Wilsford's Review
Thumb: Down
Notable Characters:
Harrison Ford – Indiana Jones
Cate Blanchett – Irina Spalko
Karen Allen – Marion Ravenwood
Shia LaBeouf – Mutt Williams
Plot (contains spoilers): In the 1950’s/60’s, somehow Indy has been captured by Russians and taken to a military installment. The head Russian, Irina Spalko, forces Indy to find a peculiar artifact. Once found, Indy manages to escape Russian gun fire and live through an atomic blast via refrigerator. However as a result of being tangled with the Russians, he is believed to be a communist and is fired from the university. On his way to a new life, he is found by Mutt Williams who needs his help in finding a lost colleague who was searching for the crystal skull. Intrigued by this adventure, the two set off in search of the professor and unbeknownst to them are being followed by commies. The two get captured and we discover that the professor, who has gone crazy due to the crystal skull, has also been captured and so has Mutt’s mom, Marion Ravenwood. Indy is forced to read the mind of the mad professor, with the aid of the skull, and learns of the location of the temple that the skull needs to be returned to. On the way fill in some action sequences (gun fire, punching, cars falling off cliff, swinging through jungle, etc.). Once at the temple we learn the true secret behind this hidden civilization: aliens. They came down, blessed the people with technology, covered the city in gold, and gave them some artifacts from around the world. Everyone makes it home safely and Indiana and Marion are finally married.
Reasons why I liked it:
· Harrison was a big question mark for me. However, despite what you may have read, he still has it. He kept up with all the action sequences and stepped into the shoes of our beloved archeologist perfectly.
· Sound effects. Maybe I’m just a geek, but when the punches were being landed, the iconical “smack” brought back some fond memories.
· In similar fashion to the old Jones movies, the makers found cool, unique ways to make the villains die. Face melting (Lost Ark), ripped by crocs (Doom), and rapid aging (Crusade) are all great but this one had one that was pretty sweet.
Reasons why I didn’t like it:
· George Lucas should stop writing movies. I was scrolling through his resume and was looking at what his good writing has brought: Herbie, American Graffiti, obviously Star Wars (4, 5, and 6), Lost Ark, Willow. These, with some debate, are probably considered his best work. Willow was made in 1988. Since then it has just been Star Wars 1, 2, and 3 and I think we know how those turned out. This one fared no differently.
· Most of action sequences are dumb. I know that Indiana Jones movies are built around extravagant action scenes but there is always some degree where it could happen. Surviving a nuclear blast in a fridge? Swinging through the jungle on vines? The scenes were cheesy, silly, and only done to show off average special effects.
· Aliens, how original. Again, Indiana Jones movies have always had some supernatural aspect but they have been original. Alien involvement is not original, it is silly.
Final Notes: I feel that I need to say this up front: I can’t judge this movie on its own. Which brings up the question: should this be judged on its own or should it be judged in light of its predecessors? I find myself in the latter group. I grew up with the originals and it was primarily because of those, that I wanted to see this one. It was entertaining but a very poor capstone to an amazing trilogy.
Young's Review
To say there was a lot of hype heading into 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' would be to revel in understatement. Fans of the original trilogy were worried about the movie living up to the glory of its predecessors and wondering if Harrison Ford still had what it took to carry the franchise.
While there are enough holes to fall short of the original three films, Ford's performance still makes Indiana Jones 4 entertaining enough. That is why I am giving it a 'thumbs up'.
The movie opens in 1957 in the remote Nevada desert. Rogue Russian military officers have captured Mr. Jones and his friend Mac (Ray Winstone) in hopes that Indy can lead them to an ancient artifact that guards a massive treasure. The commies, led by the cold and calculating Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett), don't quite realize who they are dealing with. Mac reveals himself to be a traitor, seemingly leaving Indy in a no-win situation. The audience knows better, however, and an action packed chase scene ensues.
