This evening I had the very great pleasure of attending an advanced screening of New Line Cinema's upcoming flick Horrible Bosses. If you're a follower of my work (if you're not, get on that right now) you know i'm not one to gush about a movie in the introductory paragraph. Today, history is made, because i'm telling you right now that if you have any respect for comedy, a single funny bone in your body, or a love for laughter, you MUST GO SEE THIS MOVIE. I do say this without an ounce of hyperbole: it is the single funniest movie I have seen in my 23 years on this Earth.
The premise, as with all good films, is extremely simple. Nick (Jason Bateman), Dale (Charlie Day), and Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) are three old friends who are fed up with their abusive and truly (as the title explains) horrible bosses. As tensions with their respective superiors reach a boiling point, the three decide that their lives would be so much the better if their bosses were out of their lives. Over a few drinks, they decide to hatch a Hitchcockian scheme in the vein of Strangers on a Train: they will each murder one of the other's bosses. The resulting melee is a hilarious ride that I implore you to go see.
So why have I seemingly leaked all the objectivity out of my brains? Perhaps it's the casting of Kevin Spacey, Colin Farrell, and Jennifer Aniston as the bosses in the title. Spacey's Dave Harken is what one might call a polished turd - he has the bearing and demeanour of a company CEO but is by far one of the biggest pricks in Hollywood history. Colin Farrell plays Bobby Pellit, the heir of a chemical plant, who oozes malice and contempt for just about every single employee that works for him. Jennifer Aniston rounds out the bosses as Dr. Julia Harris, the sex-crazed maniac intent on banging Dale before his marriage. It's a marked departure from, well Rachel, and refreshing to see Aniston play such a raunchy part. And though the powerhouse trio of Spacey, Farrell and Aniston bring absolute gold to the table as the titular bosses, it's our white collar heroes Bateman, Day, and Sudeikis who really steal the show. It's not so much that they bring outstanding characters to life. Quite the contrary in fact, as the characters of Nick, Kurt, and Dale are completely unremarkable (intentionally, i'm sure, so that you as the viewer can easily put yourself in their place). It's the chemistry between the three that really grabs you and punches you in the bladder, so that you're laughing and peeing all over the place. This is one of those instances in which you know the actors had a great time filming the movie. The laughs start from the very first moment of the film, and they never let up - no word of a lie, I missed several jokes because I was still trying to catch my breath from laughing at the previous one.
This is my kind of movie. It's a shining example of cinema that proves that you don't need CG, explosions, or a convoluted plot to make an excellent movie. All you need is a plot ANYONE can relate to, some good writing, and a few very, VERY funny sons'a bitches. Forget X-Men. Forget Transformers. If you go see ONE movie this summer, make sure it's Horrible Bosses (well, Harry Potter too, but that's a whole different ballpark.)
Final Score: 9/10
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Bad Teacher
So, it's been a busy week for me, as I checked out a couple of flicks, and will be catching an advanced screening of Horrible Bosses later today (someone start paying me for this!!!) Over the weekend I saw Bad Teacher, starring Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, and Jason Segel. Despite the "Bad" prefix, it has nothing to do with 2003's Bad Santa - not the writers, director, or producers. Which is not particularly important, I just found it to be an interesting fact.
Bad Teacher is about Elisabeth Halsey (Cameron Diaz), an elementary school teacher who embodies the spirit of simply not giving a fuck. She's set to marry a wealthy dude, but the engagement is called off when he finds she's spent $170,000 in the last month alone (that number may not be accurate, but it's the principle of the thing). With her sugar daddy gone, Elisabeth has no choice but to return to the school that she had planned to retire from after only a year of teaching. Enter Scott Delacorte (Justin Timberlake) the new substitute teacher, and the heir of a very large designer watch empire. Elisabeth's new plan is to get breast implants in order to seduce Delacorte, who's got a thing for a nice rack. To earn the money, she'll have to do everything in her power...even if it means teaching her kids so they can get the highest grade in the state exam, and grant her a bonus.
