Still struggling with the computer problems that plague me and put me out of commission for weeks on end. But I’m kosher for now. Here’s 5 reviews to play catch up.

Public Enemies – Starring Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Billy Crudup and Marion Cotillard. Dir. Michael Mann. If there’s one thing Michael Mann knows how to do, it’s how to put together a phenomenal cast and craft an amazing crime drama. And with Public Enemies, Mann ventures into period piece to evoke some dynamic performances from Depp and Bale. It may not be their best work, but when you’re two of the finest actors working, even when you’re not at your best, you’re still a cut above the rest. 4 stars

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs – Starring the voices of Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, Ray Romano and Queen Latifah. Sure it’s a cute movie. And has enough chuckles to sustain you through the picture. And of course the kids are gonna like it. Adults aren’t going to be completely bored by it. But, I’m still not entirely sure why the film was necessary. On the pure economic level, yeah, sure, I get it. Make more money with the proven formula. But, storywise… didn’t we say all we had to say with the first one? 3 stars (it got bonus points for at least keeping my interest)

I Love You Beth Cooper – Starring Hayden Panettiere, Paul Rust and Alan Ruck. So it isn’t the generation defining teen movie that Superbad was a few years ago, Dazed and Confused was before that, and so on and so forth. It’s more like the She’s All That‘s or the Pretty in Pink‘s. It’s the second string of teen flicks. Still good, still passable, but ultimately forgettable. Plus, it’s got Alan Ruck. 3 stars

Bruno – Starring Sacha Baron Cohen. Everything that made Borat great three years ago is everything that Bruno is not. It lacks the punch, the wit, and the surprise. It trades all that in for shock and disgust. Granted Bruno was always the weaker of Cohen’s three characters (the third being Ali G). It has a few scenes of interest (auditioning babies for a photo shoot, shows what lengths parents are willing to go to get their baby famous, regardless of how over the top the photo may be), but those are way too few, and even further between. 1.5 stars

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon and Alan Rickman. Harry Potter 6 really catches the wonderous magic, and the dark places I’m told the book goes, and still makes it accessible to people who haven’t read the books, like me. It doesn’t feel like a two and a half hour movie. But the ending left a little something to be desired. The film fell into the Lord of the Rings trap, where the ending became a set up for the next movie. But still definitely worth a viewing in the theatre. 3.5 stars

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Now playing: The Clash – Bankrobber
via FoxyTunes

With everything that happened over the past week, reviews for The Proposal and Year One slipped through the cracks. I blame Michael Jackson.

Also… I wrote these like a week ago, except for My Sister’s Keeper, I didn’t have that one done yet. And I don’t feel like writing a full review… So 3 stars to the movie. Trite and contrived, but a well acted weeper.

The Proposal

3 Stars

I’m not one for the standard fair of romantic comedies. And as far as romantic comedies go, they don’t get much more standard than when they star Sandra Bullock. But add in the smart mouth of Ryan Reynolds, and you get a pretty enjoyable flick.

Sandra Bullock (Speed, Crash) stars as overbearing NYC book editor Margaret Tate who finds out she’s being deported back to Canada for failing to file her visa application on time. Enter Ryan Reynolds (Waiting…, X-Men Origins: Wolverine) as Andrew Paxton her much put-upon assistant. If they get married, she gets to stay in America and keep her job. She bribes him with a promotion to get him to along with it, but in order to fool the INS agent assigned to their case, she must spend the weekend with him and his family in Alaska. It follows a pretty cliched trajectory from start to finish. But adding in Betty White provides some good laughs.

Sandra Bullock gives a passable performance as Tate, but what’s more intriguing is that she’s playing her roles to herself. Rather than being an older actress trying to recapture her youthful glory days, she’s adapting her roles to play to her current strengths. And while there is nothing spectacular about her role or performance, her adaptability to the situation is admirable. But I would like to see her do more non-rom/com flicks. I think that era of her career has passed.

But the saving grace of the film is clearly Ryan Reynolds. Rather than playing the male lead as a nervous, submissive underling to the overbearing female lead, he kept up the pace and fired back at her just as much as she fired at him. He got in his own fair share of quips and barbs, and made sure the bribe wasn’t completely one sided. And he’s just one of those actors I can’tfigure out. He can do action, horror, comedy, romantic comedy and drama, all very well, and all with a knowing smirk on his face.

