MINI REVIEW: Total Recall

MOVIE
Total Recall

CAST
Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
August 3, 2012

DIRECTOR
Len Weisman

STUDIO
Columbia Pictures

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 58 minutes





STARS
**








REVIEW:

There are only three types of mainstream films that the general public is given to divulge and be entertained by: remakes, sequels, or adaptations. 'Total Recall' is the remake of the classic Arnold Schwarzenegger movie about a man who's trying to figure out who he is. Nobody wanted a remake of this movie, yet Hollywood decided to make it for no reason at all. The trailers made the film look really cool, and a friend of mine went to a test screening of the film and loved it. From the early thoughts on the film and the cool looking trailers, I wanted to see a fun and smart sci-fi flick. Unfortunately all I got from the film was the fact that it's a cool movie. There are smart ideas presented here and the visuals look stellar, but other than that this film was a big disappointment.

The story is the exact same from the original, with the exception of a few unnecessary twists in the second half. A man is trying to figure out who he really is and is trying not to be killed by people who may or may not even be real. With a story like that, there could at least be some new ideas that would improve on the original. Unfortunately there isn't, so instead we get a sloppily written movie with predictable situations and a horrible ending. The acting is fine from actors like Colin Farrell and Bryan Cranston, but other than that, everyone stinks, especially Kate Beckinsale, whom I couldn't stand when she reveals to not be Farrell's wife. The only redeeming factor of the movie is that it looks great on a big screen and the visuals are spectacular. Other than that, 'Total Recall' is a dull and boring sci-fi flick that fails to entertain even those who love every movie they see. This one won't be remembered anytime soon.


PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:

Dredd

Paranormal Activity 4

The Man with the Iron Fists

Looper

Taken 2

Skyfall

REVIEW: The Dark Knight Rises

MOVIE
The Dark Knight Rises

CAST
Christian Bale, Tom Hardy

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
July 20, 2012

DIRECTOR
Christopher Nolan

STUDIO(S)
Warner Bros. Pictures,
Legendary, DC Comics

RUNNING TIME
2 hours 44 minutes






STARS
****








REVIEW:

It's not every day where people hail a film as "the greatest superhero movie of all time." Four years ago, Christopher Nolan came out with 'The Dark Knight,' which many people might hail as the perfect comic book movie. To be honest, I saw many flaws in that movie, yet enjoyed it very much. That could be the reason why I wasn't anticipating 'The Dark Knight Rises' as much as many other Batman fans out there. This is the final film in the Nolan trilogy about The Caped Crusader, and it's the most anticipated movie of the year for many people. The problem with people when they see this movie is that they may be expecting something that's even better then 'The Dark Knight,' thus over-hyping themselves and increasing the chances of coming out of it disappointing. However if someone, like me, found 'The Dark Knight' to be overrated, then chances are they will enjoy the hell out of this movie. I, for one, enjoyed the hell out of this movie. 'The Dark Knight Rises' is emotional, action-packed, moving, and the best 'Batman' movie to date.

It's been eight years since Batman framed himself for the murder of Harvey Dent and was escaping the cops at the end of 'The Dark Knight.' "Harvey Dent Day" is now an annual holiday celebrated by Gotham's citizens, though Commissioner Gordon knows the truth about that fatal night. Bruce Wayne hasn't left his house in several years, with Howard Hughes-esque rumors emerging from the local residents. However Bruce must come back as the Batman when a new threat, who goes by the name Bane, threatens to destroy Gotham once and for all. At the same time, skilled jewel thief Selena Kyle prowls around Gotham both accompanying and betraying both the protagonists and antagonists of the film.

Christian Bale gives one hell of a performance as Bruce Wayne/Batman in this film. I found it to be a smart choice to not include Batman so much in this film, because that is the full reason why the film is called "The Dark Knight Rises." Batman hasn't been seen for years, and when he comes back, Bane "breaks both him and Bruce Wayne, so he must rise again in order to defeat the villain. It was great to see Bale portray this character that is much deeper than we've seen him be in the previous two Batman movies. As great as Bale was in this film, and deserves some recognition for his role in this movie, the lead supporting actors outshines him in many parts.

Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, and Morgan Freeman all return for this final movie, playing Alfred Pennyworth, Commissioner Gordon, and Lucius Fox respectively. They all give their best work in the series in this movie. Marion Colltiard plays a new character named Miranda, who is actually one of the more interesting supporting characters to come from the 'Batman' movies recently. I liked her a lot in this film, and she did give a great performance. Even Joseph Gordon-Levitt gave a great performance as Gotham police officer John Blake, whose character actually knows who Batman really is. However as great as those supporting players were, the actors that stole the show were Tom Hardy and Anne Hathaway as Bane and Selina Kyle. (She isn't referred to as "Catwoman" at all in this film.)

Bane is such a different villain than Scarecrow or The Joker, mainly because he can physically destroy Batman and kill anyone who comes in his way. As a matter of fact, in the middle of this film Bane actually takes full control over Gotham, and the criminals that were locked up thanks to a law inspired by the late District Attorney Harvey Dent rule the streets. Hardy is given a metallic mask to have on throughout the movie, and his voice is muffled to sound a bit robotic and kind of hard to understand. The voice thing, plus the fact that Hardy can only show his emotions through his eyes with the mask on, makes Bane a fantastically menacing villain. He isn't as good as Heath Ledger was as The Joker, but Bane is one hell of a scary and devious villain. Despite Bane being such a great villain, it was Anne Hathaway's Selina Kyle who had my full attention and curiosity in the end.

The last portrayal of Catwoman in a Batman movie was in the 1992 Tim Burton flick 'Batman Returns.' Michelle Pfeiffer possessed the role in that film, and in my opinion was a bit too trampy for my taste. In this film, Anne Hathaway takes the Catwoman we knew from 'Returns' and makes her more sly, mysterious, and downright sexy. Sure, her character had a few plot holes here and there, but Hathaway owns her role in this, and to me she was the most enjoyable part of it. I wish they had more of her in the movie, but that's what fan fiction is for, isn't it? Plus, it's been said that there are a bunch of deleted scenes for this film, so maybe her plot holes were filled in those. For the time she was in the movie, Anne Hathaway was fantastic as Selina Kyle. These two villains worked perfectly in this movie, despite not being as incredible as Ledger's Joker, even being combined together.

'The Dark Knight Rises' is Christopher Nolan's masterpiece, plain and simple. The movie has some great lines of dialogue, incredible action sequences, and superb performances from everyone. Despite the movie having severe plot holes involving some of the key characters in the film, nothing is taken away from what this movie truly is: a 164 minute superhero spectacle. I have seen this movie three times by the time this is posted, and I loved it just as much each time I saw it, despite having not been given the chance to see it in IMAX yet. I bet that it's incredible on the big big screen, because the cinematography is nothing short of amazing. 'The Dark Knight Rises' is, without a doubt, the best DC comic movie to date, and one of the year's most spectacular movies so far.



PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:

Argo

Man of Steel

REVIEW: The Odd Life of Timothy Green

MOVIE
The Odd Life of Timothy Green

CAST
Jennifer Garner, Joel Edgerton

RATING
PG

RELEASE
August 15, 2012

DIRECTOR
Peter Hedges

STUDIO
Disney

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 45 minutes






STARS
***








REVIEW:

It seems that Disney isn't having the greatest of years in terms of popularity. While I enjoyed all of their other films to have come out this year, ('The Secret World of Arrietty,' 'John Carter,' and 'Brave') audiences didn't fall into Disney's spell that is usually enchanting and grabbing whenever something comes out. Their latest effort, 'The Odd Life of Timothy Green,' is their weakest film of the year so far, though that isn't saying the movie is bad. Actually, this movie is charming, heartwarming, and funny at times. Other times, it plays like a Disney movie that would have come out in the 1990's rather than something entirely new. Still though, 'Timothy Green' is a fine movie that families will definitely enjoy watching together.

