A Bloody Bounty of Bullets

Jamie Foxx teams up with the legendary Quentin Tarantino to deliver a bullet-riddled tale of lost love redeemed in Django Unchained. 

ON CONTINUITY

ARTH VADER (AV): Following in the footsteps of the spaghetti western of the same name, the 1966 Django was known as one of the most violent movies ever made. The wildly successful movie inspired a wave of copycat movies in the 1970's to the mid 80's. Christmas Day of 2012 saw yet another variant make it's on-screen debut. Django Unchained propels almost as many stars as bullets at the viewer and is a real homage to the violently graphic original and is in complete step with Tarantino's style of violent storytelling. This makes for a great way to introduce Tarantino's re-imagined Django, the freed-slave-turned bounty hunter on a quest to find his true love. 

THE PONTIFICATOR (TP): Slavery was not one of the finest moments for our country, but it happened and is a part of our shared history. I’m not an expert of every detail of every incident and situation during slavery, but this film surely has accuracy in some parts... and embellishment in others. This film pays homage to the original by having a cameo of Franco Nero... the original Django.

CASTING, DIRECTING AND ACTING

AV: The villains, oh Pontificator, the villains are this movie's DNA. The casting of the list of antagonists in this film was better than that of any movie in recent memory. From Don "Miami Vice" Johnson (yes I went there!) as the pompous "Big Daddy", the convert evil of house slave Steven in Samuel "Nick Fury" Jackson, the sadistically sinister Walton Goggins as Billy Crash and let's give a hearty Boxed Office standing ovation to Leonardo DiCaprio in his role as the stunningly sadistic Calvin Candie. Even Tarantino himself holds down a hilariously twisted cameo of an Aussie gun-for-hire that has a rather explosive demise. And lest we forget the riveting beauty and seasoned portrayal of Django's captured wife by the stunning Kerry Washington. This movie had more vile villains and twisted characters as spent bullet casings. Pontificator, I was delighted at the intricate twists and turns of this array of villains and anti-heroes. Would you think old friend?

TP: Excellent casting and acting kept me glued to the screen. The directing of Quentin Tarantino is a singular talent, and always keeps you just off center and always on edge. Jamie Foxx submerges himself in the role of Django and sells every bit of his hatred and urgency. Christoph Waltz was just as integral as Foxx, but really carried the screen whenever he was on it. The combination, when working in tandem, was truly magnetic. Leonardo DiCaprio remains one of the greats and along with Samuel L. Jackson, really nails home the vileness of villainy...and as you pointed out Vader, there was plenty of that to go around.

SPECIAL EFFECTS

AV: You know, Ponty, we don't get to talk much about good old-fashioned stage sets and make-up anymore and Django Unchained is a rich outpouring of clothing, attitudes and styles from pre-civil war America in the 1950's. Lot's of cowboys and Southern Belles, slaves and slave traders, Sheriffs, Marshals and Saloon keeps, all ere abundantly represented in this bullet-zipping tale. Lest we forget, the over-the-top blood-letting gives us plenty of brains and blood spattering as the movie shows no effort to restrain itself from the violence of the story. 

TP: This isn’t a big budget science-fiction movie, but the special effects are still outstanding. They come in the form of gore and the occasional explosion... but everything looks real, and in the final analysis, that is what every filmmaker wants to achieve. The costumes and props certainly propelled me into another era, Vader.

TAKING A DEEPER LOOK

AV: I am a huge fan of the Quentin Tarantino brand of shoot first and shoot-often-style of movie making. Django is a fitting addition to Tarantino's heavy-handed violence and deplorable people doing heroic things, despite themselves a world that couldn't possibly allow any of us to go through unscathed. Django shows us how a single-minded focus on even a seemingly unattainable goal makes almost anything worth pursuing–even true love. Redemption, even for the most horrible deeds, is often found in the achieving of one's final goal. The ends may not always justify the means, but we sure do applaud when the bad guy gets a face full of buckshot. Gritty, gruesome and grounding. Ponty? 

