Aging isn't so bad in "Red 2
The old gang is back in “Red 2”. Redo. The old crew is back together again in “Red 2”. Again. The old- well you get the point and the movie pushes it hard enough. The sophisticated, better acted version of the “The Expendables” has your favorite 40+ characters out of retirement once again to take care of trash and protect their own.
The film rushes to get started almost assuming that you just finished watching “Red” before you got to the theater. Bruce Willis reprises his role as Frank Moses, an ex-CIA operative, who is living on the run with his girlfriend Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker). When Marvin (John Malcovich) meets them on a dull trip to Costco, he tells Frank that some documents have surfaced on the internet that deal with a former nuclear black-op called “Night Shade”. In order to avoid government agents, Marvin fakes his death (which he has been known to do...and that’s not a spoiler) causing Frank to go out in the open to attend Marvin’s funeral.
Once Frank is officially pulled back in to the world of mayhem. The trio must race against the clock to clear their names and get to the weapon of mass destruction before government agents from different nations do. If that wasn’t hard enough, they have to do it while dodging the brutal assassin Han Cho Bai (Byung-hun Lee), MI6’s Victoria (Helen Mirren) and Moses’s “kryptonite”, Russia’s Katja (Catherine Zeta-Jones, who for the first time ever looks her age).
You don’t go in to a film like this expecting a master work. This franchise is all about goofy fun, and it’s obvious that the cast didn’t have to go to work while filming. It was a reunion, and the funnier you improved the better.
As I said before, the difference between this film and other “older actors making a movie” is that there are some decent performances even with the material. Malkovich steals the show with his character. He got most of the big laughs with the crowd I saw it with, and there were quite a few. Helen Mirren brings grace, confidence, and beauty to her performance in such a way that makes sixty look alluring. I can only pray I’ll have half of Byung-hun’s physique at 43. Anthony Hopkins proves why he is an Oscar-winner playing the seemingly crazy Dr. Bailey. The love triangle between Frank, Sarah and Katja makes for man-child, teen crush fun as the two women try to one up each other during their interactions.
I’m surprised this movie had a sequel, but when a film returns over three times what it costs to make it there’s no question of why it was made. So if you’re looking for some mindless entertainment in the theater this weekend “Red 2” is the way to go. Other wise, you can wait until it comes in a small pre-metered packaging or “box” of the same color as the title and get your laughs then for cheaper.
Rating: C
The Lone Ranger & Redface: Things Hollywood Should Leave in the Past!
“The Lone Ranger” is too long and systematic to be a reboot of a 1949 TV Series that's so dull. It was clear to me as I watched the film and surveyed the audience that it had to have been made for two people: those who were around when it was on tv and kids that may like it today as a new "superhero". The movie should have ended around an hour and forty minutes, but like some things in old hollywood...it just wouldn’t die.
Armie Hammer is John Reid (Lone Ranger), a highly educated lawyer who returns to his Colby, Texas home with aims of bringing justice to his small town. After the train he rides in on is ambushed by the outlaw Butch Cavendish’s (William Fitchner) gang, he teams up with his brother Dan (James Dale) to capture Butch. During the ambush John meets Tonto (Johnny Depp), a full-blooded Comanche Indian, who he locks up after Tonto saves him and the people on the runaway train. On a high for seeking and exacting justice, John joins his brother in a doomed attempt to capture the evil Cavendish due to a double cross. After being killed with the group of rangers, John is revived by a spirit horse (Silver) and help from Tonto. The two team up to get revenge/justice in the deaths of the rangers.
Even in my description it seems like the plot has started, ended, and started again. It does. Instead of just telling the story, we have to witness spectacle after spectacle that slowly inches the film forward. The film is told through the eyes of a 1933 Tonto to a young boy at a fair in San Francisco. Why? Who knows, but it’s totally unnecessary. The film could have started with the death of the rangers and moved forward but I think director Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean 1,2,3) wanted to make sure he used as much of Depp’s eccentricities as possible to keep things interesting. In fact the film feels like a poor carbon copy of a Pirates film with its bombastic score, punchy jokes and Depp at the helm.
There’s nothing about the characters that draws you into them. Even Depp’s incredible powers of making a character his own becomes a caricature rather than a character with depth. Hammer is dry as usual. Tom Wilkinson (a great talent) is almost unrecognizable as Cole, Butch’s more intelligent and as deadly brother, but rather subdued to performing as the typical villain. The entire film is a cookie cut version of something you’ve seen before, but want to forget about as soon as you leave the theater.
Let’s get to the reason I dreaded seeing this film before I even went in the theater. Johnny Depp plays a Comanche Indian while clearly being barely Native American himself. In an interview Depp expressed that "I guess I have some Native American (in me) somewhere down the line. My great grandmother was quite a bit of Native American, she grew up Cherokee or maybe Creek Indian. Makes sense in terms of coming from Kentucky, which is rife with Cherokee and Creek." You guess, Johnny? It’s just amazing to me that while there are scenes with large groups of Native Americans in the movie, not one of them were worthy enough to portray Tonto. Not even Chaske Spencer or one of the other young men from the “Twilight” films Mr. Bruckheimer? The fact that Depp wears war paint the entire film doesn’t make him authentic or hide the fact that he's not. The choppy English only continues the stereotype. It’s sad that in 2013 these images (or lack there of) are still being portrayed.
So once again Hollywood cranks out a big budget summer blockbuster that’s too long, has a story line with twists you can see coming from a distance, but rests its success on the shoulders of a talented titan rather than stepping out of the norm and going for authenticity. A heartfelt story, with genuine characters would have been nice. On one hand, the film is set in a time when calling a Native American a savage was the norm. I get that. It has a scene in which the Comanche leaders meet with Reid in their tent and he is clearly the dumbest person in the “room”. Yet, it does nothing to make up for the fact that Hollywood still doesn’t cast authentically in a role where it clearly should.
