for intense battle sequences, disaster-related action and brief sexual content
Set in the year 79 AD, Pompeii is a story of the final days of the city that would be destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The story is centered on the lives of a wealthy merchant woman, Cassia, and on a gladiator, Milo. Their lives are intertwined with a corrupt Roman Senator, Corvus, who has managed to have profoundly negative impacts on both Cassia and Milo.
On the night of the screening of Pompeii the omens of what was to come were plentiful. The most profound of them came as I was waiting for a friend to meet me before dinner. The place where we agreed to meet, The Q Shack, apparently had an issue with a meat smoker that resulted in the fire department being called and the whole complex being filled with the sound of ear piercing fire alarms. Little did I know at the time, but the damage to my ears would soon be partnered with damage to my eyes and insults to my intelligence.
To say that Pompeii was a “let-down” is an understatement. I didn’t expect to go in and see a masterpiece of film and creativity, but I did expect to see a little more than what I got. An epic disaster story like the destruction of Pompeii has such great potential, if handled properly. And my friend, this story was not handled properly. To quote a close friend named Isaac Weeks, “This is basically a Lifetime Channel movie with a special effects budget.”
There are three main problems with this movie that just ruined it for me; terrible characters, an unbelievable story, and insulting special effects. If two out of three of these issues were even passable, this movie would have been a pleasure to watch as a popcorn movie. It could have been something along the lines of 2004’s The Day After Tomorrow, which had an interesting story and very good visual effects that offset some character issues.
The characters of Milo and Cassia are passable at best, Kit Harrington and Emily Browning did what they could with the dialogue they were given, but mostly fell flat. Kiefer Sutherland as the villainous Corvus was just plain bad. I know you are not supposed to love a villain, more often you are supposed to love to hate them. In the case of Corvus, his dialogue was so bad and his character so stereotypical I wanted to hit fast-forward anytime Sutherland was onscreen.
Several other characters that were granted significant screen time seemed to have no real purpose at all. Joe Pingue as Graecus contributed the same thing as Currie Graham’s Bellator as the boss/owner of the slave gladiators. Why waste valuable time on those duplicated characters when you could use that time to better develop the other core characters?
The story, where to begin? The main story of the movie takes place over what feels to be less than a week. During that week we are asked to believe that it is possible that a dirty, bloody, violent slave gladiator and an aristocrat’s daughter, who are only ever in the same place at the same time about 3 times, fall so madly in love with each other they are willing to die for one-another. “Maybe he just made a great first impression”, you say. If snapping the neck of a horse with your bare hands is a great first impression in the eyes of aristocratic Roman women, then you may be right.
The final fatal flaw of this movie is in the special effects and final action sequences. If you have seen 2012 and you remember John Cusack making a stretch limo bend the laws of physics to the point where Einstein would roll over in his grave, then you have an idea of what happens in Pompeii. Apparently the horses that were raised and trained in ancient Naples are a breed that is immune to the sense of self-preservation that most all other mammals seem to be equipped with. It is also interesting that every time Milo and Cassia decide to have a tender moment Vesuvius is super polite and halts its explosive violence just long enough for them to get it in.
I do have to give the makers of Pompeii credit for a couple of things that they did manage to make look good or get right. The scenes of the actual eruption looked every bit as scary as you would imagine it to be. Also, the fight scenes in the arena with the various gladiators had some good moments. Finally, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje deserves credit for his portrayal of gladiator badass Atticus; he was someone that I had no problem rooting for.
So, if you enjoy disaster movies that are a disaster themselves, then this one is a runaway winner for you. If you are like the rest of us who would rather not set fire to our hard earned money, skip this one.
Bernie and Danny are the best of friends, but total opposites in many ways. They have completely different takes on relationships and how to maneuver the complicated world of sex and dating. Joan and Debbie are roommates that appear to share the same dynamic as their counterparts, Danny and Bernie. Bernie and Joan meet at a bar an end up sharing a sexually torrid night that ends up being the first of many. When Bernie and Joan bring along their friends, Danny and Debbie, to meet on their first real date the two couples are formed and the two different styles of relationships are put on full display. Bernie and Joan antagonize each other, relentlessly. Danny and Debbie attempt to pursue the more traditional route of building a relationship.
