Clash of the Titans by Louis Leterrier (2010)
August 29th, 2010
A darker high budget effects remake of the classic 1981 film that does not live up to it’s promise. The effects are good, but the story isn’t nearly as accurate to greek mythology here, more like they are just making it up. It has so much promise, but really it kind of falls flat. I mean why does everyone have long hair in the film, but Sam Worthington has a modern buzz cut? And it really is sad to see Ralph Fiennes and Liam Neeson so wasted. And many characters that are introduced, but have almost no parts, which makes the film seem badly edited. The one saving grace is the effects are fun to watch, especially the digital cities, but overall I was pretty letdown and very glad that I waited until I could Netlfix the blu-ray. I think my favorite moments was the cameo of the mechanical owl from the original film.
THe film starts with a voice over explaining how the three gods Zeus, (Liam Neeson), Poseidon (Danny Huston) and Hades (Ralph Fiennes) conspired to take Olympus, with the use of a creature created by Hades, the Kraken, but Zeus betrayed his brother, and when he took over Olympus he had Hades banished to hell forever. Zeus and the other Olympians lived off the love and prayers of the humans who worshipped them, but over the millennia, that worship has waned, and the Gods no longer have the power they once had. A fisherman named Spyros (Pete Psotlethwaite) sees a coffin come from the deep, and in it is a dead woman and her baby son. The fisherman adopts the boy and he grows to be a man, Perseus (Sam Worthington). The fishing is bad, and the are trying new places, and near Argos they see soldiers having declared war on gods knock down the giant statue of Zeus. Hades in response sends his harpies, which kill most of the soldiers, and also hit Spyros boat, killing him, his wife and daughter, sparing only Perseus. Perseus is found by the troops and taken back to Argos and meets King Kepheus (Vincent Regan), queen Cassiopeia (Polly Walker) and their daughter Aphrodite (Agyness Deyn). Queen Cassopeia describes her daughter as being more beautiful than any goddess. Hades meanwhile has convinces Zeus that they must scare the people back into prayer, and set the Kraken against Argos. Hades appears and kills the soldiers and kills Cassopeia. He recognizes that in fact Perseus is a demi-god and a son of Zeus, and threatens Argos to either sacrifice Aphrodite or the Kraken will take the city. Persues is imprisoned by Kepheus. Io (Gemma Arterton from Prince of Persia) a woman cursed by the gods to never age for not falling for the seduction of the God Ares comes and tells Persues who he really is. Zeus, in order to punish the king Acriscus (Jason Flemyng) changed into his form and impregnated his wife Danaë (Tine Stapelfeldt). Arriscus had his wife and her son locked in a coffin and cast into the sea, where the wife died. Acriscus was struck by Zeus and left as a monster. When Persues learns that killing the Kraken will allow him to have his revenge on Hades he agrees to destroy the Kraken and is released.
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…
Repo Men by Miguel Sapochnik (2010)
August 25th, 2010
I was looking forward to this film as the idea of people repossessing organs is a great idea (and I didn’t want to see the previous musical which had the same premise), but boy do I wish we had stayed away. This movie is all around completely awful. It is shot well, but that is all it has. The premise is good, but the pacing is awful and the story is not good either, and every character is so unlikeable that you never care for anyone. And the twist at the end is laughable, because it doesn’t add anything and you just don’t care any which way. This must have been a good script to get this cast, but it sure was a waste with this director because this is such an awful film it should never have been released. It is utter crap.
In the near future a corporation called The Union has created artificial organs, but they do not make money by selling them, instead they make more money by selling them at exorbitant interest rates, and when they people go 90 days past due they “reposes” the organs, killing the patient and getting their property back. Remy (Jude Law) is a class 5 repressor, the best of the best, matched only by his best friend and former partner Jake (Forest Whitaker). They work for the slimy Frank (Liev Schreiber) and do their job very well. Remy’s wife Carol (Carice van Houten) wants Remy to move to sales, because she hates his job, and threatens to leave him, though their son does still love Remy. Jake isn’t happy about Remy wanting to leave, as they have been friends since they were kids, and were in a tank in war together. Carol says Remy must quit, but he and Jake find a tanker ship filled with people with past due organs and they go in and take many people including some who had jammers which made them seem normal, though they killed them anyway and took their hidden organs. Remy wants to quit anyway, but takes one last big job taking the heart of a record producer, but his defibrillator malfunctions and he wakes up the hospital after a heart transplant, which he doesn’t want, but he cannot kill anyone anymore, as he thinks of his own heart.
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…
The Expendables by Sylvester Stallone (2010)
August 15th, 2010
It is really too bad, because I was so looking forward to this film, but really it is such a let down. It is awesome to have all these action stars together, but the story is mediocre at best, and even the action is not that impressive, with not much gore (and with most of it being digital). Honestly this needed a decent script as well. I mean they go in at the end without a plan and the building they are in blows up, but does not blow them up? WHAT?!?!??!?! And while it is great to see Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger on screen together, but the scene is really a throw away and didn’t need to be here (though it does have some funny lines it). Overall this film is really a let down, and not worth all the hype.
The Expendables are a group of Mercenaries who fight for the highest bidder. They are Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) and his best friend Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Yin Yang (Jet Li), Toll Road (Randy Couture), Hale Ceasar (Terry Crews) and Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren) They start by attacking some Somalian pirates and saving the hostages, but the junkie Gunnar goes too far trying to hang the pirates, so they kick him out. When they return Barney Ross goes to see his old friend Tool (Mickey Rourke) to see about work, and learns of a new job. Christmas goes to see his girlfriend, and finds her with another guy.
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World by Edgar Wright (2010)
August 14th, 2010
I am a huge fan of Edgar Wright, but was a little worried to not have Simon Pegg or Nick Frost in it, and honestly I have gotten sick of Michael Cera, but I have to say my worries were unfounded because this is a great film. Fun witty, enjoyable and just plain bad ass all the way around. This film gets the look and feel of video games and really comes down to a sweet little love story. This is a must see film, and it is too bad it isn’t doing too well in the theaters because this is destined to be a cult classic.
Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) is a down on his luck bass player in the band Sex Bob-Omb who seems to be irresistible to women, but his heart was badly broken a year ago, so now he is dating a a high schooler named Knives Chau (Ellen Wong) who he has barely held hands with. Scott lives in a one room apartment with his gay best friend Wallace Wells (Kieran Culkin) right across the street from where he grew up. Scott sees and falls for a mysterious girl named Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), who he wants to be with At the bands show in a concert to win a record label, Scott is attacked by Matthew Patel (Satya Bhabha) who turns out to be the first of Ramona’s 7 evil exes who he must defeat to be able to date her!
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…
Mother (마더) by Bong Joon-ho (봉준호) 2009
August 13th, 2010
I had been hearing about this for a while, and wanted to see it, especially since Bong Joon Ho has shown some serious talent. This is of course a much more introspective film than the Host, but is in fact better made and all around an intense and good thriller. Well made and well done, I expect to see this film being picked up for a US remake before long, but see the original, it is well worth seeing. A really enjoyable and good film. A must see.
A older widow (Kim Hye-ja) lives in a small town working selling herbs and doing unlicensed acupuncture for her clients. She has a son named Do-joon (Won Bin) who has mental problems, and she does everything to take care of him and keep him out of trouble, but is not easy. A rich man in his car hits Do-Joon an takes off, so his only friend Jin-tae (Jin-goo) grabs him and they chase after it to get revenge. Jin-tae smashes the window off the car and steals the man’s gold clubs, but since Yoon Do-joon can’t remember what happened, he gets blamed and his mother is forced to pay off the man for the damage. When a local school girl is murdered, and some golf balls that Do-joon has written his name on are found there, Do-joon is quickly blamed. When they take him into the station he signs the confession, though he doesn’t think he did it, and the case seems locked and shut, but his mother sets out to prove her sons innocence.
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…
Meat Loaf’s Hang Cool Tour at the Gibson Amphitheatre
August 12th, 2010
I have been a fan of Meat Loaf since I was a little kid, and have always wanted to see him in concert, though of late once I had the money the tickets seemed absorbently priced, but when we saw them for $10 on Goldstar we jumped on them even though Kelly was sick. And I sure hope they made back their money and made some money because this was an incredible show. Not only was Meat Loaf amazing (if his voice is this good at 62, how would have sounded in his 20′s), but his stage show was spectacular, I mean 2 huge balloon figures, fireworks, flames! This is an amazing show, and would have been easy worth $50 a ticket! I want to see him next time around too!
The started by stalking the stage with a pink guitar with a cancer awareness badge on it, and a tiny little amp that when it played it exploded into fireworks! Oh yea!
Legendary Assassin 狼牙 directed by Wu Jing and Li Chung Chi (2008)
August 2nd, 2010
I was hoping for a lot more from Wu Jing’s directorial debut. I love that he is trying his hand, but this story is uninspired, and the score awful, and while the action is decent, their is not really enough to carry the film. And the realistic feel is hampered by a bit too much bad wirefu which hurts the film overall. Wu Jing is decent enough here, and the Eurasian Celina Jade is cute, but that isn’t enough for this film to be anything but forgettable. And this is another film that really suffers from the post handover film restrictions as you know what will happen to the “bad guys” no matter what. Wu Jing is certainly someone to be watched, as he is a possible Jet Li successor having gone through the same Wushu training and won the same national tournaments, but hopefully he can be in some better films soon.
Bo (Wu Jing) visits a restaurant and then heads to a rural island off of Hong Kong, where he goes and kills crime boss Chairman Ma (Kou Zhan-Wen) having first knocked out his men, who only saw that he was carrying a brown bag (which is actually a bowling bag). Bo heads back to the ferry, but it is stopped because of a typhoon warning, so he is stuck in the island. As Bo wanders around, he saves a woman named Hiu Wor (Celina Jade) when she falls out of a tree trying to retrieve her cat. The go back to her place, where he realizes she is a police office, and then head out to the one open restaurant to get some food. On the radio is a broadcast about 3 theives who are also eating dinner there. Hiu Wor confronts the men (led by Jackie Chan’s ex body guard Ken Lo), but gets attacked, so Bo must save her, and they head back to the police station.
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…
Skins Series 3 and 4 Created by Jamie Brittain and Brayn Elsley (2008-2009)
August 2nd, 2010
Skins was a show that my wife and I started watching streaming off Netlfix (the much inferior US release which had the music changed) and really got into the show, even if it is a much more intense version of a teenage soap opera. It was with trepidation that I learned that the 3rd series would feature a new cast going to take their A levels before going on to college. Quickly I found the characters were interesting enough to keep going with. We already knew Effy Stonem (Kaya Scodelario) and her best friend Pandora Moon (Lisa Backwell) and the rest of the cast made for an interesting show. I especially like the sweet Emily Fitch (Kathryn Prescott) and the troubled but sweet JJ Jones (Ollie Barbieri), but it soon became obvious instead of being about relationships this show was more about ruining relationships, with everyone seemingly doing everything to destroy their relationships, and that was when this was good. The Second series completely jumps the shark, adding in a serial killer, and a bunch of other nonsense that was badly written and unnecessary. When the final episode of Series 4 ended, both my wife and I were in shock that they could have so completely destroyed the show! I mean seeing James Cook doing synchronized dancing and having a major killer randomly killed by a serial killer! WTF!!!! And they weren’t even close to bringing many of the story threads to a close. It was like the show runner had a stroke and thought he still should have total control yet his brain wasn’t working correctly. That is how much of an incredible mess the 4th series of this show was.
