• Podcast
  • Reviews
  • NJ IPA Podcast
  • About
  • Search
  • Podcast
  • Reviews
  • NJ IPA Podcast
  • About
  • Search
SCENE IT ALL BEFORE

Alice Through The Space-Time Continuum

5/27/2016

0 Comments

 

Through The Looking Glass Reviewed

Did you know the 2010 Alice in Wonderland made over $1 billion worldwide? And that it was only the sixth movie in cinema history to accomplish this feat? With that in mind, the real wonder is that Alice didn’t get a sequel sooner. Not that anyone was really asking for one, as the original came out to very mixed reviews. But with a billion dollar box office showing, Disney executives would be silly not to venture down the rabbit hole one more time. After sitting through this movie it became apparent why it took so long to make Alice Through the Looking Glass: it’s because they never found a good story for their sequel. 

Through the Looking Glass starts where the last one left off, with Alice as a ship's captain trying to outrun a fleet of pirates. No, I didn’t make that up, but it did take me a second to remember that this was how director Tim Burton decided to conclude things with his main character. But Captain Alice is just the frame story; the real story is that the Mad Hatter is now the Sad Hatter because he misses his family. And if we can’t turn that frown upside down the Hatter is going to die.

I suppose the thinking is when you have Johnny Depp in your movie you have to make the movie about Johnny Depp, though I don’t know why that is still a rule. Since the last Alice in Wonderland came out Depp has become better known for his bombs--Mortdecai, Transcendence, and The Rum Diary--rather than his successes. And it looks like the theme of failure is starting to cross over into his personal life as well. The movie supports a robust cast, but most of Depp's fellow actors are wasted. Academy Award winner Anne Hathaway spends most of the movie sitting quietly, watching the sky change color.

Picture
How important of a character was the Mad Hatter? Why is he the lead in both of these movies?
Sasha Baron Cohen plays time personified, and from the look of the advertisements  he is supposed to be the movie’s villain, when really he is just doing his job. In fact, it seems like Alice is the biggest jerk in the movie. Had she listened to anything anyone had asked her to do she could have avoided a lot of problems, like inadvertently erasing existence. 

The one thing the movie can hang its (mad) hat on is that, like the previous movie, the computer graphics look great. Director Jason Bobin, who takes the reins from Tim Burton, is able to recapture the visual mastery, but that is the movie’s only strength. He is unable to match the narrative tension in Burton’s original, which wasn't even that strong to begin with. 

I vaguely remember reading Through the Looking Glass when I was younger, and this is not Through The Looking Glass. Burton sort of combined Carrol’s two original stories, so the sequel writers were left with no source material to mine. Because of this, Alice Through the Looking Glass was a low-stakes story, and thus less interesting to watch. Though that’s what happens when you walk into a dream world; it's hard to stay invested in your character's trouble when all she needs to do is wake up.  Which unfortunately might also be something the audience has to do when the credits begin to roll. 
 D-
0 Comments

Waka Flocka

5/19/2016

0 Comments

 

Angry Birds Reviewed

When I see an animated movie in theaters I like going to a Saturday matinee because there are kids in the audience and I like seeing how they react. The theater was packed and there must have only been two seats left, so a family of five crunched into these two seats: Mom and Dad in seats, kids on their laps, and baby in the carrier on the floor.  The oldest seemed to like the movie when he wasn’t making his Dad buy him a big soda and then taking several subsequent bathroom trips because his bladder is the size of a quarter. The middle child preferred seeing how many seats he could crawl under until his Mom had to go get him. What I’m trying to say is Angry Birds had mixed reviews. 

There was a lot working against Angry Birds the movie. For starters, I can’t think of a good movie that was adapted from a video game. Sure I enjoyed Mortal Kombat, but that doesn't mean it was good. The fact that this is the first movie based on a smartphone game lowers the bar even further.

But there wasn't a lot of source material to work with— after all Angry Birds doesn't have a linear narrative; it's a puzzle game. So screenwriter Jo Vitti had to come up with an original story as to why these two animals don't like each other and what makes these birds so angry. If you stop and think about the story at all it goes to some pretty dark places, with sinister schemes and total war repercussions, but the movie is brightly lit and no one dies so we can all still laugh about it. On the other hand, the Lego people had arguably even less to work with and they made one of the best kids’ movies of the past decade.  
Picture
I have fallen asleep watching other kids' movies, so at least Angry Birds kept my attention
The movie relies on a lot of sophomoric humor. For example, [SPOILER, I guess] there is one scene in which a character wakes up, stretches, and just starts draining the tank. The camera cuts to right between his legs and you can watch him letting it go for a solid 60 seconds. [END OF SPOILER ALERT]. But the audience ate it up; heck I laughed too. So if you are okay with those kinds of jokes then have at it.
​
I also liked all the voice actors. It helps when you have genuinely funny people in kids’ movies. Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, and Danny McBride take the three lead birds, but the movie also co-stars Bill Hader, Peter Dinklage, Maya Rudolph, and Sean Penn in a role you won't recognize him in. Sudeikis has been in a lot of R-rated comedies recently where he relies on a dry delivery; that works for adults but I don't remember kids laughing at many of his jokes. The little boys in the audience will probably enjoy the voice work of Josh Gad, who was previously Frozen’s Olaf.  But really all the voice actors are colorful and help keep the movie afloat.  

