Transcendence

Released in 2014, Transcendence is 20 minutes worth of plot that meanders it's way to a 2 hour runtime. Despite boasting a fairly impressive cast and a halfway decent sci-fi premise, first time Director Wally Pfister was unable to pull it all together in my opinion.

So, what is the plot of this film? Johnny Depp (in probably the most phoned-in performance of his career) plays Dr. Will Caster. A brilliant mind in the world of artificial intelligence technology, Dr. Caster becomes the target of an assassination attempt by an anti-technology terrorist group lead by Kate Mara. After being shot, Will's wife Evelyn (played by Rebecca Hall) and his colleague Max (played by Paul Bettany) decide to upload his consciousness to a super computer. Like in Avengers: Age of Ultron (I didn't think that movie would come up when I popped in Transcendence) things quickly get out of control, and you soon have and A.I. system that has access to every computer in the world and needs to be stopped. However, where as Ultron had to deal with the likes of Captain America, Thor, and Ironman, Dr. Caster's opposition is an FBI agent played by Cillian Murphy, a horribly miscast Kate Mara, and Morgan Freeman.

Overall, I didn't think this movie was very good. I like the basic premise and there are some good scenes and moments sprinkled throughout but, for everything I liked in the film there were at least two things that I didn't. It's not an unwatchable movie, just a bit underwhelming and not one I'd recommend. 

1.5 out of 5.

The Power of Few

Released in 2013 The Power of Few was both written and directed by Leone Marucci. As far as I know this is the only film Marucci has made. Hopefully it stays that way, because this movie is not good. 

The movie is centered around a series of events (a double murder followed immediately by a car crash) and the perspectives of all of those who were involved in or witnessed it. This is a story-telling technique that has been used in a number of films, to varying degrees of success, but in this one it just comes off as pretentious. The intersecting parties/storylines are that of a teenage boy who is planning on robbing a store to get some medicine he needs for his baby brother. A guy who is on the run from two gang members because he's going to testify in court. Two homeless guys, one of which used to be a local news anchor. A courier. A shopkeeper who wants to be an actor. Two special agents trying to locate a mysterious package. And finally a spy who has stolen the Shroud of Turin from the Vatican.

Despite the fairly interesting gimmick of having all these people cross paths Pulp Fiction-style, and featuring a halfway decent cast, I couldn't get into this movie. I don’t give many films a zero rating, but I struggled to find anything about this one that I liked and I almost bailed on it several times. The acting is hit-and-miss, it's over edited, and it feels so much longer than it's actual runtime. Overall, at no point did I find this films plot compelling and I don't recommend wasting your time watching it.

0 out of 5.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation

2013's G.I. Joe: Retaliation is a bit of an odd movie from a production stand-point as it serves as both a sequel to 2009's G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra but, it also acts as a sort of reboot for the franchise. About half of the cast are holdovers from the first film but the leader of the 'Joes', Duke (played by Channing Tatum), is killed off early in this movie and replaced with 'Roadblock' (played by Dwayne Johnson). If it sounds a little confusing, don't worry. I watched the film with my wife and 7yr old son, neither of whom saw the first film, and they weren't lost during this one.

The key conflict in this one involves a villian named Zartan (played by Arnold Vosloo) using some nanotechnology to impersonate the President of the United States. The goal of this is to get the other world leaders to give up their nuclear weapons so 'Cobra' can rule the world. Oh, and the Joes of course are the only ones who can stop this. If you look past the exploding firefly robots, ninjas, and Dwayne Johnson's magnetic charisma, you'll find it's the pretty basic 'Good vs. Evil', 'the fate of the world is at stake' plot you'd probably expect from a G.I. Joe movie. 

Overall, while there are a few really cool scenes, this is little more than a big, dumb, action flick. However, if you're just in the mood for that type of movie (and I think most of us feel like that from time to time), then kick back with a bowl of popcorn and enjoy all of the gun play, explosions, and ninja fights G.I. Joe: Retaliation has to offer.

2.5 out of 5

The Campaign

Will Ferrell's filmography runs the gamut of comedy, from side-splitting highs to cringe-worthy unfunny lows, and everything in between. Today's movie is neither a comedy classic nor offensively bad, it's 2012's The Campaign. 

