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Movie Review - The Lucky One
2012-05-05 01:01:00 The Lucky OneStarring: Zac Effron, Taylor Schilling, Blythe Danner, Riley Thomas Stewart, Jay R Ferguson, Adam LeFevre, and more.Directed by: Scott Hicks Screenplay by: Will Fetters Based on the Novel by: Nicholas Sparks Original Music by: Mark Isham and Hal Lindes Cinematography by: Alar KiviloPremise: A marine dealing with PTSDs and survivor's guilt, searches out the woman in a photograph he found while on tour, believing he owes her for his survival on his third go round. The woman, in turn, is still wracked with grief over the death of her brother as well as other complications in her life. (Rated PG-13)Review:1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Zac Effron and Taylor Schilling were fun to watch. At first closed up and unemotional, the actors slowly shed the layers of protection they'd placed around themselves as they finally deal with their different issues. Riley Thomas Stewart was adorable as Beth's son, Ben. The depth Jay R Ferguson added to what could have been the typical bully...
The Avengers Movie Review: Joss Whedon?s Masterpiece Of Film
2012-05-04 21:41:00 The Avengers, Marvel Entertainment’s blockbuster epic, premiered at Oakland’s Grand Lake Theater at midnight, Thursday, and it did not disappoint. Marvel has spent a good six years developing the concept for The Avengers, as well as teasing it at the end of (or in the case of Captain America, during) other movies around its characters. (Read More...)
The Avengers Movie Review: Joss Whedon?s Masterpiece Of Film
2012-05-04 21:41:00 The Avengers, Marvel Entertainment’s blockbuster epic, premiered at Oakland’s Grand Lake Theater at midnight, Thursday, and it did not disappoint. Marvel has spent a good six years developing the concept for The Avengers, as well as teasing it at the end of (or in the case of Captain America, during) other movies around its characters. (Read More...)
Movie Review - The Raven
2012-04-29 03:57:00 The RavenStarring: John Cusack, Luke Evans, Alice Eve, Brendan Gleeson, Kevin McNally, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Jimmy Yuill, Sam Hazeldine, Pam Ferris, and more.Directed by: James McTeigue Screenplay by: Ben Livingston and Hannah Shakespeare Original Music by: Lucas Vidal Cinematography by: Danny RuhlmannPremise: Author Edgar Allan Poe is drawn into a criminal investigation when a serial killer uses his stories as the basis for the string of crimes. But just having Poe involved is not enough for the killer, who raises the stakes to force Mr. Poe to write again. (Rated R)Review:1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: In my opinion, this might just be one of John Cusack's best performances ever. Backed up by a cast of veterans, the whole ensemble shines. Alice Eve was great as the spunky Emily Hamilton. Luke Evans was delicious as Detective Fields. Great job by all involved.2) Special Effects - Thumbs Up: Grisly deaths abound, but not too gory, though blood was used in abundanc...
Movie Review - The Pirates! Band of Misfits
2012-04-28 04:31:00 The Pirates! Band of MisfitsStarring: Hugh Grant, Martin Freeman, David Tennant, Imelda Staunton, Jeremy Piven, Anton Yelchin, Brendan Gleeson, Ashley Jensen, Salma Hayek, Lenny Henry, Brian Blessed and more.Directed by: Peter Lord and Jeff Newitt Screenplay and Book by: Gideon Defoe Original Music by: Theodore Shapiro Cinematography by: Charles Copping and Frank PassinghamPremise: Captain Pirate has decided he wants to win the Pirate of the Year award, but is laughed out of the contest signup and despite all efforts ends up failing miserably at finding booty. Then he runs into Charles Darwin, who realizes the captain's parrot is actually a dodo bird. He convinces the captain that riches await in London as there is much booty to be had by winning the Scientist of the Year award. But all is not as promised and trouble ensues. (Rated PG)Review:1) Voice Acting - Total Thumbs Up: I couldn't believe all the awesome names that scrolled on the screen for this film. Put them together with...
