The Wolverine - Movie Review

I just got back from an early release screening of The Wolverine, and I couldn't be happier. For the most part, they got it right. Hugh Jackman reprises the role of the adamantium clawed title character once again, and he is simply awesome as Logan. I really believe that Jackman has become the heart of the X-Men franchise for Marvel, as his all of his appearances throughout 6 feature films have been fantastic. The guy looks the part, and his depth of range, adds a credibility to the character that draws the audience into the story. Logan is an enigma that we can't help wanting to more about. For once, this film chooses to focus on what lies ahead for Wolverine, as opposed to his past. The first Origin movie made the mistake of trying to tie up his origin story with a pretty little bow, and wound uo being campy and over the top, where as most of this film doesn't feel like a super hero movie. And, as much as I love the genre, that is a good thing.

The story begins with Wolverine in a Japanese POW camp during World War 2 where he saves the life of a Japanese Officer, Yashida. Flash Forward to present day. Wolverine is living like a hermit in the mountains, with a Mountain Man beard and wild hairdo. We soon learn that these events are taking place after the death of Jean Gray, so after X-Men: The Last Stand, which is important an important factor. Logan is still haunted by the death of Jean, and has chosen to remove himself from society, rather than be forced to continue a struggle for which he has lost his heart.
He is soon tracked down by agents of Yashida, who is now on his death bed and finds himself whisked off to Japan to pay his final respects. I was honestly expecting a lot more focus on the samurai code of honour that Wolverine follows, but instead the film bypassed that in favour of getting right down to the meat of the plot. Yashida's grand daughter, Mariko, is being threatened by the Yakuza, and Yashida himself wants to offer Logan a deal that seems to good to be true.

The action scenes in this film are fast paced, brutal and gritty. Wolerine isn't afraid to pop his claws and fricassee his opponents. After all, he is the best there is at what he does, and what he does isn't very nice.
There are a couple of sub plots that nicely tie together the uniqueness of Japanese culture, and the whole mutant influence factor, all of which lead back to the central focus, which while easily mistaken for the relationship of Logan and Mariko, is actually Logan's struggle with himself, and his acceptance of the great responsibility that comes with his particular gifts.
. I was actually kind of surprised at how little combat there was in the movie, typically wolverine is on the front lines slugging it out with the baddies, but in this film, due to certain circumstances, Jackman doesn't have the same kind of violent drive that has characterized his appearances in the other X-Men films. Don't get me wrong, there are some great fight scene, it just isn't as big a hack and slash film as I was expecting.
I was happy that The Silver Samurai made an appearance, even if I wasn't entirely thrilled with exactly how he was dealt with... I really don't want to give away too many spoilers, but I can't help myself from saying that fans of the series will need to stick around for the teaser scene buried in the credits. It is a real gem, and it gives away some key information for the Upcoming X-Men film Days of Future Past which hits theaters next season. There is one revelation in particular that will make fans of the series VERY Happy. Let the count down begin!

Dispicable Me 2

A friend and I took The Thief to see the latest installment of the Dispicable Me movie franchise on Sunday, and it was an absolute riot! The first thing I want to say is that this movie looked absolutely incredible. The animators have chosen to work in a rich, bold, vibrant palette of colour that just pops right off the screen and into your lap. I can only imagine that this holds even truer when seen in 3D. For a cartoon, it really is quite breath-taking, but I am gushing...so back to the other elements that make this film so good.
Steve Carell returns to voice Gru, the now reformed super-villan, who has hung up his plans for world domination to care for his three adopted daughters. Fans of the first film will appreciate the growth of the parental bond that has formed between Gru and the girls, it is very obvious that they love him dearly, and he will do anything in his power to protect them from harm, and the various evils of life, and prepubescence. Carell is a very funny guy, and the writers of this film do a great job of writing dialogue that works for his portrayal of the super villain.
The plot is fun and quirky, an entire secret lab has been stolen from the north pole, so the Anti Villain League (AVL) recruits Gru to help them track down the culprit. Gru turns them down at first, having settled down and converted his secret minion-filled laboratory into a jam and jelly factory in an effort to turn over a new leaf, but quickly realizes that he misses the excitement and sense of accomplishment of his old life. He is partnered with an Agency field operative named Lucy, voiced by Kristin Wiig.
Some of the best dialogue in the film comes from the interactions between Gru and Lucy, but the big laughs are once again supplied by the adorable minions. The sight gags that they bumble their ways into are absolutely priceless. I don't want to give too much away, so suffice it to say that hilarity ensues, again, and again, and again.
I don't remember the last time I laughed so hard at a family friendly feature, and the most amazing part about it was that my 3 year old daughter was laughing right alongside me. Mind you, we weren't always laughing at the same thing...but that is part of what makes this movie so great. There is plenty of content geared at both the adults and the children present so that there really is something for everyone.
Do yourself a favour and find a child to take to see this movie. Their laughter will keep you young, and that is well with the price of admission.

Man of Steel

When it comes to superheroes, no one is more iconic than Superman. People around the world recognize his blue suit, red cape, and the stylized "S" that adorns his chest. And, in a summer movie market awash with comic book movies, none have been as highly anticipated as Man of Steel, which opened last night in theatres in North America.

