tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24185516083812409972024-02-19T09:52:44.747-06:00Buddies Forever Movie ClubBuddies Forever Movie Club is about bringing you no-fluff movie reviews, and helping you decide whether or not to spend $10+ on a ticket.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418551608381240997.post-72012652708850948782013-02-05T08:36:00.000-06:002013-02-05T08:36:15.726-06:00Quartet<br />
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<i>The following review has graciously been offered to <b>Buddies Forever Movie Club</b> by my mentor and friend <b>Nolan Dalla</b>, noted poker historian and author of <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/One-Kind-Worlds-Greatest-Player/dp/074347659X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1360074538&sr=8-1&keywords=nolan+dalla" target="_blank">One of a Kind: The Rise and Fall of Stuey "The Kid" Ungar</a></b>. The <a href="http://www.nolandalla.com/movie-review-quartet/#utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NolanDalla+%28Nolan+Dalla%29&utm_content=FaceBook" target="_blank">review originally appeared in Dalla's personal blog</a>, <a href="http://www.nolandalla.com/">www.nolandalla.com</a>. </i></div>
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It took only 75 years for <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000163/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" target="_blank">Dustin Hoffman</a></b> to direct his first movie.</div>
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That he chose a film project way outside of Hollywood comprised of an entirely foreign cast (for an American actor and director) comes as a further surprise.</div>
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But the biggest shock of all is how his new movie, <em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Quartet</em> works so well. Beautifully filmed, musically enhanced, and topped by stellar performances all around from actors perfectly cast in each of their roles, Hoffman’s long-awaited directorial debut reveals that he picked up some excellent pointers over his last five decades in the movie business from mentors like <b>Mike Nichols</b>, <b>John Schlesinger</b>, <b>Alan J. Pakula</b>, <b>Sydney Pollack</b>, and others who mastered the meticulous craft of cinema from the opposite side of the camera.</div>
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<em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Quartet</em> tells the story of a group of retired classically-trained musicians living together in a palatial retirement home in England. All of the seniors were once world-class performers of classical music and opera. Most still play. So, adding it all together we have old people in a retirement home playing classical music. If all this sounds terribly dull and depressing, well think again.</div>
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<em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Quartet</em> mainly works because it treats its subjects with great respect and yet also manages to confront issues that elderly people must face about their impending mortality — with absolute credibility. These old people who move around slowly and dress funny aren’t to be pitied. They’re retired, but they still enjoy a zest for living life — which for each of them means continuing to play and perform the music they love.</div>
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A number of stories swirl around simultaneously — comprised mostly of personality conflicts and even romance among the cast. Indeed, this film offers a portrait of <em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">all our futures</em> which is both realistic, as well as optimistic. Like a similar movie made last year called <em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1412386/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel</a></em>, every action and word of dialogue is entirely believable.</div>
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This movie’s real charms are its subtleties. The way simple scenes flow together, the natural beauty of the estate, complimented by just the right classical vignette. There are no car crashes, special effects, long senseless monologues, or shocking endings. It’s a slice of real life, and the lives of these characters deserve proper reflection.</div>
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Perhaps the most satisfying moment of the film comes <em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">after</em> the final scene, during the credits. The added bonus material won’t be revealed here. But be sure and don’t leave the movie theater early, or you’ll miss arguably the most poignant moment of the film.</div>
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Unfortunately, it’s my prediction that this movie won’t do particularly well at the box office. Young people, who comprise the majority of modern-day movie goers, aren’t much interested in older actors with British accents or stories about what happens inside a retirement home. And that’s a crying shame because it’s ultimately their loss.</div>
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But for more mature movie fans, and particularly those who incessantly complain that Hollywood doesn’t make films the way they used to, here’s a film tailor made for more senior sensibilities. Those who stay home and ignore a film like this film do absolutely nothing to support their own cinematic wants and desires. And no matter how you slice it — that’s the biggest shame of all.</div>
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<b style="background-color: white;">Buddies Forever Movie Club Rating: 70% </b><br />
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<b style="background-color: white;">(Note: Dalla ranks his movie on a scale of 0-10 stars. He ranked <i>Quartet</i> 7 out of 10)</b></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418551608381240997.post-15899251316873985422013-02-02T07:01:00.000-06:002013-02-02T07:01:25.898-06:00Gangster Squad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In
January of 2012, I had the opportunity to visit Melbourne, Australia. This was
shortly after I started this movie blog, and I actually reviewed my third and
fourth movies while there—<b><i><a href="http://buddiesforevermovieclub.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/descendants.html" target="_blank">The Descendants</a></i></b> and <b><i><a href="http://buddiesforevermovieclub.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/tailor-tinker-soldier-spy.html" target="_blank">Tailor, Tinker, Soldier, Spy</a></i></b>, the former still one of my most highly-ranked <b>Buddies Forever
Movie Club</b> films. This January I returned to Melbourne and made it a point to
see another movie with Australian Buddy Forever <b>Josh Bell</b>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It
was a tough choice between <b><i>Gangster Squad</i></b> and <b><i>Silver Linings Playbook</i></b>. I say
tough because between Bell’s love of gangsters and playbooks, and my fondness
for squads and silver linings, well we just couldn’t seem to make up our minds.
Luckily time made the ultimate decision and we saw the later showing of <b><i>Gangster
Squad</i></b>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQ3WeAU9nhXRApYaQq4pNHfQcquav-7XHMZ0xQ4BmZVfPVy2VGvFzJ6N-EmFN0ci-LtjE9TBYo4YDT0va48wOIDhZNI6UPeXYAzDSV4oyzbwmj22K1MP5L_FeINlY4axL40L8PcvjFAOb/s1600/Bell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQ3WeAU9nhXRApYaQq4pNHfQcquav-7XHMZ0xQ4BmZVfPVy2VGvFzJ6N-EmFN0ci-LtjE9TBYo4YDT0va48wOIDhZNI6UPeXYAzDSV4oyzbwmj22K1MP5L_FeINlY4axL40L8PcvjFAOb/s320/Bell.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Australia's Josh Bell</td></tr>
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Here’s how <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1321870/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">IMDb describes the film</a>: “<span style="color: #333333;">Los Angeles, 1949: A secret crew of police officers led
by two determined sergeants work together in an effort to take down the
ruthless mob king <b>Mickey Cohen</b> who runs the city.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;">The film is loosely based
upon true events and is essentially the story of how the mob, which has never
had a foothold in the city, was kept out of Los Angeles. Of course that story was glorified, embellished and given the Hollywood treatment, but the
material still proved captivating. I didn’t have high hopes for <i>Gangster Squad</i>
going in, and I left feeling I got what I expected. I’m not saying that it was
a great movie, because it wasn't, but it entertained me throughout.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;">The thing with <i>Gangster
Squad</i>, at least for me, was that it would have made a better television series
than a movie. Had the story unfolded organically over time and the characters
properly developed it could have been awesome. Instead, we got a turbo version
where everything was squeezed into a 113-minute timeframe. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;">As previously mentioned, the
story was appealing but ultimately it was rushed. The transitions for scene to
scene, no matter how much time had passed or travel was required, was
instantaneous. This warped the timeframe and I can honestly say that I have no
idea how much time the film covered. Did it take place over a few months or a
few years? I’m not sure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;">While I liked the story, my
favorite part about the film were the performances. The cast was chalk full of
A-list actors, and even though their characters weren’t fully developed, they
were fun to watch. That applied especially to <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000576/?ref_=tt_cl_t1" target="_blank">Sean Penn</a></b>, who played the
boxer-turned-gangster Mickey Cohen. Penn is a great actor with a tremendous
range and it was exciting to watch him portray such a power-hungry, immoral and
capitalistic criminal. It didn’t turn out to be an iconic role by any means,
but it was a solid performance and showed that Penn has what it takes to play a
mean bad guy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;">On the flip side were
protagonists <b>Sgt. John O’Mara</b> and <b>Sgt. Jerry Wooters</b>, played by <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000982/?ref_=tt_cl_t6" target="_blank">Josh Brolin</a></b> and
<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0331516/?ref_=tt_cl_t14" target="_blank">Ryan Gosling</a></b> respectively. I was under the impression that the film would
center around the latter actor, but the filmmakers did a good job balancing him
with Brolin. I think both men are good at what they do, and that’s what they
were in <i>Gangster Squad</i>—good not great.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;">The same can be said for the
supporting cast, which included <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1107001/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">Anthony Mackie</a></b> (who will play <b>The Falcon</b> in
<b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1843866/?ref_=sr_2" target="_blank">Captain America: The Winter Soldier</a></i></b>), <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001598/?ref_=sr_2" target="_blank">Robert Patrick</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0671567/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">Michael Pena</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000610/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">Giovanni Ribisi</a></b>. They rounded out the <i>Gangster Squad</i> and each of their characters were
interesting, but due to poor development they didn’t really make an emotional
connection with the audience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;">I will say that I was
impressed by both <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000560/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">Nick Nolte</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1297015/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">Emma Stone</a></b>. The former had a small part as the
chief of police, but he made the most of his time onscreen. Nolte is getting up
there in years, which haven’t treated him too kindly, but it’s still fun to
watch him do what he does in suitable roles. Regarding Stone, I must admit
she’s becoming quite the sex symbol, which surprises me given past roles she’s
had. I’ve always imagined her as a good girl, but I’m becoming convinced that
just might not be the case. I also think Stone and Gosling had good onscreen
chemistry, much like they did in <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1570728/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">Crazy, Stupid, Love</a></i></b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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I
didn’t care too much for <i>Gangster Squad</i>, but then again I didn’t hate it
either. It was entertaining, and that’s all I ask for from a movie. Will it win
any awards? Certainly not (it’s more on par with <b><i><a href="http://buddiesforevermovieclub.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/lawless.html" target="_blank">Lawless</a></i></b>), but if you’re
looking for some quick and cheap thrills for a couple hours <i>Gangster
Squad</i> should do the trick.</div>
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<b style="background-color: white;">Buddies Forever Movie Club Rating: 58%</b></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418551608381240997.post-78060609307990290822013-01-27T03:51:00.001-06:002013-01-27T03:51:42.688-06:00Zero Dark Thirty<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhehbQ4vtKGNGhlTLzb88w2BJoFV8VL8irKr6qkHHp0h4aIzF0R_iR5jDUXJ3RdzSR8gJZv1COv6GMJNz1zKAyaiCkjPmEzhTO00NXa00GUNdiSd9Q4pe0AJAYqALEgghEl4EPZJR3Bbqt3/s1600/Zero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhehbQ4vtKGNGhlTLzb88w2BJoFV8VL8irKr6qkHHp0h4aIzF0R_iR5jDUXJ3RdzSR8gJZv1COv6GMJNz1zKAyaiCkjPmEzhTO00NXa00GUNdiSd9Q4pe0AJAYqALEgghEl4EPZJR3Bbqt3/s1600/Zero.jpg" /></a></div>
The month of January has been hectic workwise, which is why I haven’t had the chance to review many movies. With that said, I did have one day at home and made it a special points to see <b><i>Zero Dark Thirty</i></b>, the new film by <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000941/" target="_blank">Kathryn Bigelow</a></b> that has been generating a lot of Oscar buzz.<br />
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Here’s how <b>Jim Beaver</b> described <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1790885/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">the film’s premise on IMDb</a>: “<b>Maya</b> is a CIA operative whose first experience is in the interrogation of prisoners following the Al Qaeda attacks against the U.S. on the 11th September 2001. She is a reluctant participant in extreme duress applied to the detainees, but believes that the truth may only be obtained through such tactics. For several years, she is single-minded in her pursuit of leads to uncover the whereabouts of Al Qaeda's leader, <b>Osama Bin Laden</b>. Finally, in 2011, it appears that her work will pay off, and a U.S. Navy SEAL team is sent to kill or capture Bin Laden. But only Maya is confident Bin Laden is where she says he is.”</div>
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The film was originally conceived to tell the take of the unsuccessful hunt, but that all changed in 2011 when Bin Laden was killed. A couple of scripts rewrite by <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1676793/" target="_blank">Mark Boal</a></b>, and Bigelow was able to tell the whole take. Now it’s important to remember that this isn’t a documentary, rather a dramatized account pieced together through interviews, research, etc. While it’s based on fact, it’s not historically accurate—at least that’s what acting <b>CIA Director Michael Morell</b> said when he took the unusual step of issuing a statement about the film and contradicting the use of enhanced interrogation techniques (AKA torture). "That impression is false,” Morell said in the statement. “We cannot allow a Hollywood film to cloud our memory." </div>
