A Chris Smith on Movies

Goon

2012-08-15

A stupid, but certainly lovable, man (Seann William Scott) stumbles upon a career as a minor league hockey enforcer. He may not skate that well or know how to handle a puck, but he can certainly throw a punch. Liev Schrieber co-stars.

As a physical comedy the film is just-OK, but William Scott's performance as a lovable doufuss is strangely compelling.

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Safety Not Guarenteed

2012-08-15

"Wanted: Somebody to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. You'll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. I have only done this once before. Safety not guaranteed."

This introspective film shows the power of the "indie" film. Great story, great characters, and an interesting journey.

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That's My Boy

2012-08-15

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Moneyball

2012-08-15

"Don't worry about people stealing an idea. If it's original, you will have to ram it down their throats."

Brad Pitt stars in the true story behind the Oakland A's General Manager as he tries to incorporate new thinking into a 100-year old game. As one would expect, he encounters resistance. Great acting, great story. Jonah Hill co-stars.

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Dark Knight Rises

2012-08-15

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The Hunger Games

2012-04-02

The Hunger Games film is setting boxoffice records, just like the original book. And sequels are already in the works. This film anchors what could be a post-apocalyptic and ultra-violent trilogy of Lord of the Rings magnitude. The story and franchise have the momentum, the only question remaining is if the film adaptation of The Hunger Games delivers.

While I don’t want to spoil this review, I’ll tell you upfront that the film gets a solid 4-star rating. Although I give it the high marks somewhat begrudgingly. There are a lot of nuances to the film, so let’s get to it.

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Phantoms

2012-03-31

While browsing Netflix’s Instant Streaming titles - a hobby I am particularly fond of - I saw 1998’s Phantoms, starring Ben Affleck and Rose McGowan. While neither actor is enticing enough for me to leave the house to watch a matinee, they are capable of beckoning me towards see just what this suspense/thriller is about. (And, as it turns out, you should be interested too.)

Dean Koontz wrote the screenplay for Phantoms, as well as a novel by the same name. It starts off as two sisters travel to a sleepy town in Colorado for a vacation, which upon arriving seems eerily silent. At their destination they find the cleaning lady dead, and soon realize that other than a few odd bodies the entire town is deserted. When they discover the police station in shambles, the two realize they are not only trapped in this town - but they might also die here as well.

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Doom 2 RPG

2011-11-27

At first you think the game is a joke. Did someone seriously take one of gaming's most action-oriented and visceral franchises, and turn it into a turn-based RPG for smartphones? Well, quite surprisingly, they did. And even more surprisingly, the Doom 2 RPG delivers.

Make no mistake: “Doom RPG” is an oxymoron. The background of the Doom series goes like this: something something “space marine”; something something “teleportation”; something something “demons from hell”; something something “kill anything that moves”. Across several titles, sequels, and updates the “Doom guy” is never given a canonical name.

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Million Dollar Baby

2011-09-19

I got around to seeing the 2004 Academy Award for best picture winner, Million Dollar Baby. And as expected, it is stellar. But not for the reasons you might think. Million Dollar Baby is not a simple sports movie about an underdog-turned-champion, but rather a cerebral look at the nature of motivation. (Disguised, of course, as a simple sports movie about an underdog-turned-champion.)

The movie stars Hillary Swank as Margaret Fitzgerald, a woman trying to make her way in the boxing world. Like most sports-stories, she comes from a poor home situation and desperately clawing her way into a better life. Her only solace is found in boxing; and despite years of training on her own, and even moderate success, she seeks a real coach and manager.

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Sherlock Holmes

2011-09-12

It’s a typical Hollywood formula: take a classic story, add some explosions and then call it a movie. 2009’s Sherlock Holmes cashes in on the classic character. Except in a fortunate -- and personally surprising -- twist, Sherlock Holmes is not just an excuse to sell tickets and popcorn, but rather it is a solid film which does its namesake justice. Robert Downey, Jr. plays the eccentric Sherlock Holmes. He is a far cry from the brown plaid coat and stodgy demeanor; instead, Downey portrays Holmes as a mischievous yet undeniably brilliant detective. The character has all the trimmings of a Johnny Depp role, except Holmes still seems both human and relatable.

