This week on the InSession Film movie poll, in anticipation for The Worlds End, we want to know how you would go out if the world is coming to an end? Would you want it to be robots ala Transformers or The Terminator? Or perhaps zombies like The Walking Dead? Or maybe you want to go out in a big asteroid like we’ve seen in several other films. Either way, let us know how you think the world will end.
Vote now!
[yop_poll id=”23″]
Director: Sean Penn
Writers: Sean Penn (screenplay), Jon Krakauer (book)
Stars: Emile Hirsch, Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt
Synopsis: After graduating from Emory University, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless abandons his possessions, gives his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhikes to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Along the way, Christopher encounters a series of characters that shape his life.
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DIRECTION
Sean Penn’s Into the Wild is a pretty great look at the life of Chris McCandless and the interesting, out-of-the-box thinking that he had along his journey. The way Penn pieces this together is non-linear but extremely effective in telling the Chris McCandless story. The gorgeous, natural visuals stand out as McCandless explores nature all across the United States from West Virginia, to North Dakota to Colorado, Mexico, and California before finally ending up in Alaska. Penn begins the story in Alaska and flashbacks to his journey as well as his upbringing to give you a context about who this character is and what he stood for. Penn also shoots McCandless writing in his journal and uses those shots as transitions to show you his transformation and how he was effected by his circumstances. Along with amazing music and performances, Penn’s direction is pretty great in telling his story.
Grade: A
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SCRIPT
The story centers around a young man, McCandless, soon after he graduates from college, but he throws away tradition to walk the land and explore nature for what it is. McCandless’ story though isn’t so much about “fighting the man” and being a “hippie”. He was the by-product of having wealthy parents who struggled with that wealth and McCandless only saw money as an object of evil which drove him into a life of isolation and self-reliance. His dream was to go to Alaska and spend some time finding himself in the beauty that is the Alaskan wilderness. The story does a great job of following McCandless and telling us why he acted the way he did and how he got there. In his journey he ran across some really interesting people that I thought was explored well without it being too much. The relationships built there are great, especially with Hal Holbrook’s character. However once he’s in Alaska he finds a bus in which he stays and we get to see him live off the land in which he has some high high’s and some low lows. The biggest problem with the script is that it doesn’t explore some pretty valid criticism’s that led to his end, according to nature enthusiasts and scientists. That being said, the movie is also from McCandless’ perspective so it’s okay that the film doesn’t have it, but it would of been nice.
Grade: A-
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PERFORMANCES
This is perhaps the best performance of Emile Hirsch’s career and he does a really great job of bringing this character to life while making it really engaging. The dynamics between him and all the characters he comes across is fun and really draws in the nature of who McCandless was. Hal Holbrook was also incredible as one of the people McCandless came across in his adventures. Vince Vaughn was also pretty good in the small role he had. However, William Hurt is the other stand out as Mr. McCandless and while he’s not in the film a ton, you get the sense of the effects he had on Chris’ life.
Grade: A
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SCORE
Michael Brook, Kaki King and Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam tag team the score and it’s incredible. The country, natural tones help make the aesthetic feel real and outdoors-y which is what this film needed. It’s a lot of fun and a great listen to outside of the film, especially if you like great acoustic sounds. In fact, Eddie Vedder won an Oscar for Best Original Song for his song “Guaranteed” used in the film. Great stuff here.
Grade: A+
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Kick-Ass 2 is by far from the best film of the summer but yet it’s far from the worst as well. The biggest question I had after seeing the film is; what did Jim Carrey expect to get into after watching the first Kick-Ass?
For one, he wanted this gig. He publicly stated that he loved the first film and wanted to be in it. And it’s not like the first one was short on the violence. It was just as graphic and bloody and it was probably a big reason why you either loved it or hated it. I think it’s one of the reasons I liked it and why it separated itself from most comic-book movies. Plus, Matthew Vaughn, who directed the first film, produced the sequel and personally hand picked Jeff Wadlow to direct the movie. So when the tone of Kick-Ass 2 and the violence is the same, what would he expect? Doesn’t make sense to me.