Not long after his escape, Indy meets a brash young man in need of his assistance named Mutt (Shia LaBeouf). Mutt explains that his mother, along with Indy's mentor Professor Oxley (John Hurt), has been kidnapped by the Russians. Furthermore, he explains that his mother instructed him to find Indy to help out. Reluctantly, Indy finally agrees, and the adventure is on.
What follows is the typical Indiana Jones experience on steroids. The car chases are a little wilder, the fight scenes a bit more hectic and the believability factor stretched even further. All the hijinks are fun, but be warned: this movie is not for someone who needs their action to be realistic. The sequence in the jungle is so off the wall it makes a James Bond movie look like a documentary by comparison. The crowning moment is the ridiculous sight of Mutt doing his best Tarzan impression by swinging from vine to vine to catch up to the enemy.
Legendary director Steven Spielberg maintains a breakneck pace from the start. He also pulls out a fourth consecutive good performance out of Ford. Much was made about Ford's age prior to the movie's release, but Mr. Han Solo is up to the task. He still exudes the perfect blend of charm and cockiness, while always maintaining his Average Joe persona (yes, he still hates snakes).
LaBoeuf is a pleasant surprise as Mutt. His greaser look is a tool for laughs throughout and he holds his own in the presence of Ford. Blanchett is the perfect choice for the villain, and Karen Allen looks almost the same as she did nearly 30 years ago as Indy's old flame Marion Ravenwood, who as it turns out is Mutt's mother.
The ending is a bit much to take as things turn a bit weird. If you can get past the unblievable nature of the action scenes, though, this is an entertaining way to spend two hours. Number four is not as good as the first three, but taken on its own is a fun time.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Friday, May 16, 2008
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Wilsford's Review
Thumb: Up
Notable Characters:
Ben Barnes – Prince Caspian
Georgie Henley – Lucy Pevensie
Skandar Keynes – Edmund Pevensie
William Moseley – Peter Pevensie
Anna Popplewell – Susan Pevensie
Sergio Castellitto – King Miraz
Plot (contains spoilers):
The land of Narnia has been taken over by the Telmarines. Since the death of Caspian IX, the people have been waiting for Caspian X to come of age and take over the throne. However when Miraz, Caspian’s uncle, has a son, he orders the prince’s death and Caspian must quickly leave the castle. Before his departure, his tutor gives him a horn and tells him to blow it when he needs help. Riding through the forest Caspian is sandwiched between knights and dwarfs and blows on the horn. The Pevensie kids, back in Post WWII London, are getting on a train when they are suddenly all back in Narnia. As they explore they realize that it has been many years since they were last in Narnia. Eventually they meet up with Caspian and decide to gather all creatures of Narnia to go to war and rid the land of the Telmarines. Facing horrible odds, Peter challenges King Miraz to a winner take all duel. Peter wins and as a result of treachery of one of the Telmarines, the Narnians are forced to fight. Slowly losing, Alsan finally makes an appreance to rescue the Narnians. Caspian becomes king of Narnia and the Pevensies go back to London, however we learn that only two will return.
Reasons why I didn’t like it:
· Totally not a PG movie. I don’t know how it got that rating. This movie had to have set a record for most death in a PG movie. If you are planning on taking small kids to see this, beware.
· I read all the books but I don’t remember them and it was awhile since I saw the first movie. This movie had no recap, so if you didn’t see the first one there were some things that you wouldn’t get completely. Also there were some moments that seemed important, at least that is what the music hinted, that I didn’t fully understand. I think I might have if I read the books and remembered them.
Reasons why I liked it:
· Great story. I don’t remember the book, so I can say if it stayed true, but it had all the makings of a good epic. Also this movie was darker than the last and I love dark movies.
· I had read that some people thought the acting was horrible but I think that the actors were enormously better than they were in the first movie. I felt that they had grown in their acting abilities and because they are all a little older, the action sequences were fantastic.
