Dark Skies Review

It came from a suburban house---JK Simmons and Keri Russell explore the possibility of an alien attack in Dark Skies
                        Dark Skies is the latest in a long line of horror films that feature a nice, quiet family being tested by a force greater than themselves. Mama and Sinister are two recent examples of this type of film. The difference with Dark Skies, however, is that it's actually very well done. Sure---it's no Close Encounters Of The Third Kind but for an alien invasion film---it's pretty damn good. This is mostly due to the fact that throughout the film you question whether the family is crazy or if aliens are actually among them.

                        The film follows a married couple---Lacy and Daniel (Keri Russell and Josh Hamilton) and their two sons---Jesse and Sam (Dakota Goyo and Kadan Rockett.) When Sam starts having weird episodes in the middle of the night...Lacy and Daniel suspect something else is going on. It is not long after that they themselves are having weird episodes. Lacy has a meltdown in front of potential clients and Daniel experiences out of body episodes. Soon---they go to an expert (JK Simmons) who gives them more than they want to hear.

                        A great aspect of the film is the way it presents these episodes. They are not random happenings with no purpose. Rather...they follow a pattern and make the audience wonder just why the hell this family is experiencing these things. Also...the film never peters out. There were many times where I thought the film was going to give us the whole nine yards too early and it never did. The performances are also terrific. Russell, Hamilton, Goyo and Rockett all give the film a very authentic feel---as if we were watching a real family. As well---I liked the mystery involving why, if there are aliens, did they choose this particular suburban family?

                        All of these aspects combine to make a consistently entertaining and highly satisfying film. There is not a moment when I was bored and although it does sometimes veer slightly into dumb territory..it still works in spades. I highly suggest seeing Dark Skies if you want some good old fashioned horror fun or if you just want to see one of the better, non-Oscar films in theaters as of now.
(4 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated PG-13 for violence, terror throughout, sexual material, drug content and language---all involving teens)

Beautiful Creatures Review

Oh oh it's magic---Alden Ehrenreich and Alice Englert fall in love despite powers at work in Beautiful Creatures
                                     Going in to Beautiful Creatures....I had zero expectations. You read that right...zero. I was expecting no more than a humdrum chick flick that I would not be able to relate to or even enjoy. However, I enjoyed Beautiful Creatures immensely. Yes...you have seen this type of film many times before but thanks to the excellent chemistry between the couple at the center of the story as well as the uncanny supporting cast...the film actually works quite well.

                                       The film follows Ethan (Alden Ehrenreich) who keeps having dreams about a girl he's never met. When a new and controversial student named Lena (Alice Englert) moves into town...Ethan immediately falls in love with her and thinks that she may be the girl he's been dreaming about. However, Lena has supernatural powers and her uncle (Jeremy Irons) along with two townswomen (Emma Thompson and Viola Davis) do not approve of Ethan and Lena seeing each other.

                                         The film is engaging in many ways. The main way that this film got me into it was because of Lena and Ethan's chemistry. Newcomers Ehrenreich and Englert really make the audience feel every one of the couple's emotions. As well---they never let the characters off easy. These two actors show Lena and Ethan in their best and worst lights. The film is also very cool looking. Based upon the novel by Kami Garcia...screenplay writer-director Richard LaGravenese does an excellent job of both bringing the movie to life and directing it excellently. The film has a look all its own and that was a huge plus for me.

                                           The flaws of the film are few and far between but I feel obliged to discuss them. First off---the film is about 20 minutes too long and does start to repeat itself a bit towards the end. Also---while most of the dialogue in the film is refreshing and subtle....there are one or two laughable lines. The only other real flaw of the film is that it does take a few minutes more than it needed to in order to fully explain what the plot is all about. None of these flaws were fatal or stopped me from enjoying the movie at any point, however.

                                              It may not be a phenomenal piece of work or the Citizen Kane of teen romances. Still----Beautiful Creatures is a great date movie that both guys and their girlfriends should like and is just a good time at the movies in general. If you're looking for a movie to watch this weekend...you could do much worse.
(3 and 1/2 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated PG-13 for violence, scary images and some sexual material)

Quartet Review

The best exotic music old retirement home---Billy Connolly and Tom Courtenay as operatic singers in Quartet
                       Quartet is the latest in a long line of films in which the audience is supposed to pity the old people while they do waking things. If you don't believe that this is a current trend you may need to see The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Parental Guidance, Stand Up Guys and the upcoming Terrence Stamp comedy Unfinished Song. This particular film is not half bad for the type of film it is but I hate the type of movie that it is so much that I can't come close to recommending it. It's an honest effort but it's also a tired one.
           