I have to imagine that if they were able to get this movie out a couple years ago, there would have been even more buzz.  Interest in the game is dwindling, but I know a lot of kids that still prefer this app to playing outside—my cousin (maybe say how old he is?) was quite flummoxed as to why I did not have Angry Birds on my phone.  He will probably like this movie. As for me and the kid crawling under the seats, I imagine we can find another way to entertain ourselves.
 C-
0 Comments

Top 5 George Clooney Movies

5/12/2016

0 Comments

 
Money Monsters comes out this weekend and I had every intention of seeing it but I had my final exam in American Sign Language Class, which I couldn’t skip.  So in honor of Money Monsters I decided to make a list recognizing its lead.  A top-five for the movie star incarnate: Mr. George Clooney.
​
Honorable Mention: South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut
The only reason this didn’t make this list is because Bigger, Longer, Uncut isn’t a George Clooney movie, per say. Sure he’s in it, but Clooney has been a leading man since leaving TV, and here he is providing the voice for one character in one scene. But did I laugh at this scene. Reprising his role as an ER doctor, he does his best to save Kenny’s life but it does not go well. There are a lot of funny moments in the South Park movie but this is a personal fav. Fun fact: The first time he worked with the South Park guys he played Sparky the gay dog, and was brought in solely to bark.  

5) Perfect Storm
It was really close between this and Three Kings, but if the two were playing on TV at the same time I would pick Perfect Storm nine out of ten times. Maybe it’s because of Clooney; maybe it’s Marky Mark; or it could be because of that epic wave on the film’s poster, but whatever the case I prefer this movie. Most likely it’s because of the fantastic cast overall, which includes Wahlberg, Diane Lane, John Hawkes, and John C. Reilly. But Clooney tops them all as the ship’s captain. The performances generate sympathy for this group of guys who are just trying to earn enough to money to survive the off-season. Which makes what these men go through all the tougher to watch, but that doesn’t take away from the incredible story, even if it is sensationalized. 

4) From Dusk Till Dawn
I never knew Clooney as a character on ER, but a lot of people who did were concerned he couldn’t pull off the role of total bad ass. Well let me tell you—George Clooney can kill a vampire with the best of them. The movie has kind of a split personality to it; perhaps that’s because it’s rumored that Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino split directing duties. The first half of the movie is a bank heist thriller and then, on a dime, it turns into a gory vampire flick with black comedy running throughout. To some the movie seems uneven, but to me this just means From Dusk Till Dawn has something for everyone.  This was Clooney’s breakout role and helped turn him into the movie star we know today.

3) Up in the Air
I feel Clooney is typically known as a serious actor, with movies like Michael Clayton, Syriana, and Good Night and Good Luck on his resume (the latter also really close to making the list). But Up in the Air has stuck with me the most. Fresh out of the economic downturn we experienced in the mid 2000’s Clooney plays a man who goes around firing people. He is the typical suave Clooney we have come to know him as, not a care in the world, above it all. But as the movie progresses his character’s desires shift and out comes hurt, puppy dog-eyed Clooney, and that look in his eyes still haunts me.   

2) O’ Brother Where Art Thou
Upon deciding to make this list I immediately knew what my top two movies were going to be; it was just a matter of what order to put them in. The Coen Brother’s take on Homer’s The Odyssey is fantastic. Three members of a chain gang—Clooney, John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson—go on an epic quest to find Everett’s treasure. Every character our three heroes meet along their journey brings something entertaining to the story. Not only that, but the soundtrack is fantastic. Full of wonderful bluegrass music, I have no problem playing this album the whole way through. In fact, you put a couple beers in me and point me towards a mic I will rock out to “Man of Constant Sorrow” with the best of them.

1) Ocean’s Eleven 
I thought about swapping my number one and number two movies as to not go with the obvious choice, but I just couldn’t do it. Ocean’s Eleven is so far and away my number one that I really wanted to include Ocean’s Thirteen on the list. My love of movies may have been birthed from Danny Ocean and the gang. I was supposed to see this with a group of friends but for some reason it wound up just being just me and my friend Jim. I sat in the seat right next to him, saying, “We can’t tell anyone about this man-date.” I was in middle school and I didn’t know any better. But what transpired in front of my eyes was something special. It was funny, it was action-packed, and it was terrifically acted. I loved it. I couldn’t stop gushing about it. We named people in our group of friends after characters in this movie, which now seems kind of weird but I couldn’t help it. I was infatuated and that feeling has not left since.  

