tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46100635978486764902024-03-13T01:43:05.483-07:00CaliCritic's CornerKnown as CaliCriticReviews on Youtube, but here I pour out my thoughts into writing rather than speaking in front of a camera.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610063597848676490.post-4618016580411650462013-01-21T17:28:00.000-08:002013-01-22T12:59:07.669-08:00The Wire (2002-2008)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of my primary goals involving entertainment in this already fast-moving new year was to catch up on a lot of classic television shows I've never watched before. To kick off a new year also meant to start strong, and what better way to begin that journey with what many people call "the greatest television show of all-time" <i>The Wire</i>. HBO has the well-deserved reputation as the most successful and profitable premium cable network in the entertainment industry, and shows like <i>The Wire</i> are one of many examples to back up that proclamation. Thriving off brisk, gritty realism, supremely well-developed characters, and deep sociopolitical themes of a city that is far more idiosyncratic than it may seem on the outside, this is a show that demands to be seen as both a cultural and learning experience.<br />
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But before I really go in-depth with my praising thoughts on this exceptional gem of a television show, I thought I'd do this review in a different format (a format I'll also do for future "series" reviews), because writing a full review on this series would dive into an essay that would cover aspects that could get too far into spoiler territory. Instead, I'm going to lay out the framework of this show in five parts: Summary, Best Season, Best Episodes, Best Characters, and Dear Creator (A letter to the creator(s) of the show reflecting on the series). With that now out of the way, here's my "review" of HBO's <i>The Wire</i>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Summary</span><br />
Created by former <i>Baltimore Sun</i> reporter and author David Simon, <i>The Wire</i> is set in the city of Baltimore, Maryland, which the city itself is essentially the main character of the show. Each season focuses primarily on a different institution of the city. In chronological order of the shows five seasons, they are: the illegal drug trade, the seaport system, city politicians and the government, the school system, and the influence of print news media. The series features a vast, diverse ensemble cast primarily composed of character actors, who had little to no recognition for their previous performances in other work outside the show.<br />
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Initially starting out as a police procedural involving a police detail surveilling the actions of a Westside drug-dealing organization known as the Barksdale Organization, the show steadily begins to show that its really about how an American city functions on a day-to-day basis, in addition to showcasing how the dysfunctions of one institution can affect another. Several of the characters also begin to realize this as the show continues in its five-season run, and they have to accept that fact that they're held within the bounds of their given institution with little hope of rebelling against its rules that must be followed. Those who do rebel though, usually aren't as fortunate as their comrades and they're quickly put into life/death situations that could affect their future.<br />
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Without going too much further, the primary plot and character of these five seasons is the American city itself, which in this case happens to be Baltimore, Maryland. Though it may not be a glossy metropolis like New York City, Simon and his exceptional writing staff still manage to send a searing love letter to the city, something that may have inclined me enough to travel there and observe it myself.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Best Season</span><br />
When thinking hard on what I believe is the best season of <i>The Wire</i>, I reflect on the time when Ellen DeGeneres asked Emma Stone whose the better kisser between Ryan Gosling and Andrew Garfield. Stone responded by saying "Apples and oranges," followed by "I love all fruit." That same analogy can be applied to <i>The Wire</i>, because each season is on par with each other despite their main subject material varying from one another. Even though each season changes its setting on the main institution being explored, the stories that occur within these settings are equally compelling.<br />
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However to avoid being a hypocrite to this section's title, I'd have to side with Season 4 being the best one. The fourth season focuses on the continuing illegal drug trade and city politics, but the primary story is set on the inner-city school system, and that's where the sometimes tragic innocence of the shows youngest characters creates an emotional response unlike any other for the viewer. The four main "corner boys" Namond, Dukie, Randy, and Michael are some of the shows most surprisingly fleshed-out human characters, and the journey they embark on is one that had me fighting emotions of all kinds. Inner-city life in Baltimore for these four friends is portrayed in the most tragic, yet supremely realistic style, and the progression of the season establishes more instances for you to emotionally feel for how conformed these kids are to the lifestyle of the harsh neighborhood they live in.<br />
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Apart from the four boys at focus, the exploration of the inner-city middle school system is enriching in how it shares a key parallel with the other systems dissected in the show, that being how its an under-funded system that even has its most superior officials feeling bitter because of its uneven structure. On a lighter note though, the school story also allowed one of the shows most underrated characters Roland "Prez" Przbylewski to have their crowning moment(s). He becomes an 8th grade math teacher that is initially disrespected by his students that don't want to comply with both him and the material, but his past career as a police officer allows him to see through their personalities and thus gradually enact positive change in their education. That's something that <i>The Wire</i> does so well in all of its seasons, where it has a character part of an institution stuck in a major rut, but still manages to shine a light on a select group of people for the hard work they've accomplished.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Best Episodes</span><br />
Like picking out a best season of <i>The Wire</i>, it's also somewhat difficult to reply with what the greatest episodes are. Writing is the most essential component to reaching the status of an acclaimed television series, and that was something that had a constant presence in every episode of the show. Simon's writing style in the show (and on <i>Treme</i>) aims for a multi-faceted narrative composed of realistic dialogue and authentic plot devices that never feel contrived. His equally talented staff of writers included former BPD homicide detective turned teacher Edward Burns, crime novelists Dennis Lehane, Richard Price, and George Pelecanos, in addition to former colleague/television writer David Mills (R.I.P.). All of these great men contributed in some way to the best hour-long episodes of the show, and here are the ten listed that I thought were the best of the series.<br />
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10. Soft Eyes, Story by David Simon & David Mills, Teleplay by David Mills<br />
9. Game Day, Story by David Simon & Edward Burns, Teleplay by David H. Melnick & Shamit Choskey<br />
8. Bad Dreams, Story by David Simon & George Pelecanos, Teleplay by George Pelecanos<br />
7. Margin of Error, Story by David Simon & Eric Overmeyer, Teleplay by Eric Overmeyor<br />
6. The Cost, Story by David Simon & Edward Burns, Teleplay by David Simon<br />
5. Moral Midgetry, Story by David Simon & Richard Price, Teleplay by Richard Price<br />
4. Late Editions, Story by David Simon & George Pelecanos, Teleplay by George Pelecanos<br />
3. Final Grades, Story by David Simon & Edward Burns, Teleplay by David Simon<br />
2. Middle Ground, Story by David Simon & George Pelecanos, Teleplay by George Pelecanos<br />
1. -30-, Story by David Simon & Edward Burns, Teleplay by David Simon<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Best Characters</span><br />
The trend continues up to this part where it becomes hard choose what qualifies as "the best" in a show like <i>The Wire</i>, because the series is noteworthy for having so many great characters. Though I would prefer to do a 25 list so I don't feel bad for shunning out any big names, I'm going to trim my list down to 10.<br />
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10. D'Angelo Barksdale<br />
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9. Shakima "Kima" Greggs</div>
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8. Reginald "Bubbles"Cousins</div>
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7. Michael Lee </div>
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6. Cedric Daniels</div>
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5. Bunk Moreland</div>
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4. Stringer Bell</div>
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3. Lester Freamon</div>
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2. Jimmy McNulty</div>
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1. Omar Little</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Dear Creator...</span></div>
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Dear David Simon,</div>
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Before I started <i>The Wire</i>, I was already well aware of the notoriety for how underrated your acclaimed career as a reporter, author, television writer, and public speaker has been. Journalism is both a hobby and career that we share together, but now I view the field with a new point-of-view that is fare more substantial in scope and knowledge than ever before. I've seen many times how journalism can be applied to an entertainment program whether it be in a movie or television show, but you proved that it can be applied to a whole society and give off an illusion come to life that we're watching real life as it happens in the American city. Whether someone may be a drug dealer, longshoreman, politician, teacher, or journalist, you're vital aim for authenticity made all of these institutions feel equal to one another for how they're not perfect in structure, and also all show form of shared weakness for how people want the system to be improved. However, you still shine a light of hope on someone part of that institution that they could have a chance at a bright future ahead of them as long as they make the right decisions in their plan to do so. Though not everybody can achieve that feat in their life, they can still dream about it to keep their hope at a certain level that will suit them in their given emotional state.</div>
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"Dog-eat-dog" is the best way to describe not only the institutions you explore inBaltimore, but can also be applied to almost every big city in America. There is a "game" happening everywhere, whether it be rigged or "all in," and it even occurs in facets of a society that we haven't discovered yet, too. Heck even in the city I live in, Irvine, California, there could be a "game" occurring in a place where I'd least expect it. </div>
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I could go on an on about how astounding your expertise is on America as a whole, in addition to how journalism can be applied on the big screen in the most unexpected places, but most of all I'd like say thank you. Thank you for the passionate, hard work you put into this fascinating program with your exceptionally talented ensemble cast and crew, in addition to bringing together one of the greatest writing staffs in television history, all who had substantial knowledge to one or more of the institutions explored in the show. Thank you for portraying urban city life in the most realistic way possible, in addition to the journalistic spin you added to it where this form of life should be considered a much more important manner on both a national and statewide level. I will continue to follow your outstanding career by reading your books, watching the rest of your shows, in addition to the hope that you travel more around the United States for public speaking appearances and show your honest, insightful vision of the world for where it is currently at, and what can be done to amend any present problems that exist. Take care, and I wish the absolute best of luck for where you will journey with the rest of your career.</div>
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Sincerely,</div>
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Tyler Christian (CaliCritic)</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Final Grade: A+</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610063597848676490.post-80083222120667628292012-12-21T21:31:00.000-08:002012-12-22T18:33:38.796-08:00Zero Dark Thirty (2012)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Every few years in Hollywood, there is a film that defines a generation. In 2009, “The Hurt Locker” illustrated the intensity and paranoia of scouting for IEDs during the Iraq war. In 2010, “The Social Network” dramatized a new generation of youth that became consumed both positively and negatively by the rapid rise in online social networking. Now in 2012 we have “Zero Dark Thirty,” a film that recounts a ten-year period of time where America was on edge with various nations in the Middle East, and the determined confidence of a young female CIA agent that led to the conclusion of one of the greatest manhunts in world history.</span></div>
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<a name='more'></a>After opening to a blank screen with
numerous audio recordings from 9/11/01, the movie plunges into the
investigation the CIA launched into tracking down the location of Osama bin
Laden. The mission is mostly seen through the POV of Maya (Jessica Chastain), a
young hotshot agent with an abundant amount of confidence and determination to
fulfill the duty of her job. Along with the widespread help of numerous
colleagues over the ten-year span of the manhunt, it eventually climaxes in the
infamous Seal Team 6 raid of the Pakistani compound bin Laden was hiding in.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a first for me where a movie has
about as basic a summary as this one does. However though we may know how this
famous manhunt ended, it’s the events leading up to it that the vast majority
of us don’t. That is just one aspect of many impeccable pieces of beauty that put
together this perfect puzzle of a docudrama. “Zero Dark Thirty” is not only the
best movie of 2012, but also the most important one, too. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In her portrayal of Maya, Jessica Chastain
delivers her career-best performance. 2011 saw her taking flight in one of the
biggest Hollywood breakthrough actresses in some time, and this film only
propels her image to further heights. There is something so breathtaking about
the body language of her acting where she can communicate her character’s
nearly constant stressed-out mood in the most powerful way. For the fact that
an actress like Chastain can pull off a performance that’s subdued yet so
emotionally effective simultaneously, that is a feat that wins you the Oscar
for Best Actress.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Backing up Chastain is a largely talented
supporting cast comprised of Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Jennifer Ehle, Mark
Strong, Chris Pratt, and Joel Edgerton. All these actors and more deliver
extremely solid work in their performances, especially Jason Clarke and Mark
Strong. Clarke adds on an effective presence to the intensity of the film’s
interrogation scenes, while Strong displays his most reserved performance in
years after playing a wide assortment of villains in the majority of the movies
he has starred in during the past five years or so.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As far as technicality goes in this film,
it certainly doesn’t get much better than this. The cinematography contrasts
between tight, claustrophobic handheld angles in the film’s most intense
sequences, in addition to the artful overhead shots of numerous Middle East
locations that appear so lush in the scenery of their landscape. Furthermore,
the editing is perfectly constructed in terms of matching both the film’s action
and primary moods of stress and danger that the characters combat throughout.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With both “The Hurt Locker” and now this
film, screenwriter Mark Boal and director Kathryn Bigelow have become one of
the most potent filmmaking duos in Hollywood. Every minute of this film clearly
shows that these two did their homework to make this film as realistic and
accurate as possible, and the combination of Boal’s sharp construction of the
film’s events along with Bigelow’s extremely vivid attention-to-detail, it’s a
lifelong match made in cinematic heaven. Not only is Bigelow a master craftsman
at constructing the mise-en-scene of every scene, but also manages to ratchet
up the intensity of a scene in a style that not many directors can compete
with. This technique is especially rewarding during the films final thirty
minutes where the profoundly intense Seal Team 6 raid takes place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This brings me now to the Seal Team 6 raid
itself. It is severely understated to say that it is only the most intense
sequence in any movie from 2012; it is also the best. I seriously can’t
remember another instance in a theater that I squeezed the armrest of my chair
so tight from feeling so affected by the intensity of a scene. Furthermore, the
lack of a musical score during the raid being replaced by eerie background
noises and the soundtrack of bullets only adds on to the realism.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Overall, “Zero Dark Thirty” is a master
class effort in terms of technicality and overall filmmaking craftsmanship.
