MOVIE REVIEW: THE HITMAN'S WIFE'S BODYGUARD

 

The world's most lethal odd couple -- bodyguard Michael Bryce and hit man Darius Kincaid -- are back for another life-threatening mission. Still unlicensed and under scrutiny, Bryce is forced into action by Darius's even more volatile wife. Soon, all three are in over their heads when a madman's sinister plot threatens to leave Europe in total chaos.

Director: Patrick Hughes

Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Salma Hayek, Richard E. Grant, Frank Grillo, Tom Hopper, Antonio Banderas, Morgan Freeman

Release Date: June 16, 2021

Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime

Rated R for strong bloody violence throughout, pervasive language, and some sexual content

Runtime: 1h 39min

Review:

The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard never really breaks any new ground on the genre and it's script feels hackneyed and lazy but its still manages to provide some good mindless R rated fun.  Patrick Hughes directs his film with a made for standard cable feel to it even with the A list talent.  The action is fast and energetic set in attractive European locales but it all feels disposable like they could have been lifted from a dozen other films.  Thankfully, he's edited this film down to a lean hour and half so it's kinetic energy doesn't become exhausting like the first film.  Ultimately what save this film is the what made the first film work the chemistry of the cast.  Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson are once again set to ten for the duration of the film as curse words and bullets fly.  Salma Hayek gets a much larger role here and it's to the film's benefit since she can play just as rough and loose as her two counter parts.  Antonio Banderas is just as a fun sporting a fabulous blonde wig while doing his best mock James Bond Villain.  It's all decidedly goofy and silly but you get the feeling the cast knows exactly what kind of film they are making, Frank Grillo's over the top Boston accent should be a dead giveaway, and they have fun with it.  The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard isn't going to be topping a lot of people top ten films of the year but it's goofy enough for an enjoyable bit of mindless fun.

C+

Cindy Prascik's Review of Angel Has Fallen

Yesterday it was off to the pictures for Angel Has Fallen, the latest installment in Gerard Butler's Secret Service series.

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

Framed for an assassination attempt on the President, Secret Service agent Mike Banning is on the run for his life.

Angel Has Fallen jumps out of the gate with an intense action sequence and never much lets up. There are a few quiet moments that lay out the private life Agent Bannon has made for himself since last we saw him, but mostly this movie knows where its bread is buttered and keeps the car chases and explosions rolling. Gerard Butler is again serviceable in the lead, a meathead trying hard to look like something more but never quite getting there. The supporting cast is as good as it needs to be, but cringe-worthy dialogue and juvenile humor don't give it much to work with. Despite offering few surprises, Angel Has Fallen maintains tension and is, in places, very nicely filmed. It's a big, loud, end-of-summer romp that is likely to fade from memory before you're out the theater door. Angel Has Fallen clocks in at 121 minutes and is rated R for, "violence and language throughout."

Angel Has Fallen is a by-the-numbers actioner that doesn't exceed expectations, but maybe it doesn't need to.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Angel Has Fallen gets six. Until next time...

Cindy Prascik's Review of Ben-Hur & Kubo and the Two Strings

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to the chariot races...erm...off to Marquee Cinemas for Ben-Hur and Kubo and the Two Strings. Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

First on the docket, the ill-advised remake of Ben-Hur. An exiled prince returns home to seek revenge on the brother who wronged his family.

Regular reader(s) may recall that religious-themed movies fall at or about Nicholas Sparks-level on the list of "Things I Endure Only Under Duress."

I have no great love for 1959's Ben-Hur, but it's an iconic enough piece of cinema that even I recognized this remake as a bad idea. However, I think any movie with Jack Huston is a very good idea indeed, so I headed out to cheer on my man in his silly chariot race.

*sigh* The good news is, while Ben-Hur is far from a great movie, it's not nearly as terrible as I'd feared. Let's get the bad out of the way first, shall we?

This remake is a good 90 minutes shorter than its predecessor, but it still goes on a bit. Some of the dialoge is wrong for the characters and/or the time period, and some of it is just plain wrong.

The first act features some weirdly awkward time hops, the second act is a criminal waste of Morgan Freeman, and the ending is so cheesy it's almost physically painful, but....... Jack Huston is in nearly every single frame of this picture.

I mean, almost every last one. When a guy's the sole reason you plunk down your ten bucks for a ticket, it's hard to complain about a movie that ponies up like that.

Huston is a truly great actor and Ben-Hur doesn't come close to giving his talent a workout, but he does as well as anyone could with it.

There are some gorgeous costumes and nice looking sets, and the film's sound effects are particularly well done. I'm not a believer, myself, but Jesus (whose appearance amounts to little more than a cameo), provides a timely and important reminder that we have to start being better to each other. Really, people. Finally, if the chariot race is what puts butts in the seats, that sequence is a well-executed nail-biter, even if you already know the outcome.