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As previously mentioned, <i>Zero Dark Thirty</i> has been generating a lot of Oscar buzz and is a critically acclaimed film. For those reasons I was excited and had high expectations, but I must be honest, it didn’t blow me away (I know, a bad pun given the subject matter). It certainly was a good film, but it wasn’t exceptional. There were a lot of things I liked about <i>Zero Dark Thirty</i>, but then again there were some things I didn’t.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Let me start with the things I did, because on the whole the film was satisfying. First and foremost was the ability for Boal and Bigelow to generate so much tension and suspense involving events that stretched out over the course of a decade. In reality, the hunt for Bin Laden was long and tedious, and the film does a good job imparting this without actually encompassing it. What’s more, both managed to bring that suspense to a satisfying climax—the raid on Bin Laden’s compound. While the audience already knows what's going to happen, it was still an intense, and seemingly realistic, account of Bin Laden’s final moments.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I also like the fact that neither Bigelow nor Boal shied away from showing some “enhanced interrogation techniques”. Deny as much as they’d like, these sort of things most certainly happened and it’d have been wrong to gloss over it. Speaking of these scenes, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0164809/" target="_blank">Jason Clarke</a></b> did an excellent job playing the character <b>Dan</b>, who was responsible for ascertaining vital information. He was calm, cool and collected while doing he job, but you could tell that it was chipping away at his soul. In my opinion his was the most developed character in the film. More on that shortly.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Finally, I love the film’s realism. Even though it was a dramatization, and liberties were taken for entertainment purposes, it still came off as a realistic account—much like Bigelow’s Academy Award winning film, <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0887912/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">The Hurt Locker</a></i></b>, did back in 2008. I highly enjoyed one scene where security procedures were skipped and those who did so were duly punished. For me, it brought the unceasing danger associated with war to life.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now, let me touch upon a few of the things I felt were lacking. First and foremost were the characters. I already mentioned Clarke did an excellent job, and for the most part I thought the rest of the cast did as well. <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1567113/" target="_blank">Jessica Chastain</a></b> was great as Maya, the CIA protagonist, while <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0243233/" target="_blank">Mark Duplass</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001254/" target="_blank">James Gandolfini</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0249291/" target="_blank">Joel Edgerton</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0695435/" target="_blank">Chris Pratt</a></b> did well in their limited roles (Pratt’s Navy Seal character was the perfect amount of comic relief); however, the problem was they were barely featured and hardly developed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Another thing I hate is when films underutilize and essentially waste quality talent. That’s what they did with <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0226820/" target="_blank">Stephen Dillane</a></b>, who played a National Security advisor in the film. I was a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it role, which is a shame for the man who ahs tackled big roles such as <b>Stannis Baratheon</b> in <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0944947/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">Game of Thrones</a></i></b> and <b>Thomas Jefferson</b> in the HBO miniseries <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472027/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank">John Adams</a></i></b>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Don’t get me wrong, I thought <i>Zero Dark Thirty</i> was a very good film, it just wasn’t as great as I was led to believe. It’s nominated for Best Picture, and it could very well win as the competing films don’t hold a distinct advantage. I wouldn’t be disappointed if it won, the same way I wouldn’t be if either <b><i>Beasts of the Southern Wild</i></b>, <b><i><a href="http://buddiesforevermovieclub.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/life-of-pi.html" target="_blank">Life of Pi</a></i></b>, or <b><i><a href="http://buddiesforevermovieclub.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/argo.html" target="_blank">Argo</a></i></b> won (I haven’t seen <b><i>Amour</i></b>, <b><i>Les Miserables</i></b> and <b><i>Silver Linings Playbook</i></b> and don’t believe <i><b><a href="http://buddiesforevermovieclub.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/django-unchained.html" target="_blank">Django Unchained</a></b></i> nor <i><b><a href="http://buddiesforevermovieclub.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/lincoln.html" target="_blank">Lincoln</a></b></i> deserve the honors); however, I do feel Bigelow, who got snubbed for Best Director, deserved a nomination as she’s a tremendous director, a fact she proved once again with <i>Zero Dark Thirty</i>.</div>
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<b style="background-color: white;">Buddies Forever Movie Club Rating: 80%</b></div>
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<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418551608381240997.post-16308743571489871022013-01-01T13:49:00.000-06:002013-01-01T13:49:05.004-06:00Django Unchained<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYd2kmIhsoq-ZelM7F1tmnASJrDIQjfBjIWBKDey0kk0BU8918YpCAgVo3BFUh8TL4oYnrTdAiLnexB6XB48HA8T5O0l3z0RiXAO_QVvuSO4vsIrlJBYseYSnweeq5_S2Dx2TVLI2OMdyp/s1600/Django.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYd2kmIhsoq-ZelM7F1tmnASJrDIQjfBjIWBKDey0kk0BU8918YpCAgVo3BFUh8TL4oYnrTdAiLnexB6XB48HA8T5O0l3z0RiXAO_QVvuSO4vsIrlJBYseYSnweeq5_S2Dx2TVLI2OMdyp/s1600/Django.jpg" /></a></div>
I’m
a big fan of <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000233/" target="_blank">Quentin Tarantino</a></b>. My fandom began in 1992 with his first feature
film, <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105236/" target="_blank">Reservoir Dogs</a></i></b>, and solidified two years later with the now classic <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110912/" target="_blank">Pulp Fiction</a></i></b>. I was also a fan of 1997’s underrated <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119396/" target="_blank">Jackie Brown</a></i></b>, but I really fell
in love with <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0266697/" target="_blank">Kill Bill</a></i></b>—especially <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0378194/" target="_blank">Volume 2</a></i></b> (the performances by
<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000514/" target="_blank">Michael Madsen</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001016/" target="_blank">David Carradine</a></b> are among my favorite in modern cinema).
Needless to say, I was excited for Tarantino’s newest project in three
years—<b><i>Django Unchained</i></b>.<br />
<br />
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Not
only was I excited because it was a Tarantino movie, I was also anxious to see
<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0910607/" target="_blank">Christoph Waltz</a></b> back in action. If you recall, he played the vile <b>Col. Hans
Landa</b> in 2009’s <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361748/" target="_blank">Inglourious Basterds</a></i></b>, which earned the 56-year-old German actor
a well-deserved Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. It was another great casting
decision by Tarantino and instantly vaulted Waltz into superstardom.
Furthermore, A-listers <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004937/" target="_blank">Jamie Foxx</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000138/" target="_blank">Leonardo DiCaprio</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0913488/" target="_blank">Kerry Washington</a></b> and
<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000168/" target="_blank">Samuel L. Jackson</a></b> joined him in the film.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Before I get too far ahead of myself, here’s a
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1853728/" target="_blank">description of the spaghetti western as described by <b><i>BenLobel</i></b> on <b>IMDb</b></a>: “Former
dentist, <b>Dr. King Schultz</b>, buys the freedom of a slave, <b>Django</b>, and trains him
with the intent to make him his deputy bounty hunter. Instead, he is led to the
site of Django's wife who is under the hands of <b>Calvin Candie</b>, a ruthless
plantation owner.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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The aforementioned Waltz played Dr. King Schultz, and
once again he did an amazing job. I don’t know what it is, but Waltz manages to
captivate every second he’s on screen. This was especially true as a villain in
<i>Inglourious Basterds</i>,
but <i>Django Unchained</i> also proved he made a good protagonist (with his
charm, wit and intelligence, Dr. King Schultz was basically a good version of Hans Landa).</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Playing
his counterpart and the title character was Foxx, who accepted after <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000226/" target="_blank">Will Smith</a></b>, who Tarantino had in mind when writing the film, declined the role. I
have no reservations saying I’m a bigger fan of Smith than Foxx, but to be
honest the latter did a great job. I tend to think Foxx hogs the spotlight, but that wasn't the case at all here. That allowed the other characters to shine through and
strengthen the film as a whole. Interestingly, Foxx used his own horse,
<b>Cheetah</b>, in the film, which I heard (him being as experienced with riding) helped
him earn the role.<o:p></o:p></div>
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While
both Foxx and Waltz made a fun duo, they didn’t strike me as iconic, which many
past Tarantino characters have. If there was one in this film, it would have
went to either DiCaprio, who was originally going to play the aforementioned
Landa in <i>Inglourious Basterds</i> (Tarantino decided a native German speaker was best), as plantation owner Calvin Candie or his
head slave, <b>Stephen</b>, played by Jackson. This was the first time in nearly 15
years the former wasn’t billed as the headliner in a movie, and it was refreshing to see
the talented actor play a menacing villain in a supporting role. It was a
nontraditional part for the star, and he did an amazing job. He was sick,
demented and a gamesman, but pulled it all off under the guise of charm,
tradition and etiquette. He was friendly scary if that makes sense.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPfMCc5yHvTeB8I7LnYzRxnaQtsnNK_BnZeC0zOjWNxVo354CdzMCuGOkIoMI3XlJXq75cWcBHjKAm1FIjL9KoEtHNH3ieCYXcF7OkKChXSuxZRyrilje2zgGsYUwFbf6HmbLTQV4XisTx/s1600/Django2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPfMCc5yHvTeB8I7LnYzRxnaQtsnNK_BnZeC0zOjWNxVo354CdzMCuGOkIoMI3XlJXq75cWcBHjKAm1FIjL9KoEtHNH3ieCYXcF7OkKChXSuxZRyrilje2zgGsYUwFbf6HmbLTQV4XisTx/s320/Django2.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carsen Nachreiner was the buddy for Django Unchained.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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As far as Jackson was concerned, he was scandalous and
treacherous as Candie’s head slave, who was the real slave driver on
the plantation. It was a prime example of the dog of the king being the king of
the dogs. Jackson, who has appeared in five Tarantino films, really owned the
role as the cantankerous mastermind and he was a pleasure to watch.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Rounding out the performances, I was glad to see the
talented <b>Walter Groggins</b> in the film as <b>Ace Woody</b>, which was originally <b>Kevin Costner’s</b>
role until he had to drop out, but Groggins was underused in my opinion
(interestingly, others previously linked to a role that didn’t pan out included
<b>Lady Gaga</b>, <b>Kurt Russell</b>, <b>Joseph Gordon-Levitt</b> and <b>Sacha Baron Cohen</b>).<o:p></o:p></div>
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Regarding the story, it was a fairly typical western theme;
in fact, it was inspired by the 1960s spaghetti western Django starring <b>Franco
Nero</b> (Tarantino gave Nero a cameo <span style="background: #F6F6F5; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">as a bar patron—the one that says, “I know,” when Django explains,
"The 'D' is silent"). Tarantino gave his own spin on it, and it
flowed relatively well. By that I mean the plot naturally progressed while the
characters were developed. Meanwhile, tangents were kept to a minimum and the
underlying love story/fairy tale aspect was kept in check. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I don’t really have any qualms with the film, other than
the fact that it went on a little long; in fact, there was one
logical stopping point where I assumed the movie would end. It opted
to go a bit further, which was fine, but the missed opportunity to end it smoothly did not go
unnoticed. Other than that, I think the film was slightly pigeonholed by the
various delays, script changes and actor turnover, which took a bit of shine
off the film as a whole.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Django
Unchained</i> wasn’t Tarantino’s best, but it fit nicely into his portfolio.
The characters, while not iconic, were well developed and entertaining, which
was the strength of the film—at least for me. Of course there was the trademark
Tarantino over-the-top blood and gore, which gave a distinct feel to what could
have been a mundane western, or “southern” as Tarantino called it since it’s set
in America’s south. If you like Tarantino, you should like <i>Django Unchained.</i> I left satisfied and feel it's worth the price of admission.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b style="background-color: white;">Buddies Forever Movie Club Rating: 84%</b></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/s8CZKbDzP1E?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span id="goog_494800541"></span><span id="goog_494800542"></span></div>
<i>Follow us on<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Buddies4everMC" target="_blank">Twitter at Buddies4everMC</a></span>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Buddies-Forever-Movie-Club/286660221356145" target="_blank">like us on Facebook</a></span>, & <a href="https://plus.google.com/b/105409219920477908874/" target="_blank">find us on<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink">Google+</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>for all the latest and greatest movie reviews.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418551608381240997.post-91045735876307321842012-12-24T13:29:00.002-06:002012-12-24T13:30:14.407-06:00Jack Reacher<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAWk_h-YeKQ1dPFh9ykPhhRjMl-uv_4nMqyg_Ev2XhTz4TLlw3RFCR6VXsN1vs97j2P0n6yVx32pG_9GOYWJbHRbwLLW2BkkDi7S8LF1Hd1CDL6EE0Jfz3K2LR4EMHx15HXbVk0AaMTVoz/s1600/Reacher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAWk_h-YeKQ1dPFh9ykPhhRjMl-uv_4nMqyg_Ev2XhTz4TLlw3RFCR6VXsN1vs97j2P0n6yVx32pG_9GOYWJbHRbwLLW2BkkDi7S8LF1Hd1CDL6EE0Jfz3K2LR4EMHx15HXbVk0AaMTVoz/s1600/Reacher.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
After
the disastrous <b><i><a href="http://buddiesforevermovieclub.blogspot.com/2012/03/john-carter.html" target="_blank">John Carter</a></i></b> earlier this year, I’m wary of films that have a
man’s first and last names as its title. That being the case, I allowed myself
to become hopeful regarding <b><i>Jack Reacher</i></b>, the new film by <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003160/" target="_blank">Christopher McQuarrie</a></b> (director of <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0202677/" target="_blank">The Way of the Gun</a></i></b>) starring <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000129/" target="_blank">Tom Cruise</a></b> and based off the book <b><i>One Shot</i></b> by <b>Lee Child</b> (who had a cameo in the film as the policeman behind the desk when giving Cruise back his belongings). Unfortunately
that hope was misplace because, once again, a man-named film left me both
unsatisfied and disappointed.</div>
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Before
I jump into the things I like and didn’t like about the film, you might want to
know what it’s about. Here’s how <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0790724/" target="_blank">IMDb describes it</a>: “In an innocent
heartland city, five are shot dead by an expert sniper. The police quickly
identify and arrest the culprit, and build a slam-dunk case. But the accused
man claims he's innocent and says ‘Get Jack Reacher.’ Reacher himself sees the
news report and turns up in the city. The defense is immensely relieved, but
Reacher has come to bury the guy. Shocked at the accused's request, Reacher
sets out to confirm for himself the absolute certainty of the man's guilt, but
comes up with more than he bargained for.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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The
trailer for the film, which can be viewed below, made it seem as this might
raise the bar for the Action/Crime/Thriller genre, as I’ve heard Child’s books
have in literature; however, what I found was a rather run-of-the-mill action
movie. To be honest, saying it was run-of-the-mill may be too kind.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
The
story itself started out strong by depicting a heinous crime, and from there
the plot thickened with the slow revelation of a conspiracy; however, before
too long the film began to stall. Suddenly Reacher, who began to come off as an
“Average Joe” superhero as opposed to a former military policeman, was pursuing
low-life criminals while trying to save a woman stuck in a cycle of abuse. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfw9IBLFcwUH6CYMCrreRVI11PQ8xgxWHrocVQKfAzOm5nNHmXr9hf55F5y_mhItLZSvenO4MF413QyBaqhZLeVdHEo1BwyxBfKqwXgBeCQY42gL4lDmvlVtqf-PAy2LB6a0HbW7bqUjGS/s1600/JReacher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfw9IBLFcwUH6CYMCrreRVI11PQ8xgxWHrocVQKfAzOm5nNHmXr9hf55F5y_mhItLZSvenO4MF413QyBaqhZLeVdHEo1BwyxBfKqwXgBeCQY42gL4lDmvlVtqf-PAy2LB6a0HbW7bqUjGS/s320/JReacher.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My old man was the buddy for this movie.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Cruise was decent as the title character, but I didn’t really feel there was a
lot of development regarding Reacher. He’s initially shrouded in mystery, and
the little we do find out about him becomes so far reaching that it’s unbelievable.
