I
have been off the grid for the last month or two.
My wife and I got it in our heads that we should
move. So…in about a two month span, we sold our
home in Coon Rapids, packed everything up and
moved to a log home in Clear Lake Minnesota. It’s
on the Brigg’s chain of lakes and is just 45
minutes from my office here in the Northern
Suburbs. We have all of our possessions boxed up
in the garage as we work on some rehabbing
projects that need to be completed before we
settle in for good. We have been breathing
drywall dust and listening to the sounds of
hammers pounding day and night…but we can finally
see the light at the end of the tunnel. With that
said…Jr. and I decided it was time to take a break
and go see The Revenant.
Long
Story Short:(As provided by studio)
While
exploring the uncharted wilderness in 1823,
legendary frontiersman Hugh Glass (Leonardo
DiCaprio) sustains injuries from a brutal bear
attack. When his hunting team leaves him for dead,
Glass must utilize his survival skills to find a
way back home to his beloved family.
Grief-stricken and fueled by vengeance, Glass
treks through the wintry terrain to track down
John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy), the former confidant
who betrayed and abandoned him.
My
Take: I
will jump right in by saying, and I might be in
the minority here, that I felt that DiCaprio was
miscast. He just didn’t seem right for the part
of mountain man. Sure he had a beard and talked
with a growl…but just not buying it. That’s not
to say, I haven’t enjoyed his acting in tons of
other stuff…just not so much here. On the other
hand, Tom Hardy was incredible as his nemesis and
was totally believable. An earlier scalping by
Native Americans and a face so leathered it looked
like it was taken off an old catcher’s glove left
nothing to remind you that this guy is normally a
Hollywood pretty boy. In my opinion, it was also
the best acting performance I have seen to date
for him. He, not DiCaprio, deserves award
consideration. The movie also felt extremely
long. I can think of several scenes that just
seemed to go on forever! If a guy is crawling
through the snow to try and survive…do we really
need to watch him crawling for 20 minutes to get
the point? On the other hand, the cinematography
was stunning. The fantastic framing of the
landscape was jaw dropping. The epic scenery
shots were filmed in Canada, Montana and parts of
Argentina and were worth the price of admission.
I enjoyed the movie…just wish
a few things had been done a little different…but
what do I know?
Refresh
your memories and hold onto your hats, because
Hunger Games: Mockingjay 2 starts off fast and
right where it left off...a year ago. Make sure
you know who is who and what just happened because
things start to happen fast and not everything is
to the character's liking. The first conflict is
very close and personal, and psychologically
hurtful. It throws Katniss into such a deep
despair that even death seems a better choice to
her.
The books may have
been written for youth, but early in the movie the
characters are forced to make some real grown up
decisions about war and morals. Trying to win
against superior odds forces the Alliance to
choose actions which differ little from Snow in
the Capitol. Art imitates life as surrendering
refugees are given commands to "Get down on the
ground! Show your hands!" with such force and
fear that tension builds, and the viewer almost
expects someone to be unjustly shot dead.
This movie is less
about adventurous combat and more about the
effects of war on people. It's also how the
justification for doing evil in the name of good
seems reasonable and expedient....until the
perpetrators are finally held accountable.
Including holding yourself accountable.
There is enough
combat and action in the movie to make fans happy.
The level of violence and gore is manageable,
even for pre-teens. However, the battle in the
flooded tunnels is so intense that it might be
prudent to watch it through a screen of fingers
before the eyes. I doesn't help that a beloved
character and hero dies a gruesome death.
Katniss is not
motivated by strategic goals, or support for the
revolution....early on the movie, she is driven by
pure revenge and hate. And nearly everyone
around her suffers. At the climax of the movie,
she reclaims her pure, good intentions.....and
causes Snow to die a far more horrible death than
she had hoped to inflict on him by her own hand.
The end of the
movie treats us to a beautiful sunset and idyllic
countryside. Katniss' final words could easily
be said by any veteran that survived a protracted,
painful conflict. We should listen to all of
what they tell us.
I am probably one
of the few who has not watched the movie Sister
Act with Whoopee Goldberg. With that said, I
wasn’t really sure what to expect during my recent
visit to Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, where the
musical comedy is now showing on their main stage.
Long Story
Short: (As provided) Sister Act tells the
hilarious story of Deloris Van Cartier, a wannabe
diva whose life takes a surprising turn when she
witnesses a crime and the cops hide her away in
the last place anyone would expect – a convent!
Set around the Christmas holidays, Deloris helps
her fellow sisters find their voices as she also
rediscovers her own in a sparkling tribute to the
universal power of friendship.
My take: I
can’t say enough about the media night performance
of Regina Marie Williams, cast as Deloris Van
Cariter, the star of this fun production. I was a
little unsure of how things would go early on but
after a few minutes of getting her feet wet, she
had me sold…lock, stock and barrel. She has the
acting and singing chops that makes this
production soar. Her supporting cast was equally
up for the nights challenge. The nuns and priest
shared a great deal of stage time with Williams
and were the perfect singing and comedic
compliment to her strong performance. There were
also equally hilarious performances turned in by
police officer “Sweaty Eddie” (Reginald D. Haney)
and head crook Curtis Shank (Andre Shoals). While
I am at it…I would be remiss if I didn’t mention
Shanks side kicks played by Kasono Mwanza, Mathias
Anderson and Daniel Hines. Good thing for the
other actors that these guys weren’t on stage
more…because they stole every scene they were in.
Everyone was soooooooooo good!!!
I can honestly say
that I have always looked forward to my times at
Chanhassen Dinner Theatres. The caliber of talent
is always extraordinary. The food is savory. The
staff…amazing. If you think I am going
overboard…I challenge you to make a
reservation to their latest hit “Sister
Act” to find out for yourself what you are
missing.
Full
disclosure: I am a science nerd and a science
fiction fan. My mind has been travelling to, and
living on, the planet Mars…..probably since
1965. This movie is artistically beautiful in
its realistic depiction of what it would be like
to live (and die) on Mars. To me, it was
fascinating to see everything in the photos that
have been sent back from our landers and
rovers….become real.
We get a very brief glimpse of what a
“normal” life on Mars is like, with botanist Mark
Watley (Matt Damon) out in the field, collecting
samples, and other scientist astronauts working on
their own tasks. They haven’t been there
long…before a giant Martian storm with deadly
winds boils up over the horizon. In the chaos
and violence of the evacuation from the surface
back to Mars orbit, Watley is separated from the
group and failure of his electronic devices make
the rest of the crew believe he is dead.
Threatened with imminent destruction themselves,
they launch, leaving him behind.
One of the more accurate things about the
movie is the reaction and behavior of NASA
officials to these developments. You become
acutely aware of an agency that is struggling to
survive terrible setbacks, so it’s easy to excuse
some of their decisions. However, it’s also
their can-do culture and “every problem has a
solution” outlook which helps save the day.
Back on Mars, astronaut Watley makes a
decision that, even though he only has food for a
mission of 28 days, somehow he has to survive over
500 days before another mission previously
scheduled to come to Mars can bring him rescue…or,
at least, more food. It’s a very good thing he’s
the botanist in the crew, because he decides to
“Science the sh*t” out of the problem. And the
very thing that allows him to survive is…all the
(s--t) left behind by his crewmates.
The movie becomes a series of problems and
solutions, both on Mars and back on Earth, with
smart, stubborn people working hard to rescue the
marooned astronaut. One of my small complaints
about the movie is that the script takes a fair
amount of time to inventory food…but nothing at
all, really, to tell you about all the OTHER
technology that is available for Watney to work
with. I would have liked to have seen the entire
process of how they got to Mars, how they set up
their shelter, and how they planned to survive
(for even the 28 days) – that story could have
been told in 10 minutes or less.
Watney the astronaut is nearly irrepressibly
positive. A person would need to be, to
survive. However, it also would have been good
to have more of his doubts and fears and life
philosophy in the movie. It helps that he has
communications with Earth.
A very good movie, with the good guys being
NASA astronauts and the “bad guys” being uncaring,
unfeeling Nature and the Laws of Physics. Human
ingenuity and human heart win out in the end.
Jeff's Featured Review American Ultra -
Directed by
Nima Nourizadeh
I
went into American Ultra only knowing that the
plot was about a young man who discovers that he’s
secretly a super-spy under cover…..and that people
are trying to kill him. I didn’t know if it was
going to be played for comedy or straight.
And by the end of the movie, I
still didn’t know – about the comedy, or straight
action-adventure part.
The movie starts out very
pleasantly, in the first-person view of Mike
Howell (played by Jessie Eisenberg, last known
from “Zombieland” that I have seen) who talks
about his love for his girlfriend Phoebe (Kristen
Stewart) and his plan to ask her to marry him.
He’s a funny, likeable stoner who makes very wry
comments about life and can be almost poetical
most of the time. Many times, when he is
talking about the comic book he’s working on and
his fictional fantasy hero Apollo Ape, he is very
touching and “real”.
Then his REAL past starts to
intrude. The CIA one, where Mike is apparently
just an embarrassment waiting to happen, a problem
to be fixed by an ambitious middle-manager who
wants another achievement line for his resume’.
That character is probably the scariest, most
realistic part of the movie, since we all know
someone in the corporate world who has just the
same motivations and morals.
After a supportive CIA officer
tries to warn Mike, and flips his super-spy action
switch, it stops being really funny…simply because
of the amount of violence and carnage it
releases. Mercenary psychopaths are sent to take
him out, which he disposes of in a reflexive and
sometimes comical way – but the blood really
spurts high. What I found disturbing is the
number of innocent bystanders who are killed along
the way, being literally used as ‘meatshields’ to
keep Mike alive and keep the plot going. That’s
a personal pet peeve of mine; I don’t mind if
armies of truly evil monsters are put down…..but
better if they are dispatched in a desert, or
tundra, or remote enemy fortress. When half your
local small town gets whacked, it seems like too
much.
There’s some real surprises in
this movie, and they were very satisfying – who
helps who, who turns out to be something they are
not, simply objects shown in the beginning of the
movie that have a key purpose later on.
The movie has a Hollywood
ending, if not a happy one. I was hoping that
Mike would get to return to his simple but deeply
satisfying life. About all that DOES get
resolved is that he finally gets to propose
marriage. And his comic book character comes to
life.
I recommend this movie if you
can laugh at wry humor, blood and carnage, and
like to see people fight back against the full
force and incompetence of the US government.
It’s the most violent tender love story I have
seen.
Jeff's Featured Review Southpaw - Directed
by
Antoine Fuqua
I
have to warn you right from the start –
“Southpaw”, starring Jake Gyllenhaal as boxer
Billy Hope, is not a movie everyone should see.
I wanted to see the movie because I am a BIG Jake
fan, going back to his “October Sky” days. But
it was painful and shocking to see Jake as a
boxer, and here’s why – it was one of the most
brutal and realistic boxing movies I have ever
seen. The violence was not just for show, it
moved the movie along – but it looked and sounded
real. Even hard to watch.
The good acting helped to keep your eyes
open during the hard parts. The story starts
with Billy Hope on top of the mountain of his
success…and then plunges like a roller coaster
through the Valley of the Shadow of Death. The
scene where his wife dies tragically is
heart-wrenching and it’s not even the worst that
happens to him. Bad decisions start to pile up
and he loses everything, even his daughter. Some
very real emotions are displayed on the screen,
and Billy is lucky to have one reluctant and gruff
ally to help him cope.
If I were to have any criticisms about the
movie is that once Billy decides to rebuild his
life focused on getting his daughter back…..it’s a
little too smooth – he doesn’t really have the
number of setbacks and “two steps forward, one
step back” situations that many people have. He
never really seems to learn to focus on anyone
except himself – the social worker for his
daughter asks him, “Do you really WANT your
daughter to see you all messed up?” is a question
everyone else in the movie needs to ask Billy.
And when Billy is given a chance to take a
REALLY big step forward – like trying to jump a
giant glacial crevasse – it makes you wonder if
he’s doing it for his daughter, or for himself.
Before the offer, he’s making steady progress
towards holding a job, healing his body, and
building relationships.
Of course, there’s a big fight at the end,
against the villain that helped to cause his
downfall – which was 90% Billy’s fault in the
first place. It’s a nail-biter finish, and
you’ll be satisfied with the results. But make
sure you leave time to go out after the movie and
talk about “I wonder what happens next?” – because
the movie will not tie up all the loose ends for
you. So, I cautiously encourage you to see this
movie if 1) you are a fan of Jake Gyllenhaal’s
acting; 2) are a boxing movie fan for the
realistic details and energetic fight scenes; 3)
aren’t afraid to openly weep in movies. It’s
not a “date movie”.
J
Jeff's Featured Movie Review Inside Out Directed by
Pete Docter
I
saw “Inside Out” in 3-D, with the colored
glasses. What surprised me is not objects flying
at the screen, or other tricks of the eye to get
you reacting to the screen. What amazed me the
most is how the movie worked on at least three
different levels and engaged your mind, your
heart, and your “inner child”. This is a
wonderful movie to go and see, for small kids, for
big kids, for adults, parents, and
grandparents.
It works for small children – it’s colorful,
the characters are fantastically drawn and
visually stimulating (“Anger” was my favorite,
combined with the voice of Louis Black,
hysterically funny every time he does or says
something). The landscapes and visuals are
delightful, sometimes like a Dr. Seuss book come
to life and sometimes like a big imagination
factory. There’s plenty of physical humor for
little kids; lots of pratfalls and impossible
actions. The “personality islands” of Family,
Honesty, Friendship, and yes, Hockey…..were
fascinating, beautiful places that you wanted to
see in more detail.
For big kids and adults, there’s lots of
humor too…..some current events humor, some
hipster humor, some witty jousting between
characters. More than enough to make you laugh
out loud. And, because it takes place inside a
character’s mind, struggling with emotions – Joy,
Sadness, Disgust, Fear, and Anger – there’s a lot
to just =think= about. How memories are made
and stored, how people are motivated by a
combinations of emotions just to get through the
day. It made me want to go back and read up on
basic psychology (remember, this is a CARTOON
movie, for goodness sake) just to see if the movie
was being true to principle.
Not only did it work for the inner child,
and tickle our big brains with humor…..it really,
really pulls on the heart. Sometimes, just with
images alone. As a parent who’s child has grown
up and moved away…and who has lost his own
parents….the scenes where little memory marbles
that previously glowed with their own warm
light….turn dark and blow away to dust. I had
to turn away from the screen as if I was watching
a horror movie – too intense to bear. Not
something that a small child would even notice,
except that the character on the screen was
shedding a tear. But for me, an arrow straight to
the heart. Other visual cues, like when the
“personality islands” start to crumble and fall
away, adults will recognize the possible “danger’
and feel anxiety, while little kids will just see
a special effects disaster in the making.
Joy finally realizes that Sadness has an
important role to play in our lives. And the
movie has one of the happiest endings I have seen
in a very long time. Take your little kids to see
this movie, take your parents to see this movie,
invite your grandparents to see this movie. It’s
truly funny and beautiful and might even give you
something to think about.
Mad
Max starts out fast and hard….and never takes its
foot off the throttle for the next two hours. And
makes several sharp turns along the way to make
you grip the seat and lean hard. You don’t need
to have watched ANY of the previous Mad Max movies
to understand the story; in fact, since this movie
is the BEST at telling the story of a desperate,
violent, and mutated future apocalyptic
world….it’s better that you haven’t seen any of
the previous ones.
It’s the same desolate, broken world – where
people queue up and fight over dirty water, for
the amusement of evil, twisted leaders. Max
himself….who’s name you don’t actually learn until
almost the end of the movie….is simply trying to
survive on his own in the middle of all this, but
away from people. Since this Brave New World
that everyone lives in is so short of
everything….he is hunted down for everything he
owns and everything he has…even his blood.
I really liked the script of this movie, and
the way we learn about it – not from disembodied
narrator telling us the back story, not from a
character using “history” as a way to justify what
their world has become. You learn about this
apocalyptic world from what people do and say,
what their “home” looks like around them, what
their religion is now, what their new God seems to
be. All of this dialogue and visual clues and
actions really make you pay attention, and get
drawn into the movie.
While some of the sets are fascinating (it
must have taken years just to come up with the
ideas on how to use people as machines and power),
some of the most important characters in the movie
are: cars. All real, all very
Frankenstein-monster-ish, they all have individual
characters that help push the story along. The
cars even play a part in the new religion –
believers hope to become chromed after they die
(and have some very interesting actions to take
just before they do).
Much has been said about the female
characters in this movie….and they are far
stronger (character, morals), than Max. There are
OLD WOMEN who have important, strong, and
action-oriented roles in this movie. And not just
ninja-killing roles, either. I have never seen a
movie offer a role to women that has both a
feminine, nurturing side….and a kick-butt action
hero side for the same person. Women play a key
role in every action scene in this movie – and the
action is non-stop. Even when the characters
pause to talk about their plans or ideas, there is
always tension building, from pursuers off screen
or signs of threats to come. I had unfinished
popcorn by the end of the movie.
This movie is rated R, with good reason –
there is a lot of violence in the movie. But not
the gory kind, with blood and guts spewing
everywhere. The only incidence of nudity happens
so far away that it could be a statue on top of a
church. If your junior-high school child wants to
go, then take him – to show him a good story, with
good acting, in a movie that has non-stop action.
I
know we do a lot of movie reviews for this column
but I wanted to take a moment out to say what a
great time our staff had at Stevie Ray’s Comedy
Cabaret the other night. It has become one of the
premier comedy hot spots of the Midwest. A lot of
us are familiar with the Chanhassen Dinner Theater
and the wonderful plays we can count on year and
year out…but if you haven’t discovered the
wonderful little club that is housed in the lower
level of the sprawling Chanhassen complex…you are
missing out on a really, really fun time.
The
night we were there, it was a great mix of stand
up comedy, SNL type sketches and of course improv
mixed seamlessly with video and musical
accompaniment. For those of you not familiar with
improv…the audience shouts out suggestions and The
Stevie Ray’s Comedy Troupe creates magical
hilarious comedy based on those suggestions. One
of the things I liked best, was this comedy club
proves that you don’t have to be raunchy to be
incredibly funny. The comedy is clean and
clever!!!
Now add in your
choice of drinks, appetizers or a full dinner menu
and that my friends are the makings for an
incredible date night out or the perfect spot for
a gathering with friends and relatives. Our group
was nothing but smiles not only that night but the
next day as we relived every funny moment. I know
one thing…we will be back very soon. Bravo Stevie
Ray’s Comedy Cabaret!!
Book your tickets
today! by calling 952-934-1525 or
Click Here
and click on the On Stage tab at the top.
This
is a “Spectacle Movie” which will keep you fully
engaged from the start until after the credits
roll (make sure to stay in your seats until AFTER
the last credits roll, to see the final sequel
scene). Like most of the blockbuster Marvel
comic book movies, spectacular special effects,
unimaginable vistas and scenes, and nearly
non-stop action make Avengers: Age of Ultron
a real treat for kids from 6 to 96 who love comics
books come to life.
But it also has a good story to build on,
and some real characters to care about. The
Avengers team starts out as a happy-go-lucky
nearly bulletproof gang of wisecracking friends
who destroy a Hydra stronghold. However, a
mutant brother and sister quickly manage to land
several blows against the over-confident
Avengers……causing them to doubt themselves and
their mission. Some of the dark nightmares and
dreams suffered by the Avengers are very real and
normal, and very painful.
And, of course, all this doubt and pain and
fear create the REAL evil in the movie: Ultron.
From humble beginnings as an Artificial
Intelligence (AI) with no more menace than a
gravelly-voiced Siri……he rapidly becomes a lethal
menace that is dispersed throughout the Internet,
turning up all over the world in powerful robotic
bodies that even battle tanks have problems
fighting against. The action/combat scenes
are amazing and the one final Alamo-stand to save
humanity is a hyperspeed ballet of superheroes,
evil robots, flames, rays, bullets, that left me
laughing out loud at the sheer joy of seeing all
the pieces come together and yet go exploding
apart at the same time.
I liked the fact director Josh Whedon filmed
on location in South Korea and Africa for some of
the interesting conflicts; it made for some very
interesting background and the amount of
devastation that results is probably why the
Avengers aren’t in a American prison….but they
should probably wait to go back to some of those
countries on holiday to avoid arrest. I liked
that many of the good guys had serious flaws in
their background they struggled to overcome (and
that we were given part of their back story to
learn this). And one good guy dies. But not
the one you think.
My only wish for improvements would be to
wonder why Ultron becomes evil so completely and
so fast – it’s like your iPhone wanting to
strangle you with its headphones as soon as you
open the box. Is this the fate of all sentient
beings when you get too smart too fast? Can
Skynet come to no other conclusion than to
immediately exterminate mankind? Oh, and another
thing – Ultron’s plan to exterminate mankind
didn’t pass the giggle test for me. While
impressive and visually stunning (and the Dolby
sound that went with the start of the Doomsday
plan really DID sound like what the end of the
world would be like)……it just wouldn’t work. A
small nitpick, I know, in a movie filled with
flying robots, phaser cannons, and 3D-printed
flesh repairs……but lots of people know what an
Extinction Level Event is these days…..and
Ultron’s didn’t measure up.
While there is a lot of fighting and combat,
there is no blood and gore. The action is
intense, so small children might have a problem
with it. There are only two bad words said in
the movie, and both characters pay a price for
using them.
Go see this movie, like our ancestors would
have gone to see “Ben Hur” or “The Ten
Commandments” or even, god forgive me, “Star
Wars”. This is a “Spectacle Movie”, visually rich
and impressive, but with enough a story and
substantial characters to keep any movie-goer
engaged.
Doug's Monthly Featured Movie Review Unfriended directed by Levan
Gabriadze
Not
much to report this month. Cabin is open and my
son put out our dock the other day. We had
another couple up for a two person golf scramble.
My son played too. It was a beautiful day and we
finished it off with dinner at one of the area
restaurants. I had heard about a low budget
horror movie called Unfriended that was
made for less than a million bucks. It all takes
place on a computer screen and dealt with cyber
bullying. Sounded interesting so I headed over to
the local Cineplex to check it out.
Long Story Short: (synopsis for Unfriended provided by tribute.ca. ) California
teenager Laura Barns commits suicide when she's
called "a slut" and a "waste of life" after one of
her classmates posts an embarrassing video of her
online to shame her. Her suicide is also captured
on video and posted online.
A year later, an
anonymous person uses Laura's Skype account to
contact six of her friends to demand that
whichever one of them posted the shaming video
online come forward and admit it. When no one
confesses, the anonymous person types "Tell me who
posted the video...or someone dies." When they all
claim to be innocent, frightening things begin to
occur. The cast includes Shelly Hennig, Moses
Jacob Storm, Renee Olstead, Will Peltz, Jacob
Wysocki, Courtney Halverson, Heather Sossaman.
My Take: First of all,
I applaud the producers of this movie for proving
that you can make a pretty descent flick and not
have to spend a billion dollars. After
only a week the film has grossed close to 20
million dollars against a production budget of
just 1 million dollars. They didn’t have to spend
a year making it either. Production was just 16
days total. If I was going to invest in a
movie…these are the types of guys I would want to
have on the team….fast and efficient! It
certainly gives hope to all you would be indie
film makers.
The movie itself
was well worth the price of admission and then
some. Its target audience, obviously, is
the millions of us that can’t put our phones
down. All those who live on Instagram, Twitter.
Facebook or any other addictive digital media. I
think it is one of the first movies out that mixes
a group of tech savvy kids with the horror that
awaits them when they take their cyber bullying to
far. I thought the fact that the entire movie
takes place on a computer screen would get a
little old…but it didn’t. There were so many
things taking place on the computer screen that it
held your complete attention and made perfect
sense. Because you were watching a computer
screen, the video was purposely shown a little
grainy. If you remember the Blair Witch
Project…viewing the video had that sort of
amateur feel that made certain moments even more
frightening. I very rarely go to horror movies
because of all the gore. However, this movie left
a lot up to your imagination, which can often be
even scarier then when you are shown every drop of
blood on the screen. The young actors were well
cast and very believable. Most of the actors are
so new they don’t even have pictures or bios up on
IMDB. Bottom line…an interesting, enjoyable low
budget flick that offers a few good frightening
moments and a good lessen to be learned.
Doug's Monthly Featured Movie Review Unfinished Business directed by Ken Scott
Wow…temps
almost up to 60. I am leaving for Vegas in a few
days. Just my luck it will be warmer here then it
is in Vegas. Hope not…but if it is that’s ok
too. It’s just nice to getaway once in awhile.
We have picked out 4 golf courses we will be
playing and they all look like good fun. I just
called Majestic Oaks in Ham Lake, Mn and they told
me their golf range is open. I will head over
after work and try to perfect my very imperfect
golf game. Last Friday I took a couple hours off
to go see why everybody has been hating on the new
Vince Vaughn movie Unfinished Business.
Long Story Short:
(as provided by studio)
A hard-working small business owner (Vince Vaughn)
and his two associates (Tom Wilkinson, Dave
Franco) travel to Europe to close the most
important deal of their lives. But what began as a
routine business trip goes off the rails in every
imaginable - and unimaginable - way, including
unplanned stops at a massive sex fetish event and
a global economic summit.
My Take:
Well, I didn’t think it was as bad as all the
other reviews I was reading. Vince Vaughn has
become a one dimensional actor. It’s not hard to
figure out exactly what you are going to get in
the way of a performance from him. With that
said…I don’t mind his usual shtick. He’s like a
funny uncle you get to see a few times a year. If
you saw him everyday it would wear thin…but since
it’s only on holidays he’s hilarious. The same
holds true for Vince Vaughn….if I had to see him
in a movie every week, it would be too much…but a
few times a year keeps me coming back for another
visit. His movies are all pretty predictable, as
well. Underdog looks like he is going to fail….at
the last minute everything falls in to
place…everyone live happily ever after…the end.
Again, I don’t like fluff movies all the time but
on occasion they fit me like the old recliner I
have in my living room. Dave Franco gets most of
the laughs. He plays a dim-witted, socially inept
goof ball. The beautiful women find his honesty
refreshing and naiveté irresistible and somehow he
is able to bed whom ever he desires. (If only it
were that easy in real life…just kidding honey!)
Tom Wilkinson is thrown into the mix to reach the
seniors demographic. You might not recognize the
name but the guy has played second banana in a
million movies. From what I have been able to
gather, Vaughn felt the last movie he did, The
Internship with Owen Wilson, would have been
funnier if it had an R rating and a little more
“sexed up” humor. Well, he got the R rating for
this movie and I don’t think the few “sexed up”
scenes were worth the rating, which in turn
limited his audience reach and appeal. This is
not a movie you have to run out and see at the
theater but a good one to watch at home in your
favorite recliner with a six pack of beer and a
bag of chips.
Doug's Monthly Featured Movie Review Black
or White directed by Mike Bender
Well
the only thing to report since my last review is I
got my butt handed to me at the big poker game the
other night. 7 of my closest friends get together
twice every year to play cards. Lots of fun but I
think I only won like 3 hands. Ouch!!!
Good thing I could
go to a movie the next day to try and take away
the pain. My wife and I headed over to Andover
Cinema for the latest Kevin Costner movie Black
or White. Unfortunately it turned out to be
almost as painful to watch as my poker playing
skills the night before.
Long Story Short:
(provided by studio)
Black or White
is the story of a grandfather (Academy Award
winner Kevin Costner) who is suddenly left to care
for his beloved granddaughter. When her paternal
grandmother (Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer)
seeks custody with the help of her brother
(Anthony Mackie), the little girl is torn between
two families who love her deeply. With the best
intentions at heart, both families fight for what
they feel is right and are soon forced to confront
their true feelings about race,forgiveness,
and understanding. Anchored by an all-star cast
and based on real events, the movie is a look at
two seemingly different worlds, in which nothing
is as simple as black or white.
My Take:
This movie just didn’t work for me. I like Kevin
Costner and I like Octavia Spencer…but it still
didn’t work for me. Here’s why…Kevin Costner’s
daughter died while giving birth and then his wife
and he adopt the racially mixed child because the
granddaughter’s biological father is a drug
addict. When Costner’s wife dies, he suddenly
finds himself as the primary caretaker of his
granddaughter. Trouble is, he is a drunk and a
mean drunk to boot. Now he never abuses the
daughter physically but a drunken grandfather is
just not a very good influence to have around.
He is cynical and surly…he is a downer. Yet
somehow we are supposed to be rooting for him to
retain custody over Octavia Spencer’s character.
She plays the mother of the drug addict father,
who wants the granddaughter to be part of her
family instead. It seemed like three quarters of
the movie was just Costner’s character getting
drunk and being confrontational. It got old real
quick. Octavia’s character was so over the top
that she was hard to get behind too. As I pointed
out, there was nobody you were really pulling for
in this movie. Everybody was kind of a pill.
Bottom line…if you can’t find someone to like in
a movie …it’s a waste of my time. Oh well, they
can’t all be 5 stars.
Doug's Monthly Featured Movie Review Taken 3 Directed by Olivier Megaton
So
glad I had the opportunity to leave this frozen
region for a few days. I took my wife and two
kids to Disney World and Universal Studios for
their Christmas present. Not to rub it in
but….the weather was sooooo warm!!!! My daughter
is now an Assistant General Manager in the hotel
industry, so she got us an incredible rate of just
$29 a night at a great Hilton property that was
just minutes away from everything. Life is
good!!! Next up, heading to Vegas for my annual
outing with some of my golf buddies. I don’t know
if you watched the Golden Globes or not, but my
pick for Best Actor was Michael Keaton. He won
for Birdaman (see my archives for the
review) and now I just hope it carries over to the
Oscars. My son and I both think Liam Neeson is
great. What a voice! He was home on break from
college so we headed to Andover Cinema and caught
his latest action flick, Taken 3.
Long Story
Short:
(Provided by studio)
Ex-covert operative Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) and
his ex-wife, Lenore (Famke Janssen), are enjoying
reconciliation when Lenore is brutally murdered.
Bryan is framed for the crime and flees, with the
CIA, FBI and police all in hot pursuit. For the
last time, he channels his rage and particular setof
skills into hunting down Lenore's real killers,
taking his revenge and protecting the one
important thing left in his life: his daughter,
Kim (Maggie Grace).
My Take:
Not too much to say about this one. Basically
more of the same stuff we saw from the other two
installments. But who cares…that’s what we
wanted…right? For an old fart, Liam Neeson sure
knows how to kick butt. The beauty of short takes
and creative editing, I guess. I was a little
disappointed that Famke Janssen got killed off
right away. She is a good actor and not hard to
look at either. Maggie Grace has played Liam
Neeson’s daughter throughout this Taken
trilogy. She was also a regular for awhile on
Showtime’s Californication. She was great
on Californication playing a sexy groupie whom
Hank begins a relationship. In the Taken
movies I have not been as impressed. Her acting
is a bit stiff and physically she seems a little
awkward….maybe it’s just me. A few good chase
scenes. Some edge of the seat suspense. A few
plot twists and turns. A happy ending. It may be
formulamatic but it works for me.
Here is the Jimmy Kimmel Taken 4 Parody.