As a whole, “The Lone Ranger” is a movie that you check your watch multiple time throughout to see if it’s almost done. The movie is unoriginal and forgettable. The “best parts” were in the trailer. Wait until the film comes out on DVD, Red Box, and Netflix. Unless you are one of the people I witnessed smiling with joy as they saw an old friend come back to life on the silver screen, or a kid who has to go to the film his/her parent takes them to. Hollywood, please, some things are best left in the past...especially Redface!
Rating: D
Down with "White House Down"
I would have loved to entitle this review “What “White House Down” should have learned from “Die Hard””. It’s rare that I want to walk out of the theater. Even when it’s a film that I know is going to be outlandish and implausible. The problem with “White House Down” is that it didn’t steal key components of the films it tried to be like (“Die Hard”, “The Rock”)...it forgot to make us care about the characters and deliver good performances. Instead we have dialed in performances for a silly screenplay. The only reason I stayed in my seat was because...I paid for my ticket isn’t a great excuse but let’s go with that.
I imagine Jamie Foxx signed on as President Sawyer because...well that’s one role he hasn’t played yet. Jimmi Simpson collected a check in the character part he’s used to playing in his television roles. Outside of Foxx and Simpson, I can’t understand the casting. The film stars Channing Tatum as John Cale, a capitol police officer that wants to be in the secret service to impress his precocious daughter Emily (Joey King). After taking his daughter on a White House tour, Cale becomes the man in the wrong place at the right time as mercenaries take over the White House.
Honestly this movie feels like they gave it to a film enthusiast who loves Michael Bay, used daddy’s bank roll, and twenty yes men to make a film. The visual effects were poor, and permeated the film like the screenplay's weak structure. From the beginning things are foreshadowed through little Emily and the tour guide’s recitation of facts. Walker (James Woods), the main villain’s (I think) picture of his son in close up after he takes off his American flag pendant is a great way to broadcast his intentions in the first few minutes of the film. The squeaky wheel of a fake janitor’s cart with an ominous tone is an even better way to forecast something bad is about to happen. Things like Cale’s background are told in a super long impromptu secret service interview led by Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Agent Finnerty. Is she an old flame, or a friend? Who knows. Let’s elude to it though. All of these cheesy gimmicks have been done in movies before, but in a more succinct way.
Let’s not dog the entire film. There were a few comical moments between Foxx and Tatum. The teen girls in the theater screamed when Tatum was first on screen and stripped down to his undershirt and a bullet proof vest. The most heartfelt moment was when little Emily looked into the president’s eyes and said she understood why he would have to let her get shot for the sake of millions. Wait, what? Yes. President Sawyer was willing to let a little girl get shot...and I guess I ran out of kind things to say.
Wait for this movie to come out on DVD for $1 at your local Red Box. Unless you like the walking acting class reject, Channing Tatum...or an occasional laugh from Jamie Foxx as he winks at the camera with his over the top portrayal as the president. The movie isn’t titled down for nothing!
Rating: D
The Living Will Rise to see "World War Z"
Would you pull your teeth out in the event of a zombie invasion? "World War Z" doesn’t pose the question, although the idea is hinted at. The evolution of zombie films has taken off since “White Zombie” in 1932 until now. From slow zombies with no direction other than what their voodoo master tells them to fast zombies bent on spreading infection, the genre is wide open. “World War Z” plays out like “Contagion”, or “Outbreak” but with zombies. Flaws aside, it’s a suspenseful, well paced film that entertains.
The film starts out with a routine introduction to the Lane family. Gerry (Brad Pitt) and Karin (Mireille Enos) are awakened by their daughters followed by a “loving” breakfast together where Gerry shows his pancake making skills. The great thing about the film is that the action picks up fairly quickly after we witness the poor chemistry of the Lane family. The pandemic breaks out in a non-routine way as the family is in the car in the middle of a busy Philadelphia street. It takes you by surprise as the mayhem ensues. From there, the Lanes have to stay on the move to avoid the zombies.
We quickly find out that Gerry is a retired United Nations investigator who was so important that UN Chief Thierry Umutoni (Fana Mokoena) is willing to evacuate him and his family by helicopter from the apartment complex they stow away in for the night. Once Gerry is back in UN custody, the mystery of what is happening with the pandemic on a global scale kicks into warp speed. (Again, the movie revolves around Gerry while Karin and the kids are just a plot piece for his character.) Gerry is sent to South Korea with a brilliant young scientist who seems to be mankind’s hope for surviving. Again, the film throws you for a loop as *spoiler alert* “hope” is lost in the form of a freak accident, putting everything on the shoulders of Gerry.
From there the film consists of Gerry hopping around the globe trying to solve the mystery of what happened while simultaneously trying to find a cure. Some of the encounters are implausible but the pacing of the film succeeds in keeping you on the edge of your seats or yelling “run, run run!” when things get sticky. Overall, Brad Pitt is like-able enough to carry the film across the goal line.
From the opening credits, images of swarming insects, bugs and animals fill the screen. One of the great images in the film is the swarming zombies that run in packs and the living running for their lives in the same way. Cinematographer Ben Seresin did a great job in painting the palette for the creatures to roam in the frame, as well as the scary moments in dark hallways with flickering lights.
My only gripe is that “World War Z” asks for you to suspend your disbelief in a few areas. If you can get past the fact that the Gerry is the definition of Law 10, Infection, from 48 Laws of Power then the film becomes very suspenseful. It seems that every where that Gerry goes in trying to solve the mystery and look for a cure, the zombies take over a once sterile environment or kill most of the people he is with. So Gerry is almost an infection himself. Understandably, if the zombies didn’t swarm, then there wouldn’t be much of a movie. Also, this is another film where our hero makes all the right decisions. I highly doubt anyone in that situation would make the right decision every time. That’s a problem with the writing, but we’ll roll with it.
