Category Archives: Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Flash Movie Review: The Amazing Spider-Man
The only thing I get when I walk up into my attic is cobwebs in my face. I wish one of the spiders living up there could give me a bite like the one Peter Parker received, that gave him his special abilities. This movie was one of the better ones that fall into the prequel/reboot category. Andrew Garfield (The Social Network, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus) as Peter Parker/Spider-Man had the perfect blend of teenage angst mixed with new found cocky confidence. Real life girlfriend Emma Stone (Easy A, The Help) who I love, was perfect as his love interest, Gwen Stacy. The spider-man suit was no where to be found in the first hour of this action film and I did not feel as if I were missing out on something. We were shown more back story about Peter and his absent parents, leading to a clue that may explain their disappearance. When Peter’s body began to transform, the humorous scenes showing the changes were fun. I felt the pacing kept everything moving forward as the action increased when Spider-Man took to the streets. Great visuals and special effects were plentiful in this super movie. And with any of these type of super hero movies there has to be a villain; I thought the writers did a good job in the way the villain was introduced into the story. This certainly will be one of the best comic book summer movies this year along with The Avengers. Be sure to sit through the first set of credits.
3 1/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Brave
I do not have children; but if I had, my hope would be that I raised them to be free thinking, independent adults. My parents did, even if that was not their intentions. With that being the case, the story in this Pixar animated movie was a success. Princess Merida, voiced by Kelly MacDonald (No Country For Old Men, Nanny McPhee), was not going to grow up in the traditions of her mother Queen Elinor, voiced by Emma Thompson (Love Actually, Last Chance Harvey). Merida did not want her parents deciding who she could marry or how she should act. If only she could make her parents understand; the young princess was determined to break the traditions of her family. What I found different in this movie was the presence of a strong conflict between mother and daughter. In my opinion it was about time an animated movie dealt with deeper real life issues, yet still have the elements of a funny Disney movie. There was conflict, a challenge and a consequence; but for the broader audience, there were elements of humor, adventure and fantasy. It was like having a smorgasbord of emotions spread out for the viewer to sample. Visually this movie was stunning; the amount of detail was breathtaking. I was mesmerized by Merida’s beautiful, flaming red hair–it looked so real. Overall I felt the film had a split personality. There seemed to be a shift in focus that dulled the story for me, when the witch’s spell came into play. But like any relationship, one could not pick and chose the parts they liked. The entire movie experience for me was good, not great and I almost felt as if I had just been to Scotland.
2 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Many of Abraham Lincoln’s accomplishments have been well documented. How did historians miss this tasty tidbit about President Lincoln’s skill as a vampire hunter? If it wasn’t for Mr. Lincoln’s special talent, the civil war would have had a different ending. Having not read the popular book this movie was based on, I only had a partial idea on what to expect based on the movie trailers. The story was totally outrageous and laid out to mirror the actual timeline of Abraham Lincoln’s progress from young boy to lawyer to president. This movie was an absolute fun experience. All you need to do is put common sense aside and just go for the thrilling ride as the action was constant and the special effects were great. The movie’s look was immaculate in its presentation and detail to the period of time. Playing Abraham Lincoln, I thought Benjamin Walker (Flags of Our Fathers, Kinsey) was wonderful as the lean, stoic, ax wielding man. His mentor Henry Sturgess, played by Dominic Cooper (The Devil’s Double, The Duchess), was also terrific in his complicated role. This is the type of movie you see when you need some escapism; a fun fantasy lined up along historical markers. Just imagine, if we did not have Abraham Lincoln to save us from being taken over by vampires, humans would have become the new red meat. There were multiple scenes of blood.
