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Fast & Furious
Jack Rico
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2009/07/28 at 12:00am

DVD ReviewsReviews

Fast & Furious

07.28.2009 | By |

Rating: 2.5

Rated: PG-13 for for intense sequences of violence and action, some sexual content, language and drug references.
Release Date: 2009-04-03
Starring: Chris Morgan, Gary Scott Thompson
Director(s):
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Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.fastandfuriousmovie.net/

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‘Fast & Furious,’ the fourth installment to the classic car action film ‘Fast and the Furious’ franchise, revisits the lives of the original cast members and their unexpected reunion after eight years apart from each other. This time around, the film amps up the action sequences and presents more character development than the first part. Those moments unfortunately do not work well and are perhaps the most risible and feeble scenes of the film. Nevertheless, the end result is fun, brainless entertainment that combines nostalgia with unadulterated action.

Vin Diesel and Paul Walker meet up again when an unfortunate incident brings them back to the highways of Los Angeles as they are forced to confront a shared enemy. Dom (Diesel) and Brian (Walker) must give in to an uncertain new trust if they hope to ever outmaneuver him and fulfill their individual and personal agendas.

I have never been a big fan of the “Fast and the Furious” franchise, but I guess the old adage of “you never know what you have until you lose it” has some truth to it. I am referring to the original cast of Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster – whose absence from parts two and three (2 Fast 2 Furious and Tokyo Drift) were tremendously felt. With their anticipated reunion on this third sequel, mostly a nostalgic one, the ‘hype’ surrounding the original film in 2001 was merited. These four individuals together bring a tremendous charge of allure to the big screen which will no doubt make this film a box office success. Expect a high dosage of high speed car chases, gun battles and a heavy Latino vibe from the actors, the locations and music.

Monday Box Office – Disney’s "G-Force" is #1!
Pau Brunet
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2009/07/27 at 12:00am

Movies

Monday Box Office – Disney’s "G-Force" is #1!

07.27.2009 | By |

Monday Box Office - Disney's "G-Force" is #1!

Neither the magic of Harry Potter nor the combined star power of Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler was enough to keep a crew of wise-cracking guinea pigs from scurrying to the top of the box office this weekend. Disney’s family comedy G-Force, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and featuring the voices of Nicolas Cage, Will Arnett, and Penelope Cruz as a team of world-saving rodents, made an estimated $32.2 million in its debut. Despite opening hot on the heels of the one-week old Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the animation/live action hybrid pic was a hit with young audiences, pulling 55 percent of its viewers from the under-18 crowd.

But Potter’s box office magic hasn’t worn off just yet: The series’ sixth installment landed in the number two spot its second weekend with $30 million, bringing its total to $221.8 million. After just 12 days in theaters, Half-Blood is already the fifth biggest hit of the year domestically, not to mention overseas, where the powerhouse has raked in an additional $236 million.

There was plenty for adults to enjoy at the box office, too. The Ugly Truth, a raunchy R-rated rom-com that pits Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler in a battle of the sexes, scored an impressive $27 million bow, a career best for both Heigl and director Robert Luketic (Legally Blonde).

The weekend’s other wide release, Warner Bros’ creepy Orphan — starring Peter Sarsgaard and Vera Farmiga — pulled in $12.8 million from an audience that was 55 percent female.

Lower down on the chart, Fox Searchlight’s (500) Days of Summer (at number 11 with $3 million) is still building momentum. The quirky rom-com posted a hefty $19,176 per-site average and a 95 percent increase over its debut last weekend.

Orphan
Jack Rico
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2009/07/23 at 12:00am

Reviews

Orphan

07.23.2009 | By |

Rated: R for disturbing violent content, some sexuality and language.
Release Date: 2009-07-24
Starring: David Johnson, Alex Mace
Director(s):
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Film Genre:
Country: USA
Official Website: http://orphan-movie.warnerbros.com/

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Orphan

Spanish helmer Jaume Collet-Serra begins ‘Orphan’ like your usual thriller, with scare alerts and false alarms, but it then becomes savagely violent and because it’s source is an innocent child, that savagery is heightened to a surreal peak that makes one twitch and uncomfortable. The first hour is a pure frightful delight, but it’s second half discombobulates into a typical, laughable yet unpredictable Hollywood fare.