The movie, if you've never seen it, is about an unscrupulous North Carolina Congressman named Cam Brady (played by Ferrell) who thinks he's going to run unopposed for a fifth term in office. That is until, just weeks before the election, some corrupt businessmen convince the town's local tourism director Marty Huggins (played by Zach Galifianakis) to run against Brady. From there the movie becomes a series over-the-top dirty tricks and political mud-slinging. While on the surface a political-satire about the lengths politicians will go to in order to get elected is a fun idea, this movie doesn't contain enough clever material to really stick the landing. It's a bit of a shame because I do like the two leads and there are some jokes scattered throughout the film that I do think are legitimately funny. However, I feel like enjoyment of the film relies a bit too heavily on the viewer thinking Zach Galifianakis playing an awkward guy with a  funny voice and Will Ferrell yelling like spoiled child is hilarious. 

This is one of those movies I'll often cite as an example of being 'close to good'. It's a perfectly watchable piece of entertainment but, with a slightly smarter script and better directing this could've been a really good comedy. 
Although I wouldn't recommend the movie to anyone, if you're just in the mood to kick back and watch an hour and a half of pure buffoonery, The Campaign will get the job done.
2 out of 5

I.T.

Today's movie is I.T., a thriller from 2016 that stars Pierce Brosnan and James Frecheville. The critical response to this movie wasn't all that good, as it currently holds a 9% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 5.4/10 on the IMDb. While I'm certainly not going to say the movie is great, I do think it's a little better than those scores would suggest.

The film is about a successful businessman named Mike Regan (played by Brosnan) who's in need of a little help with his state-of-the-art "smart-home". Later on, when an important presentation at the office starts to glitch, the new i.t. guy at the office named Ed (played by Frecheville) catches Mike's attention. So, Mike invites him over to his house for help. It becomes pretty obvious early on that Ed has some issues, as over the next few days he begins inviting himself over and stalking Mike's 17 year-old daughter. After Mike decides enough is enough he fires Ed, and this is what sets everything off. Ed has hacked into both Mike's house as well as his business, and he is determined to get revenge...

I've seen my fair share of these cat-and-mouse thrillers, and this one is far from the worst. It's a bit too formulaic and James Frecheville turns in a less than stellar performance. On the positive side, Brosnan is pretty good and I was never bored during the movie.

This one is a solid 2 out of 5.

In Defense of 'Quantum of Solace'

2008's Quantum of Solace is often referred to as one of the lesser Bond films and, while it isn't my favorite, I think that it's better than a lot of people give it credit for. I love the Bond film franchise but it isn't without it's flaws; Bond once diffused a nuclear device while dressed as a clown in Octopussy. Bond parasurfs on a horrible looking CGI wave in Die Another Day. He snowboards down a mountain on a water ski while California Girls plays in A View to a Kill. In You Only Live Twice Bond to disguises himself (poorly) as a Japanese man despite being played by Sean Connery who is 6' 2" and makes no attempt to hide his accent. Moonraker… just all of Moonraker.

With regards to Quantum of Solace, I think the film gets a bit of a bad rap. It came out just two years after, what is considered by many, to be one of the best Bond pictures, Casino Royale. I remember as a fan having high, and maybe unrealistic, expectations for the follow-up to that film. There are some things I don't like about this entry in the series but I think there are plenty of positives too. I like Daniel Craig as James Bond and I like that this film builds off of the events of Casino Royale rather than being another one-off Bond adventure. Also, Judi Dench is always great as 'M' and the song "Another Way to Die" by Jack White and Alicia Keys is one of my favorites of all the Bond opening credits songs.

A criticism I hear a lot is that this movie is boring. Boring? The movie contains a car chase, a chase on foot across rooftops, and a boat chase all within the first 25 minutes. Later there is also an aerial action scene, and a shootout in an exploding hotel... I think the plot is a little underdeveloped and the villain's plan isn't incredibly interesting but, I personally haven't ever considered it a boring film. My only critique of these action scenes is that I feel the editing is a bit frantic. 

