For every good film, a few sub-par ones follow.
Here are a few selections from last year that I encourage you to actively avoid, or at the very least, view with discretion.
Exploitation: “Machete Kills” (2013)
Director and writer Robert Rodriguez has had an extensive career, with such great films as “El Mariachi,” “From Dusk Till Dawn” and “Sin City.” However, he has not evolved much as a filmmaker, as the “Spy Kids” film franchise proves.
The “Machete” movies, borne out of a fake trailer on Rodriguez’s segment of the “Grindhouse” double feature, highlight the negatives of Rodriguez’ style of filmmaking. Bad special effects, unfocused writing and an overzealous application of cartoon logic exemplify this.
The first film was not good due to an ambiguous understanding of what made a B-movie gain a cult following. The second one takes everything wrong with the first film and cranks it up to 11: dull scenes of extended exposition, Danny Trejo sidelined again in his own film, repetitive battles with no real danger, bad pacing and bad CGI.
The result is a film with low ambitions that ends up being a bloated, redundant bore.
Science-Fiction: “Star Trek: Into Darkness” (2013)
The first rebooted Star Trek was a great experience, re-introducing audiences to the iconic sci-fi franchise while reassuring long-time fans this new universe would be treated with respect. The second film was more divisive, splitting audiences down the middle in the context of the story and characters.
The story, penned by the team of Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, stunts character development and subverts what the original source material stood for ideologically. Contributing to the problem is a twist regarding the film’s villain that was given away in the hyped marketing campaign, thus making the plot a dumb remake in the “Star Trek” franchise. In fact, the film’s preference for action and political intrigue displays J.J. Abrams’ love for “Star Wars” over “Star Trek.”
Action-Thriller: “Killing Season” (2013)
Robert De Niro and John Travolta star in a story playing Bosnian War veterans hunting each other in the Appalachian Wilderness. One is a former NATO commander, while the other is a former member of a Serbian death squad. On paper, this sounds like it would make for a good cat-and-mouse film. However, the result is far less satisfying.
While the film does a good job in terms of story setup, the actions taken by the two main characters undermine any potential tension and unnecessarily extend the story. Compounding these problems is the historical inaccuracy of the backstory, as basic research will disprove what is established in the prologue and flashbacks.
Had the script been sent back for a few rewrites, the half-baked revenge/redemption themes would have played out better, resulting in something akin to “First Blood.” This is the equivalent of watching a movie looping on itself constantly with little to no story or character development.
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Follow Collin Chersi on Twitter: @PepperChersi
