REVIEW: The Cabin in the Woods

In April of 2012 a movie entered theatres without me really knowing much about it, but it didn't take long to understand that there was an incredible buzz surrounding it after its opening weekend.  I overheard many a conversation about The Cabin in the Woods, with people signing high praise.  I didn't see it, and then forgot all about it until a friend intervened in my life and set me straight by getting me to view this film.

The movie follows five college students who head out for a weekend excursion to the new vacation home of a cousin.  Their destination turns out to be a very run down and old cabin in the woods (hey, isn't that the title?).  It doesn't take long before everything to turn into a mess as they find themselves trying to have to survive against ghoulish creatures.  However, it turns out there is much more to the equation.

I cannot say much more about the plot.  It is incredibly unique, and brings an entirely new premise to what would be an over-done story.  While it would be an enjoyable film for almost who would watch such a movie, it is true horror fans that will get the most from The Cabin in the Woods.  Script writers Joss Whedon and Drew Godard (who also directed it) insert so many brilliant easter eggs as they play on dozens of tropes of the genre.  The greater your knowledge of horror and its history, the more you will get out of this film.  This is something that is made by fans for fans, while taking genre staples to new levels.

The casting of the film is really well done, with everyone involved hitting every note they need to.  Dana is out main character, played by Kristen Connolly who would most likely be known for being in television shows As The World Turns and House of Cards.  Anna Hutchinson plays Dana's friend Jules, with her boyfriend Curt played by Chris Hemsworth (an actor who doesn't seem to get enough recognition for his diverse talents).  New to the group is Holden (Jessie Williams from Grey's Anatomy), who is a possible hook-up for Dana.  And, of course, there is a stoner.  Marty is played by Fran Kranz, a character that enjoys spending time with a bong.  A pot head is used in many horror movies, and that is the reason for this character.  The fun part of the film is that it plays with the other four from the group to hit on the other character types that seem to be in ninety five percent of slashers.

Humour is abundant, with the character of Marty doing most of the heavy lifting.  I can't say what their roles in the film is, but the brilliant duo of Hadley (Bradley Whitford) and Sitterson (Richard Jenkins) bring continuous entertainment and joy to the viewer.  You may not be familiar with their names, but if you saw either of these incredible actors I'm sure you would recognize them.  They are both on fire each scene they are in, and, after seeing this, I can't help but wish they were both in mainstream stuff more often.

Because this is a horror film, be it even a self aware and comical film (it takes the self awareness from movies like Scream to an entirely new level), there are villains, kills, and blood.  Drew Goddard may not be able to get the same sort of suspense that a straightforward horror could mine, but that doesn't stop him from making intense scenes that are well paced and entertaining.  I should warn people that there is some gore in here and more blood than I could think possible.

Apparently, Goddard and Whedon wrote this script in just a few days and part of the purpose was to make a commentary on the rising sub-genre referred to as 'torture porn.'  Director Eli Roth's film Hostel was one of the early examples, followed by Saw (which is viewed as torture porn, but the original film had very little of that in it).  Many people have disdain for torture porn, as in many cases the only reason for these movies is to show people getting subjected to brutal acts.  When the full concept of the film is revealed, it is quite interesting just how Goddard and Whedon addressed the issue.

With a rumoured budget of $30 million, The Cabin in the Woods didn't set the box office on fire, as it only took in $66 million world wide.  When it comes to classic movies, however, financials seldom tell the true story of their impact.  With The Cabin in the Woods there is a film that absolutely tickled the fancies of critics (it is at 91% on Rotten Tomatoes) and genre fans alike.  With certain types of film, especially genres like horror and science fiction, there are movies that fans will hold on tightly to, even if they are forgotten by the world a year after their release.  The Cabin in the Woods is a movie that will be continually making the rounds in horror circles for years, and probably decades, to come.  It may be a horror without legitimate scares, but it is the smarts behind it, as well as the execution, that solidify The Cabin in the Woods as a horror classic.

Rating - 3.5 out of 4 stars

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

It is only fair if I let it be known right away that a few years ago I became ultimately tired and weary of superhero movies, sensing that Hollywood was pummelling my head into oblivion with large, foamy, green Hulk hands, smashing puny human.  The only comic book franchise that I cared about anymore was Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, and I was left to the belief that the other super-powered films that orbited me were just waiting for their chance to strike and knock me down.  If one movie did not succeed, I knew that it was only a matter of years before it was ‘re-envisioned’ and attempted once again.  My battered husk was in need of a hero to save me.