For instance, he’s suddenly an expert marksman when he just so happens to be
working a case involving a sniper. Likewise, he just so happens to come across
an ex-marine, played by <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000380/" target="_blank">Robert Duvall</a></b>, who is willing to help him illegally
take on a criminal enterprise just because he saw him shoot years earlier?
C’mon man!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Don’t
get me wrong, things like that can be found in dozens of action movies, but
that’s exactly my point, <i>Jack Reacher</i> isn’t anything special. Everything it had
to offer I’ve seen before, and to be honest, if it didn’t have the big-name
actors that it did, it would have been terrible. Luckily Cruise, Duvall, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0420955/" target="_blank">Richard Jenkins</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0683253/" target="_blank">Rosamund Pike</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0654648/" target="_blank">David Oyelowo</a></b> did a good enough job to keep me
watching. I wish I could say the same for the main villain, played by <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001348/" target="_blank">Werner Herzog</a></b>, but he was about the least intimidating and fear-striking bad guy I’ve
seen in years.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<i>Jack
Reacher</i> barely kept me entertained, and at times I felt like it was insulting
my intelligence—definitely not what I want to see after spending $10 on a
ticket. It’s definitely not worth seeing
in theaters, and I wouldn’t recommend it on DVD either, unless of course you’re
having a boring night and have seen everything else. Save your money.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b style="background-color: white;">Buddies Forever Movie Club Rating: 45%</b></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418551608381240997.post-83128804009897659812012-12-23T15:31:00.000-06:002012-12-23T15:31:03.446-06:00The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After
I saw the <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120737/" target="_blank">Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring</a></i></b> way back in 2001, I
rushed out and read all <b>J.R.R. Tolkien’s</b> books, starting with <b><i>The Hobbit</i></b>. I
continued to enjoy the LOTR trilogy over the next two years, and I must admit,
I am excited for <i>The Hobbit Trilogy</i> a decade later. Granted, three
movies may be too much and a ploy by the <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001392/" target="_blank">Peter Jackson</a></b> moneymaking machine, but I
really don’t mind—it’s more to enjoy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Here
is a lengthy description of the first in the new trilogy, <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0903624/" target="_blank">The Hobbit: An UnexpectedJourney</a>, </i>courtesy of IMDb: “<b>Bilbo Baggins</b> is swept into a quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf
Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon <b>Smaug</b>. Approached out of the blue by
the wizard <b>Gandalf the Grey</b>, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen
dwarves led by the legendary warrior, <b>Thorin Oakenshield</b>. Their journey will
take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and
Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers. Although
their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first
they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will
change his life forever ... <b>Gollum</b>.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Let
me start by saying how refreshing it was to see some familiar face in <i>The
Hobbit</i>. <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005212/" target="_blank">Ian McKellan’s</a></b> portrayal of Gandalf in LOTR is the stuff of legends, and he picked
up right where he left off—which is amazing considering he's a decade older. Likewise, it was nice seeing <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000949/" target="_blank">Cate Blanchett</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0915989/" target="_blank">Hugo Weaving</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000489/" target="_blank">Christopher Lee</a></b> reprise their roles, albeit limitedly, as
<b>Galadriel</b>, <b>Elrond</b>, and <b>Saruman</b> respectively; meanwhile, seeing <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000453/" target="_blank">Ian Holm</a></b> and
<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000704/" target="_blank">Elijah Wood</a></b> in cameo spots gave the film true LOTR authenticity.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In
addition to the familiar faces, there were a bevy of new characters introduced
in the film including the dragon Smaug, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0293509/" target="_blank">Martin Freeman</a></b> as a young Bilbo
Baggins, and a fellowship of dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield, played
brilliantly by <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0035514/" target="_blank">Richard Armitage</a></b>. The dragon really won’t become a factor until
<b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1170358/" target="_blank">The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug</a></i></b> in December 2013, which brings me to
Freeman.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’ll admit I didn’t know much about Freeman prior to his
casting other than the fact that he was on the <b>BBC’s <i>The Office</i></b>. Even so, I
wasn’t worried as all of Jackson’s LOTR casting choices have been spot on.
Freeman not only handled the role of Bilbo admirably, he knocked it out of the
park. He perfectly balanced the steadfast contentment and cautious wanderlust
that characterizes Bilbo, and he also did a great job building the
character’s confidence. Watching Bilbo’s progression turned out to
be an unexpected journey of its own, one the culminated in a memorable
interaction with Gollum, once again brilliantly played by <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0785227/" target="_blank">Andy Serkis</a></b> (Can
someone please get that guy an Oscar?).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp1h27Wm1bOwMP0DwyQUbyRhu0uaNW6OzRWWicxKVxo97NcQayDUOAY6pYSk4iwmA1I1zmZCz7tdNPlkMwweeyqhXXofivsq7xIFhETLi1pJIOQRdmUMy0Im8xFi8derrMuwdPE_mBdFbo/s1600/Danny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp1h27Wm1bOwMP0DwyQUbyRhu0uaNW6OzRWWicxKVxo97NcQayDUOAY6pYSk4iwmA1I1zmZCz7tdNPlkMwweeyqhXXofivsq7xIFhETLi1pJIOQRdmUMy0Im8xFi8derrMuwdPE_mBdFbo/s1600/Danny.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben Robertson & Dan Almerli were the buddies for this movie.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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As far as the dwarves were concerned, they were
entertaining, though a bit hard to keep track of. Thorin was properly fleshed
out and is the <b>Strider/Aragorn</b> of the film, but the others were hard to
distinguish from one another. With that said, there are still two full-length films to go, so I’m
sure that problem will resolve itself.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In regards to the story, I loved how the focus was on the
dwarves’ journey but there were also side stories that feed into the LOTR lore. For
instance, the necromancer living in the abandoned castle—that’s <b>Sauron</b>;
likewise, <b>Radagast the Brown</b>, played by <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0566809/" target="_blank">Sylvester McCoy</a></b>, provided a sneak peek into the wider world of wizards. The story had me entertained throughout, so in that
regard it did it’s job well.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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While I liked <i>The
Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey</i> as a whole, I had one major qualm—some of the visuals
were overwhelming. At times there was so much going on that it
was near impossible to process it all. This usually occurred in the
action-packed, CGI-generated scenes, like when the dwarves were running through
the Orc kingdom. Granted, I didn’t see it in 3D (I wish I had but my friend’s
eyes don’t allow him to see 3D movies), so it’s possible such scenes look
better in the third dimension.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For
me, <i>The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey</i> was a great installment in the LOTR saga.
It uses the same formula, a wise decision as it’s a proven success, and the consistency of the actors and filmmakers makes the film authentic—by that I mean it doesn’t feel as if it was thrown together to make a
quick buck; instead, it’s been made in such a way as to do justice to both the
source material and the fans. It’s a little more whimsical than its
predecessors, but keep in mind that’s the way the book wass written (for children as opposed to young adults). To put it simply... if you liked LOTR, you should like <i>The Hobbit</i>—I know I did.</div>
<br />
<br />
<b style="background-color: white;">Buddies Forever Movie Club Rating: 90%</b><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418551608381240997.post-16447114736031721432012-12-18T12:56:00.000-06:002012-12-18T12:56:17.883-06:00Killing Them Softly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLaHt8IZTNk0UTROh2IqDjyX_-yaFjbo2Zho6QIkE18oAN8igSpz9fmUWX6X4jNBYK_CnrEp-eluBe3horINR27g9fHf3m2mjJ3FzqJTrdhDqwEa5WEcdDdpgzEC8hFn-h4GILzhKVPcqL/s1600/Killing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLaHt8IZTNk0UTROh2IqDjyX_-yaFjbo2Zho6QIkE18oAN8igSpz9fmUWX6X4jNBYK_CnrEp-eluBe3horINR27g9fHf3m2mjJ3FzqJTrdhDqwEa5WEcdDdpgzEC8hFn-h4GILzhKVPcqL/s1600/Killing.jpg" /></a></div>
I recently had the opportunity to see <b><i>Killing Them Softly</i></b>, the new film by <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0231596/" target="_blank">Andrew Dominik</a></b>, who last directed 2007’s superb film <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443680/" target="_blank">The Assassination of Jesse Jamesby the Coward Robert Ford</a></i></b>, which also starred <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000093/" target="_blank">Brad Pitt</a></b>. I’ve always enjoyed dark crime films, and this film peeked my curiosity the first time I saw the trailer (which you can view at the bottom of this review).<br />
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In case you’ve never heard of <i>Killing Them Softly</i>, which is based on <b>George V Higgins</b>’ 1974 crime novel <b><i>Cogan’s Trade</i></b>, here’s how <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1764234/" target="_blank">IMDb describes the movie</a>: “<b>Jackie Cogan</b> is an enforcer hired to restore order after three dumb guys rob a Mob protected card game, causing the local criminal economy to collapse.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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The crime/drama film was reminiscent of last year’s <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780504/" target="_blank">Drive</a></i></b>, starring <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0331516/" target="_blank">Ryan Gosling</a></b>, in that it’s a dark, realistic film noir. The story is simple and familiar, but Dominik puts his own spin on things. Instead of taking the usual shoot-em-up route, Dominik pulls back and lets realism, as well as the characters, drive the film by taking viewers into the underworld (as opposed to bringing the villains into the real world). It’s there they get a pessimistic and dark-comedy look at the different tiers of felonious players.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Portraying these players was an impressive cast of actors (there were no actresses other than a bit prostitute part). They included Pitt as the practical and down-to-earth Jackie, who took a systematic and badass approach to cleaning up the mess left behind from the robbery. Pitt’s character is a crude businessman, and this, as well as the other’s ineptitude, is brought to life by the backdrop of the 2008 financial crisis. Basically the little mob niche was symbolic of the country as a whole, and Jackie wasn’t going to be caught in the crosshairs.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhElf1Jiv1Y9EkJDI7iXTE4AiMZvVpgEkj8GF5oNyId3syM35XDTfkACXDEz5GfRbOvo9k2xW1MbNUQ4pDMVWCpg6n5EMAybKKsqYIVPcBsdd6gOVDUiIad1HIx2zfngF-RX1c0PLy1oBvQ/s1600/Carsen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhElf1Jiv1Y9EkJDI7iXTE4AiMZvVpgEkj8GF5oNyId3syM35XDTfkACXDEz5GfRbOvo9k2xW1MbNUQ4pDMVWCpg6n5EMAybKKsqYIVPcBsdd6gOVDUiIad1HIx2zfngF-RX1c0PLy1oBvQ/s1600/Carsen.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Carsen Nachreiner was the buddy for this film.</td></tr>
