AUTOBOTS, ROLLOUT!

4/5

I apologize that it took so long for me to actually finish this review. I saw the movie midnight opening night and have since seen it two more times...

Transofmers: Revenge of the Fallen slowly unfolds as Sam Witwicky (Shia LeBeouf) is preparing to go off to college and moving past his days with the Transformers. However, before he leaves his house he discovers a shard of the cube that was destroyed in the first movie. Optimus Prime (voiced by Peter Cullen) has been hard at work partnering with a secret agency called NEST, which is being led on the ground by Major Lennox (Josh Duhamel). There mission is to find and destroy any Decepticons on planet Earth. The Decepticons know that there is still knowledge of the cube and that Sam has it. We follow Sam, Mikaela (Megan Fox), Agent Simmons (John Turturro) and Leo (Ramon Rodriguez) as they try to unlock the meaning of the knowledge imparted to Sam by the cube shard. Along the way we are teamed up with familiar faces as well as quite a few new ones.

One of the big complaints that I shared with many viewers of the first movie was the choreography and cinematography for the Transformer's fight scenes. Most of these scenes were filmed too closely and chaotically, which made it feel as though we were watching a bunch of scrap metal being smashed together. This complaint was fully remedied in Revenge of the Fallen. The many fight scenes are more well choreographed and also shot from a much wider perspective. This made them feel much more epic and helped show the massive nature of these alien robots.

Not all is well in this Transformers movie. Transformers, which finds it's roots in cartoons, should be a family friendly movie. I do understand that their target demographic is getting older and doesn't need the censorship that a younger audience should be given. However, I found myself being taken aback at the language in a number of scenes. Openly and unsurprisingly Hollywood is become more and more lax in their rating system. Though the language that I speak of isn't terribly strong, we must remember that this will be viewed by a large number of younger children who are quite impressionable by the characters they find inspiring or funny. The comic relief provided by "The Twins", Mudflap and Skids (voiced by Reno Wilson and Tom Kenny respectively), was at times filled with strong language. The "adult" content wasn't limited to the language either. There was some very strong sexual tension and not so subtle innuendo in a number of the earlier scenes. Both of these elements of the movie could have been approached in much different ways, especially considering the wide age range of the viewers. These two things did leave a slightly bad taste in my mouth.

I thought it was wonderful, however, that the Transformers moved in the direction of their origins by incorporating some (in my opinion) much needed smack talk during the fight scenes. This was a big part of the cartoons. Many of the characters would keep running their mouths as they were beating down or getting beat down. My personal favorite scene was one that had many of it's shots pulled into the trailers. Optimus Prime is fighting three separate Decepticons in a sparsely wooded area. The choreography and cinematography are near perfect and the dialogue is delightful. At one moment after felling his opponent Optimus Prime remarks, "Piece of tin." I found the addition of this smack talk to be delightful and moved the live action movies closer to the heart of the cartoons.

Pros:
Light hearted and full of action. Though the beginning is a bit slower in it's development once the action starts it doesn't give much room for breathing until the end of the movie. Although not an amazing script there are some wonderful lines delivered by some of the lead characters. One such line was quite powerful and moved me beyond the movie, "Fate rarely calls upon us at a moment of our choosing."

Cons:
Stronger than necessary language and sexual innuendo that was too strong for a movie with viewers of all ages. The movie left us almost exactly where we were when the first movie ended. Though this isn't a terrible thing, it just seems a bit lazy on the writers part. None of the Transformers, aside from two Autobots and two Decepticons, get much development or depth. If the Transformers are too be recognized as alien beings and not just robots they should have been treated with more respect as far as character development is concerned. Michael Bay has a strange affinity of circling the camera around his characters (go back and watch any of his previous films, he's done it in nearly all of them) this was not only pointless and done too many times, but in one scene I found my self reaching for a trash can. Lastly, although the CGI was very impressive the human/robot interactions were very poorly executed. I've seen many movies with much more convincing real/cgi interactions, they also had much smaller budgets.

Bottom Line:
EPIC! Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen doesn't fall victim to the all too common sequel short comings and delivers a funny, action packed powerhouse that will eat up all of it's summer competition. Michael Bay brings back two of the writers from the original Transformers and scores a movie that is bigger, badder and more explosive than the first. The action scenes are intense and satisfying. The CGI is even more impressive than the first and helps bring the Transformers to a level of intimate detail that truly blurs the line between fiction and reality, absolutely stunning. Unfortunately, the character's, both human and Transformer, get lost in the chaos of the action and feel more shallow than I would have liked.

Back to the Beginning, Sort of

1/5

Jack Black and Michael Cera join forces in their most recent film, Year One. Together Zed (Black) and Oh (Cera) leave their village and set off to create a new tribe. Quite soon after leaving their village they discover that it was raided shortly after their departure and Zed, who is in love with Maya (June Diane Raphael), decides to attempt to free her. Along their journey they cross paths with many familiar biblical faces. Finally landing them in a Roman controlled Sodom...

