Cindy Prascik's Review of Rebel Moon: A Child of Fire

My dear reader(s): Over the Christmas break, my plan was to catch up with some movies.

First on my holiday docket: Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers, except the exact second when Charlie Hunnam turns up.

Rebels rise up against an evil space empire. (No, not *those* rebels or *that* space empire.)

Out of the gate, I want to offer a couple disclaimers: First, though I've kicked science fiction fantasy to the curb almost entirely, I like Zack Snyder and I hoped/expected to like this. Secondly, Netflix has some super algorithms, because the Rebel Moon picture on my home page is all Charlie Hunnam, though he doesn't appear until 51:05 and enjoys only sporadic screen time after. Well played, Netflix. Well played.

While almost any story bears traces of tales that came before it, Rebel Moon is nothing but derivative, Star Wars with a Mad-Maxey vibe...if Star Wars and Mad Max somehow managed to become the most boring movies ever made. I fell asleep three times in the first hour and had to keep rolling it back so I didn't "miss" anything.

The acting seems almost universally awful, but the dialogue is so badly written it's difficult to pin blame. The cast is full of well-known faces, most of whom are generally at least decent, so it's possible Meryl Streep couldn't have done anything with this material. Charlie's is a cheeky role that's particularly well suited to him, so he fares better than most. Nice visuals are marred by the odd bad green screen moment. Fight sequences are dull, awkward, and painfully fake-looking. The story, so often (better) told before, doesn't begin to earn its two-hours-plus runtime. A disappointment all 'round.

Rebel Moon clocks in at 133 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sequences of strong violence, sexual assault, bloody images, language, sexual material, and partial nudity."

The fact that Rebel Moon, part two, is coming next year feels more like a threat than a promise. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Rebel Moon gets three.

Rebel Moon is now streaming on Netflix.

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: REBEL MOON PART ONE: A CHILD OF FIRE

 

When a colony on the edge of the galaxy finds itself threatened by the armies of the tyrannical Regent Balisarius, they dispatch a young woman with a mysterious past to seek out warriors from neighbouring planets to help them take a stand.

Director: Zack Snyder

Cast: Sofia Boutella, Djimon Hounsou, Ed Skrein, Michiel Huisman, Doona Bae, Ray Fisher, Charlie Hunnam, Anthony Hopkins

Release Date: December 15, 2023

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, sexual assault, bloody images, language, sexual material and partial nudity.

Runtime: 2h 13m

Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon Part One: A Child of Fire is a lifeless space epic that never truly finds its footing as it mines bits and pieces of Star Wars by way of Seven Samurai while bringing nothing new to the table.  All of Snyder's visual bravado and his unrelenting love of slow motion is still here but it all feels perfunctory and overdone paired with a rather listless, all too familiar story.  Characterization is at minimal as the story journey's to collection a ragtag crew of rebels whom we have little to no emotional connection to as we move from introductory set piece to another.  It would be easier to ignore some of these story issues if the action was fun or interesting.  There's a surprisingly blandness to the action which is something you wouldn't expect from Snyder with Bae Doona's Nemesis battle with a spider woman being the only one that registers as any sort of tangible fun.  Likewise the performances are all rather lifeless with Sofia Boutella's lead character barely registering as determined and driven much less inspiring.  Anthony Hopkins voicework for the robot introduced in the first act and offers a small tinge of life but he quickly disappears from the story only to reappear at the very without another line of dialogue.   It doesn't help matters that the entire film serves as nothing more than set up for the second part which would be fine if there were some time invested in character development and world building.  Sadly, this first entry feels more like a Sucker Punch level misfire from Snyder which feels like a major step back for him as a storyteller.  
 

D

MOVIE REVIEW: THE FATHER

 

A man refuses all assistance from his daughter as he ages. As he tries to make sense of his changing circumstances, he begins to doubt his loved ones, his own mind and even the fabric of his reality.

Director: Florian Zeller

Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Colman, Mark Gatiss, Imogen Poots, Rufus Sewell, Olivia Williams

Release Date: February 26, 2021

Genre: Drama

Rated PG-13 for some strong language, and thematic material

Runtime: 1 h 37 min

Review:

The Father is a twisty poetic character study of a man experiencing dementia from his point of view.  Florian Zeller, adapting his own stage play, builds his film with a disorienting structure which works wonderfully by putting the audience in the main character’s mind.  Events are replayed or rerun with slight variations that leave you questioning which version of reality is actually real.  This is the type of film that benefits from its structure but is carried by its performers.  Zeller provides Anthony Hopkins a stage and he runs with it by delivering one of the best performances of his storied career.  Hopkins runs a master class in acting from start to finish.  There are multiple moments where he moves through a series of emotions with such ease and authenticity that you have to marvel at his talents.  It’s the type of the performance that will be used in acting classes for years to come.  The supporting cast is made up strong actors who are more than capable at holding their own on the screen with Hopkins.  Olivia Colman gets the largest portion of the load and she does well, always keeping everything grounded and painfully real. There are a bevy of these type of prestige films that pop up every year with varying results, Florian Zeller’s The Father works on multiple levels while providing a showcase to a legendary living legend.