Movie Review - Cabin In The Woods
2012-04-21 01:57:00 Cabin In The WoodsStarring: Kristen Connolly, Fran Kranz, Chris Hemsworth, Richard Jenkins, Bradley Whitford, Amy Acker, Anna Hutchinson, Jesse Williams, Brian White, Tom Lenk, Sigorney Weaver, Jodelle Ferland, and more.Directed by: Drew Goddard Written by: Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard Original Music by: David JulyanPremise: Two couples and a fifth wheel go off to spend the weekend at an isolated cabin. Unbeknownst to them, there are people watching, people who know these college students are about to die and are willing to go to any lengths to make it happen. (Rated R)Review:Memorable Quote: "Let's get this party started!"1) Acting - Thumbs Up - A lot of actors whose work I enjoy graced this movie - Amy Acker and Fran Kranz, who've been part of other Joss Whedon productions; Sigorney Weaver from the Alien films and Avatar; and Jodelle Ferland, who is an expert at looking like a creepy little girl. Acting veterans Bradley Whitford and Richard Jenkins made a great team as the proje...
Movie Review - Lockout
2012-04-14 03:53:00 LockoutStarring: Guy Pearce, Maggie Grace, Vincent Regan, Joseph Gilgun, Lennie James, Peter Stormare, Jacky Ido, Tim Plester, and more.Directed by: James Mather and Stephen St. Leger Original Idea by: Luc Besson Screenplay by: Stephen St. Leger, James Mather, and Luc Besson Original Music by: Alexandre Azaria Cinematography by: James MatherPremise: Ex-CIA man Snow is accused of killing a CIA operative who was possibly selling US secrets. Snow is about to be sent to the new maximum security orbital prison MS 1 when an incident occurs there that has placed the President's daughter in danger. Snow is given the chance to go up there and save her, and with any luck, find his missing partner, who's been imprisoned there and is the only who knows the location of the briefcase that might help clear up Snow's problems. (Rated R)Review:1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Guy Pearce does a great job playing Snow. His t-shirt says Warning: Offensive and he takes it to heart. As we see from th...
Movie review: American Reunion (**1/2)
2012-04-12 16:27:00 AMERICAN REUNION Genre: Comedy Premise: The whole American Pie gang get back together for their 13-year high school reunion, struggling to reconcile who they were in high school with who they are now. Side note: who has a 13-year reunion? Behind-the-Scenes: Written and directed by the two guys who gave us the Harold and Kumar series. Jason Biggs... Read more »
Movie Review - Wrath Of The Titans
2012-04-07 03:56:00 Wrath Of The TitansStarring: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Toby Kebbell, Edgar Ramirez, Rosamund Pike, Bill Nighy, Danny Huston, John Bell, Lily James, and more.Directed by: Jonathan Liebesman Screenplay by: Dan Mazeau and David Leslie Johnson Story by: Greg Berlanti, David Leslie Johnson, and Dan Mazeau Original 1981 Screenplay by: Beverly Cross Original Music by: Javier Navarette Cinematography by: Ben DavisPremise: Ten years after he defeated the Kraken, Perseus is approached by his father, Zeus, to ask for his help. With the waning powers of the gods, the Titans are trying to escape from Tartarus. Perseus says no, wanting to do his best to keep his son out of the paths of violence to comply with his promise to his dead wife. But when the violence comes to their small fishing village, Perseus has little choice. (Rated PG-13)Review:1) Acting - Thumbs Up: Though it's basically a simple story without a lot of extra meat, everyone was believable and even squeezed extr...
Movie Review - Mirror Mirror
2012-03-31 03:28:00 Mirror MirrorStarring: Julia Roberts, Lily Collins, Armie Hammer, Nathan Lane, Jordan Prentice, Mark Povinelli, Joe Gnoffo, Danny Woodburn, Sebastian Saraceno, Martin Klebba, Ronald Lee Clark, Robert Emms, Mare Winningham, Sean Bean, and more...Directed by: Tarsem Sighn Dhandwar Original Story by: Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm Screenplay by: Melissa Wallack and Jason Keller Original Music by: Alan MenkenPremise: The Queen of a small kingdom decides she must rid herself of her departed husband's daughter as Snow White begins to outshine her as the most beautiful woman of the realm. (Rated PG)Review:1) Acting - Thumbs Up - Julia Roberts was a hoot as the vain evil queen. Nathan Lane delivered any number of great lines and was the perfect toady. Lily Collins made a great Snow White, especially at the end when she showed the steel beneath the fair maiden! I have always enjoyed the work of Danny Woodburn, Jordan Prentice, and Martin Klebba. Now I have four more great actors to add to th...