Secondly, the problems with Kick-Ass 2 isn’t the violence. I think the violence is fine and if people take what they see in movies like this to be real, it’s not a problem of the movie makers but the individual. Violence such as this in real life is obviously very serious but movies are an escape from reality, especially films like this. They are meant to be fun and Kick-Ass 2 is far from the first film to show violence. In fact, Kick-Ass 2 is far from the most violence of films in comparison.
The problems with this film is in the story and the opportunities missed which would have made it way less cheesy. The storyline between Kick-Ass and Hit Girl was great and should they have played on that story more, it would have been a great movie. Plus, should they have explored that more, the Kick-Ass Justice League knock-off would hopefully have been less explored, thus being less cheesy. And while I love Hit Girl and her story arc, they didn’t have to go Mean Girls have way through the movie. That was a little ridiculous. There are way better ways to explore that idea if you’re going to do it and I felt they missed out on what was a great premise. Kick-Ass 2 is still a lot of fun but the story in the 2nd act gets over the top and the tone becomes way different from the first film and the first half of Kick-Ass 2.
So that being said, yes, Kick-Ass 2 has its problems and I would consider them big problems, but the action and visuals are fun and I think it makes up for where the story and the characters become a little mundane. And the reasons Jim Carrey gave to not support this film is ridiculous and doesn’t make too much sense. If he wants to criticize the movie, then he should criticize it for the right reasons.
Go see Kick-Ass 2 and let me know your thoughts below!
Director: Jeff Wadlow
Writers: Jeff Wadlow (screenplay), Mark Millar (comic book)
Stars: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloë Grace Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jim Carrey
Synopsis: The costumed high-school hero Kick-Ass joins with a group of normal citizens who have been inspired to fight crime in costume. Meanwhile, the Red Mist plots an act of revenge that will affect everyone Kick-Ass knows.
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DIRECTION
Jeff Wadlow’s Kick-Ass 2 has a lot of similarities to Matthew Vaughn’s 2010 film, Kick-Ass in terms of style and the tone we get in the film. The action set pieces are a lot of fun and the comic-book heavy set violence is pretty much the same, which will set this movie apart from most other comic book movies. I love how it plays off the first film in so many ways and it goes back to the story of the first film several different times which brings the two pretty close. The camera, while not quite as good as the first film, is still used well here, especially when we get to the action pieces. However, Wadlow’s version is much, much cheesier and he missed an opportunity that could of elevated this movie to a completely different level but instead it kind of takes a back seat. So while it’s a lot of fun, it’s pretty shallow and you won’t walk away with much other than a good time for 2 hours.
Grade: B+
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SCRIPT
It’s not very often when I have such a strong love/hate relationship with a script like I do for Kick-Ass 2. Whadlow’s screenplay is such a missed opportunity that it sickens me and the direction of the script becomes nothing than an extremely conventional, over-played story where I very much struggled to get through the third act. The story picks up just a few years after the events of Kick-Ass where Hit Girl is now a freshman in High School and is of course, dealing with her identity as a young girl, who just also happens to fight crime. The premise of her dealing with that is interesting, especially given she’s a fun character, however, the middle of the story turns from Kick-Ass 2 to Mean Girls which becomes extremely distracting and unnecessary. Hit Girl’s relationship with Kick-Ass is also amazing but there’s little play on it, until the end where we get a little bit more. But this is a missed opportunity to play on a very strong relationship that would of elevated this to a high level. Hit Girl’s relationship with her foster dad is also amazing and while they do focus on that, it also could of been played better given how fascinating it is. Meanwhile Kick-Ass, who we can’t forget is the main feature, is also struggling with is identity. He ends up joining a way cheesy, Avengers-like, “superhero” group so he can fit in and belong to something bigger. But it becomes over-the-top and way too goofy for the tone of the film and the direction it needed to take. Jim Carrey’s character is amazing but again, under-played and under-utilized. Instead, the movie becomes a Spider-Man parallel universe with a terrible villain who’s plot is ridiculous, un-interesing and mundane. Overall, the story lines between Hit Girl and Kick-Ass we’re really good and an opportunity to explore something great but instead it becomes nothing more than a cheesy adventure story. But if you can get past that, it’s still mostly fun, especially with the action and visuals.
