News for the ‘Movie Reviews’ Category

THE ICEMAN Movie Review

Saturday, May 18th, 2013




Co-written and directed by Ariel Vroman, this portrayal of the notorious “Iceman – contract killer” is arguably one of the best efforts to-date. There is nothing about Richard Kuklinski, the notorious cold-blooded killer, that is worth glorifying or celebrating. However, with obvious care, precision and tact Vroman does a great job of letting the great cast bring the brutality and repulsive behavior of the characters to the big screen. 

Michael Shannon (Premium Rush, 2012), has the uncanny voice and face of a mass murderer and gives one of the most riveting performances of his career to-date. He gets inside the warped mind of Richard Kuklinski better than any actor could, as his portrayal sends palpable shivers with each grizzly execution he carries out. It was as if it’s just another day at the office, for Kuklinski and Shannon, portrays this well. Furthermore, Shannon never lets us forget that this guy [Kuklinski] is a menace whom would have made a great poker player, had he not turned to a life of crime.

Winona Ryder, with her best performance in years, plays a superb mob wife whom never seems to acknowledge her husband’s occupation the entire time. It seems as though she simply didn’t know or didn’t want to know what was going on in her husband’s creepy life. She flawlessly portrayed the innocent stay-at-home-mom and bystander with absolute perfection. Likewise, Ray Liotta (Mobster Roy Demeo) seems to have his best screen role since the film GoodFellas, with a paranoid and ruthless demeanor throughout the movie. Demeo of course has his ruthless lieutenants, one of which is played by David Schwimmer (Friends – TV series). Schwimmer, seems a little awkward in the “killer” role, however, it was difficult to determine whether this was by design or simply discomfort. READ FULL THE ICEMAN FILM REVIEW >>

STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS Movie Review

Thursday, May 16th, 2013




J.J. Abrams, the man who rebooted the Star Trek film franchise four years ago to widespread and well deserving acclaim, has done it again with a new and exciting concept in this second installment. One could say that he has singled-handedly picked up the franchise and blew the dust of off it and given it relevance and appeal. It seems as though he embraced the chance to insert his magic in to part two of his mission to make Trek viable, vibrant and cool again. After the confident take-off of part one, I like how he keeps this franchise flying with a much faster, better paced, logically sequenced sequel that makes for the most thrilling Star Trek since First Contact. Also, there’s the sense of an expanded universe in this one, where the characters and plot are much bolder and mature, and might somehow indicate the direction of future installments.

Naturally Kirk and Spock are back, with Chris Pine (This Means War, 2012) and Zachary Quinto (Heroes – TV Series) still fitting the roles as comfortably as their Ly’cra-material jumpsuits. Then there’s Simon Pegg (Mission Impossible IV – Ghost Protocol, 2011) back in a much bigger, much funnier role as engineer Scotty (complete with a cabbage-headed sidekick), dropping exasperated one-liners that are off-the-cuff hilarious. He’s backed by Karl Urban (The Lord of the Rings trilogy) as medical man Bones, chiming in with his constant colorful metaphors (“You don’t rob a bank when the getaway car has a flat tire!” lol). Sulu, Chekov and the others are onboard also, but what’s most notable about the crew is the return of sexy Zoe Saldana (Colombiana, 2011) as Nyota Uhura (Spock’s love interest) and Alice Eve (Men in Black III, 2012) playing the sexy Dr. Carol Marcus: Weapons specialist. Wow, what eye-candy! Lastly, but certainly not least, we have Benedict Cumberbatch (The Hobbit, 2012), playing the badass rogue Starfleet officer called John Harrison. I thought his villainous role was awesome, but believe that they could have come up with a more outlandish name than that for a Star Trek villain. READ FULL STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS FILM REVIEW >>

THE GREAT GATSBY Movie Review

Friday, May 10th, 2013




The time is the roaring 20s. The place is none other than New York, Long Island specifically. The who is pretty obvious. The what could be considered an obsession perhaps. The how is all about the Benjamins baby . . . money. The why is the same reason for so much in life, love. Many of us read this story in High School, but to be honest, I hardly remember a full sentence. What I do remember is that it is a good story written by a good author. After seeing this film, it just confirmed the fact. Now the movie is listed as an adaptation of the novel so it might not be exactly like it, although I would have to say that it does it justice. What a literary work it is. It is a love story and a tragedy. It is larger than life and grandiose, and yet takes you to the core of human passion and desire. In this film, the story is masterfully presented and displayed. The beautiful Art Deco style is rampant throughout along with the overall decadence of the era. This movie is truly a visual spectacle as it would need to be to properly bring this story to the big screen. The visual aspect is arguably the best aspect of the film. Now, there is some debate as to the use of 3D for this movie. Priscilla and I saw it in 3D and even though, sure, it made it a little more spectacular, we wonder if it is really necessary. We think it could have been just as good without it. Keep that in mind when you’re at the box office. Another part of the visual treat is the costumes/wardrobe. It wouldn’t surprise me if it gets a nomination. Oh yeah, and another thing, I love that font used in the title screens and posters.

