Twilight Review

Following a similar arc to the Harry Potter series, Twilight has officially become a national craze (I know, it was a few months ago, but I was late to the Harry Potter party too). Anyways, after the enormous success of the books it was only natural that a movie would be made. I have read all the books and the movie is an above average translation of the first book to the screen.

For those who have not read the book I will explain some. If you have read the book, you may skip a few paragraphs.

Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) moves from sunny Phoenix, Arizona to the perpetually rainy town of Forks, Washington to live with her father. She is pale and brunette and considers herself average looking, though all the boys at her new school think otherwise. In a town as small as Forks (population just over 3,100) a new student moving there is quite a commotion. Everyone already knew her name and she loathes all the attention. However, one person catches her eye: Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson).

Edward and his family are not like the other students. They are gorgeous, rich, incredibly pale and speak differently than the rest of the students. They are also immortal vampires. Bella is infatuated with Edward and once Edward is able to resist the urge to kill her, the two eventually fall in love. Don’t worry though, the Cullens are vegetarians – that is, they don’t drink from humans relying solely on the blood of animals. This allows them some semblance of a normal life.

Bella, however, is a magnet for trouble and her life is threatened on a few occasions, leading to the action sequences of the film, including the climactic fight scene shown in the preview.

The film is a more or less accurate depiction of the events in the book. It does “freestyle” some stuff, but nothing egregious was omitted or added. It should be noted that none of the action sequences were in the book nor was the intensity when Bella learned what Edward was. These scenes were likely added for boyfriends who got dragged to the show, but it did not hurt the movie. And naturally I would have preferred them to be longer.

The scenery is beautiful. It was shot on location throughout parts of Oregon. While the scenery is great, the acting and special effects are average or worse. The special effects are given a pass on this first movie due to budgetary constraints – it was made on schedule for under $40 million. The acting, however, is not good. Bella and Edward do have some chemistry I suppose, but their facial expressions always just seem off. The rest of the human cast was kind of annoying and the vampires did not have enough screen time. The best performance was actually that of James, the villainous vampire. He did snarling evil very well. Part of the problem was the dialogue, which was obviously intended for a younger (and female) audience.

I have now seen this movie twice, and my opinions remain pretty much the same. It is a decent adaptation of the book, but nothing special. It was fun laughing at some of the awkward moments the second time. One other note that was slightly troublesome was that Forks was portrayed as a racially diverse town, when in fact it is almost entirely white with some Native Americans sprinkled in. So don’t believe Twilight’s portrayal of Forks – then again, you shouldn’t have anyways.

In the end I was mostly entertained, though I do hope the acting improves for the rest of the series. Oh, and more vampires.

Final Grade: B- (I saw it twice...so, yeah, it's decent.)

Ghost Town Review

I was incredibly excited to see Ghost Town recently, for reasons I couldn’t quite understand. It looked like an offbeat comedy, one that would not be appreciated by everyone. But I loved it.

The film stars Ricky Gervais, most famous for his work on the original (British) version of The Office. He is a dentist who appears to loathe everyone that he sees. He later explains that it is not groups he doesn’t like, but rather the individuals within the group – something I could certainly identify with.

Anyways, circumstances arise that lead him to see dead people, a la The Sixth Sense. He “befriends” Frank Herlihy (Greg Kinnear) a recently deceased man who brokers a deal with Bertram. If he helps Frank’s widow, Gwen, then Frank and all the other apparitions will leave him alone.

Bertram eventually accepts the offer.

The movie then moves into the romantic aspect, where Bertram attempts to woo Gwen (to an extent) away from her all too perfect fiancée. He naturally succeeds, though the attempts are always fun to watch. Bertram screws things up before ultimately learning the lesson of the film – which, for the sake of spoiling things I will not reveal except to say that I was not expecting how it ended.

