A Life of Movies

Directed By: Judd Apatow

Starring: Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Maude Apatow

Hey - you wanna see a hilarious movie with Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann? If you answered yes, go watch Knocked Up again. Otherwise, I suppose This is 40 is for you. 

The sort of sequel takes place a few years after the events of Knocked Up and centers on the lives of Pete (Rudd) and Debbie (Mann) and their two cooky kids. The result is a train wreck. Now to be fair, I loved all of these characters in Knocked Up. Pete and Debbie’s angst towards each other combined with their twisted daughter (even though she was like 7) added several great scenes to a movie that actually made me hopeful for Katherine Heigl in comedies. As the center of attention, though, these characters just don’t provide an enjoyable movie. That angst we previewed in Knocked Up is constant - I swear they actually spend 80% of their scream time yelling at each other (yes the typo was on purpose). The movie centers almost entirely on each of their flaws, which is fine I suppose since it’s supposed to be somewhat of a mid-life crisis chronicle, but they have so few positive traits you can’t even really root for them. They did manage to bring Jason Segel’s character back, but without the creeper stache and “Flesh of the Stars” website for a job…he’s not that funny either.

I can see what Apatow was trying to do here. He took a bunch of real issues and tried to fit it into his usual raunchy comedy template. The problem is that he forgot to make the movie funny and the main characters at least a tad likable. If you can relate to the subject material, then I might be able to see it as a worthwhile time. Without that, though, This is 40 is somewhere around 20 min of funny and 110 min of shoot me in the head. Good luck.

4/10

Directed By: Kathryn Bigelow

Starring: Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton, Chris Pratt

A chronicle of the hunt for Osama Bin Laden from the perspective of the CIA culminating with the raid by Navy SEALS? Yes, please. While this year’s Act of Valor had the action and authenticity, Zero Dark Thirty brings the writing, pacing, and true story to the big screen, and it’s one hell of a ride.

Relative unknown Jessica Chastain takes the lead as Maya, an abrasive and driven CIA agent that joins the search for those that are responsible for 9/11. Over the course of a decade, her grit and determination bring the ultimate goal within reach: finding enemy #1, Osama Bin Laden.

This movie is evidence that Kathryn Bigelow can continue to meet the high standard she set with 2008’s The Hurt Locker. Even though the search takes place over a decade and there are many more setbacks than successes, Zero Dark Thirty keeps your attention throughout and has you on the edge of your seat for the gripping conclusion. The acting is superb; Chastain knocks it out of the park and the performances by Jason Clark and Kyle Chandler add a lot of depth (both of them should get more prominent roles in my opinion, especially Chandler). In the end, though, it’s all about the story. With the book No Easy Day coming out last year, this story is already known to some, but it’s always different to see it on the big screen. The fact is that Americans grew tired of wars that seemed to be producing no results, so it’s a pretty big deal when our original target is finally eliminated. Whatever your political stance is, you have to respect how important this event was. The script was actually originally written before Bin Laden was killed (and was subsequently changed afterwards), so believe me when I say that this film isn’t the waving of a victory flag. Instead, Zero Dark Thirty is a testament to how long and difficult the mission was.

The only real issues I had with this film are also something to be appreciated - the true story wasn’t overly cinematic. I don’t want to give anything away, but the end sequence just didn’t feel as smooth as the rest of the movie. Go check it out and judge for yourself, though!

8/10

Directed By: Peter Jackson

Starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage

This is about as conflicted as it gets for me. The LOTR trilogy comprise some of the greatest movies ever made by my account, so why wouldn’t I want Peter Jackson to bring us back to Tolkien’s magical world? Things change, though. The Dark Knight Rises felt almost nothing like The Dark Knight, so would Jackson be able to re-engineer the magic from his previous movies? Once I found out the Hobbit was being split into 3 movies, I was pretty skeptical. After all, the source material is often referred to as a children’s book, somewhat different than the epic trilogy that follows it. In the end, though, I should never have had any doubt. Jackson sculpts another excellent 3+ hour movie.

Many years ago, the dwarves created a grand kingdom called Erebor under the Lonely Mountain. They became rich from the gold and gems that they mined. It was at the height of their power that the skies grew dark and the dragon Smaug rained fire down upon them. The dwarves were defeated and were forced to abandon their kingdom and riches. Years later, the grandson of the king of Erebor has assembled a group of dwarves to reclaim their home. The wizard Gandalf is entrusted to choose one last person to complete the group, and he settles on a hobbit by the name of Bilbo Baggins. Hobbits are peaceful creatures and against adventures of any kind, but Bilbo’s curiosity gets the best of him, and it’s a decision that will change his life forever.

