Up

Up (2009)
Walt Disney Pictures / Pixar Animation
Directed by Pete Doctor
Starring Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai

Pixar Animation has created another masterpiece with its newest film, Up. Starring Edward Asner as widower Carl Fredricksen, the film follows Carl and Russell (Nagai), a young Wilderness Explorer, on their wild adventure to South America in Carl’s house suspended by balloons. The plot doesn’t seem like much, but Pixar uses their creative imaginations and magic to make Up a wild story full of emotion, humor, and action. The animation from Pixar is top notch and ranks with WALL-E and The Incredibles. As with all of their films, it is incredible how much emotion can be shown using three-dimensional characters. In every Pixar film, you immediately fall in love with the characters and feel for them. Up is no different. When Carl’s life is shown with his wife, it is heartwarming and very sad. It is hard not to shed a tear when the montage ends with her passing away. You pity Carl for losing his wife, and now his home is trying to be taken away. Carl has no option but to move away to Paradise Falls; the fantasy location where the couple has always wanted to move to. Russell, who is trying to get a merit badge, get stuck on the house as it flies away, and joins Carl on the ride of a lifetime.

Up is a heartwarming tale about loss and grief. It is also about realizing that even though your dreams don’t always come true, it is important to look back on your life and realize what you have accomplished. Carl always thought that he failed his wife by never going to Paradise Falls, but in reality, he made her proud. The couple keeps an “Adventure Book” with all of their plans. Carl opens it after her death and finds that she continued the adventure by placing pictures of their life together. Carl realizes that he has had a rewarding life with her.

The film works on every level; from the animation to the voice acting. Carl is the grumpy, yet lovable old man, and Asner brings the character to life. Newcomer Jordan Nagai voices Russell, who is both pitiful and charming. He is a great Pixar character like the chef from Ratatouille. Pixar has always created funny and pitiful characters in all of their films.

Up is an amazing film from Pixar that shows that they are the powerhouse of animated films. They have only had one bad film (Cars), and the rest have been masterpieces that appeal to children as well as adults. Up is a sad film with tons of raw emotion and lovable characters. There is nothing wrong with this film. It is near perfect. It has the right amount of humor mixed with adventure and action, and a strong message and motion looming above this basic concept that created a masterpiece.

Rating: A


June 25, 2010

Reign Over Me

Reign Over Me (2007)
Columbia Pictures
Directed by Mike Binder
Starring Adam Sandler, Don Cheadle, Jada Pinkett Smith, Liv Tyler

Reign Over Me is a very personal and emotion tale of one man’s breakdown following the loss of his entire family following the tragic events of 9/11. Don Cheadle plays Dr. Alan Johnson, a dentist who is having some marriage problems due to having no personal space. One day as he is heading home, he sees his old college roommate, Charlie Fineman (Sandler), who has all but disappeared from society. Charlie does not remember him nor his past life as he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. Johnson becomes closer to Charlie and tries to help him with his personal problems.

Adam Sandler gives a tremendous performance in Reign Over Me that shows that he does have the ability to act. His character has tons of emotion, depth, and pity that makes Charlie a lovable and pitiful character. It is nice to see Sandler break away from his comedies and return to drama comedies such as he did with Drunk Punch Love. Don Cheadle shows that he is an amazing actor with his role as Johnson. There is a strong chemistry between the two leads that makes the friendship seem more realistic.

The message of Reign Over Me is that everyone needs to grieve in their own time. This is a very feasible message, but at points it seems that director Mike Binder has too much screentime to portray this. It is an overly overdrawn message that keeps coming back throughout the film. The message appears whenever Charlie becomes suspicious, flips out, or finally opens up and tells his story. Binder perfectly lets his message flow onto the screen, but there is not enough content in this film to fully justify his intent.

The idea of incorporating 9/11 is a smart move for this film. Though not as intense as World Trade Center, this film shows how one man’s life has changed because of the tragedy. Charlie’s story is heartbreaking. This is parallel to everyone who lost someone that day. Charlie could not deal with the pain and blocked everything out. It is hard to watch Charlie’s character and not be touched by Sandler’s performance. When Charlie does open up, it is tear jerking and definitely plays with the emotions.

Reign Over Me comes from the classic The Who song “Love, Reign O’er Me.” This title is fitting because Charlie had so much love for his family, and now others love him and love is “raining” on him now. This is very powerful film, despite a few holes and flaws, which showcases emotion. Sandler is at his best here; no silly, childish jokes: just plain raw emotion with some grown-up humor. Reign Over Me is a wonderful tearjerker that features some impressive performances and wonderful messages of grief and time.

