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Archive Movie Reviews
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Movie Review-
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
In Theaters
Rated PG-13; 2 hrs.
✰✰
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
It’s come full
circle: with no more legends left – based on artifacts or myth – we end
up with Indiana Jones 4. I won’t be a spoiler and give the plot killer,
but the wrap-up was pretty lame, in my view. M. Night Shymalan was
involved
in writing the script, so if you think hard on it, you can probably
guess the ‘twist’ to the whole storyline/climax.
There’s still lots of hurried excursions across the planet to find necessary relics, based on coded maps and obscure references to history. Still the Keystone Cops brawling and chase scenes. Essentially, this is the Indiana Jones we have come to expect; however, I just don’t see it living up to the standard set by the previous installments of the franchise.
Harrison
Ford looks old. Not too old to star any more, but he it's obvious he
has some years on him; 66. It’s kind of lame that the first Indiana
Jones movie came out twenty-four years ago, and Spielberg
has still got us watching Ford (try) to do the entertaining stunts –
running, jumping, and swinging. Watching Ford do his stunts, where it
was necessary to see it was actually him, was at times painful. There
were times when I expected to see him clutch his back when jumping off a
three-foot box. And forget anything kinetic or vigorous in the way of
stunts (where it’s actually Ford we’re seeing). We still get Indy’s
trademark bullwhip, but I can’t help but think that a lot of the speed
has come off the fastball on that one.
The Indiana Jones producers have obviously long been
looking for
a new star for the highly profitable Indiana Jones series. They
tried to move the franchise on with a new start/star in the TV vehicle
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, which ran from 1992-1996, but this
wasn’t strong enough to make it to the big screen. So we get the
Indiana Jones with a quarter-century of wear on the actors, for the most
part trying to pull on Ford’s star power (which as a matter of course
won’t be around for another 25 years). But of course, they’ve made an
actor pick with an obvious eye to the future: Shia LeBouf as Indy’s –
surprise! – 20-something son he never knew he had. Take note- we know
we’re getting set up, so there’s no surprise in the obvious attempt to
get us used to a couple new trademark accoutrements to the (new) Indy
character: LeBouf has to comb his pompadour every five minutes.
Gone will be the well-traveled fedora. And the young intrepid
Jones rides a motorcycle. Clever addition. Tiresome when he has to
bring it all the way to the Amazonian jungle for the sake
of continuity in the next (inevitable) installment. We get it; you
didn’t have to box the bike up, put it in
the
back of a DC-3, and bring it along for the field trip.
Our female lead for this ostensible action-adventure? Karen Allen (Indy's love interest through the series). I’m sorry- but she looked absolutely ancient. I’m middle-aged, chunkier than I’d like to be, and yeah- I’ve got some age on me. That said, if I’m going to drop eight bucks on a movie, I do want to see the beautiful people. If I wanted to see plain, worn-out middle-aged people I’ll either watch the evening news or look in the mirror. I don’t have to see 25-year-old boobs to have a movie be entertaining, but I do like spending my money to see attractive stars. (Go ahead, call me shallow, but how many of you would go see more than a single picture if everyone was ugly, fat, and plain? I thought so). With all the support and perks available to Hollywood stars – personal trainers, dieticians, personal cooks – I wish they would avail themselves of these amenities and at least be as fit and capable as possible (age appropriate).
The snapshot view
of The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull- aging stars, a plot that
really
reaches to find an ending that’s still interesting, the usual crash and
chase scenes of the series, so-so cinematography and special effects.
As an aside- I’m quite tired of the Indy theme music. Yeah, I know it’s
trademark, but it’s still come to wear on me. Producers pay gobs of
money for the scores to movies; I wish they could keep the musical core
to a piece but at least not have it grate on me.
I didn’t like it too much, and two stars is me being magnanimous. That said, both the junior reviewers really liked it. Age and wear in the stars doesn't mean much to them. But then again neither does a plausible plot; give them enough stuff blowing up, robots or dragons, and they’re happy to sit for two hours on Dad’s $15. They really dug it, so keep this in mind as a counter to my less-than-favorable review. Additionally, a Friend of Alpha Dad loved it as well:
“I would rate this five out of five stars.
The idea of looking at how people age and how some things never change creates all the conflict needed to keep you on the edge of your seat. While the photography is not up to the same standard as 'Raider's of the Lost Ark' [after all what is] the story line is action-oriented with definable villains and heroes. Harrison Ford and Karen Allen take their excitement from the first episode as though it was a continuation of 'Raiders'.
The best part of the movie is the humor. The gags run the range from the juvenile to the adult giving something to viewers of all ages. Due to the attention given to bugs and insects I would not recommend it for younger children, otherwise it is a must see.”
There you go: I say skip it – at least until it comes out on DVD – but make consideration of what the rest of the AD reviewing team thinks of it when picking your summer movies.
Reference-
Pictures and official movie website:
http://www.indianajones.com/site/index.html
Movie Review
On DVD
Rated R; 1 hr. 40 min.
Amazon ASIN: B0012RLX88
✰✰✰✰
When this movie came out in theaters, I thought on it for a moment, then decided to pass. In retrospect, I wish I had seen it on the big screen.
As with all things cinematic these days, you have to go in and sit down in the dark – be it in your home theater or the one at the mall - with this in mind: it’s just a movie. If you take them all like that, particularly with action movies, you really get to enjoy it when a movie is ‘good.’ This movie is good, and a makes for an enjoyable action flick.
The story of Hitman is based on an incredibly popular video game. I know- whenever there’s a screen rendition of a popular game, it’s really hit-or-miss on whether it will be worth watching at all. Hitman actually makes it to the next level in the transition. I’ve played the Hitman games, and to be honest, the movie was far more enjoyable as a media product than the gaming franchise was.
