Category: Movie Reviews

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Starring Michael Nyqvist and Noomi Rapace
Directed by Niels Arden Oplev
Unrated
Swedish with English Subtitles
Appropriate for ages 18+

    This first part in the trilogy by recently deceased author Stieg Larsson follows the investigation of the 40-year-old disappearance of a girl by a journalist who is waiting time before serving a prison sentence he shouldn’t have received.  Tracking him is a troubled young girl with a knack for hacking computers and an understandable distrust for men.  When their lives intersect, the two set off to solve the mystery of the missing girl and they discover buried secrets far scarier than they could have ever imagined. 

    Very seldom does a book in a foreign language make it to be such a hit in the English speaking world, but this particular story and now movie has hit a chord with with American audiences in a big way.  The book having sold millions of copies worldwide and the movie having already made over a $100 million dollars worldwide, this little girl is causing quite a sensation.  And with good reason.

    To say the film is intense is an understatement.  While you have to be patient to fully understand the investigation of the missing girl from forty years ago, the story of the heroine, Lisbeth, is as interesting, captivating, frightening, and heartbreaking as you will have ever seen.  The character development is masterful as is the acting by the talented Noomi Rapace.

    As I stated though, you must be a bit patient to really get what is going on as there is a lot of exposition thrown at you and some of it so haphazardly that catching up is difficult.  So when Lisbeth is not on screen during the first hour, the film is a little slow, but it eventually speeds up and by the end hyperdrive kicks in and any attention you were paying earlier pays off.

    Going to see an unrated foreign film you kind of expect a little more than an R-rated picture, but this is pretty extreme.  The premise of the film deals with rape and its effect on its victims.  The frank sexuality, brutality, and violence will be far too much for some to handle so let this be a warning, since there really isn’t a rating to do so. 

    Before seeing the film I had heard that they are already starting to do an American remake which bugged me quite a bit.  But after seeing the movie, and finding out that David Fincher (Fight Club) is signed on to direct the remake, I think that I am really interested in seeing what can be done with it.  While it is good, I think the film can be better crafted.  B+

City Island

Starring Andy Garcia, Julianna Margulies, and Emily Mortimer
Directed by Raymond De Felitta
Rated PG-13 for sexual content, smoking and language
Appropriate for ages 13+

    Prison guard Vince Rizzo wants desperately to be an actor, but he is so ashamed to let his wife know, that he would rather let her think he was playing poker than taking acting classes.  When he discovers that his son from another woman (whom he has never met or spoken of) is in his prison, he brings him home to stay with his family, without telling any of them (including the son) that they are related.  What the new son sees as a fresh observer is that the lies from each of the family members become thicker and thicker until there is no where left to go, with total destruction the seemingly only destination in sight. 

    Not knowing what kind of film this was going to be going into it, but knowing what kind of actor Andy Garcia is, I did not expect to laugh myself silly.  But that I did.  I had no idea Garcia and Margulies had it in them to be this absolutely funny, but their timing here is tremendous and I was in stitches. 

    The story itself seems simple at first, only with a few quirks thrown in.  But then the tale becomes ever more complex and enjoyable.  It’s hard to get past the fact that the comedy here is all caused by a man who can’t tell the truth, even when it’s in his best interest.  I think 99.9% of fathers and husbands would have said something before they brought a hot convict home to hang around their hot daughter and hot wife.  Sure it adds even more humor to the climax of the film, but who would let it go that far?  Then again, if it’s all about the laughs, the correct decisions were made and the film turned out just fine.  B+

Kick Ass

Starring Aaron Johnson, Nicholas Cage, Chloe Grace Moretz, and Christopher Mintz-Passe
Directed by Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake)
Rated R for strong brutal violence throughout, pervasive language, sexual content, nudity and some drug use – some involving children
Appropriate for ages 18+

    When a nerdy, down-on-his-luck teenager (Johnson) decides to take the law into his hands and don a wet suit/costume in the hopes of becoming a super hero by the name of Kick Ass, he finds himself to be the youtube sensation of the millennium, attracting the attention of a much inspired city.  When father and daughter super hero team (Cage and Moretz) sweep in to protect Kick Ass from getting himself killed one night, Kick Ass finds himself feeling less self-confident than ever in his abilities to fight crime, and more importantly, stay alive doing so. 

