Category Archives: Reviews

“Warrior” packs more than just an MMA wallop

Leave a reply

As mixed martial arts continues to gain popularity over traditional boxing and other competitive fighting, it was only a matter of time before a movie centered around the sport hit the big screen. Hitting theaters today, Warrior successfully beats any potential competition to the proverbial punch in MMA movie making.

When Paddy (Nick Nolte) gets an unexpected visit from his estranged son Tommy (Tom Hardy), old wounds are reopened as Paddy tries to make up for his alcohol-fueled abusive past. Meanwhile, financial strains cause problems for high school physics teacher Brendan (Joel Edgerton) and his family. Though they seem to have very opposing motivations (at least at first), fate sees both men entering Sparta, a first-of-its-kind MMA tournament where competitors from around the world will compete for $5 million, and the title of world’s best fighter.

With fighting being used as a powerful metaphor for the life struggles each character faces, the similarities between Warrior and Rocky cannot be denied. Both films involve working class fighters (one of which is past a prime that was never that memorable to begin with) trying to overcome such odds as Koba, a seemingly unstoppable Russian fighter played by current Total Nonstop Action Wrestling World Heavyweight Champion Kurt Angle. But as each character’s history and motivations are revealed, Warrior proves to be more than just Rocky: The Next Generation. From the realistic nature of the cage fighting scenes to the climactic final battle in which everyone (not just the two combatants) is forced to face their darkest fears, Warrior is just as much about making amends for past mistakes as it is about submission moves and physical grappling.

Warrior. Directed by Gavin O’Connor. Starring Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton and Nick Nolte. Rated PG-13. www.warriorfilm.com.

Review by Jonathan Williams

 

Guillermo del Toro helps give us reason to be “Afraid of the Dark” again

Leave a reply

When a phrase like “Guillermo del Toro presents” is used to promote a movie, it’s reason enough to be a little suspicious of what to expect. Sure, del Toro has lent his writing, directing and production talents to some great movies like Pan’s Labyrinth and The Orphanage in recent years. But the somewhat ambiguous term “presents” can sometimes mean nothing more than a big-name talent endorsing someone else’s film in hopes of increasing ticket sales.

Thankfully that is not the case with Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, the feature-length directorial debut for accomplished comic book artist Troy Nixey. A throwback horror movie in much the same vein as the recent Insidious, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark is a remake of a made-for-TV movie from 1973. With del Toro having co-written (and co-produced) this big scream treatment, the movie retains a ’70s horror feel with some of the creep-outs and creatures that have populated some of del Toro’s other works (namely Pan’s Labyrinth).

Set in a Gothic mansion where an architect (Guy Pearce) has moved in and started renovating in hopes of making the cover of some big architectural magazine, most of the story revolves around his troubled daughter Sally (Bailee Madison) and what initially seems like extremely bratty behavior stemming from her disdain for dad’s new girlfriend (Katie Holmes). But it doesn’t take long for everyone to realize that Sally’s not responsible for the oddly malicious happenings that become increasingly more dangerous to everyone in the house.

In fact, the multitude of goblin-like tooth fairies that dwell beneath the mansion’s basement have apparently wreaked havoc on previous tenants (namely an accomplished nature artist whose work took a turn for the macabre towards the end of his career). What begins as hauntingly creepy whispers and shadowy glimpses of these rodent-like creatures builds to a full scale gore-and-violence fest (though little actual gore is shown) as the goblins assert their physical and psychological dominance over the household.

With a darkly expansive setting reminiscent of The Shining and The Amityville Horror, monsters that evoke horror favorites such as Gremlins, Critters and The Gate and del Toro’s visionary take on the dark fantasy genre, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark has a few suspenseful frights (thanks in large part to composer Marco Beltrami) and an old school feel that will please most genre fiends. And Madison’s turn as the susceptible child being lured in by something from beyond adds more than a touch of Poltergeist-like unease.

Though it is unique amongst most of today’s horror movies (Insidious being a superior exception), Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark is also somewhat derivative of the movies that inspired it (and of del Toro’s own other efforts). But that’s just a minor flaw amidst an inspired cast and an otherwise overall great debut for a first-time director.

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark. Directed by Troy Nixey. Starring Guy Pearce, Katie Holmes and Bailee Madison. Rated R. www.dontbeafraidofthedark.com.

Review by Jonathan Williams

 

 

“Transformers: Dark of the Moon” delivers more than just bot battles

Leave a reply

When I first heard that Michael Bay would be directing the film adaptation of one of my all-time favorite toy lines, my anticipation was high and my expectations were low. To my surprise and slight delight, 2007’s Transformers was not a total disappointment. In fact, it stayed true enough to the various continuities from the original comics and cartoons to please longtime fans, had a plot that was engaging enough to not be insulting and offered enough of Bay’s mindless action and T&A to work on a few levels.

