The Week That Was and the Week That Will Be - 7/9

There were two big deaths in the world of acting last week. First, Andy Griffith passed away at the age of 86 on Tuesday and then yesterday Ernest Borgnine died at age 95. I wasn't nearly as into The Andy Griffith Show as many of my friends were but I definitely recognize the value of that program and the contribution it made to the industry, not to mention the extreme entertainment value supplied by Matlock, and of course Griffith was the backbone for both of those programs. Borgnine, meanwhile, won an Oscar for his role in Marty and contributed a number of outstanding performances to numerous films over the last 50 years, including The Dirty Dozen and The Wild Bunch. Both men will be sorely missed. Rest in peace.

After a healthy amount of speculation as to who would take the part, Jena Malone has been cast in Catching Fire, the sequel to this year's smash hit The Hunger Games, in the role of Johanna Mason. That's a meaty, important part and I think Malone should excel in it.

Channing Tatum has confirmed that there will be a sequel to 21 Jump Street. I can't believe how good that film was nor the fact that I'm actually looking forward to a sequel. I would have lost money on that at the beginning of the year.

In The Hobbit news of the week, Peter Jackson posted a new video on the film's Facebook page on the final day of principal photography and a new poster was released for Comic Con. I'll probably start a daily countdown in the next week or so. Because I am a nerd.

And in The Dark Knight Rises news, Cinema Blend has an an in-depth, behind the scenes interview with Christopher Nolan. Can't wait for this film, either.

Matt at Cinema Slants gives us a 2012 Midyear Report and looks ahead at what to expect in the back half. Check it out.

I don't plan to see Savages anytime soon so if you're looking for a review, check out the one Terrence posted over at The Focused Filmographer.

And Ruth at FlixChatter gives us her monthly column, Five for the Fifth. Awesome questions this time around.

Weekend Box Office Results

Always a huge movie weekend, this year’s Independence Day haul is made more impressive to me given the relative lack of options available to viewers. The Amazing Spider-Man was the only new movie that opened in time for Fourth of July celebrations and last week’s offerings, Ted and Magic Mike, aren’t exactly the sort of films that bring families together on a holiday. Obviously that didn’t stop anyone, however, as Spider-Man pulled in an impressive sum of money (the fact that $140 million seems only okay proves how outstanding this year has been at the box office) while both Ted and Brave held onto a solid percentage of viewers. I gave my money to both Spider-Man, which I liked but didn’t love, and Moonrise Kingdom, which was everything that I could have possibly hoped for. Well done, Mr. Anderson.

The debut of Savages was met with decent reception from audiences but not so much from critics, many of whom panned it as a complete misfire. Someday Oliver Stone will make another great movie. But I guess that day is not today. And finally, The Avengers dropped out of the top ten grossers for the first time in over two months, completing one of the most staggering box office runs in history. Just in time to make way for The Dark Knight Rises to start its own staggering box office run.

1. The Amazing Spider-Man - $140M

2. Ted - $32.59M ($120.24M)

3. Brave - $20.16M ($174.41M)

4. Savages - $16.16M

5. Magic Mike - $15.61M ($72.79M)

6. Tyler Perry’s Worst Movie Ever until the Next One - $10.2M ($45.84M)

7. Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted - $7.7M ($196.02M)

8. Katy Perry: Part of Me - $7.15M

9. Moonrise Kingdom - $4.64M ($26.89M)

10. To Rome with Love - $3.5M ($5.62M)

New to DVD

What I’ll Probably End Up Renting at Some Point

Margaret – Anna Paquin, Matt Damon, Mark Ruffalo

Being Flynn – Robert De Niro, Paul Dano, Julianne Moore

To say that the opinions on Margaret, about a girl (Paquin) who witnesses a bus hitting a pedestrian, were mixed would be the understatement of the year. Some critics held this film up as the unquestionable best film of the year while others deemed it an utter disaster. The gulf between those opinions leaves me interested enough to find out on my own. Being Flynn is a different animal altogether in that most of the reviews were negative and yet I can’t keep myself from watching Robert De Niro movies. I should avoid them entirely as they just make me sad, seeing how far the man has fallen, but I keep hoping I’ll catch glimpse of his brilliance again. *sigh*

Also New

American Reunion – Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Seann William Scott

Flowers of War – Christian Bale, Ni Ni, Xinyi Zhang

Warehouse 13: Season 3 – Eddie McClintock, Joanne Kelly, Saul Rubinek

The Glades: Season 2 – Matt Passmore, Kiele Sanchez

New to Blu Pick of the Week or Whenever I Feel Like It

Frequency (2000) – Jim Caviezel, Dennis Quaid

Okay, truth be told, it’s been years since I’ve seen Frequency so it may, in fact, be the worst movie ever that does not star John Travolta or Megan Fox. But my memories of it are good and I always thought the concept, a father and son separated by 30 years use short wave radios to stop a crime, was really cool. Check it out if you’ve never seen it before and don’t hold it against me if it doesn’t hold up a decade after my last viewing.

Also New to Blu

Chariots of Fire (1981) – Ben Cross, Ian Charleson

Outland (1981) – Sean Connery, Peter Boyle, Frances Sternhagen

Blade II (2002) – Wesley Snipes, Kris Kristofferson, Ron Perlman

Brainstorm (1983) – Christopher Walken, Natalie Wood

Senna (2010) – Ayrton Senna

Spawn (1997) – Michael Jai White, John Leguizamo, Martin Sheen

The Astronaut’s Wife (1999) – Johnny Depp, Charlize Theron

Coming to a Theater Near You

I shot 2-for-3 last week, pegging The Amazing Spider-Man (73% actual versus my 78% prediction) and Savages (53% actual versus 57%) pretty closely and missing wildly on Katy Perry: Part of Me (75% actual versus 50%). Who knew every critic loves Katy Perry?

