Category Archives: Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Flash Movie Review: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
There is a certain beauty in nature’s untouched landscapes. Having traveled across the United States, visiting 47 out of the 50 states to date, I have been incredibly grateful for what I have seen. I felt I was on a different planet while trekking through Badlands National Park and when I was at Yellowstone National Park, I finally understood the line “purple mountain majesties” when I saw them with my own eyes. Without special effects or being touched by man, earth can provide us an unbelievable movie set. Sitting in the movie theater with my 3D glasses on, I felt I was watching a PBS special. Scene after scene after scene of fantastical landscapes filled with soaring mountains and unfurling waterfalls, I did not know where to look first. If this was only a travelogue then this would be wonderful in its own right. But this was a movie, so I wanted a story to connect the beautiful and exciting images before my eyes. It felt to me as if the special effects were thought of first and then the writers put a story to them. Starting a new trilogy, I understood there would have to be a groundwork of explanations laid down to get the movie audience on the same page; however, it made for a slow pace in the beginning. Martin Freeman (Love Actually, Hot Fuzz) played Bilbo Baggins, a hesitant Hobbit who went along with a band of Dwarves to reclaim their mountain home from the dragon Smaug. Richard Armitage (Frozen, Robin Hood) was the Dwarf King Thorin who with the wizard Gandalf, played by Ian McKellen (X-Men franchise, Stardust) lead their group through perilous lands filled with goblins, giant spiders and other deadly creatures. Where the beginning of this movie was disappointing, the last half of this 2 hour and 49 minute film came together for me. Director Peter Jackson and his special effects team did an amazing job, bringing a new and improved Gollum, played by Andy Serkis (Rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Prestige) to the screen. The facial expressions on Gollum and the other fanciful beings were truly realistic. With the excitement ratcheted up, the steadier pacing and deeper chemistry between characters; I thoroughly enjoyed the movie by its conclusion. If only more attention had been given to the story as the special effects this would have been a masterpiece. As I was leaving the theater, if they had been selling postcards of the movie’s landscapes, I would have bought several to mail out to my friends.
2 2/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
As children there usually was one adult figure who provided us a sense of wonder and magic. For me it was an uncle who had a garage full of samples to new, soon to be released toys and gadgets. Anytime my family and I visited my aunt and uncle, he would let me go exploring in his garage. Sometimes he would even let me keep one of the items. For every new school year my uncle always had the best school supplies ready to give to me and my cousins. The magic adult in this warm fuzzy fantasy was certainly Caractacus Potts, played by Dick Van Dyke (Mary Poppins, The Dick Van Dyke Show-TV). Caractacus was a struggling inventor of little means. But what he had in abundance was a good heart and love for his two children. When there was an opportunity for Caractacus to buy the old automobile the kids loved playing on, he found a way to get the money and purchased the car for them. Of course being an inventor, he had something in mind to make the jalopy extra special. Working diligently, Caractacus turned the comatose vehicle into a magical car. It was christened Chitty Chitty Bang Bang due to the sounds that came out of the engine. But when news of a flying car made its way to the kingdom of Vulgaria (great name!), the dictator Baron Bomburst was determined to use whatever means to get his hands on the special vehicle. This was a wonderful movie from a different era. So what if some of the songs were a little goofy or mushy; I have to say it was refreshing to witness that sense of wonder and excitement again. There was a simple innocence throughout the movie. It goes without saying, Dick Van Dyke was incredible in this role; getting an additional boost from Sally Ann Howes (Dead of Night, Brigadoon) as the character Truly Scrumptious and Lionel Jeffries (Camelot, Cream in My Coffee) as Grandpa Potts. A great film where you get to unplug from the present world, sit back and let a smile spread across your face.
