There's a fine line between a gripping, suspenseful thriller and a thriller that becomes so wacky that it takes you out of the film. Throughout the first 75% of the movie, 'The Call' is a well-acted, entertaining, and suspenseful thriller that had me on the edge of my seat. Then the film, in its final 20 minutes, turns into a psychopathic mind-number that has no relevance to the rest of the film and overall brings the film down in terms of a score. The ending was just so weird and so out of place that it sort of confused me in what the writers of the film were thinking. As if the film couldn't get any worse, the film's final 2 minutes turn into something that sort of angered me and just made me give up on liking the film. Sure, Halle Berry and Abigail Breslin give better performances than one could expect from the mediocre trailer, and the film is able to keep a mysterious and gripping tone for the most part. It's just that the final 20 minutes of this movie turn from a simple 911 thriller into something that goes into the realms of something like 'The Silence of the Lambs.' 'The Call' is a movie that came and left theaters fairly quickly, and it is, without a single doubt, one of 2013's most forgettable flicks. It's a shame, since it really has the audience going for the first 70 minutes.
To get this off the bat, 'Stoker' is a very strange movie. This is one of those films that people will either fall in love with, or just not care for it. At this point in time, I'm not on the 'Stoker' bandwagon. Stoker is a psychological thriller about an 18 year old girl named India whose uncle, whom she's never known about, mysteriously shows up and stays with her and her mother. This is a movie that delves into a bizarre territory filled with mystery, psychology, and incest. Lots of incest. The performances are good, especially Matthew Goode, whose portrayal of a mysterious psychopath is engaging and sometimes haunting. His character's story, along with the performance in general, keeps the audience guessing until his big secret is revealed.
Mia Wasikowska, while good, showed little to no emotion except in one scene that is quite disturbing. Nicole Kidman is just sort of there and is fine for what she's supposed to be, which is the mother who is simply there playing victim. I admire director/screenwriter Park Chan-Wook's vision overall, it's just that the full execution, as well as the editing which felt like it was trying to mimic Harmony Korine's editing style in 'Spring Breakers,' wasn't done that well in my opinion. Other than Goode, my favorite thing about the film is the luscious cinematography that just makes the gloomy setting of the film look astonishingly beautiful. It's very possible that in the future, I'll grow to really love 'Stoker.' For now though, as a 16 year old, this movie was too weird and too out there for me to fully appreciate. If you can't handle a scene that features the lead character pleasuring herself to her memories of murder, then you may want to stay away from this.
Magicians are starting to get popular once more with films like 'The Incredible Burt Wonderstone' and TV shows like 'Arrested Development' promptly featuring them as central characters. While magicians have been protrayed in a more comedic light, very few films have shown them doing things other than little party tricks. Introduce yourself to 'Now You See Me,' a new action thriller that turns magicians into bank robbers. The director of this film is Louis Letterer, whose previous works include 'The Incredible Hulk' and 'Clash of The Titans.' As you can see, it's not the best track record out there, but then again, it also isn't the worst. This may very well be Letterer's masterpiece, as 'Now You See Me' is exciting, mind-bending, and one of the summer's best movies.
Meet Daniel, Jack, Henley, and Merritt. These four individuals are all very talented magicians but for four very different reasons. A year ago, they were just a group of street magicians who didn't even know each other. Now, they are a ferocious Las Vegas act who are performing tricks that are so amazing that you'd have to look at the bigger picture to understand how they pulled off something so incredible. All it took for them to become the targets of an FBI investigation was for them to successfully rob a bank in Paris, France and give the money to their audience. As it turns out, this was only the first of three grand tricks that are being played out on a global scale. Even when the FBI thinks they're a step ahead, they're always two steps behind the street magicians, who call themselves The Four Horsemen. And yet, the FBI can't understand exactly WHY The Four Horsemen are robbing banks and individuals and not keeping a single cent for themselves. It must all be a part of the big trick.
