Rio

O Cresto Redentor

There aren't many reasons to seek out a film like Rio. It's probably the very definition of inconsequential. But I  imagine that the makers, who also gave us the three Ice Age movies, didn't have much consequence in mind. A domesticated blue macaw, aptly named Blu, is kidnapped after taken to Rio De Janeiro to mate with the only other bird of his kind. A weird hypothesis for the film to take, considering that we aren't told what kind of blue macaw these birds are - hyacinth or throated? Is it a Spix blue macaw? And even so, why are there only two of them left? I'm not an ornithologist, but this crossed my mind more than once during the film. Suspending disbelief works most of the time. 

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In Theaters This Weekend

Edvard Munch gets it.

In theaters this weekend, we've an interesting mix. The long awaited, much applauded four-quel to a brilliantly tongue-in-cheek horror series, a cutesy kid's movie about birds, a mauling of a classic novel, and a peek inside the assassination of President Lincoln. For those of you who are wondering, the classic novel being adapted is Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, in three parts by director Paul Johansson. 

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Rango

Ride 'em, Rango

I wasn't prepared for Rango to be as dark as it was. Gore Verbinski has always been a director to dabble into life's bigger questions with a lot of subtle ease, without losing the ostensibly fun side to his films. But, with this being a Nickelodeon production, and being animated, and all that, I was blind-sided by the depth of the screenplay by John Logan, and the heartfelt genuineness of Johnny Depp's performance as a chameleon with an identity crisis. To be fair, the screenplay's base elements are very standard - there is a formula, and you know where the film is headed as soon as it starts. But, to the film's credit, on the flip side, everything that happens in between is remarkably intelligent. 

And the whole thing feels like a painting. Gotta love that. 

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Country Strong, White Material, and Others on DVD This Week

Proving there's no "O" in "country"...

This week on DVD, four releases that no one saw. Country Strong, White Material, Heartless, and Farewell (L'affaire Farewell). A melodrama, a bare knuckle drama, a Brit thriller, and a French thriller. Which is most worth your time and money? 

Let's do this. 

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Why I Love Film - #6 (in anticipation of Super 8)

In this series, I do my best to capture small moments, or performances, or little tech tricks I love about the world of film. With this episode, however, I'm feeling compelled to write about something a bit different.

The trailer for Super 8 hit theaters, interwebs, and TV sets not too long ago, and while the underground anticipation for the JJ Abrams film seems to have grinded to a halt, my anticipation has been exponentially growing. The Spielbergian feel to it, the music in the trailer, all the quick editing, the things that go bump in the night (the burned man in the car...)...

Of course, this is a Steven Spielberg production. It has that feel to it, if you've ever seen his more fantastical fare. I'm reminded of ET almost immediately, with bits of Hook and even some of the grandiosity of Jurassic Park. But, this is also distinctively a JJ Abrams film. I could consider it a love letter to one of the greatest directors of all time, but since we haven't been witness to the project yet, that would be a bit... too much.

For all of it's glory, however, here is the trailer for Super 8. Note the Spielberg qualities, note the music and how it forms itself in the trailer, the editing and wide cinematography... you'll know why I love film.

Hanna

Terminatrix.  

The most disappointing thing about Hanna is that the theater wasn't crowded. About less than half full, and everyone there loved it. Opening night, no less. Perhaps everyone went to go see Your Highness instead? Even so, the people who opted for Your Highness probably wouldn't make up the proper crowd for an art house thriller directed by the man behind Pride and Prejudice and Atonement. This is purely speculation, as all tastes are different. I'll certainly be seeing Your Highness at some point, but, I'm paid to. So, that point is probably moot, too. Regardless, the fact that the theater had elbow room, room for me to store my bag in another seat, and only a total of probably forty or so people... it's a bit depressing. 

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In Theaters This Weekend

Gorgeous.

Four movies, each with equally high anticipation on my part. The Russell Brand remake of Arthur, Joe Wright's latest film Hanna, a soul searching film about a surfer called... Soul Surfer, and the latest from David Gordon Green called Your Highness. 

Note - my anticipation for Soul Surfer isn't anticipation in the strictest sense. I'm not looking forward to a good movie. I'm looking forward to a train wreck. And I'm going to bet money that I get one. Of course, not a train wreck like Red Riding Hood, but a bitter accident nonetheless. 

Which is more worth your time and money? Well, that's why I do this. Onward ho. 

