Movie Reviews: JULIE & JULIA

Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Movie Reviews: JULIE & JULIA
IN THEATERS

JULIE & JULIA

A frustrated temp secretary (Amy Adams) embarks on a year-long culinary quest to cook all 524 recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. She chronicles her trials and tribulations in a blog that catches on with the food crowd. The film also covers the years Julia Child (Meryl Streep) and her husband Paul (Stanley Tucci) spent in Paris during the 1940s and 1950s, when he was a foreign diplomat who was eventually investigated by Sen. Joseph McCarthy for alleged communist ties.

Cast: Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci, Chris Messina, Linda Emond

Director: Nora Ephron

Opened August 7, 2009.

Runtime: 2 hr. 3 min.

Rated PG-13 for some sensuality and brief strong language

Genres: Comedy, Domestic Comedy



Review:




Julie & Julia is a fun and light look at 2 women separated by time and space. Based on 2 separate books, Julia Child’s memoir My Life in France and the titular Julie & Julia by Julie Powell, writer director Nora Ephron tries her best to meld these 2 stories into a coherent narrative. It’s a mixed bag mainly because Julia Child’s story is far more intriguing than Powell’s. That’s not to say Powell’s segments are terrible but they just feel closer to your standard Rom-com territory ala some of Ephron’s other directorial efforts. The two women are vastly different and while the film tries to connect them as much as possible it feels forced. The Child segments, helped by a truly inspired turn by Meryl Streep, are delightful throughout and really give insight to this woman who was larger than life both literally and figuratively. Streep captures her mannerism and voice perfectly but also projects the drive and warmth Child possessed. Stanley Tucci matches her step by step as Child’s loving husband. Tucci and Streep have tangible chemistry and they do a wonderful job of giving the audience a peek at Child’s marriage. Special notice has to be given to Jane Lynch as Child’s sister, her appearance comes and goes much too quickly but Lynch hits the mark the entire time. When the film shifts back to 2002 and Powell, Amy Adams does a fairly impressive job with a far less glamorous role. ..Adams.. does a solid job of capturing Powell’s neuroticism coupled with her massive mood swing during the course of her journey. ..Adams.. does her best but, as written, Powell is a tad unlikable and it’s difficult for the audience to connect with her the way they should. It might also just be a case of Child being painted as an almost saintly figure throughout. Chris Messina does yeoman work as Powell’s husband and makes his support and love of his wife palpable and believable to the audience. As mentioned before Powell is a fairly interesting character but when compare to someone of Child’s stature and accomplishments it’s hard to maintain the same level of interest. Ephron does the best she can with these two stories but when the film finishes its 2 hour runtime you can’t help but think that Child deserved her own stage.



B-

Movie Reviews: ZOMBIELAND

Sunday, October 04, 2009
Movie Reviews: ZOMBIELAND
IN THEATERS

ZOMBIELAND

A cowardly shut-in named Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) is forced to join up with a seasoned zombie slayer named Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) in order to survive the zombie apocalypse. As Tallahassee sets out on a mission to find the last Twinkie on Earth, the duo meets up with Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), two young girls who have resorted to some rather unorthodox methods to survive amidst the chaos. Reluctant partners in the battle against the undead, all four soon begin to wonder if it might be better to simply take their chances alone. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Cast: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin

Director: Ruben Fleischer

Opened ..October 2, 2009..

Runtime: 1 hr. 21 min.

Rated R for horror violence/gore and language

Genres: Horror Comedy, Horror



Review:




Zombieland is very much like a rollercoaster ride, filled with frights and fun which is only occasionally marked with slow or choppy moments and over way too quickly. First time director Ruben Fleischer makes an impressive debut never lingering too long on any moment or situation. Fleisher makes some fun stylistic choices throughout, the opening sequence and rule breakdown are good fun, and keeps the pacing brisk. Plotting is straight forward and it doesn’t bother itself with extraneous details. It’s a road movie and while most will compare it to Shaun of the Dead because of the zombie comedy aspect but in actuality it feels more like a zombie filled National Lampoon’s Vacation with a motley crew of characters. Leading this crew is Woody Harrelson in full ham mode is hilarious throughout and somehow manages to makes us believe the connection he makes with the characters towards the end of the film. Jesse Eisenbern is great as the straight man to Harrelson manic energy and gives Michael Cera a run for his money in the awkward 20 something category. Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin play con artist sisters and they do decently but aren’t given much to do outside of shooting guns and stealing SUV’s. An inspired celebrity cameo give the film’s middle section a much needed boost as the film starts to lag. The finale in the amusement park will make you long for a rollercoaster where you can shoot zombies as you speed along the tracks. Zombieland is the type of film that hard not enjoy in its entire gooey zombie bashing goodness.



