Newman's Own Movie Corner

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

2009-05-02T16:48:00.001-07:00

This movie made me: Kinda Pissed

I think we can all admit that the X-Men franchise took a big step backwards with X-Men: The Last Stand. That retreat continues with X-Men Origins: Wolverine, where Hugh Jackman once again finds himself as the moody antihero surrounded by clichés, explosions, and a whole lotta nuttin’.

Logan (Jackman) and Victor (Liev Schreiber) are two seemingly ageless brothers fighting in every war they can get their hands on. Both of them are blessed (cursed?) with unusual powers – including the bony claws that extend from Logan’s hands. Soon they are drafted into a ragtag bunch of mutant fighters, led by Colonel Stryker (Danny Huston.) But that life doesn’t appeal to Logan, so he takes off to life in isolation with his true love (Lynn Collins.) But Logan’s is a power that can’t be ignored, and those who want to rein him in will stop at nothing to get him back.

When someone shouts “NOOOO!” while the camera takes off into the air every ten minutes, you know you’re veering more into The Last Stand than X2. The filmmakers throw as much as they can at Wolverine without wasting time for explanations or anything. Even when he is finally injected with the adamantium coating (which takes too long to get to, by the way), we’re not even really sure why he did it. More than once, he simply glares at someone and asks, “Why?” The answer is always, “Because it’s a movie! That’s how it’s supposed to happen!”

We get one glimpse of a shiny rock early in the movie, and about a half hour later Stryker’s been able to manufacture enough adamantium to coat an entire skeletal system. No explanation other than, “You remember that rock? Well I found more.” The script zips from here to there, never quite deciding what it wants to be. It starts off as a comic (albeit unfunny one) adventure about a bunch of quirky mutants. Five minutes later, it changes its mind and morphs into a “someone’s-hunting-down-mutants” thriller. Five minutes later… let’s make it a revenge movie instead.

It’s to Jackman’s credit that this film is even slightly watchable – he’s still the perfect Wolverine. He can simultaneously balance strong heroism and dramatic angst, no matter what bile he’s stuck with. Unfortunately, he’s the only saving grace. Dominic Monaghan, Taylor Kitsch, and Ryan Reynolds have mere minutes onscreen, and none of them have the chance make the best of it. And as the doomed love, Collins pretty much just looks nice and spews out a bunch of cringe worthy “love will always find a way” speeches.

Director Gavin Hood (Tsotsi) has no idea how to make a big-budget action movie. The explosions look pretty, but that’s the best you can say about the action in this movie. You’ve seen everything else before – and much better, too. Couple that with some terrible CGI work – Wolverine’s claws sometimes look like three lines drawn on screen with a silver sharpie – and you’ve got one big summer bust.

As sad as I am saying this, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is even worse than The Last Stand. At least that one had some fun set pieces to offset the sucky. Wolverine is just morose and mind-numbing. If this downward spiral continues, the X-Men movies could soon be on the level of Batman and Robin – they’re already in the Fantastic Four danger zone. It’s not the humans who need saving anymore. It’s the X-Men.

Observe and Report

2009-04-10T13:05:00.000-07:00

This Movie Made Me: Shocked (In a Good Way)

Let’s get this straight: Ronnie Barnhardt is more Travis Bickle than Paul Blart. Despite arriving only a few months later than this year’s other mall cop movie, Observe and Report is in no way a rip-off. Writer/director Jody Hill gives us an awkward comedy on steroids, where we’re the ones who are wonderfully disturbed by what we see.

Ronnie (Seth Rogen) is a bipolar mall cop at the Forest Ridge mall. He spends his days dispensing knowledge to his mall cop underlings, harassing a Middle Eastern vendor, and pining over make-up counter girl Brandi (Anna Faris.) But when a trenchcoat-wearing flasher appears in the parking lot, assaulting various women – including Brandi – Ronnie realizes he has a mission. He will be the one to track down the pervert, even as the city sends a snide detective (Ray Liotta) to head the investigation.

But instead of laughing at the deluded Ronnie, we’re troubled by him. Hill treats his illness with the utmost seriousness – and the violence that ensues from it is shockingly real. Ronnie’s life is incredibly dark – he still lives with his pass-out-on-the-floor drunk of a mom, and he’s completely unaware of how stupid people think he is. But that’s all part of the edgy humor. When vicious drug dealers on a street corner surround Ronnie, we’re genuinely afraid. But his bone-crunching, face-smashing revolt is at once hilarious and horrifying.

It’s to Rogen’s credit that Ronnie is as heartbreakingly ignorant as he is. He isn’t the lovable yet despised goof that Ace Ventura was – he’s a genuinely troubled individual whose delusions are more sad than funny, but Rogen and Hill find humor without shortchanging reality. Faris (America’s preeminent ditz) brilliantly channels her comedic strengths while making Brandi as realistic as Ronnie. She’s a heartless creature; when Ronnie takes her on a date and mistakes her increasing drunkenness for affection, we can’t help but cringe. Even so, Faris turns Brandi into one of the most hilarious onscreen drunks in years. And when the night ends in a decidedly unromantic tryst, we’re shocked once again.

Time and again, Hill pushes the limits of decency and challenges us not to laugh at it. Nearly every filmic taboo smashes us in the face – drug and alcohol abuse, rape, disturbing male nudity – but he manages to make it all right in the end. Ronnie is dangerous but earnest. Even if we’re afraid of what he might do, we want him to win. But when something goes right for Ronnie, we're both cheering and scratching our heads. We're happy he's happy, but we're also questioning our own sanity when we support him. It takes a lot of guts and skill to create such a deranged but likeable character (especially in a comedy), but Hill and Rogen pass with flying colors.

This comedy is as dark as dark can get. Ronnie is an unhinged person, and is often frightening in his intensity. We never know what he’s going to do next – but that’s all part of the fun. Observe and Report will probably be the most polarizing movie of the year, and I have to credit the studio for releasing the film the way it is. You may end up disgusted, but if you’re in the mood for a film unlike any other… Observe and Report is for you.

Fast & Furious

2009-04-03T15:24:00.000-07:00

This Movie Made Me: Neither Fast Nor Furious

The newest installment of the “Fast and the Furious” franchise is SO exciting, they don’t even have time to waste on stuff like “the.” For all those people who thought the best part of the original film was its cast (and not something like… the cars), their prayers have finally been answered. And it only took Hollywood two films to hear them. But even with the reunited cast a couple of cool cars, there’s nothing in “Fast & Furious” to get remotely excited about.

Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and girlfriend Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) are living the high life south of the border snatching oil and speeding under tumbling, fiery gas tanks. But when someone close to Dom is killed, he finds himself back in L.A. on a mission for revenge. His target: a Mexican drug lord who traffics goods over the border via a shaky (and completely CGIed) mine shaft in the mountains. Also on the case is FBI agent and former rival Brian O’Connor (Paul Walker), who puts his life and career on the line to bring the villain to justice. Dom’s terse sister Mia (Jordana Brewster) shows up once in a while, as do a few high-speed car chases.

But the film is focused on two men; one driven by revenge, one driven to do what’s right. So it’s clearly strong on plot. (Snicker.) But anyone who goes into a “Fast and Furious” film expecting a lot of plot is hopelessly deluded. What really matters is the awesome action. Unfortunately, the action here is decidedly unawesome. A race through the streets of L.A. is a pale imitations of the other movies, even with regular traffic providing lots of veering and horn honking. The rest of the film lets computers handle all the hard work. Only one problem: the graphics are at the level of a good Nintendo 64 game at best. It’s like watching someone else play “Cruis’n.”

A big point in the advertising has been its reunited cast – four of Hollywood’s best and brightest… eight years ago. Does it make a difference? Well, not really. No one is really required to do anything besides posing and looking nice. The most challenging thing Diesel and Walker have to do is be Aggressive (with a capital A!) – a.k.a. punching each other and shouting when any emotion is called for. While watching, one can’t help thinking that the only reason this movie was made was because none of them had anything else to do.

I’m willing to bet most moviegoers weren’t clamoring for a fourth “Fast and the Furious” movie, and this gives us no reason to be glad they actually did. Yes, they may have brought back all the original stars. But for all they’re given to do, they might as well have brought back all the original stunt drivers instead. It would be the same film. There was one exciting moment, however. Halfway through the first car chase, two people in the theater stood up and started yelling at each other. Now that was fast and furious!

Race to Witch Mountain

2009-03-15T13:09:00.000-07:00

This Movie Made Me: Bored

Disney’s 1975 sci-fi family flick “Escape to Witch Mountain” is a classic example of the House of Mouse’s output at the time – not all that good, but enough to enchant kids long enough to make it a family mainstay. Now it gets the high-tech, big budget updo with “Race to Witch Mountain,” starring Disney’s newest family man Dwayne Johnson. But despite Johnson’s affable sense of humor, explosions galore and a pair of precocious aliens, the film is more of a walkathon than an actual race.

