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?

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

SMALLS TAKES THE CLEAR PILL AND ENJOYS THE HIGH LIFE WITH LIMITLESS

What if there was a pill that could make you the ultimate version of your self? This is the intriguing question that the film Limitless raises.

In Limitless we follow Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper), a struggling writer whose life is forever changed when he comes across a new, un-tested super drug called NZT-48 that promises to give you unprecedented access and control of your brain. Within a few months, Eddie is on top of the world. Unfortunately, everyone  seems to want a piece of his NZT and of him. It's up to Eddie to keep control of his life and try to make the NZT he has last...or else he may very well die.

We all have grown up on drugs that promised us certain specific things but never made good on their promises. In Limitless, we are handed a drug that makes outlandish promises but lives up to every single one. However, the drug does come with some great responsibility and some severe side effects like memory loss, and sudden death if you quit it cold turkey. Yes, NZT-48 would appear to be a highly addictive substance but do the pros ultimately outweigh the cons? If you were handed a year's supply and ONLY a year's supply would you take it? Would it be better to be limitless for a year or to live your whole life as wasted potential? I think I would probably take the pill.

The cinematography in this film is superb, perfectly mimicking what a trip on NZT-48 would feel like. The whole movie has a beautiful, surreal, and trippy feel to it. There is an effect the film does during the memory loss/time jump moments  that is particularly effective (The film actually uses this for it's opening credits sequence). Limitless  makes you feel like you are taking this trip with Eddie, and are experiencing what he's experiencing in the film.

This is probably my favorite film and performance of Cooper's. He plays your normal schlub, who is given the chance to rise to true greatness. We can see ourselves in him, and what we could become if given NZT-48. At the same time though, Cooper is far from being just a cypher for the audience. He is a pretty fleshed out character. He is  very smart, witty, and completely confident but at the same time he continues to run into numerous NZT created problems that test his smarts and abilities and part of the fun here is getting to watch Cooper think his way out of his problems (with some assistance from the pill, of course). He is likable and charming here, and this was the role that first proved that he is so much more than Phil from The Hangover.

Limitless does have a glamorous portrayal of drug use, and I can say that in real life drugs really are not all that glamorous. However, this is a fantasy ultimate drug and a fantasy film so the decision to glam it up here actually helps the film and increases the joy of watching it. The film does gain points for showing the flip side of NZT-48 though, that it creates an addiction in the user and that it has some pretty severe side effects. The glamorous portrayal of NZT-48 mixed with some shown consequences of the drug help to create a pretty even portrait of the super drug. NZT-48 is a dangerous drug that has literal limitless potential, in the right hands so much good can be done but if it ever got into the wrong hands....things can go very bad very fast. Eddie is tasked with protecting his stash of the drug, and we root for him to protect it from those who would use it for the wrong reasons.

Now, onto the problems of Limitless. For starters, the film suffers from any true threat to Cooper's character. The trailers seem to peg Dr Niro's character as the main villain, and while he does do a good job here, his role is minimal and he only really becomes a threat during the last 10 minutes of the film and even then that conflict is taken care of quickly and easily. The film's real big threat is a loan shark that Eddie tangles himself with, and while the man is certainly a piece of shit it doesn't seem like he would be as big of a threat as he ends up becoming, and when he finally does reach main baddie status it feels weird. It never seems like Eddie wouldn't be able to outsmart this douche. Limitless also suffers from an ambiguous, and incomplete ending that kind of just ends and leaves viewers with a feeling of just ok.

In the end, faults aside, Limitless is still a pretty superb film. It's a drug fueled dream fantasy that turns into a dark thriller that's got kind of a noir-sh vibe. It's wholly unique and unlike anything I have ever seen before. While the film doesn't fully explore it's many fascinating themes, it does leave more than enough room for discussions amongst friends after the end credits roll. Limitless is almost a modern super man/super-hero fable. It's a fascinating,  pretty, and super fun film that gives you one hell of a trippy head rush. I've seen it around 5 times and enjoyed myself thoroughly each viewing. I couldn't more highly recommend this film if I tried.