The film is well written and well acted, most notably of course by Gervais. His dry British accent and response to things is always funny and he carries the entire film. The other performance of note is Kristen Wiig. She is hilarious. Similar to how she stole scenes in Knocked Up, she again steals scenes in the hospital in this movie. (It didn’t hurt that two little old ladies were laughing hysterically during the entire hospital sequence, but I digress).

The running time of 102 minutes is just about right, perhaps 5-10 minutes too long, but I did not get the same that “comedy was way too long feeling.” All in all, it was a charming and often hilarious movie that I would recommend to anyone.

Grade: B+ (Considering getting it on DVD as you read this. I might be there now)

Mamma Mia Review

In order to get my girlfriend to go golfing with me, I had to agree to go to Mamma Mia! I thought it was going to be awful, but it was actually pretty enjoyable.

The movie is based off a Broadway musical of the same name. Essentially the premise is that the story is told through very specific songs. In the case of Mamma Mia, the plot revolves around songs from Swedish pop sensation ABBA.

The film begins with a young woman named Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) sending off wedding invitations to three men. She believes one of the three is her father that she has never met. There is the free-spirited author Bill Anderson (Stellan Skarsgård), the confident businessman Sam Carmichael (Pierce Brosnan) and the nervous accountant Harry Bright (Colin Firth).

Her mother Donna (Meryl Streep) is completely unaware that these three men have been invited, as Sophie secretly read her diary to find out who her father was. It comes as quite a shock when they arrive and Donna is at a loss for what to do about her daughter’s wedding being ruined.

I find it difficult to describe the plot, because it is so focused around the ABBA songs. Suffice it to say, there are all sorts of antics about who is the father, how they got the invitation to go to Greece, their lives now and all sorts of other small plot strains.

The songs are truly the stars of the show. They were all chosen very specifically and to great effect mostly. None of the cast members are great singers – don’t expect to be wowed by Broadway caliber singing. The actors do perform admirably in all the songs and it was both fun and entertaining to see the likes of Brosnan, Firth and Streep (all very accomplished actors) having a blast singing silly ABBA songs. The best word for it is FUN. I had a smile on my face for most of the movie.

There is one caveat in the film, however, that detracts from the fun. About 2/3 of the way in the movie takes a very serious and deflating tone. It was not boring, but did not have the same liveliness and fun as the rest of the film.

All in all, the movie was fun and enjoyable – this coming from a guy who was not excited to see it. It may be a slightly more fun movie if you are familiar with the ABBA collection, but I only knew three or four and thought the movie was worth it.

One last thought. As with Zack and Miri, you have to stay for the end credits. They may be worth the price of admission alone. Seriously.

Grade: B, worth a ticket, especially now that it should be in cheaper theaters. Definitely worth a rent later if you enjoy musicals, ABBA, or fun movies.

Zack & Miri Make a Porno Review

I will be the first to admit being a huge Kevin Smith fan. I have loved or at least enjoyed every movie of his; so to say I was excited for Zack and Miri Make a Porno would be a bit of an understatement. And perhaps my excitation doomed this movie, because while parts were definitely worth it, the movie as a whole was not top shelf Kevin Smith.

The first 30 minutes of the movie is by far the best part. It begins in Pennsylvania with longtime platonic friends Zack (Seth Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) barely scraping by before they attend a 10-year class reunion (on Thanksgiving, strangely enough). While at the reunion Zack runs into Brandon (Justin Long) a gay porn actor. He is absolutely hilarious, and the funniest part of the film.

When Zack and Miri get back home, they learn their electricity has been turned off – their water had been shut off just before the reunion. They go out for more beer and eventually come to the conclusion that they should have “sex on camera for money.”

The decide to enlist the help of some people they know, specifically Delaney (Craig Robinson) for his start up money and Deacon (Jeff Anderson) because he knows how to use a camera. After recruiting those two, they must audition for the movie and come up with a name. The motley crew enlists the help of real-life porn stars Traci Lords and Katie Morgan along with Smith staple Jason Mewes as Lester. The recruitment and naming scenes are very funny, but once the movie delves into the actual making of the porn movie the film begins to fall a little flat.

