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.

The Great Gatsby (2013) review

There have many books over the years that have been referred to as the ‘Great American Novel’, a term used to represent a novel that is distinguished for accurately representing the mood and atmosphere of America at the time it was written. One of these novels is ‘The Great Gatsby’, author F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic tale about one man’s attempts to woo the girl of his dreams during the Roaring Twenties. There have been a few film adaptations of the novel, with the most notable being a 1974 film written by Francis Ford Coppola which starred Robert Redford and Mia Farrow in the lead roles of Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan, respectively. Now, in 2013, ‘Moulin Rouge’ director Baz Luhrmann helms a new adaptation of ‘Gatsby’ with a cast led by Leonardo DiCaprio as the titular Gatsby. As common in Luhrmann’s films, this new Great Gatsby has a unique visual flair to it but even amidst all of these crazy visuals, Lurhmann does a rock-solid job at telling Fitzgerald’s classic tale.

In the summer of 1922, Yale graduate Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) moves to Long Island, New York, taking a job as a bond salesman on Wall Street. He soon becomes intrigued by his next door neighbor, Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio), a millionaire who hosts lavish parties at his mansion despite the fact that his guests (most of whom are never even invited to his parties; they just show up) don’t know anything about him. But as Nick and Gatsby become friends, Nick learns that Gatsby has been pursuing Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan), Nick’s cousin who had been Gatsby’s lover five years ago when he was once a poor boy fighting in the war. The problem now, though, is that Daisy is married to the arrogant and imposing Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton). Nick soon gets caught up in Gatsby’s pursuits of Daisy, which soon begins to spiral out of control.

This is definitely Baz Luhrmann’s ‘The Great Gatsby’. The film is visually exciting from beginning to end, which gives this Gatsby an edge over previous adaptations in that regard. Not only are the visuals eye-catching, but Luhrmann also utilizes a pretty unique soundtrack in this movie. 1920’s jazz is mixed with modern rap music from artists like Jay-Z, Andre 3000, and Kanye West. It does actually work pretty well in the film because it doesn’t feel distracting. But while the film is certainly visually impressive, do the visuals overshadow the writing? Well, the writing is still pretty solid, getting across some of the key themes of the novel, such as the idea of excess as represented through the character of Gatsby to the decline of the American Dream. In terms of staying faithful to the novel, the film follows the book quite accurately with the only major exception being the way that the story is told, which does actually work from a film standpoint.

Casting is pretty much perfect, as each member of the cast fits their role perfectly. DiCaprio brings his A-game to the role of the mysterious but charming Gatsby. His Gatsby is actually easy to sympathize with even after the dark secret as to how he has earned money is revealed. As Nick, Maguire does a fantastic job of serving as the ‘audience’, seeing how he’s the one who’s narrating the story. While the character of Daisy is not a very complex one, Mulligan does bring a new level of emotional depth to the character that shines more in the film than in the book. As Tom, Edgerton does a fantastic job as the guy we straight-up despise. Finally, we also have a rock-solid supporting cast, including Isla Fisher as Tom’s mistress Myrtle, Jason Clarke as Myrtle’s pathetic husband George, and two excellent Hollywood film debuts from Elizabeth Debicki as Nick’s love interest Jordan Baker and Amitabh Bachchan as Gatsby’s shady friend Meyer Wolfsheim.

If you go into this movie expecting the usual visuals that are present in Baz Luhrmann’s films, you won’t be disappointed. This new adaptation of ‘The Great Gatsby’ is certainly the most visually exciting out of all of the adaptations of Fitzgerald’s novel that have come out before. It can be argued that the visuals sort of overshadow the writing, but as a whole, the writing is still very solid. It does stay true to the novel (for the most part) and its key themes are still present. It also does help that the cast is fantastic and each actor/actress is perfectly cast in their respective roles. The bottom line is that Luhrmann’s take on ‘The Great Gatsby’ is a must-see. I’m certain that fans of the book will be pleased with what may be the best Gatsby adaptation to date because it doesn’t disappoint.

