I usually tend to avoid movies that feature the severing of limbs. 127 HOURS is an extreme exception, though. Not only was I dying to see it, but one can’t deny that part of the curiosity is because of the scene when Franco must cut off his own arm in order to survive. Unless you’ve been living under a rock (ha ha, get it?), you should know what I’m talking about. Starring James Franco, 127 HOURS is the remarkable true story of Aron Ralston, a mountain climber who, after an 800-pound boulder falls on him, finds himself trapped, with his arm pinned against the wall in an isolated canyon in Utah. The movie spans the course of five days…until he resorts to drastic measures to survive.
I know it sounds like just yet another movie that confines the protagonist to one location during the entire film… but 127 HOURS is a true original. Instead of focusing on the trauma and panic that would accompany such an instance for an hour and a half, the film brilliantly focuses on something different: what’s going on in Ralston’s head. And because of this, 127 HOURS is filled with more humor and laughs than you could possibly imagine in a film of this nature. In my favorite scene, Ralston is playing with his video camera and creates a sort of makeshift talk show, where he switches between being the guest and the host, even adding on a fake laugh track after the jokes. Later on when he’s thirsty, he sees an energy drink commercial playing in his head. Directed by Academy Award-winning director Danny Boyle, there is no lack of style when it comes to 127 HOURS. Filled with color, gorgeous scenery and heaps of energy, there were moments while watching the film that I felt like I was having an adrenaline rush.
And after all that, the film still manages to bring out the emotion and regrets of Ralston: will he never see his family again? Why didn’t he tell anyone where he was going? Franco is my frontrunner for Best Actor this year. He demonstrates such a range of emotions in the films short running time, going from making us laugh to making your heart ache as you yearn for nothing more than for him to find a way to free himself… but of course, you’re simultaneously dreading that scene as well. Each second that goes by brings you closer and closer to the horror you know is coming, and waiting for it is quite a ride… one that is so thrilling and memorable, that it makes 127 HOURS one of the best films of the year so far.
Rating: A
I like crappy movies. There, I said it. I don’t care what other critics are saying about a movie. If it looks like I’ll enjoy myself, then I’m on board, which is exactly the way BURLESQUE played out for me. I saw the trailer and instantly thought to myself: “That looks so good!” In actuality, that mental statement would be translated into words a little more like: “That looks like such an entertaining movie!” Good or bad, who gives a damn? Unless you’re on the hunt for the next Best Picture contender, most of us go to the movies to escape for a little while and enjoy ourselves. And let me tell you, BURLESQUE hits the spot. The movie follows Ali (Christina Aguilera), a small town girl with big city dreams, who moves to L.A. and finds herself swept up by a Burlesque club run by a former performer, Tess (Cher). Sound familiar? Well of course it does! That’s because it pulls from all the great dance movies…and even the not so great. We get some MOULIN ROUGE, COYOTE UGLY, CHICAGO and FLASHDANCE. So already you know a movie isn’t aiming its standards too high if its pulling inspiration from COYOTE UGLY (which, admittedly, I adore).
We get the obligatory montage overload (think Julia Stiles dancing while walking in SAVE THE LAST DANCE), and the real reason to see it in the first place: some truly dazzling numbers. I’ll give Christina credit…. no one can sing quite like her, and she’s an excellent performer. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about her acting ability. There were moments when her delivery of lines sounded more like nails on a chalkboard in its insincerity than human vocal cords. While this irked me to no end, she looks so inhumanly beautiful most of the time, that you can almost (almost) put it in the back of your mind. The real surprise for me though, was Cam Gigandet. Known as either “the guy from The O.C.” or “the guy from TWILIGHT”, he’s finally gotten a leading man role, and he’s terrific. Exceedingly charming and funny, he carried the acting scenes when Christina couldn’t quite keep up. So here’s to hoping that BURLESQUE we’ll be his ticket to finally being known simply as “Cam Gigandet”.
