Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Saturday, November 13, 2010
MOVIE REVIEWS: 127 HOURS
IN THEATERS
127 HOURS
Filmmaker Danny Boyle adapts the true-life story of Aron Ralston with this Fox Searchlight production detailing the hiker's harrowing quest for survival after losing an arm to a fallen rock and the grueling five-day ordeal that finally ended with his rescue. James Franco steps into the role of the unfortunate climber. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
Director: Danny Boyle
Cast: James Franco, Amber Tamblyn, Kate Mara, Clémence Poésy, Lizzy Caplan.
Release Date: Nov 05, 2010
Rated: Language and some disturbing violent content/bloody images
Runtime: 1 hr. 33 min.
Genres: Drama
Review:
Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours is an engaging incredibly impressive cinematic achievement considering the film’s plot concerns a climber being stuck under a boulder for 5 days. Boyle flexes his impressive imagination and uses various cinematic tropes to take us through the experience Aron Ralston suffered in as visceral a manner that when the pivotal scene comes you winch and squirm with each tear and rough cut. It’s an overtly elemental and primal story one that harkens back to a bevy of man vs. nature tomes from the past. James Franco owns the role of Ralston, it’s his show and if either he or Boyle falters it’s a failure of a film. Thankful Franco, like Boyle, deliver the goods. He gives the audience a clear taste of who Ralston is and lets us feel his spirit and emotional states throughout. He’s always interesting and always connects with the audience even though he has nobody to interact with besides himself and occasionally a camera. Once he’s freed, you feel that moment in a personal way. It’s a fitting tribute and testament to Ralston’s real life experience.
A
127 HOURS
Filmmaker Danny Boyle adapts the true-life story of Aron Ralston with this Fox Searchlight production detailing the hiker's harrowing quest for survival after losing an arm to a fallen rock and the grueling five-day ordeal that finally ended with his rescue. James Franco steps into the role of the unfortunate climber. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
Director: Danny Boyle
Cast: James Franco, Amber Tamblyn, Kate Mara, Clémence Poésy, Lizzy Caplan.
Release Date: Nov 05, 2010
Rated: Language and some disturbing violent content/bloody images
Runtime: 1 hr. 33 min.
Genres: Drama
Review:
Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours is an engaging incredibly impressive cinematic achievement considering the film’s plot concerns a climber being stuck under a boulder for 5 days. Boyle flexes his impressive imagination and uses various cinematic tropes to take us through the experience Aron Ralston suffered in as visceral a manner that when the pivotal scene comes you winch and squirm with each tear and rough cut. It’s an overtly elemental and primal story one that harkens back to a bevy of man vs. nature tomes from the past. James Franco owns the role of Ralston, it’s his show and if either he or Boyle falters it’s a failure of a film. Thankful Franco, like Boyle, deliver the goods. He gives the audience a clear taste of who Ralston is and lets us feel his spirit and emotional states throughout. He’s always interesting and always connects with the audience even though he has nobody to interact with besides himself and occasionally a camera. Once he’s freed, you feel that moment in a personal way. It’s a fitting tribute and testament to Ralston’s real life experience.
A
Sunday, November 7, 2010
MOVIE REVIEWS: DUE DATE
IN THEATERS
DUE DATE
Director Todd Phillips re-teams with his break-out Hangover star Zach Galifianakis for this road movie concerning a soon-to-be father (played by Robert Downey Jr.) and his cross-country trip to make it back in time for his baby's birth -- with the only roadblock being the dubious passenger (Galifianakis) who's along for the ride. Michelle Monaghan and Jamie Foxx co-star in the Warner Bros./Legendary Pictures production. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
Director: Todd Phillips
Cast: Robert Downey, Jr., Zach Galifianakis, Jamie Foxx, Michelle Monaghan, RZA.
Release Date: Nov 05, 2010
Rated: Language, drug use and sexual content
Runtime: 1 hr. 40 min.
Genres: Comedy
Review:
Todd Phillips has made this type of film various times throughout his career; he has an almost unhealthy obsession with road trips and odd ball characters. Here Phillips throws together as many odd couple traveling clichés possible and contrived situations to make a plot. It’s barely a plot but it’s enough to give Galifianakis and Downey Jr. a showcase. Galifianaskis is in full man child mode, pretty much playing an even stranger version of his Hangover character. He gives his character enough heart to make a slightly different animal from that other role. Robert Downey Jr. delivers a strong performance as well, he’s like a tightly wound ball of rage and mania ready to burst at any point. He and Galifianakis have solid chemistry together and they are best thing about this entire film. Sadly, its strength is limited to these two and when the script tries shoe horn some sentiment or contrived connection it just rings incredibly false and hollow. These moments drag the film down and make it feel a lot longer than it actually is. Jamie Foxx walks through a few scenes and Michelle Monaghan is given less to do than Juliet Lewis and Danny McBride who both have memorable cameos. Due Date is a generally funny movie that feels like fast food and has as much nutritional value.
