MOVIE REVIEW: INTO THE WOODS

Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods is adapted in this musical from director Rob Marshall and Walt Disney Studios. Inspired by a choice selection of Brothers Grimm fairy tales, this plot centers on a baker (James Corden) and his wife (Emily Blunt) who incur the wrath of a witch (Meryl Streep) while attempting to start a family. Subsequently cursed by the vengeful hag, the hapless couple find their fates linked with those of Cinderella (Anna Kendrick),Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford), Rapunzel (MacKenzie Mauzy) and Jack (Daniel Huttlestone) of Jack and the Beanstalk. Johnny Depp, Chris Pine, and Lucy Punch co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Rob Marshall 

Cast: Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine

Release Date: Dec 25, 2014

 

Rated PG for Thematic Elements, Some Suggestive Material and Fantasy Action and Peril

Runtime: 2 hr. 4 min.

Genres: Music/Performing Arts, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Review:

Into the Woods is this year’s entry into the big budget musicals and it fairly solid success.  Rob Marshall, who directed one of my favorite movie musicals Chicago, delivers an energetic film that just enjoyable to watch and listen to.  James Corden and Emily Blunt anchor the film with the latter showing off some impressive pipes.  They share an adorable sort of chemistry together and really bring the film together on multiple levels.  Meryl Streep energetic performance as the witch shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.  Anna Kendrick and a hilarious Chris Pine make for a fun Cinderella and Prince Charming.  Lilla Crawford leaves a solid impression as a head strong Red Riding Hood.  Her encounter with Johnny Depp’s Big Bad Wolf is by far the film’s most subversive segment.  Into the Woods has great energy while we’re running through the mash up of the fairytales but then we hit the 3^rd act where the film comes to a grinding halt.  It’s not horrible by any stretch but it doesn’t have the energy of the first 2 acts as we move from the fairytales to the story’s finale.  A bit of trimming on the film adaptation would have done wonders.

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: THE GAMBLER

In this remake of the James Caan 1974 vehicle The Gambler, an English professor (Mark Wahlberg) who is also a compulsive gambler finds that the only people who will have anything to do with him are those to whom he owes money. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Director: Rupert Wyatt     

Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Brie Larson, Jessica Lange, John Goodman, Emory Cohen

 Release Date: Dec 25, 2014     

Rated R for some Sexuality/Nudity and Language Throughout     

Runtime: 1 hr. 51 min.     

Genres: Drama, Suspense/Thriller     

Review:

The Gambler is a film that’s trying very hard to be something special.  Rupert Wyatt gives the film a glossy sheen, driving it through its narrative with noticeable energy.  Mark Walhberg is doing his best Christian Bale impression by losing a massive amount of weight and looking generally disheveled.  John Goodman does excellent work in a supporting role as Mafioso.  Typically all this would make for an excellent film but the results here are mixed.  I respect Walhberg’s attempts to take his craft seriously but he’s seriously miscast here as the worlds most aggressive English professor.  He gives it his best try but it doesn’t work, it’s just never believable.  It’s always good to see Brie Larson get some work but she’s saddled with a nonsensical love interest role.  We’re told she’s a genius early on but her actions throughout the rest of the film tell us otherwise. John Goodman does give us an excellent supporting turn, creating an extremely intimidating character in limited scenes.  All in all The Gambler feels like a missed opportunity because there seems to be a better film in there somewhere.

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES

Peter Jackson takes cues from the appendices of The Lord of the Rings to expand New Line Cinema's Hobbit adaptation with this third film completing the epic tale of Bilbo Baggins, as played by Martin Freeman. The story opens to find the vengeful dragon Smaug (voice of Benedict Cumberbatch) decimating the peaceful hamlet of Laketown as Bilbo, Thorin (Richard Armitage) and the rest of the dwarves lay claim to the Lonely Mountain. But their celebration is short-lived as Thorin grows obsessed with finding the Arkenstone. Meanwhile, Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) Elrond (Hugo Weaving) and Saruman (Christopher Lee) battle the Nazgul in an attempt to free Gandalf (Ian McKellen), and get some unexpected help from eccentric wizard Radagast (Sylvester McCoy). Unfortunately for all involved the struggle has only just begun, because as armies of dwarves, elves, orcs, humans and goblins converge at the base of the Lonely Mountain, the fight for the future of Middle Earth begins. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Director: Peter Jackson 

Cast: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Luke Evans, Evangeline Lilly, Orlando Bloom