However, as with any beloved icon, this new depiction is going to come under tremendous scrutiny from the fans. Directed by Zach Snyder (300, Watchmen), under the watchfull eye of Producer Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight Trilogy) this film has all of the ingredients necessary to be a huge summer blockbuster.
Henry Cavill leads a star studded cast in the title role as Superman, and I thoroughly enjoyed him in the role. He is just reminiscent enough of a young Christopher Reeve, to trigger my nostalgia for the original films, while being ripped enough to make me forget the poor effeminate bastard that they had in the role for Superman Returns (Which was an absolute atrocity of a film by the way, and I move that it should be forever stricken from the cannon, and banished to the Phantom Zone forever). The ladies that attended the screening with me last night shared my opinion: Superman should look like a man! Cavill achieves this, and brings a bright, fresh energy to the conflicted central role.
The supporting cast is equally dynamic. Russell Crowe achieves a precise level of distinction in the role of Jor'El, Superman's Kryptonian father, while Kevin Costner's humble strength is quietly brilliant in the role of Jonathon Kent, Clark's adoptive father. Lawrence Fishburne takes a reflective approach to Perry White, the Editor in Chief of The Daily Planet, and Amy Adams is a pert, perky Lois Lane. I found the Lois/Clark dynamic to be one of the biggest changes to this franchise reboot. Gone is playful game of cat and mouse between Lois & Superman/Clark. Lois discovers Clark's secret immediately, and chooses to help him maintain his anonymity. It's more than a little disconcerting. Michael Shannon's portrayal of General Zod was the only character that I found lacking, but more because of the writing than anything he did with the role.
I loved the cinematography of this film. It was filled with quiet reflective moments of peaceful imagery of life on earth, rain drops falling in a bucket filled with clothes pegs, a butterfly resting on a split rail fence, a dog cavorting in a field of wheat, all images that evoked quiet moments of solace during Clark's early time here on Earth. I felt that these images, used as they were in conjunction with flashbacks to tell Clark's earthly back story invoked a sense of appreciation of the simple pleasures that had shaped Clark into the caring benevolent benefactor that he becomes. When combined with the stunning, lightning fast action sequences, of which there are many, the film takes on a certain duality that lends itself well to the content.
Of the many action sequences in this film, two stood out as remarkably impressive. The first is a fire on an offshore oil rig where Clark saves the day with a miraculous feat of strength. The second is during a conflict between Superman and Zod's Kryptonian warriors, a female Kryptonian scythes through an entire squad of Army Rangers, as though they were stalks of wheat. Her superior speed and strength are showcased at an incredible frame rate, leaving the viewer with no doubt that the humans in this film are far outclassed by their adversaries, which is why Superman's arrival on scene is equally dynamic. I also need to mention that Superman's flights in this film feel fantastic in 3D. Each time Superman breaks the sound barrier it just feels right.
If I had a complaint about the film, it would be that the filmmakers choose to focus too much on the sci-fi element of Clark's alien origins, especially where General Zod and this platoon of Kryptonian warriors come into play. In my opinion, the Kryptionian's don't need battle armor, fancy weaponry, and gunships to achieve total domination over Earth, but the second half of the movie is full of these images, which feels like overkill. The fear inspired by Zod in Superman II, is caused because he can, at a whim, destroy anything in his path, using only the same abilities granted to Kal'El by our planet's yellow sun.
While I did enjoy the film, certain elements of this movie do feel rushed, and glossed over. The whole Clark/Lois relationship for one. Also, while there were a number of wonderful scenes from Clark's childhood in Kansas, the one scene that was oddly missing was his actual discovery by Jonathon & Martha Kent. I really wanted to see that moment, and the instantaneous bond that formed between Clark and his adoptive parents. There are other things as well, but these are the big ones for me. While not everyone will enjoy the liberties that have been taken with this origin story, I feel confident that it will do well at the Box Office, and I discovered this morning that a sequel is already in development. I look forward to the sequel, hoping for a more human driven story line, hopefully with the introduction of Clark's true nemesis, Lex Luthor.

Star Trek - Into Darkness

Last night I attended an Opening Night screening of Star Trek Into Darkness with a few friends. This is another one of the block buster summer movie offerings that alot of people have been waiting for, and it lives up to the hype.
The theatre was packed with an eclectic mix from all walks of life, not just the sterio-typical, socially awkward young men that often get tied to "trekkie" fandom. Nope, these day this franchise has a little something for everyone.
The cast is stellar, lead by Chris Pine in the role of James Tiberius Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Spock, and Benedict Cumberpatch as the shadowy villan, this epic action movie has alot of depth. The characters are all still recognizable from the original series, but with the help of the writers, this generation of actors lends them a remarkable realism. The multi-faceted relationships that emerge between characters are honest and natural.
The Plot is solid, with Benedict Cumberpatch anchoring the forces of Darkness against the crew of the Enterprise. The true identity of Cumberpatch's villain is one of the best kept secrets of the film, so far from it to be my job to ruin the reveal for anyone. There are also a couple of solid twists that keep the movie moving at a lightning pace.
As in any movie of this nature, the special effects are what bring people in, and this film is a shining example of the levels of integration that can now be achieved using computer generated imaging. The futuristic cityscapes of earth look and feel incredible, and the ships look fantastic. When the Enterprise jumps to warp speed you can feel it in your soul.
This franchise has always attempted to expand the human experience by challenging us to boldly go where no man has gone before, striving to explore new horizon's, and pursue new discoveries. This film once again embodies that idealism and also reminds us that with great power comes great responsibility.
With all of these elements combining to create a Dreadnaught Class juggernaught, this block buster is not to be missed.

Today Was A Good Day To Die Hard

Bruce doesn't look like he has aged a day, and still has what it takes to be a cowboy

I started this post a while back, and totally forgot about it, so I figured I should eventually publish it, even if the subject matter isn't exactly topical anymore.  I actually saw the movie on Opening Night which was Valentine's Day with a friend, and for action movie fans it would have made an awesome date.  The audiece was a really cool mixed crowd of younger and older couples (mid 20's through late 60's) all of who looked pretty stoked to be there.

