Hybrid

"Hybrid" is the latest in the Maneater Series by Genius Products and RHI Entertainment. These films are creature of the week films originally broadcasted on the Sci-Fi Channel. Don´t expect high works of art.

"Hybrid" begins with Dr. Andrea Hewlett (Justine Bateman) giving an informed talk to a gaggle of doctors and scientists about her latest breakthrough. Dr. Hewlett has successfully completed the first ever inter-species transplant by giving a baboon with glaucoma the eyes of a Siberian wolf. She asks for her audience´s help in carrying out the next stage of her work, human test subjects. Two simultaneous events occur that will change everything.

Lydia (Tinsel Korey) is hiking through the woods when she comes across an injured wolf. She takes him to a veterinarian only to find that he gave the wolf to Dr. Hewlett´s research firm. Meanwhile, at an oil drilling site, Aaron Scates (Cory Monteith) rescues a co-worker from a raging fire, but suffers severe eye damage in the process. Aaron´s doctors turn him over to the care of Dr. Hewlitt who replaces the damaged eyes with the wolf´s. However, the process works in ways completely unexpected. Aaron is soon plagued by visions of roaming the wilderness and hunting the local fauna. He also begins displaying extraordinary senses, strength, and reflexes. Aaron is taken in by Lydia who has been investigating Dr. Hewlitt in search of her missing wolf. The two go on the run from the military (led by a colonel who looks an awful lot like G. Gordon Liddy) as they have made significant investments to the good doctor´s research.

"Hybrid" isn´t quite a werewolf movie. Aaron doesn´t howl at the moon, grow furry palms, or exhibits weakness to silver. The film tries to ground the story with some semblance of scientific reality. But, we´re talking about junk science. The kind where all the characters use big words in the vein attempt to make it seem like the writer actually did a tiny bit of research. How exactly does having a pair of wolf eyes give Aaron the ability to leap several stories with ease? How do the eyes affect his sense of hearing and smell? With "The Eye," you could sort of buy into the eyes of a dead person haunting their recipient. I buy nothing that "Hybrid" is selling.

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Scorpion King

Note: The following review contains portions from the previous HD-DVD review of "The Mummy." The technical sections for Video, Audio and Extras have been updated to reflect the differences between the two formats´ releases. The entire review has been re-edited and updated, but the majority of the text is simply recycled from the earlier review.

The 1999 film "The Mummy" was quite successful and a sequel was quickly developed and rushed into production, arriving two years later. This second film is a formulaic sequel that films at times like a rehash of the original and includes all of the primary characters from the first film and introduces a second villain in the form of the Scorpion King, who is brought to life by wrestling´s Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. "The Mummy Returns" succeeds easily in delivering the fun and excitement of the first film. This is another picture that is wall-to-wall action that doesn´t relent until the credits roll and even then you are expecting something else to happen. The film is a bit unusual in the fact that even the nemesis of the first film is written back into the story and has an important role in the second film. The franchise continuation I had surmised would have been to have Rick O´Connell (Brendan Fraser) set out on all new adventures and face different foes and circumstances, but "The Mummy Returns" is a sequel for its heroes and its villains.

The events of the film take place roughly eight years after the first film. Rick O´Connell and Evelyn Carnahan (Rachel Weisz) married just after the defeated Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo) and now have a son, Alex (Freddie Boath). Alex is a smart and curious boy who works with his parents on their archeological digs and is inventive and poised to continue in his father´s footsteps. One night, at the O´Connell manor, Alex takes a shiny gold bracelet and replaces it with a candlestick to emulate it weight. He puts on the bracelet, and is shown a holographic image of ancient Egypt. He is also unable to remove the bracelet from his arm. The bracelet is that of Anubis and it will lead the wearer to an Oasis and is useful in the reincarnation of the Scorpion King, a warrior who sold his soul to Anubis in exchange for almighty power in conquering his rivals in a bloody war five thousand years earlier and upon his return, possesses the powers to destroy the modern world.

The princess shown during the Imhotep flashbacks in the first film, Meela Nais (Patricia Velasquez) has been reincarnated and is working towards reincarnating Imhotep once again. This time, Imhotep is needed to battle the forthcoming return of the Scorpion King and gaining control over the vast armies of Anubis. Meela and Imhotep are not the only reincarnated folk in the sequel. Both Rick and Evie previously existed in ancient Egypt. O´Connell was a Medjai warrior and was in charge of protecting the princess Meela. Evie is the true reincarnation of the princess Nefertiri, who was to protect the bracelet from evil doers in ancient times. To cleanly summarize these reincarnations, Rick formerly protected Evie, who formerly protected the bracelet from the likes of Imhotep and Meela. Of course, young Alex is the only person that can use the bracelet and this all is used to explain how Rick and Evie were destined to be together and how they form three sides of a pyramid that represents a cycle of power and reincarnation of the ancient powers of Anubis.