Funny stuff!
Thanksgiving
was wonderful this year. Per usual, everyone
comes to our house to celebrate. This year we had
over the usual suspects of friends and family.
Everyone had a great time…even though I heard a
few grumblings because my Thanksgiving word
scramble contest was too hard. When the first
place prize includes a bag of Oreo cookies, you
want to make them work for it! My wife is a great
cook and along with everyone bringing something
for the table…this years spread was once again
amazing. I really do have a lot to be thankful
for and count my blessings everyday. I am
especially thankful for left-overs the next day!
My daughter is staying with us while she is in
between apartments so I dragged her along to see
that new Michael Keaton movie, "Birdman".
Long Story
Short: (As provided by studio) Riggan
Thomson's (Michael Keaton) blockbuster days
starring as the superhero "Birdman" are long
behind him, which is one of the reasons he's
making a grab for renewed relevance by directing
his Broadway adaptation of Raymond Carver's What
We Talk About When We Talk About Love. Efforts are
complicated by the presence of his troubled
daughter Sam (Emma Stone) and his co-stars: famed
stage actor Mike Shiner (Edward Norton), Shiner's
insecure girlfriend, Lesley (Naomi Watts), and
Laura (Andrea Riseborough), whom Thomson also
happens to be sleeping with. And let's not forget
the voice of "Birdman" himself, constantly urging
Thomson to embrace his inner badass.
My Take:
Let me start right off by saying…BEST MOVIE OF
THE YEAR!!! I had heard whispers that it was a
good movie and it exceeded all expectations.
There are so many good things to say about
"Birdman". The film is mesmerizing and it all
starts with the cinematography. Emmanuel Lubezki
was the cinematographer for Gravity. A movie that
was mesmerizing in it own right. Now he lends his
incredible talents to this movie and along with
director Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu (from here on
out AGI) the two created an entire movie that
appears to be done with one continuous take. The
result is an almost hypnotic flow that leaves you
feeling like you are on a magic carpet ride that
allows you to be right in the middle of every
scene. I have never experienced and entire movie
that offers this seamless, continuous motion. It
is a little hard to explain, so you just have to
go out and experience it for yourself. You won’t
be sorry. Next we have the cast. I know I am
bragging up this flick more than most but…..it was
also the perfect ensemble of players! Michael
Keaton gives a performance of a life time. His
character is flawed in some pretty big ways. He
has been unfaithful to his wife. He hears
voices. He is followed by an imaginary
superhero…the list goes on and on. But it’s those
flaws that make this movie so fun to watch. He is
the proverbial…accident waiting to happen. How
long can he go on before he self implodes? I
would also nominate Edward Norton for a best
supporting actor award. Other than Primal Fear, I
have not been a big fan of his movies. Not the
case in "Birdman". He plays the arrogant jerk
flawlessly. He does it so well and with such
witty banter that, despite your disdain for him,
you still find yourself in awe of his smoothness.
Emma Stone, as always, is so captivating. She
plays the daughter to Michael Keaton’s character.
She has a presence about her that allows her to
steal almost every scene she is in. The rest of
the cast is just icing on the cake. I can’t say
enough, how well this group of talented actors
worked together. The last ingredient to this
winning mix is the music by Antonio Sanchez. It’s
hip and it’s contagious. It has a jazzy vibe that
works perfectly for the story. The drum and
symbols, heard prominent throughout, give the
movie its edgy heart beat. For some reason this
movie is hard to find at local theaters, so you
might have to do a little digging for a screen,
but well worth the search. This movie is the
whole enchilada and if you really like going to
the movies, like I do, this one should not be
missed!!!
Doug's Monthly Featured Movie Review The
Judge Directed by David Dobkin
Reviewed by guest movie critic Doug
Solem, Jr. Doug is a Senior at St.
Cloud State University,
majoring in Graphic Design with a minor in Film.
The
Judge seemed to be a fitting movie to see
considering what has been going on in my life
right now. Unfortunately, I lost my Uncle Bob
this past week. He was not only a great man but
one of the people I have tried to model my life
after. He led his life with integrity and respect
and chose to put everyone before himself. He was
a great man and will be forever missed.
The Judge is the story of Hank
(Robert Downey Jr.) a big slick lawyer from
Chicago who heads back to his hometown after his
mother has passed away. He reunites with his two
brothers and while there he finds that his father
(Robert Duvall), the respected town judge, is
implicated as a murder suspect. Between the
broken relationship with his father, who is now
suffering from cancer and early stages of
dementia, to his current divorce proceedings with
his wife, Hank has more than enough on his plate,
to say the least….but it doesn’t stop there.
Let
me start off by saying, Robert Downey Jr. is by
far my favorite actor in Hollywood, so I was
already a little biased going into this movie.
With that said, RDJ once again delivered a
spectacular performance and, in my opinion, his
best dramatic role to date. I was especially
looking forward to this film because I wanted to
see if RDJ could separate his persona from that of
the Ironman franchise. At first, I was
worried because I noticed Hank had a similar
cockiness and wit to that of Iron Man. However,
as the storyline became more serious and intense
so did Downey’s character. At that point you
really got to see Downey’s acting chops and the
incredible amount of emotion he brought to this
role. However, as good as RDJ was in this movie,
Robert Duvall was just as good, if not better in
my opinion. I mean this guy is a legend and his
performance in this movie was straight up
awesome. He played a stubborn Judge who had given
up on his relationship with his son Hank (RDJ) and
was secretly battling cancer and dementia. When a
guy like Duvall is acting so good that you think
he must be like this in real life, you know you
are witnessing a command performance. Besides
having a dynamite cast, I thought the well written
script gave them a lot of opportunity to show
their skills. The director of this film, David
Dobkin, had directed lighter fare like Change
up, Wedding Crashers and Shanghai Knights,
so I really wasn’t sure if Dobkin could make the
leap to an emotional dramatic piece. Boy was I
wrong;
I
don’t think I have connected with a film,
emotionally like this, since I saw Argo a couple
years back. Dobkin does a great job especially
with the court scenes by making them intense while
inserting well timed twists and turns. The film
also does a great job of keeping your attention
throughout with smaller side stories such as his
relationship with his high school sweetheart (Vera
Farmiga), and his brother (Vincent D’Onofrio)
who’s baseball career ended after a severe car
crash caused by Hank. The well inserted changes
in pace keep the movie interesting and adds a
needed dynamic that holds your attention every
step of the way. With that said, this is a very
touching movie that a lot of us can relate well to
with regard to dementia and cancer issues in many
of our own families. RDJ and Duvall are worthy of
Oscar nominations and if I get the chance I will
go see this movie again.
Doug's Monthly Featured Movie Review: The
Equalizer Directed by Antoine Fugua
Just
found out I still have one last golf tournament to
play in tomorrow. They are predicting temps in
the low 40’s. To be honest, I am not one of those
diehards that has to play regardless of weather
conditions. I committed, so I am going. I will
just have to throw on the long johns and bring my
stocking cap. This weekend I will also begin
closing down the cabin. Hate the thought but it
gives me something to look forward to over the
winter.
Long Story
Short: (As provided by
studio) In the Equalizer, Denzel
Washington plays McCall, a former black ops
commando who has faked his death to live a quiet
life in Boston. When he comes out of his
self-imposed retirement to rescue a young girl,
Teri (Chloe Grace Moretz), he finds himself fact
to face with ultra-violent Russian gangsters. As
he serves vengeance against those who brutalize
the helpless, McCall’s desire for justice is
reawakened. If someone has a problem, the odds
are stacked against them and they have nowhere
else to turn, McCall will help. He is help. He
is the Equalizer.
My Take:
I am a
big Denzel Washington fan. I would go see any
movie he is in. My all time favorite was
Training Day. I have liked them all…Flight,
American Gangster, Man on Fire, blah blah
blah. His latest movie, The Equalizer,
will not be on the top of my list, but enjoyable
nonetheless. As anyone who reads my column is
aware, I’m a sucker for kick ass - action movies
and believe me there is a lot of ass kicking in
this flick…most of it dished out by Denzel. His
nemesis and the guy who you will love to hate is a
Russian named Nicolai (Marton Csokas). He’s the
one who is called in to clean up big messes for
other bad guys. The dude is mean to the bone and
psychotic to boot…a worthy adversary for Denzel.
Speaking of kick ass, if you go back to one of my
archived reviews, you’ll see one for the movie
Kick Ass. In that review I said that one of
its actors, Chloe Grace Moretz, would some day be
a big star. Well she is not quite as big as I
thought she would be by now but she is starting to
turn up more and more in other movies. In the
Equalizer, she is the reason Denzel comes out
of retirement. She plays a prostitute trying to
get out of harms way but her pimp has other
ideas. Another reviewer said this movie was as
good as Training Day. I don’t know what
movie he was watching but I can guarantee Denzel
will not receive another Oscar for this film. It
is a B movie at best. It just comes across as
kind of schlocky. The music, the lines, how it’s
filmed…all just have a cheesy feel to it. Bottom
line for me, it’s a so so movie that is enjoyable
because Denzel Washington is so damn good!!!
Doug's Monthly Featured Movie Review: Chef
Directed by Jon Favreau
Wow…this
summer has been flying by the fastest ever. I
remember when I was a kid, it seemed like the
summer lasted forever. I’m not complaining
though…this summer was incredible. The weather
was the best I can remember. I actually was part
of a team that won a golf scramble and took second
in another. Whoo Hoo!!! Never got rained out for
Thursday night golf with the guys. Went to a ton
of Twins games with my daughter. What more could
a guy ask for??!!! Deb spent most of the summer
at the cabin and I would meet up with her on
weekends. She is forcing me to take her to the
Little Falls Craft Show this weekend. Last but
not least, I will be hosting the 25th
Annual DFS Invitational Golf Tournament at Bunker
Hills and Majestic Oaks a week from tomorrow…a
sure sign that summer has come to an end and time
to start watching more movies.
Long Story
Short: (As provided by
studio) When Chef Carl Casper (Jon Favreau)
suddenly quits his job at a prominent Los Angeles
restaurant after refusing to compromise his
creative integrity for its controlling owner
(Dustin Hoffman), he is left to figure out what’s
next. Finding himself in Miami, he teams up with
his ex-wife (Sofia Vergara), his friend (John
Leguizamo) and his son Percy (Emjay Anthony) to
launch a food truck. Taking to the road, Chef
Carl goes back to his roots to reignite his
passion for the kitchen and zest for life and
love.
My Take:
Jon
Favreau is probably best known for being the
director behind the hugely successful Iron Man
movies. He is also the guy who plays Iron Man’s
sidekick in the movie. Needless to say, he is a
very talented guy and surrounds himself with a lot
of very talented people. Chef is a much
smaller movie than his Iron Man franchise but it
still delivers big in many ways. The movie is a
throw back to the road trip movies of yesteryear.
As a result, the movie is filled with really nice
bonding moments between father and son, husband
and ex-wife, and between two best friends. Don’t
get me wrong, it is a good balance between heart
string pulling and great comedy. It never gets
too syrupy. The cast is stellar. A bunch of
really big stars (Dustin Hoffman, Scarlet
Johansson, Oliver Platt, and Robert Downey Jr.)
have smaller but still very fleshed out and key
roles. There are a few scenes that seem a little
too improvised and don’t quite work but overall it
is a really fun, uplifting film. If you’ve
reached your quota of bad news for the day,
Chef is the perfect “pick me up”!
Reviewed by guest movie critic Doug
Solem, Jr. Doug is a Senior at St.
Cloud State University,
majoring in Graphic Design with a minor in Film.
The
next addition to the marvel movie franchise is
here with Guardians of the Galaxy. It’s the story
of an alien abducted boy named peter quill (Chris
Pratt) who grows up to be one of the Galaxy’s most
infamous outlaws. But with the world possibly
coming to an end, it is up to him and his newfound
team of misfits to save the world. A team which
includes a smartass raccoon (Bradley Cooper), a
talking tree (Vin Diesel), a sexy green alien (Zoe Saldana) and drax the destroyer (Dave Bautista)
Guardians of the Galaxy was everything you
want in a summer block buster. It had music,
action and a great cast. I’m not going to lie, I
was surprised at how good the movie came out.
When I first heard that marvel was going to add
this movie into its franchise I was very
skeptical. I thought there would be no way this
movie would succeed if it had a talking raccoon
and walking tree as part of the cast. But I was
pleasantly proven wrong. Chris Pratt is now my
new favorite actor and his performance in the
movie was perfect. He has just the right mix of
comedy along with charisma which makes his
performance phenomenal. However the thing that
this movie has going for it most is Peter Quill’s
(Chris Pratt) music cassette player, which also
serves as the soundtrack of the movie. From the
start of the movie, as he puts his headsets on, we
as an audience are spoiled with hit after hit from
the 70s. The music really sets the tone for the
movie and gives it a fun and upbeat vibe. My dad
and I are still singing the opening song of the
movie, that kicks off the opening action sequence,
which is worth the price of admission all by
itself! The only problem, that I see with this
film, is that it can be confusing at times,
especially if you are new to the marvel
franchise. I wish they would have gone into more
detail about the origin of each character but
maybe that will be something they expand on in
upcoming projects. Also, there are many fictional
cosmic terms used in the movie to describe planets
and characters which can be a little overwhelming
at times. However, this movie is undoubtedly one
of the best flicks I’ve seen all year. I have now
come to the conclusion that Marvel knows the right
formula for creating successful blockbusters that
are perfect for all ages.
Go and see this movie and I personally
guarantee you will not be disappointed!
Doug's Monthly Featured Movie Review: 22
Jump Street directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
What
a great summer so far!!! We just got back from
the annual family vacation up north. So much
fun! I didn’t catch many fish but just being out
on the lake with friends and family made it all
worth while. The golf was great too. Got in two
rounds worth at the Breezy Point courses. The
courses were in incredible shape and the staff
couldn’t have been nicer. If you are ever looking
for something to do…you can’t go wrong if you
check out Breezy Point and all that they have to
offer. Never to busy for a movie…so here is the
latest.
Long Story
Short: (As provided by studio for 22 Jump
Street): After making their way through high
school (twice), big changes are in store for
officers Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing
Tatum) when they go deep undercover at a local
college. But when Jenko meets a kindred spirit on
the football team, and Schmidt infiltrates the
bohemian art major scene, they begin to question
their partnership. Now they don’t have to just
crack the case – they have to figure out if they
can have a mature relationship. If these two
overgrown adolescents can grow from freshmen into
real me, college might be the best thing that ever
happened to them.
My Take: I know
this is a silly movie. I know it is not very
believable. All I can say is it is movies like
this that keep me young…or at least feeling young.
It’s goofy and predictable. It’s the perfect
flick for the summer…breezy and care free. Our
two stars are perfectly suited for this sort of
“no mind needed” entertainment. I remember seeing
Johan Hill in one of his first movies “Superbad”.
I have to admit after seeing that one; I would
have never guessed he would turn into this huge
star that everybody, including Martin Scorsese,
wants in their movies. For that matter, I never
thought Channing Tatum would be any good in a
comedy. Boy was I wrong. These two just clicked
in their first pairing 21 Jump Street and they
don’t miss a beat in this sequel. There really
isn’t much to say about 22 Jump Street. It’s got
some action; it’s got some romance…a little bit of
this, a little bit of that. Aside from Tatum and
Hill, Ice Cube gets a little more screen time and
that’s O.K. by me. He brings energy to the film
that keeps things moving. There is also a prison
seen cameo from two of the guys that were in the
last movie, Dave Franco and Rob Riggle, that is
hilarious. If you want to be transported back to
those good old high school days…this movie is the
right vehicle to get you there.
We
are getting ready to head off for our annual
summer vacation to Birch Lane Resort in Pine
River. I have been going on this yearly trek
since I was about 10 years old. Wow…that’s like
47 years. Always a great time. While in the
area, Dave Gravdahl at Breezy Point has set us up
with rounds of golf for his White Birch and
Deacon’s Lodge courses. We play there every year
and the courses are incredible. Family, friends,
fishing, golfing, grilling…I can hardly wait!!!
Although it is a busy week…I am never to busy for
the movies!
Long Story Short:
(As provided by the studio) Seth MacFarlane directs, produces, co-writes and plays the
role of the cowardly sheep farmer Albert Stark in
"A Million Ways to Die in the West." After Albert
backs out of a gunfight, his fickle girlfriend
leaves him for another man. When a mysterious and
beautiful woman rides into town, she helps him
find his courage and they begin to fall in love.
But when her husband, a notorious outlaw, arrives
seeking revenge, the farmer must put his newfound
courage to the test.
My Take:
I have to start off by admitting, and some of you
will quit reading my column for saying this, but I
am a Seth MacFarlane fan. “Family Guy” is
excellent! “Ted” was pretty good. I like a guy
who is not afraid to push the envelope. A guy who
could care less about being politically correct
all the time. His sense of humor, for better or
for worse, tickles my funny bone. Sure it can be
a little sophomoric at times…sure it drives the
censors crazy…sure some people would like to tar
and feather him…but I just don’t care. With that
said…this latest movie sucked….just kidding.
However, judging from all the other critics out
there…I am one of the few who liked him in his
first starring role on the big screen.
The movie is a mix between “Blazing Saddles” and
an old Bob Hope road show. Another critic
mentioned the Bob Hope similarity and I have to
admit that’s who he reminds me of in this movie.
Some of you probably don’t even know who Bob Hope
is and you will just have to google the name to
see what I am talking about.
What I like about this movie and MacFarlane’s
comedy in general, is he puts so much out there
that you are going to find something to laugh at.
A lot of it is hit or miss but when it hits it
usually is side splittingly funny…at least for
me. He is not much of an actor but you can’t help
but like him. That’s where the Bob Hope
comparison comes in to play. He left the acting
up to the rest of his cast.
Charlize Theron was his love interest. She is one
of my favorite actresses. It was nice and
refreshing to see her in a comedy. I think this
is the first one I have seen her in. She had good
comedic timing and is very easy on the eyes. Liam
Neeson was the villain. Again, I was pleasantly
surprised because usually he is the lead and
always the hero. His voice is mesmerizing. He is
one of those guys that could read from the
dictionary and you would listen to every word.
Neil Patrick Harris is hilarious as the town’s
rich guy that steals away Macfarlane’s first girl
friend in the movie. He owns a shop that sells
nothing but supplies for grooming your mustache.
It reminded me of an old SNL bit that had a shop
that sold nothing but scotch tape. Some of the
biggest laughs are the result of the humor we get
from
Giovanni Ribisi and Sarah Silverman. She is the
town whore and is engaged to Ribisi’s character.
However because they are both good Christians,
they will not have sex until they are married. It
starts there and just keeps going…funny, funny
stuff!
Like I say, the movie has a lot of near misses but
the one’s that land are worth the price of
admission. This might be a good “wait to see on
DVD” but I thought it played perfectly fine on the
big screen.
Doug's Monthly Featured Movie Review: Heaven Is For Real directed by Randall Wallace
I can’t believe in
May, we are still seeing signs of winter.
Yesterday was a mix of rain and snow. Who woulda
thunk? I was able to get the cabin open…but just
barely. Saturday was beautiful and it gave me
time to rake and clean up. Sunday was a wash
out…literally. The only salvation during these
dreary days is my love for seeing movies!
Long Story
Short: The movie “Heaven
is for Real” is based on the #1 best selling book
by the same name. It tells the story of a young
boy named Colton (Connor Corum) who claims to have
gone to Heaven and back during a near death
experience. What makes his story even more
amazing, he is able to recount details about
things that happened even before he was born.
While in Heaven he remembers meeting another
sister…the miscarried sister that he was never
told about. He remembers details about his great
grandfather, who also happened to have died 30
years before Colton was even born.
Todd Burpo (Greg
Kinnear) is Colton’s father. He is also the
pastor of a small town somewhere in Nebraska.
Much of the movie is spent with Todd and his wife
(Kelly Reilly), as well as the rest of the town,
trying to come to grips with all the publicity and
curiosity surrounding the boy’s revelations.
My Take:
I have
read quite a bit of negative press from religious
factions who do not think this movie should be
seen because it does not follow what the bible
says about Heaven. All I can say is, everyone is
entitled to their own beliefs. That’s the beauty
of the country we live in. However, I simply saw
the movie as a very family friendly film. It’s
nice to see a movie once in awhile that is not
laced with the “F” word and gratuitous sex scenes.
Greg
Kinnear is definitely the glue that holds this
picture together. Without him, I think the whole
thing would have been a little too corny. Props
also go out to newcomer Connor Corum. I haven’t
seen a kid this cute since the little dude in
Jerry Maguire. I thought Kelly Reilly, as
Kinnear’s wife, over acted just a bit..but what do
I know, she just landed her own new TV series.
Thomas Haden Church has a pretty significant role
in the film as Todd Burpo’s buddy. I’ve always
like his acting and although this movie didn’t
give him a lot to do, he is a good choice for this
role. (If you want to see Church at his best
check out a little film called “Sideways”.)
Much like real
life, the town’s people were having a hard time
with accepting that this little boy could really
have gone to Heaven. At one point they were ready
to dismiss Burpo as the pastor of the church if he
didn’t stop believing what his son was saying.
Again, I can’t quite wrap my head around what all
the fuss is about. A little boy says he went to
Heaven…if you want to believe him you can, if you
don’t…well that’s up to you too. As far as I am
concerned, if you want to take the entire family
out for a great night, you won’t go wrong by
adding this movie to your night’s itinerary.
Doug's Monthly Featured Movie Review: Bad
Words Directed by Jason Bateman
As
I am typing this review, I can’t believe there is
another winter storm brewing in April. I am mad
as hell and I just don’t want to take it anymore.
Fortunately, my wife and I slipped off for a much
needed vacation a couple of weeks ago. It was a
great cruise on the biggest ship ever. We visited
Grand Cayman, Jamaica and Cozumel. Life was good
for a while….now back to reality. When will it
end!!!????
Long Story
Short:
Bad Words stars, and is directed by, Jason
Bateman. His character, Guy Trilby, is a troubled
40 year old proofreader of warranties with a chip
on his shoulder. He never finished the 8th
grade and as a result, finds a loop hole that
allows him to compete in the Golden Quill National
Spelling Bee alongside a cast of over-achieving
middle schoolers. Guy is no pretender when it
comes to spelling. Coupled with his amazing
vocabulary and his devious methods of sabotaging
his younger challengers, he makes it all the way
to the Golden Quill finals. Along the way, he
forms an unlikely friendship with 10 year old
Chaitanya Chopra (Rohan Chand). The young boy is
also in the spelling bee and together they raise a
little hell. Online journalist Jenny Widgeon
(Kathryn Hahn) is trying to find out why a grown
man would want to compete in a spelling bee for
children. A question that is answered at the end
of the movie.
My Take:
For a first time directing effort by Justin
Bateman, I thought the movie was a little above
average. The premise, although a bit far fetched,
was acceptable. The supporting cast, most notably
Rohan Chand and Kathryn Hahn, was entertaining.
I’ve always like Justin Bateman. His dry wit and
sense of humor were much appreciated. I guess, I
just didn’t think the parts where he was “bonding”
with the 10 year old kid was done right. I found
it distasteful that part of that “bonding”
included Bateman plying the 10 year old boy with
alcohol on a night out on the town. I thought it
was disturbing that part of that “bonding”
included purchasing a hooker to show the young boy
her boobs had nipples. The sort of “bonding”, now
days, that would get you locked up for long, long
time. I just think Bateman didn’t need to take it
that far to make the relationship or the movie
work. The ending was a little schlock too…but I
will leave that up to those of you that want to
see it. All and all, I would have to say this is
a movie I would not strongly recommend. Like I
always say though…that’s just my personal
opinion.
Well, believe it
or not, I won the Oscar ballot competition at our
Annual Academy Award party last night. I should
probably mention there were only three of us
involved….my wife, my son and me. But I don’t
care…it’s the first time I ever won with the most
correct picks! The prize was a crisp $20 bill
that I had put up as the prize in the first
place. Still not complaining! In case you missed
it…here is a recap of the winners.
Best Picture:12
Years a Slave
Best Actress:Cate
Blanchett,Blue
Jasmine
Best Actor:Matthew
McConaughey,Dallas
Buyers Club
Best Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong'o,12
Years a Slave
Best Supporting Actor:Jared
Leto,Dallas
Buyer's Club
Best Original Score:Gravity,Stephen
Price
Best Original Song:"Let
It Go," Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez;
Frozen
Best Adapted Screenplay:John
Ridley,12
Years a Slave
Best Original Screenplay:Spike
Jonze,Her
Achievement in Directing:Alfonso
Cuarón,Gravity
Achievement in Costume Design:Catherine
Martin,The
Great Gatsby
Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling:Adruitha
Lee and Robin Mathews,Dallas
Buyers Club
Animated Short Film:Mr.
Hublot
Animated Feature Film:Frozen
Achievement in Visual Effects:Gravity
Live Action Short Film:Helium
Best Documentary Short Subject:The
Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life
Documentary Feature:20
Feet From Stardom
Best Foreign Language Film of the Year:The
Great Beauty,Italy
Achievement in Sound Mixing:Gravity
Achievement in Sound Editing:Gravity
Achievement in Cinematography:Gravity,
Emmanuel Lubezki
One of my
favorite nights of the year is almost here. It
will be Academy Award night at the Solem’s this
Sunday. So if any of you out there were planning
on calling, texting, Skyping, instant messaging,
Facebooking, Instagraming, tweeting… forget about
it…because I will be glued to the TV. For those
of you who are also fans of Oscar night, click
here for your very own Oscar ballot.
Doug's Featured Movie Review: Inside Llewyn Davis
directed by Joel and Ethan Coen
Coldest winter
ever!!! Planning a getaway for March but I don’t
know if that will be soon enough. The cartoon
below pretty much sums it all up for me…
Long Story
Short:
The movie, Inside Llewyn Davis, takes us
through a week in the life of a young folk singer
in 1961. Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) is struggling
to make it on the coffee house circuit of
Greenwich Village. It is a time when every earthy
café is featuring folk singer wannabes. The
backdrop is a winter that is as gloomy as the one
we have here in Minnesota. His home is the couch
of anyone who will take him in for the night,
friends or strangers. During the course of the
week we are privy to all his ups and
downs…actually just his downs. There are no ups
for Llewyn Davis.
My Take:
Anyone
who has ever read my reviews knows I love almost
everything the Coen Brothers have done. With
regard to their latest offering, I love certain
parts of the movie…just not the whole enchilada.
The cinematography was amazing and truly captured
the feel and mood of a depressing wintry 1961 in
New York. As in most Coen brother movies, the
characters are perfectly cast from top to bottom.
Oscar Gold is beyond reproach as our cynical
protagonist douche bag wallowing in self pity.
John Goodman provides good fun as an overweight,
sickly, blow hard that Llewyn Davis is forced to
share a ride with on a quick road trip to Chicago.
Justin Timberlake is bright eyed and bushy tailed
as an aspiring folksinger. Carey Mulligan is
married to Timberlake’s character but finds
herself pregnant from Llewyn Davis. Her character
helps to reinforce that Llewyn Davis is a
thoughtless, self centered jerk. Also the sound
track is great. Inside Llewyn Davis is not
a musical where people break out unnaturally into
song at any given moment but instead weaves an
incredible mix of folk songs sung by characters in
musical settings that make sense ( recording
studios, coffee house stages, etc.).
Here is what I
didn’t like about the movie. Many of the Coen
Brother’s films center around losers (Raising
Arizona, The Big Lebowski, O Brother, Where Art
Thou?, No Country for Old Men, Burn After Reading
to name a few). The thing is, they are likeable
losers. You actually want them to get over their
hump of problems and come out on top. You want to
root for them…you want to be in their corner. Not
the case with Inside Llewyn Davis. The guy
is totally unlikable. And I get it…that’s what
they were going for…but I don’t care! Just when
you would begin to think he might have some
redeeming quality, he would do something that made
sure you realized that ain’t gonna happen. As one
critic put it…and believe me, we seem to be in the
minority…but I couldn’t put it any better…”Llewyn
Davis is bleak, bloodless and soulless”. Again,
I get, and normally applaud, that they like
breaking the standard cinema mold. I love their
Homeric story lines. I just can’t get completely
behind a movie where the hero is totally
unlikeable...it’s just too depressing.
Doug's Featured Movie Review: Dallas Buyers
Club Directed by
Jean-Marr Vallee
I
waited until the last minute to start cleaning up
my yard. It felt like about 50 below but I pushed
through and got most of it done. Whoever came up
with the mulching idea on a lawn mower should get
one of those Nobel Prizes. I can literally chop
up what seems like a million leaves and can fit
them all into just one bag. My neighbors don’t do
any mulching and use about 400 bags. Is my life
boring or what?! Now this week it’s snowing and
even colder. Lucky I got the yard done when I
did. Not much to do in this kind of weather other
than go see a good movie…and let me tell you…this
was a good movie!
Long Story
Short:
In the movie Dallas Buyers Club, Ron Woodroof
(Matthew McConaughey) is a hard drinking, hard
living electrician and rodeo cowboy. Set in 1985,
Ron has a rude awakening, when he finds out his
wild partying has brought him more than a simple
hangover. After ending up in the hospital,
following one of his drug and sex fueled binges,
he is diagnosed as H.I.V. positive and is told he
has less than 30 days to live. Ron refuses to
accept his prognosis and sets out on a mission to
stay alive as long as he can. He quickly finds
out that there is little to offer in the way of
approved treatments and medications in the U.S..
He crosses the border and finds a doctor who lost
his license in the U.S. but is continuing his
fight against AIDS in Mexico. The doctor takes
Ron under his wing and nurses him back to health
through alternative treatments. Ron starts
smuggling the unapproved medications back to the
U.S. to help others. Initially a homophobic, Ron
forms an unlikely alliance with fellow AIDS
patient, Rayon (Jared Leto). Rayon is a
transsexual who is able to help Ron gain
acceptance within the gay community. Together
they establish a “buyers club” to avoid the strict
government regulations with regard to unapproved
drugs. The club sells memberships and then gives
away the drugs for free. This set-up allows them
to operate legally in the U.S….at least for
awhile.
My Take:
Bravo…Bravo…Bravo!!! This movie is a winner and
it will bring multiple Oscar nominations. Lets
start with Matthew McConaughey. His role is a
complete departure from the “pretty boy” parts he
usually portrays. The guy lost 47 pounds for the
role, which is amazing all by itself, considering
he wasn’t fat to begin with. You will believe
that he has the disease….skeletal and wasting
away. He embodies an AIDS victim both physically
and mentally. His transformation from gay hater
to champion of the infected is amazing. His line
delivery of “good ole boy” wit and sarcasm is
hilarious at one minute and strikingly poignant
the next. Jared Leto is every bit as good in his
role as a transsexual with AIDS who is just trying
to find her way. When the two first meet you
could not possibly fathom that the two would
eventually become both friends and partners. Leto
had taken 5 years off from acting and was thinking
about never performing again until this role was
offered. I am so glad he didn’t turn it down. He
conveys all the hurt and turmoil a transsexual
must live with everyday. Add in his physical
transformation as both a transsexual and an
another AIDS victim… and you have another Oscar
nomination. A smaller but equally impressive
supporting role by Jennifer Garner, as a Dr. with
a conscience, only adds additional kudos to this
wonderful and thought provoking movie.