Ben-Hur clocks in at 124 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sequences of violence and disturbing images."

Ben-Hur isn't quite the disaster most anticipated, but that's hardly a ringing endorsement. Oh, and, Jack...if the best of your last three movies is Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, it might be time to have a little chat with the agent.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Ben-Hur gets five. (But I'll probably see it again because...SO MUCH JACK HUSTON!)

Next up: Kubo and the Two Strings. A boy sets out on a quest to find the magical items that will protect him from an old enemy.

Kubo and the Two Strings is a gorgeous telling of a gorgeous story. The art and animation are breathtaking and unique, and the tale reflects its culture while being signifcant and relatable to everyone.

Big-name voice talent, in the form of Charlize Theron and Matthew McConaughey, adds to the film's appeal, as does a lovely score by Dario Marianelli. (Be sure to stick around for Regina Spektor's haunting cover of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" over the end credits!) On the downside, the story is a little slow at times, and some parts may be too scary for younger viewers.

The 3D is also kind of pointless, so don't waste the extra three bucks if you can avoid it. Kubo and the Two Strings runs 101 minutes and is rated PG for "thematic elements, scary images, action, and peril." 2016 is proving to be a banner year for really great animated offerings, and Kubo and the Two Strings is among the best.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Kubo and the Two Strings gets seven and a half.

Until next time...

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Gods of Egypt & London Has Fallen

 

 

 

 

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for the laughable double-bill of Gods of Egypt and London Has Fallen, or, as I like to call it, The Unintentional Gerard Butler Film Festival. 

 

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know or have guessed from the trailers. First on my agenda, Gods of Egypt. Exiled god Horus reluctantly teams with a mortal to reclaim his crown and save Egypt. 

 

Dear Reader(s), I'ma be straight with ya: if I could just post that little emoji that's laughing so hard it’s crying, that'd the most accurate review of Gods of Egypt you'd find anywhere. Since I call myself a movie blogger, though, I'd better try a bit harder. Much has been made of Egypt's casting white faces in roles clearly meant for people of color. But wait...the ridiculousness hardly ends there! This picture boasts some of the most laughably bad dialogue I've ever heard. 

 

EVER. The costumes range from elementary-school pageant to pole dancer. (One thing gods and mortals apparently have in common: a great rack!) While the movie has some nifty effects, it's also got some of the worst green-screen work you'll ever see outside an episode of Once Upon a Time. There's a veritable grab-bag of accents, and that's not even accounting for anyone besides Gerard Butler! In fact, the acting is across-the-board so hilariously terrible that even the mighty trio of Rufus Sewell, Geoffrey Rush, and Chadwick Boseman can't combine for one decent performance. Now, having said all that...I found Gods of Egypt to be a great laugh. It's so bad that I can't believe it's anything other than willfully so, a B-movie that somehow scored itself an A-list budget. 

 

Oh, and, for the record, the movie was written by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless, whose previous credits include Dracula Untold and The Last Witch Hunter, so...yeah...if you're wanting your picture to be taken seriously, maybe don't hire those two, m-kay? Gods of Egypt clocks in at an excessive 127 minutes and is rated PG13 for "fantasy violence and action, and some sexuality." 

 

If you're looking for a good laugh at Hollywood's expense, it doesn't get funnier than this. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, 

 

Gods of Egypt gets four. 

 

Next on the docket, the sequel London Has Fallen. When the American President (Aaron Eckhart) again finds himself in peril, it's Secret Service agent Mike Bannon (Gerard Butler) to the rescue. London Has Fallen is essentially just an excuse to combine massive chaos and destruction with a healthy dose of "'Murica!" 

 

The plot is paper thin, as world leaders pay the price for civilian casualties of an earlier strike against terrorism. You don't need to guess which world leader gets out alive, thanks to his ballsy protective detail, who also happens to be devastatingly handsome and quite the comic to boot...oh, Hollywood! Though a sequel to 2013's Olympus Has Fallen probably wasn't strictly necessary, this second installment doesn't overstay its welcome, and it's a decently good time if you enjoy a couple hours of watching stuff blow up around a pair of pretty good-looking guys. 

 

Some great talent--Morgan Freeman, Jackie Earle Haley, Melissa Leo--is wasted here, turning up for basically a cup of coffee and a paycheck, but the movie's certainly no worse for having names like that among its cast. 

 

As cinema escapism goes, you could do a lot worse (although the guy behind me who snored loudly for the duration might say different). London Has Fallen runs a quick 99 minutes and is rated R for "strong violence and language throughout." 

 

While you won't need to remember its name long-term for this year's awards season, in the short term, London Has Fallen provides a healthy dose of brain candy. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, London Has Fallen gets five. 

