THE EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER THAT IS STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS: A REVIEW

Published by Maddie Brooker on May 16, 2013 in Movie Reviews. 0 Comments

Terror strikes and the grieving crew of the Enterprise attempt to hunt down a master criminal while working through some serious trust issues. During this whirlwind hunt, Captain Kirk (Chris Pine, Unstoppable), Officer Uhura (Zoe Saldana, Avatar), and First Officer Spock (Zachary Quinto, American Horror Story) attempt to make amends after their last mission went wrong. This setting of distrust is a plot device that propels the film forward through it’s tumultuous plotline. I wasn’t even sure who the antagonist was for the first two thirds of the film, is it someone from Star Fleet? Is it a super human? IS IT THE ENTERPRISE ITSELF?!

Every character, old and new, gets a piece of the action. The elevated role of secondary characters from the first movie was refreshing, with Scotty (Simon Pegg, Hot Fuzz), Sulu (John Cho, Harold & Kumar), and Bones (Karl Urban, Lord Of The Rings) all having their own spotlight moments. The acting was superb; Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) is AN ACTING GOD. I have never rotated so rapidly and so frequently between loving and loathing a character as I did with John Harrison.

The visual effects were also absolutely stunning. I actually cowered in my seat during several action scene. If you can spring for 3D, go for it, but I imagine the film would be just as aesthetically pleasing in the traditional viewing format.

I’m sorry this review is so nonspecific but this film is difficult to write a review about because any mention of a specific plotline will ruin the effect of going into the movie blind. Trust me. Go see this film. Don’t read the Wikipedia page, go straight to the theater. I brought my Trekkie grandmother who hasn’t seen a 3D movie since the 1950’s and she wouldn’t go see the first revival because William Shatner wasn’t in it.  BUT SHE ADORED STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS. SHE WAS ECSTATIC. She definitely was not the only one: AN ADULT MAN IN A STAR FLEET UNIFORM THAT WAS SITTING BEHIND ME IN THE THEATER STARTED SOBBING. EVERY TEN MINUTES EVERY PERSON IN THE THEATER BROKE INTO APPLAUSE. THERE WASN’T EVEN THAT MUCH CLAPPING IN THE FINAL HARRY POTTER FILM. ACTUALLY, MOST PLAYS THAT I’VE ATTENDED HAVEN’T RECEIVED THAT MUCH APPLAUSE.

Seriously, just go see this film.


 

 

The Great Gatsby: Luhrmann’s Own

Published by Amanda Honigfort on May 10, 2013 in Movie Reviews. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

After watching director Baz Luhrmann’s Great Gatsby, there is no mistaking that it is Luhrmann’s piece. Like Moulin Rouge and Australia, he has placed his distinct cinematic stamp on the piece and, regretfully, made the piece his own. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed the movie, and his dreamsape-esque style serves the story well, but his deviations from the book served no purpose.

In Luhrmann’s adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s famous novel, Caraway is writing the book from St. Paul, Minn. but, rather than writing it from a residence as the book suggests, he is currently being treated in a Sanitarium for a whole host of defects Caraway does not officially have. The writing device allows for Luhrmann (who co-adapted the screenplay with Craig Pearce) to include some of Fitzgerald’s most poetic passages. However, it also allows Luhrmann to include narration that was never written in the book as if it is Fitzgerald’s own words. These changes of Luhrmann’s and other similar changes simply confuse me as they do not serve to further the plot or condense the story as you might expect. Instead, they simply alter the characters ever so slightly. For example, the literary Caraway drinks far less than Maguire’s film personification.

Despite the changes in his character, Toby Maguire (Spiderman, Pleasantville) did a wonderful job as everyman and Midwesterner Nick Caraway. In fact, the whole cast was phenomenal – though I still cannot concede that any performance of Gatsby can compare to Robert Redford’s 1974 portrayal. Still, DiCaprio (Inception, Revolutionary Road) was the best choice and by the end I had accepted him as the elusive Jay Gatsby. While each member of the cast was amazing, no performance rivaled that of Carey Mulligan’s Daisy. Mulligan (Drive, Never Let Me Go) brought Daisy to life perfectly, as if she had simply walked of the page.

Further, in what I believe is a nice attempt to show the timelessness of The Great Gatsby, Luhrmann decided to incorporate a great deal of modern sounding music. While it was a nice idea – it fell a bit flat and instead pulled me out of the story. Despite the anachronistic music, the art and cinematic style of Luhrmann’s film was simply gorgeous. This was the most beautiful film I have seen in a long time.

I appreciate Luhrmann’s attempt to bring a faithful rendition of such a well-loved classic back to prominence, and his embracing of the symbolism – I simply wish he’d stayed a little more faithful. In short, like Gatsby himself, this movie was wonderful and larger-than-life – but it could have been so much more.

By all means, go, enjoy Luhrmann’s beautiful rendition, then do me, and yourself, a favor and go read, or reread The Great Gatsby.

