OBLIVION - 3 stars
An enjoyable if somewhat derivative science fiction action movie. It looks incredible. The movie takes place on a future Earth that's been decimated by war with an alien race. After they destroyed the moon, earthquakes and tsunamis killed most of the population and the survivors fled to a moon of Saturn. Tom Cruise plays Jack, one of the guys working on Earth as the clean up crew. Just like after World War II when there were pockets of Japanese soldiers hiding in caves keeping the fight going, even though we won the war, there are still alien 'Scavs' who need to be hunted down. Jack's job is to fix the drones that fly around looking for Scavs. The drones also protect the gigantic devices that are collecting the water from Earth's oceans.
I saw this in IMAX and I really enjoyed the visuals. The sound design and music is also really good. The score reminded me of Inception. But one problem is the movie seemed to drag in the beginning. Right off the bat we're told the setup by voiceover narration, and we see Jack get into a really cool ship and fly down to the surface. But then nothing much happens for 20 minutes or so. I don't mind a slow, thoughtful sci-fi movie, but the trailers seemed to promise more action.
You probably won't be surprised by some of the twists, and they're easy to see coming (if it's all true, why was his memory erased?), but that doesn't make it a bad movie. Just familiar. Worth seeing but not a game changer.
STARBUCK - 2 stars
Starbuck is a French Canadian movie about David, a deadbeat who owes money all over town. As a young man he went to a sperm bank hundreds of times, and now 20 years or so later, a lawyer shows up to inform him that he fathered 533 children. Of those, 142 have joined a class action lawsuit to force the clinic to reveal his identity. These kids just want to know who their biological dad was.
The movie is played for laughs, but the movie is very uneven. I didn't laugh much, partly because I couldn't buy the premise. Once the lawsuit gets into the papers, none of the kids realizes what they are doing. They want to know who the donor was, but do they want to ruin his life? The media is running stories on this 'pervert', and he becomes a locally hated (but anonymous) celebrity. We never meet any of these kids' parents. It's not like David slept around and left their mothers when they were young. All these kids were born because a woman or a couple couldn't conceive and went to a sperm bank. Also, one of the kids finds out who he is and blackmails him into hanging out for a while. But after 15 - 20 minutes of this kid being in the story, he disappears with no explanation.
Another complaint is that there are far too many montages. In fact, the moment I was most looking forward to was played as a montage. The trial begins and we don't get to hear anything the lawyers or kids say. It's all played to music.
I didn't enjoy this movie much. There are a few funny moments, especially in the prologue when he's getting to work at the sperm bank and takes a break to read the articles.
TRANCE - 3 1/2 stars
There's something satisfying about being in the hands of a good director, and Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 127 Hours) is definitely a good director. In this movie, Simon (James McAvoy) works at an art auction house which is robbed during the opening credits. Simon's job in the event of a robbery is to take the most expensive painting, put it in a bag, and drop it in the chute which leads to some time lock safe. Before he can do that, he is intercepted by the leader of the thieves, Franck (Vincent Cassel). Franck hits Simon on the head with his shotgun and takes the painting.
Once in the getaway car, Franck opens the bag to find the painting is gone. Simon hid it before he was intercepted. So Franck and the gang kidnap Simon to find out where the painting is. The problem is Simon has amnesia and can't remember that day, so he has no idea where the paiting is. They take Simon to a hypnotherapist (Rosario Dawson) to get him to remember.
This is one of those thrillers that makes you think you are missing something because there seems to be some plot holes. But as the movie goes along, we get some backstory that fills in those gaps. That's partly what I meant about being in the hands of a good director. Even when I was confused by the characters' behavior, I knew that soon we would be told why they were behaving that way. It isn't a spoiler to reveal that Simon was in on the robbery, or that the hypnotherapist was not chosen at random. I'm not sure the story really holds together in the end, and I wish there had been at least one plot twist fewer, but I had a great time watching this movie.
EVIL DEAD - 3 stars
I'm a big fan of the original trilogy, and I was apprehensive when I heard about this remake. For years fans have been asking Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell whether they would ever make Evil Dead 4. I don't know how I would like seeing a 50 year old Ash running around fighting Deadites, so I guess if we were going to get another Evil Dead, this was the way to go.