BURLESQUE is a glitzy, glamorous, campy foray into the world of dance movies. While the sets, costumes and performances weren’t up to par with say CHICAGO or MOULIN ROUGE, they were an achievement in their own right. Combined with some soundtrack-buying-worthy songs, BURLESQUE was an incredibly entertaining flick that is exactly what you would expect (and want) from a movie starring Christina Aguilera and Cher.
Rating: B
Oh the power of impossibly long hair and the frying pan! I’m telling you, the next time I find myself in a sketchy dark alley, those will be my weapons of choice. Then again, anything I can do to make me more like Disney’s new princess in TANGLED is a go for me. Feisty, gorgeous, and with 70 feet of magical, golden locks, Rapunzel fits in like a glass slipper right alongside Jasmine, Ariel, Belle and Cinderalla, making her the Disney princess to finally bring us back to the glory days of the Disney heroine movies that the formers enchanted us in. In this take of the classic Brothers Grimm tale, the film opens with a narrator recounting a tale from years ago about a princess named Rapunzel (Mandy Moore), who was kidnapped when she was a baby by the evil Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy) who keeps her in a tower and uses her hair to restore her youth. We then cut to years later: Now Rapunzel is 18, and she longs more than anything to explore the world outside of the confines of her tower. When the cocky (yet charming) thief Flynn Ryder (Zachary Levi) climbs up into her tower to seek refuge, she takes him hostage and negotiates a deal with him, leading to him being her guide out in the real world, and a movie so filled with adventure that it will delight girls and boys of all ages.
Though you wouldn’t know it from the trailer, TANGLED is a musical. Not only it is a musical—Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken, who is responsible for the music from ALADDIN, POCAHONTAS, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and most recently ENCHANTED, is the one behind the films songs. It doesn’t hurt that Mandy Moore has the voice of an angel and was born to be a Disney princess, either. Combining the catchy, wonderful music the classic hand-drawn animated Disney movies always had, with a gorgeous Pixar look, TANGLED is like the best of both worlds. We finally get a movie that doesn’t abuse the whole 3D mania going on nowadays, and uses it only to enhance the already stunning movie (turning it into a visually breathtaking movie), along with a few songs that will be instant classics. There isn’t a shortage of laughs either–thanks to a heavy dose of well-used slapstick, two adorable (and mute) animal sidekicks, and a colorful array of characters, I found myself constantly dealing with a fit of giggles, as was the rest of the theater. Spellbinding and heartwarming to the max, there’s nothing not to love, and no moment not to enjoy, in this new notch on Disney’s already illustrious belt of movie magic.
Rating: A
CAUTION: SPOILERS AHEAD
I’m going to come right out and say it: I am a die-hard Potter-head. I’m on my school’s Quidditch team, I have a list of spells ingrained in my brain, and I wore black the day after I read Sirius’ death scene in Order of the Phoenix. So while I could try and review HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 1 impartially…I’m not going to do that. Lets face it, this movie is going to be most important to those who are fans of the books. Of course let’s not forget those who have followed the movies religiously…they’re bouncing off the walls over Part 1′s quickly approaching release, too. But their reaction to it will probably be quite different. Despite the way movie 6 ended, some people will still be surprised to see that there is no Hogwarts, no Quidditch and none of your favorite professors present. That’s because DEATHLY HALLOWS takes us into completely new territory: the wizarding war is in full-blown action, and J.K Rowling and the filmmakers wisely don’t sugarcoat it. The deaths start coming quicker than you can say Avada Kedavra…and they don’t stop there. I consider myself a know-it-all when it comes to Harry Potter (think Hermione), so before watching the movie, I made sure I re-read the first half of Deathly Hallows, because I didn’t think I could stand sitting in that theater and not remembering if things were or were not in the book. I do actually have a point here… since I had literally just re-read the first half, the book could not have been fresher in my mind than it was when I sat down to view the new movie with all those hundreds of screaming Potter fans. So take my word for it here and now when I tell you: they did not leave anything out! I’ve heard some people criticizing Warner Bros. for doing this whole “two part” release, saying that it’s just a ploy to make double the money. Well screw the naysayers, because a wiser decision has never been made. The book is a little under 800 pages. We all want each and every second of the battle of Hogwarts in the movie. There’s no way that would have been possible with just one movie. Think of it this way: HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS -PART 1 is 2½ hours…of ½ a book. So when it comes to even the most minute scenes that normally would not have even been considered for the sake of saving time, we get it in