If you’ve seen any of Jackson’s original trilogy, than you have a good idea what you’re going to get: amazing cinematography set against a New Zealand backdrop, a thunderous score by Howard Shore and impecable acting, all of which help bring to life an amazing fantasy world. While The Hobbit does have a familiar feel, it also has some new touches of flair. For starters, you are getting a completely new cast except for Ian McKellen. Martin Freeman does a great job as a young Bilbo, and all of the dwarves are perfectly cast, especially Richard Armitage (Thorin Oakenshield, the group leader). There is also a different and more frequent use of humor in this movie compared to the trilogy, probably because the book itself was written in a lighter tone. More serious fans might find this annoying, but it fits the story and ends up being a nice change of pace in my opinion. Another thing to mention is that this film is long. Most would expect that since it is Peter Jackson, but since it’s only 1/3 of the story there are slower parts. That being said, they also pour a ton of action into the first chapter. I went in expecting to basically just see a setup film, but a ton happened and I can’t wait to see it continue next December.

Overall, the first installment of the Hobbit is very different than the LOTR but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. The tone and feel are both different, but you’re still watching a Peter Jackson movie, which means it’s almost unrivaled in terms of scale and production quality. If you can handle the length, I’d say this is a must see this holiday season.

9/10

Yet another chapter to the sci-fi series that only gets more and more ridiculous. And yet, I’ve been excited for this movie for months. You know what you are getting right off the bat; Milla Jovovich kicking zombie ass, some random people that help her and end up getting killed, and an ending that is basically the first 5 minutes of the next movie (like they have an assembly line or something). 

The plot for this one is…well, the same. Alice (Jovovich) has been captured by the Umbrella Corporation following the events of the last film, and finds herself in a testing facility in Russia. With the help of some mysterious friends, she tries to escape the latest nightmare in her fight against Umbrella.

This movie is bad, but fun. It’s basically a filler, since it takes a story that could be done in 30 min and stretches it to an hour and a half - seemingly only to move some characters from one place to the other. However, the action that takes place during it is pretty awesome. Retribution showcases villains and monsters from several of the prequels, providing one action bullet-riddled action scene after another. You also get a number of former allies making appearances, from Jill Valentine and Luther West to Rain  from the original. While it’s silly, this is one of the things I like about the Resident Evil movies - ignore logic and say they were cloned! Works every time. While this chapter probably brings less to the table than some of the others, an action movie is an action movie.

5/10 Overall

Directed By: Christopher Nolan

Starring: Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine

The Legend Ends. The first 2/3 of Christopher Nolan’s trilogy single-handedly changed what a comic-book movie could be. Instead of a campy-fantasy flick, Nolan painted a darker, and more importantly, realistic, view of Gotham. It’s crazy to think there have been four modern live-action portrayals of the caped crusader, and Nolan’s first crack at it alone blew all of them right out of the water. He was the first to show us the origins of Batman, and proceeded to craft one of the most gripping movies I’ve ever seen in The Dark Knight. After all of these accomplishments, how could any more be expected of Nolan? Well, expectations only ever increase in the movie industry, and in this case, we are lucky for that. After seeing this last chapter twice, I still believe The Dark Knight is the best of the three (and best comic-book inspired movie of all time), but The Dark Knight Rises shocks and awes in an epic ending to the story.

It’s been 8 years since Batman defeated the Joker and took the fall for Harvey Dent’s crimes. Since then, Gotham has thrived, and Bruce Wayne has fallen into seclusion. Both of these things come to a swift end when a ruthless terrorist named Bane makes his way to America’s greatest city. Gotham might still call him an enemy, but the Dark Knight must return and face his most dangerous adversary yet.

Enough can’t be said of Nolan’s approach to the Batman story. While The Dark Knight Rises has a different feel than both of the other films, it still contains an unequaled dedication to character and theme. The Dark Knight Rises team had to go into this one with Bane as the villain (following one of the best villain performances of all time by the late and great Heath Ledger), as well as Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman (no one has ever made this character credible as far as I know - and I love Michelle Pfeiffer). Yet somehow, Nolan and company’s careful crafting of the story brought us a worthy villain for this epic conclusion and a Catwoman subplot that actually added to the film. The theme is also as interesting as ever - according to IMDb trivia, Nolan’s aim thematically was fear for Batman Begins, chaos for The Dark Knight, and pain for The Dark Knight Rises. While it’s definitely a dark trio, it’s expertly executed and is a major reason we actually care about this Batman.

