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Thursday, May 5, 2011

Fast Five


"This isn't a damn skate board, Brian!"


I remember seeing The Fast and The Furious at a party when it came out on DVD, and I thought to myself “If they make this a franchise, there’s a hell of a lot of money to be made”. And, with the exception of 2 Fast 2 Furious, the series has held up to my expectations. Granted, I wasn’t ever expecting anything high caliber, just a fun action film about cool cars, cops, and criminals. That’s what I’ve gotten every time. Except, when I saw the fourth entry in the series, I got something different - a soundly made film with a good story and solid performances. Fast and Furious marked the series moving on up from just action fodder to a legitimate franchise, and Fast Five takes it and runs. Or, drives, rather.

More after the cut--

In Theaters This Weekend

"I come off like a viking, right?"


Coming to theaters tomorrow - Thor, Something Borrowed, and Jumping the Broom. Two romantic comedies and a superhero flick destined to take the box office by storm. Fast Five has been holding onto the top spot since its release, driving April into record breaking box office numbers, and becoming the no1 movie worldwide. Can Thor trump it? By the hammer of Asgard, I'd bet so.

Surely we've all heard of Thor by now, but if you're not familiar with Something Borrowed or Jumping the Broom, we'll take a closer look at all three after the jump. 


More after the cut --

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Thor


He's a god-out-of-water

Marvel movies know what they’re doing. Clear action, sharp performances, and intelligent screenplays. Of course, the studio is allowed their mistakes after so many successes (here’s lookin’ at you, Iron Man 2), but more often than not, Marvel nails it. Especially in their set-up for the long awaited Avengers film. We’ve had Iron Man and Black Widow, The Incredible Hulk, we’re getting Captain America, and now we have Thor - the god of thunder. Not just thunder, but lightening and fertility and strength (thanks, Wiki). And if anyone can embody fertility, strength, and inclement weather, it’s Chris Hemsworth. Tall, blond, beefy - he has to be the ideal casting. And in a film racked with political intrigue, light hearted hysteria, and Shakespearean grandeur, Kenneth Branagh has to be the ideal director. 

More after the cut--

The Green Hornet, The Dilemma, and Others on DVD This Week

Shown running from the critics


Yesterday, four major DVD releases found their way onto shelves - The Green Hornet, The Dilemma, A Somewhat Gentle Man, and From Prada to Nada. Now... generally, I try to recommend a viewing for the week, based on the releases. But, this is a total grab bag here. I can recommend The Dilemma, but it won't be something everyone will enjoy (as reviews and box office returns proved); I can recommend A Somewhat Gentle Man, but that's purely based on a general perception of the film - I haven't seen it yet (I'm a terrible critic, I know). I've managed to avoid From Prada to Nada, though it's something I'll have to endure by the end of the year, regardless. And The Green Hornet is... a waste of time. 

So, yeah - there you have it. However, let's look at each release closer, just to see what might be worth your hard earned money, and valuable time. 


More after the cut--

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

The Dilemma


"Seriously? You bagged Winona Ryder?"


Ironically enough, The Dilemma has a few problems of its own. It’s interesting to see Ron Howard take another stab at comedy after laying Arrested Development to rest, but it doesn’t gel the way it should have. Many comedies make their name by taking a moral question and either grounding it in darkly funny reality or making it so absurd that it becomes impossible to question. In fact, some directors have made a career out of doing just that. Mike Binder, Woody Allen, Judd Apatow, the list continues. Where Ron Howard finds trouble here, to be fair, is the script. It’s penned by Allan Loeb, who spewed out Wall Street:Money Never Sleeps and The Switch (that movie about Jennifer Aniston, a turkey baster, and an awkward conversation waiting to happen). The Dilemma is two movies at once - a dark comedy about a man who finds out his best friend’s wife is cheating on him, and a relationship drama about the same thing. The real dilemma is that it can’t find that comfortable middle ground. Same problem that Wall Street 2 had, same problem The Switch had. Must be a Loeb thing.

More after the cut--