For my money, this week represents the worst of the summer. With Spider-Man dominating the holiday box office and The Dark Knight Rises set to crush the competition beginning next week, most of the studios were (rightly) afraid of putting much of anything on the schedule this time around so we’ve only got one mainstream film headed our way.

Ice Age: Continental Drift – Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary

After the breakup of Pangaea, Manny (Romano), Diego (Leary), and Sid (Leguizamo) use a roving iceberg to navigate through troubled waters and return to their respective families. I must be honest, dear reader(s): I hate the Ice Age movies. This is probably my least favorite animated film series of the last decade or so and I’ve never grasped the appeal. I didn’t see the third movie but there’s nothing about the first two that impressed me in the slightest. But then again, they’ve made, like, $3 billion worldwide between them so I guess they’re not really hurting without my viewership. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: Rotten, 55%

Also New: A young man becomes wrapped up in the world of the drug trade in Easy Money, a 2010 film that launched the career of Joel Kinnaman who’ll star in the Robocop remake…Robert De Niro and Sigourney Weaver investigate the paranormal in Red Lights…and The Imposter, a documentary about a Frenchman who convinced a Texan family that he is their long lost son.

Top 10 Anticipated Movies of 2012 (Part II)

We’re now officially half-way through the calendar year and I must say, it was a pretty darn good six months for Hollywood. In fact, I’m not sure what more we could ask for from the front half of the year as it pertains to the theater. We’ve been treated to a steady dose of quality blockbusters (The Avengers, The Hunger Games), an above average crop of lower budget/indie films (Moonrise Kingdom), and even the big flops (Battleship, John Carter) haven’t been THAT bad. Indeed, the back half of the year has quite a bit to live up to and it certainly has the potential to do so. Films like Argo, The Master, and Jack Reacher all show real promise and I’m sure there will be an indie film or two that come out of nowhere to garner tremendous acclaim. But as of right now, these are the ten films 2012 has left to offer that pique my interest the most. Here’s to a great second half of the year!

Part I may be found here.

10. Wreck-It Ralph (November 2) – John C. Reilly, Jack McBrayer, Sarah Silverman

The previous two Disney animation films have been the very definition of hit (Tangled) and miss (Mars Needs Moms). With that in mind, it’s difficult for me to guess what we’re going to get from Wreck-It Ralph. That said, the concept (a classic video game villain who decides he wants an opportunity to be a hero) is almost Pixarian and the first trailer is outstanding. I wouldn’t have expected Wreck-It Ralph to make this list at the beginning of the year but it is definitely winning me over.

9. Taken 2 (October 5) – Liam Neeson, Framke Janssen, Maggie Grace

    The Expendables 2 (August 17) – Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Liam Hemsworth

I’m cheating just a bit by combining these two films but when you really get down to it, the only difference between the two is that the first stars a one man wrecking ball and the other requires a ridiculous team to get the job done. I’m probably slightly more interested in Taken 2 than Expendables 2, due mostly to the Neeson Factor but let’s be honest: Stallone bringing Chuck Norris and Jean Claude Van Damme into the fold for his sequel is a stroke of absurd genius.

8. Gangster Squad (September 7) – Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn, Emma Stone

If director Ruben Fleischer had jumped directly from 2009’s Zombieland into this film, I think it would find a place much higher up there list. But alas, Fleischer stopped down last year to gift the world 30 Minutes or Less, one of the more haphazard, wasteful movies of last year and the rare comedy that gets worse the more times you accidentally catch three minutes of it on HBO. Still, everyone loves a good gangster film and with this cast and the slick style laid out in the trailer, it seems difficult to imagine Gangster Squad flopping.

7. Skyfall (November 9) – Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes

I went back and forth on the appointment of Sam Mendes as director and I’m still not convinced that he was the best choice but if nothing else, I expect working with a top notch dramatic director will bring out the best in Craig (which was frankly lacking in Quantum of Solace). In what will probably be Craig’s last turn as Bond, I expect Skyfall will hit closer to the mark of Casino Royale than its predecessor. And hey, you definitely can’t go wrong casting Bardem as the villain.

6. The Bourne Legacy (August 10) – Jeremy Renner, Edward Norton, Rachel Weisz

2012 has already proven to be a banner year for big budget franchises taking chances. We’ve seen a Spider-Man reboot only five years after the previous film ended, a prequel that isn’t a prequel but really it’s a prequel in Prometheus, and of course the payoff for years’ worth of groundwork in The Avengers. Legacy is another entry into this field of ambitious popcorn films as this installment plans to work hand-in-hand with the previous trilogy while telling an entirely different story. I must tell you, dear reader(s), I am insanely intrigued by this premise. On top of that, if you’re going to replace Matt Damon, there probably isn’t a better alternative than Renner. My excitement for this one is growing by the day.

5. Looper (September 28) – Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt

I am nothing if not all about high concept sci-fi and Looper definitely qualifies. In a nutshell, the plot involves a modern day hit man (JGL) who specializes in killing and disposing of victims from the future who are sent back in time. But things change when his intended target turns out to be his future self (Willis). Confusing? Perhaps. Intriguing? Uh, yeah. Director Rian Johnson has warned prospective viewers to avoid the newest batch of trailers in order to prevent spoilers and I have dutifully followed his advice. Besides, that cast plus that concept is enough to get me in the theater anyway.

4. Lawless (August 29) – Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Guy Pearce

This film, about a family of moonshiners who run afoul of both the law and a rival outlaw, made waves at Cannes earlier this year and has one of the best trailers I’ve seen this year. I love the premise and Shia LaBeouf notwithstanding, that cast is ridiculously good. This could be the rare film that works as both a blockbuster and an award contender.

