BY RICK JACKSON
The story sets Kung Fu Panda 2 apart from other animated films, including the original Kung Fu Panda in 2008. What makes this sequel work is the animation and sharp colours that distinguish the simple story of Po's quest to save kung fu when Lord Shen, heir to the Peacock clan that ruled Gongmen City, threatens to rule China. However, as the story develops in earnest after a short prologue in case you haven't seen the original lately, you learn how Shen's ambitious plans include getting rid of Po because in a prophecy told to Shen he is told a warrior of black and white will defeat him. As you all know, a panda is comprised of both colours and this means trouble for Po and his mentor, Master Shifu. As you watch Shen's diabolical plan gain momentum, you fear for the worst and you hope Po can really stop him.
The music score by Hans Zimmer and John Powell maintains the dramatic tension set in the original which they also scored and, within the tradition of good storytelling, you are entertained to the hilt by characters who capture your imagination as if you are reading a book to a child. This keeps the story at a level children can understand and adults, too.
Even in 3D, despite the lack of 3D visual effects, the depth of the film can be appreciated and enjoyed as a worthy animated tale from the standpoint of the moviegoer's visual perception.
The cast of voices maintains the kid-like superiority in its telling and this helps all moviegoers in leaving the theatre impressed enough to see the next installment of the kung fu series.
Jack Black gives Po the right amount of child-like wonder with his intonation and behaviour as the eternal child in all of us who wants to fulfil all our ambitions to succeed.
As Po realizes he must find inner peace by accepting his limitations as a panda bear, he begins to remember the lessons his master taught him when he was being trained to become a dragon warrior. As Po finds out, these lessons will prepare him for the rest of his life so he can never forget what he has learned.
The other voices include Angelina Jolie as the tigress, Gary Oldman as Lord Shen, Michelle Yeoh as a soothsayer, and James Hong as Po's foster father, Mr. Ping.
The excitement in Gongmen City elevates the story's fictional plane comparable to the real fighting in such real-life epics like 55 Days In Peking (1963).
Kung Fu Panda 2 is a worthy sequel in both 2D and 3D, and on its own merit it remains totally enjoyable from beginning to end.
It is rated PG, with the warning: cartoon animation action.
May 29, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
CEDAR RAPIDS (FOX SEARCHLIGHT, 2011)***
BY RICK JACKSON
In Cedar Rapids, director Miguel Arteta takes aim at the corporations who hold annual conventions and the competitive spirit that the employees have when it comes to winning a coveted prize that is handed out to the deserving one who is willing to show how meritorous he can be toward the big boss of the company.
In his screenplay, Phil Johnston counts on you to sit back and enjoy the antics of grown men behaving badly in a satirical comedy that is deliberately funny in embarrassing the characters in situations that they normally don't expect. It is all this and more that taps into our perception of businessmen and women who gather to share in some weekend fun.
The model businessman in this comedy is Tim Lippe, who arrives at the town of the film's title where he tries to win the the Two Diamonds Award. Hailing from Brown Valley which is a reputable place where reputable people work for a decent living. However, underneath the innocence of the work ethic is plain humanity getting a workout because all men and women need to be sexually satisfied and it is here under the guise of the convention, the average businessman is exploited. As you watch Ed Helms personify Lippe, you are richly entertained by his sense of "oh by gosh" attitude and mentality, you can't help identify with his generous spirit of being honest and fair in being the best employee ever. In the spirit of comaraderie, you meet his roommates who are decidedly different but basically there to let loose and have fun no matter who is looking over them.
John C. Reilly steals the film as Dean, who isn't afraid to speak his mind and do the unspeakable things which normally wouldn't be done. It is the earnestness of Reilly's character that diverts your attention to the satirical weight of Johnston's simple story of business people at a convention. There is genuine laughter in the way Dean, Tim, Joan (Ann Heche) and the others react with such cluenessness that they draw more attention to themselves as examples of humanity under scrutiny by the very company who is using them as arbiters of salesmanship. When Dean and company throw away rheir innocence and business salvos in a quest for the big award, they don't realize just how ridiculous rhey are and, as a result, you come away laughing at mwn and women who will sacrifice their humility and earnestness to be plainly boys underneath the seriousness of good business.
Sigourney Weaver serves as the film's conscience as a mature schoolteacher whose excitement enjoying sex doesn't deter her from having the time of her life while fulfilling her responsibility to society as a pillar of the community. Her strong supporting role anchors the outrageous behaviour by the men and her own wilfulnesss to show off her human needs. This dichotomy of purpose throws the main plot into a unexpected whirlwind of drunkenness, tomfoolery and plain outlandish fun that Animal House did for fraternities in the late 1970s.
In an ecellent supporting role, Kurtwood Smith plays Orin as the voice of authority and reason disguised under a veneer of temptation as the devil with a purpose that is not clearly defined. Howeveer, he serves his function as the overseer of rambunctiousness caused by his own amoral tendencies in seeing his employees show their naughty side and, at the same time, be present as the company's big brother.
As you watch it all unfold with human nature being displayed for our own pleaasure, Cedar Rapids succeeds as a good time at the movies if you are prepared to see yourself laugh at something genuinely funny beside the embarrassment of unknown riches in seeing firsthand how we all need to share in something funny and dirty without the guilt. Don't be afraid to laugh.
It's rated 14A, with the warnings: coarse language, substance abuse and crude content.
May 28, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
In Cedar Rapids, director Miguel Arteta takes aim at the corporations who hold annual conventions and the competitive spirit that the employees have when it comes to winning a coveted prize that is handed out to the deserving one who is willing to show how meritorous he can be toward the big boss of the company.
In his screenplay, Phil Johnston counts on you to sit back and enjoy the antics of grown men behaving badly in a satirical comedy that is deliberately funny in embarrassing the characters in situations that they normally don't expect. It is all this and more that taps into our perception of businessmen and women who gather to share in some weekend fun.
