'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' is a hard film to classify. Is it a fantasy? Is it a sweeping love story, or a visual effects spectacle, or meditation on life, death, love and time? To properly appreciate the film, you must accept it as all of these things, because it truly has alot to offer. Perhaps more than any other film this year.
The film is essentially a showcase for Brad Pitt, who is surprisingly subtle and quiet as the title character. He is what people will be talking about after the movie. Half for his great performance, the other half for the remarkable make-up and special effects employed to effectively 'age' backwards. I can safely say that the technology in this movie, and perhaps this movie in general, will change the way and standard that movies are made.
On the last day of the first World War, Benjamin Button is born a baby, but outwardly appears to be 85 years old. As he becomes older, he grows younger. But along the way he leaves for war, travels, sails, and falls in love with ballet dancer Daisy. But with her growing older and him growing younger, it can't possibly last.
This just goes to show that to be a visual effects spectacle, you don't have to have giant stunts and big explosions. That visual effects can be so integrated yet so invisible, most of the time you don't even notice them. The sheer force of what you've just seen mostly hits you after the film, where you truly begin to realize just how elaborate and complex the special effects must have been.
Cate Blanchett is, no surprise, great as Daisy. It seems these days another day, another awesome Blanchett performance. As Kate Hepburn, a Russian agent, Queen Elizabeth, heck even Bob Dylan, Blanchett completely disappears into every role she tackles.
Although initially Daisy is a one-note character, over time (and through some awesome aging makeup) she becomes a complex, sympathetic character. Some particularly good, but tragic scenes towards the end are single-handedly carried by her. Especially the very end, which prompted many sniffles from the audience. I'll just say it's both predictable and hard-hitting at the same time.
The film has been compared to 'Forrest Gump', wrongfully so. Yes, they are written by the same guy, and follow a man's life and the incredible things they see, but the comparisons end there. 'Forrest Gump' is more fun, but 'Benjamin Button' is flat out better. Period.
David Fincher, known for 'Seven' and 'Fight Club' takes the helm of 'Benjamin Button', and he couldn't have done it better. The film doesn't wander around, seeking to elicit emotions randomly, like it so easily could have. It's rather funny. Fincher has been known for dark, violent fare, but if his future epics turn out to be like this, he will be the next David Lean.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a great film on all levels. It's surprisingly funny at times. The storytelling is expansive, the film is undermined by great performances. The visual effects deserve an Oscar. Maybe the movie does too. A
Monday, December 29, 2008
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Valkyrie
Tom Cruise recently said in an interview, "Go kill Hitler this Christmas!", in promotion for his film Valkyrie. The ironic part is that in this film Cruise tries, fails, and is executed for his attempt. It's not really a spoiler in any way, for this is actually a true story. Regardless of Mr. Cruise's false statement, Valkyrie is a fun, tense thriller that will keep you glued to your seat, ridiculous moments included.
Cruise is Colonel Klaus von Stauffenberg, a German officer in 1944 who is becoming increasingly fed up with the Nazis' planning and ideals. He begins to assemble a team to plot to kill Adolf Hitler himself. What results makes history.
The plot of the film is simple, the plan of the characters is not. The director of the film is Bryan Singer, who has mastered tension before, to the tune of 2 Oscars. (The Usual Suspects, anyone?) The fact that even though we know the end Singer still creates such tension deserves to be mentioned. The musical score is partly responsible, it's elegant yet undeniably gritty.
The supporting cast is great. Kenneth Branagh, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy, Terence Stamp. But the best supporting performance is by David Bamber. I've never heard of him before this. But in his 3 minutes as Adolf Hitler, he almost literally gives you chills. Cruise is pretty good in this. Nothing Oscar-worthy (or Tropic Thunder-worthy for that matter) but not distractingly or face-meltingly bad, as he has been called.
It isn't all roses though. There are some moments that are undeniably corny. I won't give most away, but one in particular where Cruise is forced to 'Heil Hitler' with his severed arm was just ridiculous. It was the only time during the movie where people actually laughed.
One major thing that bugs you is the abscence of any accents whatsoever. They all have the look of Germans, and type in German. And yet everyone has an American or British accent. Oddly enough, Cruise's eyepatch doesn't ever bug you though.
It has taken a lot of bad advance buzz, a hundred date swaps and one big budget to get Valkyrie to the screen. It was worth it. B+
Cruise is Colonel Klaus von Stauffenberg, a German officer in 1944 who is becoming increasingly fed up with the Nazis' planning and ideals. He begins to assemble a team to plot to kill Adolf Hitler himself. What results makes history.
The plot of the film is simple, the plan of the characters is not. The director of the film is Bryan Singer, who has mastered tension before, to the tune of 2 Oscars. (The Usual Suspects, anyone?) The fact that even though we know the end Singer still creates such tension deserves to be mentioned. The musical score is partly responsible, it's elegant yet undeniably gritty.
The supporting cast is great. Kenneth Branagh, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy, Terence Stamp. But the best supporting performance is by David Bamber. I've never heard of him before this. But in his 3 minutes as Adolf Hitler, he almost literally gives you chills. Cruise is pretty good in this. Nothing Oscar-worthy (or Tropic Thunder-worthy for that matter) but not distractingly or face-meltingly bad, as he has been called.
It isn't all roses though. There are some moments that are undeniably corny. I won't give most away, but one in particular where Cruise is forced to 'Heil Hitler' with his severed arm was just ridiculous. It was the only time during the movie where people actually laughed.
One major thing that bugs you is the abscence of any accents whatsoever. They all have the look of Germans, and type in German. And yet everyone has an American or British accent. Oddly enough, Cruise's eyepatch doesn't ever bug you though.
It has taken a lot of bad advance buzz, a hundred date swaps and one big budget to get Valkyrie to the screen. It was worth it. B+
Friday, December 26, 2008
Doubt
Perhaps the most compelling, and unlikely match of wits occurs in Doubt: Streep vs. Hoffman. Two of the best actors of our generation, in an emotional, exhausting duel of morals. One is right, the other is wrong. Finding which is which tests your patience, and there is sort of a "Thats it?" feeling at the end. However, it has four of the best performances of the year, three of those expected, one that one wouldn't suspect.
It is 1964. Times are changing, and Sister Aloysius is watching it all, with contempt. The whole movie is set in a Bronx Catholic church/school, and it takes a while to realize just how confined the film really is. She is the principal of the school, feared amongst the children, parents, and even fellow nuns.
The church itself is changing. The charismatic Father Flynn is trying to bring more fun and friendliness to the church, which raises Sister Aloysius' eyebrows. But when a young African-American boy is called to the rectory by Father Flynn, Sister Aloysius immediately suspects inappropriate contact and right or wrong, crusades against Father Flynn to have him removed. What results is more tense than most straightforward thrillers this year.
If there is a major weakness its the direction, though I'll get to that later. Although it could have been a great cliche, Streep plays it as the more human, more conflicted nun. It goes without saying that Streep is probably the best actress alive right now, and it's really interesting seeing her go from Mamma Mia to this. She is almost disturbingly bleak, unflinching in her quest to take out this priest. She only lets up at the very end, which is almost disturbing to see.
Philip Seymour Hoffman has been consistently excellent in everything he does. Capote, Charlie Wilson's War, heck, even Mission Impossible 3. He acts quite well in this, and somehow pulls it off where you honestly believe it could be either way. He is charismatic, warm and occasionally funny, but almost sinister in an odd way. It truly does leave you guessing until the end.
The ending, many will argue, is unsatisfactory. On a storytelling level, it is. Emotionally? Heck, no. The ending is probably the most involving part of the film, as in the last 20 minutes.
The film is interestingly paced. At least 40 minutes of establishing shots and characters and circumstances then boom. The last hour is a firecracker filled with quick-paced arguments that truly show off all the acting talent this film has to offer.
Amy Adams, who you remember as the princess from 'Enchanted', plays a fellow nun in this film. She isn't exactly Oscar-worthy, but by no means is she inferior to anyone else in this film, she has some great moments. The best performance in the film is likely the most brief: Viola Davis as the young boy's mother. Her scene with Meryl Streep is like the film: Starts slow, then escalates, bit by bit, into sheer intensity.
Doubt will split people, on its quality and implications. I'm on the side that unabashedly loved it. A-
It is 1964. Times are changing, and Sister Aloysius is watching it all, with contempt. The whole movie is set in a Bronx Catholic church/school, and it takes a while to realize just how confined the film really is. She is the principal of the school, feared amongst the children, parents, and even fellow nuns.
The church itself is changing. The charismatic Father Flynn is trying to bring more fun and friendliness to the church, which raises Sister Aloysius' eyebrows. But when a young African-American boy is called to the rectory by Father Flynn, Sister Aloysius immediately suspects inappropriate contact and right or wrong, crusades against Father Flynn to have him removed. What results is more tense than most straightforward thrillers this year.
If there is a major weakness its the direction, though I'll get to that later. Although it could have been a great cliche, Streep plays it as the more human, more conflicted nun. It goes without saying that Streep is probably the best actress alive right now, and it's really interesting seeing her go from Mamma Mia to this. She is almost disturbingly bleak, unflinching in her quest to take out this priest. She only lets up at the very end, which is almost disturbing to see.
Philip Seymour Hoffman has been consistently excellent in everything he does. Capote, Charlie Wilson's War, heck, even Mission Impossible 3. He acts quite well in this, and somehow pulls it off where you honestly believe it could be either way. He is charismatic, warm and occasionally funny, but almost sinister in an odd way. It truly does leave you guessing until the end.
The ending, many will argue, is unsatisfactory. On a storytelling level, it is. Emotionally? Heck, no. The ending is probably the most involving part of the film, as in the last 20 minutes.
The film is interestingly paced. At least 40 minutes of establishing shots and characters and circumstances then boom. The last hour is a firecracker filled with quick-paced arguments that truly show off all the acting talent this film has to offer.
Amy Adams, who you remember as the princess from 'Enchanted', plays a fellow nun in this film. She isn't exactly Oscar-worthy, but by no means is she inferior to anyone else in this film, she has some great moments. The best performance in the film is likely the most brief: Viola Davis as the young boy's mother. Her scene with Meryl Streep is like the film: Starts slow, then escalates, bit by bit, into sheer intensity.
Doubt will split people, on its quality and implications. I'm on the side that unabashedly loved it. A-
Monday, December 22, 2008
Yes Man
Jim Carrey does his normal hilarious, over-the-top schtick in a normal, over-the-top, occasionally hilarious comedy. In '98, Carrey did a fairly good movie called 'Liar Liar'. Basically an average Joe, mildly disappointed with his life, trying something outrageous that changes his life. That is almost the exact same story here. The fact that this remains really enjoyable is a testament to Carrey's talent, I suppose.
Carrey plays a bank loan officer (how timely) named Carl, who after a tough break-up is sort of living in a shell with his job, two friends, and apartment. But his friends take notice, and sign him up for a seminar: "The Power of Yes". Basically, he must say yes to anything and everything. It has its advantages: he finds a new love and gets promoted. But there is always a downside to freewheeling, and Carl will realize that the hard way.
Zooey Deschanel stars as Carl's free-spirited gilfriend. Ever since Elf, she has become more and more charming by each film that goes by. Terence Stamp (that old guy from Superman II/Wall Street) plays the man who introduces Carrey to 'Yes'. He mostly looks bored, although he has the best line in the whole movie, at the very end. The very end is actually the best part, although seeing Carrey play guitar and speak Korean is hysterical beyond most measure.
It goes without saying that the general story is kind of tired, and that the formula for the whole thing is really evident. But Jim Carrey plays practically the same character he has since 'Dumb and Dumber'. The saving grace about that? That character is insanely likable. That sort of applies to the movie. You've seen it before, but you like it. B+
Carrey plays a bank loan officer (how timely) named Carl, who after a tough break-up is sort of living in a shell with his job, two friends, and apartment. But his friends take notice, and sign him up for a seminar: "The Power of Yes". Basically, he must say yes to anything and everything. It has its advantages: he finds a new love and gets promoted. But there is always a downside to freewheeling, and Carl will realize that the hard way.
Zooey Deschanel stars as Carl's free-spirited gilfriend. Ever since Elf, she has become more and more charming by each film that goes by. Terence Stamp (that old guy from Superman II/Wall Street) plays the man who introduces Carrey to 'Yes'. He mostly looks bored, although he has the best line in the whole movie, at the very end. The very end is actually the best part, although seeing Carrey play guitar and speak Korean is hysterical beyond most measure.
It goes without saying that the general story is kind of tired, and that the formula for the whole thing is really evident. But Jim Carrey plays practically the same character he has since 'Dumb and Dumber'. The saving grace about that? That character is insanely likable. That sort of applies to the movie. You've seen it before, but you like it. B+
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Frost/Nixon
Frank Langella gives his best performance, and admittedly puts Anthony Hopkins' portrayal to shame in Frost/Nixon, the story of David Frost's interviews with Richard Nixon that was one of the most watched television events in history. Although some parts are fabricated (believe me, you'll realize which ones), this is a fairly accurate portrayal of the events that happened.
Michael Sheen, (great as Tony Blair in "The Queen") plays David Frost as something of a careless playboy at the beginning, but then the movie suddenly jerks him as becoming a determined, righteous man towards the end. He probably was both at one point or another, but most definitely not over the course of 3 or so months. However, Sheen is excellent, and together the two lead performances are most definitely the best part of the movie.
The film's plot is simple: Richard Nixon is disgraced by Watergate and his resignation. The American public is dissatisfied by Gerald Ford's pardon of Nixon, and want a confession. Talk show host David Frost decides to try and take Nixon on for an interview. History is made.
The problem lies in two factors. One, it has been built up for so long as the awards messiah, and it's a letdown. Two, it's far too pedestrian, too 'been there, done that'. Nothing truly feels surprising. The film's best moments are during the interviews, where the two actors truly shine.
The script, although mildly cliched, is actually pretty witty and occasionally funny. As said before, Langella and Sheen are both excellent. Langella makes Nixon quite human, not the monster portrayed in so many other movies. Although it's inconsistent and disappointing, it's good entertainment. Just don't expect it to sweep the Oscars. B-
Michael Sheen, (great as Tony Blair in "The Queen") plays David Frost as something of a careless playboy at the beginning, but then the movie suddenly jerks him as becoming a determined, righteous man towards the end. He probably was both at one point or another, but most definitely not over the course of 3 or so months. However, Sheen is excellent, and together the two lead performances are most definitely the best part of the movie.
The film's plot is simple: Richard Nixon is disgraced by Watergate and his resignation. The American public is dissatisfied by Gerald Ford's pardon of Nixon, and want a confession. Talk show host David Frost decides to try and take Nixon on for an interview. History is made.
The problem lies in two factors. One, it has been built up for so long as the awards messiah, and it's a letdown. Two, it's far too pedestrian, too 'been there, done that'. Nothing truly feels surprising. The film's best moments are during the interviews, where the two actors truly shine.
The script, although mildly cliched, is actually pretty witty and occasionally funny. As said before, Langella and Sheen are both excellent. Langella makes Nixon quite human, not the monster portrayed in so many other movies. Although it's inconsistent and disappointing, it's good entertainment. Just don't expect it to sweep the Oscars. B-
Friday, December 19, 2008
Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog Millionaire is a film that is so good, so universal, so touching, so involving, that it demands awards, attention, tears. And your heart. It has something for everyone. Shoot-outs, laughter, romance, family drama, incredible tension, chase sequences. It's all there. Essentially, it's a crowd pleaser. An Oscar-worthy crowd pleaser at that.
It has an odd, non-linear structure that is so familiar with recent movies, but doesn't feel forced here. It is set in Mumbai, and occasionally is quite odd, actually. An uplifting, beautiful scene is filmed in the Mumbai train station. The same place where terrorists opened fire only so many weeks ago. It doesn't distract, just has an odd sort of aura.
The film opens with a young, 18-year old guy named Jamal being tortured. We then flash back. Only the previous night Jamal was a contestant on the Indian version of 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?'. (The irony? The top prize on the show, 20 million rupees, is roughly 400,000 US dollars) But Jamal was suspected of cheating, and was yanked off the show, one question away from 20 million rupees.
After the torture, Jamal reveals his life story, and how he knew the questions. We flash back to when he was 7, and it continually alternates between the show, the police questioning, and just how he knew the answers. Sounds like alot on the plate but believe me, it works and well. He reveals his brother's descent into crime and how over all these years he has just yearned for one thing: his love, Latika.
The two halves are actually radically different in events and elements, although the plot and general mood remain consistent. The first has more humor and dry wit, although some violence is littered throughout. The second half is somewhat more somber, more violent, but ultimately more uplifting and rewarding.
The performances simply must be noted. Dev Patel as the elder Jamal, although rarely used, manipulates many emotions in about 30 minutes, and deserves a Supporting Actor nomination. The young 7 and 14 year olds playing the main characters over the course of time are all great. A couple of 7-year olds pretty much dominate the first hour, and it really, truly works.
But the true star of the film is its director, Danny Boyle. Previously noted for directing a drug-laced cult comedy and a zombie flick, it spawns one decade, four timelines, multiple set-pieces, and it doesn't fall apart. That alone deserves recognition. But the fact that he elicited such fine performances, emboldened a great script and captured the true beauty of Mumbai, is pretty incredible.
So see Slumdog Millionaire. Tell your friends to see Slumdog Millionaire. I make a sworn statement, right now, that it will get Academy Award nominations for Best Picture and Director. It's simply that good. A
It has an odd, non-linear structure that is so familiar with recent movies, but doesn't feel forced here. It is set in Mumbai, and occasionally is quite odd, actually. An uplifting, beautiful scene is filmed in the Mumbai train station. The same place where terrorists opened fire only so many weeks ago. It doesn't distract, just has an odd sort of aura.
