Iron Man

The summer movie season officially kicks off this week with Iron Man, the first major movie release of 2008.

Iron Man stars Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark and, well, Iron Man.  While in the Middle East showcasing his war technology, Stark is taken captive by an evil mastermind.  To fight his way to freedom, Stark builds a high tech, but clunky looking suit of armor… the first of the Iron Man suits.

What’s interesting about the story of Tony Stark is he continues to be Iron Man to stop the misuse of his own war technology.  In essence, he comes to a point where he has a new understanding of peace.  He’s now set on cleaning up the violent mess he created.  And, he’s very much human.  He’s not just a billionaire playboy with a perfect life.  He’s an alcoholic with very real, very personal demons to fight.

First off, casting Downey as Stark is brilliant.  It’s somewhat typecasting, allowing Downey to pour his real life problems of the past into a role that allows him to sort of poke fun at himself.

And that’s also what’s great about Iron Man.  There’s nothing brooding about this movie.  It’s pure fun with truly awesome technology and great humor.

So, here’s to the summer movie season of 2008!

Posted: May 1st, 2008 under Film.
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21 — Columbia Pictures

Based on true life events, dramatized for effect, 21 centers around six M-I-T students who are trained by their professor, played by Kevin Spacey, to count cards.  They take their extra curricular activity to Las Vegas, where math plays a major role in making millions.  And, may drown these kids in danger.

Kevin Spacey is a perfect fit for the M-I-T professor without scruples.  But, while his performance is stellar, it’s Jim Sturgess who’s getting raves as the student most focused on in the film.

You may remember him from Across the Universe?  No?  Didn’t see it?  Oh, well.  21 is much more palpable than that inspired drug trip, anyway.

But, this isn’t a review about Across the Universe.  So, back to 21, which won’t wow you, but will engage you enough to leave feeling like you got something more than just passive entertainment.

Stop Loss — Paramount Pictures

Even less passive is the Iraq War dram — Stop Loss — a film that wears its war stance on its sleeve.

The often under-rated Ryan Philippe stars as a soldier fresh off a tour in Iraq.  His future looks bright, until a sort of military loophole allows the military to call him up immediately for another tour in Iraq.  Philippe’s character refuses, creating the tension for the movie.

Kimberly Peirce directs.  She’s also the director behind 2000’s Boys Don’t Cry, so she’s no stranger to controversy.  And, she doesn’t seem to be trying to avoid it in any way shape or form with Stop Loss.

With presidential campaigns underway, the five years anniversary of the war and continuing outcries over it, this film is well timed.  It’s easier, as an audience, to get into the film because you can relate, knowing what’s going on in real life now as a story inspired by it plays out on the screen.

21 could be considered Ocean’s Eleven for the teen set.  But, it’s not juvenile.  I say see it in the theater, as it’s a thinking movie with enough excitement to keep you riveted.

Stop Loss is also a thinking movie, which I think is worth a look on the big screen.  Just be ready for a biased tale, which will either anger you into action or confirm your stance on the Iraq War.

Posted: March 27th, 2008 under Film.
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Drillbit Taylor — Paramount Pictures

Owen Wilson is back in this week’s new comedy, Drillbit Taylor, a John Hughes film, slapstick style.

Wilson is hired by two freshmen who are tired of being bullied after just the first day of high school.  He’s supposed to protect them, teaching them to defend themselves.  Unfortunately, those are skills he, himself, doesn’t have.
This film has so much going for it.  Well, other than Owen Wilson.  Unless, of course, you like Owen Wilson.  Then, it’s got everything going for it.

The great John Hughes came up with the idea for this film several years ago.  Judd Apatow, the Superbad guy, developed it.  And, as he’s apt to do, Apatow put it in the hands of Seth Rogen, who wrote Superbad, and Kristofor Brown.  Add Steve Brill, the director behind “Without a Paddle.”  Uh, nevermind.

Shutter — 20th Century Fox

If you’d rather laugh with fear, then Shutter might be more your style - another Asian horror import.  And, do we really need another one?