Got out tonight to see the new Bruce Willis movie, A Good Day to Die Hard.  Let me start out by saying that I am a fan of the Die Hard series, and Bruce Willis in general.  But while I am a fan, it is because I recognize these movies for exactly what they are.  Fun.  Light, filled with enough explosions to give Michael Bay KA-BOOM envy, and a vehicle for an aging action hero to make a quick buck. The first film is a classic action movie, and every thing after that, up until Live Free or Die Hard, was lack luster, but fun.  Live Free or die Hard was honestly impressive in the amount of KA-BOOM it brought to the screen, so it gets full props as an over the top outlandish sequel.  This lateset installent tries to go one further, attempting to take a bite out the espionage action market of films like Skyfall, and The Bourne Legacy by pairing Willis's character with his estranged son, who happens to now be a secret agent working deep cover for the American governement in Russia.  Willis's no nonsense New York cop is once again out of his league, but he brings the BOOM and the Russian terrorists don't stand a chance.  With gun's a blazin' father & son cut a swath through the baddies a mile wide, and at the end of the day there are only two cowboys left standing.
Special mention to one of the most intense car/ armoured vehicle chase scenes I have seen in recent memory.  While it is not at a particularily high pace, the amount of devestation caused is worthy of applause.
In my mind, the real question is wether or not Bruce can still pull of the action hero role, which unlike so many of his peers he does with flying colours.  (I am looking at you Arnold, and you Sly, and definitely you Jean-Claude.)

Do yourself a favour and rent or download this movie when it comes out on DVD, you won't be disapointed.

Django Unchained: An Opus

You don't go see a Quentin Tarintino film for the plot.   He is not renown for his remarkable explosions.  What he does, better than almost anyone, is write gritty, solid characters who find themselves in remarkably violent scenarios.  And his latest film, Django Unchained brings this to a whole new level.  With a star studded cast along for the ride, with nods going out to Jamie Foxx, Samuel L. Jackson, and Leonardo DiCaprio, Tarantino tackles this period piece with a graphic, gore soaked gusto that didn't fail to bring a smile to my face.  While the film clocks in at just under 3 hours, it doesn't drag.  The plot moves briskly, and the characters have enough depth, that the audience is engaged by their trials and very nuanced performances.
What sets this film apart for me is the rhythm and flow.  The pacing really is superb.  Every moment that makes it onto the big screen is there for a reason.  In my humble opinion, it is Mr. Tarantino's best film to date.  Check it out in the big screen while you still can, but be warned, it is not for the faint of heart.

The Life Of Pi

Last night I finally got the chance to see The Life of Pi in theatres, and let me just start out by saying that it was visually spectacular. Director Ang Lee has done a marvelous job of bringing together a creative team who have been able to work cinematic wonders with this fantastic tale. This film is not your typical Hollywood spectacle, it focuses on the trials and tribulations of a young Indian man lost at sea after the cargo ship he is traveling on sinks in the Pacific ocean. The largest challenge he faces, sharing his life boat with an adult Bengal tiger. Based on the book of the same name written by Yann Martel, The Life of Pi, is a very spiritual reflection on the effect of adversity and isolation on the human psyche. While it has been a number of years since I read the book, I feel that this cinematic portrayal comes close to doing it justice. As a stand alone experience Pi really is quite remarkable, if mainly for its visual aspects. The hardships that young Pi must endure throughout his unexpected exile are often breathtaking to behold, as are the few moments of serenity that he is able to find during his trials. But the true highlight of the film is his adversary, Richard Parker, the tiger. The entire film can really be summed up as an exploration of the relationship of man vs beast under conditions of extreme adversity. Of course, those of you who have read the book also realize that there are strong undercurrents of a a second theme, that of man vs himself, also under extreme conditions. While likely not for everyone, I found myself quite fond of the retelling, and while I was engaged in the narration of the story, there was a significant part of me that kept wondering how they planned on dealing with the epilogue of the novel, that unexpected twist that makes a reader question and re-evaluate everything that they have experienced up to that point. By keeping the epilogue in tact as strictly narrative, the film makers make the conscious choice to leave the viewer with only the image of Richard Parker disappearing into the dense tropical foliage, rather than portray any of the events of Pi's 2nd version of the events, Ang Lee preserves the cinematic integrity of the film. My recommendation: Read the book. Decide which story you prefer, then see the film as a homage to a wonderful piece of creative writing.

Wreck-It Ralph: First Attempt Salvaged!

For the record, I lost this post, by accidentally deleting it, then found it after rewriting it from scratch.  I am going to put it up, just to compare the two finished products, written hours apart.  See the other post for the images.

Disney has done it again. With a fantastic blend of nostalgia and sugar-coated fun for the whole family, Wreck-It Ralph is a set to be a another hit for the Mouse.

With a stellar cast featuring John C. Reilly (Wreck-It Ralph), Sarah Silverman (Vanellope Von Sweetz), Jack McBrayer (Fix-It Felix, Jr.), Jane Lynch (Sergeant Calhoun) and Mindy Kaling, there is alot to love about this film.

The plot is pretty heart-warming. The whole thing takes place inside the various arcade games down at Litwack's Arcade. Wreck-It Ralph, is a wrecker. He's really good at wrecking stuff. He is also the bad guy in the arcade game Fix-It Felix Jr. He wrecks an apartment building every game so that Felix can fix it with his magic golden hammer. The thing is, that Ralph isn't a bad guy. He's just doing his job. But, because he's different, the other inhabitants of his game treat him different. Instead of living with them in their building, he lives at the dump, surrounded by all of the bricks, and rubble created by destroying the building every day. He doesn't ever get to eat pie, or get invited to their parties. Poor Ralph is lonely. He just wants to be included. So when he sees that there is a party going on to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the game, he invites himself to the party, much to the chagrin of the other characters.

And of course, without meaning to, he wrecks it. This starts his quest to obtain a medal so that he can be a good guy like Fix-it Felix Jr. And I have to give special mention to Jack McBrayer, whose super sweet, ultra nice guy portrayal adds alot of fun to the film.

