As the Autumn time begins, we start seeing trailers on Halloween type films and certainly other films as well. We've seen many films out at this time fitting to the season: "Halloween", "Friday the 13th", "Fright Night", 2012's "Hotel Transylvania", and now we have in our midst, the follow up, "Hotel Transylvania 2".
The Drac pack is back and everything seems to be changing for the better at Hotel Transylvania... Dracula's ridged monster-only hotel policy was finally relaxed, opening up its doors to human guests, but behind closed coffins, Drac (Adam Sandler) is worried that his adorable half-human, half-vampire grandson, Dennis (Asher Blinkoff), isn't showing signs of being a vampire. So while Mavis (Selena Gomez) is busy visiting her human in-laws with Johnny (Andy Samberg)-- and for a major cultural shock of her own-- "Vampa" Drac enlists his friends Frank (Kevin James), Wayne (Steve Buscemi), Murray (Keegan-Michael Key) and Griffin (David Spade) to put Dennis through a "monster-in-training" boot camp. But little do they know that Drac's grumpy and very old, old, old school dad Vlad (Mel Brooks) is about to pay a family visit to the hotel. And when Vlad finds out that his great-grandson is not a pure blood-- and humans are now welcome at Hotel Transylvania-- things are going to get really batty!
Others to round out the cast are Fran Drescher as Eunice, Molly Shannon as Wanda, Megan Mullally as Grandma Linda, Nick Offerman as Grandpa Mike, Dana Carvey as Dana and Rob Riggle as Bela.
As with the first installment of this franchise, I was reluctant in seeing this--the trailer really didn't sell this, but after seeing it, I felt it was creative, funny, and entertaining. It had the same feel as its predecessor--of course it was directed by the same artist, Glenndy Tartakovsky (also tons of TV and shorts). He helmed both films well, and it makes me wonder what this guy could do given some other project. After this, he assuredly will receive more work. It was well written by Robert Smigel and Adam Sandler. Usually I don't like Sandler's writing, but this was certainly an exception to that rule. Also considering that Sandler didn't write the original whereas Smigel did, makes me marvel that much more over his writing in this. Smigel and Sandler have known each other for years considering they worked together on SNL, so it's not tough to believe that they could pull off this screenplay. There were a couple of places that were a bit slow wondering what the characters were supposed to do next, but at the end of the day this story had me chuckling in many places, unlike I would've done on a good deal of Sandler's comedies. The animation by SPI (Sony Pictures Imageworks) was expertly created.
Could we possibly see a "Hotel Transylvania 3" in our near future? Certainly if this film does well at the box office as it has been doing, my bet would be for sure. And even though it's a franchise, this is one franchise that I would actually love to see again. Break out the popcorn!
Out of 4 Stars: 3.5 Rated: PG 89mins.
Light-hearted, or in some cases, rom-coms, are amazingly predictable in their premise and outcome. They usually feel warm and fuzzy, but if you're in the mood for something with a bit more substance, these types of films lack in keeping one's attention. While other films of this sort I usually squirm waiting for something original to happen, I have to say Nancy Meyers' "The Intern" actually surprised me all the while entertaining me at the same time.
Ben Whittaker (Robert De Niro) is a 70-year-old widower who has discovered that retirement isn't all it's cracked up to be. Seizing an opportunity to get back in the game, he becomes a senior intern at an online fashion site, founded and run by Jules Ostin (Anne Hathaway). He goes through the interview process whereas one young employee asks him where he thought he would be in 10 years, and quipped back with, "When I'm 80?". He ends up working with Jules much to her reluctancy, but as he's 'there' for her through thick and thin, does she realize that this guy is not only competent, but is the genuine deal. He really cares for her business and for her as a person, unlike most people out there who are usually there to help if there's something in it for them. She realizes that Ben is one of a kind, especially when she starts having personal problems that snowball out of her control. Her co-workers, Cameron (Andrew Rannells), Jason (Adam DeVine), Lewis (Jason Orley), even secretary Becky (Christina Scherer) cannot seem to help her as much as Ben can and does.
Others to round out the cast are Rene Russo as Fiona, the company massage therapist, Anders Holm as Matt, Jules husband, Zack Pearlman as Davis, another intern, JoJo Kushner as Paige, Jules and Matt's daughter, Nat Wolff as Justin, Linda Lavin as Patty, Celia Weston as Doris, Steve Vinovich as Miles and C.J. Wilson as Mike.
