I went to Rome to see Into the Storm with the same friends who were with me in London for The Crucible experience (except one - we missed you, A.!)
The first part of the movie was the worst, I mean, it was a bit boring. They thought we needed a proper introduction of all the characters while waiting for something to happen. So we meet them one by one: the Vice Principal of the local high school, Gary Fuller (Richard Armitage) wearing a greyish suit, a tie and glasses, and a don't-bother-me frown; then his two sons, Donnie the good (Max Deacon) and Trey the smart (Nathan Kress). Donnie is 17, he is sensitive and shy, he is working on a personal film project, he is going to film the upcoming graduation ceremony for daddy - if only he hadn't a crush on one of the prettiest girsl in school, Kaitlyn (Alycia Debnam Carey). Trey is 15 self-confident, resourceful and a bit rebellious. Donnie finally finds the courage to talk to Kaitlyn and the two head off to finish the girl's film project just on Graduation Day. The same day he had promised to help his father, the same day in which a superstorm, a series of tornadoes, will devastate their town and the entire area they live in.
We also meet a couple of funny blokes, drunkards Reevis (Jon Reep) and Donk (Kyle Davis), who chase storms to become Youtube celebrities. And, of course, there must be a lady in distress for the hero as in every good story! In our case, she is a professional storm chaser and researcher, Allison (Sarah Wayne Callies from “The Walking Dead”), a working single mother coping with her sense of guilt for long neglecting her little daughter. Worth mentioning is also Pete the ambitious (Matt Walsh), the inventor of the TITUS, a tank-like vehicle which can resist even if caught into the eye of a storm, being anchored to the ground. Pete wants to film what has never been seen before at any cost, both for his own fame and for ratings or research.
The film runs fast and you have no more time to think much when the first tornado hits and the quick succession of dramatic events starts. You are caught into the storm -or too busy noticing every little detail of THE special effect you are more interested in - to care about anything else. You are relieved in the end - because you are safely anchored to your velvety seat - and really surprised that the journey was actually thrilling and not really that bad.
I would never ever have imagined myself going to the cinema to see such a useless movie a few years ago. But useless is to repeat that again, since it has already happened so many times now. Just an example: I went to the cinema for Captain America and only 5 minutes of Richard Armitage, and it was not that bad that time either despite all my preconceivements.
However, honestly, what made Into the Storm much better than I expected was THE special effect, the only one that works on me. And that is Richard Armitage himself , his deep voice, his familiar facial expressions and recurrent little gestures (smirks? his hands on his hips? arms crossed in a sort of self-hug or right hand nervously grasping his own jaw and mouth?) He really did his honest job at his best with the little he had.
I must also admit that there were other two conditions which contributed to make my Into the Storm experience better than I expected and they were crucial, I am sure of that: 1. to see the movie in the original version and 2. in very good company.
No characterization, flat characters, no real story, mediocre screenplay, disaster- movie-are-not-for -me, all of that was forgotten and forgiven and, my friends and I, all had real fun. We enjoyed the movie and, in the end, we were all a bit surprised at our own positive reactions.
As my good friend @Mamma_T put it on Twitter: "I even managed to find smtg good in #IntoTheStorm: RA’s shapely legs, deep baritone voice and incredibly blue eyes. Tornadoes?What tornadoes?"
The film runs fast and you have no more time to think much when the first tornado hits and the quick succession of dramatic events starts. You are caught into the storm -or too busy noticing every little detail of THE special effect you are more interested in - to care about anything else. You are relieved in the end - because you are safely anchored to your velvety seat - and really surprised that the journey was actually thrilling and not really that bad.
I would never ever have imagined myself going to the cinema to see such a useless movie a few years ago. But useless is to repeat that again, since it has already happened so many times now. Just an example: I went to the cinema for Captain America and only 5 minutes of Richard Armitage, and it was not that bad that time either despite all my preconceivements.
I must also admit that there were other two conditions which contributed to make my Into the Storm experience better than I expected and they were crucial, I am sure of that: 1. to see the movie in the original version and 2. in very good company.
No characterization, flat characters, no real story, mediocre screenplay, disaster- movie-are-not-for -me, all of that was forgotten and forgiven and, my friends and I, all had real fun. We enjoyed the movie and, in the end, we were all a bit surprised at our own positive reactions.
As my good friend @Mamma_T put it on Twitter: "I even managed to find smtg good in #IntoTheStorm: RA’s shapely legs, deep baritone voice and incredibly blue eyes. Tornadoes?What tornadoes?"
Your earnest, super biased, non-professional reviewer
MG
Loved your review, as usual, MG. You have to admit that RA has given you (and all of us) the chance of experiencing different genres of films which we would not be prepared to watch otherwise because of prejudices, or maybe just because we have a different taste. Glad you liked it in spite of the negative anticipations. Did I see a hint of wet shirt? Axx
ReplyDeleteThanks, A.! Of course, wet. How could his shirt not be wet in that awful storm? And we didn't mind that either :-) Prejudices and differnt tastes... yes, you are right. I usually say that following Richard Armitage's career I widened my horizons ;-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for your nice review Maria Grazia. You've really got a nice way to put things together.
ReplyDeleteI also surprised myself to go and see the film Black Storm in France with my husband who could not believe I could go and watch such a film. Unfortunately it was in French and that's a shame. I could compare with the English trailers and I think we lose on the interpretation. At the theatre, we were only 3 adults and some teenagers. Not a big hit in our little town. My husband did not really enjoy the film though he liked the foundfootage idea. As you said, the best bit is with the special effects. The pause periods between two tornadoes are at a right pace and the different background stories though simplistic give a little food for thought (though I'm not sure I'm not taken by RA's interviews on that).
Just as you, I did not regret going. It's entertaining. Cheers!
Thanks to you for reading and sharing your own impressions here at FLY HIGH!, Marielle.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean! I went to the cinema to see Captain America with my husband and The Hobbit An Unexpected Journey with my elder son: they couldn't believe my joining them to see something they knew I didn't like while they did. RA's miracles :-)