REVIEW: "In the Heart of the Sea"

Many of us, especially those in school, have read the tale of "Moby Dick", the iconic story by Herman Melville that tells the tale of Captain Ahab relentlessly trying to kill a white sperm whale, which destroyed his previous voyage and cut off his leg below the knee. It's a story that we've seen in countless parodies and re-adaptations throughout the last century, but director Ron Howard ("Apollo 13" and "A Beautiful Mind") took it upon himself to create a different version of the "Moby Dick" story and took from the pages of real life. Instead of adapting the famous novel, Howard opted to remaking the true story that inspired "Moby Dick" for the big screen. Does it hold any water or will it violently sink like the ship featured in the film? A little bit of both to be honest.

"In the Heart of the Sea" stars Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy and Tom Holland and is directed by Ron Howard. In the film, sailor Thomas Nickerson, played by Brendan Gleeson, recounts the story of First Mate Owen Chase (Chris Hemsworth), Captain George Pollard, Jr. (Benjamin Walker) and his crew, facing off against an angry bull sperm whale that tore their ship apart, to a young Herman Melville (Ben Whishaw), who would later write the story of "Moby Dick" based on Nickerson's story. Thankfully, under Ron Howard's direction, the film's standard yet traditional style of storytelling never felt contrived or tiring as the story progresses with its cast giving wonderful performances mixed with some breathtaking cinematography and visual effects. Chris Hemsworth continues to be a great leading man and Ron Howard never fails to bring hard-hitting dramatic moments, making the film one of the most heart-wrenching dramas of 2015. It is an epic tale that is both beautiful and haunting.

In 2013, Chris Hemsworth and Ron Howard collaborated together for the first time in the film "Rush", which centered on the rivalry between two race car drivers. Now in 2015, it seems that they both have done something even more incredible. Although the portrayed character of First Mate Owen Chase is something we've seen plenty of times before, Hemsworth brings his charm and physicality into his role and really sells every emotion and hardship this man is facing. Chase is a man of survival in this film and Hemsworth effortlessly portrays a man struggling to keep himself and his stranded crew alive. Without spoiling anything about the film (although this is a true story so if you've read any articles about these men, there really wouldn't be any surprises for you in this film), Hemsworth has really broken himself to play the role of Chase for the film. Bringing out the physicality of a man desperately trying to survive on the silver screen is definitely no easy task. In all, Hemsworth, while not having the most spot on accent in the film, was absolutely magnetic and was a driving force that kept the film sailing high and mighty.

Luckily, Chris Hemsworth was not the only one in the film giving one heck of a performance. Virtually everyone in the supporting cast gives it their all and really makes us believe the turmoils they are going through on this perilous journey. The one surprising performance that caught me completely by surprise was from actor Tom Holland, who many of you know will be playing Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Holland, who plays a younger Thomas Nickerson, brought a sense of innocence and youth into the film and stole every moment he was on screen. Usually having an actor so young in a film like this would end up being a disaster, but Holland, having the right balance of maturity and adolescence, helped pave the film's way to greatness. However, while the rest of the cast, including Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy and more, gave realistic performances, they aren't quite as memorable as Hemsworth and Holland was. The rivalry between Hemsworth and Walker's character was one of the more intriguing parts of the film but the rest of the sailors on the ship are sadly mostly forgettable and end up being nothing but whale fodder. While Holland and Walker shine through the rest of the supporting cast, the other sailors on the Essex were unfortunately not as memorable or interesting as the other characters, which does make certain events down the line less intense and heartbreaking.

Ron Howard's traditional style of storytelling is rather effective, for the most part. There is a common theme throughout the film about how man cannot do anything to stop the force of nature. We as men are powerless against the great impact of the ocean's waves and against a creature that's bigger than life itself. Howard depicts a grand sense of scale, which, although looking very computer generated at times, is quite powerful. It was a perfect balance of suspense and awe. I would say that the film does take a long time to get started however. The first act of the film was not as engaging as the 2nd and 3rd acts as they started spearing down these whales. It isn't until the giant bull sperm whale appears that the film actually becomes engaging, which is definitely something they should have worked on in the script. Unlike films like "Jaws" or "Jurassic Park" where they hide the monsters or creature for suspense, "In the Heart of the Sea" never has that sense of suspense when the creature is not on screen. When the whale appears and attacks the boats, it's very frightening, but every time it goes back into the depth and doesn't show its face, we never feel its presence. That sense of something lurking somewhere in the depths that "Jaws" captured so well is sadly not present in this film. However, Ron Howard didn't shy away from tackling very difficult scenes in a masterful way. The final act of this film is hard to watch but also just so incredibly beautiful at the same time, which is something only directors like Ron Howard could achieve.

