REVIEW: Prometheus 3D

MOVIE
Prometheus

CAST
Noomi Rapace,
Michael Fassbender

RATING
R

RELEASE
June 8, 2012

DIRECTOR
Ridley Scott

STUDIO
20th Century Fox

RUNNING TIME
2 hours 4 minutes





STARS
***1/2






REVIEW:

It seems that it is tradition now in the summertime to release a movie that is a mind numbing experience. In 2010, Christopher Nolan brought audiences into the dreams with 'Inception.' Last year Terrence Malick really confused many people with 'The Tree of Life.' The thing about those two films is that they both were highly praised and were nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. This year, Ridley Scott has returned to his sci-fi roots with 'Prometheus,' a possible prequel to the 'Alien' films. I personally didn't want to see any of the 'Alien' movies prior to seeing this film to see if my opinion would be different from others who have seen the adventures of Ripley and her crew prior. While the film does raise some questions at the end of the film, it is a pretty basic story with some fantastic visuals and a spellbinding cast. Scott clearly knew what he was doing on this film, because 'Prometheus' is thrilling, exciting, and brilliance at its finest.

After a discovery that they found in a cave, Dr. Elizabeth Shaw and Charlie Holloway talk their way into getting a funding to go into space and explore a long distance planet. With an intelligent android and a loyal ship captain among other crew members on the ship, Shaw and Holloway embark on a journey to discover where the origins of mankind really are from. While crew members are suspicious at times, the two scientists know that there is something special about this planet that they're going to that could explain what created humans in the first place. However when they get to the planet, they soon realize that there are things that should not have been disturbed in the first place. What they went looking for on the planet might be the very thing that terminates their lives, as well as jeopardize the lives of many others as well.

Noomi Rapace is coming off of her first English role since the disappointing sequel 'Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.' Compared to that film, she is great here in 'Prometheus.' It's fun to see likeable characters who are trying to search for the answers to things that are way over their heads, with the audience just as curious as these characters, which also includes the equally as good Logan Marshall-Green, who plays Rapace's boyfriend/co-explorer. For a first time actor, Green delivers some very impressive work, which could hopefully lead to him learning new techniques in acting and improve his talent even more. The rest of the cast, which includes Charlize Theron and Idris Elba, were all very good in their roles, aside from these two annoying guys who *SPOILER* are the first ones to die in the film. *END SPOILER* However the performance that really shines in this film is Michael Fassbender, who plays the android David.

David is a robot programmed to be more understanding of human emotions, despite not feeling them, while being efficient to anything that it's commanded to do. The thing about David is that he is such a complex and interesting character, that you have no idea whether or not he's on our side or not. Michael Fassbender gives a beyond stellar job at playing the most interesting robot since HAL 3000 from '2001: A Space Odyssey.' I love how David is such a curious robot that he will do ANYTHING to find the answers to his questions. I wouldn't even be surprised if Fassbender gets a Supporting Actor nomination this year, because he simply blew it out of the park. It is ironic how in a movie that's about humans trying to survive against aliens that a robot is the best character in the movie.

'Prometheus' will have people scratching their heads by the time the credits roll. Hell, my own father didn't understand anything that was put on screen for the 124 minute duration. However if you are able to follow the story and get into the flow that was created by the genius mind of Ridley Scott, then chances are you will enjoy this movie. It's a well-acted, visually stunning, and beautifully written movie that will capture the imaginations of anyone who puts their mind in the right place. Sure this movie is a bit hard to follow at times, and some of the characters are really weak for what they have to do, but this is definitely a must see for hardcore Ridley Scott, 'Alien,' and all-around sci-fi fans. If this movie is still playing in 3D, then I'd say definitely check it out in the third dimension, mainly because it makes the film look crisper, deeper, and so damn stunning! If there is one sci-fi movie that will be the talk of the summer because of how controversial it is, it's probably going to be 'Prometheus.' There really are a lot of secrets in 'Prometheus' that cannot be spoiled, so hop on the ship and take this spellbinding trip for yourself.



PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:


Django Unchained


Flight


Gangster Squad


Premium Rush


The Watch


Life of Pi 
(exclusive 3D scene only in theaters)

REVIEW: That's My Boy

MOVIE
That's My Boy

CAST
Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg

RATING
R

RELEASE
June 15, 2012

DIRECTOR
Sean Anders

STUDIO(S)
Columbia Pictures,
Happy Masison Productions

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 56 minutes





STARS
***









REVIEW:

Adam Sandler is the white version of Tyler Perry. What that means is that his films are made generally for a specific audience, and if you're not in that audience demographic, then chances are you're bound to hate what's put Somehow people enjoyed films like 'Just Go With It' and 'Zookeeper' which made Mr. Sandler a whole lot of cash. Seven months after the atrocity of 'Jack & Jill' came out in theaters, Sandler has a new movie coming out that is really different from the films he's been making for the past six years. Instead of an insulting, far-fetched, and downright terrible film for the 12+ crowd, 'That's My Boy' is a vulgar, insane, and somehow really funny movie that happens to be rated R for all of the right reasons. This film isn't perfect by any means, but for some reason a lot of the jokes in this movie hit really hard, and sometimes they're hilarious. Other times the jokes can fall flat and just be looked at as incredibly stupid. This film somehow managed to be an outrageously fun comedy despite the trailers making the movie look like utter crap. People aren't lying when they say that this movie is Adam Sandler's return to form, because 'That's My Boy,' as dumb as it can be, really is.

As a young boy, Donny Berger was, not only the coolest one in his little circle of friends, but also a little prick with no respect for anyone. Donny also happens to have a crush on his teacher, Mrs. McGarricle. Things get a little crazy when Mrs. McGarricle has the hots for Donny as well, so they start having constant flings outside of the school's eyes. This only goes on for a little while before they're caught and Mrs. McGarricle, who Donny ended up knocking up, is sentenced to 30 years in prison for the inappropriate acts. Donny gets really famous off of this whole teacher/student relationship, leading to TV movie rights, posing on numerous magazines, and basically being the talk of the town while basking in the $100,000 check given to him because of the scandal. Coming to present day, Donny has now spent all of his money and owes $43,000 to the IRS, who will arrest him if he doesn't get them the money within a few days. Things seem to be going straight down to hell for Donny until he sees that his son, who hasn't spoken to him in many years, happens to be very rich. It's now up to Donny to save his ass from jail and become something that he never truly was: a loving father.

Adam Sandler is notorious for making up ridiculous voices for some of his characters. Examples of voices can include his middle-eastern accent in 'You Don't Mess With The Zohan' and his whiny girl like voice in 'Jack & Jill.' In this film, Sandler has a whiny/drunken noise that he calls a voice that from the trailers seemed like it would be an annoying distraction to the comedy. After a few minutes with Sandler's character, the audience just gives in to the voice and somehow goes along with it, which is all the more surprising. This character grows on the audience as the film progresses despite all of the masturbation, sex, and alcohol jokes that spew out of his filthy mouth. This is probably Sandler's best comedic role in a very long time, despite that not saying a lot.

It's very weird to see Andy Samberg play the straight man rather than the all-out crazy guy like in many of his SNL skits. In films like 'Hot Rod' and 'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs,' Samberg portrays that crazy character who loves to have fun and get wacky all of the time. In here, he's just the guy who doesn't want to be a part of his father's insane life, but eventually gives in to it. It would have been nice to see him be a looser character than he was in this movie, but Samberg nevertheless was a nice presence. The rest of the cast, including Leighton Meester and Will Forte, were all good for what they were given. However the most enjoyable character in the entire movie, shockingly, is Vanilla Ice, who plays himself.

I doubt anyone ever expected their favorite part of any movie to be Vanilla Ice, but somehow he works perfectly here. Belly laughs are generated in just about every scene that he's in, whether he's just standing around or partying with Sandler and Samberg. If more movies are able to bring forgotten 80s and 90s stars out from the shadows to make fun of themselves, then some comedies that would be utter crap might be more enjoyable to watch. The entire cast is good for what they're given, but it is Sandler and Ice that steal the show.

