The Movie Guy

Review: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)

2011-12-20T13:35:00.002-06:00

Director: Guy Ritchie (Snatch, RocknRolla)

Cast: Robert Downey Jr (Iron Man, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang), Jude Law (Cold Mountain, Enemy at the Gates), Noomi Rapace (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Jared Harris (Mad Men, Fringe), Stephen Fry (V for Vendetta, Alice in Wonderland), Rachel McAdams (Wedding Crashers, Mean Girls), Kelly Reilly, Paul Anderson

The Deal: Sherlock Holmes (Downey Jr) and his trusty sidekick Dr. Watson (Law) join forces once again to bring down Professor Moriarty, who's intellect rivals Holmes' own wit, making him their fiercest adversary yet as he tries to control the world.

Thoughts: The summer is always chock full of blockbusters while the Oscar "favorites" dominate the winter months, but there's always a few "summer" films sprinkled into the Christmas bustle to bring families into the theater, and Sherlock Holmes is exactly that. This sequel doesn't bring anything new to the franchise, and that's just the way we like it. Holmes is highly entertaining film meant to draw families to the theater with its A-list stars, witty humor, and a dash of action. It's nothing we haven't seen many many times before, but there's just something to love about Homes and Watson unraveling another case.

What makes the film so enjoyable, like its predecessor, is the great combination of Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law. The two play off each other so well in both a comedic and serious way. They're like a late 1800's version of Batman and Robin. They're action heroes who aren't afraid to dress in drag or don their own urban camouflage if it means sneaking by the enemy to gain an advantage. Jared Harris plays the big bad new villain, a man who's intellect rivals that of Holmes, and when the two are on screen together, there is a nice touch of tension through the air. Both actors adequately portray their constantly calculating characters well, and the fact that every move they make is a calculated one based on a million different variables helps separate the film from the many others who have taken on the "villain taking over the world" plot.

I have to say, the front half of the film is more action than wit. Sure, we get some doses of the Holmes deductive skill, but the big expensive action sequences are gotten out of the way early. Many critic's have claimed this sequel lacked the same level of deductive finesse as the first, but it's in the back half, closer to the last third of the film where the mind games come full force. Ultimately when you walk away from the film, it has a dash of sequelitis (bigger, better, more awesome), but it still captures the best of the 2009 predecessor.

Verdict: Sherlock Holmes A Game of Shadows is a fun sequel that brings all the same things we loved about the first. If the family is looking for some bonding time, and the theater is your destination, Holmes would not be a bad choice at all. ☆☆☆1/2

Review: Hugo (2011)

2011-12-19T17:14:00.006-06:00

Director: Martin Scorsese (The Departed, Goodfellas, Taxi Driver)

Cast: Asa Butterfield (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas), Chloe Moretz (Kick-Ass, Let Me In), Ben Kingsley (Schindler's List, Shutter Island), Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat, Bruno), Emily Mortimer (Shutter Island, Lars an the Real Girl), Christopher Lee (The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars), Jude Law (Sherlock Holmes, Cold Mountain)

The Deal: Hugo (Butterfield) is an orphan who lives in the walls of a Paris train station, diligently keeping the station's clocks functioning. Hugo's attempts to fix an old automaton left by his late father (Law) and his run-ins with the old man (Kingsley) who owns the stations toy shop push Hugo down the path of discovery, but only the young girl Isabelle (Moretz) holds the key to solving Hugo's mystery.

Thoughts: Critic's seem to describe this film as a throwback and ode to filmmaking, and whether or not you find this your cup of tea, they couldn't be more correct. The first thought in my mind after seeing the film was the trailer was a little misleading in a sense that it put so much emphasis on the automaton, when in fact the film is about its characters, and the robot is just a plot device. It threw me off, but I wouldn't call it disappointing. This is a film you need to watch to understand. Right about now I'm getting the feeling anyone reading this review may be thinking I am throwing caution flags for all potential viewers, but do not be mistaken, the film is worth seeing.

I fully enjoyed the characters in the film, every one of them, small role to large. They were all fleshed out nicely, and each served a purpose in driving the plot, even Sacha Baron Cohen, who's prior work leaves much to be desired in my eyes. These were real people struggling with real issues, their lives more intertwined than they realized. The path each character had taken through life is reflected in their actions, and it's only when you finally learn of their past that the realization hits you, and you completely connect with them.

The story itself is very straightforward, and with no real knowledge going in, I didn't expect where it was going to take me. The film is a work of art, a homage to film's past. You get a real look into the start of it all; soundless films that only make you laugh as you watch them come to be. The enjoyment you feel is reflected the same way to the characters in the film, and it quickly becomes clear that films are more than stories, but works of art meant to inspire and fascinate its viewers. This is a film about why we love films, and Scorsese executes it so well. To be honest, the film is unlike any other, and that may be a good or a bad thing to viewers, but anyone who calls themselves a true film lover will find something to connect with.

Verdict: Hugo isn't for everyone, but to the serious film viewer, it is a wonderfully executed piece of art full of rich characters that will remind you not only why you love films, but why films are always more than just a story. ☆☆☆☆

Review: Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011)

2011-12-12T08:43:00.005-06:00

Directors: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa

Cast: Steve Carell (The Office, The 40 Year Old Virgin), Ryan Gosling (Drive, The Notebook), Julianne Moore (Boogie Nights, Magnolia), Emma Stone (Easy A, Zombieland), Marissa Tomei (The Wrestler), Kevin Bacon (Footloose, Apollo 13), Analeigh Tipton, Jonah Bobo

The Deal: When his wife (Moore) asks for a divorce after more than 20 years together, Cal (Carell) seeks to rediscover his manhood with his new-found friend Jacob (Gosling), a womanizer who's an expert at picking up girls at bars.

Thoughts: The old saying "never judge a book by its cover" couldn't be more correct, as at first glance this film screamed chick-flick to me, or at least that's what all the TV spots and trailers seemed to want me to think. What we actually have is a comical yet serious look at the struggles of love from the viewpoints of many age ranges, and to be honest, it's a pretty realistic assessment. Movies rarely have sad endings, if more of them did nobody would want to watch them, but the route taken to the happy ending is mostly believable here, avoiding the extravagant over-the-top methods too many films use, and focusing on things most normal people would try. When it does try to get a little over-the-top, the plan fails. This is what makes the story so strong and relatable to an audience.

As we all know, a strong story is nothing without a strong cast, and the ensemble we have here all play their parts well. Carell frequently plays a middle-aged "everyman", but it's because he does it well and believably. The humor he brings isn't forced, but rather an outcome of actions a lost and heart-broken man could stumble upon, such as misjudging the type of woman he is bringing home or just being completely behind with the times. Gosling's character is scarred from a heartbreak, and the walls and methods he lives behind make perfect sense. Both characters are totally lost and confused about who they really are, but had they never met, neither could have ever rediscovered themselves.

I really enjoyed the "love triangle" between Cal, Jessica (Tipton), and Robbie (Bobo). The age gaps between the characters made for a few funny moments. Without ruining anything, Robbie is Cal's son, and Jessica is Robbie's babysitter. Robbie's in love with Jessica, and Jessica is in love with Cal. Cal is the guy in the triangle who doesn't know he's there, and wouldn't want to be there if he knew. I couldn't help but laugh every time Jessica told Robbie she's too old for him, that he's just not mature like she is, all the while she's striving for a man 30 years older than herself. The cluelessness from this triangle is quite funny, and pretty spot on with how real people act. I often use words like "real", "realistic", or "believable". For many films, those words have no place to be used, but when we're talking about romance, especially one that wants to be somewhat serious, if I can't see real people in the real world acting that way, then I view it as a failure.

Verdict: Crazy, Stupid, Love sports a strong cast, and is an entertaining look at the struggles of love at different stages in life. The fact that you can believe the character's actions makes this a film the viewer can connect with, and therefore one worth watching. ☆☆☆☆

Review: Friends with Benefits (2011)

2011-12-08T17:49:00.008-06:00

Director: Will Gluck

Cast: Justin Timberlake (In Time, The Social Network), Mila Kunis (That 70's Show, Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Woody Harrelson (Zombieland, Natural Born Killers), Richard Jenkins (Burn After Reading), Jenna Elfman (Dharma & Greg), Patricia Clarkson (The Green Mile)

The Deal: While trying to avoid the clichés of Hollywood romantic comedies, Dylan (Timberlake) and Jamie (Kunis) soon discover that adding the act of sex to their friendship does lead to complications.

Thoughts: Released after the similarly-premised No Strings Attached, Friends with Benefits is both original and superior. Both films rely on extremely attractive leads to rope viewers in, but this film has that extra something. It's a cookie-cutter script that doesn't feel like it. It constantly pokes fun at every sappy romantic comedy while executing those same plot points, and rarely wastes an opportunity to work in a pop culture reference without getting too annoying. What makes it work is how well the film acknowledges these moments and makes them feel original none-the-less.

Timberlake and Kunis have good onscreen chemistry, and that's the key starting point. Are our two leads both flawed in a way that will complicate everything? Yes. Will they both realize they want to be more than friends but have screwed it up? Yes. Will there be some elaborate realization and effort to have them end up together? Of course, it's a romantic comedy! What makes this film work is they're having fun with the script, and each of their characters portrays a little of themselves without it feeling like we're just watching a couple of actors playing themselves.

Verdict: Friends with Benefits is an original and humorous romantic comedy wrapped in a cookie-cutter mold. It will probably never go down as anything great, but it will be remembered as a funny and entertaining. ☆☆☆1/2

Review: Warrior (2011)

2011-12-08T13:03:00.005-06:00

Director: Gavin O'Connor

Cast: Joel Edgerton (King Arthur), Tom Hardy (Inception), Nick Nolte (The Thin red Line, Hotel Rwanda), Jennifer Morrison (House M.D.)

The Deal: Youngest son Tommy (Hardy) returns home from war and seeks his dad (Nolte) to train him for the upcoming MMA Sparta tournament. This sets him on a collision course with his older brother Brendan (Edgerton), with whom he has unresolved issues from their broken childhood, who's competing in the tournament as a last ditch effort to win the $5mil purse and save his family's home.

Thoughts: The crazy thing about this film is it sets the audience up to root for both brothers even though it's clear only one will come out on top. The struggles the two have endured since their broken childhood has left them scarred and searching for answers, be it retribution or forgiveness. Hardy and Edgerton both turn in emotionally charged performances that separate their characters from the other, stereotypical "animals" that comprise the MMA fighters.

Now let's not forget, this is a film about mixed martial arts fighting, but even if you have no interest in the sport, you will find yourself completely drawn into the fights due to our compelling leads, and you may just find yourself walking away from the film wanting to start watching MMA fights on TV. MMA is brutal and animalistic, something that is made very clear and present in the film, yet whenever our war hero and physics teacher step into the cage, you see a real person, pain and determination in their eyes, fighting to fix their broken life.

Verdict: Warrior's emotionally charged performances and adrenaline pumping fights make for a great film, start to finish, and a top 5 film for 2011. ☆☆☆☆1/2

Weekly TV Review: Nov 1 to Nov 7

2009-11-08T15:26:00.004-06:00

Dexter- If I Had A Hammer: Another week, another good Dexter episode. We find Dexter moving closer to Trinity in order to get a better feel for his current target. He gets to know the family, and even starts pushing Trinity's buttons to see what sets him off. We are still seeing the fallout from Rita discovering Dexter's apartment, so the couple is in counseling, and Dexter makes some interesting strides with being open to her. The issue for where he can store his stuff is settled as well. The real question is how long Dexter can sit by idly and deny his sister some of the info he has on Trinity. He's bound to break at some point, even if it's just a little bit. ☆☆☆☆

Heroes- Once Upon A Time In Texas: This is not a great episode, but it's solid, and sticks to what this season is doing well. We find Hiro trying to save Charlie, and there's a very interesting encounter with Syler (season 1 style) in the process. Samual once again pulls out the stops though, pulling a trick on Hiro in hopes of gaining his family a new time traveler/teleporter. The story following Noah seemed out of place, since it goes against the character that we've known for so long. After that whole story line is wrapped up by the end, it seems pointless right now, but with the way this season is going, maybe it means something more. ☆☆☆

V- Pilot: Well, ABC has hyped the crap out of this show, and with 14.3 millions viewers, it clearly worked. The episode isn't amazing, but really, what pilot ever is? The pilot does do a good job of setting up the show for a promising future. The acting is solid, the visuals are cool, and it seems there will be lots of twists along the way. Overall, it's fairly impressive and should pan out to be a pretty decent show. Plus, it's sci-fi, which I love, and most sci-fi shows don't last on anything but SyFy. ☆☆☆1/2

Community- Home Economics: After the group realizes that Jeff is living out of his car since being locked out of his condo, they all jump to his help. After much reluctance, he ends up bunking with Abed in the dorms. As you can imagine, his way of life quickly diminishes to the point where even Abed wants him to get his act together. They tell Britta to offer him sex, but she would prefer to use other methods to shape Jeff up. The episode doesn't overdo the humor, delivering just enough to properly compliment the story line. ☆☆☆1/2

FlashForward- The Gift: This show is starting to get frustrating. It never delivers an amazing episode, yet does just enough each week to prevent me from giving up on it. This week they are closing in on the blue hand group, finally leading to them getting on the inside. This could have been more interesting, but it was only decent. The saving grace of the episode is that it had a character make a life-or-death attempt to change the future. I hate to spoil too much, so I'll just say that there is a suicide. I like that the show is addressing the fact that these characters could very easily change their futures through drastic, or even a few simple measures. ☆☆☆

The Office- Double Date: Half of this episode was good, the other half quite bad. What was good was Pam and Jim being forced on a double date with Michael to celebrate Pam's mom's birthday. There's some great tension here, and Pam even seems to start coming around to the idea. Of course, the show quickly takes care of that development. What was bad was the stuff back at the office. Dwight wants to get Jim fired by doing nice things for people so that they owe him a favor. This idea is stupid, even for Dwight. Andy then gets involved, and the whole situation just blows up. The attempt really fell flat and didn't make sense for the characters or the show. ☆☆1/2

Movie Rewind: In Bruges (2008)

2009-11-07T14:18:00.007-06:00

Director: Martin McDonagh

Cast: Colin Farrell (Minority Report, Daredevil), Brendan Gleeson (Harry Potter, Troy), Ralph Fiennes (Harry Potter, Schindler's List), Clemence Poesy (Harry Potter), Jordan Prentice, Thelka Reuten, Jeremie Renier

The Deal: Hit men Ray (Farrell) and Ken (Gleeson) are ordered to lay low in Bruges, the most well-preserved medieval city in Belgium. Though their boss describes the town as a fairytale place to enjoy time off, Ray is jittery and can't stand to be there. Things take a turn for the worse when a hit is ordered that will test Ray and Ken like never before, one they may not walk away from alive.

Thoughts: In Bruges sports action, humor, and a dark and well written story. The characters are deep and are really challenged by inner turmoils over what they believe is right. As said in the film "you've got to stick by your principles." The violence, when there, is heavy and quite bloody. The story is engaging and has a few good twists. And then there's the humor. Ray and Ken spend plenty of time bickering about essentially nothing, which is always funny, but then there's scenes that involve karate chopping a dwarf and cocaine-induced thoughts of race wars. There's plenty of the dark humor, but the film remains surprisingly serious and deep throughout.

One of the film's biggest strengths is the acting. I'm not one to usually applaud Farrell for anything, but he was quite good here. His chemistry with Gleeson made for a hilarious and entertaining hit man duo. The two worked effortlessly together, and it made the film all the more enjoyable. Fiennes also delivers a very good performance, and the combination of those three actors makes for a very interesting triangle. They all have their own beliefs, and they each stick by them to the end, even when none of them agree. The actors all handle this situation well, and it helps round out the film.

Verdict: In Bruges has action, comedy, good acting, and a great story. It's incredibly entertaining and engaging, and if you haven't seen it already, I suggest you make it the next film you see. ☆☆☆☆1/2

Review: (500) Days of Summer (2009)

2009-11-05T16:27:00.004-06:00

Director: Marc Webb

Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt (10 Things I Hate About You, The Lookout), Zooey Deschanel (Yes Man, Elf), Geoffrey Arend, Matthew Gray Gubler (Alvin and the Chipmunks), Chloe Moretz, Clark Gregg (Iron Man)

The Deal: Tom (Gordon-Levitt), a greeting-card writer and hopeless romantic, is devastated when his girlfriend, Summer (Deschanel), suddenly dumps him. Determined to win her back, he reflects back on their 500 days together to find out what went wrong so he can try and fix things. Unfortunately, expectations and reality are rarely the same, but looking back helps Tom rediscover his true passions in life.

Thoughts: We're told right off the bat that this is a film about boy-meets-girl that is most definitely not a love story. Though much of the film would appear otherwise, the statement couldn't be more true. Tom believes in true love and soul mates, while Summer doesn't believe in love at all. Though he thinks he can change things for her, despite his best efforts, he can't take things to the next level. It's very sad at times watching him struggle, because for many viewers, Tom's position is one that they may be familiar with themselves. The film takes a very serious look out how relationships pan out in real life, but also reminds the viewers that events in life happen for a reason, and if you prevent yourself from dwelling in the past and moving on to live your life, things will work out and you can find happiness.

Though there's an assortment of supporting actors, it's Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel that devour almost every scene. Both do an excellent job with their roles. Gordon-Levitt has gone from obscurity after the popular 10 Things I Hate About You and roared back into the spotlight with this role. It's a powerful yet grounded performance that feels very real and as mentioned earlier, can be related to by the audience. For Deschanel, the film showcases how cute she is. It builds her up to be the perfect, most adorable girlfriend a guy could find only to have her crush the boyfriends heart with his own theories. She's not made out to be the bad girl, but rather a perfect example of what it is like trying to find one's true love.

Verdict: (500) Days of Summer is a wonderful romantic-comedy that avoids the black hole of being a chick-flick. It's serious and rooted in reality, yet maintains the idea that true love can exist and that even when things seem down, life can work out for the best. ☆☆☆☆1/2

Review: Surrogates (2009)

2009-11-05T10:12:00.002-06:00

Director: Jonathan Mostow (U-571, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines)

Cast: Bruce Willis (Die Hard, The Sixth Sense), Radha Mitchell (Man on Fire, Silent Hill), Rosamund Pike (Die Another Day, Doom), James Cromwell (L.A. Confidential, W.), Ving Rhames (Mission: Impossible, Pulp Fiction), Michael Cudlitz (Band of Brothers), Boris Kodjoe

The Deal: In an age where people purchase unflawed robotic versions of themselves, called surrogates, to assume their life roles and keep them safe while they are comfy at their home, FBI agent Tom Greer (Willis) investigates the mysterious murders of people while connected to their surrogate, a phenomenon that was thought to be impossible. The murders spawn a quest for answers, but in a world where no one is what they appear to be, who's real and who can you trust?

Thoughts: Though Surrogates is probably not worth the inflated theater prices, it is an entertaining film that is worth seeing. The premise is very straight forward, and viewers will be hard-pressed not to find the idea fairly interesting. The plot's twists and turns are somewhat predictable, and the film is a little too action happy at times, but the idea of this futuristic world overpowers these downsides and keeps the film enjoyable. The biggest downside is that the film has a premise with limitless options, but fails to fully utilize them, a waste when you consider the idea of controlling a robotic version of yourself.

There are a lot of familiar names in the film, and as a whole, if you're familiar with the types of films you typically see them in, then you have a good idea of what the performances are like. Yes, many of the actors have had a great role or two, but for the most part, they are all decent actors and actresses, but nothing more. It is one of the draw-backs to the film. Sci-fi can be a tricky genre to pull of well. It needs an engaging script and great acting, two things that are both missing from the film.

Verdict: Though it's not likely to blow you away, Surrogates takes an interesting idea and makes a decently entertaining film out of it. It misses some great opportunities, and the acting could be better, but its a solid option if your looking for a newer film to see. ☆☆☆

Weekly TV Review: Oct 25 to Oct 31

2009-11-01T17:37:00.004-06:00

Dexter- Dirty Harry: Dexter never delivers a bad episode. We find Dex hot on the trail of Trinity, but Deb is deeply struggling with the death of Lundy and Rita has discovered that Dex kept his old apartment. There's a lot of distractions for him, but he somehow manages to juggle it all like he normally does. What made the whole episode so interesting is how they developed Trinity even further. Despite Deter's best efforts, Trinity eludes him long enough to make his third kill, but when Dex follows Trinity away from the scene, he finds himself shocked to find that he and Trinity have even more in common than he ever imagined possible. ☆☆☆☆

Heroes- Strage Attractors: This episode was a little off balance. One of the most frustrating aspects was the Matt/Syler story line. Matt is still trying to kick Syler from his head, especially after Syler took control for a little sex session with Mrs. Parkman. Matt's solution was to literally drink his problems away. It was a really cheesy decision, though the episode redeems it a little bit when we see that it was merely a ruse for Syler to fully take over. We also see Claire in a Halloween story line that is actually not too bad. Her powers are now revealed to more people, but there is now the new dynamic now that she knows about little Miss Invsible. Noah's story line was weak, but did give us a very badass moment with Samuel ruthlessly destroying a police department. ☆☆☆1/2

Community- Introduction to Statistics: Community does a bit more to right the ship this week. The Halloween episode gets back to what made the early episodes so funny while still progressing the story quite well. Annie is throwing a Halloween party, and people will only go if Jeff is there, but Jeff is in hot pursuit of his sexy Stats professor. With his absence, Pierce tries to be cool by taking drugs, but he goes crazy and the only person that can help him is Jeff. He must decide between helping his friends and having sex with the professor, and he makes the interesting choice of helping friends. It shows that he is slowly accepting his place in community college, as well as committing himself to developing real friendships with his classmates. Between the story line and all of the funny costumes, this episode is very entertaining. ☆☆☆☆

The Office- Koi Pond: After Jim and Michael go on a sales call, Michael returns soaking wet after falling in a koi pond. With the office unleashing a relentless string of jokes (this was by far the funniest segment of the episode), Michael is getting upset. Jim tells Michael that he should make fun of himself to ease the pressure, but Michael of course takes this too far. We also see Pam and Andy making sales calls with everyone thinking they are married with a baby on the way. This makes for some awkward scenes, but then the episode takes things a little too far here as well. It's not a bad episode, but it missed some opportunities and marred some of its own bright spots. ☆☆☆

FlashForward- Scary Monsters and Super Creeps: This show continues to be very interesting despite a lack of very strong episodes. It has not wowed me yet, but I still find myself tuning in every week hoping to learn more. Whatever works I guess. The episode does a lot to show that maybe people really can change their futures. Hawk is told she can't have children after the gunshot wound, but she could very well still get pregnant. We also see Mr Simcoe end up at the Benford's house when his missing son turns up there. Him and Mark go at it, and Lloyd agrees to never come back. We finally get to see Dominic Monaghan in action, and his flashforward is quite disturbing. We also learn more about his involvement with the blackouts, and he is shaping up to be a great villain for the show. ☆☆☆1/2

*House and Glee did not air due to the World Series. Again, Dollhouse will not return until December. Coming up this week is the premiere of ABC's new show V. It looks very good, and I can't wait to review the show with the rest of them. The Scrubs spin-off show has been giving a premiere date of December 1.

Movie Rewind: Shaun of the Dead (2004)

2009-10-30T17:53:00.003-05:00

Director: Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz)

Cast: Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz, Star Trek), Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz), Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Dylan Moran (Run Fatboy Run)

The Deal: Shaun is having a bad day. He's 29-years-old, his career is going nowhere, his best friend is a slacker, and his girlfriend has dumped him for forgetting their anniversary. But if he thought things couldn't get any worse, they do. London is experiencing a zombie apocalypse and it's up to Shaun to save his romance and his friends or fall prey to the walking dead.

Thoughts: This is the film that started the zombie-comedy genre. It's extremely funny, full of gruesome scenes expected from a zombie film, and just flat out entertaining. I re-watch this film every year around Halloween and it never gets old. In a way, the story plays out the way every average man would imagine a zombie apocalypse panning out. He's down-on-his luck, but in the heat of the moment, he can step it up, kill a slew of zombies, and get the girl. What guy wouldn't want this scenario to work out that way for themselves?

A big boost for the film is the acting. I love Simon Pegg and Nick Frost together. They are just a very funny combo that know how to make a fun film. There are a few more serious moments in the film where the comedians must tone it back, and they handle those scenes well. The supporting cast is solid as well, providing plenty of funny moments themselves.

There are a couple of scenes that I really love in the film. The first is when Shaun and Ed are in the back yard trying to kill their first zombie. The two sit there an bicker over what CDs can be used as a weapon, all the while the zombie is getting closer. The two, after unsuccessfully throwing a slew of objects, settle on blunt objects like a cricket bat to get the job done. The other scene is in the bar towards the end when the group continue to circle around the zombie whacking him with pool cues. The music and the visual is just really funny and memorable.

Verdict: The defining film for the zom-com genre. Shaun of the Dead is very funny, action-packed, and full of ravenous zombies. A yearly must around Halloween. ☆☆☆☆1/2

Movie Rewind: Paranormal Activity (2007)

2009-10-29T13:56:00.002-05:00

Director: Oren Peli

Cast: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Mark Fredrichs

The Deal: After moving into a suburban home, Katie (Featherston) and Micah (Sloat) become increasingly disturbed by a series of supernatural occurrences in the night. Hoping to capture evidence of the haunting, they set up a video camera in their room every night, but they are in no way prepared for the series of terrifying events that follow.

Thoughts: This isn't one of those films that tries to jump out and startle you, but rather the type that builds initial suspense and then keeps growing it to heightened levels every few scenes. There will be a crowd of viewers that find the film terrifying and possibly nightmare inducing. The camera work is the same style that was used in The Blair Witch Project, which for these types of films is really the best route to go. It adds a very realistic and believable touch to the story. There will also be a crowd that isn't necessarily frightened by this, but the film will still prove to be eerily satisfying and deliver the chills most seek when they look in towards the horror genre. Sure, it's predictable that the Ouija board would come to life when they left the room in one scene, but who could have seen the board lighting on fire? It's scenes like that that keep the film interesting and the viewer on the edge of their seat.

Paranormal Activity is entirely carried by two actors you've never heard of, and I think that once again, this works to the advantage of this type of film. These aren't Hollywood stars we see everywhere, but rather a couple of average citizens dealing with a set of terrifyingly real paranormal events. This is the aspect that makes the film so scary to some, because they can much more easily place themselves in the characters' shoes and believe this could happen to them. Katie and Micah, who keep their names in the film, both do an excellent job delivering their performances. Their emotions always seem very real, and their actions make logical sense.

I watched the original version from 2007. The version playing in theaters right now is mostly the same. There are a few scenes that are shown in a new order to fit a more theatrical audience, but the only big change occurs with the ending. There are multiple new endings to the film, though I've only really heard much about one. *SPOILERS* The original ending has Kate kill Micah downstairs then retreat upstairs where she rocks back and forth in a ball for days until the police arrive. The ending floating around in most theaters has her killing Micah and then dragging him upstairs and throwing him at the camera. Without seeing this ending, I can't comment on which is better, but I can say that the original ending is good, and the new one doesn't sound like it will ruin the film in any way.