The film features many exciting and action filled sequences as the family of reincarnated ancients battle Imhotep and the Scorpion King´s legions. Ardeth Bey (Oded Fehr) returns to join his friends and help bring an end to the forces of evil and Jonathan (John Hannah) is back with his bumbling ways to slow down the efforts of Rick and Evie as they battle pygmies, mummies and the War Dogs of Anubis. My personal favorite sequences involved the Double-Decker bus chase through the ancient streets of London, as the O´Connell clan is chased by four amazingly quick and amazingly agile mummies. This scene occurred fairly early in the film and set the tone for the roller coaster ride that followed until the poorly rendered CGI Scorpion King monster battled against our favorite hero.

When it comes to sequels, "The Mummy Returns" is an above average attempt. It ups the octane of the action and presents far grander action sequences and events for the film´s hero and heroine to be thrust into. The film´s plot works in conjunction with the previous film and makes for a clean ´Second Chapter´ to the story of Imhotep. With all of the major characters returning, aside from the deceased Benny, "The Mummy Returns" benefits from its humorous and colorful characters. I loved the first film because it was just fun to watch. The second film is just as entertaining as the first and is another perfect example of a summer popcorn film. The writers of the first film were onto something when they decided to forgo the original intention of revisiting the 1932 monster film with another entry in the horror genre and instead decided to mimic the "Indiana Jones" films of the Eighties. The films have Saturday Serial feeling and are the sort of mindless escapism that helps make a relaxing summer an even better time of year.

I did not particularly enjoy the manner in which the plot brought ancient Egyptian routes to Rick and Evie. It cemented the Rick O´Connell character into the Mummy story and abused the amount of convenience I will typically allow a popcorn film. The character just battling mummies and ancient Egyptian War Dogs would have been cool enough, but forcing him as an intricate part of the backstory and mythology just felt cheap and lessened the ability to send O´Connell on more adventures in future films. Yes, it did create a more coherent and tightly woven story between the two "Mummy" films, but I just disliked how everybody fit into the same jigsaw puzzle that was ultimately created to explain how everybody fit neatly together and everybody needed to fight in the battle between Imhotep and the Scorpion King. This is a franchise that is supposed to be fun. There is no need to come up with crazy concepts to explain things. The audience is fully prepared to just go with the thrills and excitement of the film. We don´t want heroes that are willed by their ancient ancestry to fight the good fight. We just want them to do so and to crack a few cheesy one liners in the process.

Regardless, I enjoy "The Mummy Returns" almost as much as I did the first film. The visual effects are an improvement over the first film and the filmmakers did a fine job of coming up with a sequel so shortly after the success of the original film. These movies would not have succeeded without the work of Brendan Fraser. He IS the franchise and is one of the sole returning characters in the upcoming third film. I had initially hoped for an all new adventure for the second film, but this continuation of the original story worked just fine. This is another film that I can sit back to and just enjoy. I don´t have to dedicate 100% of my attention to it, but it helps pass a night when I just want to relax and not leave the house. It was meant to be a fun film and it does its job with aplomb. The only complaints I have are the decision to make Rick and Evie mythical entities and the horrible CGI Scorpion King at the film´s end. A sequel is seldom superior to the original, so I can accept these flaws and still enjoy the film.

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Doomsday

Imitation is sometimes considered flattery. There are other times when imitation is quite simply ripping other´s ideas off. It can be a good thing and it can be a good thing. Cinema has always been a medium that is prone to imitation and whether it be Hollywood releasing two very similar and competing big budget pictures in the same year or film being copycatted for the next decade, Tinseltown loves to copy. Did we really need "Deep Impact" and "Armageddon" in one year´s time? How about "Volcano" or "Dante´s Peak?" Just how many films were ´inspired´ by "The Blair Witch Project" and is there a cookie cutter out there shaped like Quentin Tarantino?

