Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

As movies keep making money on each sequel that are produced, the quality usually ends up suffering. This is where the more money the film costs, not necessarily the film will be better. I have to admit that this wasn't the case with "Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol". This franchise actually improved.

In this 4th installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team, Benji (Simon Pegg) and Jane (Paula Patton) are racing against time to find a dangerous terrorist, Hendricks (Michael Niqvist) who has obtained access to Russian nuclear launch codes and is planning an attack on the U.S.

As the IMF team tries to stop the terrorist and his cohorts at the Kremlin, an explosion occurs. At this point, the IMF becomes implicated in the bombing which causes the President to invoke Ghost Protocol: a process whereas the IMF is disavowed with no assistance or backup at anytime. This doesn't seem to effect Hunt and his team, which now includes Brandt (Jeremy Renner) as they chase Hendricks to Dubai, Mumbai and other elaborate locations. After all this chasing, they still may be too late to stop a global disaster.

Considering all the animated films he's directed, this was well helmed by Brad Bird ("The Iron Giant" '99, "The Incredibles" '04, "Ratatouille" '07). This guy certainly has a future for more features in the live-action category. The pacing in this was at a rapid speed, which is crucial for this type of film and Bird nailed it! It was well penned by Jason Appelbaum and Andre Nemec based on the TV series, "Mission: Impossible" by Bruce Geller. As with the other installments, this one still had the theme music originally created by Lalo Schifrin for the TV series, and this just made it. I was raised on the TV series and the theme was, in my opinion, an intregal part of the series.

The visual effects were predominantly created by ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic) and were seamless. You know, the same guys the did the visuals for Star Wars. Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Harry Potter films, Jurassic Park, Transformers, Twilight Saga, Super8, etc. So this company definitely knows their stuff.

If you want pure fantastical escape with action, adventure, explosions, visual effects with a decent script and story, this mission, should you choose to accept it, is a winner. This review will self destruct in 10 seconds. Good luck people.

Out of 4 stars: 3.5                       Rated: PG-13                      133min.

The Adventures of Tintin

Steven Spielberg has got to be one of the best storytellers of our time. Even though he directs, they way he paces his work, the way he handles his actors in precarious situations adds to the storytelling. This is definitely true when it comes to "The Adventures of Tintin".

This is the story of a young lad, Tintin (Jamie Bell) who buys a model ship, the Unicorn at a market for a pound. This purchase really intrigues Tintin when, right after his purchase, a gentlman named Sakharine (Daniel Craig) insists on buying it from the lad at any cost. When Tintin refuses, he eventually kidnaps Tintin and his wonderful dog, Snowy and they board a ship bound for Morocco at the court of a sheikh, Ben Salaad (Gad Elmaleh), who also has a model of the Unicorn.

Sakharine, meanwhile, has manipulated mutiny against its drunken captain, Haddock (Andy Serkis), so he, Tintin and Snowy escape arriving in Morocco. Haddock ends up spilling his guts about his ancestry 300 years ago whereas Sir Francis Haddock was forced to battle the original Unicorn when attacked by Sakharine's ancestor, pirate Racham. But he managed to save some of his treasure and carefully provided clues with three scrolls hidden in three model Unicorns of its whereabouts. Will Tintin, Haddock, Snowy and help of the Thompson twins (Nick Frost and Simon Pegg) from Interpol be able to obtain all three scrolls before Sakharine?

Others to round out the cast are Daniel Mays as Allan/Pirate Funk #1, Toby Jones as Silk, and Enn Reitel as Nestor/Mr. Crabtree.

This was brilliantly directed by Spielberg ("Duel" (TV movie) '71, "Sugarland Express" '74, "Jaws" '75, "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" '77, "Raiders of the Lost Ark" '81, "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" '82, "The Color Purple" '85, "Empire of the Sun" '87, "Jurassic Park" '93, "Schindler's List" '93, "Amistad" '97, "Saving Private Ryan" '98, "Minority Report" '02, "Catch Me If You Can" '02, "The Terminal" '04, "War of the Worlds" '05, "Munich" '05, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" '08, "War Horse" '11) and many others. As aforementioned, by his very resume, one can see how this guy was so influential when it came to the storytelling. Spielberg is truly an entertainer.

It was creatively written by Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright, and Joe Cornish which was based on the comic book series "The Adventures of Tintin" by Herge. I have to believe that Spielberg had a certain amount of script input, because this story, many times, just has you on the edge of your seat, and this is a definite trademark of Spielberg's. It did jump around a slight bit, but not enough to take away from the roller coaster ride at hand.

