Breaking Dawn Part 1 Review

The Prequels We Never Wanted

When the word "prequel" comes to mind, we usually think of the latest Star Wars Trilogy and the agony "wesa" fans went through. But for the most part, we got what we wanted from George Lucas; the origin story of classic characters and how they developed into the heroes and villains we recognized in their futures and our pasts. Who didn't want to know who was really underneath Darth Vader's helmet? How long did the viewers wonder how an intimidating galactic empire rose from the shattering of a strong republic? Legitimate questions, aren't they? 

What questions seldom come to mind however are, "I wonder how Fred Flinstone got over his gambling problems?" or "Just when did the Little Mermaid learn to sing?" Yes readers, I'm talking about the later developed prequels that we cringed to hear, heckled the concept of, and strangely enough, caved into watching for the sake of our curiosity. 

Not all prequels end up terrible, however. Red Dragon serves as an interesting perspective into the lengths one Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter will go to in achieving revenge on his jailer. Yet this remains to be almost shunted aside when the filmmakers decide to go for a much deeper analysis of this serial killer's past when Hannibal Rising came into the picture. Or what of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom? I'm tempted to bet you didn't even know that film was in fact a prequel. Indeed, when the famous Dr. Jones' endeavours in Indiana are set in 1935 and his search in Raiders of the Lost Ark take place only a year later, you can't help but wonder why the writers decided to make it a prequel at all. 

And yet, it's the terrible origin stories that we just can't scrape out of our skulls. Though fans enjoyed The Mummy remake trilogy starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, they didn't expect to see an entire movie dedicated to Dwayne Johnston (then called The Rock) and his character of the Scorpion King and his heroic days in Egypt. Well, given that by the end of the film he's a buffed-up, sword slashin' warrior who just overthrew a villain, it leaves the audience completely clueless as to why he suddenly chooses world domination by the opening scene of The Mummy Returns. 

We could even look back on the popular comedy, Dumb and Dumber. When the film's attention is devoted solely to the performances of Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, it really doesn't give the audience much incentive to want to check it out when neither comedians return and are instead replaced by two Twenty-something actors who are just going for imitations and not giving the same natural comedy as the original. We didn't want a prequel, we wanted a SEQUEL! 

Or even back to my original example of the Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas. Ever wondered if Hollywood's gotten completely bored in coming up with ideas? Well there's your answer. Returning us to the ill-received film adaptation of this prehistoric comedy, little is received to entertain children and the concept's just too juvenile to make the adults laugh. Not to mention that a floating green alien was crammed in at the last second of writing just for the sake of "mating rituals." 

I think the pain itself can be felt through that last sentence. 

Name below some of the prequels you just shook your head at...   

Rocky Movie Marathon Part 1

Captain America: The First Avenger Review

Deathly Hallows Part 2 Review

Enjoy the magical wonder that DOESN'T involve Daniel Radcliffe naked with a horse. Yes, I am holding onto that joke until the day I die...

Green Lantern Review

Another superhero flick for the month; this one I only wish could be as super.

Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) is a test pilot who comes across a dying alien and member of the intergalactic Green Lantern Corp. Charged with succeeding the alien as a Green Lantern, Hal discovers he’s far less alone in the universe than he believed. Now, a force that the Green Lanterns have feared has broken loose, and Hal may be the only one that can stop it.

Let’s make this clear; this is not a bad superhero movie. This is a lame superhero movie. Many of the cast members feel very dry in their delivery and don’t appear to be having fun with their roles. Joined with clunky direction, it just makes for a dull first impression.

Even the movie’s villain, Hector Hammond, is practically wasted. Yeah, you heard me right. The movie’s antagonist was practically useless. Only with good prosthetic makeup on both him and the character of Sinestro are you really intrigued at looking at them.

Green Lantern features action that resembles that of a video game cinematic, save for maybe one or two fight scenes. And it’s juiciest visual effects lie in that of it’s alien landscapes and creature designs, which still have room to impress you. But at the end of the day, you’re still wishing that you could have gained more before the screen fades to black.

X-men: First Class Review

Admit it, you thought this movie was going to suck…we all did. But once again, I’m eating my own hat for my false prophecy as I praise with comments, X-men: First Class.

