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Showing posts with label 2013 Most Anticipated. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2013 Most Anticipated. Show all posts
11.07.2013
2013's Most Anticipated Roundup 2!
8.30.2013
2013's Most Anticipated: Elysium
Starring: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley
Director: Neill Blomkamp
Writer: Neill Blomkamp
I think I may have built this movie up a bit too much. I was really, really excited to see this movie. Everything screamed "COLIN WILL LOVE THIS!" and I felt pretty stoked about it despite some bad reviews it was getting. Despite all the hype that I've built up for myself and despite all the bad reviews, this movie kind of lands with a thud. I won't say that Elysium was great, nor will I say it was bad, it just kind of falls in the middle. And maybe part of me died a little inside because I expected way too much of this movie.
The story is easy to follow - 140 odd years in the future, poor people live in the slum cities on Earth while the rich and privileged get to live forever (literally!) on Elysium - a giant orbiting space station with the nicest amenities - no war, poverty or disease. And no one is allowed to come and join the party up there. Matt Damon plays Max, a carjacker who finds himself in a predicament when he's given a high-level dose of radiation due to an accident at his factory job. He has five days to live and most of the movie is spent showing Max trying to get to Elysium. Jodie Foster plays Delacourt, a tough security administrator who wants to control Elysium and is starting to organize a coup. It all ends in a big climactic action scene when Max finally arrives on Elysium.
It all sounds so wonderful - there's a good amount of action and you actually do care what happens to Max and his friends. He's on a mission to change the hierarchy of Elysium and Earth, but the way the plot evolves and what happens was just too much for me to take in. What I mean is that basically all Max has to do is upload a new software upgrade into Elysium's main computer so that all Earth citizens are given Elysium-level status. Thus apparently ending any sort of class struggle with just the touch of a button.
SOME SPOILERS AHEAD: Aside from the really horrible cliches (seriously, why in the future do so many corporations, governments, etc. rely on ONE MAIN COMPUTER to control everything??), the resulting end game doesn't make much sense. Yeah, sure if Max gets to the computer to upload the new software, sure every Earth citizen will be granted every right (including automatic robot healthcare), but there is a government running Elysium and I can't imagine they would just stand by and let this happen. The movie ends happily, but in reality I think the victory is short-lived and in a couple of months things would go back to the way they were. END SPOILERS.
Most of the time I could forgive a movie for not being thorough or having some tiny logical issues, but I could not really let this one go. It just bugged me to no end that the whole of Elysium is run by computers and how simple it all seemed. The movie collapses under it's own heavy-handed messaging, too. Delacourt and her malicious cohort, Kruger (played by Sharlto Copley) are so evil and cliched that it's just too silly to take seriously. Not to mention that Foster and Copley really ham it up on screen to the point where I was laughing more than anything.
Elysium had a grand ambition. But it falls short in terms of being a great sci-fi movie. It has too much faulty logic and bad cliches for the sci-fi genre. And the acting is simply kooky. While the action scenes and the story of Max's character trying to find redemption are really well done, the rest of the movie is either blah or just plain bad. I loved how the movie looked - Blomkamp has a knack for making things look spectacular, even the ruins of Los Angeles. But it's not enough to save this movie from itself.
Rating: Rent It!
2013's Most Anticipated: The Wolverine
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Will Yun Lee, Tao Okamoto
Director: James Mangold
Writers: Mark Bomback, Scott Frank
Apparently the much-maligned X-Men Origins: Wolverine didn't deter the studio from going ahead and making another movie about one of the most-loved superheros. I was skeptical - but the setting and cast intrigued me. There were no other big-name Hollywood actors beside Hugh Jackman and Japan seemed ripe with interesting story possibilities. And mostly this movie washes away all the sins from the past Wolverine movie and surprisingly, is probably the most refreshingly unique superhero movie to come out in a while.
What I mean by interesting is that Wolverine isn't out to save the world from nuclear catastrophe, nor is their some maniacal villain hell-bent on taking over the world, either. This film is more intimate and personal - and thankfully this more character-focused story still manages to be thrilling and emotionally satisfying. The movie starts off with Logan living in the woods, being a complete loner (and possibly nutballs) until he gets an invitation to Japan. Once he finally arrives an old man, whom he saved during World War II, asks him to give up his immortality to the old man so that Logan can live a life that finally has a conclusion and so that the dying old man can be immortal himself.
Obviously, there's a lot of secrets being hidden from Logan and once the action starts, it never lets up, really. It's actually quite thrilling and although the surprise at the end isn't all that surprising, it still was satisfying. Aside from the action, Logan himself is confronted with his own death and is still struggling with his past (basically his whole shitty romance with Jean Grey from the first trilogy). And although things end nicely, there's a vague sense that Logan still hasn't figured out his life and partly that his life will never get figured out as long as he's immortal.
I'm going to have a hard time explaining this part, but the movie had this visceral, surreal kind of tone and pace. I really can't explain it beyond that, but it just felt so different from other superhero movies. In a good way, of course! Maybe it was the way it was shot and the acting (which was superb!) but everything came together to just feel different. I can't explain it beyond that, but I bought what the movie was selling. Like I've said, the performances were great and it's pretty remarkable that 90% of the cast is all non-Hollywood folks - which just lends more credibility to this flick.
The Wolverine isn't your typical superhero movie - it doesn't tell an origin story, it's not fixated on a villain, nor is it trying to save the world. But what it lacks in cliches, it makes up for in story and character and it delivers. The action is awesome (especially that giant samurai robot at the end!). This superhero movie seems to have been lost in the shuffle this summer, but it will most definitely stand the test of time.
Rating: See It!