                        The film follows a former quartet singer named Jean (Maggie Smith) who enters a retirement home for retired musicians. There she catches up with her old quartet members (Billy Connolly, Tom Courtenay and Pauline Collins.) They plan to put on one last fundraiser show much to Jean's chagrin.

                        The film is all too simultaneously syrupy and wacky in the way it approaches itself. The old guys are obsessed with sex while the old ladies are trying to get back to their glory days. It's the same formula done over and over and over again. There's nothing new here and although director Dustin Hoffman and screenwriter Ronald Harwood (who also wrote the play on which the film is based) do give the audience a few honest and even funny scenes---they do nothing to do anything original.

                          Perhaps I'm being a bit of a grouch. I did admit that Quartet succeeds in some aspects. Still---I think I'm justified in not recommending it. If you're going to make a movie with a premise that been done to death...do something....anything original. Unfortunately, Hoffman and Harwood fail in that aspect and therefore I have to chalk this up as a dull, uninteresting outing to the cinema.
(2 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated PG-13 for brief strong language and suggestive humor)

Snitch Review

A tattletale tale---Susan Sarandon and Dwayne Johnson as a district attorney and a man who must get his son out of jail in Snitch
                                        Snitch is the anti-Tooth Fairy. There is not one scene of Dwayne Johnson wearing a tutu and it is Johnson at his ass kicking best. Snitch is also surprisingly smart and subtle about the story it tells. Until the last 20 minutes...it takes the road unfortunately not often taken. It is an action film with heart and real, tangible suspense.

                                         In the film...Johnson plays John Matthews. His son, Jason (Rafi Gavron) just got busted for having many pounds of narcotics delivered to him. Jason is now in jail and after a meeting with a district attorney (Susan Sarandon)....John sets out to catch two different drug cartels. This involves getting one of his employees (Jon Bernthal) to introduce him to the drug cartel world. The two cartels are led by Malik (Michael Kenneth Williams) and El Topo (Benjamin Bratt.) Also involved is a DEA agent (Barry Pepper.)

                                          The casting is solid from top to bottom. Johnson makes the perfect hero who's sympathetic even if his character is being accurate to the film's title. Gavron is extremely believable as a dumb  kid who got caught up in a sticky situation. Bernthal is a convincing ex-con. Williams and Bratt are very creepy as the drug kingpins and Pepper is phenomenal as the gritty DEA agent. The film also features smart dialogue galore. The audience gets caught up in the world of these people (mostly because the dialogue is so believable.) As well---the story is so exciting and realistic that you start to ask yourself "what would I do if I were in this situation?" The last 20 minutes does become too much of a fantastic and takes away from the realistic, gritty situation at hand but it doesn't ruin the film by any means.

                                            Snitch isn't exactly going to make my list of the 10 or even 20 best films of 2013. However---in the midst of February where 98% of the films in theaters are either humdrum or ridiculous....Snitch is a nice vacation into a thrilling, more realistic approach to your typical action film.
(3 and 1/2 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated PG-13 for drug content and sequences of violence)

Safe Haven Review

A not so ideal place---Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel fall in love despite a tragic event in Safe Haven
                               Safe Haven is a dull film that only has its twist going for it. I will say that the twist does pack a punch but not in a good way. It is a twist of excruciatingly obvious and shocking proportions that knows the idea of what a twist should consist of but has it in the wrong film. As for the film itself---it's an overlong, boring, cliche, terrible mess with characters that are either too nice or too nasty.It is based on a Nicholas Sparks novel but it's no The Notebook. 

                               The film follows Katie (Julianne Hough) who is wanted by the police and escapes to a small, quiet town where she meets Alex (Josh Duhamel) and immediately falls in love. With no excitement in their romance...they do typical Sparks activities. They kiss, go on a boat ride, hold hands, etc. Oh yeah and since it is based on a Sparks novel...there is some danger involved. This time---that danger is a cop (David Lyons.)

                                The film is way too sappy for its own good. Its mesh of gooey "look at the couple" stuff and dangerous "is she going to get caught" aspects may seem like it would appeal to both genres. That's where the filmmakers are wrong. Just because you have thriller aspects in a syrupy chick flick doesn't mean it's still not a syrupy chick flick. Duhamel is a good actor and should try to get some better work than this film, When In Rome and Movie 43. Hough, however, should give up acting altogether. Between this film and the unbearable Rock of Ages....she has proven to audiences, critics and casting directors alike that filmmakers should just give up on trying to make her a star. She's not a good actress in the slightest and she is attractive in the most Plain Jane way possible. The fact that this was directed by Lasse Hallstrom depresses me. He used to be such a good director (see Chocolat, The Cider House Rules and the stunning What's Eating Gilbert Grape.) Now Hallstrom is stuck doing Safe Haven, Dear John and the much too sappy Salmon Fishing In The Yemen. 

