THE CAMPAIGN

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros

Funnymen Will Ferrell and Zach Galifinakis square off for the rights to a North Carolina congressional seat in the comedy THE CAMPAIGN.  

Ferrel is Cam Brady, the Democrat incumbent who squares off against Republican Marty Huggins, a small town tour guide played by Galifinakis, who has always envisioned himself running for office, but finally gets the call to serve when a major corporation decides to foot his campaign’s bill.  Although Marty is an idealist, his campaign is backed by two men who envision the congressional district as a perfect place to relocate a Chinese sweat shop.  

As with most campaigns, this congressional horse race turns ugly.

 

                                                        

 

Modern politics is a farce on its own, so making a movie about the insanity is ripe for the picking.  

Director Jay Roach, of AUSTIN POWERS and MEET THE PARENTS fame, hits home on a few issues, particularly an over-the-top Super PAC television spot, but more or less employs a broad sense of crude humor that nearly hits all the right notes.  

The political spoof rests on the broad and humorous shoulders of the talented and often odd Ferrell and Galifinakis, and these two comedic heavyweights don’t disappoint.  Ferrell’s facial expressions are nearly enough on their own, but his commitment and sincerity as the sexually infused and no-holds barred Brady make for a perfectly pompous politician.  As Ferrell is egotistical and arrogant, Galifinakis’s Huggins is equally humble and eccentric.  His dorky and socially awkward nature is effectively endearing thanks to the character actor’s willingness to sell Marty’s sweetness and naiveté.  

Co-writers Chris Henchy and Shawn Harwell keep the jokes coming at a consistent pace, with many more hits than misses, and their only mistake is an over-reliance on absurd and profane statements coming from the most unlikely of sources.  

Roach keeps things all in order, allowing the humor to come from the performances and the writing, and by permitting Ferrell and Galifinakis the freedom to improvise, but not so much as to re-write the script.  

THE CAMPAIGN is a well-executed comedy, and one of the funniest of the year.

Grade: B

THE BOURNE LEGACY

Photos courtesy of Universal Pictures

Jeremy Renner takes over where Matt Damon left off, on the run from the US government, in the action-thriller, THE BOURNE LEGACY. 

Renner is Aaron Cross, a current member of the United States military who awakes in the cold in the middle of nowhere with little knowledge of his current status or mission.  After discovering another soldier’s reclusive whereabouts in the frigid confines, Cross begins to further question the motives of his fellow soldier and his own future.  

He soon discovers he’s a target of the government, and following a near death experience with a drone, Cross decides it’s time for answers.  He travels to visit Dr. Marta Shearing, a researcher who experimented on Cross during a highly confidential scientific study.

                                                            

Although loosely tied to its superior predecessors, THE BOURNE LEGACY feels like a toned down version of the Damon-led action-thrillers.  

In spite of a few white-knuckle moments in the film’s latter third, this BOURNE installment lacks the drive, adrenaline and lightning-fast pacing of the original three pictures.  Most of the film is set-up, including a sluggish first-third.  This third has Cross navigating, exploring and surviving rugged and frigid confines, cut between boardroom and quiet-quarter chatter scenes with high-ranking government officials.  

Considering Cross’s predicament, and the nature of the series, the danger should always feel imminent, and the boardroom talk should be minimal.  Instead too much background is provided regarding Cross and the government’s failed plan, and this over explanation of events and motives not only slows the film’s pacing, but drains much of the mystery and suspense.  

Although the BOURNE series has always had an element of surprise and revelation, the driving force behind IDENTITY, SUPREMACY and ULTIMATUM was the break-neck pacing and exhilarating action sequences.  It isn’t until a late chase scene, and an exciting high-speed motorcycle chase that writer-director Tony Gilroy delivers the action goods.  

THE BOURNE LEGACY seems to be trading on its name. 

Grade: C

 

BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

Photos courtesy of Fox Searchlight

A young girl and her father attempt to survive the rising waters in BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD.

Hushpuppy and her father Wink reside in the swamplands of The Bathtub, an area south of the equator that is constantly threatened by mother nature.  The impoverished area is treasured by its residents, Hushpuppy and Wink included, and they resist the urge to dwell with the land folk on the other side of the fence.

