I Declare War

Top badass moment? A demonstration that the best way for NATO to deal with its funding crisis, is for it to imagine what it wants, really, really, really hard. I’m not sure what to make of this movie, it’s too feeble for horror and too rough to be fun. With hindsight, I think it’s just a training video for future CEOs, who all seem to be sociopaths, happy to sacrifice those around them to succeed. I'd certainly not want PK, Jamie or Jessica as my boss. No cats, chainsaws or decapitations.

This is one of those movies where people look back on ten years from now and are amazed it somehow managed to have all these famous actors in the same movie.

The dream...

surprised and delighted

Lord of the Flies phase II: Adolescence. This episode delves into how children (15 year olds, not 12) left on their own evolve into game playing where reality comes and goes--leaving some, many or most, unable to ever graduate beyond that state-of-mind. The pivotal character is Caleb which is Hebrew for dog (his companion) and who was a spy for the Israelites, and who appears to be only an observer until near the end. The knife is real, but do any of them realize it--or do any of them not.

There's some shaky kid acting here, and a little whiff of the schematic to the writing. There's also a piercing, stunning brilliance. This is an unfathomably great, smart movie, perfectly nailing the passive aggression of junior high life--the importance of cliques, the mysterious allure of the opposite sex, the sense of how earth-shattering it is when your best friend dumps you for somebody else. All this, plus it's a genuinely ripping action movie.

I really warmed up to this one. Child brutality is a really volatile subject matter and they play with it very well, sometimes letting you forget about it, other times leaving you guessing how far it will go (perfectly far, I think). It's hampered by some technicalities: poor dialog, some shaky acting, and less explanation of "rules" than some might like, but it wrapped up to show me it was much more clever than I expected.

sadly, it's really unstable. some elements are unique and awesome, others are too stereotypical (even if that's often the whole point). some cast members are spot on (the skinner-kid nails it), others are somewhat miscast ("P.K.", the tough-as-nails military mastermind, is played by a scrawny, feminine boy with braces). the plot is basically great, yet there's nothing memorable in its execution. it left me feeling very ambivalent, but not in the "can't stop thinking about it" kind of way.

This intelligent Lord of the Flies update makes gender the central concern in a fantasy war game between two rival tribes of children, specifically the ways its expression contours, informs & over-determines power dynamics in relationships. That idea is there but it's ineptly realized, making the kids mouthpieces rather than characters, and the action expository rather than dramatic.

Awesome premise, but a little lacking in the execution. There was some pretty crappy acting (but that's expected when your entire cast consists of kids) but overall it manages to not sink the film completely. The entire film is foreshadowed by inane questions of "Would you rather" leading up to the final ultimate question. What is more important to you, winning or friendship?

This movie could have been wonderful, but it wasn't. There were so many missed opportunities. The imaginative kid dynamic was soiled by an unrealistic amount of crassness. It would have played better with a Sandlot vibe, but it was more like pulp fiction with kids. The acting was poor. At points it felt like watching a middle school play. The only thing keeping me from giving up on this movie was the anticipation of a plot turn involving the female character. Unfortunately, the credits appeared

This Capture-the-Flag-based movie draws from sources as diverse as The Hunger Games, Blue Remembered Hills and Lord of the Flies to deliver a compelling playtime-gone-wrong drama. It's a little samey at times - it is, effectively, ninety minutes of playground warfare - but it works pretty well overall, director Lapeyre drawing out solid performances from the ensemble child cast.

Original concept but boring. More reviews here : http://movie-freak.be