Doug's Featured Movie Review: Jackass
Presents: Bad Grandpa Directed by Jeff Tremaine
Not much to
report. Shut down the cabin last weekend. For
some reason the hot water heater took 5 hours to
empty. What’s that all about? Must have some
sediment or something clogging things up. Me
being the mechanical dweeb that I am, I will have
to hire somebody next year to figure it out. When
it comes to anything that’s plugged in to
electricity, about all I can handle is changing
light bulbs.
I will definitely
have more time for movies as I slowly ease into
winter hibernation mode. My son convinced me to
go to Bad Grandpa. Now that he is
finishing up his degree at St. Cloud State, I
don’t see him very often. So, against better
judgment, I gave in and spent some, less than
quality, time with him.
Long Story Short: 86 year old Irving Grisman (Johnny Knoxville) has recently become a
widow. His number one goal is to now enjoy the
life of a bachelor half his age. Unfortunately
his drug-addict daughter spoils that dream by
dumping her son on him, right at his wife’s
funeral. Unwillingly, he must now travel cross
country with his eight-year-old Grandson Billy
(Jackson Nicholl) to deliver him to his drunken,
drug dealing father. What follows will disgust
some and will have others laughing uncontrollably.
My Take:
I know I am going to make myself sound old and
stuffy…but I have I have never had the slightest
interest in going to see a “Jackass” movie. I
have accidentally stumbled across their TV shows
on occasion and have found them to be offensive
and totally disgusting. However, as much as I
hate saying it, I didn’t mind this “Jackass”
offering.
If you saw
Borat. you know this movie is set up very
similar. There is a weak story line that is
driven by real people who are unaware that they
are becoming part of a movie. The gags that catch
these people off guard were set up perfectly. I
found myself laughing harder than I have at any
other movie in a long time. The type of laugh
that makes your eyes water. Granted, there were
some gross out scenes that I could do with out and
a biker bar scene that didn’t quite sit right, but
overall, the pranks were harmless and funny. One
of the last scenes takes place at a beauty pageant
for little girls. Although it is a direct rip-off
from the movie Little Miss Sunshine, it
still had everybody in the audience falling out of
their chairs.
But the biggest
reason this movie works for me, is because of
Jackson Nicholl. He plays the grandson. He is
amazingly funny and completely believable. He
alone was worth the price of admission. He has
had a couple of smaller roles in movies…this one
should get him a lot more work. It’s hard to
believe someone could upstage Johnny Knoxville but
this kid does it effortlessly. I will go see this
movie again, just to watch this 8 year old work
his magic. With that said, I hope I don’t lose my
coveted critics license for letting everyone know
I enjoyed a “Jackass” movie.
Doug's Featured Movie Review: Prisoners
Directed by Denis
Villeneuve
It’s
been a great summer, a little hot but not
complaining by any means. Finished up last week
with the DFS Annual Golf Invitational and buddy
Craig Zumwinkle won the scratch trophy again for
something like the 100th time while
Luke Magdik took home the handicap championship.
So funny…I won the tournament the very first time
it was held 25 years ago and nothing since. Lucky
for me, there was only a couple of guys in the
tournament back then and I don’t think they had
ever golfed before. Had the big neighborhood cook
out at the cabin the other day and someone asked
me when we should take docks and boats out. Damn,
I hate hearing those words…cause that means an end
to another great summer. I did make time to take
in Prisoners at the newly remodeled Andover
Cinema. If you haven’t checked that theater out
lately, you won’t believe how cool that place is
now! Incredibly comfortable reclining new seats,
new screens, new sound system…yeah baby!
Long
Story Short:
In the movie Prisoners, Hugh Jackman plays
Kelly Dover, a family man and carpenter by trade
who is a survivalist to the extreme. He wants to
make sure he is prepared in the event all hell
breaks loose in this crazy world we live in. This
is personified by a glimpse into his basement,
that is set up with enough food rations,
ammunition and other survival odds and ends to
take a small army through the apocalypse. His
family heads over to the neighbors for a little
Christmas dinner. Their daughters go outside to
play and are abducted in broad daylight. An old
dilapidated RV was seen in the area the same time
the girls disappeared. A finger is quickly
pointed at the frightening Alex Jones (Paul Dano
looking his creepiest with greasy long hair
sporting a pair of super thick glasses). Jones is
quickly arrested by Detective Loki (Jake
Gyllenhaal) but then released for a lack of
evidence. This doesn’t sit well with Kelly and he
takes matters into his own hands by abducting Alex
and putting him through some pretty horrific
torture tactics that had me turning away from the
screen more than once.
My Take:
Not much I didn’t like about this one. The movie
kept me on the edge of my seat the entire
ride...and I mean ride. Both Jackman and
Gyllenhaal were award worthy for their respective
roles. Jackman as the, throw all caution to the
wind, dad who is going to do everything he can
possibly do with his survivalist skill set to
bring his daughter home. His rage and torment is
so believable, it’s almost like you are watching a
documentary. Gyllenhaal is equally up to the task
as a cop who also is not going to stop until he
brings the girls home…dead or alive. His many
tattoos and nervous twitches brings into focus a
lonely man and a troubled soul …obviously a result
of the profession he has chosen and the horrendous
cases he has to work on every day. I’ve
seen Paul Dano in a lot of other movies and he
never disappoints. I don’t think he had more than
six lines in this entire movie…but he was every
bit as creepy and scary as any character I can
ever remember. Terrence Howard, Viola Davis and
Melissa Leo round out this superb cast with
astounding performances.
Doug's Featured Movie Review: We’re the
Millers directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber
I’m sure you have
already heard everyone else saying it but…hasn’t
the summer flown right by! Already looking at
Ruttger’s next week for the final golf scramble of
the year. However, no complaints here…it’s been a
great summer filled with a lot of the same old
stuff I love doing….cabin, grilling, golf,
grilling, boating, grilling…did I mention lots of
grilling? My daughter finished college and has
entered the real world of 40+ hour work weeks and
living on her own. I just got my son settled in
to an apartment for his final two years at St.
Cloud State. I only see my wife on weekends
because she pretty much lives at the cabin during
the summer. As a matter of fact…today is our 26th
wedding anniversary. Now that I am thinking of
it, I better order some flowers or there will be
hell to pay.
Movies are not a
top priority during the summer months but I did
make it out to see We’re the Millers. If you like
your movies raunchy…this is a must see!
Long Story
Short:
David Burke (Jason Sudeikis) is a small time drug
dealer who gets his stash ripped off and has to
pay back his dealer (Ed Helms) by going to Mexico
to pick up a load of weed. In order to not
appear so obvious, when he comes back into the
United States from Mexico through customs, he puts
together a fake family. He hires his misfit
neighbors to pose as the “Millers”. Rose
(Jennifer Aniston) is a cynical stripper who is
tapped to play the wife. Awkward Kenny (Will
Poulter) poses as the geeky son while Casey (Emma
Roberts) transforms from the overly tattooed and
pierced slacker into the darling daughter.
My Take:
Is it wrong of me to start right off by saying how
hot Jennifer Aniston looked in this
movie…especially seeing as it’s my wedding
anniversary today. I asked my wife first and she
said I could. Appropriately enough…or should I
say inappropriately enough…she plays a stripper
who quits her job because she is asked to do more
than just dance for her customers. Not much
acting chops required for her role…but what is
asked for she delivers in a big way. I’ve always
liked Jason Sudeikis in most everything I have
seen him in from SNL to his movies. This is his
biggest starring role to date and he handles it
quite nicely. His understated and deadpan sense
of humor fits well with the script. One of the
funniest characters in the movie is Will Poulter
who plays the son. He has one of those faces that
only his mother could love. Wait until you see
his eyebrows. Facial features aside, he is the
perfect goob. A scene where his fake mom and
sister are showing him how to kiss, so he won’t
disappoint his new girlfriend, is
hilarious…especially when the new girlfriend walks
in on them. The rest of the players…Ed Helms,
Emma Roberts and assorted other character actors
are well cast and all bring a few good hoots of
there own to the table. We’re the Millers is
raunchy, crude, predictable and surprisingly
funny!
Reviewed by guest movie critic, Joe
Taft
Joe is a Junior studying Film Production at
Central Washington University (CWU) for Screenwriting
Move Over, Iron Man: The Real Man of Steel Just Arrived
It's
been seven years since the last film adaptation of
the original superhero that started it all.
Superman is back in a revamp of the character and
his mythology. "Man of Steel" is the newest film
in the history of Superman. Zack Snyder (300,
Watchmen) is in the director's chair with
Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight Trilogy)
producing and David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight
Trilogy) writing. Snyder is known for his visuals
and popcorn blockbuster projects. The cast is as
elite as the creative team behind the film.
Russell Crowe, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon,
Laurence Fishburne, Diane Lane, and Kevin Costner
star as the supporting cast. As for the American
icon, he is actually played by a Brit. British
actor, Henry Cavill (Immortals), is the first
non-American to don the red cape. The cast is
exceptional and makes this film what it is. Cavill
definitely makes an impact as Superman and will be
a familiar face in Hollywood after this newfound
success.
The plot of "Man of Steel" is very
traditional in the sense of the original Superman
films with Christopher Reeve. In those
adaptations, General Zod and Superman's Kryptonian
origin is told. In the newest film, the audience
is retold the story of how Jor-El (Crowe) and his
wife give up their newborn, Kal-El, in order to
save him. Jor-El is aware of his planet's doom.
General Zod (Shannon) tries to overthrow their
government, dissatisfied with the leaders of
Krypton. Zod and Jor-El have a mutual respect for
one another despite their differences. Jor-El
sends his baby off with the key to Krypton's
survival, called the "codex." Zod is temporarily
defeated and is bitter toward Jor-El, vowing to
find Kal-El and reclaim what's his in Krypton's
honor. As the 1978 film spends time to see Clark
grow up in Smallville, Man of Steel introduces us
to Clark as a full adult. Scruffy beard and all,
Clark Kent (Cavill) is a loner who seems to wander
city-to-city, job-to-job, in search of answers to
his true alien identity. I enjoyed the use of
parallel storytelling through the childhood
flashbacks. The character development is
established the same way; this is due to the
believability of Lane and Costner as the loving
Earth parents, Martha and Jonathan Kent. Events in
Clark's life and the wisdom of his family in
Kansas set the base for who he is and who becomes
once he puts on the blue suit with the "S" shield
on his chest. Clark is the best of both worlds. As
for Lois Lane (Adams), she's as feisty as ever.
The relationship between Lois and Clark/Superman
is interesting because like most of this film;
it's refreshing. There's a twist in this film that
no other adaptation has ever done in the origin
story of Superman in regards with Lois. She's in
search of discovering who the mystery man is that
saved her in crisis along with other similar
stories. Fishburne does a phenomenal job as Daily
Planet's Chief Editor, Perry White. I loved him as
this character. As Lois comes across answers about
Clark and his past, General Zod arrives to Earth
with an agenda to destroy the human race. It
forces Superman to choose a side, as he is the
only defense for Earth.
The action sequences are packed with by far
the most epic fight scenes you'll see in a film
this year; it's as good as The Avengers. The only
word to describe it is "epic." The fight scenes
and visuals really give the viewers the sense of
how big this film really is. The scale is enormous
and other worldly as Snyder captivates the
audience right from the beginning with the clash
between Jor-El and Zod on Krypton. Superman takes
on Zod and his army, destroying what seems like
every possible location. From the Kent farm, an
IHOP restaurant and Sears store in Smallville; to
the city scenery of Metropolis. Nowhere is off
limits in this film. The score of the film brings
these scenes to life. Hans Zimmer again lends his
brilliance and composes what I believe is some of
his best work since Inception (even though
anything Zimmer does is fantastic). The subtleness
Zimmer plays off of in tone during quiet moments
touches the heart, while in contrast, the loudness
he creates matches the intensity and chaos built
up in climatic fight scenes is genius. He is the
best at what he does and just adds to the ensemble
of creative minds that brought this film to life.
"Man of Steel" is an incredible thrill ride
of a story, filled with a lot of heart. It's the
definitive Superman story that needed to be told
in this decade. Fans finally have a Superman film
to be proud of. With amazing special effects and a
great story arc, Superman is back and looking
better than ever. There are quite a few hidden
Easter eggs to be found when watching this film in
regards to future sequels, as well as the
anticipation toward the Justice League film for DC
Comics. With that being said, just keep your eyes
open and be aware to details in the film. There's
a lot to be excited about after seeing this. I
look forward to seeing the next installment of
Superman as well as when we'll finally get to see
Batman, Wonder Woman, etc. stand to fight
side-by-side with Superman as we saw last summer
with Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, etc. in Marvel's The
Avengers. Kudos to Snyder and his team on making a
thrilling blockbuster. This is what summer films
should be.
Doug's Featured Movie Review: A night with Crispin “Hellion” Glover…featuring his
movie
'It is Fine! EVERYTHING IS FINE’…live at the Heights
Theater.
I’m
always looking for something different to do…so
when I heard Crispin Glover was going to be at The
Heights Theater in Columbia Heights, I grabbed my
buddy Paul and moseyed on over. (Can’t remember
the last time I used the word moseyed…I remember
Grandpa Walton using that word a lot.)
Crispin Glover or
Crispin “Hellion” Glover as he prefers nowadays,
is probably best known as Marty McFly’s dad in the
Back to the Future movies. But, if you’ve
seen him in anything else, you probably noticed
the guy takes a shining to roles that cast him as
a pretty strange dude. Case in point…River’s
Edge or Willard. Well let me tell
you…you ain’t seen nothin yet…until you go see his
one man show that has been making the rounds for,
what I found out to be, about the last 15 years or
so.
I got to the
theater a little early to pick out a good seat.
However my buddy Paul slowed me down by insisting
on a chocolate dipped ice cream cone from the
Dairy Queen that is right next door to the Heights
Theater building. Once he finished the cone and
wiping off the ice cream from his nose, we went
inside. Lucky for him, we were still able to find
two seats perfectly situated just a few rows back
from the front. Only problem, the guy in the seat
in front of me had a head the size of a small
filing cabinet. My buddy Paul, despite me making
fun of the ice cream on his nose, moved down a
couple of seats and allowed me to move into his
old seat…problem solved. As I surveyed the crowd
that had come to watch this quirky thespian…I
noticed they all looked as if they had just come
from the carnival and had the night off from
performing in side shows or fleecing brainless
Neanderthals out of all their midway money. Not
that there is anything wrong with that look…it’s
just that I don’t see that counterculture style
very often at the local Andover Cinema I am used
to patronizing.
If you aren’t
familiar with the Heights Theater, you really
should go check it out. The place has been
totally rehabbed and is soooooo neat. It looks
like something right out of the old silent film
era, complete with beautiful chandeliers and a
massive Wurlitzer Pipe Organ that rises right up
out of the floor. After listening to a guy
impressively play this jaw dropping instrument for
a few minutes, the pipe organ went back down into
the floor and Crispin “Hellion” Glover was
announced and took center stage.
Looking
like a liberal arts college professor at some
university, complete with unkempt beard and a worn
out corduroy sport coat, he seemed a little
frazzled and disoriented. He kept the small talk
to a minimum and immediately jumped into his slide
show presentation. This is where things start to
get really weird. For the next hour he showed
slides from different pages of the books he sells
at the end of the night out in the lobby. The
books are old public domain books from the early
1900’s. So in other words, the books were written
by someone else. What Crispin has done, that
allows him to sell the books as his own, is he has
crossed out certain sentences and added some hand
written new sentences to give the books a
completely different meaning. All I can say is
the changes and additions he has implemented to
these books were so bizarre that they made little
or no sense to me. One whole chapter, of a book
he read, was simply repeating the phrase “This is
the egg farm” over and over while showing the
actual page from the book on the slide up on the
screen.
Next up, we were
shown the movie he directed in 2007 called "It
is Fine! EVERYTHING IS FINE!" The screen
play was written by Steven C. Stewart who also
stars in the movie. Stewart in real life has
severe cerebral palsy and for years was in a
nursing home where they thought he was mentally
challenged. The movie is basically his life as a
man in a nursing home with cerebral palsy who
fantasizes about making it with beautiful women
and then ends up strangling them because they want
to cut their hair and he can’t let that happen
because he has a fetish for long hair. According
to Glover, in one interview, “Stewart wanted to
show that handicapped people are human, sexual and
can be horrible.”
Glover came out
after the movie and rambled on about how he made
the movie with his own money from the fee he was
paid for his role in the movie remake of
Charlie’s Angels. He went on to say that
corporate interests have total control over what
movies get distributed. As a result, he feels
movies like his that make an audience
uncomfortable will not get distributed.
The evening was
very interesting. I am glad that I went.
However, I guess I can honestly say I am a product
of that corporate mind set Glover is so against.
I like Iron Man 3 and don’t mind all the special
effects and product placements it brings to the
big screen. I don’t mind feeling uncomfortable
once in awhile but just not very often and
especially not when I am paying for the ticket.
Doug's Featured Movie Review: Iron Man 3
- Directed by Shane Black
Reviewed
by guest movie critic, Joe Taft
Joe is a Junior studying Film Production at
Central Washington University (CWU) for Screenwriting
If
it’s summer, it’s blockbuster season. Some could
say if it’s May, there’s a Marvel movie. Following
the past trend of Marvel inspired superhero film
releases, such as Iron Man, Thor, and last year’s
The Avengers; “Iron Man” once again
takes to the big screen. I was honored last year
to see The Avengers and write a review. A year
later, I find myself yet again at a theater to see
the next adventure of Tony Stark.
Familiar faces Robert Downey Jr. (Tony
Stark/Iron Man), Gwyneth Paltrow (Pepper Potts),
and Don Cheadle (James Rhodes aka “Rhodey”/War
Machine) all return to reprise their roles. New to
the Iron Man family is Rebecca Hall (The Town),
Guy Pearce (Lawless), and Ben Kingsley (Hugo). Jon
Favreau (Iron Man 1 & 2) reprises his role as
Happy Hogan, but didn’t return in the director’s
chair. Instead, Shane Black steps in to direct.
Black is most known for writing Lethal Weapon.
“Iron Man 3” reunites Shane Black and RDJ
because they worked together on Black’s
directorial debut, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, in 2005.
RDJ plays the role of Tony Stark with such
effortless charm; it’s easy to see how much fun he
actually is having. The comedy and memorable
one-liners can be found again in Iron Man 3 as
they were in the previous installments. But things
have changed this time around since we last saw
Stark in The Avengers.
Black’s delivers with the spectacle and action an
Iron Man film should have, especially the
last fight sequence between villains and many
(emphasis on many) Iron Man armored suits. But
since this is the first film of Marvel’s Phase 2,
“Iron Man 3” attempts to really focus on
Stark’s “post-Avengers” experience. We pick up
after the events of New York and the alien
invasion. Stark isn’t coping well. He’s suffering
from PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder) and
begins to worry strongly about his relationship
with Pepper Potts (Paltrow) and how to ensure her
safety from his enemies. At the same time, The
Mandarin (Kingsley) comes into the picture. This
film strongly gives a glimpse of how past events
in Stark’s life come back to haunt him. Aldrich
Killian (Pearce) is a bitter business man who knew
Stark and is determined on ruining his life. Maya
Hansen (Hall) also knew Stark in a different time
and is the founder of ‘Extremis,’ which is
essentially a super soldier serum. Killian builds
an army of ‘Extremis’ soldiers that can regenerate
and seem invincible. They prove a great challenge
to Iron Man. At the same time, there is a
terrorist who’s threatening the United States. The
Mandarin is an Osama Bin Laden-esque villain who
attacks globally and threatens the President.
Kingsley’s performance is genius the Oscar-winning
actor continues to show what he’s capable of.
Rhodey (Cheadle) is upgraded from War Machine to
Iron Patriot. He now has an armor decorated in
red, white and blue. Rhodey is trying to find the
Mandarin to end his attacks while Stark is busy
fighting off henchmen of both the Mandarin and
Killian. There is a huge twist that I guarantee
nobody will see coming. This definitely makes the
events build up to a climatic ending.
As good as this film is; it still has flaws.
After being spoiled to the epic and well-written
Avengers film, “Iron Man 3”, although it
captures the essence of Stark, it just doesn’t
quite pack the punch that some would expect it to.
This, being the first installment of Phase 2,
doesn’t deliver the hype that Iron Man did back in
2008. I didn’t walk away with anything to talk
about from this film, it was just showy but I
didn’t feel any real character investment or
depth. I really enjoyed the first two films and I
did like this one, but as I said I think we’re all
still hung over from The Avengers and this
didn’t do it for me. I didn’t think it was as
creative as it could’ve been and the huge reveal
that Iron man 3 has just seemed absurd to me and
reminds me of the disappointment I had from
Spider-Man 3. Don’t be alarmed though, Stark
doesn’t go become emo and wear guy-liner as Tobey
Maguire did. Some may see the film, watch the
twist and not care; others will see it and, be
upset and wonder, “What were they thinking?” There
is an additional scene after the credits; there’s
a good laugh there so stay and see it.
There are a lot of mixed feelings from
“Iron Man 3”, RDJ is so charismatic, and that
alone is what makes people see these films. No
matter what the story is, good or bad, at least
RDJ brings his A-game and makes these films the
best they can be. The story is debatable but the
action and visuals are stunning and the cast
really brings these characters to life. If I had
to, I’d give this film 3 out of 5 stars. Overall,
Black did a fair job and now fans wait for the god
of thunder to strike again this November with
Thor 2: The Dark World.
Doug's Featured Movie Review: Oblivion - Directed by
Joseph Kosinski
I
am looking out my office window on a Tuesday
morning and there is still snow on the ground. So
depressing. As a matter of fact, last night Old
Man Winter dropped another few inches on us. He
just doesn’t care. The weatherman says highs
possibly reaching the 70 are this weekend. Dare I
believe him? He has disappointed me so many times
before. I can only hope! It’s not bad enough
that the snow won’t stop…but I think I have only
seen sunshine twice in the last six months…ok that
might be an exaggeration…but not by much. I will
try to open my cabin up this weekend, weather
permitting. Last year, at this time, I had about
12 rounds of golf under my belt…obviously this
year…not so much. Here’s where I would normally
segue into my movie review using some clever and
witty transition…but this snow has sucked all of
my creative juices right out of me…I got nothin…so
plain and simple, this weeks review is on
"Oblivion" with Tom Cruise.
Long Story Short:
The year is 2077. 60 years earlier the moon was blown
up and broken into a few big pieces by aliens called
Scavs. The effects of such a catastrophe allowed them
to mount an attack on the earth. After many years of
war, we eventually defeat the Scavs….only problem is we
used so many nuclear weapons that, along with the broken
moon debacle, the earth were left almost uninhabitable.
What’s left of the human population moves to Titan, one
of Saturn’s Moons. Enter Jack Harper (Tom Cruise).
Remember the Jetson’s? Jack works in a home that is
very similar to theirs. It’s thousands of feet above the
earth’s surface and serves as his work station, as
well. It’s his job, along with his communications
officer and lover Victoria (Andrea Riseborough) to make
sure none of the remaining Scavs interfere with the huge
machines that are extracting the remaining water
resources left on earth and then transporting it to the
Titan colony. With just a few weeks remaining on their
tour of duty, before they will be allowed to join
everyone else on Titan, a spaceship crashes on the
earth’s surface. The ship is carrying a number of crew
members that are in hibernating pods. Only one
survives, Julia (Olga
Kurylenko). Jack immediately recognizes her as being
the woman he always sees in his dreams. From this point
on all hell begins to break loose.
My Take: First
off, the special effects are phenomenal. The pad Jack
lives on, above the earth’s surface, is so cool. The
structure is 100% glass walls and ceilings. It comes
complete with a swimming pool and a landing dock for his
futuristic hover craft. The huge machines that suck up
all the sea water are amazing. The ominous and pesky
drones that help police the earths surface are equipped
with an arsenal of weapons that could single handedly
take on any major army and inflict more than just a
little damage.
As anyone who reads my
column knows, I am a sucker for the action movies.
Throw in the sci-fi special effects and I’m not going to
miss opening weekend. I’ve always liked Tom Cruise and
he was good in this movie too. Morgan Freeman doesn’t
hurt the movies credibility either. He plays the leader
of the Scavs and provides us with an interesting twist
to the stories plot. The two female leads, Andrea
Riseborough and Olga Kurylenko, are perfectly cast.
Here’s the problem with
this movie…about three quarters of the way through…the
story line gets all screwed up and very implausible.
For me nothing made much sense and I just thought it was
one big overload. Clones of our lead character. A
sinister mother ship Remember Slim Pickens riding the
bomb into oblivion in Dr. Strangelove? Remember Hal in
2001 A Space Odyssey?….you’ll find pieces of about 10
different sci-fi movies crammed into the last part of
the movie. Bottom line…great special effects, good
acting…the ending storyline is a buzz kill.
Weather update: It is
now Friday and the sun is shining and there is no snow
left on the ground…life is good again!
I
got sick and tired of all this snow and decided to
get out of dodge. My first little getaway was
with some of my golfing buddies. We headed to Hot
Springs, Arkansas. My first job in radio was as
an assistant news director at a small station in
Arkansas called KURM, so it was fun to go back and
reminisce. The weather was spectacular and
although my golf game still sucks…we had a great
time. Since I got to go on the golf trip with my
buddies, my wife twisted my arm to go on a cruise
to Key West and Mexico. She didn’t have to twist
too hard and the next thing I knew we were porting
out of Miami last week on a 5 day vacation. Once
again, the weather was unbelievable and the sites
were spectacular. We even visited the Mayan Ruins
of Tulum…a must see if you ever have the chance.
Now it’s back to reality and of course the only
diversion for me during these frigid temps is a
good movie. Steve Carell and Jim Carrey together
sounded like a good bet, so I headed over to
Andover Cinema for "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone".
Long Story Short: Burt Wonderstone (Steve Carell) is picked on as a kid and finds an
escape outlet through learning magic tricks.
Anton (Steve Buscemi) is his childhood buddy.
Together the two become another Sigfried and Roy
on the Las Vegas strip, minus all the animals.
However, after years as the top attraction, the
act starts to get old and stale. Suddenly there
are a lot of empty seats in the theater. Burt is
totally oblivious to the impending demise and has
also become a womanizing, cynical jerk. Enter
Steve Gray (Jim Carrey). Think Chris Angel but
even more over the top. Suddenly the new guy is
giving the old guys a run for their money. Burt
and Anton try to pull off their own spectacle
stunt by hanging from atop a crane in a clear
windowed sweat box for one week. Unfortunately,
Burt didn’t do his homework and the trick goes
terribly wrong after just 45 minutes. The two
break up and Burt starts his downward spiral.
My Take:
Steve Carell was hysterical and is the master at
being obtuse. His hair alone was worth the price
of admission. Jim Carrey was the icing on the
cake. His outlandish over the top character was
perfectly suited for his outlandish, over the top
comedy. His repertoire of illusions, including
holding his urine for 7 days, lying on a bed of
hot coals for 24 hours, finding a card inside his
cheek bone that he cuts open to retrieve,
shouldn’t be missed.
When Burt hits
rock bottom, he starts performing at nursing
homes. Now that’s funny stuff! It’s here that he
meets his retired mentor played by Alan Arkin. I
really enjoyed the scenes Carell and Arkin had
together. They were funny and touching. Arkin’s
character was much needed to help bring out the
likeable side of Burt Wonderstone. Olivia Wilde
plays the token female interest for Carell whose
character is never quite fleshed out. Buscemi as
the buddy works for me. The scene where he leaves
Burt and becomes a philanthropist by traveling to
poor parts of the world and handing out boxes of
magic tricks instead of food and water, although
not politically correct, tickled my funny bone.
James Gandolfini makes an appearance at the dim
witted casino owner…nothing much more to say about
him.
I think I might be
the only guy alive who really liked this movie.
It bombed at the box office. None of my friends
or family really cared for it and every other
review, I have read, said it stinks. Don’t
care…still liked it!
The Oscars are always a big night for my family. Leading up to the
event, it seems like we've been talking about who the
winners would be for months. The day of, we start out
with appetizers while watching all the red carpet pomp
and circumstance on our big screen. Nothing I like
better than knowing who made all those dresses. Then my
wife, Deb, lays out a main meal worthy of any Oscar
contender. Last night was no exception, as she
prepared her secret recipe lasagna complete with bread
sticks and salad. In holding true to a time honored
tradition, each of my family members filled out their
own Oscar ballot and cast their predictions of who the
winners would be. For some reason, I am always stuck
putting up the prize money...a crisp $20 bill. For
something like the 10th year in a row, Deb won all the
money and only missed picking three of the winners.
After consuming a few cocktails for good measure, she
only did her "rub it in our face victory dance" for
what seemed like an hour.
Just in case you were on another planet last night or you were
watching a repeat of Seinfeld for the 3000th
time...Here's a list off all the big winners for the
85th Annual Academy Awards.
2013
Oscar Winners
Best Picture: "Argo"
Best Actress: Jennifer Lawrence
Best
Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz
Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway
Directing: Ang Lee
Animated Short Film: "Paper Man"
Animated Feature Film: "Brave"
Cinematography: Claudio Miranda for "Life of Pi"
Visual Effects: "Life of Pi"
Costume Design: "Anna Karenina"
Makeup and Hairstyling: "LesMiserables"
Live Action short Film: "Curfew"
Documentary
Short Subject: "Innocente"
Documentary Feature: "Searching for Sugar Man"
Foreign Language Film: "Amour"
Sound Mixing: "Les Miserables
Sound Editing: "Zero Dark Thirty" and "Skyfall" (A
tie)
Film Editing: "Argo"
Production Design: "Lincoln"
Original Score: "Life of Pi"
Original Song: "Skyfall"
Adapted Screenplay: Chris Terrio for "Argo"
Original Screenplay: Quentin Tarantion for "Django
Unchained"
Doug's
Featured Movie Review Promised Land Directed by
Gus Van Sant
Not
much to report on the personal side. The holiday season
was spectacular, as usual. My wife is a big reason for
that! She loves Christmas time and makes sure our home
reflects that holiday festive feel. This year we even
had a special prize, at our annual gathering, that was
handed out to the person that could guess how many Santa
Claus figurines she had displayed throughout the house…I
think it was something close to 30 or more. My Dad
recently turned 80 and still looks better than I
do…which isn’t saying much. I held the annual poker
tournament and was the very first one out! I wait all
year for the big game and I’m out before the first
break….DAMN!!! After a grueling battle with the other
nine at the table, my good friend Phil Littlefield went
home with the coveted trophy and most the loot to boot.
Phil is the same guy who has won the DFS Invitational
Golf Tournament on numerous occasions and even had a
hole in one just a couple years back, during the event.
Enough about Phil, let’s talk about another winner… Matt
Damon in "Promised Land" (was that a lame transition or
what?).
