Escape from Planet Earth

Well, It's the start of another year of animated films front and center. It's just a shame that the first one could have not been pulled together a bit better than what we see at the multiplex. But even though it wasn't the animated flick I was hoping for, "Escape from Planet Earth" still has something to offer.

The story takes place on planet Baab where admired astronaut Scorch Supernova (Brendan Fraser) is a national hero to the blue alien population. A master of daring rescues, Scorch pulls off astonishing feats with the quiet aid of his nerdy, but intelligent brother, Gary (Rob Corddry), head of mission control at BASA.
Scorch finds himself caught in a trap when he responds to an SOS from a notoriously dangerous alien planet that the folks of Baab call the dark planet or as the inhabitants of that planet call Earth. Scorch's brother follows him to the planet to rescue him only to be caught himself. As they ponder what to do, they come upon other imprisoned aliens including Thurman (George Lopez), Doc (Craig Robinson), and Io (Jane Lynch). They clue Scorch and Gary in on the fact that none of them are going nowhere, because General Shanker (William Shatner) has plans for them all toward his greedy end.

Others to round out the cast are Sarah Jessica Parker as Kira Supernova, Gary's wife, Ricky Gervais as Mr. James Bing, voice of the computer, Jonathan Morgan Heit as Kip Supernova, son of Gary's, Sophia Vergara as Gabby, a newscaster at BNN, Jessica Alba as Lena, boss of Gary and Scorch, Steve Zahn as Hawk, Chris Parnell as Hammer, Paul Scheer as Cameraman, and Jason Simpson as Barry.

This was directed by a virtual newbie to the directing realm who's past experience is predominately that of storyboard artist. And even though this is Callan Brunker's first directing gig, it wasn't really bad, in fact it was decent. This was written by Bob Barlen and Cal Brunker which was based on a story by Tony Leech and Cory Edwards. The animation and the writing was definitely geared to a child, approximately 9-15years. I'm not sure if the writing was purposely executed this way or not, but assuredly, parents should feel safe to bring their young kids to this one, not to mention the kids will love the 3D process.

One thing's for sure, this is a great family film with a really good message, and certainly is a breath of fresh air for that demographic, but if you're looking for something that is slickly written with a script that's geared more for the adult here, better wait for the DVD on this one.

Out of 4 Stars: 2.5                      Rated: PG                        89mins.

The 85th Annual Academy Awards

Well, it's that time again when all of Hollywood rallies and pats each other on the back for a job well done. That being said, we have the presentation of "The 85th Annual Academy Awards". Every year, the Academy goes through an arduous process of not only processing tons of films to be nominated and subsequently choosing the winners, but even tougher is the choice of who the host is going to be. If Billy Crystal would just agree to MC the awards every year, this would not be the issue it has become. Crystal doesn't make it a yearly thing, because he claims it is the toughest gig to do, and I'm sure it is. They've tried so many hosts, that with few exceptions, have fell flat on their faces, and last night's Seth MacFarlane was no exception. I watched this telecast and whinced for MacFarlane, as he must have realized that he was in way over his head. I wish comedians would not shoot for laughs at others' expense. One can make light of a situation or person, but a talented comedian can do this with tact and finesse, like Crystal, who's timing and delivery is perfect-- he's one of a kind. MacFarlane's jokes were cruel, stale, just not funny, and were horribly forced. There has got to be someone else out there that can give these award ceremonies a one, two punch which it so desperately needs. Come back Billy, we really need you!

Anyway, that all said, here is the recap of the ones given the Oscar:

Best Motion Picture-- "Argo" (Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck, George Clooney)

Best Actor-- Daniel Day-Lewis ("Lincoln")

Best Actress-- Jennifer Lawrence ("Silver Linings Playbook")

Best Supporting Actor-- Christoph Waltz ("Django Unchained")

Best Supporting Actress-- Anne Hathaway ("Les Miserables")

Best Director-- Ang Lee ("Life of Pi")

Best Original Screenplay-- "Django Unchained" (Quentin Tarantino)

Best Adapted Screenplay-- "Argo" (Chris Terrio)

Best Animated Feature-- "Brave" (Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman)

Best Foreign Language Film-- "Amour" (Austria)

Best Cinematography-- "Life of Pi" (Claudio Miranda)

Best Editing-- "Argo" (William Goldenberg)

Best Production Design/Art Direction-- "Lincoln" (Rick Carter, Jim Erickson)

Best Costume Design-- "Anna Karenina" (Jacqueline Durran)

Best Makeup and Hairstyling-- "Les Miserables" (Lisa Westcott, Julie Dartnell)