It’s a movie that exceptionally dramatizes a famous ten-year time period in the
history between the United States and Al Queda; it also effectively addresses
the emotions we battled, the people we lost, but ultimately concluded in all of
us sharing a soothing breath of relief. One of the most important films made in
years and also the best of 2012, “Zero Dark Thirty” is a must-see not only for
awards season, but also the amazing experience it takes you on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Final Grade: A</span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610063597848676490.post-22226256118420666012012-09-07T15:40:00.001-07:002012-09-07T15:51:03.935-07:00Revolution (Pilot)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Since the conclusion of various shows including "Jericho" and "Lost", numerous projects that followed their conclusions have tried to cash in on the post-apocalyptic genre craze set upon an ensemble of characters that live in a society of little hope and surrounding dangers at every corner. Being that the aforementioned genre has been such a popular one to toy with over the past decade, cliches and stock characters have risen to their highest peaks where the possibilities of innovation have been downgraded to their scarcest levels. However NBC has decided to take on that high risk challenge with their latest series "Revolution", created by Eric Kripke, which is also his first series since leaving showrunner duties from his breakthrough CW hit "Supernatural". Along with big name figures like J.J. Abrams and Jon Favreau who had key involvement in the pilot, does "Revolution" give off a glimmer of hope that the post-apocalyptic genre can be reignited with a fresh spark, or does it foretell its doom as yet another typical one-and-done show for NBC? Hit the jump button to find out!<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Set fifteen years after an unknown event causes all advanced technology to be permanently shut off, which ranges from electricity, car engines, computers, jet engines, batteries, and your usual Apple products. Those that survived are forced to adapt to living in a world without common technology, and government power has also collapsed, leading to warlords and militias soon ruling over numerous large scale territories. The main focus in this post-apocalyptic setting though is the Matheson family, who are in control of an item that could not only explain was caused the blackout, but also as a means of potentially reversing its effects on the world. Unfortunately, they must also avoid the members of the Militia who intend to use to the device for their own purposes.<br />
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The Matheson family is composed of former U.S. Marines Sergeant Miles (Billy Burke) and his niece Charlie (Tracy Spiridakos), who meet after Charlie's father is murdered by the Militia, in addition to her brother getting kidnapped, too. Miles initially doesn't want to assist Charlie because he knows the Militia will come after them, but he soon gives in like they all do in these types of shows. The duo are also joined by a medical doctor named Maggie (Anna Lise Phillips) and Aaron (Zak Orth), a former Google executive. Chasing after them is Militia Captain Tom Neville (Giancarlo Esposito), who is under orders by local warlord Sebastian "Bass" Monroe (David Lyons).<br />
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The science fiction post-apocalyptic genre comes with a substantial amount of perks because of the concept ideas that can be executed, and that is the main aspect that drives shows like these if they have the proper execution netted down. However, the execution of a certain idea has also been one of the genre's main faults over the past decade for those that have tried their hand in the field. In the end of its first hour as a new series, "Revolution" initially presents a cool idea but its execution quickly comes crashing down like the planes that crash once the blackout occurs.<br />
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To start with the good though, director Jon Favreau lends a very serviceable look to the series' setting with a mix of visual eye candy largely detailed locations. If there's anything that Favreau can do the best in his form of calling the shots behind the camera, it usually involves mixing together live action with CGI, and that works the best during both the first 15 minutes where the blackout occurs, and the scenes once the group of survivors reach post-apocalyptic ridden areas of downtown Chicago.<br />
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Unfortunately, only Favreau's execution of the show's look is the only redeeming aspect of "Revolution". Everything else is as problematic as most of these shows get, especially within the overall acting from its ensemble cast. All the actors in this show range from being either average to just plain bad, and the insanely melodramatic writing doesn't help them in the slightest, too. Tracy Spiridakos who plays one of the lead protagonists Charlie, is awful in her overly dramatic, sometimes too stern line delivery that quickly gets grating because of how often its utilized. Furthermore, her character somewhat comes off as a Katniss Everdeen knock-off because her weapon of choice is a crossbow. Similar to Spiridakos, Billy Burke is also terribly unconvincing as Charlie's U.S. Marines veteran uncle. His line delivery never changes from the flat tone he conveys throughout the pilot, and his attempts to emote at times are close to being cringeworthy.<br />
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The only good actor in the ensemble cast is Giancarlo Esposito, who plays the Militia soldier pursuing the family on orders from his boss. Though he's playing a caricature, he still managed to be villainous enough to hold my attention when he controlled the screen. Unfortunately when you compare Esposito to the rest of the lead actors, he's literally too good for the show's own worth. Esposito is a criminally underrated actor with a following that is continuing to increase since his television roles in "Breaking Bad" and "Once Upon a Time", but at least those two shows deserve his presence unlike "Revolution".<br />
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Though I intend on beginning "Supernatural" sometime in the future, I was very disappointed with creator Eric Kripke's execution in terms of both story and dialogue. Story elements in this pilot are rather vague and reminiscent of other shows we've seen, and his tactic of pulling twists on numerous characters gets annoying very fast. The dialogue is also quite clumsy, with lines ranging from being extremely soapy and melodramatic, to sometimes even unintentionally funny for how cheesy they are.<br />
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Overall apart from decent visuals and an interesting set-up, "Revolution" doesn't have anything else new to offer in the post-apocalyptic science fiction genre. Unless the writing and acting gets punched up over the course of its first season, it will most likely be heading down the road of NBC's one-and-done shows, which is unfortunately a path that their programming has been taking for awhile, too. I can only hope that it will get better because pilots can something be deceiving in comparison to their future episodes, but the overall quality that "Revolution" left me with isn't helping well enough for that wish to come true.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Final Grade: C-</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610063597848676490.post-4285842155105391622012-08-31T06:28:00.001-07:002012-12-21T01:31:20.693-08:00Looking Ahead: Fall Movie Preview 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As we near the end of the August in a matter of days, the fall movie season is about to be bestowed upon us. After a summer season that was full of flops and disappointments, the upcoming fall lineup is very promising as it is composed of potential Oscar contenders and highly anticipated blockbusters. Nonetheless, this year's summer movie season looks strong with what it has to offer, so I'm going to break down my Top 10 Anticipated films for the forthcoming movie season.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: small;"><u><b>Top 10</b></u></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Honorable Mentions: <i>Smashed, Silver Linings Playbook, Skyfall, The Hobbt: An Unexpected Journey, Wreck-It Ralph, Killing Them Softly, and The Sessions</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">10. <b>This is 40</b>- I've always been a big fan of Judd Apatow's work, especially his cult TV shows <i>Freaks and Geeks </i>and <i>Undeclared</i>, both which were produced years before his breakthrough success with <i>The 40 Year-Old Virgin</i>. He already has a 3-for-3 streak going with his directorial efforts (yes, even the criminally underrated <i>Funny People</i>), and this looks like he's going to succeed yet again with this semi-spinoff to his most successful directorial project <i>Knocked Up</i>. Though the trailers released have been a bit mixed in my opinion, I still have full trust in Apatow and his ensemble cast, led by Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann, that this will be one of the best dramedies at years end.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">9. <b>Lincoln</b>- Though holding a strong reputation as one of the greatest directors of all-time, Steven Spielberg hasn't a classic in his filmography since 2002's <i>Minority Report</i>. However, that will most likely change when his next feature <i>Lincoln</i> releases, which stars legendary method actor Daniel Day Lewis in the lead role as Honest Abe. It also features a strong supporting cast led by Sally Field and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Abe's family, but the reason why it's on the lower end of this list is because there hasn't been a trailer released yet. On the other hand, the set photos and promotional poster that have been released already are more than enough to ignite significant hype.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">8. <b>The Impossible</b>- True story movies are one of the most conventional forms in late year Oscar-bait, but if they're handled with proper execution and grace, they can actually prove their worth in the awards season race. Fortunately with a great trailer and an acclaimed director, <i>The Impossible </i>looks like it has a strong shot at pulling off that feat. This true story of a family that managed to stay alive and find each other - after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami is led by Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor, and is also written and directed by the duo that made the acclaimed Spanish horror film <i>The Orphanage</i>, so all is shaping up very well for once it releases.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">7. <b>Seven Psychopaths</b>- Playwright-turned-filmmaker Martin McDonagh delivered a knockout feature debut with 2008's <i>In Bruges</i>, which garnered him his first Best Original Screenplay Oscar nomination, too. Now his twisted darkly comedic sense of humor is back with <i>Seven Psychopaths</i>, a dark crime comedy with an terrific ensemble cast headlined by Colin Farrell and the very underrated Sam Rockwell. Based off the trailer, it looks like a very worthy follow-up with its dark humor and eccentric characters, so now I'm only hoping that McDonagh and crew will succeed and that it will garner him his second Original Screenplay Oscar nomination.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">6. <b>Zero Dark Thirty</b>-The death of Osama Bin Laden was a mammoth moment in American history, and it was only a matter of time until a film was announced on the Navy SEAL mission that accomplished the monumental feat. Helmed by Kathryn Bigelow, the Oscar-winning director of <i>The Hurt Locker</i> (a bit overrated by still pretty good), this has promise to be a pulse-pounding thriller from a mostly technical standpoint. Some people complain that the teaser trailer didn't show enough, but I highly admire that approach, and all I can do now is wait and see if Bigelow has the the prime potential to be the go-to-director for present-day war movies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">5. <b>Argo</b>-Ben Affleck as an actor? Mixed bag. Ben Affleck as a director? 2 for 2 so far. Affleck has delivered two great Boston-set films in a row with <i>Gone Baby Gone</i> and <i>The Town</i>, and now moves on to a new vision with <i>Argo,</i> a film based on a true story that took place in the midst of the 1979 Iranian Hostage Crisis. Both starring in the lead and directing, Affleck looks very solid in his role, and he is also backed up by a terrific supporting cast led by Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, and Alan Arkin. I'm not ready to predict potential Oscar nominations it could receive until I finally see it, but I am very excited nonetheless to see if Affleck can go 3-for-3 as director while also attempting a new kind of film, too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">4. <b>Life of Pi</b>- Allow me to admit something: I'm not a big fan of Ang Lee. Then again, that only comes from the fact that I've seen <i>Hulk</i>. On the other hand though, his newest feature <i>Life of Pi</i> has a definitive chance of me giving his filmography a full foray. Based on the acclaimed novel of the same name, the film looks like a visual masterpiece, and is also already very worthy of being shot in 3D to capture the beautiful setting of the Pacific Ocean amidst the lead character being stranded there. In addition to also seeing the film's first clip at the midnight 3D showing of <i>Prometheus</i>, my anticipation is only heightened further as people better watch out for Lee potentially securing his third Oscar nomination for Best Director.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">3. <b>Looper</b>- Writer/director Rian Johnson is one of the most underrated filmmakers of this generation, in addition to being one of the few ones to tackle on a different genre with nearly every following film. <i>Looper</i> marks his foray into science fiction territory with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis in the lead roles, which focuses on a hit-man in the future known as a "looper" who takes out his victims that are sent from the future to him. However, everything changes for him when he has to kill the future version of himself. So far the trailers have done a great job at masking the film's many secrets, and the visuals look surprisingly inventive, too. I can't remember the last time I've been this excited for a science fiction film, and hopefully <i>Looper</i> shows another spark of genius in Rian Johnson's short filmography.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">2. <b>The Master</b>- Paul Thomas Anderson is easily one of the top 3 greatest directors of the past fifteen years, and its even more impressive that he's made only 5 films during that span. His long-awaited follow-up feature to his greed masterpiece <i>There Will Be Blood</i>, focuses on a Naval veteran (Joaquin Phoenix) that becomes involved in a fictional religion called "The Cause", and becomes a prominent sign of attention to the leader (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Anderson hasn't made one bad film in his career, and the trailer alone is already carrying the signature epic scope he lends to just about all of his films. I can already predict that Anderson's got another great film in his filmography, but the biggest question remains on how much of an Oscar contender it can be. I just hope that it'll be as strong as I imagine.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">1. <b>Django Unchained</b>- <i>Pulp Fiction</i> was the film that turned me into the die-hard film buff I am today, and it also led to Quentin Tarantino becoming my leading mentor to become a filmmaker in the future. Tarantino has always professed his love for the spaghetti western genre, and it was only a matter of time until he brought that subgenre to the big screen with his own unique vision. With a Grade-A ensemble led by Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, and Leonardo DiCaprio, I can't see anything going wrong with this film. In Tarantino I trust.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">So those are the main films I'm looking forward to the most later this year, and be sure to leave your choices in the comments below. As we all toast to the end of yet another summer, it's time to raise our glasses to a fall season ripe of awards contenders and blockbusters of numerous kinds!</span><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610063597848676490.post-41963936795396189122012-08-28T15:18:00.000-07:002012-08-28T15:18:52.745-07:00Premium Rush (2012)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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January and August. What do both of the those months have in common with each other? Well for starters, you can easily take similar climate out of the equation. However, something that these two months do share is releasing movies that are mostly either mediocre or just plain bad. "Premium Rush" fits that example since it was a film that was originally set to release in the second week of January way earlier this year, but then got pushed to the second-to-last week of August. Now that right there folks, is definitely not the wisest of moves to glimmer any hope that a film would be good. So does "Premium Rush" prove that decision wrong, or does it highlight why the two aforementioned months are known to release relished within mediocrity and sometimes more? Hit the jump button to find out!<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Wilee (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is an adrenaline-seeking bicycle messenger that works in New York City. The main reason he loves the job is because he doesn't like to wear suits. I'm not kidding around, that is his definitive reason why. One day during a normal day on a job, he receives a delivery to pick up from a friend of his ex-girlfriend's that must be delivered to the given location in 90 minutes or less. However the envelope picks up the attention of corrupt NYPD detective Bobby Monday (Michael Shannon), who intends to use its contents to pay off a harsh debt he's stuck in. Once Wilee confronts Bobby, a chase ensues between the two for who can keep control over the envelope, and it soon attracts the attention of many more people across the Big Apple, too.<br />
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Joseph Gordon-Levitt is one of the best young actors working today in Hollywood, and that is mostly due to his role commitment and charisma he exhibits onscreen with the rest of the actors he interacts with. Even working with material that's as absurd and mainstream-oriented a film like "Premium Rush" can get, he still carries this film to a respectable degree. Not many actors give full commitment to every role they take on in their career, but Gordon-Levitt still manages to churn in that effect for each film he stars in.<br />
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Michael Shannon on the other hand though, is extremely over-the-top as the film's villain. His character's personality is very cartoonish at times, especially in the situations where he spouts random, cheesy one-liners, or overreacts to something that doesn't go his way. Shannon is still a very accomplished actor in this generation, and I respect him for embracing the absurd nature of his character to the fullest degree. However, there were numerous instances where I believe that went a little too overboard with his line delivery, though.<br />
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Apart from Gordon-Levitt and Shannon, the supporting casts' performances range from being either profoundly stereotypical to plain atrocious. Dania Ramirez is exceedingly bland as Wilee's ex-girlfriend whose also a bike messenger, but Jamie Chung on the other hand is appallingly awful. Chung's line delivery is so flat and hollow to a point that it was almost like she was taking depressives before each take. To an even worse degree, she has only one facial expression the entire film where she appears sad no matter what the situation's tone would be.<br />
