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Movie Reviews and Ratings

Rango
Jack Rico
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2011/03/05 at 12:00am

Reviews

Rango

03.5.2011 | By |

Rango

‘Rango’ has got to be one of the most original, innovative and sophisticated animated comedies I have ever seen. With that said, it does possess some moments in the middle that drag. Though on the surface it might look like a film for kids, don’t kid yourself, it is mainly for adults. The dialogue is way too advanced for children to follow as well as the profound existential themes it kicks around from the very beginning. This spells ‘boring’ for kids who have expectations to laugh and have fun.

 

Gore Verbinski (The Pirates of the Caribbean series) directs and Johnny Depp lends his voice to this animated ‘Chinatown’ meets the Old West. The story follows Rango (Depp), a sheltered chameleon living as an ordinary family pet, while facing a major identity crisis. After all, how high can you aim when your whole purpose in life is to blend in? When Rango accidentally winds up in the gritty, gun-slinging town of Dirt — a lawless outpost populated by the desert’s most wily and whimsical creatures — the less-than-courageous lizard suddenly finds he stands out. Welcomed as the last hope the town has been waiting for, new Sheriff Rango is forced to play his new role to the hilt… until, in a blaze of action-packed situations and encounters with outrageous characters, Rango starts to become the hero he once only pretended to be.

The opening sequence is as memorable as anything you’re going to see this year. The pristine visual animation and Depp’s thespian abilities bring to life a mesmerizing set of sequences that establish the artistic and high concept tone for the rest of the movie.

Pixar has they’re job cut out for them. With animated films like ‘Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole,’ ‘The Illusionist,’ ‘How To Train Your Dragon,’ and now ‘Rango,’ we are starting to see that Pixar is no longer the only source of quality movies for families, children and adults. Rango is a work of art in many ways, not just a visual masterpiece. It’s script has a great message, the voice acting is captivating and the characters are interesting and amusing, such as the Mexican mariachi birds voiced by Latino George Del Hoyo, amongst others and Roadkill by Alfred Molina. There was defintely a Latino flavor in the film that was palpable, in particular, at the beginning.

Regarding the voice acting, the cast is one of the many stupendous aspects of ‘Rango’. It’s something to indulge in and enjoy. The cast consists of Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Alfred Molina, Ray Winstone, Ned Beatty, and Bill Nighy.

If you are a parent and are wondering if ‘Rango’ has fun elements for your child, the answer is yes. There’s enough gags, action and fast paced scenes to entertain a child, just not enough to captivate them for the whole duration of the movie. Adults… looks like this one’s for you more than it is for them.

Complete list of the Oscars 2011 winners
Jack Rico
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2011/02/28 at 12:00am

Movies

Complete list of the Oscars 2011 winners

02.28.2011 | By |

Complete list of the Oscars 2011 winners

The big night for cinema, The 83rd edition of the Oscars, was a big bore with even more boring hosts – James Franco and Anne Hathaway. The show was very predictable and perhaps Tom Hooper’s win was as shocking as it got. The jokes were bad and Billy Crysrtal‘s appearance made it the more drastic because one could compare how disastrous this Oscar telecast was.

Nevertheless, here are the complete winners of the night wit the winners in bold:

BEST PICTURE:
* The King’s Speech
* Black Swan
* The Fighter
* Inception
* The Kids Are All Right
* 127 Hours
* The Social Network
* Toy Story 3
* True Grit
* Winter’s Bone

DIRECTING:
* The King’s Speech (Tom Hooper)
* Black Swan (Darren Aronofsky)
* The Fighter (David O. Russell)
* The Social Network (David Fincher)
* True Grit (Joel Coen and Ethan Coen)

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE:
* Colin Firth (The King’s Speech)
* Javier Bardem (Biutiful)
* Jeff Bridges (True Grit)
* Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network)
* James Franco (127 Hours)

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE:
* Natalie Portman (Black Swan)
* Annette Bening (The Kids Are All Right)
* Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole)
* Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone)
* Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine)

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:
* Christian Bale (The Fighter)
* John Hawkes (Winter’s Bone)
* Jeremy Renner (The Town)
* Mark Ruffalo (The Kids Are All Right)
* Geoffrey Rush (The King’s Speech)

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:
* Melissa Leo (The Fighter)
* Amy Adams (The Fighter)
* Helena Bonham Carter (The King’s Speech)
* Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit)
* Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom)

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
* The Social Network (Aaron Sorkin)
* 127 Hours (Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy)
* Toy Story 3 (Michael Arndt, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich)
* True Grit (Joel Coen and Ethan Coen)
* Winter’s Bone (Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini)

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
* The King’s Speech (David Seidler)
* Another Year (Mike Leigh)
* The Fighter (Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson, Keith Dorrington, Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson)
* Inception (Christopher Nolan)
* The Kids Are All Right (Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg)

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:
* In a Better World (Denmark)
* Biutiful (Mexico)
* Dogtooth (Greece)
* Incendies (Canada)
* Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi) (Algeria)

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM:
* Toy Story 3
* How to Train Your Dragon
* The Illusionist

ART DIRECTION:
* Alice in Wonderland
* Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
* Inception
* The King’s Speech
* True Grit

CINEMATOGRAPHY:
* Inception (Wally Pfister)
* Black Swan (Matthew Libatique)
* The King’s Speech (Danny Cohen)
* The Social Network (Jeff Cronenweth)
* True Grit (Roger Deakins)

COSTUME DESIGN:
* Alice in Wonderland
* I Am Love
* The King’s Speech
* The Tempest
* True Grit

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE:
* Inside Job
* Exit Through the Gift Shop
* Gasland
* Restrepo
* Waste Land

FILM EDITING:
* The Social Network
* Black Swan
* The Fighter
* The King’s Speech
* 127 Hours

MAKEUP:
* The Wolfman
* Barney’s Version
* The Way Back

ORIGINAL SCORE:
* The Social Network (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross)
* How to Train Your Dragon (John Powell)
* Inception (Hans Zimmer)
* The King’s Speech (Alexandre Desplat)
* 127 Hours (A.R. Rahman)

ORIGINAL SONG:
* We Belong Together (Toy Story 3)
* Coming Home (Country Strong)
* I See the Light (Tangled)
* If I Rise (127 Hours)

SOUND MIXING:
* Inception
* The King’s Speech
* Salt
* The Social Network
* True Grit

SOUND EDITING:
* Inception
* Toy Story 3
* Tron: Legacy
* True Grit
* Unstoppable

VISUAL EFFECTS:
* Inception
* Alice in Wonderland
* Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
* Hereafter
* Iron Man 2

DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT:
* Strangers No More
* Killing in the Name
* Poster Girl
* Sun Come Up
* The Warriors of Qiugang

ANIMATED SHORT FILM:
* The Lost Thing
* Day and Night
* The Gruffalo
* Let’s Pollute
* Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary)

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM:
* God of Love
* The Confession
* The Crush
* Na Wewe
* Wish 143

Viggo Mortensen could be Zod in Superman Reboot
Mack Chico
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2011/02/25 at 12:00am

Movies

Viggo Mortensen could be Zod in Superman Reboot

02.25.2011 | By |

Viggo Mortensen could be Zod in Superman Reboot

How cool that Argentina raised Viggo Mortensen could be in the new Superman Reboot? The Spanish speaking actor, poet, musician, photographer and painter is being pursued by producer Christopher Nolan and director Zack Snyder to play the main villain, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Viggo Mortensen, known for The Lord of the Rings trilogy and who is in discussions for Universal’s Snow White and the Huntsman, is said to be at the top of the list to play General Zod, the evil and super-powered scientist first introduced in Superman II from 1980 played by Terrence Stamp. The question is now which role will Mortensen want to do more?

The actor who made the  Spanish speaking film ‘Alatriste’ is said to be just a “person of interest,” much like Kevin Costner is for the role of Jonathan Kent. The shot of both of them getting their respective gigs is pretty solid.

Director Zack Snyder is in the midst of meeting various actors for the Zod and Kent roles and three female parts well. There is no secret that whoever lands these sough after roles will be having a very nice life for the next ten years as Superman is looking to become a WB franchise for the ages.

Check out our interview we did with Viggo for his movie ‘Good’ a few years ago: click here.

Below is the character of Zod that Mortensen might play soon. Terrence Stamp originated the role in 1980 for Superman II.

‘Unknown’ is #1 at the box office
Mack Chico
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By

2011/02/21 at 12:00am

Movies

‘Unknown’ is #1 at the box office

02.21.2011 | By |

'Unknown' is #1 at the box office

Spanish director Jaume Collet-Serra’s new movie “Unknown,” an action thriller starring Liam Neeson conquered the box office this weekend. The film with Diane Kruger and January Jones, debuted in first place with $21.8 million.

In the film, Neeson plays a doctor on a trip to Berlin who wakes up from a taxi crash to discover that another man is living his life and his wife (January Jones) doesn’t recognize him. The police think he’s crazy and assassins are on his tail. His only ally in unraveling the mystery is a taxi driver (Diane Kruger).

In the movie, Neeson believes he is fighting for his identity, an issue that has become very real with the advent of computers. The actor said he fears the computer after having his information stolen in the past.

“I Am Number Four” came in second place at the box office with $19.5 million.

In a close third is the animated feature “Gnomeo & Juliet” with a $19.4 million haul for three days. 

Meanwhile, the Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston romantic comedy “Just Go With It,” comes in fourth place. The film made $18.2 million in its second week in release, raising its domestic sum to $60.8 million.

Rounding out the top five is the weekend’s other new wide release is the Martin Lawrence’s comedy “Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son” with $17 million.

The following are three-day studio estimates:

1. Unknown — $21.8 mil
2. I Am Number Four — $19.5 mil
3. Gnomeo & Juliet — $19.4 mil
4. Just Go With It — $18.2 mil
5. Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son — $17.0 mil

Unknown
Jack Rico
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By

2011/02/18 at 12:00am

Reviews

Unknown

02.18.2011 | By |

Unknown

‘Unknown,’ a “who the hell am I, who the hell are you” action thriller, is everything absurd thing you can imagine in a movie. Much of the movie is one ridiculous scene after another with plot contrivances that you just have to laugh at, but, the subject matter is so interesting, that you forgive the plausibilities of the story and give in to its over the top implausibilities. At the end of the day, you do want to entertain yourself, correct? This is one to have fun with and laugh at in disbelief. Oh, and did I mention the unbelievable plot twist at the end?

Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson), an American university professor in Berlin, goes to a biotechnology conference with his young wife, Elizabeth (January Jones). When a baggage mix-up necessitates a quick return to the airport, Martin departs without a word to his wife while she is checking into the hotel. His cab is involved in a serious accident. After he awakens at the hospital after 4 days, he discovers that his wife (January Jones) suddenly doesn’t recognize him and another man (Aidan Quinn) has assumed his identity. Ignored by disbelieving authorities and hunted by assassins, he finds himself alone, tired, and on the run. On his own in a strange country, Martin seeks aid from an unlikely and reluctant source (Diane Kruger) as he plunges headlong into a deadly mystery that will force him to question his sanity, his identity, and just how far he’s willing to go to uncover the truth.

Spanish director Jaume Collet-Serra (House of Wax, Orphan) captures well the foreign feeling that James Bond films do so well. The color filters he uses are appealing and the action scenes are top notch. Jaume keeps on getting better with each passing film, but I hope he doesn’t think in anyway that this is his best work. His previous thriller ‘Orphan’ could have been one of the best films of 2009, were not it for the twisted ending. 

Liam Neeson, a nominated Oscar performer, is becoming a top flight ‘Jason Statham like’ B actor. His movie Taken from 2008, was a hit and seems to be the visual basis for ‘Unknown’. They literally, look like the same film. Actress January Jones, known from her work in the TV series Mad Men, is just horrible. She’s stiff, uninvolved and deadpan.  Outside of her looks, Ms. Jones shouldn’t see the lens of a camera. I have no idea of how she got this far.

There are no real dull moments to endure with ‘Unknown’. This film definitely delivers all the thrills and action, along with a fantastic storyline worth sitting through… even if it is a bit too preposterous for ones taste.

Follow us on Twitter for advanced screenings and movie news.

‘El méxicano’ Guillermo Del Toro to do ‘Pinocchio 3D’
Jack Rico
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By

2011/02/17 at 12:00am

Movies

‘El méxicano’ Guillermo Del Toro to do ‘Pinocchio 3D’

02.17.2011 | By |

'El méxicano' Guillermo Del Toro to do 'Pinocchio 3D'

2011 seems to be the year of Hispanics in Hollywood. With so many new Spaniard and Latin American directors, actors and screenwriters getting play in Hollywood, it’s a good time to speak Spanish in the movie business.

One of the first, and perhaps most revered Mexican directors in the US movie space, Guillermo del Toro, is teaming up with The Jim Henson Company and Pathe to do a 3D stop motion animated adaptation of Pinocchio, according to Deadline.com.

Gris Grimly is set to co-direct with Mark Gustafson, and production will begin later this year.  The concept was conceived by Del Toro, but Matthew Robbins wrote the script.

According to the site, this new version of Pinocchio, made famous by Disney, is aimed at an audience 10 years and up, though it will be a bit scarier.