Rating: B

June 21, 2010

Gone with the Wind

Gone with the Wind (1939)
MGM
Directed by Victor Fleming
Starring Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland

There is only one word that describes Victor Fleming’s Gone with the Wind: masterpiece. Based on the 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell, Fleming brings us one of the greatest films ever created. Set in the Civil War era of the South, Scarlet O’Hara (Leigh) is a narcissistic young lady obsessed with Ashley Wilkes (Howard), the man she secretly loves. When the war breaks out, Ashley proposes to her best friend, Melanie (de Havilland), before heading off to war. Enraged and jealous, Scarlett decides to get back at Ashley by showing that she is wealthy and beautiful. She marries a young man, out of spite for Ashley’s “betrayal,” and ends up a widow by the war. She soon meets the mysterious and dashing Rhett Butler (Gable), who falls in love with her, though she does not feel the same way. Throughout the war, and after, Rhett keeps running into Scarlett, and her feelings change. Obsessed with wealth and stealing Ashley away from Melanie, she marries Rhett for the money and until Ashley is free from his marriage. The two have a happy marriage at first, but soon their mutual feeling begin to change.

The performances of this film are simply amazing. Vivien Leigh brings Scarlett to life. She is beautiful and crazy; wealthy and poor. She has all the money she could have, but no one to love her. The only one she loves is taken. She only realizes at the last moment that’s he loves Rhett, but it’s too late. He leaves her and gives the infamous line, “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.” Her character is extremely layered. Once you think you figure her out, another layer is shown. Clark Gable gives the best performance of his life, and one of the greatest ever as Rhett. He is wealthy, masculine, and powerful. He can have any woman he wants and he picks a young woman who does not love him, nor want anything to do with him. He cares only about his social appearance. He tolerates Scarlett’s antics, even though he knows she loves Ashley. Gable is the true star of this film.

The story is fantastic as well. Gone with the Wind is nearly four hours long and every detail, from dialogue to set pieces are important. This film so near perfect that everything blends together to make a masterpiece. The sets are realistic and vast; the dialogue is wonderful; the acting is legendary; and the messages are clear. Gone with the Wind is about greed, love, and power; and how all three blend into another. In the film, Scarlett has a greed for wealth that eventually turns into a love. She wants power, which Rhett represents, and eventually finds love from him, but it’s too late. The film shows that you cannot have love with greed, or power without greed. Gone with the Wind is also about the South. In fact, I would consider the South as a major character in the film. Everything about the film revolves around the living South: from the wars, to the love of the South; the people, and the way of life. The South forms these characters of Scarlett and Rhett and make the story much more fitting and proper.

However, being a masterpiece, the film does have some racist overtones throughout. For being set in the Civil War, slavery is heavily ignored throughout. Many of the African American slaves seem happy to work with their white masters. They even make it seem as if they need them to survive. Scenes with Scarlett's nanny heavily emphasize the slavery and racism themes within the film.

What is there to say about Gone with the Wind that hasn’t been said before? It is one the greatest American cinematic achievements since the birth of film. It has stellar performances from Vivien Leigh and screen legend Clark Gable. Both Rhett and Scarlett are two of the most well known movie characters ever. And the film features some of the most popular musical scores and dialogue quotes. Gone with the Wind is a classic that will always be immortalized as one the greatest.

Rating: A+


June 24, 2010

Alice in Wonderland (2010)

Alice in Wonderland (2010)
Walt Disney Pictures
Directed by Tim Burton
Starring Johnny Depp, Mia Wasikowska, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway

There have been several film versions of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland since the birth of film. The earliest version was from 1903, directed by Cecil Hepworth. In 1951, Walt Disney released their original animated classic, Alice in Wonderland¸ to mixed reviews. The film was strange and even Disney himself, apologized for the mishap, which is not considered a masterpiece. Now over one-hundred years later, Walt Disney Pictures and gothic director Tim Burton is applying his twisted vision to the classic tales. Using segments from both the original book and its sequel, Through the Looking-Glass, the new version is neither a sequel or reimagining. Instead it is something completely different. It is a dark tale filled with strange creatures and psychedelic imagery. Alice in Wonderland is the story of Alice Kingsleigh (Wasikowska) who believes that she does not belong. She has a higher calling in this world than just living the norm. Since she was a young girl, she has had strange nightmares of a world with white rabbits, dodo birds, and other unearthly creatures. When she is proposed to by Lord Ascot, she runs off with the White Rabbit and finds herself in the magical world she calls Wonderland. She discovers that it is her destiny to save Wonderland from the evil Red Queen and slay her beast, the Jabberwocky.

Burton’s Alice in Wonderland is very surreal and poetic. The background is completely computer generated and truly a feast for the eyes. But looks alone will not create a great film. This film has many flaws with the script and characters. When the film opened, it was not known that it was a semi-sequel, semi-reimagining of the classic tale. This confused audiences and made them question the events taking place on screen. Burton changes many details in his version including changing Wonderland to Underland, and giving bigger roles to smaller characters. The Mad Hatter is the true character of the Underland heroes. Played by the talented Johnny Depp, this Mad Hatter is a twist between Edward Scissorhands and Jack Sparrow with a Scottish accent that disappears from time to time. He is very twisted and bizarre, but adds some humor and depth to the character. Burton and Depp have teamed up together for several films, and this time around, Depp’s character does not have the fan approval as other characters he has portrayed. We’ve seen this routine before, but never to this extent. Depp was wonderful as Willy Wonka, but just alright as Hatter.