I'm not sure if it's a remake, a reboot, or a sequel. There is no reason this movie couldn't take place 20 or 30 years after the previous movies in the same cabin, so that's how I look at it.
One problem is the cast is very bland. There is only one Bruce Campbell and any actor who tries to imitate him would probably not come across very well, but the actors in this movie are so forgettable. We have the standard teenagers going to a cabin in the woods, reading from the book of the dead, summoning evil spirits, and mayhem ensues. The tree rape scene is in there, and it's more gruesome and hard to watch than I remember it in the first movie. There are buckets and buckets of blood, and people cutting limbs off with carving knives, and a nail gun ...
The movie works as a horror movie. It doesn't have the same comedic tone the previous movies had, and some times I laughed when I was supposed to be scared. But it was an enjoyable night at the movies.
THE HOST - 1 star
The Host is the worst movie I have seen this year. It takes a traditional body snatchers story idea and completely screws it up. Just like Stephanie Meyer did with the Twilight saga, she turns a good premise into another excuse for a teenage girl to pine for a boy who won't sleep with her.
Most body snatcher movies take place before anything is wrong. One day, a character starts behaving strangely. Then another, then another, until the main character figures out that aliens are taking over, and those people are not themselves anymore. This movie takes place after this has already happened. 99% of the planet's population have already been taken over by aliens, and they are looking for the remaining humans who are trying to fight back.
To save her brother by distracting the aliens, a girl named Melanie jumps out a window and falls to her death. But she doesn't die. Why not? She has a strong will to live. They put an alien inside her - the aliens look like these glowing jellyfish that they insert at the back of the neck - and the alien, named Wanderer posesses her body. But since she isn't dead, Melanie is able to communicate with the Wanderer. This gives the author an easy way to get all Melanie's inner monologue in the movie.
Melanie convinces Wanderer to escape and leads her to a hideout where the human resistance, including her family and boyfriend, are hiding out. Of course they immediately want to kill her because they assume it's the alien, and Melanie decides not to tell them she's still alive in there. And in another nod to Twilight, Wanderer starts to fall for another boy. So instead of Melanie wanting two different boys, she likes one and Wanderer likes the other.
This movie was just really dumb. I was bored and irritated almost the entire time. Stay away from The Host.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Friday, March 22, 2013
Stoker - 1 star
After India's father dies, her Uncle Charlie, who she never knew exists, comes to live with her and her unstable mother. She comes to suspect this mysterious, charming man has ulterior motives and becomes increasingly infatuated with him. (from imdb.com)
Sounds like a pretty good setup for a movie, right? Was her father's death an accident, or was he murdered? Why has India (Mia Wasikowska) never met her Uncle Charlie before? Isn't it convenient that he shows up the day of her father's funeral? Is he really her uncle?
This movie is a great example of how an interesting story can be screwed up by a bad script and a director more interested in his visual style than in telling the story. There may be some really interesting shots in this movie, but it's boring as hell. Nothing happens for most of the movie. India hardly speaks, Charlie just walks around looking creepy, and India's mother (Nicole Kidman, totally wasted in this role) just seems bored the whole time. She's given nothing interesting to do.
This is the first American movie from South Korean director Chan-wook Park, who gave us the incredible Oldboy 10 years ago. Oldboy was a lot of fun, had clever violence, and a really good story. This movie is just flat. Don't waste your time with Stoker.
Sounds like a pretty good setup for a movie, right? Was her father's death an accident, or was he murdered? Why has India (Mia Wasikowska) never met her Uncle Charlie before? Isn't it convenient that he shows up the day of her father's funeral? Is he really her uncle?
This movie is a great example of how an interesting story can be screwed up by a bad script and a director more interested in his visual style than in telling the story. There may be some really interesting shots in this movie, but it's boring as hell. Nothing happens for most of the movie. India hardly speaks, Charlie just walks around looking creepy, and India's mother (Nicole Kidman, totally wasted in this role) just seems bored the whole time. She's given nothing interesting to do.
This is the first American movie from South Korean director Chan-wook Park, who gave us the incredible Oldboy 10 years ago. Oldboy was a lot of fun, had clever violence, and a really good story. This movie is just flat. Don't waste your time with Stoker.