The model businessman in this comedy is Tim Lippe, who arrives at the town of the film's title where he tries to win the the Two Diamonds Award. Hailing from Brown Valley which is a reputable place where reputable people work for a decent living. However, underneath the innocence of the work ethic is plain humanity getting a workout because all men and women need to be sexually satisfied and it is here under the guise of the convention, the average businessman is exploited. As you watch Ed Helms personify Lippe, you are richly entertained by his sense of "oh by gosh" attitude and mentality, you can't help identify with his generous spirit of being honest and fair in being the best employee ever. In the spirit of comaraderie, you meet his roommates who are decidedly different but basically there to let loose and have fun no matter who is looking over them.
John C. Reilly steals the film as Dean, who isn't afraid to speak his mind and do the unspeakable things which normally wouldn't be done. It is the earnestness of Reilly's character that diverts your attention to the satirical weight of Johnston's simple story of business people at a convention. There is genuine laughter in the way Dean, Tim, Joan (Ann Heche) and the others react with such cluenessness that they draw more attention to themselves as examples of humanity under scrutiny by the very company who is using them as arbiters of salesmanship. When Dean and company throw away rheir innocence and business salvos in a quest for the big award, they don't realize just how ridiculous rhey are and, as a result, you come away laughing at mwn and women who will sacrifice their humility and earnestness to be plainly boys underneath the seriousness of good business.
Sigourney Weaver serves as the film's conscience as a mature schoolteacher whose excitement enjoying sex doesn't deter her from having the time of her life while fulfilling her responsibility to society as a pillar of the community. Her strong supporting role anchors the outrageous behaviour by the men and her own wilfulnesss to show off her human needs. This dichotomy of purpose throws the main plot into a unexpected whirlwind of drunkenness, tomfoolery and plain outlandish fun that Animal House did for fraternities in the late 1970s.
In an ecellent supporting role, Kurtwood Smith plays Orin as the voice of authority and reason disguised under a veneer of temptation as the devil with a purpose that is not clearly defined. Howeveer, he serves his function as the overseer of rambunctiousness caused by his own amoral tendencies in seeing his employees show their naughty side and, at the same time, be present as the company's big brother.
As you watch it all unfold with human nature being displayed for our own pleaasure, Cedar Rapids succeeds as a good time at the movies if you are prepared to see yourself laugh at something genuinely funny beside the embarrassment of unknown riches in seeing firsthand how we all need to share in something funny and dirty without the guilt. Don't be afraid to laugh.
It's rated 14A, with the warnings: coarse language, substance abuse and crude content.
May 28, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
BRIDESMAIDS (UNIVERSAL, 2011)****
BY RICK JACKSON
Among the crude comedies that have proliferated at theatres over the last several years, Bridesmaids succeeds in being one of the best of its kind because it is both funny and entertaining without trying to turn off the average moviegoer with its crude and sexual content. This is director Paul Feig's triumphant moment thanks, in large part, to the creative genius of screenwriters Annie Mumolo and Kristin Wiig who steals the film as Annie, one of the bridesmaids of the film's title whose penchant for making people laugh has gone beyond Saturday Night Live to the big screen. Although this is not Wiig's first screen comedy, those of yo who are not sure who she is will be by the time you leave the theatre. Her sense of comic timing and wit turns this so-called chick flick into a tour de force that rarely reaches the big screen with such a resounding round of cheers and laughter.
Wiig's Annie serves as the central focus and you don't dare turn your eyes away from her for too long. Her comic timing from the moment she is arrested by a cop for a broken tail-light conveys the understated and peculiar sense of fun that makes the entire film a complete joy. Dressed in short shorts, her beautiful long legs attract as much attention as Claudette Colbert's in the 1934 Oscar-winning film, It Happened One Night.
As you soon learn, she lives with a British brother and sister and once worked at a popular bakery that has since closed and left her in debt and another job at a jewelry store where the job had no prospects for the future. Her boyfriend, Ted (Jon Hamm) turns out to be the world's biggest heel. When she meets Rhodes (Chris O'Dowd), an Irish cop who secretly wants to go out with her, there are some funny moments. It is only the beginning of what is yet to come in the scheme of things the screenwriters have cooked up.
In keeping with the film's title, all the bridesmaids a.k.a best friends have their share of hilarious fun from their Brazilian lunch and the subsequsnt food poisoning episode minutes later,to their trip on an airplane and the wedding itself. Some of it is crude, but it is not disgusting. All the female moviegoers around me were in state of hysterical laughter quite often and I myself was smiling and laughing, too.
The rest of the cast features Maya Rudolph as Lillian, who is getting married and as other bridesmaids: Rita (Wendi McLendon-Covey), Megan (Melissa McCarthy) and Helen (Rose Byrne).
In her last role, the late Jill Clayburgh plays Annie's mother. It is great to see her again for she reminded me of some of her best work, notably An Unmarried Woman (1978) and Luna (1979).
If you think I've left something out, I haven't. I want you to see Bridesmaids and have some real fun at the movies.
It is rated 14A, with the warnings: crude content, sexual content and coarse language.
May 23, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Among the crude comedies that have proliferated at theatres over the last several years, Bridesmaids succeeds in being one of the best of its kind because it is both funny and entertaining without trying to turn off the average moviegoer with its crude and sexual content. This is director Paul Feig's triumphant moment thanks, in large part, to the creative genius of screenwriters Annie Mumolo and Kristin Wiig who steals the film as Annie, one of the bridesmaids of the film's title whose penchant for making people laugh has gone beyond Saturday Night Live to the big screen. Although this is not Wiig's first screen comedy, those of yo who are not sure who she is will be by the time you leave the theatre. Her sense of comic timing and wit turns this so-called chick flick into a tour de force that rarely reaches the big screen with such a resounding round of cheers and laughter.
Wiig's Annie serves as the central focus and you don't dare turn your eyes away from her for too long. Her comic timing from the moment she is arrested by a cop for a broken tail-light conveys the understated and peculiar sense of fun that makes the entire film a complete joy. Dressed in short shorts, her beautiful long legs attract as much attention as Claudette Colbert's in the 1934 Oscar-winning film, It Happened One Night.
As you soon learn, she lives with a British brother and sister and once worked at a popular bakery that has since closed and left her in debt and another job at a jewelry store where the job had no prospects for the future. Her boyfriend, Ted (Jon Hamm) turns out to be the world's biggest heel. When she meets Rhodes (Chris O'Dowd), an Irish cop who secretly wants to go out with her, there are some funny moments. It is only the beginning of what is yet to come in the scheme of things the screenwriters have cooked up.