3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Rise of the Guardians
Since today is my favorite holiday of Thanksgiving, I feel this is the perfect movie to review. Do you know that feeling where random variables line up perfectly to make your life easier? For example, when all the traffic lights turn green so you can get to the movie theater on time. You enter the full parking lot just as one car pulls out giving you the only open space. Then you get to the long ticket line just as extra cashiers open up, speeding up the line, so you can get into the theater just as the last preview ends and you see your favorite seat is the last seat open. In a similar vein, I felt everything fell into place to make this movie extra special for me. Recalling fond memories from past Thanksgiving meals with friends and family, as soon as the film started I felt I was that little boy again, filled with wonder and excitement. This wonderful animated movie starred characters we all used to believe were real. When an evil spirit threatened the children of earth, it would take the forces of the Guardians to come together to save the children. The Guardians consisted of Jack Frost, voiced by Chris Pine (Star Trek, This Means War); North aka Santa Claus was voiced by Alec Baldwin (To Rome With Love, 30 Rock-TV); Tooth aka Tooth Fairy was voiced by Isla Fisher (Wedding Crasher, Confessions of a Shopaholic) and Bunny aka Easter Bunny was voiced by Hugh Jackman (Real Steel, X-Men franchise). These actors did a wonderful job of bringing life to their characters. Jude Law’s (Anna Karenia, Hugo) voice was spot on for his character Pitch the evil spirit. The CGI effects were magical to me, adding an extra layer of fun and excitement to the story. As I walked back to my car I tried to remember if I ever believed in these characters when I was a little kid. Honestly, I do not recall ever believing in Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy. But because of this movie I believe in them now. As a side note, there is no reason to see this movie in 3D.
3 1/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn-Part 2
Heads will roll if you mess with Bella’s child…and they certainly did in this final chapter of the movie series. After yesterday’s review that talked about the bond between mother and child, we have here another example of a parent’s love for their offspring. In this movie there was a new and improved Bella, played by Kristen Stewart (Snow White and the Huntsman, The Runaways). With the birth of her daughter Renesmee, Bella would need to master all of her new found vampire abilities if she was going to keep her child safe. The reason being there was something special about Renesmee that threatened the Volturi and its leader Ado, played by Michael Sheen (Midnight in Paris, Frost/Nixon). Since I did not read any of the Twilight books I do not know how closely this movie followed the novel. The story picked up right where the previous film ended, with Bella having turned into a vampire. I had hoped with this new Bella there would have been a better acting job from Kristen, but that was not the case. She never looked happy, with only a couple of emotional facial expressions, that honestly looked like she was a mouth breather. Robert Pattinson (Water for Elephants, Cosmopolis) as Edward Cullen played the role with a slightly more relaxed feel to it. As for Taylor Lautner (Abduction, Valentine’s Day), he did not bring anything new or special to his Jacob Black character. The first half of the movie was slow for me. I found it to be syrupy and melodramatic, with its heavy musical accompaniment. What I found odd was how some vampires had unique special skills. It was as if the writers forgot they were dealing with vampires and writing instead for X-Men characters. The last half of this action film had a buildup of tension that led to an epic battle, with a couple of interesting twists thrown into the mix. On a whole the writers of this movie sucked the life out of the story, giving me only an ok movie experience. I was disappointed I could not sink my teeth into something good.
2 1/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Last Airbender
All I could think about while watching this movie was that James Taylor song with the lyrics “I see fire and I see rain.” With the past week being extra hectic, I wanted to chill out with a fantasy film that had loads of special effects. It is the easiest way for me to calm down and space out. When I saw the trailer for this movie I thought it would be the perfect choice for my state of mind. The story was set in a world divided into kingdoms: Air, Earth, Fire and Water. Peace between the kingdoms was kept with the aid of an Avator, a person who was able to control all four elements. But there was a time when the young Avator disappeared and the peace was shattered, allowing the Fire Nation to pursue dominance over the other kingdoms. I want to start out with a positive statement, so let me say the special effects were good. In addition the film had some beautiful shots of scenery. Unfortunately that is the only good thing I can say about this boring mess. Director, writer and producer M. Night Shyamalan (The Village, The Sixth Sense) was the reason this movie was so bad. The writing was dull with cheesy lines one would expect from a 10 year old. His directing was utterly lifeless. The poor younger cast members like Noah Ringer (Cowboys & Aliens) as Aang and Nicola Peltz (Deck the Halls, Harold) as Katara appeared as if they were unsupervised, leaving them bland and emotionless. Even Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) as Prince Zuko could not help this bad movie. I have not read the comic books this film was based on, but I have heard they were good. One could only assume the comic book writers cringed when they saw this clunker. Let us look on the bright side; with a sequel in the works, the bar has been set so low that the next movie has to be better.
