Troy Stiffler

Until last week, I didn't know that Blackhat was coming out.

And, yes, Miami Vice is awesome.

Patman

I can't stand the DV cameras Mann now uses to shoot in super-low light conditions, mainly because the frame rate appears to look like 30FPS (or when LCD TVs have the 240hz motion-interpolation mode turned on), and when cuts are inter-mixed with footage with different looking frame rates, it totally pulls me out of the movie, and "Blackhat" suffered in that department, as well as a somewhat uninvolving film about hacking and the need to bust out a hacker doing time to use his knowledge to stop more dastardly hacking deeds.

I used to like Michael Mann films, but his recent films aren't really cutting it for me much anymore.

I giveit 2 stars, or a grade of C.

slop101

Also, a hacker looking like Hemsworth is as ridiculous as a nuclear physicist looking like Denise Richards.

At least the Bond movie don't take themselves as seriously as Mann's movies do.

Why So Blu?

So good looking guys are incapable of being hackers?

Defiant1

Yes.

On a slightly more serious note, a person built like Chris Hemsworth has to devote most of his free time to working out to look like that. There simply isn't enough time to also become a world-class hacker.

slop101

Yeah, and they look closer to something like this than Thor:

Brack

Isn't his character in prison at the beginning of the movie? I imagine he has a lot of free time to work out.

Patman

There's actually a line about Hemsworth's character saying that since he was in prison, it was a time to build up his mind and his body, and they show him during press-up (push-ups with his body mostly vertical and his feet on the wall).

RocShemp

B.A.

inri222

Yes it does.



Miami Vice: Michael Mann's Misunderstood Masterpiece : http://kolson-kevinsblog.blogspot.co...nderstood.html

In Defense of Miami Vice : https://wondersinthedark.wordpress.c...of-miami-vice/

DJariya

Watched this last night via On Demand from MGo.com

Looking at this thread, I guess 1 maybe 2 people actually watched it?


Anyways, I like Michael Mann's work for the most part, but this movie was a little disappointing.

The movie is kind of long. 133 minutes total. The 1st 40-45+ minutes is filled with so much CG and computer techno babble that it did get tedious to get through. Chris Hemsworth is miscast as the hacker/hero of the film. Viola Davis and Holt McAllany were essentially wasted in minor supporting roles. It was good to see Leehom Wang in his 1st American movie, even though he is American. I recall seeing one of his 1st Chinese movies "China Strike Force" years ago.

Then it actually picked up and became more of a traditional Michael Mann action thriller. Some good action and shootouts. Then it just ended abruptly. Very anti-climatic. Some eye rolling scenes towards the end, but more of how the scenes were staged then dialogue or acting.

I did like the international locations in Hong Kong and Indonesia, which helped give this movie a bigger feel.

Overall, I'd give this a C.

hanshotfirst1138

Redboxed this.

I'm pretty sure this was shot on Alexa with anamorphic lenses.

That is basically the excuse the film uses.

More here.


The sots of USB drives from inside the computer and keyboards from underneath also feel a little desperate to make things interesting. Even a filmmaker as talented as Michael Mann has trouble making people typing on keyboard inherently interesting. There're too many zoom ins on words.

Hemsworth was miscast, but once Davis and McAllany (who were indeed wasted) left the picture, the movie basically dropped their section of the plotline altogether. Hemsworth and his girlfriend go off the grid and the movie just drops the CIA and NSA from the story completely.

There were a few decent set pieces and gunfights, and as always, Michael Mann's style is super-sexy. Gleaming skylines, an antiseptic digital sheen, panes of glass, the minimalist techno score, rich over-saturated neon colors, slick digital camera work, modernist buildings, designer houses, tailored costuming, and gorgeous compositions. The plot contrivances towards the end were also a little much.

I'm kind of surprised that this wasn't a Chinese co-production given how much it featured China and Hong Kong. All of the location-shooting must have been pricey.

The final reveal about how he plans to flood a whole country from a laptop to raise a price sounds like something from a Bond flick of 24. The more pulpy elements never quite meshed with the more serious ones.

Autotelik

Watched this today. I actually enjoyed it. Not a must-see masterpiece by any means, but if you go in with average expectations, I think you would enjoy it. Definitely some Mann trademark style in there, with the dawn skyline shots lit by lighted buildings. The action scenes were brief, but the particular one outside the MTR station in Hong Kong was like a mini-Heat shootout. The story does stray in the last act, but overall, I liked it.

Daytripper

Agree with everything you said. It's a good rental!

Mabuse

Watched this last night. Very good film. Anyone who could recognize the excellence of Miami Vice will also enjoy this. I imagine this was a hit in China, or it certainly should have been. In many ways it doesn't feel like a film made for an American audience.

It plays like a Michael Mann "greatest hits" film. Hemsworth's character reminded me a lot of Will Graham in Manhunter, the style of action was very much like Heat, the sleek look and sound was reminiscent of Thief and really most of his films. Their was even a scene reminiscent of Thief where the man and woman talk in a restaurant and he relates to her what life in prison is like. I didn't mind the look of the digital at all. It works for films set in modern times, it just doesn't work for period films, which Mann proved with Public Enemies.

Solid Snake

Taking the piss?

Digital looked fine w/ Che.

It all depends on how you implement the limitations or standards set by it.

Troy Stiffler

I think all it was missing was the music and rhythm. To me, that's what brings his movies together. In the Air Tonight in the Miami Vice show. The last moments of Thief. The end scene of The Last Mohicans. The final scene of Heat. Miami Vice had more of it than any of his other movies. I didn't really feel any of those moments in Blackhat.

There are other elements that are Michael Mann. Most notably - he finds something in his performances, staging, and editing - where he can leave out a lot of dialogue. When watching movies, it gets old ... having to be told everything. And you want people to shut up and leave you to figure out their character yourself.

Mabuse

From Collateral and onward Mann has chosen to film with digital cameras that reveal that they are digital, that look like digital, warts and all. I don't mind the look, but it did not work for Public Enemies.

Stuff like Che and Gone Girl are shot with digital that more closely imitate film. So convincingly so that many cannot tell the difference.

I like that Mann's style doesn't try to hide what it is. He exploits the advantages of video; the things it can do that film cannot. I just think it looks really weird when the story is taking place in the 1930's.

Solid Snake

That's all on Mann.

The period matters fuck all to the format. It just depends on what is chosen to produce the image. Mann likes digital can get a bit washy.

B.A.

I checked this out from the library last week, and I liked parts of it.

For once I wish he would have cut the romantic subplot. It just felt forced.

Troy was spot on with the music and the rhythm comment. It was missing.

And Hemsworth seemed out of place.

karoomba

I did respect that the movie went with a twist on the 'federal agents save them at last second' in which yes they did save them, but only via everybody dying. It was so kinda sudden and low key that it was actually more realistic. IMHO of course.

whotony

I'm watching from HBO now.


I'm about 75 minutes in with nearly an hour left.

after the shootout at the docks hemsworth started nodding his head then after that someone tol zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

badlieut

Guess there is Directors Cut. I'd like to see it.


http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplayli...ckhat-20160211

E Unit

I'll definitely watch this and buy it if it ever hits blu. But Mann and Ridley Scott can't seem to film one movie to save their life without cutting so much damn material out. Maybe this will give me different perspective of this film. I liked it, but not to the extent of most of Mann's catalog. And speaking earlier to his underrated stuff like Miami Vice, I'm not sure this one will be looked back upon as an undderrated masterpiece. Miami Vice was almost that. This one just doesn't seem that way.