So you have an idea of the story, some have compared this film to ‘The Good Son’ starring Macaulay Culkin, but the similarities stop at the first half. ‘Orphan’ is the mother load of all evil child movies. It’s sick and beyond anything you’d expect.  The script has parts where it is absurd and ridiculous, but what about ‘Friday the 13th’ and ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ movies and we all love it, don’t we? Orphan is actually better than those films. The first half is as good as any suspense movie as I’ve seen since The Strangers, regrettably the rest of the film cannot be defended. What it could have been.

In this premise, the tragic loss of a couples’ (Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard) unborn child has devastated them. It has taken a toll on both their marriage and Kate’s fragile psyche as she is plagued by nightmares and haunted by demons from her past. Struggling to regain some semblance of normalcy in their lives, the couple decides to adopt young 10 year old girl. At the local orphanage, both John and Kate find themselves strangely drawn to a young girl named Esther. Almost as soon as they welcome Esther into their home, however, an alarming series of events begins to unfold, leading Kate to believe that there’s something wrong with Esther – this seemingly angelic little girl is not what she appears to be. Concerned for the safety of her family, Kate tries to get John and others to see past Esther’s sweet facade.

Director Jaume Collet-Serra is known in the circles for making the horror remake ‘House of Wax’ co-starring one rich and young Paris Hilton. This is by far a better offering than the aforementioned. The protagonists Peter Sarsgaard and Vera Farmiga are well-cast in the role, however,  the manner in which the movie handles the other children, Daniel and Max, are perturbing. The film uses them as pawns in a demented game of danger and peril.

The climax is rather startling, combining the logic of the situation with audacity in exploiting its terror. Yet you have to hand it to ‘Orphan.’ You want a good horror film about a child from hell, you got one. This film is not for minors and I say this with all frankness, do not take children to see it. You’ll thank me for it later.

The Ugly Truth
Jack Rico
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2009/07/23 at 12:00am

Reviews

The Ugly Truth

07.23.2009 | By |

Rated: R for sexual content and language.
Release Date: 2009-07-24
Starring: Nicole Eastman, Karen McCullah Lutz, Kirsten Smith
Director(s):
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Film Genre:
Country: USA
Official Website: http://www.theuglytruth-movie.com/

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The Ugly Truth

The Ugly Truth sells a fantasy about placing together two attractive individuals and telling the audience they are falling in love rather than taking the time to develop interesting characters and building up the romance. The only thing that differentiates it from far too many other uninspired rom-coms is that some of the material is funny and there is an occasional edge to the repartee. Beyond that, however, it’s a cookie-cutter movie, and the cookies are pretty stale.

A romantically challenged morning show producer (Heigl) is reluctantly embroiled in a series of outrageous tests by her chauvinistic correspondent (Butler) to prove his theories on relationships and help her find love. His clever ploys, however, lead to an unexpected result.

The two stars, Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler, are the next coming of Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey. They’re both photogenic and their chemistry is hit-and-miss, but I can’t help wonder if this is more symptomatic of problems with the direction of Robert Luketic (Legally Blonde) and the weaknesses in the screenplay. When they’re given a full scene in which to interact, there’s something there, but those moments are few and far between.

 

The Ugly Truth is a neatly packaged product that comes with all the consumer friendly safety labels. The comedy, as sophomoric as it often is, relieves some of the boredom of the generic love story. The movie is more like a re-make than something new, but many viewers find comfort in the familiar, and this might be for them. In my opinion, it is a letdown except for a few laugh out loud racy scenes that salvage fromabsolute mediocrity. If I want to re-visit this formula, I’ll head for the DVD shelf, where better interpretations of the same basic story exist. And that my friends is ‘The Ugly Truth.’

‘The Addams Family’ is headed to Broadway
Jack Rico
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2009/07/22 at 12:00am

Movies

‘The Addams Family’ is headed to Broadway

07.22.2009 | By |

'The Addams Family' is headed to Broadway

The new musical THE ADDAMS FAMILY, based on the bizarre and beloved family of characters created by legendary cartoonist Charles Addams, will open Thursday, April 8, 2010 at Broadway’s Lunt-Fontanne Theatre (205 West 46th Street).  Previews begin Thursday, March 4, 2010 following a pre-Broadway engagement at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre in Chicago that begins Friday, November 13, 2009. 
 