Release Date: Dec 17, 2014

Rated PG-13 for Intense Fantasy Action, Frightening Images and Intense Fantasy Violence

Runtime: 2 hr. 24 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure

Review:

The final entry in The Hobbit trilogy finally pays off all the set up from the sometimes laborious previous entries.  Jackson has proven time and again that he’s a master of marvelous mayhem on an epic scale. After wrapping up the storyline from the 2^nd film, which should have be the previous entries finale, the film moves judiciously through some plot points setting up the final battle(s).  This film is the leanest of all of Jackson’s Tolkien films with a steady sense of momentum throughout.  Once the film’s battle sequences begin, they don’t stop for nearly an hour and a half.  It’s a dizzying run through every sort of battle you’ve ever seen.  The finale set in the ice and snow is the most impressive of the entire film which also packs the biggest emotional punch.  The actors have all settled into their roles by this point and each delivers strong performances with Luke Evans and Martin Freeman being the biggest standouts.  Evangeline Lilly gets a rather large chuck of screen time which is baffling since the character is not in the books and she’s saddled with a clichéd love story.  Unlike the other trilogy capper, this one doesn’t wear on too much but that’s not to say it doesn’t overstay its welcome.  Battle fatigue, even when they wonderfully crafted, starts to set in after a while.  At the very least it’s not filled with endless false endings like Return of the King, instead we get a nice send off with an aged Bilbo taking us back to the start of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

B

MOVIE REVIEW: THE INTERVIEW

Dave Skylark and producer Aaron Rapoport run the celebrity tabloid show "Skylark Tonight." When they land an interview with a surprise fan, North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, they are recruited by the CIA to turn their trip to Pyongyang into an assassination mission.

Director: Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen     

Cast: James Franco, Seth Rogen, Randall Park, Lizzy Caplan, Diana Bang

Release Date: Dec 25, 2014

Rated R for pervasive language, crude and sexual humor, nudity, some drug use and bloody violence

Runtime: 1 hr. 52 min.     

Genres: Comedy, Action     

Review:

The Interview will probably be remembered for having one of the strangest releases in movie history.  The Sony cyber attack, North Korea and The Guardians of Peace all made for the cancelled then eventual release of this film.  After its strange long trek to screens, you can’t help but wonder if the film was even worth all the trouble.  The Interview is pretty much what you’d expect from Rogen and Franco.  Juvenile humor with some very strong moments scattered throughout the film.  Rogen does his usual shtick albeit playing a bit more of a straight man than usual.  Franco is over the top throughout, playing Skylark like an overgrown man child. The biggest issue is that the film never maintains the laughs for very long, you’ll have sporadic bits of hilarity followed by some fairly noticeable dead spots were the film just drags; it would have fared better with stronger editing.  The final act gets surprisingly gory for no apparent reason but it typifies the film, it serves as a perfect microcosm of the film, funny for bits but bland for long stretches.  Goldberg and Rogen seem to be shooting for Spies Like Us feel which they achieve occasionally.  It’s not the pair’s finest work and their inexperience behind the camera is evident.  Ultimately, the hype around the film will probably over shadow the film in the long run which isn’t surprising since it’s an above average comedy film at best.

C+

Cindy Prascik's Review of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Dearest Blog, with a couple screenings of the final installment of Peter Jackson's Hobbit trilogy now under my belt, I shall try to present some thoughts. Coherence not guaranteed. (But is it ever?)

Spoiler level here will be mild-ish, no biggies, but if you prefer to go in totally blind--if that's even possible with a story that's nearly 80 years old--kindly defer reading until you've seen it.

Having made their way home, the company of Thorin Crabbypants defends its Kingdom Under the Mountain, but there's more than gold on the line when the battle expands.

Where to start...where to start...

Beginning at the beginning, BOTFA kicks off where Desolation of Smaug ended, with an angry dragon descending on the panicked citizens of Lake-town. For such frantic circumstances, the start of the film seems quite slow. Then there is The Thing that happens so quickly I have to wonder why The Thing didn't happen in the last movie, as (in Director Cindy's opinion) it seems more fittingly part of that one, and would have provided a more logical breaking point between numbers two and three.

The Thing is a pretty major development, but dropping it so soon makes it seem almost an afterthought. Once the movie gets rolling, it's not hard to see why filmmakers changed the name from There and Back Again...this movie is not about a trip; this movie is about a fight. While I wouldn't quite agree that it amounts to no more than an extended battle scene, there's definitely a lot of battlin' going on.

