THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER

        Photos courtesy of Lionsgate

Nostalgia can be deceptive from time to time.  Things often are better remembered than they actually were.  When I saw the trailer for the THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER, I was surprised at how pedestrian it appeared.  I remember reading the book in elementary school, and it being one of my favorites, but this recollection must have been wrong based on the rather dull preview of this big screen adaptation.

I am glad that I couldn't have been more wrong.  After seeing the 91% critics score, and 97% audience approval for the movie on Rotten Tomatoes, I was able to convince my wife, and two teenage daughters, to venture to the multiplex to check out a PG-rated live action film, and it wasn't even a Disney production.

The film is based on a popular 1972 short story written by Barbara Robinson, titled, Best Christmas Pageant Ever, about a gang of siblings called the Herdmans, who wreak havoc in school and throughout the community, and decide they want to be a part of a church's annual Christmas pageant.  There are six Herdman kids, four boys and two girls, and despite their varying age and gender, all seem to enjoy fighting, stealing, cussing and basically anything abhorrent to kids and adults.  The film is told through the eyes of Beth, a classmate of Imogene Herdman, the eldest of the Herdman kids, and daughter to Grace, the mother who decides to fill in for the lifetime pageant director.  Beth sees the Herdman kids just like everyone else, troublemakers who have no business in church, let alone the Christmas pageant.  After Beth's brother Charlie brags about after-church cookies, cake and desserts, the Herdmans decide to attend church to aide their sweet tooth.

The Herdmans hear about the upcoming Christmas pageant in church that Sunday, and return the following week to claim their roles.  Imogene is the lone volunteer to play Mary, while her other brothers grab the roles of Joseph and the Three Wiseman, and her little sister. Gladys snags the part of the angel.

Grace already feeling the community and church pressure of directing the pageant, and the 75th anniversary of the annual event, has more added stress by the Herdmans occupying all of the lead parts.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER is a refreshing look at Christianity in its purest sense, adhering to the golden rule, and tending to the lost sheep.  In spite of the pressure from several church members, Grace goes on with the Herdmans in the lead roles, telling Beth that Jesus came for all of us, including the Herdmans.  Director Dallas Jenkins, most notable as the creator of the TV series The Chosen, along with screenwriters Platte Clark, Darin McDaniel and Ryan Swanson, craft the Herdmans as very unlikable, and often times unbearable.  The foursome pull no punches, as we watch the kids lie, steal and cuss out their teachers.  The kids use the Lord's name in vain in church on multiple occasions. Imogene goes as far as snatching a locket from Beth's neck, one that her mom gave her.

With each passing scene, the edge of the Herdmans is gradually dulled, as we take a look into their lives.  Their parents are never seen, we witness the jubilation as Beth's dad, Bob, delivers a Christmas ham to their home and Imogene reveals the real reason they want to be part of the play, as an escape from reality.

The performances are solid, lending authenticity to the film, whether its Judy Greer's earnestness as Grace, Molly Belle Wright's sincerity as Beth or the genuine anger, bitterness and sadness of Beatrice Schneider's Imogene.  The supporting players are not as sharply defined, but rather colorful archetypes that serve a purpose.  Imagine real-life Springfield residents from The Simpsons.

It had been roughly 40 years since I had read THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER, so much of the film seemed fresh and new.  I knew the jest of the story, and remembered how it played out, but I don't remember it having as grand of an impact, particularly the climatic moment.  There are surprises throughout the movie, and of course, during the pageant, but the biggest surprise is the most unpredictable moment as Beth calls it, and the one that rings the truest and hits the hardest.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER is truly what Christmas is all about.  A ticket to this holiday gem might be the best gift you give this season.  A merry Christmas courtesy of the Herdmans. 

HACKSAW RIDGE

        Photos courtesy of Summit Entertainment and Cross Creek Pictures

A World War Two Army medic is a conscientious objector serving on the front lines in director Mel Gibson's HACKSAW RIDGE.  

Andrew Garfield is Desmond Doss, a Virginia native raised in a two-parent household, with a brother and abusive father.  Picking up some of his father's tendencies, Desmond nearly kills his brother when he strikes him with a brick as children.  The event is a tragic one, and one that shapes Desmond's view on violence.  

Years later, his brother Hal joins the Army to fight in World War Two.  Desmond, wanting to serve, joins the armed forces a medic, but refuses to be armed, sighting his religious beliefs.  His stance ruffles many feathers, particularly Sergeant Howell his no-nonsense superior played by Vince Vaughn and many of the men in his troop.