The best performance in Alice in Wonderland is Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen. She is ruthless, powerful, evil, and pathetic as a person. Her portrayal is must different from the classic Disney cartoon in that the Red Queen has a humongous head. The Red Queen is the true villain of this film, and she adds a sense of evil and humor to Underland. Newcomer Mia Wasikowska portrays the iconic Alice wonderfully for a first time performance. Though this Alice is not the best portrayal, the character works for the film and fits into Burton’s Underland mythology.

Besides the strange plot setup and rushed storylines with too many characters, the biggest flaw of Alice in Wonderland is the amount of CGI used. The film looks amazing, but there is too much just like in Avatar. The Jabberwocky looks like a left over creature from some cheesy sci-fi film. It fires out purple lightning and prances about with the menacing voice of Christopher Lee. Absolem, the caterpillar, does not have the muse power as in the cartoon. Instead he is the actual size of a caterpillar and does not have the wow factor of the classic imagery, though he is voiced by Alan Rickman, so that does help with the lackluster incarnation. The best CGI character is the Cheshire Cat. He is wonderfully animated and the voice of Stephen Fry suits him. Besides Chesh, the others look sloppy and rushed.

As with the other countless versions of Alice in Wonderland, the film is about finding yourself. Everything happens for a reason, and because of those events, we are who we are. Alice is at a crossroads in her life, and she needs to decide what to do with her life. This is a major event in almost everyone’s life. Alice teaches us that no matter what strange or bizarre events occur in our life; that we need to stay true to ourselves and choose the right path. In Alice’s case, it was her destiny and path to slay the Jaberwocky. She chose the right path and helped protect her friends.

Alice in Wonderland is a very bizarre film that cannot decide whether to be a sequel or a reimagining of the classic tale. Because e of this, the film suffers for identity crisis as does the characters. Alice, Chesh, and the Red Queen are wonderful in this film, but the major star, Depp as the Mad Hatter, is mediocre and a Jack Sparrow want-to-be. It is a Salvadore Dali world with much more childish creatures and characters that feel rushed. Besides all its flaws, Alice in Wonderland, is a good fantasy film that tells us to stay true to ourselves, not matter what happens to us.

Rating: C+


June 15, 2010

The Boondock Saints II: All Saint's Day

The Boondock Saints II: All Saint’s Day (2009)
Apparition
Directed by Troy Duffy
Starring Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, Julie Benz, Billy Connolly, Peter Fonda

Ten years after The Boondock Saints was released, and after years of lawsuits and delays, The Boondock Saints II: All Saint’s Day is here. Having a huge cult following for the first film, this sequel has some high expectations to live up to. Eight years after the vigilantes known as the “Saints” (Flanery and Reedus) disappeared from Boston, a mysterious assassin has framed the murder of a priest on them. Heading back to the United States, it is up to the “Saints” to find this assassin and rid Boston of evil once again.

The original Boondock Saints was not a masterpiece. It was a popcorn flick that featured some great action sequences and some witty, yet corny dialogue. It was very reminiscent of Quentin Tarantino’s work. All Saint’s Day is the very same rehash of the original. It is the same type of action, dialogue, and they both use the flashback method to show the “Saint’s” murders. Just like the original, the flashbacks can be effective, but are usually annoying and detract from the flow of the film.

All the same actors are back for this film, including a very surprise cameo from Willem Dafoe. There are some new faces this time around as well. Peter Fonda joins the cast as the head of the organization targeting the Irish brothers. He has little screentime, and his acting skills are wasted on such a small character. He poses no real threat to the “Saints” and leaves his gangsters to do the fighting. Another new face is Julie Benz who replaces Willem Dafoe’s character as Special Agent Eunice Bloom. She is working with the FBI to track down the vigilantes, but is secretly working with Boston police to help them escape. Benz is no Dafoe, which leaves her character lacking. She does add some witty dialogue to the film, which helps take away from the corniness of some of the other characters. In fact, most of the film contains some unnecessary, corny dialogue. This is a new trend in Hollywood, especially with the Transformers series, where the humor is not funny and completely unnecessary. It is important to have some humor to make it fun and not too serious, but there is a wrong time and place for such humor.

All Saint’s Day has mixed messages just like the original. There is a huge theme of responsibility in here, more so than the original. Both films show how flawed the justice system has become, but they never explore this theme in depth. It is only scratched at the surface, when if these themes had been explored more, then the overall film series would have been more well received. All Saint’s Day is a poor action film with some witty dialogue floating to the top in a bucket of corny situations and dialogue. Aside from a few strong performances, The Boondock Saints should have waited longer for a better follow-up, or just never had a lackluster sequel. But the ending does leave it open for a third part, so hopefully Troy Duffy can pull it together, but it probably will not happen.

Rating: D+


June 13, 2010

The Boondock Saints

The Boondock Saints (1999)
Indican Pictures / 20th Century Fox
Directed by Troy Duffy
Starring Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, Willem Dafoe, Billy Connolly

Revenge films are not new in Hollywood. Neither are films about punishing the evil. These vigilante films have been around well before The Adventures of Robin Hood in 1939. Troy Duffy’s The Boondock Saints features two brothers who decide to hunt down and kill the wicked and evil gangsters of Boston after receiving a message from God, a much different tone from Robin Hood. The two Irish brothers, Connor and Murphy MacManus (Flanery and Reedus), set out on their own crusade to take down the Italian mafia. Hot on their trail is FBI Special Agent Smecker (Dafoe) who wants to bring down the “Saints.”

