Don Jon marks the debut of Joseph Gordon Levitt, the screenwriter/director. As someone who has followed most of this guys career, seeing this film was a no brainer. JGL has already proven he can act like it's nobodies business, but does he have what it takes to be a truly formidable writer/director?
In Don Jon JGL plays Johnny, a ladies man who is addicted to porn. He meets and falls for Barbara (Scarlett Johansson), a straight up 10 who challenges John in several ways, including forcing him to take a night class where he meets Esther (Julianne Moore), who will end up changing the way John thinks about himself, others, sex, and his lifestyle.
Don Jon was a film that I so badly wanted to love, to praise. Unfortunately, it falls flat in many areas. JGL has shown that he is a fairly smart man that enjoys taking on challenging characters with intricate arcs and deep stories. You would think that he would have a lot to say....and while what he does have to say is fairly entertaining and truthful, it's not as deep as you would hope for it to be.
As a writer, JGL proves constantly that he's got the shine. His script for Don Jon is pretty great. This is how real people talk, what real people talk about, and how men and women really act. As a director, he seems to be fine as well (he doesn't do anything really stand out here though), managing to evoke fairly great performances from Scar Jo (she is super hawt here, just wait till you see the hallway dry humping scene) and Julianne Moore (Moore is the most memorable thing about this film, surprisingly). However, after the first hour or so I couldn't help but notice that the film didn't seem to be going anywhere. The character of John did remind me a bit of myself, but ultimately he's not a super deep character and there's not much that Levitt can really do to make him memorable. He's definitely like what a real guy is, but he's just not super memorable. John does end up changing a bit, but it happens a bit too quickly and a little bit late (in the last 20 mins or so is where this happens). The message here seems to be: There's more to love than sex. It's a good message for young people, but I imagine that most adults that are past their 20s already know this. The film does seem to be aimed squarely at the 20-something crowd, and it's certainly tons of fun....however, the film feels like it's going to have this huge message and that this guy is really going to end up making a drastic change and it's all going to be uplifting.....but the film doesn't really do any of this. Not to mention, it feels like the film would have benefited from an extra hour where things could be fleshed out a bit more and where a more concrete and solid ending could have been formed (the way the film ends is just bad, really bad).
Don Jon, from opening credits to final shot is all about sex. It's clear that JGL is trying to say meaningful things about society's obsession with sex, about the falsity and meaningless repetition of religion and religious rituals, about the surface culture we live in, etc. The film has room for several message, but as it is most of these end up being half-messages and half-formed ideas with the big message being contained solely to that of relationships. JGL has so many ideas, that it's almost like he was unable to reel himself in. I can see how this film could have been great, and it hurts to watch it get so much right and so much wrong at the same time.
Don Jon is surely an entertaining, fun film....but if you're hoping for more than just that, you might as well look somewhere else. To his credit, JGL does try to create a strong message here. Don Jon shows that JGL can make believable, REAL dialogue and knows how to just about perfectly mimic real life conversation...however, he still has to work on his story creating skills and on how to end a film the right way. I hate saying bad things about JGL, I really do love the guy. He's got an insane level of talent, and it's clear that he's got some good writing skills. He's still a beginner, but if he keeps working at honing his craft he may just become one of the bigs eventually. I'd say that if you are a JGL completionist like me, the film's a must-see and it's interesting to be able to watch the beginnings of what may turn into something great later on down the road, but for right now JGL still has some work to do. I enjoyed myself, I just wish there had been more substance and more of a payoff. Don Jon is a good college effort, and it's tons of surface fun but there's not as much going on underneath the surface as Joseph Gordon Levitt seems to think there is.
3.5 STARS
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Saturday, September 28, 2013
SMALLS' FRIGHT FEST CONJURES UP MORE SCARES THIS HALLOWEEN SEASON
Welcome again, my children of the night.....TO SMALLS' FRIGHT FEST!!! Yes, it is that time of year again where ghosties and ghoulies are awakened once more to spread fear and chaos over the Earth for one special night: HALLOWEEN. It's the witching season, and this year I, your humble Ghost Host with the most most, will once again attempt to scare up only the best of the best Halloween films and, like always, will bring you my trip report from Scare Central: Halloween Horror Nights. So, ready or not, hang on for your afterlife, because Smalls' Fright Fest starts TODAY!!!
Monday, September 9, 2013
THE BLING RING HAS LOTS OF BLING, LITTLE BRAIN
Today is the day I finish what I call The American Dream Trilogy (Spring Breakers, Pain and Gain, The Bling Ring). All of these films are about people doing whatever it takes (usually by illegal means) to live their version of the American Dream. Spring Breakers followed a group of college girls that turn to a life of crime, drugs and murder to fuel that dream, Pain and Gain focused on three dim-witted meat heads that decided kidnapping, extortion and murder was the only way to live their dream, so....what does Bling Ring focus on?
In Bling Ring, we follow spoiled rich teens Rebecca (Katie Chang), Marc (Israel Broussard), Nicki (Emma Watson), and Chloe (Claire Julian). Although they are pretty well off, all four still yearn for more....in this case, fame and the celebrity lifestyle. Rebecca hits upon a way to live this lifestyle, mainly by following the news to find out when certain celebs are away and then using Google maps to find the celeb's house, drive there, break in, and then party and steal stuff. She invites her posse to join her and soon enough the four are living the high life and snorting cocaine like it's candy (lots of cocaine usage in this film). Naturally, the group isn't all that intelligent (Marc is the smartest one in the group, and is also the most likeable...although this isn't really saying much) so after a little while the four are indeed caught. This is also based on a true story.