Ralph's quest to earn a medal take him from his own video game into the world of Hero's Duty, a modern FPS game where a platoon of super soldiers lead by Sargent Calhoun, tackle a swarm of ravaging cy-bugs each and every game. Ralph is in fact able to obtain a medal, but he soon looses it again when he is unexpectedly jettisoned out of Hero's Duty, and finds himself in a the saccharine sweet game Sugar Rush, a candy coated kart racing game, accidentally transporting a cy-bug with him.

He is soon introduced to Vanellope Von Sweets, a saccharine sweet little pop tart, who steals his medal in order to fulfill her own goals, namely of one day being allowed to participate in the Sugar Rush kart race.

Sweetz, who in the grand tradition of family movies, just wants to play in all the reindeer games, but because she's different (she's a glitch, and occasionally phases in and out of existence) the other racers shun and mistreat her. Eventually realizing that Vanellope is a kindred spirit, Ralph helps her build a kart and teaches her to drive. Meanwhile Felix and Sgt Calhoun are tracking Ralph and the cy-bug in an effort to return them to their respective games before the arcade opens for the day. In a hilarious sub plot, romance soon blossoms between these two protagonists. In the end, everybody gets what they want, and all is well with the world of the arcade, this is a Disney film after all.

Special mention to the fun video game based humour of this film. I know I appreciated it! Specifically the first scene, a A Bad Anonamous meeting for the various villains of the video game arcade, featuring appearances by Zangief and M.Bison of the Street Fighter franchise, Bowser from the beloved Super Mario Brothers franchise, Kano from Mortal Kombat, and Clyde, the orange ghost from Pac Man. There was alot of other fun references to video game culture that anyone with a working knowledge of video games can appreciate.

I also have to comment on the fantastic blend of animation styles on display in this film. Everything from a cute modernization of 3 dimensional 8-bit graphics for Fix-It Felix characters to the ultra realistic HD graphics of Hero's Duty are served up in a manner that they blend seamlessly, and everything makes perfect sense.

I actually enjoyed this film so much that I went back to see it a second time a few days later, and the second time around I took my two and a half year old daughter, the thief, as I thought she might appreciate it as her first ever trip to the movies. I consider this to be the ultimate stamp of approval for a film. And as the lights went down in the theatre, and the classic Disney castle appeared on the big screen, her eyes lit up, and she immediately leaned over to give me a kiss. Turns out, she liked it too.

Wreck-It Ralph: Another Disney Masterpiece

The Mouse has done it again with another fantastic animated film.  There is alot to like about this fun, family friendly movie, and a big part of that is the stellar cast.  Featuring the voice talents of John C. Riley (in the title role of Wreck-It Ralph) Sarah Silverman (Vanellope Von Sweets), Jack McBrayer (Fix-it Felix Jr.), Jane Lynch (Sergeant Calhoun), and Mindy Kaling, the film has lots of humour that the kids will love, and plenty of references that will go right over their heads to land squarely in adults laps.
The plot is pretty adorable and heart warming. The whole thing takes place inside the various video game consoles down at Litwack's Arcade.  And all of its characters are the inhabitants of the various video games. 

In the opening scene, A Bad Anonymous meeting attended by a veritable who's who of video game villain's (including Bowser of Super Mario Brothers, Zangief and M. Bison of the Street Fighter franchise, Kano from Mortal Kombat, and chaired by Clyde, the orange ghost from Pac Man), we are introduced to Ralph.   He is a character from the game Fix-It Felix Jr.  Ralph is a wrecker.  It is his job to wreck an apartment building every game so that the game's hero, Felix, can fix it.  The thing is, while Ralph is the bad guy, he isn't actually a bad guy.  He is just doing his job.  But because he is different, the other inhabitants of his game treat him differently, except for Felix, who is always super nice to everyone.  Ralph is forced to live in the dump, amidst all the broken bricks he generates wrecking the building every game.  He never gets to eat pie, or gets invited to parties, and at the end of every game, while Felix is awarded a medal, Ralph is tossed off of the building to land in a mud pit.  Unhappy with this existence, Ralph embarks on a quest to earn a medal of his own in order to gain the acceptance of the other inhabitants of his game. In his search for a medal he travels to Hero's Duty, an ultra modern HD first person shooter, where he encounters Sergeant Calhoun, a tough as nails soldier who leads the assault on a horde of voracious cy-bugs.  Ralph manages to find a short cut to earn a medal and is soon after ejected from Hero's Duty, along with a rogue cy-bug.  He soon finds himself in Sugar Rush, a candy coated Kart racing game.  He quickly looses his medal to Vanellope Von Sweets, a saccharin sweet little pop tart who just wants to be a real racer, but because she is a "glitch" the other racers won't let her take part in the game.
Meanwhile Calhoun and Felix have set out to return Ralph to his game, and destroy the rogue cy-bug before it can multiply and destroy every game in the arcade.  Unexpected romance soon blooms between Felix and Calhoun.  Ralph soon realizes that Vanillope is a kindred spirit and offers to help her enter the big race, first building her a kart, and then teaching her how to drive.  Trust me when I say that heart warming hilarity ensues.  In the end, because it's a Disney film, everyone gets what they deserve, and they all live happily ever after.  Life lessons learned.

I actually enjoyed this film so much that I decided go back and see it a second time.  The second time, I took my two and a half year old daughter, the thief, because I thought she might enjoy it. This was her first ever movie on a big screen, my ultimate seal of approval.  As the Disney castle appeared in the opening credits, her eyes lit up and she immediately leaned over to give me a big hug and a kiss.  She sat through the whole thing, and was super excited by the candy land landscapes of Sugar Rush. Verdict: She loved it, and that's good enough for me.

That's My Boy - Adam Sandler takes the absurd, and finds the funny.