In addition to poverty and environmental factors, Bathtub residents also know that the previous rulers of the land, boar-like beasts called aurochs, still lurk in a frozen state.

 

                                                              

BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD is an original, vague, compelling and frustrating film centered around an authentic culture.  

The context of its culture and undefined structure create an air of uncertainty and intrigue, building suspense and drama through fear of the unknown.  This mystery remains throughout, down to the very last frame, leaving BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD as an unfulfilling and rather pretentious art house exhibition.

The early scenes are the most captivating.  Navigating through the grungy confines of The Bathtub and Hushpuppy and Wink’s lair builds a curiosity for their condition, one which is never fully explained or understood.  

Another bafflingly brutal aspect to BEASTS is the father-daughter relationship between Hushpuppy and Win.  Wink rules with an iron fist, sometimes literally, and the awkward nature of their relationship teeters more towards abuse than tough love.  

The societal statement is also blurred by first time writer-director Benh Zeitlen.  Although Bathtub residents live in a post-Katrina land of swamps, moonshine and poverty, they’re content, actually ecstatic, with their poor living conditions, resisting modern amenities and technology.  Compare this to life on the other side of the fence, and a greater explanation must be given to establish the film’s framework. 

BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD is an intriguing picture, one whose ambitious reach seems just out of its grasp.

Grade: C

THE WATCH

Photos courtesy of 20th Century Fox

                             

A neighborhood watch group gets more than they signed up for in the comedy THE WATCH.  

Ben Stiller’s Evan, a Costco manager, forms a neighborhood watch group after the murder of Antonio, a security guard at the store.  The rag tag group is composed of Bob, a dad looking for a good time, played by Vince Vaughn; Franklin, a failed police academy recruit played by Jonah Hill; and Jamarcus, a Brit who has dreams of his own, played by newcomer Richard Ayoade.  

The group gets together to find Antonio’s murder, and also keep the neighborhood safe, but soon finds out that Antonio’s killer is out of this world.

                             

Two of Hollywood’s favorite conventions, male angst and extraterrestrial mayhem, meet in THE WATCH.  The results are a mixed bag, with Vaughn and Hill’s impromptu work serving as the film’s strength and also as its Achilles heel.  

The film, co-written by Evan Goldberg, Jared Stern and Seth Rogan, seems intent on having its actors carry the comedic burden, and director Akiva Shaffer is more than willing to oblige.  At times this works brilliantly, particularly a laugh-out loud montage following a victory celebration of the group’s first alien kill, but more often than not the improvised dialogue is awkward and bogs down an already flimsy story line.  

Vaughn, typically the best part of his mediocre films, is as much to blame as anyone.  His wisecracking, smart-witted comments are missing in long stretches, and are substituted with forced and outlandish statements that fail to amuse.  

In between the actors amusing themselves, the collection of screenwriters lace together sub-par sub-plots from Vaughn’s protective paternal instincts to Stiller’s sterile situation.  THE WATCH  teases at times with big laughs, but inevitably fails due to its over reliance on its stars improvisational skills.

Grade: C

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN

Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures

America’s favorite web-slinger gets a new look with THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN.  The film franchise made popular by actors Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco and director Sam Raimi, now features THE SOCIAL NETWORK’s Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone and director Marc Webb.  

The new Spidey starts from ground zero, with an introduction to Peter Parker, played by Garfield, and his new love interest, Gwen,  played by Stone.  This time around Peter is a full-fledged high school student, dabbling in photography, and at the outset of THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN he still has both of his parents.  

After the death of his parents, early in the film, Parker wants to discover what led to their deaths and he begins by investigating his father’s scientist colleague Dr. Curt Connors, played by Rhys Ifans.  After a visit to Connor’s laboratory, full of information and a spider bite, Parker’s senses are extremely astute and his strength overwhelming.

                                                                       

Minus the effective melodrama and bigger names, THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN serves as a worthy reboot to one of Marvel’s most popular superheroes.  