Katie Change does a pretty good job as Rebecca, a real conniving and manipulative bitch who also acts as the ring leader. By far the best parts of this film are Israel Broussard as Marc and Emma Watson as Nicki.. Marc is a new student at school that is a bit socially awkward and a bit closeted. Rebecca picks up on this and quickly brings him under her wing, almost immeadietly bringing him into her life of naughtiness. Once again, Marc is the most likeable character here, and is easily the smartest one in the bunch. Emma Watson plays a real airhead and is not only super hot but also immensely watchable (dare I say, it's almost like she's in a different film). Whenever her character of Nicki is on, you can't take your eyes off her. Watson is pretty highly intelligent in real life, so to watch her play someone who has just about zero intelligence and just nail the role...it's really impressive. Watson isn't in the film a whole lot, we get just the right amount of her character.
Bling Ring is filmed with lots of bizarre segments of pics of celebs and celeb interviews that whiz by at a fast speed, and some segments featuring Facebook updates. It's an interesting touch that helps add a bit of personality to the film (the celeb pic and interview segments feel a bit misplaced, but the Facebook bits were a welcome addition and worked surprisingly well). The cinematography was fine and pretty, but never really stood out a whole lot minus a few scenes here and there (The opening scene was cool, and there was one club scene that was very pretty). The soundtrack is also a little too obvious most of the times, but the addition of Crown On The Ground for the opening scene was somewhat inspired.
The Bling Ring does have a tiny bit of brains, mainly by it's message: that even the rich want to be richer and famous, and how the public has a fascination with the whole Robin Hood thing. Most of the film consists of scenes of the group robbing houses and partying, and while the first few scenes of these are cool and naughty, it quickly grows stale and repetitive. It's clear that Sophia Coppola wanted to send a message out there through this film, but she never really has much fun with the proceedings or comes up with anything truly innovative (she even has one of the characters recite the message of the film, in case it was too hard to figure out on your own....which it's not).
Bling Ring starts out kind of fun, but quickly becomes kind of dull as the appeal wears off. While the main characters are bad people, they are still likable. We already know the outcome of their hijinx, so once the scenes of thievery become stale we are left waiting anxiously for the crew to get caught (takes around an hour for this to happen). While Bling Ring is an enjoyable film, it's not very engaging, creative, or even all that fun. If the story sounds interesting to you, go ahead and rent it on Redbox and see if you like it.......however, I wouldn't say it's worth a full purchase....just a tentative peek. The Bling Ring had potential, it could have been a great film....but it's not. As it is, it's just a little better than O.K.
2.5 STARS
It also ends on a super awkward note.
In Bling Ring, we follow spoiled rich teens Rebecca (Katie Chang), Marc (Israel Broussard), Nicki (Emma Watson), and Chloe (Claire Julian). Although they are pretty well off, all four still yearn for more....in this case, fame and the celebrity lifestyle. Rebecca hits upon a way to live this lifestyle, mainly by following the news to find out when certain celebs are away and then using Google maps to find the celeb's house, drive there, break in, and then party and steal stuff. She invites her posse to join her and soon enough the four are living the high life and snorting cocaine like it's candy (lots of cocaine usage in this film). Naturally, the group isn't all that intelligent (Marc is the smartest one in the group, and is also the most likeable...although this isn't really saying much) so after a little while the four are indeed caught. This is also based on a true story.
Katie Change does a pretty good job as Rebecca, a real conniving and manipulative bitch who also acts as the ring leader. By far the best parts of this film are Israel Broussard as Marc and Emma Watson as Nicki.. Marc is a new student at school that is a bit socially awkward and a bit closeted. Rebecca picks up on this and quickly brings him under her wing, almost immeadietly bringing him into her life of naughtiness. Once again, Marc is the most likeable character here, and is easily the smartest one in the bunch. Emma Watson plays a real airhead and is not only super hot but also immensely watchable (dare I say, it's almost like she's in a different film). Whenever her character of Nicki is on, you can't take your eyes off her. Watson is pretty highly intelligent in real life, so to watch her play someone who has just about zero intelligence and just nail the role...it's really impressive. Watson isn't in the film a whole lot, we get just the right amount of her character.
Bling Ring is filmed with lots of bizarre segments of pics of celebs and celeb interviews that whiz by at a fast speed, and some segments featuring Facebook updates. It's an interesting touch that helps add a bit of personality to the film (the celeb pic and interview segments feel a bit misplaced, but the Facebook bits were a welcome addition and worked surprisingly well). The cinematography was fine and pretty, but never really stood out a whole lot minus a few scenes here and there (The opening scene was cool, and there was one club scene that was very pretty). The soundtrack is also a little too obvious most of the times, but the addition of Crown On The Ground for the opening scene was somewhat inspired.
The Bling Ring does have a tiny bit of brains, mainly by it's message: that even the rich want to be richer and famous, and how the public has a fascination with the whole Robin Hood thing. Most of the film consists of scenes of the group robbing houses and partying, and while the first few scenes of these are cool and naughty, it quickly grows stale and repetitive. It's clear that Sophia Coppola wanted to send a message out there through this film, but she never really has much fun with the proceedings or comes up with anything truly innovative (she even has one of the characters recite the message of the film, in case it was too hard to figure out on your own....which it's not).
Bling Ring starts out kind of fun, but quickly becomes kind of dull as the appeal wears off. While the main characters are bad people, they are still likable. We already know the outcome of their hijinx, so once the scenes of thievery become stale we are left waiting anxiously for the crew to get caught (takes around an hour for this to happen). While Bling Ring is an enjoyable film, it's not very engaging, creative, or even all that fun. If the story sounds interesting to you, go ahead and rent it on Redbox and see if you like it.......however, I wouldn't say it's worth a full purchase....just a tentative peek. The Bling Ring had potential, it could have been a great film....but it's not. As it is, it's just a little better than O.K.
2.5 STARS
It also ends on a super awkward note.