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Apart from the two lead performances, the only other redeeming aspect of this film are the bicycling sequences. The have an energetic feel to them where the speed is very quick at times, and that is mostly thanks to the stylish camerawork by cinematographer Mitchell Amundsen. Furthermore, some of them have a slick visual kick where Gordon-Levitt's character envisions various paths he could take when he's in a tight pickle, whether they would work or not in their final outcome.<br />
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Co-writer/director David Koepp is one of the commercially successful screenwriters of the past twenty years, but his overall track record from a critical standpoint is very mixed. Koepp is highly capable of constructing unique stories with colorful characters, but his execution in terms of dialogue has always been inconsistent. That flaw is clearly evident yet again in this film where the dialogue ranges from being lazy to corny throughout. Additionally, that flaw also doesn't do enough to mask how poorly structured the film's story is since it shifts from real-time to flashback so much in the second and third acts.<br />
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On the other hand though, Koepp is beginning to show more promise lately as a director more than a screenwriter. He chooses to film the movie's action sequences with zero instances of shaky cam, and his visual style also packs a slight punch in GPS map sequences that connect character locations together at a given time, too. Essentially, Koepp is a filmmaker of a similar grade to likes of M. Night Shyamalan, where he shows promise as a good director but must strip his writing skills and leave it to professionals whose credits are more highly acclaimed.<br />
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Despite a satisfyingly entertaining first thirty minutes, "Premium Rush" gradually devolves into an inconsistent mess due to its wildly inconsistent writing and poor supporting cast performances. Gordon-Levitt and Shannon give it their best, but even they deserve better with this disappointment. Even if you're a fan of these two great actors, you're better off just renting this film in the future because it is as forgettable as most late August theatrical releases are.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Final Grade: C-</span><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610063597848676490.post-75798146616933225542012-08-22T13:06:00.001-07:002012-08-22T14:29:33.449-07:00Side by Side (2012)<div style="text-align: center;">
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One of the most hotly debated topics in Hollywood over the past decade is the debate on which film celluloid is becoming more of an endangered means of shooting movies on, and is now giving way to a digital technological takeover. As a fellow enthusiast of cinema, this is a topic that I have cared about to a passionate degree. Even the topic of my final essay as a college freshman dealt mostly with the controversial debate circling both the future and overall consensus of the two. To sum up this popular debate, actor Keanu Reeves and director Christopher Kenneally set out on a journey to provide an insightful and historical account on the transition of film to digital by interviewing various Hollywood directors, cinematographers, editors, film students, and many more to gain their opinions on the digital evolution and how it has affected both them and the film industry as a whole.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>First let me start off by saying that I don't lean more on side than the other in this debate. I show great admiration for both film stock and digital filmmaking, but I stand more in the middle of the spectrum. I love film stock because it provides more creative control of images expressed on screen for both the DP and director, but I will admit that it's tougher to combat both during and after the filming process. Digital though on the other hand, is much easier to utilize because it allows you to both conduct longer daily shooting schedules and be able to see your shot immediately while its happening in front of you. However, its main shortcoming is that it robs the DP and director of the creative control over the image once its moved into post-production. Thus, I'm pretty sure that thesis provides an overall consensus for how I don't stand for one side more than other, but it's still a topic that I'm always up to the challenge of both analyzing and discussing.<br />
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Actor Keanu Reeves is this documentary's main tour guide as he serves as producer, narrator, and interviewer for the course of the film. His main job film is mostly composed of interviewing famous Hollywood directors, editors, cinematographers, and VFX artists on their own personal viewpoints of a key topic explored at a certain part of the film, but also narrates numerous visual sequences that show how a film camera functions in comparison to a digital one. Some of the interviewees include famous Hollywood directors which include Martin Scorsese, David Fincher, David Lynch, Steven Soderbergh, George Lucas, and Danny Boyle to name just a few. Also interspersed with their passionate personal opinions are ones with longtime Hollywood cinematographers and editors, some who have worked in their field for nearly five decades at the most. All of these aspects build up throughout the course of the film where opinions become more hotly contested, and thus soon culminates in everyone stating where they think cinema currently stands now in the present day.<br />
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Though I've never been the biggest fan of Keanu Reeves' acting, he surprisingly carries this movie to a very respectable degree. He exhibits superb interviewing skills when discussing various film topics with the people he converses with, and even isn't afraid to tap into their own careers to tie in further analytical layers into their opinions. His narration is also serviceable to a commendable degree, because his delivery is both informative and fluid to where he breaks down every single detail of the photography technique being explored.<br />
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However as strong as Reeves is in his multiple jobs throughout the film, the interviews are the definite high point. Whether it be David Lynch discussing why he's finished making movies in this current technological generation, or George Lucas professing his passion for digital filmmaking, they're all entertaining in their own unique ways, and even very funny at times from the unexpected shock value of something one of the interviewees would say. My personal favorite though was David Fincher, because while he admits he stands much more for the digital camera evolution, he still managed to show enough admiration for film stock to acknowledge a mildly positive enough viewpoint on that endangered means of filmmaking.<br />
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A flaw that usually comes from numerous documentaries of this current age of cinema is that they're too overly biased on one side of the debate than the other. Thankfully, director Christopher Kenneally manages to avoid that fatal misstep by instead providing a thoughtful consensus of split opinions on the topic, and they all culminate into a thorough balance where neither side is favored more than the other. Any time that the movie starts to slightly lean on support of either the film or digital era, it's quickly contradicted by a transition to a new topic that follows the same structure.<br />
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Overall apart from pacing that's a little slow in the middle act, "Side by Side" is an absorbing, entertaining, and sometimes quite educative documentary on the current transition in Hollywood from film to digital. To where it comes to the point where Keanu Reeves will retire from acting, he's got a great future ahead of him as an interviewer, too. For those who are either film enthusiasts, critics, authors, or students studying the fine art, "Side by Side" is a must-watch for all of those who belong to one of those categories, because it's easily one of the most polished, entertaining documentaries that explores film in some time.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Final Grade: A-</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610063597848676490.post-28628344244397993882012-08-21T08:53:00.003-07:002012-12-16T21:06:39.254-08:00Commando (1985)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In the wake of the recent release for "The Expendables 2," I decided to have all of you vote on several choices of cult classic action movies for me to review. And in the end, the winner was the infamously over-the-top Arnold Schwarzenegger 80s action flick "Commando." After making his American acting debut in "Conan the Barbarian" and "The Terminator," Schwarzenegger established himself as a very promising star in the action department. His acting skills were nothing amazing, but his strong physical build and exquisite line delivery for puns set him apart from most action stars of the 80s decade. However out of all the action movies he starred in during the 1980s, none of them stand alongside the ridiculously over-the-top, yet awesomely bad "Commando." If you're a Schwarzenegger fan that hasn't seen this film yet, you're essentially not a true fan until you sit down and view it for the first time.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Colonel John Matrix (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is an elite retired Army Black Ops that has devoted the rest of his life to laying low and raising his daughter Jenny (Alyssa Milano). However, his former superior Major General Kirby (James Olson) informs him that the members of his old team have been killed at the hands of shady mercenaries. Matrix's home is soon ambushed by the mercenaries, and his daughter is kidnapped in the process. Once the mercenaries pin down Matrix, they soon explain to him that he needs to carry out a political assassination for a former South American dictator named Arius (Dan Hedaya), because his power was overthrown when Matrix led a staged revolution against his leadership. If Matrix doesn't carry out the specified job, his daughter will die at the hands of Arius' lead mercenary Bennett (Vernon Wells), who was also a former member of Matrix's team. Fortunately though, Matrix escapes the clutches of Arius' henchmen, and ends up unleashing a one man war against them.<br />
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Arnold Schwarzenegger is as badass as he'll ever be in the role of John Matrix. Not only is he shaped physically like a military tank, but he can also deliver an awesomely hilarious line before he kicks someone's ass, too. One of the best examples being "I eat Green Berets for breakfast," when he goes hand to hand with Bill Duke's villain named Cooke. Furthermore when the film reaches its pinnacle climax, he kills over 60 people once the fighting and shooting finally stops. If that's not enough to convince you of how unbelievably awesome Schwarzenegger is in this film, I don't know of any other way to convince you.<br />
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Acting wise in the supporting cast, they range from being decent to just plain bad. Dan Hedaya is average at best as Arius, but that's also because he's in probably five scenes at the very mos throughout the film. However, his character is mostly used as a device for Arnold to fight Vernon Wells at the end too, so technically I can't blame him too much for that. Arius' henchmen on the other hand are portrayed by Vernon Wells, Bill Duke, David Patrick Kelly, and Charles Meschack. Out of the four of them, only Wells and Duke manage to really entertain at a certain degree. Wells has a menacing presence on screen, and its serviceable enough for the film's worth, while Duke on the other hand is great in his fight against Arnie's character.<br />
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Rae Dawn Chong as Matrix's damsel in distress named Cindy though, is just awful. Though she does improve towards the end of the film, her buildup carrying off from her character's entrance up until that aforementioned point had me cringing from how bad her acting was. However this is also based off the very lazy writing at times too, but the combination of the two makes for instances where you just want to either facepalm or cover your ears from how annoying and repetitive it gets.<br />
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With all of the problems and 80s movie cliches this film has, the action sequences are what truly make this film worth watching multiple times. Ranging from a fight in the middle of a busy mall to the ridiculously awesome climax for the film's final twenty minutes, the filmmakers show superb self-awareness of acknowledging how ridiculous the sequences are. Seeing Schwarzenegger swing down through a mall like Tarzan, in addition to giving new meaning to the term "dropped call" are awesome enough, but him taking on an entire army at the end is as entertaining as it can get. Sure at times there are technical goofs galore in the midst of the action, but that only adds on to the 80s movie vibe you already get from the film.<br />
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Overall, "Commando" is one of the most awesomely bad action movies ever made, and also clearly defines the phrase of "don't ask how or why, just enjoy." Thanks to Arnold Schwarzenegger's badass, intentionally over-the-top performance as Matrix, in addition to the ridiculously entertaining action sequences, this is a huge treat for both the die-hard action fans and those who are fond of cheesy 80s entertainment.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Final Grade: B</span><br />
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P.S.: Be sure to click the following link below to vote in the next viewer-voted review poll<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/questions/444113325634088/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/questions/444113325634088/</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610063597848676490.post-86477082616211514472012-08-18T08:48:00.000-07:002012-08-19T17:51:28.202-07:00The Expendables 2 (2012)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When it was first announced, who really thought that a sequel to "The Expendables" was needed in the first place? The insanely hyped 2010 first installment was of the most disappointing action movies ever made, and it was a true shame because it had all the necessary stars, but the film itself was executed so poorly. Suffering from choppily shot and edited action scenes, dodgy CGI, in addition to taking itself too seriously, it was one of those few movies that I was so disappointed with I initially didn't want to admit it. Fortunately though, I got some hope for the sequel when Sylvester Stallone vacated the director's chair to Simon West, in addition to more acclaimed action legends being added to the star-studded cast of manliness and testosterone. In the end, does "The Expendables 2" live up to what the first film should've been, or did Sy and the crew still not learn from the many mistakes made in the first one? Hit the jump button to find out!</div>
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The film kicks off with a 10-minute opening action sequence where the Expendables rescue a kidnapped Chinese businessman in a desolate village in Nepal. The team is led by Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone), and is rounded out by ex-SAS solider and knife specialist Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), hand-to-hand combat specialist Yin Yang (Jet Li), weapons specialist/AA-12 demolisher Hale Caesar (Terry Crews), demolitions expert Toll Road (Randy Couture), and snipers Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren) and Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth), the newest and youngest member who recently served his last tour of duty in Afghanistan. The team takes what seems to be a simple mission of securing a lost safe in Albania from Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) with the assistance of Maggie (Yu Nan), but it leads to one of their own men getting killed on the job at the hands of the villainous Jean Vilain (Jean-Claude Van Damme) and his right-hand man Hector. Vilain takes the safe that turns out to be a coordinate location for multiple tons of plutonium that he intends to sell for...well it's never stated why, but come on who really cares about the plot for a film like this? Essentially, this leads to the Expendables swearing vengeance against Vilain and his army along with the help of old friends Booker (Chuck Norris) and Trench (Arnold Schwarzenegger). In all seriousness though, taking the plot for a film like "The Expendables 2" in an ideal manner is similar to watching an episode of "The A-Team"; don't try to connect things to the true reality of the situation, and simply enjoy it for what it is as a big, dumb action-fest chock full of smart subject material self-awareness and cheesy one-liners galore.<br />
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In comparison to its predecessor, "The Expendables 2" vastly outshines above it and steals the spotlight entirely, too. From the opening action sequence alone, it already surpasses the entertainment level that the first one served for its entire run time. All that I could ask for from a film of this craft is to just be aware of what its trying to be, and then deliver in all the explosions, gunplay, martial arts, and video game-esque dead body counts there are. And by golly once you lay out all those goodies on the table, your numerous cravings should certainly be satisfied to the maximum once the end credits roll.<br />
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Sylvester Stallone and his testosterone-fueled cast are all solid in their roles even if some of them are very rusted in the acting department. Thankfully however, that flaw doesn't even matter too much because they're all aware that the sole purpose for why they're doing this film, and that is to kick copious amounts of ass, in addition to quipping cheesy, sometimes very meta one liners, too. In action movie terms, I simply call that "Nothin' but a good time." Some of the standouts though, range from a surprisingly decent turn by Liam Hemsworth, in addition to ridiculously entertaining extended cameos by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Chuck Norris. If you don't laugh at least 10 times from the combination of one liners by these two action legends, I have no idea what to tell you then.<br />
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The only disappointment in the cast though, was a similar problem I had with the first film, too. Jet Li appears in the first big action sequence that immediately kicks off the movie on a high note, and he gets one big set piece to himself in the midst of all the action already happening where he gets to use his decades of martial arts experience on about ten bad guys at once. However around the 20-minute mark, his character just disappears and never comes back. <br />
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Director Simon West replaces Sylvester Stallone in the place of calling the shots, and he surprisingly executes a far superior handling of the subject material than Stallone did in the original. I still haven't seen his cult classic debut "Con Air" yet, but West shows that he has a keen eye for filming action sequneces, as he mostly forgoes the handheld camera approach that Stallone lend for the original and instead leans more towards utilizing still camera placements and steadicam shots. It still surprises me that as mixed as a career West has had in the action genre, he still manages to show that he has the self-awareness of the genre's conventions. Gee, I wonder why he couldn't do that when he helmed the remake of "The Mechanic" though.<br />
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A film of this craft though is especially flawed, but even that's something that shouldn't really be taken into account. Is it absurdly ridiculous at times? Yes. Does Schwarzenegger go overboard with the puns again? Yes. However, does the film know that that it is all that and more? Yes. That's why all of it is okay. The film itself knows to take it in a slightly serious direction to set up a general purpose for why everything happens, but that's about as "real" as it gets.<br />