The film opens with a young, 18-year old guy named Jamal being tortured. We then flash back. Only the previous night Jamal was a contestant on the Indian version of 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?'. (The irony? The top prize on the show, 20 million rupees, is roughly 400,000 US dollars) But Jamal was suspected of cheating, and was yanked off the show, one question away from 20 million rupees.
After the torture, Jamal reveals his life story, and how he knew the questions. We flash back to when he was 7, and it continually alternates between the show, the police questioning, and just how he knew the answers. Sounds like alot on the plate but believe me, it works and well. He reveals his brother's descent into crime and how over all these years he has just yearned for one thing: his love, Latika.
The two halves are actually radically different in events and elements, although the plot and general mood remain consistent. The first has more humor and dry wit, although some violence is littered throughout. The second half is somewhat more somber, more violent, but ultimately more uplifting and rewarding.
The performances simply must be noted. Dev Patel as the elder Jamal, although rarely used, manipulates many emotions in about 30 minutes, and deserves a Supporting Actor nomination. The young 7 and 14 year olds playing the main characters over the course of time are all great. A couple of 7-year olds pretty much dominate the first hour, and it really, truly works.
But the true star of the film is its director, Danny Boyle. Previously noted for directing a drug-laced cult comedy and a zombie flick, it spawns one decade, four timelines, multiple set-pieces, and it doesn't fall apart. That alone deserves recognition. But the fact that he elicited such fine performances, emboldened a great script and captured the true beauty of Mumbai, is pretty incredible.
So see Slumdog Millionaire. Tell your friends to see Slumdog Millionaire. I make a sworn statement, right now, that it will get Academy Award nominations for Best Picture and Director. It's simply that good. A
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Rachel Getting Married
When a film ends and you don't want to leave the theater, you know you've seen a great movie. 'Rachel Getting Married' provides such a feeling. Be it the sharp, poignant writing from Jenny Lumet, or the excellent direction from Jonathan Demme. Or the cinematography, shot so that you feel that you're truly there. No, none of those. It is, plain and simple, the performances.
It all begins when Kym gets out of rehab. A recovering addict, in and out of rehab for 10 years. Almost minutes after, she is driven to her sister's wedding, Rachel. Right off the bat, Kym and Rachel's first scene together is pitch-perfect in writing and acting. You see the humor, love, and underlying tension. Kym's return stirs up everyone, brings back bad memories, and most of all, aggravates her sister.
The best part of the film lies in its three key performances. Bill Irwin, Rosemarie DeWitt, and Anne Hathaway. Bill Irwin is charming, sarcastic, and likely the comic relief in the film. Rosemarie DeWitt is quietly, subtly, but wickedly good and funny as a woman whose sister is seriously pushing her over the edge, and who harbors a couple secrets of her own.
But the true revelation here is Anne Hathaway. Seeing her 8 or so years ago in The Princess Diaries, one wouldn't think she'd pull this off. She has an Oscar nomination in the bag. Hathaway masterfully depicts the randomness, the mood swings, the rambling, the sheer craziness, that is her character.
The director here, Jonathan Demme (Silence of the Lambs, anyone?) has done an excellent job. The cinematography and editing doesn't exactly ride on the whole shaky crazy camera work that seems to be the latest craze. But it somehow gets the right balance so when the lights come up you remember your world, your life, and sigh. Very few movies do that. A
It all begins when Kym gets out of rehab. A recovering addict, in and out of rehab for 10 years. Almost minutes after, she is driven to her sister's wedding, Rachel. Right off the bat, Kym and Rachel's first scene together is pitch-perfect in writing and acting. You see the humor, love, and underlying tension. Kym's return stirs up everyone, brings back bad memories, and most of all, aggravates her sister.
The best part of the film lies in its three key performances. Bill Irwin, Rosemarie DeWitt, and Anne Hathaway. Bill Irwin is charming, sarcastic, and likely the comic relief in the film. Rosemarie DeWitt is quietly, subtly, but wickedly good and funny as a woman whose sister is seriously pushing her over the edge, and who harbors a couple secrets of her own.
But the true revelation here is Anne Hathaway. Seeing her 8 or so years ago in The Princess Diaries, one wouldn't think she'd pull this off. She has an Oscar nomination in the bag. Hathaway masterfully depicts the randomness, the mood swings, the rambling, the sheer craziness, that is her character.
The director here, Jonathan Demme (Silence of the Lambs, anyone?) has done an excellent job. The cinematography and editing doesn't exactly ride on the whole shaky crazy camera work that seems to be the latest craze. But it somehow gets the right balance so when the lights come up you remember your world, your life, and sigh. Very few movies do that. A
Monday, December 8, 2008
Four Christmases
Vince Vaughn, Reese Witherspoon, Robert Duvall and Jon Voight star in Four Christmases, in what feels like the billionth Christmas movie Vince Vaughn's been in. Vaughn and Witherspoon bring their traditional charm here, and have a good chemistry, despite their giant height difference.
Brad and Kate are a couple who take great pride in the fact that they have no children, aren't married, and have no plans to - ever. For the last 3 years, in fact, they have skipped Christmas with their families for vacations - although they tell their families they are leaving for charity.
Then on Christmas Day, when they are supposed to leave for Fiji, all flights are cancelled due to awful weather. (Although oddly enough, later on in the film the weather is crystal clear.) When Brad and Kate are seen on TV and their parents phone in, they get stuck in a situation - they have to visit all four of their divorced parents for Christmas. Mayhem ensues.
I wrote a little checklist in my head about what to expect during this movie. Homophobia? Check. Crazy relative who beats up Vince Vaughn? Check. Awkward revaltions about Brad and Kate, spilled by their parents? CHECK!! This movie is exactly what you'd expect, and frankly, I had low expectations.
Vince Vaughn, when given the right material, beats Will Ferrell and Ben Stiller anyday. Reese Witherspoon is a great actress (see Election & Walk the Line) who seems tailor-made for these comedies. The problem lies not with the cast, the cast is actually the best part of the movie. Jon Favreau as Vaughn's wacko brother is really funny. (The name sound familiar? Favreau directed a little movie earlier this year called Iron Man.)
The film's marketing is questionable. While it delivers everything you'd expect, (not a plus) some stuff here is way too mature for the little kids who'll wanna see this. Nothing totally inappropriate, but a revelation about Santa Claus that'll seriously impair their vision of Christmas. It's also interesting how Jon Voight is featured so prominently in the marketing and has, literally, 3 lines.
I was disappointed. The cast was good but lets face it, this has been made before and better. C-
Brad and Kate are a couple who take great pride in the fact that they have no children, aren't married, and have no plans to - ever. For the last 3 years, in fact, they have skipped Christmas with their families for vacations - although they tell their families they are leaving for charity.
Then on Christmas Day, when they are supposed to leave for Fiji, all flights are cancelled due to awful weather. (Although oddly enough, later on in the film the weather is crystal clear.) When Brad and Kate are seen on TV and their parents phone in, they get stuck in a situation - they have to visit all four of their divorced parents for Christmas. Mayhem ensues.
I wrote a little checklist in my head about what to expect during this movie. Homophobia? Check. Crazy relative who beats up Vince Vaughn? Check. Awkward revaltions about Brad and Kate, spilled by their parents? CHECK!! This movie is exactly what you'd expect, and frankly, I had low expectations.
Vince Vaughn, when given the right material, beats Will Ferrell and Ben Stiller anyday. Reese Witherspoon is a great actress (see Election & Walk the Line) who seems tailor-made for these comedies. The problem lies not with the cast, the cast is actually the best part of the movie. Jon Favreau as Vaughn's wacko brother is really funny. (The name sound familiar? Favreau directed a little movie earlier this year called Iron Man.)
The film's marketing is questionable. While it delivers everything you'd expect, (not a plus) some stuff here is way too mature for the little kids who'll wanna see this. Nothing totally inappropriate, but a revelation about Santa Claus that'll seriously impair their vision of Christmas. It's also interesting how Jon Voight is featured so prominently in the marketing and has, literally, 3 lines.
I was disappointed. The cast was good but lets face it, this has been made before and better. C-
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Bolt
Bolt is the new movie from Disney, with excellent animation, a great cast, and an unsurprisingly predictable story. John Travolta, Miley Cyrus and Susie Essman seem like an incredibly unlikely cast, but they all fit their characters quite well. Don't even get me started on Rhino the hamster, an adorable creation who automatically steals any scene he's in.
Bolt is a super-dog, with powers such as speed, strength, and the famous 'Super-Bark', who saves his owner Penny from the bad guys every time. Except there's one problem. It's all just a TV show.
However, Bolt has been brought up to genuinely believe that he has powers. So when he thinks Penny is in danger, he escapes from the set and is accidentally shipped from Los Angeles to New York.
Now with the help of a sarcastic cat voiced by none other than Susie Essman and a plump hamster named Rhino, self-described as Bolt's "#1 fan", Bolt must get back to Los Angeles.
Surprisingly the action is really cool here, 100x cooler than anything in that one movie that I hated (Twilight, I'm talking to you). The beginning of the film is basically one big, long action sequence that is geninuely, legimately, awesome. It completely sets the film up.
Many times throughout the film you have to suspend your disbelief, which is perfectly alright with a Disney movie. John Travolta is good, he's always sort of been one of my favorite actors. Miley Cyrus is okay although shes barely on for 15 minutes despite receiving second billing on all the trailers and such.
Bolt has the potty humor for the little kids, the action for the teens, and the broad humor for the adults. In other words, it's a family flick worth seeing. B+
Bolt is a super-dog, with powers such as speed, strength, and the famous 'Super-Bark', who saves his owner Penny from the bad guys every time. Except there's one problem. It's all just a TV show.
However, Bolt has been brought up to genuinely believe that he has powers. So when he thinks Penny is in danger, he escapes from the set and is accidentally shipped from Los Angeles to New York.
Now with the help of a sarcastic cat voiced by none other than Susie Essman and a plump hamster named Rhino, self-described as Bolt's "#1 fan", Bolt must get back to Los Angeles.
Surprisingly the action is really cool here, 100x cooler than anything in that one movie that I hated (Twilight, I'm talking to you). The beginning of the film is basically one big, long action sequence that is geninuely, legimately, awesome. It completely sets the film up.
Many times throughout the film you have to suspend your disbelief, which is perfectly alright with a Disney movie. John Travolta is good, he's always sort of been one of my favorite actors. Miley Cyrus is okay although shes barely on for 15 minutes despite receiving second billing on all the trailers and such.
Bolt has the potty humor for the little kids, the action for the teens, and the broad humor for the adults. In other words, it's a family flick worth seeing. B+
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Australia
Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman star in Australia , one of the most ambitious movies of the year. Best of the year? Not really. The director, Baz Luhrmann is an immensely talented guy who has done Romeo+Juliet and one of my favorite movies, Moulin Rouge. He hasn't directed in 7 years, 3 of those years gone into planning and shooting this.
The film suffers from bipolar disorder. In order, it shifts from comedy to romance to western to drama to comedy to western to action to romance to comedy to drama to western to action to romance. Well, it is three hours, so I suppose it can't be all too consistent.
Lady Ashley has come from England to Australia in 1939 to purchase a cattle farm called Faraway Downs. When she arrives there she learns her husband is dead. When a greedy opportunist tries to seize control of Faraway Downs, Lady Ashley teams up with Mr. Drover to save Faraway Downs and drive 2,000 cattle from the Downs to Darwin , in order to supply the military with meat.
Afterwards, Lady Ashley and Mr. Drover fall in love, but 2 years later Drover leaves for a driving mission and Lady Ashley for Darwin - right during the attack on Darwin . Can they survive?
There's just about something for everyone in here - I suppose thats a curse and a blessing. Hugh Jackman is in top form here, and although Nicole Kidman at the first 30 minutes is whiny and screechy, in the last 2 1/2 hours she turns in a really good performance. The young boy who plays the adopted Aboriginal boy is also really really good, there are top-form performances EVERYWHERE.
The action is quite well-paced, and one scene has such breathtaking beauty it could be the must-see scene of the year. (Want a final opinion? Tune in January for the 2nd Annual Ryan Michaels Awards!) The comedy is mostly based on how stuck up Nicole Kidman is, but what does that matter.
But alas, the first 45 minutes are so unwatchable in so many ways. If you end up seeing them, just say to yourself, "Ryan said the last 2 hours are awesome, I can get through it!" In actuality, the first 45 minutes probably could have been cut out completely and replaced with a 5-minute narration.
The romantic parts are good, and surprisingly most of the dialogue is actually fairly good for a romance. There was one part though, where I was cracking up uncontrollably.
So alas, Australia is an old-fashioned epic in the sense of Gone With The Wind. Mind you, Australia doesn't even come close to the sheer masterpiece that is Gone With The Wind, but it's a good ol' time at the movies. Mind you, it is something of a mixed bag. B
The film suffers from bipolar disorder. In order, it shifts from comedy to romance to western to drama to comedy to western to action to romance to comedy to drama to western to action to romance. Well, it is three hours, so I suppose it can't be all too consistent.
Lady Ashley has come from England to Australia in 1939 to purchase a cattle farm called Faraway Downs. When she arrives there she learns her husband is dead. When a greedy opportunist tries to seize control of Faraway Downs, Lady Ashley teams up with Mr. Drover to save Faraway Downs and drive 2,000 cattle from the Downs to Darwin , in order to supply the military with meat.
Afterwards, Lady Ashley and Mr. Drover fall in love, but 2 years later Drover leaves for a driving mission and Lady Ashley for Darwin - right during the attack on Darwin . Can they survive?
There's just about something for everyone in here - I suppose thats a curse and a blessing. Hugh Jackman is in top form here, and although Nicole Kidman at the first 30 minutes is whiny and screechy, in the last 2 1/2 hours she turns in a really good performance. The young boy who plays the adopted Aboriginal boy is also really really good, there are top-form performances EVERYWHERE.
The action is quite well-paced, and one scene has such breathtaking beauty it could be the must-see scene of the year. (Want a final opinion? Tune in January for the 2nd Annual Ryan Michaels Awards!) The comedy is mostly based on how stuck up Nicole Kidman is, but what does that matter.
But alas, the first 45 minutes are so unwatchable in so many ways. If you end up seeing them, just say to yourself, "Ryan said the last 2 hours are awesome, I can get through it!" In actuality, the first 45 minutes probably could have been cut out completely and replaced with a 5-minute narration.
The romantic parts are good, and surprisingly most of the dialogue is actually fairly good for a romance. There was one part though, where I was cracking up uncontrollably.
So alas, Australia is an old-fashioned epic in the sense of Gone With The Wind. Mind you, Australia doesn't even come close to the sheer masterpiece that is Gone With The Wind, but it's a good ol' time at the movies. Mind you, it is something of a mixed bag. B
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Twilight
The insanely popular book comes to the big screen with mixed results in Twilight. Having read the book with equally mixed results, it seemed this week I either review this or The Secret Life of Bees. The title of that alone drew me off, I chose Twilight.
Bella Swan has just moved to a small town in Washington where despite being quite shy, she makes friends almost immediately. Then she meets Edward Cullen. She thinks he is quite handsome, but he appears to hate her. Turns out Edward is a vampire who, with his family, is hiding out here in Forks. Edward doesn't sleep in coffins or have fangs. No, he appears human, but has super strength and speed, and is immortal. But then a trio of evil vampires come to town, killing the local people. Can Edward stop the killing and save Bella?
Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson play the leads. Stewart, having acted in some excellent films (Panic Room, Into the Wild) was quite good, convincingly having the look of an average girl and yet you can see why this vampire is so in love with her. Perhaps it helps that, instead of 99% of actors playing teenagers, Stewart is actually is one. Pattinson is okay, although at times it appears he's just trying too hard to be intense.
The special effects are laughable, albiet thankfully few. It's the rare movie where I'm glad there's only one fight scene. The supporting cast is okay, and the mega-Twilight fans out there are likely pleased with the vision that has been brought to screen. But alas, there are moments, many moments actually, where I laughed uncontrollably. (Hint: Not at the jokes.) The script needed more tweaking. The sudden popularity of the books forced the writer to speed up the script, and it shows at times.
If you're a teenage girl or a mega-Twilight fan (I've narrowed it down to about 30 million) then you will love this, make no mistake. As for me, I can go without another billion sequels. Judging by the money this will make, Hollywood probably won't listen to me. C
Bella Swan has just moved to a small town in Washington where despite being quite shy, she makes friends almost immediately. Then she meets Edward Cullen. She thinks he is quite handsome, but he appears to hate her. Turns out Edward is a vampire who, with his family, is hiding out here in Forks. Edward doesn't sleep in coffins or have fangs. No, he appears human, but has super strength and speed, and is immortal. But then a trio of evil vampires come to town, killing the local people. Can Edward stop the killing and save Bella?
Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson play the leads. Stewart, having acted in some excellent films (Panic Room, Into the Wild) was quite good, convincingly having the look of an average girl and yet you can see why this vampire is so in love with her. Perhaps it helps that, instead of 99% of actors playing teenagers, Stewart is actually is one. Pattinson is okay, although at times it appears he's just trying too hard to be intense.
The special effects are laughable, albiet thankfully few. It's the rare movie where I'm glad there's only one fight scene. The supporting cast is okay, and the mega-Twilight fans out there are likely pleased with the vision that has been brought to screen. But alas, there are moments, many moments actually, where I laughed uncontrollably. (Hint: Not at the jokes.) The script needed more tweaking. The sudden popularity of the books forced the writer to speed up the script, and it shows at times.
If you're a teenage girl or a mega-Twilight fan (I've narrowed it down to about 30 million) then you will love this, make no mistake. As for me, I can go without another billion sequels. Judging by the money this will make, Hollywood probably won't listen to me. C
Friday, November 14, 2008
Quantum of Solace
Bond is back for the 22th time in the highly anticipated sequel, Quantum of Solace. Following up the best Bond movie ever was never an easy task, and it doesn't fulfill that nearly impossible task. Casino Royale was a story of self-discovery, love and trust. This is a flat-out revenge flick. And it's mighty fine at bringing the action.
