Review: Green Lantern

Green Lantern

6/17/11

Carmike Cinema 10

Large Mr. Pibb, few bites of popcorn

Appropriate A/C

Well, it’s happened.  Thor sort of set me up for the collapse and now I’m fully there.  I’m officially done with effects-heavy non-mainstream superhero movies.  This one had real potential too. 

Since seeing Green Lantern a few days ago I’ve figured out what my problem is:  people like me who have to be fully caught up to the origin story of these characters.  If they could just jump in with a story in the middle of what you already know, these would be much better movies and the pace would be completely different.  Not that Green Lantern was boring at all.  It was fast paced and at times very exciting.  But it takes 30 minutes or so just to set up the history of the Green Lantern.

The story picks up by telling us the origin of the “Lanterns”, protectors of the galaxy.  They spend their entire lives battling against Parallax, a former Lantern gone bad that is out to conquer the universe.  One of the top Lanterns is injured in the process and his craft crashes on Earth where he is forced to let his Green Lantern ring choose his replacement.  The ring chooses Hal Jordan, a cocky test pilot played by Ryan Reynolds.  Once he figures out that he suddenly has new powers, he flies to a far away planet, gets trained as a lantern and comes back to Earth to battle Parallax who has now invaded the body of his top rival Hector (of course) who is in love with Hal’s girlfriend Carol (of course).  Still with me?  If not, I don’t blame you. 

But look, it wasn’t all bad.  Reynolds was great.  He’s carving out a spot for himself amongst Hollywood’s top “go to” leading men.  He was funny and had all the best intentions here.  Unfortunately, he was just stuck in an effects-heavy, badly written piece of junk.  The Parallax animation was cheesy at best and the story just sort of fell flat.  I didn’t feel any emotional investment in any of the characters and certainly didn’t really cheer against the bad guy.  He was just sort of a dork with a rage problem.  And Mark Strong, who plays Sinestro, leader of the Green Lanterns just can’t seem to catch a break these days.  He was also in another clunker that should have been good, Sherlock Holmes, last year. 

The only other positive I can give it is that my 5 year old loved it.  He’s a superhero nut and I’m really hoping that Captain America is good in a few weeks or I may have to take a long break from comic book busts.

My review: 

2/4, C-, Wait for DVD

Review: Super 8

Super 8

6/10/11

Carmike Cinema 10

Large Mr. Pibb, few bites of popcorn

Appropriate A/C

Now THIS is what we’ve been waiting for!!!  I’d forgotten what a GREAT movie looks and feels like.  Not since Inception had I left the theater wanting to turn right around and see a movie again.  I think we’ve tried to fool ourselves a few times and probably overrated some movies simply by comparing them with the junk that was out at the time.  Then a movie like Super 8 comes along and reminds us what we weren’t getting. 

Super 8 is a Summer movie the way Summer movies are supposed to be made.  Remember back when Steven Spielberg (who happens to be a producer on this film) made really good movies that weren’t too preachy or weird?  E.T., The Goonies, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurrasic Park?  That’s what this feels like.  I’m not saying Amistad, Saving Private Ryan and Shindler’s List aren’t good movies, “Ryan” is in my Top 5 of all-time.  I’m just saying they aren’t fun, feel good movies.  You didn’t know you were missing it until you see it again,  I promise.

JJ Abrams, creator of TV’s Alias, Lost and the big screen reboot of Star Trek, helms this throwback to a time we all remember fondly.  A more simple era with no cell phones, riding your bike until dark, great music.  The movie happens to be set in 1979 but could really be set whenever you want it to be, whatever time period brings back those feelings for you.  A film crew of early teens are filming a zombie movie with a super 8 camera (which happens to be Spielberg and Abrams media of choice as children) to enter into a film festival.  They happen to catch the events of a spectacular train wreck on film while shooting one night and soon after mysterious events begin to take place around their town.  What was the train carrying?  Why is the military handling the cleanup? 