In keeping with the film's title, all the bridesmaids a.k.a best friends have their share of hilarious fun from their Brazilian lunch and the subsequsnt food poisoning episode minutes later,to their trip on an airplane and the wedding itself. Some of it is crude, but it is not disgusting. All the female moviegoers around me were in state of hysterical laughter quite often and I myself was smiling and laughing, too.
The rest of the cast features Maya Rudolph as Lillian, who is getting married and as other bridesmaids: Rita (Wendi McLendon-Covey), Megan (Melissa McCarthy) and Helen (Rose Byrne).
In her last role, the late Jill Clayburgh plays Annie's mother. It is great to see her again for she reminded me of some of her best work, notably An Unmarried Woman (1978) and Luna (1979).
If you think I've left something out, I haven't. I want you to see Bridesmaids and have some real fun at the movies.
It is rated 14A, with the warnings: crude content, sexual content and coarse language.
May 23, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
PIRATES 4 (3D), WALT DISNEY, 2011)**
BY RICK JACKSON
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is a lacklustre sequel and despite the overall spirit of adventure engendered by the cast and a great music score by Hans Zimmer, the poorly developed screenplay leaves you wondering why Walt Disney wanted to do a fourth movie, except to cash in on the 3D craze. It's too bad what you saw in the 3D trailer at Christmas didn't make it in the final print because it gave you much anticipation to see an outstanding film in 3D for a change.
Depp's return as Capt. Jack Sparrow redeems the film for his portrayal of a pirate's life for him is creatively exciting to follow. Besides, anyone who has seen Depp's work can attest to his credibility and screen presence in a variety of roles.
After a promising start where Sparrow masquerades as a British judge, the plot gets short shrift by its endless predictable turns. Depp is, albeit, better as the swashbuckling hero this time around and he's having a lot of fun, too. Sure, I'll admit that I was hooked into the story as innocently as any other moviegoer.
Written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio suggested by the novel by Tim Powers which was inspired by the Disneyland theme park ride, the plot of this fourth Pirates adventure has Sparrow seeking the fountain of youth. As luck would have it, Blackbeard (Ian McShane) is after it as well and there are interesting scenes where Blackbeard and Sparrow compete but it is so elementary and rarely up to the standard of other Pirate movies of yesteryear.
Zimmer's music score captures your attention right away and if you are impressed with it you will want to hear more.
If you are watching closely, you will quickly realize there are three people after the fountain of youth. The third is Barbossa, well played by Geoffrey Rush who was last seen in the Oscar-winning The King's Speech. He, at least, plays the part of a real pirate and it is the closest you are going to get to Robert Newton's quintessential role in Disney's 1950 classic, Treasure Island.
McShane is not nearly as nasty as he should be. Wearing a formidable costume with the right makeup is not enough. Still, you have to accept his shortcomings as a screen villain in order to appreciate the story's levels of simplicity and complex measures of grandeur thought up along Sparrow's ill-timed journey.
What really matters is the inherent mischief and adventure presented by the sub plot when our hero must get a mermaid'a tear and this means there are going to be mermaids. One of them is called Syrena (Astrid Berges-Frisbey)and her wiles as a sea mermaid are as innocent as driven snow until you figure out that something is going to go wrong very quickly. At the same time, director Rob Marshall tries hard to be original in presenting something unique the other three movies didn't have.
To be fair, it does offer some reward for your patience so far while wearing those 3D glasses. But wait, there aren't any special effects in 3D and this is a shame.
The race for the fountain of youth is so tame, there is nary a decent pirate squabble or fight to remember.
Penelope Cruz does show her mettle as a female action star when she plays with conviction Angelica, the daughter of a pirate I will not divulge. It adds some amusing scenes that help get rid of any real disappointment you may have by the film's lack of real adventure aboard a pirate ship.
Here is one pirate film where you are left on the plank waiting to be saved from the next adventure Depp wants us to see. This latest trip is not worth taking no matter how pretty the mermaids are.
It is rated PG, with the warnings: frightening scenes and violence.
May 22, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is a lacklustre sequel and despite the overall spirit of adventure engendered by the cast and a great music score by Hans Zimmer, the poorly developed screenplay leaves you wondering why Walt Disney wanted to do a fourth movie, except to cash in on the 3D craze. It's too bad what you saw in the 3D trailer at Christmas didn't make it in the final print because it gave you much anticipation to see an outstanding film in 3D for a change.
Depp's return as Capt. Jack Sparrow redeems the film for his portrayal of a pirate's life for him is creatively exciting to follow. Besides, anyone who has seen Depp's work can attest to his credibility and screen presence in a variety of roles.
After a promising start where Sparrow masquerades as a British judge, the plot gets short shrift by its endless predictable turns. Depp is, albeit, better as the swashbuckling hero this time around and he's having a lot of fun, too. Sure, I'll admit that I was hooked into the story as innocently as any other moviegoer.
Written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio suggested by the novel by Tim Powers which was inspired by the Disneyland theme park ride, the plot of this fourth Pirates adventure has Sparrow seeking the fountain of youth. As luck would have it, Blackbeard (Ian McShane) is after it as well and there are interesting scenes where Blackbeard and Sparrow compete but it is so elementary and rarely up to the standard of other Pirate movies of yesteryear.
Zimmer's music score captures your attention right away and if you are impressed with it you will want to hear more.
If you are watching closely, you will quickly realize there are three people after the fountain of youth. The third is Barbossa, well played by Geoffrey Rush who was last seen in the Oscar-winning The King's Speech. He, at least, plays the part of a real pirate and it is the closest you are going to get to Robert Newton's quintessential role in Disney's 1950 classic, Treasure Island.
McShane is not nearly as nasty as he should be. Wearing a formidable costume with the right makeup is not enough. Still, you have to accept his shortcomings as a screen villain in order to appreciate the story's levels of simplicity and complex measures of grandeur thought up along Sparrow's ill-timed journey.