Set in the 1960s, the world has been recently shown to contain several humans that possess mutant abnormalities that grant them superpowers. Charles Xavier (James MacAvoy) sets out to find these mutants with the help of the CIA, who want to use their gifts to save the world from the threat of the Cold War. In the midst of this is Erik Lensher (Michael Fassenbender) who joins up with the team for his own agenda. Its in the partnership of these two that will eventually create two opposing forces in a war that will forever change the future of our world; the conflict between Magneto and his Brotherhood of Mutants and Professor X and his X-men.

With the fresh direction of Matthew Vaughan and X-men veteran Bryan Singer producing, this prequel/reboot captures the feel of the time period and at the same time doesn’t skimp out on giving us a good insight to these characters and their principles. Shades of grey are very evident in this film, with roles that will surprise you. Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique brings new flavour to our once all-but-silent shapeshifter, and Kevin Bacon as main antagonist Sebastian Shaw ties both sides together for great action.

Action here differs from the previous installments in that here, the mutant powers, both old and new, are seen from a wider perspective. And sprinkled with a wonderful soundtrack makes for a movie that revives a franchise that fans feared to be dead.

Super 8 Review

Did you grow up watching those Spielberg adventure classics like E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind or The Goonies. No? Well then, you have my pity. But just to get you up to date with the flavour of nostalgia, J.J. Abrams unites with Spielberg to bring 2011's movie goers, Super 8.

Set in sunny 1979, the American town of Lillian finds itself in the midst of an emergency following a train accident carrying materials and other unknown cargo from Area 51. The government quickly moves in to take control of the situation, intent on recovering anything...or anyone...that went missing from the crash. Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney) and his friends who witnessed the crash while filming a movie, go searching for answers while mysterious abductions begin to pop up around town.

Abrams may not have earned himself Spielberg's reputation in Hollywood just yet, but his credentials as a filmmaker are more than worthy of teaming up with the cinema legend. His style of direction with a love for action and all things visually groundbreaking work wonderfully to what his partner-in-crime brings to the film; a wonderful musical score with a likeable cast of preteen troublemakers.

Touches of the old classics that parents grew up watching as a kid can be found everywhere, and the art department really went all out in giving that 70s feel; everything from the Tab cans to the shag carpet. But for the generation of our kids, the maturity bar is raised a little bit higher than what you grew up with, which makes for Super 8 to be an impressive ride but a hit-and-miss when it comes to fun for the whole family.

Thor Review

Marvel returns with a bang this year, starting its next installment in the cinematic superhero universe: Thor.

When the God of Thunder (Chris Hemsworth) is kicked out of the realm of Asgard for his arrogance, he finds himself on Earth powerless and the secrets of his origins being hunted by the government. While he tries to find a way back home, war has broken out in Asgard for his errors and a treacherous enemy has begun seizing power in his absence. Will Thor be able to regain his honour and become save both worlds?

Kenneth Branagh, the director, helms a fanscinating take on the comic book/ancient Norse mythology by mingling it into a balance of both fantasy and sci-fi. Everything in the sets and design is truly brilliant, considering what it all stems from and it helps bridge the modern world with this historical story so well.

Hemsworth makes for a very macho, blond haired, womanizing God of Thunder, and yet for so much to read into, the screenplay doesn't look that far into him. In fact, with such a widespread cast, character arcs feel quite shallow and little feels gained in journey by the end of the film. If it's fine to settle for your classic, action-packed superhero flick, then Thor lands exactly where it's aiming for. But for what it sets up, it's lets down the viewer of how much they could have received.

Cinema Simpleton's Guide for The Room Theatre Screenings

After going to my screening of The Room in downtown Toronto, I realized why so many people enjoy attending the showings. Even director Tommy Wiseau encourages for viewers to laugh, cry and have fun during the film, provided that nobody hurts each other. So hey, if the guy who made it welcomes the idea, then why not give the people what they want?

With screenings of The Room come very interesting traditions. The most notable mentions include throwing plastic spoons at the screen when background photographs of the utensils are visible, tossing a football around the theatre whenever the boys are engaged in sports and cheering on the Golden Gate Bridge whenever a panning shot from beginning to end is shown.

But even after just one screening, I think that there are plenty of traditions that can be added to the experience. Most of the time, it’s about seeing who can come up with the best jokes by the end of the night. So here’s a couple I came up with myself.