While the first film was a bit more than met the eye, its 2009 followup Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen was, unfortunately, everything I expected the first one to be (a big, dumb assortment of Michael Bay explosions and inanity). With the bar once again lowered, I went into Transformers: Dark of the Moon with much the same mindset that I had with the first film. And just as the first one was surprisingly good, Dark of the Moon is truly the best of the trilogy (and, though it isn’t really saying much, probably Bay’s best effort to date).

With few mentions of the events of the second film (including the omission of the bumbling duo of Skids and Mudflap), Dark of the Moon revolves around the idea that the Space Race of the 1960s was prompted by a Transformers spacecraft that crash landed on the dark side of the moon. The film rewrites history by attributing the 1986 Chernobyl disaster to a fuel cell from the ship and by having a cameo by the real Buzz Aldrin, who gives his moral support to the Autobots before they head to the moon to investigate.

As the Autobots find and revive Optimus Prime’s predecessor Sentinel Prime (voiced by Leonard Nimoy, who voiced Galvatron in the 1986 animated The Transformers: The Movie), a down-on-his-luck Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) is living with his new girlfriend Carly (Victoria’s Secret model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley) in D.C. while struggling to find work in a world he has helped save on two occasions. Once again, Sam unwittingly uncovers a Decepticon plot, this time to build a teleportation device that will allow them to not only take over our planet, but revive their own using human slave labor. And with multiple Star Trek references, the irony of having a character voiced by the  most famous Vulcan who is also key to the building the teleportation device can only be intentional.

As has been the case with the previous two films, the human element is just as important in Dark of the Moon as the big fighting robots (with parallels drawn between the bigger bot plot and the personal lives of the main human characters). In addition to the returning John Turturro, the ensemble cast includes Frances McDormand as the United States Secretary of Defense, Ken Jeong as Sam’s conspiracy theorist coworker, Patrick Dempsey as Carly’s wealthy and sleazy boss  and John Malkovich as the neurotic businessman who finally gives Sam a job. While these respected actors definitely enrich the overall story, Dark of the Moon also borrows from various other films ranging from Mission: Impossible to Independence Day to Mad Max, giving it a depth that the previous two films didn’t quite achieve. And this Transformers definitely lives up to the Dark part of its moniker with multiple betrayals and gruesome fatalities for bots and humans alike.

Sure, it’s a big budget Michael Bay alien invasion movie. But there’s more to it than that for those paying attention. And it’s clearly Bay’s attempt to meld a summer action flick with something a little more respectable in much the same way The Dark Knight did a few years ago.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Directed by Michael Bay. Starring Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel, John Turturro, Tyrese Gibson and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. Rated PG-13. www.transformersmovie.com.

Review by Jonathan Williams

 

 

 

 

“Green Lantern” glows with action despite dim plot

1 Reply
When it comes to the hierarchy of the DC Universe, the Green Lantern Corps has always been on the periphery of popularity behind the likes of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. But just as Marvel has elevated some of its B-level heroes to blockbuster status over the past few years, DC finally gives the most well-known bearer of the Green Lantern ring, Hal Jordan, the big screen treatment with Green Lantern (opening today).

While most of the other recent comic-to-screen translations have tried to legitimize the genre with accomplished directors, respectable actors, well-written scripts and believable takes on otherwise unbelievable source material, Green Lantern (for the most part) is pure CGI-filled escapism. Plot-wise, Green Lantern is surprisingly similar to that other recent superhero hit Thor, with Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) playing a cocky, arrogant and irresponsible test pilot whose Top Gun-like showboating causes problems for pretty much everyone around him. Despite being a seemingly undeserving wearer of the powerful Green Lantern ring, the ring chooses him after its previous wearer dies after battling the fear-mongering, planet-destroying entity known as Parallax (whose guttural growl sounds like the guy from monster truck commercials, thanks to veteran voice actor Clancy Brown).

Borrowing heavily from the original Superman movie (especially in scenes with Jordan and his love interest Carol Ferris, played by Blake Lively) and Star Wars (with the Green Lantern Corps home base of Oa looking like the Mos Eisley Cantina on steroids), Green Lantern has a hard time establishing an identity of its own. And though Reynolds certainly looks the part of the Jordan character previously seen in comics and cartoons, his portrayal of the character comes across a bit hokey, especially when he finally proves his worth as a Green Lantern by overcoming his own shortcomings and inner demons.

Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) learns to wield the power of the Green Lantern

Green Lantern‘s supporting cast, which includes Angella Bassett, Tim Robbins, Geoffrey Rush and British actor Mark Strong as Sinestro, gives the film a little bit of acting clout. And Peter Sarsgaard, who starts off looking a little like Paul Giamatti and ends up looking more like the Elephant Man after being infected with Parallax’s power, definitely turns in an impressive performance as the nerdy professor Hector Hammond. But for some reason, none of that ever totally makes up for the cliched plot and lack of character development.

Oa's intergalactic Green Lantern Corps

Visually, however, Green Lantern has all the makings of a blockbuster summer spectacle, with plenty of glitzy battles that make their way from the deepest, darkest regions of outer space to Jordan’s earthly hometown of Coast City and back out to the edge of the sun’s gravitational pull. Director Martin Campbell is clearly going more for Michael Bay-like action and suspension of disbelief than Christopher Nolan-like seriousness, which reminds us that comic books (and their film adaptations) sometimes still need to be more about escapism than intellectualism.

Green Lantern. Directed by Martin Campbell. Starring Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard and Mark Strong. Rated PG-13. www.greenlanternmovie.warnerbros.com.

Review by Jonathan Williams

Respect for self and others is at the heart of WWE’s “That’s What I Am”

2 Replies

With recent films such as Legendary, Knucklehead and The Chaperone, WWE Studios has proven that WWE stars can hang with some of Hollywood’s best, and that they are capable of playing more than just tough guy action heroes. But with its latest release, That’s What I Am (available today on DVD and Blu-ray), WWE ventures into more serious topics, allowing the focus to be on the talents of accomplished actors like Ed Harris and Amy Madigan and younger stars like Chase Ellison and Alexander Walters, with current World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton playing a somewhat sinister supporting role.

A film festival favorite, That’s What I Am is a nostalgic and lighthearted dramedy that unfolds like a cross between The Wonder Years and Freaks and Geeks as Andy Nichol (Ellison, who also costarred with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in Tooth Fairy) begins to learn the ups and downs of impending adulthood during his final year of junior high. From figuring out how to handle the advances of Mary Clear (Mia Rose Frampton), the prettiest girl in school, to facing ridicule from his classmates after being paired with “Big G” (Walters), the school’s biggest outcast (literally and figuratively), for an English project, Andy is confronted with varying levels of prejudice from multiple sources.

The main conflict arises when accusations about the sexual orientation of Mr. Simon (Harris) come about, with Orton’s character (an intolerant father with a short fuse) threatening to make the rumors about the popular and accomplished teacher public knowledge (a rather damaging prospect in the film’s 1965 setting). From students to parents, everyone is faced with how to handle their own fears and prejudices as the school year comes to an end and the kids find themselves on the brink of high school and all its challenges.

Ed Freel (Randy Orton) talks to Principal Kelner (Amy Madigan) in "That's What I Am"

The latest in the current anti-bullying/accept-me-as-I-am pop cultural trend, That’s What I Am is a somewhat surprising and refreshing departure for WWE, which continues to expand its presence in the overall entertainment world. The DVD/Blu-ray release includes extras such as bloopers, on-set footage with Orton and the movie’s world premeire at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

That’s What I Am. Written and directed by Mike Pavone. Starring Ed Harris, Chase Ellison and Amy Madigan. Rated PG. www.thatswhatiammovie.com. 

Review by Jonathan Williams

“Jumping the Broom”: It’s not “Thor,” but I like it

1 Reply

So I finally get my first big assignment for Wrestling with Pop Culture and I’m told to do this movie review. Being that I, myself, have superpowers beyond those of normal humans, I figured I would definitely be reviewing the new Thor movie. But no, someone who thinks he is more important had already taken on that responsibility, leaving me to review what looked to be a cheesy chick flick called Jumping the Broom, starring Paula Patton (that really hot chick most recently seen in last year’s Just Wright). Aside from the eye candy, I was dreading the inevitable religious propaganda that was sure to ensue since one of the film’s producers is megachurch minister-turned-Christian author Bishop T.D. Jakes (who also makes an extended cameo as Reverend James).

Once I got past the fact that I was going to a movie about God instead of the one about the God of Thunder, I was surprised to find that Jumping the Broom is less about moralizing and more about a cultural clash. And instead of that clash occurring because of ethnic or racial differences, it’s socioeconomic and cultural differences between a “ghetto” black family and a “bougie” African American family that cause problems. It’s somewhat refreshing to see a story that tackles such topics without falling back on stereotypes between one ethnic group and another.

