Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Lowest common denominator

I'm sure by now we've all seen commercials for the movie Never Back Down. For those who haven’t, you are in for a treat. Check it out ...

So why are we being subjected to movies like this? From this two and a half minute or so trailer we are introduced to the hero, the villain, the problem, and the eye candy. I could sit her and do a humorous rendition of what the plot will be – but I am not here to insult your intelligence. I’m here to ask you to trust in it and do not see this film. I don’t care if you want to go to heckle it. It isn’t worth your time and money in any shape or form. Millions of dollars went into making this film when it could have went to funding independent directors who really have something to say. I wouldn’t be surprised if somewhere in this movie’s laundry list of parasite producers we’d find something linking it to MTV. I feel as though the movie would play out like a two hour long mid 90’s music video. There’s another movie that comes to mind, The Lost Boys.

While this movie fails – The Lost Boys succeeded because for all its incoherent babble it still stood on two legs because it never took itself seriously. The last scene in the film is a testament to that fact. Never Back Down looks to be a film that knows it's fake and pretends to not be. I’m sure the main character will pull on his best Bruce Wayne – but in the end he will forget it’s the conflict from within – not from out. It’s Batman that wears the mask of Bruce Wayne, not the other way around.

No comments: