The Wolverine (2013) review

While the ‘X-Men’ franchise has certainly been very popular ever since Jack Kirby and Stan Lee created this team of mutant superheroes back in 1963, one member of the team has arguably stood out more than the rest; Logan AKA Wolverine, the animal-like mutant with the adamantium skeleton. The character has played a major part in pretty much every adaptation of the franchise, from TV series to video games. In the ‘X-Men’ film series, Wolverine (excellently portrayed by Hugh Jackman) has been in every major live-action X-Men film since 2000, including the original trilogy, the ‘reboot’ ‘X-Men: First Class’, and even a spinoff/prequel, ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’. However, that last film didn’t really turn out so well but now Jackman returns for another solo film, ‘The Wolverine’, which looks much more promising. The story takes inspiration from the 1982 limited series ‘Wolverine’, written by Chris Claremont and illustrated by Frank Miller. As for the director, James Mangold (who directed the 2007 remake of ‘3:10 to Yuma’) takes over for original choice Darren Aronofsky, who ended up leaving the project in pre-production. The end result is a major improvement over the last ‘Wolverine’ film that does do justice to the character.

The film takes place after the events of ‘X-Men: The Last Stand’ as, following the death of Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) and the disbandment of the X-Men, Logan AKA Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) has been spending most of his time alone in the Canadian wilderness haunted by his past. One day, he is approached by Yukio (Rila Fukushima), an employee of Ichiro Yashida (Haruhiko Yamanouchi), the dying head of a Japanese technology corporation who Logan had saved during the Nagasaki bombings of WWII. Logan heads to Tokyo to meet with Yashida, who offers him the chance to rid himself of his immortality so that he can finally have ‘an honorable death’. Logan refuses but the next day, after Yashida dies; he finds that, for some reason, his healing powers aren’t working. As Logan now tries to protect Yashida’s granddaughter Mariko (Tao Okamoto) from assassins, he has to come face to face with his inner demons as he struggles to survive without the help of his healing powers.

While I don’t want to compare this film to ‘X-Men Origins Wolverine’ too much, ‘The Wolverine’ does improve on almost every major problem that film had; the action scenes and effects are much better. Mangold does a great job at shooting these scenes and heck, for a PG-13 rated film, this film isn’t afraid to get a little more intense in some areas. As for the effects, to put it bluntly, all I can say is that Wolverine’s claws don’t look as crappy as they did in ‘Origins’. But perhaps the biggest improvement over ‘Origins’ is that this film knows where its focus should be; on the character of Wolverine. ‘Origins’, despite the fact that it was supposed to be a prequel detailing Wolverine’s back-story, had other mutants as well, and most of them were pretty much just shoehorned into the film. This time around, while there still are a couple of extra mutants in the film as well, it’s all about Wolverine and how he struggles with the demons of his past, including the fact that he was forced to kill the love of his life, Jean, in the previous film.

The fact that this film is set in Japan also sets up a pretty good ‘fish out of water’ story because Wolverine is out of his element here and is also in a bigger dilemma considering that his healing ability isn’t working like it did before. As far as superhero films go, this film has a lot more down time which is a nice alternative to what we’re used to seeing in superhero films. Granted, the final act in the film does slip into traditional superhero fare (I’m not saying that’s a bad thing; it’s just that this is a change of pace from the first two-thirds of the film), but the film is still very exciting from beginning to end. Not only does this film’s script do justice to the character of Wolverine, but this is also arguably Hugh Jackman’s best performance in the role, thanks to both his experience in the role and the material he’s given. He carries the film on his own, although the rest of the cast (mainly filled with actors/actresses you’ve probably never heard of) is solid as well.

As far as Wolverine’s solo films have turned out, ‘The Wolverine’ is easily superior to the previous attempt at giving the character his own film. This is thanks to better action scenes, better visual effects, and most importantly, stronger writing. The film knows where to keep its focus; on Wolverine and while there are a couple of additional mutants in this film (this is still an ‘X-Men’ film, after all), they don’t overshadow Wolverine and his story. Compared to other superhero films, there are a lot more ‘peaceful’ moments in this film but don’t worry, there are still some incredible action scenes and for a PG-13 film, this film isn’t afraid to push the limits of the rating. This is certainly a must-see for any fan of Wolverine, as this film does do the character and the story it’s based on justice. Plus, be sure to stick around for a post-credits scene that will set up next year’s ‘Days of Future Past’, the next major film for the ‘Children of the Atom’.

Rating: 4/5

DC Comics' Comic-Con 2013 Announcements

Over the last few days, I’ve been working on this little editorial about whether or not Hollywood is spending way too much on films that perform poorly at the box office; mainly after hearing that ‘R.I.P.D.’, a film with a budget of $130 million, is only set to gross about $17 million. But… something happened today at San Diego Comic Con International and because of it, that first editorial might not happen now because… well, let me just say that the next few years are going to be pretty sweet in regards to comic book films. The news came from DC Comics’ film division, and while only one film was officially confirmed at Comic Con, there are also two films that are reportedly in production. The first film is a crossover that will star arguably the two most famous heroes in DC’s lineup. The second film is the first solo film for a key member of the ‘Justice League’. Finally, the ‘Justice League’ movie that DC has been working on for a few years might finally be coming together.

In terms of films, DC has been having a pretty good year so far. Their main film this year, ‘Man of Steel’, has been performing very well at the box office. It has grossed over $600 million worldwide despite receiving mixed reviews from critics (and partially from audiences as well). Obviously, this has led to DC green-lighting a sequel. Director Zack Snyder and writer David S. Goyer would both return for this new movie and after seeing ‘Man of Steel’, I have the upmost faith in them because, as that film proves, they were the right men for the job. But today, during DC’s Comic-Con press conference, Zack Snyder revealed some major details about this upcoming film, which is now set to come out in 2015. He introduced Harry Lennix (who played Colonel Swanwick in the film) to the stage, where he read a short passage. The passage is as follows…

“I want you to remember, Clark, in all the years to come, in all your most private moments. I want you to remember my hand at your throat. I want you to remember the one man who beat you.”

DC fans should recognize this as a passage from Frank Miller’s highly acclaimed graphic novel, 1986’s ‘The Dark Knight Returns’. So why did they quote a line from a Batman story when this is supposed to be a Superman film? Well, that’s because the next ‘Man of Steel’ film will be a crossover between Superman and Batman. DC fans, rejoice! As mentioned earlier, Snyder will return to direct and stars Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne, and Diane Lane will reprise their roles as Superman, Lois Lane, Perry White, and Martha Kent, respectively. As for Batman, seeing how Christian Bale recently confirmed that he will not be involved with any of DC’s future film projects; a new Batman will be cast. However, while a new actor will don the cape and cowl, ‘Dark Knight Trilogy’ director Christopher Nolan and his wife, producer Emma Thomas, will serve as executive producers; this continues Nolan’s run with DC, despite reports that Nolan did not want to be involved with more DC films.

Where do I even begin with this? This has to be one of the most exciting stories to come out in the last few years in terms of comic book films. I’m pretty sure that many comic book fans were anticipating a crossover film between these two icons and even though it was only confirmed today, this is an idea that has been in the works for quite some time. In fact, before Christopher Nolan made ‘Batman Begins’, a Superman/Batman crossover was pitched in 2001 by Andrew Kevin Walker (writer of 1995’s ‘Seven’). Obviously, as we know now, this project never happened but now things have changed, albeit a different team working on it. Another positive thing about this is that this is the perfect place to introduce the actor that will take over for Christian Bale in the role of Batman. But who will DC cast? Back when George Miller was working on a potential ‘Justice League’ film, Armie Hammer was cast as Batman. While that project was cancelled and ‘The Lone Ranger’ is currently performing poorly at the box office, he’s still my top pick for the part.



After this highly anticipated crossover, the next DC film will reportedly be a ‘Flash’ movie, which will come out in 2016. This is the one DC solo superhero film they really needed to make before ‘Justice League’. I know a lot of people are wondering about a possible ‘Wonder Woman’ movie, but I think that a ‘Flash’ movie is a safer bet for DC. Also, in the 70+ years that this character has been around, there has never been a live-action ‘Flash’ movie. Sure, there was a short lived TV series that aired for only one season from 1990 to 1991, and the character made cameo appearances on the show ‘Smallville’, but he has never been in a live-action movie. That means that this character is long overdue for one. As for casting, I’d recommend someone like Bradley Cooper or Ryan Gosling as I feel that either of those two would be a perfect fit for the character.



Speaking of ‘Justice League’, that was the last of the three movies that were revealed to be in production, and this film will hit theaters in 2017. While I certainly am excited for the Batman/Superman crossover, I’d say the ‘Justice League’ news is the most satisfying, because now it is clear that DC is taking their time in developing a Cinematic Universe. If you remember, back in 2012, DC had planned a live-action Justice League film for a 2015 release, so they could directly compete with ‘Avengers 2’ (UPDATE: just confirmed to be titled ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’) but when that initial plan was announced, I feared that DC was just rushing this film into production just so that the movie could come out the same year as ‘Avengers 2’. Keep in mind; at the time that this announcement was made, ‘Man of Steel’ wasn’t even out yet and DC had no other film plans at that point. Thankfully, that did not end up happening (reportedly the first draft of the screenplay was tossed out) and now, thanks to these upcoming DC movies, I’m more at ease about the possibility of a live-action Justice League film.

Before I conclude this editorial, I just want to point something out; in terms of the ‘rivalry’ between Marvel and DC in regards to their films, I mainly lean towards Marvel. I’m not saying that DC’s movies were bad. In fact, for the most part, they have been really good, namely Christopher Nolan’s ‘Dark Knight’ trilogy and ‘Man of Steel’. It’s just that, for the longest time, I feared that DC was going too fast in order to make a Justice League movie that would directly compete with ‘Avengers 2’. But while ‘Avengers 2’ is probably my most anticipated film of 2015 (keep in mind, that’s two years from now), today’s news might change things down the road. After all, why wouldn’t I be excited about a Superman/Batman crossover? Not only that, but this film will be followed by a ‘Flash’ movie in 2016 and a ‘Justice League’ movie in 2017. DC, I have to hand it to you, you finally got on the right track and I eagerly await these next three films. It’s a good day to be a fan of comic book films.

Evil Dead (2013) review

Over the past few years, we have seen countless remakes of some of the most beloved horror films of all time, including Friday the 13^th, Halloween, and Nightmare on Elm Street. Not only are most of these remakes clearly inferior to their predecessors, but a lot of them aren’t even necessary (but then again, pretty much every remake is unnecessary despite the few that are actually as good as the original). However, as sacrilegious as it may sound, there are some films that are worth remaking, like ‘The Evil Dead’, the 1981 horror classic which marked the debut of director Sam Raimi. This is mainly due to the fact that the original film is basically a low-budget B-movie and could benefit from a new reimagining. This new film, directed by Uruguayan film director Fede Alvarez, also has the distinction of being produced by not only Raimi, but also the original film’s star Bruce Campbell and series producer Robert Tapert. With that in mind, this new remake is one of the better horror remakes in recent memory. However, there are certain aspects of it that don’t really hold up when compared to the original.

Five friends; Mia (Jane Levy), her brother David (Shiloh Fernandez), Eric (Lou Taylor Pucci), Olivia (Jessica Lucas), and David’s girlfriend Natalie (Elizabeth Blackmore) head to a remote cabin in the woods in order to help Mia deal with a severe drug addiction. While there, they come across an old cellar, where they find a mysterious book titled ‘Naturom Demonto’. When Eric reads aloud a passage from the book, a demon is summoned and it immediately possesses Mia. When the group becomes stranded at the cabin because of a flood, the demon begins to possess each of them and they must now try to survive this demon as they are killed off one by one, until only one is left to defeat this menace.

The tagline for the poster referred to this movie as ‘the most terrifying movie you’ll ever experience’. That may seem like a little pompous, but believe it or not, the original ‘Evil Dead’ did the same thing too. This film does deliver on something else however; being a very bloody film. Like the original (which was actually rated NC-17), this film certainly does push the R rating. Also, in an age where a lot of horror films use CGI, this film mainly consists of practical effects, which is obviously much more effective than CG jump scares. The remake also does manage to distinguish itself from the original in terms of tone but that’s also its biggest flaw. The first ‘Evil Dead’, while still being a horror film, had an underlying comedic tone to it because of its ‘B-movie’ nature. This film is much more brutal but because of that, it falls victim to the problem that most horror films now have in that the filmmakers are trying to push the envelope in terms of violence and gore.

Aside from that, the characters aren’t really that interesting. There are some good ideas implemented into this movie, like the relationship between Mia and David and the whole scenario with Mia being a former drug addict (giving the characters a good reason for actually going to an old cabin in the woods instead of just going there to party), but like a lot of horror films, the characters do a lot of stupid things, and the character of Natalie is quite pointless (I’m guessing this is supposed to resemble the original film because Ash had a girlfriend, but it’s not the same here). Even Eric, who is probably the only one of the five to notice when things start to go wrong, is responsible for the whole mess happening in the first place. But while the characters are a little flat, the acting is solid all-around, especially from Jane Levy (who, SPOILERS, is pretty much the ‘Ash’ of the film) and Lou Taylor Pucci.

In the end, this new ‘Evil Dead’ is a bit of a mixed bag because there are both good and bad things in this movie. The acting is solid, the film succeeds at producing scares with the use of practical effects, and it manages to distinguish itself from ‘The Evil Dead’. However, it lacks the underlying humor of the original film and while there are some good ideas in regard to character development, some of the characters in this film aren’t that interesting. It ends up falling victim to one of the problems plaguing a lot of horror films today by trying to outdo its competition in terms of violence. To its credit, it’s one of the better horror remakes in recent memory because of its positives, but the negatives keep it from being as good as the original. But, to be fair, I would be interested in seeing how this ‘remake’ series will continue, seeing how it’s actually supposed to be set in the same universe as the original films and Alvarez and Raimi are planning sequels to their most recent entries in the series. Just make sure that you guys do something better than the crappy post-credits scene in this movie, where Bruce Campbell (as Ash, of course) appears, says ‘groovy’, and turns to the camera. That's it.

 

Rating: 3.5/5

Harry Potter Film Series Retrospective

 

One day in 1990, British author Joanne ‘J.K.’ Rowling came up with the idea for a young boy wizard named Harry Potter while on a train back to London. What followed after that is something that can only be described as ‘magical’ (no pun intended). In 1997, Rowling published the first in the Harry Potter series, ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ (renamed ‘Sorcerer’s Stone’ for the U.S. market), and it became a worldwide phenomenon, resulting in six more books over the next decade. Four years after the first book was released, Warner Bros released the first of eight films based off of the books and just like their source material, the films were huge hits. Right now, the Harry Potter film franchise stands as the highest grossing film franchise of all time, having grossed over 7.7 billion dollars worldwide, beating franchises like James Bond and Star Wars. Two years ago on this day, on July 15^th, 2011, the final film in the Harry Potter series, ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2’ was released, effectively ending a film series that had been running for a decade. Today, I’m here to honor my personal favorite film franchise of all time. This is something I’ve wanted to do for a while, especially considering that I started this blog back in May 2012; a little less than a year after the series came to a close. Let’s not waste any time and get started…

HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE (2001)

Straight off the bat, the best thing about the first film in the series is that it does a fantastic job at establishing the magical world our protagonists live in, something that is definitely essential for any major fantasy film series. But while the film is very entertaining, well-acted (every actor/actress is perfectly cast), and the film’s visual effects still hold up even after a whole decade, I can’t say this film is as good as the films that followed. That’s mainly because the film is a bit too family friendly (you can sort of attribute that to director Chris Columbus, who had previously directed films like ‘Home Alone’ and ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’). Sure, there are some darker moments but for the most part, the film is generally light hearted. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, however. It just shows that this series got better and better as time went on. All in all, the first Harry Potter film is a terrific family film, effectively setting up this franchise and while, in the end, it’s not the best in the series, it just got better from here.

Rating: 4/5

HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS (2002)

In their ‘Honest Trailer’ for the entire ‘Harry Potter’ series, Screen Junkies referred to this film as ‘the one everyone hates’. I have to admit, before I started re-watching all of the films, this was probably my least favorite of the series (which is ironic considering that, when I was a kid, this was the one I watched more than the first one). But, looking at it now, I do like ‘Chamber of Secrets’ more than ‘Sorcerer’s Stone’. The story is much darker than its predecessor, and even though the ‘family-friendly’ tone is still generally there like in the last film, Columbus does a better job at maintaining a darker atmosphere. Probably the only problem I have with the film is that it is a bit too long, which is interesting considering this is one of the shortest books in the whole series and yet it’s the longest film. Because of this, the film does drag at certain points. However, looking at it now, I don’t think they could have removed anything from the final cut. So, even though it’s not really my personal favorite in the series, I have to say that I think this film is better than its predecessor.

Rating: 4/5

HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN (2004)

A few changes were made once the third film of the series went into production. Chris Columbus stepped down as director, and taking over for this film was Alfonso Cuaron (director of 2006’s ‘Children of Men’ and the upcoming thriller ‘Gravity’). Because Richard Harris (the original Albus Dumbledore) had died after the second film was completed, he was replaced by Michael Gambon. These changes were for the better, as this is easily one of the best entries in the series. Cuaron succeeds at taking this series into darker territory in terms of story and character development. From a visual standpoint, the film is one of the best-looking in the entire series even amidst a generally bleak color palette.

The new additions to the cast are fantastic (as they are, technically, in every film), including Gambon (who is probably the best Dumbledore because, with no disrespect to Richard Harris (who was also great in the part), he was getting up there in age) and Gary Oldman as Sirius Black, the mysterious ‘Prisoner of Azkaban’ who is revealed to have a deep personal connection to Harry. Though we are told that Black is a murderer who also betrayed Harry’s parents to Voldemort, in reality he did not and he is also Harry’s godfather. The scenes between Oldman and Daniel Radcliffe are probably the best scenes in the movie and you can see the connection that they have, as Sirius sort of becomes the father that Harry never had. With all of this in place, ‘Prisoner of Azkaban’ is one exceptional entry in the series and the first one to officially establish the identity of the Harry Potter series.

Rating: 5/5!

HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE (2005)

‘Goblet of Fire’ is my personal favorite entry in the series for a few reasons; the main reason being that it is never boring. This film has some very good action sequences, namely the three ‘tasks’ that Harry is forced to face when he is unexpectedly chosen as a Triwizard Champion for the event known as the Triwizard Tournament. I especially like the final task, where the champions have to go through a maze in order to find the Triwizard Cup. It’s a bit different from the book (the maze is quite larger and instead of magical creatures that appear in the maze, the maze actually keeps changing while the champions are still in it), but it actually does work better in terms of the film. It all ends with a terrific climax, as Lord Voldemort is ‘reborn’ (the film marking the series debut of Ralph Fiennes in the role). That is why ‘Goblet of Fire’, while not the best in the series, is my favorite film in the entire franchise.

Rating: 5/5!

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX (2007)

Despite the fact that Order of the Phoenix is one of the longest books in the series, it’s actually one of the shortest. Also, this is the only entry in the series that was not written by its main screenwriter, Steve Kloves. However, I’d argue that this is the best written Harry Potter film in the entire series. The writers do a fantastic job at establishing how Harry pretty much becomes an outcast in this film because the wizarding world does not want to believe that Lord Voldemort has returned. Even the Ministry of Magic, who are supposed to be ‘the good guys’ feel like the enemy in this film, especially when a Ministry official, Professor Umbridge, becomes the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts and begins to take over the school.

Because of this, Harry has to become the leader of a secret organization known as ‘Dumbledore’s Army’ to take on Voldemort when Umbridge refuses to teach them anything. Imelda Staunton does a fantastic job in the role of Umbridge (admit it, you wanted her dead more than Voldemort) along with Helena Botham Carter, making her series debut as Bellatrix Lestrange. Finally, this film has one of the best final fights in the entire series; there’s great tension and suspense, especially with the death of Sirius because, like with the third film, the scenes between him and Harry are excellent. I’d say this is the best entry in the entire Harry Potter film series and a great debut for director David Yates (who would later go on to direct the remaining three films in the series).

Rating: 5/5!

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE (2009)

I will admit that, when I first saw this film, I wasn’t really that big on it. Admittedly, it was for a rather unfair reason because at the time, I though there wasn’t much action in the film. But really, that’s the point because the book is not an action-packed story. In fact, the filmmakers decided to cut the final battle in the book because it would be way too similar to the final battle in the last film. So why is this film still great? That is because it does a fantastic job at doing something else; drama. Rowling’s writing shines in this film particularly well as each of the main characters start to go through changes and develop ‘romantic’ feelings for each other. This is also probably the funniest entry in the series (my friend Matt referred to this one as ‘Harry Potter and the Breakfast Club’) with some well-placed humor, which is good considering that, like with the last film, it continues to get grim from here on out. So, while I originally wasn’t a big fan of this film, recent viewings have changed my mind and this is another great entry in the series.

Rating: 4.5/5

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1 (2010)

So we have come to the final book in the series… but not the last film. Yes, the filmmakers decided to do something very bold by splitting the final book into two films in order to keep as much as possible, which would have been impossible if it was just one movie (apparently, the first cut of both films combined was about 5 ½ hours). At first, I really wasn’t big on the idea because I didn’t think it was possible but like everyone else, I was proven wrong. That is because ‘Deathly Hallows’ is a book that is big enough to be two films (unlike another series (*cough* Twilight *cough*)). Also, both films are different in their own way, although together they definitely like one single film.

Deathly Hallows Part 1 is a road movie, and that is why I really like this one. It does something different instead of just being another ‘going to school, and then taking on evil’ film like the last six films were. Also, because this film is mainly focused on the three leads, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson all shine in this film. Finally, this film ends on the right note to set up the events for Part 2. Screen Junkies referred to this one as ‘the one you can skip’, but even though this film is admittedly a little slow, I never found it boring.  It gets things off on the right foot for the finale to the Harry Potter series.

Rating: 5/5!

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2 (2011)

Speaking of the finale, now we have officially come to the final film in the Harry Potter series… and boy what an ending it was. The final ‘Harry Potter’ film does not disappoint. The final battle of Hogwarts is easily one of the best final battles in the history of cinema, with great tension and suspense throughout the entire film. Everything so far had been leading up to this one moment, and it all comes together perfectly. However, there’s one little problem with this film. For those of you who haven’t seen the two Deathly Hallows movies or read the book, a lot of characters die in this movie and their deaths are just really glanced over. This is one of the shorter films in the series so they could have added scenes where these deaths got more attention. However, one death certainly got a good look at and that is Severus Snape because after he is killed by Voldemort, Harry learns the truth that Snape has been hiding all of these years; that he was in love with Harry’s mom and still was all the way to his death. This is easily the best moment in the entire Harry Potter series and this is the guaranteed tear-jerker moment in this film. The way the film ends is also done very well. That final shot of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny watching their kids go off to Hogwarts 19 years after the events of the film with John Williams’ music (‘Leaving Hogwarts’, a track from the first film’s score)… there’s nothing better. This is a fitting conclusion to one of the greatest film franchises of all time.

