REVIEW: Rise of the Guardians 3D

MOVIE
Rise of the Guardians

CAST
Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin

RATING
PG

RELEASE
November 21, 2012

DIRECTOR
Peter Ramsey

STUDIO(S)
DreamWorks Animation,
Paramount Pictures

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 37 minutes







STARS
***1/4








REVIEW:

Despite featuring Santa Claus as one of the prominent characters in the film, 'Rise of the Guardians' isn't one's typical holiday movie. Based on William Joyce's 'The Guardians of Childhood' book series, this film tells about how four of the mythical creatures of our dreams, including the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy, were chosen by a "man in the moon" to be the protectors over all of the children in the world. When the Boogeyman comes to destroy all children's beliefs in mythical beings, The Guardians recruit the reckless Jack Frost to help restore order and make kids believe in them. As a fan of DreamWorks' movies, this film was a bit of a letdown. However thanks to a surprisingly dark tone, a well-conceived storyline, and the best looking animation of the year, 'Rise of the Guardians' is a fun and sweet animated movie that kids will enjoy more than adults, but adults will still get a kick out of it.

All animated movies have a great voice cast, and 'Guardians' is no exception. Chris Pine is a very likable actor, but his voice just didn't fit the character of Jack Frost very well. It seemed like it would have been better if they had gotten a teenager to play Frost rather than Pine, who has a pretty deep voice. I liked him in the film, but his voice just didn't feel right. Alec Baldwin dons a fantastic Russian accent as the beefy Santa Claus. This is a more badass Santa than one would remember, and I liked how he wasn't just a jolly old fat man.

Hugh Jackman's Easter Bunny has some humorous lines in the film, as does Isla Fisher's Tooth Fairy. Both are equally good in the film. Jude Law I thought had the best vocal performance in the film as Pitch, the Boogeyman. Even when you're able to sympathize with the character, Law is able to still make him a creepy and sinister villain, and I liked that a lot. The best character in the movie though is the silent but awesome Sandman. He is given some great comedic timing, plus is a really cool character in general that's a part of a cool twist in the film. The voice cast overall was very good, but not quite up to the standards of other animated voice casts.

Animation wise, this is the best looking animated film of the year, hands down. Every shot in the film not only looked unique and superb, but the 3D has great depth of field and makes the audience feel like they've been immersed into this gorgeous world. There are a fair share of pop-out 3D moments that will have little kids saying "wow" out loud like how all little kids do, but they are just as fun to watch as a teen and an adult. Even if one doesn't care for the movie that much, it's hard to deny how stunning the visuals look throughout the movie, especially when the characters travel to the other mythical spots where other characters live. See the film in 3D if you can, because this is one of the few times where a good movie also has stellar 3D to go with it.

My main problems with the film were in the film's script. David Lindsay-Abaire, who is best known for the 2005 animated flick 'Robots' and the 2010 drama 'Rabbit Hole,' is the one who adapted the 'Guardians' book series to the big screen. While the ideas he brought to the screen were really fascinating and cool, and the dark undertone he brought to the film is something to be admired for, the actual lines of words that he wrote for the characters needed a bit of work. While the film is darker than many of DreamWorks' other animated romps, this movie featured really kiddy and childish lines that had to be read by the talented voice actors. Most of the film's jokes weren't that funny, but the little kids in my screening ate them all up. There were some jokes that made me laugh, but overall most of them just felt bland. Plus the film falls into the "animated-drama" cliché that's been done too much ever since animated movies were created, as well as having some pretty predictable parts squeezed in there. It is a decent script, but if the lines of dialogue had been better and cleverer, then the film might have a higher rating for me.