 

Until next time... 

 

MOVIE REVIEW: TED 2

Ted (voice of Seth MacFarlane) ties the knot with Tami-Lynn (Jessica Barth), and recruits his best friend John (Mark Wahlberg) as a sperm donor in order to start a family in this sequel to the comedy hit about a teddy bear come to life. Later, when the Commonwealth of Massachusetts demands that Ted appear before a judge to prove he's a real person, the frisky bear and his pal vow to fight for their civil rights. Morgan Freeman and Amanda Seyfried co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Seth MacFarlane

Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Seth MacFarlane, Amanda Seyfried, Jessica Barth, Morgan Freeman.

Release Date: Jun 26, 2015

Rated: R for crude and Sexual Content, Pervasive Language, and Some Drug Use

Runtime: 1 hr. 55 min.

Genres: Comedy

Review:

Ted 2 is a perfect example of diminishing returns on comedy sequels.  That’s not to say that it’s not funny, it’s laugh out loud in parts, but it’s just not nearly as consistent as the original.  Seth MacFarlane seems to sense that the novelty of a hard drinking, cussing teddy bear might be wearing thin so he tries to expound on the idea with the civil rights angle.  I appreciate the attempt but it doesn’t work since the character is basically a living cartoon.  As a result, there are lots of dead spots trying to flesh out the concept leaving the comedy on the side for a good portion of the ride.  It’s a shame because if he stuck to what worked in the first film, it might have made for a funnier overall film.  As is, Ted 2 is an overlong comedy sequel that’s quickly forgettable.

C

Cindy Prascik's Review of Hercules & Lucy

Dearest Blog, today it was off to the cinema for a double-bill guaranteed to make me feel like a doughy old lump: Dwayne Johnson's Hercules and Scarlett Johansson's Lucy.

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

First on the docket was Hercules.

Having successfully completed his legendary Twelve Labors, Hercules and his band of mercenaries find something besides gold that's worth fighting for.

Now, reader(s), you just knew this one was going to be silly, didn't you? Yeah, so did I, but it doesn't take itself very seriously at all, so I didn't mind. Dwayne Johnson is, as always, a truly engaging screen presence. You'll probably never see this guy carting home an Academy Award, but dude knows how to win and hold an audience.

You'll wonder why John Hurt and Ian McShane (one of my all-time favorites), even bother with stuff like this, but the movie is better for having them, so no complaints here. I'm sure their bank accounts have no complaints, either. The wonderful Rufus Sewell is also a welcome addition. Hercules' effects are decent and of course HUGE, if nothing too special. The story is passable entertainment, but, with such scintillating dialogue as, "Don't just stand there, KILL SOMEBODY!"...well...it isn't exactly Aaron Sorkin.

Hercules runs 98 minutes and is rated PG13 for "epic battle sequences, violence, suggestive comments, brief strong language, and partial nudity."

If it's just brainless fun, well, I'll take self-aware silliness like this over pompous drivel like the Planet of the Apes franchise any day.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Hercules gets five and a half.

Next up was ScarJo headlining Lucy.

A party girl living abroad is forced to carry drugs out of the country. When the package leaks inside her, it expands her mind's capacity to unthinkable levels.

Okay, confession time. I am what Hollywood refers to as "part of the problem." I don't generally see movies that star women. Women's movies don't interest me, and even an action thriller starring a woman wouldn't have made my list on a stronger weekend. Having said that, I've been falling a little bit in love with Scarlett Johansson's voice of late (but who hasn't...am I right, Joaquin Phoenix??), and since it was a weak weekend and Hercules wouldn't work with another screening of Jersey Boys, Lucy wound up the default closer of my double-header.

I admit, I was surprised by Lucy, and not altogether pleasantly. I wasn't bored--which I feared I would be--but at some point the movie degenerates from a solid-if-predictable action movie to broadly-drawn science fiction, and, while I didn't hate it, I also didn't love it. Johansson is capable in the lead, not to mention pretty darn hot, and Morgan Freeman is steady if somewhat underused.

I very much like the idea, but am unsold on its execution, and if the little science-class movie clips were kind of clever the first dozen times, I got tired of that trick before the halfway mark. To its credit, the movie keeps moving and doesn't wear out its welcome, but it would have fared better had filmmakers toned down the sci-fi a bit.

Lucy clocks in at 90 minutes and is rated R for "strong violence, disturbing images, and sexuality."

A little something different to break up your summer of superheroes and sequels, of a possible nine Weasleys, Lucy gets six...which would probably be at least half a Weasley higher if it were Louis instead.

Until next time..

Do I care if this movie is terrible? No, I do not.