At nearly two and a half hours, BOTFA is the most compact of Peter Jackson's six Middle Earth epics, and it honestly does not seem long. Having said that, there are plenty of places it could have been cropped to make a better film, battles among them. (I might also mention the attentive viewer needs just so many shots of a dive-bombing dragon to get what's going on there.) Some CGI is inexcusably poor for a movie that cost so much to make; as with DOS, it's mostly noticeable in the movement of the Elves.

The few lighter moments are hit or miss, with Martin Freeman's wonderful expressiveness getting credit for the hits, and a bunch of flat, obvious gags featuring Ryan Gage taking blame for the misses. The character Tauriel remains a pointless addition, and her simpering looks at Kili and Legolas and Thranduil and...well...pretty much everyone are almost too annoying to bear. Finally, there's simply too little of 12 of the 13 Dwarves we've come to love over the course of the series.

On to the positives...Ken Stott and Martin Freeman remain the heart of The Hobbit, through three movies turning in performances that are consistently genuine, funny, and moving. I'd be remiss in my fangirling if I didn't note that Aidan Turner and Luke Evans are also terrific; this franchise will deservedly make big stars of both, and I couldn't be happier or more proud.

The movie's backed by the usual glorious New Zealand scenery, and the usual glorious Howard Shore score.

Obviously, this is another Jacksonized version of Tolkien; by this point, I'm sure nobody walks into these things expecting a faithful adaptation of the books. (If it were about real people, I'd say it's more "inspired by true events" than "based on a true story.") In many ways, it's Jackson's final thank you to the fans who have loved his vision of Middle Earth, with characters from the other films being name-checked or turning up in cameos and small roles.

Even if the battle scenes run on a bit, there's no shortage of nice fight choreography, cool weapons, and badass hero moments. It would be less than honest to pretend the story isn't stretched pretty thin; this is no Return of the King, and it won't be received as such by fans or critics.

That may feel like going out with a whimper instead of a bang, but in the end it's immaterial to me. Buoyed by my strong affection for the franchise, I have no problem accepting this as a fitting goodbye, and, as with all the other movies in the series, I'm confident my love will only grow with repeat viewings.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies runs 144 minutes and is rated PG13 for "extended sequences of intense fantasy action violence and frightening images."

I'm not sure this a great movie--and I'm not sure it's not--but I'm mostly happy with it.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies gets seven.

Now, if anyone needs me, I'll be petitioning the Tolkien estate to give PJ the Silmarillion.

Until next time...

Because...reasons

MOVIE REVIEW: EXODUS: GODS AND KIN

From acclaimed director Ridley Scott (Gladiator, Prometheus) comes the epic adventure “Exodus: Gods and Kings,” the story of one man’s daring courage to take on the might of an empire. Using state of the art visual effects and 3D immersion, Scott brings new life to the story of the defiant leader Moses (Christian Bale) as he rises up against the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses (Joel Edgerton), setting 600,000 slaves on a monumental journey of escape from Egypt and its terrifying cycle of deadly plagues.

Director: Ridley Scott     

 Cast: Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, John Turturro, Sigourney Weaver, Aaron Paul 

Release Date: Dec 12, 2014

Rated PG-13 for violence including battle sequences and intense images     

Runtime: 2 hr. 22 min.    

Genres: Drama    

Review:

Exodus: Gods and Kings is a throwback to the big scale biblical epics from the past.  Ridley Scott brings a sweeping grandeur to the whole thing but it never really gets its footing with any of the characters.  The film clocks in at nearly 2 and half hours, some of which is quite a slog, yet we never really get any real connections to the characters.  Christian Bale is fine as Moses but he doesn’t give the character any heartfelt drive to save his people.  As such Moses comes off as an annoyed nut whose just doing something because he has to.  At lease the script gave Moses a bit more of a tacticians mind as he plots his revolt that will lead to the liberation of the Israelites.  Rames, played by a guy liner-rrific Jole Edgerton, comes off as a bumbling buffoon all the way through.  There’s a little effort to give him a bit more depth but not nearly enough to matter in the long run.  The supporting cast is prestigious but underused and ultimately wasted.  The film’s lack of three dimensional characters is ultimately its biggest downfall.  Ridley Scott created a visual spectacle which is finely produced but it all feels hollow since we really don’t care about any of the characters, not the way we were supposed to at least.

C+

Cindy Prascik's Review of Exodus: Gods and Kings

Dearest Blog, end of the year means burning that unused vacation, so today I found myself at a mid-afternoon screening of Exodus: Gods and Kings.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.
Believing he's been called by God, Moses leads hundreds of thousands of Hebrew slaves out of Egypt.