8.13.2013
2013's Most Anticipated: The Host
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Diane Kruger, Max Irons
Director: Andrew Niccol
Writer: Andrew Niccol
I think I've officially written off Andrew Niccol as a one-hit wonder. Gattaca was his brilliant writing and directing debut, but since then he's had some promising movies that just didn't seem to fully realize their potential (Lord of War, In Time). With The Host, the trailer made me hope that I was going to be wrong - it had an intriguing premise and I really love the cast (at least, Ronan and Kruger - I have no idea who those douchey guys are on the poster). But you know what? Stephanie Meyer wrote the book the movie is based on and that should have been fair warning for me. So Niccol isn't entirely at fault here, because you can only do so much to a film with such a flimsy foundation.
If you haven't guess already, I loathed The Host. It was boring, cliched and completely stupid. I laughed a lot during all the serious scenes (well, I guess I enjoyed it from that perspective!). A brief synopsis - the world has been taken over by aliens who wander from planet to planet, taking over the bodies of the native species. Pretty much everyone is a host to these creatures and there is a few packets of human resistance. Melanie is one of these survivors who ends up getting caught and becoming a host to an alien named Wanderer. Which is a dumb name in and of itself, but the movie decides that Wanderer doesn't really roll of the tongue well, so everyone starts to call her Wanda. And all I could think of is Jamie Foxx's character from In Living Color:
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| Heeeeyyyyy! |
So the movie just meanders about, moving so slow that the tumbleweeds in the movie become literal metaphors for the pacing. And then when Wanda/Melanie end up finding the human outpost in the middle of nowhere, dumbass Wanda has to fall in love (apparently us humans are feisty creatures and all of these aliens haven't felt love before? I don't know, it's all kind of a blur). And as soon as you realize what's happening it all becomes such a big joke. Seriously, only Stephanie Meyer could come up with this bullshit - a weird love quadrangle where the alien Wanda loves a boy from the human resistance while Melanie still is in love with her boyfriend from before her capture.
It's all really pointless - there's no real emotional core to the story. The characters are all fairly flat and the dialogue is comical. I pretty much hated this movie. I would best avoid this one at all costs.
Rating: Avoid Like the Plague!
8.06.2013
2013's Most Anticipated: The Way Way Back
Starring: Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Liam James, Sam Rockwell
Directors: Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
Writers: Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
I'm sure most of you know, but I'm a sucker for coming-of-age stories - Perks of Being a Wallflower was essential viewing for the best of 2012. And now Nat Faxon's and Jim Rash's honest portrayal of growing up deserves to be lauded as one of the best films this year. From it's genuine take on divorce and single parenthood to the feel-good vibe of the waterpark atmosphere, they've created a near instant classic in my mind.
The movie opens up with Trent (Carell) badgering Duncan, letting him know that his opinion of him is a 3 out of 10. Immediately you know the kind of man Trent is and also where Duncan seems to be socially. One day Duncan finds himself at the Water Wizz, a water park run by a charming and somewhat dysfunctional manager, Owen (Rockwell). He finds employment and Water Wizz soon becomes his escape and also his spark to finding out who he is and learning to have fun. It sounds really, really corny, doesn't it?
But it isn't I swear! There's a real honest and heartfelt openness about Duncan's family life and you can see why he's been shy and introverted. And all of the other characters seem that way too - no one's too crazy (yeah, yeah Allison Janney is a bit kooky, but who doesn't have an Aunt or a family friends who likes to booze it up and be stupid?). Plus the movie is really funny and charming.
It's mainly the cast - Rockwell is perfect as Owen. He's enough of an outcast to make you want to get to know him more but also he's just so funny and inviting. He's the mentor to Duncan - and he embraces is with all his weird zaniness. Nat Faxon, Toni Collette, Rob Corddry, AnnaSophia Robb, Steve Carell, Amanda Peet and Maya Rudolph all are just as good in their respective roles.
It's a feel good movie that doesn't seem to condescend or make light of teenage emotions and that sometimes can be a tricky movie. But the movie and characters are wonderfully written - Rash and Faxon are the duo who wrote 2011's Best Adapted Screenplay, The Descendants and it's clear here that they're on a winning streak.
Rating: See It! Twice!
7.29.2013
2013's Most Anticipated: Jack the Giant Slayer
46. Jack the Giant Slayer (PG-13) - Runtime: 114 minutes
Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci
Director: Bryan Singer
Writer: Darren Lemke, Christopher McQuarrie, Dan Studney
I've been enjoying these fairy tale remakes. It's cool to see a different take on some of these well-known stories. But half the time they just end up being boring or too focused on looking cool and having cool, CGI-laden action scenes, when they should spend more time on the characters. Bryan Singer may have bitten of more than he could chew with Jack the Giant Slayer.
The movie opens up with a history of the giants and the humans and how the humans banished the giants back to their kingdom way up in the air. In the present day, Jack believes these stories to be true and accepts some magic beans from a monk. You know the rest of the story - the beanstalk grows and takes the princess with it. So it's up to Jack and the king's men to rescue the princess. Meanwhile a crazy lord is hell bent on controlling the giants with a magical crown infused with the blood of the giants. Yeah, it's not the greatest of plots.
The biggest problem with the movie is that it's too by-the-book. It doesn't stray too far away from the original story and it just is, well, boring. There's not enough fantastical whimsy - the movie seems to care too much about following the original story that to try and be daring by taking a perspective from the giants' point of view or even trying to show a massive war. Instead, Jack does his usual hiding and eluding the giants to rescue the princess and then the movie spends the last 30 minutes showing the humans desperately defending their city to no avail.
I couldn't care anything about anyone in this movie. It's just too dull. I think the movie loves showing off the giants throwing uprooted trees at people and seeing the giant beanstalk grow and then demolish things as it falls down. This movie loves its visual effects, but it's not enough to save it. And the acting is just ho-hum. Even my rule of Stanley Tucci - who makes every movie better when he's in it - gets questioned. He plays the villain, but his character is just a generic villain with barely any motivation that even Tucci couldn't save the role.