The reason that Casino Royale was so great was that it brought a very real, very human side to Bond. (Anyone remember that CGI surfing scene in Die Another Day?) This expands on that, and also partly throws out that gritty realism from Casino Royale. Well, it's still gritty.
The realism? Meh...
Picking up hours after the end of Casino Royale, Bond is vengefully mourning the death of Vesper Lynd. How? By engaging in a 20-minute chase through car, prison cell, parade, and rooftops, to catch a would-be assassin of his boss, M. The man is linked to the mysterious, vast terrorist organization called Quantum.
A transcontinental journey for Bond gives him one lead from Quantum: Dominic Greene, an environmentalist with a hidden agenda: Vanquish the water supply of Bolivia. Bond gets help from Camille, a mysterious Russian woman who is seeking revenge for the death of her family.
If this sounds alot more formulaic than Casino Royale, thats cause frankly, it is. It's not as complex, as human, or well, as good. However, Daniel Craig is still awesome at James Bond, and is probably the most human rendition of Bond out of all 6 Bonds. (Anyone remember George Lazenby?)
Olga Kurylenko is a fairly interesting Bond girl, and another named Strawberry Fields is rather pointless. Take her character away and everything still plays out the same. The action sequences are half adrenaline-fueled, another half you want it to end. The cinematography and editing are quite good, especially during a shoot-out scene following an opera sequence.
Director Marc Forster has done excellent movies (i.e., Finding Neverland) but this is his first action gig. You can kind of see the influence of The Bourne Ultimatum on the cinematography. He's pretty good at the staging and such, and during the character-driven moments his directing skills are highlighted.
Ultimately, it's a mild disappointment, but is still definitely worth seeing. Too bad Casino Royale looms over it. B
The reason that Casino Royale was so great was that it brought a very real, very human side to Bond. (Anyone remember that CGI surfing scene in Die Another Day?) This expands on that, and also partly throws out that gritty realism from Casino Royale. Well, it's still gritty.
The realism? Meh...
Picking up hours after the end of Casino Royale, Bond is vengefully mourning the death of Vesper Lynd. How? By engaging in a 20-minute chase through car, prison cell, parade, and rooftops, to catch a would-be assassin of his boss, M. The man is linked to the mysterious, vast terrorist organization called Quantum.
A transcontinental journey for Bond gives him one lead from Quantum: Dominic Greene, an environmentalist with a hidden agenda: Vanquish the water supply of Bolivia. Bond gets help from Camille, a mysterious Russian woman who is seeking revenge for the death of her family.
If this sounds alot more formulaic than Casino Royale, thats cause frankly, it is. It's not as complex, as human, or well, as good. However, Daniel Craig is still awesome at James Bond, and is probably the most human rendition of Bond out of all 6 Bonds. (Anyone remember George Lazenby?)
Olga Kurylenko is a fairly interesting Bond girl, and another named Strawberry Fields is rather pointless. Take her character away and everything still plays out the same. The action sequences are half adrenaline-fueled, another half you want it to end. The cinematography and editing are quite good, especially during a shoot-out scene following an opera sequence.
Director Marc Forster has done excellent movies (i.e., Finding Neverland) but this is his first action gig. You can kind of see the influence of The Bourne Ultimatum on the cinematography. He's pretty good at the staging and such, and during the character-driven moments his directing skills are highlighted.
Ultimately, it's a mild disappointment, but is still definitely worth seeing. Too bad Casino Royale looms over it. B
Friday, November 7, 2008
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
One of the best casts of the year unite for one of the more disappointing films of the year, Madagascar 2. Being a mild fan of the original, I wanted to check this out. And the cast definitely does not disappoint. Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Alec Baldwin, and the late, great, Bernie Mac all get their spotlight. Heck, even the lead rapper of the Black Eyed Peas is here.
A couple of the jokes really are quite clever and it's more mature than the original. But quite simply, it's not that funny.
Our original animal heroes return from the first film. Alex, the showman lion, Marty, the wise-cracking zebra, Gloria, the sassy hippo, and Melman, the quirky giraffe. They are still stuck on Madagascar, but the penguins (yes! they return) devise a plan for them to fly to NYC with a crashed plane. It doesn't work too well, and they crashland in Africa.
Alex is reunited with his parents there, Marty meets about a million other zebras exactly like him (all of them also voiced by Chris Rock), Melman is made the local witch doctor. And Gloria? She falls for a giant (and do I mean giant) hippo named (wait for it) Moto Moto. Why does Moto Moto like Gloria?
- "Well, uh, you giant, girl!"
- "Well yeah, but Moto Moto, why else do you like me?"
- "Cuz you huge, Gloria!"
It seems great in Africa but a sneaky, mean lion named Makunga causes events that banish Alex from the land. And then the water hole dries up. Can he fix everything before it's too late?
Like I said, some moments are genuinely hilarious. The best scene in the film involves, unsurprisingly, the penguins and their grand plan to hijack a local tour bus. Chris Rock is still really funny as Marty, and Sacha Baron Cohen is underused, albeit hilarious. But alot of the jokes are either really "kiddy" or would just fly over their heads. I was surprised and disgusted when a couple of homophobic jokes popped up.
But alas, Madagascar 2 is for the kiddies, and the kiddies and their parents will flock to it in droves. One will like it, another will be staring at their watch. I leave the guessing to you. C-
A couple of the jokes really are quite clever and it's more mature than the original. But quite simply, it's not that funny.
Our original animal heroes return from the first film. Alex, the showman lion, Marty, the wise-cracking zebra, Gloria, the sassy hippo, and Melman, the quirky giraffe. They are still stuck on Madagascar, but the penguins (yes! they return) devise a plan for them to fly to NYC with a crashed plane. It doesn't work too well, and they crashland in Africa.
Alex is reunited with his parents there, Marty meets about a million other zebras exactly like him (all of them also voiced by Chris Rock), Melman is made the local witch doctor. And Gloria? She falls for a giant (and do I mean giant) hippo named (wait for it) Moto Moto. Why does Moto Moto like Gloria?
- "Well, uh, you giant, girl!"
- "Well yeah, but Moto Moto, why else do you like me?"
- "Cuz you huge, Gloria!"
It seems great in Africa but a sneaky, mean lion named Makunga causes events that banish Alex from the land. And then the water hole dries up. Can he fix everything before it's too late?
Like I said, some moments are genuinely hilarious. The best scene in the film involves, unsurprisingly, the penguins and their grand plan to hijack a local tour bus. Chris Rock is still really funny as Marty, and Sacha Baron Cohen is underused, albeit hilarious. But alot of the jokes are either really "kiddy" or would just fly over their heads. I was surprised and disgusted when a couple of homophobic jokes popped up.
But alas, Madagascar 2 is for the kiddies, and the kiddies and their parents will flock to it in droves. One will like it, another will be staring at their watch. I leave the guessing to you. C-
Saturday, November 1, 2008
The Nightmare Before Christmas (2008 re-release)
Tim Burton and Danny Elfman display their genius in the stop-motion classic, Nightmare Before Christmas. Yes, I know. The Nightmare Before Christmas came out 15 years ago, so why am I reviewing it? In light of its 3-D re-release last week, I figured this review wouldn't be completely irrelevant. Cause if this hadn't came out in 1993, it would easily make my top 10 this year.
Jack Skellington lives in Halloweentown, a fantasy-town where the setting is perpetually Halloween. It looks like something only Tim Burton could conjure. But when Jack accidentally opens a magical portal to Christmastown (where it is perpetually Christmas). Jack kidnaps Santa Claus and tries to pose as Santa Claus. and well, everything that could possibly go wrong does.
The songs are absolutely hilarious. The lyrics are creative and the animation...The animation is absolutely gorgeous. The images are so vivid and beautiful. This is a truly amazing experience and just goes to show that with all the CGI animation today that stop-motion animation is still an amazing, revolutonary art.
The story is incredibly quirky, and the animation team put their imagination in every detail, however minuscule. In the age of Shrek, this is a breath of fresh air. Forget the fact that it's 15 years old. A
Jack Skellington lives in Halloweentown, a fantasy-town where the setting is perpetually Halloween. It looks like something only Tim Burton could conjure. But when Jack accidentally opens a magical portal to Christmastown (where it is perpetually Christmas). Jack kidnaps Santa Claus and tries to pose as Santa Claus. and well, everything that could possibly go wrong does.
The songs are absolutely hilarious. The lyrics are creative and the animation...The animation is absolutely gorgeous. The images are so vivid and beautiful. This is a truly amazing experience and just goes to show that with all the CGI animation today that stop-motion animation is still an amazing, revolutonary art.
The story is incredibly quirky, and the animation team put their imagination in every detail, however minuscule. In the age of Shrek, this is a breath of fresh air. Forget the fact that it's 15 years old. A
Sunday, October 26, 2008
High School Musical 3: Senior Year
The wildly popular Disney Channel series comes to the big screen in "High School Musical 3". Sure, "High School Musical 2" was okay, but given my none too glowing reviews of "High School Musical" and the recent disasterpiece "Camp Rock", I was very skeptical about this. Just a note: If you are a boy under the age of 10 or a girl under the age of 17, you will love this movie.
High School Musical is made for the tween girls and little kids, and takes no shame in declaring so. And true, a couple of songs are pretty catchy, and Zac Efron's a real talent to watch out for in the future. The dancing choreography is energetic and very very "Disney." But also, it's really, really predictable. (Well, OK maybe that's not too surprising) The acting is pretty dang wooden for the most part, and the dialogue isn't too great either.
It's the senior year at East High for all the characters of the past "High School Musical" movies. People are both anxious and sad for school to be over, and are choosing their colleges. So as a goodbye, they organize a final show to put on. But with Gabriella off at a Stanford visit, frictions between Troy and Chad beginning, and Sharpay as always trying to sabotage everything, can it really all come through okay?
Reading that synopsis, you likely already know the ending. But I admit, some parts of the film are a really good time at the movies. Some other times, you want to throw stuff at the screen. C+
High School Musical is made for the tween girls and little kids, and takes no shame in declaring so. And true, a couple of songs are pretty catchy, and Zac Efron's a real talent to watch out for in the future. The dancing choreography is energetic and very very "Disney." But also, it's really, really predictable. (Well, OK maybe that's not too surprising) The acting is pretty dang wooden for the most part, and the dialogue isn't too great either.
It's the senior year at East High for all the characters of the past "High School Musical" movies. People are both anxious and sad for school to be over, and are choosing their colleges. So as a goodbye, they organize a final show to put on. But with Gabriella off at a Stanford visit, frictions between Troy and Chad beginning, and Sharpay as always trying to sabotage everything, can it really all come through okay?
Reading that synopsis, you likely already know the ending. But I admit, some parts of the film are a really good time at the movies. Some other times, you want to throw stuff at the screen. C+
Sunday, October 19, 2008
W.
Josh Brolin does a powerhouse performance as our 43rd President in the biopic, W. Oliver Stone has long stood as one of the most liberal and controversial filmmakers of our time. JFK, Born on the Fourth of July, The Doors, and Natural Born Killers are prime examples. So when he decided to take on the conservative George W. Bush, one would expect a complete trashing of Bush in this film. Oddly enough, that's nowwhere near the case.
Stone makes the film in a bit of a weird energy. The mood, pace, and editing shift with Bush's age. So in the scenes of his 20's, 30's, the editing is quick, rapid-fire, and over-saturated. Then in the 1990's and his presidency, cinematography darkens, and the editing slows down. But the one constant in the film? Josh Brolin. Brolin doesn't just act like Bush, for 2 hours he IS Bush.
It intertwines between Bush's young fraternity days and then jumps back and forth to his Cabinet meetings. The film works its way up to modern days, including Bush's drunken times, meeting his future wife, Laura, and his attempts to live up to his father. This father-son dynamic is used a bit too much in the film, and becomes a bit too sympathetic. This is shown in a dream sequence at the end that feels a bit arbitrary.
The cast is great everywhere. But most especially Brolin as Bush and Jeffrey Wright as Colin Powell. Wright inhabits the role actually pretty fiercely, as he plays Powell as becoming increasingly agitated with the policies around him. I wish we saw more of him. But Richard Dreyfuss as Dick Cheney is actually genius, it's a great idea, although he's on for little more than 5 minutes.
And so the film ends with a dream sequence of Bush in a baseball field. The ball is pitched, and Bush is looking around, trying to find it. Actually a pretty nice metaphor. B+
Stone makes the film in a bit of a weird energy. The mood, pace, and editing shift with Bush's age. So in the scenes of his 20's, 30's, the editing is quick, rapid-fire, and over-saturated. Then in the 1990's and his presidency, cinematography darkens, and the editing slows down. But the one constant in the film? Josh Brolin. Brolin doesn't just act like Bush, for 2 hours he IS Bush.
It intertwines between Bush's young fraternity days and then jumps back and forth to his Cabinet meetings. The film works its way up to modern days, including Bush's drunken times, meeting his future wife, Laura, and his attempts to live up to his father. This father-son dynamic is used a bit too much in the film, and becomes a bit too sympathetic. This is shown in a dream sequence at the end that feels a bit arbitrary.
The cast is great everywhere. But most especially Brolin as Bush and Jeffrey Wright as Colin Powell. Wright inhabits the role actually pretty fiercely, as he plays Powell as becoming increasingly agitated with the policies around him. I wish we saw more of him. But Richard Dreyfuss as Dick Cheney is actually genius, it's a great idea, although he's on for little more than 5 minutes.
And so the film ends with a dream sequence of Bush in a baseball field. The ball is pitched, and Bush is looking around, trying to find it. Actually a pretty nice metaphor. B+
Friday, October 10, 2008
Ghost Town
British comedian Ricky Gervais gets his first American starring role in the supernatural comedy, Ghost Town. Sure, he's a pretty big star on British TV, and has had a bit role in Night at the Museum, but ultimately, he's pretty unknown to America. Undeservedly.
He is so funny because he doesn't try to be. Sure, he makes jokes, but generally there's no real punchline, no real attempt to be funny. He's just a normal guy, albiet a very very mean normal guy. Greg Kinnear also stars, and these aw-shucks roles he inhibits fit him perfectly.
Bertram Pincus (awesome name) is a selfish, mean, misantrophic dentist. He does anything possible to avoid people. But that changes when during a routine operation, he dies for seven minutes. He wakes up a changed man. How? He can see dead people.
Enter Frank Herilhy. He's also a selfish, self-satisfied guy who's cheating on his wife. He suddenly dies in a freak accident, and pesters Pincus to stop his wife from marrying a complete jerk. Eventually Pincus gives in to help out, but he begins to fall for Frank's wife, who thinks Pincus is a complete jerk. How to deal with this?
Ricky Gervais, like I said, is pitch-perfect in this role. Tea Leoni brings some depth to an average role, she's actually really funny. Even cameos from SNL regular Kristen Wiig bring good laughs. The script is also great, from Jurassic Park/Indiana Jones writer David Koepp. (He also directs) The problem?
For such a complicated premise, one wouldn't expect it to become predictable. But unfortunately, that's exactly what happens in the last half-hour. It becames really easy to guess what will happen next. Some characters seem arbitary, and sometimes there's really obvious Hallmark moments.
But the very ending is poignant and sweet, and it's often hilarious. If it's still playing, be sure to catch it. B
He is so funny because he doesn't try to be. Sure, he makes jokes, but generally there's no real punchline, no real attempt to be funny. He's just a normal guy, albiet a very very mean normal guy. Greg Kinnear also stars, and these aw-shucks roles he inhibits fit him perfectly.
Bertram Pincus (awesome name) is a selfish, mean, misantrophic dentist. He does anything possible to avoid people. But that changes when during a routine operation, he dies for seven minutes. He wakes up a changed man. How? He can see dead people.
Enter Frank Herilhy. He's also a selfish, self-satisfied guy who's cheating on his wife. He suddenly dies in a freak accident, and pesters Pincus to stop his wife from marrying a complete jerk. Eventually Pincus gives in to help out, but he begins to fall for Frank's wife, who thinks Pincus is a complete jerk. How to deal with this?
Ricky Gervais, like I said, is pitch-perfect in this role. Tea Leoni brings some depth to an average role, she's actually really funny. Even cameos from SNL regular Kristen Wiig bring good laughs. The script is also great, from Jurassic Park/Indiana Jones writer David Koepp. (He also directs) The problem?
For such a complicated premise, one wouldn't expect it to become predictable. But unfortunately, that's exactly what happens in the last half-hour. It becames really easy to guess what will happen next. Some characters seem arbitary, and sometimes there's really obvious Hallmark moments.
But the very ending is poignant and sweet, and it's often hilarious. If it's still playing, be sure to catch it. B
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Eagle Eye
Eagle Eye is the new action thriller from the star and director of last year's hit, "Disturbia". Lately paranoia and terrorism thrillers have been through the roof in quantity, and relatively few in quality. "Eagle Eye" is very unrealistic, with a twist half-way through that brings to mind "2001: A Space Odyssey". (It sounds really weird I know, just see it and you'll get it)
However, it's also thought-provoking, packed to the rim with fine performances, and although the action is rare it is also quite impressive. Shia LaBeouf is one of the if not the best actors working today in Hollywood, seriously this guy can act. He's thrown into a situation that is completely ludicrous and he shares the same reaction we have: What the heck?!
Jerry Shaw is a 21-year old slacker in Chicago. He's relatively harmless, works in a copy shop, and makes most of his money playing cards. But when his twin brother Ethan, a decorated soldier is killed, Jerry is heartbroken. Things only escalate when he gets home.