3. Django Unchained (December 25) – Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christoph Waltz

I still have no idea why this film, about a slave (Foxx) who seeks revenge on the men who took his wife, is opening on Christmas; Quentin Tarantino doesn’t exactly represent the holiday spirit. Then again, last year’s holiday season brought us The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo so… Anyway, bringing DiCaprio into his flock of actors is a stroke of genius for Tarantino and while I still lament the fact that Will Smith pulled out of the role now occupied by Foxx, I expect the Oscar winner will do an excellent job. And I cannot wait to see what Tarantino can do with the Western genre.

2. The Dark Knight Rises (July 20) – Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway

At times it seems as if it’s been far more than four years since Christopher Nolan gave us The Dark Knight. The collective anticipation for this movie has mounted to the point that I half expect to be disappointed because how could this final entry into the series possibly live up to the hype? But if any film could pull this feat off, it’s gotta be this one, right? Expect Nolan to pull out all the stops, take some potentially unpopular chances, and make every attempt to rectify the wrong the Academy members did he and his film in 2008.

1. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (December 14) – Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage

I thought about flip-flopping The Hobbit with The Dark Knight Rises and in truth, there’s a part of me that expects the latter to be the better film. But at the end of the day, this is essentially a life goal coming to fruition. The Hobbit is unquestionably my favorite book ever; I read it for the first time when I was around eight years old (nerd from the womb, yo) and have read it at least a dozen times since. Knowing that it is finally about to come to the screen is almost more than I can bear. So what I’m saying is those stinking Mayan calculations better be spot on because if the world ends before December 14^th, I’ll be furious. 

Review: "The Amazing Spider-Man"

Note: Before completing my review for The Amazing Spider-Man I had an in-depth conversation with my nerdiest, comic book-reading friend. Our opinions on this film and the Sam Raimi franchise differed greatly. As such, I believe that your feelings toward the previous series of Spiderman films will play a big part in how you feel toward this outing. Be advised.

You can count me in amongst the (relatively small) ranks of hardened movie goers who appreciate a good reboot, especially as it pertains to the superhero genre. When done correctly, I believe the current trend of shooting a trilogy with a given actor and/or director allows for a story to be told without being stretched too far and opens up the possibility for a diverse set of narratives within the same general universe. To me, this is preferable to say, the overextension of the first Superman films or the constant revolving door technique used by the Bond franchise. The Amazing Spider-Man (from here on out, just Spiderman because I’ve already tired of that hyphen), though, has two things going against it in that it is trying to reboot a very, very good franchise only five years after the last film debuted and it is one of the first franchises to undergo the face lift that many other series’ will go through in the coming years. And while at times this film is excellent, it struggles mightily under the weight of these pressing issues, creating an uneven experience that could have (and perhaps should have) been much better.

Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) hasn’t had an easy shake in life. His parents disappeared when he was very young, leaving him in the hands of his Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and Aunt May (Sally Field), who do their very best but who quite simply are not his parents. He is awkward in virtually every social setting, especially those involving his crush, Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone). But a discovery in his father’s old briefcase leads him to the lab of Doctor Curtis Connors (Rhys Ifans) where he is bitten by a genetically enhanced spider. Soon Peter finds that he has taken on the characteristics of a spider, including incredible strength and lightning-fast reflexes and when tragedy strikes his family yet again, Peter begins to hone his abilities and takes on the persona of Spiderman. But while Peter attempts to avenge his loss, Dr. Connors sees his genetic experiments go horribly wrong, creating a monster that may be too much even for Spiderman.

I would like to be able to write a review for The Amazing Spiderman without comparing it to the previous series but unfortunately, director Mark Webb hasn’t given me that option. There are so many similarities between this film and the first of Sam Raimi’s series, especially in the early going, as to make it difficult to discern between the two. Given how recently the target audience for this film was immersed in Raimi’s vision, I think it would have behooved Webb and his team of writers to work toward separating this film from the Tobey Maguire Spiderman in an effort to give notice of a new take on the material. This is far from a shot-for-shot remake of the 2002 film but so many details, right down to the set design of Peter’s school, bear a striking resemblance to that film. As Spiderman progresses, it pulls itself further and further away from its ancestors but the first act borrows heavily from Raimi’s Spiderman.

On the plus side, I found Garfield to be a pleasant, mostly believable, and effectively earnest Parker/Spiderman. The coolest thing about Spiderman is that he’s a teenager, a kid who suddenly becomes a force to be reckoned with in the middle of New York City. There’s a powerful appeal to Spiderman and Garfield does an excellent job of embodying not only the superhero side of his split persona but also the awkward and somewhat haunted teenage side. On this front at least, I think this version of Spiderman bests the Maguire version. At the same time, however, the development of Parker/Spiderman is uneven and a bit haphazard. Parker jumps too quickly from an awestruck kid who doesn’t know his own strength to a cocky, indestructible force and at times he seems to revert whenever it is convenient within the narrative for him to do so. Stacy is much the same way. In the beginning, she is a confident, accomplished young woman but as Parker’s importance builds, she becomes a one-note character who borders on the stereotypical damsel in distress. In much the same way that I questioned the casting of Natalie Portman in Thor, I found myself wondering why Stone was brought aboard in the first place. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love Emma Stone; she might be favorite actress in the business right now. But at the same time, a hundred actresses could have done what little she was asked to do for this role. I kept waiting for her to break out and honestly, I felt like she herself was waiting for an opportunity to do something worthwhile. Instead, she’s just kind left there to look pretty and occasionally drive one of the subplots. With a runtime of over two hours, you would think some time could be found for character development but without it, the relationship between Parker and Stacy seems inconsequential if not superfluous. This was a real missed opportunity in my estimation because Stone is one of the more charismatic women in Hollywood and here she’s almost hamstrung by a lackluster character.

