Gravity vs. White House Down
So I'm reading A
Storm of Swords now and it's taking a bit longer than I anticipated. I've
decided to create a new segment wherein I compare two genre movies that I have
seen recently and declare a winner, just to give you guys something to read in the meantime. I saw Gravity in 3D with a friend of mine, and
then we decided to sneak into the late session of White House Down, by the guy who made Independence Day. Not going to bother with plot synopses, you can
use Wikipedia for that shiz.
Only one
movie can walk away victorious, so here goes:
Gravity
(2013)
Australian
film critic, David Stratton, called this the best science-fiction movie since 2001: A Space Odyssey. I don't know
about that, but fuck me, Gravity was
amazing.
I got into a semi-argument with someone on Facebook over the merits of this movie, which started because I suggested to a person, who didn't like it, that they should have seen it in 3D. The reply was along the lines of 'If a movie needs 3D to be good, it's not a good movie', which sort of reeks of pretentiousness to me, but hey, it takes all kinds to run the world.
The point I was trying to make is that Gravity is all about the spectacle. The visual effects are amazing-- it actually feels like you are in space. Sure there is some clunky dialogue, and critics are taking some supreme umbrage with the whole 'getting over loss' subplot (which isn't as bad as they make out), but you can't win them all, and I had a great time.
Gravity is a gorgeous and intense movie. The tension sort of grips you and just keeps on running for ninety minutes.
Oh and Bullock is actually kind of sublime in this. I'm not usually a fan, but in Gravity she has this amazing sort of presence that feels real when it needs to be and angelic when it needs to be. Clooney is good too, but I'm harbouring a little man-crush on him, so I think he's good in everything (especially movies that contain the words, 'From', 'Dusk', and 'Dawn', in the title).
I got into a semi-argument with someone on Facebook over the merits of this movie, which started because I suggested to a person, who didn't like it, that they should have seen it in 3D. The reply was along the lines of 'If a movie needs 3D to be good, it's not a good movie', which sort of reeks of pretentiousness to me, but hey, it takes all kinds to run the world.
The point I was trying to make is that Gravity is all about the spectacle. The visual effects are amazing-- it actually feels like you are in space. Sure there is some clunky dialogue, and critics are taking some supreme umbrage with the whole 'getting over loss' subplot (which isn't as bad as they make out), but you can't win them all, and I had a great time.
Gravity is a gorgeous and intense movie. The tension sort of grips you and just keeps on running for ninety minutes.
Oh and Bullock is actually kind of sublime in this. I'm not usually a fan, but in Gravity she has this amazing sort of presence that feels real when it needs to be and angelic when it needs to be. Clooney is good too, but I'm harbouring a little man-crush on him, so I think he's good in everything (especially movies that contain the words, 'From', 'Dusk', and 'Dawn', in the title).
White
House Down (2013)
This
is the latest from Roland Emmerich who you can tell jizzes in his pants over Destruction Caught On Tape television
shows. This really is a ridiculous movie, but it's one that is so ridiculous
that it's fun. Expect gunfights, explosions and so-bad-its-good writing.
One thing that really stands out is a motif of the saying 'The pen is mightier than the sword', whereby the nicotine gum chewing President (played by Jamie Foxx) believes that political change can be achieved by the pen, and the antagonist believes that power and violence (the sword) is actually the only thing that leads to significant change. The two engage in debate about this throughout the movie, and to give you an idea of just how ridiculous White House Down gets, at one point the President of the United States stabs the antagonist with a pen whilst shouting "I choose the pen!" I'm not sure whether Emmerich realises the irony in this statement and is playfully satirising the American action-movie, or whether it's supposed to be genuine, but it's all part of the charm.
White House Down is American action-movie crap, but it's entertaining and it's rather conventionally shot (no shaky cam or quick zooms), which is refreshing.
One thing that really stands out is a motif of the saying 'The pen is mightier than the sword', whereby the nicotine gum chewing President (played by Jamie Foxx) believes that political change can be achieved by the pen, and the antagonist believes that power and violence (the sword) is actually the only thing that leads to significant change. The two engage in debate about this throughout the movie, and to give you an idea of just how ridiculous White House Down gets, at one point the President of the United States stabs the antagonist with a pen whilst shouting "I choose the pen!" I'm not sure whether Emmerich realises the irony in this statement and is playfully satirising the American action-movie, or whether it's supposed to be genuine, but it's all part of the charm.
White House Down is American action-movie crap, but it's entertaining and it's rather conventionally shot (no shaky cam or quick zooms), which is refreshing.
You
Should Go And See...
Gravity.
Gravity is the hands-down winner here. There is just
no way you can beat the visual effects in this film, or the unbelievable
tension created by such a simple idea, magnificently executed.
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