Where the film lacks in character development, it succeeds in action and “I didn’t notice I’m holding my breath” suspenseful pacing. Although at times I wondered if seeing it at home in a dark room would have made it even scarier, the film is worth your hard earned cash.
Rating: C+
Flaws aside, "Man of Steel" is a Great Reboot
How do you come up with a witty intro to the reboot of a legendary character? It’s too much for my mind! “Man of Steel” is the reason we go to the movies. It’s the movie I can’t wait to review. Zack Snyder has brought respect back to the Superman franchise. Hans Zimmer has proven that he is the go to guy for an awesome, cinematic score. I’ll be to first to admit that this film has flaws, it’s a bit long for one, but it is totally worth going out to the theaters for this weekend!
I’ve said it plenty of times, the fact that Superman is not human makes him a poor cinematic character. He’s just not relatable. So the key to making the story great is to make him relatable in some way. That’s what David S. Goyer (with a little help from Christopher Nolan) did in writing the script. They boiled it down into a simple “human” story.
The first fifteen minutes of the film is an epic short all by itself. The origin of what led up to Kal-El/Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) being sent to planet Earth is known to most but shown in a refreshing way. Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and his wife Lara (Ayelet Zurer) have just given birth to their son when the story picks up. As Krypton is doomed for destruction, a father and mother must make the ultimate sacrifice to see to it that their son is kept safe. At the same time General Zod (Michael Shannon) is sent to the Phantom Zone after a failed military coup. With the Kal-El, General Zod and his coup cronies off of Krypton it makes sense that thirty years later the two are destined to meet again.
Don’t be fooled, “Man of Steel” is the tale of a lost soul and the influence of two parental structures on him as he reaches a fork in the road of life. With Jor-El and Lara we see strength in love. With Jonathan (Kevin Costner) and Martha Kent (Diane Lane), the humans who find and raise Kal-El as Clark, we see the gentler side of love in parenting. Both sides protect and love young Clark.
As you can imagine in going from a young baby to an adult man in the first 15 minutes of the film, we spend a significant amount of time in the first act seeing Clark roam the land, trying to stay off the grid while learning backstory through flashbacks. This storytelling structure is oddly reminiscent of Goyer’s work on “Batman Begins”. It was new and refreshing then but not as much here. In many ways it’s a bit heavy handed, over done and would be useful for someone who is learning about Superman for the first time after living their life in a remote rain forest. We get it, move forward.
Things really pick up once Clark finds his “Fortress of Solitude” in the form of a ship that crashed years ago on Earth. At the same time Lois Lane (Amy Adams) is introduced to us as an ambitious reporter who finds out about Clark’s abilities. Adams does a fair job as the new and improved Lois although her ambition and pushiness can be a bit annoying at times.
Just as clark has found his origin, and like any adopted child, feels excited to have some answers...an old enemy, General Zod, rears his head. Having searched for Clark for over thirty years to restart Krypton, Zod threatens Earth’s inhabitants to give up Clark. From there the story is about Clark’s rise to the occasion of choosing between his Kryptonian origins and being the protector of Earth and it’s people.
Hans Zimmer has long been one of my favorite composers. He knocks the score out of the park again with this film. Snyder is wise in letting the score be another leading character throughout the film. Like the work he did for Heath Ledger’s Joker, you know when General Zod or Superman is on the screen. Enough can’t be said about Zimmer’s work in this film and his overall body of work.
Snyder’s direction in the film is phenomenal. Grounding the film in real, rural locations helped to make the film feel more authentic. Although, many companies (Walmart, Sears, Nokia, etc) paid for product placement in the film...seeing those familiar places does work on the subconscious. Snyder uses a handheld camera when things are unsteady and erratic in the story. The camera seems to search for Superman as he hits mach speeds in flight. The tones and colors of the film change between the different times and points of the story. All of these factors work together to take the story of the unhurt-able super hero and make his story more realistic.
Snyder, Goyer, and Zimmer are the reason this film will do so well. The truth is that the character development is not as great as Nolan’s Batman, because see point one, he’s not human. Yet these keys to cinematic greatness make it easy for the solid cast to come in and do great work.
“Man of Steel” is just what the doctor ordered in revitalizing the franchise. At times, I thought to myself, this origin story is dragging but I can’t wait to see where things go in future films. It has it’s flaws, but it is extremely entertaining. The action sequences are incredible and show just how far we have come from Christopher Reeves’ Superman to Cavill’s cinematically. The foundation has been laid. At the table of great super hero films, Superman is back!
Rating: B
"The Purge": Great Premise, Average Execution
Ethan Hawke is no stranger to the “survive the night” genre of films. In fact, he’s been in better. Writer/director James DeMonaco is no stranger to the genre either, and has written better films (“The Negotiator”, “Assault on Precinct 13”). So shouldn’t that equal a great film? “The Purge” is a home-invasion thriller that should have been scarier and more thought provoking. Instead, it’s just average.
Set in 2022, the film’s premise is that Americans have been granted 12 hours every year to do whatever they want with impunity. Apparently, it means that the rest of the 364 days in the year we live peaceful lives, not caring that our neighbor may have murdered someone or worse. So for those 12 dangerous hours, we need someone like James Sandin (Ethan Hawke) to sell us an incredible security system. His family has chosen not to participate in The Purge but instead lock themselves inside their fortified home and wait until morning.
From the opening frames you’re waiting on The Purge to just start already. You don’t care about the neighbor who gripes to Mary Sandin (Lena Heady) about James selling so many security systems, or about Zoey Sandin’s (Adelaide Kane) teenage boyfriend troubles, even though you know it’s bound to come back in the film later. When the clock strikes seven and that horrific alarm sounds, things start to heat up.
Two things go foul to destabilize the night for the Sandins. First, Zoey’s boyfriend sneaks into the house before curfew (when the alarm was set). Second, Charlie (Max Burkholder), the Sandins all too sensitive son, disarms the security system and lets in a stranger (Edwin Hodge). The stranger is being hunted by a bloodthirsty group of “civilized” purgers who track him to the Sandins’ front door. With danger from inside and outside of the home, the Sandins have to band together to keep each other safe.
