The Dark Knight Rises Blu ray+Digibook Review

 
Hey Inter-webers!

Hmm, is that a word even? Ha!

Anyway, I recently picked up The Dark Knight Rises Blu ray+Digibook combo pack that is for sale exclusively at Target.

Hear my thoughts in my first Blu ray movie review below.



Check back soon because I'll be putting up Blu ray reviews and Blu ray/DVD updates on my You Tube channel!

Until then, Laterz!

The Dark Knight Rises: Podcast Movie Review

 
It's the Dark Knight! Batman!!!

Yeah, you all knew this was coming!

Jose and I have seen Christopher Nolan's final entry to his Batman series, and we have stuff to say about it!

My overall opinion? I really liked it! Primarily because of Bane, but it did have it's moments that were truly genuine. Of course, it did also have it's flaws but that did not deter it from being an adequate close to the franchise.

Anyway, there are some spoilers ahead! Wait, honestly, everyone and anyone reading this post should have seen this movie by now so nothing should catch you off guard. Still, just in case--you have been warned.

Enjoy our ramblings!



Well, that's it for now!

Until next time!

Two Guys Talking: The Avengers - Movie Review

 
That didn't take long!

Here I am again with the newest podcast! Actually Jose and I recorded this some time ago, and I'm just getting to put it up.

Either way, it's new and it's on the hit Marvel film The Avengers!

By now all the hype is pretty much gone, but it's good to look back at what made it so good.

As I mentioned in my last post, these postcasts are now officially going under the title of - Two Guys Talking.

So hit the play button and enjoy! Oh, and I would still let Scarlet Johansson break a chair over my back.

50/50: Movie Review

Hey Folks! Long time no see. Yeah, I haven't written anything here in a while, but I'm here to drop a new movie review.

I know I probably bitch about this every time I review in new film that I have in my collection, and believe me, I still have quite a few and there's more on the way. So, yup, it takes me forever to watch through what I already have; well, to be honest, I just take my sweet ass time about it. Ha!

On top of that, like I said, there are still a few more films that I haven't watched yet, and I'll be picking up some more on Tuesday. Yeah, there's some good releases coming out this Tuesday and I'm gonna get mine, so you should go get yours. What ever that is, of course!

Anyway, on with the review of the film 50/50.

I remember seeing the trailer for this movie some months ago and thinking that the combination of cancer and comedic humor were well put together. The scene from the trailer seemed to put this movie more in the genre of comedy as opposed to a tragic drama. Don't get me wrong, the main character dealing with his situation is very tragic and real. However, the comedic elements seem to compliment and in some cases balance out the serious tone, thus, creating an even story that is about both the journey and the healing.

The story introduces us to Adam (Gordon-Levitt) who is recently diagnosed with spinal cancer. He takes the news much like any person would upon hearing such a life-altering condition. He looks to his girlfriend and his friend for support, and they each show it in their own ways. Although, things of course take a turn and changes have to be made. I'm not trying to give anything away here, so I hope my approach was subtle enough to keep readers still interested. Let's just say that friendships and relationships are tested and here is where the drama and comedic aspects of the film work best and add more depth to the characters.

Seth Rogen plays Adam's best friend Kyle and is the tour de force which lends the humorous tone that keeps the film uplifting. What I enjoyed about Rogen's performance is the fact that he does resemble the bearded buddy that tries his best to comment, compliment and/or lighten up the environment surrounding the main character. The film focuses on their friendship the most and develops in such a way that you understand and get pretty involved in their journey to recovery. Kyle, while outspoken and somewhat brash in nature, is fun and endearing as only Seth Rogen can play him.

The most interesting aspect of the film is seeing how the film makers would approach this combination of Gordon-Levitt and Rogen in regards to having them compliment each other while dealing with Adam's condition. And, I have to say that they worked well together. I also enjoyed watching how the character of Adam learns to cope with his situation. Like any person who is given such news, dealing with cancer is quite a life-altering process, and for Adam the change is very taxing. However, he doesn't deal with this journey of healing alone as his inexperienced therapist Katherine (Anna Kendrick) also accompanies him on his road.

All in all, I enjoyed 50/50 very much and found the story to be a very profound capturing of friendships, healing and emotion. The hospital scene near the end actually resonated with me by capturing a moment where fear and uncertainty left me quite nervous yet hopeful for the outcome.



Again, I really enjoyed this film for it's humor and real approach to dealing with the topic of a life-changing illness.

Until next time, keep smiling!

Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark: Movie Review

 
Hey faithful readers of my remote little place on the web!

It's been a while since I reviewed or looked at a movie, well, at least a new one. Anyway, I finally saw Guillermo Del Toro's Don't Be Afraid of the Dark and I have to say that it turned out to be money well spent when I bought myself a copy. This film, which Del Toro wrote and produced, also happens to be a remake of the 1973 classic of the same name. Now, I purchased this on Blu-ray and I left it sitting on my shelf of to be watched movies for the past several months. I cannot say how long because I have lost count, and the pile just keeps getting higher.

I feel ashamed that I'm falling behind, and on top of that, I going to go buy some more very soon! Yeah, I'm a movie hound, ha.

