First a Japanese manga then an animated series now a two part movie (the second part comes out in September). While they have compressed what is quite a long, confusing story into a more manageable narrative, they have not sacrified anything. This is an exciting, visually inventive often times gross walking cartoon about the last survivors of Earth fighting against giant human cannibals with extra wide mouths and no genitals. I enjoyed this adaptation tremendously even if I felt no connection to any of the characters. The special effects are awesome. Perhaps I would feel differently if I was into the original manga or cartoon.
I AM CHRIS FARLEY
This documentary really tries hard to strike a balance between loving remembrances of Farley as a good kid whose poor self image was essentially taken advantage of by fame and Farley's predisposition to overindulgence and addiction. We get a clear picture of his comic roots and influences and how talented he truly was as well as his family life. At times, I feel this film is too cautious (considering they had access to almost all of Farley's family). I don't need lurid details but it would have been clearer to the audience to show exactly where some of Farley's demons came from. Still fun and nostalgic if sad with all the great SNL/TOMMY BOY etc. clips.
HARBINGER DOWN
I recall seeing when this film was being advertised on kickstarter for donations to finish it. What they had completed looked like a total THING rip-off with all the transformations. The final product is exactly that - THE THING set on a fishing boat trapped in ice although this monster doesn't mimic people. It takes over them and transforms them. Scene after scene of grotesque shape shifting. Not very good unless you like a lot of FX monstrosities. A plus - The always reliable Lance Henricksen chewing up the scenery.
EXTINCTION
28 Days Later zombie movie hybrid that is more interested in the human drama side of things. Two brothers (one played by Matthew Fox of LOST) who don't speak but share a remote facility with a little girl one takes care of in the wake of an epidemic a number of years before are forced to join together when the monsters find them. Jumps back and forth from past and future to show us the origin of their dispute. I appreciate their effort in trying to tell a different type of story but this is overlong and the monsters have the same tired derivative look. Surely one can think of a different way to show these type of creatures by this point.
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