Rating: 5/5!

Now, the tough part… is ranking them all… especially considering that I’ve given five of the films perfect 5 out of 5 ratings. However, I believe I was able to figure this list out…

8. Sorcerer’s Stone

7. Chamber of Secrets

6. Half-Blood Prince

5. Prisoner of Azkaban

4. Deathly Hallows Part 1

3. Goblet of Fire

2. Deathly Hallows Part 2

1. Order of the Phoenix

Pacific Rim (2013) review

‘Pacific Rim’ is a film that combines two genres into one. It’s a Kaiju movie and a mecha movie all rolled into one film. Kaiju, which means ‘strange creature’ in English, have been represented on film by creatures such as Godzilla, Gamera, and King Ghidorah. As for the mecha (in other words, giant robots), they have been in not just films (from ‘Star Wars’ to James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’) but also other forms of media as well; perhaps most notably the Gundam video game series. A movie like that definitely sounds interesting, but even more so when considering that the man behind the camera is director Guillermo Del Toro, responsible for films like the ‘Hellboy’ series and ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’. His latest film does not disappoint. Sure, when you look at it, ‘Pacific Rim’ is a film that technically is more style over substance, but it is still very entertaining, delivering on exactly what it promises; giant robots fighting giant monsters.

In the future, giant monsters known as ‘Kaiju’ emerge from a portal in a crevice located beneath the Pacific Ocean and begin to attack, causing massive damage all over the world. In response to this, the governments of Earth unite and create giant robots called Jaegers to fight the Kaiju menace. At first, they apparently succeed but the Kaiju keep on coming and as more and more emerge from the portal, the governments ultimately decide to terminate the Jaeger program while still keeping a few of the Jaegers running in Hong Kong. While this is going on, former Jaeger pilot Raleigh Becket (Charlie Hunnam), whose co-pilot brother was killed during a fight with a Kaiju, is recruited back into the program by his former commanding officer Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba), where he is partnered with rookie pilot Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi) as the two of them and the other Jaeger pilots look to put an end to the Kaiju before the Kaiju destroy them.

If you’re coming into this movie expecting giant robot/monster action, then you will not be disappointed. There is plenty of that in this movie and it is pretty sweet. Del Toro is known for his great visuals in the films he makes, and that is once again the case here, even though all of the action scenes are pretty much 100% CGI. Del Toro is mainly known for doing a lot of practical creature effects, but the CGI here is really good. Both the Jaegers and the Kaiju creatures look really convincing and the fight scenes are well-done. They’re shot really well so you can see what’s going on. Also, while I don’t necessarily recommend it, this film is worth seeing in 3-D because it’s some pretty good 3-D. This movie was post-converted into 3-D, making it one of the better post-converted 3-D films in the years since 3-D became main-stream.

Admittedly, despite the great action, this movie does suffer a little from style over substance, but that’s not to say the human characters in the film are totally bland. Hunnam and Kikuchi are solid leads on their own, but they are overshadowed by some of their costars, namely two. The first is Idris Elba, who has undeniable presence as the commander of the Jaeger pilots. In fact, in a movie like this, there is actually a lot of depth to his character; namely from his relationship to Mako, as he’s pretty much a father figure to her. The other actor who steals the show is Del Toro regular Ron Perlman in a scene-stealing performance as an black market salesman that one of the Jaeger scientists (played by Charlie Day, in a role that some might find rather annoying but in the end, he does grow on you) goes to in order to find a Kaiju brain. Like Elba, he has a great screen presence and without giving anything else away, this results in a little post-credits scene that is both funny and quite unexpected.

So, with a film like ‘Pacific Rim’, this is a film where if you go in expecting giant robots and giant monsters fighting one another, than you will not be disappointed. From a visual standpoint, the film looks fantastic and Del Toro’s visual flair is certainly present in this movie. However, this does mean that the film is a little bit style over substance but the cast still does a good job (especially Idris Elba and Ron Perlman) despite the fact that the action and visuals clearly overshadow the story and character development. But, for this film, it’s not that big of a problem because it delivers when it comes to exciting giant robot versus giant monster action. This is a very fun and entertaining summer blockbuster that I certainly recommend to anyone who’s just looking for a fun time at the movies. I say this especially when considering that this ‘original’ film got out-grossed at the box office in its first weekend by an unnecessary comedy sequel.

Rating: 4/5

The Feature Presentation

Recently, I’ve been participating in some audio podcasts with a few of my fellow ‘film buffs’. I’m a part of the podcast group known as ‘The Feature Presentation’ (formerly known as ‘Gateway614’). Some of the other members of this group include Matthew Goudreau, Augie King (who, like me, also has his own blog (licensetoreview.blogspot.com)), Kevin Montes, and Alex McDevitt. We have done podcasts for many films, including some of the recent blockbusters (Star Trek Into Darkness, Iron Man 3, and Man of Steel) and a few series retrospectives (including the Superman franchise and Phase One of the Marvel Cinematic Universe). You can find us on Twitter (@Gateway614) and on YouTube (type in our old podcast name, Gateway614, and you’ll find our channel). I hope you enjoy them, and that you’ll stay tuned for future podcasts from the men of ‘The Feature Presentation’.