“There has to be darkness in any fairy tale or children’s narrative work, something the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson and Walt Disney understood,” del Toro said. “We tend to call something Disney-fied, but a lot of people forget how powerfully disturbing the best animated Disney movies are, including those kids being turned into donkeys in Pinocchio. What we’re trying to do is present a Pinocchio that is more faithful to the take that Colodi wrote. That is more surreal and slightly darker than what we’ve seen before.”

For instance: “the Blue Fairy is really a dead girl’s spirit,” del Toro said. “Pinocchio has strange moments of lucid dreaming bordering on hallucinations, with black rabbits. The sperm whale that swallows Pinocchio was actually a giant dogfish, which allows for more classical scale and design. The many mishaps Pinocchio goes through include several near-death close calls, a lot more harrowing moments. The key with this is not making any of it feel gratuitous, because the story is integrated with moments of comedy and beauty. He’s one of the great characters, whose purity and innocence allows him to survive in this bleak landscape of robbers and thugs, emerging from the darkness with his soul intact.”

This isn’t the only thing the gifted Mexican director/producer is working on. Del Toro is about to embark on a project with James Cameron called At the Mountains of Madness, the R-rated $125 million 3D live action adaptation of the HP Lovecraft tale about the discovery by scientists of horrific aliens thawing in Antarctica. The film has Tom Cruise as the star and Del Toro expects to start this by May.

Del Toro has long been a stop motion fan. “I’ve had a special effects house for a decade in Mexico, and we were one of the first stop motion animated houses where a lot of influential animators trained,” he said.

Here are some concept pictures from the new Pinocchio film that Del Toro submitted to the site.

Unstoppable
Jack Rico
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By

2011/02/15 at 12:00am

DVD ReviewsReviews

Unstoppable

02.15.2011 | By |

Rating: 3.0

Rated: PG-13 for sequences of action and peril, and some language.
Release Date: 2010-11-12
Starring: Mark Bomback
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.imparablelapelicula.es/

 Go to our film page

Gael Garcia Bernal to do new documentary
Mack Chico
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2011/02/15 at 12:00am

Movies

Gael Garcia Bernal to do new documentary

02.15.2011 | By |

Gael Garcia Bernal to do new documentary

According to ‘The Hollywood Reporter’, Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal is teaming with filmmaker Marc Silver and U.K. content, talent and production banner Pulse to star and co-produce drama documentary Who is Dayani Cristal?

Bernal’s film follows the quest to identify an anonymous body found in the Arizona desert on the U.S.-Mexican border, with the only clue being a tattoo bearing the legend ‘Dayani Cristal’.

Pulse coralled support from U.K. broadcaster Channel 4’s BRITDOC foundation for the project. 

Directed by Silver, the title is produced by Thomas Benski and Lucas Ochoa for Pulse Films, Marc Silver for Silver Lining Films and Gael García Bernal for Canana Films.

The feature documnetary is due to start shooting this month and was birthed from cross-platform online project Resist, which invites members of the public to build a community and upload their own experiences of resistance against oppression.

Spider Man gets new title: ‘The Amazing Spider Man’!
Jack Rico
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2011/02/14 at 12:00am

Movies

Spider Man gets new title: ‘The Amazing Spider Man’!

02.14.2011 | By |

Spider Man gets new title: 'The Amazing Spider Man'!

CULVER CITY, Calif., February 14, 2011 – Columbia Pictures announced today that the title of the next Spider-Man film will be The Amazing Spider-Man.
 
The studio simultaneously released a photo of Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man, the first shot of Garfield in the famous full mask and suit.
 
The film, which is now in production and is being shot entirely in 3D, will be released on July 3, 2012.  The film stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan, Martin Sheen, and Sally Field.  The film is directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt and Alvin Sargent and Steve Kloves based on the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.  Laura Ziskin, Avi Arad, and Matt Tolmach are producing the Marvel Entertainment production for Columbia Pictures.  The executive producers are Stan Lee, Kevin Feige, and Michael Grillo.  The film’s official website is http://www.TheAmazingSpiderMan-movie.com.

Jack Rico
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By

2011/02/12 at 12:00am

InterviewsMoviesVideo

Matt Damon and Pedro Almodóvar to work together?

02.12.2011 | By |

While promoting ‘The Adjustment Bureau‘ in New York, Matt Damon confessed he has begged the brilliant Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar to do a movie together. He says he’s up to the challenge of working in a Spanish-language film. Read More

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