MOVIE REVIEW: THE WORLD’S END

Five lifelong friends reunite to complete a historic pub crawl from their youth, and find that reaching the fabled World's End tavern will be no simple undertaking while they also fight for the future of all mankind. Twenty years ago, Gary King (Simon Pegg) and his pals embarked on the ultimate drinking marathon. Nick Frost, Paddy Considine, Martin Freeman, Eddie Marsan, and Rosamund Pike co-star in the final chapter of Edgar Wright's "Three Flavors Cornetto Trilogy," which began with 2004's Shaun of the Dead and continued in 2007's Hot Fuzz. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Edgar Wright

Cast: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Paddy Considine, Martin Freeman, Eddie Marsan

Release Date: Aug 23, 2013

Rated R for sexual References and Pervasive Language

Runtime: 1 hr. 49 min.

Genres: Comedy

Review:

The final entry in the Cornetto Trilogy is the zany over the top homage, this time riffing on classic sci-fi films, we’d come to expect after Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. What’s unexpected and refreshing is the reflective occasionally poignant moments Edgar Wright gives us to chew on. Wright and Pegg wrote the script and it’d have been easy for them to take a easier path down the Golden Mile. Instead they opt for some solid reflection on middle age and trying to recapture those moments from our youth. Of course this is all interwoven between a town full Stepford Wives / Body Snatchers “not robots.” Even though there’s a tangible beating heart at its center, the crew delivers the kind of laughs we’d come to expect. Simon Pegg is allowed to bust loose after playing the straight man in the 2 other films. Pegg, looking intentionally haggard and sporting shoe polish black hair, does a wonderful job of portraying the self centered loser trying desperately to recapture his youth. He has a manic hopped up energy throughout but there’s a tangible sadness behind everything. Nick Frost handles the complicated relationship with Pegg’s character very well. It’s not what we’ve from these two in the other 2 films since it’s a much more complicated dynamic. Paddy Considine, Martin Freeman and Eddie Marsan all have solid but limited roles. Freeman in particular isn’t given a ton to do which is a shame considering the increasingly frenetic pace of the film. The pace grows more erratic and frenzied as the film heads into the final act. Along the way, Wright gives us some of the most enjoyable fight sequences I’ve seen. Each one is wonderfully choreographed and hilarious. The seams do start to fray a bit during the final minutes which drag on a tad bit too long. It felt like the group got a case of Lord of the Rings syndrome and just didn’t want it to end. Honestly, can you blame them?

A-

Cindy Prascik’s Reviews of Byzantium / Coffee Town

Dearest Blog, being from a small town, my cinema choices are generally limited to whatever blockbusters are showing at the local multiplex.

However, my cable company has, of late, started making smaller films available via pay-per-view during their theatrical runs, an offer I can't refuse!

This week I was fortunate to see two indie flicks: Byzantium and Coffee Town.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the...wait, who am I kidding? I've never seen a trailer for either of these. Let's leave it with "I'll try to keep this as spoiler-free as possible."

First up, I utilized a nice midweek day off to catch the thriller Byzantium.

Two mysterious women, on the run for their lives and harboring a dark secret, take up residence in a British coastal town.

I don't think it's giving too much away to state up front that Byzantium is a vampire movie. Even knowing next to nothing about it, I knew that.

There is a bit of build up, but it's not a secret the film attempts to keep for long. With its foundation of these two women in hiding and making a living however they can, Byzantium feels more grounded than your average supernatural thriller, and solid performances by stars Gemma Arterton and Saoirse Ronan accentuate the movie's tense, gritty atmosphere. Though Ronan and her male counterpart, played by Caleb Landry Jones, are both very young, thankfully there is no Twilightey feel to this movie; it's written and played well enough to be taken seriously. The film doesn't look quite as goth as I expected (again, admitting I knew little about it beforehand), but it sustains a cool, dark vibe throughout and builds to an ending I did not anticipate. For horror fans, I'd call the gore-level moderate, with much of the carnage implied rather than shown.

It's also worth noting that the always smokin' Arterton has dialed up the hotness to eleven for this picture.

Byzantium clocks in at 118 minutes and is rated R for "bloody violence, sexual content, and language."