Movie Review - The Hunger Games
2012-03-24 03:15:00 The Hunger GamesStarring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci, Wes Bentley, Willow Shields, Donald Sutherland, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Amandla Stenberg, Isabelle Fuhrman, and many more.Directed by: Gary Ross Screenplay by: Gary Ross, Suzanne Collins, and Billy Ray Based on the Novel by: Suzanne Collins Original Music by: T-Bone Burnett and James Newton HowardPremise: Volunteering to take her twelve year old sister's place when the latter is picked from the Tribute lottery for the Hunger Games, Katniss must train and gain every advantage she can before being placed in a competition where only one of the twenty four children made to compete will come out alive. (Rated PG-13)REVIEW:Before I begin, I will state that I have not read the young adult series of books this movie is based on so observations are purely on what was presented in the film.1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up - Despite a large number of the cast being teenagers, the casting director,...
Movie Review - Dr Seuss' The Lorax
2012-03-16 23:09:00 Dr. Seuss' The LoraxStarring: Danny DeVito, Ed Helms, Zac Efron, Taylor Swift, Betty White, Rob Riggle, Jenny Slate, Chris Renaud, and more.Directed by: Chris Renaud and Kyle Balda Screenplay by: Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul Based on the book by: Dr. Seuss Original Music by: John Powell.Premise: A young boy, in trying to impress his cute neighbor, goes out beyond the city's safety walls to find out how to get a real tree from a man who lives in the wastelands. (Rated PG)Review:1) Acting - Thumbs Up - Good job from everyone. Their skills were complimented nicely by the superb animation and gave added emotional depth. Kudos too for doing the musical numbers. Two little girls from the audience were singing the chorus of the last song during the credits, so they obviously pleased - too cute!As tends to be the case in these types of films, it's the cute side characters that steal the show. The fish, birds, and bears were a hoot. What I found totally amusing was that the voices ...
Movie Review - John Carter
2012-03-10 04:41:00 John CarterStarring: Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Samantha Moon, Willem Dafoe, Thomas Haden Church, Mark Strong, Ciaran Hinds, Dominic West, James Purefoy, Bryan Cranston, Polly Walker, Daryl Sabara, and more.Directed by: Andrew Stanton Screenplay by: Andrew Stanton, Mark Andrews, and Michael Chabon Based on the Princess of Mars by: Edgar Rice Burroughs. Original Music by: Michael GiacchinoPremise: While on a search for an elusive cave of gold, John Carter is accidentally transported to Barsoom (Mars). Once there, he finds that he has certain abilities here he didn't have on Earth. Which he comes to depend on as he struggles to survive the predatory lifestyle of the Martians and find a way home. (Rated PG-13)Review: I've been waiting for this film for a LONG time. Haven't read the novels in 30+ years, so doing a full comparison is beyond my means. But all the mind lodged peoples and feelings of the novels are definitely there. Even I was able to catch several subtle in-jokes as t...
Movie Review: Dr. Seuss' The Lorax (***)
2012-03-07 05:48:00 DR. SEUSS’ THE LORAX Genre: Animated Family Comedy Premise: In an effort to win over the girl over his dreams, a boy (Zac Efron) seeks out a mysterious guy named The Once-Ler (Ed Helms), who tells him a story about tree conservation and a grumpy creature called The Lorax (Danny DeVito). Behind-the-Scenes: This is the fourth feature adaptation... Read more »
Movie Review - The Secret World of Arriettty
2012-03-03 02:56:00 The Secret World of ArriettyStarring: Bridgette Mendler, Will Arnet, David Henry, Amy Poehler, Moises Arias, Carol Burnett, Gracie Polleti, and more. (US Version)Directed by: Hiromasa Yonebayashi From the Novel "The Borrowers" by: Mary Norton Screenplay by: Hayao Miyazaki and Keiko Niwa Original Music by: Cecile CorbelPremise: Arrietty has come of age and gets to go on her first "borrowing" trip with her father. Unfortunately, she is seen by a sickly human named Shawn, one of the greatest taboos of her tiny race. Yet Arrietty finds herself strangely drawn to the boy and he to her. (Rated G)Review:1) Voice Acting - Thumbs Up - Bridgette Mendler is perfect as the brave and inquisitive Arrietty. David Henrie also does a great job, Shawn's despondency at his possible fate yet his need to connect coming through quite nicely. Carol Burnett is a hoot as the maid Hara. Amy Poehler was a lot of fun as Arrietty's overprotective mom. Nice job by all involved.2) Artwork/Animation - Thum...