4.5/5 Stars

PAIN AND GAIN IS THE SPIRITUAL FOLLOW-UP TO SPRING BREAKERS

As much as it pains me to say it, Pain and Gain is much, much crazier than Spring Breakers. In my header I say it is the spiritual follow-up to that film, mainly because it is another film set in SoFlo about idiots making very bad decisions that involves heavy drug use and heavy stylization.

In Pain and Gain we follow meat-head personal trainer Daniel Lugo (Mark Whalberg). It is 1994 and the setting is Miami. Lugo wants to live the American Dream (he wants cars, girls, a fancy house and piles of moo-la), but he is strapped for cash and so comes up with a crazy plan: to kidnap someone, force them to give him everything they own, and then live that dream to the extreme. He puts together a team consisting of  Adrian Doorbal (Anthony Mackie) and Paul Doyle (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson), both of which are clients of his. For his victim, Lugo sets his sights on another client named Victor Kershaw (Tony Shalhoub), a snobb-ish, rich asshole. Not everything goes according to plan, but the gang still wind up living that dreamed about life for a few months before they are caught and thrown in jail. Believe it or not, this is a goofy comedy, it's all true and it's directed by Michael Bay of all people.

Mark Whalberg does a pretty great job as Lugo, but the real standouts here are Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Tony Shalhoub, and Ed Harris. Dwayne's Doyle is a Christ-loving and god-fearing man who just wants to do good, but isn't afraid to knock a motherfucker out if need be. Once he starts living the high-life, he turns to Cocaine and his life quickly spirals downwards as his new hobby completely takes control of his life. His best scenes are before he gets all coked up. It's great fun to watch Doyle try to convert the Jewish Kershaw to Christianity, and some of The Rock's lines and the way he delivers them are comedic gold. Shalhoub is also super-great as Kershaw, but you only truly start to like him after you see all the shit he goes through and how he is left with zip after his ordeal. It's great to watch as he struggles to put his life back together, while just about everybody refuses to believe what he went through. Ed Harris plays Ed DuBois, a P.I who takes up Kershaw's case and is the only non-comedic one in the bunch. He does a fantastic job as a man who's only concern is justice. He's probably the most lovable one of the bunch here and his last scene is pretty superb.

With Pain and Gain, Michael Bay has finally found his sweet spot. It is by no means a serious film. It's tons of high-octane, roid-filled, super-insane-o, goofy fun. That said, Bay portrays Lugo's gang (who act as the focus of the film) for what they truly are: low-level criminals who don't have a single brain cell among them. They are bad, rotten people. While it is easy to have fun with their scenes (mainly due to some HILARIOUS lines and scenarios), not once are we encouraged to root these bastards on. In fact, it actually feels good to watch these people get busted at the end of the film (No, this is not a spoiler. We see them arrested at the very start of the film). Bay does right here for a change, and while he certainly doesn't restrain himself here at all, Pain and Gain is still his best film yet. 

Pain and Gain is a film that moves along at a break-neck speed as it continually spirals into unbelievably insane heights. You won't believe what you are seeing on the big screen to be true, but sadly it all is, which makes the ultimate conclusion that much more rewarding. The bad guys get what they deserve. Pain and Gain is yet another film that explores a group's attempts at living the American Dream by doing bad things in order to fuel this lifestyle. With Sophia Coppola's Bling Ring out later this year (another film that focuses on the very same thing) it would appear we may be seeing the start of a new trend....I certainly hope so. Pain and Gain is a crazed, goofy, and super-fun roller-coaster ride of a film that enjoys throwing viewers through several insane loop-the-loops. It's easily the best comedy I have seen in a very long time. ALL HAIL BAY!

4 STARS out of 5

Oh yes, and Bar Paley has got one helluva perfect ass that Bay (as usual) LOVES to film. Ain't nothin' wrong with that!

SMALLS TELLS EVIL DEAD TO FEAST ON THIS

While most claim this is a re-make, I see it as more of a continuation of the Evil Dead franchise.....maybe a bit of a reboot too. Why do I say this? Well, it's clear lots of evil, nasty shit has happened at this cabin presumably numerous times before the newest group consisting of your typical underdeveloped horror characters arrive on the scene. In fact, if you look close enough you may see some remnants of the crazy shit that went down in both The Evil Dead and Evil Dead 2.