The show starts with 3 best friends on their way to school for the first day, this is the unruly and womanizing James Cook (Jack O’Connel) the skateboarder Freddie Mclair (Luke Pasqualino) and JJ Jones (Ollie Barbieri) who has some mental problems, but is as sweet as could be. On their way to school they Elizabth “Effy” Stonem (Kaya Scodelario) on her way to school and all three fall in love with her. Effy’s best friend finds that she can’t handle just taking beauty classes, so she joins her friend Effie. Other students are the twins Katie (Megan Prescott) and Emily Fitch (Kathryn Prescott) who could not be more different. Katie always has a man and is very outgoing, while Emily is quite and is fact gay and is love with another student Naomi Campbell (Lily Loveless). Naomi though is straight, and hates that Katie is always giving her shit about trying to seduce her sister, when it fact it was the other way around. On the first day the school lays out new rules, and Effie makes a game of breaking them all basically telling Freddie and Cook that they can have her if they break all the rules. Cook quickly does, and has Effie in the school nurses office, leaving Freddie to pine for the woman he loves (and who Effie actually cares for, but is not willing to ever let her emotions get the best of her). They soon meet Thomas Tomone (Merveille Lukeba) a recent emigrant from the Congo. He is a good kid, and sweet and starts seeing Pandora, but they get in a lot of trouble first, both with a gangster and then with his mom who catches the kids all doing drugs and having sex, and sends Thomas back home for a while.
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…
Little Big Soldier (大兵小將) by Ding Sheng (2010)
July 31st, 2010
It has been a while sing I can honestly say that Jackie Chan has made a good film, but he has done so here, and with a much different role. Sure he does some acrobatics and rock throwing, but no real fights here. And this isn’t a happy film either, but how can a serious take on the warring states period in China be? This film is gorgeously shot, well acted and well done.It actually comes down to being a buddy store, and a story about loyalty. An enjoyable film that is well worth checking out.
This takes place during the Warring States period in Chinese history. The kingdom’s of Wei and Liang have a huge battle with 2000 Liang troops and 1000 Wei troops and wipe each other out. One Liang soldier does survive (Jackie Chan Sing Lung). He survived because he has rigged up a gag in his armor, which pops up an arrow on both sides and makes it look like he has already been shot. He is busy looting and getting a wagon ready when a Liang general turns out to be alive, and ends up fighting a surviving Wei General (Wang Lee Hom). The Wei general survives, but it wounded, much to the soldiers happiness. He uses his own mix of herbs to treat his wounds and ties him up to take him to Liang, as a captured General means enough land to farm on, and exemption from military service. Of course the General is being followed by more Wei who also want him dead, the Prince (Steve Yoo Sung Jun) and his general (Gai Chun Wa who I loved in the Seven Swords soap opera) are hunting him for reasons unknown.
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…
Banlieue 13 – Ultimatum written and produced by Luc Besson, Directed by Patrick Allesandrin (2009)
July 30th, 2010
The sequel to the incredible action film Banlieue 13 starring the parkour master David Belle and the martial artist Cyril Raffaelli. This is a serious action film that looks incredible, and has some of the best action in the world. Raffaelli’s scenes are like serious Jackie Chan fight scenes (no comedy here) and Belle is amazing to watch, he literally is a human spiderman able to leap and jump and run up walls. The ending was a bit of a let down for me, but overall this is an enjoyable sequel, and one of the most impressive action films of the last few years.
The film starts with the ending of the last film, Leito (David Belle) the Banlieue 13 resident who fought back saying goodbye to his friend the cop Damien Tomaso (Cyril Raffaelli) talking about the government doing what it said and breaking down the wall holding in the getting B13, and putting money into education and parks. We cut to 3 years later and nothing has changed. The gangs still rule. And Leito is pissed off, and keeps planting bombs to blow up the wall, which neither the cops or the local gangs like. Damien is meanwhile undercover, breaking a chinese gang that is running drugs that are taken out from the district. He is dressed like a tranny, but manages to capture the Chinese boss, and all the other mob bosses who are there to meet to pick up their drugs. Damien can’t go out the escape tunnel though, as the Van Gogh Painting he has won’t fit, and he has to use it to fight his way out. Damien is a success, and is sent home to rest, but he wakes up to cops from the special edition breaking in and arresting him for drugs that they planted.
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…
Skins Seasons 1 and 2 created by Jamie Brittain and Bryan Elsley (2007-2008)
July 23rd, 2010
I had heard about this show and had been wanting to watch it for some time, and finally ended up watching it on Netflix on Demand, which may have been a mistake. It would seem the US releases have had their music removed and replaced with inferior music, also the stream seems to be the wrong aspect ratio, so this may make the show not as enjoyable to watch as it could be (I wish I had just ordered the PAL dvd’s from England). Still even with all the problems I greatly enjoyed this show and it’s characters, and especially the first season finale. Sure this is a teen drama, but there is so much more here than they would ever allow in the states, I mean nudity, sex, and lots of drug use throughout. And really it all comes down to the characters, and I liked the characters, or at least liked watching them, as you of course do not like them all. The standout is Mike Bailey as Sid Jenkins, whose character really is the heart of the show, but he sure did deserve a less crazy girl! And it interesting that the writing team has an average of 21, because this does seem pretty realistic, if a bit too much for one group (much like Platoon was dramatized as not all of that would have happened to one group of people). I found it quite interesting to see just how different that the British school system is, as we have nothing like these 2 preparatory college years that are the last years of mandatory education. An interesting and enjoyable show, and I look forward to seeing Seasons 3 and 4 with an almost entirely new cast (Effy Stonem played by Kaya Scodelario is the younger sister of one of the main characters of the first 2 seasons and appears multiple times in these seasons before going on to Season 2 and 3). I would say worth checking out, but the music issue does make it not as enjoyable as it would have been, so only if you a fan of British television.