The visual effects were created by Weta Digital, Ltd. (The Lord of the Rings trilogy) and was handled with absolute seamlessness and realism. Looking at some characters makes you think, at a glance, that they are real and not animated, which makes one look twice. This is truly a wonderful film for all to see, young and old alike. It has all the elements of a classic: adventure, excitement, danger, great storytelling, and equally great effects all presented in 3D and IMAX. No matter what your age is, you will leave the multiplex feeling a little bit better than when you arrived, and isn't this what being entertained is all about?

Out of 4 stars: 4                          Rated: PG                        107min. 

Young Adult

Just the other week, I was thinking: "What has happened to Charlize Theron; what is she up to?"  Well my question has been answered, and it's in the form of "Young Adult", not that I thought she fell off the end of the Earth.

Mavis Gary (Theron) is a successful writer of young adult literature who, shortly after a divorce, returns to her hometown, Mercury, Mn., outside of Minneapolis, with a dual mission: to relive her glory days and steal away her now-married with a new baby high-school sweetheart, Buddy Slade (Patrick Wilson). However, her mission doesn't go exactly as planned. and she finds her homecoming more problematic than she expected. Instead, Mavis forms an unusal bond with a former classmate, Matt Freehauf (Patton Oswalt), who has also found it difficult to move past high school.

Others to round out the cast are Elizabeth Reaser as Beth Slade, Buddy's loving wife, Collette Wolfe as Sandra Freehauf, Matt's lonely, insecure sister, Jill Eikenberry and Richard Bekins as Hedda and David Gary, Mavis' parents, Mary Beth Hurt as Jan, and Louisa Krause as the front desk girl.

This was painstakingly well directed by Jason Reitman ("Thank You for Smoking" '05, "Juno" '07, "Up in the Air" '09). This guy doesn't have a lot of films in his resume, but the films he has done have been high-quality. He proves that quantity doesn't always equate with quality. His pacing in this to keep you on that edge is well crafted. This was equally well written by Diablo Cody ("Juno" '07, "Jennifer's Body" '09, "Tight" (video short) '10). She definitely deserved her Oscar for best screenplay directly written for the screen for "Juno". This film has that same feel to it, except this was a little more dramatic than Juno. Don't get me wrong, they both were comedy/drama, but the comedy is more subtle.

Theron has proven herself as a talented actor what with her Oscar for best actress for "Monster", but in this, she has proven she can equally perform comedy, even if it is subtle. Her transformation from feeling she is just an insecure, manipulative, sociopathic, husband-stealer to this incredibly hurt, insecure, lonely, individual was not only well crafted, writing wise, but equally carried out as far as Theron's acting ability was concerned. The wring and acting surely will be nominated for Oscars this year.

This is not a warm and fuzzy feeling film, but if you are seeking out talented acting, well-crafted writing and directing along with an interesting story including hurt, discovery, self-loathing, fear, self-absorption, and the like, you'll really get into this one.

Out of 4 stars: 4                        Rated: R                          94min.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Robert Downey Jr. seizes to amaze me. He is one of the the select few actors I would and could see in any film and, at least, be somewhat entertained because he was in it. Not very many others I could say that about. This is definitely the case with "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows", although I did like this film.

When Austria's crown prince is found dead, evidence seems to point to suicide. However, detective Sherlock Holmes (Downey Jr.) deduces that the prince was murdered and that the crime is but a piece of a puzzle designed by an evil genius named Professor James Moriarty (Jared Harris). Holmes and his friend Dr. John Watson (Jude Law), who are accompanied by a gypsy (Noomi Rapace) whose life Holmes saved, and at times Holmes' brother, Mycroft (Stephen Fry), chase Moriarty across Europe in the hope that they can thwart his plot before it can come to fruition.

Others to round out the cast are Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler, the first accomplice to Moriarty, Kelly Reilly as Mary Watson, Paul Anderson as Colonel Sebastian Moran, and Eddie Marson as Inspector Lestrade.

This was richly directed by Guy Ritchie ("Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" '98, "Snatch" 2000, "Swept Away" '02, "Revolver" '05, "Suspect" (TV movie) '07, "RocknRolla" '08, "Sherlock Holmes" '09). This guy can take what would seemingly be an ordinary story or plot and put just enough grit and quirkiness to keep your attention until the end. This was written by Michele Mulroney and Kieran Mulroney based on characters: Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This was slightly long-in-the-tooth, but was still intriguing enough to grab you, however it could've easily been confined to a 2 hour running time and still would've been fine.