Friday, August 23, 2013
SMALLS JOINS N.E.S.T IN TRANSFORMERS: THE RIDE 3-D
In Transformers: The Ride 3-D, we play new recruits to N.E.S.T. stationed at N.E.S.T HQ in Orlando, Florida which houses the last remaining shard of the All-Spark (which the Decepticons desperately want to get their hands on). It is our first day of training, but things don't go as smoothly as we would have hoped (do they ever?). Our training is interrupted by a large scale attack on N.E.S.T HQ by the Decepticon forces. If N.E.S.T loses the All-Spark shard, it could mean the end of Earth and Humanity as we know it. So, we are quickly shipped out with an Autobot rookie named Evac with the mission of aquiring and protecting the All-Spark at all costs. Naturally, it isn't long until we find ourselves stuck in the middle of all out war.
Transformers: The Ride 3D is the next step in the evolution of theme park rides. It borrows it's ride system from The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man (which lies next door at IOA), but perfects that system. People that were afraid of Transformers losing some of it's power by being next door to Spidey have nothing to fear. Both Transformers and Spidey offer different and unique expereinces. Spidey resembles a dark ride run wild, and Transformers resembles an out-of-control rollercoaster. I can't say if one ride is better than the other (I will say, however, that the tech on Transformers is leaps and bounds above Spidey's) Before I get into the ride itself (don't worry, I won't spoil anything), I first want to talk about the ride's building and queue.
Transformers: The Ride 3D's building is perfectly constructed to resemble N.E.S.T HQ. It's beautiful in it's simplicity and it towers over park guests. Guarding the entrance to N.E.S.T is a full sized Optimus Prime with eyes that glow blue at night. Once inside, you find yourself smack dab in N.E.S.T. . The inside is beautifully realized and themed to a secret military compound. There are large screens that relay the story of the ride to us, and there are dozens of buttons, keyboards, switches, and dials for us to play with. Walking through the queue, I felt like a kid in a candy store. The queue also has some cool surprises in it: the room that houses the All-Spark pulses, buzzes and hums with neon blue light and sound, in the press release Universal said you would be able to feel the power of the All-Spark in this room and they weren't lying. I'm also a sucker for flashing red and blue alarm lights, which there is plenty of later on in the queue when N.E.S.T comes under attack. I'd say this is one of the best queues at Universal and IOA right now, right on par with the Hogwarts queue. Both are different, but offer thrilling experiences for park guests.
Now, onto the ride. Holy shit, the ride. As soon as you depart from the loading station, you are thrust into chaotic battle and by the time you unload your head should be spinning in a good way. The ride barely gives you any time to breathe, or to even think. It's fast, it's furious, it's insane and I loved it. The ride doesn't have a soundtrack to it, but I barely even noticed that. There are some sets and background elements, but they are minimal. This is more of a screen-based ride, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. The sets that are there are highly themed, and the set pieces blend perfectly into the screens. I never thought I would say this, but the transition from screen to screen is absolutely seamless and it never feels like you are sitting in front of a screen (for example, one time in the ride you pass through a barrier from one screen to the next, but it's designed like a bridge. This perfectly cements the illusion that you are on an actual street. It's just insane). One time the ride broke down on me and when I looked around, I was surprised to find I was inside a building....I'm not exaggerating when I say you completely lose yourself in the ride (also feels like you are traveling into the screens most of the time....once again, just insane). You also really feel the scale and size of these robots, the first time you see Optimus on the ride is quite breath-taking.
Outside the ride, you can take a picture with Megatron, Bumblebee, or Optimus. These are full costumed stilt-walkers that are fully realized characters from the film. They stand around 7 ft tall and are quite impressive. I would recommend you take a pic with them if you feel so inclined, it's very surreal.
I had been looking forward to riding Transformers: The Ride 3D for a long time, before it even came to Florida. This project had one of the shortest build times in Universal Studios history, it spans 2 floors (there is an elevator lift that escorts cars up to the 2nd level as part of the ride experience, you won't even notice that you're going up or where the lift is located), and it's the top version of the attraction due to it's fully realized exterior and the fact that it has the superior technology when compared to the Hollywood and Singapore versions. Transformers: The Ride 3D easily emerges as the flagship attraction for Universal Studios Florida. N.E.S.T is still accepting new recruits, you would be wise to enlist as soon as possible. You're in for one helluva experience.
9/10 STARS
BONUS TIP: If you don't feel like waiting in an hour plus line (which if you choose to wait in the regular queue, you WILL be waiting in an hour plus line. Expect the wait times to stay like this for a while) and you are ok with your party being split up, I HIGHLY reccommend you choose the Single Riders line. It was because of this that I was able to ride Transformers a total of 7 times in one day. The waits are usually much shorter in single riders.
Transformers: The Ride 3D is the next step in the evolution of theme park rides. It borrows it's ride system from The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man (which lies next door at IOA), but perfects that system. People that were afraid of Transformers losing some of it's power by being next door to Spidey have nothing to fear. Both Transformers and Spidey offer different and unique expereinces. Spidey resembles a dark ride run wild, and Transformers resembles an out-of-control rollercoaster. I can't say if one ride is better than the other (I will say, however, that the tech on Transformers is leaps and bounds above Spidey's) Before I get into the ride itself (don't worry, I won't spoil anything), I first want to talk about the ride's building and queue.
Transformers: The Ride 3D's building is perfectly constructed to resemble N.E.S.T HQ. It's beautiful in it's simplicity and it towers over park guests. Guarding the entrance to N.E.S.T is a full sized Optimus Prime with eyes that glow blue at night. Once inside, you find yourself smack dab in N.E.S.T. . The inside is beautifully realized and themed to a secret military compound. There are large screens that relay the story of the ride to us, and there are dozens of buttons, keyboards, switches, and dials for us to play with. Walking through the queue, I felt like a kid in a candy store. The queue also has some cool surprises in it: the room that houses the All-Spark pulses, buzzes and hums with neon blue light and sound, in the press release Universal said you would be able to feel the power of the All-Spark in this room and they weren't lying. I'm also a sucker for flashing red and blue alarm lights, which there is plenty of later on in the queue when N.E.S.T comes under attack. I'd say this is one of the best queues at Universal and IOA right now, right on par with the Hogwarts queue. Both are different, but offer thrilling experiences for park guests.