And the ending is so mind-blowingly insane that it encapsulates the whole idea of the movie - why even bother? SPOILER: at the end they show the magical crown that controls the giants actually being the crown in a museum in modern day London. SO IT WAS REAL ALL ALONG - THIS IS NOT A FAIRY TALE BUT A TELLING TALE OF HUMAN HISTORY! I don't know what the hell kind of point that makes - just that it doesn't make sense at all. It's all really pointless and terrible to be honest and I really hope Bryan Singer gets his shit together for the new X-Men movie, because this is not what I need.
Rating: Not Worth Paying For!
2013's Most Anticipated: The Heat
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy
Director: Paul Feig
Writer: Katie Dippold
I really like buddy cop movies. Hot Fuzz is one of my favorites, but I've enjoyed The Other Guys, Lethal Weapon, Bad Boys - they're all great. What's great about these movies is they blend action and comedy together so effortlessly. And with The Heat, it manages to bring a healthy amount of jokes, but as far as action and pacing goes, it's lacking.
I honestly don't remember too much from the plot, just that Sandra Bullock plays an uptight bitch and brown nosing FBI agent who is hated by all of her colleagues. McCarthy is the complete opposite (duh) - a cop who doesn't follow the rulebook and is constantly questioning and ridiculing her superiors. Their pairing - to take down a drug lord - works well. McCarthy has a lot of great lines and Bullock plays the pantsuit-loving agent to a T.
It's just...well, there's something lacking in this movie. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it just didn't hit the right notes. There wasn't a whole lot of physical comedy in the movie, but it seemed like it needed more. And as far as the plot goes, it could have been better. I just didn't really care all that much about what was going to happen - which is bad. In this kind of movie you need to be invested not only in the characters, but the plot.
There's a few wasted scenes, too. When the two cops bust into a prostitute's apartment to question her, all of the jokes fell flat. It just wasn't funny and seemed like a waste of time. There's a few other scenes like that where the jokes and plot don't really mesh together that well. The characters are really well written and acted, it's just too bad they're wasted during half the movie. While The Heat is a fun movie, it's not going to enter the pantheon of great buddy cop movies. It's worth checking out though, just for the laughs.
Rating: Rent It!
2013's Most Anticipated: Pacific Rim
Starring: Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Writer: Travis Beacham, Guillermo del Toro
I probably could not explain the level of excitement that has been building up to this movie. There's a reason it was number 5, but it's probably been climbing higher and higher with each passing week. I just love del Toro - he really needs to stop producing stuff and get back to directing as much as possible. He's such a distinct and creative voice in Hollywood and Pacific Rim is just another example of awesome he is.
Pacific Rim from the very beginning, grabs a hold of you and doesn't stop bringing the badassness. There's a five-minute narration by Raleigh (Hunnam) where he talks about the kaiju (giant monsters) invasion and the resulting response from Earth - Jaegers (giant robots). It seems humanity has successfully kept the creatures at bay the past few years but in reality, it's only the beginning of a much larger-scale invasion. The robots are controlled by two individuals connected mentally via science fiction magic. Raleigh is a superstar - but he's been out of commission for the past few years and it's up to him and a rookie to take care of business. It's a typical by-the-books action plot, but that's what we're not here for.
The robots and monsters are what take center stage and boy, is it awesome! I can't stress enough how cool the action is! The choreography and the editing is superb - there's not one instance where I couldn't tell what was happening on screen. There's also this feeling throughout the movie that these robots and monsters are almost too big to fit on the screen and because of the camera work and the digital effects, you get that sense of epicness and gigantic awe.
The acting is superb as well - Hunnam is good (although sometimes his British accent cannot be quelled) and Rinko Kikuchi is superb as the rookie with a chip on her shoulder. Ron Perlman, del Toro's go-to guy, steals every scene he's in and he's just fun to watch.
So not only do you have some great action, but some great acting and a fairly typical plot that doesn't bore you with too many details. There's enough here for the fanboys and casual audiences alike. This is one you need to check out!
Rating: See It!
7.21.2013
2013's Most Anticipated: Monsters University
Voiced by: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Helen Mirren
Director: Dan Scanlon
Writers: Daniel Gerson, Robert L. Baird, Dan Scanlon
I'm not going to spend too much time on this one. What is there to say? It's Pixar - their track record is pretty solid. I even enjoyed Cars 2, their most reviled film to date. And this is only their third franchise to get the sequel treatment and for the most part, they make it worthwhile. I'm not saying Monsters University is bad, it's just not exceptional - which is getting harder and harder for Pixar to out-do themselves every year.
MU takes place before the first movie - as we see both Mike and Sully become the legends that we find them in the first movie. Mike is not a real scare master, but he's smart and gets himself a chance to become a real, professional scarer while Sully gets by on his good looks (I think?!? That's pretty strange - more like his good scares, I guess. I mean, I'm not one to judge a monster on their looks, but if I had to - Sully would be, like, the Rob Lowe of monsters in this little universe) and his famous scare-tastic family name. It's a typical odd-couple story - both Mike and Sully hate each other but then grow to become fast friends and learn important life lessons. Done and done.
The biggest problem is not that I didn't enjoy myself during the movie, but just that I found myself asking was it all really necessary? I mean, the story just seemed so by-the-book and un-extraordinary. If only Pixar had taken the talent and energy to create something entirely new, but instead it just seems, well, rather bland. There's a lot of typical college-type humor and some good monster-related jokes, but overall - I was not completely blown away. Which speaks volumes as to how much Pixar has created a very high standard that something pretty good comes across as blah. It seems at this point Pixar is content with the status quo. Which is fine - I'm just not going to expect much in the way of sequels from them any more.
Monsters University is a good film. It's not raising the bar and it's certainly not lowering it. But will you fall in love with all the other characters in the movie? Probably not, except for maybe Squishy's mom (gotta love a mom who listens to death metal). It's worth seeing but maybe just a rental.
