"The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" an Excellent Adventure

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 41 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010)
Running time: 113 minutes (1 hour, 53 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some frightening images and sequences of fantasy action
DIRECTOR: Michael Apted
WRITERS: Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely and Michael Petroini (based upon the book by C.S. Lewis)
PRODUCERS: Andrew Adamson, Mark Johnson, and Philip Steuer
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Dante Spinotti
EDITORS: Rick Shaine
Golden Globe nominee

FANTASY/ADVENTURE/FAMILY

Starring: Ben Barnes, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, Will Poulter, Gary Sweet, Arthur Angel, Arabella Morton, Bille Brown, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Tilda Swinton, and the voices of Simon Pegg and Liam Neeson

20th Century Fox joins Walden Media to produce the third film adaptation of C.S. Lewis’s book series, The Chronicles of Narnia. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader finds the youngest Pevensie children, Edmund and Lucy, joined by a dour cousin on a return journey to Narnia, where they grapple with temptation. More so than the other films, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a rip-snorting adventure

One year after the events depicted in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, the two youngest Pevensie children, Edmund (Skandar Keynes) and Lucy (Georgie Henley), are living in Cambridge with their cousins, the Scrubbs. Their older siblings, Susan (Anna Popplewell) and Peter (William Moseley), are in the United States with their parents. Lucy and Edmund now have their obnoxious cousin, Eustace Scrubb (Will Poulter), as a disagreeable companion.

The adventure beings when a magical painting transports Lucy, Edmund, and Eustace to an ocean in Narnia. There, the trio is rescued by Caspian (Ben Barnes) and the large talking mouse, Reepicheep (Simon Pegg), and taken aboard the sailing ship, the Dawn Treader. Three years have passed in Narnia since the Pevensie siblings last visited, and Caspian is now the King of Narnia. King Caspain is on a quest to find the seven Lost Lords of Narnia and invites the Pevensies and their cousin to join him.

During a visit to the Lone Islands, they discover a slavery ring that sacrifices people to a mysterious green mist. In order to save the sacrificial victims, the crew of the Dawn Treader must sail to Dark Island where resides a corrupting evil that threatens to destroy all of Narnia. Lucy, Edmund, King Caspian, and Eustace will find themselves tested as they journey to the far end of world and to the home of the great lion, Aslan (Liam Neeson).

As was the case with Prince Caspian, I enjoyed The Voyage of the Dawn Treader much more than I did the first Narnia film, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Dawn Treader is the cleanest and purest of the series, thus far. It is a straightforward adventure, an ocean-going tale that takes the characters from one obstacle they must overcome to another. Its philosophical theme is also simple – fighting, avoiding, and overcoming temptation. Its spiritual theme – the yearning to be one with the almighty or perfection – is surprisingly up front, and the story is almost frank in equating Aslan with the Christian God.

The main characters: Lucy, Edmond, and Caspian do not offer anything new in terms of personality; they’re like old friends, now. The story does get a much needed jolt in new characters, such as the firm captain of the Dawn Treader, Lord Drinian (Gary Sweet), and especially the tart Eustace Scrubb. While the arc of Eustace’s change is interesting, what is best about the character is Will Poulter’s portrayal of Eustace. Pitch-perfect in his performance, Poulter makes the annoying Eustace a scene stealer who will make the audience want more of him.

The special effects in this third movie are better than those in the second film. Although not as impressive as those in the original film (which won an Oscar), the visual effects in this film seem more inventive and even more magical. This is Michael Apted’s touch as director; he makes the most of what he has. He doesn’t get the most impressive acting, but he makes it seem so. Apted doesn’t have a solid villain in the evil green mist, which essentially represents temptation, but he adds chilling touches using the mist.

In the final act, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader especially emphasizes its Christian elements. The spiritual messages will make some yearn for God, but even more people will be sad that the end of this movie means that we must once again leave Narnia – until we return…

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
2011 Golden Globes: 1 nomination: “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” (David Hodges, Hillary Lindsey, and Carrie Underwood for “There’s A Place for Us”)

Monday, May 16, 2011


The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader [Blu-ray]

"Thor: Tales of Asgard" on DVD Tuesday, May 17th

THOR: TALES OF ASGARD

New Marvel Animated Feature Stars Fan-Favorite The Mighty Thor and Hits Stores Just Weeks After Theatrical Film Debuts!

Street Date: 5/17/11
Blu-ray Combo Pack SRP: $29.99
DVD SRP: $19.98

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:
He’s waged battles in Ultimate Avengers, Ultimate Avengers 2, Next Avengers and Hulk Vs., and now one of the most beloved characters in the Marvel Universe is ready to strike out on his own this May. See the young “God of Thunder” as Marvel Animation and Lionsgate Home Entertainment team up to release Thor: Tales of Asgard! Hitting Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD, Digital Download and On Demand on May 17, 2011, the newest Marvel Animated Feature is the perfect companion to the May 6th release of the live-action theatrical film Thor. The title builds on the strength of more than 40 years and 10 million copies of Thor comics, and the timelessness of The Mighty Thor to create a truly epic adventure that both lifelong fans and those new to the story will love. Packed with special features such as audio commentaries with the film creators, a “making-of” featurette plus a bonus TV episode of “The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” Thor: Tales of Asgard will come to Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD for $29.99 and $19.98, respectively.

SYNOPSIS:
Before he ever lifted his mighty hammer, there was the sword. Fantastic journeys beckon from the mysterious nine realms. Places of dark mists and fiery voids. Of winged creatures and giants in the ice. And the most alluring quest of all – the search for the legendary Lost Sword of Surtur. Hungry for adventure, Thor secretly embarks on the journey of a lifetime, joined by his loyal brother Loki, whose budding sorcery equips him with just enough magic to conjure up trouble, along with the Warriors Three – a band of boastful travelers reluctant to set sail on any adventure that might actually be dangerous. But what starts out as a harmless treasure hunt quickly turns deadly, and Thor must now prove himself worthy of the destiny he covets by saving Asgard itself.

BLU-RAY COMBO PACK & DVD SPECIAL FEATURES
· Audio commentary with Supervising Producer Craig Kyle and Screenwriter Greg Johnson
· Audio commentary with Supervising Director Gary Hartle, Animation Director Sam Liu and Character Designer Phil Bourassa
· “Worthy: The Making of Thor: Tales of Asgard” featurette
· The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes Bonus Episode from the new hit TV series

PROGRAM INFORMATION
Year of Production: 2009
Title Copyright: Marvel, Thor, all related trademarks, service marks, character names and the distinctive likenesses thereof are proprietary to Marvel Entertainment, Inc. and its subsidiaries and are used with permission. “THOR: TALES OF ASGARD” COPYRIGHT © 2009 Marvel Entertainment. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Type: Home Entertainment Premiere

Rating: Not Rated
Genre: Television, Animation, Action, Adventure, Children
Closed Captioned: DVD – English; Blu-Ray - English SDH
Subtitles: English
DVD Format: 16x9 Widescreen (1.78:1)
Blu-ray Format: 1080P High Definition 16x9 Widescreen (1.78:1)
Feature Run Time: 77 minutes
DVD Audio Status: 5.1 Dolby Digital and Spanish 2.0 Dolby Digital
Blu-ray Audio Status: English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Website: http://www.marvel.com/


Thor: Tales of Asgard (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

New People Presents Legacy Film Festival on Aging

NEW PEOPLE PRESENTS A TRULY GROWN-UP EVENT WITH THE LEGACY FILM FESTIVAL ON AGING

3-Day Festival Features International Films That Celebrate Seniors And Spotlight The Challenges And Triumphs Of Aging

San Francisco, CA, May 4, 2011 – NEW PEOPLE is proud to present the Legacy Film Festival on Aging, a special new film series that will inspire, educate and entertain intergenerational audiences about important issues surrounding aging and profiles unique individuals that lead meaningful lives well into their senior years.

The festival runs Friday, May 13th thru Sunday May 15th and showcases 13 feature and short films from around the world that celebrate older adulthood and deal with the challenges and triumphs of aging. Several of these films are also presented as double-features. The festival allows younger people to see their potential in older years and lets older people appreciate their own journeys to senior life. This is a wonderful experience to share together with audiences off all ages! For more info please visit LEGACY FILM FEST HOME PAGE or the NEW PEOPLE WORLD web site.

“There are currently over 95 million people in the U.S. over the age of fifty, with 40 million of them over the age of 65,” says Seiji Horibuchi, President and CEO of NEW PEOPLE Entertainment. “As seniors become an ever more significant part of our population, we should celebrate their wisdom, experiences and love of life. The 3-day Legacy Film Festival on Aging explores a variety of inspiring and sometimes controversial slice-of-life stories that create a wonderful experience to be shared by young and old alike.”

