Jon's Entertainment and Movie Blog

The Lego Movie (2014) Trailer

2013-06-19T18:45:00.000-04:00

The next toy-based film is coming in 2014 and features one of the most universally loved toys of all time: Legos! A movie based on Legos is hardly an original concept, one needs only to search YouTube to find thousands of stop motion videos made with Legos. I even created several videos myself years ago and surprisingly I was able to find one of the files on a flash drive and uploaded it to YouTube. It is a silly short film largely characterized by being out of focus. This upcoming Warner Brothers film looks to be created using computer animation meant to look like stop motion and should remain in focus throughout the entire feature.

I am completely surprised that this film even has a recognizable cast (Heard of someone named Will Ferrell? How about Liam Neeson? Alison Brie? Nick Offerman? Elizabeth Banks? Morgan Freeman? Will Arnett?)

Now I like Legos as much as anyone else (see my video above and note the date) and I like the people in the cast. But I really don't think these wonderful things will come together well, and I expect the film to rate 6/10. The trailer really isn't great besides the initial OMG! Legos and I give it a 5/10. Don't watch this film in the theater unless you're incredibly bored and have tons of money to spend on the 3D release.

Bioshock Infinite (2013) Review

2013-06-11T20:08:00.000-04:00

I finally had the chance to sit down and play through the universally acclaimed Bioshock Infinite. It completely blew me away and exceeded my wildest expectations. This game took me on a skyline ride of emotion, displaying dark, gritty themes against a mind-bending sci-fi backdrop.

The protagonist of Bioshock Infinite is Booker DeWitt, a former soldier and Pinkerton detective. DeWitt is haunted by his past decisions, such as a gambling debt which compels him to travel to the airborne city of Columbia to find a girl and pay a debt. DeWitt is changed by the experiences throughout this quest, and is forced to some truly unexpected conclusions.

Following the themes of the preceding Bioshock games, Infinite's Columbia is a strange place dominated by a central figurehead, Zachary Hale Comstock. Comstock rules with an iron fist (as well as dozens of Iron Patriots) which leads to a rift between his devoted followers and those who revolt against his authority. The rebels band together in a group known as the Vox Populi under the command of the brutal Daisy Fitzroy. DeWitt must carefully navigate between these warring factions in order to achieve his own ends.

The other central character is Elizabeth, the girl DeWitt must find to "wipe away the debt". DeWitt finds her early in the game and they travel together, leading to some truly innovative and enjoyable gameplay. Elizabeth functions in a support role to DeWitt, tossing him ammo, health, and other necessary items during battles and unlocking doors. Elizabeth also has the ability to open "rifts" in the space-time continuum of Columbia, allowing additional objects to be introduced into each situation. These rifts are integral to the central storyline, and are involved in many of the game's pivotal moments.

It's hard to delve into the plot in great detail in this review without spoiling many of the great moments. Suffice to say, the story is fantastic, and I was very glad I had avoided any spoilers until after my first playthrough. Many of the main plot points would lose their impact if they weren't a surprise. Before playing this game, I assumed the "Infinite" portion of the title simply referred to the fact that the action takes place in the sky. This is not the case, as that portion of the title is given a very literal role in the plot...and I don't really want to say anything else about that. Bioshock Infinite is very rewarding on a second playthrough. Many details become more apparent and certain dialogue is more powerful when understood in light of the information discovered previously. There is also a difficulty mode called "1999 Mode" that is unlocked after the completion of the game. I am currently playing through on this mode, and am really appreciating the challenge.

Bioshock Infinite is a hauntingly beautiful game:

There are a few faults in this game, several times Elizabeth will toss items through a wall to Booker, but this happens rarely and is hardly noticeable. Bioshock is a graphically demanding game, I dealt with a dip in frame rate from time to time on my old PC with graphics set to medium. There are many unsavory things to be found in Columbia, and high on that list are negative racial and religious stereotypes. The game does not condone these stereotypes, and I did not have a problem with them as I thought it further reinforced the atmosphere of the strange floating city. Bioshock 1&2 made a staple of creepy, unsettling environments, and Infinite follows in that vein.

There are many little details in this game that really help complete the experience. The sound design is superb, from the voice acting to the sound effects. Many actions (such as a enemy turret locking on to your location) are associated with distinct audio cues to assist the player. The usual tiresome cutscenes are replaced by a dynamic and interactive environment, with NPC's freely conversing among themselves and with Booker. I really like this departure from the pedantic cutscenes found in many story-focused games such as Assassin's Creed III. The downside is that a casual player rushing through the levels might miss some important details, but it's their loss.

Bioshock Infinite truly sets a high mark for 2013 and all future games. This is game that all serious gamers should take the opportunity to play. Bioshock Infinite is a definitive statement in the ongoing debate about the artistic nature of video games, standing among a select few as shining examples of true art. I rate this game 10/10.

Iron Man 3 (2013) Review

2013-05-10T09:09:00.002-04:00

Tony Stark is back on the big screen! This next installment in the Marvel superhero films is a fun-filled, exciting adventure with a lot of laughs along the way. The film starts with Stark's (played again by the brilliant Robert Downey Jr.) narration over images of exploding Iron Man suits. The scene then shifts back in time to a chance encounter between Stark and some interesting characters before the events of Iron Man (2008). Unsurprisingly, these seemingly insignificant characters come back to play a significant role in the film.

Across the board, the acting in Iron Man 3 is really good. RDJ is perfect as Tony Stark, and really displays a vulnerability in his character after the traumatic events of The Avengers. I think it's a great touch by director Shane Black, showing the darker reality behind the comic book violence we have become accustomed to. Guy Pearce is excellent as a slimy villain who can breathe fire (seriously). Ben Kingsley plays the Mandarin, a villain associated with a surprisingly comedic plot twist. Gwyneth Paltrow (aka the world's most hated celebrity and the world's most beautiful woman) is adequate as Pepper Potts, but didn't really surprise me until she fell hundreds of feet into burning wreckage and emerged as a glowing zombie. Ty Simpkins, an experienced child actor (Insidious, The Next Three Days) serves as a great comedic foil to Downey Jr. at a crucial point in the film.

The brilliance of this film is in its reduction of Tony Stark from a superhero to a human being (albeit a rich, brilliant, witty human being). Stark's vulnerability keeps the audience in suspense, and breaks from the normal flow of a typical superhero movie. The bad guys in this film are red-hot zombies who can regenerate lost body parts, rendering them essentially invincible. And by "red-hot" I don't mean physically attractive, but rather capable of reaching temperatures that can melt iron. These enemies do seem ridiculously overpowered, but they actually work well within the structure of the plot as a worthy opponent for Iron Man and his variety of suits. The regiment of various suits were a major part of the marketing campaign, but I was surprised by their relative ineffectiveness against the enemies, not to mention their shocking demise.
As many others have pointed out, there are certain parallels between Iron Man 3 and The Dark Knight Rises. That isn't to say that they are clones, each film has its own unique plot, but the concept of a superhero being reduced to almost nothing is a common thread throughout both films.

Director Shane Black created one of my all-time favorite films in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and the same characteristic clever banter can be found in Iron Man 3. As with most comedies, some of the jokes don't work (such as a situation revolving around an odious bathroom) but as a whole, the humor is excellent including a malfunctioning suit, an inquisitive child, and a cowardly thug; all situations which induced hearty laughter from the audience (and myself).

I felt the plot unraveled a bit in the final act, as the action scenes got more intense. I physically cringed at the ludicrous Mandarin terrorist videos as they look like they were created by Quentin Tarantino on speed, but the plot does explain the reasons for these strangely edited videos. My least favorite aspect of the film was the deus ex machina resolution to the dilemma Pepper Potts finds herself in by the end of the film. Notwithstanding, enough correct notes were hit in the final act so as to not completely derail it.

Iron Man 3 is a great superhero film, certainly an improvement from Iron Man 2 and at least on par with the first Iron Man, the film that kicked off the wildly popular Marvel cinematic universe. I rate this film 8/10 stars, and highly recommend watching it in the theater.