This was directed with precision and great staging and pacing by Nancy Meyers ("The Parent Trap" '98, "What Women Want" 2000, "Something's Gotta Give" '03, "The Holiday" '06, "It's Complicated" '09). She's great at letting her actors, especially seasoned ones do what they do best, and I can certainly believe that this tactic will only benefit the production. She also wrote this and this is where she really shines. If you don't believe me look at her resume: ("Private Benjamin" '80, "Baby Boom" '87, "Father of the Bride" '91, "Father of the Bride Part II" '95), plus the aforementioned films. Whereas her other films were written well, the premises were usually run of the mill--not as interesting as they could be. So as I'm driving to the multiplex, I'm arriving with a certain amount of trepidation, thinking this premise was going to match its predecessors. Wow! Was I blown away! Not only was this written well as with her other films, the premise wasn't her usual in that it was about an individual being there for someone else--no strings attached, just to help. What a concept--people actually wanting to help people with no alternative motive. There are not too many films out there today with a character makeup like Ben, and this justifies a viewing.
This is one film that really gives one that shot in the arm, because there are so many people out there in life and in the movies that are have questionable characters, that when we are introduced to one such character that is as genuine as the day is long, we just want to know someone in our lives that will match. So watching this gives one the possibility of meeting and knowing someone like Ben just like Jules did. Enjoy!
Out of 4 Stars: 3.5 Rated: PG-13 121mins.
Films based on extreme challenges, whether they be natural, self-induced, or in a horrific crash i.e. car, train, airplane, or ship, can and does keep us on the edge of our seats and is great fodder for a harrowing story or premise. Films such as "Twister", "The Poseidon Adventure", "Airport", "Vertical Limit", the recent "San Andreas", etc., all give us that adrenaline rush to see how long the screenwriter can keep us dangling on that string. But as the aforementioned could've happened, "Everest" did happen. There have been many expeditions up that mountain starting in 1953, but this story of survival happened back in 1996.
On March 30,1996, two separate climbing teams both headed up by Rob Hall (Jason Clarke) and Scott Fischer (Jake Gyllenhaal) attempt the massive expedition to the summit of Mt. Everest. As they reached the summit on May 10,1996, certainly not without any hardship, the climbers including Beck Weathers (Josh Brolin), Doug Hansen (John Hawkes), Guy Cotter (Sam Worthington), Jon Krakauer (Michael Kelly), Andy 'Harold' Harris (Martin Henderson), and others, run into a violent storm as they start their descent engulfing the adventurers in one of the fierest blizzards ever encountered by man. Challenged by the harshest conditions imaginable, the teams must endure blistering winds and freezing temperatures in an epic battle to survive against nearly impossible odds.
Others to round out the cast are Robin Wright as Peach Weathers, Beck's wife, Emily Watson as Helen Wilton, manager at the mountain base, Keira Knightley as Jan Arnold, Rob's wife, Elizabeth Debicki as Caroline Mackenzie, medical expert at mountain base, Thomas M. Wright as Mike Groom, Naoko Mori as Yasuko Namba, Ang Phula Sherpa as Ang Dorjee, guide of the expedition, Tom Goodman-Hill as Neal Beidleman, Mark Derwin as Lou Kasischke and Justin Salinger as Ian Woodall.
This was intensely directed by Baltasar Kormakur ("101 Reykjavik" 2000, "The Sea" '02, "A Little Trip to Heaven" '05, "Jar City" '06, "Inhale" '10, "Contraband" '12, "The Deep" '12, "The Missionary" (TV movie) '13, "2 Guns" '13). Just by this guy's very resume, he is all about intensity and grit, and has proven himself time and again. The incredible emotions these actors emit are truly realistic and is a commentary of direction to match. It was expertly written by two British writers who are comsummate pros: William Nicholson and Simon Beaufoy. Other than a couple of very small slow places in script, this screenplay was stunning. Beaufoy was responsible for writing both "Slumdog Millionaire" and "127 Hours"-- both superbly written film, and although this was a well written script, it wasn't his best, not to say it was lacking. A good deal of the time, when one is writing from the premise of a true story, there are certain limitations, which can be suppressing when it comes to creativity. So when one watches a film that IS based on a true story and it's written as well as this is, this speaks volumes for the writers. The performances were certainly adequate to the task, but hey, the mountain along with the sweeping photography and the aerial direction by the incomparable Marc Wolff is what the audience is actually more focused on.