MOVIE REVIEW: LUCY

Morgan Freeman and Scarlett Johansson headline this EuropaCorp/TF1 Films co-production directed by Luc Besson, and released by Universal Pictures. The story centers on a woman (Johansson) who falls prey to sinister underworld forces, but who gains superhuman abilities that allow her to strike back at her oppressors. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Luc Besson 

Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman

Release Date: Jul 25, 2014

Rated: R for Sexuality, Disturbing Images and Strong Violence 

Runtime: 1 hr. 28 min. 

Genres: Action/Adventure, Suspense/Thriller 

Review:

Luc Besson has made some solid films over his career but he’s made some fairly terrible ones as well.  Lucy falls into latter category in spite of Scarlett Johansson’s best Small Wonder impression.  Besson waste a fairly decent premise which is rather intriguing for an instant before it devolves into a rapid vortex of stupidity all while playing it straight.  Besson really thinks he’s making a thought provoking film that’s posing some serious questions, you can tell by the film student quick cuts of stock footage to hammer home points, instead it’s probably one of the stupidest movies I’ve seen this year.  By the time the third act pops up and Morgan Freeman shows up, presumably having walked over from the set of Transcendence, you just have to hold out to see when this silliness will end which it does rather quickly and abruptly.

D

Cindy Prascik Review of Transcendence

Dearest Blog, yesterday I took full advantage of a day off to sneak out to the cinema. On my agenda was the new Johnny Depp flick, Transcendence.

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

When a brilliant A.I. researcher is gunned down by opponents of his work, his grieving widow and a former colleague seek a way to save him, but the result of their efforts is not quite what they intended.

Well, dear Blog, the first thing I noticed when I got to the theatre yesterday was that I couldn't check in to Transcendence on TV Tag (formerly GetGlue); it wasn't even in their library. I thought to myself, "Self, that can't be a good sign," and I was right. Opening on a holiday weekend to a pretty busy cinema, there were only three other people in the room with me, far fewer than for my second screening of Captain America: The Winter Soldier afterward.

As regular reader(s) and anyone who knows me will be well aware, I think Johnny Depp is the world's finest living actor. I've been a fan since his days on Jump Street, and, while his performance never lets me down (even in sub-par movies), I admit I've grown tired of him playing the quirky guy in the funny hat, and was ready for something at least a little bit more serious. Sadly, after seeing Transcendence, I think I'd almost rather have had another Mad Hatter; the role was so blah I wasn't even looking forward to his screen time as the movie dragged on. Rebecca Hall is fine as his widow, though she, too, has little to work with and does even less with it. (Also, leggings, big shirts, and ballet flats are not her best look. She's one of my favorite girl crushes, and I was deeply saddened by this.) The rest of the cast is a who's who of faces I love seeing, to the point that listing them all here would venture into the ridiculous. Instead I'll just say a movie that can't be fixed by Clifton Collins, Jr. simply can't be fixed at all.

Transcendence doesn't exceed my recommended two-hour guideline, yet it seems to go on forever. The premise is fascinating and the cast solid...yet somehow the execution fails completely. I grew more bored by the second and practically sprinted from my seat when it was over (and not just because I was that eager to see Sebastian Stan again...no matter what you've heard)!

Transcendence isn't a terrible move, but, when you can't help comparing what it is with what it could and should have been, it's bound to be a disappointment.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Transcendence gets four and a half.
Until next time...

 

I call it Transcendence!

MOVIE REVIEW: TRANSCENDENCE

A brilliant innovator in the field of Artificial Intelligence becomes the bridge in the gap between man and machine in this sci-fi thriller starring Johnny Depp. His entire career, Dr. Will Caster (Depp) has been working toward one goal -- to create a machine possessing the entire spectrum of human emotions, and the collective intelligence of every person who has ever lived. But while Dr. Caster's unorthodox experiments have made him famous in scientific circles, a radical anti-tech group known as Rift is determined to stop him at all costs. In the midst of an attack on A.I. labs across the United States, one Rift agent manages to shoot Dr. Caster with a radioactive bullet, ensuring his death. Little did Rift realize that their efforts to destroy Dr. Caster would only make him stronger than they ever could have imagined, because before he dies, his wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall) and best friend Max (Paul Bettany) successfully transfer Dr. Caster's consciousness into a computer, where his hunger for knowledge and power transforms him into an unstoppable force of sentient energy inhabiting every computer and electrical system on the planet. Morgan Freeman co-stars. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Wally Pfister

Cast: Johnny Depp, Paul Bettany, Rebecca Hall, Morgan Freeman, Kate Mara

Release Date: Apr 18, 2014

Rated: PG-13 for sci-fi action and violence, some bloody images, brief strong language and 

sensuality

Runtime: 1 hr. 59 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Suspense/Thriller

Review:

Transcendence is a movie that desperately wants you to think that it’s intelligent.  It throws so much technobabble at you that you vaguely start to think it might be smart. Until you snap out of it and realize it is a hodgepodge of sci-fi tropes and clichés is nothing but a silly Frankenstein, Skynet, Her retread.  Wally Pfister, Christopher Nolan’s long time award winning cinematographer, first film is visually impressive but thematically empty.  Pfister’s style is wasted on such a silly script and story.  Even worse it’s filled with top name talent that’s wasted throughout.  Some people might be comforted by the fact that Depp isn’t doused in two pounds of make up in this film but the trick’s on you because he disappears from the film fairly quickly with the majority of the film’s performance done by an avatar.  I had a passing thought that his contract stated he’s do this movie if he only physically had to be there at the start and end of filming.  Rebecca Hall and Paul Bettany are given fairly thankless roles of looking sad and not much else, Bettany is allowed to grow a beard at one point so that counts for something.  Kate Mara, whose creepy looking enough, sports a bad blonde dye job and enough black eye mascara to give a raccoon pause.  Even worse off are poor Morgan Freeman and Cillian Murphy who, I assume, thought were shooting another Batman film and were thoroughly disappointed when they showed up, much like you will be when this crock is over.

D

MOVIE REVIEW: THE LEGO MOVIE

A lowly Lego figure (voiced by Chris Pratt) joins a group intent on battling an evil force after a case of mistaken identity in this computer-generated comedy from the filmmakers behind Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and co-director Chris McKay (Robot Chicken). Will Arnett co-stars as the voice of Batman, who along with Superman, make appearances in the Warner Bros. picture. Elizabeth Banks, Morgan Freeman, Will Ferrell, Liam Neeson, and Alison Brie head up the rest of the voice cast. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Director: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller

Cast: Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Will Ferrell, Morgan Freeman

Release Date: Feb 07, 2014

Rated PG for Rude Humor and Mild Action

Runtime: 1 hr. 35 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Animated, Comedy

Review:

The Lego Movie is quite an accomplishment. It is an hour and half commercial for the product which shouldn’t come as a surprise but it’s also an absurdly clever, well written and exceedingly enjoyable throughout. The script and plot will keep parents and children entertained for the entire runtime. The animation itself is wonderful, giving us the look of claymation even though it’s all computer generated. It’s a dizzying visual feast which will keep your eyes glued to the screen. The voice cast all deliver wonderful work. Each of them sounds like they are just having a blast working on the film. Morgan Freeman in particular is just a riot as he delivers some of the film’s best lines along with Will Arnett. There are a handful of wonderful cameos of all kind in the film so giving anything away would spoil the fun. The Lego Movie is one of the best animated films I’ve seen and I hope future entries maintain the same level of quality.

A

Cindy Prascik’s Review of Oblivion

Dearest Blog, yesterday my dear cuz and I headed out to the cinema to check out Tom Cruise's latest flick, Oblivion.

Spoiler level here will be mild.

Future Earth is a wasteland, its few remaining inhabitants charged with safeguarding those resources needed by survivors living off-planet.
Ima be straight with ya, dear Blog, I thought I was gonna love Oblivion. I've been comparing it with Will Smith's upcoming post-Apocalyptic blockbuster, After Earth, and was sure this one would be the winner of the two. Though it's not really a loser, terming Oblivion a winner might be over-reaching.

As you'd expect, Tom Cruise is solid in the lead, Morgan Freeman and my best gal Melissa Leo equally so in lesser roles. Cruise's leading ladies, Olga Kurylenko and Andrea Riseborough, are ho-hum and painfully annoying, respectively. Of the remaining supporting cast, all that's worth mentioning is that Game of Thrones' Nikolaj Coster-Waldau looks really good.

Oblivion is smart, but slow, sci-fi, and I'll cop to dozing off at least once. I can give full marks for production design, but the other tech was sometimes so laughably awful I wondered how it slipped into such a high-profile blockbuster. For the most part, I think Oblivion is a pretty well done film, but just not one I found all that enjoyable. Or, to sum it up, as we exited the cinema, my cuz' first words were, "Well...I didn't hate it......."

Oblivion clocks in at an excessive 126 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sci-fi action violence, brief strong language, and some sensuality/nudity." I'm so "meh" about it that I fear it may do to After Earth what Cloud Atlas did to Life of Pi, that is, I won't be able to force myself to see the second, the first left me with such a sour taste.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Oblivion gets five.

Until next time...





...still more technically advanced than Oblivion...