Rating: Rent It!
2013's Most Anticipated: White House Down
Starring: Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx
Director: Roland Emmerich
Writer: James Vanderbilt
White House Down is basically Die Hard in the White House. And that's not a dis - this was a fantastic homage to the action classic. In fact, this movie was more Die Hard then the latest Die Hard movie! I don't understand why this movie hasn't gotten any love because it was a perfect summer action pick - it had a good sense of character, some fun humor and some great action as well!
Channing Tatum plays Cale (I was hoping they would spell his name like the leaf, but alas, Emmerich didn't bite on that pun-filled name), an Iraq war veteran who's looking to get into the secret service. On his trip to the White House for the interview, he lets his semi-distant, vlogging daughter come with him on a tour afterwards. Then all hell breaks loose when the White House becomes ground zero for a domestic terrorist takeover. There's no real big plot twists - it's up to Cale (and later him teaming up with the not-so-subtle Obama clone President Sawyer) to take care of business.
This movie is straight up Die Hard all the way - lots of little homages here and there to the original movie (elevator shafts, a Hans-Gruber-esque bad guy) and it's really, really fun to watch. There's enough humor mixed in with all the action and honestly, the I enjoyed watching the different characters have their own moment (the White House tour guide was just enough laughs without getting annoying).
The movie does really hammer home that they want this to be another Die Hard action franchise - I couldn't keep track of how many times they mentioned Cale's name (at least every five minutes). Which is cool with me - I'd love to see Tatum again taking on another all-hell-breaks-loose situation. The other part I thought was pretty clever was the use of different perspectives in the movie. In that the movie will show footage from the news cameras outside tracking the helicopters and cell phone videos recording what's going on. It was nice to show that if this would happen in real life, all eyes would be on the White House for damn sure.
A good action movie that knows its limitations, White House Down is pure fun - there's enough character development to get attached to Cale and his daughter but there's also a hella ton of explosions and crazy limosuine chase scenes and helicopters whizzing by to match. Totally worth watching.
Rating: See It!
7.18.2013
2013's Most Anticipated: Identity Thief
Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Jason Bateman
Director: Seth Gordon
Writers: Craig Mazin, Jerry Eeten
Odd couple comedies are a hard act to pull - you have to maintain a healthy amount of laughs while not being too annoying with the oddball character. Ultimately, it comes down to the characters - are these people we want to spend two hours with? Unfortunately, Identity Thief falls flat on its face with not only poorly written characters but a really bad premise that is hard to find any laughs with.
The movie starts off on a bad note - Sandy Patterson, some accountant in Denver, does the dumbest thing he could do - he gives out his personal information over the phone. Diana is on the other end of the line in Florida and promptly takes all his info to go on a huge spending binge. We are immediately shown Diana living the high life - boozing it up and buying all sorts of crap - there is no sympathy involved in these scenes. Well, except for when the bartender tells her she has no real friends which starts this whole sympathy for Diana thread that honestly, does not work . Of course she gets arrested and the real Sandy Patterson gets arrested for skipping a court date in Florida. Obviously it's a huge mistake, but it seems the cops are in the movie just to be dicks and they can't possibly do anything to help him out, thus ensuring there's a plot. Instead, of you know, being based in reality where identity theft is properly handled by cops and private companies can be hired to take care of your troubles.
The movie's more frustrating than funny at this point and it only gets more ridiculous once Sandy tries to take her back to Denver to face charges (even though all of his identity woes and her arrests took place in Florida - this logic just shows how far the movie has to bend backwards in order to service the whole road trip plot). There's two really dumb b-plots in that another redneck-type bounty hunter is out to get Diana too and a drug cartel is out to kill her - they're both completely absurd and don't provide any sort of laughs.
McCarthy is a funny lady, but here she's just annoying and the movie really pushes hard that Diana is just caught up in her circumstances and really just needs a family. Awwww, that's so sweet! But you know what? I didn't care because the movie was about identity theft and no amount of sweetness could make me feel sympathetic towards these people. Just because she's an orphan and wants to be loved, give me a break.
The movie is just one big giant frustrating poop. It's not that funny nor does it come even close to reality in representing what would really happen. Bateman and McCarthy seem to be sleepwalking through this movie and I really couldn't NOT recommend this movie any less!
Rating: Avoid Like the Plague!
7.03.2013
2013's Most Anticipated: The Lone Ranger
Starring: Armie Hammer, Johnny Depp, William Fichtner
Director: Gore Verbinski
Writers: Junstin Haythe, Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio
Another movie, another troubled production. But that really doesn't matter, now does it? The Lone Ranger seems to be carrying a lot of baggage - it's another Depp/Verbinski/Bruckheimer collaboration since the third Pirates movie - and all three have seen a dip in popularity. Depp's popularity domestically seems to be at an all-time low, Verbinski has had moderate success with Rango, but has done nothing else and Bruckheimer's last major film productions have been not so well-received - Pirates 4, The Sorcerer's Apprentice and Prince of Persia. So it seems like Disney and the marketing has made it clear they really, really would love to make The Lone Ranger out to be the next Pirates and while they may have succeeded in creating a fun action flick, I highly doubt the general public will enjoy this movie as much as I did.
Armie Hammer plays the title role - a city lawyer who gets caught up in a conspiracy-laden plot that has so many western elements involved - the railroad, outlaws, train robberies, Indians and lots and lots of gun fighting and horse riding. The plot does hit a rough patch where there is too much going on and it seems like it wanted to pay homage to every single western it could. Which is not a bad thing, it's just a bit sloppy and sometimes has a hard time with the pacing. And if you've seen any type of action/western movie in the past 10 years, you'll be able to predict where the story is going to end up halfway through the movie.
