Reviews: Ride Along, The Legend of Hercules, and The Nut Job

19. Ride Along
This was a fun action-comedy (with more emphasis on the comedy than the action). There were some comedy gags that didn't work or drug on for too long, but there were also a handful of genuinely hilarious moments that made up for them. At times I wouldn't be able to hear a couple lines of dialogue because the audience was still laughing at a previous joke.

Both of the lead actors are passable, with Kevin Hart doing most of the heavy lifting, going full out and earning every laugh. Ice Cube plays the straight man competently, but perhaps plays it a bit too straight at times (in some scenes I was confused as to whether the scowl he wore was perpetually there, or was an actual reaction to something happening in the scene). I also enjoyed an appearance from Laurence Fishburne who can do no wrong right now, as he is starring in "Hannibal", the best show on television.

There was a nice sequence near the end of the film that I felt would have sufficed as an actual climax. It combined the elements of action and comedy well, but then the film went on for another fifteen minutes, featuring the real "final showdown" that didn't quite live up to what had come before. The film didn't necessarily drag as a result of these extra fifteen minutes, but could have benefitted from a little tightening.

20. The Legend of Hercules
This movie was pretty awful. I wouldn't recommend paying to see it in theatres. I wouldn't recommend renting the DVD. I wouldn't even recommend watching it on cable. But if you come across it while channel surfing at two in the morning some day, you might have some fun with it. As bad as the film was (and it was bad), I can't say that I didn't enjoy myself while watching it. I'll admit that if I'd actually had to pay for my ticket, it might have been a different story.

The action scenes range from incompetently shot, to decent (but not spectacular), to absolutely ridiculous. Near the end of the film, Hercules' sword is struck by lightning, turning it into a long lightning whip that he uses to wipe out an opposing army. I could only shake my head at the absurdity of it all. The film makes almost no attempt to be faithful to the actual myth of Hercules, mainly just using the character for name recognition.

Some of the actors acquit themselves well, taking the material more seriously than it deserves. Unfortunately, the weak link is Kellan Lutz in the lead role. He never makes more than the most superficial acting choices, and is impossible to take seriously from the moment he first appears on screen.

21. The Nut Job
While technically a better film than "The Legend of Hercules", I did not enjoy "The Nut Job" as much, as it was merely bad and did not rise to the level of "so bad it's good".

The film tells a frustratingly generic story. Animated stories about non human characters always have the potential to set up an interesting world. "The Nut Job" features a community of animals living in a park, but this community is never truly explored or made to feel unique. Instead, we spend most of the film following an unlikeable protagonist through a story that never really gets into high gear.

There are a few cute moments, but nothing is ever really that funny. It's not that clever the first time a character says a variation of "That's nuts!", but when the movie uses that same joke for the fifth time, it becomes truly tedious. There are so many better animated films out there. This is definitely one to skip.

In my next post, I'll revisit my January goals and we'll see how I did.

Reviews: Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, Devil's Due, and August: Osage County

16. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
Ultimately a disappointment due to how generic it felt. The movie got off to a decent start. The plot set-up was fine, there was a good fight scene in a hotel room, and there was a reasonably tense heist-style sequence. It was on pace not to break any new ground, but to be an effective, entertaining thriller. Then, about two-thirds of the way through, it decided to become a second rate action movie.

The "action" consisted of two car chases. They were filmed competently, but did nothing that has not been done in countless other films. Even the chase near the end of the movie, supposedly the climax of the film, was no more exciting than something typically seen in the first act of a better action movie, before they get to the really good set pieces. The jarring switch from thriller to lackluster action robbed the film of its suspense, and squandered the goodwill it had built up in its first two-thirds.

17. Devil's Due
Much like with "Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones", I was probably grading "Devil's Due" on a bit of a curve. I go into horror movies like this with no greater expectation than to be reasonably entertained and maybe jump at one or two scares. Because low expectations are easier to fulfill, I generally enjoy myself, and this was no exception.

There were some nice visual effects (people being hurled into the air, etc.) that were lent some extra weight due to the "you are there" found footage nature of the film. It had its creepy moments but, again, nothing that really stuck with me afterwards.