The most believable characters are James and Mary. A father who wants to protect his family, and a mother who doesn’t want to succumb to moral depravity is probably where the average viewer can relate. As we watch members of the Sandin household deal with these questions we have to suspend our disbelief in their decision making.
The film inspects our own morality in presenting various characters with differing stances. Would you participate in The Purge and kill the boss that’s been riding you all year? Would you help a stranger in need even when it may cost your own life? How far would you go to protect your family? These are all great questions that could have been answered cinematically with great character development and action, but instead settled for typical Hollywood cliches. It's like every time there is a moment to make the film scarier, or intense, DeMonaco backs down from the challenge.
In all, “The Purge” is 85 minutes of forgettable entertainment in a dark theater. I found myself holding my breath at times, but never on edge, gripping the seat tighter, turning my eyes away from the screen in such a way that I won’t look like a scaredy cat, etc. It’s no “Funny Games”, “The Strangers”, or “Straw Dogs”. It’s just a great premise with an average execution.
Rating: C
Parents Will Appreciate "After Earth"
To really appreciate “After Earth” you have to be a parent. As a parent, you have to know why Will Smith came up with the story for the film. It is then that you can see the metaphor and really enjoy it. All of those qualifiers makes it a special film to parents, but what about anyone else? “After Earth” is a film that you could wait to see on video, but it won’t be a waste of your rental fee.
Will Smith recently explained how he came up with the story in an interview with Vulture. The film, in short, is a metaphor for him watching Jaden grow up and choosing to be in the business of Hollywood. A choice that Will said he would never have made for his son, but supports him in doing it. For me, as a young father, I totally get the film. I love my little 9 month old, and even watching her fall-crawl-fall from the sidelines is tough at times. With that set up, you can totally understand how the movie will play out and what is going on.
Cypher Kaige (Will Smith) is a superstar soldier who with his estranged ranger-in-training son, Kitai (Jaden Smith), become stranded on Earth when their crippled spaceship crash lands. With the ship split in two, Cypher’s legs broken, and only the two Kaiges surviving in their half of the ship, Kitai must make the perilous journey to the tail in hopes of setting off a homing beacon.
Along his journey, Kitai must fend off some of Earth’s animals that have evolved to kill humans. The Earth’s temperature fluctuates to freezing temperatures at night. So each day he’s tasked with making it to a warm spot for the night. Not only is he up against Mother Nature, but he also has to be leery of the Ursa (a fear smelling, human killing alien) that was being transported in their ship. BOOM! Your three act structure, and character arch is all there for the taking. Our heroes are traveling, an unexpected crash happens, the hero must choose to go into the unknown world or die, faces danger, his/her own fear, and hopefully survives at the end. The problem is, we never quite get the emotional attachment to the characters that we need to fully enjoy and become a part of this journey.
With Cypher unable to move, the weight of the film is on Kitai. He’s the one that we watch doing most of the action. While Jaden Smith is believable, and has a bright future in Hollywood, he couldn’t quite carry the load. The accents that the Kaiges have are horrible. I couldn’t figure out if it was British or Southern or both. That pulls you out of the film right away. Then, the usually charismatic and suave Will is bland and stiff as Cypher. I get it, he’s mastered not feeling and that’s where his arch will take place, but it just doesn’t feel right.
Watching the trailer, I thought this film was going to be awesome. Then I found out it was directed by M. Night Shyamalan...a secret hidden away in Sony Pictures advertising. It must be tough on him to always be the director/writer of one of the greatest cinema twists in film history, and have the weight of one of his first films being his best film to date. This film doesn’t put him back up with “The Sixth Sense” but it definitely is no “The Happening”.
Overall, the film is entertaining, but not worth seeing in theaters. I do think that the Will and Jaden film collaborations are good as long as they keep being spaced out by 7 years at a time. Hopefully next time it will be in the hands of better screenwriters and a better director. Ooooh! Yeah I said it. :)
Rating: C-
Fast & Furious 6
I’ll be the first to admit that the “Fast & Furious” franchise is no cinematic masterpiece. However, it’s a franchise that I’ve been sweet on since high school. Dom (Vin Diesel), Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), Mia (Jordana Brewster), Brian (Paul Walker) and the rest of the family drove in to my life when I was just starting to drive myself. Although the franchise hasn’t always been spectacular, I don’t give up on “family”. With “Fast & Furious 6” it seems the franchise has remembered what originally made it good, keeping the momentum going from "Fast Five", and that’s good enough for this fan.
The key to understanding this franchise is understanding that each film not only builds on the previous, but in some cases pulls from obscure story lines from prior films. “Fast Five” brought Hobbs (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson”) into the franchise as a formidable agent. This time Hobbs calls on the crew to come out of retirement to take down a rogue Special Ops Agent named Shaw (Luke Evans) who apparently has been the master puppeteer pulling strings since “Fast Four”. Everyone has retired and gone their separate ways to lead a life either on the run or in a country with no extradition. The only thing that could bring them out is the promise of a clean record, and the discovery of Letty (who “died” in the fourth installment) being apart of Shaw’s crew.
The franchise has been built on family, honor, and loyalty since the first film. So it’s no surprise that everyone responds to the call and joins Hobbs in order to capture Shaw and free Letty. I don’t need to tell you how the rest of the story goes. Although when I was taking notes during the film I wrote “I could have written this”, and two minutes later a twist came that I didn’t see coming. So, I think this is a franchise that knows what it is, but Universal had the right idea in injecting heart (heist film reminiscent) into it rather than making it a strictly “car” movie with “Fast Five”.
