Lincoln (2012) review

 

Just like how this year saw two different Snow White movies come out, 2012 is also the year that sees the release of two films focused on our 16^th president, Abraham Lincoln, and both couldn't be any more different from each other. In late June, there was 'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter' based on the 2010 mash-up novel of the same name by Seth Grahame-Smith. Obviously, that film wasn't really historically accurate, so if you're looking for a more faithful portrayal of Lincoln, then you are better off with Steven Spielberg's 'Lincoln', which is also based off of a novel ('Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln' by Doris Kearns Goodwin), starring Daniel Day-Lewis as Lincoln in the final days of his life leading up the end of the Civil War and his tragic assassination. As one might expect from a great actor like himself, Day-Lewis is exceptional in the role of Lincoln and the whole movie around him, even if it is rather slow in pace, provides an intriguing look into America's government during one of the country's darkest moments.

The film begins in 1865, as the Civil War is nearing its end. As President Lincoln (Day-Lewis) begins his second term in office, he strives to get the Thirteenth Amendment passed, which would abolish slavery once and for all, the prime issue that has been plaguing the country. However, Lincoln has to do more in order to get enough votes to approve the Amendment, more specifically appeal to some of the Democratic members of the House of Representatives who are certainly planning on voting against it. Meanwhile, Lincoln is pressured by his cabinet to be more focused on negotiating peace with the Confederates, even though Lincoln knows that if he does this, the Amendment may never get passed. This puts Lincoln in a race against time as the future of the country is at stake.

If you're heading into this movie looking for some Civil War action, you'll be disappointed... and possibly bored if you're not careful. This movie is not about the actual Civil War itself. It's actually focused around the political side of the whole event as Congress debates over the Thirteenth Amendment. Admittedly, the movie is a bit slow (especially considering that it's over two hours long) but each scene where the House of Representatives meets to discuss the Amendment keeps your interest throughout the entire film. Spielberg even shows how sometimes politics were as crooked back then as they were today. Lincoln and his cabinet are shown constantly researching on any possible Democrat member of the House who they could possibly convince to vote on their side.

Spielberg also does a great job in the way he portrays Lincoln more than the legend that he is. He's still human, as he tries to do what he knows is the right thing to do. A lot of that comes from Daniel Day-Lewis' performance. Obviously, this guy is a acting legend, and it's amazing how he just disappears into these roles. It's one of those cases where you forget that he's not actually Lincoln because he is so convincing in the role. Of course, the rest of this vast ensemble cast is great too. Tommy Lee Jones just steals every scene that he's in as the Radical Republican Thaddeus Stevens, and Sally Field is excellent as First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln. Probably my only problem though is that some of these actors were rather underused, like Jared Harris as Ulysses S. Grant and even Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Lincoln's oldest son Robert.

Still, there's no denying that this is a great film. Spielberg grounds Lincoln in reality and doesn't try to glorify him too much. True, he may be one of our nation's most famous presidents, but he was still just a man trying to keep the country together. The film also benefits from Daniel Day-Lewis's terrific and truly Oscar-worthy performance as Lincoln. But really, can you go wrong with a cast that also includes Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones, amongst others? True, the movie goes along fairly slowly and a run-time of over two hours is pretty long but it's worth it just for the incredible performances. 'Lincoln' is easily the best film that Spielberg has done in a long time and may just be the best film based on Abraham Lincoln as well.

Rating: 4/5

Indiana Jones Film Series Retrospective

In honor of 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' being re-released in IMAX theaters this week and the upcoming Blu-Ray release of 'The Complete Adventures' on the 18^th, it's time we take a look at the Indiana Jones quadrilogy. What can you say about these movies? They're some of the most classic movies of their era and loving homages to the adventure films of the 30's and 40's. Conceived from the minds of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg and starring Harrison Ford, who was fresh off of his role as Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy, there were a 'trilogy' of films in the 80's and then the series made a return in 2008. So now, here are short reviews for all four of the four Indiana Jones movies.

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981): The one that started it all. It's a brilliant mix of humor, action, and adventure all rolled into one film. Really, there's not much to say that has already been said about this film already, so really all I can say now is that if you haven't seen this movie, I recommend you get to watching it sooner or later. Maybe go see it in IMAX this week, especially if you're someone like me who never saw the original three movies in theaters. It's quite an experience.

Rating: 5/5!

Temple of Doom (1984): AKA one of the most effed-up PG movies you will ever see. Yes, this movie was one of the main contributors (along with two other Spielberg productions, Gremlins and Poltergeist) to the creation of the PG-13 rating that we have today and as you can see, there's good reason why this attracted much controversy. This is a very dark movie, and it does go a little bit off the deep end in a few areas. Where you ask? Well, let's just say from experience that a scene where someone's heart is ripped out of their chest is something that no kid should ever see. Ultimately, Temple of Doom does come off as the weakest entry in the original three films. Kate Capshaw's Willie Scott comes off as really annoying compared to the other leading ladies in the franchise and overall it's not really as fun as the other movies were.

Rating: 3.5/5

Last Crusade (1989): When it comes to the best film in this series, usually it's debated between either Raiders or Crusade. I'll admit, I prefer Crusade mainly because of one man, and that is Sean Connery as Indiana Jones' father, Henry Sr. This is inspired casting, mainly in part due to the fact that a lot of Indiana Jones was inspired by the James Bond franchise and it fits having the original Bond himself in this movie. Not only does it add more humor to the movie, but it adds a solid father/son dynamic that works incredibly well. Don't get me wrong, Raiders is just as great but Crusade has to be my personal favorite.

Rating: 5/5!

Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008): This is quite a film to talk about because this was one that was in development for a long time. Spielberg and Lucas never intended to make a fourth film but years later they ultimately did and in the end, most people liked it as much as they did the Star Wars prequels, and by 'like' I mean they most likely hated it. But like with the Star Wars prequels, I don't think this is bad as most people put it off to be. The main problem with this movie was that it really didn't pull any punches unlike the other movies. Also, aliens in a Indiana Jones movie is going a little too far. For the record, that's not all of the problems that a lot of people have with the film. True, that scene where Indy survives a nuclear explosion just by hiding in a fridge is really out there but for some odd reason, that never bothers me. As for Shia LaBeouf as Mutt Williams' AKA Indy's son, he's actually pretty good here. In the end, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is exactly what it is supposed to be. It's a modern-day B-movie and in that sense, it did its job well. Was it needed? No, but it's nice to see Indy one more time.

Rating: 4/5