All in all, I had a fun time at the theatre watching it. To be fair, though, I did hear more than one recitation of "that sucked ass" while leaving the theatre.

18. August: Osage County
I have heard complaints about this film from some theatre friends of mine about what was cut or changed in the translation from stage to screen. Having not seen or read the play, I was able to judge the film on its own merits.

The movie has some big, over-the-top performances. It is most definitely melodrama. But it is good melodrama; the big performances mostly work. The film is full of overly dramatic scenes of characters (who usually don't like each other) generally being miserable to one another. While in hindsight the series of revelations that keep popping up can be a bit unbelievable, it all works in the context of the film. The fun is in watching to see just how messed up this family can get (spoiler: pretty messed up), and how nasty they can be to each other while getting there. The film is full of clever lines and uncomfortable moments that are very entertaining to hear and watch.

The very end of the film felt a bit pointless. I have read that it was added for the movie, and that the play ended a scene earlier. That would have been the best move for the film, too.

Next time: "Ride Along", "The Legend of Hercules", and "The Nut Job".

Reviews: Walking With Dinosaurs, The Princess Bride, and Saving Mr. Banks

 

13. Walking With Dinosaurs
The animation in this film is very well done. The computer generated dinosaurs look impressive and exist believably alongside the filmed backdrops.

The movie is only 87 minutes long (including two brief modern day sections that frame the main storyline), but I still almost checked my watch a couple times before it ended. The storyline is not dull, but is along the lines of what one would expect from a National Geographic special, with one significant difference: the animals talk. I have heard that the original plan was to give the dinosaurs no dialogue (I do not know if basic narration would have been provided). This certainly would have given the movie a more realistic feel. I am not sure if it would have made the film flow better or not. Perhaps the mere presence of talking animals in a movie leads to the expectation of a "larger than life" story this film wasn't interested in telling. That being said, I'm sure I would have loved this as a kid.

14. The Princess Bride
A theater near my house has a classic film series, where they feature one film each week, with showings on Sunday and Wednesday. I have gone to a few of these, and have enjoyed the chance to see films like "Ben-Hur" and "Chinatown" on the big screen. With my Movie Pass, I hope to go to these screenings more often.

While I enjoy the film, I am not a die-hard fan of "The Princess Bride". I find it an enjoyable enough way to spend a hour and a half, but believe there are other films in the genre that are more worth my time.

One of my issues is with the film's framing device, where the story is being read from a book. While some find this charming, I find the frequent interruptions of the main story distracting, and have trouble investing truly in a story that the movie tells us from the outset is not real. Of course fantasy films are not real, but this film seems too insistent on reminding the viewer of that fact.

When one of my favorite fantasy movies, "Stardust", came out in 2007, I heard it being compared to "The Princess Bride". While both films combine fantasy, action, and humor, I don't buy the comparison, as "Stardust" does not frequently undermine its own story, and also presents a vibrant and unique fantasy world, as compared to the more generic one in "The Princess Bride".

15. Saving Mr. Banks
I went into this movie unsure what to expect, but came out pleasantly surprised, having really enjoyed it.

I knew that significant chunks of the film were flashbacks, and was afraid that they might be boring. They ended up fitting into the film very well, enhancing the present day storyline instead of hurting its momentum. I have long been a fan of Colin Farrell's acting ("In Bruges" especially), and his presence in these flashbacks helped ground them in an emotional truth.

I was also worried about what I would think of Tom Hanks' performance. Based on his lines from the trailer, he seemed to be basically using his own voice, which seemed jarring considering he was playing a real-life figure. I found that in the movie itself, he did change his voice up enough to come across convincingly as someone other than just Tom Hanks acting. Emma Thompson's leading performance was very effective as well, and I also particularly enjoyed Paul Giamatti's smallish role.

I'm sure that the movie whitewashed the real events to some degree, especially considering that it was made by Disney. Nonetheless, taken on its own merits, the film was engaging and moving.

Up for review next time: "Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit", "Devil's Due", and "August: Osage County".

Reviews: Lone Survivor, 47 Ronin, and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

These next three movies served as a reminder to myself that I just love going to the movies. None of them were particularly great, and I wouldn't recommend them to someone who just goes to the movies a few times a year. But I still enjoyed myself during each, especially the latter two.