While the pacing and scripting of "In the Heart of the Sea" weren't perfect, the jaw-dropping special effects more than compensate for the film's flaws. It creates a beautiful sense of wonder mixed with terrifying and haunting visuals. The whales in the film look absolutely fantastic and are a just glorious to see on the big screen. The special effects team captures the weight/scale of these majestic creatures in a tremendous ways and seeing them crashing and attacking these 19th century boats was something out of a "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie, but not in a cheesy sense. The camera work and the CGI painted some of the most gorgeous and ominous pictures we've seen in 2015, however I do feel like the film did look very artificial at times. There were moments where the whales looked extremely realistic and other times where we can clearly see that their skins are a little too smooth to be real. I wished some of the effects could have been a little more polished in the end product but those were only mere moments in the film so it didn't distract from the overall film too much.

Although this won't be a modern classic, Ron Howard's "In the Heart of the Sea" is an entertaining yet painful [in a good way] film to watch with stellar performances from its remarkable cast and beautiful cinematography and special effects that compliment the story in a beautiful way. As mentioned before, some of the film does have a problem with pacing and underusing some of its supporting characters to make them more memorable or relatable, but the cast, cinematography, direction, special effects and messages of the film were all done beautifully. Is it a perfect film? No. Is it one I would recommend seeing? Yes. Definitely, yes. I'd give "In the Heart of the Sea" a 7 out of 10.

Go see it now in IMAX 3D, 3D, and 2D!

Buy tickets now: http://www.fandango.com/intheheartofthesea_178191/movietimes

My Experience on "SHIN GODZILLA" ("GODZILLA RESURGENCE")

Some of my readers may know that I was away for a few months, working as a production assistant on a film in Tokyo, Japan. Now that I am back home in New York City, I'm able to continue writing for this blog as I have month before. So for my first post back from Japan, I would like to tell everyone what I've been up to.

From August 1st to November 13th, I worked for 93 days as a production assistant on the upcoming film "Shin Godzilla" ("Godzilla Resurgence") at Toho Studios, mostly with the special effects department. There, I have experienced and witnessed so many amazing things. Things I've only seen in behind-the-scenes featurettes on DVD extras and on YouTube. It was there that I saw my childhood hero, the king of monster Godzilla, spring to life before my very eyes. Seeing him look up to the sky and roar sent chills down my spine. It was a sense of awe and wonder that I have never felt before. During the time I spent with the special effects team, I have encountered so many incredible artists, who are all at the top of their game. Being around them every single day and seeing how much passion they bring to every single set piece in the film, really made me appreciate the Godzilla films even more than I already have. Although working for months without breaks and adjusting to a language and culture that I am not entirely familiar with was exasperating, all the pain and stress that I've felt on set was worth it in the end to make an outstanding product. I am so proud to have been part of such a legendary film and to have met so many skilled and talented masters of their craft. The experience I had working on this film will, without a doubt, become useful in the future as I prepare myself to become a film director. But as a Godzilla fan, I felt euphoric every single day I was on set. The word "happy" can not explicitly describe the exact emotions I was feeling as I said "Good morning" and "Goodnight" to Godzilla when entering and exiting the studio. I have never felt more happy in my entire life. 

I truly do want to thank the staff of "Godzilla Resurgence" for making a loving Godzilla fan the happiest man on Earth. I am truly indebted to each and every one of them for changing my life in only 4 months. Thank you to everyone working on "Godzilla Resurgence"!

And now that my journey as a staff member on the film has come to an end, you can all expect my usual movie reviews, news and other related entries back on this blog. Thank you all for being patient with me.

The Dialogue is coming back!

-Yoko Higuchi

ANNOUNCEMENT: My Time As A Production Assistant In Japan

Dear Readers, 

Some of you may have realized that I haven’t been posting as much as I have been before. The rest for this is because I am currently in Japan working as a production assistant on a movie here. I am working in Toho Studios for an upcoming film that I am not allowed to reveal just yet. Because I’ll be here working in Tokyo, Japan for the next few months, I won’t be able to post as much as I would like.

