A Christmas Carol 1999

The second film version of Charles Dickens' famous novel A Christmas Carol I saw this year, this one stars the venerable Sir Patrick Stewart as Scrooge.  Stewart has plenty of experience with the role, having starred in an award winning one man stage production of the Christmas Carol multiple times.  Stewart is joined by Richard E. Grant, Ian McNeice, and more lesser known British actors in this 1999 movie made for television.

Despite being a made for TV effort, this movie excels in nearly every way.  It's biggest drawback is the occasional special effects scene that shows its age and budget in a painful way.  They are few and forgivable, however.  Patrick Stewart plays the role a little masterfully - he knows exactly what he is saying and how he wants to say it in a way that shows he knows the role inside and out.  Unfortunately sometimes that makes his performance feel a little canned, even though it is, indeed, excellent.

This version is extremely close to the source material, including little unusual details like Jacob Marley's jaw becoming unhinged for some unexplained reason that perhaps made more sense in the time it was written.  It is fascinating to realize how many lines of dialogue we know so well are exactly the same in version to version, coming from the original book.  Even the line "there is more gravy than grave about you," is there - something which I had originally thought was a clever cheesy line in the Muppets version only.

All in all, it has a very realistic, very British feel to it that is modern in its presentation but very old school at the same time, making for a very rewarding experience.

**** (4/5 stars)

The Muppet Christmas Carol

There have been dozens of adaptations of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.  Wikipedia lists 134 adaptations in fact, including a Klingon stage production among other stage, radio, recorded, film, cartoon, and other versions of this classic tale.  It could very well be the most well known fictional story in the Western World.  The Muppets version has long been a favorite among all ages.

Gonzo the Great (Dave Goelz) is Charles Dickens, narrating the familiar story while accompanied by Rizzo the Rat (Steve Whitmire).  Michael Caine chills your soul as the Humbugging Mr. Scrooge.  Kermit the Frog (Steve Whitmire) is his poor clerk, Bob Cratchit who is married to Mrs. Cratchit, Miss (Mrs?). Piggy (Frank Oz).  Scrooge's nephew Fred is played by Steven Mackintosh.  Fozzie Bear (Oz) is "Fozziewig."  In perhaps the biggest departure from the original plot, Jacob Marley has a brother, Robert, and they are played by Jerry Nelson and Frank Oz, both of whom also provide voices for numerous other Muppet characters throughout, as does much of the cast.

The plot is more or less the same as any standard adaptation of this well known story, with some Muppety twists.  The real beauty of what the Muppets do is integrate with human actors without so much as an eye blink.  Singing fruit is just as commonplace in 1800's England as the cobblestone streets and where else would you get to see a singing frog join in with the penguins annual sliding contest?  This is the Muppets at their near best, full of wit and skillful story retelling.  The old story is fresh again many times over and will be enjoyed for years to come by ages of all variations.  It is not perfect and has a song or two - yes it is a musical - that drag the pace down a bit.  It is cast so perfectly though that you would think that Dickens wrote the story with a cast in mind that includes a beaker shaped person thing that doesn't talk and a brusque female pig.  If you have not yet seen this one, plan to do so next Christmas - or even before!

**** (4/5 stars)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 marks the first of the two movies being made out of the seventh and final book in J. K. Rowling's epic series.  While squeezing two movies out of one book might seem like a final cash grab to eek the franchise on just a bit longer, it does actually work.

Even if you have somehow never read one of the books or seen one of the movies, you probably know the basic premise.  Boy wizard Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and his friends Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry while at the same time fighting the evil force of Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes).  The seventh book is the logical conclusion of the fight ending in a final confrontation with Voldemort.  Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Rhys Ifans, Jason Isaacs, Bill Nighy, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Imelda Staunton, and more fill out the massive cast.


The first movie covers nearly exactly two thirds of the book, leaving the final third all for the final movie.  While this might seem illogical if you haven't read the book, it makes perfect sense.  Of all the books, the seventh is the most uneven with the first part being long and drawn out with most of the action happening in the final chapters.  The extended time allotted to each part of the story allows for more character development and inclusion of interesting details than the other movies have.  It would have been interesting if all seven books were turned into two part movies but I don't think the American audience has that kind of patience and the actors would likely have aged much more than they have.  As it is, the actors all fit their characters ages pretty closely, which is a pleasant rarity in movies these days.  See Percy Jackson.


All the actors have matured and grown into their roles rather nicely, really becoming the group of magical friends they are supposed to be.  One of the biggest weaknesses this movie has is that because of the extra time allowed and details explored there are characters and relationships that are shown here for the first time or at least the first time other than some passing mention.  The average movie goer may be a bit confused by some things the characters seem to take for granted if they have not read the books and kept up with all the relationships etc.  That said, for being the near conclusion of such an expansive story, things are, for the most part, not confusing and presented in a straightforward yet interesting manner.  One of the pleasant surprises was the animated sequence that tells the story of the Deathly Hallows.