Grade: B
[divider]
PERFORMANCES
Chloë Grace Moretz is amazing and her character is incredibly interesting. As a young teenage girl, she is struggling between keeping a promise and realizing her identity and her soul is to be Hit Girl. She’s adorable and plays it off extremely well. She also draws you into the story, and while everything else can dissipate, she’s the stand out. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is pretty much the same guy from the first Kick-Ass, which is okay because I loved it. He’s good and brings some emotion to the character. His chemistry with Moretz is good and again one that should of been explored more. Jim Carrey…well he’s wrong about this movie. The violence isn’t overbearing and he’s amazing in his role. His character should of had more to do but for what he does, he’s amazing. I’m not sure what he thought he was signing up for because it’s very similar in terms of tone and violence from the first film. The rest of the performances are stereotypical, cheesy, comic-booky and bring down the rest of the film. They were’t all bad, some were, but it didn’t fit the rest of the story and the blame for that can go more to Wadlow than the actors. I’m giving this section an A-, but only because Moretz, Taylor-Johnson and Carrey were so great.
Grade: A-
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SCORE
At one moment during our screening, I literally turned to my friend and said, the music in that moment (the scene we just watched) was definitely Henry Jackman. Henry Jackman and Matthew Margeson get the nod to score here and I’ll recognize a Jackman theme like there’s no tomorrow. This is the second go-around for Jackman as he did the first Kick-Ass with three other composers. He’s amazing and his themes are incredible for this movie. They’re perfectly timed and a ton of fun for what we are getting. Perhaps a little over-dramatic at times but this movie is silly and goofy and the score reflects that, yet it gives you this sense of an awesome comic-book epic that is just fun to listen to. All-in-all, give me more Jackman and more of these themes please.
Grade: A
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This week on the InSession Film Podcast: Extra Film segment, in preparation for Kick-Ass 2, we reviewed the 2010 film, Kick-Ass as well as review Disney’s latest 3-D effort, Planes starring Dane Cook.
– Kick-Ass Review (1:21)
Grades
Nate: A
JD: A
– Planes Review (16:03)
Grades
Nate: N/A
JD: B
– Music
Kick-Ass – London Music Works
Start Your Engines – Mark Mancina
The Return of the Eagle – Atli Örvarsson
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Director: Klay Hall
Writers: Jeffrey M. Howard (screenplay), John Lasseter (story)
Stars: Dane Cook, Stacy Keach, Brad Garrett
Synopsis: Dusty is a cropdusting plane who dreams of competing in a famous aerial race. The problem? He is hopelessly afraid of heights. With the support of his mentor Skipper and a host of new friends, Dusty sets off to make his dreams come true.
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DIRECTION
Planes was intended to be a straight to VOD film before Disney execs decided to turn it into a 3D movie in the theaters and that needs to be a clear distinction to understand this movie. That being said, for what Planes is Klay Hall does a pretty good job with a new take in the Cars universe. The flying and action visuals are amazing and it’s easy to see why Disney wanted to convert this to a 3D theater experience. The first and third person camera perspectives were awesome and a lot of fun, especially if you’re a fan of the content. The use of old WWII planes mixed with new military jets and everything in between was also a lot fun. F4U Corsairs, P51 Mustangs, F18 Fighter Jets. Yep, the planes and the visuals alone soar in this movie.
Grade: A-
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SCRIPT
The script is not great but there’s more here than what you’d think on the surface. The basic outline is the underdog story who is too small and weak to compete but finds the heart within himself to go for it. Our main protagonist is Dusty, a crop-duster, who is looking for something deeper and new in his life as he enters a race around the globe agains planes from other countries. He establishes a relationship with Skipper, a WWII F4U corsair who’s reputation as a mighty fighter pushes Dusty beyond his limits and I thought it was played off really well. Both characters of Dusty and Skipper are funny, likable and have something to offer. Unfortunately the rest of the character are mundane, full of stereotypes and are only used as plot devices to help carry the movie. The stereotypes can be distracting and while they are silly, goofy and not needed, there’s a lot more to what’s going on. The journey of the story is fun and it’s the underdog story that is appropriate to this film. Overall, this story isn’t amazing, but if you’re a fan of planes like I am, you’ll have a lot of fun with this.