Plotline
for the movie- Timothy Oliphant (Live Free or Die Hard; Deadwood) is a
contract killer of the highest order. He was bred, raised from
birth and trained by an exiled religious order; a secret organization
that creates assassins. Lacking a name, he's given the number ’47,’ and
carries a bar-code tattoo on the nape of his skull as the mark of his
affiliation with ‘The Organization.’ 47 is assigned and hired to
complete numerous assassination missions across the globe, as directed
by secret group. The movie revolves around 47 being assigned the
mission of eliminating the Russian president-elect; he terminates the
president, and shortly finds himself embroiled in a far-reaching
double-cross.
Be forgiving of a plot that’s a bit boilerplate. If you just take Hitman as an action movie, it certainly rises to the level of great entertainment in this genre. Great gunplay, lots of cool weapons, nice cars, intense scenes and good stunts. The only cliché missing from the movie (thankfully, in a way) is a lengthy car chase. Oliphant portrays agent 47 in a believable, serious way without going over-the-top.
Of course there's
the inevitable love interest, but it's kept within s
ober
bounds, as 47 is too programmed to be distracted from his training and
life purpose. The female thrown in the mix, with Olga Kurylenko as Nika
Boronina, makes for a good foil to 47’s seriousness, and their man-woman
tension begins to bring out the humanity in the assassin. We are saved
from the obligatory love scene, and it's nice to find an action movie
that doesn’t make us suffer this kind of scene and remains a flick based
on… action.
The only major detraction to Hitman is the sophomoric dialogue at times. Again, this is a consistent feature of virtually all contemporary movies, but in Hitman it doesn’t become an annoyance that spoils the thing.
A couple positives for the movie: Musical score- it has a sound and style quite alike to the Bourne series soundtracks. It’s not a direct copy, but hits it just right. The supporting cast is also very good, with many capable and believable actors playing Russian secret police, and Interpol agents.
A middle-of-the-road take on the movie is the violence. There are some graphic, almost stomach-turning moments, but it’s not a splatter-fest as most modern action and horror films have become.
I was very pleasantly surprised at how good this movie was. If you’re looking for a great action feature, for sure catch Hitman.
Reference-
Pictures and official movie website:
Movie Review
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
In Theaters
Rated R; 1 hr. 51 min.
✰✰✰✰✰
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Have you seen Superbad (review)?
If you haven't, you missed one o
f the funniest movies since
Animal House.
If you saw it and liked it, do not miss Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
Regardless, if you want two hours of hilarity and adult humor, this
movie is your golden ticket.
Newcomer Jason Segel (character Peter Bretter) is the straight-man in this non-stop
comedy. His presentation isn't too 'funny,'
but he's great as the
dumped ex-boyfriend, stuck on his super-hot ex-girlfriend. The
ex-girlfriend is played Kristen Bell (Sarah Marshall), who was a mainstay on the hit TV
series Heroes, and also the lead in the creepy 2006 movie Pulse.
Her movie character is that of a famous TV serial star, a funny send-up
of the prime-time crime shows. She's a victim of her own beauty,
and the stereotypical vain female who dumps her plain boyfriend.
The do
wn-to-earth foil to Bell's character is played by Mila Kunis
(Rachel Jansen),
one of the main players of the long-running comedic hit That 70s Show.
Of course, Kunis' becomes the love interest that helps to pull Segel out
of his post-dump depression. Add in exceptionally funny
performances by the English newcomer Russell Brand as the rockstar
new boyfriend; Jonah Hill, one of the stars of the equally hilarious
Superbad; and comedic journeyman Paul Rudd.
Plot setup: Peter is a music composer for the same show
in which his girlfriend Sarah is the star. As anticipated, he gets
dumped and doesn't take it well. Not well at all. To get
over the breakup, he decides to take the dream vacation he discussed
with Sarah- a trip to a Hawaiian resort. Upon his arrival to the
venue for his hopeful heartbreak recovery, guess who
shows
up with her new boyfriend? Peter decides to stay on at the hotel,
even faced with this horribly awkward and painful situation at hand.
What ensues is completely laugh-filled entertainment to the closing
credits.
Of course, the movie is formulaic, as most of them are these days, with the typical breakup, histrionics as a result, and the eventual gravitation by the jilted lover to the new 'nice' love interest. But the banter and quips are excellent, Russell Brand as the over-the-top English rocker, and general adult humor make for great entertainment.
Be advised- this film has heavy adult language and
humor
all the way through, and quite a bit of full frontal nudity. Of
man-parts. For the male interest, the female cast is exceptionally
attractive, but we get too many shots of guy equipment in the movie.
To be honest, the adult humor and such is necessary for the flick, and
it comes off quite well, ranging from comical to witty.
If you're up for an adult comedy, Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a great movie. It'll likely go to cable/DVD before too long, but if you have the chance, catch it at the theater. If you miss it before it heads off, it'll be a must-see comedy for your summer home viewing.
Reference-
Pictures and official movie website:
www.forgettingsarahmarshall.com
Flags of Our Fathers
On DVD
Rated R; 2 hr. 12 min.
Amazon ASIN: B000M4RG42
✰✰
Flags of Our Fathers
Considering the weighty and patriotic subject matter of this movie - the raising of the flag on Iwo Jima - I tried my best to like it. I really did. But sadly, the movie was pretty much a bore to watch. At 2:12 in length, that's a long time to be bored.
The wide-ranging cast was there - even if some of t
he
names aren't actors you recognize, they're all exceptionally talented -
Ryan Phillippe, Adam Beach, Barry Pepper, Robert Patrick, Neal McDonough
- but the vehicle didn't do enough to bring out the best in all that
talent.
