MOVIE REVIEW: MAN OF STEEL

Superman flies back onto the big screen in this Warner Bros./Legendary Pictures production directed by Zack Snyder (Watchmen), produced by Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight), and featuring a screenplay by David Goyer (Blade, The Dark Knight). Academy Award-nominated actor Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road, Boardwalk Empire) co-stars as General Zod and Laurence Fishburne steps into the role of "Daily Planet" editor-in-chief Perry White. Russell Crowe and Christopher Meloni co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Zack Snyder

Cast: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Diane Lane, Russell Crowe.

Release Date: Jun 14, 2013

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence, action and destruction, and for some language

Runtime: 2 hr. 23 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Review:

The Man of Steel delivers a newer slightly edgier more conflicted version of the granddaddy of all superheros. Its first act is a bit of a slog simply because there’s a lot to cover, mostly on Krypton. Once the set up is out of the way Snyder lets his film breathe a little even though there’s still an oppressive aura about it. It attempts to give Superman a slightly more interesting slant and it works to a certain extent. Henry Cavill and his lantern jaw look good in the Superman suit and cape. He carried a concerned look on his face even when he’s smiling. Cavill has a quiet strength about himself which works well for the character even if though he and Amy Adams have zero chemistry together. Michael Shannon meanwhile is limited by a surprisingly underwritten take of General Zod. Shannon maintains a crazed look throughout but isn’t given a meaty enough script to work with. Russell Crowe fairs better as Superman’s father Jor-El. Crowe is reserved but paternal. As mentioned previously, The Man of Steel’s first act is rather slow and reserved for a Snyder film but once the action starts it does stop, so much so that it almost beats you into the ground with the sheer amount of destruction being flung around. It’s all visually striking which shouldn’t come as a surprise but it’s also emotionally distant. The film never connects the way it should; instead it keeps the audience at arms length. A few scant moments of levity here and there but otherwise it’s all serious superhero business.

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: THIS IS THE END

Seth Rogen and Jay Baruchel star as themselves along with Danny McBride, Jonah Hill, and Craig Robinson in this end-of-days comedy that finds the actors hiding out with James Franco in his apartment as the apocalypse decimates L.A. outside. Featuring cameos by Jason Segel and Emma Watson, the Sony Pictures film features the directing debuts of Rogen and frequent collaborator Evan Goldberg. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Director: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg

Cast: James Franco, Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson

Release Date: Jun 12, 2013

Rated R for Crude and Sexual Content, Brief Graphic Nudity, Drug Use, Pervasive Language and Some Violence

Runtime: 1 hr. 47 min.

Genres: Comedy

Review:

This Is The End is one of the raunchiest, most inspired comedies I’ve seen since The Hangover or Anchorman. The premise is simple the rapture happens and all hell, literally, breaks loose. At its heart it’s a simple conceit to get these faux versions of the actors shut into a house together under dire situations. In its simplicity the script allows plenty of riffs, verbal jabs and all out attacks on preconceived notions about each actor, it’s done with such aplomb that some of it has to be improvised. Some play themselves closer to what we’d expect while others go off the rails like Michael Cera playing a coked out proxy himself to hilarious effect. It all works so well mainly because these actors appear to be friends in the real world. As a result, their interactions ring true throughout. Verbal interchanges can reach a dizzying height of hilarity, so much so that this movie will probably require multiple viewing to catch all the jokes being flung across each actor’s mast. The cast all around is strong with Jay Baruchel doing yeoman’s work as the film’s center but special praise has to be given to Danny McBride. McBride is incredibly impressive here doling out some of the funniest lines of the film. There are a few minor issues keeping this from being perfect. The last 15 minutes or so really start to teeter out as things get more and more absurd. Part of the issue is that the script has trouble finding an ending and they didn’t want to go for the most logical conclusion. Additionally, the cast gets broken up in the last act robbing the film of some of its bite. As a result, it feels like the film could have been trimmed by 15 minutes. Minor issues aside, This Is The End is simply a comic gem.

A-

Check out the original 2007 comedy short that inspired this movie;

Jay and Seth vs. The Apocalypse

[Trailer] 300: Rise of an Empire

300 was a stylish mix of high tech visuals and pseudo historical fantasy. It was much stronger on the visual side than it was on the story side but it was enjoyable.

The trailer for the upcoming sequel offers up similarly striking visuals with scant details about the story. We do get a glance at Eva Green’s villainess and some impressive looking sea set battles. We'll have to wait till March 2014 to see if it comes together as a film.

[Trailer] The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

The international trailer of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug has just been released and it gives you all kinds of peeks at the 2nd installment.