Overall, I don't think Quantum of Solace should be considered one of the great Bond films but, it's not one of the worst in my book either. I think more people should give this one another chance. 

It gets a solid 3 out of 5 from me.

A Look Back At Men in Black

Released in 1997, Men in Black was a huge hit at the box-office. It was the #3 highest grossing film of that year, earning around $589 million worldwide and coming in just behind The Lost World: Jurassic Park. This success led to a franchise consisting of three sequels (you can check out my review of the most recent one, Men in Black: International HERE) and an animated T.V. show. So, how does the original hold up after 20+ years?

The film has a relatively simple and accessible premise; There are aliens living amongst us, and there is a secret organization known as the Men in Black in charge of monitoring and policing these aliens while they're on Earth. One of these senior MIB agents, Agent K (played by Tommy Lee Jones) needs to select and train a new agent. His choice is a NYPD officer named James Edwards (played by Will Smith) and, upon accepting, Edwards becomes Agent J. Of course this is a movie, and it's only about a hour and a half long, so Agents J and K soon find themselves in pursuit of a vicious alien with the fate of the entire planet at stake.

Overall, as a sci-fi version of a buddy-cop movie I think it works well. Most of the dialogue between Smith and Jones is fun and I think both actors turn in solid performances. The visual effects are a bit of a mixed-bag. While a lot of the make-up effects look great, some of the CGI hasn't held up as well but, none of it is distractingly bad. I think it's a pretty well-paced film, the Danny Elfman musical score is solid, and the whole movie is full of memorable moments and quotable lines.
I give this one a 3.5 out of 5

A Look Back At The Avengers

It's been a number of years now since The Avengers hit theaters and I think it's about time that I take a look back at the film. 

Of course, I am referring to the 1998 film The Avengers which is based on a British television series from the 60's, and not the film based on characters from Marvel Comics. Despite starring a strong core cast of Uma Thurman, Ralph Fiennes, and Sean Connery the film was a critical and commercial flop and often appears on 'Worst Films Ever Made" lists. However, over time it has become one of my favorite bad movies.

The film is about British secret agent John Steed (played by Fiennes) who needs to team up with a doctor named Emma Peel (Uma Thurman). Dr. Peel had previously worked on a weather controlling system called the Prospero project, which has been recently sabotaged by someone who looks exactly like her. This doppelganger happens to be a clone who is working for the evil August de Wynter (Sean Connery). August de Wynter's plan is to use his weather controlling machine to force the world's leaders to buy good weather from him for a hefty price. So, it's up to Steed and Peel to foil August de Wynter's diabolical plan.

Overall, yes it is a bad movie. It's campy, a good chuck of the effects haven't  held up, the ending feels rushed, and it's not particularly well written or acted. I rewatch this one every so often and, while I have fun with it, I still can't really recommend it.
1.5 out of 5

Bone Tomahawk

Although advertised as a "Horror-Western", 2015's Bone Tomahawk doesn't hit with wall-to-wall scares or even much gore, relative to it's 132 minute runtime. While some seeking out a straight horror film may find this a bit disappointing I think it's a very engaging film. 

Shortly after a drifter comes to the small frontier town of Bright Hope he is shot in the leg by the town Sheriff (played by Kurt Russell) and taken to jail under suspicion of murder. The town's doctor Samantha O'Dwyer called upon to treat the prisoner's wound. However, in the middle of the night the drifter, the doctor, and the deputy who was at the jail, all go missing. Upon finding an arrow in the building and consulting with a local Native American, who identifies the arrow as belonging to a savage troglodyte clan, the Sheriff quickly gathers together a small group of men to assist him in searching for the missing persons. This group consists of the doctor's husband Arthur O'Dwyer (played by Patrick Wilson) who despite having a broken leg insists on going, the 'backup deputy' Chicory (played by Richard Jenkins) and John Brooder (played by Matthew Fox) who has some experience with this type of matter. 

This movie is only a couple of years old and it had a very limited theatrical release, so I won't give anymore of the plot away because I do recommend seeing it. The film is a slow-burn, yet very suspenseful because you never know what may be waiting for this ragtag group just over the next ridge. This movie doesn't have a ton of action and relies heavily on good performances from the main cast to carry the heavy lifting. Luckily, I think all of the acting is solid throughout.