This is the story of a group of friends in college preparatory classes for their last 2 years of mandatory schooling and their good and bad and love and hate, and all the partying in between. We have Tony Stonem (Nicholas Hoult, the boy from About a Boy who has sure sprouted) who is tall and handsome and quite manipulative of all of his friends. His girlfriend is Michelle Richardson (April Pearson) who he calls Nips and always disparages, though she is a sweet girl who loves him. Tony’s best friend is Sid Jenkins (Mike Bailey) who not only is not good in school, but looks down on himself and still a virgin, especially because he is in love with Michelle, and everyone knows it. They try and hook Sid up with the crazy Cassie Ainsworth (Hannie Murray) who is often put away because of an eating disorder. Then we have the party animal Chris Miles (Joe Dempsie) who will take any drug at any time, and is hiding from the death of his brother at a young age. Chris pursues and eventually gets the groups psychology teacher Angie (Siwan Morris). The Muslim of the group is Anwar Kharral (Dev Patel) who follows his religion in some ways, but still does drugs, and is always trying to have sex. His best friend is the openly gay Maxxie Oliver (Mitch Hewer) who wants to not do construction like his dad, and instead wants to be a dancer. Finally we have Jal Fazer (Larissa Wilson) a talented clarinet player whose dad is in music, and whose mother left for reasons unknown.
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…
Inception written and directed by Christopher Nolan (2010)
July 16th, 2010
With Christopher Nolan I either love or hate his films, but this trailer has had me really excited for some time. Still I was a bit wary. I refuse to see Insomnia because I love the original too much, and I absolutely hated the Prestige (I mean the ending was just painfully bad), but Memento, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight were all phenomenal. Anyway, it has been in the 100′s in Los Angeles, so Kelly opted to go to a show in the morning on release day of this to beat the heat, and I have to say this film blew me away, easily the best film so far this year, and some of the best special effects I have ever seen. This movie is phenomenal and a must see, and I would love to see it again right now! The soundtrack by Hans Zimmer is perfect, and DiCaprio is the best I have seen him (he finally seems grown up and after this I would love to see him as the Ridler in the next Batman film! Actually everyone is great here (well Ellen Page is nothing special really, she is cute enough, but doesn’t bring too much depth). This is an awesome look and take on the world of dreams, and is not only a great psychological thriller, but Nolan proves he could easily do an amazing Bond style action film too. And I am really still blown away by the effects, which are absolutely seamless, except when they are not supposed to be. Inception is easily one of the best films of the year, and an absolute must see! See it now, and see it again and again!
A man is found washed up on a beach carrying only a pistol and a small metal top. He is brought to the japanese household here and the old man who is the master (Ken Watanabe). The man’s name is Cobb, and he is there to help the old man Saito remembers something very important to them both.
At an earlier time we see Cobb in along with his team consisting of Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and his architect (who designs the dream worlds they project into) named Nash (Lukas Hass). They are on a train, while jacking into the dream of Japanese the young Japanese industrialist Saito. They are actually in a dream within a dream, which starts to go bad when a woman from Cobb’s past named Mal (Marion Catillard) shows up and starts to work with Saito against the team. The end up in the second dream, but Saito can tell that the details that Nash has created are not correct, so he knows he is still dreaming, and admits that this is in fact an audition for this team. He does not want them to do the normal and steal information from someones dream, but do an inception, which is to plant a dream into someone’s mind so that they think it is their own. Cobb and his team try to run, but they are betrayed by Nash and led to Saito. Saito takes away the traitor and gets Cobb to agree to try to do an inception in exchange for Saito helping Cobb with his legal issues in his home of the united states, where he can no longer return to see his young children. Arthur doesn’t even think an inception can be done, but Cobb says it can, because he has done it before.
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS...
The Invention of Lying by Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson (2009)
July 14th, 2010
I don’t know why I stayed away from this because I love all of Gervais’s British shows and his standup, and this continues along with those, being enjoyable and funny. And I can easily see why this film did not do better, because this country is too religious for such a blatant attack on religion (I mean come on, that there can be no religion without lies! THAT ROCKS!), but for me that made the movie so much funnier and so much more enjoyable! This movie is awesome and hysterical. One of the best comedies I have seen in a long long time. Really a must see. And I love all the cameos, people must have loved the script or love Gervais, because there are a ton of people in this who make the movie even funnier!
Mark Bellison (Ricky Gervais) live in a world where lies have not been invented and in fact everyone must tell the honest truth all the time. Making cruel statements all the time, because it is the truth. Mark works as a writer for films, but in this world the only films feature a man sitting in a chair talking about a period of history, and Mark has the dark ages in the 13th century, which does not make for interesting stories, and he is on the edge of losing his job because of it. He manages to get a blind date with a beautiful and successful woman named Anna McDoogles (a very funny Jennifer Garner, especially when we are introduced to her telling that she was just masturbating and probably will go do it again as she gets ready). Despite herself Anna actually laughs and has an enjoyable time, but it is not to be because Mark is just not genetically matched to her, he is too fat and ugly. Mark arrives at work the next day to find his very unhappy secretary Shelley (Tina Fey) celebrating that he must be fired, as well as his genetically superior nemesis Brad Kessler (Rob Lowe). And finally his both Anthony (Jeffrey Tambor) manages to build up enough courage to fire Mark. Mark returns home and his landlord gives him eviction notice unless he can come up with $800 by the next day, which without a job there is no way her can do. Mark goes to the bank, where he only has $300 dollars, and while waiting to get his money, he tells the worlds first lie, that he has $800 in his account. The computer says differently, but the teller assumes it must be a mistake, and gives Mark the money. Mark’s entire world has just changed!
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…
Despicable Me by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud (2010)
July 4th, 2010
I was really looking forward to this film, as it had good previews and is getting awesome reviews, but have to say it was a total let down. It had potential and good moments, but overall it just fell completely flat. Maybe it would have been better in 3D, but I doubt it, as there were certain scenes that seemed like they were the “3D” scenes, and the rest didn’t matter. To me this film falls to the folly that so many children’s films do, of just targeting children. Sure there were a few older jokes, but mostly this was for little children (and they did enjoy it) and the story nor the characters never really hit it enough to make a film that adults can enjoy. The animation is great, but unlike Pixar they just don’t get how to target a wider audience. Oh well.