Pacific Rim (2013) Trailer Review

2013-04-29T17:27:00.001-04:00

I was initially tempted to dismiss this film as as a lame action clone. But after watching the most recent trailer for Guillermo del Toro's upcoming film Pacific Rim, I have realized that it may be a lame action clone, but it might be one that will be worth watching.

The basic premise is that alien monsters of excessive size and extravagant design begin to attack earth with the obvious goal of killing all humans. Rather than fight back with ineffectual fighter jets, helicopters, and missiles common in such giant monster films as Godzilla and Cloverfield, the humans turn to the only logical next step: giant mechs. And these aren't just any mechs, but towering monstrosities controlled by "two pilots, mind-melding through memories with the body of a machine".

Now I have a million questions about the plausibility of this arrangement, as it certainly seems that these giant mechs might cause just as much damage flinging boats around the city as the monsters would. But who am I to argue facts in the face of pure entertainment? Facts never stopped Michael Bay, and they certainly aren't going to stop del Toro. I do have a higher level of interest in this film given the fact that it is directed by del Toro. The body of his work is generally high quality, and in the Hellboy films he showed his ability to create films in the superhero action genre. I expect this film to be a well-written and technically sound movie about monsters and robots duking it out.

In order to fully appreciate a visual and aural overload of a film like this, you have to be in a theater. I recommend you pony up the money and grab your 3D glasses to watch this, but only if you like explosions, monsters, and robots and/or are a male aged 12-29. This was a brilliant trailer, I rate it 9/10. I very optimistically expect the final film to rate a 6/10 overall, but don't let that rating deter you from what will surely be a fun weekend experience at the theater.

Pacific Rim hits theaters July 12th.

Now You See Me (2013) Trailer Review

2013-04-27T15:50:00.003-04:00

Any trailer that begins and ends with Morgan Freeman's voice has my absolute attention. The recently released trailer for the upcoming thriller Now You See Me has the benefit of Morgan Freeman's voice and thus my attention.

This film focuses on a team of illusionists known as the "Four Horsemen" who perform bank heists...with a twist. These heists are pulled off during live performances and the money is distributed to their audience. The focus on distributing the money to the audience seems to be grounded in modern economic uncertainty, potentially providing an avenue for the moviegoers to connect with the film. Conflict is introduced to the plot in the form of a team of FBI agents who follow the magicians, attempting to catch them in their crimes.

The trailer is snappy and bold, framing the plot using bright visuals and a pulsing soundtrack. Each of the star-studded cast get their time to shine in the trailer. I know "star-studded cast" is a cliche, but check out the stars of this film: Morgan Freeman, Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, and Michael Caine.
I am excited to see each of the cast members in action. Jesse Eisenberg is an actor who I wasn't a big fan of in his earlier films (such as the awful Adventureland). His performance in The Social Network was very good, and it looks like he will be portraying a similar wise-guy character in this film. I also really appreciated his honesty in The Hollywood Reporter's 2012 Actor's Roundtable. In this interview, he explains his personal motivations for acting and was very humble about his success. I certainly gained a greater appreciation for his acting as a result of that interview.
It's wonderful that we will get to listen to conversations between arguably the two most iconic voices in Hollywood. I already mentioned Morgan Freeman's presence, but Sir Michael Caine should not be overlooked. His first appearance in the trailer is to utter this line: "I was a hundred and forty...million..dollar...distraction?" His delivery is awesomely distinctive and the trailer's soundtrack accentuates each syllable of that line.

I don't have a good read from the trailer if the magic is all physical tricks or a combination of tricks and actual magic. The trailer shows evidence of significant planning and physical props such as huge mirrors but also has fantastical, Wizard of Oz-esque tricks like floating in a bubble. I certainly hope that the seemingly supernatural magic effects can all be explained by clever tricks (illusions, you might say). Claiming that the "Four Horsemen" really have supernatural powers would severely weaken this film.

This was a good trailer that I would rate 8/10. I expect the film to also rate 8/10, and recommend watching this film in theaters.

Video Games and the Freedom to Choose

2013-04-23T15:07:00.003-04:00

Open World! There seems to be a definite trend towards open worlds in many modern video games. A primary motivator for this trend has to be the success of games like Skyrim, which are based on a large, detailed, "open world". Minecraft is another great example, as it features an infinite open world. Obviously, since these games have sold so well, there must be a reason that gamers gravitate towards these titles. I believe that the reason these games are so popular is their emphasis on player choice.

There isn't anything inherently wrong with a linear storyline and conventional level structure. However, the ability to make meaningful choices is an important way of increasing the immersion of a player within a game. The importance of the ability to choose is clearly evident in the critically acclaimed Mass Effect trilogy. Although the games do not take place in an open world, the player is given a large amount of control over the direction of the storyline and the game play strategy. These choices (and their consequences) led to my emotional attachment to the characters and my complete immersion in that universe.

This concept of player choice was very evident when I played the games Assassin's Creed III and Hitman: Absolution. Both games follow a fairly linear story line. The world of Assassin's Creed is large and open, while Hitman is significantly more restrictive. But even though Assassin's Creed had the open world as a centerpiece, it actually allowed less room for player choice. Many of the missions in Assassin's Creed require the player to chase a certain target or run from a group of enemies. As I played through the game, I became frustrated by the way I was prevented from choosing creative methods to chase some characters and run from others. Any attempt to climb a building or engage in combat with a bystander would inevitably be followed by mission failure. And then after running along in a straight line to complete the checkpoint, I would be rewarded by an hour-long cutscene. Both Assassin's Creed I and II allowed much more flexibility in the completion of each mission and avoided the drudgery of continuous cutscenes.

A quick note on cutscenes - I have no problem with them in general, and any game with a story will have to make use of some cinematics in order to develop the story arc. But there are methods of implementing cutscenes that keep the player involved and interested such as the Paragon/Renegade options in the Mass Effect games, and the ability to maintain control of your character during cutscenes like Assassin's Creed I. Assassins' Creed III drives home its finer points with a sledgehammer, bombastically repeating the same ideas over and over through hours of cutscenes. That is certainly not the way to create an engaging gameplay experience.

Hitman takes place in fairly restrictive environments and follows a linear storyline. Notwithstanding, I felt my personal choices were very important when playing through the levels. I could go in guns blazing and clean out a building, creep around silently, killing only my target, or a mix of the two. My personal choices were integral to the game's progression, the mechanics of each level, and the ultimate rating. One level stands out in particular to me, in which the player is given complete control over the fate of a certain central character, and whether he lived or died, you are still allowed to continue the storyline. Those type of choices are a staple of the Mass Effect trilogy, and put the responsibility for the direction of the plot in the player's hands. Personally, I was much more engaged and immersed in the Hitman storyline because of the ability to choose within the game.

It's important to be able to make meaningful choices within a video game. The market confirms this and it is important to my own gameplay experience. Largely because of this, I rated Hitman: Absolution 9/10 and I still haven't finished Assassin's Creed III.

Oblivion (2013)

2013-04-20T22:05:00.000-04:00

This latest Tom Cruise vehicle is a celebration of the sci-fi genre. The setting is earth in the year 2070. Nuclear war with an alien race has ravaged the earth. Most of the humans have left for Titan, a moon of Saturn. Those who haven't yet moved to Titan live in the Tet, a tetrahedral space station orbiting earth. Cruise plays Jack Harper, a repairman who services giant seawater-processing plants and the drones that protect them. He is assisted by the beautiful Victoria (Andrea Riseborough), who maintains contact with the Tet, assigns Jack his daily duties, and keeps in contact with him.
Life as a repairman on post-apocalyptic earth is not a boring job. The alien Scavs are always nearby, and Jack carries an assault rifle along with his repair kit. It's impossible to miss the parallels to Top Gun as you watch Cruise pilot his jet and its attached motorcycle with reckless abandon through a variety of stunning landscapes.

We soon find out that all is not perfect for these characters on earth. Harper is plagued by recurrent dreams of the same beautiful woman (Olga Kurylenko). The intrigue deepens when he encounters this same woman while investigating a crashed spacecraft. I will not give any more details of the plot to avoid spoiling it, but suffice to say there are a number of twists that kept me engaged in the story. In fact, I think there were a few too many plot lines presented in this film, and as a result the third act felt a bit dragged out as each plot line was concluded.