The Boondock Saints feels like a knock-off Tarantino film with its flashbacks, humor, and action sequences, but in all three aspects its fails to be like the cinematic icon. The flashbacks within the film can be annoying. When an action sequence is about to begin, it cuts and shows the police with Smecker reenacting what happened before the audience is allowed to witness. This method stops the flow of the film. The humor is corny and usually not necessary. But in a film such as this, it is necessary to have some humor. However, this much humor can kill the tone, especially if it is bad humor that no one finds funny. The action sequences are entertaining, but are not very original or exciting. Many of the sequences are in slow motion to add effect to Smecker’s stories. There are a few good scenes such as the rope scene and the shootout with The Duke. Other than those few scenes the action is subpar and mediocre to many action revenge films.

There are many mixed messages at play in The Boondock Saints as well. There is a theme of responsibility for your actions and doing what is right throughout the film, but they are overcast by a major theme of punishing the evil. The Saints were told by God to kill evil people, and that makes it right? It is a very confusing message that the film plays upon, but never fully delves into. The Saints take the law into their own hands and are idolized by the people of Boston for doing what the law cannot. Another strange aspect to this message is that the police eventually begin to side with the Saints and do whatever they can to help them in their crusade. Not exactly the best message for an action film aimed at young adults. The social context of The Boondock Saints shows how the justice system is flawed in America, and that someone needs to take a stand and change it.

In the end, The Boondock Saints is a low budget action revenge film that features above average acting and some impressive action sequences. It does feature some bad dialogue and sequences, but for a Tarantino “want-to-be,” it does work. Though having some misleading messages about anyone taking the law into their own hands, it is a definite cult film that young male adults will highly enjoy. It’s a popcorn flick that tries to break out of that stereotype, but cannot fully make the jump.

Rating: C-


June 13, 2010


The Boondock Saints: Unrated Special Edition (2006)

The only addition to The Boondock Saints in this unrated edition is the extra scenes of violence in the action shots. They are barely noticeable and add no dimension to the film. The film still has the same running time.

Rating: C-


June 13, 2010

Max Payne

Max Payne (2008)
20th Century Fox
Directed by John Moore
Starring Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Beau Bridges

There have been many films based on popular video games. However these films, such as Hitman, DOA, or Resident Evil have all been bashed by critics and fans alike. These films drastically change the story or feel of the game. This is why videogame films are always hated and are usually rubbish. It is hard to transfer the entertainment of a videogame onto the screen without actually having a controller. Every once in a while, a videogame film comes out that is not completely horrible. Max Payne is an example of this. Based on the highly popular videogame by Remedy Entertainment, Max Payne is the story of NYPD Cold Case Detective Max Payne (Wahlberg) and his obsession to find and seek revenge on the man who killed his family. During his investigation, he finds that a rogue killer is trying to set up Payne, and lead him away from the truth.

Max Payne is a modern noir film that features very Sin City stylish backdrops and action. The story is not original, but it is a very noir style plot. There are a few strange twists and plotlines, but overall, Max Payne works as a film. It is entertaining, dark, and has some stylish action that comes straight from a graphic novel. Mark Wahlberg plays Max Payne with finesse; Wahlberg is perfect for the part. Unlike Hitman, the casting is great and makes Payne seem more believable. Mila Kunis, from That 70’s Show fame, does not fit into the film as a crimelord. She brings down the acing of the film. Her character does not have a lot of personality or depth, and just seems to help Max at a few key moments in the film. Other than Kunis, the rest of the cast does a decent job, including Chris “Ludacris” Bridges as a detective investigating Payne.

The central theme of Max Payne is revenge. Like other recent revenge films in the wake of 9/11, such as The Brave One, Death Sentence, and The Punisher, this film shows that revenge is the best way to get back at one. However, unlike those films, killing the person does not bring closure, but in Max Payne, he finds closure from the murder. A strange message from an action film: kill those who harm you. The action-revenge genre is filled with these mixed messages, but since 9/11, the messages have become even more twisted. These types of films can be seen as propaganda to seek revenge on anyone involved. However, May Payne was released seven years after the disaster, so it is probably just capitalizing on the movement.

Max Payne is a decent action noir with some nice action sequences, and a strange fantasy twist which is not in the game. The addition of the valkyries within the drug sequences in both twisted and haunting, and makes Max Payne’s adventure head into the supernatural plane. The film cannot decide whether to be a realistic action flick or a fantasy noir. The identity crisis hurts the film. Mark Wahlberg gives the film everything he has as an actor, which isn’t much, but he carries the film just fine. I want to see more Max Payne. If you can get past the fantasy element and the fact that the story is somewhat changed from the game, then Max Payne is a mindless joyride that could have much depth and emotion. It is stylish and dark, but not as much as Sin City or The Spirit. Max Payne is a decent action film that has a good background story and works as a traditional noir film, something that has been lost in Hollywood as of late.