The movie centers around a young girl named Sally, played by Bailee Madison, who is sent to stay with her father Alex (Guy Pearce) and his new girlfriend Kim (Katie Holmes). Kim and Alex are interior designers who are restoring an old house which holds a dark secret, hiding deep within a cavernous hole behind a locked stone furnace. Little creatures dwell here waiting for the opportunity when an unsuspecting visitor allows them to escape from their cast iron prison. Get where I'm going with this? It should be pretty obvious where this is all heading, but that's doesn't take anything away from what Del Toro delivers to us as a finished product that captures an intense creepy and terrifying atmosphere and feeling.

Oh, no! The fact the movie focuses on a young girl who is caught between separating parents, adjusting to a new would-be mother and emotional detachment issues only adds to the sense of loneliness and fear that follows Sally throughout the entire movie. It works so well here because, from my perspective, as a viewer, I'm curious and mystified by the dangers that lurk around the dark corners, whispering to this innocent girl who already has enough emotional and psychological problems. Does this sound cruel or unusual? No, of course not! The movie is presented to us in this way. We have a 'new' family trying to adjust to each other, but we're keeping our eyes on the child. Del Toro has a way of playing to our sensibilities when he centers his stories around young children.

He invites us to follow Sally into a new world, so to speak, the house and its surroundings. Now this house is immense with its front yard and even larger open back space with tall hedges. It's the kind of house any kid could get lost in for hours, purposefully. We would do it to explore and have fun; however, very quickly, the movie redirects us back to the immediate danger of the little creatures that are eager to escape and "become friends" with Sally. Now, where these creatures become equally effective as dangers is not because they're scary, but rather because they portray a feral and aggressive approach when they attack they're victims.

I mean, some monster or creature movies relied on gross out human chomping, blood and gore to appear dangerous. A couple of examples I can think of: C.H.U.D., Ghoulies, and any creature movie on Sy Fy. These things on the other hand behave like demented psychopaths swinging razor blades, literally too! There are several scenes where the miniature imp-like, gremlins slash and stab an old man across his eye, his wrist, ankle, etc. I cringed the entire time as I watched this poor fool attempt to lock the creatures away, only to fail and fall victim to their malicious and crude attacks. From that first attack since their escape, the creatures run loose throughout the house carrying knives, screwdrivers and what ever other sharp weapons they can find.

Immediately, my attention and concern falls on Sally's safety because they want to kill her throughout the whole film. Everywhere she goes within the house, the darkness seems to follow her and in that darkness you know the creatures are not too far behind. The interesting and surprising detail about the film is that it is a take on the tooth fairy. Yes! You heard or read correctly! This is really a re-imagining of the origins of the tooth fairy but with a horrid twist. And, I liked it! In addition, the house with its lavish and Victorian interior design adds a quality of fantasy and dark Gothic, just a touch, but it all comes together to create an immense feeling that this place is a playground for these creatures and Sally, Alex and Kim are just mice scampering around.

In a way, it also reminded me of Del Toro's other work, Pan's Labyrinth.  

Again, it's very creepy and makes you think of the times you were afraid of the monster under the bed, or the fear of cutting the soft spot across your wrists or ankles. It makes my skin crawl just thinking about this as I write it!



Overall, I found this film to be good creepy fun that delivered on the spooks and very graphic violence.

Until next time, stay in the light!

Final Fantasy XIII-2: Podcast Review

 
Well, well, here is something new. It's my first podcast, and I'm very excited to share this with the world!

So, what do I have prepared for you? Well, it's a video game review, and it's on none other than Final Fantasy XIII-2. This is the much awaited sequel to last year's FF-XIII.

Okay, first thing, if you're not a gamer...listen anyway! If you are, well check us out, hear the voices of two gamers from NYC. Seriously, I'm being serious now and maybe a bit comical, but gamer or not, I think you'll enjoy the podcast.

We're gamer nerds! Well, I am to a certain degree.

Hey, it's one of several other things that I do besides write stories about robots, zombies, etc. Ha!

I'm joined by me good friend, Jose. We talk about improvements, overall gameplay, and other Final Fantasyisms while comparing XIII-2 to its predecessor to see how the whole thing fared as a final product.

What did I and my fellow gamer co-podcaster think about it? Just listen...





As always Internet listeners, leave feedback! This is something new for me so I'm trying it out to see how it goes. Advice, pointers and comments are helpful and greatly appreciated.

Until next time, peace!

Chronicle: Movie Review

 
Most of us are familiar with superhero movies, stories, etc. Some of them are very enjoyable and other not so much. I personally found stories that focused on the inner turmoil of a character trying to balance their powers while remaining a functional member of society to be quite interesting. They seem, at least to me, to be the closest depiction to actual human interaction, while still exploring the limits of superhuman possibility and social/moral acceptance.

What I am talking about? I don't read American comics, hence American superheroes, except through their film adaptations. I do however read Manga and many of their supernatural stories are referenced in the movie Chronicle.

So, the film documents the story of three high schoolers who stumble upon a strange "alien" object buried or hidden underground. I say "alien" and buried/hidden because neither of these points is explained or verified; although, the nature or format of this movie (more appropriate) can only reveal what our three protagonists encounter. To put it simply, the film is a "found footage" piece that documents the events that transpire after they develop their powers. Things develop rapidly and different social dynamics/situations provide plot points that force the characters to move along and make decisions that lead to an extreme climax that borders on the moralistic social commentary of today's youth.