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<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1058940/" target="_blank">Scoot McNairy</a></b>, who played one of the aforementioned “three dumb guys” who robbed the poker game, also did a great job as <b>Frankie</b> the junkie. Despite being the catalyst of the situation, he was also the protagonist of the film. You find yourself pulling for his survival despite the drug addiction and rashness, but at the same time you know he deserves what’s coming.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The film was bolstered by fine performances from <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0420955/" target="_blank">Richard Jenkins</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001254/" target="_blank">James Gandolfini</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000501/" target="_blank">Ray Liotta</a></b>. The seemingly straight-laced Jenkins plays <b>“Driver”</b>, the middleman between the mob and Jackie. He’s an awful lot like Jackie except that he’s held back by conventions. Likewise, Gandolfini plays fellow hit man <b>Mickey</b>, though he’s not calm, cool and collected like Jackie. Instead, he’s past his prime, an alcoholic and barely holding on by a strong. It’s a sad state in reality, but in this film Gandolfini owns it and captivates every second he’s on the screen. Finally there was Liotta, who played <b>Markie Trattman</b>, the low-level mob man who ran the poker game. I’m used to seeing Liotta play badass characters, but in this film his character was rather meek and it was fun watching him play a pussy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Killing Them Softly</i> was certainly different. When I left the theater, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. Part of me hated it, but another part of me loved it. After processing things for a while, I came to the conclusion that it was actually a rather decent film, not only because so few movies leave me feeling so conflicted (which I think is a testament to their influence), but also because it was unique. It’s ironic that such a dark and depressing movie can be so refreshing.</div>
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<b style="background-color: white;">Buddies Forever Movie Club Rating: 70%</b><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418551608381240997.post-7666516046987433082012-12-03T14:19:00.002-06:002012-12-03T14:19:34.795-06:00Life of Pi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLZhMkRWvT2A1AtuWW1GCcHkDerA9vpJSTw2b11gnIhDtflUP68mbgiu-fslc7TtUlhHqKOKjYiZYh5b4_6cwBrD6DMCOFeLiFb9om9Rgh7QqYUBwP-3U8MsnPj4JgqJ5QVPHDvFsXMPjD/s1600/Pi.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLZhMkRWvT2A1AtuWW1GCcHkDerA9vpJSTw2b11gnIhDtflUP68mbgiu-fslc7TtUlhHqKOKjYiZYh5b4_6cwBrD6DMCOFeLiFb9om9Rgh7QqYUBwP-3U8MsnPj4JgqJ5QVPHDvFsXMPjD/s1600/Pi.png" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Ever since <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0499549/" target="_blank">Avatar</a></i></b> reigned supreme at the box office in 2009, the 3D
craze has swept Hollywood. While I’m a fan of 3D movies, too many of them take
the cheap route by adding 3D in postproduction and sacrifice story in the
name of visuals—I do not like that. Fortunately that wasn’t the case with <b><i>Life
of Pi</i></b>, the film based on <b>Yann Martel’s</b> novel of the same name.</span><br />
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For those who don’t know, here’s how <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0454876/" target="_blank">IMDb describes Life of Pi</a>: “Based on the best-selling novel by Yann Martel, is a magical adventure
story centering on <b>Pi Patel</b>, the precocious son of a zoo keeper. Dwellers in
Pondicherry, India, the family decides to move to Canada, hitching a ride on a
huge freighter. After a shipwreck, Pi finds himself adrift in the Pacific Ocean
on a 26-foot lifeboat with a zebra, a hyena, an orangutan and a 450-pound
Bengal tiger named <b>Richard Parker</b>, all fighting for survival.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Academy Award winner <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000487/" target="_blank">Ang Lee</a></b> (<b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0190332/" target="_blank">Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon</a>;</i></b> <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388795/" target="_blank">Brokeback Mountain</a></i></b> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114388/" target="_blank"><b><i>Sense and Sensibility</i></b></a>) directed the film, and he
was intent on utilizing 3D technology to its fullest potential. Right from the
get go the viewers are hit with some amazing visuals as the camera jumps from
animal to animal at a zoo. It was almost like a fighter flexing his muscles
before a fight, one that you just knew was going to be good.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Not only did <i>Life of Pi</i> make a strong first impression, it continued to impress throughout its entirety. An epic shipwreck, a swarm of flying fish and a field full of
meercats were just a few of the scenes that captivated. The visuals
were truly breathtaking, but it was even more impressive that they were designed to support a
great story. The film is an Adventure/Drama that sees Pi take an “epic journey
of adventure and discovery". I won’t spoil what those discoveries are, but I
feel everyone will relate to what they see—I know I did.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqxf0nqhsbl2oCEkICHKz2XyR3VkgH4I41e2HBgXAHgYDnhWPQLO1_7X50SB5PTxHAj_QlhJdgvqeCsbe2O_nwdMD8QJ9aKZrs8TJ0Kzsz4ogEV8sS3Mw46bLGQFyM3_vg9hmnV0JMDbKa/s1600/LifeofPi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqxf0nqhsbl2oCEkICHKz2XyR3VkgH4I41e2HBgXAHgYDnhWPQLO1_7X50SB5PTxHAj_QlhJdgvqeCsbe2O_nwdMD8QJ9aKZrs8TJ0Kzsz4ogEV8sS3Mw46bLGQFyM3_vg9hmnV0JMDbKa/s1600/LifeofPi.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carsen Nachreiner was the buddy for this film.</td></tr>
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Newcomer <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4139037/" target="_blank">Suraj Sharma</a></b>, who was actually cast after
accompanying his brother to an audition, played the title character, and he turned
out to be a gem. He carried the majority of the film by interacting with non-speaking animals, which was not an easy task. On a side notem the animals were actually portrayed in a very
realistic manner, which had been a big concern of mine. Anyway, Sharma did a tremendous job bringing the animals to life, such as the
(mostly) CGI-produced Richard Parker, who became a strong supporting character. <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0451234/" target="_blank">Irrfan Khan</a></b>, who you may recall from
<b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1010048/" target="_blank">Slumdog Millionaire</a></i></b>, also did a great job as the adult Pi as I found myself
hanging on his every word each time he was onscreen. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Thanks to superb visuals, a sturdy story, and deep
performances, <i>Life of Pi</i> truly takes the viewer on an adventure. It reminded me
of a combination of <i><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0162222/" target="_blank">Castaway</a></b></i> and the <b><i>Lord of the Rings Trilogy</i></b> (at least the adventure/visual
aspect), and it blended well. I’m comfortable saying that <i>Life of Pi</i> tops the
list of 3D movies I’ve seen up to this point (Yes, I liked it even more than
<i>Avatar</i>), and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it nominated for several Academy
Awards. Any serious cinema fan will surely appreciate this movie, but make sure
you see it in 3D as its well worth the few extra bucks.</div>
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<b style="background-color: white;">Buddies Forever Movie Club Rating: 86%</b><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418551608381240997.post-33084744066043508282012-11-24T16:38:00.000-06:002012-11-24T16:38:14.962-06:00Red Dawn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0N9UT2FCyMV0S8vReawesps6YJKKBQ_jyUqXMKjghf0Z70UAyUqny_3dbIH50zPuBI2bRhoVtFQZ_aFm_fIE-JsgPrpShSbuQmjjnRQvveGUnYHi4et4cXSRrFZ3_c2AuJoUV4hzI0d61/s1600/Red+Dawn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0N9UT2FCyMV0S8vReawesps6YJKKBQ_jyUqXMKjghf0Z70UAyUqny_3dbIH50zPuBI2bRhoVtFQZ_aFm_fIE-JsgPrpShSbuQmjjnRQvveGUnYHi4et4cXSRrFZ3_c2AuJoUV4hzI0d61/s1600/Red+Dawn.jpg" /></a></div>
Ever
since tackling the iconic <b>Marvel Comics</b> role of <b>Thor</b>, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1165110/" target="_blank">Chris Hemsworth</a></b> has
become quite the rising star in Hollywood. Since then he’s had a couple of
movies come out including <b><i><a href="http://buddiesforevermovieclub.blogspot.com/2012/04/cabin-in-woods.html" target="_blank">Cabin in the Woods</a></i></b> and this weekend’s <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1234719/" target="_blank">Red Dawn</a></i></b>, a
remake of the 1984 cult classic starring <b>Patrick Swayze</b> and <b>Charlie Sheen</b> (it
was the latter’s feature film debut). However, did you know that both of those
films were actually made way back in 2009?<br />
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It’s
true. They were filmed long before Hemsworth was known to movie fans, but
shelved due to <b>MGM’s</b> financial troubles. Originally schedule to be released on November 24, 2010, the new <i>Red Dawn</i>, which was directed by first-timer <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0103187/" target="_blank">Dan Bradley</a></b>, finally made it to the big screen this
weekend.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Even
though I was a huge fan of the original, I was skeptical of the new one. Remakes of <a href="http://movies.yahoo.com/photos/split-screen-80s-remakes-slideshow-2498/" target="_blank">1980s films tend to fall short both critically and at the box office</a> (i.e. <b><i>Conan the
Barbarian</i></b>, <b><i>Fright Night</i></b>, <b><i>Friday the 13<sup>th</sup></i></b>, etc.), plus all the
post-production problems (which is where the antagonists were changed from
Chinese soldiers to North Korean, both digitally and in dialogue, in order to
better their chances for an international release) made me wary. With that
said, I went in with stunted expectations, while secretly holding out hope for something more.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The
original’s story involved the start of World War III when the Soviet Union and
Cuba invaded the Midwestern United States from Mexico, splitting the country in half and
forcing a group of high school students to wage guerilla warfare. The premise
of the remake is largely the same, though it’s been updated. Given the Soviet
Union no longer exists and the Cold War is over, the villain was changed to North Korea; in addition, instead of an invasion of the Midwest, the setting
was changed to the Northwest—Spokane, Washington to be exact (this makes a lot more sense in my opinion). Finally,
technology has changed tremendously in the last 30 years, so that’s been
reflected in the film as well. I appreciated all these changes and thought them
necessary to appeal to a modern audience.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now,
I must admit, I actually enjoyed the new <i>Red Dawn</i>, though I fear I may be one
of the few. Granted, it’s not going to become a cult classic like the original,
but I thought they did a decent job following in the original’s footsteps, incorporating a few small changes here
and there.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6COkNGlo2vPXq491vcCbRQnmSU7l2fKmti_f9uzSlQv90UuxfdjDyVMdqfMNrD2bx3SgwBXSQDnU77vtSwPBzXRZeQ01mbecsLmubdEm9j71jLsHtd7fhf0GD7aac_5XasBht25-AkEji/s1600/Larry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6COkNGlo2vPXq491vcCbRQnmSU7l2fKmti_f9uzSlQv90UuxfdjDyVMdqfMNrD2bx3SgwBXSQDnU77vtSwPBzXRZeQ01mbecsLmubdEm9j71jLsHtd7fhf0GD7aac_5XasBht25-AkEji/s1600/Larry.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The buddy for this film was my old man, Larry Holloway.<br /></td></tr>
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It didn't take long for my skepticism to disappear; in fact, it happened in the
opening sequence when paratroopers were invading the United States. It was a bit
different than the original's, but it was still every bit intense, at least for me. I thought the confusion, panic, and terror
associated with such an event was spot on, and I quickly lost myself in what I was watching.
That continued through the first third of the film, which is when things
stalled a bit.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For
instance, the whole sequence when the Wolverines, which are what the teenage
militia called themselves, trained to become a cohesive unit was way too
rushed. In a matter of minutes they went from scared kids to a well-oiled
killing machine. It wasn’t terribly done, but it could have been better, a theme that would repeat itself from there on out. Additionally, the action sequences were oftentimes too fast, hard to properly determine what was going
on, and could have been more polished.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The
movie was on the short side at around 90 minutes, and I can’t help but think
how much better it could have been had it had more time to develop.
