Review: "Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 26 (of 2014) by Leroy Douresseaux

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013) – straight-to-video
Running minutes: 81 minutes (1 hour, 21 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sci-fi violence and action throughout
DIRECTOR:  Jay Oliva with Yoshiharu Ashino (animation director)
WRITER:  James Krieg (from a comic book by Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert)
EDITOR:  Christopher D. Lozinski
COMPOSER:  Frederik Wiedmann
ANIMATION STUDIO:  Studio 4ºC

ANIMATION/SUPERHERO/ACTION/SCI-FI

Starring:  (voices) Justin Chambers, C. Thomas Howell, Michael B. Jordan, Kevin McKidd, Kevin Conroy, Dana Delany, Cary Elwes, Vanessa Marshall, Dee Bradley Baker, Grey DeLisle, Danny Huston, Danny Jacobs, Ron Perlman, Kevin Michael Richardson, Andrea Romano, and Nathan Fillion

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox is a 2013 direct-to-video superhero animated film from Warner Bros. Animation.  Starring DC Comics’ ultimate superhero team, the Justice League, this is also the 17th feature in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line.  The Flashpoint Paradox is based on the 2011 DC Comics’ crossover publishing event, “Flashpoint.”

Barry Allen (Justin Chambers), who is also known as the superhero the Flash, visits the grave of his mother, Nora Allen (Grey DeLisle).  A day after an adventure with his Justice League teammates, Barry awakens to discover that his mother is alive, but that is not the only thing that has changed.  The entire world is different.  Some superheroes no longer exist.  Aquaman (Cary Elwes) and the military forces of Atlantis are engaged in a terrible war against Wonder Woman (Vanessa Marshall) and the Amazons.

Flash believes that his archenemy, Eobard Thawne a/k/a Professor Zoom (C. Thomas Howell), has done something to change time.  Now, he finds himself teaming up with an even darker version of Batman (Kevin McKidd) and a young superhero named Cyborg (Michael B. Jordan) to stop a war that will destroy the world.

In 2011, DC Comics used their Flashpoint publishing event to relaunch practically its entire line of superhero comic books.  As an adaptation of that event, Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox is going to be a fresh start for the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line.  I imagine, however, that might not mean much to many viewers of these animated superhero movies.  Is Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox any good?

Well, the first 20 minutes or so are a disaster.  At 81 minutes, it’s one of the longer DC Comics animated films, and I initially thought that there was no way I could make it through the entire thing.  Once I settled into the concept and understood the players, central plot, and various conflicts and rivalries, I started to enjoy The Flashpoint Paradox.

After all, it is pure superhero fun, and the filmmakers really play up the idea of what it means to be a superhero.  Themes of sacrifice and redemption run throughout the movie.  The belief that selflessness and togetherness can get mankind through the worst of the worst situations proudly permeates this film.  At a time when so many politicians and public figures smugly and shamelessly preach nihilistic individualism and naked self-interest, it is good to see classic superheroes giving life and limb to right wrongs and even to correct themselves.

I don’t like this film’s character design, because much of it is unimaginative.  The Flashpoint Paradox also offers some of the stiffest character animation I’ve seen in some time.  But watching these superheroes being genuinely heroic makes me like Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox in spite of many reservations.

7 of 10
B+

Wednesday, May 21, 2014


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Amazon.com Announces Two New Television Pilots for Amazon Instant Video

Amazon Greenlights New Pilots The Cosmopolitans and Hand of God

Adam Brody, Chloë Sevigny, Carrie MacLemore and Dree Hemingway to star in dramatic comedy The Cosmopolitans Written and Directed by Whit Stillman

Ron Perlman, Dana Delany, Garret Dillahunt and Alona Tal to star in drama Hand of God Directed by Marc Forster and Written by Ben Watkins

Both shows will be a part of Amazon’s third pilot season, which will debut later this year on Amazon Instant Video

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon Studios today announced it has greenlit two new pilots—the half hour dramatic comedy The Cosmopolitans, from Whit Stillman, and one hour drama Hand of God from Executive Producers Marc Forster, Ben Watkins, Ron Perlman, Brian Wilkins and Jeff King—for its third pilot season debuting later this year on Amazon Instant Video. Customers will once again be invited to watch and provide feedback on the shows they want to see turned into full series, which will then become available on Prime Instant Video. Additional pilots joining The Cosmopolitans and Hand of God in the third pilot season will be announced in the coming weeks.

“We’re very pleased to be working with Whit, Ron, Ben, and Marc on developing these pilots,” said Roy Price, Director of Amazon Studios. “The Cosmopolitans and Hand of God both contain rich stories and deep characters that we think customers will really enjoy. I’m looking forward to seeing our customers’ reactions when they debut.”

The Cosmopolitans
Written, directed and produced by Academy Award nominee Whit Stillman (Metropolitan, Barcelona, The Last Days of Disco), The Cosmopolitans follows a group of young American expatriates in Paris searching for love and friendship in a foreign city. The dramatic comedy pilot stars Adam Brody as “Jimmy,” Chloë Sevigny as “Vicky,” Carrie MacLemore as “Aubrey,” Dree Hemingway as “Camille,” Freddy Åsblom as “Fritz,” Shaun Evans as “Hal,” and Adriano Giannini as “Sando.” The Cosmopolitans begins shooting this week in Paris.