A-

Movie Reviews: JENNIFER’S BODY

Sunday, September 20, 2009
Movie Reviews: JENNIFER’S BODY
IN THEATERS

JENNIFER’S BODY

From the production team behind "Juno" is a new film about one teenager's uncontrollable appetite for teenager boys. When a demon takes possession of her, high-school hottie Jennifer (Megan Fox) turns a hungry eye on guys who never stood a chance with her before. While evil Jennifer satisfies her appetite for human flesh with the school's male population, her nerdy friend, Needy (Amanda Seyfried), learns what's happening and vows to put an end to the carnage.


Cast: Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Adam Brody, J.K. Simmons, Amy Sedaris


Director: Karyn Kusama


Opened ..September 18, 2009..


Runtime: 1 hr. 42 min.


Rated R for sexuality, bloody violence, language and brief drug use.


Genres: Horror Comedy, Horror


Review:





Jennifer’s Body is a fun little horror comedy that delivers more laughs than scares but it isn’t without its flaws. Written by Diablo Cody, who also penned Juno, the script is pepper with plenty of overly complicated dialogue which you’ll either enjoy of despise. Personally I find it enjoyable even if it’s removes any semblance of realism but then again this film doesn’t really need it. Cody borrow or pays homage, depending on how you look at it, to plenty of classic horror conceits but give them a nice shot of estrogen which is a refreshing turn. Director Karyn Kusama moves her film along as a brisk pace but she does throw in some visual flourishes that make this stand out versus other generic horror films. Megan Fox doesn’t have to try to hard here as she’s isn’t asked to do anything but look incredibly hot and occasionally utter a few lines of dialogue. Fox is shot like she’s starting in some classic 80’s horror fest. Amanda Seyfried does the majority of acting and is good fun as the nerdy best friend who has to deal with her friend’s demonic turn. Both have some good scenes together but their relationship doesn’t feel authentic. It’s a fairly prevalent issue because there’s a disconnect with the characters throughout, as if each is in their own little world. While Cody’s flower dialogue is fun it does make the characters feel robotic and unnatural. As the film heads towards it’s finale it begins to drag a bit and we given a few scenes that feel like the end but they aren’t. It’s mildly bothersome but doesn’t detract from the overall enjoy in store for genre fans.





B-

Movie Reviews: THE UNBORN

Saturday, September 12, 2009
Movie Reviews: THE UNBORN
ON DVD



THE UNBORN




Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman) hated her mother for leaving her as a child. But when inexplicable things start to happen, Casey begins to understand why she left. Plagued by merciless dreams and a tortured ghost that haunts her waking hours, she must turn to the only spiritual advisor, Sendak (Gary Oldman), who can make it stop. With Sendak’s help, Casey uncovers the source of a family curse dating back to Nazi Germany—a creature with the ability to inhabit anyone or anything that is getting stronger with each possession. With the curse unleashed, her only chance at survival is to shut a doorway from beyond our world that has been pried open by someone who was never born.

Cast: Odette Yustman, Gary Oldman, Cam Gigandet, Meagan Good, James Remar

Director: David S. Goyer

Opened January 9, 2009

Runtime: 1 hr. 28 min

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and terror, disturbing images, thematic material and language including some sexual references

Genres: Thriller, Supernatural Thriller



Review:




The Unborn is a hodgepodge of a horror film. Writer Director David Goyer seemed to be trying desperately to create something wildly original but instead just gave us a blended version of any recent Japanese horror remake, The Exorcist, Rosemary’s Baby, The Thing and just for the hell of it Denzel Washington’s The Fallen. Sprinkle liberally with a Kubrick like oddities ala The Shining with a dash of underwear exploration and you have The Unborn. It’s surprising that Goyer’s script is so terribly unfocused yet over done at the same time. Certain aspects of the story are over explained but others seem to just appear and disappear without notice. As a horror movie it strives for something different or disturbing but always ends up relying on the classic fright moments to get a cheap scare. As shown in Blade Trinity, Goyer as a director doesn’t have much of a talent for bring out anything discernible from his cast, the same is true here. Odettee Yustman headlines and spends the first 3rd of the movie walking slowly through darken hallways and bathrooms in some incredibly tight underwear. Once that passes she’s require to act and then things get a bit more dicey. Yustman delivers lines with all the conviction of a first year drama student and it doesn’t help that her character makes massive logical leaps for no apparent reason. It might help Yustman if the script had built more 3 dimensional characters to surround her with but she doesn’t and we are given two flimsy stock characters that are dispatched with zero impact. The smaller supporting roles are surprisingly well cast but terribly underused and underwritten. Gary Oldman and Idris Elba both have small roles and walk in and out of the film as if they were passing by to pay a ticket. Once Oldman leaves the film rushes to a swift conclusion with a twist that supposed to comes out of leftfield but was terribly obvious.




D+

Movie Reviews: EXTRACT

Sunday, September 06, 2009
Movie Reviews: EXTRACT
IN THEATERS

EXTRACT

Joel, played by Jason Bateman ("Juno," "Arrested Development"), is one step away from selling his flavor extract factory and retiring to easy street when a freak workplace accident sets in motion a series of disasters that puts his business and personal life in jeopardy.