Iron Man 3 — The Must-See Movie of the Weekend

Published by Renae Hooks on May 3, 2013 in Movie Reviews. 0 Comments

Robert Downey Jr. and Marvel are back at it again!! Iron Man 3 is the must-see movie of the weekend, ONLY if you love action-packed movies, witty humor and a well put together plot. The movie, which picks up from Marvel’s The Avengers, is filled with more action than any of the previous movies in the series. The action is not reserved primarily to Iron Man, as we see in this installation that many of the other characters get in on the action.

The plot includes Tony Stark, the man behind the Iron Man suit, experiencing anxiety due to him almost dying towards the end of The Avengers. At the start of the movie, Tony Stark recalls a moment in his past where he unknowingly created an enemy. The enemy, a terrorist named Mandarin, stages a series of attacks while on a mission to control the war on terror. Mandarin is backed up by “super militants” that experience amazing physical abilities, due to a biotechnological alteration in their DNA.

Mandarin decides that Tony Stark must be destroyed after he declares, in his normal arrogant fashion, that he will seek revenge for his close friend and former body guard, Happy, being injured in an explosion. From this point on in the movie, the plot unfolds until a twist in is revealed. While the story unfolds, it becomes evident that Pepper Potts will play a larger role in helping Tony Stark foil his nemesis than she has in the past, while still being the proverbial damsel in distress.

Overall, the movie receives two thumbs up. This is not a movie to wait until it comes out on DVD to see. It will have you sitting on the edge of your seat, with your jaw dropped for a good portion of the movie.

Free Screening Of This Is The End For College Students

Published by Maddie Brooker on April 29, 2013 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Be one of the first to see the new Seth Rogen and James Franco film, THIS IS THE END before it opens in theatres on Wednesday, June 12. You can see the film for free at the advance screening on Thursday, May 2nd at the AMC Esquire at 7:00PM. Download and print two admit-one passes at www.gofobo.com and enter code: COLGWK4E.

Just a heads-up: Seating is first come, first served. Screening is overbooked to ensure capacity so please arrive early. Please show your college ID along with your passes to be admitted.

The Big Wedding – Not Quite Marital Bliss

Published by Amanda Honigfort on April 29, 2013 in Movie News. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

The Big Wedding a new film written and directed by Justin Zackham (The Bucket List) was a spectacle that is hard to peg down. There was charm. There was heart. There were plenty of laughs. There were also a lot of fails.

First, the movie made light of the Catholic Church to a degree that made me uncomfortable. In the interest of full disclosure I am Catholic. While I understand that the Church is in some ways easy to make fun of, and while I fully support being able to laugh at one self, the movie took it to a new level. Some of the jokes were funny. Some were just in bad taste. It seems to me that the Catholic religion is beginning to establish itself as a mainstream laughing stock – something it doesn’t really deserve.

There was also the matter of Robin Williams as the priest. Williams thankfully did not play Robin Williams this time and did give a spectacular performance (excusing the first 3 min or so). However there is there is a certain jovial, irreverent, and comedic connotation that cannot be separated from his appearance. One that does not fit a priest and thus his casting kept me slightly unsettled throughout the movie.

There was also the almost constant crude and irreverent humor. I can appreciate the occasional well-timed crude or irreverent joke, even the frequent. This movie, however, was chock full of crude and irreverent humor to the point that it just got a bit tiring. Similarly, the movie sent a message that cheating, and one night stands, are completely run of the mill – no big deal. Really? Please.

I hope I haven’t lost too many people with my criticisms because there were the redeeming qualities. There was a really nice storyline surrounding the family oak tree. The movie was, in many ways very charming, and it was able to capture the sense of community within a family very well. The cast, by and large, was wonderful and did the best you could expect with the sub-par script. Overall, it wasn’t a bad hour and a half – though don’t expect fireworks.

One last thing, can someone explain to me what exactly went down between Diane Keaton and Susan Sarandon’s characters because their friendship made no sense what so ever?

42: Built to Last

Published by Amanda Honigfort on April 7, 2013 in Movie Reviews. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Jackie Robinson: Built to Last, a man who can handle the pressure, the threats, the insults. This is the primary theme of a new film, 42, from writer/director Brian Hegeland (A Knight’s Tale) It’s a theme that you could apply to this Jackie Robinson biopic – I’d wager it, too, is a film built to last. Chadwick Boseman (Persons Unkown) is fantastic as Jackie Robinson, the first colored man to play national league baseball.

I could go through a laundry list of particularly good aspects of this Robinson biopic, But I would likely include the entire credits. A few honorable mentions: the casting, rounded out by Harrison Ford (Star Wars, Bade Runner), Nicole Beharie (Shame) and Andre Holland (1600 Penn) was superb. Every single actor brought their character to life and, aided by the cinematography and sound effects, created a truly engaging picture of these defining two seasons in baseball history.

The only real criticism I have of the Robinson biopic is that at 2 hours and 2 minutes in length the picture felt a bit too long. To be fair, as an editor myself, I didn’t see much opportunity to cut it down. For the amount of material the film covered, it was largely necessary and the length served to properly develop not only the plot but the characters and their relationships.

Sports fan or not, the film is fun, interesting and engaging – and that is outside of The Cardinals’ good amount of screen time. All in all: 42 is film built to last.

