Crafting a Likable Hero: The Book of Eli

The Book of Eli is on HBO this week. It is a good, decent, entertaining movie, with a protagonist that I happen to like a lot. How do you create a character that is likable and sympathetic? The Book of Eli showcases a man played by Academy Award winner Denzel Washington who modestly possesses all the quality of a likable hero.

Eli (Denzel Washington) demonstrates his impressive fighting skills with almost any weapon in The Book of Eli.

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For a Better Transformers: Dark of the Moon

We are not part of the crowd of Michael Bay haters, but we have not been satisfied with the way he has handled the first two movies. The fact that they made an insane amount of money will not help the situation and get us better movies. Actually it will more likely be the reverse. Vindicated in the way he directed the previous installments, he will more likely either get cocky and shoot himself in the foot with the third one or just make another remake of the first (like the second movie).

Is the Transformers franchise just about giant talking robots, destruction and mayhem?

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is a recycled Transformers, down to the Bumblebee’s speech impediment, the Decepticons’ quest, or the fight in the desert (which looks like the same desert by the way). Mostly identical “plots” with slightly different characters, on-the-nose dialogs and childish humor, wrapped in more or less the same order. Imagine characters delivering the same lines in both movies and you will have an idea.    Read more »

Movie Mistakes: Characters Behaving Stupid

This very common mistake is the bread and butter of most average-to-bad horror movies. Without it they have no story. Brainless characters put themselves in dangerous situations just to get in trouble and jumpstart the plot; that way, they can have something frightening to scream and run away from.

A case of mistaken identity early and Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant on the left) is in for a world of hurt.

But it is not a monopoly of the horror genre. We have encountered quite a few cases from various movie genres. Here are two examples from movies we can consider good, an great classic and a recent blockbuster.    Read more »

Comedic Storytelling: Despicable Me

Despicable Me is an animated family comedy that sets the tone as funny from the very first shot. The pyramid of Giza has been stolen and no one knows which of the world’s villains is responsible for this “despicable crime.” Gru, the world’s number one supervillain is being outsmarted by a younger opponent and he needs to pull a great heist to get back on top.

Gru (Steve Carell), the number one villain, or so he thought! He plans to steal the moon to get back on top.

This movie is a collection of very funny gags correctly ordered into a coherent story. It satisfies and you will want to see it again, especially if you have kids. They will probably drag you by your feet if you resist.    Read more »

Unstoppable Hero: Man on Fire

How do you give a protagonist a reason to be a juggernaut that can steamroll all enemies without fail and still give him a flawed human side? You start him up as a suicidal, drunk, out-of-shape ex-mercenary repent and looking for salvation, up against an entire corrupt organization merchandising perversion and death. In Man on Fire, John Creasy, played by Oscar winner Denzel Washington, comes to Mexico to visit his old friend Rayburn (Christopher Walken) and stays to try a new life as a bodyguard for an adorable Lupita Ramos (Dakota Fanning).

Big fish Victor Fuentes (Jesús Ochoa) provides information to Creasy (Denzel Washington) before his punishment.

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Gallery: Kung Fu Panda

Imagine the most unlikely Kung Fu master. Can you picture him as a panda? Po dreams of becoming the greatest Kung Fu master in all China. But he can see how remote the possibility is, until he is “accidentally” chosen to become the Dragon Warrior.

Told you he loved food, right? Here, Po (Jack Black) is fighting his master (Dustin Hoffman) for a tasty dumpling.

Now Master Shifu, his unhappy instructor, must transform the food-loving-fat-and-sensitive-in-the-flabby-parts panda into the warrior that will defend the valley from Tai Lung, a powerful and vengeful snow leopard who escaped from a high-security prison.

This classic comedy delivers laughs in every scene is soon to be followed by a sequel.

Browse the gallery:    Read more »

Invincible Hero: Pale Rider

With Pale Rider, screenwriters Michael Butler and Dennis Shryack, and director Clint Eastwood attempt a tough trick: create a character that seemingly has no flaws, that no one can beat in a fair fight, has no weakness and no equal. A truly invincible protagonist focused on a single mission, carelessly flicking the dust from a fight off his sleeve, like it was nothing. They still managed to keep a constant sense of danger throughout the story.

Clint Eastwood, the Preacher showing off his skills with a gun for the first time

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