Movie Review - Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance
2012-02-25 03:56:00 Ghost Rider: Spirit of VengeanceStarring: Nicolas Cage, Violante Placido, Ciaran Hinds, Idris Elba, Johny Whitworth, Fergus Riordan, Anthony Head, Christopher Lambert, Spencer Wilding, and more.Directed by: Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor Story by: David S Goyer Screenplay by: Scott M Gimple, Seth Hoffman, and David S Goyer Based on: The Marvel Comics Ghost Rider Original Music by: David SardyPremise: Johnny Blaze has been running from place to place, trying to deny the demon inside him access to the living world. When he's tracked down by an unusual, motorcycling priest, Johnny is given the first glimmer of hope that his curse could be brought to an end. But in order to get that chance, he has to help a young boy to a special sanctuary to keep him out of the Devil's hands. (Rating: PG-13)Review: (Going to try a slightly different format this week, so please bear with me. If you like it, do let me know!)1) Acting - Thumbs Up - Nicolas Cage was good as usual. And he did add ju...
Movie Review: Iron Lady
2012-02-06 05:58:00 To watch the film “The Iron Lady” is like trying to learn about a person from a list. Grocer’s daughter, check. Politician, check. Anti Thatcher demonstrations, check. Falklands war, check. Going to celebrate the fall of the Iron curtain, check. For anyone not aware of the history of the 1970’s and 1980’s, the quick scenes depicting some ...
Movie Review: The Help DVD/Blu Ray Combo
2011-12-11 01:37:00 Surely it’s bad form to extensively quote another reviewer in one’s own review (especially right at the start), but having stumbled upon the perfect quote, it’s hard to resist. It’s with that recognition and understanding that I quote the introduction to David Denby’s review of The Help from August’s issue of The New Yorker: ?The Help,? ...
Movie Review: Mr. Nice
2011-10-03 05:33:00 It’s unfortunate for Rhys Ifans, who turns out a terrific performance in this lightly dramatic biopic about the life and times of British dope smuggler Howard Marks (aka Mr. Donald Nice, among other names) that writer/director Bernard Rose (Candyman, Immortal Beloved) didn’t give him a more coherent story to take part in. It starts out ...
Movie Review: The Trip
2011-10-02 23:52:00 Returning to the exaggerated self-portraits that they created in director Michael Winterbottom’s meta-film Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon again play versions of themselves in this Michael Winterbottom film - created by editing down bits and pieces from the critically acclaimed six-episode television series of the same name. The ...
Movie Review - Bad Teacher (*** out of 5)
2011-06-29 04:17:00 BAD TEACHER. 92 mins. R. Directed by Jake Kasdan. Written by Gene Stupnitsky & Lee Eisenberg.Call it the summer of the R-rated comedy. Hot on the heels of Bridesmaids and The Hangover Part II comes Bad Teacher, an agreeably crude and entertaining time waster with a few solid laughs up its sleeve. The movie is populated with a series of unlikeable characters, each more stupid and detestable than the next, but that ends up being a good thing. Though it's not a sequel to 2003's Bad Santa, the two films do share a kindred spirit in that both feature drunken, profane adult authority figures mixing it up inappropriately with kids. If Bad Teacher falls a bit short of Santa's mark,...
Movie Review - Bad Teacher
2011-06-28 16:24:00 Timberlake and Diazby David SchusterRemember the movie "Bad Santa" with Billy Bob Thornton? That movie was hilarious and good. "Bad Teacher" on the other hand is neither. In fact it was just the opposite. Incredibly non funny and plain junk. "Bad Teacher" stars Cameron Diaz who still has that kick ass hot body but to be honest she's beginning to look a little weathered in the face. Diaz plays a mopey almost nasty teacher who hates her profession and is just looking for a rich guy to take her away. Of course the producers and director dress her in everything possible tight and that alone accounts for the final rating (grade) on this movie. Otherwise it's a complete waste of time. Justin Timberlake...
Movie Review - Green Lantern
2011-06-20 15:30:00 by David SchusterFor months I had been seeing previews for "The Green Lantern" and thinking, boy this looks like junk. And Ryan Reynolds as the hero and title character, are you serious? But then again I thought the same thing about Seth Rogin in "The Green Hornet" and though he played the role differently then I imagined he would, I actually thought it was pretty good. Well I guess I can say the same thing for Reynolds and this movie. Certainly far from great and incredibly comic bookish but that's what this movie is, an adaptation of a comic book. Far from the Batman movies and a lot more then the Superman flicks, this movie uses a ton of special effects. In...