Now, onto the ride. Holy shit, the ride. As soon as you depart from the loading station, you are thrust into chaotic battle and by the time you unload your head should be spinning in a good way. The ride barely gives you any time to breathe, or to even think. It's fast, it's furious, it's insane and I loved it. The ride doesn't have a soundtrack to it, but I barely even noticed that. There are some sets and background elements, but they are minimal. This is more of a screen-based ride, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. The sets that are there are highly themed, and the set pieces blend perfectly into the screens. I never thought I would say this, but the transition from screen to screen is absolutely seamless and it never feels like you are sitting in front of a screen (for example, one time in the ride you pass through a barrier from one screen to the next, but it's designed like a bridge. This perfectly cements the illusion that you are on an actual street. It's just insane). One time the ride broke down on me and when I looked around, I was surprised to find I was inside a building....I'm not exaggerating when I say you completely lose yourself in the ride (also feels like you are traveling into the screens most of the time....once again, just insane). You also really feel the scale and size of these robots, the first time you see Optimus on the ride is quite breath-taking.
Outside the ride, you can take a picture with Megatron, Bumblebee, or Optimus. These are full costumed stilt-walkers that are fully realized characters from the film. They stand around 7 ft tall and are quite impressive. I would recommend you take a pic with them if you feel so inclined, it's very surreal.
I had been looking forward to riding Transformers: The Ride 3D for a long time, before it even came to Florida. This project had one of the shortest build times in Universal Studios history, it spans 2 floors (there is an elevator lift that escorts cars up to the 2nd level as part of the ride experience, you won't even notice that you're going up or where the lift is located), and it's the top version of the attraction due to it's fully realized exterior and the fact that it has the superior technology when compared to the Hollywood and Singapore versions. Transformers: The Ride 3D easily emerges as the flagship attraction for Universal Studios Florida. N.E.S.T is still accepting new recruits, you would be wise to enlist as soon as possible. You're in for one helluva experience.
9/10 STARS
BONUS TIP: If you don't feel like waiting in an hour plus line (which if you choose to wait in the regular queue, you WILL be waiting in an hour plus line. Expect the wait times to stay like this for a while) and you are ok with your party being split up, I HIGHLY reccommend you choose the Single Riders line. It was because of this that I was able to ride Transformers a total of 7 times in one day. The waits are usually much shorter in single riders.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
PACIFIC RIM TOUCHED SMALLS IN HIS NO-NO'S AND HE LOVED IT
My God I loved this film. For anyone who has ever smashed their toys together when they were young, imagining epic fights, Pacific Rim takes these moments of playtime fun and translates it to the big screen....making a film of an epic scale.
In Pacific Rim, A rift in the Pacific Ocean becomes a portal for a whole host of monsters (called Kaiju's) which begin to wreck havoc on our world. In response, we created our own monsters...giant robots (called Jaegers) piloted by 2 people. Their sole purpose: To lay the mother of all beatings on the Kaiju. For several years, this worked but then, the Kaiju started adapting...many Jaegers and pilots were lost. Now, 5 years later the Jaeger program is on the verge of being shut down...so the ones in charge decide to throw all they've got in one final showdown between the remaining Jaegers and the most ferocious Kaiju's we've encountered thus far.
Pacific Rim is the latest outing from Guillermo Del Toro, and boy does he not disappoint. He has made mostly nerdy films, and Pacific Rim is indeed a film made for nerds ...especially nerds that enjoy some big robot on alien butt-kicking. The film has earned comparisons to Transformers, but I an happy to report that this is a Grade A Prime Rib compared to that other franchise. You really get a fantastic sense of scale for the robots and the monsters that Transformers never really accomplished, plus you can actually tell what's going on in the fight scenes (all of which are intense and insane, but more on that later.) Expect to walkout of Pacific Rim saying Transformers who?
One of the things I had been hearing gripes about was a lack of character development....well, I am once again happy to report that I was surprised that there was actually character development here....and it was of a pretty good quality. It's always nice when you walk into a film expecting a brainless action fest and instead get a film that is indeed an action fest, but one that has some brains and characters in it. (and what's more, characters you actually care about).
Our cast of characters here include Raleigh (Charlie Hunnam), an ex- Jaeger Pilot who used to be the best of the best but quit when his brother and co-pilot was KIA. He is brought back on board the Jaeger program for the final battle and he is the lead character here. Charlie does a pretty great job in the role, adding charisma and believability to the character, I was impressed. There's Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba), the head of the Jaeger program who is a complete bad-ass. Idris Elba is absolute perfection in the role, and I pretty much squeed whenever he was on screen. There's also Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi), a new recruit to the program....Rinko did good but I wasn't as impressed with her as I was with others. One of my personal favorite characters was Ops Tendo Choi (Clifton Collins Jr.), one of the head guys at the program. I don't know what it was about him, but he just screamed super-cool bad-ass to me, and Clifton Collins Jr. added a lot of charm and style to the role that probably helped. Joining our crew is Dr. Newton Geiszler (Charlie Day) and Gottleib (Burn Goman), an oddball scientist duo. Dr. Newton is really the focus out of the two and Charlie Day does have a lot of scene-stealing moments here...but Burn Goman also does an excellent job at his role of the straight-man. I really dug the chemistry these two shared and the almost brotherly dynamic they had going on. Finally, Ron Pearlman gets essentially an extended cameo as Hannibal Chau. He is all kinds of fun in his role although the film doesn't really give him much to do.