If you're a fan of Westerns and you haven't seen Bone Tomahawk, then I definitely recommend checking his one out.

 4.5 out of 5

Return to Sender

I'm always up for a good psychological-thriller. Unfortunately, 2015's Return to Sender isn't a very good movie. The film is about a nurse named Miranda (played by Rosamund Pike). One afternoon, while waiting for her blind date to arrive Miranda is assaulted and raped by a man named William (played by Shiloh Fernandez), who she initially mistook for her date. Obviously traumatized by the event, Miranda becomes a bit reclusive. However, after awhile she begins writing and later starts visiting William in prison. This is, of course, just to lull her rapist into a false sense of security. Once William is out of prison, Miranda asks him over to help repair her front porch. All the while she is poisoning the lemonade she keeps offering him and she eventually tortures him in her basement.

It's a pretty simple and straight-forward plot, it just isn't executed well. It's a predictable film with some lackluster acting from the two leads. The only memorable character in the film is Miranda's father played by Nick Nolte and even then, he's not a really interesting character.

I don't recommend this one.
1 out of 5

His Girl Friday

Today's movie is the 1940 Howard Hawks classic His Girl Friday, starring Rosalind Russell and Cary Grant. 

In the movie, Grant plays Walter Burns a slick, fast-talking newspaper editor who learns that his journalist ex-wife Hildy (played by Rosalind Russell) is going to be married in less than 24 hours. Walter uses a late-breaking news story about a man set to be hanged, as well as every trick he can think up, in order to delay Hildy and her fiancée from leaving town with the hope he can find a way to win her back.

While my favorite movie featuring Cary Grant is the 1959 Alfred Hitchcock classic North By Northwest, my favorite Cary Grant performance is probably in this one. The fast and funny dialogue flies at the viewer so quickly that it's the kind of film that begs to be multiple times, and the chemistry between Grant and Russell is fantastic. 

This is one of my all-time favorites and obviously a film that I highly recommend. 

5 out of 5.

King Kong

The 2005 remake of 1933's King Kong is a film that has always been a mixed-bag in my opinion. I think the original King Kong is a great film, visually impressive for the time, and still captivating to watch. The remake aims to hit those marks, comes close, but still falls a bit short. While the visual effects are, for the most part, impressive the film suffers from two key flaws;

1) Jack Black is miscast as Carl Denham.

and 

2) The runtime.

To the first point, I like Jack black in some movies but I think his acting chops are limited and, unlike in the original, his version of Denham is played off as a bit of a buffoon.

The other negative is the runtime. The original story, which was told in less than 2 hours has been stretched out into a film that is over 3 hours long. I have no problem with long films, 1939's Gone with the Wind is among my top 5 or so favorites of all-time, but it has a reason to be that long. This film feels like a lot of filler, particularly when they're on the ship on the way to Skull Island. 

As for some positives; Aside from Jack Black, I like the cast that was put together for this film. In addition to that, the idea of a small group of people heading to a mysterious island and encountering King Kong is a story I find interesting across all versions. 

Overall, it is well made and for those who don't like black & white films this is a perfectly fine version of the story. However, I do still recommend the 1933 film over this one.

3.5 out of 5

The Way Way Back

2013's The Way Way Back features a pretty typical coming-of-age story, and hits some very predictable beats. What makes the film stand out it the tight, efficient script and the cast. Sam Rockwell in particular is enough reason to watch this film.

The film tells the story of a 14-year old boy named Duncan (played by Liam James) who is forced to spend the summer with his mom, her boyfriend, and her boyfriend's daughter at a beach house. Already a kid at a socially awkward stage of his life, spending the summer in a seaside town he's unfamiliar with his mom's boyfriend that routinely belittles him is less than ideal for Duncan. One day Duncan ventures into town where he meets the Manager of the local water park, Owen (played by Sam Rockwell). Not long after that, Owen offers Duncan a job at the water park and takes the young man under his wing. There he finds a place where he fits in, makes friends and gains confidence. He also soon befriends the girl who lives next door who is also unhappy with her home life. 