If you see this, see in the theater nicely shot in an IMAX and 3D format instead of only viewing it on a DVD, which will lose everything. This is a harrowing story where one has to keep telling themselves that this story actually happened as intense as it was.
Out of 4 Stars: 3.5 Rated: PG-13 121mins.
In the last decade, I believe Hollywood has produced more biopics than in its entire existence, which is something considering how many biopics have been produced. Sure, this is a slight exaggeration, but it proves quite the point of how much Hollywood, or maybe the audience out there, is fascinated with this arena. As I mentioned in the last couple of reviews, considering how many biopics have been made, it's practically become its own genre. So now we have yet another biopic in the offing in the form of "Pawn Sacrifice".
In a gripping true story set during the height of the Cold War, American chess prodigy, Bobby Fischer (Tobey Maguire) finds himself caught between two superpowers when he challenges the Soviet Empire, namely one Boris Spassky (Liev Schreiber). This story chronicles Fischer's terrifying struggles with genius and madness, and the rise and fall of a kid from Brooklyn who captured the imagination of the world.
As a kid, he was introduced to Carmine Nigro (Conrad Pla), a chess professional himself, by his mother Regina (Robin Weigert) to see if Bobby had any potential in the field of chess. Later in his life, he befriended lawyer, Paul Marshall (Michael Stuhlbarg) and a fellow chess player, Father Bill Lombardy (Peter Sarsgaard) who, through the years and anguish going through Bobby's mental health issues, stuck with him through all the problems knowing that Bobby was worth it considering his genius of the game.
Others to round out the cast are Lily Rabe as Joan Fischer, Bobby's empathetic sister, Sophie Nelisse as Young Joan, Evelyne Brochu as Donna, Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick as Teen Bobby Fischer, Aiden Lovekamp as Young Bobby Fischer, and Ilia Volok as KGB Agent.
This was directed with delineated precision by veteran, Edward Zwick ("About Last Night... " '86, "Glory" '89, "Leaving Normal" '94, "Legends of the Fall" '94, "Courage Under Fire" '96, "The Siege" '98, "The Last Samurai" '03, "Blood Diamond" '06, "Defiance" '08, "Love & Other Drugs" '10). This director has certainly come a long way. Who ever thought that the guy from the TV series "Thirtysomething" would have the impressive resume he has now? Zwick wrote and directed many of the "Thirtysomething" scripts back in the 80's, which, at the time, was cutting edge TV, and from there he has slowly made the ascent toward being a very solid director. This film showcased his ability once more. The way he was able to get his actors to emit the emotions, especially Maguire from being OK to extreme paranoid was executed with perfection. It reminded me of Ron Howard's direction of Russell Crowe playing John Nash in "A Beautiful Mind" in which the effectiveness was similar. This was effectively written by Steven Knight based on a story by Stephen J. Rivele, Christopher Wilkinson and Knight. It was basically written as a flashback going back to 1951, when Bobby was a small child and slowly chronicled his life with his obsession with chess and the mental illness that practically suffocated him. It was well thought out and flowed extremely well, however considering the experience behind the pen, Knight made Bobby's story simply soar. This could garner Maguire a nomination come Oscar time, and Liev Shreiber's Spassky was acted with incredible grit, expecially considering that all his lines were in 100% Russian--Spassky knew no English. The detail in this was stunning, but this is the way that Zwick works best.
Fine performances by all in this, especially Maguire, and the writing and directing equaled the acting as well. The story goes much farther than what we got when all this happened back in the day, so it definitely made the story grittier, intense and entertaining all at the same time.
Out of 4 Stars: 4 Rated: PG-13 114mins.
Have I mentioned franchises before? If you've read my reviews for a while, the answer to that question would be an avid yes. And since Hollywood has produced so many of them, it's certainly worth a mentioning from time to time. We've seen a plethora: the reboot of The Planet of the Apes series, the Twilight Saga, the Divergent series, The Hunger Games series--get the picture? So since "The Maze Runner" came out last year, it was touted as a series before it was released, so here we have the next, and certainly not the last, installment called "Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials".