Rating: C+


June 18, 2010


Max Payne: Unrated Director’s Cut (2009)

The director’s cut of Max Payne features no new scenes what so ever. The only different from the theatrical edition is that there are a few more scenes of blood during the action sequences. Both versions have the same running time. The director’s cut is not worth watching, unless seeing more blood is your thing.

Rating: C+


June 18, 2010

Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Directed by Danny Boyle
Starring Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Madhur Mittal, Anil Kapoor

The feel-good, heartwarming film, Slumdog Millionaire is the story of Jamal Malik (Patel), and his life story from the slums in India to the Indian version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” Throughout his adventures and hardships, Jamal experiences many life struggles that help him answer several questions. When Jamal exceeds expectations on the show, law enforcement arrests Jamal for cheating. He must explain his life to the officers so that he can win and impress his long-lost love. This is truly a moving picture based on the novel Q & A by Vikas Swarup. It is a wonderful rags-to-riches film in the style of Frank Capra; filled with emotion, hardship, and comedy. The hardships of these children are sometimes unbearable to watch. The young children playing Jamal, his brother Salim, and their friend Latika, and all wonderful young actors and bring charm to their roles. Salim and Jamal get into much mischief as children, adding some humor to the start of the film. The elder Jamal, played by newcomer, Dev Patel, brings depth to his character and transformers from a “slumdog” to a hero by the ending credits. All of his hardships and accomplishments have made him into a wonderful human being, who just wants to find his love, Latika.

This film comes from director Danny Boyle, who has of recent been working on science fiction films with 28 Days Later and Sunshine. It is good to see Boyle take on a feel-good film, when he is mostly known for horror and depressing films. There is wonderful directing and cinematography in this film. The film looks great and is filled with colors and sounds of Indian culture. This film is fully submerged in Indian cultures and is very authentic in feel.

The message of Slumdog Millionaire is that anything can be done by anyone. The film shows the social order of India and that anyone can jump into a new class. Jamal is a slumdog; a poor, trashy kid that makes it all the way to become a millionaire. Slumdog Millionaire shows us that no one can stop us if we are determined enough to get what we want. In Jamal’s case, it was to survive and find Latika. He went through a massacre, kidnapping, abuse, and other horrid things, but he still kept on pushing. Jamal was never rich like his brother, but stayed true to himself and did not get mixed up in crime and drugs for money. He chose the hard path and became very successful.

Slumdog Millionaire is a film that never lets go. It tears at your heart and makes you root for Jamal to be the hero. You feel like you, yourself are in the “hot seat,” competing for money and to prove yourself. With wonderful acting, a great story, and an impressive looking film, Slumdog Millionaire is the surprise hit of 2008, and is one of the best modern rags-to-riches films.

Rating: A-


June 17, 2010

Where Eagles Dare

Where Eagles Dare (1968)
MGM
Directed by Brian G. Hutton
Starring Richard Burton, Clint Eastwood, Mary Ure

Written for the screen by action master, Alistair MacLean, Where Eagles Dare is a genre classic about infiltration during World War II. Burton and Eastwood star as British Major John Smith and American Lieutenant Morris Schaffer, respectively, who take on a daring mission to infiltrate a German base, high in the mountains, and rescue a captured American general. The script is thrilling and full of action. MacLean is known for these types of stories including The Guns of Navarone. This film is much more action-oriented and showcases the different acting styles of Burton and Eastwood. Both are known for their acting chops, with Burton portraying more “civilized” characters while Eastwood plays the “rogue.” In the film, Burton plays the double agent and head of the commando squad, while Eastwood plays the muscle of the group.

The best things going for Where Eagles Dare is the impressive action sequences by Yakima Canutt. They are gripping, fast paced, and very well choreographed. Once the film picks up pace during the lift-ride to the castle, the tension never lets go. It is a wonderful joyride that features a few twists and turns with several characters including Major Smith. Where Eagles Dare will keep you on the edge of your seat, and not let you go. The most intense scenes include a brawl on the lift going to the castle, and an impressive escape using hostages.

The cinematography of Where Eagles Dare is very dark, giving the film a gloomy feel. It starts off in the snow covered mountains at dusk. Right from the opening shot, the mood is set as a dark tale of espionage, treachery, and lies. The film never lightens up, but is never too dark to hide detail of the vast landscapes. The shadows in this film, from the bar to the castle, are strong and give a sense of mystery to the mission. Almost as if the mission is hidden in the shadows. This is especially true when Major Smith and Schaffer find that the rest of the British commandos have been killed upon arriving in Germany. Right from the beginning, the film starts off as a murder mystery and then turns into a commando mission film, while never letting go of the urgency or tension created from the opening sequence.

Where Eagles Dare is a well directed, well written action thriller that will not let go. It is a little slow at the beginning, but once the mission starts to take off, the film does so as well. Burton and Eastwood are well casted and create a sense of friction between the two leads. With their performances and MacLean’s script, Where Eagles Dare is a classic World War II film that perfectly balances action with thrills.

