Why So Blu?

‘Ghost Rider’ Blazes Through A Frenetic Sequel

Let’s start off with an obscure reference – The tagline for the mid-90s comic book film, The Phantom was “Slam Evil”.  In Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, Johnny Blaze, aka The Rider, doesn’t just slam evil, he literally sucks it in, chews on it, spits it out, then gives you the finger, as he drives off on his Hellcycle.  Let it be said right now, if you’re seeking a film full of constant clarity and touches of nuance, this sequel to (the inferior) Ghost Rider will not be for you.  However, if you want a film that has Nic Cage dialed to 11 and pissing fire, Idris Elba as a drunken French priest going on shooting rampages, and the Highlander himself – Christopher Lambert as a tattooed monk with a long scimitar, then this new Ghost Rider film, from the directing duo behind the Crank films, is one you may want to check out. Continue reading ‘‘Ghost Rider’ Blazes Through A Frenetic Sequel’

Spy vs. Spy: ‘This Means War’ (Movie Review)

Growing up, I remember being enamored by Mad magazine, particularly one regular strip in particular, Spy vs. Spy.  Do you remember those?  Those black and white characters had me in stitches every time I read their strip and I was overjoyed when they were eventually commercialized into everything from an animated television series to trading cards and video games.  The reason I mention these crudely animated little fellows is because they are exactly what I thought about the first time I saw the theatrical trailer for This Means War.  And it also meant the return of McG.  In the eyes of the critics out there beside myself, I wonder what fairs worse?  I’m not going to lie.  This Means War looked like a fun little movie, but it didn’t win me over instantly.  What did was the controversy behind it.  I’m referring to how it went from losing the appeal of it being labeled a Rated-R comedy by the MPAA and how it was excised down to a PG-13 cut. Continue reading ‘Spy vs. Spy: ‘This Means War’ (Movie Review)’

The Phantom Menace 3D (Movie Review) & Other Star Wars Rants

It was only a matter of time before FX guru and Star Wars creator George Lucas jumped on the 3D bandwagon. This past Friday, Episode I: The Phantom Menace made its arrival in theaters. With massive cardboard standups in cinemas months ago promoting the upcoming release/re-release, hopes were high that Lucas would deliver on the conflicted visual technology. At the end of the day, however, the only thing that was high was the ticket price.

Continue reading ‘The Phantom Menace 3D (Movie Review) & Other Star Wars Rants’

The Vow (Movie Review)

Inspired by a true events The Vow has the perfect release date just in time for Valentine’s Day. So all you romantics at heart will enjoy this sappy, tug on your heart strings, with a pinch of humor, love story that you may even shed a tear or two for. And if that is not enough for you, you get to see Channing Tatum’s bare butt! Bonus! Directed by Michael Sucsy (Grey Gardens). Screenwriters Abby Kohn and Marc Silverman (Valentine’s Day, Never Been Kissed).   Continue reading ‘The Vow (Movie Review)’

A ‘Safe House’ Built Of Rookies, Rogue Agents, And Bloodshed

Safe House has a lot of elements that should make it a pretty good watch.  A first rate cast, a solid story setup, and an “R” rating earned through the use of non-gratuitous violence, are all aspects that had me excited from the trailer alone.  For the most part, this film delivered just that, but something still seemed to be missing.  Despite the presence of an intense and pretty badass Denzel Washington, Safe House felt a bit lacking at times, in terms of giving me something more to chew on.  At other times, it felt a lot like other movies I had previously seen.  These aspects in mind, I still think it worked well overall in delivering a pretty violent and gritty, but good looking action picture, which is sometimes all really one can ask for. Continue reading ‘A ‘Safe House’ Built Of Rookies, Rogue Agents, And Bloodshed’

‘Journey 2’ Features Mysterious Island Lizards, Rocks, and Caines

It is nice to set up goals for yourself.  For example, I happened to have three goals for the New Year:  see Michael Cain ride on a giant bumblebee, watch The Rock bounce berries off his chest, and find out if a giant electric eel can power a submarine (all of that is true, yes).  With Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, I managed to achieve all of those goals at once and there was still plenty of time to see baby elephants, volcanoes full of gold, and the lost city of Atlantis (all in eye-popping 3D, no less).  Look, this is not a movie that is meant to be taken very seriously and for 90 minutes (following a pretty great, new Looney Tunes short) I did manage to get a decent amount of entertainment out of this film.  Dwayne Johnson just has too much damn charm and is considerably less sweaty than he was in Fast Five. Continue reading ‘‘Journey 2’ Features Mysterious Island Lizards, Rocks, and Caines’