Ruth Asawa: Roots of an Artist
May 13th (Fri.) 6:30pm (Directed by Bob Toy, 37min, English)

An absorbing documentary portraying world-famous American artist Ruth Asawa, age 85, a beloved San Francisco icon of art and mentorship. Ruth’s fountains dot the San Francisco landscape, and her wire sculptures hang in museums worldwide. Learn the story of how Ruth’s kitchen table, where friends, artists, and students gathered, was donated to the Bethany Center in the Mission District, where Ruth’s Table is now the arts and creativity center for people over 50 living independent lives.

Post-screening Q&A with director Bob Toy; Ruth’s son and daughter Paul Lanier and Aiko Cuneo; Lola Fraknoi, of Ruth’s Table at the Bethany Center.

Tickets $11.00

5 Film Shorts
May 14th (Sat.) 1:00pm Tickets $11.00 for all 5 films

Advanced Style
(Directed by Lina Plioplyte, 3min, English)

Meet the stars of NY photographer Ari Seth Cohen’s Advanced Style, a blog devoted “to capturing the sartorial savvy of the senior set, … people who live life to the fullest, age gracefully and continue to grow and challenge themselves.”

A Mosaic Of Elders From Other Cultures
(Directed by HelpAge International (HAI), 5min, English)

HAI helps older people claim their rights, so that they can lead dignified, secure, active and healthy lives. Last year they changed the lives of 1.5 million older people across the world.

An Old Hand
(Directed by Amy Dickson, 3min, English)

“A portrait of my grandmother: Life continues to challenge us right into old age. Her greatest legacy to me is her tenacity.”

Beautifully Esther
(Directed by Ricardo Korda, 23min, English)

A drama about Esther and Joszi who live a quiet, sheltered life in Venice Beach, CA. Their stagnant daily routine comes to an end when Joszi suddenly collapses, and Esther finds out her husband was hiding a secret. Confronted by her husband’s reluctance to change, Esther must decide how she wants to spend the rest of her days.

Seniors Rocking
(Directed by Ruedi Gerber, 28min, English)

A delightful documentary that unveils the artistic process and captures the communal energy behind the unique performance created by American dance pioneer Anna Halprin with senior citizens from the Redwoods Community of Seniors in Marin County, CA.

Old People Driving & Nobody’s Business
May 14th (Sat.) 3:15pm

Old People Driving
(Directed by Shaleece Haas, 24min, English)

Director Shaleece Haas asks: “Can a person be simply too old to drive?” The film chronicles the adventures of Milton (age 96) and Herbert (age 99) as they confront a grim milestone: the end of their driving years. Crucial issues of safety and independence come to the forefront.

Nobody’s Business
(Directed by Alan Berliner, 60min, English)

Alan Berliner takes on his reclusive father as the reluctant subject of this film from 1996. It presents a uniquely cinematic biography that finds both humor and pathos in the swirl of conflicts and affections that bind father and son. This is a memorable essay about the nature of family relationships.

Post-screening Q&A with outspoken expert of career advice, Marty Nemko. Tickets $11.00 for both films

The First Grader [Premiere!]
May 14th (Sat.) 5:30pm (Directed by Justin Chadwick, 100min, English)

In a small, remote, primary school in the Kenyan bush, hundreds of children are jostling for a chance at free education newly promised by the Kenyan government in 2002. One applicant creates a stir: Maruge, an old Mau Mau veteran in his eighties. Having fought for the liberation of his country, Maruge is desperate to learn how to read at this late stage of his life — even if it means sitting in a classroom alongside six-year-olds. The film is a triumphant testimony to the transforming force of education. An enchanting true-life story, made more so by the fact Maruge would later address the United Nations about the need for education in Africa.

Tickets $11.00

HAPPY TO BE SO … & Ida’s Dance Club
May 15th (Sun.) 1:00pm

HAPPY TO BE SO…
(Directed by Yelena Demikovsky, 48min, English)

An affectionate and candid chronicle told with humor and irony by the principals themselves: two renowned ballet stars and current ballet masters Mireille Briane and Oleg Briansky, who have been married 50 years. They offer the viewer their shared days of glory, shining hours, and tragic reversals of fortune.

Ida’s Dance Club
(Directed by Dalit Kimor, 60min, English)

A ballroom dancing competition in a retirement community is the setting for this moving documentary portrait of individuals dancing against all odds. The participants are past retirement age, but that doesn’t stop them from dancing and singing, from falling in love — or not. The magical atmosphere of the club and the dancing gives them the strength to overcome the wear and tear of time, health problems and difficult memories.

Tickets $11.00 for both films

Over 90 & Loving It
May 15th (Sun.) 3:45pm (Directed by Susan Polis Schutz, 60min, English)

Is it ‘good genes,’ exercise and nutrition, caring for others, or just good luck that makes the subjects of this film so long-lived and passionate about life? The filmmaker interviews engaging characters living life to the fullest. Both their philosophies and actions should inspire intergenerational audiences to pick up the pace.

Tickets $11.00

Another Harvest Moon
May 15th (Sun.) 5:30pm (Directed by Greg W. Swartz, 90min, English)

This film is a sensitive drama of four elderly residents coping with life in a nursing home. When Frank, played by 93-year old Ernest Borgnine, suffers a second stroke, his friends and family, including his 15-year-old grandson, must confront their feelings about faith, dignity and obligations to loved ones. The cast includes: Academy-Award winner Ernest Borgnine, and award-winning veteran stars Doris Roberts, Ann Meara, Piper Laurie and Cybill Shepherd.

Post-screening Q&A with Compassion & Choices board membe Amy Hittner.

Tickets $11.00

NEW PEOPLE’s 143-seat subterranean theatre is located inside the NEW PEOPLE venue at 1746 Post Street in San Francisco’s Japantown and features plush seating, digital as well as 35mm projection, and a THX®-certified sound system.


About NEW PEOPLE, Inc.
Based in San Francisco, California, NEW PEOPLE, Inc. (http://www.newpeopleworld.com/) offers the latest films, art, fashion and retail brands from Japan through its unique entertainment destination as well as through licensing and distribution of selective Japanese films. NEW PEOPLE Entertainment (www.newpeopleent.com), a film division of NEW PEOPLE, Inc. strives to offer the most entertaining motion pictures straight from the "Kingdom of Pop" for audiences of all ages, especially the manga and anime generation, in North America. Some titles include DEATH NOTE, GANTZ, KAMIKAZE GIRLS, and THE TASTE OF TEA.

Review: "Notes on a Scandal" is Delightfully Scandalous (Happy B'day, Cate Blanchett)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 70 (of 2007) by Leroy Douresseaux


Notes on a Scandal (2006)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: UK
Running time: 92 minutes (1 hour, 32 minutes)
MPAA – R for language and some aberrant sexual content
DIRECTOR: Richard Eyre
WRITER: Patrick Marber (based upon the book What was She Thinking: Notes on a Scandal by Zoë Heller)
PRODUCERS: Scott Rudin and Robert Fox
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Chris Menges
EDITORS: John Bloom and Antonia Van Drimmelen
2007 Academy Award nominee

DRAMA with elements of a thriller

Starring: Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett, Bill Nighy, Andrew Simpson, Juno Temple, Max Lewis, and Stephen Kennedy

Notes on a Scandal is a chance to see two of the world’s best actresses delivering tour de force performances. For people who love great acting and great actresses, this film is a treasure trove. It’s rare when two actors are this good in the same movie where the script requires them to perform together during most of the film. Together, Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett are enough to burn out your eyes.

Barbara Covett (Judi Dench) is a senior faculty member at St. George’s, a decaying, state-run secondary school. Lonely and bitter, she hasn’t connected with the rest of the faculty, but she rules over her class with an iron fist. Barbara does take an interest in the school’s newest faculty member, a pretty art teacher named Sheba Hart (Cate Blanchett). Sheba ends up in an illicit affair with, Steven Connolly (Andrew Simpson), a 15-year old male student.

After Barbara accidentally discovers this, she confronts Sheba, but promises not to tell if Sheba ends the affair. Barbara also plots to use this intimate secret as a way to coerce Sheba into having an affair with her, but when Sheba continues the relationship with Steven, things turn ugly. In a moment of blind jealousy, Barbara does something that will hurt all involved, including Sheba’s husband, Richard (Bill Nighy), and will also bring the secret deceptions and dark obsessions to the surface.