This time, it’s not a deadly videotape nor a catlike pale child nor a dripping apartment we must fear.  It’s ghostly images in photographs taken by an American couple honeymooning in Tokyo.  (So, is the moral of these stories that Americans should never go to East Asia?)  But, in true Asian horror style, they must solve the mystery behind the images in order to get a Scooby Snack.  Or, something like that.

This one stars Joshua Jackson, of Dawson’s Creek fame, or non-fame, depending on what you thought of that show.

It’s a little too familiar, for my taste.  But, fans of Asian horror imports may like it.

Of note, the original was made in Thailand, not Japan, as you’ll likely hear.

Posted: March 20th, 2008 under Film.
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The Other Boleyn Girl — Columbia Pictures

History remembers Anne Boleyn, King Henry the Eighth’s second wife.  But, it was her sister, The Other Boleyn Girl, who had first crack at the king.

Scarlett Johansson plays Mary Boleyn, the titular character.  She and her sister, Anne, played by Natalie Portman, are set upon a task by their father to advance their family’s status by courting the king.  The pair are steadfast in their efforts, but one filled with ambition and the other true affection.  A bitter rivalry results, which makes for a tabloid history lesson.

This is a powerful cast, with Eric Bana also starring as the lusty King Henry the Eighth.  Those familiar with his story know the outcome, but the journey to history’s outcome is quite a baudy one.

While the cast is good, the director is not quite up to the task of making this an epic piece.  It plays more like a big screen soap opera.  But, it’s still a lesson in history that’s a lot more entertaining than your Seventh Grade teacher’s classroom.

And then there’s Will Ferrell, back for another slapstick comedy, Semi-Pro, which takes his now familiar antics to the basketball court.

Semi-Pro — New Line Cinema

Ferrell plays the owner of the Flint, Michigan Tropics, an ABA team.  But, he’s also the team’s coach and a player.  And, he’s the man who may take the team to NBA status.  Or not.

If you like Ferrell’s brand of humor, you’ll probably like this movie.  Otherwise, there’s nothing new to offer here.  And, the attempts at humor often bounce off the rim, rather than slam dunk to score laughs.

If there’s anything positive, it’s Woody Harrelson, who returns to the Silver Screen basketball court, and to comedy.

Otherwise, eh.

The Other Boleyn Girl isn’t getting great reviews, but I think it’s worth a watch on the big screen.  It’s baudy, historical sibling rivalry with a stellar cast.

Semi-Pro, on the other hand, isn’t one of Will Ferrell’s winners.  I say wait for the DVD, lower your expectations and then you might like it!

Posted: February 28th, 2008 under Film.
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The Spiderwick Chronicles

While we don’t have romance this Valentine’s Day, we do have the first family film of 2008 — The Spiderwick Chronicles, based on the children’s book series.

Freddie Highmore, the brilliant child actor from Finding Neverland and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, plays twin brothers who move into the run-down Spiderwick Estate.  While there, they discover a book which reveals to them a world of fairies, goblins and other fantasy creatures.

It is about time Hollywood taps into this treasure.  The books just beg to be told on the big screen.  And, the imagery style of the film is similar to that of the books, which means the creatures your kids read about are suddenly alive and flitting around on the big screen.

Jumper

We also have a sci-fi, Heroes type film starring Hayden Christensen — Jumper, a time travelling, teleportation thriller.

Christensen plays a character with the power to teleport through time and space.  Once he discovers this ability, he’s off searching for the man he believes killed his mother.  But, he’s up against a secret organization set out to destroy people with his powers.  And, there’s also fellow jumpers who’ve gone bad, as they tend to do.

First off, cool.  From the very first trailer I saw, this just looked really cool.  Okay, Christensen can’t really act.  I honestly have no idea how his career continues.  Even with Christensen, this still could’ve been a summer blockbuster.  It baffles me as to why it’s a winter release.  But, I say, enjoy the jump.

Posted: February 14th, 2008 under Film.
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27 Dresses — Fox 2000 Pictures

Katherine Heigl stars in a movie that was supposed to come out last week, but was bumped to this week — 27 Dresses — a movie that’s supposed to be better than it is.

