Welcome to another episode Lights....Camera....Popcorn!
Today's review is The Help.
Directed by Tate Taylor.
Written by Tate Taylor & Kathryn Stockett.
Based on the book "The Help" written by Kathryn Stockett.
Review #134
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for thematic material.
Runtime: 146 min
Cast
Emma Stone ...Eugenia 'Skeeter' Phelan
Viola Davis ...Aibileen Clark
Bryce Dallas Howard ...Hilly Holbrook
Octavia Spencer ...Minny Jackson
Jessica Chastain ...Celia Foote
Ahna O'Reilly ...Elizabeth Leefolt
Allison Janney ...Charlotte Phelan
Anna Camp ...Jolene French
Chris Lowell ...Stuart Whitworth
Cicely Tyson ...Constantine Jefferson
Mike Vogel ...Johnny Foote
Sissy Spacek ...Missus Walters
If you looked at the description for the rating of this film. It says "Thematic Material." I had no idea what that meant. I've never seen a film rating described that way.
I certainly know now.
Plot
An aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960's decides to write a book detailing the African American Maid's point of view on the White families they work for, and they hardships they go through on a day to day basis.
The Help can be reviewed in 1 word. That word is EMOTIONAL!
It should come as no surprise to anyone how the world operated during the 60's in the Jim Crow south. Racism and inequality was magnified 1,000% down there and this film has no problem taking us back to that time. And reminding us (not that we needed it) how ass backward, ignorant and savage the mindset those privileged bigots displayed and displayed with pride.
It was the presentation of the lack of respect for the maid's basic humanity that constantly fueled a rage in me while watching. Every time I saw Hilly Holbrook's holier than thou facial expressions or her thumbing her nose toward the help it just infuriated me. How a person could treat another with such disrespect due to some misguided sense of entitlement was tough to watch. This was obviously the intent of the film and at least for me mission accomplished.
Now of course on the other side of the coin, The Help does a great job relieving you of the anger towards the mistreatment of the maids when the book finally comes out and these prissy bitches finally get their comeuppance. The one thing that all of those women had in common was their reputation's as "upstanding" citizen's. Especially Hilly. Seeing her embarrassed and disgraced brought a smile to my face 5 miles wide. I have never felt such satisfaction towards a character getting what's coming to them in a long long time. My only regret was that Hilly didn't suffer more. That might sound mean of me but if you see this movie you will feel the same as I do.
OK. Enough of the story. Let's talk about the performances which were OUTSTANDING! All the way down the line. There were 4 that in my mind stood out.
I'll begin with Emma Stone. From jump street, Skeeter wasn't the typical spoiled, misguided southern belle. Like everyone else she was raised by a black maid (played by the wonderful Cicely Tyson) but she wasn't a second class citizen. At least not to Skeeter. Constantine like so many of the maids back then and even now are the child's REAL mother and that bond was evident. That bond is what gave Skeeter the respect she has for all of the maids and servants working on her property and around the town. Skeeter sees them as PEOPLE. No label's are placed on them by her. Skeeter is a tough girl who speaks her mind and doesn't turn a blind eye to progress. In fact she supports and roots for it. That was the inspiration for the book and Stone does a great job capturing the passion and determination that Skeeter had for telling the story and telling it the right way.
Next up we have Octavia Spencer as Minny. Her performance is getting some serious Oscar chatter and it's well deserved. I don't think I am talking out of school here by saying that this is her breakout role and biggest for that matter. For most of her career she has played minor characters in small roles. She's actually more known on the small screen. Well after this performance her status as a character actress in films will disappear and it's about time. Her talent shines through here playing the gruff yet loving Minny. She was Hilly's maid in the film so needless to say the bigotry towards her and her profession ran rampant. I'm not going to give this away but what Minny does to Hilly toward the end was just MAGNIFICENT!
You go girl!
Moving on to the film's villain Hilly. Bryce Dallas Howard was so EVIL that if you don't hate her you either share her beliefs or are a soul less being. Her lack of respect for Minny and the maids was just repulsive. This of course was the intent which is also what made the performance so memorable and terrific. She played the villain so well that all I cared about was waiting to see what happens to her at the end. It's a shame that someone so pretty had to be so ugly for this role but she nailed it. Well done.
Last but certainly not least we have the heavy hitter Viola Davis as Aibileen. Viola is no stranger to standout performances. Thanks to her Oscar nomination for her small role in Doubt. She was in just 1 scene but it was strong enough to earn a Best Supporting Actress nod. Her performance in The Help is greater in both screen time and depth. The maids were forced to suppress their true feelings toward their employers out of fear of unemployment or worse being black listed from future job opportunities. That suppression was clear as day on Viola's face throughout. The disdain she has for the work, the people, the struggle and lack of options run through her faster than our blood flows through our veins. These women spend a long time enduring both physical and emotional pain working for people that couldn't care if they were alive or dead. Viola does a masterful job keeping a smile on her face when she would rather put a baseball bat to the back of her boss's head. The only love that Aibileen shows is for the child she cares for. Which was a very touching and important aspect to her performance. I promise you will leave the movie remembering the following 3 sentences.
You is kind. You is smart. You is important.
In fact that's exactly what this movie is. It's kind for reminding us that people who serve us everyday DEMAND our respect and gratitude. It's smart for showing us that no matter how bad a situation gets change is always possible. Finally it's important because we as a society sometimes lose sight of our history because we are all too busy living in the now. The Help shows you that it's vital to maintain connections to the past via friends or loved ones that have lived in that time. I had a great conversation with my grandmother after seeing this movie and she made me appreciate even further what she had to go through as a Latina back during the civil rights movement.
If there's any gripe to make about this wonderful film it's probably the run time. It's a little long and at times feels like it's ended before it ends. Again this is a very minor complaint towards a film that has made the list of not only best of the summer but possibly best of 2011.
On the 5 star scale. The Help gets the full house 5 stars with a "Worth Every Penny!" recommendation. This film is REQUIRED viewing by ALL of you. It's worth your time and money.
That's a wrap for today. Up next is The Debt.
Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!"
"D"
Colombiana
Welcome to another episode Lights....Camera....Popcorn!
Today's review is Colombiana.
Directed by Olivier Megaton.
Written by Luc Besson & Robert Mark Kamen.
Review #135
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for violence, disturbing images, intense sequences of action, sexuality and brief strong language.
