Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston search for an easier life in Wanderlust. Courtesy of Universal Pictures
How many times have you fantasized about quitting your job and running off to live in some sort of paradise? No bills or stress, just the freedom to do what your heart desires. That’s what happens to the couple in Wanderlust… sort of.
George (Paul Rudd) and Linda (Jennifer Aniston) stumble upon a free spirited commune after being fired from their jobs. However, they soon find out their new-found freedom comes at an unexpected price.
Paul Rudd continues to impress with his charisma and incredible comedic timing. Surprisingly, Jennifer Aniston managed to perform outside of her comfortable, boring box and delivered a fresh, funny character. For the most part, the cast did a good job with the predominantly gross-out comedy.
The writing by director David Wain (Role Models) and cast member Ken Marino to be the weak-link. They managed to generate laughs, but more often than not, the cheap humor resulted in silence from the audience.
On one hand, I laughed pretty hard during some scenes. On the other hand, a lot of the humor was contrived and obvious shock-value “comedy”. In the end, the laughs it does produce make the movie worth watching once.
Bottom Line: Enjoy this one as a rental if you want to get your money’s worth.
Active duty Nave Seals give us a taste of war in Act of Valor. Courtesy of Alliance Atlantis
The military has long trained actors to portray them in movies with a solid level of success. Most of us take for granted that what we’re seeing is an accurate depiction of how the elite freedom fighters handle business in battle. This movie takes care of that naivety.
Directors Mike McCoy and Scott Waugh found eight active duty Navy Seals to show the public the life they live and how missions are actually conducted.
Watching the precision and intensity with which these highly trained men operate is something I’ll never forget. The tactical operations are shot brilliantly, with great first person perspective similar to video games like Call of Duty and Modern Warfare.
What hurt the movie, was having the audience sit through actual Navy Seals attempting to act – And when I say “attempting”, I’m being generous. The movie also gives off a strong odour of a recruitment video for the US Military.
The saving grace came from showing the consequences and costs associated with joining the armed forces. Also interesting, was the depiction of the villains, as they were not the typical radicals I expected, having a certain level of complexity to them was refreshing.
Bottom Line: Regardless of the flaws, Act of Valor will give you a look into the Nave Seals the likes of which you’ve never experienced before.
Liev Schreiber and Seann William Scott duke it out in Goon. Courtesy of Alliance Atlantis
For most hockey fans, fighting is seen as part of the game. As barbaric as it seems, there is a sense of enjoyment when two players drop the gloves and duke it out. For the first time, a story of hockey’s all-important enforcer is being told.
Doug Glatt (Seann William Scott) was a mild mannered bar bouncer until he is recruited by a semi pro hockey team to protect one of their star players. Mild mannered only begins to describe how polite and kind Glatt is.
Such a character can be corny in the wrong hands. Luckily, Seann William Scott never once reeked of cheese which toned down the brutality of the on ice antics. Liev Schreiber (Defiance, Salt) plays his formidable rival to perfection with the added bonus of a superb Canadian accent (St. John’s, Newfoundland, to be exact).
I really enjoyed the screenplay adapted from the novel Goon: The True Story of an Unlikely Journey into Minor League Hockey by Jay Baruchel and Evan Goldberg. They gave all of the characters in the film charisma, and left out any unnecessary clichés. You can’t help but get caught up in the team spirit and heart of the movie.
I do have to warn all who do not deal with violence well; While the main character is sensitive, this movie features some pretty gruesome fight scenes. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart.
Bottom Line: A knock-out film not just for hockey fans.
Flowers of War cast of Chinese actresses. Courtesy of eOne Entertainment
In 1937, then capital of China, Nanking, was successfully invaded by the Japanese who committed rape and slaughter upon thousands of innocent women and children. As I’m sure with many of you, I was not aware of this disgraceful piece of history… Until now.
The film depicts the “Rape of Nanking” through the eyes of an alcoholic Westerner (Christian Bale), innocent school children and a group of rowdy prostitutes (A very colourful band of survivors to be taking refuge in a church, to say the least).
Chinese writers Heng Liu and Geling Yan created a fictional tale rather than basing the story on documented events. After reading some of the historical documents on the massacre that took place in 1937, I think they made the right decision. They crafted relatable characters and brought us into their horrid world very effectively.