Heigl plays the “always a bridesmaid, never a bride” girl, whose served in the sidekick wedding position 27 times.  Now, she’s on the sidelines again, watching her sister marry the man she loves, played by James Marsden, who’s getting a lot of exposure, lately.  Good for you, James!

This was so promising.  But, critics are calling it overly formulaic, uninspired and an insult to the romantic comedy.  The thing is, if you like romantic comedy and you like Katherine Heigl and go for emotion over execution, you’ll like this.   There’s just nothing special about it.  For a better date night, go rent the classic romance “Somewhere in Time” instead.

Cloverfield — Paramount Pictures

It’s arguably the most anticipated horror film in a long time — Cloverfield, formerly known as 1-18-08, formerly known as Untitled J.J. Abrams Project.  Yes, the man behind the hit TV series Lost is behind this flick, too.

The movie starts at a going-away party in Manhattan.  The party quickly takes a turn for the worse when a monster attacks the city. It’s basically a Godzilla movie told through the video cameras of those attending the party.  And, it’s effective.

The film runs a short 80 minutes, roughly.  But, it’s good that it’s short, as the filmmakers gave it the right amount of pacing to make it an effective thrill ride.  And, the monster is something to behold.

“27 Dresses”, on the other hand, is not.  Don’t waste your money at the theater.  Wait to rent it, only if you like romantic comedy lite.

“Cloverfield,” on the other hand, is the first must see movie of 2008.
While this isn’t as groundbreaking as expected, it is well told, well paced and well put together.

Posted: January 17th, 2008 under Film.
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This is the time of year to be particularly choosy about the movies you see at the theater.  Hollywood tends to toss out the lesser films to bide the time until the Summer movie season starts in mid-Spring.  But, there will be a few pearls among the swine.

That does not include Ice Cube’s newest film, First Sunday, a petty criminal comedy set in a church.  Ice Cube stars as Durell, a bumbling criminal partnered with his best friend LeeJohn, played by Tracy Morgan.  To raise money owed to pay a debt in order no to lose his son, Durell hatches a plan to rob a local church.  Instead, they learn a valuable life lesson from the parishioners they’re holding up.

Barf.

How does that alone not sound like a bad movie?

In execution, it’s predictable and preachy.  Neither of which is good.  Tracy Morgan is funny, but the whole movie feels like a Tyler Perry wannabe, sentimental at the end, but not as funny up to that point.

What is laughable is the casting of the latest video game to silver screen adaptation — In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale.

Jason Statham, you know, the Transporter?, plays Farmer, a man on a quest to rescue his wife and avenge his son’s death by taking on the Krugs, the animal-warriors responsible for both.  The Krugs are led by the evil Gallian, played by, hold on while I stifle my laughter, Ray Liotta.  But what’s even funnier is the casting of the king.  He’s played by Burt Reynolds.  This could be the greatest comedy of all time, and it’s not meant to be!

There are some notables in the film, LeeLee Sobieski, whom we haven’t seen enough of, as well as John Rhys-Davies and Ron Perlman, without prosthetics.

The biggest problem isn’t the casting, however.  It’s the director, Uwe Boll, a man with a reputation for being a hot-head and a director who doesn’t really know what he’s doing, but sometimes makes a decent film.  This isn’t one of them.  Audiences are laughing at some of the most serious moments, as the actors deliver the cheesiest, most cliche lines in the genre.

Posted: January 10th, 2008 under Film.
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I don’t like horror movies.  A good psychological thriller, yes, but not horror, which makes reviewing this week’s only new release, “One Missed Call”, hard for me to swallow.

In the movie, people receive cell phone messages from themselves in which they hear their own deaths.  The messages reveal the how and the when, which seemingly can’t be avoided, even by deleting the message.

Beth is the central character, who witnesses two of her friends die within days of each other after receiving said calls.

She teams up with a detective, whose sister died in a similar way.  Together, they’re trying to figure out the mystery behind the calls in order to stop from receiving one themselves.

