Safe Haven Review

There's a part of me that says I shouldn't have enjoyed this movie as much as I did. I'm not trying to say I thought the movie was fantastic or anything, but that it kind of exceeded my expectations. Granted, judging from the early reviews I read and just the overall experience with movies like this (sappy romances), I didn't expect hardly anything, and came away from it pleasantly surprised.

Julianne Hough is being hunted down for murder, and so to escape, she catches a bus ride down to Southport, North Carolina, where she quickly makes friends with Josh Duhamel and his two kids. Of course the two fall instantly in love and neither really seems to question why just about everyone they interact with in this town is so god damn good looking. In any case, Hough tries to make a new life. She gets a job at the local restaurant, and buys a shack in the woods to live in, which seems kind of odd considering she's frightened almost every night that there's someone outside trying to break in. Isn't there another house in the actual city of Southport? Also, the town doesn't seem to worry about trivial matters such as credit history or bank accounts when it comes to purchasing a home, even if it is a cabin in the woods. Anyway, while Hough is playing house in North Carolina, a detective is looking for her back in her hometown, who, despite his good looks (seriously! Is there not one ugly person in Nicholas Sparks' world??), has some hidden demons that may compromise his ability to find her. Or something like that.

They're trying desperately to make a movie star out of Julianne Hough, who starred in last year's Rock of Ages, but she just doesn't quite deliver a memorable performance here. It's just pretty meh. I get the feeling she'll get a few more starring roles in movies like this, but I don't see her becoming another Rachel McAdams or someone to that effect who's a bankable romance star. She does, however, have a starring role in Diablo Cody's directorial debut, Paradise, which is set for a release later this year. Cody wrote the screenplays for great movies focusing on female leads like Juno and Young Adult, so that is maybe Hough's best chance at showing that she has what it takes to be a star in Hollywood.

It irks me that in all of these kinds of movies lately the female star is a tall, borderline unhealthily-thin blonde, and the male lead is a rugged-looking outcast. It's what I call The Notebook effect. There really isn't two more prototypical stereotypes in romance movies, and I wish that more of these movies would step out of that element into something different. Would it make the movie significantly better? Probably not, but it'd be nice to see a variety in the stars of these movies. After awhile, it becomes impossible to separate the Julianne Hough's from the Taylor Schilling's of movie world.

I felt like the whole plotline of the detective searching for Hough really made the movie drag in the middle. Again, this is the kind of movie that could have been cut by 20 minutes and not really lost much in terms of its overall story. The scenes with the detective really took me out of the romance between Duhamel and Hough's characters, which is kind of the point of the movie in the first place. I guess I can see why that storyline is there (it builds for the inevitable climatic ending), but it just weighed the movie down. There's a twist towards the end of the movie that isn't really all that shocking to begin with (careful watchers will be able to pick up the clues as the movie goes along), which gives the ending that little extra Nicholas Sparks sappy ending we've seen before.

Even the kids are adorable!

Probably the best thing about Safe Haven is the scenery. It's set in a coastal North Carolina town, and it makes for some really nice looking shots, particularly towards the end of the movie, set on July 4th evening. Duhamel has some really great moments with the two kids in the movie, and he gives a really convincing performance as a father to them. It's not anything forced or that seems fake. There are a few storylines with the kids that I kind of wish the movie would have focused on more, but then again the movie isn't really about them.

People have said that the twist is ludicrous and insulting, but I disagree. It wasn't something that came as a shock, and, while I don't really think the movie benefited enough from the twist in order to warrant it being in there, it kind of makes sense in the context of the movie. I didn't find it all that shocking; I had it mostly figured out about thirty minutes in, but the movie could have done more with it. I think it would have been interesting to learn the twist earlier in the movie. While it probably makes early scenes more intriguing on a second viewing, I feel a movie should base itself around the idea that people are only going to see it once. Safe Haven isn't the kind of movie that needs to end with a surprising twist.

I've never read a Nicholas Sparks book. I probably will at some point just to get an idea of his writing style, but I can't imagine all his books being as cookie cutter as the adaptions that have come from them. Even though I highlighted a few things I liked in Safe Haven, there's far too much here that we've seen before in other romantic dramas recently. There are scenes in Safe Haven taken almost directly from other movies based off his books like The Lucky One and The Notebook. I think that is the main problem critics tend to have with these movies. Although they're different on some levels, most of the plot is the same as the last movie. The Lucky One and Safe Haven are in many ways the same movie, with just a reversal of gender for the main characters. Also, can I just ask, why is there so much rain in all his movies? And why is it always during a big dramatic scene? There are other forms of weather, people!