As a longtime fan of vampires and vampire movies, I'm waiting for a new one to come along that's good enough (and popular enough) that
people stop thinking "Edward Cullen" when someone says "fangs." Byzantium isn't quite that, but it's a good step in the right direction.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Byzantium gets six and a half.

Last night, we found ourselves at loose ends (meaning all the Harry Potter movies that were on had ended by 9:30), so we took advantage of another XFinity On Demand offering, Coffee Town.

Much to the dismay of the store manager, a webmaster uses a local coffee shop (and its free wi-fi) as his office. When he discovers the shop is to be converted to a trendy bistro, he conspires with his friends to derail the plan...and perhaps bag his dream girl in the process.

As regular reader(s) will know, I'm not much for comedy, and I'm far too used to being let down by comedies. I'm happy to report Coffee Town is a pleasant surprise.

Much of Coffee Town's humor is so very wrong that I can't count the times we gave each other the, "Did they really just say/do that??" look. A good bit of it is flat-out gross, too, but none of that will bother Glen Howerton's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia fanbase. Howerton is good in the leading role, and his supporting cast is funny and entertaining, particularly Steve Little, who kept me laughing despite the fact I really wanted to slap him most of the time. The premise may sound thin, but the story is curiously interesting and we were engaged from start to finish.

Coffee Town runs a quick 87 minutes and is unrated.

Coffee Town provides consistent (and consistently inappropriate) laughs, with an good story and solid comedic performances all 'round.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Coffee Town gets seven.

So, dear Blog, that's all the news that's fit to print for now. Next weekend is The World's End, and I'll thank you, dear reader(s), for keeping a good thought that it actually plays here. If it does not, I cannot be responsible for my actions.

Until next time...




Was I saying something?

Cindy Prascik’s Review of Paranoia

Dearest Blog, a day of lunacy, with an unexpected detour to the DMV, left me time for only one movie on this weekend of four major new releases. Since one of the four has Gary Oldman and the other three do not, I believe the technical term for this decision is "a gimmie." Paranoia it is!

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers. I'm going to have to comment on the film's ending, but I won't give it away.

A tech whiz-kid is used as a pawn in two industry giants' bitter feud.

I am sorry to report that Paranoia does not break the mold in this summer of movies that have been less than expected. It's fairly entertaining, but definitely not the smartly twisting thriller I expected.

Star Liam Hemsworth matches his big brother Chris in the looks department, but lacks the magnetism that allows Chris to share a screen with the likes of Robert Downey, Jr. and not be utterly invisible. Oscar-nominated supporting cast notwithstanding, it's up to Hemsworth to carry Paranoia, and, sadly, the task is beyond him. Hemsworth is a fine physical specimen, and his charms are randomly and gratuitously on display throughout the movie. (That's not a complaint, more a warning...you know, if you have a weak heart or something.) His performance is passable, but not strong enough to salvage a so-so film.

Supporting players Oldman, Harrison Ford, and Richard Dreyfuss are the movie's goldmine and are surprisingly well-used. When any one of the three is onscreen, Paranoia becomes infinitely more engaging. For supporting roles, I can't really complain about Oldman's or Ford's screentime, but the movie noticeably loses its spark when neither is present. In these days of Sirius Black and Jim Gordon,

Paranoia is a nice reminder of just how good Gary Oldman is at being bad!

Paranoia has relatively few attempts at humor, and most of what it has falls flat. The film consistently fails to sustain any tension or suspense, and there were zero (0) twists that I didn't see coming from a mile out. I rolled my eyes so much at the ending I was afraid they might stick. Even allowing for its many faults, though, Paranoia didn't bore me, and I wouldn't say it's a terrible movie...just not anywhere near as good as I'd hoped.

For my fellow Gary Fangirls and Fanboys, Paranoia sees Gary looking extra-fine, dapper in grey suits with mostly purple ties (though they went for blue at the end), very handsome. His screentime is more than acceptable for a supporting role and, as I'm sure I don't need to say, his scenes represent all the movie's high points. This is Gary's only big-screen appearance of 2013, so I enthusiastically suggest everyone get out and see him while you can!

Paranoia clocks in at 106 minutes and is rated PG13 for "some sexuality, violence, and language."