The kids (Joe, Charles, Martin, Cary and Preston along with their female lead Alice) are the stars of the movie and the “movie within the movie”.  Riley Griffiths as Charles plays the director of the zombie movie they are filming and is outstanding.  He’s already got the quirks and quips of a big time Hollywood director down pat.  And newcomer Joel Courtney who plays the lead character, Joe, is destined for greatness.  Playing a young man whose mother has recently died and doesn’t have any sort of relationship at all with his father (Friday Night Lights’ Kyle Chandler, outstanding as always), Courtney does a great job of getting you to really root for him.

It’s pretty scary at times so it’s probably not good for kids under 13 but I think most everyone else will love it.  It reminds me of the above movies wrapped into one and be sure to stay during the credits to watch the final product of the homemade movie the kids are making, it’s worth the wait.  This is one not to delay in going to see.  My favorite of 2011 so far. 

My review: 

3.5/4, A, See it TODAY in the theater

Review: X-Men: First Class

X-Men:  First Class

6/8/11

Carmike Cinema 10

Medium Mr. Pibb

Appropriate A/C

Another week, another sequel:  the 5^th entry into the X-Men movie cannon.  And like most franchises, the movies followed pretty much the same pattern:  1^st was great, 2^nd was okay, 3^rd was awful then they reset and tried a new angle, the stand alone “Wolverine” movie.  I’ve seen it a few times and it was alright, nothing spectacular.  Now comes the natural next step in a franchise:  the prequel. 

Let me start by saying that I didn’t get into comic books much as a kid.  Just wasn’t my bag.  As I’ve gotten older I’ve enjoyed seeing comics brought to the big screen and given life.  Whenever the movies are released, I’ve learned more about the books themselves.  Marvel vs. DC, The Avengers, Stan Lee, etc.  Plus, one of my best college buddies, Jimmy Marsden played Cyclops in the first three X-Men movies so I followed them closely.  I loved the Spider Man and the Iron Man movies, Thor was okay, 1^st Hulk was terrible, reboot was alright.    

So, X-Men:  First Class brings us to the origin story of Professor X and Magneto.  James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender play the two old friends, respectively and both bring some recent credibility to the roles.  McAvoy is most recognized from “Wanted” and Fassbender from “Inglorious Basterds”, both decent movies.  The casting of the movie was part of what makes it great.  Kevin Bacon as the bad guy was brilliant and January Jones does a great job as one of his evil sidekicks.  There’s even a cameo by one of our favorite X-Men that you’ll love seeing. 

Bryan Singer, who directed the first two movies wrote the story for this one and you can tell that it has the quality and feel of those two, the best of the films in my opinion.  The story centers around the Cuban Missile Crisis and the role that the mutants played in staving off World War III in this re-imagined staging of those events.  Mutants are just starting to find each other and begin to understand one another.  The movie does a great job of setting the stage for the “should we try to blend in and work with humans” vs. the “we are the superior race and humans must be eradicated” camps that Professor X and Magneto later espouse. 

Bottom line:  I was pleasantly surprised.  I REALLY liked this movie.  You don’t even need to have seen the 1^st movies or really know much about the story to enjoy it.  It’s appropriate for most ages but there is quite a bit of violence.  Probably wouldn’t take the 5 year old but 13 year olds would like it.

My review: 

3/4, B, See it in the theater

Review: Kung Fu Panda 2

Kung Fu Panda 2

5/28/11

Carmike Cinema 10

Medium Mr. Pibb

Appropriate A/C

I think Jack Black is one of the funniest people on the planet.  I’d watch him slice bread and laugh.  So when Kung Fu Panda was being made I knew I’d be a quick fan.  Jack Black playing…..well….Jack Black as a giant, fat panda that needed to save Kung Fu and in turn, all of China.  It turned out to be one of the best surprises in a long time (and held that distinction until How to Train Your Dragon came out) and went into my lexicon of movie ownership, a distinct class indeed.