Is this movie a fantastic comedy by any means? Absolutely not! Is 'That's My Boy' Adam Sandler's long awaited comeback? Not exactly. While the movie is very funny throughout, Sandler needs to make two or three more good movies in order for a "comeback" to be confirmed. This is one of those movies where the R rating is well deserved and highly necessary throughout. There is absolutely no way that this movie would have been as enjoyable as it would have been if it was rated PG-13. This isn't supposed to be for the 12 year old fans of Sandler at all, but if they sneak in to this or see it with their parents they will probably have a fun time. Despite some mediocre writing and a couple of other flaws, 'That's My Boy' is still a very fun time at the movies, or just a fun night at the movies with some buddies. Check it out if it's still playing anywhere near you.





PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:


For A Good Time, Call... (Red Band)


Anchorman: The Legend Continues


People Like Us


Ted


Premium Rush


The Watch


Resident Evil: Retribution

REVIEW: Moonrise Kingdom

MOVIE
Moonrise Kingdom

CAST
Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
May 25, 2012 (NY/LA)
Expands Throughout Summer

DIRECTOR
Wes Anderson

STUDIO(S)
Focus Features,
Indian Paintbrush

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 34 minutes





STARS
****











REVIEW:

As a fish swimming in the great sea of high school, it can be said that romance is sparked everywhere one looks.  Throughout this entire year as a freshman in high school, I have seen so much hugging, hand holding, and french-kissing that it was a little too much to bear with.  Is it because I want a girlfriend oh so badly to fit in?  Is it because I think this whole romance situation is utter crap and can wait for college?  Honestly that answer can't be revealed yet, but when it does I hope it is as sweet and genuine as the relationship between Sam and Suzy, the two characters who are the prime focus of the new Wes Anderson movie 'Moonrise Kingdom.'  The two kids are outcasts in their own ways, so on one miraculous day they encounter each other, and through that start up a plan to leave their terrible lives and run away together.  At the same time, Sam's kind boy scout leader and his fellow obnoxious troop members, Suzy's crazy parents and younger brothers, and a bunch of other characters are all looking for these two kids before something terrible could happen.

Despite only have seen one other Wes Anderson film, ('Fantastic Mr. Fox') I was eagerly waiting to see this movie, due to its superb cast and the fact that it opened up the Cannes Film Festival this year.  Just to my luck, 'Moonrise Kingdom' is exactly what I wanted it to be: sharply written, hilarious, and incredibly touching.  What I wasn’t expecting from this film was for it to be so down to earth and so deep for a quirky Wes Anderson movie.  In fact, this film in some ways is this year’s ‘Super 8’ when it comes to the coming of age relationship between the two kid leads of the film.  ‘Moonrise’ could be a huge Oscar contender when Awards season comes in December.  I honestly hope so, because this may possibly be my favorite movie to have come out so far this year.

It's pretty rare when the kid actors in a film are even better than top notch actors like Bruce Willis and Bill Murray in a film. Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward play Sam and Suzy, the two kids who are in love and want to spend the rest of their lives together, despite only being 12 year olds.  Their chemistry and story in some ways makes the film a coming of age story.  It's kind of like how last year's 'Super 8' was a coming of age story because of the relationship forming between the two lead kids Joe and Alice, as well as the entire group of kids spending their summer by making a low budget monster movie for a local festival.  The kids in this movie are as good as many of the kid actors that are out there in this day and age.  However these two stars have this sort of charm to them that puts them above any other child star working at the moment.  It won't be Bruce Willis that people are talking about when the credits begin to roll: it will be these up and comers.  That doesn't mean that the adult talent isn't great in here.

Bruce Willis probably has the biggest adult role in the film as the police officer assigned to look for the kids.  He also has something going on with Bill Murray's wife, played by the great Frances McDormand, but the audience will find out about them as the film goes on.  Willis is comedically great as well as somewhat deep at times, which makes him a great presence in the movie.  Edward Norton has some great moments as the scout troop member looking for Sam.  Ed Norton not only killed in his scenes, but was also accompanied by an entire scout troop who all hate Sam because he's different.  That helped out quite a bit in several scenes.

