Rated PG-13 for some sensuality and violence.
Starring Saoirse
Ronan, Jake Abel, Max Irons, Chandler Canterbury, Frances Fisher, Diane
Kruger, William Hurt, Boyd Holbrook, Scott Lawrence, Lee Hardee, Phil
Austin, Raeden Greer, Alexandria Morrow, Emily Browning.
Written and directed by Andrew Niccol, based on the novel by Stephenie Meyer.
GRADE: ** (two out of four stars)
GOSPEL-DOCTRINE-O-METER: (2 & 1/2 our of four Moronis) Okay, it's another story written by a member of the LDS Church, but you really couldn't tell by watching The Host. There is a vague undertone of free agency at work in the film, but mostly, it's about survival and stupid, sappy romance (very much like another series of books by a certain LDS author). It should also be noted that the main female lead does not exactly live the law of chastity, but in a universe where God has allowed bug-like aliens to inhabit human bodies, you might let that one pass.
In the aftermath of the success of the Twilight books
and film series, it was inevitable that Stephenie Meyer would write
again. It was also inevitable that any of her writings would be fodder
for another movie or series of movies, which is why we have The Host (based on Meyer's latest novel) in theaters this weekend.
The Host is
the story of how Earth is invaded by glowing caterpillar-like aliens
who insert themselves into the bodies of humans and overtake their
psyches. After implantation, the human hosts appear normal and healthy,
except for their eyes, which have a neon-blue glow. The aliens, known as
“souls,” clean up the planet and create a global utopian society.
Nearly all humans are inhabited by the souls, except for a handful who
resist. One of the resistance is Melanie (Saoirse Ronan), a young woman
on the run from alien “seekers” while trying to keep her little brother
Jamie (Chandler Canterbury) safe. While avoiding seekers, Melanie runs
into another uninhabited human named Jared (Max Irons) and the two young
people fall in love. Melanie eventually gets caught by the seekers and
becomes the host body for Soul Wanderer, a new alien arrival. Melanie's
real soul resists the alien presence, and eventually tricks Wanderer
into going to the desert compound of her uncle Jeb (William Hurt), where
more resistance humans live in an underground cavern and hold out
against alien intrusion.
After Wanderer and Melanie arrive, most
of Jeb's people try to kill her, since her eyes possess the telltale
blue glow. Jeb keeps the gang from killing Melanie's body, while the
real Melanie (speaking as a voice in the head of her own body)
constantly argues with Wanderer about their next move. Wanderer
eventually wins over the humans' trust, as Jared realizes that his
girlfriend is alive and well inside Melanie's body.
Complicating things
more is a new romance between Wanderer and Ian (Jake Abel), forming a
“love square” (as opposed to a triangle). As Ian and Jared split time
schmoozing two different women inside the same body, a persistent seeker
named “Seeker” (Diane Kruger) hunts Wanderer with great conviction,
utilizing all the resources and technology at her disposal (most of
which are chrome-plated sports cars and helicopters).
As Seeker
gets closer, Wanderer reevaluates the morality of stripping humans of
their free will. She must decide whether to sacrifice herself on behalf
of Melanie or keep on possessing her human host.
The Host is
a strange and sometimes imaginative science fiction tale, but it has
all the earmarks of a Stephenie Meyer story. As she did with vampires,
Meyer has taken alien invasion/sci-fi genre to another level by
inserting a sappy love story right in the middle of it.
While some of the quirks of Meyer's alien invasion world are interesting, The Host is
bogged down by all that sappy romance, which is complimented by a lot
of silly dialogue, especially between Melanie's “voice” inside her own
head being controlled by Wanderer. Saoirse Ronan spends most of the
two-hour movie arguing with herself as Melanie and Wanderer, which does
not appeal to folks who like their science fiction with a little more
action and special effects. It also seems that Meyer has some sort of
fixation on having her main female characters being pursued by more than
one hunky lead male – and haven't we all had enough of that already?
One bright spot in The Host is
William Hurt, who delivers a solid performance, giving the film some
much needed gravitas. Other very capable actors (Kruger – and an
underutilized Frances Fisher as one of Jeb's clan) seem wasted in a very
boring romance drama disguised as a science fiction thriller.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Dan's Review: The Croods
Rated PG for some scary action.
Starring (voices of) Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, Cloris Leachman, Clark Duke, Chris Sanders, Randy Thom.
Written and Directed by Chris Sanders and Kirk De Micco.
GRADE:*** out of four stars
GOSPEL-DOCTRINE-O-METER: (3 &1/2 out of four Moronis) While avoiding an argument about creationism versus evolution, allow me to suggest that despite the absence of any notion of Adam and Eve, The Croods has a lot of good things to say about what it means to be a family in the most difficult of settings. There are a lot of great family gospel truths in The Croods, including a husband and wife who "..have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children." Grug (the Crood patriarch) indeed provides for the family's physical needs, and learns to grow himself while discharging his duties. He also learns from his mistakes and helps bring the family closer together.
Pixar may yet be the reigning king of the hill when it comes to computer animated feature films, but other studios are rapidly closing the gap. Dreamworks Animation is the clear runner-up with solid franchises such as Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar, and How To Train Your Dragon. While most of the Dreamworks films are visually impressive, their stories and scripts aren't always top-notch, which may be why they have yet to overtake Pixar's dominance.
The latest Dreamworks animated feature is The Croods, the story of a caveman and his efforts to save his family from global catastrophe. Nicolas Cage voices Grug, an overcautious caveman with a lot of safety rules, most of which involve retreating to the family cave at the slightest hint of danger – real or imagined. Grug's teenage daughter Eep (Emma Stone) resists her father's tight rule at any opportunity, while longing for a life outside the cave.
One night, Eep steals away from the family cavern, and meets Guy (Ryan Reynolds), a young man with a lot of innovative ideas and the knowledge of how to make fire. Guy also knows the aforementioned global catastrophe is on its way, and plans to stay ahead of it. When an earthquake destroys the family cave, Grug is forced to follow Guy into a jungle where strange new creatures roam. Eep (who is taken by Guy's charm and intelligence), Grug's wife Ugga (Catherine Keener), his son Thunk (Clark Duke), his savage toddler daughter Sandy (Randy Thom) and his mother-in-law Gran (Cloris Leachman) tag along as well.
As Grug's family encounters all kinds of new adventures, Guy leads them along, introducing new ways of thinking, which threatens Grug's authority and paranoid habits. As Eep falls in love with Guy and the “End of the World” fast approaches, Grug must learn to evolve, or lose everything dear to him.
The Croods is a fun movie that can be enjoyed by the whole family. The computerized animation is up to par with the best Pixar films, while the action and humor keep the story moving. The humor in The Croods is hit and miss, but funny enough to keep kids in stitches. The outcome of the Croods' saga is easy to see coming, and barely brushes with the kind fatherly sentimentality last seen in Finding Nemo.
Some of the odd creatures and bright colored prehistoric landscapes in The Croods might be a little weird to some, but you can't help but be awed by the technological spectacle of it all. It's odd how far computerized animation has advanced in the past two decades, and the improvement of animation technology since Toy Story blew us away.
The Croods may not be the best family film of the year, but it's good enough to keep computerized animation from returning to the Stone Age.
Starring (voices of) Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, Cloris Leachman, Clark Duke, Chris Sanders, Randy Thom.
Written and Directed by Chris Sanders and Kirk De Micco.
GRADE:*** out of four stars
GOSPEL-DOCTRINE-O-METER: (3 &1/2 out of four Moronis) While avoiding an argument about creationism versus evolution, allow me to suggest that despite the absence of any notion of Adam and Eve, The Croods has a lot of good things to say about what it means to be a family in the most difficult of settings. There are a lot of great family gospel truths in The Croods, including a husband and wife who "..have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children." Grug (the Crood patriarch) indeed provides for the family's physical needs, and learns to grow himself while discharging his duties. He also learns from his mistakes and helps bring the family closer together.
Pixar may yet be the reigning king of the hill when it comes to computer animated feature films, but other studios are rapidly closing the gap. Dreamworks Animation is the clear runner-up with solid franchises such as Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar, and How To Train Your Dragon. While most of the Dreamworks films are visually impressive, their stories and scripts aren't always top-notch, which may be why they have yet to overtake Pixar's dominance.
The latest Dreamworks animated feature is The Croods, the story of a caveman and his efforts to save his family from global catastrophe. Nicolas Cage voices Grug, an overcautious caveman with a lot of safety rules, most of which involve retreating to the family cave at the slightest hint of danger – real or imagined. Grug's teenage daughter Eep (Emma Stone) resists her father's tight rule at any opportunity, while longing for a life outside the cave.
One night, Eep steals away from the family cavern, and meets Guy (Ryan Reynolds), a young man with a lot of innovative ideas and the knowledge of how to make fire. Guy also knows the aforementioned global catastrophe is on its way, and plans to stay ahead of it. When an earthquake destroys the family cave, Grug is forced to follow Guy into a jungle where strange new creatures roam. Eep (who is taken by Guy's charm and intelligence), Grug's wife Ugga (Catherine Keener), his son Thunk (Clark Duke), his savage toddler daughter Sandy (Randy Thom) and his mother-in-law Gran (Cloris Leachman) tag along as well.
As Grug's family encounters all kinds of new adventures, Guy leads them along, introducing new ways of thinking, which threatens Grug's authority and paranoid habits. As Eep falls in love with Guy and the “End of the World” fast approaches, Grug must learn to evolve, or lose everything dear to him.
The Croods is a fun movie that can be enjoyed by the whole family. The computerized animation is up to par with the best Pixar films, while the action and humor keep the story moving. The humor in The Croods is hit and miss, but funny enough to keep kids in stitches. The outcome of the Croods' saga is easy to see coming, and barely brushes with the kind fatherly sentimentality last seen in Finding Nemo.
Some of the odd creatures and bright colored prehistoric landscapes in The Croods might be a little weird to some, but you can't help but be awed by the technological spectacle of it all. It's odd how far computerized animation has advanced in the past two decades, and the improvement of animation technology since Toy Story blew us away.
The Croods may not be the best family film of the year, but it's good enough to keep computerized animation from returning to the Stone Age.
Dan's Review: Olympus Has Fallen
Rated R for strong violence and language throughout.
Starring Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Finley Jacobsen, Dylan McDermott, Rick Yune, Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett, Melissa Leo, Radha Mitchell, Cole Hauser, Phil Austin, James Ingersoll, Freddy Bosche, Lance Broadway, Robert Forster, Ashley Judd.
Written by Creighton Rothenberger and Katrin Benedikt.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua.
GRADE: *** out of four stars
GOSPEL-DOCTRINE-O-METER: (3 out of four Moronis) There is a lot of heroism, redemption and selfless sacrifice seen in Olympus Has Fallen, albeit among a lot of graphic violence and over-the-top patriotism. You might leave the theater feeling better about America, but perhaps a little embarrassed at the silly, heavy-handed delivery of such messages. Also, we finally get to see a Mormon in the White House (okay, Aaron Eckhart isn't a practicing member of the LDS faith, but he did serve a mission).
It's a sad state of affairs when you run out of politically-correct enemies in movies. It used to be cool to vilify the Russians, then Arab terrorists, then the Chinese. With the fluid nature of global/political conflict, the list of acceptable bad guys is getting short (What's next? The Canadians?). For example, the recent “Red Dawn” remake suffered through a big, expensive re-shoot after Chinese film distributors disapproved of the movie's original villains (The Chinese), forcing producers to replace them with North Koreans. It is those same North Koreans who are the play the antagonists in “Olympus Has Fallen,” the story of a terrorist attack on The White House.
Gerard Butler plays former secret service agent Mike Banning, working a boring desk job at the Treasury Department following an unfortunate mishap involving the president's family. It's several months after the tragic event when a group of North Korean terrorists launch an attack on the White House. Banning jumps into the battle, dodging a hail of bullets and explosions until he gets inside the White House.
In the basement, the terrorists, led by the evil Kang (Rick Yune) are holding the president (Aaron Eckhart), the vice president (Phil Austin) the secretary of State (Melissa Leo) and most of the president's staff hostage. Under such a crisis, the de facto presidency falls to the speaker of the House of Representatives Trumbull (Morgan Freeman), who consults with intelligence and military leaders.
Meanwhile back inside the White House, Banning turns out to be the only good guy left alive, as he fights to ward off Kang's henchmen while establishing communication with Trumbull and the rest of the people in charge. Banning is entrusted by Trumbull to locate the president's son (Finley Jacobsen) before Kang can capture him and threaten the boy's life to force the president into divulging a secret code that will make all the country's nuclear missiles explode inside their silos.
As the situation escalates, Banning must get to the bunker before Kang can execute all the president's staff and set off an apocalypse.
“Olympus Has Fallen” is one of the most ridiculous action films ever made, and aside from the Washington D.C. setting (actually shot in New Orleans), it is nearly an exact copy of the original “Die Hard” (1988), right down to the lone hero leaping to safety as a botched helicopter rescue goes awry on the roof. The movie is full of implausible plot twists and silly conveniences that are hard to take seriously, and inspire more laughter than cheers. Speaking of cheers, “Olympus Has Fallen” is one long pep rally for the good old U.S. of A., teetering on full-fledged jingoism, like a live-action version of ”Team America: World Police.” The patriotism seethes through with every macho-patriotic one-liner, adding to the unintentional comedy. Despite the absurdity of the story and script, “Olympus Has Fallen” is a lot of fun, if you can suspend belief and have a good laugh at such patriotic extremes.
Olympus Has Fallen’ is rated R for good reason, with plenty of salty language and an abundance of gory violence, most of which comes in the form of dozens of people taking gunshots to the head. Some of those scenes add to the unintentional comedy, but be warned that it makes “Die Hard” seem like a Disney Channel show in comparison.
Starring Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Finley Jacobsen, Dylan McDermott, Rick Yune, Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett, Melissa Leo, Radha Mitchell, Cole Hauser, Phil Austin, James Ingersoll, Freddy Bosche, Lance Broadway, Robert Forster, Ashley Judd.
Written by Creighton Rothenberger and Katrin Benedikt.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua.
GRADE: *** out of four stars
GOSPEL-DOCTRINE-O-METER: (3 out of four Moronis) There is a lot of heroism, redemption and selfless sacrifice seen in Olympus Has Fallen, albeit among a lot of graphic violence and over-the-top patriotism. You might leave the theater feeling better about America, but perhaps a little embarrassed at the silly, heavy-handed delivery of such messages. Also, we finally get to see a Mormon in the White House (okay, Aaron Eckhart isn't a practicing member of the LDS faith, but he did serve a mission).
It's a sad state of affairs when you run out of politically-correct enemies in movies. It used to be cool to vilify the Russians, then Arab terrorists, then the Chinese. With the fluid nature of global/political conflict, the list of acceptable bad guys is getting short (What's next? The Canadians?). For example, the recent “Red Dawn” remake suffered through a big, expensive re-shoot after Chinese film distributors disapproved of the movie's original villains (The Chinese), forcing producers to replace them with North Koreans. It is those same North Koreans who are the play the antagonists in “Olympus Has Fallen,” the story of a terrorist attack on The White House.