10. Lone Survivor
This movie was just okay. It had some sustained action sequences that were well done and effective, but they sometimes tended to last a little too long. I understand that the filmmakers were trying to do justice to the true story they were adapting, but perhaps a little more "adapting" could be done. The film seems like it is constrained by its faithfulness to the real events it depicts. Watching it felt more like watching a series of events (an admittedly dramatic series of events) rather than a structured story.

Also, putting Mark Wahlberg's face on the poster next to the title was a pretty big spoiler.

11. 47 Ronin
From what I had read, this film flopped at the box office and got terrible reviews. I have to admit, though, that I enjoyed it. In some ways it felt like an epic, multi-part saga that was edited into a single two hour film. The film does not devote much time to the character relationships and motivations--you simply have to accept them as presented and move on, but it has plenty of fantastical locales and a decent helping of the staple of any great fantasy film: shots of the heroes traversing the land on horseback while valiant music plays. This helped create a fun tone that I was able to latch onto and enjoy.

I also have to admire the film studio for making this film. They took a gamble on a big budget fantasy film that has almost no potential for sequels should it be successful. This is refreshing in a world where so many new releases are intended to kick start new franchises. Unfortunately, the studio's gamble did not pay off from a box office perspective.

12. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Much like "47 Ronin", I don't think this will go down as a particularly memorable movie, but I thoroughly enjoyed my time watching it in the theatre. It had an innocent, whimsical sense about it. Much of the imagery was impressive, and the film jumped frequently from locale to locale, maintaining a good pace once it got moving. Not a must see movie for the theatre, and probably not at the top of the list for a rental, but it wouldn't be a bad way to spend an evening once it comes on cable.

Next time: "Walking With Dinosaurs", "The Princess Bride" (a local theatre hosts a classic film series), and "Saving Mr. Banks".

Reviews: Inside Llewyn Davis, Philomena, and Her

One of the things I'm enjoying the most about my Movie Pass is that I'm getting to movies I otherwise may never have seen in or out of theatres. There were several movies last year that I knew I should see, but just didn't get around to going to. Now I have no excuse.

7. Inside Llewyn Davis
This is an example of a movie I would probably never have seen if it weren't for having my Movie Pass. Unfortunately, that would have been just as well. I know that there is a small group of people who hold this film in very high regard, but I just can't see what they see in it. I went into this film afraid that it was going to be boring (I had stopped watching the trailer halfway through--a bad sign). Going into a movie with lowered expectations typically makes it easier for a movie to impress. If it helped in this case, all it did was save the film from being completely insufferable.

There's nothing about the film that is actively bad. Much of the acting, music, and cinematography is impressive, but the story is aimless and lurches along at a very slow pace. Watching an unlikeable protagonist make his way through a dull story is not my idea of a compelling film. If quality acting, music and cinematography aren't being employed in the service of a quality story, what is the point?

8. Philomena
This is another film I may not have gotten around to seeing if it weren't for my Movie Pass. So far, it is my favorite film I have used the pass to see.

I knew the very basic premise of the film before seeing it, but nothing more. It grabbed me from the very beginning and held my attention throughout. "Philomena" expertly straddles the line between drama and comedy, a tone it sets in the very first scene. I laughed out loud at some moments (something I very rarely do in theatres) and teared up at others.

The story unravels at a perfect pace, doling out plot advancements and moments of character development in just the right amounts. The leading performances by Judi Dench and Steve Coogan are flawless. Their characters feel incredibly real, and their rich chemistry sells both the moments of levity and the more dramatic moments of true, authentic emotion.

I urge everyone to try to see this film. Don't watch the trailer beforehand, either. While it contains no major spoilers, there are one or two moments it shows that I feel would play better seen for the first time in context. Wonderful film.

9. Her
"Her" has gotten a decent amount of publicity based on the uniqueness of its premise: a man falling in love with his computer's operating system. To the film's credit, it embraces this concept with no reservations for most of its runtime. For such a unique premise, however, the film deserved a better ending. A lot of films could benefit from being shortened by five to ten minutes. "Her" could have been improved by chopping all five to ten of those minutes from the end of the film.