Jack Bruno (Johnson) is a down-on-his-luck cab driver in Las Vegas caught in the middle of a UFO convention – one that introduces him to everyone from two nerdy Storm Troopers to a va-voomy astrophysicist (Carla Gugino.) But suddenly Sara (AnnaSophia Robb) and Seth (Alexander Ludwig) appear in his cab with thousands of dollars in cash and geographic coordinates for a destination. After a high-speed chase with a couple of black vans and a terrifying encounter with fireball-spewing assassin, Jack begins to realize there’s something… otherworldly about those kids. They’re soon on a breakneck race to Witch Mountain, a top-secret military base that’s housing their spacecraft. And if they don’t beat the government and the assassin tracking them, Earth’s very survival will be at stake.

If that’s not how you remember the original, don’t worry. “Race to Witch Mountain” is one of those that purports to be a “re-imagining” instead of a remake. But this re-imagining throws out everything imaginative in favor of a standard let’s-run-away-from-the-bad-guys shtick we’ve seen a million times before. The villains are a bunch of government suits, distinguishable only as the serious guy, the smart guy, and the whiny guy. The brother-and-sister aliens still have their powers, though this time around they can do cool stuff like wreck cars and pass through solid materials.

These new super kids should have made this movie all the more exciting, right? Not really. Looks like director Andy Fickman (“The Game Plan”) had no idea how to make an action movie. The chase is pretty much relentless, but the movie is so dark, shaky, and fast that it is often incomprehensible. They were clearly trying to emulate the “Bourne” style of action; but the end product is messy, not masterful.

Johnson is a genuinely entertaining performer, and he tries his best here. The problem is that the script gives him no opportunities to showcase his macho-chicken sense of humor, or even his action prowess. It doesn’t give anyone any opportunities, really – except to run and spew sci-fi babble. The characters don’t have any motivation other than “that’s what you’re supposed to do in an action movie.” Case in point: when Jack and his alien chums are cornered in a small-town diner, the town sheriff and a friendly waitress come to their aid without hesitation. Why? Probably because they’re played by the original film’s stars, Kim Richards and Iake Eissinmann. It’s a nice throwback to the film’s roots, but you’d think they’d at least wonder why a guy and two kids are being chased by the government.

It’s not like a “Witch Mountain” remake/re-imagining/whatever was a bad idea, especially one molded around Johnson’s comedic action antics. But you can’t help but be bored when the best joke is an alien asking, “Are we there yet?” Too unexciting to be an action film, too unfunny to be a family comedy, “Race to Witch Mountain” is a perfect definition of “meh.”

Watchmen

2009-03-06T16:37:00.000-08:00

This Movie Made Me: Kind of Disappointed

It’s been a 23-year-long trek to the screen for Watchmen. Handed from director to director and studio to studio, the heralded graphic novel has finally hit screens courtesy of Warner Brothers and director Zack Snyder (300.) Adapting the dense work is no small task for anyone, but Snyder and company are so slavishly faithful the film loses most of the suspense and subtext that made the graphic novel so thrilling.

In an alternate version of 1985, where Richard Nixon is still president and U.S./Soviet tensions are higher than ever, society has shunned all forms of costumed heroes. The reclusion takes a violent turn when The Comedian is violently beaten and thrown to his death. Sociopathic vigilante Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley) decides to track down the killer, convinced there’s a force determined to rid the world of costumed crime fighters. He reconnects with his former partners to warn them, but they’ve got problems of their own. But after a former hero survives an assassination attempt and Rorschach is framed for murder, the Watchmen begin to realize that Rorschach’s suspicions may be true.

The graphic novel’s strength lied in its complicated, compelling characters. These former crime fighters are all struggling to adjust to normal lives: the truly powerful Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup) is becoming increasingly less concerned with human matters, much to the distress of his ex-partner/girlfriend Laurie (Malin Akerman). The former Nite Owl (Patrick Wilson) is aging and dealing with impotence. Only Adrian Veidt (Matthew Goode), the world’s smartest man, seems to have adjusted to post-hero life by licensing his alter-ego and becoming a successful businessman. But with this fresh-faced cast, their world-weariness comes off as whininess. Akerman and Goode are especially miscast, short on years and dramatic subtlety. Their one-note performances shortchange two of the film’s most intriguing characters.

Thankfully the cast is not uniformly bland. Haley and Crudup are tailor-made for their roles, giving remarkable life and vitality to their characters. Haley’s diminutive stature makes him an unlikely hero, but his frightening determination and hard-edged voice are something to behold. Dr. Manhattan, astonishingly rendered, becomes tragically conflicted in his alienation – all thanks to Crudup’s tender, quietly contemplative voice. And Carla Gugino is alluring and affecting in an all-too-brief performance as Laurie’s mother.

Not that Snyder gives them much time to grow. It’s easy to admire Watchmen for retaining as much of the graphic novel as it did. But by doing that, they’ve lost what it all really means. Plenty of images are taken directly from the novel, as well as a great deal of dialogue. It’s as if the filmmakers saw the graphic novel and figured if they replicated it exactly, they’d get the same meaning. The whole film is rushed through, with the exception of an irritatingly slow and indulgent sex scene (which shouldn’t surprise anyone who’s seen 300.) The big moments are sped through, and have no more dramatic weight than Superman rescuing a kitten in a tree.

Even more frustrating are the things they got right. The two major diversions from the book – the opening credits and an altered ending – are among the most exciting moments in the film. They’re different, but they are completely faithful in spirit. If only the filmmakers had taken more chances. The use of music is often brilliant, from Nat King Cole’s “Unforgettable” echoing through the violent opening scene to Philip Glass mythologizing the creation of Dr. Manhattan.

This film could have been directed by Gilliam. It could have been directed by Aronofsky or Greengrass. Instead we got the guy who thinks slo-mo is the most awesome thing ever. As a fan of the book, it’s all anyone could ask for. As a fan of films, it’s playing it too safe. Watchmen could have been a whole lot worse, for sure. But in the hands of a more daring director, it could have been so much more.

Two Lovers

2009-03-01T10:44:00.000-08:00

This Movie Made Me: Meditative

The chamber room dramas of the 1970s are perhaps some of the greatest films ever made. Kramer vs. Kramer, Interiors – character studies that were quiet, contemplative, and ultimately shattering. With Two Lovers, director James Gray (We Own the Night) takes these sensibilities and a few strong performances to create a bleak but transformative tale of love.

Leonard (Joaquin Phoenix) recently moved back in with his parents. Still reeling after a failed engagement, Leonard teeters on the brink of suicide. His parents set up a meeting between him and Sondra (Vinessa Shaw), the daughter of the man taking over his father’s dry cleaning business. Soon after, Leonard meets upstairs neighbor Michelle (Gwyneth Paltrow), an exciting but destructive woman having an affair with a married lawyer.

Leonard is desperately in love with Michelle, but she can’t break things off with the lawyer. Sondra adores Leonard, but he’s ready to throw everything aside for a relationship with Michelle. Leonard must decide who to turn to – the woman he adores but may never reciprocate, or the woman who would devote herself to him entirely.

Sondra is in the same place as Leonard; they both love someone who only wants friendship. He implores Michelle to accept him, telling her she’ll learn to love him with time. Should he follow Michelle and risk rejection, or should he turn away and save Sondra from the same kind of rejection?

At the heart of Two Lovers is the enigmatic Leonard, brought to stunning realization by Phoenix. His speech is slurred, and he shuffles around with a world-weary look – he is completely real, a broken soul looking for a reason to live. He’s quiet and earnest with Sondra, outgoing and jokey with Michelle. Phoenix splits Leonard into two people, and seeing which side survives is absolutely thrilling.

Paltrow’s Michelle is wild and exciting – teetering on the edge of control. Shaw’s Sondra is quiet and sweet, too devoted to speak out when Leonard turns away. They create completely different scenarios, and Shaw and Paltrow put in fine, thoughtful performances. As Leonard’s mother, Isabella Rosselini also puts in an impressive performance where looks mean more than words.

The screen is filled with images that constantly infer Leonard’s place between Michelle and Sondra. As Leonard and Sondra make love, the camera drifts over to Michelle’s window across the courtyard. The style and mechanics of the film become almost invisible, paving the way for the elegant writing and natural performances to lead the way.

