MOVIE REVIEW: ROBIN HOOD

ROBIN HOOD


Director Ridley Scott and actor Russell Crowe reunite for their fifth big-screen outing, a retelling of the Robin Hood legend featuring the Gladiator star in the titular role. A bowman in the army of Richard Coeur de Lion, virtuous rogue Robin Hood rises from an unlikely background to become a hero to the impoverished people of Nottingham and lover to the beautiful Lady Marion (Cate Blanchett). Cyrus Voris, Ethan Reiff, and Brian Helgeland collaborate on the screenplay for a costume adventure produced by Brian Grazer (Frost/Nixon, American Gangster). ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Director: Ridley Scott

Cast: Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Max von Sydow, William Hurt, Mark Strong.

Release Date: May 14, 2010

Rated PG-13 for violence, intense sequences of warfare and some sexual content

Runtime: 2 hr. 20 min.

Genres: Drama

Review:

Ridley Scott’s oddly detached and overly serious Robin Hood is a film that should make for a thrilling experience but misses the mark. Scott’s direction feels heavy handed and while the action sequences are interesting and well executed but the political intrigue isn’t very intriguing. The script feels unfocused and seems to want to capture an epic scope with an intimate angle but it’s a choppy mix as best. Russell Crowe does well with his role but it’s almost impossible not to think of him as Maximus from Gladiator. His appearance and demeanor are all extremely similar but with a daddy issues here. Cate Blanchett is strong as a more self sufficient Lady Marion but her usual elegance comes off as detachment and the romantic subplot feels forced and lacks credibility. Max Von Sydow has fun in a supporting role and provides for an interesting if underused mentor to Crowe’s Robin. Kevin Durand, Scott Grimes and Alan Doyle should be more memorable as Robin’s merry men but they tend to blend into the background easily. Mark Strong who appears to be on a crusade to be a villain in every movie going forward isn’t asked to do much but look villainous and speak French occasionally. Him and Crowe are just destined to meet in the finale and they do during an impressive and incredibly complex medieval Saving Private Ryan-esc battle. Once the battle is over though the finale seems rushed which is odd considering the movie is nearly 2 and half hours long.

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: IRON MAN 2

IN THEATERS

IRON MAN 2



Robert Downey Jr. returns as Tony Stark, the wealthy playboy whose exploits as Iron Man are now public knowledge after his admission at the close of the first film. In the follow-up, Stark is pitted against his Russian arch nemesis, Whiplash (Mickey Rourke), and corporate rival Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell). Also making their Marvel debuts are Scarlett Johansson as the sexy Russian spy Black Widow, and Don Cheadle, who takes over the role of Colonel James Rhodes from Terrence Howard. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide

Director: Jon Favreau

Cast: Robert Downey, Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell.

Release Date: May 07, 2010

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

Runtime: 2 hr. 4 min.

Genres: Superhero

Review:

Bloated, unfocused and kind of a bore Iron Man 2 start the summer movie season with a unexpected whimper. Jon Favreau loses focus of what made the original so much fun, Downey. Jr. charisma and smart quips, instead attempts to make everything bigger and better. Larger louder and much cheesier action sequences are the order of the day and Favreau over indulges in what he thinks will make the audience happy. The cast of characters is expanded and the story larger in scope but none of it is terribly interesting or engaging. Downey Jr. only gets a few precious moments to shine and on occasion fades into the background due to the unfocused nature of the script. Gwyneth Paltrow fares better with better story line this go around and her and Downey Jr. have a natural rapport together on screen, their interactions on some of the best parts of the film. Don Cheadle, taking over for Terrance Howard, isn’t given must to do even though the character is more prevalent and does the best he can with it. Mickey Rourke brings and an interesting sleaziness to his villainous character but feels like more of an afterthought throughout, the climatic battle between him, War Machine and Iron Man is equally uninspired. Scarlett Johansson is wooden for the better part of her screen time and it feels like she knows she’s just there to fill out a catsuit and nothing more. Sam Rockwell and Sam Jackson are under utilized much like the rest of the cast. Lack of focus and a bevy of underwritten plot lines hinder this film, draining it of most of the fun associated with the original. It’s not a terrible movie but it’s not a very good one either. It’s passable even though it feels like a place holder, a connecting bridge to another larger sequel or the much talked about Avengers team up.
C-

MOVIE REVIEWS: A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET



Platinum Dunes revives the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise with this reworking of slasher film legend Freddy Krueger, a deceased child killer who torments the dreams of the teenagers of Springwood, OH. Jackie Earle Haley picks up the killer's mantle from series veteran Robert Englund with the reboot from music-video director Samuel Bayer. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide

Director: Samuel Bayer

Cast: Jackie Earle Haley, Kyle Gallner, Rooney Mara, Katie Cassidy, Thomas Dekker.

