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www.groovekorea.com / September 2014 78 preview by Dean Crawford At the boX oFFiCe the biG sCreen Edited by Jenny Na (jenny@groovekorea.com) MuSIC & ARTS Directed by robert rodriguez, Frank Miller September 4 Directed by Luc Besson September 4 A few years ago, a film came along that I thought was visually stunning. The use of 3-D was second to none, and the color palettes were gorgeous to look at. Yes, you’ve guessed it — that film was “Step Up 3D” (2010). It was a terrible film with terrible acting, but, boy, did it look good! Some of the dance scenes were amazing, which firmly cemented “Step Up 3D” as my second favorite in the “Step Up” series after the original. “Step Up 5” (“Step Up: All In”) is being released this September, but if you’ve seen any of the other sequels, you know that a preview of the film could just have a picture of a dollar sign saying: “Don’t ask questions, just give us your money!” That’s why I thought it would be better to pre- view the long-awaited sequel to Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez’s “Sin City” (2005) titled “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.” Much like the original, the sequel is a collec- tion of stories focusing on many of the city’s stranger and more violent characters, some of which are returnees from the original film and some of which are new characters that will ap- pear in segments written specifically for the se- quel. Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba and Bruce Willis all return, joined by new additions like Ray Liotta, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Josh Brolin. The cast looks fantastic, but the biggest prob - lem I have with the trailer is that it all just looks like more of the same — great if you loved the first one, I suppose. While I was impressed by the film’s look, which was heavily influenced by Miller’s graphic novel (so much so that Rodri- guez insisted on Miller getting a directing cred- it), I definitely found it to be a case of style over substance. An interesting film, yes, but I doubt the original would have been able to keep its fan base without its unique look. I really hope the “Sin City” sequel doesn’t fall into the same trap as “Step Up 3D” and sacri- fice substance for style. Fans have waited nine years for this, and I wouldn’t want them to be disappointed. There’s no denying Scarlett Johansson’s worldwide appeal as a movie star, though I sometimes feel that her popularity derives from her looks rather than her skills. I’m not saying she isn’t a good actress, because I thought she was excellent in “Lost in Translation” (2003), and let’s not forget she starred in one of the Coen Brothers’ best films, “The Man Who Wasn’t There” (2001). She excelled again in Jonathan Glazer’s amazing “Under the Skin” (2013), but that was a micro-budget film un- likely to have been seen by the masses. Despite carrying that movie, I never really think of Jo- hansson as a leading lady. However, that might be about to change with her starring role in Luc Beeson’s newest action film, “Lucy.” The film has a synopsis that makes it sound like a prequel to the “X-Men” movies, with its website telling us that Lucy is “a woman ac- cidentally caught in a dark deal who turns the tables on her captors and transforms into a merciless warrior evolved beyond human logic.” Johansson plays the title character, while Mor- gan Freeman is Professor Norman and Korea’s very own Choi Min-sik plays drug lord Mr. Jang. From the frenetic first trailer, it appears that not only does Lucy gain a superior intellect, she also has some kind of telekinetic ability, mean- ing she can bat enemies away with a single flick of her finger. It looks like a very interesting prospect, and it’s great to see a new action film with a fe- male lead. If you think that’s no big deal, I would ask how many female-led action films you can name off the top of your head? “Salt” (2010)? “Haywire” (2011), perhaps? (Johansson was good as the Black Widow in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” (2014), but she’s no more than a supporting character.) The real answer is “not enough.” The days of Cynthia Rothrock kicking ass are long gone. “Cynthia who?” I hear you cry. Exactly. Here’s hoping “Lucy” is the start of a new chapter as a leading lady for Scarlett Johans- son because, as “Under the Skin” proved, she certainly has the talent. Action / Crime / Thriller U.S. Action / Sci-Fi France sin City: A dame to Kill For lucy GrooveCast GrooveCast host Chance Dorland and columnist Dean Crawford talk movies. Check out the podcast at groovekorea.com.
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