The Magic Shed  
You may notice that during scenes on the rooftop, characters enter and exit through a doorway that’s concealed by what appears to be a shed the size of a broom closet. It’s kind of clear that this entrance is too small to have a stairwell leading back into the apartment building, so we can only assume that this is a shed is “magic” and allows people to enter and exit this plane of existence. (Narnia, anyone?) Shout “Magic Shed!” whenever a character walks into or out of the shed.

Double Rainbow 
This one was noticeable courtesy of the guy sitting behind me at the theatre. When Johnny and Mark are sitting down for coffee during the infamous “How is your sex life?” scene, you’ll notice that the cups belonging to the café have the words “Double Rainbow” faintly visible on the side. Naturally it can only be considered a coincidence in regards to that proceeding famous Internet meme of the “Double Rainbow Song” (look it up on Youtube if you’re clueless to what I’m talking about). But when you see the shot of people at the counter of the café and the cup is visible, start singing out loud the lyrics of Double Rainbow.

WE DON’T WANT CHEESECAKE!  
Referring to the previously mentioned scene, with careful ears (I do realize it’s difficult to hear in a theatre of yelling viewers, but bear with me) you’ll notice that the waitress will frequently insist that customers try their cheesecake. To this, have you and your buddies shout “WE DON’T WANT CHEESECAKE!”  

The "Isney" Store
Cleverly, in the film where Johnny is walking through the streets of San Fransisco before his birthday party, a column (or tree) is blocking out of sight the letter “D” on the sign of what we can only assume to be the trademarked Walt Disney Store, which has caused viewers to frequently shout the word “Isney!” Get ready to do your best Mickey Mouse impression!

Peter Mark II
Towards the end of the film, a character by the name of Steve is randomly introduced who barges in on Lisa and Mark making out during Johnny’s birthday party. According to IMDB.com, Steve was inserted last minute as a replacement to the character of Peter, Johnny’s psychologist friend. To this, when Steve first enters the scene, you may boldly announce “Peter Mark II” or “Peter 2.0.!”

WHAT A TWIST! 
 This is in reference to any time that something meant to be shocking is inserted into the screenplay. (Ex. Denny’s taking drugs, Claudette almost didn’t marry Lisa’s mother, Lisa really isn’t pregnant) It’s of course a reference to the Robot Chicken parody of M. Night Shyamalan, so shout out “What a twist!”

Drugs are bad, mmm’kay 
Pretty self-explanatory. Again, something The Room explores not in great detail, but enough to be a recurring joke. Because of Denny’s drug dealing (yeah Denny, buying drugs when you need cash is a brilliant money-making scheme) and Mark smoking marijuana on the rooftop, do your best impression of Mr. Mackey from South Park.  It’s especially most appropriate during the very “PSA” like writing of Lisa trying to convince Johnny to drink Scotchka.

Denny’s disturbing moments 
One might say that the character of Denny is…creepy to say the least. His portrayal of an apparent man-child who has a romantic obsession with his mother figure makes him out appear to be on the launch pad for what would likely be a successful career as a serial killer. One of my personal favourites is yelling “Spawn of Satan” or “El Dialbo” during his first entrance and any of his following appearances letting out a bloodcurtling scream.

But for all you thriller/horror flick fans, pull out some of your favourite serial killer one-liners when you see Denny doing anything that could be potentially interpreted as "psycho babble." My personal recommendations?

“Hello Clarice…” –Hannibal Lecter, Silence of the Lambs

“It rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again…” –Buffalo Bill, Silence of the Lambs

“I want to play a game…” -Jigsaw, Saw film series

“What’s your favourite scary movie?” –Ghostface, Scream

“Seven days…” The Ring

Also, for any of you Psycho fans, start humming or singing the tune to the theme when Norman Bates kills the woman in the shower whenever Denny says something extra-creepy, like "I just like to watch you guys."  

Johnny/Lisa/Mark “Love” Scenes 
 During the awkward sex scenes, many viewers sing out loud the movie's background music or oddly enough the theme to “Free Willy." Some even bring lighters to wave through the air. My input is to sing something that overhypes the romantic feeling. Warm up those vocals and bring on “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion from the Titanic Soundtrack! My sister even recommended “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?” from The Lion King.