Cameron Diaz has taken a step away from her previous roles like Natalie Cook in Charlie's Angels, or Princess Fiona in the Shrek movies, or that blonde girl in that movie that no one gives a damn about. She is pretty much a total bitch in this movie - and I loved every minute of it. In my opinion, it showcases her acting talent, and demonstrates that she's much more versatile than just playing the sweet blonde girl next door. She made me lol pretty frequently throughout the movie. JT plays what I suppose you could say is an interesting character but I find it just weird. He's a goody two-shoes-y, somewhat neurotic character that I don't really care for much at all, the character just seems too unrealistic. Jason Segel, on the other hand, is all kinds of comedy gold. Though he doesn't have a lot of on screen time, he makes every second count. Rounding out the main cast is Lucy Punch, whom you may recognize if you've seen Hot Fuzz (she's the girl who plays Juliet in their rendition of Romeo and Juliet.) Punch plays Amy Squirrel, the opposite of Diaz' Halsey and while she does a good job of portraying the character, I again feel like the character is just a shade too unrealistic for me to accept fully. Nonetheless, the entire ensemble works quite well together.
Now you won't be seeing Bad Teacher win any awards for cinematography because let's face it, it's just not that kind of a movie. The shots are serviceable, every active shot is smooth, and really there's not much more you can ask for then that. I also felt that the pacing for a movie that elapsed a year flowed very nicely, and it didn't overstay it's welcome.
Not a whole lot more to say about this flick, it's a lighthearted entertaining little comedy that does its job. If you find yourself at the theatres and not knowing what to watch, definitely give this flick a shot.
Final Score: 7.5/10
Bad Teacher is about Elisabeth Halsey (Cameron Diaz), an elementary school teacher who embodies the spirit of simply not giving a fuck. She's set to marry a wealthy dude, but the engagement is called off when he finds she's spent $170,000 in the last month alone (that number may not be accurate, but it's the principle of the thing). With her sugar daddy gone, Elisabeth has no choice but to return to the school that she had planned to retire from after only a year of teaching. Enter Scott Delacorte (Justin Timberlake) the new substitute teacher, and the heir of a very large designer watch empire. Elisabeth's new plan is to get breast implants in order to seduce Delacorte, who's got a thing for a nice rack. To earn the money, she'll have to do everything in her power...even if it means teaching her kids so they can get the highest grade in the state exam, and grant her a bonus.
Cameron Diaz has taken a step away from her previous roles like Natalie Cook in Charlie's Angels, or Princess Fiona in the Shrek movies, or that blonde girl in that movie that no one gives a damn about. She is pretty much a total bitch in this movie - and I loved every minute of it. In my opinion, it showcases her acting talent, and demonstrates that she's much more versatile than just playing the sweet blonde girl next door. She made me lol pretty frequently throughout the movie. JT plays what I suppose you could say is an interesting character but I find it just weird. He's a goody two-shoes-y, somewhat neurotic character that I don't really care for much at all, the character just seems too unrealistic. Jason Segel, on the other hand, is all kinds of comedy gold. Though he doesn't have a lot of on screen time, he makes every second count. Rounding out the main cast is Lucy Punch, whom you may recognize if you've seen Hot Fuzz (she's the girl who plays Juliet in their rendition of Romeo and Juliet.) Punch plays Amy Squirrel, the opposite of Diaz' Halsey and while she does a good job of portraying the character, I again feel like the character is just a shade too unrealistic for me to accept fully. Nonetheless, the entire ensemble works quite well together.
Now you won't be seeing Bad Teacher win any awards for cinematography because let's face it, it's just not that kind of a movie. The shots are serviceable, every active shot is smooth, and really there's not much more you can ask for then that. I also felt that the pacing for a movie that elapsed a year flowed very nicely, and it didn't overstay it's welcome.