Spiderman does excel in pushing the tempo in the right situations and works hard (perhaps too hard) to strike an emotional tone. This isn’t as much fun as the typical superhero movie and while it isn’t as dark as The Dark Knight franchise, it definitely has more in common with that series than it does with The Avengers or the rest of the Marvel universe. The visuals are impressive (though a few shots are clearly geared exclusively to the 3D crowd, which I hate) and I personally dig the suit, though I prefer my Spidey with organic web shooters in his wrists rather than a super brain that allows him to build a device to shoot his webbing (which goes against the comics, I know). Webb displays a flair for the dramatic and as the film builds toward a final collision between Spiderman and his first real nemesis, I felt it really found its stride. As with any origin story, it’s almost impossible to truly judge this film until we see what sort of house Garfield and (presumably) Webb can build out of the foundation laid here. As such, there’s nothing within this film that I can call great but there is enough good here to expect much bigger things from the inevitable sequels. 

In Home Viewings: "Rampart"

Officer David Douglas Brown (Woody Harrelson) is an old school kind of cop with almost as many disciplinary actions on his record as arrests. A thug with a badge, Brown seems to take pride in abusing his power and his claim to fame is a murder that he may or may not have committed in a fit of vigilante rage. His personal life is perhaps even more troublesome than his professional one, as he lives in a sort of commune with his two daughters and their respective mothers who happen to be sisters. All in all, Brown is a miserable human being whose one saving grace is his youngest daughter, Margaret (Sammy Boyarsky), who still sees a bit of good in her old man. Already on the radar of his commanding officer, Joan Confrey (Sigourney Weaver), Brown draws even more attention when an onlooker videotapes him beating a drunk driver who crashed into his patrol car. Needing aid in his attempt to stay on the force, Brown turns to an old friend (Ned Beatty) who ends up dragging him further into his personal darkness.

Director Oren Moverman’s last film, The Messenger, is a tense, depressing film that also happens to be extremely well put together and features compelling characters in harsh situations. It is a film that I’m glad I saw but I never want to watch again. Rampart is also tense and depressing but fails to live up to the back half of the equation. At the outset, I was willing to invest in the movie because Brown is set up as a complex character with more to him than you might expect. Somewhere in there is a hint of a decent human being and this was enough to pique my interest. Before long, however, it becomes apparent that whatever shred of humanity there was in Brown at one time has been gone for quite some time and he is, in fact, one of the more unlikeable, terrible people you’re ever likely to come across. And at this point, my interest in the film died.

Now, I don’t have to have the stereotypical redemption story to keep me invested in a film that centers on a retched lead character. A sufficient amount of hate for a character can be just as engrossing as love for a great character. But Rampart doesn’t really illicit hate from the audience directed at Brown; in fact, it doesn’t illicit any emotion at all. Much like a documentarian, Moverman basically lets the camera follow Brown through his day-to-day, miserable existence and while I’ve seen this technique work before, here it just seems to be slogging through the muddy waters of apathy, as if Moverman himself couldn’t muster up any interest to develop his story. I simply could not care less about anything about the events of Rampart nor the characters therein. Eventually I checked out and if I’m being completely honest, there was at least one plot point that I couldn’t understand but didn’t care enough about to go back to fill in the blanks.

That’s a shame because the one area in which Rampart succeeds is in the performances of its actors, particularly that of American Treasure Woody Harrelson. I’m not sure there’s a better actor in the business who excels at playing both exceedingly likeable characters and characters that you desperately want to see punch in the face. This is yet another strong portrayal that is hamstrung by the film’s failure to grab hold of the audience in virtually any way. Rampart is a wasted and worthless venture that simply doesn’t give the viewer a reason to stay involved.

The Week That Was and the Week That Will Be - 7/2

As noted previously, I was out off the grid last week for work and that combined with a less than bustling news week has left me dreadfully behind on all the mediocre stuff you've all come to expect from this space. I'm certain that I missed some important stuff here or there. Apologies. Start taking up a contribution to pay me to do this full time and it won't happen again.

The big news, of course, was the death of screenwriter and director Nora Ephron. Ephron was responsible for three of my favorite romances, most notably When Harry Met Sally. I suspect that film will always hold the top spot on my personal list of chick flicks. For me, Ephron's greatest skill was her ability to blend old fashioned sentiments with the more progressive morays of modern times and she will be greatly missed. Vulture provides a great look back at her esteemed career.

Depending on the (inevitable?) success of The Bourne Legacy, it's entirely possible that Jeremy Renner and Matt Damon will team up in future Bourne movies. So...that sounds awesome, right?

The Starship Troopers reboot will be less violent and will follow the book more closely. Thank goodness.

Luc Besson has been flirting with retiring but it seems he'll put those plans aside long enough to direct a big screen adaptation of the graphic novel series, Valerian. The big question is, how big of a role will Liam Neeson play in this movie? 

I keep trying to see The Intouchables and it keeps not happening. So have a look at Mark Hobin's stellar review over at Fast Film Reviews. 

Movie Muse gives us the top 10 performances by Paul Rudd. And while I definitely disagree with the order, it's worth checking out. 

The Focused Filmographer got a chance to check out Batman's tumbler and ties the visit together with some musings on the film. Check it out. 

Weekend Box Office Results

This was a HUGE week for both R-rated films and the controversial concept of making films on a reasonable budget. With a cost of around $50 million, Ted performed quite well with both audiences and critics alike, giving creator Seth MacFarlane of Family Guy fame his first big screen hit. Meanwhile, Magic Mike went a long way in confirming the star status of Channing Tatum and also found favor with critics. Not bad for a film budgeted at $7 million. It will be interesting to see how these two films fare in coming weeks, as Mike has all the makings of an event film that sees a sharp downturn in its take from here on out while word-of-mouth may give Ted a longer lasting appeal.

Tyler Perry’s Awful Summer Movie of 2012 also debuted to a solid amount and critical hatred, which was, of course, exactly what everyone expected. And Brave performed reasonably well considering the number of new films entering the marketplace and the less-than-spectacular reviews.