The acting in this film is very good overall. Tom Cruise doesn't quite have the same "boyish charm" from Top Gun, but he still excels as an action star in this film. It certainly surprised me to hear that he turned 50 during the production of Oblivion.The two female leads played off Cruise well, and each performed well in a few key scenes. Morgan Freeman is present to play himself, and brought his usual commanding presence to the screen.

Visually, this film is excellent, the post-apocalyptic world is captivating and beautiful and the futuristic set pieces well-crafted. have mixed feelings on the quality of the screenplay. I just jotted down on the back on an envelope eight different movies or series that I felt were represented in this film (some more than others). The source material for the screenplay is an unpublished graphic novel authored by the director of the film, Joseph Kosinski. There is a fair bit of online debate about whether this film is simply a rip off of these other films. In my opinion, truly original work is rare in modern science fiction. Only the truly great films (or the most abject flops) stray very far from the pillars of convention that have been built up over the years by great writers, directors and producers. Oblivion utilizes common conventions but as a whole does so in a creative manner, resulting in a body of work that is altogether original.

I enjoyed this film as a great weekend sci-fi adventure. As I mentioned previously, this is certainly not a "game-changer" in the sci-fi genre, but it is a thrilling adventure that is certainly worth the price of admission.
I rate Oblivion 8/10 stars.

42 (2013)

2013-04-13T00:21:00.001-04:00

Jackie Robinson, the man who shattered the racial barrier in professional baseball. His life and actions inside the foul lines served as a landmark in the struggle for racial equality in America. The film "42" is the most recent effort to portray the life of this true American hero.

The film is narrated from the perspective of Wendell Smith (Andre Holland), a sportswriter who traveled with Robinson from 1946-1947. Smith's narration serves to frame the historical significance of Robinson's actions to the audience. Newcomer Chadwick Boseman provides a compelling portrayal of Robinson, shining in several key scenes. One scene in particular stood out to me, in which Robinson retreats into the tunnel and releases the pain and anger caused by a loudmouthed opponent. The supporting cast is very capable, led by Harrison Ford as the cigar-chewing team owner.

There is no attempt to hide the fact that this film is a biopic aimed at a family audience. The cinematography is largely marked by very conventional camera work with few added flourishes. This film follows many of the standard cliches that are expected of this genre. These cliches include one-dimensional characters with very little character development along with a number of jokes and one-liners that seem to be included for the sole reason of keeping the attention of those with short attention spans. I found this to be distracting from the narrative and out of sync with the more somber issues of racism that were the main focus of the film.
There were some scenes that are particularly well-crafted, however. One of my favorites involves a manager explaining away his racist actions to his owner by arguing that he treats all races the same, that it's all in fun, and they laugh it off. The camera cuts to Jackie Robinson, alone in the shower, leaning against the wall with pain and sadness in his eyes. It's a nice touch, juxtaposing the manager's words with their true impact on Robinson.

The game of baseball is fairly well represented, with closeups emphasizing nuances such as the catcher's signs, the pitcher's grip on the ball, and the batter digging his spikes into the dirt. Early in the film, I was afraid that it was going to follow the pattern of most sports movies by simplifying the action by only portraying big events such as hitting homeruns or stealing home, which do not comprise the bulk of a typical baseball game. In general, I dislike sports movies for this very reason (and don't even get me started on the portrayal of poker in film), but over the course of this film, the various aspects of a baseball game were well-represented. The cast gave a believable effort in the action scenes. Bozeman is reported to have trained in the fundamentals of baseball for five months, and looks fairly natural as a baseball player.

To the director's credit, this film does not shy away from portraying the ugly consequences of racism and the depths humans can reach when motivated by prejudice. There is one scene in particular where Alan Tudyk's character, an opposing manager, spews vile comments towards Robinson for several minutes of screen time. Tudyk delivers the lines with brilliantly, to the point that I felt uncomfortable listening to it. I think it was important to keep that same intensity as was surely present back in 1947. To soften the racist sentiments would be to misrepresent the obstacles that Jackie Robinson faced.

Overall, this film is worth watching, an often cliched but honest and sincere portrayal of a great man. I give this film 7/10 stars.

Elysium (2013) Trailer Review

2013-04-11T10:23:00.001-04:00

And I'm back! This post marks my official return to the virtual pages of this blog, I intend to keep it running over the summer, with at least one post per week. So stay tuned!

Elysium is an upcoming science fiction film directed and written by Neill Blomkamp, who also directed District 9, a personal favorite. District 9 was such a creative and original take on the cliche of alien invaders marked by a terrific performance by the entire cast. I have high hopes for Elysium due to the leadership of Blomkamp and the terrific cast, headlined by Matt Damon and Jodie Foster.

Several days ago the first trailer for Elysium was released:

A few thoughts on the trailer:

-The music is gripping, the titles crisp, and and the dialogue appropriate and compelling

-The plot is outlined in a concise manner. A good trailer should provide enough information to compel a viewer to purchase a ticket, but stay well clear of revealing important plot points or exposing a weak narrative. This trailer keeps a good balance.

-The basic overview of the plot from the trailer: It's the year 2154. Earth is a ruined wasteland populated only by the poor and underprivileged. The rich and powerful live in a wheel (halo?)-shaped space utopia. Matt Damon's character need to reach Elysium for unspecified reasons. Elysium is well-guarded, and the only way Matt Damon can infiltrate it is through the use of a mechanical exoskeleton.

-Which brings me to my next point...mechanical exoskeleton? The trailer seems to set this specific suit up as something extremely powerful "Whoever has this, has the power to override their whole system". I have to say, I cringed a bit when I saw this, the "powerful mechanical exoskeleton" is a plot device that has been overused to the point of becoming cliché. It. Has. Been. Done. Before.
Another potential cliché is the dichotomy between the space utopia (where cancer can be cured) and the earth dystopia. This plot device has been used in the past - the recent Total Recall springs to mind, and a few upcoming films - Upside Down, Oblivion, and After Earth.
To be fair to Blomkamp, an alien invasion of earth is even more commonplace, but his masterful storytelling abilities presented a new take on this popular plot device in District 9. Certainly, it's possible that I am drawing broad generalities by distilling these films down to their very basic components.

-The process of fusing Matt's body with the suit reminded me of the Quake 4 Strogg Medical facilities (link if you're curious, NSFW with video game violence) and the "cyber-conversion" of the Doctor Who villains Cybermen.

-You may have noticed earlier that I used the word "halo" to describe the shape of Elysium. I have heard rumors that the upcoming Elysium film uses elements from the failed Halo film conversion, which was also a project of Blomkamp. Perhaps these rumors are unfounded, but I think that these pictures make this a topic at least worth discussing:

From Halo (2001):

From the Elysium trailer:

I rate this trailer at an 8/10, it was well structured, but relied a little too heavily on some standard sci-fi clichés. It will be interesting to see how these are represented in the final product. I expect the film to rate out at 8/10, but I would not be surprised if it's even better. Neill Blomkamp set the bar high with District 9, it will be very interesting to see the final result of his sophomore production.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

2012-12-25T01:34:00.002-05:00

So it has finally arrived! After being suspended in "production hell" for a good portion of the last decade, Peter Jackson has finally presented us with the first installment of his next fantasy trilogy. I was able to attend an opening night showing in the new 3-D High Frame Rate (HFR) technology. Here are a few thoughts:

1. The overall feel of the movie is different than the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It was Peter Jackson's stated intention to create this different feel and he succeeded. The action is just a bit more fantastical, the set pieces are a little bigger, and the humor is more obvious. This fits right in with J.R.R. Tolkien's intention, as this is a film that will be more easily appreciated by a younger audience. I don't see this as a negative point, but rather really enjoyed the film's style as a whole.

