Boxoffice-May. 1999

Mav, 1999 (R-46) 51
REVIEWS
fCPUNK! •*•
Starring Matthew Lillard, Michael
( orjian. Til Schweiger, Devon Sawa and
. nabeth Gish. Written and directed by
J mes Merendino. Produced by Sam May-
( and Peter Ward. An SPC release.
i medy. Rated R for pervasive language,
I ig use, violent antisocial behavior and
> 'fie sexuality. Running time: 95 min.
The most extreme oppression begets the
1st extreme defiance—hence Stevo (Mat-
\\ Lillard)'s transformation in the early
K from a Dungeons and Dragons geek
a hardcore, blue-haired, rednecklupping
punk in the unUkely setting of
ormon-colonized Utah. Stevo is an acamic
genius, but aspires instead to "get a
) in damage !" in college. Despite his best
forts to subvert the system, he graduates
the top of his class anyway, and now is
ft wondering what to do with his life as
becomes increasingly apparent that his
archistic ways aren't going to change
lit Lake City, much less the world.
There are many laugh-out-loud moments
the whimsically original "SLC Punk!,"
.ch as Til Schweiger's ("Maybe, Maybe
ot") hilarious bragging monologue about
> numerous possessions; Stevo' s moong
of some Bible-quoting convenience
ore patrons, reveahng the Number of the
east on one buttock; and the deadpan region
of a fast-food clerk (Tracy Pfau) who
jeries. with a mixture of mild curiosity
id utter apathy, "Is he gonna be okay?"
hen Stevo' s best friend Bob (Michael
oorjian) dramatically collapses after an
ntreated wound gets the better of him,
.'suiting in an infection never before en-
Duntered by medical science (at the hospiil.
he proudly declares, "They named a
isease after me!"). The colorful cast of
haracters, conversations with the camera
nd digressions utilizing bizarre visuals and
ashbacks that wantonly break through the
ourth wall are engaging, but for a film
bout the spirit of rebellion, there's little
ctual conflict, at least of the thematic sort,
nd ultimately the film proves as meanderng
and uncertain as Stevo' s ambition. Foranately.
it also shares its protagonist's
'oundless energy and delightfully twisted
ense of humor. Christine James
THE MATRIX *•••
Starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence
ushburne, Carrie-Anne Moss and Joe
?antoliano. Written and directed by Larry
ind Andy Wachowski. Produced by Joel
silver. A Warner release. Sci-fi. Rated R
or sci-fi violence. Running time: 135 min.
In an original plot that rejects the recent
rend to blame humankind's demise on hosile
aliens, filmmakers Larry and Andy
^Vachowski ("Bound") have imagined a
Aorld in which everything we think we know
s really a computer-generated construct. The
Tiatrix, as it's called, keeps our minds busy
Ahile our bodies are tapped for energy by
irtificially intelligent beings we created. A
^mall band of rebels, however, have realized
Jie truth and fight to free the rest of the human
race. They think they've found their savior
FLASHBACK: June 6, 1977
What BOXOFFICE Said About...
STAR WARS
[Even the Hoth Wampa, who lives in the frozen caves of a remote ice planet,
probably knows the first of the "Star Wars" prequels, "The Phantom Menace/'
IS opening May 19. But a long time ago, no one in the galaxy knew that a sci-fi
adventure starring a cast ofunknowns would become one of the most successful
and revered fantasy epics in the history of film.]
The spirit of Buck Rogers lives on as writer-director
George Lucas pays homage to that gentleman of
the 25th Centur\- in' a wow of a sct-ti film. Using
70mm Panavision with Technicolor prints by De-
Luxe and ear-splitting Dolby sound, the Lucasfilm
Ltd. production isoneof the most entertaining films
of its type yet done. The special effects, conjured up
by an army of experts, are non-stop and the action
is first-rate.' Few fantasies have been made with such
a sense of humor, and the actors—especially Harrison
Ford in a Chevy Chase-like performance—add to the fun by delivering their
lines in an off-handed way. Should be a very big success.
CATCHLINES:
A Long Time Ago in a Galaxy Far, Far Away...
"the one"—in a computer geek named Neo
(Reeves), but he's not so sure.
In a sense, "The Matrix" is a kind of
filmic comic book. Set against a neo-noir,
futuristic backdrop and packed with action,
the story's really about Neo's rescue, training
and ultimate realization that he is indeed
"the one."
That' s not to say this actioner disappoints
in the ass-kicking category. You've never
seen this kind of stylized action—brought
stateside by Hong Kong fight coordinator
Yuen Wo Ping ("Drunken Master")—this
side of the pond. After a clever moment in
which Neo sets off a metal detector, is asked
to remove his watch or any jewelry and
opens his trench coat to reveal no less than
four pairs of guns, there's an extended fight
sequence in which he and sidekick Trinity
(Carrie-Anne Moss) single-handedly blast
their way through a phalanx of security
guards. The matrix, you see, is merely a
mental projection of what you think the
world should be. Rules like gravity can be
bent or broken, if you believe they can. So
Neo and Trinity dodge bullets in slow motion
while their enemies shake them off in
a blur. They pump out clip after clip of
ammunition, the empty shells clattering to
the floor like rain. They run up walls and fly
through the air. They use kung fu in handto-hand
combat. (Yes, Keanu does kung fu.
But what's great about this script is that the
Wachowskis knew that Reeves doing kung
fu—with Laurence Fishbume, no less
would be funny and went with it anyway,
playing it up for comic effect and even
plugging in a patented Reeves "Whoa.")
Beneath "The Matrix's" comic book artistry,
stylized fight choreography, gothic
sets and washed-out green tints, however, lies
a classic Christ allegory with a simple mantra:
believe in yourself. Annlee EUingson
TRIPPIN' *
Starring Donald Adeosun Faison, Maia
Campbell, Deon Richmond and Guy
Torry. Directed by David Hubbard. Written
by Gary Hardwick. Produced by Marc
Abraham and Caitlin Scanlon. An October
release. Comedy. Rated Rfor sexuality
and language. Running time: 92 min.
In the early '90s, during the second renaissance
of black cinema, the "Boyz N' the
Hoods" and "New Jack Citys" gave way to a
series of afro-centric teen comedies ranging
from the "House Party" trilogy to "Friday."
For the most part, they were pandering and
condescending attempts at drawing a niche
audience using a studio executive's idea of
how black teens wanted to see themselves
portrayed on film. And if 'Trippin'" is any
indication, little has changed.
G (Donald Adeosun Faison) is a fairly
typical teen.
He has an annoying family,
stupid friends and he daydreams a lot,
mostly about bikini-clad girls. Nearing
graduation, he finds that he's daydreamed
high school away. He hasn't applied to college
and he doesn't even have a date for the
prom, so he decides to "get real." Between
trying to satisfy his parents, earn the affection
of his beloved (Maia Campbell) and
avoid the neighborhood drug dealer (Stony
Jackson), G may not survive his senior year.
It's all fairly typical teen comedy stuff,
but, as conceived by screenwriter Gary
Hardwick and director David Hubbard, it's
patronizing and self-conscious. The film is
a series of sophomoric teenage sex fantasies,
filtered through a myriad of cultural
stereotypes that are less amusing than silly
and occasionally insulting. What might
have been fiinny and endearing is instead
just more self-inflicted negative stereotypes
and marginalizing images. Tim Cogshell