Struggling circus owner Max Medici enlists a former
star and his two children to care for Dumbo, a baby elephant born with
oversized ears. When the family discovers that the animal can fly, it soon
becomes the main attraction -- bringing in huge audiences and revitalizing the
run-down circus. The elephant's magical ability also draws the attention of
V.A. Vandevere, an entrepreneur who wants to showcase Dumbo in his latest,
larger-than-life entertainment venture.
Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Eva Green, Alan Arkin
Release Date: March 29, 2019
Genres: Family, Fantasy
Rated PG for peril/action, some thematic elements, and brief mild
language
Runtime: 1h 52min
Review:
Dumbo, the latest live action money grab from Disney, is a film that’s
visually lush but fairly sterile and bland.Tim Burton seems like a solid fit for this retelling of this tale of an
outsider, something Burton excels at.The odd thing is that
it’s a visually impressive film but it fails to connect on an emotional level
consistently.The CGI creation that is
Dumbo is impressive but it’s difficult to connect to the character since it
doesn’t talk like in the original film.Going for a more grounded approach is a bit of a misstep since you’re
supposed to connect with your lead character in order for the whole thing to
work.To compound the issue, Tim Burton
seems far more focused on the visuals of the film than the performances of his
A list cast.As a result we get some
fairly stilted performances that come off as overly broad and soulless which is
just startling considering the fact that you have such a strong and likable
cast.They each manage to shine in spots
but it never comes together to create a cohesive story since their characters
are so thinly written.As a result, this
live action redux feels fairly unnecessary and uninspired.
Following an extended hiatus, this week Disney’s Dumbo offered me the chance to reconnect with my local cinema.
Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn’t know from the trailers.
A baby elephant, whose large ears give him the ability to fly, takes a small circus to new heights…but the journey is not without peril.
Well, dear reader(s), I’ll be straight: I’m not much of a Disney fan. Other than that long-ago animated Robin Hood, if it’s Disney and it doesn’t have Jack Sparrow, I’m not all that interested. Having said that, I am *very* interested in Tim Burton, Colin Farrell, and Eva Green, so off to the Thursday sneak-peek of Dumbo I went.
Dumbo has a great deal going for it. Sincere performances from Farrell, Green, Danny DeVito, and Michael Keaton easily sell the fantastic premise, with the old story adapted for live action and new times. Sets, costumes, scenery, and Tim Burton's magical vision create a luscious landscape that is a true feast for the eyes, and, as always, it pairs perfectly with Danny Elfman's spellbinding score. The problem is, when you're done absorbing all that beauty, Dumbo is just...well...kinda boring. The movie clocks in well shy of two hours, but it felt like I was sitting in that theater for days. All the adorable elephants, colorful circus acts, and devastatingly handsome leading men in the world couldn't save it.
Dumbo runs 112 minutes and is rated PG for "peril/action, some thematic elements, and brief mild language."
Disney's Dumbo is a decent bit of Saturday-afternoon entertainment, but don't expect to remember it long after you've left the theater.
After a family tragedy, a boy named Jake (Asa Butterfield) follows a series
of clues that lead him to a mysterious orphanage on a remote Welsh island.
There, he discovers a community of children with unusual abilities, and learns
he is destined to protect them. Eva Green, Samuel L. Jackson, Kim Dickens,
Allison Janney, Judi Dench, Chris O'Dowd, Rupert Everett, and Terence Stamp
co-star. Directed by Tim Burton, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
was adapted from Ransom Riggs' debut novel of the same name. ~ Daniel Gelb,
Rovi
Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Eva Green, Asa Butterfield, Chris O'Dowd, Allison
Janney, Judi Dench
Release Date: Sep
30, 2016
Rated PG-13 for violence and Peril and Intense Fantasy
Action
Runtime: 2 hr. 7 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure, Family, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Review:
Tim Burton’s newest film is a
welcome return to his glory days as a director.The book seems ready made for Burton and give a certain feel that works in the films favor.The cast seems to be having a blast, for the
most part, with a radiant Eva Green leading the way.Green is always the most interesting person
on screen and the film loses some pop when she’s not on screen especially
during an extended absence in the final act.Ella Purnell gives the best performance of the titular peculiar
children.It’s a shame her story and
character isn’t fleshed out more.Also
not helping matters is the film’s male lead.Asa Butterfield is possibly one of the blandest actors I’ve watched in a
long time.His line deliver is so stiff
and uninspired that it almost feels like he might yawn in the middle of
it.On the other end of the spectrum is
Samuel L. Jackson who’s so over the top that’s its jarring when he first shows
up.Its not good or bad just odd.Equally odd is just how thinly written the
villain is.It’s a shame because with a
better lead and more dynamic villain this might have been scratching the top
tier of Burton films.
Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for a double-bill of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and Deepwater Horizon.
Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers or perhaps the news.
First up: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.
Some characters straight out of his grandfather's bedtime stories turn a young man's ordinary existence upside-down.
It goes without saying that a story with "peculiar" in the title is ideally suited to director Tim Burton. All of Burton's more recent projects have earned critical ire (mostly deserved), and, if Miss Peregrine isn't quite the Burton of old, at least it seems to be a step in the right direction.
The film boasts glorious production design, some lovely set pieces, and stunning locations; Burton has not lost his ability to find beauty in even the strangest and most macabre things. Colleen Atwood's costumes and a wonderful score by Michael Higham and Matthew Margeson perfectly compliment the eerie atmosphere.
Unfortunately, though the story is compelling, the movie seems to crawl along at a snail's pace. There's too little of the stellar Eva Green (who was born for this role), and too much of the bland child cast.
Asa Butterfield is perfectly dreadful in the lead; he might as well have been reading from cards. Nothing points to 3D being a worthwhile investment on this one, aside from the fact that, in 2D, the movie's often too dark to see what's happening.
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children clocks in at 127 minutes and is rated PG13 for "intense sequences of fantasty action/violence, and peril."
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is visually impressive enough to earn your big-screen dollars, but, sadly it's also something no idea so magical should ever be: kinda boring.
Of a possible nine Weasleys, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar children gets five.
Fangirl points: Keep your eyes open for a rare and delightful Tim Burton cameo!
Next up, the based-on-true-events tale of Deepwater Horizon.
An explosion on a free-floating offshore drilling rig has disastrous consequences.
Dear reader(s), Deepwater Horizon is one of those movies whose trailer was so ubiquitous and irritating that I worried the movie wouldn't have a chance of overcoming it, but I'm pleased to report my concern was mostly unfounded.
Mark Wahlberg stars as Mike Williams, a technician on the rig who is central to this telling of the story. We're introduced to his insufferably cutesy wife and daughter (Kate Hudson and Stella Allen), then to most of the rig's crew through his eyes, giving viewers just enough of each person to make sure they'll be acceptably sad for the unlucky ones.
The supporting cast has a fair few familiar faces: Kurt Russell, John Malkovich, and my celebrity boyfriend (per a super-scientific Buzzfeed quiz) Dylan O'Brien. There's enough setup to make it clear who're the Good Guys and the Bad Guys, and then--BOOM!--disaster.
The film doesn't waste too much time getting there and, to its credit, moves along nicely throughout. The bulk of the picture plays out as the rig's situation deteriorates and crew members try to save themselves and others. Deepwater Horizon does a perfect 180 from its advertising, showing individuals behaving heroically, minus the frustrating chest-thumping vibe of the trailer.
The movie's disaster effects are spectacular, with sound mixing and editing in particular deserving full marks. It's a bit dark and jiggly at times, but that only adds to viewers' ability to share the terror the folks aboard that rig must have felt.
Two small and random quibbles: Did Williams' wife really take time to do her nails over the course of these harrowing hours?
They're pink the whole movie, then a French manicure when she and their daughter reconnect with him at the hotel following the rescue. Also, looking at photos of the crew next to the actors portraying them, I'm thinking my wish to have Beyonce star in the story of my life isn't so unrealistic after all.
Deepwater Horizon runs 107 minutes and is rated PG13 for "prolonged, intense disaster sequences and related disturbing images, and brief strong language."
Deepwater Horizon might have been better suited to summer's action season than to awards season, but it's an edge-of-your-seat tale that hopefully will make the world more cautious and aware going forward.
Of a possible nine Weasleys, Deepwater Horizon gets six.
Robert Rodriguez teams with Frank Miller to direct this follow-up to Sin
City from a script by Miller and
William Monahan based on preexisting stories along with new ones written for
the big screen. Josh Brolin stars in the adaptation of the comic miniseries (Sin
City: A Dame to Kill For), which
tells the backstory of Clive Owen's Dwight character as he is wrapped up in the
thralls of femme fatale, Ava Eva Green. Also new to the series is Joseph Gordon-Levitt,
who plays Johnny, a mysterious gambler set on taking down his sworn enemy in a
high-stakes game of life and death. Mickey
Rourke, Rosario Dawson, Jessica Alba, and Jaime King return for the Dimension
Films release, with Jamie Chung and Dennis Haysbert stepping into roles left by
Devon Aoki and the late Michael Clarke Duncan. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
Director: Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez
Cast: Josh Brolin, Mickey Rourke, Joseph Gordon-Levitt,
Eva Green, Jessica Alba.