Dear reader(s), in the interest of full and fair disclosure I'll note that to me the Bible is as real as a Twilight novel. I mean that not to insult anyone's beliefs, but to make it clear that Biblical accuracy or lack thereof is not why I hated this movie. I hated it because, to quote one of my all-time favorite reviews, it is "a lumbering bore."

Much has been made of all the white folks portraying characters who would have been decidedly un-white, and that does make it a bit hard to take the movie seriously. Sigourney Weaver as an Egyptian queen gave me a fit of the giggles that I almost didn't get past, and I'm pretty sure a servant girl was wearing one of Lady Gaga's wigs. Close-ups reveal French manicures on some of the women. (I'm not even kidding.) Accents are all over the place--hell, Christian Bale runs through four or five different ones himself--and the language is too modern to suit the movie's time frame. If Lord of the Rings bought its battle scenes at Wal-Mart, they'd probably look a lot like the ones in Exodus. Much of the CGI is laughably bad; in fact, the whole thing kinda looks like a regional theatre production of Jesus Christ Superstar. And if being bored to tears isn't bad enough, there's a boatload of explicit animal cruelty for your viewing pleasure, and a blustery score that occasionally goes all "NCIS terrorist cue." It's more than a little offensive.

Bale's Moses is an unsympathetic character, who, like Russell Crowe's Noah, comes off as cold-hearted screwball rather than a man agonizing over choices he must make for the greater good. Moses' "brother" turned nemesis Ramses, played by a barely recognizable Joel Edgerton, is a buffoon in enough guyliner for a Motley Crue video. Ben Mendelsohn turning up was a pleasant surprise, but that's about the only good thing I have to say about Exodus.

Exodus: Gods and Kings clocks in at a bloated 150 minutes and is rated PG13 for "violence including battle scenes and intense images."

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Exodus: Gods and Kings gets two. It's a trainwreck.

Until next time...

I am, in fact, too fast for love.

MOVIE REVIEW: THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

Starring Eddie Redmayne ("Les Misérables") and Felicity Jones ("The Amazing Spider-Man 2"), this is the extraordinary story of one of the world's greatest living minds, the renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, who falls deeply in love with fellow Cambridge student Jane Wilde. Once a healthy, active young man, Hawking received an earth-shattering diagnosis at 21 years of age. With Jane fighting tirelessly by his side, Stephen embarks on his most ambitious scientific work, studying the very thing he now has precious little of - time. Together, they defy impossible odds, breaking new ground in medicine and science, and achieving more than they could ever have dreamed. The film is based on the memoir Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen, by Jane Hawking, and is directed by Academy Award winner James Marsh ("Man on Wire").

Director: James Marsh     

Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, David Thewlis, Emily Watson, Charlie Cox

Release Date: Nov 07, 2014    

Rated: PG-13 for suggestive Material and Some Thematic Elements    

Runtime: 2 hr. 3 min.    

Genres: Drama    

Review:

The Theory of Everything is the type of Awards fodder you expect to see around this time of year.  It’s structured in a fairly conventional manner but director James Marsh keeps everything moving at a steady pace.  It’s a lovely looking film that carries some real heart with it.  Marsh allows his actors to really find their characters which they do in spades.  Eddie Redmayne is going to get the most accolades and it’s all well deserved.  He disappears into his role completely, mimicking every stage of Hawking’s disability while still conveying a sharp mind and wit throughout.  Redmayne’s role is the highlight but Felicity Jones performance really anchors the film.  She displays so many emotions over the course of the film.  The film doesn’t keep a storybook track for the love story; as such it feels much more real and packs a stronger punch.  The film is packed with emotion and it covers the gamut from inspirational to heartbreaking and back. 

A

MOVIE REVIEW: HORRIBLE BOSSES 2

Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, and Charlie Day return for more employee revenge in this follow-up to the 2011 comedy. Sean Anders directs from a script by Anders and Jonn Morris. Having narrowly avoided prison following the antics of the previous film, Nick (Bateman), Kurt (Sudeikis), and Dale (Day) decide to go into business for themselves. When their breakthrough product, the Shower Buddy, catches the attention of a wealthy entrepreneur named Bert Hanson (Christoph Waltz) who offers to bankroll their initial production run, the eager inventors quickly move into manufacturing. Proudly filling Hanson's initial order before the deadline, they decide to surprise their key investor with the good news, only to get a nasty surprise: A shrewd businessman with a serious lack of ethics, Hanson announces that he is cancelling the deal. With no investors to keep the business afloat, the Shower Buddy factory will soon fall into foreclosure, allowing Hanson to scoop up the product at a fraction of the original cost, change the name, and reap the profits. Indignant, Nick, Kurt, and Dale hatch a plot to kidnap Bert's son Rex (Chris Pine) for a healthy ransom, paying a visit to criminal mastermind Dean Jones (Jamie Foxx) for a few pointers on the fine art of abduction. Needless to say, nothing goes quite as planned, and as the police launch an investigation into the elaborate crime, the hapless trio must once again race to stay one step ahead of the law. Jennifer Aniston and Kevin Spacey co-stars. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Director: Sean Anders 