A

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Dolemite is My Name &The Two Popes

Yesterday I closed out my movie year with two Netflix originals: Dolemite is My Name and the Two Popes.

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

First up: Dolemite is My Name.

Rudy Ray Moore, a struggling comedian, finds success with a coarse alter-ego.

Dolemite is My Name represents a comeback of sorts for Eddie Murphy, and he carries the movie with ease. I'm a big fan of Eddie Murphy, and that makes me very, very happy. (He can't have that Golden Globe, though. It's Taron's.) As for the film itself, well, that didn't make me quite so happy. Moore is a hard guy to root for. Much like The Room's Tommy Wiseau, he's a person who is determined to succeed at something he isn't very good at, and--through sheer audacity and a bit of enabling--he actually makes it. Personally, I find the Dolemite persona about as funny as a root canal. Maybe my problem is cultural or even generational (I also don't think George Carlin is very funny), but it's exacerbated by the fact that Moore essentially stole the Dolemite schtck from others in his personal orbit, people who never gained (at least as far as the movie shows) from his eventual success. Dolemite's supporting cast is nearly as great as Murphy, with Tituss Burgess, Keegan-Michael Key, and another of my personal favorites, Craig Robinson, all turning in nice performances. Wesley Snipes and Snoop Dogg are also enjoyable in smaller roles. Dolemite is My Name is actually quite funny in places (outside the Dolemite routines), though it's also a little slow or a little long or maybe a little of both; it just doesn't *quite* earn its runtime. It is also relentlessly (but expectedly) vulgar, so if boobs and f-bombs bother you, maybe take a pass on this one.

Dolemite is My Name runs 117 minutes and is rated R for "pervasive language, crude sexual content, and graphic nudity."

Dolemite is My Name is a win for Eddie Murphy and a big loss for everything else. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Dolemite is My Name gets four.

Next on my agenda: The Two Popes.

Popes Benedict and Francis try to find common ground for the good of the Catholic Church.

Well, dear reader(s), if Dolemite is My Name is a film I didn't quite get, you may rest assured that, having spent the past 33 years working for His Holiness, this one's definitely in my wheelhouse.

Most everyone knows that the Catholic Church is facing challenging times, and that its problems are largely of its own making. This behind-the-scenes look at two very different men, both of whom want only the best for the institution (and the deity) they serve, is a thoughtful exercise. Jonathan Pryce and Anthony Hopkins turn in two of the year's finest performances as Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI, respectively. Their magnificent work is infused with quiet power, carrying the deliberately-paced film effortlessly. While the Two Popes is undoubtedly more "inspired by" than "based on" actual events, its insights and political machinations are fascinating, as well as its sometimes shockingly frank mentions of the clergy sexual abuse scandal. The movie also offers some timely messages, both overtly and less so, with the importance of forgiveness and of finding common ground winding their way throughout. Though I am not a believer myself, I found the Two Popes an uplifting and hopeful film for the faithful...and maybe for the rest of us too.

The Two Popes clocks in at 125 minutes and is rated PG13 for "thematic content and some disturbing, violent images."

The Two Popes is one of the year's best surprises, a terrific film carried by two extraordinary performances.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, the Two Popes gets eight.

Until next time...

Cindy Prascik's Review of Transformers: The Last Knight

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for Transformers: The Last Knight.

 

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing that hasn't been revealed already by trailers and clips.

 

Humans have set themselves against all Transformers, making outlaws of anyone who continues to be their allies, but Earthlings are forced to reconsider that position when the planet is threatened.

 

The latest Transformers movie is taking a critical beating, not unlike those that came before it. It's pretty much exactly as advertised, however, so anyone with reasonable expectations shouldn't be disappointed.

 

Since I actually liked the movie, let's get the negatives out of the way first, beginning with the obvious: a two-and-a-half hour runtime. Ninety minutes, an hour and forty-five at most, would have made The Last Knight a great summer popcorn flick, but even the biggest, best effects and action wear thin at two and a half hours, nevermind the muddled backstory does nothing to earn such an excessive runtime. Then there's the "humor." With only the genuinely amusing bits, the film would have been plenty light enough, but instead it constantly oversells juvenile, annoying one-liners. That's the bad news. The good news is there's actually a great deal of good news. Transformers is all about huge effects and, as such, is one of my very favorite franchises to revisit on the big screen. This outing is no exception, with visuals that are massive-times-ten and sound that shakes the floor. Cool action sequences never seem to drag on, despite the bloated whole, and when the jokes hit the mark, the movie is actually very funny. In what he's declared his final Transformers outing, Mark Wahlberg remains more watchable that Shia LeBeouf ever was, and Anthony Hopkins appears to be having the time of his life, never demeaning the material despite the fact it's clearly beneath him. For my money, it should be easy for anyone to have at least as much fun with this movie as Anthony Hopkins does.