Yimou Zhang took their script and made the emotional interactions between all of the characters the forefront of the movie. I enjoyed the balance between the edge-of-your-seat suspense, intense action and the conflicting relationships.
I had a hard time watching the grotesque acts of the Japanese soldiers, but it did not deter my enjoyment of the film. It actually motivated me to research this stain on human history.
Having a fictitious Westerner as the ultimate hero in this film no doubt ruffled a few critical feathers. Regardless of the historical inaccuracy, Christian Bale added dimension with his first-rate performance which gave this imperfect character justification for being included. Not to be overshadowed by Bale, every child and adult actor gave the same level of commitment to their roles.
Bottom Line: Expect to be disturbed by this film. However, you can also expect to be captivated by the outstanding filmmaking, heroism and humanity encompassing it.
Tyler Perry and Thandie Newton star in Good Deeds. Courtesy of Alliance Atlantis
Tyler Perry has managed to top Forbes list of Highest Paid Men in Entertainment. Hard to believe when 9 of his 10 films have failed miserably to garner critical praise. I’m guessing this movie was financed by his wallet, because any studio executive who would green light something this bad deserves the boot.
In Perry’s latest movie, a predictable businessman has his mundane existence turned upside down when he begins interacting with a cleaning lady at his office.
As with most of Tyler Perry’s movies, he stars as the main character, directed, wrote, and produced this one. Like all of his previous attempts, he managed to do none of these things successfully.
Perry’s acting is lifeless, having the emotional range of a rock. His direction was as bad as his acting, failing to get credible performances out of talents such as Thandie Newton and Phylicia Rashad. During the most “intense” scenes, the drama is so ridiculous it reduced me to tears from laughter.
As bad as the direction is, the writing made soap opera scripts look like Shakespeare. The dialogue is filled with cheesy, over-the-top anger, and the characters are just plain… well plain.
This should be shown in film school to illustrate how not to make a movie. It would sure take a significant amount of money to get me into a theatre to watch it again.
Bottom Line: Unless you’re trying to punish yourself, never watch this movie.
Woody Harrelson stars as corrupt Davd Brown in Rampart. Courtesy of eOne Entertainment
Do you trust the people in charge of protecting society and upholding the law?
In Rampart, a renegade LAPD officer is under investigation when a video of him assaulting a minority is released.
Don’t think Rodney King. Think sex, drugs, alcohol, corruption, and violence. All of these elements encompass the complicated character of David Brown, masterfully played by Woody Harrelson. Harrelson shines bright in this dark drama in which his character’s narrow vision compromises every aspect of his downward spiraling life.
Harrelson is joined by a star studded cast including Ben Foster, Sigourney Weaver, Steve Buscemi, Cynthia Nixon, Anne Heche, Robin Wright, and Ned Beatty. All of whom take their roles seriously and allow the protagonist to have credible characters surrounding him.
There are, however, some flaws hidden amongst the positives. Oscar nominated writer Oren Moverman and well known novelist James Ellroy created a screenplay littered with scenes that lack relevance and do not move the story forward.
Moverman’s only flaw falls with the pace he gives the movie, giving the feeling of sitting through a much longer film than it actually is – never a good sign.
Bottom Line: This darkly driven character piece is interesting to watch and should provide a good level of entertainment for fans of films like L.A. Confidential. Just don’t expect the same level of brilliance.
Dazzling animation from Studio Ghibli. Screen capture courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures
Japanese anime is either a love or hate genre, and without a doubt, the trend continues with this movie.
Based on Mary Norton’s well-loved novel The Borrowers, this film tells the story of a tiny adventurous girl (Arrietty) living in the walls of a house with her parents. Everything changes for the tiny family when a young boy moves in and discovers them.
From an animation stand point, this is top notch work from the renowned Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away, Princess Monoke). The scenery and environments are stunningly crafted, with rich detail in every area of the screen.
Bridgit Mendler captured the adventurous spirit and energy of Arrietty’s character beautifully in her voiceover. Regrettably, that’s where the praise ends for the voice acting, which was some of the worst I have ever come across. More often than not, the actors drained the life from most scenes.
It is difficult to place the blame on the poor dialogue – Was it the English translation or the original Japanese script? Maybe someone who has watched both versions can chime in, but most of the dialogue in this release seemed fit for a low-budget after school special.