All of the acting in this film is top notch overall. Jesse Eisenberg and Mark Ruffalo are the two scene stealers as Daniel, the leader of The Four Horseman, and Dylan, the head of the FBI investigation against the magicians respectively. Woody Harrelson manages to get some solid laughs out as Merritt, and Isla Fisher and Dave Franco also give solid performances. Michael Caine isn't in the film for very long, but he is good for the small role he has. Morgan Freeman plays a rival magician whose mission in life is to expose magicians so he can get money, and his voice alone makes his performance, dare I say, magical. Melanie Laurant and Common play the two "assistants" to Ruffalo, and they too are also really good. There isn't a single performance in this film that is bad, or even just ok. The standouts in the film, though, are most definitely Eisenberg and Ruffalo, while everyone is just really good overall.
The thing about magic tricks is that if it doesn't fully succeed, then the audience boos and walks away in disgust. 'Now You See Me' is a magic trick that succeeds on all notes, and for that makes a superb thriller. The acting is stellar, the special effects look authentic, and some of the magic tricks in this movie are just so damn awesome that it makes you feel even more satisfied when the secret behind the tricks are revealed. Louis Letterer has crafted a magic movie that is thought provoking and entertaining as hell, and proves that he does have something unique to give to the world as a director. Ed Solomon, Boaz Yakin, Edward Ricourt have written an original magic movie that manages to keep the audience guessing until the final reveal is made. 'Now You See Me' might split audiences depending on how they perceive the film, but I for one had such a fun time and will remember this as one of the best films of the summer by the time 2013 ends.
It's kind of hard to take a movie seriously when it's not even taking itself seriously. 'White House Down' is the second white house takeover film that has been released this year, with the first being 'Olympus Has Fallen.' Basically, if you saw 'Olympus Has Fallen,' then you have no real reason to see this film. Having not seen 'Olympus Has Fallen,' I chose to see this because, let's face it, who can pass up a free movie? Anyways, 'White House Down' takes a serious concept of a man trying to rescue the President of the United States from a group of American terrorists and makes it more comedic than one would or could expect. If you're not a fan of thrillers that treats themselves like cheesy and over the top action movies, then this is not the film for you. However if you're able to suspend disbelief for 2 hours and check your brain in at the lobby door, then you'll probably have a fun time with this movie. As stupid, predictable, cheesy, and over the top 'White House Down is,' it is a fun time at the movies and nothing more than mindless entertainment, aka the perfect formula for a summer movie.
John Cale is a man who is struggling to find a decent job and have his 11 year old daughter Emily like him. The one way he feels is the way to connect with his daughter is to bring her to The White House on the day he goes to apply for a position in the Secret Service, since his daughter is a freak about all things politics. Due to his past jobs, lines of education, and things like that, John is denied the job, but of course he can't lie to his daughter about that. Before the two are able to leave the building, though, a group of American terrorists blow up the Capitol, invade the White House, and take everyone hostage. John is able to escape and, knowing a thing or two about guns and combat, is able to locate President James Sawyer and rescue him from the terrorists. Refusing to leave without his daughter, though, John decides to attempt to rescue Emily from these evil men, and President Sawyer joins him for the ride. As the clock winds down quickly, the two men realize they're caught up in a bigger terrorist plan than any of them anticipated.
In all honesty, there isn't really much to talk about in regards to the acting. Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx, along with the rest of the cast, all gave fine performances. None were bad per say, but they weren't Oscar worthy performances at the same time. Even the direction by Roland Emmerich was fine for what it was. The big action scenes are fun for a big screen film, despite some of them being CGI rather than actual stunts performed. As someone who enjoys '2012' to an extent, Emmerich did a decent job directing this flick. Plus, who can resist huge explosions on a big screen that keep the audience's attention for over 2 hours? The big thing to really talk about regarding this movie is James Vanderbilt's script.