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Overall, "The Expendables 2" is everything and more that I wanted first installment of "The Expendables" to be. Now with names like Nicolas Cage, Harrison Ford, Clint Eastwood, and Wesley Snipes being sought after for a potential third installment, sign me up if it could turn out like this version does. With the combination of well choreographed action sequences, self-aware direction by Simon West, and a cast that understands the material just as well as the director does, "The Expendables 2" is yet another late summer surprise that entertains on almost all levels, and is sure to be cherished by the biggest action movie fanboys.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Final Grade: B+</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610063597848676490.post-28865246166866507882012-08-17T13:52:00.000-07:002012-08-17T17:16:39.047-07:00ParaNorman (2012)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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2009 was the last year that experienced a huge mainstream resurgence in the stop-motion animation field. Now it feels like it has ignited this spawn to occur where three films of the aforementioned craft release every third year after it happened. "The Pirates! Band of Misfits" was the first of the three stop-motion animated films to release this year, which was a pleasant adventure but still a tad disappointing when comparing it to Aardman Animations' past credits. Second in the lineup is "ParaNorman," the LAIKA sophomore follow-up to their 2009 sleeper hit "Coraline." Proclaimed by its co-director Sam Fell as "John Carpenter-meets-John Hughes," does "ParaNorman" live up to that bold summary, or does it tarnish the potential good streak that stop-motion animated films have had this year so far? Hit the jump button to find out!<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Norman Babcock (voice of Kodi Smit-McPhee) is a young social outcast in the sleepy New England town of Blithe Hollow. The reason why Norman is an outcast is because he has the ability to talk to the supernatural forces that nobody else in the city can see. His remarkable ability though has been the target of near constant scorn from the fellow students at his school, the majority of the local townspeople, and even his own father and older sister. Approached by the fact that he's the new protector of his town's centuries-old witch's curse, he along with the most unlikely team must stop the curse from coming true, or it will mean the imminent destruction of the small town.<br />
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The voice acting for the most part is commendable, with breakthrough teen actor Kodi Smit-McPhee headlining an A-List composed of Tucker Albrizzi, Anna Kendrick, Casey Affleck, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Leslie Mann, and Jeff Garlin. Smit-McPhee lends a sorrowful innocent tone to Norman, which works to a solid effect because that is about the perfect way to describe the character itself. However, I'm still hoping that he doesn't get typecasted in this role for the future years of his career, because he's technically already played that aforementioned role in "The Road" and "Let Me In." Don't get me wrong though, because he plays this kind of role better than almost every teen actor out there today, but I just want to see him broaden his range a little bit.<br />
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As for the rest of the big names in the voice cast, Tucker Albrizzi, Anna Kendrick, and Casey Affleck definitely stand out with the vocal style they lend to their characters. Albrizzi is full of optimistic pep and awkwardness in the role of Norman's friend Neil, who is the main comic relief for the majority of the film. Kendrick walks a fine line of voicing Norman's older sister whose personality is a cleverly satirical reminiscing of the way most girls her age act today in this generation. Finally, Affleck is quite hilarious as Neil's older brother that is a jock full of stoic and laid back qualities.<br />
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Alongside with co-director assistance from veteran stop-motion filmmaker Sam Fell, Chris Butler knocks out a solid debut into the wondrous field. His script is packed full of clever nods to classic horror movies that mostly include "Halloween," "Friday the 13th," and "Night of the Living Dead," but also constructs satirical pokes to the genre's conventions, especially in an immensely entertaining 70s horror movie-esque opening scene. Butler also isn't afraid to make the humor adult-centric, and that is gradually shown more as the film progresses, even if it loses that effect just a tad in the third act.<br />
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The stop-motion animation is expectedly breathtaking throughout, composed mostly of extremely detailed character designs and surprisingly vast landscapes for the film's small town setting. Once the witch's curse awakening occurs at around the 30-minute mark of the film, it opens the door for numerous sequences that require a keen eye for attention at where to precisely move the character for the next shot after another. Some people still may not recognize and acknowledge the tiresome, yet fully committed art of stop-motion animation in comparison to the traditional mainstream varieties used today, but it deservedly should earn enough immense respect for still existing in this current age of cinema.<br />
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As for any flaws in this film, they range from the tone abruptly shifting in a few certain scenes, in addition to the slightly overlong climax. While the film does maintain a respectable balance of various comedy techniques in addition to the creepy atmosphere, there are certain points during the film where a creepy scene would abruptly cut to a quick comedy punchline in another setting. The technique works to a decent effect the first few times, but it still left me with a pondering feeling that they could've stretched along one scene a bit longer than the other. Finally, the climax while being entertaining and also sweetly lighthearted, its overall length felt a tad drawn out where 5-10 minutes at the most could've been cut out to avert that nitpick from happening. <br />
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While it falls just shy of eclipsing LAIKA's glorious 2009 stop-motion feature debut "Coraline," "ParaNorman" is still an supremely entertaining and visually stunning follow-up film that avoids the studio succumbing to a sophomore slump. Filled with a great voice cast, amazing attention-to-detail in the stop-motion animation, and a mostly consistent tone that combines the likes of John Carpenter and 1980s Amblin Entertainment features, "ParaNorman" is a feast to the eyes for the most die-hard stop-motion fans, in addition to both kids and adults alike, too.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Final Grade: A-</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610063597848676490.post-14402432748689626372012-06-29T23:01:00.000-07:002012-08-15T06:19:46.297-07:00Magic Mike (2012)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The job of both male and female stripping has been an occupation that hasn't had sufficient exploration or showcasing on the big screen. And yes, I'm even saying that in the context with correlation to the fact that the infamous film "Showgirls" happened nearly twenty years ago. However now, both the nature and lifestyle of male stripping has finally been brought to the mainstream big screen with Steven Soderbergh's latest film "Magic Mike," which itself is partly based off of lead star Channing Tatum's experiences as a stripper in Tampa, Florida during his late teenage years. Tatum's acting has gradually impressed me as the year has progressed, so he along with the rest of the cast and crew had a considerable amount of hype built up to see if a movie about male strippers can appeal to the various cinema-going crowds of this generation. Did it at least live up to my expectations? Hit the jump to find out if it did!<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Michael "Magic Mike" Lane (Channing Tatum) is living the high life as a male stripper for the Xquisite Strip Club, which is owned by charismatic former male stripper Dallas (Matthew McConaughey). He has access to the best parties in town, can pick up just about any girl he wants, and makes a decent amount of money for his moves on stage. However, Mike is using his job as the main gateway to achieve a separate goal of opening his own furniture business. During the period of one summer, he recruits a 19 year-old named Adam (Alex Pettyfer), and gradually teaches him the trade of becoming one of the best new male strippers of the group at the club. This recruitment soon leads to an encounter with Adam's sister Brooke (Cody Horn), which leads to Mike attempting to sort out his life for which direction he should choose to embark on for the long-term path.<br />
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Years ago, I was one of potentially thousands of people that were haters of Channing Tatum, because he could never show his potential as a serious actor. Surprisingly though, this year has produced several instances where his acting has actually broadened to new ranges I could've never imagined him conquering at some point in his career. Whether it was playing low-key subtlety in Soderbergh's previous film "Haywire," or showing his surprising comedic chops with Jonah Hill in "21 Jump Street," Tatum has proven that he's achieved both the acting talent and on-screen charisma to be one of the better young actors in Hollywood today. And in the title role, Tatum delivers the best performance of his acting career so far. Not only is he brilliant in the scenes where he performs his stripping routines, but his portrayal of the character off the stage is extremely profound in a very human, realistic sense. There are even several scenes in the film that he gets to show off his improved dramatic line delivery, and those specific scenes show how far he has come in his acting so far during the first half of this year.<br />
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Playing the character loosely based off Tatum's former 19 year-old self is Alex Pettyfer, who likewise to Tatum's early acting gigs hadn't impressed me too much with his debut roles in films like "I Am Number Four" and "Beastly." Fortunately though, his performance surpassed my low expectations, as he reminded me of Mark Wahlberg's role in "Boogie Nights," which did a great job at portraying the innocent nature of a pre-adult person who's introduced to certain exotic pleasures at an instance that is beyond premature for his own being. Nonetheless, I'm surprisingly looking forward to what Pettyfer does in his future acting endeavors, because he seems to act well given a good director like Soderbergh.<br />
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Backing up Tatum, Pettyfer, and the rest of the male stripper supporting cast, Matthew McConaughey steals nearly every scene he's in as Dallas, the owner of the Xquisite Strip Club. He expresses powerful, energetic charisma on screen, and looks like he's having an absolute blast playing this charming, comedic mentor that's easily one of the best roles he's played. The rest of the male strippers are played by familiar faces such as Matthew Bomer and "True Blood's" Joe Manganiello, who also do a solid job in their roles, despite the fact that their characters are given nowhere as much screen time as the leads are.<br />
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Director Steven Soderbergh is one of the best working directors today in Hollywood, and he proves that he deserves to hold reign over that pristine position yet again. He treats the subject of male stripping in a approach that is neither glorified or flamboyant, and instead paints in a surprisingly realistic approach that manages to appeal to both genders. Furthermore, his expert charisma with his ensemble cast pays off with great performances as usual, and this is especially evident where he's able to bring out realistic human qualities within his characters, too. In addition, Soderbergh's low-key cinematography shines yet again, as he combines his usual solid still shots with numerous instances of long take sequences that show surprising amounts of detail in both the scene's main focus and background.<br />
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Screenwriter Reid Carolin balances a solid amount of human drama and genuinecomedy for the cast of exquisite characters, and the dialogue he writes for them feels very real and genuine given the lifestyles they follow, too. In addition, he builds up the film's transition to darker territories considerably well, and it's easy to theorize that Paul Thomas Anderson's "Boogie Nights" had a huge influence on several key plot points that follow in that transition. The only thing that I wished that Carolin would've toned down though, is the amount of times certain characters drop the F-bomb throughout the film. It's arguable that people could say that it adds on to the emotional struggles the characters are going through, but the aspect itself starts going into Kevin Smith territory from how many times you hear it.<br />
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While certainly not being the most overall appealing film to release this summer, "Magic Mike" surprisingly manages to be a commendable change of pace from a summer that's been mostly composed of numerous blockbusters being devoid of consistent entertainment. The terrific ensemble acting and Soderbergh's familiar independent flair shine the most in this mostly engrossing tale that takes an interesting look at the behind the scenes of the male stripper lifestyle. It's certainly not going to be the most appeasing film for general film audiences this summer, but it certainly deserves a view from both fans of Soderbergh and the very talented actors.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Final Grade: B+</span><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610063597848676490.post-51405028604970328222012-06-27T00:33:00.000-07:002012-06-28T09:03:08.148-07:00Ted (2012)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Seth MacFarlane has firmly established himself as a definitive comedy magnate in today's entertainment industry, as he is mostly known as the creator of the hit animated comedy series "Family Guy," "American Dad," and the "Family Guy" spin-off "The Cleveland Show." Through the creation of those shows, MacFarlane has had a progressive period of time to increase his profound talent in voice acting, which of course comes from the fact that he voices numerous characters in each of those three aforementioned shows. However, MacFarlane has now made the expected transition to adding the job of feature film director to his extensive resume, as he debuts his infamous comedy brand to the mainstream movie crowds with "Ted." Is the long-awaited hype worthy of being approved by his substantially prodigious fanbase, or does it fall flat like an episode from the past few seasons of "Family Guy?" Hit the jump to find out!<br />
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<a name='more'></a>John Bennett was at first a lonely boy in a small town outside Boston, but everything in his life changed for him when he receives a stuffed teddy bear for Christmas from his parents. He ends up wishing the bear could come to life, and his dream becomes a reality the very next day. Fast forward to 27 years later where the now-adult slacker John (Mark Wahlberg) is still best friends with Ted (voiced by Seth MacFarlane) who has now evolved into a walking, talking, crude, foul-mouthed, drug-addicted bear who got consumed by the fame when his anthropomorphic qualities were widely introduced to the public years ago. However, Ted is managing to be a near constant interference between John and his girlfriend of four years Lori (Mila Kunis). Lori has had enough of Ted's presence in both of their lives, and wants Ted to move on with his own life so John can finally mature into adulthood.<br />
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I've always been a fan of Mark Wahlberg as an actor, and here he gets to show his talent in a new way that we've never seen him conduct before. He has a solid line delivery that is reminiscent of his performance in "The Other Guys," and his banter with Kunis and MacFarlane is consistently entertaining. However, Wahlberg gets further props for his performance, because he has to act out numerous scenes where the character Ted would later be animated into the scene during post-production. Conducting that kind of acting isn't as easy as it may look, and Wahlberg manages to make it quite believable.<br />
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Mila Kunis on the other hand is serviceable as John's longtime girlfriend Lori, because she's essentially there to do reaction shots to just about everything her character encounters. Despite being stuck with that minimal amount of work, Kunis' background in comedy more than makes up for the severely underwritten character she's stuck with playing. <br />
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Seth MacFarlane though, predictably steals the entire movie voicing Ted. Through the process of watching several featurettes for the film, I quickly realized how complex and unique MacFarlane's performance was, as it dealt with the combination of both the motion capture of Ted's body movements, in addition to the voicing of a character that comes off as Peter Griffin if he were a Bostonian. "Family Guy" fans will easily get a kick out of the character Ted, but the naysayers of MacFarlane's voice acting style certainly won't have their opinions change in a drastic manner.<br />
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As director and co-writer, MacFarlane nets down a solid debut within the core aspect that this film has going for it, which is of course the fast-paced comedy. In terms of writing, the humor is very familiar to the brand of "Family Guy," which is comprised of countless pop culture references, crude dialogue, moments of raunch, and racial stereotypes. As a person who is much more fonder of the humor in the earlier seasons of "Family Guy," MacFarlane and his co-writers manage to form a surprisingly stellar combination of those numerous humor aspects. I found myself laughing consistently throughout the film's 106-minute running time, and even laughing out loud at two separate sequences that take place at a house party and hotel room. <br />
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Furthermore, the score by Walter Murphy is bound to please the fans of both "Family Guy" and classic Steven Spielberg films of the late 70s to early 80s. Most of the scene transitions are usually intercut with a steady jazz flow that is heavily reminiscent of the music used for both the introduction and transitions in a "Family Guy" episode. However as the movie progresses, later scenes are backed up by vibrant score pieces that contain pleasantly nostalgic homages to the work of the great John Williams, specifically the music he composed for Steven Spielberg's most well known films including "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "E.T."<br />
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However as funny as "Ted" is, it didn't completely resonate with me because of several flaws. First off, there are the expected small amount of jokes that didn't completely hit the right chord of hilarity I expected them to, most notably the "Thunder Buddies" song. I'm sorry, but I never saw what was so funny in saying "F*ck you thunder, you can suck my dick," because it's really just too childish for my taste. In addition, MacFarlane's direction is notably stilted in the last act where he realizes that he has to wrap up the story. This got to a point where the comedy wasn't as existent in comparison to the previous acts, and it's also where this genre's cliches began to pile upon one another. On the other hand, the film's huge amount of funny scenes were able to more than make up the slippery slopes the last act takes on.<br />