While the film is about teenagers with superpowers, the real story centers on the relationship between social acceptance and the dangers of abuse and ridicule. In other words, bullying. The movie opens up with Andrew making a documentary about his life and all the social awkward experiences he has for being an introvert. He goes around and records all his daily exploits and as the audience follows him, we see the isolation and bullying he encounters. While most of these are reduced to mere pushing and shoving, the harsher reality appears in the form of his abusive father. However, here is where another dynamic appears. While Andrew bottles his abusive father, he tries to look after his ill mother.

So, this abusive treatment at home coupled with Andrew's already introverted behavior creates a character that is on the verge of  a breakdown. The superpowers will eventually lend a hand in allowing him to release his frustrations but on a grander, out-of-control scale. His only ground with reality comes in the form of his cousin Matt and their friend Steve. All three of them share the same gift and so share the same experiences in discovering their new found powers. However, even as they explore further, Andrew begins to slowly show signs that his introvert shell is cracking and with each abusive situation or conflict that he encounters the more unstable he becomes.

Without giving away any details, Andrew refocuses his perspective and convinces himself that his powers are a gift meant as a means to an end. So he lashes out against aggressors. At first he targets specific people, but after his altered indoctrination, he indiscriminately attacks anyone. Again, all the bottled up rage has spilled over causing Andrew to think irrationally and lose his humanity to some degree. In a way, it reminds me of the Japanese Anime movie Akira.

Originally, my thoughts about this film were somewhat low. Superhero or super powered people movies are hit or miss depending on the writing and focus. And, with teens, my expectations are even further low. I just can't stand the carelessness of young people with superpowers, it honestly irritates me because these are usually handled so poorly. Geez, I hate those so called teens with perfect lives and meaningless conflicts or struggles that don't appeal to no one. So already I thought I was going to detest that fact that this was a movie about teens with superpowers. But, that wasn't the case, thankfully!

Chronicle was a story that depicted a character with a very real conflict that appeals to everyone. We've all been that bullied or ridiculed kid in school. We hated it and there were times that we wanted to beat the crap out of anyone and everyone that ever put us down, but here's where the story also shows the very real and dark consequences of such behavior. Depending on how we handled it the result or final trigger can be very dangerous.

Visually, the film was shot very well considering it was one of those first person shot movies. However, here is where I applauded the filming approach. Throughout the movie, Andrew is filming, so the you rarely see him in the shot, but after he gets his powers he learns to hold his camera with his telekinetic abilities. This becomes a nifty technique because while the audience believes that he is still suspending it in the air, it feels as though the camera was placed there to give us the third person omniscient view that we are used to in other movies. The special effects were integrated so well that the flying scenes looked like actual base jumping or body surfing shots. Even during the climax scenes near the end, the visuals effects of Andrew unleashing his full powers and fighting against Matt resembled something out of an anime. I honestly began to think that this was how they should have filmed that atrocious Dragonball: Evolution movie.



I really enjoyed this film and the development of each of the characters especially Andrew. He wasn't really a villain but more of a misunderstood social outcast. This is something we can all understand and relate to because we have all experienced it in our own way. The writing captured the essence of teenage life and most of its shortcomings. And, I especially liked that behind the superpowers there was a deeper message about understanding, social acceptance and the dangers of abuse, ridicule and isolation.

Until the next one. Stay strong and unafraid.

The Grey: Movie Review

As of late, actor Liam Neeson has been making quite a name for himself as an action/drama movie star and now you can add survivalist to that list.

I have been following his exploits since his film Taken and I was immediately blown away at how he transformed his character from loving and caring parent to hunter. He literally tracks down his daughter's kidnappers with a combination of intelligence tactics and physically persuasive techniques to convince the baddies in his favor. Yeah, beating the crap out of evildoers makes a plan go into motion.

And, I loved every minute of his stampede through Europe to rescue his daughter. His famous "I'll find you and I'll kill you" line has been a trademark that defined him as a badass. He even obliged a fan during a interview on the Graham Norton Show by recording the line as a voicemail greeting. Check the link below. The voice recording segment happens toward the end of the clip, but watch the whole thing, it's great!



Even his next film Unknown is filled with enough suspense, intrigue and action to keep you glued to the screen. Don't take my word for it, just watch it yourself.

Now back to The Grey. After seeing that Neeson had a new film coming out, I became very interested in what this new project might bring. The title alone brings much vagueness and blurriness, and that not because of all the snow falling. Actually, the title plays an important role in foreshadowing the where the film goes and how it ends. I'm not going to reveal anything because I think anyone interested should just go and watch it. Still, however nebulous the trailer might seem, trust me when I say that you're in for quite a treat!

I have to say right away that this movie has increased my fear plane crashes, collisions and freezing. So, around the 15 minute mark, John Ottway's (Neeson) plane crashes over what I believe is somewhere in deep freezing, snowing Alaska. Out of a plane with about 20-30 passengers, only 7 survive the crash. Not much is revealed about the background of any of these characters. Neeson's character's background is slowly explored through flashbacks of himself with another woman who we later understand is his wife.