Best Original Score-- "Life of Pi" (Mychael Danna)

Best Original Song-- "Skyfall" (Adele Adkins, Paul Epworth) "Skyfall"

Best Sound Mixing-- "Les Miserables" (Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson, Simon Hayes)

Best Sound Editing-- (Tie) "Skyfall" (Per Hallberg, Karen Baker Landers)
                                              "Zero Dark Thirty" (Paul N.J. Ottosson)

Best Visual Effects-- "Life of Pi" (Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik De Boer, Donald
                                    Elliott)

Best Documentary Feature-- "Searching for Sugarman" (Malik Bendjelloul, Simon Chinn)

Best Documentary, Short Subject-- Innocente" (Sean Fine, Andrea Nix Fine)

Best Short Film, Animated-- "Paperman" (John Kahrs)

Best Short Film, Live Action-- "Curfew" (Shawn Christensen)

There was also a 50 year tribute to the 007 James Bond films, which was a nifty montage of film clips and different songs of the different films. And since the theme of the awards was a musical one, there, of course, had to be a tribute to the musical showcasing "Chicago", "Dreamgirls", and "Les Miserables" with Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jennifer Hudson, and the cast of "Les Miserables" respectively. And the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award went to Jeffrey Katzenberg.
One of the best parts of this ceremony was as the different artists who passed away last year were being presented on screen, Marvin Hamlisch's picture was last and Barbra Streisand, being a longtime friend and collaborator of Hamlisch's, burst into their rendition of "Memories" from "The Way We Were". It was very touching and poignant considering their amazing friendship throughout the decades.
To wrap this up, I can only sum it up with one question: Where is Billy Crystal when you need him?"

Out of 4 Stars: 1.5                           Rated: NR                          3Hrs.-30Mins.

Beasts of the Southern Wild

I believe that most people love a great 'rites of passage' film. I know I certainly do. So when this small independent film called "Beasts of the Southern Wild", was released back in June of 2012, I really felt I needed to see this film. But then other films came, and all of a sudden the end of year films had to be seen for possible Academy consideration. When I realized this film was being nominated for four Academy Awards including best picture, actress, director, and adapted screenplay, this had to happen, and I'm so glad it did.

Hushpuppy (Quvenzhane Wallis), an intrepid six-year-old girl, lives with her father, Wink (Dwight Henry), in the Bathtub, a southern Delta community at the edge of the world. Wink's tough love prepares her for the unraveling of the universe; for a time when he's no longer there to protect her. When Wink contracts a mysterious illness, nature flies out of whack, temperatures rise, and the ice caps melt unleashing an army of prehistoric creatures called aurochs. With the waters rising and subsequently flooding, the aurochs coming, and Wink's health fading, Hushpuppy must search and learn the ways of courage and love.

This had a supporting cast that was incredibly eclectic, but worked well off one another, especially those who were part of the Bathtub community. They are Levy Easterly as Jean Battiste, Lowell Landes as Walrus, Pamela Harper as Little Jo, Gina Montana as Miss. Bathsheba, Amber Henry as LZA, Jonshel Alexander as Joy Strong, Nicholas Clark as Boy with Bell, Joseph Brown as Winston, Henry D. Coleman as Peter T, Kaliana Brower as T-Lou, Philip Lawrence as Dr. Maloney, Hannah Holby as Open Arms Babysitter, Jimmy Lee Moore as Sgt. Major, Jovan Hathaway as The Cook, Kendra Harris as Baby Hushpuppy, and Windle Bourg as Herself.

This was poignantly and intensely directed by Benh Zeitlin ("Egg" '05, "The Origins of Electricity" '06, "Glory at Sea" '08 [all shorts]). This is Zeitlin's first full length feature and he not only is being nominated in the directing category, but the writing one as well. Needless to say, he will receive more work. This was brilliantly written by Lucy Alibar and Zeitlin based on the stage play, "Juicy and Delicious" by Alibar. Can you imagine what Zeitlin will be like with even more experience?

As mentioned prior, what a great rites of passage vehicle, and Wallis really pulls this off. This gifted actor, whether she wins on Oscar night or not, has a very promising career headed her way. She will capture your heart while you are cheering her on.

Out of 4 Stars: 4                           Rated: PG-13                          93mins.

Safe Haven

"Safe Haven" is yet another affirming film based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks, who also spawned other novels, namely "The Notebook" and "Dear John" in which films were based on. Even though all Sparks' novels have a good deal of similarity, they simply speak to the heart of all who watch these films.