Not a whole lot more to say about this flick, it's a lighthearted entertaining little comedy that does its job. If you find yourself at the theatres and not knowing what to watch, definitely give this flick a shot.
Final Score: 7.5/10
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
So, the third installment of Michael Bay's continuing Transformers saga has officially hit theatres, and realistically, if you have any urge to go see this movie at all, then you have probably seen the first two and really you ought to already know what you're gonna get walking into the theatre. But for the sake of argument, i'll pretend that there are people out there who have no idea what the Transformers are all about and are drawn to Dark of the Moon out of some sense of morbid curiosity.
DOTM, like the first two movies, centers around Sam Witwicky and his Autobot friends. In this third movie, NASA detects activity on the moon during the era of the Space race. During the first moon landing, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong are sent to investigate the source of the disturbance and find, unbeknownst to them, an Autobot ship that had escaped the war on Cybertron and crash landed on the moon. In the present day, Optimus Prime reveals that the ship is known as the Arc, and contains powerful Autobot weaponry, as well as the body of their first leader, Sentinel Prime. As the implications of this discovery dawn on the human race, the Autobots are thrown into a race to recover the remains of the old ship before the Decepticons can get their hands on this ultimate power.
So, what's new in this latest flick you ask? To be honest, not a whole lot. The most prominent change is the introduction of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, who plays the character of Carly, Sam Witwicky's new girlfriend (since Megan Fox got shitcanned). Her introductory shot is of DAT ASS, and oh what an ass it is. However, besides being a nice piece of eye candy as well as a in-film explanation as to why Megan Fox is no longer around, she doesn't do a whole lot. Another addition is Frances McDormand as the head of CIA, and she does quite a good job at portraying the hard-assed, no nonsense Chief Mearing. Patrick Dempsey is also a fresh face, playing Dylan, Carly's boss. The rest of the cast reprise their roles from the first two films: Shia Labeouf as Sam Witwicky, Josh Duhamel as Lennox, Tyrese Gibson as Epps. In terms of acting, the only real difference seems to be in Labeouf's character Sam. Mr. Witwicky appears to have grown a backbone in between the last film in this - his character is seen actually standing up for himself and talking back to people instead of just stuttering awkwardly. Also, I don't think he says "no" even one time in this movie! (If you don't know what I mean, watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IXCK1EyP4s).
It also seems that Mr. Bay has decided to go for a bit more of an actual storyline this time through, resulting in quite a long build-up with lots of backstory. Not to worry though, because there's more than enough wanton destruction to glut even the most hardy action fans. It also seems that he's cooled it a little with the cheesy one-liners, although not entirely. You won't see any robots with a pair hanging down, but there are definitely some facepalm-worthy moments.
The CG, as it has since the first movie, is outstanding, and visually, Michael Bay seems to have lost his hard on for the "shaky cam" effect, making it possible to actually see what's happening in the film. Which is great, because it means you get to see Optimus and Bumblebee kicking all kinds of ass.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon is much in the same vein as it's predecessors. It's a stunning display of computer graphics, backed by a whole lot of action, and at least a little bit more substance than Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. As I said already, if you're interested in this movie you already know what you're going to be getting. For everyone else, don't go into the theatre expecting an oscar worthy piece of cinema - remember, this IS a movie franchise based on children's toys.
Final score: 7/10
DOTM, like the first two movies, centers around Sam Witwicky and his Autobot friends. In this third movie, NASA detects activity on the moon during the era of the Space race. During the first moon landing, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong are sent to investigate the source of the disturbance and find, unbeknownst to them, an Autobot ship that had escaped the war on Cybertron and crash landed on the moon. In the present day, Optimus Prime reveals that the ship is known as the Arc, and contains powerful Autobot weaponry, as well as the body of their first leader, Sentinel Prime. As the implications of this discovery dawn on the human race, the Autobots are thrown into a race to recover the remains of the old ship before the Decepticons can get their hands on this ultimate power.