Gerard Butler plays former secret service agent Mike Banning, working a boring desk job at the Treasury Department following an unfortunate mishap involving the president's family. It's several months after the tragic event when a group of North Korean terrorists launch an attack on the White House. Banning jumps into the battle, dodging a hail of bullets and explosions until he gets inside the White House.
In the basement, the terrorists, led by the evil Kang (Rick Yune) are holding the president (Aaron Eckhart), the vice president (Phil Austin) the secretary of State (Melissa Leo) and most of the president's staff hostage. Under such a crisis, the de facto presidency falls to the speaker of the House of Representatives Trumbull (Morgan Freeman), who consults with intelligence and military leaders.
Meanwhile back inside the White House, Banning turns out to be the only good guy left alive, as he fights to ward off Kang's henchmen while establishing communication with Trumbull and the rest of the people in charge. Banning is entrusted by Trumbull to locate the president's son (Finley Jacobsen) before Kang can capture him and threaten the boy's life to force the president into divulging a secret code that will make all the country's nuclear missiles explode inside their silos.
As the situation escalates, Banning must get to the bunker before Kang can execute all the president's staff and set off an apocalypse.
“Olympus Has Fallen” is one of the most ridiculous action films ever made, and aside from the Washington D.C. setting (actually shot in New Orleans), it is nearly an exact copy of the original “Die Hard” (1988), right down to the lone hero leaping to safety as a botched helicopter rescue goes awry on the roof. The movie is full of implausible plot twists and silly conveniences that are hard to take seriously, and inspire more laughter than cheers. Speaking of cheers, “Olympus Has Fallen” is one long pep rally for the good old U.S. of A., teetering on full-fledged jingoism, like a live-action version of ”Team America: World Police.” The patriotism seethes through with every macho-patriotic one-liner, adding to the unintentional comedy. Despite the absurdity of the story and script, “Olympus Has Fallen” is a lot of fun, if you can suspend belief and have a good laugh at such patriotic extremes.
Olympus Has Fallen’ is rated R for good reason, with plenty of salty language and an abundance of gory violence, most of which comes in the form of dozens of people taking gunshots to the head. Some of those scenes add to the unintentional comedy, but be warned that it makes “Die Hard” seem like a Disney Channel show in comparison.
Dan's Review: Admission
Rated PG-13 for language and some sexual material.
Starring Tina Fey,Paul Rudd,Michael Sheen,Lily Tomlin,Wallace Shawn,Nat Wolff,Gloria Reuben,Travaris Spears, Sonya Walger.
Written by Karen Croner, based on the novel by Jean Hanff Korelitz.
Directed by Paul Weitz.
GRADE: ** & 1/2 out of four stars
GOSPEL-DOCTRINE-O-METER: (One Moroni out of four) Admission has all the appearance of being a sweet story of a middle-aged woman coping with motherhood and her career. There are a few moments of learning to be more selfless, but such messages are mired in a dull movie with plenty of sexual misbehavior.
Comedian Carol Leifer once told a joke about getting accepted into a community college and that the only requirement an applicant needed was a pen. That pretty much describes my entry into higher education, even though I since excelled beyond such humble beginnings and acquired a graduate degree. For others who aspire to get into more prestigious institutions, entry is a little harder, and competition is a little more intense. Such is the setting for “Admission”, a new film starring Tina Fey as a Princeton University “Admission”s officer who struggles with professional ethics and mid-life crisis.
Fey plays Portia, whose job it is to screen thousands of eager applicants who want to get into the prestigious Ivy League school. Her relationship with her professor/boyfriend (Micheal Sheen) hits the skids when he gets a fellow professor pregnant. Portia takes off on recruiting trip, where she ends up at a new-age alternative high school. There, she meets school director John (Paul Rudd), who introduces her to a gifted student named Jeremiah (Nat Wolff), who wants more than anything to attend Princeton. John is also convinced that Jeremiah is Portia's illegitimate son she gave up for adoption 18 years earlier.
As Portia reviews Jeremiah's application, she dismisses the obvious conflict of interest and does all she can to promote him for acceptance. Further complicating the issue is budding romance with John, who struggles with the need to travel the world. John's wanderings are a strain on his adopted son Nelson (Tavaris Spears), who longs for a little stability. Portia's mother Susannah (Lily Tomlin) offers little comfort during her trials due to an overabundance of progressive ideas.
As the deadline for selecting Princeton's newest freshman class nears, Portia must decide whether to take drastic measures on behalf of a boy who may or may not be her son and whether to pursue a serious relationship with John.
“Admission” isn't a terrible film. It has the charm of Fey, who does an adequate job of playing a conflicted professional working woman. Paul Rudd turns in an equally adequate performance, while Lily Tomlin delivers her usual laughs.
“Admission” is supposed to be a romantic comedy, but it isn't that funny, nor romantic, nor touching. Although director Paul Weitz tries to make a movie like his more sentimental “About a Boy” (2002), “Admission” has the distinction of being a movie without much distinction. It's a film stuck somewhere between commentary on the cruelty of snooty college admissions and middle-aged maternal instincts. I suppose the so-called “conflict” represented in the movie doesn't exactly strike me as being all that bad. I mean, when the main struggle is centered around getting into Princeton, that doesn't seem like the end of the world to a guy who is proud of his community college roots.
Starring Tina Fey,Paul Rudd,Michael Sheen,Lily Tomlin,Wallace Shawn,Nat Wolff,Gloria Reuben,Travaris Spears, Sonya Walger.
Written by Karen Croner, based on the novel by Jean Hanff Korelitz.
Directed by Paul Weitz.
GRADE: ** & 1/2 out of four stars
GOSPEL-DOCTRINE-O-METER: (One Moroni out of four) Admission has all the appearance of being a sweet story of a middle-aged woman coping with motherhood and her career. There are a few moments of learning to be more selfless, but such messages are mired in a dull movie with plenty of sexual misbehavior.
Comedian Carol Leifer once told a joke about getting accepted into a community college and that the only requirement an applicant needed was a pen. That pretty much describes my entry into higher education, even though I since excelled beyond such humble beginnings and acquired a graduate degree. For others who aspire to get into more prestigious institutions, entry is a little harder, and competition is a little more intense. Such is the setting for “Admission”, a new film starring Tina Fey as a Princeton University “Admission”s officer who struggles with professional ethics and mid-life crisis.
Fey plays Portia, whose job it is to screen thousands of eager applicants who want to get into the prestigious Ivy League school. Her relationship with her professor/boyfriend (Micheal Sheen) hits the skids when he gets a fellow professor pregnant. Portia takes off on recruiting trip, where she ends up at a new-age alternative high school. There, she meets school director John (Paul Rudd), who introduces her to a gifted student named Jeremiah (Nat Wolff), who wants more than anything to attend Princeton. John is also convinced that Jeremiah is Portia's illegitimate son she gave up for adoption 18 years earlier.
As Portia reviews Jeremiah's application, she dismisses the obvious conflict of interest and does all she can to promote him for acceptance. Further complicating the issue is budding romance with John, who struggles with the need to travel the world. John's wanderings are a strain on his adopted son Nelson (Tavaris Spears), who longs for a little stability. Portia's mother Susannah (Lily Tomlin) offers little comfort during her trials due to an overabundance of progressive ideas.
As the deadline for selecting Princeton's newest freshman class nears, Portia must decide whether to take drastic measures on behalf of a boy who may or may not be her son and whether to pursue a serious relationship with John.
“Admission” isn't a terrible film. It has the charm of Fey, who does an adequate job of playing a conflicted professional working woman. Paul Rudd turns in an equally adequate performance, while Lily Tomlin delivers her usual laughs.
“Admission” is supposed to be a romantic comedy, but it isn't that funny, nor romantic, nor touching. Although director Paul Weitz tries to make a movie like his more sentimental “About a Boy” (2002), “Admission” has the distinction of being a movie without much distinction. It's a film stuck somewhere between commentary on the cruelty of snooty college admissions and middle-aged maternal instincts. I suppose the so-called “conflict” represented in the movie doesn't exactly strike me as being all that bad. I mean, when the main struggle is centered around getting into Princeton, that doesn't seem like the end of the world to a guy who is proud of his community college roots.
Dan's Review: Stoker
Rated R for disturbing violent and sexual content.
Starring Mia Wasikowska, Matthew Goode, Nicole Kidman, Dermot Mulroney, Jacki Weaver, Lucas Till, Alden Ehrenreich, Phyllis Somerville, Ralph Brown, Judith Godrèche.
Written by Wentworth Miller and Erin Cressida Wilson.
Directed by Chan-wook Park.
GRADE: *** (three our of four stars)
GOSPEL-DOCTRINE-O-METER: (zero Moronis out of four) Stoker is the tale of an 18-year-old girl who has a creepy uncle, and is drawn to his evil tendencies. While a visually-compelling horror/thriller, Stoker doesn't offer up any gospel principles, except perhaps what "not to do."
Everyone has a creepy relative. Sometimes those odd family members can have a negative influence on the entire group, and sometimes the “black sheep” rubs off on others. That's the premise of Stoker, Korean director Park Chan-Wook's English-speaking debut film about an evil uncle's influence over his eccentric 18-year-old niece.
Mia Wasikowska plays India Stoker, an odd teen-aged girl raised by an imaginative father (Dermott Mulrooney) and cold-hearted socialite mother (Nicole Kidman). After the untimely death of India's father in an apparent car crash, her father's brother Charlie (Matthew Goode) comes to visit during the funeral. Uncle Charlie has been away for several years, supposedly traveling the world. His negative influence over other the Stoker estate staff and extended family is immediately felt, and some of them begin to disappear under mysterious circumstances.
India suspects Charlie is behind some of the disappearances, but is nevertheless drawn to his charms. As she discovers that Uncle Charlie may be a serial murderer with a disturbing past, she is torn between disgust and fascination over his macabre ways. She must decide whether to embrace her own hereditary evil tendencies or to follow a different path.
“Stoker” is a Gothic horror tale with a lot of similarities to Hitchcock's classic “Shadow of a Doubt” (1943). The antagonist in both films is named Uncle Charlie and both characters may or may be serial killers. Park Chan-Wook's interpretation of Wentworth Miller and Erin Cressida Wilson's script may or may not be an homage to Hitchcock, but such comparisons shouldn't detract from “Stoker's” superb tension and brilliant cinematography.
Matthew Goode is especially brilliant as the creepy Uncle Charlie, while Mia Wasikowska's quirky performance is more than adequate. Kidman turns in her usual competent performance, but her presence doesn't add much to the movie, despite her star qualities.
“Stoker” is rated R for a fair amount of disturbing violence and one scene of sexuality involving Wasikowska.
“Stoker” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January and opened Friday at The Broadway Centre Theater in Salt Lake City (111 E Broadway).
Starring Mia Wasikowska, Matthew Goode, Nicole Kidman, Dermot Mulroney, Jacki Weaver, Lucas Till, Alden Ehrenreich, Phyllis Somerville, Ralph Brown, Judith Godrèche.
Written by Wentworth Miller and Erin Cressida Wilson.
Directed by Chan-wook Park.
GRADE: *** (three our of four stars)
GOSPEL-DOCTRINE-O-METER: (zero Moronis out of four) Stoker is the tale of an 18-year-old girl who has a creepy uncle, and is drawn to his evil tendencies. While a visually-compelling horror/thriller, Stoker doesn't offer up any gospel principles, except perhaps what "not to do."
Everyone has a creepy relative. Sometimes those odd family members can have a negative influence on the entire group, and sometimes the “black sheep” rubs off on others. That's the premise of Stoker, Korean director Park Chan-Wook's English-speaking debut film about an evil uncle's influence over his eccentric 18-year-old niece.
Mia Wasikowska plays India Stoker, an odd teen-aged girl raised by an imaginative father (Dermott Mulrooney) and cold-hearted socialite mother (Nicole Kidman). After the untimely death of India's father in an apparent car crash, her father's brother Charlie (Matthew Goode) comes to visit during the funeral. Uncle Charlie has been away for several years, supposedly traveling the world. His negative influence over other the Stoker estate staff and extended family is immediately felt, and some of them begin to disappear under mysterious circumstances.
India suspects Charlie is behind some of the disappearances, but is nevertheless drawn to his charms. As she discovers that Uncle Charlie may be a serial murderer with a disturbing past, she is torn between disgust and fascination over his macabre ways. She must decide whether to embrace her own hereditary evil tendencies or to follow a different path.
“Stoker” is a Gothic horror tale with a lot of similarities to Hitchcock's classic “Shadow of a Doubt” (1943). The antagonist in both films is named Uncle Charlie and both characters may or may be serial killers. Park Chan-Wook's interpretation of Wentworth Miller and Erin Cressida Wilson's script may or may not be an homage to Hitchcock, but such comparisons shouldn't detract from “Stoker's” superb tension and brilliant cinematography.
Matthew Goode is especially brilliant as the creepy Uncle Charlie, while Mia Wasikowska's quirky performance is more than adequate. Kidman turns in her usual competent performance, but her presence doesn't add much to the movie, despite her star qualities.
“Stoker” is rated R for a fair amount of disturbing violence and one scene of sexuality involving Wasikowska.
“Stoker” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January and opened Friday at The Broadway Centre Theater in Salt Lake City (111 E Broadway).
Dan's Review: Spring Breakers
Rated R for strong sexual content, language, nudity, drug use and violence throughout.
Starring James Franco, Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson, Rachel Korine, Gucci Mane.
Written and Directed by Harmony Korine.
GRADE: zero stars
GOSPEL-DOCTRINE-O-METER: Negative 10 Moronis out of four (-**********) This film is full of so much evil, it may be responsible for ushering in the Apocalypse. It's almost as if Satan himself produced the movie - except that might be giving Harmony Korine too much credit. He's obviously not as clever as Satan. Spring Breakers a modern depiction of Sodom and Gomorrah, except with less intelligent dialogue. Spring Breakers may also be the antonym for the 13th Article of Faith. There is nothing honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy to find in this movie, and if you seek after such things, look elsewhere.
For many college students, Spring Break is a rite of passage; a time for indulging in all kinds of debauchery and blowing off a little steam. For writer/director Harmony Korine, the annual twenty-something mecca to tropical beaches was the inspiration for Spring Breakers, the story of four college girls on a crime spree during Spring Break.
At this point in most of my reviews, I usually provide a plot synopsis – but since Spring B reakers doesn't really have a plot, I will digress and keep it brief. Suffice to say the movie is about four college girls who rob a fried chicken stand to obtain the cash they need to travel to Florida. The quartet consists of Cotty (Harmony's wife Rachel Korine), Brit (Ashley Benson), Candy (Vanessa Hudgens), and Faith (Selena Gomez). After robbing the chicken stand, the girls go to Florida and party down until they end up in jail. A rapper/drug lord named Alien (James Franco) bails the girls out and recruits them as his new posse. Faith (being the innocent Christian of the group) denies Alien's request and heads back to school. The other girls jump into Alien's world, leading them into conflict with a rival drug lord (Gucci Mane). That's pretty much it, and I really don't care if anyone sees this as a spoiler.