MOVIE REVIEW: OBLIVION

A solitary drone repairman working on a war-ravaged planet Earth becomes humanity's last hope for survival in this ambitious sci-fi epic from Tron Legacy director Joseph Kosinski, and Rise of the Planet of the Apes producer Peter Chernin. Olga Kurylenko and Morgan Freeman co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Cast: Tom Cruise, Olga Kurylenko, Morgan Freeman, Andrea Riseborough, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau

Release Date: Apr 19, 2013

Rated PG-13 for nudity, Brief Strong Language, Sci-Fi Action Violence and Some Sensuality

Runtime: 2 hr. 5 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Review:

You’d be hard pressed to argue that Joseph Kosinski can’t direct a beautiful movie with loads of cool visuals. Both Tron: Legacy and Oblivion are incredibly pretty films but both lack any semblance of emotion or originality. Oblivion takes liberal doses of “inspirations” from a variety of sci-fi classics from the past and even more recent fare. There are moments were the film is nearly in danger of becoming more than the sum of its parts but it just never gets there. There’s plenty to keep you busy and the eye candy on display is occasionally thrilling if terribly familiar. There are plenty of twists and turns in the overly complicated plot. The film would have been better served if the plot were streamlined and avoided some of the more obvious “surprise” turns, some of which are telegraphed as early as the first 10 minutes of the film. Tom Cruise does his usual reliable work but, through no fault of his own, we never feel a connection with his character. Instead it feels like he’s simply driving us through the terrain. Olga Kurylenko, who looks like she’s just had a very sour lemon most of the time and Andrea Riseborough aren’t asked to do much. As a result, the audience is always kept at arms length leaving us thinking about the films that touched on the same subject matter in much better fashion.

C

Cindy Prascik’s Movie Review : The Croods / Olympus Has Fallen

Dearest Blog, yesterday I set out for the cinema, hoping two highly-anticipated offerings would meet expectations.
Spoiler level here is mild, limited to things you'd know from the trailers.

First on my agenda: DreamWorks Animation's The Croods.


A prehistoric family are forced to flee their cave after it's destroyed by a disaster that threatens to change their lives forever in this animated adventure featuring the voices of Nicolas Cage and Emma Stone. As a protective caveman father leads his family out of harm's way, the clan crosses paths with a resourceful teen named Guy (voice of Ryan Reynolds), who offers to help them reach a distant land where they'll be safe from an impending catastrophe that will soon alter the entire world. Catherine Keener, Clark Duke, and Cloris Leachman round out the cast of vocal performers. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Kirk De Micco

Cast: Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, Cloris Leachman.

Release Date: Mar 22, 2013

Rated PG for some scary action

Runtime: 1 hr. 31 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Animated, Family


Much to the dismay of a rebellious daughter (Emma Stone), the patriarch (Nicolas Cage) of a pre-historic family believes the only way to keep them safe is to stay within the dark and gloomy confines of their cave home. His theory, as well as his ability to protect his family, are put to the test when the cave is destroyed.

Not gonna lie, dear Blog, I have a ridiculous amount of faith in DreamWorks Animation. Think it's got something to do with How to Train Your Dragon being...oh...only the best animated feature ever. I'm pleased to report that, despite a sluggish start, The Croods does not find my faith misplaced.

The Croods looks magnificent. No words could possibly describe just how gorgeous this film is; you have to see it. I was moved to tears a time or two by its physical beauty alone. Take Oz: The Great and Powerful, and multiply that by about a hundred. Full marks to the artistic and technical staff.

If The Croods' father/daughter tale is a little familiar, and if you see some things coming a mile or so out, that's easy enough to forgive in such a sweet and genuine picture. The voice cast is spot-on, with Cage and Stone joined by Ryan Reynolds, Cloris Leachman, and Catherine Keener.

The Croods does start out somewhat slow, and for 20 minutes or so, I feared I had another Oz on my hands; that is, I'd be left loving the look and nothing else. Once it gets moving, though, the movie's filled with action, laugh-out-loud moments, and a sincere and touching family tale.

The Croods runs 98 minutes, and is rated PG for "some scary action." It's no How to Train Your Dragon, but, of a possible nine Weasleys, it easily earns seven.

Next up was the action/thriller Olympus Has Fallen.



An ex-Special Forces operative and former presidential bodyguard must fight to take back the White House from terrorists who have kidnapped the Commander in Chief in this high-stakes action thriller directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, Shooter) and starring Gerard Butler. Melissa Leo, Angela Bassett, Robert Forster, and Radha Mitchell co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Antoine Fuqua

Cast: Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett, Melissa Leo.

Release Date: Mar 22, 2013 Rated R for Strong Violence and Language Throughout

Runtime: 2 hr. 0 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Suspense/Thriller


When terrorists overrun the White House, taking President Harvey Dent, erm, I mean Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart) and his top staff hostage, it's left to Mike Banning (Gerard Butler), an ex-Secret Service agent, to save the President...and the nation.
Olympus Has Fallen is extremely well cast; every actor is a perfect fit for his role.