What is your favorite Clooney movie?  Let me know in the comments section.  And thanks for reading.  
0 Comments

Captain America: Marvel's Best Movie To Date

5/5/2016

0 Comments

 

Civil War Reviewed

When Captain America: Civil War was first announced I was very excited. The story is based on the famous comic series by the same name, but the Russo Brothers, who also directed Captain America: Winter Soldier, made the story their own. It is Iron Man vs. Captain America, and unlike the comic book series the sides are much more blurred. You don't hate anyone for the choices that they make; there is no bad guy in this movie. Except of course the bad guys.

The movie begins with Cap (Chris Evans) trying to stop a familiar villain and it was tough to watch. The Russo brothers implement a lot of shakey camera work and fast movement. This was all made worse by the movie being in 3D. In fact You can tell when an action sequence is coming by the change in camera work. It takes a while to get used to the style, but by the time your eyes have adjusted you're rewarded with the movie’s big battles scenes. More on that later.

During the early parts of the movie I think I liked the story more than the action. The story builds in a very organic way. Each side is well-defined; each decision is true to the character’s arc made throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In other superhero movies of the same ilk I never understood why, for example, Batman and Superman hated each other. It always seemed like if Superman could just sit Batman down and talk it out with Bruce, things could have worked out. With Iron man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Captain America it makes sense--the two have fundamental ideological differences of opinion about how and why things are done. The tension boils over in the climax when emotions run high, leading to feelings of anger and betrayal. The buildup in this movie makes sense and is possibly the best part of Civil War.
​

It's good that the story is enjoyable because there is a lot of it. Captain America is just about two and a half hours, and even though I was having a great time in the theater I still noticed it was long. Luckily the final moments of the movie prove worthy.
Picture
This is the movie's best moment
Enough of the story; put on the costumes and fight. There are two major fight scenes in the movie. Both are great in their own way but the big battle that takes place at the airport is pure joy. The choreography is fantastic, but it’s the interaction between the heroes that makes this the best scene in any Marvel movie to date. While watching this scene I found myself laughing at the remarks our heroes made during the fight, and smiling at all the tricks the Russo brothers used. The climactic fight at the end is also great, but is much more intimate. The scenes have different tones, so despite the relatively short amount of time between the two, they both work.

The other thing this movie does very well is reintroduce Spider-Man, as you may have seen in one of the trailers. Spidey has a much larger role than I expected and probably steals the whole show. This kid is going to be a star and from everything I saw what I'm now most excited for is the new Spider-Man reboot. Tom Holland is going to leave Toby Maguire in the dust.

For all the Marvel Universe fan boys out there, those who have been to every movie on opening weekend like I have, Captain America rewards your loyalty. I don’t want to hate on Age of Ultron, but this is the second Avengers movie people expected. When I walked out of the theater I knew this was in my top three Marvel movies. After a week to think about it I have no problem saying this is the best movie of the year so far, and is the best movie Marvel has ever done. A

Two things of note: There are two after credit scenes, one at the very end, so make sure you stick around. Also, Marissa Tomei is still a total smoke show.  
0 Comments

    Categories

    All
    1920s
    2015
    Action
    A Nightmare On Elm Street
    Aquaman
    Baby Driver
    Batman
    Ben Affleck
    Black Panther
    Blade Runner
    Blade Runner 2049
    Bradley Cooper
    Charlie Hunnam
    Chris Messina
    Chris Pratt
    Christopher Nolan
    Coco
    Cyborg
    Dave Bautista
    DC
    Director
    Disney
    Drama
    Dunkirk
    Ferdinand
    Game Of Thrones
    Gangster
    GLOW
    Guardians Of The Galaxy
    Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 2
    Guy Ritchie
    Happy Death Day
    House Of Cards
    I
    Jennifer Lawrence
    Jude Law
    Justice League
    King Arthur
    Kumail Nanjiani
    Live By Night
    Marvel
    Mob
    Movie
    Orange Is The New Black
    Oscar Picks
    Passengers
    Patton Oswalt
    Pixar
    Podcast
    Prohibition
    Rain Man
    Review
    Sci-Fi
    Space
    Spider Man
    Spider-Man
    Star Wars
    Suburbicon
    Superheroes
    Superman
    The Big Sick
    The Dark Tower
    The Faculty
    The Flash
    The Last Five Years
    The Last Jedi
    The Little Giants
    Tommy Boy
    Tonya
    Top Ten
    TV
    Twin Peaks
    Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
    Universe
    Vin Diesel
    Wonder
    Wonder Woman
    Zoe Saldana

    Archives

    May 2021
    February 2020
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.