There were certainly holes that could have been filled and character
development that should have been done, but alas it ended up being bitty. Speaking of the end, I thought that was a little weak. Not what transpired just prior to it, which surprised me, but the note it ended on lacked a significant punch.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As far as the characters were concerned, I was impressed with the cast. Oftentimes young actors sink
a film, but that wasn’t the case here. Hemsworth, who played <b>Jed Eckert</b>, proved
once again that he is more than capable of being the leading man, and <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0669681/" target="_blank">Josh Peck</a></b>
showed he has some acting chops as the younger Eckert brother, <b>Matt</b>. <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1242688/" target="_blank">Josh Hutcherson</a></b>, who is making a name for himself in the <b><i>Hunger Games</i></b> series, had a
nice supporting role as <b>Robert Kitner</b> (obviously he’d have been used in a
more prominent fashion had the film been made today, but in 2009 he wasn’t really a big name), and <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1597316/" target="_blank">Adrianne Palicki</a></b> was sufficient as <b>Toni Walsh</b>, the
memorable strong-willed woman fighter from the original. It was also nice to
see the highly underrated <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0604747/" target="_blank">Jeffrey Dean Morgan</a></b> as <b>U.S. Marine Tanner</b>, though we
don’t see him until more than halfway through the film.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
On
the other hand, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0191442/" target="_blank">Brett Cullen</a></b>, who played the father of the Eckert boys, had a
limited role early, but he made use of his time onscreen. Likewise, the
adopted son of <b>Tom Cruise</b> and <b>Nicole Kidman</b>, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2982067/" target="_blank">Connor Cruise</a></b>, had a major role as
<b>Daryl Jenkins</b>, one of the younger Wolverines. The now 17-year-old, who was even
younger at the time of filming, obviously learned a thing or two from his old
man, using his youth, enthusiasm and innocence to make a connection with the
audience. No doubt he’ll be making a name for himself in Hollywood in years to come.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<i>Red
Dawn</i>, which will benefit from the two-year delay due to Hemsworth’s celebrity, was
good and actually surpassed my expectations, but it wasn’t great. If you’re
looking for a fun weekend action movie, I say throw down the price of
admission, buy some popcorn, and just relax. <i>Red Dawn</i> won’t make a big
impression on you, but it will entertain.</div>
<br />
<br />
<b style="background-color: white;">Buddies Forever Movie Club Rating: 68%</b><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418551608381240997.post-43243026921648735712012-11-23T13:57:00.003-06:002012-11-23T13:57:53.885-06:00Lincoln<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUex-SDPeHikh7ELUncEeGNzEc1fN4-qLrCPqWk4_iogZprRXijRLpcSR3Fs4APIArzWAcXBi9iNWIEsH6knFHLTV5GmFvL2ncd7htg0AEZAM0XzQct2XDiWJRph0Ffore33L2GvOb2J4H/s1600/Lincoln.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUex-SDPeHikh7ELUncEeGNzEc1fN4-qLrCPqWk4_iogZprRXijRLpcSR3Fs4APIArzWAcXBi9iNWIEsH6knFHLTV5GmFvL2ncd7htg0AEZAM0XzQct2XDiWJRph0Ffore33L2GvOb2J4H/s1600/Lincoln.jpg" /></a></div>
Rumors
of an <b>Abraham Lincoln</b> movie directed by <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000229/" target="_blank">Steven Spielberg</a></b> reverberated
throughout Hollywood for the better part of a decade, but it wasn’t until
recent years that it became a reality. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Lincoln</i>, a film based on Doris Kearns Goodwin's book, is a biopic of the 16<sup>th</sup>
president focusing on the last few months of his life, which is when he pushed
hard to pass the 13<sup>th</sup> amendment.<br />
<br />
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As
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443272/" target="_blank">IMDb explains</a>: “As the Civil War continues to rage, America's president
struggles with continuing carnage on the battlefield and as he fights with many
inside his own cabinet on the decision to emancipate the slaves.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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As a history
major in college, concentrating on American History, I was extremely excited to see this film. Throw in Spielberg as director and an all-star
cast, and <i>Lincoln</i> the movie seemed destined for greatness. Unfortunately, I may have set my
expectations too high, because I left the theater feeling a bit disappointed.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Don’t get me wrong, <i>Lincoln</i> was by no means bad, it just
wasn’t all I thought it’d be. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
At
times it was slow, but that was to be expected from a biographical and
historical drama. There was no significant action, most of the conflict
existed in the House of Representatives, and the drama developed slowly. That was all fine and good, but to me the flow of
the movie was just off. For instance, I felt the scale of time was poorly represented, with
scenes often jumping from one geographical location to another with no regard
for how long it’d take for such travel in that day and age. That was a small,
nitpicky detail, but things like that do not go unnoticed and detract from the
overall product. In other words, <i>Lincoln</i> was a little rough around the edges and not as polished as I'd come to expect from Spielberg.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
The movie itself is dialogue driven, which means having
the right cast is absolutely crucial. In that regard, <i>Lincoln</i> excelled. <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000358/" target="_blank">Daniel Day-Lewis</a></b> is selective in his roles, coming out with a new movie every 2-3
years or so (his last one was 2009’s <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0875034/" target="_blank">Nine</a></i></b>, and before that 2007’s <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0469494/" target="_blank">There Will Be Blood</a></i></b>). Obviously the role of Lincoln, which originally went to <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000553/" target="_blank">Liam Neeson</a></b> before he dropped out, was too good to pass up, and Day-Lewis nailed it.
His portrayal of the historical icon was mesmerizing and he truly brought the
character to life. It’s rare for an actor to be better known for his roles than
his personal life, which I think is a testament to their ability, and
Day-Lewis has certainly done it. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Furthermore, the supporting cast was as strong as I’ve ever seen, with
solid performances all around. <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000398/" target="_blank">Sally Field</a></b>, who had to fight tooth and nail for
the role, made a great <b>Mary Todd Lincoln</b> (despite being 20 years older than her
character was at the time), while <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0330687/" target="_blank">Joseph Gordon-Levitt</a></b> excelled as their son
<b>Robert Lincoln</b>. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I also thought both <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000657/" target="_blank">David Strathairn</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000652/" target="_blank">James Spader</a></b>,
who played <b>William Seward</b> and <b>W.N. Bilbo</b> respectively, did amazing jobs. The
former helped drive the story as Lincoln’s Secretary of State and right-hand
man, while the latter provided comic relief as a 13<span style="font-size: x-small;">th-</span>amendment vote
getter. Other solid performances came courtesy of <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0370035/" target="_blank">John Hawkes</a></b> as <b>Robert Latham</b>;
<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001358/" target="_blank">Hal Holbrook</a></b> as <b>Preston Blair</b>; and <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0364813/" target="_blank">Jared Harris</a></b> as <b>Ulysses S. Grant</b>, just to
name a few.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000169/" target="_blank">Tommy Lee Jones</a></b> as
<b>Thaddeus Stevens</b>. Many have praised his performances as the extreme
abolitionist advocate, even suggesting he is a favorite for a Best-Supporting
Actor Academy Award. I’ve never been shy about praising Jones (see my <a href="http://buddiesforevermovieclub.blogspot.com/2012/08/hope-springs.html" target="_blank">review ofHope Springs</a>), but I have to admit he didn’t blow me away. He certainly did a
satisfactory job, but I don’t agree his performance was remarkable.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I
enjoyed <i>Lincoln</i>, but I wasn’t overly impressed. I had recently watched <b>HBO’s</b>
miniseries <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472027/" target="_blank">John Adams</a></i></b>, which is of a similar nature; however, in my opinion
that film, starring <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0316079/" target="_blank">Paul Giamatti</a></b> as the second president of the United States,
was both better done and more entertaining. Granted it had a whole miniseries
to flesh out the story, but I’d be more prone to watch that again than <i>Lincoln</i>
(which probably would have been better suited for a miniseries).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I’m
glad I saw <i>Lincoln</i>, because it was a decent film—it just wasn’t as good as I
had hoped it would be.</div>
<br />
<b style="background-color: white;">Buddies Forever Movie Club Rating: 70%</b><br />
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<i>Follow us on<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Buddies4everMC" target="_blank">Twitter at Buddies4everMC</a></span>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Buddies-Forever-Movie-Club/286660221356145" target="_blank">like us on Facebook</a></span>, & <a href="https://plus.google.com/b/105409219920477908874/" target="_blank">find us on<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink">Google+</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>for all the latest and greatest movie reviews.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418551608381240997.post-15615308020851354802012-11-17T14:59:00.000-06:002012-11-17T14:59:06.476-06:00Skyfall<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmZvNh-f_MfSA8IQAQFqsC010Bid0g-IIft5oU0tNNlOlpxcXLHLwX20jCa3Mr-6Zj6s0UQznP4zoyOEzPfcXtf3NujdQ5cm4ZvhnSiYH0XBETe2PRRlIn5zmE1E6fDIS1qPKt2QKQJz_/s1600/Bond.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmZvNh-f_MfSA8IQAQFqsC010Bid0g-IIft5oU0tNNlOlpxcXLHLwX20jCa3Mr-6Zj6s0UQznP4zoyOEzPfcXtf3NujdQ5cm4ZvhnSiYH0XBETe2PRRlIn5zmE1E6fDIS1qPKt2QKQJz_/s1600/Bond.jpg" /></a></div>
I went and saw the new 007 film last week at a special midnight
showing at my local <b>AMC Theater</b>. I had planned on having this review up sooner,
but unfortunately procrastination got the best of me. With that said, I present
to you my review of <b><i>Skyfall</i></b>, the third film starring <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0185819/" target="_blank">Daniel Craig</a></b> as <b>James
Bond</b>.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I’ll admit that I’m not overly familiar with the
older Bond films; in fact, I think the only ones I’ve seen have been those
starring <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000112/" target="_blank">Pierce Brosnan</a></b> and Craig. I’ve been a fan of the latter's turn at the
iconic character and highly enjoyed 2006’s <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0381061/" target="_blank">Casino Royale</a></i></b> (minus a ridiculous
poker scene). To a lesser degree I also enjoyed 2008’s <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0830515/" target="_blank">Quantum of Solace</a></i></b>, which had
an overlapping storyline to its predecessor, but in my opinion <i>Skyfall</i>, which
did not continue the story established in two before it, proved to be the best of Craig's three.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Here’s the premise of the new film as <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1074638/" target="_blank">described by IMDb</a>:
“<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bond's
loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under
attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the
cost.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It amazes me that the Bond formula continues to translate into
success after all these years. Sauvé secret agent pursues terrorists while
seducing beautiful women without an emotional connection—ok, well I guess I can understand; anyway, this film was
much the same, which means there wasn’t a great deal of originality. It was the
same old story told in a different way, but it still proved entertaining. <i>Skyfall</i>
wasn’t mind blowing by any means, but it lived up to expectations, or at least my expectations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The first thing I liked was the opening song by <b>Adele</b>, who I
believe is tremendous musical talent. The Bond films always open with a big action
sequence followed by an original song, and <i>Skyfall’s</i> (written and performed by Adele) is one of the best I’ve
heard. The other highlight for me were the characters and cast. A lot of Bond films have inane characters, which can be made all
the more ridiculous by miscasting. That wasn’t the case here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Craig was great as bond. His unobtrusive aggression is perfect
for the role. He's suave but possesses a bevy of other more prevalent
qualities such as stoicism, fortitude, and levelheadedness. Craig isn’t your
traditional dark-haired Bond, and in my opinion his casting was a risk that has paid big dividends.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-cLnSFD-AMifhcKIzl3kPrht6jvqXCyV2c-vXkBP7Pj9nvU7DS66aadKmaPo_ndhj6bVM1D5m6lMV-NwFOiZRGiTwGd-BHLQqtFFkBlwFjrwNC3KX4WomHP0Ervv7dsB80df6NXbzGFQz/s1600/Bond2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-cLnSFD-AMifhcKIzl3kPrht6jvqXCyV2c-vXkBP7Pj9nvU7DS66aadKmaPo_ndhj6bVM1D5m6lMV-NwFOiZRGiTwGd-BHLQqtFFkBlwFjrwNC3KX4WomHP0Ervv7dsB80df6NXbzGFQz/s1600/Bond2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The buddies for Skyfall, Ben (L) and Carsen (R).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I also loved <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001132/" target="_blank">Judi Dench</a></b> as <b>M</b>; what’s more, I loved that she
played a major role in <i>Skyfall</i>. In <i>Quantum of Solace</i> and <i>Casino Royale</i> she was
merely a supporting character that popped in every now and again, but in <i>Skyfall</i>
she is one of the three major characters alongside Bond and villain <b>Silva</b>,
played brilliantly by <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000849/" target="_blank">Javier Bardem</a></b>. If you like the “Dench Stench”, then
you’ll get a big ole whiff in <i>Skyfall</i>. Speaking of Bardem, his character was
eclectic, flamboyant and set on revenge, an interesting combination of
qualities for a lead villain. Throw in some funky hair ala <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0477348/" target="_blank">No County for Old Men</a></i></b>, and Bardem is once again at his finest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was also impressed with <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0365140/" target="_blank">Naomie Harris</a></b>, who you may recall from
<b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0289043/" target="_blank">28 Days Later</a></i></b>, as Bond girl <b>Eve</b>; <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000146/" target="_blank">Ralph Fiennes</a></b> as M6’s <b>Gareth Mallory</b>; and <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0924210/" target="_blank">Ben Whishaw</a></b> as the new, younger <b>Q</b>. I mentioned in my <a href="http://buddiesforevermovieclub.blogspot.com/2012/11/cloud-atlas.html" target="_blank">review of <b><i>Cloud Atlas</i></b></a> that
Whishaw is a superb talent and one of the best up-and-coming actors in the
industry. It was nice seeing him land such as iconic role. Finally, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001215/" target="_blank">Albert Finney</a></b> was good as the Scottish innkeeper <b>Kincade</b>, who had a special connection
to Bond’s past. Finney is a fine actor, but he’s cut from the same cloth as my
favorite actor, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004051/" target="_blank">Brian Cox</a></b>; as such, I can’t help but think of what it’d have
been like had Cox landed the role.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I did have one small qualm with the film, which was the
