Double Feature: Sherlock Holmes 2 vs. Mission Impossible 4

So, in the wake of Christmas there are many things to talk about and discuss. But I will put off my deep musings on Christmas, New Years, God and life in general for now and give you the lowdown on the latest cinematic happenings.

This December... well, movies kind of exploded all over the place. I'm not sure if it is simply that I am paying more attention to them now-a-days, or if it really is that there has been a bigger buzz about movies lately. The list of movies I have yet to see (especially in lieu of award season coming up) has expanded and takes up the better portion of a handwritten page in my notebook. There are a lot of movies that seem to be getting a lot of attention... you know, those concept films that seem like it would be good to chew on them for about a month after watching them. Sadly, I have not gotten to see any of those films yet.

I HAVE however, gotten to see two of the biggest popcorn flicks of the the 2011 Christmas season: Sherlock Holmes 2 and Mission Impossible 4. In general, they are both big budget, big crowd, big box office juggernauts that are both rather forgettable. (Insert quip about how Hollywood doesn't make good movies because no one goes to see them here). But chances are that you know that, and simply want to know which one is the BETTER forgettable action flick. Well... that's pretty simple. It's Mission Impossible.

In retrospect, it's not really that hard to see why. MI:IV is Brad Bird's (Director of Ratatouille, The Incredibles and the Iron Giant) first foray into the world of live action film making. Sherlock 2, however, is directed by Guy Richie, who at the end of the day is much better at creating bullet-time sequences than he is at telling a story. That doesn't mean that he's necessarily BAD at telling a story... it's just that he's better at making a film look cool.

To be honest, it really comes down to heart... or at least the perception that the movies has heart. Sherlock is dark, smoggy and seems to be filmed through a blue and gray filter. I suppose this fits the tone of Holmes being placed in a world in the thick of the industrial revolution, but it also gives the entire film a very chilly feeling. This, coupled with the film's lack-luster dialog writing and tiresome banter between Holmes and Watson, ends up causing the viewer to wonder if Richie really cares. Because it really seems like he doesn't. Richie, you are supposed to make me believe that WWI is going to start 30 years early if Holmes doesn't succeed. Sorry, but I don't feel the tension.

On the other side, every scene in MI:IV seems to leap off the screen and make your blood pound. Bird seems to understand that the audience wants to feel like they are on a roller coaster. He knows that we know that we are having our emotions manipulated by things that aren't really happening. But he creates a world that is full of color and life and populates it with characters who we actually care about.

Perhaps it's the fact that Sherlock is fatalistic where MI:IV believes that the world can change for the better. Sherlock 2 ends with the realization that World War will come, sooner or later... no matter what Holmes does. In MI:IV, Agent Hunt can make a difference. There doesn't have to be another world war if he is successful. We want him to win. But whatever the case may be, Sherlock Holmes 2 sputters and smokes where Mission Impossible sizzles and pops. They are both about preventing world war. They both feature massive explosions. They are both pretty forgettable........... but you'll have more bang for your buck with Ethan Hunt. Yes... I mean that literally.

Till next time,
JSTT

Things Lost, Things Regained

I'm sort of at a loss tonight. Good loss, not bad loss. One of those "at a loss" moments where you literally fall to your knees and praise God... because there is simply nothing else to do. School and entertainment and pain and drama and stupidity are lost to the overwhelming tide of grace. There are no words... yet I must speak.

"God did his part, and I did mine," said the theologian.

"Your part? But I thought we couldn't add anything to our salvation?" said the confused congregant.

"Indeed," said the theologian. "God saved me... and I did my best to get in the way."

And despite our feeble efforts to thwart God, He prevails. This is unmistakable... unstoppable... improbable. Yet true. Two years at sea, only to end in a ship wreck. That is the last time that a sailor ever expects to see the light house. The sailor never assumes at that point that he has actually wrecked upon the shore of his hometown. What are the odds? What are the chances?

Slim... and he knows it.

Grace in the unexpected.

And since when IS grace expected? All too often in America, I suppose. The land of hand outs. The land of spoiled bellies and rotting teeth. So grace sneaks in the back door when all our privileges and entitlements have been striped from us. Grace comes like a thief in the night. Death is defeated... someone must sneak in his place.

All you've lost. Your provisions. Your crew. Your ship. Your honor. They mean nothing when you land upon the shore. It matters little that you crashed upon it instead of stepping gently off the dock. You are home. Nothing else matters.