Safe Haven pretty much boils down to being just a more well-funded Lifetime movie. I don't necessarily mean that as an insult, but that's basically what we're dealing with here. There's nothing new that stands out or makes it memorable from the countless other romantic dramas we've seen since The Notebook started this Nicholas Sparks type of romance drama back in 2004. That being said, it's not a terrible movie, it's just kind of there. It's merely a means to get couples into the seats for a date night on a weekend.

Has its Moments

Identity Thief Movie Review

Trying to make an identity thief a likable character? Probably something that sounds really impossible, and at times I didn't think Identity Thief would be able to pull it off, but somehow it did. Maybe that's more credit to how funny and just downright lovable Melissa McCarthy is than the movie itself. Identity Thief stars McCarthy and Jason Bateman, and to make a long story short McCarthy steals Bateman's identity and is living it up down in Florida. She's buying way too much stuff for one person and is having way too good a time doing it that you almost begin to kind of envy her a little. Only a little bit. I mean, she is a criminal, right? Who would want to buy anything they ever wanted and get away with it, most of the time? Anyway, in order for him to get his job and financial name back, he has to go down to Florida and bring her back to his home in Colorado.  It really doesn't make all that much sense if this were a real world situation, but, it's a stupid-comedy. We just go with it. It sets the movie up as another road trip comedy with two people who don't want anything to do with one another, and we get all of the obligatory road trip type jokes that we've seen before, yet they're still pretty funny no matter how many times we've seen them.

The great thing about Identity Thief is that both Bateman and McCarthy are both really, really funny in pretty much everything that they do. Also, both are really likable as well. The only problem is that they both play pretty much the same characters in all of their movies. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, (if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?) but what if the roles were reversed? We've seen McCarthy as this outspoken, sassy do-it-all-myself woman before in movies like Bridesmaids, and Bateman's hard working family man in stuff like Horrible Bosses. But what if this time McCarthy was the victim and Bateman was the con? I think it could have been great to see these two kind of step out of their element a little bit into a role they're not all that familiar with. It's not to say that the movie isn't funny enough as is, but it could have made it a little more unique if the roles were reversed. 

If I'm thinking correctly, other than the TV show Mike & Molly this is McCarthy's first starring role in a movie. She has another movie coming out in April co-starring Sandra Bullock titled The Heat, which looks pretty funny as well. The success or failure of these two movies will kind of be a good indication of if McCarthy has what it takes to be a leading lady in movies, or is going to be the type of actress destined for supporting roles her whole career. I think she could be a great comedy star as long as she picks the right movies, and doesn't just do any comedy where she's getting the lead role.

Like I said before we've seen this kind of road trip comedy before, but the movie tries to make it different by bringing in a plot point of having several hit men after McCarthy. I guess it makes sense in the context of the movie, seeing that she's stolen other people's identities and probably pissed off a lot of people. But, to be honest there's no reason for it to be in the movie, and it just makes Identity Thief drag on in a few spots. You can have an enjoyable road trip movie without someone chasing someone. The movie is two hours long, and I honestly can't think of a reason why it couldn't be thirty minutes shorter. When I come to see a movie like Identity Thief, I'm not seeing it for its aesthetic quality or for it to make me think. I'm coming to see it because I want to laugh and have an enjoyable time. While there are some really funny moments in the movie, the sub plot with the hit men really makes the movie drag. There should be a requirement that stupid but enjoyable comedies like Identity Thief are no more than 90 minutes long, unless you can prove that you can keep the pace of the movie going without much of a hiccup along the way. 

Even though this is mostly designed as a straight up comedy, there are some really touching moments towards the end where McCarthy and Bateman bond and you think okay, I guess I can kind of see why this woman would feel the need to steal people's identities and ruin their entire lives for her own benefit. The movie ends with some pretty touching scenes that almost don't feel like they belong in this type of movie, but they work because McCarthy and Bateman do a good job of making them seem true to the characters that they're playing. 

Even though there's some plot issues and it's not exactly a rip-roaring comedy that will have you falling out of your seat, Identity Thief is a good time. This is the type of movie that you just sit back and enjoy and try not to think about too much. It's pretty forgettable, but it it's enjoyable enough while you're watching it. McCarthy is great, Bateman is good, and they work really well together. It's just not quite good enough for me to say that you need to go see this movie right now. It is what it is, and that's pretty much all we want it to be. 

Has Its Moments

The Best Movies of 2012

Opinions are a scary thing. If one person loves a movie and another hates it, it can make for quite the conversation, in both a good and bad way. Around this time of year people can get very opinionated about what they think are the best movies of the year. Arguments start, egos are shattered, riots begin. Okay, maybe not all of that happens, but it can get pretty heated. I'm putting this here as a heed to everyone who reads this. This is what I think are the best movies of 2012. My top ten movies are the ones I enjoyed the most, and stood out for me as the movies that will define 2012. There are a few movies here that I really connected with, that other people hated beyond belief. Some movies a lot of people have at the top of their lists, but aren't on mine. I just wanted to take those couple of seconds to remind everyone this is just my humble opinion, and mine alone. Although I didn't see as many movies this year as I have in past years, I feel  I've seen enough to give a concise list of my favorites for the year.

