MARVEL'S THE AVENGERS

Photos courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

An all-star team worth of superheroes battles a godly foe in Marvel’s mega-blockbuster, THE AVENGERS.  

A highly powerful and dangerous energy source has slipped into the wrong hands. Thor’s adoptive brother, Loki, a Norse nemesis seeking to strip mankind of their free will has seized the energy source.  

A secretive international peace keeping organization titled S.H.I.E.L.D has been monitoring superheroes worldwide, knowing that someday their services might all be needed to stop a great evil.  That day has come, and S.H.I.E.L.D director Nick Fury, played by Samuel Jackson, has put in motion a recruitment team to bring together Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hawkeye, Black Widow and scientist Bruce Banner in an effort to thwart Loki’s plan to overtake the world.

                              

 THE AVENGERS has been hyped as the superhero movie of superhero movies.  With a cast of comic book heroes who have carried their own blockbusters in summers past, there’s little doubt that aligning these popular heroes and heroine into one film was bound to be a gigantic hit.  

In spite of the wonder in seeing Thor, Captain America, Hulk and Iron Man share the screen together, THE AVENGERS feels more like a superhero highlight reel than a complete comic book movie.  A lot of the film is devoted to obligatory mano y mano match-ups between the superheroes.  This would seem like a grand idea, every comic book fans dream, but instead the scenes play more like a comic book celebrity death match, with little at stake.  

Without a real sense of drama, tension or suspense, THE AVENGERS almost coasts by on the visceral visuals from the film’s action scenes, and the well-written banter between the team of talented misfits.  

All of the performers are game for the material, particularly Robert Downey Jr. as Ironman, cracking one-liners off the naïve nature of Captain America, the ignorance of Thor and the repressed anger brewing inside of Bruce Banner.

THE AVENGERS is a terrific concept, but one which doesn’t quite satisfy, with a script that pulls one from one superhero to the next, and never captures the excitement or interest in any of them.

Grade: C+

THE PIRATES! BAND OF MISFITS

Pictures courtesy of Sony Pictures


                    
An underwhelming pirate tries to snag a coveted prize from his peers in the latest Aardman animated feature, THE PIRATES! BAND OF MISFITS.  

The Pirate Captain, voiced by Hugh Grant, instills little fear in opposing fleets, but is quite popular with his crew, as the captain pumps up his eccentric band of misfits with songs, a sense of camaraderie and “Ham Night” once a week.  The Pirate Captain is generally pleased, but is still missing one thing, “The Pirate of the Year” Award, presented to the over-the-seas outlaw who brings home the biggest treasure.  

While attempting to snag the top prize, The Pirate Captain must also be weary of the queen, as she’d like nothing better than to wipe all pirates off of the open seas.

Aardman Animation is the next best thing to Pixar, and THE PIRATES! BAND OF MISFITS is another welcomed addition from the creative studio that brought you WALLACE AND GROMMIT.  A new crew of charming characters, witty humor and imaginative stop-motion animation livens up the previously played-out pirate film, this time focusing on the eccentricities and silliness of the characters rather than the swash-buckling, swordplay and high seas angst.  

Wry British humor is always abundant in Aardman films, and is again, with the lovable, and awkwardly kind lead character, The Pirate Captain at the helm.  The whole idea of the featured pirates as kind-hearted oddballs is a nice twist, but THE PIRATES! BAND OF MISFITS takes it one step further.  In our current competitive climate, obtaining treasure for a pirate isn’t enough, one must accumulate so much as to win The Pirate of the Year award.  Thanks to this riff on modern competitions, the film wonderfully goes over-the-top with hilarious introductions to The Pirate Captain’s competition.  

The jokes are steady and consistent featuring a unique crew, a blood thirsty queen and legendary scientist Charles Darwin.  THE PIRATES! BAND OF MISFITS is a wonderfully lightweight family film, filled with a treasure chest’s worth of jokes and colorful characters.

Grade: B

CHIMPANZEE

Photos courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

A young chimp tries to survive the African forest minus his mother in the annual Disney Nature documentary, CHIMPANZEE.  

Oscar, a three-year old chimpanzee loses his mother in the midst of a fierce rainstorm, leaving the youngster marooned with other primates in his troop.  The challenge for the chimp is to find another mother willing to nurture and care for him, while showing him the ways of the wild. 

                                 

Much like the last Disney Nature release, AFRICAN CATS, CHIMPANZEE focuses on a group of animals pitted against another group of animals within their own species, outlying the territorial divide and the quest for that space and its natural resources.  