Cindy and Jim Green are a happily married couple who want to have a kid of their own. Their one dilemma is that they are unable to conceive a child, which sends them into a pit of sadness. Instead they decide to dream up what is essentially their perfect child. Then they bury their thoughts of the perfect kid in Cindy's garden in the background, and try to move on with their lives. However it was on this night that magic took the ideas in that box, and created Timothy, who is found by Cindy and Jim covered in dirt and in what was Timothy is no ordinary kid by any means. Not only does he possess every trait of the Green's perfect child, but he also has leaves sprouting out of his legs. Much more is explained as the rest of the movie goes on.

This is the first time in a film I've seen where Jennifer Garner did not play an unlikable character. For some reason, there's something I have with Garner where either A.) her character was designed to be antagonistic, or B.) I just don't like her characters in general. Her only crime in this film is wanting what's best for young Timothy, and to that I give Garner a thumbs up. Not only was she funny and charming in the film, but her character also felt very real, while feeling like a typical "Disney" mom at the same time. Joel Edgerton was also very likable as Garner's husband and the father figure of the story. The chemistry between these two actors, especially in the scene where they're writing the ideas of their perfect kid, was so sweet and charming to watch, that it couldn't help make everyone in my screening laugh, or at least smile to say the least. However the real star of the show, and the best part of the film, is CJ Adams' performance as young Timothy.

Timothy isn't your ordinary Disney title character. Every trait that Cindy and Jim write down to create Timothy, including "honest to a fault" and "as funny as Uncle Bub" are all presented throughout the duration of the movie. He is a strange and likable kid who happens to come from the ground and sprouts leaves from his legs. Speaking of those leaves, there's a reason why Timothy has those leaves growing from his legs However the reasoning is never fully explained until the end despite some very huge hints that are shown during the middle of the movie. I've said this a lot before with a bunch of these kid actors, but CJ Adams can go places after this film. He has a charismatic charm to himself, and throughout the film he is sweet and funny. Who knows if Adams will get work after this movie, but he sure does deserve it if he gets roles in more films. The three leads are all great in the movie. As for the supporting cast, they were good for what they were given. But it wasn't their performances that weakened the film, it was their character development that did the trick.

*SPOILER ALERT* 
The strange thing about every supporting character whose lives are "changed" by Timothy is that they're all (except for one character) left underdeveloped when the movie ends. For example, Dianne Weist plays the grumpy old boss of Jennifer Garner's character. When Timothy first meets her, he says that he can draw a great picture of her, and of course 5 minutes later he gets every trait of her perfectly, even the imperfections. However Timothy tells Cindy to tell the truth about her feelings to the boss, which leads to her getting fired. Next time you see Weist, she has apparently forgiven the mother and daughter without any reason at all. Then Timothy gives Weist one of his leaves at the end of the film. An unexplained forgiveness from many other characters other than the young girl whom Timothy has a crush on and Uncle Bub ensues, and it just leaves the viewer saying "what the heck." In fact all the supporting characters, other than the young girl who becomes the crush of Timothy, feel very one dimensional and left without an ending, which took me out of the film. A generic Disney story could at least tie up all of the stories presented in its film.
*END OF SPOILER*

'The Odd Life of Timothy Green' isn't anything we haven't seen before in a family film. This film has a decent story, a predictable ending, and likable characters. However the script doesn't fully develop the supporting characters, and the outcome of certain things are very predictable by the time one gets to the 45 minute mark. I also found the fact that they tell the story in a flashback setting to basically say that something happens to Timothy before you even get to know him. CJ Adams however was the best part of the film, because his weirdness and charm help carry the movie despite its flaws. This movie is harmless to take the kids (over age 8) to during a late afternoon on a weekend. Nobody has to rush to see this film, but if they actually go to see it they will enjoy the film for what it is. 'The Odd Life of Timothy Green' is probably Disney's best family oriented live-action film since 'The Muppets,' even though that really isn't saying a whole lot.