We get our first live action peeks and Evangeline Lilly and Luke Evans (Who looks like Orlando Blood from The Pirates of the Caribbean movies) along with Smaug. I enjoyed the first entry more than I expected but after watching it again, it did feel stretched out, hopefully this entry will have a sleeker feel….

MOVIE REVIEW: THE PURGE

A family living in a gated community fight to defend their home against vicious attackers during the one night each year when all crime is legal in this high-concept thriller from writer/director James DeMonaco (Staten Island). In the not-too-distant future, rampant crime and prison overcrowding have inspired the U.S. government to implement a unique solution to restore the peace: Each year, for a 12-hour period, any and all crime becomes permissible as police put their jobs on hold, and hospitals close their doors. It's called the Purge, and remarkably, the annual event leads to drastically reduced crime and record-low unemployment levels throughout the rest of the year. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: James DeMonaco

Cast: Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Max Burkholder, Adelaide Kane

Release Date: Jun 07, 2013

Rated R for strong disturbing violence and some language

Runtime: 1 hr. 25 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Suspense/Thriller

Review:

The Purge is a bit of a throwback to those 70’s sci-fi dystopian future set films, think Charlton Heston, which were high concept delivered in schlock packages. Writer/Director James DeMonaco’s film has a lot on its mind and there’s nothing subtle about it. Ignoring some of the more obvious logical holes, yearly destruction of infrastructure hardly seems productive, you can appreciate the ideas being thrown out about class warfare and humanity’s perchance for violence. DeMonaco throws these ideas out but never fleshes them out, missing a massive opportunity. Instead he opts for more blasé home invasion story which works well for what it is. The cast turns in workman performances with Ethan Hawke seemingly yearning to flesh out his home security sales man with greater depth. Lena Headey gives one of her better performances, showing a tad more range than she usually does. They all provide the audience proxies to root for as the tension grows especially during a minor twist near the end. DeMonaco moves his film at a brisk pace, before you can think about anything too much it’s over. It leaves plenty of questions unanswered some of which could be addressed in a sequel (early box office numbers nearly guarantee one).

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: V/H/S/2

The search for a missing teen leads two private investigators into a derelict house littered with mysterious VHS tapes in this sequel to the hit horror }\anthology} VHS. As the detectives scan the videotapes in search of vital clues, what they find instead is a series of tales so shocking they are driven to the edge of madness. Genre specialists Simon Barrett, Adam Wingard, Jason Eisener, Edúardo Sanchez, Greg Hale, Timo Tjahjanto, and Gareth Evans lead viewers on a terrifying ride into a world where your worst nightmares come true. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Jason Eisener, Adam Wingard, Eduardo Sanchez, Gareth Evans, Gregg Hale

Cast: Adam Wingard, Lawrence Levine, Kelsy Abbott, Hannah Al Rashid, Fachry Albar

Release Date: Jul 12, 2013

Rated R for for bloody violence, strong sexuality, graphic nudity, pervasive language

Runtime: 1 hr. 36 min.

Genres: Horror, Suspense/Thriller

Review:

I was fairly impressed with the impressive anthology V/H/S even though it was a tad overlong and a tad choppy. The 2nd entry turns in a more streamlined effort with fewer entries but higher quality overall. So let’s dissect each segment on their own.

Tape 49 – Wrap Around story

The weakest part of the film is the most thankless as well. It’s barely fleshed out more than the original and still doesn’t provide any sort of cohesive center. The story is weak and fairly predictable. It comes off as intrusive and superfluous.
Phase I Clinical Trials
Adam Wingrad’s entry is fun and has a fun sense of humor. It lacks any real scares relying too heavily on cheap jump scares. It’s fun but forgettable.

A Ride in the Park

Eduardo Sanchez (Blair Witch Project) & Gregg Hale give the zombie genre a nice little twist. Their short has some nice energy while giving us a first person account of the life span of a zombie with humor and a surprising bit of emotion.

Safe Haven

Gareth Huw Evans, the wunderkid who directed The Raid, gives us the film’s best short of the group. Its head and shoulder above the best in terms of story and technical skill. It starts off slowly but quickly builds to crescendo building some nice teeth gnashing tension and giving us some truly gory images. The latter portion of the film keeps 1-uping itself with insanely creepy images. This probably should have been saved for the last segment because it’s a tough act to follow.

Slumber Party Alien Abduction

Jason Eisener (Hobo with a Shotgun) gives a dog’s eye view of an alien abduction. He uses plenty of practical effect and lighting resulting in a decidedly 80’s feel. The short is fun but the idea is limited. The scares begin to repeat themselves as it goes on, just changing locations as it goes.

In the end, it was a smart move to use only 4 segments. The quality of each is stronger and even the weaker ones are still fun. I’d personally love to see a third entry because this series can give us some gems like Safe Haven which I hope they make into a full length movie someday.

B+