story’s shift from the theft of Skyfall, a list undercover agents, in order to focus on Silva's revenge on M. The one storyline may have played into the other, but it seemed like the former was sacrificed, and almost dropped, at the expense of the latter. Both were
interesting storylines, but I think the Skyfall plot could have been fleshed
out more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>Skyfall</i> isn’t going to win any awards, but it was an excellent
chapter in the Bond saga; in fact, I think it was the best since Craig took
over the role. I feel I got my money’s worth and look forward to the next one.</span></div>
<br />
<b style="background-color: white;">Buddies Forever Movie Club Rating: 75%</b><br />
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<i>Follow us on<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Buddies4everMC" target="_blank">Twitter at Buddies4everMC</a></span>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Buddies-Forever-Movie-Club/286660221356145" target="_blank">like us on Facebook</a></span>, & <a href="https://plus.google.com/b/105409219920477908874/" target="_blank">find us on<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink">Google+</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>for all the latest and greatest movie reviews.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418551608381240997.post-79680046771526995072012-11-06T15:36:00.000-06:002012-11-06T15:36:49.372-06:00The Man with the Iron Fists<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5rB2gqXp0iau70mQ49wxB_9T4F-cn0zS3DsSQCxGhYKhn2_iWz39LiZHw91KBJspK0MZSuhI_YwaNNAmGh5UaCJL02zk6xIFDuXyRgTQGA4wSY2KBrmHfCPxtfrTGH1vdjzsPpYkTtCcs/s1600/IronFist.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5rB2gqXp0iau70mQ49wxB_9T4F-cn0zS3DsSQCxGhYKhn2_iWz39LiZHw91KBJspK0MZSuhI_YwaNNAmGh5UaCJL02zk6xIFDuXyRgTQGA4wSY2KBrmHfCPxtfrTGH1vdjzsPpYkTtCcs/s1600/IronFist.jpeg" /></a></div>
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I wasn’t very excited to see the new film <b><i>The Man with
the Iron Fists</i></b>, but when you’re a part of the <b>Buddies Forever Movie Club</b>,
sometimes you have to acquiesce to your friends. In this case it was my old
friend <b>Carsen Nachreiner</b> who was adamant <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0753526/" target="_blank">RZA</a></b> was going to make a good Kung Fu
movie. We talked our other friend, <b>Ben Robertson</b>, and together the three of us
went to see the action flick.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For those who don’t know, here’s the premise of <i>The Man
with the Iron Fists</i> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1258972/" target="_blank">as described by IMDb</a>: “On the hunt for a fabled treasure of
gold, a band of warriors, assassins, and a rogue British soldier descend upon a
village in feudal China, where a humble blacksmith looks to defend himself and
his fellow villagers.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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From what I understand, the film was a labor of love for
RZA, who not only directed and starred in the film but also penned the
screenplay alongside <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0744834/" target="_blank">Eli Roth</a></b>. It’s a well-known fact that RZA, who you may
recall as the co-founder of the hip hop group <b>Wu-Tang Clan</b>, is a fan of martial
arts, so it wasn’t too surprising to see him construct a film around his infatuation. Luckily for him, he had Roth, who directed <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303816/" target="_blank">Cabin Fever</a></i></b> and <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0450278/" target="_blank">Hostel</a></i></b>,
helping him, and had the benefit of <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000233/" target="_blank">Quentin Tarantino</a></b> presenting the film,
though he didn’t have anything to do with it as far as I know. It just goes to
show you the power of name recognition.<o:p></o:p></div>
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While this wasn't a Tarantino film, you could tell it was
made in his style. The martial arts feel was reminiscent of the <b>O-Ren Ishii</b>
scenes in <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0266697/" target="_blank">Kill Bill Vol. 1</a></b>—ironically <i>The Man with the Iron Fists</i> also starred <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005154/" target="_blank">Lucy Liu</a></b>—with all the limb snapping, blood spraying, and brutal deaths. If
Tarantino is the master, Roth and RZA are his protégés.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Speaking of RZA, I think he did a decent job directing
the film, which reminded me a lot of an outlandish comic book movie; by that I
mean it contained wacky characters battling to different ends. <i>The Man
with the Iron Fists</i> didn’t stray from the simple story, and incorporated the
Tarantino-esque corny acting and camerawork, which I liked. If you go in thinking the
filmmakers are going to play it straight, you’ll likely leave disappointed. As
it was, I had low expectations and was pleased with how the film unfolded.<o:p></o:p></div>
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With that said, I wasn’t thrilled with RZA the actor. He
just didn’t inspire as the title character, and there are at least a dozen
actors I can think of better suited for the role. As a martial arts fan, it seemed RZA wanted to make this film for his own self gratification, so of
course I can’t blame him for wanting to star in it. I’m just saying the role
was better suited for someone else.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-_AkQg_vYARrdjHqV4N6ZlMt85_BBxuF4yfb0_vXOKYRtipX9rQ4YV9mNZvKNKG1ZBFaqgyKZ02eDsxHJatWvjX4CONp7u9e0Gq16yybu3lYhh6KU3yhE6rN8vBNT2Hn8UG3BhLG5HwqG/s1600/Buddies.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-_AkQg_vYARrdjHqV4N6ZlMt85_BBxuF4yfb0_vXOKYRtipX9rQ4YV9mNZvKNKG1ZBFaqgyKZ02eDsxHJatWvjX4CONp7u9e0Gq16yybu3lYhh6KU3yhE6rN8vBNT2Hn8UG3BhLG5HwqG/s1600/Buddies.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben and Carsen were the buddies for this movie.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Other than , I thought the acting was solid all around.
Liu essentially reprised her <i>Kill Bill</i> role as her <b>Madam Blossom</b> wasn’t all
that different from O-Ren Ishii (maybe a tad less brutal), and <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000128/" target="_blank">Russell Crowe</a></b>
was extremely entertaining as <b>Jack Knife</b>. I’m used to watching Crowe tackle
serious roles, so it was cool to see him have a little fun. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I was also impressed with wrestling star <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1176985/" target="_blank">Dave Bautista</a></b>,
who portrayed one of the film’s more memorable characters—<b>Brass Body</b>. Very few
people meet the physical requirements of that role, and he did a good job
stepping out of the ring and onto the big screen. I also think <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0950935/" target="_blank">Rick Yune</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0542677/" target="_blank">ByronMann</a></b> and mixed-martial artist <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1087183/" target="_blank">Cung Le</a></b> did great jobs with their roles and added
a lot to the film.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I heard the film was originally over four hours long
and RZA wanted to turn it into two films. Thank goodness they didn’t do that
because, quite frankly, it’s not in the echelon of films that deserves such
special treatment. Instead, it was cut down to a modest 98 minutes, and I think
that was plenty of time to do it justice. Anything longer would have been too much.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<i>The Man with the Iron Fists</i> wasn’t spectacular, but it
entertained. Surprisingly, I liked it the best out of the three buddies, no
doubt a upshot of my low expectations. If you like kung fu and Tarantino-type
movies—though you must remember he didn’t make this film—then I’d say it’s
worth your time. If not, then I’d say it’s not for you.</div>
<br />
<br />
<b style="background-color: white;">Buddies Forever Movie Club Rating: 66%</b><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418551608381240997.post-35757875518092890882012-11-05T10:08:00.001-06:002012-11-05T10:08:24.667-06:00Flight<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPAm3T1w4R5kmkz7m15DYJgWV0ifKWWCGO06oCAYYHlwOZP2RGh5IHTsewSLkTxf94ke4cTgvakvjRFAAYpSfguaU9Ju_V-3JfxzilJujwIpRrMOPf87NEbuaYHSdfnkiG3B8UORlMQzz-/s1600/Flight.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPAm3T1w4R5kmkz7m15DYJgWV0ifKWWCGO06oCAYYHlwOZP2RGh5IHTsewSLkTxf94ke4cTgvakvjRFAAYpSfguaU9Ju_V-3JfxzilJujwIpRrMOPf87NEbuaYHSdfnkiG3B8UORlMQzz-/s1600/Flight.jpeg" /></a></div>
<b><i>Flight</i></b>, the new live-action film from <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000709/" target="_blank">Robert Zemeckis</a></b>,
has been on my radar for quite some time. I have a small fear of flying, and
the plane crash premise intrigued me right off the bat. Plus it stars <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000243/" target="_blank">Denzel Washington</a></b>, and he brings any movie instant credibility. <i>Flight</i> finally hit
theaters this weekend, and it was a no brainer that I was going to see it,
which I did with my old man.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Here’s the premise of <i>Flight</i> as <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1907668/" target="_blank">described by IMDb</a>: “<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">An airline
pilot saves a flight from crashing, but an investigation into the malfunctions
reveals something troubling.” It sounds like bit of a feel-good movie, but
nothing could be further from the truth; in fact, the place crash serves as the
backdrop to the real story—addiction. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The “something troubling” alluded to in the description is pilot
<b>Whip Whitaker’s</b> alcoholism, which may or may not have played a part in the
crash. Watching him explore the depths of his addiction was heartbreaking, but also mesmerizing. The juggling act Whitaker undertakes in his bid to balance
his heroic deeds with his demons left me conflicted, and I loved it. Should I
like this character? Am I really rooting for him to succeed or do I want him to
do the right thing?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Washington played the part brilliantly, and it's one of his
finest performances to date. <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0139654/" target="_blank">Training Day</a></i></b> is still tops in my
book, but <i>Flight</i> isn’t too far behind. I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if
he got a Best Actor nod come Oscar time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While Washington was the star, he was surrounded by an excellent
supporting cast. <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000422/" target="_blank">John Goodman</a></b>, whose name has been mentioned as a possible Best
Supporting Actor nominee for his part in <b><i><a href="http://buddiesforevermovieclub.blogspot.com/2012/10/argo.html" target="_blank">Argo</a></i></b>, was excellent as <b>Harling Mays</b>,
Whitaker’s old friend and enabler; while <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1229204/" target="_blank">Nadine Velazquez</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0876645/" target="_blank">Tamara Tunie</a></b> made
for sensible flight attendants. None of them were prominent characters, but
each had a crucial role to play.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was also blown away by <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0717709/" target="_blank">Kelly Reilly</a></b>, who played drug addicted
<b>Nicole</b>. She was an unlikely love interest and was on the road to recovery while Whitaker was headed in the opposite direction. Reilly, perhaps best known
for her role in the <b><i>Sherlock Holmes</i></b> films, was tragically graceful, and a real
pleasure to watch. There’s no doubt in my mind <i>Flight</i> will propel her into a
higher tier in Hollywood.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0339304/" target="_blank">Bruce Greenwood</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000332/" target="_blank">Don Cheadle</a></b> as <b>Charlie Anderson</b> and <b>Hugh Lang</b> respectively. The former plays the
part of Whitaker’s old friend and pilot’s union rep, while the latter is a
criminal defense lawyer. Both try their best to support Whitaker, despite the
difficulties, and end up becoming affected by his addiction. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaX3G8YOWUdxBsCZUpa3eySgOQTW0RXOGR3UktdF7wgiVQ23pwUzz2qv_Un1fNfaa74H0L4uRqTb6tFwGwsvyycmYCbr7GO_ea-x28cdlTgQt-TMBvwjTOeYdvuTHYnvbYVL83fMZcBjte/s1600/Buddy.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaX3G8YOWUdxBsCZUpa3eySgOQTW0RXOGR3UktdF7wgiVQ23pwUzz2qv_Un1fNfaa74H0L4uRqTb6tFwGwsvyycmYCbr7GO_ea-x28cdlTgQt-TMBvwjTOeYdvuTHYnvbYVL83fMZcBjte/s320/Buddy.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The buddy: My old man getting ready to see <i>Flight</i>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The plane crash scene, which serves at the film’s hook, was
forceful. I fly a lot for work, and in the back of my mind I’m always worried
about the plane going down. I assume a lot of people are like me in that
regard. With that said, watching the scene was scary. The panic in a situation like that has to be underpinned with sheer terror, and I definitely got that feeling. When Whitaker
asked one of the flight attendants her son’s name and then told her to say she
loves him for the black box, well let’s just say it sent shivers down my spine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>Flight</i> is provocative, engaging and a bit tragic as it explores
addiction and how one man can deny its existence while being consumed by it. At
no times was it glamorized, but showed how pervasive it is in our society, even
among professionals and those we trust with out lives. There’s a big difference
between what people present to the world and what’s inside, and <i>Flight</i> does a great job of
bringing that to the big screen. Top it off with a slew of electric
performances, and it makes for one of the year’s best dramas.</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<b style="background-color: white;">Buddies Forever Movie Club Rating: 89%</b><br />
<b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418551608381240997.post-37640260742582957942012-11-01T15:50:00.000-05:002012-11-01T15:50:01.577-05:00Cloud Atlas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7u_OR6n-9mdP4QwxRwiHCFhmihkXW_Ue8i5P7eiO5eoV2aWIYqsJ09JZedoEAfxliF5M8biq_5_a5BA61wMtffFkrukyEir_WvBM2lCP75NYe1LA9u_2ymyaJtRMr192prAK060k-3mSC/s1600/Cloud+Atlas.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7u_OR6n-9mdP4QwxRwiHCFhmihkXW_Ue8i5P7eiO5eoV2aWIYqsJ09JZedoEAfxliF5M8biq_5_a5BA61wMtffFkrukyEir_WvBM2lCP75NYe1LA9u_2ymyaJtRMr192prAK060k-3mSC/s1600/Cloud+Atlas.jpeg" /></a></div>
I was extremely intrigued when I first saw the trailer
for <b><i>Cloud Atlas</i></b>, though I admit I wasn’t sure what it was about. What I did
know was it was a film combining numerous story lines over the past, present and
future, and was based on a novel by <b>David Mitchell</b>. I also know it was a film by
the <b>Wachowski’s</b>, best known for <b><i>The Matrix Trilogy</i></b>, and boasted a hell of a
cast including <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000158/" target="_blank">Tom Hanks</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0915989/" target="_blank">Hugo Weaving</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000932/" target="_blank">Halle Berry</a></b>.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Here’s the premise as <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1371111/" target="_blank">described on <b>IMDb</b></a>: “<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Everything is
connected: an 1849 diary of an ocean voyage across the Pacific; letters from a
composer to his friend; a thriller about a murder at a nuclear power plant; a
farce about a publisher in a nursing home; a rebellious clone in futuristic
Korea; and the tale of a tribe living in post-apocalyptic Hawaii, far in the
future.”</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I'd seen plenty of positive reviews prior to seeing
this film, so I must admit my expectations were high despite not knowing what
<i>Cloud Atlas</i> was really about. Unfortunately, I walked out of the theater
disappointed. I was impressed with the acting and storytelling technique, but I more disappointed in the stories themselves and left with a feeling that I
missed something—I'm still not sure what <i>Cloud Atlas </i>was all about and feel like I missed something.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Let me start with the things I like, the first of which
was the acting. All of the aforementioned actors, as well as a bevy of others,
each starred as numerous characters in the films, one in each of the timelines.