2. Obviously, I can't review this film without discussing the new HFR technology. My impression: it was gorgeous and will be the future of cinema. In the past, my main objection to 3-D movies was the overall dim, blurry picture that resulted. This new technology makes full use of the potential of 3-D without any of the drawbacks. The pictures were crisp and beautiful, and the added depth really allowed me to be immersed in the visuals. However, it is new and at times can seem strange. Close-up shots of the characters walking especially seemed odd at times. It's hard to put into words what exactly was wrong, but I think my poor brain is so used to the look and feel of traditional films that this new technology just didn't seem right. Also, any camera movement is not accompanied by the usual motion blur. This contributed greatly to the quality of the picture, but is once again something new to adjust to. I have full confidence that this technology will be improved as filmmakers become more experienced in utilizing it.

3. Something that has really annoyed me as I read through social media and online reviews are the comments complaining how it doesn't match the book. Peter Jackson is not creating a documentary that follows each step of the book with characters that speak every line from the book verbatim. Rather, Jackson is retelling Tolkien's timeless narrative within the rich universe of these writings. The conversion from the page to the screen and a study of modern audiences has resulted in the story of this film. This film presents some clear connections to the LOTR trilogy that are fun and will work well to bring the two trilogies together as a whole. The most regretful part of this will be the inane comparison to the much inferior Star Wars series. Overall, I have no problem with these changes, remember The Hobbit is not The Bible.

4. The acting was once again brilliant. Honestly, if the entire movie would have consisted of the confrontation and exchange of riddles between Gollum and Bilbo, I would have left the theater a happy man. This will be the last time Gollum appears in the Hobbit trilogy, and Andy Serkis obviously poured his heart out into this performance. The unquestioned pioneer and master of motion performance animates the split personality of Smeagol/Gollum in a way that is awesome to behold. Ian McKellan as Gandalf is enigmatic and empathatic, Martin Freeman's Bilbo is great, each dwarf has his own specific character who plays off the others for comic effect.

5. Many people have criticized the extension of this story into three separate films as a greedy grab at cash by Peter Jackson and the studio. However, I will have no problem forking over the $15 for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) and The Hobbit: There and Back Again (2014). With this film, Jackson has once again proved his abilities at creating a fantasy epic and I relished every minute spent in the beautiful and strange land of Middle Earth. Another point on this topic, I highly doubt that it was a surprise to Jackson and his writers that this was to be a trilogy. The only reason I can see for this strange late switch to a trilogy would be initial opposition by the studio to support a trilogy. Ultimately, I expect the Hobbit trilogy to be a cohesive story with great plot lines that tie it into the beloved LOTR trilogy.

I rated this film a perfect 10/10 on IMDb. Great film, great visuals, acting, and score. Can't wait for the next two installments.
For a behind the scenes look at the production of this film, check out the great video production diaries.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on IMDb

Cloud Atlas (2012) Review

2012-10-30T22:21:00.000-04:00

As soon as I watched the initial trailer for this film several months ago, I instantly knew that this was a movie that I absolutely had to watch. I was intrigued by the plot and excited by the visuals. I was able to watch this film in the theater yesterday, and was not disappointed.

At 2 hours 44 minutes, this film is well beyond the generally accepted 2 hour mark for most mainstream films. However, this is not a mainstream film. One of my favorite aspects of this film is that it makes no attempt to follow the generally accepted formula for a successful blockbuster. So many modern films seem to follow the formula of action, explosions, a love scene, and a cliche "plot twist". These films contain very little that could truly be called art, but follow this formula to the expense of all creativity in order to sucker millions of naive moviegoers into spending the obscene price for a modern movie ticket. I won't name any specific movies here, but we all can think of many that would fit this inane model.

Another aspect of this film that defies the norm is the plot. The concept of six separate plots in a single film is indeed preposterous. To have these six plots connected in some way presents a even bigger challenge. But it works in this film brilliantly. Each single plot would make a good movie on its own. Early in the film the quick cuts through time and to completely different scenes were disorienting, but I became used to the style as the movie progressed. Another brilliant aspect of the film's structure was how almost every scene was connected to the previous one by either a visual or audio cue. For example, there was a transition in which horses were galloping through a woods. The next scene showed a train cruising across the countryside. Visually, this transition occurred sharply, a simple hard cut. The audio was unbroken, as the thumping of the horses hooves melded seamlessly into the rhythmic rumbling of the train. This was only one of many similar transitions that helped to smooth the leap between storylines. Another reason these plots work so well together is that this film has solid source material, being based on David Mitchell's 2004 novel of the same name. A solid base in literature helps keep an epic film like this one grounded.A perfect example is the Lord of the Rings trilogy. A cohesive plot with the level of detail provided by several hundred pages of source material allow room for translation to film, freeing the film crew to focus on creative aspects of the visual experience. A major focus of the plot is the concept that everything is connected, and every decision has consequences. This concept is very clear in the individual stories. However, it is clear that the Wachowskis intended this concept to extend beyond the individual plots and hint at an overarching philosophy. This film stays well clear of the heavy-handed exposition that can be utilized by filmmakers peddling a worldview. This film is intentionally structured to leave the ultimate conclusions the responsibility of the viewer. A final note about the plot: although these stories were connected, they were not the same. This allowed for true suspense, and kept my attention locked in throughout this long film.

Another aspect of this film I want to discuss was prominently featured: the makeup. A major concept of this film was to use the same central cast of characters in each story. As a whole, the makeup was brilliant. I especially was impressed by the makeup of the terrifying cannibals and Hugo Weaving's makeup as Old Georgie (more on this character later). I am sure most viewers of this film would agree with me that the weakest point of this makeup is the Asian makeup for the New Seoul storyline. The closeups of the actor's faces with this makeup reveal that it is very well done, with no obivous seams or inconsistencies. However, it just doesn't look right. This was especially evident with Hugo Weaving's character in this timeline. Granted, Weaving has a unique facial structure that is clearly impossible to convert to Asiatic features. But, the few inconsistencies were not overly distracting, and I expect this film to be a clear winner of the Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling on strength of the overall body of work.

The strength of this film was unquestionably in the acting. In order for such a unconventional plot to function, the actors needed to step up to the challenge presented by the varied roles. Tom Hanks was simply terrific, very convincing in his various roles, from villain to troubled hero. I especially enjoyed his performance as Zachary. Even though the dialect was difficult to understand, he mastered the emotions of a man who desperately wants to do right, but has the devil speaking into his ear. And speaking of the devil, Hugo Weaving is great in every one of his villain roles, particularly the malicious tempter Old Georgie. There were some very crazy shots with his garish green face juxtaposed just behind Hank's troubled countenance, breathing malicious instructions into his ear. Doona Bae was a relative unknown in Hollywood, but she delivered a powerful performance as a clone coming to grips with the harsh realities of her world. As I noted in the previous paragraph, the makeup didn't always work, but I felt that the acting performances more than made up for the slight inconsistencies.

Stepping back to look at the film as a whole, I can't say that I have ever watched a film that so successfully blended such different styles and emotions. The gut-wrenching visceral horror of the bodies of clones being recycled for food is quickly offset a few scenes later by a few old people stealing a car with hilarious consequences. Each of the plots has its own flavor and style that kept me as a viewer completely enthralled throughout the running time.

My final verdict: excellent film, a perfect 10/10. The few things I didn't like were completely overshadowed by the overall brilliance. I highly recommend watching this movie in the theaters for two reasons. First, it is an incredibly well made, entertaining, and thought-provoking film. Second, it was independently funded, as the studios typically stay away from creative films like this. If like me, you are tired of the same old plot being rehashed in 99% of new releases, I suggest supporting films like this that show true creativity and innovation to encourage the film studios to take a few more risks and give us quality films.

IMDb Page
My review of the brilliant trailer

Stoker (2013)

2012-10-01T22:37:00.002-04:00

I know I have been away from this blog for a long time, and sadly this will not be much of a triumphant return. However, I just watched a trailer that blew my mind and I had to post it here. It's the trailer for the upcoming film "Stoker". An exceptional movie trailer, full of suspense, tension, and stuff that is just plain wrong. The opening lines hit you like a slap to the face. Anyway, check it out. I promise I will write interesting stuff again soon.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1111335961/

Must-See Movies of 2012

2012-08-04T00:55:00.000-04:00

2012 is shaping up to be a great year in cinema. We have already witnessed the two most-anticipated super hero movies of all time in The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises, both films that were as good as expected and set box office records. But there are still many more great films set to hit theaters this year, and I want to point out six great upcoming movies.