1. Ted - $54.1M

2. Magic Mike - $39.15M

3. Brave - $34.01M ($131.68M)

4. Tyler Perry’s Who Cares - $26.35M

5. Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted - $11.81M ($180.01M)

6. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter - $6M ($29.03M)

7. Prometheus - $4.92M ($118.26M)

8. Moonrise Kingdom - $4.87M ($18.4M)

9. Snow White and the Huntsman - $4.4M ($145.59M)

10. People Like Us - $4.3M

New to DVD

What I’ll Be Renting This Week

The Hunter (2011) – Willem Dafoe, Sam Neill, Morgana Davis

I cannot say that this film, about a mercenary sent to track down and kill the last remaining Tasmanian tiger, will be good but for some reason it has intrigued me for quite some time now. Maybe I just need more Willem Dafoe in my life. Regardless, I plan to check this one out.

New to Blu

Born on the 4^th of July (1989) – Tom Cruise, Raymond J. Berry

Barbarella (1968) – Jane Fonda, John Phillip Law

Treasure Planet (2002) – Joseph Gordon Levitt, Emma Thompson, Martin Short

Home on the Range (2004) – Rosanne Barr, Judi Dench, Cuba Gooding Jr.

Under the Tuscan Sun (2003) – Diane Lane, Raoul Bova, Sandra Oh

The Horse Whisperer (1998) – Robert Redford, Kristin Scott-Thomas, Sam Neill

Phenomenon (1996) – John Travolta, Kyra Sedgwick, Forest Whitacker

Step Up (2006) – Channing Tatum, Jenna Dewan-Tatum

Coming to a Theater Near You

I didn’t get to publish this column last week because Blogger is stupid. For the record, I pegged Ted pretty closely (67% actual rating versus my 62% prediction) and I absolutely refuse to believe that any movie starring Matthew McConaughey, Channing Tatum, AND Alex Pettyfer could possibly be even somewhat good. That would rip apart the very fabric of the universe.

The Amazing Spider-Man – Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans

Part reboot, part origin story, Amazing Spider-Man finds a brash Peter Parker (Garfield) discovering the truth about his long-gone parents, becoming a superhero in the process. Like many others, I found the news of a Spiderman (I’m already tired of putting that dumb hyphen in) reboot hitting theaters only five years after the end to the previous envisioning to be head scratching at the least. Moreover, I remain unconvinced that Garfield is the right guy for the part. The trailers, however, have done their job by both piquing my interest and displaying a much different tone than the one at work in the Sam Raimi/Tobey Maguire films. I’m not expecting greatness but I have more confidence in this film than I did at the beginning of the year. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: Fresh, 78%

Savages – Aaron Johnson, Taylor Kitsch, Blake Lively

Two semi-peaceful pot growers (Johnson, Kitsch) with a booming business go on the offensive when a would-be business partner kidnaps their girlfriend (Lively) in an attempt to force them into an agreement. It’s been a while since Oliver Stone has made a significant movie and it seems to me that the further he gets from such a film, the more desperate his efforts become. Savages has some potential but the cut of the trailer comes far too close to the feel of Smokin’ Aces for my tastes. And while I will support Kitsch to the bitter end, involving John Travolta in any film is like a poison pill for me. Don’t think I can do it. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: Rotten, 57%

Katy Perry: Part of Me – Katy Perry

A movie about the life and times of Katy Perry who has, you know, been a celebrity for four years. For me, Katy Perry’s music is like reruns of Yes, Dear. If a song of hers comes on the radio and there’s nothing better on the other stations, I’ll listen to it but I’ll feel like the radio failed me. She does have some charm and she was great when she hosted Saturday Night Live last season but an entire movie dedicated to her sounds awful. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: Rotten, 50%

Also New: The Queen of Versailles offers an engrossing documentarian look at the rise and fall of a real estate mogul…and the Duplass brothers come back with The Do-Deca-Pentathalon about a pair of brothers who put together a homemade Olympic-style tournament.

In Home Viewings: "The Woman in Black"

When his wife died during childbirth, Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe) sank into a deep depression that results in a distance from his young son and the derailment of his law career. Given one last chance to regain his footing within his fim, Arthur is sent to a remote village to sort through the personal papers of a dead woman and sell her house. It is a simple job designed to get his life back on track. But when he arrives, he discovers that the house has a dark history in which he soon finds himself engulfed. An evil presence runs roughshod through the very fabric of the town and threatens not only Arthur’s life but also the life of his son.

The Woman in Black is a very straight-forward, simple film that tells a concise but worthwhile story in just the right amount of time. One of its strengths is the implementation of a very limited cast. This is basically a two man show, with Radcliffe either working alone or opposite Ciaran Hinds, who fits his part perfectly. The two work well together and by keeping the importance of the supporting parts to a minimum, director James Watkins prevents his film from falling into the cringe-inducing, “How does that person have a SAG card?!” performances that plague most horror movies. Much is put on the shoulders of Radcliffe, then, and as such, I’d call this a modest success for the young actor. This role is enough of a departure from his days as Harry Potter and yet familiar enough as to seem comfortable. It isn’t a stunning performance by any means but it is strong enough to hold water. The next two or three roles will be even more important for Radcliffe in terms of preventing himself from being type cast but this is a step in the right direction.

Watkins also succeeds in creating a terse tone from the very beginning of the film and carrying that through to the very end. The Woman in Black rarely holds back as the thrills and chills start early and come often. As a result, most of twists feel very natural, though the final turn seems a bit forced to me. I was legitimately freaked out at times and Watkins does a great jump of bringing the obligatory jumps and more drawn-out terror together into a mix that never really lets the audience get settled in.

I don’t much care for scary movies of either the spooky ghost or psycho killer variety and as such, I rarely enjoy them. When I do have a good experience with this sort of film, it’s usually one that features decent acting, manages to create a genuinely tense atmosphere, and relies on consistent terror over gore or cheesy jumps. The Woman in Black hits each of these marks and delivers a satisfying if unspectacular product that is filled to the brim with suspense. There’s nothing great or even entirely unique at play here but this film is good on many levels and that was enough to win me over.

