MOVIE REVIEW: TROLLHUNTER

ON VIDEO

TROLLHUNTER



Three student filmmakers venture into the most isolated region of Norway on a mission to confront a notorious bear poacher, and discover that the elusive hunter's true prey is something far more extraordinary. Though Kalle, Thomas, and Johanna thought they were pursuing a criminal, after locating Hans (Otto Jespersen) with the help of some local hunters, they learn that bears are not his true target but a mere smokescreen to obscure what he's really after -- trolls. A secret government agency has been conspiring to cover up the existence of these massive monsters, but occasionally the trolls manage to break their containment area. Now, if the group can just survive long enough to get their incredible footage to the outside world, they could be responsible for revealing the most impressive cryptozoological discovery in the history of humankind. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: André Øvredal

Cast: Glenn Erland Trosterud, Otto Jespersen, Robert Stoltenberg, Knut Nærum

Release Date: Jun 10, 2011

Rated PG-13 for some sequences of creature terror

Runtime: 1 hr. 43 min.

Genres: Art House/Foreign, Horror

Review:

There is an incredible sense of fun and adventure at the heart of this “found footage” mockumentary. It benefits the film which never really takes itself overly seriously and serves the premise perfectly well. This low budget creature feature is an interesting film that feels more like a road movie which takes full advantage of the wonderfully mythical looking Norwegian landscapes. Director André Øvredal gives his film a surprisingly polished feel. So much so that it really doesn’t feel like a lot of “found footage” genre films. The CGI is impressive considering the minuscule budget; most of it is wisely hidden in the dark or night vision. His cast is fairly naturalistic and come across as authentic. Glenn Erland Trosterud, in particular, just nails his grizzled hunter who’s over the crap job he’s been tasked with. Watching Trosterud and knowing that an American remake is already in the works, remake deal was announced the day it was released internationally, I couldn’t help but think of Tommy Lee Jones in the role. I digress, the film is a lot of fun but it does have some flaws. A few portions of the film just seem like filler and the last act feels like it’s building up to an impressive climax but it doesn’t come through. Instead the film ends abruptly and certain parties portrayed previously suddenly become dangerous. It’s a strange finale but there is a funny little bit near the end with reminds you of the tone that makes Trollhunter easy to enjoy.

B-

[Full Trailer] Paranormal Activity 3

Full trailer for Paranormal Activity 3 is out and it appears that this entry will be a lot more aggressive and left subtle than the first 2.

By the third entry in this franchise, which I’ve enjoyed, it’s almost required that you go all out since the audience already knows rules of the game.

We’ll see if it works in October……

MOVIE REVIEW: MONEYBALL

IN THEATERS

MONEYBALL



Brad Pitt stars in the real-life tale of Major League Baseball general manager Billy Beane, who built up a winning team despite a decreased budget thanks to his sly use of statistical data to calculate the best -- and cheapest -- players for his roster. Aaron Sorkin updates Steve Zaillian's adaptation of Michael Lewis' fly-on-the-wall novel for Columbia Pictures, with Robin Wright, Jonah Hill, and Philip Seymour Hoffman co-starring. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Director: Bennett Miller

Cast: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright, Chris Pratt

Release Date: Sep 23, 2011

Rated: Some strong language

Runtime: 2 hr. 6 min.

Genres: Drama

Review:

To call Moneyball a baseball movie is kind of a disservice. Personally, I’ve never been a big fan of sports films mainly because they follow such a predictable pattern and are filled with genre required benchmarks. Moneyball forgoes most of that and explores the business of the sport but doing so in a manner that people who are well versed in sports and those who barely know the difference between and out and a touchdown can enjoy it. It’s engaging from the start and the character piece pops in a way few films can. It’s a slow and organic film that allows scenes to gestate long enough to achieve their desired effect. Bennett Miller provides a strong guiding hand making his film feel like jock version of The Social Network. Miller does such a strong job of giving his film an air of authenticity, the scenes all ring true, even to a sports fanatic like myself, but never spilling over into parody. Brad Pitt is spot on as Beane. Pitt masterfully and subtly displays Beane cocksure bravado and private self doubts that drive the man. It’s the type of performance that brings his character to life especially in character scenes that showcase the man’s mind at work. Jonah Hill playing against type provides an excellent counterpoint to Beane. Hill’s quiet and measured performance is perfect for the character’s persona. Phillip Seymour Hoffman rounds out the cast with an impressive turn as A’s Manager Art Howe, his interaction with Pitt’s Beane is the kind of stuff most sports fans know all too well. The film might overstay it’s welcome near the end but just barely.

A

[Trailer] David Fincher's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

This new longer, close to 4 minutes, trailer for David Fincher’s remake of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo really hits up on a lot of the major plot points of the story.

Most should seem fairly familiar to those that have seen the Swedish films, which I thought were fairly strong, and while the style is all Fincher I don’t really see all that much derivation is terms of story or character.

Rooney Mara does seem to give off a stronger tough but wounded vibe than Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth. Still think Rapace will be a tough act to follow personally. Daniel Craig does seem like a good fit for Mikael Blomkvist so we shall see, I have a lot of faith in Fincher so I’m very curious to see the final product.

[Red Band Trailer] The Thing (2011)

The first trailer hardly instilled a lot of hope in me for this prequel but this Red Band Trailer and the amount of CGI which looks to dominate the creature effects are really making me feel more than a little depressed.

Still trying to keep an open mind but it’s getting harder and harder……

[Trailer] [REC]³ Génesis

After I finished watching [REC]2 I was just begging for a 3rd part, thankfully we’ll be getting one!

The teaser trailer for the 3rd part seems to be taking a different approach from the first 2 films but this still looks like an excellent addition to the Spanish horror franchise, hopefully we in the states won’t be left waiting for years like with the 2nd part…..