As with any major studio release that has any measure of success, a sequel was planned and announced and all the major stars secured to reprise roles.  And as with any sequel, I was skeptical (see review of Hangover 2).  And this being the Summer of the Sequel, I figured I’d see it and it would be okay and that would be that. 

Well, I loved it.  I’m going to have to revise my list of “Movies Who’s Sequel is Better Than the Original”.  Because this one was.  Darker and a little heavier, but also funnier and more touching.  All of the major stars are back:  Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, David Cross, Lucy Liu and Dustin Hoffman.  Throw in Gary Oldman as the villain this time around because he’s awesome at playing a villain every time.  But Shen the peacock and his plan to dominate China are only a side story to this search for truth and the meaning of life.  Yep, you read that right.  Big themes for a movie about a fat, lazy panda.

Po finds himself in the middle of an existential conflict when he starts having flashbacks to his infancy and seeing visions of his mother and father.  He’s forced to finally acknowledge the elephant (or giant panda) in the room:  his father is a duck.  What has been criticized by a few stuffy shirts as a poor lesson in handling adoption conversations, I found to be touching and meaningful.  And the conflict resolution, both with the bad guy and the good guy, is as good as animated movies get.

Like I said, it’s a little darker and there are some intense moments that flash back to why Po came to be with Mr. Ping in the first place.  But overall, it’s a great movie appropriate for all ages and had some huge laughs and some really good animation sequences.  Dustin Hoffman’s Master Shifu isn’t in it enough in my opinion but his presence is always great.

Take your kids and go see this instead of seeing Hangover 2 with your buddies.  I promise you’ll feel better in the morning.

My review: 

3/4, B+, See it in the theater

Review: The Hangover Part 2

The Hangover Part 2

5/29/11

Carmike Cinema 10

Medium Mr. Pibb

Appropriate A/C

Let’s talk for a minute about my line. I think for a middle of the road, relatively conservative valued, WASP that my line is pretty far out there compared to most of my peers. I have an odd sense of humor and can find laughs in some pretty out-there stuff. The Hangover Part 2 goes so far over the line and beyond that it can't even see my line in the rearview mirror.

When the 1st Hangover came out, it pushed the line for a lot of people. For me, it was right there where I like it. Hilarious, unpredictable, edgy, raunchy, just downright wrong on many levels. Looking back, there wasn’t a whole lot in it besides the language that was too bad…..until the end. The last snapshot from the infamous mystery night camera that was found which had Zac Galifinakis’ character Alan in a compromised position with an elderly woman. I need not say more for you to know exactly what I’m talking about.

Right, wrong or indifferent, full frontal male nudity is still taboo amongst American movie audiences, ratings boards and censors. Everyone remembers how they felt the 1st time they saw that scene. I don’t know a single person who, however hilarious they found it, didn’t feel a slight bit uncomfortable. Imagine feeling that same way for an entire movie and you’ve got my thoughts on The Hangover Part 2.

There’s no need to bore you with plot points, if you have a heartbeat you’ve seen the promos or heard about the premise: the boys are in Thailand for Stu’s wedding. It’s a complete retread of the 1st movie. Almost minute for minute. I’d like to play them side by side and see how close it comes.

Same jokes, same problems, same people. The only difference: this one went WAY too far over the line. It’s much darker, much sicker, much more twisted, much more crude and really not the slightest bit funny. One of the reasons I had to see the original Hangover more than once in the theater was so that I could hear what some of the lines were that I missed due to all of the laughter. That didn’t happen in this theater. Any laughter was the uncomfortable, “can’t help but laugh at that” type.

I WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU READ AND REMEMBER THIS IF NOTHING ELSE: DO NOT LET TEENAGE CHILDREN GO SEE THIS MOVIE. IT IS BEYOND INAPPROPRIATE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES. The 1st movie became a cult sensation with teenagers and I’m afraid they’ll be rushing out to see this one.

So, after I’m out of therapy for what I saw on the screen, it’s off to Kung Fu Panda 2 again to cleanse my soul.

 

My review: 

1/4, D, Wait for DVD and only then with an extremely tolerant audience