MOVIE REVIEW: SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END OF THE WORLD

SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END OF THE WORLD

Steve Carell and Keira Knightley star in this apocalyptic comedy following two neighbors who set out for one last road trip after learning that a massive asteroid will wipe out all life on Earth in just three weeks. Dodge (Carell) and Penny (Knightly) are both having a very bad day. This mismatched pair spend their time on the road together, their journey takes on a new meaning -- one that neither could have ever seen coming, but which both sense was the way things were meant to be. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Lorene Scafaria

Cast: Steve Carell, Keira Knightley, Connie Britton, Adam Brody, Rob Corddry.

Release Date: Jun 22, 2012

Rated R for language including sexual references, some drug use and brief violence

Runtime: 1 hr. 41 min.

Genres: Romance

Review:

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World is a tonally uneven film that goes from one extreme to another. While the cast is committed to their roles and both bring some verifiable heart to the roles and story, you wouldn’t be the only to feel like you are watching 2 different films. During the first half of the film it works well as a dark comedy dealing with all the extremes that seem plausible in the face of impending doom. The 2nd half plays more like a romantic comedy with a heady philosophical slant. The shift is clunky and noticeable occurring as soon as the musical cues become more and more pronounced. Lorene Scafaria, who directed the underrated Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist, seems to have a lot on her mind here and there’s some strong themes and ideas at work but she never seems to finds a steady cohesive flow for it all. Carrell and Knightley seem incredibly mismatched at first glance but as the film moves on they find a certain rhythm together, sharing some impressive yet subtle scenes together. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World is a strange film that could have worked had it picked a direction and stuck with it. That being said, if you prep yourself for a massive shift in tone, you may find plenty to like here.

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: CLOUD ATLAS

IN THEATERS

CLOUD ATLAS



Directors Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski, and Lana Wachowski team up to helm this adaptation of David Mitchell's popular novel Cloud Atlas. The trio have put together an all-star cast, including Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, and Hugh Grant, to play various characters over the course of several different historical time periods. The various narrative threads weave in and out of each other, painting a portrait of mankind's quest for tolerance and peace throughout the ages. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Director: Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer

Cast: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Doona Bae, Ben Whishaw, Huge Grant, Keith David

Release Date: Oct 26, 2012

Rated R for violence, Language, Some Drug Use and Sexuality/Nudity

Runtime: 2 hr. 52 min.

Genres: Drama, Suspense/Thriller

Review:

The Wachowski’s and Tom Tykwer’s Cloud Atlas is truly an accomplishment. The film is a blending and mixing of genres and stories across space and time done with incredible ease. The experience is jarring at first but utterly engrossing after it settles in your mind. Various themes are interwoven into the multiple story threads display the level of intricacy at work. The assembled cast made up of A-listers and character actors attack their multiple roles with a noticeable vigor and range. Each actor or actress is given plenty time to shine in one interaction or another with Doona Bae being the biggest surprise overall, simply because she’s the least known. There are some characters that play actors incredibly against type and other that layer them in drag or heavy prosthetics to change their appearance. Cloud Atlas’s biggest positive is it’s boldness of sprit, even with the various genres at play it achieves a strong emotion link with the audience which will be readily apparent by the film’s end. At nearly 3 hours, the film moves at a steady pace but rarely feels overlong which is a good thing since it’s the type of film that will require multiple viewings to catch every nuance.

A

MOVIE REVIEW: MAGIC MIKE

MAGIC MIKE



Channing Tatum stars in this drama following an upstart male stripper (Alex Pettyfer) who is mentored by a veteran dancer, played by Tatum. Steven Soderbergh directed from a script by Reid Carolin, whose screenplay was inspired by Tatum's work as a stripper before he made it in Hollywood. Matthew McConaughey, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, Cody Horn, and Olivia Munn co-star. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Cast: Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matthew Bomer, Joe Manganiello, Matthew McConaughey

Release Date: Jun 29, 2012

Rated R for language, Brief Graphic Nudity, Pervasive Sexual Content and Some Drug Use

Runtime: 1 hr. 50 min.

Genres: Comedy

Review:

Magic Mike has a certain audience in mind and needless to say I’m not quite the demographic. Regardless, Steven Soderbergh’s take on the world of male strippers is surprisingly well made and acted. Soderbergh’s film is a visually energetic and decadent look into a world which is all about appearance but ultimately hollow. The story itself feels like many a rock star film with similar trajectory, pitfalls and moments of clarity for the main character. Sprinkle in a bit of Saturday Night Fever with plenty of male thongs and assless chaps. In the lead Channing Tatum delivers his best performance of his career. He’s naturalistic and incredibly comfortable in the role, for obvious reasons, displaying the conflicted nature of his character. Matthew McCounaughey feels equally comfortable as the self deluded owner of the club. It’s the most committed I’ve seen him in a role in a long while, probably because he felt a certain connection with the character. Alex Pettyfer is impressively non descript for the first half of the film and utterly wasted in the 2nd, the transition feels unnatural and the performance doesn’t help. Cody Horn is even worse as her sister with some truly terrible displays of acting. The remaining chiseled and greased cast is mostly relegated to the background, stripping to insanely complex chorography especially when you consider it’s supposed to be a seedy male strip club. I do give the film credit for not taking the easy road, this could have easily been lighthearted fluff like Striptease or Showgirls.