Spring Breakers is one of the worst movies I've seen in a long time, and that's saying something. I suppose Korine was going for some kind of satire in the film, but even if the bad acting, inane, repetitive dialogue and overindulgent tableau were intentional, all we are left with is an extremely awful movie.
I also suppose that the casting of two iconic Disney “princesses” (Gomez and Hudgens) in a film full of sex, nudity, binge drinking, heavy drug use, gun play and violence was also meant to inspire shock and awe, but it's less ironic than it is uncomfortable and disgusting. Gomez avoids any nudity or sex, but Hudgens jumps into all kinds of sordid behavior – a far cry from her role in the High School Musical series. Their performances are nothing more than awful caricatures, pretending to be the worst of people they could imagine, while using ridiculous southern accents.
Equally dreadful is Franco, who seems to be impersonating every stereotypical white guy who tries to be an urban black thug, right down to his cornrow hairstyle. Perhaps it's just another failed attempt at satire, but Franco's performance is more annoying than comical. Speaking of annoying things, one of the most irritating audio devices used by Korine is the continual use of a loud gun cocking sound that rings out in every scene transition. By the end of the film, you just hope the characters will use guns on themselves and put the audience out of their misery.
So even if you're tempted by some sort of perverted compulsion to see how far Disney princesses will go, do yourself a favor and stay away from Spring Breakers at all costs. This terrible movie isn't worth your time.
Starring James Franco, Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson, Rachel Korine, Gucci Mane.
Written and Directed by Harmony Korine.
GRADE: zero stars
GOSPEL-DOCTRINE-O-METER: Negative 10 Moronis out of four (-**********) This film is full of so much evil, it may be responsible for ushering in the Apocalypse. It's almost as if Satan himself produced the movie - except that might be giving Harmony Korine too much credit. He's obviously not as clever as Satan. Spring Breakers a modern depiction of Sodom and Gomorrah, except with less intelligent dialogue. Spring Breakers may also be the antonym for the 13th Article of Faith. There is nothing honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy to find in this movie, and if you seek after such things, look elsewhere.
For many college students, Spring Break is a rite of passage; a time for indulging in all kinds of debauchery and blowing off a little steam. For writer/director Harmony Korine, the annual twenty-something mecca to tropical beaches was the inspiration for Spring Breakers, the story of four college girls on a crime spree during Spring Break.
At this point in most of my reviews, I usually provide a plot synopsis – but since Spring B reakers doesn't really have a plot, I will digress and keep it brief. Suffice to say the movie is about four college girls who rob a fried chicken stand to obtain the cash they need to travel to Florida. The quartet consists of Cotty (Harmony's wife Rachel Korine), Brit (Ashley Benson), Candy (Vanessa Hudgens), and Faith (Selena Gomez). After robbing the chicken stand, the girls go to Florida and party down until they end up in jail. A rapper/drug lord named Alien (James Franco) bails the girls out and recruits them as his new posse. Faith (being the innocent Christian of the group) denies Alien's request and heads back to school. The other girls jump into Alien's world, leading them into conflict with a rival drug lord (Gucci Mane). That's pretty much it, and I really don't care if anyone sees this as a spoiler.
Spring Breakers is one of the worst movies I've seen in a long time, and that's saying something. I suppose Korine was going for some kind of satire in the film, but even if the bad acting, inane, repetitive dialogue and overindulgent tableau were intentional, all we are left with is an extremely awful movie.
I also suppose that the casting of two iconic Disney “princesses” (Gomez and Hudgens) in a film full of sex, nudity, binge drinking, heavy drug use, gun play and violence was also meant to inspire shock and awe, but it's less ironic than it is uncomfortable and disgusting. Gomez avoids any nudity or sex, but Hudgens jumps into all kinds of sordid behavior – a far cry from her role in the High School Musical series. Their performances are nothing more than awful caricatures, pretending to be the worst of people they could imagine, while using ridiculous southern accents.
Equally dreadful is Franco, who seems to be impersonating every stereotypical white guy who tries to be an urban black thug, right down to his cornrow hairstyle. Perhaps it's just another failed attempt at satire, but Franco's performance is more annoying than comical. Speaking of annoying things, one of the most irritating audio devices used by Korine is the continual use of a loud gun cocking sound that rings out in every scene transition. By the end of the film, you just hope the characters will use guns on themselves and put the audience out of their misery.
So even if you're tempted by some sort of perverted compulsion to see how far Disney princesses will go, do yourself a favor and stay away from Spring Breakers at all costs. This terrible movie isn't worth your time.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Dan's Review: The Incredible Burt Wonderstone
Rated PG-13 for sexual content, dangerous stunts, a drug-related incident and language.
Starring Steve Carell, Steve Buscemi, Olivia Wilde, Jim Carrey, James Gandolfini, Alan Arkin, Jay Mohr, Michael Herbig, Mason Cook, Luke Vanek, Zachary Gordon.
Written by Jonathan M. Goldstein, John Francis Daley, Chad Kultgen and Tyler Mitchell.
Directed by Don Scardino.GRADE: ** (two out of four stars)
GOSPEL-DOCTRINE-O-METER: ** (two Moronis our of four) The story of Burt Wonderstone is one of redemption and humility, but any good thing you might learn from the movie is embedded in a lot of stupid behavior and lack of morality.
Conventional wisdom suggests there's no such thing as magic. Nevertheless, select people are able to make a decent living as magicians, mostly in Las Vegas. Their success is contingent upon creating illusions via sleight of hand, diversion and technological developments. Such individuals are the subject of The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, starring Steve Carell as a magician in need of a little humility.
Carell plays Burt, a man who learned to love the art of performing magic while being picked on by bullies as a child. The young Burt meets with Anton (Steve Buscemi) and the two boys form a bond that takes them into adulthood as a famous Vegas casino headline act. Over the years, the two men who learned to love magic as children have become jaded celebrities with an act that has become redundant and stale. The duo has also managed to go through countless assistants (all named “Nicole”) until they end up with Jane (Olivia Wilde), a stagehand who has aspirations of becoming a magician herself.
As the Burt and Anton show begins to show signs of obvious decline, a “shock” magician (think: Chris Angel) street performer named Steve Gray (Jim Carrey) ascends to fame via the Internet. The combination of Steve “The Mind Rapist” Gray's act, their stale act and their failed friendship, Burt and Anton's act is canceled by casino owner Doug Munny (James Gandofini). Anton goes his separate way while Burt tries to find work in Vegas. Unable to succeed without Anton, Burt becomes destitute, ending up living in a motel and finding works as a magic performer in a retirement home for elderly Vegas acts. In the retirement home, Burt meets Rance Holloway (Alan Arkin), the man who inspired him to become a magician when Burt was a boy. Rance helps Burt realize what a creep he's been and helps him rediscover his passion for magic.
When the opportunity to headline Munny's newest casino comes along, Burt reunites with Anton and Jane to compete with Gray for another chance at stardom.
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone has its moments as a comedy, but it's a bad thing when the star of the film plays the least funny character. Carell's performance is uncomfortable and a little too creepy to pull off a magical farce. A close second in the “most uncomfortable” performance contest is Jim Carrey, whose antics seem out-of-place and as always, over-the-top. The only person whose performance doesn't evoke wincing is Arkin, who steals every scene he's in. Olivia Wilde is as lovely as ever, but seems miscast as a wide-eyed magician-in-waiting.
Some of the gags work, but most of the humor in The Incredible Burt Wonderstone is sub-par, leaving audiences with a less-than-magical feeling.
Starring Steve Carell, Steve Buscemi, Olivia Wilde, Jim Carrey, James Gandolfini, Alan Arkin, Jay Mohr, Michael Herbig, Mason Cook, Luke Vanek, Zachary Gordon.
Written by Jonathan M. Goldstein, John Francis Daley, Chad Kultgen and Tyler Mitchell.
Directed by Don Scardino.GRADE: ** (two out of four stars)
GOSPEL-DOCTRINE-O-METER: ** (two Moronis our of four) The story of Burt Wonderstone is one of redemption and humility, but any good thing you might learn from the movie is embedded in a lot of stupid behavior and lack of morality.
Conventional wisdom suggests there's no such thing as magic. Nevertheless, select people are able to make a decent living as magicians, mostly in Las Vegas. Their success is contingent upon creating illusions via sleight of hand, diversion and technological developments. Such individuals are the subject of The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, starring Steve Carell as a magician in need of a little humility.
Carell plays Burt, a man who learned to love the art of performing magic while being picked on by bullies as a child. The young Burt meets with Anton (Steve Buscemi) and the two boys form a bond that takes them into adulthood as a famous Vegas casino headline act. Over the years, the two men who learned to love magic as children have become jaded celebrities with an act that has become redundant and stale. The duo has also managed to go through countless assistants (all named “Nicole”) until they end up with Jane (Olivia Wilde), a stagehand who has aspirations of becoming a magician herself.
As the Burt and Anton show begins to show signs of obvious decline, a “shock” magician (think: Chris Angel) street performer named Steve Gray (Jim Carrey) ascends to fame via the Internet. The combination of Steve “The Mind Rapist” Gray's act, their stale act and their failed friendship, Burt and Anton's act is canceled by casino owner Doug Munny (James Gandofini). Anton goes his separate way while Burt tries to find work in Vegas. Unable to succeed without Anton, Burt becomes destitute, ending up living in a motel and finding works as a magic performer in a retirement home for elderly Vegas acts. In the retirement home, Burt meets Rance Holloway (Alan Arkin), the man who inspired him to become a magician when Burt was a boy. Rance helps Burt realize what a creep he's been and helps him rediscover his passion for magic.
When the opportunity to headline Munny's newest casino comes along, Burt reunites with Anton and Jane to compete with Gray for another chance at stardom.
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone has its moments as a comedy, but it's a bad thing when the star of the film plays the least funny character. Carell's performance is uncomfortable and a little too creepy to pull off a magical farce. A close second in the “most uncomfortable” performance contest is Jim Carrey, whose antics seem out-of-place and as always, over-the-top. The only person whose performance doesn't evoke wincing is Arkin, who steals every scene he's in. Olivia Wilde is as lovely as ever, but seems miscast as a wide-eyed magician-in-waiting.
Some of the gags work, but most of the humor in The Incredible Burt Wonderstone is sub-par, leaving audiences with a less-than-magical feeling.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Dan's Review: Oz The Great and Poweful
Rated PG for sequences of action and scary images, and brief mild language.
Starring James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, Zach Braff, Bill Cobbs, Joey King, Tony Cox, Stephen R. Hart, Abigail Spencer, Bruce Campbell.
Written by Mitchell Kapner and David Lindsay-Abaire, based on characters created by L. Frank Baum.
Directed by Sam Raimi.
GRADE: *** (three our of four stars)
GOSPEL-DOCTRINE-O-METER: (Three out of four Moronis) The prequel to the Wizard of Oz tells the story of a scam artist trying to become a better man while using his talents to help save the innocent people of Oz from evil witches. There are plenty of gospel truths in the movie, including repentance, redemption selfless sacrifice - and the tried and true conflict between good and evil.
REVIEW:
Back stories are often used by writers and other creative people to set up a great story. With the dearth of creative content available to big movie studios, those back stories are now prime targets for “prequels.” Such attempts to go back in time have been met with a plenty of criticism (Star Wars), some box office failure (The Thing) and plenty of success (X-Men). One of the reasons prequels are both successful and dreadful is perhaps the gnawing reminder that the principle characters are going to be okay, since you know they are going to turn up in the original story. The Wizard of Oz is the latest classic film to get a prequel in Oz The Great and Powerful.
James Franco plays Oscar “Oz” Diggs, a small-time circus magician and huckster who is caught up in a tornado and transported to the Land of Oz (suspiciously named after himself), where he encounters a witch named Theodora (Mila Kunis). Using his magic tricks, anyone who encounters Oz thinks he is a wizard, including Theodora.
The pair fall in love, but their relationship takes a turn for the worse when Theodora's evil sister Evanora (Rachel Weisz) tricks Oz into chasing after a third sister Glinda (Michelle Williams). Believing that Glinda is a “bad” witch, Oz takes off on a journey into the Dark Forest, along with Finley (voiced by Zach Braff), a flying monkey who owes him a life debt. Before meeting up with Glinda, Oz and Finley pick up a tag-along china doll (voiced by Joey King) whose entire village has been ransacked by evil flying baboons.
When Oz meets Glinda, he discovers she is not evil, but that Evanora has been playing him to destroy her and gain power over the entire kingdom. Evanora also tricks Theodora into partaking of a magic apple that enhances her own evil tendencies, while turning her skin green and changing her wardrobe into a more traditional “witchy” costume, (complete with pointed hat and accessorized by a flying broom).
As Oz learns of Evanora's evil plans, he also discovers the people of Oz, including a community of tinkers and seamstresses, along with their neighboring Munchkins. Oz must decide whether to come clean and admit that he is not a wizard, or use his intellect and cunning to defeat Evanora and Theodora.
Oz the Great and Powerful is a visually compelling film with a lot of humor and sentiment that compliments the original 1939 classic. That said, there are a few things that don't add up, including a missing pair of ruby slippers (due to a copyright restriction from MGM), and characters you know will live on, but don't seem like the same familiar roles from the original (Glinda's particular sing-songy voice is not really detectable in Williams' performance). There are other liberties taken by Sam Raimi and Disney in the Oz prequel, but not enough to make the film too distracting. Franco, Kunis, Williams and Weisz are more than adequate in their roles, but two new characters who steal most scenes happen to be computer animated (Finley and China Doll).
Despite possessing some of the familiar pitfalls of other prequels, Oz the Great and Powerful is a fine family treat that can be enjoyed by people who love The Wizard of Oz, - but don't take it too seriously.
Starring James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, Zach Braff, Bill Cobbs, Joey King, Tony Cox, Stephen R. Hart, Abigail Spencer, Bruce Campbell.
Written by Mitchell Kapner and David Lindsay-Abaire, based on characters created by L. Frank Baum.
Directed by Sam Raimi.
GRADE: *** (three our of four stars)
GOSPEL-DOCTRINE-O-METER: (Three out of four Moronis) The prequel to the Wizard of Oz tells the story of a scam artist trying to become a better man while using his talents to help save the innocent people of Oz from evil witches. There are plenty of gospel truths in the movie, including repentance, redemption selfless sacrifice - and the tried and true conflict between good and evil.
REVIEW:
Back stories are often used by writers and other creative people to set up a great story. With the dearth of creative content available to big movie studios, those back stories are now prime targets for “prequels.” Such attempts to go back in time have been met with a plenty of criticism (Star Wars), some box office failure (The Thing) and plenty of success (X-Men). One of the reasons prequels are both successful and dreadful is perhaps the gnawing reminder that the principle characters are going to be okay, since you know they are going to turn up in the original story. The Wizard of Oz is the latest classic film to get a prequel in Oz The Great and Powerful.