Grade: B-
[divider]
PERFORMANCES
Dane Cook is actually not bad in his performance as Dusty and is even pretty funny is some instances that I didn’t expect. While Cook may not have the star power to carry a lead, in a movie that has little goals, he’s not bad and gave us a few laughs. Stacy Keach is amazing as Skipper, the WWII plane that has a lot of history that helps carry a lot of this story, in what I felt was a lot of fun. The other characters are goofy and cheesy and don’t add a whole lot to the movie. They aren’t necessarily bad but they just add some nice cheese to the film. It’s all about Cook and Keach, whose relationship and characters are the main focus here.
Grade: B
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SCORE
Mark Mancina has done some great work but this score is pretty average. It definitely has it’s moments that are pretty great but overall it’s music that you would expect from a straight to DVD movie.
Grade: B
[divider]
Director: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman
Writers: Andy Bellin
Stars: Amanda Seyfried, Peter Sarsgaard, Juno Temple
Synopsis: The story of Linda Lovelace, who is used and abused by the porn industry at the behest of her coercive husband, before taking control of her life.
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DIRECTION
Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman’s direction for Lovelace is pretty interesting in the take on a story that is pretty hard to..okay I can’t say it. But it is a rough story and it’s told in two separate ways that is interesting. The camera work is pretty creative and in a film like this, it really needs to be to keep it respectable. There is some nudidty, the first for Amanda Seyfried, but it’s tasteful and with purpose, especially given the content. However, Epsteign and Friedman uses some classic camera tricks to showcase what’s going on without it being too much or heavy handed. The aesthetic is great and puts you into the 70’s with the hairstyle and makeup as well as the dialogue. By the end of the film, the pieces came together well for the most part in terms of the direction, leaving you mostly satisfied.
Grade: A-
[divider]
SCRIPT
The script is pretty interesting and at the same time it’s also kind of empty. In the first half of the film, we see the story in ways that is more surface level, pure (in whatever ways it can be), and pretty generically from an outside perspective. And then it’s flipped around, and we see the same exact story but through the lens of Linda Lovelace, which is much deeper, darker and much harder to watch. Her relationship with Chuck is abusive, emotionally and physically, as he would beat her, sell her body and force her to do really difficult things. She’s more or less forced into pornography which ends up making her famous through the movie, Deep Throat, which was really popular in the 70’s. And we get a sense of what the “real” story was and the kind of environment the porn industry can be like. And in a world where women are always subjectified, it’s incredibly believable. Where the story lacks is in the character of Linda Lovelace. You don’t really get to know her much as a person outside of her dark and painful feelings in a very specific time period. So while we feel the grimness of the industry, we don’t know her as a woman which is where the story lacks in some ways. If you’re looking for a biopic on the woman of Linda Lovelace, you need to look elsewhere, but if you’re looking for a behind-the-scenes of Deep Throat movie, this is the a good one.
Grade: B+
[divider]
PERFORMANCES
Let me start off by saying Amanda Seyfried is pretty good as Linda Lovelace. In a movie that requires something new for her and requires her to bare it all in some cases, she pull it off well. I personally would have been incredibly uncomfortable and she does a great job given the subject material and what she’s put through. For a character who is forced to do physically and emotionally damaging things, she is pretty amazing. Peter Sarsgaard does a great job making you hate him and being the push-over husband who is only about himself. The rest of the cast is replaceable but they all do a good job and aren’t distracting from the film.
Grade: A-
[divider]
SCORE
Stephen Trask’s score is mostly generic but does add some nice touches to the 1970’s aesthetic we get here. The melodies are nice and energetic in the first half, yet dark and more ominous in the second half. It’s not distracting but nothing that will stand out either.
Grade: B+
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Yesterdy, THR reported that Joel Edgerton is in talks to star opposite of Christian Bale in Ridley Scott’s Biblical epic, Exodus.
Edgerton, who’s becoming more of a wanted talent after his roles in Warrior, Zero Dark Thirty and The Great Gatsby, would play the Egyptian ruler Ramses. Bale is onboard to portray Moses and filming should begin in September sometime.
I think this is a great choice and Edgerton will have the charisma to play a character like that so it would be fun to see in in the role. I think him and Bale would have great chemistry as well.