Movie Review - Green Lantern (** out of 5)
2011-06-18 20:05:00 GREEN LANTERN. 105 mins. PG-13. Directed by Martin Campbell. Written by Greg Berlanti & Michael Green & Marc Guggenheim and Michael Goldenberg. The new DC comic book adaptation, Green Lantern, may be another in a long line of superhero flicks being thrown at audiences this summer, but it's also got to be the first of its kind. The studio, Warner Bros., spent approximately $300 million making and marketing this critically drubbed franchise starter. And what's most remarkable is that with all that money spent, the most it has to show for its efforts is tepid audience goodwill towards the Green Lantern character and Ryan Reynolds as its star. Nothing else. The best it can hope for at this point is to...
Movie Review - Midnight in Paris (** out of 5)
2011-06-14 13:11:00 MIDNIGHT IN PARIS. 93 mins. PG-13. Written and Directed by Woody Allen.For those of you curious to check out Woody Allen's latest based on the overwhelming critical kudos, impressive box office take, and 92% fresh rating on rottentomatoes.com, let me do you a favor: don't. Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself though. If you count yourself a fan of Woody Allen, and enjoy almost everything he does, by all means, enjoy. For the rest of us - a majority, I suspect at this point - don't believe the hype.Though he's had plenty of practice, releasing a film a year for the last three decades or so, Allen stubbornly refuses to make a movie with anything resembling modern sensibilities. Some may...
Movie Review - Super 8 (****1/2 out of 5)
2011-06-13 20:26:00 SUPER 8. 111 mins. PG-13. Written and Directed by J.J. Abrams.Shrouded in secrecy and hugely anticipated by anyone who cares anything about movies, the new J.J. Abrams-Steven Spielberg collaboration, Super 8, delivers summer entertainment thrills in ways moviegoers haven't seen in decades. Super 8 evokes waves of nostalgia for the films you enjoyed as a child, and functions as an homage to the late '70s/early '80s Spielberg films that a young Abrams was so clearly influenced by. It is a marvelous movie, made special not by visual effects and bombastic action sequences (though both are certainly not in short supply here), but by solid storytelling, heartfelt acting, and Abrams' unrivaled - except for maybe Spielberg himself - ability to craft...
Movie Review - Super 8
2011-06-10 21:08:00 by David SchusterA lot of times movie studios will keep certain films completely under wraps until they are released. Often it's because the movie just plain sucks and they want to sucker as many people initially in before the foul word of mouth spreads. However, periodically these same studios know they have a hit on their hands and the movie contains certain surprises that they don't want known until the flick comes out. "Super 8" falls into the second category. For weeks we have been seeing the same trailer for "Super 8" of kids making a film and a train crash occurs behind them. Then something breaks out of one of the cars but you never saw what it is. There...
"The Trip" Movie Review
2011-06-09 14:23:00 I was lucky enough to get my hands on a copy of the soon to be released British film, "The Trip." Original a six part TV show it's been edited in to a film. Don't let that dissuade you from seeing this. The movie is well paced and a brilliant comedy. The movie follows Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon on an improvised tour of Northern England. Steve has been asked to go on a trip and review 6 restaurants. His last resort companion is his friend Rob. The interaction between the two is much funnier and real than the male duo in Sideways. The story is about their life and how they're in different places despite being the same age....
Movie Review - X-Men: First Class (**** out of 5)
2011-06-04 20:55:00 X-Men: First Class. 138 mins. PG-13. Directed by Matthew Vaughn. Written by Ashley Miller & Zach Stentz and Jane Goldman & Matthew Vaughn.The new X-Men movie, First Class, does what every questionable reboot of a fading franchise needs to do in order to shut up its detractors: it's good. Really good. I think a lot of people are going to be surprised by the quality on screen. After punishing audiences with The Last Stand (which I actively disliked) and Wolverine (which I downright hated), Fox has wisely brought Bryan Singer back into the fold, and, even better, handed the directing reins to Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass). The result is a smart, confident, and briskly paced action movie that truly delivers the goods.Taking...
Movie Review - X-Men First Class
2011-06-04 15:44:00 by David SchusterThis certainly has been the summer for sequels with "Pirates Of The Caribbean", "Fast And Furious" and "Hangover". And more will follow but we also have our first prequel in the form of "X-Men: First Class". If you hadn't seen any of the X-Men movies, they're about mutants who live amongst us who have special talents but are shunned by the general population. Some mutants are good and some are evil and this movie shows you the origin of how it all began. In the later installments you get the two main characters of Professor X (good) and Magneto (bad) pitted vs each other. Sort of like professional wrestling (good vs. evil). Here in the prequel you see how the...