In Evil Dead,we follow Mia (Jane Levy), her brother David (Shiloh Fernandez), his girlfriend Natalie (Elizabeth Blackmore), David's ex-best friend Eric (Lou Taylor Pucci), and Eric's girlfriend Olivia (Jessica Lucas). Mia has some serious drug dependency issues, and so the group has decided to shack up at Mia's family's cabin until she's able to kick her habit. While at the cabin, the group uncovers a creepy book. Eric, a  high school teacher, is intrigued and against his own better judgement opens the book and reads aloud some passages which awaken an ancient evil that proceeds to slowly take possession of the group one by one, starting with Mia. 

I honestly had trouble getting invested in this film, mainly because of some poor character work. We never learn much about the characters. We know Olivia is a nurse who thinks she knows everything, she's not very likeable. We know Natalie is David's kind and caring girlfriend, she's basically just there. David is a brother who has been mostly absent in Mia's life, he is trying to make amends. Mia is the much-put-upon sister who has had to deal with some hard times in her past (like having to care for her Alzheimer's plauged mother), we assume she turned to drugs for help coping with her life and to help erase her pain. Eric is a smart high school teacher who used to be BFs with David, but now resents David mainly due to David not being there for the group or for Mia. That's about it for character development. The plot isn't very complex or interesting either, though I did like it here (not that a film like this really needs a complex plot, but some real twists and turns wouldn't hurt.). 

Most of the cast does a decent job, with the standouts being Shiloh Fernandez as David, Lou Taylor Pucci as Eric, and Jane Levy as Mia. Shiloh Fernandez is likable in his role and does a fine job, but isn't all that memorable, and Mia's character isn't really in it except for the beginning and the very end, for most of the film her character is possessed so we aren't really watching Mia, we are actually watching a demon. Now, Levy is to be commended for pulling off her 3 roles (victim, demon, and heroine) with a good amount of believablity, and you can tell she really enjoyed her stint as main demon (probably her most memorable role in the film). That said, I really didn't care for Mia here, and that's not really the fault of Levy, but the fault of a weak script which has some snappy dialogue here and there (most of which belongs to Mia's demon character) but for the most part is just kind of there. I feel that the best character here is that of Eric, as portrayed by Lou Taylor Pucci, he is really put through the wringer here, but keeps trucking on nonetheless, he is also super likable and sympathetic. Eric is the only one I really didn't want to see die (and NO, I'm not telling if he makes it out in one piece).

Another problem with this film is that it has 3 Ash characters here: Mia, Eric, and David. I feel Eric most resembles Ash since he is the one who goes through the most shit in the film. David resembles Ash since he is the "hero" for most of the film, and Mia resembles Ash because she winds up being the main hero here, she gets to battle a demon, and she also suffers a similar injury (which I personally feel was crow-bared in, it was a bit too much in my opinion). If the film had chose one character to be the Ash of the group that would have been fine, but having 3 just weighs the film down, makes it look like the film can't make up it's mind, and makes the film weaker overall.

Ok, now onto the good stuff.....mainly, the gore! The gore and blood effects that appear in Evil Dead are pretty great. We get multiple mutilations and dismemberments, some nail gun and chainsaw fun, a pretty severe 3rd degree burn and some gruesome parts involving  a hypodermic needle, among many others. Evil Dead thinks being gory and bloody is scary....bad news: It's not, but it sure is fun (wow, am I desensitized? Probably). This is probably the most blood and gore I have seen in a film in a while. Unfortunately, every one of these scenes feels clean and a bit too polished. I would have preferred if these parts were a bit gritter to be completely honest....but hey, at least there is a lot of the stuff here (more than enough to satisfy any gore hound). I also enjoyed all the nods to the original classic like the Oldsmobile (which has seen better days), the necklace (which actually is given some pretty cool backstory here, backstory that makes it's use in the original films make sense), some classic lines, a double-barrel shot-gun, and a chainsaw among other things.