This is especially true when you see his relationship to his partner Dr. John Watson, played by Jude Law. The complexities of the two characters and their relationship would be a satisfying movie on its own. Holmes can barely function in a normal society and finds thrills in the challenge of detective work; while Watson, trying to be a gentleman and straight man, is hooked on the thrill of the chase. Holmes needs Watson for muscle and Watson needs Holmes for stimulation. Together they form a classic duo, and the film captures it perfectly. (Although in the Sir Aurthur C Doyle works, both characters are a bit older.)

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Intacto

2011-08-22

Imagine a world where a person’s “luck” is not only a fortunate trait, but also a commodity. Those blessed with luck may be unaware, while others scheme to take, steal, or even trade the luck of the unsuspecting. In such a world, what would happen if you accumulated the luck of others over a career? Or perhaps a lifetime? Intacto is a 2001 Spanish thriller exploring a world where good “luck” might end up being a curse. The film begins with Federico, a man who has the magical gift to literally take someone’s luck with a touch. His talents are a perfect fit for a casino, where his talent is emplyed to cool off any high roller’s hot-streak. But when Federico attempts to rival his boss and mentor, his powers are taken from him and returns to life “as a nobody”.

Not content with a now-jinxed existence, Federico is driven on getting his revenge; desperately searching for any man who can out-chance the luckiest man alive. His salvation lies in Tomas: a man who miraculously survived a plane crash killing everyone else on board. Surviving such a tragedy would seem like pure luck, which is exactly the sort of raw talent that Federico is in search of.

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Practical Magic

2011-08-14

Boy meets girl. Boy and girl are total opposites and hate one another. Then, after experiencing a life-changing ordeal together, they realize they are in love and run off into the sunset together. The end. It’s a simple formula, but then again nobody will claim that the romantic comedy genre is high art.

In the spirit of formulaic yet enjoyable romantic comedy, 1998’s Practical Magic had all the principle components of greatness. First, it has a lovable leading lady: Sandra Bullock as Sally Owen. Then there is the setting: miss Owen isn’t any ordinary women, her family comes from a long line of witches! And the twist: Sally hates her powers, because the women in her family are cursed -- any man they fall in love with will mysteriously die.

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Captain America

2011-07-25

Captain America has always been one of Marvel’s most recognizable characters, but it has taken a surprisingly long time for him to make it to the silver-screen. I would have gladly traded all three Punisher movies (1999, 2004, 2008) to have seen the captain sooner. Fortunately, Captain America: The First Avenger is worth the wait.

Let me be clear, this movie isn’t just for comic book fans; it appeals to anyone with a penchant for action. Not only do we see ‘cap kicking ass and tacking names, but the villain is an especially twisted group of Nazis -- the kind of villain all Americans love to hate. That’s right, Captain America is up against the Nazi deep weapons research group: Hydra.

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Weekend at Bernie's

2011-07-10

Landmark film always breaks new ground in character archetypes, stories, or settings. Weekend at Bernie’s is no different. Until 1989 there was, evidently, never before a comedic farce involving parading around a corpse and convincing people he (it?) is still alive. I salute director Ted Kotcheff, for moving American cinema forward -- even if by its cold, presumably-not dead hand.

Weekend at Bernie’s is a quintessential buddy comedy starring straight man Richard (played by Jonathan Silverman) and his capricious pal Larry (hearthtrob and Brat Pack member Andrew McCarthy.) They are two low-level insurance company accountants who discover a two million dollar mistake. Excited that this might be their big break to climb up the corporate ladder they share the discovery with their womanizing and high-flying boss Bernie Lomax.

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Larry Crowne

2011-07-04

Larry Crowne is the latest Tom Hanks character film-slash-paycheck. The twist is that instead of the film being about a solider, astronaut, or other epic character, Larry Crowne strives to be the anti-Tom Hanks film. It’s about unexceptional middle-aged man leading an ordinary life.