Safe House: Still-Bourne Identity (Movie Review)

If Michael Bay directed Safe House, a fast-paced, spies-on-the-run thriller, it could have been this generations The Rock.  With novice director Daniel Espinosa at the helm, it comes across as a Jason Bourne meets Training Day mish-mash that falls apart in the end and will wash from your memory soon after seeing it.  A better name for it would be The Chalk. Continue reading ‘Safe House: Still-Bourne Identity (Movie Review)’

Ralph Fiennes’ ‘Coriolanus’ + Modern Warfare

I am a fan of actor Ralph Fiennes.  I enjoy stories involving Greek tragedies.  And I tend to like films that reappropriate the works of Shakespeare in interesting ways.  I found the concept of having Ralph Fiennes star in his directorial debut of the Shakespeare tragedy Coriolanus, which has been set in modern times, despite retaining the Shakespearean dialogue, to be an intriguing one.  Fortunately, it paid off greatly for me and those who would be similarly interested in such a thing.  While the modern setting makes way for some pretty stylish action sequences early on, the film is mainly a powerhouse of acting, with characters digging into the usage of iambic pentameter, and delivering fine work all around. Continue reading ‘Ralph Fiennes’ ‘Coriolanus’ + Modern Warfare’

‘Chronicle’ Shows The Morality Of Superpowers On A Budget

If Superman: The Movie made you believe a man could fly, Chronicle will make you believe that three boys can hold their own up in the air as well.  Chronicle is a pretty entertaining story about a group of high school kids that discover superpowers.  That the film has the added quality of being shot by way of camcorders, cell phones, security cameras, and news footage is an interesting route to take.  Setting the film up as a “found footage” flick does suggest some gimmickry is at play, especially when justifying the presence of the camera at times, but the joy of seeing a fresh take on what is both a superhero and supervillain origin story, made on a small budget, makes it worthwhile. Continue reading ‘‘Chronicle’ Shows The Morality Of Superpowers On A Budget’

We Need To Talk About Kevin (Movie Review)

Before learning anything specific about Lynne Ramsay’s We Need to Talk About Kevin, I was under the unfortunate impression that Kevin was another “evil kid” movie.   One based on a critically-acclaimed novel, sure, but still:  yet another “evil kid” movie.  Oh, boy.  How exciting. And so, I expected the typical “evil kid” plot:  upper-middle-class parents have a child that’s supposed to completely reinvigorate a stale marriage, child turns out to be weird, strange things start happening, a neighbor’s dog (or, hell, why not:  a neighbor) ends up dead, and somehow it  turns out the little kid is “possessed” or “the Devil” or “the Devil’s child” or “the Devil’s son’s tutor” or something equally stupid.  Besides the “killer car” and the “killer kitchen-appliance” sub-genres of horror, this might be the most overused and least entertaining plot device ever employed, repeated so many times and with so many tiny variations that it’s long since lost what little punch it might have ever had.  Continue reading ‘We Need To Talk About Kevin (Movie Review)’

Chronicle: Reckless in Seattle (Movie Review)

George Lucas reinvented the world of science fiction in 1977 with Star Wars Episode IV, spending around $40 million of present-day currency to produce the lucratively profitable space epic.  He was 33 when Greedo didn’t shoot first and still a god among geeks.  At 30 years and with $30 million, director Neil Blomkamp gave us the instant classic, District 9, a sci-fi mockumentary set in Johannesburg, South Africa — a more terrestrial and hostile version of Tattooine.  In this politically conscious alien adventure, humankind plays the evil Empire.  After watching Chronicle (opening Feb. 5), essentially a sublime hybrid of both, it appears a padawan director named Josh Trank has reached cinematic Nerdvana much younger (he turns 27 on Feb. 19), spending around one- third less than Lucas. Continue reading ‘Chronicle: Reckless in Seattle (Movie Review)’

Harry Potter And ‘The Woman In Black’

I kid around in my title, but really, when you are the lead in one of the most popular film franchises of all time and now star in a completely different film, it is hard not to call attention to this fact.  Daniel Radcliffe stars in an old fashioned horror film (actually produced by Hammer Film Productions), that is steeped in effective atmosphere and does a lot right, without having to resort to blood and gore, in place of actual scares.  The story is very simple (which is common in Hammer Horror films), with fairly predictable plot beats and scares, and when the film is not trying to scare you, it is basically trying to depress you, but with all that in mind, it is a solid effort in regards to haunted house/ghost stories. Continue reading ‘Harry Potter And ‘The Woman In Black’’