About two months ago, I wasn't too excited about the quality of movies released in 2012. There were some great summer blockbusters, and other movies that stood out early in the year, but I just wasn't really connecting with too many films. Then I started to watch a lot of the movies I had missed in theaters, and was amazed at what I had missed. So many quality movies were made in 2012, and were spread out so well throughout the year. I think 2012 is one of the best years we've had in a long time for movies. There are so many films that I want to recognize that didn't make it to my final list, and so I'm going to point out a few of them now, before getting to the really good ones.

Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master is a fine work, although it doesn't quite stand on the same stature as his last film, There Will Be Blood. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, and Joaquin Phoenix are as good as ever, and the movie delves into a lot of different ideas and themes, which causes some overcrowding. Life of Pi was one of the most touching and moving stories of the year, even though there was far too much CGI for my liking. Beasts of the Southern Wild is the perfect example of a movie far exceeding the low expectations I had for it. It's one of, if not the most emotionally moving films of the year. Lincoln was not as memorable as I was hoping, but it has arguably Daniel Day-Lewis' finest performance ever. Given his track record, that is quite the accomplishment.

Comedies were once again great this year. The Five-Year Engagement, although about 20 minutes too long, is probably the best date-night movie of 2012, as it has a great balance of romance story and raunchy comedy. Seth MacFarlane's first feature, Ted, is my pick for the funniest movie of 2012, even though it's pretty much a two-hour episode of Family Guy, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. The Campaign gave us all the laughs we'd expect when Will Ferrell and Zack Galifianakis share the screen together. Wanderlust flew very much under the radar, but still had some hilarious moments that makes it worth the watch.

There were the quirky yet intelligent comedies like Safety Not Guaranteed, and smaller indie flicks like The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Liberal Arts, that were very well done.

Although romantic dramas aren't exactly my favorite kind of movie, I can still appreciate what movies like The Vow brought to cinemas this year. These are movies made for a specific target audience; yet when done right, they're entertaining enough to those of us that aren't quite into the genre.

Although The Hunger Games didn't quite live up to the expectations I had for it, it was still a worthy adaptation and, hopefully, the next movie will be able to build upon the success of this one. Hitchcock tried a little too hard to be serious toward its conclusion, instead of relying more on its fun moments, which were the highlight. The Raid: Redemption had some of the finest and more brutal action sequences of the year.

Those are movies that I enjoyed or appreciated this year, but for any number of reasons, I didn't include them on my final best of the year list. These 17 movies are the best ones I saw this year. I'll start with the seven that just missed my top ten, in alphabetical order. If you haven't seen some or any of the movies I mentioned above or below, definitely seek them out when you get the chance.

21 Jump Street

Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller
Written by Michael Bacall
Produced by Stephen J. Cannell and Neal H. Moritz

The Avengers

Written and Directed by Joss Whedon
Produced by Kevin Feige

Brave

Directed by Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman
Written by Mark Andrews, Steve Purcell, Brenda Chapman, and Irene Mecci
Produced by Katherine Sarafin

The Dark Knight Rises

Directed by Christopher Nolan
Written by Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan
Produced by Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven, and Emma Thomas

Flight

Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Written by John Gatins
Produced by Laurie MacDonald, Walter F. Parkes, Jack Rapke, Steve Starkey, and Robert Zemeckis

Indie Game: The Movie

Directed and Produced by Lisanne Pajot and James Swirsky

Silver Linings Playbook

Written and Directed by David O. Russell
Produced by Bruce Cohen, Donna Gigliotti, and Jonathan Gordon

Many of those movies I hated leaving off my top ten list, because they all had terrific qualities that I really connected with. My top ten movies are ones that stood out more to me when I looked back on the year as a whole, and I truly believe that these are the ten finest movies that were released in 2012.

10) Les Misérables

Directed by Tom Hooper
Written by William Nicholson
Produced by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward, and Cameron Mackintosh

I'm going to be honest and say that I didn't have very high expectations for Les Misérables. Tom Hooper seemed like an odd choice for director to me, and just the concept of another adaptation of a successful Broadway play seemed forced. Needless to say, the movie really exceeded my expectations, and I found the entire movie wonderfully well done. The idea of the actors signing their parts while being filmed was probably the best part of the movie, and I thought Hooper's choice to film much of the singing in close-ups brought a lot more emotion to the movie than there could have been with a more ordinary style of filming. The movie is perfectly cast (except for Russell Crowe; that dude shouldn't be allowed near a musical ever again), and does a great job of keeping the audience engaged for the almost three hour run time.