 Evil Dead's biggest accomplishment is that it perfectly captures/re-creates the tone of the first film. Yes it is super bloody and gory and icky, but these parts have an inherent sense of fun and playfulness to them. This is the kind of film you want to watch on a sleepover with friends. Evil Dead is far from a perfect remake, but for my money it is SLIGHTLY better than the original (helps that the effects found here are of a higher quality). While those looking for some serious scares are likely to be disappointed, those who came in seeking a fun, gory time will enjoy the hell out of this cool little flick. Sam Raimi and Bruce "The Man" Campbell would be proud (and they are, seeing as they are the main producers here). 

3/5 STARS

JURASSIC PARK IN IMAX 3D IS A CINEPHILE'S WET DREAM

Jurassic Park is a film that has always been near and dear to my heart. Ever since I first saw it when I was young, I've had a certain fixation about the film.The idea of a Jurassic Park helped to spark my imagination, and the park itself is so full of potential that when it all ultimately falls to shit I can't help but share in Hammond's pain.  I would re-watch the film constantly when I was just a boy, and when I grew older and learned it was a novel I just had to read it, and that only served to further strengthen my love for this property (the film and the book are two entirely different beasts. They are both great, but in entirely different ways). I've seen the film and read the book countless times, and love each just about equally. When I learned that Jurassic Park was getting the 3-D treatment....and was going to be shown in the IMAX format no less, I decided that I couldn't let this golden opportunity pass through my fingers. This would be my first time ever seeing this classic in theaters, and it's forever changed the way I will look at this film. Jurassic Park is a film that was made to be seen on the biggest screen possible, it's the very definition of what a theatrical film should be. It's large, loud, bombastic, thrilling, all-encompassing, and audience engulfing.

For those not in the know (of which I hope there are very few), Jurassic Park follows Dr. John Hammond (played by an eccentric, starry-eyed, joyful, and foolishly idealistic Richard Attenborough), a wealthy creator of a very special biological preserve named Jurassic Park, which needs a few outside opinions before it can be officially opened to the public. Hammond calls upon "Rock Star" chaotician Dr. Ian Malcom (played to absolute perfection by Jeff Goldblum, who is clearly enjoying the hell out of playing this character), greedy lawyer Donald Gennaro (Martin Ferrero), Paleontologists Dr. Ellie Satler (Laura Dern) and her partner Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neil, also perfect here), and Hammond's own grandchildren Tim (Joseph Mazzello) and Lex (Ariana Richards) for said outside opinions. Unfortunately, a disgruntled employee of the park (Dennis Nedry, played by none other than Newman himself, Wayne Knight) decides he has had enough and sabotages the park in an attempt to escape with some valuable information which a competing company wants, in the process freeing all the dino's. Now, with Jurassic Park thrown into a state of total chaos it's a race against time to restore power and order to the place (with the help of computer specialist Ray Arnold, portrayed here by an epic cigarette smoking Samuel L. Jackson, another actor who seems to having a great deal of fun here.....love that cigarette) , a task which proves to be herculean and maybe even pointless.....is it too late for Jurassic Park? Will anyone survive?

Jurassic Park is a landmark film that helped to change the way movies were made, it was one of the first films to show how useful CGI could be. While it is fun to look back at Jurassic Park as an almost metaphor for those times.....where outdated practical effects artists (paleontologists)  were slowly being replaced by computer artists (Hammond and crew) and the film looks at this through the eyes of the people on the way out. The cool thing most probably don't remember though, is that most of the effects done in the film are practical and not CGI. For example, a large portion of the T-Rex attack is done with a practical T-Rex animatronic.....the CGI is only used when practical effects would have been impractical or downright impossible to do the material justice. This is a large reason why the effects work so well, the CGI and practical effects work together to help build the illusion that these dinosaurs are actual, living breathing creatures.

Jurassic Park was a film whose intent was to make the audience feel like they are in the world of Jurassic Park, on the big screen this is all the more obvious. The way shots are framed, with elements in the foreground, midground and background help to establish a scene and place you inside it. Even small things like where the camera is set and angled help to place you into the world. There was only so far this attempted effect could go back in the day, Jurassic Park was a film that was just waiting to be converted into 3D and by god, those crazy bastards at Universal did it....they really did it and they did it beautifully. Somehow, the 3D team here worked with the original film and it's cinematography to craft a 3D experience which I would compare to Avatar, except done and executed a million times better. They didn't force the 3-D, but did it in a way so that it came off naturally. The 3-D is just about a perfect fit for the film as can be evidenced by the above stated fore, mid and background elements which combine to create not just a fantastic illusion of depth, but another illusion that most 3D films strive to achieve but rarely do.....that there is no screen or window in front of you. There is no separation between film and theater, they become one and we, the audience, find ourselves fully engulfed in the world of Jurassic Park. It took my breath away.