Okay, I want to get one thing out in the open right away.  I am an Adam Sandler fan, and have been for a long time. I am not ashamed to admit this.  I honestly think he is a very talented, very funny guy who has been able to carve out a pretty decent career catering to a very specific audience.  I have enjoyed Sandler since his early days on Saturday Night Live, and think his early films, Billy Madison, and Happy Gilmore, are pieces of comic gold. Granted, they are aimed at a very specific target audience, but for what they are, they are FUNNY!  He has perfected his loveable, kooky staple roles in films like 50 First Dates, Big Daddy, and Grown Ups. He has also flexed some very interesting acting chops in films like Punch Drunk Love, Spanglish, and Funny People.  However, this does not mean that I appreciate all of his work.  On the contrary, I think he has been involved in quite a few movies that have been just awful.  Jack and Jill and Little Nicky for example.  Wowzers, those were both unbelievably bad!
So I went into That's My Boy, expecting to be amused, but knowing to have realistic expectations.  I have to admit that my expectations were blown away in the first 10 minutes of the film.  Its not that the movie breaks any new ground, or showcases Sandler's talent in a new way.   Rather this film takes Sandler's personal brand of left field comedy so far beyond anything that he has produced to date, that you can't help but sit and laugh at the absurdity of the scenarios you are presented with on the big screen. 
The plot is pretty out there: Middle Schooler Donny Berger has a consensual affair with his hot older teacher which is eventually discovered and also results in an unexpected pregnancy.  Berger gains world wide fame and notoriety for his conquest while the teacher is sentenced to 30 years in prison for her actions.  The child of the union is raised by Donny's father until Donny turns 18, at which point he gains full custody.  Flash forward 27 years.  An older, no longer publicially revered Berger (Sandler), is destitute and in trouble with the IRS.  His son, Han Solo Berger (played by Andy Samberg), has changed his name to Todd and hasn't spoken with his estranged father in all most 10 years. Throughout the film it is made very clear to us that Sandler has not been a great father figure for his son.  He has made a lot of mistakes, many of which have had lasting repercussions.
The best thing about this film is that it doesn't apologize for what it is.  It embraces its absurd comedy, so much so that it borders on being a spoof on the genre.  Sandler's character is such an over the top, clueless douche waffle that it is often hard to think of him as a honest person with a full emotional spectrum, but once you consider that he is a product of his environment, you start to understand, and appreciate some of his choices. 
There are too many absurd circumstances to go into in detail, but I do want to make sure that I give Kudos where they are due:  A sly tip of the hat to the hilarious guest star role played by Vanilla Ice.  Yup.  There it is.  Vanilla Ice.  When he first appeared in the film, I thought it was just a quirky cameo, but it really is so much more than that.  He is featured in the film in a way that I never would have expected.  Here's where I admit that the first tape I ever purchased was in fact a copy of Vanilla Ice's To the Extreme, and at one point in my life I did know all of the words to Ice Ice Baby, so when Ice and Sandler go "rollin' in Five-point-Oh", I lost it.  Absolutely laugh out loud funny!
Ultimately, while I can definitely see that this film isn't for everyone, I laughed out loud a lot, and found myself wondering just how far the cast was willing to go for a laugh.  The answer...as far as it takes, and then some!

Taken 2: More of the same, but different, but the same...

Got out the other day to see Taken 2 featuring Liam Neeson.
I had some pretty high expectations for this film, since I enjoyed the first movie, but ultimately the film fell short.
The plot picks up pretty much where Taken leaves off, Neeson's character is still working private security, and the families of the men who kidnapped his daughter in the first movie have sworn vengeance.
Neeson's ex wife is going through a messy second divorce so Neeson invites both she and their daughter to join him in Istanbul after his latest security project concludes for a family vacation to help take their minds off of everything.
The bad guys track down the entire family, and this time they successfully abduct Neeson and his ex-wife while their daughter is able to elude capture.
Neeson, being a specialist in this type of international kidnapping scenario is able to walk his daughter through successfully locating where they are being held, through the use of a concealed cell phone like device.

The rest of the movie is really just a blur of car chases, foot chases, brutal hand to hand combat, and a couple of tough choices for Neeson's character.
Here's the thing, I really disliked what Liam Neeson brought to the role.  Yes, he is a big, imposing guy, even with the greying hair I buy that he could be working private security.  In fact, I totally would buy him as Jason Bourne, from the original novels, the older, more detached Bourne that Hollywood stayed away from in favour of Matt Damon's fiery younger version.  What I don't buy is that he loves his family.  The character is just so calm and detached from everything, that alot of the dialogue gets delivered in the same unemotiomal blank drone.  Perfect example, during the big car chase, Neeson is riding shotgun, shooting at the baddies while his 16 year old daughter, who doesn't have a license, drives the get away car.  She is having trouble operating the car to his standards, and he just sits in the pasenger seat droneing "Faster Kim, come on,go faster" for the whole 3 minuite chase sequence. Between this and all of the other references that the film makes to him being a total OCD nutbag, it is hard to develop any kind of relationship with tje character.  Ultimately the film ends up feeling like another American ode to freedom.  American's good!  Random Muslim terrorist types bad!
For my money, I think I would rather see A Good Day to Die Hard.

Sinister - A film that is creepy as hell!