So, what's new in this latest flick you ask? To be honest, not a whole lot. The most prominent change is the introduction of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, who plays the character of Carly, Sam Witwicky's new girlfriend (since Megan Fox got shitcanned). Her introductory shot is of DAT ASS, and oh what an ass it is. However, besides being a nice piece of eye candy as well as a in-film explanation as to why Megan Fox is no longer around, she doesn't do a whole lot. Another addition is Frances McDormand as the head of CIA, and she does quite a good job at portraying the hard-assed, no nonsense Chief Mearing. Patrick Dempsey is also a fresh face, playing Dylan, Carly's boss. The rest of the cast reprise their roles from the first two films: Shia Labeouf as Sam Witwicky, Josh Duhamel as Lennox, Tyrese Gibson as Epps. In terms of acting, the only real difference seems to be in Labeouf's character Sam. Mr. Witwicky appears to have grown a backbone in between the last film in this - his character is seen actually standing up for himself and talking back to people instead of just stuttering awkwardly. Also, I don't think he says "no" even one time in this movie! (If you don't know what I mean, watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IXCK1EyP4s).
It also seems that Mr. Bay has decided to go for a bit more of an actual storyline this time through, resulting in quite a long build-up with lots of backstory. Not to worry though, because there's more than enough wanton destruction to glut even the most hardy action fans. It also seems that he's cooled it a little with the cheesy one-liners, although not entirely. You won't see any robots with a pair hanging down, but there are definitely some facepalm-worthy moments.
The CG, as it has since the first movie, is outstanding, and visually, Michael Bay seems to have lost his hard on for the "shaky cam" effect, making it possible to actually see what's happening in the film. Which is great, because it means you get to see Optimus and Bumblebee kicking all kinds of ass.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon is much in the same vein as it's predecessors. It's a stunning display of computer graphics, backed by a whole lot of action, and at least a little bit more substance than Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. As I said already, if you're interested in this movie you already know what you're going to be getting. For everyone else, don't go into the theatre expecting an oscar worthy piece of cinema - remember, this IS a movie franchise based on children's toys.
Final score: 7/10
Friday, June 17, 2011
Green Lantern
For the average movie goer, Green Lantern may not be making as huge a splash as say, X-Men this summer (admit it, you've never even HEARD of Green Lantern before the movie trailers came out). This movie is like Ron Burgundy, in that you may not know it, but it's kind of a big deal, particularly to the avid comic-reading, fanboy base, of which I proudly consider myself a part of. Though he's not one of the DC powerhouse trifecta of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, GL is nonetheless an extremely popular DC property, frequently making it into various adaptations of the Justice League. Ryan Reynolds plays the green-clad superhero in the movie, which goes a little something like this.
Hal Jordan is a daring jet fighter pilot, working with his longtime friend Carol Ferris (Blake Lively) at Ferris Aircraft. One night after a tough test flight in which he destroys his jet, he is engulfed by a mysterious green light and summoned to the side of the dying alien Abin Sur. Abin tells Hal of the Green Lantern Corps, an intergalactic police force, and also that the ring has chosen him to be the next Green Lantern of space sector 2814 (the sector with Earth in it, duh.)The ring is a powerful weapon that is capable of becoming anything the wearer can imagine. Jordan is then transported to the headquarters of the GL Corps, the planet Oa, where he is told about Parallax, the Corps most ancient foe, and he must decide whether to run and hide or join the Corps and save Earth from Parallax.
