MOVIE REVIEW: PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES

IN THEATERS

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES

Flamboyant seafarer Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) lands himself in a bit of a bind after being lured onto Blackbeard's (Ian McShane) ship by enigmatic siren Angelica (Penélope Cruz), and forced to seek out the Fountain of Youth. Trapped on the Queen Anne's Revenge with the most nefarious pirate in history, Captain Jack reflects on his past with the elusive Angelica while embarking on his wildest adventure to date. With shambling zombies on deck and gorgeous mermaids beckoning sailors into the icy waters below, this time Jack Sparrow has his work cut out for him. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Rob Marshall

Cast: Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush, Ian McShane, Stephen Graham

Release Date: May 20, 2011

Rated PG-13 for Intense sequences of action/adventure violence, some frightening images, sensuality and innuendo

Genres: Action/Adventure, Comedy

Review:

I remember watching the first Pirates of The Caribbean, enjoying it mostly, but wondering why it was so bloody long. The sequels all followed suit but they were fun, convoluted for sure, and propped up with strong performances from all involved with Geoffrey Rush and Johnny Deep being my personal favorites. A trilogy is typically a good stopping point, by the third turn it’s usually a fair bet the characters and story have been expend and there’s very little left to show the audience. In lieu of a massive reinvention there’s really no point for another entry. On Stranger Tides should have been called the Quest for Treasure, yours. This entry is lifeless boring and overlong. A massive list of characters and storylines over powers the film while adding very little to the actual story. The story itself is straightforward but terribly convoluted at the same time. It’s a jumble of mythos, mermaids and zombies. None of which add any semblance of meat to the film. Instead we are given action set piece 1, 2, 3, interlude, 4, 5….rinse and repeat. Director Rob Marshall does his best but he’s entirely out of his element and it shows. To his credit most of the action sequences are impressively staged and occasionally epic but shocking lacking in any actual fun. I can say I chuckled once or twice throughout the entire film. The cast seems equally disinterested in the film and their roles, aside from the usual stalwarts. Johnny Depp is front and center, he does an admirable job but there are occasions were you can tell he’s just phoning it end. Geoffrey Rush is always fun in this role and he chews every scene with great vigor. Ian McShane turns in a decent performance which isn’t a surprise since the role is just an extension his Deadwood character on a boat. A terribly pregnant Penélope Cruz stays out of the way for the most part since she saddled with on of the many pointless subplots. The main crux of this film is finding the Fountain of Youth something which I doubt this franchise as a whole can ever find.

D

MOVIE REVIEW: THE MECHANIC

THE MECHANIC



Seasoned hitman Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham) sets out to avenge the brutal murder of his mentor, Harry (Donald Sutherland), and finds himself joined by Harry's vengeful son (Ben Foster), who is eager to follow in his late father's footsteps, in this remake of the 1972 action thriller starring Charles Bronson and Jan-Michael Vincent. Harry taught Arthur how to be a detached killer who always hits his mark. Now Harry is gone, and for the first time in Arthur's career it's about to get personal. As lone-wolf assassin Arthur prepares to hunt down Harry's killers, he is approached by his fallen mentor's vengeful son, Steve, who is eager to take up the lethal tools of his father's trade. Unadept at working with a partner yet compelled to help Steve carry on the family tradition, Arthur agrees to take him on as a protégé. Later, the duo begins to methodically eliminate their targets, forging a partnership born of blood with each new hit. The closer Arthur and Steve get to the name at the top of their list, however, the more apparent it becomes that his job will be anything but business as usual. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Simon West

Cast: Jason Statham, Ben Foster, Tony Goldwyn, Donald Sutherland, Jeff Chase

Release Date: Jan 28, 2011

Rated R for strong brutal violence throughout, language, some sexual content and nudity

Runtime: 1 hr. 40 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Suspense/Thriller

Review:

To say this film feels familiar is a tad of an understatement, not just because it’s a remake of the 70’s Charles Bronson film of the same name. Jason Statham has made a career of churning out mindless action flicks. The quality of these films varies wildly but Statham is consistent and seems more than happy to stick to the formula. The Mechanic, directed by Michael Bay Jr., Simon West, is a hollow superficial ride which never tries to be more than it sets out to be. It’s bloody occasionally gory sprinkled with nudity and sex. Ultimately it’s easily digestible and enjoyable for the most part. At times it feels like this would have been perfectly at home in the 80’s which a plot that feel like nothing more than excuse to propel the action. There’s a tad bit of pathos there enough to make it feel like they could go deeper into these characters but nobody involved, outside of Ben Foster, seems terribly interested in doing so. Jason Statham delivers his usual tough guy persona, gravelly voiced with the perfect amount of stubble. By this point Statham can play this type of character in his sleep, so much so that it leaves you wondering if he ever gets confused as to which movie he’s actually shooting at anyone time. Ben Foster brings a bit more depth to his character. Foster gives his character greater depth, showcasing the simmering tortured persona of his character. That being said it’s never explored to great depth, along with the fact that the character becomes a master hitman in the span of a few days. These aren’t the kind of films that are terribly interested in that kind of stuff and that’s alright as long as they deliver enjoyable action set pieces. The Mechanic has plenty to like with inventive settings and impressive looking locals. If there is one nitpick it’s that the last big action piece leaves you feeling a tad disappointed since the film seems to be building to a nice action crescendo.