That may sound like a bad thing, but really it's not - the movie doesn't treat the plot "twists" and reveals as anything special. The spotlight here is on the action and Tonto. And boy there is a lot of action - the first 15 minutes of the movie is pretty spectacular and the last action set piece was particularly enjoyable. But the movie has a tendency to get in its own way. The movie is being told by a very old Tonto, recalling his days with the Lone Ranger to a tiny kid in a cowboy outfit at the carnival, 60 years after the events of the movie. Unfortunately this isn't cute and funny like The Princess Bride, but just seemed overly condescending and annoying when they would cut back to the kid asking dumb questions like "But The Lone Ranger didn't die, did he?"
As for Depp as Tonto - well, he wasn't annoying. Which isn't high praise exactly - Tonto has his own backstory and we understand his motivations and actions. But to me that was off-putting - I'd rather have Tonto be more like an enigma. That would have had more impact on his character (like Charles Bronson's character in Once Upon a Time in the West). He has some special moments and I'm glad he didn't steal the show. Really, the dude who steals the show this time around is the villain Butch Cavendish played by a barely-recognizable William Fichtner. He is simply amazing in this movie - he's completely sinister and evil - dude literally eats his victims' hearts!
And speaking of eating hearts this movie is completely fiendish. I mean, the body count is probably higher in this movie than the last Rambo movie (and a lot of people died in that movie, trust me). There's not a whole lot of blood, but pretty much anyone who doesn't have more than a couple lines of dialogue gets slaughtered in this movie. Which I'm okay with - I think the movie doesn't treat any of the violence as okay or normal - there's a brutality to this movie that may steer and lot of family-minded audiences away. And I could understand - it's a Disney movie for crying out loud - but the movie does not shy away from all the violence the wild west was known for. And it doesn't shy away from the treatment of Native Americans either - it's completely awful to see what happens to a lot of them. So kudos for the film for being honest instead of Pocohantasing this movie up.
And Armie Hammer as the Lone Ranger? Well, he's good - just not amazing. It's like Orlando Bloom in the Pirates movies - he does a good job, it's just not the focal point of the story. Which is funny because it is all about The Lone Ranger - but really this is just an origin-type story so we don't really get to see the Lone Ranger become the legend until halfway through and even then it's still more about the action than the character. Is that a bad thing? Probably, but I didn't mind.
The film has a hard time reconciling the violence with the more light-hearted action-adventure tones that it portrays. I wouldn't say it's distracting enough to the point where I thought it was bad, it's just that the movie cannot decide what it really wants to be. The western isn't cartoonish enough like the Pirates movies to get away with some of the more supernatural elements (the Spirit-guide horse was funny but not that funny). And the really meaningful and violent aspects sometimes don't get the weight they need because the movie is too busy trying to make a joke. Oh and the other thing that really bothered me and was WAY out of place was the cannibalistic rabbits (seriously, it's just weird).
All in all, this was a fun movie. It may be hard to swallow at times (what with the violence and the messy plot), but it's really quite enjoyable. Critics have absolutely trashed it and I think most people won't come away with happy feelings about the movie. But I think it's worth checking out and there's a lot of cool action and enough character to the movie to set aside the flaws.
Rating: Rent It!
7.02.2013
2013's Most Anticipated: World War Z
Starring: Brad Pitt, Marieille Enos
Director: Marc Forster
Writers: Matthew Michael Carnahan, Drew Goddard, Damon Lindelof
Much has been written about the production of this movie - the completely re-shot third act, the overblown budget, Brad Pitt's hair - but ultimately, it's still a movie and the only real factor that counts is how the finished product ends up. And despite some minor setbacks, this was a fun movie that isn't a Debbie Downer like most zombie shows or movies. This is one big action movie that happens to involve zombies. And I really enjoyed it!
Let's just get this out of the way: this is nothing like the book at least where the plot is concerned. And why should it be? The book is an oral history that covers multiple characters, settings and stories - it would be near impossible for a movie to be anything like the book. You'd have to do a Band of Brothers-type miniseries - and I don't think any studio would bite because The Walking Dead has got a monopoly on zombie-themed TV shows. As long as the themes and tone of the book are in the movie, I'm fine with that. And although I've never read the book, this is a pretty good zombie flick, regardless of connecting points to the source material.
The other problem people seem to have is it's PG-13. How can you have a zombie movie that's PG-13? Well, it's not gory - and that's fine! Honestly, a zombie's a zombie, that is to say, you don't need lots of blood and guts to make sure audiences know what they're looking at! I think sometimes the gore gets in the way of telling a good story and to me this was refreshing - you let the characters and action dictate where you eye goes - not some bloated zombie with its guts hanging out, picking away at someone's brain.
I'm not saying the story was powerful - this is, by and large, a big action movie with plenty of big set pieces. But the story was decent enough and the action was satisfying - you're immediately thrown into the mix as the zombie virus infects Philadelphia within the first 10 minutes of the movie. And then we follow Brad Pitt around the globe, literally, as he tries to figure out a way to fight the virus. And as awesome as some of the big set pieces (especially in Jerusalem and in the plane) - the movie suddenly takes a much needed (and obviously low-budgeted) turn into the third act within the corridors of a science research laboratory. I really loved how this movie covered these big action sequences while also showing quieter and much more tense moments during the last part.
A lot of this movie reminded me of War of the Worlds - the Tom Cruise sci-fi remake that had its flaws, but ultimately was a fun "event" movie. The only really big problems I had was the use of a Muse song that evokes Tubular Bells from The Exorcist - they use it at least 5 or 6 times during the movie and while I do enjoy the song (and Muse for that matter), it was way overplayed and didn't seem appropriate at times. The other major problem was the sappy ending narrated by Pitt - it's just completely cliched and dumb - seriously, it doesn't have one ounce of creativity, they just slapped together a bunch of inspiring phrases (the war has just begun; if you can fight, fight). It just seemed too nice and hokey. Puke.