Trailer Spotlight: Monsters University, Taken 2, and much more

Programming note: This post, along with another one, were scheduled to drop earlier this week while I was out of town and away from Internet connectivity. Since Blogger is just the worst, that didn't happen. Apologies for the lack of content. The move to Wordpress (in the offing) cannot come soon enough...

It's been a while since we've had a trailer worth getting excited about and last week Hollywood decided to make up for that. Wow! I can scarcely remember a week that brought us so many trailers, including several first looks at movies headed to theaters later this year. Let's dive right in, shall we?

Monsters University (June 21) - Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi
In my mind, Monsters, Inc. is one of Pixar's most underrated films. I honestly think it is one of the studio's more ingenious concepts and the voice talent is impeccable. So while this first look is only a mere teaser trailer, I'm incredibly stoked. Let's just hope University follows in the footsteps of Toy Story 3, not Cars 2.



Hotel Transylvania (September 21) - Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez
I'm not in any way saying that Hotel Transylvania is going to be any good. I am saying that given how miserable Adam Sandler's last...like...10 movies have been, it can't hurt to try something just a little bit different. If nothing else, I think this is a decent idea and that, too, is a departure from the typical Sandler movie.



Taken 2 (October 5) - Liam Neeson, Framke Janssen, Maggie Grace
Hey, you know what's awesome? Liam Neeson beating people up. I'm surprised that hasn't been turned into a Netflix genre. "Netflix recommends 'Liam Neeson Beating People Up Movies' based on your interest in everything that is awesome." The first Taken took Neeson to all new heights of bossery and it remains one of the more enjoyable films I have ever seen in a theater. I expect this sequel to crank that fun up about 19 notches and that expectation has been confirmed with two lines of dialogue from this trailer. Just watch it. You'll know what I'm talking about.



Dredd (September 21) - Karl Urban, Lena Headey, Olivia Thirlby
There are a large number of people out there who swear by the Judge Dredd comic and desperately want a good big screen adaptation. I'm not so sure this is it. I like Urban but this trailer gives off the decisive stench of a movie that takes itself far too seriously. If it was played more like Taken or The Expendables, I'd be more optimistic. As is...not buying it.



Anna Karenina (November 9) - Keira Knightley, Jude Law, Aaron Johnson
Here's what I think about director Joe Wright: he makes beautiful, well-acted, painstakingly crafted films. But he does not make films for me. Hanna was the his best chance to hook me and despite the many people who loved that film, I found it to be obnoxious and misguided. Anna Karenina falls right in line with Atonement and Pride and Prejudice in that I understand the appeal but it doesn't do anything for me. Looks pretty but I won't be anxiously waiting in line.



The Master (October 12) - Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams
Paul Thomas Anderson gave us a brief look at his first film since 2007's There Will Be Blood a couple of weeks ago and this second teaser trailer is no lengthier nor explanatory than its predecessor. It does, however, introduce us to PSH's religious cult leader who resides at the heart of the film. This could be a tremendous film.



The Dark Knight (July 20) - Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway
Finally, here's the last look at The Dark Knight Rises before it opens in theaters in less than a month. I don't really need to say anything about this one. Can't wait.

Review: "Brave"

Over the last 17 years, Pixar has provided the world with some of the very best animated films that the genre has to offer. From Toy Story to The Incredibles to Up, the studio has put together a ridiculously impressive stable of films and basically didn’t miss between 1995 and 2011. Cars 2, though, was a huge disappointment and at the same time, only served to highlight just how good this studio has been over the years. If that film had been a DreamWorks or Sony Animation release, it would be considered a decent-enough throw away family film and no one would think twice about it. But because Pixar has set its standards so incredibly high, it seemed like a tremendous flop because it didn’t have the strength to match up against everything else these people have ever given us. Essentially, Pixar has become an entity that is judged more by its failures than by its successes. So the question is, to which side of that equation does Brave fall?

For lack of a better term, Merida (Kelly Macdonald) is a tomboy. The heiress to a kingdom within the Scottish Highlands, Merida has little patience for the duties of a princess and prefers to spend her time riding horses, climbing mountains, and shooting arrows. When her father King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and mother Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson) arrange for a competition among the suitors of the kingdom to win the princess’ hand, Merida takes her rebelliousness to a whole new level and upsets the careful balance of power her father resides over. Anxious to prevent the arranged marriage, she sneaks away into the forest and stumbles across a witch (Julie Waters) who creates a spell to change Queen Elinor’s mind and thereby Merida’s fate. But when the princess delivers the spell, Elinor is transformed into a bear, leading to a desperate race to find a cure before the queen is left a bear for eternity.

Brave is by far the most traditional film Pixar has made to date. From talking toys to a robot love story, this studio has always stayed away from fairy tales and the like instead choosing to push wholly unique visions that consistently hit the mark. As such, it took me a few minutes to adjust to Brave, which is much closer to a Disney movie than one from Pixar. That’s not a bad thing, mind you; Brave would fit nicely alongside Tangled and the current Disney animation style. It isn’t, however, what you expect when heading into a Pixar movie and requires the viewer to adjust accordingly. Once I accepted what I was being presented with, my initial sense of disappointed faded away and I enjoyed myself immensely. And while Brave doesn’t quite stack up to most of the other films from the Pixar universe, it is still an excellent, if not entirely fresh, take on the fairy tale.