‘Underworld 4’ a Rude Awakening (Movie Review)

I remember a handful of years back when word got out that a third Underworld movie was in production. Then word arrived that series star Kate Beckinsale would not be a part of the film. I, along with many other fans, felt the unfortunate sting. Thankfully, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans was a great-fitting prequel spelling out the history of the werewolf/vampire rivalry. With a trilogy in the books, fans still wanted another movie, but this time with Kate Beckinsale. I give you Underworld: Awakening. Continue reading ‘‘Underworld 4’ a Rude Awakening (Movie Review)’

‘Man On A Ledge’ Jumps To Ridiculous Conclusions

There is a great film out there that seems to be about one thing, but is actually a lot more like another thing entirely.  It involves a man who must place himself in a precariously high position on a building, with a plan to accomplish a certain task.  Despite having this task in mind however, the film actually plays out by having more in common with a heist movie.  The film I am referring to is Man on Wire, the Oscar-winning documentary about a man who performed a high-wire walk across the Twin Towers in New York during the 70s.  Man on a Ledge is similarly about a man perching himself outside of a building, with a heist-like situation occurring at the same time, but is also vastly inferior.  There is certainly some enjoyment to be had, but not enough to look over the incredible amount of suspension of disbelief involved in taking the central scheme and plotting of this film seriously, let alone recommend the film. Continue reading ‘‘Man On A Ledge’ Jumps To Ridiculous Conclusions’

Jack London Would Be Proud Of Neeson’s Fight For Survival In ‘The Grey’

It seems like Liam Neeson has been given quite the upgrade from tall, steadfast lead actor to confident, ass-kicking action start in recent years.  Neeson has certainly been reliable in years past, but since Taken, no one seems to question whether or not Neeson has the capabilities of taking someone down if he has to.  The Grey reunites Neeson with A-Team director Joe Carnahan for a film that is almost an opposite of that ridiculous (ly fun) action flick for a gritty survival story that is every bit as focused on being a study of Neeson’s personal mental anguish as it is an intense journey for he and the other unfortunate souls to survive in the icy cold wilderness, with wolves looming on the horizon.  There may be some backlash from those expecting a more wolf-bashing-focused tale, but I really appreciated the dark level of maturity combined with the visceral nature of the survival effort, along with what I consider a top tier acting performance from Liam Neeson. Continue reading ‘Jack London Would Be Proud Of Neeson’s Fight For Survival In ‘The Grey’’

Swinton Excels, While Talking About ‘Kevin’ Can Be Soul Crushing

In times past, when it comes to certain horror movies or thrillers, I have noted that the “creepy kid” subgenre is one that usually gets to me pretty easily.  We Need to Talk About Kevin is not quite a horror film or thriller, but more a psychological drama surrounding the mental state of a mother dealing with her son who is, for lack of a better term, a psychopath.  While his actions certainly escalate to creepy, it is the way this plot unfolds and how we see all of the things the mother has to deal with that kept me involved on an incredibly frustrating level regarding Kevin’s growth from a young child onward.  We Need to Talk About Kevin is certainly well acted, but it very much became an unlikely chore for me to not attempt to reach into the screen and slap Kevin. Continue reading ‘Swinton Excels, While Talking About ‘Kevin’ Can Be Soul Crushing’

‘Red Tails’ Crash Lands

Red Tails is like a bad, unironic comic book movie come to life.  It could have been a number of different things, including a thrilling war-time action/adventure or a moving depiction of the turmoil faced by African American pilots during wartime, as they had to prove themselves in the face of segregation.  The film actually plays out as a really bland, by-the-numbers action/war film that is rife with clichés and one-note characters.  There is no real look deeper into its message beyond “racism is bad” and the elaborately designed aerial dogfights feel almost too overproduced to actually have any dramatic weight to them.  All of this and I haven’t even mentioned how dreadful the dialogue is. Continue reading ‘‘Red Tails’ Crash Lands’

Haywire’s a Misfire

Haywire’s protagonist, Mallory Kane, played by statuesque Mixed Martial Artist brawler Gina Carano, looks a lot like a younger version of America’s undisputed girl next door, Sandra Bullock.  Too bad in her leading “lady” debut, she has all the charm of the door.  Not that any of this will matter to moviegoers not burned out by the “burned spy out for revenge” genre. Continue reading ‘Haywire’s a Misfire’