Now although Pacific Rim has a fantastic story, great characters, and great performances from it's cast...that's essentially all delicious toppings. The main reason we came here was to see some superb action and fight scenes, and as I said before my god does this film not disappoint. While there is a sizable gap between the first fight scene and the 2nd, there are plenty here and all are guaranteed to get you clasping your arm rests pure unbridled shock, joy and awe (especially in 3-D. Torrents of water drown you, Kaiju open their large mouths and roar right in your face, Jaegers step right over your head, in the opening scene the theater is engulfed in a star field. The 3D also enhances the sense of scale, and even the epicness of the battle scenes. it really feels like you are right in the middle of the action). I can't even begin to describe how truly euphoric I was watching Jeagers beat the ever-loving snot out of the Kaiju...I was in Nerd Nirvana. Pacific Rim also has some of the most beautiful visuals I've seen in a film all year....downright gorgeous and breath taking. There is plenty of CGI here but none of it bothered me and for the most part it blended pretty well into the live-action parts of the film.
Pacific Rim runs at 2 hours +, and you do start to feel it near the end (feels like a 3 hour film). However, this doesn't really detract from much. I'd rather have an epic action-packed film feel like 3 hours than have it feel like 90 minutes. Also, the film is kind of fast-paced and a lot of info is spit-out at a fast speed...so it helps if you stay alert and listen closely....basically just pay attention if you want to get everything that's going on.
Pacific Rim was my most anticipated film of the summer, and I couldn't be happier with the product I got. Superb fight/action scenes, beautiful visuals, fantastic 3-D, strong performances, great characters, A fantastic story, some tender moments, and some surprisingly good character development. I couldn't say enough good things about Pacific Rim. It's the event film of the summer. Guillermo Del Toro shows Michael Bay how it's done. I'm pretty sure the words Kaiju, Jaeger, and Gipsy Danger will be the It words of this year. Without a doubt in my mind, this is the best film I have seen this summer...it's certainly the most fun I have had in a movie theater in quite a while. Pacific Rim brings some magic back to the action/epic film genre, magic that has been sorely missed for a while.
5/5- BETTER THAN SEX
I could easily see them turning this into a ride somewhere
The first 20-30 minutes is set-up and the first fight (The film drops us right in the middle of the action, several years after the first Jaeger was built), the next 45-60 mins is spent establishing character and story and the last hour or do of the film is all fights.
Gotta throw in there that I LOVE LOVE LOVE the sets in this film, especially the awe-inspiring and pure awesome Shatterdome: The home of the Jaeger program.
In Pacific Rim, A rift in the Pacific Ocean becomes a portal for a whole host of monsters (called Kaiju's) which begin to wreck havoc on our world. In response, we created our own monsters...giant robots (called Jaegers) piloted by 2 people. Their sole purpose: To lay the mother of all beatings on the Kaiju. For several years, this worked but then, the Kaiju started adapting...many Jaegers and pilots were lost. Now, 5 years later the Jaeger program is on the verge of being shut down...so the ones in charge decide to throw all they've got in one final showdown between the remaining Jaegers and the most ferocious Kaiju's we've encountered thus far.
Pacific Rim is the latest outing from Guillermo Del Toro, and boy does he not disappoint. He has made mostly nerdy films, and Pacific Rim is indeed a film made for nerds ...especially nerds that enjoy some big robot on alien butt-kicking. The film has earned comparisons to Transformers, but I an happy to report that this is a Grade A Prime Rib compared to that other franchise. You really get a fantastic sense of scale for the robots and the monsters that Transformers never really accomplished, plus you can actually tell what's going on in the fight scenes (all of which are intense and insane, but more on that later.) Expect to walkout of Pacific Rim saying Transformers who?
One of the things I had been hearing gripes about was a lack of character development....well, I am once again happy to report that I was surprised that there was actually character development here....and it was of a pretty good quality. It's always nice when you walk into a film expecting a brainless action fest and instead get a film that is indeed an action fest, but one that has some brains and characters in it. (and what's more, characters you actually care about).
Our cast of characters here include Raleigh (Charlie Hunnam), an ex- Jaeger Pilot who used to be the best of the best but quit when his brother and co-pilot was KIA. He is brought back on board the Jaeger program for the final battle and he is the lead character here. Charlie does a pretty great job in the role, adding charisma and believability to the character, I was impressed. There's Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba), the head of the Jaeger program who is a complete bad-ass. Idris Elba is absolute perfection in the role, and I pretty much squeed whenever he was on screen. There's also Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi), a new recruit to the program....Rinko did good but I wasn't as impressed with her as I was with others. One of my personal favorite characters was Ops Tendo Choi (Clifton Collins Jr.), one of the head guys at the program. I don't know what it was about him, but he just screamed super-cool bad-ass to me, and Clifton Collins Jr. added a lot of charm and style to the role that probably helped. Joining our crew is Dr. Newton Geiszler (Charlie Day) and Gottleib (Burn Goman), an oddball scientist duo. Dr. Newton is really the focus out of the two and Charlie Day does have a lot of scene-stealing moments here...but Burn Goman also does an excellent job at his role of the straight-man. I really dug the chemistry these two shared and the almost brotherly dynamic they had going on. Finally, Ron Pearlman gets essentially an extended cameo as Hannibal Chau. He is all kinds of fun in his role although the film doesn't really give him much to do.
Now although Pacific Rim has a fantastic story, great characters, and great performances from it's cast...that's essentially all delicious toppings. The main reason we came here was to see some superb action and fight scenes, and as I said before my god does this film not disappoint. While there is a sizable gap between the first fight scene and the 2nd, there are plenty here and all are guaranteed to get you clasping your arm rests pure unbridled shock, joy and awe (especially in 3-D. Torrents of water drown you, Kaiju open their large mouths and roar right in your face, Jaegers step right over your head, in the opening scene the theater is engulfed in a star field. The 3D also enhances the sense of scale, and even the epicness of the battle scenes. it really feels like you are right in the middle of the action). I can't even begin to describe how truly euphoric I was watching Jeagers beat the ever-loving snot out of the Kaiju...I was in Nerd Nirvana. Pacific Rim also has some of the most beautiful visuals I've seen in a film all year....downright gorgeous and breath taking. There is plenty of CGI here but none of it bothered me and for the most part it blended pretty well into the live-action parts of the film.