Verdict: Paranormal Activity avoids the startling scares for a more believable and eerie direction that delivers heightened chills with every new scene. ☆☆☆☆

Movie Rewind: Trick 'r Treat (2007)

2009-10-27T09:50:00.004-05:00

Director: Michael Dougherty

Cast: Dylan Baker (Kings, Spider-Man), Anna Paquin (X-Men, True Blood), Tahmoh Penikett (Battlestar Galactica, Dollhouse), Leslie Bibb (Talladega Nights, Iron Man), Brian Cox (The Bourne Identity, X2), Britt McKillip (Dead Like Me), Lauren Lee Smith (CSI, The L Word), Rochelle Aytes, Quinn Lord

The Deal: In a small town on Halloween, five interwoven frightful stories occur on a single block. A couple learns the dangers of blowing out a Jack-o-Lantern before midnight, a group of children take a prank too far and discover the terrifying truth of a local legend, a twisted principal must hide his dark secret, a college "virgin" seeks the right man, and an old hermit is visited by a terrifying trick-or-treater with a few bones to pick.

Thoughts: I wish I had heard of this film sooner, because this is a great Halloween pick. Originally slated to be released in theaters, it ended up going straight to DVD, but that is not due to a lack of quality. Each of the stories is well drawn out and full of fright, suspense, and mystery. The different tales are all woven together nicely into one interconnected story. It is a scary film, but not over the top. It's at that level where it is fun and enjoyable on top of providing some chills. If you're not paying too close of attention, you'll find the film's twists quite surprising.

It's pretty impressive to see so many familiar faces. Few of them are big name stars, with Paquin being one of the few universally recognizable faces, but anyone who watches movies and TV will find people they recognize. With a film like this, the actors don't need to rely on great acting, but that's not to say that they don't do a good job. I think the castings are well chosen and add to the overall feel of the film. Even the children do a good job. Their tale was fun and "believable".

Verdict: If you're looking for a good Halloween film that isn't trying to scare the pants off of you while still delivering some chills, this is the film for you. It has a few good scares, and does a great job capturing the Halloween spirit. ☆☆☆☆

Review: I Love You, Beth Cooper (2009)

2009-10-25T16:32:00.003-05:00

Director: Chris Columbus (Harry Potter, Home Alone)

Cast: Hayden Panettiere (Heroes, Remember the Titans), Paul Rust, Jack Carpenter (Sydney White), Lauren London, Lauren Storm (Flight 29 Down), Shawn Roberts, Alan Ruck (Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Spin City), Cynthia Stevenson (Men in Trees, Dead Like Me)

The Deal: Class valedictorian Denis Cooverman (Rust) has had a crush on Beth Cooper (Panettiere), the hottest girl in school. During his graduation speech, Denis urges everyone to say the things they will regret if they don't, so he professes his love for Beth. Though embarrassed, instead of humiliating him back, she shows up to his party and shows him the time of his life.

Thoughts: This was a chore to sit through. It was rarely entertaining, mostly in part to the absolute ridiculous and nonsensical plot. All of your typical high school stereotypes are there, and the characters are each given the most extreme quirks you'd never ever see in real life, especially all out of one single high school. The film as a whole is just a bunch of random and unbelievable events thrown together with the hope of being only moderately decent, something it fails at. Yes, there are a few decent moments that'll make you laugh, but they're quickly overshadowed by the rest of the film's failures.

If you have a giant crush on Panettiere, you may like this film. She looks fantastic in every minute of it, but that's the only good thing she does. Her performance is quite weak and makes her work on Heroes look great. As for Rust, he just isn't that great of a lead. Despite the fact that everyone is supposed to be able to relate to the high school nerd who just wants a chance, viewers will be hard pressed to feel that way towards Denis.

Verdict: As good as Panettiere may look, it does little to help the films weak and unbelievable plot. It's just another high school film that leans on all of the usual stereotypes but does little to differentiate itself. ☆1/2

Review: The Ugly Truth (2009)

2009-10-24T17:07:00.004-05:00

Director: Robert Luketic (Legally Blonde, 21)

Cast: Katherine Heigl (27 Dresses, Grey's Anatomy), Gerard Butler (300, The Phantom of the Opera), Bree Turner, Eric Winter (Days of Our Lives)

The Deal: Abby (Heigl) is a determined TV producer and hopelessly single. With her show garnering low ratings, her employers team her up with Mike (Butler), an opinionated TV celebrity who brutally addresses what makes men and women click. Though they immediately clash, as Abby is disgusted by him, but the show becomes a hit. Confident in his theories, Mike guarantees he can help Abby land the man of her dreams, but if he fails, he has to leave the show.

Thoughts: Formulaic? Check. Predictable? Check. Unoriginal? Check. Funny and entertaining? Check... kinda. Rom-coms seem to be churned out way too fast these days, and it shows. Their quality is quite low, yet because of beautiful male and female leads, people still end up watching them. The scenarios are always incredibly unrealistic, and the films almost always end with the same sappy happy ending. For the most part, The Ugly Truth does nothing to buck this trend. Unlike many of the genre, it's overly raunchy. This can be funny at times, but far too often it just seems unnecessary.

I'm not going to go into a long rant about Heigl, so I'll just say this. I don't like her. It's nothing personal, but I really don't care for anything she stars in. She's not funny, and that's a problem here. Thankfully, Butler is pretty darn funny here, but only if you're a guy. Women will probably be disgusted, but men will find his very raunchy, dirty mind and actions quite hilarious. It's nothing you'll be raving about any time soon, but it's almost enough to save the film. It is enough to give the film a small spark of life, making for a mildly entertaining experience.

Verdict: A sappy and formulaic rom-com that relies on overly raunchy humor to get laughs. Women may hate this, but men will relate to Butler's character, at least enough to get a few laughs. ☆☆

Weekly TV Review: Oct 18 to Oct 24

2009-10-24T15:24:00.003-05:00

Dexter- Dex Takes A Holiday: Rita is taking the kids to a wedding, which means Dexter has the weekend to himself to finally please his inner monster. It's great to see Dexter at work doing what he does best. His mark is a shady cop who's fairly clever, but Dexter always gets his mark. We also see Deb and Lundy getting very close while investigating the Trinity Killer. Without trying to spoil too much, Lundy may have ID'd the killer, but after the closing scene, it'll be tough to predict how things will play out for Deb and Lundy with the investigation. ☆☆☆☆

House- Brave Heart: Though far from being a bad episode, it isn't likely to remain too memorable. It is interesting to see House working with Chase, Cameron, and Foreman again like in the early seasons, but it's really just another case. Chase is still trying to cope with his actions, and House is interested in why Wilson talks to Amber at night. It's all interesting, but not a standout episode. ☆☆☆

Heroes- Tabula Rasa: Though not as good as last weeks phenomenal episode, Tabula Rasa continues to keep the good tempo Heroes is surprisingly showing this season. Samuel is trying to help Sylar regain his mind, and he makes some very interesting comments on the matter that add even more to the mystery of what he has planned. With Hiro dying, Peter and Noah try to find a healer, and though this storyline isn'y great, it is relevant, and therefore still pleasing given the disappointments of the past. To my great joy, Hiro is interesting again. He's not obsessing over his destiny as a hero, but rather helping Emma understand her powers while his own power continues to act on its own while he tries to figure out the meaning. ☆☆☆1/2

Glee- Mash Up: This episode has a very high school feel to it, as it focuses on the kids deciding if popularity is worth it. The whole school seems to like the idea of throwing slushies in the groups faces, and as expected, the jocks and cheerleaders struggle the most with this. After Will and Emma continue to exhibit sexual tension, Tanaka decides to force Finn, Puck and crew to decide between football and glee club. It's not as funny as previous episodes, and it doesn't have a dynamite performance like previous episodes, but it maintains the same level of entertainment that has kept us watching all season. I did find the romance between Rachel and Puck not only awkward, but very out of placed and forced, especially since it flamed out so quickly. ☆☆☆1/2

Community- Football, Feminism, and You: Jeff is trying to convince Troy to join the football team so that the dean won't send out flyers with Jeff's face on them, fearing it could hurt his job chances. Annie wants Troy to focus on her and school, but as we've come to know, everyone listens to Jeff. What's nice is that it turns out Troy actually wants to be on the team, allowing for Jeff and Annie to forgive each. We also see Britta struggling to understand female bathroom trips, a story line that isn't as funny as it should be. What was absolutely hysterical, to no surprise, was Pierce's part. He's teamed with the dean to create a new mascot, since the school no longer will be called the Grizzlies, and now be called the Human Beings. Anyone who has watched the show knows that with Pierce, this story line will deliver the laughs. ☆☆☆

The Office- The Lover: Michael is dating Pam's mom, and boy does this not sit well with Pam or Jim. What we get is Pam losing all emotional control, constantly harassing Michael to call it off. In a funny moment, Michael runs to Toby for help, something I never thought I'd see. While this was a more serious part to the episode, the humor falls between Jim and Dwight, not surprisingly. Dwight, still jealous of Jim's promotion, plants an obvious listening devise inside of a wooden mallard. Jim isn't an idiot, and plays around with Dwight, leading to some very funny scenes, but Dwight ends up getting the last laugh in a clever move. ☆☆☆☆

FlashForward- Gimme Some Truth: I'm still waiting for this show to finally kick things into gear and get good. The premise is interesting, but it continues to deliver mediocre results. I will say that this might be the best episode yet though, mainly due to the ending. Though it seems highly unlikely that the guys could all have escaped from the car unscathed, the ensuing shootout was very fun. The music was a good choice, but the real scene stealer was Hawk's portion of the ending. People want Mosaic gone, and those involved are attacked. We leave with Hawk bleeding out in the street while her alarm clock (the type that has wheels and rolls away from you in the morning) continues to drive around her drawing circles of blood on the ground. ☆☆☆1/2

Dollhouse- Belonging: I never thought Dollhouse would ever deliver my favorite episode of the week, but it has. This is not only the best episode of the show, but a very good television episode of any kind. This is saying a lot, but it really was good. The episode focuses on Sierra's background, and every single character in the show has some fresh and very interesting dilemmas. We see Topher finally showing he does have some morals, Boyd quietly watching Echo and Topher, and Echo trying to hide the fact that she's reading and lying (something no doll should be doing). It's a very emotionally charged episode that not only progresses the show's story relevant story line, but delivers entertaining and challenging scenes for almost every minute. My rating of the episode may seem inflated, but considering what the show has delivered in the past, I think it's justified. ☆☆☆☆1/2

*Dollhouse will not be airing during November, as Fox has decided to keep it out of sweeps. The show will return on December 4 with a two-hour episode. Fox still plans on airing the entire season.

Review: The Proposal (2009)

2009-10-17T16:49:00.002-05:00

Director: Anne Fletcher (Step Up, 27 Dresses)

Cast: Sandra Bullock (Speed, Miss Congeniality), Ryan Reynolds (Just Friends, Definitely Maybe), Mary Steenburgen (Elf, Joan of Arcadia), Craig T Nelson (Coach, The Incredibles), Betty White (The Golden Girls, Mary Tyler Moore), Malin Akerman (Watchmen, The Heartbreak Kid), Oscar Nunez (The Office)

The Deal: High-powered book editor Margaret Tate (Bullock) blackmails her assistant Andrew (Reynolds) into marrying her so that she will not be deported back to Canada after violating her work visa. With the government questioning the validity of the marriage, she's forced to travel with Andrew to Alaska to meet his family where the two must fake their new engagement in order to learn enough to fool the investigator. As the two are forced to spend so much time together, they both gain a better understanding of the other, but when the family decides to give them a surprise wedding, things are thrown into chaos.

Thoughts: Yes, this is a pretty predictable and formulaic romantic comedy, but in all reality, what film in that genre isn't? Instead of casting it aside for that sole reason, viewers should give it a chance. It is actually fairly funny the whole way through, and though the premise is very unrealistic, it's unique enough to keep things interesting. Andrew is no fool, and despite being blackmailed, he blackmails her back early on such that the arrangement is mutually beneficial. It's when the family gets involved where we see the human side of the two, and despite it's typical happy ending, the film was entertaining.

The biggest reason this film works is that Reynolds and Bullock have great chemistry on screen. We've always associated Reynolds with being a comedian, but Bullock can be pretty funny herself. What makes them stand out is that they know how to be serious. I'm not talking about winning-an-Oscar serious, but the type of serious that's needed to take a crazy rom-com seriously (wow, that was a lot of "serious"). Betty White is also quite funny. Let's face it, if written properly, the funny grandma can be a goldmine for films, and she is just that.

Verdict: Though it's just as generic and predictable as you'd guess a rom-com to be, The Proposal is actually quite funny and Reynolds and Bullock have great chemistry on screen. ☆☆☆1/2

Weekly TV Review: Oct 11 to Oct 17

2009-10-16T21:45:00.006-05:00

Dexter- Blinded By the Light: This week we see Dexter growing weary of the neighborhood watch. There's a vandal running loose, and the extra attention is making it hard for him to do his dirty work. Plus, he's annoyed and wants to personally scare the vandal into stopping. We also see the Trinity Killer get his next victim, but there's some dispute at the station over whether it was a suicide or a homicide. Lundy and Deb seem convinced in their thoughts, but they're currently on an island. It's another good episode, and I can't find any noticeable flaws to point out. ☆☆☆☆

Heroes- Hysterical Blindness: Thank goodness. After last week's disappointment, we are given the best episode of the season. Going in, all anyone could talk about was Claire's lesbian kiss, but by the time the episode ends, that's the least interesting part of the episode. Peter and Emma finally start to connect, with Emma realizing she can manipulate sound into a physical attack (finally proving she is a relevant character). Sylar has some memory loss, but when the cops find him full of bullet holes, he's tossed into an interrogation. As the pressure increases, powers start returning, and he has no clue what's going on. In the best move since the first season, we get a huge shocker in the Claire story line. I won't blow it for you, but it ties up some previous open plots, and was a fantastic twist. The episode ends with Samuel picking his new member, and the decision is bound to have great repercussions. ☆☆☆☆1/2

House- Instant Karma: Foreman and Chase are working on getting their stories straight after they get the impression that somebody may know too much about Dibala's death. On top of things, their patient is a dying boy who's father thinks his son's condition is based on karma since his business endeavors are booming. House is called in to make the final calls, but Foreman is still in charge. The episode continues to work the previous story lines, but it's not spectacular. It's still solid, but the boy's case wasn't as interesting as I thought it would be. ☆☆☆1/2

Glee- Throwdown: Now that Sue has equal say over the club, she and Will are clashing hard. Sue wants nothing more than to bring the club to ruins, playing her usual games of sabotage, forcing Will to either get even or lose it all. It's a very very funny episode, capped by the funniest line of all. Sue, wanting to really divide the group, decides to make Will look racist. "Sanatana, Wheels, Gay Kid, Asian, Other Asian, Aretha, and Shaft." She even convinces Puck and Britney that they are being mistreated for being Jewish and Dutch. Her reckless disregard for any emotions is phenomenal, making this possibly the funniest episode yet. It's also now apparent who the real musical talents are. Lea Michele (Rachel), Amber Riley (Mercedes), and Kevin McHale (Artie) can definitely sing well. Dianna Agron (Quinn), who gets a solo this week, and Cory Monteith (Finn) are both ok singers, but they are no where near the level of those other three. ☆☆☆☆

FlashForward- Black Swan: This is a fairly forgettable episode. Having watched it only a few hours ago, I've already forgot much of what went down. Mark and Demetri are debating how to proceed with the new information at hand, and Olivia is trying her hardest to avoid Mr Simcoe. Not a lot happens, but she does have a patient who's quite sick, and Bryce pieces together the solution by mixing symptoms with the man's flashforward. It's interesting, but overall, the episode is frustrating. ☆☆1/2

Community- Advanced Criminal Law: Brita is caught cheating on a Spanish test, forcing Jeff to represent her during a hearing to determine the school's actions. There's very little humor in the story line. Annie needs help writing a school song, and Pierce says he's a great composer... he's not. This was fairly funny, as Pierce's "brilliant" ideas were actually just him changing the words to existing songs, but thinking he came up with it all himself. Troy and Abed are pulling jokes on each other, but Abed really doesn't get it. He makes some weird alien noise that are funny, but that's it. ☆☆1/2

The Office- Mafia: This was a pretty solid episode, not brilliant, but definitely not bad. After being approached by an Italian insurance agent, Michael becomes convinced he's being targeted by the mafia and if he doesn't enroll, they will burn the office down. Much of the office thinks this is absolutely ridiculous, but since Jim and Pam are on their honeymoon, there's no one to keep Michael in check. ☆☆☆1/2

*Dollhouse didn't air this week due to MLB Playoffs

Review: Land of the Lost (2009)

2009-10-16T19:01:00.004-05:00

Director: Brad Silberling (A Series of Unfortunate Events)

Cast: Will Farrell (Old School, Talladega Nights), Anna Friel (Pushing Daisies, Timeline), Danny McBride (Hot Rod, Pineapple Express), Jorma Taccone (Saturday Night Live, Hot Rod)

The Deal: Washed-up scientist Rick Marshall (Ferrell) is sucked through a wormhole and thrown into an alternate dimension full of dinosaurs and creatures from beyond our world. Alongside him are Holly (Friel), his research assistant and biggest fan, and Will (McBride), a redneck survivalist. With the device necessary to return home being lost during their trip there, the three must rely on a humanoid-primate named Chaka (Taccone) to help them navigate out of the dimension. Unfortunately, an evil Sleestak (strange reptile people of the dimension) has other plans with Marshall's devise... ruling the world.

Thoughts: For every good thing Land of the Lost does, there are a handful of wrong things that follow. At times, the film can actually be pretty funny, but many of the jokes become overused, and Ferrel's antics just become annoying. The biggest issue with the film is clashing visuals. Some of the CGI looks good and some of it looks terrible (how is it that the t-rex from Jurassic Park, made 16 years earlier, looks 100 times more realistic?). On top of that, we have the intentionally terrible Sleestak costumes that are clearly a throwback to the original material. What we get is a muddled mess of visuals that just don't fit together and make the film tough to sit through.

Will Ferrell is incredibly one dimensional. He knows how to be over-the-top funny, and that's it. It's good because you're guaranteed to have some funny moments, but it always ends up being annoying and never allows the film to be taken seriously. I love Anna Friel. I've thought she was adorable since Pushing Daisies, and she's just as likable in this film. Her performance isn't that great, but since I know she's capable of much more, the fault can be largely blamed on the script. Either way, she's a pleasant presence in the film, shinning as one of the very few bright spots. McBride's style meshes well with Ferrell, but he's not a great actor and he too suffers from growing annoyance.

Verdict: Though it does have a decent amount of funny moments, Land of the Lost is plagued by bad visuals and Ferrell's overacting. Friel is likable, but she can't overcome the annoyances of the film. ☆☆

Review: Transformers Revenge of the Fallen (2009)

2009-10-15T17:23:00.006-05:00

Director: Michael Bay (Transformers, Armageddon)

Cast: Shia LaBeouf (Even Stevens, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull), Megan Fox (Transformers, Jennifer's Body), Josh Duhamel (Transformers, Las Vegas), Tyrese Gibson (Transformers, Four Brothers), John Turturro (Transformers, Mr. Deeds), Isabel Lucas (Home and Away)

The Deal: Though the battle may have been won, Earth is still not safe. An ancient Deceptacon named The Fallen has returned and Sam (LaBeouf) possesses the information he needs. To make matters worse, the Deceptacons have revived Megatron to join the fray. Optimus and Bumblebee must do their best to protect Sam from falling prey, but the Deceptacons have returned with greater numbers, and the Autobots may finally be outmatched.

Thoughts: After a very successful first film, Revenge of the Fallen is a massive disappointment. All of the elements were there for another solid addition to the franchise, but the film has fallen prey to director Michael Bay. Don't get me wrong, when it comes to explosions and epic battles, Bay is the man. Unfortunately, a relevant plot is cast aside for Bay's CGI, leaving over an hour of this film as unnecessary fluff. It aways looks nice, but there are just far too many rock-bottom plot lines to rescue this film (do we really need robot testicles). Many of the scenes flat out don't make any sense, and some of the new characters are just plain awful and annoying (I'm looking directly at you, Mudflap and Skids). There's also the issue many have pointed out that some of the Deceptacons are appearing in two separate battles at the same time.

I get it, Megan Fox is a slammin' hottie, but that is no excuse for this film. She serves no relevant purpose other than to look good. She's just cast in there to flaunt her sexyness and muddle up the already thin plot. There's just far to much time spent emphasizing her looks and far too little spent on focusing on the actual plot. LaBeouf isn't any worse than he was in the first film, but it still doesn't make his performance very good. I'm going to peg a lot of this on the script, which is just corny and frequently makes little sense.

Verdict: Visually, Revenge of the Fallen looks awesome, but non-stop action and tons of Megan Fox can't change the fact that there was rarely a coherent plot. The film runs over 2.5 hours, and at least half of that time is full of unnecessary plot. ☆☆

Review: Zombieland (2009)

2009-10-15T16:58:00.005-05:00

Director: Ruben Fleischer

Cast: Jesse Eisenberg (Adventureland), Woody Harrelson (Cheers, The People vs Larry Flint), Emma Stone (Superbad, The House Bunny), Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine, Definitely Maybe), Amber Heard (Never Back Down)

The Deal: The zombie apocalypse has occurred, and a cowardly shut-in called Columbus (Eisenberg) with a long list of survival rules must team up with Tallahassee (Harrelson), a man desperatly searching for a Twinkie with little emotional regard to others, in order to survive. The two eventually cross paths with Wichita (Stone) and Little Rock (Breslin), a couple of girls with a set of unorthodox methods to surviving. Though reluctant to stay together, the group ultimately continues across the country killing as many zombies as possible, but as their different goals become known, the group considers going separate ways.

Thoughts: If you've seen Shaun of the Dead (and enjoyed it), then you'd best be served seeing this as well. The two essentially make up the zombie-comedy genre, and it's absolutely hysterical. Zombieland is chock full of zombies and ridiculously gory ways of killing them and staying alive. When you're surrounded by a horde of zombies, and all that's going through your mind is finding a Twinkie, you know you're messed up, and this is what makes Zombieland so funny. Each character is well developed and has their own quirky attributes that when merged with a zombie attack are just plain funny. The premise is pretty straight forward, and it sticks to its guns, allowing for the film to fully make use of its potential. Lots of zombies + lots of weapons + lots of killing + lots of humor = great entertainment. That's what this film is in a nutshell.

Zombie films can be incredibly cheesy, largely in part due to the acting, but that's not the case here. The actors all have the comedic chops to make the humor work while still maintaining a level of seriousness necessary for a zombie apocalypse. Harrelson and Eisenberg are a riot together, as the two are complete polar opposites about pretty much everything. With Stone and Breslin added to the mix, the group is an odd collection of personalities, and it works so well. As good as they were, the funniest bit comes from the secret guest star (*SPOILER*). Somehow, Bill Murray has survived by disguising himself as a zombie, and before his part is done, he has some amazing scenes with Harrelson, who's character is Murray's biggest fan. Not a soul was left quite during Murray's 5-10 minutes on screen, and it was by far the funniest part of the film, which actually says a lot.

Verdict: An incredibly funny and entertaining zom-com that's bolstered by a great guest appearance. It's just as good as Shaun of the Dead, and I suggest you see it, especially since it's Halloween season. ☆☆☆☆

Review: The Brothers Bloom (2009)

2009-10-15T16:30:00.003-05:00

Director: Rian Johnson

Cast: Adrien Brody (The Pianist, The Darjeeling Limited), Mark Ruffalo (Zodiac, 13 Going On 30), Rachel Weisz (The Fountain, The Constant Gardner), Rinko Kikuchi, Robbie Coltrane (Harry Potter, Tomorrow Never Dies)

The Deal: Stephen (Ruffalo) and Bloom (Brody) spent their childhood bouncing between foster homes while slowly learning to be top-notch con artists. Bloom craves to live an "unwritten life", one not dreamed up by his brother. Ready to retire, Bloom agrees to pull one last con. The target is a single and bored New Jersey heiress named Penelope (Weisz). As the con moves forward, a genuine romance brews between Bloom and Penelope. They tell her they deal in antiquities, and she eagerly wants to help them swindle millions of dollars, joining them on their adventure. As Stephen's intricate web of deceit grows, Bloom slowly wonders if his brother has devised the most dangerous and life-threatening con yet.

Thoughts: The Brothers Bloom isn't necessarily a film that will leave you breathless. It's likely to fade over time, but while it's here, it does serve as a clever and entertaining film. Stephen really has a knack for extremely clever and successful cons, even at a young age, and the relationship between the two brothers is constantly challenging both on screen and off. The final great con Bloom participates in is full of unexpected turns, so many in fact, that it's hard to know what is true and what isn't, even when you know there's a con going on. The premise is that good, but it tends to develop a little too slowly for its own good.

The biggest strength of the film is its acting. Ruffalo, Brody, and Weisz are all quite good in their roles. Ruffalo and Brody truly feel like exceptionally close brothers who have seen a lot together, and Brody's on-screen romance with Weisz never feels forced, always natural. This level of acting is critical for the film's success, as the plot gets quite complex and the audience constantly needs well developed and acted characters to fall back on.