this movie. With the exception of Kreacher’s transformation from bad to good (he’s not a big character in the movie), I can think of nothing I wanted included that wasn’t there. When George loses his ear in the beginning of the movie while The Order is trying to fly Harry to safety, we even get his silly ear jokes. That’s one of things I’ve always loved best about the Potter films; even when they’re at their darkest, they still manage to slip in some of those funny one-liners and scenes to lighten the mood, which DEATHLY HALLOWS did better than any of its predecessors (look out for a scene of Harry in a bra–hysterical!). We also get plenty more of that sexual tension everyone loves between Ron and Hermione (including a part I loved from the book where they fall asleep practically holding hands), which only makes me, and I’m sure everyone else, all the more excited for “that scene” in the next movie. I just have to keep taking deep breaths and thinking to myself: “8 months…you can do this…just 8 more months”. See that’s the thing…PART 1 is just so good that it’s a feeling not unlike pain watching the movie end incomplete.
Now is that point when I would usually start pointing out the faults of the movie. Well, the most negative thing I can say about HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS is that the movie has flaws that actually aren’t even “flaws” at all. Let me explain… the movie did have its somewhat slower parts. However, those “slower” parts are those same exact parts that were slower in the book. The scenes were necessary, and it’s lack of action only makes everything that comes after it all the more mind-blowing. The scenes involving Harry, Ron and Hermione camping out in the forest trying to protect themselves from all the Death Eaters tailing them have a quiet power, even if not much is going on. It’s when we best get to see the group dynamic, and it’s then that our three leads are given their opportunity to show us just how much they’ve grown as actors in the past 10 years.
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 1 is the Harry Potter movie I’ve been waiting for. It stays as true as possible to the book, and only makes those changes that make sense for the medium. It packed in the emotion that Dobby’s death deserved, the emotion that the other movies glossed over (I’m looking at you you Sirius and Dumbledore’s death’s!), and it was the first time in a Potter film that I found myself straight up sobbing. I predict that PART 1 won’t be my favorite Harry Potter movie of the bunch; because if PART 1 is any indication, the groundwork it laid has made it an almost sure bet that HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 2 will be everything we’ve dreamed of and more. Now take a deep breath and say it with me: just 8 more months, just 8 more months…
Rating: A
Paul Haggis’ name carries a lot of weight among the Oscar-movie-loving-crowd. Being responsible for great movies such as CRASH and MILLION DOLLAR BABY, he had my full allegiance and support when it came to his new movie, THE NEXT THREE DAYS. Starring Russel Crowe and Elizabeth Banks, it’s about a married couple who’s life is thrown into chaos when the wife, Laura (Banks), is accused of murder and sentenced to life in prison…and the lengths her husband John (Crowe) will go to make sure she is set free. Like Haggis’ other films, THE NEXT THREE DAYS poses some tough moral dilemmas to wrap our heads around. Unlike his other films though, don’t except a best picture nomination. And certainly not a best screenplay one. Within the first 10 minutes of the film Laura is arrested…and then the film jumps three years later, showing John and their son visiting Laura in prison. But don’t worry, we still get to hear the details of the case because John and their lawyer are conveniently going over it out loud as they wait to see if Laura’s appeal will be approved. When it isn’t, Laura attempts to commit suicide, a wake up call for John who decides the only shred of hope they have left is him breaking her out of prison. Maybe all of this would be effective if the filmmakers lingered on any one scene or situation for more than 10 seconds–let us get as riled up as John so that we too feel like the only solution is to risk absolutely everything. Everything is done so hastily…that is, until John meticulously starts planning the prison break (pretty much the whole first half of the movie). Then, everything goes slow, and most of it feels unnecessary. Crowe is fantastic as the devoted husband, and every second he was on screen I believed that he believed that his wife was innocent…I just wasn’t so sure how confident I was on the matter. The movie opens with a scene of Laura and John out to dinner with another couple in which Laura shows her protectiveness over her man when the other woman at the table sends a sexual innuendo his way. A few minutes after this it cuts to the next morning, where Laura takes a picture of the family at breakfast, a tradition she wants to keep in place until her young son is 18. Painting her out as the picture-perfect image of a good mother and loving wife would have been ideal if more than 6 minutes was devoted to the two. See I didn’t need to know right away if she was innocent or not…I just needed more than what was given to have any reason to feel one way or the other.