He walks in his apartment and finds bombs, guns, ammunition, and deadly chemicals. He gets a call from a mysterious woman stating that the FBI will be there in 30 seconds. Sure enough, the FBI shows up and arrests Jerry. Jerry escapes, and along with a single mother also in the "game" must find out who is doing this, and why?
Jerry is a believable character, and that is essentially what holds this movie together. If there is a weak point in the film, it is the last half-hour. First the big twist, then a chain of events that blow way out of proportion and then some just bounce back as if nothing happened.
It's good entertainment with some intriguing political undertones - complex enough for the adults to dig but action-packed enough to satisfy the teens and kids. B+
However, it's also thought-provoking, packed to the rim with fine performances, and although the action is rare it is also quite impressive. Shia LaBeouf is one of the if not the best actors working today in Hollywood, seriously this guy can act. He's thrown into a situation that is completely ludicrous and he shares the same reaction we have: What the heck?!
Jerry Shaw is a 21-year old slacker in Chicago. He's relatively harmless, works in a copy shop, and makes most of his money playing cards. But when his twin brother Ethan, a decorated soldier is killed, Jerry is heartbroken. Things only escalate when he gets home.
He walks in his apartment and finds bombs, guns, ammunition, and deadly chemicals. He gets a call from a mysterious woman stating that the FBI will be there in 30 seconds. Sure enough, the FBI shows up and arrests Jerry. Jerry escapes, and along with a single mother also in the "game" must find out who is doing this, and why?
Jerry is a believable character, and that is essentially what holds this movie together. If there is a weak point in the film, it is the last half-hour. First the big twist, then a chain of events that blow way out of proportion and then some just bounce back as if nothing happened.
It's good entertainment with some intriguing political undertones - complex enough for the adults to dig but action-packed enough to satisfy the teens and kids. B+
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Slacker Uprising
Slacker Uprising is the new documentary from Michael Moore. It will be released to Internet for free on September 23, but had a world premiere at Michigan Theater for one night only this past Thursday. I attended, as did Michael Moore, where he spoke briefly about the film.
Slacker Uprising was filmed in September-November 2004, as Moore traveled the country to encourage young people to vote. Given Moore's liberal Democratic status, I think it's fairly obvious who he wanted them to vote for. (cough...*JOHN KERRY!!!*cough) We all know the arguably tragic end, but for the most part, the journey is very compelling. But man, oh man, Michael Moore needs a new editor.
It runs 90 minutes and feels like 900. There are various musical performances by Eddie Vedder, R.E.M., etc. I love the musicians, but the performances drag on and the only two I got a real kick out of was Roseanne Barr's comedy stand-up act and Michael Moore's "gift" to the Republicans - various TV ads for George W. Bush that are anti-Kerry. (Example: Hundreds of thousands of Americans died at Vietnam. If Kerry REALLY loved his country, he would have died. Vote Bush)
They keep on showing many speeches that Moore gives that retread the same water, the speeches take up about 55 minutes. The other 35 minutes is pure genius, and had Moore presented those 35 instead of 90, it would be one of the best this year. Well, so far, only about 4 movies this year have been truly excellent.
The experience was great, even though I sat outside the Michigan Theater for an hour and a half just waiting for the doors to open. Moore was a great speaker, and once or twice he engaged eye contact with me. The movie was overall a disappointment, although the great moments do stick with you. The problem with that? All the rest fades away. C-
Slacker Uprising was filmed in September-November 2004, as Moore traveled the country to encourage young people to vote. Given Moore's liberal Democratic status, I think it's fairly obvious who he wanted them to vote for. (cough...*JOHN KERRY!!!*cough) We all know the arguably tragic end, but for the most part, the journey is very compelling. But man, oh man, Michael Moore needs a new editor.
It runs 90 minutes and feels like 900. There are various musical performances by Eddie Vedder, R.E.M., etc. I love the musicians, but the performances drag on and the only two I got a real kick out of was Roseanne Barr's comedy stand-up act and Michael Moore's "gift" to the Republicans - various TV ads for George W. Bush that are anti-Kerry. (Example: Hundreds of thousands of Americans died at Vietnam. If Kerry REALLY loved his country, he would have died. Vote Bush)
They keep on showing many speeches that Moore gives that retread the same water, the speeches take up about 55 minutes. The other 35 minutes is pure genius, and had Moore presented those 35 instead of 90, it would be one of the best this year. Well, so far, only about 4 movies this year have been truly excellent.
The experience was great, even though I sat outside the Michigan Theater for an hour and a half just waiting for the doors to open. Moore was a great speaker, and once or twice he engaged eye contact with me. The movie was overall a disappointment, although the great moments do stick with you. The problem with that? All the rest fades away. C-
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Burn After Reading
Burn After Reading is the riotous new comedy with a great cast and excellent script, done by two of the greatest filmmakers in Hollywood today, recent Oscar winners Joel & Ethan Coen. It aims its satire at CIA "intelligence", plastic surgery, spy movies, and the ensemble cast involved often use their characters to parody their on-screen "personas". The key thing is not to take anything seriously, even through the plot twists, dark humor, and oddly comic violence.
Where do I begin to summarize the plot? Osbourne Cox is writing his memoirs. He's just been fired from his job as a CIA analyst. His cold-hearted wife Katie is considering divorce, and is secretly seeing US Marshall Harry Pfarrer. It seems like Osbourne's world is falling apart.
But Katie begins secret divorce proceedings, and downloads all the content off Osbourne's computer to a disc, including his memoirs, thinking it is financial data. When Katie's divorce lawyer loses the disc in her gym locker, two dimwitted gym employees think it is top secret information and try to blackmail Osbourne.
These gym employees are Linda Litzke and Chad Feldheimer. Dimwitted Chad takes the action to blackmail and extort Osbourne for money. Linda goes along with it because she wants money for plastic surgeries. Meanwhile, Harry is assigned to find the two who have taken the disc, and meets Linda and starts to date her.
These events are framed by two clueless CIA agents who periodically summarize the events, and try to find out what all this means. Their final scene, which is also the movie's last scene, is impeccably written with humor and vigor.
Are you still there, reading? If so, I am amazed. It's pretty much the most complex plot since Spider-Man 3. Somehow the Coen brothers manage to simplify all this to an comprehensible rate without dumbing it down, that alone is a feat.
All the performances are great and the one-liners are subtle, but hilarious. I don't know what I loved most about the film. Brad Pitt's high-wire, low-intelligence performance? Perhaps. The ending that hits you hard until long after it's over? (That's a good thing) Perhaps. I don't really know myself.
This is a bona-fide awesome movie, so subtle in humor and yet so outrageous in execution and acting. A-
Where do I begin to summarize the plot? Osbourne Cox is writing his memoirs. He's just been fired from his job as a CIA analyst. His cold-hearted wife Katie is considering divorce, and is secretly seeing US Marshall Harry Pfarrer. It seems like Osbourne's world is falling apart.
But Katie begins secret divorce proceedings, and downloads all the content off Osbourne's computer to a disc, including his memoirs, thinking it is financial data. When Katie's divorce lawyer loses the disc in her gym locker, two dimwitted gym employees think it is top secret information and try to blackmail Osbourne.
These gym employees are Linda Litzke and Chad Feldheimer. Dimwitted Chad takes the action to blackmail and extort Osbourne for money. Linda goes along with it because she wants money for plastic surgeries. Meanwhile, Harry is assigned to find the two who have taken the disc, and meets Linda and starts to date her.
These events are framed by two clueless CIA agents who periodically summarize the events, and try to find out what all this means. Their final scene, which is also the movie's last scene, is impeccably written with humor and vigor.
Are you still there, reading? If so, I am amazed. It's pretty much the most complex plot since Spider-Man 3. Somehow the Coen brothers manage to simplify all this to an comprehensible rate without dumbing it down, that alone is a feat.
All the performances are great and the one-liners are subtle, but hilarious. I don't know what I loved most about the film. Brad Pitt's high-wire, low-intelligence performance? Perhaps. The ending that hits you hard until long after it's over? (That's a good thing) Perhaps. I don't really know myself.
This is a bona-fide awesome movie, so subtle in humor and yet so outrageous in execution and acting. A-
Monday, September 8, 2008
The House Bunny
A pretty average romantic comedy is helped in spades by Anna Faris' excellent, funny performance as Shelley in The House Bunny. It's pretty funny, but like every other romantic comedy since 1977, very very predictable.
Shelley is a Playboy bunny living in the mansion, and she's lived in it for 8 years, living the good life. But when a rival plays a cruel trick on her that gets her kicked out, she has nowwhere to go.
But out of the blue, she stumbles upon a college where they inexplicably let her be a house mother to the Zetas, a group of seven awkward, nerdy girls who know nothing about boys or the high life. The school board threatens to close them down if they don't get 30 new pledges by the end of the month.
Shelley must teach these girls about social life and maybe even a little about fashion, before time runs out and they lose their home.
Anna Faris as Shelley is hilarious, one of the best comedic performances of recent memory. She can play both stupid, smart, cute, and above all, lovable. As for the other 7 girls, some of their roles are surprisingly well-written, some are incredibly under-written, and one or two have virtually no lines at all.
Just walk into it not expecting anything new, but for a couple of laughs and a generally good time at the movies. B-
Shelley is a Playboy bunny living in the mansion, and she's lived in it for 8 years, living the good life. But when a rival plays a cruel trick on her that gets her kicked out, she has nowwhere to go.
But out of the blue, she stumbles upon a college where they inexplicably let her be a house mother to the Zetas, a group of seven awkward, nerdy girls who know nothing about boys or the high life. The school board threatens to close them down if they don't get 30 new pledges by the end of the month.
Shelley must teach these girls about social life and maybe even a little about fashion, before time runs out and they lose their home.
Anna Faris as Shelley is hilarious, one of the best comedic performances of recent memory. She can play both stupid, smart, cute, and above all, lovable. As for the other 7 girls, some of their roles are surprisingly well-written, some are incredibly under-written, and one or two have virtually no lines at all.
Just walk into it not expecting anything new, but for a couple of laughs and a generally good time at the movies. B-
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Man on Wire
Phillipe Petit's 1974 high-wire walk between the two World Trade Center towers is chronicled in this fascinating documentary, Man on Wire. Man on Wire shows us the years that Phillippe Petit trained as a young teenager.
It shows footage of Petit's walk between the Sydney Harbour Bridge and you see from the get-go that he's very, very talented. Footage of preparation for the tower walk is intercut with interviews with the accomplices, some people who saw, and Petit himself. It also has re-enactments of the 12 hours before the walk, a very tense, thrilling sequence. And then, fittingly, there are only still photos of the walk between the twin towers itself, of which you must see to believe.
It fascinates, it entertains, we even laugh occasionally. Very wisely, it opts not to mention the horrible fate of the towers, as it would take away from the beauty of the walk. Instead in this movie, the towers are solid, the world is astonished, and you are kind of moved. A-
It shows footage of Petit's walk between the Sydney Harbour Bridge and you see from the get-go that he's very, very talented. Footage of preparation for the tower walk is intercut with interviews with the accomplices, some people who saw, and Petit himself. It also has re-enactments of the 12 hours before the walk, a very tense, thrilling sequence. And then, fittingly, there are only still photos of the walk between the twin towers itself, of which you must see to believe.
It fascinates, it entertains, we even laugh occasionally. Very wisely, it opts not to mention the horrible fate of the towers, as it would take away from the beauty of the walk. Instead in this movie, the towers are solid, the world is astonished, and you are kind of moved. A-
The Rocker
Rainn Wilson of TV show The Office shows his drumming skills in 'The Rocker'. Back in 2003, I saw a little movie called School of Rock. It starred Jack Black and it was about a wannabe rockstar using kids to fulfill his dreams. It was great, funny, and clever. A couple of days ago, I saw a little movie called The Rocker. It was about...well, a wannabe rockstar using kids to fulfill his dreams. It was okay, but predictable, rarely funny, and lame.
Back in 1986 Robert 'Fish' Fishman drummed for Vesuvius, the latest, coolest band. He had it good, had great friends, was famous. Then he was abruptly kicked out. Flash forward 20 years. Fish works in an office and is pretty miserable. He is fired from his job and goes to live with his brother and his family.
Fish's teenage nephew plays in a band called A.D.D., and A.D.D. needs a drummer. His nephew reluctantly puts Fish in the band, and soon A.D.D. becomes a huge success nationwide. But complications kick Fish out of the band, can Fish stand up and rock again?
Predictable at every turn, there are very few surprises here. I have a suspicion that deep down inside this movie is a decent one trying to break out, but alas, all the cliches bury that decent movie. It's odd, even for a comedy, there aren't even that many cracks at a joke, thus making the good ones even more rare.
It feels like a funny movie thats being held back, and if you walk having seen the trailer, you'll probably know how it ends. Skip it. D+
Back in 1986 Robert 'Fish' Fishman drummed for Vesuvius, the latest, coolest band. He had it good, had great friends, was famous. Then he was abruptly kicked out. Flash forward 20 years. Fish works in an office and is pretty miserable. He is fired from his job and goes to live with his brother and his family.
Fish's teenage nephew plays in a band called A.D.D., and A.D.D. needs a drummer. His nephew reluctantly puts Fish in the band, and soon A.D.D. becomes a huge success nationwide. But complications kick Fish out of the band, can Fish stand up and rock again?
Predictable at every turn, there are very few surprises here. I have a suspicion that deep down inside this movie is a decent one trying to break out, but alas, all the cliches bury that decent movie. It's odd, even for a comedy, there aren't even that many cracks at a joke, thus making the good ones even more rare.
It feels like a funny movie thats being held back, and if you walk having seen the trailer, you'll probably know how it ends. Skip it. D+
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Summer in Review
2008 is probably the best summer in film ever. It's had the awesomeness of Iron Man and The Dark Knight, the hilarity of Tropic Thunder, the animated classics Kung Fu Panda and Wall-E, and the disappointment of Narnia and the Love Guru.
And the sheer awfulness of Camp Rock.
Anyway, I will hand out the First Annual Ryan Michaels Awards of the summer.
Best Visual Effects: Iron Man
Best Three Movies with Robert Downey Jr: The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Tropic Thunder
Best Surprise: Kung Fu Panda
Biggest Disappointment: The Love Guru
Movie That I Didn't Have Much Hope For Then Suddenly Really Wanted to See It But Ended Up Being Disappointed: The Rocker
Biggest Hairspray Wannabe: Mamma Mia
Best Performance: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Second Best Performance: Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
Best Cameo That You Didn't Expect: Tom Cruise, Tropic Thunder
Funniest Movie: Tropic Thunder
Worst Actor: Anyone from Camp Rock
Best Animated Movie: Wall-E
Most Depressing Ending: The Dark Knight
Most Funny Ending: Tropic Thunder
Best Movie: The Dark Knight
Well, that wraps it up for this summer. See you later this year for the Ryan Michaels Academy Awards!
Cheers,
Ryan Michaels
And the sheer awfulness of Camp Rock.
Anyway, I will hand out the First Annual Ryan Michaels Awards of the summer.
Best Visual Effects: Iron Man
Best Three Movies with Robert Downey Jr: The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Tropic Thunder
Best Surprise: Kung Fu Panda
Biggest Disappointment: The Love Guru
Movie That I Didn't Have Much Hope For Then Suddenly Really Wanted to See It But Ended Up Being Disappointed: The Rocker
Biggest Hairspray Wannabe: Mamma Mia
Best Performance: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Second Best Performance: Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
Best Cameo That You Didn't Expect: Tom Cruise, Tropic Thunder
Funniest Movie: Tropic Thunder
Worst Actor: Anyone from Camp Rock
Best Animated Movie: Wall-E
Most Depressing Ending: The Dark Knight
Most Funny Ending: Tropic Thunder
Best Movie: The Dark Knight
Well, that wraps it up for this summer. See you later this year for the Ryan Michaels Academy Awards!
Cheers,
Ryan Michaels
Friday, August 22, 2008
Tropic Thunder
Ben Stiller sends up Hollywood relentlessly in the funniest movie in a very long time - in Tropic Thunder! The send-up here is egoistical actors and of course, Mother Hollywood. It's really fascinating actually, to see such a clever and witty send-up of Hollywood - that could only be a product of Hollywood.
It starts with a faux ad and three faux trailers to introduce the characters: An ad for the rapper Alpa Chino's (say that very slowly) energy drink. Then the first fake movie trailer for action star Tugg Speedman's (Ben Stiller) Scorcher 6: Global Meltdown, a parody of Stallone/Schwarzenegger machisma. Then a trailer for comedian Jeff Portonoy's (Jack Black) The Fatties: Fart 2, a parody of Eddie Murphy's fat-suit comedies. And finally, a trailer for dramatic Method actor Kirk Lazarus' (Robert Downey Jr.) Satan's Alley, a general parody of "Oscar bait".
We open with a dramatic war battle. Blood spurts, things blow up, soldiers are mowed down with bullets. Then when a soldier is shot, the commander runs to his body and cries. Then a director yells, "Cut!". They all actors, now shooting the most expensive war movie ever made, also called 'Tropic Thunder'. Merely 5 days into shooting, they are a month behind scheduele. The first-time director is going crazy, and the egoistical actors are making the shoot near impossible.
Tropic Thunder is cancelled by the profane, cigar-smoking, hip-hop-dancing, bald studio boss played by the one and only...Get ready for this...Tom Cruise! Yes! This could full well begin the cycle of a career comeback, he left the whole theater in stitches.
The furious director decides to drop the actors in the middle of Vietnam, assuring them that he has rigged the forest with hidden cameras. But what they don't realize is that they're in the middle of a real war zone, with local bad guys shooting real bullets at the actors who think that it's all just guerilla-style filmmaking. Will the pampered actors make it out alive?