Two Lovers shows how dependent love can be – how a relationship cannot be fulfilled without reciprocation. It seems like a no-brainer, but Gray and Phoenix show it isn’t as simple as it seems. If Two Lovers is remembered only for being Phoenix’s last performance (apparently), then that’s all the better. With any luck, future filmgoers will turn to it and find an honest reflection on the things that affect us all.

Coraline

2009-02-08T18:04:00.000-08:00

This movie made me: Unsettled

You know how the old saying goes: be careful what you wish for. Not everything is as it seems. When young Coraline discovers the family she always wanted, she soon learns that dreams can quickly turn into nightmares. And courtesy of author Neil Gaiman and director Henry Selick, those nightmares transform Coraline into one of the most inventive and mature animated films in years.

Coraline (voiced by Dakota Fanning) has just moved into a creaky old house, and she isn’t happy about it. Her parents are too busy working to notice her, the neighbors are unbearably eccentric, and nearly everybody calls her “Caroline” instead of her real name. Then, one night, she opens a small door in the house that leads to an exact replica of her apartment. Her family is there, too – or her Other Family. The people of this world are filled with affection and love for Coraline. The only thing off is the black buttons sewn in place of their eyes. But when Coraline refuses the Other Mother’s offer to stay forever, the sinister truth behind this new world begins to show.

There are several frightening images in this other world, and the audience isn’t spared a bit. It’s refreshing to see a family film put so much faith in its audience’s maturity, and it is legitimately unsettling. Coraline’s nightmare is truly that – a terrifying place where the worst will happen without a moment’s warning. It moves from charming to unnerving on a whim – thanks in no small part to Teri Hatcher’s inspired work as the Other Mother, a surprisingly subtle mix of sweetness and wickedness. This twisted darkness only sets it apart from more generic kid’s fare, and enhances its brilliance.

Every inch of talent Selick displayed in The Nightmare Before Christmas has been increased two-fold. Every frame bleeds with Gothic frenzy; the drab and angular real world is perfectly contrasted with the colorful Other World filled with dancing mice, talking bugs, and flowers that tickle. It is a feast for the eyes, and easily the most accomplished stop-motion animated film in over a decade. No amount of praise is enough for Bruno Coulais’s magically creepy and brilliantly unconventional score.

It’s easy to say that Coraline is too scary for kids – indeed, it takes animation to more intense levels than most filmmakers would dare go – but to advise anyone against seeing it would be a crime. A triumph of boundless creativity and masterful storytelling, it is simply a film that must be seen to be believed. Like the best nightmares it is disturbing, unsettling, and – most importantly – unforgettable.

New in Town

2009-01-30T12:43:00.000-08:00

This movie made me: Indifferent

Wasn’t Fargo a great movie? Don’t you just love Minnesota, where the women have names like Trudy and Blanche, and where the men ice fish and drive pick-ups? Wouldn’t it be awesome if there were another movie like that? That’s what the makers of New in Town hope you’re thinking. But by pulling out every romantic-comedy joke in the book, this wintry flick is blander than casserole without green beans, dontcha know.

A Miami-based corporation is in the midst of restructuring several of its plants, including one in remote New Ulm, Minnesota. When no one volunteers to oversee the process, driven businesswoman Lucy Hill (Renee Zellweger) reluctantly accepts the job. In Minnesota, she finds herself fighting against over-friendly neighbors, skeptical co-workers and the bitter cold. As she begins to restructure the plant, she finds herself at odds (both personally and professionally) with the local union rep, Ted Mitchell (Harry Connick, Jr.) He’s a handsome widower who hates Lucy at first sight… so you all know what that means. And as Lucy spends more time in the snow-covered town, she discovers that the little people mean more to a company than figures and paychecks.

There is a certain romantic allure to snowy forests and small town Christmases, but we can only take so much. The film so drab, dark and sparse it recalls the snowy landscapes of last year’s X-Files movie – not the image you want while watching a romantic comedy. Jokes about the weather, scrapbooking and tapioca aren’t doing any favors either. There are tired, clichéd Midwestern jokes galore – so many that it transcends reality. I don’t know about you, but an entire town gathering around a giant Christmas tree and singing carols is more Whoville than Minnesota.

With her round face and pouty lips, Zellweger adds the same kind of spoiled humor she’s been doing for years. The shtick has lost its brilliance since her early ‘00s heyday. Here, she’s nothing more than a perpetually cold Bridget Jones. The cast has its share of genuinely funny character actors – including Siobhan Fallon Hogan, Frances Conroy and J.K. Simmons – but they don’t have much to do other than roll out the same old “Ya, you betcha” thing we’ve seen for years.

New in Town is Fargo without the wood chipper – and that’s not meant to be an endorsement for family-friendly audiences. Entirely inoffensive but completely riskless, the film is never anything more than “cute.” When a comedy exclusively relies on stereotypes that were used brilliantly years ago, it's clear the filmmakers were about a decade too late.

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans

2009-01-25T11:04:00.000-08:00

This movie made me: Mildly Disoriented

Regardless of its lack of originality (vampires vs. werewolves) or distinct style (a bluer riff on The Matrix), but Underworld and its 2006 sequel Underworld: Evolution managed to entertain in spades. Now it takes an unfortunate step towards bloated epicness with Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, an almost entirely unnecessary prequel.

A long time ago in a land that’s probably somewhere in central Europe, werewolves (or Lycans) were the daytime guardians of the vampires. They were treated as animals, and ruled over by the icy and imposing Viktor (Bill Nighy). The one Lycan who appears to have Viktor’s favor is Lucian (Michael Sheen), born and bred in captivity. Lucian has fallen in love with Viktor’s beloved daughter, the predictably feisty Sonja (Rhona Mitra). A love between the two species is forbidden, and as Lucian sees the injustices his kind suffers, he begins to realize his true calling.

Perhaps the biggest thing the filmmakers got wrong was something they did years ago – they already told the story. Lucian’s rise against the vampires was told (albeit in quick flashbacks and narratives) in the original Underworld. And other than adding some dialogue and a few fights, the film offers nothing new. Any battles between the main characters are totally devoid of suspense, as viewers familiar with the series already know their ultimate fates. Sheen, hot off his critical successes in prestige pics like The Queen and Frost/Nixon, makes for a slightly more dynamic hero than what’s usually seen in horror films. Nighy remains a genuinely frightening vampire, but Mitra seems there only for her resemblance to Kate Beckinsale.

The film’s saving grace could have been its action. But with its endless barrage of breakneck handheld shots and frenetic editing, it just becomes confusing. In some cases, literally nothing can be understood. We must wait until the action dies down to actually determine what happened. This is a dizzying task that teeters on the edge of headache-inducing.

So for fans of the Underworld series, this film is here for you in case you didn’t understand something about the history lesson in the first film. Prequels are a tricky thing. But when your prequel doesn’t say anything that hasn’t been said in the other films… you’ve probably done something wrong.

Valkyrie

2008-12-26T12:23:00.001-08:00

This Movie Made Me: Sufficiently Anxious

As the age-old saying goes: actions speak louder than words. That is particularly the case with Valkryie, Bryan Singer’s new thriller depicting the true story of a failed assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler. Perhaps it’s all for the best, since the actors spew out a hodgepodge of accents that hinder the film. And despite genuine thrills, a stiff Tom Cruise performance makes Valkyrie just another run-of-the-mill thriller.

Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise) is stationed in Africa during the latter years of WWII. After an attack leaves him wounded and blind in one eye, von Stauffenberg returns to Germany. His animosity towards Hitler lands him in a group of high-ranking officials plotting to overthrow Hitler and start a new government. Von Stauffenberg presents Operation Valkyrie, meant to be used in case of a SS revolt, as the perfect means to assassinate Hitler and end his reign of terror.

Singer’s talent for making unbearably tense sequences is on full display here. Even though the ultimate end of the plot is obvious, the assassination attempt is an expertly crafted nail biter. Intricately detailed and as drawn out as possible, it is impossible not to be spellbound by the time von Stauffenberg has Hitler in his sights. This is filmmaking much more focused than his work in the X-Men series and in Superman Returns.

If only the rest of the film kept up with him. Cruise seems to be unable to emote properly with only one eye. Having the only American accent doesn’t help either. There are accents abound in Valkyrie – mostly British, and most of the actual German accents are reserved for the bad guys. While it may have saved Cruise the embarrassment of ridiculous accents, the eclectic mix takes away more from the film than it adds to it. It is a particular travesty that Carice van Houten (mesmerizing in Paul Verhoeven’s Black Book) has only a few precious minutes of screen time. As von Stauffenberg’s wife, her character seems almost an afterthought as written. But van Houten speaks volumes without saying a word. And in the end, it’s her we remember.