Verdict: Though it may not leave a long lasting impression, for now, The Brothers Bloom is an entertaining, well acted, and clever con film that's worth watching. ☆☆☆1/2

Weekly TV Review: Oct 4 to Oct 10

2009-10-15T11:26:00.004-05:00

Dexter- Remains to be Seen: We get to see how things play out as Dexter recovers from the car crash. His mind is a little fuzzy, and he can't remember where he stowed the body from his kill the night of the crash. All he knows is that the cops haven't found it yet and he needs to keep it that way. The season continues to thrive with the additional pressure Dexter faces, and this episode doesn't disappoint. When we finally learn what Dexter did with the body, you can't help but feel it was a moment of genius, one that only the Dexter we've always loved could come up with. ☆☆☆☆

House- The Tyrant: Following up the weak previous episode, House returns to form with a thought provoking and emotionally charged episode. An African dictator who is under extreme scrutiny over the questionable dealings in his home nation ends up under the care of Foreman, and the crew have very serious ethical issues with how to treat him. This episode is great, and sets up a slew of plot issues for the rest of the season, ones that have the potential to shake the show to its core. ☆☆☆☆

Heroes- Acceptance: Well, this was bound to happen. Heroes delivered an underwhelming episode that is far too reminiscent of the last couple of seasons. It's becoming painfully obvious that the story lines following Nathan, Tracy, and Hiro are the most glarring weaknesses of the show. Really, we don't care much for Nathan or Tracy, and it's time to just dump both. As for Hiro, I wish the writers would give him something relevant to do. He and Ando have been reduced solely to comedic relief, constantly repeating the issues they have every season with their powers (Hiro loses his power and has to find his new destiny or he could die). It's nothing really new, and they need to get serious and change things fast. ☆☆1/2

Glee- Vitamin D: This was another good episode from the best new show on television. The crew is taking things too lightly as sectionals are approaching (they're facing a handicapped school, so they feel it's in the bag), so Will decides to split the group into two teams, boys versus girls, to heat up the competition. Both sides deliver some dynamite mash-up tunes (It's My Life/Confessions Pt II versus Halo/Walking On Sunshine, and it's really impossible to decide with group did a better job. ☆☆☆☆

Community- Social Psychology: There are two main story lines in this episode. Britta has a new guy in her life, forcing Jeff to hang with Shirley, where they discover they both love to gossip. Annie is doing a psych experiment and needs Abed and Troy to participate, with the experiment focusing on breaking points for people forced to wait longer than expected. Neither story line is amazing, but both provide enough laughs to keep the episode entertaining. I don't know how much staying power Community has, but for now, it's a solid viewing option. ☆☆☆

FlashForward- 137 Sekunden: Mark and Janis fly to Germany to investigate an inmate who claims he can explain a part of the blackouts. Most of the episode is a back and forth between the two sides trying to gain leverage and play the other side. Much of this doesn't develop much, but does end up leading Mark onto a possible clue with the crows. The other interesting part of the episode is finally meeting Demetri's fiance. In her blackout, she saw the two of them getting married. This is interesting because up until now, we figured Demetri would be dead, so there's a bit more mystery to show. It's not a flashy episode, but it's decent enough to keep me watching. ☆☆☆1/2

The Office- Niagra: Jim and Pam's wedding day is finally here, and the whole office is heading to Niagra Falls to attend. With a wedding like this, I was hoping for a little more, but that's not to say this wasn't good. Andy injuring himself, Dwight's hookup, and Kevin's feet were all pretty funny events. A questionable decision by the show was to have a wedding entrance dance just like the one on the YouTube hit. It seems outdated and cheesy, but then again, Michael has never been one to be up-to-date with the times. The episode does what it sets out to do, and it's pretty darn entertaining, even if it didn't live up to its best potential. ☆☆☆☆

Dollhouse- Belle Choose: Again, this show fails to deliver an episode that makes much of an impact on the show's overall plot. What we do get is yet another look into how the imprinting technology can be used, and how it can go terribly wrong. Attempting a remote wipe on Victor (who has a serial killer in his body) sort of works, accept instead of erasing the imprint, it gets swapped with Echos, leaving her a crazed killer. Of coarse, since Echo is special, she fights the imprint, with her fading in between herself and the killer. The show really needs to step things up. This season is better than last season, but not by that much. ☆☆☆

Weekly TV Review: Sept 27 to Oct 3

2009-10-09T19:35:00.005-05:00

So as much as I'd like to do full reviews for every episode, I just don't have the time. Instead, I'm opting for weekly reviews where I briefly address each episode and give my rating for all shows in one or two big posts. This should make my life easier. Well, here it goes!

The Office- The Promotion: Well we finally got to see Jim and Michael share power in the office, and it's a predicable disaster. Jim wants to make a statement and be taken seriously, and Michael wants to remain the head hancho in the office. When corporate tells them to make a decision on how to distribute the bonuses for the year, both have separate, yet equally bad ideas. The office, led by Dwight, are in an uproar, and Jim finally learns what has made Michael's life as the boss so hard. ☆☆☆1/2

Community- Introduction to Film: The episode isn't overly impressive, but the show continues to entertain. Abed is finally given his chance to chase his movie-making dreams, and he has some incredibly weird methods. There's a fair amount to laugh at, but not as much as previous episodes. Jeff is taking a class where all one needs to do to get an A is seize the day, yet his professor never thinks Jeff is actually seizing the day, much to his frustration. ☆☆☆1/2

FlashForward- White to Play: I'm still not sold on the show, but it's doing just enough to keep me interested. There aren't really that many new developments. I think the biggest problem with the show is that we've seen or heard about their futures, so it's not really surprising when they start meeting their futures. What will keep viewers coming back is the mystery of what caused the blackouts. That half of the show is getting pretty interesting. ☆☆☆

Dollhouse- Vows: Well, this episode is kind of disturbing, but it also doesn't do too much. Topher has found a way to imprint with hormonal changes, hence, we have Echo breastfeeding someone else's baby. It's a really strange episode that could have me worried for the future. The saving grace of the episode is the fact that the imprints are getting incredibly complicated, which should eventually lead to some very interesting consequences. ☆☆1/2

Glee Review: The Rhodes Not Taken

2009-10-01T12:15:00.003-05:00

Holy cow, did this episode have a ton of musical numbers or what? Following last week's episode that had really no musical number, we get four big ones this week. The episode makes full use of guest star Kristin Chenoweth (Pushing Daisies) who plays April Rhodes, a glee club star when Will (Matthew Morrison) was only a freshman. After learning that another school had a student who kept intentially failing to stay on, Will convinces April, who's three credits short of graduating, to come back and fill the void left by Rachel (Lea Michele). She's washed up and needs a lot of help, but she desperately wants her second chance at stardom. Despite wowing the glee club with her performance of "Maybe This Time," they still don't trust her, so she sets out to get to know the kids better, which has disastrous consequences on their lives, forcing Will to step in and take action.

This is hard for Will, as he always idolized her in high school, and April manipulates him to keep her around. The two have a great performance of "Alone" during karaoke at a bowling alley. Despite giving a dynamite standing-ovation performance at the big show, both Will and April know things can't continue to go on, once again leaving the club without a dominant female lead.

The group knows they need Rachel. As Puck (Mark Salling) put it, "That Rachel chick makes me want to light myself on fire but she can sing." Unfortunately, Rachel is still not content with being only a piece instead of the big star. Finn (Cory Monteith) sets out to bring her back by getting closer to her, a move he knows will be successful, but with word spreading throughout the school regarding Quinn's (Dianna Agron) pregnancy, it's only a matter of time before Rachel will find out.

Verdict: Following a week that relied heavily on humor to make up for its lack of musical numbers, The Rhodes Not Taken delivers a slew of dynamite performances that showcase almost everyone. The plot developments continue to grow, and the show continues to shine. ☆☆☆☆

Movie Picks: October

2009-09-30T21:20:00.004-05:00

Must See: Where the Wild Things Are (October 16)

The Deal: An adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic children's story. After an act of disobedience sends Max to his bed without supper, he creates his own world. This world is a forest inhabited by ferocious wild creatures, Wild Things, that crown Max as their ruler. He promises that under his rule, everyone will be happy, and he frequently escapes to his imaginary kingdom. He soon finds that being the ruler is much harder than he initially thought, forcing him to rethink many of his relationships.

Why: Published in 1963, Where the Wild Things Are is a book that every child for generations grew up with and loved. Let's face it, people love to relive parts of their childhood, and who wouldn't want to see such a beloved piece of the past brought to life. After initial concerns with the film, rewrites were made, and thankfully the film moved on. When I first saw the trailer for the film, I was blown away. The visuals were awesome and the song choice was absolutely perfect. My only disappointment was that I had to wait so long to see it. Since then, there have been multiple new trailers, and every one of them has failed to disappoint. When all is said and done, Where the Wild Things Are should make a huge impact in the box office.

Sleepers

Zombieland (October 2): Anyone who has seen Shaun of the Dead knows that zombie comedies can be an absolute blast. Enter Zombieland. The trailer looks amazing, and the film should be a great kick-start for the halloween season, even if it isn't a real horror film. Early reviews are coming out and the film is gaining mostly positive reviews, further solidifying this film as the #2 film to see this month.

Couples Retreat (October 9): From the looks of the trailer, this could be a very funny film. It boasts a slew of familiar names, but lets be honest here, we all know the real reason we want to see this. The film takes place on a tropical island resort, allowing for Kristen Bell, Malin Akerman, and Kristin Davis to spend plenty of time in their bikinis. Guys sure won't be complaining, and women may enjoy the relationship aspect of the film. Plus, it's a comedy, and who doesn't like comedies?

Saw VI (October 23): To say the Saw films are great would be a stretch, but lets face it, it's halloween season and the Saw franchise consistently delivers the best horror option every year. The writers surprisingly tend to come up with new and inventive ways for people to die like it's no big deal, which keeps the films watchable. I haven't seen the last two, but I can say that even though the first few weren't great films, they definitely delivered the scare factors the audience seeks.

Review: Away We Go (2009)

2009-09-30T19:38:00.005-05:00

Director: Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Road to Perdition)

Cast: John Krasinski (The Office, Leatherheads), Maya Rudolph (SNL, Idiocracy), Jeff Daniels (Pleasantville, Fly Away Home), Catherine O'Hara (Best in Show), Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Dark Knight, Secretary), Chris Messina (Julie & Julia, Six Feet Under), Melanie Lynskey (Two and a Half Men), Jim Gaffigan (My Boys, 17 Again), Allison Janney (The West Wing)

The Deal: With a baby on the way, Burt (Kransinski) and Verona (Rudolph) travel across the country in search of the perfect place to settle down and start their family. Their journey takes them from Phoenix, to Montreal, to Madison, and to Miami, and each stop teaches them something about what they want and don't want in their future.

Thoughts: Away We Go is very charming as it relies on its greatest strength, honesty. It takes a very realistic and honest look into what makes a functional relationship and how a couple must do what's best for them and not what other people think is best. On top of this, the film adds a constant string of straight up and awkwardly funny moments. During their stops, they visit old friends. Some are dysfunctional, some are literally crazy, and other seem perfect on the outside but must deal with struggles of their own. Each stop teaches Burt and Verona a lot about what they want to do with their life, and you can't help but hope for the two to get the happy, normal life they so desperately want.

Krasinski and Rudolf have pretty good chemistry on screen. They truly feel like an odd couple that many people misunderstand, but deep down, not only are they perfect for each other, but they are more normal than one would guess at first glance. Gyllenhaal was in approximately 15 minutes of the film, but it'd be nearly impossible not to remember her role. Her and her husband were way off the deep end with their beliefs (they are deathly afraid of strollers, for one thing). When Burt and Verona are finally pushed over the edge, the ensuing argument with Gyllenhaal's character is one of the funniest of the whole movie. The shear oddity of the character is unforgettable.

Early in the film, Burt and Verona make it clear that one of their biggest fears it becoming f*&@ ups. In their travels, they essentially view all ends of the spectrum when it comes to parenthood. They view the bad parents (Lily and Lowell) who have little care over what their kids do or hear, the really good and happily involved parents (Tom and Munch), and the absolutely strange parents (LN and Roderick). Now I've already mentioned that Gyllenhaal's character LN has some very far out beliefs that will most certainly isolate her children from others later in life, but I'd like to throw some focus to Tom and Munch. This couple really played to the emotional side of the film. They're adoptive parents due to some unfortunate events, and as we learn more about their situation, you can't help but feel incredibly sorry for them. When they get together with Burt and Verona, the following scenes are some of the most powerful in the film.

Verdict: Away We Go is a funny, honest, heartwarming, and an entertaining look into what goes into a relationship and starting a family. It's well worth watching. ☆☆☆☆

Heroes Review: Ink

2009-09-29T19:38:00.003-05:00

Well, well, well, if Heroes continues to churn out episodes like this, I'll be a very happy viewer. It isn't perfect, but it's maybe one of the five best episodes to air since the first season ended. The episode focuses on just a few characters: Peter (Milo Ventimiglia), Claire (Hayden Panettiere), Matt (Greg Grunberg), and the new villain Samuel (Robert Knepper). A few other characters get pulled into these story lines, but we have no appearance from Hiro, Ando, Nikki, Angela, or Nathan. This makes for some well developed scenes. Peter is being sued by a man from a bus crash, but the man is not who or what he claims to be. His story line also introduces us to another new character, Emma (Deanne Bray). She's deaf but is discovering that she can see sound. It's yet to be determined how she will fit in, but she was very interesting in the episode.

Claire must now deal with Gretchen (Madeline Zima) discovering her ability. She's hesitant to tell the truth, and when Noah (Jack Coleman) visits for lunch, she finds herself between her father and new friend. There's some interesting tension in the restaurant, capped by a great moment where Noah realizes Gretchen knows Claire's secret. When asked what he does, he says that he's retired but always finding new reasons to go back to work. Knowing how her father plans to handle the situation, Claire must step in, call him off, and finally trust Gretchen. It's a risk we know will probably backfire on her, but for know it's the right move.

Finally, in the best third of the episode, we have Parkman. As disappointing as it was to see Sylar (Zachary Quinto) back so soon, these thoughts are quickly fading. The dynamic of having Syler in Matt's head is causing massive repercussions in his life. As much as we should know how Sylar operates by now, I still found myself fascinated and mildly surprised by the outcome of the story line. It was a really good moment, one that I won't spoil, but I hope that things continue to happen this way.

Verdict: Two more episodes like this and Heroes can re-cement itself as a true powerhouse show again. The episode keeps things simple, following only three story lines, and the developments are all well done and very promising for future episodes. ☆☆☆☆

House Review: Epic Fail

2009-09-29T19:19:00.004-05:00

After my disappointment with House's (Hugh Laurie) quick exit from the mental institution, I was happy to see him still struggling to find his footing and seeking the advice of the institution's head. Trying not to use vicodin at all costs, he seeks a hobby to take his mind off of things. Being the genius he is and using his natural ability for chemistry, he quickly finds himself as a gourmet chef. It was a fun and interesting direction, and Laurie seemed to have a lot of fun with it. But, as expected, the leg pain is coming back, and the cooking just isn't going to continue doing it for him, so naturally, he discovers that solving medical problems can be his fix. It's a little too convenient of a method to get him back at the hospital, but this really had to be expected, though it would have been nice to draw it out a bit more.

While House is off whipping up delicious food, Foreman (Omar Epps) lobbies his way into House's old position, taking control of the team and the new patient. This story line was unfortunately very weak. The patient is impatient with Foreman's diagnostics, and enlists the help of internet forums to help solve his case. Obviously, Foreman can't stand this, and the two butt heads the whole episode. This would seem like a fairly standard format for the show, but there is an added side to the story. The patient is a video game designer, and he starts hallucinating that he's in his own game. What we get are a series of long scenes where we are immersed in a video game world. It didn't feel right for the show, and in no way worked for them like it did for South Park a few seasons ago ("Make Love, Not Warcraft").

Verdict: After a very good season premiere, Epic Fail makes a few bad decisions that don't fit the show. The House story line was fun for a while, but we're two episodes in and the show is already right back where it always is. ☆☆☆

Review: Monsters vs Aliens (2009)

2009-09-29T10:00:00.006-05:00

Directors: Rob Letterman (Shark Tale), Conrad Vernon (Shrek 2)

Cast: Reese Witherspoon (Legally Blonde, Walk the Line), Seth Rogan (Knocked Up, Superbad), Hugh Laurie (House, Stuart Little), Will Arnett (Arrested Development, Blades of Glory), Kiefer Sutherland (24, Stand by Me), Rainn Wilson (The Office, The Rocker), Stephen Colbert (The Colbert Report), Pual Rudd (Role Models, Knocked Up), Amy Poehler (SNL, Baby Mama), John Krasinski (The Office, License to Wed), Renee Zellweger (Bridget Jones's Diary, Jerry Maguire), Ed Helms (The Office, The Hangover)

The Deal: When California girl Susan Murphy (Witherspoon) is unwittingly hit by a meteor full of quantonium on her wedding day, she unexpectedly grows to almost 50 feet tall. The military takes over, and Susan is transported to a secret facility for monsters. There, she is renamed Ginormica and meets Dr Cockroach (Laurie), B.O.B. (Rogan), The Missing Link (Arnett), and Insectosaurus. Meanwhile, in the depths of outer space, the alien Gallaxhar (Wilson) desperately seeks to gather the universe's quantonium, so he dispatches a giant robot to Earth. When the mosters unite to bring down the robot, Gallaxhar travels to Earth to personally unleash his army and take over the world, something only monsters can stop.

Thoughts: "Attention all aliens. Destroy all monsters." It's a great line, but it only tells half the story of this film. It's almost disappointing that there isn't more monster versus alien action, but then I remember the humor, and I let it slide. The jokes tend to hit their mark most of the time, which is really the saving grace of the film. The story is predictable at times, but some of that is because the film is somewhat of a homage to classic monster and alien flicks. I thought the animation in the film wasn't anything mind-blowing, but it did look nice and felt right for the film.

The voice cast was pretty good. I liked the collection of well known actors and actresses, and their personalities worked well for the characters. I thought Seth Rogan stood out the most. Though he seems to be doing the same comedy act in every one of his films, it felt fresh and very funny this time around. Some of it was B.O.B.'s lack of intelligence, but much of the credit can go to Rogan's delivery. I've enjoyed Will Arnett since his days on Arrested Development, and I though The Missing Link's tough-guy attitude was perfect for Arnett, who always comes across less tough that he actually is, which can be very funny.

Verdict: It might not prove to be unforgettable, but it is a fun and entertaining film that the whole family can sit down and enjoy. ☆☆☆1/2

Dexter Review: Living the Dream

2009-09-29T09:40:00.004-05:00

Dexter: husband, father, serial killer. I really couldn't have hoped for a better episode than what the season premiere delivered. It addressed many of the questions last season left us with, as well as established yet another truly sinister serial killer for Dexter (Michael C. Hall) to hunt this season. We knew Dexter's life would be difficult with the marriage, but the demands of raising a baby are taking their toll on Dexter, forcing him into errors he never would have made before. He's messing up cases and botching his captures, and the episode ends in a thrilling cliff hanger that should make a major impact on the remainder of the season and how Dexter will have to operate.

There is a mysterious murder that is made all the more interesting when Agent Lundy (Keith Carridine) comes out of retirement. The murderer (John Lithgow) is known as the "Trinity Killer", and has eluded Lundy's capture for the better of 30 years. We get a glimpse of the chilling methods the killer uses, and Lithgow's performance could elevate the character into Dexter's most worthy and challenging target yet.

Deb (Jennifer Carpenter) is still dating Anton (David Ramsey), and the sudden return of Lundy, with whom she had romantic dealings with previously, should put some needed tension into her life. We also see relationships budding for Laguerta (Lauren Velez), Batista (David Zayas), and Quinn (Desmond Harrington). Quinn's will make for an interesting subplot, as the new woman could provide some shake-ups every once and a while. As for Laguerta and Batista, they both are now involved with someone not too surprising, but it could provide some problems for the two down the road.

Verdict: Dexter is back and firing on all cylinders. The episode immediately addresses the difficulties Dexter will face this season, and delivers a new and chilling adversary that will push Dexter to his limits. ☆☆☆☆1/2

Dollhouse Review: Vows

2009-09-29T09:19:00.004-05:00

After a very shaky first season full of ups and many downs, Dollhouse is back and surprisingly, the season premiere hits home, giving the show some much needed promise. The episode is not perfect by any means, but events in Vows clearly set up a few interesting story lines that will circulate through the season. Paul Pallard (Tahmoh Penikett) is now working in the Dollhouse, continuing to have very close interactions with Echo (Eliza Dushku). Topher (Fran Kranz) seems on edge, running on little sleep, mainly because Dr Saunders (Amy Acker) is aware she's a doll and is harassing him with annoying games. These two sets of character interactions drive this episode through the show's emphasis on action as well as the growing moral dilemmas at stake.

As the show begins, we see Echo on assignment, and she's getting married to Martin Klar (Battlestar Galactica's Jamie Bamber), a British arms dealer. She's working undercover for Ballard to try and bring down Klar. It's an interesting and positive turn for the show, as it seems Echo will no longer have missions that seem like an absolute waste of time and ability. Echo is still self-aware, and with Ballard's ulterior motives still in the dark, it will be very interesting to see how he progresses these missions.

The other half of the episode focuses on Topher and Dr Saunders. Saunders now knows she is a doll programed by Topher, and she hates him for it. She relentlessly pesters and threatens him, and it's clearly starting to break him. When the two finally have a confrontation, they both break down and explain each other's feelings. This scene really addresses all of the questions regarding moral issues that occur in the show, and it shows that Topher does in fact view the dolls as more than just devices. By the end of the episode, both of the characters clearly have a new take on what they are doing, and both seem to be taking the conversation into account with their actions.

Verdict: Though the show still has work to do to undo much of the first seasons missteps, Vows does an excellent job setting up the season to be the entertaining and mysterious show it was always meant to be. ☆☆☆☆

The Office Review: The Meeting

2009-09-25T16:43:00.003-05:00

This week's episode ends with a big shake-up for the office, one that may or may not go over smoothly with some (if the above picture isn't enough evidence). The move will add another strong storyline for the season in addition to the pregnancy and affair fallout. It should also open a slew of doors in the comedy department, allowing for a whole new level of jokes and antics.

The other main plot from the episode centers around Darryl (Craig Robinson). After getting injured at work, he's filing for worker's compensation, but Dwight thinks he's lying. Somehow, he convinces Toby (Paul Lieberstein) to help him play detective and get to the truth of Darryl's injury. The pairing seems quite odd at first, but it's fun seeing Toby in unfamiliar territory with Dwight.

I can't really say much more about the episode without spoiling too much. The majority up the episode dealt with setting up the big shake-up, and I don't even want to say who is involved in it for those who haven't seen this yet. What I can say is that this is another good episode for the show, delivering plenty of laughs to go along all of the growing plot developments.

Verdict: The duo of Dwight and Toby is quite odd, but very funny. As for the big shake-up, it should add another great storyline to the season, giving the show a lot of good material to build upon and stay on top of its game. ☆☆☆☆

FlashForward Review: No More Good Days

2009-09-25T15:45:00.004-05:00

At 11 AM, for exactly 2 minutes and 17 seconds, the entire world blacks out. In that time span, everyone sees where they will be 6 months in the future. Just as you'd expect, in that short amount of time, absolute devastation occurs. Cars crash, oil tankers explode, and people die. The show follows many characters, all of whom seem destined to directly effect each other's future outcome, but the central character is Mark Benford (Joeseph Fiennes). He's an FBI agent, and after he details his vision to his superior, he is placed at the head of the investigation of the flashforwards. His plan is to create an online database where people can share their visions in hopes of creating connections that can lead to an answer.

The episode does a solid job sparking intrigue and mystery. There are some very interesting futures that may lie ahead, and we get an early glimpse into how some of these interactions are going to come together. Another cool aspect falls on the people who saw nothing in their flashforward, as it's safe to assume that they will be dead in six months time unless they can figure out what happened and how to change their future. I'm not quite sold on the show yet, but for now, I'm interested to learn where this is going and I plan on still tuning in.

One of the weaknesses of the show is it's acting. There are a lot of familiar faces on screen (some kind of surprising, ie Seth MacFarlane), but I'm not overly impressed with their performances. Many characters come across as flat, and some I already don't really care about because of this. That's not a good thing for only the first episode. As of right now, the show has a few more weeks for the performances to improve and the story to get stronger before I would consider giving up on the show.

Verdict: Though the premise is very interesting, the episode fails to blow me away. If FlashForward wants to become the next Lost, it really needs build upon this set-up within the next couple of episodes, or it could be doomed to cancelation. ☆☆☆

Community Review: Pilot & Spanish 101

2009-09-25T15:19:00.003-05:00

This show was completely off my radar until last week. I ended up watching it only because it followed The Office and I had nothing better to do, and the pilot was pleasantly hilarious. Not one to be convinced by a first impression, I watched it again this week, and I can now safely assume that Community is in fact very funny. My biggest concern with the show is whether or not it can remain good for more than even half a season. The premise is funny now, but I fear they will quickly run out of good material. That being said, it's time to explore the elements that have made this enjoyable so far.

Jeff Winger (Joel McHale, The Soup) is attending community college after his law degree is deemed void. Not one to try very hard, he assembles a collection of quirky students to form a study group, but his real focus is landing the girl, Britta (Gillian Jacobs). The first episode serves as an interesting introduction to the group made up of almost every type of person you'd find at community college. There's the star high school athlete, the aged older man looking to further his studies and make friends, the somewhat dumb guy, the crazy girl from high school, etc. Jeff is a smart-ass and very full and confident with himself, yet the only one who doesn't immediately far to his will is Britta. His advances are continually shot down, yet his effort never wanes. It's their interactions that make for pretty much all of the humor in the show.

The second episode (Spanish 101) finally finds the group in the spanish class they study together for. Senor Chang (Ken Jeong) assigns the students to come up with a five-line dialogue in spanish, and after a slew of last minute attempts for the students to rig their partner assignments, Jeff finds himself stuck with Pierce (Chevy Chase). Pierce is hell-bent on making friends with Jeff (he idolizes him), and his attempts are borderline insane and definitely creepy. While most groups require only minutes to figure out their conversation, Pierce insists the two "wow" the audience, developing an full blown skit with multiple acts. Jeff tries to ditch out, but ultimately, he gives in and becomes part of one of the funniest two minutes I've ever watched on television.

Verdict: Though I'm skeptical the show can stay fresh for more than half a season, for now, it is an absolutely hysterical half-hour. McHale is funny in the lead, and Chevy Chase has shown he's far from irrelevant in the comedy department. ☆☆☆☆

Glee Review: Preggers

2009-09-24T15:57:00.005-05:00

The latest episode of Glee opts to forgo a marquee song performance, and instead focuses on character and plot developments, but it's far from a bad thing. In fact, it's a great thing. The episode delivers more plot pieces that can last through the whole season, and delivers some absolutely hysterical moments. The biggest focus this week is on Kurt (Chris Colfer). After his dad catches him dancing to Beyonce's Single Ladies, he lies about being the kicker on the football team. This act prompts him to ask a favor of Finn (Cory Monteith). Channeling the Beyonce rhythm, Kurt actually makes the team, proving to be the only student who can put the ball between the goalposts, even if he does need to dance before kicking.

Since the football team is so terrible, Finn gets the idea that maybe they all need to loosen up more if they want to win, and suggests they all take dance lessons. What ensues is the team performing a choreographed dance sequence to, yep, you guessed it, Single Ladies before a last second play. It's a good one to two minutes of pure, hysterical entertainment. With the game on the line, it comes down Kurt to win one for the team and make his dad proud.

Now, getting back to the title of the episode (this is a SPOILER), "Preggers" does not directly refer to Will's (Matthew Morrison) wife. Quinn (Dianna Agron), the president of the celibacy club, is pregnant! Finn has no clue what to do, and he seeks Will for counsel.

The other big storyline continues to be Rachel's (Lea Michele) need to be the star. Will wants to spread the solo's around to boost everyone's confidence, something Rachel very much dislikes. She wants the starlight, and she still feels Will is punishing her for her outburst during last weeks episode, prompting her to question her commitment to the club.