In this story a mysterious young woman Katie (Julianne Hough) appears in the small town of Southport, North Carolina only to have questions raised about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, she seems determined to avoid forming any personal ties until she meets a widowed store owner, Alex (Josh Duhamel) who has a kind heart, his two young children, Josh and Lexie (Noah Lomax and Mimi Kirkland), and her plainspoken neighbor, Jo (Cobie Smulders).

Despite her reservations, she starts to slowly lower her guard to put down roots in the close-knit community and becomes increasingly attached to Alex and his family. But even as Katie starts falling in love, she struggles with a dark secret that terrifies her-- a past that has set her across the country to the small yet safe Southport. With Jo's empathic support, Katie must realize that she must choose between a life of walking on eggs and one of awards that carry certain risks.

Others to round out the cast are David Lyons as Detective Kevin Tierney, Robin Mullins as Maddie, owner of the restaurant in Southport, Irene Ziegler as Mrs. Feldman, and Mike Pniewski as Lieutenant Robinson.

This was effortlessly directed by veteran Lasse Hallstrom ("ABBA: The Movie" (Documentary) '77, "Tuppen" '81, "My Life as a Dog" '85, "Once Around" '91, "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" '93, "The Cider House Rules" '99, "Chocolat" 2000, "The Shipping News" '01, "An Unfinished Life" '05, "Casanova" '05, "The Hoax" '06, "Hachi: A Dog's Tale" '09, "Dear John" '10, "Salmon Finishing in the Yemen" '11, "The Hypnotist" '12). One thing you can count on with a Halstrom film, is the element of diversity in his films. The characters and subjets of the films run the gambit, and that carries a tremendous amount of respect in the eyes of those thar watch his films. It was written by Leslie Bohem and Dana Stevens based on Sparks' novel.

Romantic comedies or dramas are really not my forte, but when the drama is based on a novel by Sparks, the plot and character development seems to obtain a higher caliber than those that are originally written for the screen or even based on someone else's work. Sparks has found his niche, and we are the winners of his talent. Because of a small amount of jumping in the script, obviously by the screenwriters, this is one that will still keep you positive that relationships can often still happen today.

Out of 4 Stars: 3                             Rated: PG-13                           115mins.

A Good Day to Die Hard

Can you believe that this franchise is 25 years old? Makes you feel kind of old, doesn't it? It all started with a summer fluff escapism film in 1988 called "Die Hard" with a much younger Bruce Willis. Well it made so much money for 20th Century Fox Pictures, that they decided to cash in on this fun again by producing "Die Hard 2" in 1990, and it did well at the box office as well. Then they figured that even though Willis is getting a bit older, they thought if they're going to produce another one, better do it now, hence the third installment, "Die Hard: With a Vengeance" in 1995. Audiences change, but than after a good many years have gone by, a new audience would appreciate this kind of film, so once again, "Live Free or Die Hard" was born in 2007. The bets were accurate, because a new audience was born from "Live Free or Die Hard", so after still a number of years, 20th Century Fox decided to produce yet another sequel still using those catchy names--this one being "A Good Day to Die Hard".

Iconoclastic, take-no-prisoners NYC cop John McClane (Willis), for the first time, finds himself on foreign soil after traveling to Moscow to help his wayward son Jack (Jai Courtney)--unaware that Jack is really a highly trained CIA operative out to stop a nuclear weapons heist, with the Russian underworld in pursuit, and battling a countdown to war, the two McClanes discover that their very different methods make them unstoppable. The question is: Which Russian is really the bad guy?

Others to round out the cast are Sebastian Koch as Komarov, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Lucy, Jack's sister, Yuliya Snigir as Irina, Komarov's daughter, Rasha Bukvic as Alik, Cole Hauser as Collins, Amaury Nolasco as Murphy, Sergey Kolesnikov as Chagarin, and Roman Luknar as Anton.

This was intensely and grippingly directed by John Moore ("Behind Enemy Lines" '01, "Flight of the Phoenix" '04, "The Omen" '06, "Max Payne" '08). It was surprisingly well written by Skip Woods ("Thursday" '98, "Swordfish" '01, "Hitman" '07, "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" '09, "The A-Team" '10). I actually thought that after a 25 year stint for this franchise, that film number five would be trite and incredibly predictable, but with some predictability involved, it was still able to capture my attention.

If you're into Willis and action, adrenaline-packed films, you'll be wowed, but even if you're not, Willis as McClane and seeing this middle-aged guy still be able to keep up physically in a film you'd think he wouldn't be able to handle, Is even more enjoyable. Who knew?