The photography will surely be nominated come Oscar time, but considering the veteran Philippe Rousselot, afc/asc ("Hope and Glory" '87, "The Bear" '88, "Dangerous Liaisons" '88, "Henry & June" '90, "The Miracle" '91, "A River Runs Through It" '92, "Sommersby" '93, "Interview With the Vampire: The Vampire's Chronicles" '94, "Mary Reilly" '96, "Instinct" '99, "Remember the Titans" 2000, "Planet of the Apes" '01, "Big Fish" '03, "Constantine" '05, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" '05, "THe Brave one" '07, "The Great Debaters" '07, "Sherlock Holmes" '09, "Peacock" '10, "Larry Crowne" '11) shot it, it's no surprise of its expertise. The gritty shots coupled with the slow motion process was simply brilliant and certainly added to the feel of the story.

If you want to go to a film and just be purely entertained with great visuals and photography, not to mention, having fun with Downey as he and others run around Europe, you will revel with this. Just to see Downey doing something he is having fun with is certainly worth the price tag.

Out of 4 stars: 3.5                         Rated: PG-13                         129min.

New Year's Eve

As I've mentioned in other write-ups, romantic comedies aren't my favorite type of comedy, but once in a while, I feel I should give them a chance. As with the case of "New Year's Eve", it was not a great film, but certainly was a much better film than I would have ever expected.

New Year's Eve celebrates love, hope, forgiveness, second chances and fresh starts. This chronicles different couples and singles' intertwined stories which are told amidst the pulse and promise of New York City on the most dazzling night of the year. Can these individuals find all things they need to find in order to make their lives worthwhile in the confines of one New Year's Eve?

Cast alphabetically: Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Jon Bon Jovi, Abigail Breslin, Chris 'Ludicris' Bridges, Robert De Niro, Josh Duhamel, Zac Efron, Hector Elizondo, Katherine Heigl, Aston Kutcher, Seth Meyers, Lea Michele, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michelle Pfeiffer, Til Schweiger, Hilary Swank, and Sofia Vergara.

This was well directed by veteran director Garry Marshall ("The Flamingo Kid" '84, "Overboard" '87, "Beaches" '88, "Pretty Woman" '90, "Frankie and Johnny" '91, "Dear God" '96, "Runaway Bride" '99, "The Princess Diaries" '01, "Raising Helen" '04, "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement" '04, "Georgia Rule" '07, "Valentine's Day" '10) with very much the same feel as "Valentine's Day". But considering Marshall also directed Valentine's Day and Katherine Fugate wrote both this and Valentine's Day, it's certainly no shock. Fugate also wrote "Carolina" '03 and "The Prince and Me" '04.

One can't help but feel comfortable with this seasonal film with a cast that works well off of one another, thanks partly to Marshall's direction. There is some jumping around, script-wise, but I guarantee you'll leave the cineplex feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.

Out of 4 stars: 2.5                        Rated: PG-13                     117min.

My Week with Marilyn

Biopics are usually a safe bet for a high-quality film. As with past films, such as "Walk the Line", "Moneyball" and "J.Edgar", this proves that concept. "My Week with Marilyn" just proves that concept once again with a well acted, directed and written film that will leave you in awe.
Film student Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne), an employee of Sir Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) documents the tense interaction between Olivier and Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams) during production of "The Prince and the Showgirl" which is being shot in England's famed Pinewood Studios back in 1956.

Olivier struggles to meet Monroe's many demands and acting ineptness, whereas Colin is intrigued by her. Colin's intrigue is answered when Marilyn invites him into her world where she struggles with fame, her beauty and her desire to be a great actress. 

Others to round out the cast are Dominic Cooper as Milton Greene, Julia Ormond as Vivien Leigh, Dougray Scott as Arthur Miller, husband of Monroe, Zoe Wanamaker as Paula Strasberg, Monroe's overly protective acting coach, Emma Watson as Lucy, Toby Jones as Arthur Jacobs, and Judi Dench as Dame Sybil Thorndike.

This was incredibly well directed by Simon Curtis whose resume consists of all TV. As well as this was directed, Curtis certainly has quite the future in feature films where he will be in demand. This was equally well written by Adrian Hodges based on the books, "My Week with Marilyn" and "The Prince, the Showgirl and Me" by Colin Clark. It was incredibly insightful for Clark to chronicle his experiences with Marilyn and the production, because it definitely made for a perfect subject matter to make a film. What pains me is to realize how troubled Marilyn Monroe was. Her 'baggage' perpetually got in her way.

