I remember the day my cousin told me that Santa Claus wasn’t real.  I was devastated.  Angry.  Hurt.   How dare he tear down the faith of a six year old?  What gave him the right?  As I grew older everyone else became faded memories.  I stopped putting teeth under my pillows, started painting my own Easter eggs and Mr. Sandman became Nick-at-Night.    However, my child-like faith was hoping for a larger spark in the new film Rise of the Guardians.

The storyline centers on Jack Frost the newest member of the troupe.  As Jack is trying to find his reason for existence his fellow members are attempting to convince him that he’s been chosen to become a Guardian, the sacred elite who protect the children of the world.   Although Jack doubts his calling he’s thrust into this battle of good versus evil.   With the children of the world losing their sense of hope,Santa Claus, The Easter Bunny, Sandman, The Tooth Fairy, and Jack must form a holiday bond to rid the world of The Boogie Man.  Thus begins the collaborativeseasonal adventure that proves that all is possible when one child believes.

Rise of the Guardians was a fun adventure but it still lacked the necessary storyline to really hook an adult audience.  I found myself more engrossed in the quality of the picture than the characters that were portrayed.  Although the film gave a profound message it felt like a message alreadyreceived from so many holiday movies.  There is a quaint emotional draw that does exist but it stops after you realize that the characters are merely shadows of themselves. 

What was most relatablewas the age-old question of “Why are we here?”   “What is our purpose?”  Many religions and philosophies all havetheir concept of this reality.  However, in the film, Jack Frost would ask this question to The Man in Moon.  Ironically, the Man in the Moon was the only character that was not voiced nor was he given a visual animation.Yet you could find yourself able to relate to the concept of sitting quietly within and asking “why?”

Chris Pine, Hugh Jackman and Jude Law are only a few of the actors that brought about such a creative rendition of our childhood fantasies.  Nevertheless, the star power did very little to help with the screenplay.  I think most audiences will enjoy the film for what they see but once they leave the theater they’ll forget why the guardians rose.

I have to give it to the writer that decided to put all of our childhood into one movie.  It was a unique attempt on the long forgotten.  Undoubtedly, this one will be a fair adventure for your children, but when the movie is finished, you’ll tuck your child in, andthe next morningits back to Playstations, MP3’s , and iPads.  Why, because Rise of the Guardians merely rose to the surface and sunk again. 

Do  you remember your first Bond film?  I do.  I was kid walking in from the playground and asked my dad “What are you watching?”  He said, “James Bond.”  As I turned my head to the television the beautiful Lotus Esprit turned into a submarine. I was hooked, it was The Spy Who Loved Me, and ever since then there’s only been one spy for me.  Columbia Pictures has taken me back to my childhood with the new Bond film Skyfall.

 Daniel Craig is James Bond, agent 007, who is always on the mission for queen and country.  With an ever powerful opener Bond is in pursuit of a world class terrorist who has stolen a list containing the identities of undercover British agents. Bond has to locate the mastermind before anymore agents die.  Needless to say the plot thickens as we delve into the world of espionage, betrayal, and self worth.

Skyfall is an adventure masterpiece.  It has everything you seek in a great film, action that is creative and well edited, characters that are unique and easily empathized and a beautiful tribute to the 50 years of film that have made up the 007 series. Although the character of James Bond only changes with the delivery of the actor the essence remains the same.  I was constantly kept at the edge of my seat enjoying the flirtatious banter and arrogant-in-the-face-of-danger-humor that is James Bond.

In his third reprise as the agent Craig brought a level of inner turmoil with this portrayal of the MI6 operative. Although he delivered the quick witted lines of the character with the precision of Brosnan and the suave demeanor of Connery you could sense the battle that was warring within him.  Unlike previous films within this series, we do see a level of loyalty to “M”, played by veteran actress Dame Judi Dench, that has never been touched on before.  It was quite the moving scenes of frustration, comedy, and borderline insubordination that showed why “M” put so much trust in this agent and why Bond respected her so highly. 