However, when I see an upcoming film in Japan, I will post a review of it. The release dates are a little different here so please bare with the lateness for some of the reviews. I won’t be able to see the trainwreck that is “Fantastic Four” until October or the new Guy Ritchie film “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” until November. It pains me to see all these films so late but I hope you all will bare with me and still read my reviews. 

Thank you all for sticking with my blog and once I come back to my home in New York City in December, I will finally be able to reveal what I’ve been working on and will be back to my regular routine. 

Thanks everyone.

 -Yoko Higuchi

Wes Craven Dies At 76

Another legend gone.

Today, horror movie legend Wes Craven past away after battling brain cancer at his Los Angeles home at the age of 76. For those who don’t know, Craven directed such horror classics like “A Nightmare on Elm Street”, “Scream Movies”, “The Hills Have Eyes” and “The Last House On The Left". As a lover of all things movies, Craven was one of the most innovative, imaginative, creative and [most of all] frightening horror movie directors of his generation. His films continue to haunt me to this day and I'm truly sad to hear him pass.

May you rest in peace.

Alfred Hitchcock and George A. Romero are waiting for you up in horror movie heaven.

Robin Williams - One-Year Anniversary Of His Passing

I can't believe it's been a year.

The world has been a little less funny for exactly one year. On this very day in 2014, the legendary Robin Williams​ tragically took his own life at the age of 63. As a kid and also as a man, Robin Williams was one of the most influential people in my life and when I heard about his death, I felt a deep rooted sadness that I haven't felt in a long time. He was someone that I always looked up to. Someone I always knew would make me laugh or cry. Someone who was so full of life and happiness. I can't hear his iconic phrases like, "Good morning, Vietnam" or "Seize the day boys" without crying.

I miss you, Robin. Thank you for all that you've done for us.

You brought us the gift of laughter and we will never forget it.

Genie, you're free‬

REVIEW: "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation"

An unkillable franchise. But a franchise we don't mind seeing over and over again it seems. We all held our breathes as we saw Tom Cruise hang from a wire in "Mission: Impossible" back in 1996. We then saw him dual wield guns while flying through a room full of doves in "Mission: Impossible II" in 2000. Then Cruise went up against famed character actor Phillip Seymour Hoffman in "Mission: Impossible III" in 2006. And finally, we saw Cruise climb the world's tallest building in "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" in 2012. It seems as if this is a series that gets better and better after each film. In the previous installment, Brad Bird brought his cartoonish sensibilities to "Mission: Impossible" with "Ghost Protocol" and made the most profitable film in the series to date. With his departure and "Jack Reacher" director Christopher McQuarrie coming in to write and direct the 5th installment in the series, is this unkillable franchise in danger of being dead? Thankfully, no.

"Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation" stars Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Sean Harris and Alec Baldwin and is written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie. The film centers around Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) tracking down a rogue organization known as the Syndicate that threatens the IMF and its existence. In order to stop the impending threat, Hunt must gather his trusted team to track down and eliminate the Syndicate. I'm pleased to say that "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation" is not only a fun action thrill ride but one of the best 5th film in a franchise ever (to clarify, "The Empire Strikes Back" does not count because it is the 2nd film produced in the series). Everyone from the cast to the director brings their A-game to this film and made sure they made one of the most entertaining film of the summer. You can help but bite your nails and grip your armrests throughout most of the action scenes in the film that are executed and shot brilliantly.

What could be said about Tom Cruise that hasn't already been said. Ethan Hunt is his role and this film franchise is his franchise. He lives and breathes this character. At this point, he could play the role in his sleep and somehow make it amazing. In "Rogue Nation", Ethan is tests both in wit and in strength and Cruise is able to portray that perfectly. His eagerness to do death-defying stunts adds so much to the film and makes for some nail bitingly intense scenes. I really want to thank Cruise for putting his life on the line for our entertainment. Seeing him really do the stunts in the film rather than a CGI dummy or a stunt double brings a sense of tangibility to the film series and makes the experience so much better for the audience. His dedication was not in vain. Truly brilliant.

People forget that Simon Pegg is a pretty good dramatic actor. Thankfully we can see a bit of his dramatic side in "Rogue Nation". Ever since "Mission: Impossible III", Benji Dunn has been one of my favorite characters in the "Mission: Impossible" series and one of the big reasons why he's always been a favorite of mine was because of Pegg's charming and hilarious performance. Like Cruise, he continues to be brilliant as Benji and I hope to see him in more "Mission: Impossible" films in the future.