Release Date: Apr 30, 2010 Rated R for violence, disturbing images and some sexuality

Runtime: 1 hr. 35 min.

Genres: Horror

Review:
The recent trends of remakes are very much like getting airline versions of your favorite meal. It’s got all the hallmarks of the meal but isn’t anywhere close to the real thing. This Nightmare redux doesn’t break this trend. It’s a terribly limp uninteresting chore of a film that doesn’t bring anything new to the table outside of a few interesting nightmare sequences. Video director turned movie director Samuel Bayer has glossy and occasionally interesting style but he’s far too dependant on jump scares. The script is a tedious bore. The characters are all pencil thin types who don’t have any depth to them at all. Freddy’s back story has been slightly redone throwing a minor twist to the story that could have been interesting if explored but it’s thrown in and dismissed quickly and haphazardly. Jackie Earle Haley does a decent job of taking up the reins from Robert Englund. Haley brings his general creepiness to the role and is much more forceful and direct than the original. He tries his best with what he’s given but in all honesty it isn’t much. Rooney Mara is pretty much invisible as emo Nancy and Kyle Gallner is terminally mopey throughout. Katie Caassidy, Kellan Lutz and Thomas Dekker are this film for a cup of coffee and are gone quickly. Clany Brown and Connie Britton both are saddled with underwritten characters and are wasted. The finale doesn’t offer much outside of paint by the number sequences which, if you’re still awake, leaves you feeling disappointed.

D

MOVIE REVIEWS: KICK ASS

Sunday, April 25, 2010

IN THEATERS

KICK ASS



Adapted from Mark Millar's hyper-violent comic book of the same name, director Matthew Vaughn's (Layer Cake) vigilante superhero film tells the tale of an average New York teenager who decides to don a costume and fight crime. Comic book geek Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) may not have good coordination or special powers, but that doesn't mean he isn't a fully capable crime fighter. After purchasing a flashy wet suit on the Internet, Dave starts busting up baddies with nothing but brute force. He calls himself Kick-Ass, and he can take a beating as good as he can dish one out. Before long, Kick-Ass has become a local sensation, and others are following his lead. Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and Hit-Girl (Chloe Moretz) are a father-daughter crime-fighting duo who have set their sights on local mob heavy Frank D'Amico (Mark Strong). They're doing a decent job of dismantling Frank's sizable underworld empire when Kick-Ass gets drawn into the fray. But Frank's men play rough, and his son, Chris (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), is about to become Kick-Ass' very first arch nemesis. When Chris assumes the persona of Red Mist, the stage is set for a superhero showdown that could spell the end of Kick-Ass once and for all. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Director: Matthew Vaughn

Cast: Aaron Johnson, Nicolas Cage, Chloe Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Mark Strong.

Release Date: Apr 16, 2010

Rated R for strong brutal violence throughout, pervasive language, sexual content, nudity and some drug use -- some involving children

Runtime: 1 hr. 57 min.

Genres: Action

Review:

Matthew Vaughn’s Kick Ass lives up to its name at various times throughout it hyper violent run but its change in tone is so drastic you start to wonder if Vaughn might destroy the clutch on this film. Vaughn gives this film an impressive visual style throughout that keeps your eyes and mind entertained throughout by a wonderful use of smart edits during some of the more drawn out action sequences. In the lead role Aaron Johnson gives the titular Kick Ass a decent blend of nerdiness, naiveté and earnestness in the role. He does fine work throughout but the role doesn’t give him much chance to shine and it’s easy for him to disappear into the background. This is especially true once Nicolas Cage and Chloe Moretz show up. Nicolas Cage fits into his role so well you can sense his glee every time he’s on screen. Chloe Moretz is equally strong as the psychopathic foul mouthed Hit Girl. She’s got some of the strongest comedic and emotional moments in the entire film. Christopher Mintz-Plasse & Mark Strong both deliver strong if generic performances in underwritten roles. Cage and Moretz’s are by far the most interesting characters in the film and make the other story lines look like placeholders until they hit screen again. This choppiness in story and tone becomes more jarring as the film head to its conclusion. Kick Ass shifts from satire to shoot em up to standard comic book movie throughout. Having not read the original comic I don’t know if it’s an issue that inherent to story or if it was something that occurred in the transition. Even with its imperfections, Kick Ass is funny and engaging enough to make for an enjoyable experience for comic book movie fans.