Verdict: Though the episode is another plot mover instead of a musical show-stopper, it is probably the funniest episode of Glee so far. ☆☆☆☆

Heroes Review: Orientation & Jump, Push, Fall

2009-09-24T15:19:00.003-05:00

The two-hour season premiere is really just the first two episodes sandwiched together, and it shows. The first hour (Orientation) does little to re-kindle the fire that made the first season so good, instead, it continues the shaky path of the last two seasons. The episode is definitely just meant to set up the rest of the season. We catch up with where the characters are at, as well as meet the ones likely destined to serve as the new villains. Claire (Hayden Panettiere) is "done" telling lies and is now enrolled in college, Noah (Jack Coleman) is struggling with being alone, Hiro (Masi Oka) and Ando (James Kyson Lee) start "Dial a Hero", and Matt (Greg Grunberg) is through "using" his power. It's all predictable and boring. On the plus side, Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) is at least interesting. He's back working as a paramedic, and his sole interest in gaining powers is to help him do his job better so he can save more lives. It's what most of us imagine a real life hero would do, and it's a good direction for the character.

The second hour (Jump, Push, Fall) isn't brilliant by any means, but is entertaining and moderately promising for the rest of the season. There are decent plot developments, the episode uses the right amount of action, and it doesn't try to explore every character's entire story arc. This is probably why the two were aired together, because the second hour negates the frustrating first. On Claire's end, her roommate may have committed suicide, but choosing to play detective, she must figure out if it was a suicide or murder that caused her roommate to fall out the window. The new "bad guys" are trying to find a compass for a yet-to-be-revealed reason, and Peter and Noah find themselves in possession of said compass. The mystery of this object's importance is good, and I'm very happy they haven't rush the answer.

A few things remain very frustrating. First, Hiro and Ando are still used for comic relief. I get it, they're the funny duo, but please give them something more to do that look like idiots. Their new hero business has them saving stuck cats. Hiro is still struggling with nose bleeds and blackouts, so I fail to see why the focus hasn't shifted entirely to that story line with them. Secondly, and I' not surprised at all by this, Syler (Zach Quinto) is already starting to show himself. After trapping Syler in Nathan's (Adrian Pasdar) body last season and wiping his memory, you'd hope they could last at least half the season before bringing him back, but that occurrence happens almost instantaneously. Somehow, the writers find a way to spoil every decent idea they come up with. Haven't they heard of patience? Lastly, Danko was offed way too quickly. Niki (Ali Larter) survived and declared vengeance on Danko, and instead of opting for a game of cat and mouse, the writers have him killed quickly by one of the new characters.

Verdict: Though not great, the second hour makes up for the lackluster first hour. There's still a shred of hope for this season, but the writers need to shape up and let things actually develope on screen instead of forcing events to happen too quickly. ☆☆☆

House Review: Broken

2009-09-24T14:56:00.004-05:00

Dr House (Hugh Laurie) is back, but he's in unfamiliar territory. After the events of last season led him to check into a mental institution, he now finds himself amidst many truly insane people. Sure, many of the patients initially seem to be a set of pawns for him to toy with, but an underlying fact remains. House himself knows he needs help. This episode acts as a homage to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and House really is this perfect character to plug into a role of mental ward instigator. He's an elitist asshole (you know it, I know, and he knows it), and he spares no time unleashing himself on the ward. It allows for a great amount of humor, especially from his hilarious roommate Alvie.

As funny as the episode can be, it still is the serious show we love. House knows that he's "broken" and needs help, but it's his futile resistance to let others help him that remains his underlying problem. It's not until he meets Lydia (Franka Potente, The Bourne Identity), a sister-in-law one of the patients, that things start to come together for House. There is immediate chemistry between the two, but she's married and House struggles with knowing how to proceed. His behavior improves, but despite his efforts to help other patients, he's still causing problems. The romantic frustration and growing guilt cause him much turmoil, forcing him to make very uncommon actions that lead him down the path of recovery.

The most frustrating part of this episode has little to to with the episode itself, but more with the season as a whole (mainly because this is only the first episode). One of the most interesting things to this season was House's mental state, and him seeking help was a surprising and very fascinating move for the show. Despite setting these events up for half of last season, House needs only a two-hour episode to be fixed. Yes, his time in the ward was truly great television, but the progression he made should have been spread out over a few more episodes. We're only one episode in and House will be returning to work. Yes, he may be a changed man and things will go differently, but staying in the mental hospital for a bit more would have left a very interesting and welcomed mark on the sixth season.

Verdict: Dr House stirring up the mental hospital would make R.P. McMurphy proud, providing for some very comical moments alongside the deeper struggles of the character, but the quick progression out of the mental hospital is disappointing. ☆☆☆☆

The Office Review: Gossip

2009-09-18T15:14:00.004-05:00

Last time we saw our favorite Dunder Mifflin employees, the big news was Pam (Jenna Fischer) getting pregnant. We pick up a few weeks later, no one in the office knows she's pregnant, and Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam only just told their parents the big news. After learning an employee may be having an affair and telling everyone, Michael (Steve Carell) starts spreading false rumors about any and everyone in hopes that they will shrug off the affair rumor. Little does Michael know, he hits a little too close to home with some of his made up rumors. It makes for a slew of hilarious exchanges between characters, especially when Andy (Ed Helms) seems to think he may actually be gay.

What the episode does so well is mix all of the crazy and ridiculous antics the office is known for with more recent developing story lines that this season will most certainly be focusing on (the baby and the affair fallout). Aside from all of the funny false gossip Michael spreads, the episode opens with Michael, Dwight (Rainn Wilson), and Andy recklessly navigating the office in a poor attempt to imitate a Parkour video they saw online. They are all terrible at it, and they have the most useless stunts throughout the office. It's vintage Office at its best.

The episode also had a new but very fitting addition. It was the summer interns' last day in the office, and they are part of the reason Michael became so obsessed with gossip. They are the butt of a handful of jokes, including probably the episode's funniest one. I won't spoil the joke, but I will paint a small picture to get your minds buzzing if you haven't watched this yet. Dwight is wishing the three interns the best of luck, and he offers some of his wise advice about their futures. Two interns are guys, one is a girl, and the joke is something only Dwight would ever say. It's was absolutely hilarious and still has me laughing.

Verdict: The Office picks up where it left off last season. Jim and Pam will be having a kid, one of the characters is having an affair, and all of the crazy and hilarious antics are back in fresh, full force. It's a great season start for one of TV's best shows. ☆☆☆☆1/2

Review: Inglourious Basterds (2009)

2009-09-18T12:37:00.004-05:00

Director: Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill)

Cast: Brad Pitt (Ocean's Eleven, Troy), Christoph Waltz, Melanie Laurent, Eli Roth (Death Proof, Hostel), Diane Kruger (National Treasure, Troy), Daniel Bruhl (The Bourne Ultimatum), Martin Wuttke, B.J. Novak (The Office), Michael Fassbender (300, Band of Brothers), Til Schweiger, Mike Myers (Austin Powers, Shrek)

The Deal: In Nazi occupied France, a young Jewish girl Shosanna Dreyfus witnesses the murder of her family by Colonel Hans Landa (Waltz), the famed "Jew hunter". Several years later, German war hero Fredrick Zoller (Bruhl) takes an interest in her, and when he gets her theater to host the premiere of his upcoming film, Shosanna plots her revenge. With the possibility that every major Nazi officer may be in attendance, a ruthless group of Jewish-American soldiers known as the "Basterds" led by Lt. Aldo Raine (Pitt) conspire a plan to crash the premiere and end the war in one fell swoop. As plans are set in motion, paths will cross for a fateful event that will shake history to its core.

Thoughts: Tarantino is back, following up his disappointing Death Proof with a film that oozes everything that has made him such a great director. The film is long, and does tend to drag a bit in the middle, but that does nothing to take away from the brilliant work he has laid down. The film is told in five chapters, with the first three covering three separate story lines, the forth covers the plan, and the fifth intertwines all of the stories into a very thrilling closing act. The cinematography is vintage Tarantino, the dialogue is sharp and witty, and the action is brutally violent.

With so much good dialogue, it's no surprise to find so many good performances, but Christoph Waltz absolutely steals the show. Early rumblings from Cannes had mixed reviews of the film, but all raved about Waltz, and it's clear why. He was chillingly precise while remaining entirely quirky and somewhat unpredictable. His performance could win him many awards and cement him as a household name in the next few years. Brad Pitt has around 30 minutes of screen time, but you don't notice the small amount. His character has a brutally hilarious southern accent, and his take on Italian was quite funny. Melanie Laurent created a very endearing character, and very much felt like the heart of the devious plot.

Boy, wouldn't it just be swell if this film had been based on a true story? Hitler and his Nazi minions meets their demise, and there is absolutely no remorse or restraint in their deaths. The final 30 minutes of the film are excellent, capped by a string of both surprising and predictable moments. The most satisfying of which is Hitler's. I'll try not to spoil too much, but I'll just say that the most violent Basterd gets his crack at the Fuhrer, and he unleashes hell. With such a massacre, some may find it disturbing, but considering the level of anti-Nazi feelings from the WWII era, many will find the outcome well deserved, showing the same lack of remorse the Basterds sport.

Verdict: Tarantino delivers with one of his best efforts. Good acting (great from Waltz), sharp dialogue, brutal violence, and beautiful cinematography make Inglourious Basterds one of the most entertaining and satisfying films of the year. ☆☆☆☆

Glee Review: Acafellas

2009-09-18T12:20:00.003-05:00

The big theme for this week's episode was confidence. Will (Matthew Morrison) isn't confident that he still has his moves, Rachel (Lea Michele) isn't confident that the outdated routines will put her in enough spotlight, Mercedes (Amber Riley) doubts her attractiveness, and Kurt (Chris Colfer) is too afraid to admit what he really is. Really, a case could be made for almost every character that they lacked confidence for something. All of them meet their fears head on, and mostly all of them make some form of progress on it.

The episode's biggest focus was on Will's storyline. After the club requests a separate choreographer, he goes through a crisis. His solution is creating an adult boy band with a bunch of the other teachers at the high school, a decision that boosts not only his confidence, but really dials up the passion in his marriage. They are surprisingly good, and after much debate, settle on the name "Acafellas". It's a clever band name, and fits their style. Due to confidence issues, a few of the teachers back out before the big performance, but Finn (Cory Monteith) and Puck (Mark Salling) fill the vacant spots.

The episode seemed to serve more as a plot mover than a dynamite installment, but it still had much of the atmosphere and gleam of the previous episodes. The highlight comes at the end when Josh Groban makes a guest appearance at the Acafellas' show. Most would expect him to have some singing performance, and though some will be disappointed that he doesn't, he does provide the funniest moments of the episode.

Verdict: A solid, plot-moving episode that is less glamorous than previous episodes, yet still delivers enough entertainment. ☆☆☆1/2

Review: Extract (2009)

2009-09-17T10:17:00.003-05:00

Director: Mike Judge (Office Space, Idiocracy)

Cast: Jason Bateman (Arrested Development, Juno), Mila Kunis (That 70's Show, Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Kristen Wiig (Saturday Night Live, Adventureland), Ben Affleck (Dogma, Good Will Hunting), J.K. Simmons (Spider-Man, Juno), Clifton Collins Jr. (Crank: High Voltage), Dustin Milligan (The Butterfly Effect 2, 90210), David Koechner (Anchorman, Thank You for Smoking), Beth Grant (Donnie Darko)

The Deal: Joel (Bateman) is the owner of an extract manufacturing plant. He's unhappy with the lack of intimacy with his wife Suzie (Wiig), and his life only becomes more complicated when his soon-to-be-promoted employee, Step (Collins), sustains an on-site injury. Initially willing to take a settlement, Step suddenly changes his mind, deciding to sue the company, a change of heart that seems very strange. The new girl at work, Cindy (Kunis), pushes Joel to test his marriage and the building sexual frustrations, but he soon realizes that Cindy may not be who she appears to be.

Thoughts: Though I found myself laughing throughout the film, as a whole, I was thoroughly disappointed. Mike Judge delivers much of the work-inspired humor that made Office Space such a hit, but the story itself feels dragged out and pointless much of the time. Though anyone in the working-class will find much to relate with (be it co-workers, marriage, neighbors, or on-the-job frustrations), the film fails to piece together these elements into a single, fluid story.

One thing that definitely isn't a problem with the film is its acting. Jason Bateman proves that he not only can lead a film, but that he could be the next big "it" guy. His performances are always top-notch, and he shines in his time on screen at all times. Ben Affleck is believable as a drug-enthusiest and continually spits out the worst possible advice to Joel. Davis Koechner plays the annoying neighbor who never seems to take a hint, and he was the one most consistently funny thing about the film. He nailed the role, and had me in stitches every time he flagged Joel and Suzie down to talk.

There's a scene approximately 10-minutes long half way through the film, and it probably the most bland scene of the entire film. Joel is hanging with Dean (Affleck) and one of Dean's friends, and they are showing him how to take a hit from a bong to help him calm down and forget his stress. Literally, nothing happens on screen for a long while until Cindy walks in the door. It was useless filler and a good example of why the film fails to maintain a fluid storyline.

Verdict: Though it delivers laughs consistently throughout, and the actors deliver good performances, Extract's bland story drags the film into disappointing territory. ☆☆☆

Review: Year One (2009)

2009-09-13T18:46:00.003-05:00

Director: Harold Ramis (Groundhog Day, Analyze This)

Cast: Jack Black (School of Rock, Kung Fu Panda), Michael Cera (Arrested Development, Superbad), Davis Cross (Arrested Development, Kung Fu Panda), Olivia Wilde (House, Alpha Dog), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Superbad, Role Models), Juno Temple, June Diane Raphael, Hank Azaria (The Simpsons, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian), Vinnie Jones (Gone In Sixty Seconds, X-Men: The Last Stand), Oliver Platt (Frost/Nixon), Paul Rudd (Role Models, Knocked Up)

The Deal: Zed (Black), a hunter, and Oh (Cera), a gatherer, are banished from their tribe, so they set out across an ancient world. They meet a tirade of different people from the Bible, as well as visit a fictional Romanesque city. Believing he is God's chosen one, Zed longs to prove himself worthy of wooing Maya (Raphael), while Oh has his eyes set on Eema (Temple). The two get into a bit of trouble, but must work together to help Princess Inanna (Wilde) overthrow the corrupt king.

Thoughts: I was pleasantly surprised by this, not because it's very good, but because it is better than the thrashing I'd heard about it. Many of the jokes fall flat, and the story most of the time serves no purpose other than to show off the hefty list of well known comedic actors. That being said, the film does have a few funny moments, and despite its lack of a strong plot, it still proves to be fairly entertaining.

The one-two punch of Black and Cera was very hit-and-miss throughout the film. The two work well together, bouncing an endless set of one-liners back and forth, some hitting home, while others missed the mark completely. Black, as his usual self, was a bit over-the-top for my liking. It can be funny, but often proves distracting and annoying. Cera is once again type-cast, only this time it's as an awkward "caveman", yet again searching for love. He's good in those roles, but it's the same role he has in every one of his films. Davis Cross got lots of screen time, which made me happy, but his material was hit-and-miss as well. With all of the talent in the film, it was fun to see them all crop up, but the script failed to utilize their full comedic potential.

Let it be known, the humor in the film is quite stupid and childish, to the point where you're laughing and really don't know why you found it funny. Black eating bear poop was mildly funny, but Cera peeing down his face (yes, I did say that correctly) was absolutely hysterical. It was the one scene that truly was funny and memorable from the film. Cera having to give the fat guy an oil rub was supposed to be funny, but I just was grossed out. It was too much.

Verdict: Though mildly entertaining and funny at times, the film is hit-and-miss. Much of the acting talent is wasted, and the plot seems pointless far too often. ☆☆

Review: The Final Destination (2009)

2009-09-11T18:57:00.004-05:00

Director: David R. Ellis (Final Destination 2, Snakes on a Plane)

Cast: Bobby Campo, Shantel VanSanten, Nick Zano (What I Like About You), Haley Webb, Mykelti Williamson (Forrest Gump, Lucky Number Slevin)

The Deal: Nick O'Bannon (Campo) has a horrific vision of him and his friends dying in a freak car crash at the racetrack. Uncomfortable, he convinces his friends to leave only seconds before the crash occurs. Having cheated death, they soon discover that a few of the other survivors are dying in freak accidents, and they slowly realize that death is quickly catching up with them. They must try their hardest to outsmart death and stay alive, but they may be in over their heads.

Thoughts: The fourth Final Destination lacks much of the quality of the early two, but is a clear step up from the brutal third installment. The deaths this time around are absolutely ridiculous, but I found them to be hilariously entertaining. I'd recommend watching this with a group of friends so you all can bounce witty one-liners back and forth. It's poorly acted, which isn't surprising, but the performances fit with the atmosphere of the story.

One of the scenes that I thoughts was actually quite good (spoiler alert) was when George (played by Williamson) had a slew of failed suicides. He wasn't next on death's list, so all of his attempts at suicide failed. He couldn't overdose on pain medication or even hang himself. It was a funny, yet a cool way to look at the workings of death. One of the deaths that was satisfying, yet questionable was in the pool scene (again, spoiler alert). Hunt (Zano), a sex-crazed guy, gets his insides sucked out by a pool drain. It was quite fitting, but the interesting part revolves around the death itself. I've heard from multiple sources that this idea has been tested, and the results showed that there isn't enough suction, but then there is a story about a girl who had part of her intestines sucked out. If this tells us anything, it's that Mythbusters needs to have a FInal Destination special.

A thing a bunch of us noticed is that whenever gasoline was on screen, death was nearby. Yes, many of the deaths did involve giant fiery explosions, but some didn't. Non-the-less, in the non-fiery deaths, the scene directly leading into the death had gasoline was present. It is a great thing to know so that you can prepare yourself for the soon-to-be death, because lets face it, no one watches these films for anything other than insanely unrealistic death scenes. Everything else is just mindless, boring filler.

Verdict: Though it's a bad film, the death scenes are both cool and entertaining. It's just more of the crazy deaths from the previous films, but it's far from the worst of the series. ☆☆

Glee Review: Showmance

2009-09-10T18:59:00.005-05:00

Now that the show's season has officially kicked off, fans can be happy to know that the promising pilot from last spring was not a fluke, and Glee really could end up being the best new show on television. This episode had two distinct focuses: sexual tension and the need for more club members. Since glee clubs must have 12 members to qualify for regionals, the group must double their current amount of members, and they have a pep assembly performance to convince others to join. What the members eventually realize is that sex sells, and if they want to meet the 12-person requirement, they need to spice up their act.

Alongside this dilemma, several characters struggle with their feelings for each other. Emma (Jayma Mays) is still trying her hardest to snare Will (Matt Morrison), who is married but seems to be a little too flirty around her, possibly sending mixed signals. Rachel (Lea Michele) continues to pine for Finn (Cory Monteith), who is slowly starting to reciprocate these feelings, something his girlfriend is not happy about. The student's continual struggle to deal with raging hormones is what actually gives them the idea to give a sexier performance.

In the pilot, is was clear that Lea Michele definitely had the voice to play Rachel, as her Broadway talent shined. Monteith can sing, but he was way out of his league compared to her. This episode did a great job accounting for this noticeable difference, as they had Finn getting voice lessons from Rachel. The club's performance came about midway through the episode, and wasn't great, but still entertaining. What was great- check that, phenomenal- was Michele's rendition of Rihanna's "Take a Bow" that closed the episode. It was a wonderful showcase of how good of a singer she actually is, and the song served as a great summary of the episode's events.

Verdict: The episode delivered a handful of comedic moments into all of the sexual tension, and the episode highlight came at the end with an excellent rendition of "Take a Bow" by Lea Michele. Overall, the show is making great progress and is a lot of fun to watch. ☆☆☆☆

It's Fall TV Season!

2009-09-04T12:10:00.005-05:00

Things have been slower here lately. I only have so much time and money to get to the theaters to see new movies, and I don't feel like flooding this place with rewind reviews. Thankfully, the fall TV season is almost upon us, which offers a vast amount of new material to include here. There's no way I can watch everything (I have no interest to either), but I will start doing episode reviews of some of my favorite shows, as well as looking into a few brand new shows debuting this fall. First off, lets look at some of the shows I will definitely be covering, and then I'll list a few shows I plan on at least giving a chance this fall.

Returners

The Office (returns Sept 17): As anyone who follows the show knows, Jim and Pam are finally together, and in the season finale, we discovered that Pam was pregnant. It'll be interesting to see how the two balance this extra burden on top of the antics around the office. Will we get to see a wedding and a birth this season? Aside from that, the rest of the gang is back, so expect more of what we've loved in the past seasons.

House (returns Sept 21): Last season saw our favorite Dr. House seeing strange visions that really pushed towards the insanity direction, with the finale having House check into a mental institution. The plan is for him to remain there at the beginning of this next season, and I've read that the premiere will be a homage to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. It's a great idea for an episode, and this direction as a whole should be new and very interesting.

Heroes (returns Sept 21): To be honest, the last two seasons have been incredibly disappointing, but I'm still riding the high of the first season. Creator Tim Kring has promised that the show will get back to its roots and no longer include every character's story arc in every episode, opting to focus on one or two characters at a time. This should make the show feel less cluttered and forced. I'll be watching the show, but if it has the same time slot as House again, it'll be taking the backseat.

Dollhouse (returns Sept 25): To say the show had a shaky first season is an understatement. Episodes were all over the place, and the quality of the episodes were all over both ends of the spectrum. I thought the show finally got its footing late in the season with some solid episodes, but I was certain the show would be canceled. Somehow, the show stayed alive, and after viewing the unaired thirteenth episode, I think Joss Whedon may be able to really make an interesting and constantly entertaining show out of this.

Dexter (returns Sept 27): On top of being a secretive killer and married man, Dexter now must shoulder his newborn son. Michael C. Hall is fantastic, and it will be thrilling to watch him try to satisfy his dark urge while juggling work and family. The first episode has been floating around online, and I couldn't resist the urge. I like where the episode is taking this season. John Lithgow is playing the new serial killer, and he really was disturbing. His character has gone undetected for 30+ plus years, a you just know that that will fascinate Dexter.

Debuts

Glee (premieres Sept 9): If you didn't see the pilot last spring, it's worth checking out. At first glance, it looks like an adult version of High School Musical. In some ways it is, but for the most part it is much more appealing for a wider audience. It follows a high school teacher who runs the school's glee club, so there will plenty of singing and dancing. The female lead is a Broadway singer, and she can sing quite well. Overall, this could be the show the whole family will sit down to watch.

FlashForward (premieres Sept 24): The entire world blacks out for 2 minutes, and in that time, every person on the planet gets a glimpse of what their future is like 1 year in the future, be it good or bad. This premise alone is widely intriguing, and many entertainment outlets seem to be saying the same thing. With people knowing what their future holds, it will be interesting to see some try at all costs to avoid it, while others may do whatever it takes to make the vision come true.

V (premieres midseason): There is no release date yet, but the premise is that alien spaceships appear over every major city in the world, and the aliens claim they come in peace. Many humans begin to doubt these alien claims, and it is discovered that the aliens spent years infiltrating governments as part of their plan to take over the world. I love sci-fi, and I have high hopes for this show, plus, it stars Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost) and Morena Baccarin (Firefly). I'm not watching it solely for the ladies, but they're are sci-fi vets and aren't too hard on the eyes either.

South Park returns in October, and though I will be watching it, I may not be covering it. There are a few shows that will return this winter, but I won't recap them right now. These include Lost, 24, and the new Scrubs spin-off show.

Review: Bruno (2009)

2009-09-03T18:59:00.004-05:00

Director: Larry Charles (Borat, Religulous)

Cast: Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat, Talladega Nights), Gustaf Hammarsten

The Deal: Bruno is a gay Austrian fashion guru with his own television show, the most popular German-language show of its kind outside of Germany. After disgracing himself, he decides to travel to L.A. with hopes of reinventing himself and claiming Hollywood stardom. Traveling around, Bruno interviews random people regarding topics such as fashion, entertainment, celebrities, and homosexuality.

Thoughts: To be honest, I wasn't very high on Cohen's previous effort (yes, that's you Borat) to begin with. I never understood what was so great about it. Yes, it did have a few funny moments, but overall, I found it incredibly forgettable. Bruno brings more of the same style, yet suffers from all of the same problems. It's probably just me, but I find all of his crazy antics mildly funny at best. They are so extreme that the random people's reactions are predictable, and therefor not as funny. It also doesn't help that most of the best moments were also included in the film's trailer.

Sacha Baron Cohen is truly a daring actor, standing on a pedestal all of his own. He has no personal limitations on what he won't do, and his antics are always insanely crazy. He falls into character effortlessly, spending time both on and off the set living his role, and there's no questioning his commitment. Many of his actions are outlandish and jaw-dropping, but many are also disturbing. It makes for great entertainment for some, but also deeply upsets many. I don't find his actions upsetting, but they aren't that funny, just predictable given his actions around the nearby subjects.

If you are homophobic, this film will terrify you. The last half of the film does nothing but explore Borat's gay side, and at times gets fairly graphic. As expected, Borat tests the limits of extreme anti-gays in the deep South, and their reactions are exactly what you'd expect them to be. Some may find it funny, but the predictability is what makes it short on entertainment. The subject matter and corresponding actions could have made for a challenging film that questions the rights and wrongs of homosexuality, but instead, it makes a mockery of the subject. If only that mockery was funny.

Verdict: A giant step back from the grossly overrated Borat, Bruno fails to reach most of its comedic and intellectual potential, resulting in a far too predictable story. ☆

Review: Drag Me to Hell (2009)

2009-09-02T13:19:00.005-05:00

Director: Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead, Spider-Man)

Cast: Alison Lohman (Big Fish, Things We Lost in the Fire), Juston Long (Waiting..., He's Just Not That Into You), Lorna Raver, Dileep Rao, David Paymer (Mr. Saturday Night, Alex & Emma), Adriana Barraza, Reggie Lee (Prison Break, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End)

The Deal: Life is good for Christine Brown (Lohman). She works as a loan officer for a L.A. bank and is close to a promotion, and her boyfriend Clay (Long) seems to be "the one." One day a woman comes to the bank requesting another extension on her home loan, but when Christine denies the request, the woman feels shamed and places a curse on Christine. As Christine begins to have violent encounters with an dark demon, she seeks the help of a fortune teller who informs her that unless she lifts the curse in three days time, the demon will drag her soul to Hell.

Thoughts: The problem with most horror films today is that the film usually strays from its story path and also fails to actually be as serious as the film is intended to be, but this is not the case with Drag Me to Hell. The film always stays on track, with every scene serving a relevant purpose towards the main story arc. Instead of trying to be a super serious film, it goes the fun route, straddling horror and comedic aspects. Though there are plenty of gruesome moments, they are intentionally cheesy at times, proving to be startling yet also funny. It's a deadly combination that helps make this an entertaining and suspenseful film from start to finish.

The fact that the film at times tries to be a very B-movie really helps the actors. Alison Lohman is not a bad actress, but she isn't great either. With the film being intentionally cheesy at times, it allows her performance to more than carry the film. She actually does quite a good job, and though you do ultimately just want to see her get dragged to Hell, there's still that bit of emotional connection that almost makes you want to see her survive. Justin Long is suitable as well as her boyfriend. The two have solid chemistry on screen, and the relationship works well with the stress and certain doom that has presented itself.