What really matters is the inherent mischief and adventure presented by the sub plot when our hero must get a mermaid'a tear and this means there are going to be mermaids. One of them is called Syrena (Astrid Berges-Frisbey)and her wiles as a sea mermaid are as innocent as driven snow until you figure out that something is going to go wrong very quickly. At the same time, director Rob Marshall tries hard to be original in presenting something unique the other three movies didn't have.
To be fair, it does offer some reward for your patience so far while wearing those 3D glasses. But wait, there aren't any special effects in 3D and this is a shame.
The race for the fountain of youth is so tame, there is nary a decent pirate squabble or fight to remember.
Penelope Cruz does show her mettle as a female action star when she plays with conviction Angelica, the daughter of a pirate I will not divulge. It adds some amusing scenes that help get rid of any real disappointment you may have by the film's lack of real adventure aboard a pirate ship.
Here is one pirate film where you are left on the plank waiting to be saved from the next adventure Depp wants us to see. This latest trip is not worth taking no matter how pretty the mermaids are.
It is rated PG, with the warnings: frightening scenes and violence.
May 22, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Friday, May 20, 2011
WIN WIN (FOX SEARCHLIGHT, 2011)****
BY RICK JACKSON
Paul Giamatti's star rises with each role he takes on and in his latest, Win Win, is no exception. His strong ability to convey charm in a convincing way without being offensive has endeared him to moviegoers. Whether he is Harvey Pekar in American Splendor, Miles in Sideways, Inspector Uhl in The Illusionist (2006) or Barney Panofsky in Barney's Version or Mike in Win Win there is an unidentifiable quality that critics have also embraced in assessing him as an actor to watch on the big screen.
Writer/director Tom McCarthy again concerns himself with the role of the individual in society today who is constantly being ignored by the growing concerns of money and power in the global village. The world has left him behind like a cog that in a wheel that has left him desperate to get out from undeer. Whether it is the enjoyment of life's little pleasures like playing with trains in The Station Agent (2003) or getting away to just find something to unwind like playing the drums in The Visitor (2007), Mike in Win Win wants to coach a high school team because he feels fulfilled as a human being, a family man who is under the constant pressures of work while trying to live a normal existence. When it is threatened by the boiler that needs to be replaced in the basement of his office and the tree that has to be cut down in front of his house, Mike becomes more frustrated and powerless. On top of all this, he has trouble making ends meet. When he is introduced to a client named Leo Poplar (Burt Young) he seizes the opportunity to solve all his problems. However, for Mike the moral implications are pending and as you watch him work, you are hoping he will realize what he is doing and save himself from making desperate situation appear worse. What is remarkable here is how McCarthy believes in the individual in sociery who will recover by his own faith in himself and, at the same time, restore his faith in humanity to deal better with the continuing series of crises, i.e. corrupting influences that test him daily. In the end, it is not the team that wins the today that Mike coaches or the immoral implications in the court case revolving around Leo's inheritance but in the resurrection of man as the hero from all his problems. This is what Win Win celebrates with a brilliant victory.
Like the best of Frank Capra's films, the small town hero portrayed in Mr. Deeds Goes To Town, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, Meet John Doe, and It's A Wonderful Life, the individual becomes the hero renewed by his faith from his friends and the common people who surround him.
All of McCarthy's films to date are powerful examples of the social problem film in the 21st century.
Win Win is rated 14A, with the warning: coarse language.
May 20, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Paul Giamatti's star rises with each role he takes on and in his latest, Win Win, is no exception. His strong ability to convey charm in a convincing way without being offensive has endeared him to moviegoers. Whether he is Harvey Pekar in American Splendor, Miles in Sideways, Inspector Uhl in The Illusionist (2006) or Barney Panofsky in Barney's Version or Mike in Win Win there is an unidentifiable quality that critics have also embraced in assessing him as an actor to watch on the big screen.
Writer/director Tom McCarthy again concerns himself with the role of the individual in society today who is constantly being ignored by the growing concerns of money and power in the global village. The world has left him behind like a cog that in a wheel that has left him desperate to get out from undeer. Whether it is the enjoyment of life's little pleasures like playing with trains in The Station Agent (2003) or getting away to just find something to unwind like playing the drums in The Visitor (2007), Mike in Win Win wants to coach a high school team because he feels fulfilled as a human being, a family man who is under the constant pressures of work while trying to live a normal existence. When it is threatened by the boiler that needs to be replaced in the basement of his office and the tree that has to be cut down in front of his house, Mike becomes more frustrated and powerless. On top of all this, he has trouble making ends meet. When he is introduced to a client named Leo Poplar (Burt Young) he seizes the opportunity to solve all his problems. However, for Mike the moral implications are pending and as you watch him work, you are hoping he will realize what he is doing and save himself from making desperate situation appear worse. What is remarkable here is how McCarthy believes in the individual in sociery who will recover by his own faith in himself and, at the same time, restore his faith in humanity to deal better with the continuing series of crises, i.e. corrupting influences that test him daily. In the end, it is not the team that wins the today that Mike coaches or the immoral implications in the court case revolving around Leo's inheritance but in the resurrection of man as the hero from all his problems. This is what Win Win celebrates with a brilliant victory.
Like the best of Frank Capra's films, the small town hero portrayed in Mr. Deeds Goes To Town, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, Meet John Doe, and It's A Wonderful Life, the individual becomes the hero renewed by his faith from his friends and the common people who surround him.
All of McCarthy's films to date are powerful examples of the social problem film in the 21st century.
Win Win is rated 14A, with the warning: coarse language.
May 20, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
PRIEST 3D (SCREEN GEMS, 2011)****
BY RICK JACKSON
Priest is an American masterpiece. Based on the Korean comic book of the same name by Min-Woo Hyung, director Scott Stewart introduces you to a time and place when earth was comprised of a supernatural element where vampires were not human in origin and humans bitten by vampires became familiars. Unlike most vampire films where they are destroyed by sunlight, the computer generated creatures are photosensitive and live as albino cave dwellers. Inspired by the 1956 classic western, The Searchers, Cory Goodman in his screenplay, asks you to believe in the historicity of the original source where you were asked to believe in the fact that vampires fought humans for centuries. There existed a secret war between the followers of Temorzarela, an angel of blood fallen from heaven and those against him. One of the priests was Ivan Isaacs, whose soul belonged to the devil Belial who was using him to fight against Temozarela and his followers. However, Ivan had his own ideas and left in obscurity he has become human possessed and when you first see him in the film he is an ordinary priest who has aought refuge with other human priests who have been controlled by the traditions and rights of the Roman Catholic Church. When Ivan is told that his niece has been kidnapped by vsmpires, he abandons his sacred vows to search for her.