Aaron Eckhart is very leaderly as a young-ish Commander in Chief. Gerard Butler has never been a favorite of mine. I've softened considerably towards him since he became Stoic the Vast, but think I'm still holding a grudge over Phantom of the Opera!

Yet I found him surprisingly watchable in Olympus, and I think he plays the tormented hero well. Angela Bassett is a bit too hard-ass for my taste as Director of the Secret Service; for some reason, she seemed like a comical police chief on a 70s TV cop drama. My favorite actress and best girl crush Melissa Leo is as lovely and tough as ever as the Secretary of Defense.

Morgan Freeman makes a predictably solid turn as Speaker of the House, forced to take charge as both the President and Vice-President are in the terrorists' grasp. If I had to trust the world's safety to any one individual, I admit I'd be entirely comfortable if that individual were Morgan Freeman. The rest of the cast is up to snuff, the one exception being Radha Mitchell, whose teary-eyed close-ups got old pretty quickly.

Olympus Has Fallen features maximum carnage.

The body count is so extreme that even I grew tired of it, and it's not that sort-of cartoonish massacre you get with a GI Joe or super-hero movie.

As a result, any chest-thumping 'Murica! sentiment the filmmakers hoped to achieve is somewhat deflated. The effects are good, and the trashing of the White House and other DC landmarks is chillingly realistic.

Olympus Has Fallen clocks in at 120 minutes, and is rated R for "strong violence and language throughout." If I liked it less than I'd hoped, I attribute that partially to my feeling that nobody makes a Big Baddie quite like Russia did back in the day, and partially to the movie's having precious little of that feel-good cowboy vibe (think Die Hard) I kind of expected from the trailers.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Olympus Has Fallen gets six.

Our next question, dear Blog, is how many cinema trips can one individual fit into a long weekend that also includes three home hockey games, a midday hair cut n' color, and one full day of enforced family time (ugh). Time will tell!

Until next time...




Is it twisted that I'd totally do this cartoon person??

MOVIE REVIEWS: RED

IN THEATERS

RED



A group of former government assassins fights back against the CIA after they're targeted for knowing too much in this adaptation of Warren Ellis' acclaimed DC Comics graphic novels. Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) used to be a hired gun for the CIA. Along with Joe (Morgan Freeman), Marvin (John Malkovich), and Victoria (Helen Mirren), Frank's specialty was carrying out contracts that the government didn't want the public to know about. These days, Frank and his old gang are all retired, but the powers that be are still concerned that they know too much, and dispatch a team of top assassins to ensure their silence. Now, Frank and his former team members realize that their only hope for survival is to break into CIA headquarters and expose the truth. But once they're in, the group uncovers evidence of a massive cover-up that promises to rock the very foundation of our government. Karl Urban, Brian Cox, Richard Dreyfuss, and Ernest Borgnine co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Robert Schwentke

Cast: Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Mary-Louise Parker.

Release Date: Oct 15, 2010

Rated: Intense sequences of action violence and brief strong language

Runtime: 1 hr. 51 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Comedy

Review:

An uneven but mostly enjoyable romp, RED delivers enough fun to overlook some of the more obvious flaws. Robert Schwentke directs with an uneven hand, he’s unable to find a nice rhythm for the proceedings. Schwentke inability to find this results in various dead spot throughout, making what should be a very fun action comedy lose steam a bit too often. When the he hits the right notes it’s enjoyable if unoriginal, most of the credit here goes to the stellar cast which makes the entire thing watchable. Bruce Willis headlines playing a smirking knockoff of every character he’s ever played. Willis is having good fun and he and his costars have great chemistry throughout. Mary-Louise Parker is along for the ride and mainly just acts kooky and smiles a lot. Morgan Freeman and John Malkovick are both playing along with Willis and doing what they’ve done before with Malkovick’s nutty level set to 11. Helen Mirren is an incredible sight to behold once she shows up in the latter portion of film embracing her action role with great gusto. The always reliable Brian Cox and terribly watchable Karl Urban make the most of supporting roles. The story is an illogical mess that doesn’t make much sense or provide any three dimensional characters. Still as fluff it’s decent and it’s stars elevate it above the material.

C+

Movie Reviews: THE DARK KNIGHT
IN THEATERS


THE DARK KNIGHT




With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to destroy organized crime in Gotham for good. The triumvirate proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a rising criminal mastermind known as the Joker, who thrusts Gotham into anarchy and forces the Dark Knight ever closer to crossing the fine line between hero and vigilante.

Cast: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman

Director: Christopher Nolan

Opens July 18, 2008

Runtime: 2 hr. 32 min.

