Title: The Last Stand
Release Date: January 18, 2013
MPAA Rating: R (Strong Violence and Language)
Starring:
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Johnny Knoxville
Forest Whitaker
Director:
Kim Jee-Woon
Writer:
Andrew Knauer
Plot:
A small town sheriff must prepare his town to fend off the efforts of a cartel kingpin who wants to use it as his escape route to Mexico. He must rely on a team of inexperienced deputies, misfits, and the town outcast to mount the defense.
My Initial Thoughts:
This is the type of movie you would expect to see from Arnie at this stage in his acting career. At his age, he is no longer even close to believable as the unbeatable action star that he was in The Terminator series. What we get now is him playing a cranky old sheriff that has to rely on the town nut-job for help when trouble arises.
What I liked:
Johnny Knoxville makes you laugh, or at least chuckle, in his role as the town lunatic / gun nut. Any time Knoxville was on screen was a highlight because he made you think you were watching an old episode of the A-Team. He would have been a good “Murdoch” now that I think about it.
What Looked Cool:
The car! The centerpiece of the first half of the movie is the Corvette C6 ZR-1 that the villain is using to make his way across the border.
Funny scene about the car: As the bad guy burns up the asphalt on his midnight run to Mexico, without headlights mind you, he blows past a deputy sitting on the side of the road. The deputy clocks the car going well over 250mph but was unable to actually see the car because of it’s speed.
Deputy: Dispatch…
Dispatcher: Go ahead…
Deputy: Contact the FAA and tell them some smart ass is flying a plane around out here without any lights.
What I didn’t like:
The movie left a lot to be desired; the dialogue was terrible, the story was very predictable, and the characters were not even close to believable.
What looked Dumb:
Seeing Arnie try to make a fight scene look believable. Now don’t get me wrong, I do believe in “old man strong,” but this movie really pushes that to the limit. The final fight scene between old-man Sheriff Arnie and the semi-professional kick-boxer drug kingpin is a complete joke.
AND…The car chase scene pitting a bone-stock Camaro against that monster of a Vette…Really?
Final Thoughts:
While I do have to admit that I found several parts of the movie to be fun and/or entertaining, The Last Stand was clearly just a paycheck for Arnie now that he is done playing governor. If you are determined to see this movie anyway, my advice would be to wait for it to show up on USA or TNT before you watch try and watch it. At least the commercials will break it up into pieces.
Title: Gangster Squad
Release Date: January 11, 2013
MPAA Rating: R (Strong Violence and Language)
Starring:
Josh Brolin
Ryan Gosling
Nick Nolte
Sean Penn
Emma Stone
Director:
Ruben Fleischer
Writer:
Will Beall
Plot:
in 1949, Los Angeles was in the firm grip of gangster Mickey Cohen. He ruled the city’s criminal underworld with an iron fist. To combat the expansion of Cohen’s empire, the Chief of the LAPD formed a secret special task force of law enforcement misfits to take on the gangster using unconventional tactics that weren’t always legal.
My Initial Thoughts:
Gangster Squad was a bit of a pleasant surprise when I got the opportunity to check it out. I went into it expecting it to be a re-hash of every other gangster movie that has ever been made. What I saw was a decent story, pretty good characters, and some great action scenes. Now don’t get me wrong, I am NOT saying this movie is great or anything. I was just happy to see that it wasn’t a total waste of 2 hours of my life.
What I liked:
With each character, there was a two-sided approach to their stories. Each was shown in all their badass glory during the cops-and-robbers scenes as you would expect. What was different was the softer side they were all given too. I was expecting that Brolin’s character, Sgt. John O’Mara, would get that treatment since he was the centerpiece, but was happy when it made its way through the rest of the cast.
What Looked Cool:
The action scenes were all well done, especially the “final battle” between O’Mara and Cohen.
You had all of the normal stuff you see in shoot em’ up scenes, but there was also an effort to add some legitimacy too. Anyone shooting a Thompson .45 machine gun from the hip couldn’t hit an elephant in a hallway, as would really be the case. Even the expert marksman played by Robert Patrick was shown having to (*gasp*) try to hit something from time to time.
What I didn’t like:
The old gangster movie formula was in full display. You had the tough chief, the veteran, the rookie, the dame, the main henchmen, and the over-the-top mob boss making up the cast of characters. Once the characters were in place, the story was interesting and never became slow but it did get somewhat predictable. The climax and ending were easy to figure out with about 20 minutes left to go.
What looked Dumb:
Sean Penn’s make-up. He looked like he should be in a Dick Tracy comic strip.
Final Thoughts:
If you want to see a movie to remind you of all the things that made gangster movies cool, the Gangster Squad is a good choice. If you are looking for anything with real depth or an original story, you will be disappointed.
(Rated R)
In Theaters: 9/27/2013
Genre:
Drama
Starring:
Chris Hemsworth
Daniel Bruhl
Directed By:
Ron Howard
Written By:
Peter Morgan
Setting:
1970s Europe
Plot:
Rush tells the story of the 1976 Formula 1 Driver’s Championship, the golden age of Formula 1 racing. The story focuses on the intense professional and personal rivalry between drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauda. Each driver was willing to do whatever it took to be the better driver, including risking his own life.