                                Safe Haven is a terrible film. It is boring, predictable and dumb in the worst ways possible. It never gets its two feet or even one foot off the ground. If you truly love someone this Valentines Day...don't take them to see this garbage. This film was made for those girls who want to get back on their cheating boyfriends on Valentines Day.
(1/2 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated PG-13 for thematic material including threatening behavior and for violence and sexuality)

Stand Up Guys Review

How low can you go?---Christopher Walken and Al Pacino are a couple of gangsters in Stand Up Guys
                                  Just when I thought that Kangaroo Jack and The Country Bears were the low points in Christopher Walken's career and Cruising and Revolution were the low points in Al Pacino's...I had to see Stand Up Guys....a truly boring and ludicrous film that doesn't know whether it wants to be a gangster comedy, a drama, a thriller or a plain action film. Despite the presence of three of my favorite actors---Walken, Pacino and Alan Arkin...there is nothing appealing about this film.

                                  The film follows Val (Pacino) and Doc (Walken) through one rambunctious night on the town. Val has just been released from jail and Doc wants to show him a good time. All the while...they break their friend Hirsch (Arkin) free from a nursing home.

                                  Perhaps the thought of three geriatric gangsters played by three highly acclaimed actors sounds funny to you. It's not. When it tries to be funny...it fails miserably. However, it rarely tries to be  funny because it's too busy mixing genres much too often. One scene is violent, the next attempts to be funny and the next attempts to be sad. It's a vicious cycle. It's almost as if first time writer Noah Haidle and director Fisher Stevens (who you may remember as Ben from the Short Circuit movies) couldn't find any kind of rhythm to go with the film so they tried everything in the book.

                                   Also...every character in this film is completely unrealistic. Val is a stuck-up gangster with a heart of gold. Doc is just trying to look for someone to help guide him through the rest of his life. Hirsch is an old man who doesn't know that cars now have buttons to make them start but can still thoroughly satisfy three young ladies' sexual needs. All of these traits are ones that I didn't buy for a second. As well...am I really supposed to feel for these characters when all of them are unlikable in one way or another? I don't think so.

                                  You'll hear a very familiar quote from an obscure 80's film in Stand Up Guys. This is not because the people involved in the making of this film thought it might be funny. Rather...it's because they ran out of ideas far too early in the film. The 45 minutes or so of trying to find something...anything to happen in the film all lead up to the obligatory conclusion. Badly directed, edited, acted, written, produced, costume designed and anything else you can think of...Stand Up Guys is a lesson in not relying on your talented actors to carry a film.
(1/2 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for language, sexual content, violence and brief drug use)

A Good Day To Die Hard Review

Shoot em up---Jai Courtney and Bruce Willis as a father and son who must take down a group of terrorists in A Good Day To Die Hard
                                            The first Die Hard would make my list of the ten best films ever made. It is a tense, gripping action thriller with a terrific villain and an extremely charismatic hero in John McClane (Bruce Willis.) While A Good Day To Die Hard is certainly my least favorite of the five...it is still a solid action flick that manages to find a new, equally charismatic partner for John.

                                               That partner is John's son, Jack (Jai Courtney.) Jack is a CIA operative now and when  John goes down to Moscow to visit Jack---he soon realizes that Jack is in the middle of stopping a group of terrorists from stealing a bunch of nuclear weapons.

                                                The plot's as cut and dry as that. There is nothing here that would surprise anyone. The film is ridiculous and dumb and loud and a complete blast. Even the most poorly made films can be appealing enough to tickle my fancy and this is proof if I've ever seen it. Willis and Courtney make a wonderful team and the villains of the film are effective enough for who they are. There are many spots in the film where I began to yearn for the old Die Hard but then I remembered that in order to enjoy a film like this---I must not compare it to its predecessors. Yes---this is a typical, dumb action film while the original was an inventive action film. However, the original was 25 years ago. That means that in today's market it may also be considered pretty typical for an action film.

                                                The point I'm trying to make here is that A Good Day To Die Hard is not a great movie. It is, however, a fun and loud enough time at the movies that I recommend you go see it in theaters. You will not get the same experience watching it in the comfort of your own home and it is surely worth seeing with a crowd.
(3 and 1/2 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for violence and language)

Side Effects Review

A disturbing case of medical malfeasance---Rooney Mara and Channing Tatum are husband and wife in Side Effects
                          Medicine has always been one of the scariest things to me. You simply never know what's going to happen once you digest a pill. Hell---my dad almost died from taking Januvia a few years back. The new thriller Side Effects may not be an amazing film but it does explore both the dangers of medicine and the trustworthiness of doctors in an engaging and smart fashion. Many people have claimed that this is going to be Steven Soderbergh's last film. If this is the case...let the man go out on a fairly high note than have him screw up later.