The film starts with the original teaser, with a bus of US tourists in Egypt going to see the pyramids, and it turns out one has been stolen and replaced with a blow up version. We then return to america and follow the self proclaimed super-vilain Gru (Steve Carell) who we see making children cry. His assistant Dr. Nefario (Russell Brand) calls to tell Gru of the theft, and that all other villains are now seen as nothing. Gru then plans his biggest heist, to steal the moon, by first stealing a shrinking ray. He heads to the bank of Evil, but is turned down for a loan by Mr. Perkins (Will Arnett) whose son it turns out is Vector (Jason Segal) who stole the pyramid, and who Gru freezes his head, making an enemy. Gru goes and steals the shrink ray anyway, with the help of his little yellow minions, but as they escape it is stolen from them by Vector, and Gru can’t get into Vector’s base. Gru sees three orphan girls Margo Miranda Cosgrove). Edith (Dana Gaier) and Agnes (Elsie Fisher) get in while selling cookies, so he hatches a plan to adopt them to get into Vector’s base.
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS...
Toy Story 3 by Lee Unkrich (2010)
June 19th, 2010
I can honestly say that this is easily one of the best films of the year, easily surpassing the second film in the series, and possibly topping the first. This is a fantastic film and it even made me cry! This was not a movie that I thought would make me cry, but it did, and I am proud to say it. Such a great film with an great story, and amazing cast, and such lovable characters. This film must at least be nominated for best picture. I have nothing bad to say about this film at all. It is a must see. I did not see it in 3D though. UP in 3D did not impress me too much, as it was dimmer and not as sharp, and this is a film that benefits from that sharpness because the 3D looks absolutely amazing! Pixar is the best! I would so love to work there, it sounds like the best company in the world to work for.
Woody (Tom Hanks) and Jessie (Joan Cusack) are in a western scene going after One Eyed Bart and Betty [Mr and Mrs Potato Head (Don rickles and Estelle Harris)] and trying to save a train filled with kids, which is saved by Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen). Then the Evil Dr. Pork Chop [Hamm (Cliff Claven himself, John Ratzenberger)] shows up in a space ship and drops a monkey bomb on them! We find out that this was an imagined adventure that the toys kid Andy (John Morris) had as a kid, but he is now 17 and getting ready to leave for college. Andy plans on taking Woody, and putting the rest of the toys into the attic, but their is a mix up and the rest of the toys end up being put out as trash by his mother. The toys get away from the garbage truck, but they don’t believe Woody, and decide to get into the donation box for Sunnyside daycare, Woody goes along to try to get them to go home. They arrive and meet a big pink bear with a limp, Lotso (Ned Beatty) who along with Ken (Michael Keaton) and a baby doll named Big Baby great them warmly, with Barbie (Jodi Benson) quickly falling for Ken, but things are not as they seem. Woody leaves alone, but is found by a little girl named Bonnie (Emily Hahn) and taken home with her toys. Buzz and the others are all happy until they see they are left in the Caterpillar Room, which turns out to be the toddlers room, where the toys are beaten and almost destroyed, and they realize they have been imprisoned, and must get home to Andy!
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse by David Slade (2010)
June 3rd, 2010
Why couldn’t they have let David Slade direct all of these films, since after watching this he is obviously the most competent director yet? Really this is hands down the best film in the series so far. It really seems like Slade gets it, and Melissa Rosenberg’s screenplay seems more on the mark. The first film was decent, and well cast (for the most part), but this is so much better done, and would have brought more people in if it was this well done. Not my favorite story in the series, but as I have said this film is in almost all ways better than it’s predecessors. It has gorgeous cinematography, great editing, excellent effects (the vampire running is finally done right), and great action. Now that is not to say that all is perfect. First off is the replacement of Victoria, originally played by Rachelle Lefevre and here replaced by Bryce Dallas Howard, who is just too sweet looking, and plays the part that way as well. Not enough ferocious menace, which Lefevre had so well. The studio made a huge mistake not allowing her to come back! And the second major mistake is the music, both the score and the soundtrack. Howard Shores score does not fit the film at all, nor does it fit within the series as a whole. It is too much, and not fitting at all. And the soundtrack while it has a couple of good tracks cannot touch the first or even the second soundtrack. Still that being said, the rest is pretty damn good, and well worth checking out. And I love that at the Arclight theaters they have the Cullens costumes, though the mannequins don’t seem to be the correct heights, but that is a minor complaint. Go check this out, especially if you are a fan of the series at all. And it is fun to see with an audience, because it is a laugh to hear the girls all drooling over Taylor Lautner!
A twenty something named Riley Biers (Xavier Samuel) is attacked and turned into a vampire by the vengeful vampire Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard) in Seattle, not too far from Forks. In Forks Isabella “Bella” Swan (Kristen Stewart) discusses becoming a vampire with her lover, the vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). He does not want her to become a vampire as he worries for her immortal soul, but she is dead set on it. He tells her he will turn her, but only if she will marry him first, but she is dead set against marriage, not believing in it after her parent’s failed marriage, and also thinking of what people will think if she gets married so young (she is 19), but Edward is from another era, and wants to do things right. Edward get’s Bella’s father Charlie Swan (Billy Burke) to agree to let him and Bella go to Florida to visit her mother Renee (Sarah Clarke), and Bella willingly goes since if she is to become a vampire soon, this will be the last time she sees her mother ever. Returning to school, Bella’s best friend, the werewolf Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) shows up to confront Edward about Emmet Cullen (Kellan Lutz) crossing the border into Quillete territory while hunting Victoria, which Edward had not told Bella about. Bella leaves with Jacob on his motorcycle, as he has been unwilling to talk to her since Edward returned. Eventually Jacob confesses his love to Bella, and tries to force a kiss on her, but she wants none of it, and sprains her hand punching him. He loves her, but will hate her if she become a vampire, and if she does it will permanently break the treaty. At the Cullen’s high school graduation party, which Jake shows up at (even after kissing Bella) Alice Cullen (Ashley Green) has a vision of a newborn vampire army, led by Riley, coming to get Bella in Forks. Jacob overhears, and agrees to fight with the vampires against their mutual enemy, even though Bella does not want the werewolves to help, as she sees them as vulnerable compared to the vampires.
