REWIND REVIEW: Water for Elephants

MOVIE

Water For Elephants

CAST

Robert Pattinson,

Reese Witherspoon

RATING

PG-13

RELEASE
April 22, 2011

DIRECTOR

Francis Lawrence

STUDIO
20th Century Fox

RUNNING TIME
2 hours



STARS
****









REVIEW:

Whether you're afraid of clowns or are really claustrophobic for the matter, you cannot deny that going to the Circus is quite a magical experience. I'm not talking about something like 'The Ringling Bros.' where they have their shows in big stadiums. The real type of circus is the one where you enter a tent, sit on a bleacher, and just enjoy the show. But have you ever wondered what goes on before and after the tent is set up? Well that question, possibly for the circus' of 1931, is answered in 'Water for Elephants,' a movie that has just come onto home video release. In case you missed the movie back in April (like how I did) or don't know what the book's about, the story is about a boy who has just lost both of his parents and has decided to jump on a train belonging to the fictional circus group The Benzini Brothers. On this train he, along with the audience, meets drunken clowns, horny showgirls, and a villainous ringmaster whose wife is the star attraction. Let it be hold that in the predictable scheme of things, homeless boy falls in love with star girl, and a 'Titanic' like romance ensues. While at first glance it would be just another romance film, 'Water for Elephants' does something special in combining romance, drama, and intensity into a fantastic two hour film. If you are a hopeless romantic or enjoy the movie 'Titanic' a lot, then 'Water for Elephants' is your perfect movie. No wonder readers fell in love with the story, because it is simply fantastic.  If I had read the book before seeing this, I might have had a different take on the film.  But with the mind of a guy who doesn't read a lot of books, I can honestly say that 'Water for Elephants' is a spellbinding, wonderful film.


Despite having a solid future ahead of him, Robert Pattinson has always been a mixed bag. In case you have been living under a rock for the past three years, Pattinson is Edward, the sparkling vampire guy from the 'Twilight' movies. Recently though, he has been starring in much more serious movies like the intense drama 'Remember Me.' Seeing him in this movie only makes me believe that Pattinson has a very strong career ahead of him. While he isn't as great in this as he was in 'Remember Me,' Pattinson shows how much he's grown from being a loving sparkling vampire, despite shooting the last one as we speak. I cannot wait until Pattinson is considered to be an Award worthy star, which might be very soon if he keeps heading on this smart career move. Reese Witherspoon is also in this movie, and she is surprisingly better than I expected. Having only seen her be in stupid romantic comedies, I never expected Witherspoon to actually act in something. Sure she won an Oscar for 'Walk the Line' back in 2005, but I never saw that so this is my first glimpse at the Award version of Witherspoon. Even though Pattinson and Witherspoon are the headliners of this flick, they in no way whatsoever outshine the best thing about this movie: Christolph Waltz.

Ever since he won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as a Nazi Hunter in 'Inglorious Bastards,' Christolph Waltz has been all over the place, most recently in corny 3D movies like 'The Green Hornet' and 'The Three Musketeers.' It seemed that Waltz was only relying on these corny 3D flicks in order to get a paycheck, so many wondered if he was just throwing his acting abilities away. Luckily he presents a role that's very devious, menacing, and dark for the matter. No comparison to 'Bastards' can be made because yours truly has not seen 'Bastards' yet. Christolph Waltz was in fact the best thing about this movie. If this film is recognized at all by the Academy, Waltz should at least be considered for a supporting actor nomination.

Romances can be very predictable and stupid cash grabs when it comes to going to or renting a movie. 'Water for Elephants' may be a predictable film, it carries on with its drama, intensity, and amazing chemistry between all of the actors. Waltz steals the show, but Pattinson and Witherspoon show why they're considered actors in the first place. Director Francis Lawrence has made a movie that captures a powerful look at both the cruelty of the olden circus, as well as how far people can go to get the one they love. If you're expecting a 'Twilight' like romance with some bad acting and a plain story, just walk away and don't look back. Also if you don't like seeing humans and animals (yes, I said animals) being tortured by sadistic men, then stay away from this movie. Actually, here's a basic equation of what 'Water for Elephants' is: If 'Titanic,' 'Twilight,' (just for the main lead) and the circus conceived a baby together, then you get 'Water for Elephants.' Awards probably won't be in this film's future, but that doesn't stop it from being one of the year's most genuine and powerful films. It's out on DVD and On-Demand, so why wait to see it. You'll surely be missing out on a great movie. Now if only the circus was coming to town sometime soon...