Cast: Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day, Chris Pine, Christoph Waltz

Release Date: Nov 26, 2014

Rated R for Strong Crude Sexual Content and Language Throughout

Runtime: 1 hr. 48 min.

Genres: Comedy

Review:

While I enjoyed the original film, I was kind of disappointed it wasn’t an all out laugh fest.  The cast was great but I just felt the film was missing something.  I’ve rewatched it a few times and found it amusing but still lacking.  So while most people would say this is a pointless sequel, it kind of is, I was interested in seeing how the second go around would fair.  Thankfully the sequel delivered exactly what I was hoping for from the first film.  It’s a hilarious film that’s consistently funny with very few dead spots.  Bateman, Sudeikis and Day have much better chemistry this go around deliver hilarious performances all around.  We get extended cameos from Kevin Spacey, would have like more, and Jennifer Aniston, could have used less, which are solid but feel like they were tacked on to the original plot.  Chris Pine and Christoph Waltz are solid additions to the series with Pine bringing a douchtastic energy to his character which is perfect for the role.  Waltz on the other hand is rather underused, serving mostly as a plot mechanism and not doing much else.  It’s rare that a needless sequel surpasses the original film but that’s the case here.

A-

Cindy Prascik's Review of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1

Dearest Blog, since a freakishly icy November morning cost me the cinema last weekend, I am a week late with my review of the latest Hunger Games installment. That means just one thing: prepare for my rambling to be even less relevant than usual!    

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers or, you know, if you've been on the Internet at all this past week.     Katniss Everdeen becomes the face of the Districts' rebellion against the Capitol, but concern for Peeta's safety is chief on her mind.    

Well, dear reader(s), I'm not exactly what you'd call a Hunger Games fangirl. The movies are pretty well done, but, to me, it's a slightly-better-than-average young adult series that was fortunate to land on a shooting star at just the right moment. To its credit, the franchise seems well aware of that, and it utilizes Jennifer Lawrence's formidable talent, screen presence, and star power to their absolute fullest.     

If J-Law is as astonishing as we've come to expect, that takes nothing away from a supporting cast that is, to a person, very, very good, and Mockingjay Part 1 continues the series' tradition of leaving us wanting more of Woody Harrelson's Haymitch, especially.     

This third Hunger Games installment seems even more grim than the first two, which is really saying something when you take into account that the first one was about children killing one another for entertainment. Like the Hunger Games and Catching Fire, I left the theatre knowing I'd never watch Mockingjay again; it's just too miserable. The movie is also...erm...let's just say "deliberately paced" (to be polite) and runs perhaps a tad too long.     

None of that is to say, however, that it isn't interesting or well done; on the contrary, it is both. The story expertly sustains tension, and there are a couple disaster effects that left me holding my breath.    

Most of the film is set in muted greys and blacks and neutrals, effectively conveying the hopelessness felt by the Districts in their fight against the Capitol's oppression, and the ending will definitely leave you anxious for Mockingjay Part 2, coming next Thanksgiving.    

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 clocks in at 123 minutes and is rated PG13 for "intense sequences of violence and action, some disturbing images, and thematic material."    

The Hunger Games series has yet to prove itself worthy of the hype, but as the genre goes, it's still better than most.    

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 gets six.    

No reviews next weekend, as I'll be making my annual, much-anticipated trek to the Big Apple!    

Until next time..

If you're telling me someone fell for Josh Hutcherson while this guy was standing in front of them, I'm telling you that's the least-believable thing I've EVER seen in a movie!

MOVIE REVIEW: THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY, PART 1

The worldwide phenomenon of The Hunger Games continues to set the world on fire with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1, which finds Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) in District 13 after she literally shatters the games forever. Under the leadership of President Coin (Julianne Moore) and the advice of her trusted friends, Katniss spreads her wings as she fights to save Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and a nation moved by her courage.