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Hop

"I'll take a Geoffrey, please"

For those who know me, it's no secret that I usually find movies like this a bit deplorable. There's just something about the live-action/animation hybrid that I can't ever get behind. Be it Yogi Bear, or the Scooby Doos, or the Alvin and the Chipmunks' films, I'm always reminded of the glory days where Roger Rabbit was king. But, a lesson I learned from reading Roger Ebert prevails in these situations - you judge the movie for what it is and if it achieves what it set out to. Hop is a film that does just that - it's sweeter than candy, it's a kid's movie through and through, but it has enough in it for adults to enjoy. And the most enjoyable thing about the movie? The comedy isn't once forced. Yes, there are pop culture references every now and then, but it's all derived from the situation. And situational comedy is always the best option. 

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Red Riding Hood

Bella and Edward look on...

I grew up wanting this film. Not this film, strictly speaking, but what this film could have been. I've often said that the most important part of film criticism is to not judge what could have been, but what is, and simply that. I know that I was a fan of the fairy tale from a young age, even to this day. And I know that the film I always wanted to see what more The Ghost and the Darkness (a truly terrific and terrifying film) and less Twilight (which I enjoy, for what it's worth). But, what we got was Twilight and not The Ghost and the Darkness. 

What sets them apart is this - Red Riding Hood could have been a film about a wolf hunt, about the strength of family, and a feminist's wet dream. Red Riding Hood wound up being a film about a teenage love story between an outsider and the pretty girl, and a whodunit about a werewolf. Careful distinction - Little Red Riding Hood is almost exactly like the former, and Catherine Hardwicke's version is exactly like the latter. Remember that Catherine Hardwicke gave us the first Twilight. She almost ruined that, and she did ruin this. Beyond repair. 

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Little Fockers, Tron: Legacy, and Others on DVD This Week

Looking at their 9% rating on Rotten Tomatoes... 

On DVD this week, an almost unanimous group of disappointing films. Little Fockers, Tron: Legacy, Casino Jack, and I Love You, Phillip Morris. Each film manages to destroy the hype that surrounded them for months, and leave very little for the viewer to walk out of the theater and praise. Of course, Tron: Legacy is almost immune to any sort of criticism being that it's strictly a film for the fan of the original (which is a masterpiece). But, being that Legacy is also a film that can be seen without seeing the original, that sort of evens the playing field. 

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Limitless

Apparently NZT does nothing for posture...

Limitless is limited. But, it proposes something interesting. Granted, it's proposal is one we've heard dozens of times, a couple of which were to chilling effect (echoes of Flowers for Algernon are plenty), but that doesn't mean it isn't a fun story. The man with nothing suddenly becomes the man with everything. Eddie Morra, played with Bradley Cooper, is given a wonder drug that allows him to use all of his brain, rather than just twenty percent. 

Side effects may include nausea, blackouts, migraines, and Robert De Niro's performance.

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Source Code

FIVE HUNDRED DOLLA.

It has Terry Gilliam's fingerprints all over it. That of Twelve Monkeys. But, here, the closest we get to Brad Pitt's rambling genius is Michelle Monaghan in an adorable outfit. Better, though, is the lead performance of Jake Gyllenhaal, who has grown to have an incredibly commanding screen presence. From back in the days of Donnie Darko up until now, he's steadily been growing on me as an actor. Then, when Brokeback Mountain came around, it all just clicked and I became one of those "insta-fans" never looking back. Donnie Darko still sucks, but at least the guy is watchable now.

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In Theaters This Weekend

Slow dancing in a burning room.

Stumbling their way into the box office this weekend are three major releases. Source Code - a Jake Gyllenhaal time bending thriller, Hop - a live action/CG hybrid about the Easter Bunny's slacker son, and Insidious - a good ol' haunted house movie from one of the original Saw directors. 

Which will be more worth our time and money? I'm willing to bet all three have what it takes to entertain, and I'm willing to bet even more that Insidious will be much better than I'm anticipating. But, I'll be seeing Source Code without fail. 

Let's take a closer look at the three, shall we?

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Sucker Punch

Some of them want to abuse you. Some of them want to be abused.

The thing that makes Zack Snyder such an important director in this day of modern cinema is his fearlessness. Obviously, there are hundreds of fearless directors out there right now. Recently, a film about a psychotic tire was released onto the public. Yes, a tire. Firestone, most likely. But Snyder's fearlessness is a bit different - he can make the films he wants to make, do them how he thinks they should be done, and do so without ever alienating his audience. He's brash, he's all up in your comfort zone, and he takes charges that make me think every time I watch one of his films. 

Except for Legends of the Guardian. But, we don't talk about Legends of the Guardian. 

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Black Swan, Tangled, and Others on DVD This Week

One Grecian urn! Two Grecian urns!

Dancing out onto DVD shelves yesterday, six major releases from last year. Black Swan, Tangled, Made in Dagenham, All Good Things, Fair Game, and Mesrine: Public Enemy #1. 

Let's take a brief look at each, and determine which is most worth your money! 

I'll tell you right now, though - it's Black Swan. 