Hand of God
Marking the television debut of renowned filmmaker Marc Forster (Monster’s Ball, Finding Neverland, World War Z) and written by Ben Watkins, Hand of God stars Golden Globe winner Ron Perlman in his first lead television role since Sons of Anarchy as “Judge Pernell Harris.” Hand of God also stars Dana Delany as the Judge’s protective wife “Crystal Harris,” Garret Dillahunt as “KD,” the born-again sociopath, whose violent tendencies are exploited by Pernell, Andre Royo as the slick, smart, gregarious, and greedy mayor “Robert ‘Bobo’ Boston,” Alona Tal as Pernell’s grieving daughter-in-law “Jocelyn Harris,” Julian Morris as the questionable preacher “Paul Dobson,” Elizabeth McLaughlin as the preacher’s sultry girlfriend “Alicia,” and Emayatzy Corinealdi as Pernell’s call girl / confidante “Tessie.” The show centers on the powerful Judge Harris, a hard-living, law-bending married man with a high-end call girl on the side, who suffers a mental breakdown, and goes on a vigilante quest to find the rapist who tore his family apart. With no real evidence to go on, Pernell begins to rely on "visions" and “messages” he believes are being sent by God through Pernell's ventilator-bound son. Forster, Watkins, Perlman, Wilkins and King serve as Executive Producers, and Jillian Kugler as co-Executive Producer. Hand of God begins shooting this week in the Los Angeles and Long Beach areas.

About Amazon Studios
Amazon Studios launched in 2010 as a new way to develop feature films and episodic series—one that’s open to great ideas from creators and audiences around the world. Anyone can upload a script and will then be notified within 45 days if that script is optioned. Amazon Studios will read and review all submissions and those who choose to make their projects public will also receive feedback from the Amazon Studios community.

More than 23,000 movie and approximately 6,000 series projects have been submitted to Amazon Studios. Amazon Studios continues to invite series creators to upload their proposals for comedy and children’s programming at http://studios.amazon.com/getting-started/series or submit them privately via Amazon Studios.

Comprehensive cast and crew information, including bios and filmographies, is available on Amazon's IMDb (www.imdb.com), the world’s most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content.

About Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth’s Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazon’s developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon’s own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Amazon Fire TV is a tiny box that plugs into your HDTV for easy and instant access to Netflix, Prime Instant Video, Hulu Plus, WatchESPN, SHOWTIME, low-cost video rentals, and much more. Kindle Paperwhite is the world’s best-selling and most advanced e-reader. It features new display technology with higher contrast, the next generation built-in light, a faster processor, the latest touch technology, and exclusive new features designed from the ground up for readers. Kindle, the lightest and smallest Kindle, features improved fonts and faster page turns. The new Kindle Fire HDX features a stunning exclusive 7” or 8.9” HDX display, a quad-core 2.2 GHz processor, 2x more memory, and 11 hours of battery life, as well as exclusive new features of Fire OS 3.0 including X-Ray for Music, Second Screen, Prime Instant Video downloads, and the revolutionary new Mayday button. The all-new Kindle Fire HD includes an HD display, high-performance processor and dual speakers at a breakthrough price.

Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.cn, www.amazon.it, www.amazon.es, www.amazon.com.br, www.amazon.in, www.amazon.com.mx, and www.amazon.com.au. As used herein, “Amazon.com,” “we,” “our” and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.

Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment and data center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.

Review: "Pacific Rim" a Big Fanboy Experience

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 78 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux

Pacific Rim (2013)
Running time:  131 minutes (2 hours, 11 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence throughout, and brief language
DIRECTOR:  Guillermo del Toro
WRITERS:  Travis Beacham and Guillermo del Toro; from a story by Travis Beacham
PRODUCERS: Guillermo del Toro, Jon Jashni, Mary Parent, and Thomas Tull
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Guillermo Navarro (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Peter Amundson and John Gilroy
COMPOSER:  Ramin Djawadi

SCI-FI/FANTASY/ACTION

Starring:  Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, Burn Gorman, Max Martini, Rob Kazinsky, Clifton Collins, Jr., Ron Perlman, Mana Ashida, Santiago Segura, Diego Klattenhoff, and Ellen McLain (voice)

Pacific Rim is a 2013 science fiction-action film from director Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth).  The film is set in a near-future where humankind fights monstrous creatures that emerge from the sea with gigantic humanoid war machines.  A former pilot and a trainee are paired up to drive one of these war machines as part of a desperate plan to save the world from an apocalypse.

Pacific Rim is set in a world in which, beginning in 2013, colossal monstrous beasts, called “Kaijus,” emerged from “the Breach” a chasm on the floor of the Pacific Ocean that opens to an inter-dimensional portal.  These Kaijus began attacking human cities, especially along the Pacific Rim.  To combat them, the Pacific Rim nations built equally colossal, robotic, humanoid war machines called “Jaegers” (think Transformers in human-like mode).  The Jaeger program is initially successful, but many are destroyed as the Kaijus grow more powerful and the frequency of their attacks increased.

By 2025, the United Nations and world governments have discontinued the Jaeger program.  However, Jaeger program commander, Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba), has taken the four remaining Jaegers that he has, and has devised a last-ditch plan to end the war against the Kaijus by planting a thermonuclear bomb in their portal, the Breach.  Pentecost recruits former Jaeger pilot, Raleigh Becket (Charlie Hunnam), to pilot a revamped version of his old Jaeger, Gypsy Danger.  But resistance from some of his fellow pilots and his friendship with Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi), a Jaeger pilot wannabe, may complicate an already complicated mission.