But when all is said and done, the performances couldn’t outshine the drab, cliche ridden plot. I don’t think it really constitutes a spoiler if I say that they end up falling in love in the end. If you go into the film not expecting that, then clearly you’ve never seen a Sandra Bullock film before. I’m not saying I would have preferred an Shyamalan inspired twist ending. But… I saw it coming a mile away. Take a cue from The Break-Up, sometimes… people don’t fall in love.

Year One

1 star

Harold Ramis. Jack Black. Michael Cera. Hank Azaria. Paul Rudd. David Cross. Christopher Mintz-Plaase. Oliver Platt. Vinnie Jones. Bill Hader Oliver Platt. HOW the hell could you fail with a line-up like that? By making a disjointed mess of a film, that’s how.

Black (Tropic Thunder, Tenacious D) and Cera (Arrested Development, Superbad) star as Zed and Oh, two hunter/gatherers who are banished from their tribe and must make a life for their own in new villages. After meeting up with Cain and Abel, their former village is pillaged by Romans, and the loves of their lives are sold into slavery. They begin an epic quest to free them from their lives of servitude.

As this is a comedy flick, I tried to overlook the anachronistic mixing of “cave people” and the Roman Empire. Still trying. Still failing. The film is an attempt to harken back to the days of Monty Python’s The Life Of Brian or Mel Brooks’ History of the World: Part I, but it fails miserably. It’s like watching a bunch of comedy sketches strung loosely together by a flimsy overall plot arc.

As a fan of Cross’ days on “Mr. Show” and Black’s on “Tenacious D”, I do in fact find certain scenes funny. But a few funny scenes does not make a funny movie. Or, clearly, a coherent one.

Everybody involved just seemed to phone this one in. No one really tried. Like, someone said “We’ve got these set pieces, and this script, and these costumes. You guys busy?” And everybody else just responded with “Well… I am bored enough.” This was a paycheck film. I can’t think of any other reason for this movie existing.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

2 stars

You never really go into a Michael Bay flick expecting plot. Hot chicks, big explosions… that’s about it. And when the movie is space robots fighting other space robots, you shouldn’t expect much, regardless of who directs. But still, there was something lacking.

The movie picks up a year after the first one, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) is off to college on the east coast, for some reason leaving eye candy girlfriend Mikaela Barnes (Megan Fox)back in LA. Unfortunately for Sam, after coming into contact with a broken piece of the All Spark (source of power for the Transformers), an ancient script detailing the origins of the metallic species gets implanted in his head. Now the Decepticons, led by the recently resurrected Megatron, want Sam so they can reclaim their former glory and take over Earth.

Here’s the thing, Mr. Bay, can I call you Michael? Here’s the thing, Michael… kick ass action scenes can only take you so far. I gave Bad Boys, The Rock, Armageddon, The Island and Transformers a pass because the action was good, and there was just enough plot to not completely suck. And in case you or anyone else out there is wondering, I do realize I left Pearl Harbor off the list. That film was basically Titanic Goes Hawaiian. And to quote Kevin Smith, “Really? Must we go tropical?”

But Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen? It was an alternating cycle of stuff blowing up, Megan Fox wearing something tight, and Megan Fox wearing something tight while running away from stuff blowing up. And I don’t mind that. I’m a 23 year old guy. That stuff is fine. But not for two and a half hours. I like White Castle sliders, but even I think the box of 30 is too much. Put some in the fridge. Heat them up for later.

I felt bored by the film. It was tragic. I didn’t walk away wanting two and a half hours back, but I did wonder why they were charging full price for essentially half a film. They left the plot on the cutting room floor. I took solace in the fact I didn’t pay.

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Now playing: Tito & Tarantula – Strange Face of Love
via FoxyTunes

BRODIE FANNS!

Big news from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: Starting next year at the 82nd Academy Awards Ceremony, they will now have 10 nominees for Best Picture, instead of five. Click the link for the full press release.

This means that while they’ll still nominate films that really have no reason being on the list (*ahem* The Reader), films that should be there (The Dark Knight, WALL-E) also now have a shot.

– Brodie Mann

Imagine That

.5 Star

What happened to you Eddie? You used to be hilarious. There’s proof all over the internet of this. But even Beverly Hills Cop III was better than this. I’d like to call it a family friendly comedy, but I wouldn’t subject my family to this. I just wouldn’t. There’s not even a fun message in the film. It’s just bad.

