Movie Reviews: Year Archives
1984 Releases
Nausicaä Of The Valley Of The Wind
by Hayao Miyazaki
Far in the distant future, a thousand years after a war known as “The Seven Days Of Fire” destroyed most of the human race, the earth is ravaged by “The Sea Of Decay”, a poisonous forest populated by monstrous insects. The Sea threatens to spread over the entire planet. However, the small, peaceful Valley Of The Wind has so far managed to remain outside its reach, the wind from the nearby ocean protecting it from the Sea’s poisonous spores.
The Valley’s most beloved citizen is their princess, Nausicaä, a young woman who, despite her age, is already a skilled warrior and pilot. She’s also somewhat of a scientist, researching the Sea and its inhabitants and trying to figure out a way to cleanse its corruption.
However, all of her attempts at peace and healing are threatened when an aircraft from the kingdom of Tolmekia crashes in the valley, bringing with it the Sea’s spores and something else, a deadly cargo Tolmekia hopes will destroy the Sea. Shortly thereafter, Tolmekia’s armies, led by the Princess Kushana, invade the Valley in an attempt to recover the cargo and unite any countries in their battle against the Sea.
Meanwhile, the country of Pejite rises up against Tolmekia, seeking to take their discovery—the remains of a “giant soldier”, a massive robot-like creature which nearly destroyed mankind during The Seven Days Of Fire—and use it against Tolmekia. Not surprisingly, the Sea doesn’t take too kindly to all of this commotion. Soon, massive armies of “ohmu”—giant armored insects—are streaming out of the Sea, threatening to consume all of humanity unless Nausicaä can figure out a way to put an end to the destruction.
If you’ve seen any of Hayao Miyazaki’s other films, than you might be asking yourself “Haven’t I already seen this?” while reading the above synopsis. Indeed, watching Nausicaä Of The Valley Of The Wind is almost like a case of deja vu. And the reason is that Nausicaä... is the quintessential, archetypal Miyazaki film. All of the components that are so prevalent in his movies—young, strong-willed heroines, environmental issues, a fascination with pastoral European settings, amazing aerial sequences, etc.—can basically be traced back to this one single movie.
In that regards, Nausicaä... is the essential Miyazaki movie. However, it’s over two decades old, and in many ways, it shows its age. As with everything else Miyazaki has made, the movie is full of lush, verdant visuals and mind-boggling environments. However, compared to the spectacles of his later films, especially Princess Mononoke (which very closely parallels Nausicaä...), this film feels a bit lacking.
One aspect that I’ve always found so fascinating about Miyazaki’s movies, and which seemed rather diminished in Nausicaä..., are the moral shadings and ambiguities of his characters. Compared to the complex characters and situations in some of his other films, Nausicaä... seems quite simplistic. Nausicaä herself is quite saintly, and her only real antagonist, Kushana, is never quite given the same amount of moral depth as someone like Princess Mononoke‘s Lady Eboshi or Spirited Away‘s Haku.
I suspect much of this has to do with the fact that Miyazaki adapted the movie from his epic manga series of the same name. There’s simply no way that he could’ve packed the entire series, which runs well over 1,000 pages, into a single 2-hour movie. Having read the manga about a year ago, I was quite surprised at just how much was changed or left out entirely. Much of the series’ cultural and religious/mystical content was removed, and many scenes were simply altered entirely. As a result, the movie’s plot never quite seems to hit its stride, though viewers who don’t have the manga series running in the back of their mind might feel differently.
I know that most devoted Miyazaki fans have probably seen Nausicaä... already, or are going to add this to their collection simply because it is a Hayao Miyazaki movie (which is what I did). In some ways, the film just hasn’t aged very well, and since then, Miyazaki has made several films, such as the aforementioned Princess Mononoke, which more completely and thoroughly explore his trademark themes.
However, Nausicaä... is worth watching if only to give one a much better context in which to appreciate Miyazaki’s movies. It’s impossible to watch this film and not see the seeds of Miyazaki’s distinguished career, of his considerable talent at creating worlds of powerful imagination and story-telling. I doubt most people will argue with the statement that Miyazaki is one of the world’s greatest animations, alive or dead. And Nausicaä... allows one to better grasp and understand just why that is the case.
Fantasy Mission Force
by Chu Yin-Ping
I have seen many films that would easily be classified as “weird” and “bizarre”. I’ve seen Japanese zombie movies, celebrations of disco from Thailand, Indian gangster musicals, David Lynch films, and Swedish existentialist fare. But none of them, and I mean none of them hold a candle to the sheer nonsensical insanity that fills up every single one of Fantasy Mission Force‘s 90 some minutes. It easily ranks as the most bizarre movie I’ve ever seen, so bizarre in fact that I can’t even say if I liked it or not. I have no idea how this movie got made, and there’s a good chance that it’s very existence might negate one or two fundamental laws of nature.
Now, I’m not the world’s biggest history buff, but I do enjoy the subject. I minored in it in college, which included taking two very interesting military history classes. I have a couple books sitting on my shelves (though I admit that they’re there for decoration more than anything else). And I won’t deny the fact that I enjoy a good History Channel special as much as the next person. However, even with my scant knowledge, I somehow doubt the veracity of the exploits chronicled in Fantasy Mission Force.