Rating: B+


June 20, 2010

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)
Columbia Pictures
Directed by Phil Lord, Chris Miller
Starring Bill Hader, Anna Faris, Neil Patrick Harris, James Caan

It is rare to find a children's movie that entertains the child as much as the parents that are watching it with them. Usually the parent just sits through it for the sake of the child. Since the early 2000’s, children’s movies have begun to become more entertaining for the tortured adult. One of the more familiar films to do this includes Shrek, Shrek 2, and Kung Fu Panda. Sony Pictures Imageworks is not as popular as Pixar or as well known as DreamWorks Animation, but they have started to create some winning films. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is the third film from Sony and boasts fun for children and adults alike.

Flint Lockwood (Bill Hader) is an aspiring young scientist who wants to help his island of Swallow Falls, located in the Atlantic Ocean. His inventions never seem to go as planned, which makes Flint a nuisance to the town and to his father, Tim (James Caan). He creates a machine that forms food from water, but is gets stuck in the atmosphere. The machine works and Flint is a hero for saving the town and supplying the citizens with food. When the people begin requesting food, the machine starts to mutate the food into extremely large portions that create spaghetti twisters and meatball hail storms. It’s up to Flint to stop his machine, rescue the town, get the girl of his dreams (Anna Faris), and get respect from his father.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs may not look like much from the synopsis, but it has a lot going for it. It is not just another kid’s movie like Astro Boy, but instead it is clever and just plain fun. The story is crazy, the characters are funny and likable, and the humor is in surplus. Many of the jokes are from Flint’s talking monkey, Steve, who has an obsession with mustaches and gummy bears. In fact, Steve manages to save the group from mutated killer gummy bears by ripping the heart out of one and eating it.

The story is a little over the top with precipitation of steaks, ice cream, and hamburgers, and a battle inside the food covered machine in the air, but it is just plain fun that tries to show a message of overconsumption of product, and the greed that follows it. The voice actors are well suited for this film, as they are not too recognizable which tends to distract audiences from other animated features such as Shrek and Shark Tale. The animation is not original, but it suits this kind of film. It is not the best animated feature, but it definitely stands up there with Surf’s Up and Kung Fu Panda.

Rating: B+


February 25, 2010

Pandorum

Pandorum (2009)
Overture Films
Directed by Christian Alvart
Starring Dennis Quaid, Ben Foster, Cam Gigandet

There have been many films that have tried to match the success of 1979’s Alien. There have been even less that have succeeded. Pandorum does not match Alien’s horror or thrills, nor does it qualify as a benchmark in the sci-fi horror genre. When astronauts Payton (Dennis Quaid) and Bower (Ben Foster) are suddenly awakened from suspended animation, they find themselves alone on the Elysium. Looking for any of the 60,000 passengers that were set to colonize the planet of Tanis after Earth has been destroyed, they find no one. The astronauts suffer from “pandorum,” a condition from suspended animation that causes amnesia, paranoia, and hallucinations. They discover that the reactors to the ship will die soon and Bower decides to go turn them on. While exploring the ship he discovers that the passengers have turned into mutated humanoid that are faster and stronger than Bower. It’s up to him to turn on the reactors and save the few remaining humans from being killed.

Pandorum does not feature the best acting, or the most original story. There have been many other films featuring monsters in space including Alien and Sunshine that are far more entertaining. Though Pandorum is not up to par with those films, it does provide some thrills and fun for sci-fi lovers. The story could have been improved by adding a sense of claustrophobia to the film. This technique made Alien and The Descent wonderful monster films. The ship is very dark and narrow, but the cinematography never took advantage of this.

There are good moments that make up for this mediocre script and acting. The sets are impressive, and some of the sci-fi gadgets are well invented including a futuristic laser razor. While the script is not original, there is a nice plot twist at the end that tries to change it up, though the actual ending is flawed and very unoriginal. There is a large amount of gore in this film, but not enough scares to compliment it. You truly don’t feel for the characters on screen, but sometimes wind up cheering for the monsters. Some of the story is rushed because of the shorter running time. Details about the mission, the ship, and the monsters are rushed through dialogue when they could have been explored more.

One major positive about Pandorum is the lighting. Many newer horror films have started this new technique where the lighting is extremely dark and it is almost impossible to see. This is apparent in Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem and Pitch Black, which takes away the momentum from the film. Pandorum does not use this horrible new idea and takes a more traditional lighting approach. Pandorum does not feature too many deep social messages, but it does a good job as a mindless popcorn horror featuring sci-fi, monsters, and a good amount of violence and gore.

Rating: C-


February 28, 2010

Stand by Me

Stand by Me (1986)
Columbia Pictures
Directed by Rob Reiner
Starring Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O’Connell, Kiefer Sutherland

Stand by Me is a coming of age film based on The Body by Stephen King. The story is about four best friends who decide to go find the body of a teenager who was killed earlier that summer. The four friends (Wheaton, Phoenix, Feldman, and O’Connell) learn the true meaning of friendship while dealing with the issues of adulthood. This adventure film has a much more adult theme than 1985’s The Goonies, in which a group of children go on a quest for treasure in their town. While The Goonies is fun and full of humor and adventure, Stand by Me is a straight-up drama with some well placed humor and a few thrills. Stand by Me is a very emotional tale that tears on one’s hearts and fills them with childhood memories that have been forgotten now during adulthood.