Got out last night to catch a double feature on cheap Tuesday, and movie number one was the new horror flick Sinister starring Ethan Hawke.
As I have said before, horror films aren't my typical first choice for an evening of entertainment, but with Halloween fast approaching, I thought I would take a chance.
While I was expecting a Slasher flick, what I got was more of a supernatural psychological thriller.  And a good one at that!
The plot is solid, Ethan Hawke plays a struggling true crime writer who moves his family into the home of a family killed in an unsolved homicide in an effort to write his next novel.  His wife and children are unaware that their new home actually belonged to the subject material for his next book, and that 4 of the 5 family members were actually hung from the tree in the back-yard.  This hanging is actually the first scene of the film, and it gripes the audience right away, setting the tone for the film.
As they are moving in, Hawke discovers a box of home movies in the attic, a box that doesn't appear in any of the crime scene photographs of the house.  The box contains not only footage of the murder of this particular family, but 4 other grisly murders as well, spanning 5 decades, all with the same circumstances.  One child from each family is always missing from the murder scene, and often a rare demonic symbol is left somewhere at the scene of the crime.
This is where the supernatural comes into play in a big way.  Hawke enlists the help of a criminologist specializing in the occult, who is able to identify the symbol, and the creepy deity that is associated with it.  I dont want to name it, or include any images because it scared the sweet bejezus out of me.  And that's all I am going to say about that. 
The atmosphere in this film plays a huge part in building the suspense and raising the stakes on the creepy factor.  As the movie goes on and as day progresses into night, and back again, a pattern emerges that the audience can zone in on, taking advantage of the daylight to catch a much needed breather from the creepy night time terror.  There aren't alot of cheap thrills and chills throughout the film, but there are definitely a few moments that made me jump.
Lighting and its effect on the tone and mood also played a huge factor in the film.  I can say with certainty that it had an effect on my perceptions.  To illustrate, here's a quick run down of the narrative that was going through my head for the majority of the second half of the film:  "Just turn on the god damn lights!  For the love of god!"  "Seriously!  What the hell!  You are seeing creepy shit around your murder scene home in the dead of night, and you don't think to flick on the light switch?  For the love of christ, what is wrong with these people..."
All in all I was impressed with the film, it went that extra mile to make you think about the events it depicted, and when it did go for the shock factor, it didn't pull any punches...two words...yard work.
Now that's an image I just can't seem to shake!
See the film for yourself and see if it leaves a similar impression on you.  Oh, and let me know how you sleep afterwords.

Seven Psychopaths: A Dark Dark Comedy

The second film of last lights double feature was the new film, Seven Psychopaths, and I must say that I was very amused.
The trailers don't give much away, so I wasn't entirely certain what to expect.  But the stellar cast caught my attention, so I thought I would check it out.
What I got was a dark comedy that had some serious laugh out loud moments.  Be warned, there were not cuddly kitten falls off the back of the sofa funny moments. No, these were some sick, twisted laughs, and I must admit that I really enjoyed them!
Colin Farrell plays a screen writer, struggling with script for his latest film idea.  All he really has is a title:  Seven  Psychopaths.
Sam Rockwell plays his best friend, who attempts to give Farrell a bit of a push with his work...by...well, lets say...generating a little conflict in his life.
Walken and Harrelson also make appearances, as 2 of the 7 psychopaths...and each does a stellar job with the material.  This really is a film about a film, where the content of the lives of Farrell, Rockwell, and Walken's characters suddenly have tremendous baring on the screenplay that Farrell is writing.  They actually go so far as to brake the forth wall in one instance and have fantastic conversation about how the movie Farrell is writing (which is mirroring the movie the audience is watching to a certain extent) should progress from that point forward.  Some of the dialogue and commentary that they provide is fantastic!  It is not a device that I have seen in a lot of films, but as a comedic element it was certainly very effective.
A couple of times it was interesting the way they integrated the strictly fictional characters of Farrell's movie into the 'real life' events that the characters were experiencing.  Based on the title of both films, I expected to encounter 7 actual individuals, but this was not the case.
I really do see this more as a Festival piece than a solid piece of mainstream media, but it was certainly highly entertaining.  I don't think it brakes any new ground, and Quentin Tarantino will always do a better job with this type of violent, dark, yet disturbing comedic content, but Seven Psychopaths definitely holds its own.

Time traveling execution victims makes for very, very engaging cinema!

Got out last night to see Looper with a couple of friends and I have to say that I was very surprised by what unfolded on the big screen.
What I thought I was going to see was a movie about time traveling assassins from the future.  Pretty friggin cool!
All of the trailers had lead me to believe that the primary focus of this film was going to be watching Joseph Gordon Levitt track down his older time traveling self, portrayed by Bruce Willis.  While this was certainly a big part of the film, there is another sub-plot that involves Willis' attempt to locate and kill the younger version of a future crime boss that over rides the cat and mouse plot that I was expecting.
While the concepts driving the film are far from new to the film industry, think 12 Monkeys, Terminator, Back to the Future, their are also some very strong undertones of the InFamous video game franchise.
Set in the not so distant future, Looper shows us a glimpse into a broken, poverty stricken society run by crime lords with ties to time traveling crime syndicates from 30 years in the future.  Looper's are the society's assassins, 20 something young men, contracted to kill and dispose of targets that are sent back in time from the future for ease of disposal.  The target simply appears at a given time and place, bound, gagged, and hooded, with the Looper's payment - 4 bars of solid silver, strapped to his body.  The moment the target materializes, BLAM! The Looper blasts them with a specialized shotgun, designed to be deadly from within 15'.  The looper then disposes of the body, which technically doesn't exist in their timeline, and waits for their next assignment.  Its a pretty friggin cool concept.  However, there is a big catch.  Every looper agrees to the fact that at some point they will be expected to assassinate their older selves, sent back from the future to be executed, hence 'closing the loop'.  So the loopers live large, reveling in the moment, wasting their money on drugs, women, and fast cars.
Joseph Gordon Levitt gives a great performance as a detached, torn young man, so very distanced from the morals our that society so values.  Bruce Willis is also stellar as his older self...brought back from the brink of death and addiction by the love of a woman, Willis is driven by motivations that the younger version of himself, Levitt, can't begin to comprehend.
Without giving away too much of the plot, I want to take a moment to touch on one of the most disturbing torture scenes I have seen in a long, long time.  Early in the film, One of Levitt's looper cohorts fails to close his loop, allowing his future self to run off.  The younger version of this looper is eventually captured by the crime syndicate and it is explained that they can't kill him because of the ramifications it will have on the future. While the older version tries to flee the city, his extremities suddenly start to disapear, and he suddenly finds himself the bearer of a very specific, very new, very old scar.  As time ticks on, more and more of his body is suddenly displaced and replaced with scar tissue.  The theory  being that while the syndicate can not kill the younger version of the looper, they have ways of keeping him alive while inflicting horrible amounts of very specific damage. I thought this was a really interesting and graphic way for the film to depict the direct results of altering the time space continuum...alot of the audience around me cringed as the scene went on and on...and while no actual violence or dismemberment were shown, everyone knew exactly what was going on.
It was very intelligently done.
That last statement can actually be applied to the entire movie.  There are no loose ends.  The film makers allude to very specific details early in the film, then as the film progresses, all of these concepts are brought into play.  It was great to see a time travel film that didn't leave us asking 'but what if...?' or 'are they now stuck in a continual time paradox?', or 'does this mean that we are now dealing with split and divergent timeliness?'  These are things I have often asked about other films, because it is the kind of thing I like to spend time pondering.  Looper answers all of your questions in a very direct, straightforward manner.  Which means that the writers spent the time to figure all this stuff out, they didnt just say 'ah well...who cares if this plot point doesnt make sense. Just go with it" And that I appreciate.