I find it hard to imagine individuals passed the pre-school age would find the tortoise-esque pace of this film entertaining. So far, it seems there is very little in the way of quality children’s films available this year. Let’s hope Spring breathes life into the entertainment for the little ones.
Bottom Line: Pop in a classic Disney or anime film and save your movie money for something more satisfying.
Tom Hardy, Reese Witherspoon, and Chris Pine battle it out in This Means War. In theatres everywhere February 14.
Do you find it difficult to sit through a movie that leans heavily toward one gender’s enjoyment? This Means War attempts to balance the romantic comedy genre by mixing it with action.
It’s an age old premise – Two men fall for the same woman and wreak havoc on each other to win her affections. Spice it up with super CIA operatives as the male leads and the plot sizzles.
Chris Pine (Star Trek), Tom Hardy (Inception), and Reese Witherspoon (Legally Blonde) keep things light with a good sense of comedic chemistry and romantic harmony. However, nobody tickled my funny bone like Chelsea Handler, who stole every scene she was in.
The characters are somewhat one-dimensional, but they’re engaging and at times felt real – Something unexpected from this type of film.
McG (Terminator Salvation, Charlie’s Angels) obviously wasn’t going for realism in his direction presenting the CIA as a light-hearted parody of the actual organization. He balanced the story well and allowed screen time for the each character in the love triangle to connect with the audience.
Clearly the goal was to provide gobs of entertainment and not take home an Oscar statuette.
Bottom Line: This is a perfectly timed, bang-for-your-buck date movie. Saint Valentine would be proud.
The film, which stars Dwayne Johnson, is a sequel to the 2008 film Journey to the Center of the Earth. Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Have you ever watched a movie you loved as a child and thought to yourself, “What was I thinking?” Those are the exact words future generations will utter when they take a trip down memory lane and watch this again.
In this sequel, Sean (Josh Hutcherson) and his stepfather make their way to the mysterious island in search of his missing grandfather. The special effects department did a wonderful job of giving life to Jules Verne’s loosely adapted stories. The island is a spectacular location of imagination, with creatures of abnormal size and dangers around every corner made even better by the immersive 3D option (the movie was shot in 3D).
Even Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson delivers some unexpected funny moments in his performance as the stepfather trying to bond with his adventure hungry stepson. Regrettably, those are all the positives I could find to write about. The acting from the rest of the cast, including Josh Hutcherson, Vanessa Hudgens, Luiz Guzman, and even the usually brilliant Michael Caine were painful to watch. Vanessa Hudgens actually made me cringe out of embarrassment for her as she attempted to act.
I can also only hope this will be the last big screen directing job Brad Peyton receives. Peyton seems to handle awing spectacle well in his films, but has shown little talent for giving direction to actors.
Bottom line: The young ones needing their cinematic fix will more than likely get what they want from this adventure, and I suppose the adults can always sit back and enjoy the pretty pictures.
Tilda Swindon and John C. Reilly star in this tragic tale of a mother re-evaluating life after her son has committed mass murder. Courtesy of eOne Entertainment
How do you deal with the aftermath of a loved one’s insane decision to take the lives of the innocent? We Need To Talk About Kevin tells the story of a mother dealing with the events leading up to her son’s slaughter of his schoolmates and her remorseful sense of responsibility for his actions.
The story, based on Lionel Shriver’s bestselling novel, is interesting enough, yet it lacks the ingredients necessary to bring everything together.
The challenging role of Kevin was portrayed by three very talented actors who managed to embody sociopathic tendencies with conviction. Tilda Swinton delivers, yet again, another wonderful performance portraying a character who is having difficulties in every aspect of her life. At the very least, you can rest assured the casting department did their job well.
Unfortunately, the favourable acting and intriguing story could not conceal the considerable shortcomings of this film. Lynne Ramsay, who co-wrote the screenplay with Rory Kinnear, directs the film, but falls short due to an abundant use of derivative artistic techniques that did not help move the story forward. The first unbearable 20 minutes of the movie consisted of constant time flips and memories to which we have no timeframe with which to work. Ms Ramsay also pummels the audience with unnecessary and monotonous symbolism.
This beat-you-over-the-head imagery can be misconstrued as art by many people who do not understand it. I am not one of those people and doubt the majority of moviegoers will be either.
Bottom line: If you enjoy endless symbolism over competent storytelling, this is the film for you.