At the same time he must fight the brutal leader of the vampires who sports a black hat and is unrelenting in exerting his influence to make those lost souls cross over to the dark side.
Karl Urban plays Black Hat as the evil villain from a famous western who has returned to make his last stand and to turn the title character into an immortal ally in the service of all evil.
Paul Bettany is well cast as the priest who comes between the Church and family when he decides to go after the vampires. Like Ethan in The Searchers who promised to kill Natalie Wood, the priest tells Hicks he he will kill his niece if she has been infected by the vampires.
The comparison to the western ends there. I will not divulge any more, except to say that Priest offers an interesting and thought provoking conclusion that leaves open the possibility of a sequel.
Filmed in Mexico, the terrain there works in recreating the western American myth that directors John Ford and others made so memorable. Priest offers decent 3D efffects comparable to the 3D western, Comin' At Ya(1981).
Joining the priest in his journey are Hicks (Cam Gigandet), his niece's boyfriend a priestess (Maggie Q).
While watching the plot develop you are entertained by the western influences from the black hat, the train motif, and the good guys versus the bad guys (vampires vs the triumvirate of friends.
Bettany's titular role can be related to the jedi knights in the Star Wars movies because he possesses certain skills that enable him to kill the vampires. More importantly, they are feared by the vampires and it is Black Hat's duty to go after the priest. Their connection is explained early in the film and you must remember it later on as a key to your understanding in the second half.
Unlike most vampire flicks, there is no gore.
Stewart maintains the dramatic pace right from the animated prologue and you are given enough scenes to watch the priest fight with Black Hat is part of the film understated homage to the spaghetti westerns of Sergio Leone.
Christopher Young's music score is not as good as any written by Elmer Bernstein or other western film composers, but it does justice in adding to the fun element of the plot like any good western.
Priest deserves to be seen if only to be different from other 3D films and a
chance to see more than one genre merge together to rank as a near-great film.
It is rated 14A, with the warnings: violence and frightening scenes.
May 13, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Priest is an American masterpiece. Based on the Korean comic book of the same name by Min-Woo Hyung, director Scott Stewart introduces you to a time and place when earth was comprised of a supernatural element where vampires were not human in origin and humans bitten by vampires became familiars. Unlike most vampire films where they are destroyed by sunlight, the computer generated creatures are photosensitive and live as albino cave dwellers. Inspired by the 1956 classic western, The Searchers, Cory Goodman in his screenplay, asks you to believe in the historicity of the original source where you were asked to believe in the fact that vampires fought humans for centuries. There existed a secret war between the followers of Temorzarela, an angel of blood fallen from heaven and those against him. One of the priests was Ivan Isaacs, whose soul belonged to the devil Belial who was using him to fight against Temozarela and his followers. However, Ivan had his own ideas and left in obscurity he has become human possessed and when you first see him in the film he is an ordinary priest who has aought refuge with other human priests who have been controlled by the traditions and rights of the Roman Catholic Church. When Ivan is told that his niece has been kidnapped by vsmpires, he abandons his sacred vows to search for her.
At the same time he must fight the brutal leader of the vampires who sports a black hat and is unrelenting in exerting his influence to make those lost souls cross over to the dark side.
Karl Urban plays Black Hat as the evil villain from a famous western who has returned to make his last stand and to turn the title character into an immortal ally in the service of all evil.
Paul Bettany is well cast as the priest who comes between the Church and family when he decides to go after the vampires. Like Ethan in The Searchers who promised to kill Natalie Wood, the priest tells Hicks he he will kill his niece if she has been infected by the vampires.
The comparison to the western ends there. I will not divulge any more, except to say that Priest offers an interesting and thought provoking conclusion that leaves open the possibility of a sequel.
Filmed in Mexico, the terrain there works in recreating the western American myth that directors John Ford and others made so memorable. Priest offers decent 3D efffects comparable to the 3D western, Comin' At Ya(1981).
Joining the priest in his journey are Hicks (Cam Gigandet), his niece's boyfriend a priestess (Maggie Q).
While watching the plot develop you are entertained by the western influences from the black hat, the train motif, and the good guys versus the bad guys (vampires vs the triumvirate of friends.
Bettany's titular role can be related to the jedi knights in the Star Wars movies because he possesses certain skills that enable him to kill the vampires. More importantly, they are feared by the vampires and it is Black Hat's duty to go after the priest. Their connection is explained early in the film and you must remember it later on as a key to your understanding in the second half.
Unlike most vampire flicks, there is no gore.
Stewart maintains the dramatic pace right from the animated prologue and you are given enough scenes to watch the priest fight with Black Hat is part of the film understated homage to the spaghetti westerns of Sergio Leone.
Christopher Young's music score is not as good as any written by Elmer Bernstein or other western film composers, but it does justice in adding to the fun element of the plot like any good western.
Priest deserves to be seen if only to be different from other 3D films and a
chance to see more than one genre merge together to rank as a near-great film.
It is rated 14A, with the warnings: violence and frightening scenes.
May 13, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Sunday, May 15, 2011
WHEN WE LEAVE (MONGREL MEDIA, 2010)****
BY RICK JACKSON
What distinguishes When We Leave, writer, producer and director Feo Aladag's directorial debut, is its quiet and powerful manner in expressing Turkish family life. A young Turkish wife and mother is faced with a decision that changes each member of her family. By film's end, Turkish tradition dictates what happens in a shocking moment that speaks volumes about the defining limits of marriage in a foreign country. Sibel Kekilli gives a rivetting performance as Umay, a desperate wife who sees the only way out of her abusive marriage is to to leave her husband. Without realizing the consequences of her decision, she is faced with a dilemma that is only resolved inside the bonds of Turkish tradition. It is her cry as a mother caeeying her young son that resonates with you as the end credits roll.