9) Zero Dark Thirty

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow
Written by Mark Boal
Produced by Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, and Megan Ellison

It's amazing to think of all the changes this movie went through between its initial announcement and the final product. Much like The Hurt Locker, Bigelow is able to build a lot of tension around scenes where not all that much happens. I didn't find it to be as solid of a movie as The Hurt Locker, but in a way it's a much different movie. Bigelow shows that she doesn't have to make specifically a war movie in order for it to be great. Jessica Chastain absolutely kills it as the CIA Operative in charge of hunting down bin Laden. The final thirty minutes of this movie are probably the most tension filled minutes in any movie this year, even though we already know how it ends.

8) Looper

Written and Directed by Rian Johnson
Produced by Ram Bergman and James D. Stern

Looper may very well take the prize as the most original movie of the year. I've always been a sucker for time travel movies, and Looper is able to bring some of the conventions associated with those types of movies, but also do things differently than what we're used to seeing. This is easily Rian Johnson's best work, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt does a terrific job. The prosthetics that he wears to look like a young Bruce Willis could have been really distracting and/or bad, but it's so well done and barely takes anything away from the movie. There's enough twists and turns to keep the movie interesting beyond its opening premise. It's highly stylized while also having a lot to say about the way its world works and the people who inhabit it.

7) Skyfall

Directed by Sam Mendes
Written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and John Logan
Produced by Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson

It's rare for a James Bond movie to have so much to say and do such a good job at doing it. The movie isn't afraid to question the need for a character like Bond in a world where people are found and wars are fought with computers and hackers, instead of by a lone man and a gun. It realizes the "golden-age" of espionage is long gone, but in the end makes us realize that we still need men like Bond to do the job when it's necessary. Javier Bardem is easily one of the best Bond villains ever. The only real issue I have with the movie is that this isn't the type of Bond film you can sit back and enjoy whenever you want. That's also its best feature, because it's more than just an action movie.

6)  Prometheus

Directed by Ridley Scott
Written by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof
Produced by David Giler, Walter Hill, and Ridley Scott

Prometheus had a huge amount of buzz surrounding it from the moment it was announced. It was Ridley Scott diving back into the world he created with Alien, and although it brought back big box office numbers, many people found it disappointing and lacking in any depth. I couldn't disagree more. I feel that Prometheus shouldn't be viewed as a standalone movie, but as the beginning of a bigger series that could be launched. There are many questions left unanswered, but I didn't feel like that took away from the experience. It only made me want to watch it again immediately, and begin to speculate on what could be in the sequel. 

5) Django Unchained

Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Produced by Reginald Hudlin, Pilar Savone, and Stacey Sher

There's always a few guarantees with a new Tarantino movie. There's going to be over-the-top violence, villains that are far more interesting than the heroes, and a script that can make talking scenes really, really enjoyable. Django Unchained has everything you want and expect from a Tarantino film. Leonardo DiCaprio gives what is probably his best performance outside of The Aviator. Christoph Waltz proves that his role in Inglourious Basterds wasn't just a fluke. It's refreshing to see a director step out of his element and into a genre he's never tackled, and be able to add his own unique twist on it, while also paying homage to the best movies of the genre. All the characters are perfectly cast, and the Spaghetti Western style that Tarantino honors is done in the best way possible.

4) The Cabin in the Woods

Directed by Drew Goddard
Written by Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard
Produced by Joss Whedon

The Cabin in the Woods is the type of movie where the less you know about it before you see it, the better experience you're going to have watching it. It does a terrific job of breaking down all the clichés we're used to in horror movies (well, movies in general, but horror movies as well) and throws so many twists and turns that it becomes the most unpredictable movie of the year, but also the most fun. Although many of the references will go right over the heads of casual moviegoers, it's the kind of movie you'll be able to pick up on new references everytime you watch it. It's over-the-top but not overdone. It's bloody but not grotesque. The ending is one you'll be talking about months after you see it. 

3) The Grey

Directed by Joe Carnahan
Written by Joe Carnahan and Ian Mackenzie Jeffers
Produced by Joe Carnahan, Jules Daly, Mickey Liddell, and Ridley Scott

No other movie hit me as deeply as The Grey did this year. Liam Neeson may get top billing, but the real star of the movie is the setting. Carnahan does a terrific job of setting up the deserted, snow covered wasteland that can be both haunting and beautiful at the same time. The movie has so much to say about life, death, and survival that one viewing isn't enough to do it justice. It reminded me very much of Alien, and I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say The Grey borrows many elements from the classic horror movie. The characters of The Grey feel as real as possible, and it makes the events that much more emotionally driven.