You don’t watch “Fast & Furious” movies for oscar worthy performances (although each cast member is really getting better in their roles). You watch it for the adrenaline rush, heart stopping, guilty pleasure, this would never happen in real life action sequences that it is. “Fast Five” took the action to all new heights when the crew dragged a vault by the tail of their cars through Brazilian streets. Yet in this film they out did themselves. Whether jumping from or into cars to save each other, or the climactic “20 mile” airplane runway sequence...the action is there. It’s the talk to the screen and say “No Way!” (as the audience I saw it with did) in a good way- type of action that “Fast & Furious” is good for, and they delivered on.
Again, I’ve enjoyed this franchise since it’s inception. I admit, I haven’t been to the theater to see it since the more disappointing second one. The fifth brought it out of “wait til Netflix” territory, and the 6th has made me a “see it in theaters” fan again. This is definitely a good popcorn eating, summer blockbuster, joyride that’s worth seeing on the big screen! Be sure to stay after the credits to find out the obvious storyline of “Fast 7”.
Rating: B
Star Trek Into Darkness
This is not your father’s Star Trek. That’s how the 2009 reboot was marketed, and it could have been the same for “Star Trek Into Darkness”. J.J. Abrams has hit gold again. I’m no trekkie, and I barely saw all the films before 2009. I barely watched the TV show growing up because it was boring to me. This well paced, balance of action and heart is not my father’s Star Trek! It’s mine.
If you’re a Trekkie looking for answers and geeked out conclusions, I can’t give them to you. Maybe if I interviewed the guy I sat next to, who clapped and figured out who Commander John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) was way before the film made it clear, I’d have the history and knowledge of the franchise. So all I can do is talk about the stand alone film.
From the beginning we have Abrams homage to “Raiders of the Lost Ark” with Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) running through the planet Nibiru. Kirk runs through a forest with arrows being shot at him just like Indy. This stealth mission to save the indigenous people puts Spock (Zachary Quinto) in the middle of a volatile volcano that the Enterprise crew wants to make inactive. While this may be a great opening sequence for any film, it sets up the moral conundrums for the rest of the film. Kirk makes a risky decision to save Spock from dying in the volcano, one that Bones (Karl Urban) admits Spock would not make for Kirk if the choice was his. This is the set up for both Spock and Kirk’s character arch for the rest of the film.
After once again making a risky decision on Nibiru, Kirk is demoted to serve as first officer on the Enterprise. This is short lived though, as the mysterious Commander Harrison defects from the Star Fleet to go on a one man terrorism spree killing many of the Star Fleet leadership. From there the Star Fleet reinstates Kirk as Captain and the Enterprise team goes on a mission to obliterate Harrison.
On the villain side of the film, the movie excels and misses an opportunity at the same time. Eric Bana’s Romulan miner Nero served as a nice foil for Kirk and the Enterprise crew in the previous film, but his character never managed to rise above the plot lines. The opposite is true for Cumberbatch’s role as Harrison, who commands your attention every moment he’s on the screen. In fact, the “Sherlock” actor is such a powerful presence in the film that it feels like a little steam is let out of the movie when his character’s true identity – a classic character from the original television series – is finally revealed.
Once the Enterprise crew captures Harrison (a sign of maturity by Kirk) in Klingon territory, the real drama begins. From then on, there are the usual questions of who’s telling the truth? Who’s the real villain? Etc. Even though these are common movie themes, it’s still fun to watch.
You have to give credit to the writers first (Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof). Without a great script, you don’t have a great movie. The next step is J.J. Abrams. I sat in the film wondering, "is he the Spielberg of this generation"? He’s obviously a student of Lucas and Spielberg. He has a wonderful pacing and blend of comedy, action, and heart in this film. His body of work is really starting to heat up. You heard it here first!
Overall, “Star Trek Into Darkness” is not only what a summer blockbuster should be, but what a good film looks like. The rebooted franchise is really hitting its stride. Which makes me wonder what will happen when Abrams takes over the Star Wars franchise? The camaraderie between the crew is so real, funny, and the love for one another is there. This film was so good that it makes me want to watch the original films to see why they were so successful! That is the sign of a great story, and great direction.
Rating: B+
The Great Gatsby
I didn’t read the book. (Although we all know films can’t quite compete with your imagination.) I saw the 1974 movie and couldn’t stand it. I saw this movie and realized that even with Baz Luhrmann’s stylistic visuals, and Jay-Z’s monopoly of the soundtrack, “The Great Gatsby” is really average.
The film is about...wait you didn’t read the book, the cliffnotes, or see any of the two prior films before this one? (There is a third film but it was made in 1926 and there are no existing prints.) Alright, there’s an illusive man named Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio) who has built himself up from nothing to “something”. He really loves a married woman named Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan). He buys a house across the lake from Daisy and her husband Tom (Joel Edgerton) in a grand plan to rekindle his lost love. Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) is the narrator and liaison between his cousin Daisy and new neighbor, Jay Gatsby.
With all the myths, rumors, and legends surrounding Gatsby, Nick can’t help but to want to get close to Gatsby. Gatsby throws wonderful, grandiose parties full of women, music, and booze. So when Nick receives a personal invitation from the legend, he feels special and is enamored himself. Gatsby eventually asks Nick to host a tea with his cousin Daisy so that they can meet. From there the film is a love triangle with familiar twists and turns from your favorite soap.
DiCaprio is the bright spot of the film. He plays the enigmatic Gatsby with charm. He’s able to flip back and forth between confidence and the lack thereof, and madly in love to plain mad with ease. Joel Edgerton does a great job as the pompous cheating husband. The climatic showdown between him and DiCaprio is unsettling and a dramatic joy to watch. I had a conversation with co-workers prior to seeing the film about why I thought Carey Mulligan was a bad choice for Daisy. Could her face really launch a thousand ships? I know/knew she is one of the better actresses of this generation, but it didn’t sit right with me. I was wrong. The girl next door warmth made it understandable why Gatsby would love her. As for her cousin, he may have been the wrong call in casting, giving Nick Carraway a dopey portrayal.