Not the spoons!  
As mentioned in the beginning of this article, one of the most common traditions to The Room screenings is throwing spoons whenever pictures of the utensils are seen in the background. Well, during Johnny and Mark’s first fight at the birthday party, you’ll notice that the former pushes the latter against a table and smashes one of the pictures. To this, you can shout, “Not the spoons!”, or if you’re feeling overdramatic, “Not the spoons, you bastard!”

It’s a Trap! 
As a tribute to Admiral Ackbar from Return of the Jedi, (where would the Rebel Alliance be without him?) for scenes where characters are up to something sneaky, such as Lisa frequently seducing Mark or Chris R. coming up to Denny, impersonate ol’ Squidhead by crying out “IT’S A TRAP!”

Raging Johnny 
After Lisa leaves Johnny, he angrily storms through the apartment and smashes everything. For this, I have two suggestions. Yell “Wiseau Smash” when he’s destroying stuff (I know, not that original) or during his scenes where he’s sitting on his chair, eyes shut and appears to be under demonic possession, shout out loud “The power of Christ compels you!” 

Great Scott! 
Okay, this one works best as a tagline to one of the more traditional jokes. You’ll notice that Johnny frequently refers to Lisa as his “future wife” instead of using the word fiancée. To this, viewers frequently shout the words “Husband/Wife of the Future!” in the classy 50s sci-fi narrator tone. After they’ve done that, feel free to say the words “Great Scott!” as a tribute to Doc Brown from Back to the Future.

“He’s only a human bean!” 
As a reference to Johnny reminding Denny that he’s loved by Lisa as a human being, but of course, due to his accent (which to this date Wiseau refuses to say the origins of) it comes out sounding like human bean. So whenever somebody is being treated cruelly, like Chris R. attacking Denny or Lisa manipulating Johnny shout out, “He’s only a human bean!”

Overall, it's all about having a good time while watching The Room. People love coming out and laughing with and at these characters, their lines and the scenarios they're put in. There are other traditions that can be found online and after one viewing of The Room, I guarantee you'll have the inkling to check it out again. Feel free to come up with your own list of traditions and add them in the comments below.

Arthur Review

From the desk of my good friend and colleague, Andrew Phillips, we have a review of the 2011 remake of Arthur....

Well, it’s spring. You know what that means: We’re between the serious movies of the fall/winter leading up to the Oscars and the action, explosion, “Directed by Michael Bay”, blow-‘em-up-real-good, blockbusters of summer. With spring comes another set of romantic comedies. Enter Arthur, the remake of a movie by the same way from the 1970s following the misadventures of billion-dollar heir Arthur Bach.

Arthur (Russell Brand) has what most people in my demographic would envy: more money than he knows what to do with, enough…female companionship… to make Hugh Hefner or Gene Simmons jealous, and probably the sweetest feature of all-time: a magnetically driven floating bed. The movie revolves around Arthur’s life choice: Does he marry the gorgeous-yet-unbearable Susan (played by Jennifer Garner) in order to keep his millions, or does he give it all up for a tour guide, Naomi (played by Great Gerwig).

Now, the men reading this review just closed the page with an air of “To Hell With That!” BUT WAIT! This is actually a movie guys are going to want to see. More on that in a moment.

Arthur’s frequent partying has earned the ire of his mother, and he’s about to be cut off from his money. He’s grappling with the decision to join the real world, but has no life skills. Enter his nanny and best friend, Hobson (played by Helen Mirren). Hobson is practically a mother to Arthur, and the true comedy of the movie is how they interact. Forget Arthur’s womanizing and partying, it’s how the two take shots at each other. [For kids with sarcastic parents, it feels like you’re standing in your kitchen verbally sparring with your folks.] Now, without giving too much away, the relationship really defines Arthur by the end of movie, as he finally gets the push he needs to grow up.

Now, the ladies reading may be intrigued by the “Love or Money” theme to the movie. But for the guys, there’s a reason to go as well. First off, who doesn’t emulate the lifestyle of endless money, booze, and girls. Second, Jennifer Garner is absolutely gorgeous. Third, they are some scenes with Nick Nolte that are hilarious. All I’m going to say is: hardware. All in all, the movie was funny. There isn’t a profound amount of depth in each character, but it’s enough to suffice. If you’re bored on a Friday night and want to go do something with your significant other (or maybe just a group of friends. Whatever, man. It’s cool), Check out Arthur.