Unlike AFRICAN CATS, where the landscape felt rich and spacious, the forest in CHIMPANZEE feels confined and rather dull.  The same can be said of the storyline and its lack of dramatic effect.  Unlike AFRICAN CATS where the danger felt real and imminent, whether it was the battling dens of lions, or the threat of crocodiles around their only water source, CHIMPANZEE only visually provides one enemy, other chimpanzees.  

The danger presented in CHIMPANZEE feels fabricated, so much so, that the next example of dramatic turmoil for our troubled primates is cracking open pesky nuts.  Sensing a lack of substance, directors Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield, try to muster some laughs with this filler fodder, but instead the mere 80 minute run time feels forced for a full-length feature effect.  

Tim Allen provides the voice work for CHIMPANZEE, and is the right choice for the light-hearted narration, but the material he’s presented with is less than stellar.  CHIMPANZEE is a film with little to reveal or say.  I suggest you leave this Disney doc stranded in the woods.

Grade: C-

THE CABIN IN THE WOODS

Photos courtesy of Lionsgate Films

                             

A group of college students discover their getaway weekend isn’t what its cracked up to be in THE CABIN IN THE WOODS.  

Dana, Curt, Jules, Marty and Holden are burnt out on class work, and plan on blowing off some steam at Curt’s cousin’s cabin out in the woods.  After discovering some interesting aspects to the cabin, and their surroundings, the five settle in for a classic game of “Truth and Dare”.  The game leads to an interesting discovery in the cabin’s cellar, and propels some strange and horrific occurrences.  

As Marty soon discovers, these events are not coincidental, but intentional.

Things aren’t exactly as they appear in THE CABIN IN THE WOODS, and that’s a good thing, especially for a genre that typical feels restricted in terms of creativity.  

Writer-director Drew Goddard and writer Joss Whedon weren’t given the memo on these constraints and have crafted a wild, uneven, but ultimately thrilling ride through a horror film that works more as a suspenseful mystery.  Intrigue and anticipation replace fear and terror as the main ingredients in this oddly satirical, yet respectful nod to the standard horror picture.  

The characters fit the standard clichés, with a horny couple, Curt as the jock and Jules his promiscuous gal, an honorable couple, the thoughtful Holden and well meaning Dana, and the fifth wheel along for comic relief, this time as the pot-smoking, Shaggy-like Marty.  Although each fits the bill, often times their actions and reactions stem from their forced environment and events that lie outside of their control.  

At times the group works together for a common cause, but something greater, from the outside, is pulling them apart, controlling their destiny.  By opening up the genre to outside forces at work, Goddard and Whedon allow the same results to occur, watching the kids get picked off one-by-one, but what drives THE CABIN IN THE WOODS, isn’t the characters' outcomes, but rather what is leading to their outcomes and why.  

The talented screenwriting duo doesn’t hold back, in terms of scope or carnage, and the film’s conclusion somehow manages to be horrific and humorous.

Grade: B

TITANIC

Photos courtesy of Paramount Pictures




James Cameron’s epic high-seas romance and disaster film returns to mark the 100^th anniversary of  the actual TITANIC.  

The re-release of one of Hollywood’s most popular pictures remains the same film, but has added a 3D wrinkle.  If you’re not familiar, TITANIC is a love, turned disaster story about Jack, a young, poor and free-spirited man played by Leonardo DiCaprio, and his romance with Rose, a young, apparently wealthy and repressed lady played by Kate Winslet.  The love affair is told through Rose’s eyes in modern times, as she recollects about it to an exploration team set on retrieving artifacts from the sunken ship.  The team is particularly interested in “the heart of the ocean”, a diamond given to Rose from her fiancé Cal Hockley. 

                               

When I previously reviewed TITANIC 15 years ago, I gave the film a “B” grade, marveling over the film’s special effects and thrilling action sequences, while the dialogue and performance by Billy Zane as Cal left little to be desired.  

After viewing it again, the same thoughts ring true, but the legacy of TITANIC remains strong due to its timeless story, and the craftsmanship in its telling by Cameron.  A lesser, mainstream Hollywood blockbuster, of which we’ve seen many of since our initial broadcast reviewing TITANIC in 1997, would focus less on the story, the characters and the history of the boat, and cut straight to chase, the horrific spectacle of its sinking.  

Cameron wisely establishes the history of the story through two different sets of eyes, a greedy explorer played by Bill Paxton, and through Rose as a senior citizen, played by Gloria Stuart.  By framing the story in this context, Cameron establishes a mythical feel to the material.  He then constructs a love story, and a well-established one, taking the time to learn about Rose and Jack and what draws them together, and won’t tear them apart.  

