MOVIE REVIEW: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN

IN THEATERS ON DVD

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN



Typical teenager Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) embraces his incredible destiny after uncovering one of his father's most carefully guarded secrets as Columbia Pictures reboots the Spider-Man franchise with the help of director Mark Webb ((500) Days of Summer) and screenwriter James Vanderbilt (Zodiac). Sally Field, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Martin Sheen, and Emma Stone co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Marc Webb

Cast: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott

Release Date: Jul 03, 2012

Rated PG-13 for Sequences of Action & Violence

Runtime: 2 hr. 16 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure

Review:

The main question most everybody has asked and will continue to ask is why? Why reboot this so quickly after the Raimi trilogy? There’s no good answer other than Sony didn’t want to lose the rights to the franchise, it’s that simple. So taking that question out of the equation and taking this film on its own merits it’s an enjoyable if imperfect redux. Marc Webb’s take is more focused on character interactions and relationships, so it feels more weighty and grounded. The spectacle is there but it feels like it’s more of an afterthought. Webb is more interested in how these character think interact and deal with things. He does a solid job of capturing the turmoil and angst in Parker’s head. Helping him along the way is a perfectly cast Andrew Garfield. Garfield feels like a much better fit than Maguire right from the start. He embodies the smarts and awkwardness of the character and is a lot of fun to watch both in and out of the costume. Emma Stone brings her own charms to the character, bring more depth and texture than you’d expect when you consider her limited screen time. Rhys Ifans make a passable villain but hardly memorable. Martin Sheen and Sally Field come off stiff throughout barely registering occasionally. Denis Leary is underused throughout leaving his character feel kind of pointless. While there are obvious strengths in this iteration it’s not perfect. The plot offers a few new points but for the most part it’s a standard issue origin story and there’s really no reason for it to be as long as it is. At 2 hours plus there are plenty of bits that could have been trimmed to streamline the film. Some of action pieces, a certain part in the school gym is just idiotic, feel out of sync and occasionally awkward. Webb’s inexperience in filming these sequences is fairly evident, it’s hit or miss for the most part with some working very well and others just missing the mark. The 3D version has some strong sequences but outside of these rare instants it’s hardly worth the higher price tag.

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: TED

IN THEATERS

TED



A man wrestles with the lingering consequences of a childhood wish in this live-action comedy from Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane. As a young boy, John Bennett wanted nothing more than for his beloved teddy bear Ted (voice of MacFarlane) to come to life. Incredibly, that wish was granted. But now that John (Mark Wahlberg) is all grown up, his boyhood dream has become a nightmare nuisance. Mila Kunis, Joel McHale, and Giovanni Ribisi co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Seth MacFarlane

Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Seth MacFarlane, Joel McHale, Giovanni Ribisi.

Release Date: Jun 29, 2012

Rated R for some Drug Use, Pervasive Language and Crude and Sexual Content

Runtime: 1 hr. 46 min.

Genres: Comedy

Review:

If you are familiar with Seth MacFarlane’s brand of humor from Family Guy, American Dad etc… then you’ll know what to expect in his first feature film. It’s very much in keeping with those way lengths, even teetering closely into full crossover with Ted sounding very much like Peter Griffin. MacFarlane transposes a standard rom-com plot; annoying friend comes between couple, and mixes it up with a foul mouthed CGI bear. It’s raucous vulgar and generally a lot of fun. MacFarlane is allowed to go balls to the wall without having to worry about TV censors and it’s pretty much what you’d expect, frat boy humor gone wild. Along the way a certain 80’s cult movie star shows up during a crazy party scene and one of the most hilarious fights I’ve sat through since Borat. It’s all utterly silly and stupid and it never takes itself too seriously. The cast is all game with each actor and actress hitting their marks around an impressively realized CGI star voiced with great gusto by MacFarlane. A few hiccups come in the form of the aforementioned well worn plot and kind of unnecessary subplot that adds an extra 15 minutes to the film that could have been excised without much issue. Regardless, Ted is the kind of comedy that’ll end up on many a shelf when it hits video.