Every scene you expect to take your breath away does. The big reveal of Isla Nublar is breath-takingly beautiful and filled to the brim with depth (and that score, oh god that sweeping score), our introduction to the T-Rex paddock gave me chills thinking about what would occur there later and the mere look of the thing helped in the giving-me-serious-chills department too (those large electrical fences in that area....oh man, how different, unreal and scary they are in IMAX 3D), the T-Rex attack had me in jaw-dropped, knee shaking awe and terror (the T-Rex animatronic is a thing of pure beauty, and by god is that thing large!!!! Look at how big it's head is, it's mouth, it's teeth.....I'm still in shock. And I'm not kidding about my knees shaking, first film to ever make me do that. Not sure if it was out of pure terror or pure heart stopped awe or a mixture of these 2. Either way, the T-Rex attack works amazingly well in IMAX 3-D, really making the height difference between the kids and the T-Rex stand out in such a way that it increases our worry for them and their predicament), Dr. Grant's tree climb and narrow escape with Tim from a falling car was beautifully IN-YOUR-FACE/YOU-ARE-THERE, the first raptor attack inside the power generator with Ellie is perfect in it's dark, eerie intensity and that fist-pump inducing ending where the T-Rex gets to tear into those nasty raptors and then strikes that I AM THE KING pose and roars at the audience (You can't help but bow down after that). You know what, every single damned scene ROCKS in IMAX 3D, as I said earlier the whole film has a YOU ARE THERE, YOU ARE IN THIS WORLD feeling to it that really knocked my socks off.

Jurassic Park  has a somewhat surreal quality to it when viewed in IMAX 3D, with it's extreme close-ups of character's faces and computer screens made all the larger and bizarre when displayed on the downright gigantic IMAX screen. Extreme close-ups of people's heads make them seem to float or protrude just barely out of the screen, then there is the extreme close-ups of computer screens which seem downright imposing and even a bit frightening in IMAX. The extreme close-up shots of the dino's feet as they are chaisng after their prey is also super-impressive in IMAX 3D.  It also helps that the way scenes are filmed, and the lighting and set design help create this different world of bizarre but fascinating science that can be mysterious, intriguing and deadly (perfect example: the way the scene where Dennis steals the embryos looks on IMAX really does make it seem like we are in a bizarre new world). There is also a cool effect where Tim puts on those nifty night-vision goggles and due to the extreme close-up the camera uses it seems like he is peering into the theater for a few seconds. I guess my point here is that extreme close-ups in IMAX 3D are awesome.

Jurassic Park was a film that wasn't made to be seen on your blu-ray player. This monster was made to be seen on the biggest damn screen possible (Go big or go home guys). Jurassic Park is a celebration of cinema and everything that's good about this art form. On display here is a fairly strong script, fantastic acting all around, gorgeous cinematography, memorable monsters, and some kick-ass visual effects (both practical and CGI), not to mention it's also got some moments of quiet brilliance hidden inside. This is a film whose aim is to show audiences an explosive good time, but it can also be surprisingly smart and clever when it wants to be (it's not just a mindless blockbuster guys). While it wasn't made with 3-D in mind, it was THE perfect choice to convert into the format due to the way it was shot and the angles and swooping movements of the camera (oh, and because DINOSAURS!!!!). The IMAX 3D experience here is top-notch as it allows audiences to fully engulf themselves into the rich and fascinating world created here.  I don't cry easily, but when it came time to leave the theater I had to fight back some tears....I did not want to exit this world, I was not ready for this experience to end. Jurassic Park has always been and always will be one of the best, while seeing it in 3D is not mandatory for you to enjoy it (I'm sure that seeing it in  2D on the big screen is still enjoyable) I do recommend that you fork over the extra bucks for IMAX 3D, because as good as Jurassic Park is....it's even better in IMAX 3D, and the world you step into seems all the more real on that large IMAX screen. It's a one-of-a-kind experience that you shouldn't cheat yourself out of.