THE ADDAMS FAMILY is produced by Stuart Oken, Roy Furman, Michael Leavitt and Five Cent Productions, by special arrangement with Elephant Eye Theatrical.
 
Starring two-time Tony Award winners Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth as Gomez and Morticia, THE ADDAMS FAMILY features two-time Tony Award nominee Terrence Mann as Mal Beineke, two-time Tony Award nominee Carolee Carmello as Alice Beineke, two-time Tony Award nominee Kevin Chamberlin as Uncle Fester, Jackie Hoffman as Grandmama, Zachary James as Lurch, Adam Riegler as Pugsley, Wesley Taylor as Lucas Beineke and Krysta Rodriguez as Wednesday.
 
THE ADDAMS FAMILY features a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice (librettists of the 2006 Tony Award-winning Best Musical, Jersey Boys), music and lyrics by Drama Desk Award-winner Andrew Lippa (The Wild Party), direction and design by Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch (Shockheaded Peter, The Metropolitan Opera’s Satyagraha) and choreography by Sergio Trujillo (Next to Normal, Jersey Boys).
 
In this original story, the famously macabre Addams Family is put to the test when outsiders come to dinner, hurling Gomez, Morticia, Wednesday, Pugsley, Fester, Grandmama and Lurch headlong into a night that will change the family forever.
 
In a prolific career spanning six decades, Charles Addams created several thousand cartoons, sketches and drawings, many of which were published in The New Yorker. But it was his creation of characters that came to be known as The Addams Family that brought Addams his greatest acclaim. With a unique style that combined the twisted, macabre and just plain weird with charm, wit and enchantment, Addams’ drawings have entertained millions worldwide and served as the inspiration for multiple television series and motion pictures.

For more information on THE ADDAMS FAMILY, visit www.theaddamsfamilymusical.com.

Coraline
Mack Chico
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2009/07/21 at 12:00am

DVD ReviewsReviews

Coraline

07.21.2009 | By |

Rating: 3.5

Rated: PG for thematic elements, scary images, some language and suggestive humor.
Release Date: 2009-02-06
Starring: Henry Selick, Neil Gaiman
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.filminfocus.com/focusfeatures/film/coraline/

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Coraline, based on a short book by Neil Gaiman, is an entertaining 3-D experience that manages to tell a captivating kids story with an edge that adults can enjoy.

 

The movie tells the story of a young girl (Fanning) who  through a secret door in her new home and discovers an alternate version of her life. On the surface, this parallel reality is eerily similar to her real life – only much better. But when her adventure turns dangerous, and her counterfeit parents (including Other Mother [Hatcher]) try to keep her forever, Coraline must count on her resourcefulness, determination, and bravery to get back home – and save her family.

 

Selick’s animated style is almost smooth enough to be mistaken for CGI, but there’s a texture to the approach that betrays it as being a little more labor intensive (watch the cat’s fur, especially in its first scene). Kids likely won’t notice the difference, but adults will appreciate that the movie doesn’t feel like a generic clone of the animated product that studios are pumping out with regularity. Selick’s bizarre streak is given ample opportunity to be on display. His tendencies to favor gothic backdrops and to develop his characters in such a way that they look like they have emerged from an Edward Gorey illustration makes the film potentially intense for young, nightmare-prone children. This is the basis for the PG (not G) rating.

 

The plot is interesting enough to involve viewers of all ages. Despite the incorporation of familiar elements, it provides some surprises and the narrative trajectory is not predictable from start to finish. The vocal characterizations, mostly provided by actors without distinctive voices, are strong. Dakota Fanning makes the young heroine instantly likeable and Teri Hatcher has no difficulty with aspects of her role that force her into Wicked Witch territory. Selick may have incorporated a little of Fanning and Hatcher’s looks into their animated counterparts, although nothing is overt.

 

Like all effective fables, Coraline isn’t only for children, although it would, I suspect, work as a bed-time story. One of my biggest problems with many animated movies is that they are pitched at an intellectual level below me, but I didn’t feel that way about Coraline. The film has been crafted with a consideration that the best family movies appeal not only to a young target audience but to the parents who accompany their offspring to theaters. And, while the 3D experience may make Coraline a little more eye-catching, it is by no means mandatory for those wishing to enjoy what this visually intriguing production has to offer.

