MOVIE REVIEW: THE WARD

ON VIDEO

THE WARD


A young girl named Kristen (Amber Heard) awakens in a psychiatric hospital after setting a farmhouse ablaze, and finds herself stalked by a malevolent ghost in this psychological shocker from celebrated horror director John Carpenter (Halloween). Badly battered and seemingly stricken with amnesia, Kristen forges a fragile friendship with fellow patients Sarah (Danielle Panabaker), Iris (Lyndsy Fonseca), Emily (Mamie Gummer), and Zoey (Laura-Leigh) as her compassionate therapist, Dr. Stringer (Jared Harris), works to uncover the source of her mysterious condition. Later, at night, when the lights in her remote ward go dim, Kristen is confronted by an imposing phantom that seems intent on dragging her screaming into the darkness. Eventually, the other girls in the ward begin to vanish, one by one. Now, the harder Kristen fights to avoid falling prey to her shadowy pursuer, the more convinced she becomes that no patient who's checked in to North Bend Psychiatric Hospital ever comes out alive. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: John Carpenter

Cast: Amber Heard, Danielle Panabaker, Mamie Gummer, Lyndsy Fonseca, Jared Harris

Release Date: Jul 08, 2011

Rated R for violence and disturbing images

Runtime: 1 hr. 28 min.

Genres: Horror, Suspense/Thriller

Review:

John Carpenter took a 9 year hiatus from feature filmmaking after making the dreadful Ghost of Mars. Carpenter’s return was mildly anticipated because he’s created a handful of favorites including one of my favorite horror films ever, his remake of The Thing. That being said, even the most diehard fan can’t ignore his obvious decline during the 90’s even though I am one of the few that liked Vampires. The Ward unfortunately just continues the decline, it’s biggest sin is that’s it not really a mess on the scale of Ghost of Mars but it’s just so bland and uninspired that you are left wondering why he chose this project to break his hiatus. The film is directed decently and it flows nicely but it’s just about as vanilla as it gets. Nothing about it has any identity or soul, it’s a mindless run through a plot that’s rudimentary and never really all that engaging. Amber Heard is incredibly easy on the eyes but her performance along with the rest of the cast, outside of Jared Harriss who looks like he’s really trying, is bland and nondescript. At best I can see it as a throwback to the “woman in cages” exploitation films from the 70’s but even that is kind of a stretch. It’s still better than Synder’s horrid Sucker Punch but that’s not really much of a compliment. Carpenter’s general sense of disinterest is so palpable that you can almost here him yawning in the background or maybe that’s you.

C-

MOVIE REVIEW: THE DEVIL’S DOUBLE

IN THEATERS

THE DEVIL’S DOUBLE



Dominic Cooper (An Education) headlines director Lee Tamahori's fact-based docudrama centering on the nightmarish experiences of an Iraqi army lieutenant whose life became a living hell after he was hand-selected to be a "fiday" (body double) for Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's ruthless son Uday. Baghdad, 1987: Iraqi soldier Latif Yahia (Cooper) becomes privy to the inner workings of the royal family after receiving an offer he can't refuse. Desperate to protect his family and terrified of making any fatal missteps, Latif studies Uday's every personal tick in order to become the spitting image of the so-called "Black Prince." While some Iraqis might have been honored to be presented with such a unique opportunity, Uday's unparalleled sadism and debauched lifestyle quickly began to eat away at the very core of Latif's soul. As war with Kuwait looms on the horizon, Latif finds himself increasingly drawn to Uday's ravishing mistress Sarrab (Ludivine Sagnier), a woman with her own terrifying tales to tell about time spent with Iraq's cruelest son. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Lee Tamahori

Cast: Dominic Cooper, Ludivine Sagnier, Raad Rawi, Philip Quast, Mimoun Oaissa

Release Date: Jul 29, 2011

Rated R for strong brutal violence and torture, sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use and pervasive language

Runtime: 1 hr. 48 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Drama

Review:

The Devil’s Double is a showcase in a lot of ways but first and foremost it’s about Dominic Cooper. Dominic Copper stars in duel roles, doing excellent work on both and making a complex story into something digestible and enthralling. This is Cooper’s film and it’s the kind of stage that most actors pray for. As Uday, Cooper is unhinged psychotic and incredibly watchable throughout. In this part of the role, he’s a living embodiment of the ID released onto the world. It’s a fascinating performance that’s mirrored, quite literally, by his turn as Latif. Cooper as Latif is somebody else entirely, a calm reserved man who’s simply in a bad situation. Cooper is able to balance both characters deftly throughout, with Uday bordering on caricature occasionally. Ludivine Sagnier is a striking vision but she’s mostly wooden mainly because of a thinly written role. Director Lee Tamahori handles the decadence and opulence involved with a steady hand but he occasionally gets a tad heavy handed. Tamahori only superficially glances over some of the more interesting relationships but never digs deeper. Regardless, this is an actor’s wet dream and Dominic Cooper shines.

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: FRIGHT NIGHT

IN THEATERS

FRIGHT NIGHT



A suburban teenager realizes that his new neighbor is a charismatic vampire in this remake of the 1985 horror comedy hit. After years of climbing to reach the top of the social ladder, high school senior Charley Brewster (Anton Yelchin) finally rules the roost. Just as Charley ditches his best pal, "Evil" Ed (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), and starts dating the most popular girl in their class, however, a handsome new face appears in the neighborhood. It belongs to Charley's new neighbor Jerry (Colin Farrell), an outwardly amiable guy with a quick smile and a sharp wit. But when Charley sees a side of Jerry that everyone else seems to miss, he quickly becomes convinced that the nice-guy act is a cover for something truly sinister. Unable to convince his charmed mother (Toni Collette) that Jerry is a genuine bloodsucker, the suspicious teen turns to Las Vegas magician Peter Vincent (David Tennant) to help exterminate the demon before he drinks the entire neighborhood dry. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Craig Gillespie

Cast: Colin Farrell, Anton Yelchin, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, David Tennant, Imogen Poots

Release Date: Aug 19, 2011

Rated R for bloody horror violence and language including some sexual references

Runtime: 1 hr. 46 min.

Genres: Comedy, Horror

Review:

The Fright Night remake is one those of those remakes that could have gone terribly wrong. Luckily with a strong script, cast and director it succeeds in properly updating a cult classic respectfully but giving it enough new shine to entertain. Craig Gillespie directs his film with the right sense of horror and comedy, something the original did fairly well. He also gives the film a brisk feel that keeps the proceedings moving at a steady pace and never lets the film lag. Anton Yelchin is solid if somewhat unmemorable in his general blandness, it’s not overpowering or detrimental just noticeable. Colin Farrell though is magnetic and electric throughout. He exudes charisma, masculinity and a primal ferocity, it’s an impressive turn that the rest of the film revolves around. Christopher Mintz-Plasse is strong in the limited but pivotal role of Ed. David Tennant is also lots of fun as Peter Vincent, he leaves you wishing he was given more screen time. The 2 talented ladies that make up the rest of the cast, Toni Collette & Imogen Poots, are fairly underused and in all honesty anybody could have played either role. While I watched the film in 2D there was a noticeable sense of 3D set ups using some incredibly tired popout at you techniques. I’ve never hate the 3D thing as much as most but it looks like a massive ripoff here. As for the film itself, it’s fun and well executed showing that if you must remake films at least makes sure all parties involved are bringing their A material.

B

MOVIE REVIEW: PRIEST

ON VIDEO

PRIEST



In a world ravaged by wars between humans and vampires, a renegade priest fights to rescue his niece from the legions of bloodsuckers who seek to transform the young girl into one of them. A battle-weary veteran of the last vampire war, warrior Priest (Paul Bettany) now resides in a heavily fortified city where the ruling Church is a greater menace than any creature of the night. When a pack of vampires abduct Priest's niece (Lily Collins), the vengeful holy man breaks his vows and promises to save the young innocent from a fate worse than death. He can't do it alone, but with a powerful warrior Priestess (Maggie Q) and his niece's boyfriend, a sharp-shooting sheriff (Cam Gigandet), on his side, Priest may have a fighting chance. Stephen Moyer, Karl Urban, and Brad Dourif co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Scott Charles Stewart

Cast: Paul Bettany, Karl Urban, Cam Gigandet, Maggie Q, Lily Collins, Stephen Moyer,
Christopher Plummer, Brad Dourif