Movie Review - Midnight in Paris
2011-06-01 22:12:00 by David SchusterWilson and McAdamsIn the midst of all the big time summer movies (some good and most bad) comes a Woody Allen flick, "Midnight in Paris" Now I'll admit that I would love for Allen to revisit his early successes like "Bananas, "Sleeper" and "Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex". Those movies were off the wall hysterical. He then followed those up by moving into a different direction with flicks like "Annie Hall", "Zelig" and "Broadway Danny Rose". And then he went (in my opinion) in the dumper with a string of movies that were just plain boring. But with "Midnight In Paris" Allen has delivered his best movie in years. Owen Wilson plays a typical Allen character...
Movie Review - Bridesmaids
2011-05-30 00:07:00 by David SchusterFinally a movie that you truly can laugh at and I mean... really loud. "Hangover 2" was a complete dud and "Pirates of the Caribbean" was plain stupid. Added to that the Bulls elimination and nothi-ng but mediocre (at best) baseball for the next four months and I needed my humor bone touched. And touched it was by "Bridesmaids". I'l-l admit I held out for almost two weeks before seeing this because I was a chauvinist and thought how could a movie with a bunch of women be funny. Well, I was dead wrong and I encourage all males to see it and have a good time. Kristen Wiig if you weren't familiar with her work previously (currently on Saturday Night Live) has a chance to be a...
Movie Review - Kung Fu Panda 2 (***1/2)
2011-05-29 14:59:00 KUNG FU PANDA 2. 92 mins. PG. Directed by Jennifer Yuh. Written by Jonathan Aibel & Glenn Berger.Another summer weekend, another sequel. When the first Kung Fu Panda was released three years ago, I think it caught audiences by surprise. Though it looked like a broad, one-joke comedy, the actual movie was a beautifully animated, exciting action drama. It took its story seriously and avoided lame pop culture gags. The kung fu fight scenes were grandly staged and intricately rendered. And let's face it, Jack Black is the perfect actor to voice Po, the panda.The sequel picks up not too long after the first film wrapped up. Po is still the "Dragon Master" and together with the Furious Five...
Movie Review - The Hangover Part 2
2011-05-28 15:57:00 by David SchusterWhile nursing my own hangover from the quick end of the Bulls season I opted to see "Hangover 2." Now I will tell you up front that I was in the minority in thinking that the original was not all that funny. Silly with some embarrassing moments for sure but no where near rip roaring laughter. And with that I'm not happy to tell you that the sequel was even worse. And it wasn't just me. In a theater half full on a Friday morning I didn't hear so much as a chuckle until the final credits rolled. I might have heard some snoring but no laughing. The follow up has the boys going over to Asia for Ed Helms...
Movie Review - The Hangover Part II (*1/2)
2011-05-28 14:41:00 THE HANGOVER PART II. 102 mins. R. Directed by Todd Phillips. Written by Craig Mazin & Scot Armstrong & Todd Phillips.How's that line go? "Second verse, same as the first." Welcome to The Hangover Part II, folks. Just last week, in my Pirates 4 review, I discussed one of my least favorite types of sequels: the kind that don't raise the bar. While those are problematic, sure, they pale in comparison to the grave mistake made by The Hangover Part II (following in the footsteps of similarly flawed sequels like Home Alone 2): it's the same damn movie! Part II is utterly worthless as a movie, as a sequel, and as summer entertainment. It is the epitome of lazy screenwriting, amounting...
Movie Review - Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (**)
2011-05-25 03:55:00 PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES. 141 mins. PG-13. Directed by Rob Marshall. Written by Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio.Alright, I'm just going to come right out and say it: the first Pirates of the Caribbean was just okay. Good even. A fun summer movie. But not great. Certainly not worthy of three inferior sequels, each one worse than the last. These Pirates movies are prime examples of the law of diminishing returns. Yes, Johnny Depp was a hoot as Capt. Jack Sparrow, and earned himself a surprise Oscar nom in the process. But whatever charm and offbeat moxie Depp once brought to the role has long since vanished. We've seen him go to the eccentric well one too...