Ok, so it sounds like your bog-standard super hero origin movie plot. Guy gets powers, is reluctant to use them, is forced to use his powers to save the world from the aforementioned evil. So what makes Green Lantern different from every other super hero movie? In all honesty, not a whole lot. In fact, as a big fan of the GL franchise, this movie was quite disappointing, for several reasons. The first and perhaps most prudent, is the fact that in a movie titled Green Lantern, Ryan Reynolds spends all of 10-15 mintues of a 2 hour movie in his GL costume. I paid good money to see Green Lantern whoop some serious ass with a myriad of different light constructs, not to see Ryan Reynolds play a slightly toned-down version of himself who spends half his time on screen talking about his feelings. I also felt that the movie did a very poor job of explaining the entire Green Lantern Corps - not once in the movie do you see any Green Lantern doing any actual intergalactic policing, they all just seem to be chilling on Oa not doing a whole lot. Yet another problem I had with the movie was the representation of Parallax. In the comics, he's the embodiment of fear, a wicked looking thing that is able to defeat pretty much every single corps member. In the movie, he's a silly looking smoke monster who, while able to defeat most of the corps, gets taken down by a rookie who hasn't even learned the full potential of his ring yet. I know Hal Jordan is supposed to be the greatest lantern that ever lived, but he shouldn't be so already (being as it's assumed there will be sequels.) I really think that they should've have done the Manhunters as the antagonist, or even Sinestro. My final greivance isn't with the plot, but rather with the production value itself. Given that we live in a world with Transformers, Harry Potter, and X-Men, the CG in this movie should be top notch, given that it's essentially a graphics driven movie. Not-so, however. The guardians of Oa look like puppets. You'd think that, since they don't do anything but sit there, they could make them look a bit more real, but I guess that's what you get for not getting Industrial Light and Magic to do your graphics for you.
That's not to say that it's all bad, however. The scenes in which Ryan Reynolds is being Green Lantern ARE really cool. Mark Strong gives a solid performance as Sinestro, can't wait to see him in the next one. Ryan Reynolds is his usual witty self, and Blake Lively is not excellent, but not bad at the same time. I think Peter Sarsgaard takes the cake for being the creepiest nerd/scientist portrayed on screen - and that's BEFORE he gets a giant head. The rest of the acting all seemed very campy, however.
So, all in all, Green Lantern was a bit of a letdown, especially when I saw that it was being directed by Martin Campbell, the guy who did Casino Royale which was amazing. But perhaps Mr. Campbell is too rooted in reality, and lacks the imagination to portray a truly out-of-this-world experience, no disrespect to the man, just a different style. The movie has got a few laughs, a couple of cool action scenes, but those points are just not enough to sell the whole thing. Wait for the DVD or download folks.
Final Score: 6.5/10
Hal Jordan is a daring jet fighter pilot, working with his longtime friend Carol Ferris (Blake Lively) at Ferris Aircraft. One night after a tough test flight in which he destroys his jet, he is engulfed by a mysterious green light and summoned to the side of the dying alien Abin Sur. Abin tells Hal of the Green Lantern Corps, an intergalactic police force, and also that the ring has chosen him to be the next Green Lantern of space sector 2814 (the sector with Earth in it, duh.)The ring is a powerful weapon that is capable of becoming anything the wearer can imagine. Jordan is then transported to the headquarters of the GL Corps, the planet Oa, where he is told about Parallax, the Corps most ancient foe, and he must decide whether to run and hide or join the Corps and save Earth from Parallax.