This is hilarious and gut-bustingly funny at every turn, not one actor is wasted and everyone, i repeat, EVERYONE, gets their comedic spotlight at one point in the movie. Ben Stiller just has to play, well, Ben Stiller, and he's funny all the way. Jack Black is funny in everything he does, this is no exception. I've already mentioned Tom Cruise, and there's thousands more of celebrity cameos that I wont spoil. But there's one force of nature that drives this movie.
Robert Downey Jr. plays Kirk Lazarus, a five-time Academy Award winning Australian actor who is so committed to his role as an African-American sargeant that he undergoes a chemical procedure to dye his skin brown. Now this is the controversal part of the movie that could have been very very very distasteful and offensive. But it never, not once, becomes that. Why? Because it mocks the ridiculousness that actors take to commit to their roles and is also, very, very funny.
Downey's Kirk stays in character the whole time they are in Vietnam, much to the annoyance of African-American rapper Alpa Chino. Watching these two riff off each other inspires some of the funniest parts of the movie.
The script is top-notch, Ben Stiller after two comedic classics (this and Zoolander) is proving to be a very talented director, even if as an actor he pretty much plays the same character every time. Alas, there is no aspect of the movie that doesn't satisfy. There is actually much more action than one would expect from a comedy.
And so Tropic Thunder is at once the smartest and the dumbest movie so far this year, how that is you have to see to understand. A
It starts with a faux ad and three faux trailers to introduce the characters: An ad for the rapper Alpa Chino's (say that very slowly) energy drink. Then the first fake movie trailer for action star Tugg Speedman's (Ben Stiller) Scorcher 6: Global Meltdown, a parody of Stallone/Schwarzenegger machisma. Then a trailer for comedian Jeff Portonoy's (Jack Black) The Fatties: Fart 2, a parody of Eddie Murphy's fat-suit comedies. And finally, a trailer for dramatic Method actor Kirk Lazarus' (Robert Downey Jr.) Satan's Alley, a general parody of "Oscar bait".
We open with a dramatic war battle. Blood spurts, things blow up, soldiers are mowed down with bullets. Then when a soldier is shot, the commander runs to his body and cries. Then a director yells, "Cut!". They all actors, now shooting the most expensive war movie ever made, also called 'Tropic Thunder'. Merely 5 days into shooting, they are a month behind scheduele. The first-time director is going crazy, and the egoistical actors are making the shoot near impossible.
Tropic Thunder is cancelled by the profane, cigar-smoking, hip-hop-dancing, bald studio boss played by the one and only...Get ready for this...Tom Cruise! Yes! This could full well begin the cycle of a career comeback, he left the whole theater in stitches.
The furious director decides to drop the actors in the middle of Vietnam, assuring them that he has rigged the forest with hidden cameras. But what they don't realize is that they're in the middle of a real war zone, with local bad guys shooting real bullets at the actors who think that it's all just guerilla-style filmmaking. Will the pampered actors make it out alive?
This is hilarious and gut-bustingly funny at every turn, not one actor is wasted and everyone, i repeat, EVERYONE, gets their comedic spotlight at one point in the movie. Ben Stiller just has to play, well, Ben Stiller, and he's funny all the way. Jack Black is funny in everything he does, this is no exception. I've already mentioned Tom Cruise, and there's thousands more of celebrity cameos that I wont spoil. But there's one force of nature that drives this movie.
Robert Downey Jr. plays Kirk Lazarus, a five-time Academy Award winning Australian actor who is so committed to his role as an African-American sargeant that he undergoes a chemical procedure to dye his skin brown. Now this is the controversal part of the movie that could have been very very very distasteful and offensive. But it never, not once, becomes that. Why? Because it mocks the ridiculousness that actors take to commit to their roles and is also, very, very funny.
Downey's Kirk stays in character the whole time they are in Vietnam, much to the annoyance of African-American rapper Alpa Chino. Watching these two riff off each other inspires some of the funniest parts of the movie.
The script is top-notch, Ben Stiller after two comedic classics (this and Zoolander) is proving to be a very talented director, even if as an actor he pretty much plays the same character every time. Alas, there is no aspect of the movie that doesn't satisfy. There is actually much more action than one would expect from a comedy.
And so Tropic Thunder is at once the smartest and the dumbest movie so far this year, how that is you have to see to understand. A
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Hellboy, perhaps the most unlikely superhero around is back, and where the original bored mostly, this moves along at a brisk pace, entertains, and fascinates. With this, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk and The Dark Knight (sorry folks, I didn't like Hancock), 2008 is shaping up to be the best year ever for superhero movies.
What makes Hellboy II refreshing and rather unique, is that it's not afraid to admit right up front, it's pure, unadulterated fantasy. The director, Guillermo del Toro, is an incredible director who's helmed one of my favorite movies, Pan's Labyrinth. He's even directing the upcoming Hobbit and its sequel, which both act as a predecessor to Lord of the Rings.
Hellboy is a demon who hangs with Liz, his fire-controlling girlfriend, and Abe Sapien, an aquatic creature with psychic abilities. Together they work secretly under the FBI to help rid the world of evil creatures.
A backstory concerns The Golden Army, a rumored army forged of gold that could be controlled by a magical crown. An ancient prince comes out of centuries of hiding to kill people and find the crown - can Hellboy stop him?
A great comic book movie that becomes a great fantasy that becomes simply, a great ol' time at the movies. B+
What makes Hellboy II refreshing and rather unique, is that it's not afraid to admit right up front, it's pure, unadulterated fantasy. The director, Guillermo del Toro, is an incredible director who's helmed one of my favorite movies, Pan's Labyrinth. He's even directing the upcoming Hobbit and its sequel, which both act as a predecessor to Lord of the Rings.
Hellboy is a demon who hangs with Liz, his fire-controlling girlfriend, and Abe Sapien, an aquatic creature with psychic abilities. Together they work secretly under the FBI to help rid the world of evil creatures.
A backstory concerns The Golden Army, a rumored army forged of gold that could be controlled by a magical crown. An ancient prince comes out of centuries of hiding to kill people and find the crown - can Hellboy stop him?
A great comic book movie that becomes a great fantasy that becomes simply, a great ol' time at the movies. B+
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Journey to the Center of the Earth
Journey to the Center of the Earth is the kind of movie that on terms of acting and plot, normally it's so terrible and contrived one would never see it. In fact, I'd never see Journey to the Center of the Earth. No, but I would most definitely see Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D.
Brendan Fraser brings his normal charisma to his role as Professor Trevor Anderson, a professor whose studies on volcanic activity hold little interest to his boss. His brother vanishes 6 years ago, looking for the center of the Earth When his nephew arrives at his home for two weeks around the time he discovers an anomaly in Iceland, he travels to Iceland in the hopes of finding his brother.
He meets young, beautiful mountain guide Hannah there, and they travel up through a mountain and fall through a hole into - who guessed it, the center of the earth. It is a place populated by dinosaurs, carnivorous plants, anti-gravity craters, and actually, a mine-cart track. Can Trevor, his nephew, and Hannah get out alive before they literally burn up?
A silly plot, with silly acting and lame jokes, no doubt about any of those. But it's simply a rollicking, mindless good time, mind you assuming you have 3-D glasses on. It's actually the first full-length, narrative film ever to be fully shot in 3-D, which is really incredible.
The effects are the best and perhaps only good aspect of the film, but it's just too fun and hokey for it's own good. B-
Brendan Fraser brings his normal charisma to his role as Professor Trevor Anderson, a professor whose studies on volcanic activity hold little interest to his boss. His brother vanishes 6 years ago, looking for the center of the Earth When his nephew arrives at his home for two weeks around the time he discovers an anomaly in Iceland, he travels to Iceland in the hopes of finding his brother.
He meets young, beautiful mountain guide Hannah there, and they travel up through a mountain and fall through a hole into - who guessed it, the center of the earth. It is a place populated by dinosaurs, carnivorous plants, anti-gravity craters, and actually, a mine-cart track. Can Trevor, his nephew, and Hannah get out alive before they literally burn up?
A silly plot, with silly acting and lame jokes, no doubt about any of those. But it's simply a rollicking, mindless good time, mind you assuming you have 3-D glasses on. It's actually the first full-length, narrative film ever to be fully shot in 3-D, which is really incredible.
The effects are the best and perhaps only good aspect of the film, but it's just too fun and hokey for it's own good. B-
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Mamma Mia!
Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, and Amanda Seyfried head up an impressive cast in the ABBA-inspired musical Mamma Mia. I've only heard a few songs by ABBA and although I do like them, I never really got into them. But now I'm gonna listen to their greatest hits, that's basically the impact this movie will have on you.
Sophie is a 21-year old who's about to get married on an island in Greece. One problem though - she doesn't know who her father is. She then reads her mother's diary and finds three men who are probably her father. But which one? She invites all three to the wedding in the hopes that she can find out who is her father is. Oh, and all of this is set to ABBA music.
The music in this movie is hit or miss. Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried are good singers, but Pierce Brosnan? Not so much...The acting is good by all. The main problem with the movie is that you never really care what happens, you never truly invest in the story, and you forget you saw it. The dancing sequences are slightly awkward as well.
It's good entertainment, albeit, you will very much forget it. The kids will love it, but it just can't hold a candle to Hairspray. C+
Sophie is a 21-year old who's about to get married on an island in Greece. One problem though - she doesn't know who her father is. She then reads her mother's diary and finds three men who are probably her father. But which one? She invites all three to the wedding in the hopes that she can find out who is her father is. Oh, and all of this is set to ABBA music.
The music in this movie is hit or miss. Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried are good singers, but Pierce Brosnan? Not so much...The acting is good by all. The main problem with the movie is that you never really care what happens, you never truly invest in the story, and you forget you saw it. The dancing sequences are slightly awkward as well.
It's good entertainment, albeit, you will very much forget it. The kids will love it, but it just can't hold a candle to Hairspray. C+
Friday, July 18, 2008
The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight exceeds all expectations and transcends so many genres that it's not a superhero movie, nor an action flick. No, it deserves the title 'crime saga'. For the first time for a VERY long time in this movie, I smiled with satisfaction throughout the film. It's just excellent in every category.
Billionare Bruce Wayne patrols Gotham City by night, as masked crime-fighter Batman. It's starting to make Gotham a better place, and with police commissioner James Gordon and new District Attorney Harvey Dent aiding him, organized crime in Gotham is quickly vanishing. Until The Joker.
The Joker is a maniac who kills just for killing, who has no grand plan other than destruction. This is shown in the prologue with a carefully constructed bank robbery where he kills all of his henchmen, as a sudden whim. He vows to Gotham that he will kill a person a day until Batman reveals his true identity. The Joker begins killing city officials and many people close to Batman.
Batman begins to consider: Should he give himself in and let Harvey Dent clean up the city? Or should he endure at the cost of many lives? Things don't help when Batman's childhood sweetheart Rachel starts a relationship with Harvey Dent, and when Harvey Dent is bent into Two-Face, a badly burnt psychopath who decides fate by flipping a coin. (Just like No Country for Old Men, except Two-Face was made in comics about 60 years prior to No Country)
The best part of the movie is two words: Heath Ledger. He was an immensely talented actor and will be sorely missed...His Joker is simply amazing, I personally think he could get a posthumous Oscar nomination. He's unpredictable, chilling, but surprisingly, hilarious as a sociopath who's out to make Batman reveal his identity. An especially good scene is Joker's 'magic trick' where he makes a pencil disappear, into what, I won't give away. Okay, onto the plot, which is much better and more complex than what you'd expect from a movie based on comic books.
I saw The Dark Knight in IMAX, and boy was it great. For the first time ever in a movie they shot action sequences and establishing shots with an IMAX camera, and it's incredible how beautiful and yet how awesome it is. Some action sequences have literally never been done before, and also an extra note is Aaron Eckhart as the city District Attorney, Harvey Dent. He is great as Harvey Dent, which is because he fits the part so perfectly. Eckhart very convincingly portrays Harvey's drive to rid Gotham of organized crime, but when he eventually becomes the villain Two-Face it's an amazing transformation, via acting, visual effects, and a heck of a lot of make-up.
Gary Oldman has alot more to do as Commissioner Gordon, one of the few cops in Gotham City that aren't corrupt. He's great in this role, especially towards the end...And of course, Christian Bale as Batman is really good - again - predictably. The new gadgets are really cool, especially the Bat-pod, a one-wheeled motorcycle that comes out of the Batmobile.
However, here's a note to parents. Since it's Batman and all, many parents will probably take their 5 to 9 year olds to see this - this movie is WAY too intense for that age group. Yes, I know I'm not much older than that, but The Joker and Two-Face are psychopaths, badly, BADLY scarred psychopaths who kill people, sometimes very brutally. I even flinched at times during the movie, and that doesn't happen often.
The real magic of the movie isn't the action, sets, or elaborate sequences - although they're incredible too. No, the real magic is the acting and the script. Every performance is strong in this movie, and the script is great because it reaches deep into the psyche of three men and plays them against each other. In many ways, this movie doesn't belong with Spider-Man 2 or Superman - strong as those films are, this belongs with The Departed and No Country for Old Men as sprawling crime epics. And actually, no not even those. This belongs with The Godfather, Part II as a true sequel that outdoes the original in every way, expands the story, ups the stakes, and yet remains a classic for its time. A
Billionare Bruce Wayne patrols Gotham City by night, as masked crime-fighter Batman. It's starting to make Gotham a better place, and with police commissioner James Gordon and new District Attorney Harvey Dent aiding him, organized crime in Gotham is quickly vanishing. Until The Joker.
The Joker is a maniac who kills just for killing, who has no grand plan other than destruction. This is shown in the prologue with a carefully constructed bank robbery where he kills all of his henchmen, as a sudden whim. He vows to Gotham that he will kill a person a day until Batman reveals his true identity. The Joker begins killing city officials and many people close to Batman.
Batman begins to consider: Should he give himself in and let Harvey Dent clean up the city? Or should he endure at the cost of many lives? Things don't help when Batman's childhood sweetheart Rachel starts a relationship with Harvey Dent, and when Harvey Dent is bent into Two-Face, a badly burnt psychopath who decides fate by flipping a coin. (Just like No Country for Old Men, except Two-Face was made in comics about 60 years prior to No Country)
The best part of the movie is two words: Heath Ledger. He was an immensely talented actor and will be sorely missed...His Joker is simply amazing, I personally think he could get a posthumous Oscar nomination. He's unpredictable, chilling, but surprisingly, hilarious as a sociopath who's out to make Batman reveal his identity. An especially good scene is Joker's 'magic trick' where he makes a pencil disappear, into what, I won't give away. Okay, onto the plot, which is much better and more complex than what you'd expect from a movie based on comic books.
I saw The Dark Knight in IMAX, and boy was it great. For the first time ever in a movie they shot action sequences and establishing shots with an IMAX camera, and it's incredible how beautiful and yet how awesome it is. Some action sequences have literally never been done before, and also an extra note is Aaron Eckhart as the city District Attorney, Harvey Dent. He is great as Harvey Dent, which is because he fits the part so perfectly. Eckhart very convincingly portrays Harvey's drive to rid Gotham of organized crime, but when he eventually becomes the villain Two-Face it's an amazing transformation, via acting, visual effects, and a heck of a lot of make-up.
Gary Oldman has alot more to do as Commissioner Gordon, one of the few cops in Gotham City that aren't corrupt. He's great in this role, especially towards the end...And of course, Christian Bale as Batman is really good - again - predictably. The new gadgets are really cool, especially the Bat-pod, a one-wheeled motorcycle that comes out of the Batmobile.
However, here's a note to parents. Since it's Batman and all, many parents will probably take their 5 to 9 year olds to see this - this movie is WAY too intense for that age group. Yes, I know I'm not much older than that, but The Joker and Two-Face are psychopaths, badly, BADLY scarred psychopaths who kill people, sometimes very brutally. I even flinched at times during the movie, and that doesn't happen often.
The real magic of the movie isn't the action, sets, or elaborate sequences - although they're incredible too. No, the real magic is the acting and the script. Every performance is strong in this movie, and the script is great because it reaches deep into the psyche of three men and plays them against each other. In many ways, this movie doesn't belong with Spider-Man 2 or Superman - strong as those films are, this belongs with The Departed and No Country for Old Men as sprawling crime epics. And actually, no not even those. This belongs with The Godfather, Part II as a true sequel that outdoes the original in every way, expands the story, ups the stakes, and yet remains a classic for its time. A
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Get Smart 2: Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control
This direct-to-DVD sequel to Get Smart isn't as bad as one might expect - it's got some cool action and gadgets, some funny laughs, and more scope than just about any other direct-to-DVD movie I've ever seen. It however, definetely has its flaws and is cliched and predictable.
Bruce & Lloyd are the tech geeks from CONTROL, you know, that huge spy organization. They have finally perfected an invisibility cloak and have a party to celebrate. Then, the next morning they wake up and the cloaks gone. Bruce and Lloyd have to find it within 48 hours or it'll cost them their jobs!
Bruce and Lloyd are a good comedy team, and the gadgets are cool. The good stuff - stops there. It's a direct-to-video movie so I couldn't expect much, and I was still disappointed. I hated the subplot with a dictator, and seriously what's the deal with all the romantic subplots?! Poorly written dialogue doesn't help either.
A clunky, clottered mess. D+
Bruce & Lloyd are the tech geeks from CONTROL, you know, that huge spy organization. They have finally perfected an invisibility cloak and have a party to celebrate. Then, the next morning they wake up and the cloaks gone. Bruce and Lloyd have to find it within 48 hours or it'll cost them their jobs!
Bruce and Lloyd are a good comedy team, and the gadgets are cool. The good stuff - stops there. It's a direct-to-video movie so I couldn't expect much, and I was still disappointed. I hated the subplot with a dictator, and seriously what's the deal with all the romantic subplots?! Poorly written dialogue doesn't help either.