Pacific Rim runs at 2 hours +, and you do start to feel it near the end (feels like a 3 hour film). However, this doesn't really detract from much. I'd rather have an epic action-packed film feel like 3 hours than have it feel like 90 minutes. Also, the film is kind of fast-paced and a lot of info is spit-out at a fast speed...so it helps if you stay alert and listen closely....basically just pay attention if you want to get everything that's going on.
Pacific Rim was my most anticipated film of the summer, and I couldn't be happier with the product I got. Superb fight/action scenes, beautiful visuals, fantastic 3-D, strong performances, great characters, A fantastic story, some tender moments, and some surprisingly good character development. I couldn't say enough good things about Pacific Rim. It's the event film of the summer. Guillermo Del Toro shows Michael Bay how it's done. I'm pretty sure the words Kaiju, Jaeger, and Gipsy Danger will be the It words of this year. Without a doubt in my mind, this is the best film I have seen this summer...it's certainly the most fun I have had in a movie theater in quite a while. Pacific Rim brings some magic back to the action/epic film genre, magic that has been sorely missed for a while.
5/5- BETTER THAN SEX
I could easily see them turning this into a ride somewhere
The first 20-30 minutes is set-up and the first fight (The film drops us right in the middle of the action, several years after the first Jaeger was built), the next 45-60 mins is spent establishing character and story and the last hour or do of the film is all fights.
Gotta throw in there that I LOVE LOVE LOVE the sets in this film, especially the awe-inspiring and pure awesome Shatterdome: The home of the Jaeger program.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
SMALLS DONS THE RED CAPE FOR MAN OF STEEL
DC has A LOT riding on Man of Steel, as does Zach Snyder. The future of the Superman franchise and of a possible Justice League film rest completely on this film's shoulders, same goes with Snyder's career which plummeted after the god-awful passion project known as Sucker Punch. The most recent Superman film, Superman Returns, was met with boos from general critics and audiences, and was so bad that Clark Kent had to hang up his cape for 7 years. The Superman franchise and the popularity of the character seemed to be in peril. Now, Dc, Nolan and Snyder have teamed up to craft one last hail mary for Kal-El. Is the film able to live up to the hype, or will it succumb to TDKR syndrome?
Man of Steel is yet another origin story for the man with the jaw of steel and the flowy red cape. We start out on the planet Krypton (a crucial part of the Superman mythos that has never been fully explored....until now), where the Kryptonians find themselves the cause of their un-doing, plundering their planet's core for natural resources and in the process making the whole planet unstable. Meanwhile, Jor-El (Russel Crowe) and Lara Lor-Van (Ayelet Zurer) have played host to the first natural birth on Krypton in centuries....a mortal sin (Krypton society is built on each child being genetically engineered to fit a specific role on their planet). With the planet weeks away from total annihilation and the ruthless General Zod (Michale Shannon) launching a violent Coup for control, Jor-El sends his newborn son, Kal-El, off to a distant planet...hoping that he can make a difference somewhere else. Zod's coup is quickly squashed, and him and his military team are sentenced to space time-out in the phantom zone. After Kal-El's creft lands on Earth we fast forward to Kal's adulthood as he searches for the truth to who he is and finds himself on a collision course with his dad's old friend/enemy.
The first 20 minutes or so of the film are spent on Krypton, as vast amounts of background info are dumped onto the audience. we are expected to keep up, and to be honest it's hard not to find your head spinning. I've never been a huge fan of Supes, so I just had to trust that Snyder was staying faithful to the source material. This is Krypton as I never dreamt about it. Krypton is beautifully realized here, and Snyder treats us to a complete and fully realized world...it's pretty fantastic. I really like seeing how different yet somewhat similar Krypton is to Earth (Like Krypton, we are drilling Earth for it's natural resources and this similarity can't help but feel like a slight environmental message that never feels over-bearing and never takes over the plot of the film....thank God).
Henry Cavill doesn't just portray Superman....he IS Superman. Superman here is an alien, but he is also human and these two sides often war with each other to great, powerful effect. A large part of the film focuses on Supes internal struggle about who he really is and where he ultimately belongs, and when Zod rears his bearded face it only serves to re-ignite that infernal question inside Kal. I really dig how the film handle's Kal's childhood with the Kents. This part of his life is shown via numerous flashbacks (every actor that plays Supes in the flashbacks is great, though teen version as portrayed by Dylan Sprayberry stands out the most to me), and I love getting to see how Kal grows into the man we all know and love, and how his legendary ideals are instilled into him throughout the course of time. There are numerous occasions where Kal goes out of his way (both when he is a teen and an adult) to save lives, and numerous occasions where he is tempted to beat someone's face in but resists due to his superior strength (he would very likely knock a person out, maybe even kill them with one blow). This is the heart of who Supes is, resisting that temptation to do bad and doing what is necessary to save lives...no matter what tyhe consequences may be.
Michael Shannon is a pretty great Zod, and he makes for a real threatening villain, although I feel that his Zod won't be remembered for as long as the filmmakers hope. He's a furious outcast who only wants to save his people, unable or unwilling to see that he has already failed his mission before he has even started. Him and Supes do have a no-holds barred final fight that is just superb in all the right ways, and the way that fight ends....well, it left me shocked and speechless. I do like Zod here, and I even sympathize with him a bit. I wish he was more memorable here, but I don't think he really holds up to the original Zod (as portrayed by the great Terence Stamp). Oh, and he also never says the classic line in this film, although I don't think it would really fit here....Zod's aim in Man of Steel is not to enslave but to terraform Earth and wipe out all of humanity. He doesn't want us to kneel, he wants us to perish. It's nothing personal, but it's got to happen if he is going to bring back Krypton.