Valkyrie is a solid thriller – an accomplishment enough, given how obvious its ending will be. The detail constructed in the suspenseful sequences is top-notch and not to be missed. Whether or not it returns Tom Cruise to box office glory remains to be seen. But if Valkyrie does, it will be because of film power – not star power.

The Day the Earth Stood Still

2008-12-14T10:44:00.000-08:00

This Movie Made Me: Bored

Keanu Reeves is learning. Not learning how to act, but learning how to use his lack of expressions effectively. His latest inexpressive character is Klaatu, the foreboding alien at the center of The Day the Earth Stood Still. This effects-laden remake is about as exciting as listening to Reeves reading a senate environmental bill.

A mysterious space object lands in Central Park. (Because anybody who’s anybody attacks New York first). But instead of an asteroid, scientists find a large glowing orb. Two beings emerge from it: a surprisingly retro robot/alien hybrid named Gort and an alien life form quickly reborn as Keanu Reeves. When the alien’s intentions become clear, the government tries to strengthen its hold on him and he takes off with a sympathetic scientist (Jennifer Connelly) and her son (Jaden Smith).

Sounds exciting, right? Not really. Aside from a few scenes that can best be described as “creepy,” the film is all talk. The scientists wonder what the alien could want, a government bigwig (in this case, Kathy Bates) feeling threatened, the alien escapes and then… they talk some more! It’s not that the film suffers from too much set-up and too little pay-off. The talking just moves around in circle and, despite all the talk of impending doom, no one ever actually seems worried. And when the apocalypse finally arrives, it can best be described as mind-numbing. Never before has the destruction of mankind been so boring.

And it’s not as if the film suffers from a lack of ambience. Director Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose) fills the film with appropriately eerie scenes of misty forests and sparse landscapes, all of which tie into the film’s unabashed green sensibilities. If only the script gave the filmmakers some thrills to work with. Reeves’ lack of versatility actually serves him well – let’s face it, no one seems more natural at being flat than him. Connelly, Jon Hamm and Kyle Chandler provide sufficient support, even if they all looks the same. It’s almost as if mankind already suffered an alien attack that obliterated everyone with brightly-colored hair.

Whether or not The Day the Earth Stood Still warranted a remake is beside the point. When the results are this mediocre, there’s no point in arguing for or against. It shows that the director can make pretty pictures, but not much else. And it shows that Keanu Reeves can convincingly play an unemotional alien. But we already knew that.

Australia

2008-11-26T10:34:00.000-08:00

This movie made me: Entertained and Affected

If nothing else, Baz Luhrmann’s Australia will make you reminiscent of the films of yesteryear. Old-fashioned epic-ness is everywhere in Australia. The film never reaches these heights, of course, but it’s nice to get swept away by its unabashed romanticism and scope.

The film is a fairy tale that takes place in a faraway land called Oz. Just as WWII breaks out, Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman) finds herself transported from England to the outback when she inherits her husband’s sprawling ranch. It is not a match made in heaven; Sarah is so stiff and British she carries a riding crop with her most of the time. And the natives aren’t exactly welcoming – ranch hand Fletcher (David Wenham) is working with the major Australian power in cattle herding to force Sarah out of business, and the drover she hires to help her (Hugh Jackman) can’t stand the sight of her. But as they work together to save the ranch and its inhabitants and as the Japanese begin to invade, Sarah and the drover must fight to prove that love can conqueror all.

Like Luhrmann’s other films, Australia starts at a breakneck pace – but without the flashing lights. It’s an odd absence, but it works. The film is definitely epic – the sets, costumes and cinematography are not to be beat. But despite valiant efforts, Luhrmann cannot muster the same devastating resonance that made Moulin Rouge! so effective. The audience knows Sarah and the drover are meant for each other, so it’s almost as if the filmmakers figured there’s no point in creating truly compelling characters.

But thanks to strong performances, the film is deeply emotional. The Drover is an Australian Rhett Butler, and with his rugged adventurous personality and intense emotionality Jackman is more than qualified to fill Clark Gable’s shoes. Kidman moves from side-splittingly funny to desperately earnest with ease. She is never more compelling than in her scenes with newcomer Brandon Walters. As a mixed-blood Aborigine child, Walters gives the film its heart. With his wide, dark eyes and endless enthusiasm, it’s very difficult not to fall in love with him.

There’s an element of magic realism that sets it apart from other epics. Filled with musical references to “Over the Rainbow,” classical and Aboriginal music, the importance of music becomes an active part of the film – bringing this world to something other than reality. There’s no denying its pure entertainment. Australia is an experience unlike any other you’ll see this year.

Let the Right One In

2008-11-24T18:42:00.000-08:00

This movie made me: Stunned

Vampire love in cinema is a bit of a hot topic right now… I don’t think I need to say why. But while a certain tween sensation invades movie theaters across the country, another take on the vampire genre is sneaking in. Swedish export Let the Right One In is both a chilling and complex variation of the classic vampire story and a heartbreaking melancholic study of doomed first love.

12-year-old Oskar (Kare Hedebrant) is a shy, bullied kid in a small snowy Swedish town. Unable to stand up to the bullies in school, Oskar takes a knife to trees outside his apartment at night. It is here he meets Eli (Lina Leandersson), who’s just moved into the apartment next door. She tells him she can’t be his friend, but Oskar cannot stay away. As their friendship blossoms bodies begin to pile up around the town – all of them drained of blood. Eli is clearly not what she seems, but she and Oskar continue to watch their friendship grow.

Perhaps the most shocking thing about Let the Right One In is how much of it is grounded in reality. For once, it’s actually plausible that the townspeople never guess there’s a vampire in their midst. Every bit of Eli’s story that stretches into mythic regions feels new. New questions are raised about vampires – their gender, the relationships they have with normal people. Young Leandersson is truly remarkable, showing more depth and subtleties in her film debut than many actors ever manage. She shows an astonishing understanding of Eli’s complexities – the extent of her relationship with Oskar, and whether it is one of benefit or of love.

Director Thomas Alfredson’s stark and unwavering style supports the film’s moments of horror and tenderness without changing anything. Alfredson doesn’t throw any tricks or gimmicks – everything is presented as straightforward and clearly as possible. He has the power to make an audience squirm or break their hearts on the turn of a dime. Each sequence rises to a new level of mastery of suspense and emotionality, culminating in a finale so shocking it’s bound to be left out of the inevitable American remake.

In the end, Let the Right One In is hardly just a vampire film. It’s a coming-of-age story, a story about first love, about the loneliness of a broken childhood and an examination of the positive and negatives of friendship. Emotionally devastating and chilling, Let the Right One In is a film that seeks to reinvent the vampire and actually succeeds in doing so.

Quantum of Solace

2008-11-16T11:53:00.000-08:00

This movie made me: Moderately Excited

“Bond is running wild.” These four words, spoken midway through Quantum of Solace, perfectly describe the 22nd Bond adventure. Daniel Craig continues to reinvent Bond in new and thrilling ways, even if the film can’t keep up with him. Filled with frenetic action but not much else, Quantum of Solace is far from the greatest Bond adventure. But fans have suffered through much worse.

The action picks up only minutes after the conclusion of Casino Royale. In his effort to seek revenge against those responsible for the death of his love Vesper, Bond begins to uncover information about Quantum – a group so secret no one knows about it. His leads send him around the world and eventually into the presence of Dominic Greene (Matthieu Amalric), one of those sinister businessmen seeking to control the world. Bond soon crosses paths with Camille (Olga Kurylenko), a brazen beauty with her own revenge mission. It’s all very Licence to Kill, but leaner, meaner and without the Wayne Newton cameo.

Craig’s Bond has never been so determined, vicious and downright frightening – just as he should be. Anyone who still doubts him as Bond is in severe denial. But it suffers from the second-movie syndrome. At the film’s conclusion, there are more questions than answers – Quantum is just a name and a few faces. Instead we watch Bond tracking a Peter Lorre-esque middle man the entire time – the type of figure that would get killed off halfway through a typical Bond picture.

But it’s not that important, since what director Marc Forster (Finding Neverland, Stranger Than Fiction) clearly wants us to notice how cool the actions scenes are. And there are plenty of them: Bond gets chased in a car, in a boat, on foot, in a plane, etc. Sometimes, he even does the chasing! The first meeting between hero and villain at an outdoor may is the most artistically ambitious set piece in the series. And the (literally) explosive finale in a desert hotel showcases some of the coolest Bond sets in 40 years.

Instead of concocting a two-hour romance between Bond and Kurylenko’s Camille, the filmmakers pair them as something much more complex and rewarding – two desperate people after the same thing. They are able to relate to each other because of the tragedies they’ve faced – they are the ideal match for each other. When Bond and Camille, dirty and exhausted, walk in silence through the Bolivian desert, they are united in their loneliness.