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: THE RITE

THE RITE


Inspired by author Matt Baglio's nonfiction book of the same name, director Mikael Håfström's supernatural thriller traces the experiences of a young seminary student who discovers the true power of faith after being drafted into the Vatican's Exorcism School and confronted by the forces of darkness. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Mikael Håfström

Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Colin O'Donoghue, Alice Braga, Ciarán Hinds, Toby Jones, Rutger Hauer

Release Date: Jan 28, 2011

Rated PG-13 for Disturbing thematic material, sexual references, language, frightening images and violence

Runtime: 1 hr. 52 min.

Genres: Drama

Review:

Anthony Hopkins’ character asks, early on in this insipid and horribly clichéd film, “What were you expecting? Spinning heads and pea soup?” At that point in the film, that’s exactly what I wasn’t hoping for and with such a garish dismissal of the usual exorcist genre tropes it leaves you wondering if perhaps we’ll see something new and fresh. Sadly, it doesn’t take The Rite long to fall into an all too familiar pattern. A young priest lacking faith, an elder priest who’s been battling the devil for his entire life, standard contortions and demonic sounding voices, etc, etc…. Throw in some shoddy and thoroughly unnecessary CGI just for good measure. So if we don’t get a fresh take on this genre then at the very least the film should frighten us. Even here it fails, using the cheapest of scares while never getting within shouting distance of any sort of tension. The character’s barely register and carry all the emotional weight of a paper bag. Colin O'Donoghue doesn’t bring much to the table and is instantly forgettable. Alice Braga is thoroughly self serious throughout while being given very little to do. Anthony Hopkins seems to sleep walk through most of his scenes only to pull out a faux version of his Lecter character in the final act which borders on parody. Strangely the only actor who brings any level of creepiness is Rutger Hauer who’s in the film for a total of 5 minutes. Director Mikael Håfström tries to dress this all up as much as possible but in the end it’s like putting make up on a hog.

D-

Tom Hardy As Bane From The Dark Knight Rises

First image of Tom Hardy as Bane has been released and it’s an interesting shot to say the least.

Kind of a tease but enough to give you an idea of what Nolan is doing which is pretty much what’s he’s done the whole series, bring the more “comic” parts to the real world.

I personally think it's pretty cool looking but would love to get a straight up shot of him and that mask....

[Trailer] THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN

I’ll admit that I’ve got very limited knowledge of the books this is based on. That being said with the star power behind the film (Steven Spielberg & Peter Jackson) it’s kind of hard to dismiss it.

Motion capture, Avatar aside, has been kind of hit or miss but this seems to keep with the art style of the books giving it a more stylized look than say Beowulf, A Christmas Carol or The Polar Express.

Regardless it looks like an interesting endeavor even if this teaser doesn’t really show much.

MOVIE REVIEW: BRIDESMAIDS

IN THEATERS

BRIDESMAIDS



Director Paul Feig and producer Judd Apatow team with co-writers Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo for this comedy about a devoted maid of honor whose life falls into ruin as she plans her best friend's dream wedding. Upon hearing the news that Lillian (Maya Rudolph) has gotten engaged, ecstatic Annie (Wiig) leaps at the chance to plan the perfect wedding. With the big day rapidly approaching, Annie struggles to put her romantic and financial woes aside in order to give her dearest friend a day of memories that will last a lifetime. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Paul Feig

Cast: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey

Release Date: May 13, 2011

Rated R for some strong sexuality, and language throughout

Genres: Comedy

Review:

Bridesmaid is a funny movie but it delivers a lot more than you might expect and while it might be shackled with being a “chickflick” it most avoids a lot of the worst clichés of the genre. Starting with a raucous sex scene, Bridesmaids seems like it’d settle into being a Hangover type film with women. In reality it’s something much meatier and even thoughtful. Kristen Wiig, who cowrote this film, is center stage and she truly impresses. Playing a frazzled neurotic woman who’s moments away from a nervous breakdown, she delivers the comedic portions with ease but where she’s truly shines is her ability to deal with the dramatic part. Her performance is the best thing in the film and she’s on key throughout. TV director/actor Paul Feig lets his cast do the work and kind of stays out of the way for the most part. It’s a smart move since the cast is populated with funny women who all shine with limited screen time. Melissa McCarthy is given some of the best lines in the film and leaves a strong impression. Jon Hamm and Chris O'Dowd, as the requisite romantic interest, both have limited roles but are funny with the latter being extremely charming. While the film is strong for the most part, it’s overlong and lags from time to time with the romantic subplot that feels a tad out of place. Even with those issues it’s still an impressive film that really shows off the talents of the cast, Wiig in particular.

B-