A note about Russell Brand: I’m waiting for his Will Smith transformation. Smith did role after role of goofy protagonist whose comedic blundering made him millions. Eventually, the man started landing serious roles. (Seven Pounds, Pursuit of Happyness, I am Legend etc.). I’m waiting for Russell Brand to go through the same thing. Granted, his life off-screen once mirrored that he’s portraying onscreen now, but there’s only so much of the same character an audience can take. If Brand wants to be taken for a serious actor, he’ll have to mimic Arthur: make the choice between the same role as the playboy amused with cheap thrills, or a grown-up who can be serious when the time comes.

-Andrew Phillips

Soul Surfer Review

X-men: The Last Stand Review

You may have noticed that there's been a delay in finishing the X-men film series marathon and getting this review out. Well, let me ask you this: if you were reviewing X-men 3, wouldn't you be trying to delay something even if you know it's inevitable?

Let's be fair. X-men: The Last Stand has had very divided feelings from its viewers. Ranging from a decent superhero flick to failure third installment. Movies one and two amazed us with its story, characters, action and much more. But after Bryan Singer left for Superman Returns, Brett Ratner took the helm of the X-men film series and many comic book fans got themselves a new photo to staple onto their dartboards.

The mutant phenomenon may be over when a new company set on Alcatraz Island develops a "cure" to relieve mutants of their abilities and turn them human. While the X-men, (Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Sir Patrick Stewart, Anna Paquin, Shawn Ashmore, etc) receive mixed feelings to the new product, it's very existence enrages Magneto (Sir Ian McKellen) and his Brotherhood of Mutants. They declare all out war on humanity and began marshalling an army of mutants to destroy the cure at any cost. In the mix of this, Jean Grey (Famke Jensen) has returned after her apparent death, with her power levels evolved to a dangerous level that has begun to corrupt her mind. Magneto inducts Jean, now under the name of Phoenix, into the Brotherhood as a weapon for his cause, and the X-men must make a final stand to defend humanity against their own kind.

What you receive in this installment is a rich usage of the comic book mythology that the X-men is based on. The problem is that many of those characters are adapted with little to know character basis and are mostly thrown together at random. Only newcomer Kelsey Grammer as Hank McCoy/Beast delivers a solid and intriguing performance.

Much of Ratner's direction shows a lot more dumbed down story, with action losing a lot of its intensity and music being nothing like it was before. Plenty of the plot could have been cut and many story arcs don't give these characters a comfortable fit of where they should have been going from the start. Thankfully this last stand would only be followed by spin-offs, because a fourth installment would have just broken the franchise's legs completely.

What's ticking me off about two-part movies

I remember being anxious last November to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I was one of the first in line on opening day, my expectations were hyped, and the movie gave an impressive show. I laughed, I jumped and I might have brushed away the odd tear or two. But just when it was getting good, just when the plot was at its highest peak, just when my eyes were mesmerized with delight at one of the best movies I had seen all year…
The credits rolled. Some guy in the seat behind me said, “Well, guess we wait until July to see Part Two.” Part Two? Oh that’s right, Hollywood’s not completely satisfied with siphoning our wallets just yet. It’s not like seven big movies which have poured billions upon billions of dollars from the box office into Warner Bros’ pockets was enough to say, “We’ve done our job, it’s time to sink our teeth into a new franchise.” While we’re on that subject, I’d like to thank the film studio for giving Summit Entertainment the great idea of having them split Breaking Dawn, the last instalment of the Twilight Saga into two movies. More shirtless werewolves and depressed bloodsuckers, please!
Even Peter Jackson of The Lord of the Rings fame has fallen into this latest film fad by deciding to divide the Middle-earth prequel of The Hobbit into a double feature.
Hollywood, exploiting a franchise’s last chapter is one thing. Digging your fingernails into the rights of these literary pieces is just spelling out the greed in front of our faces.
Who’s to say that some die hard fan didn’t have the money at the time to view Part 1 of one of these cinematic hits, but did at the time of Part 2’s release? It’s not their fault you’re splitting hairs. And what happens when these films hit home video? Don’t think you’re going to make us pay for two films and not get a fight on your hands.  You’re cutting apart plots, characters and entertainment just for the sake of doubling the bucks.
As much as this newfound filming process annoys me, I’ll probably once again be back in the theatre come this summer to check out Part 2. Why? Because a good movie remains a good movie. But it’s not my fault if I can’t remember every detail of events that happened last year.
The only good thing to come out of all this is that the Deathly Hallows will have an eight month intermission. At least in that time span I’ll have plenty of time to use the restroom so I don’t have to leave in the middle of the second act. 