In the years to come, Quantum of Solace will probably be come to known as the arty James Bond movie. Director Forster adds a lot of little moments into the film – fancy fonts, soundless montages, etc. – that are interesting, but only occasionally succeed. Bond is still on a mission that will presumably be continued in the next film. But as far as 106 minute long set-ups go, this ain’t too bad.

Repo! The Genetic Opera

2008-11-10T21:22:00.000-08:00

This movie made me: Confused

In the past, the phrase “and it’s a musical!” has often been used to make hypothetically ridiculous movies sound even more absurd. Now, at long last, people can use that phrase with complete honesty. Repo! The Genetic Opera takes place in the not-too-distant future where an epidemic of organ failure led to the creation of an organ lending system. People sign a contract with the all-powerful GeneCo, and are granted a new lease on life. But if any loaners miss a payment, the Repo Man appears and takes the product back in the most gruesome way possible… and it’s a musical!

With a premise such as this, director Darren Lynn Bousman (of Saw fame) should be expected to deliver something on the level of The Rocky Horror Picture Show by forgoing all sense of reason in favor of something bombastically bizarre and entertaining. Unfortunately, his pedestrian approach to the material only forgoes reason, with little of the bizarreness that the film desperately needs. It’s weird, all right, but for most of the film the characters simply sit and sing about their feelings, or about how the world sucks – hardly the kind of material that will make an audience go along with it.

The film follows Shiloh (Alexa Vega), a teenage girl with a blood disease so dangerous that her father Nathan (Anthony Stewart Head) keeps her locked up in her room. This is all the better for him, since it means he can hide his true identity from her – he is the vicious and unforgiving Repo Man, who stalks the streets to reclaim organs from unpaying customers. After a horrible accident that left Shiloh’s mother dead, Nathan found himself in debt to GeneCo’s president, Rotti Largo (a warbling Paul Sorvino), who has his hands full with his own children: dangerously violent Luigi (Bill Moseley), unhinged face-stealer Pavi (Orge), and spoiled surgery and drug-addicted Amber Sweet (Paris Hilton, obviously a stretch for her). But as Shiloh’s desire to know the outside world grows stronger, Nathan’s guilt over his horrendous actions grows with Largo’s need to find the new head of the company keeping the world alive.

To say Repo! isn’t scary is pointless, given the nature of the film. This is straight-up Victorian melodrama, from the complicated bickering families all the way to the blood-soaked finale (set, appropriately, in an opera house). But there must be something said for the lack of suspense the film creates. Most of the film has characters sitting (or occasionally pacing) and singing about what’s troubling them. It’s only a few times where people actually do something. And even when the Repo Man goes out to do his dirty work, the images are surprisingly subdued. Given that the director rose to fame as the helmer of the Saw sequels, one should certainly expect the deaths to be more gruesome than they are. It’s not that the film isn’t violent, but its violence is simple, and the effect watered down by the rambling inner monologues that follow and precede it.

The film actually works only a few times, and it’s probably not a coincidence that classical crossover singer Sarah Brightman (in her film debut) is present in all of them. As Blind Mag, GeneCo’s spokeswoman and opera star, Brightman’s wide eyes, crystal clear voice and Elvira-ish appearance is perfectly suited to what the film should be. Not to mention she is one of the few cast members who can actually sing, though Head displays a fine rock voice as well. Her duet with Vega, “Chase the Morning”, is exactly what the film should have been; it shows Bousman at his most inventive and is one of the few times where we completely understand what’s going on.

Shot in the kind of fuzzy light usually reserved nowadays for flashbacks, it comes as no surprise that when the flashbacks actually show up in Repo!, they’re rendered in comic book-style. We read and see pictures of the characters’ pasts, which is surely a case of the “show, don’t tell” rule that filmmakers are told to avoid in school. But that sums up the entirety of Repo! in a way. It tries to break the rules and redefine what a musical and a horror film can be, but ends up being an unexciting and confusing exercise in monotony. Filled with bland songs blandly performed by the cast (with one or two exceptions) Repo! should only be recommended for the curious who seriously don’t expect anything, because they’ll get exactly that.

Burn After Reading

2008-09-12T22:23:00.000-07:00

After NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, I think we’d all appreciate something lighter from the Coen Brothers. Well, relatively speaking. Putting their darkly comic twist on the paranoid thriller, the Coens give us BURN AFTER READING, a film that raises questions and staunchly refuses to answer them. Featuring spirited performances by an energetic ensembles and flashes of genuine Coen genius, BURN AFTER READING may not be the new American classic, but we’re having too much fun to care.

The whole ordeal begins when CIA analyst Osborne Cox (John Malkovich) is unceremoniously dismissed, with his superiors citing his drinking as the problem. In his malaise he decides to write his memoirs, much to the chagrin of his cold and detached wife Katie (Tilda Swinton). Meanwhile, some of Cox’s personal files end up in the possession of two gym workers. One is the dispirited Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand), who is trying to finance some cosmetic surgeries. The other is bright, chipper and mostly clueless trainer Chad (Brad Pitt) who jumps at the sign of excitement. As they begin their mission to blackmail Cox, Linda becomes involved with womanizer Harry Pfaffer (George Clooney) who is also having an affair with Katie. And if you think this sounds convoluted, you’ve only cracked the surface.

The Coens have set out to create the most ridiculously complex plot they could, and they’ve succeeded with flying colors. Late in the film, when two agents muse how pointlessly confusing the whole thing is the audience is right there with them. The entire film is an hour and a half of pointless confusion, but it couldn’t be more hilarious. When events take the trademark dark Coen Brothers twist, the film becomes even more convoluted. It relentlessly parodies the look-over-your-shoulder paranoid thrillers and the every-word-has-a-hidden-meaning spy films that is purposely loses itself as it winds to a ludicrously messy finale.

Part of the reason the mess never gets tiring is because of its top-notch cast. Each gifted with characters a step above reality, the lead actors take their parts and run. Every performance is crafted to perfection. From Swinton’s icy wife who instantly sees the worst in everybody to Clooney’s ultra-paranoid bumbling fella who’s in over his head. But fine as these two actors are, they can’t compare to the film’s three leads. Coen Brothers vet McDormand puts in another classic performance that is a masterpiece of earnest lunacy. The audience simultaneously feels for Linda as she laments over her body image and roars with laughter as she bursts into each new twist with blind confidence and an apparent determination to mispronounce names. Malkovich is sways wildly from screaming matches to complete despair in the most exaggerated way possible. But the life of the film lies with Brad Pitt. Chad is a jock who forgot that he graduated from high school, more dedicated to his job and his bicycle than seems humanly possible. He completely shreds his cool-guy personality and still manages to be cool. With his almost giggly outbursts and his pumped dances, he may be the coolest idiot around.

Even if it’s relatively free of the visual inventiveness seen in their other films, BURN AFTER READING packs a punch with its smart script and freewheeling performances. Its jokes are sharp enough to forgive INTOLERABLE CRUELTY and reteaming with a few familiar faces has done wonders for the brothers’ sense of humor. It may not be the most thought-provoking film out there and you’d be hard-pressed to justify why it all happened. But when the results are this fun, who cares?

***/****

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

2008-08-06T21:24:00.000-07:00

When Rick O’Connell and his beloved Evie sailed off in a ramshackle dirigible at the end of 2001’s THE MUMMY RETURNS, moviegoers everywhere wished and hoped they would see their tomb-raiding, mummy-obliterating friends again. Well, 7 years later their wish has been granted, though its as if Imhotep himself granted the wish. With the painful absence of original costar Rachel Weisz, original mummy Arnold Vosloo and original writer/director Stephen Sommers, THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR will leave audiences shaking their heads sadly, wondering why they even bothered.

The evil Dragon Emperor (a mostly silent Jet Li) is determined to find the secret to immortality so he and his army can rule for all time. But long, long ago a witch (Michelle Yeoh) cursed him by turning him into chocolate and statue-fying him… which apparently makes him a mummy. Flash forward to 1947 and intrepid adventurers Rick (Brendan Fraser) and Evelyn O’Connell (Maria Bello) have hung up their hats to enjoy a quiet married life in England. But a supposedly simple secret mission brings them to Shanghai and throws them into the path of their more adventurous son Alex (Luke Ford), who has just uncovered the remains of the Emperor and his army. Faster than you can say “predictable turn of events”, the Emperor is resurrected and it’s up to the O’Connell clan (with the help of brother/uncle Jonathan) to stop the “mummy” and save the day.