· The books were written by C.S. Lewis, Christian theologian, and so the books/movies have Christian themes in them. However I feel that this is a movie that anyone can see, even those who hate Christians because the Christian lessons this movie promotes is like Aslan, you won’t find it until you go looking for it.
Final Notes: Wonderful movie and I can’t wait for the next one due in 2010. Can’t really say if it was better than Ironman because they are different movies but I think that I had more fun watching this than Ironman.
Thumb: Up
Notable Characters:
Ben Barnes – Prince Caspian
Georgie Henley – Lucy Pevensie
Skandar Keynes – Edmund Pevensie
William Moseley – Peter Pevensie
Anna Popplewell – Susan Pevensie
Sergio Castellitto – King Miraz
Plot (contains spoilers):
The land of Narnia has been taken over by the Telmarines. Since the death of Caspian IX, the people have been waiting for Caspian X to come of age and take over the throne. However when Miraz, Caspian’s uncle, has a son, he orders the prince’s death and Caspian must quickly leave the castle. Before his departure, his tutor gives him a horn and tells him to blow it when he needs help. Riding through the forest Caspian is sandwiched between knights and dwarfs and blows on the horn. The Pevensie kids, back in Post WWII London, are getting on a train when they are suddenly all back in Narnia. As they explore they realize that it has been many years since they were last in Narnia. Eventually they meet up with Caspian and decide to gather all creatures of Narnia to go to war and rid the land of the Telmarines. Facing horrible odds, Peter challenges King Miraz to a winner take all duel. Peter wins and as a result of treachery of one of the Telmarines, the Narnians are forced to fight. Slowly losing, Alsan finally makes an appreance to rescue the Narnians. Caspian becomes king of Narnia and the Pevensies go back to London, however we learn that only two will return.
Reasons why I didn’t like it:
· Totally not a PG movie. I don’t know how it got that rating. This movie had to have set a record for most death in a PG movie. If you are planning on taking small kids to see this, beware.
· I read all the books but I don’t remember them and it was awhile since I saw the first movie. This movie had no recap, so if you didn’t see the first one there were some things that you wouldn’t get completely. Also there were some moments that seemed important, at least that is what the music hinted, that I didn’t fully understand. I think I might have if I read the books and remembered them.
Reasons why I liked it:
· Great story. I don’t remember the book, so I can say if it stayed true, but it had all the makings of a good epic. Also this movie was darker than the last and I love dark movies.
· I had read that some people thought the acting was horrible but I think that the actors were enormously better than they were in the first movie. I felt that they had grown in their acting abilities and because they are all a little older, the action sequences were fantastic.
· The books were written by C.S. Lewis, Christian theologian, and so the books/movies have Christian themes in them. However I feel that this is a movie that anyone can see, even those who hate Christians because the Christian lessons this movie promotes is like Aslan, you won’t find it until you go looking for it.
Final Notes: Wonderful movie and I can’t wait for the next one due in 2010. Can’t really say if it was better than Ironman because they are different movies but I think that I had more fun watching this than Ironman.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
What Happens In Vegas
This Saturday, I am back in the saddle after a long Saturday morning hiatus. Since James will be gone, it is my pick this week. Therefore, my wife and I (and hopefully you!) will be screening the New Ashton Kutcher/Cameron Diaz comedy 'What Happens In Vegas' at the Esquire in Richmond Heights at 11 a.m. As usual, tickets are just four bucks. I hope to see many of you there!
Nathan
Nathan
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Leatherheads
By Nathan Young
Professional football has grown so much that Super Bowl Sunday is an unofficial national holiday.
That was not always the case, as 'Leatherheads' points out. George Clooney's latest directorial effort is a fun and nostalgic look at the game at its roots, leather helmets inluded (thus the movie's title). While it does not reach hall-of-fame status in the sports movie category, Clooney's performance both behind the camera and in front of it is worthy of a 'thumbs up'.