Runtime: 107 min
Cast
Zoe Saldana ...Cataleya Restrepo
Amandla Stenberg ...Young Cataleya Restrepo
Michael Vartan ...Danny Delanay
Cliff Curtis ...Emilio Restrepo
Callum Blue ...Richard
Jordi Mollà ...Marco
Max Martini ...Special Agent Williams
Lennie James ...Special Agent Ross
Graham McTavish ...Head Marshall Warren
Luc Besson and Rober Mark Kamen have been one of Hollywood's most notorious typewriting tag team. They have collaborated on some very popular films. The Fifth Element, The Transporter and Taken to name a few. A common component employed in Besson and Kamen's screenplays is what I call the AAL approach.
Abandon All Logic.
Their stories contain scenes that make no sense whatsoever to the narrative and specialize in the absurd. They serve no purpose than to just move the story along. This egregious tactic is mostly forgiven by me because the rest of the film overall is entertaining. So what happens when they apply the AAL approach to more than just a handful of scenes?
You get this DREADFUL film.
Plot
A young woman grows up to be a stone-cold assassin after witnessing her parents' murder as a child in Bogota. She works for her uncle as a hitman by day, but her personal time is spent engaging in vigilante murders that she hopes will lead her to her ultimate target - the mobster responsible for her parents' death.
The massive amount of stupidity and lack of continuity is blatant, sloppy and finally anger inducing. Colombiana is by all accounts an action movie that showcases two of the genre's most popular ingredients.
Revenge and Assassins.
Unless you are a complete BAFOON! You can't mess that up. Well Besson on Kamen messed it up.
The plot is so incomplete and poorly constructed that I questioned if there was a writer at all. After Cataleya flees her attackers she meets up with her uncle who's supposed to be some bad ass. She asks her to teach her how to become a killer. OK. Fine. How do we see this little girl grow into a fierce assassin? We don't. Just like Conan the Barbarian Besson and Kamen CHEATED by dipping the screen to black followed by a 15 years later title card over a panoramic shot of downtown L.A. What happened to the training montage that made films like this so cliche yet fun. Have they become so poo poo that we can't see somebody training? Combat progression aside. Colombiana commits an even harsher crime.
They WASTED Zoe Saldana.
This woman is in a word HOT and speaking as a hetero geek that loves action films. There's nothing BETTER than seeing a hot chick run around in a black body suit taking out bad guys. Again, unless you have a I.Q. of zero you can't mess this up. Saldana's looks and body was not put it's fullest potential. The best part about a female assassin is her sex appeal and that was NOT on display AT ALL.
UNACCEPTABLE!
The film also tries to get us to feel for these people when there was no emotional development. The most important thing to keep in mind here is that Cataleya was the child of a CRIMINAL! She may have been innocent when it came to her parents death but she was by no means a saint. If you are going to make a bad guy/girl your hero then you have to give us a reason to care about said bad guy/girl. The attempt to do that was on par with the rest of the script.
Blatant and sloppy.
Needless to say I was and am VERY disappointed in Besson and Kamen. I knew going in that this film was going to have some absurdity going for it. In the past Besson and Kamen have found ways to make it work to their advantage. It didn't here. The script was such a disjointed mess that you lose your footing right when the credits roll.
I'm done. This one is now the front runner for WORST FILM OF 2011!
On the 5 star scale. Colombiana gets the goose egg. 0 stars with a "For the Love of God....Stay Home!" recommendation.
That's a wrap for today. Up next is The Debt.
Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!
"D"
Today's review is Colombiana.
Directed by Olivier Megaton.
Written by Luc Besson & Robert Mark Kamen.
Review #135
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for violence, disturbing images, intense sequences of action, sexuality and brief strong language.
Runtime: 107 min
Cast
Zoe Saldana ...Cataleya Restrepo
Amandla Stenberg ...Young Cataleya Restrepo
Michael Vartan ...Danny Delanay
Cliff Curtis ...Emilio Restrepo
Callum Blue ...Richard
Jordi Mollà ...Marco
Max Martini ...Special Agent Williams
Lennie James ...Special Agent Ross
Graham McTavish ...Head Marshall Warren
Luc Besson and Rober Mark Kamen have been one of Hollywood's most notorious typewriting tag team. They have collaborated on some very popular films. The Fifth Element, The Transporter and Taken to name a few. A common component employed in Besson and Kamen's screenplays is what I call the AAL approach.
Abandon All Logic.
Their stories contain scenes that make no sense whatsoever to the narrative and specialize in the absurd. They serve no purpose than to just move the story along. This egregious tactic is mostly forgiven by me because the rest of the film overall is entertaining. So what happens when they apply the AAL approach to more than just a handful of scenes?
You get this DREADFUL film.
Plot
A young woman grows up to be a stone-cold assassin after witnessing her parents' murder as a child in Bogota. She works for her uncle as a hitman by day, but her personal time is spent engaging in vigilante murders that she hopes will lead her to her ultimate target - the mobster responsible for her parents' death.
The massive amount of stupidity and lack of continuity is blatant, sloppy and finally anger inducing. Colombiana is by all accounts an action movie that showcases two of the genre's most popular ingredients.
Revenge and Assassins.
Unless you are a complete BAFOON! You can't mess that up. Well Besson on Kamen messed it up.
The plot is so incomplete and poorly constructed that I questioned if there was a writer at all. After Cataleya flees her attackers she meets up with her uncle who's supposed to be some bad ass. She asks her to teach her how to become a killer. OK. Fine. How do we see this little girl grow into a fierce assassin? We don't. Just like Conan the Barbarian Besson and Kamen CHEATED by dipping the screen to black followed by a 15 years later title card over a panoramic shot of downtown L.A. What happened to the training montage that made films like this so cliche yet fun. Have they become so poo poo that we can't see somebody training? Combat progression aside. Colombiana commits an even harsher crime.
They WASTED Zoe Saldana.
This woman is in a word HOT and speaking as a hetero geek that loves action films. There's nothing BETTER than seeing a hot chick run around in a black body suit taking out bad guys. Again, unless you have a I.Q. of zero you can't mess this up. Saldana's looks and body was not put it's fullest potential. The best part about a female assassin is her sex appeal and that was NOT on display AT ALL.
UNACCEPTABLE!
The film also tries to get us to feel for these people when there was no emotional development. The most important thing to keep in mind here is that Cataleya was the child of a CRIMINAL! She may have been innocent when it came to her parents death but she was by no means a saint. If you are going to make a bad guy/girl your hero then you have to give us a reason to care about said bad guy/girl. The attempt to do that was on par with the rest of the script.
Blatant and sloppy.
Needless to say I was and am VERY disappointed in Besson and Kamen. I knew going in that this film was going to have some absurdity going for it. In the past Besson and Kamen have found ways to make it work to their advantage. It didn't here. The script was such a disjointed mess that you lose your footing right when the credits roll.