    Right now you might read this synopsis, and remember seeing the trailer, and think to yourself that this was a risky film to put $30 million into.  You won’t be saying that in a month.  I’ll admit that it’s difficult to describe this film in too much detail.  First off, you don’t want to give away too many of the great jokes and terrific set pieces.  Secondly, this film is too obscene to let the movie audience at large see what makes it special.  What this film will have is huge, and I mean gigantic, word of mouth. 

    So what will everyone be talking about?  First they will be talking about how absolutely hysterical the film is.  From start to finish, the movie has a dark, sadistic, twisted wit that gives you big laughs.  I was in pain because I was just getting over a cold and couldn’t laugh properly, so I can’t wait to see it again just so I can get the correct chuckles out of my system.  The jokes here aren’t for everyone though.  Just read the rating and you’ll probably be able to determine whether or not you are a Kick Ass kind of person or not.  Another way to judge is to check out the red band (R-rated) trailer on the Kick Ass website (www.kickass-themovie.com).

    Next, everyone will be talking about the gutsiness of the film.  Director Matthew Vaughn and his production team made this film without a studio, knowing that someone would buy it when they were done.  It’s one of the biggest “true” indies I’ve ever seen.  Luckily, Lionsgate came through, and they are about to reap the rewards on this one big time. 

    Finally, folks are going to be chatting on and on about the performances.  Johnson, Cage, Mintze-Passe and pretty much the entire cast are all really having fun and letting us know it.  But the real star of the film is young Moretz, whose caped crusader “Hit Girl” is one of the baddest super heroes to grace the screen and would give the best of the bad guys a run for their money.  Some will be turned off by her incredibly foul language and ability to inflict massive amounts of violence, but most will find it to be shockingly comical.  A

Clash of the Titans

Starring Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, and Ralph Fiennes
Directed by Louis Leterrier (The Incredible Hulk)
Rated PG-13 for fantasy action violence, some frightening images and brief sensuality
Appropriate for ages 13+

    I was nine years old when I first saw the original Clash of the Titans and I have always had fond memories of the experience.  Sure it was a bit hokey and the special effects looked bad even then, but the sense of amazement I experienced from that film stuck with me for the rest of my life.  And this new version almost ruined it.

    The story is supposed to be about a young demigod named Perseus (Worthington), son of god Zeus (Neeson), who sets off on a series of quests that will eventually save Princess Andromeda from the god Hades (Fiennes) and his gargantuan Kraken.  I probably shouldn’t make the claim that the film was supposed to be anything, because it is what it is, but instead of this story, Perseus could really care less about Andromeda, but is rather seeking revenge against Hades for killing his father. 

    So while the original Clash had tons of Cheesy special effects, it had a decent story, and I’ll opt for story over effects any day of the week.  Here, Perseus is nothing but a revenge-driven action hero. 

    I’ll preface this by saying that first off – Hades doesn’t even kill his father.  Yes, he might be responsible for his death, but he merely destroys the ship his father is on and Perseus is unable to save him.  That’s a far cry from killing someone. 

    But I digress.  Perseus grabs a dramatic group of soldiers and mercenaries and heads off to figure out how to kill the Kraken.  Along the way he must kill a bunch of monstrous scorpions, mess with some witches with one eye between them, and face Medusa, a woman whose look can turn any man to stone.  And he’s not even remotely interested in the girl. 

    In the original myth, he needed the head of Medusa to save his mother.  In the first Clash he needed the head to save the maiden in distress who he also really had a thing for.  Now, all he wants is vengeance and forget the princess.  Revenge is an adequate goal, but nothing compared to saving your love.  And why couldn’t the filmmakers have gone for both? 