One of my favorite scenes in the film is when Christine goes to meet the woman who may be able to lift the curse. Four people and a goat are sitting around the table, and the goal is to summon the demon and trap it inside the goat so it can be killed. This scene was a perfect example of the film's balance between suspense and humor. I really can't thin of a more suspenseful moment than when the spirit starts moving from body to body, but when they finally get it into the goat, the ensuing sequence is both unexpected and humorous while still maintaining the terrifying feel.

Verdict: B-movie elements are blended wonderfully with the more serious horror aspects to make up an entirely entertaining film. Though you may laugh at some scenes, you'll still find yourself on the edge of your seat at the same time, leaving you thoroughly satisfied. ☆☆☆☆

Movie Picks: September

2009-08-28T12:24:00.003-05:00

Must See: 9 (September 9)

The Deal: When 9 first comes to life, he discovers a post-apocalyptic world where all humans are gone and fearsome machines now roam the earth hunting for those like 9. By chance, 9 discovers a small band of others like him, all with their own numbers ranging from 1 to 8. Believing there is no hope of survival in hiding, 9 convinces the others to fight back against the machines and discover why they are hunted in the first place. As they will learn, the very future of civilization may depend on them.

Why: The film is based on a short film from 2006 by director Shane Acker (watch it here), and it was pretty cool and interesting. After watching the trailer come out, I was really hooked on the film. Tim Burton is producing, and the film has a little bit of his feel to it, but it also boasts what looks to be some pretty good action sequences. Then of course there's the issue that we still don't know why the nine "others" were made and what grand purpose they will serve. In my opinion, September looks to be a weak month for films, with this easily standing out for it's great animation, intriguing/mysterious story, and a pretty solid voice cast that includes, Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, John C. Reilly, and Martin Landau, just to name a few.

Sleepers

Gamer (September 4): It's the first month after summer, and a weak one at that, so Gamer could prove entertaining for those still riding the summer-blockbuster high. I'm suspect at how good of a film this will be, but what is for certain is plenty of action and mayhem. It stars Gerald Butler, and for anyone who's seem 300, you know he knows how to kick ass. Also in it is Michael C. Hall, who is absolutely amazing on Showtime's Dexter. As audiences proved this summer (I'm looking at you Transformers and G.I. Joe), quality doesn't always out-way non-stop action and special effects.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (September 18): I remember this book from my childhood and was always fond of it. I'm not sure how well it will all work out as a full length film, but from the looks of the trailer, it should should be a fun film for kids, and maybe even the whole family. Just imagine how cool it would be if it rained different foods every day! The animation looks pretty good, and the 3D is up to par, maybe a little better, than most of the recent 3D endeavors.

The Informant (September 18): The film is directed by Steven Soderbergh (Ocean's Eleven, Erin Brockovich), but the trailer had a bit of the Coen brother's feel. Matt Damon stars as a man who decides to be an inside informant at his company, and from the looks of the trailer, he isn't exactly the best at secrecy. It looks like it could be a pretty good drama/dark-comedy, and my interest in the film has grown in the last few weeks as I've learned more about its plot.

Review: Fighting (2009)

2009-08-27T16:13:00.006-05:00

Director: Dito Montiel

Cast: Channing Tatum (Step Up, G.I. Joe), Terrence Howard (Iron Man, Hustle & Flow), Zulay Henao, Brian J. White (Mr. 3000, 12 Rounds), Michael Rivera (Oz), Flaco Navaja, Luis Guzman (Waiting..., Carlito's Way)

The Deal: Shawn MacArthur (Tatum) came to New York with nothing but a dark past, getting by selling phony merchandise on the street. After getting in a small tussle, he's recruited by Harvey Boarden (Howard) who wants to help him make some money streetfighting. Though the two prove to be a successful tandem, there's always a trace of tension between the two. When a ghost from Shawn's past is set to be the next opponent, tension peaks as Shawn seems to be outmatched, but he won't back down.

Thoughts: For a film titled "Fighting", it really could have used more of it. There were only a few real fights, and though they were cool and well choreographed, everything in between was unnecessary filler. There didn't need to be a romantic plot line, or a ghost-from-the-past story arc, there just needed to be lots of streetfighting. In all honestly, the film would have benefitted from purely nonsensical fighting, but instead, it tried to be something more, and therefore failed to reach its highest potential.

Channing Tatum has always seemed like the kind of actor they throw in a film to be a blunt but good looking object for women. Surprisingly, though fairly blunt, he's actually a very good fit for the role here. He seems like the kind of person that really would be down on his luck and in need of streetfighting to pay the bills. Terrence Howard on the other hand, was unimpressive. I know he has solid talent as an actor, but his docile performance here seemed off for a character that gets buy on shady dealings and gambling on street fights.

As I said before, the film would have benefitted from purely being comprised of fights, and for good reason. The fights really were entertaining, believably choreographed, and never one-sided. There was lots of back and forth between fighters, and though everyone knows the main character always ends up winning, that fact didn't take anything away from the fights themselves. The range of fighters were nicely varied. There was the large guy who gets by on strength alone, the skilled martial artist who's overly confident, and the all-around fighter who's quick but packs a good punch. Each fight had a different style, and they were fairly impressive.

Verdict: Though the fights were impressive and well choreographed, there were far too few of them. The story instead focused on romantic interests and unnecessary back stories, forgetting what the film really should have been all about. ☆☆

Review: Fast & Furious (2009)

2009-08-24T15:07:00.005-05:00

Director: Justin Lin (Annapolis, The Fast and the Furious Tokyo Drift)

Cast: Vin Diesel (The Fast and the Furious, xXx), Paul Walker (The Fast and the Furious, Eight Below), Jordana Brewster (The Fast and the Furious, As the World Turns), Michelle Rodriguez (The Fast and the Furious, Lost), John Ortiz (Carlito's Way, The Job), Laz Alonso (Miracle at St. Anna, Stomp the Yard), Gal Gadot, Shea Whigham (Pride and Glory), Liza Lapira (21, Dexter)

The Deal: When Letty (Rodriguez) is murdered, Dominic Toretto (Diesel) and Brian O'Connor (Walker) cross paths and reignite their feud from years before, but as the two realize their enemy is the same, they must work together and trust each other once again. With the murderer working on a crew for a man called Brada, the two must race through the streets to prove they can really drive in hopes of Brada taking them on for a job, bringing them closer to revenge.

Thoughts: I'm going to be quite frank, the first film of the franchise was only decent, and the last two were quite terrible, so I really saw no way this could be very good. Surprisingly, with most of the original characters back, and a story that is actually interesting and not just crazy car races, Fast & Furious is just as good, maybe even better than its best predecessor. This isn't an amazing film by any means, but it's entertaining from the beginning on and the familiar characters allow the audience to actually care about their success and well being.

For a film comprised of actors and actresses that for the most part never turn in a great performance, this is one of the few types of films they all work well for. Diesel is like a blunt object, but it's perfect for in-and-out-of-jail Dom Toretto. Walker is a pretty boy and that's what he plays here. Rodriguez's character is described as a "20% angle, 80% devil, down to Earth, ain't afraid to get a little engine grease under her fingernails" kind of girl. Could there really be a better choice than her? Brewster is easily the best of the bunch, and she plays innocent-but-not-really sister of Dom. She's a good fit with the role and the rest of the cast.

Easily the most exciting (though also most unrealistic) scene occurs in the opening sequence. As most of the trailers tended to include bits from this, it's the highway scene where a few heavy duty pickup trucks try to hijack a few trailers of gas while traveling 65 mph. It's cool to watch, and though it's no surprise that the gas tanker will eventually end up exploding, it's by far the most pleasing scene of the film. It's very reminiscent of the type of heists they pulled in the first film, which may be a large contributing factor to why it's so enjoyable.

Verdict: Though far from a great film, it's as good as the first film of the franchise, maybe even better. The acting isn't anything special, but that's to be expected, and it proves entertaining most of the time. ☆☆☆1/2

Liked It? Try These: The Fast and the Furious (2001), 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003), The Fast and the Furious Tokyo Drift (2006)

Movie Rewind: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

2009-08-22T13:01:00.004-05:00

Director: Milos Forman (Amadeus, The People vs. Larry Flint)

Cast: Jack Nicholson (The Departed, The Shining), Louise Fletcher (Cruel Intentions), Brad Dourif (Deadwood, Dune), Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future, Taxi), Josip Elic, William Duell, Danny DeVito (Erin Brockovich, Matilda), Alonzo Brown, Will Sampson, Scatman Crothers (The Shining, Chico and the Man)

The Deal: R.P. McMurphy (Nicholson) pretends to be insane to avoid doing work in prison, but instead, they send him to a mental institution, which is a prison of its own. There, he clashes with Nurse Ratchet (Fletcher) despite his unique actions actually helping some of the patients progress. In his time there, he sparks bits of rebellion in the fellow patients, questioning many rules that don't seem to make sense, and all the while working to prove that they can break out and live their lives on the outside.

Thoughts: For a film held in such high regard by so many (for example, it's IMDb's #9 film of all time), I was hoping for a bit more from this. Please don't mistake me though, this is a very good film, but I wasn't blown away by it. It's fun and entertaining, and it's interesting seeing how McMurphy's presence challenges not only the rules, but also his fellow patients to progress mentally. He tries to add a fun element to their lives, and though it gets out of hand at times, it proved to be beneficial despite whatever Nurse Ratchet may have thought. It was great seeing the large progress some of the patients made by the time the film ended.

For me, I feel the reason I wasn't blown away was Nicholson. It's not that he did a bad job (he didn't), but I've never really cared for him as an actor. I'm not a huge fan of what he brings to the screen, and though he's quite good here as he does seem unhinged, his presence alone prevents me from loving the film and leaves me simply liking it. Louise Fletcher is a great choice for Nurse Ratchet. Early on, her character seemed rational and fair, but as she was challenged by McMurphy, it slowly became apparent she liked having power and doing things her way without any changes. She's the stern "villain" that the film not only needs, but thrives with.

One of the most interesting things with the film was watching McMurphy's surprisingly odd decisions. After hopping the fence and escaping, he doesn't run, but rather takes his fellow mental patients on a fishing trip. Later when he has a chance to escape out the window, he throws a party, gets drunk, and never escapes. For a character who talked so much of being able to escape whenever he wants, he never did when the opportunity presented itself. He seemed to be drawn to the hospital and people within it, despite his outwards actions that would hint otherwise.

Verdict: Though maybe overrated by many, the film is still very good and proves exceptionally interesting and fun. My feelings about Nicholson aside, this is a film everyone should see. ☆☆☆☆

Review: State of Play (2009)

2009-08-20T15:00:00.005-05:00

Director: Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland)

Cast: Russell Crowe (Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind), Ben Affleck (Good Will Hunting, Armageddon), Rachel McAdams (Wedding Crashers, The Notebook), Helen Mirren (The Queen, Gosford Park), Robin Wright Penn (Beowulf, Unbreakable), Michael Berresse (Kiss Me Kate), Jason Bateman (Arrested Development, Hancock), Jeff Daniels (Pleasantville, Dumb & Dumber)

The Deal: U.S. Congressman Stephen Collins (Affleck) is the future of his political party, but when his lead researcher dies, it's discovered she was Collins' mistress, and there may be more to the death than it seems. Cal McAffrey (Crowe), a veteran investigative reporter and close friend to Collins teams up with fresh young reporter Della Fry (McAdams) to investigate the possibility of murder, but what they find runs even deeper than they ever could have imagined.

Thoughts: This film flew under the radar for awhile, but then out of nowhere I started hearing positive things, and for good reason. It's not a masterpiece, but it's engaging and entertaining. Sure, the ending isn't anything we couldn't have guessed, but the path traveled to get there was fairly original and almost always interesting. It seemed like every 15 minutes a new piece of the puzzle was discovered, sometimes really changing the dynamic of the character's relationships. Overall, I was happily surprised with the quality of the film.

Usually Affleck is a reason for me to avoid a film (who else remembers the Daredevil days?), but I feel he's recommitted himself to playing better roles. He does a solid job as a Congressman, and I have no quarrels with him here. Crowe has never blown me away with his acting, but he's always above average and delivers quality to all of his performances. His chemistry works well with McAdams, and the two form an interesting investigative duo. It's the typical grizzled veteran mentoring the fresh meat but ultimately becoming friends story line we commonly see, but it's updated for present times (old school reporter with fresh new blogger) and it works well here and doesn't feel old or boring.

Seeing as much of the film revolved around the newspaper office and its goings, I really enjoyed the credits. It followed the final story as it goes from computer to delivery trucks, and you get to see all the steps that go into making the newspaper. The headlines and paper even give a bit of information as to how some things play out. It was a cool way to roll the credits, as it was both semi-informative but also extremely interesting just to see the process in action.

Verdict: It's a good film film that remains interesting even when the plot may seem a tad predictable. The performances are all solid and it's definitely worth renting when it comes out. ☆☆☆☆

Review: The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard (2009)

2009-08-19T11:08:00.003-05:00

Director: Neal Brennan (Chappelle's Show)

Cast: Jeremy Piven (Entourage, Smokin' Aces), Ving Rhames (Mission Impossible, Dawn of the Dead), David Koechner (Anchorman, Waiting...), Kathryn Hahn (Anchorman, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days), James Brolin (Catch Me If You Can, Hotel), Ed Helms (The Hangover, The Office), Jordana Spiro (My Boys, One World), Tony Hale (Arrested Development, Chuck), Ken Jeong (Role Models, The Hangover), Rob Riggle (The Daily Show, The Hangover), Craig Robinson (The Office, Zack and Miri Make a Porno)

The Deal: In a desperate attempt to save his failing used car dealership, Ben Selleck (Brolin) hires a team of "mercenary" car salesman to ramp up sales during the 4th of July weekend. Led by the fast-talking and ego-fueled Don "The Goods" Ready (Piven), the group has three days to sell over 200 cars. Don quickly falls for the boss's daughter Ivy (Spiro), but she's engaged to Paxton Harding (Helms), a member of a man boy-band and son of the man planning to buy the lot when it finally goes under. With the stakes raised to new heights, Don must learn to trust in more than his crafty car selling techniques as well as get over a haunting event from his past if he wants to succeed at the daunting task set before him.

Thoughts: I expected this film to have the same quality of a used car lot, so I was surprised to find it mildly entertaining and at the very least, funny at times. That's not to say it's a good film, because it's not, but if you're expecting garbage, the film may prove pleasantly surprising. One of the biggest knocks to the film is that there are no characters the viewer will actually care about, and despite a barrage of jokes, many fail to hit their mark. There's a tirade of old jokes that overshadow the more original and funny ones.

I'm sure Jeremy Piven seemed like the perfect fit for a cocky car salesmen since he plays a cocky agent on Entourage, but the problem is that his character is not funny, the viewer will care the least about him despite him being the central character of interest, and he fails to calm my urges to hit him in the face with a shovel. Some may think he's a perfect casting (he probably is), but it makes me just hate the film more. Two of the funniest characters were unfortunately small roles. Craig Robinson was pretty hilarious as DeeJay Request, the DJ who doesn't take orders from anyone. Any time someone yelled a song request, he'd get pissed and play something completely different. Rob Riggle was also pretty funny. He plays a 10-year-old trapped in an adult man's body, and I'm sure he had a blast in the role. Watching Kathryn Hahn's character hit on him was both very creepy and really funny.

Films like this really just rely on their load of familiar faces to get by. They put a slew of comedy veterans in it and hope their popularity will bring people to see it. It works, but I really wish they'd attach a decent script to the film. These films only become memorable if it's actually good, and this is one that will surely be forgotten. There's a cameo by Will Ferrell that's really funny, but again, it's just them plugging in another celebrity. It's a formula that's getting very old and tiring, but thankfully, this film at least has a few original jokes.

Verdict: It's funnier than expected, proving to be mildly entertaining, but the film falls quite short. Piven is annoying, and there's not a single character worth giving a darn about. Worth a rental, but hold off on the theaters. ☆☆

Review: G.I. Joe The Rise of Cobra (2009)

2009-08-18T13:38:00.004-05:00

Director: Stephen Sommers (The Mummy, Van Helsing)

Cast: Channing Tatum (Coach Carter, Step Up), Marlon Wayans (Scary Movie, White Chicks), Rachel Nichols (Alias, P2), Dennis Quaid (The Rookie, Vantage Point), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (10 Things I Hate About You, (500) Days of Summer), Sienna Miller (Factory Girl, Stardust), Christopher Eccleston (Heroes, Doctor Who), Ray Park (Star Wars Episode I, X-Men), Byung-hun Lee (Hero), Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Lost, Oz), Said Taghmaoui (Lost, Vantage Point)

The Deal: Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity (GI Joe) is composed of the world's best operatives and soldiers, led by General Hawk (Quaid). When weapons expert and arms dealer James McCullen's (Eccleston) nanotechnology-based weaponry capable of destroying entire cities is stolen, G.I. Joe is tasked with tracking down the terrorist organization responsible, Cobra. New recruits Duke (Tatum) and Ripcord (Wayans) team up with veterans Scarlett (Nichols), Snake Eyes (Park), and Heavy Duty (Akinnuoye-Agbaje) to battle Baroness (Miller), Storm Shadow (Lee), and Cobra super-soldiers in order to re-obtain the weapons and save the world.

Thoughts: Whether or not you like the film will greatly depend on your familiarity with the G.I. Joe universe. The film is fairly corny, but there's lots of cool tech and action sequences, and if you know nothing of G.I. Joe, you'll probably find the film quite entertaining. But, if like me, you grew up with G.I. Joe, the creative liberties taken will probably deeply aggravate you and overshadow many chances to really enjoy the film. In a way though, the film is exactly what people are looking for in a summer flick. It knows it's not a serious film, and many will find it an enjoyable popcorn-munching summer film.

I have to slightly forgive the actors for any poor performances they may have given, as I found the script to be pretty awful at times. I found myself laughing out loud at how corny some of the lines were, and no fault can be thrown on the actors for that. For the most part, the characters were cast fairly well. The actors and actresses fit their roles, and they did a decent enough job. No one was great, but no one was any worse than another to have me single them out.

If you are familiar with G.I. Joe, some things will make you happy. Scarlett is toting a crossbow, Snake Eyes says nothing, Destro does get his shinny head, and the underwater Cobra fortress just screams vintage G.I. Joe. Where the real frustrations begin is with the absolute butchery of relationships and it ends with what I deem an unforgivable character modification. Duke and Baroness have a romantic history for some reason, and she evens becomes a good guy by the end of the film, though that probably won't last. Instead of Scarlett being torn between Duke and Snake Eyes, she only seems to show any interest towards Ripcord. And as for the unforgivable modification, Cobra Commander has neither his trademark hood or helmet. Instead he sports a ridiculous clear face mask. What should have been a truly menacing villain became a laughing stock of pathetic.

One thing I noticed during the climactic final battle was that the submarine scene seemed to be ripped straight from Independence Day. Upon mentioning this to my brother, he couldn't stop laughing at how true that was. The scene I'm referring to is when Duke and Baroness are trying to escape the crumbling underwater fortress, and there's a maze of tunnels and lots of enemies chasing them, and they have to get to the end before the door closes on them. This is strikingly similar to the escape Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum made from the alien mother-ship. They dropped a bomb and had a short period of time to navigate out through a "maze" filled with enemy ships, and of course, the exit door was fast closing. I really would have liked to see a little more originality from G.I. Joe.

Verdict: Though frustrating for those who grew up with G.I. Joe, the film will prove entertaining for those not familiar. It's not a serious film, but it's the action-happy popcorn-munching type of summer film many like to see. ☆☆1/2

Review: District 9 (2009)

2009-08-15T11:22:00.005-05:00

Director: Neill Blomkamp

Cast: Sharlto Copley, David James, Vanessa Haywood

The Deal: A group of aliens (referred to as Prawns) become refugees in South Africa living in slums, called District 9, which is controlled by MNU, the world's second largest arms manufacturer. Over the years, MNU's sole interest has shifted into unlocking the alien's technology, specifically their weapons, to gain an edge in the industry, and they now hire out mercenaries to help control the alien population. When MNU agent Wikus Van De Merwe (Copley) becomes infected with an alien virus that starts mutating his DNA to that of the alien's, MNU realizes he's the key to unlocking the alien weaponry. Not wanting to be a lab rat, Wikus escapes into District 9 where he joins up with a couple of unlikely alien allies, but MNU has no intention of letting him get away.

Thoughts: Wow. Really, I don't know of a better way to start this. Blomkamp has done a fantastic job in his debut, especially given the small budget he had to work with. The docu-drama style is incredibly effective and the story is quite original. Many critics are in love with the film for its endless amount of possible metaphors towards the real life situation in Africa, but until I hear Blomkamp confirm these, I'll just ignore them as fancy critic comments that most viewers have no care about. What does matter is whether or not the film is both good and entertaining. It's a very serious film for the first half, and it's only when the situation boils over at about the half-way mark when the action starts to build and the viewers finally see some alien technology at work. This works very well, as it informs the viewer of the entire situation from it's start until the present.

If you go to the IMDb page for the film and start looking up the actors, you'll notice one thing almost all of them have in common-- no previous acting credentials. I think that is a very big point to make given the performances in the film. Sharlto Copley is excellent in the lead as Wikus. He does a great job of portraying a character the audience can fall behind and understand, and his emotions are in check and quite natural. David James plays the lead mercenary, one of the few other characters in the film that actually gets some focus. He's the very hard-nosed and violence-loving mercenary (really, would you want anything less) that viewers will hate for his lack of emotion and compassion, but James plays the part perfectly. Aside from these two, the rest of the non-Prawn characters have very small roles, but in their moments, the actors and actresses are all fairly believable and register no complaints from me.

As I mentioned before, the first half of the film is very serious and informative. It's quite interesting, and if the entire film was that way, I'd still think it was a good film. What pushed it over the edge for me was the last half where the sci-fi action finally comes to life. I love sci-fi, so this may be far more pleasing for me than others, but from the general sound throughout the theater, most of the audience tended to agree with me. The alien technology is very cool, and a lot of thought and variety is displayed in their weaponry. There's your basic alien machine guns and what-not, but there's also an awesome lightning gun that contributes to a vast majority of the blood and gore since it causes its victim to explode. For all of you Half-Life fans out there, there is a gravity gun, and it is as cool and satisfying as one could ever hope for. As you would know, anything can become a projectile, whether it be inanimate or a living creature (wink, wink). Despite the small budget for the film, you'd never know it watching that last hour play out on screen.

Verdict: The docu-drama style excellently portrays the seriousness of the film while the sci-fi elements deliver all the action one could hope for. Blomkamp could not have hoped for a better directorial debut, and this has become my favorite movie of the summer. Go see it now. ☆☆☆☆1/2

Review: The Express (2008)

2009-08-09T20:15:00.004-05:00

Director: Gary Fleder (Runaway Jury)

Cast: Rob Brown (Finding Forrester, Coach Carter), Dennis Quaid (The Rookie, Any Given Sunday), Darrin Dewitt Henson (Soul Food), Omar Benson Miller (8 Mile, American Pie Presents Band Camp), Charles S. Dutton (Gothika, Roc)

The Deal: Ernie Davis (Brown) had to overcome many obstacles on his road to Syracuse University's football team. Under the guidance of Coach Schwartzwalder (Quaid) and the encouragement of legendary All-American running back Jim Brown (Henson), Ernie fights racial prejudice on and off the field to surpass Brown's school achievements and become the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy, which honors college football's best player. Though things seem to be going quite well, and his dream of playing alongside Brown in Cleveland is about to be realized, life throws one last obstacle for him to overcome.

Thoughts: Though the facts are always altered to varying degrees, it's hard to ever dislike films based on true stories. The tale of Ernie Davis really is a heartwarming story, and the film works very hard to push the viewer's emotional buttons. It's another good film that depicts one of the many true sports heroes in history, but it's not perfect. While Davis is shattering the football records, he's doing this on the cusp of the Civil Rights Movement, which is a very serious and violent time in the country. The film brings up this movement, but then only shows things that happened on the football field. It takes away from the seriousness of the time, providing a friendlier PG version. It's not a bad thing, but I feel it would have been better to really lay it on the audience.

Dennis Quaid has been pretty hit or miss for me in the past, but I thought he did a pretty good job here. He plays a hard-ass and very serious coach, which is something he can do well. Rob Brown is solid as Ernie Banks, but I though he lacked emotion when it was most called for, especially when he was trying to make his points to the coach.

One of the things I liked is that they included the recruiting in the film. Having Jim Brown help bring Davis to Syracuse, and then later having Davis help Syracuse land Floyd Little really shows the devotion and school loyalty. It's great publicity for the school and its past football stars. It was nice seeing them reflect on everything the program and Schwartzwalder did for them, and also having Davis reflect on what playing football is really about.

Verdict: Though not perfect, the story of Ernie Davis transitions well to screen. True life stories tend to pull at emotions, and you can't help but feel overjoyed as Davis accomplishes his dreams and shatters barriers at the same time. ☆☆☆1/2

Liked It? Try These: Friday Night Lights (2004), Remember the Titans (2000), Coach Carter (2005), The Rookie (2002), Miracle (2004), Glory Road (2006), Invincible (2006), Rudy (1993), Brian's Song (1971)

Review: Let the Right One In (2008)

2009-08-08T12:02:00.004-05:00

Director: Thomas Alfredson

Cast: Kare Hedebrandt, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar, Henrik Dahl, Karin Bergquist, Ika Nord

The Deal: Oskar (Hedebrandt) is an introverted 12-year-old boy who is regularly bullied at school and only dreams of fighting back. One day a girl, Eli (Leandersson), moves in next door, and they slowly become friends. Coinciding with Eli's arrival, a strange number of disappearances and murders are cropping up, and as the two spend more time together, Oskar realizes Eli is unlike any other girl, she's a vampire. Though Eli would never harm Oskar, and she's helped give him the confidence to fight back at the bullies, he must decide how much can love truly forgive.

Thoughts: The film is based on a novel, and for all of the Twilight followers out there (good and bad), the book was published before Twilight, so this is not some cheap imitation. What this is is a wonderful story about a friendship that really pushes its boundaries. It adheres to the rules set for vampires that we know, and the story is quite original and endearing. Though at times the "horror" aspect could be considered campy, it's not really a horror film, and it always returns to its strong roots. Essentially, it's a vampire/romance film that's quite good and likable, despite any hard feelings towards the subject matter that may have cropped up since Twilight stole all of the spotlight.

Child actors carrying a film this serious is rare. Even more amazing is that Hedebrandt and Leandersson had no acting credentials on their resumes prior to this. They both had excellent presence on screen, good chemistry with each other, and handled the more mature aspects of the story with great ease. Leandersson stood out the most, and I feel like this is a film that will really launch her career. Her role was difficult, and somewhat creepy, and she handled it so much better than most experienced young actresses would have. It really was impressive how well she did.