In this next chapter of the "Maze Runner" saga, Thomas (Dylan O'Brien) and his fellow Gladers including Minho (Ki Hong Lee), Teresa (Kaya Scodelario), Newt (Thomas Brodie- Sangster), Frypan (Dexter Darren), Winston (Alexander Flores) and newcomer Aris Jones (Jacob Lofland) face their greatest challenge yet: searching for clues about the mysterious and powerful organization known as WCKD headed up by Dr. Ava Paige (Patricia Clarkson) and her cohort Janson (Aidan Gillen). Their journey takes them to the Scorch, a desolate landscape filled with unimaginable obstacles. Teaming up with resistance fighters, Vince (Barry Pepper), Brenda (Rosa Salazar) and Jorge (Giancarlo Esposito), the Gladers take on WCKD's vastly superior forces and uncover its shocking plans for them all. What could possibly be so shocking?
Others to round out the cast are Lili Taylor as Mary, Kathryn Smith-McGlynn as Dr. Crawford, Alan Tudyk as Blondie, Matthew J. Metzler as Barkley and Jenny Gabrielle as Ponytail.
This was written by virtual newcomer Wes Ball ("The Maze Runner" '14) plus some shorts, and since he is reprising his directorial duties in the nest installment--yes the next one, "The Maze Runner: The Death Cure" is already in pre-production, he undoubtedly was hand-picked to direct this series from day one. This is certainly a fine and prudent thing to do, but I want to believe that this isn't all that Ball can do given a new project in the foreseeable future. As with the first installment, I felt that this was certainly better that I ever could have dreamed, because most films that have a 'series' format are usually questionable at best. It is written by T. S. Nowlin ("The Maze Runner" '14) based on the novel by James Dashner, and as with the director, this writer is slated to write all the installments as well. Again, this is surely smart in keeping with the same feel of the series, but can this guy be able to write anything else when this series is over? Time will certainly tell. This film wasn't incredibly written or directed with Academy Award quality, but if one thought otherwise, you would have to be living under a rock. This was adequate to the task, and although presented better than most series type films, still doesn't make this stunning. The novelist Dashner obviously sees the future as grim and destined for failure as with so many apocalyptic type films, but the way society is heading, maybe it's an understanding premise in which to write.
The visual effects predominantly created by Weta Digital were as seamless in this as with its predecessor. Kudos to these masters at their craft.
Certainly if you see this, because of the visuals, it's got to be seen in a large format, otherwise, what's the point? It leaves its audience at a crucial place, but there has to be something in which to bring its audience back for number 3. Enjoy this for the entertainment factor--I know I did.
Out of 4 Stars: 3 Rated: PG-13 132mins.
If Hollywood continues to run out of original ideas for films, they have and still can rely on the biopic films, which has just about become its own genre, considering the number of them that have been produced. Just in the recent past we've seen "Hyde Park on the Hudson", "42", "Get On Up", "Capote", "Ray", "The King's Speech", "The Theory of Everything", "Unbroken", even the recent "Love & Mercy", just to mention a handful. So now we have in the offing yet another biopic called "Black Mass".
Introduced as a flashback with Jimmy 'Whitey' Bulger's henchman, Kevin Weeks (Jesse Plemons) being questioned by the FBI so as to negotiate a plea bargain, this is the story of John Connolly (Joel Edgerton) and Jimmy Bulger (Johnny Depp) as they grew up together on the streets of South Boston. Decades later, in the late 1970's, they would meet again. By then Connolly was a major figure in the FBI's Boston office and Jimmy had become Godfather of the Irish mob--a kingpin if you will. What happened between them--a dirty deal to trade secrets and the take down of Boston's Italian Mafia on the process--would spiral out of control, leading to murders, drug dealing, racketeering indictments, and, ultimately, to Bulger making the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List. And with all this going down, Bulger's brother, Billy (Benedict Cumberbatch) is a leading senator of the state of Massachusetts which make for sticky politics.