I'm done. This one is now the front runner for WORST FILM OF 2011!
On the 5 star scale. Colombiana gets the goose egg. 0 stars with a "For the Love of God....Stay Home!" recommendation.
That's a wrap for today. Up next is The Debt.
Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!
"D"
Conan the Barbarian
Welcome to another episode Lights....Camera....Popcorn!
Today's review is Conan the Barbarian.
Directed by Marcus Nispel.
Written by Thomas Dean Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer & Sean Hood.
Based on the character Conan the Barbarian created by Robert E. Howard.
Review #133
MPAA Rating: R for strong bloody violence, some sexuality and nudity.
Runtime: 112 min
Cast
Jason Momoa ... Conan
Stephen Lang ... Khalar Zym
Rachel Nichols ... Tamara
Ron Perlman ... Corin
Rose McGowan ... Marique
Bob Sapp ... Ukafa
Leo Howard ... Young Conan
Steven O'Donnell ... Lucius
Nonso Anozie ... Artus
Raad Rawi ... Fassir
Laila Rouass ... Fialla
Saïd Taghmaoui ... Ela-Shan
Milton Welsh ... Remo
Conan the Barbarian is widely regarded as one of comics most iconic characters. That iconic status became amplified when the muscle man from Austria traded his Mr. Universe crown for a Cimmerian crown. From that point on the Conan character became legendary. So the next logical question is why has it taken over two decades to bring our beloved barbarian back to the silver screen? The answer is....there isn't one....depending on who you ask of course.
This character like so many others had fallen into developmental hell.
Script re-writes. The process went from a straight up remake to a reboot to even a sequel to Conan the Destroyer that would feature......wait for it......His son. Yeah I know. RIDICULOUS! .
Different directors. The Wachowski Brothers were once tagged to take on this film.
Casting changes. The Rock was once cast to play the son of Conan.
Studio influence/interference (mostly bad).
And finally release of the characters rights. You put all of those things in a mixing bowl and what comes out is an unholy MESS of a movie. So fast forward to now and Conan has finally returned to us.
Are we happy to see him? Well I can sum up this movie in two words....P U!
Picture me holding my nose as I say that.
Plot
A quest that begins as a personal vendetta for the fierce Cimmerian warrior soon turns into an epic battle against hulking rivals, horrific monsters, and impossible odds, as Conan realizes he is the only hope of saving the great nations of Hyboria from an encroaching reign of supernatural evil.
All of those factors I mentioned causing the developmental retardation of this project were on full display.
EVERY....SINGLE....ONE!
The script did EVERYTHING it could to dishonor the character and his rise from a parent-less child to iconic warrior. The film begins it's absurdity right at Conan's birth. He's born while his village is attacked. After performing the barbarian's version of a C section he holds his son in the air like Rafiki does to Simba in The Lion King and screams in pain due to the loss of his wife and Conan's mother. He does this IN THE MIDDLE OF A BATTLE!
Are you kidding me?
We then see Conan as an adolescent and this was actually a pretty cool scene that establishes Conan's undying rage and strength. Then in similar fashion to the original Conan's village is attacked once again by the main villain and it's here where the film loses the momentum it had gained. In the original, Conan was taken by Thulsa Doom as a slave. He's trained in the art of war and death in attempt to make him part of Doom's army.
How does Conan develop his skills and body here?
He doesn't. We get a black screen and Morgan Freeman's voice over explaining that Conan lived off the land for many years. Hunting, thieving and surviving. WEAK! Some of the best aspects of Conan the Barbarian 1982 was seeing the montage of Conan the child become Conan the man.
You CAN NOT TAKE THAT AWAY FROM US!
I will not go into the rest of the plot because there isn't one. The script is by far one of the weakest I have ever seen. Especially concerning a character whose biggest attribute is STRENGTH.
Moving on to directors. Marcus Nispel's filmography the remakes of Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Friday the 13th.
Need I say more?
This guy is a straight up HACK. His lack of talent and ability to craft a story cuts faster and harder than Conan's blade. The violence is too stylized and gratuitous. It doesn't add any depth to the fights which were HORRIBLY shot, framed and edited. The score was by far one of the WORST and CHEESIEST I have ever heard in a film. These are ALL things within a directors CONTROL and instead of coming to his senses....taking a step back and looking things over he left the movie like that.
By Crom is this guy AWFUL!
Finally the casting was all wrong with 1 exception. Jason Momoa who was a very controversial choice at the outset because of his unknown status in mainstream projects does a good job LOOKING the part. His performance however was very vanilla and cardboard. I am not going to blame him for that though. I am putting the script and director on trial for this offense. Conan is cunning, tactical and most importantly a SAVAGE! There was NONE of that here. In fact if he had channeled the character he played on HBO's Game of Thrones, Horse Lord Khal Drogo, we would be witnessing the rebirth of Conan. Instead we got a PG-13 Conan in an R rated film.
That's it. I'm done. I've already written more than this film deserves.
On the 5 star scale. Conan the Barbarian gets the goose egg. 0 stars with a "For The Love of God Stay Home!" recommendation.
That's a wrap for today. Up next is The Help.
Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!"
"D"
Today's review is Conan the Barbarian.
Directed by Marcus Nispel.
Written by Thomas Dean Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer & Sean Hood.
Based on the character Conan the Barbarian created by Robert E. Howard.
Review #133
MPAA Rating: R for strong bloody violence, some sexuality and nudity.
Runtime: 112 min
Cast
Jason Momoa ... Conan
Stephen Lang ... Khalar Zym
Rachel Nichols ... Tamara
Ron Perlman ... Corin
Rose McGowan ... Marique
Bob Sapp ... Ukafa
Leo Howard ... Young Conan
Steven O'Donnell ... Lucius
Nonso Anozie ... Artus
Raad Rawi ... Fassir
Laila Rouass ... Fialla
Saïd Taghmaoui ... Ela-Shan
Milton Welsh ... Remo
Conan the Barbarian is widely regarded as one of comics most iconic characters. That iconic status became amplified when the muscle man from Austria traded his Mr. Universe crown for a Cimmerian crown. From that point on the Conan character became legendary. So the next logical question is why has it taken over two decades to bring our beloved barbarian back to the silver screen? The answer is....there isn't one....depending on who you ask of course.
This character like so many others had fallen into developmental hell.
Script re-writes. The process went from a straight up remake to a reboot to even a sequel to Conan the Destroyer that would feature......wait for it......His son. Yeah I know. RIDICULOUS! .
Different directors. The Wachowski Brothers were once tagged to take on this film.