Immediately, right from the start, as soon as they start to pick themselves up from the devastating crash the principle antagonists are revealed-- THE WOLVES! The film becomes a quest of survival as Neeson's character tries to save anyone from the feral jaws of nature. Why does Neeson's character take it upon himself to play leader and save everyone? Because he's fucking Liam Neeson! And, his character, Ottway, is a hunter and specialist in survival situations; he makes Bear Grylls and any other TV show survivalist look like an amateur. I mean, Neeson's character fights a wolf with his own DAMN BARE HANDS! I was shouting at the top of my lungs when I saw that. Of course, disagreements happen has members from the surviving party question authority and location, but when the wolves start picking them off one-by-one, they just follow.

Going back to my reemerging fears. Yeah, plane crashes and freezing. I have flown in planes and experienced turbulence of different levels, but the fear is always there and I manage to suck it up and just relax. This probably sounds like I'm more nervous about flying then I actually am, but I'm pretty cool. Anyway, crashing first but the freezing is another story. The survivors end up in blizzard conditions, so maintaining warm is a necessity. However, there are moments where Ottway falls into streams of freezing water and I'm like, WHAT! Even after those moments, he forges on. I think I would've died of hypothermia a long time ago. Characters undergo extreme psychological changes that represent real consequences to conditions of near death.

It was just a great movie that continued to carry Liam Neeson's trademark badassness! I mean, he frickin' fought a wolf--with his bare hands!!



Neeson continues to surprise me by how well he adapts to these tough roles. I like it a lot and would be terrified to go up against him and his badassness. Like I said, the film a well worth a watch, and every moment tests and pushes each of the characters to their breaking point. Watching Liam Neeson strap on a makeshift glove/gauntlet/weapon of broken bottles to one hand with tape, and a knife in the other just sent chills down my spin.

Until next time, survive!

5 Days of War: Movie Review

 
Well, it's been a while, but I'm back with another brand new movie review.

I don't think I'll have a lot to say about this film because I really enjoyed it. So, I'll just rave about how immersed I became at the story that unfolded as I sat in a lit room and witnessed the horrors and sacrifices brought about by war.

To begin, I have always enjoyed well told/filmed war movies. The struggle to survive is evident in the need for soldiers to carry out a task, and while this is present in the film, the perspective is different. The film is based on the real life war that transpired between Russia and Georgia. Now, let me begin by saying that I'm not familiar with the history or ensuing conflicts between these two countries that led to the war that lasted 5 days.

The aspect of the film that caught my attention was the news reporting angle. 5 Days of War centers around a journalist by the name of Thomas Anders played by Rupert Friend and his struggle to stay alive long enough to escape the war zone and release the film footage he and his cameraman caught of the carnage as Russian mercenaries entered a village in Georgia and slaughtered civilians. So, the entire film is an action documentary of what took place, but without the need of having the film shot from a first person perspective.

Now, I've read that this film received mixed reviews with most of its criticisms pointing to the fact that the film portrays only the Georgian side of the conflict. All the while the Russians are portrayed as barbaric killing squads marching along the Georgian countryside eliminating everything. Some critics claimed the film was a dangerous form of propaganda used to promote sympathetic reactions from audiences. Again, I not familiar with the actual reasons that brought about the war, and while some of these criticisms against the film may be true, I'm not here to pass judgement. Although, during times of war, everything that we see or are allowed to be shown by the media is put up for criticism. We can never be sure if what we're being told is true or exaggerated.

The term 'propaganda' is correct in some ways; as journalists, you try to push your information because the world has a right to know. So here we have just that. Thomas Anders embarks on a mission to uncover the truth about a possible confrontation between Russia and Georgia and ends up with a front row ticket to a real first-hand experience of life and death. This brings me to a interesting point that I have always know to be true. War journalists and photographers are the most hardcore and fearless people in the world. To put yourself in harms way, deliberately now, is insane! Even with proper precautions, journalism rights/permissions and military escorts, they run very real risks that could have fatal consequences.

Anyway, these were the points of the film that kept me immersed and wanting to reach the end. Another interesting fact, there was very little news coverage of the war due to the fact the as this was happening much of the world, and the news media, was busy covering the Olympics. Add that to the pile building in front of you as a journalist!

It was interesting to see Andy Garcia play Mikheil Saakashvili, the President of Georgia. Other cast members included: Val Kilmer, Dean Cain, Emmanuel Chriqui and a brief cameo by Heather Graham. All in all, I really enjoyed the film. My interest in it first came when I saw the trailer a few months back, and I wasn't disappointed. It's an action film at heart and it provides several moments of intense confrontation and quick pace.




Well, I hope you enjoy and until next time!

Hanna: Movie Review

 
What up, Movie Lovers,

Well, I pulled out another movie that I bought months ago and finally watched it. This time the selection happened to be the film Hanna. Now I have to say that I only heard about this movie because the stars of the film were at the San Diego Comic Con a couple of years ago promoting its release in theaters. I didn't know much about its premise except that it centered around a young girl assassin.

Of course, the premise attracted my curiosity. I mean, why not? A young girl, long blonde hair, blue eyes, trained in weapons & hand-to-hand combat and special intelligence tactics! What more could I want?