    Another example of the bad filmmaking, was the complete lack of curiosity and wonderment.  This really is all action and no adventure.  There is not a moment where Perseus looks like he is astonished that these things are happening to him for the first time.  He acts the entire time like he has done all of this stuff before.  At least give us that scene in the clouds with Pegasus, his winged stallion, as cliched as it may be, where he is dumbfounded and a little giddy by his new ability to fly.  Nope.  He calls Pegasus.  They take off.  Time to fight the Kraken.  Lame. 

    And finally, while the special effects are pretty good and the production is overall decent, the 3D looked like it was an afterthought.  It seemed out of place.  Too much of it was a strain on the eyes that could have been greatly comforted by seeing it in a 2D theater.  D+

How to Train Your Dragon

Starring the voices of Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, and America Ferrera
Directed by Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders (Lilo and Stitch)
Rated PG for sequences of intense action and some scary images, and brief mild language
Appropriate for all ages

    A scrawny young viking wants desperately to follow in his father’s footsteps and kill the nasty dragons that attack his village from time to time.  Because of his build he is pegged as someone who cannot kill dragons, but rather sentenced to a life fashioning weapons for those who can.  But what he lacks in brawn he makes up for in brains and he invents a weapon able to take down the most fierce of dragons: the never-before-seen Night Fury.  But when he finds the dragon he shot down he doesn’t have the heart to kill it, and rather fixes it’s tail that he managed to destroy in the first place, creating a special bond between he and the creature.  Knowing that his people will consider him a traitor for his relationship with his new friend, he visits it in secret hoping that no one will discover.

    While Pixar is still the reigning champ of high quality animation these days, every now and then Dreamworks comes up with something special like Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, and now this.  In fact, I would put this on the top of that list.  As far as storytelling goes, the screenplay, based on the book by Cresseda Cowell is a sweeping epic that can be enjoyed by both young and old.  It is imaginative, funny, emotional, awe-inspiring, and full of edge-of-your seat action/adventure.  The hero is exactly what you want in a film like this, full of courage, bright, and ambitious to change his people.  His relationship to his chieftain/father is something that most will be able to relate to with the father disappointed in the son not knowing what his son is truly capable of.  The romantic relationship, while played down because of their age, is cute and just enough.  And most importantly, the relationship with the dragon is perfect.  A less worthy writer would have had the dragon make instant friends with the boy, but it takes time to get the relationship going and that time spent brings the audience on the journey with him, allowing them to experience his mistakes and successes. 

    With such an importance placed on the aesthetics of a film, especially in light of the craze of 3D and IMAX technology, Dragon is almost right up there with Avatar as far as pure impressive filmmaking goes.  DeBlois and Sanders did a fine job with their last outing Lilo and Stitch, but they’ve really outdone themselves with this newest creation and should give Pixar a run for their money come awards time.  The film is outrageously gorgeous to look at, is incredibly well-paced, highly original and will no doubt be a big winner at the box office as well. 

    I was a little in doubt hearing Jay Baruchel’s voice in the trailer, but I have to admit that his casting was perfect, as was the rest of the voice talent.     
   
    As I am writing this, I just had to purchase the beautiful score by John Powell to listen to, which provides not only a great backdrop for the film, but is terrific to listen to independently as well.

    So from the spectacular beginning to the somewhat bittersweet but realistic ending, How to Train Your Dragon will go down as a monstrous animated classic.  A+

Hot Tub Time Machine
Starring John Cusack, Rob Corddry, and Craig Robinson
Directed by Steve Pink (Accepted)
Rated R for strong crude and sexual content, nudity, drug use and pervasive language

    A group of friends whose lives have hit the skids head out to their favorite ski lodge for a crazy weekend.  When a mystical hot tub takes them back to the 80s, they have to either find their way back to the present, or decide to make changes in their past. 

    Just from the title alone you can tell that this an absurd film and you should know exactly what to expect.  So to put it mildly – this film delivers.  It is crude, raunchy, full of bad behavior, and extremely funny.  Making fun of the 80s in this way is both hilarious and nostalgic.  The soundtrack, the clothes and hairstyles, and this sense of humor are a combination bound for success.    