"Doomsday" is a film riddled by inspiration; or as writer/director Neil Marshall calls it, ´homage.´ The film is an example of patchwork cinema and combines elements from "Escape From New York," "The Road Warrior," "The Omega Man" and numerous other pictures to create the experience in "Doomsday." Some aspects of "Doomsday" are true inspirations and the film pays homage to movies such as "Excalibur" with a little medieval artistry and the street-wise apocalyptic sense of "The Warriors." Other influences and inspirations were a little more obscure, such as the hint of cannibalism intended as a nod to the film "A Boy and His Dog." Marshall loves apocalyptic cinema and gives his film a few very nice touches.

Then there were the blatant rip-offs such as the eye patch and deadly fight in the apocalyptic city that was lifted directly from "Escape From New York" and the "Road Warrior" like street chase as the main characters were trying to flee to freedom. Marshall went as far as injecting plot points into his movie to explain the eye patch and I couldn´t help but draw parallels to the pivotal fight scene where the hero finds herself locked into combat with a loved champion gladiator and is a heavy underdog and the weapons are primitive, but painfully deadly. The ´gimp´ character should easily remind viewers of the Mad Max films and also "Pulp Fiction" in what was very painfully obvious homage.

From the very early moments when Scotland is walled off by the military to prevent the spread of the Reaper super virus, "Doomsday" is a familiar thrill ride that is entertaining, but far from original. Having been a fan of many of the films that sparked the fancy of Marshall, I was more than familiar with many of the homage and references that created the picture. There were more than a few scenes that gave me reason to grin in enjoyment as an experience I had loved from a previous picture had found its way into Marshall´s film. The "Road Warrior" scenes were of particular enjoyment although I had difficulty believing these post-apocalyptic jalopies could keep up with a gorgeous Bentley.

"Doomsday" is fun. It is one of those pictures that are meant to be enjoyed for the fast pace and excitement that is contained among its hastily edited frames. Neil Marshall served as writer, director and editor and his influence is felt throughout the film. His previous effort "The Descent" was a warm surprise as a horror film that borrowed from previous benchmark horror films, but that picture had a little something more going for it. The writing was better and that picture contained suspense and I was able to invest a little compassion towards the characters. The characters in "Doomsday" were cold and callous and I didn´t particularly care if they survived or perished, with the exception of the character portrayed by former Marshall collaborator MyAnna Buring.

To touch on the plot, "Doomsday" finds Scotland a barren wasteland after a wall was built around the nation and borders were closed to contain the lethal Reaper virus. A young girl is taken by a military helicopter after losing an eye from shrapnel. Years later that girl is revealed to be Eden (Rhona Mitra) and she is a deadly member of the Department of Domestic Security (DDS) and an officer among their ranks. When the Reaper virus returns and infects London, Eden is sent by the Prime Minister (Alexander Siddig) and her chief Bill Nelson (Bob Hoskins) to infiltrate Scotland and find survivors that were viewed by reconnaissance satellites. She is made leader of the team, which includes two armed troop transports.

It isn´t long before Eden and her team makes first contact with the survivors, but it isn´t a pleasant experience as Eden´s team is brutalized and mangled. Those that Eden and her team find are a large band of punk-rock influenced cannibals who are led by the enigmatic Sol (Craig Conway). While captive, Sol questions Eden as to her purpose in Scotland and shows his intentions by barbequing one of her subordinates. All of this comes after a rousing remembrance of the Fine Young Cannibals hit song "Good Thing." Eden manages to escape, but discovers Sol´s sister Cally (MyAnna Buring) is also captive and that Cally can lead her to find Dr. Kane (Malcolm McDowell), who may have a cure for the virus.

Eden, Cally and the surviving members of her team manage to escape Sol and his barbaric "Mad Max" tribesmen. However, they find themselves again captive to some murderous knights who seem comfortable living in the castles of Scotland and reviving Feudalism and the medieval times. Here Eden comes face to face with Dr. Kane and he makes her aware of his intentions to keep his followers from knowing about London and the world of technology. To keep the peace, Kane subjects Eden to a gladiatorial fight against his master-at-arms and lead executioner. In Snake Plissken form, Eden pulls out the underdog victory and finds escape in the form of a Bentley Continental GT.

I´ll discontinue my discussion of the plot, but the "Road Warrior" auto combat scenes are still left in the balance as well as a reveal about the intentions of the Prime Minister and a little more truths about the state of the Reaper virus in London. Eden, who is one of the most unlikable heroes in recent history, manages to serve as both heroine and anti-hero when the story unfolds and I found the pictures climactic car combat was betrayed by a disappointing ending. With a film that contained so much high adrenaline action, the anti-climactic final scenes seemed too laden in exposition and did not provide any closure. One must wonder if a sequel was not hoped for.