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…
Robin Hood by Ridley Scott (2010)
May 27th, 2010
Russel Crowe and Ridley Scott back together again, and in another film that looks and feels a lot like Gladiator. And it is well played and looks great, but the editing and story are lacking. Honestly this feels like Scott knew he would be doing another of his greatly extended director’s cuts on DVD and blu-ray and so just thought it was OK to cut directly for time here, leaving some characters, and plot points here only as the barest bones suggestions, and seemingly hugely out of place. Even the battle sequences seem to be missing a great deal of material, and seem to jump from place to place without any bridging material. What is here is decent enough, it just doesn’t tie together well enough, and one element of the end is pretty much laughable and completely out of place. I like the idea of an origin story for Robin Hood, and making him not actually the noble he is always portrayed to be, but I wanted more on his friends, and more depth to the elements introduced. I would probably wait on this until the extended edition which will surely make more sense, and other than that skip it unless you are a huge fan.
Richard the Lionheart (Danny Huston) is on Third Crusade, and has been mostly unsuccessful, for finance or any gain and is on his way back to England, pillaging Europe on the way. He goes amongst his troops to find an honest one and see what their opinion is of him and this crusade. An archer named Robin Longstride (Russell Crowe) along with his friends Alan A’Dale (Alan Doyle) and Will Scarlet (Scott Grimes) end up in a fight over a game of chance Robin has been winning. The fighter is Little John (Kevin Durand), but Robin is proved to have been honest, and the King reveals himself and asks Robin his opinion. Robin truthfully answers that they lost God’s grace when they slaughtered women and children, and he and his friends are locked in stocks. In battle shortly thereafter the king is killed, and a friend of theirs releases them, and they go off on their own, Robin realizing with a dead king their is no chance of ever getting paid. Richard’s right hand, Sir Robert Loxley (Douglas Hodge) is dispatched to bring word and the King’s crown back to England, but he and his men are attacked and slaughtered by the English traitor Sir Godfrey (Mark Strong) who is working for the French. Robin and his men see this, and attack, and drive the French off, scarring Gofrey’s face. Loxley gets Robin to swear to return his sword to his father before he dies. He and his men dress as knights, and take the crown to the English ship and return to England. Robin pretends to be Loxley and hands the crown to Richard’s younger brother John (Oscar Issac). Robin and his men head for Nottingham. John becomes king, divorcing his wife and marrying the French King’s niece Isabella of Angouleme (Léa Seydoux who is a little hottie) and firing Sir William Marshal (WIlliam Hurt) and sidelining his mother Eleanor of Auitane (Eileen Atkins). And Sir Godfrey is given all the power in the realm.
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…
Iron Man 2 by Jon Favreau (2010)
May 9th, 2010
For sure not as good as the first film, this film doesn’t have the same heart as the first one, and the story gets a bit muddled, but it is still an enjoyable popcorn action film. I think I am just too much of a fan of Iron Man comics, so the story confusion really gets to me. The story seems to be part original iron man, part extremis iron man, and mostly Ultimate Iron man with the whole Avengers Initiative run by Nick Fury, and other elements, and even the relationship with Pepper Potts seems a bit muddled here. Great effects and action, and I guess enjoyable enough, just missing something that made me not like it as well.
In Russia we see the completely tattooed Ivan Vanko (Michey Rourke with the oh so strange finger nails) watches his father die as Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) announces he is Iron Man. The father says it should have been Ivan standing there, and as he dies says he can only give him his knowledge. Ivan goes to his father’s stuff and finds the original Howard Stark plans for the Arc Reactor which powers Iron Man, which have Starks and his father’s name on it, and goes and start to build himself his own Arc Reactor. 6 months later, Stark has re-instituted the Stark Expo to continue his father’s legacy, while the US government, and especially Senator Stern (Garry Shandling). The Senator calls Stark before congress and demands the Iron Man tech be given to the US government, but Stark refuses, arrogantly saying no other nation can get this tech within 10 years, especially the US who is using his former competitor Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) as their primary defense supplier. Stark meanwhile is dying, and hasn’t even told his assistant and closest confidant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). The Arc Reactor in his chest that powers Iron Man, and that keeps the shrapnel from killing him is giving him palladium poisoning, and he has not been able to find a suitable element to replace it. So he makes Pepper the CEO of Stark Industries, and gets the lawyer who watches the signing the papers, the lovely Natalie Rushman (Scarlett Johansson) to become his new secretary as they all head off to Monaco.
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…
Whip it by Drew Barrymore (2009)
April 29th, 2010
A cute enough coming of age tale, with an enjoyable cast, and well directed by Barrymore (in her directorial debut). Nothing too deep here, except a message about doing what you love, and never giving up and just doing what other people want of you. Ellen Page is perfect, though basically playing the same roll she always does. I wouldn’t rush to see it, but it is cute, and worth checking out. And Jimmy Fallon as the announcer is hysterical. Interesting that it does not go into the lesbianism that is mostly associated with roller derby, but it does make it seem fun to watch.
Bliss Cavendar (Ellen Page) lives with her parents, Brooke (Marcia Gay Harden) and Earl (Daniel Stern) and little sister in Bodeen, Texas. She goes to high school with her best friend Pash (Ali Shawkat) and they both work at a local barbecue place. Both want out of town, but Pash is going to an Ivy League school, and Bliss just wants out any way she can. He mom is always entering her in beauty pageants, though it is the last thing she wants to do, and when she dies her hair blue, it ruins all her chances. When on a shopping trip to Austin she picks up a flier for a roller derby and she and Pash go on the pretense of going to a football game. Bliss loves it, and loves the ever losing Hurl Scouts, and goes to introduce herself to Maggie Mayhem (Kristen Wiig) who tells her about auditions, and Bliss decides this is what she wants to do.
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…
Pirate Radio written and directed Richard Curtis (2009)
April 25th, 2010
I had been wanting to see this tale of a fictitious pirate radio station playing rock and roll to England in 1966 since I saw the trailer and the amazing cast. And it was an enjoyable movie, though not amazing. Everyone was cast perfectly and they were great in it, but it felt a little lacking, but was still done incredibly well. Well directed and edited, just needed a little more meat on it’s bones, though still worth seeing for sure. Still depressing that England got to see a longer version of the film entitled the Boat that Rocked which did not do too well, so was cut down and changed for the US release. I would actually like to see the full version of the film, though the US release, just has the extra scenes as deleted scenes (which I did not know, and returned the Netflix blu-ray disc).