Others to round out the cast are Rory Cochrane as Steve Flemmi, Bulger's right hand man, David Harbour as John Morris, Connolly's associate, Kevin Bacon as Charles McGuire, the then FBI director, Dakota Johnson as Lindsey Cyr, Bulger's wife, Corey Stoll as Fred Wyshak, the recent FBI director, Julianne Nicholson as Marianne Connolly, John Connolly's wife, W. Earl Brown as John Martorano, Peter Sarsgaard as Brian Halloran, Bill Camp as John Callahan, Adam Scott as FBI agent Robert Fitzgerald and Juno Temple as Deborah Hussey.
This was incredibly directed by a virtual newcomer to the director's chair, however the few films he has directed were amazingly well crafted--the natural Scott Cooper ("Crazy Heart" '09, "Out of the Furnace" '13). As I said prior, few films, but look at those films! They were fascinating in their own right as this was as well. Obviously Depp is an amazingly under rated actor, but the nuances this director had to extract out of this actor to exude the character of this notorious gangster was simply brilliant. As I said, this guy is a natural. Please Hollywood give this director a lot more work. It was equally well written by Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth. Even though this is Mallouk's first screenplay, and his experience is predominantly producing, he still created solid work along with Butterworth-- Butterworth has quite the resume for writing screenplays. This collaboration was one made in heaven and would like to see these guys team up again. As one watches this film, it's evident that the supporting cast gave Depp center stage realizing this is clearly Depp's film. Depp has to be nominated come Oscar time as possibly Cooper and the writers. The delineation of this U.S. gangster was showcased impeccably through the eyes of these artists and makes it one of America's well crafted films of this decade.
Even if you're not into the mafia, gangster, violent deals type of film, the acting, directing and writing should certainly be enough to keep one interested from the first frame to the last. Usually, as I've progressed in age, if the film is 2+ hours long I get very fidgety, but this being 122 minutes running time, it moved right along quickly. Trust me, I'm not typically a great fan of gangster type films, but after viewing this, my opinion has improved.
Out of 4 Stars: 4 Rated: R 122mins.
As we are increasingly living in a stress-filled, volatile society, we are experiencing more and more inspirational type films so as to put us in a hopeful situation and find a fulfillment in our lives that we are not getting in other avenues. We've seen "Soul Surfer", "Facing the Giants", "Spare Parts", "Courageous", "Left Behind", "God's Not Dead", "Heaven is For Real", even the recent "War Room" to mention a handful, and none of these films are that old. This tells me that this it's quite a commentary on our society as a whole, so it's no wonder that we have another one to add to that ever growing list--".90 Minutes in Heaven".
Don Piper (Hayden Christensen) died Jan.18,1989, when a semi-tractor truck crushed his car. Declared dead by the first rescue workers to arrive on the scene, Don's body lay under a tarp for the next 90 minutes. Don's soul, meanwhile, was experiencing love, joy and life like he'd never known before. Don was in Heaven. When another pastor's, Dick Onarecker (Michael Harding) prayers helped bring Don back to life, he became a living miracle! Yet this one miracle Don wished never happened. Heaven's bliss was replaced by excruciating pain and emotional turmoil. With the support and prayers of his beloved wife Eva (Kate Bosworth), their three kids, Nicole (Elizabeth Hunter), Chris (Hudson Meek) and Joe (Bobby Batson), and friends including David Gentiles (Jason Kennedy) near and far, Don clings to his faith in God and fights to regain a semblance of his previous life.
The Piper family's incredible true story of perseverance and overcoming the challenges of life and death will bring hope and encouragement to all who see it. Why did God send Don back and will he find out why?
Other to round out the cast are Marshall Bell as Dr. Greider, David Clyde Carr as Eva's dad, Catherine Carlen as Eva's mom, Dwight Yoakam as Lawyer Beaumont, Lynn Cole as ER Nurse, Deena Beasley as Don's Nurse, Rob Demery as Paramedic/EMT, Fred Dalton Thompson as Jay B. Perkins, Michael W. Smith as Cliff McArdle, Tyler Case as Mark and Don Piper as Himself.
This was effectively directed by Michael Polish ("Twin Falls Idaho" '99, "Jackpot" '01, "Northfork" '03, "The Astronaut Farmer" '06, "The Smell of Success" (as Larry Smith) '09, "Stay Cool" (as Ted Smith) '09, "For Lovers Only" '11, "Big Sur" '13, "Amnesiac" '15). He was able to emit just the right amount of emotion at the right time so it didn't fall into maudlinness and sentimentality. This is key in relating these characters as going through a crisis that's real. It was also written by Polish and represented a well thought out script of someone going through a world turned totally upside down. Christensen was able to pull off this man's pain--both physically and emotionally, which is tough to pull off considering this character was in pain a tremendous amount. Other than a couple of slow places in storyline, this story really kept its audience glued to their seats. As I've said before, why create a story when true experiences make for such great fodder for filmmaking?