Battle: Los Angeles Review

Currently owning the box office has been the latest alien invasion flick, Battle: Los Angeles. This sci-fi movie may have hit the mark in reaching the Call of Duty generation when it came to atmosphere, but its heart (much like the oppositional aliens themselves) was slightly misplaced.

In the beginning of an alien attack across the globe, Los Angeles' military scrambles together to assemble the forces needed to send their extraterrestrial enemies packing. A team of marines begins to search through the ruin city for survivors before the bombs fall, and fight for their lives to make it from one side of the city to the other. Staff Sergeant Michael (Aaron Eckhart) and his platoon don't know what they're up against, but they're going to live or die fighting.

The movie has gathered plenty of hype with its previews, giving the classic war video game feel to an alien action piece. Its special effects are certainly well invested and its complimented with very intense action in every fight. That being said, its fast moving camera work also leaves the audience swinging everywhere. There was maybe one noticeable tripod shot in the whole movie.

What drags Battle: LA down further is that its screenplay lacks little creativity. The same lines used here could have been used ten years ago and left the same impression in terms of drama and left little for the actors to work with. More emotion is seen on the terrified children then these hardcore soldiers who go beyond duty (and quite possibly human limitations).

X-2: X-men United Review

Returning to our regular scheduled programming, it's time to look at the sequel to the 2000 film X-men, with it's sequel X-2: X-men United.

Following an assassination attempt on the President's life, mutants across the world have become more feared than ever before. Using this to his advantage Col. William Stryker (Brian Cox) puts plans into motion to deal with the "mutant problem" permanently, and the X-men are right in his crosshairs. But what connection does the mysterious colonel have to Wolverine (Hugh Jackman)? And what will they do with the recent return of their old enemy Magneto (Sir Ian McKellen)?

The second installment comes back with a bang, with action spinning everywhere in battles for survival. In each of these expanded character arcs, the script provides three-dimensional morality to each of these desperate characters on both sides of the battlefield.

Newcomer Alan Cumming as the teleporting Nightcrawler makes for an oddly symbolic and mysterious character to represent a tone of outsiders being misunderstood by society. The prosthetics for his makeup is well detailed to fully embrace the unusual and yet appealing personality.

Under Bryan Singer's direction, X-2 makes for a relatable and yet still exciting film. Certainly the best of the franchise as of yet, it's message of what it means to be different or unaccepted gives the audience a remarkably action-packed story.

Unknown Review

A serious car accident in Germany leaves Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) waking up in a hospital. When he returns to his wife Elizabeth (January Jones), he finds another man living with his wife and under his identity. With no one able to remember him, Martin struggles to find answers with the help of a taxi driver, Gina (Diane Krueger), all the while questioning who he really is.

As of late, Neeson has become a late-bloomer of an action star, inheriting a role in this movie that frankly could have been played by anyone. He just doesn't bring anything unique to the role and coming off as a very standard everyman. What makes the film intriguing is a good story that continues to twist throughout its progression and reel the viewer closer as it moves forward.

It's a decent action flick, with just a pinch of conspiracy and a dash of thriller to its final product. A lot of the cast feels overshadowed in comparison to Neeson, but the plot is enough to keep your attention. It keeps you curious and suspicious throughout, with some good, but not great, stunts.

X-men Review

Today's the start of another movie review marathon. We have a movie franchise that started off big and then really hit hard by its third round; the X-men film series. Still kicking for a fifth round, let's get started on number one. 