A review of a Nolan film wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the cast, as he always seems to stack the deck in his favor. Christian Bale of course “finishes” his stint as Batman perfectly - and moreover has to be more dynamic than in the other films, as his body has broken down in the 8 years since he last donned the bat-suit. The surprise in this one is Michael Caine’s third performance as Alfred. Obviously Michael Caine giving a great performances isn’t a surprise, but he is given much more to work with as he’s Bruce Wayne’s only remaining family, and makes the most of it. Lastly, the inclusion of Nolan’s Inception team in Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt paid off in spades. JGL was especially fun to watch as a “hot-headed” cop that believed in the Batman.

The film isn’t perfect, but in all honestly, I think that’s only because it has to be measured against The Dark Knight. Nolan created a thrilling and thought-provoking ending, and it has truly been a pleasure to watch it unfold. Thank you for making Batman respectable, Mr. Nolan. 10/10

Directed By: Marc Webb

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans

A reboot after only 5 years? Well with how bad Spider-Man 3 was, why not! This wasn’t the only reason I was intrigued by The Amazing Spider-Man though - in watching each trailer that came out, it just seemed like they had gotten this one right. I had nothing against the first two Spider-Man’s with Tobey Maguire, after all they they were fun and basically kicked off the comic book movie assembly line. Even so, this time around you had the feeling they had discovered how much potential the character had, and that was reason enough to go see it.

Plot-wise, not a ton of surprises if you saw the original Spider-Man/the cartoon as a kid. Peter Parker is a reserved genius living with his Aunt and Uncle. He is mostly bullied and ignored at school, but that starts to change we he uncovers his father’s research into cross-species genetics. This leads him to visiting his dad’s old company, Oscorp, where his curiosity will change his life forever…

Overall, this movie has everything we loved about the original, as well as doing all the small stuff better. For starters, Andrew Garfield is just a better Spider-Man. He has the awkward while being charming thing down. It was also a lot more gratifying to see the science (even though it’s made up) being incorporated, while in the original it was literally just “bitten by a spider = super powers.” All the high-flying action associated with Spider-Man is still there, it’s just done with a sense of confidence and creativity that makes it fresh. Emma Stone was the perfect choice for Gwen Stacey. While it was different than the “girl next door” story with Mary Jane/Kirsten Dunst in the old one, having Parker go for a brainy girl whose Dad is a police captain was more interesting. Choosing Dr. Curt Connors/The Lizard as the antagonist was also a great choice. While I know very little about the comics, I remember him as the conflicted character from the show. That conflict of good and evil felt much more genuine that Norman Osbourne/The Green Goblin.

In the end, this might be the best comic book movie there is. Now Christopher Nolan’s Batman movies are my favorite, and the best movies in my mind, but in what I think a comic book movie should be…fun, engaging, inspirational, a touch of hokey, genuinely satisfying…this is up there. Do yourself a favor and go check it out!

9/10

Directed By: James McTeigue

Starring: John Cusack, Alice Eve, Luke Evans

As much as I love my man John Cusack, I wasn’t sure if this was going to be the career reboot he needed. Sure, Robert Downey Jr. has had great success with the mystery genre in the form of the Sherlock Holmes series, but a story centered on Edgar Allen Poe is bound to be far darker and without the comic relief. In the end, the grisly nature of the story wasn’t the problem; the formulaic and flat execution of it was.

The plot is relatively straightforward, and in my opinion, had a lot of potential. In a dark, 1800s Baltimore, Edgar Allen Poe (Cusack) is washed up, broke, and far removed from his classic literary works. However, he still has a little going for him in his secret engagement to the lovely Emily Hamilton (Eve). That happiness, however, is overshadowed when a series of murders occur - especially since they are exact recreations of Poe’s stories. In helping Detective Fields (Evans), Poe has to reignite his imagination if they are to have any help of catching the killer. 

As I mentioned, I didn’t really have a problem with the dark nature of the story - after all, the Sherlock Holmes movies are about 50% comedy, so dark could be refreshing - but there just wasn’t enough passion and risk taking around it. *SPOILER ALERT* There is a lot of sitting around between murders, and later in the movie when Emily’s life is in the hands of the killer, it just doesn’t make a lot of sense. In addition to this, Poe seemed to do little but recite his stories after a murder took place, while Fields was the only one to think outside the box. That in itself was tolerable, since Fields was constructed to be the more likeable character throughout, but I would have enjoyed it if Poe’s creativity was reignited to save his fiance (but perhaps I just wanted it to be more like Sherlock Holmes in that respect). Overall, it seemed the filmmakers were content to portray a dark, grisly world and then not do much with it. 