James Franco plays Oscar “Oz” Diggs, a small-time circus magician and huckster who is caught up in a tornado and transported to the Land of Oz (suspiciously named after himself), where he encounters a witch named Theodora (Mila Kunis). Using his magic tricks, anyone who encounters Oz thinks he is a wizard, including Theodora.
The pair fall in love, but their relationship takes a turn for the worse when Theodora's evil sister Evanora (Rachel Weisz) tricks Oz into chasing after a third sister Glinda (Michelle Williams). Believing that Glinda is a “bad” witch, Oz takes off on a journey into the Dark Forest, along with Finley (voiced by Zach Braff), a flying monkey who owes him a life debt. Before meeting up with Glinda, Oz and Finley pick up a tag-along china doll (voiced by Joey King) whose entire village has been ransacked by evil flying baboons.
When Oz meets Glinda, he discovers she is not evil, but that Evanora has been playing him to destroy her and gain power over the entire kingdom. Evanora also tricks Theodora into partaking of a magic apple that enhances her own evil tendencies, while turning her skin green and changing her wardrobe into a more traditional “witchy” costume, (complete with pointed hat and accessorized by a flying broom).
As Oz learns of Evanora's evil plans, he also discovers the people of Oz, including a community of tinkers and seamstresses, along with their neighboring Munchkins. Oz must decide whether to come clean and admit that he is not a wizard, or use his intellect and cunning to defeat Evanora and Theodora.
Oz the Great and Powerful is a visually compelling film with a lot of humor and sentiment that compliments the original 1939 classic. That said, there are a few things that don't add up, including a missing pair of ruby slippers (due to a copyright restriction from MGM), and characters you know will live on, but don't seem like the same familiar roles from the original (Glinda's particular sing-songy voice is not really detectable in Williams' performance). There are other liberties taken by Sam Raimi and Disney in the Oz prequel, but not enough to make the film too distracting. Franco, Kunis, Williams and Weisz are more than adequate in their roles, but two new characters who steal most scenes happen to be computer animated (Finley and China Doll).
Despite possessing some of the familiar pitfalls of other prequels, Oz the Great and Powerful is a fine family treat that can be enjoyed by people who love The Wizard of Oz, - but don't take it too seriously.
Dan's Review: Dead Man Down
Rated R for violence, language throughout and a scene of sexuality.
Starring Colin Farrell, Noomi Rapace, Terrence Howard, Dominic Cooper, Isabelle Huppert, Luis Da Silva Jr., Stu Bennett, Franky G, Declan Mulvey, John Cenatiempo, Roy James Wilson.
Written by J.H. Wyman.
Directed by Niels Arden Oplev.
GRADE: **&1/2 stars (out of four)
GOSPEL-DOCTRINE-O-METER: Zero Moronis (out of four) Since Dead Man Down is the story of a mobster seeking revenge against his mobster boss and the pact he makes to help a scarred woman get her own vengeance against a drunk driver, there really isn't a lot of gospel doctrine to be gleaned from the movie.
REVIEW:
The mobster/crime drama movie genre used to be dominated by the likes of Scorcese, Copola, DeNiro, Pachino and other usual suspects. These days, those famed mobster movie staples have grown a little long in the tooth, leaving such cinematic attempts to younger filmmakers. Niels Arden Oplev, the man who directed the Swedish version of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo comes to America for his first try at mobster drama in Dead Man Down.
Collin Farrell stars as Victor, a rising gangland player who has achieved right-hand man status to a New York crime lord. Victor has infiltrated the mob to get revenge on the men who killed his family a few years before. The gang who killed Victor's family is led by the ruthless Alphonse (Terrence Howard), who is at war with a rival gang.
As Victor plots his revenge, he notices Beatrice (Noomi Rapace) a beautiful, yet scarred woman from the window of his high-rise apartment. The two eventually meet and go out on a date when Beatrice reveals that she has seen some of his deeds from her window and threatens to turn him into police unless he agrees to take out revenge on the drunk driver responsible for scarring her face.
Victor hedges, but eventually agrees to help Beatrice get her revenge. As the pair get closer to getting their vengeance, they each become vulnerable to the evil forces that elude them.
Dead Man Down has some moments of drama and tension, but nothing particularly memorable when compared to some of the more classic mobster films. Farrell and Rapace show their acting skills, but seem like they are occasionally sleepwalking through a film that gets a little slow in the middle. Dead Man Down's plot is interesting, if not a little implausible, with all kinds of narrow escapes and convenient coincidences.
Dead Man Down is sometimes clever, but in the end, it's not much more than your typical mob movie.
Starring Colin Farrell, Noomi Rapace, Terrence Howard, Dominic Cooper, Isabelle Huppert, Luis Da Silva Jr., Stu Bennett, Franky G, Declan Mulvey, John Cenatiempo, Roy James Wilson.
Written by J.H. Wyman.
Directed by Niels Arden Oplev.
GRADE: **&1/2 stars (out of four)
GOSPEL-DOCTRINE-O-METER: Zero Moronis (out of four) Since Dead Man Down is the story of a mobster seeking revenge against his mobster boss and the pact he makes to help a scarred woman get her own vengeance against a drunk driver, there really isn't a lot of gospel doctrine to be gleaned from the movie.
REVIEW:
The mobster/crime drama movie genre used to be dominated by the likes of Scorcese, Copola, DeNiro, Pachino and other usual suspects. These days, those famed mobster movie staples have grown a little long in the tooth, leaving such cinematic attempts to younger filmmakers. Niels Arden Oplev, the man who directed the Swedish version of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo comes to America for his first try at mobster drama in Dead Man Down.
Collin Farrell stars as Victor, a rising gangland player who has achieved right-hand man status to a New York crime lord. Victor has infiltrated the mob to get revenge on the men who killed his family a few years before. The gang who killed Victor's family is led by the ruthless Alphonse (Terrence Howard), who is at war with a rival gang.
As Victor plots his revenge, he notices Beatrice (Noomi Rapace) a beautiful, yet scarred woman from the window of his high-rise apartment. The two eventually meet and go out on a date when Beatrice reveals that she has seen some of his deeds from her window and threatens to turn him into police unless he agrees to take out revenge on the drunk driver responsible for scarring her face.
Victor hedges, but eventually agrees to help Beatrice get her revenge. As the pair get closer to getting their vengeance, they each become vulnerable to the evil forces that elude them.
Dead Man Down has some moments of drama and tension, but nothing particularly memorable when compared to some of the more classic mobster films. Farrell and Rapace show their acting skills, but seem like they are occasionally sleepwalking through a film that gets a little slow in the middle. Dead Man Down's plot is interesting, if not a little implausible, with all kinds of narrow escapes and convenient coincidences.
Dead Man Down is sometimes clever, but in the end, it's not much more than your typical mob movie.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Dan's Review: Jack The Giant Slayer
Rated PG-13 for intense scenes of fantasy action violence, some frightening images and brief language.
Starring Nicholas Hoult, Eleanor Tomlinson, Stanley Tucci, Ian McShane , Bill Nighy (voice), John Kassir (voice), Ewan McGregor, Eddie Marsan.
Written by Darren Lemke, Christopher McQuarrie, Dan Studney, David Dobkin.
Directed by Bryan Singer.
GRADE: *** (three out of four stars)
GOSPEL-DOCTRINE-O-METER: *** (three Moronis) There isn't anything overly profound in terms of gospel doctrine in Jack The Giant Slayer, but it is a relatively benign (yet epic) retelling of a familiar fairy tale, complete with acts of herosim and the your garden variety struggle between good and evil. It's a good family film, but some of the violence might be too intense for kids under 10.
REVIEW:
I have long lamented the lack of imaginative, original ideas coming out of mainstream Hollywood over the past few decades. It seems movie executives are content on keeping the money machine going by rehashing the same old stories (i.e. sequels), remakes and film versions of TV series. It won't be long before supply of all the decent comic books and graphic novels runs dry, and even the best of the good comic book movies are already getting remakes. The lack of original material has led to the recent phenomenon of tapping into fairy tales as source material for epic-looking movies (Snow White and the Huntsman, Mirror Mirror, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters). The latest fairy tale to get the big budget treatment is Jack and the Beanstalk, a.k.a. Jack The Giant Slayer.
Nicholas Hoult stars as Jack, a poor orphan living on his uncle's farm in Cloister, a kingdom ruled by King Brahmwell (Ian McShane). Living in poverty, Jack is assigned the task of selling the farm's only horse in the capitol city. During his visit to pawn off the horse, Jack runs into a monk who is on the run from the king's advisor Roderick (Stanley Tucci), who is trying to collect some magic beans from him (for evil purposes). Jack ends up with the beans and sets off for home, where is uncle is not pleased with the trade.
Meanwhile, the king's daughter Princess Isabelle (Eleanor Tomlinson) longs adventure outside the castle and away from her overprotective father. She sets out one night on horseback during a torrential rainstorm, and eventually ends up at Jack's farm, looking for shelter. One of the beans slips through a crack in the floor and is eventually moistened by the rain, spawning the growth of a huge beanstalk. The beanstalk carries the entire house away with Isabelle inside, as Jack falls to the ground. When Roderick, the King and his army show up looking for Isabelle, the king assigns his most trustworthy knight Elmont (Ewan McGregor) to take a small group of soldiers and shimmy up the beanstalk to rescue the princess. Roderick and Jack tag along, but only a few of the soldiers (including Elmont), Jack and Roderick make it to the top. Once there, the men encounter several giants, who kill off most of the party. Jack manages to slip away, rescuing Elmont and the princess, but not before discovering that Roderick possesses a magic crown that empowers him to rule over the giants. Roderick's plan is to use the giants to overthrow Cloister and move toward eventual world domination.
As Jack escapes with Isabelle, Elmont stays behind, planning to kill Roderick and recover the crown. When Jack and Isabelle head down the beanstalk, they discover that the king has learned of the giant threat and has ordered the beanstalk chopped down, an event which happens just as Jack and Isabelle get close enough to the bottom to have a safe landing.
Meanwhile at the top of the beanstalk, Elmont isn't quite successful at obtaining the magic crown, as an army of giants led by the ruthless two-headed giant General Fallon (one head is voiced by John Kassir, the other by Bill Nighy) gathers to crush the humans. The general discovers the crown, along with the rest of Jack's beans (that he dropped at the top of the beanstalk). He uses one of the beans to grow another beanstalk that will provide a path for the giant army to reach Cloister.
As the giant army rushes down the new beanstalk, Elmont also slips past them and helps prepare the Cloister castle for the giant invasion. A “giant” battle (pun intended) ensues and all seems lost unless Jack can get the crown away from General Fallon and turn the tide in favor of the “little people.”
Jack The Giant Slayer isn't a bad fantasy adventure, despite the liberties taken with such a well-known and beloved fairy tale. The action keeps the story moving along well enough, while talented thespians like McShane, Tucci and especially McGregor provide adequate performances to give the film a little star-quality gravitas.
There are plenty of moments in Jack The Giant Slayer that seem a little over-the-top and silly, but the “giant” special effects and the scope of the production design give the film an epic quality, despite a little disappointment during the climactic battle.
One caution I have for parents who may think that Jack The Giant Slayer is appropriate for small children who are familiar with the fairy tale. Jack The Giant Slayer gets a well-deserved PG-13 rating – just barely. There are scenes of death in the movie, and even though director Bryan Singer (X-Men, X2) holds back on the graphic gore, it isn't hard to figure out that giants are eating some of the characters in an unpleasant fashion. I wouldn't recommend Jack The Giant Slayer for any children under 10 years old.
Starring Nicholas Hoult, Eleanor Tomlinson, Stanley Tucci, Ian McShane , Bill Nighy (voice), John Kassir (voice), Ewan McGregor, Eddie Marsan.
Written by Darren Lemke, Christopher McQuarrie, Dan Studney, David Dobkin.
Directed by Bryan Singer.
GRADE: *** (three out of four stars)
GOSPEL-DOCTRINE-O-METER: *** (three Moronis) There isn't anything overly profound in terms of gospel doctrine in Jack The Giant Slayer, but it is a relatively benign (yet epic) retelling of a familiar fairy tale, complete with acts of herosim and the your garden variety struggle between good and evil. It's a good family film, but some of the violence might be too intense for kids under 10.
REVIEW:
I have long lamented the lack of imaginative, original ideas coming out of mainstream Hollywood over the past few decades. It seems movie executives are content on keeping the money machine going by rehashing the same old stories (i.e. sequels), remakes and film versions of TV series. It won't be long before supply of all the decent comic books and graphic novels runs dry, and even the best of the good comic book movies are already getting remakes. The lack of original material has led to the recent phenomenon of tapping into fairy tales as source material for epic-looking movies (Snow White and the Huntsman, Mirror Mirror, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters). The latest fairy tale to get the big budget treatment is Jack and the Beanstalk, a.k.a. Jack The Giant Slayer.
Nicholas Hoult stars as Jack, a poor orphan living on his uncle's farm in Cloister, a kingdom ruled by King Brahmwell (Ian McShane). Living in poverty, Jack is assigned the task of selling the farm's only horse in the capitol city. During his visit to pawn off the horse, Jack runs into a monk who is on the run from the king's advisor Roderick (Stanley Tucci), who is trying to collect some magic beans from him (for evil purposes). Jack ends up with the beans and sets off for home, where is uncle is not pleased with the trade.
Meanwhile, the king's daughter Princess Isabelle (Eleanor Tomlinson) longs adventure outside the castle and away from her overprotective father. She sets out one night on horseback during a torrential rainstorm, and eventually ends up at Jack's farm, looking for shelter. One of the beans slips through a crack in the floor and is eventually moistened by the rain, spawning the growth of a huge beanstalk. The beanstalk carries the entire house away with Isabelle inside, as Jack falls to the ground. When Roderick, the King and his army show up looking for Isabelle, the king assigns his most trustworthy knight Elmont (Ewan McGregor) to take a small group of soldiers and shimmy up the beanstalk to rescue the princess. Roderick and Jack tag along, but only a few of the soldiers (including Elmont), Jack and Roderick make it to the top. Once there, the men encounter several giants, who kill off most of the party. Jack manages to slip away, rescuing Elmont and the princess, but not before discovering that Roderick possesses a magic crown that empowers him to rule over the giants. Roderick's plan is to use the giants to overthrow Cloister and move toward eventual world domination.
As Jack escapes with Isabelle, Elmont stays behind, planning to kill Roderick and recover the crown. When Jack and Isabelle head down the beanstalk, they discover that the king has learned of the giant threat and has ordered the beanstalk chopped down, an event which happens just as Jack and Isabelle get close enough to the bottom to have a safe landing.
Meanwhile at the top of the beanstalk, Elmont isn't quite successful at obtaining the magic crown, as an army of giants led by the ruthless two-headed giant General Fallon (one head is voiced by John Kassir, the other by Bill Nighy) gathers to crush the humans. The general discovers the crown, along with the rest of Jack's beans (that he dropped at the top of the beanstalk). He uses one of the beans to grow another beanstalk that will provide a path for the giant army to reach Cloister.