Out of 4 Stars: 3                          Rated: R                        98mins.

Identity Thief

Out of all the genres that truly needs to reinvent itself is the comedy. Either they are top notch, well written vehicles, or they are poorly written, adequately acted, and use pratfalls to compensate for inability to write. Well, I have to say that "Identity Thief" falls into the latter description.

Florida resident Diana (Melissa McCarthy) has a luxurious lifestyle as the queen of retail, buying whatever strikes her fancy-- and it's all free, thanks to Sandy Bigelow Patterson (Jason Bateman), a guy from Denver whose identity she stole. With just one week to track down Diana before his world implodes, the real Sandy heads south to confront the unapologetic con artist and bring her back to Denver so that he can clear his name and restore his shattered life and credit rating.
Although as Sandy gets to Florida, there are others who are after Diana as well that she has conned. Mob henchmen, Marisol and Julian (Genesis Rodriguez and Tip T.I. Harris) are looking for her, because of bad fake credit cards she sold them, and Skiptracer (Robert Patrick), a fraud 'bounty hunter' is on her tail also. With all this going on, it makes Sandy's job of getting her back to Denver that much more problematic.

Others to round out the cast are Jon Favreau as Harold Cornish, Sandy's boss, Amanda Peet as Trish Patterson, Sandy's wife, Morris Chestnut as Detective Reilly, John Cho as Daniel Casey, Sandy's co-worker/subsequent boss, Eric Stonestreet as Big Chuck, and Ryan Gaul as Bartender.a

This was adequately directed by Seth Gordon ("The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters"  (Documentary) '07, "Four Christmases" '08, "Freakonomics" (Documentary) '10, "Horrible Bosses" '11). Considering this guy's resume, this particular fare wasn't tough for him to handle. The writing, however, was questionable at best. It was written by Craig Mazin ("RocketMan" '97, "Senseless" '98, "Scary Movie 3" '03, "Scary Movie 4" '06, "Superhero Movie" '08, "The Hangover Part II" '11), and with the exceptions of a few momentary laughs, this was not funny. It was frustrating, as it's supposed to be, but it wasn't funny. The frustration of it would have been more palatable if the writing was funny, but all it became was a headache. I really like both actors, Bateman and McCarthy, but they, themselves, couldn't save this. It was based on a story by Jerry Eeten and Mazin, and the premise had promise, but the execution just fell flat on its face.

If you're into inane and poor writing with toilet humor and tons of pratfalls, you'll just revel here, however if you're into funny, well written dialogue, my advice to you is to keep on looking down the road.

Out of 4 Stars: 1.5                         Rated: R                               111mins.

Side Effects

The U.S. is probably one of the most medicated nations in the world today, so it's no wonder that Hollywood finally decided to delve into this much abused topic that most people just sweep underneath the carpet. Steven Soderbergh is a very passionate director, so it's no surprise that he helmed the intense thriller, "Side Effects".

This is a provocative thriller about a successful New York couple, Emily and Martin Taylor (Rooney Mara and Channing Tatum), whose world is turned upside down when a new drug prescribed by Emily's pychiatrist, Dr. Jonathan Banks (Jude Law)--intended to treat anxiety--has unexpected side effects. Banks seeks for answers to Emily's issues, so decides to conasult with her previous pychiatrist, Dr. Victoria Siebert (Catherine Zeta-Jones) for possible answers.

Others to round out the cast are Vinessa Shaw as Dierdre Banks, Jonathan's wife, Ann Dowd as Martin's Mother, Peter Friedman as Banks Partner #1, and Laila Robins as Banks Partner #2.

This was brilliantly directed by Soderbergh ("Erin Brockovich" 2000, "Traffic" 2000, "Ocean's Eleven" '01, "Ocean's Twelve" '04, "The Good German" '06, "Ocean's Thirteen" '07, "The Informant!" '09, "Contagion" '11, "Haywire" '11, "Magic Mike" '12) in that the way Mara as Emily just deteriorated slowly, but before your eyes as these prescribed drugs were just ruining her life was amazing. We're talking about a normal young woman who went from happy to being institutionalized from the side effects these drugs were doing to her. Yes there were other situations that occurred that were difficult, but her world basically went down the toilet after she started taking these drugs. Her transformation was perfection from Soderbergh, not to mention that Mara is a very talented young actor. This was well written by Scott Z. Burns ("Pu-239" '06, "The Bourne Ultimatum" '07, "The Informant!" '09, "Contagion" '11). He really gave this topic a one, two punch showcasing what can and has been the outcome for ignoring a much important issue.

