Cindy Prascik's Reviews of The Book of Life & John Wick

Dearest Blog, yesterday I talked myself into a double bill for which I had zero enthusiasm: The Book of Life and John Wick. Hoping for at least one pleasant surprise, off to the cinema I went.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

First on my agenda was the animated feature The Book of Life.

Torn between his own dreams and his family's expectations, a young man fights for the woman he loves...in the worlds of the living and of the dead.

Dear reader(s), I was pretty excited at the prospect of an animated movie based on the Day of the Dead, anticipating a fascinating tale told with beautiful art. Then I saw a trailer and...um...okay, sometimes a ho-hum trailer isn't really a fair indicator of a movie's quality, right? Unfortunately...
The Book of Life represents one of the worst afternoons I've ever spent at the movies. I can't remember the last time I was this bored with a picture, and if I hoped the art and animation might compensate for some of the story's flaws, well, I hoped in vain. I'm not saying the movie doesn't have some beautiful illustrations and eye-popping colors, but, for the most part, it's sub-par and even ugly at times (specifically, characters with long, warty noses...what's up with that??).

The notable exceptions are the characters who rule over the Lands of the Remembered and the Forgotten, La Muerte and Xibalba, both of which are stunning. The leading voice talent--Diego Luna, Channing Tatum, and Zoe Saldana--all mail it in, none seemingly having even the slightest interest in the proceedings. The alleged humor is puerile and flat, I don't think I laughed even once.

In the interest of full and fair disclosure, I'll admit my experience was not at all enhanced by the mother sitting next to me who texted for the literally the entire movie, and another behind me who allowed her small child to cry and talk loudly throughout, apparently never considering that taking him outside would be more appropriate than letting him ruin the movie for everyone else.

Still, I was bored enough to know I wouldn't have liked this much better even if I'd had the place to myself.

The Book of Life runs the longest 95 minutes ever, and is rated PG for "mild action, rude humor, some thematic elements, and brief scary images." (For my money, the imagery alone is entirely too scary for smaller children.)

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Book of Life gets one.

If you're looking for some quality seasonal animation to share with your children, please go out and grab a copy of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! or The Nightmare Before Christmas instead.

Next on the docket was John Wick.

Keanu Reeves stars as a former hitman who comes out of retirement to take revenge on those who took what was most precious to him.

Since the John Wick trailer divulges that the baddies kill Wick's dog, a final gift from his deceased wife, that is not a spoiler for purposes of this review.

It does, however, break my cardinal rule of movies and TV, which is: kill all the humans you want, but leave the dog alone. The movie doesn't linger on the event itself, and it is the catalyst for basically everything else that happens, so I'll have to give the filmmakers a reluctant pass on this one.

John Wick is the pleasant surprise for which I'd hoped yesterday, a fun actioner that is smart enough to know what it is and to not wear out its welcome.

Keanu Reeves is, as always, an engaging lead. Nevermind he's kind of a terrible actor, I love him in everything and someone else must too, given the fact that he continues to find regular work. Williem Dafoe has a terrific supporting turn as one of Wick's old business acquaintances, and the movie is so much the better for a brief appearance by the magnificent Ian McShane.

The rest of the supporting cast is a veritable who's who of "that guy who was in that thing"--oh, hey, Mayhem and Sammy Winchester's girlfriend and Theon Greyjoy!!

The action is strong and bloody and thoroughly entertaining. Fast cars and big shoot-em-ups keep the film moving at a slick pace, never leaving the viewer too much time to consider how baddies always wait their turn when they outnumber the hero in hand-to-hand combat. John Wick has all the striking visuals I was looking for in The Book of Life--MAJOR kudos for cinematography, production design, and art direction--and a super score that sets a perfect tone every step of the way.

John Wick is rated R for "strong and bloody violence throughout, language and brief drug use."
It may not have been one of the more anticipated titles of 2014, but John Wick is definitely one of the most pleasant surprises. Of a possible nine Weasleys, John Wick gets six and a half.

Until next time...

100% certified badass!

MOVIE REVIEW: JOHN WICK

An ex-hitman comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters that took everything from him.
Director: David Leitch, Chad Stahelski.