C+
DUE DATE
Director Todd Phillips re-teams with his break-out Hangover star Zach Galifianakis for this road movie concerning a soon-to-be father (played by Robert Downey Jr.) and his cross-country trip to make it back in time for his baby's birth -- with the only roadblock being the dubious passenger (Galifianakis) who's along for the ride. Michelle Monaghan and Jamie Foxx co-star in the Warner Bros./Legendary Pictures production. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
Director: Todd Phillips
Cast: Robert Downey, Jr., Zach Galifianakis, Jamie Foxx, Michelle Monaghan, RZA.
Release Date: Nov 05, 2010
Rated: Language, drug use and sexual content
Runtime: 1 hr. 40 min.
Genres: Comedy
Review:
Todd Phillips has made this type of film various times throughout his career; he has an almost unhealthy obsession with road trips and odd ball characters. Here Phillips throws together as many odd couple traveling clichés possible and contrived situations to make a plot. It’s barely a plot but it’s enough to give Galifianakis and Downey Jr. a showcase. Galifianaskis is in full man child mode, pretty much playing an even stranger version of his Hangover character. He gives his character enough heart to make a slightly different animal from that other role. Robert Downey Jr. delivers a strong performance as well, he’s like a tightly wound ball of rage and mania ready to burst at any point. He and Galifianakis have solid chemistry together and they are best thing about this entire film. Sadly, its strength is limited to these two and when the script tries shoe horn some sentiment or contrived connection it just rings incredibly false and hollow. These moments drag the film down and make it feel a lot longer than it actually is. Jamie Foxx walks through a few scenes and Michelle Monaghan is given less to do than Juliet Lewis and Danny McBride who both have memorable cameos. Due Date is a generally funny movie that feels like fast food and has as much nutritional value.
C+
MOVIE REVIEWS: CENTURION
ON DVD
CENTURION
A Roman soldier (Michael Fassbender) leads a small band of troops on a mission to rescue a key Roman general after becoming trapped in the territory of their sworn enemies in this period action-adventure film from director Neil Marshall (The Descent, Doomsday). The year is A.D. 117: despite the growing strength of the Roman Empire, a fierce tribe known as the Picts has prevented Hadrian's armies from conquering northern Britain. The Picts offer a devastating display of their guerilla power when they raid a Roman frontier fort, and Quintus just barely manages to escape with his life. Thirsting for revenge, Quintus joins General Virilus' Ninth Legion as the squadron begins traveling north on a mission to find and kill Gorlacon, the leader of the Picts. That mission is complicated when the Ninth Legion is ambushed and General Virilus is captured, leaving his men stranded behind enemy lines. Now, as the Quintus and the surviving members of the Ninth Legion are hunted from the shadows, they prepare to make one last, desperate bid to save General Virilus and reach the Roman frontier before being captured or killed by the Picts. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Neil Marshall
Cast: Michael Fassbender, Dominic West, Olga Kurylenko, Noel Clarke, David Morrissey.
Release Date: Aug 27, 2010
Rated R for grisly images, strong bloody violence and language
Runtime: 1 hr. 37 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure, Suspense/Thriller
Review:
Neil Marshall’s Gladiator meets The Warriors bloody exercise is a surprising film in many ways. Throughout the run time there are blood spurts aplenty, body parts are cleaved at a amazing rate, Marshall’s ability to keep this interesting and shoot it beautifully elevate this film over the usual genre garbage. Marshall has an exceptional talent to create films that keep genre fans happy (see The Decent, Dog Soldiers & Doomsday) but what’s generally overlooked is his growth as a filmmaker. Marshall gives this film an epic feel with huge expansive landscape shots that gives the audience a real scene of the location. It sounds like a small thing but visually it’s a huge plus for this film that occasionally falters with hackneyed scripting. The cast is all game with only a few hiccups. Michael Fassbender is impressively comfortable in a leading man role. He brings a nice sense of gravitas even when delivering some of the more wooden dialogue. Olga Kurylenko is hit or miss throughout; occasionally she finds the right sense of danger and menace while other times it looks like she’s just playing dress up. Marshall’s wife Axelle Carolyn actually comes off far more menacing in a small role. Dominic West delivers solid work but he’s given a terribly small role. Those looking for a strong history lesson should probably look elsewhere but those looking for a solid piece of genre filmmaking that’s fairly entertaining throughout should find plenty to like here.
B
CENTURION
A Roman soldier (Michael Fassbender) leads a small band of troops on a mission to rescue a key Roman general after becoming trapped in the territory of their sworn enemies in this period action-adventure film from director Neil Marshall (The Descent, Doomsday). The year is A.D. 117: despite the growing strength of the Roman Empire, a fierce tribe known as the Picts has prevented Hadrian's armies from conquering northern Britain. The Picts offer a devastating display of their guerilla power when they raid a Roman frontier fort, and Quintus just barely manages to escape with his life. Thirsting for revenge, Quintus joins General Virilus' Ninth Legion as the squadron begins traveling north on a mission to find and kill Gorlacon, the leader of the Picts. That mission is complicated when the Ninth Legion is ambushed and General Virilus is captured, leaving his men stranded behind enemy lines. Now, as the Quintus and the surviving members of the Ninth Legion are hunted from the shadows, they prepare to make one last, desperate bid to save General Virilus and reach the Roman frontier before being captured or killed by the Picts. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Neil Marshall
Cast: Michael Fassbender, Dominic West, Olga Kurylenko, Noel Clarke, David Morrissey.