Casting changes. The Rock was once cast to play the son of Conan.
Studio influence/interference (mostly bad).
And finally release of the characters rights. You put all of those things in a mixing bowl and what comes out is an unholy MESS of a movie. So fast forward to now and Conan has finally returned to us.
Are we happy to see him? Well I can sum up this movie in two words....P U!
Picture me holding my nose as I say that.
Plot
A quest that begins as a personal vendetta for the fierce Cimmerian warrior soon turns into an epic battle against hulking rivals, horrific monsters, and impossible odds, as Conan realizes he is the only hope of saving the great nations of Hyboria from an encroaching reign of supernatural evil.
All of those factors I mentioned causing the developmental retardation of this project were on full display.
EVERY....SINGLE....ONE!
The script did EVERYTHING it could to dishonor the character and his rise from a parent-less child to iconic warrior. The film begins it's absurdity right at Conan's birth. He's born while his village is attacked. After performing the barbarian's version of a C section he holds his son in the air like Rafiki does to Simba in The Lion King and screams in pain due to the loss of his wife and Conan's mother. He does this IN THE MIDDLE OF A BATTLE!
Are you kidding me?
We then see Conan as an adolescent and this was actually a pretty cool scene that establishes Conan's undying rage and strength. Then in similar fashion to the original Conan's village is attacked once again by the main villain and it's here where the film loses the momentum it had gained. In the original, Conan was taken by Thulsa Doom as a slave. He's trained in the art of war and death in attempt to make him part of Doom's army.
How does Conan develop his skills and body here?
He doesn't. We get a black screen and Morgan Freeman's voice over explaining that Conan lived off the land for many years. Hunting, thieving and surviving. WEAK! Some of the best aspects of Conan the Barbarian 1982 was seeing the montage of Conan the child become Conan the man.
You CAN NOT TAKE THAT AWAY FROM US!
I will not go into the rest of the plot because there isn't one. The script is by far one of the weakest I have ever seen. Especially concerning a character whose biggest attribute is STRENGTH.
Moving on to directors. Marcus Nispel's filmography the remakes of Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Friday the 13th.
Need I say more?
This guy is a straight up HACK. His lack of talent and ability to craft a story cuts faster and harder than Conan's blade. The violence is too stylized and gratuitous. It doesn't add any depth to the fights which were HORRIBLY shot, framed and edited. The score was by far one of the WORST and CHEESIEST I have ever heard in a film. These are ALL things within a directors CONTROL and instead of coming to his senses....taking a step back and looking things over he left the movie like that.
By Crom is this guy AWFUL!
Finally the casting was all wrong with 1 exception. Jason Momoa who was a very controversial choice at the outset because of his unknown status in mainstream projects does a good job LOOKING the part. His performance however was very vanilla and cardboard. I am not going to blame him for that though. I am putting the script and director on trial for this offense. Conan is cunning, tactical and most importantly a SAVAGE! There was NONE of that here. In fact if he had channeled the character he played on HBO's Game of Thrones, Horse Lord Khal Drogo, we would be witnessing the rebirth of Conan. Instead we got a PG-13 Conan in an R rated film.
That's it. I'm done. I've already written more than this film deserves.
On the 5 star scale. Conan the Barbarian gets the goose egg. 0 stars with a "For The Love of God Stay Home!" recommendation.
That's a wrap for today. Up next is The Help.
Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!"
"D"
30 Minutes or Less
Welcome to another episode Lights....Camera....Popcorn!
Today's review is 30 Minutes or Less.
Directed by Ruben Fleischer.
Written by Michael Dilberti.
Screen Story by Michael Dilberti & Matthew Sullivan.
Review #132
MPAA Rating: R for crude and sexual content, pervasive language, nudity and some violence.
Runtime: 83 min
Cast
Jesse Eisenberg ...Nick
Danny McBride ...Dwayne
Aziz Ansari ...Chet
Nick Swardson ...Travis
Dilshad Vadsaria ...Kate
Michael Peña ...Chango
Bianca Kajlich ...Juicy
Fred Ward ...The Major
Ruben Fleischer leaped on to the scene with the surprise hit Zombeland. That film took the VERY tired zombie movie genre and gave it a shot of life (no pun intended). So I was pretty jazzed to hear he was behind the lens for this one.
My excitement was not duplicated at the end.
Plot
Two fledgling criminals kidnap a pizza delivery guy, strap a bomb to his chest, and inform him that he has mere hours to rob a bank or else...
The plot seems simple enough but it's a few layers deeper and that's the biggest problem. There are too many subplots with characters that all intertwine. To put it bluntly, this film was a piss poor imitation of Guy Ritchie's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels or Snatch. Those films did a masterful job of combining so many character and plot arcs to form a cohesive story. 30 Minutes or Less deals with far less characters and stories and it still found a way to get too complicated and jumbled.
The end result was flat jokes.
The comedy was at many points very funny and entertaining but it was hard to get past the discombobulated mess that the overall story was trying to tell. It looked like some of the cast was trying too hard to get the jokes land when they should have just let their natural talents take over. The one that does this the best is hands down Aziz Ansari. He's mostly known for his recurring role as Tom Haverford on the very funny Parks and Recreation. He's basically playing Tom only with a little more nerves as opposed to the over the top self confidence that he displays on the show. He was the funniest character on the show and that's a shame with the rest of the cast in line.
Danny McBride has forgotten how to be funny. Instead he just channels his inner Kenny Powers and let's that run the show. He's dangerously falling into Will Ferrell territory and that's not a good thing. Will Ferrell has gotten by recently playing the same type of character in every movie. McBride is doing the same and it's getting old very very fast. Nick Swardson was just wasted here. This guy is really funny and here he was just a cartoon character. Lastly, Jesse Eisenberg who was exceptional in Zombieland was too straight laced here. His character was slacker-esque and yet he acted or sounded nothing like it. Smoking a joint isn't enough to sell me. His attitude was too stiff and his delivery was too sharp for his character. Or at least how his character was supposed to be I thought.
It's too bad really cause this could have been a pretty good buddy/heist comedy if it wasn't so complicated. The effort was clearly visible. The execution wasn't.
On the 5 star scale. 30 Minutes or Less gets 2.5 stars with a "Netflix It!" recommendation.
That's a wrap for today. Up next is Conan the Barbarian.
Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!"
"D"
Today's review is 30 Minutes or Less.
Directed by Ruben Fleischer.
Written by Michael Dilberti.
Screen Story by Michael Dilberti & Matthew Sullivan.
Review #132
MPAA Rating: R for crude and sexual content, pervasive language, nudity and some violence.