2) Moonrise Kingdom

Directed by Wes Anderson
Written by Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola
Produced by Wes Anderson, Jeremy Dawson, Steven M. Roybal, and Scott Rudin

I will admit I am not a huge Wes Anderson fan. His style of comedy is one that is truly not for everyone. This isn't to say I don't enjoy or appreciate his movies, but sometimes I don't get what all the fuss is about. Moonrise Kingdom changed all that. I think it's the most accessible movie Anderson has in his lineup. I really don't think there's anything more fun than seeing Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, and Frances McDormand all share screen time together. It's touching, romantic, fun, nostalgic, and absolutely hilarious. I guess you could say it's just like all his other movies.

1) Argo

Directed by Ben Affleck
Screenplay by Chris Terrio
Produced by Ben Affleck, George Clooney, and Grant Heslov

For me, this choice was almost a no-brainer from the moment I walked out of it way back in October. It's the only movie on this list that I wouldn't change a single thing about. Everything works perfectly here, the acting, direction, and the story. It's a flawless two hours where not a single moment or frame is wasted. It's set in the late '70's/early '80's, and yet doesn't weigh itself down by forcing the style of the decade onto the audience. Affleck shows that good old fashioned thrillers can still be made without someone being killed or something being grotesque. There's no other way to say it, but that it's just a damn good movie. Right now, it's my pick for the best movie of the decade.

So there you have it. Agree? Disagree? Like I said earlier, I think 2012 is one of the better years we've had for movies in a long time, and any of the movies that I mentioned here are good enough to at least give a shot. Many of them are already available on DVD/Blu-Ray, so be sure to seek them out whenever you get a chance. 

13 Most Anticipated Movies of 2013

Okay, so I realize I technically haven't wrapped up my coverage of 2012 movies, but isn't it always fun to look into the future and see what lies ahead? I say it every year, but 2013 looks like it could be a pretty solid year in movies. There are a lot of great titles coming out this year, and hopefully most of them will be able to live up to expectations. I hope that in 2013 I can review and stay current with movies much more than I did in 2012, but we shall see. Anyway, I've narrowed my list down to 13 movies that I'll be anticipating the most this year.

Here's a few movies that I'm excited about but didn't make it onto the main list: Thor: The Dark World, Kick-Ass 2: Balls to the Wall, Gangster Squad, Gravity, 42, Much Ado About Nothing.

Here's the rest of the list, in a rough order of how much I'm anticipating the movies. Perhaps at the end of the year, I'll look back and see if any of these movies lived up to the expectations I'm giving them.

13) Anchorman: The Legend Continues
The first Anchorman is probably the funniest movie of the last decade. It's endlessly quotable and has a huge re-watchable value. I am a little nervous about the sequel though. Comedy sequels are often far inferior to their predecessor (Hangover II, Ghostbusters II, American Pie 2; you get the idea), but I think there's hope that it'll at least be halfway decent. The entire original cast is back, which, considering the star power they've all acquired since the first one, makes the movie a must see in its own right.

12) The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
I wasn't exactly the biggest fan of the first Hunger Games movie. It was a decent enough adaptation, and a lot more care was given to the source material than the Twilight novels and even some of the Harry Potter books, but it still didn't quite "wow" me as much as I was hoping it would. Still, it was a huge hit and the sequel was announced almost immediately. Catching Fire is, I think, the best book of the three, so here's hoping I enjoy it more than the first movie.

11) This is The End
Even though there's no footage of it yet, this could very well end up being my pick for the funniest movie of 2013. It has some of the best young actors today playing themselves at a party, when they find out the apocalypse is happening. How could I not be excited for it? James Franco, Paul Rudd, Jonah Hill, Jason Segel, Michael Cera, Mindy Kaling, and so many others, all play themselves. 

10) The Wolverine
X-Men Origins: Wolverine sucked. Plain and simple. It's probably one of the worst comic book movies of the past few years. However, The Wolverine sounds like it will be a great redeemer for the character.When Darren Aronofsky was attached to direct, I was a lot more excited about it. However, Aronofsky didn't leave the project on creative terms, which makes me believe this could still be great. It will set a nice bridge to X-Men: Days of Future Past in 2014 as well.

9) Pacific Rim
It's giant robots versus giant aliens! Plus, it's directed by Guillermo Del Toro, which is by far the coolest name to say. Go ahead, say it. I know, right? Part of me is worried that this is going to turn out to be just another Battle: Los Angeles, but Del Toro has some great movies to his credit and this could be a big franchise starter. The footage shown at Comic Con this year blew the audience away, and really got the hype started for the movie. It's getting released in the middle of the summer, the prime time for a movie like this.





8) The Wolf of Wall Street
I'm not even sure if this will even be released in 2013, but I'm putting it here just in case. According to the IMDb page, it's still filming, but expectations for this movie have been extremely high since it was first announced. Directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, and Matthew McConaughey, this one is already an Oscar contender no matter what year it's released.


