Blog Archives
Flash Movie Review: The Bourne Legacy
I was most appreciative for the genetics lesson given by Dr. Marta Shearing, during this suspense movie. However, what I really could have used was an organizational chart for all the different top secret departments involved in this story. As you have heard from the movie trailers, Jason Bourne was not the only one; we are introduced to Aaron Cross, played by Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker, The Avengers). It was fortunate the studio chose him for this role; another actor may not have been able to make the poorly written story palatable. The writers wove the previous movies’ story lines into this updated version. All I understood was the program that created Jason Bourne and Aaron Cross was under investigation. We first met Aaron out in the wilderness, in the middle of a survival test, unaware of the agency’s troubles. I understood this movie would be more of an introduction for us; however, there was too much of it. Instead of grabbing the viewer’s attention early on, the story plodded along until Cross and Dr. Shearing, played by Rachel Weisz (The Deep Blue Sea, The Brothers Bloom) became the main focus. And lucky for us they were because both of them were strong actors that kept the story going forward. I expected to see more action than what finally came into play in the latter half of the movie. When there were fight scenes, they went by so quickly, I did not know if Aaron ever had a punch land on him. Planning a sequel was certainly on the minds of everyone involved with this film; I just wished they would have cut down on the introductions and given us a clearer, more exciting story.
2 2 /3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Total Recall
Find me a Rekall center, I’m signing up! Think of the possibilities one could have, being able to have the memories of a dream vacation or having been a race car driver. I gave this some thought after seeing this action movie and decided the first thing I would do would be to save my good memories, so I would never forget them. Speaking of forgetting, those of you who saw the original movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger, this had little in common with it. There were a couple of reminders, but don’t pack a bag for Mars; this slick looking movie was a wild ride. Douglas Quaid/Hauser, played by Colin Farrell (The New World, Horrible Bosses), was a factory worker who discovered fragments of another life inside of his mind, after trying out an establishment that provided fake memories for its customers. Buffed up Colin may not have had the size of Arnold, but I liked his acting a whole lot better. Kate Beckinsale (The Aviator, Underworld franchise) as Dennis’ wife Lori was wickedly fun. She had great lines of dialog and was a strong physical presence, way beyond her small frame. I wished they had used Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad-TV, Red Tails) and Bill Nighy (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Notes on a Scandal) to better advantage. Though the story was lacking, making one chase scene blend into another and another; the movie was so cool looking in that Blade Runner/Fifth Element kind of way, that I did not really care. I had such a great time watching this intense science fiction movie, by the end I knew I would have a fond memory.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Repo Men
These guys could easily be foot soldiers in Hannibal Lecter’s army. At the very least I wish I could hire them for my credit department; it would be one way to get my customers to pay on time. Set in the future, best friends Remy and Jake, played by Jude Law (Hugo, Sherlock Holmes franchise) and Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland, The Experiment), were bad ass repo men. Their employer was in the business of selling body organs. If you had a bad heart or liver, they could easily provide a brand new one, along with a finance plan to make payments. But be careful because if you are late on your payments, the company will send out their collectors to repossess the organ. Remy and Jake were two of the top collectors. Having heard every excuse and promise for making payments; they stayed emotionally detached, doing their job with complete disregard to the health of the poor debtor. I totally understood this considering my position as my company’s credit manager. When one of Remy’s retrievals went wrong, the tables were turned on him as he became the recipient of a top of the line, new heart. This futuristic story touched on topics that are currently being discussed on this country’s health system. There was plenty of action in this film, with Jude and Forest doing an admirable job of acting. I found parts of the movie interesting; that made me think, for example, about the impact of large corporations’ policies on our society. The ending of this violent movie felt like a cop out for me; leaving the parts I did not understand incomplete. There were bloody and graphic scenes throughout this film and are in the movie trailer.
2 1/2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Fast Five
Something happened to me when I was in South Dakota. Driving on roads that stretched all the way to the horizon, with no speed limits; I transformed into a race car driver. At 103 mph it felt like I was flying, giving me a rush I had never experienced before in my life. When I returned home, my driving was forever altered. As long as there was no one else in the car, I took the posted speed limit signs to be mere suggestions. The faster I could drive, the more exciting it was for me. This movie was strictly an adrenaline rush. I felt like someone slapped a testosterone patch on me; I wanted to get behind the wheel of one of the cars in this thriller of a movie. I did not remember the movies that came before this installment and it did not matter. The story was written to allow maximum driving time. Vin Diesel (The Chronicles of Riddick, xXx) was given a minimum vocabulary for his role as Dominic Toretto. Having been broken out from a prison transport bus, Dominic and his group got involved in a car heist that went wrong, down in Brazil. Not only did the group have to battle corrupt crime boss Hernan Reyes, played by Joaquim de Almeida (Behind Enemy Lines, The Conspiracy); but they were also being pursued by federal agent Luke Hobbs, played by Dwayne Johnson (Tooth Fairy, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island). The acting was minimal; this film was made for crashes, bloody fights and speed. Knowing that ahead of time, just fasten your seat belts and enjoy the ride for it was damn good.