As luck would have it, a new sense of energy towards this genre was pumped into my thanks to Joss Whedon’s efforts with The Avengers, a film which brought both incredible special effects and interesting character dynamics into a film that was an incredibly great waste of my time.  Next it was Iron Man 3, a super hero whom I never cared about, that was able to get the blood pumping in explosive ways.  It became one of my favourite super hero movies of all time thanks to its well-paced story and an insistence to look at the person behind the suit, showing the grit of the hero over their special powers.

I bring all of this to light because it is necessary in establishing my overall thoughts on the genre, and I need to magnify that by admitting my complete boredom with Captain America.  I never really saw any attraction to him at all.  I mean, he is patriotic and has a shield.  Why should I care?  Why is he exciting in any way, especially considering the fact that I am not even American?  The ‘north of the border’ equivalent to Captain America is the McKenzie brothers, who are somewhat patriotic and supplement the lack of having a shield with the abundance of Canadian beer.

As I found my preferred seat in the showing of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, I was expecting to be left at the end feeling the same way that I did after seeing Thor (which was not the most exciting feeling) or worse, the depleted soulless state I faced after seeing The Green Lantern.  There was to be no way on this planet that I would be entertained by a straight laced patriotic feller who chose to use a shield without also carrying a sword.

As it would turn out, I am a fan of Captain America now, at least the version that was presented in The Winter Soldier.  Any issues that I had beforehand were whisked aside thanks to some very pleasurable action sequences at the beginning of the film, as well as a very timeless plot revolving around trusting government and military, their intentions, and the horrifyingly grey line that separates right from wrong in trying to bring order and peace to the populous.

While I had never given a hoot about a silly round shield prior, I was enamored by the choreography that was implemented to show just how Captain America (Chris Evans) used it as an extension of his body.  There were times in the movie, however, when I wanted to scream at the baddies on screen ‘shoot at his feet!’ as he was crouched behind his shield while under fire, with the lower portion of his legs exposed.  But, if one decides to get too nitpicky, any super hero movie will quickly fall apart.

What Chris Evans does with the Steve Rogers character is exactly what one could want from such a film.  Much like the characters of Wolverine are embodied by Hugh Jackman and Robert Downey Jr. has effectively become Tony Stark, Evans jumps into the role perfectly as he portrays appropriately the physical appearance and the reflective nature of a man who strives to assist in fighting evil, putting himself in harm’s way to protect others.  Many movies struggle at capturing all the needed aspects of the protagonist in their actors, which leads to some being rebooted and meddled with many times over (in the past eleven years there have been three people take up the role of the Hulk).

As the film went about unfolding, I did have a difficult time with the reveal of the villainous element.  This more comes down to my personality, with myself struggling with finding the antagonist a little out of place in the universe they were creating, and almost feeling a little too ‘comic booky.’  Perhaps I just am not familiar enough with the source material and may have found more purpose to the history if I was more properly informed.  But, as mentioned, I just never cared enough about the character to look into him, and never even felt the urge to investigate via the incredibly easy (and possibly incorrect) Wikipedia.

They nefarious poster child in this film was The Winter Soldier, an unknown nemesis who shows up on the scene to throw a monkey wrench in humanities desires for peaceful living.  Played by Sebastian Stan, he was a very visually interesting character, exuding an aura of necessary bad-assedness that would become a thorn in the side of the good ole Captain.  A good foil is always needed, and he was constructed in a method that was diligent in challenging Steve Rogers in a number of ways.

I should also mention the appearance of mixed martial arts legend Georges St-Pierre who played the role of Batroc, a secondary villain in the film.  Directors Anthony and Joe Russo showed great intelligence in how they used St-Pierre, limiting the number of lines that he needed to deliver, and focusing mostly on his physical stature and abilities.  The few lines he had were not handled the most smoothly, but luckily there was not a lot of need for them to be.  From a physical standpoint, he was very natural and flowing.  Some people, even if they have larger than life personalities, become rather awkward once in front of the camera, but St-Pierre did not suffer from that at all and was able to blend in with the action of the film.

The best testimony of the movie is the fact that I enjoyed it.  The fact that I feel no attraction at all to the concept of Captain America and yet was still smiling throughout the film shows its true ability to pull in an audience of outsiders and make them happy.  Whereas before I had rolled my eyes at the fact that he had his own movies, I now find myself looking forward to the next Avengers and Captain America 3.  A good meal leaves a lingering taste in the mouth and causes a craving for more, and a great movie is able to do the same thing.

Rating – 3 out of 4 stars