As a biographical war film based on a pacifist serving during the last World War, HACKSAW RIDGE arrives at just the right time. With starkly contrasting points of view from its lead character and his fellow serviceman, HACKSAW RIDGE proves that a pacifist cannot only assist during war time efforts, but can be an integral piece.  

Mixing messages of faith and peace in the midst of a war film is no easy task, particularly a film which depicts the violence in brutal, yet necessary terms. Gibson gives air to Ecclesiates chapter three, verse three, or if you're a Byrds fan, "Turn, Turn, Turn", showing that not only is their a time for war and peace, but it may be in the same instance.  Garfield plays Doss as slow-witted, but not dumb, optimistic, yet not naive and the reward is a truly unique individual that stands by his convictions, while allowing others to stand by theirs. 

It's a rare cinematic treat to watch two sides of the coin be displayed, not only respecting each point of view, but giving equal treatment. HACKSAW RIDGE's battle sequences are unique in their own right. With a wide variety of obstacles to overcome, from standard warfare to underground bunkers to a giant cliff to repel, the film recreates events with a clear understanding of the deadly encounters that US forces faced at Hacksaw Ridge.  

The film is an anomaly of sorts, and refreshing one at that.  A war time film that calls for both war and peace and the necessity of both. I highly recommend HACKSAW RIDGE with a B+.

ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY

The Rebel Alliance attempts to steal plans for the Empire's Death Star in ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY.  

Set just prior to STAR WARS EPISODE ONE: THE NEW HOPE, ROGUE ONE follows a different story in the STAR WARS saga, the story of Jyn Erso, an orphan played by Felicity Jones, who fled her home as a child following the death of her mother and the capture of her father, Galen, at the hands of the Empire.  Jyn is found by Saw, played by Forrest Whitaker, an independent rebel and ally of Jyn's late mother.  Years pass, and the rebel forces learn of an Empire device, the Death Star, that can destroy entire planets.  Although Galen has been with the Empire for years, he's been working internally against it, building a fail safe within the Death Star.  

After reuniting with his daughter, Galen reveals to Jyn that there's a way to detonate the Death Star.  Jyn wishes to work with rebel forces to defeat the Empire, but the Rebel Alliance questions her motives as her father worked with the Empire.

ROGUE ONE overcompensates for its course correction from the last STAR WARS fresh start, referring to STAR WARS EPISODE ONE: THE PHANTOM MENACE, not EPISODE SEVEN: THE FORCE AWAKENS. 

Where THE PHANTOM MENACE was more in touch with STAR WARS child-like nature, sometimes to nauseating effect, ROGUE ONE is rather grim, dull and often lifeless.  The performances are stoic with Jones and co-star Diego Luna rarely revealing any personality or little emotion.  Their characters are workmanlike in nature, much like the plot, focused on the mechanics of what their characters are discovering, rather than revealing any soul.  

The story amounts to gathering information and relaying a message, not exactly groundbreaking storytelling.  The infusion of the force is heavy-handed, and reverts to repeated sermonizing from Chirrut Imwe, a blind warrior, who continues to iterate the phrase, "The force is with me and I am one with the force".  

ROGUE ONE is not without its successes.  The special effects have never been better, the cameos are wonderfully sprinkled throughout and the conclusion is a refreshingly dark, yet meaningful testament to the lead characters faith in their mission.  

ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY does well with the secondary aspects, but falters with the most crucial parts.  I don't recommend it with a "C".

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS

        Photos courtesy of Lucasfilm

The epic space saga between the light and dark side continues in the seventh episode of STAR WARS with THE FORCE AWAKENS.  Thirty years after the fall of the second Death Star, the dark side is still alive.  The defunct Galactic Empire have been replaced by the First Order, a devastating militia that seeks universal domination.  The opposition, the Resistance, a military force led by General Leia Organa stands in the way of the First Order.  

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS centers around a former storm trooper Finn, played by John Boyega, who flees the First Order and ends up with a Rey, a scavenger played by Daisey Ridley, who has obtained valuable information about the lone remaining Jedi, Luke Skywalker and his potential whereabouts.  After a run in with Hans Solo and Chewbacca, the foursome of Hans, Finn, Rey and Chewie head out on the Millennium Falcon in search of answers.

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS is a nostalgic slice of entertainment, a blockbuster of yesteryear, a film as focused on plot and mythology as it is special effects and set pieces.  