Friday, February 22, 2013
A Good Day to Die Hard - 1 star
A Good Day to Die Hard, the 5th Die Hard movie, is awful. There is no other way to put it. Just awful. It was made by people who think they know what a Die Hard movie is, but have never actually seen one.
The original Die Hard is one of the best action movies of all time, possibly the best. There are several reasons for this. For one thing, John McClane was a normal guy. Yes, he was a cop, but he was human. In the first movie, he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. When the bad guys show up and start shooting, he doesn't grab a gun a start shooting back. Instead, he hides and calls the police. Only when he has no other choice does he start fighting back.
The character was well written. He had a back story (he and his wife were 'separated'), and he was trying to rescue his wife. The thiefs don't know she's his wife, and he is terrified they will find out. The last time he and his wife spoke, they fought, so he is also concerned that if he is killed, he didn't get a chance to apologize.
There are also other well written characters: his wife Holly, Ellis, Sgt. Al Powell, the police chief, Dick Thornburg, and one of the all time best villains, Hans Gruber. These characters are so well written and have such interesting dialogue that we never miss McClane much when he's off screen.
The action is great, but more importantly, it's believable. Ok, maybe not 100% believable, but almost. You know it's taking place in the real world. McClane is beat to hell by the end of the movie, and he experiences pain (especially when he walks on broken glass). There is also a lot of humor which feels like it organically comes from the characters, as opposed to forced humor.
Ok, enough about how great Die Hard is. This new movie has none of those traits. For one thing, John McClane is now an action hero. He may be in the wrong place at the wrong time, but never for a second do we feel like he's in any danger. When he's kneeling on the ground, hands tied behind his back with the bad guys sticking their guns in his face, he doesn't even flinch. He says witty things to them like he's Arnold Schwartzenegger. The real McClane would be scared for his life. He would find a way out, but we'd be afraid for him.
He's also a superman in this movie. Several times he falls through windows and down several stories, and only walks away with a few more scratches. This isn't uncommon in modern action movies unfortunately, but McClane's no longer a real guy.
The biggest problem is the movie is no fun. There are very few laughs, and they feel forced. The story is complicated and not very interesting, and there is no clear villain. There are a few villains, but none of them are memorable. The big action set piece early in the movie is a car chase with John's son Jack in one car, the bad guys in the second car, and McClane bringing up the rear, trying to help his son. The problem with the car chase is it's filmed so badly that we have no idea where anyone is. There is no sense of geography and I lost track of who was who.
Oh, and his catch phrase is tossed in there so badly that I groaned when he uttered it.
The only thing I enjoyed about this movie is the way the last bad guy meets his death. It involves a helicopter propeller. That moment almost made me cheer, not just because it was actually done well, but because it was the first time in the entire movie I smiled.
The original Die Hard is one of the best action movies of all time, possibly the best. There are several reasons for this. For one thing, John McClane was a normal guy. Yes, he was a cop, but he was human. In the first movie, he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. When the bad guys show up and start shooting, he doesn't grab a gun a start shooting back. Instead, he hides and calls the police. Only when he has no other choice does he start fighting back.
The character was well written. He had a back story (he and his wife were 'separated'), and he was trying to rescue his wife. The thiefs don't know she's his wife, and he is terrified they will find out. The last time he and his wife spoke, they fought, so he is also concerned that if he is killed, he didn't get a chance to apologize.
There are also other well written characters: his wife Holly, Ellis, Sgt. Al Powell, the police chief, Dick Thornburg, and one of the all time best villains, Hans Gruber. These characters are so well written and have such interesting dialogue that we never miss McClane much when he's off screen.
The action is great, but more importantly, it's believable. Ok, maybe not 100% believable, but almost. You know it's taking place in the real world. McClane is beat to hell by the end of the movie, and he experiences pain (especially when he walks on broken glass). There is also a lot of humor which feels like it organically comes from the characters, as opposed to forced humor.
Ok, enough about how great Die Hard is. This new movie has none of those traits. For one thing, John McClane is now an action hero. He may be in the wrong place at the wrong time, but never for a second do we feel like he's in any danger. When he's kneeling on the ground, hands tied behind his back with the bad guys sticking their guns in his face, he doesn't even flinch. He says witty things to them like he's Arnold Schwartzenegger. The real McClane would be scared for his life. He would find a way out, but we'd be afraid for him.