As the giant army rushes down the new beanstalk, Elmont also slips past them and helps prepare the Cloister castle for the giant invasion. A “giant” battle (pun intended) ensues and all seems lost unless Jack can get the crown away from General Fallon and turn the tide in favor of the “little people.”
Jack The Giant Slayer isn't a bad fantasy adventure, despite the liberties taken with such a well-known and beloved fairy tale. The action keeps the story moving along well enough, while talented thespians like McShane, Tucci and especially McGregor provide adequate performances to give the film a little star-quality gravitas.
There are plenty of moments in Jack The Giant Slayer that seem a little over-the-top and silly, but the “giant” special effects and the scope of the production design give the film an epic quality, despite a little disappointment during the climactic battle.
One caution I have for parents who may think that Jack The Giant Slayer is appropriate for small children who are familiar with the fairy tale. Jack The Giant Slayer gets a well-deserved PG-13 rating – just barely. There are scenes of death in the movie, and even though director Bryan Singer (X-Men, X2) holds back on the graphic gore, it isn't hard to figure out that giants are eating some of the characters in an unpleasant fashion. I wouldn't recommend Jack The Giant Slayer for any children under 10 years old.
Dan's Review: 21 And Over
Rated R for crude and sexual content, pervasive language, some graphic nudity, drugs and drinking (LOTS of drinking).
Starring Miles Teller, Skylar Astin, Justin Chon, Sarah Wright, Jonathan Keltz, François Chau, Russell Hodgkinson, Daniel Booko.
Written and Directed by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore.
GRADE: * (one out of four stars)
GOSPEL-DOCTRINE-O-METER: (0) Zero Moronis: Okay, it's a movie about a bunch of college students getting drunk and trying to hook up - which might be a modern case study on Sodom and Gomorrah. Stick to the scriptures on that one, because 21 And Over offers no good outcomes other that the idea that friendship is important, bu only slightly more important than pickling your liver.
REVIEW:
Ah, college. For many, those years conjure memories of opening one's mind to vast amounts of knowledge and studies, while others can't remember much, due to the consumption of vast amounts of alcohol and drugs. 21 And Over is a movie about the latter, brought to us by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, the guys who wrote The Hangover and The Hangover II.
The story begins as Miller (Miles Teller) travels to a northwest college town, where he meets his old high school buddy Casey (Skylar Astin) at the bus station. Miller's plan is to get Casey together to surprise a third high school pal Jeff (Justin Chon), a premed student, and take him out for a night of debauchery on his 21st birthday. Jeff's mean, overbearing father Dr. Chang (Francois Chau) happens to be visiting his son as Miller and Casey arrive, and he warns the young men not to take Jeff out drinking because he has set up an interview with a prominent medical school early the next morning.
Of course, the three party-boys ignore Dr. Chang's warnings and take Jeff out for an all night bender, which leads the trio into all sorts of sordid adventures. Among the encounters experienced by the boys are a run-in with the campus bully, being hunted by a band of angry Hispanic sorority sisters, a violent pep rally involving a rampaging buffalo and a frat house drinking gauntlet. Casey even has time to fall in love with the lovely Nicole (Sarah Wright), one of Jeff's classmates.
Before the night is over, the boys must endure the wrath of the Hispanic sorority sisters, Jeff's dad, Nicole's jerk boyfriend and campus police.
Despite a few laughs, 21 And Over is as forgettable as most drunken binges (or so I hear). There isn't much to see that we haven't already seen from any of the other movies from Lucas and Moore, like The Hangover series. 21 And Over is nothing more that another lame attempt to prove that drinking and being plastered is funny, especially when thrown in with all kinds of pranks, sex, nudity and coarse language. I have grown tired of filmmakers who think that because some raunchy movies are funny (like The first Hangover), the key to success is to add more and more crass material to get even more laughs. What we end up with a whole lot of crap on screen about a subject (college binge drinking) that really shouldn't be funny. I am familiar with a a few local stories of alcohol poisoning deaths in university settings that prove this point, and films like 21 And Over only serve to gloss over such dangerous behavior.
Please watch 21 And Over responsibly.
Better yet, it's probably more responsible to avoid it altogether.
You'll thank me in the morning.
Starring Miles Teller, Skylar Astin, Justin Chon, Sarah Wright, Jonathan Keltz, François Chau, Russell Hodgkinson, Daniel Booko.
Written and Directed by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore.
GRADE: * (one out of four stars)
GOSPEL-DOCTRINE-O-METER: (0) Zero Moronis: Okay, it's a movie about a bunch of college students getting drunk and trying to hook up - which might be a modern case study on Sodom and Gomorrah. Stick to the scriptures on that one, because 21 And Over offers no good outcomes other that the idea that friendship is important, bu only slightly more important than pickling your liver.
REVIEW:
Ah, college. For many, those years conjure memories of opening one's mind to vast amounts of knowledge and studies, while others can't remember much, due to the consumption of vast amounts of alcohol and drugs. 21 And Over is a movie about the latter, brought to us by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, the guys who wrote The Hangover and The Hangover II.
The story begins as Miller (Miles Teller) travels to a northwest college town, where he meets his old high school buddy Casey (Skylar Astin) at the bus station. Miller's plan is to get Casey together to surprise a third high school pal Jeff (Justin Chon), a premed student, and take him out for a night of debauchery on his 21st birthday. Jeff's mean, overbearing father Dr. Chang (Francois Chau) happens to be visiting his son as Miller and Casey arrive, and he warns the young men not to take Jeff out drinking because he has set up an interview with a prominent medical school early the next morning.
Of course, the three party-boys ignore Dr. Chang's warnings and take Jeff out for an all night bender, which leads the trio into all sorts of sordid adventures. Among the encounters experienced by the boys are a run-in with the campus bully, being hunted by a band of angry Hispanic sorority sisters, a violent pep rally involving a rampaging buffalo and a frat house drinking gauntlet. Casey even has time to fall in love with the lovely Nicole (Sarah Wright), one of Jeff's classmates.
Before the night is over, the boys must endure the wrath of the Hispanic sorority sisters, Jeff's dad, Nicole's jerk boyfriend and campus police.
Despite a few laughs, 21 And Over is as forgettable as most drunken binges (or so I hear). There isn't much to see that we haven't already seen from any of the other movies from Lucas and Moore, like The Hangover series. 21 And Over is nothing more that another lame attempt to prove that drinking and being plastered is funny, especially when thrown in with all kinds of pranks, sex, nudity and coarse language. I have grown tired of filmmakers who think that because some raunchy movies are funny (like The first Hangover), the key to success is to add more and more crass material to get even more laughs. What we end up with a whole lot of crap on screen about a subject (college binge drinking) that really shouldn't be funny. I am familiar with a a few local stories of alcohol poisoning deaths in university settings that prove this point, and films like 21 And Over only serve to gloss over such dangerous behavior.
Please watch 21 And Over responsibly.
Better yet, it's probably more responsible to avoid it altogether.
You'll thank me in the morning.
Dan's Review: Snitch
Rated PG-13 for drug content and sequences of violence.
Starring Dwayne Johnson, Barry Pepper, Jon Bernthal, Michael Kenneth, Melina Kanakaredes, Nadine Velazquez, Rafi Gavron, David Harbour, Benjamin Bratt, Susan Sarandon.
Written by Justin Haythe and Ric Roman Waugh.
Directed by Ric Roman Waugh.
GRADE:**&1/2 stars out of four
GOSPEL-DOCTRINE-O-METER: ** (two Moronis out of four) Snitch offers a little taste of the the same principles behind the Prodigal Son story, along with plenty of unconditional love and sacrifice. The only problem is most of those principles are mixed in with a lot of violence in an illegal drug business setting.
How far would a father go to save his son from being wrongfully imprisoned? That's the basic premise of Snitch, starring Dwayne (no-longer-”The Rock”) Johnson.
Johnson portrays John Matthews, a successful trucking/construction company owner whose estranged son Jason (Rafi Gavron) is caught up in a DEA drug sting, set up by a friend who lied to the feds about his involvement in trafficking in order to cut a deal. When John finds out the feds are promoting “snitching” as a viable means to curb drug traffic, he meets with the U.S. attorney Joanne Keeghan (Susan Sarandon) to plead for his son, who is getting beat up on a regular basis in a federal prison. John cuts a deal with Keeghan to use his business acumen to bring in “bigger fish” drug dealers in order to secure his son's release.
John seeks help from Daniel (Jon Bernthal), one of his employees and an ex-con who served five years for drug trafficking. Daniel is reluctant to get involved, since he is trying to get his life in order, but eventually arranges a meeting between John and Malik (Michael Kenneth Williams), a low-end dealer. John is employed by Malik to use one of his semi trucks to travel to El Paso, Texas and pick up a few kilos of cocaine. John complies, while the feds track his movement to and from the pick-up, where members of a Mexican drug cartel await to load the drugs into John's truck. During the transaction, a band of gunmen from a rival cartel attack. John and Daniel escape, and in so doing help save the original cartel. John's heroic actions impress the cartel's leader Juan Carlos 'El Topo' Pintera (Benjamin Bratt), who hopes to use John's trucks for future exchanges.
Upon his return home, John expects the feds to pick up Malik and the deal will be done, but lead DEA agent Cooper (Barry Pepper) decides he'd rather go after 'El Topo' instead, letting Malik go. John is infuriated with Cooper and Keeghan, but agrees to make one more run transporting hundreds of millions in El Topo's cash back to the border so agents can nab the cartel leader instead.
During the daring cash run, John is betrayed as a government informant, and he must fight the cartel on his own.
Snitch is not a terrible movie, and can be entertaining at times. That said, the movie is mostly caught up in a lot of melodramatic dialogue and low-end action. Snitch might have been better as an episode in an hour-long TV series instead of a full-length theatrical release. While the federal government's war on drugs is interesting, there really isn't much in Snitch that we haven't seen already, much like several episodes of Miami Vice.
As for Dwayne Johnson, he's getting better as an actor, even though his huge frame still eats up most of Snitch's scenes. I suppose he's destined to be an action hero for the rest of his days, but it's good to know he has a little acting range.
Snitch's producers claim the story to be “inspired by true events” (which is usually code for “we made up most of this”). While I'm sure many dads would go undercover for the DEA to save their sons, I'm also pretty sure they wouldn't go as far John does in Snitch, so take that “inspired by” with a grain of salt.
Starring Dwayne Johnson, Barry Pepper, Jon Bernthal, Michael Kenneth, Melina Kanakaredes, Nadine Velazquez, Rafi Gavron, David Harbour, Benjamin Bratt, Susan Sarandon.
Written by Justin Haythe and Ric Roman Waugh.
Directed by Ric Roman Waugh.
GRADE:**&1/2 stars out of four
GOSPEL-DOCTRINE-O-METER: ** (two Moronis out of four) Snitch offers a little taste of the the same principles behind the Prodigal Son story, along with plenty of unconditional love and sacrifice. The only problem is most of those principles are mixed in with a lot of violence in an illegal drug business setting.
How far would a father go to save his son from being wrongfully imprisoned? That's the basic premise of Snitch, starring Dwayne (no-longer-”The Rock”) Johnson.
Johnson portrays John Matthews, a successful trucking/construction company owner whose estranged son Jason (Rafi Gavron) is caught up in a DEA drug sting, set up by a friend who lied to the feds about his involvement in trafficking in order to cut a deal. When John finds out the feds are promoting “snitching” as a viable means to curb drug traffic, he meets with the U.S. attorney Joanne Keeghan (Susan Sarandon) to plead for his son, who is getting beat up on a regular basis in a federal prison. John cuts a deal with Keeghan to use his business acumen to bring in “bigger fish” drug dealers in order to secure his son's release.
John seeks help from Daniel (Jon Bernthal), one of his employees and an ex-con who served five years for drug trafficking. Daniel is reluctant to get involved, since he is trying to get his life in order, but eventually arranges a meeting between John and Malik (Michael Kenneth Williams), a low-end dealer. John is employed by Malik to use one of his semi trucks to travel to El Paso, Texas and pick up a few kilos of cocaine. John complies, while the feds track his movement to and from the pick-up, where members of a Mexican drug cartel await to load the drugs into John's truck. During the transaction, a band of gunmen from a rival cartel attack. John and Daniel escape, and in so doing help save the original cartel. John's heroic actions impress the cartel's leader Juan Carlos 'El Topo' Pintera (Benjamin Bratt), who hopes to use John's trucks for future exchanges.
Upon his return home, John expects the feds to pick up Malik and the deal will be done, but lead DEA agent Cooper (Barry Pepper) decides he'd rather go after 'El Topo' instead, letting Malik go. John is infuriated with Cooper and Keeghan, but agrees to make one more run transporting hundreds of millions in El Topo's cash back to the border so agents can nab the cartel leader instead.
During the daring cash run, John is betrayed as a government informant, and he must fight the cartel on his own.
Snitch is not a terrible movie, and can be entertaining at times. That said, the movie is mostly caught up in a lot of melodramatic dialogue and low-end action. Snitch might have been better as an episode in an hour-long TV series instead of a full-length theatrical release. While the federal government's war on drugs is interesting, there really isn't much in Snitch that we haven't seen already, much like several episodes of Miami Vice.
As for Dwayne Johnson, he's getting better as an actor, even though his huge frame still eats up most of Snitch's scenes. I suppose he's destined to be an action hero for the rest of his days, but it's good to know he has a little acting range.
Snitch's producers claim the story to be “inspired by true events” (which is usually code for “we made up most of this”). While I'm sure many dads would go undercover for the DEA to save their sons, I'm also pretty sure they wouldn't go as far John does in Snitch, so take that “inspired by” with a grain of salt.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Dan's Review: Beautiful Creatures
Rated PG-13 for violence, scary images and some sexual material.
Starring Alden Ehrenreich, Alice Englert, Jeremy Irons, Viola Davis, Emmy Rossum, Thomas Mann, Emma Thompson, Margo Martindale, Eileen Atkins, Zoey Deutch, Rachel Brosnahan.
Directed by Richard LaGravenese.
Written by Richard LaGravenese, based on the novel by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.
GRADE: ** & 1/2 (two and a half out of four stars)
GOSPEL-DOCTRINE-O-METER: *** (three Moronis out of four)
Yeah, it's a story about witches and witchcraft, but there were very few LDS women who blinked at an entire series of books and movies based on the world of vampires and werewolves (perhaps because it's okay when it comes from an LDS author?). The good news is, good and evil exist in the witchcraft world of Beautiful Creatures, just like in Harry Potter and Twilight. One gospel message that can be gleaned form the story is choosing good over evil - even when your very nature would dictate otherwise.God also exists in the story and is mentioned as being the creator of all things (including witches). There's also an element of sacrificing one's life to save another. Some may be put off by the movie's sexual innuendo.
REVIEW:
Oh, what Stephenie Meyer hath wrought. Ever since the runaway success of the Twilight books and mostly disappointing films (depending on which gender you ask), it seems everyone is getting into the supernatural romance game. Such trends leave us with the likes of vampires who sparkle and zombies who walk around all lovesick (Warm Bodies). The latest is Beautiful Creatures, a movie (based on the novel by the same name) about a young witch in love with a human boy.
