Tuesday, December 8, 2009

The Parent Trap

"2012" is a disaster film, so you can be absolutely sure that there will be no surprises. This is the sort of film for people who like to get what they see. Film trailers often tease you into expecting a certain movie, and then the film is disappointing first and foremost because it's simply not what you expected. A bit like real-estate ads in Sydney, you must read between the lines and realise that a "surprisingly uplifting" film is a probably a downer, and that "the funniest comedy of the year" probably has a cynical twist. But "2012" is a long film about the end of the world, loaded up with fabulous special effects and endless scenes of mayhem, destruction and panic. Simple.

This is a film to enjoy when you're tired of THINKING. You've been reading and writing and analysing all week, and now you'd like to switch off and forget about anything meaningfully deep. You'll be able to buy that extra-large popcorn because the film's soundtrack is so loud that nobody will be bothered by your jolly opened-mouthed munching. Every so often you'll turn to your partner and repeat a funny bit of the dialogue and share a laugh, and if you look around you the cinema will be packed with happy film-watchers getting what they paid for - a big, bold, fabulously ridiculous disaster film.

This film is best enjoyed in a huge cinema complex on a very busy Saturday night, the atmosphere is half the fun with this type of film. It is also helpful to have a good sense of humour, because taking the end of the world seriously is NOT what this film is about. You should be the kind of person who thinks it's hysterically funny to see the Queen of England shuffling along with her two corgis, making her way towards a huge, metal ark which will survive a tsunami. It would also be helpful if you thought fake Russian accents are very very funny, because there's a lot of that. However, most importantly, you need to be able to appreciate the cunning ingenuity of a scriptwriter who chooses to make the protagonist of the film a negligent and disorganised father who's recently divorced. This is a man who will reconnect with his children and his estranged wife only because the WORLD is about to END. That's what it takes for this family to live happily ever after.

The secret treasure at the end of this film is that you realise it's really "The Parent Trap" for adults. Like I said, take this film seriously at your own risk.



Final words: You'll come out of the cinema a bit dazed, giggling and reminding each other of the silliest scenes (so many to choose from). You might also hearken back to the 70 odd times you watched the original Parent Trap film, and make your partner laugh by singing your very own rendition of "Let's get together, yeah yeah yeah."


8 comments:

trash said...

Is it possible to wash out my eyes and ears? Seconds before watching this I had been watching Tonny Bennett and Stevie Wonder singing 'For once in my life'. Talk about the sublime to the ridiculous.

Although crubbish, fake Russian accents sounds like a draw to film if you ask me.

M said...

I'm sure I'll be dragged along to that one before its cinema run is over.

Fake Russian accents? I'm in. As long as there's not a fake Aussie accent. That would send me running for the exit.

Roderick Robinson said...

Dear Film Reviewer, I need your help. Years ago I signed up to a service whereby we ticked a list of film preferences and then each week a film (VHS in those days) was delivered to our door. A week later that film was collected and a new one replaced it. It was dead cheap and the choice was reasonable. This service survived our move from the London area to our present home in Hereford. Gradually the quality of choice has diminished and we now have great difficulty finding enough films on the list to tick. This leads us to take gambles which never pay off. Between us Mrs BB and I must have seen the first twenty minutes of more lousy films than anyone in the northern hemisphere.(Two recent dogs: Flash of genius; The boat that rocked. Rather earlier: the terrible Moulin Rouge). Why do we continue? Because I am sorry for the guy who runs the service and is just scraping a living. And yet I am a great filmophile (Can recommend "Le scaphandre et le papillon"). We are both going mad. Help.

RW said...

I loved this version of The Parent Trap but, funny how I didn't remember how high pitched her voice was

Duyvken said...

Oooh, I loved the parent trap! I was determined to be Hayley Mills when I grew up.
That doesn't seem to have kicked in yet :-)

Mary said...

Yep - another DVD film for me.

I am loving this SO much - you are saving me time AND money dear one!

And I can read your fantastic reviews for free!!

PS my WV - lauugh - how good is that?!!

Duyvken said...

The special effects were amazing but the last line was just too much for me. Why do they need to wrap up everything? Apart from that I really enjoyed it. I am in awe of the things that are doing with CG effects now. I don't want to know how it works but I love it!

BabelBabe said...

i totally want to see this movie. mostly because I have a raging crush on John Cusack. But how did you know I wanted to see it? : )

I did just watch the remake of the Parent Trap - not as good as the Hayley Mills version.