Transformers 2: RotF rekalled...

Terrible F^@King movie. Do not see it. I knew it was going to be bad but not as bad as it was. The first one was a fun bad movie for one viewing but this one was just a mess. The plot was terrible, character motivations were non-existent and as you may have heard it had some blatantly stereotypes displayed in robot form. There was nothing redeeming about this movie. People say Michael Bay is a master of action direction. I disagree. Having as much going on in a scene with no discerning eye about what is actually interesting is not a sign of a master. Alfonso Cuaron is a master, the action in Children of Men is artwork. Michael Bay is a hack.

What is truly terrible is that this movie is going to break records. The screening I was at, people actually clapped at the end. There is no hope for our species.

TYSON rekalled...

TYSON, the new documentary of former world heavyweight boxing champion as told by Mike Tyson. This is a story in his own words as he is on screen talking for probably 90% of the film. One may think this is could be boring or too one dimensional but I was captivated. Tyson is not classically intelligent but has a certain way with words that is part humorous and interesting, sometimes the way he misuses words makes sense. The way the film was presented with multiple angles and overlapping dialog with his humble and retrospective views are remarkably honest and sometime delusional. This man has gone through quite a bit and achieved heights and valleys that would damage any man, a truly interesting story. To me he was the last interesting story in boxing, he was bigger than the sport and still intrigues and this film allows for us to reminisce in the mans own words, a great documentary.

Sunshine Cleaning rekalled...

Sunshine Cleaning was seen at a theater pub on a slow Saturday evening and was disappointed. This film had a few things going for it, it had a vibe of Little Miss Sunshine to it in title and in the way the trailer was cut. It had a fun indie feel to it, a touching comedy. The film was light on comedy and just odd over all. Alan Arkin once again plays a unique Grand Father and I have enjoyed his work from when I first saw him in Catch 22 but was not in it a great deal. I have a weakness for Emily Blunt and she was the brightest part of the film for me but her resolution for the film was unfulfilling. The end of the film was the best part for the other characters but the movie was a meandering bore for the most part with few laughs. Will be forgotten quickly.

Land of the Lost rekalled...

Land of the Lost; the new staring vehicle for Will Ferrell, is an comedic re-imagining of a saturday morning live action sci-fi show aimed at kids and well known for it's far-out story line and shoddy special effects. This film was pretty much what I expected entertainment wise, it was a unbelievable story line that was simply put in motion to put Will Ferrell into ridiculous scenes so he can do his improv comic thing. He brings along for the ride his new comedic companion; Danny McBride. Danny is relatively new to the film world to audiences in general but he is well known in comedic circles for his movie The Foot Fist Way and his HBO series Eastbound and Out. He styling is no different from those other ventures, he is somewhat stupid and offensive but still funny and compelling. It seems Will Ferrell has taking quite a liking to him and invited him on this adventure and Will plays up to his strengths which are similar to McBride's and they riff of each other rather well. This film was a little more crude and vulgar verbally than I expected, I thought it would be more family friendly fair which it wasn't. While this film is no masterpiece it is a fun little distraction, I enjoy the Will Ferrell schtick which might be wearing out with audiences. That is the only explanation that I can give for people not liking this film after liking his other films, I think the same thing happened to Jim Carrey, audience fatigue. If you want some cheap laughs from a barely sci-fi comedy then this would be the one for you.

the Hangover rekalled...

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Drag Me To Hell rekalled...

DRAG ME TO HELL is the newest from famed horror film director Sam Raimi, who is better known for his Spideman films. This is a film that harkens back to his horror roots and his love of nostalgic cinema, this is rather apparent in the opening moments when the classic Universal logo is displayed instead of the modern CG one used in most Universal films. DMTH is an assault to the senses, the visceral sounds are done rather well and the imagery is rather creepy and when not creepy downright disgusting. The star, Alison Lohman does a competent job of playing a average person but not quite as charismatic or sympathetic as you would want in a lead role such as this. I felt that someone with a little more personality may have brought a little more to the film but she is not a hindrance even with her moments of Drew Berrymoore-ness. I am just more accustom to a Bruce Campbell-type presence in a Raimi film. The film starts out at a pretty good pace but looses a little momentum in the second half. I am not much of a horror fan but I did enjoy it for the most part. Not a must see by any means but a pleasant distraction if you are looking for some thrills and gore.

UP rekalled...

UP is the latest in the pantheon of good films from Pixar. They have yet to fail me, they only have varying degrees of good from what I have seen. Granted I have missed Cars and Ratatouille, I still think highly of their films. The voice actors are great in this and has a very inventive concept and goes in a direction you don't expect. While not as good as Wall-E or my favorite the Incredibles it is still good. It seems to be a more person story and a step back from the epic film that Wall-E was which isn't a bad thing, just different. Great for the whole family.

Termiantor Salvation rekalled...

TERMINATOR SALVATION has been terminated. No salvation will be allowed, a complete failure. The film works as an action film somewhat but not in comparison to what the previous films had established. I was pretty excited to see the film, I enjoy the Terminator universe and had heard what McG the director and the actors were saying prior to the film. I thought they understood what the property was about but talking a good game and performing are 2 distinct things. The story is a mess and the characters are un-interesting. Numerous characters with no real arc or motivation. The art direction of this world was a step backward as well, the world set up in the James Cameron films was a dismal future yet the machines were a glistening chrome. What we get is a human resistance that doesn't seem in that bad of shape and robots that look like giant pieces of plastic. What might be the most frustrating thing about the movie is that you could tell there could have been a good or great film in there with a few daring choices but we get a vanilla mess. The one bright spot for me was the actor Anton Yelchin's performance of Kyle Reece, while not looking the part at all he did the mannerisms and put in a solid performance in the moments he has. The other main actors weren't bad just uninteresting. Other than that avoid at all costs, your future may depend on it.

Star Trek rekalled...

STAR TREK has been saved. Go see it. It is great. This years IRON MAN if you will. Not a perfect film but a fun one. A character driven science fiction film that people have been craving for years. The original Star Trek series had it and that was lost on it's long trek through television and movies. J.J. Abrams cements himself as a truly gifted story teller with this endeavor, I thought of him only having that touch with TV shows like LOST and FRINGE but pulls it off on the big screen. His previous films of Cloverfield and MI:3 were more gimmicky than great films but this could be his break out film, I expect much more from him in the future. The actors chosen to reprise the roles that most know were not given an easy task an excel for the most part. There are no weak links, they don't do imitations but homages, they grasped what made the characters great and added to them their own flavor. There are some instances where the story takes an unbelievable jump with coincidence but way the story is told makes up for it. One of my favorites of the year so far.