For me, a lot of the drama at home doesn't completely work. Toni Collette plays Duncan's mom and Steve Carell plays the boyfriend. They're both fine in the movie but, much like Duncan, I want to get back to the cast of characters at the water park; Sam Rockwell, Nat Faxon, Maya Rudolph, and Jim Rash offer the up the films most memorable moments.

I hesitate to call this movie great. It's not a 'must-see' or some kind of groundbreaking masterpiece, but it is very good and a film that I recommend checking out.

4 out of 5.

Strangers on a Train

It's been a little while since I last wrote a piece about a classic film here but, today I wanted to look back at the 1951 film Strangers on a Train. Though often overshadowed by some of Hitchcock's other works like Psycho, North by Northwest, Vertigo, Rear Window, The Birds, and Dial M for Murder, this film is up there with one of his best.

The set up is straight forward, simple, and is laid out brilliantly and succinctly early on with this line: "A couple of fellows meet accidentally, like you and me. No connection between them at all. Never saw each other before. Each of them has somebody he'd like to get rid of, but he can't murder the person he wants to get rid of. He'll get caught. So they swap murders." The issue here that drives the whole plot is that while the character Bruno (played Robert Walker) who delivers this line is ready to go ahead with the plan, the man he's been talking to Guy (played by Farley Granger) isn't interested. Bruno goes ahead anyway and commits a murder that Guy never asked for, and then he expects Guy to return the favor. 

 Anyone who is a regular reader of this blog knows I'm a huge Alfred Hitchcock fan and films like this one are the reason why. This movie is suspenseful, well paced, and has some great characters. Amongst all of the tension Hitchcock sprinkled in little bits of humor and there is a 'criss-cross' motif that runs throughout that I really enjoy. I highly recommend Strangers on a Train if you've never seen it.
It's one of my favorites, and I give it a 5 out of 5.

Tomorrow You're Gone

Tomorrow You're Gone is a 2013 crime-thriller starring Stephen Dorff, Michelle Monaghan, and Willem Dafoe. Honestly, based on the cast and the description on the back of the Blu-ray case, I thought this film was going to be right up my alley. Unfortunately, despite all of this, the film a bit of a dud.

The premise of the movie is that a man named Charlie (played by Dorff) has just been released from prison but he's not completely free yet. Charlie still owns a debt to a man known as 'The Buddha' (played by Dafoe). To settle this debt Charlie has to murder a guy for 'The Buddha' but, this is a movie, so things don't go quite as planned... Fairly early on in the film Charlie meets this woman named Florence (played by Michelle Monaghan) and she's probably the best part of the whole film. 

This movie could've worked but, it just doesn't. It's a bit too much style over substance, Dorff just isn't the right actor to carry this film in my opinion, the 92 minute runtime seemed like it was twice that, and the stakes just never felt real while I was watching it.

I was hoping that this was a hidden gem that had just flown under my radar but, that wasn't the case. I can't recommend this one.

1 out of 5

Cloud 9

I took a little vacation but now I'm back, and today's movie is another entry in my Tales from the Bargain Bin series. Cloud 9 is a 2006 sports-comedy starring Burt Reynolds, Gabrielle Reece, D.L. Hughley and Angie Everhart. In the film Reynolds plays Billy Cole, a washed up sports promoter who comes up with a get-rich-quick scheme involving women's volleyball. Cole's idea is to recruit a group of strippers to form a sexy volleyball team. While they're aren't any good at volleyball, Cole's plan is to have them make appearances at bachelor parties and such to rake in some quick cash. At first everything goes according to plan but it isn't long before the girls want to become a legitimate volleyball team and Billy starts to feel bad about exploiting the woman. So with a bit of training and hard work the team starts to turn it around. They make it to the championship and, in classic movie underdog fashion, the former strippers win it all. 

While this isn't a great movie or one of Reynolds' best, it was actually better than I expected. A decent amount of the comedy works, the characters are likeable, and at just around an hour and a half runtime it moves at a decent pace. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone but, if you're a big fan of the late Burt Reynolds or if you just really like sports movies then you may find this one worth checking out.
I give this one a 2.5 out of 5.