B-

MOVIE REVIEWS: DATE NIGHT, THE FOUTH KIND AND FANTASTIC MR. FOX

Saturday, April 10, 2010

IN THEATERS

DATE NIGHT



This action comedy tells the tale of mild-mannered married couple Phil (Steve Carell) and Claire (Tina Fey) who fear their relationship may be falling into a stale rut. During their weekly date night, they impetuously steal a dinner reservation, which leads to a case of mistaken identity. Turns out the reservation was for a pair of thieves, and now a number of unsavory characters want Phil and Claire killed. If they can survive a wacky life-threatening night, they may just rediscover the passion missing from their marriage. Directed by Shawn Levy. Mark Wahlberg, James Franco, and Kristen Wiig co-star. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
Directed by Shawn Levy

Cast: Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Mark Wahlberg, Taraji P. Henson, Jimmi Simpson.

Release Date: Apr 09, 2010

Rated PG-13 for sexual and crude content throughout, language, some violence and a drug reference

Runtime: 1 hr. 28 min.

Genres: Comedy

Review:

Date Night is unapologetically broad in its laughs and if it weren’t for the excellent comedic talents of Tina Fey and Steve Carell it’d probably be kind of unbearable. Shawn Levy has made a career of making broad easy to consume comedies and he doesn’t change his stripes here. The jokes and situations are mostly paint by the numbers. Its fun light entertainment that keeps you mostly entertained with only occasional moments of tedium. Carell and Fey keep you interested with their strong dynamic and experienced talents. Carell brings a tenderness and earnestness to his character along with the expected goofiness. Fey is sharp and quick witted always keeping the interplay lively and energetic even in clichéd segments. Mark Wahlburg, James Franco, Mila Kunis, William Fichtner and Ray Liotta all have fun little cameos with characters that are goofy send ups of their usual roles. Date Night is the kind of movie that easily forgettable but never terrible. Considering Carell and Fey strong chemistry it would be nice to see them work with a more talent director and concept. For the time being this little nugget will work well as an appetizer.

C+

ON DVD

THE FOURTH KIND




Set in the fall of 2000 and purportedly based on actual events, The Fourth Kind stars Milla Jovovich as Dr. Abigail Tyler, a Nome, Alaska-based psychotherapist whose videotaped sessions with her patients offer the most compelling evidence of alien abduction ever documented. Elias Koteas and Will Patton co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi

Cast: Milla Jovovich, Elias Koteas, Will Patton, Hakeem Kae-Kazim.

Release Date: Nov 06, 2009

Rated PG-13 for violent/disturbing images, some terror, thematic elements and brief sexuality

Runtime: 1 hr. 38 min.

Genres: Thriller

Review:

The Fourth Kind is the type of film that has an interesting approach to what is a fairly well worn genre. Sadly, director Olatunde Osunsanmi shows his inexperience throughout and presently he doesn’t have the talent to make the concept a cohesive believable whole. It’s a shame because he has an interesting style that’s aggressively interesting and he does have a few inspired moments which impress. Unfortunately, those moments are few and far between and he fails to achieve the most important thing necessary here, credibility. The film, it starts with Milla Jovovich telling you this is based on true events, demands that you have some level of belief in the proceedings for it to effectively creep you out. Instead everything comes off as fake and manufactured especially the purported “real” footage. The cast across the board is stiff and unconvincing the reenactments never feel any better than old Unsolved Mysteries shorts. It’s all kind of a uneven hodgepodge of ideas that never reach the mark. Films like Communion and Fire in the Sky do a better job with this genre. Not a great sign when the latter is a fairly laughable Walken vehicle.