The sign of a quality movie director is his ability to recognize a significant movie script and then, be able to turn it over to great actors and help them bring forth great performances. Richard Eyre (who previously directed Judi Dench to an Oscar nomination in 2001’s Iris) is such a quality film director. Patrick Marber’s script encapsulates what it feels like to be alone even in a crowd of familiar people, including one’s on family, and that’s to say nothing of Marber’s treatise on people so lonely they victimize other people to satisfy their need for connection and companionship. (Sheba calls Barbara a vampire, late in the film) Eyre doesn’t lose the richness of either Marber’s rich narrative or his complex look at the potential selfishness of neediness.

In spite of the good directing and writing, many will remember Notes on a Scandal for the two tremendous performances that literally make and define this film. Indeed, over the years, other movie lovers will seek out Notes precisely to see why so many other fans will still be raving about Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett. Dench defines Barbara with a domineering presence, a powerful and direct voice, a demeanor that might give a mugger pause, and the haughty attitude to end haughty attitudes. She makes Barbara so dishonest in her dealings with people that she could give the Prince of Lies a run for his money. Dench intensely uses her skills and still manages to make Barbara feel genuine and authentic as a person.

Meanwhile, Blanchett builds her character physically. The secret life of Sheba and her general unhappiness and malaise are evident in the way Blanchett moves. It is in a gaze or a wave of the arms – in the way she dances, the way she cries, or even how she sits in a chair. Blanchett opens the audience to what is real about Sheba, and what she’s hiding and the lies she’s telling. Movies like Notes on a Scandal that make you appreciate genuine acting and filmmaking talent and the skill to put that talent to practical use.

A horror movie in all but genre, Notes on a Scandal is as scandalous as its subject matter, but this highbrow freak show is a feast of film acting

8 of 10
A
NOTES:
2007 Academy Awards: 4 nominations: “Best performance by an actress in a leading role” (Judi Dench), “Best performance by an actress in a supporting role” (Cate Blanchett), “Best writing, adapted screenplay” (Patrick Marber), and “Best achievement in music written for motion pictures, original score” (Philip Glass)

2007 BAFTA Awards: 3 nominations: “Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film” (Scott Rudin, Robert Fox, Richard Eyre, and Patrick Marber), “Best Actress in a Leading Role” (Judi Dench), and “Best Screenplay – Adapted” (Patrick Marber)

2007 Golden Globes: 3 nominations: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama” (Judi Dench), “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Cate Blanchett), and “Best Screenplay - Motion Picture” (Patrick Marber)

Thursday, May 03, 2007

Bin Laden Movie Writer, Mark Boal, Presents at PenFed Foundation Gala

Screenwriter Mark Boal of New Bin Laden Movie Coming to D.C. as Awards Presenter for PenFed Foundation Gala

Oscar winner to attend event recognizing wounded soldiers and military medical community

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mark Boal, journalist and Hollywood writer and producer of an upcoming film about the capture of Osama bin Laden, is coming to Washington, D.C., later this month to attend the Pentagon Federal Credit Union Foundation’s (PenFed Foundation) annual Night of Heroes Gala on May 19 as a special guest and awards presenter. Boal won two Academy Awards for writing and producing “The Hurt Locker,” which was based on his experiences as a journalist embedded with an explosive ordnance disposal unit in Iraq.

“We are very excited to once again have Mr. Boal attend our event as an honored guest, especially for our biggest annual gathering, the Night of Heroes Gala,” said Christopher Flynn, president and chief executive officer of the PenFed Foundation. “His commitment to sharing the stories of the military community is genuine and heartfelt and we look forward to seeing his upcoming film about the hunt for bin Laden.”

Together with multiple Oscar-winner Kathryn Bigelow, who directed and produced "The Hurt Locker," Boal has been working on a film about the elite units tracking down the terrorist leader. The announcement last week of the death of bin Laden came early enough in the movie-making process that it will be incorporated into the final script, which Boal is currently rewriting.

Later this month, he will be in Washington to attend the PenFed Foundation’s annual Night of Heroes Gala as an awards presenter and special guest alongside General James N. Mattis, the current commander of the United States Central Command; General (Ret) Barry McCaffrey; and author and co-founder of the Bob Woodruff Family Foundation, Lee Woodruff. The event will recognize wounded military heroes and those of the medical community who provide the continuum of care from the battlefield to the home front.

Last spring, Boal attended a PenFed Foundation fundraising dinner as a special guest to support the organization’s new Defenders Lodge project, a planned $12.5 million facility to provide free short-term housing to thousands of veterans and wounded soldiers undergoing care at the Palo Alto Veterans Hospital in California. The project is slated to break ground this summer. Many wounded soldiers travel from all over the United States to receive outpatient treatment at the hospital and end up staying at a lodging facility that is no longer able to accommodate the increase in patient volume and isn’t compliant with the American Disabilities Act.

This year’s Night of Heroes Gala will begin at 6 p.m. at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Washington on Thursday, May 19. Along with corporate, political and military guests, wounded patients from Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Bethesda National Naval Medical Center will be in attendance.

“The theme of this year’s gala honors a very special part of the military community,” adds Flynn. “Hollywood makes a lot of movies featuring the military, but only a few get it right. We’re honored to have Mr. Boal attend this year’s event as a special guest because he’s one of the few who does get it right and tells the story as it is.”

To learn more about the 2011 Night of Heroes Gala, visit: www.penfedfoundation.org/NightofHeroes2011


About the Pentagon Federal Credit Union Foundation (PenFed Foundation)
The PenFed Foundation is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization working to meet the unmet needs of military personnel and their families through supporting wounded soldiers, providing financial management assistance and home ownership aid. The foundation is also the primary sponsor of the new $12.5 million Defenders Lodge supported by donated land from the government and financed entirely through private donations. The Pentagon Federal Credit Union covers all labor expenses for the foundation so every dollar donated goes directly to supporting its programs.

To learn more about the foundation, visit: http://www.pentagonfoundation.org/

Review: "Battle Royale" is a Bullet with Butterfly Wings

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 187 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

Batoru rowaiaru (2000)
Battle Royale (2001) – U.S. title
Running time: 114 minutes (1 hour, 54 minutes)
DIRECTOR: Kinji Fukasaku
WRITER: Kenta Fukasaku (based upon the novel by Koushun Takami)
PRODUCERS: Kinji Fukasaku, Kenta Fukasaku, Kimio Kataoka, Chie Kobayashi, and Toshio Nabeshima
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Katsumi Yanagishima
EDITOR: Hirohide Abe

ACTION/DRAMA with elements of crime, horror and sci-fi

Starring: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Aki Maeda, Taro Yamamoto, Masanobu Ando, and Takeshi Kitano

Early in the new millennium, Japan is on the verge of societal collapse. Not only is unemployment high, but schoolchildren are also abusing the system by staging strikes to not attend school, and when they do attend, they attack the teachers. The government introduces the Millennium Education Reform Act V or Battle Royale Act. It’s a strict new form of punishment whereby the government via lottery chooses a group of students and takes them to a desert island where the students are ordered to fight to the death. Each student is turned loose with a backpack containing supplies and one weapon. The students must use those weapons on one another until there is only one student left standing. Each Battle Royale can have only one winner. The students who refuse to cooperate and play by the rules are killed by an explosive charge placed in a metal collar that each student has around his or her neck.

Zentsuji Middle School #4, Class E finds itself selected to play the super brutal game of Battle Royale. Their teacher, Kitano (played by the famous Japanese actor and auteur Takeshi “Beat” Kitano), is the game master, and he’s showing no mercy. Out of the chaos that is Battle Royal, two students, Shuya Nanahara (Tatsuya Fujiwara) and Noriko Nakagawa (Aki Maeda), join together in hopes of finding like-minded classmates who want to fight the system and beat the game, but it’s every student for himself.

Battle Royale (Batoru rowaiaru) is one of the most controversial films in recent memory primarily because it’s about a group of school children forced to kill their classmates in order to survive. It’s a bang-up Lord of the Flies as only a Japanese filmmaker could do it. The film is certainly disturbing not only its depiction of violence, but also in its concept. Director Kinji Fukasaku and writer Kenta Fukasaku make sure that the audience gets to know every student. We don’t get to know each intimately, but we learn enough to care about each one and fear for his or her safety.

This isn’t some horror flick with a body count. It’s mad social commentary, and although Battle Royale’s notion of how a government fights juvenile delinquency and flagrant law breaking seems a bit extreme and fanciful, the film gets it right in spirit. It’s a reverse Logan’s Run and a grisly-with-a-cherry-on-top riff on “the most dangerous game” (hunting a human), and I must admit there is something… fun in watching the expressions of terror and desperation on the students’ faces as they struggle to live, beg for the lives, or fight for their lives. There is also something alluring in watching the bloodlust and the triumph of the killers. Maybe, this is so controversial because it appeals to something dark and ugly in us, but Battle Royale is a must-see treat for true movie lovers.