3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: The Dark Knight Rises
Before I taught my 1st fitness class, I made the conscience decision that my classes would be filled with fun and laughs. With no political or religious discussions; I only focused on light, humorous subjects. This was what I decided my collection of movie reviews would be on my blog. However, under the circumstances with today’s review; I know in my heart, I must acknowledge the horrific act that took place at this movie’s premiere in Aurora, Colorado. Our hearts go out to the families and friends of the victims. The movie viewing experience will never be the same. I never imagined my life’s timeline would include such a life altering, heinous act. And now for my review of the final installment of this Dark Knight trilogy. It has been 8 years and a reclusive Bruce Wayne/Batman, played by Christian Bale (The Fighter, The Prestige) has aged, including having bad knees. When Gotham is threatened by the evil anarchist Bane, played by Tom Hardy (Warrior, This Means War), Batman returns to Gotham’s defense. There were brilliant scenes in this nearly 3 hour movie. The fight scenes were intense and well orchestrated. I loved Anne Hathaway (Love and Other Drugs, Rachel Getting Married) as Selina, but I still have a soft spot in my heart for Michelle Pfeiffer. Michael Caine (Harry Brown, Sleuth) as Alfred had a more emotional role in this film and carried it off beautifully. I thought Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Inception, 50/50) was his usual excellent self in this new role of Blake, Commissioner Gordon’s assistant. On the downside, I had a hard time understanding Bane’s voice at times; so, I felt I never really understood his motives. In a way, I would have to say the same about Selena; I was not sure how she got mixed up in all of the chaos. Even with some confusing parts in this action thriller, I did feel like I was at a special event. Also, pay attention in the last hour for a couple of hints of what the future may hold for all of us.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Stardust
There is such a fascination with stars. Whether it concerns their death or birth, their names, when they are falling or even shooting; there is something about them that intrigues us. Oh, by the way, I am referring to stars in the astronomical sense, not the Hollywood variety. “When You Wish Upon a Star” or “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” are part of the magical hope and desire we place on these brilliant, little lights in the sky. This fantasy film was a wonderful example of taking the magic of a star and bringing it to life. The story played just like one of those classic fairy tales I remembered from my youth. Tristan Thorn, played by Charlie Cox (Stone of Destiny, Casanova), to prove his love for the girl of his dreams, vowed to retrieve a fallen star. However, he would have to cross over into the neighboring magical realm, where he would have to contend with the sinister Lamia, played by Michelle Pfeiffer (People Like Us, New Year’s Eve). There were equal amounts of action, humor, drama and fantasy in this beautiful movie. If I am not mistaken, I think Michelle brought out a little of her Catwoman persona because she was just evil in her role. There was the added benefit of a solid cast of other characters played by Robert De Niro, Claire Danes and Ricky Gervais. It was a real treat to watch this fanciful film. I cannot imagine anyone watching this movie and not adding a little magical dreaming, the next time they gaze upon a star.
3 1/4 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Savages
I paid very little mind to the man next to me who left his seat, never to return. Maybe he was a theater hopper, I thought. However, during the last half of the movie I noticed more people had left their seats and were not returning. This new Oliver Stone movie had bloody violence and graphic torture scenes; I wondered if I had just become jaded towards it. By the end of the movie at least one quarter of the audience had left early. As the film ended and the lights came on a manager announced apologies for the theater’s broken air conditioning. I had no idea that was the reason people were leaving during the movie. Did those individuals miss a great movie? Not really, but some aspects of it were good. The best part was Salma Hayek (Frida, Once Upon a Time in Mexico) as Elena, the head of a Mexican drug cartel. She was crazy good in this role. Another standout was her henchman Lado, played by Benico Del Toro (The Wolfman, Che: Part One and Two). Their cartel was determined to take control of the California based drug operations of Ben and Chon, played by Aaron Johnson (The Illusionist, Kick-Ass) and Taylor Kitsch(John Carter, Battleship). As I mentioned earlier, there were intense torture scenes in Oliver Stone’s version of violence. Though there were tight action scenes, I felt the character development was insufficient. The way Mr. Stone chose to do the ending was a turn off for me. On the plus side, this film kept my attention for me not to be aware of the theater’s lack of air conditioning.
2 2/3 stars
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: Kick-Ass
How could superheroes defeat the bad guys when they do not have any superpowers? There was a geek and a young home schooled girl; I had no idea what would drive this action movie to keep my interest. The simple answer is heart. I always root for the underdog and this movie had some great underdogs. There was comic book loving Dave Lizewski/Kick Ass, played by Aaron Johnson (Albert Nobbs, The Illusionist) who wanted to be someone different and to do something good. Home schooled Mindy Macready/Hit Girl, played by Chloe Grace Moretz (Hugo, 500 Days of Summer), was not only schooled in your typical subjects, but also martial arts and weaponry. This little girl packed some serious heat; I felt she was the star of this exciting film. She was like a miniature Jonah Hill as Seth from Superbad. I could easily sum up this movie’s story by telling you it is a story about good vs. evil. There were no hidden surprises like double agents or super high tech fancy machines; there was only solid directing and an easy to follow story. I loved the dichotomy of having average kids with typical growing up issues turning into tough superheroes. And this group had to deal with a lot of bloodshed. It surprised me on how much blood was being shown. As the title clearly states, this movie kicked ass. The trailer has foul language and fight scenes.
3 stars — DVD
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
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