D

FANTASTIC MR. FOX



A wily fox uses his formidable cunning to outsmart three feeble-minded farmers, who resort to extreme tactics to protect their chickens in director Wes Anderson's animated adaptation of the popular Roald Dahl children's book. For 12 years, Mr. and Mrs. Fox (voices of George Clooney and Meryl Streep) have lived a peaceful life in the wilderness with their son, Ash (voice of Jason Schwartzman). Shortly after their young nephew Kristofferson (voice of Eric Anderson) arrives for a visit, Mr. Fox's long-suppressed animal instincts begin to take over and the faithful family man resorts back to his old ways as a cunning chicken thief, endangering not only his family but the entire animal community as well. When evil farmers Boggis, Bunce, and Bean force the animals underground in a desperate attempt to capture the audacious Mr. Fox, dwindling food supplies force the frightened animals to band together in one last attempt to fight for the land that is rightfully theirs. Bill Murray, Michael Gambon, Willem Dafoe, and Owen Wilson provide additional

Director: Wes Anderson

Cast: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Wallace Wolodarsky.

Release Date: Nov 13, 2009..

Rated: for action, smoking and slang humor

Runtime: 1 hr. 27 min.

Genres: Comedy

Review:

It’s rare that you find such a charming piece of filmmaking that keeps you smiling throughout via its wittiness and emotional highpoints. There is something incredibly quirky and heartfelt in all of Wes Anderson’s films and this stop motion isn’t any different. Proving that he can work his magic on stop motion dolls as effectively as his live actors, Anderson breathes life into these characters and plot almost from the instant they hit the screen. It’s no small task and he makes it seem utterly effortless throughout. The A list voice cast is up to task as well. Clooney provides just as much as charisma and sentiment as he did in Up in the Air. Meryl Streep’s work is graceful as ever providing Clooney’s titular character his moral center. Jason Schwartzman is wonderfully understated and heartfelt. The story, adapted from Roald Dahl’s children’s book, is just as smart as it should be, something the will give both adults and children something to enjoy. Fantastic Mr. Fox is a stellar achievement in film making and something that should be enjoyed by all.

A

MOVIE REVIEWS: CLASH OF THE TITANS

Sunday, April 04, 2010

IN THEATERS



CLASH OF THE TITANS



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The 1981 mythological fantasy adventure Clash of the Titans is resurrected in this remake from Incredible Hulk director Louis Leterrier. The joint Legendary Films/Warner Bros. production focuses on Perseus (Sam Worthington), the mortal hero made to carry out a series of quests by the gods in order to win the hand of the imprisoned princess Andromeda (Alexa Davalos). Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Mads Mikkelsen, and Gemma Arterton co-star. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide

Director: Louis Leterrier

Cast: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Flemyng, Gemma Arterton.

Release Date: Apr 02, 2010..

Rated PG-13 for some frightening images, fantasy action violence and brief sensuality

Runtime: 1 hr. 50 min.

Genres: Action

Review:

Being a child of the 80’s I have had a handful of my childhood movie loves remade with varying degrees of effectiveness. The original Clash of the Titans for all its flaws is still a terribly enjoyable film for me that take me back to childhood. It left indelible images on my young mind and was one of those films that helped shape my general love for films. I doubt Louis Leterrier’s remake will leave that type of impression on today’s children. I could be wrong but I doubt this type of uninspired and chunky film making will leave much of an impression after they leave the theater but who knows, a lot of people said that about the original as well. This film is a chesse fest that’s only occasionally fun and mostly tedious. Leterrier’s direction does his best to give the proceedings an epic feel but for the most part it feels like that is way beyond his talents. The large scale action set pieces are handled with a pedestrian hand only occasionally capturing any sense of grandeur or scope. The battle in Medusa’s lair and final battle with the final battle with the Kraken are the best of the group but the scorpion battle feels more like something out of Starship Troopers. The script makes various changes to the original plot changing the general motivation of Perseus and the gods. They work to certain extent, the gods in particular are a tad more interesting even if we only get Zeus and Hades for the most part and the remainder stands around looking godly. The changes to Perseus aren’t as effective mainly because it makes him less heroic and more petulant. Worthington’s performance doesn’t help as he appears to have mastered the ability to be aggressively wooden. He lacks any fire or drive and just comes across as disingenuous for the better part of the film. Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes have more fun hamming it up, Fiennes in particular looks like he’s having a ball. Gemma Arterton doesn’t make as much of an impression as she should and Mads Mikkelsen is overly serious throughout. The cast is saddled with a script that’s just as clunky as the film’s direction; neither seems to be able to decide if it wants to be serious or cheesy. While I suppose there is a chance this could become a cult favorite like the original I think it’s a long shot. The original has a certain endearing campiness to it and this remake has a terribly generic feel to it.

C-