Archive for the 'Movie Reviews' Category
September 20th, 2013 by Brian White
You ever have those moments in life where you first see a film’s theatrical trailer, having never known anything about it beforehand, and instantly “know” that it’s a film you want to see upon its release with no hesitations or second guessing? Well, that’s exactly how I felt about the film we are all gathered here to talk about today, Prisoners. I explicitly love movies that explore the morality of characters and push boundaries by asking the question how far would you go to save your family? What is a person capable of? It’s times like these when scruples are inconceivably tested and immovable obstacles suddenly become movable. A real man will do whatever it takes to keep his family safe…even if that means compromising his morals and crossing that fine line of what’s right and wrong in life. You know you shouldn’t, but you know no one else is going to do it. You have no choice if you want a shot at saving the one you love. The naysayers are always going to say nay. Go get ‘em tiger! Continue reading ‘‘Prisoners’ Captures Your Attention & Compromises Your Morality (Movie Review)’
September 13th, 2013 by Aaron Neuwirth
A good crime comedy is always something I am happy to embrace. I was ready to walk away from this Luc Besson-directed mob comedy with a bit of a smile on my face, but fugetaboutit. For the most part, The Family works as a sort of quirky fish-out-of-water film. It has a family living in France, under witness protection, with the added element of violent, dark comedy, some comic book sensibilities, and some other, off-kilter elements. It did not quite hit some of its satirical marks and had some tonal issues, but it seemed fine. Then the film decided to drop everything and opt for a poor ending, with shootouts and very little in the way of substance to leave with. I am not quite sure why this had to happen, but I am sure that it took the wind out of the sails of an otherwise halfway decent movie.
Continue reading ‘They May Seem Nice, But You Can Leave ‘The Family’ Alone (Movie Review)’
September 12th, 2013 by Brian White
I can’t help it, but I’m a firm believer that once you strike gold…DON’T be greedy. I hold that same belief when it comes to 2011’s Insidious (as you can see from my love and praise of it over here). The movie was a fresh of breath air for the horror genre and despite it’s ultra low budget, it showed the big guys this is how it was done with something most blockbusters lack…a real, compelling story. I also felt the same way about the film’s ending. What a bad-a$$ way that was to end it. However, then came word of a potential sequel and I shuddered in fear. Why mess with something so brilliant? Does it really need a sequel? Of course not! But this is how it’s done in Hollywood, folks! It’s not up to you or I. We know better. It’s all a money game or should I say grab? Insidious: Chapter 2, whether I tell you it’s good or bad below, will make money regardless. That’s a simple well known fact. It’s an established brand that people love and they are going to go to the theater this weekend whether it’s a green tomato or not. Continue reading ‘‘Insidious: Chapter 2’ Ditches Darth Maul & Fights The Past (Movie Review)’
September 12th, 2013 by Aaron Neuwirth
It stands to reason that Insidious Chapter 2 exists. The first film became a sleeper hit, as director James Wan and writer Leigh Whannel (the creators of Saw) combined forces with the producers of Paranormal Activity, Oren Peli and Jason Blum, to make a sufficiently scary horror film. Insidious was a spooky film that twisted around a standard haunted house story, by involving astral projection. It was made on the cheap, but put Wan’s directorial talents to good use, as he and his crew were able to make an effective horror film, with lots of emphasis on deliberate camera work and sound design. Now, while James Wan’s other horror film from this year, The Conjuring, is still earning revenue in theaters, Insidious Chapter 2 sets its sights on bringing audiences back into the Further. I only wish the film did not feel so misguided.
Continue reading ‘‘Insidious’: Back 2 The Further (Movie Review)’
September 6th, 2013 by Aaron Neuwirth
Riddick has returned to the big screen and the character continues to bring Vin Diesel to a place where he can walk the line between bad ass and goofy. It is nice to see cheesy, B-movie goodness every now and again. While being entertaining for various reasons does not make up for areas like excessive runtimes or having too many ill-defined characters, I genuinely enjoy the Riddick character enough to want to wander in the dark with him for a time and see if the results are worth it. Fortunately, I was more impressed this time around, than with The Chronicles of Riddick. Riddick is certainly scaled down and has more in common with Pitch Black, which introduced audiences to the character back in 2000. It is by no means a classic and more of an attempt to satisfy those who already are fans, but I was certainly pleased by the areas where this movie shines brightest, even if it meant suffering through some blindingly bad low points.
Continue reading ‘‘Riddick’ Returns To The Dark (Movie Review)’
August 30th, 2013 by Laney Feeser
For someone looking to grow some hair on his (or her) chest, Getaway is a real winner. Emanating testosterone through the entirety, the movie delivers all style and absolutely no substance. Plot and character development stay safely buckled up in the backseat, rarely making an appearance. If you make it through the first 20 minutes, you’ve seen the whole thing. Continue reading ‘Hold Onto Your Potatoes For The Ride That Is: Getaway (Movie Review)’
August 29th, 2013 by Aaron Neuwirth
I have to wonder sometimes how much time and consideration is put into the little details, before sending off the finished product and then being tackled by criticisms. Closed Circuit has plenty going for it at first glance. The film features a top notch cast, who are all putting forth reasonably good work as the characters they play. The premise is that of an interesting legal drama, set within the British justice system, which is not something American audiences see that much of in a wide release film. The problem revolves around the little details. The plot is entirely predictable, once the pieces are set in place, and little holes begin to emerge as the film carries on. Being a taut legal thriller and having good intentions is great, but adding up to something solid takes more than just having the big sections covered.