1. Lawless (August 29) [Trailer]

Prohibition-era America is a popular topic for films, but this one looks like it will set itself apart from the others. The trailer promises the combination of corruption and crime presented in a compelling story. But I am mostly excited about the cast for this film. Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Guy Pearce, Shia LaBeouf, Jessica Chastain, and Mia Wasikowska fill the leading roles in this film. The trailer shows hints of the chemistry between this wonderful cast.

2. Cloud Atlas (October 26) [Trailer]

I recently reviewed the trailer for this film, and do not have a lot to add to my review. This looks to be a compelling film that will be well worth viewing in theaters.

3. Skyfall (November 9) [Trailer]

I am more excited for this next installment in the James Bond films than I have been for any Bond film. The brilliant trailer is largely responsible for my excitement for this film. Check out my review of the Skyfall trailer.

4. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (December 14) [Trailer]

The Lord of the Rings films are easily my favorite film series of all time, and I have waited with great anticipation for Peter Jackson's newest interpretation of Tolkien's classic work. It was recently announced that the story of the Hobbit will be split into three movies rather than the two that were initially intended. Having followed the excellent production video diaries throughout this film's development, I have no fear with this extension and look forward to all three movies with equal excitement.

5. Les Misérables (December 14) [Trailer]

It looks like I will be spending a good portion of Friday, December 14th in a theater. Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables is one of my favorite books of all time. If you have not read it, even if you may not like reading, please read it now, you will not regret it. The story of betrayal, revenge, and love is something you will never forget. There was a film adaptation of the novel released in 1998 starring Liam Neeson and Geoffrey Rush that was fairly true to the book and entertaining to watch. This December will bring us something new: a film adaptation of the popular musical based on Hugo's novel. I have had limited exposure to the musical save for a few songs, but can't wait to see this film. The cast looks spectacular and I cannot get Anne Hathaway's voice out of my head after watching the spectacular teaser trailer (link above).

6. The Great Gatsby (December 25) [Trailer]

My list comes to an end with this adaptation of another classic work of literature, F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. The trailer for this film really caught my attention (read my review here). This looks to be a gripping and vibrant take on this classic novel. What better way to enjoy a Christmas day than by opening presents in the morning and enjoying a great movie in the evening?

Honorable Mentions

I wanted to point out two other movies that look good but not quite to the level of the six in my list. These films are End of Watch (September 21) and Looper (September 28). Although they might not be great, these films fit nicely in between the other six great movies and look to be very entertaining. Both movies have great trailers, I reviewed the End of Watch trailer and the Looper trailer can be found here.

So there you have it, my list of six must-see movies of 2012. I plan to post a review of each film as I watch it. Enjoy the rest of your cinematic year!

Skyfall (2012)

2012-08-03T01:23:00.000-04:00

The official U.S. trailer for the third installment in the Daniel Craig era of James Bond films has finally been released. The social media sites are buzzing with anticipation for Skyfall and this trailer will only build that anticipation. The trailer is action-packed, and is well edited. The classic James Bond soundtracks give this trailer a connection to previous Bond movies.

The connection to a beloved film franchise is an incredible tool in the hands of the filmmakers. It allows them to more quickly draw the audience into the film, as the audience is familiar with the character to some extent. For example, in this trailer beginning at 2:14 there is a quick scene which is sure to delight all Bond fans as it draws on the unflappable nature of the suave secret agent. The familiar music forcefully and the iconic images of James Bond in this trailer combine to build a sense of awe that would not be so forceful for any other film. This is a great marketing strategy executed brilliantly.

But this trailer does not rely simply on its predecessors, but is brilliant in its own right. The synchronization of the soundtrack with the action is done better than any other blockbuster film trailer I have watched. Every nuance of the music corresponds to some action in the picture. My favorite example is during the reveal of Javier Bardem's character at 1:31. As the doors slide open to reveal the villain, there is a subtle deep slide noise in the soundtrack that is perfectly in sync with the opening of the doors. Such an effect is so subtle it is overlooked by the casual viewer, but is important even at a subconscious level. That one little sound is one of portending evil, serving to establish Bardem's character as the embodiment of fear. As a side note, I think it is great that the music helped make Bardem's character seem evil because I thought he looked ridiculous with blond hair. But I am sure he did a great job.

There is one last aspect of the trailer that really stood out to me: The several beautiful pictures interspersed throughout the trailer. The actual photography of a film is obviously very important, and the film crew were on top of their game for some of the shots in this trailer. I think a great test of the photography of a film is when you can pause the picture ad really appreciate the frame as a work of art in itself. The greater number of frames in a film that fall into this category is essential in determining the quality of that film. Five pictures really stood out to me:
1. Pause at 0:18. The scenery is beautiful, with the large, light-colored train bridge contrasting with the green vegetation and blue distant mountains. In context of the trailer, it is a shocking scene as it presents a moment for the audience to quietly process what they have just witnessed (Bond ostensibly being shot).
2. Pause at 0:25. This shot is both an iconic shot and a beautiful photograph. It sets up the character of M well and hints at the darkness ahead. Rain falls on the sleeping city behind her as she works on her computer. The dim lighting leaves some of her face obscured in shadow. The quaint objects on her desk (a dog statue, desk telephone, and pencil holder) contrast with the bottle and tumbler of whiskey.
3. Pause at 1:20. A beautifully lit Oriental-themed city with floating lanterns and bright colors! Oh yeah, and fireworks!
4. Pause at 1:28. A dark silhouette staggers directly towards the viewer, holding a gun in his right hand. His dark body contrasts violently with the orange and yellow glow a distant mayhem. The faint outline of a house is visible in this fire. Jagged, limbless trees add to the horror of this picture. This picture brings vibes of Javier Bardem's Oscar-winning performance in No Country for Old Men.
5. Pause at 2:13. Bright neon colors illuminate the outlines of seemingly endless structures. Bright lights from below silhouette the falling man.
There are many, many more amazing pictures throughout this trailer, and you will have to watch it and find them for yourself.

Was there anything I disliked about this trailer? Only a bit of the dialogue, but not enough to detract from the overall trailer. Ben Wishaw's voice as Q really annoyed me every time I watched through the trailer for this review. He has the peculiar quality of smacking his lips in an odd way every time he forms a word which is the verbal equivalent of a cat scratching on a blackboard. And secondly, I know James Bond is known for his somewhat cheesy quips, but I really didn't like the exchange between Daniel Craig and Javier Bardem towards the end of the trailer. "What is your hobby?" "Resurrection." This dialogue was a big let down after it was so masterfully set up by the picture and soundtrack.

Final Verdict: Trailer 10/10, great trailer with some impressive technical aspects. If the same attention to detail is present in the finished film, the film could possibly rate out at a 9/10. But I expect there will be some decline in quality from this trailer to the finished product, and combined with possibly stereotyped characters (even though these might be saved by good acting), I think that a 8/10 is a more probable reality, which is still a great score for a James Bond film. I think the anticipation for this film is well deserved, and Skyfall is a must watch in theaters.

Watch the trailer here

IMDb Page for Skyfall

Cloud Atlas (2012)

2012-07-29T20:47:00.001-04:00

I have at least two other topics I have been planning to blog about, but after watching this trailer, I had to write about it. I had not heard anything about this movie prior to noticing the trailer on the IMDb homepage and have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I really liked this trailer for several reasons:

1. It was an extended trailer, clocking in at 5:42. I absolutely love good extended trailers, as only a good movie can make a good extended trailer. A bad movie can get away with 2 minutes of its funniest lines or best action scenes in the trailer and fool the audience into thinking it will be a good film. However, the amount of footage required for a long trailer requires a film full of good footage to draw from. The same phenomenon is noticed with multiple trailers, as evidenced by The Dark Knight Rises. None of TDKR's trailers were ridiculously long, but there were at least two trailers released, along with at least three TV spots and perhaps some other material I did not see. All of the TDKR trailers looked awesome, portending the great movie that they were derived from.