In the not too distant future, random individuals across the globe have been given the remarkable ability of a mutant gene that grants them extraordinary powers. The world knows not how to look upon these strange people, known simply as mutants, and fear and persecution is spreading. To stand in the light of these dark times are the X-men, led by Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), mutants who intend to protect humanity from their more dangerous kind. Such enemies like Magneto (Sir Ian McKellen) and his Brotherhood of Mutants have twisted plans for the human race; plans that the two mutants Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and Rogue (Anna Paquin) have fallen right into the middle of. 

Jackman truly brings the ruthless Wolverine to life like never before, every claw slashin', cigar smokin', one linerin' bit of him. Arguably the protagonist of the X-men franchise in general, his character arc does overshadow the stories of Storm (Halle Berry) and Cyclops (James Marsters). 

Sir Ian McKellen feeds Shakespearean classiness to his portrayal of the freedom fighter Magneto, threatening and yet always in control wherever he walks. Pitted against the humble and brilliant Xavier, Stewart is a perfect choice for the X-men leader. 

Director Bryan Singer knows how to make a movie like X-men both down-to-earth and exciting, by feeding balance on both sides. We get a relatable message of being a social outcast and the fantasy of a superhero mythology all snugly put together in delivery. This comic book action shows the mutants in full glory of their stunts, with support from visual effects that nail the experience. 

Where X-men fails is really giving a solid conclusion. Yeah the heroes have their victories, people walk away to do their own thing, but very much of what's set up isn't closed off by the time the credits roll. Still, what can't be denied is that when it comes to the extraordinary, the exciting and the excellent, X-men gives you what you're looking for.  

Star Trek Review

Exciting is too diminishing a word. J.J. Abram’s Star Trek is a motion picture that sends the audience on a rollercoaster that few could have expected. I saw this film in one of the smallest theatres I have been to in years and yet I still emerged from the cinema above satisfied.

The film itself sets into a new distinction of time period, not quite prequel or reboot but what can only be described as a different limb of the Star Trek tree. The story is as much creative as it is suspenseful, when the familiar crew of the starship U.S.S. Enterprise finds itself dealing with forces of its own future, with the intention of changing the past to a timeline of its own creation. With this, time travel and flashbacks are not only done well but fit the story specifically where it should be. Each member of the Enterprise crew is played to the best of the cast’s ability, with new faces to the old characters that fans remember and cherish. 

But one notable and famous character cannot help but tag along for the ride. Yes, Leonard Nimoy gets fully back into the Vulcan character of Spock not only to serve as a nostalgic element to the film but to provide a bridge between these two distant time frames. While the putting the two actors of Zachary Quinto and Leonard Nimoy as the same character in a single film is a gamble, it pays off when the former indeed is able to step into the process by going beyond a simple imitation to indeed making a character of his own. 

The action of Star Trek is phenomenal with almost no scale as an exception. Emotional performances are intriguing going from spine tingling to heart breaking. J.J. Abrams is able to weave a new vision of Star Trek’s environment by balancing well on the lines of both digital and theatrical background to the setting. Visual effects are fantastic and the musical score sets into the scenes to a level near to perfection. However, to say the film was entirely a masterpiece would be “illogical” to the viewer. Even in a new body, Star Trek suffers from one of its oldest scars: techno-babbles. 

With a plot relying on futuristic technology, there are times when the dialogue trails into scientific strategies that no one understands until they are actually executed and even at such times, the viewer still remains confused. While the comedy in the film is indeed a plus, the use of it can be labelled as unnecessary to the mood of certain scenes. 

Overall, Star Trek delivers itself one of the most intricate and epic science fiction films for our generation. J.J. Abrams knows where to grab the spectators and reel them in as new fans. Old audiences are likely to walk out smiling knowing that despite some inconsistencies to the original series, by the end of the film it adds up to a creative film that retains to its source. 

After seeing this film, I can say the franchise has certainly prospered and only hope that like the original series that it lives long. 

Taking of Pelham 123 (remake) Review

I ended up seeing the original film from about thirty to forty years ago on TV a couple of weeks before I saw this movie. I actually ended up wondering at the end if the remake would do much better. Well, actually it pulled it off almost beautifully. 

The plot revolves around a team of criminals who hijack a New York Subway and hold a group of innocent hostages for ransom. They're led by the character of Ryder, played by John Travolta, and are forced to deal with Transit Operator Walter Garber, played by Denzel Washington. Really, the filmmakers picked the right time to remake this movie. With the evolution of technology not only in the subway systems but of the average person, it truly expands the original material into something too grand to be reduced to its former state. 