5 STARS- BETTER THAN SEX

BONUS NOTE: I did some digging, and apparently Sir Steven himself oversaw the 3D conversion here. No wonder it was so impressive!

SPRING BREAK FOREVER: SMALLS REVIEWS SPRING BREAKERS

Spring Breakers is the latest cinematic outing from controversial film maker Harmony Korine. In Spring Breakers four college girls (Vanessa Hudgens plays Candy, Selena Gomez plays Faith, Ashley Benson plays Brit and Rachel Korine aka Harmony Korine's wife plays Cotty) grow tired and bored of their empty college campus and so decide to head off to Spring Break. Unfortunately, even with all the money they have saved they are still tragically short of the dough needed to live it up in SoFlo.....what's a girl to do? Why, don ski-masks, grab some water pistols and hammers and rob a restaurant of course! Before you can say YOLO, the four are livin the good life in St. Petersburg (in bikinis that they wear for the course of the whole film). It isn't long though until their apartment complex is raided for drugs and the four are arrested. Without the cash to post bail, the girls' party seems to have come to an abrupt halt. Right when things seem the darkest, a seemingly heaven-sent (this is where I try to suppress a giggle) benefactor in the guise of a wanna-be gangsta/rap artist named Alien (played with a gleeful, child-like joy by James Franco) comes to the rescue and bails the girls out, inviting them to shack up with him and in the process bringing them into his deadly, dangerous, crime-filled life.

The four lead actresses all do a pretty great job here, nailing the brainless idiocy that I've often run into around  sexed up/boozed up party girls, while managing to incorporate some great bi-polar traits into their characters. One second they're singing and dancing, and the very next they are re-enacting their classic heist in a parking lot immediately after which they dance joyfully off screen ...it's very off-putting and makes you shift a bit in your seat. It's hard not to smile with them, until suddenly you find that you are scared of them. Selena Gomez as Faith is probably the most well-balanced out of the four and definitely the most innocent and naive. She is a goody, religious girl that wants to go to Spring Break to experience something new and find out who she is (isn't that why all kids do drugs and go crazy?). She claims that she never wants to leave SoFlo once she arrives, but as soon as the cotton candy and bubblegum start to crust and bleed she is the first to bail. The scene where she breaks down is great acting on Gomez's part, you really believe her when she cries. There's not much personality among the other three to be completely honest. Candy, Cotty, and Brit are all deranged, party-going, sex-loving, dirty girls that appeared to be turned on by violence, booze, and drugs. Quite possibly one of the sweetest things about Spring Breakers is that these girls are clearly not aware of the power they wield when they fire off guns like they are toys. They have no idea what they are really doing, and this brings an innocent and naive but even more dangerous quality to them.

James Franco turns in what is quite possibly his best and most enjoyable performance yet as the weird but surprisingly lovable Alien. He is completely unrecognizable here, and he throws himself into his wacky role with such gusto, go-for-broke-ness that you can't help but love his character. Just about every line out of his mouth is instantly quotable ("I'm the motha-fuckin Death Star", "Look at my shit!", "Spring break fo' evah"). He's not just funny though, he is also surprisingly sincere at times. He really does care about these girls, he means it when he calls them his "motha-fuckin soul mates" and his "mermaids". In what is quite possibly hands-down the best scene in the film, he tries to bear his soul to them by singing a heart-felt and hilarious rendition of Everytime by Britney Spears, who he considers an "angel" and an "underrated artist". The girls (wearing ridiculous looking pink ski-masks and toting guns) go all giggly and dance and twirl around with their guns like wanna-be ballerinas, which then cuts to a montage of them robbing various people and even beating the snot out of a few of them.  When Alien sings the song, it's clear that he means every word he sings, but we laugh any ways mainly out of the ridiculousness of the situation but also because HE'S BEING SINCERE (kind of hard to believe, but hey, it's kind of sweet...and silly). James Franco should definitely get a Best Supporting Actor nod for his role here, he is absolutely fearless.