For instance, Hanks was a doctor in 1849, a cocky author in the publishing
farce, and a futuristic tribesman in a post-apocalyptic Hawaii. It was cool watching all of these actors tackle various roles, ones where they were oftentimes unrecognizable, and I'd be thrilled to see others do it in future films.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Hanks did a good job as always, as did Berry, but my
favorite performances came courtesy of Weaving and <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0924210/" target="_blank">Ben Whishaw</a></b>, the former as
hilarious as <b>Nurse Noakes</b>, while the latter killed it as composer <b>Robert
Frobisher</b>. This was my first time watching Whishaw, and I can already tell he’s
going to be a major player in Hollywood in the years to come. Other actors who
did a fine job were <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000215/" target="_blank">Susan Sarandon</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000424/" target="_blank">Hugh Grant</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0202966/" target="_blank">Keith David</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0836343/" target="_blank">Jim Sturgess</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000980/" target="_blank">JimBroadbent</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0046277/" target="_blank">Doona Bae</a></b>, just to name a few.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I also thought the filmmakers did a good job telling six
different stories via one medium. It was a tall task and I thought it flowed
well; however, the movie was a little too long for my liking, coming in at three
hours, and there were times where I thought, "When is this going to end." Never a good feeling to have when I just paid to be entertained.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Along with the length, I wasn’t thrilled with the
individual stories. While the filmmakers put them together well, their
interconnectedness wasn’t as profound as I expected. It’s my belief that if
each story had been made into a film all its own, they’d each be on the weaker side (the composer storyline was the best in my opinion). Don’t
get me wrong, I can see how the happenings in one story lead to repercussions in
the others (which was the film's goal), but overall it was kind of bland. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<i>Cloud Atlas</i> wasn’t terrible by any means, but it was not
the profound, revolutionary movie that was being billed. The story-telling
technique was cool, and I could see it working quite well in other formats
(i.e. comic book movies), but as is I wasn’t impressed. <i>Cloud Atlas</i> was
too long, filled with tiresome stories, and failed to inspire. I’d wait for the
DVD on this one.</div>
<br />
<b style="background-color: white;">Buddies Forever Movie Club Rating: 45%</b><br />
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<i>Follow us on<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Buddies4everMC" target="_blank">Twitter at Buddies4everMC</a></span>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Buddies-Forever-Movie-Club/286660221356145" target="_blank">like us on Facebook</a></span>, & <a href="https://plus.google.com/b/105409219920477908874/" target="_blank">find us on<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink">Google+</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>for all the latest and greatest movie reviews.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418551608381240997.post-2307581090869353622012-10-30T00:58:00.000-05:002012-10-30T00:58:00.788-05:00Argo<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUgbCqL4gKo5SD-t3nlH3J5KWYL08Yue6tNacP3URxzNTd4eoN3sfNAterqVPZDgm_QkIjVnvV1Am1EFkLXsiXVOxvQVpCUrQ2yq0nA3fQ7ANTyWe3ob-OGx3e8A0sWTnEYCX62r7GLLFa/s1600/Argo.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUgbCqL4gKo5SD-t3nlH3J5KWYL08Yue6tNacP3URxzNTd4eoN3sfNAterqVPZDgm_QkIjVnvV1Am1EFkLXsiXVOxvQVpCUrQ2yq0nA3fQ7ANTyWe3ob-OGx3e8A0sWTnEYCX62r7GLLFa/s1600/Argo.jpeg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Month’s back, when I first heard about <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000255/" target="_blank">Ben Affleck’s</a></b>
latest directorial project, <b><i>Argo</i></b>, I thought it was a comedy. At first glance, the material, which was plucked from history after recently being declassified,
was too outrageous to be anything but comical; however, the trailer made it apparent
that this was a very serious movie. After seeing it this past week, I must admit, all the Oscar talk is warranted as it was simply a great movie.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
For those who don’t know about <i>Argo</i>, here’s the storyline
as written by <b>Kenneth Chisholm</b> on <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1024648/" target="_blank">IMDb</a></b>: <i>“<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In 1979, the American embassy in Iran was
invaded by Iranian revolutionaries and several Americans are taken hostage.
However, six manage to escape to the official residence of the Canadian
Ambassador and the CIA is eventually ordered to get them out of the country.
With few options, exfiltration expert <b>Tony Mendez</b> devises a daring plan: to
create a phony Canadian film project looking to shoot in Iran and smuggle the
Americans out as its production crew. With the help of some trusted Hollywood
contacts, Mendez creates the ruse and proceeds to Iran as its associate
producer. However, time is running out with the Iranian security forces closing
in on the truth while both his charges and the White House have grave doubts
about the operation themselves.”</span></i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Affleck not only directed the film, he starred as the
aforementioned Mendez. Before I get into Affleck’s acting chops, let me just
say that I think he’s a hell of a director. This was his third major film, which
followed the critically acclaimed <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0452623/" target="_blank">Gone Baby Gone</a></i></b> (2007) and <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0840361/" target="_blank">The Town</a></i></b> (2010),
and I’ve been impressed with them all. Affleck has earned my respect as a
director and I look forward to his future projects.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
With that said, I’ve always been hesitant regarding Affleck’s
acting abilities. I don’t know why exactly, but I’ve never considered him anything more than a mediocre performer. Don’t get me wrong; I’ve
always been satisfied with Affleck, just never blown away. I liked him in
<b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0184858/" target="_blank">Reindeer Games</a></i></b>, <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0213149/" target="_blank">Pearl Harbor</a></i></b>, <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0287978/" target="_blank">Daredevil</a></i></b>, <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0475394/" target="_blank">Smokin’ Aces</a></i></b> and <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1172991/" target="_blank">The Company Men</a></i></b>, just
to name a few, but he didn’t perform exceptionally. He didn’t do that in Argo
either, but admittedly his portrayal of Mendez is was fulfilling.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
What Affleck did have was a strong supporting cast, and together they
brought the story to life. <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000273/" target="_blank">Alan Arkin</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000422/" target="_blank">John Goodman</a></b> did tremendous as two
Hollywood vets who helped bring the film within the film to “life”, and both
are being mentioned for a Best Supporting Actor nomination. I’ve long thought
Goodman was a talented actor, and it’s nice to see him finally get his due. Other stand-out performances were delivered by
<b><i>Breaking Bad’s</i></b> <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0186505/" target="_blank">Bryan Cranston</a></b>, who played CIA handler <b>Jack O’Donnell</b>; and <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0245112/" target="_blank">Clea Duvall</a></b> (no relation to <b>Robert Duvall</b>), who played hostage <b>Cora Lijek</b>. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<i>Argo</i> had an interesting storyline anchored in history and
supported by a strong cast. At no point did I feel the film lagged; in fact, I
think Affleck did a stupendous job injecting tension into what were fairly blasé situations. I quickly became invested in the characters and at times it felt as if I was among the hostages trying to escape with my life. It’s
not often that a movie is able to establish that sort of connection.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I was also impressed with the time period modifications.
The film takes place in 1979, and everything was spot on. From the outfits to
technology, a great deal of attention was paid to every detail, which gave the
entire film a sense of authenticity. It also made me wonder how different crises were back in they day without the convenience of cell phones and the Internet.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
If you’re looking for an action-packed shoot-em-up film,
<i>Argo’s</i> not for you (I don’t recall a gun being fired in the movie); however, if
you want a top-notch thriller driven by performance, dialogue and suspense, then look no further. <i>Argo</i> is one of the best
films of the year, and I recommend you see it while you can,<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->
<b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b>
<b style="background-color: white;">Buddies Forever Movie Club Rating: 87%</b><br />
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<i>Follow us on<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Buddies4everMC" target="_blank">Twitter at Buddies4everMC</a></span>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Buddies-Forever-Movie-Club/286660221356145" target="_blank">like us on Facebook</a></span>, & <a href="https://plus.google.com/b/105409219920477908874/" target="_blank">find us on<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink">Google+</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>for all the latest and greatest movie reviews.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418551608381240997.post-16590897243297086552012-10-16T13:21:00.000-05:002012-10-16T13:21:57.910-05:00Looper<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I’m a big fan of both <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000246/" target="_blank">Bruce Willis</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0330687/" target="_blank">Joseph Gordon-Levitt</a></b>, so it didn’t take much convincing for me to go and see <b><i>Looper</i></b>,
the new Action/Sci-Fi/Thriller time-traveling flick. What’s more, the film
looked like an original, which was nice after a summer full of reboots, sequels
and comic-book movies.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
For those who don’t know what <i>Looper’s</i> about, here’s how
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1276104/" target="_blank">IMDb describes it</a>: “In 2074, when the mob wants to get rid of someone, the
target is sent 30 years into the past, where a hired gun awaits. Someone like
Joe, who one day learns the mob wants to 'close the loop' by transporting back
Joe's future self.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
The movie was written and directed by <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0426059/" target="_blank">Rian Johnson</a></b>, who
previously directed two episodes of <b><i>Breaking Bad</i></b> (Fly and Fifty-One) and 2005’s
critically claimed <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0393109/" target="_blank">Brick</a></i></b>, which also starred Gordon-Levitt. Johnson has a
reputation as an up-and-coming filmmaker that brings a healthy does of
originality to his films. Johnson’s style is a bit different and somewhat of an
acquired taste, but I was more than willing to give it a try.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Ironically, <i>Looper</i> had me going in circles as to whether
or not I liked it. The story was certainly unique, but it began to convolute
itself with an assortment of elements. For example, as if the time-traveling story wasn’t
engaging enough, Johnson throws in a telekinesis component that eventually
leads to a bunch of new conflicst. What starts off with <b>Joe</b> (Gordon-Levitt) taking on the
mob entities, most notably <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001099/" target="_blank">Jeff Daniels’</a></b> character <b>Abe</b>, soon breaks into
tangents such as Joe vs. <b>Old Joe</b> (Willis), Old Joe vs. the future/<b>Rainmaker</b>,
etc. There was a lot going on, and while I think Johnson did an admirable job
juggling it all, I couldn’t help but wonder if the film would have been better
had it devoted itself to just one major element/conflict.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
To be fair, I believe I’d appreciate this film even more
with a second viewing, which would allow me to pick up on subtleties I know I
missed. Much like <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1375666/" target="_blank">Inception</a></i></b>, this film was an original, and sometimes it’s hard
appreciating an original the first go around after your brain has been bombarded with
big-budgeted blockbusters and sequels. On the same token, <i>Looper</i> had just a $30
million budget, which meant Johnson was limited in the amount of special
effects and location shoots he could accomplish. He was aware of this and did
an excellent job of spending money where it’d get the most bang for a buck.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Not only did <i>Looper</i> have a strong story, the
performances were solid. Gordon-Levitt gave one of his best performances to
date, and will continue to rise in Hollywood. Likewise, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1289434/" target="_blank">Emily Blunt</a></b> was barely
recognizable as <b>Sara</b>, and I feel that’s a testament to her talents. Willis’
showing wasn’t anything great, but he shouldered his load and did a decent job,
while Daniels, while underused, was ominous as a man from the future. Along the
same lines, the lesser known <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0781913/" target="_blank">Noah Segan</a></b>, who worked with Johnson in <i>Brick</i>, did
a great job as <b>Kid Blue</b>, a clumsy yet devoted henchman.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Here are a few other random thoughts on the film:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Gordon-Levitt’s
prosthetic, which he wore to look more like a young Willis, was great. I had
heard it was noticeable and off putting, but I didn’t find that to be the case.
In fact, I didn’t even notice it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]--><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0200452/" target="_blank">Paul Dano</a></b> had a limited role as <b>Seth</b>, but he made the most of it. The guy is a
talented actor and having him as a supporting character helped strengthen the
film as a whole.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]--> It was cool to see the black cowboy outfits
the hit men in the future wore were teased in one seen. Keep an eye open for a
“Bad Bob” poster and toy in the Cid’s bedroom.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Note
Blunt’s character, Sara, uses some sort of mechanized crop duster to water her
crops. It’s essentially a “Rainmaker”.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I left the theater feeling conflicted about Looper, but
the more I thought about it the more I liked it. I’ll definitely give it
another watch when it comes out on DVD, and in the meantime I’d recommend to
those who go and see it, keep an open mind and remember that it’s an original.