A clunky, clottered mess. D+
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Hancock
Will Smith is a superhero for the tabloid/TMZ-era in the heavily flawed but enjoyable superhero film, Hancock. It's truly amazing how year after year, movie after movie, people keep lining up to see his movies. He's the biggest box-office star of our time, and this is one of his biggest risks so far as an actor. He is playing an alcoholic bum, who just so happens to have superpowers.
Hancock has nothing going for him. He's homeless. He's an alcoholic. He has no family. Oh, and he's a superhero universally loathed by the public for his "heroics" that wreak havoc on the city of Los Angeles. So one day when he saves a public relations agent named Ray, Ray as a thank you offers to aid Hancock's image so he can, in terms, become a true superhero.
The film reportedly cost $150 million, and at the running time of 90 minutes, that means it costs $1.5 million per minute, or $25,000 per second. That's a big chunk of change, but at the very least it shows on screen, VERY easily. Will Smith as expected is the best part of the movie, and the action sequences are awesome, even though there really aren't that many.
But it's also so muddled and contrived, with the lamest twists at times. I didn't really buy the end, nor, well, anything in the last 20 minutes. But on the other hand, the first 45 minutes are some of the most inventive, funniest stuff put onto a movie screen this year. Charlize Theron doesn't add much as Ray's wife, and Jason Bateman continues his streak of good performances with this.
Hancock is good but it only achieves as much as you expect: Entertain you, make you laugh, and also confuse and frustrate you to no end. The problem is the first 45 minutes is a parody of the genre, but the last 45 minutes becomes the very thing it mocks. Forgettable, but enjoyable entertainment. C+
Hancock has nothing going for him. He's homeless. He's an alcoholic. He has no family. Oh, and he's a superhero universally loathed by the public for his "heroics" that wreak havoc on the city of Los Angeles. So one day when he saves a public relations agent named Ray, Ray as a thank you offers to aid Hancock's image so he can, in terms, become a true superhero.
The film reportedly cost $150 million, and at the running time of 90 minutes, that means it costs $1.5 million per minute, or $25,000 per second. That's a big chunk of change, but at the very least it shows on screen, VERY easily. Will Smith as expected is the best part of the movie, and the action sequences are awesome, even though there really aren't that many.
But it's also so muddled and contrived, with the lamest twists at times. I didn't really buy the end, nor, well, anything in the last 20 minutes. But on the other hand, the first 45 minutes are some of the most inventive, funniest stuff put onto a movie screen this year. Charlize Theron doesn't add much as Ray's wife, and Jason Bateman continues his streak of good performances with this.
Hancock is good but it only achieves as much as you expect: Entertain you, make you laugh, and also confuse and frustrate you to no end. The problem is the first 45 minutes is a parody of the genre, but the last 45 minutes becomes the very thing it mocks. Forgettable, but enjoyable entertainment. C+
Monday, June 30, 2008
Camp Rock
I begin this review with a simple question: why? Why did they have to make this rotting piece garbage, why did they make it a musical, and why did this even happen?
Mitchie Torres is an aspiring, talented musician who wants to go to Camp Rock, a music camp. (obviously) Meanwhile, rock star Shane Gray is on a roll of bad behavior and is sent to Camp Rock as a counselor. Mitchie lies her way into a friendship with the "popular" girls, and I can honestly say without exaggeration it pains me to write more about it.
I get it. High School Musical goes off and makes a bazillion bucks, then Hannah Montana doubles that amount. So now Disney Channel decides to exploit the Jonas Brothers and make them into a TV movie to unleash upon the 10-year old girls. And yet I sit here, with my little sister watching this stuff, suffering all the way. And so I ask, why?! F
Mitchie Torres is an aspiring, talented musician who wants to go to Camp Rock, a music camp. (obviously) Meanwhile, rock star Shane Gray is on a roll of bad behavior and is sent to Camp Rock as a counselor. Mitchie lies her way into a friendship with the "popular" girls, and I can honestly say without exaggeration it pains me to write more about it.
I get it. High School Musical goes off and makes a bazillion bucks, then Hannah Montana doubles that amount. So now Disney Channel decides to exploit the Jonas Brothers and make them into a TV movie to unleash upon the 10-year old girls. And yet I sit here, with my little sister watching this stuff, suffering all the way. And so I ask, why?! F
Wall-E
Pixar has struck gold for the ninth time. 13 years, 9 masterpieces. That's a track record that no other studio or filmmaker has never made, and possibly never will. What started with a light-headed but classic adventure about living toys has now evolved into a deep, topical film that touches on so many levels it deserves the words - instant classic.
Wall-E is a robot built to clean up Earth, after it becomes polluted beyond control. 700 years later, he's the last thing on Earth at all (humans have fled to a giant spaceship, The Axiom) and all he's been doing is cleaning the Earth. That all changes when a probe robot comes to Earth named Eve, and Wall-E is instantly smitten with her.
They begin a friendship and Wall-E develops a crush on Eve. But Eve is called back to the Axiom, and so Wall-E follows her there and his adventure there just might change the way everyone there thinks, and proves that robots too can love.
The incredible part of the movie is that the robots' "voices" aren't voice artists, they're actually household, everyday noises blended into a voice. That is so revolutionary and just, well, cool. And here's another thing - I cried three times in this movie. There. No shame. I cried for the story. I cried for the sheer beauty of the animation. I cried because I feared Pixar would never top this masterpiece.
See it. See it. Why? Because if you don't you'll miss the best film of the year. A
Wall-E is a robot built to clean up Earth, after it becomes polluted beyond control. 700 years later, he's the last thing on Earth at all (humans have fled to a giant spaceship, The Axiom) and all he's been doing is cleaning the Earth. That all changes when a probe robot comes to Earth named Eve, and Wall-E is instantly smitten with her.
They begin a friendship and Wall-E develops a crush on Eve. But Eve is called back to the Axiom, and so Wall-E follows her there and his adventure there just might change the way everyone there thinks, and proves that robots too can love.
The incredible part of the movie is that the robots' "voices" aren't voice artists, they're actually household, everyday noises blended into a voice. That is so revolutionary and just, well, cool. And here's another thing - I cried three times in this movie. There. No shame. I cried for the story. I cried for the sheer beauty of the animation. I cried because I feared Pixar would never top this masterpiece.
See it. See it. Why? Because if you don't you'll miss the best film of the year. A
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Kung Fu Panda
Jack Black - kung fu master. That very thought is both questionable and hilarious, but then again, the entire concept of Kung Fu Panda is questionable and hilarious. The story of a lovable, overweight panda becoming a kung fu legend is more original than it seems.
Po is a well-intentioned but goofy panda in ancient China who works as a waiter but has only one dream - to become a kung fu master. However there are three major problems with this - One, he is stuck as a waiter at a family-owned restaurant. Two, he knows no kung fu whatsoever. And third, he's completely out of shape and overweight.
Meanwhile, Tai Lung is a dangerous tiger who's been locked up in prison for 20 years for trying to steal the fabled Dragon Scroll that apparently holds the secret to eternal power. When he breaks out to take it, the wise Master Oogway knows only the Dragon Warrior can fight it and now must pick the Dragon Warrior. By an accident Po is made the Dragon Warrior, and must train to fight Tai Lung.
It's charm is unique, partially because there's no pop culture references anywhere. It actually does rely on plot and action, and definitely humor. Jack Black provides a great voice and an awesome catchphrase - Skadoosh. The action sequences are actually pretty creative, and another good part of the movie is the cast. Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Dustin Hoffman...They all show great comedic timing...
Now that the Shrek franchise is kind of tired out, I think Dreamworks Animation has found a new franchise. Kung Fu Panda 2, here we come! A-
Po is a well-intentioned but goofy panda in ancient China who works as a waiter but has only one dream - to become a kung fu master. However there are three major problems with this - One, he is stuck as a waiter at a family-owned restaurant. Two, he knows no kung fu whatsoever. And third, he's completely out of shape and overweight.
Meanwhile, Tai Lung is a dangerous tiger who's been locked up in prison for 20 years for trying to steal the fabled Dragon Scroll that apparently holds the secret to eternal power. When he breaks out to take it, the wise Master Oogway knows only the Dragon Warrior can fight it and now must pick the Dragon Warrior. By an accident Po is made the Dragon Warrior, and must train to fight Tai Lung.
It's charm is unique, partially because there's no pop culture references anywhere. It actually does rely on plot and action, and definitely humor. Jack Black provides a great voice and an awesome catchphrase - Skadoosh. The action sequences are actually pretty creative, and another good part of the movie is the cast. Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Dustin Hoffman...They all show great comedic timing...
Now that the Shrek franchise is kind of tired out, I think Dreamworks Animation has found a new franchise. Kung Fu Panda 2, here we come! A-
Sunday, June 22, 2008
The Love Guru
Mike Myers was once my favorite comedian. In the day of Austin Powers, SNL, and Wayne's World he could do no wrong, and relied on physical humor and wordplay. The Love Guru, however, has very few gags that actually work, and I don't think there's a single joke in here that isn't potty humor. Forget Narnia. This is the biggest disappointment of the year.
Pitka is a self-help guru who comes to America to become the next Deepak Chopra, but always finds himself at #2. So when the owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Jane Bullard, comes to him to resolve an issue, he can't help but take it up. The star hockey player, Darren Roanoke's playing ability has sharply decreased ever since his wife left him, for a rival player, Jacques Grande. (Played by Justin Timberlake, and he steals the show). Pitka's job is to get Darren and his wife back together so that the Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup.
I laughed about five times out of the hundreds of failed jokes Myers cracks, and the problem is that it's either potty jokes or cracks at Hinduism. The saviors of this movie are Justin Timberlake as a French hockey star and Stephen Colbert as a hockey announcer - they steal every scene they're in, even against Mike Myers. But the problem is just the timing. The comedic timing is so poor in this movie, and I think the problem is that Mike Myers chose a first-timer to direct it.
The Hinduism aren't so much offensive as annoying - there were many opportunities at greatness in this movie. And none were taken. D
Pitka is a self-help guru who comes to America to become the next Deepak Chopra, but always finds himself at #2. So when the owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Jane Bullard, comes to him to resolve an issue, he can't help but take it up. The star hockey player, Darren Roanoke's playing ability has sharply decreased ever since his wife left him, for a rival player, Jacques Grande. (Played by Justin Timberlake, and he steals the show). Pitka's job is to get Darren and his wife back together so that the Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup.
I laughed about five times out of the hundreds of failed jokes Myers cracks, and the problem is that it's either potty jokes or cracks at Hinduism. The saviors of this movie are Justin Timberlake as a French hockey star and Stephen Colbert as a hockey announcer - they steal every scene they're in, even against Mike Myers. But the problem is just the timing. The comedic timing is so poor in this movie, and I think the problem is that Mike Myers chose a first-timer to direct it.
The Hinduism aren't so much offensive as annoying - there were many opportunities at greatness in this movie. And none were taken. D
Monday, June 16, 2008
The Incredible Hulk
The original 2003 Hulk was bogged down by melodrama, too long a running time, and the fact that Nick Nolte had more time on-screen than the actual Hulk. This fixes everything where the original went wrong. It tosses out the director and the entire cast, and makes one of the best actors around into the Hulk. It runs a half-hour less than the original, and it's character driven AND action-packed at the same time.
Dr. Bruce Banner is experimenting with gamma rays and it goes horribly awry, but the side effects only occur when he's angry. Unfortunately, when he's angry, he turns into a 9-foot tall green hulk who has no control over what he does. He goes on the run, and his girlfriend Betty is deeply saddened.
Five years later, he's a fugitive from the US Army and has been trying to find a cure for years. The Army finds him in Brazil, and Bruce flees back to America to find a cure. But Emil Blonsky, a soldier hot on Hulk's tail is exposed to Hulk's gamma rays and becomes The Abdomination, a giant beast bent on killing Hulk!!
Yes, that's quite a back-story, but it's also quite a movie. It's not nearly as good as Iron Man, but it doesn't have to be. It's much better than about 9 out of 10 of the recent superhero movies out there, and also has a heart. The true problem is that it's all essentially just a set-up, but I will say what I will never say for the original - it's one awesome action movie. B
Dr. Bruce Banner is experimenting with gamma rays and it goes horribly awry, but the side effects only occur when he's angry. Unfortunately, when he's angry, he turns into a 9-foot tall green hulk who has no control over what he does. He goes on the run, and his girlfriend Betty is deeply saddened.
Five years later, he's a fugitive from the US Army and has been trying to find a cure for years. The Army finds him in Brazil, and Bruce flees back to America to find a cure. But Emil Blonsky, a soldier hot on Hulk's tail is exposed to Hulk's gamma rays and becomes The Abdomination, a giant beast bent on killing Hulk!!
Yes, that's quite a back-story, but it's also quite a movie. It's not nearly as good as Iron Man, but it doesn't have to be. It's much better than about 9 out of 10 of the recent superhero movies out there, and also has a heart. The true problem is that it's all essentially just a set-up, but I will say what I will never say for the original - it's one awesome action movie. B
Sunday, June 15, 2008
You Don't Mess With The Zohan
Adam Sandler decides to dub an Israeli accent for his new comedy, You Don't Mess With The Zohan. This gets into its preachy moments from time to time but overall is his funniest since 2004's 50 First Dates, and succeeds in not being offensive - instead being just plain funny.
Zohan is an Israeli counter-terrorist agent who hunts down his country's enemies and kills them swift and efficiently. But while he loves serving his country, he tires of all the violence and dreams of being a hair-designer. So when chasing a famous terrorist 'The Phantom', he fakes his own death and moves to New York City under the alias Scrappy Coco, and gets a job at a Palestinian hair salon. He loves his new job, but becomes famous locally and risks exposing his alias.
Yes it's a completely idiotic and unrealistic premise, but that's the beauty of the whole movie. Zohan is essentially a superhuman, and several hilarious scenes build off of it. But the weaknesses lie in the back plot.
A tacked-on romantic subplot that's forced and contrived bogs down the movie, and the end just makes it all too soft and melodramatic. But Adam Sandler does much more right than wrong here. B-
Zohan is an Israeli counter-terrorist agent who hunts down his country's enemies and kills them swift and efficiently. But while he loves serving his country, he tires of all the violence and dreams of being a hair-designer. So when chasing a famous terrorist 'The Phantom', he fakes his own death and moves to New York City under the alias Scrappy Coco, and gets a job at a Palestinian hair salon. He loves his new job, but becomes famous locally and risks exposing his alias.
Yes it's a completely idiotic and unrealistic premise, but that's the beauty of the whole movie. Zohan is essentially a superhuman, and several hilarious scenes build off of it. But the weaknesses lie in the back plot.
A tacked-on romantic subplot that's forced and contrived bogs down the movie, and the end just makes it all too soft and melodramatic. But Adam Sandler does much more right than wrong here. B-
Friday, June 13, 2008
Son of Rambow
One of the coolest moments of my life occurred in my screening of Son of Rambow. Last year I participated in a summer camp where I could make a movie at the Michigan Theater, and given the subject matter of Son of Rambow, at the Michigan Theater during the screening they asked me to speak about this camp. I had the pleasure of speaking in front of an audience that included my school librarian, my best friend, and my family.
It's rare that a movie comes along like Son of Rambow. It has fun, has laughs, has its share of action, pays tribute, but moves along with a great plot and vibe that, in my opinion, ranks this amongst the greatest movies of the year.
In 1980, Will is a young, quiet British schoolboy who belongs to a strict religion. Lee Carter goes to his school, and is a bully in every sense of the word. Will goes over to Lee's house and the two watch Rambo together. They decide to make a remake of it together, and although they couldn't be more different and initially hate each other, they realize their friendship matters more than anything. But they begin to fight over the movie, and other people want in on it.
This is such a great movie. It's just got this spirit to it that many movies lack today, and that's ambition. It has great performances by all, and a witty script. See this. You won't regret it. A
It's rare that a movie comes along like Son of Rambow. It has fun, has laughs, has its share of action, pays tribute, but moves along with a great plot and vibe that, in my opinion, ranks this amongst the greatest movies of the year.
In 1980, Will is a young, quiet British schoolboy who belongs to a strict religion. Lee Carter goes to his school, and is a bully in every sense of the word. Will goes over to Lee's house and the two watch Rambo together. They decide to make a remake of it together, and although they couldn't be more different and initially hate each other, they realize their friendship matters more than anything. But they begin to fight over the movie, and other people want in on it.
This is such a great movie. It's just got this spirit to it that many movies lack today, and that's ambition. It has great performances by all, and a witty script. See this. You won't regret it. A
Saturday, June 7, 2008
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe was an action-packed, if too long movie that was entertaining, even if it didn't quite reach the heights it set out to achieve. This sequel, Prince Caspian, loses much of the action and entertainment that drove the first one, and doesn't reach the heights it sets out. It's the biggest disappointment of the year.
Peter, Lucy, Edmund and Susan are four children whose previous adventure to a magical kingdom named Narnia left them kings and queens of that land, and a year passes and they are mysteriously thrust into Narnia again. But whilst a year passed for them, 1300 passed for Narnia, and it has been thrust into chaos and violence.
They meet a prince named Caspian whose evil uncle has tried to have him killed, and together they form an army to rebel against the corrupt kingdom and restore Narnia to peace and tranquility. But things are not so simple, and prove quite deadly for all things good...
It seemed destined for another sequel to happen, for the original was a good movie and made $750 million. But after this, they should either make the next Narnia a masterpiece or leave the franchise dead in the water. The dialogue is wooden, the action sequences stale and it doesn't follow the book, which was a major strength of the first.
