Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

Author(s): Kizuna (AZ)
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

Produced By: Steven Spielberg and Kurt Wimmer
Directed By: Hideo Kojima
Written By: David Hayter and Hideo Kojima
Musical Score By: Harry Gregson-Williams

Principle Cast:

Hugh Jackman as Solid Snake/Iroquois Pliskin
Edward Norton as Hal "Otacon" Emmerich
Gary Oldman as Revolver Ocelot
Cillian Murphy as Jack/Raiden
Malcolm McDowell as Solidus Snake/George Sears
Johnny Depp as Vamp
Naomie Harris as Helena Dolph-Jackson/Fortune
Ken Davitian as Fatman
Nora Zehetner as Olga Gurlukovich
Alexis Bledel as Emma "E.E." Emmerich-Danziger
Richard Roundtree as Peter Stillman
Jack Coleman as Richard Ames
Bill Paxton as President James Johnson
Chris Cooper as Colonel Roy Campbell
Rachel Bilson as Rosemary
Brendan Gleeson as Colonel Sergei Gurlukovich
Idris Elba as Commandant Scott Dolph
Paul Bettany as Liquid Snake (voice only)

Taglines: "Freedom is Inherited From Those Who Have Fought for It"

Synopsis: Two years after the events of Shadow Moses Island, the legendary mercenary-soldier Solid Snake, and his partner, scientist/hacker Dr. Hal "Otacon" Emmerich, have established Philanthropy, a non-government organization that is vehemently opposed against any productions of the Metal Gears, bipedal walking tanks that are capable of shooting nuclear warheads from any location on earth. After receiving news that the Marines have started a Metal Gear project of their own, Snake and Otacon attempt to investigate, infiltrating the tanker the weapon is stored on. The mission becomes even more complicated however, when old-time enemy Revolver Ocelot and his ally, Colonel Sergei Gurlukovich, have come to take the weapon, RAY, for themselves. An explosive showdown results in the ship being sunk, Colonel Gurlukovich and the Marine's leader, Commandant Scott Dolph, dead by Ocelot's hand , and the weapon stolen. Snake and Otacon are labeled terrorists and have supposedly been killed after the tanker incident...

Another two years pass, and a terrorist group called "Dead Cell" has seized control of the Big Shell Clean-Up Facility where the tanker was sunk, and they're holding President James Johnson and several more people hostage. The Dead Cell's members include Vamp, a supposedly immortal vampire-like man who can run on water; Fortune, Scott Dolph's daughter who wishes to be killed but can't be hit by bullets; and Fatman, an explosives expert. To make matters more complicated, their leader claims to be Solid Snake, who was confirmed dead after the tanker incident, and the plant is also supposedly a storage facility for a new type of Metal Gear weapon called Arsenal Gear. The terrorists are demanding a massive ransom in exchange for the hostages' lives and they threaten to destroy the facility and create a catastrophic environmental l disaster if their demands are not met.

A rookie agent, Jack, codename Raiden, supposedly operating under a newly reformed FoxHound, is sent in to save the day, receiving back-up from his CO, Colonel Roy Campbell, and his girlfriend, data analyst Rosemary. Joining forces with the mysterious SEAL Lieutenant Junior Grade Iroquois Pliskin (who knows more than he lets on), bomb specialist Peter Stillman (the former teacher of Fatman), an odd cyborg ninja calling itself Mr. X, tanker survivor Olga Gurlukovich (who may or may not have a secret agenda) and Otacon's estranged step-sister Emma (who helps in the programming of Arsenal Gear), Raiden prepares to take down Dead Cell, save the president and prevent a disaster. But as his mission unravels, ;Raiden begins to learn about the terrible secrets driving this conspiracy, and he may be forced to make a difficult decision that could very well put the safety of the whole word at risk.

What the press would say:

Everyone knows that video game-to-movie adaptations haven't had a good run in Hollywood . But after the success of the first Metal Gear Solid film, cared for with the greatest degree by its cast and crew, especially Hideo Kojima, a sequel was inevitable. And despite sequels very rarely living up to their predecessors, this one not only delivers - it outshines the first.

The returning cast from the first film is as amazing as ever, with Hugh Jackman's performance as Snake/Pliskin shining ever so brightly in the picture, bringing a whole new depth and magnitude never seen in the character before. The supporting cast is also amazing; Johnny Depp gives a memorable performance as the mentally unhinged Vamp, Naomie Harris' scene-stealing performance of the femme-fatale Fortune is breathtaking, while Malcolm McDowell, Nora Zehetner, and Alexis Bledel make real impressions as the morally grey Solidus, the tragic Olga Gurlukovich, and the spunky whiz-kid Emma Emmerich, respectively.

The true honor of this film's best performance, however, belongs to Cillian Murphy as the controversial character, Raiden. Despite the fans' criticism of the character when the game first came out, Murphy's performance is more than guaranteed to turn the majority's opinions around. He gives a very hard-hitting, emotional performance as the tragic hero who is manipulated and betrayed by everyone around him. Proving that he is a truly dedicated character actor, Murphy's physical and mental transformation as Raiden is so effective that he completely disappears into the character, becoming barely recognizable. And it’s also through Raiden and Murphy’s perspective that we see just how strong, smart, self-aware and gifted Solid Snake truly is. Murphy’s performance as Raiden serves as the dramatic foil for Jackman’s Snake, being wonderfully different in such a way that the chemistry between them sparks like crazy. Murphy and the intricate plot of the story work together so well, being two halves of the whole, weaving together to make a masterpiece.

The story of this film is very intricate (almost too intricate at times), but there is no bad acting, cheesiness or overdramatic moments; it's just an honest to goodness political conspiracy and military thriller with strong themes of pacifism, the meaning of existence, the pointlessness of war, the stupidity of nuclear deterrence, the dangers of nuclear weapons in general, the psychological effects of warfare on children and adults, and the motivations behind the different lifestyles people choose. The academy may be reluctant to nominate a video game-to-movie adaptation, but Metal Gear Solid 2 is not just a video game-to movie adaptation; it's a movie all on its own.

Nominations:

Best Adapted Screenplay - David Hayter and Hideo Kojima
Best Actor - Cillian Murphy
Best Supporting Actor - Johnny Depp
Best Supporting Actor - Hugh Jackman
Best Supporting Actress - Naomie Harris
Best Cinematography
Best Visual Effects
Best Musical Score
Best Costume Design