Edgerton broke out in 2011 when he starred in Gavin O’Connor’s incredibly underrated film, Warrior and will also be stepping into O’Connor’s next film, Jane Got a Gun. Along with being wanted for Exodus and Jane Got a Gun, you can also see him in Jeff Nichol’s new film, Midnight Special where he will be starring opposite Michael Shannon.
So one of the bigger surprises in Iron Man 3 was that of the Mandarin who was played by Ben Kingsly. The twist with this character is one of the biggest disappointments I’ve seen in film in quite some time and took this movie to a way different level for me.
Well in preparation for the Blu-ray release that is coming out in Septempber, the USA Today premiered a deleted scene of the Mandarin that will be included on the disc along with other additional deleted footage. The Blu-ray will also have commentary by Shane Black, a gag reel and some behind-the-scenes fun stuff.
Anyway, here is the deleted scene from what is perhaps the most disappointing comic-book movie character of all time.
So I’ve read on several websites where it seems to be the consensus that Disney should have had at least some sort of tease to Star Wars: Episode VII at this year’s D23 Expo in Anaheim. Disney has had a chance to do something at either Comic-Con and now at D23 and they haven’t budged on anything as far as marketing goes for this film. However, I don’t think that means there are disturbances in The Force.
This movie is two years away from it’s release and while Star Wars fans are oozing at the mouth to hear something, I think that’s exactly what Disney execs are wanting. They want this to linger and be hyped up for as long as humanly possible so that whey when details are finally reveals, fans can have the biggest geekgasm of their life.. And I don’t thinks Star Wars fans are going anywhere so they’ll have to learn some patience, while they will be hard, but in the end they’ll be satisfied.
I’m sure all the pieces are falling into the place still and Disney, J.J. Abrams and company will want this to be as big as possible so I’m pretty hopeful for what they are doing. The mystery behind it all is actually exciting and while we want info, it’ not a bad thing that they haven’t revealed anything yet. Just like with any project, especially with the size of this one, there will be issues and problems to be worked out and I’m okay with them tightening all the nuts and bolts first.
If you’re a fan of Star Wars like we are, it’s okay. Breath, relax and just wait. Until we hear that everything is a disaster, there’s absolutely no need for this:
**Note: Just a quick note that we had a few technical issues discovered after recording so one of the mics will have some fun reverb for just a short bit at the beginning our Elysium review. So sorry if it’s a little distracting but the rest of the podcast turned out great. Thanks!
This week on the InSession Film Podcast our good friend Jonathan Berry stops by as we review Neill Blomkamp’s second film, Elysium starring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster. And to bounce off of that we discussed our Top 3 Sophomore Films by a director which was a great conversation and a lot of fun. We also continued our Recent Historical Figures movie series with a great conversation about the interesting life of Chris McCandless in the Sean Penn film, Into the Wild.
– Elysium Review (2:22)
Grades
Nate: A
JD: B
Jonathan: B
– Our Top 3 Sophomore Films (39:30)
– Movie Series Review – Into the Wild (Recent Historical Figures) (1:08:47)
– News (1:31:38)
– Ellen DeGeneres to host 2014 Oscars
– The Lone Ranger crew blames flop on critics
– Movies We’ve Seen This Week (1:45:10)
Nate: District 9
JD: The Colony, Emperor
Jonathan: Planes
– Music
Elysium Main Theme – Ryan Amon
All I Want is You – Barry Louis Polisar
Guaranteed – Eddie Vedder
Finale (William Tell Overture – Hans Zimmer
The Return of the Eagle – Atli Örvarsson
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InSession Film Podcast – Episode 25
This week on the InSession Film Podcast, we reviewed Elysium which was the sophomore movie for director Neill Blomkamp which provoked our top 3 this week where we discussed our Top 3 Sophomore Films.
Nate
1) Frank Darabont – The Shawshank Redemption
2) Mel Gibson – Braveheart
3) David Fincher – Se7en
JD
1) Jason Reitman – Juno
2) Quentin Tarantino – Pulp Fiction
3) Ben Affleck – The Town
Jonathan
1) Wes Anderson – Rushmore
2) Paul Thomas Anderson – Magnolia
3) M. Night Shyamalan – Unbreakable
For the entire podcast, click here.
Moviegoers wanted to go to Elysium over the weekend.