First, I must say that I think that “Pacific Rim” is a bad title.  I don’t know what else they could have titled this movie, but that title is vague in regards to the larger story of the movie.  Anyway, I think of Pacific Rim as the ultimate fanboy movie.  If you like big science fiction and fantasy films with big special effects and that are almost entirely created by CGI (computer-generated imagery), Pacific Rim might be for you.  If you like giant robots (also called “mecha”) fighting giant monsters in what looks like a cross between mixed-martial arts and WWE-styled professional wrestling, this movie is for you.  If you like seeing disaster and destruction on an epic scale, with cities literally smashed to bits, Pacific Rim is for you.

I like Pacific Rim, but it is a little too long.  The movie runs for 131 minutes; I’d had enough after 100 minutes.  Although I am a fan of some of the cast, I also wish that the cast had more charisma.  Idris Elba is always a great film presence, as he is here.  Ron Perlman adds flair and something like an exotic spice to every movie in which he appears, and he does so in this film as Hannibal Chau.  I love seeing Charlie Day (as Dr. Newton Geiszler) because of his deft comic touch.  However, at least to me, the rest of the cast lacks the personality and charisma to carry a big genre movie like Pacific Rim.  I don’t know what people see in Charlie Hunnam.  He might be good for TV, where he stars in the cable television series, “Sons of Anarchy,” but his presence is undersized for the massive Pacific Rim.

I can overcome my reservations because I’m happy to have a Guillermo del Toro movie, the first in five years.  Pacific Rim proves that he can do big effects-laden movies, although this film lacks the level of imagination in del Toro’s previous efforts.  It is precisely his imagination, however, that makes a weird, monster movie concept like Pacific Rim work.  So the fanboy in me does like this movie, especially because of its director, which is a very fanboy thing.

7 of 10
B+

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Review: "Looney Tunes: Back in Action" is Surprisingly Quite Good

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 166 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003)
Running time:  91 minutes (1 hour, 31 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some mild language and innuendo
DIRECTOR:  Joe Dante with Eric Goldberg (animation director)
WRITER:  Larry Doyle
PRODUCERS:  Bernie Goldmann, Joel Simon, and Paula Weinstein
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Dean Cundey (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Rick W. Finney and Marshall Harvey
COMPOSER:  Jerry Goldsmith

ANIMATION/ACTION/ADVENTURE and COMEDY/FAMILY/FANTASY

Starring:  Brendan Fraser, Jenna Elfman, Steve Martin, Timothy Dalton, Heather Locklear, John Cleese, Joan Cusack, Bill Goldberg, Dan Stanton, Don Stanton, Matthew Lillard, Ron Perlman, and (voices) Joe Alaskey, Bob Bergen, Casey Kasem, Frank Welker, Billy West, with (receiving no screen credit) Peter Graves and Michael Jordan

The subject of this movie review is Looney Tunes: Back in Action, a 2003 adventure and comedy film from director Joe Dante.  Back in Action blends live-action and animation and stars Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and the rest of the Looney Tunes characters.  In the movie, the Looney Tunes help a down-on-his-luck security guard find his missing father and the mythical Blue Monkey diamond.

Right out of the box, let’s proclaim Looney Tunes: Back in Action a fantastically funny film, almost as good as the gold standard of films that mix live action and animation, Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and better than Space Jam.  It’s not dumb and hackneyed as some have claimed; nor is it a cynical attempt to market Time Warner trademarks and merchandise.  Just about anyone who has ever loved the Looney Tunes characters will love this film.

As simple and as silly as it is, LT:BIA’s story ends up making a very funny film.  Daffy Duck (Joe Alaskey) is having another of his many conniptions about his status as second banana to Bugs Bunny (Joe Alaskey), but this time Kate Houghton (Jenna Elfman), an eager young Warner Bros. Studio executive fires Daffy.  Daffy’s shenanigans also cost a studio lot guard, DJ Drake (Brendan Fraser), his job.

Later Daffy and DJ discover that DJ’s dad, Damien Drake (Timothy Dalton), the famous spy movie star, is actually a real life spy.  He’s been kidnapped and is being held hostage in Las Vegas.  Via a special spy signal, he asks his son to find the Blue Monkey Diamond and keep it from the evil Mr. Chairman (Steve Martin), head of the Acme Corporation, who wants to use the diamond’s mystical powers to turn everyone on the planet into monkeys.  It’s up to DJ, Kate, Bugs, and Daffy to find the jewel, rescue DJ’s dad, and save the world.

The films is technically well made, and the merger of animation and live action is easily on par, if not superior to Roger Rabbit.  Joe Dante (Gremlins), no stranger to special effects and genre films, does a fantastic job prepping his film, especially its stars, to act with characters and effects that would only be added after the principal photography was finished.  Animation director Eric Goldberg has also done some of the best helming of animated film in years.  It’s the best work this year by a director of animation after the Finding Nemo crew, which is clearly evident in the Bugs/Daffy/Elmer Fudd (Billy West) surrealistic and imaginatively designed race through the Louvre in Paris.

The cast of actors is fantastic.  Brendan Fraser is an underrated actor, movie star, and comedian.  He’s excellent with physical comedy, and by now has a knack for working in an environment where a lot of the film elements are added after he does his work.  Jenna Elfman is a pleasant surprise, and she has excellent chemistry with her costars, live and animated.