This was the best Bond film ever.  It will top the rating scales for fans as did Goldfinger and Tomorrow Never Dies.  Hands down the villain known as Silva was brought to life so emotionally with the acting prowess of Javier Bardem.  I’ve never empathized so greatly with a Bond villain before, I almost rooted for him.  Then the signature of the film was the gorgeous women holding true to the Bond-girl stereotype, Eve, portrayed by Naomi Harris and Severine by French actress Berenice Marlohe.  Director Sam Mendes made absolutely certain that the audience wanted for nothing.

Skyfall is the most unique of all Bond films because it gives us the battle we see and the one we feel.  In truth, I couldn’t have asked for a better film to watch this past weekend.  The return of characters and gadgets that we all know and love will keep you smiling and nostalgic of Bond films gone.  For all of you 007 fanatics you are going to love your surprises throughout the film.  You will leave the theater filled with not only a sense of greatness but that of appreciation.  For Chicken Little “the sky is falling” may be a bad thing but Skyfall was top secret perfection.

This year’s Busan film festival concludes Friday. I was able to attend a few days of screenings over the weekend, and as always there were some great films to be seen along with a few disappointments. The experience at the festival was not the best, partly due to overcrowding but also because of some poor organization. There were screenings without subtitles (when they were labelled with subtitles in the guide) and screenings starting at different times than listed. On Saturday I missed two films because of these problems, and generally had an unpleasant viewing day. Things were fine the next two days, but if this is the experience of press, the experience for most audiences would definitely be worse. After improving the quality of organization last year, this was a step back, although I can only judge from my personal experience and of the few people I discussed the festival with. Perhaps last year I was lucky or this year I was simply unlucky, but for a festival of this size and caliber such mistakes should be avoided. That said, there were a few great films to be seen, and many others I missed because of timing. My list and rankings are below. (more…)

Do you remember Friday the 13^th, Halloween, or Nightmare on Elm Street,  the endless horror sequels that shocked the 80’s and 90’s?  Do you recall how you felt when you wanted it to end, when you just got tired of seeing just another film?  Well, although Screen Gems is giving us its fifth sequel, in Resident Evil: Retribution, at some point we should ask, when will the madness stop?

Alice has returned, as actress Milla Jovovich gives us another rendition as the ass-kicking zombie killer.  Keeping in the spirit of the first film Alice is stuck in a self-contained, underground replica of the world’s most populated cities.  The Umbrella Corporation has her trapped within the depths of this subterranean metropolis hoping to finally finish off this ever returning hero.  Nonetheless, with the help of new and old friends Alice has to navigate her way through this city-wide maze, built with cloned humans, and made to replicate the T-virus she wishes to destroy.  And thus continues this installment of killing the undead as we encounter more blood, slow-motion action, and the return of the Red Queen. (There’s something seriously creepy about evil children)

Resident Evil has become Generation Y’s horror- OMG!  These movies keep coming out, but sadly the storyline stopped about four films ago.  Grant it, the action sequences were at par and the computer graphics nothing to sneeze at, but all I’m seeing is a desperate writer’s attempt to remake a used-up screenplay. 

I’m more disturbed with the fact that Paul W.S. Anderson hasn’t learned from the mistakes of the past.  The old adage is “too much of a good thing can be bad for you.”  The first Resident Evil was terrific, creative and a new twist on the zombie genre.  But now, with all these adaptations, this series is losing it rarity, its value, its je ne sais quoi.

You know what made the first Friday the 13^th great, the fact that it was Jason’s mother who was doing all the killing. Regrettably, the sequels that followed were hyped up horror flicks that only made us jump in the night.   Resident Evil: Retribution is following in this same path, losing all it sacredness with each new film.  Like an overzealous unlearned athlete it hobbles its way to the finish line out of breath and vigor.  I sat for an hour and forty minutes only to have an emotional connection to one truth…”retribution,”  I got what I paid for.