2. The soundtrack of this trailer was amazing. A good soundtrack is one of the most important aspects of any film, and the music in the trailer hinted at a great film soundtrack.

3. The Wachowskis were involved in directing and writing this film. The Matrix series was a great trilogy, with great visuals and a compelling plot and I think that this bodes well for Cloud Atlas.

4. This film is based on a bestselling novel, providing the film with solid source material. I have not personally read the book, but I'm guessing that it must be all right given its accolades. Since the story itself has received acclaim, a well-executed film adaptation should follow in the book's footsteps.

5. The timing of the titles and the cuts from scene to scene (and ultimately, century to century) were brilliant, and combined well with the aforementioned soundtrack.

6. The prosthetics for the character transformations over time looked excellent, which is critical as they seem central to the plot.

7. The cast looks awesome, Tom Hanks is always brilliant and Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving, and Jim Sturgess should all be excellent.

8. The trailer gave a glimpse of this wonderful fact: this movie has something for everyone. Whether you like films set in ancient history, not-so-ancient history, present, or the future, this film will display your favorite niche. The sets and effects for each of the different time periods look extremely well produced and developed.

9. There are clones. Clones are a wonderful addition to almost every single sci-fi film ever.

10. There is a zero-gravity scene in the trailer. Every good trailer has a zero gravity scene. (At least the ones that don't should). Don't believe me and don't want to watch the whole trailer? After realizing you aren't a human, please skip to 4:05 in the trailer.

11. There looks to be some philosophical questions and perhaps answers in this film. The titles throughout the trailer flash the words "Death, Life, Birth, Future, Present, Past, Love, Hope, Courage, Everything is Connected". The philosophical nature of this film looks interesting, and coming from the guys who made the philosophically charged Matrix trilogy, I have no doubt that this will be done well. Even if the film makes conclusions that I may not agree with, it is always fun to think through the scenarios presented in a well-written film.

I really liked this trailer and am excited for yet another film that will come out this year, specifically October 26. This has been a great year in cinema and looks to continue throughout the year. I highly suggest you watch this trailer, which will inevitably compel you to watch the film when it is released to theaters.

Final verdict: Trailer 10/10, every aspect of this trailer was amazing, spot-on, brilliant, and exciting. A very fun and entertaining trailer to watch that teases its film to the perfect level without giving away the entire plot. I expect the film to rate about 8/10, but I wouldn't be surprised if it surpassed that.

Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2146673945/
IMDb Page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1371111/

Immortals (2011)

2012-07-27T11:52:00.002-04:00

Last night I took a break from watching through the TV series Breaking Bad to watch the film Immortals. I was in the mood for a mindless action flick and was rewarded with a mindless action flick. Now, I know very little overall about Greek mythology, but from what I have read on the internet, this film quite liberally demolishes its source material. Straying heavily from the source material is something that can be used effectively, but usually it isn't. In this film, it isn't. The acting was largely underwhelming. Mickey Rourke punctuated his mumbling scenes by eating while mumbling (rendering him completely unintelligible) and by horrifically killing random individuals. Henry Cavill gave a mediocre performance, a character such as Theseus with such a strongly emotional back-story should have connected with the audience better than he managed to. The rest of the cast was present but did not stand out.

The plot was relatively straightforward, there was a loose end or two including a subplot with a traitor that was never really resolved. A major criticism I had of the movie was its pacing, the film basically consisted of long scenes of poorly executed melodrama punctuated by very short scenes of brutal violence. This formula can and does work well, but the long scenes of melodrama need to be captivating and integral to the plot.

But, the aspects I have mentioned earlier are not the primary attention-getter of an action movie. 99% of America that wants to watch an action movie does it for one reason: the action! And in this regard this film delivers. The special effects are great, extreme violence is portrayed with aplomb throughout the film. These scenes are especially exciting when the Greek gods are involved, as their supernatural abilities allow for some very exciting results. I particularly enjoyed the special effects in the ending sequence when the gods face the titans. The filmmakers were exceptionally creative in the ways this supernatural battle could play out. The mortal battles are slightly less exciting, but still offer 300-esque spear and sword fighting that is fairly well choreographed.

As a whole, I was underwhelmed with the film, but the action scenes were exciting and the ending of the film really had me guessing. Because of these saving features, I rated it a 5/10 on IMDb. This rating means I didn't hate the movie after watching it, but there were a number of aspects I didn't like. I would not watch this film again.

IMDb Page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1253864/

The Hobbit Production Video #8

2012-07-23T15:21:00.002-04:00

Now that I finally watched The Dark Knight Rises, I am starting to get excited for a film coming out December 14th. This film is "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" and it is the first of two movies (the second will be released a year later) that detail J. R. R. Tolkien's other beloved work.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy is my favorite film series of all time. Although I love other films and film series (including the recently concluded Batman trilogy), I can think of no other films other than LOTR that inspire the same feelings in me. I have a ridiculous amount of respect for Peter Jackson and the brilliant job he did of transferring Tolkien's wonderful stories to film. The Hobbit films have been in the works for quite a while, but ran into a number of problems which caused the production to be continually delayed. Initially, Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy) was set to direct, but he eventually dropped out. Peter Jackson moved from his intended role of producer back into the director's chair in order to make these films happen.

A great aspect of the production of the Hobbit films is the video blogs that have been regularly released, detailing the major aspects of production. Each video consists of approximately 15 minutes of Peter Jackson walking you around the set and introducing you to the cast and crew. The videos are well produced and very entertaining. The most recent video, #8, shows the trip to Comic Con and goes behind the scenes for the final days of shooting. Peter Jackson promises to keep producing these videos throughout post-production. I highly recommend these videos, and fans of LOTR that haven't read The Hobbit can safely watch these videos as they are careful to avoid spoilers.

Here are links for each of the production video blogs:

The Hobbit, Production Video #1

The Hobbit, Production Video #2

The Hobbit, Production Video #3

The Hobbit, Production Video #4

The Hobbit, Production Video #5

The Hobbit, Production Video #6

The Hobbit, Production Video #7

The Hobbit, Production Video #8

The Hobbit, Production Video #9

The Hobbit, Production Video #10

Peter Jackson also has them posted on his Facebook page, which I highly recommend subscribing to.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on IMDb

UPDATE: Check out my review of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

The Dark Knight Rises

2012-07-20T14:46:00.001-04:00

Last night I attended a midnight showing of the final film of Chris Nolan's Batman trilogy: The Dark Knight Rises (TDKR). This is a film I have been excitedly waiting for since I watched The Dark Knight four years ago. I will stay away from spoilers in this post, as I want to simply discuss some aspects of the film rather than truly review it.

Nolan said that the themes for his Batman movies were Fear, Chaos, and Pain (respectively). The theme of pain is incredibly forceful throughout TDKR. In every facet of the storyline, the brutality of evil is unleashed in Gotham. Hans Zimmer's masterful score is forceful and insistent, boldly underlining the downfall of Gotham. The evolution of the soundtracks of the trilogy really mirrors the development of the storyline. Batman Begins had a brooding, understated soundtrack (Example). The Dark Knight had a mix of styles, but was largely dominated by powerful tracks with chaotic sounds that writhe into the listener's mind (Example). The final soundtrack forces home the struggle for survival against a terrible death (Example).

The acting is superb from all aspects. Bale performs above and beyond the high level he set in the first two films. Tom Hardy is excellent as Bane, rising to the challenge of using just his eyes to convey emotion behind his synthesized voice and mask. Bane is brutal and unmerciful, a despicable force of evil that will chill you. Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman are brilliant in their supporting roles. Caine particularly impressed me, portraying Alfred as an old man trying to protect his employer and friend as best he can. Joseph Gordon-Levitt was a great addition and interacted well with Gary Oldman in their respective roles of John Blake and Commissioner Gordon. My biggest surprise was Anne Hathaway as Catwoman. Honestly, I did not have high expectations for this role, no knock on Anne, but I initially wasn't sure about this casting. I was very wrong. Anne's Catwoman is as "adaptable" as she claims . Catwoman switches between being a dangerous assassin and a helpless, screaming girl in a memorable scene. She is presented with a difficult choice toward the end of the movie and adapts to that situation as well. I was surprised by the prominent role she plays in the plot but not annoyed by it.