Resident Evil: Retribution - 90 minutes you will never get back

Got out last night to see the latest offering from the Resident Evil franchise on the big screen.
I did enjoy the opening sequence - shown in reverse, it picks up exactly where the last film left off.  However, I thought it was a little odd for the film makers to then show the exact same footage in the usual (forwards) order immediately afterwords...just in case you didn't understand what you were seeing the first time around.  In case this convention was too much for you to follow...or you had never seen a film before...or just crawled out from under a rock directly into the movie theatre and chosen this film as your introduction to pop culture of western civilization. If that was infact the case then I am so sorry about your luck.
The rest of the movie was the closest the franchise has come to putting an 80's video game on the big screen.  Nonsensical plot, random flashy locations explained away with little care to the fact that they just don't make sense.  Big Boss fights throughout.  Big special effects that add nothing to the lack of story.
I will say that Mila Jovovitch still looks fantastic in the role of Alice, but that really isn't enough to carry a movie franchise.
For a film franchise that started out being all about a zombie apocalypse, they have strayed a long way from where they started.
And on that note, like every other Resident Evil film,  the ending leaves the door open for yet another sequel.
Will it be a sequel that I want to see? Not likely.
Luckily I wasn't expecting much from this film, and that is exactly what I got.  Unless you are a hardcore fan don't bother.

The Hunger Games - Another adaption that misses the mark.

Even before I had read the books, I had wanted to see this film in theatres when it was originally released, just to see if it lived up to all of the hype.  Lets face it, the marketing campaign for the first film of this trilogy was HUGE.  Sadly, life just wasn't going to co-operate, so I have had to wait for the film to be released on video before I could get the opportunity to weigh its pros and cons for myself.

In the meantime, I did get the chance to finally read all three books, and form my own opinions of the story in general.
Let me start by saying that of the three books, the first is by far my favourite.  The remainder of the trilogy don't appeal to me much, but I feel Suzanne Collins was really onto something when she penned this first book.  Sadly the movie misses the point.

Yes, Jennifer Lawrence looks great in the lead role as Katniss Everdeen.  Nobody debates that she is a lovely young up and coming actress with a pair of huge movie franchises under her belt (Young Miss Lawrence also portrays Mystique in the reboot of the X-Men franchise, for those of you who were unaware). 

But gone are the relationships.  This movie has all most no heart to it.  Because they assume that their audience has read the books and knows this world, and its inhabitants, the movie spends absolutely no time developing the characters around Katniss.  Her mother and her sister Prim are all but forgotten, other than the reaping scene at the top of the film, which honestly happens so early in that the family relationship has barely been established.  Cinna, played by Lenny Kravitz (What the hell is Lenny Kravitz doing in this movie???)  barely gets enough screen time to be introduced to Katniss, forget about the huge emotionally supportive role that the character plays in the novel.  And Woody Harrelson, as Hamish, is way too accommodating and helpfull to the tributes of District 12.  As far as the love interests in the film goes...I have no idea who he is, but the guy playing Peta has as much life,  warmth, and charm as the dead squirrels Katniss hunts throughout the film.  And he's supposed to win over the crowd?  Please!

Other than all the combat, there aren't alot of special effects that jump out at you in this film, but the CG rendering of The Capital looks pretty good.  Also kudos to the design team that came up with the wardrobe choices for the citizens of The Capitol, as they are pretty outlandish, fun and funky.

I will go as far as to say that they found a beautiful verdant location to stage the arena for the games.  The scenes Katniss in the arena are visually very pretty, and in sharp contrast to the town portrayed in District 12.

All in all, this movie is likely exactly what its target demographic (13-16 year old ADHD, literate tweens raised by television, who have ZERO attention span, and too much access to mommy and daddy's money) are likely looking for in a night out at the movies.  It does take the basic story off the page and put it up on the big screen for everyone to see.  But for those of us who expect a little more out of our adaptions, this movie franchise is shaping up to be a available in your local KMart bargin bin by Christmas.

Total Recall - A Re-Imagining

Got out last night with some good friends to see Total Recall starring Colin Farrell, Jessica Biel, and Kate Beckinsale.
A re-imagining of the 1990 film featuring everybody's favourite Governator, this remake has alot going for it. 

I still find it hard to believe that the first film came out 22 years ago!