Alden Ahrenrich stars as Ethan, a high school student about to begin his junior year in a small South Carolina town. On the first day of school, he meets Lena (Alice Englert), the beautiful, mysterious niece of the reclusive Macon Ravenwood (Jeremy Irons), a wealthy landowner. Lena also resembles a girl who has been haunting Ethan's dreams.
As Ethan and Lena form a friendship, they eventually become romantically involved. That leads to family introductions. Since Ethan's mother was killed in a car crash a few years earlier, a caretaker named Amma (Violet Davis) looks after the boy and his father (who is mentioned, but never seen in the film). As for Lena's clan, they are more-than-a-little eccentric, and include Macon, a folksy aunt and a few cousins. One of those cousins is Ridley (Emmy Rossum), a sexy vixen who seems bent on tempting all kinds of bad behavior among humans and her own kind.
Ethan soon discovers that Lena has certain uncontrollable powers and that she is a “caster,” which is apparently a less satanic term for “witch.” Lena is nearing the age of 16, when her destiny will lead her to become either a good witch or a bad one. Macon tries hard to keep Lena from being taken by evil forces by shielding her from the ghost of her evil mother Sarafine, who occasionally possesses the body of the town's religious prude Mrs. Lincoln (Emma Thompson). Sarafine works in concert with Ridley to prompt Lena's more evil tendencies. Complicating things even more is the romance between Lena and Ethan, since witch-human relationships almost always end in disaster. Their relationship is made more complex due to a Civil War era curse involving their ancestors – a curse that could turn the teenage witch evil and unleash a reign of evil caster dominance on the world.
Beautiful Creatures is a movie “cursed” for good — and evil — due to a script that is often witty, engaging and poignant. The bad side of that screenplay is a story burdened by a substantial amount of exposition, as the characters are required to explain centuries of history and witch culture in order to keep audiences up to speed. That means a lot of well-written dialogue is wasted on back-story, making the movie a little tedious to the point of being occasionally boring.
One of the bright spots for Beautiful Creatures is a fine cast anchored by veterans Irons and Thompson. Newcomers Ehrenreich and Englert (who is the daughter of renowned director Jane Campion) also show legitimate big-screen promise and provide some welcome romantic chemistry (you hear THAT, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson?).
Beautiful Creatures is rated PG-13 for some non-gory violence and some sexual innuendo, but nothing worse than most teens see on a regular basis. As for the “witchy-satanic” element, it would seem that the authors of the original novel are working from the premise that good and evil exist – even in the world of witchcraft, and that God created witches, too. This may be a problem for witch story purists, but breaking apart the lore and culture of mythical creatures for the sake of romance is a trend that may be here to stay. You may not see a single witch riding on a broom in Beautiful Creatures, but you will see plenty of forbidden teen love.
So much for convention.
Starring Alden Ehrenreich, Alice Englert, Jeremy Irons, Viola Davis, Emmy Rossum, Thomas Mann, Emma Thompson, Margo Martindale, Eileen Atkins, Zoey Deutch, Rachel Brosnahan.
Directed by Richard LaGravenese.
Written by Richard LaGravenese, based on the novel by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.
GRADE: ** & 1/2 (two and a half out of four stars)
GOSPEL-DOCTRINE-O-METER: *** (three Moronis out of four)
Yeah, it's a story about witches and witchcraft, but there were very few LDS women who blinked at an entire series of books and movies based on the world of vampires and werewolves (perhaps because it's okay when it comes from an LDS author?). The good news is, good and evil exist in the witchcraft world of Beautiful Creatures, just like in Harry Potter and Twilight. One gospel message that can be gleaned form the story is choosing good over evil - even when your very nature would dictate otherwise.God also exists in the story and is mentioned as being the creator of all things (including witches). There's also an element of sacrificing one's life to save another. Some may be put off by the movie's sexual innuendo.
REVIEW:
Oh, what Stephenie Meyer hath wrought. Ever since the runaway success of the Twilight books and mostly disappointing films (depending on which gender you ask), it seems everyone is getting into the supernatural romance game. Such trends leave us with the likes of vampires who sparkle and zombies who walk around all lovesick (Warm Bodies). The latest is Beautiful Creatures, a movie (based on the novel by the same name) about a young witch in love with a human boy.
Alden Ahrenrich stars as Ethan, a high school student about to begin his junior year in a small South Carolina town. On the first day of school, he meets Lena (Alice Englert), the beautiful, mysterious niece of the reclusive Macon Ravenwood (Jeremy Irons), a wealthy landowner. Lena also resembles a girl who has been haunting Ethan's dreams.
As Ethan and Lena form a friendship, they eventually become romantically involved. That leads to family introductions. Since Ethan's mother was killed in a car crash a few years earlier, a caretaker named Amma (Violet Davis) looks after the boy and his father (who is mentioned, but never seen in the film). As for Lena's clan, they are more-than-a-little eccentric, and include Macon, a folksy aunt and a few cousins. One of those cousins is Ridley (Emmy Rossum), a sexy vixen who seems bent on tempting all kinds of bad behavior among humans and her own kind.
Ethan soon discovers that Lena has certain uncontrollable powers and that she is a “caster,” which is apparently a less satanic term for “witch.” Lena is nearing the age of 16, when her destiny will lead her to become either a good witch or a bad one. Macon tries hard to keep Lena from being taken by evil forces by shielding her from the ghost of her evil mother Sarafine, who occasionally possesses the body of the town's religious prude Mrs. Lincoln (Emma Thompson). Sarafine works in concert with Ridley to prompt Lena's more evil tendencies. Complicating things even more is the romance between Lena and Ethan, since witch-human relationships almost always end in disaster. Their relationship is made more complex due to a Civil War era curse involving their ancestors – a curse that could turn the teenage witch evil and unleash a reign of evil caster dominance on the world.
Beautiful Creatures is a movie “cursed” for good — and evil — due to a script that is often witty, engaging and poignant. The bad side of that screenplay is a story burdened by a substantial amount of exposition, as the characters are required to explain centuries of history and witch culture in order to keep audiences up to speed. That means a lot of well-written dialogue is wasted on back-story, making the movie a little tedious to the point of being occasionally boring.
One of the bright spots for Beautiful Creatures is a fine cast anchored by veterans Irons and Thompson. Newcomers Ehrenreich and Englert (who is the daughter of renowned director Jane Campion) also show legitimate big-screen promise and provide some welcome romantic chemistry (you hear THAT, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson?).
Beautiful Creatures is rated PG-13 for some non-gory violence and some sexual innuendo, but nothing worse than most teens see on a regular basis. As for the “witchy-satanic” element, it would seem that the authors of the original novel are working from the premise that good and evil exist – even in the world of witchcraft, and that God created witches, too. This may be a problem for witch story purists, but breaking apart the lore and culture of mythical creatures for the sake of romance is a trend that may be here to stay. You may not see a single witch riding on a broom in Beautiful Creatures, but you will see plenty of forbidden teen love.
So much for convention.
Dan's Review: Safe Haven
Rated PG-13 for thematic material involving threatening behavior, and for violence and sexuality.
Starring Julianne Hough, Josh Duhamel, Cobie Smulders, David Lyons, Cullen Moss, Mike Pniewski, Ric Reitz, Mimi Kirkland, Noah Lomax, Juan Carlos Piedrahita.
Directed by Lasse Hallström.
Written by Gage Lansky and Dana Stevens, based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks.
GRADE: *&1/2 (one and a half stars out of four)
GOSPEL-DOCTRINE-O-METER: *** Moronis (3 out of four) This film actually has a lot of gospel value in it, with a story of redemption and a life after death in the ending. Too bad such positive messages are found in such a predictable, sappy movie. There may be some LDS faithful who will cast judgements on fellow Mormon Julianne Hough, who has a pre-marital sexual encounter with her male lead in the movie. I'm not going to judge her, and trust that her standards are between her and God, and leave it at that. Even so,I wouldn't go around propping Hough up as a great Mormon role model during young women activities. There really is only one true role model, and he's not an actor/entertainer.
REVIEW:
When a formula works, I suppose you stick with it. That may be a good philosophy in running a successful business (or franchise), but the outcome is often a mobile consumer base and a reputation for having a stale, low quality product (sort of like McDonald's). That's Nicholas Sparks' problem, as I see it. He keeps on using a tried and true formula that produces countless stories barely recognizable from one to the next. A bigger problem is - almost all of Spark's novels are adapted into films, and to be honest, I have real trouble distinguishing any of them from one another. The latest Sparks film adaptation is “Safe Haven”.
For those who are uninitiated with the Sparks “formula,” here it is: 1) An out-of-towner moves to a Carolina beach town, 2) The out-of-towner falls in love with a local, 3) one of the couple has a dark secret, and 4) Someone close to the couple dies from a serious illness (usually cancer).
Utah native Julianne Hough stars as Katie (which may not be her real name), a young Boston woman on the run from a terrible ordeal. During her escape from what appears to be a violent and perhaps criminal act, she boards a bus headed south. The bus eventually passes through Southport, N.C., a small town on the Atlantic coast, where she decides to stay and hide out.
Katie gets a job at a local restaurant, rents a secluded house in the woods and eventually makes friends with another reclusive neighbor woman named Jo (Cobie Smulders). She also meets Alex (Josh Duhamel), a local hunky shop owner, who happens to be a widower and father of two cute kids named Josh (Noah Lomax) and Lexi (Mimi Kirkland). Alex's wife died from cancer, by the way. Despite her reclusive ways and dark past, Katie and Alex fall in love.
In the meantime, Boston Police detective Tierney (David Lyons) is searching for Katie, and sends wanted posters all along the eastern seaboard, suggesting that our young heroine is wanted for first-degree murder (flashbacks suggest Katie was involved in some sort of domestic abuse killing). There may also be more to Tierney's obsession with Katie than his dedication to the law.
Just when Katie's fortunes seem to be turning around, her past catches up with her, threatening her life and her relationship with Alex and his kids. There's also a little “spiritual” interaction in the movie by way of a (sort of) surprise ending. The quasi-religious ending may evoke tears from more sensitive types, but you kind of see it coming, too.
In case you weren't paying attention, every single part of the Nicholas Sparks formula was covered in that short synopsis (beach town, townie/out-of-towner romance, dead relative). If I were a drinking man, I'm quite sure I could easily construct a serviceable Nicholas Sparks drinking game using “Safe Haven.”
And there you have it. “Safe Haven” covers all the Nicholas Sparks bases, making it yet another carbon copy of the same basic story. Perhaps Sparks really does use the same story template, and simply changes the names and beach town names every time he writes a “new” one. I can't argue with his success, since people keep on buying his books and seeing his movies. Then again, I can't argue with McDonald's success, either. I just don't choose to eat there very often, and when I do, I don't ever remember feeling very good about it.
While “Safe Haven” suffers from Sparks' unoriginality, it is perhaps not as bad a film as others made from the same recipe. There is a little more danger involved than in other Sparks stories, but that doesn't rescue the film from being downright predictable and boring.
Being a fan of Hough, I've always rooted for her to make Utah proud, but I'm afraid to admit that she was seriously miscast in role that requires a little more seasoning and depth. Hough is a little over her skis as an actress, and certainly too young to be playing a woman with so much dark history. With time and a little more experience, I'm sure Hough will eventually succeed (as she usually does), and be able to channel some of her own struggles into a believable on-screen character. Her time may come, but Safe Haven will not be the vehicle that drives her acting career.
“Safe Haven” is rated PG-13 for some non-gory violence, scenes of abuse, and a barely non-nude sex scene.
Starring Julianne Hough, Josh Duhamel, Cobie Smulders, David Lyons, Cullen Moss, Mike Pniewski, Ric Reitz, Mimi Kirkland, Noah Lomax, Juan Carlos Piedrahita.
Directed by Lasse Hallström.
Written by Gage Lansky and Dana Stevens, based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks.
GRADE: *&1/2 (one and a half stars out of four)
GOSPEL-DOCTRINE-O-METER: *** Moronis (3 out of four) This film actually has a lot of gospel value in it, with a story of redemption and a life after death in the ending. Too bad such positive messages are found in such a predictable, sappy movie. There may be some LDS faithful who will cast judgements on fellow Mormon Julianne Hough, who has a pre-marital sexual encounter with her male lead in the movie. I'm not going to judge her, and trust that her standards are between her and God, and leave it at that. Even so,I wouldn't go around propping Hough up as a great Mormon role model during young women activities. There really is only one true role model, and he's not an actor/entertainer.
REVIEW:
When a formula works, I suppose you stick with it. That may be a good philosophy in running a successful business (or franchise), but the outcome is often a mobile consumer base and a reputation for having a stale, low quality product (sort of like McDonald's). That's Nicholas Sparks' problem, as I see it. He keeps on using a tried and true formula that produces countless stories barely recognizable from one to the next. A bigger problem is - almost all of Spark's novels are adapted into films, and to be honest, I have real trouble distinguishing any of them from one another. The latest Sparks film adaptation is “Safe Haven”.
For those who are uninitiated with the Sparks “formula,” here it is: 1) An out-of-towner moves to a Carolina beach town, 2) The out-of-towner falls in love with a local, 3) one of the couple has a dark secret, and 4) Someone close to the couple dies from a serious illness (usually cancer).
Utah native Julianne Hough stars as Katie (which may not be her real name), a young Boston woman on the run from a terrible ordeal. During her escape from what appears to be a violent and perhaps criminal act, she boards a bus headed south. The bus eventually passes through Southport, N.C., a small town on the Atlantic coast, where she decides to stay and hide out.
Katie gets a job at a local restaurant, rents a secluded house in the woods and eventually makes friends with another reclusive neighbor woman named Jo (Cobie Smulders). She also meets Alex (Josh Duhamel), a local hunky shop owner, who happens to be a widower and father of two cute kids named Josh (Noah Lomax) and Lexi (Mimi Kirkland). Alex's wife died from cancer, by the way. Despite her reclusive ways and dark past, Katie and Alex fall in love.
In the meantime, Boston Police detective Tierney (David Lyons) is searching for Katie, and sends wanted posters all along the eastern seaboard, suggesting that our young heroine is wanted for first-degree murder (flashbacks suggest Katie was involved in some sort of domestic abuse killing). There may also be more to Tierney's obsession with Katie than his dedication to the law.
Just when Katie's fortunes seem to be turning around, her past catches up with her, threatening her life and her relationship with Alex and his kids. There's also a little “spiritual” interaction in the movie by way of a (sort of) surprise ending. The quasi-religious ending may evoke tears from more sensitive types, but you kind of see it coming, too.
In case you weren't paying attention, every single part of the Nicholas Sparks formula was covered in that short synopsis (beach town, townie/out-of-towner romance, dead relative). If I were a drinking man, I'm quite sure I could easily construct a serviceable Nicholas Sparks drinking game using “Safe Haven.”