Watchmen
Alex Florez
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2009/07/21 at 12:00am

DVD ReviewsReviews

Watchmen

07.21.2009 | By |

Rating: 2.5

Rated: R for strong graphic violence, sexuality, nudity and language.
Release Date: 2009-03-06
Starring: David Hayter, Alex Tse
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website: http://watchmenmovie.warnerbros.com/

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Film goers, be warned. Watchmen is no ordinary superhero movie, but it’s also not an extraordinary one.

This latest comic book adaptation is one complex, multi-layered murder mystery, set in an alternate 1985 America in which costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society.  It is the world Alan Moore created for his legendary comic book series, which, when published, challenged both the genre and medium. 

For those who haven’t read the books, Watchmen chronicles a group of vigilantes which disbanded years earlier when masked superheroes were banned by the US government.  The story begins when one of its members, “The Comedian” (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is murdered, setting “Rorschach” (one of his former partners) on a mission to find out who done it. 

Those that have read the books, will know that in reality the story is about much more than that.  It is part political satire, part Shakespearian tragedy and oh yes, part “Detective Comics”. It’s mature content is without a doubt bound to surprise many. The ones who argue that comic books can’t be or aren’t “deep”, simply haven’t read this one.  And that’s precisely the challenge the filmmakers met when adapting it to the big screen. 

The books are so carefully crafted that everything in them, needs to be there.  If even one of the elements goes missing the story just doesn’t work. There’s no question that director Zack Snyder attempted to make a faithful adaptation, but when you try to fit all 12 issues into a regular movie’s running time (this one runs 15 minutes shy of three hours), some of the desperately needed elements in the story are bound to be lost in translation.  In the end however, some different directing choices could have tied things together more coherently.

One such thing I think could have been re-imagined is an opening montage that condenses the origins of the Watchmen lore to the duration of a 1960s folk song, leaving you will little time to figure out what’s happened.  At times things feel a bit convoluted but unlike reading a comic, in a movie you can’t go back and re-read a page to further understand what happens later in the story.  Fortunately the appeal of some of the characters are undeniable.  Jack Earle Haley wonderfully plays “Rorschach” the borderline psychopath who wears a mask with shape shifting inkblots, and gives the film its edge and ferocity. 

It is not the first time that one of Alan Moore’s graphic novels is adapted to the big screen.  V for Vendetta and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen were the other two films that fell short on their promise.

While the film disappoints on some levels, my hope is that viewers will be drawn to read to the comic book series that set a precedence for future books of its kind.

G-Force
Jack Rico
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2009/07/20 at 12:00am

Reviews

G-Force

07.20.2009 | By |

Rated: PG for some mild action and rude humor.
Release Date: 2009-07-24
Starring: Cormac Wibberley, Marianne Wibberley
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country: USA
Official Website: http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/gforce/

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G-Force

I have to hand it Jerry Bruckheimer, is there anything this man can’t do? I never thought he could pull off a family animation film and he has without a flaw. ‘G-Force,’ Disney’s new animated 3-D movie experience is a wonderful and fun film that kids as well as parents can enjoy. My wife who is in her 40’s loved it and laughed intensely throughout the film, particularly, at Tracey Morgan’s guinea pig character ‘Blaster’.

The story is about a team of specially  trained secret agent guinea pigs that take on a mission for the US government. They’re dispatched to stop a diabolical billionaire, who plans to taking over the world with household appliances. A bit ridiculous, right? Yes, but it’s made for infantiles.

The voices here are top notch, except for Penélope Cruz who seemed uncomfortable voicing animation. I always have thought that is a talent very different from being in front of a camera and not everyone will equate their on-screen performances with their off-screen performances. Tracey Morgan was the highlight, but it was Nicolas Cage who surprised everyone by changing his voice for the mole character ‘Speckles’. The voice was unrecognizable. On a interesting note, at a press conference, Cage spoke about how his kids didn’t know he voiced the character, and the same goes for all his work, because he wants to shield them from his celebrity. Essentially, he implied that his children have no idea he’s a big time Hollywood superstar and will do everything from them ever knowing. Interesting, huh?

