Independence Day: Resergence

I wanted to love this movie. Not just like it or be fine with it, but to walk in with my expectations high and for them to be shattered with overwhelming feelings of nostalgia

, cheesy over the top action, and more Goldblum "ugh, ugh-s" than I could handle. What I got was an over convoluted story with bland characters and lazy destruction porn. While some of those facts might hold true for the first movie, the characters were there! Will Smith's Lt. Steven Hiller alone made the film worth the cheesiness. With Mr. Smith (logically) passing on the sequel, we now have a non-charismatic Liam Hemsworth and a grown up Dylan from the first movie that brings nothing new to the table. All in all, don't waste your money. Go watch the original and dream about what a good sequel would really be. This ain't it.

John Carter

I know I am on and off again with my blog. I will try to change that, but in the mean time, I'm going to keep on planting movie reviews and various updates of my work...

I didn't know much of the Princess of Mars book series before seeing this film. All I knew was the fact that it influenced many other known stories such as Star Wars, Superman, Avatar and many other films I had seen over the years that you can make comparisons with. Going into the theater with this in mind, I was more inclined to wrap my head around the ideas presented and remind myself that "Carter" was the genesis story for those elements. John Carter is a damn fine film. I hope I am wrong in believing people will not show up to support it. The marketing has been, quite frankly, terrible and there are many other factors working against it. I hope I am wrong in thinking this. I want sequels that delve deeper into this rich character and world. (A quick foot note: Best character in the film would be Woola... I wanted to reach out through the screen and take him home. Kind of reminded me of Dug from Up.)
A-

Best of 2010

The new year is here! Now comes the time to count down the best of everything Hollywood had to offer for 2010! Unfortunately, seeing movies was not my highest priority this past year, but I plan to rectify this for 2011!!! As a result, my top 10 may not include the absolute best released films. Please enjoy and let me know which ones you disagree with and why :) Happy New Year!!!!!

Will Ferrell doing what he does best... being comedy gold! I loved the chemistry between him and Mark Wahlberg. Lately, Mr. Wahlberg has had an interesting streak of movies put out at the theater (another that is actually higher on the list). At first, the pairing seemed odd, but by the end of the film, the two pitted as partners becomes a no-brainer.

Its quite an achievement to pull off an animated movie these days that isn't Pixar. And on top of that, to make it on par with a Pixar film! How to Train Your Dragon has heart and brains where it counts, and I can only hope the sequel lives up to it.

A film about a not-so-special high school kid wanting to be a superhero turns into a balls to the wall action adventure. We all dream of becoming a super hero like the ones we read about, but it takes a lot of courage to actually go through with it! Kick Ass shows the heart pounding ups and bone crushing downs of being a super hero while simultaneously letting loose a killing machine in the shape of a 10 year old girl!

One of the most surprising films I saw this year if only for the sheer fact that Ben Affleck made it! Jeremy Renner brings a ferocity to his role that is unstoppable to watch, and even Affleck, who in the past has demonstrated mild acting skills at best, turns out a nuance and thoughtful performance. Also, one of the best finale shootouts ever made.

The Toy Story trilogy ends on a high note, triumphantly creating an award worthy 3D film. I have to say, the idea of toys nearly bringing me tears seems silly and highly over-emotional. Yet, this movie pulls on heart strings of every kid who owned one. I seriously hope this is the end of the series. It could'nt have ended more perfectly.

Without a doubt, one of the best boxer movies to come out in awhile. Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg bring out their characters effortlessly and the story, while still about a fighter struggling to make it to the top, is more about family and the what it means to stick by the ones you love even if they are dragging you down. Also, Bale deserves Best Supporting Actor. Period!

The original was a great John Wayne film. The current film follows the original source material closer, shadowing Matty Ross (played extremely well by new comer Hailee Steinfeld) and also allowing the Coen Brothers a chance to shine and strut their unusual sense of humor. Jeff Bridges recreates Rooster Cogburn, an old cot that probably should have retired a while back, but also equally dangerous and fun to watch. Whether or not the original was better, the Coen Brothers version goes on its own tangent and excels where other "remakes" have fallen.