It’s difficult to decide which aspect of the film is most ridiculous. I suppose it could be the title, which is misleading. There isn’t actually a mummy in the film. Sure, there are ancient figures raised from the dead, but they’re more like cursed zombies than mummies. Unless they cut out the actual mummification process, that is. Regardless of the villain’s post-life status, Li pales in comparison with the evil and all-powerful Imhotep. Aside from the desire to rule and control all, there’s really nothing to the Emperor. And how exactly he got all his magical powers is really anybody’s guess.

The other newcomers don’t fare very well either. Although Maria Bello is a fine actress in her own right, she seems next to useless trying to fill Weisz’s shoes. The key ingredient to the success of the first two films was the endearing charisma between Fraser and Weisz – Bello can’t help but fall short. And the last time we saw Alex O’Connell, he was a plucky British schoolboy with a sharp tongue and a taste for trouble. This time around, he’s still got a taste for trouble, but he’s been morphed into an All-American boy (rather odd, since he appears to have been born and raised in England) that’s nothing more than a blander version of Fraser’s character. Yeoh manages to make the most with what’s she given… which is basically nothing. But it’s always nice to see her.

There is none of the excitement, old-fashioned thrills or plain old fun jokiness of the first two films. This is likely due to Stephen Sommers’ absence; while it’s true his style of comedy and filmmaking spelt doom for VAN HELSING, it was perfectly acquitted in the world of THE MUMMY. In his place is Rob Cohen, who recently gave the world XXX and STEALTH. Working from an unexciting, unfunny and basically inept script, Cohen shows none of the visual grandeur or old-fashioned decadence that made the franchise so successful. Instead he employs an overabundance of handheld camera shots, which looks incredibly cheap in an epic such as this.

The final moments seem to promise yet another addition to the franchise (in the worst possible way, of course), but since the filmmakers have forgotten nearly everything the first film was about, they would be better off not wasting the time. One could assume, should another film come to pass, that it can’t possibly get any worse. But I have a sneaking feeling that, should the present team reunite, they would finally manage to surprise us.

*/****

The X-Files: I Want to Believe

2008-07-25T01:19:00.001-07:00

It’s been a few years since we last saw our favorite alienated (bad um chik) FBI agents, and much has changed. But with THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE, the world learns that we can still get the same old Mulder and Scully we’ve always loved. Built on a much smaller scale than its 1998 theatrical predecessor, the film’s strong and weak points rely on its similarity to the hit television show. Fans of the show will be more than happy to see some familiar characters, but this film will not show outsiders what the big deal was.

It’s been several years since the X-Files unit was shut down and the FBI finds another case with possible paranormal ties. Several young girls have disappeared and a local holy man (Billy Connolly) claims to be having psychic visions that relate to the case. Unable to find a connection, Agent Dakota Whitney (Amanda Peet) turns to the only two people she can think of for help – Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson). As the two are driven further into the case, they must both decide what they really believe and whether they want to return to the work they abandoned all those years ago.

One of the biggest problems with the original film was its lack of individuality. It didn’t serve as an introduction at all; if you weren’t an avid follower of the series, you likely wouldn’t have a clue what was happening. The film was designed as a stand-alone adventure and it certainly is that. There are only a few references to the series in the film, and none that will detract from the actual film. But unfortunately, there isn’t enough to set it apart from a standard cop thriller. The supernatural quotient is second to the recovery of the missing girls. The film is basically an extended episode of the television show. A strong episode to be sure, but nothing that really takes advantage of the filmic format.

Where the film really succeeds are in the scenes with Mulder and Scully. The performers fit back into their characters as if they had never left, and the insatiable charisma and sexual tension remains entirely intact. Anderson is particularly spectacular; her always-compelling Scully kicks up a notch as she balances the case with her day job in a hospital. Anderson could always be relied on to give the series enough pathos and emotion to make it something more; she delivers magnificently here. With each performance, she proves that she is one of the best actresses working today, able to lift any material she’s given. It’s a shame she isn’t seen more often, and the makers of the film should be lauded simply for giving her a vehicle to demonstrate her tremendous abilities.

While the film may not be a major step in the X-Files canon, it’s a more than welcome return. The lack of an ultimately compelling plot, no matter how suspenseful, is more than made up for by Duchovny and Anderson’s memorable performances. The filmmakers have crafted something that relies much more on dramatics than thrills to deliver the final product, and to be even moderately successful is a big achievement. THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE is an exciting and entertaining piece of nostalgia, and most fans will be itching to see their favorite agents again.

**1/2/****

The Dark Knight

2008-07-18T12:03:00.001-07:00

Having vividly revitalized arguably the most successful comic book franchise in film history with 2005’s BATMAN BEGINS, director Christopher Nolan now gives us the full extent of his abilities with THE DARK KNIGHT, a thrilling and momentous achievement that takes succeeds in taking itself seriously and becoming something much more than a mere superhero movie.

The mysterious Batman (Christian Bale) has been guarding the streets of Gotham City for some time now. Combined with his efforts and a new sense of hope, courtesy of charismatic District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), the city is far from the crime-infested cesspool it once was. Gangsters and criminals are now afraid to go out at night, instead holding their meetings in the safety of broad daylight. But for some people, such cowardice is unforgivable. Enter The Joker (Heath Ledger), a maniac for whom crime is fun regardless of the financial possibilities. As he begins his reign of terror on Gotham, Batman/Bruce Wayne must decide how far he must take his quest and what he must do to protect Gotham and its newfound sense of hope.

Nolan has set the film in a world that seems almost too-real, and therein lies its greatest strengths. Gone is the CGI aboveground subway that pervaded every block of the city in the first film, and the villains with mystical flowers and water vaporizers. In its place is a man who is referred to as a terrorist on more than one occasion. Ledger’s astonishing performance is a testament to this. For once, the villain manages to be truly terrifying. With his cackling giggle and magic disappearing tricks, The Joker is supremely effective because he’s so real. He is the type of madman who could easily be living in any large city around the world, waiting to strike. Ledger completely disappears into the role – unknowing viewers would never have guessed this was the guy from BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN or 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU. He creates a completely different monster than Jack Nicholson’s iconic Joker in 1989’s BATMAN. With his wild swagger and make-up that appears to have been applied by gunshot, Ledger gives a performance for the ages and gives his life and career a lasting legacy.

While Bale once again proves that he is the first actor to completely pull off both Batman (albeit his Batman voice, which sounds more gravely and incomprehensible than before) and Bruce Wayne, he doesn’t make as much of an impression as in the first film. This isn’t necessarily a deterrent; if anything, this is as close to an ensemble piece that an action film is ever going to get. Everyone gets their time to shine, from Morgan Freeman’s wry Lucius Fox (who gets the biggest laugh in the film) to Gary Oldman’s James Gordon, who continues to prove that he is one of today’s most versatile actors. Maggie Gyllenhaal makes a wonderful replacement for the bland and whiny Katie Holmes, toning down her indie quirkiness for a more serious role without seeming shallow or out of place. Eckhart’s performance, while not nearly as dynamic and mesmerizing as Ledger, is totally compelling; kudos should be given to him and Nolan for masterfully introducing his dual identities without seeming overtly obvious.

Nolan has taken his already-solid directorial skills on BATMAN BEGINS and improved them ten-fold. Where the action was muddled and confusing before, it is now crisp and thrillingly clear. Cinematographer Wally Pfister switches the first film’s black and brown canvas for a bright and cold blue without losing any of the underlying darkness. Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard’s score has now captured this Gotham City as well as Danny Elfman captured Tim Burton’s Gothic nightmare. All of these elements combine in the film’s breathtaking final moments, where Batman’s mission becomes clear and everything he is about makes sense to him and the world.

Snootier filmgoers will be hesitant to even label THE DARK KNIGHT a comic book movie. Nolan has done what few (if any) other filmmakers have successfully done; take an out-of-this-world premise and make it so totally real. THE DARK KNIGHT is just as much a crime thriller and psychological drama as it is a superhero movie. To say it may be the best superhero movie ever could be an understatement. To say it is one of the best movies of any kind in years? That’s more like it.

****/****

Wall-E

2008-06-30T23:17:00.001-07:00

It seems that with every new release from Pixar, critics hail a new breakthrough in the world of animated features. Pixar’s can be called “entertaining” in the least, and in many cases they are truly something special. But from time to time, the endless admiration can be a bit much. This time around, the praise is completely justified. WALL-E, the story of a brave little robot with a little more personality than intended, is nothing short of a masterpiece. Showing a remarkable display of risk and bravery for a company sitting on top of the world, director Andrew Stanton and the folks at Pixar have ultimately crafted a simple moralistic tale that at its core is one of the most touching love stories seen in years.