9 of 10
A+

Sunday, August 27, 2006

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Star Wars: The Complete Saga Blu-ray Special Features List

The Complete Saga Debuts on High-Definition Blu-ray This September

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bring home the adventure and share Star Wars™ with your whole family – when STAR WARS: THE COMPLETE SAGA comes to Blu-ray Disc from Lucasfilm Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment! To be released beginning on September 12 internationally and on September 16 in North America, the nine-disc collection brings the wonder of the entire Saga direct to your living room, where you can revisit all of your favorite Star Wars moments – in gorgeous high definition and with pristine, 6.1 DTS Surround Sound. Dive deeper into the universe with an unprecedented 40+ hours of special features, highlighted by never-before-seen content sourced from the Lucasfilm archives.

Episodes I-III and IV-VI will also be available as distinct Blu-ray Trilogy collections.

Special Features:

STAR WARS: THE COMPLETE SAGA ON BLU-RAY is presented in widescreen with 6.1 DTS Surround Sound. Special features include:

DISC ONE – STAR WARS: EPISODE I THE PHANTOM MENACE

Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Ben Burtt, Rob Coleman, John Knoll, Dennis Muren and Scott Squires

Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

DISC TWO – STAR WARS: EPISODE II ATTACK OF THE CLONES

Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Ben Burtt, Rob Coleman, Pablo Helman, John Knoll and Ben Snow

Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

DISC THREE – STAR WARS: EPISODE III REVENGE OF THE SITH

Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Rob Coleman, John Knoll and Roger Guyett

Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

DISC FOUR – STAR WARS: EPISODE IV A NEW HOPE

Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt and Dennis Muren

Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

DISC FIVE – STAR WARS: EPISODE V THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt and Dennis Muren

Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

DISC SIX – STAR WARS: EPISODE VI RETURN OF THE JEDI

Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt and Dennis Muren

Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

DISC SEVEN – NEW! STAR WARS ARCHIVES: EPISODES I-III

Including: deleted, extended and alternate scenes; prop, maquette and costume turnarounds; matte paintings and concept art; supplementary interviews with cast and crew; a flythrough of the Lucasfilm Archives and more

DISC EIGHT – NEW! STAR WARS ARCHIVES: EPISODES IV-VI

Including: deleted, extended and alternate scenes; prop, maquette and costume turnarounds; matte paintings and concept art; supplementary interviews with cast and crew; and more

DISC NINE – THE STAR WARS DOCUMENTARIES

NEW! Star Warriors (2007, Color, Apx. 84 Minutes) – Some Star Wars fans want to collect action figures...these fans want to be action figures! A tribute to the 501st Legion, a global organization of Star Wars costume enthusiasts, this insightful documentary shows how the super-fan club promotes interest in the films through charity and volunteer work at fundraisers and high-profile special events around the world.

NEW! A Conversation with the Masters: The Empire Strikes Back 30 Years Later (2010, Color, Apx. 25 Minutes) – George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Lawrence Kasdan and John Williams look back on the making of The Empire Strikes Back in this in-depth retrospective from Lucasfilm created to help commemorate the 30th anniversary of the movie. The masters discuss and reminisce about one of the most beloved films of all time.

NEW! Star Wars Spoofs (2011, Color, Apx. 91 Minutes) – The farce is strong with this one! Enjoy a hilarious collection of Star Wars spoofs and parodies that have been created over the years, including outrageous clips from Family Guy, The Simpsons, How I Met Your Mother and more — and don’t miss “Weird Al” Yankovic’s one-of-a-kind music video tribute to The Phantom Menace!

The Making of Star Wars (1977, Color, Apx. 49 Minutes) – Learn the incredible behind-the-scenes story of how the original Star Wars movie was brought to the big screen in this fascinating documentary hosted by C-3PO and R2-D2. Includes interviews with George Lucas and appearances by Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher.

The Empire Strikes Back: SPFX (1980, Color, Apx. 48 Minutes) – Learn the secrets of making movies in a galaxy far, far away. Hosted by Mark Hamill, this revealing documentary offers behind-the-scenes glimpses into the amazing special effects that transformed George Lucas’ vision for Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back into reality!

Classic Creatures: Return of the Jedi (1983, Color, Apx. 48 Minutes) – Go behind the scenes — and into the costumes — as production footage from Return of the Jedi is interspersed with vintage monster movie clips in this in-depth exploration of the painstaking techniques utilized by George Lucas to create the classic creatures and characters seen in the film. Hosted and narrated by Carrie Fisher and Billie Dee Williams.

Anatomy of a Dewback (1997, Color, Apx. 26 Minutes) – See how some of the special effects in Star Wars became even more special two decades later! George Lucas explains and demonstrates how his team transformed the original dewback creatures from immovable rubber puppets (in the original 1977 release) to seemingly living, breathing creatures for the Star Wars 1997 Special Edition update.

Star Wars Tech (2007, Color, Apx. 46 Minutes) – Exploring the technical aspects of Star Wars vehicles, weapons and gadgetry, Star Wars Tech consults leading scientists in the fields of physics, prosthetics, lasers, engineering and astronomy to examine the plausibility of Star Wars technology based on science as we know it today.


Star Wars: The Original Trilogy (Episodes IV - VI) [Blu-ray]

Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-ray in September

Bring the Complete Collection Home! - STAR WARS: THE COMPLETE SAGA

Packed with Never-before-Seen Special Features, Nine-Disc Collection Provides an Unprecedented Look at “A Galaxy Far, Far Away”

The Complete Saga Debuts on High-Definition Blu-ray This September

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bring home the adventure and share Star Wars™ with your whole family – when STAR WARS: THE COMPLETE SAGA comes to Blu-ray Disc from Lucasfilm Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment! To be released beginning on September 12 internationally and on September 16 in North America, the nine-disc collection brings the wonder of the entire Saga direct to your living room, where you can revisit all of your favorite Star Wars moments – in gorgeous high definition and with pristine, 6.1 DTS Surround Sound. Dive deeper into the universe with an unprecedented 40+ hours of special features, highlighted by never-before-seen content sourced from the Lucasfilm archives.

The comprehensive collection also features numerous deleted, extended and alternate scenes, new documentaries and a cross-section of the countless Star Wars spoofs that have appeared in pop culture over the past three decades. Marking the first time ever that the full Saga is available in one complete collection, STAR WARS: THE COMPLETE SAGA ON BLU-RAY also features a coveted peek into the making of the Saga with vintage documentaries, audio commentaries, behind-the-scenes moments, interviews, prop and costume turnarounds, retrospectives and more.

Episodes I-III and IV-VI will also be available as distinct Blu-ray Trilogy collections.

Fans will get an exclusive first look at some of the collection’s extensive special features at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con International – which marks Lucasfilm’s 35th anniversary as a Comic-Con presence. In 1976, the fledgling film company was looking for innovative, grass-roots ways to promote its underdog release, a film no one expected to succeed – a space opera known (at the time) only as Star Wars. One of the first film companies to reach out directly to core audiences by way of fan conventions, Lucasfilm will return to the venue to showcase the full evolution of the epic story with a special first look at STAR WARS: THE COMPLETE SAGA ON BLU-RAY.


ABOUT STAR WARS
The May 25, 1977 theatrical debut of Star Wars - on a scant 32 screens across America - was destined to change the face of cinema forever. An instant classic and an unparalleled box office success, the rousing "space opera" was equal parts fairy tale, western, 1930s serial and special effects extravaganza, with roots in mythologies from cultures around the world. From the mind of visionary writer/director George Lucas, the epic space fantasy introduced the mystical Force into the cultural vocabulary, as well as iconic characters such as evil Darth Vader, idealistic Luke Skywalker, feisty Princess Leia, lovable scoundrel Han Solo and wise Obi-Wan Kenobi. Since its 1977 debut, Star Wars has continued to grow, its lush narrative expanding from modest beginnings into an epic, six-film Saga chronicling the fall and redemption of The Chosen One, Anakin Skywalker.

ABOUT TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, LLC (TCFHE) is a recognized global industry leader and a subsidiary of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, a News Corporation company. Representing 75 years of innovative and award-winning filmmaking from Twentieth Century Fox, TCFHE is the worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox film and television programming, acquisitions and original productions on DVD, Blu-ray Disc Digital Copy, Video On Demand and Digital Download. The company also releases all products globally for MGM Home Entertainment. Each year TCFHE introduces hundreds of new and newly enhanced products, which it services to retail outlets from mass merchants and warehouse clubs to specialty stores and e-commerce throughout the world.