Runtime: 83 min
Cast
Jesse Eisenberg ...Nick
Danny McBride ...Dwayne
Aziz Ansari ...Chet
Nick Swardson ...Travis
Dilshad Vadsaria ...Kate
Michael Peña ...Chango
Bianca Kajlich ...Juicy
Fred Ward ...The Major
Ruben Fleischer leaped on to the scene with the surprise hit Zombeland. That film took the VERY tired zombie movie genre and gave it a shot of life (no pun intended). So I was pretty jazzed to hear he was behind the lens for this one.
My excitement was not duplicated at the end.
Plot
Two fledgling criminals kidnap a pizza delivery guy, strap a bomb to his chest, and inform him that he has mere hours to rob a bank or else...
The plot seems simple enough but it's a few layers deeper and that's the biggest problem. There are too many subplots with characters that all intertwine. To put it bluntly, this film was a piss poor imitation of Guy Ritchie's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels or Snatch. Those films did a masterful job of combining so many character and plot arcs to form a cohesive story. 30 Minutes or Less deals with far less characters and stories and it still found a way to get too complicated and jumbled.
The end result was flat jokes.
The comedy was at many points very funny and entertaining but it was hard to get past the discombobulated mess that the overall story was trying to tell. It looked like some of the cast was trying too hard to get the jokes land when they should have just let their natural talents take over. The one that does this the best is hands down Aziz Ansari. He's mostly known for his recurring role as Tom Haverford on the very funny Parks and Recreation. He's basically playing Tom only with a little more nerves as opposed to the over the top self confidence that he displays on the show. He was the funniest character on the show and that's a shame with the rest of the cast in line.
Danny McBride has forgotten how to be funny. Instead he just channels his inner Kenny Powers and let's that run the show. He's dangerously falling into Will Ferrell territory and that's not a good thing. Will Ferrell has gotten by recently playing the same type of character in every movie. McBride is doing the same and it's getting old very very fast. Nick Swardson was just wasted here. This guy is really funny and here he was just a cartoon character. Lastly, Jesse Eisenberg who was exceptional in Zombieland was too straight laced here. His character was slacker-esque and yet he acted or sounded nothing like it. Smoking a joint isn't enough to sell me. His attitude was too stiff and his delivery was too sharp for his character. Or at least how his character was supposed to be I thought.
It's too bad really cause this could have been a pretty good buddy/heist comedy if it wasn't so complicated. The effort was clearly visible. The execution wasn't.
On the 5 star scale. 30 Minutes or Less gets 2.5 stars with a "Netflix It!" recommendation.
That's a wrap for today. Up next is Conan the Barbarian.
Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!"
"D"
The Devil's Double
Welcome to another episode Lights....Camera....Popcorn!
Today's review is The Devil's Double.
Directed by Lee Tamahori.
Written by Michael Thomas.
Based on the Book "The Devil's Double" written by Latif Yahia.
Review #132
MPAA Rating: R for creature violence, drug content and pervasive language.
Runtime: 88 min
Cast
Dominic Cooper ...Uday Hussein / Latif Yahia
Ludivine Sagnier ...Sarrab
Raad Rawi ...Munem
Philip Quast ...Saddam Hussein / Faoaz
Mimoun Oaïssa ...Ali
Khalid Laith ...Yassem Al-Helou
Dar Salim …Azzam
Nasser Memarzia ...Latif's Father
Jamie Harding ... Qusay
It's not news to anyone how radical an idealist Saddam Hussein was. After seeing this film I'm just glad that Uday Hussein never had a chance to hold that kind of power. If he had this country would still be suffering as a result.
Plot
Baghdad, the playground for the rich and infamous, where anything can be bought - but for a price. This is Uday Hussein's world and with his depraved lust for debauchery and immorality, he helps himself to whatever turns him on. When army lieutenant Latif Yahia is summoned to Saddam's palace, he is faced with an impossible request - to be Uday's 'fiday' - his body double, or have his family condemned to death. In a world entrenched in betrayal and corruption, knowing who to trust becomes a matter of life or death for Latif, as he battles to escape from his forced existence
There are two things that stand out in this film. The first being the unbelievable psychotic nature Uday possessed. The second was the performance of Dominic Cooper as the psychotic Uday. He found a way to turn a man into a living breathing monster. The things that Uday did in his lifetime were reprehensible and appalling. It was those acts and his defiance to humanity that made Uday a fearsome son of a bitch. On the other side of the coin, Cooper does an equally amazing job as Uday's "alter ego" Latif. The 2 men couldn't be any more opposite as a cat and dog. Cooper's portrayal as Latif creates a very natural balance to the over the top maniacal Uday. It was unsettling to see Latif immerse himself into Uday's world in an attempt to be a more believable double. He is an honorable man that was forced to be part of a life and word that he despised.
It's that life that filled me with wonder and mystery.
The film was based on the book written by the real life Latif Yahia who's as far as we know living in Ireland with his wife and two children. At least that's where he was last seen. There's still a price on his head despite Uday's death. The book chronicles his experience as the double and it's those moments that I question....sort of. It's no shock to everyone that Hollyweird loves to take a great story and for the sake of the almighty $$$ ramp it up with over the top steroid induced scenes that take away from the journey the person lived. There were several scenes here that I felt were like that but I couldn't be fully convinced considering the person being portrayed in the film. Uday Hussein was the devil incarnate and it wouldn't have been a shock to me if the specific things he did in the film actually happened. And that boys and girls is what made this movie so good for me. The unknown and the amazing performance given to us by Cooper.
Regardless of any potential sensationalism by Tinseltown. The Devil's Double was a very tight thriller that will make you hate another human being while thanking god that he's no longer on this earth. I normally would never wish death on anyone but the world is a much better place with that psycho 6 feet deep.
On the 5 star scale. The Devil's Double gets 4 stars with a "Worth Every Penny" recommendation. Just like Attack the Block, this film has not gotten a nationwide release and I fear that the buzz is not strong enough to branch this out to your local cinema. So you should be on the look out for it when it comes out on Netflix or Redbook.
That's a wrap for today. Up next is 30 Minuets or Less.
Until Next Episode....'I'll Save You A Seat!"
"D"
Today's review is The Devil's Double.
Directed by Lee Tamahori.
Written by Michael Thomas.
Based on the Book "The Devil's Double" written by Latif Yahia.
Review #132
MPAA Rating: R for creature violence, drug content and pervasive language.