MINI-REVIEW: Ice Age: Continental Drift

MOVIE
Ice Age: Continental Drift

CAST
Ray Romano,
John Leguizamo, Dennis Leary

RATING
PG

RELEASE
July 13, 2012

DIRECTOR(S)
Steve Martino, Mike Thurmeier

STUDIO(S)
20th Century Fox,
Blu Sky Studios

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 27 minutes






STARS
**









REVIEW:

'Ice Age: Continental Drift' is the latest example of how lazy Hollywood is when making movies for families. The first film is a very well-conceived and very funny movie that can still be enjoyed despite having come out a decade ago. The second and third were good films, but didn't have the spark that the first one had. This fourth one replaces the charm of the first three films with bathroom humor, bad slapstick, and a heart so artificial that one doesn't feel any sympathy for the father/daughter relationship between Manny the Mammoth and his daughter Peaches. The main plot of the film involves the splitting of the continents along with a group of animal pirates, but there's an unnecessary subplot about Peaches trying to find who she really wants to be her friends.

The animation is the only good thing to say about this film, because everything else is really stupid. The voice actors clearly only did this more for one of two reasons: Reason #1: animated films give off really decent paychecks. Reason #2: to be featured in the music video that plays during the credits at the end of the film. It's understandable when the characters sing or dance because that's for the little kids to love. However when they show the actors in the voice recording studio singing the song, which is EXACTLY what they do hear, not only do they ruin the illusion of an animated movie, but they also succeed at ticking many people, including myself, off. 'Ice Age: Continental Drift' was made for no reason other than money.

There wasn't any joke that was funny in the movie, the story was as predictable as saying that you have breakfast in the morning, and the voice actors clearly show that they don't want to be involved with the project. Do yourself, and your families, a favor and skip the theater with this one. Wait for it on DVD and let your kids waste their time with it while you do something better with your time. Something has drifted other than the continents, and that's my interest with this series, which has lost all creativity in the idea department.




PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:

The Oogieloves in
the Big Balloon Adventure


Paranorman


The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey


Hotel Transylvania


Epic


Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

MINI-REVIEW: The Watch

MOVIE
The Watch

CAST
Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn,
Jonah Hill, Richard Ayodade

RATING
R

RELEASE
July 27, 2012

DIRECTOR
Akiva Schaffer

STUDIO
20th Century Fox

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 42 minutes




STARS
**







REVIEW:

It seems Hollywood believes that this generation only finds jokes about anything involving sex to be the selling point to any comedy. 'The Watch' is the latest victim of this horrid "money-making" idea. The concept for the film is actually very interesting. Think about it: four average-joe neighbors have to defend their town from an alien invasion. If this was a well written comedy with some raunchy moments but nothing too extreme, 'The Watch' then might have been a decent, maybe even great comedy. Unfortunately, the movie turns from something interesting to a 100 minute non-stop sex joke with a long commercial for the store Costco spliced in there. With all of the talent behind this movie, it's really disappointing to see this film end up being just another piece of comedy trash.

After his good friend is mysteriously murdered by someone or something, Evan forms a local Neighborhood Watch to come together once a week and get away from the family/friends in order to serve justice in their hometown. Since Evan has already formed local clubs in the past, bossing more people around for his own sake should be a no brainer. That is until the recruits come, who are mostly in the group to get away from their family and get drunk with their fellow group members. Diving further into the mystery of this murder, the four guys soon find out that the murderer isn't even from Earth. The murderer is a member of an elite group of aliens that have adapted to society and are among us. They also happen to be planning on destroying Earth. R rated alien sex jokes and great special effects ensure from there, as these four guys now have to defend their town from this group of aliens.

The four lead actors are incredibly talented comedians. In this movie they aren't given anything funny to do, other than one scene involving Vince Vaughn and some Russian Dolls. Akiva Schaffer, the director of this movie, has a lot more talent that wasn't displayed here at all. The writers of this film, Seth Rogen and Evan Golberg, are really talented writers, but in here they just took a PG rated story and added non-stop penis jokes to make it R rated. The story is clichéd and didn't surprise me in any way imaginable.  An unfortunate thing about the aliens in this movie is that they actually look surprisingly stellar for this type of movie, and they should have been in something more useful to Hollywood rather than this comedy.  I expected a much more entertaining and smarter movie considering the talent behind this project, but unfortunately this film is sloppy, dumb, and unfunny. This is more of a midnight movie that one would pop in to watch with a bunch of their friends and just watch for the heck of it. Audiences probably won't remember this film, come September, and that's how 'The Watch' should be. The title of this film is ironic, because not watching this movie would probably be better for the human mind.