Russel Crowe is simply fantastic as Jor-El, Kal's biological father and guide in adulthood. He has a surprisingly lengthy amount of screen time and is a pretty large part of the story here. He is completely lovable, bad-ass and great and Russel Crowe slips easily into his role....becoming what is, in my opinion, the definitive Jor-El. He mourns for the monster that his old friend Zod has become, he has hope that Kal will spread hope, and he sacrifices himself for what he believes in (kind of). My eyes lit up whenever he was on screen, and he elevates the film to a higher level here. Man of Steel deals with his holographic self in an interesting way that I had never seen before....the holograph has been instilled with Jor-El's conscious and memories so for all extents and purposes...it's kind of still him (also loved the part where he tells the history of Krypton to Kal...like a moving comic book). I also thought Ayelet Zurer (good luck pronouncing that one) was just lovely as his wife Lara. They both had good chemistry together, and I believed they loved each other.
Kevin Costner and Diane Lane were great as Ma and Pa Kent. Pa here is handled a little differently, as he encourages Kal not to reveal his true self to the world, believing that we are not ready yet. Despite this, he is still able to instill his own personal values into Kal and he is host to a sad but fitting twist that had me tear up a bit. I also greatly enjoyed Diane Lane as ma Kent, I liked the mother/son parts she brought into the film and really loved her character. The film shows us that she will always be there if Kal needs her, and I liked that.
Amy Adams portrays Lois Lane, and fits the role pretty well. She never really stands out here, but is likeable and spunky. Adams is far from the damsel in distress, and actually does a good deal to assist Supes in his quest to bring down Zod. I liked her, and hopefully if there is a next film it will expand upon her role and her and Supes romance.
What most surprised me about this film is that for most of it, I had completely forgotten that Zach Snyder was at the helm....and then the action reared it's head. There is no super slo-mo that I can remember, but the action is some of the most insane, balls-to-the-walls stuff i have seen in a long time. Stuff gets blown up real good. Buildings and cities are completely leveled, gas stations and power plants are blown up, cars are flung thru the air, etc etc etc (also, some of the CG in the fight scenes is a little obvious). It's definitely Zack Snyder's brand of action, except cranked up to 11. Now, it never really bothered me...I felt it actually fit here and the action is of a high quality/high caliber. The last hour is pretty much non-stop action, we never really get a chance to catch our breaths. I could see how this may bother some, but I personally liked it....it was fun. The first hour of the film is all build-up, and Snyder handles these parts exceptionally well for a man that has been known to shun this kind of stuff. Even in-between the action Snyder still manages to squeeze in moments of human spirit and bravery (one of which had me tear up real good). Snyder clearly knew that a good part of his career rested on this film, and he pulled out all the stops to deliver his best film yet.
Man of Steel had a lot of hype and hope built onto it, and surprisingly it lives up to it all. It's a film that isn't all action, and isn't all origin either. It manages to strike a pretty good balance between these two, and the result is something beautiful, touching, inspiring and awesome. It's clear that a large reason why this film works is because Nolan, Snyder, Goyer (The writer for the film...he does a pretty fantastic job) and Cavill all instinctively "get" who Superman is...and they insert this knowledge into the film. I couldn't be happier with the product they have brought us. This is not only the best Superman film to date, I'm going to go so far as to say that it's THE DEFINITIVE SUPERMAN FILM. That's right, I went there. Man of Steel is easily in the top 5 of the best superhero films list (not THE best, but ONE of the best). With enough action and heart, and with the best Superman seen on the big screen yet, Man of Steel easily soars into the ranks of best films of summer 2013. If you want a Justice League film, or more Superman films, SEE IT (I would also gladly crusade for Cavill to step back into the role for another film or 2 or 3)!!!
4.5 Stars
Be sure to keep an eye out for a nod to Lex Luthor and Wayne Enterprises.
The score is also fantastic
Also, No Kryptonite to be found here....maybe it will appear in the next film?
The score is also fantastic
Also, No Kryptonite to be found here....maybe it will appear in the next film?
Saturday, June 8, 2013
SMALLS GETS TANGLED UP IN V/H/S 2
If you've already read my review of V/H/S you already know that I was a huge fan of the first film. Now the mucho hyped sequel is out, and I went in with some pretty lofty expectations since just about everyone has been saying the sequel easily outshines the first. So, how did this second outing fare? Bear with me as I browse through the lost VHS tapes and give a rating to each.
First let's explore the main plot of the film, entitled Tape 49. The over-arching story this time around is that of a male/female amateur sleuth team that has been hired to find a missing person. They break into his house and find that it appears to be abandoned, inside it is a room full of discarded VHS tapes. The male sleuth decides to explore the rest of the house and leaves the female sleuth to wade thru the VHS tapes in the room. Naturally, we join her in her quest. The over-arching story is stronger this time around, and it has a satisfying ending to it unlike the previous film. It's also aided by a new element, apparently if the viewer watches these VHS tapes in the correct order it should have a certain effect on the person watching them. Personally, I prefer the over-arching story of the first VHS due purely to the cool mystery element it had going for it. However, Tape 49 is still the better of the two. 4 Stars
The first VHS our female sleuth pops in is called Phase 1 Clinical Trials. A man has injured one of his eyes, and so is given a brand new mechanical one that comes equipped with a camera inside it so that the company that built it can test the quality of it. Naturally, things go wrong as the recipient of the eye begins to see ghastly images that terrorize him. Yes, this film is essentially an update of the film The Eye. It does have quite a few scream-worthy moments in here (In fact, I think that this was the only segment I actually screamed in), however since I have seen The Eye the story of this one feels been-there, seen-that to me. I do like the idea of an eye camera, pretty cool, however this one still gets 2 stars from me.
The 2nd VHS we view is called A Ride in the Park. In this one we follow a biker as he is attacked by zombies, turn into one of them and proceeds to terrorize other park goers. It's an interesting premise that has some nice gore effects in it, and some parts of it do have a slightly comedic tone...however, it's really just a sequence of events, it's not scary, and there is zero plot. I'll give it 1.5 stars because it is a somewhat original idea, and it is entertaining however the lack of a plot or any real scares hurts this segment. It's a disappointment considering the directors of this segment helmed The Blair Witch Project.