This blockbuster of blockbusters, unlike episodes one through three, isn't hamstrung by a course already determined, but is allowed the luxury of referring back to past characters and events to set the trajectory for the future.  With the luxury of bringing back staples like Leia, Hans Solo, Chewie and more, writer-director JJ Abrams and writers Lawerence Kasdan and Micael Arndt can leave character development as an afterthought with built in ties to the familiar faves.  

Although the foundation has been laid with Finn and Rey, their stoic personalities lend little vested interest.  Kylo Ren, the commander of the First Order's storm troopers, and the new face of the dark side has the most compelling backstory and is certain to push episodes eight and nine on a terrific path.  Presumably Finn and Rey will deliver a more compelling story moving forward, but in THE FORCE AWAKENS they serve more as pawns in a deliberately entangled web of dark family dynamics and big moments.  

Although the film recollects and recreates moments from the original, episode seven still stands on its own with a darker edge and mystery to boot.  STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS recreates some of the series old magic, while charting its own course.  I highly recommend it with a B+.

BRIDGE OF SPIES

                                   Photos courtesy of Dreamworks and 20th Century Fox

Tom Hanks attempts to broker a deal between Eastern and Western superpowers in Steven Spielberg's cold war drama BRIDGE OF SPIES.  BRIDGE OF SPIES is based on the real-life account of James Donovan, an American insurance lawyer who came to defend a Russian spy in the United States and later went on to serve as a mediator between America and the former Soviet Union in negotiating an exchange of each countries spies.

Hanks is Donovan, a husband and father of three, who is recruited by the US government and the insurance company he works for, to defend Rudolf Abel, played by Mark Rylance, a Soviet spy that has been detained by the FBI for espionage. Hanks represents Abel, but loses a hard-fought case against the bureau.  Donovan's victory comes in Abel's sentencing, as the court rules that Abel be detained in a federal prison for up to 30 years, as opposed to instituting a death sentence.

This sentencing would later prove crucial, as Donovan is called upon by the United State government to broke an exchange deal between the former Soviet Union and the United States, exchanging Abel for captured US spy and pilot Francis Gary Powers.

BRIDGE OF SPIES is a nice companion piece for Spielberg's last cinematic endeavor, LINCOLN. Both are centered around historical United States moments, and both films are focused on the mechanisms of two of America's most prized institutions.

Where LINCOLN dabbled in politics and the legislative process, BRIDGE OF SPIES centers its attention around the American judicial system.  Politics again come into play in BRIDGE OF SPIES as Spielberg thoughtfully infuses his account of the proceedings with what he believes unites us all as Americans, our constitution.  Early in BRIDGE OF SPIES, Donovan interacts with CIA Agent Glienicke Bridge, played by Martin Dew, and iterates that although their heritages are distinctly different, that both men as Americans and are bound together by the rules, the US Constitution.  Spielberg argues that all men should be treated equally under "the rules", whether they're a US citizen or not.  Central to BRIDGE OF SPIES are the performances of Hanks and Rylance.  Hanks embodies Donovan as an every man, initially taking the assignment out of obligation, but later seeing it as a patriotic duty.  Rylance's portrayal is a bit trickier, keeping the mystery surrounding Abel concealed, while allowing bits of the spy's personality to seep through his performance.

Where LINCOLN was a careful and thorough examination of the United States legislative process, BRIDGE OF SPIES is an emotional plea for American ideals.  Spielberg crafts a riveting negotiating thriller wrapped around his vision of what our country stands for.  I highly recommend BRIDGE OF SPIES with a B+.

THE HANGOVER PART TWO

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

The wolf pack is back, but this time the bachelor party is taken overseas in the comedy sequel THE HANGOVER 2.

This time around, Stu is the one tying the knot, with Phil, Doug and Alan along for the ride again, this time in Thailand. Stu, not wishing for another repeat of their stint in Vegas, elects for a bachelor party brunch at I-HOP before they leave the states. This won’t due as far as Phil is concerned, so following the rehearsal dinner, he convinces his buddies, and Stu’s soon-to-be 16-year-old brother-in-law, to join him for one beer around the campfire before packing it in for the night.

One-beer, and several hours later, Phil, Stu and Alan find themselves hung over in a seedy Bangkok motel, minus Teddy, but not his finger. With little time to spare before the wedding, the threesome hit the streets in search of Teddy.