Rated R for pervasive violence, sex, nudity, smoking, and drugs
The follow up to Sin
City from Frank Miller and Robert
Rodriguez goes well with its predecessor even if it’s lost a bit of its bite
this go around.The style, violence and
attitude carry over keeping the film visually interesting but kind of a mixed
bag in terms of a story.The good part
of the film involves anything that contains Mickey Rourke who slips back into
Marv’s skin with incredible ease and the always impressive Eva Green.Green has a second Frank Miller sequel she’s
single handedly props up.Eva is always
the most interesting person on screen as chews up scenery as the man eating
black widow.It’s an over the top
performance but hints of subtly showcasing Green’s talent and a fair amount of
self awareness.She knows exactly what
kind of film this is and what the directors are aiming for, as a result she knocks
it out of the park.On the opposite end
of the spectrum is Jessica Alba who misses the mark badly.Even worse, she seems totally unaware about
how badly she’s doing.Rourke is great
but his role is greatly reduced here since he’s more of a supporting player for
Josh Brolin who’s surprisingly unmemorable and bland.Dennis Haysbert fills in capably for the late
Michael Clarke Duncan while Jamie Chung is fairly distracting filling in for
Devon Aoki for some reason, it might be obnoxious amount of make up they piled
on her.The biggest disappointment is
Joseph Gordon-Levitt and it has nothing to do with his performance which is
fine.The problem is that his entire
segment and character is utterly pointless.It makes the entire film feel longer than it actually is, making it a
bit of a slog even for fans of the series.
Dearest Blog, determined NOT to burn 130 minutes on video-game flick,
yesterday I took a pass on the weekend's new releases and caught up on a
couple movies I'd missed: Philomena and 300: Rise of an Empire.
Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know or have guessed from the trailers.
My opening act was Philomena.
A woman who was sent to a convent as a pregnant teen enlists the help of a journalist to find the son who was taken from her.
Now,
dear readers, I know what you're thinking: "Isn't it kind of pointless
for a nobody like you to review a film that the Academy of Motion
Picture Arts & Sciences has already deemed one of last year's top
ten best movies?" To you cynics I reply: No more pointless than any of
my other reviews.
So there.
Having said that, I'll cop to being in
agreement with the Academy on this one. Philomena is a beautiful movie
that manages to tell a sad story without ever being miserable about it.
Judi Dench is just perfect in the title role, moving effortlessly from
devout and stoic to heartbreaking to hilariously clueless. Steve Coogan
is also phenomenal as the jaded journalist charged with bringing
Philomena's story to light. Though it's hardly a fast-paced action
thriller, Philomena felt about ten minutes long, and I was well and
truly sad when it was over (though I was delighted to escape the four
over-perfumed women who sat in front of me and talked loudly through the
whole thing).
Philomena runs 98 minutes and is rated PG13 for "some strong language, thematic elements, and sexual references."
Philomena
may not have been the Academy's choice as last year's Best Picture, but
I think it would have been mine. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Philomena
gets eight and a half.
The second half of my Saturday double-bill was the prequel/sequel/whatever 300: Rise of an Empire.
A general hopes to unite Greece's armies against invading Persians.
Confession
time: I've never bothered to watch the first 300 all the way through. I
mean, since it's been running here and there on TV for nearly a decade,
I've probably seen the whole thing in bits, but I've never felt
compelled to sit down and watch it properly. One decent new release
would have bumped the sequel off my weekend agenda as well, but I guess
the people who made 300 can thank Need for Speed for my seven bucks.
Rise
of an Empire gives the fetching Eva Green free reign to ham it up in
the female lead. If you're a girl, I can't imagine you'd walk out in
less than an ass-kicking mood. (Gentlemen, beware!) Sullivan Stapleton
is about as ho-hum a leading man as I've ever seen, but the material
doesn't exactly require a Robert Downey, Jr., so it's not that much of a
problem. I was delighted to see Hans Matheson in a featured role; I've
missed him these last couple years.
As you'd expect, Rise of an
Empire is a good-looking film. The battle scenes are well choreographed
and gruesome, the scenery and costumes quite striking, and I instantly
fell in love with the movie's thundering soundtrack. Unfortunately, none
of that was enough to hold my attention for the duration, and I found
plenty of time to contemplate things like Stapleton's ugly toenails and
whoever thought it was a good idea to go into battle in mini-skirts and
sandals. Oh, where the mind wanders when you give it a little lead...