Bill Murray and Frances McDormand have fantastic comedic elements in their characters playing the strict parents of Suzy.  These crazy parents, along with their equally great three sons, make for some laugh out loud scenes throughout the film.  As for the two smallest parts in the film acquired by Jason Schwartzman and Tilda Swinton, these actors have some great moments of comedy, as well as some great acting presented here.  The entire cast is absolutely fantastic, and their characters, despite most not being kind people, are still likable to a certain degree.

Wes Anderson really knows how to create some great dialogue for his characters.  Not only is the script, which he co-wrote with Roman Coppola, well written, but it also features some of the funniest and most touching bits to be put on the silver screen all year.  The cast works perfectly with this world and embraces the Wes Anderson quirkiness that is featured in every single one of his movies.  The story is unique, original, and a whiff of fresh air to be embraced in a summer of superheroes and sequels.  Overall, I loved 'Moonrise Kingdom.'  There was nothing I could find wrong in it at all.

It's weird when one can't find a single flaw in a film, but that's the truth for me.  The movie is fast, fresh, sweet, and hilarious.  It's not for everyone, of course.  However if one is a fan of Anderson's style of filmmaking or just enjoys quirky movies in general, then there's no doubt in my right mind that they will hate this movie.  If someone is looking for a different type of summer movie to check out in order to take a break from all of the remakes and superhero spectacles that are in theaters, then they might want to hop into Wes Anderson’s magical little boat and take a trip to 'Moonrise Kingdom.'



PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:

Hyde Park on Hudson


Les Misérables


The Perks of Being a Wallflower


To Rome With Love


Seeking a Friend 
for the End of the World

REVIEW: Ted

MOVIE
Ted

CAST
Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis

RATING
R

RELEASE
June 29, 2012

DIRECTOR
Seth MacFarlane

STUDIO
Universal Pictures

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 46 minutes





STARS
***








REVIEW:

'Family Guy' is one of the most controversial television shows ever put on television. It’s crass and offensive humor has sparked much argument over how vulgar it can be while getting away with a TV-14 rating. Even after being cancelled twice, the show is still very popular amongst the 14+ range, and still sparks up ratings like there’s no tomorrow. Now the creator of 'Family Guy,' Seth MacFarlane, has decided to make a movie with all of the humor of the controversial show stuffed into the body of a 2 foot tall Teddy Bear. This new film is called 'Ted' and it stars Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, and MacFarlane as the pot smoking, foul mouthed title character. I personally got early reactions from some friends of mine saying that it was the funniest movie of the year. Of course that only made me even more excited to see this film, so after constant begging to the folks, I got the chance to see what these guys were talking about. While the movie was hilarious many times throughout, I felt that the third act was very uninspired and clichéd, plus the villains of the film were both weird and unnecessary.  'Ted' is a hilarious comedy by all means, but it isn't the funniest comedy of the year by any means.

As a kid, John is longing for someone to be his very best friend. After a wish where John wants his teddy bear, known in child form as "Teddy," to come to life, the wish comes true. Teddy instantly becomes a worldwide sensation in the media and everyone seems to love him. Unlike most celebrities though, Teddy never forgets John throughout the years. Like all fame though, Teddy's goes down the drain almost instantaneously, and 27 years later still lives with John, but he drops f-bombs all the time and smokes bongs on a daily basis. Now John's girlfriend Lori wants Teddy, now referred to as Ted, to move out of their house and grow up like everyone else, as well as John. John has to decide if he wants to be a man-child with Ted or grow up with Lori.

Mark Wahlberg is coming off of his January stinker 'Contraband' and is doing some good work in this film. He has some shining moments with Mila Kunis in some scenes, but it's the scenes where he's either partying with or smoking a bong on a couch with Ted where Wahlberg shows how funny he can be. In fact, there are some moments with Wahlberg that will have the audience laughing to the max. Mila Kunis was also really good as John's girlfriend. Even though she wants to kick Ted out so she and John can start their adult lives together, Mila's character Lori seemed to be a cool person to be around and her desires don't get too selfish. As for Ted himself, he is unquestionably the most enjoyable character in the entire film.