He's also a superman in this movie. Several times he falls through windows and down several stories, and only walks away with a few more scratches. This isn't uncommon in modern action movies unfortunately, but McClane's no longer a real guy.
The biggest problem is the movie is no fun. There are very few laughs, and they feel forced. The story is complicated and not very interesting, and there is no clear villain. There are a few villains, but none of them are memorable. The big action set piece early in the movie is a car chase with John's son Jack in one car, the bad guys in the second car, and McClane bringing up the rear, trying to help his son. The problem with the car chase is it's filmed so badly that we have no idea where anyone is. There is no sense of geography and I lost track of who was who.
Oh, and his catch phrase is tossed in there so badly that I groaned when he uttered it.
The only thing I enjoyed about this movie is the way the last bad guy meets his death. It involves a helicopter propeller. That moment almost made me cheer, not just because it was actually done well, but because it was the first time in the entire movie I smiled.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Sundance - Magic Magic - 3 1/2 stars
From imdb.com: In remote Chile, a vacationing young woman begins to mentally unravel; meanwhile, her friends ignore her claim until it's too late.
Juno Temple plays Alicia. She is visiting Chile to stay with her cousin, Sarah (Emily Browning) and Sarah's friends. As soon as she arrives, Sarah tells Alicia that she has to stay in the city until the next day. This upsets Alicia, since it means she will be alone with Sarah's friends, who she doesn't know.
Sarah's friends aren't exactly thrilled to have Alicia tagging along with them, and they try to be nice as much as they can. As time goes on, the trip gets worse and worse for Alicia, especially when Brink (Michael Cera) starts developing an interest in her.
This is a very unusual movie. It's kind of a thriller, but with no supernatural elements. There is no killer or even a villain in the movie. Alicia is having a harder and harder time, slowing going crazy, while Sarah's friends are putting up with this whiny annoying girl as best as they can.
There is also a lot of humor in the movie thanks to Michael Cera. Cera has a way of delivering a boring, straight line and making it hilarious. I think this is my favorite Michael Cera performance since Superbad.
Going in, I had no idea where this story would take me. And even at the hour mark, I still wasn't sure where the story would end up. It isn't a conventional thriller and it was really a nice surprise. I'm not even sure I would call the movie a thriller. Maybe an unsettling drama would be a better description. Anyway, it's awesome.
Juno Temple plays Alicia. She is visiting Chile to stay with her cousin, Sarah (Emily Browning) and Sarah's friends. As soon as she arrives, Sarah tells Alicia that she has to stay in the city until the next day. This upsets Alicia, since it means she will be alone with Sarah's friends, who she doesn't know.
Sarah's friends aren't exactly thrilled to have Alicia tagging along with them, and they try to be nice as much as they can. As time goes on, the trip gets worse and worse for Alicia, especially when Brink (Michael Cera) starts developing an interest in her.
This is a very unusual movie. It's kind of a thriller, but with no supernatural elements. There is no killer or even a villain in the movie. Alicia is having a harder and harder time, slowing going crazy, while Sarah's friends are putting up with this whiny annoying girl as best as they can.
There is also a lot of humor in the movie thanks to Michael Cera. Cera has a way of delivering a boring, straight line and making it hilarious. I think this is my favorite Michael Cera performance since Superbad.
Going in, I had no idea where this story would take me. And even at the hour mark, I still wasn't sure where the story would end up. It isn't a conventional thriller and it was really a nice surprise. I'm not even sure I would call the movie a thriller. Maybe an unsettling drama would be a better description. Anyway, it's awesome.
Sundance - The Way, Way Back - 4 stars
This is the best movie I saw at Sundance this year. Duncan (Liam James) is a shy, quiet teenager with no self esteem. As the movie begins, he and his mom (Toni Collette) are driving with her boyfriend Trent (Steve Carrell) and his daughter. They are on their way to Trent's summer house by a lake in a small lakeside town (think Martha's Vineyard).
Trent is encouraging Duncan to be more outgoing, but in the most insulting ways possible. And Trent's daughter acts like Duncan is a 5 year old kid she is forced to babysit. His mom has no idea that Duncan is being treated so bad, or she is turning a blind eye so she can make her relationship with Trent work.