Transformers: The Last Knight clocks in at a whopping 149 minutes and is rated PG13 for "violence and intense sequences of sci-fi action, language, and some innuendo."

 

Transformers: The Last Knight is big, dopey fun that fills a summer weekend quite nicely. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Transformers: The Last Knight gets six.

 

Fangirl points: Mitch Pileggi! Steve Buscemi! SANTIAGO CABRERA! *heart-eyes emoji* 

 

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT

Humans are at war with the Transformers, and Optimus Prime is gone. The key to saving the future lies buried in the secrets of the past and the hidden history of Transformers on Earth. Now, it's up to the unlikely alliance of Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg), Bumblebee, an English lord (Anthony Hopkins) and an Oxford professor (Laura Haddock) to save the world.
Director: Michael Bay
 
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Anthony Hopkins, Josh Duhamel, Laura Haddock, Stanley Tucci

Release Date: Jun 21, 2017

Genres: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Rated PG-13 for violence and intense sequences of sci-fi action, language, and some innuendo

Review:

I’ve always been forgiving of Michael Bay’s live action series because the cartoon will always be a fond part of my childhood.  I’ve always found plenty to like in movies even if they’ve been far from perfect.  I’d actually enjoyed the last installment because Bay finally seemed to figure out that it helps the series if you give the Transformers some personality and make them the center piece.  I’d hoped it was something that’d be continued in The Last Knight.  Sadly, Bay decides to put the Transformers in the background, Optimus Prime barely has 30 minutes of screentime, leaving us with Mark Wahlberg and Laura Haddock’s pillowly lips.  The plot is an overly complex mess that seems to find the most complicated way to do everything.  There are a bevy of new human characters including a plucky child, played by Isabela Moner, who’s introduced and forgotten for the majority of the film only to be reintroduced in the final act.  The saving grace of it all is Anthony Hopkins who’s clearly enjoying himself in the unrelenting madness going on around him.  Hopkins and his robot butler provide the majority of the laughs and enjoyment in the film.  The biggest issue is simply making a movie called Transformers and leaving the titular robots on the sideline while haphazardly throwing famous characters from Transformers lore around like undercooked pasta.  It’s a real shame because the series could be a fun sci-fi series if it could stay focused on its actual stars, the robots. 

D

Cindy Prascik's reviews of Sabotage & Noah

Dearest Blog, yesterday it was off to the cinema with all the Rainy Day People for a double-feature of Sabotage and Noah.

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

Arnie was first on the docket with Sabotage.

An elite, undercover DEA unit comes under suspicion when ten million dollars in drug money disappears.

Dear Blog, I'm going to tell you something you might not know: Sabotage was made JUST for me. It's Hollywood's way of saying, "Look, we're sorry for all the pretentious Oscar drivel and Easter-season religious propaganda, but you've been a good sport, so here are a couple testosterone-fueled hours of mayhem for your trouble. Well, Hollywood, apology accepted.

Sabotage is yet another attempt to thrust an aging Arnold Schwarzenegger back into the leading action hero mold. Like previous efforts, the general reception seems middling, but it's once again made me a happy action fan. If Schwarzenegger is getting a bit long in the tooth, it doesn't keep him from carrying a picture with flair, and at no time is there any doubt that this is Arnold's movie. The supporting cast is comprised of actors both very good (Terrence Howard, Mireille Enos) and pretty bad (Sam Worthington, Joe Manganiello), but none really stands out either way, aside from Enos, who is ah-maz-ing.

These days most action movies have to pick a side. Either they go too vanilla to secure the coveted PG13 rating, or the gore and swearing are so extreme that shock value seems the only objective. Sabotage definitely leans toward the latter, and it suffers some laughably bad dialogue, but a well-executed, suspenseful plot saves the movie from being just a big-screen bundle of bad words and maximum carnage.

Sabotage clocks in at 109 minutes and is rated R for "strong bloody violence, pervasive language, some sexuality/nudity, and drug use."

A solid action flick with a good cast and a hero that's familiar and easy to root for, of a possible nine Weasleys, Sabotage gets seven.

Next on Saturday's agenda was the Biblical epic, Noah.

A man suffers a terrifying vision of the world destroyed by a great flood, and must battle Sauron's legions as he attempts to get the One Ring to Mount Doom. Wait, what? Sorry...wrong movie.