Director: Francis Lawrence 

Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Julianne Moore, Sam Claflin

Release Date: Nov 21, 2014

Rated PG-13 for some Disturbing Images, Intense Sequences of Violence, Intense Sequences of 

Action and Thematic Material

Runtime: 2 hr. 3 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure

Review:

The Hunger Games: MockingJay, Part 1 represents a lot of issues with long running franchises.  It’s overstuffed but undercooked all the way through.  There are plenty of interesting ideas thrown at the wall but none of them are explored fully or expounded upon.  Instead we get a slog of a movie which seems to be treading water more than actually moving the story forward, making the decision to split this finale into 2 parts even more baffling.  Lawrence delivers solid work as usual but she seems slightly bored with the proceedings from time to time as the film moves from creating a revolutionary symbol to stalling another hour before we get to some actual plot momentum.  There are a few set pieces which are worthwhile but mostly it’s a lot of overly serious sadness, mostly because the story type has changed from the first 2 films.  It’s a common issue with franchises like this, the story demand a larger scope which results in a change in the story’s DNA which isn’t always a good thing.

C+

Cindy Prascik's Review of Birdman (or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

 
Dearest Blog, this weekend my cinema unexpectedly offered awards season hopeful Birdman (or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). I owe them a debt of gratitude for eschewing the usual smalltown "If it's not Transformers, why bother?" mentality and not making me fit in *all* the nominated films in the two weeks leading up to the Oscars!

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

The washed-up star of a big Hollywood superhero franchise tries to kickstart his career on Broadway.
Well, dear reader(s), Birdman is the kind of movie that many people may dislike despite it's being well done, and there probably won't be much middle ground: people will love it or they'll hate it. Me, I really, really loved it.

Michael Keaton turns in an extraordinary performance in the lead, simultaneously heartbreaking and hilarious and sympathetic and distant and serious and insane. Early goings yet for me to say "All the awards, please!" but this is the kind of work that, even if he ends up not being my guy when the time comes, I won't complain about anything he wins. The supporting cast is similarly terrific, especially Edward Norton and the lovely Emma Stone.

I'll go on record as saying this is the first time I've seen Zach Galafianakis in anything where I didn't want to kill him; he is very good and almost unbelievably not annoying! At a glance, the story sounds like a buzzkill, as "has-been actor" tales rarely end well, but the telling is so entertaining that it doesn't feel that way. Certainly there's a bit of melancholy about the past, but there's also a hopeful note that comes with the having courage to take a chance. There has been much online debate about the movie's ending, and I won't spoil it here, but I will say it's a real conversation starter and--in my opinion--a perfect finish to a film that poses more questions than it answers.

Birdman (or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) clocks in at 119 minutes, and is rated R for "language throughout, some sexual content, and brief violence."

Birdman is, across the board, one of the best movies I've seen this year, smartly written, beautifully acted, and truly entertaining from start to finish.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Birdman (or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) gets eight.

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: DUMB AND DUMBER TO

Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels reprise their signature roles as Lloyd and Harry in the sequel to the smash hit that took the physical comedy and kicked it in the nuts: Dumb and Dumber To. The original film’s directors, Peter and Bobby Farrelly, take Lloyd and Harry on a road trip to find a child Harry never knew he had and the responsibility neither should ever, ever be given

Director: Peter Farrelly, Bobby Farrelly 

Cast: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Kathleen Turner, Rob Riggle, Laurie Holden

Release Date: Nov 14, 2014

Rated: PG-13 for Language, Crude and Sexual Humor, Partial Nudity and Some Drug References 

Runtime: 1 hr. 50 min. 

Genres: Comedy 

Review:

The easiest way to start this review is to just get the bad out of the way first.  Dumb and Dumber To is way too long, forced on multiple occasions and it’s plot is an unabashed retread of the original.  Going into this sequel, you have certain expectations, the main one being that you want to laugh.  So does it make you laugh, on certain moments it does, quite a bit.  There are parts where you are doing some serious belly laughing but it’s never maintained and film just stays around way too long for it’s own good.  It’s been a long while since the Farrlly Brothers had a solid film but even at their best their movies were spotty.  To their credit Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels are game for the proceedings even if you can tell they are trying to find the characters again during certain parts of the film.  It’s great when they find it and make you laugh at the idiocy on display, I just wish it was more consistent.

C+

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Interstellar & Big Hero 6

 


Dearest Blog, yesterday I set off for the cinema with a chip on my shoulder about excessively-long movies. On the docket: Interstellar (ahem) and Big Hero 6.