FESTIVAL REVIEW: Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey

MOVIE
Being Elmo:
A Puppeteer's Journey

CAST
Kevin Clash / Elmo

RATING
PG
RELEASE
October 21, 2011 (LIMITED)
Expanding throughout Holidays!

DIRECTOR
Constance Marks

STUDIO
Submarine Deluxe

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 16 minutes




STARS
****








REVIEW:

It seems that most of the years best films have something to do with childhood.  For example, 'Super 8,' while a Spielberg homage and a sci-fi thriller, was a story of kids filming a low budget zombie flick and having a fun time at heart.  The final 'Harry Potter' film ended a decade long movie franchise that generations of children grew up on.  Now we have 'Being Elmo:' a documentary that captures the life of Kevin Clash, also known as the man behind the most lovable Sesame Street character of all time, Elmo.  Having grown up watching Elmo on TV and on VHS, I was very excited to see this documentary, which made a huge splash at Sundance earlier this year.  The Philly Film Festival decided to bring director Constance Marks and the man with the puppet into the City of Brotherly Love, so my family was THERE.  Luckily, this movie lived up to the Sundance hype as it was funny, heartwarming, and emotional as heck.  'Being Elmo' might have been the only movie at the festival where I was actually crying in it.  If you have a heart of any kind, 'Being Elmo' is the single must see movie of the year, and the most heartwarming movie to come out since 'Toy Story 3.'  Scratch that, this movie is better than 'Toy Story 3!' 

I almost guarantee that no other movie will tug at your heart strings while at the same time sweetening it up quite like 'Elmo does.  You see the hard side of a puppeteer's life, and the sacrifices Clash had to make throughout life, including working on Jim Henson's 'The Dark Crystal.'  People will be crying, and they should be.  Like 'Toy Story,' you get some nice laughs out of the film as well as a great story and lots of heart.  If you can't handle one of those three things, do you even have a soul?  The film's currently making its way around the country, so I'd suggest taking a look at this 76 minute documentary when it hits your area. I'd only say leave the kids home because the exposure of Clash as Elmo may be as shocking to them as Santa not being real. But whatever way you can, go find and check out the sweetest and most heartfelt movie of the year: 'Being Elmo.' There is no better entertainment anywhere out there right now that is so honest and sweet as this movie.










Director Constance Marks, Kevin Clash/Elmo, and other crew members at the Philly screening of 'Being Elmo.' (Sorry for the crappy shot)

REVIEW: Tower Heist

MOVIE
Tower Heist

CAST
Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
November 4, 2011

DIRECTOR
Brett Ratner

STUDIO
Universal Pictures

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 44 minutes



STARS
***1/2












REVIEW:

Have you ever been so ripped off by a wealthy businessman that you wanted to steal millions of dollars in order to square it even? Neither have I, but that’s exactly how the staff in 'Tower Heist' feel. They work in a building called “The Tower,” a luxury high-rise in New York. Arthur Shaw is the building’s richest resident, and he is in some serious trouble with the law. His punishment is house arrest, which might not exactly be a bad thing. The staff in The Tower, led by the head of The Tower’s staff Josh Kovacs, has learned that they’ve fallen victim to a Ponzi scheme run by Shaw. With the help of a recent ex-convict, the staff of The Tower devise a plan to rob Shaw of everything he has and get the money that was taken from them. 'Tower Heist' may sound like a full blown action thriller ala 'Oceans 11,' but surprisingly enough it is a comedy along the lines of 'Rush Hour.' With comedies you are supposed to laugh, and laughing is exactly what you’ll be doing when seeing this hilarious comedy. It's rare when my sister comes out of a movie and says "I want to buy this on DVD," so when I hear her coming out of a movie theater saying that I know that this movie will make anybody laugh their brains out. 'Tower Heist' is far from a perfect comedy, but it is most definitely one of the funniest movies of the year.
The last time we got a huge cast like the one in 'Tower Heist' was the ensemble comedy 'The Big Year,' and that one didn't quite live up to expectations. Eddie Murphy is one of the many comedians in this movie who were born from the humor of the 1980s. Murphy plays Slide, the criminal hired by the staff to help with the robbery. Murphy hasn’t made many PG-13 comedies in the past decade, so he returns onto the scene with full force as he provides many of the movie’s hilarious jokes. Sure the jokes are as stupid and immature as the 7th grader we once were, but it’s almost impossible not to laugh at anything that comes out of his mouth. The rest of the supporting cast, including Matthew Broderick in possibly his funniest role in recent memory, were all hysterical in their crazy roles. How can you not enjoy a movie with Academy Award nominee Gabourey Sidibe playing a kick ass maid? That's almost the equivalent of seeing Helen Mirren using a shot gun. However there was one weak link in the movie, which is very disappointing because he can be funny, and he is unfortunately the lead actor of the film. It pains me to say this ladies and gentlemen, but funnyman Ben Stiller is 'Tower Heist's' weak link.