A sequel by definition is “that which follows, a continuation, a succeeding part.”  While reading this you can be comforted, however in theaters, Lionsgate has brought a sequel in The Expendables 2 that will not fulfill this definition by any means.

Stallone has returned as Barney Ross, the leader of the elite mercenary group known as The Expendables.  To carry out a debt that he owes to Church, the C.I.A. operative played by Bruce Willis, Ross takes his team into the former Soviet Union to retrieve a package from a crash site.  But as things go terribly wrong the story ensues with cheap action sequences, 90’s one-liners, and the worst martial arts tease I’ve ever seen.

Every decent portion of The Expendables 2 was in the trailer.  Never have I encountered a movie that literally depended on the previous fame of its cast.  One-liners used in movies such as The Terminator and Die Hard miraculously made their way into this film.  Have we not heard these lines and their comical spoofs enough?  “I’ll be back.” “Yippee Kai Yay!” “Lone Wolf.” What a tragic excuse for writing that you can’t be innovative to create new lines that will appeal to the avid moviegoer.  HELLO, devoted cinephiles are between the ages of 25 and 39.  Most of them will remember these lines are funny but will be perplexed on why someone couldn’t produce a new joke for this decade.  I mean really, “Lone Wolf?”  That line is from the 1983 film Lone Wolf McQuade, a movie released when I was five years old, I’m 34 today.

To add insult to injury the action sequences were physically stationary by older cast members like Schwarzenegger and Norris, only to be “complimented” by quick editing and bash-me-up-throws from the younger cast in Crews and Couture.  We, as the audience, received a semi-beautiful rendition of martial arts display from one of the world greatest masters only to realize that he won’t be in the entire film.  Instead he is replaced by an up-and-coming Asian beauty, Nan Yu, although great to look at, was no comparison in hand-to-hand combat.  What a shame that you plastered this master’s face on all the posters because I was disappointed when it came time to deliver.  Marketing tactics…humph…more like a marketing scheme!

I can only tip my hat to Jean-Claude Van Damme who portrayed a villain of magnanimous proportions & Jason Statham who continuously brings his “A” game.  But most of the problems with this sequel came from poor directorial choices.  Stallone should have directed this film just as he did the first one.  But no, now this film will go into the category of all other failed attempts at sequels.  It will fulfill the stereotype that the second movie never does as well.  Thrown to the side will it be with the other outcast of Hollywood and put into the dreaded file that some intern will ask “What’s this box?” and the manager will smirk “they’re The Expendables too.”

 I don’t have children.  Closest thing I have are three nieces and nephew. The joy of fatherhood is a pleasure that is beyond my grasp.  However, United Pictures’, Janie Jones, will bring any person closer to that a parenthood. 

 Abigail Breslin is Janie Jones, a 13 year old guitarist, who has been raised by her addict mother, Mary Ann, for the past decade.  With a warped sense of love Mary Ann takes Janie to meet her father, Ethan Brand, the lead singer of a band seeking fame while playing local bars across America.  Unknown to Ethan that he had a daughter, Janie is left in his care, after Mary Ann abandons her in hopes of resuming custody after her stint in rehab.  And so ensues a touching family drama of life, seclusion, and the overall desire to be wanted.

 I enjoyed this film, surprisingly.  I must admit that I was looking forward to seeing another and got stuck with this one, but that’s no regard to the quality of screenplay that was given.  Janie Jones had a beautiful build from party life, to frustration, and onward to a sense of hope.  Characters were pushed to their limits emotionally and it was portrayed perfectly by the cast.  Joel David Moore, Frank Whaley, and Elisabeth Shue brought a level of support that can only be done by actors of a seasoned tenure.