THE HANGOVER TWO is almost a carbon copy of the original, taking almost identical situations and events and magnifying the absurdity for maximum laughs. This is blatantly intentional from the set-up, a toast; the morning after, a severe hangover in a trashed hotel room; and a lost member of the wedding party. These are just a few of the many similarities between THE HANGOVER and THE HANGOVER PART TWO.

Although the replica plot leaves little surprises, the laughs come fast and furious thanks to a screenplay with dialogue-driven humor, and a cast who’s camaraderie is matched only by its insanity. In many ways, THE HANGOVER PART TWO serves as a highly successful situation comedy. We’ve been there, and done that, but watching the same characters jump through the hoops once again elicits a tremendous amount of laughs due to the built in personalities of the wolf pack, and the heightened attitude and intensity in director Todd Phillips films.

The talented cast of comics returns, with Ed Helms still apprehensive and conservative as Stu, Bradley Cooper back as the school teacher gone wild Phil and Zach Galifinakis reprises his role of Alan, the somewhat naïve, awkward and always inappropriate brother-in-law of Doug (who again is an afterthought).

Although THE HANGOVER PART TWO doesn’t earn high marks for creativity, it does score thanks to writer-director Todd Phillips no-holds barred screenplay and direction, and a cast who’ll do anything for a laugh.

Grade: B

END OF WATCH

Photos courtesy of Open Road Films

Jake Gylenhaal and Michael Pena team up to clean up the streets of South Central LA in the action-drama, END OF WATCH.  

Gylenhaal and Pena are Brian Taylor and Mike Zavala, LAPD officers who man one of several beats on the streets of South Central Los Angeles.  Although their daily routine is no walk in the park, it becomes even more dangerous when the two discover that a drug cartel is operating out of their precinct.  

The cartel is not just trafficking drugs, but people too. 

                                                     

Writer-director David Ayer seems enamored with the life of law enforcement officers.  With screenwriting credits including TRAINING DAY, S.W.A.T, THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS and HARSH TIMES, END OF WATCH would appear to be another revved up action thriller full of bullets, bloodshed and mayhem.  Although it does feature all of the above, sometimes to dizzying effect, the focus is on the men behind the badge, their willingness to serve and their fragility as human beings.  

From the outset, a voice over from Taylor informs us that he is no different than anyone else, but that it’s his purpose to protect and serve, and that’s exactly what he’ll do.  We see all of this through their actions, interactions and encounters with criminals, their fellow officers and also in their personal life.  These moments allow Taylor and Zavala to become well-rounded characters, ones which are deeply flawed, completely benevolent and ultimately heroic.  

The film works best when it meanders, following these two in their patrol car, allowing them to ramble about their fears, aspirations and loved ones.  As cops in South Central, fear and danger is always lurking around the corner, and Ayer understands this.  The nearly plot-less picture succeeds in large part due to this fact, as it understands the rhythms of patrolling officers and soaks every last bit of entertainment out of their daily grind.  

Gylenhaal and Pena find an on-screen chemistry that’s rare amongst actors.  These two never upstage one another, but find that sharing the limelight is mutually beneficial.  Their us versus all mentality, whether it’s the force or the criminals, serves their friendship and patrol well.  

END OF WATCH is an invigorating slice of life action-drama that I highly recommend.

Grade:  B+

WRECK-IT RALPH

Pictures courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

A video game bad guy tries to remake his image in the Disney animated feature, WRECK-IT RALPH.  

Ralph is the bad guy in the 1980’s video game Fix-It Felix Jr., a big, hulking figure with fists that serve as sledge hammers.  His job is to destroy a high-rise residential building, while Felix utilizes a magical hammer to fix the mess.  

Tired of playing the bad guy role, and following a run-in with other Fix-It Felix Jr. characters, Ralph leaves his video game in search of a medal to prove his worth.  What Ralph finds is a world of trouble, adventure and excitement far beyond his imagination, whether it’s in the video game world of modern combat or the adrenaline of the kids game Sugar Rush.  

 

Mixing nostalgia for yesteryear’s world of gaming and the technological awe of today’s action, WRECK-IT RALPH enjoys the best of both worlds creating a children’s film that is funny, entertaining, creative and distinctly original, no small task considering the immense amount of children fare in today’s saturated cinema market.  

Although the tale of being oneself is nothing new, WRECK-IT RALPH’s universe is.  Video game movies have been made before, but they have always been made from the inside out, viewing the game as a participant or character as opposed to examining it from the gamer's perspective.  This unique point of view is further expanded through a series rules and standards established by writers Jennifer Lee and Phil Johnston and director Rich Moore.  