It’s in the middle of what I presume is World War II and Japanese forces surround the Allies. The Japanese somehow take over the Allies’ camp in a brilliant military ploy that basically consists of walking right past all of the Allied troops and arriving, unseen, in the tent of the Allied generals while they’re arguing about the Japanese location in the Arctic Circle. Hilarious!
Now this is no ordinary cadre of generals, for you see, the American general is none other than Abraham Lincoln! Yes, the Allies have somehow found a way to resurrect one of our greatest presidents to lead our troops against the vicious Axis. Now I don’t know about you, but that was my first clue that something wasn’t on the up and up. But this was just in the first 5 minutes, so I knew things were just getting started.
The South Shaolin Master
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I started the marathon off with a crappy martial arts film, so it seems only fitting that I close with a great one, albeit one that most people have probably never heard of. That’s a real shame, because The South Shaolin Master is an unsung classic with excellent fight choreography and gorgeous cinematography (the Chinese countryside should be billed as a castmember).
Lin Hai-Nan is a member of the Tai Ping, a resistance group fighting the corrupt rulers. Wounded in a fight, he’s rescued by a travelling acting troupe that is being harassed by a local ruler. If you don’t think the two are related, than you obviously haven’t watched enough kung fu movies. Lin, now known as Ah Nan, and the acting troupe find themselves facing a common enemy, a magistrate named Ha Er-Ci. When their troupe is decimated by Ha, they seek refuge in a Shaolin monastery. There, Lin works on a killer technique to defeat Ha, which basically consists of strengthening his kneecaps for hours. If you think that sounds crazy, buy the DVD and see for yourself!
Filmed in mainland China without any big names, The South Shaolin Master seems to have slipped past most fans’ radars. But it’s a real treat, and a nice change of pace. The film is fairly dramatic, with only a handful of comedic moments when compared to some of the other, better known films from that time period (Wheels On Meals, Winners And Sinners). The fights are also a joy to watch, combining some of the prop-based action you’d find in Jackie Chan’s movies with more classical moves.
The South Shaolin Master also touches on the unique role that acrobatic troupes played in the preservation of Chinese martial arts. As the Shaolin temples found themselves under persecution from the government, they trained these troupes in kung fu. The troupes incorporated this training into their dancing and tumbling, ensuring its survival even as the government cracked down on the temples. This paved the way for the Peking Opera, out of which arose the kung fu cinema that we currently know and love.
The movie might seem a bit longer than its 96 minutes, especially if you’re comparing it to the aforementioned movies (though I find it more rewarding). The film does drag during a long dragon boat race that just gets in the way of the serious whoop-ass you know is just around the corner. Even so, this is a true gem that has remained hidden for far too long. Hopefully more people will get a chance to check it out soon, especially considering the really nice DVD transfer that’s currently available.
The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai Across The 8th Dimension
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In my humble opinion, the fact that this movie is named The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across The 8th Dimension is reason enough to see it. Still not convinced, huh? Well, how about this for the movie’s premise? Buckaroo Banzai, the world-renowned adventurer, brain surgeon, and nuclear physicist, has made the greatest breakthrough in human history. Using the Oscillation Overthruster, he has managed to cross over into the 8th Dimension.
Unfortunately, the 8th dimension turns out to be prison for a race of aliens named the Red Lectroids. Their leader, Lord John Whorfin, hears of Banzai’s feat and breaks free from the local mental institute. He plans to steal the Overthruster and free his minions from the 8th dimension. With his army back, he can overthrow the Black Lectroids on Planet 10. The Black Lectroids can’t let this stand, and tell Banzai that if he doesn’t stop Whorfin, they’ll start a chain of events leading to World War III. Banzai and his trusted cohorts/backup band, the Hong Kong Cavaliers, are all that stands between Earth and total annihilation.
There are so many reasons this movie rises above, and earns it’s cult classic status. There are the classic characters, starting with Banzai himself, as well as the rest of the Cavaliers (and their wardrobe); Perfect Tommy, Rawhide, and New Jersey (Jeff Goldblum’s finest performance, and in cowboy duds no less), to name a few. There’s Whorfin (played with maniacal glee with John Lithgow) and his army of Johns. And if that’s not enough, you’ve got Yakov Smirnoff as the President’s National Security Advisor.
Finally, there’s that awesome title, which does more to describe the movie’s zany feel than any press junket or review.
Oh don’t get me wrong, this really is a bad movie. If your idea of “cult classic” is Star Wars, you might want to pass on this one. But if your idea is Big Trouble In Little China, then it’s a bad movie in all of the right ways. It’s the kind that makes you appreciate the miracle it took for this to even surface as a script; the fact that it was filmed is evidence alone of Divine Intervention.
Something this offbeat and absurd, from the whole notion of Buckaroo Banzai and his Cavaliers, to the Blue Blazer Irregulars, to Whorfin and his army of Johns… well, it should really be cherished.
Dune
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I’ve seen bits and pieces of it on the Sci-Fi Channel. Unfortunately, I don’t think I got the director’s cut. I don’t remember seeing the annoying introduction by the emperor’s daughter. I know Dune fans either love it or hate it. Actually, based upon this viewing, I’m pretty sure that most Dune fans hate it. I wish I’d have rented the director’s cut. Somehow, I feel Lynch’s bizarre nuances would’ve been more coherent than this rambling beast of a film.
Yes, the book was much better. But at least it WAS widescreen.