Vanderbilt is probably best known for writing the screenplays for 'Zodiac,' 'The Losers,' and most recently 'The Amazing Spider-Man.' The main problem with the film is that it's so absurd and stupid that it almost insults the intelligence of its audience. It would have been nice if this film did take itself seriously, but sadly it almost treats itself like a spoof film of sorts. At the same time, though, those who take this film seriously are not a part of its target audience. As dumb and cliched as the movie is, it is still a fun ride for those who check their brain in at the lobby door. Still, this movie could have and should have been more intelligent and clever rather than dumb and over the top.
'White House Down' is the type of movie that isn't clever or anything original, but it is a fun time at the movies as a whole. Sure, it's absurd and over the top and acts like an 80s action film, but that isn't entirely a bad thing. Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx are good leads and have solid chemistry together. In fact, all of the acting in the film is solid, though not award worthy by any means. The direction from Roland Emmerich is good for a big budget action movie, and he tries to do nothing more than to make a fun action movie. Screenwriter James Vanderbilt could have made this film a gripping and intelligent thriller like 'Zodiac,' but it did seem like he had a fun time writing a predictable and cheesy White House thriller. As stupid as 'White House Down' is as a whole, it is a silly, mindless, and fun thriller that is a nice way to take your mind off of serious things and watch tons of explosions and listen to mediocre jokes instead. That alone is worth the price of a matinee ticket.
Last year, Mark Webb's 'The Amazing Spider-Man' was constantly being advertised as being "the untold story" of Peter Parker and how he became the infamous web slinger. However, despite the film being enjoyable on its own, it really didn't have much of an untold story and actually managed to show over 25 minutes of the film in its commercials and advertisements alone. The reason why 'The Amazing Spider-Man' needs to be mentioned is because 'Man of Steel,' the latest Superman reboot, is how an untold superhero story is told right. This is a different Superman than most are used to, mainly because almost the entire origin story is different. There are things about Kal-El, which is what he's mostly called throughout the film, that are different than what the comics say. This might upset fans of the comics, but as someone who never read a Superman comic growing up, I loved this movie. Despite having some minor flaws and plotholes, 'Man of Steel' is everything I could have asked for in a Superman movie and more.
Throughout his life, Clark Kent always felt and acted differently from other children around him. He has performed acts that almost seem god-like, yet he has no explanation for them. As it turns out, Clark's real name is Kal-El, and through years of discovery, learns that his home planet of Krypton exploded and that he possesses super powers that make him invincible to many things on Earth. Clark also finds out that he isn't the last Kryptonian alive, as the evil General Zod and his henchmen were saved after being unfrozen due to the explosion. Now Zod wants to recreate Krypton on Earth, which would mean killing off the entire human race. It's now up to Clark, or Kal-El, to stop Zod and protect the people that he's gotten to know over the course of his lifetime.
If you're a die hard Superman fan, then chances are this won't be your cup of tea. As someone who loves to see new things happen to familiar characters, this was a huge gaze of fresh air for me. The story was very fascinating, and possibly even more creative than the original comics. The acting by everyone was great, and Henry Cavill makes a fantastic Superman that even rivals Christopher Reeve's portrayal. Zack Snyder clearly had a keen eye for this material, making the scenery gorgeous and the battle sequences spectacular to watch. I give props to Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer for crafting such a unique Superman tale that is original and really cool. The 3D isn't necessary by any means, but it is nice to have during the film, especially during the scenes on Krypton, as well as the battle scenes. It would be easy for many to complain about the tiniest of nitpicks scattered throughout this movie, but honestly it's not worth doing. 'Man of Steel' is a love it or hate it film, and I for one am on the side that really enjoyed it. This is a spectacular superhero movie from start to finish, and is hopefully the start to a new Superman franchise that will be beloved by all and be carried out through the ages.
Ok, why this film got a lot of bad reception when it came out is beyond me. When a movie is produced by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, and is called 'Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters,' are you actually going to try to take it seriously? This is a movie that shows what happened after Hansel and Gretel burned the witch in her oven. In the mind of Tommy Wirkola, they became badass witch hunters who are fearless and loyal to one another. When a clan of witches are getting ready for a big night in a witch lifetime, it's up to the brother/sister duo to stop them and keep the world safe once more. If parents go out and rent this movie for their kids, well they'll be in for a surprise. Not only is this movie fairly heavy on the cussing, but almost every scene features insane bloodshed that will make any action fan go giddy in their seat.