Despite these intriguing details, which I didn't know about at the time, the film interested me. I caught the trailer for it several months after, but like every other movie I am only now watching it for the first time. Saoirse Ronan plays the title character Hanna, and Eric Bana takes the role of her father Eric Heller. The movie begins by establishing Hanna as a rogue nature hunter as she hunts, kills and gathers the meat of a wild buck. Her father confronts her and engages her in a series of offensive and defensive fighting techniques. As I watched it, the scene opened up the idea of remote training and survival skills, but the intention was not made clear yet.

During the next 15 minutes, the film continues to reinforce her father's training as Eric tests and attacks her with a series of different tactics. The only clue we get from all this is that her father has been preparing her for when she has to venture outside of the sanctity for their secluded shack in the woods of Finland. When Eric finally believes she is ready, the first plot is revealed that he was part of a covert CIA group. Certain other details are withheld, but an intelligence officer, Marissa Wiegler played by Cate Blanchett, is now pursuing them.

I'm going to skim though most details to move along forward with this brief review. Well, Hanna and her father part ways, and the film follows Hanna as she escapes from the underground CIA base, travels through most of Europe with the help a vacationing British family and ultimately confronts Wiegler. The interesting aspect of the film is how we're shown Hanna's immersion into modern society. She interacts with and is genuinely surprised by the foreign technology, scenery and experiences that she is encountering for the first time. Many of these moments are captured in Hanna's interaction with the vacationing family, especially with their daughter Sophie. The two bond and share brief moments of attraction and curiosity.

One of the complaints I had was the secret agenda surrounding Hanna. The reason her father trained her and why Marissa is after her are the same. Hanna is actually an experiment to create a super soldier with heightened speed, strength and intelligence making her an elite special forces agent. I just kept thinking that the idea was nothing new and over used. When it was revealed, it didn't have the impact that I thought the movie was aiming for. However, that minor point is, for the most part, irrelevant because Hanna's journey is what I found to be the most interesting part of the film.

The action during the movie is fast and gritty in some cases. You see Hanna take her bumps and bruises, but she also delivers the intense hits as she battles foes. Saoirse Ronan really puts on a performance and shines as she both explores her characters motives and fights with such precision that Saoirse could've fooled me with her expertise. I know its all about choreography but it really shows in how well she moves and the editing. She fun to look at. In addition to the visual display of action, the music, composed by the Chemical Brothers, also added a fast beat of electronica that helped to raise the tension and/or pace of many of the scenes. The score played during the scene where Hanna is fleeing from her pursuers in the shipping yard is my personal favorite. While electronic it also felt very playful and upbeat. The music in that scene mirrored the fact that Hanna was playing around against her enemies.

In recollection, Hanna was a fun action, spy, young girl assassin movie with a lot of spunk and clever storytelling. In a way, I would almost consider it a story that took the Mathilda character from Leon: The Professional and based it on her. So, I would say that it was time that I spent being well entertained.

Surrogates: Movie Review

 
Hello all,

Another movie review coming at ya! This time it's the Bruce Willis Sci-Fi film Surrogates.

I have to say that my interest was piqued about this movie when I first saw the trailer a couple of years ago. However, I never got to see it in theaters at the time. Now that I think about it I don't watch that many movies in theaters, and I just catch them after they come out on Blu-ray or DVD. It wasn't until about a  month ago that I saw the trailer advertised on TV that I went out and bought it.

So, the premise is humanity has become completely dependent on the use of artificial robots/cyborgs to function or interact with society. In other words, when you get ready to go to work, you plug yourself into your robot/cyborg, known as a Surrogate, and go about your daily outdoor activities. Sound familiar? It should because it is the exact same plug-in/jack-in function used in The Matrix. Only, instead of plugging into a computer, you plug-in to your artificial clone. It's really a very intriguing idea. The movie explains that this new technology and mode of human interactive function has revolutionized humanity to the point that such things as crime are non-existent.

Of course, like any revolution or new concept, there are going to be opponents. These are known as Dreads, normal people/humans that refuse to allow technology/robots to replace man kind. I may be making this sound too much like the premise for Terminator, but its not this extreme. It has this feel much like Stephen King's The Stand where you have the two factions or social groups. In Surrogates, you have the society that accepts the robots as a means of social image, and the other society hates the robots for the same reason.

The story takes shape when a murder is committed with a device that not only destroys the surrogate but also its human operator. Bruce Willis plays FBI agent Tom Greer, and with Radha Mitchell (Agent Peters) the two investigate the crime which has roots reaching all the way into the surrogate manufacturing company VSI. I don't remember what the full name was, or if it was even mentioned, ha! Surrogates is a very decent detective story but at its core are the major themes that the concept of artificial dependence implies.

For example, all the surrogates are young while their human counterparts are older or aging. The reason I say this is because part of the story focuses on Bruce Willis' character's relationship with his wife Maggie played by Rosamund Pike. From very earlier on, we are shown a disconnect between the couple, especially after Tom is forced to pursue the investigation with out a surrogate. He realizes that his wife may have grown so dependent on the use of the artificial persona/image that she's lost sense of reality.

Another interesting point shown in the movie is that it is a comment on some of society's idea or need to display or appear young or perfect. As a matter of fact, the modern surrogate society is visually represented as a stylish, and artificial rendition of what a perfect society would appear as. The surrogates represent every human operator's own ideal self image of perfection. It's vanity in its purest sense. Even more intriguing is the reaction that Tom gets when he emerges into society in his actual 'flesh' form. Even though it is not revealed how long it as been since he actually set foot out of his house, we see the immediate disconnect with human interaction. Tom has a huge sensory overload that he nearly collapses as he tries to physically move in a space which he only interacted with through artificial eyes.   