Webb captures the excitement and wonder of a high school student obtaining superpowers, and weaves an entertaining tale based on Stan Lee’s comic book adventure.  Although sometimes distracting due to the similarities between the original film SPIDER-MAN, THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN establishes its own identity with a slightly different Parker, a fresh face and character in Gwen and a backstory that could be more compelling than Raimi’s films.

Garfield’s Parker isn’t as obviously nerdy as Maguire’s, but he is still far enough from the fray of high school normalcy to be a compelling underdog.  The romance that instills between he and Gwen works, thanks in large part to Garfield and Stone, but also due to the fact that these characters aren’t polar opposites when it comes to popularity, intellect or appearance.  

Ifans is also a nice fit as Connors, aka The Lizard.  Although veering on insanity, Ifans delivers a broad, but relatively dark performance, a welcomed surprise from the typical comic relief role he provides.  

The film also delivers fun and thrilling moments from Parker’s basketball moves disrespecting the school bully to a nail-biting scene between The Lizard and Spidey on a hanging bridge.  THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it does deliver a sometimes funny and often entertaining comic book movie.

Grade: B-

MAGIC MIKE

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.

              

Director Steven Soderbergh turns his independent sensibilities and attention to the world of male stripping in his latest MAGIC MIKE.  

Magic Mike, played by Channing Tatum, is a 30-year old stripper, a construction worker, a small business owner and an aspiring furniture artist.  Although Mike’s night life is spent entertaining ladies at the Xquisite Male Dance Revue, he envisions himself as a 21^st century entrepreneur.  

Mike views his evening escapades as a way of paying the bills and investing in his business dream of creating one-of-kind, vintage furniture.  This isn’t to say he doesn’t enjoy the fringe benefits.  

Enter Adam, aka The Kid as Mike has dubbed him, a co-worker Mike befriends while working construction, and eventually convinces to join the ranks at the Xquisite.  Mike not only teaches Adam a few tricks of the trade, but also guides The Kid during after hours.

                                               

Although Channing Tatum and Matthew McConaughey’s abs and other extremities will draw many adoring fans into the theater, Soderbergh’s examination of the industry and Tatum’s surprisingly grounded performance will leave viewers with a lasting impression.  

As Soderbergh did with this year’s HAYWIRE, he expands upon with MAGIC MIKE, delving into his performers past and current professions with a curiosity and interest rarely shown by directors as accomplished as he.  With MAGIC MIKE, Soderbergh throws all pretensions aside, and grants Tatum and the industry as a whole a level of respect rarely seen on screen.  

This isn’t to say that MAGIC MIKE doesn’t give the ladies what they are looking for, complete with McConaughey shirtless in every scene he’s in.  The film does provide a fairly reflective look at a man who is drifting through a fantasy world of women, money and instant gratification.  Mike’s life is viewed through several prisms, as an on-stage heart-throb, a working class Joe and as a player who might not be as smooth as he thinks.  

Tatum is good, utterly convincing as a stage performer, while equally empathetic as a leading man.  McConaughey also does a nice job channeling his inner David Wooderson, ala DAZED AND CONFUSED.  

Soderbergh seems completely at ease with MAGIC MIKE, delivering a completely commercial picture, while still bringing his artistic awareness to the table.  MAGIC MIKE delivers both on-stage antics and off-stage substance.

Grade: B

BRAVE

Pictures courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

        

A rebel redhead defies her culture’s marital tradition in order to determine her own fate in the latest Pixar creation, BRAVE. 

Princess Merida, a spunky and free-spirited young archer, is slated for a suitor which will come from one of three lord’s sons.  Each son will attempt to win a competition, one determined by Merida, and in winning the event, will claim the Princess’s hand in marriage.  Merida selects an archery competition, and proceeds to best each of her suitors in the event, staking her claim to determine who she’ll marry.  This doesn’t sit well with her controlling mother, Queen Elinor, and Merida flees to the woods.  

In the woods, Merida meets a witch, and requests that the witch place a spell on her mother to make her mother change.  Merida’s wish is granted, but it doesn’t turn out the way the princess had expected.

                                                           

Conflict between parent and child is nothing new to Disney or Pixar, and needless to say, neither is a princess-centered tale.  

