TOTAL RECALL

Total Recall is back! Arnold Schwarzenegger played Douglas Quaid back in the original 1990 film and while I remember enjoying it, only two things have stuck with me throughout the years. The woman with three Boobs and the guys head swelling up and exploding. In the 2012 installment you only get one of the two.

Douglas Quaid is a factory worker set in the distant future. Life looks pretty routine and dismal for Quaid (other than the fact he is married to Kate Beckinsale, tough luck). He decides to visit Rekall, a business that specializes in making your fantasies come to life by implanting factious scenarios into your brain. Quaids fantasy is to be a double secret agent and when they hook him up to the machine, boom! The action begins.

The movie constantly challenges the viewer between deciding if what is going on is a fantasy or real life? Blend that in with some well done action ,Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel and you have a pretty decent action movie. I felt the disappointing element in this movie was Colin Farrell. It wasn't that Arnold did such a good job in the first one. It was just that Arnold sold it better. Schwarzenegger gave you the feeling throughout the first film that he was so surprised he had the skills to take out 20 men with his hands. He sold the fact that he just knew how to use a gun with unbelievable skill.  Ferrell didn't sell it. He just acted like he knew he could do it the whole time. Aren't you just a factory worker Colin?

Improvements: Colin Farrell should not have been given the role. That guy who played Bane from Batman, Tom Hardy, would have nailed this role.

1-10: 6

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Trouble with the Curve

This week I decided to watch Trouble with the Curve which stars Clint Eastwood and Amy Adams. Do you ever watch a movie that isn't that good or bad and think..."I could have written that!?" Well that's what you get with Trouble with the Curve.

Clint Eastwood is an old baseball scout in the twilight of his career. He lost his wife many years ago and did a half ass job being around to raise his only daughter  Amy Adams. The only positive impact he seemed to have on her is the love and knowledge of the game. With his health unraveling quickly, Adams decides to go on one last scouting trip with Dad. Along the way she works to rekindle her relationship with her Father and possibly find love with a stud muffin young scout (J Timberlake). Together they must decide if a highly rated baseball prospect is worth all the buzz.  

I got up, made popcorn, did laundry and cleaned the living room and didn't miss a beat in this one. If you are in the mood for a casual movie experienced wrapped up in a nice bow, this one is for you. If you are looking to challenge your mind at all..skip it.

Improvements: Clint Eastwood seems far fetched to be Amy Adams Father. Maybe Grandfather.

1-10: 6

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

On Saturday a good friend of mine had a lovely Christmas party.  The party ended early and I was able to catch a 3D showing of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. It was nice to see director Peter Jackson back at it after his successful Lord of the Rings trilogy (J.R.R. Tolkien) concluded in 2003. If his second trilogy, The Hobbit, is only half as successful as his first he will be able to buy his entire native country of New Zealand.

The movie turns the clock back and you begin a new journey with young Bilbo Baggins. The Dwarves have lost their homes to a rough dragon lord, Smaug. Gandalf  (Ian McKellen) decides to help them forge a quest to get it back! Gandalf convinces Bilbo to join him and a party of 13 Dwarves and so begins a new journey through middle earth.

 I felt like the opening scene used way too much CGI. It almost felt like the opening of a Final Fantasy video game. The characters themselves were completely computer animated and I began to worry. However, once the actual actors,set designs, costumes and plot came into the foreground it was a magical journey. Jackson really has a gift of bringing these characters to the big screen in a way only he can. It was good to see all the actors from TLOTR come back for The Hobbit. It holds the continuity of the story and you find comfort in returning to the Shire to see the same faces from the first films.

They will be releasing one each year until 2014 and is worth getting into. The film had about three pretty good 3-D moments. I even saw my girlfriend duck towards the end, so it may be worth it for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

1-10: 8

Improvements: Tone down the CGI. It really comes off as budget in the large fit scenes.

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TED

From the man who brought the Family Guy into our home on a weekly basis, Seth Macfarlane brings Ted to the big screen. Ted came out on DVD on Tuesday this week and I had been kicking myself for missing this in the theater for months. Needless to say, I was excited about.

