Zac Efron continues to try his hand at more adult roles in this film based on a Nicholas Sparks novel, so you know there will be a lot of forlorn looks between the principle protagonists/lovebirds-to-be, and features a 1-dimensional antagonist who threatens to keep te lovebirds apart. Zac plays Logan, who has completed 3 tours of duty, and found a photo of a woman at the site of hot zone, and becomes determined to find her as he ascribed his survival to finding her photo, and indeed he is able to track her down in a small down in Louisiana. And since I am a fan of Taylor Schilling, and she played the woman in the photo, I gave the film a shot.
I actually liked how director Scott Hicks shot the film, some nice camerawork and choices to set the tone of the venue. The script has some cutesy moments, and has a cloying quality to plot development. All in all, it's a chick flick, and succeeds mostly in that genre.
I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
The Three Stooges
I wasn't quite feeling it for current-day incarnation of "The Three Stooges", but then the scene with the defibrillating iron showed up, and I started to laugh quite a bit from that point on.
The plot is nothing more substantial than its original roots, but it does enough to bring enough of the 3 Stooges funny to warrant a matinee viewing if you liked the original 3 Stooges material.
I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.
The plot is nothing more substantial than its original roots, but it does enough to bring enough of the 3 Stooges funny to warrant a matinee viewing if you liked the original 3 Stooges material.
I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.
Cabin in the Woods
If I had seen "Hunger Games" last month, I might have thought a little higher of "Cabin in the Woods", given its meta-take on what passes for entertainment for the select masses nowadays.
The cast of would-be cabin dweller weren't fleshed out all that well, playing archetypes of the horror genre, so it wasn't so much of a film where you get invested in characters when all hell starts to break loose, so the final act come across a little sloppy without much dramatic tension as I'd hope for. There is definitely a slightly larger budget feel from the folks that worked on previous Joss Whedon TV shows, such as Angel and Dollhouse, and how it extracts an ominous tone from foreboding bodies which keep this cabin's "script" going over the passage of time.
I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.
The cast of would-be cabin dweller weren't fleshed out all that well, playing archetypes of the horror genre, so it wasn't so much of a film where you get invested in characters when all hell starts to break loose, so the final act come across a little sloppy without much dramatic tension as I'd hope for. There is definitely a slightly larger budget feel from the folks that worked on previous Joss Whedon TV shows, such as Angel and Dollhouse, and how it extracts an ominous tone from foreboding bodies which keep this cabin's "script" going over the passage of time.
I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.
American Reunion
"American Reunion" is the tardy 10th year (i.e. 13th year) high school reunion for the American Pie gang, and overall, it plays to its strengths and spins the funny from Jim's awkwardness with sex, and Stifler's basic overall crudeness in engaging with other human beings in general. Add the casting of some welcomed eye candy, and general nuttiness in the script, it's a reunion movie that entertains its targetted audience, fans of the American Pie franchise.
For those who laughed at Jim's awkwardness with the girl he used to babysit in the trailer, you'll be rewarded with a viewing of this movie.
I give it 3 stars, or a grade of B.
For those who laughed at Jim's awkwardness with the girl he used to babysit in the trailer, you'll be rewarded with a viewing of this movie.
I give it 3 stars, or a grade of B.
Titanic in 3D
While I've seen bits and pieces of Titanic as it showed up on cable TV here and there, and having seen it in its theatrical release 15 years ago once or twice, and on my dts LD (also in bits and pieces), with fond memories of the basic story, the acting performances, and the sheer spectacle of tragedy at hand, I was not prepared for this 3D presentation (non-IMAX, unfortunately, as my nearest IMAX theater is wasting its IMAX showings on some Titans movie) to continue to move me to tears in the appropriate spots after all these years. The power of Titanic lies in its humanity, showing us the best and worst of it in the face of overwhelming fear and disaster. The film not only entertains, but enthralls, it places you on the Titanic in 1912, and the 3D presentation helps with immersing you in that world just a little bit better, you simply slip on into the galley doors, and become part of it all. Not only is the 3D presentation a welcomed element, it very much augments the atmosphere from scene to scene without calling attention to itself. My viewing was nice and bright (i.e. not hazy in sunlit scenes), and I didn't experience any eye strain while viewing through the RealD glasses. It's 3D-conversion done right. But I'd expect no less coming from James Cameron and his team. Well done.
I think it's great that a younger audience is getting a chance to experience Titanic on the big screen (with 3D being a nice bonus this time around), as it is nearly a timeless film going forward (except for older Rose's age dating the film), which can be enjoyed for decades to come.
I give it 4 stars or a grade of A.
I think it's great that a younger audience is getting a chance to experience Titanic on the big screen (with 3D being a nice bonus this time around), as it is nearly a timeless film going forward (except for older Rose's age dating the film), which can be enjoyed for decades to come.
I give it 4 stars or a grade of A.
Mirror Mirror
I wasn't much of a fan of the first 1/3 of the film, tonally, although it featured some nice "camerawork" showing us the setting of where such a kingdom and the surrounding woods where the story of Snow White and the 7 Dwarves would take place. I knew director Tarsem with his keen visual eye and flair would make for an interesting looking film, but he plays it close to the vest, as it's targeted to being a family film to be shared by young children and parents alike.