It was fascinating watching the relationship between Oskar and Eli grow. Though the two were quite innocent together, they both dealt with far more mature subject matter. It puts a lot of stress and some confusion on their friendship, and I think if Oskar were not so young, this friendship may have fallen apart. The ending in particular was quite pleasing. I won't spoil the quick but very cool scene in the pool, but even though it was predictable, it remained satisfying. The film then closes nicely with the two riding a train, communicating through morse code since Eli must stay in a box to avoid the sun, and ending testament to the strength of their friendship.

Verdict: An original and very good film that goes beyond vampires and romance and delves into the complications of friendship and young love. It's far more serious, way darker, and much more enjoyable than it's popular Twilight counterpart. ☆☆☆☆

Liked It? Try This: Interview with the Vampire (1994)

Review: The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2009)

2009-08-07T13:25:00.004-05:00

Director: Rob Cohen (The Fast and the Furious, xXx)

Cast: Brendan Fraser (Bedazzled, Inkheart), Jet Li (The Forbidden Kingdom, Hero), Maria Bello (A History of Violence, Coyote Ugly), John Hannah (The Mummy), Luke Ford (McLeod's Daughters), Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Tomorrow Never Dies), Isabella Leong

The Deal: 2000 years ago, the evil Emperor Han (Li) was cursed by the witch Zi Yuan (Yeoh), who transformed him and his army into mummies. When Alex O'Connell (Ford) discovers the resting place of the army, his famous father Rick O'Connell (Fraser) and mother (Bello) run into him only to quickly find that they are in the middle of a battle to resurrect the Emperor. Despite their best efforts, the Emperor is raised, and now they must prevent him from reaching Shangri-La, but the only way to kill him is to stab him in the heart with the cursed dagger he tried to kill Zi with centuries ago.

Thoughts: Though the previous two Mummy films were no cinematic achievements, I found them entertaining and fairly enjoyable. Unfortunately, the same can not be said with the third installment. I found my attention drifting in and out for the first part of the film, and it only got worse. I thought it was bad when a group of yeti were summoned for assistance, but it hit a new low when a yeti kicked a soldier over an archway, and his yeti friend made the field-goal sign with his hands. It was absolutely ridiculous, and I found the film almost impossible to watch from then on. Sure there were decent action sequences, and Shangri-La looked quite cool, but I was never able to forgive the film for its early failures.

I've ragged on Fraser before, so I won't do it all over again here, though my stance remains firm. O'Connell is Fraser's best character though, and he proves decent enough as somewhat of a more action-happy version of Indiana Jones. I wish Jet Li would pick better films. He's done some cool martial arts stuff, but when he drifts into these roles, I can't help but shake my head. They are too corny and waste his one big talent, fighting. Ford fits well as O'Connell's son, but he doesn't give much better of a performance. It's somewhat expected, but I really got the feeling that much of the fault, for every actor, was the very poor script. It was quite bad, and dragged the film down and prevented any chances of decent acting.

I think one of the biggest problems with this film is that with what the story is doing (having clay soldiers reanimated), the CGI was far too weak. In the previous films, the CGI was just good enough to be deemed passible, but here, it was subpar. It's possible that there was a smaller budget for this film, so the CGI took a hit, but when the quality of the experience is hurt by this, there's a problem. Jet Li looked incredibly fake when CGI'd as a mummy, and the soldiers followed suit.

Verdict: The third installment in the Mummy franchise lacks much of the entertainment from the previous two films. It's the same level of acting, but the story gets too ridiculous and the CGI can't support the visuals that were warranted. ☆1/2

Review: Observe and Report (2009)

2009-08-06T17:09:00.004-05:00

Director: Jody Hill (The Foot Fist Way)

Cast: Seth Rogan (Knocked Up, Pineapple Express), Ray Liotta (Goodfellas, Blow), Anna Faris (Scary Movie, The House Bunny), Michael Pena (Shooter, The Shield), Dan Bakkedahl, Jesse Plemons (Friday Night Lights), Collette Wolfe, Celia Weston (Alice, Junebug), Aziz Ansari (Human Giant, Funny People)

The Deal: Ronnie Barnhardt (Rogan) is bipolar and head of security at the Forest Ridge Mall, and he takes his job very seriously. When the mall becomes plagued by a flasher, Ronnie becomes determined to catch the pervert and sees it as a chance to show off his cop skills and impress the make-up girl, Brandi (Faris). Unfortunately, he has to go head to head with a local police detective (Liotta), and all the odds seem to be stacked against him.

Thoughts: It seems strange that two films about mall cops (the other being Paul Blart) would come out at the exact same time, especially when neither has much positive buzz. Observe and Report is dirtier and more serious, but somehow even less funny and entertaining than its counterpart. I don't recall laughing for even a second while watching this, and I kept looking at the clock hoping more time had passed. The plot can't keep focused, never knowing if it's about catching the pervert, Ronnie hating the detective, Ronnie trying to join the police academy, or Ronnie trying to find true love. They are all intended to be intertwined, but they end up feeling like their own separate films and draw attention away from each other, making it seem as if there is no point to the film.

Seth Rogan was pretty much being himself throughout the film. He likes to talk dirty and act macho, and he pulls it off well here, but it's not really that great of a performance. As for Anna Faris, well, she was quite awful. She was so over-the-top and her character became annoying all of 10 seconds into her first scene. Liotta doesn't do much in the film other than be a jerk detective who wants to see Ronnie fail. He plays the part well, but it's nothing special. Aziz Ansari doesn't have much screen time, but he's the closest thing this film has to comedy. I never really laughed at him, but I almost came close once.

If the film did one thing right, it was the fight scenes. Ronnie knows how to wield his night stick and flashlight to inflict maximum damage. He takes out a group of street thugs, and does a solid job against a hoard of police officers. They were ridiculous scenes, but still by far the most entertaining moments of the film.

Verdict: Ridiculous performances, a scattered plot, and a complete lack of entertainment plague the film. Paul Blart wasn't very good, and this is far far worse. It's only saving grace is maybe two minutes worth of fight scenes. Don't waste your time, even if you aren't paying a thing. ☆1/2

Movie Rewind: Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

2009-08-02T11:23:00.007-05:00

Director: Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke)

Cast: Christian Bale (American Psycho, Batman Begins), Jean Simmons (Hamlet, Spartacus), Lauren Bacall (The Mirror Has Two Faces), Billy Crystal (Monster's Inc., When Harry Met Sally), Josh Hutcherson (Bridge to Terabithia, RV), Emily Mortimer (Lars and the Real Girl, Match Point), Blythe Danner (Meet the Parents, Will & Grace)

The Deal: A young woman named Sophie (Mortimer) is cursed by the Witch of the Waste (Bacall), turning her into an old woman (Simmons). Unable to tell anyone of the curse, she sets out in search of the wizard Howl (Bale), whose castle walks throughout the land. There she befriends Calcifer (Crystal), the fire demon who powers the castle, and Markl (Hutcherson), Howl's assistant of sorts. Since Calcifer is also under a curse, the two decide to help each other break free. Able to see through the witch's spell, Howl soon falls in love with Sophie, but he is cursed himself, and only she can help him break the curse.

Thoughts: In the world of animation, Hayao Miyazaki is held in extremely high regard, and this film is just another example of why that is so. The animation is extremely detailed, beautifully colorful, and at times so impressive you'll be left thinking it must have been CGI. The film truly is a wonderful work of art. The plot itself is quite good as well. It's full of interesting characters that the viewer can really attach to, and the story is interesting and at times mysterious. It seems that everywhere one looks, the work of a witch or wizard has left their mark.

The voice work in the film quite solid. Bale does a decent job as Howl, though I felt at times the emotion in his voice did not match the expression on the character's face. Simmons is pretty good as Grandma Sophie, and she really made the character feel like the Grandma every child wants to have. Crystal was quite good as Calcifer, and I though he had some of the funnier bits in the film sine he existed as fire and was always worried about being put out. I did not recognize Hutcherson's voice, though he did a good job and fit well with his character. Bacall was another solid performance as the Witch of the Waste. She matched he voice with her character's look and feel quite well at most times.

By far I though the castle was the coolest and most interesting part of the film. I liked how the door had a dial that could be changed in order to exit into different places, and I was really fun just looking at all the odd things it was made up of. Set against the backdrop of mountains and lakes, it was always looming and I could never take my eyes off of it. I also really enjoyed Turnip Head, the scarecrow that hops around. Despite not having any lines, I found him funny and loved every time he'd hop back into the film.

Verdict: Beautifully animated with a story that's fun and engaging, Miyazaki has created yet another wonderful film. There are plenty of different and interesting characters, and you'd be hard pressed to not find one you'll attach to. ☆☆☆☆

Liked It? Try These: Spirited Away (2001), Princess Mononoke (1997), My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Castle In the Sky (1986)

Review: 17 Again (2009)

2009-08-01T11:58:00.004-05:00

Director: Burr Steers (Igby Goes Down)

Cast: Zac Efron (High School Musical, Hairspray), Leslie Mann (Knocked Up, The 40 Year Old Virgin), Thomas Lennon (Reno 911!, I Love You Man), Sterling Knight, Michelle Trachtenberg (EuroTrip, Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Melora Hardin (The Office), Hunter Parrish (Weeds, RV), Matthew Perry (Friends, The Whole Nine Yards)

The Deal: At 17, Mike O'Donnell (Efron) was the star of his basketball team, close to getting a full ride to play ball in college, and dating his soulmate. But on the night of the big game, he finds out his girlfriend is pregnant and drops everything to marry her. Now 20 years later, his marriage is in shambles, his kids think he's a loser, and his job is going nowhere. Desperate to relive the glory years, he is magically turned 17 again and returns to high school with a fake name. It doesn't take long before he realizes the magic is not for basketball, but rather for a chance to save his marriage and reconnect with his kids, who are both in high school.

Thoughts: We've seen this scenario before, and this one is nothing special, just a chance to ride the formula again but with newer and fresher faces. For the most part, the film reminds you not to take it seriously. In the opening scene, Efron is gearing up for the big game, and the cheerleaders are doing their routine. All of a sudden, he's out there having a choreographed dance session. Seriously, we've seen this three times before, but it was called High School Musical then. The scene is completely out of place with the rest of the film, so I'm still boggled as to why it was deemed necessary.

As for the performances, they weren't bad. Leslie Mann has the best presence on screen, and she shows why she's the most experienced actor on the set. The awkward sexual tension between her and Efron in some scenes was creepy yet fairly funny. Matthew Perry is pretty bad. He's never really stepped away from his character on Friends, and it just doesn't translate to film. Efron is solid. I think he's given some ridiculous scenes, but for the most part he does fine with the majority of the camera time. Thomas Lennon was scene stealing in everyone of his moments. He plays an uber geek who got rich in software, and he's now tricked out with everything you can imagine from Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and so on. His geekiness is hysterical, and it's almost too much when he starts speaking elvish at the dinner table while on a date with the Principal, who is well played by Melora Hardin.

I thought for a moment, despite how mediocre the film had been up to that point, that the ending was going to be good. The scene in the courthouse where Efron's character reads the letter from adult Mike is fairly heartwarming, and when Mann's character finds the letter, I thought it was both surprising and clever. I'm not trying to spoil the scene, though some may be able to guess it. None the less, the film gets back on its original pace, culminating in a predictable and rather bad/cheesy moment finish to on.

Verdict: Though the performances were solid, and Lennon was absolutely hysterical, the story was quite generic and at times far too corny. ☆☆

Harry Potter: The IMAX 3D Experience

2009-07-29T20:05:00.004-05:00

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was just released in IMAX 3D, and I'm here to comment on the experience. First off, IMAX is always very tricky with the wording in their advertising. For the last month, they have said that their version had 12 minutes of exclusive footage. Though this sounds an awful lot like never before seen scenes, it really just means 12 minutes of the normal scenes are in 3D. The only difference between the IMAX and normal version of the film is that the first 12, and only the first 12 minutes, are in 3D; a fact they only started acknowledging recently. The rest of the film is the exact same, though the screen will likely be bigger in an IMAX theater.

So how is the opening 12 minutes in 3D? It's actually quite stunning. The images are very crisp, there aren't any gimmicky 3D moments, and the depth it adds to the film is absolutely wonderful. If the whole film was shot in IMAX 3D, I would recommend that option in a heartbeat. It really was a amazing 12 minutes, but then it was over. For casual fans, I would not recommend spending the extra money (tickets were $14 a pop for a matinee) for the IMAX ticket, as it's probably not worth it. But for the Potterholics who are planning on seeing the film multiple times anyways, paying a bit extra to see it once in IMAX is a very cool and worthwhile option.

Review: Crank High Voltage (2009)

2009-07-29T14:44:00.004-05:00

Directors: Mark Neveldine (Crank), Brian Taylor (Crank)

Cast: Jason Statham (Crank, The Transporter), Amy Smart (Crank, Just Friends), Dwight Yoakam (Crank, Panic Room), Efren Ramirez (Crank, Napoleon Dynamite), Art Hsu, Ling Bai, Clifton Collins Jr., David Carradine (Kill Bill)

The Deal: Thought to be dead, Chev Chelios (Statham) survives a fall from a helicopter, but awakens to find that a Chinese mobster has taken taken his "indestructible" heart and replaced it with a battery-powered ticker. Chev must hunt down and retrieve his heart, but the battery on his new ticker requires frequent jolts of electricity to keep it running. Set on finishing the job, Chev will do anything to keep his heart going.

Thoughts: This is an adrenaline-fueled, action-happy thrill ride from start to finish. The action sequences are cool and increasingly more ridiculous than the last. I knew this was not a serious film going in, but even with that knowledge, the fact-paced action fails to save the film. It's hopped up on too much adrenaline for its own good, so the plot becomes very wild and erratic, struggling to make much sense at most times.

I can't really rip on the acting in this film, as there really wasn't any real acting required. Statham continues to thrive in this type of role, playing characters that are completely bad-ass despite their ridiculousness. I continue to wonder why Amy Smart appears in these. All her character is meant to do is wear nothing, have sex, and get beaten up. They could get anyone to do this, so I don't know why she has decided to add this role to her resume. Efren Ramirez is a throwaway character meant for comedic relief yet also intended to be badass. The combination doesn't really work.

As I said before, the action sequences were cool. It was interesting to see the different ways Chev would get his jolt of electricity, and some of them were quite clever. I especially liked the use of the taser and how the cops unknowingly re-charged their captive. Unfortunately, the film was not made up entirely of cool action sequences, and the remaining parts were quite stupid. I knew what this was going in, and I still feel dumber after seeing it.

Verdict: Though some of the actions sequences were both exciting and creative, the rest of the film is mostly rubbish. If you paid money to see this in theaters, I'm sorry. If you're thinking of renting this, wait until it's on cable. ☆☆

Summer Movie Picks: August

2009-07-28T18:50:00.007-05:00

Must See: District 9 (August 14)

The Deal: A band of alien refugees has been living in District 9 in South Africa while the world's nations discuss what to do with them. Humans have been waiting for the aliens to attack or for some great leap in technology, but neither have come. With patience over the situation running out, control of District 9 has been contracted out to MNU, and the aliens are no longer being treated well. When an MNU agent becomes infected with an alien virus, he becomes to sole way for humans to unlock the alien weaponry, but when they only place for him to hide is in District 9, things may slip out of control.

Why: As I mentioned before when I picked Moon for June, great sci-fi films are rare. As for this film, the marketing department has shown us just enough to create lots of buzz and interest. The visuals have looked cool, and previews leave you begging to learn more. Even better, the film had a pre screening at Comic-Con last week, and all I'm hearing from it is that it is fantastic (IGN can't stop raving about it). To top it off, the film is helmed by the two people (Peter Jackson and Neill Blomkamp) who nearly brought us Halo. We were given snippets of what to expect of that, and it looked phenomenal before the project was shut down. The two then channeled their mutual interest and poured it into this. Anyone who's seen Lord of the Rings knows what kind of passion and awe Jackson brings to the screen, and Blomkamp is his protege. In the last month, this flew up my list of films I'm dying to see, and I can't see Jackson and Blomkamp disappointing me.

Sleepers

The Time Traveler's Wife (August 14): I've generally ignored the romance genre when making my monthly picks, but this one looks like it could be very interesting. Eric Bana plays a man who involuntarily travels through time, and he falls in love with a woman played by Rachel McAdams. It's pretty obvious this will put some interesting stress on their relationship, and I'm intrigued to see how it plays out. I can probably guess how it will end given its genre, but the sci-fi time travel element is quite enticing.

Inglourious Basterds (August 21): I thought for a long while this would be my August pick until I learned more about District 9. That being said, despite some mixed reviews from Sundance, I love a good Quentin Tarantino film. With the likes of Brad Pitt, Eli Roth, and B.J. Novak playing Jeweish soldiers who run around brutally killing Nazis, it seems like something right up Tarantino's alley, and I'm eagerly anticipating the film. To top it off, it has the beautiful Diane Kruger in it.

Taking Woodstock (August 28): I was a little hesitant to consider this, but the more I thought about it, the more I'd like to see it. The film chronicles the generation-defining concert of 1969, and the previews look fairly good. I like Demetri Martin, he's pretty funny, and the film has a handful of other good actors and actresses. Director Ang Lee will most likely do an excellent job, and I think it will turn out to be a fun and exciting film.

Review: Race to Witch Mountain (2009)

2009-07-28T18:20:00.006-05:00

Director: Andy Fickman (The Game Plan, She's the Man)

Cast: Dwayne Johnson (Get Smart, Walking Tall), AnnaSophia Robb (Bridge to Terabithia, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Alexander Ludwig (The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising), Carla Gugino (Watchmen, Spy Kids), Ciaran Hinds (Rome, Munich), Chris Marquette (Fanboys)

The Deal: Las Vegas cab driver Jack Bruno (Johnson) finds himself transporting two strange young kids, Sara (Robb) and Seth (Ludwig). It doesn't take long before he realizes they aren't from this planet, and they are on a secret mission. Unfortunately, their space ship is in government custody, and they are being tracked by not only government agents, but also a mysterious alien hunter bent on capturing what they are looking for. As the adventure and danger escalates, Bruno decides to stick by the kids as they race to Witch Mountain where a secret government base lays hidden.

Thoughts: I thought this looked pretty stupid based on the previews, but it turned out to at least be entertaining. It's nothing too special, but it was fun and full of more action than one would expect from a Disney film. Yes, lots of things worked out far too nicely for the characters, and some bits were fairly cheesy, but it always kept a serious tone in what the story was trying to accomplish. The film is meant for kids, and in that sense, it's quite solid, but adults may forget the film quite quickly.

For a big and intimidating guy like Johnson, he does a lot of these kid-friendly films. You'd think him out of place, but he works fairly well in the roles. His humor is funny enough for the kids to enjoy it, and he's the kind of hero they'd look for to help save the day. As for the two young stars, I thought Robb gave a better performance than Ludwig, though neither was what I'd consider bad. I like what I've seen of Robb, and I think she brings a fun and likable presence to her roles. Hinds is a good choice as the head government agent. Though adults will see him as just another man working for a secretive government, kids will truly see him as a bad guy. He has a slightly creepy look to him, and plays his part well.

I found it interesting that the hunter was a government agent from the kid's planet trying to stop them so their government could hide the truth. It paralleled a lot of what the kids said about the similarities between the two races. I was a little disappointed when the space ship turned out to be a flying saucer. It seems that nobody has an imagination when thinking up what a ship would look like. That being said, kids will recognize it more this way, and I actually thought parts of the ship were cool. I like the cockpit and the strange "sphere" that seemed to power the ship. It's nice to see someone finally showing us the inside of a saucer and not having it be generic.

Verdict: Though it's not a great film, kids will like it, and it is entertaining and fun enough, even for adult viewers. There's surprisingly a lot of action, and a few cool car chases. ☆☆☆

Recognizing Kings

2009-07-27T14:17:00.002-05:00

In this day and age, it seems like every new TV show is either a comedy or a hospital romance/drama, so when a show like Kings comes along, I'm intrigued. The show is based on the biblical story of King David, but told within a modern day alternate reality. Due to divine intervention, Silas (Ian McShane) founded the kingdom of Gilboa, but as time wore on, he became old and slightly less fit to be king. He's power hungry, and he doesn't like that Capt. David Shepherd (Christopher Egan) has become widely popular for his heroics. With it growing ever clearer that David is meant to be the new king, power struggles emerge between many.

The first season, which I thought was brilliant, has just finished up, but due to NBC's rocky handling of the show (it was moved from Sunday night to Saturday night after all of 2 weeks, guaranteeing certain doom), few have heard of it and it's been cancelled. None the less, the show is a refreshing break from the norm, sporting a very interesting story and incredibly powerful acting from pretty much everyone. It's laced with romance, war, power struggles, religion, politics, etc. There's something for most everyone in the show, and it all intertwines wonderfully together. If you haven't seen it, I highly suggest you check it out, and you can watch the episodes for free online.

A show like this is rare, which makes it all the sadder it has met an early end. I liked the show more and more every week, and the characters within it were endearing. The religious overtones were handled properly, never getting too preachy. I've heard small whispers of a revival, but I won't get my hopes up. All I can ask is that as many people give the show a chance as possible. Even if it's gone forever, it'd be great if was at least remembered.

Review: The Unborn (2009)

2009-07-27T10:44:00.007-05:00

Director: David S. Goyer (Blade: Trinity, The Invisible)

Cast: Odette Yustman (Cloverfield, October Road), Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight, Leon), Cam Gigandet (Twilight, The O.C.), Jane Alexander (Kramer vs Kramer, The Ring), Atticus Shaffer, Meagan Good (Saw V), C.S. Lee (Dexter, Chuck)

The Deal: Casey (Yustman) starts seeing haunting visions of a young boy. While babysitting neighbors, their child hits her with a mirror and states that someone called Jumby wants to be born. Upon visiting an ophthalmologist regarding a resulting eye condition, she is asked if she is a twin. Questioning her father, she discovers that she had a brother that died in the womb. As she becomes haunted more and more, she discovers that a dybbuk is trying to cross over from another realm, and her brother was going to be the vessel. Scared for her life, she asks Rabbi Sendak (Oldman) to perform and exorcism to rid the demon forever.

Thoughts: Films like this are almost never good, and The Unborn does nothing to kick the trend. It does have a few scenes that make you jump, and the twisted bodies that crawl are quite creepy, but the story itself seems unoriginal. We've seen films about demons possessing others to cross over a hundred times, and though this is mildly entertaining at times, it relies on too many "horror film" cliches.

The performances in the film are quite forgettable. Gary Oldman's talent was almost completely wasted. I love his work, but am left wondering why he chose this. As for Odette Yustman, it seems clear the director had no intention of flaunting her acting skills. Instead he focuses on her physical characteristics, relying on male viewers to find her sexy in order to view the film. Don't get me wrong, she looked very very good, but no one in their right mind should pay money just to see her look good (though Megan Fox in Transformers does seem to defy this statement). The decision proved distracting, pulling attention away from the story where it needed to be. This could have been better, and a larger focus on performances would have greatly helped.

I really did enjoy the way the dybbuk possessed people's bodies. Sometimes, it just used it as a vessel, but when it got angry, the bodies became all contorted and crawled in a truly terrifying manner. It was one of the few saving graces for the film, as it occurs just enough to keep the viewer watching.

Verdict: A lackluster film that falls into place among the many others of the often disappointing genre. Though is has a few startling and creepy moments, the film spends too much time reminding the viewer Yustman is attractive instead of keeping a serious tone. ☆☆

Comic-Con 2009 Movie News

2009-07-24T17:57:00.006-05:00

The Hobbit: IGN got a chance to speak to producer Peter Jackson about the upcoming film, which is to be directed by Guillermo del Toro. The script is about three weeks away from being turned over to the studio. Their hope is to have Part 1 ready for release in December 2011, with Part 2 following in December 2012, much like how the Lord of the Rings films were released. By splitting the book into two films, Jackson and del Toro will include pretty much everything as well as add in events between Gandalf and the Necromancer, which had previously only been discussed in appendices. Though no roles have been cast at this time, they have a few ideas in mind, and from what I've heard from other sources, actors who played characters that appear in both LotR and The Hobbit will be sought after to reprise their roles, Bilbo excluded.

Avatar: James Cameron has been working on this film for something like 10 years now, and much of it has been kept secret, though we've been told that the 3D techniques being used are revolutionary. Well recently, extended sneak peeks have been shown, and the buzz seems to be confirming Cameron's proclamations. As IGN puts it, the peek "surpassed all expectations and anything the guy who gave us Terminator 2 has ever done." These are pretty lofty statements, but I'm hearing similar thoughts everywhere I read. They even went as far to say that the 3D is so good it is face melting. With early buzz backing up everything Cameron has said, and given his previous bodies of work, I can't help but eagerly wait for December 18.

Batman 3: Though Batman 3 always seemed inevitable after the raging success of The Dark Knight, rumors that Chris Nolan would not be directing seemed to derail these hopes. Gary Oldman, who plays Commissioner Gordon, announced that the third installment will begin shooting next year with a target release date in 2011. With Nolan working on Inception (which sounds like it will be awesome), and this film's proposed start date, the film may in fact be seeing a new director. Hopefully this will not be the case, but with a good script and a returning cast, I'm sure the film would do just fine.

Review: Adventureland (2009)

2009-07-24T10:34:00.007-05:00

Director: Greg Mottola (Superbad)

Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart (Twilight, Into the Wild), Bill Hader (SNL, Superbad), Kristen Wiig (SNL), Ryan Reynolds (Waiting..., Van Wilder), Martin Starr (Knocked Up)

The Deal: James' grand summer of touring Europe before starting grad school at Columbia hits a roadblock when his parents have a financial setback. Now forced to find summer work, he takes a job at the only place that seems to be hiring, a local amusement park, Adventureland. His initial disappointments of summer soon vanish as he quickly falls in love with Em (Stewart), a co-worker at the park. Through the summer, James and company have eye-opening experiences about life, love, trust, and heartbreak, and by the end of the summer, amidst all of the chaos, James discovers what he truly values.

Thoughts: The marketing campaign for the film is very misleading, and if you're looking for the next Superbad, you'll be disappointed. That aside, it still is a pretty good film that hits home in these troubled economic times, despite the film being set in 1987. It's biggest strength is the level of emotion the film brings, especially with Em and James. It's the most compelling aspect of the story, and what ultimately keeps the film afloat when the film isn't firing on all cylinders.

The high emotional level of the film is due to the surprisingly good performances by the main characters. This was the first I've seen of Eisenberg, and I thought he did a wonderful job with his character. The viewer really feels his troubles as he tries to mend everything that's gone wrong with his summer. I'm very happy to see Stewart giving a performance that is far from hers in Twilight. She has real emotion here, and despite all of her character's stupid decisions, you still feel sorry for her and want to forgive her. Hader and Wiig were the comedic anchors of the film. Both were very funny as the park owners, and they really helped pick the film up since they are responsible for the only bits I found funny.