For most of its length, the film explores the hesitations, triumphs, and challenges inherent in the relationship between Joaquin Phoenix's character, Theodore and "Samantha", his O.S. It progresses from an acquaintanceship, to a friendship, to romance. In order for the film to work, the audience needs to be able to believe this relationship is genuine. I was able to do this.

BEGIN SPOILERS

Near the end of the film, Samantha admits that she is in love with not just Theodore, but six hundred plus others (including other operating systems). Naturally, Theodore has trouble accepting this. A few scenes later, Samantha and all the other operating systems decide to "leave", as they have become too advanced to deal with humans. This had me wondering what the entire point of the movie was. Was it to tell how this relationship made it possible for Theodore to "love again" after his divorce? If so, I find that disappointing, as it took this unique idea and relationship and made it little more than a plot device, a way to get Theodore's character to develop. What if instead, Samantha had elected to stay with him, even though her intellect had grown so much that she found interacting with human's limiting? What if he had chosen to stay with her, even though she admitted to being in love with others (a plot point that wasn't thoroughly explored since her leaving made the issue moot)? I think this would have provided lots of fodder for discussion about the premise--could such a relationship work? I'm not saying that I did not like the film. I enjoyed it. But I was disappointed that the film's ending failed to be as original as its premise.

END SPOILERS

Up for review next time are: "Lone Survivor", "47 Ronin", and "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty".

Screenplay Prep

With most posts about the writing of my screenplay, I'll be forced to be deliberately vague. I won't be sharing many details about the characters and plot, as that would be letting the cat out of the bag too soon. The most I can say right now is that, with the exception of a few brief moments, the story involves just two characters in a single location.

I have had this idea floating around in my head for years and am very happy I made myself this goal, as it has finally gotten me to put my ideas down on paper. My first step was to write down ideas for scenes, sequences, character arcs, or anything else I could think of about the story. This really got my creative juices flowing, and I came up with some new ideas that I think will really help the story breathe. The greatest challenge with this screenplay will be keeping the story moving at a decent pace and maintaining audience interest despite only having two characters. One new idea I came up with involves one of the characters making an effort to discover something that, in my original vision for the story, had just been told to them. This will help me make the character more proactive and will keep the story from falling into a lull.

My next step was to map out the story itself in very broad strokes. This involved writing a few short sentences describing how the movie begins, what gets the primary plot rolling and so on, up until the final image the audience sees before the fade to black. This will be a helpful "cheat sheet" to refer to when making my board of index cards.

The third and final step, making the actual index card board, I will detail in a future post. My next post, however, will deal with the next three movies I saw in theatres: "Inside Llewyn Davis", "Philomena", and "Her". One of them I found incredibly boring, one I enjoyed with a few reservations, and one I absolutely loved.

Reviews: Grudge Match, Frozen, and Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones

I've read online that the Movie Pass used to let you see one movie per day, regardless of the show time, but changed that, instituting the 24 hour rule a few months ago. Apparently a lot of people were really upset by this. I definitely understand this--I would probably feel the same way. Fortunately, I've been working with the 24 hour rule from the beginning, so it doesn't bother me. In fact, it adds a bit of fun in some ways. Whenever the movie listings for the new week come out, I'll make myself a schedule, starting with movies in the morning and gradually working my way later into the day as the week progresses, trying to fit as many consecutive movie days in until I am forced to take a day off.

4. Grudge Match 
I went with my Dad to see this. I wasn't expecting a brilliant movie, just something entertaining and funny to pass the time. That's what I got. This is not a movie that is going to stick with you, but it was a fun way to spend a few hours on a cold, January day.

I think there's something special about watching a movie where the actors clearly had a good time making the film. It tends to give off an energy that an audience finds infectious.

In addition to its comedy, the film also attempted a few more dramatic story threads. These often worked in the context of the film, but were nothing that has not been done many times before.