Again, I was really impressed by the detective story that revealed the ethical question of extreme dependence on artificial technology. Surrogates was an entertaining film with many thought provoking ideas. And the scene where everyone drops to the ground in unison was pretty cool to see, and the ending provided a ideal awakening.

A Perfect Getaway: Movie Review

Well, here I am with another movie review from my personal library. Actually, I bought this movie several months ago and only recently watched it.

Ahhh, I still have several other movies that I haven't watched yet, and my library will most likely keep getting bigger, ha!

Ever since The Fifth Element and the Resident Evil series, I developed a liking for Milla Jovovich and her bad ass take on female action heroines. I think many people were attracted to her portrayal of bright orange/white headed Leeloo and her tough super soldier persona of Alice, and I'll admit that I became one of the people who found her irresistible. So after reading the synopsis for A Perfect Getaway, I wondered how Milla would handle playing a character as normal as you and I. In other words, she won't have powers or speak a foreign language.

The results, in my opinion, were quite surprising and enjoyable.

The movie opens to a video replay of a wedding, and the happy couple isn't shown. However, by the next scene, the audience is introduced to the newly weds Cyndey (Jovovich) and Cliff, played by Steve Zahn, as they enjoy their honeymoon on the remote Hawaiian island. Right from the start, the two things that catch my attention are with Milla's performance and her character's last name. After being used to Jovovich playing a commando-like heroine, it was weird seeing her play a down to earth normal woman, very giddy and all smiles, like someone I'd like to spend a Sunday afternoon with. The other is the character she plays is named Cyndey Anderson. The reason I point this out is because it's ironic as seeing that Jovovich is actually married to writer/director Paul W.S. Anderson (Resident Evil series).

I found her performance interesting and carefree, again, like someone who's enjoying their honeymoon.

The story takes its first indication of - bump in the road - when Cydney and Cliff encounter another couple along the road and offer to give them a ride. There's a bit of a disagreement and both sides go separate ways on rather uncomfortable terms. This may seem like a minor hiccup, but when the news of the suspects (also newly weds) to a double murder is brought to their attention things turn awkward and suspicions begin to rise. The story takes another turn with the introduction of a third couple, Gina (Kiele Sanchez) and Nick (Timothy Olyphant). To keep this from getting too long, Cydney and Cliff suspect the first couple they met to be the killers and so they seek security in numbers by staying with Gina and Nick.

The first hour of the movie is spent Cyndey/Cliff getting to know Gina/Nick, and let me tell you, during the first hour I thought I was watching a comedy. The character of Nick was so over the top as a ex-special agent with so many anecdotes that he's hilarious, and hearing that Cliff is a screenwriter, Nick starts pitching ideas that 1) serve to humor and intimidate Cliff and 2) set the plot for the rest of the movie. Now, I don't know if this was done intentionally to guide the audience along in suspecting that Nick and Gina are an illusive couple. Or, if is was done to create this interesting fun and dynamic interaction. Either way, I enjoyed Olyphant's performance, and with Milla's giddy, happy California girl nature I found myself enjoying the movie more that I forgot that this was still a suspenseful thriller.

The twists and turns continue as the real killers are identified, and I won't ruin it here just in case others want to discover it for themselves. I will say that there is one strange moment toward the end where Nick goes through a moment of introspection and certain truths are put together. However my grip with this is when Nick's introspect switches to that of Cliff's. As this happened, I kept thinking about how this was possible. Were we in Nick's head or Cliff's, or both through some miracle of telepathy.

All together, A Perfect Getaway truly entertained me. The suspicions about who is really telling the truth about who they say they are, and Olyphant's mysterious yet hilarious performance kept me hook and laughing. Steve Zahn had a note worthy role. Of course, Kiele Sanchez was quite a sight, and Milla Jovovich's smile looked radiant when caught on film.

In the end, it was a time well spent!

Jet Li's Unleashed: Movie Review

Wow, 71 posts and I keep on chugging regardless of what's going on around me.

So this will be my first review of a movie that I already own. I hope to do these just a often as I write up my other reviews for movies that just debuted in theaters.

What can I say about Jet Li's Unleashed? Nothing short of profound and heartfelt.

I am a fan Jet Li and his movies, but this film is one of my favorites just on the shear magnitude of Li's performance as a trapped victim of an abusive upbringing. Just imagine how abusive pet owners can train their animals to be obedient through fear and deadly by constantly beating them to behave aggressively. Now, visualize controlling that dual nature through verbal commands and a leash and you have Jet Li's character Danny.

The trailers never did reveal this mechanism. They only showed an action movie with fights and gun fighting that we all come to recognize from this genre. So, when I first saw Unleashed, I had no idea that Jet Li would be playing such an isolated and tormented character. This new angle or role for Li was quite a shocking revelation because I have only ever known Li to play action hero types. You know, fierce, determined, aggressive, bare knuckle types. This change was nice and gave the audience a chance to see Li really act.