Paranoia is carrying a rating of just 4.5 at IMDB, and an embarrassing two-percent at Rotten Tomatoes. Before seeing it yesterday, I heard it called "the worst movie of Harrison Ford's career," all of which I think is unnecessarily harsh. Paranoia is a bit of pointless summer brain candy, to be enjoyed and forgotten.

It's far from brilliant, but I wasn't bored either.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Paranoia gets five.

Until next time...





Forget about rich. Make me Mrs. Oldman, dammit! ;-)

MOVIE REVIEW: ELYSIUM

In a future in which the privileged reside on an Earth-orbiting space station named Elysium and the less fortunate live on the surface of the blighted, overpopulated planet below, one man dares to defy the strict anti-immigration laws that separate the two disparate worlds in order to save all of mankind in this visceral sci-fi action thriller from District 9 director Neill Blomkamp. Alice Braga, Diego Luna, William Fichtner, and Faran Tahir, Sharlto Copley co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Neill Blomkamp

Cast: Matt Damon, Alice Braga, Jodie Foster, Faran Tahir, William Fichtner, Sharlto Copley

Release Date: Aug 09, 2013

Rated R for Strong Bloody Violence and Language Throughout

Runtime: 1 hr. 49 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Drama

Review:

Neill Blomkamp’s follow up to District 9 is heavy on allegory but surprisingly light on plot. It’s a steady effective and exciting sci-fi film which is full of cool gadgets and intense action. Blomkamp though is content to take us on a guide tour through this dystopia as we follow Damon’s damaged hero on his journey. We get some glimpses into this world but the film only scratches the surface of themes and systems presented. Additionally there are a handful of plot holes present specifically the final resolution. I would have preferred a headier film, Elysium deliver plenty of spectacle throughout pepper with some impressively graphic violence. Damon’s delivers solid work as usual even though the script doesn’t give him much meat to chew on. Flashbacks, usually heavy hand and unnecessary, give the character a bit of depth and motivation but it’s all fairly routine. To his credit, Damon is strong enough to make us care about his character throughout. Jodie Foster though is surprisingly bad as the primary villain. She sports a distractingly bad French accent while spouting out some terribly clunky dialogue which never hits the mark. Sharlto Copley fares much better as the maniacal Kruger. Copley gives his character a crazed energy which makes him the most interesting thing on screen whenever he’s on it. Blomkamp is working with a bigger budget than he did on his first film and he leaves it all onscreen. As a result the film flies with nary a lag in the action. I just wish it was a slightly deeper excursion.

B

MOVIE REVIEW: KICK ASS 2

His heroic antics having inspired a citywide wave of masked vigilantes, Kick-Ass (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) joins their ranks to help clean up the streets, only to face a formidable challenge when the vengeful Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) transforms himself into the world's first super villain in this sequel written and directed by Jeff Wadlow (Never Back Down). John Leguizamo, Donald Faison, Morris Chestnut, and Robert Emms co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Jeff Wadlow

Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloë Grace Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jim Carrey, John Leguizamo, Donald Faison

Release Date: Aug 16, 2013

Rated R for strong violence, pervasive language, crude and sexual content, and brief nudity

Runtime: 1 hr. 47 min.

Genres: Superhero, Action/Adventure, Comedy

Review:

The first Kick Ass film was always going to be a tough act to follow. That’s not to say that there isn’t plenty to like in this serviceable sequel. Actually there’s a lot to like actually, especially for fans but watching the sequel you jhave a sense that there’s something missing. It provides the over the top violence and witty dialogue from the first but lacks some of the punch. It has a strange over the top but neutered softer feel throughout. There are big tonal shifts throughout which exasperates the issue. Another issue is that Hit Girl is sidelined for big chucks of the film. Chloë Grace Moretz is mostly relegated to dealing with mean girl instead of kicking ass. When she’s in costume, Moretz brings the same kind of spark and energy she did in the original, something this sequel sorely needed. That being said, Moretz’s subplot achieves a rather poignant moment of vulnerability in the third act, really showing off her range. Aaron Taylor-Johnson isn’t as impressive but he’s solid throughout. He brings the same goofy aloof earnestness to the titular character. Johnson is adequately wide eye throughout but it’s a tougher to believe that he’s an actual high school senior this time around. The remaining supporting cast is fun but most are underused and underdeveloped. Jim Carrey in particular is underused even though he shines in his limited scenes. He brings the wacky energy that Nic Cage did in the original and I wish there was more of him. Donald Faison has a small role as an overly caffeinated hero; it’s a fun little role which also could have done with a tad more screen time. The rest of the heroes are kind of background noise even Kick Ass’s new love interest played by the lovely Lindy Booth. Christopher Mintz-Plasse is a bit of a mixed bag as the villain. He’s never menacing enough to be taken seriously. The script doesn’t do him any favors with some clunky dialogue. To Mintz-Plasse’s credit he does provide some funny moments. So is this a worthy sequel to Kick Ass? It works more than it doesn’t but it never reaches the heights of original. Fans of the original, like myself, will find plenty to like here. Just don’t expect to be blown away.