The clever one-liners had been used up and they wanted us to simply laugh at people being naked and having sex, which is funny for a time, but soon tires. Lastly, as everyone expected (or at least should have) the film becomes a romance as Zack and Miri begin to have feelings for each other. Imagine that. This romance segment was also considerably weaker than the start of the film and left a slightly sour taste.

The movie barely missed an NC-17 rating – in fact, according to Smith he received an NC-17 rating, but was able to talk them down without having to cut anything. There is lots of nudity (both male and female), lots of sex stuff and naturally lots of foul language. If you can’t tolerate that sort of thing, don’t go. You won’t like it.

On a final note, you have to stay through the end credits, as there is a little bonus during them. Ninety percent of the theater I was at left before the end so they missed it. Don’t be one of those people.

Overall, I think my excitement brought the film down a little, but this is not the best Kevin Smith movie. It is a decent date movie that starts strong, but finishes as expected with a weak second half. Don’t go in expecting greatness and I am sure you will like it. Otherwise, just wait until it comes to a cheaper theater or on DVD.

Grade: C+/B-, Would see/buy it if it were in a bargain bin. Might be worth a matinee.

WALL*E

Pixar’s WALL*E is, simply put, one of the best films of the year and a pure joy to watch.

Set in a future where human beings have savaged the world’s resources, WALL*E is the last remaining cleaning robot sent to pick up humanity’s mess. He has been there long enough to create skyscrapers worth of trash. While WALL*E enjoys what he does, he is also incredibly lonely – after all he has not seen another creature for some time. He also has a tremendous amount of charm and personality – I found myself smiling at everything he did, in an adorable kind of way (weird, I know).

The first 30 minutes or so had no true dialogue. It was beautiful to watch the animation and the incredible detail put into WALL*E’s expressions. His eyes alone have more personality than most people. I would have preferred the film to remain this quiet, but I also understand that this first portion was often difficult for younger audiences to watch.

Eventually humanity sends a hyper advanced scouting robot to investigate whether or not they can return to earth from their vessel in space. This robot, the sleek and beautiful Eve immediately catches WALL*E’s fancy. He tries desperately to impress her and naturally succeeds (who could resist WALL*E?) When Eve completes her mission, WALL*E has to follow her to the space station. Sadly, the movie loses a little steam as humans become more involved.

In the future, humans have become so dependent on robots and instant gratification, that they have become incredibly obese and stupid. They sit in moving chairs and have food, media and pretty much everything delivered to them by various robots. None have them have ever walked. Some moviegoers took offense to this portrayal, but it seemed all too accurate and possible.

This is Pixar’s most socially critical film. Based on the environmental and lifestyle messages the film is truly a tremendous social critique. It was a future that, while a little far-fetched, seemed possible considering how most Americans choose to live. Their lives are completely controlled by their robotic counterparts – a scary and feasible possibility.

It has to be a wonderful thing to work for Pixar. Their employees surely have a blast and they have yet to make a bad film. WALL*E is their latest and it is easily one of my favorite Pixar films. It is guaranteed to nab the Oscar for best-animated film and is on the short list of best films of the year. A definite must see.

Grade: A, Worth the full price of the ticket, even now. I will be getting this movie.

Pineapple Express

Pineapple Express, the latest Seth Rogen and Judd Apatow adventure, is a pretty typical “stoner” flick, with a few important differences that make it worth checking out.

Seth Rogen stars as Dale Denton, a 20-something slacker stoner who is a process server, which he is actually quite skilled at and vilified for. He is dating a much too young (and pretty) for him high school girl. And oh yeah, he smokes A LOT of pot.

When he is in need of more supply, he goes to see his dealer, Saul Silver (James Franco). He is more than a little needy and just wants to hang out. Eventually he offers Denton the rarest weed on the planet. He is the only seller of the potent product, called (you guessed it) Pineapple Express.