There's been much fuss about Noah's lack of faithfulness to the Bible story on which it's based. In the interest of full and fair disclosure, I admit that means about as much to me as a less-than-accurate adaptation of any novel or comic book. I don't say that to be offensive or provocative, merely to be clear: If the rumor is non-religious people will love this and religious people will hate it, this card-carrying heathen is here to tell ya, there's no shortage of reasons to hate this movie, whatever you believe.

Russell Crowe is one of my top three actors, and, in my opinion, the most magnetic screen presence working in movies today. Not once in his long and storied career have I seen a movie and thought, "Boy, even Russell Crowe couldn't help that." Until now, that is. Instead of a man tormented by difficult choices he feels his "Creator" has forced him to make, this Noah is a profoundly unlikable nut job who comes dead even with the movie's villain in the "I really hate that guy" sweepstakes. Then there's the bloat. Yes, that's "bloat," dear Blog, not "boat." Pared by 20-30 minutes, Noah would have been a far more bearable exercise creative license. As it stands, I had plenty of time to count ceiling tiles (I think there are 180 in theatre eight, but it was a little tricky in the dark) and ponder what I was going to eat at Olive Garden after the movie (spaghetti marinara, if you're wondering). During the interminable ark-building, I wondered why they didn't just ask Hermione to wave her wand and get it done. Hang on... Huh? Oh, sorry, there I go again. Somewhere around a halfway point that seemed to take 12 hours to reach, I wrote "TERRIBLE" on my notepad, in all caps and underlined three times, as if I'd need a reminder when I sat down to write this review.

There are positives, of course, among them some glorious cinematography and a couple time-lapsey sequences that are quite stunning...if possibly seizure inducing. The CGI procreation-ready pairs of animals look pretty great, and Emma Watson continues to be a revelation in a role that's at least half an underwater world away from the studious Miss Granger of the Harry Potter movies. There's also a sneaky pro-vegetarian message that made me think I might have had a chance of bunking with the Noah family instead of dog paddling for my life.

Noah runs 138 minutes and is rated PG13 for "violence, disturbing images, and brief suggestive content."

Whether you believe the Bible or not, Noah is a bloated mess that might as well have starred Adam Sandler for all the credibility it's got. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Noah gets two. Oh, and when someone films the book of Revelations, remind me to get high before I see it.

Until next time...

 Hands up, who's ready for that Gladiator prequel?

MOVIE REVIEW: NOAH

Darren Aronofsky brings the story of Noah's Ark to the big screen with this Paramount/New Regency religious drama. Aronofsky directs from his own script cowritten by Ari Handel and John Logan. Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Anthony Hopkins, and Emma Watson head up the starring cast. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Release Date: Mar 28, 2014

Rated: PG-13 Disturbing Images, Brief Suggestive Content and Violence

Runtime: 2 hr. 17 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Cast: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, Emma Watson, Anthony Hopkins

Religion films are always going to be a touch call because they’ll either be too faithful or they’ll deviate too far from the scripture.  Either option will result in factions of believers and non believers being turned off by the material on display.  Darren Aronofsky’s Noah isn’t a by the letter retelling of the story even though it hits all the major points.  Within 10 minutes of the film you’ll be able to tell where you stand with it, depending on your beliefs.  Personally, I found a bombastic but loving cinematic take of a very familiar tale.  Aronofsky delivers a film that’s beautiful to look at and engaging at the same time.  The film is over 2 hours long but in never really drags as the story keeps you engaged throughout.  Russell Crowe gives us one of his most earnest performances in a long while with supporting cast rounding an all around well made movie.  Jennifer Connelly in particular has a wonderful moment to shine near the end of the film but its Crowe’s film through and through.  Crowe gives us a realistic idea of what Noah would have experienced mentally while Aronofsky gives us a wonderfully dense thesis on hard line scripture vs. interpretation.  It’s a fascinating idea played out with characters that are so ingrained in most of our collective psych that is sure to upset one faction or the other.  In the end your personal enjoyment of the film will depend on your beliefs. At it’s core, it’s a wonderfully filmed, acted and produced film which deserves to be seen.

A

MOVIE REVIEW: RED 2

Frank (Bruce Willis), Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker), and Marvin (John Malkovich) fight an unrelenting onslaught of hired killers, heavily armed terrorists, and powerful government officials in their desperate race to prevent a missing portable nuclear device from falling into the wrong hands. Sir Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Lee Byung-hun, and Catherine Zeta Jones co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Dean Parisot

Cast: Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, Mary-Louise Parker, Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren

Release Date: Jul 19, 2013

Rated PG-13 for pervasive action and violence including frenetic gunplay, and for some language and drug material.

Runtime: 1 hr. 56 min.