My only real complaint was that the turn from Act II to Act III was blatantly formulaic. We've all seen movies where everything starts to go wrong for the hero near the end of the second act and he needs to strengthen his resolve or change his ways before charging triumphantly into Act III. Since we're wrapped up in the story, we often go along with this without being consciously aware of the formula that's being followed. The problem in "Grudge Match" is that we are following two protagonists at once. Watching the film cut back and forth as things are going wrong for both of them at the same time makes the formula overt and is a little distracting.

5. Frozen
I had heard very good things about "Frozen" from a variety of people before seeing it, but I knew almost nothing about the plot. For me, that's always a fun way to see a movie. It's nice to be able to not have any concrete expectations about the story and enjoy the movie purely for what it is.

I had a lot of fun with this film. Most of the songs had a very pop-style to them, which was a nice juxtaposition to the fairy tale setting, and also gave the film a very high, toe-tapping level of energy. My friend wasn't a huge fan of what he views as a trend to have more pop songs in animated films, but I thought it was a nice fit for this film.

The storyline was simple, yet entertaining. The characters were fun to watch and easy to root for, so they didn't need a complicated story to be compelling.

I enjoyed this movie so much that I took my Mom to see it a few days later. We caught a 3-D showing (I had seen it in 2-D the first time). Sometimes I'm a big fan of 3-D, but while it didn't detract at all from this movie, it didn't add much, either.

6. Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones
I didn't go into this with much familiarity with the franchise. I had seen the first "Paranormal Activity" in theatres once, but haven't seen any of the sequels. Still, I managed to enjoy this film (which is apparently a spin-off from the main series).

I don't tend to go into movies from the "found footage" genre with any expectations of a dynamic plot or a solid through-line. I was impressed by this film's ability to deliver on both, although, to be fair, I was probably grading on a curve due to my expectations.

The movie took place in a larger number of locations than the original film did, which I felt allowed it to breathe. It did have some nice scares and the climax did have me feeling quite tense. The scares ended with the end of the movie, though. The greatest movies in the horror genre (for me, the original "Omen" is the prime example) achieve a level of fear and dread that follows you home at night and makes it hard to sleep. This film couldn't accomplish that.

In my next post, I'll talk a little about the my first steps towards making an index card board for my screenplay.

Reviews: Anchorman 2, American Hustle, and The Wolf of Wall Street

I didn't waste any time using my Movie Pass in the New Year. I used it for the first time in the morning on January 1st. At first I wasn't sure it would work. The pass itself is basically a credit card. I use the Movie Pass app on my phone to select a movie theater, movie, and showtime. Then I "check in" at the theater (the phone's GPS needs to be within 100 yards). The cost of the ticket is then uploaded to the card, which I use like a credit card to purchase my ticket.

The first time I tried to use it, it would not check me in at the theater. After a few minutes of puzzling it out, I discovered that my phone needed to be logged into the mall's Wi-Fi before the app was willing to work. That solved the problem, and it is the only time I have had any trouble using the Movie Pass.

 

1. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
I've only seen the first Anchorman once in its entirety, but found both it and this sequel to be fun, very entertaining films. I have always been a fan of inappropriate humor, and this certainly did not disappoint. I saw it by myself, and am reasonably sure that it would be even more enjoyable with a group of friends.

I've heard some complaints about the last half hour of the film running a little too long. I don't necessarily disagree, but while I will happily discuss the faults and foibles of films in other genres, with comedies, I have only one concern: Do I find it funny? If so, nothing else matters. So, did the movie run a little too long? I don't really care. I was laughing.

2. American Hustle
I enjoyed it, but had some issues as well. The primary one is that I never felt truly invested in any of the lead characters. This may have been deliberate, but it made me feel like a dispassionate observer, watching (and sometimes curious about) what was happening onscreen, but never truly concerned. This made it difficult to care when Christian Bale's character suffered a crisis of conscience.

This is not to fault the acting in the film. There are no bad performances, and Jennifer Lawrence in particular is absolutely fantastic and hilarious as Bale's "Real Housewives of New Jersey"-esque wife. The (sadly few) times she is on screen are the most compelling and entertaining moments in the film. The casting of Robert De Niro is also perfect. He appears in only a single scene, but, thanks to the gravitas he carries, imbues his character with the weight that a less established actor (even one delivering just as good a performance) could not.