Continue reading ‘Strap On Your Powdered Wig And Get Ready For ‘Closed Circuit’ (Movie Review)’
August 28th, 2013 by Brian White
I went into my viewing of Byzantium wanting to like it so much because of my love for the can do no wrong actress, in my opinion, Gemma Arterton. So the truth be told that whenever you do something like that you’re almost guaranteed to set yourself up for failure and utter disappointment (point in case Man of Steel this summer). And when that doesn’t happen, then by God that’s when you know you just experienced a damn miracle. No, Byzantium is not the second coming of Christ, but who in their right mind would compare such a revolutionary event like that to a film’s quality (unless we’re talking Fight Club)? However, if you go into Byzantium with a bloody thirsty seeking of re-experiencing another satisfying tale akin to that of Interview With The Vampire with societal emphasis on themes of brotherhood, okay motherhood, and what it’s really like mentally and socially to live for over two centuries, then I can’t imagine you could ever walk away from this one disappointed. That’s my story and I’m “staking” to it. Continue reading ‘Can I “Permanently” Check Into ‘Byzantium’? (Movie Review)’
August 23rd, 2013 by Aaron Neuwirth
I was just talking about the effectiveness of simplicity in another review and now we have a simple and efficiently made horror flick, titled You’re Next. Despite having been lingering around for a couple years, this is a horror flick that has maintained its positive buzz since debuting at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival and ends up delivering. Besides some minor details, You’re Next is by and large a straight forward slasher film that does not do anything new for the genre, but is a ruthless exercise in solid horror filmmaking. It is sufficiently scary, features victims you generally feel bad for, and knows how to be both frighteningly violent, but also entertaining. Cabin in the Woods may have done a number on the state of horror features, but You’re Next sticks to the basics and makes it work anyway.
Continue reading ‘Lamb Next, Tiger Next, Fox Next, ‘You’re Next’ (Movie Review)’
August 23rd, 2013 by Aaron Neuwirth
It is always an interesting task, when it comes to providing a critique of one of you most anticipated films of the year from one of your favorite filmmakers. The World’s End is the final entry in the thematically connected “Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy”. The films that led up to this finale are 2004’s Shaun of the Dead and 2007’s Hot Fuzz (both of which are favorite films of mine). All three of these films were written by Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg, with Wright directing each film and Pegg starring in each, along with his best mate Nick Frost. I noted the years, because The World’s End is arriving quite a bit of time after the last entry, but it is fitting, as The World’s End is about growing up, among other things. The creative team involved has developed as filmmakers over the years and this is reflected in how this film continues in the tradition of showing off madcap humor, action, and heart, but also finds a way to acknowledge how times have changed. I have also failed to mention that this is a wild ride with some big sci-fi surprises, but the core of this film is just as strong as its hilarious and exciting exterior.
Continue reading ‘‘The World’s End’ And 11 Other Pubs To Visit Before The End Of The World (Movie Review)’
August 23rd, 2013 by Brian White
So here’s a title that I profess to know nothing about going into the press screening last Thursday night at the brand new Alamo Drafthouse Lakeline here in Austin, TX. Now come on, how can one turn that offer down? I said the BRAND NEW Alamo Drafthouse! I’m probably only the 100th person to have sat in the chair I plopped my a$$ down in last week. So what were we talking about? Oh yeah this movie. It’s called You’re Next. Now I must admit, the movie poster had me intrigued many months ago on iTunes Movie Trailers so I did what any outstanding American citizen would do. I watched the trailer. And…I wasn’t impressed with it. It felt old and tired…like a rehash of The Strangers or something along those lines that we’ve seen a million times now. So needless to say, I never intended to cover this one, but come on….THIS IS THE NEW ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE BABY! The word decline was not even a possible choice in my vocabulary as far as I’m concerned. Continue reading ‘You’ll Find The “Magic” In ‘You’re Next’ This Weekend (Movie Review)’
August 23rd, 2013 by Brian White
The World’s End is the third part in the so-called Cornetto or Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy, which includes 2004’s Shaun of the Dead and 2007’s Hot Fuzz. The British comedy (although one could say it’s a little more than just this) is directed by Edgar Wright, who also co-writes the screenplay with actor Simon Pegg. In addition to Pegg, it stars Nick Frost, Paddy Considine, Martin Freeman, Eddie Marsan, Rosamund Pike and a bunch of other cameos from well knowns that I don’t want to spoil for you all. The film reunites series regulars, Pegg, Frost and Freeman, as it follows a group of five childhood friends reattempting an epic pub crawl gone awry way back in the 90’s. Are they successful this time around? Jumpy, aren’t you? Relax. We’ll talk about it some more. Grab yourself a pint and kick back for a brief moment as we take the one-mile journey to The World’s End, the final bar in the legendary pub crawl. Ready? Continue reading ‘Raise Your Glasses To These 3 Reasons To Like ‘The World’s End’ (Movie Review)’
August 22nd, 2013 by Aaron Neuwirth
It is almost strange to get that feeling where everything about a film you are watching clicks together. Regardless of how open I try to be when seeing a movie, sometimes you just don’t expect certain films to hit you in a certain way. I like actress Lake Bell, who also served as writer, director, and producer on In A World, and was expecting a decent comedy out of her film, but I was really impressed with what I got. In A World is a very well put together comedy that has practically everything I would want to enjoy: fun characters, a smartly written script, some good laughs, an original story, and even a few themes for the film to hit upon. It has a sense of honesty to it as well, which is made all the better by the fact that I had a really good time while watching it and seemed to be acknowledging this fact to myself, while watching it. It is always nice to get a surprise such as this.