The budget - $90 million - wasn't as big as a high-end CGI feature, but that's a healthy figure to be afforded in making a movie, even these days.
The director, Clint Eastwood, is an absolute icon in Hollywood, both as an actor and a director. Behind the camera, he's won two Best Director and Best Picture Academy Awards, and nominated for eight overall. From classic Western to contemporary drama, his movies have been critically acclaimed and box office hits.
The essential nugget of patriotism, captured in what is
likely the most notable war photograph ever taken - the flag raising on
Iwo Jima - is the symbolic focus of the
whole
movie.
The story - an account of the five soldiers involved in the raising of that flag - is based on a New York Times bestselling book. It is the personal story of those five, their experiences in the battle for taking Iwo Jima, and the sometimes disillusioning junket they are required to make on the WWII bond drive as the war stretched on in the Pacific, even after Europe was pacified.
The cinematography is top-notch, and not overdone. The sequential layout of the timeline is a bit difficult to follow at times, as it has a lot of flashbacks, as seen through the eyes of the characters. Pre-deployment jitters and tension are captured; the incredible stress and fear of battle are seen in realistic depiction.
All that said, the movie just didn't come up to par.
I honestly felt guilty that I couldn't bring myself to like it, and that
I'm unable to bring a glowing review here. As a veteran myself, I
was hoping to feel real
impact and gravitas on this piece of our military history. To be
able to put it on the list of movies that I wanted to show my sons to
have them understand war, military sacrifice, and capture the emotions
of it all. But I didn't. This movie only made $66 million
worldwide, not even recovering the production budget. And it's a
pretty simple explanation why- it's not a very good movie.
If you want to see an interesting movie on incredibly weighty matters in our history as a nation, Flags of Our Fathers will bring you the story. However, if you require a compelling vehicle to get that poignant theme, this movie is not where you'll find it.
Reference-
Pictures and official movie website:
Short Take
Good Luck Chuck
On DVD
Rated R; 1 hr. 41 min.
Amazon ASIN: B000Y7U93W
✰✰✰
If
you're looking for a silly comedy, Good Luck Chuck is a fair bet.
Dane Cook got highly overexposed the last couple of years; his standup routine was revealed as pretty lame (even though he was doing stadium venues), and his comedies have been pretty un-comedic. However, Good Luck Chuck brings him back as a funny dude, playing the lovesick dentist infatuated with the unluckiest - and most dangerous - girl on the planet.
Jessica Alba is the attractive, hapless object of his affection. Stay away- she's horribly clumsy and being around her can be bad for your health. She spills drinks in your lap. Flips sharp instruments (by accident) into your back when you're not looking. And has mishap after mishap of her own; dress caught in the door as you drive away, walking into sign poles.
If Cook makes a good showing and redeems himself as a comedic actor, Alba makes a good heartfelt try at it, but ends up just being eye-candy in the movie. As would be expected in an R-rated comedy, there are nude boobs galore, but the star never bares all. Alba comes off as just a cute, silly girl.
Be prepared for seriously adult humor and language, but if you're okay with that, Good Luck Chuck is a very good time, and full of laughs. Not for the kids, and maybe not a good movie for a date, depending on your significant other's comedic tastes and ability to enjoy 'guy' humor. Very funny, nonetheless.
6 May
Ironman
In Theaters
Rated PG-13; 2 hr. 6 min.
✰✰✰✰✰
Ironman
It's May, and the
official Summer Blockbuster Season has yet to begi
n.
Tell that to the movie-starved public, who gave Ironman a $200
million opening weekend! As we wait for the rest of the
good stuff to show up, Ironman will dominate, recovering its $140
million dollar budget already, and a sky's-the-limit projection on
return possible. The movie had the 10th-highest opening on record.
As much as I have considerable disdain for Hollywood, they have struck a vein in bringing to life many of the fantastic comic characters of my youth. Ironman, one of my absolute favorites, is a great movie, with upscale special effects and a convincing performance by Robert Downey, Jr. as the hero.
If the Marvel Universe wasn’t part of your life when you were a kid, here’s the background story of Ironman- Tony Stark is a petulant, self-indulgent multimillionaire, a former child prodigy with a mind for inventing machinery. His intellectual abilities are hereditary, as his father was one of the geniuses behind the Manhattan Project. As Stark matures, he puts his skills to work on creating advanced weaponry and in the process makes an enormous fortune. The downside to his inventions- they are machines of war, and are used by both sides in conflicts around the world.
Stark
has an epiphany on the far-reaching effect of his inventions when he is
taken captive by an Afghani warlord, who demands Stark duplicate his
devastating weapons of mass destruction in exchange for his freedom.
The warlord locks Stark in a cave with a likable engineer as his
assistant, and provides him all the equipment necessary to create the
bomb. Stark realizes he doesn't want to make destructive weapons
any more, and so goes about using his monumental genius to create a
battle suit to make his way out of the caves. Thus, the Ironman is
born.
The movie stars Downey in the lead role
,
and he turns in a surprisingly good performance as Stark/Ironman.
For consideration is that Downey has had considerable
problems in his acting career/personal life, owing to various addictions
and abuses. The short list of Downey's missteps- numerous drug
charges from 1996-2001. A 1996 arrest for possession of heroin,
cocaine, and a pistol, while driving down Sunset Boulevard naked, began
his downward spiral. From there, Downey had several more arrests,
went to rehab a number of times, and was generally seen as a bad risk in
Hollywood, regardless his acting talents. While Downey captures
the role of Stark
well
in the movie, it brings to mind the overall moral point surrounding
actors/public figures and their continued return to feature roles and
huge paychecks. While everyone deserves a second chance, after
repeated abuses and backsliding, one would think that with all the
hungry, capable actors in Hollywood that it would be simple enough to
find an exceptional -and less problematic or storied - individual to
fill the leading role. The director of Ironman, Jon Favreau,
insisted on Downey as his leading man. Again, Downey makes a great
showing in a good movie, but there is still that nagging question of how
someone with that much history can keep being allowed back .