The grasp and humor is derived from seeing familiar faces like Pac-Man, his ghost monster friends, Q-bert and Frogger, but most of the fun comes from newly created characters, including Ralph, his video game nemesis Felix, Jr., Vanellope, a glitch from the video game Sugar Rush and Calhoun, a no-nonsense combatant from a warfare game full of violence and splattered aliens.  Each character brings a certain sensibility from their distinctly different game into the tale, and it works for the betterment of the story, with each sub-plot adding to the film as a whole.  

WRECK-IT RALPH is a unique children’s picture, one as equally focused on entertaining children and their parents as it is effective in delivering a humor-filled adventure where the bad guys aren’t always bad, and everything isn’t always as sweet as it appears.  

Grade: B

THE PAPERBOY

Photos courtesy of Millennium Entertainment

The dirty south is an understatement in writer-director Lee Daniels latest, THE PAPERBOY.  

The PRECIOUS writer-director is back with a slice of film noir centered around the murder of a racist sheriff in the hot and steamy southern dregs of Florida in the 1960’s.  John Cusak’s slimy Hillary Van Wetter stands trial for the murder, while the writing tandem of Matthew McConaughey and David Oyelowe as Ward and Yardley attempt to find out if Hillary is really the culprit or an otherwise hot-headed and scummy heathen.  

Assisting the journalistic duo are Charlotte Bliss, played by Nicole Kidman, a sexual pen pal of Hillary’s, and a means to an end for Ward and Yardley.  Also along for the ride is Ward’s younger brother Jack, played by Zac Efron, a naïve young man who pines for Charlotte without understanding the complications that are involved.  

As he did with PRECIOUS, writer-director Lee Daniels magnifies with THE PAPERBOY.  Daniels is a man of excess, gratuity and a heavy hand, seemingly incapable of delivering a message or fable without a barrage of sex, violence and other unworldly human events.  

If like me, watching one character try to crush another with a tube TV-set in PRECIOUS wasn’t enough, you won’t find any consolation in watching the antics of Kidman’s sex-pot Charlotte rip off her clothes in jail or urinate on another character.  

These actions are off-putting on their own, but the effectiveness of the actors in these morally bankrupt and incendiary roles makes THE PAPERBOY void of anything artistic and certainly humanistic.  Kidman, Efron and MacConaughey are each on top of their games, but its gone to waste on characters who are caricatures, individuals who resemble humans in form only.  Even worse are Oyelowe and Cusack, from opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of social, economic and cerebral status.  Both men come off as reprehensible, but Cusak’s Hillary is so manipulative, disheveled and disgusting that he’s more like a clown than a monster.

Lee Daniels paints his characters with broad strokes, so broad that even the blind can see.  In many ways, Daniels is becoming a more independent, hard “R” rated version of Tyler Perry.  The only thing THE PAPERBOY delivers is a lot of pain and suffering, on all five senses.  

Grade: D

ARGO

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.

Ben Affleck doubles as a CIA operative and movie producer in order to save American lives in the dramatic thriller ARGO.  

The thriller, based on the actual events in 1980 Iran, follows a group of American embassy workers who flee the Iranian consulate following a riotous attack on the building.  The group finds refuge at the Canadian embassy, but this sanctuary is temporary.  

After hearing this news, and understanding the immediacy of the workers predicament, CIA operative Tony Mendez, portrayed by Affleck, devises a plan to extricate the Americans from Iran by having them, and he, pose as a Canadian film crew.  Mendez won't be able to pull off the guise with only CIA assistance, so he calls on the Hollywood community to assist in the mission.

Following in the footsteps of his previous two directorial works, GONE BABY GONE and THE TOWN, ARGO has a rich atmosphere establishing the time, place and most importantly the intensity of the characters’ predicament.  

Whether it’s the embassy workers walking the dangerous streets of Iran or Mendez’s encounters with high-ranking administration officials or Hollywood creative types, Affleck captures the immediacy and importance with each scene.  By creating this distinct and crucial mood, ARGO’s events have a naturally heightened drama.  Where other films rest their outcome on high speed chases, gun play or hand-to-hand combat, ARGO finds more tension and suspense through less combative moments.  

The authenticity of the material also soaks through, as ARGO frames its story well with specific, timely and detailed events and aspects.  