As is true with the books, this movie continues the trend of growing with it's readers/viewers, being the darkest and most serious yet.  This is fine if someone started reading them when they were 9-12 - the reading level of the first book.  Those people are now 22-25 and certainly old enough to deal with more mature themes.  Not so for the 8-10 year old who devoured the series over the summer for the first time and now wants to go see the new movie.  It is a solidly PG-13 movie.


Overall, this is a good movie that stays pretty true to the source material and manages to stay interesting despite the dry spells (no pun intended) that the book presents.


**** (4/5 stars)

Splice

Written and directed by Vincenzo Natali who is the mind behind the bizarre cult classic - and on my list of best movies you've never seen - Cube, Splice is a strange horror drama thriller starring Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley.  Guillermo del Toro, whose name seems to be attached to almost everything these days, produces.  Before I go any further, I must disclaim:  This is one of the most disturbing movies I have ever seen - right up there with Oldboy.  If (highlight for semi-spoiler) incestuous bestiality alien rape bothers you terribly, you can stop right now and not even bother hearing what I think of this film.  Otherwise, carry on.

Clive (Brody) and Elsa (Polley) are partners in science as well as in life, working together to combine the DNA of animals to create new species at Nucleic Exchange Research and Development labs.  Yes that does spell "NERD."  Convinced that a human-animal hybrid would revolutionize science and medicine, pushing their research to the forefront of, well, everything, the proceed to do so despite being forbidden by their superiors.  The result is Dren (Delphine Chanéac), a female creature that is part human and part other stuff.  Not content to simply observe that their theories are possible, they raise Dren together in secret, watching her grow and making startling discoveries along the way.  As she gets older things get weirder.

It has probably been brought up in most every review, but for good reason:  The third act changes this film, which is probably a bad thing.  Up until then it was an intriguing, if disturbing, examination of morality, ethics, humanity, and science with some truly unique elements.  As the conclusion draws near, it changes over to one of the strangest horror films I have ever seen and the disturbing factor goes through the proverbial roof.

This is one of the more imaginative, creative, thought provoking and different movies in a long time.  The special effects are almost top notch, as are the actors' performances.  It does have a slightly indie feel to it.  I don't recall being bored during any of it, and despite the nature of the film it felt believable throughout - if a bit far fetched at times.

There were a few things that never seemed to be properly explained or addressed, and the story itself had some uneven patches.  The shortcomings, however, are easily forgiven.  If you can get past the very distubing nature of this movie, it offers an experience you are not likely to find very often.

**** (4/5 stars)

The Karate Kid 2010

As a male who was alive in the 80's it feels almost sacrilegious that I have never seen the original The Karate Kid, but such is the case so I am not able to compare it against the 2010 remake starring Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan.

From what I have gathered, this movie is more of an homage to the original rather than straight remake.  The plot of struggling kid (Smith) meeting older eccentric mentor (Chan) and using martial arts as a way of achieving various levels of victory, including a tournament are all there.  Names, locations, and even the martial art itself, however, have all changed.  Personally I think that this works to the film's favor, rather than hurting it.  It allows the movie and actors to grow in their own right rather than being shadowed by and perhaps tainting their predecessors.

Dre and his mom (Taraji P. Henson) have just moved to China and as the black American kid on the block, Dre of course makes some enemies rather quickly.  It doesn't help that the girl (Wenwen Han) he hits it off with already had the attention of the jealous aggressive type (Zhenwei Wang).  Luckily he runs into Mr. Han, the maintenance guy, who just happens to be mysteriously good at Kung Fu and will teach him all he needs to know.  Predictable plot ensues.

Just because I knew where it was headed (being a remake of a culturally ingrained movie doesn't help with that) didn't I couldn't enjoy the ride.  Mini Will Smith is busy following his father's footsteps and pulls off some incredibly impressive stunts - all of which he apparently did himself.  Jackie Chan is Jackie Chan with a little less goof than usual and actually displays some genuine emotion and adds dramatic actor to his resume for perhaps the first time.  The pacing is great - it never slows down to a "get on with it" point, but isn't slamming in your face all the time either.

My one complaint would be that Jaden Smith's Dre was a little annoying and dense at times, but what twelve year old isn't?  I'm a little worried that a sequel - as there is one in the works - has no place good to go, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.


****(4/5 stars)

RED

Loosely based on the DC comic book series, RED (Retired, Extremely Dangerous), is an action comedy starring Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, and Hellen Mirren.  Mary-Louise Parker, Karl Urban, Julian McMahon, Brian Cox, and Richard Dreyfuss fill out the cast.

Frank Moses (Willis) is a retired hardcore spy who is so bored with his new life that he purposely destroys his pension checks just so he has an excuse to call Sarah (Parker) who is his representative at the pension office.  Things get unboring very quickly however, when, in one of the most spectacular displays of excessive on screen violence, a team of unknown assassins, for unknown reasons, kills his house.  You'll know what I mean when you see it.  Sarah being the only person he has frequent contact with, Frank is fearful for her life so kidnaps her for her own safety, dragging her along as he tracks down his old acquaintances for help.  The team includes his mentor Joe (Freeman), deadly sniper Victoria (Mirren), and the paranoid and slightly insane (years of LSD will do that to a person) Marvin (Malkovich).