As always with a Pixar film, the visuals presented within Brave are stunning. There is less realism to the human characters than what we’ve seen in the past (that the studio could make Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and the rest look so incredibly REAL in 1995 is still uncanny to me), the work done on the bears, which play an increasingly important role in this film, is impeccable. There is no animal that fascinates me more than the bear (nerd alert, I know) and at times I was absolutely blown away by the lifelikeness of the creatures presented in Brave. It is a beautiful film with an impressive and subtle score that highlights the emotions of the film’s subjects wonderfully. The choice of setting, too, is a big check mark in the film’s favor, though perhaps I’m a bit biased toward the awesomeness of Scotland. There’s just something cool about the accents, music, and what have you. Behind the camera, Macdonald, Connolly, Thompson, and the rest of the cast provide a steady if underwhelming hand at the wheel of the film. None of the voice actors deliver a particularly stellar performance but all do their part to effectively balance the humor and seriousness required by the film.

Really all Brave lacks is the patented magic that I usually anticipate from Pixar and which the studio almost always delivers on. It seems to me that the filmmakers may have backed themselves into a corner from which they could not create a unique world in which to operate. There has been pressure for quite some time now for the studio to make a film with a female protagonist and I think perhaps that pressure forced their respective hands a bit, resulting in a storyline that really didn’t have as much range as the ones contained within the other Pixar films. In addition, there’s no novelty to Brave and I feel that hindered the development of both narrative and characters some. In The Incredibles for example, just by building a world in which superheroes are real and have been outlawed, you create a reason for serious development and for the audience to pay close attention and Brave doesn’t quite have that quality. Still, though, it is a strong entry into the genre and plays almost as a throwback or homage to the Disney films of the past, such as Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty.

Review: "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted"

For someone who does not have any kids of his own, I end up watching quite a few animated films every year. I generally don’t expect much from these films (not including Pixar’s entries into the field) but as much as I love the complex, deeper movies the world has to offer, sometimes I like watching something that’s easy to follow and wraps up quickly. Madagascar, however, is one that surprised me and turned out to be much more entertaining than I would have guessed. As such, the third installment of the franchise holds a little more weight for me than the average DreamWorks animated feature and while it doesn’t quite measure up to the original, Europe’s Most Wanted provides a solid family adventure that everyone can enjoy.

With his homesickness deepening, Alex the lion (Ben Stiller) and his old chums Marty the zebra (Chris Rock), Gloria the hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith), and Melman the giraffe (David Schwimmer) decide to head to Monte Carlo to track down their friends the penguins and make their way back to New York. Upon arrival, the group is pursued by Captain Chantel DuBois (Frances McDormand), an overzealous animal control officer, who wrecks Alex’s escape plan and forces the animals to stow away aboard a train transporting a raggedy circus. With an audition for an American circus promoter on the horizon, Alex and his friends seize the opportunity and set about creating a new act that will impress the scout and buy their passage back to New York. But with Captain DuBois hot on their trail and time running short, Alex and his friends are forced to question the meaning of the word “home.”

The best thing about Europe’s Most Wanted (and the other Madagascar movies as well) is that it moves at a brisk pace. No time is wasted in filling in the details of ridiculous plot points, such as how the animals swim from Africa to Monte Carlo. The filmmakers behind this franchise embrace the fact that their concept is absurd so there’s no point in trying to come up with a perfect narrative. Perhaps that sounds silly but often times I run into children’s movies that spend an inordinate amount of time working through a logical plot progression when the movie itself is about talking birds or a sword fighting cat. Everything about Europe’s Most Wanted is quick, easy, and breezy and never bogs down. Obviously that’s important for the attention span of the film’s target audience but it’s also vitally important for people like me who just want a 90 minute break from thinking.

This film also succeeds in keeping the premise fresh, always a tricky feat for a sequel to a sequel. At some point even (modest) fans of this franchise like myself will become tired of Alex and the rest of the gang but at least up to through this installment, the filmmakers have managed to keep things from becoming overly repetitive. Likewise, there’s still a fair amount of heart displayed by these characters and while you can see the change in attitude coming from miles away, it’s still a satisfying occurrence to watch Alex and company evolve. The additions to the cast of characters are all worthwhile and the assembled voice talent is even more impressive. Moreover, the focus is actually placed on the new characters, not on the actors who voice them. I have frequently complained that DreamWorks animation often falls into the trap of highlighting the men and women behind the characters at the expense of the characters themselves. But here, the new cast members, including Bryan Cranston, Jessica Chastain, and the immortal Martin Short, all blend in seamlessly and provide some excellent moments in their own right.

There are some definite flaws here and there and Europe’s Most Wanted certainly isn’t reinventing the animated wheel, but the film hits all of the applicable marks and I think it delivers the movie most will expect it to be. If nothing else, it is an acceptable bookend on a series that might not be beloved but certainly serves as quality family entertainment. 

The Week That Was and the Week That Will Be - 6/18

Jonah Hill has joined the always morphing cast of Django Unchained. They may be adding pieces to this movie in December.

The troubled production of The Lone Ranger (seeming more and more like a bad idea) is again over budget. This has some serious John Carter potential.

Speaking of troubled productions, check out this piece on World War Z which has already moved from December to next June and may not see the light of day even then. I've said before that there was a way to make WWZ an incredible film and a way to make a mess of it. I fear the latter.

JJ Abrams, already the owner of a crowded plate these days, has added a small budget sci-fi film called The God Particle to his schedule, though he'll only produce this one.

Check out this brilliantly written piece that delves DEEP into the theological undertones of Prometheus. Not sure that I agree with everything here but it is an incredibly interesting column.

Nick Prigge has an interesting read concerning the evolution, or lack there of, of Adam Sandler. Check it out.

My colleague Mark Hobin gives us an open letter to the people behind Rock of Ages in lieu of a traditional review. Well done, Mark. I'll try not to hold your affinity for that terrible music against you!