World War Z is not without its flaws and it's not the best zombie movie out there (28 Days Later kindly raises its hand), but this was a fun, big-time action flick that has some great moments. If you're up for a little more frightening version of Contagion, this is right up your alley.
Rating: See It!
6.24.2013
2013's Most Anticipated: The Bling Ring
Starring: Emma Watson, Katie Chang, Israel Broussard
Director: Sophia Coppola
Writer: Sophia Coppola
Before this movie, I could not decide whether I'm with Sophia Coppola or not. I really enjoyed Marie Antionette and The Virgin Suicides, but thought her most celebrated work, Lost in Translation, was just too pretentious and up its own butt. This was probably Maggie's most anticipated movie this year (by far) and almost broke down and cried (not really, I exaggerate for comedic effect) because of the limited release in New York and LA last week. Thankfully, it expanded and the first chance we got - we watched with glee. I'm officially a Sophia Coppola fan.
Based on a true story, the film mainly follows Marc, a transfer student who quickly finds himself a new juvenile delinquent friend named Rebecca. Their first night together, they jack some cars on a street by just checking to see which ones were unlocked. But Rebecca is unsatisfied, quickly coming up with the brilliant idea of robbing Paris Hilton while she's away from home. They find her address online and luckily enough, they find the key to the place under that mat and no alarm! It wouldn't be so absurd if it wasn't true! Obviously things escalate and more kids get involved and inevitably their casual attitude towards breaking and entering rears its ugly head and gets them caught.
It's quite a tale - these are all privileged rich kids who practically worship the celebrities that live around them. The film shows how shallow and care free they are about everything - they even post most of their stolen evidence on Facebook for everyone to see! Even if you know what happens to all the characters in real life it's still astonishing to see it happen on screen. It wasn't about the money or the clothes and accessories they stole - it's that they could live like these celebrities without actually doing anything but opening up a side door. And the film isn't shy about showing how none of the kids have learned any lessons. If anything - they've only become a bigger part of the problem - they all seem to think The Bling Ring has made them famous in the most flattering way.
Coppola portrays the story with an ironic detachment most hipsters would admire. The music seems authentic while also being simultaneously hilarious. I can clearly picture these young white girls rapping along with the thug music while in their cars all the time. Everything about the movie will have you shaking your head but also quietly bobbing it too! It's a really well-edited movie that knows when to shock (the car accident) and when to play it cool (the group shot of all the kids walking down the sidewalk).
The cast is phenomenal, too. But Emma Watson is the brightest spot - I can't explain it fully, but her affectation when she speaks makes you immediately click your tongue in disgust. "I just wahnt to RAWB." she says with deadpan delivery. I hope she gets some consideration for an Oscar because she's simply fascinating to watch. Katie Chang and Israel Broussard are excellent standouts as well - Chang with her cool, girl next door vibe as the ring leader, Rebecca and Broussard with his starry-eyed, puppy dog affection for Rebecca as Marc.
This movie can please mainstream audiences and hipsters alike. It's that good! You'll find yourself drawn to these characters for all the wrong reasons and maybe even feel a bit of sympathy? I don't know, but I think multiple viewings are in order to uncover the deeper layers to this story and the characters. Seriously, this movie is dope.
Rating: See It!
6.23.2013
2013's Most Anticipated: Stoker
Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Nicole Kidman, Matthew Goode
Director: Chan-wook Park
Writer: Wentworth Miller
I had fairly high expectations with this Hitchcock-inspired thriller. Chan-wook Park is best known for Oldboy, one of my favorite foreign movies. He's also completely in love with demented and twisted characters and here he's got an intriguing cast that manages to be a really good homage to Hitchcock's own Shadow of a Doubt. It may not offer too many thrills, but there's a disturbing layer underneath this drama.
India Stoker's dad has just died in a car accident and now she must face living with her detached and sometimes overbearing mother (Kidman). But along comes Charlie, India's uncle and charms the pants off (quite literally it seems in some cases!) everyone. And while Charlie maintains he's only there to help, he's more trouble for everyone than they know.
I don't want to spoil things too much - suffice to say things get weird (as they always do in Park's movies), but nothing ever seemed illogical. Just that all of the characters are living very twisted lives. There's a lot of hints and insinuations at what's boiling underneath and it all comes to a head when India has a chance encounter with an attractive young boy. In that moment and afterwards, we get a small glimpse at what's happening to India. Uncle Charlie seems to have been the spark to snap her out of her dull life.
I really enjoyed the characters in this film - Kidman does a good job at playing the widow who's basically moved on from her married life much earlier than when her husband died. And Wasikowska is brooding enough. But the man who steals every scene with his devilish grin is Matthew Goode. He's at times equally charming but completely intimidating. I really loved his performance. And when you find out what's really going on with this family, Wasikowska gives Goode a run for his money.
The movie is slow - there's not some thrilling chase scene or campy horror murders, just good old fashioned creepy camera work and a fantastic build up to the climax. And the film does look amazing - there's a lot of great shots and angles. There may be a bit too much with the visual metaphors but I enjoyed every bit of it.
If you're a fan of old school dramas and horror this is a great homage to Hitchcock. The film looks beautiful and the acting is amazing. There's a great reveal at the end and I couldn't help but smile when the credits started rolling.
Rating: Rent It!
6.20.2013
2013's Most Anticipated: Man of Steel
Starring: Henry Cavill, Michael Shannon, Amy Adams
Director: Zack Snyder
Writer: David S. Goyer
I had a pretty good feeling going into this movie I was going to enjoy it. Previous Superman movies always have felt stale and rather dull to me. Part of that is the character himself: who can stop Superman? He's deathproof and that to me, kills any sense of suspense or drama from his story. But here Snyder and Goyer hit the reset button and create an all-new, more grounded and gritty take on the iconic superhero. Don't believe the haters out there - this is a great way to start a new comic book franchise.