Ok, so it sounds like your bog-standard super hero origin movie plot. Guy gets powers, is reluctant to use them, is forced to use his powers to save the world from the aforementioned evil. So what makes Green Lantern different from every other super hero movie? In all honesty, not a whole lot. In fact, as a big fan of the GL franchise, this movie was quite disappointing, for several reasons. The first and perhaps most prudent, is the fact that in a movie titled Green Lantern, Ryan Reynolds spends all of 10-15 mintues of a 2 hour movie in his GL costume. I paid good money to see Green Lantern whoop some serious ass with a myriad of different light constructs, not to see Ryan Reynolds play a slightly toned-down version of himself who spends half his time on screen talking about his feelings. I also felt that the movie did a very poor job of explaining the entire Green Lantern Corps - not once in the movie do you see any Green Lantern doing any actual intergalactic policing, they all just seem to be chilling on Oa not doing a whole lot. Yet another problem I had with the movie was the representation of Parallax. In the comics, he's the embodiment of fear, a wicked looking thing that is able to defeat pretty much every single corps member. In the movie, he's a silly looking smoke monster who, while able to defeat most of the corps, gets taken down by a rookie who hasn't even learned the full potential of his ring yet. I know Hal Jordan is supposed to be the greatest lantern that ever lived, but he shouldn't be so already (being as it's assumed there will be sequels.) I really think that they should've have done the Manhunters as the antagonist, or even Sinestro. My final greivance isn't with the plot, but rather with the production value itself. Given that we live in a world with Transformers, Harry Potter, and X-Men, the CG in this movie should be top notch, given that it's essentially a graphics driven movie. Not-so, however. The guardians of Oa look like puppets. You'd think that, since they don't do anything but sit there, they could make them look a bit more real, but I guess that's what you get for not getting Industrial Light and Magic to do your graphics for you.
That's not to say that it's all bad, however. The scenes in which Ryan Reynolds is being Green Lantern ARE really cool. Mark Strong gives a solid performance as Sinestro, can't wait to see him in the next one. Ryan Reynolds is his usual witty self, and Blake Lively is not excellent, but not bad at the same time. I think Peter Sarsgaard takes the cake for being the creepiest nerd/scientist portrayed on screen - and that's BEFORE he gets a giant head. The rest of the acting all seemed very campy, however.
So, all in all, Green Lantern was a bit of a letdown, especially when I saw that it was being directed by Martin Campbell, the guy who did Casino Royale which was amazing. But perhaps Mr. Campbell is too rooted in reality, and lacks the imagination to portray a truly out-of-this-world experience, no disrespect to the man, just a different style. The movie has got a few laughs, a couple of cool action scenes, but those points are just not enough to sell the whole thing. Wait for the DVD or download folks.
Final Score: 6.5/10
Sunday, June 5, 2011
X-Men First Class
It's here. Finally, the next chapter of the X-Men saga has arrived - perhaps the most highly anticipated one of all time so far, and one that was sorely needed after the train wreck that was X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
First Class is the origin story of Magneto (played by Michael Fassbender) and Professor X (James McAvoy), before they ever took their mutant names and were known only as Erik Lensherr and Charles Xavier. Set amidst the Cuban Missile Crisis era, the film explains how the two first met, how they created the very first mutant special-ops team, and finally how the two came to be arch nemesis.
In all honesty, I was skeptical when I first heard that McAvoy would be stepping into the shoes previously worn by the legendary Patrick Stewart. However, my doubts were soon washed away, as I realized that this Charles Xavier is not the Charles Xavier that we are all familiar with - this is Charles Xavier before he became Professor X. He's young, cheeky, and he makes mistakes - his greatest one being the failure to understand how living through an event like the holocaust can influence a young man's psyche. McAvoy gives us a refreshing perspective on a character that many of us presume to know. In the same vein, Michael Fassbender has taken the character of Magneto (formerly played by Sir Ian McKellen) from being a slightly sinister old man with a funny helmet, to a young man who's heart and soul are filled with rage over the atrocities that have taken place against him. This is touched on briefly in the past few movies, but it's only now that we're able to understand the extent of Magneto's contempt for humankind. Fassbender's performance is truly masterful.