In spite of these similarities, Pixar’s BRAVE finds something distinct in its myth, a heroine-centered children’s yarn, one which benefits from a change of scenery.  This Scottish fable feels fresh due to its remote woodsy setting, characters dialect and the head-strong nature of Merida.  

Past Disney heroine’s from Belle to Mulan, have been strong in spirit, but never so eager to slash from convention and strike out on their own.  Merida’s confidence and independence enable her to take chances and risks that veer out-of-bounds from ordinary kid fare.  

The remainder of BRAVE’s characters aren’t as inspiring.  Elinor is as conventional as Merida is original, leaving little personality or gusto to the other central figure.  Merida’s father King Fergus is a jolly ole soul, both a brute and a goof, and her three brothers are equally ornery, but their impact is minimal both in terms of laughs or relevance.  Even the witch, who’s reluctance to assist marks a nice change, serves as merely a plot device to progress the internal family struggle between Merida and Elinor.  

BRAVE doesn’t break any new ground for the genre or studio, but it does create a real original in Merida, a character who’s as memorable as any past princesses.

Grade: B

MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE'S MOST WANTED

Photos courtesy of Paramount Pictures

America’s favorite foursome from New York’s Central Park Zoo are still attempting to return to the Big Apple this time in MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED.  

Alex, Marty, Melvin and Gloria begin their quest in the tropical confines of Africa, but spend much of their journey in Europe with their initial hope lying with the penguins and their aircraft.  After their flight is downed, the former zoo inhabitants find a new means of transportation, by rail, as they hitch a ride with a traveling circus.  

The circus not only serves as a means for travel, but also as a cover for the zoo crew as they are on the run from a French inspector following some illegal activity by their penguin and monkey friends in a French casino.

Apparently the third time is a charm for the MADAGASCAR series.  

After a decent original, and a lackluster follow-up, MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED seems to have found its rhythm.  Where most series have hit a dead-end, MADAGASCAR has begun to operate at full steam with the introduction of fresh circus faces, new and interesting locales and an unstoppable French inspector.  

It doesn’t hurt that MADAGASCAR 3 is as goofy as it is clever.  The screenplay, penned by prior MADAGASCAR scribe Eric Darnell and indie writer-director Noah Baumbaugh, delights in the eccentricities of the circus folk, while also conjuring up several silly scenarios for the regulars to get into.  The two best additions are the aforementioned French Inspector, who is one-third terminator, one-third blood hound and one-third alien, and the other a dumbfounded circus seal voiced surprisingly well by Martin Short.  

MADAGASCAR 3 also moves at breakneck speed, whizzing through Europe’s most famous countries with the French inspector hot in pursuit, while still finding time to develop the circus story line and several humorous and substantial sub-plots.  

MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED is a pleasant surprise, and a rare instance where the third leg of a trilogy turns out to be the best.

Grade: B

PROMETHEUS

Photos courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

A group of scientists and space explorers investigate the origin of mankind in the year 2094 in Ridley Scott’s science-fiction thriller, PROMETHEUS.  

Elizabeth and Charlie, two scientists, discover a breakthrough at several destinations around the globe, signs encrypted on remote dwellings that leads them to believe they have discovered the answer to human creation.  Thanks to the backing of a wealthy corporation, the two scientists and a group of space navigators head off on Prometheus, a vessel with all of the technological gadgetry you could imagine, and then some.  

Although the group is excited about the potential discoveries from their voyage, they’ll soon find out that it’s no walk in the park.

PROMETHEUS ventures down the same track that Scott’s ALIEN did some 32 years ago, creating the same sense of terror and intrigue.

Although similarities are aplenty between the two films, PROMETHEUS creates its own identity by increasing the stakes of these scientists discovery, not only in danger, but importance, from both a practical and philosophical level.  Writers Jon Spaiht and Damon Lindelof add some depth to the proceedings by provoking questions of science versus faith, but more than anything deliver a unique world, both inside and outside of Prometheus, establishing a sense of wonderment and fear.  