Release Date: Aug 27, 2010
Rated R for grisly images, strong bloody violence and language
Runtime: 1 hr. 37 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure, Suspense/Thriller
Review:
Neil Marshall’s Gladiator meets The Warriors bloody exercise is a surprising film in many ways. Throughout the run time there are blood spurts aplenty, body parts are cleaved at a amazing rate, Marshall’s ability to keep this interesting and shoot it beautifully elevate this film over the usual genre garbage. Marshall has an exceptional talent to create films that keep genre fans happy (see The Decent, Dog Soldiers & Doomsday) but what’s generally overlooked is his growth as a filmmaker. Marshall gives this film an epic feel with huge expansive landscape shots that gives the audience a real scene of the location. It sounds like a small thing but visually it’s a huge plus for this film that occasionally falters with hackneyed scripting. The cast is all game with only a few hiccups. Michael Fassbender is impressively comfortable in a leading man role. He brings a nice sense of gravitas even when delivering some of the more wooden dialogue. Olga Kurylenko is hit or miss throughout; occasionally she finds the right sense of danger and menace while other times it looks like she’s just playing dress up. Marshall’s wife Axelle Carolyn actually comes off far more menacing in a small role. Dominic West delivers solid work but he’s given a terribly small role. Those looking for a strong history lesson should probably look elsewhere but those looking for a solid piece of genre filmmaking that’s fairly entertaining throughout should find plenty to like here.
B
Friday, October 29, 2010
Monsters Trailer
Alien life forms have spread throughout the U.S.-Mexico border region leading to the quarantine of half of Mexico. The U.S. and Mexican militaries are battling to contain the creatures, with a wall stretching along the American border. The story follows Andrew, an American photojournalist helping his wealthy employer's daughter, Samantha, get back to America. Their journey takes them across Central America and eventually into the 'infected zone'
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsters_(2010_film)
Some how I'd never heard of this UK film until a friend of mine told me about it, looks fantastic!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
MOVIE REVIEWS: PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2
IN THEATERS
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2
Spooky hauntings are once again the main course in this Paramount Pictures follow-up to Oren Peli's wildly successful supernatural thriller, Paranormal Activity. Kip Williams directs from a script by Michael Perry. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
Director: Tod "Kip" Williams
Cast: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Sprague Grayden, Brian Boland, Molly Ephraim
Release Date: Oct 22, 2010
Rated: R for some language and brief violent material
Runtime: 1 hr. 31 min.
Genres: Horror, Suspense/Thriller
Review:
Paranormal Activity 2 avoids the Blair Witch sequel issue by sticking with what worked so well in the first film. Tod Williams formats his film very much like the bare bones original and opens it up more with more camera angles and is more overt about the demonic goings on. William’s smartly continues to build tension throughout and set ups up the audience for big scares. The script is well crafted and bookends the original offering insight to open story threads from the original along with some fairly shocking reveals. This prequel’s cast is a strong throughout creating an organic naturalistic feel. With a few exceptions they all feel authentic and are believable. The films faults are obvious but not unexpected. The plot is mostly the same as the original and while the scares are bigger they don’t provide the same surprise as the first. The third act is stronger and what seems like the finale is a white knuckle experience that might remind some viewer of REC. All and all if you enjoyed the first and it’s type of none splatter horror then you’ll find plenty to enjoy here.
B+
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2
Spooky hauntings are once again the main course in this Paramount Pictures follow-up to Oren Peli's wildly successful supernatural thriller, Paranormal Activity. Kip Williams directs from a script by Michael Perry. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
Director: Tod "Kip" Williams
Cast: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Sprague Grayden, Brian Boland, Molly Ephraim
Release Date: Oct 22, 2010
Rated: R for some language and brief violent material
Runtime: 1 hr. 31 min.
Genres: Horror, Suspense/Thriller
Review:
Paranormal Activity 2 avoids the Blair Witch sequel issue by sticking with what worked so well in the first film. Tod Williams formats his film very much like the bare bones original and opens it up more with more camera angles and is more overt about the demonic goings on. William’s smartly continues to build tension throughout and set ups up the audience for big scares. The script is well crafted and bookends the original offering insight to open story threads from the original along with some fairly shocking reveals. This prequel’s cast is a strong throughout creating an organic naturalistic feel. With a few exceptions they all feel authentic and are believable. The films faults are obvious but not unexpected. The plot is mostly the same as the original and while the scares are bigger they don’t provide the same surprise as the first. The third act is stronger and what seems like the finale is a white knuckle experience that might remind some viewer of REC. All and all if you enjoyed the first and it’s type of none splatter horror then you’ll find plenty to enjoy here.
B+
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