Movie Review: Bridesmaids (**)
2011-05-18 05:04:00 BRIDESMAIDS. 125 mins. R. Directed by Paul Feig. Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig.In all respects, I really should have loved Bridesmaids. I'm a big fan of female comedians, especially Kristen Wiig. I never met a Judd Apatow production I didn't like (okay, maybe that last hour of Funny People kind of tested my patience). And the R-rated humor in Bridesmaids is definitely up my alley. But after about 45 minutes of muted, flat comedic bits, I found myself jumping ship on the movie and it lost all benefit of the doubt after that. All the shitting in a sink moments in the world couldn't save it. More on that in a sec.Co-written by Wiig and directed by Freaks...
movie review: bridesmaids
2011-05-16 08:42:00 If you have ever been in a wedding, will be in a wedding, or are a girl, go see this movie...
Movie Review: Priest (*) Will Molest Your Wallet
2011-05-15 15:47:00 Not to be confused with the similarly titled 1994 indie drama about a gay man of the cloth, this Priest is a super-dumb, hacked-to-pieces action film that, like its vampire characters, never should have seen the light of day. Directed by visual effects man Scott Stewart, Priest plays like some weird mix of Blade Runner, Mad Max, and Resident Evil, with a religious bent. Oh, and with vampires thrown in because...well, why not? If the mention of those movies perks your interest, don't let it. To even put Priest in the same sentence does those movies a dishonor. Despite the presence of several talented actors (Paul Bettany, Karl Urban, Maggie Q), Priest is unintentionally bad - it comes off like...
Movie Review - Thor (***)
2011-05-11 05:08:00 THOR. 114 mins. PG-13. Directed by Kenneth Branagh. Written by Ashley Miller & Zack Stentz and Don Payne.Of all of Marvel's A-list superheroes, Thor is probably the trickiest one to build a movie around. Given the vast mythology, ornate costumes, and awkward plot elements involving things called Asgard, Frost Giants, and "Odinsleep," the difficulty level to pull this one off is quite high. One false step and the project devolves into silliness and high camp.This big-budget adaptation of the Thor comics is still silly and campy - I don't think there's any way around it really - but Marvel has a secret weapon to counteract those elements. An ace up the movie's sleeve, if you will. And his name is...
Movie Review - Prom (**)
2011-05-03 04:16:00 PROM. 103 mins. PG. Directed by Joe Nussbaum. Written by Katie Wech.I recognize that I'm no longer the target audience for Disney's Prom, so it makes sense why I wouldn't necessarily take to it, but I can't imagine any real high schoolers about to head to their own prom liking it either. Earnest and well-intentioned to a fault, this is a clean-cut, scrubbed-clean look at the momentous high school dance that only a fourth grader could love. I doubt that's the target audience the filmmakers had in mind. This makes High School Musical look like The Basketball Diaries. No wonder the movie flopped last weekend, barely grossing $5 million. To add insult to injury, the actual prom itself only factors...
Movie Review - Fast Five (****)
2011-05-01 21:00:00 FAST FIVE. 130 mins. PG-13. Directed by Justin Lin. Written by Chris Morgan.When Fast & Furious opened in April 2009 to a surprising $71 million and rescued the Fast/Furious franchise from the dead by reuniting the original cast, you just knew the studio and filmmakers would take a victory lap in the form of a fifth movie. But the amazing thing about Fast Five is that it plays less like a creatively bankrupt money-grab sequel, and more like a firing-on-all-cylinders first movie in an all-new franchise. Action junkies and car chase lovers, take note. The summer movie season is off to an excellent start.Writer Chris Morgan and Director Justin Lin have worked on the last three movies in the series,...
Movie Review - Water for Elephants
2011-04-29 05:21:00 BY ROBERT HAMMERLE, guest contributor to HammervisionCuriously, "Water for Elephants" is a rather lightweight pleasure, functioning as a bastard offspring of a daytime TV Soap Opera and James Cameron's colossal hit "Titanic" (1997). While the illicit romance between Reese Witherspoon's Marlena and Robert Pattison's Jacob ignites even fewer sparks than that between Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman in Baz Luhrmann's "Australia" (2008), it is a film you are likely to enjoy if you can simply sit there uncritically. In a sense, it's kind of like the same feeling you get when having a glass of wine after taking a vicodin. (Or so I am told.) Yes, it is absolutely true that there is little real chemistry between Pattison and Witherspoon....