Eddie Murphy stars as Evan Danielson, a high powered stock broker in Denver, who is constantly butting heads with his equally high powered colleague, Whitefeather (Thomas Haden Church). In fact he’s so focused on his job, that he’s neglecting his daughter, Olivia (Yara Shahidi). But once her imaginary friends start predicting booms and falls in the stock market, he learns to connect with his daughter, and let his inner child out.

Yes, that is the plot synopsis I am going with. Eddie Murphy needs to step away from movies for a bit. Stick with Shrek, you’re doing good with the voice over work. But go the Bill Murray route, take a few years off, return with some edgy, indie comedies. Or do what Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd are doing, stepping out of the starring roles, and showing up in delightful cameos. But stop with the family friendly crap. It’s not working.

Murphy aside… the film was still pretty terrible. We’re never really keyed into why the imaginary princesses in Olivia’s fantasy world know so much about the NYSE. And how they’re able to predict mergers, acquisitions and what not. Maybe we’re not supposed to know, but if we’re not, that’s a really terrible plot device. The message they’re trying to convey is to spend time with your kids. That much is clear. You could gather that from the trailer. But they waste and hour and a half trying spell it out for you in the must ridiculous and not-hilarious way possible.

This film does however get a point for the antics of Thomas Haden Church (Sideways, “Wings”). He steals every scene he’s in, and actually makes something comical out of the drivel he’s been given.

But I leave you with this, a reminder of when Eddie Murphy was funny:

The Taking of Pelham 123

2.5 stars

While there’s nothing particularly terrible about this new action/thriller from Tony Scott, Denzel Washington and John Travolta, there really isn’t anything particularly great about it either. It just kind of coasts by on the charisma of the two leads, and let’s them have an interesting conversation for a little over an hour.

New York City Transit dispatcher Walter Garber (Denzel Washington) is settling in for a normal day. Until the Pelham 123 line is stopped and seperated, followed by an announcement from the hijacker known only as Ryder (John Travolta) that NYC has just one hour to get him $10 million or he starts killing hostages. It’s a race against the clock for Garber to save the lives of everyone on that train.

John Travolta has done some of his best work as a villain (Broken Arrow, Face/Off, Pulp Fiction). And this is no different. There’s something about seeing this usual nice guy be bad. And he notches up a great performance opposite the always likeable Washington (Man on Fire, Inside Man).

Unfortunately, that’s when this movie actually gets good, when these two are talking over the radio communications. It starts off kind of slow and disjointed, but once we get into the rythym of the Travolta/Washington conversations is where the movie starts to heat up. You get this wonderful exchange that pulls you in. They start exposing each others weaknesses, playing on certain personal faults. It culminates in a thrilling showdown in the third act.

But, the movie can’t coast on their charm alone, and no matter how good their exchange is, the mediocrity of the rest of the movie does not go unnoticed.

Go see it for Washington/Travolta, but if that doesn’t motivate you to get to the theatre, then definitely check it out in a few months on the rental shelves.

First a recap of some I didn’t write full reviews of…

Fast & Furious– 2.5 stars – Not terrible… but really… what’s the point?
Monsters vs. Aliens – 3.5 stars – Entertaining little film, definitely worth a look see in 3D
I Love You Man – 4 stars – Not as fall down hilarious as similar flicks, but has a million miles of heart
Adventureland– 3 stars- Didn’t know what genre it wanted to be… coming of age teen drama, or goofy comedy
Duplicity– 3.5 stars- Good old fashioned romp, but ultimately got too smart for its own good.
Race To Witch Mountain – 3 stars – Enjoyable family flick that gets by on the natural charisma of Dwayne Johnson
12 Rounds – 1 star – As Joel put it, Die Hard: With a Vengeance, without the witty banter.
Last House on the Left – 3.5 stars – Brutally intense, keeps the spirit of the original.

AND Now… the meat of it…

Hannah Montana: The Movie

3 Stars

Some of you may be saying “You’re a hard drinkin, hard fightin’, smokin’, drinkin’, tattooed son of a bitch. 3 Stars? Have you gone soft?” I went in expecting the worst. I even took my friend’s fiancee along, so I wouldn’t seem like “Creepy old guy at the Hannah Montana.” But you know what? I wound up enjoying myself with this cute little kids flick, as generally mindless as it maybe.