Over 700 years from now, mankind has so trashed the Earth that they have left. A small envoy of robots was left behind to clean up and purify the planet while humans are gone. Those robots have all shut down – all save one. Wall-E continues his task day after day, stacking piles of compacted garbage that stretch higher than skyscrapers. And aside from a friendly cockroach and an old VHS copy of his favorite movie, he spends his days in isolation. That is until an aggressive probe robot named EVE (no doubt the newest Apple product) lands on Earth and Wall-E is smitten at first sight. He follows EVE back to the enormous ship holding the rest of mankind to fulfill his quest for love. And in the meantime, he may just save the world.

The film takes a page from the beginning of cinema, emphasizing its visuals over any kind of dialogue. While Wall-E and EVE are constantly making sounds, few words are ever shaped. And the film is all the better for it; the bleeps and squeaks become far more endearing than if Wall-E actually spoke. Extended coherent dialogue isn’t even introduced until well into the film when the humans actually appear, and everything that comes before it is sheer genius. Wall-E wheels across the deserted planet with his cockroach friend and with a single raise of the eyes, we know everything about him. His romance with EVE is the purest film romance since Charlie Chaplin gazed at the blind girl in CITY LIGHTS. The climax of the film (an emotional climax, rather than action-oriented) rightfully deserved such lofty comparisons. Filled with enough honesty and genuine feeling to melt even the hardest of hearts and draw tears from anyone, the filmmakers have accomplished something extraordinary; they’ve made the world fall in love with two of HAL’s cousins.

Not that there aren’t robots closer to our favorite red-eyed villainous PC to be found. The ship’s autopilot is basically HAL 2.0, complete with monotonous voice and unblinking red beam. But instead of being a rip-off, the grandfather of all sci-fis is lovingly paid homage throughout the film, including snippets of the Blue Danube and Also Spach Zarathustra in the soundtrack. But even a menacingly distant autopilot computer cannot be adequately described as a villain, nor can any of the other characters in the film. Like the beloved Wall-E and EVE, everyone has a flaw. From the endearing personality flaws of the main characters to the passivity of the humans to the relentless loyalty of the film’s supposed villains. This is another brave step; though the film is set far in the future, Stanton has crafted a story much more realistic than most narratives. Add in a surprising amount of social commentary (including a shocking inclusion of today’s “stay the course” mantra) and the filmmakers must be saluted for their achievement. Yes, there are environment and anti-corporation themes, but that doesn't make the film political at all. It's a love story, first and foremost.

Rather than churning out an easy fluff exercise, Pixar has made something truly special. Risking a lot in telling a story about a robot who cannot speak and setting it in a serious-minded dystopian future isn’t exactly the key to success in a G-rated family film. But WALL-E is a film that should be ranked alongside SNOW WHITE, FANTASIA, THE LITTLE MERMAID, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and TOY STORY as a milestone in animation storytelling. And more than that, it deserves to be included among all the other love stories that will last forever.

****/****

Wanted

2008-06-27T01:22:00.001-07:00

It will probably be proclaimed as the coolest thing since THE MATRIX. With a visual style and kinetic energy never before seen, WANTED is one of the few films nowadays that can truly be called an experience. Tense and violent enough to make almost anyone squeamish, the film’s unflinching nature will repulse as many as it will impress. But for those willing to go along, they’re in for one hell of a ride.

Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) is a small, anxiety-ridden accountant going nowhere in life. When an alluring and mysterious woman (Angelina Jolie) appears beside him one night, telling him that his father was an assassin murdered by the man now hunting him, Wesley is literally thrown into the world of The Fraternity – an age-old organization of assassins driven by fate to their hits. Wesley immerses himself into intense training to transform him into the kind of assassin needed to avenge his father’s death.

The entire film can be summed up in two words: sheer insanity. How insane are we talking? Think exploding rats and looms of fate. Director Timur Bekmambetov has taken a breath – albeit a very short one – between now and in 2004 when his too-frenetic-to-comprehend NIGHT WATCH was unleashed on the world. The film features some of the most mind-bending action seen on screen in years; people are thrust inside moving cars and bullets bend around obtrusive objects, but Bekmambetov is quite successful in taking all these wild elements and combining them into something even vaguely understandable. Even the most ridiculous occurrences – say, a person jumping out a skyscraper window and making it to the building opposite – are acceptable in Bekmambetov’s abnormal vision of Chicago.

Wesley is an unusual hero, and so it only makes sense for an unusual action star to appear. Coming off his acclaimed turn in last year’s ATONMENT, McAvoy adds another diverse credit to his resume. Just as Wesley molds himself, McAvoy molds himself into a small bottle of fury, dorky and passive at first but intimidating when he unleashes himself. The amount of pain Wesley goes through during training is so extensive and genuine that even the hardest of viewers cannot help but cringe. McAvoy keeps the film grounded; without such an atypical performer coming into his prime, WANTED would become too ridiculous and far-fetched to be a success.

WANTED is definitely unlike anything we’ve seen before. The exhilaration and suspense is such that cannot be adequately described. Walking the fine line between frenetic and nonsensical, the film is a roller coaster ride from start to finish with little time to let up or take a breath. Without a doubt, some will find it too much; too violent, too ridiculous and over-the-top, too nonsensical. But this exercise in over-the-top filmmaking is not without merit. It’s insane, yes. But it’s damn fun.

***/****

The Incredible Hulk

2008-06-15T17:58:00.000-07:00

In Ang Lee’s 2003 comic book adaptation THE HULK, the titular character was much more likely to grunt “Hulk thinking pensively!” than any of his more well-known sayings. Audiences disagreed with that more internal visioning of the green antihero, and they demanded a change. Well, five years have passed and we’ve gotten something different. THE INCREDIBLE HULK, which may hold the record for fastest franchise reboot in film history, certainly delivers on the action so many missed in the first film. Unfortunately, it doesn’t offer much else.

The film takes place a few years after the first Hulk incidents (though one can safely assume this includes none of the events in the first film). Scientist-turned-anger-management-case Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) as fled to Brazil to try and keep his emotions in check. Unfortunately, the military officials who created the monster (led by a particularly blue-eyed William Hurt) haven’t forgotten about him. After recruiting a small envoy of specialists to track down Banner, he realizes that the only way to get rid of his problem is to find a cure. Tracked by a violent man (Tim Roth) with a desire to capture Banner’s power himself, Banner must travel back to the U.S. and find his old flame Betty Ross (Liv Tyler) and end his rages once and for all.

Since the filmmakers assumed that most audiences will be familiar with the character, they decided to get rid of most of the more psychological problems Banner experiences. Even with Norton as the lead, Banner himself is rather bland. Despite casting a highly respected dramatic actor (and rather unexpected choice) as a superhero, the film is not set apart from your average B-action movie. Couple this in with some poor special effects, especially during Banner’s transformation, and you’ve got a film that plays it too safe in comparison to the first movie. Lee’s film, whose riskiness was flawed but underappreciated, tried to make something more than a guy turning into the Jolly Green Giant. No such explorations are made here. At least they’ve finally realized that pants don’t grow and shrink as one’s body does.

This film was made purely for the fans. It’s chock full of cheeky references to the original comic and the 1970s television show. Yes, the purple pants make an appearance. Yes, there’s a Lou Ferrigno cameo. And yes, that sad walking away music even makes an appearance (although no one’s walking away when its heard). But for those not avid readers/watchers of its previous incarnations, the whole affair is a little boring. Aside from the requisite Stan Lee cameo that makes good on his proclamations during his appearance on THE SIMPSONS, nearly every attempt at humor falls flat. Most of the action sequences are standard chases until the finale, when the subpar CGI work becomes most obvious. And aside from Norton, no one in the cast really registers.

At least the film doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s an entertaining enough film, though one would wish they would try to improve on the intriguing storytelling methods introduced in the first film. But instead of learning from their mistakes, the filmmakers decided to scrap all they had before and start again in a safe-as-safe-can-be style. However, the film is likely to be successful enough to merit sequels, as most potential franchises seem to do nowadays. Maybe the third time will be the charm.

**/****

Kung Fu Panda

2008-06-09T22:45:00.000-07:00

It seemed like animated films were mostly being relegated to one-joke exercises in banality based entirely off of cute animals doing unusual things. Dancing penguins, neurotic zoo animals, etc. The list seemingly goes on and on. For a while, it seemed like any animated film without the Pixar stamp were being churned out solely for the purpose of making money. But with KUNG FU PANDA, DreamWorks has found a perfect balance of cutesiness and genuine artistry. Developing a sharp and funny script alongside an extensive and detailed style, it is set apart from the lame one-joke nature that so many films have become victims of.