The motley five uncover a conspiracy involving the Vice President of the United States (McMahon) and the CIA and of course work together to bring it to light and prevent them all from being killed.  Along the way they do lots of action oriented things while throwing in some witty remarks.

There are no surprises here.  What you get is what you expect - a rollicking action comedy with lots of both, staring some older favorites, and featuring enough of a coherent plot that you don't feel brain cells dying off whilst watching it.  The whole cast is in great form and there is nary a boring moment.  It's not a movie you will be talking about years to come, but there is no denying that it is a heck of a lot of fun to watch.

**** (4/5 stars)

Let the Right One In

Let The Right One In is a Swedish vampire film based on the novel of the same name by John Ajvide Lindqvist and is currently in American theatres in the form of the remake Let Me In which stars Chloë Moretz.

Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant) is a twelve year old boy who is something of a nobody.  He is bullied at school constantly.  He fantasizes about standing up to those who push him around, but can't actually do anything when it comes down to it.  He meets a girl,  Eli (Lina Leandersson), who is apparently his age and also lives in his building.  A unique friendship and young romance begins to form.  Oskar has no idea how unique it is going to  be, however, until he realizes that his new friend is a vampire who needs to kill for human blood in order to survive.

Let The Right One In has enjoyed an incredibly positive critical reception, as evidenced by the fact it had a limited US release and was quickly optioned for an American remake.  Visually, this is a beautifully created film, utilizing a lot of geometric scenery and snowy settings that enhance the off balance melancholic mood.  Unlike many vampire stories, especially as of late, this is a very realistic representation of the mythical beings.  The supernatural/magical qualities of the vampires are seriously underplayed with the focus on the fact that here is a being who just wants to live, and can't unless she continually takes other lives.  There is a disturbing blend of innocence and the macabre between Oskar and Eli and the other kids at school.

There is a mostly consistent feeling and pace throughout the whole thing that keeps it believable and the viewer attached.  There was one scene, the one with the cats, that almost worked wonderfully, but didn't quite succeed because of the lower quality of the effects.  Instead of being super disturbing it was a little distracting and just a lot disturbing. 

The two kids are amazing as they capture the young nature of their characters in a mature fashion beyond what most their age could.  In the same way it takes a genius to really successfully portray a fool, usually it takes an older person to really pull off a younger character.  The actors here are the age of their roles, adding so much realism, believability, and genuineness.

Some foreign films feel a lot like a Hollywood flick, with perhaps the language giving it away.  This is not one of them.  There is that edge to it that says "I'm not from around here," and that works to the film's advantage from the point of view of an American audience.  It will be interesting to see if that feeling can be replicated in the remake.

I'm not a fan of vampires, which does taint my view of this film, but I hope it also adds credence to how good this movie really is that I enjoyed it as much as I did, despite the subject matter.

**** (4/5 stars)

It's Kind of a Funny Story

It's Kind of a Funny Story is based on Ned Vizzini's 2006 novel of the same name.  Craig (relative new comer Keir Gilchrist) is 16 and depressed.  His parents (Lauren Graham and Jim Gaffigan) want him to excel and the stress from that, along with everything else in a 16 year old's life leads him to a point where he starts thinking suicide.  Seeking a quick fix, and not really wanting to end it all, he checks himself into a psychiatric ward looking for help.  What he finds are some really unique people including Bob (Zach Galifianakis) who is a longtime patient, and Noelle (Emma Roberts) who's teenage depression is a bit worse than his own.  Zoë Kravitz, Aasif Mandvi, and Jeremy Davies add to the cast.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this one, but I didn't think it would end up being such a heartfelt tale with a delightful sense of humour.  Having been severely disappointed by The Hangover, though I am apparently in the minority on that one, I didn't have much reason to think I would enjoy seeing ZG (as I hope he will become known as very soon and save some pronunciation and typing difficulties) again.  Surprisingly I found him to an extremely likable, believable character that had real heart and a wit sharpened with an unusually shaped blade.  He pretty much stole every scene he was in.

Gilchrist played the introspective indie character role well, not drifting into the somewhat annoying loser territory perpetually inhabited by Michael Cera.  His narration felt genuine and his fantasies were enjoyable.  This is Scrubs, if Scrubs took place in a mental hospital with younger characters and a little bit more seriousness.

I wish Roberts' character was more developed.  She really was important, yet lacked a bit of depth that the other two main players were given.  Nothing against her performance, it seems to be more of a writing thing.  I know this is not her story, but for how important she becomes, not much is said about her.

The supporting cast all does a great job, though I'm not sure why Davie's had the part he did.  I have a feeling it might have been a bigger role that ended up on the cutting room floor.

I really enjoyed this movie, much more than I expected.  I've heard some talk about how it is a bad representation of depression, but I found it to be a positive look at one.  At the same time, it expresses how our problems are not as big as we think - it's all about perspective, while allowing that just because someone "shouldn't" be depressed, it can still become a serious burden.  This movie is probably going to be overlooked by many movie goers and critics, but it shouldn't be.