Ironman
also features Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, and Jeff Bridges.
In an amusing point, Favreau makes a cameo appearance as Stark's
personal driver. Again, the questionable moral/ethical issues of
actors and their continued collection of enormous salaries is
problematic with Paltrow in this blockbuster. Paltrow has made a
number of critical anti-American statements, and lives in
the United Kingdom with her English husband. I find it
consistently bothersome that actors who have obvious disdain for their
viewing public - who cough up to pay their huge contracts - keep landing
big roles. Conversely, the role of Star
k's
friend is blandly played by Howard, who had previously been nominated
for an Academy Award for Best Leading Actor. Bridges brings us a
new dimension to his acting as the sinister Obidiah Stane, the evil foil
to Stark's Ironman. Sporting a bald pate and heavy beard, Bridges
is almost unrecognizable in his role.
The movie features exceptional graphics
and CGI. The Ironman suit is a technological marvel, and the movie
brings it to life in a fantastic, realistic fashion. The suit
allows Stark to fly, shoot high-tech weapons, and gives him incredible
strength. What has yet to be presented in this start to the story
- which
is
expected to continue as a trilogy - is that there are numerous
evolutions and models to the Ironman suit. We get to see the
models Mark I through III, with an additional mechanical monster created
by Stane from Stark's technical plans. From the comic, there are
also a heavy-weapons model, and assorted others. All the tech
stuff, widgets, capabilities, and overall impression of the Ironman are
presented in the movie to a level that should satisfy any fan of the
perennial comic book character, as well as give new viewers some
satisfying awe. The metals, coloring, and look to the Ironman suit
are stunning.
With the great graphics and the story of
Ironman brought to life in this movie, it is a great picture to take the
whole family to. There are some very funny moments - Stark testing
out the 'fly' function of the suit, resulting in spinning out of control
and crashing into the wall - as well as others. As previously
reviewed i
n
Alpha Dad, Stark's personal ride is an
Audi R8,
an awesome supercar available to the public (that can afford the
$100,000+ price tag).
Ironman was always one of my favorite heroes as a boy. Stark is Ironman, but with the suit... anyone can be the hero. It makes for great daydreaming for boys, or girls (!) everywhere. Take your kids, or even just yourself, and catch the red and gold superhero.
Reference-
Pictures and official movie homepage:
http://ironmanmovie.marvel.com/
Vacancy
On DVD
Rated R; 1 hr. 20 min.
Amazon ASIN: B000RGN2JI
✰✰
Ready for a stress-fest? Come on down and check in, there's rooms available at the Pinewood Motel.
The movie, starring Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsdale, gives us the typical slasher setup: couple lost way out in the sticks is forced to spend the night in a creepy motel. The motel is actually a cottage industry production studio for snuff films, with the guests as the unwilling stars.
With a movie like this, the plot is
predictable, and the acting pretty irrelevant. So let's focus on
the real core of a scary movie- does it have a sufficient tension level?
Yes; although you can only carry this on for so long until it becomes
tedious. At 80 minutes, Vacancy wraps it up in short order.
However, for a $10 purchase, or even a $5 video rental, even if it
thankfully concludes in under two hours, I still end up feeling
shortchanged. Does it make you jump a couple times, causing your
viewing partner to flinch or grab your arm, or maybe let out a small
squeal? Yes; Vacancy gives you
a
couple of those, but you really have to let go and get
into the fact that it's just a movie. Do enough bad guys get
rubbed out in sufficiently retributive fashion? Yes, for the most part;
although I always want the creeps and killers to suffer more before they
get dispatched.
Vacancy doesn't carry on too long to wear
you out or bore you wit
h
the story. It may make for a good date movie if your significant
other is into scary movies. Some gore, a lot of tension, and a
recycled plot all make Vacancy predictable, but it could be fun if
getting your arm grabbed a number of times during viewing is your thing.
A small note- Kate Beckinsdale is nice to look at. And Vacancy is one of the few movies that I've seen that actually brings a small point of realism: in real life, people sweat profusely when they're scared S-less. With this, we get to see Wilson and Beckinsdale sweaty and freaked out for a good 60 minutes.
Reference-
Pictures and official movie website:
http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/vacancy/
Movie Review
The Forbidden Kingdom
In Theaters
Rated PG-13; 1 hr. 53 min.
✰✰✰
The Forbidden Kingdom
It finally happened: Jackie Chan and Jet
Li together in the same movie. And they pulled it off
exceptionally, creating characters suited for both actors, along with
the action that you expect of a movie from either of the superstars.
Forbidden Kingdom is a fun story- a handful of Chinese legends mixed into an original script. The script takes considerable poetic license with the Chinese myths and creates an overall line that is ostensibly palatable for Western audiences. This makes for an entertaining story that is original in a slew of contemporary fantasy movies, with a load of fight scenes to satisfy action fans.
The great part about the action is that Chan movies - as well as most by Li - are (thankfully) lacking in blood or gore. Parents, and even viewers with reasonable tastes, have to take some care when choosing a movie these days, as dismemberments, eviscerations, and a high level of gore seem to be requisite to make an 'action' movie.