The film also benefits from a collectively strong cast, delivering colorful performances, but not so much as to overshadow the material  Goodman, Alan Arkin, Brian Cranston, and each of the embassy worker actors deliver defined and convincing portrayals of their real life counterparts.  At the forefront is Affleck as Mendez, a man burdened as much by personal events as international ones.  The task at hand is one of life or death for six Americans, and you can see the despair weighing heavily on Mendez through Affleck’s burdensome demeanor and the intensity behind his eyes.  

ARGO is an accomplished and entertaining factually-based dramatic thriller that Hollywood rarely delivers.

Grade: B+

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4

Photos courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Unsettling sounds are moving through another Southern California residence in the third follow-up to the original PARANORMAL ACTIVITY.  

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 picks up where the third one left off.  Katie and her nephew Hunter have fled from the confines of their old home, and have moved to a new place.  Another family begins experiencing the same sounds, sights and horrors that troubled Katie and Hunter.  

This time, most of the creeps haunt a pair of high school students, Alex and Ben, who much like the participants in the first three PARANORMAL films, begin to document their experiences through a series of computer cameras.

 

The beauty of the first PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, and I’d argue to a lesser extent, PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3 was its simplicity.  In these two films, the effort and execution was focused on the things that go bump in the night, an object of two that would move and eventually the climax would reveal something a bit more.  

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 again uses this same framework, but often times gets distracted with the built in mythology established in the last two films.  The mythology is present, but the mystery is gone, as we now know what is going bump in the night and also what it is leading up to.  

All may have been forgiven had the creepy night time scenes been paramount, and less time had been devoted to foolish teenagers and their preoccupied parents.  The acting and writing have never been these films drawing cards, but PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 exposes these aspects as a liability.  Teens are left to carry the dramatic weight, and screenwriter Christopher Landon felt that a series of f-bombs were the best way to convey their despair.  

Kathryn Newton as Alex fares much better than her male counterpart, the sexually-charged Ben, played by Matt Shively, who’s range is limited, but the older and younger actors are even worse.  Creepy kids are now more a cliché than they are genuinely terrifying, and PARANORMAL ACTIVITY  4’s kids are more likely to illicit laughs than shrieks.  

In many ways, the same can be said for the film as a whole.  PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 is a tired exercise that attempts to expand the scope of the series, but ends up diminishing it.  

Grade: D

FRANKENWEENIE

Pictures courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

A boy resurrects his canine companion in Tim Burton’s FRANKENWEENIE.  

The animated feature is centered around Victor and his dog Sparky, the inseparable duo who could one be pulled apart by death itself.  Unfortunately that’s exactly what happens.  Sparky’s passing leaves Victor, an aspiring scientist, with a lot of free time and an interesting idea from his scientist teacher.  

After science class, and grieving the loss of his best friend, Victor decides he’ll try to revive Sparky with a jolt from mother nature.  One stormy night, some jumper cables and a bolt of lightening does just that for Victor and Sparky.

                                                                

Tim Burton’s touch with live-action material has been sketchy at best recently, but when the creative and imaginative director puts his talents to work in the world of animation, he’s as solid as they come.

FRANKENWEENIE, the full-length version of the director’s first short film, is a heartfelt, humorous and clever tale about the bond that exists between a boy and his dog, albeit through the slightly twisted mind of Burton.  

Clocking in exactly three times as long as the short, FRANKENWEENIE never wears out its welcome.  Burton and screenwriter John August milk the film for both standard and odd situations, riffing on classic horror films and the 1950’s, but also find a nice groove with the kids-oriented story line.  

Burton, filming the stop-motion animated tale in black and white, utilizes both techniques to maximum effect.  The choice to go black and white gives the film a unique feel, while also creating an odder and more detailed atmosphere.  The stop motion animation also gives the period piece a more authentic feel, and the movements and actions of the characters a more humanistic draw.  

FRANKENWEENIE hits home on a couple of occasions, but more or less plays it safe with the story, settling for laughs and amusement, when something greater lies beneath the surface of this kiddy spooker//  FRANKWEENIE still delivers a solid slice of Halloween entertainment.

Grade: B

ARBITRAGE

Photos courtesy of Lionsgate

Richard Gere feels the heat while trying to unload his flailing enterprise in the dramatic thriller, ARBITRAGE.

