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Reviews
Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning (2004)
Blood Galore, but what about a script?
The third installment into what is become a very large franchise (by Canadian means) has left a somewhat sour taste in my mouth.
The first two films in the Werewolf saga see the intrepid Bridgette Fitzgerald battle her way through the hell to save her sister Ginger from the "curse" of lancanthropy, and in the second save herself from the same virus. The third pretty much goes in the face of the first two. Here we see the, not necessarily "true" beginning of the werewolves, but the beginning of the Fitzgerald's sisters' battle with the furry mutts, and the sisters bond at its strongest.
I'll spare going into the lackluster plot and script details. Fans of the first two movies will be happy and content linking occurrences with the first two films, but by no means does this movie stand a chance holding its own. Too many characters, too many going on, too many quick cut away shots, leave the viewer feeling disjointed and confused. Not enough detail is given for some parts and WAY too much for others.
The entire movie throws what we learned in the previous two, out the door and gives us a more "mystical" interpretation. However, there is MUCH more blood and gore, enough to satisfy even the most morbid individual. And the girls themselves remain true, no serious personality change from the first movie.
I felt very sour over the hunter as a replacement for Sam. But props to the whole production, they didn't make Perkins or Isabelle speak in completely fake British accents.
Fearless (2004)
Jerry Bruckhimer strikes again!
When i first saw the pilot i went in with an open mind. Having never read the books, I had no pre-conceived notion of what to expect.
Starting off with a short introduction by Gaia Moore (Cook) about herself and her life. How she was perfect for her job because she experienced none of the side effects that come with fear (i.e. vision impairment, shakes etc.) Except she's been assigned to LA where she is partnered with two other teen extreme hotties (Lawson and Balfour.) Gaia does not inform her partners of her "condition" and they are more than a little freaked when Gaia goes under cover to bring down a crime lord. Throw in Ian Somerhalder for sexual tension and you complete the Bruckheimer formula.
There was obvious money thrown into the pilot. Filmed in the trademark grainy green hues that CSI and Without a Trace made famous, and backed by an all star teen dream cast. But it just doesn't work. Everything seems 10x what it should be. The script puts in the extra effort to make sure that the show still has the feeling element, even though the one emotion drama and action relies on (fear), is not even experienced by the main character. This "push" ends up cranking everything else into overdrive and soon you are left with the feeling that you are reading a fifteen-year-olds diary/journal. That's if the fifteen-year-old were narrating the whole story from there perspective. Too much is put into looking cool and kicking butt than actual plot and character development, all other emotions seem over the top and silly. This formula works for the movies because it's a one shot deal, but a television series needs more structure. Which fearless lacks.
The pilot is obviously marketed towards teenagers. Perhaps Bruckheimer decided that it was time to dominate a new age group, having already seized control of the adult 18-45 bracket. Rumors are floating around that the WB will be picking this up for fall 2004. Here's hoping it has a better fate that "Tarzan."
Ginger Snaps: Unleashed (2004)
Not so bad, could have been better
Almost every sequel to a movie is going to be not as good as the original. Ginger Snaps Back is no exception. What sold me on the first film was the quirky sarcastic one liners traded back and forth between Ginger and her younger sister Brigette. Although Katherine Isabelle is in the sequel, she only shows up in the form of her sister B's imagination.
As well i believe what was bothering me when watching is the change in character that B has gone through. No traces of the shy, quiet introvert that audiences loved in the first film, rather a angry resentful B, undergoing much of the same transformations that Ginger went through in the first film. The weird clothing is gone as well. Brigette may not be hâut couture, but shes no longer buying from Salvation Army.
Worth a look if your a fan of the first film, but i cannot stress this enough you must see the first film for any of it to make sense.