**** (4/5 stars)

Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire

As the title so blatantly tells it, Precious is based on the novel Push by Sapphire.  From the summaries, the movie seems to follow the novel very closely, though apparently did leave out a few aspects of the story near the end.

Newcomer Gabourey Sidibe is Claireece "Precious" Jones, a 16 year old black girl living in Harlem with her vocally and physically abusive mother (an award winning Mo'Nique) who only keeps Precious around for the welfare money.  Pregnant with her second child, both times the product of her father (Rodney 'Bear' Jackson) raping her, she finds herself kicked out of school, her only other option being Each One Teach One, an alternative school where she meets her teacher Blu Rain (Paula Patton) who is the first person she's ever known who actually seems to care about her.  Sapphire, Lenny Kravitz, and Mariah Carey appear as well.

Precious is not based on a true story but it still rings true as I'm sure there are more than one Precious out there.  It may be a work of fiction but its base in reality is what makes this film really work.  It employs multiple cinematographic techniques that are not usually seen together.  On one hand it is filmed docu-style.  Not quite Cloverfield, but the hand-held work is similar to something like Modern Family or The Office.  There are certain stylized shots in slow motion though, there are flashbacks as well as daydreams that are far flung from reality.  It's rather bizarre when you think about it, yet makes sense.  Life is not so straightforward as a documentary.  It has parts that feel like they're going at different speeds than others, and people drift into their imaginations all the time.  The unrealistic aspects actually make this a more realistic experience.

The acting, no surprise given the attention that has been brought to it, is admirable.  The performances given by Sidibe and Mo'Nique are raw, cutting, and powerful.  These are not actors, they are these people.  The chillingly emotional scenes and harsh language define their lives and are enough to make even the least compassionate person wish they could at least do something for these people whose lives seem like an impassable thing.

I'm not sure what was missing from the end, but it felt slightly unfulfilled.  Other than that, superb.

**** (4/5 stars)

The Cat Returns

A non-Miyazaki film from Studio Ghibli, The Cat Returns makes more sense, in the sense of a straightforward plot, than many of their films, but is delightfully strange all the same.  The title may seem confusing as it is in reference to the character of The Baron returning to the screen after having been introduced in a previous Ghibli film, Whisper of the Heart.  There is nothing to do with a cat returning in this movie.

All of the Disney adapted Studio Ghibli films have well known voice talent attached to them, but none, I think, is cast as superbly as this.  Starring Anne Hathaway, Cary Elwes, Peter Boyle, Elliott Gould, Tim Curry, and Andy Richter, they all fit their characters perfectly.  Judy Greer, Kristine Sutherland, and Kristen Bell also make appearances.

Haru (Hathaway) is a slightly awkward, frazzled high school girl who saves an odd looking cat from a messy fate in the middle of a busy street.  It turns out that cat just happened to be the Cat Prince, Lune (Andrew Bevis) of the Cat Kingdom and Haru is in for a slew of unexpected, and unwanted, rewards.  Not the least being the prince's hand in marriage.  As she tumbles further down the rabbit hole, Haru finds a number of new friends as well as new enemies as she tries to avoid becoming a permanent resident of the Cat Kingdom.  She meets The Baron (Elwes), a dapper cat figurine come to life; Muta (Boyle), a huge, hungry, and perpetually grumpy white cat; Toto (Gould), a raven statue come to life who is Muta's equally cynical friend; The crazy Cat King (Curry); and Natoru (Richter), the King's eager messenger.

As I mentioned, despite the odd sounding plot, it is actually more or less straightforward with an almost painfully obvious moral of being true to yourself.  This is the one thing that detracts a bit from this animated classic, as there are few cleverly crafted surprises as you would expect from, say, Miyazaki.  Even so, there are wonderful characters, and it is delightfully imaginative.  The mannerisms of cats are captured perfectly, even as they are given human characteristics as well.  This is definitely a must see for any fan of anime or cats.

**** (4/5 stars)

Repo Men

Repo Men is a semi-dystopian future sci-fi tale starring Jude Law and Forest Whitaker.  Alice Braga, Liev Schreiber, and John Leguizamo also make appearances.  It is based on the novel Repossession Mambo by Eric Garcia, though there is some controversy as to whether both were not a rip off of the stage show and limited release B movie, Repo! The Genetic Opera.

I call this a semi-dystopian film because overall the world doesn't seem to be any worse than it is today but for the fact that many people make the choice to live, in exchange for constant debt and fear.  Artificial organs have progressed to a point where not only can they replace any part of a person's body, they can actually enhance it.  Anyone at all can purchase these organs to save, extend, or enhance their life.  They're incredibly expensive, but no worries - you can always use a flexible installment plan.  The catch is, if you fall behind on payments, The Union reclaims their property, almost certainly leaving you dead, or at least mutilated.  That's where Remy (Law) and Jake (Whitaker) come in.  They are company repo men, searching out those who are behind on their bills and reclaiming company property.  All is going more or less fine until an accident has Remy in a coma and in need of a new heart.  Waking up in the other side's shoes, he has a sudden twinge of guilt and is unable to perform his normal duties.  Unfortunately that means that he has no income and no way to pay off his debt.  Soon he's on the run with former colleagues - including Jake - after him.