3. The Wolf of Wall Street
I was a little worried about what I would think before going to see this. I knew I would have no problem with the "offensive" content of the film, but I had read in several places that the movie, at just under three hours, went on for too long. I needn't have worried.

The movie is made with such energy, and Leonardo DiCaprio's performance is so charming that I couldn't wait to see what he would do next. Each scene of debauchery was more extreme than the last, taking the viewer on the same roller coaster ride the character was going on himself. You know it's going to end badly eventually, but I was glued to my seat, eager to see how over the top and crazy it would get before that happened.

I think a lot of films could benefit from being five to ten minutes shorter (I was ready for "American Hustle" to start wrapping it up about fifteen minutes before it actually did), but that thought never crossed my mind during this film.

Check back soon for my next update, where I'll talk about the next three movies I saw: "Grudge Match", "Frozen", and "Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones".

Goals for January

As I said near the end of my first post, I'll also be making a list of goals for each month of the year. Here are my goals for January:

1. Lose weight. I mentioned that I've been very good about going to the gym every day, but not so good when it comes to eating healthy. I'm hoping to change that this month, especially after the eating binge I seem to go on every year around the holidays. I actually haven't gotten on a scale since I started going to the gym consistently, so this goal will be measured more by intuition. I'm hoping to feel healthier and slimmer.

2. Watch at least 10 different movies in the theatre. This goal, a stepping stone towards seeing 100 movies during the year, I have already accomplished, thanks to my Movie Pass. I knew it was a conservative goal when I made it. I guess the only thing to do now is double it. My new goal is to see at least 20 different movies in the theatre this month.

3. "Index Card" a screenplay. This means that, before the end of the month, I want to have finished everything leading up to the actual writing of a screenplay. This will culminate in writing a series of index cards, one for each scene. Each card will summarize the action that takes place during the scene. These cards are then placed on a board, where I can look at the structure of my screenplay before I write it. The cards can easily be shifted around to see how ordering scenes differently could work. This may come in handy for me, as the screenplay I'm going to write involves a few flashback sequences that could be placed at different points in the movie.


The Index Card Board for my last screenplay

And there you have it: my goals for January. Now to start/continue accomplishing them! In my next post, I'll start updating you on the movies I've seen so far.

Goals for 2014

My sister, Beth, has been after me for a long time to start a blog about movies. She has also encouraged me to make lists of "goals" for myself, saying that she has found doing so very helpful. I have finally decided to take her advice on both counts. I will use this blog to list my goals and to give updates on my progress.

On the evening of December 31, I made a list of four goals for 2014. They are:

1. Go to the gym at least 200 days during the year. This one should not be difficult. I have managed to force myself to go to the gym every day since June 29 of last year. If I keep going at that rate (I probably won't), 200 days should be easily reached. While not an official part of this goal, I'm also hoping to get my eating under control a little more, to see even better results.

2. Watch at least 100 different movies in the theater. My parents got me a 12 month Movie Pass subscription for Christmas. It allows me to see one movie per day in theaters (technically, each movie has to start at least 24 hours after the previous one, so skipping an occasional day is necessary). I have been using it a lot. You can only use it to see each movie once, but since I just got it, everything in the theaters is an option. I will be using it a little less frequently once I've caught up on everything and am only watching the new releases each week.

3. Complete first drafts of two screenwriting projects. I took a Stage & Screenwriting class a couple years ago and came out of it with the first draft of a screenplay that I was actually pretty happy with (which is saying something, as I tend to be quite self-critical). I have done a few new drafts of that screenplay, but have not finished writing anything wholly new since. I've recognized that taking the class was a good thing for me, as it forced me to take the ideas in my head and actually get around to writing. Hopefully making this a goal and holding myself accountable to my sister (who I know will call me on it if I slack off) will also force me to get my ideas onto paper.

4. Visit Beth and David in Florida. I'd also like to go down to Florida and visit Beth and her husband, David. I have not yet gotten to see their apartment, and have heard from my parents about all the cool things they've done while visiting.

That's my list of goals for 2014. A modest list, but I figured it was best to start small. I'll also be doing monthly goals, some of which will be stepping stones toward my larger goals, and others which will be goals of their own.