This story gives a real shot in the arm for anyone going to see this, so when they go through this with Don et al, it will certainly give us all something to ponder over the next time we leave our family for a simple business trip or even just going to work--will that person come back alive or will they not make it. Digest that.
Out of 4 stars: 3.5 Rated: PG-13 121mins.
When we see eerie and foreboding film fare, they all seem to meld together in looking so much alike, i.e. 'slasher films' and certain horror films. After a while it's difficult to trust a filmmaker with this particular genre considering they are seemingly stamped from the same mold. The Paranormal franchise and the Sinister franchise, to mention a couple, are typical fare to stimulate our fear emotion and do nothing more. So with this, I was hesitant to go see M. Night Shyamalan's "The Visit", and after seeing it, should I have just bagged it?
This is a terrifying story about a brother, Tyler (Ed Oxenbould) and his older sister, Becca (Olivia DeJonge) who are sent by their mom (Kathryn Hahn) to their grandparents' remote Pennsylvania farm for a weeklong trip. The kids have never met their grandparents, but once they discover that the elderly couple, Nana (Deanna Dunagan) and Pop Pop (Peter McRobbie) is involved in something deeply disturbing, they see their chances of getting back home are growing smaller every day they are there. Whatever could these to old folks have done to scare and certainly question these two kids?
Others to round out the cast are Celia Keenan-Bolger as Stacey, Samuel Stricklen as Conductor, Patch Darragh as Dr. Sam and Jorge Cordova as Miguel.
This was directed with delineated expertise by the incomparable M. Night Shyamalan ("Wide Awake" '98, "The Sixth Sense" '99, "Unbreakable" 2000, "Signs" '02, "The Village" '04, "Lady in the Water" '06, "The Happening" '08, "The Last Airbender" '10, "After Earth" '13). This guy has that ability to set his audience up, with emotions from his cast, and pull the rug right out from under you that constantly throws his audience into a tailspin--it sort of has become his trademark. This was also written by Shyamalan (Same resume), and where he excels in the director's chair, his writing can be a real hit and miss. Certainly the crowning glory to Shyamalan's career has to be with "The Sixth Sense", because this was incredibly well written and directed, so it's like he raised the bar on himself so high in the first part of his career, it's been tough to find that screenplay that's worked as well as Sixth Sense. As with most of his screenplays, he starts off with a tight storyline, and before you know it, it careens into some weird situation that's extremely difficult to even grasp. Don't get me wrong, I can handle weird, quirky, obscure, but when the storyline goes off into something that one can't grasp mentally, even though this is an incredible premise, it boggles the brain to a point that you simply can't explain, and apparently neither can Shyamalan. This had potential, but it constantly kept getting mired down with things that no one could handle. Maybe this is a way of being avant-garde, not sure.
Trust me, I'm not saying that Shyamalan should give us the typical status quo, but if the audience gets something that they cannot even wrap their heads around, what's the point? If you like this guy's work, you'll be pleased, because you'll know you're on familiar ground, however if you are new to Shyamalan's work, you may walk out of the multiplex more perplexed than when you went in.
Out of 4 Stars: 2.5 Rated: PG-13 94mins.
Dysfunctional based comedies come in all different forms, whether they be wacky, conventional or powder dry in nature. All can be well crafted assuming that the writer or writers are proficient in what they do. I can certainly enjoy any comedy, however when the comedy is poorly written, it is a very difficult thing to watch without cringing. Powder dry comedies come in all sorts of ways, i.e. "Greenberg", "Being There", "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty"-the newer version, and the most recent, "While We're Young" to name a handful. Now we have in the offing "Mistress America".
In this story, Tracy Fishko (Lola Kirke) is a lonely college freshman in New York, having neither the exciting university experience nor the glamorous metropolitan lifestyle she envisioned. But when she is taken in by her soon-to-be stepsister, Brooke Cardinas (Greta Gerwig)--a resident of Time Square and adventurous gal about town who happens to be totally self-absorbed; nice but self-centered, Tracy is then rescued from disappointment and seduced by Brooke's alluringly mad schemes including dream-chasing, score-settling, makeshift families, and cat-stealing.