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Compared to the other hit comedies that have released so far this year like "21 Jump Street" and "American Reunion," "Ted" manages to rise up to the occasion and stand alongside those two films as the best ones to release so far this year. If you've never grown accustomed to Seth MacFarlane's brand of exquisite humor, then there's little to no hope that this film is going to alter your perception of it. However for those of you who are a fan of some various form of his extensive comedy career, then I'm certain not many of you will be disappointed in the slightest with his foray into live-action feature filmmaking. One of the funniest movies I've seen in several years, "Ted" is a hilarious, crude, and all-around fun comedic adventure filled with surprise cameos and past decades nostalgia galore!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Final Grade: B+</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Review of "Ted" on Youtube </span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610063597848676490.post-5784709854435483582012-04-28T20:53:00.002-07:002012-06-22T09:34:41.053-07:00Safe (2012)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.upcoming-movies.com/ashx/WFTCRMImageFetch.aspx?DType=ArticleImage%26ImageType=ArticleImg%26PhotoName=5581c3b5-c15e-4be3-9c9b-30eddff7a526.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="http://www.upcoming-movies.com/ashx/WFTCRMImageFetch.aspx?DType=ArticleImage%26ImageType=ArticleImg%26PhotoName=5581c3b5-c15e-4be3-9c9b-30eddff7a526.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Since "The Transporter" franchise kicked off by releasing in 2002, Jason Statham has been heavily typecasted in lead roles for action movies as the obligatory "macho man who kicks ass." Since the typecasting began, he's had a fair share of success with the "Crank" franchise, but hasn't found that same acclaim with any other film he's done besides those two aforementioned franchise. However we now have "Safe," which from the trailers just looked like "Jason Statham with his fists and guns Part 39." Surprisingly though, "Safe" is actually one of the much better action showcases for Statham, and it brings me one step closer to forgiving him for his latest duds such as "The Mechanic" and "Killer Elite."<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Luke Wright (Jason Statham) is a down-on-his-luck ex-cage fighter who also use to be an infamous NYC cop, too. Additionally, anything that was precious to him in his life had been taken away from him by the Russian mobsters. That's until he encounters a young girl named Mei, who has a remarkable ability at memorizing numbers at such a rapid rate. However, her infamous trait tracks the attention of Triads, the Russian mob, and corrupt NYC cops who want her latest set of memorized numbers that are codes for a safe containing millions of dollars. To keep Mei from getting killed, Luke becomes her bodyguard and what ensues is a fast-paced thrill ride riddled full of bullets and martial arts action galore.<br />
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Jason Statham fits his character to the respectable degree you'd believe him to fulfill, because he's always aware that his sole purpose in roles like these is to deliver on the action. However, I tend to perceive Statham as a good actor in a self-aware essence, which as I said is mostly due to how he nets down both the action and definite acting capabilities for an actor of that core. Furthermore, the film's many fast-paced action sequences enhance his performance to a greater degree where he gets to show off his widely regarded skills at performing his own stunts.<br />
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The supporting cast however, is a different tale compared to Statham. The most recognizable faces you can find besides Statham are Chris Sarandon and James Hong, but every other actor looked like as if they were picked right off the streets of the Big Apple. In relation to the stereotypical villainous organizations in the film, just about all of them seemed to be too relished within their characters, and the outcome from that notion are some very poor performances. However, the film carries on this B-movie style throughout the running time where that kind of acting is actually intentional for those purposes.<br />
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Writer-director Boaz Yakin treats this film with a properly fitting directorial style for the many action sequences that ensue. He uses handheld cameras for the majority of the action scenes, but it never turns into full-on shaky cam to the point where you can't even tell what's happening. Yakin seemed to be very aware of how much you can really shake the camera in a sequence, and the smart editing enhances that aspect above the most recent action movies released that have used that technique. In addition, Yakin has a keen eye for scene transitions when they cut in stylish form from one location to the next.<br />
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Carrying on from the stylish direction, the action sequences are very fast-paced and especially thrive off of the sound. You hear every gunshot in a loud, realistic manner and you feel every hard-hitting martial art move that comes your way. The only thing to really get past are the earliest action sequences that use painfully noticeable CGI blood when a person gets shot.<br />
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Overall, "Safe" is an above-average entry into the action movies that have released over the year so far, and it also brings Jason Statham out of the thunk he was stuck in during the 2011 season. The flaws are noticeable as the plot, dialogue and supporting cast are standard to the genre's conventions of the present day, but the film's B-movie appeal justifies those aspects to being at that level. This certainly isn't a film to rush out and see in theaters unless you're a devoted fan of Jason Statham, but it will function as a perfect rental to watch with your action junkie friends.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Final Grade: B-</span><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610063597848676490.post-27402928328399534972012-04-28T14:45:00.001-07:002012-04-28T20:55:58.236-07:00The Pirates! Band of Misfits (2012)<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In the earliest days of cinema, one of
the first innovations in animation came from stop-motion claymation. However in
today’s age of cinema, its relevance has rapidly gone downhill, but there is
one filmmaker every few years that takes the bold challenge to show that the
subgenre isn’t dead. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Furthermore, what better way for the
person to bring it back again than the present day stop-motion master himself,
Peter Lord. The latest release that he and the hugely underrated Aardman
Animations Studio bring us is “The Pirates: Band of Misfits.”</span><br />
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The Pirate Captain (voiced by Hugh
Grant) is sick being looked down upon by his fellow pirates, and even his
ragtag crew has felt bad for his lack of successes. The only thing that can
help him gain more respect is if he wins the prestigious Pirate of the year
Award. After his entry is completed for the contest, he and his crew embark on
a quest that brings along Charles Darwin (voiced by David Tennant) and goes
from the streets of Victorian-era London to the shorelines of Blood Island.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Famed British actor Hugh Grant does a
commendable job at voicing the Pirate Captain. The voice he lends to the
eccentric character is very applicable to the pirate personality, and it
enhances the comic delivery of the character, too. Standing out alongside him
as well, David Tennant’s deadpan voice-work as Charles Darwin provides for
several very entertaining scenes, too. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Like all previous Aardman Animation
films, the stop-motion animation is extremely crisp and visually dazzling. All
of the character figures have great design within their physical features, and
there is phenomenal attention-to-detail in the design of all of the film’s
settings. Additionally, this form of animation allows for numerous innovative perks
in the visual gags department, because there really aren’t any more forms of
animation that would allow you to pull them off like this one today.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The script’s many moments of humor come
mostly from British wit and parody of pirates, and they are all fast-paced
within their delivery. On the other hand though, this type of humor is still
not for everyone, and that was clearly evident when I was one of the few people
laughing at the majority of the jokes placed throughout the film.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Despite the fun adventure that this film
is, the meandering second act of the script is what makes this rank below
Aardman classics such as “Wallace & Gromit” and “Chicken Run.” The trailers
made it seem that the Pirate of the year award plot was going to be the main
focus of the film, but it takes an abrupt shift about twenty minutes in to
something that you didn’t expect. While it still remained to be genuinely
entertaining, it took away from what the striving goal of the main character
was suppose to be in the beginning.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Additionally, the film’s use of
slapstick humor wears out its welcome, especially towards the end. There is a
running joke in the climax of the film that is repeated at least five times,
and it got old quick after the second time it was used.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Despite those flaws, I still had a fun
time with “The Pirates: Band of Misfits.” It ranks nowhere with the classics
that Aardman Animations has produced in their nearly 40 years as a studio.
However, if you’re a fan of both this kind of animation and British humor, then
you should definitely give this film a view.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Final Grade: B</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Review of "The Pirates! Band of Misfits" on Youtube</span></span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/qpHGoLX4U0A?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span> </span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610063597848676490.post-87368917406302009622012-04-07T12:03:00.003-07:002012-04-28T15:24:29.001-07:00God Bless America (2012)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">If there’s anything in this world that I’ve grown to hate over the past few years, it’s the downward spiral that the American popular culture scene has taken. And for awhile, I had been waiting for a bold filmmaker, especially one that has previous experience as a satirist to end up making a movie on the subject. Thankfully, one has been able to take on the controversial challenge of doing so, and that film “God Bless America” turns out as one of the most defining satires of our time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Frank (Joel Murray) is a middle-aged man whose life is very down-on-his-luck. He has a job that’s been run over by ignorant and annoying co-workers, and he’s also divorced from his wife and profoundly ignorant daughter. However, Frank has grown to hate the realms of human society because of them being influenced by the insipid and dumb-founded pop culture of the current generation. He’s soon diagnosed with a brain tumor, and he makes it his mission to rid the world of people who’ve had their personalities influenced by the negative aspects of pop culture. Along the way, he’s accompanied by a young high school student (Tara Lynne Barr) who equally shares his distaste for the downfall in society.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Now when reading a premise like that, some may view it as something that’s too extreme to even be put up on screen, but this film isn’t an instruction manual on why you should hate America. Instead, it’s a truthful satire that displays the issues that exist within society, but still isn’t afraid to have a lot of darkly comedic, energetic fun with it. Furthermore, right-wing political groups and reality tv show personalities are bound to take offense to several of the film’s exploration on the pop culture downfall, those especially being Glenn Beck, Westboro Baptist Church, Real Housewives of New Jersey, American Idol, and a whole lot more.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The two leads Joel Murray and Tara Lynne Barr both deliver terrific performances as Frank and Roxy. Murray’s approach to the character of Frank is extremely subtle, and the way he delivers several of his rants on society flowed in such a supremely natural manner. Standing alongside Murray, Tara Lynne Barr enhances a huge amount of frenetic energy to the character of Roxy, who ends up turning into a psychotic sidekick to Frank that spews out one-liners left and right, in addition to her venting out her frustration towards certain pop culture obsessions throughout the film.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The real star of this film though, is writer and director Bobcat Goldthwait. Goldthwait is one of those few filmmakers working today that tackles on subjects in dark comedies that just about nobody else would’ve ever had the guts to follow through on. Additionally, he utilizes both satire and social commentary for whichever issues he constructs into his films. Watch his previous effort “World’s Greatest Dad,” and you’ll see what I’m talking about.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Essentially, this movie is Goldthwait’s manifesto centered upon the downfall of American popular culture, but also the effect it has had upon how humans have treated each other because of it. We’re perfectly capable of changing the way that we think or feel for others, but the ways in which the influence that pop culture has placed upon certain people, those aspects have slowly been diminishing over time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Overall, “God Bless America” is an outlandish and insanely unapologetic film that serves as the best revenge fantasy for those that detest the pop culture obsessions of this generation. Yes it has no rules and gets very over-the-top at times, but it’s still one of the smartest darkly comedic satires I’ve seen in a long time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Final Grade: A-</span></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Review of "God Bless America" on Youtube</span></span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/P4hT4c7nMZk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610063597848676490.post-86269635709850515072012-04-05T18:33:00.003-07:002012-12-21T21:41:28.167-08:00American Reunion (2012)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://wae.blogs.starnewsonline.com/files/2012/04/american-reunion1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="http://wae.blogs.starnewsonline.com/files/2012/04/american-reunion1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Finally after nearly ten years of waiting, the most likely final entry in the cult "American Pie" series has arrived. Before seeing this film, I had only seen 1999's "Pie" and nothing else. However a week after attending an early screening for this film, I had caught up by viewing the whole series of films beforehand in only a matter of hours. Now with a full knowledge of the entire original trilogy, I can safely proclaim that the original "American Pie" series is the ultimate knife in late 1990s to early 2000s nostalgia for the best reasons. And thankfully, "American Reunion" ends as what should be the best way possible imagined for the series to close on both a very raunchy but still lighthearted note.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Set almost ten years after the events in "Wedding," "Reunion" opens up with quick scenes that show where the East Great Falls classmates have gone since. Jim (Jason Biggs) and Michelle (Alyson Hannigan) are still married, but the sexual part in their marriage has been hampered by the constant caring of their two year-old son. Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas) has also married, and has technically become a "housewife" due to his occupation as a stay-at-home architect. Oz (Chris Klein) has made a name for himself as a famous sportscaster in LA, but is stuck in a stale relationship with an archetypical "Los Angeles party girl" (Katrina Bowden). Meanwhile, Paul Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) has been on adventures of his own that sound about as odd as his character's personality has been throughout the trilogy. And finally, Steve Stifler (Seann William Scott) is...well he's as you guessed, still retaining his reputation as the never-changing "Stifmeister" that we've seen in the past entries of the original trilogy. After years of all of them being apart, they return back to the place that kick-started this franchise thirteen years ago, and reunite for their 13-year high school reunion, whose events before the actual reunion retain the classic raunchy humor and drawn out situations that we've seen in the rest of the films in the series (not counting those direct-to-dvd versions that hardly anyone saw).<br />
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After nine years of being apart from each other, the original cast is back and just as solid as they've been in the original trilogy. Everyone manages to handle the shift in the personality of the character they've played several times, and most of them get the job done well. As usual in great "American Pie" tradition though, the two biggest scene-stealers are Seann William Scott and Eugene Levy. Stifler has always been one of biggest love-or-hate characters in comedies in the last decade, and if you're one that's been able to accept his personality of being the over-the-top manchild of the crew, then you know what you're in for when you see him in this film. Seann William Scott embodies the character in such committed fashion, and he always maintains a spot-on knack on the comedic timing. Additionally, Eugene Levy delivers his funniest performance yet as Jim's dad, who is without a doubt one of the greatest movie dads in cinema history, and that is almost entirely due to his unflinching boldness to say just about anything that's on his mind, no matter how uncomfortable or inappropriate the content is.<br />
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Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg are two of the biggest names for modern Hollywood comedies of today, as they have previously gained notoriety for creating the "Harold and Kumar" franchise, which is like the "American Pie" series for having very raunchy humor, but also exemplifying heart in the relationship between the main characters. That aspect translates to a very respectable degree, as the duo manage to pull off the transition between the awkwardly raunchy situations of comedy, but still show the courtesy to the heart of the relationship between the lead characters. Additionally, the duo manage to take certain awkward situations, and surprisingly take them to an even further degree in their drawn-out manner, which hearkens heavily back to the famous humor executions shown in the original series.<br />
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One aspect of the "American Pie" franchise that has always stuck a constant positive chord with me is the soundtrack. Each entry in the original trilogy would have a soundtrack that reeks of nostalgia from the 90s and early 2000s, and the fact that I grew up in those two time periods ends up injecting those memories of when alternative rock and definitive rock music ran rampant throughout the music industry. In "Reunion," they not only play several famous tracks from the 90s (especially during the reunion), but also bring back numerous songs that played in one of the previous films. Unquestionably, the best track shows up when the guys make their entrance to the reunion, and it gave me that nostalgic feeling of "Oh man, those were the days in 90s music."<br />