He drives off to go smoke, where he inadvertently witnesses a murder. His blunt is quickly identified by Ted Jones (Gary Cole) and Officer Carol (Rosie Perez) as being Silver’s and the stoner movie truly begins when Denton goes back to see Silver about his dropped bud.

The two decide they have to see fellow dealer, Red (Danny R. McBride) to see if he ratted them out. He did, and more hilarity ensues as the two try to escape from the thugs sent after them by Jones.

The film is pretty consistently funny, but for non-stoners (like me) some of the jokes fall flat. The previews give away some pretty funny moments as well, though there are still plenty of scenes that had good belly laughs.

The acting and writing are mostly top notch. Rogen was fine, but I don’t think he should be a lead actor. He does not ruin the movie by any means, but he is not the strongest part of it, and I have preferred his bit character roles much more, such as in The 40 Year Old Virgin and Superbad.

Franco carried the weight of the film for me. He gives a repeatedly hilarious and impressive performance, particularly for someone considered to be a more serious actor. I found myself smiling whenever he was doing something.

The other performance that was impressive was the bit part of Red. He stole whatever scenes he was in with his awkward Texan sounding delivery.

Finally, while the plot of any stoner is not the focal point, this movie held a plot until the very end. The last 20 minutes turn the film into a bizarre action movie ending which leaves a sour taste in your mouth after the funny moments. This does not ruin the film, but it is very strange and very violent and probably not the best ending they could have come up with.

All in all, I laughed enough to definitely make this worth seeing in the theater. Like all comedies, the more people with you the better, so get a group together and yuck it up. Later.

Grade: B Worth a trip to the theater and I might check it out on DVD.

Burn After Reading

Burn After Reading, the latest effort from the Coen brothers, is a return to their offbeat brand of humor. And it’s about time.

The plot revolves around a set of incredibly flawed and dysfunctional people, who all bumble and stumble as they try to achieve their goals. The film opens with CIA analyst Osborne Cox (John Malkovich) being demoted. Malkovich is at his smarmiest as he pronounces all his words perfectly and his foreign words like memoir with an all too perfect accent.

His wife Katie (Tilda Swinton) is a doctor who also happens to be having an affair with bodyguard Harry Pfarrar (George Clooney) who is cheating on his own wife.

Katie Cox begins contemplating a divorce and goes to see her lawyer several times, and he suggests that she make a copy of the household finances. She does, but it gets misplaced at a gym called Hardbodies. An employee hands the CD over to Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt) who immediately shows it to Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand). Litzke sees this as an opportunity to make enough money for the plastic sugery she is desperately seeking. Litzke and Feldheimer decide to try to blackmail Cox with the information, but neither person has the wherewithal to pull it off (besides which, it is simply income figures and perhaps some memoir pages).

What ensues is a strange type of spy/screwball/caper film that is dark and sometimes brilliant. Sometimes, however, the jokes fall flat, but I found myself laughing consistently.

Though all the performances are tremendous, Pitt and Clooney carry the film. It is refreshing to see megastars willing to takes chances and make fun of themselves. From Pitt’s awful hair to his ridiculous face-off with Malkovich later on, he is the most consistently hilarious character in the film.

Clooney’s character, however, is even more nuanced. He somehow walks the tightrope of being the heel and not being the heel, but I found myself not caring about his indiscretions. He is an idiot – but a hilarious idiot.

Finally, JK Simmons, better known as Juno’s dad, steals the scenes he is in towards the end of the film. He is even funnier in this than he was in Juno.

The film is not the Coen brothers best work, but even average Coen brothers is better than most other stuff. It is not up to par with No Country, Fargo or probably even The Big Lebowski, but it is superior to most other movies out there right now. Some may complain that it is a bit cynical as it does lampoon the US government, but it seemed appropriate to me. This is not quite a must see, but definitely good.

Grade: B, definitely worth the ticket, but not the best effort from the Coen Brothers.