The films gets a hardy recommendation because it’s such fun.  The fact that almost all major and minor characters that have ever appeared in a Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon have a part in the film makes it a must see.  There’s even a small scene that plugs 2004’s Scooby-Doo 2, and if that’s not enough for certain moviegoers, then, they are indeed in need of a laugh.  Looney Tunes: Back in Action is just what the doctor ordered.

8 of 10
A

Updated: Wednesday, November 13, 2013

The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Review: "Star Trek: Nemesis" Something of a Misstep

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 221 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)
Running time: 117 minutes (1 hours, 57 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sci-fi action violence and peril and a scene of sexual content
DIRECTOR: Stuart Baird
WRITERS: John Logan; from a story by Rick Berman, Brent Spiner, and John Logan
PRODUCER: Rick Berman
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Jeffrey L. Kimball
EDITOR: Dallas Puett
COMPOSER: Jerry Goldsmith

SCI-FI/FANTASY/ACTION/DRAMA

Starring: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Tom Hardy, Ron Perlman, Dina Meyer, Kate Mulgrew, and Wil Wheaton with Whoopi Goldberg

The subject of this movie review is Star Trek: Nemesis, a 2002 science fiction-action film from director Stuart Baird. Nemesis is the tenth entry in the Star Trek film franchise and was the last film in the franchise until the reboot, entitled Star Trek, in 2009.

The cast of the TV series, “Star Trek: The Next Generation” returns for its fourth (and final) feature film, Star Trek: Nemesis. Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the crew are celebrating the marriage of long-time lovers, Commander William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) when the Federation sends the Enterprise-E into the territory of the Federation’s old enemy, the Romulans. Picard is shocked to learn that the Romulan government is now run by a citizen of Remas, the sister of planet of Romulus.

The new Praetor Shinzon (Tom Hardy) requests that Picard beam down to the capitol city so that he may negotiate a truce with the Federation. Upon meeting Shinzon for the first time, Picard discovers that the Praetor has a shocking connection to him, and that Shinzon’s negotiations are merely a ruse for his planned attack on Earth.

The most dour and least successful Star Trek film at the box office, Star Trek: Nemesis will probably only find deep love from Trek devotees. The dramatic conflict between Picard and Shinzon is riveting, but at times this personal conflict drags on the rest of the film. Everyone and everything else is pushed far into the background, and when another character does come forward, it seems like an underdeveloped subplot. Entertaining, Star Trek: Nemesis is also clunky and listless, and it really seems like an episode of a TV show gussied up and also stretched past the point where it should have ended. It is, however, sad to see this part of the Star Trek franchise end, and this movie is not worthy of being that closing chapter.

5 of 10
C+

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Review: Refn and Gosling "Drive" to Greatness

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 18 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux

Drive (2011)
Running time: 100 minutes (1 hour, 40 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong brutal bloody violence, language and some nudity
DIRECTOR: Nicolas Winding Refn
WRITER: Hossein Amini (based upon the novel by James Sallis)
PRODUCERS: Michel Litvak, John Palermo, Marc Platt, Gigi Pritzker, and Adam Siegel
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Newton Thomas Sigel (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Mat Newman
COMPOSER: Cliff Martinez
Academy Award nominee

CRIME/DRAMA/ACTION/THRILLER with elements of romance

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks, Oscar Isaac, Christina Hendricks, Ron Perlman, and Kaden Leos

I kept hearing good things about the film Drive, a 2011 crime drama and action thriller starring Ryan Gosling. Directed by critically-acclaimed Danish filmmaker, Nicolas Winding Refn, Drive centers on a mysterious getaway driver who lands himself in trouble when he helps out his neighbor’s troubled husband. The good things I heard about this film turned out to be true, and it is one of the very best films of 2011.

In the film, he is only known as The Driver (Ryan Gosling), and he is a supremely skilled getaway driver for those who need to get away after pulling off a heist or robbery. The Driver is also a Hollywood stuntman and mechanic, working on both jobs for garage owner, Shannon (Bryan Cranston). Shannon wants to get involved in stock car racing with The Driver as the man behind the wheel, so Shannon brings in mobster, Bernie Rose (Albert Brooks), as an investor in this venture.

The Driver lives in a low-rent apartment building where he meets and befriends his neighbor, Irene (Carey Mulligan), and her son, Benicio (Kaden Leos). The Driver begins to date Irene, but she is actually married to a man named Standard Gabriel (Oscar Isaac), who is about to be released from prison. After Standard is released, he must find a way to pay back protection money that he owes to a gangster. The Driver tries to help Standard and things go bad on all sides.

Drive is a hard-edged crime thriller with a neo-Film-Noir pedigree. Those who watch it may see the influence of a lot of Los Angeles-based films, including Pulp Fiction and various Michael Mann films. There is also more than a touch of John Carpenter – from the atmospheric, 1980s synth-pop score (created by the always interesting Cliff Martinez) to the somewhat Michael Myers-like Driver. I also see this as partially a blend of Carpenter’s original Halloween (1978) and The Transporter film series.

Whatever its influences are, Drive is simply brilliant. It is cool without being slick and overly produced (like many Hollywood crime movies). Drive is more modern than retro, but it has a timeless quality that also makes it seem to be from a vague near-future. Director Nicolas Winding Refn turned in one of the year’s best feats of film directing simply by making a movie that takes so many influences and inspirations and turns them into an original vision and a film apart from the rest.