Watching the unrated version this is a lot of violence and gore, though I can't imagine the theatrical release was much less visually stimulating.  This is a movie about people ripping out other people's organs, essentially.  It is nearly non-stop action once it gets going and has some fantastic knife fights that had me wanting to see Jude Law take on Christian Bale's character in Equilibrium.  There is also an obvious homage to Oldboy (one of the most disturbing films I've ever seen, but well crafted) that works quite well.  All of the fights were refreshingly choreographed, in a realistic way, rather than relying on the hand held, quick cut action sequences that have especially over run the action genre since Batman Begins.

The story, too, is engaging.  The characters are unique and well played.  It's an interesting story that never fails to keep my attention.  There are a few holes to the story - like why don't company men get a free heart when injured on a job? - but overall it works.  The movie has a certain feel to it that is maintained throughout.  It feels very much like Minority Report mashed up with The Island with a little bit of Grindhouse styling.

How you feel about this movie is largely dependent on how you feel about the ending.  It seems the ending has polarized most viewers and critics with some saying that the ending either saved a bad movie or ruined a good one.  Personally I think the ending worked and served to strengthen a film that started to get a little weak in places in the second half.  But don't take my word for it - Repo Men is worth making up your own mind about.

**** (4/5 stars)

17 Again

17 Again is the most recent film in the body/age swapping genre, joining such classics as Freaky Friday and 18 Again.  Mike O'Donnell's (Matthew Perry) life sucks.  He hates his job, his wife (Leslie Mann) is leaving him, and his children  (Michelle Trachtenberg and Sterling Knight) want nothing to do with him.  From where he stands at nearly 40 years old, everything bad in his life could have been different were it not for one moment.  It was that moment that he gave up a championship game and the chance at a full scholarship to be a basketball star in order to be with his newly discovered to be pregnant girlfriend (Allison Miller).

Bing bang boom (no pun intended), and Matthew Perry turns into Zac Efron as he transforms back into 17 year old Mike.  Determined to course correct his life by starting over from where he left off, Mike enrolls in high school with his uber geeky, uber rich buddy Ned (Thomas Lennon) posing as his father.  For the first time, he is able to start to connect with his two kids, being let into their world like only a peer would and he tries to become sort of an undercover father, doing the things he couldn't or didn't do when he was an adult.  The formula is pretty simple - hilarity ensues, lessons are learned, people are changed and there's a happy ending.

Just because the ingredients are standard, however, doesn't mean the recipe is bland.  There are some truly awkward/disturbing scenes that give this movie a slightly more adult feel, and there is genuine humour to be found.  Ned and the school principal (Melora Hardin) are charming as two geeks who are thrilled to find someone of their own breed, and are usually convincing in the role.  I am not sure, though, that geeks of their magnitude would refer to the language as simply "Elvish," but would have specified Quenya or Sindarin.  Granted, the target audience would probably have no Middle Earthly clue as to what they were talking about then.

The many geeky pop culture references really helped this movie to be entertaining for me.  The acting was surprisingly solid and Zac Efron does a shockingly good Matthew Perry.  I was amused/not irritated for the whole movie, which was something I was not expecting.  Yes it is 95% predictable, but sometimes it's nice to watch something that is not Inception or The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus.  I probably enjoyed this movie more than I should have and that's probably due to things like random light-saber battles, but you could really do a lot worse.  Especially in the genre of teen comedy.

**** (4/5 stars)

Despicable Me

Despicable Me is a film that continues an encouraging trend - Studios other than Pixar creating computer animated movies actually worth watching.  Currently dominating the box office, a sequel is already being planned. The movie features the impressive lineup of Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, Will Arnett, Kristen Wiig, and Miranda Cosgrove.

Despicable Me is about one of the world's super villains, Gru (Carell with an unusual accent) and his quest to become the greatest villain of all time to avoid fading into obscurity, to outdo young newcomer Vector (Segel), and make his mother (Andrews) proud.  The plan?  To steal the moon.  Why?  Because it's the biggest thing he can think of to steal, and he really likes the moon.  How?  With the help of his elderly friend Dr. Nefario (Brand) and hundreds of little yellow pill shaped Oompa Loompas Minions.  When the President of the Bank of Evil (Arnett) - who bares an amazing resemblance to Dilbert's pointy haired boss - refuses him a loan he gets creative. To make the plan work, he adopts a young trio of orphaned girls, Margo (Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier) and Agnes (Elsie Fisher the wide eyed girl from the Chevy Traverse commercial) from evil Miss Hattie's (Wiig) home for girls.  In the course of things, though, is it possible that the evil Gru will have his heart changed by these sweet children?  Of course.

Overall, it is a sweet and predictable children's movie with some great gags thrown in.  The characters are just so likable and creative, however, that it still succeeds on a level higher than a heartwarming electronic babysitter.  None of the actors are really doing their typical shtick, and it's likely that you won't even recognize them if you don't know who they are before hand.  The Minions are easily one of the highlights of the movie and it is easy to see how they could get their own spin off, as they apparently are.