Lucasfilm, STAR WARS™ and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.


Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Episodes I-VI) [Blu-ray]

Review: "Seven Pounds" is Too Damn Dark (Happy B'day, Rosario Dawson)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 1 (of 2009) by Leroy Douresseaux

Seven Pounds (2008)
Running time: 123 minutes (2 hours, 3 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for thematic material, some disturbing content, and a scene of sensuality
DIRECTOR: Gabriele Muccino
WRITER: Grant Nieporte
PRODUCERS: Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, James Lassiter, Will Smith, and Steve Tisch
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Philippe Le Sourd (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Hughes Winborne
NAACP Image Award winner

DRAMA/MYSTERY

Starring: Will Smith, Rosario Dawson, Woody Harrelson, Michael Ealy, Barry Pepper, Elpidia Carrillo, and Joe Nunez

I don’t know how many readers of this review will remember Beloved. This 1998 film was Oprah Winfrey’s big screen adaptation of Alice Walker’s 1987 novel of the same name (which won the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction). Beloved, directed by Oscar-winner Jonathan Demme, was a technically well-made film, but was almost unwatchable because it was so depressing, heartrending, and morbid. The plot, characters, and setting were so gloomy that when I saw it, it seemed as if a pall had been cast over the theatre. There is a point when a movie is so sad that it can’t be entertaining.

Seven Pounds is a reunion of actor Will Smith and director Gabriele Muccino, who together made 2006’s The Pursuit of Happyness. Happyness was well made with good performances, and while the film featured Will Smith’s character undergoing so many hardships, he was ultimately triumphant, and the film was hugely entertaining. Seven Pounds is well, with good performances, but is so damn dark that watching it is really like having to sit and experience something irritating and painful for two hours.

The film focuses on Ben Thomas (Will Smith), a mysterious IRS agent with a somewhat arrogant air who loves to surprise clients with unexpected visits. He also goes out of his way to help people in need. Why would an IRS agent do that, and why is it so obvious that he’s hiding something? After he meets, Emily Posa (Rosario Dawson), an ailing young woman with a fatal heart condition, Ben begins to fall in love with Emily, and that causes him to struggle with completing his shadowy mission of redemption.

It’s safe to assume that Seven Pounds, a weighty, dramatic, star vehicle, is Will Smith’s attempt to make another run at getting Oscar recognition. As such, Smith probably would have better served his ambitions if Seven Pounds was less dour, sour, and gloomy and was instead more upbeat. Movie reviews and Sony Pictures, the studio behind Seven Pounds, have gone to great lengths not to give away too much about Seven Pounds’ plot, but honestly, most viewers will figure out Ben Thomas’ scheme and why he’s scheming 10 minutes (20 tops) into the film. So, I’m not giving anything away by saying that if Thomas’ efforts at redemption are so noble, then, he should be at least a little more lighthearted about the goal he has freely set for himself.

In a way Seven Pounds is too obtuse and too European. I say that because Seven Pounds’ director Gabriele Muccino comes out of a tradition of European cinema in which film narratives gladly go into the dark places of the human condition. There are characters in some European films that have excellent intentions, but their methods for doing something noble for other characters are jaw-dropping and even scandalous (see the wonderful, heartrending Danish film, After the Wedding, which is similar in passing to Seven Pounds).

Regarding Ben Thomas’ absolutely shocking plan, much of the audience for American films will be put off by someone like him, who so fits the saying “wears his emotions on his sleeves.” One can certainly question Thomas’ real agenda and intentions. Does he seek redemption, or is he just a guilty coward, or is he just a self-appointed martyr? In such a character, we would prefer a grim but determined, grieving but genial fella with a smile that can brighten our days even while we can see the sadness in his eyes – the kind of character played by Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, or Tom Hanks.

Instead, we get a Will Smith, practically wearing rags and his face covered with ash. Smith, an underrated actor who gives a good performance here, shows an impressive range of emotions in Seven Pounds – most of them of the sadder, negative variety. Seven Pounds is a good movie, but in the end, its darkness makes it too heavy to be entertaining or a great film.

6 of 10
B

Thursday, January 15, 2009

NOTES:
2009 Black Reel Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Director” (Gabriele Muccino) and “Best Film”

2009 Image Awards: 2 wins: “Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture” (Will Smith) and “Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture” (Rosario Dawson); 1 nomination: “Outstanding Motion Picture”

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Happy Birthday, Uncle Willie

I'm on time with this one.  I deserve a cookie.

Review: Chris Hemsworth Brings Thunder to Marvel's "THOR"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 39 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux

Thor (2011)
Running time: 114 minutes (1 hour, 54 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence
DIRECTOR: Kenneth Branagh
WRITERS: Ashley Edward Miller and Zack Stentz and Don Payne; from a story by J. Michael Straczynski and Mark Protosevich (based on the comic book and characters created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby)
PRODUCER: Kevin Feige
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Haris Zambarloukos (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Paul Rubell
COMPOSER: Patrick Doyle

SUPERHERO/ACTION/FANTASY/DRAMA

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård, Colm Feore, Ray Stevenson, Idris Elba, Kat Dennings, Jaimie Alexander, Josh Dallas, Tadanobu Asano, and Clark Gregg with Rene Russo and Anthony Hopkins

Thor is a new superhero movie from Marvel Studios. Thor is an unusual character because, while he has many of the characteristics of a superhero (super powers, a costume, an occasional secret identity), he is also based on a mythological deity once worshipped as a god in the real world. This makes for a superhero movie that doesn’t look or really act like other superhero movies, but that does not stop Thor from turning out to be as fun to watch as the best superhero flicks.

Thor the movie stars the Marvel Comics character, Thor, who first appeared in the comic book, Journey into Mystery #83 (cover dated August 1962). Created by artist Jack Kirby and writers, Stan Lee and Larry Leiber (who are also siblings), Thor is based on the Norse mythological deity of the same name.

Thor begins in the mystical realm of Asgard, where Odin (Anthony Hopkins), the King of Asgard, is choosing which of his two sons, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston), will become the next king. Thor seems destined to be the next king, but his arrogant, hot-tempered ways get him into trouble. The source of his powers is the mighty hammer, Mjolnir.

As Thor prepares to ascend to the throne, Asgard’s ancient enemies, the Frost Giants, sneak into Asgard to steal an ancient Frost Giants relic taken ages ago by Odin. Enraged by this attack, Thor leads an attack on Jotunheim, the Frost Giants realm, which destroys the fragile truce between Asgard and the Frost Giants. As punishment, Odin strips Thor of his title and powers and banishes him to Earth. Odin also sends Mjolnir to Earth, but he puts a spell on the hammer that will only allow the worthy to wield it.

Thor lands in New Mexico, where he meets scientist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), her mentor, Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård), and Jane’s assistant, Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings). They befriend Thor, and although she is initially wary of him, Jane begins to be fascinated by the strapping young mystery man. Meanwhile, Thor and Mjolnir have captured the attention of the shadowy government organization, S.H.I.E.L.D., and a plot inside the House of Odin threatens the entire realm of Asgard and the lives of Odin and Thor. As the darkest forces of Asgard invade Earth, Thor must learn to be a true hero.

Most of Thor seems like some kind of mash-up of such fantasy action movies as the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Excalibur, and the original Clash of the Titans, especially the parts of the story that take place in Asgard and Jotunheim. Director Kenneth Branagh, who is known for making film adaptations of the plays of William Shakespeare, gives the Asgardian royal melodrama at the heart of this movie’s story, a Shakespearean accent. Like Lord of the Rings, Thor is about action and epic battles. Branagh may have a knack for getting character drama from his actors, but he also knows how to make a superhero movie that screams, howls, and breaks things just like the Iron Man and Hulk movies.

Ultimately, I think what Thor has best going for it is actor Chris Hemsworth. Sculpted like an NFL athlete with the muscle definition of a male model, Hemsworth has the body to be an action movie star. With a twinkle in his eyes, Hemsworth has the style to be a charming rogue in many romantic films. It is the charisma and self-assuredness that make Hemsworth a rising star. Several times while watching Thor, I thought that much of this movie was preposterous, that too much of it was contrived, and that just enough of it was dull, slow, and/or clunky to ruin the movie.

Then, Hemsworth pops up on the screen, and he makes everything seem right. My mind says, “Yeah, this all makes sense. This is certainly one slam-bang superhero movie.” The special effects in Thor are excellent and are certainly worthy of an Oscar nomination. The production values are high, from costumes to sets. There are some good performances, especially in the supporting roles: Anthony Hopkins as Odin, Tom Hiddleston bringing textures and layers to Loki, and Idris Elba, sparkling and witty in the now-you-see him, now-you-don’t role of Heimdall. But Thor is Hemsworth, and Hemsworth is Thor, and Hemsworth’s broad back and shoulders carry this movie to victory.