Luhrrman did a good job in keeping the dialogue moving, bringing the visuals of 1920‘s debauchery to screen, and an uncanny way of making beautiful things become scary with the flip of a musical note. Unfortunately, the movie as a whole has a slow start and a decent ending. It’s like a long train ride that when you finally get to your destination your more excited that it's over than the ok views you saw along the way.
Rating: C-
"Iron Man 3" Review
It’s hard to build a successful film franchise. The truth is, the film industry is a business and sometimes art and heart don’t quite get in on the action. It did here. I said it before, Iron Man was great, Iron Man 2 took a dip, but Iron Man 3 would allow me to forgive 2. After seeing Iron Man 3 I forgave, forgot, and can’t wait to see another! Especially since “Tony Stark will return”. I’d say that Iron Man 3 is the best out of the Iron Man series (which it is), but I respect the fact that you can’t get to 3 with out having 1.
The film starts with a shaken Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) traumatized from his near death sacrifice in New York (Avengers). Tony recounts events of what happened New Years Eve 1999, to get us to what we are about to see through voiceover. We learn about his one night encounter with botanist Maya Hansen (Rebecca Hall) and diss of scientist Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce). The combination would come back to haunt him 13 years later, even though Tony is a different person.
In the present, Tony is a sleep deprived super hero who is focused on building more Iron Man suits in an effort to protect the people and person he loves most. He throws himself into his work in order to avoid dealing with “the wormhole”, which at the very mention of the word throws him into an anxiety attack. He’s put away his old ways and is settled down with Pepper Pots (Gwyneth Paltrow). An old co-worker, Aldrich, comes by Stark Industries to try and convince Pepper to buy into his new company AIM. Even though the presentation is incredible, Pepper stands by her man’s ideals of not being involved with weaponry and declines.
At the same time a new bin Laden style terrorist called The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) is attacking the U.S. at home and abroad, while leaving no trace of bombs. When one of these attacks put Tony’s head of security, Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) in a coma, Tony decides to call out The Mandarin. He even goes as far as giving him his home address.
In a be careful what you wish for move, The Mandarin brings the war to Tony’s back door, literally. After leveling most of Tony’s home, the rest of the film puts Tony on a journey of finding out who The Mandarin is and forces him to deal with his inner demons. In fact, one line from Tony says “We all create our own demons.” It’s the vulnerability that Downey Jr. displays in his performance that is so riveting to watch. His redeeming quality makes his sarcasm and flamboyance forgivable.
If you’ve been watching since Iron Man you’ve seen Tony’s demons. You’ve seen his character arch, and you know that although he has a self-centered playboy outer shell he’s a softy work in progress on the inside. In fact, in this film it’s his outer shell (the iron one) that he has to learn to live without at times and rely on his inner being. That’s what makes the film so good. Take away the incredible gadgetry and what you have is a wealthy genius who is afraid. The film spends almost a third of it’s time with Tony suit-less. He has to rely on others, and even himself.
The casting and acting is top notch across the board in this film. Robert Downey Jr. was born to wear the shoes of Tony Stark. I’m sorry, but most of the time our hero’s main squeeze feels like a prop piece put in the film just to give him something to fight for and a face to look at (Natalie Portman, Jennifer Connelly, Hayley Atwell, etc.). Not in Iron Man. Gwyneth Paltrow, People Magazine’s 2013 Most Beautiful Woman, isn’t just a pretty face but gives real weight to the role of Pepper. Pepper is the girl next door, but we respect her brains and heart more than her beauty. Don Cheadle gives another great performance as Colonel James Rhodes and helps turn the film into a buddy comedy at the end. Ben Kingsley, wow, you just have to see it to believe it. I could go down the line all the way to the bit parts...everyone is solid.
So when you have great actors and a great script written by Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Lethal Weapon) and Drew Pearce, you’ve got the right ingredients for an awesome film. Shane Black does a masterful job in directing. The pacing of the film mixes suspense, action, drama, and comedy in just the right way to make the 140 minute running time fly by.
I love film. It has the power to transport, make you think, laugh, get angry, tell someone you love them, etc. I’m not ashamed to say that sometimes they bring me to tears. There are only two superhero films that have hit me with “whoa, I thought I could hold the tears back...I was mistaken” moments. I sure experienced it on this film! Hit me up on twitter (@picturelockshow) and ask me when I cried tears of joy and I’ll tell you. :)
A high bar has been set for summer blockbusters for sure! This film was great. The comedy is hilarious, the action is absolutely incredible and worth seeing on the big screen. I laughed, I cried, I’m going to see it again in theaters. Be aware that the film was not shot in 3D or for IMAX and the 3D conversion (which I saw in IMAX 3D) is not that great. Save a few bucks and see it in 2D, but GO SEE IRON MAN 3 in theaters as it should be seen!
Rating: A
"Pain & Gain" Review
I’m perplexed by “Pain & Gain”. It was a pain to sit through at times during those two hours and nine minutes, but it made some profound statements on the American Dream and greed that I don’t think it even knew it made. Or did it? So therefore I may have gained appreciation for Michael Bay in that he used his stylistic direction to take an unbelievable real life crime story and show us how stupid criminal activity can be.
Mark Wahlberg is Daniel Lugo, the brains of the criminal operation, and that’s not saying he has much brain power. All of his heroes are self made, and he believes in working hard to make something of himself. Tired of being where he is in life, Lugo comes up with a plan to relieve millionaire Victor Kershaw (Tony Shalhoub) of all of his assets through a kidnapping scheme. In order to do this, he has to recruit other people in his plan.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is Paul Doyle, a former coke addict inmate turned to Christianity, and Anthony Mackie is a wanna be muscle man with an impotency problem as Adrian Doorbal. The three men have two common bonds, a love of fitness and the desire to achieve their own version of the American Dream. To them, the goal of having what they see on TV, in movies, and other forms of media is worth having to the point that they’re willing to kidnap and eventually kill for it.