7) Star Trek: Into Darkness
It's been four years since we last saw Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the Enterprise crew on the big screen. That much of a gap between movies can either be a great or terrible indication. The worry I have here is that the excitement for another Star Trek movie has worn off in the wake of the comic book movie frenzy of the past few years. Nevertheless, this will (probably) be a hit, and if it's any bit as good as the first one, could be the movie of the summer.

6) Man of Steel
I'm not a fan of director Zack Snyder. Like, at all. To me, his movies are all style and no substance. He's not a bad filmmaker; 300 and Watchmen are fairly good flicks, but he just doesn't really have much to say in his movies. To give him a job as big as the Superman reboot without any sort of a credible movie to his name is quite the risk to take, considering that this is supposedly going to launch the road to the Justice League movie. The footage shown in the trailers so far has me hopeful that Man of Steel is the movie where Zack Snyder finally grows up.

5) Monsters University
I think Monsters, Inc. is in the top five of Pixar movies. To me, Toy Story started the phenomenon with Pixar, but Monsters, Inc. proved that they were here to stay, and that their movies were great for both kids and adults. Having the second movie being a prequel is a fantastic idea. Taking Mike and Sully back to college sounds like just as original of an idea as the first movie. I haven't been this excited for a Pixar movie since Toy Story 3.

4) Only God Forgives
Again, I'm not even sure if this is slated for a 2013 release. I loved Drive, and this second team up between Ryan Gosling and director Nicolas Winding Refn sounds like it could be just as good. Set around a boxing match, it makes me think this could be done in the same style as Raging Bull, which I wouldn't mind in the least.

3) Iron Man 3
Even though this is technically the third Iron Man movie, I don't really count it as a threequel. To me, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has to be judged in a different manner than other movie franchises because of how unique it is. The way I see it, Iron Man 2 is the threequel, which explains why it's arguably the most disappointing movie in the series. 3 kicks off "Phase 2" for the Marvel Universe. It will be interesting to see which characters from the Universe make it into this movie, or if it's going to be a standalone Iron Man story. I'm interested to see that dynamic with all the Marvel movies from now on, honestly. I said after The Avengers I didn't really know where Marvel could go with their franchises next, but I really can't wait to find out.




2) Elysium
Neill Blomkamp's first feature was the Oscar nominated District 9. The movie was a huge success and I couldn't wait to see what he planned next. Elysium sounds like it's cut from the same cloth as District 9, which is not a bad thing. Matt Damon stars in a role that doesn't really seem like his type, but that adds to the intrigue for me. It's slated for a late summer release, so hopefully it can be a good way to kick off the awards season for 2013. It will be a good test to see if District 9 was a fluke or the real thing.






1) The Great Gatsby
I've been waiting far too long to see this movie. I was at first skeptical of the choice of Baz Luhrmann to direct this adaptation, but after seeing the trailer, I realized his style was the perfect fit for this 1920's era classic. There really hasn't been a terrific adaptation of the novel (which is odd, considering its place in American history), so perhaps this can be the one to really give justice to Fitzgerald's novel. The cast seems perfect for the roles they play. It looks like it will have the Luhrmann style we've become all too familiar with. It could be a hell of a ride, or an awful disaster.

Changing The Way I Review Stuff

This is something I really haven't been sure how I wanted to tackle for awhile now. Ever since I was in college, I would rate the movies I saw on a grade scale, and that was my definitive answer. But, lately, my views on movies have been changing, for a number of different reasons. I've been getting a lot more easy-going, and a lot less snobby (if you've known me IRL for awhile, then you've probably been able to tell). I'm going to admit: I was a huge film snob. See, even right there, calling it "film" instead of movies. Honestly, what's the difference? I feel like now when I hear someone say something to the extent of, "Oh, the art house is showing some terrific films" I want to throw up a little bit. I shudder to think that that used to be me not too long ago. I'm not trying to say I don't appreciate a great film when I see one, but why can't a movie like Raging Bull be in the same category as Anchorman? To me, both movies are great for their own very separate reasons. Anchorman I feel I can watch whenever I want and enjoy it immensely. Raging Bull, though, is the kind of movie you have to be in the mood to watch, but when you do, there's a lot of terrific, artistic things going on. That, to me, is the best thing about movies. Movies can be the best form of art and be something to study for years, but it can also be a great way to forget about the problems of the world for a few hours, and have a great time doing it.