B-

[Trailer] Iron Man 3

First trailer for Iron Man 3 has been released and it looks to take the series in more serious and darker direction.

Shane Black takes over the directorial reigns and these early bits of footage look more impressive than expected.

Since Iron Man 2 fell into a lot of the traps that big sequels suffer from, including the extended set up for The Avengers, so it’d be nice to see a more focused entry from Marvel.

MOVIE REVIEW: PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4

IN THEATERS

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4




It has been five years since Katie (Katie Featherston) murdered her sister and disappeared with her infant nephew, Hunter, in tow. Now, a new family is about to fall prey to nighttime terrors. A mysterious accident next door leads to teenage Alex (Kathryn Newton) and her family becoming the temporary guardians of Robbie (Brady Allen), a very creepy neighbor boy. Cameras installed throughout Alex's home capture the sinister events that unfold after Robbie's arrival.

Director: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman

Cast: Stephen Dunham, Alexondra Lee, Kathryn Newton, Matt Shively

Release Date: Oct 19, 2012

Rated R for language and some violence/terror

Runtime: 1 hr. 35 min.

Genres: Horror

Review:

For the first 3 films the Paranormal Activity franchise got an incredible amount of run out a plot and mythology that was literally made up as they went. It was fairly impressive considering its humble beginnings. I respected the 3rd film for expanding the mythos but it never connected to me the way the first 2 did and seemed to lack the visceral punch they had. The 4th entry in the franchise feels like a recycled and tired retread of everything we’ve seen before. There’s very little innovation and creativity here outside of new types of cameras (webcams, camera phone & Xbox Kinetic) and new family. Kathryn Kewton and Brady Allen make for a belivable teenage couple. Brady Allen delivers the creepy kid quotient for this entry. The story seems drenched in mythology but lacking in substance at the same time. It makes for a strange viewing experience because all the usual jump scares and shocks seem to get in the way more than anything else. They are expected and telegraphed that they lack any pop. The plot is filled with lazy plot devices like an overly creepy kid, somewhat detached and disinterested parents dealing with relationship issues and a neighborhood where nobody locks there door. The finale ramps up some energy and forward momentum, something missing for the better part of the film, but by then you just want them to get to the big reveal. Paranormal Activity 4 clocks in at barely an hour and a half long but the entire experience feel decidedly longer.

D+

MOVIE REVIEW: TAKEN 2

IN THEATERS

TAKEN 2



His family targeted by a vengeful crime boss in Istanbul, retired CIA agent Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) must fight an army of killers to ensure their safe return in this action sequel from director Olivier Megaton (ransporter 3) and producer/co-writer Luc Besson (who penned the screenplay alongside Taken scribe Robert Mark Kamen). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Olivier Megaton

Cast: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen, Rade Sherbedgia, Luke Grimes

Release Date: Oct 05, 2012

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and some sensuality

Runtime: 1 hr. 32 min.

Genres: Drama, Suspense/Thriller

Review:

A sequel to Taken seems like it’d write itself. The plot is everything you’d expect it to be. Liam Neeson is gravelly voiced and dead serious when talking on cell phones, even tiny ones. Director Oliver Megaton should just keep this in cruise control and let whoever is watching this get what they wanted which is watching the world’s most awesome overprotective dad use his special set of skills to kill anyone and everyone that attempts to interrupt him on vacation. Megaton does this for a decent chuck of the film but for some reason the screen writers decided it was a good idea to get Maggie Grace’s character more involved. This is about as terrible an idea as having a nearly 30 year old actress play a 16 year old. The character is shrill and annoying. All the while she can go from taking a driving test to driving like a stunt driver in about 20 minutes. It’s a serious misstep in a movie that should just be about 60 year Liam Neeson taking out track suit wearing tugs with a coffee cup. Neeson is focused and dedicated as usual. He does well in the action sequences making even the most ridiculous situations seem plausible. Famke Janseen has more screen time but she’s comatose for the better part of the film not as an actress per say but as written. Rade Serbedzija is still cashing paychecks as that guy who not from here again. Taken 2 should be mindless fun and there is some obvious effort to get into Mills fastidious mindset but a detour into his daughter taking the lead is a bad misstep.

C