7 of 10
B+

Sunday, May 08, 2011

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New Transformers Trailer Hot Stuff

New Trailer for Michael Bay’s “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” Downloaded Over 6 Million Times in First 24 Hours on iTunes Movie Trailers, Breaking Previous Record

HOLLYWOOD, CA (May 6, 2011) - The new trailer for Michael Bay’s “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” has been downloaded more than 6 million times in its first 24 hours on iTunes Movie Trailers (http://www.apple.com/trailers), becoming the most-viewed trailer in the site's history.

The trailer, which recently debuted exclusively on iTunes Movie Trailers, gives fans a visually stunning sneak peak at this summer's highly anticipated “Transformers: Dark of the Moon."

When a mysterious event from Earth’s past erupts into the present day it threatens to bring a war to earth so big that the Transformers alone will not be able to save us. The third installment of the hit franchise, “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” stars Shia LaBeouf, John Turturro, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Patrick Dempsey, Kevin Dunn, with John Malkovich and Frances McDormand.

“Transformers represents big summer fun at the movies and iTunes Movie Trailers was the ideal place to debut the latest installment to a global entertainment audience," says Amy Powell, Paramount Pictures' Executive Vice President Interactive Marketing & Film Production.


About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. The company's labels include Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., Paramount Studio Group and Paramount Television & Digital Distribution.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom

And a Happy Mother's Day! to all the mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts and to the baby mamas and the baby mama's mamas and the baby mama's mama's mamas... mama's mamas

Seriously, Happy Mother's Day.

"Skyline" No "Independence Day"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 38 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux


Skyline (2010)
Running time: 94 minutes (1 hour, 34 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, some language, and brief sexual content
DIRECTORS: The Brothers Strause
WRITERS: Joshua Cordes and Liam O'Donnell
PRODUCERS: Kristian James Andresen, Liam O'Donnell, and Colin Strause and Greg Strause
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Michael Watson (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Nicholas Wayman-Harris
COMPOSER: Matthew Margeson

SCI-FI/ACTION

Starring: Eric Balfour, Scottie Thompson, Brittany Daniel, Crystal Reed, Neil Hopkins, David Zayas, Robin Gammell, and Donald Faison

Skyline is a 2010 alien invasion film from Colin and Greg Strause. Known as the Brothers Strause, the siblings directed Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem. They also own the visual effects company, Hydraulx, which has created special effects for films like 300, The Day After Tomorrow, and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.

Skyline follows New York City-based artist, Jarrod (Eric Balfour), and his girlfriend, Elaine (Scottie Thompson). The two are traveling to Los Angeles for the birthday party of Terry (Donald Faison), Jarrod’s best friend who runs a successful movie special effects company. After a night of wild partying, Jarrod and company awaken to discover Terry’s apartment filled with a mysterious blue light. The origin of the light is an alien invasion. Monstrous alien ships hover over the city and are vacuuming up thousands of people. Jarrod and friends stick together to survive and plot a way to escape while the alien machines pick them off one by one.

Skyline has some wonderful visual special and creature effects. The film seems to be a mixture of ideas from George Pal’s The War of the Worlds (1953) and Independence Day (1996). There is some Oscar-worthy visual effects work here, but even this dazzling light show cannot blind the viewer to Skyline’s glaring problems – a poor cast and even poorer characters.

I don’t want to dog the actors, but they don’t inspire interest or even engage what interest you might have for this flick. The one actor who could do this film some good, Donald Faison, isn’t in the movie for very long. The rest of the actors have no star power and their acting isn’t bad – it’s just lackluster. The characters are just deadwood and driftwood. The writers merely hint at their personalities, professions, and interests, but abandon that when its time for the invasion theatrics to begin.

You may find yourself begging for more science fiction/alien stuff, especially during the moments when the movie focuses on the characters. Skyline is half a really good alien invasion movie, and the other half is pure tedium.

5 of 10
C+

Saturday, May 07, 2011

Happy Birthday, Mama!

Also known as Miss Mary.  And I'm on time!

Tommy Lee Jones Among Actors Slated for Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln"

Steven Spielberg Adds Key Members to His "Lincoln" Cast

Tommy Lee Jones Among Those Joining DreamWorks Studios Film About Abraham Lincoln

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tommy Lee Jones, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Hal Holbrook, James Spader, John Hawkes, Tim Blake Nelson, Bruce McGill and Joseph Cross are in negotiations to join the cast of DreamWorks Studios' "Lincoln," it was announced today by DreamWorks partners Steven Spielberg and Stacey Snider. Also in negotiations to join the film are David Costabile, Byron Jennings, Dakin Matthews, Boris McGiver, Gloria Reuben, Jeremy Strong, and David Warshofsky. This group joins the previously announced casting of Daniel Day-Lewis and Sally Field in the Spielberg directed film about the 16th President of the United States.

Based on the best-selling book, Team of Rivals, by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, the screenplay has been written by the Pulitzer Prize winner, Tony Award winner, and Academy Award nominated writer Tony Kushner. It will be produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Steven Spielberg.

The film will focus on the political collision of Lincoln and the powerful men of his cabinet on the road to abolition and the end of the Civil War.

Oscar winner Tommy Lee Jones will play Thaddeus Stevens, a Republican leader and powerful congressman from Pennsylvania in the U.S. House of Representatives. Stevens was a staunch supporter of abolishing slavery and was critical to writing the legislation that funded the American Civil War.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, known for his roles in "Inception," "(500) Days of Summer," and next year's "The Dark Knight Rises," will take on the role of Robert Todd Lincoln, eldest son of President Lincoln and the only one to live past his teenage years.

Other announced cast will take on various supporting roles in the film.

Doris Kearns Goodwin won her Pulitzer Prize for “No Ordinary Time,” the story of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt and the home front in World War II. Kushner's prize was for his play “Angels in America,” which later became an Emmy Award-winning television special. He had previously worked with Spielberg on “Munich” for which he was nominated for an Oscar in the Adapted Screenplay category.

Filming is expected to begin in the fall of 2011 in Virginia for release in the fourth quarter of 2012 through Disney’s Touchstone distribution label.


About DreamWorks Studios
DreamWorks Studios is a motion picture company formed in 2009 and led by Steven Spielberg and Stacey Snider in partnership with The Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group. Upcoming releases include “Cowboys & Aliens,” “The Help,” “Fright Night,” “Real Steel,” and “War Horse.”

DreamWorks Studios can be found on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DreamWorksStudios and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/dw_studios.

Review: Kenneth Branagh Makes Much Magic in "Much Ado About Nothing"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 127 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux

Much Ado About Nothing (1993)
Running time: 110 minutes (1 hour, 50 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13
DIRECTOR: Kenneth Branagh
WRITER: Kenneth Branagh (adapted for the screen from Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare)
PRODUCERS: Stephen Evan, David Parfitt, and Branagh
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Roger Lanser
EDITOR: Andrew Marcus
BAFTA nominee

COMEDY/ROMANCE with elements of drama, music, and musical

Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Michael Keaton, Robert Sean Leonard, Keanu Reeves, Emma Thompson, and Denzel Washington, Richard Briers, Kate Beckinsale, Brian Blessed, Imelda Staunton, Jimmy Yuill, Phyllida Law, Richard Clifford, and Gerard Horan

Kenneth Branagh earned two Oscar-nominations (acting and directing) for his 1989 film, Henry V, a screen adaptation of William Shakespeare’s stage drama. Branagh brought the Bard back to the screen for a second time under his direction with the 1993 film, Much Ado About Nothing, which received a 1993 Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture – Comedy/Musical (and an Independent Spirit Award nom for “Best Feature”).

A high-spirited tale of love, mistaken identity, and bawdy humor, Much Ado About Nothing is set in Messina (Sicily), where hot-bloodied youth, Claudio (Robert Sean Leonard), is engaged to marry a beautiful young woman named Hero (Kate Beckinsale). Claudio is so anxious to wed that his best friend, Don Pedro (Denzel Washington), devises some mischief to distract Claudio. Don Pedro concocts a romantic trap for Hero’s cousin, the sharp-tongued Beatrice (Emma Thompson, Independent Spirit Award nomination for “Best Female Lead”) and the man she most loves to hate, Benedick (Kenneth Branagh). However, amusement turns to horror, scandal, and tragedy by the hand of Don Pedro’s rakish brother, Don John (Keanu Reeves), who schemes to destroy the engagement and marriage of Claudio and Hero. Can the chance intervention of the local law, Dogberry (Michael Keaton), restore the love and laughter to this circle of friends?