First complaint, well let's look at the beginning. WHAT BEGINNING? The main characters are practically thrown into the movie with no introductions. There is no build up to the story, it's just there from the start. On the other hand, the tension in this movie grows to great heights, especially in the hands of John Travolta. That being said, I come to my biggest complaint about the movie: the writing. 


John Travolta's character really steals the show, as if it was almost on purpose. By the end of the movie, you practically have the entire character figured out, as opposed to Denzel Washington or anyone else really. I did enjoy the "relationship" between Ryder and Garber throughout the movie, and thought that even though Denzel Washington and John Travolta weren't in the same room most of the time, they played off each other nicely. If you've ever seen the film John Q, it was almost a reversal of that hostage situation. 


Compared to the original film, everything seems connected and elaborates to something brilliant. New elements are brought in and the story is great. If hijacking a subway car was a normal felony, this would be no simple crime. But the writing does have its flaws. When it comes to certain scenes, the writing is just poor and some of the acting doesn't exactly bring it to life any better. In a scene where Denzel Washington's character is talking to his wife over the phone, the way that it was written and acted out was pretty poor. There are situations where the characters behave stupidly as opposed to how it should be realistically handled. 


As for the camera work, it does handle well in this movie, with a few exceptions. In scenes focusing on Denzel Washington, they REALLY focused on him. His entire head practically fills the screen in what seems to be over a quarter of his screen time and it gets way too repetive. It definetely expanded a lot on the original movie's structure, but it has it's flaws like every other movie.

Superman Returns Review

Duh, duh, duh, duh, duh...oh wait, the John Williams theme doesn't translate well in text. 

Back in 1978, comic book fans and movie goers were astounded when Richard Donner made well on his promise that "You will believe a man can fly." This of course was the tagline to the film Superman, starring Christopher Reeve; the first installment of the four film Superman franchise. The first two films were considered big, dramatic and just down-right awesome by critics and fans alike. The second half however were labeled many things related to stupid, nonsensical and unexciting. And that's without even bringing up the 1984 Supergirl spin-off.  

But almost two decades later, director Bryan Singer decided it was time to bring the spirit of the old series to life. He dusted the material off and chose to make a distant sequel in the form of Superman Returns. 

Five years since the events of Superman II, Superman (Brandon Routh) has vanished to the edge of outer space to find the remains of his home planet Krypton to find out whether he truly is the last of his kind. He returns to Earth to find out many things have changed, including former flame Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) being engaged, a mother and an anti-Superman supporter. Speaking of the sort, criminal mastermind Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) has broken into Superman's Fortress of Solitude and stolen alien technology that he intends to use for his own sadistic goals. With the world once again at stake, Superman flies faster than a speeding bullet to get the job done. 

The first thing to address with a sequel like this is the atmosphere. Singer delicately plays with the sets, costumes and styles of characters to give the film almost a timeless feel. With that said however, it also gives Superman Returns more of a darker tone than the films it's supposed to be carrying on. Even the Man of Steel himself wears a moody, blood-red cape that gives an almost rusty demeanor. 

To that note, the cast must be appropriately examined. With the exception of Spacey's portrayal of a colder Luthor, most of the main cast brings only an adequate performance to the screen. Hollywood newcomer Routh bears much facial resemblance to Christopher Reeve, but feels a little too inexperienced to have earned the tights he wears. Bosworth is a lot more tone downed as the once bold Lois Lane that Margot Kidder was able to leave her mark with. 

The visuals of the film may have been the main reason Singer decided it was time to breathe life back into the Superman franchise. Settings like the Fortress of Solitude are digitally constructed to become breathtaking landmarks that will leave viewers stunned. It also shows off the action in a more epic fashion, but there's not a lot there which the movie takes advantage of. Superman doesn't even throw a single punch. 

Singer is able to mostly embody the spirit of the previous Superman films, but at the same time, brings little that's new to the table. The plot is structured to have little room for growth in the structure of its predecessors, making it more like a sense of nostalgia than a long-awaited Superman film. Other than the John Williams soundtrack, fans will be begging to see something, ANYTHING new.