Gypsy's Creative Getaway

By Linda Wood

The April 4, 2008 movie premiere brings Scott Smith’s novel The Ruins to life. When Smith was still writing the novel, Ben Stiller’s production company, Red Hour Films, bought the screen rights based only on the outline. While writing the last part of the novel, Smith discovered he would also be adapting it for screen. Soon after publication, Stephen King declared the book "the best horror novel of the new century."

Jenna Malone "Amy", Jonathon Tucker "Jeff", Laura Ramsey "Stacey", and Shawn Ashmore as "Eric" are the American tourists who are easily led off the beaten trail (and onto a hidden one) by a German (Joe Anderson) searching for his brother at a remote archaeological dig. Once there, however, they realize they are trapped by murderous villagers with no hope of leaving the ruins of the ancient Mayan temple nor the hill it sits on alive. What is unusual, is the monstrous vine that lies waiting for fodder amongst the ruins and mimics human voice to destabilize the hapless young travelers.

Although a newcomer to directing, Carter Smith (no relation to the writer) has managed to take the rather flat performances of the "beautiful people" he has as his main characters through their paces. Are we at the O.C.? Their Cancun vacation allows them to party and remain their mundane selves until they hit the Mayan plateau (ruins) where the vine (No...not Audrey from Little Shop of Horrors) forces them to sink (repel) or swim (climb). It reminded me of The Nancy Drew Mysteries...don’t go down there by yourself. Does she listen? No-o-o-o...

When the actors are handed a moral dilemma, do they make the right choice? If it’s the right choice, can they stomach the consequences of their actions?

Wood is a journalist working in Saskatoon.

By Linda Wood

Roland Emmerich has traded in his director’s cap for his new role. Just keeping the story, actors and imaging straight must have been something akin to herding a pack of feral cats and not just the saber-toothed variety either. Trying to keep track of the time line alone must have forced Emmerich to throw his script in the air in despair. Or...just throw his script...away? "Wait...wait a minute...remind me again, am I producing or directing or what?"

When young hunter D’leh wins The White Spear quite by accident on the great mammoth hunt, he asks for the hand of adopted tribe member Evolet (she of the blue eyes).

A true hero and "big, dumb guy", D’leh admits to the accident and forestalls his honor for truth. Things are just getting interesting (yawn) when their village is attacked by slavers who take prisoners that include the fair Evolet. (Why not?)

Thank goodness for good old CGI, where you can globe hop the whole world within the confines of one movie. On the journey south (or was it over the land bridge?), Evolet entrances the leader of the slavers much to the chagrin of his evil second-in-command.

Meanwhile D’leh, and his band of not-so-merry men (Come on...This is serious, folks!), travel from English-speaking North America (or could it be prehistoric Western Europe?) through the mountains, immediately into steaming jungles to visit Africa (The Cradle of Life) and then on to Egypt or South America or possibly Atlantis. (Who knows?) Wherever they are, how did they arrive so fast...and on foot too while the slavers had the red birds (ships) to ferry them. From the creator of  Independence Day  and  The  Day After Tomorrow, to this, is quite a slide in asking us to suspend our disbelief.

One of the more memorable scenes was that of humans being attacked by raptor-like birds of prey, the next step in evolution between dinosaur and bird. It brought to mind shouts of "DON'T GO IN THE LONG GRASS!"

As young children, we’ve all had the dream where we’d like to walk an elephant or lion down the street. The dream suggests garnering respect from others in spite of clear danger ahead.

D’leh falls into a tiger trap that conveniently has trapped a sabertooth in its depths with rain falling and filling the pit, threatening to drown them both, while said birds look on. D’leh asks the tiger (it must understand English) not to eat him because it doesn’t and both the tiger and young hunter escape.

Later, the sabertooth shows up to return the favor by saving D’leh and his companion (hints of "The Ring’s" Sam and Frodo) from an African tribe. D’leh’s spiritual connection to the great cat unlocks a prophecy that was taught to them by an earlier adventurer, D’leh’s own father. (Are you keeping this all straight?)

Next, he gathers a mighty army that includes many African tribes who soon become allies and even friends. The slavers have apparently been ticking off the locals with their frequent raiding parties for many years before D’leh arrived. They tell him about the almighty god who lives on a mountain where their people go but never return. Apparently they were too frightened too pursue until D’leh showed up to lead them. (You think?) 10,000 BC has hints of The Adventures of Sinbad and the Jason and the Argonauts golden era of film, where the hero must pass a test of manhood, battle mythical beasts, defeat the villain and go on a very l-o-n-g journey to rescue the damsel in distress all before the show is over.

When they arrive at journey’s end they discover a lost civilization practicing an ancient religion, similar to the Aztecs, run by a tyrant and his temple of blood-thirsty priests. Not only have people been enslaved, but the villian and his minions have also harnessed the power of the mammoth, using the elephants to haul heavy supplies. So this is how the mammoth became extinct? D’leh’s people are helping to build a pyramid as an altar to the gods. The true magnitude of the enslavement hits home when someone is randomly selected as a sacrifice to the gods and tossed off the pyramid. D’leh and his men deploy their army in a full scale attack on the citadel to free Evolet and their doomed people in a desperate bid to win their freedom.

What  10, 000 BC  lacks in plot, it more than makes up for in heart, mettle and instead of stop action (jerky motion) animation it has the seamless quality of CGI.

Steven Strait and Camilla Belle bring the plight of the star-crossed lovers to the big screen in roles that were close to "over the top." At times, the film threatened to "go there" but stopped just short, saving it from the dreaded "B-grade."

Wood is a journalist working in Saskatoon.

By Linda Wood

The Spiderwick Chronicles is based on a series of books, The Field Guide, The Seeing Stone, Lucinda’s Secret and The Ironwood Tree written and illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. Not only is the movie out but both Xbox and Playstation are releasing game versions with expanded characters and settings not found in the original movie version first released February 2008. Director Mark Waters’ first excursion into the fantasy genre included both DiTerlizzi and Black in the loop and brought their vision of the books to life.

August Rush star Freddy Highmore gets double-billing playing twin brothers Jared and Simon Grace, who along with their teenage sword-wielding sister Mallory (Sarah Bolger) and hard-pressed mother, Helen (Marie-Louise Parker) move into eccentric but missing Great Uncle Arthur’s secluded estate.

Everyone blames Jared when things begin to go missing. Little do they realize that there are more than Jared or even squirrels or rats to blame. Jared discovers a secret room, a chest and an angry little man, who loves honey, protecting the location of a book that if it falls into the wrong hands can spell disaster. Who wants a troll in charge of the world?

Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You is more than just a book, it’s a gateway to a world to be viewed through a special looking glass...one that only Jared posesses.

At first, no one believes him when Jared begins to tell his family about what he is seeing but when Simon is kidnapped and dragged off, his brother might just be the only ally he’s got!

Playing at both the Galaxy and Centre Cinemas in Saskatoon, it is rated PG for its’ obvious fear factor. The computer graphics are incredible meshing the evil trolls with everyday surroundings to create a believable world where "modern kids who are smart, clever and determined" are not only one step ahead of the trolls but also their parents. Why don’t grown-ups ever listen before it is too late?

Wood is a journalist working in Saskatoon.