If there is something to take away from this movie, it’s some decent entertainment despite all the shortcomings. The story won’t blow you away, nor will the acting, but sometimes it can still be fun regardless. However, if you aren’t a Cusack fan like me, then there will be very little here for you. Overall 6/10.

Starring: Gary Ross

Directed By: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth

After reading this series last year, I couldn’t wait for it to come to the big screen. While some movie buffs cast it aside as being a kiddie version of Battle Royale, this story is on a far grander scale and chalk-full of potential. Add to this the casting of the very talented Jennifer Lawrence in the lead role, and let’s break some Twilight records.

For those if you that don’t know the plot already, it’s a rather darker “young adult” story. Following an age of war and famine, North America now consists of the country Panem, split up into 12 districts and a Capital. After a rebellion by the districts, the Capital instituted an annual event called “The Hunger Games.” A man and woman between the ages of 12 and 18 is sent from every district to fight to the death until a single victor remains. In the “coal-mining” District Twelve, Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) cares for her mother and sister by hunting for game with her best friend Gale (Hemsworth). It’s her bravery and fight that keeps them alive, and when her sister Prim is selected for the upcoming Games, it’s those same traits that propel her to volunteer.

This movie is very good, but for those that read the book, there may be some slight disappointment (as there always is). The most significant positive trait of the Hunger Games is Jennifer Lawrence. While she may have been unknown to some before this movie, those days are gone forever. Lawrence breathes passion and genuineness into every scene, every line - and considering she is basically in all of them, that helps the movie out a lot. There are a number of scenes that could have been average or even cringeworthy due to writing/other actors, but Jennifer saved them almost every time. Outside of her fantastic performance, the Hunger Games obviously has a lot going for it in the screenplay. Suzanne Collins herself helped write the screenplay, and in doing so brought a deep and thrilling story from from the pages of her book to theaters. With the amount of interesting characters (while there isn’t near enough screen time and development for some of them) and the seemingly impossible reality, you won’t be able to take your eyes off the screen. Lastly, I’d like to mention something I both liked and had a problem with - the violence/grittiness of the film. In making it PG-13, they obviously weren’t trying to make something as gruesome as Battle Royale, but I didn’t want them to soften up the source material. In hindsight, though, I feel they were able to show enough violence to properly show how barbaric it was, yet keep our focus on the characters and their emotions. This ties in to my main problem with the movie - what to cut from the book and what to keep.

Sure, a 6 hour movie would have been enough to show every worthwhile scene, but unfortunately most people wouldn’t sit through that. Ross and Collins seemed to approach this assuming most viewers hadn’t read the book - honestly a fair assumption, but a strategy that sells the readers short - therefore, there are a number of extended scenes to establish the setting. Curiously enough, though, District Twelve and the characters there are passed over rather quickly to get to the Capital. In doing so, the viewers don’t learn nearly enough about Katniss’s background as the readers of the book did. 

Overall, The Hunger Games was an extremely entertaining film. It’s not a perfect movie adaption, but outside of The Lord of the Rings there are very few. Lawrence gave an outstanding performance that should providence a solid foundation for the rest of the series - one that will be very welcome in erasing Twilight from everyone’s memories. With fluid action, unique characters and a fascinating world, The Hunger Games earns an 8/10.

Directed By: Nima Nourizadeh

Starring: Thomas Mann, Oliver Cooper, Jonathan Daniel Brown

The Hangover meets Superbad? Yes, please. In seeing the trailer for this movie, I didn’t ask myself “does this seem like it would be a good movie?” No, no…I asked myself, “does this seem like a party I would want to be at?” Considering the answer was hell yes, didn’t have much choice but to go check it out. And to be honest, I’m pretty glad I did.

Don’t really have to describe much of a story here…3 geeky losers in high school want to throw the most epic party of all time in order to be cool for once. In other words, they want a GAMECHANGER. With birthday boy Thomas’ parents leaving town for the weekend, they finally have that chance. Throw in 1500 people, a pissed off drug dealer that wants his gnome and a midget shoved in an oven, and yeah…you have a gamechanger.

While Project X really was just Superbad coke (even the main characters, Thomas and Costa, are basically clones of Michael Cera and Jonah Hill), it did have enough original ideas to stay fun for 90 min. That may have been the marketing, though - because this was one of those movies where you know the last 30 min is why you’re watching, so the anticipation gets you through the rest. Throw out that last 30 min, and you basically have a giant party surrounding Thomas as he realizes it’s not the school’s mega-hottie that he wants, but the girl he’s been friends with for years. Go figure. Now, with the last 30 min…Project X is one of the most outrageous movies I’ve ever wanted to be real.