Larry is a dedicated and cheerful guy whom is laid off of from his job at UMart. Despite years of great services and no fewer than nine employee of the month awards, Larry is let go simply because he doesn’t have a college degree. But unemployment is just the start of Larry’s dilemmas. He is now upside-down on his mortgage and struggling to pay high gas prices.

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Death Race 2000

2011-06-28

I’ll admit to paying money to see Saw VI in the theaters. My hope was to witness even more elaborate torture devices than the previous five films offered. I left satisfied. The whole Saw franchise is needlessly violent and paper-thin on plot, but somehow suffices as crude if not base form of entertainment.

The cult classic Death Race 2000, made in 1975, could be thought of as an early precursor to the over-the-top violence of the Saw series. The film centers around the Transcontinental Road Race: A coast-to-coast race where drivers are not only vying for the for the fastest time, but also scoring points by killing people along the way. For example, smearing an elderly person is worth 70 points, while running down an adult male is worth 20 points, and so on. Who wouldn’t love a movie about high-speed killing machines racing across America?

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Green Lantern

2011-06-20

As a film critic my role is to not only relate the facts about movies, but also impart my unique perspective. I’ll admit my comic-book fanboyism might slant my judgement for some films, but after seeing Green Latnern I can assure you there is no comic-book loving bias here. The film is abjectly terrible, no matter which way you look at it.

Green Lantern is a failed attempt at bringing new spin on the super-hero genre to the silver screen. Instead of having a single, all-powerful hero, the world of Green Lantern features a federation of super-powered beings. Millenia ago, an immortal group of beings known as the Guardians divided up the universe into 3,600 different sectors and provided each with a green ring of power. These rings would enable their holders to manifest anything they can imagine. And together, the ring bearers of each sector make up an intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps. What powers these rings is sheer Willpower. So naturally Green Lanterns should be those without fear as to have the will to combat any foe.

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Super 8

2011-06-13

It’s all been done before. Children meeting aliens. Both misunderstood by their parents, or the military, or by the whole human race for that matter. Yet even so, the Spielberg/Abram production Super 8 retells this cliche story with enough new life to not only make this story archetype interesting again, it even goes so far as to make the aliens obsolete.

Super 8 is set in the small Ohio town of Lilian. The film starts with two memorable and iconic scenes that tell us a somber reality: 13-year-old Joe Lamb has lost his mother in a factory accident. Four months later, his father is struggling to keep it together, but Joe has a motley crew of friends to keep him distracted from the loss.

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The Social Network

2011-01-22

Mark Zuckerberg should be known for two things. First, as the co-founder of Facebook.com, one of the world’s most popular websites. And second, for being a jerk. 2010’s The Social Network explains just how such an asshole could become a household name.

The mostly true-to-life story focuses on the steps leading up to the founding of Facebook and the legal aftermath. Like most real-life stories you already know how it will end: Facebook.com is top website, second only to Google.com and Mark Zuckerberg left the world’s youngest billionaire. But the story doesn't have a main hero. Instead, you are left rooting for three different factions.

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Hard Candy

2011-01-16

Jeff is a 30-something photographer who flirts over the Internet with 14-year-old Hayley. This sort of thing only happens if you are a pedophile. Which Jeff is. After a few weeks Jeff gets Hayley back to his place to innocently listen to a bootleg MP3, followed by some not-so-innocent drinks. But here’s the twist: the film isn’t about Hayley getting abused by Jeff. She knows exactly what she is getting into. Jeff, as it turns out, is the one who is woefully unprepared.

Hard Candy is a 2005 psychological thriller about the control of addiction, captivity, and all sorts of pock marks on the human condition. The films has two main characters, Hayley and Jeff, and focuses on their desperate, shifting power struggle. On the outset, young Hayley is lured to charismatic Jeff’s home where you fear for Hayley’s safety. However, things are not as they seam: Hayley wisely (and coyly) refuses a drink from Jeff with, “They teach us young things not to accept a drink we didn’t mix ourselves”. After she pours the next round, Jeff blacks out and wakes up to find himself groggy and tied up.

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