Jimmy "Dodge" Connelly (Clooney) is an aging football player for the Duluth (Minn.) Bulldogs who aspires to make pro football a legitmate enterprise in the mid-1920's. The college game is booming, drawing tens of thousands of fans each week. The Bulldogs, by comparison, are lucky to crack triple digits at the turnstiles. Dodge concocts a plan to woo college superstar and war hero Carter "The Bullet" Rutherford (John Krasinski, aka Jim from 'The Office'), to join his team. Carter is a stellar running back at Princeton who also is a successful pitchman for many products.
Just as Dodge begins to negotiate with Carter and his meddlesome agent (Jonathan Pryce), an enterprising reporter enters the scene. Lexie Littleton (Renee Zellweger) is a tough customer who is looking to find the real story of Carter's wartime heroics that earned him a medal of honor. He is no hero at all, according to a source, and she sets out to prove it while following the Bulldogs' season.
Carter joins the Bulldogs and pro football begins to take off. A love triangle ensues involving the three main characters, with Dodge providing the rugged, experienced option to Carter's boyish charm for Ms. Littleton.
The movie starts a little slow, but finds its stride about a quarter of the way through. The cast is too good to let things bog down too much. Clooney, a movie star in the truest sense of the term, carries the load. He brings a bit of his 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' sensibility to the proceedings. Zellweger is fesity in the role of Lexie. In a man's world, she makes her presence known without being intimidated. Krasinski again proves he has a promising future ahead of him after being one of the few bright spots in last year's otherwise forgettable 'License To Wed'. He strikes a perfect balance of self confidence and charm.
The supporting cast is very good as well, especially Keith Loneker as the hulking high schooler turned pro Big Gus. In fact, a scene where Gus joins the team at a train station is one of the funniest in the movie. Clooney the director gets the most out of all of his actors and moves the story along in fine fashion.
The movie does not have as many laugh out loud moments as I had hoped for. The quality of the story overcame that fact though, thanks in part to former 'Sports Illustrated' columnist Rick Reilly, who co-wrote the screeplay. The movie is an ode to the way football used to be played, before money turned it from a game into a business. It is an entertaining way to spend an hour and a half, and ultimately that is the point of seeing this type of movie in the first place.
Professional football has grown so much that Super Bowl Sunday is an unofficial national holiday.
That was not always the case, as 'Leatherheads' points out. George Clooney's latest directorial effort is a fun and nostalgic look at the game at its roots, leather helmets inluded (thus the movie's title). While it does not reach hall-of-fame status in the sports movie category, Clooney's performance both behind the camera and in front of it is worthy of a 'thumbs up'.
Jimmy "Dodge" Connelly (Clooney) is an aging football player for the Duluth (Minn.) Bulldogs who aspires to make pro football a legitmate enterprise in the mid-1920's. The college game is booming, drawing tens of thousands of fans each week. The Bulldogs, by comparison, are lucky to crack triple digits at the turnstiles. Dodge concocts a plan to woo college superstar and war hero Carter "The Bullet" Rutherford (John Krasinski, aka Jim from 'The Office'), to join his team. Carter is a stellar running back at Princeton who also is a successful pitchman for many products.
Just as Dodge begins to negotiate with Carter and his meddlesome agent (Jonathan Pryce), an enterprising reporter enters the scene. Lexie Littleton (Renee Zellweger) is a tough customer who is looking to find the real story of Carter's wartime heroics that earned him a medal of honor. He is no hero at all, according to a source, and she sets out to prove it while following the Bulldogs' season.
Carter joins the Bulldogs and pro football begins to take off. A love triangle ensues involving the three main characters, with Dodge providing the rugged, experienced option to Carter's boyish charm for Ms. Littleton.
The movie starts a little slow, but finds its stride about a quarter of the way through. The cast is too good to let things bog down too much. Clooney, a movie star in the truest sense of the term, carries the load. He brings a bit of his 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' sensibility to the proceedings. Zellweger is fesity in the role of Lexie. In a man's world, she makes her presence known without being intimidated. Krasinski again proves he has a promising future ahead of him after being one of the few bright spots in last year's otherwise forgettable 'License To Wed'. He strikes a perfect balance of self confidence and charm.