Cast: Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, Ben Affleck, Kristen Wiig, Clifton Collins, Jr., J.K. Simmons

Director: Mike Judge

Opened September 4, 2009..

Runtime: 1 hr. 30 min.

Rated R for language, sexual references and some drug use

Genres: Comedy, Workplace Comedy


Review:




Mike Judge’s 3rd film is an effective but unfocused effort that delivers plenty of laughs yet it leaves you feeling there could have been more. Judge returns to the mundane drudgery of the work place, which he wonderfully skewered in cult favorite Office Space, taking the management perspective this go around. His script is peppered with plenty of funny insights into America’s upper middle class making the laughs feel authentic and never contrived. Judge has always shown great talent as a writer as anyone who’s watched his terribly underrated King of the Hill and his criminally overlooked satire Idiocracy. His talent as a director isn’t quite as strong. His films have always had an unfocused meandering feel and Extract is no different. His direction makes you feel like you’re wandering through the story making you wonder where the story is going. It creates an odd feel for the film that makes it feel longer than its actual runtime. It’s not a fatal detriment mainly because Judge populates his film with fun characters played by an incredibly capable comedic cast. Jason Bateman plays his role perfectly and anyone who’s watched Arrested Development knows what to expect. He’s perfected his straight man routine and this role is tailor made for him. Ben Affleck as Joel’s best friend is great fun and he really seems to enjoy himself in this role. Affleck and Bateman’s interactions are some of the movies high points punctuated with a bong hit for the ages. The remaining cast members shine but not as much as they should considering the talent assembled. Kristin Wiig and Mila Kunis respective roles feel underwritten and don’t really give either actress a chance to shine. JK Simmons and David Koechner are giving running gags that are hit or miss in terms of effectiveness. Once the slightly abrupt finale hits you can help but feel charmed by Judge’s type of humor but it does feel like he could have hit a real homerun if he’d used his cast to its fullest potential.




C+

Movie Reviews: HALLOWEEN 2

Sunday, August 30, 2009
Movie Reviews: HALLOWEEN 2
IN THEATERS



HALLOWEEN 2

Evil comes home to roost as unstoppable killer Michael Myers (Tyler Mane) pursues injured Laurie Strode (Scout Taylor-Compton) through Haddonfield's hospital.

Cast: Tyler Mane, Scout Taylor-Compton, Danielle Harris, Brad Dourif, Sheri Moon Zombie, Malcolm McDowell

Director: Rob Zombie

Opened August 28, 2009

Runtime: 1 hr. 41 min.

Rated R for bloody violence, language, nudity, disturbing graphic images, strong brutal violence and crude sexual content

Genres: Slasher Film, Horror



Review:




Rob Zombie is back to “terrify” us with his “extreme” vision of The Shape in this nearly unwatchable and unintentionally funny sequel. The Shape isn’t a boogey man anymore instead he’s a really determined homeless man who’s got some serious mommy issues. This sequel picks up moments after the end of the first one and it runs through a dream sequence/homage to the original sequel and a cow crossing gone horribly wrong. From the opening we are exposed to Zombie’s failed film school machinations. His use of symbolism is anything but subtle, in fact nothing about this film is subtle, and it’s rammed into our face throughout the film’s runtime in the form of a while clad Sherry Moon Zombie and a white horse, hard to tell which is which at times. It’s so ludicrously handled and silly that it becomes funnier the more they appear on screen, doesn’t help that he starts the film with an explanation of the horse’s meaning. Art house attempts to make this film deep aside, the film’s gore is equally over the top. Overkill doesn’t quite cover what happens to victims when this hobo gets angry. Michael Myers doesn’t just stab, beat or pound someone, he turns them into mincemeat so much so that Tyler Mane actually sounds a bit winded at the end of some of the sequences. Zombie never avoids the opportunity to show us the results either and the effects are impressive but utterly pointless. Why, well because none of these characters are anything but pointless caricatures. Taylor Scout Compton returns and she has two modes shrill and shriller. Zombie attempts to give Laurie a realistic post traumatic but fails to deliver any real insight. Instead we are presented a character that has gone from regular high school girl to heavy metal fan, guess that’s what murder and mayhem cause at least according to Zombie. Brad Dourif, Danielle Harris and Malcom McDowell all return with varying results. Dourif is given some truly horrendous dialogue to utter and I was impressed he was able to pull it off with a straight face. Harris seems to be the only one who’s actually trying and she turns in a nice little performance in a terribly underwritten role. Malcom McDowell is on full ham mode and is comedy gold, intentional or not. So much so that I started to think that Zombie should abandon the horror genre and make straight up comedies. Genre cameos pepper the film, much like the first vary in effectiveness. Zombie said in a recent interview that he was freed in this chapter because he wasn’t bound by the first film anymore. It makes me wonder if that gave him license create this stylistically neutered film that ends with a woefully horrible rip off of a genre classic. Compton’s sly smile at the end is really Zombie’s because he fooled us into think he could deliver something substantial and like the rest of his film’s he got some good ideas but no idea how to execute them. In the end the joke’s on us.




F