Gere is Robert Miller, a highly successful businessman who has inflated his company’s worth in order to sell the franchise for great value.  From the outside, Robert is a content capitalist with a family and a fortune.  On the inside, he’s a stressed high stakes roller, both professionally and personally.  Not only is Robert under pressure for the sale of his business, but he’s also feeling it from his artist lover who he’s trying to keep secret from his wife, played by Susan Sarandon.

                                                           

 The time doesn’t feel right for a film like ARBITRAGE.  A seedy philander attempts to pawn off his company for more money than its worth, would be ripe for the picking, presuming that audiences we were hoping to see Robert get what he deserves, but writer-director Nicholas Jarecki tackles Robert’s predicament from the opposite end of the spectrum.  

Although not entirely empathetic, Jarecki still tilts ARBITRAGE in Robert’s rooting interests, despite the fact that his actions are morally reprehensible.  Not only are Robert’s business dealings underhanded, but his extra-marital affair now has him caught in the middle of a crime, with Tim Roth’s tenacious detective on his heels. 

Although Jarecki’s screenwriting skills are easily seen through ARBITRAGE, they’d be for naught if it were not for the stellar cast, beginning with Gere.  Gere, who’s career has spanned over three decades, has not been any better than he is in ARBITRAGE.  Gere enables us to see Robert through several prisms, each as compelling as the next, and as viewed  through each light, Robert becomes more complex, rich and oddly sympathetic.  

The rest of the cast is also strong, with Sarandon as his strong, but compromising wife, Roth as an unrelenting officer and Brit Marling, as his daughter who gets caught in the crossfire.

ARBITRAGE is a unique and engaging thriller, not because its something new, but rather because of the angle we’re viewing it.

Grade: B+

TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Clint Eastwood heads south to scout baseball’s number one prospect in the family drama TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE.  Eastwood is Gus, a veteran scout for the Atlanta Braves, one who has provided the organization with some of its best players for the past 30 years.  Yet as the sport has progressed, Gus hasn’t, relying on the same techniques for scouting as he always has.  He’s sent to North Carolina to check out hot-hitting high school prospect Bo Gentry, but has currently been struggling with his eyesight.  

His daughter Mickey, played by Amy Adams, a successful lawyer seeking partnership, meets up with Mickey in Carolina, despite the demands of her position.  Risking her professional future, Mickey decides her father's predicament is more crucial than her personal success.

                                                          

Some may think that TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE is the antidote for those that believe MONEYBALL and its sabermetrics are baseball blasphemy.  Although TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE has its heart in the right place, it could have used a little more baseball insight from the creative minds behind MONEYBALL.

First and foremost, the film is a family drama, set against the backdrop of baseball.  Oh there’s talk of baseball, particularly the banter between Mickey and her love interest Johnny, played by Justin Timberlake, but the extent of baseball knowledge seems relegated to trivia and analogies, rather than the intricacies between the foul lines.  

Eastwood and Adams are terrific, with Clint at home as the grizzled old veteran who can’t leave yesteryear behind, and Adams as the concerned, head-strong and caring daughter who feels overwhelmed with her responsibility as a lawyer and daughter.  When the film is focused on these two, it works, even if the talented actors are often pressed to make the sappy dialogue ring true, and they usually do.  

In the end, TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE tries to mix too many pitches into its dramatic arsenal, when a fastball and a change-up would have delivered just what the film needed.  I don’t recommend this well-meaning, well-acted, but poorly written baseball drama.

Grade: C+

THE EXPENDABLES 2

Photos courtesy of Lionsgate Films

Slyvester Stallone and his band of action heroes reunite again in the sequel THE EXPENDABLES 2.  

Barney, played by Stallone, gets the gang back together again after he’s called on to repay a favor to Mr. Church, played by Bruce Willis.  The favor is the retrieval of a device that contains valuable and secretive information, and its located in a remote location well beyond America’s borders.  

The same crew joins Barney in action, with stars Jet Li, Jason Stratham, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews and Randy Coulture on board for another mission.  In addition to the old timers, a young sniper, played by Liams Hemsworth, and Maggine, one of Church’s cohorts played by Nan Yu, are also along for the ride.

                                                                             

THE EXPENDABLES 2 ramps up the fire and star power for the second installment, and the body count as well.  

In spite of the additional screen time for Hollywood action mega-stars Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger and the addition of Chuck Norris and Jean Claude Van Damme to the cast, as well as the exponential growth of ammo, artillery and deaths, THE EXPENDABLES 2 is a lot of noise and mayhem without much excitement.  