Others to round out the cast are Charlie Gillette as Carey, Heather Lind as Maime-Claire, Matthew Shear as Tony, Michael Chernus as Dylan, Jasmine Cephas-Jones as Nicolette, Cindy Cheung as Karen, Kathryn Erbe as Tracy's mom, Dean Wareham as Harold, Clare Foley as Peggy, Shana Dowdeswell as Ruth and Shelby Rebecca Wong as Laura.
This was quirkily and dryly directed by Noah Baumbach ("Kicking and Screaming" '95, "Mr. Jealousy" '97, "Highball" '97, "The Squid and the Whale" '05, "Margot at the Wedding" '07, "Greenberg" '10, "Frances Ha" '12, "While We're Young" '14). The eclectic ensemble casts he uses so often is well played out in that their approach with each other is somewhat intentional and extremely dry which works with his screenplays. It was written by Baumbach and Greta Gerwig. As I've mentioned in other reviews, I'm not in love with the style in which Baumbach writes, but he is a very talented writer, which is tough to find in Hollywood today. It seems to look like he has very little direction in his stories, but considering the extreme dryness of the storyline, it comes across that way, but isn't necessarily intentional. His characters are droll and almost depressing that one might think that they're watching a drama instead of a comedy. Gerwig has worked with Baumbach before and it's like a kindred spirit sort of relationship. They both have impressive resumes, but somehow, I felt this wasn't one of his best efforts--it moved slow, and considering its 86 minute running time, this should have moved fast.
With all objectivity, while these two writers are very talented in their own right, I felt that this just needed a bit more polish. Certainly Gerwig as Brooke was a sight to behold--her self- absorbed character was was well played out as was the ensemble cast, but at the end of the day, it just needed more.
Out of 4 Stars: 2.5 Rated: R 86mins.
What happens to franchise films when they become old? Do they die and go away" No! They just retool, or in this case refuel and become a whole new franchise. We've seen the same thing with films like "Planet of the Apes", the James Bond films, and "Batman". So why can't "The Transporter" do the same with "The Transporter Refueled".
Frank Martin, played by newcomer Ed Skrein, a former special-ops mercenary is now living a less perilous life--or so he thinks--transporting classified packages for questionable people. When Frank's father, Frank Sr. (Ray Stevenson) pays him a visit in the south of France, their father-son bonding weekend takes a turn for the worst when Frank is engaged by a cunning femme-fatale, Anna (Loan Chabanol), and her three seductive sidekicks, Gina (Gabriella Wright), Maria (Tatiana Rajkovic) and Qiao (Wenxia Yu) to orchestrate the bank heist of the century. Frank must use his covert expertise and knowledge of fast cars, fast driving and fast women to outrun a sinister Russian kingpin, Arkady Karasov (Radivoje Bukvic), and worse than that, he is thrust into a dangerous game of chess with a team of gorgeous women out for revenge.
Others to round out the cast are Noemie Lenior as Maissa, Karasov's girlfriend, Yuri Kolokolnikov as Yuri, henchman of Karasov, Lenn Kudrjawizki as Leo Imasova, Samir Guesmi as Inspector Bectaoui and Anatole Taubman as Stanislas Turgin.
This was effectively directed by Camille Delamarre ("Le hors-champ" (Documentary) '04, "Brick Mansions" '14). This guy certainly hasn't a ton of experience, however when I saw "Bick Masions", I remember thinking that it was far better than I ever dreamed of, and so much of that was because of the directing. He really knows how to put that edge in a film that one wouldn't necessarily see in other films of the same genre. I want to see more work from this guy. It was written with intensity and slickness by Adam Cooper, Bill Collage and Luc Besson based on characters created by Besson and Robert Mark Kamen. The first two writers listed are a team and have written all their films together, and of course, this film wouldn't be the film it was without Besson involved. He's also the brains behind "Lucy" and the "Taken" films. This film was slickly shot and edited together where they complimented the writing involved so much that these elements truly kept one glued to their seat. With the exception of a few small slow areas in script, this story simply soared. Every time I go to these films, I think they won't be any good, and after I typically change my mind. I should know Besson by now. One thing I noticed is why did these guys felt they had to have the same character, but with a different actor? Couldn't they just write about another transporter with a different name who is just as lethal and reserved like Frank? In any rate, they still did pull it off.