I originally had no intention of seeing a film surrounded by the story of Facebook. Yet when David Fincher signed on as directer, I knew this would be a film worth my attention. The performances are riveting and the cinematography unbeatable. I have to agree with most people: This was the Wall Street for our generation.

The Dark Knight was almost a precursor to this mind trip, setting the stage for something Nolan had under his sleeve for years. The effects put most others to shame while the story (convoluted to some people) is filled with giant spectacle and undeniable love for films. Its a movie that will be studied for many years to come, and has placed Nolan at the top next to other filmmakers such as Kubrick and Speilberg. Simply Amazing.

The number one spot was not hard to choose. I have watched this film constantly since its release and the soundtrack is ingrained in my head. The film didn't make a whole lot at the box office, which is a shame. To me, things that make a film great involve the idea of what a filmmaker is trying to get across, and whether or not said director cares for what he is making. I felt that energy in every frame of the movie, making Scott Pilgrim a joy to watch over and over again.


Special Shout Outs!
-Black Swan
-Buried
-Shutter Island

Avatar

Once in a blue moon, there comes a movie that changes something about the movie going experience. Something that puts people into seats and reminds us why the theater is still a great time for friends and family. James Cameron knows it's an up-hill battle when it comes to getting the general pubic into a theater. There needs to be a reason for them to come even though it may be much easier to download it offline, or simply just wait for the movie to become available on DVD. Mr. Cameron found a way. Utilizing the 3D aspect that has only been limited in its use, the movie becomes a unique trip through an entire world filled with plants and life unlike anything you could imagine.
One thing I noticed throughout. It never feels forced. The characters can be a bit cliched, no doubt. But they never have a moment that made them unwatchable. Jake Sully, played by new comer Sam Worthington, is the marine that has a lot of courage, and a little bit of brains to boot. My favorite scene involves anytime he is with Sigourney Weaver's character. The natives of the planet called Pandora bring to mind the natives of our planet. Their culture is almost a mirror or our own, in how our connection to nature once was and may never be again. The visual effects really compliment the story more than over shadowing it. James Cameron succeeded in changing movies... again. I truly hope everyone gets a chance to see this, but make no mistake. Avatar needs to been seen in IMAX 3D.

A-

Zombieland

I caught a screening of Zombieland today. I wrote not too long ago about my anticipation of this film. It did NOT disappoint. Woody Harrelson makes this movie. The zombies are the background to the story about a boy trying to survive and build trust between the few survivors he has found on the road. The boy (called Columbus due to his wanting to get to Columbus, Ohio) has a set of rules he strictly follows to escape any zombie situation he may find himself in. He's a typical WOW kid that has no family and misses humans if only for the fact they did'nt try to eat him when they were around. Along the way he meets a man calling himself Tallahassee (same reason as Colombus). They trust each other long enough to meet two sisters that are sly and un-trusting. The older sister strikes Colombus as someone he could be with. The movies pulls you in through the characters and the setting. Tallahassee is dangerous, funny and a wild man that anybody would love to have by their side in a post-apocolyptic scenereo. The third act has a great action sequence in an amusement park that had me wanting more by the end. I won't spoil the Bill Murray scene, but let's just say it's pretty brilliant. Loved loved LOVED this movie, and so did my wife :). Best movie of the year so far! (sorry Quentin. maybe in Kill Bill 3 you can bring in a zombie David Carradine... too soon?)