Jeremy Renner and Ving Rhames, reprising their respective roles from the "Mission: Impossible" series, share a lot of screen time together and their interactions throughout the film are hilarious. They work extremely well together and I'm glad to see Rhames become one of the main characters again. He had a mere cameo in "Ghost Protocol" and that was slightly disappointing. It was great to see him be a core member of Hunt's team.

While Cruise, Pegg, Renner and Rhames were all great, as usual, the one that stole the show was the sexy and badass Rebecca Ferguson. Playing the femme fatale disavowed MI6 agent turned Syndicate operative, Ferguson brought charm, strength and beauty in ever scene she was in. The film's inclusion of a strong, efficient, and fierce female character sets this film apart from other action films of the genre. Ferguson worked well with Cruise extremely well and was a great addition to the ever growing "Mission: Impossible" cast.

Probably one of the my only and biggest complaints about "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" was the main villain of the film. Although he was played by a more than competent actor, he didn't interact or pose an incredible threat against Cruise's Ethan Hunt. However, in "Rogue Nation", Sean Harris plays one of the more imposing and tactical villains Hunt has faced since Hoffman in "Mission: Impossible III". Harris added a sense of dread and menace to the film and we should thank him for it.

Christopher McQuarrie is not a newcomer when it comes to shooting action scenes. With his previous film, "Jack Reacher" (also starring Tom Cruise), McQuarrie has proven that he is able to shoot extremely intense and suspenseful action scenes and it seems he used all of his filming talents in "Rogue Nation". With Cruise's high ambitions and the director's ability to shoot vigorous action scenes, the film has some of the best action set pieces of 2015. The action set piece on the airplane looks beyond amazing. Seeing it in all the promotional trailers and posters didn't take away the experience of seeing the scene in full. And that was only the start. While Brad Bird created exaggerated, exciting, and rather cartoonishly creative action sequences in "Ghost Protocol", McQuarrie brought a Jason Bourne style grit to the "Mission: Impossible" series, which I found very interesting aesthetically. You'll be getting a bang for every buck you spend on this amazing film.

What more could I ask for? Tom Cruise strapping himself onto a plane, Rebecca Ferguson being an extremely alluring femme fatale, Simon Pegg doing his usual hilarious shtick, and more are included in "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation" and that is really more than enough. I found myself holding my breath in several moments in the film as the suspense of the scenes just took me. This was just an amazingly made film. Props to everyone who made this come to life. I'm giving "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation" a 9 out of 10.

Go see it now!

REVIEW: "Attack on Titan" (2015)

Last year, people all over the world were blown away by the series, "Attack on Titan", which was based off the manga by Hajime Isayama. The manga was a huge commercial success in Japan, selling 52.5 volumes as of July 2015, which inevitably led to the critically acclaimed anime series with the same title by "Death Note" director Tetsurō Araki. And after much anticipation, rumors have been circulating about a Japanese live-action remake of the new series coming to theaters in the near future. Well, the rumors were true as Toho Studios entered production of a two-part adaptation of "Attack on Titan" soon after the anime ended its first season. The news and trailers of the live-action film even spread to the U.S. and was, unsurprisingly, met with mixed emotions by fans and critics. Now that the first part of the film is out, how does the future of "Attack on Titan" look? As dead as the corpses the Titans are eating.

"Attack on Titan", based on the manga by Hajime Isayama, stars Haruma Miura, Kiko Mizuhara, Kanata Hongō, and Satomi Ishihara and is directed by Shinji Higuchi. The plot, like in the manga/anime, centers around Eren Yeager who joins the military, along with his friends Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlert, to fight against humanoid monster known as Titans. However, as the battle against the Titans ensues, more is unearthed about the Titans as the military force begins to discover more and more secrets about the Titans and their own government that they probably should've not known. Although there is a clear effort and passion that is being put into this film (at least from a directing and acting stand point), it pains me to say this remake of "Attack on Titan" doesn't hold a candle to the original manga/anime it's based on. There are some aspects that work in this film and make it shine, at times, but most of the film is a dull drag that seems more like a shadow of the critically acclaimed anime, rather than a live-action adaptation. Clearly, the producers and screenwriters of the film had no idea what they were doing with the project, while the director and cast of the film tried their hardest to make it the best that they possibly could. Unfortunately, their hard work did not pay off entirely.