Since the story is kind of flimsy and all the time devoted to his planning feels like a place holder, more time should have been devoted to the mental anguish John and his son experience due to having the woman in their life behind bars. Instead, we’re given scene after scene of John trying to get fake documents or making notes on a giant map on his wall or meeting with an expert on prison breaks (a wonderful cameo from Liam Neeson), but the emotion which is driving him to such drastic measures seems to just evaporate into thin air. The second half, however, provides us with an action-packed, heart-pounding climax and a very satisfying ending. If the second half of the film was what represented the whole, then we’d be talking about a very skillfully crafted film here. If that were the case though, then we’d be also be dealing with just another people-on-the-run film with no story to lean back on. I enjoyed the 2nd half immensely and I felt for John and Laura’s cause, but throughout 50 percent of the movie I couldn’t stop wishing that they would, quite literally, cut to the chase already.
Rating: C+
The road trip comedy has been done before. Maybe even too many times. And I’m not going to lie, it’s been done a lot better than DUE DATE. What DUE DATE does manage to offer up though is a handful of some pretty great laughs, especially if you’re a fan of Zach Galifianakis’ strange, signature humor. After an incident occurs causing father-to-be Peter (Robert Downey Jr) and aspiring actor Ethan (Galifianakis) to be removed from the plane (and onto the “No Fly” list), Peter, desperate to get home to his pregnant wife whose due date is quickly approaching, gives in to his only option to make it home on time: to hitch a ride with Ethan.
DUE DATE carries on the same comedy trend that we saw over the summer (and a million times before that) in DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS–the trend being that whole “everything’s going wrong” kind of humor that makes you laugh and want to pull your hair out at the same time. Both have characters that are such train wreaks and so lost in their own worlds that you find it hard to believe anyone would be able to put up with them. What DUE DATE did succeed in, which Shmucks did not, was that the film made it pretty clear both Peters loathing towards Ethan and gave him a pretty air-tight reason for putting up with all of Ethan’s bullshit. What it didn’t succeed in, however, was making Peter likable. He’s a serious, terse asshole—but in his defense, it’s pretty easy to be an asshole when you’re dealing with someone so off his hinges that he repeatedly says “bomb” on a plane that’s getting ready for take off. Ethan of course has no idea what a weirdo he really is; He walks with an air of obnoxious self-assurance, chin raised up and scarf flipped femininely over his shoulder. I would have preferred some more realism to be injected into the plot, instead of those scenes that filmmakers often seem to find funny (but really aren’t) involving a paraplegic man violently beating the crap out of Peter for no reason, and a car crash so incredibly severe that there’s no way either guy would have ever, ever survived. While DUE DATE has nothing on OLD SCHOOL or THE HANGOVER (both also directed by Todd Phillips), when the movie found its groove, it was exactly what the person in me craving another HANGOVER was looking for–a masturbating dog being the highlight of the entire film.