What I also enjoyed about this movie and I believe added to the effectiveness of the character of Danny is director Louis Leterrier's way of showing the audience an intimate look at his protagonist. We see Danny start out as a leashed animal trained to attack on command, but by the middle with the introduction of the secondary characters, we see Danny evolve to be more human. As this happens we are right there with Danny, watching him transform. We feel his timidness, anger and eventual compassion and I frankly enjoy this aspect of the film. Luc Besson actually wrote the script, but may have had some influence in the film making. Besson has this way of filming that I would refer to as portraits of a character's life in transition. We see this in his other films such as Leon: The Professional, The Fifth Element and Taken.

The character of Danny is very simplistic in that he only has one function. He is the muscle used by his abusive Uncle, played by Bob Hoskins, to persuade rapid collection of debts. However, as he transitions to developing emotions and compassion, Danny becomes a more complex character trying to escape his old life and settle in a new one. Morgan Freeman's character Sam and Kerry Condon's Victoria help Danny open up to reveal that he is not a leashed animal but a individual discovering a new future through painful forgotten and oppressed images of his past.

The fight scenes choreographed by Yuen Wo Ping also evolve to show Danny's progression. The opening scene depicts a brutal fight filled with raw energy and primal fury. I can't remember when was the last time I saw Jet Li display such an uncontrolled rage that is both efficient and instinctual. More importantly, within this chaotic barrage is a precision for an effective killer. Danny fights in a careless and reckless manor but with the clear intent of killing, and you can see it by how he rips thorough opponents. As he changes, Danny becomes more cautious and mindful that he's fighting to protect others (Sam and Victoria). He style becomes a bit more refined and tactful as opposed to animalistic. Jet Li's fight scene in the bathroom stall is the most impressive example of close fighting in confined spaces.

Other interesting notes include the fact that Luc Besson wrote the script with Jet Li in mind. The original title is fact Danny the Dog and not the US title title Unleashed.

I enjoyed this movie so much because it's more about discovery and escape as it is about action. Even the theme played at Victoria's recital is touching and as Jet Li's character finally finds peace and his own place makes me a little teary eyed. All-in-all, Unleashed is a very character driven story of internal and external conflict paired with survival.

Real Steel: Movie Review

Hey there folks! Well I'm back with another movie review. Boy, it seems like I'm making this my new job or hobby. Unfortunately, I'm not getting paid for this.

When I first saw the trailer for Real Steel, I thought, hmm, this looks interesting and vaguely familiar. Then it hit me! It's rock'em sock'em robots but on the big screen. Seriously, that's what this movie is when you look at it from the perspective that it has robots fighting in a ring. And, this brings me to my first non-movie related question.

How many of you out there in internet land know or have seen and played with a rock'em sock'em robot toy. Those things were fun! Bang! and the head gets popped up, ha!

Originally, I thought this movie would never live up to post-Transformers series hype. After the huge, grossly, uber-hammered success of the Baysplosion films, there could not be another smaller movie that used robots which made an impression and left a mark that didn't include things blowing up or a billion parts moving at the same time.

Whew! That was a long sentence.

Luckily, this movie came along and left a sweet, endearing taste in my mouth. On the surface, Real Steel is a film about human controlled robots battling it out in underground and professional fighting, sanctioned and unsanctioned, matches. However, at the core is a heartwarming tale between a father and his son, and that son and his robot. And it appeals to the kid in all of us who always wanted a robot, whether large or small, that we could control and have as a friend.

Hugh Jackman plays Charlie, a former professional boxer, now fighting robot operator who is trying to make ends meet by purchasing fight-bots and pitting them in matches with bitter results. He's the protagonist who is far from his glory days but still finding himself a part of that world and way over his head in debt. In a way, Charlie is still looking to find his gold ticket back to his former glory days but has no idea where it will come from and only continues to make unfavorable decisions that place him further in a hole. Doesn't this remind you already of our struggling economy?

At heart Charlie is a good character and this really emerges with the introduction of of son Max. Charlie never raised his son, and after Max's mother dies, Charlie is called in to sit at a hearing to determine custody of the child. Charlie decides to hand over custody to his sister-in-law and rich husband, but he also schemes to retain custody for a few months with the promise to be paid $100,000 upon transferring total custody to his sister-in-law after her short hiatus. Something about her going away for a few months but putting Max in Charlie's custody during that time.

I'm probably not explaining this properly, but who cares because this whole custody issue plays a very minor almost nonexistent plot to the story. All it serves is to place Charlie and Max together to center the father-son story arc. At first these two do not get along, but their common interests in robot fighting bounce off of each other so well that the audience can begin to see a unique chemistry and bond forming between the two. This especially becomes evident with the discovery of the primary glue factor that keeps them together and not so much focused on winning but figuring out that they need to be in each others lives. It is at this point that we are introduced to Atom.

Atom is the underdog sparring robot that they salvage from a junk yard, and Max immediately places his affections into the robot which becomes a surrogate father, friend and hope. Charlie sees how much time and effort Max places into Atom that he also encourages and supports Max's decision to make an old, 2nd generation sparring robot compete against other mashers. Here is where the most endearing moments of the father-son relationship take shape during the movie.