Aladag's use of closeups is a determining factor in your understanding of what is going on. The innocence of family life is simply told but the bare essentials of the rippling effects of marital woes conveys the undeniable consequences of her religion which to a certain extent have been eroded by western influences.
At 25, Umay is a disgrace to her family. By the time you meet her she has endured a life which has stifled her existence. Details of why are kept at a minimum so you can feel and sympathize with Umay's story.
Nizan Schiller plays Umay's son, Cem with utter innocence. As you watch him being abused and, later, behaving like other boys his age, there is a disquieting tone that underscores the rest of the film because you don't know where it is all going to end up. You are easily shocked by the inherent depiction of Turkish tradition and it forces you to take it all in with patience and understanding.
The elements in the dramatic turn of events can be compared to the same feelings you had when you saw Sally Field portray an Iranian wife in Not Without My Daughter (1991), the true story of Betty Mahmoody who was kidnapped and held prisoner in a country where women had no rights. The desperation she felt that led to her escape from Iran is almost parallel to Kekilli's in When We Leave. Like Field, Kekilli injects her role as an unwitting protoganist.
Judith Kaufmanm's cinematography lends the story with an unerring sense of realism through the muted colours that permeate the screen with each frame that comprises the unforgiving sense of morality. You are forced to accept Umay's life with the same sense of finality without compassion until an honour killing disrupts her ife forever as part of Turkish tradition. It is innocently portrayed as quiet as the director can make it, It is a moment that cries out for justice in our own perception of the story, but it cannot be because it is Turkish justice dictated by the laws of their people. Some moviegoers may be shocked but it is necessary to keep within the bounds of truth and reality.
Editor Andrea Martens maintains the film's slow pace by absorbing you within the simple plot threads that highlight a society bound by tradition.
The rest of the cast features serhad Can as Umay's father, Acar, and Almila Bagriacik as Rana, Umay's sister.
What Aladag has made in his first film is a penetrating look at a society bound by tradition. By focusing on Turkey , there is the ever increasing danger of tradition colliding with change, and When We Leave addresses it head on without any sentiment. By the time you leave the theatre, you will be moved by the jarring sense of how the director's personal way of creating tension and emotion can create exactly what he wants out of a scene or sequence.
It is rated 14A, with the warninings: violence and disturbing content.
May 14, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
What distinguishes When We Leave, writer, producer and director Feo Aladag's directorial debut, is its quiet and powerful manner in expressing Turkish family life. A young Turkish wife and mother is faced with a decision that changes each member of her family. By film's end, Turkish tradition dictates what happens in a shocking moment that speaks volumes about the defining limits of marriage in a foreign country. Sibel Kekilli gives a rivetting performance as Umay, a desperate wife who sees the only way out of her abusive marriage is to to leave her husband. Without realizing the consequences of her decision, she is faced with a dilemma that is only resolved inside the bonds of Turkish tradition. It is her cry as a mother caeeying her young son that resonates with you as the end credits roll.
Aladag's use of closeups is a determining factor in your understanding of what is going on. The innocence of family life is simply told but the bare essentials of the rippling effects of marital woes conveys the undeniable consequences of her religion which to a certain extent have been eroded by western influences.
At 25, Umay is a disgrace to her family. By the time you meet her she has endured a life which has stifled her existence. Details of why are kept at a minimum so you can feel and sympathize with Umay's story.
Nizan Schiller plays Umay's son, Cem with utter innocence. As you watch him being abused and, later, behaving like other boys his age, there is a disquieting tone that underscores the rest of the film because you don't know where it is all going to end up. You are easily shocked by the inherent depiction of Turkish tradition and it forces you to take it all in with patience and understanding.
The elements in the dramatic turn of events can be compared to the same feelings you had when you saw Sally Field portray an Iranian wife in Not Without My Daughter (1991), the true story of Betty Mahmoody who was kidnapped and held prisoner in a country where women had no rights. The desperation she felt that led to her escape from Iran is almost parallel to Kekilli's in When We Leave. Like Field, Kekilli injects her role as an unwitting protoganist.
Judith Kaufmanm's cinematography lends the story with an unerring sense of realism through the muted colours that permeate the screen with each frame that comprises the unforgiving sense of morality. You are forced to accept Umay's life with the same sense of finality without compassion until an honour killing disrupts her ife forever as part of Turkish tradition. It is innocently portrayed as quiet as the director can make it, It is a moment that cries out for justice in our own perception of the story, but it cannot be because it is Turkish justice dictated by the laws of their people. Some moviegoers may be shocked but it is necessary to keep within the bounds of truth and reality.
Editor Andrea Martens maintains the film's slow pace by absorbing you within the simple plot threads that highlight a society bound by tradition.
The rest of the cast features serhad Can as Umay's father, Acar, and Almila Bagriacik as Rana, Umay's sister.
What Aladag has made in his first film is a penetrating look at a society bound by tradition. By focusing on Turkey , there is the ever increasing danger of tradition colliding with change, and When We Leave addresses it head on without any sentiment. By the time you leave the theatre, you will be moved by the jarring sense of how the director's personal way of creating tension and emotion can create exactly what he wants out of a scene or sequence.
It is rated 14A, with the warninings: violence and disturbing content.
May 14, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011
SOMETHING BORROWED (WARNER BROTHERS, 2011)*
BY RICK JACKSON
Based on the novel by Emily Giffin, Something Borrowed is a poor excuse for a romantic comedy. Not even the cast can salvage the poorly developed screenplay by Jennie Snyder Urman. There are too many characters to hold your attention and throughout most of the film you are left in a quandery about who is really going out with whom.
The basic storyline has Kate Hudson and Ginnifer Goodwin as best friends, Darcy and Rachel. Their main objective is going out with girls to see where it will lead, but it all be omes a confusing, unfunny and unromantic display of such proportions, you wonder if there will be a turning point and you can enjoy something different at the movies that has substance. Expectations and all hope are quickly dismissed by the lack of real characters playing convincing partners in what could have been not something borrowed at all, but something terrific.
There are too few scenes to introduce us to Darcy and Rachel and this nhurts the credibility of the entire film. With the introduction of Dex, Marcus and Ethan the love equation gets confusing and without a score card, you begin to care less how it all turns out.