Director Matthew Vaughn (of Kick-Ass fame)has taken the X-Men to a whole other level completely. Vaughn has transcended Hollywood's hard-on for visual effects driven movies and cheesy one-liners (so if you're looking for dialogue gold like "you know what happens to a toad when it's struck by lightning?" sorry, ain't gonna find it here) and given the film something that is previously unheard of from a comic-book movie - character development, and a storyline that we actually care about. Let's face it, while it's all well and good to see two factions of mutants go to war with each other, we don't REALLY care because well, we're not mutants. It doesn't resonate with us. By taking real-world events (the cuban missile crisis) and inserting a bit of mutant flair to it, even though it's clearly a fictional re-imagining, Vaughn has ensured that we're that much more likely to connect with what's happening on screen, and in turn causes us to be more emotionally involved. Furthermore, Vaughn's decision to use a group of mutants that are relatively unknown (with the obvious exceptions of Magneto, Professor X, Mystique and Beast) allows the viewer to stop worrying about the accuracy of the continuity of the character (par example: "Deadpool doesn't have fucking lasers for eyes!")and just enjoy the mutants for how cool they are (except for the guy sitting beside me who thought it was the height of disgrace that Havok a.k.a. Alex Summers is now Scott Summers' older brother instead of vice versa. Shut up, you moron.)
To sum it all up, X-Men First Class has got everything: comedy, romance, action, oh yeah, and some delightful cameo appearances. If you're a fan of the X-Men, go see this movie. If you're a fan of movies, go see this movie. If you're at the theatre and you're trying to decide what to watch because you came woefully unprepared, go see this movie. Basically, go see this movie.
8.5/10
First Class is the origin story of Magneto (played by Michael Fassbender) and Professor X (James McAvoy), before they ever took their mutant names and were known only as Erik Lensherr and Charles Xavier. Set amidst the Cuban Missile Crisis era, the film explains how the two first met, how they created the very first mutant special-ops team, and finally how the two came to be arch nemesis.
In all honesty, I was skeptical when I first heard that McAvoy would be stepping into the shoes previously worn by the legendary Patrick Stewart. However, my doubts were soon washed away, as I realized that this Charles Xavier is not the Charles Xavier that we are all familiar with - this is Charles Xavier before he became Professor X. He's young, cheeky, and he makes mistakes - his greatest one being the failure to understand how living through an event like the holocaust can influence a young man's psyche. McAvoy gives us a refreshing perspective on a character that many of us presume to know. In the same vein, Michael Fassbender has taken the character of Magneto (formerly played by Sir Ian McKellen) from being a slightly sinister old man with a funny helmet, to a young man who's heart and soul are filled with rage over the atrocities that have taken place against him. This is touched on briefly in the past few movies, but it's only now that we're able to understand the extent of Magneto's contempt for humankind. Fassbender's performance is truly masterful.
Director Matthew Vaughn (of Kick-Ass fame)has taken the X-Men to a whole other level completely. Vaughn has transcended Hollywood's hard-on for visual effects driven movies and cheesy one-liners (so if you're looking for dialogue gold like "you know what happens to a toad when it's struck by lightning?" sorry, ain't gonna find it here) and given the film something that is previously unheard of from a comic-book movie - character development, and a storyline that we actually care about. Let's face it, while it's all well and good to see two factions of mutants go to war with each other, we don't REALLY care because well, we're not mutants. It doesn't resonate with us. By taking real-world events (the cuban missile crisis) and inserting a bit of mutant flair to it, even though it's clearly a fictional re-imagining, Vaughn has ensured that we're that much more likely to connect with what's happening on screen, and in turn causes us to be more emotionally involved. Furthermore, Vaughn's decision to use a group of mutants that are relatively unknown (with the obvious exceptions of Magneto, Professor X, Mystique and Beast) allows the viewer to stop worrying about the accuracy of the continuity of the character (par example: "Deadpool doesn't have fucking lasers for eyes!")and just enjoy the mutants for how cool they are (except for the guy sitting beside me who thought it was the height of disgrace that Havok a.k.a. Alex Summers is now Scott Summers' older brother instead of vice versa. Shut up, you moron.)
To sum it all up, X-Men First Class has got everything: comedy, romance, action, oh yeah, and some delightful cameo appearances. If you're a fan of the X-Men, go see this movie. If you're a fan of movies, go see this movie. If you're at the theatre and you're trying to decide what to watch because you came woefully unprepared, go see this movie. Basically, go see this movie.