And there you have it. “Safe Haven” covers all the Nicholas Sparks bases, making it yet another carbon copy of the same basic story. Perhaps Sparks really does use the same story template, and simply changes the names and beach town names every time he writes a “new” one. I can't argue with his success, since people keep on buying his books and seeing his movies. Then again, I can't argue with McDonald's success, either. I just don't choose to eat there very often, and when I do, I don't ever remember feeling very good about it.
While “Safe Haven” suffers from Sparks' unoriginality, it is perhaps not as bad a film as others made from the same recipe. There is a little more danger involved than in other Sparks stories, but that doesn't rescue the film from being downright predictable and boring.
Being a fan of Hough, I've always rooted for her to make Utah proud, but I'm afraid to admit that she was seriously miscast in role that requires a little more seasoning and depth. Hough is a little over her skis as an actress, and certainly too young to be playing a woman with so much dark history. With time and a little more experience, I'm sure Hough will eventually succeed (as she usually does), and be able to channel some of her own struggles into a believable on-screen character. Her time may come, but Safe Haven will not be the vehicle that drives her acting career.
“Safe Haven” is rated PG-13 for some non-gory violence, scenes of abuse, and a barely non-nude sex scene.
Dan's Review: A Good Day To Die Hard
Rated R for violence and language.
Starring Bruce Willis, Jai Courtney, Sebastian Koch, Radivoje Bukvić, Cole Hauser, Yuliya Snigir, Mary Elizabeth Winstead.
Directed by John Moore.
Written by Skip Woods, based on characters created by Roderick Thorp
GRADE: *** (three out of four stars)
GOSPEL-DOCTRINE-O-METER: * (one out of four Moronis)
Since the point of most Die Hard movies is to ramp up the body count in new and interesting ways, there isn't much redeeming gospel value here. I suppose the reconnecting/bonding between an estranged father and son has a nice feel to it, but blowing away dozens of bad guy Russians isn't exactly your typical father and son outing.
REVIEW:
Yippie Ki-Yay, again. It's hard to believe it's been almost 25 years since the release of the first Die Hard movie, but the ageless Bruce Willis keeps on signing up for more sequels. John McClane is back in "A Good Day To Die Hard," just in time for Valentine's Day (nothing says “romance” like a few car chases, explosions and gun battles, right?).
The story begins with Detective McClane leaving New York City for Russia to find his estranged son John “Jack” Jr. (Jai Courtney), who is in jail for murder. Upon arrival, John goes to a Moscow courthouse where Jack is appearing alongside Komarov (Sebastian Koch), a Russian political activist. At that same moment, an explosion knocks out the wall of the courthouse. The source of the explosion comes from hired hands working for Chagarin, a ruthless Russian politician who wants to capture Komorov.
Komorov is apparently hiding some sort of incriminating file concerning some shady dealings in Chernobyl right before the infamous 1986 meltdown. Before Chagarin's thugs can pick the jailbirds out of the courthouse rubble, Jack and Komorov escape on their own. During their getaway, they encounter the senior McClane, and a huge chase takes place in the busy streets of Moscow involving the McClanes and the aforementioned thugs who ride in a large, armored truck. That's when it's revealed that Jack is really a CIA agent on assignment to get Komorov out of the country for the sake of national security.
The McClanes and Komorov run into several obstacles during the ensuing hours, including Komorov's daughter (Yuliya Snigir), who has apparently betrayed her dad and is working for Chagarin. A few more encounters with bad guys take place until all the significant characters end up at Cherynobl, where a huge battle involving a military helicopter and several cases of plutonium takes place.
"A Good Day To Die Hard" has everything you'd to expect from a Die Hard sequel, including a plot lacking any discernible intelligence, a substantial amount of action, implausible stunts, special effects, and macho quotes. There are familiar Die Hard visual and audio queues, right down to a villain falling backward in slow motion to his death during the climactic finale.
Speaking of familiar things, it's worth mentioning the cameo appearance of one character from the previous movie in the series (2007's "Live Free Or Die Hard"): Mary Elizabeth Winstead as John's daughter Lucy. There is rumor that Willis has agreed to appear in one more Die Hard film. Maybe the producers of the franchise can arrange for a little Die Hard reunion, including Bonnie Bedelia as McClane's ex-wife Holly and Reginald VelJohnson as McClane's old Los Angeles police buddy Al Powell in the finale of the series.
As for Bruce Willis, he may have lost all his hair and gained more than a few wrinkles since 1988, but he's still “got it” in terms of carrying the load in an action film, even if we're all pretty sure he isn't doing any of his own stunts at the ripe old age of 57.
"A Good Day To Die Hard" is more than a little silly, but audiences don't flock into theaters to see a Die Hard movie as some sort of reliable substitute for Shakespeare. Die Hard movies don't require a lot of abstract reflection – just audiences with an affinity for blowing stuff up and lots of gun play. In that sense, "A Good Day To Die Hard" truly delivers, especially for fans of the franchise. Even so, "A Good Day To Die Hard" is probably one of the weakest in the franchise, because we've seen all that action film stuff before.
"A Good Day To Die Hard" was given a well-deserved R rating, mostly due to a few scenes of very gory action and plenty of coarse language. Read more: The Davis Clipper - Movie review ‘A Good Day To Die Hard’ truly delivers on action
Starring Bruce Willis, Jai Courtney, Sebastian Koch, Radivoje Bukvić, Cole Hauser, Yuliya Snigir, Mary Elizabeth Winstead.
Directed by John Moore.
Written by Skip Woods, based on characters created by Roderick Thorp
GRADE: *** (three out of four stars)
GOSPEL-DOCTRINE-O-METER: * (one out of four Moronis)
Since the point of most Die Hard movies is to ramp up the body count in new and interesting ways, there isn't much redeeming gospel value here. I suppose the reconnecting/bonding between an estranged father and son has a nice feel to it, but blowing away dozens of bad guy Russians isn't exactly your typical father and son outing.
REVIEW:
Yippie Ki-Yay, again. It's hard to believe it's been almost 25 years since the release of the first Die Hard movie, but the ageless Bruce Willis keeps on signing up for more sequels. John McClane is back in "A Good Day To Die Hard," just in time for Valentine's Day (nothing says “romance” like a few car chases, explosions and gun battles, right?).
The story begins with Detective McClane leaving New York City for Russia to find his estranged son John “Jack” Jr. (Jai Courtney), who is in jail for murder. Upon arrival, John goes to a Moscow courthouse where Jack is appearing alongside Komarov (Sebastian Koch), a Russian political activist. At that same moment, an explosion knocks out the wall of the courthouse. The source of the explosion comes from hired hands working for Chagarin, a ruthless Russian politician who wants to capture Komorov.
Komorov is apparently hiding some sort of incriminating file concerning some shady dealings in Chernobyl right before the infamous 1986 meltdown. Before Chagarin's thugs can pick the jailbirds out of the courthouse rubble, Jack and Komorov escape on their own. During their getaway, they encounter the senior McClane, and a huge chase takes place in the busy streets of Moscow involving the McClanes and the aforementioned thugs who ride in a large, armored truck. That's when it's revealed that Jack is really a CIA agent on assignment to get Komorov out of the country for the sake of national security.
The McClanes and Komorov run into several obstacles during the ensuing hours, including Komorov's daughter (Yuliya Snigir), who has apparently betrayed her dad and is working for Chagarin. A few more encounters with bad guys take place until all the significant characters end up at Cherynobl, where a huge battle involving a military helicopter and several cases of plutonium takes place.
"A Good Day To Die Hard" has everything you'd to expect from a Die Hard sequel, including a plot lacking any discernible intelligence, a substantial amount of action, implausible stunts, special effects, and macho quotes. There are familiar Die Hard visual and audio queues, right down to a villain falling backward in slow motion to his death during the climactic finale.
Speaking of familiar things, it's worth mentioning the cameo appearance of one character from the previous movie in the series (2007's "Live Free Or Die Hard"): Mary Elizabeth Winstead as John's daughter Lucy. There is rumor that Willis has agreed to appear in one more Die Hard film. Maybe the producers of the franchise can arrange for a little Die Hard reunion, including Bonnie Bedelia as McClane's ex-wife Holly and Reginald VelJohnson as McClane's old Los Angeles police buddy Al Powell in the finale of the series.
As for Bruce Willis, he may have lost all his hair and gained more than a few wrinkles since 1988, but he's still “got it” in terms of carrying the load in an action film, even if we're all pretty sure he isn't doing any of his own stunts at the ripe old age of 57.
"A Good Day To Die Hard" is more than a little silly, but audiences don't flock into theaters to see a Die Hard movie as some sort of reliable substitute for Shakespeare. Die Hard movies don't require a lot of abstract reflection – just audiences with an affinity for blowing stuff up and lots of gun play. In that sense, "A Good Day To Die Hard" truly delivers, especially for fans of the franchise. Even so, "A Good Day To Die Hard" is probably one of the weakest in the franchise, because we've seen all that action film stuff before.
"A Good Day To Die Hard" was given a well-deserved R rating, mostly due to a few scenes of very gory action and plenty of coarse language. Read more: The Davis Clipper - Movie review ‘A Good Day To Die Hard’ truly delivers on action
Friday, February 8, 2013
Dan's Review: Side Effects
Rooney Mara in Side Effects | Open Road Films
Rated R for sexuality, nudity, violence and language.
Starring Jude Law, Rooney Mara, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Channing Tatum, Vinessa Shaw, Polly Draper.
Directed by Steven Soderbergh.
Written by Scott Z. Burns.
GRADE: ***
GOSPEL-DOCTRINE-O-METER: Zero Moronis (0) Not much to see here in terms of uplifting gospel messages, with the possible exception being a reminder that nothing good comes from sin and bad decisions, especially when you compound lust with greed and murder. There are a few sex scenes (one with graphic nudity) along with a violent stabbing scene and plenty of bad language throughout the film.
REVIEW:
Steven Soderbergh has had a unique and eclectic career directing films over the past two decades. From his roots as an independent filmmaker (Sex, Lies and Videotape) to the quirky comedies (Oceans 11, 12, 13) to the serious dramas (Traffic, Erin Brockovich, Contagion) to the tediously boring (Solaris), Soderbergh has been prolific, yet never the same. His latest movie Side Effects proves he can branch out into other genres as well.
Rooney Mara stars as Emily, married to Martin (Channing Tatum), an insider-trading convict on the verge of being released from a five-year prison sentence. When he gets home, Emily is suddenly overcome with depression and crashes her car into a parking garage wall in an apparent suicide attempt. While in a hospital emergency room, Emily meets Dr. Jonathan Banks (Jude Law), a psychiatrist assigned to check on her mental status. Over the next six months, Emily continues to visit Dr. Banks, who also consults with Dr. Victoria Siebert (Catherine Zeta- Jones), a psychiatrist who treated Emily shortly before her marriage to Martin.
As Dr. Banks treats Emily, he tries a series of antidepressant drugs, most of which have unpleasant side effects on the patient. Dr. Seibert recommends a new drug, one that has been gaining popularity though national advertisements.
(SPOILER ALERT)
After trying the new drug, Emily begins to have bouts of sleepwalking. One night when Martin returns home, she stabs and kills him while in an unconscious state.
During her murder trial, Dr. Banks' methods and treatment are called into question, along with the new drug he prescribed for her. Emily's case gains national attention, and even though Dr. Banks helps win a “not guilty by reason of insanity” verdict, his reputation is ruined as Emily enters a mental hospital.
But something does not add up for Dr. Banks and he begins to dig a little deeper into the drug, Dr. Siebert, and Emily's mental condition. As his investigation grows, Dr. Banks loses his career and family. He also discovers that he may have been the victim of an elaborate, sinister plot.
Side Effects is a clever film, and not at all what I expected. Like other “cause” films directed by Soderbergh (Traffic, Contagion, Erin Brockovich), I thought the movie was going to be a condemnation of the rampant use of antidepressants. It turned out to be a more of a film-noir murder mystery, with several plot twists and turns, keeping the audience guessing.
While I enjoyed Side Effects, the movie did tend to slow down a lot in the middle, especially after the murder trial and during Emily's stay in the mental hospital. Even so, Soderbergh's style and talent for creating tension come through rather well as the film progresses toward a surprise ending. Rooney Mara does a fine job in a complex role, while Jude Law turns in another solid performance.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Dan's Review: Stand Up Guys
Rated R for language, sexual content, violence and brief drug use.
Starring Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, Alan Arkin, Julianna Marguilies, Mark Margolis, Lucy Punch, Addison Timlin, Vanessa Ferlito, Katheryne Winnick.
Written by Noah Haidle.
Directed by Fisher Stevens.
GRADE: ** (two out of 4 stars)
GOSPEL-DOCTRINE-O-METER: One Moroni (*). Set in a world of mob guys engaged in "Secret Combinations" there really isn't a lot of gospel quality in this film, with the possible exception of true friendship in the face of adversity (a.k.a. "honor among thieves").
It's tough to see some of your favorite actors get a little long in the tooth. The normal procedure for an acclaimed, yet aging actor is to transition from starring roles into supporting “characters.” For some of the more accomplished film veterans, this transition is easy. For others, they often ride into the sunset kicking and screaming. I'm getting the impression that Al Pacino fits into the category of those less inclined to take the “character” roles, as witnessed by his appearance in Stand Up Guys, the story of aging mobsters out for one last night on the town.
Pacino plays Val (short for Valentine), an ex-con just released from a 30-year stint in prison. His best buddy Doc (Christopher Walken) picks him up and reintroduces Val into the ways of freedom by taking him for drinks and dinner. Val soon learns that Doc has been commissioned by their old mob boss (Mark Margolis) to execute him, since Val inadvertently shot and killed the boss' only son just prior to entering prison. Rather than resist, Val enlists Doc to hook up with their old buddy Hirsch (Alan Arkin), who has been living out his golden years in a rest home. The trio take a stolen hot rod and head out for a night on the town that includes visiting a few prostitutes, taking vengeance out on a few small-time hoodlums who kidnapped and raped a woman they found in the trunk of the stolen car, several trips to Doc's favorite diner, and little shopping for new suits.
In the end, Doc must decide whether to kill his pal or come up with a better solution.
Stand Up Guys has the benefit of fine performances from three very talented actors. The trouble is, all three of them are not leading men, better suited for the aforementioned “character” roles. The result is a film that moves along slowly, as three old guys rehash the “old days” (which compromises most of the dialogue). There are a certainly few funny moments and a little drama, but Stand Up Guys is a movie that will add years to your life.
And there's the rub. Finding an audience for Stand Up Guys will be a difficult task, as the senior crowd is not usually drawn to movies about old mobsters, while the younger crowd seems enamored by movies about vampires, superheroes and party scenes.
Stand Up Guys is rated R for a substantial amount of salty language and some violence.
Starring Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, Alan Arkin, Julianna Marguilies, Mark Margolis, Lucy Punch, Addison Timlin, Vanessa Ferlito, Katheryne Winnick.
Written by Noah Haidle.
Directed by Fisher Stevens.