This movie has a number of good performances. Of course, Ryan Gosling is the centerpiece. At first, he may come across as flat and too cool, but he slowly unveils a great big darkness that lives just under the surface. Gosling also shows a gentle, romantic, and human side that surprisingly breaks through in the most surprising moments. Plus, Gosling creates, in The Driver, a most memorable man-of-few-words anti-hero. The Driver is another performance that shows just how much talent Gosling has.

Carey Mulligan is solid in a relatively quiet and restrained performance, but she sells every scene in which she appears and matches Gosling when they appear in the same scene. Everything Albert Brooks does in this movie seems fresh and sensational, even when he does something that a movie mobster typically does. He makes the old mobster stereotypes edgy, contemporary, and original.

Drive is a crime flick that is also a dark L.A. fairy tale. It makes violence and brutality seem as if it could be no cooler than it is in Los Angeles. I would have enjoyed seeing more action sequences with cars, but I like Drive too much to complain.

9 of 10
A+

NOTES:
2012 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Achievement in Sound Editing” (Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis)

2012 BAFTA Awards: 4 nominations: “Best Film” (Marc Platt and Adam Siegel), “Best Director” (Nicolas Winding Refn), “Best Editing” (Matthew Newman), “Best Supporting Actress” (Carey Mulligan)

2011 Cannes Film Festival: 1 win: “Best Director” (Nicolas Winding Refn); 1 nomination: “Palme d'Or” (Nicolas Winding Refn)

2012 Golden Globes: 1 nomination: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Albert Brooks)

Friday, March 09, 2012

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Review: New "Conan the Barbarian" is Gleefully Lunatic

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 98 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux

Conan the Barbarian (2011)
Running time: 113 minutes (1 hour, 53 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong bloody violence, some sexuality and nudity
DIRECTOR: Marcus Nispel
WRITERS: Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer, and Sean Hood (based upon the character, Conan, created by Robert E. Howard)
PRODUCERS: John Baldecchi, Boaz Davidson, Randall Emmett, Joe Gatta, Avi Lerner, Danny Lerner, Fredrik Malmberg, and Les Weldon
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Thomas Kloss
EDITOR: Ken Blackwell
COMPOSER: Tyler Bates

FANTASY/ACTION

Starring: Jason Momoa, Stephen Lang, Rachel Nichols, Ron Perlman, Rose McGowan, Bob Sapp, Leo Howard, Steven O’Donnell, Nonso Anozie, Saïd Taghmaoui, Milton Welsh, and Morgan Freeman (narrator)

Conan the Barbarian is a fictional character created by Robert E. Howard. Conan first appeared in publication in the December 1932 issue of Weird Tales in the short story, “The Phoenix on the Sword.” Howard featured Conan in several short stories, but only one novel. After Howard’s death, other authors would write Conan novels, and the character has also appeared in comic books nearly non-stop since 1970.

The character is best known, outside of people who read fantasy fiction and comic books, for his appearance in two films from the early 1980s. Arnold Schwarzenegger portrayed Conan in Conan the Barbarian (1982) and Conan the Destroyer (1984). After over two decades, Conan returned to movie screens in Conan the Barbarian, a 2011 action/fantasy film and sword and sorcery movie. In the new film, Conan seeks revenge against the ambitious and ruthless warlord who killed his father.

After his father, Corin (Ron Perlman), is killed and his entire village murdered, young Conan (Leo Howard) swears revenge. The killer is an empire-building warlord, Khalar Zym (Stephen Lang), who wants to reassemble the Mask of Acheron, an ancient relic that will give him the power to conquer the world. The story picks up 20 years later and finds Conan (Jason Momoa) a pirate living amongst the Zamoran pirates led by Artus (Nonso Anozie).

Fate brings Conan into contact with one of the men who raided his village. From this man, Conan learns that Zym and his sorceress daughter, Marique (Rose McGowan), are searching for a pureblood descendant of the necromancers that made the Mask of Archeron. They find that descendant in the form of Tamara Amaliat Jorui Karushan (Rachel Nichols), a young woman living in a monastery, but Conan gets Tamara first. This begins a battle between Conan and Zym that will decide the fate of the world.

There are so many fantasy films in theatres that are aimed at the family audience or, at least, general audiences, including females. Conan the Barbarian is aimed squarely at males, but mainly at males whose balls dropped more than a few years ago. Speaking of balls: Conan the Barbarian is balls to the wall in terms of the sheer lunacy thrown on the screen. This movie is hardcore – even more so than the darker Conan the Barbarian and certainly more than its lighter, PG-rated sequel, Conan the Destroyer. Hacking, slashing, a bloody caesarean, beheadings, torture, topless wenches, mass murder, and assorted depictions of gore and brutal murder: this is the real Conan, steeped in the violent and edgy material of weird pulp fiction.

Visually, Conan the Barbarian looks like a Robert E. Howard Conan story should look. There are swarthy pirates, hefty warriors, comely maidens and wenches, reptilian witches, and miscreants of all sizes and shapes. Barbarian villages dot the landscape; ruined fortresses protrude from rocky outcroppings; a monastery hides beyond a cavernous pass; immense castles and structures reach for the sky; and deceptively fast ships cut across the sea.

Conan the Barbarian does have its problems. The movie is a little too long, and, without spoiling, I can say that some of the places the story sends Conan don’t seem to make much sense. It is as if the film is simply being stretched or the story padded. Some of the action scenes work very well, but others are simply extraneous or gratuitous.