A+

Inglorious Basterds

I am a huge Quinten Tarintino fan. All his films (yes, including Jackie Brown) make it worth going out and spending your hard earned money for two hours of bliss. Tarintino gets what the audience wants to see, but he doesn't over do it. He isn't subtle, but nor is he over the top (till the end that is.) with the violence. Its a remarkable feat that every director strives to achieve but none can seem to harness. Mr. Tarintino is a master craftsman. Without going to much into spoiler territory, let me just say Brad Pitt and Christoph Waltz shine throughout. Not to say anyone else in the film was bad. Far from it. In fact, I almost would say that they are upstaged by two other actors: Michael Fassbender (The British Lt.) and Mélanie Laurent. There performances are a testament to cinema and what acting should be like in every film. Now, back to how the story was. No matter if school was boring for you or if history wasn't your subject, everybody has heard about Adolf Hitler. And like me, many people have always imagined going back in time to just take the evil man out. Well, this film gets rid of the time travel motif and settles on changing things to how the war SHOULD have ended: by putting together a small team of American Jewish soldiers and other various men and women to go to the heart of Nazis territory and take as many out as they can. But something happens unexpectedly. A window of opportunity opens up and the Basterds (as they are named) decide to go after the big cheese himself. The movie takes certain liberties. No, it is not historically accurate. Honestly, it doesn't matter. The way things end make you realize that Inglorious Basterds is about fulfilling a wish many have had. And they do it with bad french accents!

A+

District 9

Going into see this film, I had few to hardly no expectations about what it would be. I had heard from critics and from friends that it was considered one of the best Sci-Fi movies of the 21st Century or that it did not disappoint. True, it was a great film. A joy to watch right up till the end. But I couldn't help but feel a slight sadness at the fact that the alien race was not explored to their full potential. Not that the movie was bad in any way, but I guess I just wanted a little....more? Either way, I would recommend this to anyone that loves either Alien movies, Sci-Fi Action movies, or SFX gurus. The Mecha suit alone makes this a feast to the eyes. The animation done with the aliens was nothing less than extrodinary. This film needs to be seen atleast once. The message it sends is that of tolerence as a species. Are we really that bad as humans? The answer is scary. This movie is Great! Best film of the year though? Probably not. But who needs perfection anyway.

B-

G.I. Joe

This movie was NOT an award winning cinema tour de force. It was NOT the exact G.I. Joe movie I had dreamed about as a child. NOR was it the perfect cast I had in mind. BUT, surprise! It was F-U-N: FUN! I felt like a kid again. It brought me back to when I had my collection of Joes and Cobra going crazy in the middle of my room. Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow sword fighting to the bitter end! Duke and Cobra Commander firing from across the room with guns of all sort. This was the movie that needed to be the way it was. Toys fighting each other.

The Goods: Snake Eyes (Ray Park, aka. Darth Maul), Storm Shadow, Cobra Commander ( Perfect up till the end. Hated the helmet he puts on. They need the blue cloth for the sequel!) , Destro, Baroness, Scarlett, Zartan, the fights, the weapons, the accelerator suits (I want one!) and The Pit!

The Okay: Ripcord, Col. Hawk, and Heavy Duty. Not bad performers, but not superb.

The Bad: Duke, played by Channing Tatum, is just out of place in this thing.Some of the SFX needed work as well. The Cheesy dialogue kills some of the better parts. ("Mission is a go!" I swear I heard that line at least five times!)

All together, it was a solid action packed ride for kids and adults that grew up playing with the action figures! It was everything Transformers 1 and 2 should have been! Bring on the sequel (and Thundercats!)

C+

Orphan Review

I was extremely skeptical of seeing this for many reasons.
Quite frankly, horror movies today are not scary. For the most part, it is hard to find anything worth paying to see in a theater (I refuse to see "Sorority Row" for obvious reasons). As an audience member, there are a couple of things I expect when paying to see horror.
1: Originality
2: Good Acting
3: REAL scares
I cant even remember the last film I saw in the theater that carried all three. At least Orphan had two. The scares are nothing new. BUT, it is creepy as can be. I actually enjoyed it, and it is hard to impress me with scary movies. The one thing that got under my skin more than the creepy Russian orphan (wait for the twist ending. Very creepy) was the sheer frustration some of the characters make you feel. I nearly threw something at the screen just to relive some kind of anger building up. Then again, that may be what the film was going for.

B-

Green Lantern First Flight

I have been an avid green lantern fan since i was a small kid, and having him (Hal Jordan; the best) come to the big screen was always something I craved. For now, I have the next best thing with Green Lanter: First Flight. The story deviates greatly from the original story, but at its heart it IS green lantern at his best.

A