Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan) is a typical teenage girl living in the suburbs of 1970s Pennsylvania. Like many girls she was into fashion and pop music and developing her first crush. But her family’s life is shattered when Susie is murdered by her neighbour George Harvey (Stanley Tucci). Unable to go to Heaven Susie is left in a lonely purgatory known as the “in-between” where she watches her family struggle to cope with her death.
Whew, did I expect the wrong thing going into this movie. I really thought I was going to be getting balls-out action with some comedy thrown in for good measure. What I got was still great, just different than I expected. A movie more funny than action packed, The Losers somehow manages to be both total comedy and balls-out action movie. The unquestionable star of the show is Evans. His portrayal of Jensen is downright hilarious and he commands what is easily the most memorable scene of the movie. Morgan’s Clay is as cool as they come in every scene he’s in and is completely believable as the team’s leader, bringing confidence and hope to the left-for-dead and outlawed Losers.
Strong performances in an otherwise average to mediocre movie are often touted as that films saving grace, bringing gravitas and charm to material that is simply, limp. What you hear discussed far less is how comprehensively a hack script can drag down its talented lead actors. Steve Carell and Tina Fey battle with the screenplay for most of the running length; a tug of war that never ends.
Pretending Date Night would be void of laughs without Carell and Fey would a somewhat narcissistic claim, yet it most certainly would have been more tedious. Date Night is directed by Shawn Levy, who is no stranger to generating this laborious plot structure. His past projects, including the Night at the Museum franchise and The Pink Panther remake, have their guffaws however any charm that can be wrung from the script is strangled by extended periods of mirthless slumber. This latest endeavor tips more towards the watchable side to be sure, but the balance remains uneven.
James Cameron is a storied director whose films have been landmarks of their time. Like he did in the ’80s and ’90s with both Terminator films, he returns from his 10-year hiatus without missing a beat, shepherding audiences into the future of cinema with progressive film-making done with the most advanced technology. Avatar, which arrives on DVD and Blu-ray today, is a miraculous visual feat, the greatest epic since The Lord of the Rings trilogy and a filmmaking milestone. At the conclusion of a decade, it’s a window into what audiences of the future can expect at the movies.
Prepare yourself, dear reader, for I am about to make a bold declaration that will either inflate or obliterate my prestigious position as a famed film critic: John Cusack’s throwback ’80s flick is the best time-traveling hot tub film ever created. Did I just blow your mind? Coyness aside, Hot Tub Time Machine is a supremely entertaining comedy, brimming with laughs and raunch all cemented with ample ’80s nostalgia.
With a somewhat unwieldy title and lacking the winning Pixar association that has dominated the Oscars for a decade, Dreamworks animations latest could have been a clunker. Not only is How to Train Your Dragon the best film of the year so far, but it even eclipses the quality of last year’s duel academy award winner Up.
The latest 3D film to fly into theaters in so many weeks is also the best of its format (story-wise), making Tim Burton’s overblown misfire Alice in Wonderland look even more pitiful. “Dragon” will no doubt enamour kids while keeping parents not only awake, but also equally enthralled. Its warmth is sure to tug the hearts of anyone who has ever loved a pet and will undoubtedly draw tears from those who are so inclined.
The true hallmark of a timeless performance is its ability to put leverage on an exhausted story and not only make it seem enlivened, but also like one of a kind. Jeff Bridges accomplishes that and more with his Oscar-winning role in Crazy Heart; the crux of a legendary career. The narrative drive of Crazy Heart, which is out on DVD and Blu-ray Tuesday, is purely actor-centric as its extremely simplistic tale of regret and redemption could have easily sunk to the level of after-school special. More than anything else, the film from first-time director Scott Cooper is supremely entertaining and absorbing; quite a feat for a film with bland, paint-by-number trailers.
What’s most admirable about this most recent zombie-crushing comedy is that it knows exactly what zombies are meant for: killing. Funny, creative and most of all low-budget killing. Rookie director Ruben Fleischer and Columbia Pictures capture that essence in the quick but fun Zombieland, a post-Zombie infection apocalypse action comedy with a small cast and a whole lot of make-up-covered stunt people.
The grandfather of the mystery genre — and film’s most adapted character — is none other than the great detective Sherlock Holmes, so if one were to apply Holmes’ own deductive reasoning skills, a modern reinvention was a matter of time. English Director Guy Ritchie (Snatch, RocknRolla) applies his witty and gritty crime thriller style to the first mainstream 21st Century version of Holmes, one that will likely appeal to a younger crowd and those less familiar with previous incarnations of the iconic sleuth.
Alien invasion stories can often seem a bit far-fetched, but making a great action movie with a compelling story for just $30 million shouldn’t. With its big box office number and Oscar nominations, maybe it will finally drive home to Hollywood that eternal message that great films come from great stories. District 9 is a sci-fi movie that takes a fantastic concept and runs with it behind committed visionaries who believe in what they’re doing.