THE EXPENDABLES 2 offers less character development and backstory, which is appreciated considering the thin-nature of the film, but the additional action scenes aren’t any more exciting than the original, serving up standard shoot’em up moments that don’t derive any tension of suspense.  They’re the equivalent to the big-screen version of the original Nintendo video game Contra.  

Although the cast is a who’s who of action stars, only a few bring real charisma to their roles, and they’re in supporting roles.  Schwarzenegger effectively hams up his few moments, as does the Satanic-infused Van Damme, as The Expendables villain.  The rest of the cast seems along for the ride, resigned to their dumb-witted characters, even Dolph Lundgren, whose Gunner Jepsen holds a PHD in nuclear physics.  

With the bulging biceps, high body count and gunplay, you’d think there’d be enough machismo for two films, but director Simon West and collection of story and script writers, including Stallone, splatter the film with blood, guts and an exclamation point of a finish that left me feeling angered and saddened.  

THE EXPENDABLES 2 is an over indulgence of violence and mayhem.

Grade: C-

PARANORMAN

Photos courtesy of Focus Features

A teenager speaks to the dead in the Focus Features animated film, PARANORMAN.  

Norman isn’t your average teenager.  Oh, he loves horror movies, isn’t understood by his parents and fights with his old sister, but he also communes with the dead, whether it's his deceased grandmother or other townsfolk.  

His unique gift is viewed as an abnormality by his family, but even more so by his classmates, who ridicule Norman.  No one believes that Norman can communicate with the dead, and it isn’t until Norman is visited by his estranged uncle, that he realizes the purpose of his gift.

                                                              

Bullying is as prevalent today as it was some 25 years ago when I was Norman’s age. Yet unlike yesteryear, bullying is taken more seriously today, and the attempts to combat it are more evident and effective.

PARANORMAN is very humorous and even creepy at times, but the central focus is on the ill effects of bullying and equally important, an examination of how to rebuild oneself after the damage has been done.  This message for adolescents is wrapped around a standard, but entertaining tale, and a collection of odd, but funny characters who fit many junior high and high school stereotypes.  

Although the characters fit a familiar formula, PARANORMAN still provides an eclectic mix of personalities.  The voice work is well done, with familiar, but tough to recognize voices.  

The look of the film is terrific.  Utilizing stop-motion animation, PARANORMAN has its cake and eats it too.  The freedom of animation is utilized for both comedy and thrills, but the realistic nature of the characters moments and mannerisms also gives this teen tale a sense of realism.  

PARANORMAN is a rare, and oddly moving film for teens.

Grade: B

HOPE SPRINGS

Photos provided by Sony Pictures

Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones attempt to rekindle their romance after 39 years of marriage in the comedy-drama, HOPE SPRINGS.  

Streep and Jones are Kay and Arnold, a not-so-happily married couple who no longer sleep in the same bed or eat breakfast together, and more or less live two separate lives under the same roof.  After reading a book on marriage and romance by Dr. Feld, a marriage counselor played by Steve Carrell, Kay decides it’s time for her and Arnold to pay a visit to Dr. Feld in his hometown of Maine.  

After much reluctance and grumbling, Arnold decides to make the trip for couple's counseling.

                                                               

Dissecting relationships, let alone senior citizens, is not something Hollywood is accustomed to.  The boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back story line is an ironclad one which has been safe, profitable and an overall winning formula for studios and their audiences.  HOPE SPRINGS breaks the mold, exploring what has happened to boy and girl after the wedding vows, kids, biological changes and other transformations in a married couple’s relationship.  

Funny, smart and observant HOPE SPRINGS does what most comedies and romances fail to do, finding the humor and heart in life’s smaller moments.  Whether it’s Arnold’s tight financial ways or Kay’s reluctance to speak up, writer Vanessa Taylor and director David Frankel embrace the humor found in these two former lovers systematic approach to the institution of marriage.  

It doesn’t hurt that HOPE SPRINGS casts the two most ideal candidates for the lead roles.  Streep, who has recently played domineering roles from Margaret Thatcher to Miranda Priestly, shows her softer side again, as a heartwarming, but no less insistent wife.  Jones isn’t as rugged and tough as his movie mantra has been in the past, but he still taps into the stubbornness that is evident in all of his roles.  Pride still comes to the forefront in Arnold, but is reflected as a weakness, one which Jones milks for not only sympathy, but laughs.  

HOPE SPRINGS is a refreshingly frank, honest and humor-filled look at a couple that’s trying to find that loving feeling again.

Grade: B