Not my favorite movie, or even the best animated film of the year (I think Toy Story 3 takes that one), but not bad at all.

**** (4/5 stars)

Atlantis - The Lost Empire

I was one of the few who actually watched this one when it came out in theatres.  Atlantis has long been an interest of mine, so I couldn't pass it up, even if it turned out to be bad.  Thankfully, it did not, becoming - I think - one of Disney's more original stories, even if it is one of their least remembered. 

Michael J. Fox is Milo Thatch, a young linguist who is very enthusiastic about discovering the secret of the lost city of Atlantis, fulfilling his grandfather's legacy.  Too bad for him, those around him are significantly less enthusiastic.  It seems he's out of luck until he is contacted by a mysterious millionaire who knew his grandfather - Preston B. Whitmore (John Mahoney).  In possession of the final key to the puzzle, Mr. Whitmore is interested in Milo assisting a special team in their mission to track down the lost island of Atlantis.  Yes, Mr. WidWhitmore is interested in tracking down a "lost" island in order to unlock it's secrets.

Milo joins an eclectic team of adventurers led by rough and tough Commander Rourke (James Garner) and his seductive second in command, Helga Sinclair (Claudia Christian).  Other members include Cookie the Cook (Jim Varney in his final role - the film was released after his death in 2000), Dr. Sweet (Phil Morris who's bulky animated alter ego is a bit more easy going than the fast talking lawyer on Seinfeld), Mole the geologist (Corey Burton), Vinny the demolitions expert (Don Novello), and Audrey the teenage mechanic extraordinaire (Jacqueline Obradors).  Things get complicated when they discover Atlantis, only to find it being ruled by King Spock Kashekim (Leonard Nimoy) and his daughter Princess Kida (Cree Summer) with the entire Atlantian civilization still living, though no longer thriving, beneath the ocean.

The plot is fairly standard Disney fair in some regards, but it's execution feels a bit more original.  The animation, as well, is just plain nice to look at with a vibrant art style that more closely mirrors anime than Disney. It didn't achieve instant cultural status as a Disney masterpiece, and due to the poor box office, Disney probably has it locked away in the vault that movies don't come out of every ten years or so.  Even so, it felt like it had a lot more thought behind it than many and the cast of characters is just a lot of fun to watch.  It would have been nice if it was a little longer to really develop some characters and give them a few more adventures before the satisfying ending, but it is what it is.

**** (4/5 stars)

Shutter Island

Shutter island, directed by Martin Scorsese and based on Dennis Lehane's novel of the same name, stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a Federal Marshal, Teddy Daniels.

Teddy, along with his partner Chuck (Mark Ruffalo), are just arriving on Shutter Island to investigate a disappearing person from Ashecliff Hospital - a place for the criminally insane, run by Dr. Cawley (Sir Ben Kingsley) along with Leland Stottlemeyer the Warden (Ted Levine) who, clean shaven, reminds me of Robert De Niro.  From the beginning, Teddy suspects that not all is as it seems, and the mysterious circumstances surrounding the patient's disappearance only strengthen his suspicions.

From the get go, Shutter Island's atmosphere is dark and it only gets darker as the story progresses.  At every turn, Teddy makes a discovery that is one more piece to the larger picture of a conspiracy.  It even seems that the conspiracy may have to do with Teddy himself.  The stakes are continually raised as Teddy finds himself on the run, trying to uncover the truth, unsure if he can even trust his partner.  The only thing that lowers the intensity a notch or two, making it more watchable, is the running time.  The movie is stretched out a little longer than many films.  Instead of the wham, bam, twist, the end, like many thrillers, this one takes the time to really play out, giving subtle hints at the end that probably are more noticeable the second time through, a la The Sixth Sense - No, Teddy is not dead.

Up until the end (and possibly even after) the viewer is tasked with sorting out the truth, just like Teddy.  Having taken too long to see this movie, by the time I did, the ending had been partially given away to me so I can not really voice an opinion on how obvious it was.  Even if it does seem obvious, however, I think there is plenty of material here to make you second guess what you think is obvious, which is a good thing, obviously.  This is not quite masterpiece quality, but it's very well done, and a good movie to boot.

**** (4/5 stars)

The Blind Side

I'm not all that into sports movies but The Blind Side looked like it might be worth watching.  Based on the real life story of Baltimore Ravens player,  Michael Oher, The Blind Side garnered Sandra Bullock an Oscar for best actress.

The movie tells the story of Michael, Big Mike, Oher, played by Quinton Aaron whose own life story is one of rising from rags as well.  Oher was just one of twelve children that his cocaine addicted mother (Adriane Lenox) had by multiple men.  Living in the projects of Tennessee he had few people to turn to, nowhere he could call home, and just shy of nothing of an education.  His life took a major turn for the better when he was enrolled in a Christian school through a number of fortunate circumstances.  It was there that he became very involved in athletics and met the Tuohy family.  It was with  Leigh Anne (Bullock), Sean (Tim McGraw), Collins (Lily Collins), and SJ (Jae Head) that he found acceptance and encouragement.  Kathy Bates also appears as Michael's tutor.