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and some menace

Genres: Comic-Book Superhero Film, Crime Drama, Fantasy, Crime

Review:

Christopher Nolan's follow up to Batman Begins carry such weighty and mature themes that it makes all the other superhero films seem childish by comparison. The Dark Knight is a tightly scripted thriller of a crime drama that's as dark as it is engrossing. Nolan's film feels more like a Michael Mann film than a comic book film, it's urban it's gritty and it winds you up like a top. Freed of having to deal with the origin story, Nolan is allowed to hit the road running right from the start. Nolan's comfort level with large action sequences, such as thrilling car chase about halfway through the film and his ability to film fight sequences better this time around, we can actually see what's happening now, make it much more enjoyable journey. The Dark Knight also benefits from having a much more expansive and epic feel than Batman Begins. Everything feels bigger this time around; the city, the story, the themes. The scripting also feels much tighter as well, we get less comic book sounding dialogue and more naturalistic debates about the concepts of good and evil. To say that this script might have more bubbling underneath the surface would be a bit of an understatement. There are plenty of real world issues being address here so it goes without saying that this is a complex multilayer film that will make you use your mind as much as your eyes and ears. While some may complain about the movie long run time, 2 hours and 32 minutes, it never becomes an issue as the film is so tightly edited that there's hardly a moment that isn't important, needless to say you should probably make sure to get your bathroom breaks out of the way beforehand. Nolan's work is superb for sure but his cast just makes his job so much easier. First off, Heath Ledger is just perfect as the Joker. He's captures everything the character has been in either animated or comic form that's been lacking in previous incarnations. I for one was never a huge fan of Jack Nicholson's take in Tim Burton's original Batman because it was more about Jack than about the character. As a Batman fan, mostly from the fabulous Bruce Timm produced Animated Series from the 90's, Nicholson's take seemed off, it was fun for what it was but it never captured the embodiment of the character. In The Dark Knight, Ledger hits every note right, giving the character the proper feel of a manic psychotic with a joke in his heart. The Joker feels more like an unleashed force of nature than a character. He is anarchy incarnate. In some way or form his character always has the upper hand all the while making the heroes just as complicit and responsible for every evil deed he commits. The fact that his motives and back story are pretty much non existence gives his character an even more sinister feel. The hype about his performance isn't an over exaggeration, every time he's on screen he demands your attention and doesn't release it until he's gone. Ledger's work is truly amazing to watch but so is the rest of the cast who answered the bell just as readily. Christian Bale again shows why he's my favorite actor to don the cowl. His work here is just as complex and textured as Ledger's. His character grapples with the meaning of his personal crusade and the general cost it tolls on people around him. Bale gets more time this go around as Bruce Wayne and he clearly enjoys playing that part of the persona as much as his alter ego. Bale and Ledger share a couple of great scenes which for me where the highlights of the entire film. Aaron Eckhart's Harvey Dent is equally impressive which, like Ledger, captures the real spirit of the character. Eckhart plays the part of civic hero on a mission but you can sense something more wicked simmering beneath his persona. His character's tale is perfectly set up even if it feels a tad truncated near the end it doesn't take detract from its tragic conclusion. Maggie Gyllenhaal thankfully takes over the role of Rachel Dawes and does more in less time with the character than Katie Holmes did in the previous film. Gyllenhaal feel more organic, even if its light script wise, in the role than Holmes ever did, so much so that I wish there were a way to go back and replace her in Batman Begins. Gary Oldman might be lost in the shuffle with all the bigger roles being played so well but his work as Jim Gordon is on par with any of the headliners. Even going back to Batman Begins and more so here, Oldman just is Gordon and it's a performance that can easily be lost but his nuances and speech inflections are so perfect it hard not to enjoy it. Michael Caine once again adds his fatherly charm to Alfred. Caine and Bale's interactions come across so naturalistic that you'd think they'd really known each other for decades. In a movie this large someone has to be short changed and along with Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman has even smaller role than the first go around but he does make the most of what he's given. Also in a very small role Eric Roberts has a lot of fun as crime boss Salvatore Maroni, giving him a great sense of slime mixed with criminal honor. If you haven't gotten the point by now, Christopher Nolan and the cast pretty much hit it out of the park here. A slight warning though, this film is pretty brutal and it really pushes the PG-13 limits throughout. This is a comic book movie in name only and it doesn't pander to younger audience instead it asks you to think about what's being presented. If you are looking for something light and fluffy this is not the movie for you. The Dark Knight is rousing success, one that feels incomplete and screaming for a sequel, let just hope Nolan and company return to finish this impressive story.

A

Bluray quality; Video is grade A across the board with the scenes that were shot in IMAX really showcasing how impressive the HD video is; Sound is display quality, working in perfect unison with the visuals.

I was hand-selected to be a member of Blu-ray Elite, a beta program from Warner Home Video which has graciously sent me this free Blu-ray disc.