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

First up, Christopher Nolan's newest epic, Interstellar.

With Earth falling to ruin, a group of scientists heads into space to find mankind some new digs.
My reaction to the announcement of Interstellar's runtime: "Are you %&$#@!& kidding me??" Most movies that exceed two hours don't do much to earn the extra screentime, and I well and truly feared I might be lulled to sleep by three hours of Matthew McConaughey's lazy drawl. I repentantly admit I should have trusted in the Genius of Nolan.

Interstellar is not a perfect movie. It's VERY long and, while it's too complex to say, "Cut that ten-minute car chase and we're good!" a bit of cropping here and there would have served it well. The performances are solid across the board, but three hours of McConaughey IS a lot to take, and I can't remember the last time I wanted to punch a fictional character in the face as much as I did Anne Hathaway's. (I'm not among that curious lot who despises Hathaway; on the contrary, she's a favorite of mine, but this character...not so much). Some dialogue is inexcusably cheesy for a movie that so wants and expects to be taken seriously. The score is strangely and obtrusively loud at times.

The good news is none of that keeps Interstellar from being a very, very good movie that easily holds your attention for the duration. Performances are solid across the board. Hans Zimmer's score is beautiful, despite those few jarring blasts. I suspect those even may be intentional, as they create a stark contrast with the absolute silence that follows. Interstellar boasts a smart, intricate plot that takes many turns I did not expect. The pacing is deliberate--almost a full hour is devoted to the setup--but it doesn't feel slow or even all that long. Finally, Interstellar makes Gravity look like a first-year film-school project; it is absolutely magnificent and should be seen on the biggest screen you can find.

Interstellar clocks in at 169 minutes (you heard me) and is rated PG13 for "some intense perilous action and brief strong language."

Interstellar won't be everyone's cup of tea.

The length may seem not just daunting, but pretentious to some, and the story perhaps too convoluted.

To me, though, it's a stroke of pure cinematic brilliance that has (for the moment, at least) cured me of questioning the wisdom of Christopher Nolan.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Interstellar gets eight.

Next on the agenda was Disney's animated feature Big Hero 6.

A group of young scientists teams with the world's cuddliest robot to solve a mystery that strikes close to home.

Well, dear reader(s), you know how I'm always saying low expectations are the key to a happy life? Throw that out the window and have the highest expectations you can imagine for Big Hero 6 and you still won't be disappointed. I loved this so much I hardly know where to start, but.......
...I guess we'll start with the obvious. When it comes to animation, the biggest thing for me is always going to be: How good does it look?

Big Hero 6 looks so amazing it jumps right off the screen, and that's just in 2D. In 3D, I daresay it would be a feast for the eyes like no other. The artwork and colors are stunning, and the action sequences are possibly the most eye-catching I've ever seen. Big Hero 6 has plenty of great messages for kids (and adults), but it never feels like one of those Message Movies that beats you over the head with its point. The characters are terrifically diverse; I can't imagine there's a kid anywhere who won't see himself and his own potential in at least one of them.

The storyline is sad at times--though realistically, not morosely, sad--but a hopeful tone runs throughout. Big Hero 6 is smart, interesting, and laugh-out-loud funny, a perfect movie cocktail for children and adults alike. Annnnnnnd...most importantly, Baymax is the cutest animated lead since Nemo. I want one.

Big Hero 6 runs 108 minutes and is rated PG for "action and peril, some rude humor, and thematic elements."

Big Hero 6 is my favorite animated film of 2014. I liked it even better than the Lego Movie, and it's guaranteed a spot in my year-end top ten.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Big Hero 6 gets eight and a half.

Until next time...

PS: Ever notice you can always spell "McConaughey" correctly if you only remember there's an "ugh" in the middle?  ;-)

MOVIE REVIEW: INTERSTELLAR

In Earth's future, a global crop blight and second Dust Bowl are slowly rendering the planet uninhabitable. Professor Brand (Michael Caine), a brilliant NASA physicist, is working on plans to save mankind by transporting Earth's population to a new home via a wormhole. But first, Brand must send former NASA pilot Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) and a team of researchers through the wormhole and across the galaxy to find out which of three planets could be mankind's new home. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Christopher Nolan    

Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine, Casey Affleck.

Release Date: Nov 07, 2014    

Rated PG-13 for some intense perilous action and brief strong language    

Runtime: 2 hr. 49 min.    