So, I'm going to change things up, a lot. While I like how my movie rating pages are very clean, with the grades separating each movie (oh, you haven't seen my list pages? Click here for my 2011 movies, here for 2012, and here for my top ten movies from 2010 and 2011), they're just not practical for the way I'm looking at movies anymore. Easy example: I gave The Avengers an A-/B+ on the old scale, but when I think about the movie and talk about it with people, I constantly regard it as an awesome movie. So, what's the point of trying to break down every movie into its own individual category? It makes it easier to say to someone, "Hey, The Avengers is awesome; The Amazing Spider-Man isn't", instead of, "Well, The Avengers is very much an A-, while Spider-Man is more of a C, C-." Easier; not as snobby, right? Now, that doesn't mean I'm going to go around saying that the new Twilight movie is spectacular, mind you, but I feel like this new system makes me sound less like a film snob, and more like a guy just talking about something he loves to write about.

I'm also going to try and review different things when I can, like games, CD's, and the occasional book or graphic novel. None of these will be as consistent as a movie review, but I hope to have a few up sometime soon. I've also decided I want to go through the huge task of watching and writing a review for each movie I own. This is where the new scale comes very much into play, because, for instance, even though Forgetting Sarah Marshall isn't exactly an Oscar type movie, I think it's great, and I'll point out the reasons why I think so, instead of trying to analyze it. There's times for that to be sure, but there's also times to just have fun and talk about a good movie.

So, here is how my reviews are going to break down from now on. There's going to be five different ratings, each one a pretty obvious statement on what I think about the movie.

Awesome: This is a movie you should see as soon as you can. Definitely worth the full price at movies nowadays. Think Alien, Back to the Future, or Anchorman (that's easily the most random three movies ever put together, but it sort of gives you the idea of what I'm going for).

Pretty Good: While there's nothing really wrong with the movie, there's a few reasons why it's not "awesome". Maybe the ending isn't as great as the rest of it, or it's a little long. Think Sherlock Holmes, 21 Jump Street, or Titanic.

Meh: This is the kind of movie you might enjoy for a little bit, but there won't be much you remember about it awhile after you see it. Borrow it from someone (or hey, your local library!). Think The Amazing Spider-Man, Green Lantern, or The Hangover Part II.

Lame: Not good. Maybe it's a comedy that just isn't funny, or an action movie where the action is boring, this is a movie to avoid at almost all costs. If you feel like you have to see it, catch it on TV. Think J. Edgar, Transformers 3, or Resident Evil.

Awful: Such a waste of time. It has no redeeming qualities whatsoever, and it should really be ashamed of itself. If you really, truly, absolutely have to see it, this is one of the only times I'd promote illegal downloads. Think Batman & Robin, Twilight: Breaking Dawn 1, or The Happening.

Hopefully this makes me feel better about the reviews I write, and the way I present them isn't as snobby as it used to be.

Two Quick Reviews: Lincoln and Flight

I was really hoping to get a review of Lincoln up before the movie was released wide today, but I ran into too many other things to do. I also had the opportunity to see the Denzel Washington movie Flight when it was released, so here now are two very short reviews on these two movies.

Flight comes from director Robert Zemeckis, best known for the Back to the Future trilogy and Forrest Gump. Flight is his first live-action film in more than a decade, and also his most adults-only film. Denzel Washington soars (sorry for the awful pun) as an airline pilot who becomes the center of an investigation after a plane crash reveals something disturbing about its crew. Without giving too much away, Washington plays the performance with great care for the material: not going overboard as he possibly could have. The crash in the beginning is amazing and one of the top scenes of the year. Special note goes to James Badge Dale, who only has one scene, but absolutely steals the show, and his words resonate throughout the rest of the movie, and probably deserves an Oscar nod for it. Washington is more than likely a sure fit for a nomination, but the subject matter and ending may keep it out of the bigger categories. A-

Lincoln is pretty much the movie I expected it to be. This is both good and bad. Daniel Day-Lewis is terrific as the 16th President, but the real star is Tommy Lee Jones as Thaddeus Stevens. His work will more than likely get him a nomination, along with Day-Lewis. However, I have to say there really isn't anything fantastic about the movie other than the acting. Steven Spielberg really doesn't do anything all that extordinary with the movie, like I was hoping he would. I feel like if it wasn't Daniel Day-Lewis and Steven Spielberg attached to the movie, it wouldn't be getting half the attention it is, or half the praise for that matter. It's good, but not memorable. Lincoln will have its share of acting nominations for sure, and probably because of the star power it has attached, a Best Picture nomination as well. B+/B

Skyfall Review

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: there is no other series in the history of pop culture like the James Bond movie franchise. Really, nothing matches or tops it. Not all of the movies are fantastic (actually, only a few of them rise above "pretty good"), but the series has been a staple of popular culture since his first big screen appearance 50 years ago in Dr. No. Six men have played Bond over 23 official Bond movies, and while Skyfall isn't the best movie in the franchise, it is the one the series needs desperately at this point in its run.