MacFarlane might use a voice that is nearly identical to a Boston version of Peter Griffin, but Ted is his own person and he is one of the most shocking, yet hysterically great, characters to come in this decade. Ted does nothing but constantly spew sewage in the form of f-bombs, makes racist jokes, talks about doing chickSome of the stuff that Ted says is actually really shocking and a little far-fetched. However that is how the character's supposed to be, and for that the audience just has to go along with it and bear with everything this cuddly little bear has to say. This guy will either have you laughing throughout, or have your jaw dropped to the ground in shock. It all depends on whether you're willing to go with the flow or be offended all the way through. Unfortunately this movie does have some supporting players, but the villains of the film are what really brings my final consensus down.

I guess one could say that Joel McHale's character is a bad guy since his goal in the film is trying to get into Mila Kunis' pants. For some reason, I didn't mind him as much as I minded other characters. Sure this guy was a certified asshole, but that's what he's supposed to be and for that I enjoyed him in it. The villains who I did have a problem with were Giovanni Ribisi as Donny and Aedin Mincks as Donny's kid. Their story in the movie, along with the entire third act, wasn't really needed at all. Their story, which I won't give away, I thought that it was the most pointless side story I've seen all year. Not just that, but I found the characters to be really annoying as well. I'm not sure if I should call Ribisi a stalker or a predator in this film, because he just became this really weird fellow in the third act. As for the kid, well he was just the set up for a bunch of fat jokes, some of which were funny. If the film had a simple plot about John's relationship with Lori, then this film would've had a higher rating. Unfortunately when things started to fall apart, they sadly crumbled quite a bit.

Other than the sloppy villains and a disappointing third act, 'Ted' is a hilarious directorial debut from Seth MacFarlane with shocking jokes and foul language to go around. The acting is good from Wahlberg and Kunis, but it's MacFarlane who steals the show in terms of writing, directing, and starring in the film as the teddy bear. What's unfortunate about parents these days is that they will probably take their kids to see this movie because there's a teddy bear on the poster. What they don't get is that this is a Hard-R movie and certainly not for anyone under 15. This movie is filled with language, racist humor, and some vulgar humor unlike anything that's been shown in a movie all year. The stuff in this even pushes the boundaries for 'Family Guy' standards, which was a bold move by MacFarlane. Nevertheless, the vulgar and racist humor, while sometimes shocking, was pretty funny when it hit at the right moments in time.

If someone is looking for a fun movie to see with a bunch of friends, then this will probably be that movie to go to. Even if someone isn't a fan of MacFarlane's TV shows, chances are they might laugh a few times anyway. I wish I could say that 'Ted' is the funniest movie of the year, but sadly I cannot. The character, however, may go down as the most entertaining character of 2012 instead, which is still an accomplishment for a first time director. 'Ted' is crude, offensive, vulgar, and a little sloppy in the third act. However, it is overall a consistently funny film that will have even a person with the driest sense of humor howling in their seat a couple of times. And to answer the question that many people who have seen the film's red band trailer, the answer is yes: the "Thunder Buddies" song is in the film, and yes: it is as funny in the film as it is in the trailer.

REVIEW: Beasts of the Southern Wild

MOVIE
Beasts of the Southern Wild

CAST
Quvenzhané Wallis,
Dwight Henry

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
June 27, 2012 (NY/LA)

DIRECTOR
Benh Zeitlin

STUDIO
Fox Searchlight Pictures

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 32 minutes




STARS
****








REVIEW:

We can all admit that all humans over the age of 10 see life differently than a younger child does.  As kids, we have imaginary friends, believe we see things others don't, and tend to explore our territory quite a lot.  This brings me back to the Nickelodeon show 'Rugrats,' in which everything is shown from the eyes of 5 individual babies.  It's really incredible to see a child's vision of the location of a parent, where heaven is, etc.  However while 'Rugrats' gave a light portrayal in how young kids see life as a whole, 'Beasts of the Southern Wild' offers a more adult like way on a kid's perspective on life.  In fact, the young girl who the audience follows for the 92 minute duration, named Hushpuppy, goes through some serious hell throughout this movie.  And through all of that hell, an unbelievably fantastic film forms from that.  'Beasts' is an emotional, light at times, but visceral and beautiful movie that will end up being one of the strong Oscar contenders of the year.