Long Story Short: Steve
Butler (Matt Damon) and his partner Sue Thomason
(Frances McDormand) are a couple of sales people,
working for a huge natural gas company. Their job is to
travel to small towns in rural America to soften up
local politicians while convincing farmers to allow
shale gas drilling on their land. In one of the opening
scenes we find the two arriving at their next small
farming community dressed in business suits. The two
make a quick pit stop to the town country store, Rob’s
Guns, Groceries, Guitars and Gas. Immediately we
realize this duo is pretty slick at what they do as they
proceed to purchase a new wardrobe of jeans and flannel
shirts. A ploy that will allow them to better fit in
with the locals. Initially, because of the depressed
economy, it looks like it will be a slam dunk for the
two to get all the farmers signed up and on board.
However, at a town meeting, Frank Yates (Hal Holbrook),
one of the most respected town elders, points out that
his personal research shows that the “fracking” the
company will be doing has poisoned the land and the
water supply in other towns. To make matters worse, an
environmentalist (John Krasinski) suddenly shows up and
starts rallying the town against the $9 billion dollar
energy company Butler and Thomason represent.
My Take: Matt Damon is one of
those guys who I would go see anything he is in.
Although this is not my favorite movie with him, I still
enjoyed the film. Damon seems like he would be such a
likeable guy in real life and that’s exactly the way he
comes across in this movie. A great guy who just
happens to be pitching a questionable product. As we
get a little deeper into the storyline, we can see that
he also has a conscience that begins to make its voice
heard louder and louder. Krasinski is perfect as the
environmentalist who shows up out of the blue to preach
the negative effects of digging for gas. Little do we
know that he might also have an ulterior motive for
being in this specific town at this particular time? He
certainly gives Damon a run for his money when it comes
to who can be a better “good ole boy”. Frances
McDormand is one of my favorite female actresses. From
big roles in movies like Fargo and Burn After Reading to
small but memorable roles in movies like Moonrise
Kingdom or Something’s Gotta Give…she is truly one of
the best! This time around she knocks it out of the
park as Damon’s flawed partner. When it comes to her
character having a conscience or good business ethics,
they are nowhere to be found. Hal Holbrook is wonderful
as the old man everybody in town looks up to and seeks
out for his sage advice. He is getting so old but he is
still so good!
I saw a documentary on
“fracking” and what it can do to land and water supplies
and believe me it looks like some pretty scary stuff.
They showed entire towns who had to ship in their water
from somewhere else. They also showed people turning on
their water faucets and putting a match to the liquid
coming out and it would immediately flare up and start
on fire. Damon and Krasinski wrote the movie and
obviously are trying to get the word out in a big way.
I would say this is one movie you do not necessarily
need to rush out and see on the big screen but would be
a perfect choice to fill some gaps on a winter night, at
home on blue-ray.
Doug's
Featured Movie Review Skyfall directed by Sam Mendes
November
is a little slower month than most. Not much
cooking other than my turkey on Thanksgiving and
celebrating my Dad’s 80th birthday.
Appropriately enough, I think Dad actually came over on
the Mayflower. Anyway, happy birthday pilgrim…you
the man!!! November is also the month for my
annual poker tournament that brings together nine highly
skilled professionals and me. Like I say, things
are slowing down this month, so what better time to see
the new Bond flick "Skyfall".
Long Story
Short:
The movie opens with Bond’s (Daniel Craig) latest
mission not quite going the way he planned. As a
result, a list of undercover agents are exposed and
there is an all out attack on the M16 headquarters in
London. At the same time, M (Judy Dench) is being hunted
by a new psycho bad guy named Silva (Javier Bardem).
007 is her only chance to stay alive.
My Take:
Don’t get me wrong, I really liked the movie but it
wasn’t my favorite of the 23 installments.
The opening chase scene was incredible. Just when
you think it would be hard for them to surpass the high
octane opening chase scene from the last installment,
they step up and deliver another knock out.
Breathtaking comes to mind. When that scene finally
wraps up they bleed…literally…right into Adele’s theme
song for "Skyfall". Holy Moly Rocky, she is
incredible and it’s now my favorite of all their theme
songs. That’s saying a lot when you consider it beats
out, in my book, Carly Simon’s “Nobody Does It Better”,
Paul McCartney & Wings “Live and Let Die” and Shirley
Bassey’s “Goldfinger” or “Diamonds are Forever.
Wait a minute…I may have over spoken…let me back up just
a little and rephrase that by saying Adele’s
“Skyfall” is in my top five of all time favorites.
Those others are pretty damn good too!!!
Getting back
to the movie, the cast is superb. Daniel Craig as
Bond and Judi Dench as M could not be better.
Anyone who has seen No Country for Old Men knows you
can’t go wrong with Javier Bardem as the frightening
criminal mastermind. Naomie Harris and Bernice
Marlohe are great eye candy and Ralph Fiennes as the
Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee is
flawless. My problems with the movie would have to
center on the plot. Everything in this movie pretty
much revolves around Silva trying to kill M.
That’s it! I love Judy Dench and the M character
but the entire movie centering on her does not peek my
interest as much as a world domination scenario or
stopping the bad guy from killing millions. Also Q
(Ben Wishaw) introduces just one new gadget and it’s not
any big deal. It’s a gun that will only shoot only
if Bond is holding it…whoop dee doo. I love the
cool weapons and gadgets that are usually a big part of
Bonds arsenal that he will need to stay alive. I
also didn’t like the fact that Bond was showing some age
in this installment. I always like my Bond in
superhero condition. Pointing out that he has
trouble doing a pull up or needs extra fiber in his diet
reminds me of a commercial for AARP.
With that
said, I must be alone with most of my disappointments
because the movie has already raked in close to a half
billion dollars and doesn’t show any sign of slowing
down. And again, I’m not saying I didn’t think the
movie was really good…I just didn’t think it was as good
as others….but what do I know, I thought "Titanic" would
be a bust.
Doug's Featured
Movie Review “Alex
Cross” directed by Rob Cohen
Well,
I finally got out of dog house with my wife. If
you’ll recall, our official anniversary was August 15th
and I didn’t get her anything but a card because I had
made plans for a romantic weekend getaway to come
later. Later was this past weekend as we celebrated our
25th wedding anniversary at Ruttger’s Bay
Lake Lodge. I had champagne and chocolate dipped
strawberries waiting for when we arrived. We golfed
everyday and had a great time during their Octoberfest
celebration. She said I had redeemed myself and no
longer has to sleep in the spare bedroom.
I just looked out my
window, as I am writing this review, and it’s actually
started snowing already. That reminds me that I,
unfortunately, have to close up the cabin tomorrow. On
the bright side, I will be looking forward to watching
lots of good movies throughout the cold spell. Speaking
of which, I finally had a chance to run over to Andover
Cinema….because I am a “movie critic” they let me in for
free…gotta love it! I was in the mood for an action
thriller (surprise, surprise) so I sat down for “Alex
Cross” directed by Rob Cohen.
Long story short: Alex
Cross (Tyler Perry) is a detective and forensic
psychologist for the Detroit Police Department. His
partner and best friend is Tommy Kane (Edward Burns).
The movie opens up with a fight scene taking place in a
make shift octagon housed in a warehouse. Seedy looking
spectators are betting on the fights. It is here that
we get our first glimpse of our psychotic assassin
(Mathew Fox). He shows up to fight and nearly kills his
opponent. A wealthy woman in the crowd picks him up and
takes him home. Little does she know that he was
actually targeting her from the very beginning. Once
she gets him into bed, we see first hand his modus
operandi. He likes to inject his victims with a shot in
the neck that renders them unable to move but still
totally awake. Unable to scream, he then tortures them
to death. Cross and Kane pick up the case and we soon
find out that wealthy French financier Leon Mercier
(Jean Reno) is the assassin’s main target. Cross smells
a rat in Mercier. After a couple more brutal killings
of those closest to Cross, he gets really pissed off and
we know someone is going to get their ass kicked!
My take: I would imagine just
about everyone is familiar with Alex Cross. You have
either read the books by James Patterson or you have
seen the films with Morgan Freeman. The movies are
repeated all the time on TV…Kiss The Girls and Along
Came A Spider. This time around Alex Cross is played by
Tyler Perry. Most of us know him from those Madea
movies where he dons a wig and dress to play that
cranky, opinionated family matriarch. A role that has
made him a media mogul. Almost all the other reviews I
have read have slammed Perry’s acting in this new
movie. I didn’t see it that way. I’m not saying he was
Oscar worthy but I had no problem finding him a
believable character. I think he got the most out of
the script he was given. I had a bigger problem with
the writers…a lot of the lines were just a little too
corny for my taste. Edward Burns got all he could out
of his role as well. I love his raspy voice and the guy
is like Dick Clark…he never seems to age. However, once
again, his character was never really fleshed out by the
writers. Case in point…when his girlfriend meets an
untimely end at the hands of thecrazed maniac, he
doesn’t give it a second thought and it’s almost as if
she never existed. It made no sense.
The
real star of this movie was the cage-fighting serial
killer played by Mathew Fox. Remember him from Party of
Five and Lost…you won’t think he’s the same guy. Let me
tell you…his character in “Alex Cross” will make the
hairs on the back of your neck stand up more than a few
times throughout this feature. Think Hannibal Lecter on
steroids and you’ve got a pretty good idea of just how
messed up this dude is. To prepare for this role Fox
lost 46 pounds through a diet of chicken breasts,
steamed broccoli, protein shakes and a grueling, intense
daily gym routine. I have often said that just one
scene from a movie or sometimes even one line can be
worth the price of admission. Trust me when I say,
Fox’s character alone is worth the $10. If you miss
this film at the movie theater, it will definitely be a
good Red Box choice to heat up one of those cold winter
nights.
I know my summer fun is coming to an end
when we finish the season up with my DFS Dual Course
Invitational Golf Tournament. This past weekend we
celebrated the 23rd annual by bringing
together 36 golfers of all skill levels. We play the
first nine at Bunker Hills and the second nine at
Majestic Oaks. I was a little worried because this year
I pushed the event out a little further on the calendar,
compared to years gone by. Sure enough, the weatherman
was predicting some pretty frigid temps. Thankfully,
the wind chill wasn’t quite as bad as they said it would
be and the sun peaked its head out on a regular basis
throughout the day…so the weather became a non
factor…thank God!. Jeff Magdik and Craig Zumwinkle
ended up tied after regulation when Magdik missed a
short putt for the outright win. On the playoff hole,
Zumwinkle sunk a 12 foot putt from the fringe to take
home the traveling trophy for an unprecedented 6th
time. For some reason, I can’t remember what my score
was but after I finished my round some smart ass asked
if this was my first time golfing?…that guy won’t be
getting an invitation next year.
Last night my wife had one of those home
parties where you sell stuff to your friends, so it was
the perfect opportunity to go catch “End of Watch”
at the local cinema.
Long Story Short: Two LAPD cops, Brian Taylor (Jake
Gylllenhaal) and Mike Zavala (Michael Pena) are partners
assigned to one of the most dangerous, gang ridden
neighborhoods of Los Angeles. They end up gaining some
positive notoriety within the precinct after they are
involved in a car chase and shooting that is recorded on
their squad car camera. The two are just this side of
being reckless and sometimes stick their noses where
they don’t always belong. An unauthorized stakeout
leads them to uncover that the Mexican cartel is now
working out of their jurisdiction. The two are warned,
by a special undercover drug enforcement team, to stay
away but Taylor and Zavala don’t listen very well.
My Take: The director was David Ayer. He’s the same guy who did Training
Day. If you haven’t viewed that movie, it’s a must
see. Denzel Washington won the academy award for Best
Actor. This movie, has the same gritty, in your face
feel. To document each of his days at work, Jake
Gyllenhaal’s character clips a mini camera on his and
his partners shirts so you get an almost hand held
camera perspective of all the events that unfold.
Gyllenhaal and Pena have no problem convincing us that
they are not just partners but true friends in every
sense of the word. A lot of the movie is just the two
of them talking while driving the mean streets of LA.
You would think all this bantering in the patrol car
would slow the movie down, but au contraire. Those
scenes are so well scripted and delivered that they are
just shy of spellbinding. Of course the glue that holds
everything together is the nerve-racking situations a
cop in that part of town is going to come up against.
The gangstas, the prostitutes, the seedy neighborhoods…”End
of Watch” is all masterfully filmed and yet another
winner by David Ayer!
Just
celebrated my 25th wedding anniversary this
past weekend. My wife, Deb, gave me a beautiful pocket
watch with my initials inscribed and a sentimental
engraving from a line from Elvis’s Love Me Tender that
says “Till the end of time”. I forgot it was our
anniversary, so I will pick something up for her next
week….just kidding….gave her a card and some cash…just
kidding…taking her to Ruttger’s for a little weekend
getaway…just the two of us. She asked if she could
invite other people…not sure how to take that. As a
prelude to our romantic weekend, I took her to see "The
Bourne Legacy". Sorry honey, I didn’t realize it was an
action flick…thought it was a chick flick…oh well next
time you get to choose.
Long Story Short:
Colonel Eric Byer (Edward Norton) is the leader of
Outcome. This is the CIA’s own internal top-secret
organization that oversees all of their assassin
programs. For those of you that have not seen the other
Bourne movies, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon), has exposed
this top secret assassin program and left it vulnerable
to not being so secret anymore. As a result, Byer
decides to eliminate, as in kill, all personnel related
to the program. The only problem is, this time they
also fail to kill special agent Aaron Cross (Jeremy
Renner). Big mistake, because this guy would give even
Jason Bourne a run for his money! (Special note: In
this latest movie, Matt Damon is only seen in one quick
photo that comes up during a short scene in the
film…otherwise it is all Jeremy Renner this time
around.)
My Take: What’s not to like! Everyone was great! Lets start with the director.
Tony Gilroy was the screenwriter for the first three
Bourne movies that starred Matt Damon. This time he is
in the directors chair and does a more than admirable
job taking this billion-dollar franchise and going in a
totally different direction with a brand spanking new
hero….you don’t see that very often. Jeremy Renner is
the new hero and he has quickly become one of my
favorite actors out there. I first saw him in The Town
with Ben Affleck. If you look back at my review on that
movie, in the archives below, you’ll see I had this guy
nailed from the beginning. His assassin character in
"Bourne Legacy" is so cool. The C.I.A. has made him
dependent on a certain drug, without it he will die.
Through most of the movie he is need of a fix. As a
result, his assassin character is played with a
conflicting mix of calm control and total desperation.
His love interest is Rachel Weisz. She plays a doctor
who unknowingly keeps assassins in line by administering
the top-secret medication that they can’t live without.
(This is the only plot line in the movie that I thought
was a little weak…but what do I know.) Her character
was still very believable and she wasn’t afraid to let
us see her warts and all. Edward Norton provides the
cerebral edge to the movie. A guy who would never make
it as an out in the field assassin but is extremely good
at using technology to hunt you down from behind his
desk. His character is void of emotion and would have
no problem throwing even his own mother under the bus if
she crossed him. I don’t care what your movies have to
have to get you in the seat…this one has it all…romance,
suspense, action, great story, good looking people,
blah, blah, blah.
On a sad note…Tony Scott
apparently committed suicide a few days ago. He
produced and/or directed some of my favorite movies…Top
Gun, True Romance, Days of Thunder, Domino, Crimson
Tide, Enemy of the State, Unstoppable, and The Last Boy
Scout. The list goes on and on. He was so talented…he
will be missed!
Reviewed by Guest Critic,
Joe Taft
He is a college student at the University of WI-Superior,
Majoring in Video Production
To
begin this review, I must first say how difficult it is
a task to review a movie that truly leaves you
speechless. As a kid, my grandmother made me a black
cape that I’d wear around the house; I didn’t just watch
Batman movies, I became Batman. It felt more real than
tying a towel around the neck. If you asked me then what
I wanted to be when I grew up, I’d reply, “Batman!” This
is a character that stands the test of time and is a
pop-culture icon.
Batman has gone through both good and bad TV and films, but thank
goodness for the brilliant mind of director, Christopher
Nolan. If it wasn’t for him and his crew, people
wouldn’t be treated to films like Memento, Insomnia, The
Prestige, and Inception (just to name a few). In 2005,
Nolan re-envisioned Bruce Wayne’s origin story with
Batman Begins. In 2008, he followed it with the more
crime drama and social ideology film, The Dark Knight,
which exceeded limits for a superhero genre film. Seeing
both films prior to "The Dark Knight Rises" might help in
comprehending the plot. It’s a true full-circle film
(keep that in mind) with flashbacks and references from
the previous two movies. The tone and use of such a
grounded hero in reality is unparalleled to any other
superhero franchise. When success is reached in such a
highly acclaimed film as is TDK, it’s nearly impossible
to recreate that magic when moving on; unless you’re
Nolan.
Nola
returns in the director’s chair to finish Bruce Wayne’s
compelling story. Events of "The Dark Knight Rises" take
place eight years after the conclusion of TDK. Wayne
(Christian Bale) starts off the film as an old recluse
who seems to have lost hope and has given up moving on
with life. When a new evil rises, Wayne must once again
don the cowl and fight crime. It’s a true comeback
story. This is more of a Bruce Wayne story as it is
Batman (if that makes sense) and Bale is at his best in
his performance. As Batman returns, an underground army
are preparing to take seize of Gotham City with Bane
(Tom Hardy) leading the threat. Hardy is a brutal
brawler with no rules. Right away we know he’s an
instant danger and unique villain in the Batman rogue’s
gallery. Bane’s very much Batman’s equal both mentally
and physically. If anyone can break the bat, it’s Bane.
Some comparisons will be made to TDK, it’s inevitable
but one should look at each film as an individual
installment. I think it’s an unfair comparison when the
late great Heath Ledger rewarded us with the best take
on the Joker that will be ever be seen, but TDKR is a
worthy sequel. Hardy delivers in the role, even with his
face hidden behind the intimidating mask. His piercing
eye gazes and body language is what sells the part
(which people might overlook). He really deserves some
credit for bringing this villain alive. Most of the
movie you can understand him; however, there are some
parts of his dialogue that get lost with noise. Overall,
it’s such a minor detail that doesn’t take away from the
film because it’s such a gratifying thrill ride. The
fight scenes between Batman and Bane are rugged. It’s
pure adrenaline and rage with each punch they exchange.
The viewer will feel every hit as if they were taking
the hits. The tension built up is unbearable.
Returning supporting characters are Commissioner Jim Gordon (Gary
Oldman), Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) and Alfred
Pennyworth (Michael Caine) as Batman’s inner circle.
Anne Hathaway dazzles the screen with her presence as
the cat-burglar, Selina Kyle aka Catwoman. She attempts
to steal the show every chance she gets and demonstrates
she can hang with the Batman and Bane in this film. Also
new to the cast are philanthropist, Miranda Tate (Marion
Cotillard) and cop, John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt).
Both are mysterious figures that are more than they
appear to be. Gordon-Levitt, in my opinion, is another
one that steals the spotlight. He’s the soul of this
movie as a good-hearted cop that never gives up on
believing in Batman. Every actor shines. The action is
intense and epic. It’s a true spectacle and I recommend
seeing it in IMAX if you can. Don’t be alarmed when the
auditorium shakes, IMAX is a true experience that’ll
leave you breathless and you’ll walk away with
appreciation. The scenes of the Bane’s attack on the
city and a football stadium will leave you in awe.
Sequences with the bat-pod, tumbler and Batman’s new toy
(thanks to Mr. Fox) “The Bat” is elevated due to IMAX.
There’s a dogfight scene that’s absolutely stunning. For
some concerned about the running time of 2 hours and 45
minutes, the pace of the movie is brisk and nothing
feels dragged out. Clever editing in this film is what
distinguishes that notion.
As good as the action is the story is still the heart of this film as it
is always with Nolan. His grasp of the characters and
twists keeps you wanting more, even when it’s over and
the lights come on. Nolan’s ideologies of terrorism,
economic collapse, and revolution ring through the
entire film. This is what grounds this film in reality,
it’s scary to think how relevant this story is in
today’s society. The ending of this film is the best to
any I’ve seen in a long time. People stood up from their
seats and praised the screen when the film didn’t even
end yet. It was remarkable and that’s when I realized
this was an event, not just another movie. Something
that this series has over The Avengers and Amazing
Spider-Man is the emotional investment. The last seven
minutes are a rollercoaster ride of emotions. This is
one of the best films this year and end to greatest
trilogy of the decade. TDK trilogy will never be
replicated and for that, I’m sad. This is filmmaking at
its best. From the story developed by Chris and Jonathan
Nolan with David S. Goyer, the cinematography from Wally
Pfister, and the score by Hans Zimmer are all inspiring.
People don’t always take notice to the components that
make up a film, but TDKR is a true spectacle. Focusing
on this as a stand-alone film, it’s a masterpiece of
work. It brings closure to the Nolan/Bale Batman story.
There was no deception in the tag-line: “The Epic
Conclusion.” That’s what it is. The legend does indeed
end and for those staying after the film waiting to
catch a glimpse of an additional scene; there is none.
This is Nolan/Bale’s curtain call of the caped crusader.
Fans must wait for the next film adaptation of Batman,
almost like waiting for the sight of his signal to flash
in the night sky.
I
am penning (typing) this column Wednesday morning and
can’t believe my eyes. I am looking out my office
window and it is actually raining. Boy do we need it!
I have been spending a lot of time at the cabin but,
even on the lake, the overwhelming heat has been keeping
us inside next to the air conditioner. However, I am
getting quite a bit of use out of the jet-ski this
year. I can kick that baby up to about 30 mph. and it
provides a refreshing break from those high temps.
Well, like I have always said, it’s always comfortable
at the cinemax. This week was no exception as I found
myself watching a whimsical little movie called "Moonrise
Kingdom".
Long story short:"Moonrise Kingdom" takes place on an island off the coast
of New England during the summer of 1965. It is a
not-quite-coming-of- age story about two
twelve-year-olds, played by Jared Gilman and Kara
Hayward, who fall in love. The two run off together
because no one understands them. The quirky little
island community turns all of its attention to finding
the young couple. Bruce Willis plays the local
sheriff. Edward Norton is the local scout troop leader
and Bill Murray and Frances McDormand portray the young
girl’s parents.
My take:
I have enjoyed everything Wes Anderson has ever
directed…The Royal Tenenbaums, Rushmore, The Life
Aquatic with Steve Zissou… "Moonrise Kingdom" is now my
favorite. Much like the Coen brothers, all of his
movies have a certain look and feel that cannot be
mistaken for any other director. Moonrise Kingdom is
filled with dry humor and flawed characters…a trademark
of all Wes Anderson movies. The cast was nothing short
of stellar. The two newcomers, Gilman and Hayward, were
wonderful in portraying two lost souls who together are
no longer lost. Bruce Willis was perfect as the
likeable yet inept town sheriff. Bill Murray and
Frances McDormand are shown with all their warts as the
parents of the runaway daughter. Their eccentricities
are both laughable and sad. Being a former boy scout
myself, it was fun to see Edward Norton as the overly
zealous leader for a troop of very capable little
scouts. Add in cameos from Harvey Keitel and Jason
Schwartzman and you have one great little movie. The
film is in limited release for some reason so you might
have to hunt around to find a theater near you….but I
guarantee it will be well worth the hunt!
Let
me start right off by telling you that I was hoodwinked
by my wife. We were up at the cabin, and since it was
so hot outside, my significant other suggested we go to
a movie. I asked her what movie and she said “I will
tell you when we get there.” At the time, I couldn’t
think of any movie I would not want to see…so we headed
to the Parkwood Cinema in St. Cloud. The most beautiful
and comfortable theater in Minnesota. They have an
attached restaurant and bar with seating that is better
than first class on any airplane. When we got to the
theater, my wife asked to be dropped off at the front
door and said she would get the tickets while I parked
the car. I thought that was a bit strange since she had
always walked with me in the past. When I got inside
the theater she directed me to our individual screening
theater. 18 movies to choose from and she has me going
to see "MAGIC MIKE"….ARGGGGGGH! I walk in only to find a
packed theater of nothing but women. That’s right,
every single chair occupied by what looked like one huge
bachelorette party. I felt violated…until one other guy
walked in with his wife also looking like a deer caught
in the headlights. Apparently his wife had kept it a
secret as well. Don’t ever let it be said that Doug
Solem is not a trooper… I bit the bullet and watched the
entire movie.
Long Story Short:"Magic Mike" (Channing Tatum) is a roofing contractor by
day and a stripper by night. His dream is to some day
have his own customized furniture company. He meets 19
year old slacker Adam (Alex Pettyfer) on site at one of
their roofing jobs. Magic Mike takes Adam under his
wing and introduces him to the world of snap on leather
pants and pay days that come in the form of one dollar
bills. Adam has a big sister Brooke (Cody Horn) who
lets him stay at her apartment because he is such a
loser. Of course she becomes the love interest for
Magic Mike. Dallas (Matthew McConaughey) is the strip
club owner who has his own dreams of opening up a huge
new strip club in Miami.
My Take: I will admit,
although I will deny it if anyone asks, the movie was
entertaining. Channing Tatum is a likeable guy and very
easy to watch on screen and I am not talking about his
body, although my wife would. I have seen him in a few
other movies and he just sort of grows on you…again I
mean that in purely non-perverse way. In real life,
Tatum was a stripper a number of years back. Obviously
he was a natural for this role. His dancing…and I am
only talking about his dancing mind you…was incredible.
The guy can move on stage. I thought his scenes with
love interest Cody Horn seemed a little stiff…can I
possibly get in any more puns? I thought he was O.K.
but Horn’s acting was hard to watch. I said to my wife
that she had to know someone to have landed the role.
Sure enough, I found out later that her father is the
head of Warner Bros….no big surprise there! I thought
Alex Pettyfer was equally as bad as her brother. He
came across as a total bore with absolutely no
personality. Matthew McConaughey, on the other hand,
was a scene stealer. His over the top performance as
the club owner was the highlight of the movie for me.
Everyone knows he likes to take his shirt off all the
time anyway, so this movie was perfect for him.
Although he is getting older the guy has the body of a
20 year old….give me a break…you couldn’t help but
notice…he had his shirt off through the entire movie.
Steven Soderbergh was the director, and like some of his
other movies, a lot of the scenes felt as if they were
unscripted and it often felt like he may have just told
the actors the premise for the scene and then just had
them adlib. For some parts of the movie it worked and
for others…not so much.
I think most of the
women in the theater that day would say it was a 10….not
that I am jealous, but I would say it was more like a
6….talking about our rating for the movie of course!
The only disappointment my wife had was that the movie
was not in 3-D.
Last week was
one for the books. My son was helping me move my
daughter into her new apartment. When we finished up, he
thought it would be quicker to slide down to the next
floor on the wooden railing instead of taking the
steps. In the process, he got a 9 inch wooden sliver,
the size of a railroad spike, lodged in the back of his
upper leg. When he showed me the damage…I nearly passed
out. I threw him in the back of the 17 foot moving
truck, I had rented, and made like an ambulance across
town to the St. Cloud Hospital Emergency Entrance.
After taking a peek at the extent of his injury, he was
quickly moved to a private room and made ready for
surgery. They used an ultra sound and had to slice him
open in 4 different spots to get everything out. After
the meds wore off a little, they quickly bandaged him up
and showed him the door (I was told if he had received a
heart transplant he could have spent the night.). So
far, everything seems to be doing OK and he even made
time to go to a movie with me this week. I wanted to
see Battleship but his sources had told him "Men in Black
3" would be a safer bet. So, because he is bigger than
me, I obliged and we headed off to Andover Cinema to see
if Will Smith’s return to the big screen would pay off.
Long Story
Short:
This is the third installment of MIB. This time around
our plot centers on Agent Jay (Will Smith) traveling
back in time to 1969 to meet up with a younger Agent Kay
(Josh Brolin) to try and stop the evil villain Boris
(Jemaine Clement) from destroying the world in the
future.
My Take:
I
must admit I was a little disappointed in MIB 3.
However, I should probably temper this review knowing
that I am a bit biased from having just seen the
Avengers, as well. To me the Avengers was the greatest
action movie ever! So to follow that up so quickly,
with MIB 3, is probably a little unfair…but who cares?
I have always
liked Will Smith and after taking a break from the movies
for a couple of years its nice to have him back on the
big screen. However, I just thought his Agent Jay
character, this time around, was a little worn out and
stale. I don’t know that this was all his fault because
I thought the script was a little worn out and stale.
He has to work with what he is given…but it still seemed
like he just phoned in a lot of his performance. Tommy
Lee Jones had a much smaller roll this time around as
old Agent Kay. Because it was such a small roll for
him, there really isn’t much to say other than I have
always enjoyed his work. As mentioned earlier, Will
Smith is transported back to 1969 to try and change a
little piece of history. If he is not successful it
will mean the end of mankind in the future. It is after
being transported back to 1969 that he runs into a young
Agent Kay, played by Josh Brolin. Props to Brolin for
nailing every mannerism, nuisance, and voice inflection
of Tommy Lee Jones. He even looks like what you would
imagine Jones looked like at that young age. In the
first two MIB movies Chief Agent Zed was played by Rip
Torn. Much like Tommy Lee Jones, I have always loved
watching Rip Torn in the movies. Although never a
leading man like Jones, his character roles are always
quite memorable. A few too many cocktails in real life
have caused Torn some major embarrassments and probably
his recurring role in this movie franchise. Casted in
his place is the capable Emma Thompson who plays Agent
Oh. Once again, a waste of such a good talent owed
mainly to her poorly written roll. Jemaine Clement,
playing the one armed villain Boris, was a real scene
stealer. His over the top appearance and performance
were and added pleasure to this otherwise ho-hum comic
book movie sequel.
Like I say,
if I hadn’t just seen the Avengers, I probably would not
have been this hard on MIB 3…but there’s nothing I can
do about it now. I don’t think I am the only one
who feels this way. Although its opening weekend
numbers totaled over $55 million dollars, it fell well
short of what industry insiders had predicted. It
faired better overseas taking in another $132 million
but with a budget put somewhere around $230 million and
millions more spent on marketing…it’s got a long ways to
go if it’s going to put up Avengers type money…now
estimated at over $1.3 billion!!!!!!!
This week Doug is on vacation so we have a guest movie critic, Joe
Taft.
He is a college student at the University of
WI-Superior,
Majoring in Video Production
Featured Movie Review: The Avengers - directed by Joss Whedon
Review by Joe Taft
To start
with, let me say I am very honored with being given the
task of writing this review. Twenty years ago I was
born. By the age of three I could remember watching
superhero shows and tying towels around my neck as
capes. I also began drawing these heroes nonstop. My
love for superheroes grew as they were adapted into
films and I was always adamant about seeing the newest
hero flick. It is now 2012; my love for these characters
is as strong as ever as I am very invested into these
stories. I even dressed as Captain America for last
Halloween. Back in 2008, Iron Man hit the big screen and
Marvel has since planned out one of the most genius
schemes ever in this film genre: a team-up picture. What
we get is The Avengers. This is the start of this
year’s summer blockbusters.