The supporting cast is very good as well, especially Keith Loneker as the hulking high schooler turned pro Big Gus. In fact, a scene where Gus joins the team at a train station is one of the funniest in the movie. Clooney the director gets the most out of all of his actors and moves the story along in fine fashion.
The movie does not have as many laugh out loud moments as I had hoped for. The quality of the story overcame that fact though, thanks in part to former 'Sports Illustrated' columnist Rick Reilly, who co-wrote the screeplay. The movie is an ode to the way football used to be played, before money turned it from a game into a business. It is an entertaining way to spend an hour and a half, and ultimately that is the point of seeing this type of movie in the first place.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Iron Man
Wilsford's Review
Thumb: Up
Notable Characters:
Robert Downey Jr. - Tony Stark
Terrence Howard - Jim Rhodes
Jeff Bridges - Obadiah Stane
Gwyneth Paltrow - Pepper Potts
Plot (contains spoilers): Playboy and super genius, Tony Stark, has built a multi-billion dollar empire based on making weapons. While in the Middle East showing off a new weapon he is captured by terrorists and forced to replicate the weapon for them. The terrorists have managed to accumulate a giant stockpile of Stark Industries weapons and so Tony has all that he needs to rebuild the weapon. Locked in a cave Tony decides to build something different, a giant mechanical suit. With this suit he breaks out of his cell, kills many terrorists, and destroys all of his weapons that they possess. When he returns to the states, he calls for a press conference where he tells the media that due to his eye opening experience his company is no longer going to build weapons and instead help people around the world. To aid his cause he decides to remake the iron suit with improvements. Obadiah Stane, second-in-command of the company, angry over Tony's choice to stop making weapons, learns of what Stark is doing and builds himself a suit but for the purpose of making the ultimate weapon. Tony Stark flys around saving people but the real show down is when Iron Man goes head-to-head with Stane's creation. Iron Man wins.
Reason why I didn’t like it:
Thumb: Up
Notable Characters:
Robert Downey Jr. - Tony Stark
Terrence Howard - Jim Rhodes
Jeff Bridges - Obadiah Stane
Gwyneth Paltrow - Pepper Potts
Plot (contains spoilers): Playboy and super genius, Tony Stark, has built a multi-billion dollar empire based on making weapons. While in the Middle East showing off a new weapon he is captured by terrorists and forced to replicate the weapon for them. The terrorists have managed to accumulate a giant stockpile of Stark Industries weapons and so Tony has all that he needs to rebuild the weapon. Locked in a cave Tony decides to build something different, a giant mechanical suit. With this suit he breaks out of his cell, kills many terrorists, and destroys all of his weapons that they possess. When he returns to the states, he calls for a press conference where he tells the media that due to his eye opening experience his company is no longer going to build weapons and instead help people around the world. To aid his cause he decides to remake the iron suit with improvements. Obadiah Stane, second-in-command of the company, angry over Tony's choice to stop making weapons, learns of what Stark is doing and builds himself a suit but for the purpose of making the ultimate weapon. Tony Stark flys around saving people but the real show down is when Iron Man goes head-to-head with Stane's creation. Iron Man wins.
Reason why I didn’t like it:
- It would have been cooler to see more Iron Man gadgets. Though I am not familiar with the story at all, I'm sure that there were some sweet things that didn't get shown.
- Robert Downey Jr was perfect for this. He was really a fun to watch.
- Special effects were great. They rivaled the effects of Transformers, which in my opinion was the best special effects of last year.
- Good story telling. One of the things that really make me dislike a movie is when a character goes through a transformation and it seemed to happen over night with out much prompting. This was the opposite. Stark's transformation was logical and realistic. When you do things like that it helps people to get involved in the story.
- Great ending. It just seemed perfect for the character.
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