'Rise of the Guardians' is a fun and enjoyable movie overall. The voice cast is good, the story and its ideas were great, and the animation from DreamWorks looks spectacular. What's so brilliant about the film is that it's a movie that could be watched for any holiday and it would still have the same impact on you every time. Despite Santa being in the film, this isn't a straight-forward Christmas movie, rather it's a movie about the mythical heroes of our dreams protecting the children of the world. That alone should be celebrated since there are too many Christmas movies out there, and there should be more movies like this, where the holidays are mixed together. Since your kid's will probably force you to take them to see this, don't hesitate. It's not as great as 'Wreck-It Ralph,' but it's not as horrible as 'Ice Age: Continental Drift.'  Despite some of its flaws, 'Rise of the Guardians' is fun, deep, and sweet family film that's worth the 3D surcharge if you have the money.  It was a good run for Paramount and DreamWorks, but I wish they could have ended off their deal with something better.

REVIEW: Red Dawn

MOVIE
Red Dawn

CAST
Chris Hemsworth, Josh Peck

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
November 21, 2012

DIRECTOR
Dan Bradley

STUDIO
FilmDistrict

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 33 minutes






STARS
**









REVIEW:

There are action movies like 'Skyfall,' for example, that succeed at being smart, fresh, and entertaining all at the same time. There are also movies like 'Red Dawn' that try to copy cat many other generic action movies and make it feel like it's 2 hours rather than 90 minutes. This film was supposed to have been released back in 2010, but the bankruptcy of MGM studios caused this film, along with many others, to be pushed back from both release and even being made. Now that it's here, it's sad to say that this film was a letdown. Sure it's a fun movie to watch, but there are more flaws than good things presented here. 'Red Dawn' started off fun, but ended with leaving the viewer wishing for something more.

Life is good for many in a small town in Washington. Jed and Matt Eckert are estranged brothers with a dark and traumatic past. Jed is on vacation from the Marines while Matt is the hotshot quarterback of his high school football team with a cute girlfriend by his side. On a morning of quiet and peace, the North Koreans, out of nowhere, decide to invade America and take the country hostage. Using his army skills, Jed helps Matt and several others who were able to escape the Koreans to fight to take back their home. Under the name "The Wolverines," Jed and Matt start up a rebellion that soon breaks word across the country, making them the most dangerous heroes in the country.

Since many of the cast members in this film have done many other roles after this film, one could expect that their acting wouldn't be as good as it is at this moment in time. Luckily, the acting is better than one would expect. Chris Hemsworth, who is best known for playing the superhero god 'Thor,' pulls off a great American accent and does a fine job in the movie overall. Josh Peck, best known for the hit Nickelodeon show 'Drake and Josh,' also gives a decent performance in the movie. He isn't the greatest actor on the face of the earth, but I would be lying if I said I thought he was horrendous in the film. 'The Hunger Games' star Josh Hutcherson, along with the rest of the cast, were highly underused and almost served no purpose to the film whatsoever, except to be the bait of the Koreans. Jeffery Dean Morgan is the best of the supporting cast, but he's only given about 10 minutes of screen time which is upsetting since he does have talent in there. The cast is fine in the film, but if you're going to see someone other than Hemsworth and Peck, you're bound to be disappointed.

The worst thing about this film by far was the script. While newer action movies tend to be smart and have interesting plots going on, 'Red Dawn' suffers from not only having poor dialogue throughout, but also is a very generic movie. There's a reason why this was supposed to come out in 2010, and the feeling of this film being dated is most certainly there. Had this come out in 2010 when this was supposed to, maybe I would have enjoyed the film more because it's just a stupid but fun action movie. But other than one scene towards the end that came completely out of left field and was really cool, the script is just as generic as any sci-fi, action, or thriller from the 2000's decade can be. There's too much talking in the woods and not enough cool action sequences. Plus, way to go for whoever thought of the product placement idea in the film, because it had to be the single worst use of product placement I've seen all year, which is saying something. Overall, if you're going into this movie looking for a smart action film, go see 'Skyfall' instead.

This is a film that could have been so much more than what it overall was: a generic, stupid, forgettable, but sometimes fun action movie. Sure the cast was fine for what their roles gave them to do, and the action sequences were really cool to watch on a big screen, but this film brings nothing new to the table, along with having a very unsatisfying ending that left me wanting a lot more. I guess the filmmakers were trying to set up for a sequel, but honestly what's the point? This is the type of movie that someone would find late at night on SyFy or some channel like that, and watch it with a bunch of friends for the heck of it.