The nostalgia factor is very high on this film, alot of people of my generation saw the original, and while it may have been far from brilliant, the special effects were certainly ahead of their time.  The story was also pretty solid, with some pretty cool plot twists.

Special Effects on the remake of the film are really incredible.  The amount of cg work that has gone into all of the sunning  environments is pretty remarkable.  Both the United Federation of Britain and The Colony featured in the film look ultra realistic and are seamlessly integrated with the real world locations featured in the film.  The cybernetic law enforcement agents also look great.  By far the most interesting scenes of the film are all CG, these being the slick hover car chase, and the reversed gravity shoot out on "the fall".

The cast is also solid, with Farrell, Biel, and Beckinsale turning in great action hero performances.  Farrel is actually more convincing than Arnold ever was in the role.  Don't get me wrong, there is all most no depth here, but really you shouldn't be expecting any!  Kudos also go to the team of stunt doubles that actually make all of the stunt work look and feel effortless.

Where this movie suffers is story.  While the writers have kept some of the key elements of the original, gone are the mutants and alien technology of the first film.  Now the plot centers on the the aquistion of habitable living space after global biochemical war. 
Farrell's character is essentially the same as Arnie's...a super spy with a wiped memory, placed in protective custody with no knowledge of his former self.Stuck in a dead end job, he is tempted to make a trip to Rekall, a memory enhancement service, to escape from his dreary daily grind.  Keep in mind that he thinks he's married to sexy Kate Beckinsale, so life can't be all that bad...

When his memory enhancement is cut short by a squad of shoot first ask questions storm troopers, Farrell goes on the run, unravelling his foggy past with the help of his old girlfriend. Enter Biel, and the Resistance, a group of freedom fighters who want the Colony to Succeed from the UFB.  Biel is super sexy as always, and full kudos should go to her wardrobe designer for making her look uber hot in urban combat attire.

I actually recently saw a interview with Biel where she compared this film to the treatment that the Batman franchise recently got from Christopher Nolan, which seems like a bit of a stretch to me...yes they are both re-imaginings of an original, but where the new Batman trilogy was a triumph, this film seems destined to be forgotten about in about 6 months time.  It just doesn't have the staying power of the original.

However, as a summer action movie, it is a solid offering, with lots of shiny CGI, big ka-booms, and copious amounts of eye candy for everyone.

The Watch: Summer Fluff

Got out last night to see a couple of new movies...and The Watch was by far the better movie of the night.  Sadly this isn't saying much.

The cast is rock solid: Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill, and Richard Ayoade, make up the members of the watch team.

The plot is a little out there:
Stiller, the manager of the local Costco and his quirky band of co-stars form a community watch club to help protect their small suburban community from the individual who murdered one of Stiller's employees.  The local police have no leads, and are incredibly inept.

What they don't know is that the murder was committed by a ravening alien, one of many who recently crash landed in their quiet home town, and who are now stealing their victims skins in order blend into the local population.

Keep in mind that this film is a comedy.  Despite the blood and gore, the cast ensure that things never get too dark.  Most of the comedy in the piece can be found in the relationships and interactions of the Watch members. Stiller, Vaughn, Hill, and Ayoade turn in fun, fresh performances that keep the movie light-hearted and fun.

Vaughn's struggles with his hot to trot teenage daughter, and Hill's short scene with his mother top the list for scenes that ring with everyday truth, and genuine comedy.

They also attempt to inject some heart into the film through Stiller's strained relationship with his wife, a sub-plot that feels a little strained throughout.

Comic Highlights:
Ayoade's speech concerning his reasons for joining the watch.
Hill's lovable militant misfit's storming into his own home to secure a hidden weapons cache.
Vaughn and Hill spying on Vaughn's daughter at an oversexed teenage pool party.
Stiller and Ayoade invading a suspected Alien hive in the basement of Stiller's neighbours home.

The mandatory double-tap scene featured in the previews is also pretty funny, but certainly not unexpected.

For a piece of Summer fluff, on a cheap night, it was worth the price, but generally speaking The Watch is a solid rental.

TED: Fail!

Right off the top I want to say that I was dissapointed with Ted.
However, the reason for my disappointment stems from the fact that I didn't find the movie anywhere near as offensive (read: funny) as I had been lead to believe.  With Seth McFarlane at the helm, I had been hoping for something that explored the extreme edges of dark comedy, broke established bounderies, while offering scathing pop culture quips.  What I got instead, was a dumbed down full length version of a family guy episode, with an alcoholic, slacker, talking  stuffed bear taking the place of the alcoholic, slacker, talking animated dog.
An R rated comedy about an anthropomorphic Teddy bear from Seth McFarlane, creator of Family Guy, and featuring some big name Hollywood celebrities: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, and Giovanni Robisi, Ted simply does not live up to expectations.
Sure there are some laugh out loud moments, most of which feature Ted's bizarre sex life, but for the most part, this movie is just full of tired old jokes.
The one exception: the brawl between Ted and Whalberg in a seedy hotel room was pretty god damn funny, because of how violent it was. 
Wahlberg, who also produced the film, doesn't have much to work with when it comes to character or plot.  His character comes across as the biggest looser (read: pussy) in Boston, still needing his Teddy bear to get through thunderstorms in his mid 30's.
Mila Kunis has almost nothing to do...other than look incredibly hot, which she does remarkably well, as always.
McFarlane, voicing the role of the title character comes across exactly as he does in everything he has ever appeared in.  There is no variety, which leads to a very dissapointing character.
Giovanni Robisi, adds little to the plot with his nut case role, but of the entire cast, he looks the most like he is having a good time on camera.
Ryan Reynolds earns full points however for the movies best cameo.
In short, if you love Family Guy, this movie will be for you.  If you were hoping that McFarlane's first full length feature film would step up and raise the bar...you will be sadly dissapointed.