"The Avengers"
is made up of Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.),
Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth),
Black Widow/Natasha Romanova (Scarlett Johansson),
Hawkeye/Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner), and Captain
America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans). If that’s not
enough, Samuel Jackson plays S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick
Fury, the ringleader trying to get these heroes to work
together. Along with him is the returning character of
Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Greggs) and new to the Marvel
Avengers’ line-up is Agent Maria Hill played by the
delightful Cobie Smulders from CBS’s How I Met Your
Mother. The villain of the film is Loki, who Tom
Hiddleston reprises his role and is just as brilliant as
he was in last year’s Thor. The Avengers is
brought to life by director, Joss Whedon.
This may be
overwhelming, with so many big named actors and
character egos but let’s get to the movie. I went to the
midnight premiere and saw the 3-D showing, but I’ll say
right now: save your money! There aren’t that many
impressive scenes worth the extra spending. And it dims
the picture which I wish someone would find a way to
fix. On the plus side, I did get a sweet pair of 3-D
glasses that were Captain America themed. Getting into
the story; having watched all the individual films that
lead up to "The Avengers" will help to understand
the plot. Loki, Thor’s step-brother has returned to
Earth and is back with a vengeance. When he’s after the
tesseract, or cosmic cube, it’s up to Nick Fury to round
up all the heroes in order to defend Earth from Loki and
his alien army. What is most interesting about the film
are simply the interactions between the superheroes.
They isn't a team at first and it’s their journey to
become the Avengers that’s most intriguing. As usual,
Robert Downey Jr. is brilliant as Tony Stark, but Mark
Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner is his intellectual equal; their
scenes together are a lot fun. Ruffalo is new to the
cast as he replaced Edward Norton but he makes the role
his own and does a good job in my opinion. As far as the
Hulk goes, he steals the show. Flat out the best CGI for
the character yet. As for the rest of the Avengers,
Evans’ Captain America and Hemsworth’s Thor shine as
well. Captain is learning to cope with being in a new
world and Thor has come to stop his brother’s madness,
where there are great scenes that show the audience why
he’s the God of Thunder. There’s also a lot more depth
given to Johansson and Renner’s Black Widow and Hawkeye
as they never have been the main characters in any
previous films. Everyone gets their deserved spotlight
in this movie. Overall, the script is well-written and
in my opinion, Joss Whedon is the best director yet for
Marvel as he brings his unique style to the source
material. All the elaborate shots and sequences he has
set up are incredible. The film is very funny. I was
surprised how funny it was and the jokes are so perfect
for the characters. The climactic fight scene will blow
your mind. Think of Michael Bay’s Transformers franchise
with iconic superheroes instead (this is far better
though, sorry Optimus). It’s EPIC! There are so many
scenes in the film that will give you chills because
it’s so iconic to finally see these heroes share the big
screen together. It’s pure adventurous escapism at its
best.
As a fan, I
am very pleased with this adaptation of these characters
and the future only looks bright as there are more
sequels on the way. Also, stay after for the
post-credits scene like Marvel has trended with all the
Avenger films previously. You don’t want to miss out on
what Marvel and the Avengers have in stored next. "The
Avengers" is Marvel-lous, there’s my cheesy critic
line, sorry. But really, the film is worth the time and
you’ll love every minute. This is not just a film, it’s
become an event and you don’t want to miss not being a
part of it. Thanks for reading this review.
Doug's Featured Movie Review:
The
Hunger Games – Directed by Gary Ross
I
took my wife to see Michael Jackson Cirque du Soleil for
her birthday at the Target Center. It was incredible!
It was both a rock concert with a live band (many of
whom actually used to tour with Jackson before his
death) and a mind-boggling display of dancers and
acrobatics that only Cirque knows how to produce. My
only complaint would be that I paid about a year’s
salary for 5th row seats. You would of
thought a view that close would guarantee the best sight
lines. Au contraire my friends…. in trying to appease
the rest of the audience, they had a main stage up front
and then a ramp that went out into the middle of the
floor with another stage. Through the entire first half
of the show we constantly had to stretch our necks back
and forth to try and see what was happening on both
stages. I felt like I was at a tennis match. It really
sucked…but after the intermission we got permission to
sit in a couple empty chairs in the back row of the main
floor seating. Needless to say, the second half was
more relaxing and enjoyable than the first. The next
day I went to see "The Hunger Games" to see if it
was all it was cracked up to be. I have not seen so
much hype since the first Twilight came out.
Long Story Short:
Based on the
best selling books by Suzanne Collins…the film is set in
the dystopian future of a nation called Panem. The
nation is divided into 12 districts, all surrounding the
“Capitol.” Each year 24 kids between the ages of 12 to
18 are chosen to compete in the “Hunger Games.” A death
match where only one teen will walk out alive. The
reason for the barbaric ritual is the result of an
uprising years earlier. There used to be 13 districts
and they all joined together to try and over throw the
“Capitol”. The rebellion was unsuccessful and the 13th
district was completely destroyed and wiped off the map
as a result. The “Capitol” holds the event each year as
a reminder to the districts of who’s really in
charge!
My Take:
First off, I was amazed at how violent the movie was and
still maintained a PG-13 rating. I don’t know if I am
just getting old or what… but I saw so many moms and
dads with their little 8 and 9 year olds going in to see
this movie. I’m not saying the kids will be traumatized
for life but it just seems a little inappropriate for
such a young audience.
With that said…as a
mature adult (yeah right) …I thought the movie was just
ok. Yes, I know I will probably be publicly flogged
for saying such a terrible thing. I find it hard to
believe that it made over $250 million in only 10
days…the most ever for a nonsequel. I just didn’t think
it was worthy of those kind of numbers. Of course, I
thought the same thing about the Twilight movies.
Obviously, I am not the target demo they are shooting
for and those best selling books certainly help to prime
the pump.
Jennifer Lawrence and
Josh Hutcherson do an admirable job as our two heroes,
Katness Everdeen and Peeta Mellark. However, I don’t
think either convinced me that they truly cared about
each other or that they might have a growing connection
for each other in our next movie adventure. Their
relationship seemed a little shallow even after all they
go through together. Woody Harrelson was great as a
former winner of the games who has now become a bitter
drunk chosen to prepare the kids for battle. Lenny
Kravitz plays Cinna, assigned to making Katniss and
Peeta look good for the viewing public and to gain the
attention of the all-important “sponsors”. It’s not a
huge role but when he is on screen he effortlessly
commands your attention. He is a natural and I wouldn’t
mind seeing him in his own movie vehicles in the future.
The visuals of the movie were pretty good. However for
a movie that’s made a zillion dollars, I would have
thought a little more of a budget would have been
afforded for some bigger Harry Potter type effects and
eye-popping cinematography. A big portion of the movie
is simply filmed in the forest with a single held
camera…. and that gets a little stale after awhile.
The bottom line…I
thought the movie was good…I just didn’t think it lived
up to all the hype. Since I have been told that I am
the only person in the world who has not read all three
books…maybe that has something to do with it. Like I
have always said…it’s just my opinion and I’m stick’ in
to it!!!
Doug's Featured Movie Review:
21 Jump Street – Directed by Phil Lord, Christopher
Miller
It’s
hard to believe how nice it has been outside. Last
week, I got in my first round of golf at Majestic Oaks
in Ham Lake. They opened up nine holes on their
Crossroads course. I have been bragging to everyone
how I scored a 44 . That’s pretty darn good for me.
What I haven’t been telling them is the last two holes
were under construction and shortened by about 400
yards. We’ll keep that our little secret, if you don’t
mind. Nice weather or not…I always make time for the
movies! I was in the mood for a good laugh or two so I
decided to give "21 Jump Street" a chance to put a
smile on my face.
Long Story Short:
As the movie opens we are transported back to a high
school circa 2005. Schmidt (Jonah Hill), a nerdy
senior, is awkwardly stumbling through a conversation
with the good-looking popular girl. He has finally
worked up enough nerve to ask her to prom. The school
jock, Jenko (Channing Tatum) overhears the conversation
and embarrasses him to the point that Schmidt retreats
on his prom notions and goes back to being everyone’s
whipping boy. Flash-forward to present day …we now
find Schmidt and Jenko have become unlikely buds who
help each other get through police academy training.
Upon graduation, the less than dynamic duo is paired
together on park patrol. After totally screwing up
their first big bust, the two are reassigned to 21 Jump
Street.
Enter Captain Dickson
(Ice Cube) their new boss who has them going undercover
at a local high school to try and take down the supplier
of a new synthetic drug before it spreads to other
schools. The two donned their backpacks and head back
to school. What they find is a world that has turned
totally upside down from the way things used to be.
There is now a big role reversal in play…the mindless
jocks are now considered the dweebs and the tech savvy
geeks are now considered to be the in crowd.
This movie is filled
with lots of well-crafted funny lines and visuals. From
the moment we see Tatum and Hill on their first police
assignment as park police riding their little police
bicycles…the laughs just keep on rolling. Even at his
young age, Hill is already a comedy veteran with
brilliant comedic timing. He is also the master of
deadpan humor. I’ve only seen Tatum in more macho roles
so I didn’t know what to expect. However, he had no
problem keeping up with Hill and the two played off of
each other like a modern day Martin and Lewis. (My son
will read that and ask why I am comparing them to those
two explorer guys.) Ice Cube nailed his parody of the
stereotypical no nonsense, hard ass boss we used to
always see on cop TV shows back in the 70’s. Dave
Franco played the yuppie drug pusher at the high school.
I predict this guy is going places and not just because
his brother is James Franco. He is a scene-stealer with
tons of charisma.
For me, if a movie has
one or two great scenes…those moments will often make
the movie worth the price of admission…"21 Jump Street"
has about a hundred. This movie is a great value and
you definitely will get your money’s worth of big laughs
even at today’s crazy ticket prices! Next up, I will
be heading off this afternoon to see if The
Hunger Games is worth all the hype…. more later!
Best Cinematography:
Robert Richardson, "Hugo" Best Art
Direction: Dante Ferretti and Francesca
Lo Schavo, "Hugo" Best Costume
Design: Mark Bridges, "The Artist" Best Makeup:
Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland, "The Iron Lady" Best Foreign
Language Film: "A Separation" Best Supporting
Actress: Octavia Spencer, "The Help" Best Editing:
Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall, "The Girl With the Dragon
Tattoo" Best Sound
Editing: Phillip Stockton and Eugene
Gearty, "Hugo" Best Sound
Mixing: Tom Fleischman and John Midgley,
"Hugo" Best Documentary:
"Undefeated" Best Animated
Feature: "Rango" Best Visual
Effects: "Hugo" Best Supporting
Actor: Christopher Plummer, "Beginners" Best Original
Score: Ludovic Bource, "The Artist" Best Original
Song: Bret McKenzie, "Man or Muppet" Best Adapted
Screenplay: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon
and Jim Rash, "The Descendants" Best Original
Screenplay: Woody Allen, "Midnight in
Paris" Best Live Action
Short: "The Shore" Best Documentary
Short: "Saving Face" Best Animated
Short: "The Fantastic Flying Books Of
Mr. Morris Lessmore" Best Director:
Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist" Best Actor:
Jean Dujardin, "The Artist" Best Actress:
Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady" Best Picture:
"The Artist"
Doug's Featured Movie Review:
The Descendants directed by Alexander Pain
With
the Oscars just around the corner…I thought I
better go see a few more of the contenders. I’ve
already seen The Help, Hugo, Moneyball, The Tree
of Life, War Horse and now "The Descendants". Out
of that lot, I would give the statue to The Help,
hands down! That movie was amazing. Of course I
have not seen Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close or
The Artist so they might be able to change my
mind. I have heard some really good things about
The Artist and can’t wait to review it. Now it’s
not that the other movies aren’t good but to me
they shouldn’t even be up for the award…well maybe
War Horse. Best Movie of the year should be an
epic that moves you to the point of facebooking
all your friends to say “hurry go see this
movie”. The only one that did that for me was
The
Help. With that said, I had the opportunity to go
see George Clooney the other day in The
Descendants.
Long Story Short:
Matt (George Clooney) by all appearances should be
one happy guy. Beautiful wife and kids,
great job, lots of money and, to top it all off,
he lives in Hawaii. But appearances, as we
all know, are not always what they seem. As
the movie opens, we see his wife water skiing and
enjoying the day. Next thing you know, we
are at a hospital. Turns out his wife is now
in a coma as a result of a terrible boating
accident that same day. Matt starts to see,
what he thought was his perfect world, start to
crumble. He has no parenting skills
whatsoever and is totally out of touch with his
two daughters. 17 year old Alexandra (Shailene
Woodley) and 10 year old Scottie (Amara Miller)
are not about to make his life any easier. They
show him no respect and proceed to make his life
so miserable that he probably wishes he was the
one in the coma. Matt and his relatives are
descendants of a Hawaiian royal bloodline. He is
the executor for the family estate. He oversees
an incredibly valuable and vast piece of land that
they have owned in Hawaii since the 1860’s. Part
of the family wants to sell for millions while the
others just want to keep the land from
developers. More headaches for poor Matt. Can
things get any worse…you betcha… to top it all off
Matt finds out his wife has been cheating on him.
Once again, we find an actor who puts in a great
performance that takes him outside his usual
comfort zone. We are so use to seeing Clooney as
the good looking, always in control, leading man.
This time out he is about ready to have a nervous
break down as he comes full circle in putting his
life back together again. The two girls that
played his daughters were exceptional and a
driving force on why the movie worked so well. I
was a little annoyed, at first, with a surfer dude
type character named Sid (Nick Krause) that was
introduced early on and then hung around for
almost every scene. I thought his character was
going to be a shallow unnecessary distraction for
the film. Turns out I was wrong and the kid grew
on you after awhile. The talented Beau Bridges
stops by for a smaller part as one of the cousins
who wants to get his moneys worth out of the
family estate.
I thought the movie was very good. Is it worthy
of best picture…I don’t think so. Is Clooney’s
performance worthy of an Oscar?…maybe. When I
look at the nominees, he probably has a pretty
good chance. To me it’s a pretty weak field this
year for all the categories. I mean when Johah
Hill is nominated for an Academy award…something
is not right. Now don’t get me wrong, I like
Jonah Hill but I also like Pee Wee Herman. Go
see the movies and you decide for yourself. Fill
out your own Oscar ballot and let me know how you
do. Here is a link to this years nominee’s.
The
Academy Awards
Some
of my fondest childhood memories, of times spent with my
Grandma Solem, would have to include watching Vern
Gagne’s AWA wrestling TV show. She totally bought in to
their shtick and if you even hinted that you thought it
was fake you would never be asked back to her modest
home in northeast Minneapolis. I like, most of you,
could of cared less if it was real or fake…for a kid
back in those days, it was some of the best
entertainment you would find anywhere!
This past weekend my good buddy Scott and I got wind that the Parkway
Theater in south Minneapolis was going to be having a
special screening of "The Wrestler". Many of you probably
associate that movie title with Mickey Rourke and the
huge sleeper hit that came out just a couple years
back. However, there was another movie by the same name
that opened right here in the Twin Cities on February
19, 1974. Those strolling up the red carpet that day
were not your typical Hollywood stars but instead the
most memorable cast of grizzled misfits the Twin Cities
has ever known. The Crusher, Dick the Bruiser, Wahoo
McDaniels, Dusty Rhodes, Marty O’Neil, Nick Bockwinkel,
Wally Karbo, Larry Hennig, Dick Murdoch, Ric Flair and
Superstar Billy Graham were all making their big screen
debut.
As the story goes…Gagne scraped together $450,000 of his own money to put
the movie together. He cast Ed Asner and Elaine Giftos
as the only bona fide Hollywood types to give the movie
a little more credibility. Everyone else, appearing in
the film, came from Gagne’s stable of AWA cronies.
Asner plays Frank Bass, a wrestling promoter who is
trying to put facilitate the super bowl of wrestling.
The idea is to bring together all the champions from the
different associations to square off against each other
to see who will become the one supreme grappler. Gagne,
47 years old at the time, plays Mike Bullard, an
over-the-hill champion of one of the associations (talk
about type casting). Everybody thinks Bullard’s all
washed up but we in the audience know better. The
movies climax is a big match between Bullard and an up
and comer named Lord “Tally Ho” Blears. The movie was
good fun, if for no other reason than to see all those
wild and crazy wrestlers who you grew up with as a kid.
Before
screening the movie, Greg Gagne (Verne’s son) got up on
stage and delighted the packed house with some of the
incredible stories that took place behind the scenes
back in the glory days of AWA wrestling. The highlight
of the night, for most I am sure, is the fact that
Verne Gagne himself, was able to come and enjoy the
event with the rest of us. The crowd lined up and paid
homage to the one time champion of wrestling
entertainment. Now 85 and suffering from dementia, until
Saturday, he had not made a local public appearance in
15 years. At least for this particular Saturday, he
showed no signs of that terrible disease. He seemed,
once again, in his element… adored by the crowd…so
appreciative of all the fun memories he had helped to
provide.
I can’t believe I
didn’t go golfing this week at Majestic with my
friends while I had the chance. The weather on
Tuesday was something like 50 degrees, sunny and no
wind. It doesn’t get much better in my
book…especially considering it’s the middle of
January! As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not big on ice
fishing, snowmobiling, skiing, ice skating, or any
other activity that requires standing out in the cold
pretending you are having a good time. Give me the
winter we have been having and I can at least keep
from crying. The only thing that sucks is all the
businesses and people who rely on that white stuff for
their livelihood. That’s the one nice thing about
going to the movies…it doesn’t matter if there’s a
foot of snow or 100-degree temperatures…it’s always
great weather conditions inside the neighborhood
multiplex. (I promise to change up my feeble
transitions next movie review.)
Long Story Short:"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" is Columbia Picture’s
first of three films that was put out as an adaptation
of Steig Larsson’s The Millennium Trilogy. This film
is based on the first novel of the trilogy that has
sold over 50 million copies worldwide. The movie is
directed by David Fincher (The Social Club) and stars
Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara. Craig plays Mikaw
Blomkvist, a once highly respected but disheveled,
alcohol indulging, investigative journalist. He writes
an unflattering piece on billionaire industrialist
Hans-Erik Wennerstrom. As the movie opens, he is found
guilty of libel for the article. Despite the verdict
and the disgrace that comes with it, another titan of
industry and the head of Sweden’s wealthiest family,
Henrik Vanger, hires Blomkvist because of his thorough
investigative skills. He is asked to find out what
happened to Vanger’s niece, who disappeared 40 years
earlier. Vanger promises Blomkvist not only to pay
him a kings ransom if he finds out the truth but will
also give him the evidence he needs to bring down
Wennerstrom. Blomkvist needs a little help for such a
daunting investigation. He ends up working with a
pierced, tattooed, gothic punk rocker named Lisbeth
Salander (Rooney Mara). She also just happens to be
unbelievably brilliant with amazing skills that are
not taught at your local schools .
Let me just say from
the get go…I was totally bowled over by the Rooney
Mara performance. The Lisbeth Salander character is
one of a kind. In the beginning she appears asocial,
demure, fragile and passive to a fault. But it
doesn’t take us long to realize this is one woman you
don’t want to mess with!!! Everyone had warned me
about the brutal rape scene in the movie. I admit it
was disturbing but found the movie was worth the price
of admission for how Salander exacts her revenge on
the assailant. Lisbeth Salander is the glue that
holds this complex, thought provoking story line
together.
I found Daniel Craig’s
performance to be quite refreshing. I am so used to
seeing him, in other movies, where he is allowed to
get by with just his good looks, never a wrinkle
tailored clothing and over the top action skills.
This time around he looks and dresses like Colombo and
relies on his acting chops to carry the movie, instead
of a bunch of special effects. If you had told me at
the beginning of the movie that there would eventually
be some sort of hook up between these two polar
opposites, Blomkvist and Salander, I would have
thought you were crazy. But when it happens, it works
and works in a big way.
Serial killers,
corruption, incest… it’s a twisted, cerebral,
thriller of a movie…the likes of which I have not
experienced since Polanski’s Chinatown came out in
1973. The movie will have you on the edge of your
seat more than once. If you like movies where you are
not spoon fed and actually have to think for a change,
you’ve hit the jackpot with "The Girl with the Dragon
Tattoo"!
Hope
all of you are enjoying the holiday season…despite the
lack of snow. To be completely up front, if we saw a
light dusting on Christmas day that is all I would
need to see for the entire winter. Anyone that says
they enjoy shoveling the driveway or scraping the ice
of the roof is either a liar or should have their head
examined, or both! Give me that nasty looking brown
stuff until spring and I will do no complaining.
I, like most of you,
have been busy attending holiday dinners and other
seasonal celebrations involving lots of food and
merriment. I seriously have put on what feels like
100 lbs. I am what they refer to as calorie
challenged. I blame it on people like my dad…who
makes this cheese ball every year, for the big party
my folks have, and it’s filled with crumpled bleu
cheese, cream cheese and other artery clogging
ingredients…but man is it good!!! I’m thinking that I
will make a promise not to eat so much starting the
first of the new year…I wonder if anyone else has ever
tried doing that???? Oh well…tis the season. It’s
also a great time of year for some really big movies
to hit the big screen! This week’s review is one of
them.
Long story short:
"Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" is round two
for Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law reprising their
roles as Sherlock and Watson. The movie opens with
some pretty big explosions that are a prelude to all
the mayhem and insanity that is yet to come. The
villain this time around is the infamous Professor
Moriarity (Jared Harris), a worthy nemesis, to say the
least. This guy is an evil genius who is plotting to
get World War I started early. The war will make him
millions because he has cornered the market on the
weapons both sides will need to purchase to fight
their enemy.
As most of you are
aware, one of my favorite actors is Robert Downey
Jr.…he never fails to deliver. He’s as old as me but
has the body of a 20 year old…and believe me, he needs
to be in shape for all the trouble that is thrown at
him in this movie. He flexes his muscles convincingly
as he escapes multiple beat downs, gunshots, bombs and
other deadly devices. Of course his well knows
abilities to make almost psychic deductions are the
trademark of these movies and always fun to watch.
Jude Law’s role as Watson is much bigger this time
around and gives Downey a run for his money with
regard to who has more screen time. I’ve never been a
big Jude Law guy but he is pretty darn good as
Sherlock’s sidekick. Did I mention one of the major
characters from the last movie makes her entrance in
the opening minutes of this movie and is quickly
killed off…ala Alfred Hitchcock getting rid of Janet
Leigh in the early part of Psycho. It normally just
isn’t done and messes with your head a little when it
does. But it gave the writers the perfect opportunity
to introduce the new femme fatale, a gypsy fortune
teller named Sim, played by Noomi Rapace. I didn’t
think they made real good use of her and did not
really draw the character out as much as I would have
liked. The movies look is also a big winner in my
eyes. It’s the early 1900’s and the feel is dark,
dank and dangerous. Award winning cinematographer,
Philippe Rousselot serves up a dizzying visual
masterpiece as we’re taken on a ride that includes
stunning stops in England, France and Switzerland.
Bottom line…this movie
is fun and who doesn’t like to have fun?…other than
maybe that Scrooge guy. For all those of you who
enjoy my reviews, I hope you have a great holiday
season and a healthy prosperous new year! To the rest
of you all I can say is “Bah, humbug!”
I’m writing this
review on the first Thursday that I won’t be golfing
since spring. For the last 20 years, as soon as the
snow is off the ground and the temp is above 45, I
have golfed almost every Thursday afternoon up at
Bunker. It’s been the same five-some since we
started…Scott, Duke, Craig, John and myself. 50 cents
a hole…one tie all tie. We laugh so hard (usually at
my score)…it is absolutely the highlight of my work
week. However, there is a little snow flying outside
my window today and the high temp is projected to be
just above 30. Begrudgingly, I must put my clubs
away for another season. To try and put a positive
spin on such a downer…at least I will now have more
time to pen these fascinating movie reviews for
you…and as the movie "In Time" points out…extra
time is a very valuable commodity! (Was that a great
segue or what…)
Long story short:
The movie
"In Time" wants us to believe that in the not to
distant future, scientists have been able to change
the entire populations DNA so that everyone stops
aging at 25. Sounds like a stretch…of course what do
I know… I would never have guessed my phone would
become a multimedia center capable of virtually
delivering the world right to the palm of my hand.
Anyway, the only hitch with never aging past 25 is it
creates a bit of a population explosion. To combat
this problem, after you hit 25 you are genetically
engineered to only live one more year unless you can
literally buy more time. So time becomes the currency
of trade instead of cash. It’s how you pay for
everything from your mortgage to your life. Like any
capitalistic society, the rich have thousands of years
in time banked to do whatever they want…while the
little guy like me tries to earn enough minutes just
to live another day.
Justin Timberlake
plays Will Salas. Will comes from the poor part of
town. He stops at the neighborhood bar one night and
befriends a rich guy who ends up giving him all of his
time. It’s enough to last for hundreds of years. The
irony is, Will is then able to transfer time to
whoever he wants. Little does he know that his mother
is down to her last few seconds and before he can
reach her, to make a transfer, her ticker goes to zero
and she dies. To make matters worse, the guy who gave
Will all his time commits suicide. A corrupt police
force called “time keepers” now starts to hunt Will
down to take his time..
Cillian Murphy as
Raymond Leon is perfectly cast as the evil billionaire
banker of time. Amanda Seyfried plays Sylvia Weis who
is equally as good portraying his spoiled daughter.
Will kidnaps Sylvia and uses her as collateral to take
down Raymond and his evil empire. The pair of course
become lovers and the rest of the movie becomes more
or less a mix of Robin Hood meets Bonnie and Clyde.
The problem I had with
this movie…is the whole “time as currency” premise
gets old pretty quick. The actors were fine…it’s just
that the script was a little shallow and didn’t give
them much to sink their chops into. I’ve seen Justin
Timberlake in a few different movies as of late (see
Friends with Benefits review below) and I think this
was his weakest performance to date. If your time is
also a valuable commodity…you might want to wait until
this one comes out on dvd.
I have not had much
time for movies this month. It’s October and that
means time to start shutting down the cabin. My
official end of summer. No more pontoon rides on the
lake, no more golf, no more cook-outs….very
depressing. This year instead of doing everything
over one weekend, I have been spreading the chores out
over a few weekends. I have now finished taking the
dock in, putting the pontoon and jet-ski into storage,
mulching and bagging leaves, blah, blah, blah. Now all
I have left is emptying out the water heater and
blowing out the lines. Is this too much
information? I did take a break from all that fun
last weekend and headed over to Muller Family Theater
in Monticello. That place is great… incredibly
comfortable seats and monster screens. I had heard “Ides
of March” might be a good political thriller…so I
grabbed a bag of popcorn (light on the butter) with a
diet coke and made my way to one of those cushy seats.
Long story short:
“Ides
of March” is an adaptation of Beau Willimons’s
play Farragut North. Ryan Gosling plays Stephen
Myers. Stephen is an up and coming, hot shot, deputy
presidential campaign manager. George Clooney plays
Governor Mike Morris, whom Stephen idolizes and is
trying to help get nominated for the Democratic
ticket. Paul Giamatti is the opposing candidate’s
campaign manager. He meets with Stephen and tries to
hire him away from his current job. Apparently
meeting with the other side is a big NO NO…and when
Stephen’s boss (Philip Seymour Hoffman) gets wind of
the sit down…all hell breaks loose. Just when you
think things couldn’t get any worse for Stephen, he
uncovers another huge secret that threatens to bring
the Governor’s campaign and his political career to an
end.
This movie is jam
packed with star power. Clooney, Gosling, Hoffman,
Giamatti…and lets not forget former academy award
winner and really hot looking babe in “The Wrestler”
….Marisa Tomei. She is great as a ruthless news
reporter who will do anything to get the story. I
should say, however, that I was a bit disappointed
that her character was played with no sex appeal
whatsoever. She wore a pair of unflattering specs and
was dressed in about four layers of
clothing…..damn! I saw Gosling in a movie a few
weeks back called “Drive” and he has a number of other
films coming out over the next year. As far as I am
concerned…keep them coming…he is the man! As Stephen
Meyers in “Ides of March” his character was
slick, confident, a little full of himself and very
cool. He starts out thinking he “knows it all” and by
the end of the movie he, like most of us, realizes
there is a lot more to this crazy world than he could
ever imagine.
While watching the
movie, I couldn’t help but think of another flick that
came out several years back called “Primary Colors”.
The plots are almost exactly the same. “Primary
Colors”starred John Travolta, a mirror image
of the Clooney character in “Ides of March”….both
well spoken, with a seemingly genuine passion for
politics and helping the common man while at the same
time dealing with personal demons that could destroy
them. The other thing, that I found interesting about
“Ides of March”…it was the first movie that I
have ever been too where I started out admiring all of
the characters but by the end of the movie I thought
everyone of them was despicable! Obviously that’s
whatthey
wanted you to feel and it worked perfectly! It’s not
my favorite movie of the year…but I strongly recommend
you see it now or when it comes out on DVD.
Brad
Pitt is one of the few actors who I will go see no
matter what movie he is in… and I am rarely
disappointed. He is one of those guys who could just
stand and read from the phone book and I would listen to
every name, address and phone number until he finished
with Sandy Zywiki. When I saw he was starring in
Moneyball, I left work early and made sure I was in the
front of the line for the first showing. I know I sound
like a teenage girl with a high school crush but who
cares… it’s Brad Pitt for crying out loud!!!
Long
story short:Moneyball is based on the nonfiction bestselling book
that goes by the same name. It takes a look back at
Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt), who
was able to put together a winning combination of
players in 2002, despite having the smallest working
budget in the league. How he manages to accomplish this
feat, with so little working capital, is the impetus of
our movie. Up until this point in time, the players on
a team were usually put together based on gut instinct
and intuition. However, we are given to believe that
Billy is the first to implement a “sophisticated
computer-based analysis” to find just the right mix of
low budget, rag tag, underused players that he could
draft and still field a team that was competitive.
Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) is the computer geek and Yale
graduate that Billy relies on to provide him with the
statistical information he needs to find the best
players for the least dollars.
This
movie offers no special effects, no incredible car
chases, not a single bullet fired…but it’s still soooooo
good! The writing and dialogue delivered by the actors
is fun and clever. The pacing of the movie is quick but
not too quick. It never bogs down and holds your
attention effortlessly right up until the credits start
rolling and then some. What’s surprising is Jonah
Hill. Past roles have portrayed him as the over weight,
goofy, smart-ass. This time around he delivers a very
solid performance in a much more understated and
intellectual role. Brad Pitt’s Billy Beane is
brilliant. His character is layered with complexity.
He is a man, who by all appearances, is very charismatic
and sure of himself….driven and passionate. Outside the
clubhouse we see a very different side. He is
surprisingly very lonely while dealing in solitude with
a failed marriage and the thoughts of not being there
for the daughter that means everything to him. Phillip
Seymour Hoffman is another one of my favorite actors.
He has a smaller but still memorable role as Art Howe,
the coach of the Oakland A’s team.
Sports
fan or not…I think you will agree, this movie hits it
out of the park!!!
I
was never a big martial arts fan until my friends Tim
and Sue Howe invited me to go watch their son Nate mix
it up in an actual big fight that was held in St.
Paul. Tim incidentally is the mayor of Coon Rapids…not
that it’s important to my story, but who would ever
imagine that I hob knob with royalty unless I told you.