The movie feels a half longer than its 93 minute run time, which is never a good thing. 'Red Dawn' could have been so much better than what was delivered. Re-shoots are supposed to help a movie, not make it worse. It's even easy to tell what scenes were re-shot or not, since Hemsworth wasn't involved with the reshoots. Despite a decent cast, some fun action sequences, and a surprising twist that made me appreciate the film more until it ended abruptly, 'Red Dawn' is just another remake blowing in the wind that doesn't have any impact on anything whatsoever.  It's probably good that this movie is a forgettable one, because that means it won't hurt the careers of the talented actors present in here much.

REVIEW: Skyfall

MOVIE
Skyfall

CAST
Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
November 9, 2012

DIRECTOR

Sam Mendes

STUDIO(S)

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures,

Columbia Pictures

RUNNING TIME
2 hours 23 minutes








STARS
***3/4











REVIEW:

How appropriate it is that a new entry into the hit 'James Bond' series comes out on the 50th anniversary of the start of the series that made this suave, undercover British spy one of the go-to's for high entertainment at the movies. The latest 'Bond' film is entitled 'Skyfall,' and it stars Daniel Craig, who's playing the iconic spy for his third time, under the direction of 'American Beauty' director Sam Mendes. People love the first Daniel Craig entry into the series, 'Casino Royale,' but despise the direct sequel (a first for the Bond series) 'Quantum of Solace.' This film has also been in the works for years, but couldn't be made for financial reasons. Now that it's here, I'm happy to report that, while not as great as 'Casino Royale,' 'Skyfall' is action-packed, intelligent as hell, well-acted, and quite simply the smartest and best action movie of the year.

After a big mission goes terribly wrong, James Bond is presumably dead, which leads to a whole series of catastrophic events. M is being forced into retirement as things at MI6 are getting worse by the day. When a mysterious man hacks into MI6, blows up the MI6 headquarters, and starts revealing the identities of all active agents in the field, Bond must come back from his paradise to help settle things right. It doesn't help that he is in his worst shape possible, and that he's barely qualified for field work anymore. M has faith in him though, which leads Bond to encountering Silva, a man from M's past who wants to settle the score.

Daniel Craig gives it all he's got in 'Skyfall,' and overall he's fantastic in the movie. In 'Casino Royale,' Bond was portrayed as a rookie of sorts just trying to fit his way into MI6. It's clearly shown in this film that, as Danny Glover said in 'Lethal Weapon,' is getting too old for this spy stuff. I've never seen Daniel Craig in a bad role before, and this film continues that streak. Not only does he pull off Bond once again, but Craig brings a new layer to the character, in which we go back to his childhood in a way. I cannot wait to see Craig in this role for many more years to come. As great as Craig was, the true standout of the film was Javier Bardem.

Let's just get this out there right now: Javier Bardem's portrayal of Silva is magnificent. Silva is the main antagonist of the film, and boy does he play one hell of a bad guy. From the first scene you see with him where he's walking towards Bond talking about two rats, it's clear that this character is crazy. In fact, his character had a lot more depth than one would expect in a Bond movie. I wish he was being considered for a Supporting Actor nomination this year because he really was THAT good. In fact, Silva might be my favorite villain of 2012. The rest of the supporting cast, ranging from Dame Judi Dench to Ralph Fiennes to up and comer Ben Wishaw, are all great in the movie. Each actor in the film is both great and is able to have their own standout moment in the movie. However they aren't as engaging as Daniel Craig and Javier Bardem are in here.

The script for 'Skyfall' was written by three men: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and John Logan. Purvis and Wade have written many of the past few Bond movies, but Logan is new to the game after his brilliant work on 'Rango,' 'Hugo,' and other films. Of all of the movie screenplay's to come onto the scene, the script for 'Skyfall' is one of the most intelligent and well-crafted scripts of the year. Not only is there witty and smart dialogue in the style of Tarantino, but there are also scenarios that are really well-crafted and played out. There are even some great homages to the classic Sean Connery Bond movies, including a certain car that makes an appearance. This script definitely has something in there that everyone can find entertaining.