Year One desperately tries to be something that it largely isn't, funny. I have loved Jack Black and Michael Cera in the overwhelming majority of their movies. Yet, in Year One the script is so focused on trying to push it's political and sexual jokes down your throat that it just ends up tasting like throw up. The movie is thick with very strong sexual innuendo. Being a mildly conservative person, I thought that maybe I was just being unfair to the movie because of my discomfort. So I tried listening to the rest of the theaters responses to the "jokes". Theirs wasn't much different from mine, more squirmy discomfort than laughter.

There was also the very brazen mockery of the early Jewish church. It was bold and in your face. Though some of the lines that were delivered were funny (Abraham's sudden decision to "cut off the tips of our penis") they were often carried too far, and ended up falling short of being humorous.

Every once and a while Jack Black would deliver a great line that was given in true "Jack Black" fashion, but overall it didn't seem like he could really help save this uninspired script. The lead writer, also the director, Harold Ramis has delivered many excellent scripts that were turned into witty and intelligent movies, it's a shame that none of his previous talent was on display here.

Pros:
Jack Black and Michael Cera are both very enjoyable at times and can deliver some wonderful lines.

Cons:
Extreme sexual innuendo that was not only uncomfortable, but also not funny. Lacked any real story arc, practically a bunch of short films and failed one liners.

Bottom Line:
I think that if I were to watch this movie again I would enjoy it more the second time, but I'm not sure that I am willing to give it that second chance. Laden with overt sexual innuendo and early Jewish church mockery, this movie has the opportunity with talent and a good story idea, but fails to deliver anything other than some mild chuckles.

Forced Engagement

3/5

There are reasons why most companies have no fraternization rules in place. Most of us have an innate understanding of why they are there, apparently these rules don't exist in The Proposal. In this slightly darker romantic comedy (I'll explain what I mean by darker later) we are introduced to Editor-in-Chief Margaret (Sandra Bullock) and her executive assistant Andrew (Ryan Reynolds). Margaret is universally feared by everyone in the office, a point that is nearly beaten to death. Andrew is a diligent and hard worker who attends to his boss's every whim. After learning that she will be deported to Canada because of an expired visa, Margaret awkwardly announces her engagement to her bosses, much to Andrews shock and dismay. He grudgingly agrees, but only under the condition that she quickly promotes him to editor. After setting off together to Andrew's home town to celebrate his Gammie's 90th birthday they begin to see things about one another they had never seen before.

The uncomfortable situations and strange dialogue provide most of the laughs as Margaret and Andrew try to figure things and each other out (that is what I mean by darker comedy). The story and characters are mostly unoriginal (see Legally Blonde, The Office, Meet the Parents, etc) but, the movie still has legs strong enough to stand on it's own.

One area that the movie doesn't really come alive is in the two main actors chemistry. Understandably the story tries to make it seem implausible that a real relationship could ever form, but as it (obviously) does it doesn't seem natural or inevitable. Most of the more intimate moments seem forced or even worse scripted. I'm not sure upon whom the blame should fall for this. Honestly, I think that it could fall on both the script and/or the casting. There just didn't seem to be any real connection or chemistry between Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock. Spoiler (highlight to view): I thought their was much more chemistry between Andrew and his ex-fiance, Gertrude (Malin Akerman). In one of their final scenes, I thought it felt more "right" for them to resolve their past and get together than for Andrew to pursue Magaret, but that's just my opinion.

Even if the main characters didn't always do it for me there was always Grammie Annie (Betty White). As she always is, Betty White was wonderful. I am being a bit biased, I think, because she reminded me so much of my own wonderful Grandmother, but I thought she nearly stole the show. Her strange comments and intentionally obvious "face language" (think body language, but just your face) really helped keep the movie especially light hearted and tender.

Pros:
Some very funny moments and great supporting cast make for continuous giggles.

Cons:
Lack of chemistry between Ryan and Sandra. A couple of the scenes and jokes were a bit drawn out and lost their humor along the way.

Bottom Line:
An awkwardly funny romantic comedy that pleases. Though insincere at times and not always convincing The Proposal manages to forge ahead. Overall a movie that most will enjoy. I would just wait and rent it, my wife says I only say that because it's a chick flick and though their is truth to that statement I wouldn't say that in a review of all chick flicks (most, I admit, but not all).

Movie of the Lost

1/5

I'm not even sure I have the heart to give a synopsis... Dr. Rick Marshall, PhD (Will Ferrell) has discovered a type of energy which if... Well, basically he and two other people (Anna Friel and Danny McBride) go through a space-time hole to another dimension, a dimension full of really whacked out stuff. There's lizard people and monkey people and dinosaurs and motels and all sorts of other stuff you'd find in a space-time hole (at least I'd guess).

There is nothing positive to say about this sloppy, disjointed failure of a movie. I usually love Will Ferrell and root for him even when he's in a mediocre movie, but I could barely tolerate a single moment of this movie. Nothing works, the jokes are nearly all duds, the CGI is sub-par, the characters are all shallow and lack any depth or appeal. I've watched movies where every joke was in the trailer, Land of the Lost is similar in this fashion, however at least the jokes were funny in the other movies. I'm sorry if I am at my most negative in this review, but I can't find anything to praise in this film.