Ben Stiller hasn't been in a creative live action comedy since 2004's 'Dodgeball,' where he was incredibly hilarious as the villainous White Goodman. Even in the 'Meet the Parents' movies, he's just that guy who seems to only know how to say "Yeah I, um, so uh, Yeah" as his lines of dialogue and get a paycheck for saying them. It's not only the "Yeah. Um's" we get from him, we also get his really fake argument voice when he's either trying to motivate someone in order to get the story started or argue at someone for some apparent reason. He also tries to act cool by breaking things (a Ferrari for example) and be his own "badass." To top that all off, Stiller dons a pretty bad Brooklyn accent, and I'd know because some of my family comes from Brooklyn. He may be the film's headliner, but Ben Stiller is the weakest actor 'Tower Heist' has to offer.

For those who don't know what foreshadowing is, it is a story technique where an author (or screenwriter in this case) purposely puts something small in their story only to show it's true importance towards the end. 'Tower Heist' uses foreshadowing in a very smart way, which many films haven't been able to do with perfection. 'Tower Heist' is funny, cool, and sleek, but is also one of the rare smart comedies to come out this year. The cast is hilarious and great, (except for Stiller) the story while not original is clever, and it's just one plain old fun time at the movies. This film was made purely for the laughs, and director Brett Ratner delivers the goods. This is Ratner's best movie since the original 'Rush Hour,' which also plays with insane jokes and a crime plot. Audiences everywhere will be laughing their asses off and just having a good time, which is the sole purpose of why a film should be made. Audiences may also see a strong resemblance to the Bernie Madoff story from a couple of years back, because the film takes some material from that case.

This weekend (November 4) also offers audiences the non-stop raunchy 3D comedy 'A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas,' which will appeal to some demographics. While I haven't seen any 'Harold and Kumar' movie, I still bet that this will be the better comedy to come out because it can appeal to everyone. I haven't seen my sister, a 10 year old, laugh so much in a movie all year, even though some of the jokes went over her head. If you want to check out a smart and hilarious comedy this weekend, don your terrible/fake Brooklyn accents, (if I offended anyone from brooklyn, I apologize) develop a stereotypical African American persona, (again, an apology to anyone who's offended) and go on a fun ride with 'Tower Heist.' I guarantee that audiences will be laughing about the film for many days after leaving the movie theater.

REVIEW: Puss in Boots 3D

MOVIE
Puss in Boots

CAST
Antonio Banderas,
Salma Hayek

RATING
PG

RELEASE
October 28, 2011

DIRECTOR
Chris Miller

STUDIO(S)
DreamWorks Animation,
Paramount Pictures

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 30 minutes



STARS
****











REVIEW:


'Shrek 2' was not only one of the best animated sequels ever, but it was also the introduction of one of the most popular animated felines ever, Puss in Boots. Now because the 'Shrek' series has been beaten to a pulp, DreamWorks has decided to take Puss in Boots and put him in the spotlight for once. The title of the film, of course, is 'Puss in Boots,' and he may just be the cutest and most vibrant cat to ever be put on film, or in this case 3D. DreamWorks has really amped up its game, which started with last March's highly successful 'How To Train Your Dragon.' Since then, crude humor and bathroom jokes weren't the sole focus of the jokes in their films. Sure there might be one or two, but for now it's all about the heart. 'Puss in Boots' has some heart, some bathroom jokes, and a whole lot of perfect comedic timing. Many will not realize that this movie is really a prequel to the 'Shrek' series, or at least 'Shrek 2,' so it gives the filmmakers the chance to explore the fairy tale world, this time giving us characters as Jack & Jill and Humpty Dumpty. Kids will enjoy 'Puss in Boots,' but parents may enjoy it much more so. The film has a lot of jokes that will go over many kids heads, which is a given being we get adult humor in a movie about a Mexican cat. 'Kung Fu Panda 2' opened up earlier this year and it was great, though despite the lack of a lot of heart and more crude jokes, 'Puss in Boots' is the more enjoyable one. If there is one perfect 3D movie to come out before Disney and Spielberg jump onto the American scene, that movie would be 'Puss in Boots.'