The acting in "Doomsday" is serviceable. Lead actress Rhona Mitra is alright as the heroine, but her performance lacks the grit and tough charisma that Kurt Russell brought to Snake Plissken in "Escape From New York." The picture does not take advantage of having a strong female hero and leaves poor Rhona feeling flat. Supporting actors MyAnna Buring and Adrian Lester run around and perform their tasks, but they hardly memorable in their performances. Craig Conway was a load of fun as the ambitions and crazed leader of the ´Punk Rockers´ and my favorite scene in the film involved him prancing around a stage to the FYC song "Good Thing." Malcolm McDowell and Bob Hoskins provided some street cred to the movie, but these veteran actors are far from their glory days when McDowell had his Droogs and Hoskins had Jessica Rabbit.

There were things I liked about "Doomsday" and there were other things that I did not find too terribly special. It is a conglomerate of concepts borrowed from other films and it is an apocalyptic film that reminds us of so many other apocalyptic films. It is unoriginal, but spirited. The action is entertaining, but the story and characters are underwhelming. "Doomsday" is a movie that is all spectacle with no heart. If you enjoy good B-movie thrills or fondly remember the Grindhouse, then "Doomsday" will probably appeal to you. This isn´t a movie you will ever want to watch for great acting or an riveting story, but if you like loud explosions, blood and over-the-top apocalyptic action, then "Doomsday" might be infectious enough for you.

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The Band's Visit

The opening scene is almost like a mime's routine. At an airport, a man leaves the driver's side of a white van and slowly walks to the back, opens the doors, and pulls out a bright yellow exercise ball. He puts the ball into the passenger seat, and the screen goes black for script narration: "Once, not long ago, a small Egyptian police band arrived in Israel. Not many remember this, it was not that important." And the van drives away, revealing eight stiff-looking men in blue uniforms, standing in a row on the sidewalk in the distance. Then, as the men remain motionless in the background, a baggage handler walks across the foreground of the screen, wheeling a single suitcase.

That type of subtle, undercutting humor continues throughout this charming film, which seems to downplay its own "importance" in every frame. It's a slice-of-life film that just happens to involve fish-out-of-water Egyptians experiencing an Israeli slice of life. Meet the Alexandria Police Ceremonial Orchestra, who have traveled to Israel to play an invited concert at the local Arab Culture Center. As this group follows its stoic, old-school leader-first, on a bus ride to the wrong town, and then wheeling their bags and instruments from the bus stop to the buildings in this remote hamlet-the eight men are dwarfed by the expanse of desert, by the skyline of uniform apartment housing, and by a world that is getting ready to pass them by. The Alexandria Police Ceremonial Orchestra is in danger of losing its funding, and a botched concert isn't going to help.

In town, they approach the first sign of life: a small restaurant with tables out front, in which two Israeli men sit, both fascinated and indifferent. The place is run by Dina (Ronit Elkabetz), a sexy older woman whose jeans, long hair, and easy manner clearly ruffle the Muslim visitors . . . especially the leader, Tawfiq (Sasson Gabai). The most unrattled band member is the tallest, youngest, and newest member: a would-be womanizer named Haled (Saleh Bakri), whose flirtation with the bus station worker may have been indirectly responsible for the band ending up in the wrong location. As Tawfiq approaches Dina and asks if she could please tell him where the Arab Culture Center is, she tells them, like a tough and savvy female who probably served in the Israeli army (since there are pictures of tanks and such all over her restaurant), that there is no Arab Culture Center, no Israeli Culture Center, no culture center of any kind. No culture at all--which is echoed in a humorous punchline from one of the men sitting outside. This is the kind of humor we get in "The Band's Visit," a mostly subtle and wry look at life. The most outrageous scene comes later at a roller rink, where Haled is trying to coach his young Israeli host how to respond to a young woman. The three of them sit on a bench, the girl weeping far left, and Haled on the far right. He whispers first, but then hands his new friend a handkerchief, which he offers to the woman. Then Haled puts his hand on the man's knee, and, getting the message, the man does the same to the woman. Then comes the knee massage, and finally the arm around the shoulder. Though Haled stops short of the kiss, by this time the timid Israeli has gotten the point. It's a scene that you really have to see to experience how funny it is, and one that bears rewatching. That's the way it is with a number of scenes in this understated comedy that's as deadpan throughout as Tawfiq, with his old-guard emphasis on honor and tradition.

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