This is far from a perfect movie, and it will probably be forgotten once 2013 ends, but for the most part, this is a fun movie to watch. It never tries to take itself seriously, and the violent/gory situations portrayed in the film are so much fun to watch. Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton, and the rest of the cast all seemed to be having fun playing these characters. It might fall into the typical cliches of any modern movie, and some of the characters are either flat or underdeveloped, but those are only minor complaints. This is a great movie to watch with a bunch of buddies on a Saturday night while bored and are just looking for something fun to watch. 'Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters' overall is a fun movie that may find a life now that it's on DVD and Blu-Ray.
There are movies that literally have no purpose or reason to be made, yet they're made anyway, and actually end up having pretty decent talent star in the project. Does that make the overall movie good, though? The answer to that question is no. In the lines of last year's generic/pointless action thriller 'The Cold Light of Day,' the people of Hollywood have brought the people of America a film entitled 'Rapture-Palooza.' This film features the likes of talented actors like Craig Robinson, Anna Kendrick, and Rob Corddry and is a rather dull and stupid interpretation of the apocalypse. Why it was made might never be known, because I personally doubt that the actors involved with this actually believed that this was a good script. 'Rapture-Palooza' is a mess of a movie that will probably be forgotten by the time 2013 ends.
On a seemingly normal day in Seattle, the rapture occurs. Over half of the city just vanishes into the heavens above, leaving people like Ben and his girlfriend Lindsay on Earth to suffer through the apocalypse. Along with the biblically predicted blood rain and falling asteroids, the apocalypse also brings foul mouthed insects and birds, as well as flesh eating zombies to roam Earth, but most have since become huge potheads. The leader of the mayhem on Earth is the Antichrist only known as "The Beast." It'd be pretty easy to kill The Beast because he is a mortal possessed by the Devil; unfortunately if he is somehow killed in any way, he comes back as Satan. So when The Beast suddenly gets the hots for Lindsay and threatens to bring harm to everyone she loves if she doesn't carry his demon child offspring, Ben and Lindsay come up with a plan not to kill The Beast, but to lock him up for 1000 years.
The sad thing about this film is that it features all of these talented comedians trying their best with the material they're given. Craig Robinson is a funny man, showing his comedic chops in films like 'Hot Tub Time Machine' and the other apocalypse movie coming out this month, 'This is The End.' In this film, Robinson plays this repugnant version of the Antichrist that is more annoying and irritating than funny and charismatic. Anna Kendrick plays the female lead of the film, and frankly she doesn't do anything in this film other than read her lines. Even comedians like Ken Jeong, Thomas Lennon, and Rob Corddry can't save the humor of this film, because their characters are written as pompous and annoying characters. John Francis Daley from 'Freaks & Geeks' seemed to be the only one who was truly in to his character, but that isn't saying much as even he doesn't deliver a decent performance. All of the actors in this film are talented in some way, but the direction, story, and script prevent them from doing what they do best in films.
First time director Paul Middleditch clearly doesn't have a grasp on what he wants his actors to do. It seemed that all he wanted to do was have all of these big actors and just read off of the rejected Hollywood scripts of the 90s, and just film what they were doing for the hell of it. Writer Chris Matheson is a very talented man, having written films like 'Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure,' 'A Goofy Movie,' and the underrated 'Imagine That.' With this film, it seemed that he took a PG rated movie and added a bunch of tasteless profanity and sex humor to make it edgy and hip for the teen crowd. Frankly, that didn't work, as none of the humor was funny at all. Sure, the idea of zombies becoming potheads is somewhat amusing, but everything else is as bland as an 8 day old piece of bread.