Rating: 4.5/5

(Stay tuned... This week, in preparation for 'Star Trek Into Darkness', Rhode Island Movie Corner celebrates 'Star Trek Week', which will include reviews of both of J.J. Abrams' Star Trek films as well as a film series retrospective.)

2013 Preview: May

The month of May is technically not part of the summer, but in the film industry, it is the first month where some of the year’s biggest summer blockbusters start to come out. Welcome back to Rhode Island Movie Corner’s Year-Long Film Preview for 2013. This is Part 5 and today we’re looking at the May lineup.

*Since 2007, Marvel Studios has released the only major release for the first week of May and they will do so again this year (and for at least the next two years) with ‘Iron Man 3’, the first in Marvel’s ‘Phase Two’ project following the success of ‘The Avengers’. ‘Lethal Weapon’ writer and ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’ director Shane Black takes over for Jon Favreau in this new movie which sees Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), AKA Iron Man, fighting his most dangerous enemy yet, The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley). Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadle reprise their roles as Pepper Potts and James Rhodes, respectively, alongside newcomers Guy Pearce and Rebecca Hall.

*The following week will finally see the release of director Baz Luhrmann’s (1996’s ‘Romeo+Juliet, Moulin Rouge) adaptation of ‘The Great Gatsby’. This new take on author F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic book was originally supposed to hit theaters in December 2012 but, like many films this year it was pushed back to a later date. In the case of this film, it was mainly due to production schedule issues. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as the titular Jay Gatsby alongside Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, and Joel Edgerton.

*Another single film hits theaters the following week of May 17^th. ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ is the sequel to director J.J. Abrams’ 2009 ‘Star Trek’ reboot which helped revitalize the franchise after it had faded out after 2002’s ‘Star Trek Nemesis’. Abrams returns as director (who is now set to direct the first in Disney’s new ‘Star Wars’ trilogy) along with the main cast of the previous film. This film sees Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) pursuing a new enemy, John Harrison (played by Benedict Cumberbatch), who is described as one of ‘Starfleet’s best agents’.

*While the first three weeks of May will only see one major release a week, three films will theaters on May 24^th.  The first is ‘Epic’, the latest film from Blue Sky Studios (the makers of the ‘Ice Age’ series and ‘Rio’). The film is based on the children’s book ‘The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs’, written by William Joyce. It focuses on a young girl who comes across a group of forest warriors after she is suddenly shrunken down one day while looking for her father. The film stars an ensemble cast including Amanda Seyfried, Colin Farrell, and Christoph Waltz.

*’Fast and Furious 6’ is the latest entry in the popular ‘Fast and the Furious’ series. Director Justin Lin (who helmed the last three films in the series) returns to direct this new one, which sees professional criminal Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his crew team up with DSS agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson), the same person who chased after them in the previous film, to take on a mercenary organization. The mission gets personal for Dom, however, when he learns that the organization’s second-in-command is his ex-girlfriend Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), who supposedly died in ‘Fast and Furious’, the fourth entry in the series.

*The final release of the week is ‘The Hangover Part III’, the final entry in the successful Hangover trilogy. Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis return along with director Todd Phillips in this third film. This time, the Wolfpack run into a gang while taking Alan (Galifianakis) to a mental facility. The gang leader (played by John Goodman) demands that they find their ‘friend’ Leslie Chow (Ken Jeong), who had recently stolen 21 million dollars from him and takes Doug (Justin Bartha) as insurance.

*A pair of new films close out the month on May 31^st. The first film, ‘After Earth’, is directed by M. Night Shyamalan (‘The Sixth Sense’, and (ugh!) ‘The Last Airbender’) and stars Will and Jaden Smith as a father-son team who get stranded on Earth after it has been decimated by cataclysmic events.

*The final major release of the month is ‘Now You See Me’, a crime-thriller from director Louis Leterrier (‘The Incredible Hulk’). The film follows a magic group known as the Four Horsemen (Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelson, and Dave Franco) who are on the run from an FBI Special Agent (played by Mark Ruffalo) after they rob a bank during one of their magic shows. The film also stars Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine.

And that’s the lineup of films for the month of May. Stay tuned for Part 6 next month.