Portly panda Po (voiced by Jack Black) is a lowly assistant in his father’s noodle restaurant in a small Chinese village, dreaming of something more. Specifically, to be a kung fu master and be counted among the Furious Five – the masters and defenders of their world. When the ancient turtle Oogway declares that the Dragon Master (the one who will have limitless power and be able to restore peace to the land) will be unveiled soon, the entire village gathers for a demonstration of the Furious Five’s powers. But much to their surprise Oogway declares that Po is the destined warrior, and it is now up to Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) to train him. Meanwhile, crazed warrior Tai Lung (Ian McShane) learns of the events and breaks free to track down Po and claim the title that was denied him many years ago.

If the plot is just a slight variation on the hero’s journey, it more than makes up for it with its inventive and fresh humor. Lovingly paying tribute to countless martial arts films while remaining broad enough to attract a wide audience, KUNG FU PANDA is one of those films that have something to offer everyone. There are surprisingly little of the typical martial arts jokes; the quick camera zooms are few and far between and there isn’t any mismatched dialogue in sight. Instead, the most successful gags in the film come from Po’s exaggerated physical comedic style and lovably geeky personality. Po is perfectly brought to life by Black, who proves once again that he deserves to be at the front of the comedy film world, going the lengths and stretching himself in ways that most other comedy actors avoid.

If KUNG FU PANDA were to be seriously faulted, it would be the filmmaker’s reliance on Black to deliver all of the jokes. Every member of the Furious Five – which includes the voices of Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu and David Cross – are tragically wasted. Chan in particular is left with only a few lines of throwaway dialogue. Hoffman and McShane make an impression, but mostly to provide a skeptical foil to Black’s excited enthusiasm. With the kind of voice cast that was assembled for the film (one that had the potential to be very funny), it’s a bit of a disappointment to see that it’s such a one-man show, no matter how hilarious that one man is.

But the film’s most important achievement is its impeccable design. Detailed to a point that put most other animated films to shame, KUNG FU PANDA is a pure joy to watch. Every image is beautifully rendered with a clear sense of style in mind. It’s been quite a while since the word “art” could be thrown at a non-Pixar, non-Ghibli film, but KUNG FU PANDA’s art is undeniable.

KUNG FU PANDA is a pure joy to watch for nearly every kind of viewer, children and adults alike. It accomplishes a rare feat in actually delivering on its amusing, if gimmicky premise. In a summer that’s relying on darker action epics, parents will be grateful for KUNG FU PANDA – something that will not only enthrall their children, but entertain themselves as well.

***/****

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

2008-05-22T14:22:00.001-07:00

After 19 long years, Indiana Jones is back and better than ever. Well, maybe not. But he’s in a much better shape than pretty much everyone expected in INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL. Creative forces George Lucas and Steven Spielberg reunite with star Harrison Ford and other familiar faces and images to bring Indy into the Cold War years and the 21st century world of filmmaking. While the adjustment is not an easy one to make, all the old-fashioned action and humor that made the old films so enduring is still mostly intact.

The year is 1957, and Indy finds himself caught up with the Soviets. They are led by ruthless Communist Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett), who demands that Indiana help them locate an artifact known as a crystal skull- a mythic object that holds unknown powers. To say more about the plot would ruin the film’s many twist and turns. Suffice it to say has enough moments of humor, action and suspense to appease all of Indy’s loyal followers with a decidedly 1950s and early Spielberg mixed into the proceedings.

Thanks to the change in setting, the film contains quite a bit more apparent CGI work than the earlier films. It examines multiple forms of American culture in the 1950s, most notably the Red Scare and the weapons being developed to fight it. But Spielberg wisely balances the fake stuff with exhilaratingly real action that reminds us of what good movies used to be. A chase sequence featuring Ford and co-star Shia LaBoeuf on motorcycle outrunning a car of KGB agents is a particular standout, as is a fencing match between LaBoeuf and Blanchett across two speeding cars in the jungle. Spielberg once again proves that he is the master of action set pieces, eschewing modern trends and returning to what worked so well for him in the 1970s and 80s. And surprise, surprise- it’s just as exciting now as it was back then. As expected, every inch of the film is expertly constructed. This is Spielberg’s brightest and purely exhilarating film in at least ten years. The final moments of the climax are particularly stunning – it’s an ending only Spielberg could pull off. It’s his entire career come full circle.

Returning as the titular hero, Harrison Ford gives a more invigorated performance than he has in years. It’s peculiar that Ford’s freshest performance this decade comes from a character he created over 25 years ago, but here he proves once again why he is who he is. Balancing the heroic action with a surprisingly sharp sense of humor and some good-natured ribbing at his age, Ford is just as capable if not more so than he was in the first film. Karen Allen makes a delightful return as Marion after a four-year absence from the screen, even if she is a bit more wishy-washy than we remember. The supporting cast, including John Hurt, Ray Winstone and Jim Broadbent, are all in fine form as well.

As with the technology, the film is just as much about the new as the old. This is most clearly shown with the presence of Shia LaBoeuf. From the moment he rolls on screen (literally) LaBoeuf’s infectiously likable performance as the greaser Mutt further solidifies his position as Hollywood’s new it actor. He proves himself as an able action star, pulling off the film’s most complex stunts and action sequences with charismatic goofiness. Spielberg and Lucas clearly wanted to shape Mutt into the next Indiana Jones – heroic but flawed. And they mostly succeeded.

There are only a few setbacks in the film; remarkable, considering how wrong things could have gone after nearly two decades of waiting. And aside from a CGI overload in the film’s finale, it superbly reconstructs the realistic, B-movie serial feeling that the original three films excelled at. In some cases, it even surpasses the other two sequels in its ability to create suspense through action and humor. In INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL, Spielberg, Lucas and Ford prove they haven’t lost any of their magic and could easily continue the series without ruining a thing. Let’s just hope is doesn’t take 19 years next time.

***1/2/****

Prince Caspian

2008-05-16T15:40:00.001-07:00

“You may find Narnia a more savage place than you remember.” Never have truer words been spoken. Fans of the 2005 blockbuster hit THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE will doubtlessly be surprised if they come into PRINCE CASPIAN expecting the same kind of fun and wonder that enchanted millions three years ago. Incessantly dark and serious, the film is a worthy successor even if it ultimately proves too downtrodden and frightening for its audiences.

Hundreds of years have passed since viewers last saw Narnia, and much has changed. The familiar Narnians have been pushed into the woods and the vicious Itali- er, the Telmarines- have taken control. When the self-proclaimed King Miraz (Sergio Castellito) discovers his wife has given birth to a son and heir, he realizes that the only thing that stands in the way of unending power is his young nephew Caspian (Ben Barnes). Caspian escapes into the vast woods with a magic horn in his possession. Suddenly, the four Pevensie children (Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley and Anna Popplewell) find themselves transported back to Narnia. They soon realize that they must help Caspian rally the Narnians to fight for their very survival.

Where the first film was concerned mainly with the tight bonds the siblings felt for each other, PRINCE CASPIAN is concerned with battles. Much of the first film’s humor is gone; this sequel is a mostly serious affair. The lighter moments are only passing, quickly taken up by scenes of the oncoming enemy or questions about mortality that are surprisingly earnest for a family film. The sense of wonder has also been replaced by a large amount of violence. It is rather disconcerting to see the young stars of the film kill so many people without a second thought, especially when it is presented in such a straightforward manner. It is quite surprising that the film was only given a PG rating; it’s easily the most violent PG-rated film in decades.

There is also a lack of magic in the characters. While they are actually supporting characters, the Pevensie children are not nearly as compelling as they were before. While Peter (Moseley) and Susan (Popplewell) are given interesting subplots, Edmund (Keynes) and Lucy (Henley) are left to lurk more or less in the background. Lucy still is the series’ most likeable and innocent face, thanks to Henley’s easygoing charm; unfortunately, this means she is entirely absent for long portions of the film when the other characters go off to battle. As Caspian, newcomer Barnes makes a fitting and sympathetic hero. The film also suffers in its lack of a strong villain. Miraz is nothing more than a stereotypical evil warrior king – a far cry from the spellbinding figure Tilda Swinton crafted in the first film. When she appears midway through the film, it suddenly kicks into high-gear; her all too short appearance gives the film the edge it was trying to get at all the while.

Still, the film is more than a worthy successor. While lacking in magic, it reflects the maturation of its characters and audiences. It may have taken a step too far and become too serious and frightening to recapture moviegoers as the filmmakers did three years ago, but those that follow it adamantly will likely appreciate the higher stakes and wider scope. While solid, the film takes another step towards LORD OF THE RINGS rather than attempting to create its own style and voice.

**1/2/****