So the star of the show is the visual, followed closely by the story. Coming in third in this tight race is the performances. Within that category, the star of the show is undoubtedly Leonardo DiCaprio. Leo was perfectly cast for this role. READ FULL THE GREAT GATSBY FILM REVIEW >>

PEEPLES Movie Review

Friday, May 10th, 2013




Tyler Perry is at it once again. This time attempting to bring us a purely tongue-in-cheek romantic comedy, that delves in to a very much chartered territory. He produces this one, but he didn’t write the screenplay or star in it despite the fact that we have pretty much become accustomed to his multi-layered talents and multi-layered involvement. Consequently, I hate to say it, but this latest effort would probably have been a stronger film if he did follow his usual MO and involvement by playing a bigger part. 

Craig Robinson (The Office – TV series), in his first starring movie role, plays the somewhat awkward, badly dressed, but calm cool and collected Wade Walker, who’s meeting the family of his girlfriend for the first time. He does a somewhat mediocre job with the part and doesn’t seem to fit in quite well with the lead role in a romantic comedy. I would go as far as to say that the role would have been better suited to someone like Martin Lawrence (Bad Boys, 1995) or Will Smith because Robinson is neither funny enough nor is he diverse enough, in range.

On the other hand, Kerry Washington (Django Unchained, 2012), plays the daughter of a ball-busting federal judge and patriarch played by funny-man David Alan Grier (In Living Color – TV series). She takes on the role of a seemingly innocent and charming, Grace Peeples and is poised, sexy and brings lots of convincing charm to the role. She is certainly a pleasure to watch bringing her character to life; Though, I didn’t feel that her sweet little-sister character was a good match for Robinson’s clumsy character that at times did not play off of each other quite well romantically. READ FULL PEEBLES FILM REVIEW >>

IRON MAN 3 Movie Review

Thursday, May 2nd, 2013




Well folks, it’s finally here! The long awaited third installation to Disney and Marvel’s Iron Man series. After a little research, I’ve come to find out what makes this super sequel extra special. It is most certainly exceptionally done this time around and I would attribute it to the return of legendary screenwriter/Director Shane Black (Lethal Weapon movies, 1987-1992). After the disappointment of 1996’s The Long Kiss Goodnight (one of the most expensive screenplays in history, according to Wikipedia), and then making a mediocre return attempt with the 2005’s Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Black is finally debuting his craft that once placed him atop the Hollywood’s A-list writer/directors. His take on this release is in-your-face obvious and is unmistakable. One of the most obvious traits is his comedic element that usually follows his characters and if you have ever seen any of his previous flicks, you’ll remember things like characters sitting on toilets, while the house explodes (literally being caught with their pants down).

As far as my memory serves, I really cannot remember a terrific ‘part 3,′ in the realms of comic book superhero movies. However, this latest Shane Black effort puts it all in perspective. It’s a once in a blue-moon type of deal here, where it looks like the third installation actually competes with part one and in this case, possibly trumps it. Furthermore, it is rumored that this installment is a follow up to two difference series: Iron Man and also as the second installment to The Avengers. Now whether or not this is true, remains to be seen; however, if you have had the chance to have seen both, you will notice that there is possibly some truth to those rumors. Subtle hints are prevalent throughout, so just pay close attention. READ FULL IRON MAN 3 FILM REVIEW >>

PAIN & GAIN Film Review

Friday, April 26th, 2013




Famed Director Michael Bay (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, 2009) is at it once again with this semi-comedic drama accurately portraying Miami (in the 90’s) as a steroid-drenched house of mirrors, reflecting back the worst of us in various colorful characters. This includes Mark Wahlberg (Daniel Lugo) playing the kind of good-natured idiot who thinks he’s better than everyone, and is unflappable as he leads this impossible scheme, that only could be the brainchild of a drug-induced set of thought processes. Literally, this flick is all about watching a group of sociopath dummies screw up terrible plans and further ruining an already tarnished community’s reputation. 

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (Paul Doyle) completes the trio of knuckle-heads and is probably the most convincing of the group, as a total screw-up. I really enjoyed watching him play the muscle-bound dim-wit, that can’t seem to think straight due to excessive use of steroids and other drugs. This is a far throw from his normal role of being the sharp-witted super-hero type character that saves the world and his image at the same time. Equally, it is fascinating to see that this flick casts Tony Shaloub (Monk – TV series) playing the role of Victor Kershaw as one of the biggest pieces of garbage in the film. He’s gross from the moment we meet him, bragging about his money, rubbing his life in Daniel’s face every chance he gets and setting a tone that almost makes the viewer want to wish him harm. Anthony Mackie’s (The Hurt Locker, 2009) character feeds well off of Wahlberg’s energy, and I hope the two end up playing in another comedy together soon. Certainly not to be overlooked is the veteran actor, Ed Harris (Man on the Ledge, 2012). His role is perfect as the retired South Florida detective being relentless and busting the case wide open, even when the active-duty police department seemed to have dropped the ball on the case. Bay really tops the cast off with bringing comedians Rob Corddry and Rebel Wilson in to the fold and really added the off the wall comedic flavor to the film. READ FULL PAIN & GAIN FILM REVIEW >>