8.5/10
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Super 8
I had the amazing opportunity to check out the love child of a Hollywood legend and current Hollywood powerhouse earlier today, courtesy of a good friend of mine. Super 8 is the summer blockbuster collaboration of J.J. Abrams (he of Star Trek, Lost and Cloverfield fame) and Steven Spielberg (he of if-you're-reading-this-and-really-need-to-be-told-about-Spielberg-i'll-slap-you fame). If you haven't seen any trailers for this movie, you can check it out here http://youtu.be/tCRQQCKS7go. Set at the end of the 70's, Super 8 is about a group of kids trying to complete a short film for a film festival. Late one night while filming a scene at the nearby train station, the kids witness a train derailment with cataclysmic results. Soon after, the kids start to notice an increased military presence in their town, along with strange things happening. The kids take it upon themselves to investigate the mysterious circumstances behind the train wreck, and while they're at it, get some great footage for their film.
This film, as one would expect, is visually stunning. Along with some amazing cinematography, the ever present lens flares remind you that you're watching an Abrams' flick. The visual effects in this movie are so sharp and seamless that you forget that some of these things don't actually exist. They add a realism to the film that can only be described as intense. All of this is hardly surprising though, when you consider that it is helmed by the man behind Star Trek, and backed by the genius that gave us Jurassic Park
What did surprise me was the quality of the acting. Where I normally find that child actors can really fall short of the mark, the ensemble cast of kids in this film really captivate the audience. Abrams doesn't exploit the "cutesiness" of having a bunch of children on screen and give them dialogue beyond their years, his cast are real group of children just trying to deal with a horrifying situation. Joel Courtney (some kid) and Elle Fanning (Dakota's little sister) lead the pack as the main protagonists of the film, and they do a fantastic job. The kids are backed by the strong performance of Kyle Chandler, who plays Deputy Jackson Lamb, the father of Joel's character Joe Lamb. For a cast of relative unknowns (besides Fanning), Super 8 is an excellent vehicle for their trip away from obscurity.
However, even given the strong perfomances, the excellent visuals and overall story, I felt like this was two movies that I had seen before (one from each director), mashed into one with a shiny new label slapped over it. Overall though, still a very solid movie, and I would recommend it just to see a master craftsman work at his trade.
Final Score: 8/10 (look, now you can quantify my incoherent ramblings!)
How was that for spoiler free, Brad?
This film, as one would expect, is visually stunning. Along with some amazing cinematography, the ever present lens flares remind you that you're watching an Abrams' flick. The visual effects in this movie are so sharp and seamless that you forget that some of these things don't actually exist. They add a realism to the film that can only be described as intense. All of this is hardly surprising though, when you consider that it is helmed by the man behind Star Trek, and backed by the genius that gave us Jurassic Park
What did surprise me was the quality of the acting. Where I normally find that child actors can really fall short of the mark, the ensemble cast of kids in this film really captivate the audience. Abrams doesn't exploit the "cutesiness" of having a bunch of children on screen and give them dialogue beyond their years, his cast are real group of children just trying to deal with a horrifying situation. Joel Courtney (some kid) and Elle Fanning (Dakota's little sister) lead the pack as the main protagonists of the film, and they do a fantastic job. The kids are backed by the strong performance of Kyle Chandler, who plays Deputy Jackson Lamb, the father of Joel's character Joe Lamb. For a cast of relative unknowns (besides Fanning), Super 8 is an excellent vehicle for their trip away from obscurity.
However, even given the strong perfomances, the excellent visuals and overall story, I felt like this was two movies that I had seen before (one from each director), mashed into one with a shiny new label slapped over it. Overall though, still a very solid movie, and I would recommend it just to see a master craftsman work at his trade.
Final Score: 8/10 (look, now you can quantify my incoherent ramblings!)
How was that for spoiler free, Brad?
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