Haruma Miura, as one of the best young actors currently in the Japanese film industry, shines above the dull screenplay as the main character, Eren Yeager. Although he does not look the part, he captures the pain and struggle of the troubled youth very well. Not once did I ever doubt Miura's acting chops when it was announced that he would be playing the main protagonist of the film and boy was I right. He nails the role of Yeager and brings something else to his character as well. While his strong sense of revenge and anguish towards the Titans is not explored as deeply as it is in the manga/anime, Miura was able to ascend the shallow screenplay he was given and was able to add something new and fresh to the character, making the film bearable to sit through. He continues to do great work and "Attack on Titan" is no exception. Miura was strong, motivated, confident, angsty, and tough (emotionally and physically). He was everything you wanted Eren Yeager to be and more.

One of the best aspects of this film was Kiko Mizuhara as Mikasa Ackerman, who is the love interest of Eren Yeager. At first, I wasn't entirely sold on her taking the role of Mikasa when it was first announced she would be playing the part, however as I was watching the film, I quickly began seeing Mikasa Ackerman and not Kiko Mizuhara. She blends into the material with grace and ease and was easily one of the main highlights of this film. Although much about her character has been changed in this live action adaptation (we'll get to some of those changes in a moment), Mizuhara was still able to bring humanity, badassery, and kindness in the role of Mikasa Ackerman, one of the anime's best female characters in recent years.

The rest of the cast is more or less a hit-or-miss cast. While some members of the cast were amazing in their respective roles, others were not so great. Two stand out performances among the ensemble cast were Satomi Ishihara as Zoë Hange and Nanami Sakuraba as Sasha Blouse, who played their respective characters to near perfection. Ishihara was able to bring that insane, strong and comical stupidity of Hange that we know and love while Sakuraba brought some much needed comic relief with the always hungry Potato Girl. Sadly enough, outside of these two lovely ladies, most of the cast were either miscast or missed the mark entirely. For example, Kanata Hongō as Armin Arlert truly missed the mark on what made Armin's character in the manga/anime so great while Takahiro Miura who plays Jean Kirstein desperately tried to look tough in the film while Kirstein in the manga/anime always looked tough, even if he wasn't tough in the inside. These miscasted actors were placed in a no-win scenario and some were clearly not cast through any audition process as it is seems extremely obvious that the producers wanted to choose TV and pop music idols instead of real actors. It was a grave disappointment seeing these actors play characters they were not meant to play, outside of Ishihara and Sakuraba who were both great in their respective roles.

One of the most risky things about making a live-action adaptation of "Attack on Titan" is the special effects that is required to create this fantastical world filled with nightmarish horrors that will haunt you in your sleep. While the mix of practical and computer graphic effects in the film were not as bad as I thought they would be, they are still not on par with something that should be coming out this year (or am I just being spoiled by watching too many Hollywood blockbusters?). The Colossal Titan does look convincing enough but some of the other normal sized Titans do look rather silly, which is not a good thing. There was even a massive baby Titan that sadly looked more funny than it did scary. While the manga/anime was able to combine creepy with slightly comical in their Titan designs, the film tries to too hard to look like the anime, it comes across as extremely fake and extremely lackluster. This could be some of Japan's best special effects but it still needs some work. A little more rendering and a little more time to perfect the art.

As I mentioned earlier, this "Attack on Titan" does make a few radical changes that will make a lot of fans, including myself, pretty mad. Without spoiling these changes, the screenwriter had the audacity to change some of the most interesting character dynamics from the manga/anime into something that a 3rd grader would write. And because these character interactions were altered completely, it affects the film plot and coherence. The film also tries to cram 6+ episodes of plot into a 2 hours film, making the film, at times, does feel disjointed and convoluted. When seeing the film, expect some major character interaction changes that may or may not piss you off.

Overall, I am rather disappointed in the film, but almost all of the problems I have with the film comes from its screenplay so my boss, director Shinji Higuchi, is not entirely to blame. The 4 actors I listed above were great in their respective roles and some of the effects and cinematography are impressively done, but the unnecessary changes made to the story and character interactions made several moments in the film almost unbearable. The blood and gore in this film is relentless and it's great. Sadly I have to give "Attack on Titan" a generous 5 out or 10. The 2nd part of the film, "Attack on Titan: End of the World", is coming out in September so we'll see how the sequel holds up.

Go see the film in IMAX 4D, IMAX, and 2D if you're in Japan!