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!

The Walking Dead: Season Two, Episode One Review

After about a whole year, I'm delighted to see the first episode of the new season. It felt like so long ago since I saw the last episode from season one and now zombie goodness is back on AMC.

If you've seen the trailers advertising the new season, the one word that described the mood and feeling was intense. The show picked up where the last left off with our group of survivors leaving behind the smoldering remains of the CDC in Atlanta and heading for Fort Bennett.

30 minutes into the 90 minute season premier, the entire group found themselves trapped on a congested highway when a herd of zombies arrives and has everyone scrambling to hide underneath cars. The fear that arose during this scene was so gripping that I found myself holding my breath at certain points. Each time the camera focused on a character all I saw was panic. To top it off I kept getting a feeling that here was where one of the survivors would meet their unfortunate demise.

The threat passed and everyone was safe except for a few bruises, zombie killings and a severely lacerated forearm. The rest of the episode took shape when Sophia was chased into the woods by a zombie, and the whole party took off in search of her. While the entire episode was spent navigating the woods and a secluded church, the real cliffhanger came at the end. Seriously, during a moment of peaceful serenity the unexpected occurred. When it happened I was shocked. The episode ended and I was left wondering why it ended so soon.

Yeah, I know, after an hour and a half, how could I say it ended so soon. Well, it just did.

There were some pretty intense moments and the writing continued to keep me grounded and interested as each of the characters developed further. One of the goals that this episode focused on was showing that while the entire group escaped together certain differences and objects weren't shared by everyone. For instance, Andrea's resentment toward Dale's decision to guilt her into escaping the final blast at the CDC led her to further lament remaining alive. In addition, Shane's growing frustration and envy of Rick causes him to start outwardly displaying his anger. Basically, the group begins to divide itself and it created a dynamic that leaves the viewer guessing who will remain and who will finally burst.

Other questions remain like what Dr. Jenner told Rick before they escaped from the CDC. At the beginning of the episode, Rick continues to radio his progress to Morgan and he is about to mention what Jenner told him but stops claiming it wasn't important at the moment. Also, speaking of Morgan, I'm still wondering what became of him and his son Dwayne. We left them during the first episode of season one and we don't ever hear or see from them again. Rick keeps communicating with them although we never hear Morgan return Rick's messages. 

The gore level is what we would expect with special make-up effects guru Greg Nicotero as lead supervisor. So I know that the effects will be top notch, and believe me this episode had one heck of a highlight with a zombie autopsy. It wowed me when Rick and Daryl cut open that zombie and started pulling out its innards to check the contents of its stomach. Talk about full on gross!

All of these elements came together nicely to provide a great first episode to the new season. Previews to the following week's episode only continue to provide glimpses of what is to be more drama and suspense. I'm looking forward to it and hope the writing continues to drive it as it has so far. It's good to have new zombie goodness back on TV!

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!

An Afternoon at Occupy Wall Street (UPDATED W/ VIDEO)

**Video located at the bottom**

So, I decided to venture out today and spend a few hours walking through Zuccotti  Park. It's quite an eye opening experience to see so many people from different backgrounds, social status and walks of life gathered together to protest against a single enemy.

I know that Zuccotti Park is only one meeting hub for many protesters and other meeting spots are appearing throughout lower Manhattan, but this was the original starting point, so it felt appropriate to begin here and take as many pictures as possible.

There's really no starting point to mingling to the sea of voices, signs and visible display of community. I must've walked thorough or around at least three times. With each pass I saw something new or different. I read a new message written on a piece of cardboard or heard another grievance that further revealed what's wrong with this country.

It truly is a huge forum to voice out your concerns and troubling issues that not only effect certain individuals but society as a whole. And, the display of solidarity from old and young, student to union worker, etc. added to the sense that these were real issues that affected all no matter where you came from.

I won't talk much from and let these pictures do most of the talking!

Okay, I'll still talking a little bit.

Many displays were constructed with great care and invited passersby and onlookers to contribute to the cause. Speakers attracted small or large groups to listen to their words of inspiration, awareness and action.

So many voices and signs. It was impossible to reach, hear or read each and every one of them. It might take more than once visit and walk through to get to see all of it. And, not only that, eventually, I may be able to see some of the other meeting/gathering hubs that appear.

Across Broadway is where many protesters have stood inline chanting and displaying signs of opposition against the corporate greed!

It was quite an experience to go and see this with my own eyes. The scope and magnitude is clearly visible and it's coming from everywhere.

All in all, I'm glad I went today to witness an incredible event!

**Update**  Video Taken from Zuccotti Park

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!