In England in 1966 the BBC only plays an hour of Rock and Roll a day, so Pirate Radio stations have popped up on ships in international waters, but still survived on local advertising. To this particular ship young Carl (Tom Sturridge) is sent to make something of himself, and stay with the ship’s Captain, and his godfather Quentin (the great Bill Nighy). On the ship is a ship is a whole crew of malcontents, led by the king of their little radio empire, the Count (Philip Syemour Hoffman) from America. Then their is Dr. Dave (Nick Frost) who takes a liking to Carl, and then there is Simon Swafford (Chris O’Dowd) and Angus (Rhys Darby from flight of the Concords). Rounding out the crew is Car’s idiotic roommate “Thick” Kevin, the only woman allowed to stay on board, the lesbian cook Felicity (Katherine Parkinson) and the radio assistant Harold (Ike Hamilton). Much chaos and adventures ensue.
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…
Kick ass by Matthew Vaughn (2010)
April 18th, 2010
I have been looking forward to this since I first heard about it. Not only do I like Matthew Vaughn (Stardust was such an an underrated fantastic film), but the fact that it is based on a comic that was drawn by my favorite artist John Romita Jr. made me even more excited. And I loved the film. It is hysterical and right up my alley, though of course not up to the caliber of the comic. The comic itself is a deconstruction of the super hero genre, showing what would happen to these people who dress up as heroes, and this film starts that way, but then turns into a geeks wet dream, with an amazing action ending. The film is fun and hysterical, but the comic is dark much more realistic, and overall the better story. Still the film is a must see, not only for the hysterical performance by Nicholas Cage, where as the super hero Big Daddy he sounds just like Adam West as Batman, and the very enjoyable performance by Aaron Johnson, but really the main reason is Chloë Grace Moretz, who at 11 years old is the worlds greatest action star! This little girl steals the whole movie and is just amazing. She is a must see, and will go far, but may not ever be funnier or more bad ass than this! WOW! I actually want a t-shirt with her, that says HIT-GIRL IS MY HERO!
Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) is a normal high schooler. Average. Not a jock, or a geek, though he does love comic books, and wonders why there are no real comic book character. Why no one has tried it. And after getting mugged a final time, he decides to do it. He orders a wet suit from online, and dresses up and goes out to fight crime. He goes to stop some guys breaking into a car, and gets beat almost to death, and then stabbed and then hit by a car. He manages to convinces the medics to take off his costume before he gets to the hospital, but then is said to have been found naked. Dave lives, but has half his body filled with metal, and has damaged nerve ends that so he no longer feels pain like he used to. At first he plans to give up his crime fighting, but can’t stop feeling the allure, and goes out again, this time saving a man from three attackers, while many people film with cell phones. One of the bystanders comes up to him and asks who he is, and Dave replies that he is Kick Ass, and the video becomes a YouTube phenomenon, and Dave sets up his own MySpace account. At school he even sees that his longtime love Katie (Lyndsy Fonseca) is now interested him, but is dismayed to learn it is because the rumor is that he is gay (which is why he was found naked) and she wants a gay friend. Dave swallows his pride, and plays gay, just so he can be with his love.
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…
The Runaways adapted and directed by Floria Sigismondi (2010)
March 21st, 2010
I am a fan of Kristen Stewart, and I of course know the music of Joan Jett, so I was interested in seeing this movie from when it came out, and we went and saw it opening weekend, and enjoyed it quite a bit. It is well made and enjoyable, with some great performances, but it is when you delve more into the story and see where it is shy that the film comes off as good, but not great. Mainly it’s fault lie int he fact that it is adapted from Cherie Currie’s book, so it only cursorily deals with Joan Jett (who I honestly had no idea that she was also 15) and really ignores the other members of the band all together. And while it does show much of the horror of Cherrie Curry’s experience, it does skip her rape and ignore the fact that her sister was not fraternal and was in fact a twin. Still there is much to enjoy. The film is well directed, with some very well done drug sequences, and Dokota Fanning, Kristen Stewart and Michael Shannon are all great in the film, and the film is worth watching. It just does not have the depth it could have had.
Young girl Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) plays guitar and wants to rock in a girls band in the 1970′s, but no one thinks a girl can rock. Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning) is going to clubs, and lip syncing to David Bowie at her school, and getting into trouble. While out at a club Joan runs into the band manager and producer Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon who rocks the socks off this film) and convinces him she wants to make a girl band that rocks, and it hits something in his head. So he gives her his number, and introduces her to Sandy West (Stella Maeve) a drummer, and the two hit it off and start making some songs. Cherrie meanwhile is not too happy at home with her mother Marie Harmon (Tatum O’Neal) who is getting married and leaving the country, and her father is a drunk. She and her sister Marie (Riley Keough) end up having to move in with their grandmother and drunken father. At a club, while dressed in David Bowie attire, Fowley finds Cherie and asks her if she wants to be in a band, and she agrees, and comes to his broken down trailer to meet him, Joan, Sandy and Lita Ford (Scout Taylor-Compton) as well as bass player Robin (Alia SHawkat playing a fictional character because of rights issues). Cherie does not seem right at first, but Fowley and Joan make the song Cherie bomb on the spot, and Fowley teachers her to sing it like a viken, and the band is off and running.