After a botched mission leaves Bond (Daniel Craig) pronounced dead in the eyes of MI6, his boss, M (Judi Dench), is targeted by cyber-terrorist Silva (Javier Bardem), whose intentions stem from a personal vendetta he has with her. Bond brings himself "back from the dead" in order to protect M and stop Silva from destroying the British Secret Service. It's a classic Bond story with it's own twists that are perfect for the time we live in now.

People have been saying that Skyfall is the movie Casino Royale should have been, but I have to disagree. Casino Royale was a necessary reboot of the character in order to bring him into the new world of the 21st century. It stripped away most of the elements that make up a classic Bond movie, and by doing that, it reinvented the character for a post-9/11 world. To me, Skyfall ends a sort of trilogy for the character. Casino Royale brought Bond down to a gritty, realistic level we hadn't seen in decades. Quantum of Solace saw Bond coping with the effects of Royale's ending, while also slowly becoming a Bond we recognize. Skyfall completes the origin by honoring past Bond movies, while also moving the franchise in new, exciting, and bold, directions.

One of the great examples of this is the incorporation of a younger, more hipster looking Q (Ben Whishaw). This is the character's first appearance since Die Another Day ten years ago, and it's likely the most amount of time he's had on screen. In past movies, Q was simply the man who gave Bond the gadgets he'd use throughout the movie. He'd have one, maybe two, scenes in each movie. He was more scientist rather than geek. In Skyfall, Q plays an important role in helping Bond on his mission, playing the part more as a technology guru rather than a scientist. After giving Bond just a gun and distress radio for his mission, Q tells him, "What did you expect, an exploding pen? We don't really go for that anymore." Their dialogue together is some of the highlights of the movie, and hopefully Whishaw stays on to play Q in further movies, because he is a great fit for the role. It will be real exciting to see him and Craig play off of one another in future movies.

I feel like the movie is a little too long, and tends to drag in between the action sequences. The movie clocks in at 2 hours and 23 minutes, and honestly, I felt it could have been trimmed down to around 2 hours and been just as good of a movie. Some of the sub plots are too distracting to the overall story arch, and many of the scenes in between the action sequences take us out of the story a little too much. There needs to be a good balance between action scenes and down sequences, so that when the action sequences do come, they don't feel as jarring or forced. The action scenes, though, are some of the best of the year, and when the movie does get to them, they're all the more satisfying.

In many respects, Skyfall isn't James Bond's story, but more M's. Her past literally comes back to haunt her in the movie, and I would be willing to go so far and say that M is the Bond Girl of Skyfall. That''s really weird to say, given the history of what the title Bond Girl entails, but considering the strong relationship between the two characters, on more than just a professional level (getting even weirder...they're like mother and son, okay?!) is really the backbone of Skyfall's story. Although the third act does a nice job of humanizing both Bond and M, I really couldn't help but keep comparing the action to Home Alone. Yes, THAT Home Alone. It's not really terrible in a sense, but it took me out of the movie for a few minutes, and on a second viewing, I still couldn't shake the thought from my head.

One thing to note: Javier Bardem gives what is arguably his finest performance. Which is really saying something, considering his track record. Even though his character isn't introduced until about an hour in, he's still very much a terrifying presence in the movie. His entrance scene not only does a great job of introducing the character, but is probably my favorite scene in any movie so far this year, which is all thanks to the way it's handled an executed with the camera. 

Roger Deakins did the cinematography for the movie, and while I'm not the kind of person to view a movie like a snob (well, not anymore at least) and say, "Oh, that was a fantastic shot", I have to say, Skyfall just looks gorgeous. The color really pops from the screen and looks amazing even in a standard theater, and even better on an XD or IMAX screen. The scene I mentioned earlier with Silva's entrance, is just the highest point in a long line of great shots and scenes that are really all thanks to Deakins' vision. The title sequence, which is standard for every Bond movie, is one of the better ones in the series, I think. The sequence does a terrific job of hinting at events to come in the movie, and even touches on some of the themes. The "war in the shadows", for instance, plays a major role. It even hints at what Skyfall actually is, and various other elements of the movie. The sequence is even more satisfying on a second viewing, when you see the clues after knowing their significance. It's the type of sequence I would love to look at a little more in detail once the movie is released on DVD/Blu-Ray, and one that I hope the movies to come look to for inspiration.

Even though Skyfall sometimes feels like it could have been trimmed around the edges, it still makes for one of the better Bond movies we've seen since the end of Sean Connery's time with the character. I wouldn't put it in the same category as Casino Royale or Goldfinger, however. I will say this, though: I have never been more excited for the next Bond movie as I was at the end of Skyfall. There's several elements of the final scene that I really can't go into; but they make you realize that what you've been watching, not just in Skyfall, but in the past three movies, is the creation of a character we've known and loved for 50 years. I can't wait for Bond to get back to work.

A-/B+