The fight scenes are exceptionally
choreographed, as in all movies of both the leading stars. Lots of
intricate handwork, kicks, running up walls, flips, and use of props as
part of the scenes. An interesting note- the fight choreography for the
movie was orchestrated by Yuen Woo-ping, who directed the 1978 Chan
movie, The
Drunken
Master. In The Forbidden Kingdom, the Eight Drunken
Immortals of Chinese lore are also key to the story, and Chan's
character is one of this octet and his fighting style is fashioned as
such. That is- his techniques and movements in fighting are
swaying and slightly intoxicated. It is great to see the two
skilled martial artists of Chan and Li working against each other in
their opening meeting. The intricacy and skill of their moves is
what you would expect of them. Li stated after production that
working with Chan was the best experience he had ever had in a fight
movie, and that executing the fight scenes was smooth and easy.
Both Chan and Li were incredibly popular stars in Asia before they made it in the American market. Chan has been frustrated that his (very good) movies in the West were not popular in Asia. Regardless how much of a blockbuster any of his movies in Hollywood are, they never seemed to strike a chord with the audiences in Asia, owing to the different overall tastes of the respective viewers.
Although
Chan has never had a movie that could be considered a 'crossover hit'
for the Asian market, he has remained true to the genre there, with many
elements of movies there found in Forbidden Kingdom. American
audiences have become accustomed to - and seem to enjoy - hallmark
features of 'kung fu' movies: fight and action that are simply
impossible, with characters doing a lot of flying and supernatural moves
during fight scenes. This makes Forbidden Kingdom a distinctly
'Asian kung fu' flick that is built around the exceptional production of
Western features.
In assessing the work of other principal
characters, Michael Angarano is utterly forgettable in
his role as Jason Tripitikas. I fear they are trying to revive a
Karate Kid-type franchise in his character. Yifei Lui is an
attractive young woman who is one of the warriors involved in the quest,
and plays the ostensible love interest to Angarano's character. As
with many of the characters, English is not their native language, and
it shows with Lui. Regardless, the overall acting was up to par
for a fun action movie, and adequate to hold viewer interest.
The plot is highly involved, with many Chinese legends thrown in, as well as an inexplicable Western 'hero' character (Angarano) put in the mix. Again, this seems to be an attempt to make the film likable for both Asian and Western audiences. Too complex to detail - and keep it interesting in describing it in abstract - imagine the X-Men meets kung fu movie.
The cinematography is very good, with beautiful coloring, great fantasy environments, and sweeping vistas. Some of the CGI rendering doesn't fit too well, but it's decent. This is not a high-tech movie; it's more a fantasy story with great kung fu action, so this point is forgivable. It is nice to see a classic element of Asian natural beauty highlighted a number of times in the movie- the blossoming of cherry and peach trees. This is often a theme and visual treat that is emphasized in many movies out of Asia, and it finds a good home in this picture.
This is a great family film. The junior reviewers on the Alpha Dad team loved it, and were captivated through the whole movie. High action, low gore, and the fun comedic relief of both Li and Chan make this a good bet to catch with the whole family. Of note- there is great action in this movie that appeals to boys, but there are two exceptional, strong female warriors in the movie that should be enjoyable for girls.
Reference-
Pictures and official movie website:
http://www.forbiddenkingdommovie.com/
Short Take
Strangers With Candy
On DVD
Rated R; 1 hr. 31 min.
Amazon ASIN: B000HC2OBO
✰✰✰
Jerri
is 47. She was a runaway, and fell into a bad way, becoming a ‘boozer,
a user, and a loser.’ After a couple stints in prison, she has returned
to her hometown and is going back to high school. This is a comedy, and
although this plot setup is completely off-the-wall, it makes for a
hilarious movie.
Not much explaining can do this comedy justice. The Stranger’s With Candy concept was originally a skit on Comedy Central, then a series that ran for three years. Here’s the movie description from Amazon:
Jerri Blank (Amy Sedaris) is a forty-seven year old ex-con who decides to return to her childhood home after thirty-two years working the streets and in prison. Upon her arrival she discovers her father is in a self-induced coma. Hoping to wake him Jerri decides to turn her life around by picking it up exactly where she left off as a high school freshman. But for a former boozer user and loser hanging with the in crowd is going to be harder than turning tricks.
Jerri is a frumpy, buck-toothed weirdo, thrust back into a world populated by high school teenagers. Even though she’s 47, she still doesn’t ‘get it,’ and wants to hang with the popular crowd. Alas, she doesn’t live up to the standards of this clique, and gets relegated to the nerds and rejects. Her blithe efforts at popularity and acceptance are quite funny. Her life and high school is populated with a host of strange characters and personalities of hyperbole in this excellent satire. Her father is in a coma, and she wants to win the school science fair in the hopes that this will bring him out of his stupor. Her mother is having an affair with the family’s meat man, who is quite frequently parked on the couch at her house. Her brother is a whiny pest, of ambiguous sexual orientation. The school principal is a witless blowhard of a crook, intent on impressing the school board with the science fair, so as to make cover for his misappropriation of school funds.
Strangers With Candy also features Stephen Colbert – who also co-wrote the script - of the Colbert Report and The Daily Show. Colbert plays Jerri’s science teacher, and so is intimately interwoven into the plot. Matthew Broderick plays the interloper, as a ‘semi-famous’ science teacher. His celebrity only extends to the county line, but his self-infatuation is over-the-top. Sarah Jessica Parker plays the school guidance counselor, who requires a contribution to her tip jar before students are allowed to return to class. Philip Seymour Hoffman, who won an Oscar for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, also has a short bit-part.
This menagerie of actors, set loose in the crazy premise of the script make for an off-the-wall comedy. If something funny and different is what you want for a weekend night, Strangers With Candy makes for a great pick.
Movie Review
Short Take
Jumper
On DVD Soon
Rated PG-13; 1 hr. 30 min.
