Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Robocop & Winter's Tale

Dearest Blog, yesterday I braved the Valentines' weekend crowds for Robocop and Winter's Tale.

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

First on the agenda was MY Valentine, Gary Oldman, in Robocop.

A critically-injured Detroit police officer is saved by technology...but at what cost?

Dear Blog, I must confess I don't have the same reverence for the original Robocop as many folks do. I like it well enough, but it's nothing special to me. Though I generally avoid press 'til I've written my own review, I have seen some reviews for this remake because they popped up in my daily Gary Oldman Alerts...not that I have daily Gary Oldman Alerts, mind you. Many folks who DO revere the original seemed unable to hate the remake as much as they expected to, so I took that as a good sign.

Due to the filmmakers' determination to hold onto a PG13 rating, the Robocop remake is less brutal than its predecessor. There are explosions and shootouts a plenty, but also very human moments. I haven't seen Joel Kinnaman in too much before, but I always thought he deserved an Emmy for The Killing, and I was interested to see him as a big-screen lead. He does a terrific job of keeping the lead character sympathetic, even when his behavior is more Robo than Cop. While I needn't mention that the best thing about the movie is Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton and Jackie Earle Haley are both better than they needed to be as well. I was also delighted to see two of my TV faves: Boardwalk Empire's Michael Kenneth Williams and Dexter's Aimee Garcia.

So, dear readers, how much would YOU sacrifice in the interest of your safety? Like the original, the Robocop reboot hits you over the head a bit with its social commentary, but, for my money, if it gets credit for any socially-relevant achievement, it'll be introducing a whole new generation to the awesome 70s jam Hocus Pocus! The movie has solid effects, and there's no denying the new Batman...er...Robocop suit looks pretty slick. The action is fast-paced, and a super cast helps make up for any other shortcomings.

Robocop clocks in at a very reasonable 108 minutes and is rated PG13 for "intense sequences of action violence including frenetic gun violence throughout, brief strong language, sensuality, and some drug material."

Robocop is the remake the world deserves, but not the one it needs right now. (See what I did there?) Of a possible nine Weasleys, Robocop gets six and a half.

Next on my agenda was the maligned Valentines' Day love story Winter's Tale.

A man awakes in present-day New York City with no idea who he is, but soon discovers the connection between past and present.

I haven't read any reviews of Winter's Tale, but I'm told they're brutal, like 13% at Rotten Tomatoes brutal. As the sappy romance is front and center in the trailers, I was fully prepared to hate the movie, but I just couldn't. I didn't precisely love it, either, but 13%?? Harsh.

Winter's Tale is too schizophrenic to be the movie anybody wants or expects. An uneasy marriage of time travel, the Bible, and the most vomit-inducing love story ever, Winter's Tale is too schmaltzy a romance for fantasy fans, and too fantastic for folks looking for a simple love story. The movie never manages to find a comfortable balance between romantic tearjerker and fantasy epic, then it further muddies the water with a shot of morality tale.

If the movie is so-so, Colin Farrell, in the lead, is not. Farrell is a heaping helping of phenomenal actor with a double side of devastatingly handsome, and he salvaged the movie even when it bored me a little. Downton Abbey's Jessica Brown Findlay is charming as Farrell's lost love, and Russell Crowe remains immeasurably good, always.

My screening of Winter's Tale was fairly crowded, and it sounded like pretty much all the women were crying and all the men were sleeping. No matter what I write here or what you read elsewhere, that's probably as fair an assessment of the movie as you're going to find.

Winter's Tale runs 118 minutes and is rated PG13 for "violence and some sensuality."

In the end, I thought Winter's Tale was a better Cloud Atlas than Cloud Atlas. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Winter's Tale gets five.

Until next time...

[Trailers] Captain America: The Winter Soldier & Anchorman 2 US and International

A couple of new trailers have hit the interwebs over the last few days so let’s dig right in.