The characters are bit shallow, but the actors make the most of them. I would describe the performances as grand and flamboyant rather than over the top. Rose McGowan is a hoot as the conniving, vicious Marique. Stephen Lang brings to this movie the same aggressive physicality he brought to Avatar as the villain, Colonel Miles Quaritch. It is difficult for me to separate Arnold Schwarzenegger from Conan, but I like Jason Momoa’s take on the character. Momoa’s Conan is younger, leaner, and meaner; he is like a wolverine and a panther.

Overall, I like this new Conan the Barbarian. Visually, aesthetically, and in the story, it reminds me of many of the Conan comic books that I read as a kid, especially The Savage Sword of Conan. With its disappointing box office, there likely won’t be a sequel, but the new Conan the Barbarian deserves one.

7 of 10
B+

Saturday, November 26, 2011

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Review: "Blade II" is Still Too Legit to Quit (Happy B'day, Wesley Snipes)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 26 (of 2002) by Leroy Douresseaux

Blade II (2002)
Running time: 117 minutes (1 hour, 57 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong pervasive violence, language, some drug use and sexual content
DIRECTOR: Guillermo del Toro
WRITER: David S. Goyer (Blade based upon the character created by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan)
PRODUCERS: Peter Frankfurt, Patrick J. Palmer, and Wesley Snipes
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Gabriel Beristain (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Peter Amundson
COMPOSER: Marco Beltrami

ACTION/FANTASY/HORROR/MARTIAL ARTS

Starring: Wesley Snipes, Kris Kristofferson, Ron Perlman, Leonor Varela, Norman Reedus, Thomas Kretschmann, Luke Goss, Matthew Schulze, Danny John-Jules, and Donnie Yen

The human/vampire warrior Blade (Wesley Snipes) returns to do his thing, which is hunt and destroy vampires. While in Prague, Czech Republic to rescue his old partner Whistler (Kris Kristofferson), Blade receives a summons from Damaskinos (Thomas Kretschmann), the overlord of vampires. A new breed of creatures, The Reapers, is loose, and they feed on both humans and vampires. Damaskinos has formed a vampire tactical unit dubbed the Bloodpack to hunt the Reapers, but he also wants Blade’s assistance and offers a truce. The Reapers, however, led by the powerful Nomak (Luke Goss), prove to be a formidable foe.

Directed by Guillermo del Toro (Mimic), Blade II is that rare sequel that not only surpasses the original in quality, but also manages to be very different than the original. This is primarily through the efforts of del Toro; his sense of visual style has a huge impact upon this movie, and the look is seemingly based on art rather than music videos. (Stephen Norrington, the director of Blade, was also a director of music videos). He plays with light (natural and artificial) and darkness to set mood and tone, but also to suggest character motivation and plot elements. del Toro works like a painter, and he makes Blade 2 a wild ride, but reveals a thoughtful composition behind the camera.

In fact, the art department played a huge role in the look of the film. Wayne D. Barlow, the head creature designer, is famous in science fiction and fantasy circles for his drawings of aliens. Mike Mignola, the concept artist, worked on Atlantis: The Lost Continent for Disney. Timothy Bradstreet, a comic book artist and illustrator like Mignola and like Blade 2 storyboard artist Leo Duranona, designed the vampires in this film. Bradstreet’s work, according to him, probably influenced the look of the Blade character in the first film.

The dark and decayed look of inner city Prague is absolutely beautiful and mesmerizing even in the dankest and dirtiest sections. Kudos to the art directors and set decorators; they manage to make Blade 2 one of the most gorgeous looking movies ever that used low rent sets.

The eclecticism of the cast also adds to the aura of this movie. Snipes is clearly more confident and more comfortable in his role. He dropped his monotone delivery from the first film for more effective banter this time around, and he portrays Blade throughout this film more as the bold warrior who finished off the original film than the one we first saw.

Kristofferson’s role is a little weightier this go round. Whistler has an air of mystery and intrigue about him, and every time he is on screen, there is something about him that makes you wonder about his motivations. His verbal jousts with his replacement Scud (Norman Reedus) brings a little humor to the film.

Although Kretschmann and Goss are good in their respective roles as Damaskinos and Nomak, the Bloodpack are the true supporting vampire stars. Leonor Varela as Nyssa, Damaskinos’s daughter, brings beauty and a hint of sexuality to these mostly male proceedings. Fight choreographer Donnie Yen also has a small role as Bloodpack member Snowman. Ron Perlman also does a nice turn as Reinhardt, Blade’s opposite in the Bloodpack.

Visually exciting, intriguing, and beautiful, Blade 2 is unique horror movie simply because of the way it looks. It is an exciting action movie filled with leather suits and high tech chop-socky. The CGI fights scenes are a little off in some instances, but for the most part are very good and only add to Blade 2’s exceptional look; it gives the movie the feel of being something other than just another violent action movie. The fight scene between Nyssa and Asad (Danny John-Jules of the British sci-fi television series “Red Dwarf”) against Blade, alone, is worth the price of admission because it tops anything in the first film. It stands with some of the good fight scenes found in Hong Kong movies (thanks to Donnie Yen).

Guillermo del Toro has created a special cinematic visual experience in Blade 2, which adds to the appeal of seeing his other work. Simply put, in popular parlance, Blade 2 rocks, and it is worth repeated viewings.