✰✰✰
Jumper
It
takes a bit to recognize the face, but the lead in Jumper i
s
Max Theriot, the same young man that became Darth Vader, nee Annakin
Skywalker. Playing the lead of David Rice, he's matured now, and
gone are his irritating superfluous braid and evil heart as carried in
the Star Wars series.
Teenage David stumbles upon his incredible
power- the ability to 'jump' and transport himself anywhere on the
planet to any location he can adequately visualize. He's a child
of humble origins, and when he realizes his awesome power, he shortly
begins to transport himself into bank vaults and bring stacks of money
out with him. But he's a criminal with a conscience, and al
ways
leaves an IOU when he makes off with the loot.
Fast forward to David as a young man, now living in a swanky apartment in New York City. He's got every toy that appeals to a young man- surfboard, superbikes, and he can 'borrow' any car he pleases. His life is idyllic and the fantasy of adolescents - and adults as well - come to reality. He jumps at will, and spends his days in far-flung exotic locations - spending an afternoon in a beach chair atop the Sphinx, surfing the storm swell off Indonesia, etc. He has visited thousands of desirable locations across the planet.
But there's a catch. David is not the only one who has the ability to jump at will. And this ability is found to be an abomination by a religious sect called The Paladins. The head of the organization is played by Samuel L. Jackson, and his maniacal dedication to eliminating jumpers is a sole-minded goal. And by eliminate, this means execute. As expected, David eventually comes to the attention of the Paladins, and is put in the queue for termination.
Not too much explaining is necessary from
here, with the exception of the expected love interest and how she
becomes involved in the plot. Great shooting locations, reasonable
special effects, and pretty good acting make f
or
a fun film. The picture is pretty low on violence, and has a few
scenes (e.g. Jackson dispatching a jumper) that is marginal, but it is a
pleasantly bloodless film, and should be acceptable for young fans of
action movies.
Reference-
Pictures and official movie website:
http://www.jumperthemovie.com/
Movie Review
Short Take
The Seeker
On DVD
Rated PG; 1 hr. 34 min.
Amazon ASIN: B000XUUQRE
✰✰✰
The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising
A
lot of contemporary youth movies have become relatively formulaic: kid
(boy or girl) has to save the planet from some awful disaster, typically
the end of the world as we know it. The Seeker isn't much
different. However, it's still a fun movie and a good flick to
watch with the kids.
The interesting point of movies for kids that I think is overlooked is that they typically have a very good moral point- good vs. evil; with good winning out. Whether it's dark vs. light, monsters vs. elves, dragons vs. knights, the overarching theme is good vs. evil, with a lot of lessons about self-sacrifice, humility, and doing your best thrown in. Compare that with typical adult fare, and regardless the relative quality of a feature, it makes the choice preferable, particularly where our children are concerned.
The Seeker is a light vs. good battle.
The thousand year
s
of prophecy have passed and the darkness is gaining power in its
inevitable bid to conquer the world. Enter our hero Will Stanton,
an unwitting champion. Will must complete a quest to find six
'signs' before the darkness, personified in an evil rider, gains his
full power and is able to enact his rule. All this is thrust upon
Will as he doesn't realize his role and powers until he comes to know
the 'Old Ones.' Will is the seventh son of a seventh son, and is
part of a lineage that has been battling the darkness for a millennium.
His abilities include being able to travel through time and space in his
search for the
signs,
as well as being able to harness fire, telekinesis, and great strength
he can call on.
Once set in motion, with the guidance of the Old Ones, Will begins his quest. The familiar elements with the genre are easy to guess, but the film keeps it interesting. What is quite pleasant is - finally - a young hero that doesn't have a British accent. No offense to the English, but there are shelves full of kid movies with the accent. Apparently only English children are able to do magic or save the world, but Seeker breaks the mold. The twist is that Will is an American kid, pursuing his quest in England. (chuckle).
The film holds up on its own for adult
viewers, and keeps pace and action enough to satisfy both parents and
the kids. What is unique is the cinematic tone of the movie.
There are numerous camera effects and angles that bring a pleasant
quality to an ostensible kid movie. Use of light, close-ups, angle
s,
fish-eye, spinning rotation of camera perspective, etc., all make it fun
to watch, without being overdone. No overblown special effects or
anthropomorphic characters injected into a classic theme, and it remains
enjoyable and engaging for the whole audience.
The junior reviewers heartily enjoyed the film, and Dad found it great fun as well. Take it for what it is, and enjoy a movie with a point. Good vs. evil, without any bloodshed, cursing, or sexuality is a welcome feature for the family to catch together.
Reference-
Pictures and official movie website:
Movie Review
Short Take
30 Days of Night
On DVD
Rated PG-13; 1 hr. 53 min.
Amazon ASIN: B00111YM5Q
✰✰
30 Days of Night
Another horror movie with an interesting setting- remote, frigid Alaska.
Barrow, AK, is considered the northernmost town in the United States. It endures some of the harshest cold and conditions possible. In winter, so close to the North Pole, it goes to total darkness for a lengthy period. What could possible make it a more inhospitable place to live? Vampires, of course.
Josh Hartnett is the town sheriff, faced
with a growing surreal crisis as the long night approaches, and it
becomes obvious that someone - or something - is doing everything
necessary to ensure that Barrow is cut off from the outside world.
Once it gets dark, things get scary and awful in a hurry.
As with all movies these days, you have to just keep it firmly in mind- it's just a movie. Forgive all the factual errors or anything implausible, and try to just enjoy it for what it is. 30 Days of Night is a pretty good horror movie, but don't set the bar too high in your expectations.
The story is pretty simple-
Barrow endures 30 days of continuous dark in the middle of winter.