THE BIG WEDDING Film Review

Friday, April 26th, 2013




Apparently “The Big Wedding” Americanizes a French story with an all-star cast that includes four Academy Award winners and boasts a list of other great talent. This gave Writer-director Justin Zackham (The Bucket List, 2007) one incredible asset at his disposal: Awesome casting. However, that is the extent to greatness of this flick. This off-beat comedy, at times, was extremely uncomfortable to watch; so much so that it was like stumbling upon one’s parents procreating, in the kitchen, while making dinner. Having said this, there are lots of laughs throughout, and all of the actors are skillful enough to move the story along… it’s just that they are just asked to do really stupid things, which one could considered to be less than becoming of their stature.

The eternally consistent Robert De Niro stars as a successful sculptor, blessed with a rich, complicated romantic history, in this flick. However, despite the star power he brings to the role, he seems to struggle with convincing audiences that his character makes sense in real-world terms. While risking my throwing in a spoiler, I have to say his horny sensualist character is smacked repeatedly, vomited upon at some point, and even endure a pratfall while attempting to perform cunnilingus on the Susan Sarandon’s character. I have to admit, this made for very uneasy viewing, more so than hilarious comedy. Such slapstick humiliations are more suitable to a pie-humping teenager in a sex comedy than a Hollywood giant, like De Niro. In other words, he’s hardly relatable to say the least. All the same, I highly doubt his choice in juvenile antics for this flick will hurt his film career, moving forward. READ FULL THE BIG WEDDING REVIEW >>

OBLIVION Movie Review

Friday, April 19th, 2013




If you’ve ever watched a sci-fi flick from any decade, you’ve pretty much seen Oblivion, which is penned by Karl Gajdusek (Trespass, 2011), Michael Arndt (Toy Story 3, 2010) and Joseph Kosinski (Tron: Legacy, 2011). Despite not seeming to be an original concept, by the seasoned director, it does bring a cool storyline and intriguing twist the sci-fi genre. Also with being at risk of presenting spoilers here, I’d say that this latest Tom Cruise effort seems to be a jigsaw-puzzle of many of the past decade’s blockbuster movies, such as the Matrix trilogy. Having said this, the success of this flick is in the presentation of these well worn and tested ideas and ultimately the exceptional display of craftsmanship, with all parties involved. 

Another appealing aspect to this flick is the principle lead. I generally go in to a Tom Cruise release with a tad bit of apprehension: be it the role of a rich vampire, rich industrialist or child of rich parents. This is especially true when he’s in roles where wealth, power and extraordinary skill-sets are his predominant character attributes. However, in Oblivion his presence works when stripped of much of the off-screen persona that made him a joke in the past several years. His playing Jack Harper as a reflective, lonely man gives the film a certain dynamic and gritty feel that normally would not be very convincing in many of his previous roles. READ FULL OBLIVION REVIEW >>

TRANCE Movie Review

Saturday, April 13th, 2013




One thing is for sure, this film is one to remember. A well done heist movie seems to never get old. In this journey we have a heist, a hit, and a name . . . Elizabeth Lamb (Rosario Dawson). To say that this movie plays a lot of mind games might be an understatement, but don’t worry, it’s not as bad as Inception. One of the more impressive aspects of the film is the cinematography. It really adds more quality to a quality movie. The camera angles, visuals, colors, sets, and lighting stand out. You have no choice but to take notice. There is a certain sophistication in this and practically every aspect of the film. It is intellectual and sexy, tainted with bloodiness. It is also thrilling to say the least. So much so I actually wrote it down in my notes twice. What helps make it so thrilling is the story which is quite intriguing. What helps make it so intriguing are the performances by the cast, namely two of the lead actors, James McAvoy and Rosario Dawson. Vincent Cassel was pretty good too but James and Rosario really stood out. James seems to have a niche in these drama thrillers. READ FULL TRANCE REVIEW >>

42 Movie Review

Friday, April 12th, 2013




42, Written and directed by Brian Helgeland whose credits range from scripting L.A. Confidential to directing Payback and A Knight’s Tale, functions beautifully as a tribute to Jackie Robinson’s courage and dignity. In this latest effort, Helgeland seems to walk that thin line of racism, right down the middle, between discomfort and relevance. It’s a decent movie that aspires to overemotional mediocrity in an effort to tell an important story in a way that will least upset anyone. When all is said and done and despite what we think of the actual cinematography of it all, this is a movie about a crucial moment in black history written by, directed by and largely starring Caucasian men. It’s a movie that opts to start telling its story the moment that men of color entered America’s favorite past-time; baseball. It’s a movie that spends a lot of time making sure we know that a lot of non-minority folks had to be there to help Robinson make his mark in history. This is a movie that seems to convey the black experience that often doesn’t get spot-lighted for the right reasons, in America. I don’t think any one group owns the copyright on stories about themselves, but I have to wonder what 42 with a different perspective, would look like. READ FULL 42 REVIEW >>