'Skyfall' delivers on what a spy film should be, an action movie should be, and even what an entertaining movie should be. There's great acting present here, especially from Craig and Bardem. The script is so intelligent and clever that anyone who sees the film can find something in there to enjoy. Sure the film is nearly 2 and a half hours and you start feeling the length half way into it, but the time mostly flies by, and it is a fun movie to watch. The best thing about the 'Bond' films is that someone can walk into something like 'Skyfall' and enjoy it as much as any die-hard fan of the series, thanks to the fact that none of the films (except for 'Quantum of Solace') are direct sequels to one another. So if someone who's a big 'Bond' fan drags you to see this film, chances are you will enjoy the hell out of it. 'Skyfall' is definitely a fall movie that deserves to be seen on the big screen.



PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:

The Last Stand

Jack Reacher

Iron Man 3

This Is 40

Zero Dark Thirty

A Good Day To Die Hard

Django Unchained

REWIND REVIEW: What To Expect When You're Expecting

MOVIE
What To Expect
When You're Expecting

CAST
Cameron Diaz, Elizabeth Banks

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
May 18, 2012

DIRECTOR
Kirk Jones

STUDIO
Lionsgate

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 50 minutes





STARS
*1/2








REVIEW:

Every woman in the world has a different experience when they're pregnant. For some, it can be soothing and rewarding. For others, it can be tiring and excruciating. For some who watch 'What To Expect When You're Expecting,' they might finish it and say to themselves "that was awful," like what I did. If 'Valentine's Day' or 'New Year's Eve' actually got knocked up, then this would be the end result. It's kind of a shame that there are some talented actors and actresses, like Anna Kendrick and Chris Rock, are forced to be put into places where the audience is either suppose to feel emotional or laugh consistently. Elizabeth Banks, Kendrick, Rock, and 'Glee's' Matthew Morrison were among the handful of performances that were actually tolerable. Other actors/actresses, like Jennifer Lopez, Brooklyn Decker, and Dennis Quaid, were all turning in sloppy and mediocre performances that are so poor that they might want to consider either A.) getting a new agent or B.) finding another way to make some money.

The direction in the film is decent, but the script is all over the place. Some of the storylines actually connect with one another, while others are just there because somebody said "Hey, we can get so and so to be in this movie. Quick, write a new storyline for them!"  Overall, 'What To Expect When You're Expecting' is an unsatisfying romantic dramady with some interesting elements and some decent performances but many other bad performances and a jumbled script. Clearly this film wasn't made for me, but at least guys should be able to find some legit enjoyment in a film instead of staring at the attractive women and not caring what is going on. There are many other movies about pregnancy, like 'Juno' for example, that know how to entertain anyone who sees it. I expected something better than this miscarriage.

REVIEW: Flight

MOVIE
Flight

CAST
Denzel Washington,
Don Cheadle

RATING
R

RELEASE
November 2, 2012

DIRECTOR
Robert Zemeckis

STUDIO
Paramount Pictures

RUNNING TIME
2 hours 18 minutes






STARS
***1/2







REVIEW:

The last movie Robert Zemeckis has done that wasn't a motion capture movie was 'Cast Away' back in 2000. The last time one of Zemeckis' films had been rated R was in 1980 with the comedy 'Used Cars.' After years of being attached to a number of decent projects, none of which could compare to the films that put him on the map, Zemeckis decided to come back into live action filmmaking with a new drama called 'Flight.' 'Flight' has a cast filled with A-listers, including Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle, and John Goodman. It isn't a revolutionary achievement like 'Forrest Gump' or 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit.'  It's also not an animated spectacle like 'A Christmas Carol' or 'The Polar Express.'  What's great about 'Flight' though is that it isn't trying to be anything more than a fascinating look into the life of an alcoholic caught up in a huge predicament. Thanks to the strong performance from Washington, along with a well-written script, 'Flight' is a nice return to quality filmmaking from Robert Zemeckis, as well as one of the more interesting character studies of 2012.