The town has been isolated by the interlopers, and as soon as it gets
dark, the vampires descend on the town to feed on the residents. The
small band of survivors that avoid the terrible fate of their
neighbors
have to stick it out and make it to the end of the month-long darkness.
Only problem- the vampires are free to roam about in the long dark, and
have come to stay in the little town until the sun chases them off.
In the opening scenes, the footage appears to have actually been shot in the proposed location. You get a good feel for the desolation and cold of the place. The film starts out being almost beautiful in its cinematography. Sadly, this fades rather quickly as it is obvious that the rest of the movie was shot on a soundstage. Fake, sprayed snow, and the feel of the harsh, bitter cold that is ostensibly at hand is lost. The producers do a passable job with scenery, but the use of miniatures is evident in many places.
The movie is a strange mix of pretty
capable and believable acting, counterposed to heavy gore that is
apparently an absolute necessity for virtually all contemporary movies.
Hartnett is very good as the sheriff, giving good e
motion and turning in
a good performance. The character actors get into it pretty well,
with realistic emotion and actions in response to vampires hunting them.
The other side is the gruesome vampire clan, with horrid pointy teeth,
and their bloody executions of victims. The story holds onto some
thread of believability - surprisingly - all the way up to the climactic
finish. Then it goes over-the-top. But do you expect any
less of Hollywood these days?
With all that in mind - good acting performance and presentation, along with heavy gore, in a unique setting - 30 Days of Night is probably worth a night's rental.
Reference-
Pictures and official movie website:
http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/30daysofnight/
Movies we're not going to watch this week
[A little editorializing on the Movie Reviews page]
Funny Games
Two teenage psychopaths take a family hostage at the family cabin and torment them. Are you kidding? I'd rather watch When Animals Attack. I have a closet full of scripts if Hollywood is looking for any POS to make into a movie. (R)
Never Back Down
New kid at school is 'lured' into an underground fight club, and finds a mentor in MMA fighting. Just looking at the trailers, the fight scenes are horribly choreographed and terribly fake. Watch The Ultimate Fighter instead. Real fighters, real fights, etc. Why drop $8 on a pathetic attempt at capitalizing on the popularity of MMA? (PG-13)
Fool's Gold
"Treasure hunters get a chance to rekindle their disintegrating marriage when they find a missing clue in the search for lost booty." Wasn't this movie Jewel of the Nile Parts I & II, with Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner? Oh- same thing, only with Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson. Hollywood- hear me now: if you have run out of ideas, I have some great stuff. (PG-13)
Drillbit Taylor
Nerdy outcast kids picked on at school; in need of a bodyguard and some sage advice. Enter Owen Wilson. Snore. (PG-13)
Note- The junior reviewers (8 & 12-year-old boys) went and saw this movie with Mom. They gave it big thumbs up and said it was hilarious. Perhaps my opinion is wrong, so you may want to take this fact into consideration. They're lobbying for Dad to see it again with them. However, I'm doing everything I can to avoid it.
Shutter
Happy newlywed couple moves to Japan for the husband's work. Primer to the main story- couple is in a horrible accident, and wife thinks they've killed a young girl in the accident. Surprise!- No girl, no body. Couple then haunted (ghostly images on husband's professional photographs) by said ghost girl. From the producers of The Ring and The Grudge. Man, these guys (the producers) love Japan. That, and making terrible remakes of Japanese movies to build their careers. The Ring- remake of a Japanese hit movie, Ringu. English version- awful. Made enough $ for a sequel. The Grudge- remake of Japanese hit flick, Ju-On. English version- awful. Hollywood wanted two sequels of this one (3rd feature upcoming this year). Shutter is a hodgepodge of many recycled elements from those stories, with a catch seen in the 2003 Gothika, and again- set in Japan. Reminding us that movie makers in the US have run out of ideas, and are making patchwork quilts of movies (some from other countries) that still come out the same. I think this may be my big chance to be a Hollywood screenwriter, and I'll push for it here- I have lots and lots of stuff. I do a lot of thinking, sometimes even unique, new, and original material. Write me here at Alpha Dad, and I'll make you millions with a dynamite script. Anybody in Southern California listening? (PG-13)
Movies you should try to get to:
Horton Hears a Who! and Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.
As much as Hollywood pushes awful 'artsy' and 'cutting-edge' movies on us like Brokeback Mountain and No Country for Old Men (see review below), good kid movies make piles and piles of money. Why? Because they're fun, and parents wait expectantly for something good they can take their kids to. Bring us more of that, and maybe I'll drop eight bucks on something 'edgy.'
Movie Reviews
Stuff to Catch with the Kids
Major Payne
Too Funny with Damon Wayans
On DVD
Rated PG-13; 1 hr. 38 min
Amazon ASIN: 0783230494
✰✰✰✰✰
Major Payne
Major
Payne is one of those movies that you either get it, and find it
hilarious, or you'll just turn it off. However, if you don't find
it humorous, there's probably something wrong with you.
Damon Wayans is too funny for description, in an over-the-top performance as a Marine Corps major turned out by the Corps, with no worthy battles left to fight. He eventually finds employ as the cadet instructor for the junior ROTC program at a private school.
The opening segment after his last completed mission are a send-up of the hotel scene in Apocalypse Now. But this movie isn't a spoof-filled comedy that are so common now, and revisited in sequel after sequel. It's a cult classic. A comedy of epic standing on its own.
Wayans hits it dead on both as a hardened
drill instructor, 'round-brown
'
- the signature headgear of drills everywhere- and all, and as a
one-liner king with witty quips in response to every deficiency and
goof-up that his cadets make. His stature, crisp uniforms and
spit-shined boots show his
professional
side, and his often laconic drawl make him an icon as a drill. But
then his gold tooth and delivery ("he-he-he"; you'll hear this a number
of times throughout the movie) give his comedic send-up of the same.
