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Movie Reviews and Ratings

‘Bullet To The Head’ NY Premiere Pass Giveaway
Mack Chico
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2013/01/26 at 12:00am

Movies

‘Bullet To The Head’ NY Premiere Pass Giveaway

01.26.2013 | By |

'Bullet To The Head' NY Premiere Pass Giveaway

Here is your chance to win a pair of tickets to the New York Red Carpet Premiere of BULLET TO THE HEAD from Warner Bros. Pictures.

To enter to win unscramble the letters to reveal the name of the half Mexican actress who co-stars in Bullet To The Head – HAASR HSIHA. Answer is: Sarah Shahi Please include the giveaway on your homepage and social media pages Facebook and Twitter!

The way to win your way in is to unscramble the words below to reveal the name of the half Mexican actress who co-stars in BULLET TO THE HEAD. Read More

¡El director J.J. Abrams dirigirá el nuevo ‘Star Wars’!
Jack Rico
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2013/01/26 at 12:00am

Movies

¡El director J.J. Abrams dirigirá el nuevo ‘Star Wars’!

01.26.2013 | By |

¡El director J.J. Abrams dirigirá el nuevo 'Star Wars'!

(LEA NUESTRO ARTÍCULO: Top 10 Hispanic directors that could direct Star Wars VII!)

J.J. Abrams will direct Star Wars: Episode VII, the first of a new series of Star Wars films to come from Lucasfilm under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy. Abrams will be directing and Academy Award-winning writer Michael Arndt will write the screenplay.

“It’s very exciting to have J.J. aboard leading the charge as we set off to make a new Star Wars movie,” said Kennedy. “J.J. is the perfect director to helm this. Beyond having such great instincts as a filmmaker, he has an intuitive understanding of this franchise. He understands the essence of the Star Wars experience, and will bring that talent to create an unforgettable motion picture.” Read More

Parker
Jack Rico
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2013/01/25 at 12:00am

Reviews

Parker

01.25.2013 | By |

Parker

I must say that as soon as I heard that British B-actor Jason Statham was teaming up with the Puerto Rican diva Jennifer Lopez in an action flick, my mouth dropped in reaction to seeing one of the worst casting selections done in recent Hollywood history. What does Statham’s violent, testosterone driven, one-liner B-films have to do with Lopez’s dough-eye, ear to ear smile, rom-coms? Nothing! So what was the result? A satisfying union of action violence and sweet sexy comedy. These two stars might not necessarily be a match made in heaven, but each one brings their appealing specialties that can please the mass moviegoing taste, especially the Latino moviegoer who eats this shit up!

 

As is typical in Jason Statham films, Statham plays ‘Parker,’ a Robin Hood like criminal with a code of honor who teams up with not so honorable criminals to do a heist (this seems to be almost the premise in every movie he does). When things go wrong, the nefarious thugs almost kill our hero and leave him for dead until… he miraculously survives. With the intent of getting his revenge, he meets serendipitously Leslie (Jennifer Lopez), a real estate agent hell-bent on escaping her life malaise, who is willing to help him capture the ruffians in exchange for a enough money to allow her to start a new life. Obviously, things don’t go as planned and blood, illusions of romance and a big payday ensue. 

 

Apart from Jennifer Lopez, there is no Latino actors in the cast. Even Jennifer Lopez’s mom, the veteran Broadway actress Patti Lupone, is Italian. She tries to speak with a Latino accent with the intention, I’m sure, to fool us bilingual Latinos into thinking her dialect is purely “authentic”. Please. Al Pacino tried to do it in Scarface and we’re still parodying him. But Hispanics don’t go to the movies because there is one of us represented on screen. We go because there is a genre that appeals to our social sensibilities – in this case action -  the reputations certain actors bring to the table and because we like to have a good time like anyone else. ‘Parker’ accomplishes that.

 

We know what we’re getting by paying $13 (in NYC) to go see Jason Statham. He cranks them out once/twice a year. But with Lopez it’s different. Her professional job is more about being a celebrity than an actress. It is hard to get a sense for how her acting career is evolving because of it. For her to descend from A-list status to becoming a supporting actress in a Statham B-movie is a bit harsh. It’s fair to say that her film career has officially reached a nadir that will most likely continue this way. Her finest acting moment was supposed to be 2006’s “El Cantante,” but she squandered a precious opportunity, and so did Marc Anthony, who if he had been given the chance to shine, his career could have skyrocketed. The last time she was the lead star in a movie it was 2010’s “The Back-Up Plan,” but her last appearance was last year’s “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” a mish-mash of comedy clichés that should’ve been left in the retired jokes closet from where they came from. Still, her output is charming enough to maintain a level of likability in Hollywood and amongst moviegoers that that will allow her to continue working.