I'm sorry, I love fantasy franchises as much as the next person, but this one is close to dead in the water. C-
Peter, Lucy, Edmund and Susan are four children whose previous adventure to a magical kingdom named Narnia left them kings and queens of that land, and a year passes and they are mysteriously thrust into Narnia again. But whilst a year passed for them, 1300 passed for Narnia, and it has been thrust into chaos and violence.
They meet a prince named Caspian whose evil uncle has tried to have him killed, and together they form an army to rebel against the corrupt kingdom and restore Narnia to peace and tranquility. But things are not so simple, and prove quite deadly for all things good...
It seemed destined for another sequel to happen, for the original was a good movie and made $750 million. But after this, they should either make the next Narnia a masterpiece or leave the franchise dead in the water. The dialogue is wooden, the action sequences stale and it doesn't follow the book, which was a major strength of the first.
I'm sorry, I love fantasy franchises as much as the next person, but this one is close to dead in the water. C-
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
The first Indiana Jones movie in 19 years is also better than the second and third, is the most action-packed movie in years, and surpasses its predecessors in humor and action. It doesn't have the classic aura of the first, but it's fast-paced and definetely isn't a letdown. And, at least for me, surpassed expectations. And boy, were they high.
Indiana Jones is a franchise amongst the likes of Star Wars in respect and entertainment, and although Harrison Ford is 65, he looks almost exactly like he did in the third one, and in fact has more stuntwork to do here. Steven Spielberg is the best director of all time, and he's still in prime form here. Unfortunately, the best actress around, Cate Blanchett, has almost nothing to do here as a bad guy (or gal), although her Russian accent is hilarious.
Set in 1957, Indiana Jones is kidnapped by the Russians along with his partner Mac. They want him to help them find a crystal skull, that has psychic powers that make people do what others desire. Mac betrays Indy for the Russians, but Indy escapes to find the Crystal Skull.
Indy meets a young greaser named Mutt, and they decide to find the Crystal Skull together. Along the way a professor and Indy's old girlfriend tag along, and she has shocking news for Indy...Can they find the Crystal Skull before the Russians do?
The plot isn't much, but it gives way for some hilarious action sequences. It plays on our old nostalgia for the old movies, and don't worry - they didn't mess up the franchise at all. They actually improved it. Vastly. A
Indiana Jones is a franchise amongst the likes of Star Wars in respect and entertainment, and although Harrison Ford is 65, he looks almost exactly like he did in the third one, and in fact has more stuntwork to do here. Steven Spielberg is the best director of all time, and he's still in prime form here. Unfortunately, the best actress around, Cate Blanchett, has almost nothing to do here as a bad guy (or gal), although her Russian accent is hilarious.
Set in 1957, Indiana Jones is kidnapped by the Russians along with his partner Mac. They want him to help them find a crystal skull, that has psychic powers that make people do what others desire. Mac betrays Indy for the Russians, but Indy escapes to find the Crystal Skull.
Indy meets a young greaser named Mutt, and they decide to find the Crystal Skull together. Along the way a professor and Indy's old girlfriend tag along, and she has shocking news for Indy...Can they find the Crystal Skull before the Russians do?
The plot isn't much, but it gives way for some hilarious action sequences. It plays on our old nostalgia for the old movies, and don't worry - they didn't mess up the franchise at all. They actually improved it. Vastly. A
Speed Racer
I had a curious experience while seeing Speed Racer. I saw it in IMAX, and it broke down twice. The first time, the managers came out and gave my friends and I popcorn and a Speed Racer poster. The second time it broke down they gave us a free pass to any movie we desire and our money back. So no, I didn't see the whole thing, but I'll judge from the 2 hours I did see.
Speed Racer (yes thats his name) is a very talented race-car driver (shock!), and in fact that's just about his only talent. His family is known for racing, his famous brother died in the dangerous Casa Cristo race, and his girlfriend Trixie isn't too bad at racing herself.
Speed becomes very famous, so when corrupt industry owner Mr. Royalton shows up and offers him a deal with his company and Speed refuses, Mr. Royalton promises Speed that he will never finish a race again, and enlists many henchman to kill him on the track. Speed gets help in the form of a mysterious rival named Racer X, along the way. Can Speed win the Casa Cristo and expose Mr. Royalton's corruption?
Words cannot describe how terrible this movie is. In fact, I even thanked the theater for the refund, it was so terrible. The dialogue is wooden, the plot is stupid, and although many great actors star in this movie, none act convincingly. It is a shame, as the Wachowski Brothers (directors) are very talented people, and amongst my favorite directors. The only good thing about the movie is the visual effects. The colors pop in every way, and the races are cool and entertaining. Unfortunately, the actual racing only takes up about 15 minutes out of 140.
So, rest assured that Speed Racer is the worst film so far this year, and rest assured that I won't see it again if anyone pays me. F
Speed Racer (yes thats his name) is a very talented race-car driver (shock!), and in fact that's just about his only talent. His family is known for racing, his famous brother died in the dangerous Casa Cristo race, and his girlfriend Trixie isn't too bad at racing herself.
Speed becomes very famous, so when corrupt industry owner Mr. Royalton shows up and offers him a deal with his company and Speed refuses, Mr. Royalton promises Speed that he will never finish a race again, and enlists many henchman to kill him on the track. Speed gets help in the form of a mysterious rival named Racer X, along the way. Can Speed win the Casa Cristo and expose Mr. Royalton's corruption?
Words cannot describe how terrible this movie is. In fact, I even thanked the theater for the refund, it was so terrible. The dialogue is wooden, the plot is stupid, and although many great actors star in this movie, none act convincingly. It is a shame, as the Wachowski Brothers (directors) are very talented people, and amongst my favorite directors. The only good thing about the movie is the visual effects. The colors pop in every way, and the races are cool and entertaining. Unfortunately, the actual racing only takes up about 15 minutes out of 140.
So, rest assured that Speed Racer is the worst film so far this year, and rest assured that I won't see it again if anyone pays me. F
What Happens in Vegas
Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz are charming and hilarious as two strangers who get hitched in Vegas - and must live together by rule of a judge. These two stars have great chemistry together and it's hilarious to see them go at each other with fury.
Jack is a carpenter who slacks off alot, and subsequently fired from his job. Joy is a stockbroker who is very coordinated and uptight, and is subsequently dumped by her fiancee. Both heartbroken people decide to go to Vegas, where they meet and drunkenly get married. When they wake up they discover how much they hate each other.
Jack steals Joy's quarter and puts it in a slot machine, and wins $3 million. They argue over which should get it, and then a judge sentences them to forced marriage for 6 months, and if either person is deemed not working on their marriage the other gets the money. They both scheme of ways to get the money, and the results are hilarious.
This is a huge twist on the average romantic comedy, and is a romantic comedy in reverse, sort of. It is driven by how much they hate each other, but in general, it still follows the typical formula for a romantic comedy. It is very funny though, with a hilarious ending. It's a new genre, in a way: A chick flick that the guys will enjoy even more than the girls. B
Jack is a carpenter who slacks off alot, and subsequently fired from his job. Joy is a stockbroker who is very coordinated and uptight, and is subsequently dumped by her fiancee. Both heartbroken people decide to go to Vegas, where they meet and drunkenly get married. When they wake up they discover how much they hate each other.
Jack steals Joy's quarter and puts it in a slot machine, and wins $3 million. They argue over which should get it, and then a judge sentences them to forced marriage for 6 months, and if either person is deemed not working on their marriage the other gets the money. They both scheme of ways to get the money, and the results are hilarious.
This is a huge twist on the average romantic comedy, and is a romantic comedy in reverse, sort of. It is driven by how much they hate each other, but in general, it still follows the typical formula for a romantic comedy. It is very funny though, with a hilarious ending. It's a new genre, in a way: A chick flick that the guys will enjoy even more than the girls. B
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Under the Same Moon (La Misma Luna)
Under the Same Moon is a touching Spanish drama about the evils of foreign policy, and the touching journey a boy takes to see his mother. It's very sad, funny, and just plain touching.
Carlitos is a young boy in Mexico who lives with his grandmother. His mother works across the border in California as a nanny, and they haven't seen each other in four years. So when Carlitos' grandmother dies, he goes alone on a journey to cross the border, and must hitchhike thousands of miles to be reunited with his mother.
This is the first time I cried in a movie for a very long time. Why? Because so many moments just ring true, and it's so realistic and original. See it as soon as you can. A
Carlitos is a young boy in Mexico who lives with his grandmother. His mother works across the border in California as a nanny, and they haven't seen each other in four years. So when Carlitos' grandmother dies, he goes alone on a journey to cross the border, and must hitchhike thousands of miles to be reunited with his mother.
This is the first time I cried in a movie for a very long time. Why? Because so many moments just ring true, and it's so realistic and original. See it as soon as you can. A
Iron Man
Iron Man is everything Spider-Man 3 wasnt: Action-packed, plot-driven (without a hundred little subplots), serious, organic characters, and really funny. How surprising, given that with Fantastic Four and Spider-Man have become childish little franchises with no plot or weight to anything.
Tony Stark is a billionare arms dealer who is reckless and cynical. He cares about business. So when he develops a deadly weapon in Afghanistan called the Jericho, he is kidnapped by terrorists who demand that he build them the Jericho or they kill him. Stark, in lieu of the missile, decides to build an armored suit that can shoot missiles, has a flamethrower, and best of all, can fly. He blasts his way out of the prison.
When he returns, he stops selling weapons immediately. This angers many in his company, including Obidiah Stone. Instead, he focuses on using his suit for good under the name Iron Man, but also uses it to fly for fun in a hilarious scene. But terrorists build the Jericho and are focused on firing it, and a duplicate of the suit is made and put in the wrong hands...
Iron Man is the most fun, most detailed, and possibly best movie so far this year. A great way to kick off the summer! A
Tony Stark is a billionare arms dealer who is reckless and cynical. He cares about business. So when he develops a deadly weapon in Afghanistan called the Jericho, he is kidnapped by terrorists who demand that he build them the Jericho or they kill him. Stark, in lieu of the missile, decides to build an armored suit that can shoot missiles, has a flamethrower, and best of all, can fly. He blasts his way out of the prison.
When he returns, he stops selling weapons immediately. This angers many in his company, including Obidiah Stone. Instead, he focuses on using his suit for good under the name Iron Man, but also uses it to fly for fun in a hilarious scene. But terrorists build the Jericho and are focused on firing it, and a duplicate of the suit is made and put in the wrong hands...
Iron Man is the most fun, most detailed, and possibly best movie so far this year. A great way to kick off the summer! A
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Leatherheads
Leatherheads is a screwball tribute to the old '20's comedies, and works great because George Clooney is perhaps the last actor alive with that charisma and timing. It is enjoyable because it is old-fashioned, and is also really funny at times.
Dodge Connolly is a football player in 1920, and he is very talented. But he's down-on-his-luck, and his football team is closed down for low attendance. Meanwhile, all-star football player/war hero Carter Rutherford has thousands of loyal fans, and so Dodge smooth-talks Carter into joining the team. The two begin to compete for the affections of reporter Lexie Littleton, who is researching a piece on Carter and finds a huge secret...
It comes alive with a great energy and vibe that is great, and George Clooney is great as a director. The only real problem is the pacing, as it simply drags on for too long. Well, its very energetic and ambitious, with good performances. Great props for that. B+
Dodge Connolly is a football player in 1920, and he is very talented. But he's down-on-his-luck, and his football team is closed down for low attendance. Meanwhile, all-star football player/war hero Carter Rutherford has thousands of loyal fans, and so Dodge smooth-talks Carter into joining the team. The two begin to compete for the affections of reporter Lexie Littleton, who is researching a piece on Carter and finds a huge secret...
It comes alive with a great energy and vibe that is great, and George Clooney is great as a director. The only real problem is the pacing, as it simply drags on for too long. Well, its very energetic and ambitious, with good performances. Great props for that. B+
Sunday, April 6, 2008
21
21 is a caper flick with routine, style, and young talented stars. It’s the Ocean’s 11 for the young generation. Jim Sturgess is a young British star on the rise with performances in Across the Universe and The Other Boleyn Girl, and he’s very talented. But this cements his appeal, he gives the best performance in the film, even against Kevin Spacey.
Ben Campbell is a brilliant young MIT student who aspires to get into Harvard Medical School, but he simply doesn’t have the money. But when his professor teaches him card counting and adds him to the MIT blackjack team – they go to Vegas every weekend and make millions. Ben begins a romance with fellow card-counter Jill, and becomes consumed by the money he makes. But when he is betrayed and beaten, he loses everything and must make a huge comeback.
Can he?
Jim Sturgess is one of the best new actors out there, and with the exceptional cast everywhere else and the witty script it is the most entertaining movie so far this year. But it doesn’t come without flaws. The characters are made of cardboard generally, and many stereotypes are used. And with the giant double-cross at the end, it just never convinces at times.
Overall, great popcorn-flick with a good cast and script, just unrealistic. B+
Ben Campbell is a brilliant young MIT student who aspires to get into Harvard Medical School, but he simply doesn’t have the money. But when his professor teaches him card counting and adds him to the MIT blackjack team – they go to Vegas every weekend and make millions. Ben begins a romance with fellow card-counter Jill, and becomes consumed by the money he makes. But when he is betrayed and beaten, he loses everything and must make a huge comeback.
Can he?
Jim Sturgess is one of the best new actors out there, and with the exceptional cast everywhere else and the witty script it is the most entertaining movie so far this year. But it doesn’t come without flaws. The characters are made of cardboard generally, and many stereotypes are used. And with the giant double-cross at the end, it just never convinces at times.
Overall, great popcorn-flick with a good cast and script, just unrealistic. B+
Drillbit Taylor
Owen Wilson is a homeless bodyguard in the teen comedy Drillbit Taylor. Three high-school losers are consistently and relentlessly picked on by local bullies, so they decide to hire a low-pay bodyguard. His name is Drillbit Taylor and he’s actually a homeless man posing as a marine, and there’s your plot. The thought of bullies is kind of outdated, and many moral choices made here are just really stupid. It’s really kind of a disappointment, and Owen Wilson doesn’t ever seem like he enjoys the material.
Some moments though, show what it could have been, such as the end fight scene and a face-off with a bully and his future prey that brought down the house…Unfortunately, the plot and pacing were just too amateur and inconsistent to really get into it… C
Some moments though, show what it could have been, such as the end fight scene and a face-off with a bully and his future prey that brought down the house…Unfortunately, the plot and pacing were just too amateur and inconsistent to really get into it… C
Jumper
Hayden Christensen has the ability to teleport on a whim in the sci-fi thriller Jumper. The concept is interesting, and it is used quite well. Unfortunately, not much else is coherent or interesting, and it all feels like it’s the first chapter of a book…
David Rice has an ability to teleport anywhere in the world, where ever he wants, whenever he wants. He is called a Jumper because of this, and hides this ability from everyone. At age 21, he lives a life of luxury, but soon he is tracked down and ambushed by a group determined to extinguish all Jumpers…David realizes he is not the only Jumper, and must fight to save himself – and his high-school-crush.
Many scenes in this global-spanning film were actually filmed in my home-town, Ann Arbor, so it felt rather nostalgic, seeing many familiar places on film. And in all actuality, the best part is the explosions and special effects. Not the acting, although Samuel L. Jackson breathes life into a cardboard character. But, all in all, its cheap, action-packed entertainment.
Good for a rental, but don’t see it. C-
David Rice has an ability to teleport anywhere in the world, where ever he wants, whenever he wants. He is called a Jumper because of this, and hides this ability from everyone. At age 21, he lives a life of luxury, but soon he is tracked down and ambushed by a group determined to extinguish all Jumpers…David realizes he is not the only Jumper, and must fight to save himself – and his high-school-crush.
Many scenes in this global-spanning film were actually filmed in my home-town, Ann Arbor, so it felt rather nostalgic, seeing many familiar places on film. And in all actuality, the best part is the explosions and special effects. Not the acting, although Samuel L. Jackson breathes life into a cardboard character. But, all in all, its cheap, action-packed entertainment.
Good for a rental, but don’t see it. C-
Friday, February 22, 2008
Step Up 2: The Streets
One character in this film sums up this series: "This ain't no High School Musical!" Yes, for the teens who have outgrown High School Musical, this series is perfect. It's much more edgy, the soundtrack is very hip-hop oriented, and the dance moves are excellent. But there's a problem, and this is also the failing of High School Musical. It's way too predictable.
Andie is a talented street dancer, part of a dance crew known for local vandalism. But when Andie takes it too far, she is sent to the Maryland School of the Arts. There she participates in a dance club, and there's some great dancers. Andie decides to form her own crew, but after a lackluster performance, can she overcome these odds?
I know, it sounds corny just typing that. But believe me when I say that these dance moves are simply mind-blowing, and I've used one or two at school dances recently. But the plot is paper-thin, the acting mediocre, and every twist anticipated. C
Andie is a talented street dancer, part of a dance crew known for local vandalism. But when Andie takes it too far, she is sent to the Maryland School of the Arts. There she participates in a dance club, and there's some great dancers. Andie decides to form her own crew, but after a lackluster performance, can she overcome these odds?
I know, it sounds corny just typing that. But believe me when I say that these dance moves are simply mind-blowing, and I've used one or two at school dances recently. But the plot is paper-thin, the acting mediocre, and every twist anticipated. C
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Cloverfield
I'll sum this up: Cloverfield is the defining monster movie of our generation. No "It's alive!". No "It came from Mars!". Just presented as a home video from someone's video camera, it details an attack on New York City, but from a fresh, new storytelling technique. And an unhappy ending. No walk into the sunset, just a realistic end.
The plot...Uh, well, there's this ticked-off monster, who comes out of the ocean, and a group must survive amid ALOT of destruction in NYC. Like the Statue of Liberty's severed head tossed at the streets, and almost to cement the public zeitgeist, people immediately start taking pictures with their cell-phones. It's one of many allusions to 9/11, subtle yet uncompromising.