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…
The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo by Niels Arden Oplev (2009)
March 21st, 2010
This is a fantastic adaption of the first of three novels in the Millenium Trilogy by the late Stieg Larsson. I have already read the first 2 books and am eagerly awaiting the third, and have been looking forward to seeing this film since I saw it had come out in Sweden. And I must say it is a an excellent adaption and a slow, though well paced thriller. Noomi Rapace is perfect as Lisbeth Salander, and Michael Nyqvist is perfect as Mikael Kalli Blomkvist. The book is a faithful adaption, though it does not end on the down note of the novel, but instead on the start of the next book. My only real complaint is at 152 minutes, I would have liked it longer, and gone more into the film. Without seeing Berger’s character and how Blomkvist has had a long term relationship with his married colleage that also screwed up his marriage, or his affair with one of the Vanger’s, we don’t get his downside, which is what pisses off Lisbeth at the end of the first book, and keeps her from contacting him in the second. Still a very enjoyable and well done film, and a must see, especially before the inevitably subpar US remake (even if David Fincher does do it).
Journalist Mikael “Khali” Blomkvist (Michael Nvqvist) one of the publishers of Millennium Magazine loses a court case with Swedish Industrialist Hans-Erik Wennerström (Stefan Sauk) for libel. It seems Blomkvist published a huge story, and then all of his backup disappeared. He has been found guilty of libel, and been given a prison sentence. Blomkvist informs the people at millennium, including his co-publisher and married lover Erika Berger (Lena Endre) that he is leaving the magazine, at least for the time being. A man named Dirch Frobe (Ingvar Hirdwall) hires a man named Dragan (Michalis Koutsogiannakis) to find out about Blomkvist for his boss Henrik Vanger (Sven-Bertil Taube). Dragan uses his best researcher, the heavily tattooed and pierced Lisbeth Slander (Noomi Rapace) the girl of the title. Lisbeth is a social misfit, and a master computer hacker, who can easily get any information on anyone. Henrik then has Mikael come up to the sleepy island town where he and many members of his family live to investigate the 37 year old murder of his favorite niece Harriet Vanger who used to babysit Mikael when he was a child.
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…
Once by John Carney (2007)
February 24th, 2010
I had wanted to see this film when it came out, loving the trailer, but it looked to shaky for my lovely wife to see, so I did not see it. I should have watched it once it’s song “Falling Slowly” written by the two actors Glen Hansard (of the Irish rock band THE FRAMES) and Markéta Irglová, won the academy award, because the music is amazing. And so is the story. The film is many times billed as a “modern musical” but really it is a film about 2 musicians and the music that brings them closer together over a short period of time. It is a lovely little film, with a realistic ending, and really great music. Sure the camera work is mostly hand held, but if that does not put your off, go and see this little low budget wonder, and you will fall in love with it, just like I did.
The film is about a 39 year old street performer in Dublin (Glen Hansard). He plays songs for the people in the day, and his own songs at night, while fighting off junkies who try and steal his earnings. One night a lovely 17 year old Czech immigrant worker (Markéta Iglová) who works selling flowers is lured in by his music. She can only give 10 pence, but she is interested in the ex girlfriend that the song is about, and when she learns that he fixes vacuum cleaners at his father’s shop by day, she promises to bring her broken one the next day. She arrives with vacuum in hand, and he does not want to take it, but does agree to let her go to lunch with him. He learns she is a musician as well, having learned piano from her violin playing father before he died. The two go to a local music shop where the owner lets her play, and he teachers her his song about his ex, an they play it together (this if Falling Slowly which won the academy award), making the song even better than it was. And the two begin to like each other. They head back to his father’s shop and she meets his father (BIll Hodnett) and they fix his vacuum. They then chat, and he tells her about his ex having cheated on him and left him for London. She tells him if he played the song for her, he would win her back. She says she has to go home, and he asks her to stay, but she is offended and leaves in a huff.
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…
Ichi by Fumihiko Sori (2009)
February 22nd, 2010
Being a huge Katsu-shin fan, and especially Zatoichi fan, I was reticent of the first Zatoichi remake by Kitano Takeshi, and rightfully so. While it was an enjoyable Kitano film, it was not an impressive Zatoichi film, with it’s digital blood, and unimpressive storyline. Sure it had an a musical number, but it was not Zatoichi, so I have to admit to being reticent about seeing a Zatoichi remake with a female lead, but I watched it anyway, and I am glad it did. This is a gorgeous re-imagining that can actually be thought of as a sequel, with a great cast, a great story, and absolutely gorgeous cinematography. I did not think I would like it, but instead I loved it, and am ready for another film. Sure I called a major plot point pretty early, but it had to happen to allow this to be the first film of a possible series, of which I would love to be a watch them all if they are going to be this good! A beautiful and well done film, which shows that digital blood has come along way (especially with some judicious fake blood used as well). Ayase is excellent, not doing the closed eye thing of Katsushin, but instead keeping her eyes open and blank, and by the end you really care for this girl. I really enjoyed it, and the US blu-ray looks fantastic, so certainly check it out if you get a chance.
Ichi (Ayase Haruka from Cyborg She) is a poor homeless goze singer, a blind singer and entertainer who has been cast out of her home. We know this happens when a goze singer has relations with a man, but we are not shown exactly what happened to her, but she is not an ordinary goze singer, she is also a master swordsman who uses a unique underhand sword style, and the power of her amazingly trained ears to dispatch any opponent. She is taking shelter at the house of another cast out goze, this one now now working as a prostitute. The gangster who sleeps with her does not pay though, and she is beaten by him and his two men. Ichi does nothing, but then they see her, and she is much more beautiful than the other, so they begin to bother her. She is about to draw her sword, when the slightly bumbling Toma (Osawa Takao) shows up and challenges them, but then starts shaking when he tries to draw his sword, so he tries to buy them off. They take the money, and then plan to kill him anyway, but Ichi quickly dispatches all three. Toma is blown away and starts following her, and he says he lost all his money because of her (it was cut in half when she killed the Yakuza). They run into a kid while going into town, who takes them to a gambling house. Toma tries to earn some money, and Ichi gives him hints, using her exceptional ears, earning back his 10 ryo. As they leave some gangsters come on them and are going to kill them for the money, but Ichi quickly kills them all. The local town chief’s son comes upon them, this is Shirakawa Toraji (Yosuke Kubozuka) who thinks that Toma has done it, and hires him as the family bodyguard to protect them from the evil Banki (Nakamura Shido) and his henchmen.
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…