I won't say much more about the plot since I don't want to confuse real life events with their theatrical representation.  From what I've heard, the movie does portray the characters and events with above average accuracy, but, as Hollywood is wont to do, things are still somewhat condensed, exaggerated, and romanticized.  This site gives an excellent rundown of real life vs. the movie, but be aware there are massive spoilers - as if the fact that this is a heartwarming sports movie based on true events isn't spoiler enough.

One of the things I hate is a movie that is heartwarming just because it can be.  This one works because you know that it is (mostly) true.  It's impossible not to care about a character who actually exists and who has real reasons for you to care about them.  Because of this and because of some great performances, I enjoyed this movie despite myself.  Sandra Bullock predictably gives a great performance and Tim Mcgraw proves that the line between singing and acting may be crossed successfully.  Jae Head's portrayal of Michael's younger white brother is - legendary isn't quite the right word for it, but let's just say that I'd like to see him do something in the future with Chloe Moretz.

It's enough of a sport's movie to appeal to that crowd, and enough of feel good drama to appeal to that group as well.  I don't really fall into either category, but liked it all the same.

**** (4/5 stars)

Pandorum

A critical and box office failure, the concept and trailers were still enough to make me want to watch this movie.  When it became available on Netflix instant watch I didn't even have to potentially waste a DVD delivery on it which is always a good thing.

Pandorum is I am Legend meets Cube meets Titan AE. Corporal Bower (Ben Foster) violently awakens from hyper sleep on a large space cruiser as his sleep chamber malfunctions.  He manages to exit, but with no memory of what he is doing there - an apparent side effect of suspended animation.  This wouldn't be a problem except that there is no one else around to fill in the blanks for him.  The ship seems to be dead or dying and there is no evidence of anyone else awake.  He manages to revive the only other person in the room,  Lieutenant Payton (Dennis Quaid) but two people who can't remember a thing aren't much better than one.  Payton is able to get a control console working on backup power and Payton struggles through the claustrophobic ductwork in an attempt to reach the bridge and figure out what went wrong.  Once out he realizes that they are not completely alone but might have preferred  it that way.  It seems that there are a few rogue crew members surviving on their own, but the higher population appears to be that of alien zombie type creatures who are deadly fast and strong with an appetite for flesh.

Part of the appeal this movie has to me is something which may bother others and that is how the viewers are left nearly as much in the dark as Bower and Payton.  The only thing we know which they do not is that their ship's mission was to take them, a large population, and a catalog of Earth life to a new planet in order to escape the destruction of our own.  What went wrong, where they are, what the creatures are and how they got there, etc. is still as much of a mystery to us as it is to them with the answers only coming as discoveries are made and memories slowly return.  It creates a much more tense environment completely suited to the situation.  The movie is not without faults.  If you are at all familiar with the genre some of the surprises are predictable and some plot points feel like they were added out of necessity and lack of a better idea than actually thought out and developed.  The representation of Pandorum - a space sickness that causes paranoia and insanity - is appropriately stressful most of the time but dips into cheesiness occasionally.

I don't care if other people say this was a bad movie, I enjoyed it all the way through, appreciating it for the science fiction thriller it is.  It thrilled me at parts and fascinated me at others.  I left the couch for a couple of hours and became trapped in a maze of cables, corridors, and hatches lost half the time and running for my life at others.  Good job, Pandorum.

**** 4/5 stars

Being John Malkovich

Being John Malkovich has long been on my list of films to get around to seeing, and I finally did.  The bizarre plot is this:  Craig (John Cusack) is an unemployed puppeteer stuck in a marriage with Lotte (Cameron Diaz) who pays more attention to her animals than she does to him.  Sucking it up and taking a "real" job, Craig is hired by a filing company run by an impossibly old and rather inappropriate man (Orson Bean) on the 7½ floor of a high rise where everyone has to crouch to fit in this space between floors 7 and 8.  There he meets Maxine (Catherine Keener) who he becomes immediately and inexplicably attracted to.  Oh, and he discovers a door behind a filing cabinet that leads him directly into John Malkovich's (played by himself) mind for fifteen minutes before spitting him out on the side of the New Jersey turnpike.  Still with me?  Good, because it only gets stranger after that.

 Plot points range from selling tickets to John Malkovich's mind, to lesbian affairs that aren't really lesbian, to a monkey having flashbacks to his traumatic childhood.  If I were to compare this movie to anything, it would be to anime film of the serious but strange variety.  It does things that live action movies just don't do - at least not American ones.  The film, though, never once seems to really question the weirdness of what's going on, and that's what helps make it work

The cast works well together, though at times Cusack seems a little disjointed, but that may just be because it seemed to be such an odd roll for him.  The concept is certainly out there and provides fodder for completely unique situations and perspectives that we've never seen before and hopefully never will again.

Directed by Spike Jonze, most recently known for his off kilter adaptation of Where the Wild Things are, Being John Malkovich is a trip and a half.  I thoroughly enjoyed the trip, but the half was a little bit much at times.  The thing that really threw me was the seemingly fluid sexual orientation of everyone inhabiting this strange reality.  It makes sense, sort of, but was jarring enough to pull me out of the film at times.  Over all though I would highly recommend this film if you're like I was and just haven't gotten around to seeing it yet.