Weekend Box Office Results

A few weeks ago I would not have guessed that Madagascar 3 would own the box office for not one but two weekends in a row. I honestly thought Prometheus was going to be bigger and up until the last few days, I thought Rock of Ages would be the type of film that kills it in its first week and then drops off the face of the earth. So much for that. While the studio behind That’s My Boy are probably happy with its paltry fifth place finish, the brains backing Rock of Ages have to be disappointed with the reception it received both critically and at the box office. With such a poor showing, it’s likely to be knocked out of first release theaters within a couple of weeks and I would guess it will have a bit of trouble finding an audience overseas.

1. Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted - $35.5M ($120.45M)

2. Prometheus - $20.2M ($88.85M)

3. Rock of Ages - $15.06M

4. Snow White and the Huntsman - $13.8M ($122.6M)

5. That’s My Boy - $13M

6. Men in Black 3 - $10M ($152.67M)

7. The Avengers - $8.84M ($586.73M)

8. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel - $2.2M ($35.13M)

9. Moonrise Kingdom - $2.18M ($6.77M)

10. What to Expect When You’re Expecting - $1.33M ($38.76M)

What I’ll Be Renting This Week

Jeff, Who Lives at Home – Jason Segel, Ed Helms, Susan Sarandon

The Duplass Brothers (Mark and Jay) have become indie darlings over the last few years with each of their efforts gaining more and more acclaim. Jeff brought in their biggest collection of talent yet and while it didn’t do so well at the box office, it did draw attention from critics. I didn’t get a chance to catch it in theaters so I’m looking forward to an in-home viewing.

What I’ve Seen So You Don’t Have To

Wanderlust – Paul Rudd, Jennifer Aniston, Justin Theroux

I gave Wanderlust two and a half stars in my initial review but the more I’ve thought about, the more I’ve come around to the idea that this movie is terrible. Thinking back, some of the things that irked me then now make me truly angry and some of the things I sort-of liked seem stupid. Basically, Rudd and Aniston are enough to make this movie barely passable but that’s as far as it gets. Not a fan.

What’s Better Than You Might Expect

Franklin and Bash: Season 1 – Mark Paul Gosselar, Breckin Meyer

I admit I was skeptical. None of TNT’s previous original efforts have worked for me and I really didn’t expect Franklin and Bash to bring much in the way of legitimate comedy. But amazingly enough, this is a show that has some very funny moments tied together with a light, lively procedural narrative that carries well from week to week. The second season kicked off a couple of weeks ago and it, too, seems to be quality summer entertainment.

Also New

Big Miracle – Drew Barrymore, John Krasinski, Tim Blake Nelson

Project X – Thomas Mann, Oliver Cooper, Jonathan Daniel Brown

Seeking Justice – Nicolas Cage, Guy Pearce, January Jones

Wilfred: Season 1 – Elijah Wood, Jason Gann

Louie: Season 2 – Louis C.K., Hadley Delany

New to Blu Pick of the Week or Whenever I Feel Like It

Newsies (1992) – Christian Bale, Bill Pullman, Robert Duvall

It probably will not surprise you to read that I am not a fan of musicals. They do not float my movie boat. To date, there are two (non-animated) exceptions to this rule: Little Shop of Horrors and Newsies. I can’t exactly explain to you, dear reader, why I love this film so but I do nonetheless and I’ve watched it far more times than I’d like to admit. There’s really no reason for me to replace my DVD copy but…

Also New to Blu

Evita (1996) – Madonna, Antonio Banderas, Jonathan Pryce

Sister Act 1 and 2 (1992, 1993) – Whoopi Goldberg, Maggie Smith, Kathy Najimy

Coming to a Theater Near You

I am shocked to my very core to report that That’s My Boy was not pulverized by the national media. With a 23% fresh rating (versus my 4% prediction), it certainly didn’t set the world on fire but compared to Adam Sandler’s recent list of accomplishments, 23% sounds pretty good. It also leaves me wondering if the Rotten Tomatoes algorithm that determines a films score was broken over the weekend because there is no possible way that this movie was better than 10% fresh. Rock of Ages didn’t find much love either, topping out at 43% (51% prediction) and most of the positive reviews included some truly horrendous lines stolen directly from the lyrics of the evil songs personified in the film. So these people cannot be trusted.

This week brings with it a trio of choices, one of which I’m very, very excited about.

Brave – Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson

A young and headstrong Scottish princess (Macdonald) gets herself and her kingdom into a good bit of trouble while trying to assert her freedom. I live by the following rule: if Pixar makes a movie, I will go and see that movie. Only once in the last 17 years has the studio let me down (Cars 2, of course) and while I admit Brave looks a little closer to Disney than Pixar, I’m still in all the way. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: Fresh, 75%

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter – Benjamin Walker, Rufus Sewell, Dominic Cooper

A pre-presidential Abe Lincoln (Walker) takes it upon himself to rid the United States of the vampires that are plotting to overrun the country. Everyone who has read this book seems to be priming with excitement for the big screen adaptation. I have not read the book and I have three major concerns for this film:

1.) Vampires are dumb. Thanks to Twilight and the litany of Twilight wannabes, I’m pretty much out on anything involving a vampire.

2.) Director Timur Bekmambetov is not to be trusted. I guess his foreign films have created a following but his one major US release, Wanted, is a piece of crap.

3.) The R rating is confusing. Summer blockbusters, which Vampire Hunter is clearly trying to be, are rarely rated R and this one in particular seems like it would be better served as a PG-13 venture.

I remain unconvinced. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: Rotten, 45%

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World – Steve Carell, Keira Knightley, Melinda Dillon

With a giant asteroid approaching earth, a lonely man (Carell) travels cross-country with his neurotic neighbor (Knightley) in pursuit of his high school sweetheart. If it hits the mark as a blend of sci-fi, romance, and comedy, Seeking a Friend could be incredible. It could also be a ho-hum mismatch but this seems like a role Carell will hammer home. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: Fresh, 72%

Also New: Woody Allen’s newest ensemble, To Rome with Love, tells the respective love stories of several couples.