The queen (hammily played by Julia Roberts) has siphoned off as much from her subjects in the nearby township, and is in need of marrying for more money and status, as her king disappeared 10 years ago. Snow White (Lily Collins), sole heir to the kingdom (born of another queen before this current queen), has been kept out of sight for the decade, but it's now her 18th birthday, and she yearns to explore her surroundings, and that she does. The queen has a special mirror which reflects upon her the cost of appearing to be desirable through the dark powers of magic, and its continued use. Prince "Charming" as it were, turns out to be Prince Alcott (Armie Hammer) from a place plenitful in all things the queen needs, and is ambushed by the dwarves, outfitted with magical stilts, and left hanging upsidedown along side his assistant. Speaking of assistants, Nathan Lane puts in a small, but nice performance of being the queen's primary underling, though the role is quite underwritten for his talent.
The rest of the film finally gains a footing in the 2nd act as Snow White meets up with the 7 dwarves, and she gets her own little training montage of self-sufficiency, while bringing in a moral compass to the dwarves, who had been getting by through outright banditry. The dwarves were written to provide comic relief, and most of them did quite well, bringing levity and visual campiness to even out the murderous designs by the queen. Lily Collins looked quite lovely as a princess early on in the film, but in the woods, with the dwarves, she appeared to look even more like a combination of a Jennifer Connelly and Audrey Hepburn in their younger years, quite fetching, I might say.
Being directed for a younger audience, I thought the film was fine, it could have a little more bite to it, but that would have brought in far more cynicism than the story should have been saddled with, so I enjoyed the last 2/3 moreso than the opening act.
I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.
The queen (hammily played by Julia Roberts) has siphoned off as much from her subjects in the nearby township, and is in need of marrying for more money and status, as her king disappeared 10 years ago. Snow White (Lily Collins), sole heir to the kingdom (born of another queen before this current queen), has been kept out of sight for the decade, but it's now her 18th birthday, and she yearns to explore her surroundings, and that she does. The queen has a special mirror which reflects upon her the cost of appearing to be desirable through the dark powers of magic, and its continued use. Prince "Charming" as it were, turns out to be Prince Alcott (Armie Hammer) from a place plenitful in all things the queen needs, and is ambushed by the dwarves, outfitted with magical stilts, and left hanging upsidedown along side his assistant. Speaking of assistants, Nathan Lane puts in a small, but nice performance of being the queen's primary underling, though the role is quite underwritten for his talent.
The rest of the film finally gains a footing in the 2nd act as Snow White meets up with the 7 dwarves, and she gets her own little training montage of self-sufficiency, while bringing in a moral compass to the dwarves, who had been getting by through outright banditry. The dwarves were written to provide comic relief, and most of them did quite well, bringing levity and visual campiness to even out the murderous designs by the queen. Lily Collins looked quite lovely as a princess early on in the film, but in the woods, with the dwarves, she appeared to look even more like a combination of a Jennifer Connelly and Audrey Hepburn in their younger years, quite fetching, I might say.
Being directed for a younger audience, I thought the film was fine, it could have a little more bite to it, but that would have brought in far more cynicism than the story should have been saddled with, so I enjoyed the last 2/3 moreso than the opening act.
I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.
Wrath of the Titans
Overall, this followup to "Clash of the Titans" is briskly paced, featuring quite a lot of action, mythological creatures reigning fire on humans, while the gods find themselves at critical time in their own existence. While the film plays out familial relationships between fathers and sons (gods and half-gods/half-humans), it doesn't quite flesh out Perseus's half-brother Ares (Zeus being their father) in this story, while also introducing us to Agenor (son of Poseidon) and Andromeda. With the rumblings of the chief Titan, Cronos, threatening to lay waste to humanity, as it were, the gods were the ones who held the Titans in check, but humanity's need for self-reliance provided a double-edge sword in weakening the gods and allowing the titans rise in power once more. Humanity's hopes lie in Perseus and other half-gods/half-humans to ward off such major threats.
The film doesn't really allow the story to breathe, as it moves quickly from one set piece to another as the plot has Perseus and the gang to retrieve the parts needed to ward a defense against Cronos and his wrath. There are some column-bruising fight scenes that seem to play out far longer than necessary at times, and a lot of chaos comes from the creatures set loose by Cronos on the humans. The dialogue is clunky, but they do a decent job of reminding us that Perseus's greatest strength is his courage under fire as he suffers wounds quite easily as a normal human, but presses on the fight.
The door is open for a sequel, but it wouldn't surprise me if it did happen.
I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.
The film doesn't really allow the story to breathe, as it moves quickly from one set piece to another as the plot has Perseus and the gang to retrieve the parts needed to ward a defense against Cronos and his wrath. There are some column-bruising fight scenes that seem to play out far longer than necessary at times, and a lot of chaos comes from the creatures set loose by Cronos on the humans. The dialogue is clunky, but they do a decent job of reminding us that Perseus's greatest strength is his courage under fire as he suffers wounds quite easily as a normal human, but presses on the fight.
The door is open for a sequel, but it wouldn't surprise me if it did happen.
I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.
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