1 2/3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Wreck-It Ralph
Who knew an arcade villain not only had a heart, but would take me down memory lane? Seated in the movie theater I had a flashback to the first time I saw a video arcade game. Standing in line to be seated at a restaurant, I heard sounds coming from a dark corner. When I turned to see what was making the sounds I saw a tall box pulsing with colored lights. Fascinated I went over and peered into its glass screen to see little, flashing colored creatures chasing what looked like a broken smiley face. That was my first time seeing Pac-Man. The fun I had playing that game has been a fond memory that will now be joined by this terrific animated movie. I found myself sitting in my seat with a smile on my face throughout this film. It was not from the graphics as much as it was the story; it had a heart and soul. Game villain Ralph, voiced by John C. Reilly (Carnage, Cedar Rapids), was tired of being hated for being the bad guy in the video game Fit-It Felix. Everyone was afraid of him; while handy Felix, who was voiced by Jack McBrayer (The Campaign, 30 Rock-TV), was loved by all. Ralph decided he would leave his game and seek out a new arcade game, where he could be the hero. Due to his move a diabolical character was released into the arcade world, threatening every character from every game. When Ralph set out on his quest, he never imagined he would have to save the arcade game folks to become a hero. This exciting movie got under my skin with the humorous references, the video characters past and present, ideal voices including Sarah Silverman (Take This Waltz, The School of Rock) as Vanellope and the wild sounds and visuals. A perfect film for the whole family that will introduce to a younger generation fond memories from our favorite video games.
3 1/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Raven
Happy Halloween to you and for your treat I have a special movie for today’s review. I still have a vivid memory of where I was when I first saw this fun horror film. My family was vacationing with my aunt and her family at a summer resort in Michigan. This movie was being shown in a recreation room that had dark paneled walls and stale popcorn. I remember my cousins and I being frightened of the evil sorcerer. Little did we know that when viewing this movie as adults it would be so campy. Bumbling magician Dr. Adolphus Bedlo, played by Peter Lorre (Casablanca, The Maltese Falcon), had crossed paths with the evil Dr. Scarabus, played by Boris Karloff (The Mummy, Arsenic & Old Lace), who turned the poor man into a raven. In need of someone with strong magical powers Dr. Bedlo sought out Dr. Erasmus Craven, played by Vincent Price (Edward Scissorhands, Theater of Blood), who was the son of a powerful magician. Though Dr. Craven stopped practicing magic, he agreed to help the raven when he discovered who was being held by Dr. Scarabus. It would take a monumental tsunami of wizardry skill to break the spell and survive Dr. Scarabus’ evil power. For the time this movie was made the special effects were fun; keeping in mind nothing in it compares to today’s standards. It was obvious the actors were relishing their roles as these titans of terror were being pitted against each other. Notice Dr. Adolphus Bedlo’s son was played by a young Jack Nicholson (The Shining, Chinatown). Director Roger Corman (Bloody Mama, The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre) did a good job of mixing horror with comedy. This was a light hearted romp with stellar stars letting themselves go and enjoying the experience. Get your favorite snack and I will tell you what I say to all of my classes on this day: “Eat without guilt!”