The third VHS is called Safe Haven. A documentary crew has gained admission into a creepy cult facility, and films the goings-ons inside. Little do they know, they have arrived there on the day that the cult believes to be their salvation. Naturally, freaky shit goes down. It's a toss-up between this film and the last one for craziest, most bat-shit insane segment. This one is filled with gore, blood, and genuinely freaky shit. This segment was partly directed by the great Gareth Evans, of The Raid: Redemption fame and luckily he does not disappoint. 3.5 Stars
The fourth and final VHS is called Slumber Party Alien Abduction. Mom and Dad leave their fancy lake house, entrusting it's safe-keeping to their kids. Of course, this is a stupid idea as the kids invite their friends and proceed to party it up. The fun doesn't last long as a whole slew of evil aliens land at the house and try to abduct the family and friends, messing with their heads along the way. This segment is super-fast paced insane fun, it never once lets up once it starts. It also helps that the kids here remind me of myself and the kind of chaos I would wreck with friends. This would probably be my favorite VHS in the whole bunch, is it any surprise since this segment is directed by Hobo With A Shotgun director Jason Eisner? Yeah, naturally he doesn't disappoint.. 4 Stars
Whereas VHS seemed to be focused on "pure" horror, VHS 2 is more so concerned with campy, super-gory, silly fun. It does have a few good scary parts to it, but this outing's main goal seems to be to show audiences an over-the-top, super-insane and off the rails good time. There's more blood, more gore, and more cameras (to a level where it seemed a bit much to be honest). There are significant less breasts in this one, and the nudity we do sample here seems forced and unnecessary. While I do feel that I enjoyed VHS more and that it is the better film out of the two, VHS 2 still succeeds at its main goal (to be the craziest, most insane horror film of all time) and I'll be damned if I wasn't tempted to fist pump when it was over and that pounding rock score kicked in. I would gladly recommend it to any horror fan looking for a crazy, fun time.
3.5 STARS
First let's explore the main plot of the film, entitled Tape 49. The over-arching story this time around is that of a male/female amateur sleuth team that has been hired to find a missing person. They break into his house and find that it appears to be abandoned, inside it is a room full of discarded VHS tapes. The male sleuth decides to explore the rest of the house and leaves the female sleuth to wade thru the VHS tapes in the room. Naturally, we join her in her quest. The over-arching story is stronger this time around, and it has a satisfying ending to it unlike the previous film. It's also aided by a new element, apparently if the viewer watches these VHS tapes in the correct order it should have a certain effect on the person watching them. Personally, I prefer the over-arching story of the first VHS due purely to the cool mystery element it had going for it. However, Tape 49 is still the better of the two. 4 Stars
The first VHS our female sleuth pops in is called Phase 1 Clinical Trials. A man has injured one of his eyes, and so is given a brand new mechanical one that comes equipped with a camera inside it so that the company that built it can test the quality of it. Naturally, things go wrong as the recipient of the eye begins to see ghastly images that terrorize him. Yes, this film is essentially an update of the film The Eye. It does have quite a few scream-worthy moments in here (In fact, I think that this was the only segment I actually screamed in), however since I have seen The Eye the story of this one feels been-there, seen-that to me. I do like the idea of an eye camera, pretty cool, however this one still gets 2 stars from me.
The 2nd VHS we view is called A Ride in the Park. In this one we follow a biker as he is attacked by zombies, turn into one of them and proceeds to terrorize other park goers. It's an interesting premise that has some nice gore effects in it, and some parts of it do have a slightly comedic tone...however, it's really just a sequence of events, it's not scary, and there is zero plot. I'll give it 1.5 stars because it is a somewhat original idea, and it is entertaining however the lack of a plot or any real scares hurts this segment. It's a disappointment considering the directors of this segment helmed The Blair Witch Project.
The third VHS is called Safe Haven. A documentary crew has gained admission into a creepy cult facility, and films the goings-ons inside. Little do they know, they have arrived there on the day that the cult believes to be their salvation. Naturally, freaky shit goes down. It's a toss-up between this film and the last one for craziest, most bat-shit insane segment. This one is filled with gore, blood, and genuinely freaky shit. This segment was partly directed by the great Gareth Evans, of The Raid: Redemption fame and luckily he does not disappoint. 3.5 Stars
The fourth and final VHS is called Slumber Party Alien Abduction. Mom and Dad leave their fancy lake house, entrusting it's safe-keeping to their kids. Of course, this is a stupid idea as the kids invite their friends and proceed to party it up. The fun doesn't last long as a whole slew of evil aliens land at the house and try to abduct the family and friends, messing with their heads along the way. This segment is super-fast paced insane fun, it never once lets up once it starts. It also helps that the kids here remind me of myself and the kind of chaos I would wreck with friends. This would probably be my favorite VHS in the whole bunch, is it any surprise since this segment is directed by Hobo With A Shotgun director Jason Eisner? Yeah, naturally he doesn't disappoint.. 4 Stars
Whereas VHS seemed to be focused on "pure" horror, VHS 2 is more so concerned with campy, super-gory, silly fun. It does have a few good scary parts to it, but this outing's main goal seems to be to show audiences an over-the-top, super-insane and off the rails good time. There's more blood, more gore, and more cameras (to a level where it seemed a bit much to be honest). There are significant less breasts in this one, and the nudity we do sample here seems forced and unnecessary. While I do feel that I enjoyed VHS more and that it is the better film out of the two, VHS 2 still succeeds at its main goal (to be the craziest, most insane horror film of all time) and I'll be damned if I wasn't tempted to fist pump when it was over and that pounding rock score kicked in. I would gladly recommend it to any horror fan looking for a crazy, fun time.
3.5 STARS
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