The cinematography by Benoit Debie and film editing by Douglas Crise is fantastic. We get plenty of close-ups (mainly of the crotch and butt area) of women's bikinis, close-ups of women's breasts, transitions via gun sounds, some looping dialogue, and some great atmosphere and pacing is established as well. Korine said in an interview on The AV Club that he wanted to "Make a film that looked like it was lit with candies, like we were lighting it with Skittles or Starburst Fruit Chews...I wanted you to be able to feel like you could touch it or lick it." I'd say that he succeeds here, even though it's not all candy colors, there are also parts that feel like bright, multi-colored vomit....a lot of the film feels dirty and grungy, and I LOVED it!!!

The score here by maestros Skrillex and Cliff Martinez is just about perfection. I'm surprised no one thought about mixing these two artists together before now. Skrillex's Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites is the anthem for Spring Breakers, and the title of the song also nicely sums up the film as well. They are a perfect match for the film, and Skrillex actually steps it up here, delivering something that I've never quite heard from him before. I'd say that it would make for a great buy on ITunes and it fits the film perfectly, capturing the dark edges, longing,  and sadness found within the film.

Korine has several things to say in Spring Breakers, and he's not exactly subtle in the way he goes about saying it....mainly by some somewhat too on-the-nose dialogue. Yes, the script isn't all great and the narrative structure isn't particularly strong. The film flashes back and forth between scenes with flashy montages, fast edits, and looping dialogue interspersed between. The whole thing is clearly meant to be representative of a music video. Korine said that he wanted the film to be like a drug trip...well, once again congratulations Korine...you have succeeded brilliantly. Spring Breakers resembles a mix between a music video, a drug trip, and a dream turned nightmare.

Spring Breakers is a film that neither condones nor condemns ( it's also NOT about the loss of innocence or corruption of innocence). It feels like Harmony Korine traveled to Spring Break and brought his camera along for the ride, showing us what he found there. It all feels very real. The great irony about Spring Breakers is that it's really not about Spring Break at all, but is instead about the Spring Break Generation, or Generation Y as most call it. The film paints a fairly accurate portrait of this generation and Korine is making a comment about this generation here. Spring Breakers is about a generation that was raised on MTV and the promise of Spring Break. It's a generation that wants it all and none of the responsibilities that come with it. It's a generation that hasn't been able to really define itself. The kids of this generation (myself included) are lost, they long for something....anything and since TV says party's,  drugs and sex is the way to live that's what they want.  There are no villains in this film, only victims. Alien was told by TV and culture that he should want to be a gangsta, that he should want to be bad....so he follows that sermon and turns himself into that. The Television and culture tells Candy, Cotty, Brit, and Faith that they should want to party, fuck, drink, and snort....so they do. Each of these characters (except for two) decide in the end that they never want Spring Break to end (even when it has already clearly ended and most have gone home), and they go to some pretty dark places to keep their dream alive and it changes and morphs them. What are the consequences of this type of lifestyle, is it worth it in the end? Alien says they are living the American Dream....and in a sad sort of way, they are.

Spring Breakers is bubblegum pop cinema mixed with trashy MTV inspired goodness that actually has some substance to it and isn't all surface. To quote another underrated artist, "it's the best of both worlds". The result is something that's equal parts enjoyable and uncomfortable. Spring Breakers is a challenging, raw, gritty, sad, sexy, scary, disturbing and real film.  It's a film that keeps you alert, awake, and shifting in your seat for the duration of its run time. While definitely not for everyone, I still think that everyone should see this since it's actually kind of important. Spring Breakers is sure to stay with you, whether you want it to or not.

4.5 STARS

BONUS NOTES

Harmony Korine is indeed a perv.

Each of the girls is mighty yummy in their bikinis, even though only Rachel Korine and Vanessa Hudgens take theirs off. (There are also various extras that take it off for the camera)

The perfect film to eat Skittles while you watch.

Would make a great double feature with Project X, though the 2 films are more different than they are similar.

The first 20 minutes is pure Spring Break, after this though the film gets considerably darker and more intense.

I can't get Everytime out of my head now.