The fights are great and clean in terms of how they are depicted. It is what you would expect from big robots duking it out with each other in boxing matches. At times it is no-holds-barred, rock'em sock'em and other times it is very technical as it mimics even the flashiest of boxing movie matches. Either way it is pleasant to see, and since the robot designs are very non-complex, like the millions of moving parts in the bots from Transformers, it's good to see and recognize movement and action and not get lost. 

All in all, i was surprised and pleased with the end result. The special effects and CGI made the robots look and move hyper realistically. Even the moments where Atom shadows Max or Charlie's movements were spot on fluid and down right hilarious at times. Dancing robot, that's all I'm going to say about that! When I think about now, this movie resembles Rocky on so many levels. It's about an underdog robot and its struggling controllers overcoming adversity both in the ring and with each other while on the way to the top of the robot fighting league.

I remember when I heard Max give the robot a name, at first I thought he called it Adam, but later he spells it A-T-O-M. I was surprised because it feels like an homage to Osamu Tezuka the creator of Astro Boy. The original Japanese name of Astro Boy is Tetsuwan Atom which translate to Mighty Atom. I know this is a bit of a side note and maybe unrelated, but I felt that the writers were paying there respects to Tezuka by naming the films protagonist robot Atom.  

Honestly, I really enjoyed this film and Hugh Jackman's performance is a nice alternative to his tough as nails Wolverine character. Max's character is also very enjoyable as he both mimics his father's personality and balances him out as well. It's one of the few times where a film reminds me of something I also wanted when I was younger. I mean, who did want or still doesn't want a robot friend? I know I still do.

Now with all this robot action coming to big screen, when will Evangelion or dare I say Voltron get the big screen treatment? Come on, you know you're waiting for it too!

Unknown: Movie Review

Well, I'm back with another movie review! Seriously, I think I'm going to try to put one or two of these every week. It depends on what I have to watch and if I have the time. Speaking of what I have to watch, there are at least six (6) others movies that I still have to watch with more to come later, I'm sure.

On to this blog entry movie review!

What do I have to say about Liam Neeson? Nothing. He has become quite a force in the action, spy, thriller genre as of late. And, in my opinion, Neeson plays the role very well.

So I was very pleased with his movie Unknown. Yes, in the past few movie blog posts that I have written, I tended to rip new a-holes in some poorly made or ghastly told stories. I thought, maybe, I should try something different. What's that, different?

I have seen Neeson's prior film Taken and enjoyed it very much. Mind you that I never seen the actor play any aggressive role before, unless you count some of the fights in The Phantom Menace, but that's another story, and I'm going off point.

When I first heard about this movie and its premise, I thought it was a sequel to Taken. However, the synopsis says otherwise. In Unknown, we are introduced to Martin Harris (Neeson), a bio-engineer, traveling with his wife Liz Harris (January Jones) to Germany to attend a scientific conference. The story takes off when Martin leaves his briefcase at the airport. He gets in a cab and tries to go back there to retrieve it and ends up in a car accident where he almost drowns in the river. He's rescued by the cab driver Gina (Diane Kruger), but before things get too harry she leaves and paramedics take Martin to the hospital where he awakens with temporary amnesia.

Now here is where things become tricky because when he is reunited with his wife, she doesn't recognize him! On top of that someone else has taken up his identity. Talk about throwing the first monkey wrench. Now a plot like this has been used before. Fine. But, things pick up after that quite nicely, trust me!

The first 40-50 minutes are spent with Martin trying to retrace his steps while convincing himself that he is not going crazy. In addition to that there are other "shadow" operatives trying to kill him the farther or closer he gets to establishing his identity. I say "identity" and not "the truth" because the real story is much larger and deeper then the audience is led to believe about Martin. Essentially one "identity" leads into the other "the truth."

Remember the briefcase, it really is important!

His search brings him back to Gina and she goes along with Martin in search for his identity. I will not go much deeper then this, but let's just say that once Martin regains and confirms his identity, a deeper and grander scheme is revealed that really shapes this movie into a pleasant viewing experience.

At first I thought the movie was not a sequel to Taken, but there are many elements in Unknown that resemble Neeson's previous excursion into the infiltration game. For starters, brief spoilers, the character Martin is actually a undercover operative who loses his memory thus jeopardizing the mission for the other operative team members. So, the movie has this retrieve and clean-up plot that unfolds and further warps the reality of these characters. In Taken, Neeson plays as similar character in that of a former special forces member who infiltrates and prostitution and drug underworld to rescue his daughter.

There are some very well establish scenes that add to the tension and appropriate confusion that builds and grabs our attention. I remember thinking there were some things that Neeson's character was able to do during teh film that I thought were too technical for a scientist, but in the end, it makes sense! Even the same energy and satisfaction that we felt in Taken, when he kills the kidnappers, is present in Unknown during the climax. At least there is for me! Throughout the movie there are plenty of high action moments and plot twists that keep you pleasantly surprised and waiting for the end to see how it all comes together. In some ways, I would say that this movie is very much the entire Bourne trilogy but condensed to just one movie.

I mean, wow, all this over a briefcase. Make a note: Never leave or forget your stuff because if you go back to get it, you may end up in a coma or with amnesia. Ha! 

So, I enjoyed Unknown and appreciated the intricate story and delivery. Wow, this one turned out shorter than my other reviews. I guess that's what you get when you write about things that you did enjoy. Writing positive reviews is different compared to negative ones, but it's still fun!

Until the next review!