300:
Rise of an Empire clocks in at 102 minutes and is rated R for "strong
sustained sequences of stylized bloody violence throughout, a sex scene,
nudity, and some language." It's enjoyable enough, but nothing I'll be
running back to see again and again.
Of a possible nine Weasleys,
300: Rise of an Empire gets five, because any less wouldn't properly
show my appreciation for dirty, bloody, half-naked dudes.
Until next time.
Well, I don't know about you, but the minute I visit craft services, my skirt feels too tight...
Greek general Themistokles (Sullivan Stapleton) assembles his troops to fend
off an invading Persian army led by the immortal Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) and
the vindictive Persian navy commander Artemisia (Eva Green) in this sequel to
300 based on the graphic novel Xerses by Frank Miller. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Noam Murro
Cast: Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Lena
Headey, Rodrigo Santoro, David Wenham
Release Date: Mar
07, 2014
RealD 3D
Rated: R for strong sustained sequences of stylized
bloody violence throughout, a sex scene, nudity and some language
Runtime: 1 hr. 43 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Review:
Whether you loved it or hated it, 300 was a landmark film of
sorts.Its visual style set off a series
of imitators all trying to achieve that level of visual glory.I personally loved 300 even if its story was
a bit hollow, the visual fest on display was more than enough to make up for
it.8 years later with a new director at the helm
we finally get a sort of sequel.It’s a
prequel and sequel all rolled up in one with event happening before, concurrently
and after the events of 300.It covers a
lot of ground and surprisingly it’s incredibly engaging powered by a beefier
story behind it.Sullivan Stapleton is a
fine lead even if he doesn’t have the bravado or magnetism of Gerard Butler’s Leonidas.Eva Green though is the real star of the
film.She vamps up the screen with a maniacal
glee which is sure to leave a lasting impression all while wearing an
assortment of dominatrix meets gladiator fetish garb.Each of their roles has a nice bit of depth giving
them more heft than expected, it’s a shame there very little characterization for
the supporting characters though.As a
result pretty much all the supporting players are just fodder for the
beautifully choreographed battles.Blood
splatters everywhere, typically followed by limbs or heads, in a dizzying
display of blood soaked madness all on the high seas!The film ends with a nice opening for the
final chapter; hopefully it won’t take another 8 years.
It's been a long wait but we finally have our first look at the follow up to the original Sin City. This sequel has been talked about for years but stuck in perpetual production hell until it finally gained traction in the last year and half.
This teaser is likely to thrill fans but probably won't convert newcomers. Since the sequel is being released around the same time as this past year's Machete Kills, I get the feeling that Rodriguez and Miller are going all out.....
300 was a stylish mix of high tech visuals and pseudo historical fantasy. It was much stronger on the visual side than it was on the story side but it was enjoyable.
The trailer for the upcoming sequel offers up similarly striking visuals with scant details about the story. We do get a glance at Eva Green’s villainess and some impressive looking sea set battles. We'll have to wait till March 2014 to see if it comes together as a film.
Entombed for 200 years after betraying vengeful witch Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green), 18th century vampire Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp) returns to Collinwood Manor in 1972, only to find his estate in ruins and his family plagued by macabre secrets in Tim Burton's reboot of the popular supernatural soap opera. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, Chloe Moretz
Release Date: May 11, 2012
Rated PG-13 for Language, Comic Horror Violence, Sexual Content, Smoking and Some Drug Use
Runtime: 1 hr. 52 min.
Genres: Comedy, Horror
Review:
Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows is an endearing film which shows his obvious affection for the source material. The script written by Seth Grahame-Smith, whose humor is most subtle than the trailer suggest, peppers the film with plenty of melodrama to fulfill several soap operas. He hits on the major points of the original series and provides a workable narrative, it’s not perfect but not the slap stick mess it could have been. While it’s more lighthearted than the original series it’s not the parody some expected. Johnny Depp, in his Burton required mime make up, chews up the screen creating an endearing take on Barnabas Collins. I can’t say it’s different enough to make it memorable but still it’s well done if not singular. Eva Green is equally vampified, showcasing an obvious on screen glee playing her character throughout. The best sequences involve interchanges between Deep and Green as they riff and joust with each other during various points in the films. Sadly, the remaining cast has to deal with thinly written caricatures. A radiant Michelle Pfeiffer and Helena Bonham Carter get the most screen time but are given nothing to do. The rest aren’t required to do more than show up here and there and get out way. A fun finale caps off the film in fine fashion even if it leads to a totally unnecessary sequel set up. As a fan of the original series, I found Burton’s take an adequate homage to a cult classic.