Miley Cyrus plays Miley Stewart, who leads a double life as pop sensation Hannah Montana. Only a close knit crew of people know of the double life, and Miley must make the difficult choice of keeping Hannah in her life, or reserving herself to a normal life as Miley. Her father/manager Robbie Ray (Billy Ray Cyrus) ships her off to her hometown in Tennessee following celebrity shoe battle with Tyra Banks to get a dose of the real world, and there she learns to love life as not Hannah. Even finds time for a love life as Miley with farm hand Travis. After it comes out that Miley is “good friends” with Hannah, she’s forced into the awkward situation of being with friends and family at the Hannah Montana benefit concert, put on to save her hometown from being bought up by greedy land developers.

This movie combines all the best elements of an 80’s sitcom, throws in the “Superman Complex”, and rounds it all out with, good, wholesome family fun, that last part I can’t, in good conscience, fully decry.

Remember in “Family Ties” when Alex would get a date with one girl for 7pm, and another for 9pm, and then the girl at 9 had to reschedule for 7, so rather than call one off, he tries to manage both dates at the same time? Oh, and at the same restaurant? He’d have to pretend to smoke for one of them, so he could get 9 to sit in the smoking section. Yeah… it was marginally funny then. And got decreasingly funny when Kirk Cameron did it on “Growing Pains,” then Joey Lawrence on “Blossom,” then it got passed around “Family Matters,” “Step by Step,” “Boy Meets World,” and countless other 80’s and 90’s sitcoms. Yeah, that’s pretty much Hannah Montana. And the “Superman Complex?” – No one seems to realize that Superman looks exactly like Clark Kent without glasses. Likewise… no one seems to realize that Hannah Montana is a blonde Miley Stewart.

The thing about Miley Cyrus, is that I’m rooting for her… she’s got some great potential that has yet to be fully realized. I don’t think she’s a brightly burning star that will fizzle in a year when the Hannah Montana black hole collapses. That’s not a slam against Hannah Montana, I just felt like running with the astronomy reference. And she does show a phenomenal screen presence that I would like to see continue on throughout for career. I hope she isn’t hampered by the long arm of the Disney Channel. Think a female Shia Lebouf. Let’s just hope she doesn’t go on to ruin the 80’s.

The thing of it is… It’s not made for people like me. You know, the over 14 crowd. And it’s not made for critics. It’s made for kids. We all had movies that we loved as kids, and looking back, we wonder why? Mighty Ducks? Anyone? That was our kids movie, and sticks with us to this day. I now realize it as a mediocre at best flick, but it holds a special place in my heart. And it will for kids these days (that makes me sound like a fogey). I can’t fault these kids for that. I’m gonna let them have their movie.

Look for fun cameos from Rascal Flatts and the very lovely and talented Taylor Swift. Barry Bostwick pops up in a funny little role. But in all seriousness… what would have made this film… is Billy Ray Cyrus singing his signature song, “Achy Breaky Heart.” You picked up a guitar. You were in front of a mic. You couldn’t do the “Achy Breaky?” Throw us older folks a little something.

P.S. For those of you who don’t know, I’m not as old as I make myself sound. I’m 23. But I am older than the target audience for this flick.

Observe and Report

2 stars

Alright this is more like it. Seth Rogan in a dark action comedy? I should be all about this. Oh wait… IT SUCKED! This was an exercise in defining WTF?!?! that was all over the place, and too scattered for it’s own good.

Ronnie (Rogan) is a bi-polar mall security guard with dillusions of grandeur. He takes himself way too serious, and that is his own downfall. He’s on the hunt for a serial flasher terrorizing his mall parking lot, and targeting the pretty make-up counter girl Brandi (Anna Faris). He feels some competition from the actual police, especially Det. Harrison (Ray Liotta), so he steps up his game to bring the pervert to justice. Oh, and there’s a rash of robberies at the mall. Oh, and he’s trying to be a real cop. Oh, and there’s an underdeveloped possible love story between Ronnie and Brandi.

It’s significantly darker in tone than the other Mall cop flick to come out this year, Paul Blart. But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s the second mall cop flick to come out this year (within 2 months of each other). Really Hollywood? Two? Are you coming out with a Go-Bots flick this year, too?

Hollywood’s desperation for original storylines aside, like I said, it’s a scatter shot flick that never even tries to find it’s proper footing. One minute we’re on the pervert. The next minute we’re on Ronnie’s badge and gun ambitions. The third we’re on the mall store robberies. What is the movie about? Everything, which ultimately leads to nothing. And not in the cool nihilistic way. But in the “What the hell did I just watch?” kinda way.