Review:

I’ll be upfront and say that I enjoyed Red 2 much more than I probably should have. It’s overlong somewhat predictable and incredibly stupid but it delivers the kind of mindless fun I look for occasionally. Dean Parisot direction is far from perfect but he excels with the outlandish action set pieces which are lots of fun. Unfortunately there are plenty of dead spots throughout, the film could have easily been trimmed by a good half hour. By the end of the film even the action pieces start to drag on because the film just seems to go on forever. Still, the cast is clearly enjoying themselves with expanded roles for Mary-Louise Parker and Helen Mirren which I consider a positive. Anthony Hopkins and Lee Byung-hun inject some good energy while Catherine Zeta Jones isn’t nearly as effective as you’d expect. Bruce Willis is on cruise control letting the supporting players do the heavy lifting. Red 2 is a film that’s easy to watch and just as easy to forget.

C+

[Trailer] Noah

The first trailer for the upcoming religious epic is finally out and we get 2 tonally different trailer. The American trailer seems to hit more traditional beats playing up the religious angle more so than the International trailer which plays more like a traditional FX event film. Honestly, if Darren Aronofsky and Russell Crowe weren’t attached to this project I probably would have ignored it.

With Aronofsky in the director’s chair it leaves the door open to all kinds of possibilities, just think about his underrated film The Fountain. Both trailers look intriguing if a tad safe, either way I’m interested enough to mark this one on my calendar.

Official Trailer


International Trailer

Cindy Prascik’s review of Thor: The Dark World

Dearest Blog, yesterday I was off to the cinema with the masses to worship at the altar of the mighty Thor.
Spoiler level here will be mild, almost nothing you didn't see in a trailer somewhere.

Disclaimer: This review is being written through a haze of cold meds...and I think I accidentally may have taken the nighttime stuff instead of the daytime stuff. (Didn't the nighttime stuff used to be green??) Reader discretion is advised.
As the Nine Realms align, they are threatened by an enemy so powerful that Thor must make an unlikely alliance to save them.

Getting the requisite shallowness out of the way, the first thing you'll notice about Thor is that it looks terrific, and I mean across the board. The sets and effects are spectacular, the costumes are gorgeous, and most of the cast is hurt-your-eyes good looking. (Tiny spoiler alert) Chris Hemsworth has an early shirtless scene and the reaction across my theatre was so ridiculous it was like when an extra-hot person walks into a sitcom.

If the Marvel cinematic universe is noted for being a good time, in my opinion, the two Thor films represent the best time of all the Marvel properties. The Dark World does, of course, have its serious moments (with the universe at risk and all!), but there are one-liners aplenty, and almost all of them hit their marks. The action is huge and keeps things moving along nicely, though I did feel the first hour maybe could have been trimmed a bit. Performances are terrific across the board, with Tom Hiddleston's Loki again the standout.

I ended up in a 3D showing because I'm apparently too chemically addled to correctly read movie listings, and I wouldn't say the 3D was worth much. There's maybe a bit of added depth here and there, but Idris Elba never actually landed in my lap, so I'd suggest you go ahead and hang onto that extra three bucks.

Thor: The Dark World is everything I want in a superhero flick. The action and effects are huge and the cast has great chemistry, just a great time all around.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Thor: The Dark World gets eight.

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW THOR: THE DARK WORLD

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) returns to do battle with Malekith (Christopher Eccleston), the vengeful leader of a primordial race that seeks to destroy the Nine Realms, in this big-budget comic-book adventure set after the events of Marvel's The Avengers. With even Odin (Anthony Hopkins) unable to protect Asgard from the approaching darkness, the god of thunder reunites with Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and prepares to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to save the world from certain destruction. Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård, Idris Elba, and Tadanobu Asano co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Alan Taylor

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård, Idris Elba, Anthony Hopkins

Release Date: Nov 08, 2013

Rated PG-13 for some Suggestive Content and Intense Sci-Fi Action/Violence

Runtime: 1 hr. 51 min.

Genres: Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Review:

Thor: The Dark World is a strong sequel that expands the scope of everything while bringing a slightly different flavor than the original. Alan Taylor takes over the directing reigns from Kenneth Branagan, delivering a grittier and occasionally darker take on this character and his world. It’s a welcome change of pace, aided by some incredibly choreographed actions sequences, the final act being the most fun, which really up the spectacle quotient. Some of these sequences feels more like a Star Wars prequel/sequel, one you’d actually want to watch, than the original’s straightforward fantasy slant. Thor: The Dark World hop scotches across from genres, moving freely between fantasy, sci-fi and back to superhero. The strange thing is that these changes are rarely jarring with the film hitting its mark more times than not. There are a few minor quibbles though. The film occasionally gets bogged down with its plot, giving us too much exposition when it isn’t needed, killing some of its forward momentum. Those moments pale in comparison to the Earth based scenes which stick out even more than they did the first time around. Natalie Portman still feels terribly out of place and her obnoxious plucky character is mostly obnoxiously plucky. Kat Dennings and Stellan Skarsgård are given very little to do in supporting roles, mostly serving as comic relief. Thankfully Hemsworth and Hiddleston once again deliver the goods. Hemsworth was born to play a superhero and here he’s given just enough meat to make his performance interesting. Hiddleston deftly moves back into Loki’s skin giving us another taste of his dynamic and multifaceted frienemy. Christopher Eccleston is underused and underwritten as the primary villain. He isn’t given much to work with; his character is nothing more than a plot device and a forgettable one at that. Issues aside there is plenty to enjoy for the devout fanboys (Marvel cameos and post credit scenes) and causal fan (Chris Hemsworth without a shirt in 3D) alike. In the end, it delivers the kind of spectacle, action while maintaining a strong sense of fun.