    The casting choice of John Cusack is terrific as this is the kind of movie you just can’t see him in, but he does it so well.  Corddry and Robinson are also equally impressive and should see a boost to their careers here.  The real scene stealer here is Crispin Glover who plays a one-armed bellman who in the past has two arms and you just can’t wait to see how he meets his fate.  The dud of the cast is hot tub repairman Chevy Chase who is supposed to be like the Don Knotts character in Pleasantville, but ends up being a wasted time killer. 

    With a film that is this over-the-top, you get a lot of plot holes that you are just supposed to forget about because after all – the movie is called Hot Tub Time Machine.  But that’s just not quite a good enough excuse.  They tried to do a Back to the Future thing with Cusack’s nephew that was very predictable and didn’t quite work.  Also the resolution was cute but you can’t think about it for more than a minute because it will hurt your brain on how much it doesn’t make sense.  And the trick they used when they needed to explain away something – throw in a squirrel.  It’s all very random, again, just like a time machine in a hot tub.  B+

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Starring Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron, and Steve Zahn
Directed by Thor Freudenthal (Hotel for Dogs)
Rated PG for some rude humor and language
Appropriate for all ages

    Based on the Jeff Kinney book, Diary tells the story of Greg (Gordon), an undergrown, yet-to-achieve greatness pre-teen that desperately wants to find his place to fit in.  Together with his best friend, the far too friendly and eager Rowley (Capron) the two set off to make their way through the history of their middle school.

    Having never read or even heard of the book, the only preconceived notion I had going into this film was that I hoped it ended quickly and painlessly.  But then something came over me and I found myself kind of liking it.  The story is written to be mostly enjoyed by kids, but is also put together so it can be appreciated and even somewhat enjoyed by adults as well. 

    That’s not to say it’s a great film.  There are lots of silly, eye-rolling moments that I would have loved to have not seen, most notably a Beastie Boys dance sequence involving Rowly and his mother that will leave a permanent scar in my psyche.

    What really works most is the great chemistry between Gordon and Capron.  This very talented duo stirred up thoughts of what Steve Martin and John Candy might have been like had they teamed up long ago as twelve-year-old boys.  

    The real litmus test though is with the kids in the audience and the theater I was in was full of them.  They seemed to be having a ball.  They were fully engaged, laughing, and all the while convincing me that kids are going to love this film.  B

Alice in Wonderland

Starring Mia Wasakowska, Johnny Depp, and Helena Bonham Carter
Directed by Tim Burton
Rated PG for fantasy action/violence involving scary images and situations, and for a smoking caterpillar
Appropriate for ages 8+

    Set many years after the events of the first Alice tale, Alice is now twenty and on the verge of being proposed to by a boorish, snobbish Englishman at a party being held in her honor.  When put on the spot, she runs off into the countryside and follows a rabbit down a hole.  Upon entering the new magical dreamworld, she discovers that the inhabitants of this Underland have all been impatiently awaiting her arrival and desperately need her help in defeating the dreaded Red Queen.

    I doubt there are many movie fans out there that weren’t looking forward to this new Burton/Depp teaming and the early indications all showed that it had masterpiece potential written all over it.  Certainly the new Wonderland has a fresh look that is remarkable and bizarre, just as you would expect from a Burton film.  But we saw that in the trailers, commercials, and in half of the magazines and papers we’ve been reading over the last two months.  Where Burton could really win was in the script, and here he didn’t.  The story is straight forward, predictable, and completely disappointing.  Rather than a quirky, fun, innovative Alice, we get Alice goes to Narnia.

    My question is – why didn’t Burton and crew choose to just simply do a Burtonesque remake of the original material?  I just don’t get this new incarnation from Disney screenwriter Linda Woolverton (The Lion King).  It fits the Disney mold, but frankly, I didn’t want to see Burton make a Disney girl power film.  I wanted to see Burton make a film that was merely bankrolled by the mouse house, who would then leave him alone.   This creation is nice to look at but lacks energy, curiosity, or any kind of emotional draw.