Pros:
Will Ferrell, though at his very worst, is still a funny guy at times.

Cons:
Mediocre CGI. Boring, unrelatable characters. Horrid costume design. Terrible script.

Bottom Line:
Land of the Lost is a hopeless wreck. I wouldn't even recommend this one as a rental.

Away We Go

5/5

Pixar's last movie Up tells the wonderful story of Carl (voiced by Edward Asner) who has lived his whole life deeply in love with Ellie (who is only voiced as a young girl by Elie Docter). After her passing, he decides to go on the adventure that they had dreamed about their entire lives. He is accompanied by an uninvited guest, a young boy scout named Russell (voiced by Jordan Nagai), who through his innocence and devotion wins Carl's heart despite Carl's coldness and forced solitude. Together they embark upon a fantastical journey to South America, along the way meeting talking dogs and a huge bird named Kevin.

Up contains it all, action, adventure, humor and tender hearted moments. After an initial introduction of Carl and Ellie as children we are given a movie montage of their lives together, with nearly no spoken words. It is so compelling and well shot that it carries power through the rest of the movie. The action/adventure scenes are well shot and just tense enough to satisfy one's appetite while not overwhelming any younger viewers. All of the characters are given opportunity to deliver some cleverly written and witty remarks that keep them the movie's atmosphere light hearted and grounded.

I saw the movie in 3D and did not get what I expected from the 3D elements of the movie. Most 3D movies throw their 3D fists in your face (quite literally at times), but Up doesn't do this. Instead the 3D is used to enhance an already beautifully crafted world. There are moments where things jump out of the screen, but the overwhelming majority of the movie's 3D is simply to give a sense of depth and scope. Though the characters in Up are not intended to look "real", the rest of the movie gets pretty close. The lighting and texture of objects, both in the foreground and background are wonderfully brought to life. Everything in the movie has a great amount of detail, it seemed as if I could have reached out and felt the individual fronds on a fern or the stubble on Carl's chin or even run my fingers through Doug's (one of the talking dogs) hair.

Pros:
A wonderfully crafted world, populated with delightful characters that have depth and honesty. Completely different take on what a 3D movie is and still massively appealing on this front. Simple, yet deep, character driven story that captures our attention and our hearts. The voice talent is well delivered from every character both big and small.

Cons:
None

Bottom Line:
Pixar cannot fail. Quite simply put Pixar's newest movie "Up" is brilliant. It is funny, adventurous and sentimental. It accomplishes everything it intends to and more. A delightful movie for the whole family. If you haven't jumped on the 3D bandwagon yet, here's your invitation. Not unnecessarily throwing objects in your face the 3D helps take an already beautiful movie to the next level.

A Night to Remember

4/5

The Hangover follows Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms) and Alan (Zach Galifianakis) as they desperately try to find Doug (Justin Bartha) who was lost during the world's craziest bachelor party. Opening with a clip of Phil telling Doug's soon to be bride (Sasha Barrese) that they're not going to make it to the wedding on time then going back three days and getting a brief set up to the partying that would ensue, we witness the destruction of their hotel room the morning after...

I haven't cried at a movie in quite a while and this movie brought tears to my eyes. Watching each of the three groomsmen wake up to their hotel room laid waste was absolutely hysterical. I haven't laughed so hard in a looooong time. The rest of the movie was equally as funny. The three main characters were wonderfully fleshed out, each actor brought so much to their respective roles. It was delightful grimacing as the three misfits try so hard to recover their lost groom, all the while only getting into more and more trouble.

The supporting cast were all nicely filled in, all of them either helped give depth to the main characters or helped move the story along. Jon Lucas and Scott Moore wrote a wonderful script that had you roaring in laughter at nearly every new turn. I did have a couple of complaints though. The language, though not as bad as other movies I've seen, was quite strong. I was surprised at how "mild" the rest of the content was until... the pre-credit clips. These took a movie with a weak R rating and nearly turned it into a NC-17 romp. The movie didn't benefit from these at all. Spoiler (highlight to view): At the end of the film the characters find a digital camera containing pictures of their misadventures, they decide to view the pictures once then delete them. The characters' initial reactions of horror and disgust is exactly how the audience responds as we see pictures of strippers, throw-up and a couple of Alan getting "pleasured" in a elevator. The credits could have simply rolled after we saw the characters' reactions to it. That would have been more than enough.

Pros:
Excellent casting. Invested characters and with depth and realism each of which brought something very unique to the story. Very well written script.

Cons:
Pre-credit clips, completely unnecessary. One brief bit of nudity during the movie that again didn't do anything for the story or characters, why do directors do this? Unless it's alluded to in a preview it's not going to sell any extra tickets so again I ask, why?

Bottom Line:
HILARIOUS! This movie is easily one of the funniest movies I've ever watched. The director, Todd Phillips, brings to the table exactly what he did in Old School and again scores big with the audience. I can't say it's a must see in theaters, but anyone who enjoys awkward and/or mildly crude humor will find their sides cramping from laughter by the movies end.