About Last Night is the modern retelling of the 1986 film of the same name. Both movies are adaptations of the David Mamet play Sexual Perversity in Chicago. David Hart takes on the comedic role of Bernie while Michael Ealy plays the more serious Danny. Regina Hall is Hart’s hilarious counterpart as Joan with Joy Bryant rounding out the cast as Debbie.
Kevin Hart and Regina Hall are the backbone of this movie; their comedic chemistry is a joy to watch. Almost every scene with the two of them is pure comedic gold. While their relationship is not meant to be the centerpiece of the movie, Hart and Hall make their character’s story more than just added depth. As you watch Hart and Hall verbally abuse one another you can’t help but laugh and think about the couples you know that share those same characteristics. As the story progresses you find yourself hoping Bernie and Joan can find a way to make their dynamic work, just to be different.
Michael Ealy and Joy Bryant take on the polar opposite roles from Hart and Hall. The two of them take you on the ride that is building a meaningful relationship in the modern era. Danny and Debbie are honest and caring towards each other, both seeming to be willing to give whatever it takes to make their relationship a success. The story they tell is as emotional and as complicated as any real relationship would be. From their first meeting to their first relationship obstacles, their story keeps you guessing and looking for that issue that breaks them up.
The story is not a very complicated, or even unpredictable, instead it is very easy to follow and appreciate. The movie uses candid sexual encounters, funny supporting actors and even an interesting cameo to keep you on your toes. They even use a scene to redefine the term “chicken-head” in a way that makes you laugh out loud while also feeling very awkward having seen it.
As Valentine’s Day is here, About Last Night is a great choice to see if you are looking for a date night movie to share with a better half. The comedy is perfect, the emotion is real and the story is interesting. About Last Night is a well-done remake of another well-done movie and is very worth seeing.
For intense sequences of action including frenetic gun violence throughout, brief strong language, sensuality and some drug material
In the very near future, a mega-corporation, Omnicorp, has taken on the responsibility of protecting mankind by developing robotic answers to the most dangerous situations man can face. Their motives are by no means benevolent; they simply see an opportunity for profit and a market that will never dry up. Their mission to bring their robotic security forces to the police forces of the United States is faced with the obstacle of a public that fears emotionless robots roaming the streets. Omnicorp chooses to ease the minds of the public by merging man with machine to reap the benefits of a machine’s efficiency with a man’s conscience.
Robocop is a character/brand that was created nearly 30 years ago and made famous by director Paul Verhoeven and originally played by Peter Weller. When the first film was released in 1987 it was regarded as a success both critically and commercially. That original film would spawn two sequels, a comic book, video games, action figure lines, 2 animated television adaptations as well as 2 live action television adaptations. It became a truly lucrative brand that was able to endure for over 25 years.
Unlike the Hollywood of the 80s, Hollywood today does not seem to really have any inclination to develop any new ideas into successful films. Instead, the popular course s of action are to find a teen novel, comic book or established brand from days gone by to adapt or remake into feature films. RoboCop is the latest attempt by Hollywood to draw success from that well.
This incarnation of RoboCop is not a sequel to the original film series and it is not attached to any of the other parts of the RoboCop franchise. It is intended to reboot the once lucrative brand by using similar themes, a similar story and state of the art special effects to bring the movie to a whole new generation of fans while also reinvigorating the original core fan base.
The story is very similar to the one that was presented in 1978. A few changes were made to accentuate the family aspect of the man Alex Murphy. His wife and a son are more central to the story to add emphasis to the human side of RoboCop. Another change is in the portrayal of the company Omnicorp (OCP); it is not portrayed as being wholly corrupt or “inherently evil” as it was in the original series. But overall the story is the same; A Detroit cop is mortally wounded and would be dead if not for the scientists of Omnicorp who rebuild him into a crime fighting cyborg.
In this type of movie, the visuals are the key to it being watchable at any level. For the most part, the effects are very good if not excellent. I was only able to find one scene where they could be a little better; look out for the SWAT truck crashing into the ED 209 and you will see what I mean. The effects in the scenes of Murphy in his “human” capacity are striking as he is significantly more machine than man.