Genres: Action/Adventure, Drama    

Review:

Interstellar aspires to be great but Christopher Nolan’s newest film never reaches such heights.  It’s a solid film even if it tugs at hearts strings a bit too much for my liking.  The cast deliver somber, serious performances which is a clear reflection of how dedicated they are to their director.  Nolan delivers some majestic visuals which will remind even casual movie goers of a certain sci-fi classic.  The biggest problem with all the nods to 2001 is that it begs the comparison to the Kubrick classic.  A comparison it never stands a chance to win.  On its own terms it’s a weird hodgepodge of Contact, 2001 & the Lost in Space remake from 1998.  That’s not to say it’s not an enjoyable ride which is the good news especially considering the nearly 3 hour runtime.  It’s bloated and could have been trimmed substantially without losing any of its punch.  Instead it’s a film that thinks it’s a lot better than it actually is.

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: NIGHTCRAWLER

An ambitious young crime journalist probes the dark underbelly of L.A. in this cynical urban drama that marks the feature directorial debut of screenwriter Dan Gilroy (Real Steal, Dan Gilroy). Lou Bloom (Jake Gyllenhall) is a petty thief in search of a payday when he stumbles onto the scene of a grisly car accident, and witnesses seasoned "Nightcrawler" Joe Loder (Bill Paxton) gathering video footage for a local news broadcast. Convinced that this is a career he could excel at, Lou promptly purchases a police scanner and a cheap video camera, and hits the streets. In short order Lou has hired an assistant (Riz Ahmed) to help him navigate the city streets, and started selling footage to local TV producer Nina (Rene Russo), one of Joe's regular buyers. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Dan Gilroy 

Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Bill Paxton, Riz Ahmed

Release Date: Oct 31, 2014

Rated R for Violence, Language and Graphic Images

Runtime: 1 hr. 57 min.

Genres: Drama

Review:

Nightcrawler is a kinetic film anchored by a career defining performance by Jake Gyllenhaal which is sure to garner more than a few acting nods come award season.  Dan Gilroy’s directorial debut isn’t perfect but it’s impressive enough to leave a lasting impression.  His film captures the hollow neon griminess of the Los Angeles at night all while following an empty and nearly soulless character.  Gyllenhaal’s performance is entrancing from the start as he channels a serial killers level of creepiness mixed with a robotic energy peppered with corporate speak as a second language.  Renee Russo is solid in a supporting role as the TV producer with an endless amount of moral grey area.  She’s reserved but just as focused as Gyllenhaal.  There is some clumsiness in Gilroy’s directorial effort which is most apparent near the end where the film lingers a tad longer than it needs to.  Still, it’s a rather impressive debut and perfect showcase for Gyllenhaal’s talent.

B+

Cindy Prascik's Review of Nightcrawler

Dearest Blog, yesterday I spent the final day of my vacation as you might expect: at the cinema with Nightcrawler.

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

An unemployed but highly-motivated young man shoehorns his way into the LA video news business, but blurs the line between covering a story and becoming part of it.

Nightcrawler finds Jake Gyllenhaal on point as Louis Bloom, utterly mesmerizing from start to finish. Regular reader(s) will know that I worship Gyllenhaal's Donnie Darko performance as well, despite the fact I think the movie itself is grossly overrated.

The moral of the story is: Creepy Jake = Amazing Jake. Nightcrawler sets a dark, gritty tone, filled with nighttime skylines and some seedier bits of Los Angeles. The film's humor is darker still, uneasy graveyard laughs that keep the movie enjoyable without turning it silly.

Nightcrawler is an uncomfortable watch. At face value, it's unnerving to see Bloom using whatever means he deems necessary to achieve his ends. On a deeper level, it puts a spotlight on our society's willingness to exploit misery for entertainment. It's a fascinating, if unsettling, ride that hooks you for the duration and ends at exactly the right spot, suffering neither a hurried, contrived finish nor (as is annoyingly common in this day of three-hour non-epics) dragging on long after it should have said farewell.

Nightcrawler runs 117 minutes and is rated R for "violence including graphic images, and for language."

Nightcrawler is a terrific crime drama that should be considered a contender in at least the Best Picture and Best Actor categories come awards time.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Nightcrawler gets eight.

Until next time...

Happy Jake = *sigh

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Next on the docket was John Wick.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Until next time...

100% certified badass!

MOVIE REVIEW: JOHN WICK

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

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

Release Date: Oct 24, 2014

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

Runtime: 1 hr. 36 min. 

Genres: Action, Thriller 

Review:

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

B

[Official Trailer] The Avengers: Age of Ultron

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


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

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