If you want a real apocalypse comedy to go see, just see 'This is The End,' which coincidentally also stars Robinson. You'll be more satisfied, plus there are a lot of unpredictable moments that are much funnier. Even the R rated humor in 'End' is smarter and funnier than anything that was in this film. None of the actors are able to get any laughs out of its audience, and that's mainly because of its poor direction and mediocre script. This is a movie that would be on Comedy Central late one night and only the really bored individuals still up would watch it. The best comparison to this film would be last year's 'The Watch.' None of the material in that film was laugh out loud funny, the R rating was forced into the script for no particular reason, and the actors had little impact on the film to make it even remotely funny. 'Rapture-Palooza' is in limited release and on VOD for a reason: it's sloppy, unfunny, stupid, and a waste of time and money for anyone who either rents it on iTunes or pays to see it in a theater, which frankly, I doubt many people did last weekend.
What's a better way to start off the summer than with the end of the world? "This is The End" is a comedic depiction on how such celebrities like Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, and James Franco would handle the impending apocalypse if it actually happened. The novel thing about this film is that each actor in this movie plays a fictitious version of himself, which I thought was pretty clever and original. Apparently the majority of this film was nothing but improvisation between the six leads, which is very impressive particularly in some of the crazier moments in the movie. Frankly, there are many moments of sheer hilarity here - it's just that so many of them were spoiled for me by the barrage of commercials and trailers out there. Overall, though, 'This is The End' is a very funny movie. It didn't have the power to make me cry with laughter or hurt my internal organs in any way, but it does have very consistent humor, some great twists, and is even somewhat terrifying during some apocalyptic sequences.
Jay Baruchel returns to Los Angeles for a weekend visit with best friend Seth Rogen after a year of living away - he's not a fan of the L.A. crowd that Rogen's now a part of. Rogen picks him up at the airport, and after a day spent hanging out, Baruchel reluctantly agrees to go to a party at James Franco's newly-built mansion. The night of partying turns into a night of chaos as Hollywood becomes engulfed in flames, blue beams shoot down from the sky and suck people up, and dozens of Hollywood's biggest stars meet their deaths in the goriest and craziest of ways. Trapped in Franco's house, Jay and Seth, along with James Franco, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, and Danny McBride, must fend for themselves as they survive the impending apocalypse that has come upon the world.
After writing such films as 'Superbad' and 'Pineapple Express,' screenwriters Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg not only wrote this film, they also co-directed it. Both men definitely had a handle on what they were doing and, for the most part, succeeded at making a solid comedy. They load up the film with references to other movies that the cast members acted in, and add scenes that parody the likes of 'The Exorcist' and '2012'. Of course there are the typical genitalia, masturbation, and sex jokes that one has come to expect from an R-rated Rogen/Goldberg flick. Luckily, most of it works. All of the actors even manage to riff off each other and frequently bash each other on some of their box office failures, which is very funny to listen to. Seth Rogen as an actor does a solid job, but as a director allows many of the other actors to get more laughs than he does.
It was pretty easy to tell that every actor involved with this movie, whether it was one of the six leads or one of the smaller cameo-esque roles, (Michael Cera and Emma Watson are standouts) all had a great time being a part of this flick. James Franco and Danny McBride have one scene in particular together that made me howl with laughter. Jay Baruchel is, for the most part, the serious one of the group, and for that he's really good in the film. The two best actors in the film, though, were probably Craig Robinson and Jonah Hill. There are things that happen to these two characters that are just executed perfectly and produce huge laughs, even if you know what's coming from having seen the trailers. Still, this is one of those movies that it's better to avoid any commercials/clips from it and not to know the overall outcome of the characters. That adds to the fun of experiencing a film like this on the big screen.
In all honesty, I compare my experience to this film to my experience last year when I saw and reviewed the film 'Ted.' Many early screenings had occurred for the film already, and from the friends of mine who had seen it already, it was getting nothing but praise and was being declared a comedic goldmine. Then I saw the film and, well, I was less enthusiastic about it than they are. Months later, I revisited the film and actually enjoyed it much more than I had prior to that. This I believe is going to be the same exact situation for me. While I wasn't crying in laughter like a good amount of my audience was during the film, there were moments of sheer hilarity that will be remembered when 2014 comes along.