It’s almost hard to believe, but Much Ado About Nothing manages to be ravishing entertainment, engaging brain food, and a finely crafted costume drama in only 102 minutes of screen time. It’s a sexy, joyous romp filmed with delightful rudeness, playful sexual innuendo, and the sun-drenched charm of its shooting location (Chianti, Toscana, Central Italy). It takes an attentive ear (and more patience than many moviegoers are willing to give) to hear every Shakespearean word and turn of a phrase, but the cast’s exuberant delivery of the Bard’s masterful language is… well, masterful.

If the good acting weren’t enough (Branagh and Emma Thompson actually outshine the rest of this talented cast of movie stars and fine character actors), this exuberant production is filled with lively songs, musical numbers, and a soaring life-giving score. If you like Shakespeare on the big screen, this is a gift for you. If you never believed that Shakespeare could be so funny and sexy, Branagh and his cohorts will convert you into a true believer.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
1994 BAFTA Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Costume Design” (Phyllis Dalton)

1993 Cannes Film Festival: 1 nomination: “Palme d'Or” (Kenneth Branagh)

1994 Golden Globes: 1 nomination: “Best Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical”

1994 Razzie Award: 1 nomination: “Worst Supporting Actor” (Keanu Reeves)

Happy Birthday, Sarah

Belated, of course.  I always miss these - even with a Microsoft Office Calendar reminder.

Sad, this boy is - Yoda.

About This Movie: THOR

Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment Present
A Marvel Studios Production
A Kenneth Branagh Film

“Thor”

Co‐Producers: Craig Kyle Victoria Alonso
Executive Producers: Alan Fine Stan Lee David Maisel Patricia Whitcher Louis D’Esposito
Produced by Kevin Feige
Story by J. Michael Straczynski and Mark Protosevich
Screenplay by Ashley Edward Miller & Zack Stentz and Don Payne
Directed by Kenneth Branagh

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård, Colm Feore, Ray Stevenson, Idris Elba, Kat Dennings, Jaimie Alexander, Josh Dallas, Tadanobu Asano, Clark Gregg, with Rene Russo and Anthony Hopkins as Odin

Synopsis:
The epic adventure THOR spans the Marvel Universe from present day Earth to the mystical realm of Asgard. At the center of the story is The Mighty Thor, a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. As a result, Thor is banished to Earth where he is forced to live among humans. When the most dangerous villain of his world sends its darkest forces to invade Earth, Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero.

Release: May 6, 2011

THOR has been rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence


Thor by Walter Simonson Omnibus

"The Tourist" May Trap Jolie and Depp Fans

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 37 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux


The Tourist (2010)
Running time: 103 minutes (1 hour, 43 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for violence and brief strong language
DIRECTOR: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
WRITERS: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, Christopher McQuarrie, and Julian Fellowes (based upon the film Anthony Zimmer by Jérôme Salle)
PRODUCERS: Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum, Jonathan Glickman, Tim Headington, and Graham King
CINEMATOGRAPHER: John Seale
EDITORS: Joe Hutshing and Patricia Rommel
COMPOSER: James Newton Howard
Golden Globe nominee

CRIME/ROMANCE with elements of comedy

Starring: Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, Paul Bettany, Timothy Dalton, Steve Berkoff and Rufus Sewell

Movies that bring together a big-time male and female movie star for a tale of romance and/or sex can be disastrous, such as Perfect Strangers with Halle Berry and Bruce Willis. The recent film, The Tourist, brings together A-list stars, Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie (although they weren’t the original choices for this movie). Depp and Jolie have almost no screen chemistry; they simply seem like a mismatched pair, and for some reason, this works for The Tourist.

A remake of a French action film, The Tourist is the story of an American in Venice who becomes a decoy in a cat-and-mouse game involving the police, gangsters, a thief, and his lover. Widower Frank Tupelo (Johnny Depp) is an American tourist on a train to Venice, Italy, when he encounters a mysterious beauty, Elise Clifton-Ward (Angelina Jolie). Ward is going to Venice for a long-awaited reunion with her former boyfriend, Alexander Pearce.

Frank is smitten with Elise, and while she surprisingly spends some time with him, Elise abandons Frank to find Pearce. Elise isn’t the only one looking for Pearce. The others include Robert Shaw (Steve Berkoff), a gangster from whom Pearce stole 2.3 billion dollars, and Inspector John Acheson (Paul Bettany) and Scotland Yard. The problem for Frank is that they think he is Pearce because they saw Frank kissing Elise. But no one knows what Pearce now looks like, even Elise.

Truthfully, The Tourist has a slow, muddled plot. Combine that with the obvious-from-the-beginning lack of chemistry between Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie, and this is a recipe for disaster. So why do I like this movie? Well, I am a huge fan of Depp, and I also like Jolie quite a bit. Perhaps, putting them in such a lovely setting as Venice and also adding a bit of international intrigue are just enough to get a sap like me to go along for The Tourist’s ride.

This film is beautifully photographed by the accomplished, Australian cinematographer, John Seale, who won an Academy Award for his work on The English Patient (1996). Seale also received Oscar nominations for Witness, Rain Man, and Cold Mountain. Seale does the majority of the work that gives The Tourist its elegance and sophistication. This glowing, shimmering romantic, half-romp is one of the most beautiful movies of the year. It seems as if the director, writers, and even the stars Depp and Jolie didn’t know how to make The Tourist work, but the cinematographer did. How often does that happen?

That’s okay. Fans of Jolie and Depp can find reasons to enjoy The Tourist. It does not matter what those reason are.

6 of 10
B

NOTES:
2011 Golden Globes: 3 nominations: “Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy,” “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” (Johnny Depp), and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” (Angelina Jolie)

Thursday, May 05, 2011

2011 MTV Movie Award Nominees Full List

The MTV Movie Awards began in 1992, and since that time, I’ve probably watched less than half of an hour combined of the various award telecasts. Anyway, the nominees for the 2011 awards were just announced.

Hosted by Jason Sudeikis, the 20th annual MTV Movie Awards will air live on Sunday, June 5, at 9 p.m. ET, from the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California.

20th Annual MTV Movie Award nominees:

Best Movie
"Black Swan"
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1"
"Inception"
"The Social Network"
"The Twilight Saga: Eclipse"

Best Female Performance
Emma Stone, "Easy A"
Emma Watson, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1"
Jennifer Aniston, "Just Go With It"
Kristen Stewart, "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse"
Natalie Portman, "Black Swan"

Best Male Performance
Daniel Radcliffe, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1"
Jesse Eisenberg, "The Social Network"
Robert Pattinson, "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse"
Taylor Lautner, "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse"
Zac Efron, "Charlie St. Cloud"

Best Breakout Star
Andrew Garfield, "The Social Network"
Chloë Grace Moretz, "Kick-Ass"
Hailee Steinfeld, "True Grit"
Jay Chou, "The Green Hornet"
Olivia Wilde, "TRON: Legacy"
Xavier Samuel, "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse"

Best Comedic Performance
Adam Sandler, "Just Go With It"
Ashton Kutcher, "No Strings Attached"
Emma Stone, "Easy A"
Russell Brand, "Get Him to the Greek"
Zach Galifianakis, "Due Date"

Best Line From A Movie (New Category)

• Alexys Nycole Sanchez, "Grown Ups": "I want to get chocolate wasted."
• Amanda Bynes and Emma Stone, "Easy A": Amanda Bynes: "There is a higher power that will judge you for your indecency." Emma Stone: "Tom Cruise?"
• Jesse Eisenberg, "The Social Network": "If you guys were the inventors of Facebook, you'd have invented Facebook."
• Justin Timberlake and Andrew Garfield, "The Social Network": Justin Timberlake: "... A million dollars isn't cool. You know what's cool?" Andrew Garfield: "A billion dollars. And that shut everybody up."
• Tom Hardy, "Inception": "You mustn't be afraid to dream a little bigger darling."