Whip Whitaker was just supposed to perform a routine flight from Florida to Georgia as always. While in midair during the flight, the plane suddenly malfunctions and it falls straight to the surface. Whitaker miraculously lands the plane in such a way that nearly everyone on board survives the crash. Now he's being considered to be an American hero and such. The problem that still has to be solved is if it was the plane that malfunctioned or was it Whip himself that caused the crash to happen. The reason why Whip is being targeted at is because he had alcohol in his system during the flight, which could mean life in prison if he was responsible for the 6 deaths out of 102 passengers on board.

All of the buzz surrounding Denzel Washington's performance in this film is 100% well deserved. Throughout the entire movie, Denzel either has an alcoholic beverage in his hand or is drunk to an extent. In the opening scene alone, the audience sees him with a woman, spewing f-bombs, and snorting coke like there's no tomorrow. There are scenes with Washington while he's in a drunken state where my jaw just dropped because of how powerful he is. An Oscar nomination is definitely needed for his performance, and maybe even a win if there isn't too much competition this year. Washington gives a performance that is bold, ferocious, and fantastic.

Don Cheadle was good as always playing the lawyer of Whip. In my opinion, I felt that his character, along with Bruce Greenwood's character (Whip's associate), could have been played by anyone. Nevertheless, both actors were very good in the movie and both impacted how Whip turned out in the end. John Goodman (for the two scenes he had in the film) was the best part of the supporting cast. Not only was he the comedic relief because he spewed out some hilarious lines, but Goodman was funny just because of his look, which consisted of a robe, sunglasses, and a ponytail. In every scene, Goodman stole the show, and I think audiences will feel the same way as well.

Kelly Reilly is also really good as a drug addict who gets romantically involved with Whip. She's meant to carry some of the more dramatic elements in the film, and luckily she does it successfully. The performance isn't groundbreaking by any means, but it does show how much range this somewhat unknown actress has, which could hopefully get her into more movies. As great as the supporting cast was, none of them will get any awards recognition like how Washington's performance will. The supporting performances aren't awards worthy to begin with, but I would personally love to see Goodman get a nom for the 10 minutes of screen time he has.

While the script, written by 'Real Steel' writer John Gatins, is good, it does have some flaws to it. The prominent flaws in the script lie in the final 15 minutes of the movie. Without spoiling anything, the relationship with Whip and his kid in the movie doesn't feel well developed for the kid to appear in the final scene of the movie. However the first scene with Whip and his ex-family was, in my opinion, the movie's most powerful scene. The outcome of certain characters in the movie would have never happened in reality, which is what this movie is trying to portray. That was a personal gripe since this movie was succeeding at feeling real for the first 2 hours and had me on the edge of my seat at times.

Speaking of time, the movie, which clocked in at 138 minutes, felt pretty long at times and dragged a bit. It isn't good when people are checking the pain in their butt rather than watching the movie presented in front of them. Regarding the directing, Zemeckis did a good job directing. My thing with him is that, aside from the spectacular plane crash sequence, it didn't feel like a Robert Zemeckis movie at all. 'Forrest Gump' and 'Back to the Future' had a feel to them where one could feel that it was a movie made by Robert Zemeckis. With 'Flight,' it just felt like a standard drama that could have been made by anybody. While he did do a good job, I hope that Zemeckis can make a live action movie that definitely feels like a movie he made.

This movie will without a doubt, get a lot of Oscar buzz this season. With the stellar performance by Washington and good direction from Zemeckis, it's almost impossible for 'Flight' not to be considered for any awards. The plane crash is spectacular and frightening, and the writing (aside from the father/son relationship and the final 15 minutes) was very good. I'm not sure if Denzel will win the Oscar, but it will be a crime (metaphorically speaking) if he isn't nominated for his performance in this movie. Here is fine proof that Robert Zemeckis, despite losing that certain feel he has in his movies, can still make great movies that can be critically and hopefully financially successful. 'Flight' is thrilling, powerful, well acted, and one of the better dramas to come out in 2012.