Come Oscar time, the film, Williams, Branagh and possibly Redmayne could be looking at nominations. Certainly costumes, art direction and photography will be looking at nods. If you are looking for a high-quality, well acted and artfully done film, this will fit the bill. For crying out loud, Michelle Williams even does her own singing. I'm telling you, one could shut their eyes and swear they were hearing Marilyn Monroe herself. Trust me, you will not be disappointed.

Out of 4 stars: 4                     Rated: R                        99min.

Arthur Christmas

One can tell this is the Christmas season in that we have seen a plethora of animated films, and not just animated, but seasonal animated. As with the case of "Arthur Christmas", you can tell Hollywood is trying to cash in on the holiday profits just as Madison Avenue does every year.

This story reveals the incredible, never-before seen answer to every child's question: 'So how does Santa deliver all those presents in one night?' The answer: Santa's exhilarating, ultra-high-tech operation hidden beneath the North Pole. But at the center of the film is a story of a family in a state of comic dysfunction and an unlikely hero, Arthur (James McAvoy), with the help of Grandsanta (Bill Nighy) and elf, Bryony (Ashley Jensen) who embark on an urgent mission that must be completed before Christmas morning dawn due to a major screw up by Santa (Jim Broadbent) and Steve (Hugh Laurie), who runs the operation.

Others to round out the cast are Imelda Staunton as Mrs. Santa, Marc Wootten as Peter, Steve's kiss-ass assistant, Laura Linney as the North Pole computer, Eva Longoria as Chief De Silva, and Ramona Marquez as Gwen.

For a director who has no feature film experience, but a ton of TV experience, Sarah Smith really excelled in this category. The emotion that was emitted and the pacing of the film was veteran quality. Equally, the writing by Peter Baynham and Smith was executed well, with the exception of a few inconsistencies.

The animation by both Sony Pictures and Aardman were seamless and exuded that look you'd expect from a Christmas-type film, so it just puts you in that mood to enjoy and have fun with. The 3D effects were good, but not necessarily needed, but if you have them mixed with the clever animation, it just makes the 'ride' that much more fun.

Out of 4 stars: 3.5                  Rated: PG                        97min.

The Descendents

George Clooney is kind of a hit and miss for me; maybe it's the projects he chooses, however not one of my faves. But with the recent "The Descendents", he really excelled well here. He has done other worthy films, such as "Good Night, and Good Luck", "Syriana" and "Up in the Air", but he simply shined in this.

With his wife, Elizabeth (Patricia Hastie) on life support after a boating accident, native Hawaiian islander land baron, Matt King (Clooney), takes his daughters, Alexandra and Scottie (Shailene Woodley and Amara Miller) along with Alexandra's friend, Sid (Nick Krause) on a trip from Oahu to Kauai to confront the young real estate broker, Brian Speer (Matthew Lillard), who was having an affair with Elizabeth before her misfortune.

Others to round out the cast are Beau Bridges as Cousin Hugh, Judy Greer as Julie Speer, Brian's wife, Matt Corboy as Cousin Ralph, Matt Esecson as Cousin Hal, Michael Ontkean as Cousin Milo, and Mary Birdsong and Rob Huebel as Kai and Mark Mitchell, Matt and Elizabeth's friends.

It was directed with incredible detail by Alexander Payne ("The Passion of Martin" '91, "Citizen Ruth" '96, "Election"'99, "About Schmidt" '02, "Sideways" '04). It was written by Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash. What makes this script is not the plot necessarily, but how the plot is treated. It's basically about infidelity, but the slant is one of the people is now in a coma and the one that was cheated on inadvertently found out she was cheating and now is bound and determined to find the other man perhaps for morbid curiosity, not sure. This change on an old plot idea makes it quirky and very different.

If you liked "About Schmidt" and "Sideways" you'll like this. Of course, Payne also involved with these films, makes them similar in many ways. The one difference in this and Schmidt and Sideways is that "The Descendents" is a drama with comedic overtones, whereas the other two films were both basically dramedies. Payne has definitely hit the nail on the head when it comes to bringing the dysfunction out in his characters. The only other filmakers that are as talented in this arena are the Coen Brothers, which are about as quirky in their filmaking. This is not a film for all audiences in that the comedy, when presented, is extremely subtle, so don't look for a film you can hardily laugh at, instead look for a film you can sink your teeth into for its pure quality.

Out of 4 stars: 4                      Rated: R                           115min.