All of this leads up to the spectacle of the boat’s crash, its sinking and the attempted survival of its passengers.  In this regard, TITANIC’s achievement has few rivals.  

Looking back on TITANIC, my minor qualms still remain, but what resonates is the artistry displayed by one of Hollywood’s most talented directors, and two broad, but effective performances from Winslet and DiCaprio.

Grade: B+

AMERICAN REUNION

Photos courtesy of Universal Studios                               

                                   

Jim and Michelle, Stifler and Oz and the rest of the gang are back together for their 13-year high school reunion in the comedy AMERICAN REUNION.  

The more things change, the more things stay the same, and although Jim and Michelle are now married, Oz a national celebrity and Finch an ambitious world traveler, these men still have a lot of boy in them.  Jim’s sexual frustration continues, this time as a dad; Oz still pines for Heather, even though he’s dating a supermodel; and Stifler, well Stifler is still Stifler.

 

 

The same problems that hampered the original AMERICAN PIE also hamper AMERICAN REUNION.

Only two of the five boys, now men, that are featured have a distinct or humorous personality, while the others’ story lines seem to be filling up space required for a nearly two-hour sex comedy.  By focusing the film on the two best figures, the apprehensive Jim and the uproarious Stifler, I believe the AMERICAN PIE series would have operated much better.  These two characters are by far the funniest of the gang, and by pairing them together, and leaving the other characters as tag-alongs, the laughs would have consistently flowed, and the mentalities of Jim and Stifler could have been juxtaposed to effectively sell the message that AMERICAN REUNION is attempting to convey.

Instead, writer-directors John Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg of HAROLD AND KUMAR fame, play AMERICAN REUNION more as recap of the first film, filled with all of the same characters and similar scenarios.  Laughs are to be had, but they are more sporadic than consistent, leaving Jim and Stifler, Jason Biggs and Sean William Scott to carry the load.  

AMERICAN REUNION plays like a fourth installment of a comedy series, recycled, repackaged and retread.

Grade: C

DR. SEUSS' THE LORAX

Pictures provide by Universal Pictures



Dr. Seuss gets the full-length, big-screen treatment again this time with an eco-friendly message with DR. SEUSS’ THE LORAX in 3D.

Ted, a junior high school boy, finds out that Audrey, a high school girl he has a crush on, would love to have a tree in her backyard. This would seem like an easy request to meet, but in their town of Thneadville, run by the O’Hare Corporation, real trees don’t exist. The O’Hare has stripped the town of almost all things organic, and even has ideas of taking over the fresh air supply.

After receiving a tip from his grandmother, Ted heads outside the walls of Thneadville to find The Once-ler, the one person who can make Ted’s, and more importantly, Audrey’s wish come true.



For a film whose message is about breathing life back into its town, DR. SEUSS’ THE LORAX could have infused a lot more life into its characters. This solid spinning, but unremarkable tale is missing the key ingredient to what makes Dr. Seuss’ works so inviting: colorful, unique and odd characters.

The Lorax, voiced by Danny Devito, is more or less the only character with a defined personality, and he only serves as a supporting character albeit the title one. Some minor, nameless bears and fish are funny, serving up humor in small doses, but the comedy and heart that was abundant in the last Seuss big-screen affair, HORTON HEARS A WHO, is so mild that not even a jolt from the O’Hare electric company could help.

The story, about saving and preserving trees, is one that is simple enough to follow for young kids, but delivers its theme with a sledge-hammer’s touch.

The color scheme of DR. SEUSS’ THE LORAX is brilliant, adding a liveliness to the tale that other animated features lack. The 3D works in some instances, including Ted’s trip over Thneadville’s wall and during The Once-ler’s water-rafting trip, but outside of these moments, the effect is more or less absent.

DR. SEUSS’ THE LORAX is more a triumph in marketing a side character than it is a rebirth of a childhood’s favorite tale.

Grade: C

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN

Photos provided by Oscilloscope Pictures 



Tilda Swinton reflects back on her parenting skills and troublesome son in WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN.

Swinton is Eva, a mother who is haunted by her past. She’s antagonized by neighbors and random strangers for something that has occurred in her life, something that has affected the community at large.

She currently resides alone, lives a sheltered life, and has taken a data entry position with a local small business. Through flashbacks, it’s revealed that Eva was previously married with a strange, unique and disturbed son named Kevin.



WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN is part drama, part thriller and part horror film. That it manages to effectively be all three is a tribute to writer-director Lynne Ramsay’s tackling of the issues surrounding Kevin’s condition, and equally important how she elects to tell Eva’s story.

