4 I Monday December 8, 2003 michigandaily.com artseditor@michigandaily.com ARTS 8A 8A Bad acting mars latest music video fim 'Honey' By Sravya Chirumamilla Daily Arts Writer MOVIE REVIEW Ever watch BET and wish someone tacked on a syrupy story to all the hot girls grinding in skimpy outfits? "Honey" unrepentingly offers just that - a really long music video. dsourtesy 01Unive Go directly to jail. Do not pass go. Do not make any more movies like this, evert Famed music video director and first-time feature- film director Bille Woodruff recog- Honey At Showcase and Quality 16 Universal Cut e marner Bros. We all know you're not really one of the seven. Over here, you're just a guy In a dress. By Ryan Lewis Daily Film Editor Taken from the rich and vibrant history of Japan's 19th- century modernization, director Edward Zwick's "The Last Samurai" pays tribute to canonical samurai films of legends like Akira Kurosawa and the delicate tradition of these ancient warriors. Although the story plays out like the usual formulaic epic, touches of _.._..______ greatness flow naturally from the The Last combination of quality actors, amaz- .u ing set pieces and the poignant por- At Showcase, trayal of a dying culture. Qaliy 16 and Tom Cruise plays Nathan Algren, Madstone a disenchanted, drunkard Civil War Warner Bros. captain who, being plagued by the horror of having slain Native American tribes, is sent to Japan to train the emperor's army in the use of modern weaponry. In the service of the emperor and his self- serving advisor Omura (Hasato Harada), Algren march- es the inadequate soldiers into battle against a hardened and ready samurai force. The soldiers are quickly han- dled, and Algren, after fighting a valiant battle, is taken away by the samurai leader Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe) back to his mountain village. Cruise, although somewhat out of place and unbeliev- able in his role as Algren, performs with a level of sub- tlety and skill that we've come to expect. However, as he drifts through John Logan's script mostly watching and learning, the yet-unknown in America but already-star in Japan Watanabe outshines Cruise in every way. His range as Katsumoto and his interplay with Cruise's char- acter provide some of the most enjoyable moments of the film. In fact, the plethora of villagers and training samurai warriors add a certain appeal and nostalgia toward Kurosawa's masterpieces. The power of "Samurai" radiates through the scenes in the village. As Algren lives through battle wounds and withdrawal to become part of the samurai, the expanding relationships between the men who belittle him, the woman whose husband he killed in battle and Katsumoto himself showcase Zwick's skill. These idiosyncrasies come closest to the brilliance of Kurosawa that Zwick will ever achieve. Yet as soon as Algren finds his new passion in the code of Bushido, he travels back to civilization with Katsumoto, and thus back to formula. The film starts to lose effect with the predictability that ensues, as you start rooting less for Algren and the samurai than for a through-line that's altogether different. Of course the cinematography by John Toll ("The Thin Red Line") and Hans Zimmer's incredible score deserve special note. But above all, the breathtaking sets and scenery keep each scene captivating, despite the often dry and sappy dialogue. Also, the climactic battle scene pitting guns against swords and many against a few pulls together the drama of the entire film for one fine and entirely honorable last stand ... that is, until the overt thematics return in the aftermath. nizes that "Honey" is just a glorified video and panders all too willingly to the audience. He provides sweeping camera shots that bring a welcome mix of the music video and feature film genres. Actors, however, often break character and over-act in his overly dra- matic cinematic clips. Jessica Alba (Honey Daniels) is one of the most beautiful people in enter- tainment, and while her dancing skills are commendable, her acting abilities are subpar. Alba has very few substan- tial lines and constantly overacts. The relationship between Honey and best friend Gina (Joy Bryant) is one of the few necessary and touching charac- ter developments in the film. They accurately portray the forgiving friends who push one another to each other's full potential. Unnecessary in the film is the role of Chaz (Mekhi Phifer), a barbershop owner and Honey's love interest. Phifer's role is uninspiring, lacking any substance. Woodruff's direction ruins Lil' Romeo's (Benny) subtle acting and character development. Romeo is one of the best actors in this film, uniquely maintaining his character throughout. In "Honey," star-gazing becomes a sport. Everyone from Missy Elliot to P. Diddy's manservant, Farnsworth Bent- ley, make their presence felt in this run- way of hip-hop stars. Dancing, around which the film revolves, is the most redeeming part of "Honey." Laurie Ann Gibson plays a dual role as the film's choreographer and as Katrina, Honey's rival dancer. She introduces innovative and unex- pected moves that cater to all ages. The recurring message is reminiscent of all the VH 1 Save the Music commer- cials, and the audience almost expects Nas to make a cameo to say "save the music, y'all." The dance routines and charm save "Honey" from being a com- plete loss but fail to make it more than a manual on new dance moves. Saga of the nighty Giants told on DVD By Scott Serilla Daily Arts Editor DVD REVIEW Technically fla By Jason Roberts Daily Arts Editor "Final Fantasy X-2," the first direct; sequel in the "Final Fantasy" saga, fol-I lows the three heroines from "Final1 Fantasy X" two years after the defeat of1 Sin trying to restore the world of Spira 1 to peace. Gainers are first introduced to Yuna, Rikku and Final, Paine in a visually Fantasy X-2 1 brilliant pop-rock PS21 concert that quick- Square Enix ly disintegrates into a battle for control over powerful ability-altering orbs, known as dres- spheres. It seems that after defeating Sin, the trio took on a new adventure collecting spheres after Yuna finds one ] that suggests her lost love may still be1 alive. This, combined with a web of subplots and the overarching theme of a< struggling world recovering from strifej and bracing