3 1/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Nines
I thought the surprise in this movie was seeing Octavia Spencer (The Help, Dinner for Schmucks), Elle Fanning (Super 8, We Bought a Zoo) and Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids, Pretty Ugly People) at an earlier stage of their careers. It is a kick for me to see how actors started out or watch their earlier films before they hit the big time. The other surprise about this film was the outcome from three separate stories and discovering the connection. Without giving too much away, the stories could be broken down into a comedy, drama and a fantasy. This unusual film started with Ryan Reynolds (Safe House, The Proposal) as Gary, a troubled actor who burned his girlfriend’s house down. Under house arrest, he was supervised by sweetly tough publicist Margaret, played by Melissa McCarthy. As the days pass, Gary begins to hear voices, find mysterious notes he does not recall writing and thinks he is seeing glimpses of himself in the large house. By the end of the story I was confused, not sure where this movie on a whole was going to take me. The second segment started out providing me no help in my confusion. All I will tell you is to stick it out in watching this movie. There was some interesting points to the stories and I found myself being drawn in to discover the conclusion. Was it the best acting I have seen in a movie? Certainly not; however, I enjoyed the entertainment value this film provided me.
2 2/3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted
What a flashback I got while watching this animated movie. No, not that type of flashback; I am talking about when I went to see the circus with my aunt and cousins when I was a little boy. This film was just as fun but without the animal smells. As the third installment of this franchise, this one was the best one. The assortment of vibrant colors reaching across the screen was just beautiful. Starting where the 2nd movie left off, the furry friends were still in Africa. Feeling homesick for New York City, the group of animals hatched up a plan to get back home. Among the usual cast there was Alex the lion, voiced by Ben Stiller (Tropic Thunder, Tower Heist); Marty the zebra, voiced by Chris Rock (Head of State, Down to Earth) and Melman the giraffe, voiced by David Schwimmer (Friends-TV, Six Days Seven Nights). Once the group arrived in Monte Carlo, the action went into high gear. New character Captain Chantel DuBois, voiced by Frances McDormand (Moonrise Kingdom, Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day), was determined to capture Alex so she could mount his head on her trophy wall. I enjoyed the humor that was appropriate for young children, along with having fun lines written with the adult in mind. A madcap chase ensued as the animals traveled across Europe with Captain DuBois hot on their tails. Filled with excitement, laughs and thrills; this wonderful movie had everything to please a young child and a grown-up who was a kid at heart.
3 1/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Prometheus
Let me first state the obvious: This science fiction thriller is a prequel to the movie Alien, which starred Sigourney Weaver. The steady tension in this movie was similar to the previous one; it kept me captivated. Believing they found clues to the origin of mankind, a group of explorers traveled to a distant planet. Michael Fassbender (Shame, A Dangerous Method) was excellent as the android David, who had specific reasons for being part of the crew. Charlize Theron (Snow White and the Huntsman, The Italian Job) was steely good as Meredith Vickers, the crew’s captain. I was quite pleased Noomi Rapale (The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo Swedish franchise, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows) did an excellent job as Elizabeth Shaw, the scientist who discovered the map that lead the explorers to their destination. Not only were the special effects excellent throughout this film; but I felt the visuals were works of art, they were beautiful. I only had wished the story was as good; parts of it made no sense to me. For example, the idea that one could get up and walk around right after having abdominal surgery with only staples closing the incision was ridiculous. To me it felt as if the special effects were thought of first, then the writers came up with the scenes to accompany them. Honestly, I left the movie theater a bit disappointed. It was like getting a beautifully wrapped birthday gift that you were excited to open, only to discover that you already had something just like it.
2 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Snow White and the Huntsman
Having an aunt who was a sergeant in the Women’s Army Corps, I am familiar with what makes up a strong woman. My friends were always scared of her, because she would make them give her a solid handshake. Putting a different spin on the Snow White story; the writers of this action film created a strong Snow White, played by Kristen Stewart (Twilight franchise, The Runaways). This Snow White was a fighter; determined to reclaim her right to the throne after escaping imprisonment by the Queen, her step mother. The problem I had with this was the casting of Kristen. She did not convey the strength expected for such a role and it was due to her acting ability. I found her doing the same character as Bella in Twilight. A better actress would have made this movie more exciting; I found myself getting bored in parts. It was especially noticeable since the evil Queen Ravenna was so wickedly played by Charlize Theron (Monster, Young Adult). It looked like Charlize relished her role as she was the dominant figure out of the cast. In addition, there was Chris Hemsworth (The Avengers, The Cabin in the Woods) as the Huntsman who was sent by the Queen to hunt down Snow White in the Dark Forest. Chris did an admirable job with his character, being the tough yet sensitive man of the movie. The film was beautiful to watch, enhanced with great special effects. Though I liked the idea behind the story, I was underwhelmed by the execution of it. This movie needed someone like my aunt to make it better.