Outside of what happens, it boasts a quality cast of new faces and a solid party soundtrack. It also incorporates a surprising amount of film techniques and stunts that combine into one hell of a show.

I have to agree with Richard Roeper in saying that it’s refreshing this party actually has consequences (as opposed to something like the Hangover, where the only remnants are some pictures on a camera). After all, you can’t wage a war against the police and get away with it, right?? Even with this, however, they kind of cop out at the end.

Overall this movie is probably a 6, but since I really wanted to be at that party…let’s go 7/10! 

Directed By: Mike McCoy and Scott Waugh

Starring: ACTIVE DUTY US NAVY SEALS…and Roselyn Sanchez 

That’s right. They finally tried to make an adrenaline filled war movie with ACTUAL SOLDIERS. No Steven Segal with horrible one-liners in this one - just the most badass men on the planet doing what they do best. This movie might not have been nearly as promising years back, with with SEAL Team 6’s recent elimination of Osama Bin Laden, the pieces were in place to give these soldiers the recognition they deserve.

While Act of Valor probably boasts the best “stuntman” cast of all time, the plot is pretty average. A personnel rescue mission of a CIA agent uncovers a deadly plot involving some smuggler in South America and a deranged jihadist from Eastern Europe…yep, it’s Call of Duty. That doesn’t really matter, though - like many other war movies, Act of Valor exists to show the deep bond between the soldiers carrying out the mission and their families back home, not to craft a dizzying Jason Bourne-like story. And in this respect, it is very successful.

Now while the action is unquestionably fantastic, most critic reviews I have read center on the “wooden” acting of SEALs. While they are in no way wrong to describe it that way, they are kind of missing the point in my opinion. The reason I enjoyed this movie (outside of the great action) was the refreshing use of real people. While some films really pull off the brotherhood thing (Black Hawk Down), I don’t necessarily need another film with A-list actors to over-dramatize a human conflict and feed me some cliche lines like “it’s about the man next to you.” DON’T get me wrong, I love those movies and I love that particular line, but it’s just not exactly original anymore. Act of Valor - instead of trying to tell you what to feel, more so tries to show you what to feel, and it works.

To be fair, I won’t say this movie doesn’t have a bunch of cliches. Outside of the plot which I already touched on, Act of Valor does suffer from a rather predictable series of events in terms of which characters die and how it affects the others. I don’t want to give away anymore, but you’ll know what I mean when you watch it.

Overall, Act of Valor was a great time. I know it has shortcomings, but because of the unique situation in having real Navy SEALs and average writers…I felt I had to judge it purely on the action. And in that arena I award it an 8/10. If the writers could have let the SEALs use lines that were more natural for them and not try to fit these amazing warriors into a cookie cutter package for the masses, it would have truly been a special movie. Even so, I highly recommend it!

Directed By: Guy Ritchie

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, and Jared Harris

The 2nd chapter in Robert Downey’s turn as the classic detective, A Game of Shadows came out during the 2011’s packed holiday movie season. For me personally, this one got pushed behind releases like Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and the U.S. version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. While I have plenty of faith in RBJ’s ability to carry a movie, I just had a feeling this one would fall short of the original. Turns out it made me forget about it altogether.

Game of Shadows starts off with Sherlock’s ever faithful companion, Dr. Watson, leaving his adventure days behind to get married. It turns out that the timing could have been better, since Holmes suspects the well-respected Prof. James Moriarty of having a sinister plan underway that could plunge all of Europe into war. Will the duo be able to take on their most challenging adversary yet?

This film provides just more examples on how Robert Downey Jr. improves a film. His acting and natural humor help create a great character in Sherlock Holmes. Even more, he allows the other actors to play off his talents and then be better themselves. The addition of Noomi Rapace, ever popular after her turn as Lisbeth Salander, adds even more depth. Outside of the acting, Guy Ritchie yet again crafts a unique atmosphere through the setting and soundtrack. While the sets may be drab and dark, scenes are filled with excitement and adventure. Lastly, while the twists and turns along the way are more than enough, the best is saved for the end. This is particularly enjoyable when so many movies are predictable these days.

Overall, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is a thrilling mystery, filled with a good amount of action and humor. It’s a smart movie that will keep you guessing until the very end. Enjoy 8/10