TP: Oh where to begin, since there was so much to look at. Controversy... I’ll start there. Racism, slavery, the use of the “N-Word”...all controversial. To tell this story with the impact of a crashing plane, all these elements had to be represented in the truest way possible. I sat in a mixed audience, and everyone found the same uncomfortable scenes... uncomfortable. Yet within all of this was a base story as old as stories... that of the noble hero. It wasn’t told with glitz, but with a finger on the hot button of our humanity. It was a journey that led a former slave to question gunning down a man in front of his child, to having no question at all about where he is going, and how he is getting there. Indeed, it was gritty and gruesome... but I dare say many left the theater very grounded.

ON SEQUELS:

AV: Whilst the original spurred and inspired scores of offspring, also-rans and sequels, this latest version may be a bit hard to follow. And while Tarantino's movies don't exactly fit the Hollywood mold of trilogy franchises (the From Dusk till Dawn series notwithstanding) – the viability of a Django follow-up could be cool, just don't call it "Django 2". 

TP: I can see where a sequel could go, given that this film took place a few years before the Civil War. Honestly though, this film does more than enough to twist some screws loose and provoke profound thought and a second part that encompasses the Civil War won’t break any new ground... just provoke a comparison to the first, at the risk of some degradation to what is shaping up to be a masterpiece.

RATE IT!

ARTH VADER rates Django Unchained: High hopes, high impact and high body count make Django a blistering tale of redemption, love and innocence lost. Smart and gritty with more action and violence than you could handle in a 2 hour and 20 minute tale, this is a must-see movie for the western, the action hero lover and those of us drawn to stories of righting all wrongs, no matter how many bullets it takes genres. I load up 9 busted blocks into the barrel for Django Unchained. 

THE PONTIFICATOR Rates Django Unchained: There is a lot going on in this film, and it hits every point a great film needs to, in order to be great. The action is intense, the humor alleviating, and the drama provoking. There isn’t a safe moment to take your eyes off the screen, and every bit of dialogue is meaningful. Django unchains 8 blocks, and busts them in a hail of bullets. 

Django Unchained: 8.5/10 Busted Blocks

Spartans Almost Perfect!

History comes alive in this vibrant, true life-inspired Hollywood re-telling of the amazing battle of Thermopylae.

CONTINUITY:

ARTH VADER (AV): 300 is far more than a story. It’s a legend, a timeless tale of a few standing against many. A handful of brave Greek souls defies slavery, tyranny and oppression in the face of overwhelming odds. The time of the great Greek city-states was brutal both in war and politics, a time when opponents met eye-to-eye on the battlefield. This is the setting for Frank Miller's epic Graphic Novel masterpiece, 300 and the movie does jaw-dropping justice to Miller's award-winning storytelling with an eerie re-interpretation of this infamous tale. Pontificator, I know you have some thoughts on this one.

THE PONTIFICATOR (TP): I do indeed Vader...if there’s one movie that’s been made as if it came straight out of the comic book and onto the silver screen...this one is it. Panel for panel and with all the dialogue, “300” stayed so true to the book that the only distinguishable difference between the movie and book were the seat I was sitting in when I viewed them.

Casting, Directing and Acting:

AV: While admittedly, some of the acting is a bit overdone (alright, more than a bit), I have to remind myself that 300 is an adaptation of an over-ambitious comic book. The movie is no different. I contest that the acting matches the epic storytelling. Director Zack Snyder’s vision engulfs the viewer in his over-the-top style and larger-than-life personalities. We connect immediately with the Gerard Butler’s cunning, bold and outspoken Warrior-King, Leonidas, along with his beautiful queen Grogo (Lena Heady) and the oddly enthralling narrative by Dilios (David "Faramir" Wenham) gives what would be an otherwise grim tale, life and substance. Somehow, the hammy, over-dramatic narration fits right in with the story’s pacing and personality. Really, Ponty, I found the casting to be first rate.

TP: Indeed Vaderman, the casting was superb. Gerard Butler was the perfect choice for King Leonidas and all the supporting characters fit comfortably around him as his performance carried this movie. The real story of excellence was in the directing. The unique style of directing is what brought the comic pages to life onscreen. From the purposeful use of shadow, to the slow motion... even in the constant narration, the direction of this film kept me engaged and on the edge.