To get you started, here’s a link to one of our podcasts…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr4l-gHyN4U

The Lone Ranger (2013) review

When ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl’ was released in 2003, no one really expected a film based off of a Disney ride to be that much of a hit. But, to everyone’s surprise, it was, and it soon led the way to three more sequels (two of which have passed the billion dollar mark at the box office). This year, the main crew behind the ‘Pirates’ series (star Johnny Depp, director Gore Verbinski, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and writers Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio) reunite for a modern adaptation of ‘The Lone Ranger’, a series that got its start as a radio program back in the 30’s, which later spawned a TV show and a couple of movies. It seems like the filmmakers are hoping that this film will start up a new film franchise the same way ‘Pirates’ did a decade ago. However, with most critics giving the film negative reviews and a less than stellar performance at the box office so far, it’s probably unlikely. However, this film is actually better than what critics have been saying right now. Sure, it’s not perfect, mainly because of length and script issues, but it’s a fun movie that manages to get by despite its flaws.

The story, as told by an elderly Indian named Tonto (Johnny Depp) to a kid in 1930’s San Francisco, takes place in Texas in 1869 and follows John Reid (Armie Hammer), a lawyer who ends up being recruited to the Texas Rangers by his older brother Dan (James Badge Dale). John joins his brother and their fellow Rangers on a mission to find and capture notorious outlaw Butch Cavendish (William Fichtner). The Rangers end up getting ambushed by Cavendish’s men and are all killed, including Dan. John, however, survives and after meeting with the younger Tonto, learns that he is a ‘Spirit Walker’, a man who has ‘been to the other side’ and cannot be killed in battle. Looking to enact revenge on Cavendish for the death of his brother, John teams up with Tonto (who is also looking to find Cavendish for his own reasons) and takes up the persona of the masked vigilante, ‘The Lone Ranger’.

The biggest problem this movie has is that it’s too long. The movie is about 149 minutes long and that’s just too much for a film with a script that is just not strong enough for a film of that length. This movie would have worked much better had it been trimmed by about half an hour because the main plot is a fairly simple story when you think about it. The main character seeks revenge on the villain for the death of his brother; that’s pretty much it. But it seems like the writers ended up adding in more besides that, which is why the movie is this long. There are two other villains beside Cavendish; a railroad tycoon (Tom Wilkinson) and a corrupt Calvary captain (Barry Pepper). The inclusion of Wilkinson’s character actually does work in regard to the story, but Pepper’s character is really just… there to be a villain. The way the whole narrative is set up is also rather awkward too, because there are certain points where the kid who the elderly Tonto is telling the story to interrupts him, and the Tonto from back then even looks to the camera acknowledging this as well, which really makes no sense. I’m not saying it’s bad, but it could have been handled a bit better.

But the main thing that keeps this movie together is its two leads. Depp and Hammer work off each other very well and they have really good camaraderie, resulting in a good amount of humor. As Tonto, Depp is pretty much channeling his ‘Jack Sparrow’ persona again here, but it still works very well and he is responsible for the majority of the humor in this film because of how ‘eccentric’ he can be. As the Lone Ranger, Hammer is perfectly cast in the role, displaying the right level of charm and wit, especially when working alongside Depp. Finally, there’s a nice supporting cast to back them up, including William Fichtner (properly menacing as Butch Cavendish), James Badge Dale (who’s having quite a year so far, appearing in 3 blockbuster movies; Iron Man 3, World War Z, and this), Ruth Wilson as Dan’s wife Rebecca (who has a bit of romantic connection to John as well), and Helena Botham Carter as the owner of a brothel who also has a connection to Cavendish.

Right now, ‘The Lone Ranger’ stands at 23% on Rotten Tomatoes and to that I say this… this movie is not as bad as that rating may seem. For the record, I’m not saying the movie’s perfect. It does suffer mainly from a length problem because for a movie that is about two and a half hours long, the script just doesn’t have enough in it to justify that length. But the movie still manages to work mainly for one main reason; it’s fun. If you’re able to go into this movie and not take it too seriously, then I guarantee that you’ll have a good time. This can also serve as a nice introduction for a new audience to this character, namely because there hasn’t been anything related to the Lone Ranger for at least three decades. Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer do work together quite nicely, and I would look forward to seeing them do another film in this series; just make sure that, if they do another ‘Lone Ranger’ film (which may not happen if the movie bombs at the box office), don’t make it two and a half hours long.

(On a side note, this movie does have a bit of a ‘post-credits’ stinger, but believe me… there’s not much to it.)

Rating: 3.5/5

2013 MIDYEAR RECAP

We are now halfway through the year of 2013, and while there are still a lot of films coming out in the next few months, it’s time to take a look back at the year so far. All in all, 2013 has been a pretty solid year for movies. I can’t really say that it’s been as good of a year as last year (which saw so many good movies come out that I had to do a ‘Top 12’ instead of a ‘Top 10’) but there have been some very good movies that have come out this year. I say that even though a lot of films this year have actually gotten rather mixed reviews from critics and some have even received a mixed reception from audiences. In fact, my Top 3 films of the year right now have all received a rather mixed reception from not only critics, but most likely audiences as well. What three films are they? I’ll get into those later, but for now I’ll be looking back at all of the films that I have seen so far. I’m not really looking at these films in any specific order, but more in terms of overall ‘quality’ from worst to best. With that said, let’s start with the lowest of lows in 2013.  

WORST FILM OF THE YEAR (SO FAR):

A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD

Wow, this was a straight-up insult to a once great franchise and it’s very sad that a generic action film has to be a part of the Die Hard franchise. None of the things that made this series great are present in this film; the villains are horrible, John McClane is no longer the ‘everyman’ that he was in the past, and worst of all there’s absolutely no tension. John and his son Jack (no chemistry between them, by the way) are pretty much superheroes that go through so much and yet come out with barely any scratches. Actually, ‘A Good Day to Die Hard’ does have two of the biggest villains in franchise history; director John Moore and writer Skip Woods, who are responsible for this piece of s***. There are plans for a sixth Die Hard film, but if you ask me, they should just end the series now; just to prevent any further embarrassments.