Release Date: May 13, 2011

Rated PG-13 Intense sequences of violence and action, disturbing images and brief
strong language

Runtime: 1 hr. 27 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure

Review:

Priest is kind of like a dollar store Frankenstein monster of a film. It’s made up of so many sources that it’s hard to keep track of them. Occasionally, director Scott Charles Stewart hits the sweet spot with a few cool visuals or ideas that look like they could spring into something but just never do. Instead, you are left to trudge through a Blade Runner-esque world before heading into a Western-esque post apocalyptic world mixed with as many clichés as you can think of, throw it in a blender and call it a day. Paul Bettany string of truly questionable role selections, he’s really a fine actor, continues here as he looks like a holy roman Jedi while carrying the same demeanor he had in the woeful Legion, also directed by Stewart. Bettany looks like he came straight from that set and just had a quick wardrobe change and went right to work. Not that there’s much he can do given the script but he tries, in fact he’s so serious throughout that he could be passing a diamond as the movie progresses. Cam Gigandet is tasked with being his partner in their heroes quest and he distractingly bad in a bad film. Gigandet reads lines like a first year acting student, leaving you wondering if that was really the best take they could possibly get from him or if everybody was just in a rush to go home. The lovely Maggie Q looks lovely and cool in limited screen time. Karl Urban is mostly wasted as the villain here, in the sparse amount of time he’s given he looks like he’s begging to do some actual work but just isn’t ever asked. Christopher Plummer and Brad Dourif pass through on their way to other films. The strange thing and probably biggest sin Priest commits is that’s its actually fairly watch able, helped by it’s scant run time and brisk pacing, if it actually had any sort of worthwhile script it might have made for a solid B movie.

C-

[Trailer] UNDERWORLD AWAKENING 3D

I have a handful of franchises that are guilty pleasures, the Resident Evil franchise comes to mind but that seems more like sadomasochism at this point, and the Underworld series is always one that drags me in.

I wish I could say it was cinematic reason but it’s not, Beckinsale looks amazing in these movies and third prequel had one of my favorite genre hotties, Rhona Mitra.

This trailer looks like more of the same along with the terribly passé wirework action but its got Beckinsale looking hot again, vampires and werewolves and some other nonsense.

It comes out in January, studios dumping grounds for crap filmmaking, and I’ll be there opening weekend!

MOVIE REVIEW: RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

IN THEATERS

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

The Escapist director Rupert Wyatt takes the helm for this Planet of the Apes prequel centering on genetically engineered chimp Caesar (Andy Serkis), who was created in a San Francisco lab by an ambitious scientist (James Franco), and who uses his powerful intellect to lead an ape uprising against all of humankind. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Cast: James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Andy Serkis, Brian Cox, David Oyelowo, Tom Felton

Release Date: Aug 05, 2011

Rated: Violence and intense/frightening sequences

Runtime: 1 hr. 50 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure

Review:

The original Planet of the Apes is such an iconic film that it leaves a legacy that still rings through this most recent reboot. Winks and nods to the original pop up here and there throughout Rise of the Planet of the Apes, some subtle and others more obvious and forced. It’s a minor quibble in the grand scheme of things, especially when so much care and effort was put into making this more than just another money grabbing reboot. Rise has something missing from most reboots; it’s got plenty of heart and a strong sense of itself. The story feels authentic with a set up and follow through that flows nicely. Director Rupert Wyatt shoots his film with a steady hand, moving his film at a steady pace rarely lingers in any section too long. James Franco, Freida Pinto and John Lithgow all have paint by the number roles. Franco offers some heart to his character but like the rest he’s simply a tool for the plot. David Oyelowo and Tom Felton are given cheesier clichéd roles which border on goofy, Felton in particular seems like he was transported from an 80’s flick sans a Cobra Kai patch. The real star of the show though is Andy Serkis, whose become the motion capture “man behind the mask”, who’s performance capture work is even more impressive than his work in the Lord of the Rings. His role is mostly visual but he’s able to emote such a massive range of emotions that’s you can relate with Caesar’s situation throughout. The CGI work is excellent, delivering photo realistic creations that rarely scream CGI. There are a few scenes that will either work for you or not, depending on how invested you are by that point in the story. While Rise will never leave the lasting legacy of the original film it’s still an impressive effort all around.

B