Nothing is more compelling than a parent who realizes their most valuable treasure.  Ethan, played by Alessandro Nivola, pulled you in with his rock-star hippie demeanor as it evolved into the patient and protective father figure.  Nivola quickly finds the conflict of drugs, porn & his alcohol induced life with fatherly love, via his avid attempts at trying to rid himself of his long lost daughter.  In retrospect, the childlike affection that was brought to us by Breslin gave the humor and soft tone that this film had no lack of.  Breslin portrayed the unwanted youth with the grace of a seasoned actor, giving Janie Jones the essence of family and revelation that all films of this genre should long for.  

This was an interesting film for me.  When I look at these characters I see bits of pieces of myself, as I should, for that’s what movies are for.  But I enjoyed the simple-complexities of the film, the individual growth of the characters, the turmoil with the band, and the struggle to find self.  If I ever become a dad I hope that my treasures are strummed within the tune of love, a tune that finds its tempo in a film as lovely as Janie Jones. 

Have you ever wondered what life would be like if you had made a different choice?  Left instead of right, Japan not South Korea, Yale instead of Harvard.  Do you recall that pivotal moment that led you to where you are right now?  Well, Columbia Pictures has brought you the biggest “what if” action thriller in its remake, Total Recall.

Colin Farrell is Douglas Quaid, a simple factory worker that is trapped in the abyss known as life.  Unhappy and racked with hopes of something unpredictable, Quaid is plagued with the constant desire to look through windows, wondering if grass truly is greener on the other side.  Well his opportunity becomes a reality with ReKall, a chemical implantation organization that will give you the memories of the life you wish you had without any of the regret.  All is going well until the operator notices something strange about Quaid’s profile and accuses him of being a spy.  This catapults an action adventure that includes a not-so-holy matrimony, an on foot pursuit through epic futuristic cities and a car chase that will leave you weightless.

Total Recall is where it’s at!  Director Len Wiseman made phenomenal choices.  Here is a film that gives gritty acting with pristine computer graphics. Colin Farrell brought a Bourne-Bond hybrid to the screen with this character.  His mannerisms of frustration and revelation gave this version of Quaid an impact that the original film couldn’t fathom.  In addition, the action sequences were perfectly executed as Farrell gave an artistic grace with the martial arts.  I was brought to my knees with the acrobatic sexiness of Kate Beckinsale and lifted up with the kick-ass prom queen in Jessica Biel.  Spectacular is an understatement to this sci-fi thriller.

Even though the story line has changed from the 1990 screenplay, Total Recall brings in a new era of creativity.  The architecture of apartments, 20^th century-like costumes with a techno touch and most impressive was The Fall: a public transportation system that has you falling through the core of the earth.   But when you can get from Australia to England in 17 minutes, who cares about a few thousand degrees of heat?

The scenic backdrops of the two cities, The United Federation of Britain & The Colony, had obvious differences with a distinct pattern.  The graphical flow of these patterns propelled the film forward with a loud subtlety.  We saw a soft use of dark tones plus shadowy accents for The Colony then lush tones with bright accents for The UFB.   It wasn’t just graphics for the sake of a film; it really felt like you were moving through the cities.  I was watching the first look of what Portland and Manhattan will be in 100 years.

I’m so happy I saw this film.  Why?  Because Total Recall is setting the standard for summer, dare I say, for this genre of film in general?   In my opinion, this movie is a shoe in for Best Picture of the Year.    Tomorrow I’m going to wake up and remember how great it was to watch this film, how filled I was when I left the theater.  I’m going to remember the thrill ride of excitement, the perfect writing, and the second to none camera work.  Tomorrow I will smile when I have Total Recall.

I don’t know how you feel about conspiracies but they terrify me. Just the thought of something corrupt happening with the consent of those in “power” is enough to make me want to pack up and leave the country. Sadly, it would probably land me in another country with the same “problem” but I digress. Murder, corruption and conspiracy are the primary themes in last years well received movie MOBY DICK (모비딕). While the title may instantly make you think of Herman Melville’s classic novel the only thing the two stories have in common are the battles of being in deep water. With an all star cast, including some of my personal favorites, MOBY DICK stirred up all of the common questions about what governments supposedly do and how they try to hide it. (more…)