Back to the fight…that night Nate was the underdog…but
like a strong, patient and methodical snake he
eventually wrapped up, the soon to be former champion, so
tight that all the guy could do was tap out. Right then
and there I gained a real appreciation for the sport and
for what guys like Nate must go through in grueling
hours of training to become champions. I remembered Tim
(did I mention he is the Mayor of Coon Rapids) telling
me that Nate was also a jiu-jitsu instructor at a club
that just happened to be called Warriors Cove. So I
took it as a good sign that the movie, I couldn’t wait
to see, was also called Warrior.
Long story short:Warrior
is directed by Gavin O’Connor. He’s the same guy who
directed "The Miracle". This time around instead of a
Cinderella story on ice, it’s a couple of down and out
modern day gladiators in for the fight of their lives.
Brendon Conlon (Joel Edgerton) is a high school teacher
who had to put out a lot of money to pay off the bills
for his daughter’s expensive heart surgery. As a
result, his home is about to
be foreclosed on and life is really starting to suck.
He happens to be a former MMA fighter. In order to try
and make ends meet, he decides to climb back into the
ring and travel the circuit of skid row MMA fights that
are held at local strip clubs. Tommy Conlon (Tom Hardy)
is an Iraq war hero…or is he? He is also an MMA fighter
who, like a young Mike Tyson, completely annihilates his
competition. The brothers have not seen each other
since they were little boys. Their parents got divorced
when they were children. One chose to stay with his
alcoholic and abusive dad while the other chose to
escape with mom. The only thing the two now have in
common is how much they hate their father Paddy (Nick
Nolte).
I don’t want to compare the movie to
"The Fighter"…but it’s hard not too. The story line is
very similar…two brothers going through a strained
relationship…an incredibly dysfunctional family….one
brother upset that a parent showed more attention to his
sibling….a big fight that could change everything…blah,
blah, blah. The only problem is, Warrior comes
up a little short. The characters are not as flushed
out. As a result you don’t care for them as much. I
thought every single actor in "The Fighter" deserved an
academy award…not so much for Warrior. You’ve
heard me say before that most movies are just to darn
long…however…and I can’t believe I’m going to say this…I
actually think Warrior should have been a little
longer just to develop the characters a little more to
make us care. The one exception might be Nick Nolte.
He was brilliant as the recovering alcoholic dad whose
only wish is that his boys might someday forgive him.
Don’t get me wrong…Warrior is
worth the price of admission just for the great fight
scenes…but I’m just a little bummed out because I think
it could have been a classic with just a little
tweaking….but what do I know?!
My daughter,
Katie, just flew in from Alaska where she spent another
summer working for a tourism company. She is spending a
few days with us before she heads back to St. Cloud for
her senior year of college. I told her she could pick
the movie this week. I was in favor of something with a
little more action like “Cowboys and Aliens” or “Rise of
the Planet of the Apes”….but no, she had to choose “The
Help”…and boy was I glad she did. When we first sat
down, my buddy Mike was texting me updates on the Twins
– Yankee game. I was thinking, at least I had that
going for me if I have to sit through some boring yarn
about the Civil Rights movement. It didn’t take to long
before I powered down the cell realizing I was in for
one hell of a movie.
“The Help” comes
to us by way of the hugely popular book by author
Kathryn Stockett. From what I understand Tate Taylor,
who directed the movie, is a friend of Ms. Stockett and
he was able to secure the rights to the movie early on.
“The Help” takes us back to the early 60’s during the
height of the Civil Rights movement. However, the movie
takes place in Jackson, Mississippi, a town that’s, to
put it mildly, a little slow in accepting the fact that
“the help” should be treated like anything other than
slaves. Ron Howard’s daughter Bryce Dallas Howard plays
Hilly Holbrook. She is brilliant at portraying the town
prude and head bigot. To give you an idea of just how
screwed up she is…throughout part of the movie she is
organizing a fund drive for the starving children of
Africa. At the same time she is trying to get a bill
passed that makes it mandatory that no one allows their
maids to use the bathrooms in their homes…they must
install a separate bathroom for “the help” outside the
home. Angela Davis plays Aibeleen, one of the first
maids who is willing to help Skeeter (Emma Stone) write
a secret book chronicling their lives as these glorified
slaves. Octavia Spenser plays Minnie, a former maid to
Hilly, who provides a lot of the limited, but
effectively used, humor in this not so funny time.
Other notable performances are turned in by Cisely
Tyson, Allison Janney, Sissy Spacek and Jessica
Chastain.
This movie is a 10
and the best movie I have seen this year. Everything
works…the acting, music, cinematography…it’s perfect.
What’s really hard to believe is this is the first movie
Tate Taylor has directed. Although the Oscar’s are a
long ways away…my prediction is this movie and cast will
all be big winners. I don’t often say this but…if you
don’t go see this movie on the big screen you are
missing out on something pretty incredible!!!
Yes, believe it or not, I am going
to review a romantic comedy. I am giving in to the
weekly pressure I receive from all the women (at last
count at least 3) who email me each week and tell me
they want more "chick flick" reviews. Apparently my
appetite for extreme action movies with lots of
special effects is not a big part of their viewing
diet. So here you go...
Long story short..."Friends With
Benefits" was a fast paced and enjoyable little
movie that was well casted with Justin Timberlake and
Mila Kunis in the starring roles. Dylan (Justin
Timberlake) is the art director for a small web based
magazine. Jamie (Mila Kunis) is the corporate
headhunter who lures him to New York to interview for
the same job but with GQ magazine. Before we get to
this point, we have a couple of opening scenes that
let us know that they each have problems staying in a
relationship. Once Dylan gets to New York and lands
the coveted GQ position, he hits it off with Jamie and
they decide to have a strictly "friends with benefits"
relationship. Kind of like on Seinfeld when Jerry and
Elaine tried the same thing...and if you know the
episode I am talking about you know how well that
turned out! Things don’t go much better for Dylan and
Jamie. Everything starts off great...it always
does...sex without commitment...gotta love it...or do
you?
The interaction between our two
leads was a little stiff to start out with...their
banter between each other seemed forced and a little
over acted. By the middle of the movie, though, they
were firing on all cylinders. Woody Harrelson was
great as Dylan’s gay buddy at the office. Jenna Elfman
was equally as good as Dylan’s sister who watches over
their dad who has early signs of Alzheimer’s and likes
to take his pants off wherever he goes. We’ve seen
Justin Timberlake as a supporting role in a number of
movies. He didn’t seem to have much trouble crossing
over to leading man. I am not a huge fan of Mila Kunis,
but I really liked her this time around. There are a
lot of scenes where clothing is optional...so if you
like your movies where one’s birthday suit is the
primary costume...this movie will not disappoint.
"Friends With Benefits" is perfect for date
night...predictable but charming...and oh so warm and
fuzzy. (Please don’t tell any of my macho friends that
I used the words "warm and fuzzy"!)
Everyone knows I am a sucker for big action movies ladened with special effects. So I took a few hours off this week and snuck over to Andover Cinema to take in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. My good friend Allison Horita, one of the funniest and wittiest people I know, was also there with her son Jack. So my wife and I parked in the seats right next to theirs and settled in for the big event...the final Harry Potter movie.
I looked up the numbers and they are staggering. The franchise has put out 8 movies amassing over 7 billion dollars. The latest movie has only been out for a week and is already pushing upwards of 600 million dollars worldwide. Those are crazy numbers!!! J. K. Rowling, the mind that started it all, is the epitome of the rags to riches story. She was once on welfare and now with book, movie, and product rights has become a billionaire in her own right. Gotta love it!!!
Long story short...The final chapter starts out a little slow...but who cares...this is the last one...let’s make it last forever!!! Everyone already knows the main characters, so there isn’t much to add. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are all grown up and a lot bigger now...except for Harry who is no taller than he was in the first movie...well maybe a little. Most of this final epic revolves around their hunt for the Horcruxes...objects that if found and destroyed, will leave the evil Lord Voldemort vulnerable. The movie delivers in every way possible...set design, costume, special effects, script, sound.....everything is top notch and no expense was spared. I am sure you could watch this movie a dozen times and would never be able to totally grasp all this cinematic treasure has to offer.
The only thing I might say, is
Deathly Hallows Part 2 is a little darker than the rest of the Potter movies I have viewed. I thought it was great but I am not exactly sure if it is child friendly. A lot of people are killed and mangled in the battle of battles that makes up a big part of the movie...so just be advised. If you do bring the kids...you might want to have your hand ready to blindfold them a time or two. Not to give away too much but....the movie ends flashing forward a number of years later where we find the children of Harry, Ron, and Hermione preparing to step onto the train that will take them to their own first year at Hogwarts. It leaves you thinking that a younger generation will be waiting in the wings in the event J. K. Rowling says "OK" one more time. Lets keep our fingers crossed!
Wow…it’s July already and finally starting to feel like summer! Since my last review, there’s not much to report. A few more days spent at the cabin…a few more rounds of golf. This weekend my wife and her best girl friend are leaving for Alaska to visit my daughter. I’d like to say… “party at my house”…but sadly… my days of wild poker games, endless shots of Jack and waking up on the neighbors lawn with nothing on but a pair of broken sun glasses…have long since come and gone. However, I am looking forward to the huge family reunion this Saturday in Big Lake. Lots of catching up with cousins I haven’t seen for years…burgers and brats… and of course the crowd pleasing polish horseshoe tournament…..ahhh life is good!!!
I remember the first really big special effects movies I ever saw were Matrix in 1999 and Matrix Reloaded in 2003. These movies were truly ground breaking with there use of image-based computer generated backgrounds. To this day, you would be hard pressed to find a more jaw dropping car chase scene than the one in Matrix Reloaded. It has so many incredible special effects…it’s worth the price of renting just for those few minutes of dizzying cinema magic.
Flash forward to today and we find the Transformer sequel
Dark of the Moon directed by Michael Bay. I could pretend that the acting and plot really matters in this movie, but it doesn’t. Not to say there are not some quality people on board. Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel, John Turturro all are back once again and are terrific actors…but who cares! This movie is all about Transformers, Autobots and those fantastic special effects. A big chunk of the movie takes place in Chicago and when the Decepticons (bad robots) are finished, there isn’t too much left standing. From the falling sky scrapers to the constantly evolving monster robots… the visuals are simply mind boggling! I’ve seen a lot of movies since the first Matrix came out and I can honestly say Dark of the Moon has the greatest action special effects you will ever see. If you’re into that kind of stuff…it’s a must see.
John Malkovich, one of my favorite actors, has been added to the cast and provides some additional comic relief. Of course most of you guys will notice that Megan Fox is no longer part of the cast. One of my sources told me, she bit the hand that was feeding her and was replaced. She apparently told reporters that director Michael Bay was a nightmare to work with and next thing you know we are being introduced to new love interest Rosie Huntington–Whiteley. For my two cents worth…purely speaking from an eye candy point of view…give me Megan Fox on the big screen any day!!!
Bottom line…if you like action flicks with amazing special effects and lots of computer wizardry (not sure if that’s a word, but sounds good)…."Transformers: Dark of the Moon" will have your head spinning and your eyes popping!!!
I
know I have been running a little behind on my
reviews as of late…but I don’t think you can blame
me. My good friends, Mike and Patti, invited my
Wife and me to Hilton Head to hang out at their
vacation home to sit by the ocean and golf a few
rounds…it was a tough decision but I decided to
put my reviews on hold??? Then we had our first
Golf Scramble of the year in Redwing…and of course
that’s a high priority. The next thing you know
it was Memorial weekend with the relatives at the
cabin and before I knew it I was about 5 movies
behind. As a matter of fact, I was up at the
cabin last Sunday and I just told myself, all of
your loyal followers (both of them) are probably
in need of a quick movie review fix …so hear you
go Jack and Sharon Jentz.
I
thought the original "Hangover" was really funny.
It was one of those movies where it had so many
hilarious moments and each one was worth the price
of admission. To be honest…I judge a comedy by
how much I laugh. Isn’t that the way it should
be??!!! Unfortunately for the sequel, "The
Hangover Part II", I didn’t laugh as much or as
hard.
Long story
short…This
is the same movie as the first one, except it
takes place in Thailand instead of Vegas and
instead of a tiger there is a little monkey (I
like monkey’s better). Stu (Ed Helm) is getting
married this time around and Phil (Bradley
Cooper), Doug (Justin Bartha) and of course Alan
(Zach Galfianakis) follow him to Bangkok to be
part of the wedding party. A couple nights before
the wedding the guys head down to the beach to
share a six pack and some marshmallows. Next
thing you know Stu, Phil and Alan find themselves
waking up in a sleazy hotel in Thailand, without a
clue as to what happened the night before…sound
familiar?
There are two comedy paths that are used in Hangover
II and both of them lead to a dead end for me.
First off, all of the hilarious moments that were
in the original Hangover are repeated in the
sequel…same joke - different location. To me, if
I’ve heard or seen a bit once…it is never as funny
the second time…unless of course my good friend
Scott McAdam is telling the joke (the guy just
cracks me up). Secondly, the new comedy they
added to the sequel was just to dark for my
taste. For instance, Stu finds out one of the
crazy things he did during his black out was have
sex with a man he thought was a woman. I don’t
care how messed up you are…some things should be
obvious. Stu’s brother in-law to be, also part
of the black out party night, cuts off his finger
on purpose…should have made it an arm…always love
limb loss humor. Also, Allan’s character now
comes across, not as a misguided goof, but as a
demented nut job who seriously should be put away
in an insane asylum so he doesn’t murder anyone.
I
am not saying the movie didn’t make me laugh…it’s
just that parts of it also made me feel
uncomfortable….kind of like when I’m at my yearly
physical and the doctor starts to put on that
plastic glove.
I must admit I have never been a
really big fan of “dinner theatre”. I have tried
several and have always been disappointed in both the
dinner and the theatre. However, when I visited the
Chanhassen Dinner Theatre for the first time this past
weekend, I realized that all those other supposed
“dinner theatres” were just pretenders and that the
Chanhassen is the real deal!
The mega complex opened in 1968
and is the largest professional dinner theatre in the
nation and the largest privately owned restaurant in
Minnesota. I am still trying to figure out what took
me so long to get there. Although built over 40 years
ago, it is still an impressive venue that has tiered
Las Vegas type seating in a theatre that seems to have
nothing but great sight lines.
The recently
improved menu
offered something for every palate. My son and I
played it safe and stuck with the top sirloin and had
no complaints. My wife and daughter chose the Chicken
Chanhassen – a boneless chicken breast stuffed with
Minnesota wild rice dressing, and topped with a
special mushroom supreme sauce…and they are still
talking about how great it was! For dessert I would
strongly recommend the Baileys Irish Cream Cheese
Cake…it is a showstopper all by itself. I could stop
right there and the Chanhassen would get my thumbs up,
but wait there’s more…..
Andrew Lloyd Weber’s
Jesus Christ
Superstar is currently showing on their main stage
(yes this place is so big, they have more than one
theatre). I remember watching the movie back in the
70’s and thought that was great but seeing it live at
the Chanhassen is jaw dropping. Directed locally by
Michael Brindisi, it is a must see! It was one of the
very first rock operas and is set in two acts. The
story centers on the final seven days in the life of
Jesus of Nazareth, his betrayal by Judas, the trial by
Pontius Pilate and of course the ultimate crucifixion.
My
wife (not a professional critic, like myself) always
has American Idol on at our house and she thought the
singing she heard at the Chanhassen was better than
any of this years finalists. I was amazed at the
quality of acting and singing in this local
production. Jesus of Nazareth (Ben Bakken) and Judas
Iscariot (Jared Oxborough) were equally wonderful in
the lead roles. Mary Magdalene (Michelle Carter)
delivers in a big way with her soothing and almost
hypnotic vocal presence. King Herod (Jay Albright)
and his accompanying dancers perform a show stopping
ragtime ditty that was hilarious. I would also be
remiss if I didn’t mention the fantastic orchestra
that played that night…they should put out there own
CD. The only thing I can’t figure out is no one
applauded after any of the songs that were performed.
I wanted to clap but thought maybe there was something
in the printed program that said wait until the show
is over…believe me…there should have been a standing
ovation after every scene.
The
director indicated that he approached this material
with reverence, love and hope and that it was his
desire to share that will all of us. Mr. Brindisi you
succeeded in a very big way!
Although it’s
not a big stretch to imagine that I could be smarter
than I am right now…it would be so cool if I could
take a pill and suddenly be able to out think some of
my clever friends. They would probably appreciate
some witty banter instead of my canned response… “I
know you are but what am I”…. that I give for every
question they ask that requires an intelligent
answer. I would also use bigger words in my movie
reviews, just to impress those readers who always
email me to ask how old I am…thinking that a grade
schooler must be penning this column. When I saw the
movie "Limitless" exploring the possibilities of
a “smart pill”….I turned off my favorite song
“Duelling Banjos” and headed over to Andover
Cinema.
Long story
short…Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) is a down and out
writer who hasn’t written a single word in over a
year. His girlfriend (Abbie Cornish) is leaving him
because he’s a loser. He can’t even make rent money
for the one bedroom garbage pit he calls home. As
luck would have it, he runs into his ex-brother in law
on the streets. He turns him on to a new synthetic
drug that he says will wake him up and help him see
the light.
Eddie takes
the pill and the next thing you know the guy is like
Einstein, Brad Pitt and Warren Buffet all rolled into
one. The “smart pill” affords him the capability of
using 100% of his mind. Suddenly he is able to write
a best seller in just days and rise to the top of the
financial world in just weeks. (I gotta get me some of
those pills) The only problem is to stay on top, he
needs more of those pills. That’s when things start
heating up. Eddie has absconded with the only bag of
pills known to be in existence…and he’s not the only
one who wants to be smart. Suddenly unsavory
characters start trying to uncover the whereabouts of
Eddie’s stash, and once they do are ready to put a
permanent end to Eddie’s quest to maintain smartness!
To make matters worse, Eddie discovers there’s some
major side effects that come with taking this drug.
Bradley Cooper
is enjoying some notoriety as of late. He’s been
around for awhile but after "Hangover" came out
his stock has gone through the roof! I thought he got
about as much out of this role as he could. Before he
takes the “smart pill” he was totally believable as an
unfocused, under achieving, slacker. After a dose of
the designer pharmaceutical, he was equally
believable as a brilliant intellectual who has bitten
off a little more than he can chew. Robert De Niro
plays Carl Van Loon, a Wall Street mogul who wants to
use Eddie for his own personal gain. De Niro is so
good and his character gives the movie an added layer
of depth. He is one of the few actors who has no
problem making the often uncomfortable transition from
leading man to supporting actor. Instead of fighting
it, he has embraced it.
My wife and I
both enjoyed the movie. However, if the “smart pill”
brings people even half the headaches Eddie had to
deal with…I guess me going through life like Lloyd
Christmas isn’t all that bad.
"The Adjustment
Bureau" was written for the screen and directed by
George Nolfi...he’s the guy that wrote Ocean’s Twelve
and the Bourne Ultimatum...not bad credentials. As far
as I’m concerned there hasn’t been a whole lot to
choose from at the box office lately. So when I saw
Matt Damon was also the star of this thriller, I made
my way over to Andover Cinema and settled in to see if
these guys could deliver the goods.
Long story
short...David Norris (Matt Damon) is an ambitious
politician who has just suffered a crushing election
loss for a U.S. Senate seat. While preparing his
concession speech in the bathroom of the hotel his
campaign is headquartered at.....he bumps into Elise
Sellas (Emily Blunt). She’s a contemporary ballet
dancer who is hiding out in one of the men’s stalls
while trying to evade security guards who are chasing
her for crashing a wedding that is taking place at the
same hotel. You can tell from the get-go that these
two are meant to be soul mates. The only problem is
"The Adjustment Bureau" has other plans for our
leading man. The men of The Adjustment Bureau are a
sort of God squad that are assigned to watch over the
human race to make sure that everyone stays on a
predetermined path with their lives. David
accidentally discovers the Bureau and finds out he was
never suppose to have met Elise and fall in love. He
now must choose between his predetermined path that
would have him become President of the United States
without her or defy the laws of God and risk
everything to be with her.
Despite the lame the movie delivers with all sorts of
"hold your breath" thrills and chills. It’s a roller
coaster ride for sure as David and Elise try to stay
one step ahead of the Adjustment Bureau who are bound
and determined to keep these two from becoming an
item. The premise is a little weak and has plenty of
holes in it...but you just can’t go wrong with Matt
Damon. The guy could read the phone book for two hours
and I wouldn’t move from my seat.
I seem to be in the mood for
sophomoric humor as of late. Perhaps a mid life crisis
in the making. Next thing you know, I will be
scheduling a botox touch up and riding around in a red
corvette with the top down. Of course, if I'm not
mistaken, those things take money....so not to
worry...I will just stick to the occasional movie fix
of fart jokes and mind numbing story lines. Hall
Pass certainly fills that bill!
Long story short.....Rick (Owen
Wilson) and Fred (Jason Sudeikis) are best buds who
have been happily married for years. Like most
men...not myself of course...they find themselves
fantasizing about being with other women and all the
ladies they could have if they weren’t married. Their
wives get wind of their restlessness and decide to
give them a "hall pass"....one week off from their
marriage allowing them to do whatever they want, with
no questions asked. It’s a dream come true, or so they
think. These two guys are so out of touch with the
whole bar and pick up scene they make Steve Erkle look
smooth (not that I ever watched that show).
Like I say, this movie is
perfect if you want to use even less than the 10% of
your brain you actually use on your best day. Owen
Wilson is acceptable playing the faithful husband who
realizes he is a fish out of water and quickly wishes
he was back home with the wife and family. His partner
in crime, Jason Sudeikis (from SNL fame) is a good
ying to Wilson's yang... a little more daring and
ready to put his mouth where it shouldn't be. I like
Christina Applegate as Sudeikis’s wife...I just wish
someone would give her a little meatier role... I
think she would be up for it. Most of us know Jenna
Fischer as the receptionist on "The Office." As
Wilson's wife, she is perfectly adequate for this non
demanding role. The movie delivered exactly what I
expected, a few really good laughs, some partially
clad females and the all important happy ending. Going
to this movie was like my own virtual "hall pass" come
true...while also sparing me the embarrassment of
being turned down by every gal I would have tried
picking up in real life!!!
One of my
favorite action movies of 2010 was Taken
starring Liam Neeson. He played a highly skilled and
dangerous ex-CIA operative trying to rescue his
kidnapped daughter from a group who deal in the slave
trading of young women for sex. The movie was a thrill
a minute roller coaster ride. So I had my expectations
set pretty high for Neeson's next movie Unknown.
Long story
short...this time around in Unknown, Liam
Neeson plays Dr. Martin Harris. He and his wife
(January Jones) head to Berlin for a conference where
he is scheduled to be a guest speaker. When they
arrive, his wife goes to check them into the hotel.
Attending to the luggage, Dr. Harris realizes he left
a bag at the airport. Without telling his wife, he
quickly jumps in a cab and heads off to retrieve his
bag. The cab gets into an accident and he is taken to
the hospital. Upon awakening he remembers he should be
at the conference. He makes a quick exit from the
hospital and upon arriving at the conference is
shocked to discover that his wife doesn’t recognize
him and is even more bewildered to find out that another
man (Aidan Quinn) has assumed his identity.
As one might
expect, Dr. Harris frantically tries to figure out why
his world has been turned upside down. The rest of the
movie is filled with car crashes, hotel bombings,
mysterious assassins and of course one really cute gal
(Diane Kruger) who befriends Dr. Harris. If you
remember it is just a movie...you can get by some of
the plot’s implausibility's. For instance, why can’t
he just call someone back in the states to verify who
he is to the authorities. If you’ve lived 50 years or
better, you would obviously have lots of friends,
family and other business contacts that could come to
your rescue.
Liam Neeson is
just shy of 60 years of age in real life but has no
trouble carrying the movie as the leading man. His
voice alone is one of the most captivating you will
ever hear...it is so smooth and elegant...almost
hypnotic. I have always liked Aidan Quinn, although
his roles now days seem to be little more than cameos.
Diane Kruger (Inglorious Bastards, National Treasure)
has all the right ingredients. She is sexy, smart and
believable. Bottom line...the movie was not as good as
Taken but is certainly worth a viewing,
although waiting until it comes out on Netflix or
Redbox would suffice.
No, I was not
drinking. No, I did not do any drugs or hallucinogens.
Yet, I still liked Adam Sandler's latest movie - Just
Go With It. By admitting this, I will probably be
thrown out of the American Film Critics Association.. As
a matter of fact, I think to get into the Association I
had to originally take an oath saying I would never go
see an Adam Sandler movie during my lifetime. Boy have I
screwed things up! I won’t spend a lot of time on the
review because it is certainly not Oscar worthy...but as
I have always said, not everything has to be award
winning to be enjoyable. I took my wife and she thought
it was hilarious. I looked around the theater and the
audience was laughing through the entire movie. I saw a
note on my niece Kelsey’s Facebook wall and she liked it
also. I saw the weekend box office report and it was
number one making over $30,000,000 dollars. That’s a lot
of people who like Adam Sandler. So I can’t be
completely crazy...can I? I am not trying to pretend
like I have this sophisticated palate that only favors
expensive wines and beluga caviar, but I honestly have
not been a big fan of Adam Sandler movies...especially
the one’s where he talks like a dufus from start to
finish.
This time around
he plays Danny, a plastic surgeon bachelor who wears a
wedding band and gets beautiful women to go to bed with
him by telling them stories about his imaginary wives
and how terrible they treat him. Kind of a weak story
line...maybe I didn’t like this movie after all. He
finally meets Palmer (Sports
Illustrated Swim Suit Model Brooklyn Decker)
who he wants to have an honest relationship with
but she sees his wedding ring and instead of coming
clean he tells her he’s married but getting divorced.
She wants to meet his wife and children and that’s where
Katherine (Jennifer Aniston) enters the picture. She’s
Sandler’s assistant who is a divorced single parent of
two kids. She agrees to allow Sandler to borrow her and
the kids so he doesn’t look like the liar he is. They
all end up taking a trip to Hawaii together and the
laughs just keep on coming.
To be completely
honest, the movie is worth the price of admission for
most guys, including myself, just to see Brooklyn Decker
hanging out.....by the pool. Jennifer Aniston is also
quite engaging when she unwraps her wraps. Perhaps the
biggest surprise was how good the two kids, Bailee
Madison and Griffin Gluck, were that played Aniston’s
children. Nick Swardson plays Sandler’s over the top
cousin Eddie and even he grew on me after a few scenes.
If you are looking for a nice escape, a movie that
doesn’t make you think to hard, some funny moments, a
guilty pleasure...Just Go With It!!!
Although
it’s been out for a while, I thought I’d better review
this movie because of all the Oscar buzz it is
receiving. The movie hasn’t made a lot at the
box office and I think the movie title might have
something to do with the empty seats. It just
sounds so boring... The King’s Speech... it just
doesn’t quite have the panache of say a True Grit
or The Green Hornet. They should have
punched it up a bit...maybe something like... "The
Main Dude Speaks", "The Royal Ramble"
or "Stutter Island"...now those
names would have packed them in!
If you can get past that name and just go buy a
ticket, you will probably enjoy this period piece...I
know I did! The movie opens in 1925 at the
British Empire Exhibition. Prince Albert (Colin
Firth) is attempting to give a major oration to the
public. The only problem is...and it’s a doozy...he’s
a stutterer. Not a really good impediment to
have when you’re supposed to be the voice of the
people. As he begins to speak at this major
event, he not only stutters, but has huge pregnant
pauses in-between every word. Like the filmed
grimaced faces of the crowd in attendance, I, too,
found myself cringing for him and wishing for a quick
end to this humiliating depicted moment in history.
Obviously devastated by this humbling experience, he
and his wife Elizabeth (Helena Bonham) begin calling
on every supposed "Speech Therapist" they can find.
Back in the day, these guys were mostly a bunch of
charlatans. They knew nothing about how to stop
stuttering and their treatments were unorthodox, to
say the least. These scenes are some of the
funniest in the movie. One "therapist"
prescribes a pack of cigarettes a day to end the
stuttering. Another has him put as many marbles
in his mouth as he can possibly load up and then try
to do tongue twisters. Fortunately, they finally meet
up with Lionel Loge (Geoffrey Rush), an unconventional
speech therapist in his own right but one who actually
knows how to help the Prince. As the movie
unfolds, the two form an unlikely bond that is filled
with heartfelt ups and downs. When the reigning
King dies and his older brother abdicates the throne,
Prince Albert reluctantly becomes King George VI.
(I’m not quite sure why they change their name when
they become King, maybe somebody can email me the
answer.) It’s around this time that Hitler
starts to cause some major problems and it's up to the
new King to make a huge speech to all the citizens of
the country to help unite everyone. Much of the
movie is then centered on the King and Lionel getting
ready for this big speech...thus the boring movie
title "The King’s Speech."
When you think of movies that
center on Kings and their grandiose lifestyles, you
envision great layers of complexity and huge budgets
required to capture that particular period in history.
This movie was made on a shoe string but still does an
incredible job of creating that big feel. It gets away
with the small budget by lightly sprinkling in the big
buck cinematography while concentrating instead on
this unheard of friendship formed between a King and a
commoner. It is funny at times...much of the on
going humor revolves around the King's demands for
Lionel to treat him as royalty and Lionel's total
disregard for his "kiss my ring" ways. It is gut
wrenching at others... as we feel the pain, anxiety,
and anguish the King is dealing with every hour of
every day because of his affliction. I would
never have thought a movie about stuttering could be
so captivating. Colin Firth has been nominated for the
Academy Award for his performance, and rightfully so,
but equally worthy would be Geoffrey Rush. He is
nominated for best supporting actor...but to me it was
a best actor performance for sure. If you can
get past the boring title and just make the effort to
get to the theater, you will be pleasantly pleased
with this wonderfully inspiring little-big movie!
True Grit - Written & Directed by Joel & Ethan Coen
Is it just me or
is Jeff Bridges the coolest dude to ever walk the face
of this planet. I remember seeing "The Fabulous Baker
Boys" and thinking how can one guy be that cool. If
you haven’t seen that flick make sure you do...not
only a good movie but Jeff Bridges is so cool. Now
that I have worn out, the already worn out, word
"cool"....let me tell you about his latest movie.
Directed by Joel
and Ethan Cool...I mean Coen... "True Grit" is a
remake of an older John Wayne vehicle by the same
name. I think everyone who, is not still in the womb,
has probably viewed the original that also starred one
of my favorite actors Glen Campbell...(not
really)....although I could listen to "Rhinestone
Cowboy" all day long...(not really). As most of you
regular readers are aware, I will go see anything the
Coen brothers put out and to have Jeff Bridges
starring is icing on the cake. If you have ever been
to a Coen brother movie, you know you should always
expect the unexpected. This dynamic duo does not
normally think the same way most of us do. There are
always incredible plot twists and turns that are the
signatures of these two talented home-grown Minnesota
boys. For "True Grit," however, they pretty much stay
true to the original movie as well as the Charles
Portia novel, with no big surprises or any new plot
twists and turns....which really shocked me.