The film is set in present time, but utilizes flashbacks to reveal the nature of Eva and Kevin’s bitter and confrontational relationship. This technique helps to build intrigue and mystery into a haunting film about a disturbed child, his tormented mother and the underlying factors that contribute to a young one’s actions.

Although there may be two sides to every coin, there seems to be even more sides to tackle when examining Kevin, Eva and the influences that impact each of their lives. Kevin is not your average child, demanding extra special attention, and yet Eva’s personality is cool and distant when warm and nurturing would be more beneficial, and Kevin’s father Franklin, played by John C. Reilly, is too cavalier about his son’s condition to be constructive in Kevin’s development.

Along with the disturbing nature of the subject, Ramsay employs striking and suggestive visuals that create an atmosphere of terror.

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN could have turned into just a stylized horror film if it weren’t for the performances, and Tilda Swinton provides her best to date. Every emotion is poured out through Swinton’s Eva, and the character actor delivers each convincingly, formulating a well-rounded character. Ezra Miller as teenage Kevin is also terrific, delivering a frightening performance with careful precision.

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN is not an easy film to categorize, or one to forget.

Grade: A-

THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETY

Pictures provided by Disney Pictures

THE BORROWERS turn Japanese in THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETY.  

THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETY adapts the popular British-based children’s story into an animated Japanese tale about a family of four-inch tall people called Borrowers who reside underneath the home of regular-sized humans.  To survive, Borrowers take small household items from the home’s owners, but not so much that the owners will notice.  

Arriety is one of the borrowers, an inquisitive girl who longs to begin borrowing with her father Pod.  Against her family’s wishes, Arriety has been borrowing on her own, and eventually is seen by Shawn, a sick boy who has come to stay with his Aunt.  Being seen by a human is extremely dangerous, and threatens the Borrowers existence.

 

 

Wonderfully simplistic and beautifully hand-drawn THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETY provides a fresh look into the tale of THE BORROWERS.  

The film was co-written by Keko Niwa, and famed Japanese writer-director Hayao Miyazaki, who penned and directed such acclaimed works as PRINCESS MONONOKE, HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE and Oscar-winner SPIRITED AWAY.  Niwa and Miyazaki deliver a simple, but moving message on how to display courage in the face of adversity.  

The relationship that develops between Arriety and Shawn is one that slowly evolves, underlying their mutual admiration through a series of small, but significant events.  Niwa and Miyazaki don’t spell out everything in words, but in actions, and unlike Miyazaki’s other works, these actions are grounded in our reality.  

The animation is terrific, providing a welcomed break from digitally-produced 3D fare.  The joy in watching the Borrowers navigate through small crevices, repel common household items and discover the prestigious confines of an elaborate dollhouse are greatly detailed by longtime animator and debut director Hiromasa Yonebayashi.  Yonebayashi also effectively uses humor throughout the picture, creating not only laughs, but a bond between Arriety and Shawn.

THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETY conveys a simple, yet powerful message for kids and does so with subtlety and grace.

Grade: B+

GONE

Photos provided by Lakeshore Entertainment

Amanda Seyfried battles her own fears while attempting to save her sister’s life in the thriller GONE.  

Seyfried is Jill, a young woman who was abducted and now lives with her sister in the suburbs of Oregon.  After working third shift at a downtown diner, Jill returns home to find her sister Molly missing.  Jill immediately seeks help from the local authorities, but following her own mysterious abduction, the police aren’t convinced that Jill is telling them the truth.  Jill, fearful that her sister’s life is in the balance, decides to take matters into her own hands.

 

GONE is a generic one world title, and yet it so aptly describes many aspects of this wannabe thriller.  Gone is the lead character’s sister, gone is Jill’s apparent sanity, gone is screenwriter Allison Burnett’s knack for dialogue, gone is any real suspense, intrigue or mystery, gone is any credible or half-way intelligent character.

What remains from this occasionally, unintentionally funny farce are a modern-day, flimsy female Sherlock Holmes, a collection of keystone cops and an astonishingly embarrassing performance from AMERICAN BEAUTY grad Wes Bentley.  As bad as Bentley is as rookie detective Peter Hood, I must say that his forehead and eyebrows had more personality than the rest of his fellow detectives combined.  The top-half of Bentley’s head and the creepy confines of Forrest Park in the deep woods of Oregon create what little excitement exists in this humdrum thriller from director Heitor Dhalia.  

Seyfried who has shown promise in such films as LETTERS FROM JULIET and DEAR JOHN, is slumming again in the forest, with an opening scene reminiscent of last year’s unintended comedy RED RIDING HOOD.  GONE isn’t quite as bad, but only because I believe the creators were somewhat cognizant of the crud they were creating.

Grade: D