Best Villain
Christoph Waltz, "The Green Hornet"
Leighton Meester, "The Roommate"
Mickey Rourke, "Iron Man 2"
Ned Beatty, "Toy Story 3"
Tom Felton, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1"

Best Fight

Amy Adams vs. The Sisters, "The Fighter"
Chloë Grace Moretz vs. Mark Strong, "Kick-Ass"
Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint vs. Death Eaters, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1"
Joseph Gordon-Levitt vs. Hallway Attacker, "Inception"
Robert Pattinson vs. Bryce Dallas Howard and Xavier Samuel, "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse"

Best Kiss

Ellen Page and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, "Inception"
Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1"
Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse"
Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner, "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse"
Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis, "Black Swan"

Best Jaw-Dropping Moment

James Franco, "127 Hours," Cuts Off His Arm
Justin Bieber, "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never," Performance Spectacular
Leonardo DiCaprio and Ellen Page, "Inception," Paris Café Scene
Natalie Portman, "Black Swan," Mutilation: Pulls the Skin off Her Finger
Steve-O, "Jackass 3D," Port-A-Potty Bungee Stunt

Best Scared-As-Sh-- Performance

Ashley Bell, "The Last Exorcism"
Ellen Page, "Inception"
Jessica Szohr, "Piranha 3D"
Minka Kelly, "The Roommate"
Ryan Reynolds, "Buried"

Biggest Badass Star

Alex Pettyfer, "I Am Number Four"
Chloë Grace Moretz, "Kick-Ass"
Jaden Smith, "The Karate Kid"
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, "Inception"
Robert Downey Jr., "Iron Man 2"

At MovieAwards.MTV.com <http://www.mtv.com/ontv/movieawards/2011/>, you can vote for your favorite flicks now.

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com <http://moviesblog.mtv.com/.>

Review: "From Dusk Till Dawn" Still a Bloody, Glorious Mess

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 68 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux


From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
Running time: 108 minutes (1 hour, 48 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong violence and gore, language, and nudity
DIRECTOR/EDITOR: Robert Rodriguez
WRITERS: Quentin Tarantino; based upon the story by Robert Kurtzman
PRODUCERS: Gianni Nunnari and Meir Teper
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Guillermo Navarro

HORROR/ACTION/DRAMA with elements of comedy and crime

Starring: Harvey Keitel, George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino, Juliette Lewis, Ernest Liu, Salma Hayek, Cheech Marin, Danny Trejo, Tom Savini, Fred Williamson, Michael Parks, Kelly Preston, John Saxson, and Brenda Hillhouse

After a bloody bank robbery, Seth Gecko (George Clooney) and his younger brother, Richard (Quentin Tarantino), are on the lam. The brothers take Jacob Fuller (Harvey Keitel), an ex-preacher, and his children, Kate (Juliette Lewis) and Scott (Ernest Liu) hostage, in order to use the Fullers’ RV for their getaway. The Geckos and the Fullers escape the police dragnet across the border into Mexico, where the Gecko Brothers are supposed to rendezvous with a local drug kingpin at a biker and trucker cantina called the Titty Twister. What the quintet doesn’t know is that the bar’s owners and some of the clientele are bloodthirsty vampires.

Movies like Scream, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, or even Interview with a Vampire might make the list of great horror movies from the 1990’s, but the Robert Rodriguez directed, Quentin Tarantino scripted horror film, From Dusk Till Dawn is a horrifying, classic howler. Part dark comedy, part gore fest, part action horror, and part crime thriller, FDTD is hell of a film. It’s so blood soaked at times that it might give some people pause and grab their stomachs. Some of the monster and creature makeup and effects are way over the top and hilarious, but the film works.

From Dusk Till Dawn is actually like two movies in one. The first half is straight out of classic crime cinema – dangerous, murderous, cop-killing thieves are on the lam with hostages in tow. The second half is apparently an ode to outlandish Mexican horror films (of which I never seen a one). This mixture is something only genre storytellers do well, and two guys like Tarantino and Rodriguez are steeped in stuff like comics, pulp fiction, and lowbrow cinema to the point where they can make something like FDTD work.

The cast is obviously having a good time; the extras seem to have the best time. George Clooney’s cool and calm killer carries this film across two genres, and his movie star presence shines even in something like this. However, blaxtiploitation star Fred Williamson and horror movie makeup legend, Tom Savini, give sweet kicks to their small, but deliciously kooky parts.

8 of 10
A

Friday, May 20, 2005

From Dusk Till Dawn [Blu-ray]

Death Note Anime Streamed by Netflix

VIZ MEDIA BRINGS THE EDGY PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE OF DEATH NOTE TO NETFLIX

Acclaimed Supernatural Crime Mystery Based On Popular Manga Is The Latest VIZ Media Anime Series To Be Streamed By From Netflix

VIZ Media has announced the premiere of the entire uncut and subtitled DEATH NOTE anime series on Netflix, Inc., the world’s leading Internet subscription service for enjoying movies and TV shows. The supernatural suspense thriller will be available to watch instantly for subscribers in the U.S. beginning today.

A unique storyline and complex characters, combined with visually stunning animation by Madhouse, made DEATH NOTE one of the most popular anime series to ever be released in Japan and North America. The complete 37 episode series joins several other VIZ Media anime titles such as BLEACH, NARUTO, and INUYASHA, which can now be instantly streamed from Netflix.

DEATH NOTE (rated TV-14, subtitled) was inspired by a 12-volume manga counterpart (published in North America by VIZ Media) written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. The anime series follows the adventures of Light Yagami, an ace student with great prospects but who is bored out of his mind. All of that changes when he finds the Death Note, a strange notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god named Ryuk. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. But when criminals mysteriously begin dropping dead, the authorities send the legendary detective L to track down the killer. With L hot on his heels, will Light lose sight of his noble goal - or his life?

More information on DEATH NOTE is available at: DeathNote.viz.com.

Review: "Fast Five" Most Furious Yet

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 36 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux

Fast Five (2011)
Running time: 130 minutes (2 hours, 10 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13
DIRECTOR: Justin Lin
WRITER: Chris Morgan (based on the characters created by Gary Scott Thompson)
PRODUCERS: Vin Diesel, Michael Fottrell, and Neal H. Moritz
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Stephen F. Windon
EDITORS: Kelly Matsumoto, Fred Raskin, and Christian Wagner
COMPOSER: Brian Tyler

ACTION/CRIME/DRAMA

Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Matt Schulze, Sung Kang, Gal Gadot, Tego Calderon, Don Omar, Joaquim de Almeida, Elsa Pataky, and Michael Irby

My beat up Random House dictionary defines the word “furious” as meaning full of fury, and defines the word, “fury,” as unrestrained or violent anger. Fast Five is the fifth movie in The Fast and the Furious film franchise. It is unrestrained.

Fast Five picks up where the fourth movie, Fast and Furious (2009), left off. Former FBI agent Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) leads an assault on a prison transport bus to free his pal, elite street racer and ex-con, Dominic “Dom” Toretto (Vin Diesel). Brian and Dom’s sister, Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster), go on the run to Brazil, where they reunite with Dom for a train heist of high-end cars. The heist goes badly, which earns them the ire and unwanted attention of drug lord, Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida).

Now, backed into a corner in Rio de Janeiro, Dom suggests they pull one last job in order to gain their freedom – steal 100 million dollars from Reyes. They assemble an elite team of racers, techs, mechanics, and weapons experts. These include Brian’s friends from his time in Miami, Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson) and Tej Parker (Ludacris), and some of Dom’s associates like Han Lue (Sung Kang).

However, Reyes is not the only one hunting Brian and Dom. They are wanted by the FBI, which has assigned a Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) officer, Lucas “Luke” Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson), to apprehend Brian and Dom. The hard-nosed Hobbs never misses his target, and he leads an elite strike team on an all-out mission to capture the two men. As his men tear through Brazil and he gets closer to his targets, Hobbs learns that he is caught between desperate forces – Dom and Brian on one side and Reyes on the other.

Fast Five takes the best of the previous four movies and crams that into an action movie extravaganza that runs at just over two hours of massive gun battles, bone-crushing fights, and reality-bending car chases. I give director Justin Lin some credit because this movie does have some moments of genuine character drama with a smattering of poignancy. Still, Lin, his crew, and creative collaborators know what this franchise is about – street racing.

But Fast Five gives us more than mere street racing. This film is furious and unstrained, offering loud, over-the-top, absurd action set pieces. Why just have pretty girls when you can have pretty girls with their butt cheeks hanging out? Why have a car chase when you can have a car chase with two cars dragging a giant safe? Everything is bigger, louder, and sleeker, and much of it defies the laws of physics. This movie made my breath catch a few times.

Vin Diesel and Paul Walker are as cool as ever, even if they aren’t the best actors. I’m sure readers want to know if this movie is as good as or even better than the others. Whether Fast Five is better is matter of taste, and I think it is. I can say one thing for sure. Fast Five is bigger, more outrageous, and more furious than anything else in The Fast and the Furious franchise.

7 of 10
B+

Sunday, May 01, 2011
 

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May Day! Calling All Readers

Welcome to Negromancer, the rebirth of my former movie review website as a movie review and movie news blog. I’m Leroy Douresseaux, and I also blog at http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/ and write for the Comic Book Bin (which has smart phones apps).

All images and text appearing on this blog are © copyright and/or trademark their respective owners.