2 1/2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Cowboys & Aliens
Sticks and stones may break your bones, but lasers will always hurt you. When I first heard about the mash up of cowboys and aliens I thought what a strange combination. Adding in the actors chosen for this film, I decided to check out and see if our latest James Bond actor could handle beings from outer space. Jake Loneran, played by Daniel Craig (Defiance, Casino Royale) woke up without his memory and a strange metal bracelet attached to his wrist. After wandering into the small town of Absolution, he was identified as a wanted man. Just as he was about to be hauled off to face justice, strange lights appeared in the sky that attacked the town. If people wanted to be saved they would have to stand behind Jake, who had the key to saving earth; he just did not know it. Daniel Craig did some things that reminded me of his James Bond character, but he was wooden in this performance. Harrison Ford (Air Force One, Extraordinary Measures), as feared landowner Woodrow Dolarhyde, was more like a mean Indiana Jones. The only reason Olivia Wilde (In Time, The Words) was cast as Ella Swenson was for the writers to inject a love interest angle into the story. Her story line made little sense to me. I was completely perplexed why Paul Dano (There Will be Blood, Ruby Sparks) would agree to play whining Percy Dolarhyde, Woodrow’s son. The story was silly rubbish; it was a disappointment. I liked the special effects and action but they were not enough to maintain my interest during the illogical parts. Daniel Craig better ditch the cowboy hat and go back to his stirred not shaken martini.
1 3/4 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Hotel Transylvania
To be independent and responsible adults is the hope parents have for their children. Though for some it may be hard to let go and allow their kids to make their own decisions. In a recent review I mentioned how my dad taught me how to drive a year before I had driver’s education. What I failed to mention was how he would tell me not to go out driving if it was raining outside. Another thing he would say was not to turn on the radio because it drained the battery. To this day when I call him up to say hello, all he wants to hear is that I am driving straight home. Keep in mind I moved out of the house when I was in my 20’s, but to him that does not matter. That is why this fun movie gave me an extra kick. I found the idea of a classic horror film character being an overprotective parent hilarious. The story was about Dracula, voiced by Adam Sandler (Grown Ups, Reign Over Me), throwing a 118th birthday party for his daughter Mavis, voiced by Selena Gomez (Monte Carlo, Remona and Beezus). Several past scary film characters traveled to Dracula’s exclusive human free resort, Hotel Transylvania; to help in the celebration. But during the festivities Dracula’s fatherly concerns would be tested when teenager Jonathan, voiced by Andy Samberg (Celeste & Jesse Forever, That’s My Boy), accidentally stumbled into the hotel. There were enough gags and jokes for both kids and adults; though some of the jokes were more bathroom type humor. Adam’s voice perfectly matched the Dracula role, along with the fine animation. With a little more substance than the average animated movie, I had a good time at the theater watching this comedy. Who knows, maybe I will finally tell my dad about the time I drove his car with 9 people squished in with me.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Frankenweenie
Each person handles differently the loss of a loved one. Some people withdraw into themselves while others have the need to express their feelings in a creative way. My grandfather’s passing was the first time I experienced the death of a person in my life. Upon hearing the news, I remembered sitting down at the piano and played a favorite song repeatedly for a couple of hours, with tears rolling down my cheeks. The loss of a beloved pet can be just as hard. In this stunning and stylish movie, Sparky the dog was the only friend of Victor Frankenstein, voiced by Charlie Tahan (Charlie St. Cloud, I am Legend). It was heartbreaking for Victor when his cherished pet died in a car accident. With such a heavy loss, every day was lifeless for poor Victor; if only circumstances would have been different. However, everything would change when a substitute teacher performed a science experiment in Victor’s class. Inspired by the electricity experiment, Victor recreated the test at home and successfully brought his beloved Sparky back to life. The problem now would be how to prevent the townsfolk from finding out. That would not be the only problem Victor would encounter, along with the entire town. This film was a wickedly fun take on the Frankenstein story, complete with similar references and scenes. Director Tim Burton (Alice in Wonderland, Corpse Bride) brought his own wild twisted sense of humor to the story, making this black and white animated film a visual feast. The use of Catherine O’Hara (For Your Consideration, Home Alone), Martin Short (Primetime Glick-TV, Father of the Bride) and Winona Ryder (Black Swan, Edward Scissorhands) to voice multiple characters was an auditory treat. Be aware this movie may not be appropriate for younger children. I had a great time seeing this film, both as an adult and a kid at heart.
3 1/4 stars
moviejoltz 