It's a truly different experience, and with very jerky camerawork. But that's what makes Cloverfield tick. Because of it's realism, it's authenticity. This feels like a credible home video, amid some very cool special effects. And thus I close with what I opened. This is the defining monster movie of our generation. A
The plot...Uh, well, there's this ticked-off monster, who comes out of the ocean, and a group must survive amid ALOT of destruction in NYC. Like the Statue of Liberty's severed head tossed at the streets, and almost to cement the public zeitgeist, people immediately start taking pictures with their cell-phones. It's one of many allusions to 9/11, subtle yet uncompromising.
It's a truly different experience, and with very jerky camerawork. But that's what makes Cloverfield tick. Because of it's realism, it's authenticity. This feels like a credible home video, amid some very cool special effects. And thus I close with what I opened. This is the defining monster movie of our generation. A
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour 3-D
Hannah Montana is a phenomenon. From the tween girls who love her music, the parents who love her wholesomeness, and we guys who enjoy the TV show's witty humor, it seems to spread. And this concert film demonstrates in several ways just what makes her so popular. First, she's a great performer. Second, her music is good, from my limited perspective. And third, she sure knows how to put on a show.
The film follows her sold-out concert show, from the kinetic on-screen performance to the drama off-stage (like a funny tidbit on changing back-stage.) A lot of people hit out at her, because she's Disney Channel, and every teenage girl from Alaska to Tijuana wants to be her...But take your daughter and don't feel guilty. Oh, and did I mention it's in 3-D? B
The film follows her sold-out concert show, from the kinetic on-screen performance to the drama off-stage (like a funny tidbit on changing back-stage.) A lot of people hit out at her, because she's Disney Channel, and every teenage girl from Alaska to Tijuana wants to be her...But take your daughter and don't feel guilty. Oh, and did I mention it's in 3-D? B
Friday, January 25, 2008
Atonement
Atonement opens with the clickety-clack of a old 1930’s typewriter, that if you pay really close attention, serves as a huge symbolism later in the story. This is a beautiful, 60-year spanning romantic epic with a twist ending that rivals even The Usual Suspects and The Sixth Sense, and amazing performances from James McAvoy and Keira Knightley, as two doomed lovers, and three excellent performances of the same character by Saoirse Ronan, Romola Garai and Vanessa Redgrave.
Cecelia Tallis is a 22-year old upper-class British woman on the hottest day of 1935, and her 13-year old sister Briony an aspiring writer. Their housekeeper’s son, Robbie Turner, is a childhood friend of Cecelia, is secretly in love with Cecelia, and Cecelia is in love with Robbie. So Robbie accidentally sends a provocative letter to Cecelia, but is read by Briony, and Briony momentarily misinterprets this letter and accuses Robbie of a crime he didn’t commit. Robbie is then sent to prison, and Cecelia is heartbroken.
Flash five years ahead. Robbie is now in the army, Cecelia a nurse, and Briony guilt-ridden over her lie. Robbie and Cecelia have met only once, and neither have talked to Briony, who is also a nurse. But she begins to fully grasp what she did, but is it too late?
This film is really beautiful, and well-done artistically, and many, many great performances. And the final 10 minutes are, well, to sum it up, insane. In a good way. But be prepared to check what you saw, for there’s a lot of twists and turns along the way. But for those who enjoy a beautiful, well-done, intricate film? Look no further. A
Cecelia Tallis is a 22-year old upper-class British woman on the hottest day of 1935, and her 13-year old sister Briony an aspiring writer. Their housekeeper’s son, Robbie Turner, is a childhood friend of Cecelia, is secretly in love with Cecelia, and Cecelia is in love with Robbie. So Robbie accidentally sends a provocative letter to Cecelia, but is read by Briony, and Briony momentarily misinterprets this letter and accuses Robbie of a crime he didn’t commit. Robbie is then sent to prison, and Cecelia is heartbroken.
Flash five years ahead. Robbie is now in the army, Cecelia a nurse, and Briony guilt-ridden over her lie. Robbie and Cecelia have met only once, and neither have talked to Briony, who is also a nurse. But she begins to fully grasp what she did, but is it too late?
This film is really beautiful, and well-done artistically, and many, many great performances. And the final 10 minutes are, well, to sum it up, insane. In a good way. But be prepared to check what you saw, for there’s a lot of twists and turns along the way. But for those who enjoy a beautiful, well-done, intricate film? Look no further. A
Thursday, January 24, 2008
No Country for Old Men
This intense, tight thriller is possibly the greatest film of 2007. Period. Why? Well…The performances, especially that of Javier Bardem as a cold-blooded sociopath. The script, which doesn’t rely on violence and blood, a rarity in thrillers. The editing. The editing is what makes the film click, what makes it run. It literally kept the audience on the edge of their seat. And the ending. The ending is cryptic, poetic, and truly feels natural. But remember to pay attention.
Llewyn Moss is a poor Vietnam veteran hunter in 1980. He’s hunting in the desert and stumbles upon $2 million in drug money and several dead bodies. He takes the money, but a badly wounded gangster sees him. This incurs the wrath of both the Mexican mob, and Anton Chigurh, a hitman whose eyes you stare into and you see coldness, death, and madness reminiscent of the Terminator. But a local sheriff, played well by Tommy Lee Jones, tries to protect Moss...but there’s much more at large, and at stake, than originally thought.
After seeing the ending, a lot of people, including myself, thought “That was it?” But when you see it, think about it hard, and it will come to you. Its little subtleties like that which add so much more to the film. Javier Bardem is nothing short of Oscar-worthy as psychopath Anton Chigurh, and Josh Brolin gives a wounded performance as Llewyn Moss, a hunter on the run from Chigurh. Just see the scene where he asks a man on the street for a coat.
It’s such a surprise to see a film so intense and thrilling, yet so well-made. Expect many Oscars for No Country. A
Llewyn Moss is a poor Vietnam veteran hunter in 1980. He’s hunting in the desert and stumbles upon $2 million in drug money and several dead bodies. He takes the money, but a badly wounded gangster sees him. This incurs the wrath of both the Mexican mob, and Anton Chigurh, a hitman whose eyes you stare into and you see coldness, death, and madness reminiscent of the Terminator. But a local sheriff, played well by Tommy Lee Jones, tries to protect Moss...but there’s much more at large, and at stake, than originally thought.
After seeing the ending, a lot of people, including myself, thought “That was it?” But when you see it, think about it hard, and it will come to you. Its little subtleties like that which add so much more to the film. Javier Bardem is nothing short of Oscar-worthy as psychopath Anton Chigurh, and Josh Brolin gives a wounded performance as Llewyn Moss, a hunter on the run from Chigurh. Just see the scene where he asks a man on the street for a coat.
It’s such a surprise to see a film so intense and thrilling, yet so well-made. Expect many Oscars for No Country. A
Saturday, January 12, 2008
The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep
The Water Horse, despite its terrible marketing and more than one idea taken from E.T., overcomes your expectations. Why? Because it depends on the story, not the slick editing or flashy special effects. In fact, I’d even go as far as to say it was a minor modern family classic.
I have never believed in the Loch Ness monster, but the special effects are so convincing and well-made that for a minute, I could almost believe. It takes a tough try to accomplish that. Alex Etel, as the young boy who befriends the water horse, mostly interacts with a CGI monster, and pulls it off.
Angus is a young boy living in war-time Scotland, in a large manor. His sister disconnected, his mother constantly diverted, his father at war, he is a very lonely boy. So when he finds an egg on the Loch Ness shore, what pops out of an egg than a small puppy-like “water-horse”, whom he names Crusoe. Crusoe and Angus strike up an odd friendship, but Crusoe is kept a secret except for his sister and the housekeeper. Crusoe begins growing very fast, and soon he is so big Angus must put him in the Loch Ness. Thus, the Loch Ness Monster is born. But the British Army is taking refuge in Angus’ home, and soon Crusoe gains notoriety nearby, and the Army takes note. Can Angus protect Crusoe from the army?
The movie’s way of explaining that dated, fake photograph of the Loch Ness Monster is actually a wooden boat, while Crusoe swims about 100 feet away in plain sight. It’s cleverness and just sweetness is very unexpected, and despite its initial sadness, it has some really funny gags.
Its purity and trueness won me over. A-
I have never believed in the Loch Ness monster, but the special effects are so convincing and well-made that for a minute, I could almost believe. It takes a tough try to accomplish that. Alex Etel, as the young boy who befriends the water horse, mostly interacts with a CGI monster, and pulls it off.
Angus is a young boy living in war-time Scotland, in a large manor. His sister disconnected, his mother constantly diverted, his father at war, he is a very lonely boy. So when he finds an egg on the Loch Ness shore, what pops out of an egg than a small puppy-like “water-horse”, whom he names Crusoe. Crusoe and Angus strike up an odd friendship, but Crusoe is kept a secret except for his sister and the housekeeper. Crusoe begins growing very fast, and soon he is so big Angus must put him in the Loch Ness. Thus, the Loch Ness Monster is born. But the British Army is taking refuge in Angus’ home, and soon Crusoe gains notoriety nearby, and the Army takes note. Can Angus protect Crusoe from the army?
The movie’s way of explaining that dated, fake photograph of the Loch Ness Monster is actually a wooden boat, while Crusoe swims about 100 feet away in plain sight. It’s cleverness and just sweetness is very unexpected, and despite its initial sadness, it has some really funny gags.
Its purity and trueness won me over. A-
Friday, January 4, 2008
PS I Love You
PS I Love You has a pattern so repetitive and clichéd that they could have just looped the first 20 minutes over and over, tacked on the ending, and voila, there wouldn’t be much difference. Hilary Swank receives letter from dead husband. Hilary Swank does crazy or funny thing. Hilary Swank laughs, but then realizes some cryptic clue reminds her of dead husband. She cries, has flashback, then goes to a bar or hangs out with girlfriends. Rinse, and repeat.
The director, Richard LaGravenese, has much talent, as evidenced in last year’s Freedom Writers, and even some scenes here. But even though he has an original and engaging premise, he simply doesn’t have anything original or engaging to make about it.
The first 20 minutes are funny, witty, and promise a good movie. They show hilarious chemistry between Hilary Swank and leading man Gerard Butler, a great round of dialogue, and then switch to the only scene in the movie that erects emotion. Sadness.
The movie is about a young, middle-class couple, played by Gerard Butler and Hilary Swank. They show a flurry of emotions in the first five minutes; one minute they’re arguing about having children, the next jumping into each other’s arms. But then Gerard suddenly dies, leaving Hilary Swank heartbroken. But somehow, days before his death, Gerard organized a series of letters and tapes to send to Hilary posthumously. So Hilary goes along with it, but her friends and family worry if she’s bordering on obsession…Is she?
Sound original and fresh for a romantic comedy? Well, yeah, but it’s a romantic drama. It has few laughs, with the exception of Harry Connick, Jr. as a fast-mouthed slacker. Hilary Swank, Gerard Butler, and Harry Connick, Jr. own this movie with their performances, but unfortunately, there’s not much to own.
PS: C-
The director, Richard LaGravenese, has much talent, as evidenced in last year’s Freedom Writers, and even some scenes here. But even though he has an original and engaging premise, he simply doesn’t have anything original or engaging to make about it.
The first 20 minutes are funny, witty, and promise a good movie. They show hilarious chemistry between Hilary Swank and leading man Gerard Butler, a great round of dialogue, and then switch to the only scene in the movie that erects emotion. Sadness.
The movie is about a young, middle-class couple, played by Gerard Butler and Hilary Swank. They show a flurry of emotions in the first five minutes; one minute they’re arguing about having children, the next jumping into each other’s arms. But then Gerard suddenly dies, leaving Hilary Swank heartbroken. But somehow, days before his death, Gerard organized a series of letters and tapes to send to Hilary posthumously. So Hilary goes along with it, but her friends and family worry if she’s bordering on obsession…Is she?
Sound original and fresh for a romantic comedy? Well, yeah, but it’s a romantic drama. It has few laughs, with the exception of Harry Connick, Jr. as a fast-mouthed slacker. Hilary Swank, Gerard Butler, and Harry Connick, Jr. own this movie with their performances, but unfortunately, there’s not much to own.
PS: C-
Juno
Juno is such a warm, sweet, funny, witty, smart, touching movie. I’d say less adjectives, but then it wouldn’t feel fully justified. And at this point, it practically has Best Actress and Screenplay in the bag. I repeat. IN THE BAG. Ellen Page is excellent as whip-smart, sweet teenager Juno MacGuff, and first-time writer Diablo Cody has now written the most witty, most funny, and perhaps the best screenplay of the year.
Juno MacGuff is a witty, funny, smart teenager. So naturally, that description keeps her low on the high school social radar. She and her loyal friend Paulie try an experiment and…Juno becomes pregnant. She gathers the courage to tell her parents, in a scene with the best exchange of dialogue spoken this year. She tries going to an abortion clinic in a trip that disgusts her, and so she decides to have the baby. Juno looks in the local newspaper and finds the ‘Desperately Seeking Children’ section, next to the exotic animal ads.
They find a couple that seems perfect, named Mark and Vanessa. Vanessa is obsessed with having a child, and Mark is a 40-ish wannabe rock star. But Juno’s wise-cracking exterior is subtly shown having deeper inner feelings than we expect, and as the months go by, it sort of reveals a new layer to her.
I could go on and on about the exchanges of dialogue, but I must move on to the acting. Ellen Page, as Juno, is so funny that some one-liners echoed throughout my head for hours on end after the movie. Michael Cera doesn’t have much to do, but nails the comedic aspects as Paulie, said teen who gets Juno pregnant. And in an unexpected delight, Jennifer Garner is excellent as Vanessa, someone whose obsession with having a child may or may not pay off.
When I saw this movie, there were more people in the theater than National Treasure 2 and Alvin and the Chipmunks combined. And very few movies actually deserve. Thank Ellen Page and Diablo Cody for one of the best movies of the year. A
Juno MacGuff is a witty, funny, smart teenager. So naturally, that description keeps her low on the high school social radar. She and her loyal friend Paulie try an experiment and…Juno becomes pregnant. She gathers the courage to tell her parents, in a scene with the best exchange of dialogue spoken this year. She tries going to an abortion clinic in a trip that disgusts her, and so she decides to have the baby. Juno looks in the local newspaper and finds the ‘Desperately Seeking Children’ section, next to the exotic animal ads.
They find a couple that seems perfect, named Mark and Vanessa. Vanessa is obsessed with having a child, and Mark is a 40-ish wannabe rock star. But Juno’s wise-cracking exterior is subtly shown having deeper inner feelings than we expect, and as the months go by, it sort of reveals a new layer to her.
I could go on and on about the exchanges of dialogue, but I must move on to the acting. Ellen Page, as Juno, is so funny that some one-liners echoed throughout my head for hours on end after the movie. Michael Cera doesn’t have much to do, but nails the comedic aspects as Paulie, said teen who gets Juno pregnant. And in an unexpected delight, Jennifer Garner is excellent as Vanessa, someone whose obsession with having a child may or may not pay off.
When I saw this movie, there were more people in the theater than National Treasure 2 and Alvin and the Chipmunks combined. And very few movies actually deserve. Thank Ellen Page and Diablo Cody for one of the best movies of the year. A
National Treasure: Book of Secrets
It’s almost an insult to America that there’s a series so unrealistic, physically and historically. At that, it kind of attempts to tell us some absolute garbage. So…Queen Elizabeth was a Confederate sympathizer? Wow…Uh…Area 51 actually exists? Wow…It’s almost amazing to think that we plopped down $400 million to see the first one…That in itself is hilarious.
Thomas Gates is a treasure fanatic, as evidenced heavily in the first one. After finding the fabled treasure in the first, the team has broken up. Tech geek Riley Poole has written a book that no one’s read, and Thomas has been kicked out of his girlfriend’s house. And to make matters worse, a wealthy family comes along and shows the world a missing page from the diary of John Wilkes Booth that alleges that Thomas’ great-great grandfather helped to plan the assassination of Lincoln.
So Thomas decides to, for some reason, find some ancient treasure that could help clear his name. But can he do it with the whole world watching him, several police on his trail, and other people looking for the treasure?
I guess with this series a lot of people are gonna walk around saying, “Hey, Queen Elizabeth paid the Confederates!”, and stuff like that. Well, in that regard, I guess that’s probably inevitable. And if there’s a big Book of Secrets that hides our nation’s secrets, I’m pretty sure there’s not just a 4-digit combination in a library guarding it.
But as always, Hollywood tries to make us forget the unrealism by showing us big, flashy explosions and car crashes. And on that level, National Treasure succeeds. But as a film, a movie on its own, it fails. This treasure is best kept buried. C
Thomas Gates is a treasure fanatic, as evidenced heavily in the first one. After finding the fabled treasure in the first, the team has broken up. Tech geek Riley Poole has written a book that no one’s read, and Thomas has been kicked out of his girlfriend’s house. And to make matters worse, a wealthy family comes along and shows the world a missing page from the diary of John Wilkes Booth that alleges that Thomas’ great-great grandfather helped to plan the assassination of Lincoln.
So Thomas decides to, for some reason, find some ancient treasure that could help clear his name. But can he do it with the whole world watching him, several police on his trail, and other people looking for the treasure?
I guess with this series a lot of people are gonna walk around saying, “Hey, Queen Elizabeth paid the Confederates!”, and stuff like that. Well, in that regard, I guess that’s probably inevitable. And if there’s a big Book of Secrets that hides our nation’s secrets, I’m pretty sure there’s not just a 4-digit combination in a library guarding it.
But as always, Hollywood tries to make us forget the unrealism by showing us big, flashy explosions and car crashes. And on that level, National Treasure succeeds. But as a film, a movie on its own, it fails. This treasure is best kept buried. C
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