There was a minor controversy surrounding the implicit date rape scene in the film. I don’t exactly see how it could be strictly considered date rape. Sure Brandi is drunk. But we go from him sneaking a kiss on the front walk, to them doin’ the horizontal tango. We miss the in between. We don’t know went on between the two… And when he does stop to consider that she has fallen asleep, she replies “Why’d you stop, mother******?” So…. we don’t really know what went down. But it is an offputting scene in general.

Rogan (Pineapple Express, Knocked Up) is a tremendous comedic talent and I dig what he does. And I give him props for extending his comedic range into darker territories. But this film was just wrong on so many levels, that I ask the question I do so rarely actually ask… Why the hell was this film even made? But he at least gets props for trying.

Luckily you can never count out the comedic talents of the beautiful Anna Faris (House Bunny, Waiting…). Usually despite how I feel about the film, I’ll almost always enjoy her performance.

Despite a strong performance from Faris, and the interesting turn from Rogan, I can’t recommend this film. Not even to rent. Skip it. You’re not missing a damn thing.

Friday The 13th

2.5 Stars

I don’t think you can call Friday The 13th a “remake” considering a) it cribs more from the original part II than it does the original part I; and b) the franchise has been going pretty consistently for 30 years, it’s more of a retelling.

Luckily the song remains the same for Jason and crew in Friday The 13th, which will make the synopsis easy. Group of naive, yet good looking kids stumble upon the remains of Camp Crystal Lake, closed down since Mrs. Voorhees went on a bloody rampage, killing the counselours she felt were responsible for her son’s drowning. Only he didn’t die, and he’s now a grown, very deranged man. Hilarity ensues. And by hilarity, I mean an insane amount of brutal slayings.

I usually take the third paragraph to delve into the acting of the various leads, point out a delightful supporting role. But really, what the hell do you expect from a mediocre remake of a late 70’s slasher flick? The chicks were naked, the dudes were douchebags, and massive amounts of alcohol and pot were consumed. I could give you a cast list, but good luck recognizing any of them, unless you’re familiar with the WB/CW crowd.

This film was not made, nor should anyone carry the notion that it was, for great performances. When the original came out, it was a 2 hour PSA on the dangers of drug use, drinking and pre-marital sex. Smoke pot? That’s a slaying by a crazy guy in a hockey mask. Drink? Disfigured pedophile will invade your dreams and kill you. Pre-marital sex? Escaped mental patient in Shatner mask will stalk and kill you. It had a social commentary that our out of control, hedonistic life styles would eventually, and quite literally, kill us.

This film… leaves that all out. In this new age of horror, where the bloodier, more gruesome, more realistic the killings the better (I believe the term is “torture-porn”), and it went for the proverbial jugular. And while delivering the thrills and bloodlust, it’s an empty, shell of a movie. It’s sole purpose is to be an exhibition for murder. I’m not here to pontificate on the rightness or wrongness of such existence. But leaving out a message in this kind of movie leaves the viewer with a weird feeling. At least in the Saw franchise there’s a message (value your life), however twisted they go about it.

But like I said, one can’t deny that it at least delivers on the thrills. If you’re going to waste time and money, there’s no real better way than Friday the 13th.

The International

3 stars

Clive Owen and Naomi Watts highlight this international political thriller about the global banking system and world arms trade. And how they alledgedly go hand in hand. It’s an entertaining little movie, not meant to break new ground, but to explore what’s there.

The International spins the tale of Interpol Agent Louis Salinger (Owen) as he works with New York ADA Eleanor Whitman to expose the criminal dealings of International Bank, who alledgedly supplies weapons to third world countries.

This movie reminds me why I initially supported Owen to be the new James Bond a few years back, and makes me glad he isn’t. Owen is too rugged for Bond. Too rough around the edges, to blue collar. He almost always looks like he woke up from a night of drinking, which, in my best estimation, is his charm. He brings sort of an everyman quality to his roles. There’s rarely a hint of grandeur to his performances (even when playing King Arthur, which wasn’t ALL bad).

Director Tom Tykwer finally makes his big American debut, and as expected, it doesn’t live up to Lola rennt (Run, Lola Run), but it’s a different film geared to a different audience, so I can’t be too hard on him for that. But to his credit, it is beautifully shot, with nary a wasted scene.