The premise of the movie starts with a young boy who doesn't have any friends and after getting a teddy bear on Christmas morning makes a wish to make him come alive so he will have a best friend forever. Well, wouldn't you know it, it does. A clever montage takes the audience from the youth of the little boy into a full grown Marky Mark and Ted in the deeper Seth Macfarlane voice we have grown to love in Peter Griffin from family guy. Mark Walberg's live in girlfriend is Mila Kunis in the film and looks very good and also has a dry humor I can appreciate.

The first half of the movie lays out some of the funniest clips I have seen in a long time. A scene in which Ted buys some "mind rape" flavored marijuana in which he chooses over "Gorilla panic" and "permanent damage" had me falling off the couch.

I understand the movie needs some substance and has to outline a plot to take you from beginning to end, but the second half of the film didn't do it for me. I felt like it got too romantic. I also felt the injection of Giovanni Ribisi (Saving Private Ryan, Boiler Room) who although does a good job as a villain, wasn't a necessary piece needed in the film.

All in all, I did like it. The first half of the movie makes up for the second and I whenever you can laugh out loud that hard, it's good for the soul!

Improvements: A movie that funny doesn't need to get that serious. Keep it light...like Dumb and Dumber

1-10: 6


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MEN IN BLACK III

This past week I took a trip to Detriot with a short lay over in Philly. I scrolled through my ipad and settled on Men In Black III. I will be honest with you, I have only seen the first installment of the trilogy and was quite skeptical going for the third. I thought the first was very "kidsie".

The movie is directed by Barry Sonnefield who has brought you the other two Men In Black films and both Adams Family movies. It also stars Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin (Brand from Goonies!).

 The escape of Boris the Animal from a lock down prison located on the moon, allows him the chance to travel back in time to change the course of events that cost him 40 years in the Max security Pen. This also gives him a chance for vengeance against the man who put him away, Agent K. Josh Brolin plays a stellar younger version of Agent K and absolutely nails Tommy Lee Jones voice. I questioned a voice over was being used for the first few minutes he appears in the film. It's that good. Most the movie takes place in 1969 and layers the youth of both Agent K (TL Jones) and Agent J (W Smith) with some interesting revelations of what shaped them into the characters they become in present day. The fast pace, clever humor and well timed action scenes in the film left me impressed. The plane actually landed in Detroit and I remained seated and watched the remaining five minutes after all the passengers had left the plane.

If you are lloking for a fun ride with with some solid acting, I reccomend this movie.

Improvements: This was launcehed as a must see 3D film when it came out in theatres. You can tell it would have made absolutely no impact in 3D. Please stop marketing 3D for films that really don't call for it.

1-10: 7

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The Day

The Day came out this week on DVD and after watching my first choice, Lawless, I decided to watch this one as well. The movie is about a group of five people who are trying to survive in a post apocalyptic world. The leader of the group is Dominic Monaghan (Lord of the Ring, or Charlie from Lost as most know him) try to fend off another tribe of humans who apparently love eating humans outside of their circle. The movie is filmed in a black and white/grayish color which can add some amount of suspense to a film but that is where my positive feedback ends. The movie is awful. It is one of those movies that ends and you feel like a miserable person for wasting 90 minutes of your life. The acting was beyond poor and the plot itself, which somewhat appealed to me in the bio was pathetic. I could have been wrapping presents for family or helping children in Africa. 

The film had a rare appearance by Shannyn Sossamon ( A Knights Tale) who usually picks somewhat decent movies. Then again it's been many years since "A Knights Tale" and she must have taken this one to pay the rent. 

Please steer clear.

Improvements:  You could have at least made the "human eaters" Zombies. I mean, who doesn't like Zombies?

1-10:  2

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LAWLESS

Lawless became available on DVD this week directed by Jill Hillcoat (The Road) and staring Shia Labeouf. The movie is about three brothers that live in the sticks of Virginia during the Prohibition era. They sell Moonshine into the city to make ends meet. When a corrupt deputy (Guy Pearce) realizes the boys can't be brought, trouble begins. 

The best performance in my opinion was Tom Hardy ( Bane from Batman) who plays the oldest brother and clearly a tough dude. Shia Labeouf is the wuss youngest brother and plays the part well. Tom Hardy's love interest in the film, Jessica Chastain, moseys into town to lighten up the screen amongst a mostly male dominated cast and delivers a solid performance as well. 

All in all, it's a good film and I recommend it. Put the kids to bed for this one though as it is quite violent.

Improvements: A bit of a climatic let down. Could have ended it much better. 

1-10 Score: 7

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