 

By no means is “Parker” a must-see action movie, but in the same breath, it is not one to be dismissive about. It manages to charm, amuse, entertain and laugh at. If I can do that in one sitting from a movie, then it deserves my time and money. 

Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters
Karen Posada
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2013/01/25 at 12:00am

Reviews

Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters

01.25.2013 | By |

Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters

Talk about giving a spin to a classic fairytale, ‘Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters’ makes such drastic changes that it is no longer suitable for children; it definitely earns its R rating. This movie is extremely violent and every other word out of its characters mouths is a swear word; this is certainly Hansel and Gretel like we’ve never seen them or even imagined them before. The movie is original with some burrowed ideas yet predictable, it has absolutely no intelligent value but nonetheless it is mindlessly entertaining.

 

After slaying an evil witch that lived in a candy house as children, Hansel (Jeremy Renner) and Gretel (Gemma Arterton) become celebrity witch hunters and are seeked out by villages to get rid of witches and keep their children safe. The two are professionals at their job, but get a real challenge when they face Muriel (Famke Janssen) an extremely powerful witch. With some help from the locals, such as groupie fan boy Ben (Thomas Mann) they might stand a chance.

 

The thing that keeps this short 88-minute film entreating is the gory violence and quick powerful fights and effects, because without this the plot and dialogue are too weak to stand on their own. The violence really took me by surprise and it just tops itself scene after scene. The effects are well executed, as the witches are the complete package, they are this zombie looking quick moving, scary monsters unlike the witches of fairytales. The 3D is mainly noticed when things break and we are thrown pieces, but besides that there’s not much to it.

 

There are many things that contradict the setting and storyline the main one being the high tech weapons the duo uses, also the kind of innocence of the main two is laughable and there are many distractions away from the main plot. My favorite character is a troll named Edward (Robin Atkin Downes); he’s a computerized monster that easily wins us over.

 

If the film were any longer it would loose its essence as would start running out of ideas and even the violence wouldn’t be able to provide it with more entertainment. You forget about the film soon after you walk out the theater and it’s best because if you begin to analyze it you will certainly destroy the little fantasy it created. It’s just a good bloody time at the movies; don’t go expecting too much and you can enjoy the show. A note to those that decide to watch it in theaters: a sneak peek of ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation’ which opens March 29th is shown before the film begins and it is quite a treat, so don’t miss it. 

Parker
Karen Posada
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By

2013/01/25 at 12:00am

Reviews

Parker

01.25.2013 | By |

Parker

Jason Statham is one of my favorite action stars because he always delivers, he can carry a whole movie and entertain us blow by blow all the way through, but that’s not the case with ‘Parker’, because the biggest handicaps it has are Jennifer Lopez and an extremely weak script. The movie has some violent fun and could have been better if Lopez’s persona wouldn’t have been given such a big chunk of time, which works as a major break pedal for the flow of the film and the story. There are some memorable fight scenes but the movie gets so wrecked that it’s hard to enjoy it as a whole. 

 

In this crime-thriller Parker (Jason Statham) is a thief that gets left behind for dead by the last group of men he worked with. To get vengeance and follow his principles he makes a plan to get back at these men and recruits Leslie (Jennifer Lopez) a woman whose dull life leads her to volunteer to be part of this dangerous plan.

 

Despite of the fact that Statham’s character has a weird set of morals and principals for a criminal, I could have gone along with the poorly executed story and enjoyed it if it wouldn’t have taken a screeching halt the second Lopez comes into it. Lopez’s story isn’t completely distracting as it serves a small purpose, but as soon as she completes the task her part should have been done; instead she’s left to wonder around to be one more thing the main character has to worry about. I’m not going to bother speaking about JLo’s acting as her character is completely irrational and is just a huge annoyance that could have been avoided or at least toned down.

 

The fight scenes are the only things that would get me to recommend this movie, as they are completely entertaining and leave you openmouthed. At the beginning there’s some comedy along with the action, which is where the picture of a “good” criminal gets woven in. There’s this weird 80’s tone and feel towards the middle of the film, all contributed to bad filmmaking. Here is where the movie really slows down and begins to loose its essence showing how little effort director Taylor Hackford put into this film.

 

Once the movie looses our interest it’s very hard for it to get it back and it all begins with Lopez’s appearance, from there it all just goes downhill. If you like seeing Statham on screen you might be able to stay for it all despite of him running on auto-mode for a while with a poor southern accent, but it will be hard to get through the very slow painful middle of the film and past JLo’s character of a sad and desperate woman. If you are not already a fan of Statham’s work then there’s no reason why you should put yourself through this, even though it does have some very cool fight scenes it’s not worth it.   