B+

[Trailer] Thor: The Dark World

The full trailer for the Thor sequel is out and it shows off plenty of new footage, so bask in all the flowing capes and hammer throwing!

The first teaser gave the impression that’d we’d be mostly off world in the sequel but this trailer hint that we’ll be bouncing back and forth to a certain extent.

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Red 2 and The Wolverine

Dearest Blog, yesterday I trekked to the cinema to see two highly-anticipated (for me) releases: Red 2 and The Wolverine. If I'm guessing by the number of people with whom I shared the theatres, not everyone anticipated these films quite so highly.

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

First on my agenda was the middle-aged comic-book sequel Red 2.

Ex-CIA agent Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) has retired (again) to domestic bliss with Sarah (Mary Louise Parker), but the life he thinks he wants is re-interrupted when his crazy old pal Marvin (John Malkovich) drags him back into the world of international espionage.

I tend not to read many reviews before I write my own, but as much as I'm online, I can't help but see headlines. The headlines I saw about Red 2 led me to believe it's worth an eye-roll and no more, in keeping with the first one.

However, I loved Red, and I'm pleased to report I loved the sequel equally well.

Bruce Willis is Bruce Willisey in the lead. This is a compliment. He carries this sort of film about as well as anyone, and the wisecracking tough-guy routine has yet to wear thin with me. Helen Mirren is the coolest Dame on the planet...all the more so when she's armed and dangerous. John Malkovich has his kooky on and is enjoyable as always. Anthony Hopkins and Catherine Zeta-Jones kick up the star power of this cast, though I didn't entirely buy either in his/her role. Brian Cox is amusing in another brief appearance, and I was delighted to see David Thewlis. I'll cop to being absolutely fixated on Byung-hun Lee, whom I've only ever previously seen in the G.I. Joe movies, and wishing he had more screen time. I still hate Mary-Louise Parker, FYI.

Plot-wise Red 2 isn't trying to reinvent the wheel. It's action heavy, with the usual not-too-complicated (and somewhat holey) "save the world" storyline. Again, this is a compliment. It does slow down enough in some places that I wished they'd made it a bit shorter, but it's not bad enough to derail enjoyment of the whole.

Red 2 runs 116 minutes and is rated PG13 for "pervasive action and violence including frenetic gunplay, and for some language and drug material."

With its likable, familiar cast and likable, familiar storyline, Red 2 is much like an afternoon passed with good, old friends...except Mary-Louise Parker, who's that one person you don't actually like, but you have to put up with because one of your friends does.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Red 2 gets seven.

Next up was the weekend's big new release, The Wolverine.

A meeting with an old acquaintance draws Logan into a conflict that is more than it seems, and forces him to confront his personal demons.

So...y'all hated X-Men Origins: Wolverine, yeah? See, I didn't. I liked it. A lot. I also liked this one. A lot.

Hugh Jackman is one of the more gifted and well-rounded leading men working in Hollywood these days, and it's to his credit he can do things like Wolverine and things like Les Miserables and be credible in both. He sings and dances on the Tonys and the Oscars, and he still embodies the macho superhero perfectly. The bulk of Wolverine's supporting cast is comprised of Asian actors with whom I'm only vaguely, if at all, familiar, but I thought they all did a fine job. I did pause to wonder whether Hollywood ever offers these actors any decent roles that have nothing at all to do with martial arts. I feel sure they've more to offer.

I am not invested in X-Men lore, so I can't comment on how well this film represents the comics, but the story is engaging, with (obviously) a good bit of action. It does run a bit too long (I ought to just copy and paste that line from review to review), and there were times, particularly some of the fight scenes, where I wished they'd just get on with it already.

Scheduling forced me to see this in 3D, and it was worse than useless; there wasn't a single scene where I thought it added anything. For the more shallow among us, Hugh Jackman is looking extremely fit, and there's plenty of gratuitous shirtlessness to be ogled.

The Wolverine clocks in at 126 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, some sexuality, and language."

If you were waiting for that perfect superhero movie of the summer, well, you'll still be waiting, but the Wolverine is a solid couple hours of escapism that should please most fans of the genre.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Wolverine gets seven.