Contagion: Movie Review

Imagine this. You're sitting on a train or bus and across from you is an ad reminding you to get vaccinated for the upcoming flu season. Now the first thought in your mind is to simply ignore the ad because you rarely get sick. Of course! That's the mind set of most people, then again maybe only some. Okay, it's just me. The guy next to you sneezes several times into his hand and you ignore that. A few seats away another person starts coughing without covering his mouth. Your brain visualizes thousands of germs flying out into the air. Now you begin to think and assess your situation: coughing, multiple people, small contain enclosure and you're sitting in the middle of it.

Little uninfected, healthy you!

Then you remember that not too long ago there appeared a little virus known as swine flu, H1N1 and you take back the idea of being a hard ass about getting vaccinated. Why? You were placed in a situation where you felt uncomfortable about being in the middle of flying germs coming out of open mouths. Everything suddenly looks and feels as though covered or crawling with germs and other microscopic particles of infectious filth. A hypochondriacs worst nightmare!

Here lies the premise of the movie Contagion. I love movies about infectious diseases, plagues or whatever that threatens the safety and existence of human kind. The two films the immediately come to mind are Outbreak and Virus, the one with Chuck Connors and Glenn Ford. I like these films because they show drama based on how people fight and struggle to survive against overwhelming odds. Of course, I also enjoy zombie movies too!

This is what I expected going into Contagion. The trailers showed what appeared to be a great plot and story centered on a global scale epidemic. Mind you, it's been a while since a film such as this as come around, and I honestly believe that the only reason it came out now is to serve as a reminder to prepare for the upcoming winter flu season. More on this later, but...

The movie starts by showing us various characters showing signs of mysterious, unidentified infection with the usual symptoms: coughing, soar throats, dizziness and getting hit by trucks. As this is happening, the audience is shown what and who these characters were interacting with setting up the plot of how the virus will spread to infect larger populations. One of these characters is Gwyneth Paltrow who returns home to her (2nd) husband, played by Matt Damon, from a trip abroad to Hong Kong. She quickly deteriorates due to the illness and in the process gets her son infected. The two subsequently die very early in the film.

Damon is left destroyed by the loss but is determined to keep his daughter, from a previous marriage, alive and safe once he finds out that he is immune to the virus. The movie spends the next hour showing us how the infection spreads and the CDC tries to combat the growing threat. Lawrence Fishburne plays the CDC's main talking head trying to find the origin of the virus while Kate Winslet plays a field doctor (?) organizing response teams to handle the outbreak and victims. Jude Law plays a journalist/blogger with selfish intentions and less then credible sources to inform the public about what is really happening.

Yeah, all the major players are introduced...

I'm not going to dive to deep into the story of this movie because there honestly isn't one, or a very loose one to follow. The movie is told from the perspective of at least six (6) characters! All of these characters are never developed or followed to closely by any extent. At least 2-3 of these characters are introduced from the beginning and are either killed by the virus or disappear entirely for a good portion of the film. They return later, but we are left wondering what the heck happened to them! Thorough out the film other characters appear for brief scenes and never return. I mean, what the heck is this movie trying to do, make me lose all interest in being able to follow a single character?

The movie switches POV's so many times that it is difficult to settle on the story or narrative plot of any one character. Each has their own agendas and they spend the entire movie trying to establish a point or reach a goal whether it is personal gain, protection, the cure, it doesn't matter because the movie suffers from ADHD. It is almost incapable of sustaining a single cohesive story because it tries to glue together six distinct stories on a very loose premise. It handles this task very poorly and I'm left feeling like I needed another two hours of explanation to piece this mess together in a comprehensive fashion. The two hour duration already feels too long, I might add. Instead of six POVs, I honestly think there should have been only three. It just seemed to much to follow with six, and like a said before, each suffered from lack of appropriate development.

Each time a character engaged me with a necessary conflict it changed to another. A buzz kill in my book.

What the movie did did show very well was the real public reaction to epidemics. I appreciated the fact that it showed how paranoia and fear can further put society at risk. We all know how pharmaceutical companies make decisions only for profits and how the government acts to deal with possible public health threats. The movie did a great job in portraying all those sides. Still, I felt as though the real story, Damon's character, was overshadowed by the mistake of too many perspectives. Now that I think about it, the film did serve one purpose and that was to create awareness of public health safety, government and CDC bureaucracy, selfish media and panic. It was not too long ago that swine flu scared the public into a state of panic. Speaking of N1H1, that's the epidemic's identity that the movie hides until the very last scene before the credits. Geez, there's a shocker! The whole movie is a documentary of the N1H1 scare of last year, only blown out of proportion to shown a possible worst case scenario.

All in all, Contagion had a good premise and some/most times I did enjoy it, but the constant POV change made it hard to get a handle on a single character's story of struggle and survival.