Duncan eventually meets Owen (Sam Rockwell), a fun guy who manages a water park. Owen befriends Duncan and starts watching out for him. He's like the perfect big brother. He gives Duncan a job at the water park, and Duncan starts to come out of his shell.
This is a really nice movie. I felt a lot of empathy for Duncan, and it was a real joy to watch his transformation over the course of the movie. Sam Rockwell is entertaining as always, and this is some of his best work. Owen is the type of character who is always 'on', always quick with a joke and entertaining everyone in the room.
Allison Janney is a lot of fun as the divorced, sassy neighbor who always seems to have a drink in her hand. And Steve Carrell gives a performance that is a lot different from his comedy roles. He really isn't a nice guy here, and he is very convincing in the role.
AnnaSophia Robb plays Susanna, the cute girl next door who develops a crush on Duncan, and this story line is the one that the movie short changes. There is a little bit of a nice, innocent young romance between the two, and I would have liked the movie to show a bit more of that. Early in the movie, Duncan has so little confidence that when Susanna practically asks to hang out with him, he can't even say yes. By the time Duncan has come out of his shell and is showing some interest, the movie is almost over.
I really enjoyed this movie and the performances. This is one of those movies that could have gone on for another hour and I wouldn't have minded. Highly recommended.
Trent is encouraging Duncan to be more outgoing, but in the most insulting ways possible. And Trent's daughter acts like Duncan is a 5 year old kid she is forced to babysit. His mom has no idea that Duncan is being treated so bad, or she is turning a blind eye so she can make her relationship with Trent work.
Duncan eventually meets Owen (Sam Rockwell), a fun guy who manages a water park. Owen befriends Duncan and starts watching out for him. He's like the perfect big brother. He gives Duncan a job at the water park, and Duncan starts to come out of his shell.
This is a really nice movie. I felt a lot of empathy for Duncan, and it was a real joy to watch his transformation over the course of the movie. Sam Rockwell is entertaining as always, and this is some of his best work. Owen is the type of character who is always 'on', always quick with a joke and entertaining everyone in the room.
Allison Janney is a lot of fun as the divorced, sassy neighbor who always seems to have a drink in her hand. And Steve Carrell gives a performance that is a lot different from his comedy roles. He really isn't a nice guy here, and he is very convincing in the role.
AnnaSophia Robb plays Susanna, the cute girl next door who develops a crush on Duncan, and this story line is the one that the movie short changes. There is a little bit of a nice, innocent young romance between the two, and I would have liked the movie to show a bit more of that. Early in the movie, Duncan has so little confidence that when Susanna practically asks to hang out with him, he can't even say yes. By the time Duncan has come out of his shell and is showing some interest, the movie is almost over.
I really enjoyed this movie and the performances. This is one of those movies that could have gone on for another hour and I wouldn't have minded. Highly recommended.
Sundance - Hell Baby - 1/2 star
From imdb.com: An expectant couple who moves into the most haunted house in New Orleans call upon the services of the Vatican's elite exorcism team to save them from a demonic baby.
This is supposed to be a comedy, a spoof of haunted house / possession movies. I didn't laugh much. Rob Corddry is the star, and he can usually make me laugh. He isn't the best leading man though. I think he works much better in a supporting role.
Tom Lennon I usually find very funny, but he didn't make me laugh either. The movie was just dumb. It's like they improvised a lot of the movie and they didn't edit out the parts that didn't work.
The only part of the movie I enjoyed was the final 15 minutes when the wife gives birth to the demon baby. It crawls around the room killing everyone one by one, and that sequence was fun in a twisted sort of way. But for most of the running time, I was looking at my watch waiting for the movie to end. Don't bother with this one.
This is supposed to be a comedy, a spoof of haunted house / possession movies. I didn't laugh much. Rob Corddry is the star, and he can usually make me laugh. He isn't the best leading man though. I think he works much better in a supporting role.
Tom Lennon I usually find very funny, but he didn't make me laugh either. The movie was just dumb. It's like they improvised a lot of the movie and they didn't edit out the parts that didn't work.
The only part of the movie I enjoyed was the final 15 minutes when the wife gives birth to the demon baby. It crawls around the room killing everyone one by one, and that sequence was fun in a twisted sort of way. But for most of the running time, I was looking at my watch waiting for the movie to end. Don't bother with this one.
Sundance - Lovelace - 3 1/2 stars
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