Neill Blomkamp’s futuristic sci-fi movie topped the box office with $30.5 million, beating out three other newcomers. Sony’s Elysium debuted with lower numbers than Blomkamp’s directorial debut District 9, which opened with $37.4 million and going on to become one of the biggest surprises of 2009.
And while Elysium may not be quite as good as District 9, Blomkamp still shows off an incredible eye for visuals and special effects and gets a good performance out of Matt Damon even if it isn’t enough to overcome a routine and predictable story.
The R-rated Warner Bros. comedy We’re the Millers, starring Jennifer Anniston and Jason Sudeikis came in second with $26.6 million for the weekend and $38 million since opening on Tuesday night.
Two other new wide releases, Disney’s Cars spinoff Planes and Fox’s fantasy sequel Percy Jackson: Sea Monsters finished third and fourth with $22.5 million and $14.6 million, respectively. Percy Jackson has grossed $23.5 million since opening on Wednesday.
Rounding out the top five was Universal’s buddy-cop comedy/thriller 2 Guns (read review here), which grossed $11.1 million after debuting at No. 1 last weekend.
This weekend also sees four new movies hitting nationwide with the comic-book sequel Kick-Ass 2, thriller Paranoia and biopics Jobs and Lee Daniels’ The Butler.
Vin Diesel will be the voice of Groot in Marvel’s latest of Guardians of the Galaxy. Well, at least we get that indication via Diesels’s Facebook page and this picture below.
Diesel has done some good voice acting in the past and has a voice that should fit this role really well. I’m not a huge comic book person, but from my research, Groot appeared as the Monarch of Planet X in the early days of Tales To Astonish, but then was put into mothballs until he was planed amongst the Guardians of the Galaxy. Groot is also a fan favorite and given the type of character this is, Diesel seems to have the right voice for it.
Either way, with all this casting and the craziness that surrounds this film, I’m pretty excited for it and to finally get something new from that Universe.
What do you think? Are you excited?
This week on our movie poll, we’re asking one of the funner questions out there; what would your superhero name be? Of course, we’re asking this in anticipation for Kick-Ass 2, which is a film we’ve been looking forward too all summer and hoping it lives up to the first one.
So, what would your superhero name be? Let us know!
[yop_poll id=”22″]
Neill Blomkamp’s follows up his 2009 sci-fi masterpiece District 9 with the Matt Damon- and Jodie Foster-starring Elysium, which highlights this weekend’s newest releases. Planes, We’re the Millers and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters are the other nationwide releases.
Here’s the full list of movies that are hitting theaters this weekend:
Elysium — Our Full Review
Planes
We’re the Millers
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters
Chennai Express (Limited)
Lovelace (Limited)
In a World… (Limited)
I Give It a Year (Limited)
Off Label (Limited)
Director: Neill Blomkamp
Writers: Neill Blomkamp
Stars: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga
Synopsis: Set in the year 2154, where the very wealthy live on a man-made space station while the rest of the population resides on a ruined Earth, a man takes on a mission that could bring equality to the polarized worlds.
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DIRECTION
When a movie is written and directed by the same person it usually translates to the screen really well as he/she knows the vision and the story intimately and can bring that to life the way they want. However, sometimes it doesn’t always work and that’s the case with Neill Blomkamp’s Elysium. His direction for the film is incredible and it’s as bit as good as his first film, District 9. The camera work is incredible and makes the action a ton of fun. While there is some shaky cam, the use of slow motion and unique maneuvers makes the action really enjoyable. The robots, who are used as policeman in 2154, are used fantastically and are really believable in this world. The visuals are stunning and absolutely incredible which also makes the aesthetic real and fun to see. Some of the violence is graphic but adds a nice touch to the setting that we find ourselves in. The big problem Blomkamp has is the performances he gets from a couple of main characters and a missed opportunity to explore Elysium. It’s a fascinating world that we never get to know. Overall though, you can appreciate the visuals and all the action that this movie has to offer.