Cast: Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen, Willem Dafoe

Release Date: Oct 24, 2014

Rated R for strong and bloody violence throughout, language and brief drug use 

Runtime: 1 hr. 36 min. 

Genres: Action, Thriller 

Review:

John Wick is a movie we’ve all seen countless times before.  The plot is paper thin, the characters are one dimensional and the story never surprises you.  So why is this movie so much fun?  Keanu Reeves is a stoic man of action who carries the film through some of the dead spots and excels in the awesome action sequences.  Those action sequences are wonderfully choreographed ballets of mayhem, reminiscent of classic Hong Kong shoot em ups.   Additionally, the film has a wonderful sense of humor.  Regardless of the body count, it never takes it’s self overly serious.  It’s the perfect kind of B movie that easily digestible and never loses track of what it’s there to do.    

B

[Official Trailer] The Avengers: Age of Ultron

Check out the first look at the Avengers sequel, hurry up since this will probably be taken down soon....


Will update with the official trailer once it's released....

UPDATED OFFICIAL TRAILER 8:50PM CST 10/22/14

Cindy Prascik's Review of Fury

Dearest Blog, today it was off to the pictures to wage war with Brad Pitt's Fury.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

As World War II draws to a close, an outmatched US tank crew undertakes a dangerous mission.

Well, dear reader(s), I'll be straight with you: my interest in Fury can best be described as "at least it's not that Nicholas Sparks thing." It looks like my kind of movie, and the cast is (mostly) terrific, but for some reason the trailers did nothing to excite me. Figuring I'm gonna need this one come awards time, though, I set out today hoping to be pleasantly surprised.

Fury is being lauded as an honest look at war, and that may well be, but it's otherwise a total dud.

The characters are broadly drawn caricatures, and the dialogue is so badly written it might as well be Twilight. Every incident, every encounter, every happening is more predictable than the last, straight out of the tear-your-heart-out War Movie Playbook.

The cast actually IS mostly solid and can't be faulted for the film's failings, with the notable exception of Shia LeBeouf.

A great actor inhabits a character so you forget whatever you might know of him, personally, but LeBeouf is so profoundly unlikable that whatever acting skill he possesses is nowhere near up to that task. Even Brad Pitt seems somehow diminished, following so quickly on the heels of Robert Downey, Jr.'s and Denzel Washington's most recent starring turns.

If Fury gets credit for putting the horrors of war on up-close-and-personal display, it also has to take the blame for dawdling overlong on just about everything, resulting in an excessive runtime that could and should have been trimmed by at least 20 minutes. If this mess makes a ripple come awards season, I shall fail to feel even the tiniest bit of shame for keeping I, Frankenstein on my year-end top ten list!

Fury clocks in at 134 minutes and is rated R for "strong sequences of war violence, some grisly images, and language throughout."

I never go into a movie set on hating it, and honestly expected to come out of Fury impressed despite myself, Instead, the only fury to be had was my own, for seven bucks and two hours I can't get back.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Fury gets four.

Until next time..

You each owe me $1.40.

Cindy Prascik's Review of The Judge & Dracula Untold

Dearest Blog, today it was off to the pictures for what looked like an Oscars/Razzies double bill of The Judge and Dracula Untold.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

First on the docket was The Judge. (See what I did there?)

A hotshot big-city attorney (Robert Downey, Jr.) returns to his smalltown home for his mother's funeral, but ends up defending his father (Robert Duvall)--a respected judge--against a murder charge.

The Judge layers family drama with legal thriller in an interesting, if unsurprising, tale. It's Awards Season, so it goes without saying the movie runs long, and I suppose it's meant to give you a case of the warm fuzzies about smalltown America (versus the big, bad city), a ploy that never, ever fails to annoy me. The Judge is littered with respected and decorated actors: Duvall, Vera Farmiga, Billy Bob Thornton, and Vincent D'Onofrio. Most everyone has the opportunity to weep his or her way through a potential Oscar clip or three, but it's Downey who will get you through the movie's bloated runtime without looking at your watch.

He is the most watchable person making movies today, and round about the 90-minute mark, you'll be ever grateful for that, trust me. To gauge The Judge's true merit, then, it's only fair to ask: How good is this movie if it stars somebody else? The answer is maybe a little better than average.