So for the
handful of you out there who have never seen the
original, let me give you the skinny. Mattie Ross (Hailee
Stienfeld) plays a smart as a whip teenager whose
father is murdered by low life gunman Tom Chaney (Josh
Brolin). She hires Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) a
take no crap, red nose drunk who also just happens to
be a U.S. Marshal, to track down and bring to justice
the evil Tom Chaney. Matt Damon tags along as the
inept Texas Ranger Leboeuf who is chasing after Tom
Chaney for another unrelated murder.
Jeff Bridges, as
we saw in his Oscar winning performance in "Crazy
Heart" as well as his memorable role as "the Dude" in
The Great Labowski (another Coen brother movie) has
turned the art of being a drunk into a full time gig
and nobody does it better. Matt Damon, as the doofus
Texas Ranger, is hilarious and it was such a pleasant
surprise to see he was onboard for this movie...who
doesn’t like Matt Damon?...he’s awesome! Another
pleasant surprise was the performance turned in by
newcomer Hailee Stienfeld. Her portrayal of Mattie, a
straight laced, no nonsense teenager who will not let
anything get in the way of avenging her fathers death
is remarkable. There is a scene in the movie where she
talks a savvy horse trader out of just about
everything he owns that is worth the price of
admission. She definitely holds her own with this
heavy weight cast and I can’t wait to see what she
does next.
If your goal is
to see a wonderfully filmed and acted western, you
can’t go wrong with "True Grit." Like I said from the
beginning, I am a huge Jeff Bridges fan. My only wish
would be that he does not get typecast as a drunk in
all of his "after 55" roles. It would be a shame, for
one of my favorite actors, to become pigeonholed for
roles that always require him to have blurry, blood
shot eyes and a red nose.....but I still think he’s
the coolest!
I hate to talk badly
about any movie. I know all the hard work that goes
into making one. Yes, I too was once in a motion
picture. As a matter of fact my wife and I pulled it
out last night, blew off the dust it had been
collecting and put it into our DVD player. I honestly
did not remember me being so terrible in the movie.
All of my friends who saw it, said I was
great....except for my buddy John Horita, who told me
the movie should have been called Sewer not
Sever....I guess he was the only honest one of the
bunch. Don’t bother looking for the movie on Netflix.
I don’t think it was ever released because there was
some sort of legal dispute over another movie that was
made around the same time and they owned the rights to
the name Sever....probably a good thing for our
viewing public.I do have about five DVD
copies, so if any of you are a masochists and want to
inflict some real pain...just email me for one and I
will send it to you in a plain paper bag....no one has
to know!
Now back to the
Green Hornet. For those of you not familiar with
the Green Hornet, it started out as a comic and
radio series back in the 30's. Some of you may even
recall the tv series that had Bruce Lee as the side
kick, Kato. Long story short....Brit Reid (Seth Rogen)
is a spoiled brat newspaper magnate by day and an ass
kicking vigilante by night. Along with Kato (Jay Chou)
they seek out bad guys in the city and unleash some
high tech whoop ass. The two also battle for the
attention of Cameron Diaz who plays Lenore Case.
From what I’ve
heard through my contacts in the movie industry
(mainly the National Enquirer and People magazine) the
director of this film was Michel Gondry (Eternal
Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Be Kind Rewind) but
the guy that was really pushing the buttons and
calling the shots was Seth Rogen. Yes from the humble
beginnings of his first stoner movie Pineapple
Express, Seth Rogen is now a Hollywood big shot.
He was also the writer of this movie and his
fingerprints are obviously all over what we see on the
screen.
In my humble opinion, aside from the cool customized
gun toting car and the slow motion fight scenes, the
movie is just one big mess. The acting sucks and I had
all I could do to keep from getting up and sneaking
into another movie. Seth Rogen was obviously blowing a
little weed when he put this story together. It’s
almost as if they threw out the script and just
improvised every scene. I expected a lot more out of
Rogen. Cameron Diaz looked out of place and puffy. Jay
Chou as Kato was the only character worth watching.
His kung fu fighting scenes and hilarious butchering
of the English language were all that kept me in my
seat. Perhaps the most stupid scene I have ever
viewed... had to be the part where their car gets cut
in half yet they are still able to drive around. Then
to add insults to injury, they are able to drive it
into a public elevator and take it up 40 flights. It
then comes out on the top floor and they continue to
drive it around the hallways shooting at the bad
guys....are you kidding me??!! If you have to see this
stinker wait until it’s on the dollar clearance rack
at Wal-Mart....and even then you’re spending a buck
too much.
Before I get into the review...a
cute story. A few years back I was looking for
something to do for date night and saw the end of an
advertisement on TV for tickets to a performance of
Swan Lake at the State Theater. So I ordered up
a pair and took my wife. We sat down in our
seats near the front row and settled in for a night of
ballet. It was around intermission time...yes we
are a little slow...that my wife looked at me and I
looked at her and we both said almost at the same
time, "did you notice there aren’t any women in this
show?" We looked around at the rest of the
audience and suddenly noticed it was almost entirely
men with other men. Sure enough it was the "all
male" production of Swan Lake, which had totally
escaped me when I purchased the tickets online.
We laughed so hard at my little oversight that I
thought we would get thrown out! Luckily we
didn’t and we stayed for the entire show and it was
great...although needless to say, not quite what we
had expected!
Black Swan was not quite what I
expected either. Darren Aronofsky directed "The
Wrestler" and for a low budget movie I was quite
impressed with his end result. So it didn’t take
much persuading for me to go see his latest feature
film. Natalie Portman plays Nina, a ballerina in
a New York City ballet company. As the movie
begins to unfold we see that she is obviously driven
to be the best darn little ballerina you could ask
for...she practices until her feet bleed and purges on
a regular basis. She lives with her retired
ballerina mother Erica (Barbara Hershey) who is, to
say the least, just a little bit odd...she kind of
reminded me of the mother in the movie "Carrie."
She is just as obsessed with her daughter’s career as
her daughter is.
To put it in the proverbial
nutshell...nut being the key word here...the artistic
director for the ballet company Thomas Leroy (Vincent
Cassel) decides to replace the prima ballerina Beth
MacIntyre (Winona Ryder) because she’s getting too old
and wants to recast a younger ballerina for the
opening production of their new season of Swan Lake.
Nina is the obvious pick, but Lily (Mila Kunis) is the
new girl in town and she also catches the eye of the
philandering ballet director. Swan Lake requires
the lead ballerina to play both the White Swan with
innocence and beauty as well as the Black Swan that is
sly and cunning. Nina would be perfect as the
White Swan, but Lily is the embodiment of the Black
Swan. Hence the rivalry that is set up between
the two. The ballet director insists that if
Nina is to be the prima ballerina he is looking for,
she must get in touch with her dark side. This
is where the movie starts to get a little crazy.
The director toys with our senses,
as we are often left wondering if what we are seeing
is the real deal, or are we just privy to Nina’s vivid
imagination. Not to give away too much of the
movie, but Nina, we find out, has some real issues.
The kind where she needs to take a few years off and
go see a good shrink. The scenes that followed
were dark, unsettling, bizarre, and made me grimace
nonstop. Much of the film is shot with a single
hand held camera to give you even more of a front row
voyeuristic view of the self mutilation that has
become a big part of Nina’s world.
One last funny note for a not so
funny movie...Natalie Portman said "Everyone was so
worried about who was going to want to see this movie.
How do you get guys to a ballet movie? How do
you get girls to a thriller? And the answer is a
lesbian scene, everyone wants to see that!" Well not
quite everyone. This was a well made movie with
great acting and thrills abound...but I found it hard
to watch...which I am sure was what they were hoping
for...but if I want to see this much bizarre graphic
dysfunction, I will just go to my Netflix account and
pull up the movie "Sybil!"
I’m not going to beat around the
bush with this one...Let me start right off by saying,
it’s my absolute favorite movie of the year! I
went into the movie expecting just a "Rocky" type
remake...and don’t get me wrong, I loved Rocky...but
this movie is much more in so many different ways.
When I heard that Mark Wahlberg was
one of the stars of this picture, I was a little
skeptical. Not that I don’t like Wahlberg, but
his movies are usually hit or miss...and lately I have
seen him in a lot more misfires than straight shots
that hit the target. But let me tell you, he was
great! Wahlberg plays Micky Ward, a real life
boxer from Lowell, Massachusetts who has become little
more than a punching bag for better fighters on their
way up. Now if the movie just focused on
Wahlberg’s character it could have surely become just
another Rocky type movie, but it branches out to
encompass the entire Ward family and their
friends...and that’s what makes this movie a 10.
There’s Micky’s older brother Dicky
Eklund, whose only claim to fame was 14 years earlier,
he fought Sugar Ray Leonard and knocked him down...or
did he just slip? Christian Bale plays Dicky who
has now become a
crack addict in the worst possible
way....not that there is a good crack addict, but you
know what I mean. Bale has to win the best actor
Academy Award or I will know once and for all that the
Oscars are fixed and will never watch again. Jaw
Dropping...are the only two words I can use to
describe his performance...actually I guess there are
a few more, like incredible, mesmerizing, touching,
outrageous, beautiful, courageous, thought provoking,
manipulative, dynamic, blah blah blah... HE IS THE
MAN!!!
The last thing I saw actress Amy
Adams in was a Disney flick called "Enchanted" and
those "Night at the Museum" movies where she was "oh
so soft and delicate"...so I didn’t know what to
expect from her in this gritty movie. However,
like everyone else in the film, she delivers her own
knock out performance as a college drop out - turned
bartender who plays Micky’s girlfriend Charlene
Flemming. It is Charlene who finally gets Micky
to open his eyes so he can realize his true potential
and escape the stranglehold his mother and brother
have put on him. She is a street smart gal who takes
crap from no one and can throw a punch almost as good
as Micky himself...as shown in one of the funnier
moments of the movie when she delivers a beat down to
one of Micky’s sisters. Charlene is sexy and
confident yet flawed and fragile. Another jaw dropping
performance, I kid you not!
I would be remiss to not mention,
in a big way, the acting chops of Melissa Leo who
plays Micky’s jerk mother, Alice Ward. You
despise her because all she cares about is her crack
addict son, Dicky, and what he once was, while
refusing to see what he has now become. For some
reason she cannot allow herself to see Micky as the
son with all the real potential and deserving of the
love and affection she never shows him. She has
that hardened look that is only brought on by years
filled with straight shots of Jack and an endless
chain of Marlboro reds. She is a survivor who
will not let anyone get in her way of manipulating her
sons’ lives....that is until she meets Charlene.
I could go on about every little
character actor in the movie and how great they were
but you would probably just get bored and not finish
my review. I would just add that for a movie to
be great, like this one, it has to have more than just
great actors...the other real winners of this movie
would have to be the script by Scott Silver, the
cinematography that so vividly captures the raw and
desolate feel of blue collar Lowell, Massachusetts and
finally the music soundtrack...that if not being sold
as a CD or on ITunes...should be!
"The Fighter" is the story of
life...its highs and lows and everything in
between...told and shown in a way that makes this film
an absolute must see!!!
I remember reading
the first Harry Potter book to my kids when they were in
grade school back in 1997. The book weighed as
much as my son Dougie did back then and I currently use
it as a ladder during the winter when I have to reach
the very top of my roof to remove ice dams.
Fast forward to
2010 and we find it all starting to wrap up with Harry
Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. This time
I didn’t read the book because I wanted to squeeze in a
few other activities over the next 2 years....so much
like George Costanza...I just went straight to the
movie. Of course it’s your usual cast of
characters, except now instead of sucking their thumbs
they have all started shaving; either their face or
legs...some both. Yes, the gang has grown up right
before our eyes. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and
Rupert Grint reprise their roles as Harry, Hermoine, and
Ron.
As the movie opens
we are reminded that Hogwarts headmaster Albus
Dumbledore is dead and as a result things are getting a
little out of hand in the world of wizards. The
evil Voldemort has pretty much taken over the Ministry
of Magic and his number one goal is to terminate our
hero. Harry, however, is not about to stand idly
by and along with Ron and Hermoine they set out to
destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes. In case you don’t
speak the Potter lingo...a horcruxe is an object in
which a person has concealed part of their soul. If you
can destroy Voldemort’s horcruxes you can destroy
Voldemort...if you can’t he will remain immortal....and
no one wants that, except maybe Kim Jong iI..
A lot of the movie
takes place in a forest that serves as a safe place for
the trio to chill and reflect on the troubles that lie
ahead. The only problem is those scenes were so
slow and drawn out that all I wanted to do was slip out
for my free refills on pop and popcorn. The
special effects of course are the saving grace and make
it all worthwhile. From what I understand there is
one more blockbuster movie left and that’s the one that
is suppose to be nothing but action packed...rest
assured I will be in the front of that line come opening
day!!! Until then "may the force be with you".........
sorry wrong movie.
My friend, Marge, told me I should
review more feature films that women would be
interested in. Not that I am some sort of macho
man, but I refer to those as "girly" movies.
Just kidding, of course, but I have to admit I do lean
towards reviewing the hard hitting, shoot’em up, blood
and guts, guy-type of movies.
My daughter, Katie, agrees with
Marge and called me up the other day and convinced me
to go with her to see Morning Glory. She
currently attends St. Cloud State University, so she
was good enough to meet me halfway and we ended up at
the beautiful Meuller Cineplex in Monticello.
She sprang for the tickets and I was in charge of
beverages and popcorn...and we were good to go!
Rachel McAdams stars as Becky
Fuller, a workaholic TV producer, who is fired from a
local news station and then gets a new job as producer
for "Daybreak" (a "Good Morning America" type national
news show that is in last place.) She then tries
to breathe new life into the sinking morning show by
bringing on board, legendary TV anchor, Mike Pomeroy
(Harrison Ford). Pomeroy turns out to be the
biggest pain in the rear you could possibly ask for.
He refuses to do anything morning shows are known for:
i.e.celebrity gossip, fashion, cooking etc. He
also clashes with his co-host, Colleen Peck (Diane
Keaton). Throw into the mix a budding romance
Becky is having with fellow producer Adam Bennett
(Patrick Wilson) and you have the makings for a cute
and humorous little movie. The cast also
includes Jeff Goldblum as Becky’s disheveled boss who
gives her six weeks to change things around or the
show will be canceled.
Morning Glory is what I would call
the perfect "date" movie. The cast was
delightful and the movie overall was very charming.
It’s warm and fuzzy and just makes you feel good all
over. No blood and guts...just good clean fun.
Begrudgingly, I must confess, it was a nice change of
pace from my usual fare of bedazzling special effects
and rapid gun fire.
Those of you who are regular
readers of my reviews know that I don’t miss anything
that Robert Downey Jr. is in...so it's not to hard to
figure that I am writing this review on Due Date.
Downey is one of my favorite actors and never fails to
disappoint....until now.
Peter Highman (Robert Downey Jr.)
is trying to get home from Atlanta to Los Angeles so
he can watch his wife Sarah (Michelle Monaghan) give
birth to their first child. Enter Ethan Tremblay (Zach
Galifianakis) who proceeds to not only get them thrown
off the plane they are on, but to make matters worse,
they have now also been put on a no-fly list. To add
insult to injury, Peter loses his wallet and has no
choice but to accept a ride with Ethan for the 2,000
mile road trip home.
One of my favorite all time
comedies is Planes, Trains & Automobiles with Steve
Martin and John Candy...and judging from all the
trailers I saw for Due Date...I thought this would
quickly become another classic....not to be! Don’t get
me wrong...this movie has some really funny
moments...it’s just that there is a lot of stuff that
just made me cringe. In particular, a masturbating
scene that is just plain crude, a brutal beating, a
wasted cameo by Jamie Foxx, just to name a few. I know
a lot of people refer to movies like this as dark
comedies. To be honest, I am just not a big fan of
comedies that don’t make me laugh, whether they are
designed that way or not. To repeat, the movie does
deliver some big laughs, it’s just that they are not
sustained and as a result the movie is just too bumpy
of a ride for my taste. And to be fair...I guess I
can’t really blame it all on Downey or Galifianakis...they
gave the best performance they could considering the
script they were given.
My biggest complaint though is why
Zach Galifianakis ever chose that last name.
Galifianakis is so hard to spell and pronounce and it
takes me an hour just to type. It’s like he put a
bunch of letters from the alphabet into a jar and the
first 13 he drew out he would use for his last name.
Good thing the guy is an incredible comedic actor or I
would simply refer to him as "the other guy".
Anything that Clint Eastwood and
Matt Damon are attached to, I am going to be the first
in line when the movie opens. That was exactly
the case for the movie Hereafter. Since I am not
quite at the point where the producers fly me out for
the red carpet openings or Fed-Ex me an advance copy
of their movie to review...believe it or not, I stand
in line just like you common folk. Last Friday I
headed up to the movie theater that just happens to be
a convenient 2 minutes from my office, purchased my
ticket with a box of popcorn (lightly buttered) and a
diet pepsi and was in my seat before the previews even
started. Am I the only one who could watch 2
hours of just previews? Some people complain
there should be no previews. I am all for adding
another 15 minutes worth or maybe having a separate
free theater on the premise that shows nothing but
previews...that would be cool!
The Hereafter opens in a big way
with an incredibly filmed tsunami. Although this
is not a 3-D movie, you will feel like you are right
in the middle of this natural disaster. It is
truly breathtaking. From this point on our story
interweaves the lives of three central characters --
Matt Damon plays George, a psychic who is the real
deal but does not look upon his ability as a gift but
a curse. Cecile de France plays a French
television journalist named Marie who survives the
tsunami after nearly drowning and having a near death
experience. Frankie McLaren play Marcus, a young
English boy whose twin brother is killed in a car
accident.
As you can tell by the name of the
film, the movie is all about the hereafter.
Everybody has varying opinions on this topic...some
believe...some don’t. Clint, as he likes me to
call him, lays it all out in a manner that I don’t
think anyone would have a problem with. (I don’t
care that you’re not suppose to use the word "with" at
the end of a sentence...I love dangling participles!)
I have no problem with the actors in this movie
either...they are all great. The McLaren twins
have very few lines but command your attention
whenever they are on screen. Matt Damon, is like Tom
Hanks, what’s not to like? The guy is incredible
in everything he stars in. I don’t think I have
ever seen Cecile de France in anything else but I hope
I see her in a lot more.
My only problem with Clint, and his
directing of this film, is a lot of directors do not
spend enough time on character development, so you end
up not really caring what happens to them. Clint goes
totally in the other direction and spends way too much
time on character development... and I didn’t think
that was possible! As a result, the movie’s pace
is so slow at times that you almost find yourself
saying "enough already lets move along here"! I
really enjoyed the film but wish about 20 to 30
minutes had been left on the editing floor. If
you're like me, you have ever wondered about the
hereafter, I don’t think you will find a better film
to explore the possibilities. Remember to ask your
boss if you can get out of work early next Tuesday to
go vote and while you're at it you might as well go
see a good movie...you deserve it!
I always like
going to a new movie on the Friday afternoon that it is released. I am usually one of the only ones
in the theater and it feels like I am having a private
screening. Not for RED’s... I got into my seat
just before noon and was surprised to look around and
see the seats were about 3/4's full. It was
obviously a 50+ crowd and I am sure that’s who the
producers were banking would show up. They got it
right and it brought in an impressive $22
million dollars opening weekend!
As I understand it the original
story was a three issue comic book that had a much
darker tone that was void of any humor. For the big
screen adaptation they lightened things up a lot and
brought in an all star cast of "old but still kicking"
actors including Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, Morgan
Freeman, John Malkovich, Richard Dreyfuss and Ernest
Borgnine.
RED stands for "Retired and
Extremely Dangerous". The movie centers on a
group of former government assassins who are now the
target of the CIA. A few unsavory politicians
think the retired team knows too much and has put out
their own hit squad to take them out. Little do
they know this over-the-hill gang can still pack a
punch. All of our geriatric stars are up to the
task of keeping us well entertained for a couple of
hours with some great shoot ’em up fight scenes and
some hilarious dead pan humor. If you're looking
for something that has deep meaning and will bring on
a cathartic moment or two you might want to pass on
this one...but if you just want to take a couple hours
off to smile and feel good, this movie delivers in
spades.
If you have not heard of Facebook...you
are either living on another planet or you're my
parents. There are something like a billion
people who use Facebook everyday. They use it to let
you know everything from their marital status to what
time of day they are blowing their nose.
Facebook, the movie, takes us back
to 2003 where a little snot nose Harvard undergrad and
computer programming guru named Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse
Eisenberg) comes up with an idea to rate the girls on
campus if they are "hot" or "not". Within hours,
everyone at the school is online filling out the
tasteless poll and the entire school mainframe is
overloaded and crashes. Gaining a little notoriety on
campus from the episode, a pair of well-to-do twin
brothers (Arnie Hammer and Josh Pence) attending the
school, approach Zuckerberg to develop an online
social network for all Harvard students. Zuckerberg
accepts the offer from the Winklevoss twins, but then
gives them the run around until he has enough time to
launch his own social network that would of course go
on to become known as Facebook.
Much of the movie plays out in a
high priced lawyer's office where Zuckerberg is being
sued by the Winklevoss twins for stealing their idea.
At the same time he is also being sued by Eduardo
Saverin (Andrew Garfield). Saverin is Zuckerberg’s
former college friend who was the first CFO of the
company who put up all the initial backing money to
get the company off the ground only to have Zuckerberg
screw him out of all his promised shares.
Interspersed throughout these proceedings are
flashbacks that show how it all started. This is
where we are also introduced to Napster founder Sean
Parker (Justin Timberlake). Zuckerberg thinks Parker
is an internet God and quickly invites him to be part
of his Facebook empire.
The acting is superb and I mean top
notch! Jesse Eisenberg has come a long way from his
original breakout acting role as the buddy to Woody
Harrelson in Zombieland. If Zuckerberg is even a
fraction of the jerk he is portrayed as by
Eisenberg...this guy deserves to be tarred and
feathered while being viewed online by all Facebook
users. The same holds true for Justin Timberlake...he
was spot on at portraying the Napster founder as a
clever, manipulating playboy with a penchant for
cocaine and underage women. Obviously much of the
credit for the success of this movie is also owed to
director David Fincher (Fight Club) and screenwriter
Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing). Let's hope these two
collaborate again real soon. Get out and see this
movie...it’s a lot of fun and make sure you tell all
your friends...post it on Facebook!
I thought the first Wall Street was
incredible...it was fast paced, exciting, intelligent,
blah, blah, blah!!! However, the sequel is just
pretty good... and "pretty good" is OK with me.
They can’t all be home runs...just ask the Twins!
This time around Jake Moore (Shia
LaBeouf) plays the Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) wannabe
character and Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) is back
as the guy who knows all too much about greed.
As a matter of fact, when we last saw Gordon, he was
heading to prison to do a stretch in the big house for
letting his greed get the best of him. Flash
forward to 2008 and Gekko is out of prison pimping his
new book appropriately titled, "Is Greed Good?"
Jake is involved with Gekko’s daughter Winnie (Carey
Mulligan.) He also just happens to be
proprietary trader for a Lehman Brothers type firm
called Keller Zabel Investments headed by Louis Zabel
(Frank Langella, one of my favorite character actors.)
So knowing all that ahead of time, it just makes good
movie sense that Jake would meet Gekko after he
attends one of his book signings, and despite his
daughters warnings, gets involved with the always
greedy Gekko. Josh Brolin plays the even
greedier (is that a word?) Bretton James, the head of
another powerful investment bank. Brolin’s
character is so despicable (I thought I was overusing
the word greedy) he makes Gekko look like Santa
Claus...not a very nice guy!
What’s fascinating about this movie
is it actually makes clear, in a movie sort of way,
what actually happened when our economy almost
collapsed. It feels like we are voyeurs peeking
in on our government as it tried to make sense of what
was going on and what it felt it had to do to keep
those greedy banks afloat so our country would do the
same. Wall Street 2 is once again fast paced,
exciting, and all those other adjectives that Wall
Street 1 was... it’s just that it comes up just a
little short on developing characters that we really
care about. You also question some of the story
line. For instance, you can’t quite believe that
such a sharp guy like Jake would even fall prey to the
evil Gekko. That said, I would say go see the
movie and don’t be greedy....share your
popcorn!
I have never
been a big Ben Affleck fan... and NO it's not because
I am jealous of what a good looking guy he is... and
NO it's not because he always gets all the good
looking girls... and NO it's not because he has all
that money.... well, maybe it has to do with some of
that... but mainly I have just found him to be a
pretty boring actor to watch on the big screen.
However, I thought Gone Baby Gone, his directorial
debut a couple of years back, was a pretty decent
movie. This time around he's doing double duty serving
as both the star and director of "The Town"...and I’ll
tell you right up front... Affleck is back on my good
side!!!
The Town is a well crafted crime
drama that takes place in Charlestown, Boston. The
movie opens to an aerial view of the blue collar city
and a graphic that dissolves in, letting us know from
the get-go that this town is also "the bank robbery
capital of America." It quickly becomes evident
that a prerequisite for living in Charlestown is you
must know your way around a gun and someone in your
family must be serving time in the big house for a
stick up gone wrong.
I like a movie that grabs you by
the shirt collar right from the very beginning and The
Town does just that by giving us front row seats to a
bank robbery that is just starting to unfold. The
meticulous manner in which this crew carries out the
job lets us in on the fact that these guys know their
stuff. No detail is overlooked and they are simply a
smooth running machine.
Here is the nuts and bolts on this
charismatic crew of crime...Doug MacRay (Affleck) is
the consummate professional; smooth, calm, and the
brains of the outfit. Jimmy (Jeremy Renner) is
the ex-con/trigger man who is ready to blow you away
if you so much as...well come to think of it, you
don’t have to do anything and the guy will erase you
from this world before you have a chance to blink.
Albert (Slaine) is the wheel man and Desmond (Owen
Burke) is the technician who can shut down any alarm
or surveillance system at the drop of a dime.
These guys are good in all the bad ways!
Of course all movies, especially
ones with Ben Affleck, have to have a love interest or
two. Enter Claire (Rebecca Hall), a bank manager who
is taken hostage during the opening bank robbery as
insurance for a safe getaway. Since the crew is
wearing masks, they release Claire after they are out
of harm’s way. But Jimmy, the hot head, finds
out that Claire lives in the neighborhood and thinks
she might cause problems down the road. Doug,
sensing that Jimmy might try turning Claire’s lights
out, says he will keep an eye on her himself. He
follows her to a laundromat and makes her acquaintance
and the two quickly fall in love, complicating matters
even further.
Adding to the crew’s problems is a
relentless FBI agent (Jon Hamm) and Jimmy’s sister,
Krista (Blake Lively). In my opinion Hamm is a
little too over-the-top, but Lively is spectacular as
Doug’s former girlfriend who now lives her life out of
a glass of booze and a bottle of pills. Cameos from
Chris Cooper as Doug’s dad doing life behind bars and
Pete Postlethwaite as the head gangster in town give
the movie even more credibility.
Not to put Ben down, but my
favorite crook in the movie was actually the "hot
head" played by Renner....the guy is the crazy glue
that keeps the movie together and steals every scene
he is in. His honed acting skills are worth the
price of admission all by itself. My favorite
movie of this genre is "Heat" starring Robert DeNiro,
Val Kilmer, and Al Pacino. If you haven’t seen
it, go out and rent it and you will know what I am
talking about. It would be tough to knock that
one off the pedestal, but "The Town" comes in a
distant second, or maybe third....and that’s not all
bad!!!
Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham,
Jet Li, Randy Couture, Dolph Lundgren, Bruce Willis,
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steve Austin, Mickey Rourke.
The last time I saw this much testosterone in a movie
was when.............come to think of it, I have never
seen another movie with this much muscle and swagger!
You all know what a sucker I am for the this genre of
movie...and this one is no exception.
The Expendables is an action packed
thriller that doesn’t give you a chance to breathe
until it’s all over. Sylvester Stallone directs and
stars in this fast paced macho man movie. Barney Ross
(Sylvester Stallone) is the leader of an elite group
of misfit mercenaries who is a no frills kind of guy.
He fears nothing and trusts only his elite team of
combat ready professionals. The team includes Lee
Christmas (Jason Statham), a kick ass-talk later sort
of guy whose weapon of choice is any size knife you
want to put in front of him. Yin Yang (Jet Li)
provides much of the comic relief and of course is a
master at close-quarter combat. Toll Road (Randy
Couture) is a demolitions expert. Gunnar Jensen (Dolph
Lundgren) is a giant of a man and also a bit psychotic
to say the least. His character this time around is
even more ominous (my big word for the week) than his
well portrayed Rocky 4 role as Ivan Drago.
The team's mission...should they
decide to accept it...which they will, or I would not
be writing this review, is to topple a South American
country’s army and its evil regime. You heard it
right...Stallone thinks big...he’s not happy with a
plot that snuffs out just a couple of guys, he wants
us to believe that this handful of mischievous
mercenaries is capable of annihilating an entire
country....and guess what? He made a believer out of
me!!!
Once things get cooking, we realize
it’s a puppet regime that is being run by rogue CIA
operative James Monroe (Eric Roberts) and his trusty
henchman Paine (played by Stone Cold Steve Austin.)
Gotta love that name! Roberts always plays a great
bad guy and delivers as a money grubbing, maniacal,
sleaze who is up to the task of making sure our band
of modern day warriors have their hands full 24/7.
Sandra (Giselle Itie) is Barney’s token love interest
who plays a freedom fighter who he just can’t leave
behind.
It’s a fun movie that brings
together some of our most remembered action movie
stars of the last 20 years. I hope there is a sequel,
but these guys aren’t getting any younger, so they
better do it soon. Mike A. from Champlin sent me an
email and thinks they’re too old already and a good
name for the next movie would be "The Dependsables".
I’m sure Stallone has gotten used to those types of
comments over the years but probably forgets about
them as soon as he deposits those multi-million dollar
paychecks.
I had the opportunity to spend a
few days up at my cabin in Clear Lake last weekend.
Went golfing with my wife, son, and nephew. When
we got done, it was so hot and steamy, we thought the
best way to cool off would be going to the movies. Who
am I to argue with that logic? Love the
movies!!! (Notice how I did not mention my golf
score?) My nephew, Logan Gartin and I voted for
Dinner For Schmucks, and my wife and son wanted to see
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. There movie started a
little earlier than ours so we just cooled off in the
lobby until Schmucks started. Just as the
trailers ended and Schmucks was about to start we saw
my wife and son sneak into our movie...apparently The
Sorcerer’s Apprentice was lacking the movie magic they
had hoped for...good move on their part because this
movie was a laugh fest and just the right stuff to
help me forget about my earlier golf score!!!
I knew we chose the right movie as
soon as I saw Jay Roach was the director...he helmed
the incredibly successful Meet the Fockers and Austin
Powers franchises. The movie is an adaptation of
the foreign film Le Diner de Cons...a little tidbit
for those of you that want to bedazzle your friends
with your incredible knowledge of French cinema.