The unfortunate thing about most movies released January-February is that they will in no way make huge waves in movie making (notable exceptions include The Silence of the Lambs and last year’s Cloverfield). They tend to just exist, and the companies behind them have very little faith in their audience draw or general quality. This film doesn’t change that. It just kind of is. But what is, is a cut above the general dreg out there.

He’s Just Not That Into You

2.5 Stars

I did have high hopes for this going in. Greg Behrendt was a stand up I enjoyed (he wrote the source book). It has an impressive cast. But it came across as Love Actually: American Style. Sadly, I was just not into He’s Just Not That Into.

Interconnecting stories of love and human behaviour comprise the film based on a bestselling self-help book. Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin) has trouble reading the dating rituals of men after a mediocre date with Conner (Kevin Connolly) who is also dating Anna (Scarlett Johansson), but she just met and fell for Ben (Bradley Cooper) whose marriage is kinda on the rocks because of his smoking, which his wife Janine (Jennifer Connelly) has made it clear she doesn’t like. She works with both Gigi and Beth (Jennifer Aniston), who’s longterm boyfriend Neil (Ben Affleck) won’t marry her because he doesn’t believe in marriage. Oh… and Mary (Drew Barrymore) has relationship issues as far as status unknown. Oh… and Conner’s best friend Alex (Justin Long) starts dispensing relationship advice to Gigi.

I felt to best exemplify exactly how I felt about this movie… by providing the synopsis in the most annoying way possible. Which is what this movie amounts to… whiney young rich people annoyingly discussing their love lives. There was no relatability to any of the characters. Sure there were certain aspects that I could relate to. And certainly the situations they were put in are relatable. But the characters, and unfortunately the actors playing them, were just a means to an end. They were incidental. You could play musical chairs with the actor/role and it would have no bearing on the movie. Also… if Jennifer Aniston’s biggest problem is Ben Affleck not marrying her… she’s on frickin’ easy street.

I do not find it hard to believe that people like this exist. What I find it hard to believe that they expect us, the viewing public, to sit in a theatre and say “I totally get Neil,” or “I sympathize with Gigi.” Like I said, on a basic level, the situations themselves, are relatable, but the essential plot devices are not what you base the movie around. You build from them.

Perhaps had they handed the reins to someone other than the guy who offered us Dunston Checks In. Though to Ken Kwapis’ credit, he did a few episodes of “Freaks and Geeks”, which is an undeniably great show, which had 18 great episodes, and a grand total of zero bad ones.

I give it kudos for situational relatability, but which is unfortunately hindered by the complete lack of compassion or empathy for the characters. This is one movie that if it wanted to, and even tried, it could have been a great, and a good American Love Actually, which had one thing going for it… characters you actually liked.

Push

3 Stars

Do you remember back a few years ago, there was a great show that was on television… about people with special powers, coming to terms with it. There was a shady organization hunting them down. Normal people paired up with people with powers… “Heroes” it was called. That was a great show. The show that’s on now called “Heroes” is a shell of its former self, that is rapidly circling the drain. I bring this up because I want to dispell the comparisons of Push to current “Heroes.” Push is what “Heroes” used to be, and should still be. And with that… “Heroes” references end……………………NOW

After witnessing the death of his father at the hands of the ruthless Division, Nick Grant (Chris Evans), a mover (telekinetic) has exiled himself to Hong Kong in an effort stay off the radar. Yeah, about that, a super watcher (psychic) predicted he would do this, and that a pusher(force thoughts into one’s head), Kira (Camilla Belle), would escape division and seek his help. The daughter of this watcher, another watcher named Cassie (Dakota Fanning) comes to Nick’s aid to protect themselves and the pusher from a more powerful pusher/Division agent (Djimon Hounsou), who, incidentally, killed Nick’s father.

It clocks in under 2 hours, but it’s stilla bout 20 minutes too long. I’ve never had a problem with long movies. But it had a pacing problem. They could have cut some of the fatty meat from the film and it still would have been good, and most likely would have been better. Director Paul McGuigan has a recurring problem with flow. Lucky Number Slevin had the same problem. Too long due to extraneous scenes. Trim the fat, and it’s better.

Sometimes I think I’m the only one who enjoys the work of Chris Evans (Cellular). Sure he’s not the next Sean Penn or George Clooney (though considering Penn and Clooney’s early filmographies, it’s not entirely out of the question), but he’s no Keanu. He’s a decent actor and at times downright good (see Sunshine). And he proves himself to be a thoroughly comptent and entertaining leading man.