SOME OTHER FORGETTABLE FILMS:

I’m not saying these films are the worst of the year, but they’re not films I’ve remembered fondly of since seeing them.

G.I. JOE RETALIATION

My opinion of this film has changed quite a bit since I saw it and since I posted my review of it. I’ll admit I don’t think I was able to give my full thoughts on the film at the time because this was one of the worst theater experiences I ever had (there were people behind me who did not shut up throughout the entire film. Heck, I can do a whole post on how annoying things like that have been over the last few months). Still, looking back, this is a film I won’t be remembering down the road. Sure, in a way, ‘Retaliation’ is a better-made film compared to its predecessor but I actually have to admit that, recently, I’ve come to like ‘Rise of Cobra’. It’s a fun little popcorn flick that is entertaining when not taken seriously. As for ‘Retaliation’, I’m not as big on it. It’s not as ridiculously over-the-top but that does not excuse some weak writing and character development. Also, this film has some of the B.S. marketing in recent years due to the whole controversy surrounding supposed reshoots to give more screen time to Channing Tatum. Guess what? They didn’t change a damn thing.

GANGSTER SQUAD

 ‘Gangster Squad’ was the first film I saw this year; a film that was pushed back from a 2012 release because the filmmakers had to do reshoots because of a scene where gangsters shoot up a movie theater in the wake of the Aurora shootings. As for the film itself, it’s okay. It’s a fun little gangster popcorn flick but the major thing that holds this film back from being good is the writing (and I also like to point this out… the writer of this film was hired to pen ‘Justice League’). Character development is there, but only for the two main characters in the film (played by Josh Brolin and Ryan Gosling). As for the rest of the cast, including Anthony Mackie, Emma Stone, and Robert Patrick, they’re really not given anything to do. I don’t really want to say anything more about ‘Justice League’ but unless they decide to go for a different writer, I’d be a little worried if I were you, DC fans.

PAIN AND GAIN



Okay, I’m rather surprised that this film ended up in this category because it’s a Michael Bay film and until now, all of his films (good and bad) are always memorable. For the record, like with every Bay film, this film is entertaining but as a film that’s based off of a true, ridiculous, and rather horrific story, the route that Bay takes with this film is an odd one. This is intended to be a comedy and for the first half of the film, which revolves around the main characters kidnapping a rich/spoiled businessman, the film does succeed at doing that. But then the second half of the film starts to change things up, where the ‘protagonists’ (and I use that term loosely because these are murderers we’re talking about here) end up killing two people. This scenario is just too dark for a ‘comedy’, so as a whole, the film is quite uneven. The cast is pretty good (the standout being Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson) but if you haven’t seen the film yet, I warn you… this film may not be for everyone.

NOTABLE RECOMMENDATIONS:

Here are a few films that I do recommend…

42



The true-life story of Jackie Robinson, the first African-American baseball player to break the color barrier, is represented pretty well in this film, which can serve as a great introduction to Robinson’s accomplishments. Admittedly though, the film is kind of romanticized. The film is a bit too clean and the struggles that Robinson went through in his first year with the Brooklyn Dodgers weren’t really fully looked into, like the death threats that he received (that’s just mentioned once). But that does not mean that this is a bad film. The acting is solid, especially from newcomer Chadwick Boseman as Robinson, and it’s an entertaining and well-made film even though it could have been a bit more edgy.

WARM BODIES



At first, I wasn’t really that interested in this film because it looked like a zombie version of ‘Twilight’. But once the film started getting good reviews, I decided to give it a chance and thankfully, the movie actually was good because while the story does look like the zombie ‘Twilight’, this is far better written than ‘Twilight’ with much more likable leads. I also have to give kudos to Nicholas Hoult, who does a fantastic job as the male lead ‘R’, who is both charming and likable. Hoult is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors thanks to not just this movie, but another film as well that also came out this year. That other film…

JACK THE GIANT SLAYER



While the box office may say otherwise, I’d say Nicholas Hoult is having quite a year so far. The reason I mention the box office is because right now ‘Jack the Giant Slayer’ has been the ‘John Carter’ of the year, having performed poorly at the box office against a rather huge budget. It’s unfortunate because the movie is a fun adventure flick even with a fairly formulaic story. Hoult once again is fantastic in the lead role of Jack, displaying the same charming and likable personality we saw in ‘Warm Bodies’. A solid supporting cast, including Ewan McGregor and Stanley Tucci, also help the film. So, in the end, this is a fun film even if it may have flopped at the box office.

OBLIVION



In the film industry, we see so many sequels, reboots, and remakes all the time that it’s quite refreshing when an original film like this comes out. Director Joseph Kosinski does a fantastic job at setting up a post-apocalyptic universe and the story keeps your interest throughout along with the interesting characters. Also, like with Kosinski’s last film, the music here (done by M83) is terrific and it’s one of the best scores of the year so far. However, the writing falls apart at the end of the film; it doesn’t really tie up all of the film’s loose ends. Still, as a whole, Oblivion is a rock-solid science fiction film and another solid outing from Kosinski (along with 2010’s ‘Tron: Legacy’). I believe this won’t be the last we hear from this director.

NOW YOU SEE ME



As I said in my review of this film, I get the idea that magicians aren’t really as popular as they were back in the 90’s or earlier than that. I myself have always been of a fan of magic which could be as to why I did really like this film. It’s an entertaining thriller with a top notch cast. But aside from that, the movie actually manages to surprise you, which is quite rare in this modern age where the internet can reveal everything about a movie. Even if you aren’t really a fan of magic, this is a film I do recommend.