for war, establishes the coref of the game's epic adventure.I "X-2," unlike many of the previous "Fantasy" installments, is completely 1 nonlinear. Players can explore the world1 wiess 'Fantasy' nearly perfect of Spira at their leisure, opening up the as well, detailing every little subtle possibility of several different outcomes move of both heroine and villaiaw,ajike. and plot twists in the end. Gameplay is The camera follows tlie action in a as enjoyable as ever, especially the graceful way, swooping in to capture revamped battle system. Battles move at the action up close but then spinning a lightning-quick pace, giving players back to frame a vista in the most ele- the opportunity to time attacks between gant of ways. party members. This allows characters Music has always been a staple of to create combination attacks and multi- the "Final Fantasy" series and, though ply the damage dealt to foes. Also, char- t is the first game without compos- acters can switch between dresspheres r obuo Uematsu, the soundtrack during battle, altering their attack as ardly suffers, offering a gorgeous defense capabilities on the fly. In adds score that accompanies every situa- When you think of alternative music these days, what comes to mind? Angry white boys screaming? Teeny-bop- ers dressed up like parodies of English punks, who crashed and burned before they were born? Hoobastank? Some folks will tell ya' alt-rock was little more than a marketing scheme invented to force underground bands on people sick of Bon Jovi. Don't believe 'em. It was real. It was on the radio. Gigantic Twelve-year-olds sang along. TheyIPlexifilms knew all the words. xfi For an all too brief moment in the early '90s, mainstream music almost pitched a post- punk tent that was big enough to make room for both flannel-wearing, angst-filled burnouts and bespectacled geeks politely dreaming about Constantinople and ;de..,K.Polk. .: Ah, John Flansburgh and John Linnell, the Brooklyn- based duo that was/is They Might Be Giants. OK so they're still around, but it's hard to think about the Giants' beautiful and strange 20-year survey of pop music without a twinge of nostalgia (and without using the word quirky). Watching director AJ Schnack's endearing documentary "Gigantic: A Tale of Two Johns" without thinking back to compulsively listening to Lincoln and Flood 10 years ago. Oh, for their sense of self-satisfied bewilderment, they inspired in a generation of middle-class kids who weren't really ever gonna rip shit up, but certainly would think about it a lot. With such nerd heavy-hitters as Pixies mastermind Frank Black, meta-author Dave Eggers and NPR's Sarah Vowell and Ira Glass professing their love and admiration for the Johns, "Gigantic" is one part love letter, one part history lesson. Tracing TMBG's beginnings as an after-school bedroom Why do you always get to be Particle Man? pi-rject in Lincoln, Mass., to their arty East Village sal days, right through their current incarnation as journeym iongiters for: hire,"Gigantic" highlightsa. x theme of determined New England DIY spirit and Puritah integrity that keeps the Giants plugging right along. But perhaps most revealing is exploration of the under- lying sadness buried beneath much of Flansburgh's and, especially, Linnell's songwriting. You start to realize that it is that secretly buoyant emotionalism as well the boy's commitment to craft and old-fashioned entertainment that has guided the Giants, lifting them above cult and novelty status to something far more enduring. Including rare performance footage, early videos and plenty of extra interview outtakes, this recently released DVD gives "Gigantic" the fair-shake chance that its limit- ed release last summer never could have. It's a simple mes- sage and they're leaving in the whistles and bells. Movie: **** Picture/Sound: ***, Features: **** 4 tion to the usual array of magical capa- bilities, party members can learn the skills of thieves, dancers, gunners and swordsmen. The ability to learn talents with new players keeps the game fresh and ever evolving. "X-2" is graphically stunning. There is not another game on the mar- ket that can come close to the physical beauty witnessed in these environ- ments. Water shimmers under the afternoon sun. Cold, snowy peaks are juxtaposed with the rocky ledges that encircle them and the dull, rusting metal of abandoned cities speaks with a brooding, dark energy. Not only are the environments beautifully done, but the character models are phenomenal tion nearly perfectly. Technically, "X-2" is flawless. There is, however, fault in the non-linear gameplay as it does not provide the same stong backbone evident in previ- ous "Final Fantasy" installments. The lack of structure is not crippling, but in a game that is usually driven by a strong storyline, this one has only a very loose feeling narrative. The "bubble-gum" atmosphere of the game may also offend some die-hard veterans of the series, as it has a lighter feeling than others in the extensive saga. Beautifully scripted, compoad, designed and executed, "Final Fantasy X-2" is a tremendous achievement in both style and substance. SHORT TAKES THE MOUNTAINEERS MESSY CENTURY MUTE RECORDS The debut LP from Liverpool- based Mountaineers is a roller- coaster listening experience. From the outset, the trippy psychedelic electronica of "Ripen" utilizes a full palette of production possibili- ties. Computerized drums, synthe- sizers, horns and strings are only a sampling of the plethora of sounds thrown into the mix. There's every- thing from the sonic landscapes of Pink Floyd (particularly the chorus of "Want to Write You") to the tight construction of late-Beatles. Centered in the British rock tradi- tion, Messy Century is accessible throughout, despite a few moments of electronic experimentalism. This album flaunts maturity far beyond the band's years. With their ability to successfully draw from so many of their predecessors, the Mountaineers are sure to be an indie sensation in times to come. -Andrew Horowitz Don't Panic!! If you think yu re pregnant. Cal us---We isten, we Care. PROBLEM PREGNANCY HELP 975-4357 Any timne, any day, 24 hours. :ully con~fIdentiaLr Serving Studeunts since 1970. Instant $60 cash rebate! 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