B-

Cindy Prascik’s Reviews of Elysium / Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters

Dearest Blog, today it was off to the cinema as usual. On the bill: Elysium and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters.
Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

First up was Elysium, Neill Blomkamp's followup to the critically acclaimed District 9.
In the not-so-distant future, most folks live on a ruined Earth that's long on people and short on resources. The wealthy, however, spend their days on a luxurious outpost called Elysium, where there's no pollution, sickness, crime, or other unpleasantness. Circumstances force Max (Matt Damon) to try to get to Elysium at any cost, but his efforts could have a lasting impact on both sides of society.

I think District 9 is a masterpiece, plain and simple, so to suggest my expectations for Elysium were ridiculous would be fair enough. Even though the movie doesn't quite meet them, it's still pretty impressive.

There's nothing subtle about Elysium's message--the imbalance between rich and poor--but I never felt like it beat me over the head with it, either, probably because it never pretends otherwise. The plot is reasonably engaging and the runtime is sensible enough that you don't get bored.

It would be misleading to say Elysium is a beautiful movie, because nothing could be further from the truth. Elysium, of course, looks like a pleasant place to live, but isn't any prettier on screen than the average golf course. The futuristic vision of Earth is grungy and depressing, but effective for bringing home the hopelessness of the average person's life. So...while it's not gorgeous, it is perfect.
Matt Damon is sympathetic and believable as a guy buried under the weight of past poor decisions, with little hope of ever getting out. William Fichtner is appropriately slimy as a business owner with regard for only his own skin (and bottom line). It goes without saying that the standout is Sharlto Copley, who's fantastic as a renegade member of Elysium's security force. The rest of the supporting cast is fine, if unremarkable, with the disappointing exception of Jodie Foster. I found her performance wooden and, frankly, a bit grating (and where she was going with that accent, I have no idea).

Elysium runs 109 minutes and is rated R for "strong bloody violence and language throughout."

It's not the masterpiece I'd hoped for, but it's still pretty darn good. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Elysium gets seven.

Next on the agenda was the sequel Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters.

To restore protections to their safe haven, Percy Jackson and other half-bloods brave the Sea of Monsters, in hopes of finding the Golden Fleece.

The first Percy Jackson movie was passable teen-fantasy fluff, and the sequel is much the same. The plot feels like a soup that maybe was too thin to start, so the cook just kept tossing in ingredients 'til he ended up with something of a mess for his trouble. The film would have been better served had it focused on the main plot, without the other diversions. The dialogue ranges from flat to plain awful, and most of the attempts at humor are cringe-worthy. While some of the effects are impressive, the terrible CGI moments were too plentiful to really give kudos on that count, either.

Having said all that, the movie does have its pluses. Logan Lerman is perfectly watchable in the lead, and the always entertaining Brandon T. Jackson remains a scene stealer. The rest of the young cast is passable, and the older, familiar faces (including Anthony Head, Stanley Tucci, and Nathan Fillion) are as good as the material permits. One scene of a story being told within the story (think Hermione reading The Tale of the Three Brothers in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) is beautifully shot.

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters clocks in at 106 minutes and is rated PG for "fantasy action violence, some scary images, and mild language."
It's a fun but forgettable bit of Summer brain candy that's suitable for the whole family. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters gets six.
And that, dear Blog, is that for this weekend. Next weekend is Gary Oldman's one and only cinema appearance for 2013, so you may expect much giddiness from this corner.

Until next time...




Make more movies, dammit!!