A Wreckage of a Metropolis
2002 saw the release of the turgid 'Metropolis' which is based on a 1949 comic from Osamu Tezuka who was best known for being the creator of the cultural icon, Astroboy.
This tedious and derivative effort directed by Rintaro, based on a screenplay by Katsuhiro Ôtomo, included cliches and obvious elements from Fritz Lang's 'Metropolis', 'Bladerunner', and many other movies. How tired could this be? Gunfights, chases, detective in trenchcoats, evil leader, innocent girl with powers, falling masonry, bad dialogue coupled with a horrid half-dead discordant jazz soundtrack. Familiar?
The final cliched attempt at poetry through a jazz or big band soundtrack which was, of course, set against the destruciton of the tower at the climax was simply trite. How much unoriginal could this get?
I watched this a month back and was disappointed.
4 comments:
My daughter has this movie.
I think there are problems with the narrative structure. The causation? The linking? Scenes seem discordant. One after another.
Well, it is violent. Deaths abound.
I just gave away a dvd version of the original--one that wasn't very well restored, the edges chopped off. So lately I've been hunting for the newly restored original version. They want an arm and a leg for it at the local Boarders and Barnes and Nobles. Amazon should have it for a decent price.
This looked interesting to me, at least in a visual, eye candy sense. No real substance though? Sometimes I can be a sucker for cliche'. Sounds like it sucked though.
In Pittsburgh, they had a screening of Fritz Lang's version at a great older theater, and an amazing jazz ensemble called the "After Quartet" played to the entire film, hitting notes and percussive stabs at just the right moment without even viewing the film! For ten bucks it was one of the most memorable movie-going experiences I've ever had (about seven years ago).
Steve, why not save for money for Ghost in the Shell 2?
And 'Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex' the TV series?
There are so many anime DVDs available in English today. Even the Studio Ghibli (sp?) ones are great.
Of course, you could simply be a completist! Heheheh.
Amazon, yeah, usually decent. You can't get ripped off there.
Yes, I have heard of several soundtracks played to Lang's 'Metropolis'. Hmmm.. I would love if Tangerine Dream were to do a soundtrack for it though.
The Pet Shop Boys recently did one for the silent Eisenstein classic 'Battleship Potemkin'. Have you heard that one?
My friend loved it.
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