2 2/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Incredible Mr. Limpet
Before there was Space Jam or Who Framed Roger Rabbit, there was The Incredible Mr. Limpet. What became the final animated movie out of the Warner Brothers Animation Studio, this was a fun movie to watch from a different era. I saw this film a long time ago and it has held up pretty well, even with its dated story. Don Knotts (Pleasantville, The Andy Griffith Show-TV) as Henry Limpet was a quiet, mild-mannered man who felt the most at ease when he was in the presence of his fish. The year was 1941 and the world was at war. Not qualified for the navy while his friend George Stickel, played by Jack Weston (Dirty Dancing, Wait Until Dark) was enlisted; Henry wished he could do something to help his country. There is that saying that starts out: Be careful what you wish for… well, Henry was in for a surprise. While at Coney Island he fell into the water and magically transformed into a fish. Little did we know what kind of contribution Henry Limpet would make to the United States’ success during World War II. This animated/live action movie was made before there was CGI and I have to tell you, I enjoyed the old fashioned pureness of it. I felt like a little kid again; all I needed was a box of Sno-Caps and Jujubeas candy.
3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Men in Black 3
Others have tried but failed (think Will Ferrell’s Land of the Lost) when they tampered with the space-time continuum, in their movies. In regards to this action comedy, going back in time was the best thing to have happened in this film franchise. The special effects were up to the same excellent caliber as the previous two movies and Will Smith (Independence Day, The Pursuit of Happyness) as Agent J still had his quick witted delivery of endless jokes. Ten years since the previous sequel, this science fiction thriller aged well. A seriously bad alien criminal with a long history tied to Agent K, played by Tommy Lee Jones (No Country For Old Men, The Fugitive), went back in time to kill the agent, thus changing the course of history. Agent J had to go back in time to prevent the death of a much younger Agent K, played brilliantly by Josh Brolin (True Grit, Milk). Mr. Brolin executed the mannerisms and tone of Tommy Lee’s character perfectly. I also suspect baby boomers will get a kick out of time traveling back to 1969, I certainly did. Except for the need of tighter editing and lack of depth in the script, this 3rd installment did not disappoint me. I had a good time watching this film and believe the space-time continuum was returned to order, with the help of a few good laughs.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Battleship
Take an older stoic movie star, a pseudo action hero, a pop singer, a hot television character, a model/actress, a group of aliens and what do you get? You get a half-baked dumb movie. The powers that be must have sat down and gone through a list of options, picking out the ones that would interest a wide swath of the general population. Unfortunately, this left no one to focus on the story, for it was silly. I mean seriously, aliens could travel across the universe, but could not move out of the way of a communications satellite’s path? The gist of the story was scientists beamed a signal out into the universe and something not so friendly answered it. Poor Liam Neeson (The Grey, Taken) as Admiral Shane tried his hardest with the cheesy script. I was embarrassed for Alexander Skarsgard (True Blood-TV, Melancholia) as Commander Stone Hopper with some of the lines he had to utter. Rihanna as Petty Officer Cora “Weps” Raikes was still Rihanna. And if it was not bad enough being part of the biggest movie flop in history, Taylor Kitsch (John Carter, The Bang Bang Club) had to endure being in this mess as Lieutenant Alex Hopper. On the plus side, the real marines used in this film must have had a fun time hanging out with the cast and crew. The only reason to see this science fiction thriller would be to give your brain a break from thinking.
1 3/4 stars
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