First up is the trailer, which looks surprisingly impressive, for the Captain America sequel. There’s a noticeable tonal shift from the first film which I never loved or hated. This one seems more like an international flavored action thriller with superheroes in the mix. Lots of familiar faces pop up along with plenty of new ones, check it out….



Earlier this week a couple of new Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues trailers hit. The 2nd US trailer showcases plenty of new footage. If that didn’t wet your appetite check out the international trailer which has even more new footage. I’m a huge Will Ferrell so I can’t wait for this, check them out below…

2nd US Trailer….



International Trailer….

[Trailer] RoboCop

The first trailer for Jose Padilha's upcoming RoboCop remake is out and it gives us plenty to chew on in terms of visuals and tone.

Personally, I think this one feels just like the insipid and soulless Total Recall remake from last year...

MOVIE REVIEW: DJANGO UNCHAINED

DJANGO UNCHAINED



A former slave and a German bounty hunter become unlikely allies in the battle against a tyrannical plantation owner in this western from visionary director Quentin Tarantino. Two years before the Civil War pits brother-against-brother, German-born fugitive hunter Dr. King Schultz (Academy Award-winner Christoph Waltz) arrives in America determined to capture the outlaw Brittle brothers dead or alive. In the midst of his search, Dr. Schultz crosses paths with Django (Academy Award-winner Jamie Foxx), a freed slave and skilled tracker who seeks to rescue his beloved wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) from ruthless plantation owner Calvin Candie (Academy Award-nominee Leonardo DiCaprio). Django and Dr. Schultz will have to come out with pistols blazing if they ever hope to free Broomhilda from Candyland and the clutches of its vile proprietor. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Cast: Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christoph Waltz, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Walton Goggins

Release Date: Dec 25, 2012

Rated R for strong graphic violence throughout, a vicious fight, language and some nudity.

Runtime: 2 hr. 21 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Drama

Review:

Django Unchained is an uneven if effective entry into the Quentin Tarantino catalogue. Tarantino’s trademark mix of stark violence, even more potent here, and humor is on full display. The violence here seems much more grounded than usual, it’s brutal and harsher than some of the more cartoonish violence we’ve seen from him before. Like all of his films, you can tell Tarantino loves the genre he’s selected, Django is no different. He adjusts his shooting style to mimic many of the classic Western films something he did in Kill Bill Volume 2. Needless to say Django is a visually impressive film full of genre vibrancy throughout. Story-wise Tarantino delivers another revenge story with a, dare I say, more romantic slant. It’s straightforward for the most part and while the film didn’t lag at any point, there is plenty that could have been cut to make it a more efficient story. Regardless, Tarantino makes it all work pulling out some impressive performances from a strong cast. Jamie Foxx is stoic yet fiery and determined as the titular Django. It’s easy to forget how impressive of an actor Foxx is when he’s as focused as he is here. In full cowboy get up he’s quite the sight as well, filling out his character’s hero status with ease. Christoph Waltz returns to work with Tarantino with strong results, playing a mentorship role similar to his Basterd character but less sinister and more humane. Their chemistry together works well, creating a believable bond between the two men. Leonardo DiCaprio fills the villain’s role with a gleeful energy that’s palpable. DiCaprio brings the necessary threatening energy needed for the role. Sam Jackson also turns in his finest work in years. Like Foxx, you tend to forget how much talent these actors have because they don’t use it in all their roles. Jackson’s role feels like a caricature at first but as the film moves on he reveals more layers to the character. Both pairs of character work as a fascinating dichotomy to each other with actors on both sides putting in awards worthy performances. The situation and tension builds leading to a dizzyingly violent gunfight, close to the scale of Kill Bill Vol. 1 finale, leaves you with a firm impression of what a human shield is. After that point the film does feel a tad bit aimless, needing to close the final story threads which it does in less operatic fashion robbing it a bit of it’s power. Regardless, if you are a Tarantino fan, you’ll find so much to love here.

B