Laz Alonso as Jason and Paula Patton as Sabrina in "Jumping the Broom"

Instead, these struggles take on a mostly comedic tone as Jason (Laz Alonso) brings his inner city family to the Martha’s Vineyard home of his bride-to-be (Patton). As preparations for the wedding move forward, tensions between the two families (namely the two mothers, played by Angela Bassett and Loretta Devine) escalate, making for some entertaining moments for the viewer. Eventually, however, these tensions eventually bring out long-hidden family secrets and reveal some dastardly character traits that are often misrepresented by some of the film’s more manipulative characters as God’s will. Though it does get a little heavy-handed with the prayer and forgiveness stuff towards the happily-ever-after Hollywood ending, Jumping the Broom, with it’s rich subplots carried out by a talented ensemble cast, ends up being a movie less about God and more about humanity and the foibles it entails.  

Worlds collide in "Jumping the Broom"

While many of you can probably relate to that, I don’t quite get it, being superhuman and all. And as much as I hate to admit it, this movie was actually much better than I had anticipated. Still, if I don’t get to share my thoughts on something with a little more testosterone next time, I may be forced to reveal some of my own godlike powers in order to get my way.

Jumping the Broom. Directed by Salim Akil. Starring Laz Alonso, Paula Patton, Angela Bassett and Loretta Devine. Rated PG-13. www.jumpingthebroom-movie.com.

Review by Flash Gorem 

It’s hammer time with “Thor” and “Almighty Thor”

1 Reply

This weekend, two movies based on the hammer-wielding warrior of Norse mythology and Marvel Comics thunder onto screens. First, of course, is Thor, the big-budget sure-to-be-blockbuster starring Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins and the relative-unknown Chris Hemsworth in the title role (channelling a bit of Brad Pitt from Troy). Like the previous Marvel Studios adaptations, Thor offers a relatively believable take on a subject that would otherwise be too far fetched to be anything more than big-screen escapism. That’s not to say some suspension of disbelief isn’t required here, but there’s a lot more going on than hammering fight scenes and dumbed-down action.

The story begins when the ceremony to anoint Thor the new king of Asgard is interrupted by the Frost Giants of Jotunheim, who had been defeated centuries earlier by Thor’s father (and current king) Odin (Hopkins). Thor, an arrogant and headstrong warrior, proves he is not yet worthy of being king when he and his band of warrior friends seek revenge on the Frost Giants for preventing him from becoming king, all but ensuring that war will be

Chris Hemsworth as Thor in "Thor"

waged on Asgard and the other Nine Realms (including Earth). As punishment, Odin strips Thor of his powers (including his war hammer) and banishes him to this strange Earth realm, where he finds himself in a small New Mexico town.

With the help of scientist Jane Foster (Portman) and her friends, Thor soon gets himself into trouble with government agents when he tries to retrieve his hammer, which now has a The Sword in the Stone-like spell on it until a worthy weilder comes along. While Thor continues to be humbled on Earth, his brother Loki (slitheringly portrayed by Tom Hiddleston) manipulates his way into power back in Asgard, sending one of its most powerful beings to Earth to try and prevent Thor’s return. This battle, of course, eventually spills over between realms, culminating in a final showdown between Thor and Loki (to be continued in next year’s The Avengers movie).

Thor‘s more fantasy-based elements give it a different feel from Marvel’s other superhero movies, with some obvious Shakespearean elements courtesy director Kenneth Branagh, Hopkins and writers J. Michael Straczynski and Mark Protosevich. But with the obligatory Stan Lee cameo and other fanboy inside jokes, it is still clearly a fun fantasy-come-true just to see these characters go from page to screen.

While Thor looks to hammer the competition at box offices starting today, Syfy presents its own take on the legend with Almighty Thor, a much lower budget film with an even lesser-known Cody Deal as Thor, airing at 9 p.m. May 7. Based more on the Norse legends than the comic books, Almighty Thor stars Richard Grieco as Loki, who is immediately established here as an evil sorcerer bent on obtaining Thor’s powerful hammer. WWE legend Kevin Nash gets a good deal of screentime as Odin, obviously opting more for a grizzled warrior persona than Hopkins’ noble thespian take on the character.

Kevin Nash as Odin in "Almighty Thor"

With the hammer being the focal point of this story, Thor and Loki again end up fighting their way to Earth (this time Los Angeles), bringing all sorts of CGI mayhem along with them. While Almighty Thor is clearly not intended to outdo Thor‘s huge production and talent pool, it should obviously get at least a few extra views thanks to its bigger theatrical counterpart. And Almighty Thor worth a viewing just to see Nash kicking ass outside the wrestling ring.

Thor. Directed by Kenneth Branagh. Starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston and Anthony Hopkins. Rated PG-13. thor.marvel.com.  

Almighty Thor. Directed by Christopher Ray. Starring Patricia Velasquez, Cody Deal, Kevin Nash and Richard Grieco. www.syfy.com.