If you're a fan of Luc Besson and his films and you expressly enjoyed the Transporter franchise, you'll love this. Skrein is an effective replacement for Jason Statham, and the slickness and coolness of Frank is still there, just a bit younger for the next generation of young, male single guys to sink their teeth into.
Out of 4 Stars: 3 Rated: PG-13 96mins.
In the course of Hollywood filmmaking, the 'buddy film' concept has been around for quite some time. Truly the reason for this is the audience's love of seeing two individuals thrown together in a situation where the more opposite they are, the more interesting and uproarious the storyline has a tendency to be. Even though the buddy film is usually reserved for the genre of comedy, it can and has been used in some dramas as well. However, the comedies are the most familiar: "Buddy, Buddy", "Midnight Run", "Lethal Weapon", "Thelma & Louise", "Sideways" even the recent "Paper Towns". Now we have yet another one to add to that ever growing list, "A Walk in the Woods".
In this new comedy adventure, celebrated travel writer, Bill Bryson (Robert Redford), instead of retiring to enjoy his loving and beautiful wife, Catherine (Emma Thompson), and large and happy family, challenges himself to hike the Appalachian Trail--2,200 miles of America's most unspoiled, spectacular and rugged terrain from Georgia to Maine. The peace and tranquility he hopes to find, though, is anything but, once he agrees to be accompanied by the only person he can find willing to join him on the trek--his long lost and former friend Stephen Katz (Nick Nolte), a down-on-his-luck serial philanderer who, after a lifetime of relying on his charm and wits to keep one step ahead of the law--sees the trip as a way to sneak out of paying some debts and sneak into one last adventure before it's too late. The trouble is, the two have a completely different definition of the word 'adventure'. Now they're about to find out that when you push yourself to the edge, the real fun begins.
Others to round out the cast are Mary Steenburgen as Jeannie, Nick Offerman as REI Dave, Kristen Schaal as Mary Ellen, R. Keith Harris as Sam Bryson, Bill's son, Randall Newsome as TV Host, Hayley Lovitt as Donna, Linds Edwards as Darren, Susan McPhail as Beulah, Andrew Vogel as Young Hiker #1, and Derek Krantz as Young Hiker #2.
This was directed well by veteran Ken Kwapis ("The Beniker Gang" '85, "Vibes" '88, "He Said, She Said" '91, "Dunston Checks In" '96, "Noah" (TV movie) '98, "About a Boy" (TV movie) '03, "Sexual Life" '05, "License to Wed" '07, "He's Just Not That Into You" '09, "Big Miracle" '12) plus others. One thing I can say for this guy is that he can't be pigeon-holed. He has been very eclectic in what he has helmed, whether intentional or not. So with this, I can certainly appreciate him going out on that limb with each film he does. The projects aren't difficult projects, but varied they are. This was written by two very new writers, Rick Kerb and Bill Holderman based on Bill Bryson's book of the same name. Considering the newness of these writers, this was scripted almost as well as any seasoned writer out there today. Holderman has been producing films since the last eight years, but this is his first attempt penning a screenplay as it is Kerb's first attempt as well, and other than a few slow spots in this that made it look as though it lagged a bit, it was solid. Of course having both Redford and Nolte in the lead roles obviously didn't hurt the writers. This was similar to the film, "Wild" in that these hikers met some very interesting and eclectic people on their trek as with "Wild" in a comedic form, so this did add a spark to the story. It wasn't an Academy Award quality film, but certainly was solid and was funny without it stooping to being a banal, stupid and silly comedy, and this made it refreshing.
This film was certainly easy to watch considering the talent on the screen, but just needed a bit more polish in the script writing arena. However if you're into the buddy film concept, the banter in this is first rate and funny.
Out of 4 Stars: 3 Rated: R 104mins.
As the Autumn time begins, we start seeing trailers on Halloween type films and certainly other films as well. We've seen many films out at this time fitting to the season: "Halloween", "Friday the 13th", "Fright Night", 2012's "Hotel Transylvania", and now we have in our midst, the follow up, "Hotel Transylvania 2". 