Movie Review: Jennifer Lopez’s ‘Parker’
Jack Rico
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By

2013/01/25 at 12:00am

Movies

Movie Review: Jennifer Lopez’s ‘Parker’

01.25.2013 | By |

Movie Review: Jennifer Lopez's 'Parker'

I must say that as soon as I heard that British B-actor Jason Statham was teaming up with the Puerto Rican diva Jennifer Lopez in an action flick called “Parker“, my mouth dropped in reaction to seeing one of the worst casting selections done in recent Hollywood history. What does Statham’s violent, testosterone driven, one-liner B-films have to do with Lopez’s dough-eye, ear to ear smile, rom-coms? Nothing! So what was the result? A satisfying union of action violence and sweet sexy comedy. These two stars might not necessarily be a match made in heaven, but each one brings their appealing specialties that can please the mass moviegoing taste, especially the Latino moviegoer who eats this shit up! Read More

Guatemalan Oscar Isaac’s new trailer for ‘Llewyn Davis’
Jack Rico
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By

2013/01/24 at 12:00am

Movies

Guatemalan Oscar Isaac’s new trailer for ‘Llewyn Davis’

01.24.2013 | By |

Guatemalan Oscar Isaac's new trailer for 'Llewyn Davis'

Latinos are still kicking ass into 2013. Guatemalan actor Oscar Isaac will be starring (not playing an extra or doing the thug cameo with a line or two or any stereotypical roles that suggest the ignorance of casting directors) in the new Coen Bros. indie film “Inside Llewyn Davis” based on the life of musician Dave van Ronk, who played a part in the Greenwich Village coffeehouse scene that played a large part in the New York folk scene of the ’60s.

We have the trailer for you to see Isaac in action. The film has shades of James Mangold’s ‘Walk the Line‘ starring Joaquin Phoenix (born in Puerto Rico, but not of Puerto Rican descent). From what I saw in the trailer, it looks depressing and heartbreaking. On the other hand, a great supporting cast led by Carey Mulligan (who worked with Isaac in Drive before), John Goodman,  F. Murray Abraham and Justin Timberlake give a reason to watch. Read More

Will Latinos flock to see new Steve Jobs movie – ‘JOBS’?
Karen Posada
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By

2013/01/23 at 12:00am

Movies

Will Latinos flock to see new Steve Jobs movie – ‘JOBS’?

01.23.2013 | By |

Will Latinos flock to see new Steve Jobs movie - 'JOBS'?

Open Road Films just announced that ‘JOBS’ a film about Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Jobs will open April 19, 2013.

This year in April the company celebrates its 37 years of existence, something we’ve all have contributed to knowing what a big portion of all of us Latinos love and use Apple products. For anyone that has ever owned an Apple product or was even remotely curious about this iconic man’s life get ready to be introduced to everything that made him the face of technology. Read More

Could 2013 be the best year for Latinos in Hollywood?
Jack Rico
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By

2013/01/23 at 12:00am

Movies

Could 2013 be the best year for Latinos in Hollywood?

01.23.2013 | By |

Could 2013 be the best year for Latinos in Hollywood?

2013 has started off, in what can be argued, as one of the best beginnings to a year for Latino actors in Hollywood movies. January alone has seen Guillermo del Toro and Andres Muschietti behind the camera in Mama, Michael Peña in Gangster Squad, Jennifer Lopez in Parker, Natalie Martinez in Broken City, Eva Longoria in The Baytown Outlaws, Andy Garcia in The Dark Truth and The Last Stand with Luis Guzman, Genesis Rodriguez, Rodrigo Santoro and Eduardo Noriega. There’s even holdovers from 2012  still in release with Edgar Ramirez in Zero Dark Thirty and John Ortiz in Silver Linings Playbook. Read More

DVD Radio: End of Watch, Searching for Sugar Man
Jack Rico
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By

2013/01/22 at 12:00am

Movies

DVD Radio: End of Watch, Searching for Sugar Man

01.22.2013 | By |

DVD Radio: End of Watch, Searching for Sugar Man

This week from Miami, on the Enrique Santos Morning Show, Jack Rico reviews the new DVD/Bluray releases: the action thriller END OF WATCH with Michael Peña, the best doc of 2012 SEARCHING FOR SUGARMAN , and the charming, but sexual R comedy FOR A GOOD TIME… CALL.

You can hear our DVD review segment in Miami on the ‘Enrique Santos Morning Show‘ every Tuesday at 7:25 AM and 9:25 AM by Univision Radio ‘MIX98.3FM’ in Miami or the global network by visiting: http: / / www.enriquesantos.com/

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