RoboCop as a character is very well done; he doesn’t look over-the-top or ridiculously fake by any stretch. He looked good both as prosthetics worn by Joel Kinnaman, who was chosen to portray Detective Alex Murphy, and as pure CGI. How many times have we all seen robo-characters that have prosthetics that look like they are out of a Power Rangers TV episode? The first time the visor drops down over Murphy’s face and that pistol comes out, you can’t help but smile with approval.
Also related to the effects, the sound effects are believable as well. The producers and director decided to not have RoboCop sound like the voice modulator in a Tandy 1000. Joel Kinnaman actually got to use his own voice unlike Peter Weller in the 1987 original. Also, the use of arbitrary “robot” sounds was kept to a minimum; I don’t need to hear every little motor and gear whine and turn as the movie goes on. The only opportunity for improvement with sound would be when RoboCop walks. His footsteps sound like he should be creating 2 inch impressions in concrete everywhere he goes.
As good as the effects are they would be nothing without some good actors to tie it all together. The casting for the movie was really well done as a whole. Gary Oldman as Dr. Norton was an excellent choice. Also, the casting of Michael Keaton as the “villain” was perfect; his portrayal of Sellars really allowed you to see all the layers that make up the Omnicorp CEO. The character of Pat Novak played by Samuel L Jackson does get a little old, but Sam manages to work in some of his trademark dialogue to help him get by.
Overall, I really did enjoy this movie. They didn’t screw with the story too much, the visuals and sound are good and the actors all seemed to fit into the roles they were playing. I am not saying to be ready for any type of award caliber stuff here. All I am saying is, if you go to the theatre and plop down $10 to see it, you should leave feeling okay about the decision.
for sequences of violence, sexual content and brief strong language
A high school security guard, who is addicted to video games, in Atlanta, GA has two goals in life; marry the woman of his dreams and become a cop. There is one obstacle that stands in the way of both goals coming to pass; his lady’s imposing cop brother. Ride Along is an action comedy starring Kevin Hart and Ice Cube that is equal parts Training Day and Kevin Hart stand-up.
Right from the start you realize that this movie is all about being entertaining with little regard placed on being award worthy in any category. The two main characters, loner badass cop, James Payton (Ice Cube) and wise-cracking school security guard, Ben Barber (Kevin Hart), are total opposites and over-the-top in their own unique ways. They remind me of the characters from the old 48 Hours movies played by Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte.
James decides to take his soon to be brother –in-law out for a ride along that will also serve as Ben’s “training day.” Ben has to prove his worthiness of being a cop and marrying James’s sister Angela. The movie unfolds as a series of “126 in Progress” calls that Ben is tasked with handing to see if he can make the cut. The circumstances that he is placed in and the consequences of their actions are hilarious almost to the point of being totally ridiculous.
The potential comedic chemistry between Ice Cube and Kevin Hart was a point of concern for me going in. After seeing the first on-screen interaction between the two, those concerns were quickly put to rest as they “clicked” right away. Ice Cube and Hart were a truly dynamic pairing when it comes to gaining a laugh. Kevin Hart played up his short stature and addiction to video games for several good laughs. Ice Cube worked as the straight-man for most of the movie, but also got to interject some of his own comedic and note-worthy lines. I even had a Gangsta Rap geek-out moment when Ice Cube delivered his famous lyric “Today Was a Good Day” after a particularly funny scene.
The movie is funny, but don’t go into this looking for any type of dynamic story or surprise twists to go along with the funny; it is VERY predictable. When the director, writers and producers of the movie were creating the story I’m sure the creative process went a little like this:
Producer: “I haven’t seen a funny buddy cop movie in a while.”
Writer: “Me either, wanna make one?”
Director: “I really liked training day and LOVE that short little black man… What’s his name, Kevin Hart?”
Writer: “Make Training Day funny? Use Kevin Hart to do it? PSSHHT!! That’s easy!!!”
Producer: “Let me write you a check…”
Despite the simplistic story, I do recommend seeing the movie if you are in the mood for a few good laughs AND are a fan of Kevin Hart. If you find Kevin Hart even a little annoying, he is in full force in this one. Consider yourself warned.
ecsguestwriter
MichaelSmithNC
Melissa Anne Cain
Eastern Carolina Style 