The 3-D experience was the best I’ve ever seen, and I’m not just saying that. Kids are so lucky that this film was made for them and not adults. The director Hoyt Yeatman, a visual effects guru, personally told me that he finished rendering the film just last week. Are you kidding me?! Not to get too technical, but the reason for such an onerous task is the attention to detail. According to Yeatman, the rendering took years with several hundred people working on it. If this isn’t a labour of love than I don’t know what is, but it shows and we’re all lucky for it.

Overall, I thought the film was funny, visually pleasing, and the pacing was never dull or incongruent. ‘G-Force’ is made for kids, but parents are going to be pleased applauding right into first place at the box office. Funny enough, I asked Jerry Bruckheimer if there was a sequel in the works and he said, “If we fill the seats with happy customers, we’ll do another one”. That’s not going to be a problem.

The Haunting in Connecticut
Mack Chico
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2009/07/14 at 12:00am

DVD ReviewsReviews

The Haunting in Connecticut

07.14.2009 | By |

Rating: 1.5

Rated: PG-13 for some intense sequences of terror and disturbing images.
Release Date: 2009-03-27
Starring: Adam Simon, Tim Metcalfe
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.hauntinginconnecticut.com/

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The Haunting in Connecticut is a tedious and pedestrian film that gives ghost stories a bad name. Director Peter Cornwell‘s film is so bereft of substance that when it comes to generating atmosphere and scares, an inordinate abundance of “frightful” moments are needed to keep viewers attentive. Assessing the film’s capacity for entertainment,  ‘The Haunting in Connecticut’ is a tough task to like.

The film relies on the “based on a true story” crutch, which is a good indication that the movie is in trouble. This story focuses on a family forced to relocate near a clinic where their teenage son was being treated for cancer. The family begins experiencing violent, supernatural events that the parents first blame on stress from the illness, but they later discover that their new home is a former mortuary with a dark past.

Perhaps most vexing is the script’s directives of having the protagonists go back to their separate beds and try to sleep amongst all the specters and spooky occurrences that are happening in their new quarters. Have any of the filmmakers ever heard of rational when it comes to writing these horror movies? Besides that, the ‘mystery’ is void of mystery, flashback sequences are laughable and the special effects for the ectoplasm are sad. Follow that with some over-the-top acting and unintentionally hilarious dialogue and you have yourself a monumental failure.

It’s hard to imagine horror fans will like this. It’s poorly made and badly written. Nevertheless, it does offer some suspenseful moments, but never enough to justify the price of admission. The PG-13 rating assures that nothing overtly gruesome or shocking is shown. Everything is sanitized so younger viewers can gaze upon it without going blind.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Jack Rico
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By

2009/07/13 at 12:00am

Reviews

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

07.13.2009 | By |

Rated: PG for scary images, some violence, language and mild sensuality.
Release Date: 2009-07-15
Starring: Steve Kloves
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country: USA
Official Website: http://harrypotter.warnerbros.es/

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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ is the sixth film in the J.K Rowling literary series that refers to a ‘prince’ who is revealed in the movie’s final scenes. In a very beautifully shot film by cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel    and director David Yates, this sixth entry  is long and not very entertaining, rather dull and slow paced. Its duration of more than 2 hours and 30 minutes felt eternal, never ending. Once my body begins to fidget in my seat, its an evident sign I am not interested in the story.

Yes, about the story… Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) is once again thrusted into the world of the dark lord Voldemort who has chosen Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) to be his killer on Earth. It’s up to Dumbledore to take Harry under his wing and prepare him for what will be his ultimate battle. Betrayal, death and romance is what is established in this film.

Let it be known that the story adapted to the screen is perhaps the movie’s only flaw. The acting is charming and the characters are likable, especially Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), who is at his best here. In what was once its best attribute, the special effects or CGI are beginning to wane. At times, Potter and his friends looked like cutouts from a cereal box. Let’s see what the 2 last installments will look like next year.

This sixth part is just a tease to the final chapter in what we all hope will be the best of the Harry Potter film series. I think it’s a bit too deep for kids, but adults still treat this series as family fare. Action is definitely anticipated in order to revive it from the blandness witnessed from this otherwise gratifying saga.

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