Hushpuppy is a curious little 7 year old girl who lives with her father, Wink, in a place called "the Bathtub."  The "Bathtub" is a bayou type place where the government cut off the water with a huge wall so the risk of flooding would be decreased for those living outside the Bathtub.  Hushpuppy goes to school, learns, and plays like a kid.  Wink spends his days drunk, hunting, and trying to be a good father to his little girl, which at times is very hard to see.  Circumstances lead to other things happening, and Hushpuppy has to learn how to take care of herself so she can live a good life in the future when her daddy passes away.  She also wants to know exactly where her mother his, because her interpretation of her mom is a bright light in the distance in which she calls out to.

Allow me to just start out by saying that the performances by the two lead actors are nothing short of brilliant.  Quvenzhané Wallis delivers a performance unlike anything any child actor has ever done in the history of cinema.  Hushpuppy is one of those great examples of showing how a child acts and thinks at such a young age, and to have to be the one to carry the entire movie for such a young girl is simply outstanding.  It's just amazing to see how powerful a young girl, who by the way is acting for the very first time, can be.   This is a girl who should have a fantastic future if she continues to act in film.  In fact, her performance in this movie is so great and so gripping that it's actually deserving of many acting awards come awards season in December.  Same goes to Dwight Henry, who is also acting for the first time in this movie.

Dwight Henry's character Wink is the type of person who you don't exactly know if you should like him or hate him for physically abusing Hushpuppy within the first 20 minutes of the movie.  After those 20 minutes, Wink becomes a character who is actually trying to be very supportive and loving of Hushpuppy despite showing it by screaming every single bit of dialogue that's given to him.  Luckily the screaming is played for laughs, and most of the time it does put a smile on your face.  If this guy doesn't at least get strongly considered for a Supporting Actor nomination this year, then there may not be any justice this year in terms of quality acting.  Overall the entire cast, which, other than Wallis and Henry, consisted of a bunch of small characters, performed very well.  However it's really the two leads that shine throughout this movie.

It's great to see first time directors get some recognition this year, or at least small directors who get big breaks.  A prime example of a first time director this year is Drew Goddard, who both wrote and directed the horror film 'The Cabin in the Woods.'  However the small director who got a huge break that many are still talking about now is Joss Whedon, who successfully brought Earth's Mightiest Heroes into one fantastic movie that was 'Marvel's The Avengers.'  The thing that both of those directors have in common is that they have brought something smart and original to the table.  That's exactly what this film's director/writer, Benh Zeitlin does with this film.  He has such a way of portraying Louisiana in a gross, dark place, yet adds some beautiful light to what's going on.  This guy, like Mike Cahill from last year, (director of 'Another Earth') has a potentially solid future in directing if he chooses to make more movies in the years to come.  If he does decide to make something in the future, know that I will look forward to see that film when it premieres in America.

Overall, 'Beasts of the Southern Wild' is a deep, emotional, yet beautiful and pure film that is well deserving of awards and an audience.  The performances are all fantastic, especially the award worthy performances from Quvenzhané Wallis and Dwight Henry. Benh Zeitlin proves to have some true and natural talent, hopefully leading to a very successful career in the future.  The story may be a little predictable, but it's all saved by the pot of emotions that are poured on you at the same time, with the best thing that they all mix well together.  If you're not looking for a dramatic indie to check out, then you might want to look for a more quirky movie like 'Moonrise Kingdom,' which also happens to focus around kid actors.  However if you are looking for a dramatic story about a young child, then this is what you may want to check out.  'Beasts of the Southern Wild' is a prime example of how a bunch of newcomers can create something that is pure magic throughout.






ME WITH 'BEASTS' STAR DWIGHT HENRY 
AFTER THE PHILADELPHIA SCREENING!