Continue reading ‘‘In A World’ Where Voice-Over Artists Get Their Own Film… (Movie Review)’
August 21st, 2013 by Laney Feeser
The transformation of a bestselling novel series into film has a history of blockbuster effect. Hollywood may have just broken this pattern. I am confident that with some skilled editing, Mortal Instruments: City of Bones could be reconstructed using clips exclusively from the likes of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, National Treasure, The Twilight Saga, any one of the Harry Potters, Star Wars IV: A New Hope, Underworld and just a quick still frame from Stargate. The entire movie reeked of been-there-done-that, but America’s insatiable thirst for supernatural, love entwined, gothic action films shall only be quenched when Hollywood starts delivering second rate knock-offs like this one. So let this be a lesson to you all. Continue reading ‘The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (Movie Review)’
August 21st, 2013 by Aaron Neuwirth
To make it simple Short Term 12 is the kind of film that many people should go and seek out. Here is the kind of dramatic indie feature that I can happily support, as it manages to hit a lot of familiar beats, while taking a step in a different direction from the norm. The film features a strong lead performance by Brie Larson, some solid support from both the adult and younger actors involved, and this is all achieved with a certain level of comfort that allows the film to feel at many times like a docu-drama. The sense of realism is there, but writer/director Destin Cretton does a lot of good work making a fully realized motion picture out of this story adapted from his own short film. It will only have a limited release in theaters, but it definitely deserves a large audience.
Continue reading ‘Take Good Care With ‘Short Term 12’ (Movie Review)’
August 16th, 2013 by Aaron Neuwirth
Every now and then I like to bring up my fondness for simplicity, when it really works. Europa Report is a science fiction film that is really stripped down to basics, using ideas similar to a film like Danny Boyle’s Sunshine and meshing them with a budget and approach similar to something like the indie film Monsters. The film could technically be classified as a thriller, but it works at being a story about people going on a mission and making smart decisions over the course of their journey, despite the drama that unfolds. It fits into the ‘found footage’ style, as the cameras are all based around the idea that they are attached to the ship, space suits, or simply a part of the pseudo-documentary approach. All of these elements add up to a well-made science fiction story, which only suffers from offering little in the way of ambition.
Continue reading ‘The ‘Europa Report’ Shows Positive Signs Of Science Fiction Activity (Movie Review)’
August 16th, 2013 by Brian White
The day is finally upon us. A day that feels like it took forever to come. Honestly, I was unsure if this day would ever happen, but the sequel to 2010’s Kick-Ass is finally here!!! And it’s aptly named…Kick-Ass 2. Well, let’s be honest. They could have been a little more creative with that title, but I’m overjoyed this puppy is now in fruition and seeing the light of day. So I’ll take what I can get. And like it’s predecessor, Kick-Ass 2 is a superhero action comedy based on the comic book of the same name and the series known simply as Hit-Girl, which bridges the gaps between the first movie and the rise of the costumed heroes within the second film, by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. The only difference this time out is we are minus Nicholas Cage and Matthew Vaughn, who directed the first film, is now a co-producer as Jeff Wadlow takes helm of everything we see onscreen. So let the ass-kicking begin! Continue reading ‘Kick-Ass 2 Brings Out The Superhero In All Of Us (Movie Review)’
August 16th, 2013 by Aaron Neuwirth
Maybe one of the more unlikely comic properties to get a sequel, Kick-Ass was produced almost completely as an independent film, only to have its distribution rights bought and successfully turned into a big screen event. Unfortunately, while the Comic Con and geek crowd showed up for Kick-Ass, the film did not turn into the huge financial success many would have hoped for. Thanks to cult success, cut to a few years later and we now have Kick-Ass 2; a Universal Studios production that allows audiences to return to the comic property that meshes bright, colorful, superhero theatrics with a deconstruction of the genre. While entertaining to an extent, the only problem is the very thought of Kick-Ass 2 being a Universal Studios production. The irreverence is certainly still intact, but a lot of the wit and edge is missing this time around. That said, I had more fun than expected during this “superheroes who swear” sequel.
Continue reading ‘‘Kick-Ass 2’ Not Quite As Hard Hitting (Movie Review)’