Runtime: 88 min
Cast
Dominic Cooper ...Uday Hussein / Latif Yahia
Ludivine Sagnier ...Sarrab
Raad Rawi ...Munem
Philip Quast ...Saddam Hussein / Faoaz
Mimoun Oaïssa ...Ali
Khalid Laith ...Yassem Al-Helou
Dar Salim …Azzam
Nasser Memarzia ...Latif's Father
Jamie Harding ... Qusay
It's not news to anyone how radical an idealist Saddam Hussein was. After seeing this film I'm just glad that Uday Hussein never had a chance to hold that kind of power. If he had this country would still be suffering as a result.
Plot
Baghdad, the playground for the rich and infamous, where anything can be bought - but for a price. This is Uday Hussein's world and with his depraved lust for debauchery and immorality, he helps himself to whatever turns him on. When army lieutenant Latif Yahia is summoned to Saddam's palace, he is faced with an impossible request - to be Uday's 'fiday' - his body double, or have his family condemned to death. In a world entrenched in betrayal and corruption, knowing who to trust becomes a matter of life or death for Latif, as he battles to escape from his forced existence
There are two things that stand out in this film. The first being the unbelievable psychotic nature Uday possessed. The second was the performance of Dominic Cooper as the psychotic Uday. He found a way to turn a man into a living breathing monster. The things that Uday did in his lifetime were reprehensible and appalling. It was those acts and his defiance to humanity that made Uday a fearsome son of a bitch. On the other side of the coin, Cooper does an equally amazing job as Uday's "alter ego" Latif. The 2 men couldn't be any more opposite as a cat and dog. Cooper's portrayal as Latif creates a very natural balance to the over the top maniacal Uday. It was unsettling to see Latif immerse himself into Uday's world in an attempt to be a more believable double. He is an honorable man that was forced to be part of a life and word that he despised.
It's that life that filled me with wonder and mystery.
The film was based on the book written by the real life Latif Yahia who's as far as we know living in Ireland with his wife and two children. At least that's where he was last seen. There's still a price on his head despite Uday's death. The book chronicles his experience as the double and it's those moments that I question....sort of. It's no shock to everyone that Hollyweird loves to take a great story and for the sake of the almighty $$$ ramp it up with over the top steroid induced scenes that take away from the journey the person lived. There were several scenes here that I felt were like that but I couldn't be fully convinced considering the person being portrayed in the film. Uday Hussein was the devil incarnate and it wouldn't have been a shock to me if the specific things he did in the film actually happened. And that boys and girls is what made this movie so good for me. The unknown and the amazing performance given to us by Cooper.
Regardless of any potential sensationalism by Tinseltown. The Devil's Double was a very tight thriller that will make you hate another human being while thanking god that he's no longer on this earth. I normally would never wish death on anyone but the world is a much better place with that psycho 6 feet deep.
On the 5 star scale. The Devil's Double gets 4 stars with a "Worth Every Penny" recommendation. Just like Attack the Block, this film has not gotten a nationwide release and I fear that the buzz is not strong enough to branch this out to your local cinema. So you should be on the look out for it when it comes out on Netflix or Redbook.
That's a wrap for today. Up next is 30 Minuets or Less.
Until Next Episode....'I'll Save You A Seat!"
"D"
Attack the Block
Welcome to another episode Lights....Camera....Popcorn!
Today's review is Attack the Block.
Written & Directed by Joe Cornish.
Review #132
MPAA Rating: R for creature violence, drug content and pervasive language.
Runtime: 88 min
Cast
Nick Frost ... Ron
Jodie Whittaker ... Sam
John Boyega ... Moses
Alex Esmail ... Pest
Leeon Jones ... Jerome
Simon Howard ... Biggz
Sammy Williams ... Probs
Michael Ajao ... Mayhem
Jumayn Hunter ... Hi-Hatz
Paige Meade ... Dimples
Franz Drameh ... Dennis
Maggie McCarthy ... Margaret
Danielle Vitalis ... Tia
If you've seen the films Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz then you are well aware of the ability of the British to comically homage some of our best zombie/action films. If you haven't seen them then I STRONGLY suggest you do. The next evolution of homage was the alien film and Attack the Block was the latest entry. There are BIG differences between this installment and Shaun of the Dead/Hot Fuzz. The main one being both of those films were made by Edgar Wright and co written by him and Simon Pegg. Attack the Block doesn't have them in the fold.
Does it matter? A little. Does the film suffer because of it? Nope.
Plot
A teen gang in South London defend their block from an alien invasion.
As you can see or not the plot description is just 1 line and pretty straight to the point. The only problem is the film has a lit more depth to it. And that depth comes in the form of character development. Particularly with Moses. This film becomes more of a misunderstood youth in the hood type film with aliens running around in it. Sounds silly? To the naked mind perhaps but unlike Cowboys & Aliens, Attack the Block found a way to relate the 2 very off topic genres. How did they do it you ask?
Via comedy.
Attack the Block doesn't take itself seriously and that's what makes it work. The characters are all like able and at times very funny. You can even make the case that Pest was the funniest character in the film. I thought so at least. The funny thing about Attack the Block was that the kids were supposed to be these unruly little bastards that made you wish for their demise. Instead I became their fans right after the first alien attack. Either the filmmakers intended to portray these kids as wannabes or kids who actually are tough but also have a heart. I prefer to believe the latter. The reason for the aliens arrival and attempt to re-colonize the planet made logical sense too. That was another positive for the film.
Regardless of their perception, it's the kids that rule the roost so to speak. They all play off each other very well. Firing line after line of England slang that only makes sense to them just gives the film a rapid fire pace and tone. The creature design was simple and cool. You just read me complaining about how BLAH the aliens looked in other films well these guys used the K.I.S.S. method when it came to their brand of creepy crawlies. In fact there's nothing crawly about these dudes. They were pretty nasty.
If I have to gripe about this one. I guess it would have to be the lack of laughs in spots. For the most part there were some decent laughs but I think there were places in the film where a well placed joke would have given the film some more punch. The laughs in Attack the Block were spaced out too far apart. Unlike their counterparts Dead/Fuzz never let you breathe before landing another zinger at you.
It's a small bitch but in the big picture it drops the film down a couple of pegs. Otherwise I would be talking about a film worthy of joining Pegg and Wright's team.
On the 5 star scale. Attack the Block gets 3.5 stars with a "Give it a shot" recommendation. Sadly this film has not been given a nationwide release. I had to venture out into the city for this one. Hopefully if received well it will get a chance to be seen on more screens.
You might have to Netflix this one.
That's a wrap for today.
Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!"
"D"
Today's review is Attack the Block.
Written & Directed by Joe Cornish.