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: BRAVE

BRAVE



An impetuous princess discovers that her reckless choice has put both her family and her father's kingdom in peril in this animated adventure from Pixar films. As a toddler, Merida (voice of Kelly MacDonald) saw her father, King Fergus (Billy Connolly), do battle with one of the fiercest animals in the kingdom -- a horribly scarred hulk of a bear named Mordu. Though Fergus lost his leg defending his family, Merida and her mother, Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson), managed to escape the beast before it vanished back into the forest. Years later, Merida has grown up to become not just a skilled archer, but also a beautiful princess who inspires a competition among the eligible bachelors in the land. But Merida has little interest in getting married, and the harder her mother pushes the issue, the more fiercely she resists it. When the tournament for her hand gets under way and a deep divide opens between mother and daughter, Merida makes a wish that threatens the future of both her family and the entire kingdom. Now, with only a brief window of time to set things right, Merida must summon the courage to atone for her mistake and prevent a past tragedy from destroying any hope for a peaceful future. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Brenda Chapman

Cast: Kelly MacDonald, Emma Thompson, Billy Connolly, Julie Walters, Kevin McKidd

Release Date: Jun 22, 2012

Rated PG for Some Scary Action and Rude Humor

Runtime: 1 hr. 40 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Animated, Comedy

Review:

The rousing first act of Brave enchants the way you’d imagine a Pixar created film should. We are given a fully realized Scottish landscape that’s beautifully rendered, even more impressive in 3D, which is populated by wonderfully conceived character designs. It’s feast for the eyes and there a strong sense of self the moment Merida’s uncontrollable fiery red hair hits the screen. Kelly MacDonald, a favorite of mine from Broadwalk Empire, gives Merida the perfect blend of strength, drive and impetuous energy. Emma Thompson and MacDonald have good chemistry together in their mother daughter roles with Billy Connolly bringing a good sense of fun to the king. MacDonald’s work remains the driving force throughout the film but sadly the film falters by taking a far too conventional and safe route. It’s not a bad story by any measure but it’s not the type of cutting edge fare we’ve come to expect from Pixar. It’s enjoyable and once we hit the crux of plot, we all know how the plot will play out. It follows course fairly carefully rarely stepping to far into the deep end of some of the themes presented. As is the film works well but you can’t help but wonder if it wasn’t a bit of a missed opportunity for Pixar to make a truly different princess for the Disney stable.

B

[Trailer] Taken 2

Silly Bryan Mills thinking he could take a family vacation without all hell breaking loose….

Trailer for the sequel looks like it’ll continue the ass kicking that started in the first film. Liam looks like he’s ready to go again, can’t wait to see it….

MOVIE REVIEW: ROCK OF AGES

IN THEATERS

ROCK OF AGES



A small-town girl and a big-city boy find their fates intersecting on the Sunset Strip, riding a wave of romance through the height of the "hair metal" scene as the off-Broadway musical rocks its way to the big screen courtesy of choreographer-turned-director Adam Shankman (A Walk to Remember, Hairspray). Arriving in Hollywood with stars in her eyes, Sherrie (Julianne Hough) meets Drew (Diego Boneta), and together they plunge headlong into the local rock scene. Meanwhile, as Sherrie struggles to stay afloat in a churning sea of rock 'n' roll excess, she gets swept off her feet by audacious rock star Stacee Jaxx (Tom Cruise). Russell Brand, Paul Giamatti, and Bryan Cranston co-star in a movie featuring music by Journey, Def Leppard, Poison, Whitesnake, Bon Jovi, Foreigner, Joan Jett, and REO Speedwagon. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director:Adam Shankman

Release Date: Jun 15, 2012

Cast: Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta, Russell Brand, Paul Giamatti, Catherine Zeta-Jones

Director: Adam Shankman

Rated: Sexual Content, Language, Some Heavy Drinking and Suggestive Dancing

Runtime: 2 hr. 3 min.

Genres: Music/Performing Arts

Review:

80’s hair band rock has that incredible ability to get pretty much anybody to sing along, many a drunken karaoke bars are a testament to that. The musical Rock of Ages strikes me as one of those golden ideas that everybody wishes they would have thought of first, its easy money. The film version of the musical is like mother’s milk, easy to love and hard to criticize. A steady sense of fun permeates throughout the film’s runtime. Adam Shankman, who directed the equally energetic Hairspray, knows the film’s songs are its strong suit and he delivers them in wonderfully garish set pieces. His cast is all strong even if the leads are a tad bland and almost intrusive in the latter half of the film. Julianne Hough is a annoyingly cute and suffers from duck voice. Diego Boneta is capable but easily forgettable. The supporting cast is impressive, made up of big names taking their turn at singing classic songs from the 80’s. Catherine Zeta-Jones is such a wonderful little powder keg that it’s easy to overlook her shoehorned character, the role was created for the film, even if it feels a tad out of place from time to time. Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand might as well be considered a single character as they bounce off each other regular and exclusively. Paul Giamatti could be cast as a sleazy character for the rest of his career and nobody would complain. Mary J. Blige has a small role but reminds everybody what a real singer sounds like. Needless to say the supporting actors are all strong but this is truly one man’s movie. Tom Cruise simply owns the film as soon as he shows up on screen. He turns in a performance that makes you forget the other actors and count the moments he’s off screen.s. His turn as Stacee Jaxx is an awards worthy performance period. While Cruise is in top form even he can’t mask some of the flaws of the film. The film’s runtime is a long slog of 2 hours, if you had drinks it might be easy to sit through but otherwise it’s overlong for no good reason since the plot is as thin as you’d expect. Said plot is an after thought, which is to be expected, really hammering the point that there’s no reason to make the film 2 hours plus. A simple note to film makers, just because you use a monkey in your production doesn’t mean we have to linger on it’s actions throughout the film. It’s not hilarious every time. As is this film is the kind that will work best on video where you can skip to your favorite songs while you have a drink in hand.

B

MOVIE REVIEW: SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHAWDOWS

ON DVD

SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHAWDOWS



Brilliant detective Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) matches wits with the nefarious Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris) after uncovering a diabolical plot to destabilize the entire Western world in this sequel from director Guy Ritchie. A criminal mastermind without a conscience, Professor Moriarty is Holmes' worst nightmare -- a man who uses his incredible intellect for unspeakably evil purposes. When the Crown Prince of Austria dies and Inspector Lestrade (Eddie Marsan) rules the death a suicide, Holmes steps back to see the big picture. But little does Holmes realize that Professor Moriarty is about to commit a crime that will shock the entire world, and that solving it may be the death of him. Jude Law returns as Holmes' faithful sidekick Dr. Watson in a sequel also featuring The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo's Noomi Rapace and Rachel McAdams. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Guy Ritchie

Cast: Robert Downey, Jr., Jude Law, Noomi Rapace, Rachel McAdams, Jared Harris

Release Date: Dec 16, 2011

Rated PG-13 for some Drug Material, Intense Sequences of Violence and Intense
Sequences of Action

Runtime: 2 hr. 9 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Suspense/Thriller

Review:

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is a long walk taken briskly. Guy Ritchie directs his follow up to his 2009 re-imagining of Holmes with the same frenetic energy and visual flair with all the hallmarks of a blockbuster sequel. Everything is bigger, the set pieces are massive and impressive flung at the screen in such a rapid fire motion that there’s rarely a moment to let the plot breathe. It’s fund but kind of mindless at the same time, plot points and details are thrown in as quickly as possible so that we can get back to Ritchie’s Holmes’s style of action. Robert Downey Jr. is again clearly having a blast in his role. Between this and Tony Stark, you’d think Downey Jr. just walks around in a constant state of glee, his joy in these roles shines in such a manner it’s hard to resist. Sadly his rapport with Jude Law this go around, a strong point of the first, feel a tab more forced and uneven. It’s still fun seeing both bounce off each but it lacks the spark from the first film. The supporting players are strong actors who are asked to do very little. Rapace make a fine looking gypsy but serves as noting more than window dressing, her character could appeared or disappeared with nary an issue to the main plot. Stephen Fry should be given more to do but he’s on and off the screen all too quickly. Jared Harris, in the biggest crime, is short changed as Holmes arch nemesis Moriarty. He’s only given one substantial scene with Downey Jr. which is great fun, an intellectual cat and mouse game. It’s a shame more time wasn’t given to his character because he could have been a proper foil to Holmes as he was intended. It’s all still terribly watchable rarely dragging but ultimately soulless.

C

Bluray quality; Video is captivating across the board showcasing the wonderful visuals throughout; Sound is top notch and nearly display quality, extremely active sounds stage.

I was hand-selected to be a member of Blu-ray Elite, a beta program from Warner Home Video which has graciously sent me this free Blu-ray disc.