I do have to give it credit though, because there’s something to be said about a movie that ditches the cliched “our meeting each other irrevocably changed our lives” route for a more subtle (and believable) “YES! We survived each other!” one, while having the characters find both a mutual respect for one another and a small friendship in the process. But keep in mind, if you’ve seen the trailers, then you should know what you’re getting yourself into. If crude comedy/Galifianakis humor is your thing, you’ll get some (if not as much as you hoped for) out of the film for sure. And if it’s not your kind of humor, then all I can say is: you better check your movie choice before you wreak your movie choice.
Rating: B-
After seeing HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON for the first time last week, my faith in DreamWorks skyrocketed. Maybe I should have waited until after MEGAMIND to make up my mind… because now, my opinion has retreated back to square one. MEGAMIND centers around a supervillian of the same name, who is in a constant battle with superhero and protector of Metro City, Metro Man. When he finally succeds in killing Metro Man after years of failure, Megamind realizes that a villian with no one to spar with just isn’t any fun. So he decides to create a new nemisis for himself, which he finds in Hal (Jonah Hill), a geeky cameraman who, like Megamind, is hopelessly in love with reporter Roxanne Richie (Tina Fey).
For me, MEGAMIND was a miss. But this is a special circumstance–every once in a while I come across a movie that for some reason, I know my reaction to it will most likely be one to go along with the minority of the viewers. To the majority, MEGAMIND will probably be a hit. Little kids will giggle at Megamind’s silliness, and adults can laugh at some humor that’s in there specifically for their benefit, such as some great jokes relating to The Godfather and the Obama campaign. When I heard about an animated film with Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt, Tina Fey and Jonah Hill as the voice actors, it immediately caught my attention. Plus the trailer just cracked me up. But when I went to go see the movie, and realized the plot was completely different than what the first and only trailer I saw depicted the movie as being about, I was taken for a long, tiring loop. Not only were the actual good jokes too few and far between, but despite the constant action and twisting of the plot, towards the end I found myself just…bored.
As the movie progressed, it started to remind me of another movie I saw fairly recently. I’ll give you three hints: 1) Another animated movie. 2) Main character is also a “super villain” and 3) The super villain has minions as well (although much cuter than the one in MEGAMIND). Yup, you guessed it: DESPICABLE ME. Both involve villains who, in one way or another, are transformed by the power of love and change their evil ways. There is a key difference between the two films though: heart. I never really got on board with the whole Megamind/Roxanne relationship…it came practically out of nowhere and had no backbone. In DESPICABLE ME though, we were actually given the opportunity to fall head over heels for those three adorable little kids, and saw Gru do the same. Trust me, I’m not by any means saying that I need every children’s movie to have a FULL HOUSE twist to it. I don’t need it to be cheesy or sentimental, or even have a clear-cut moral to it in the first place. But the best way to get an adult audience to connect with a film meant for children is to have both clever humor infused with the kiddy jokes, along with the warmth and glee that these kind of movies (or at least the good ones) are usually preprogrammed with (ex: TOY STORY 3). MEGAMIND succeeds at some points with the humor for adults (which little kids will not understand in the least), but when it came to connecting with any of the characters, it was a bust. Will Ferrell is fantastic as Megamind—he’s like a mix of Doctor Evil and, well, himself (with the addition of a slightly British accent). Metro Man (who is pretty much a “cameo”, to my surprise and disappointment) is the classic, square-jawed, muscular, man you’d expect to play a superman-like character. The characters are satirical on the whole “super hero” genre…but that’s all they are: one-dimensional even in 3D. The laughs were there occasionally, the animation wonderful and the soundtrack bangin’…but in the end, I just wish more emphasis had been put into bringing out the stories heart, rather than the size of Megamind’s giant blue head.
Rating: C+