Review #132
MPAA Rating: R for creature violence, drug content and pervasive language.
Runtime: 88 min
Cast
Nick Frost ... Ron
Jodie Whittaker ... Sam
John Boyega ... Moses
Alex Esmail ... Pest
Leeon Jones ... Jerome
Simon Howard ... Biggz
Sammy Williams ... Probs
Michael Ajao ... Mayhem
Jumayn Hunter ... Hi-Hatz
Paige Meade ... Dimples
Franz Drameh ... Dennis
Maggie McCarthy ... Margaret
Danielle Vitalis ... Tia
If you've seen the films Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz then you are well aware of the ability of the British to comically homage some of our best zombie/action films. If you haven't seen them then I STRONGLY suggest you do. The next evolution of homage was the alien film and Attack the Block was the latest entry. There are BIG differences between this installment and Shaun of the Dead/Hot Fuzz. The main one being both of those films were made by Edgar Wright and co written by him and Simon Pegg. Attack the Block doesn't have them in the fold.
Does it matter? A little. Does the film suffer because of it? Nope.
Plot
A teen gang in South London defend their block from an alien invasion.
As you can see or not the plot description is just 1 line and pretty straight to the point. The only problem is the film has a lit more depth to it. And that depth comes in the form of character development. Particularly with Moses. This film becomes more of a misunderstood youth in the hood type film with aliens running around in it. Sounds silly? To the naked mind perhaps but unlike Cowboys & Aliens, Attack the Block found a way to relate the 2 very off topic genres. How did they do it you ask?
Via comedy.
Attack the Block doesn't take itself seriously and that's what makes it work. The characters are all like able and at times very funny. You can even make the case that Pest was the funniest character in the film. I thought so at least. The funny thing about Attack the Block was that the kids were supposed to be these unruly little bastards that made you wish for their demise. Instead I became their fans right after the first alien attack. Either the filmmakers intended to portray these kids as wannabes or kids who actually are tough but also have a heart. I prefer to believe the latter. The reason for the aliens arrival and attempt to re-colonize the planet made logical sense too. That was another positive for the film.
Regardless of their perception, it's the kids that rule the roost so to speak. They all play off each other very well. Firing line after line of England slang that only makes sense to them just gives the film a rapid fire pace and tone. The creature design was simple and cool. You just read me complaining about how BLAH the aliens looked in other films well these guys used the K.I.S.S. method when it came to their brand of creepy crawlies. In fact there's nothing crawly about these dudes. They were pretty nasty.
If I have to gripe about this one. I guess it would have to be the lack of laughs in spots. For the most part there were some decent laughs but I think there were places in the film where a well placed joke would have given the film some more punch. The laughs in Attack the Block were spaced out too far apart. Unlike their counterparts Dead/Fuzz never let you breathe before landing another zinger at you.
It's a small bitch but in the big picture it drops the film down a couple of pegs. Otherwise I would be talking about a film worthy of joining Pegg and Wright's team.
On the 5 star scale. Attack the Block gets 3.5 stars with a "Give it a shot" recommendation. Sadly this film has not been given a nationwide release. I had to venture out into the city for this one. Hopefully if received well it will get a chance to be seen on more screens.
You might have to Netflix this one.
That's a wrap for today.
Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!"
"D"
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Welcome to another episode Lights....Camera....Popcorn!
Today's review is Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
Directed by Rupert Wyatt.
Written by Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver.
Suggested by the novel "La Planete Des Singes aka Planet of the Apes" written by Pierre Boulle
Review #131
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for violence, terror, some sexuality and brief strong language.
Runtime: 108 min
Cast
Ape Motion Capture Cast
Andy Serkis ... Caesar
Karin Konoval ... Maurice
Terry Notary ... Rocket / Bright Eyes
Richard Ridings ... Buck
Christopher Gordon ... Koba
Devyn Dalton ... Cornelia
Jay Caputo ... Alpha
Human Cast
James Franco ... Will Rodman
Freida Pinto ... Caroline Aranha
John Lithgow ... Charles Rodman
Brian Cox ... John Landon
Tom Felton ... Dodge Landon
David Oyelowo ... Steven Jacobs
Tyler Labine ... Robert Franklin
Jamie Harris ... Rodney
David Hewlett ... Hunsiker
The Planet of the Apes franchise has been one of the most cherished series of films in science fiction. I myself am partial to only the first one. Charlton Heston's delivery of two of cinema's most iconic lines of dialogue will forever be etched in my memory banks. You should know exactly what lines I speak of. If you don't then tough noogies cause I ain't tellin. See the movie. Anyway, the popularity of the first film spawned multiple sequels and a GOD AWFUL remake thanks to Marky Mark and Tim Burton. Apparently tinseltown couldn't get enough of those damn dirty apes so instead of trying to correct the massive mistake Tim Burton made they decided to go to the beginning. They chose to tell the story of how the apes eventually took over the planet. This was a good idea in principle but would it be worth it at all?
All I can say is I probably just saw the film of the summer and is the early front runner for my film of 2011.
Plot
An origin story set in present day San Francisco, where man's own experiments with genetic engineering lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of a war for supremacy.
When you're dealing with a sci fi film that has just as many fans as Star Wars or Star Trek. You have to be very careful when you modernize their beloved pictures. The powers that be this time did the right thing by giving us an origin story. The first Planet of the Apes only gave you hints to what happened to civilization. You have to make conclusions for yourself. Which was part of what made that film a classic. Here you get the full blown story and despite it's very cliched tendencies it works VERY VERY well.
Despite cliched aspects of the main plot the film carries a very important message. Just like the original film warned society to take care of the planet and each other. This film warns us to never underestimate and ALWAYS respect the power of nature. Defiance of that respect can and will be met with severe and unfortunately avoidable consequences. They also did a great job of "borrowing" from the other "apes" films. It was clear that the writers went back and saw the others and used the best elements to make this story cohesive with the original. That was key for me watching this. I left the theater feeling that if I went home and popped on Planet of the Apes there wouldn't have been an inkling of disconnect between a film made in 1968 and a film made 43 years later.
Bravo!
The film is packed with a very talented cast starting with James Franco who actually looked interested for this one. He didn't need to channel his Ocsar night presentation to make this role work. Of course I'm kidding. He was actually pretty good here. There were a couple of stiff moments in his performance but for the most part he was identifiable when he struggled losing Caesar.
Now here is where we get to the REAL stars of the show. If Avatar was good for anything (and there's very little it was good for) it revolutionized the way motion capture technology can and will be implemented in big budget CG pictures. They used the exact same method used in Avatar to give us these life like simians. This is where Andy Serkis comes in. If that name sounds familiar it's because he was the man who played Smeagol/Gollum in the Lord of The Rings trilogy. He also played Kong in Peter Jackson's remake of King Kong.