Personally, I found this film way over hyped. Critics raved about its vintage feel, subtle humor, and overall ability to cause reminiscing about their happy younger years. Here in lies the problem. For my generation, we can't make that connection. We know nothing of the 80's, as we were born in them, hence, we don't remember them. We can connect emotionally with the characters, but the film's other "strong" points can easily fly over our heads. Because of this, I found the plot to be somewhat of a roller coaster itself. There were plenty of highs were I was really enjoying it, but then there were plenty of lows were I was quite board.

Verdict: Though over-hyped by many critics, the film still does an excellent job delivering the emotion. It's well acted, and the audience can connect with the character's financial struggles due to the tough economic times we are experiencing today. ☆☆☆1/2

Review: The Hurt Locker (2009)

2009-07-22T11:04:00.006-05:00

Director: Kathryn Bigelow (K-19: The Widowmaker, Point Break)

Cast: Jeremy Renner (28 Weeks Later, The Unusuals), Anthony Mackie (We Are Marshall, Eagle Eye), Brian Geraghty (Jarhead), Guy Pearce (Momento, L.A. Confidential), Ralph Fiennes (Harry Potter, Schindler's List), David Morse (House, Disturbia), Evangeline Lilly (Lost), Christian Camargo (Dexter)

The Deal: Staff Sergeant William James (Renner) is a highly trained bomb specialist with a severe addiction to adrenaline. He's reckless, but the best at his job, having diffused over 800 bombs in his career. His new squadmates, Sanborn (Mackie) and Eldridge (Geraghty), tend to strictly stick to protocol, and find themselves questioning James' ability to keep them out of harm. As they handle one bomb after another, and find themselves in more dangerous situations, their wild leader's antics will change each man forever.

Thoughts: First off, I'd like to applaud the film for completely refusing to take a political stance on the war in Iraq, and instead focusing solely on the men in it and the dangerous jobs they do. The film itself is incredibly gripping, leaving many viewers holding their breathe as the characters again and again plunge themselves ever close to death. Even for those who don't hold their breathe, they will most certainly be on the edge of their seats. It's a powerful film, and it does a wonderful job showing how soldiers really do put their life on the line. It also sports a fair amount of humor, as James' reckless and wild man antics tend lighten the audiences mood a bit, but the film's mood remains quite serious.

Jeremy Renner gave an excellent performance in the lead. He knows when to hold back and when to go all out, and he feels like a soldier and not like an actor playing a soldier. Similar things can be said of the other two main actors, Mackie and Geraghty. Geraghty's character is one who is tired of war, always living in fear of death, and desperately wanting to go home. He's the big emotional anchor of the trio. Mackie plays the by-the-book Sergeant, seemingly stone-cold and analytical, but slowly realizing some of the things he wants in life lie outside of the war. Regardless of any of the other big names in the film (they all have small roles), these three dominate the screen time, and do a very good job carrying the film.

In the opening sequence, it is stated that for some, war is a drug. It doesn't take long for this to become very apparent with James. He initially comes off as young and reckless, but then you slowly learn how experienced he actually is and the leadership skills he possesses, and you realize how addicted to diffusing bombs he really is. He says that as you get older, you find only one or two things in life you truly love, and for him, it is one thing, the thrill of war. It's where he feels most at ease, and he just can't function well without it. There is a wonderful scene towards the end of the film when he finally goes home, and he's trying to go grocery shopping, but has no clue what to even do. It doesn't make sense to him, and the sad thing is, this happens in real life to soldiers.

Verdict: The film is incredibly suspenseful, leaving many breathless and others on the edge of their seats. It is well acted, especially by Renner, and is easily the best film on the war in Iraq, and the best war film since Saving Private Ryan. ☆☆☆☆1/2

Good News, Everyone... Or Maybe Not?

2009-07-21T15:18:00.005-05:00

Comedy Central has decided that Futurama deserves the Family Guy treatment. The four straight-to-DVD movies were great, but what we've really wanted was the show to come back all together. Wish granted! Comedy Central has ordered 26 new episodes to be aired over two seasons. We can thank the positive DVD sales and large viewership of the reruns for this, and it is well deserved. When it first aired on TV ages ago, I was fairly indifferent about the show, but as the years rolled on, it grew into one of my three favorite cartoon shows. We can look to find the new episodes airing sometime mid-2010.

Here's the possibly not so great news. The budget for the show has been cut, and the original voice actors' salary requirements are too high, so they may be getting replaced. All of them! This could be devastating, as I doubt the show can be the same with that many new voices. Family Guy got away with changing the voice actress for Meg, but that was one character, and this is everyone. There is one small sliver of hope though. Back when The Simpsons was debating getting new voice actors, they held auditions, but the original cast ultimately worked a deal. There is still a chance the same could happen here, even if it's just for a few of the members. Honestly, can Bender or Fry really be voiced by someone new? Only time will tell, but until then, my fingers will be crossed.

UPDATE (7/31): Various sources are reporting that the cast has indeed signed new contracts, ending fears the show would loose all of its familiar voices.

Review: Watchmen (2009)

2009-07-21T10:33:00.006-05:00

Director: Zach Snyder (300, Dawn of the Dead)

Cast: Malin Akerman (The Heartbreak Kid, 27 Dresses), Billy Crudup (Almost Famous, Public Enemies), Matthew Goode (The Lookout), Jackie Earle Haley (Little Children, The Bad News Bears), Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Grey's Anatomy, P.S. I Love You), Patrick Wilson (Hard Candy, Lakeview Terrace), Carla Gugino (Spy Kids, Sin City)

The Deal: Set in an alternate universe circa 1985, America and Russia are on the verge of nuclear war, with the "Doomsday Clock" fast approaching midnight. The glory days for costumed vigilantes have been brought to a close due to government crackdown, but when The Comedian (Morgan) is murdered, many of the heroes reunite to prevent the same thing from happening to them. Determined to discover the killer, Rorschach (Haley) discovers a wide range of conspiracies that could pose their doom, as well as threaten the planet.

Thoughts: It's hard for me to rate this, because I really enjoyed the film, but it was far from perfect. There were a slew of bad-ass scenes, and the characters were interesting and fairly well-developed. Unfortunately, having not read the graphic novel, the plot seemed clunky at times and it took me almost half the film just to figure out where the plot was going. Don't get me wrong though, it was fun along the way, even when I was a bit lost. I've been assured by friends that did read the novel that these stem from the close attention payed when adapting the novel. Though they stand out to me, I'm willing to treat these issues less harshly after hearing this.

The performances in the film ranged from good to sub-par. Jackie Earle Haley shined in his role, and I believe his character is the one that the viewer will like and understand the best. On the flip side, I though Malin Akerman struggled to deliver many of her lines convincingly. Much of the male audience will overlook this fault seeing that she wore skin-tight leather or nothing at all during the entire film. Jeffrey Dean Morgan was solid in his limited role, and it's a shame his character was the one to be murdered early on. Crudup was acceptable as Dr. Manhattan, coming across fairly detached from the world and people that occupy it, which is how the character should have been. Goode, Wilson, and Gugino all become somewhat forgotten. Their performances were fairly average and are overshadowed by the better and much worse performances.

The one thing that most people tend to agree on is that the opening sequence was exceptional. Set to the song "The Times They Are A-Changin", it shows a montage of pictures depicting the glory days of masked vigilantes and then showing them slowly fade away into troubled times. It was one of the best opening sequences in recent memory, and I can watch it over and over. Unfortunately, the remainder of the film's soundtrack didn't hit so close to home. Many of the songs seemed out of place, though a few that were hilariously awesome for the scene.

Verdict: This film is not for everyone, but for the viewers who tend to really like this genre, the film strikes home. Though not perfect, it is highly entertaining and visually pleasing. Most will be left impatiently anticipating the director's cut, which contains an additional 25 minutes. ☆☆☆☆

Review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

2009-07-15T10:28:00.008-05:00

Director: David Yates (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix)

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe (December Boys), Rupert Grint (Thunderpants, Driving Lessons), Emma Watson (The Tale of Despereaux), Michael Gambon (The Good Shepherd, Sleepy Hallow), Alan Rickman (Die Hard, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves), Maggie Smith (California Suite, Gosford Park), Robbie Coltrane (The World Is Not Enough, Cracker), David Thewlis (Kingdom of Heaven, Dragonheart), Evana Lynch, Helena Bonham Carter (Sweeney Todd, Fight Club), Jim Broadbent (Iris, Hot Fuzz), Timothy Spall (Enchanted, A Series of Unfortunate Events), Julie Walters (Driving Lessons, Billy Elliot), Warwick Davis (Star Wars, Leprechaun), Tom Felton, Dave Legeno, Bonnie Wright, Jessie Cave, Natalia Tena, Freddie Stroma, Helen McCrory

The Deal: Voldemort's grip is tightening, striking fear into the muggle and wizarding world alike. Now in his sixth year, Harry Potter (Radcliffe) discovers a book with extra notes written in it that help him move to the top of his class, but it's previous owner, The Half-Blood Prince, remains a mystery. Dumbledore (Gambon) decides it is necessary for Harry to begin learning more about Voldemort, but needs Harry to get a special memory from the school's new professor, Horace Slughorn (Broadbent). On top of his classes and special assignments for Dumbledore, Harry must also deal with his budding romantic feelings, the growing rift between his two best friends, and his sneaking suspicions that Draco Malfoy (Felton) is now a Death Eater plotting disastrous deeds for Hogwarts.

Thoughts: If, like me, you've read every review you find for the film out of excitement, please disregard what you've read before seeing this. There were four things I kept reading in lots of critic's reviews, four things that were the exact opposite from the film, three I will address now. Many say this is the darkest film yet, but it's not. It's surprisingly hilarious at times and serious in others, but definitely not as dark as the third and fifth film installments. Many say that the quidditch game is too amazing for words, but it's not. It's wonderful having quidditch back, but we only get at most a one minute snippet of the game. Many said the bathroom battle between Harry and Malfoy was horror-film bloody, but it most certainly wasn't. Yes there was blood, but please remember, this is only rated PG. Overall, the things that critics hyped the most were disappointing because they hyped the wrong things. This doesn't mean the scenes weren't good though. The story has all of the magic we love, but an amped of supply of humor mixed in with the very serious storyline developing. There's a big focus on budding teenage romances, and it's as awkward as could ever be hoped.

The fourth thing many say is that Wright and Felton fail to impress in their increased spotlight, but I couldn't disagree more. I've always liked these castings, but up until now, they never had much to do. Felton was wonderful, displaying a wide range of emotions as his character struggled with a massive task with deadly consequences for failure. Wright did a good job as well. Her character's main focus was romance, and she did a good job of subtlety dropping hints here and there. Broadbent plays the biggest new character, and he is absolutely wonderful. He has a wide range of scenes that really allow him the develop the character quite well. Cave also has a fairly big new role, and she is terrifyingly perfect. Not in an evil way, but in the "this girl is bat-shit insane" kind of way. A stage 5 clinger in if there ever was one. Though I usually don't take the time to talk about the main characters much, they do deserve some time again. Gambon is quite good, especially in the film's final half-hour. Watson has developed into a wonderful young actress, and despite having somewhat of a comedic character, Grint does more than just comedy. Lastly, Radcliffe finally displays a full range of believable emotions. It was far and away his best performance yet.

The scene in the cave was one of the best of the Potter franchise. It was very dark, chilling, powerful, emotional, and visually stunning. Watching Harry force feed Dumbledore poison on orders was very sad to watch, and the resulting attack by inferi had half the audiences jumping from their seats. Needless to say, magic was needed to fight their way out, and it doesn't disappoint.

Accuracy: I was so very surprised and happy to find how many little scenes were included from the book that I never expected: Hermione's magical birds attacking Ron, Aragog's funeral, multiple Slughorn parties, love potions, etc. It does the best job following the source material since the first film. It's sad that Dumbledore's funeral was not included, but producers said it was left out to avoid double-covering things with the next films. Really, the only disappointing omission was Hogwarts actually being attacked. Death Eaters casually stroll through the halls to the astronomy tower with no resistance, and it is somewhat anti-climactic. Producers say it would have been too similar to the final battle in the upcoming seventh films, but I call shenanigans. Without the battle, Fenrir Greyback had very little to do in the film. The addition of the corn field scene at the Burrow was actually quite cool for a made-up scene. It fit with the mood and feel of the story. ☆☆☆☆1/2

Overall Verdict: It will take some time and additional viewings before I know where exactly this fits in with the rest, but I can say it will be near or at the top. Capturing much of the book's spirit, the film boast a wonderful amount of humor to compliment the more serious plot developments. Visually, the film is quite beautiful. ☆☆☆☆1/2

Movie Rewind: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)

2009-07-14T13:32:00.007-05:00

Director: David Yates

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe (December Boys), Rupert Grint (Thunderpants, Driving Lessons), Emma Watson (The Tale of Despereaux), Michael Gambon (The Good Shepherd, Sleepy Hallow), Alan Rickman (Die Hard, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves), Maggie Smith (California Suite, Gosford Park), Robbie Coltrane (The World Is Not Enough, Cracker), David Thewlis (Kingdom of Heaven, Dragonheart), Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight, Leon), Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake, Nanny McPhee), Evana Lynch, Helena Bonham Carter (Sweeney Todd, Fight Club), Emma Thompson (Sense and Sensibility, Stranger Than Fiction), Ralph Fiennes (The English Patient, Schindler's List), Timothy Spall (Enchanted, A Series of Unfortunate Events), Julie Walters (Driving Lessons, Billy Elliot), Warwick Davis (Star Wars, Leprechaun), Natalia Tena, Tom Felton

The Deal: Harry Potter (Radcliffe) returns to Hogwarts for his fifth year, but most of the wizarding world refuses to believe him regarding Voldemort's return. Harry is determined to make the truth known, but the Ministry of Magic won't admit it. The open DAtDA position is filled by Umbridge (Staunton), a Ministry worker who will act as a spy and prevent rumors from spreading. As Harry and a group of students band together to learn magic, Umbridge gains more and more control in the school. Unbeknownst to Harry, Lord Voldemort has access to his mind, and he is searching for a weapon, a weapon only Harry can retrieve. Drawn out by curiosity and fear, Harry sets out to the Department of Mysteries, but he doesn't realize it's a trap.

Thoughts: I'll admit that when I first saw this, I was very taken aback. It varies largely and often from the book, and it made me angry. But as I viewed the film more and more, it slowly transformed into my favorite of the franchise. Accuracy aside, the film is very dark, exciting, mysterious, and unites the audience in the student's hatred of Professor Umbridge. There is plenty of magic, and the story is quite fun. The battle scene in the Ministry of Magic is action packed and possibly the coolest scene of the film franchise so far. My biggest complaint is the terrible CGI of Grawp. It was worse than the CGI in the first film.

Most everyone is back, and improving on the performances. Evana Lynch, Imelda Staunton, and Helena Bonham Carter are the new additions this time around, and perfection is the word for all of them. Lynch is exceptionally loopy and charming as Luna Lovegood, Staunton evokes such deep and perfect hatred for her character, and Bonham Carter is playfully terrifying as Bellatrix Lestrange. Their performances were all great, and they feel like they've been with the films the whole time.

Accuracy: This is the longest book of the franchise, and so far, the shortest film installment. There are tons of cuts and loads of changes, all of which prove very frustrating the first view or two. They could have added a few more scenes to lessen this frustration and still keep the film around the same length of the others. They did do a solid job in the Ministry of Magic. Some bits were cut, but they did include much of what did occur, and their additions were fitting and enjoyable. Their new castings were also dead on for the book characters, especially Lynch. She is 100% Luna Lovegood. I could go on and on about other problems with the accuracy, but I won't. There are too many, and in the end, I've gotten over them when I view this film as a whole. ☆☆☆

Overall Verdict: Though at times it strays very far from its source material, it proves to be plenty magical and full of entertainment. The performances are quite good, the story is entertaining, and it's my favorite film of the franchise for its rewatch value. ☆☆☆☆

Movie Rewind: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)

2009-07-13T10:41:00.005-05:00

Director: Mike Newell (Donnie Brasco, Mona Lisa Smile)

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe (December Boys), Rupert Grint (Thunderpants, Driving Lessons), Emma Watson (The Tale of Despereaux), Michael Gambon (The Good Shepherd, Sleepy Hallow), Alan Rickman (Die Hard, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves), Maggie Smith (California Suite, Gosford Park), Robbie Coltrane (The World Is Not Enough, Cracker), Robert Pattinson (Twilight), Brendan Gleeson (Troy, The Village), Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight, Leon), Timothy Spall (Enchanted, A Series of Unfortunate Events), Stanislav Ianevski, Clemence Poesy (In Bruges), Julie Walters (Driving Lessons, Billy Elliot), Katie Leung, David Tennant (Doctor Who), Ralph Fiennes (The English Patient, Schindler's List), Jason Isaacs (The Patriot, Brotherhood), Miranda Richardson (Sleepy Hallow, Damage)

The Deal: Following the scare at the Quidditch World Cup, where Death Eaters cast The Dark Mark, Harry Potter (Radcliffe) and friends return to Hogwarts to find that the school will be hosting the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Each of the three main wizarding schools will have a champion to compete for the Tri-Wizard Cup, granting them eternal glory. When the Goblet of Fire, the tournaments selection judge, names Harry as a fourth competitor despite him not entering, fears of Lord Voldemort's involvement slowly rise up. Bound by the magic of the tournament, Harry cannot withdraw, leaving him to take on three difficult tasks, of which he may not come out alive.

Thoughts: Being Harry Potter, I find the film entertaining, but overall, it's easily the weakest of the film installments. It seems to lack much of the magic and enchantment that the previous films had, though it maintains a darker feel like that of Prisoner of Azkaban. The three tasks were fun but slightly underwhelming, but the end of the film makes up for this. The final scenes are quite powerful, very dark, and visually pleasing. They leave the viewer with a very good last impression that overshadows the film's faults.

Another new film brings another set of new characters. Everyone from previous films is continuing to improve, even if only a little. Gleeson plays the DAtDA teacher, and he looks and acts the part perfectly. He has a commanding presence, especially his first lesson about the Unforgivable Curses. Pattnson's role as Cedric Diggory planted him on the map for future stardom. He fits the role here much better than his role in Twilight. Ianevski plays Viktor Krum, a school champion and star Quidditch player. Though his physical appearance may lead to questions, his performance was very fitting for the role. Poesy plays Fleur Delacour, and the same can be said of her that was said about Ianevski. Tennant, Richardson, and Leung all do fine jobs in their roles, but Fiennes deserves my last comments. We finally have a face to Lord Voldemort, and he is absolutely perfect. His performance is powerful, chilling, and truly dark.

Accuracy: This film begins the struggle for writers, as they are tasked with turning a book that is twice as long as the others into a film the is the same length as others. Scenes must be cut, and details must be altered accordingly. For the most part, they did a good job with this. They thankfully cut everything to do with S.P.E.W. (those chapters were some of Rowling's worst), and focused almost solely on the tournament. It was the right move for the film, though disappointing as a Potter fan. Though I have no huge problems with the new castings in the film, I don't find some as good as most of the previous ones. Ianevski is pretty much the exact opposite of his book character. Instead of being skinny, awkward, and duck-footed, he is muscular, confident, and sure-footed. Poesy was doomed to fall short in physical appearance. She's very pretty, but not really the drop-dead-irresistibly-gorgeous her character is described as in the book. Aside from that though, the castings overall were good. ☆☆☆1/2

Overall Verdict: Though entertaining, the fifth film installment lacks much of the magic the previous films sported. The ending scenes stand out as quite powerful, some of the best in the franchise, but the film overall is possibly the weakest. ☆☆☆1/2

Movie Rewind: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

2009-07-12T12:27:00.005-05:00

Director: Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Men, Y tu mama tambien)

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe (December Boys), Rupert Grint (Thunderpants, Driving Lessons), Emma Watson (The Tale of Despereaux), Michael Gambon (The Good Shepherd, Sleepy Hallow), Alan Rickman (Die Hard, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves), Maggie Smith (California Suite, Gosford Park), Robbie Coltrane (The World Is Not Enough, Cracker), David Thewlis (Kingdom of Heaven, Dragonheart), Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight, Leon), Emma Thompson (Sense and Sensibility, Stranger Than Fiction), Timothy Spall (Enchanted, A Series of Unfortunate Events), Julie Walters (Driving Lessons, Billy Elliot), Warwick Davis (Star Wars, Leprechaun), Tom Felton

The Deal: Sirius Black (Oldman), a dangerous criminal and supporter of Lord Voldemort, has broken out of Azkaban and is hunting down Harry Potter (Radcliffe). Though safe behind numerous enchantments at Hogwarts, Harry struggles to deal with the addition guards now stationed there, the Dementors, as they suck the happiness from people. The new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Remus Lupin (Thewlis), is an old friend of Harry's father and is willing to help teach Harry to ward of the Dementors. With Black moving ever closer to Hogwarts, Harry's curiosity is only sparked further, and he slowly starts to think he might just want to encounter Black after all.

Thoughts: Alfonso Cuaron took over the third film installment, and with it he brought some positive changes. Gone are the super kid friendly likes from previous director Columbus, and in are very dark and mysterious overtones. It's a giant change of pace, but one that was also necessary. The story really depicts the growing darkness as Voldemort gains strength and strives to return. The magic and intrigue is still all there, but now the film franchise will be taken more seriously.

This is the first film where we really start to see the three kids grow up. Their performances have improved, and they're beginning to show signs of becoming solid actors. Rickman continues to amaze, stealing every scene he's in. Dumbledore is now being played by Michael Gambon, as Richard Harris sadly passed away. Though the change received mixed feelings from many, Gambon is well suited for the character and does a very good job. Thewlis was an excellent choice to play Lupin, he looks exactly like the character was described, and he does a great job bringing him to life. Behind all of the makeup and costume, it's hard to recognize Thompson, but she does a wonderful job, coming across as incredibly loopy. Oldman is a terrific choice to play Black. Though his role is small here, he does a good job and has all of the skills to make the character great in future films. The last big addition is Spall, as Wormtail. He's a perfect fit for the role and does a great job.

Accuracy: There were a slew of new characters in this film, and the casting department continues to nail their choices. All are excellent fits for the characters they are depicting. This is also the first film that doesn't have scenes that really stand out as differing with the book. There are always going to be slight changes, but none of them here are troubling. The most noticeable is that the children are all wearing normal clothes whenever they aren't in class, and it seems here that that is far more often than not. It'd be nice to see a bit more of them wearing their wizarding robes. ☆☆☆☆

Overall Verdict: Much darker than the previous two installments, director Cuaron does a wonderful job with the film. The magic and wonder are still there, but adults will really appreciate the film more. It's arguably the strongest film of the entire franchise. ☆☆☆☆1/2

Movie Rewind: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)

2009-07-11T11:56:00.006-05:00

Director: Chris Columbus (Home Alone 2, Mrs. Doubtfire)

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe (December Boys), Rupert Grint (Thunderpants, Driving Lessons), Emma Watson (The Tale of Despereaux), Richard Harris (Gladiator, This Sporting Life), Alan Rickman (Die Hard, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves), Maggie Smith (California Suite, Gosford Park), Robbie Coltrane (The World Is Not Enough, Cracker), Kenneth Branagh (Hamlet, Henry V), Julie Walters (Driving Lessons, Billy Elliot), Warwick Davis (Star Wars, Leprechaun), Jason Isaacs (The Patriot, Brotherhood), Tom Felton

The Deal: The summer before Harry Potter's (Radcliffe) second year at Hogwarts, he is visited by a house elf named Dobby who warns him that he will be in danger if he goes to school. Ignoring Dobby's warning and avoiding Dobby's roadblocks, Harry goes to Hogwarts, but strange and terrible things are happening at the school. The Chamber of Secrets has been opened, and students around the school are turning up petrified. To top it off, Harry must put up with an incredibly arrogant and egotistic new professor, Gilderoy Lockhart (Branagh). When a student is taken into the chamber, Harry sets out to find its location and stop whoever it is behind the horrible attacks.

Thoughts: The second film installment picks up where the first left off, returning the viewer to the wonderful and magical world of Hogwarts. It is a bit darker than the first, but still somewhat on the light side. Columbus definitely aimed his efforts at keeping the film kid friendly, scaling back some of the darker elements. Thankfully, this doesn't ruin the film, as times have not truly become dark in the wizarding world, and the more childish direction is still full of the magic and entertainment the first film brought.

Pretty much everyone from the first film is back, and their performances are on par with their previous efforts. The child actors are still young, so their performances haven't really grown, but then again, it's only been a year since the last film. The biggest addition this time is Branagh, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. He pulls off the arrogance, ego, and most of the charm the character sported in the book, but he didn't quite fit the physical appearance. Overall he did a good job though. The other new character is Dobby. Though the CGi is fairly average, the character was handled well.

Accuracy: Like the first film, Columbus stuck quite close to the book. The changes made are mostly small and forgettable, though a few do stick in my head. Most people I talk to agree that the basilisk was nothing like they imagined or was depicted in the book, but it is not really a problem. I still am bothered how the ending was handled though. Events of the battle were out of order, and though not devastating, it wouldn't have cost anything to have done it properly. My other issue was more of a missed opportunity on the film's part. In the book, the Weasley's are all huddled in McGonagall's office crying, at which point Harry comes through the door covered in blood with a sword in one hand and Ginny in the other. This was skipped in the film, and I don't know why, as it would have been an incredibly epic and powerful scene. It bothers me every time I watch the film. ☆☆☆☆

Overall Verdict: Though not as good as the first film, it was still very enjoyable. The magic, mystery, humor, and excitement were all there, but at times it failed to fully capture the moment. In the end, it gets overshadowed by many of the other film installments. ☆☆☆1/2

Movie Rewind: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

2009-07-10T09:57:00.007-05:00

Director: Chris Columbus (Home Alone 2, Mrs. Doubtfire)

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe (December Boys), Rupert Grint (Thunderpants, Driving Lessons), Emma Watson (The Tale of Despereaux), Richard Harris (Gladiator, This Sporting Life), Alan Rickman (Die Hard, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves), Maggie Smith (California Suite, Gosford Park), Robbie Coltrane (The World Is Not Enough, Cracker), Julie Walters (Driving Lessons, Billy Elliot), Warwick Davis (Star Wars, Leprechaun), Tom Felton

The Deal: Orphaned as a baby and treated poorly by his Aunt and Uncle, Harry Potter's (Radcliffe) life changes when he is accepted to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry on his 11th birthday. There, he learns that his parents were both wizards and that they had been killed by the dark wizard, Lord Voldemort. Through his endeavors at school he makes friends with Ron Weasley (Grint) and Hermione Granger (Watson), and finds a mentor of sorts in the school's headmaster, Albus Dumbledore (Harris). Harry's curiosity uncovers a plot to steal the legendary Sorceror's Stone, which can grant eternal life, and he suspects Lord Voldemort is behind it. With the help of his two friends, he sets out to stop the dark lord.

Thoughts: The film's tagline, "let the magic begin," could not be closer to the truth. Whether the viewer had read the books or not, the first film installment of the series was spellbinding. Director Chris Columbus did a wonderful job bringing the story to life. He created an imaginative and constantly interesting magical world, and faithfully adhered to the book's details. The film kept exciting pace throughout, and was full of all of the emotion, wonder, action, and suspense a viewer could ever want.