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In Theaters This Weekend

This... this rocks my socks.

Five years ago, Zack Snyder exploded with 300. But, before that, he gave us a chilling vision of an undead invasion with the remake of Dawn of the Dead. To date, Dead remains his best, brightest, and most important film. In a career full of masterpieces, with the grave exception of Legends of the Guardian, he's cemented his place as one of the most visually apt directors around. And with Sucker Punch, debuting to immense hype this weekend, he's set to only further that cement. 

Greeting Sucker Punch in theaters half way is Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Roderick Rules. 

But no one cares about that one.

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Battle: Los Angeles

Flight of the Valkyries wants its iconic images back.

I'm a film nerd from way back. I've been posting on IMDb's Oscar Buzz forum since 2004, and because of that, I've come to do an annual awards show every year, early on, at some point after the Oscars. (note - 2010's show is up and coming) In those awards, I have a category designated for the worst films of the year. I called it "The Flaming Bag of Sh*t". I thought it couldn't get any worse than Sanctum so early in the season, but... well, it did. And just as I have a couple of Best Picture contenders in The Company Men and The Adjustment Bureau, I have a flaming bag of sh*t in Battle: Los Angeles - certainly the loudest movie of the year so far, and no doubt quite possibly the worst of its kind. 

I sat closer to the edge of my seat during Martian Child. 

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The Tourist, Skyline, and Others on DVD This Week

Man, oh *beep* man. These are the weeks I dread - the weeks when everything popping out onto DVD shelves is crap. We have, unfortunately, received The Tourist, Skyline, Yogi Bear, and How Do You Know? as our choices for the next few days. At least until Sucker Punch comes out on Friday. Then everything is forgiven. But, for now, as always, let's take a look at each of these releases and see which will be worth the money you're forking over for them.

Personally, having seen them, I'll let you in on this early on - each of these is going to get a negative write-up. Forgive me if I go overboard, but... I swear, I really hated The Tourist. I'll post a review up of that soon. I have to edit it down from the four-letter word riffing session that I did for an IMDb message board. I want something a bit classier for this site, and others.

*sigh*

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The Adjustment Bureau

John Slattery smells Matt Damon's fear. 

Perhaps the most impressive thing about The Adjustment Bureau is that it marks the beginning of George Nolfi's feature film career. A hopefully long and fulfilling one. And if his later films prove to be anywhere near as affirming and thoughtful as this one, we're all in for one treat after another. Internally, however, the most impressive thing about this film is how few special effects are needed to make this thriller effective. Inception, while a brilliant and beautiful film, is riddled with computer generated imagery. As is The Matrix, just as brilliant and beautiful. What makes this film brilliant and beautiful, on the same level as the aforementioned ones, is that its thrills come from within. There are heavy religious overtones, there are believable relationships amongst the characters, and the most carefully realized hypothesis the film makes isn't whether or not we live in a computer program, or whether or not we can infiltrate dreams to commit crimes, but whether or not we can control our destiny. And whether or not we're wearing the proper hat to do so.

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In Theaters Over the Weekend, and a Blind Buy Conversation

Sorry for the late posting on this. I'm working on a way to schedule my time a bit better so I can get things up when I want them/need them to be up.


But, for the time being - I had an interesting conversation at a Walgreen's with a man who, by his own admission, rarely buys DVDs that he's seen before. He's an avid blind buyer, and he only does it four or five bucks at a time. I, too, blind buy with a vengeance, but I also collect. So, if I know something is worth more than it's selling for, I'll pick it up. And I'm constantly trolling eBay for the same deals. There, though, at a Walgreen's, the selection isn't as extensive as say... eBay. Or even Craigslist. It usually winds up being ten or twelve movies, and then about five or six rows of those ten or twelve movies. It's aggravating, but... I mean, I found a copy of Julien Donkey-Boy for six bucks. I think I win. I'm not sure, but I think I do. The other man walked away with a couple of direct to DVD pieces, sure to enjoy his night and revel in the savings.

Bee Season's cinematographer wants his settlement, please.

Given the quality of releases we were given over the weekend, it's no surprise that this man opted to rifle through the DVD shelves of local mini-marts rather than take the walk of shame and publicly admit to seeing something like Just Go With It. Which, for some reason, too many people have just gone with.

Over the weekend - Limitless, a thriller born from Phenomenon about a man who reaches his full potential, Paul, a comedy with Seth Rogen as an alien with a foul mouth and a really big heart, and The Lincoln Lawyer, Matthew McConaughey's latest (and second) legal thriller. Which did you see? Which will I see? I'll be seeing Limitless and The Lincoln Lawyer for sure. Already saw Paul.

For a full review of Paul, click here.

Let's take a close look at the L squared releases, shall we?

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