The wide range of reviews and commentary on this film found online bring up an important issue that I want to discuss here: the concept of what people expect from a film. A large number of the reviews of this film have been negative, and the commentary of those reviews has been negative. I have little patience for most "film critics". A movie is entertainment, something that is meant to be enjoyed. However, many of the film reviews I read are hopelessly critical and get bogged down by picking apart every detail of the film in question, focusing only on the weak points. These cynical reviews tend to get a great deal of attention but I think that they do not accurately represent the film that was reviewed. Watching a movie is not about objectively picking apart the details like some engineering blueprint, but rather subjectively experiencing the film within the premises of the film. When a critic reduces a film to just its component parts, he/she is missing the point of the entire experience. My greatest pet peeve in this area is when a critic attempts to disprove a film's plot device on the grounds that it is not possible in real life. Unless the film is question is a documentary that claims to accurately represent everything in the universe, this is an absurd deconstruction. Suspension of disbelief is absolutely necessary in order to enjoy watching a movie. The premises of a film's plot should only be evaluated on the basis of the plot, unless they claim to be something greater. The picking apart of films common in critic reviews is equivalent to going over the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel with a magnifying glass, finding a tiny errant line in the fresco, and claiming that Michelangelo was a hack. The magnificent paintings in the Sistine Chapel were made to be enjoyed as a whole in a sensory, subjective experience, just as a film is meant to be enjoyed as a whole in a sensory, subjective experience.

Now I want to be careful to say that I am not saying that objective review has no place in art. It does have a role, and in the Sistine Chapel example, one can appreciate the use of accurate mathematical proportion in Michelangelo's paintings. In film, we can evaluate and appreciate attention to detail, acting technique, set design, and many other aspects on an objective level. I merely wish to caution these all too eager film critics that there is more to the art of a good movie than these little objective details that they obsess over to a ridiculous degree.

I'm not saying this to argue that there are no bad movies, though. I have watched some truly despicable films in my life. However, this subjective judgement is made from the standpoint of the combined sensory experience of the movie and the objective details. Ultimately, I think movie reviews are fun and informative to read as a guideline, but they cannot be held up as an objective standard. To reiterate the point I have been trying to make in this discussion: A critic who tears apart the inconsequential details of a film without experiencing the film as a whole has handicapped his/her ability to enjoy a film and be entertained by it. The written reviews of such a skeptic are invariably negative, and cannot be viewed as the true measure of the film in question.

But back to the actual film, it is everything the finale to this series could have been, should have been, and more. We are brought full circle to the beginning, developing the legend of Batman in a very satisfactory way. There are incredible action scenes at a scale unparalleled by the two preceding films and truly by few films in all of the history of cinema. The plot is strong, the script is great, sprinkled with some nice spots of humor that give the audience a chance for nervous laughter in the midst of such a gripping narrative. This is an epic film that is sure to be a box office hit, and I have no doubt that it will become one of the highest grossing films of all time. I enjoyed this film immensely, and rated it a perfect 10/10 on IMDb as a reflection of my absolute enjoyment of this cinematic experience.

Let me know what you thought of the film and what you think of my claims about movie critics in the comments.

The FP (2011)

2012-07-14T14:59:00.001-04:00

I enjoy rooting around the internet for random and obscure things. This film is one of those random, obscure things. Just reading the tagline for this film brought me close to death by disbelief. "In a post apocalyptic future, two rival gangs fight for control of Frazier Park by playing "Beat Beat Revelation", a deadly version of Dance, Dance, Revolution(TM)". What? Are you serious? But apparently the filmmakers are not serious and it is only a parody of sorts that is meant to be taken for its insightful satire of life. More like a modern satire of DDR. I feel like this is exactly the sort of film that was only called a parody after the test audiences at screenings died in hysteric laughter at the utter absurdity of this film.

I really am not even going to try reviewing this trailer, I just wanted to pass it along for your viewing pleasure. The acting looks amazingly horrible, the plot absurd with a whole family-size can of cliches thrown in for flavor. Please never watch this film. But do watch the trailer, it's funny.

Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1243128089/
IMDb Page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1296373/

Best Tweets about Jack Reacher

2012-07-10T20:20:00.001-04:00

I was browsing Twitter and found these gems related to Tom Cruise and his upcoming movie Jack Reacher.

First,

Tom Cruise is playing Jack Reacher, who,author Lee Child writes, is 6'5". That's what Hollywood calls a real stretch. -- Jeff Greenfield (@greenfield64)

Second,

Tom Cruise will be perfect as Jack Reacher because he's so short. -- Joshua Malina (@JoshMalina)

Third,

A Jack Reacher sounds like a prosthetic aid Cee Lo needs in order to pleasure himself. -- Ceej (@ceejoyner)

Finally,

The first trailer for Jack Reacher confirms people's suspicion that Tom Cruise shouldn't have been let within five foot three of the role. -- Steve Mosby (@stevemosby)

I will edit this post if I find any others. Props to the authors of these jokes.

Jack Reacher (2012)

2012-07-10T18:17:00.002-04:00

With Tom Cruise's name currently at the top of most entertainment news headlines, I figured it was a good time to review the trailer for his upcoming film "Jack Reacher".

This trailer gives a good warning of a film that will display a common phenomenon related to big time movie stars. Once a movie star reaches a certain point of stardom, they become typecast as themselves in a sense. A great example of this is Morgan Freeman. I'm not knocking on Freeman's acting abilities, I think he is an amazing actor. However, In a large number of more recent films, he has played the same character...Morgan Freeman. Audiences pay to see Morgan Freeman be Morgan Freeman and talk in his wonderful voice. Another example: Bruce Willis. Audiences do not pay to see Bruce Willis play a ballet dancer with a penchant for pickles. Rather, they pay to see Bruce Willis run around and shoot things and blow stuff up and talk in his gravelly voice. This same phenomenon is true (at least in two cases) for Arnold Schwarzenegger, Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, and now Tom Cruise. Tom Cruise has moved beyond the point in his career where he needs to create a realistic character after months of research and preparation. Now, he can walk onto the set and just be himself, walk around in sunglasses and drive fast cars and be short. I know, I know, I did start the "Tom Cruise is short" jokes already, but I had to start sometime. There are so many short jokes about Tom Cruise that if they were printed and bound into books, they would comprise a stack of books 4' 5" high - a regular Tom Cruise of books (relevant). I guess the reason why people joke about his height is because he is reportedly so defensive about it, reportedly banning his then-wife Nicole Kidman from ever wearing heels in public near him. That must have been part of his marriage contract with her.

Anyway, back to the trailer. I enjoyed the soundtrack and thought it was a fairly well constructed
action trailer. The protagonist is clearly identified as a cool dude who does cool things and the bad guys get what was coming to them. The plot doesn't seem too creative what with the tired renegade cop angle, but it is based on a book for whatever that is worth.

Final Verdict: Trailer 7/10; it does what it set out to do well but without creativity or originality. I expect the film to rate 6.5/10, a decent action movie to watch with the bros once and then forget about.

Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2695079193/
IMDb Page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0790724/

The Man with the Iron Fists (2012)

2012-07-02T20:17:00.006-04:00

I'm going to start this post with an admission that is likely to shock you: I am not a fan of Quentin Tarantino. Sure, Pulp Fiction was fun and zany, but I have to say every other film he is remotely associated with is an atrocity to modern cinema. However, he has a vibrant fan base, including the people who are currently looking up my address to come and kill me for insulting the demigod Tarantino.
Anyway, given my dislike for his movies, I was instantly turned off when the trailer proclaimed in obnoxious letters on a red background "Quentin Tarantino presents". Now I couldn't find him in the IMDb credits after a cursory search, so I have no idea how involved he was with the production of the film, but it looks like his creative influence was very strong given the look of the rest of the trailer. Now in my long career of watching movie trailers, I have watched some pretty bad ones. But this trailer was a new level of awful. This trailer is a two minute barrage of stupidity, cliche, poor acting, weak effects all punctuated by obnoxious red title cards. This movie is clearly the first effort of director RZA. Now I'm sure hardcore hip-hop fans will be incensed that I had to Wikipedia RZA to find out who this abbreviated individual is, and I do have to say that I wish he had stuck to music. The trailer is good evidence of a director that has absolutely no artistic sense or clue how to create a coherent product.
I don't even know what else to say. Watching that trailer just ruined my day and gave me a headache. Please, if you value your sanity, don't watch this trailer more than once.
Final Verdict:
Trailer: 1/10; my lowest rating yet, that trailer could be used as a form of torture that would crack even the hardest man.
I expect the film to rate out in the 3/10 range. I understand that it is meant to be a zany kung-fu movie, and I am a fan of zany kung-fu movies, but this is a pretentious attempt at a zany kung-fu movie, totally sapping the zaniness and the kung-fu right out of the movie. What is left after this sapping action is simply a hollow shell of toenail goop that encloses the space where the movie used to occupy. If you agree with me that toenail goop is nasty, then you better not watch this film. If you resist my warning and go to the theater anyway to watch this film, beware of the very likely possibility that the hollow shell of this movie will use the contents of the theater to create a portal to another dimension. A dimension where everyone looks like Quentin Tarantino and all the movies suck. So just remember: You were warned.

Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3669665049/
Eye Bleach: http://eyebleach.com/
IMDb Page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1258972/

Total Recall (2012)

2012-07-02T00:20:00.002-04:00

One of the most important aspects of a movie trailer is its pace. The pace of the actual movie is always important, but the filmmakers get two hours to develop the story and set the pace. In a trailer, there is only about two minutes in which the scenes are presented. Because of this tight slot, the scenes must be carefully paced so as to engage the viewer without boring the viewer with a unreasonably slow pace or confusing the viewer with a frenetic pace. Obviously, the concept of pacing is relative to the subject matter, and slow/fast pacing can be executed brilliantly if given the proper treatment.
The second trailer for the upcoming film "Total Recall" offers a great example of a good pace for an action movie trailer. The action scenes are snappy but exciting and the plot is set up by the dialogue well without being boring.
Along with this, the special effects look spectacular. But don't think I am about to offer a completely positive outlook on this film. A true remake of a film is a very tough thing to do right, and offhand I cannot think of a remake that I actually liked. For interest of full disclosure, I similarly cannot remember any remakes that I have watched or what I ate for breakfast two days ago, but I am not reviewing my memory here.
The plot doesn't look to hold significant promise, I do enjoy the philosophical underpinnings of a questionable reality, but most people don't go to watch an action movie for its philosophical underpinnings (and Inception did it way better). The whole husband/wife tension angle is super cliche and I don't think it really adds anything to the plot but I guess that remains to be judged along with the whole of the finished product.
The acting previewed in the trailer looked passable, one thing that really stood out to me was the absolutely vampirish look in Kate Beckinsale's eyes right at the 1:00 mark. After I got over my initial fright, I pondered for a while whether Kate is really a vampire and she doesn't even need to act for the Underworld movies so that's why they make so many. I also developed a second theory that maybe she wasn't a vampire but someone on the Underworld set was and purposely bit her because she is so hot and now she is a legit vampire. Anyway, I saw Bryan Cranston is in this film and that made me happy because I am currently watching (and loving) the TV show "Breaking Bad".
Final Verdict:
Trailer: 8/10; Loved the pacing, the trailer was structured well and included some great action shots. Overall, this trailer is an excellent marketing device for a film that I expect to be a mediocre box office draw, shattering the producer's confidence in ever making a remake again. And that is not a bad thing.
I expect the movie to rate 6/10, in a large part because Colin Farrell fights mechs and everyone likes to see mechs die. Oh and Jessica Biel and Kate Beckinsale still look great.

Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi297444633
IMDb Page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1386703/

Epic (2013)

2012-06-29T00:19:00.001-04:00

Just watched the trailer for the upcoming animated release "Epic". My first thought when watching this trailer was "When did animated films get so beautiful?" I don't really have an answer for that at the moment, I'm sure it could be obtained with some in depth research and stuff but I'm totally not into that on this blog. But it is an interesting phenomenon to see the evolution of animated children's films from simple 2-D drawings like Bambi (which were beautiful in their own right, don't want to detract from that) to these amazing computer animations with such incredible detail captured in every aspect. This attention to detail is now the norm. I was especially impressed by a scene where a character is breathing heavily in plate armor, and the plates of the armor are rising and falling slowly, visibly moving as well as audibly clicking back into place.

Back to the actual trailer, I have very little hope for a film that titles itself using one of the catchphrases of the current generation. They may as well have called the movie "Legit". However, there could be some level of irony in the choice of the title seeing as the film is about tiny fairies and stuff, which forces the epic to take place at a tiny level...but I am positive the filmmakers had no such purpose in mind and I am just reading into it too much. I found the setting to be exciting, the trailer shows a world only rivaled by the Pandora of Avatar, but this world is composed of everyday settings and creatures from hummingbirds to snails that are awesome at the level of the film. But the promise of the setting is quickly dispelled by the prevalent slapstick humor and the extremely generic plot. Here is the IMDb summary: "A teenager finds herself transported to a deep forest setting where a battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil is taking place. She bands together with a rag-tag group characters in order to save their world -- and ours". I swear they copy and pasted the plot from every other mediocre film ever created. Perhaps there is an unexpected creative new interpretation of this tired old plot but once again I cannot give the filmmakers the benefit of the doubt. The soundtrack of the trailer was fitting and original.

Final verdict: Trailer: 7/10; A beautiful, captivating world presented with a great soundtrack, but brought down by the poorly chosen humor and generic plot. I expect the film to rate not much higher than 6/10, but it could be a reasonably entertaining film for a family with small children.

Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1538499865/
IMDb Page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0848537/

Taken 2

2012-06-27T11:10:00.005-04:00

Like any reasonable human, I was a big fan of the film "Taken". I loved the combination of gritty, realistic fight scenes with a moving emotional plot of a father rescuing his daughter from a horrible fate. But a sequel was something I never expected from a film as complete as Taken. But I now watched the recently released trailer for "Taken 2" and will give my opinion of it.

The first warning indicator for me was the heavy use of footage from the first film in the beginning of the trailer. This sequel is not trying to hide the fact that they are blatantly piggy-backing off the success of the first film. And throughout the trailer, I noticed evidence of this. There are so many scenes in the trailer that parallel scenes in the first film that I almost wasn't sure which film I was watching. Liam Neeson giving a powerful speech to the leader of the kidnappers, Neeson entering a building full of bad guys and going to work. Another scene that I thought cheapened the trailer was the scene in which Bryan Mills' (Neeson) daughter asks him what he is going to do about his wife being kidnapped. He answers "what I do best". Now I am sure many of you watched that line and responded something like this "OMG! Liam Neeson is such a beast! This movie is going to be so cool!" If you responded like that, congratulations, you have been manipulated by the producers of this movie. Once again, that line is a simply another device to use the success of the first film as a marketing device for this second film.

So what do I expect of this movie given these warning signs? The same as almost every action sequel ever produced. The explosions will be bigger, the fight scenes more cinematic and less gritty, the dialogue more cheesy, and a unimaginative plot. It seems that so often studios get lazy after the sudden success of one of their projects and put out a sequel quickly to cash in on their previous success. A large number of people will go to watch this movie not because of its own merits, but because "Liam Neeson is a beast" and "Taken was awesome". Now I don't necessarily fault the filmakers and producers as they are just making money, but I can say that I do not expect this film to even come close to the quality of its brilliant and original predecessor. Everything that was great about Taken will be cheapened by the stereotypical pattern of the action movie sequel Taken 2.

Final Verdict: Trailer was a 6/10, I was incredibly turned off by the heavy usage of footage from the previous film, and would have better appreciated a trailer that alluded to the first movie but didn't show so many scenes from it. Besides that, the action in the trailer looked crisp and well-executed. The villains look to be overacting to a criminal degree, but that judgment is best saved for a review of the actual release. I expect the film to rate no higher than 6.0/10 for the reasons stated throughout this review.

Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3736118553/
IMDb Page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1397280/