It's his portrayal of Kong that's important to bring up here. Before joining the cast he spent months in the wild doing "up close" and personal research with chimps and silverback gorillas. Learning their mannerisms, behavior and tendencies in an attempt to deliver as realistic performance as possible while playing Kong. It was a brilliant move because not only did he nail the body actions and emotions of the massive ape his facial expressions were implemented in the CG rendering of Kong making him more life like. This exact same tactic was used here only this time the technology has become FAR more advanced so Serkis' performance as Caesar was just AMAZING! He's truly a living, breathing character. This may sound a bit hokey to some of you but I firmly believe that Serkis needs to be recognized as a legitimate ACTOR for this film and not just a guy that played a CG character. There's more of Serkis in Caesar than there is Caesar in Serkis. It just adds the UNBELIEVABLE ending when the apes attack. That scene had so much adrenaline pumping through it that it completely DESTROYS ANYTHING that Hackael Bay did with any of the Transformers films.
Hey moron! Take notes! THIS IS HOW YOU USE CGI TO SHOOT AND PRESENT AN ACTION SEQUENCE! We want to SEE the action. Not just watch holy mess on the screen.
There's not much more for me to say about this except. SEE THIS MOVIE! SEE IT NOW! You won't be disappointed.
On the 5 star scale. Rise of the Planet of the Apes gets the full house 5 stars with a "Worth Every Penny!" recommendation.
That's a wrap for today. Up next is Attack the Block.
Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!"
"D"
Today's review is Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
Directed by Rupert Wyatt.
Written by Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver.
Suggested by the novel "La Planete Des Singes aka Planet of the Apes" written by Pierre Boulle
Review #131
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for violence, terror, some sexuality and brief strong language.
Runtime: 108 min
Cast
Ape Motion Capture Cast
Andy Serkis ... Caesar
Karin Konoval ... Maurice
Terry Notary ... Rocket / Bright Eyes
Richard Ridings ... Buck
Christopher Gordon ... Koba
Devyn Dalton ... Cornelia
Jay Caputo ... Alpha
Human Cast
James Franco ... Will Rodman
Freida Pinto ... Caroline Aranha
John Lithgow ... Charles Rodman
Brian Cox ... John Landon
Tom Felton ... Dodge Landon
David Oyelowo ... Steven Jacobs
Tyler Labine ... Robert Franklin
Jamie Harris ... Rodney
David Hewlett ... Hunsiker
The Planet of the Apes franchise has been one of the most cherished series of films in science fiction. I myself am partial to only the first one. Charlton Heston's delivery of two of cinema's most iconic lines of dialogue will forever be etched in my memory banks. You should know exactly what lines I speak of. If you don't then tough noogies cause I ain't tellin. See the movie. Anyway, the popularity of the first film spawned multiple sequels and a GOD AWFUL remake thanks to Marky Mark and Tim Burton. Apparently tinseltown couldn't get enough of those damn dirty apes so instead of trying to correct the massive mistake Tim Burton made they decided to go to the beginning. They chose to tell the story of how the apes eventually took over the planet. This was a good idea in principle but would it be worth it at all?
All I can say is I probably just saw the film of the summer and is the early front runner for my film of 2011.
Plot
An origin story set in present day San Francisco, where man's own experiments with genetic engineering lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of a war for supremacy.
When you're dealing with a sci fi film that has just as many fans as Star Wars or Star Trek. You have to be very careful when you modernize their beloved pictures. The powers that be this time did the right thing by giving us an origin story. The first Planet of the Apes only gave you hints to what happened to civilization. You have to make conclusions for yourself. Which was part of what made that film a classic. Here you get the full blown story and despite it's very cliched tendencies it works VERY VERY well.
Despite cliched aspects of the main plot the film carries a very important message. Just like the original film warned society to take care of the planet and each other. This film warns us to never underestimate and ALWAYS respect the power of nature. Defiance of that respect can and will be met with severe and unfortunately avoidable consequences. They also did a great job of "borrowing" from the other "apes" films. It was clear that the writers went back and saw the others and used the best elements to make this story cohesive with the original. That was key for me watching this. I left the theater feeling that if I went home and popped on Planet of the Apes there wouldn't have been an inkling of disconnect between a film made in 1968 and a film made 43 years later.
Bravo!
The film is packed with a very talented cast starting with James Franco who actually looked interested for this one. He didn't need to channel his Ocsar night presentation to make this role work. Of course I'm kidding. He was actually pretty good here. There were a couple of stiff moments in his performance but for the most part he was identifiable when he struggled losing Caesar.
Now here is where we get to the REAL stars of the show. If Avatar was good for anything (and there's very little it was good for) it revolutionized the way motion capture technology can and will be implemented in big budget CG pictures. They used the exact same method used in Avatar to give us these life like simians. This is where Andy Serkis comes in. If that name sounds familiar it's because he was the man who played Smeagol/Gollum in the Lord of The Rings trilogy. He also played Kong in Peter Jackson's remake of King Kong.
It's his portrayal of Kong that's important to bring up here. Before joining the cast he spent months in the wild doing "up close" and personal research with chimps and silverback gorillas. Learning their mannerisms, behavior and tendencies in an attempt to deliver as realistic performance as possible while playing Kong. It was a brilliant move because not only did he nail the body actions and emotions of the massive ape his facial expressions were implemented in the CG rendering of Kong making him more life like. This exact same tactic was used here only this time the technology has become FAR more advanced so Serkis' performance as Caesar was just AMAZING! He's truly a living, breathing character. This may sound a bit hokey to some of you but I firmly believe that Serkis needs to be recognized as a legitimate ACTOR for this film and not just a guy that played a CG character. There's more of Serkis in Caesar than there is Caesar in Serkis. It just adds the UNBELIEVABLE ending when the apes attack. That scene had so much adrenaline pumping through it that it completely DESTROYS ANYTHING that Hackael Bay did with any of the Transformers films.
Hey moron! Take notes! THIS IS HOW YOU USE CGI TO SHOOT AND PRESENT AN ACTION SEQUENCE! We want to SEE the action. Not just watch holy mess on the screen.
There's not much more for me to say about this except. SEE THIS MOVIE! SEE IT NOW! You won't be disappointed.
On the 5 star scale. Rise of the Planet of the Apes gets the full house 5 stars with a "Worth Every Penny!" recommendation.
That's a wrap for today. Up next is Attack the Block.
Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!"
"D"
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