Every major character gets their own voiceover and tells their side of the story as it’s unfolding. Lugo is envious of Victor but when Victor tells his story he had equal tenacity and desire to be where he is in his economic status. As much of a rich snob that Victor is, he worked extra hard to get there. While Lugo’s hero Scarface inspires him to take, and as the movie’s one liner goes, “be a doer!” The parallels to Lugo and company’s rise and fall is very similar to that of Scarface in that their pride and lust for more becomes their downfall.
The fine line in society between thinking about major crimes and acting it out is for a small percentage of people (I’d like to think). So how do you show the insanity of crossing that line? Give Michael Bay the director’s seat and let him use every tool in his bag of low angle, slow motion, spinning camera moves to make these three men look as dumb as their plans. Bay is known for his larger then life filmmaking and something about his slick style and this stupid/sad but true story does a great job of showing the glamour of the American Dream and the pitfalls of achieving it illegally. Whether he’s using the camera to objectify women in this film’s world, give the zeros their hero shot, or emphasize their stupidity, Bay does it well. While this may not be one of his best films, it does seem like one of his most- dare I say- thought provoking.
Wahlberg leads his cast of merry men as you’d expect with the usual solid performance. Mackie, who undoubtedly has acting talent, was poorly cast in a role that should have gone to a loud mouth comedian. Yet it’s Johnson who gives one of his better performances taking the role of a dumb jock man-child to new heights. He’s aware of his physical stature and uses it to his advantage with subtlety in his acting decisions to make his character a comical but complex “weak link” as he’s called in the trio.
Overall I wasn’t expecting to have my mind blown in seeing this film and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s one of those films that you walk out of the theater, greeted by the light of day, and everyone is collectively in silence thinking about what’s for dinner, or what’s next on their plate for the day. An unmemorable film with a few profound statements on society.
Rating C-
"Oblivion" Review
They say there’s nothing new under the sun, and it’s true with this film. If you’ve seen “Moon”, “Independence Day”, “The Matrix” or “Wall-E” you’ve seen some theme from this film before. What you haven’t seen is the depth of this post-nuclear Earth and the technology that’s used in the film.
Jack (Tom Cruise) and Victoria (Andrea Riseborough) live and work together as a technician/watcher duo charged with the task of repairing drones on Earth. It’s been decades since aliens destroyed our moon, sending the planet into environmental chaos. After nuking and killing most of the aliens, all of Earth’s inhabitants now live on one of Saturn’s moons. Earth’s water has to be drained and transported to Saturn in order for our race to continue. The only issue is that Scavengers (the aliens known as Scavs) still inhabit the Earth. So the drones roam the Earth to kill any Scavs that may tamper with the drainage system.
If that sounded complex, don’t worry, Jack explains it all with visuals as he gets to work in the beginning. Day in and out they do the same routine, but Jack wants more. Even though his memory has been wiped clean as a security measure against Scavs, he still has these images of a woman and questions he can’t get out of his head. He finally gets what he’s been yearning for in the form of a ship crashing on Earth with a load of humans.
From there the film is a journey to discover why the woman of Jack’s dreams has landed. As questions are answered the film starts to take a nose dive from its suspenseful beginnings. All the sci-fi films you’ve seen before crash together for an ending that you probably saw coming.
Cruise is one of those actors that have been doing this for so long, it’s easy. Unfortunately, his character is on cruise control as Jack isn’t developed very well. Morgan Freeman gets an awesome entrance to the film as Beech, but (in Forrest Gump’s voice) “that’s all I have to say about that”.
There’s no question that director Joseph Kosinski (Tron: Legacy) had a vision for this Earth, the environment, and it’s one that we’ve never seen before (for the most part). The synthesized score is reminiscent of Vangelis (Blade Runner) but it works for the movie. Overall the visuals and suspense of the beginning of the film make it worth your hard earned cash to see a recycled story that entertains.
Rating: C
42
I was hesitant in going to see “42” because I thought it would be another super sappy “Disneyed” bio pic. I wasn’t looking forward to sitting through that. After all, my first memory of doing a report on a character in history was Jackie Robinson. I still have the Dodgers jersey I wore that day (it was big at the time). Writer-Director Brian Helgeland delivers a solid homerun in the film that covers Jackie Robinson’s heroic tale of breaking Major League Baseball’s color barrier.
Part of the problem that I have with films that show African American’s struggle in history is that it generally plays out as a victory blessed by a white person. Brooklyn Dodgers General Manager Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) was undoubtedly the one who made the decision to bring Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) to the Major Leagues. Yet the film admits that a part of Rickey’s decision was based on money. It’s honest moments like that in the depiction that makes the movie.
The film covers from Rickey’s search for a negro player to the Dodgers win of the National League Penant in 1949. Ford seems to have fun in his old age playing the gravel voiced Rickey. He brings an enjoyable campy style to the character who pulled a gutsy move in bringing the first African American into the Majors.
Although a 128 minute running time could never cover the totality of everything the real Jackie Robinson endured, one of the most powerful scenes in the film is when Philadelphia Philies Manager played by Alan Tudyk uses everything in the racial slur handbook against Robinson. The scene is uncomfortable, but authentic and Boseman does a great job of showing the weight of racial prejudice and restraint that many African American pioneers had to possess in order to successfully open doors for others. Ultimately drawing back on a quote from Harrison Ford’s Branch Rickey the movie gives its audience the reason Jackie Robinson’s legacy should be respected.
Symbolism is big in this film. Robinson’s number 42 jersey becomes a symbol of change. A baseball thrown to a young boy by Robinson becomes a symbol of hope. Another memorable scene in the film is when Pee Wee Reese (Lucas Black) famously puts his arm around Robinson to show the world he too is accepting change.