8 of 10
A

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Disney's "Tangled" is Nappy Goodness

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 29 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux

Tangled (2010)
Running time: 100 minutes (1 hour, 40 minutes)
MPAA – PG for brief mild violence
DIRECTORS: Nathan Greno and Byron Howard
WRITER: Dan Fogelman (based on the fairy tale by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm)
PRODUCER: Roy Conli
EDITOR: Tim Mertens
COMPOSER: Alan Menken
SONGS: Alan Menken and Glenn Slater
Academy Award nominee

ANIMATION/FANTASY/MUSICAL/COMEDY/FAMILY with elements of an action movie

Starring: Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy, Ron Perlman, M.C. Gainey, Jeffrey Tambor, Brad Garrett, Paul F. Tompkins, and Richard Kiel

The 3D animated film Tangled is the 50th full-length animated feature from Walt Disney Animation Studios. Based upon the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, Rapunzel, Tangled is, to date, the most expensive animated film ever made, and the money is well spent. Tangled simply surprised me with how enjoyable and, quite frankly, how wonderful it is.

The story focuses Princess Rapunzel (Mandy Moore), a young woman whose parents are a king and queen, but Rapunzel has not seen them since she was an infant. The only parent she knows is Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy), a centuries-old woman who stole Rapunzel because of her hair’s magical properties. Gothel keeps Rapunzel isolated in a tower and harnesses the power of Rapunzel ever-growing hair to keep herself young. On her 18th birthday, Rapunzel asks Gothel to allow her to briefly leave the tower. Rapunzel wants to see in person the release of the thousands of sky lanterns that just so happens every year on her birthday. Gothel vehemently refuses.

While Gothel is away, fate steps in when a young, fugitive thief named Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi) arrives at the tower. Rapunzel makes a deal with Rider for him to escort her to the festival of the sky lanterns. With the help of Maximus, a palace guard’s horse, and Pascal, her pet chameleon, Rapunzel and Flynn battle obstacles, including Gothel and Flynn’s former partners, the Stabbington Brothers (Ron Perlman), as their adventure begins to unravel the truth about Rapunzel.

Tangled is like neither Pixar’s computer-animated films nor Disney’s other 3D animated films (like Chicken Little or Meet the Robinsons). Tangled recalls Disney’s animated musical fantasies of two decades ago, especially Beauty and the Beast (1991). This film finds its spirit in songs, anachronistic gags, and the usual mayhem of comic adventure. The animation, however, is old-fashioned Disney. This time technology and software create character drawn in soft lines and shapes, as if they were hand drawn. The production design invents landscapes, cityscapes, scenery, interiors and sets that make the movie look like an oil painting on canvas. The colors are dazzling, and the “sky lantern” sequence (“I See the Light”) evokes magic.

The character animation is surprisingly fluid for a computer-animated film. The characters move with grace, and the vivid facial movement of the characters draw attention to their expressive eyes. The voice performances are quite good, especially Mandy Moore as Rapunzel and Zachary Levi as Flynn. They give their characters complexity and depth, which makes everything about Rapunzel and Flynn seem genuine – from Rapunzel’s wide-eyed curiosity and innocence to Flynn’s rascally nature and his good heart.

Tangled is the new-look 3D animation with the old school, hand drawn charm. It proves that sometimes the classic Disney style is still the best.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
2011 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song” (Alan Menken and Glenn Slater for "I See the Light")

2011 Golden Globes: 2 nominations: “Best Animated Film” and “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” ("I See the Light")

Saturday, April 02, 2011

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Walt Disney's "Tangled" Now on DVD and Blu-ray

TANGLED: Grossing over 400 million dollars in global theatrical sales to date, TANGLED, The Walt Disney Studios blockbuster animated feature that takes a modern twist on the famous hair-raising fable Rapunzel, debuts as the ultimate 4-Disc Disney Blu-ray Combo Pack (3D Blu-ray + Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy in a single package) on March 29, 2011.

 

As the 50th full-length animated feature in The Walt Disney Studios’ celebrated library and the first animated feature film to ever debut day-and-date on Disney Blu-ray 3D, TANGLED’s uniquely packaged home entertainment release ensures that viewers of all ages can enjoy this film on a variety of superior, hi-def media platforms while diving further into the history and quirky details behind the making of this film via amusing and informative bonus features.

Featuring unexpected heroes, magic, laughter and adventure, this animated feature is supported by an amazing cast of voice talents including Mandy Moore (“A Walk To Remember,” “The Princess Diaries”) as Rapunzel, Zachary Levi (TV’s “Chuck,” “Less Than Perfect”) as Flynn Rider, Brad Garrett (TV’s “Everybody Loves Raymond,” “’Til Death”) as Hook Hand Thug, Donna Murphy (“Spider-Man 2,” “The Fountain”) as Mother Gothel, and Ron Perlman (“Hellboy,” “Hellboy II: The Golden Army,” “The City of Lost Children”) as the Stabbington Brothers. From directors Byron Howard (“BOLT”) and Nathan Greno and the award-winning songwriter of “The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast,” Alan Menken, TANGLED’s hair-raising adventure keeps viewers entertained throughout with its exciting storyline and memorable melodies.

TANGLED hits store shelves this spring and is available as a 4-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) for the suggested price of $49.99 US/$56.99 Canada, a 2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD) for $39.99 US/$44.99 Canada and/or a 1-Disc DVD for $29.99 US/$35.99 Canada.