"This Is The End" is not the perfect summer comedy that I was looking for, but as far as comedies that have come out this year, this is, by far, the funniest. It drags a little in the middle due to conflicts in the story, and some of the jokes aren't as funny as others, but overall the movie is very clever and filled with crowd-pleasing moments. I may need to see it again, to catch what my laughter made me miss the first time out. If you already know about certain cameos, special surprises, and jokes that occur during the movie prior to seeing it, it might take from your experience and make you like it less than you originally would have. Overall, 'This is The End" is consistently funny, has moments of pure horror that are indeed terrifying, and is a great film to experience to share with a packed theater who are ready to laugh very hard.
With every Elvis Presley or Michael Jackson that defies a generation, there is always a Liberace who takes the world by storm with his or her music. Liberace had a way with women and a way with his hands when it came to the piano. During all of that time, though, he turned out to be a deeply closeted homosexual with some relationships to be had throughout his career. In the new HBO movie 'Behind the Candelabra,' audiences are taken behind the glossy clothes and into the life of Liberace and his five year relationship with a man named Scott Thorson. It should be pointed out that Liberace tried his best to make sure he wasn't known as a homosexual, which makes his gay relationship with Thorson all the more compelling.
Michael Douglas gives a superb performance as Liberace. Douglas shines and steals every single scene he's in, and you never know whether to like him or to hate him in the end. Because this is a TV film, Douglas has a very strong chance at receiving accolades from the Golden Globes and the Emmys this year. Matt Damon also gives a strong performance as Scott Thorson. While not as strong as Douglas, Damon holds every moment he has and enhances the scenes he shares with Douglas. The supporting cast, including Dan Aykroyd and Debbie Reynolds, all shine, but it is Damon and Douglas who command the screen and make the film all the more worth watching.
'Behind the Candelabra' wasn't accepted by any major US distributors because of "how gay" it was for a mainstream audience. While that could be somewhat understandable, this is still a film that people in general, unless they were homophobes or are just uncomfortable with gay lovemaking, could really enjoy. This is a film that takes patience and interest to watch, because it can be a slow film. However, that doesn't stop it from being an entertaining drama. While not a perfect movie, 'Behind the Candelabra' is a compelling and fascinating biopic with an award worthy performance from Michael Douglas and great direction from Steven Soderbergh. This is a TV movie that is not worth missing, especially if you appreciate biopics about fascinating celebrities.
When the going gets tough, drive cars, and make sure they're fast. Let's just face it, if you're not a fan of the 'Fast & Furious' franchise, then chances are you won't care for 'Fast & Furious 6.' If you've followed the franchise with great passion, though, then chances are you'll love this movie until the day you die. 'Fast & Furious 6' picks up immediately after 'Fast Five' ended with Dwayne Johnson's Hobbs finding out that Letty, Dom's old girlfriend, is somehow still alive after being "killed" in the fourth film in the series, 'Fast & Furious.' At the beginning of this film, Hobbs recruits Dom and his crew for one last job to catch the team that Letty is now a part of a new terrorist team lead by a criminal named Owen Shaw. As it turns out, Owen is a pretty intelligent mastermind who has plans even when the plans don't go according to his original plan.
If you're looking for a thought provoking, well acted, and intelligent film, then this movie isn't for you. If you're a fan of non-stop action, some hilarious comedic moments, and an after credits ending that will make the entire audience scream in joy, then 'Fast & Furious 6' is your ideal summer flick. The action is spectacular to watch on the big screen, and the comedy actually works well with the over the top action. The acting from the entire cast is good for what the film is trying to be, which is nothing more than a mindless 2 hour action flick with gorgeous women and fast cars. Honestly, this is a film that I can't wait to see again, whether it's on the big screen or on DVD. 'Fast 6' is high-octane action fun that leaves the fans and moviegoers craving for the next installment.