                            The film stars Rooney Mara as Emily. Her husband, Martin (Channing Tatum) just got out of jail and is seeing a psychiatrist for her anxiety. The psychiatric, Jonathan Banks (Jude Law) prescribes her anxiety pills that have unusual side effects. The main thing is her abnormal habit of sleepwalking which leads to some pretty dangerous situations. All the while...Jonathan may or may not be in cahoots with Emily's former psychiatrist, Victoria Siebert (Catherine Zeta-Jones.)

                             The acting in this film is exceptional. Everyone from Tatum to Law to Zeta-Jones brings their A-game. The most exceptional performer here, however, is Mara. She is completely believable as the woman who does not seem to be in control of her own self. As well---the screenplay by Scott Z. Burns reminds me of something that Alfred Hitchcock may have churned up in his hey-day. The directing by Soderbergh is perfect. It keeps the audience on the edge of their seats and has many subtle hints within it.

                                Side Effects is not the cream of the crop as far as Soderbergh's career goes. If I had to choose my favorite film of his...it would be between King Of The Hill, Sex Lies And Videotape and Out Of Sight. However...Side Effects may be the most disturbing film that Soderbergh has ever made and I'd be lying if I said that wasn't something.
(4 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for sexuality, nudity, violence and language)

Warm Bodies Review

Night of the loving dead---Nicholas Hoult as a zombie who falls for a living girl (Teresa Palmer) in Warm Bodies
                                     Warm Bodies starts off with a seeming hipster/pretty boy giving an explanation as to what the audience is seeing. He explains that we---the audience are seeing a post-apocalyptic world in which zombies are many and humans are few.

                                      This seeming hipster/pretty boy is R (Nicholas Hoult)...a zombie who goes by R because all he can remember about his name is that it begins with an R. He spends many days looking and grunting at his best friend (Rob Corddry.) After a major attack on the zombies... R falls for a living girl named Julie (Teresa Palmer) whose father (John Malkovich)'s only goal is to rid the zombie population for good.

                                        Writer-Director Jonathon Levine had previously done The Wackness and 50-50...two films that tackled the life of struggling people brilliantly. Now...Levine takes on a more fictional approach that works just as well as his previous two films. This is not only due to Levine but the actors. Hoult brings a certain charm to his part. He is not just a pretty boy or a hipster but a likable guy stuck in a zombie's body. Palmer is very sweet as the girl of R's dreams and Malkovich has some good scenes and makes his mark. Analeigh Tipton plays Julie's best friend Nora and is very funny. Also...the film has a very original look to it. We get both the post-apocalyptic, zombie-infested world look and the look of the world we live in today.

                                           I do wish that the film had a bit more character development and focused on a subplot involving consumption of a vital human body part than it did. Still....Warm Bodies is an original, funny film that manages to mix in some nice action as well. I recommend it for just about anyone looking for a fun, surprisingly dare I say human time at the movies.
(3 and 1/2 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated PG-13 for zombie violence and some language)

Identity Thief Review

Like stealing candy from a baby---Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy go on a road trip in Identity Thief
                           Identity Thief is closer to the bottom of the barrel than the tip of the iceberg for everyone involved. It's not really one or the other...it's just closer. It's a mostly tedious comedy with a few witty moments. However, considering the fact that a very smart, very funny movie could be made out of this premise...it is awfully disappointing.  Poor Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy try their best but the fact of the matter is that Identity Thief wants to have its cake and eat it too and ends up just plain not working.

                           Bateman stars as Sandy Bigelow Patterson who has recently had his identity stolen by a woman named Diana (McCarthy.) The most prominent joke in the film is that Sandy is a female name and Diana is taking advantage of that fact (ho-ho.) Due to a cop (Morris Chestnut) not being able to do anything about her crimes unless she's right in front of him....Sandy travels from Colorado to Florida in order to get Diana arrested.

                            The main problem with the film is that the film tries to be both sympathetic to its characters and make them complete movie characters. Diana is a complete liar and yet we're supposed to feel that there's more to her than meets the eye while Sandy is a nice, logical guy but we're supposed to believe he'll find a reason to befriend Diana. The film also has too much going on for its own good. This would explain its way too long run time of 110 minutes. The audience gets both a bounty hunter and two hired assassins chasing after Diana. After a while...all of it becomes just plain ridiculous and boring. And yes...most of the time ridiculous and boring go hand in hand with each other.

                             Yes...Bateman and McCarthy do have some nice moments together. However, there is no real flow to Identity Thief. The film lacks any real laugh out loud moments that this type of film needs to succeed. As well---it becomes too nice at the end and completely contradicts the first 90 minutes. This film won't exactly ruin any careers but I'd suggest waiting for Netflix on this one.
(2 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for sexual content and language)