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As for any flaws, like all "American Pie" movies, you can easily predict the outcome of the main plotlines that are introduced in the beginning of the film. However when you're going into a film like this, and especially if you've been a devoted fan of the franchise, it's a factor that shouldn't detract from the experience you know you're going to get. Additionally, it does take a little while for the film to relish within consistency of the film's comedy, but once the party at Stifler's commenced, it defined that aspect to the best degree. And finally, there were certain famous characters that are brought back from the first film that didn't get enough screen time to fully deliver the laughs that you could expect from them.<br />
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Overall though, being the devoted fan of the original "American Pie" franchise, "American Reunion" serves as the best possible testament to close the series on both a hilarious and nostalgic note. It's a film that's bound to please the fans of the original trilogy, and maybe even fans of the raunchy comedy genre that haven't been particularly familiar with the films before. Therefore, if you're in need of a good laugh or two, or are person that holds in very nostalgic memories of the 1990s decade, give this film a chance and you may walk out surprised.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Final Grade: B+</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Review of "American Reunion" on Youtube </span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/7eMCbIOEjLk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610063597848676490.post-70603414223800145712012-03-26T11:54:00.003-07:002012-03-28T11:22:54.691-07:00The Hunger Games (2012)<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://wegotthiscovered.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Hunger-Games-2012-Movie-Poster1-600x889-540x390.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="http://wegotthiscovered.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Hunger-Games-2012-Movie-Poster1-600x889-540x390.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div>To make a quick disclaimer, I'm not a die-hard fan of "The Hunger Games" novel trilogy. I've read half of the first book that this film adapts to the big screen, but what I did read in those first 12 chapters was quite thrilling and enthralling within its immense detail. However, it did put me into place of the insane hype surrounding the film's release, and that feeling did create some doubt on whether the overwhelming amount of hype will lead to a certain amount of disappointment in the end. In the end though, I feel like I made the right decision on leaving off on the point that I was in the book because no matter what, this is the first solid blockbuster of the year.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) is a teenage girl that inhabits the poor land of District 12, a sector of land that's part of the 12 Districts of the nation of Panem, which has turned into this landscape due to a civil war that broke out over seventy years ago. As a punishment for the war, the Capitol instituted the "Hunger Games," an event where twenty four children ages 12-18 (each have 1 boy and 1 girl serve as "Tributes" to each sector) fight each other to the death until the last person's standing. Katniss volunteers as a "Tribute" to District 12 in order to protect her sister Prim when she's originally chosen as the female Tribute. Afterwards, Katniss and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) are the two Tributes that will represent District 12 in the Games, and the rest of the film chronicles their progress through the pre-event festivities that eventually culminate in the bloody battle to the death in the arena.<br />
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Jennifer Lawrence is one of the best young actresses in Hollywood today, and she amazes me yet again with her strongly-committed performance as Katniss Everdeen. She does an impeccable job at embodying Katniss' strong-willed personality and protective nature for those around her, and her chemistry with the actors that play her character's closest friends is very believable. The rest of the ensemble cast is composed of many well-known names that include Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, and Stanley Tucci, all who do a great job embodying the differing personalities of their colorful characters. Out of all of those big names, Stanley Tucci and Elizabeth Banks stand out the most, especially Banks' portrayal of Effie Trinkett that delivers spot-on in the character's over-glamorous and perky personality. In addition, Woody Harrelson continued to show that he's one of the most underrated, versatile actors in Hollywood in his solid turn as District 12 coach Haymitch Abernathy. <br />
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Director Gary Ross goes behind the camera for the first time since 2003's "Seabiscuit", and the style he brings to this film ignites the long-awaited comeback he's needed. He enhances a different style for the three main settings expressed in the setting, and they all benefit in certain aspects. While in District 12 or the The Hunger Games event itself, Ross films those scenes mostly with handheld cameras to both enforce the gritty look and sense of danger, while also thrusting the viewer into the experience to feel like they're actually part of the film's events that take place. Meanwhile in the setting of the Capitol, Ross utilizes a still, yet at times very sweeping portrait of the "rich city," which benefits from a striking color palette and vivid imagery within the art design of numerous settings. In addition, Ross' handheld camerawork in the Games never bothered me, because it was an intentional technique that enhanced the realism and fatigued nature of the event to the viewer's point-of-view.<br />
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As for any flaws I had with the film, they range with certain changes they made to scenes that I had read from the book beforehand, but I'm not going to be one of those snobs that tears a "book-to-movie" adaptation apart for all the little differences. In addition, while it was interesting to see the point-of-view from the Gamemakers, it just felt tacked on to increase movie's running time from all of the stuff they cut out from the book. Furthermore, I didn't completely feel the romance between Katniss and Peeta, as it felt a little more forced that gradually believable.<br />
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Despite the minor flaws though, "The Hunger Games" is a definitively solid first entry in this sure-to-be lucrative franchise that will hopefully overshadow the fandemonium of the "Twilight" phenomenon that's coming to an end soon. At the same time though, the film itself was a bit overhyped, and it didn't completely live up to the great expectations I originally had, but its maturer characters and sweeping settings make "The Hunger Games" a film that is surely not one to miss this year.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Final Grade: B+</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Review of "The Hunger Games" on Youtube </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/EcaFrb8Q4BQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610063597848676490.post-26410736356980478222012-03-04T19:25:00.004-08:002012-06-22T09:35:36.647-07:00Project X (2012)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Party movies have been a dying breed in cinema, and the last film that really hit home with the majority of audiences was the beloved summer 2007 hit “Superbad.” Arriving to try and steal its thunder though, is the raunchy found footage party movie “Project X.” Vastly marketed as “the party movie to end all party movies,” Project X though is a tragic portrait of the stupidity of certain teenage demographics that really shows how downward this current generation has gone in terms of both culture and intelligence.</span><br />
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Opening with an insultingly inept disclaimer that Warner Bros. “thanks those who contributed footage to the making of this film,” the film quickly cuts to Costa, who’s planning a massive 17<sup>th</sup> birthday party for his friend Thomas. After lots of preparation and spreading word-of-mouth, the party kicks off and hundreds of people show up, which later leads to complete chaos that threatens the entire street that the party’s taking place on. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The three lead characters are played by rookie actors, and they all do an okay job at best with their performances. Except for the character of Thomas, nearly every other character is a despicable representation of this current teenage generation. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The character Costa for instance, is one of the most annoying, mean-spirited characters I have ever seen in a film. Throughout the film, he does nothing more than deliver repetitive, foul-mouthed lines of dialogue, deliberately insults anyone who gets in his way and acts like a complete jackass when the longer the party goes on. I have seen some pretty annoying characters in my life for the endless amount of movies I’ve seen, but I honestly wanted to stab this kid in his vocal cords with an ice pick because he annoyed the hell out of me to such an immense degree!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The first thirty minutes of this movie that built up to the party itself had me wanting to walk of the theater already. All that it does is showcase one idiotic act of behavior after another, in which all of the highlight the incredibly mean-spirited, annoying nature that nearly every teenager in this movie portrays. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The movie didn’t generate any entertainment for me until the cops first arrived at the party. After that scene, the film slowly transcends into the complete chaos that you see in the trailers, and it delivers on the insanity to an extent. Unfortunately, the shock value of that chaos is ruined because it was already heavily spoiled in the marketing, which also goes the same for the unexpected occurrences that happen at the party.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Furthermore, the found footage aspect doesn’t do anything new to the genre as a whole. One of the trio’s friends is filming the majority of the film, but that tactic is overshadowed by the cutting to other people’s phone cameras and camcorders, in addition to the numerous montages set to popular music. The utilization of those montages took me further out of the experience, and it gave me the feeling that I was watching a music video instead of an actual movie.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The worst part of “Project X” though, is the message that it delivers in the end, saying that it’s okay to do everything that these inanely idiotic teenagers did at the party. Whether it’s the non-stop drinking, ecstasy use, or even tying a dog to a set of balloons, it sends such a bad message to teenagers that these acts are actually considered acceptable to conduct.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">What pisses me off the most about this film though, are the comparisons it’s receiving to “Superbad.” Those comparisons have zero relevance to each other though, because “Superbad” was albeit a raunchy, hilarious high school movie that had heart within the friendship of the lead characters. “Project X” on the other hand, doesn’t showcase that heart, and instead submerges itself within the idiocracies that have sadly shaped certain aspects of this current teen generation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Despite very few moments of amusement in the chaos caused towards the end, “Project X” is one of the most annoying, mean-spirited, unfunny movies I’ve ever seen. If you’re the party-type of person this movie’s aimed toward, you’re bound to enjoy it. Me on the other hand, I’d just rather watch “Animal House” or “Superbad” again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Review of "Project X" on Youtube </span></span></div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610063597848676490.post-33544753981645926612012-02-27T10:42:00.004-08:002012-08-18T11:52:39.595-07:00Trio Review: Act of Valor, Wanderlust, and GoonDuring the last weekend, I didn't have time to write three separate reviews, so here's a new structure where I'm low on time for that: a trio review. This last weekend, I saw Act of Valor, Goon, and Wanderlust, so I'm going to break up my thoughts on these three movies into much shorter reviews than my familiar reviewing style. Without further to do, enjoy the first edition of the Trio Review.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: x-large;">Act of Valor (2012)</span><br />
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"Act of Valor" is a supremely ambitious film when you concern the fact that the filmmakers had real active-duty Navy SEALS play the lead characters. That already is one of many problems with this movie, because when it comes to having natural conversations, in addition to showing emotion, these men can't pull if off in the slightest. At the same time though, I don't blame them for the flaw because these SEALS have no background in acting whatsoever. However, I will agree that the action scenes were great, as they exhibited a lot of authentic realism which was due to the fact that they used authentic weaponry and live ammunition when filming the action scenes. On the other hand, that is the only good thing that can be said about this film, because the rest of it is a giant, heavily cliched piece of military propaganda put on by Hollywood. Also coming from a military family, I have full respect for the identity-protected SEALS who took part in this project, but our troops deserve much better than this overlong Navy recruitment video.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Final Grade: D+</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Goon (2012)</span><br />
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Released on-demand on the 24th, "Goon" is a violent hockey comedy that stars Seann William Scott as an extremely dimwitted but loveable hockey enforcer Doug "The Thug" Glatt. It was so refreshing to see Seann William Scott in a non-Stifler role, and he easily delivers his best performance in that aforementioned acting division. He's tame, yet still exhibits great comedic timing for the lead character's lack of normal intelligence around other people. The supporting cast is decent, with Liev Schreiber chewing up scenery as an aging enforcer who looks like Ray Liotta's Irish mobster counterpart, but Jay Baruchel (who also co-wrote the film) has an unfunny Danny McBride-esque schtick that wears out its welcome really fast. Director Michael Dowse does a great job filming the hockey scenes with a swift pace, in addition to being very in-your-face when it comes to the bloody fights, but the rest of this movie is bogged down with tiresome running jokes, and a forced romantic subplot that really slows down the film's pace. Overall despite those flaws, "Goon" still works as a solidly humorous Friday night rental with friends, and as a guilty pleasure for the most die hard hockey fans.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Final Grade: B-</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Wanderlust (2012)</span><br />
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"Wanderlust" was never high on my radar in the month of February, but I decided to give it a chance because of Paul Rudd and "Role Models" director David Wain. Paul Rudd doesn't disappoint, as he showcases his classic comedy mannerisms throughout the film that had me laughing consistently, especially a scene where he had to psych himself up in front of a mirror. Jennifer Aniston on the other hand basically plays "the girl," as really anyone could've played her role and it would've had the same effect on me. Like "Role Models," the movie's supporting cast is comprised of numerous underground cult comedians that include Ken Marino, Joe Lo Truglio, Kerri Kenney-Silver, and more, that all get their own chance to shine. However, the film's second half isn't as funny as the first half, and that's especially due to there being several character twists that are produced to such forced effect to the film's plot. Also like "Goon," there are several running gags that are stretched further than their welcome really should have been. However, if you're a fan of these stars and underground comedians, then you shouldn't be disappointed going into this film, because while it will make you laugh a lot, it won't be a comedy you'll remember for years to come, though.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Final Grade: B-</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610063597848676490.post-5585636428868991042012-02-17T18:07:00.001-08:002012-03-28T11:20:55.353-07:00Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2012)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mediastinger.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Ghost-Rider-Spirit-of-Vengeance-After-Credits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="http://www.mediastinger.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Ghost-Rider-Spirit-of-Vengeance-After-Credits.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>No matter what you can say about Nicolas Cage, he manages to entertain you in some way whether he's in a good or bad movie. Even when you watch him in an awful film like <i>The Wicker Man</i>, his over-the-top acting entertains the hell out of you. The first <i>Ghost Rider</i> movie didn't really showcase that exquisite talent of Cage's, but it's sequel <i>Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance</i> certainly showcases it! Directed by the frenetic style of the cult favorite Neveldine/Taylor duo, does this sequel fire on all cylinders, or should it have been extinguished before production went underway?<br />
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<a name='more'></a>After the events of the first film, Johnny Blaze (Nicolas Cage) is hiding out in Eastern Europe. However, he's brought out of hiding from an old friend named Moreau (Idris Elba), who offers him a job to save this boy (Fergus Riordan) from the Devil that's trying to use him as an earth form. Blaze soon accepts the mission, and he teams up with Morceau and the boy's mother (Violante Placido) to follow through. Unfortunately, they're being pursued by Ray Carrigan (Johnny Whitworth), a mercenary ordered by the Devil to bring the boy to the proper venue of the ritual. And if that's not enough going on, Blaze finds out that there's a chance he can rid himself of his curse if he completes the mission. You know, a comic book movie like this shouldn't have that much going on. Instead that amount of subplots belong in a hyperlink cinema movie.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.digitaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/cache/2012/02/Idris-Elba-Ghost-Rider-Spirit-of-Vengeance-image/2522644007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://cdn.digitaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/cache/2012/02/Idris-Elba-Ghost-Rider-Spirit-of-Vengeance-image/2522644007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Even though his career is a 50/50 split on the movies he has starred in, I still stick up for Nicolas Cage because of how he manages to be highly entertaining in just about every movie he stars in. In this film, his crazy over-the-top acting returns in solid form. His dialogue is riddled of unintentionally funny lines, but the way he delivers them wholeheartedly hearkens back to why I love Cage's acting so much. One scene that highlights this aspect is where he's trying to hide his transformation into the Ghost Rider, and he also breaks into maniacal <i>Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans</i>- esque laughter. Besides Cage though, there's nobody else that even comes close to his acting. Idris Elba's performance is extremely limited, as he's really treated more as an extended cameo rather than a true supporting role. On the other hand, Violante Placido and Fergus Riordan are awful in their performances as the mother-son duo. They both have no emotional range in their line delivery as they remain one-note throughout, and they have no chemistry whatsoever when they're on screen together. Johnny Whitworth is as over-the-top as Nicolas Cage is as the villain Blackout, but almost every one of his lines is a stupid pun that had me laughing for all the wrong reasons.<br />