42 opens in theaters on Friday, April 12.

Finding Dory Splashing to the Big Screen in 2015

Published by Amanda Honigfort on April 2, 2013 in Movie News. 0 Comments

An all new undersea adventure featuring Dory from the 2003 Pixar film Finding Nemo is set to release in 2015.

Ellen DeGeneres, voice of the friendly-but-forgetful blue tang fish, revealed details today about Disney•Pixar’s “Finding Dory”—an all-new big-screen adventure diving into theaters on Nov. 25, 2015.

Director and Pixar veteran Andrew Stanton takes audiences back to the extraordinary underwater world created in the original film. “There is no Dory without Ellen,” said Stanton. “She won the hearts of moviegoers all over the world—not to mention our team here at Pixar. One thing we couldn’t stop thinking about was why she was all alone in the ocean on the day she met Marlin. In ‘Finding Dory,’ she will be reunited with her loved ones, learning a few things about the meaning of family along the way.”

According to Stanton, “Finding Dory” takes place about a year after the first film, and features returning favorites Marlin, Nemo and the Tank Gang, among others. Set in part along the California coastline, the story also welcomes a host of new characters, including a few who will prove to be a very important part of Dory’s life. “The time they took was worth it. The script is fantastic. And it has everything I loved about the first one: It’s got a lot of heart, it’s really funny, and the best part is—it’s got a lot more Dory,” said DeGeneres.

What do you think? Are you excited to see more of Dory in 2015? Have any concerns? Comment below!

Authors Note: This story was drawn from a press release delivered by Allied Media.

A Skeptical Review of The Place Beyond The Pines

Published by Maddie Brooker on April 2, 2013 in Movie Reviews. 0 Comments

I read the blurb for The Place Beyond The Pines and was apprehensive. I watched the trailer for this film and was psyched. I watched the film and am now emotionally exhausted. I can’t figure out how I feel about this three-part film. The first forty-five minutes are a borderline obscene whirlwind of Luke (Ryan Gosling, Drive), a motorcycle stunt driver, attempting to be a good dad to his newly discovered infant son with an old fling, Romina (Eva Mendes, We Own The Night). Heartwarming, right? Not really, since Luke’s response to his new found financial need is robbing banks. On his motorcycle (I’m still trying to get over the fact that Ryan Gosling may have the world’s least menacing robber voice. He sounds like a prepubescent boy while screeching orders at frightened bank tellers, which may have been an attempt to portray the desperate psyche of Luke.). The amount of adrenaline and hyper masculinity stuffed into this segment is almost too much, giving the impression that there was probably a specific market kept in mind over plot value.

Just when I was about to brush off this Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine) helmed flick, enter Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook) as ‘rookie’ cop Avery Cross, the saving grace for this slightly contrived plot line. Avery effectively ends Luke’s robbery spree but must deal with the ripple effect it has on his life at work and especially at home with his wife (Rose Byrne, Bridesmaids) and infant son. There’s police corruption, drug abuse, and father son bonding shoved before awkwardly segueing into the final segment, which takes place fifteen years later with Avery running for Attorney General and family drama stirring up.

I admire the ambition of the three-part story arc attempted in this film. The cinematography is lovely; the acting is excellent (especially on Cooper’s part), but the script just does not click. This may be attributed to the constant rotation from emotionally charged and fired up to almost softly dull and monotonous. Regardless of my qualms with the script and my exhaustion from the experience, this film is stimulating in an emotional way and movies that are successful in evoking this sort of poignant reaction and having cool theatrics are hard to come by as of late. I would recommend that viewers give The Place Beyond The Pines a try.

Admission is Worth the Price of Admission

Published by Amanda Honigfort on March 22, 2013 in Movie Reviews. 0 Comments

A new romantic comedy debuts March 22 but when I say new – I mean it. This fun flick takes a few unexpected turns as we follow Portia (Tina Fey – 30 Rock, Date Night) through her delightful and quirky dorkiness. An added plus, Lilly Tomlin as Portia’s militant feminist, and completely un-nurturing mother. Each member of the cast fit together seamlessly weaving a serious, quirky, comedy about family, the college admissions process, and the differences in people.

The story follows Portia Nathan, a top admissions officer at Princeton vying for the top slot when the team’s leader, played by Wallace Shawn (The Princess Bride, Toy Story) retires at the end of the year. One possibility to up her game is to add Quest, a new developmental charter school in her territory. While visiting, Headmaster John Pressman (Paul Rudd – The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Role Models) reveals that he thinks a prospective applicant is the son she gave up for adoption 18 years ago. The chaos spirals from there.

I don’t want to give too much away but gentlemen, and those ladies who generally dislike Rom-Coms, if you must be dragged to a romantic comedy – choose this one. I promise it won’t be too painful.

Here is the trailer:

Despicable Me Trailer Released

Published by Amanda Honigfort on March 22, 2013 in Movie News and SLU News 22. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

A new trailer has been released for Despicable Me 2 and you can find it right here. Despicable Me 2 will hit theaters on July 3, 2013.

Let us know what you think? Did you like the original? Are you looking forward to the sequel?