After seeing Inception a few weeks
ago...it was nice to now see a movie that had a plot
that didn’t make my head feel like it was going to
explode. Paul Rudd is a businessman trying to
get a promotion at a Wall Street type investment firm.
His boss is a shady jerk who has a monthly dinner
event at his home known as the "dinner for idiots."
Rudd and other top guns from the company are invited
to the dinner and whoever brings the biggest idiot of
the night will get the top floor office.
Enter Steve Carell....prior to the
monthly event Rudd runs into Carell, literally, and
from that moment on we know who he will be bringing to
the "idiot" dinner. Carell is perfect as one of
the most insane characters you will ever see in a
movie. The guy does not have a clue and no
matter how hard he tries to do the right thing...it’s
just not going to happen. I don’t know if I was
just woozy from the heat that day, but I can’t
remember laughing so hard in quite some time.
Slapstick and sight gags, if not handled right, can be
a real turn off...not in this movie...almost every
other scene has some sort of prat fall or hilarious
knock down that works every time!
The supporting cast gets a great
big WOW from me! They were sooooo good.
Jemaine Clement plays Keiran, an artist super star so
self absorbed that every one of his famous painting is
of himself. Zach Galifianakis, from The
Hangover, plays an over the top IRS agent who steals
every scene he is in. Lucy Punch plays the
stalking ex-girlfriend of Paul Rudd and puts a funny
spin on a Glen Close/Fatal Attraction type character.
This comedy is not for everyone but
when it was all over my nephew Logan and I were sure
glad we passed on the Sorcerer’s Apprentice!
Although the movie’s been panned by
just about every other critic out there...I have to
disagree...I thought the movie Salt was a great time.
Sure it’s not going to win many academy awards but if
you like your movies fast and furious like I do and
don’t mind seeing the world's most gorgeous woman on
the big screen for a couple of hours...checking out
Salt should be a no brainer!!!
Granted, the script is a little
weak but remember Salt was originally written for Tom
Cruise so they had to unfortunately mess around with
some key plot elements to make it all work for a
female lead. Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) is a
CIA agent who is accused by a Russian defector of
being a mole for the bad guys. To her dismay,
this allegation is made while she is interrogating the
defector in front of her boss and all her other CIA
cronies. Salt, sensing that her peers believe
that the rat is telling the truth, tries to make a
hasty exit. The building is quickly put into
lock down mode to try and thwart her escape.
Early on we see that Salt is no ordinary CIA pencil
pusher. One opening scene, during the initial
chase by her CIA mates, has her trapped in an office
where she is quickly able to whip up a make shift
rocket launcher with just a couple cleaning products
and a few handy office items. We immediately are
put on notice that this babe is not just eye candy but
a well trained covert operative.
The script adds another interesting
plot twist having us believe that the Russians have
planted sleeper agents that have just been hanging out
for the last 20 years or so waiting to go into action.
Who would ever believe that could happen in real
life....oh yeah it just did, didn’t it...duh!!! I
should mention that Liev Schrieber (Wolverine’s
brother in X Men) is great in this movie too. He
was Salt’s partner and appears to be the only one who
believes Salt is playing for the right team.
I don’t know of any other woman in
Hollywood who could have pulled off this action flick.
Rarely does Angelina Jolie not deliver and Salt is no
exception. Maybe not the best spy movie ever
but.....great fight scenes, car chases, explosions and
more twists and turns than the Wild Thing coaster at
Valley Fair... the movie’s another thrill ride that
doesn’t stop until the lights come up!
I was anticipating a good movie
once I saw who was onboard. The director Christopher
Nolan scored big, in my book, with his other thought
provoking movies including Memento, The Prestige, and
Dark Knight. You can hardly go wrong with Leonardo
DiCaprio and I immediately fell in love (cinematically
speaking) with Ellen Page the first time I saw her in
Juno. So from the very first trailer that came
out...I was psyched to say the least! With my wife
and son spending a week in Alaska visiting my
daughter...I had nothing holding me back opening
weekend that would keep me from reviewing Nolan’s
latest offering -- Inception.
WOW WHAT A MOVIE!!! Yes, right
from the get go I must tell you how impressed I was
with Inception! It’s got everything I like in a
film...great acting, suspense, thrills, chills, and
special effects that will blow your mind. To be
honest, not since The Matrix have I seen a movie
offering such ground breaking movie magic.
Inception centers around a team of
highly trained individuals who literally get into
peoples heads for a living. Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio),
known as an "extractor", heads up the team and has
accepted an incredibly complicated mission that has
absolutely no room for error. In the proverbial nut
shell...they use a special intravenous-type machine
that has a line with syringes at the end that injects
into the veins of the teams' arms as well as the
individual whose dreams they are trying to incept.
For this caper, the team is hired to enter their
target's dreams to implant an idea so that the target
will later make a major business decision that will
benefit the guy that hired the team. Believe
me...it's much more complicated than that and so much
more fun to watch it all evolve.
Each member of Cobb’s team is
highly specialized and brings to the table their own
specific set of skills. Ariadne (Ellen Page) shines
as the "architect" in the group and is responsible for
creating the elaborate landscape and scenery that the
target dreams. Joseph Gordon-Levitt (remember him,
the little kid on 3rd Rock from the Sun) I
predict will be a big star some day and plays Arthur,
Cobb’s sidekick. Tom Hardy is a scene stealer and
plays "the forger". His role is to take on other
peoples identities within the dream to gain the
target's trust. The list goes on and on with every
actor turning in great performances.
The only thing that keeps this
movie from scoring a perfect 10 with me...is that is
too long. I think they could have edited, even this
cerebral movie, down by at least a half hour and that
would have worked just fine for me. Even the
incredible special effects start to grow a little old
after you have seen the same thing over and
over...it’s like a magician doing a great trick and
then just keeps repeating the trick. It’s got all the
right ingredients, it's just been cooked a little bit
too long.
I have to admit there are very few
sequels that I have enjoyed more than the original.
Case in point, the mostly ridiculous and embarrassing
sequels for The Sting, Meatballs, Rambo, The
Godfather after 1 and 2, Dumb and Dumber, Blues
Brothers, Caddy Shack, Grease, and the list goes on
and on. Eclipse, however, the third in the series of
these Twilight movies is the best so far. Not that I
have been overly impressed by any of them...at least
each film has been better than the last!
This time around we find a new
breed of blood sucking killer vampires that are
wreaking havoc on the good people of Seattle while
preparing to wage war on Edward, his family, and
Bella. Bella, played by Kristen Stewart, also gets
torn between her love for Edward (Robert Pattinson)
and what appears to be a more than growing fondness
for the always bare-chested Jacob (Taylor Lautner.)
This girl sure knows how to pick ‘em...vampire or
werewolf...she should have stuck with that geeky group
she’s always shown eating lunch with at her high
school.
Owed to the success of the first
two movies, they sunk a few more bucks into the
special effects this time around and that works for
me. Some pretty cool fight scenes, I’m sure, used up
most of that budget. Visually, my only complaint would
be that every time they show Bella and Edward together
it's a close up shot...and I mean close up...we can
literally count the pores on their faces. Some
of those shots are held for what feels like an
eternity...a few more creative angles during those
scenes would have been welcomed. Although I am
sure I am not the target audience for this teen love
story...I liked it for having just enough of "this and
that" to keep even an old dog...or should I say
wolf... like me sticking around until the final
credits started rolling.
If you like
movies that include non stop fart jokes, scantily clad
young women, adults acting like morons and lots of
sophomoric pranks...then don’t stop to have anyone
pull your finger...just get to the theater and see
Grown Ups...because this goof-fest was made for you!!!
Now it’s not that I don’t care for any of the items
listed above...I just think that they should be
sprinkled in...not just dumped on us for 2 hours
straight.
Long story short...and the shorter
the better for this review...a group of kids who were
on a winning basketball team reunite years later when
their team coach dies. They all meet up for his
funeral and along with their dysfunctional families
spend a weekend together on the lake. Think "The
Big Chill" meets "Meatballs"...and you’re almost
there. I like all the comics featured including
Adam Sandler, Kevin James, David Spade, Rob Schneider
and Chris Rock....just not in this film. There’s
not much chemistry to speak of between themselves or
their family members. If I didn’t know
better...and I usually don’t...it’s almost as if these
five guys had a break in their schedules and said "Hey
Adam, get some of your camera crew together and lets
ad lib a movie this weekend....it’ll make millions!"
(and it did, over $40 million opening weekend).
Grown Ups, like its main
characters, is a little sloppy and overweight.
There’s lots of fat that could have been trimmed from
this porker.
Wow what a busy summer so far...just got back from our
annual trip to Birch Lane Resort in Pine River,
Minnesota. Went golfing at Breezy Point and caught
some monster fish on Horseshoe Lake. But, now on to
more important things....
I know that a lot of you have never
been able to get over the infamous Tom Cruise meltdown
on Oprah a few years back or the fact that he dumped
Nicole Kidman for no apparent reason. But I think you
will agree, after watching his latest movie Knight and
Day, the guy still has "the stuff" when it comes to
being a great action movie hero.
The storyline revolves around a
young scientist played by Paul Dano, who develops a
battery that will never wear out. It goes without
saying, this is a game changer that our government
wants to make sure doesn't get into the wrong hands.
Tom Cruise is the covert agent assigned to protecting
the young scientist and his battery from the bad
guys. The roller coaster ride takes off right from
the beginning of the movie as we find Cruise being
chased down by his own agency, who thinks he has gone
rogue and is trying to sell the battery secrets to the
bad guys. Cameron Diaz is the "up for anything" type
of
woman who accidentally gets drawn into all the
intrigue.
The movie delivers exactly what it
has promoted through all of its marketing. It’s fast
paced and has some great action scenes sprinkled with
those incredible special effects we have all come to
expect and take for granted in this type of movie.
Cruise and Diaz work well together and deliver the
cleverly written comedic dialogue flawlessly. For two
actors who have been around for such a long time, they
both have also been keeping themselves in tip top
shape. There is eye candy for the guys and the
girls...Cruise is often filmed showing off his six
pack and Diaz still looks pretty darn good in a
bikini.
Academy award bound...it’s
not...but it doesn’t try to be! It is what it is...a
good summer action/comedy flick that provides us with
good laughs and some well crafted thrills and chills
along the way...and who doesn’t like that once in
awhile?
Lately there just hasn’t been
much out there that’s caught my eye to review. I did
go to one movie and it was so bad I just didn’t want
to write a review on it because I would've had nothing
good to say....and nobody needs that! Also had to
help my daughter move to Alaska...she was lucky enough
to get a job working for a tourism company and will be
there for the whole summer. My son just graduated
from Blaine High School and we just finished up with
the big "Open House" celebration. Blah, blah,
blah...long story short...been neglecting my
professional duties lately!
However, the
other night I saw the movie "High Fidelity" on
TV. Now mind you, I am normally your typical guy who
switches back and forth to a million different
programs and would never dream of keeping the same
channel on for the entire show...especially one I have
already seen before. I remembered the first time I
saw this movie I liked it a lot...and now that I have
seen it a second time...I know it’s worthy of a review
to hopefully get all of you, who have not seen it, up
off your kiesters to go rent it or have your TIVO
record it next time it's on TV.
The movie came
out in March of 2000 and came in a dismal 5th
place while bringing in only $6 million during its
opening weekend. With numbers like that, it didn’t
last too long in the theaters and a lot of you may
have missed it. It’s not a big budget blockbuster
layered with special effects or incredible action
scenes...it’s just a wonderful, fun little movie that
deserves a viewing, maybe even two or three.
As far as I am
concerned, this is as near perfect a dramedy (part
drama/part comedy) as you will ever find. John Cusack
plays Rob, the owner of a shop that’s right out of the
early 70's that sells hard to find record albums
(remember those big round flat black plastic things
that you would put a needle on to hear music?) His
quirky hired help includes Jack Black as Barry, who,
in one of his first roles in a movie, shows us all why
he went on to become known for his irrepressible
comedic energy. His coworker sidekick named Dick,
played by Todd Louiso, is a total opposite and
together they play the perfect ying and yang. A big
part of the fun in the movie comes from the shameless
arrogance these three have as a result of their
undeniable knowledge of all music past and present.
The banter between themselves and their record buying
customers is sharp witted and funny for all the right
reasons.
Fairly early on in the movie we discover that Rob’s
live in girlfriend Laura, played by Iben Hijejle, is
leaving Rob because she just doesn’t think he is
willing to make the sacrifices that it takes for a
long lasting relationship...and she’s right! I should
add that Iben Hijejle is an incredible actress in this
movie...she is charming and sexy, in a Princess Diana
sort of way, and when you hear her sultry voice I
guarantee your pulse rate will go from 0-1000 in just
seconds! After she leaves Rob, a well deserved
portion of the movie is dedicated to Rob’s "Top 5
worst breakups of all time". He tracks down, in
hilarious fashion, his past girlfriends to find out
why they dumped him. Three of his top 5 include
actresses Catherine Zeta-Jones, Lili Taylor, and
Joelle Carter who all turn in great performances. A
pleasant little detour includes a short term romance
Rob has with singer Marie DeSalle (Lisa Bonet) and
another that Laura has with Ian, the upstairs neighbor
(Timothy Robbins). It’s the perfect cast for this
perfect little movie! If you like music, witty
dialogue, fascinating characters, and romance... and a
happy ending to boot....this movie is for
you...guaranteed!!!
Tom's Featured Movie Review: Avatar
- Directed by James
Cameron
Guest Critic: Tom Horita Tom is a resident of
Coon Rapids. He is an avid golfer and enjoys
attending ball games at the new Twins' Target Field.
He and his girlfriend, Laura, also foster dogs who are
in need of a new home. Doug's Note:
Since I am not able to review every movie that comes
out...on occasion I will draw from the many emails I
receive...and will post your comments for the review.
Well, it’s funny, about
a year ago or so, Laura and I were at the movie theater
and saw the trailer for Avatar. I hadn’t heard anything
about it up until then. Laura and I both said, “That’s
gonna be a bomb”. I guess we were a little wrong in that
prediction. Having said that, we watched it on Blu-Ray a
couple days ago and I thought it was awesome! Granted,
the storyline wasn’t the greatest (basically identical
to Dances with Wolves, The Last Samurai, and probably
dozens of other movies), but for sheer entertainment, I
loved it. Obviously, most of that had to do with the
incredible special effects (by far the best I have ever
seen). I thought it was well casted, particularly the
hard-ass military guy. I am glad they went with no
names for most of the characters. And, I am actually
glad they stayed with a simple, predictable storyline,
because then I could just sit back and enjoy the movie
for what it was and not worry about thinking too much.
Plus, the alien women were HOT!!!
Let
me tell you right from the get go...if you are
expecting the old version of Robin Hood where he robs
from the rich and gives to the poor...don’t hold your
breath. This film, directed by Ridley Scott,
chronicles the folk hero prior to his "merry band of
thieves" days.
We first encounter Robin Hood
(Russell Crowe) as a soldier fighting in the 10 year
crusade of King Richard, The Lionhearted (Danny
Huston). After Richard is killed in the war, Robin
sets off on his own and through a totally unlikely set
of circumstances ends up leading the entire English
army against an invasion by the French....who woulda
thunk? Throw into this epic wannabe, a little
onscreen romance between Robin and Maid Marian (Cate
Blanchett), and I mean little. Apparently trying
to be true to the times, the flirtations are guarded
and the courting seems hardly worth all the work.
The action scenes in the movie are
well done and reminded me of the movie Braveheart, but
they don’t quite make up for all the down time in
between. The acting, the directing, and the
cinematography are all superior, but everything moves
along sooooooooooo slow! Aside from the pace of the
show, I think the only other thing that upsets me was
the bait-and-switch they used to get me into the
seat. Just from the name of the movie itself and the
promo trailers viewed, I thought I was paying for the
old Robin Hood and the escapades that we would be
treated to while he robs from the rich and gives to
the poor. This movie could have been called anything
other than Robin Hood, but they knew that name, all by
itself would put thousands of unsuspecting people like
me right where they wanted them...paying to watch the
movie! Doesn’t seem quite fair....but what does???
I’m not saying the movie was bad...I’m just saying I
thought I was ordering a cheeseburger but they served
me a club sandwich. (Why do I always make my analogies
about food...no wonder I am 20 pounds overweight!)
Iron Man 2 was
as much fun as you could possibly want from an action
packed sequel! So much talent...Robert Downey
Jr. is once again incredible as Tony Stark/Iron Man.
This time around he is enjoying the life of a super
hero who is keeping the world safe, adored by millions
of fans. The only problem is he starts to
believe his own press clippings and becomes his
biggest fan....and we all know that can’t be a good
thing! Stark is called before a Senate hearing
because they think he has too much power and that they
should be the ones running the show. Soon Stark is
having major problems with both the government and of
course his major villain this time around, Ivan Vanko
a.k.a. Whiplash, played wonderfully by Mickey Rourke.
Vanko wreaks terror on Stark and anyone who gets in
his way and if you’ve seen any of the movie trailers
you’ll know why they call him Whiplash! He
carries around a couple of whips that have enough
voltage in them to power the city of Minneapolis.
Gwyneth Paltrow returns as Tony’s assistant Pepper
Potts. She is smart, sexy, and once again, we
can feel the heat between these two every time they
are on the screen together. However, Tony has promoted
her to be his new CEO and the office romance gets even
more complicated. I don’t know why Scarlett
Johansson was thrown into the mix, when you’ve already
got Gwyneth Paltrow, but who’s complaining? Her
character Natalie Rushman, a.k.a. Black Widow, is
hired by Tony as his new assistant after Pepper is
promoted to run the company. She is basically on
the screen serving as eye candy and is certainly up to
the task. She also just happens to be a secret agent
for an international espionage organization. For
this role she is required to wear an incredibly tight
leather outfit and has one big special effects fight
scene that rivals anything you may have seen in the
Matrix.
Sam Rockwell is a scene stealer and is exceptional as
Justin Hammer. Hammer is a seedy arms dealer to
the United States government, trying to come up with
something better than Iron Man has to offer. He
teams up with Whiplash and not since Freddy teamed up
with Michael in the movie Halloween 20....or was that
21.....has there been a more evil duo!
Don Cheadle is Lt. Col. James "Rhodey" Rhodes and
plays a top ranking soldier who is buddies with Stark
and tries to help him out with the problems he’s
having with the government. What movie
would be complete unless Samuel L. Jackson was in
it? Yes, the guy has been in every movie ever
made...well almost! Jackson plays Nick Fury, the
leader of a mysterious crime fighting organization who
lends a much needed hand to help out Tony Stark.
And finally hats off to Director Jon Favreau for
knowing how to use a mega budget to make a movie
that’s worth every penny. This blockbuster is
just one more reason why I love going to the movies!!!
My 18 year old son convinced me to
go review Kick Ass directed by Mathew Vaughn. From
the previews I thought I was in for a harmless,
innocent, sophomoric romp...in the same genre of Fast
Times at Ridgemont High or more recently Superbad.
Boy was I wrong! I find out after the fact that the
movie was adapted from Mark Millar’s incredibly
violent comic book by the same name. The movie starts
out sweet enough by following around our lead
character, a somewhat nerdy New York high school kid
named Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) who is also a
super hero comic book geek. Dave decides he wants to
be a crime fighter and orders up a super hero costume
(actually a wet suit) off the internet. Without any
special powers, or for that matter any crime fighting
skills whatsoever, Dave dons the suit and starts to
kick ass as best he can. It’s here that our movie
takes an unexpected twist as the fight scenes become
more than just a couple bloody noses and a needed band
aid or two. Without giving away too much of the
movie...just be prepared for slicing and dicing that
will make everyone, but macho guys like me, wince.
A bystander catches Dave on video
during one of his fights and puts it up on Youtube,
making him an instant cult hero. It also attracts
other wannabe superhero types including a
father-daughter wrecking crew called Big Daddy
(Nicolas Cage) and Hit-Girl (Chloe Moretz.) Remember
the graphic fight scenes in "Kill Bill"? Now multiply
that times a million for these two. I should note that
Hit-Girl (Chloe Moretz) steals the show. She is
incredible and worth the price of admission. The only
one I can compare her to is the first time I saw
Natalie Portman in "The Professional"...she was just a
little kid but you knew she would be a movie star
someday!
The plot revolves around the
wannabe superheroes trying to take down a mob family
played by your stereotypical gangsters. The mob
boss’s son, Chris (Christopher Mintz-Plasse, the nerd
from Superbad) puts on his own pair of tights to
become Red Mist and tricks our hero into thinking he
is another crime fighter just out to help the cause.
Little does Kick Ass know that Red Mist is not on the
right side of the law and is out to stab him in the
back...literally! If you like over the top violence,
mixed in with a lot of slow motion and cool shoot ’em
up effects or if you want to see a big star in the
making (Chloe Moretz) -- go buy a ticket or just walk
in backwards when the earlier showing lets out.
I must admit, although I don’t
watch much 30 Rock or The Office on TV, I am still a
pretty big fan of Tina Fey and Steve Carell. So when
I heard awhile back they were starring in a movie
together, I was on-board to go see it the first chance
I could. I brought my wife because she is a big Tina
Fey fan and was, as far as I know, the very first
person in the world who thought Tina Fey would be the
perfect person to spoof on Sarah Palin. Since it was
date night for us anyway, the movie "Date Night"
seemed like the perfect choice...dah!
The movie is directed by Shawn
Levy...he’s the guy that did those Night at the Museum
movies with Ben Stiller. This story revolves around
Claire (Fey) and Phil (Carell) who are a married
middle class couple living in New York who, like many
of us, have jobs and kids that make their daily
schedules quite hectic. The only time they have for
any sort of social life together is their own date
night once a week that is pretty much relegated to the
same restaurant, with the same waiter playing the same
game of "what do you think the person at the other
table does for a living." Sounds like a winner date
to me, but what do I know? On our last date night I
took my wife to the car show at the convention
center...I had fun! Anyway, Claire and Phil decide to
spice things up a bit and drive to Manhattan to an A
list restaurant they don’t even have reservations
for. Upon arrival they quickly realize they probably
should have made reservations, but even if they had,
they would not have gotten in for over a month. They
go sit in the bar to drink away their sorrows when
they hear a reservation being called out for the Tripplehorns. With no one responding, they decide to
act like they’re the Tripplehorns and take the
reservation. Innocent enough you would think. Before
they even have a chance to finish their meal, a couple
of thugs (Common and Jimmi Simpson) who believe Claire
and Phil are the Tripplehorns, escort them from the
restaurant and into a back alley. This is where the
movie starts to kick in to high gear! The thugs are
bad cops who are trying to get a flash drive back from
the real Tripplehorns who are trying to blackmail a
mob boss played by Ray Liotta.
What ensues is one of the most
hilarious car chases you will ever see and other sight
gags that pretty much deliver what you are looking for
in an action packed comedy. I would definitely go see
Fey and Carell together in any other movies they
decide to combo up in. Being a TV star doesn’t always
guarantee you will make it on the big screen, but
thankfully that doesn’t hold true for these two.
Although the script is a little weak, these two play
off of each other with the same great comedic timing
you saw in other movies with people like Steve Martin
and John Candy (Planes, Trains, and Automobiles) or
Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan (When Harry Met Sally).
Well, maybe Martin and Candy is pushing it, but the
other two for sure! Overall I give it a thumbs
up...can I do that, or is that copyrighted? If it is,
I would just say go see it and you will be pleasantly
pleased!
My daughter was home from college
for her Easter weekend with the parents, so we decided
to go to a movie together. The pickings were pretty
slim, so we settled on "Clash of the Titans" and
figured the special effects would be enough to roller
coaster us through the 2 hour ride.
For those of you
who have not seen the original that starred Harry
Hamlin (remember him from L.A. Law?) or for those of
you not familiar with the story line, let me lay it
out for you. It’s man (or should I say almost-man)
against the gods and these gods aren’t necessarily the
nicest guys in town. Our hero is Perseus (Sam
Worthington from Avatar fame,) the son of Zeus, king
of the gods. His mother was not a god and this causes
some of the friction that we see throughout the movie.
For some reason Perseus thinks he should keep his god
powers in check and fight evil with only his mortal
skills...yeah, I know, it doesn’t make much sense to
me either, especially when you have to fight creatures
that are like a billion times bigger than you are.
Hades (Ralph Fiennes) is the evil god of the
underworld who is trying to take over the business
from his brother Zeus...which would also mean the
demise of Perseus and his family. Perseus volunteers
to lead a group of warriors in an effort to defeat
Hades before it’s too late! From this point on comes
the special effects I was waiting for in the first
place.
The movie
doesn’t fail in delivering some real eye popping movie
mayhem that Perseus has to deal with...starting with
Acrisius (Jason Flemyng) a former king who is now a
vengeful beast who wants Zeus out of power in the
worst way. Understandable, because it was his wife
that Zeus impregnated to produce Perseus. Next up,
some really big...for lack of a better
word....lobsters. Yeah, that’s right, they look just
like lobsters except they’re the size of buildings,
but still pretty cool to look at. Medusa, the overly
large head with a snakes body, delivers as the evil
creature that will turn you to stone if your eyes meet
her eyes. The biggest effect is saved for the Kraken,
bigger than the IDS, it’s hard to imagine how Perseus
can stop this big guy!
If you accept the movie for what it is meant to be...a
couple hours of special effect entertainment...you
will probably have a good time. If you're looking for
some incredible acting and some sort of cathartic
moment or two...try another movie. Sam Worthington
looks the part but his acting skills are like watching paint
dry, not much energy brought to the table. I like the
gods...at least their acting capabilities...pretty fun
to watch...but Fiennes and Neeson usually deliver.
Clash of the Titans will keep you in your seats while
you’re there, but as soon as it’s over you will
probably just start thinking about where to go for
dinner.
Capitalizing on the success of last
years raunchy comedy buddy flick "The Hangover," now
comes "Hot Tub Time Machine," directed by Steve Pink.
The buddies this time around include a similar group
of 3 needy middle age guys and one pubescent twenty
something... all experiencing some sort of major life
crisis at the same time. Adam, played by John Cusack,
has just found out his girlfriend left him. Nick,
played by Craig Robinson, has a cheating wife and a
dead end job. Lou, played by Rob Corddry, is a
habitual party animal who is way past his prime, and
Jacob, played by Clark Duke, is the much younger nerdy
computer geek who seems quite content to stay in his
basement playing video games for the rest of his life.
The 3 take a road trip, along with
a reluctant Jacob, as they try to recapture the great
times they had at a ski resort they partied at in the
80's. As the name of the movie implies, upon
arriving at the resort they jump into a hot tub that
transports them back to that storied weekend they had
in the 80's. Here they have the opportunity to
confront the mistakes they made in the past in an
effort to make for a better future. Get ready for just
about every sophomoric prank and bit you could ask
for! Most of them are pretty hilarious, although I
could do without the inevitable puke and poop gags.
Chevy Chase plays a cameo role as the keeper of the
hot tub and Crispin Glover plays a one armed bell boy.
I particularly like Rob Corddry, as he easily provided
the movie with a believable energy that kept the movie
from slowing down and losing the audience. All in all,
I would recommend it if you are looking for few good
belly laughs and a happy ending!
Saturday
nights have for some time now been called "Date Night"
for my wife and me. It's my responsibility to
come up with something fun to do. Last Saturday
we started the night out at a wonderful restaurant
called Stella’s Seafood Café in Minneapolis. I
could write my whole review on how incredible the food
was, especially their Oysters Rockefeller, but instead
I will focus on the play we saw at the Guthrie.
It was called
Brief Encounter written by Noel Coward, adapted
and directed for the stage by Emma Rice, and it was a
real treat! Before the show even opens, a quirky
looking bunch of characters strolls up and down the
aisles dressed in old time railroad garb singing
Coward written songs that put a satisfying smile on
all those seated.
Ah....but this
was just the appetizer! The main course started
off with two of the actors seated in the audience, as
if watching a movie on the stage. They are our
two star-crossed lovers, Laura (Naomi Frederick) and
Alec (Tristan Sturrock.) She gets up to leave
because she is married to another and does not feel
right being at the movie with Alec. She jumps up
on the stage that now has a train pulling up on the
big screen. She walks through the screen as if
getting on the train and suddenly appears in the film
looking out of the train window waving goodbye to
Alec. This mix of film, music, singing, and live
acting on stage was intermixed and balanced perfectly
throughout the evening and made for an incredible
feast for the eyes and ears. Add a sprinkling of
multi-role talented character actors and your play is
almost complete. However, to finish off the
palate, dessert was literally offered by the actors
themselves as they stood outside the theater doors!
They offered us fresh made cookies while playing
Coward songs on a make shift stage in the lobby.
Mmmmm Mmmmm Good!
I could hardly wait to get to the movie theater on Friday.
It had been a long week and I was ready for a good
laugh. Unfortunately I chose the wrong movie and went
to see The Bounty Hunter starring Jennifer Aniston and
Gerard Butler. Dog The Bounty Hunter, on TV, would
have been a better choice and probably more chuckles.
A weak script with some really bad dialogue set this one up for
failure from the get-go. Milo Boyd, played by
Gerard Butler, is a former cop and is now a
down-and-out bounty hunter with a gambling problem.
Nicole, played by Jennifer Aniston, is an
investigative newspaper reporter hot on the trail of a
suicide that she thinks could have been a murder. And,
oh yeah....did I forget to tell you that they used to
be married to each other? Believe it or not, we are
supposed to believe that Milo just happens to get a
job to go after a bail bond jumper who just happens to
be....you guessed it....Nicole! It’s another weak
story line that I won't even bother to go into.
With
absolutely no on-screen chemistry whatsoever, the two
are paired up for most of the movie as they play cat
and mouse, while at the same time trying to solve the
suicide/murder case together. Why is it
everything I see Jennifer Aniston in, aside from
reruns of Friends, is usually just one big mess?
She should fire her agent for even showing her the
script. Director Andy Tennant was at the
steering wheel of this car wreck. The few good
laughs that I was able to pull out of this gobbledy-goop
of a movie came from the supporting actors played by
Christine Baranski and Siobhan Fallon. All and all
the movie had some great talent, but just too little
story…
Green
Zone director Paul Greengrass takes us to the front
lines at the very beginning of the Iraq War,
and the search for the "Weapons of Mass
Destruction". Adapted from Rajiv Chandrasekarant's novel
of the same name, the movie Green Zone, lays out
a very believable scenario that questions whether
certain people working with our government, knew way
before our troops ever landed, that there were no
such weapons. Matt Damon stars as
Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller, who has been sent
into Baghdad to find those so-called "Weapons of
Mass Destruction."
The only problem is,
Chief Miller and his team keep coming up empty
handed. Chief Miller knows something doesn't smell
right and tries raising some questions early
on....but he is quickly silenced by his own
superiors.
A slimy government liaison and C.I.A.
agent, played to perfection by Greg Kinnear, is
behind the conspiracy and doesn't make life any
easier for Miller as he tries to figure out just
what the hell is going on. Throw in an
investigating female Wall Street Journal reporter
and another senior C.I.A. agent who really wants to
help Miller get to the truth, and you've got a
fairly decent suspenseful action packed movie!
Don't arrive late or you will find yourself out of
the loop!