The unnamed planet is a wonder all its own, but Spaiht and Lindelof don’t just stop there, as they revel in the freedom of the genre, creating a self-contained surgical machine, a human like robot called David and several other imaginative touches to the spaceship.  Although PROMETHEUS dabbles in depth, it ditches the exploration of theology, and instead crafts a more-or-less, straightforward, science fiction thriller.  
The film is nothing new, but is terrifically executed, and Scott’s handling of the action and intensity provides a welcomed blockbuster that delivers the excitement, intensity and pathos that other big-budget summer installments have lacked.  
PROMETHEUS set the bar high with its introduction, creating an epic feel with importance and thoughtfulness.  Although it never reaches great heights, it still delivers a creature feature worth watching.

Grade: B

388 ARLETTA AVENUE

Photos courtesy of Copperheart Entertainment



A couple is tormented by a mysterious stranger in the horror film 388 ARLETTA AVENUE.  

James and Amy begin to notice some odd occurrences when James finds an unknown CD in his SUV’s stereo.  Amy believes James created the CD and forgot he’d done so, finding many of the CD’s songs burned on to their computer.  The event causes an argument between the two, and the morning after the dispute, James goes to work feeling guilty.  

James returns home that evening, finding a note from Amy that says she’s left to take a break.  James suspects that Amy's break is not a break at all, but rather an occurrence created by outside forces.  

 

388 ARLETTA AVENUE is a basic horror film, borrowing from PARANORMAL ACTIVITY in style and THE STRANGERS in content.  

Although not altogether unique, 388 ARLETTA AVENUE works as an unnerving thriller, a horror film that seeps into the back of your mind, rather than attempting to engross your eyes.  The terror that is initially inflicted upon the couple, and then completely on James, gradually builds from scene to scene, as we discover small pieces of James’ personal history, and as the events become more and more disturbing.

Writer-director Randall Cole keeps the film simple and tight, with James’s actions and reactions escalating with additional information and revelations.  All of the events are revealed through the eyes of the tormentor, initially through his camera’s shutter a la REAR WINDOW, and then through a series of strategically-placed video cameras.  

This unique point-of-view adds to the terrifying atmosphere created by Cole, with disconcerting footsteps and creaks at night, and eerie old pop songs that begin playing on James’ computer.  

This also mounts to a climax and conclusion that may be less-than satisfying, but becomes more haunting even after the credits have rolled.

Grade: B

BATTLESHIP

Photos courtesy of Universal Pictures

Aliens again wreak havoc on America, this time courtesy of the seas in the Hasbro board game inspired feature, BATTLESHIP.  

After discovering another planet almost identical to Earth in our solar system, NASA has sent a message to the foreign planet in hopes of contact.  The message is received, but instead of a friendly return call, the aliens decide to pay us a visit off shore.  They do so during a naval exercise involving several US destroyer ships.  

Two of the ships are led by the brother tandem of Lieutenant Alex Hopper and Commander Stone Hopper.  Stone is the responsible, stable leader, while Alex is the fiery hot shot.

BATTLESHIP is the Jerry Bruckheimer-lite of action epics.  It’s centered around a cataclysmic event, has enough testosterone to fuel 100 armies and wears its patriotism on its sleeve.  None of these characteristics is a plus or a minus, but it gives you a sense of what BATTLESHIP is all about.  

The action scenes are more comprehensible than your average Bruckheimer flick, but they still fail to capture a sense of danger or the scale of their importance.  The future of America, and the world, hang in the balance, but the spectacle of the aliens and their high-tech machinery is more important in the eyes of director Peter Berg and screenwriters Erich and Jon Hoeber.  

Some of the gadgets are interesting, including gigantic metal wheels that possess the power of a tank, the speed of a rocket and the lethalness of a dagger.  Yet, the gadgets dominate a story where mankind’s existence is in the balance.  

The fickleness of the script does lend itself to some self-aware silliness, some of which I appreciated, from Alex’s quest for an elusive chicken burrito to a scientist questioning a clichéd statement from a disabled veteran’s mouth.

In spite of the film's often playful nature, BATTLESHIP amounts to a relatively standard, formulaic blockbuster that lacks the firepower to deliver on its biggest moments.  Leave BATTLESHIP at bay.

Grade: C

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+