Movie Review - Super (***)
2011-04-26 04:43:00 SUPER. 89 mins. R. Written and Directed by James Gunn.Despite being released in the marketplace about two movies too late (after the similarly themed (and plotted) Defendor and Kick-Ass), the twisted new superhero spoof/deconstruction Super- (from Slither writer-director James Gunn) has cult classic written all over it. I didn't care for it much on first viewing, but something tells me a select group of midnight movie vultures will latch onto it.The movie veers wildly from comedy to dark psychodrama to gory action, which, while keeping the audience on its toes, prevents it from ever really gelling as a whole. Rainn Wilson does an effective, impressive job in the lead as Frank a/k/a The Crimson Bolt. Frank is a well-intentioned, yet probably...
Movie Review - The Conspirator
2011-04-21 04:02:00 BY ROBERT HAMMERLE, guest contributor to HammervisionHe stood in the crowd, tears in his eyes, as he stared at the scaffolding containing his client and her other three condemned co-conspirators. Having nobly fought to save her life, he now could only look on in anguish at the magnitude of the injustice. She stood there stoically, as their eyes temporarily met. He nodded as if to let her know that there was at least one friend in the crowd before the rope was placed over her neck and she fell to her doom. Robert Redford's "The Conspirator" is a story about an historical injustice that took place in the summer of 1865 that resonates to this very day. It is an...
Movie Review - Win Win
2011-04-21 03:56:00 BY ROBERT HAMMERLE, guest contributor to Hammervision"Win Win" is a glorious film about average human beings struggling with the imperfections inherent in the human condition. As he did with "The Station Agent" (2003) and "The Visitor" (2007), Director Thomas McCarthy has painted a cinematic tapestry that shows small, decent people fighting to keep their head above water no matter how unfair the rising tide. Here we find Hollywood's everyman, Paul Giamatti, playing Mike Flaherty, a lawyer with a loving family who also is the coach of his high school wrestling team, a group of misfits who don't know the meaning of victory. But he also has a darker side, namely financial difficulties that he is hiding from his family. A...
Movie Review - Rio (***)
2011-04-20 04:52:00 RIO. 96 mins. G. Directed by Carlos Saldanha.Rio is a cheery, colorful animated film that kids are sure to dig. The script is serviceable, and avoids any real missteps. The animation by Blue Sky Studios (Ice Age, Horton Hears a Who) is crisp and playful. The voicework by actors like Jesse Eisenberg and Anne Hathaway is charming. There is nothing really wrong with the movie - I'd go so far as to call it good - but it lacks that certain...something. Even as I was entertained by it, I was plagued by a nagging sense that this is just an efficient, assembly line production. Cute animals? Check. Exotic locale? Check. Will.i.am song? Check. Rio is pre-programmed to generically appeal to...
Movie Review - Scream 4 (***1/2)
2011-04-19 04:56:00 SCREAM 4. 103 mins. R. Directed by Wes Craven. Written by Kevin Williamson.All things considered, Scream 4 (or, if you want to buy into all the stupid marketing, Scre4m) does a pretty good job as the fourth film in a franchise dating back to 1996 of keeping things fresh, fun, and entertaining. It's been 11 years since Scream 3 came out, and the series shows no signs of being worse for the wear. All the necessary parties are in play: writer Kevin Williamson, director Wes Craven, and the trio of surviving stars: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, and Courtney Cox. Fans of the Scream movies are probably going to have a blast watching these characters battle Ghostface again. But if you...
Movie Review - "Arthur" with Russell Brand
2011-04-15 17:17:00 by David SchusterIt might have been telling that of the two movies that featured Russell Brand that came out last weekend it was the animated movie that garnered more money. Yes it was "Hop" that pulled in more cash then "Arthur". But since many consider Brand to be a cartoon like character maybe it makes sense after all. "Arthur" of course is a remake of the hugely successful original from thirty years ago that starred the late Dudley Moore. In the original, Moore played a lovable drunk who had money up the wazoo and a heart of gold. Brand also has a heart of gold in this sequel and does drink a lot, but really doesn't come off as a drunk. Rather, he comes...
Movie Review - Hanna
2011-04-14 17:04:00 by David SchusterSaoirse Ronan as "Hanna"Never have I seen such a range of reviews on a movie as I have with "Hanna" I have seen 4 stars (they must have been on acid) all the way down to zippo. And rarely have I ever totally agreed with Rex Reed but when it comes to this movie we are in lock step. Too bad because the trailers really suckered me in on this one. "Hanna" is about a girl who is raised in the frozen tundra near the Arctic Circle. Her father is a former CIA assassin who teaches his little girl everything he knows about killing. Not exactly playing with Barbie Dolls but an interesting premise. Hanna is played by the immensely... |
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