Geoff Pierson is well cast as Dex's father and he tells his son to get on with the wedding and forget about the other girl who he has his eyes on because we don't do that.
Withouy heeding his advice, the film sinks further into an oblivious series of events where the outcome may appear to be inevitable but it isn't.
Hudson and Goodwin share only one decent sequence and for a brief moment there is excitement. As for the rest of the cast, they each get what they deserve and we, unfortunately, are left in the dark with an add on ending which no one will see becomes it comes too late.
The film's title also gets lost with no meaning whatsoever.
You might want to forget Something Borrowed.
It is rated PG, with the warning: language may offend.
May 8, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Based on the novel by Emily Giffin, Something Borrowed is a poor excuse for a romantic comedy. Not even the cast can salvage the poorly developed screenplay by Jennie Snyder Urman. There are too many characters to hold your attention and throughout most of the film you are left in a quandery about who is really going out with whom.
The basic storyline has Kate Hudson and Ginnifer Goodwin as best friends, Darcy and Rachel. Their main objective is going out with girls to see where it will lead, but it all be omes a confusing, unfunny and unromantic display of such proportions, you wonder if there will be a turning point and you can enjoy something different at the movies that has substance. Expectations and all hope are quickly dismissed by the lack of real characters playing convincing partners in what could have been not something borrowed at all, but something terrific.
There are too few scenes to introduce us to Darcy and Rachel and this nhurts the credibility of the entire film. With the introduction of Dex, Marcus and Ethan the love equation gets confusing and without a score card, you begin to care less how it all turns out.
Geoff Pierson is well cast as Dex's father and he tells his son to get on with the wedding and forget about the other girl who he has his eyes on because we don't do that.
Withouy heeding his advice, the film sinks further into an oblivious series of events where the outcome may appear to be inevitable but it isn't.
Hudson and Goodwin share only one decent sequence and for a brief moment there is excitement. As for the rest of the cast, they each get what they deserve and we, unfortunately, are left in the dark with an add on ending which no one will see becomes it comes too late.
The film's title also gets lost with no meaning whatsoever.
You might want to forget Something Borrowed.
It is rated PG, with the warning: language may offend.
May 8, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
THOR (PARAMOUNT, 2011)***
BY RICK JACKSON
Based on the Marvel Comic created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby, Thor is a welcome surprise to kick start the summer movie season. Right from the first frame, you are entertained as if this was a Saturday movie matinee an earlier generation enjoyed when Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon thrilled moviegoers.
What makes Thor so invigorating to watch is the simple story by Michael Straczywski and Mark Protosevich and the distinguished cast led by Anthony Hopkins whose role as Odin, Thor's father, stands out.
Granted there is a certain resemblance in tone to the Star Wars saga, Thor overcomes the familiar by virtue of how absorbing everything you see becomes. It is your interest in what happens next that keeps your eyes glued to the screen. Sure, there are laughable moments and the mythological Norse origins of Thor are not as well developed, but the story told by Hopkins via narration insists you stay with the narrative and watch the predictable unfold with results you will find enthralling just the same.
Director Kenneth Branagh bridges the comic book world with a sense of wonder when the Frost Giants invade the nine realms where Odin and his two sons, Thor and Loki live in the mythical Asgard. After an exciting prologue, Branagh maintains the momentum and the pace never lets up.
Minutes after their father passes the throne down to Thor, there is another story on earth ehere Jane Foster,her partner Selvig and volunteer assistant Darcy have been following some astromomical activity in New Mexico. It is there the future and the past collide with results that are albeit predictable but, again,lots of fun.
Chris Hemsworth is perfectly cast as the title character. His naivete and strength contribute to your enjoyment as a hero who has to learn to be one instead of inheriting the attributes of one. His charismatic performance may impress female moviegoers.
As Loki, Tom Hiddleston engenders the right nefarious spirit of an evil brother and adversary to the inhabitants of Asgard.
What ties rhe two stories together is the fictional SHIELD, a group of agents who want to control of something that is not clearly defined.
Natalie Portman proves her mettle as a romantic heroine as Fisher, whose chutzpah and intellect serve her well as the story digs deeper into comic book territory when she and Thor become romantically involved.
Stellan Skarsgard lends excellent support as a man of secrecy because he knows all about Thor. It may, on the surface, appear rushed and shallow but your patience is required to sort out the plot here and in the planned sequels which will allow you to sit back and have fun in the dark for more fun and adventure.
The townsfolk in New Mexico are just as innocent as any science fiction towns going back to Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) and The Blob (1958) and earlier this year to I Am Number Four and Cowboys & Aliens later this summer.
The rest of the cast features Rene Russo as Frigga, queen of Asgard;Jaime Alexander as Sif, the most distinguished warrior maiden of Asgard; and Iris Elba as Heimdall, the gatekeeper of Adgard.
Patrick Doyle's music score is not as strong as it should be and without the boldness of Star Wars (1977) or Superman(1978), Thor never aspires to be the classic of the genre it would like to be. Still, there is enough to appreciate and walk away satisfied because of the inherent story value.
It is rated PG, with the warning: violence.
May 6, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Based on the Marvel Comic created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby, Thor is a welcome surprise to kick start the summer movie season. Right from the first frame, you are entertained as if this was a Saturday movie matinee an earlier generation enjoyed when Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon thrilled moviegoers.
What makes Thor so invigorating to watch is the simple story by Michael Straczywski and Mark Protosevich and the distinguished cast led by Anthony Hopkins whose role as Odin, Thor's father, stands out.
Granted there is a certain resemblance in tone to the Star Wars saga, Thor overcomes the familiar by virtue of how absorbing everything you see becomes. It is your interest in what happens next that keeps your eyes glued to the screen. Sure, there are laughable moments and the mythological Norse origins of Thor are not as well developed, but the story told by Hopkins via narration insists you stay with the narrative and watch the predictable unfold with results you will find enthralling just the same.
Director Kenneth Branagh bridges the comic book world with a sense of wonder when the Frost Giants invade the nine realms where Odin and his two sons, Thor and Loki live in the mythical Asgard. After an exciting prologue, Branagh maintains the momentum and the pace never lets up.