The film opens up with 20 minutes of exposition on Krypton, Superman's home planet. Some say it was too long, but I don't care - we're never going to get to see that world again on film, so why not indulge the fans? I thought it was a perfect set up to actually understand Supes origins. And then we're briskly taken to Earth where we see Clark Kent living his life as a nomad. Until Lois Lane (Amy Adams) ruins his life by exposing him as an alien. Even though her Pulitzer Prize-winning ass can't save her from ridicule - she gets validated by the invasion of General Zod - a man we've seen from the beginning hell-bent on seeing his version of Krypton thrive on planet Earth.
And Zod is hugely menacing - Michael Shannon shouts and glares his way through this role and it is believable (at least I enjoyed the over-the-top performance!). And after donning the iconic suit sans the outside underwear - Superman makes it clear he has decided to become the hero everyone needs. Much of the movie is all about the choices Superman has to make - does he reveal himself to be the Man of Steel? Or does he quietly live out the rest of his life incognito? And the choice is thrust upon him when Zod shows up.
Aside from all the Christ-like metaphors and heavy-handedness of his daddy issues, Man of Steel is a very visceral and thrilling action film. Zack Snyder was by far the best choice to breathe new life into the father of all superheroes. Much of the fight scenes have an extra umph to them - whenever there's two Kryptonians duking it out - the punches come fast and you could almost feel the speed and pow in their punch. It is such a great feeling to see these larger than life figures battle each other and Snyder has such a great way of showing it.
Besides Shannon, the rest of the cast is pretty good - Cavill dons the suit admirably and is in good shape to carry this franchise forward. Amy Adams was good as Lois Lane, but her character felt a little underdeveloped as did the romantic angle of her and Superman. But the standout? By far Antje Traue as Faora-Ul. As much as Zod likes to stomp around like a big baby, Faora is silently sinister and distressing. She seriously is amazing and I don't know how her character fits into the rest of the canon, but honestly she could be the main villain in a later movie and I'd be overjoyed - she's that good! Kevin Costner and Diane Lane do a fantastic job of portraying the Kents and they have their moments in flashback scenes. Russel Crowe and Ayelet Zurer also do a great job of playing Superman's biological parents.
As much as I loved the direction of the movie and the visual punch Snyder brought to the film, there were some issues. First of all, there was way too much action at the end. It felt like it was never going to end! There's only so many times that they can show Zod/Superman crash into buildings and not even flinch. We get it - these guys are titans and anytime they battle, cities will be leveled. Speaking of which - Buzzfeed has a great article on how badly the destruction would reign down on NYC - and I kept thinking to myself during the movie "Who the hell is going to pay for all this???" So as much as Superman is the savior for humanity, he's also the financial doomsayer for Metropolis because he just cost the city billions of dollars in repairs. But that's kind of nitpicking in an otherwise great movie.
I'm not a huge comic book guy, nor do I particularly love Superman. But this movie hits all the right notes and finally makes Superman more modern (at least in film terms). It's a really good superhero movie that packs a punch (quite literally) and I highly recommend it to pretty much anyone who's looking for a good action flick.
Rating: See It!
2013's Most Anticipated: This is the End
Starring: James Franco, Jay Baruchel, Craig Robinson
Director: Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen
This is by far the biggest surprise this year. I had my trepidations when I previewed this movie when it had a different title and very little was known about the plot. But instead of dumbing down the comedy, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg manage to whip up a smart and satirical send up of the disaster movie while also lampooning Hollywood's narcissistic celebrity culture.
Everyone plays themselves in this disaster spoof and here we find each actor playing an exaggerated version of themselves - James Franco is every bit the pretentious douchebag we believe him to be, Seth Rogen is all about getting stoned, Jonah Hill is a complete phony after getting nominated for an Oscar, Craig Robinson is a stereotypically black actor and Danny McBride is possibly the biggest dick in Hollywood. And this all plays out in a bona fide, real end of the world Apocalypse as foretold in the Bible. This was probably the best way to approach this movie - the end of the world is played straight - people are being sucked into the core of the earth and others are getting blue-beamed up to heaven. And in the middle of it all is 6 actors trying to survive holed up in Franco's fortress of a house.
The movie starts out well enough - there's a ton of great gags and jokes before the Apocalypse even hits - I could have watched another hour of just these guys hanging out at the party! And it continues as these guys survive where other non-worthy actors perished (funnily enough Aziz Ansari, who gets kicked into the abyss by Robinson and later Robinson recounts, looking for sympathy "I saw Aziz die!") All 6 egos in the room get larger and larger as the threat of imminent death looms and it results in a lot of hilarious scenes. I especially laughed at McBride and Franco's fight over a porno mag and masturbation - it had me in tears!
Everyone has their moment to shine - but Danny McBride clearly steals a lot of the scenes he's in simply because he's the driving force for all the misery everyone is in. Plus he's a dick and McBride plays that character very well. Jay Baruchel (whom I love and kind of wish he was a bigger deal) plays the least interesting character, but he's relatable because he's not in the inner circle of Hollywood actors - being Canadian can do that. But he has some great lines and his decision at the end of the movie involving late 90s teen heartthrobs was genuis.
Throw in an unexpected cameo by one of the hottest actors (both physically and metaphorically!) and you've got a winner. The movie went in a direction I didn't expect and it's all the better for it. I really, really loved this movie and I'm itching to see it again. There was one too many penis jokes in the movie, but besides that, this is by far the funniest film I've seen all year!
Rating: See It! Twice!
2013's Most Anticipated: Now You See Me
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman
Director: Louis Leterrier
Well, this was a surprise! I wrote in my preview that this filmed screamed DOUCHEBAG and while I can't help but think that word every time Jesse Eisenberg smirks, this film was simply entertaining. I enjoy movies where the tricks (I mean, illusions) are part of the mystery and here the smoke and mirrors take center stage.