Aladdin (2019)

Disney's latest live-action remake/retelling of one of their classic animated films is Aladdin. I wrote a blog post a little while back about these remakes (you can check that out HERE) and my conclusion was that they're a bit of a mixed-bag overall. The same holds true with this one, and it may end up being the most average movie this year. I did like a good deal of stuff in the film but it's mostly stuff I like about the original... You ever watch 1992's Aladdin? Well, then you've pretty much seen this one. 

Aside from this one being live-action there are a few differences worth noting; This genie is of course played by Will Smith and, while he doesn't have quite the high energy of the late Robin Williams, I liked this interpretation enough. There are also a few new songs intermixed along with the old ones, and some minor tweaks to story but nothing significant. 

Overall, I found the movie pretty entertaining. It's a big budget Disney film ($183 million according to Box Office Mojo), with a solid Director in Guy Ritchie, a decent amount of spectacle, and a good cast. 

It's not as good as the animated one in my opinion and I'm not going to rush out to see it again, but it's ok.
 2.5 out of 5

Journey to the Center of the Earth

2008's Journey to the Center of the Earth starring Brendan Fraser is one of several films based on the classic Jules Verne novel, with the 1959 adaptation probably being the most famous.

This comedy/adventure has Professor Trevor Anderson (played by Brendan Fraser) traveling with his nephew Sean to Iceland, to investigate some volcanic activity that was registered on a sensor that Sean's late father had installed. Once there they meet up guide named Hannah (played by Anita Briem) who reveals to them that Sean's dad was part of a small group of people who believed that Jules Verne's books were based on fact rather than works of fiction. The group locates the volcanic sensor, but is quickly forced to seek shelter in a cave during a lightning storm. After a series of exploration mishaps, the three find themselves at the center of the earth exactly as it's described in the Verne novel. The only issue now is getting back.

Overall, this a light and fun, family-friendly, adventure movie. It's fast paced at just about an hour and a half, and pretty entertaining throughout. Some of the acting is a little hammy and not all of the jokes land, but if you have kids this is a perfect 'family movie night' flick. 

3 out of 5.

70's Month - Day17: The Gauntlet

Another day, another 70's movie.

Today's film is 1977's The Gauntlet starring Clint Eastwood and Sondra Locke. This movie, which was also directed by Eastwood, is about a grizzled cop named Ben Shockley (played by Eastwood) who is tasked with traveling from Phoenix to Las Vegas to pick up and escort back a 'nothing witness' for what he is told is a 'nothing trial'. Not long after he gets to Vegas Ben learns that this witness, Gus Mally (played by Locke) may be more important than that he was originally told. As it turns out Mally is a prostitute with mob ties and some incriminating information regarding the Phoenix Police Commissioner. So now Shockley must get Mally to City Hall back in Phoenix while avoiding the two of them being killed by both the mob and the police. 

I like both Eastwood and Locke in the film, but the story felt a little underdeveloped and, even at only 109 minutes, it felt like a padded runtime. Also, not really a critique but just something that stood out; there is a comical amount of bullets fired in this film. I give this one a moderate recommendation, it's a good but not great movie. 

3 out of 5

70's Month - Day:14 Benji

Well, we've reached the halfway mark of "70's Month" and today's movie is 1974's Benji. Written, directed, and produced by Joe Camp, Benji was pretty successful at the box-office back in '74, resulting in numerous sequels.

The movie is about a lovable, neighborhood stray dog named Benji that two young kids want to take in. The problem is the children's father isn't too keen on adopting Benji because he might have diseases or something. That is, of course, until the kids are kidnapped and Benji helps save the day.

I think it's a decent enough movie. Sure, it's a little thin on plot but it stars a cute little dog and it's only about an hour and a half long making it a good film to watch with kids. It's nothing spectacular and it does try a bit too hard to tug on the old heartstrings, but I like it overall better than say a film like Air Bud, The Adventures of Milo and Otis or The Shaggy Dog.

2 out of 5

… and my dog was captivated the whole time.