GRADE: ** (two out of 4 stars)
GOSPEL-DOCTRINE-O-METER: One Moroni (*). Set in a world of mob guys engaged in "Secret Combinations" there really isn't a lot of gospel quality in this film, with the possible exception of true friendship in the face of adversity (a.k.a. "honor among thieves").
It's tough to see some of your favorite actors get a little long in the tooth. The normal procedure for an acclaimed, yet aging actor is to transition from starring roles into supporting “characters.” For some of the more accomplished film veterans, this transition is easy. For others, they often ride into the sunset kicking and screaming. I'm getting the impression that Al Pacino fits into the category of those less inclined to take the “character” roles, as witnessed by his appearance in Stand Up Guys, the story of aging mobsters out for one last night on the town.
Pacino plays Val (short for Valentine), an ex-con just released from a 30-year stint in prison. His best buddy Doc (Christopher Walken) picks him up and reintroduces Val into the ways of freedom by taking him for drinks and dinner. Val soon learns that Doc has been commissioned by their old mob boss (Mark Margolis) to execute him, since Val inadvertently shot and killed the boss' only son just prior to entering prison. Rather than resist, Val enlists Doc to hook up with their old buddy Hirsch (Alan Arkin), who has been living out his golden years in a rest home. The trio take a stolen hot rod and head out for a night on the town that includes visiting a few prostitutes, taking vengeance out on a few small-time hoodlums who kidnapped and raped a woman they found in the trunk of the stolen car, several trips to Doc's favorite diner, and little shopping for new suits.
In the end, Doc must decide whether to kill his pal or come up with a better solution.
Stand Up Guys has the benefit of fine performances from three very talented actors. The trouble is, all three of them are not leading men, better suited for the aforementioned “character” roles. The result is a film that moves along slowly, as three old guys rehash the “old days” (which compromises most of the dialogue). There are a certainly few funny moments and a little drama, but Stand Up Guys is a movie that will add years to your life.
And there's the rub. Finding an audience for Stand Up Guys will be a difficult task, as the senior crowd is not usually drawn to movies about old mobsters, while the younger crowd seems enamored by movies about vampires, superheroes and party scenes.
Stand Up Guys is rated R for a substantial amount of salty language and some violence.
Dan's Review: Warm Bodies
Rated PG-13 for zombie violence and some language.
Starring Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, Dave Franco, John Malkovich, Analeigh Tipton , Cory Hardrict , Rob Corddry.
Written by Jonathan Levine, based on the novel by Isaac Marion.
Directed by by Jonathan Levine.
GRADE: **1/2 (two and a half stars out of four)
GOSPEL DOCTRINE-O-METER: Two Angel Moronis (**) Despite the obvious problem of a story based in a world devoid of the Second Coming or pending Millenium (let alone a lot of dead people walking around - so much for resurrection), there are a few gospel themes that can be derived from Warm Bodies. One is the squeaky-clean romance, absent of the slightest hint of sexual activity (although the female lead does remove her shirt - seen only from behind). The other is a lesson on tolerance and accepting people seen as hopeless cases. The idea that love can cure a malady as terrible as Zombieism can be seen as an allegory for rescuing souls via missionary work or visiting/home teachers among the less active. Then again, it IS a movie about zombies that eat brains.
REVIEW:
Zombie lore has been an unavoidable staple in film and television lately. There is a significant amount of zombie movies, comic books and TV series out there, so I suppose it was only a matter of time before a zombie romantic comedy would get the green light. Warm Bodies may be the first romance based in the world of the walking dead, and it may not be the last.
Nicholas Hoult plays “R” (since he can't remember his living name), a young zombie who wanders around an airport with other people in his same predicament. His story is set in the world after the “zombie apocalypse” where uninfected humans have barricaded themselves behind a huge wall in a major city, sending out patrols of volunteers to recover supplies for survival. The living are led by General Grigio (John Malkovich), a harsh man whose only mission in life is to kill all the zombies.
During one such mission, Grigio's daughter Julie (Teresa Palmer) runs into a band of zombies which also includes R. As Julie's boyfriend (Dave Franco) becomes R's brain brunch, the young dead man is smitten with her, and she is saved by him from the other zombies. R takes Julie to his airport hideout at the airport as a hostage.
During her captivity, R begins to have feelings usually reserved for living people, including a faint heartbeat. Julie also starts to have feelings for R, especially after he saves her life on more than one occasion.
Julie eventually gets back to the “living people” encampment and tries to convince her father that love can cure the zombies, but not before a band of more violent “skeleton” zombies engage in an attack on the living, who are joined by other zombies who have discovered feelings after being inspired by R.
Warm Bodies is a unique film, and could be considered a romantic comedy, if not for a substantial amount of zombie gore and scary moments, giving it the feel and tone of a horror movie. The clever script (mostly narrated by Hoult) has a lot of comedic elements, while the romance doesn't get too sappy, if not implausible.
And speaking of romance, if you pay close attention during Warm Bodies, you'll notice more than a few similarities to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet (R=Romeo, Julie=Juliet, the forbidden romance between star-crossed lovers...there's even a “balcony” scene).
The problem with Warm Bodies, as I see it - is the rather apparent blasphemy that most zombie movie fans will not take lightly. It's a well-known “fact” that there is no cure for “Zombieism” and the possibility of being able to reverse the effects of the living dead kind of makes the “Apocalypse” seem more like your garden-variety epidemic, easily handled by a few strict guidelines from the CDC. What's more, The idea that a forbidden love story could derive from the world of zombies might appeal to the folks who were willing to overlook the tenets of vampire lore and accept the likes of the Twilight series.
For true Zombie fans, it may be a little too much to swallow.
What's next? A zombie musical? Heaven forbid.
Starring Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, Dave Franco, John Malkovich, Analeigh Tipton , Cory Hardrict , Rob Corddry.
Written by Jonathan Levine, based on the novel by Isaac Marion.
Directed by by Jonathan Levine.
GRADE: **1/2 (two and a half stars out of four)
GOSPEL DOCTRINE-O-METER: Two Angel Moronis (**) Despite the obvious problem of a story based in a world devoid of the Second Coming or pending Millenium (let alone a lot of dead people walking around - so much for resurrection), there are a few gospel themes that can be derived from Warm Bodies. One is the squeaky-clean romance, absent of the slightest hint of sexual activity (although the female lead does remove her shirt - seen only from behind). The other is a lesson on tolerance and accepting people seen as hopeless cases. The idea that love can cure a malady as terrible as Zombieism can be seen as an allegory for rescuing souls via missionary work or visiting/home teachers among the less active. Then again, it IS a movie about zombies that eat brains.
REVIEW:
Zombie lore has been an unavoidable staple in film and television lately. There is a significant amount of zombie movies, comic books and TV series out there, so I suppose it was only a matter of time before a zombie romantic comedy would get the green light. Warm Bodies may be the first romance based in the world of the walking dead, and it may not be the last.
Nicholas Hoult plays “R” (since he can't remember his living name), a young zombie who wanders around an airport with other people in his same predicament. His story is set in the world after the “zombie apocalypse” where uninfected humans have barricaded themselves behind a huge wall in a major city, sending out patrols of volunteers to recover supplies for survival. The living are led by General Grigio (John Malkovich), a harsh man whose only mission in life is to kill all the zombies.
During one such mission, Grigio's daughter Julie (Teresa Palmer) runs into a band of zombies which also includes R. As Julie's boyfriend (Dave Franco) becomes R's brain brunch, the young dead man is smitten with her, and she is saved by him from the other zombies. R takes Julie to his airport hideout at the airport as a hostage.
During her captivity, R begins to have feelings usually reserved for living people, including a faint heartbeat. Julie also starts to have feelings for R, especially after he saves her life on more than one occasion.
Julie eventually gets back to the “living people” encampment and tries to convince her father that love can cure the zombies, but not before a band of more violent “skeleton” zombies engage in an attack on the living, who are joined by other zombies who have discovered feelings after being inspired by R.
Warm Bodies is a unique film, and could be considered a romantic comedy, if not for a substantial amount of zombie gore and scary moments, giving it the feel and tone of a horror movie. The clever script (mostly narrated by Hoult) has a lot of comedic elements, while the romance doesn't get too sappy, if not implausible.
And speaking of romance, if you pay close attention during Warm Bodies, you'll notice more than a few similarities to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet (R=Romeo, Julie=Juliet, the forbidden romance between star-crossed lovers...there's even a “balcony” scene).
The problem with Warm Bodies, as I see it - is the rather apparent blasphemy that most zombie movie fans will not take lightly. It's a well-known “fact” that there is no cure for “Zombieism” and the possibility of being able to reverse the effects of the living dead kind of makes the “Apocalypse” seem more like your garden-variety epidemic, easily handled by a few strict guidelines from the CDC. What's more, The idea that a forbidden love story could derive from the world of zombies might appeal to the folks who were willing to overlook the tenets of vampire lore and accept the likes of the Twilight series.
For true Zombie fans, it may be a little too much to swallow.
What's next? A zombie musical? Heaven forbid.
Friday, January 25, 2013
Dan's Review: The Last Stand
Rated R for graphic violence and language.
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Johnny Knoxville, Rodrigo Santoro, Zach Gilford, Forest Whitaker, Genesis Rodriguez, Jaimie Alexander, Luis Guzmán, Peter Stormare, Eduardo Noriega, Harry Dean Stanton.
Directed by Kim Ji-Woon.
Written by Andrew Knauer
GRADE:Two Stars (**)
GOSPEL DOCTRINE-O-METER: One Angel Moroni (*). The only redeeming gospel-oriented quality one can find in The Last Stand is Sheriff Ray Owens' selfless and tenacious commitment to stand up to evil at the risk of his own life - sort of "Captain Moroni-esque." Too sad such a great quality is shrouded by a lot of gory gun play and salty language. At least there wasn't any sex/nudity.
REVIEW:
Arnold is back, and depending on who you ask, that may or may not be a good thing. Following his foray into politics and his well-documented marital/paternal issues, it was only a matter of time before the action movie icon returned to his roots (despite a few cameos in the Expendables movies). His first starring role comes in The Last Stand, in theaters on January 18.
Schwarzenegger stars as Sheriff Ray Owens (not exactly an Austrian name, but most audiences gave up on explaining why Arnold has played so many “Americans” with thick accents years ago), a former Los Angeles special forces and narcotics officer who has found peace serving as the primary law enforcement in the small town of Summerton Junction, on the Arizona-Mexico border. As county sheriff, Ray commands a small force of deputies, including Sarah (Jaime Alexander), Mike “Figgy” Figueroa (Luiz Guzman) and the baby-faced rookie deputy Jerry Bailey (Zach Gilford).
Miles away in Las Vegas, FBI agent John Bannister (Forest Whitaker) falls prey to an elaborate scheme to help Mexican drug cartel lord Gabriel Cortez (Eduardo Noriega) escape. During the escape, Cortez also kidnaps a lovely female agent and keeps her as a hostage while driving a stolen supercharged Corvette toward the border in Summerton Junction. Cortez's men, led by the evil Burrell (Peter Stormare), have set up a makeshift bridge over a nearby narrow canyon to allow their leader to simply drive unnoticed into freedom while border agents assemble at a more likely crossing miles away. When Ray's deputies discover Burell's scheme, the hardened sheriff determines to stand up to Cortez and his small army, with a little help from a local firearms enthusiast (Johnny Knoxville) and a former marine (Rodrigo Santoro), who is sitting in his jail.
A great battle in the streets of Summerton Junction ensues, with bloody and action-packed results.
The Last Stand is in many ways the perfect vehicle for Schwarzenegger to re-enter the action film world, since the movie closely resembles a majority of his movie resume. It's full of macho one-liners, improbable stunts, and the kind of comedy Arnold and his fans became accustomed to over the years of his heyday.
Sure, the acting is over-the-top, the script is inane and the story is completely implausible, but people willing to plop down their hard-earned cash to see Schwarzenegger movies aren't really expecting Citizen Kane, are they? So, if a lot of gory gun play, some harsh language and a silly story don't bother you, go ahead and see The Last Stand. If you're waiting for another Citizen Kane, keep waiting.
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Johnny Knoxville, Rodrigo Santoro, Zach Gilford, Forest Whitaker, Genesis Rodriguez, Jaimie Alexander, Luis Guzmán, Peter Stormare, Eduardo Noriega, Harry Dean Stanton.
Directed by Kim Ji-Woon.
Written by Andrew Knauer
GRADE:Two Stars (**)
GOSPEL DOCTRINE-O-METER: One Angel Moroni (*). The only redeeming gospel-oriented quality one can find in The Last Stand is Sheriff Ray Owens' selfless and tenacious commitment to stand up to evil at the risk of his own life - sort of "Captain Moroni-esque." Too sad such a great quality is shrouded by a lot of gory gun play and salty language. At least there wasn't any sex/nudity.
REVIEW:
Arnold is back, and depending on who you ask, that may or may not be a good thing. Following his foray into politics and his well-documented marital/paternal issues, it was only a matter of time before the action movie icon returned to his roots (despite a few cameos in the Expendables movies). His first starring role comes in The Last Stand, in theaters on January 18.
Schwarzenegger stars as Sheriff Ray Owens (not exactly an Austrian name, but most audiences gave up on explaining why Arnold has played so many “Americans” with thick accents years ago), a former Los Angeles special forces and narcotics officer who has found peace serving as the primary law enforcement in the small town of Summerton Junction, on the Arizona-Mexico border. As county sheriff, Ray commands a small force of deputies, including Sarah (Jaime Alexander), Mike “Figgy” Figueroa (Luiz Guzman) and the baby-faced rookie deputy Jerry Bailey (Zach Gilford).
Miles away in Las Vegas, FBI agent John Bannister (Forest Whitaker) falls prey to an elaborate scheme to help Mexican drug cartel lord Gabriel Cortez (Eduardo Noriega) escape. During the escape, Cortez also kidnaps a lovely female agent and keeps her as a hostage while driving a stolen supercharged Corvette toward the border in Summerton Junction. Cortez's men, led by the evil Burrell (Peter Stormare), have set up a makeshift bridge over a nearby narrow canyon to allow their leader to simply drive unnoticed into freedom while border agents assemble at a more likely crossing miles away. When Ray's deputies discover Burell's scheme, the hardened sheriff determines to stand up to Cortez and his small army, with a little help from a local firearms enthusiast (Johnny Knoxville) and a former marine (Rodrigo Santoro), who is sitting in his jail.
A great battle in the streets of Summerton Junction ensues, with bloody and action-packed results.
The Last Stand is in many ways the perfect vehicle for Schwarzenegger to re-enter the action film world, since the movie closely resembles a majority of his movie resume. It's full of macho one-liners, improbable stunts, and the kind of comedy Arnold and his fans became accustomed to over the years of his heyday.
Sure, the acting is over-the-top, the script is inane and the story is completely implausible, but people willing to plop down their hard-earned cash to see Schwarzenegger movies aren't really expecting Citizen Kane, are they? So, if a lot of gory gun play, some harsh language and a silly story don't bother you, go ahead and see The Last Stand. If you're waiting for another Citizen Kane, keep waiting.
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