The child actors in this film are incredible for this subject matter. All show maturity and have a real talent. The biggest child star here is River Phoenix, who is amazing as Chris Chambers, the leader of the crew. Jerry O’Connell and Corey Feldman, also from The Goonies, bring comedic relief to the film, while Wil Wheaton is the temperate one in the group. The story revolves around his character of Gordie Lachance. The film is narrated by Richard Dreyfuss playing an adult Gordie, sharing insight to the situations and emotions of the characters. Keifer Sutherland plays the thug in town, John “Ace” Merrill, who takes it upon himself to harass the crew and then go find the body with his other thugs. Everyone in this film is well cast, and that makes this film very believable and likeable.

As opposed to the beloved The Goonies, this film deals with much more serious issues, which makes the film that much more dramatic. Issues including death, murder, assault, child abuse, fear, and abandonment are all showcased in this beautiful film. It is hard to imagine that these children must deal with these topics at such a young age, but it shows that we ourselves have gone through these. Stand by Me wants us to revert back into a childhood stage when these didn’t matter to us, and that friendship could solve anything. This film makes this objective easy with the well written story, superb directing by Rob Reiner, likeable and believable characters, and heartwarming tone.

Stand by Me is a wonderfully crafted film that makes us look back on our childhoods when times were simpler, but adulthood was inevitable and adult issues were just around the corner. Stand by Me can easily be associated with because of the strong characters that many people were as children: the rebel, the levelheaded, the geek, and the screwball. It is important to keep our friendships and remember our childhoods. Because of our friends, we are who we are as adults.

Rating: A-


June 14, 2010

Universal Soldier: Regeneration

Universal Soldier: Regeneration (2009)
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Directed by John Hyams
Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, Andrei Arlovski

After the failure of the two television films and reboot film Universal Soldier: The Return, Sony Pictures has released a direct-to-video sequel that tries to reboot the Universal Soldier franchise by ignoring the middle installments. Originally shown at the Austin Fantastic Fest in 2009 and later released on home video in 2010, Universal Soldier: Regeneration is a direct sequel to the original film starring Jean Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren. Set in the present times, a group of Russian terrorists kidnap the prime minister’s children and hold them hostage at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. The terrorists are in league with a rogue American scientist who has created a Next Generation UniSol (NGU) which is much stronger than the original super-soldiers. When the military and several original UniSols fail, it’s up to Luc Deveraux (Van Damme), to save them. The only problem is that he has been in psychiatric treatment to remove his UniSol programming.

This film is a masterpiece compared to The Return, but it still has some major flaws. The Universal Soldier franchise has never been known for its acting or plot. It has been known for its dark tone and action sequences. There are several good fight scenes in the film with the aging Van Damme and UFC Champion Andrei Arlovski, and long awaited rematch between Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren. One of the interesting aspects of Regeneration is how Deveraux is trying to recover from his experiences as a UniSol. These scenes show a more mature side to the franchise with Deveraux in rehab dealing with his twisted past. He has finally gotten past his UniSol training and is becoming a regular citizen, and then suddenly he is pulled right back in. This plot line could have delved deeper into Deveraux’s psych, but instead heads right into action flick territory.

Universal Soldier: Regeneration is another example of Hollywood rehashing old ideas and franchises. Both Van Damme and Lundgren are past their primes, and this film shows it. Van Damme has made a recent comeback with 2008’s JCVD, but Lundgren has not made a career comeback. His acting in this film is not up to par with Van Damme. This film has the two stars as top billing, but neither actor has a tremendous amount of screentime. In fact, Arlovski has the most screentime as a UniSol. Lundgren is barely in the film and serves no real purpose, except for nostalgia. In the end, Universal Soldier: Regeneration boils down to a mediocre action flick that tries to capitalize on Van Damme’s recent comeback, he is no longer in his prime for these types of action flicks. There are absurd storylines, horrible acting, and some nice fights. Universal Soldier: Regeneration is far better than The Return, and is a right step for the franchise.

Rating: C-


June 10, 2010

Universal Soldier: The Return

Universal Soldier: The Return (1999)
TriStar Pictures
Directed by Mic Rodgers
Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Michael Jai White, Bill Goldberg

In 1992, Roland Emmerich kicked-off his Hollywood career with the science fiction thriller Universal Soldier. Years later director Mic Rodgers is helming the theatrical sequel, Universal Soldier: The Return. There were two made-for-television sequels made in 1998, but this film decides to ignore their canon and reset the events in the Universal Soldier timeline. Set several years after the events of the first film, the story picks up with Luc Deveraux (Van Damme) working with the government to refine and perfect the UniSol program. A supercomputer that controls the program, SETH, goes renegade when about to be shut down, and causes the new UniSols to kill any opposing threat. Soon SETH transfers his mind into a human body (White) and tracks down Deveraux, the only one with the code to shut him down.