My Take:
Chris Hemsworth takes a break from his recent role as Thor, in the Avengers series of movies, to take on the role of British playboy Formula 1 driver James Hunt. Hemsworth’s portrayal of Hunt takes the viewer on the rollercoaster that he experienced as he rose from the doldrums of Formula 3 racing, earned and lost his first ride in Formula 1, and his all-consuming desire to beat Niki Lauda. The drinking, drugs and women that made up the off-track life of James Hunt are perfectly included in Hemsworth’s take on the figure.
The role of the genius Austrian driver Niki Lauda was perfectly portrayed by virtually unknown German actor Daniel Bruhl. Bruhl was introduced to US audiences in the 2009 Tarrantino film,”Inglourious Basterds” but has not been prominently featured in US film since that time. Lauda is portrayed as a cold, methodical, statistics based driver that refuses to take any risk that doesn’t promise to yield rewards. As the story of Niki Lauda’s quest to repeat as the Driver’s Champion in 1976 unfolds, Bruhl gives audiences an undeniable view of the pain that Luada experienced and the sacrifices he made to contend for the title.
The Academy Award winning director Ron Howard took the helm of Rush and delivered a movie with great acting and even better visual appeal. Howard expertly developed Lauda and Hunt into the exact opposites that they were back in 1976. He leads you to almost look at Lauda as villain; he gets you so close to that decision, and then dramatically convinces you that is closer to hero. For James Hunt, Howard pours it on with scene after scene of Hunt being completely reckless in every phase of his life, and emphasizing the consequences he faces as a result of that recklessness.
Howard relied heavily on racing action to supply the needed energy to counteract the cold dry demeanor of Lauda and validate the bravado of Hunt. The viewer is given multiple perspectives in following the race action: inside the engine views, driver point-of-view shots, and standard racing angles were all expertly used. Also, the racing scenes that were used were actually filmed at various tracks around Europe using vintage and replica cars from the era to give the scenes an even more authentic feel.
All things considered, Rush delivers with great acting, great visuals and a good pace. The film is a guaranteed Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. Find this movie in a theatre near you and be sure to catch it on the big screen.
(Rated R)
In Theaters: 9/27/2013
Genre:
Comedy / Drama
Starring:
Joseph Gordon Levitt
Scarlett Johansson
Julianne Moore
Tony Danza
Directed By:
Joseph Gordon Levitt
Written By:
Joseph Gordon Levitt
Setting:
Present Day New Jersey
Plot:
“Don” Jon Martello has a short list of things he truly cares about in life:
His Body,
His Pad,
His Ride,
His Family,
His Church,
His Boys,
His Girls,
and finally…His Porn.
This simple list of cares is put to the test when his quest to “smash” a true “dime” forces him to do things he would never do on his own.
My Take:
The movie opens to a montage of some of the sexiest images of pop culture with a voiceover from a 20 something Jon Martello explaining how porn is superior to real sex. The rationale that he uses is completely chauvinist and self-centered, but also hilarious and thought provoking. The first 5 minutes of semi-awkward facial expressions, pseudo-porn clips and well-written comedic dialogue set the tone for the remainder of the 90 minute runtime.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Jon Martello, a “Jersey Boy” bartender that has made porn and a quest for the perfect night of sex his mission in life. He and his two best friends, Bobby (Rob Brown) and Danny (Jeremy Luc), work the New Jersey nightclub scene on a nightly basis trying to score with the hottest women in the club. In the three guy’s quest, everything always seems to go Jon’s way. He is so good at finding and seducing the women that catch his eye; his friends begin to refer to him “Don Jon” Martello.
While on the hunt for his next conquest, Jon sets his sights on what he considers “The Perfect Dime” played by Scarlett Johansson. From that point on Jon is constant conflict with his desire to win over this perfect girl while continuing to feed his insatiable hunger for porn.
“Don Jon” is the writing and directorial debut of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who recently had successful supporting-actor roles in “Lincoln” and “The Dark Knight Rises”. I skipped “Looper” and “Premium Rush”, so I have no opinion on those two.
JGL is accompanied in “Don Jon” by Scarlett Johansson who plays the super-hot target of Jon’s affection, albeit with a sometimes awkward accent. Johansson steams up the screen on several occasions in the movie as her character teases and tortures Jon into doing whatever she wants.
The starring cast is rounded out by Julianne Moore who plays Esther, a classmate of Jon’s in night-school and Tony Danza, who plays Jon’s stereotypical New Jersey / Italian father.
Another noteworthy performance belongs to Brie Larson, who supplied some funny scenes all without saying more than 1 sentence.
The story develops consistently with no slow parts or overly rushed pieces. The casting seemed perfect, as no one seemed to be “out-of-place” in their role. And finally, the dialogue seemed natural for the characters as they were portrayed.
Don Jon is a sexy, funny and socially edgy movie to enjoy in the theaters. Had I actually paid something to see it, I would have gotten what I paid for. This is one definitely worth catching in the theater.
(Leave me a comment on this review and I will select one lucky person from the comments to receive a free movie pass.)
ecsguestwriter
MichaelSmithNC
Melissa Anne Cain
Eastern Carolina Style 