Imagine all of these fairy tale creatures trying to look for one specific thing in order to become rich. What would they look for? They'd probably be looking for the Golden Eggs from the Golden Goose up the beanstalk thanks to three magic beans. Thank you Jack for giving us the story of the beanstalk, in case you didn't quite catch on to that. Basically it's Puss, Humpty, Kitty Softpaws, and Jack & Jill in a race against time in order to get up the beanstalk and retrieve the magical golden goose so they can live in rich heaven forever. Pretty sweet, right? DreamWorks has always a master at giving the audience a vibrant story and spectacular 3D. Ever since they jumped onto the 3D wagon with 2009's 'Monsters vs. Aliens,' their picture quality and scale has grown so large, with 3D adding an awesome sense of depth that makes you feel like you can touch the beautiful worlds that they create. Aside from 'Kung Fu Panda 2' and 'Harry Potter,' this is some of the best 3D use I've seen all year. If you have the choice on the format to check the movie out in, I'd highly suggest paying the extra $3-$5 that it will take to buy a 3D ticket. How many movies have I said that in all year?

With every awesome animated movie, you have to have a great cast in order to fully execute the epicness of a 3D kids flick. 'Puss in Boots' of course follows that trend. Antonio Banderas reprises the role in this prequel, and he is amazing for what the role requires. He's basically taking his role of "Zorro" and putting that into the most adorable cat ever put on a 3D screen. He has some of the movie's best lines, and he's just downright hilarious in the role. Salma Hayek is also in it, and she's good for what she's required to play. You also have Billy Bob Thorton and Amy Sedaris as the butch, ass kicking beasts that are Jack and Jill. They are just plain awesome, which in itself rocks because they're great actors. However as much as all of these characters are great, there is one who is the clear show stealer. That, my bloggers, is Zach Galifanakis putting his voice into Humpty Dumpty, the anti-hero of the story. Whenever something would come out of Dumpty's mouth, I would almost instantaneously burst out laughing, because he had some of the best lines in any animated film this year. There was one scene in the movie where Humpty is trying to literally talk to the three magic beans and once that started, I couldn't help but LOL. I actually think I might have been the only one laughing, just saying. Not even Banderas can keep up with the comedic awesomeness that is Zach Galifanakis. Who knows where he would be if 'The Hangover' was never made.

In terms of quality animated movies this year, DreamWorks seems to be the clear winner for the year. Sure 'Cars 2' was enjoyable and 'Winnie the Pooh' was fantastic, but DreamWorks had a great sequel this summer, and now a fun prequel that could even be considered to be better than the original 'Shrek' movies that started it all. There is an awesome cast, hilarious jokes, some heart, and spectacular 3D. Could we really ask for much more in a family movie? If 'The Muppets,' 'Happy Feet Two,' and/or 'The Adventures of Tintin' turn out to be lackluster kids flicks, then 'Puss in Boots' may be the best family movie of the fall/winter season. My four star grade may be steep for this type of film, but you're not supposed to take anything in this film seriously. Just hop into a theater seat, put on your ridiculous 3D glasses, and enjoy the ride. Adults will enjoy this movie as much, maybe even more than little kids who just came to see a cute little kitty. Well kids, Puss is not just a cute kitty, he is a ruthless legendary warrior who has sworn to protect the innocent. Come on, how cool is that? Why are you still reading this? Take your family and see 'Puss in Boots,' or else you'll be missing out on a truly fun 3D adventure!





 

PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:

Happy Feet Two

Hugo

Arthur Christmas

The Adventures of Tintin

The Secret World of Arrietty

The Lorax

REVIEW: In Time

MOVIE
In Time

CAST
Justin Timberlake,
Amanda Seyfried

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
October 28, 2011

DIRECTOR
Andrew Niccol

STUDIO(S)
20th Century Fox,
Regency Enterprises

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 49 minutes






STARS
**1/4











REVIEW:
 
The hit song '4 Minutes' has just been turned into a metaphorical sci-fi flick, and it's called 'In Time.' Justin Timberlake's character Will Salsa (sorry, I meant Salas) lives in a world where time is the world's currency rather than money, so the rich can live forever while the poor try to just get through one day at a time. An original and awesome concept should not have just been an okay movie, but unfortunately it was. The trailers for the film made the movie look like a sleek action thriller with some cool sci-fi elements. However what was really served was a sappy romantic thriller with lots of running and little sci-fi. How could Timberlake, who only a year ago portrayed Sean Parker in 'The Social Network' pick such a poor script? Was it to "work" with Amanda Seyfried? The answer is unknown, but the important thing is that 'In Time' is the biggest disappointment of the fall season so far.