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The slightest reason I had any interest in the film was that the <i>Crank </i>guys Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor were directing it. The duo have a frenetic style that speeds up the pacing of their films to a very fast degree, and most of that's due to the rapid fire editing and tight, sometimes even renegade camera angles. Usually when there's a chase in their films, one of them will strap on rollerblades to film the scene at a high speed. Additionally, their films feature many instances of over-the-top, weird moments that will either make you laugh or roll your eyes. If you're a fan of this duo's directing style like me, then you'll easily be able to point out their directing perks throughout. However besides some decent action sequences, the film's PG-13 rating severely limits them of their famous tactics, and all that they really get to work with are their swift filming techniques, which compared to their past films is a massive disappointment.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/underwire/2012/02/GhostRiderTaylor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/underwire/2012/02/GhostRiderTaylor.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The fact that this film had three writers contribute to the screenplay highlights the lazy thoughtlessness that this film reeks of. The dialogue is so painstakingly piss poor throughout, and they have a heavy reliance on puns that fall extremely flat. For some odd reason though, the film for awhile feels plotless as it really doesn't go anywhere for the first 15-20 minutes or so. The "plot" that they do construct feels senselessly shallow and underwritten, and it makes me feel that the Neveldine/Taylor duo at least should've been able to do a complete rewrite of the script to enhance it's vague tone.<br />
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I have seen only ten minutes of the first <i>Ghost Rider</i>, but if I someday finally manned up and watched it, I would still think that <i>Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance</i> is the superior film. However, that really does not say much at all due to the endless amount of problems this entry has. Despite the huge amount of problems I had with it, Nicolas Cage's over-the-top acting and the slick direction by the Neveldine/Taylor duo save it from being even worse than the first film. This is not a comic book movie that you need to rush out to see in theaters, as instead it's one that you just wait to premiere on a premium network so you save some money.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Final Grade: C-</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Review of "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance" on Yotuube </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/8IcGjNT1rUY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610063597848676490.post-33994532269175221722012-02-14T23:42:00.002-08:002012-03-28T11:20:03.048-07:00This Means War (2012)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/this-means-war.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="http://cdn.screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/this-means-war.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The romantic comedy-action genre blend has been one that is very tough to pull off, unless it's handled by a competent crew of filmmakers. The two films that have gotten it the right way are 1993's True Romance and 1994's True Lies. However since the 1990s decade, there hasn't been a film of the same genre mash that's had the ability to stand alongside those two. This time around, director McG tackles on the challenge with the star power trifecta of Tom Hardy, Chris Pine and Reese Witherspoon in the newest of several new releases this week titled "This Means War."<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Tuck and FDR (Tom Hardy and Chris Pine) are best friends that work for the CIA. However, one of their latest missions goes awry, and they're grounded from going on assignments for a unmentioned time. Off the job, Tuck is a sweet guy when it comes to the ladies, while FDR is a definitive Los Angeles playboy. While on break, Tuck begins dating Lauren Scott (Reese Witherspoon), a woman he met on an online dating service. Unfortunately in classic romantic comedy cliche form, FDR unknowingly begins to date Lauren at the same time Tuck is. The duo soon find out the coincidence and it begins to destroy both their personal and private lives, which ultimately lead to both of them using their CIA tactics to sabotage each others relationship with Lauren.<br />
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Despite the awful dialogue they're given, Tom Hardy and Chris Pine display surprisingly good chemistry on screen. The two have become known for their charisma alongside other actors in the movies they act in, but they manage to do their best on the constant banter between both of their characters. Reese Witherspoon on the other hand, felt miscast in her role as the girl placed in the middle of the awkward situation she's not aware of until the third act of the film. Like every other 30-something single woman does in Los Angeles, her character does nothing but whine and make constant stupid decisions on what to do while dating the two guys. Witherspoon does her best with a character that's extremely derivative in the romantic comedy genre, but her high credibility as an actress makes her deserve so much more than a lackluster role like this. Chelsea Handler is one of the funniest female comedians there are today, and just about all of her lines of dialogue were ad-libbed her. However, the majority of her funniest lines were one of the several reasons why the film was originally rated R, so this PG-13 cut makes her seem more tame than anything else.<br />
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I've never been the slightest fan of director McG, especially after 2009's Terminator: Salvation, which in my opinion is the worst entry of the Terminator franchise. His style always feel like a knock-off of Michael Bay's, which is definitely one of the worst aspects you can find in a filmmaker today. McG chooses to film the action in the fast-edited, handheld camera style, where there's certain sequences that you can barely tell what's going on. Additionally, he turns the big final action set-piece into a series of cartoonish explosions and very noticeably silly instances of CGI. The shootouts especially emulate the extremely silly tone of this film, where a character will rapidly fire a gun in an uncontrollable manner, and somehow every shot hits its mark.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTYyODY5NTE0Ml5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMDE4OTQzNw@@._V1._SX640_SY425_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTYyODY5NTE0Ml5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMDE4OTQzNw@@._V1._SX640_SY425_.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The writing though, is without a doubt the most notable flaw of the film. Timothy Dowling and Simon Kinberg's script is already peppered with poorly written dialogue to start, but like nearly every other romantic comedy of this generation, the film's transitions are based off of what the next dumb, contrived situation the writers can place their characters in. Now that wouldn't have bothered me throughout the film, unless it wasn't for the ending to this film that followed three contrivances in a row that just managed to drag out in pacing more than the previous one did. Furthermore, the script has an awful balance of comedy and action, because there are only four total scenes of action in the film, but they last at such a short running time due to McG's fast-paced shooting style. The comedy situations manage to fall flatter as the film carries on, and that's mostly due to the set-pieces feeling more derivative of past films that have executed in a better manner.<br />
<br />
Overall, "This Means War" is an incredibly silly, stupid genre mash-up of action and romantic comedy. If it wasn't for the lead performances by Tom Hardy, Chris Pine and Reese Witherspoon, this would have easily been one of the laziest, unforgiving movies I had seen in years. Also if they had rated the film R, it would've had the opportunity to be more over-the-top and edgy with both the genres it was trying to mash together. This will definitely one of the most notable "like it or hate it" movies of the year, but I've made it quite clear on where my stance is in this 50/50 poll.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Final Grade: D</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Review of "This Means War" on Youtube</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/HzERD3Nku1o?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610063597848676490.post-40368891692793124172012-02-13T23:40:00.001-08:002012-03-28T11:19:04.039-07:00Safe House (2012)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://bestmoviesevernews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/2407_D019_00034R.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://bestmoviesevernews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/2407_D019_00034R.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Denzel Washington is one of the few actors left that has been able to put on incredible performances for almost every new generation of cinemagoers since the beginning of his career. Lately though, he has been starring in movies where his credibility as an actor is in fact too good for the movie itself. He hasn't worked with strong material since emulating infamous drug kingpin Frank Lucas in "American Gangster," and has since then starred in roles that have sadly misused his true talent as one of the finest actors in movie history. This time around, he stars in "Safe House," which is sadly yet another film that is too good for Denzel Washington's acting.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington) is a CIA agent that has gone rogue, because of trading intel with other agencies. While on a mission in Cape Town, South Africa, he's targeted by a pair of mercenaries who are after a chip in his possession. To elude being captured, he surrenders at a U.S. embassy and is soon transferred to a safe house watched over by Matthew Weston (Ryan Reynolds). However, the safe house is ambushed by the mercenaries after Frost, and the duo are on the run to stay alive. Now how many times have we heard of a plot like that before, huh?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.beyondhollywood.com/uploads/2011/10/Denzel-Washington-in-Safe-House-2012-Movie-Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="http://www.beyondhollywood.com/uploads/2011/10/Denzel-Washington-in-Safe-House-2012-Movie-Image.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>No matter what kind of material or genre he has to work with, Denzel Washington seems to always be aware of the limits he has in each role he plays. That is no different in his role for this film, as he strongly delivers on playing the badass that can't be stopped by anyone. Even for playing a one-dimensional caricature, Washington's tenacious presence and boisterous charisma alongside the cast he works with are more than enough to please the common fan. I'm not one of those people that hates on Ryan Reynolds' acting, because I actually think he's a solid actor when given the right material. Like Washington, he's working with a one-dimensional caricature, but he manages to pull off a performance that stands alongside Washington's at a decent enough degree. However, the supporting cast comprised Brendan Gleeson, Vera Farmiga and Sam Shepard are heavily underused, especially Farmiga who seems to have taken on several of these kinds of roles since her Oscar-nominated role in "Up in the Air."<br />
<br />
Director Daniel Espinosa never settles on an original style of any form throughout the film. The only thought I had running through my mind is that it felt like Tony Scott directed this film, because his style is ever so similar to the way Espinosa shoots the film. The shaky handheld camera angles and choppily edited action sequences got on my nerves quick, but I really hated how Espinosa started nearly every action sequence by making you jump from a gunshot coming from out of nowhere. If a director uses the same technique to start every action sequence in his film, then you know you've got a problem with your film. Despite that gripe though, some of the action was entertaining, but the action in the second half feels extremely weak compared to the first.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.moviefanatic.com/images/gallery/denzel-washington-and-daniel-espinosa-on-the-safe-house-set.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://static.moviefanatic.com/images/gallery/denzel-washington-and-daniel-espinosa-on-the-safe-house-set.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Screenwriter David Guggenheim's script is riddled with typical, cliche conventions that pertain to the CIA thriller genre, and they quickly begin to grow tiresome once the movie starts. Additionally, it seems that Guggenheim didn't know what to do once the two lead characters broke out of the safe house, because every event that follows afterwards is lazily written, and peppered with very weak dialogue. Furthermore, the script tries to be smart in pulling a late twist in the final thirty minutes, but I managed to predict it about thirty minutes in, and every set piece that follows that "twist" is one generic cliche after another that pissed me off the longer it went on for.<br />
<br />
It took only one week to realize that we're still in the month of February for generic movies, and "Safe House" relishes in that category. Denzel Washington needs to find a new agent, because I'm starting to get a little sick of him starring in films where his acting is way too good for the movie itself. The only times where that has worked was when he worked with Tony Scott on "The Taking of Pelham 123" and "Unstoppable." Otherwise, "Safe House" is a cliche-filled, unoriginal CIA thriller that delivers solid enough performances that prevent this film from being the disaster it should have been.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Final Grade: C</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Review of "Safe House" on Youtube</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/MNYbjB6rYPE?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610063597848676490.post-62185983861710448352012-02-04T10:30:00.000-08:002012-02-15T07:53:33.536-08:00Chronicle (2012)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">*Apologies for the different font used. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://static.moviefanatic.com/images/gallery/michael-b-jordan-alex-russell-and-dane-dehaan-in-chronicle_500x329.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="http://static.moviefanatic.com/images/gallery/michael-b-jordan-alex-russell-and-dane-dehaan-in-chronicle_500x329.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The found footage subgenre is one that has steadily gone downhill since several filmmakers attempted to cash in on its popularity since the release of 2009’s “Paranormal Activity.” Some of those films just used the technique with a static execution, while others tried to shamelessly make us think what we saw was actually real (cough…Apollo 18). However, fear no more, because the genre can still live on if it’s in the hands of a smart director, and the newest movie “Chronicle is certainly that.</span><br />
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: small;">Andrew (Dane Dehaan) is a high school social outcast who buys a camera to “chronicle” every moment of his life from his current age to the end. One night during a party though, he along with popular students Matt (Alex Russell) and Steve (Michael B. Jordan) find a deep hole in the ground that ends up giving them telekinetic superpowers. At first they use their newfound abilities to prank people around the city, but Andrew’s powers get stronger to the point where he begins to use them in rogue manners, which ends up placing more than just Matt and Steve in danger.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">All three male leads deliver terrific performances, especially in the aspect of all of them playing characters that are likeable in a certain way. However out of the three, the standout is without a doubt Dane Dehaan who plays Andrew. His performance is especially demanding due to the switch he has to make from playing the melancholic, depressed outcast to embodying a hostile, malignant predator, and he nails that transition in spot-on fashion.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.filmofilia.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Chronicle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://www.filmofilia.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Chronicle.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">For a movie that had a budget of only 15 million dollars, the visual effects are quite stellar. It’s easy to point out when they green screens, especially for the scenes where the teens gain the ability to fly, but there’s a lot of creative attention-to-detail put into the background of those scenes. Also to add on to the irony of the number 15, the highly climactic final 15 minutes of the film are sheer eye candy entertainment filled with visual effects galore of destruction in downtown Seattle. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">First-time feature director Josh Trank knocks it out of the park, as he surprisingly injects a lot of smart and innovative filmmaking techniques into the fledgling found footage subgenre. He constructs many instances of ingenious steadicam shots, and that’s mostly due to how the character Andrew is able to move the camera with his mind from his telekinetic powers. Even though it may sound farfetched at first, this filming style actually feels profoundly realistic if you step into the shoes of the character. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Furthermore, Trank paces the film to great effect. He creates a first act that is exuberant of steady, lighthearted entertainment, but then transitions perfectly into an unsettling, yet still surprisingly entertaining second act that explores the dark side of having superpowers. Trank has a keen eye to make sure his audience is never bored by any events of the film, as he had me laughing one second from the comedic pranks the male trio play on unsuspecting bystanders, to developing the characters and their powers in a genuine manner that never once felt forced or contrived.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://bestmoviesevernews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Michael-B.-Jordan-and-Dane-DeHaan-in-Chronicle-2012-Movie-Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="http://bestmoviesevernews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Michael-B.-Jordan-and-Dane-DeHaan-in-Chronicle-2012-Movie-Image.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">As much as I praise “Chronicle,” the one problem I had with it was a love story involving two characters that felt out of place in relation to the rest of the film. Trank still managed to handle this subplot in a gentle manner, but the overall tone it gave off was uneven with the scenes that followed it. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Despite that minor flaw, “Chronicle” still remains as one of the most surprisingly great movies I have seen in the past couple of years. Filled with stellar lead performances, excellent visual effects and smart direction, this is a “teens with powers” movie that is surely not to be missed!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Final Grade: A-</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Review of "Chronicle" on Youtube </span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/-3VC1X6GcR8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span></span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610063597848676490.post-65979964391225099092012-01-28T10:22:00.000-08:002012-02-15T07:56:56.328-08:00The Grey (2012)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaGk7UMUxOUobM3wFegxTcxH7b_suxu4P88LNjlYkxP5_krc540ZN_dqUmw8Z7gE7OmdTQgWNtYAJf9v9jwRMSkd6HFa69CDG5oqw9hnykEA9Dx_5tLvC2TNPPDoZXAHpAmmdWpzd1Oac/s1600/The+Grey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaGk7UMUxOUobM3wFegxTcxH7b_suxu4P88LNjlYkxP5_krc540ZN_dqUmw8Z7gE7OmdTQgWNtYAJf9v9jwRMSkd6HFa69CDG5oqw9hnykEA9Dx_5tLvC2TNPPDoZXAHpAmmdWpzd1Oac/s320/The+Grey.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Usually when we come to a close on the month of January for movies, there isn't a whole lot that's really worth reflecting upon where we end up saying "oh yeah, that film was really good!" Surprisingly however, Steven Soderbergh managed to make me say that after seeing his stylish action flick "Haywire," and now writer-director Joe Carnahan has made me do the exact same thing with his latest production titled "The Grey," a film about the survival of men in the midst of harsh mother nature and unrelenting, intimidating forces of the wilderness.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Ottway (Liam Neeson) is a sharpshooter for an Alaskan oil drilling rig, where the main function of his occupation is to protect the workers from the wolves that come within the vicinities of the area. Despite his commitment to his profession, he's a very depressed and heartbroken man that has nothing going for him except the memories he has of his wife back home. Soon it's time where he and the rest of the men to go back home to be with their families, but a violent plane crash occurs mid-flight and kills well over half of the passengers on-board. Ottway soon finds himself as the leader of seven survivors. He leads the remaining men on a trek across the Alaskan landscape battling not just the harsh winter weather, but also packs of vicious wolves that attack unexpectedly, which progressively cripples the strength in those who remain in the group.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://collider.com/wp-content/uploads/the-grey-movie-image-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://collider.com/wp-content/uploads/the-grey-movie-image-01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Ever since the monumental success of starring in "Taken," Liam Neeson has pretty much played the same role since then as the middle-aged badass. However the presentation of his character in the previews for this film are extremely misleading, because his performance is really one that is full of heartbreak, despair and de facto leader authority. Neeson is extremely convincing in his role alongside the talented supporting cast, but he is quite emotionally powerful when it's just him in the focus of a scene. The supporting cast is also quite stellar, comprised of well-known names including Dermot Mulroney, Frank Grillo, Joe Anderson, and James Badge Dale, all who hold their own to great effect alongside Neeson. Each actor actually gets their chance to shine their own light in a scene, because each character is surprisingly well developed in regards to certain aspects explained in their personality.<br />