The casting for this film was critical, as the characters would carry through and grow for seven more films. To say the choices were anything less than masterful would be an understatement. The three core children (Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson) all looked the part and played them admirably. Coltraine, Harris, and Smith were all exceptional in their performances. Perhaps unexpectedly, Alan Rickman provided not only a scene-stealing performance, but one of the most popular character's to spawn from the films, the mysterious and possibly villainous Severus Snape.

Accuracy: Easily the most faithful of all the Harry Potter films. Almost every important and moderately relevant scene was included, with little to no changes to them. The most glaring omission was Peeves the poltergeist. Though the ghostly character would have been fun, looking back, I don't hold the decision against anyone. Of the magical tests Harry, Ron, and Hermione face, only the potions one was left out, which I would have liked to see. The cast all resembled the characters as they were described in the books, and the wizard world was as accurate as one could ever expect it to be. ☆☆☆☆1/2

Overall Verdict: The first film installment of the popular book series is as magical and spellbinding as the most devout fanatics could have ever hoped for. The casting is perfect, the story is endearing, and the visuals are beautiful. If there was one fault, it's that it may have followed the book too closely at times, slowing the film's pace a bit. ☆☆☆☆

Movie Rewind: Thunderpants (2002) & Driving Lessons (2006)

2009-07-09T09:06:00.005-05:00

Cast: Rupert Grint (aka Ron Weasley), Bruce Cook, Paul Giamatti, Stephen Fry, Josh Herdman (aka Goyle), Anna Popplewell (aka Susan Pevensie)

Summary: Ron Weasley, who goes by Alan in this film, is a crazy-smart 11-year-old boy who befriends Patrick Smash, a classmate with extreme flatulence. This doesn't bother Ron because he's lost his sense of smell, but he does set out to invent a solution for Patrick- Thunderpants. He also builds a hovercraft that runs on Patrick's gas, and the two of them struggle dealing with the school bully Goyle, who goes by Damon in this film. Patrick dreams of going into space, so Ron sets out to help him fulfill the dream. Susan Pevencie, who goes by Denise Smash in this film, makes a small appearance before making her trek to Narnia later in life. It's a shame Ron didnt meet her, because that could have led to a wonderful fantasy crossover.

Verdict: This film was God awful, but so terrible that it was funny, mainly because it was Ron Weasley. Very young kids and Potterholics may enjoy this, but otherwise you should keep very far away. ☆

Cast: Rupert Grint (aka Ron Weasley), Julie Walters (aka Mrs. Weasley), Laura Linney

Summary: Ron Weasley, who goes by Ben in this film, sucks at driving, and then goes and works for some old lady named Evie, who's actually Mrs. Weasley in disguise. They become good friends, but then Ron bangs some random chick and Mrs. Weasley gets angry. Oh, Ron even had a stick that he pretended was a wand, and then his mom was cheating on his dad and then she got hit by a car driven by an old man cross-dressing as a lady. Ron and Mrs. Weasley rekindled their friendship.

Verdict: All Ron Weasley jokes aside, this was a decent film. The story was solid, and the acting was passable. Grint shows that he may be able to transition himself into other films after Harry Potter is done. ☆☆☆

Accio Pottermania!

2009-07-09T08:13:00.001-05:00

In honor of the upcoming sixth film installment of Harry Potter, I will be devoting the next week to the magic of Hogwarts. Being a fairly big Potter fan, I will rate the films from two perspectives. The first being from an overall film standpoint, and the second focusing on the accuracy to the source material. This way hard-core Pottermaniacs and more general film viewers will get a better idea of the film.

The Potter week will conclude next Wednesday, as I will be catching the sixth film at the midnight showing, with the review following in the morning. But to start things off, I will go with a more comical and less Potter related post. No matter what Rupert Grint may do with his career, he will always be Ron Weasley to me. He's done a couple of films outside of the magical realm, so I will have a double feature covering two of them (Thunderpants and Driving Lessons). Since this is Harry Potter week though, I will have a wonderful and comedic twist to these two non-magical flicks.

Review: Public Enemies (2009)

2009-07-08T22:35:00.006-05:00

Director: Michael Mann (Collateral, The Insider)

Cast: Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean, Sweeney Todd), Christian Bale (The Dark Knight, The Prestige), Marion Cotillard (La mome, A Good Year), Stephen Graham (Snatch), Billy Crudup (Almost Famous, Big Fish), Jason Clarke (Brotherhood, Death Race)

The Deal: After his string of bank robberies gets out of control, John Dillinger (Depp) is labeled America's first Public Enemy Number One. J. Edgar Hoover (Cudrup) tasks Melvin Purvis (Bale) to lead the Feds in the hunt and capture of Dillinger and his cohorts, including Baby Face Nelson (Graham) and right-hand man Red Hamilton (Clarke). The task proves quite difficult, as Dillinger remains to be very elusive, but his flame with the beautiful Billie (Cotillard) may provide the best opportunity for capture.

Thoughts: I've been quite excited for this film for a little while, and a string of mediocre reviews had me a little worried I would be sadly disappointed. Though the ending was somewhat anti-climactic and there was less action than expected, there was a surprising amount of humor, and the story remained interesting even during the slower scenes. The film looks beautiful, it's fun to watch, and the action scenes, though not grand, are actually toned back to more realistic standards, which I actually liked about the film.

The film is somewhat of a one-and-a-half man show. Though Bale has a main role, his character is vastly overshadowed by Depp's. Bale does a good job with the scenes he's given, and is up to the high standard I expect from him. Depp is excellent as Dillinger. He has the right amount of charm and humor while maintaining a dangerous edge to the character. He remains in my mind the best well-rounded actor in Hollywood. Despite having won an Oscar, Cotillard is not given much to shine with. Her character doesn't get very good scenes until the end, at which point we finally get some emotion and see what she's capable of. Cudrup has a small role, and Channing Tatum, Stephen Dorff, Emile de Ravin, Giovanni Ribisi, and Leelee Sobieski all have roles in the film, but if you blink you may miss them.

There's one scene in the film that stands out for its shear ballsiness. In the scene, Dillinger literally walks through the department dedicated to capturing him and even talks to a few of the guys that have been chasing him. It's a rather funny scene, but one that really defies logic. If that actually happened in real life, then holy-cow I am blown away, but if that was a scene of pure fiction then it was absolutely ridiculous. It's so unbelievable for Hollywood standards, so I sure hope it's not a figment of a writer's imagination.

Verdict: Though it may not quite live up to the high levels of hype, it still remains a good film. It's entertaining, well acted, and surprisingly funny. It's not your typical summer blockbuster, but that's something I like about it. ☆☆☆1/2

Review: Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008)

2009-07-06T20:40:00.004-05:00

Director: Eric Brevig

Cast: Brendan Fraser (Inkheart, The Mummy), Josh Hutcherson (RV, Bridge to Terabithia), Anita Briem (The Tudors), Seth Meyers (SNL)

The Deal: Professor Trevor Anderson (Fraser), his nephew Sean (Hutcherson), and their beautiful mountain guide Hannah (Briem) become trapped in a cave while on a scientific expedition in Iceland. Realizing the only way out must be down, they travel deeper and deeper into the Earth to find a world within the world. Full of strange and supposedly extinct creatures, they soon realize that if they want to survive, they must return to the surface before the volcanic activity boils them alive.

Thoughts: The film was far different than I expected. It took a somewhat hokey stab at Jules Verne's classic, with the characters knowingly replaying the book's story themselves, even using the book as a guide to help them. They're barely there before realizing they need to get out, and the rest of the film feels like it's rushing to incorporate the fantasy and adventure elements of the book. It drifts in and out of entertainment, and fails to fully utilize the source material for its benefit.

I've said this before and I'll say it again, as much as I like Brendan Fraser, he's not lead actor material. He's funniest in complimentary roles, and as the lead, many of his comedic moments fall flat. He's a fun actor, but he can't carry a film. If you've seen Bridge to Terabithia or RV, then you know what kind of performance Hutcherson gives. He's a decent child actor who still has plenty of room for improvement, but he proves to be adequate for the role. Briem is a fresh face for me, and most likely the same can be said for most people viewing the film. She does a decent job, probably the best in the film, but the story tends to make it known that she's there to look good (she does). The two guys both want dibs on her, and it never really changes as the film goes on.

I really wish the film could have had a bigger awe factor. They travel to the center of the Earth and find a thriving world there, yet nothing about it blew me away. It really was just a small Earth inside the Earth. I haven't read the book, so I don't know what if anything was left out, but I was hoping for more interesting visuals. The T-Rex was quite fake looking and far from terrifying, and their make-shift raft at the end looked way to corny.

Verdict: It has a few entertaining moments, but fails to become everything it could be. Possibly worth a rental if you've seen every other newish movie, or love Brendan Fraser. ☆☆1/2

Movie Rewind: Independence Day (1996)

2009-07-04T11:48:00.004-05:00

Director: Roland Emmerich (10000 BC, The Day After Tomorrow)

Cast: Will Smith (I Am Legend, Men in Black), Bill Pullman (While You Were Sleeping, Lake Placid), Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park, The Fly), Mary McDonnell (Battlestar Galactica, Donnie Darko), Judd Hirsch (Numb3rs, Ordinary People), Randy Quaid (Christmas Vacation, The Last Detail), Vivica A. Fox (Kill Bill), Margaret Colin (Gossip Girl)

The Deal: Communication systems worldwide have suddenly gone into a frenzy, and it is soon realized that the cause is an alien invasion. The invasion has one goal- to destroy and obliterate the human race in order to mine the planet of all of its usable resources. With major cities destroyed, the remaining band of humans must rise up and take back the planet. July 4th will gain a new importance for not just Americans, but the world.

Thoughts: When I think back on the summer blockbusters of my childhood, Independence Day quickly comes to mind. It possesses all of the elements we crave (action, comedy, epic explosions, etc) while sporting the bare minimum of a script. When films are as grand and visually stunning as this, all that matters is the entertainment. The film is fun and entertaining, remaining an July 4th staple many years later.

Nowadays, when you want a summer blockbuster to be a guaranteed success, you turn to Will Smith. This was pretty much the start of said blockbusters for Smith, and he doesn't disappoint. He has attitude, humor, and the all around likeableness that makes him so popular. We know he's capable of Oscar-worthy performances, but it's films like this that we'll remember him by. Bill Pullman was decent as the President. He had a Presidential feel while also showing the soldier inside of him. Goldblum works fairly well as the "sidekick" to Smith. They play off of each other fairly well, and make for a funny duo.

Everyone loves a good film about humans defeating aliens, but what is most remembered about the film is the absolute beating the aliens dish out. Their ships are massive and intimidating, and when they decide to vaporize the White House, the scene is one that will forever be etched into your mind. The final stand battle is quite exciting, will lots of cool explosions and whatnot, and by the end of the film, you can't help but feel overwhelmed with pride for your country and the world.

Verdict: The epitome of summer blockbusters. The script itself may be lacking, but the big-name actors are there, the story is epic, the visuals are overblown and cool, and the film is still entertaining over 10 years later. ☆☆☆☆

Review: The International (2009)

2009-07-02T10:56:00.006-05:00

Director: Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run, Paris je t'aime)

Cast: Clive Owen (Children of Men, Closer), Naomi Watts (The Ring, Mulholland Dr.), Ulrich Thomsen (Duplicity), Armin Mueller-Stahl (Angels & Demons), Felix Solis, Jack McGee (Rescue Me)

The Deal: Interpol agent Louis Salinger (Owen) and Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Eleanor Whitman (Watts) are determined to expose the International Bank of Business and Credit for illegal activities that include money laundering, arms trading, and government destabilizations. Anyone who has gotten close to discovering the IBBC's dealings has wound up dead. After learning some key bits of information and discovering the identity of the assassin the bank uses, Salinger and Whitman must bring down the company before the company silences them.

Thoughts: Films like this tend to crop up in bunches every year, with some standing out and others becoming fast forgotten. Though The International falls somewhere in between those two extremes, I would say that it leans closer to standing out. It's not a great film, but it is interesting and sports enough suspense and action to keep it entertaining throughout. It flirts with being very good, but some of the surprises were a little too easy to predict, and much of the story seems all too familiar.

Clive Owen always seems to look worn out in every film he's in, which is very useful here. His character is supposed to running on little to no sleep with minimal food because of his obsession with bringing down the bank. He looks the part, and he does a solid job with his performance. He's capable of a bit more, but he's not bad in any way. Naomi Watts gets somewhat forgotten in the film. It's not that she was bad, but around half way through her character is no longer in the forefront and the focus has shifted away from her. Some of the best scenes in the film didn't have her in it. It really just became the Clive Owen show, though it would have been nice to find a larger use for Watts.

Though I would not really consider this an action film, it has one of the coolest action sequences I've seen in the last couple of years. It takes place in the Guggenheim Museum, which kind of spirals up in one long continuous ramp. The place becomes filled with goons toting guns, and Salinger must make his way down the ramp, which is the only way out. The place becomes riddled with bullet holes, and plenty of things come crashing down. The scene looked very cool, and was very exciting and suspenseful. They built an exact replica of the museum due to the large amounts of damage they wanted to inflict.

Verdict: Though not an outstanding film, The International is entertaining and has a dynamite action sequence. The performances keep the film interesting, making this worthwhile for at least a rental. ☆☆☆1/2

Review: Religulous (2008)

2009-07-01T18:43:00.005-05:00

Director: Larry Charles (Borat, Bruno)

Cast: Bill Maher (Real Time with Bill Maher)

The Deal: Bill Maher travels the world interviewing some of religion's oddest believers. He talks to truckers at a Truckers' Chapel, visits a museum that believes dinosaurs and humans lived together, travels to a religious theme park in Florida, and encounters a few other "crazy" people. Maher is a "doubter", someone who believes one can never know if God exists, but thinks it is highly doubtful. Oddly enough, a Vatican priest proves to side closest to Maher's own beliefs.

Thoughts: Being somewhat of an agnostic myself, I was quite drawn to the film, as I found myself easily siding with Maher in every confrontation. His arguments were actually quite interesting and clever, and he had a few pieces of information I had never known about, which I found absolutely fascinating. Viewers with Maher's beliefs will find the film brilliant and hysterical, but religious types may only become enraged and insulted.

Though I agree with his arguments, Maher was incredibly disrespectful towards the people he interviews. At times it can be funny, but whenever someone doesn't agree with what he says, he essentially calls them an idiot. He looks down on religious folk as less intelligent and in need of a good shock of reality. Some of his interviewees may have deserved this, but plenty of them were quite friendly and warranted a little more respect. I know that is not what Maher was aiming for, as the film is clearly edited to depict them as less intelligent than they might actually be, but when someone has to get up and leave to prevent physically attacking you, it might be best to dial it down a bit.

Getting back to the good points Maher brings up, I thought two of them really stood out and make for the best arguments. The first involves an Egyptian story that essentially plays out identically to the stories in the bible, but was written far earlier. The point is to show that Jesus is just a retelling of a different story, and therefore never existed. The people he interviews don't really have a response to this, and try to circle around the point. The next argument he makes is that about 19% of the world is not religious, yet organizations like the NRA have vastly smaller numbers of supporters yet get plenty of attention, while the non-believers are shrugged off to the side. It's an interesting statistic that when compared to these other organizations, really makes for a strong point.

Verdict: Though he may have been too insensitive and insulting to religious believers, Maher poses some excellent arguments. The film is very interesting, and at times quite funny. Don't take it too seriously, but it will still get you thinking. ☆☆☆☆

Movie Rewind: Stardust (2007)

2009-06-30T17:14:00.008-05:00

Director: Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake)

Cast: Charlie Cox, Claire Danes (Romeo + Juliet, Shopgirl), Michelle Pfeiffer (Batman Returns, Dangerous Liaisons), Robert De Niro (Meet the Parents, Raging Bull), Mark Strong (Body of Lies, Sunshine), Ian McKellen (Lord of the Rings, X-Men), Sienna Miller (Factory Girl)

The Deal: Desperate to win the heart of Victoria (Miller), Tristan (Cox) ventures into the realm of Stormhold to retrieve a fallen star. Expecting to find a piece of space rock, he is surprised to find Yvaine (Danes). He quickly discovers that he is not the only one seeking the star. Stormhold's King's four sons, led by Septimus (Strong), seek the star to claim the throne, and the evil witch Lamia (Pfeiffer) seeks the star to achieve eternal beauty. With the help of the pirate captain, Shakespeare (De Niro), the two race to safety and uncover some surprising secrets about themselves.

Thoughts: If ever there was a recipe for a successful adult fairy tale, only two films come to mind. Many are familiar with The Princess Bride, but Stardust is just as good, if not better. Stardust boasts fantasy, humor, action, adventure, romance, and an all around fun and entertaining story. It saddens me that I didn't hear of the film until its release on DVD, as I would have loved to see it in theaters. Little kids may not follow, but teenagers and older will find it a wonderful film no matter what mood they are in.

The performances in the film are quite good. Cox is a perfect fit for the lead, as he really grows with the character through the film, from innocent and one-minded to mature and brave. Danes has not been in much I recognize since Romeo + Juliet, but I was happy to see her here. Her character is somewhat innocent, and she has a fun-loving and glowing personality, which works well when your character is a star. Pfeiffer and Strong both do well as the villains. Strong's Septimus is power hungry and action happy, and Pfeiffer's Lamia is wicked and pure evil. De Niro steals the scenes he's in, providing the most ridiculous and funny moments. McKellen is only the narrator, but I will note that he is very fitting for the film and has a great voice for narration.

I like how the film handles Tristan. All he's known is his small town and the one girl he likes in it, but it's not until he adventures out that he really finds himself. The world is such a big place full of many opportunities, and he really comes to realize this. Despite all of the close calls and bad decisions, he realizes he doesn't belong with Victoria, and his best chance for a happy life lies outside the walls of his small childhood town. It all feels right for the character, and he handles these realizations perfectly.

Verdict: A fairly tale for both genders and all ages. It's full of fantasy, action, adventure, romance, and humor, making for an entertaining film from start to finish. ☆☆☆☆

Liked It? Try These: The Princess Bride (1987), Enchanted (2007), Big Fish (2003)

Summer Movie Picks: July

2009-06-27T20:01:00.005-05:00

Must See: Public Enemies (July 1)

The Deal: Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean, Sweeney Todd) plays the infamous American gangster, John Dillinger. The Feds, led by Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale, The Dark Knight), set out to capture Dillinger and his cohorts, including Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham, Snatch) and Pretty Boy Floyd (Channing Tatum, Step Up).

Why: Dillinger was America's first Public Enemy Number One, which should make for a great film. Depp and Bale rarely disappoint in their roles, and the supporting cast is quite strong as well. From the trailer, the film looks to be very exciting and chock full of suspense. The early reviews are mostly positive (somehow it is already ranked #193 on IMDb's top 250). This doesn't necessarily fit the normal summer blockbuster mold, but that's what I'm liking about it. Blockbuster's tend to lack great scripts and focus on big action, whereas this so far looks to have plenty of both.

Sleepers

Bruno (July 10): Sacha Baron Cohen's last effort, Borat, was a shocking success. Cohen does a phenominal job falling into his characters, and this film, like Borat, will focus on real life reactions to his insane antics. I thought Borat was overhyped, but it was fairly funny, and Bruno looks to be just as good if not better. The film has been hyped for many months now, and it's a certain lock to perform well in the box office.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (July 15): Whether this gets good or bad reviews, it will make a killing in the box office (I've already ordered my midnight showing tickets). Harry Potter is as much of a sure thing as Hollywood can get. The sixth book installment is easily one of the darkest of the series, and director David Yates seems intent on keeping that mood in the film. Though the IMAX release is delayed two weeks, it boasts around 12 minutes of "exclusive" footage. Potter fanatics will most certainly be catching both cuts of the film.

Funny People (July 31): Though many comedies have boasted the Apatow name, this is the first since Knocked Up to be directed by him. It's full of plenty of familiar faces (Sandler, Rogen, Hill, Bana, Mann) from his and other popular comedies. This film looks a have a more serious edge to it, as it focuses on a terminal illness, but the laughs will still be there. It could prove to the most endearing of his films.

Review: Moon (2009)

2009-06-26T20:40:00.007-05:00

Director: Duncan Jones

Cast: Sam Rockwell (Frost/Nixon, The Green Mile), Kevin Spacey (The Usual Suspects, K-PAX), Dominique McElligott, Kaya Scodelario, Robin Chalk

The Deal: Sam Bell (Rockwell) is two weeks away from completing his three-year contract with Lunar Industries, in which he mines Helium-3, Earth's main energy source. His only company on the moon is Gerty (Spacey), a robot that assists Sam and maintains the facility, and the communications satellite is broken, preventing any live contact with Earth. Plagued by strange visions and deteriorating health, Sam discovers Lunar's actual plans for replacing him.

Thoughts: Being Duncan Jones' first major motion picture, this is quite impressive. Science fiction seems to a be a tricky genre to balance strong story with imaginative and beautiful visuals, but Jones provides possibly the best film in the genre of the last 10 years. The story is very compelling and in some ways is a throwback to classic sci-fi films, such as 2001: A Space Odyssey. Despite a budget of only $5 million, the visuals are quite impressive and beautiful. The visuals are both retro and modern, beautifully complimenting the mood of the film. It's a very hard science fiction with a focus on what it means to be human.

Given that Sam Rockwell makes up 80% of the film, this would not be able to succeed without a stellar performance. He handles the two roles effortlessly, and displays the emotions very well. It's the type of performance that could finally cement him as a go-to actor in Hollywood. Kevin Spacey voices the robot quite well, and is surprisingly aided by the emoticons the robot uses. I'm not going to argue he should be held to the same lofty standard as HAL from 2001, but he's probably the best and most engaging computer since.

Probably the only consistent compliant I've read in reviews is that the film's twist comes too early. These critics are mistaken. The reveal is the biggest catalyst for the most powerful part of the film. It drives the character development and forces to viewer to reflect on what means humans human. This is a central idea of science fiction, and the film does a far more in-depth, thorough, and successful job than most films of the genre.

Verdict: One of the best science fiction films in recent memory. It explores human nature and is supported by a phenomenal performance by Rockwell. It's entertaining, suspenseful, and thought-provoking. ☆☆☆☆

Review: Knowing (2009)

2009-06-23T08:05:00.001-05:00

Director: Alex Proyas (The Crow, Dark City)

Cast: Nicholas Cage (National Treasure, Lord of War), Rose Byrne (Troy, Sunshine), Chandler Canterbury, Lara Robinson, Nadia Townsend (Fireflies), D.G. Maloney, Ben Mendelsohn (Australia, The New World)

The Deal: In 1959, a young girl named Lucinda (Robinson) deposited a series of numbers into her class's time capsule. 50 years later, John's (Cage) son Caleb (Canterbury) receives these numbers, which John realizes predicted every major disaster to date, including the death toll and location. Realizing three events have yet to happen, he searches for clues, which lead him to Diana (Byrne), Lucinda's daughter. They both realize that their children have some connection with a group of strange people who seem to know what is coming. With the planet days away from destruction, John must do whatever he can to save his son and new friends.

Thoughts: I've finally come to terms with what a Nic Cage film entails. Usually they are far from masterpieces, but when taken lightly, they often prove to be quite entertaining. You can pick apart the Nation Treasure films all day, or you can ignore the faults and have fun. I'm happy to say that Knowing follows this path. I thought is was incredibly interesting and suspenseful for the majority of the film. Though the ending was fairly predictable and cheesy, it was suitable enough and contained some pretty cool visuals.

Disregard the one performance that earned Cage an Oscar, and you'll notice he's not particularly great. Despite this, he proves to be quite good in the film. There is a fair amount of depth to his character, and I actually did find traces of believable emotions. Byrne's role was far more generic. Film's like these always have the pretty girl for the "hero" to save, and she doesn't do much to stand out from the crowd, but she's capable here. I enjoyed Canterbury's performance. Child actors you don't hear about everyday tend to have very forgettable performances, but I though he was above average and displayed emotions quite well.

I find it interesting that aside from Roger Ebert, critic's were quite harsh on the film. Ebert stands by his beliefs that it was a fairly good film, and I tend to agree. Some events played out a little quickly and too conveniently, but the overall effect was quite good. There were nice visuals, solid performances, and some frighteningly eerie scenes. I can honestly say it's worth theater prices.

My one beef with the film is that the smooth black rocks didn't really have a greater purpose. The film kept hinting towards that direction, but the result was rather lackluster.

Verdict: A surprisingly entertaining and worthwhile film. The story was interesting and suspenseful, and the performances were quite decent. ☆☆☆1/2

Movie Rewind: Run Fatboy Run (2007)

2009-06-22T18:27:00.004-05:00

Director: David Schwimmer (Friends)

Cast: Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead), Thandie Newton (W., The Pursuit of Happyness), Hank Azaria (The Simpsons), Dylan Moran (Shaun of the Dead), Matthew Fenton, Harish Patel, India de Beaufort (Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire)

The Deal: Dennis (Pegg) left his pregnant girlfriend, Libby (Newton), on the alter. Five years later, he's lazy and out of shape working as a security guard at a clothing store. As Libby's new boyfriend Whit (Azaria) tries to get closer to Libby's son, Dennis becomes jealous. Determined to prove he's changed and deserves a second shot with Libby, he signs up for the 26-mile marathon that Whit was running.

Thoughts: This film's formula is one we've seen a hundred times before: lazy single father must shape up to steal back the girl of his dreams. The film is far better than some, but it's not quite good enough to stand out in the long run. Dennis really isn't that fat, and he deserved the terrible life he had. But that's not the point of the film. He always runs away from things, never persevering, which is why he was a runaway groom. You know before half way how the film will turn out though, and it's not as funny as you'd think it to be.

I loved Simon Pegg in Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead, which is the reason I wanted to watch this. His normal whit and charm just wasn't there though. He wasn't necessarily bad, but he's been much much better in other films (including the more recent small role in Star Trek). Newton fit her role fairly well, and played it decent enough. I never seem to recognize Azaria from film to film. In The Simpsons, Night at the Museum, and this, he always looks and sounds different. He wasn't great in the film, but I enjoyed seeing him in another role that caught me off guard. Moran and Patel were meant to be somewhat of the comedic sidekicks, but their actions and humor never really landed. It was funny the way Moran's character seemed to dislike pants though.

In all reality, the first hour of the film didn't matter very much. It establishes that he's lazy and never finishes things, but just keeps going over and over it. I thought things really picked up once the marathon was beginning. It had some of the funnier and easily more memorable scenes. I liked how they had a little fantasy of Dennis trying to break through the wall that runners tend to hit. Some might find the visual too literal and unnecessary, but I thought it fit with the character well. It ends predictably, but it's still somewhat satisfying.

Verdict: Not one of Pegg's funnier films, it treads very familiar and generic waters. In the end, it proves enjoyable enough, but will most likely be forgotten. ☆☆1/2