The acting was average for this type of movie. You had your good actors, like Justin Timberlake (in parts) and Cillian Murphy, and you had your wooden actors like Amanda Seyfried, who plays Sylvia, and Vincent Kartheiser, the guy who plays Sylvia's rich daddy. Justin Timberlake is not as terrible as you'd think except in one "emotional" scene where he's apparently trying to sob his eyes out. He's good for what the movie is, so let's leave it at that. Cillian Murphy is good in almost anything he's in, and he may be the best thing this film has to offer. Murphy may become the new William Fichtner, indicating that he almost always steals the show in any movie he's in. I know he did when he played Scarecrow in 'Batman Begins.' The one role that really surprised me was Alex Pettyfer as the leader of a mob squad called the "Minutemen," who at the beginning of the film is trying to get as much time as he can get his wrist (literally) on. Pettyfer is the same guy who was in the average 2011 flicks 'Beastly' and 'I Am Number Four,' as well as the fun but unknown 'Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker.' It turns out that when he's using his native Australian accent rather than a cheap American accent, Pettyfer can really be a good actor. He and Cillian Murphy to me make the film, with Timberlake coming in a distant third or fourth. Now, let's get onto the baddies of the flick.

Amanda Seyfried was good in 'Mamma Mia!,' and I heard she was great (and naked) in 'Chloe,' so I had hopes that she would be good. Unfortunately, what Seyfried executes in this film is the clichéd rich chick who wants to break free of her rich dad's clutches and when she does, she doesn't like it. I honestly think that the reason why Seyfried was cast for the role was to A.) attract men, B.) shoot a gun, and C.) get into a bra and make teen boys feel happy somewhere. Seyfried is a good actress when she puts her mind to it, but she just was bad in this movie. Then there's this actor who I've never heard of named Vincent Kartheiser who is the end all be all Razzie award winning actor of the year. There are planks next to a shed that my neighbor is building, and their acting could not have been as wooden or hollow as Kartheiser's acting. I've never seen him in anything, and his face looks pretty new to Hollywood, but he makes actors in a crappy spoof movie look like decent movie players. He was the worst, and that's that. The film also delivers small roles with Johnny Galecki and Olivia Wilde, who serve absolutely no purpose to the film but are decent actors. Why does Hollywood have to limit the good and 'Big Bang' actors in big budget A-star flicks?

The editing of the film is quite poor throughout. After (SPOILER!) Olivia Wilde dies from her time running out and Timberlake is sobbing his fake cries out, (END SPOILER!) he just goes on into the rich time zone with his new amount of time with no reaction to what happened 10 seconds later. What the hell is with that? You see fellow audience members, this is what happens when Fox releases a movie that's not as big as 'X-Men' or 'Planet of the Apes.' I blame Fox for their crappy movies because almost all of their movies either leaves out the real plot of the film, succeeded in choppy editing, or combining both elements to make a crappy movie. This film only did the second element, but the second element decreased from what could have been a solid sci-fi action flick. Andrew Niccol is a good screenwriter, having written 'The Truman Show' and 'The Terminal.' (I guess a "The" at the beginning of a title makes everything better) However his directing techniques are not as good. This sci-fi thriller turned into a sappy romantic thriller almost instantaneously, and who really wants to see that when what people came to see here was an awesome action movie set in the future. I still give Niccol props for coming up with one of the coolest metaphors to everyday life in recent history. Not many people have the creative mind of Niccol, and that should get some street credit in Hollywood.

This would be a great movie to see a director's cut for, because I could tell that Fox cut out important plot points in order to get Timberlake and Seyfried either into the next do or die situation or just running from nothing. A prime example of a 2011 film that would have been good if it wasn't chopped down originally was 'Sucker Punch.' The Zack Snyder movie was edited down to a PG-13 rating in order to get younger audiences into this nerd-tastic movie. Then for the Blu-Ray release Snyder released an R rated extended cut that put pieces of the storyline back together, hence a better movie. 'In Time' had a good movie inside of it, but the makers of the movie just couldn't get that greatness out. It's still amazing how such a cool premise and such a good cast could end up being in a mediocre movie. It's not bad as many things that have come out this year, but it is now on the now huge list of 2011's biggest disappointments. I don't regret spending two hours of my life sitting through this movie, but those two hours of my time could have been used in a better movie. The clocks ticking people, so are you going to see this movie or not?






PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:


Immortals
 The Sitter
 Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
 The Grey
 Contraband
 This Means War