, Harry is expelled from Hogwarts for fending them off - underaged wizards aren't allowed to use magic outside of school.

Hans' thoughts:

Here we are, the fifth story of the bunch. Like Prisoner of Azkaban, this had a lot of potential for basing the movie on a main theme. No, this movie actually takes after Goblet of Fire. Only the quality has started to not only fall into blandness, but stagnate. Granted, being true to the source material is more important than anything - but making the movie actually enjoyable to watch should be deemed just a important. Order of the Phoenix is a story about trust, standing up for your values and learning how to rely on the help of others. It's a pretty good morale, and had the movie delved into the story's theme as much as Azkaban did, there could have been something great here.

Unfortunately the movie just seems to blurt out an abridged version of the book of sorts. These are the most important moments from the book - read it if you care to learn more. I have to say that I suspect the character of Grawp wouldn't even have been introduced had he not been a part of the story's climax. This story also does the same thing I liked so much about Azkaban - to a lesser extent. Whereas in Azkaban, the villain was merely a result of Voldemort in this movie Voldemort himself appears yet again for the final battle. Although through most of the movie the more immediate threat is that of Dolores Umbridge, the newly appointed high inquisitor of Hogwarts delegated by The Ministry of Magic.

In the book, Umbridge has a lot of facets that makes her a complete character, from her insane devotion to the Minister of Magic, her sadistic nature, to her ultimate driving force being that of order - inspiring such 'charming' aspects as actually being downright racist towards magical creatures. This is sort of acknowledged in the movie, but it doesn't really drive the point home as much as I had hoped. Dolores Umbridge is a pretty obvious caricature of the former Prime minister of England - Margaret Thatcher. 

So the whole issue of the movie is as such: Voldemort has returned in full force. Of course, the only one that actually witnessed his return was Harry himself. Meaning that now the ministry of magic is too comfortable with peace to believe him and he has to deal with the pressure of everyone considering him a liar. This could have been a great movie about dealing with that, the whole thing could have been based on the nature of trust because the original story was so grounded in that concept. Everyone's trust gets tested in this story, and they could have gone so far with it.

So that's the movies biggest fault, it tried way too hard to just play it safe and do whatever happened in the book without questioning why. The movie is all presentation and no substance.

Ghost Rider (2007)

Film: Ghost Rider
Release: 2007, theatrical
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, James Fonda
Directed by: Mark Steven Johnson
Alternate versions: Theatrical/Extended
IMDB page: Link opens in a new window
Description: The young stunt biker Johnny Blaze, makes a deal with a stranger when he finds out his father may be dying of cancer.

Hans' thoughts:

This is one of those "notorious" superhero movies. One that got a really bad rap when it came out and was then completely forgotten shartly thereafter. Personally, I've found myself enjoying this movie in spite of it's many faults. Nicolas Cage is the main reason for that. He's one of those actors that seems like he'll take any acting job he can and he always does his best. This has of course resulted in him being in some very infamous movies, and critics are never really that kind to the guy. To me it's apparent that he does his job and he does it well, but he'll probably not be an actor that goes down in history and will be remembered as more as a fan favorite. The other actors also seem like they really do what they can with what they've been given - except for James Fonda who kinda seems.. bored. I guess he had hoped for an action scene.The delivery of some lines is also very awkward to say the least, here I'm especially noticing the actor playing the character Blackheart - Wes Bentley. Visually, this movie has some really great moments, a star example when Mephistopheles meets Young Johnny Blaze in the fair tent for the first time, a thunderstorm has a lightning strike that lits up the tent and the shadow of Mephistopheles is a crooked demonic figure. The special effects around the title character are the best of the movie, taking cues from 80 Heavy Metal culture like the comic book version most likely did. There are also some plotholes here and there, at some point in the movie the main character rides through the desert as the Ghost Rider and it is a visually awesome scene, however next we see him he has for unexplained reasons changed back into human form. It slows down the movie and seems awkward and I suspect this was not in the theatrical version of the film. All in all, I enjoyed this movie. It does however, has a lot of flaws. If you can look past the plethora of flaws there should at the very least be idle entertainment for even non-comic book fans.

Hellboy: Blood & Iron (2007)

Film: Hellboy: Blood & Iron
Release: TV, 2007
Starring: Selma Blair, Ron Perlman, John Hurt
Directed by: Victor Cook, Tad Stones
IMDB Page: Link opens in a new window
Description: The BPRD (Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense) is called out to a haunted house owned by a well-known casino owner and friend of the senator controlling the funds of the bureau. At first, seemingly a simple publicity stunt to get guests for the intended hotel, Hellboy and friends soon realise there is more to this affair than meets the eye.

Hans' thoughts:

Hellboy has always been linked together cloesly with classic hroor and Lovecraftian horror and in this story we get a little bit of both. Being a sort-of follow up to the live action movies, this movie features the voices of all of the orignal actors. Most of them do their job nicely, but I have to say that Ron Perlmans voice can be a bit too stiff at times. This being a TV movie, budget cuts have probably been made and at times reuse of character models can be a bit too obvious. Fortunately, the story is top notch and the action of the movie follows through. All the characters look like they're supposed to and are recognizable in this form. At times, this movie attempts comedy however and it really falls flat on it's back. In the end though, this is an enjoyable movie.