The film starts out simple enough - four talented, but under-appreciated illusionists are recruited by a shadowy figure to stage a very elaborate magic show that gets them in trouble with the Feds because they stole some money. Hot on their heels is Dylan Rhodes (Ruffalo) an FBI agent who is always three steps behind. He enlists the help of Thaddeus Bradley (Freeman), an ex-magician who exposes other magicians as charlatans and grifters. The film mainly follows Rhodes as he tries to figure out how these four horsemen (as they call themselves) robbed a bank in France while in Vegas. It's a great set up and it's expertly paced and edited so that there's never a dull moment.
And the acting is fantastic - every horseman has a great introduction and each one has their own personality - they're all perfect including Isla Fisher and Dave Franco. Freeman and Caine bring a certain gravitas to the roles and the film is better off because of it. And Ruffalo - who seems to be hitting his stride lately - nails it as the lovable goof who can't quite seem to get a grasp of what's happening. Near the end, I said to myself, "Poor Mark Ruffalo, it's not your fault they got away!"
And the twist ending was satisfying! I'm so relieved because this movie lives and dies by its ending. The only problems I really had with the movie was some of the magic being performed was completely unrealistic - Isla Fisher jumps into a giant bubble and floats around, Eisenberg somehow manages to transport the handcuffs and chains from himself to Ruffalo. But the ending satisfies that logical itch of mine by explaining, frankly - it's all just magic! So I bought what they were selling and the movie is wholly satisfying.
Rating: See It!
2013's Most Anticipated: Fast & Furious 6
Starring: Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Paul Walker
Director: Justin Lin
It's been fun to see this franchise evolve from a straight-up cop movie with fast cars to a straight-up heist movie with fast cars to an explosion-laden action fest movie with fast cars (and tanks!). I really thought the last movie hit all the right notes - you get everyone together to pull off an insane bank heist and then they throw in a bombshell after the credits (Letty's not dead!). And after watching the new movie, I honestly don't know how they're going to out-explode, out-run and out-tank this sixth part, because this one was epically spectacular (not enough radical adjectives could come even close to describing the mayhem put forth in the movie).
The team gets assembled once again to thwart a special ops mercenary gone rogue. The only way Dom's crew takes the job is if they get full immunity. Of course, The Rock (or Hobbs as he's known in the movies) complies and the movie never really lets off the gas from there. I honestly can't remember too much of the movie because there was a lot of action - I think the movie is about 3/4 action and the rest is talking about family and how that's important. Which isn't a bad thing - but the whole point of this franchise is to go big or go home and here they deliver.
So if you're looking for some thought-provoking character development, you can skip this one. Fast 6 doesn't care about that crap - it's all about how ridiculous these set pieces can get. And it does get ludicrous (yes, pun intended!) but I was never not entertained by the whole thing. It's a big mess of a movie (girl fights! Double crosses! Planes exploding!) and the franchise is pretty much self-aware of all this. Which is what makes it great - it embraces the insanity.
And if you stay past the initial credits another amazing tease makes you want to see the next movie right now. It's incredible that the series has managed to get better as time goes by, but credit the writers and producers for shifting the focus of the franchise away from just cars to something much bigger. This was a solid action movie and the only complaint was that the action could have been edited down, especially near the end - seriously, that runway was probably 20 miles long! That's just nitpicking really and this movie will have you anxiously waiting for the next!
Rating: See It!
6.19.2013
2013's Most Anticipated: The Hangover, Part III
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms
Director: Todd Phillips
Oh how the mighty have fallen, this once promising comedy franchise was everyone's favorite back in 2009, but the lukewarm reception from the sequel had many questioning if the jokes had dried up during the first outing. This third installment, quite frankly, does not breathe new life into the characters (or Las Vegas) and I would actually mark this movie as more of a drama with some dark comedic elements to it than an outright comedy. There wasn't a whole lot to laugh about in this second sequel, especially after the opening moments where a giraffe gets decapitated.
I will admit I was wholly invested in the narrative - the film ties back to the first movie in that John Goodman plays Marshall, a mob boss who's out to get Chow because he took money from him during the first movie (in fact, Marshall's name does get mentioned in the first movie, we're just never privy to any of his story). Phil, Stu and Alan are the only connection to Chow that Marshall knows, so he holds Doug hostage (of course!) and orders them to get Chow or else. If you've watched the first movie, you'll dig the story. However, unlike the first film's retracing of events and finding awesome surprises (Mike Tyson! What happened to Stu's tooth?), we're treated to a ho-hum drama with little or no surprises and barely any laughs.
The biggest hangup? Part III loves Chow. So much, in fact, that he's in 90% of the movie. And it is awful. Chow is a fun character when he's just got a bit part to play. But here, he hijacks the whole movie and it gets annoying real quick. None of the jokes are that funny and there is way too many animal killings that are supposed to be funny, but are just downright cruel. I actually don't remember laughing all that much during this movie - it's just so gritty and real. I'd compare this to more dark comedies like In Bruges or Death at a Funeral, but less funny!
One bright spot was John Goodman - he absolutely kills it in this movie. His portrayal of Marshall is quite menacing, but there's a slight cartoonish behavior to his evilness that makes his scenes all the more entertaining. As for the rest of the cast, Galifianakis has his moments, but the schtick he had during the first two movies is more annoying now than I remember. (Kind of like Sheldon in The Big Bang Theory, I could write a very drawn out article on how awful his character has become during the run of that show). Cooper and Helms are okay - the problem is that the movie is more focused on everyone else that they're just as caught up in the drama as the audience, so their characters never really have any good moments. Oh and the gag after the credits? Completely dumb and unnecessary and it invalidates the whole ending of the movie and Alan's character resolution. It wasn't funny at all.
As unappealing as the comedy was, I still enjoyed seeing the movie find a resolution to Alan's wackiness and possible insanity. He's grown up a bit after the movie is finished and hopefully we'll never have to see these characters in Vegas again!
Rating: Not Worth Paying For!
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