Fanning (Man On Fire) is easing her transition from precocious (and eerily too smart) child star to more mature material. I have a feeling, and am truly hoping she follows the path of Jodie Foster and Ron Howard on transition from child star to A-Lister. We’re rooting for you Dakota.

It truly is “Heroes” when it was good, but unfortunately it ends up being a movie that just is. It offers up nothing great. It comes and goes, and won’t leave a mark. It just exists for the purpose of existing. It is a feather in no one’s cap.

Taken

3.5 Stars

One man against the criminal (or not strictly criminal) underworld movies are a dime a dozen. Jason Statham tends to star in most of them (though I have this theory that he’s really a superhero who refuses to wear a cape). But there’s something about Liam Neeson hunting down sex slave traders who have kidnapped his daughter in Paris. It doesn’t re-invent the genre, but it certainly upgrades it.

Former spy Bryan Mills (Neeson) relunctantly allows his daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) tour Europe with her friend, Amanda, on the condition she safe. Unfortunately sex slave traders have other ideas, and promptly kidnap the two girls upon their arrival in the city of lights. What’s worse is Bryan was on the phone with Kim when it happened. Utilizing his old skills and old contacts, Bryan begins the race against the clock to find his daughter before she is literally lost forever, and takes him on a violent, rage and vengeance fueled romp through Paris.

Neeson is the true highlight of the film. He shows that these solo action ventures aren’t just for the young guys like Matt Damon and the aforementioned Statham. And, given his pedigree, he brings a gravitas to a role that could have otherwise been very bland. He doesn’t exactly breathe new life into the role that has been routinely played by Harrison Ford (family man trying to get back his family, tell me I’m wrong) for the past ten years, but he does bring a different perspective.

It’s hard to believe that it took almost a year to get this in the States (released in France almost a year ago), but Pierre Morel’s directorial follow up to 2004’s District 13 seems tailor made for the American action film climate. By that I mean the aging hero back in the game, and with Statham and Damon movies doing well, it’s a perfect fit. I found the most intriguing aspect of his cinematic eye (on this film, anyway) is his removal of the rose tinted glasses we’ve been looking through when thinking of Paris. He finds the underbelly, and enhances it in a completly un romantic way.

I felt like I got my money’s worth with this film. I was entertained, and glued to my seat the entire time, and really… entertainment goes a long way with me. It’s not a game changer, but it is a performance enhancer.

Frost/Nixon

3.5 stars

I had the misfortune of seeing this after the Oscar nominations were announced, after much had been written on it, after much negative had been written on it. One piece by me. I had said “Instead the Academy opted for the generally safe historical dramas. “Nothing against Frost/Nixon, as I have yet to see it, but what could it possibly bring to the filmmaking table that The Dark Knight did not? It’s a dramatization of TV interviews. You could pretty much Youtube about half the movie.” And in some aspects… I was right. But in some… I was completely not.

As stated, Frost/Nixon is a dramatization of the 1977 David Frost (Michael Sheen)/Richard Nixon (Frank Lagella) interviews, where he, as the film so delicately puts it, gives him the trial he never got. But it is more than a regurgitation of what we could buy in a TimeLife set for the low low price of $19.99 plus S&H. It highlights Frost’s personal and professional struggle to get the interviews, and, much in the same way W. did with George W. Bush, humanizes Nixon.

Langella has been heaped with his praise for his portrayal of the fallen President, a role he originated in the stage show. And Langella (Superman Returns) does in fact bring a vulnerability to the character. But overlooked has been his adversary. Sheen (The Queen) brings an intensity and conflict to a character who is a celebrity of his time. And, as per usual, the dynamite performance of Sam Rockwell (Confessions of a Dangerous Mind) has gone criminally overlooked.

The main problem with this film is that while the performances are engaging, as a whole, the film is standard at best. In pure filmmaking terms, Ron Howard (The Da Vinci Code) shows no signs of growth concerning historical drama from his 1995 epic Apollo 13. It doesn’t change the game for filmmaking, and isn’t a landmark in any respect. It was as I expected. And that was it’s detriment. The film didn’t wow me.

Go and stay for the performances, but you won’t get much else out of this film than what you can catch on YouTube, or PBS if they’re feeling frisky.