If you're on anti-depressives or anti-anxiety medications, you'll probably feel right at home feeling the same frustration as those that made this, but even if you're not on meds, one can still empathize with those that we know who are on these meds, and hope and pray that something possitve might, just might come out of the exposure of this film.

Out of 4 Stars: 4                      Rated: R                      105mins.




          
                   

Warm Bodies

Zombies! Zombies! We've all seen films about these ghoulish creatures way too many times, but back in 2004, a parody about them was introduced in the form of "Shaun of the Dead". A very funny film that was extremely tongue and cheek, was then followed by yet another satire in 2009 entitled "Zombieland", an uproariously hysterically comedy in a 'how to' rid of zombies flick. Now we have another to add to that list in the form of "Warm Bodies".

A funny new twist on a classic love story, "Warm Bodies" is a poignant tale about the power of human connection. After a bio-chemical catastrophe happens, a zombie fallout occurred. Out of this epidemic, R (Nicholas Hoult), a highly unusual zombie, encounters Julie (Teresa Palmer), a human survivor and rescues her from a zombie attack. Julie slowly sees that R is different from the other zombies, and the two form a special relationship in their struggle for survival. R becomes increasingly more human--setting off an exciting, romantic, and often comical chain of events that begins to transform the other zombies and maybe even the whole lifeless world.

Others to round out the cast are Analeigh Tipton as Nora, friend and colleague of Julia's, Rob Corddry as M, a zombie friend of R's, Dave Franco as Julia's boyfriend, John Malkovich as Grigio, Julia's Father, and Cory Hardrict as Kevin.

This was amazingly well written and directed by Jonathan Levine ("All the Boys Love Mandy Lane" '06, "The Wackness" '08, "50/50" '11). Even though this is a comedy, it really transcends above it being just a comedy. The idea of using human connection as a strong 'healing' measure was captivating, especially since we live in a society where people have an incredible difficulty with connection. Even though this is pure fantasy, it basically shows that if a zombie can connect with a human, all the more possible that we, as a society can connect if we want it badly enough. The insightfulness of Levine is amazing, and surely will get continued work for his efforts here.

This is truly a feel good movie that takes you on an emotional roller coaster ride, with two unlikely people meeting, sharing, and connecting in ways that will have you rooting for them from beginning to end.

Out of 4 Stars: 4                               Rated: PG-13                              98mins.

Stand Up Guys

Films about the geriatric demographic are usually uproarious comedy fodder, with some light dramatic touches thrown in for good measure. We've seen many: "The Sunshine Boys", Going in Style", "Harry and Tonto", "The Family Business", "Grumpy Old Men", "Grumpier Old Men", and even "The Odd Couple", although they were middle-aged, they acted as though they were old. So it was no surprise to see Hollywood produce yet another film about the camaraderie of the older generation in the form of "Stand Up Guys".

After serving 28 years in prison for accidentally killing the son of his crime boss, Claphands (Mark Margolis), newly paroled gangster Val (Al Pacino) reunites with his former partners in crime, Doc ,(Christopher Walken) and Hirsch (Alan Arkin) who gets sprung out of a nursing home by Val and Doc for a night on the town. As the three men revisit old haunts, reflect on their glory days and try to make up for lost time, one wrestles with an awful decision: Doc has orders from Claphands to kill Val, and he has until 10am the following morning to execute the job quite literally. So time continues to be running out for him to figure a way out of his dilemma.

Others to round out the cast are Julianna Margulies as Nina Hirsch, Hirsch's daughter, Lucy Punch as Wendy, Addison Timlin as Alex, Vanessa Ferlito as Sylvia, Katheryn Winnick as Oxana, Bill Burr as Larry, and Craig Sheffer as Jargoniew #1.

This was directed by Fisher Stevens ("Call of the Wylie" (short) '95, "Phinehas" (short) '96, "Just a Kiss" '02, "Crazy Love" (Documentary, Co-Dir.) '07). Interesting that this guy has done far more acting, but his directing, although adequate to the task, isn't hugely memorable. It was written by Noah Haidle ("Gym Short" (short) '01, "High Street Plumbing" (short) '08). Even though the premise of this film was interesting, the execution of it needed a defibrillator. It kind of dragged until they sprung Hirsch, but unfortunately 45 minutes of the 95 minute running time had already passed. The three main stars did what they could do, but the script needed an overhaul.

I mostly went to see this film because of the three lead actors--I really admire all of them, but the script just left you screaming for more substance for these seasoned actors to gnaw on.

Out of 4 Stars: 2.5                       Rated: R                                95mins.