Special Effects:

AV: Schwing! Anyone even vaguely familiar with Frank Miller's gothic, contrast-rich style of art and storytelling knows whose movie this is. There are extensive accounts (see 300 director's cut) of the comic frames acting as the movie's cinematic storyboards. Literally, panoramic and action shots were crafted to emulate Frank's storytelling. Folks, no movie has done this – ever. This is what makes 300 so spellbinding. The visual content is both overwhelming and spectacular, it masks any other potential flaws. The graphic depictions of violence make this movie all but downright wrong for anyone under 13. Heck, I wonder if anyone under 17 could even fully appreciate this movie. How say you, Pontificator?

TP: I say that we agree. The beauty of this film is that the special effects rested in the unique way it was filmed, directed and edited. The story itself didn’t call for huge explosions, dramatic crashes or over-the-top CGI. It was simple and very much to the...”point”...and all the special effects that were used enhanced what was already enthralling. Blood, decapitations and amputations reached a whole new level of shock with the clarity and attention to detail those scenes were given. Being a character driven movie, the effect that was most special was the performance.

Taking A Deeper Look

TP: I was an instant fan of the books when they hit the shelf some years ago and to see the books come to life in this movie was exhilarating for me. That said, I have to say that 300 carried a very dark tone to it that was barely scratched by the little bit of levity the movie had. It wasn’t a balanced movie by any means, but also couldn’t be if the goal was to bring the book to life.

AV: 300 is considered one of the best graphic novels of all time and rightly so. It rivals (if not eclipses) DC's The Dark Knight, another Miller masterpiece. The true brilliance of this movie lies in it's ability to completely transfix the viewer and believe things that, though based in historical fact, are wildly implausible. One particular scene shows a teenage Leonidas squaring off against an anatomically impossible black wolf-like abomination. It’s impossible size and glowing eyes are an on-screen travesty – and we don't care! It's Frank Miller's style and it's cool and that makes 300 transcend Hollywood convention. Why is there a giant hole in the ground (a well?) big enough to drive a truck into? Who cares! Small animals (like elephants!) falling to their death in bottomless pits are of no concern in the tragic world of Miller. It is detailed content like this that fuels the movie’s magic.

TP: This movie is what I call situational specific. That simply means the entirety of the film revolves around one particular kind of situation, even the scenes away from the battle are about the battle. Films like this are either going to be loved for what they are, or hated for what they're not. I happen to enjoy dark, gritty films laced with the gore of slow motion battle and superb fighting techniques. This film was very heavy in that department and delivered the intended effect.

Looking Ahead: Sequels

AV: The follow-up to 300 is the victory of the Greek City-States over the invading Persian Armies. 300 does NOT plug into the Hollywood sequel engine. It doesn't need to. Hey, if you really want to know what happened, Google "Battle of Thermopylae". I see Frank as a visionary entertainer/storyteller, on the order of Steven Speilberg. So while the story of 300 has been told, Miller has much more of his vision to share.

TP: Agreed Your Vaderness...there is no need to do a sequel. The story of “The 300” predates this movie and has been a self contained story of defiance in the name of freedom with the only sequel being the rest of history that follows. Is that history grounds for a continuation of “300”? I don’t think so. Some stories are best left to one movie...and this story certainly qualifies for that approach.

ARTH VADER rates 300: Action, passionate love, standing for what’s right in the face of overwhelming odds, both at home and on the battlefield, this movie delivers in spades. 300 reminds us that the purpose of entertainment is to move us viscerally and emotionally. Whether you are Spartan, American or simply a fan of doing what’s right, you can find no better example than telling of the story of the 300. I give 300 a perfect 10 busted blocks – and in the immortal words of the great storyteller, Stan Lee, “Nuff’ said!”

THE PONTIFICATOR Rates 300: A perfect 10 Vader? Well, we agree that this movie was awesome. A great retelling of a very old story in a way that would make learning history much more exciting than it’s being taught now. Since giving it three hundred busted blocks would break the scale, I’ll have to settle for giving it eight blocks busted...out of ten.

300: 9/10 Busted Blocks