The Judge clocks in at 141 minutes and is rated R for "language, including some sexual references."
Minus Robert Downey, Jr., The Judge is a well acted but predictable and excessively-long drama. With Robert Downey, Jr., it's infinitely watchable and easily forgiven for its sins.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Judge gets seven.

Next up was Luke Evans' first real starring vehicle, Dracula Untold.

Having left life as "the Impaler" behind him, Prince Vlad Tepes makes a deal with the devil to protect his family and his people.

Dear reader(s), as something of an expert on the subject, I want to remind you up front that Luke Evans is a truly talented, multi-faceted actor, and his films have yet to scratch the surface of his potential. It's important for me to make that clear for reasons that will become apparent later.
Dracula Untold is more like Dracula Untrue, turning the fabled Count into a bizarro mix of superhero and romance novel cover boy. Evans can't be blamed (much to the relief of this longtime fan), and, to his credit, he manages to pull off the silly action and terrible dialogue with a fair bit of charm. The usually reliable Dominic Cooper is miscast as the movie's villain...and where ya goin' with that accent, Coop?? Blandly pretty Sarah Gadon is...erm...bland and pretty as Drac's missus, but in the end both she and the role are entirely forgettable. Though the movie is smart enough not to wear out its welcome, and there are some decent effects scattered about, it is, for the most part, a laughable exercise. Having said all that, you really should go see Dracula Untold, because Luke Evans: a.) kicks ass, b.) makes out, and c.) takes off his shirt. That's worth your ten bucks any day.

Dracula Untold runs 92 minutes and is rated PG13 for "intense sequences of warfare, vampire attacks, disturbing images, and some sensuality."

It's nowhere near as silly as Twilight, but Dracula Untold isn't the movie vampire fans have been waiting for, either.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Dracula Untold gets five. (But I'm sure I'll be seeing it again and again!)

Until next time...

So...uh...see you at the theatre, then?

MOVIE REVIEW: DRACULA UNTOLD

Director Gary Shore revamps the mythos surrounding Vlad the Impaler in Dracula Year Zero, a Universal Pictures release from a script by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless. The horror tale is set to take place in Romania during the Turkish invasion as Vlad (Luke Evans) goes to the greatest of lengths to fight for his homeland -- even if it means selling his soul and becoming forever doomed as a creature of the night. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Gary Shore

Cast: Luke Evans, Sarah Gadon, Dominic Cooper.

Release Date: Oct 10, 2014

Rated PG-13 for Intense Sequences of Warfare, Disturbing Images, Some Sensuality and Vampire Attacks 

Runtime: 1 hr. 32 min. Genres: Action/Adventure, Horror 

Review:

Dracula Untold desperately wants to be the start of a new franchise.  Everything about it screams origin story, something we’ve seen countless times before in countless other films.  This take on Dracula borrows heavily from the superhero genre mixed with a healthy dose of Lord of the Rings style battles.  Luke Evans is appropriately grim and determined as the titular Dracula even if he can’t quite find a solid grip on something original about the character.  That’s hardly a surprise since the character has been done so many times most children could probably recite the standard mythology, most of which is rehashed yet again here.  Still, Evans tries hardily to trudge through the pedestrian storyline hitting all the standard notes.  The film might have been strong if Dominic Cooper had been given better material to work and made better use of the villain.  On the plus side, Gary Shore keeps his movie moving at a brisk pace throwing in enough visual flourishes to keep it interesting enough to hold your attention.  The ending leaves open a massive door for future sequels which could be more intriguing than this run of the mill origin story.  

C

Cindy Prascik's Review of Gone Girl

Dearest Blog, yesterday I headed out to the cinema for one of the year's most-anticipated titles, Gone Girl.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

Ben Affleck (Batman! Batman! Batman!) stars as Nick Dunne, a man who becomes a suspect in the disappearance of his wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike).

I haven't read the book on which Gone Girl is based, so no comparisons here as to how the film stands up against the source material.

On its own merits, Gone Girl, the movie, stands up pretty darn well. It's a twisting, turning affair, where almost nothing is quite what it seems, yet it never gets so convoluted it feels like it's lost its way. Dear reader(s), by now you know me well enough to know I can't possibly look at Ben Affleck without thinking (Batman! Batman! Batman!), but, even prior to his much-debated casting as the caped crusader, he seemed a very polarizing actor.