The Scorpion King 3 Due Early Next Year

Press release:

FROM THE PRODUCERS OF “THE MUMMY” COMES AN ALL-NEW Action-Packed ADVENTURE

THE SCORPION KING 3 BEGINS PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY IN THAILAND

Ron Perlman, Victor Webster and Billy Zane Star in the Newest, Action-Filled Fantasy Epic Exclusive to Universal’s DVD Originals™ Line

Universal City, California, December 2, 2010– A legendary hero returns to fight his most fearsome adversary as an all-new adventure unfolds in The Scorpion King 3, now shooting in Thailand. Steeped in intrigue, sorcery and romance and featuring more of the spectacular action, mindboggling stunts and astonishing plot twists that have made The Scorpion King franchise an outstanding addition to Universal Studios Home Entertainment’s groundbreaking DVD Originals™ line, The Scorpion King 3 is slated for release on DVD in early 2012.

Picking up where The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior left off, The Scorpion King 3 continues the story of Mathayus, now the deposed leader of an ancient desert empire, as he faces the most terrifying challenge of his life. The film, which began shooting on October 29 in and around Bangkok, introduces an all new cast featuring Victor Webster (“Melrose Place,” Surrogates) as Mathayus; Ron Perlman (“Sons of Anarchy,” Hellboy 1 and 2) as Horus, the powerful King of Egypt; Billy Zane (“Samantha Who?,” Titanic) as the conniving King Talus; UFC star Kimbo Slice as Zulu Kondo; Bostin Christopher as Mathayus’ comrade-in-arms Olaf (Unbreakable); WWE champion Dave Bautista as Agromael; Selina Lo (28 Weeks Later) as Tsukai; Krystal Vee (Streetfighter: The Legend of Chin-Li) as the beautiful princess Silda and Temuera Morrison (Star Wars: Episode III-Revenge of the Sith) as the ill-fated King Ramusan.

“The Scorpion King 3 raises the bar for DVD Originals, encompassing the most stunning action, visual effects and production values to date, including a cast of over 400 warriors and elephants,” said Glenn Ross, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Universal Home Entertainment Productions. “The Scorpion King saga, with its compelling characters, engaging storyline and non-stop action, is a perfect complement to Universal’s hugely popular and successful DVD Originals offerings.”

The Scorpion King 3 is directed by Roel Reine (Death Race 2). Leslie Belzberg (Crazy Heart) is the producer along with executive producers Stephen Sommers, Sean Daniel, Jim Jacks and Kevin Misher. The film’s production team includes director of photography Roel Reine, production designers Kuladee ‘Gai’ Suchatanun and Patrix ‘Pae’ Meesaiyaat and editors Radu Ion and Matthew Friedman.

As The Scorpion King 3 begins, Mathayus has lost his beloved queen and been driven from his former kingdom by a virulent plague. Now, an assassin for hire, Mathayus is dispatched by Horus, the King of Egypt, to protect his ally King Ramusan from imminent attack. In return for his services, he is promised Ramusan’s daughter Silda in marriage, as well as the legendary Eye of the Gods medallion, which imparts supernatural powers to its wearer. But to collect the reward, he will have to first rescue the princess, who is being held captive by Talus, the scheming brother of Horus. Mathayus agrees to the perilous mission, but the evil that lies in wait for him will challenge even his cunning and strength in a staggering test of courage unlike any he has faced before.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment is a unit of Universal Pictures, a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is a part of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and Entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% controlled by Vivendi.

Review: "Cronos" is a Different Kind of Vampire Flick (Happy B'day, Guillermo del Toro)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 194 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

Cronos (1993)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Mexico (Languages: English and Spanish)
MPAA - R for horror violence and for language
Running time: 94 minutes (1 hour, 34 minutes)
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Guillermo del Toro
PRODUCERS: Arthur Gorson and Bertha Navarro
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Guillermo Navarro
EDITOR: Raúl Dávalos

HORROR

Starring: Federico Luppi, Ron Perlman, Claudio Brook, Margarita Isabel, and Tamara Shanath

Cronos is writer/director Guillermo del Toro’s novel take on the vampire myth. The “Cronos Device” is a golden, elegant, mechanized scarab that grants the gift or curse of eternal life to those who would wear it. Inside the scarab is a tiny insect of unknown origin, and when the device stabs a mechanical pincer into the flesh of the wearer, injecting them with a substance from the insect that gives the wearer immortality.

Jesús Gris (Federico Luppi), an aging antique dealer, finds the scarab and inadvertently uses it, unaware that the device comes with instructions written on a set of ancient documents. Those are in the possession of Dieter de la Guardia (Claudio Brook), a wealthy industrialist slowly dying of some debilitating disease (likely cancer), a man who has been searching long and hard for the Cronos Device. Dieter uses his nephew and heir, Angel (Ron Perlman), as a heavy to obtain the device from Jesús, which leads to a protracted, bloody, and gruesome dispute between all parties involved in the struggle for immortality and the Cronos Device.

As a film, Cronos likely passes as a horror movie, but as a story, it’s more dark fantasy than anything else. Visually, Cronos has a striking, almost golden-hued or gilded gloomy look. The story is nice, and though he doesn’t pay off on the concept’s potential, del Toro creates a number of decidedly creepy images. Still, the golden earth tones, unique art direction, and mechanical effects make this a decidedly different kind of horror tale, worth viewing by those who take their movie watching seriously.

6 of 10
B

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