First off, it’s a phone horror, so expect a lot of false jumps from phones ringing.  Second, don’t expect much fresh material.  Doesn’t this sound familiar?  It’s a sort of “The Ring” mixed with “Final Destination” with maybe a dash of “The Grudge”.  It’s not, really.  But, it has hints of them in it.

“One Missed Call” is not one to see in the theater.  Your money would be better invested in Sweeney Todd or I am Legend.  But, “One Missed Call” is worth renting, as it’ll be scarier while watching at home, especially if your cell phone rings during the movie.

Posted: January 4th, 2008 under Film.
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One of the darkest musicals to hit the Broadway stage is now on the big screen, thanks to director Tim Burton.  It’s Stephen Sondheim’s dark masterpiece, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Johnny Depp plays Sweeney, a man sent to prison by a pious, yet corrupt judge who did so to get to Sweeney’s wife.  Sweeney’s back and thirsty for revenge.  Thanks to his barber’s razor blades, saved for Sweeney by pie shop owner, Mrs. Lovett, he may have it.

But, there’s no sense in rushing.  Sweeney needs some practice and he and Mrs. Lovett need some money.  So, they hatch a scheme in which Sweeney kills a few customers here and there and then Mrs. Lovett serves them up in meat pies.

Needless to say, this isn’t your typical Broadway show.  In fact, it barely falls into the category of Broadway, thanks to the master Broadway composer, Stephen Sondheim.  This work, arguably his strongest, is often produced by light opera companies, it’s that good.  The score is one of the most moving, demanding an emotional response from you, whether you want to give one or not.  And, the lyrics are so well crafted, you’ll walk away knowing you’ve heard something of significance, but thinking it over, trying to figure out exactly what it is.

Sweeney Todd is one of my favorite Broadway musicals.  And, Tim Burton is one of my favorite film directors.  Unfortunately, Burton usually messes with his source material, when he’s not working on one of his original stories.  His dabbling usually diminishes the final product.  Not here.  Thankfully, Burton decided not to add back stories or mess too much with Sondheim’s work.  While songs are reduced in length for time’s sake, the spirit of the stage show is still very much intact.

And, let me warn you again, this is not The Sound of Music type of Broadway.  People are murdered, chopped up and served in meat pies.  There’s blood.  Lot’s of blood.  And, the themes are quite dark.  This isn’t really horror, though.  It’s social commentary.  To help drive that home, there’s also a lot of humor in the mix, which really messes with your senses, as you’re repulsed and yet enjoying yourself at the same time.

Posted: December 27th, 2007 under Film.
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National Treasure: Book of Secrets

Some say the first adventure wasn’t worth it.  Even so, National Treasure is back for a second round in Book of Secrets.

Nicolas Cage returns as treasure hunter Ben Gates.  This time, he’s hunting for the missing page of John Wilkes Booth’s diary, certain they hold the secret to a worldwide conspiracy and prove Gates great-great grandfather’s innocence in the assassination of President Lincoln.

The entire cast is back, including Sean Bean, who was left for dead in the last film.

Critics hated the first film.  For myself, I really enjoyed it.  Their   major criticism was how unrealistic and impossible the film was.  Can’t the same be said of Harry Potter?  At any rate, I enjoyed the adventure of the first film, even if the clues were odd and obscure.  So, other than Nicolas Cage, I don’t mind returning to the land of historical treasure hunting.  Set reality aside and just enjoy the action.

 Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

From the producer behind Talladega Nights, Knocked Up and Superbad comes Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, a movie some say is the best of the four.

Walk Hard is a mockumentary of the life of Dewey Cox, a legendary musician who very much resembles Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Buddy Holly and Ray Charles, with a few more musical stars wrapped up in there, too.

John C. Reilly, longtime in supporting roles, is finally in the front spot, proving that’s a move that’s long overdue.  You feel like he’s in on the joke with you, which makes the jokes that much more enjoyable.

As for humor, there are some groaners in there, and a lot of low-brow, sexual innuendo stuff.  But, when the jokes are a hit, rather than a miss, they hit hard.

Posted: December 20th, 2007 under Film.
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