**** (4/5 stars)

Law Abiding Citizen

Though almost universally disliked by critics, Law Abiding Citizen surprised me as an enjoyable action film with some delightful intrigue.  Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) is an upstanding family man who is forced to watch his wife (Brooke Stacy Mills) raped and killed, and his young daughter (Ksenia Hulayev) murdered during a brutal home invasion.  Due to some incompetent forensic work, though, the case against the two who were responsible lands on shaky ground.  In a bid to secure an easy victory, prosecutor Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx) cuts a deal with the ring leader Darby (Christian Stolte) in order to bring the death penalty down on his accomplice Ames (Josh Stewart).  Clyde makes it abundantly clear that this is not the justice he had in mind, but he's helpless to do anything about it.  The cast also includes Viola Davis, Bruce McGill, and Leslie Bibb.

Fast-forward ten years.  Ames is finally serving his sentence, but instead of a quiet, humane passing, his death is quite horrific - apparently due to sabotage involving the lethal injection.  Darby is soon found brutally dismembered and quite dead.  Clyde denies nothing, but announces this is just the beginning in a campaign to bring down all aspects of a broken justice system.

At one point I was afraid that this was going to turn into some sort of Saw movie but thankfully that is not the case.  What is the case is the beginning of a brilliant set of escapades that straddle the border of believability.  Clyde takes out person after person with seemingly no effort at all, in ways that seem impossible.  He becomes a killer for justice that would make a worthy adversary for  Sherlock Holmes with his meticulous planning and smooth operation.  The only thing that kept me from truly rooting for him all the way was the fact that Nick really wasn't all that bad of a guy - he just wasn't perfect.

Despite all the impossible escapades that require a large dose of belief suspension, the part I found most jarring was the fact that Nick ends up outsmarting Clyde at one point.  Foxx's character just didn't seem intelligent enough to pull that off.  And do DA's really pull double duty as detective's?  That's what I want to know.  Aside from the fact that this film necessitates checking a bit of your logic at the door, the only other thing that really bothered me was Butler's accent.  He looked like he was in pain the whole time from restraining his Scottish brogue that occasionally slipped through anyway.  He really should stop trying to sound like an American - besides, aren't there American's with Scottish accents anyway?

Part of me says that I should come down hard on a film that relies so heavily on events happening that probably could never actually happen.  But this is a movie - movies are where midget aliens with magic fingers eat Reese's Pieces and phone home with contraptions made with a saw blade.  And the other part of me really had fun watching Gerard Butler do what he does best - kick some serious keister with some serious style.

**** (4/5 stars)

Iron Man 2

The Summer movie season officially got under way with a bang this past weekend with Iron Man 2 as the superhero sequel flew into theatres.  Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow reprise their roles as millionaire playboy Tony Stark AKA Iron Man, and his fiery assistant, Pepper Pots.  Samuel L. Jackson also appears again as Nick Fury.  Stan Lee makes his usual cameo - watch for it!  Not returning is Terrence Howard as Tony's friend in the Marines, James Rhodes.  He is replaced by Don Cheadle for this sequel that features his character much more prominently.

Not much has happened since the end of the first film.  Tony Stark is still the center of, well, everything.  He's "privatized world peace," and the military wants their hands on his technology as does everyone else.  Hammer Industries, led by Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) wants to turn the suit into a very lucrative weapon, but have failed miserably.  Tony's body has turned against him, being slowly killed by the device that's keeping him alive.  Oh the irony.  The official villain of the film, though, is Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), who becomes the revenge-seeking Whiplash, but don't forget the mysterious and seductive Natalie Rushman AKA Natasha Romanoff AKA Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson).

If it sounds like there's a little too much going on, that's because there is.  Thankfully it is mostly important things that are going on and hopefully things are not going to drift into Spiderman 3 territory in the next movie.  Given some certain scenes, however, it seems like Favreau may be setting things up for a Demon in the Bottle adaptation, which would be a good thing.

The pacing is a little wobbly here and there.  Sometimes it is a bit rushed, while other times it's a little sluggish.  It's not really that bad, but the first one came off so smoothly that I must be extra critical here.  It is painfully obvious that they are setting the stage for the Avengers movie, which may have hampered the creativity a bit.  The thing that really drags this movie down below a five star endeavor, though, is the final battle.  Favreau just doesn't seem to get boss battles.  The final fight in the first movie is a bit anticlimactic, and this one is even more so.  Scarlett Johansson's action sequence is miles more entertaining to watch and she isn't even in a flying battle suit.

To sum up - Iron Man 2 is a little bloated and lacks the sense of adventure of the first one.  Robert Downey Jr. is still fantastic, bringing Tony Stark to immortal life, and the rest of the cast does a great job as well.  Nobody is a sore thumb here.  Ultimately it is still a cool film that is a lot of fun to watch, but it just doesn't quite reach the bar set by its predecessor.

P.S. Stay after the credits for a quick teaser of things to come.

**** (4/5 stars)