The first Universal Soldier was very short of spectacular, and the sequel is no different. The Return is worse than the original in all aspects. The acting is worse, the plot is completely scattered and obsolete, and the action is completely cliché and unforgettable. The idea of a rogue computer has been seen once too many times on screen, and Universal Soldier is no place for that plotline. The film struggles because of a weak villain. SETH does not have the screen presence of Dolph Lundgren’s character from the original. Deveraux’s biggest threat is Romeo (Goldberg) who is the leader of the UniSols. Goldberg just feels out of place in this film and needs to stay inside a wrestling ring. He is not the greatest wrestling actor, but he is not much worse than any other cast member.

This sequel is completely not necessary as the first film does not need a lackluster sequel. All of the original ideas are lost and instead the story focuses on unentertaining action sequences from Van Damme and Goldberg using his wrestling moves. The film suffers from a poor script, bad directing, and horrible acting. Universal Soldier: The Return is a terrible film and completely destroys the fun factor of Universal Soldier. There is little hope that the franchise can recover from this mess.

Rating: D-


June 9, 2010

Universal Soldier

Universal Soldier (1992)
TriStar Pictures
Directed by Roland Emmerich
Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren

Within the science fiction genre, genetically enhanced super-soldiers have become a staple of futuristic warfare. The idea has been showcased in several films including The Terminator and Robocop. Newcomer German director Roland Emmerich brings us Universal Soldier, the story of super-soldiers who are reanimated and sent to stop a terrorist takeover. Starring action megastars Dolph Lundgren and Jean-Claude Van Damme, Universal Soldier is heavy on action and short on plot.

Luc Deveraux (Van Damme) and Andrew Scott (Lundgren) are two soldiers during the Vietnam War who end up killing each other over a hostage dispute. Twenty-five years later, Deveraux and Scott are reanimated as UniSols, genetically enhanced soldiers who have no fear, freewill, or memories. The government sends in a squad of UniSols to stop a terrorist attack on the Hoover Dam. During the attack, Deveraux recovers some of his old memories and runs from the government with TV reporter Veronica Roberts (Ally Walker). Scott also regains his freewill and memory and takes over the UniSol program. He sends his team to find and destroy the renegade Deveraux.

Universal Soldier is a mindless action film that tries to feature some morals within it. The film fails on this level when it could have explored the cyborg’s motives and feelings instead of rushing into a straight action story. There is not much plot here: basically it is a cat-and-mouse story with unstoppable cyborgs. One of the biggest problems with Universal Soldier is the acting. Both Van Damme and Lundgren are not known for their acting skills. With other 80’s actions stars such as Stallone and Seagal, these types of films are about the fight scenes and not the acting or story.

The final fight scene between Deveraux and Scott is well choreographed and is entertaining. It is probably the true redeeming scene of the film. Other than the action climax, there is not much that makes Universal Soldier stand out as a science fiction cornerstone or a masterpiece. It is a mindless popcorn flick that features two upcoming action stars that have barely made it out of the 80’s action wave. Universal Soldier could have been a wonderful story that delves into cyborgs and freewill, but instead it cannot get about a B-level film which features a few good fight scenes.

Rating: C-


June 8, 2010

True Grit

True Grit (1969)
Paramount Pictures
Directed by Henry Hathaway
Starring John Wayne, Glen Campbell, Kim Darby

After Mattie Ross’ (Kim Darby) father is killed by an outlaw, she hires the help of drunken US Marshall Reuben “Rooster” Cogburn (John Wayne) to track down him and collect the reward. With the help of Texas Ranger La Beouf (Glen Campbell), the group must track down the outlaw Tom Chaney and avoid being killed by local gangster Lucky Ned Pepper (Robert Duvall). True Grit is based off of the novel by Charles Portis, though it differs in some aspects. The film is a well crafted, well acted revenge film that showcases John Wayne’s skills as an actor. The eye-patch wearing Rooster Cogburn is one of his most colorful and dimensional characters. There is not a whole lot going on in True Grit, but it showcases some wonderful acting a likeable characters.

Glen Campbell is well casted as La Beouf, and works well with Wayne. Darby is supposed to be a 14-year old girl, but sometimes acts younger, and at other times shows her maturity. She can be a bit annoying in some scenes. A young Robert Duvall portrays the outlaw Pepper, and though he has a small amount of screentime, brings real emotion to the part and creates a villain worth hating.

True Grit has some mixed messages within its context. One message is to seek revenge on others, no matter the cost. This is evident with Mattie Ross and her quest to track down Tom Chaney. Another message is about redemption with Rooster Cogburn. He has always been a hated, drunken Marshall and now he has the opportunity to redeem his name because of his “true grit,” which he has lost in his old age. Mattie pushes him throughout the film to save and protect her, and in the end, he regains his “grit.”

True Grit is not the greatest Western. It has mediocre sets, a basic plot, and simple contexts, but the greatest achievement of the film is the characters. Rooster Cogburn will be one of John Wayne’s finest characters, and a testament to his abilities and not just an action star, but as a serious action star.

Rating: B


June 10, 2010