Some of the writing is on the nose, it’s the characters that really go beyond what the script calls for to make this film great. Boseman’ depiction of Robinson is a magnificent performance due to his natural reserve. He nails the air of self confidence, wit, and charm that Robinson had to have in order to endure. They say behind every great man is a great woman, and Nicole Beharie as Rachel Robinson was another great choice with just as much innate restraint to bring a refreshing embodiment of the hero’s better half to the screen. The film becomes as much about telling Rachel’s story due to Beharie’s contribution.
I enjoyed the film, and so did the audience I saw it with. Jackie Robinson’s story is one that should be told, especially to new generations that live in a totally different world from the 1940’s. It’s worth remembering and celebrating. It’s a good choice in paying your hard earned money to see a film on the big screen. “42” in theaters now.
B
Premium Rush
In a year when Joseph Gordon Levitt has been in “The Dark Knight”, “Looper”, and "Lincoln”, “Premium Rush” had to have been his fun paycheck. A movie in which his physical caliber was put to the test, “Premium Rush” is no magnum opus, but it’s a literal thrill ride through the streets of New York City.
Levitt plays Wilee, an adrenaline junkee who would rather cycle with no breaks than finish law school. Upon the opening ten minutes of the film, it seems that we’ll be in for a cheese fest with bad CGI. After a routine package pickup, Wilee soon discovers that the letter sized envelope he’s carrying may be worth more than he bargained for as a dirty cop chases him through the city. A “French Connection”-like chase of bike versus car ensues and the rush begins.
Michael Shannon plays Bobby Monday, the corrupt cop who needs to clear his gambling debts. Intercepting the package means repaying his debt and saving his life. While the delivery of the package to the rightful place means Nima (Jamie Chung), its rightful owner, can have her son brought in from China.
As the movie pulses forward, Wilee calls on the help of fellow riders Vanessa (Dania Ramirez) and Manny (Wole Parks). Each biker brings their own set of skills to the table as they zip around curves, up ramps, over cars, and do all kind of maneuvers we could only dream of doing.
Director David Koepp delivers a well paced, visually stunning film that puts the viewer in the rider’s seat. The non-linear style of editing does what every film should do, leave the audience wanting to know the answer to a question. What’s in the package? Why is it so valuable? Will our hero survive?
Even though the ending is typical, the film is fun. Ultimately, it’s nothing but a good time on two wheels.
B
Dark Knight Rises
Trilogies rarely stay consistently solid, increasingly entertaining films. In fact, most tend to go from great to poor. With Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight Rises”, a glimmer of light shines in a dark world of third installments. This is how you end a series!
The film starts as a moving train going slow enough for you to jump on, but steadily moving forward so you can’t think twice. Picking up eight years after the death of Harvey Dent, Gotham is a city of peace and fat cats. The film’s main characters are introduced to us quickly. Tom Hardy’s Bane is a hulking terrorist, with a vader-like voice, and chilling controlled intensity. He’s the embodiment of everything we fear about terrorism, the lack of conscience, focus on achieving a goal at any means, and a disregard for order. In a suspenseful extraction scene, Bane and his henchman take a doctor for a reason we’re waiting to have solved, and it’s off to the races to put the puzzle together.
A shell of his former self, we first see Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) in a silhouette, blanketed by night itself, with a can in hand at a dinner gala. When I first saw the photos of Anne Hathaway as Catwoman, I had my doubts. However, Ms. Hathaway prances into her role as Selena Kyle with confidence and earnestness. Taking the role to a different height mixing femininity and sass in just the right way. When Bruce and Selena meet the chemistry is apparent and makes for a fun tango throughout the rest of the film.
With the evil on the horizon, Bruce’s father figure Alfred (Michael Caine), tries to be the mirror of wisdom and knowledge for Bruce. It’s a conversation with orphan turned cop, Officer Blake (Joseph Gordon Levitt) that puts wind to the low burning ember that is Batman. When the Bat returns to Gotham, the spectacle that we all want to see from the franchise is turned on with a chase scene through the city. One character says “You’re in for a show tonight son”, as Batman wizzes by in our first glimpse of caped crusader.
From there it’s off to the races as our hero must defeat a seemingly unstoppable villain bent on the destruction of Gotham. Nolan’s pacing of the film is superb as we jump from action to dramatic scenes. The Bane vs. Batman fight is what every fan boy waited for, suspenseful, dramatic, and action packed. As Bane schools the Bat like Apollo Creed did Rocky, the back break is like an act break, marking the dawn of a new Gotham.
As Gotham is plunged into anarchy, all hope seems lost as evil slowly takes over. Innocence in the voice of a young boy singing the national anthem is blended in a montage of explosions going off around the city. The city’s terrorist watches from the sideline and seems to delight in inflicting pain on the community at large. In an almost ominous montage of Gotham City’s finest rushing into the sewer to thwart off evil, only for the city above to come crashing down on them, as if it’s Nolan’s nod to 911 and our current fights with terrorist acts in the real.
The movie’s statement on good versus evil, terrorism, economic collapse and truth are noticable but not over the top. In fact, truth seems to be the thing that each character is searching for throughout the film. Whether it’s Kyle’s desire for a clean slate to stop living lies, Commissioner Gordon’s wrestling with telling the truth about Harvey Dent, or Bruce coming to grips with his fear of letting go of the past. Every character has some vulnerability and inner discovery that they have to find. That’s what makes Nolan’s take on the franchise great. He understands what makes Batman a great hero. The fact that a mortal man can become more, and fight for truth
The movie’s final thirty minutes puts a nice ribbon on the series. Leaving room for spinoffs while concluding the series, Nolan can walk away with his head held high. My only gripe is that Bane’s persona takes somewhat of a nose dive in the wrap up. There are more than a few plot holes throughout the film that have to be overlooked, but they’re not big enough to fall through.
The “Dark Knight Rises” may be the weakest of the three films in the trilogy, but after establishing the new take on Batman, and Heath Ledger’s legendary performance, the stakes were high. Even so, Nolan delivered an outstanding end to the Caped Crusader’s reign.
A