MONSTERS UNIVERSITY



After back-to-back misfires with ‘Cars 2’ and ‘Brave’, Pixar finally gets back on track with this prequel to Monsters Inc., a film that’s recently become one of my personal favorites from Pixar. It’s a charming and creative look as to how Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan AKA Sulley met while at college after initially being rivals. It’s more appealing to the kids but I’m sure that adults will find it entertaining as well. It’s still not one of Pixar’s best, but after two less than stellar films, it’s good to see the company getting back on track.

THIS IS THE END



Who knew a movie about the end of the world would be so funny, in a good way? That’s exactly what ‘This is the End’ does, thanks in part due to its main cast; each actor/actress playing a fictionalized version of themselves. The six main leads (Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, and Danny McBride) work off each other very well, which leads to some very funny, but also really bizarre, moments. It’s easily the best comedy of the year so far.

FAST AND FURIOUS 6



It’s amazing how far the ‘Fast and Furious’ series has come since its beginnings in the early 2000’s. The series has gotten better and better ever since Justin Lin took over as director of the franchise and that’s once again evident with the sixth film. At this point, the filmmakers are aware of how silly this franchise can be and they just roll with it. This film doesn’t try to be something it isn’t. It’s a fun and exciting action film that does defy logic and physics any chance it gets. But still, this is another great entry in a series that has gotten better over the years. Dare I say this is actually the best one yet? Plus, while sadly Justin Lin will not return for the 7^th film, the post-credits scene of this film sets it up pretty darn well.

And now, here are my…

TOP 5 OF THE YEAR (SO FAR)

5. IRON MAN 3

‘Iron Man 3’ is another great comic book film from Marvel, especially as the first post-Avengers film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For one thing, this film proves that even after a film like ‘The Avengers’, a solo superhero film can still work. ‘Iron Man 3’ is a quite different take on a superhero film, as evident from the creative choices that director/co-writer Shane Black makes in this film, especially a big twist regarding the supposed main villain. As controversial as it is, it worked enough in the story even if it’s quite a drastic change from the comics. Robert Downey Jr. gives what is arguably his best performance as Tony Stark yet in another great outing from Marvel.

4. STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS



I had listed this film as my most anticipated film of the year, so did it live up to my expectations? Well, for the most part, it did not disappoint. Sure, it’s not as good as the previous Star Trek film, which is mostly because there are some elements of the film that aren’t really developed as much as others. Also, while the film also features a terrific performance from Benedict Cumberbatch as the main villain, the reveal that he is one of Star Trek’s most iconic villains, Khan, raises an important question; is this film trying to be the modern version of ‘Wrath of Khan’, because there are many similarities between this film and what is easily the best Star Trek film to date. Still, aside from that, the way Khan is used in the film is a pretty good change from what we saw before, the relationship between Kirk and Spock is a definite highlight of the film, and Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto are both fantastic in the roles once again. Even with a third act that is admittedly a bit rushed, ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ is a rock-solid follow-up to the 2009 reboot.

3. MAN OF STEEL

It may not have been my most anticipated film of the year, but this film had the most going for it, as it’s the film that might set up a ‘DC Cinematic Universe’. I’m pleased to say that ‘Man of Steel’ was quite good and is easily the best Superman film since the first two Christopher Reeve films. It is quite a different take on Superman, but it works very well and you can thank director Zack Snyder for that. Sure, Christopher Nolan might be producing the film, but this is clearly Snyder’s film. Nolan’s influence is more in the writing, which is excellent because it’s the first Superman film to really focus on the character of Superman himself and how he struggles to live amongst us humans when he is an alien from another world. This is actually more the story of Clark Kent, but don’t worry Superman is still just as important. Casting is also superb; Henry Cavill is great as Superman, and both Russell Crowe and Kevin Costner are excellent as Superman’s two fathers and you can see the influence that both have on him. This is pretty much the ‘Batman Begins’ of the Superman franchise and yes, I’m eagerly awaiting not just a sequel, but a Zack Snyder directed sequel. Yes, I doubted him at first after ‘Sucker Punch’ but kudos to the guy for making a great Superman film.

2. THE GREAT GATSBY



Director Baz Luhrmann’s take on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel of the same name is easily the most exciting adaptation of the story, thanks in part to Luhrmann’s trademark visual style and very unique soundtrack, which mixes jazz with modern rap and believe it or not, this actually works really well. However, even amidst the visuals, the major themes of the story are still there, including the idea of excess and the decline of the American Dream. The cast is also brilliant, including Leonardo DiCaprio in another Oscar-worthy performance as Jay Gatsby, Tobey Maguire as the narrator Nick Carraway, and Carey Mulligan as Gatsby’s old lover Daisy. The writing is fantastic and Luhrmann’s visuals are not distracting to the point that the story and characters aren’t important anymore. It’s a damn fine film, ‘Old Sport’.

1. OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL

It’s hard for a prequel to actually be good, especially when considering that this film is a prequel to one of the most beloved films of all time, 1939’s ‘Wizard of Oz’. I really didn’t go into this film with high expectations but I surprisingly ended up liking this film more than I thought I would. For one thing, it doesn’t suffer from ‘prequelitis’, and the references made towards ‘The Wizard of Oz’ are well-done and are not crammed in there just to be there. Obviously, the visuals are fantastic and this is also one of the few films that I actually recommend seeing in 3-D, as it is well-used here and not distracting. But the writing is also pretty good along with the acting (especially from Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams as the witches Evanora and Glinda, respectively). There is one notable exception in the cast, but that’s more during the second half of the film when that person’s character goes through a change. This is one of the best fantasy films I have seen in a long time and while it may not be as good as the original Wizard of Oz (but come on, that’s a tough act to follow), director Sam Raimi’s take on Oz is certainly the best Oz film since the original classic. Right now, it is my favorite film of 2013 so far.