    Where the film does impress is in the special effects, especially when viewed in 3D.  They didn’t push the limitations, like Avatar succeeded in doing, but there is eye candy galore to be found on screen.  Also, the closing credit sequence was probably my favorite five minutes of the film, and I’m not being sarcastic.  While the names are posting in the center, there is a frame of vines and flowers growing and blooming progressively off of the screen, all set to Danny Elfman’s beautiful and haunting score.  The look is surreal and one of the most amazing effects I’ve seen in a movie.  C+

Cop Out

Starring Bruce Willis, Tracy Morgan, and Seann William Scott
Directed by Kevin Smith (Clerks)
Rated R for pervasive language including sexual references, violence and brief sexuality
Appropriate for ages 18+
    
    Bruce Willis is a cop whose prize baseball card is stolen just as he was about to sell it to pay for his daughter’s wedding.  Although they were both suspended, he recruits his partner, Tracy Morgan, to help track down the memorabilia-obsessed drug kingpin that possesses it.  

    I am still puzzled as to what exactly this film is.  There are times when it takes itself seriously, but then there are many scenes that are straight out parody, so much so that I thought it should have been called Cop Movie instead of the chosen title.  Now if the film had stuck with this formula, and kept Bruce Willis in the lead, it could have been pretty decent, but when it suddenly tries to take itself seriously and make itself into a cop action comedy, it becomes too ridiculous to work.  Whether it’s the interrogation where Morgan pretends he is in the movie Jaws or when he is sitting in his chief’s office wearing a cell phone suit, the stupidity works if you stick with it and keep making fun of films like Lethal Weapon and Beverly Hills Cop, but when the consistency drops, the whole thing doesn’t make sense.  Unfortunately, this movie just kept a horrendous plot with an ill-conceived storyline and the hope that the laughs would keep the seats filled.

    Fortunately for the movie, there are some funny moments.  Morgan is a really talented comedian and probably deserves a leading role, maybe one better than this, but he is basically a gun-toting version of the Tracy you know from 30 Rock.  The real scene stealer in this film is Seann William Scott who turns in a great performance as a thief they have interactions with.  He gets most of the laughs in the film and really comes across as one of the stars, although he puts out very little screen time.  Also good for the comedy here is director Kevin Smith, who knows how to craft a joke better than he knows how to craft a story.  While he didn’t write this film, it feels like one he could have written, aside from the stronger production values. C

Shutter Island

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, and Ben Kingsley
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Rated R for disturbing violent content, language and some nudity
Appropriate for ages 17+

    In 1954, U.S. Marshall Teddy Daniels travels to a hospital for the criminally insane on the very remote Shutter Island to search for a missing inmate.  When he finds the staff there to be less than cooperative, he attempts to investigate without their help, until he discovers that they might have lured him there to the island for some other sinister purpose. 

    There are so many things to like about this movie that it’s hard to pick where to start.  I think the obvious first praise has to go to DiCaprio and the rest of the magnificent cast for their performances.  This film gathered some of the top talent in Hollywood, which really does make a huge difference with such challenging material.

    And then there is the craftsmanship of Scorsese who is really stretching out with this picture that looks and feels more like a modern-day Hitchcock or Kubrick picture than something he is capable of making this well.  At times it gives the real sense of a horror film, but at heart it is a psychological thriller that really plays with your head.  Scorsese’s touch is straight forward in the real world and fantastical with the dream sequences and when the two begin to become entangled, the movie really pulls you in and doesn’t release.

    Most importantly here is the story by Dennis Lehane (Mystic River), with screenplay by Laeta Kalogridis.  With so many films of late trying to fool you, you kind of know when you’re up against one that isn’t on the level.  I have been trying to figure this one out since I saw the trailer, and although I kept guessing till the end, I was blown away, so much so that I can’t wait to see it again, just to see where I missed the clues.  My suggestion – just enjoy the bumpy ride and don’t get your brain all worked up trying to guess what it’s all about.  A