That makes Affleck (Batman! Batman! Batman!) an inspired choice for his role, as you're never quite sure how you're supposed to feel about Nick. Rosamund Pike continues to make good use of her patented wide-eyes-heaving-breasts act, but does a fine job of portraying all facets of one of the more...erm...*interesting* characters I've seen onscreen of late. The supporting cast is uniformly solid, with Carrie Coon turning in an especially good performance as Nick's ever-loyal twin sister.

Even Tyler Perry, whom I generally despise with the fire of a thousand suns, is pretty okay here. Another stunning score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross sets the mostly ominous tone. The movie is too long by at least 20 minutes, but it's easy enough to forgive in such a well-spun, surprisingly fun yarn.

Gone Girl clocks in at 149 minutes and is rated R for "a scene of bloody violence, some strong sexual content/nudity, and language."

Whether or not you were already a fan of the book, Gone Girl gives you every reason to get out to the theatre.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Gone Girl gets eight.

Until next time..

 
Are you the hero Gotham deserves?

MOVIE REVIEW: GONE GIRL

GONE GIRL – directed by David Fincher and based upon the global bestseller by Gillian Flynn – unearths the secrets at the heart of a modern marriage. On the occasion of his fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) reports that his beautiful wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike), has gone missing. Under pressure from the police and a growing media frenzy, Nick’s portrait of a blissful union begins to crumble. Soon his lies, deceits and strange behavior have everyone asking the same dark question: Did Nick Dunne kill his wife?

 Director: David Fincher 

Cast: Rosamund Pike, Ben Affleck, Tyler Perry, Neil Patrick Harris, David Clennon

Release Date: Oct 03, 2014

Rated R for a scene of bloody violence, some strong sexual content/nudity, and language

Runtime: 2 hr. 25 min.

Genres: Suspense/Thriller

Review:

Gone Girl is a wonderfully dark decent into the recesses of martial hatred and resentment.  It’s something that anyone who’s been in long term relationship can relate to and David Fincher’s new film takes it to its most extreme points.  Any other director might have fallen into some of the most glaring Lifetime movie tropes of the story but Fincher elevates the entire proceedings giving us something closer to his criminally underrated The Game.  The story’s big reveal isn’t much of a surprise to be honest but it makes for an interesting turn where things really start to kick off in extreme ways.  The cast is generally fantastic even Tyler Perry who’s pitch perfect as the high priced lawyer.  Ben Affleck is perfectly suited for the smug but terribly tone deaf husband and Rosamund Pike is just stellar as his wife.  It’s an impressive dissection of our tabloid culture while hitting on some uncomfortable truths about inattention and lingering resentment that burrows into peoples souls.  It’s probably needless to say but Gone Girl is the type of film that sticks with you once you’ve left the theater. 

A

MOVIE REVIEW: ANNABELLE

The demonic doll from gets her very own feature in this spin-off produced by James Wan, written by Gary Dauberman, and directed by John R. Leonetti. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: John R. Leonetti  

Cast: Annabelle Wallis, Ward Horton, Alfre Woodard, Tony Amendola, Kerry O'Malley

Release Date: Oct 03, 2014

Rated R for Intense Violence and Terror

Runtime: 1 hr. 38 min.

Genres: Horror

Review:

If you are going into Annabelle expecting an equally powerful follow up to last years The Conjuring you will be mildly disappointed.  Annabelle is a serviceable horror film but it hits every cliché you can think of all the while channeling Rosemary’s Baby for some reason. First time director John Leonetti has a good eye but doesn’t know how to bring anything new to the proceedings even though he delivers a nice stairwell sequence in the latter half of the film.  That isn’t enough to make you forget that we’re left with some incredibly bland leads who moves from possession trope to another while you keep reminding yourself that Tony Amendola is not F. Murray Abraham.  Alfre Woodard deserves special notice because even though she’s collecting a paycheck, she’s still worlds better than the rest of the cast.  Annabelle isn’t a terrible movie per say it’s just one of the many film that’s a retread of better movies.

C