His corrective measures are mean but
effective. Make fun of the girls? You can do your PT in a dress.
Complain about the accommodations in the bar
racks?
Spend a couple hours up to your neck in mud, getting hosed down with the
sprinkler (and reminded you're all little Brussels' sprouts).
Eventually his charges come to despise him, to the extent that they do
everything possible to rid themselves of the new tyrant in charge.
They hire a biker from town to stomp him into the ground (unsuccessful);
they spike his lunch dessert with a horse-killing dose of laxatives
(unsuccessful); they even try putting one of their fellow cadets in a
dress and taking incriminating photos of Payne with the so-attired youth
(unsuccessful). But Payne won't give up on making little men out
of his motley band.
The one-liners, and Payne's simple solutions to little-boy problems are short, concise, and often ear-splitting. Got a monster in your closet? Nothing five rounds from a 1911 .45 won't fix. Feeling discouraged? Let the good Major give you the story of The Little Engine that Could, with a good scary dose of poetic license.
He
shaves his head with a kukri. He does the robot when cutting the
rug. He consumes food just as a recruit does during basic training
(that is- with blinding expediency). For relaxation and fun, he
hangs upside down, disassembles and reassembles his handgun.
Blindfolded. All the aspects of the hard-charging military man are
turned up to a level of satire that is comedic genius at work. But he's
a drill with heart; it's hidden in a comedic cloak, but there's a method
to his madness. He really cares about his bunch of mishap-prone
and pathetic bunch of cadets.
I have watched this movie more than ten times, half of which were with the junior reviewers (8 & 12). They enjoy it as much as I do. Every time I pass by it on cable, I have to go back and see it again. The boys have come to repeat every memorable line from the movie (and there's a lot of them; you'll see), and even put on miniature vignettes for their mother's enjoyment with their co-opted material. We are on our second copy of the movie, having worn the old one out with repeated play.
There are times when the language is a bit
crass, but nothing an 8 to 15-year-old can't handle, particularly when
viewing the flick with a parent.
And that's how you should watch this movie- with your kids. I
guarantee a good time. If you miss that, again- it's a good sign
that the humor center of your brain is not functioning properly.
I suggest you purchase a copy, rather than just renting it. If you like it, and you really should, you'll want to watch it again and again. Give it a go, and you won't be disappointed.
Reference-
Pictures and official producer website:
Barnyard: The Original Party Animals
Animated Feel-Good and Laugh-a-Lot Movie
On DVD
Rated PG; 1 hr. 23 min
Amazon ASIN: B000ION726
✰✰✰✰
Barnyard: The Original Party Animals
If
you saw it when it first came out, you hopefully found it a fun,
innocent feel-good movie, with anthropomorphic animal characters. The
voice talent is provided by Courtney Cox (costar of Friends), Sam Elliott
(itinerant ruddy cowboy character, last seen in Ghost Rider, Danny
Glover (inimitable feature actor, with a voice that is exceptional for
animations) , and Kevin James (star of The King of Queens).
Simple story: the barnyard is full of animals.
The leader of the eclectic barnyard pack dies,
and
his son Otis, the head cow now, is put in charge. Otis' maturity
is put to the test, and he has to leave the frivolity of being a
carefree face in the herd aside, to protect the rest of the animals from
raiding coyotes. And all the animals can talk,
dance, drive cars, and span the spectrum
of personalities from severe paranoids, meek giants, to quipping
sarcastic mice.
There is more than enough humor for parents to enjoy the movie with their kids. Funny stuff for the kids, funny stuff for mom and dad. Even though we keep getting fare like Brokeback Mountain, and No Country for Old Men forced upon us, Hollywood has at times taken notice of the marketability of kid-oriented animated features. Barnyard has earned $115 million worldwide. Not bad for a comedic kid flick.
This is a safe one for viewing with all the family on the couch. They'll love it, and you should, too. Give it a run.
Reference-
Pictures and official producer website:
Movie Review
Sunshine
Exceptional Visual Journey
On DVD
Rated R; 1 hr. 47 min
Amazon ASIN: B000Y7U98C
✰✰✰✰
Sunshine
It is sad to note that many movies that are terrible make a lot of money. And of course, good movies often don’t do well. Sunshine is a visually stunning and interesting movie that didn’t make it at the box office.
I
point out this film for a try as it’s a beautiful movie in its colors
and effects, and has an exceptional soundtrack. It is a kind of weird
flick at times, using strange camera angles and interweaves on how
flashes of scenes are edited together, but overall, it makes for a very
entertaining visual exposition.
The story is pleasantly unique as science-fiction movies
go: our sun has begun to die, with its fusion stopped by ‘proto
matter.’ This has pushed entire our planet into eternal iciness and
cold. A team of scientists is sent on a mission to re-ignite our star.
This is the second, and last possible, mission to save our
world. There are a number of accidents and mishaps on the
journey, and the scientists begin to show the psychological stress and
desperation in being humanity’s last hope.
The mission-ship environments, the views of Mercury, space, and our sun are beautifully rendered, and evoke almost an emotional response, much as 2001: A Space Odyssey. Sunshine is unique and innovative, and achieves a level of fascination for the viewer that is rare. Beautiful colors, good special effects, along with a close-up view of human nature and stress make it an engaging film.
Of note to the story is the moral point, repeated a number of times throughout, of self-sacrifice. A number of the mission crew give their lives so that the others may succeed, and the mission will give the Earth life. Although rated R, we made this a guy movie, with Dad and the junior reviewers – 8 & 12 – catching it together. With the