Grade: A-
[divider]
SCRIPT
As I mentioned, sometimes it doesn’t always work when the same person writes and directs a movie and this is where this film loses itself. The film has a very strong message and stance on healthcare and the entitlement that everyone has to it but that is not the part that makes the film suffer. In fact, I can appreciate that Blomkamp takes a stance and doesn’t make it subtle and makes it fun with the visuals and action. However, it’s very conventional and predictable on every level. More so, the main villains aren’t interesting and add nothing to make the story exciting, especially since we don’t really get to know what Elysium is all about. The main story is dull, done before and adds nothing new in terms of motivations and themes. Even though the healthcare part of it is really interesting, it has nothing to do with the villains, their schemes and what they are trying to do. Again, a missed opportunity to do something with an interesting issue that Blomkamp is obviously making a big deal out of. Matt Damon and Alice Braga’s story is explored well and is something you can get into which saves the movie in some ways. Of course it’s been done a million times before but that’s okay if it’s interesting and engaging, which that part is. Damon’s character is also a great anit-here who isn’t on a super level but is good enough to get the job done. Should this script have centered more about the healthcare issues and around Elysium itself more, this film would have really been great. But since it took a Hollywood route in the end, it’s nothing more than a good action movie.
Grade: B
[divider]
PERFORMANCES
Matt Damon is amazing. He always is and he knows how to play roles like this which makes this film fun. Damon is great at action and is completely believable as our anti-hero who almost never gets it right until the moment calls for it. Alice Braga is also pretty good at the girl who is trying to save her little girl, who is dying with leukemia and is in need of Elysium’s healthcare. She also has a strong relationship with Matt Damon and while their chemistry wasn’t the greatest, it was enough for what this movie ended up being. I can’t believe I’m about to say this but Jodie Foster is terrible. Yep, it’s true. Other reviews have said it and I have to confirm it. She’s bad and her character is ridiculous on almost ever level. It’s almost laughable in some ways with some of the accents she was trying to pull off. To go along with that, Sharlto Copley, whom I love is also not very good. His character is over the top, cheesy at times and fits the ridiculousness that Fosters’ character is as well. The two of them add nothing to this movie which is hard for me to say since they are both actors I love. However, Copely’s action pieces make up for some of the bad dialogue he delivers which is a little redeeming. The other supporting roles are fine but none of them stand out in this film, even William Fichtner who normally is a fantastic in a supporting role. This is Damon’s film from a performance perspective and he gives a fun and passionate performance.
Grade: B
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SCORE
In a movie that ends up being mostly conventional and Hollywood, it demanded a score that fits that theme. Ryan Amon’s score does just that and I’m okay with it because a lot of the times those scores are pretty great. Amon’s score is fun, energetic and is fitting for the direction this movie takes. It’s quiet when it needs to be but it’s mostly a in-your-face score which is pretty fun. The main themes are great and it’s one you can enjoy outside of the film.
Grade: A-
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The Counselor has too many amazing components to raise the anticipation level.
There’s Ridley Scott (Blade Runner and Alien) is directing from a script by Cormac McCarthy (No Country for Old Men and The Road). And then there’sthe cast, consisting of Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz and Javier Bardem.
If all that wasn’t enough to get you excited for The Counselor, there’s also this new trailer that’s pretty nice.
The Counselor comes out on October 25.
Wow! Monuments Men looks amazing!
Today we got the first trailer (via The Playlist) for George Clooney’s latest directorial effort involving a true story based on a rag-team team museum curators and architects tasked with saving pieces of art and artifacts before they can be destroying by Hitler during World War II. The movie stars Clooney, Matt Damon, John Goodman, Bill Murray and Cate Blanchett.
Monuments Men definitely looks like it could take home some Oscars, as it’s very reminiscent of last year’s Best Picture winner Argo — a piece of history mixed with a little humor to draw in the mainstream audience. With Clooney behind and in front of the camera along with the rest of the cast, this is definitely one I’m looking forward to.
Monuments Men hits on December 18.
Captain Phillips is one of the movies this year that will most likely fly under the radar but is one of my most anticipated films for the rest of the year. And now we get a new and intense trailer for the film that shows a little bit more and what you can expect.
When I first heard this story in 2009, I thought it was completely badass and had the thought that this going to be the easiest script to write because it felt like something you’d only see in the movies. The script was written by Billy Ray who wrote The Hunger Games, State of Play, and Breach so I’m confident it will come together. Paul Greengrass is a really great director and with an actor like Tom Hanks, this movie has a lot of potential.
Check out the trailer here and let us know what you think!
Captain Phillips comes to us on October 11.