So, dear Blog, that closes the book on another Star Trek-less weekend; however, as the next four weekends are giving me 2 Guns, Elysium, MY BELOVED GARY OLDMAN in Paranoia, and The World's End, they should be filled with enough awesomeness to get me through.

Until next time...




Not gonna lie, I gave it six and a half Weasleys, looked at this, and changed it to seven.

[Trailer] Thor 2: The Dark World

[Trailer] Thor 2: The Dark World

Iron Man 3 is getting ready to screen in a little under a week and a half and with it Marvel’s Phase 2 of their cinematic universe. The trailer for the 2nd Thor film has been released and it looks like it’ll take the action off world instead of keeping it focused on Earth which I consider a good thing.

Things look grittier and less glossy this time around which could be a good thing. The original Thor was a big question mark for me originally, mainly because I thought it looked silly, but it made me a fan. Here’s to hoping the 2nd film continues to deliver the goods….

Release Date: Nov 08, 2013

MOVIE REVIEW: HITCHCOCK

HITCHCOCK



Director Sacha Gervasi adapts Stephen Rebello's book Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho to explore the relationship between the legendary British director (Anthony Hopkins) and his wife Alma Reville (Helen Mirren), who played a crucial behind-the-scenes role in the making of her husband's terrifying 1960 classic Psycho. Scarlett Johansson co-stars as Janet Leigh and James D'Arcy portrays Anthony Perkins in a film also featuring Jessica Biel, Danny Huston, Toni Collette, and Ralph Macchio. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Sacha Gervasi

Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Biel, James D'Arcy

Release Date: Nov 23, 2012

Rated PG-13 for some violent images, sexual content and thematic material

Runtime: 1 hr. 38 min.

Genres: Drama

Review:

Hitchcock takes a fun and lighthearted look into the trials, tribulation and machinations of the making of one his seminal films. Sasha Gervasi, helming his first non documentary film, makes it feel like we are watching a sort of accurate cliff notes version of what actually happened. As such he keeps it from being overly dry, allowing his cast to relish in their roles. Anthony Hopkins, under heavy prosthetics which work with varying degrees of effectiveness, delivers one of his better performances in a good while. He can’t hide his singular voice but occasionally he does get the tenor of Hitch down perfectly. Hopkins allows us to see various sides of Hitch, his obsessive controlling nature along with his voyeuristic tendencies. Helen Mirren makes a good match for Hopkins as Alma, Hitchcock’s long suffering wife/collaborator. Mirren takes on the meaty role and she shares a steady effective chemistry with Hopkins and they play out the collaborative but dysfunctional relationship the couple shared. Both can carry a scene easily and are given plenty of chances to shine. Supporting players like Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Biel, Toni Collette, Danny Huston and James D’Arcy, doing an impressive turn as Anthony Perkins, all do solid work filling out the film. The film ends on a tad bit too much of a happy note for my taste. A good companion piece to follow up with is the recent HBO film The Girl, which covered the making of The Birds, with a very effective Toby Jones playing a creepier Hitch as he tormented Tippi Hedren played by Sienna Miller.

B+

[Trailer] Hitchcock

The first trailer of Sacha Gervasi's "Hitchcock" has gone online and it looks like it’ll be a fun film for fans of Hitchcock and film in general. The tone of the film looks much lighter than HBO’s upcoming Hitchcock based film The Girl.

Anthony Hopkins appears to be incredibly focused even if the make up might be a bit jarring. His onscreen pairing with Helen Mirren looks to be the highlight of the film rounded out with a strong supporting cast.

Personally, I can’t wait to see this….

MOVIE REVIEW: THOR 3D

IN THEATERS

THOR



Exiled to Earth after his arrogance fans the flames of an ancient conflict, The Mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth) of Asgard discovers the meaning of humility when a powerful old foe dispatches a destructive force to crush humanity. Only when the banished prince has defeated an opponent capable of crushing him in battle will he learn what it takes to be a true leader. Anthony Hopkins}, Natalie Portman, Stellan Skarsgard, and Tadanobu Asano co-star in a comic-book adventure from acclaimed director Kenneth Branagh. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Kenneth Branagh

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgård

Release Date: May 06, 2011

Rated PG-13 for intense sci-fi action/violence

Genres: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

REVIEW:

Thor is one of those properties that sounded like a looming disaster from the outset. A comic book property that included a Norse god that some how had to be meshed into an Earth setting. Hiring Kenneth Branagh, Shakespeare cinematic stalwart, to direct seemed like an April fool’s joke. This turned out to be a master stroke with Branagh in the director’s chair the story hits the screen in a believable but not overtly serious manner that’s first and foremost fun. Branagh give this property enough standard Shakespearean light turns to make the Asgard set pieces entertaining and intriguing. The earth set pieces are funny but occasionally feel flat when compared to the grandeur of Asgard. Chris Hemsworth in the title role is spot on perfect. Initially cocky rash and arrogant, Hemsworth doesn’t overplay the role and allows it to feel natural and organic. In doing so the character’s growth over the course of the story rings true, all a testament to Hemsworth’s work. The rest of the cast is fine but very few standout, mostly due to unwritten parts. Tom Hiddleston is given a fairly generic role to play as a double dealing underappreciated sibling. To Hiddleston’s credit he gives the character a bit more depth in the 3rd act. Natalie Portman is equally handcuffed by a paper thin role that’s a romantic interest simply because there must be one. Portman and Hemsworth have very little chemistry together and the entire romance feels shoehorned and forced. Thor’s Asgard cohorts, The Warriors Three and the Lady Sif, are terribly under development and underused. The film itself is strongest in the 1st and 3rd acts with a noticeable lag in middle which, unsurprisingly, Earth centered while the others are mostly set in Asgard. Still as fun mindless summer fun Thor delivers the goods more than it doesn’t.

B-

MOVIE REVIEWS: THE WOLFMAN

Sunday, February 14, 2010
MOVIE REVIEWS: THE WOLFMAN
IN THEATERS

 

THE WOLFMAN

Universal Studios resurrects the classic lycanthrope with this tale of a man who experiences an unsettling transformation after he returns to his ancestral home in Victorian-era Great Britain and gets attacked by a rampaging werewolf. When Ben Talbot (Simon Merrels) vanishes into this air, his brother Lawrence (Benicio Del Toro) returns to his family estate to investigate. Upon reuniting with his estranged father Sir John Talbot (Anthony Hopkins), however, he discovers a destiny far darker than his blackest nightmares. Ben is dead; the victim of a savage attack by a beast that keeps the superstitious locals cowering in fear every time the moon shines bright in the sky. Shortly after discovering his brother's true fate, Lawrence. swears to Ben's wife Gwen that he will bring her late husband's killer to justice. As a young boy, the untimely death of his mother caused Lawrence to grow up before his time. Though Lawrence had previously attempted to bury his pain in the past by leaving the quiet Victorian hamlet of Blackmoor behind, he discovers that you can't outrun fate when he's attacked by the very same nocturnal beast that claimed his brother. Not even recently arrived Scotland Yard inspector Aberline (Hugo Weaving) can dream up a rational explanation for the gruesome spell cast over Blackmoor, yet rumors of an ancient curse persist. According to legend, the afflicted will experience a horrific transformation by the light of the full moon. Now, the woman Talbot loves is in mortal danger, and in order to protect her he must venture into the moonlit woods and destroy the beast before it destroys her. But this isn't a typical hunt, because before the beast can be slain, a simple man will uncover a primal side of himself that he never knew existed. Screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker pens a film directed by Joe Johnston and featuring creature effects by special-effects makeup legend Rick Baker. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Cast: Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving, Art Malik.

Director: Joe Johnston

Release Date: Feb 12, 2010.

Rated R for bloody horror, violence and gore

Runtime: 2 hr. 5 min.

Genres: Action, Horror

Review:

More often than not, films that are beset with long production problem are destined to roll out as terrible films. Occasionally, a film will some how come together and find its way even with a myriad of trials and tribulations, Tombstone being one of the more recent examples that pop to mind. The Wolfman isn’t one of those films. Less its original director and after reshoots and delays, The Wolfman comes to the screen an unfocused mess. Joe Johnston took over the reigns after Mark Romanek walked off over creative differences. Johnston working in gothic horror is like watching a porcupine playing with a balloon. Johnson has no talent at building suspense or establishing characters as a result he drags down what is a fairly impressive cast. Benicio Del Toro gives what maybe be the stiffest most uninteresting performance of his career. He’s neither brooding nor conflicted instead he walks through scenes in an almost catatonic state only occasionally showing a glimmer of life. Anthony Hopkins crews scenery as readily as the Wolfman chews off appendages. In certain films Hopkins can be effective in this type of role but the script here is just a horrid unfocused hodgepodge that provides zero characterization. Emily Blunt is simply asked to look dour and speak in her natural British accent, nothing more nothing less. Hugo Weaving, like Hopkins, makes as much of an impression as possible but his effectiveness is severely limited as a result of the films massive flaws. Besides a bulldozer approach at direction from Johnston, whose over use of gore makes it more comic than scary, the script is wrought with issues. As mentioned the characters are all underwritten, the audience never has any idea what these characters motivations or connections are. This makes a film that is just over 2 hours long seem rushed but tedious at the same time. A major twist that could have been saved for the finale is just haphazardly thrown out in the open way too early in the game. The finale lacks any emotional bite and features a final battle that is funnier than it is dramatic. Kudos to Rick Baker’s practical effects which echo the work done in the original, sadly the CGI is mostly ineffective. Coupled with the fact that most of the outdoor scenes feel cheap and distinctly soundstagey this mess of a movie is neither enjoyable or scary.

D-