Minutes after their father passes the throne down to Thor, there is another story on earth ehere Jane Foster,her partner Selvig and volunteer assistant Darcy have been following some astromomical activity in New Mexico. It is there the future and the past collide with results that are albeit predictable but, again,lots of fun.
Chris Hemsworth is perfectly cast as the title character. His naivete and strength contribute to your enjoyment as a hero who has to learn to be one instead of inheriting the attributes of one. His charismatic performance may impress female moviegoers.
As Loki, Tom Hiddleston engenders the right nefarious spirit of an evil brother and adversary to the inhabitants of Asgard.
What ties rhe two stories together is the fictional SHIELD, a group of agents who want to control of something that is not clearly defined.
Natalie Portman proves her mettle as a romantic heroine as Fisher, whose chutzpah and intellect serve her well as the story digs deeper into comic book territory when she and Thor become romantically involved.
Stellan Skarsgard lends excellent support as a man of secrecy because he knows all about Thor. It may, on the surface, appear rushed and shallow but your patience is required to sort out the plot here and in the planned sequels which will allow you to sit back and have fun in the dark for more fun and adventure.
The townsfolk in New Mexico are just as innocent as any science fiction towns going back to Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) and The Blob (1958) and earlier this year to I Am Number Four and Cowboys & Aliens later this summer.
The rest of the cast features Rene Russo as Frigga, queen of Asgard;Jaime Alexander as Sif, the most distinguished warrior maiden of Asgard; and Iris Elba as Heimdall, the gatekeeper of Adgard.
Patrick Doyle's music score is not as strong as it should be and without the boldness of Star Wars (1977) or Superman(1978), Thor never aspires to be the classic of the genre it would like to be. Still, there is enough to appreciate and walk away satisfied because of the inherent story value.
It is rated PG, with the warning: violence.
May 6, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Monday, May 2, 2011
WATER FOR ELEPHANTS (20TH, 2011)**
BY RICK JACKSON
Water For Elephants is a flawed, uneven look at the circus world. In Richard LaGravenese's screenplay, based on the novel by Sara Gruen, there is a tendency to argue about the validity of an attraction children have enjoyed for generations. Hal Holbrook redeems the film as the older Jacob whose enthusiasm and excitement of the circus in general holds your interest. When the story goes back in time, Richard Pattinson of Twilight fame plays Jacob as a younger man with enough ambition to become part of a child's dream to be thrilled by the thought of the circus.
What is annoying about the story is how it tries too hard to create the atmosphere of the circus whenit should have been a central plot point and, in so doing, bring to the screen a memorable film. However, this is nothing like Cecil B. DeMille's far superior Greatest Show On Earth (1952).
Watching Pattinson may remind serious movie buffs of Henry Fonda in the 1940 circus drama, Chad Hanna.
Pattinson gives an inspiring performance because his handsome features, like Fonda for an earlier generation, generate the same magnetism on screen and helps you forget the insipid plot turns that go nowhere.
Holbrook's narration does help you keep in mind that this is a story worth being told.
Reese Witherspoon's Marlena is not as good as Joan Crawford in 1949's Flamingo Road.
The addition of Christoph Waltz as a cold demanding ringmaster named August is curiously wanting because LaGravenese wants to make him look important to match the temperament of his Oscar-winning role in Inglorious Basterds.
Unfortunately, it falls short when his anger against the younger Jacob detracts from the overall circus atmosphere. The lack of generous scenery and circus acts fail to make you want to see the film or recommend it.
As for Rosie, the elephant of the film's title, she steals the film when the scenes demand your attention but it all could have been more thrilling.
There is nothing to compare to Burt Lancaster's circus act in Trapeze (1956) and this hurts the credibility of Water For Elephants.
Directed by Francis Lawrence, this is a poor example of family entertainment in the history of the circus movie.
When the story returns to the older Jacob, there is a nice poignant touch resonating in Holbrook's portrayal of an old timer from the circus whose memories remain as vivid and memorable with him. It's too bad they aren't for us.
It is rated PG, with the warnings: mature theme, violence and language may offend.
April 24, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
Water For Elephants is a flawed, uneven look at the circus world. In Richard LaGravenese's screenplay, based on the novel by Sara Gruen, there is a tendency to argue about the validity of an attraction children have enjoyed for generations. Hal Holbrook redeems the film as the older Jacob whose enthusiasm and excitement of the circus in general holds your interest. When the story goes back in time, Richard Pattinson of Twilight fame plays Jacob as a younger man with enough ambition to become part of a child's dream to be thrilled by the thought of the circus.
What is annoying about the story is how it tries too hard to create the atmosphere of the circus whenit should have been a central plot point and, in so doing, bring to the screen a memorable film. However, this is nothing like Cecil B. DeMille's far superior Greatest Show On Earth (1952).
Watching Pattinson may remind serious movie buffs of Henry Fonda in the 1940 circus drama, Chad Hanna.
Pattinson gives an inspiring performance because his handsome features, like Fonda for an earlier generation, generate the same magnetism on screen and helps you forget the insipid plot turns that go nowhere.
Holbrook's narration does help you keep in mind that this is a story worth being told.
Reese Witherspoon's Marlena is not as good as Joan Crawford in 1949's Flamingo Road.
The addition of Christoph Waltz as a cold demanding ringmaster named August is curiously wanting because LaGravenese wants to make him look important to match the temperament of his Oscar-winning role in Inglorious Basterds.
Unfortunately, it falls short when his anger against the younger Jacob detracts from the overall circus atmosphere. The lack of generous scenery and circus acts fail to make you want to see the film or recommend it.
As for Rosie, the elephant of the film's title, she steals the film when the scenes demand your attention but it all could have been more thrilling.
There is nothing to compare to Burt Lancaster's circus act in Trapeze (1956) and this hurts the credibility of Water For Elephants.
Directed by Francis Lawrence, this is a poor example of family entertainment in the history of the circus movie.
When the story returns to the older Jacob, there is a nice poignant touch resonating in Holbrook's portrayal of an old timer from the circus whose memories remain as vivid and memorable with him. It's too bad they aren't for us.
It is rated PG, with the warnings: mature theme, violence and language may offend.
April 24, 2011
Copyright Rick Jackson 2011
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