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This is the 5th feature film directed by writer-director Joe Carnahan, and this is without a doubt his finest directorial effort since 2002's "Narc." Carnahan's a very underrated filmmaker in my book, and that's mostly due to the two brands of filmmaking in his range. The first type is the very gritty and raw thrillers he's made (Narc and The Grey), and the other being over-the-top action movies mixed with elements of comedy throughout (Smokin' Aces and The A-Team). Personally, I enjoy the first category more than the second one (which I still quite admire though), but "The Grey" was a perfect return to his original style that made a name for him ten years ago. His handheld style is sprinkled throughout the film, which enhances the realism of the harsh situations throughout the film, but his filming becomes more progressive in terms of static camera angles further into the movie, especially in regard to the stunning scenery shots of the Alaskan wilderness. In addition, Carnahan and co-writer Ian McKenzie Jeffers give all of their main characters surprisingly well-written dialogue that actually develops each one of them in a personal matter one-by-one throughout the running time.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.straight.com/files/imagecache/wide_article/images/wide/MOV_Grey_Carnahan_2301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://www.straight.com/files/imagecache/wide_article/images/wide/MOV_Grey_Carnahan_2301.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>However a lot of credit is also due to the masterful special makeup effects artist duo of Greg Nicotero and Howard Berger. Not only do they do a great job at making the characters look very cold, fatigued and battered from the harsh winter nature, but the variety in the way they used the wolves is also quite visionary. The production crew used real wolves whenever they could, but the Nicotero/Berger duo also used very well designed puppet wolves that looked as real as one could picture them in the setting. The use of CGI wolves is very limited, but that helps enhance the realistic themes of dread and paranoia that Carnahan already explores in great fashion. <br />
<br />
Overall, "The Grey" is without a doubt the best movie I have seen so far in 2012, and it was a great way to cap off so-so month of January movies. It was great to see Liam Neeson play a character that wasn't a a complete badass, and instead have a lot of depth and committed leadership, but also a terrific showcase for Joe Carnahan to return to the style of filmmaking that put him on the map ten years ago. Probably the best "man vs. wild" survival film I have seen since Danny Boyle's "127 Hours," "The Grey" is a film that should not be missed, but be very aware that this is not another film where Liam Neeson kicks ass, it's one that is a lot more than just that.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Final Grade: B+</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Review of "The Grey" on Youtube</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ng28_yZnAf4/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ng28_yZnAf4?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ng28_yZnAf4?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610063597848676490.post-28359408240264822702012-01-21T09:24:00.000-08:002012-01-21T09:32:33.886-08:00Movie Marathon #1: The Films of Wes AndersonDuring this past week, I decided to embark on a five day marathon of a famous filmmaker in cinema. To keep it contemporary as well, I chose to watch all of director Wes Anderson's films this week. In order to keep this post short, I have written short one paragraph reviews written for all of his films, and finish them all off with most to least favorite rankings of the movies reviewed below. Enjoy...<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Bottle Rocket (1996)</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://materialisticboy.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/bottle_rocket_1996_685x385.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://materialisticboy.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/bottle_rocket_1996_685x385.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Anderson released his debut film "Bottle Rocket" in 1996 (which is also adapted from his 1994 short film of the same name), which stars Owen Wilson (also co-wrote the script), Luke Wilson and Robert Musgrave as a trio of friends trying to pull off a simple robbery and go on the lam. Even though it may be classified as a crime film, it's also a smart comedy infused with moments of hilarious yet sophisticated moments of humor. The three leads are all terrific, but Owen Wilson is the true scene stealer as the trio's leader Dignan. Beautifully directed by Anderson, in addition to constructing the most hilarious "robbery gone wrong" I've seen so far, "Bottle Rocket" is a very solid debut for both Anderson and the Wilson brothers.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: large;">Final Grade: B+</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Rushmore (1998)</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://img2-3.timeinc.net/ew/i/2011/11/14/rushmore_320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://img2-3.timeinc.net/ew/i/2011/11/14/rushmore_320.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">Anderson's second movie "Rushmore" though, is the one that I think is one of his most mature </span>in his filmography alongside "The Darjeeling Limited." Jason Schwartzman delivers one of the best debut performances I've seen as Max Fischer, an eccentric student at the Rushmore Academy that focuses way more on extracurricular activities than his academic grades. He holds his own to a great degree alongside Bill Murray, who delivers a funny, yet very genuine performance as a depressed father of two looking for redemption is his life. Anderson not only delivers on the hilarious moments of dry humor, but also delivers an extremely convincing coming-of-age story in the essence of standing as a film for this generation similar to "The Graduate."<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Final Grade: A-</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.forgetthebox.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/the-royal-tenenbaums-23-11-09-kc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://www.forgetthebox.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/the-royal-tenenbaums-23-11-09-kc.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">Probably my favorite of Anderson's films, "The Royal Tenenbaums" put a new spin on the dysfunctional </span>family movie, with a film that features the best ensemble cast out of the rest of his productions. Gene Hackman's performance as Royal Tenenbaum is a stunning revelation, in addition to the rest of the ensemble perfectly nailing down Anderson's balance of dry wit and melancholic expressions. This is also the only film that netted an Oscar nomination for Anderson (and Owen Wilson) in his career so far. A thorough character study of a fragmented family that will have you laugh out loud one second and feel misty-eyed the next, "The Royal Tenenbaums" is in my opinion Wes Anderson's finest work to date!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Final Grade: A</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.beadesigngroup.com/blog/archives/LifeAquatic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="209" src="http://www.beadesigngroup.com/blog/archives/LifeAquatic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">The first of his films to not be written with Owen Wilson and without a doubt the most eccentric and different of Wes Anderon's movies, "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" is still a definitive piece of cinema that highlights all of Anderon's classic filmmaking trademarks. </span>Featuring another terrific ensemble cast, this time led by Bill Murray who plays eccentric oceanographer Steve Zissou, who takes his team on a mission to kill the shark that murdered his friend. Bill Murray delivers a performance that's right alongside the dramatic and comedic caliber of his in "Lost In Translation," and has great backup from his supporting cast, most notably Owen Wilson, Cate Blanchett and Willem Dafoe. I clearly understand why this is his most mixed reviewed film, but I feel that rewatches are crucial to fully engrossing the weird, yet comedic nature of the film's setting.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Final Grade: B+</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Darjeeling Limited (2007)</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><a href="http://aka.media.entertainment.sky.com/image/unscaled/2009/3/27/The-Darjeeling-Limited06.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://aka.media.entertainment.sky.com/image/unscaled/2009/3/27/The-Darjeeling-Limited06.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div><div style="text-align: left;">By far Anderson's most underrated film,"The Darjeeling Limited" is also Anderson's best crafted work to date. A story of three brothers (Owen Wilson,Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman) with a fragmented past, who take a train journey across India to experience a "spiritual journey" to bring them back together. All of Anderson's trademarks are easy point out, but the Indian landscape enhances the primary color palette cinematography to the greatest degrees than any of his other films had before. Like "Rushmore," this film is extremely mature, especially towards the end of the second act. A film more for the most diehard fans of Anderson's work, "The Darjeeling Limited" is still a brilliant film with the finest blend of comedy and family drama.</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Final Grade: A</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://cf1.imgobject.com/backdrops/f3c/4d9f12997b9aa109f8001f3c/fantastic-mr-fox-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://cf1.imgobject.com/backdrops/f3c/4d9f12997b9aa109f8001f3c/fantastic-mr-fox-poster.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">Marking Anderson's foray into the world of stop motion animation, his adaptation of Roald Dahl's classic children's novel is one of the best animated films of the 2000-2009 decade. Already working with an impeccable voice cast, the film is gloriously detailed in its animation, and it includes the classic Wes Anderson primary colors landscape of the setting. Even working for the first time in the animation field, the film still feels like a good old Wes Anderson film, as his trademarks appear everywhere to the viewpoints of his most devoted fans. </span>It may be short, but "Fantastic Mr. Fox" is a beautifully detailed, hilarious animated film that shows that Wes Anderson is able to branch out into other fields of cinema.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Final Grade: A</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><u><span style="font-size: large;">Final Rankings</span></u></div><div style="text-align: left;"><u><span style="font-size: large;"></span></u><span style="font-size: large;">1. The Royal Tenenbaums</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">2. The Darjeeling Limited</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">3. Fantastic Mr. Fox</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">4. Rushmore</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">5. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">6. Bottle Rocket </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610063597848676490.post-64079107704304098052012-01-16T08:52:00.000-08:002012-02-15T07:58:48.411-08:00Haywire (2012)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.upcoming-movies.com/image/haywire-movie-poster-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://www.upcoming-movies.com/image/haywire-movie-poster-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>You know the archetype of there being one film released during January that actually turns out decent? Well look no further, because Steven Soderbergh's "Haywire" perfectly fits that description. This has been my most anticipated film for the month of January, and I had the special privilege of seeing it at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. So does it stand alongside other great femme fatale action films like "La Femme Nikita" and the "Kill Bill," or is it a rugged entry in director Steven Soderbergh's lengthy filmography?<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Mallory Kane (Gina Carano) is a female covert operative that's hired to perform jobs across the globe that the government can't authorize. After successfully completing a hostage rescue mission in Barcelona, she's immediately dispatched on another mission to Dublin. However, the operation goes awry and she gets double crossed in the process. Mallory decides to utilize all of her skills and tactics to escape an international manhunt warranted on her, and to exact revenge on those who betrayed her. Now while the film's plot is derivative, don't let that stop you from being entertained, because this is definitely the first good movie to release in January this year.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://rukkle.com/wp-content/uploads/gina-carano-haywire-movie-620X400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="http://rukkle.com/wp-content/uploads/gina-carano-haywire-movie-620X400.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Retired MMA fighter also known as the gladiator "Crush" in NBC's short revival of "American Gladiators," Gina Carano makes her feature film acting debut as covert operative Mallory Kane. Her line delivery is one-note and flat at several times, but she certainly shines in the film's action sequences. Carano's background as an MMA fighter translates to visceral hand-to-hand-combat beauty, mostly due to the fact that she did all of her own stunts as well. The film highlights a great supporting cast which includes Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender, Channing Tatum, Bill Paxton, Antonio Banderas, and Michael Douglas. All of them deliver solid performances in their roles, especially with some of them working with characters that don't appear much in the film (Banderas and Douglas). Props to director Steven Soderbergh as well for getting me to say that I actually thought Channing Tatum was actually decent in his acting, which is a rare compliment I give regarding to how much of a below average actor I think Tatum is.<br />
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After delivering with the solid ensemble disease drama "Contagion," director Steven Soderbergh continues to prove that he's one of the most versatile actors in Hollywood, especially when he works a big A-list ensemble cast. Though the material he's working with is derivative, Soderbergh still manages to make it own. He chooses to forgo kinetic scores and handheld camera style when filming the action scenes, and instead relies on wide static angles and the sound of raw, visceral sound of realistic punches and kicks. Additionally, the marketing for this film is a tad misleading, because it's being promoted as an all-out action thriller, but it's really more of a low-key, visceral action film with a fair use of indie conventions.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://thefilmstage.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Steven-Soderbergh-Haywire-image-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://thefilmstage.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Steven-Soderbergh-Haywire-image-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Even though "Haywire" is a solid entry in the month of January, there were two key things that prevented me from loving it. First off, the explanation of why they betrayed Mallory in the first place felt lazy and unfulfilling. In addition, the ending is bound to divide certain crowds once the film is released to the public. While it does end on a clever note, it left me wanting to see the big final payoff and the film just ending at the point didn't do the final act complete justice. Screenwriter Lem Dobbs' script is infused with archetypes of revenge and double-crossing, and if it wasn't in the hands of Soderbergh, the final outcome would've been entirely different.<br />
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Despite the minor flaws, "Haywire" is a stylish low-key, visceral action film succeeding on director Steven Soderbergh's smart filming style and great utilization of his A-list ensemble cast. While her acting will improve over time, Gina Carano is bound to be a future action star in the making, because she definitely proves herself as one with her solid lead performance in this film. Thankfully it didn't take too long for the first good film to release during January, so be sure to check out "Haywire" once it releases, but don't expect it to be an action movie in terms of the majority of the ones released in the past few years. Instead, expect it to be a little bit like last year's "Hanna," where while it's coined as an action movie, it's made in a style that sets itself apart from the conventions shown in today's array of movies from that genre.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Final Grade: B</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Review of "Haywire" on Youtube</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/OJWuhYWcITo?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4