If you judge it against the norm, you will not fully appreciate what it has to
offer.<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<b style="background-color: white;">Buddies Forever Movie Club Rating: 71%</b><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418551608381240997.post-24863235751799755482012-10-14T12:31:00.002-05:002012-10-14T12:31:57.467-05:00Taken 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjimQGiew91lkjMEQfCFKm8ve_9nRoejeX9yVWd7gW-NmNThP-QIFoR7HDUDm_wjGzc2FyVInBacqhKeQgAPkneM_WAriZ7eRpksIIB23wVaBXGL3ukDyBzNgzJpS04pp97h6FMITmtheFU/s1600/Taken.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjimQGiew91lkjMEQfCFKm8ve_9nRoejeX9yVWd7gW-NmNThP-QIFoR7HDUDm_wjGzc2FyVInBacqhKeQgAPkneM_WAriZ7eRpksIIB23wVaBXGL3ukDyBzNgzJpS04pp97h6FMITmtheFU/s1600/Taken.jpeg" /></a></div>
After being on the road for three weeks and unable to
make it to a theater, the films I wanted to see upon my return began to
stockpile; in fact, the day after I got back from Europe, I went to see the one at the
top of the queue (which actually takes place in Europe)—<b><i>Taken 2</i></b>.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I was a huge fan of 2008’s <b><i>Taken</i></b>, which was a surprise
hit with the masses and made <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000553/" target="_blank">Liam Neeson</a></b> a legitimate action star. To remind
you of that film’s premise, and you’d best know before going to the sequel,
I’ll turn to <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0936501/" target="_blank">IMDb</a></b>: “A retired CIA agent travels across Europe and relies on his
old skills to save his estranged daughter, who was kidnapped on a trip to Paris
to be sold into prostitution.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Now, here’s <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1397280/" target="_blank">IMDb’s description of <i>Taken 2</i></a>: “In Istanbul,
retired CIA operative <b>Bryan Mills</b> and his wife are taken hostage by the father
of a kidnapper Mills killed while rescuing his daughter.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I tempered my expectations for the sequel for fear that
it might have been slapped together as a money-making machine and would neglect
the things that made the first so great—a father’s unwavering devotion, no
timidity, and a certain level of justified ferociousness. The biggest red flag
that might be the case was the director of the first, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0603628/" target="_blank">Pierre Morel</a></b>, had been
replaced by <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0576298/" target="_blank">Olivier Megaton</a></b>, best known for <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1657507/" target="_blank">Colombiana</a></i></b> and <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1129442/" target="_blank">Transporter 3</a></i></b>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
In the back of my head, I expected <i>Taken 2</i> to suck, and I
was prepared to deal with it; after all, the first film came out of nowhere and
set the bar high. Much to my surprise, <i>Taken 2</i> proved to be more than a decent
sequel. They did a few things wrong, but overall I felt it captured the essence
of the first film while exploring the grey area between justice and revenge.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<i>Taken 2</i> toed the line of being a cookie-cutter copy, but
there were enough subtle differences to set it apart while capitalizing on
storylines established in the first. Again, Neeson proves an unlikely badass,
and <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1192254/" target="_blank">Maggie Grace</a></b>, who played his daughter <b>Kim</b>, did a good job of transitioning
from victim to aggressor. I was also very pleased to see <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000463/" target="_blank">Famke Janssen</a></b> have an
expanded role as Mill’s wife <b>Lenore</b>. To say she was underutilized in the first
would be an understatement, and I’m glad they learned from that mistake.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Unfortunately there were a few things that detracted from
the film—mainly some notable inaccuracies. For example, Kim was struggling with
passing her driver’s test, but was suddenly Mario Andretti in a car chase
through Istanbul. Speaking of which, they portrayed Istanbul as being somewhat
third-world, when in actuality it’s one of Europe’s most developed cities.
Likewise, Albania doesn’t border Turkey as suggested in the film, and with so
much gunfire in the city, you’d expect more of a police presence. While the
filmmaker’s attention to detail was admirable in many scenes (i.e. Mills and Kim knowing to
keep there heads down and call for help after plowing a car into the U.S.
embassy), it was noticeably lacking in others.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
The other big disappointment was lackluster death scenes,
most notably two at the end. I don’t want to spoil who bites the dust, but they
were offed in an uncreative manner; in fact, it was hard to tell how they even
died. I chalk this up to the friendly PG-13 rating. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<i>Taken 2</i> wasn’t as good as the original, but I felt it was
an excellent sequel that tied in nicely to its predecessor. Simply put, if you
liked <i>Taken</i> then you’ll like <i>Taken 2</i>. Also, be sure to enjoy it because the
film’s writer, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000108/" target="_blank">Luc Besson</a></b>, has already said there won’t be a third.<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<br />
<b style="background-color: white;">Buddies Forever Movie Club Rating: 75%</b><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418551608381240997.post-5057082277974500452012-10-06T14:10:00.000-05:002012-10-06T14:10:27.005-05:00Resident Evil: Retribution<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Ypak4uoLR2Xt-A5F4yhoLrxqqHvuOXMw0GPfFbrk0P4p79GXlH45y1BMG493M4sGnTLF3smHqs_8ynzWfKbbIMCGMDM1TLXIick4wi1xQpnXPOlyOXCkzBtGuClHYPgZDe9vl3coW2TE/s1600/Resident.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Ypak4uoLR2Xt-A5F4yhoLrxqqHvuOXMw0GPfFbrk0P4p79GXlH45y1BMG493M4sGnTLF3smHqs_8ynzWfKbbIMCGMDM1TLXIick4wi1xQpnXPOlyOXCkzBtGuClHYPgZDe9vl3coW2TE/s1600/Resident.jpeg" /></a></div>
I was a big fan of the original <b><i>Resident Evil</i></b> video game
on <b>PlayStation</b>, so imagine my excitement when the franchise was turned into a
movie back in 2002. There weren’t many similarities between that first game and
that movie, but it turned out alright. Now, ten years later, both the video
game and film franchises continue to spew out sequels. In my opinion both have
been on a steady decline, but I gave the latest installment in the latter
franchise—<b><i>Resident Evil: Retribution</i></b>—a shot on its opening weekend.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
The previous films had gotten so convoluted and cluttered
(where are the zombies?!?) that I set my expectations quite low for
<i>Retribution</i>. Here’s how <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1855325/" target="_blank">IMDb describes the film:</a> “The Umbrella Corporation's
deadly T-virus continues to ravage the Earth, transforming the global
population into legions of the flesh eating Undead. The human race's last and
only hope, Alice, awakens in the heart of Umbrella's most clandestine
operations facility and unveils more of her mysterious past as she delves
further into the complex.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Let me preface this review by saying that I feel the
<i>Resident Evil</i> film franchise has been botched. I still enjoy them, but they
could be so much better. My personal preference is that they reboot it and
bring add little realism (tongue in cheek dealing with zombies), much like the
<i><b>Walking Dead</b></i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
With that said, <i>Resident Evil: Retribution</i> turned out to
be a little better than I expected. That’s not to say it was great, but it
proved entertaining and a little more focused than the previous two films. You
see, the first to <i>Resident Evil</i> movies are centered upon “The Hive” and Raccoon
City, two very distinct locations. From there, <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0432021/" target="_blank">Resident Evil: Extinction</a></i></b> and <i><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1220634/" target="_blank">Resident Evil: Afterlife</a></b></i>
branched out and expanded the story to show how T-virus ravaged the entire
world. It was a big step to take and sloppily done. Fortunately, <i>Retribution</i>
got back to the basics and focus on one facility.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Granted, that facility, which is buried under the
Siberian tundra, has holograph-domes (for lack of a better word) that are able
to recreate various locations such as suburbia, New York, Japan and Moscow.
<b>Alice</b>, the main character played in all five films by <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000170/" target="_blank">Milla Jovovich</a></b>, must
escape from the facility but has the luxury of tossing in different setting. A
cheap copout, but it worked.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Jovovich does a decent job as always, but the film was
billed on reuniting many of the characters throughout the franchise, many of
whom had perish. I’m not a fan of clones in movies, but it was nice to see
<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0735442/" target="_blank">Michelle Rodriquez</a></b>, who was only in the first film, reprise her role as <b>Rain</b>;
as well as <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004912/" target="_blank">Oded Fehr</a></b> as <b>Carlos</b> and <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0462673/" target="_blank">Boris Kodjoe</a></b> as <b>Luther West</b>, though the
latter wasn’t a clone.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
The performances were a mixed bag. Jovovich was fine as
always, as were all of the other cast members I’ve mentioned. <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0243806/" target="_blank">Kevin Durand</a></b> and
<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0508356/" target="_blank">Bingbing Li</a></b> were new additions as <b>Barry Burton</b> and <b>Ada Wong</b> respectively, and I
though they did a good job. I was especially pleased to see Barry (“Blood, I
hope this is not Chris’ blood!”), a classic character from the original video
game. Durand was a good choice for the role, though he wasn’t really a major
player. One new comer that went to waste was <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1053380/" target="_blank">Johann Urb</a></b> as <b>Leon S. Kennedy</b>. He
had a fairly important role in the film, but there was little to no character
development. I found that to be a great shame as Leon was such a major
character in the video games.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I must note that the performance of <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0347149/" target="_blank">Sienna Guillory</a></b> as
<b>Jill Valentine</b> (who should be the main character in a <i>Resident Evil</i> film—again,
reboot) was terrible and almost laughable at times. With that said, you don’t
go see a <i>Resident Evil</i> movie for the performances, you go for the action
sequences and the zombies.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
In that regard, <i>Resident Evil: Retribution</i> did a decent
job. The opening scene, which is shot in reverse, was pretty cool, and there
was a scene shortly thereafter set in suburbia that caught my attention—though
it seemed to be a bit of a rip off of the 2004 <b><i>Dawn of the Dead</i></b> opening
sequence.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<i>Resident Evil: Retribution</i> didn’t further the overall
story of the franchise much; in fact, all Alice did was escape from a research
facility (though there is a last-stand type of scene as a cliffhanger). Still,
it proved entertaining, the 3D effects were solid, and the action sequences
decent. I liked it a bit better than <i>Extinction</i> and <i>Afterlife</i>, but not as good
as the first two, which puts it squarely in the middle. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I will always hold a special place in my heart for
<i>Resident Evil</i>, and while the five films have kept me vaguely entertained, I
sincerely hope that <b>Sony Pictures</b> will consider a reboot and give the franchise
the justice it deserves.</div>
<br />
<b style="background-color: white;">Buddies Forever Movie Club Rating: 53%</b><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/fetL5JuKGv4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<i>Follow us on<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Buddies4everMC" target="_blank">Twitter at Buddies4everMC</a></span>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Buddies-Forever-Movie-Club/286660221356145" target="_blank">like us on Facebook</a></span>, & <a href="https://plus.google.com/b/105409219920477908874/" target="_blank">find us on<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink">Google+</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>for all the latest and greatest movie reviews.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418551608381240997.post-3375784875913509482012-09-16T14:15:00.000-05:002012-09-16T14:15:16.464-05:00Lawless<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHCJGDcrUmyilUeCNHhnJ7_CRMhhY18ltwMGPMkCdeZCE74COl31VbaBn-NNEppKHISxX5l7oa_B4sLYniP61Q1IJlw0Ir1JC1DZFFPOLmfG37dJQYwHKVJcbnFP4A5ohpBjpFhL1RQLY/s1600/lawless.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHCJGDcrUmyilUeCNHhnJ7_CRMhhY18ltwMGPMkCdeZCE74COl31VbaBn-NNEppKHISxX5l7oa_B4sLYniP61Q1IJlw0Ir1JC1DZFFPOLmfG37dJQYwHKVJcbnFP4A5ohpBjpFhL1RQLY/s1600/lawless.jpeg" /></a></div>
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Ever have one of those days where you just want to be
alone and not deal with people? I recently had such a day and opted to retreat
to the dark confines of my local <b>AMC movie theater</b>. I had been putting off seeing a
movie that I had actually been quiet excited about for some time—<b><i>Lawless</i></b>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The film, which was directed <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0384825/" target="_blank">John Hillcoat</a></b> (<b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0898367/" target="_blank">The Road</a></i></b>, <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0421238/" target="_blank">The Proposition</a></i></b>) is a blend of blended crime/western drama and is based off the
novel <i><b>The Wettest County in the World</b></i>, which tells the real-life story of three
<b>Bondurant Brothers</b> and their bootlegging business. As <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1212450/" target="_blank">IMDb explains</a>: “<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Set in
Depression-era Franklin County, Virginia, a bootlegging gang is threatened by a
new deputy and other authorities who want a cut of their profits.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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The
subject matter certainly appealed to me, but the solid cast was also a major draw.
It’s been a big year for <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0362766/" target="_blank">Tom Hardy</a></b>, who played <b>Bane</b> in <b><i><a href="http://buddiesforevermovieclub.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-dark-knight-rises.html" target="_blank">The Dark Knight Rises</a></i></b>
and <b>Tuck</b> in <b><i>This Means War</i></b>, and <i>Lawless</i> was his latest outing as he played the rough and tumble <b>Forrest Bondurant</b>; meanwhile, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0479471/" target="_blank">Shia LaBeouf</a></b> played brother <b>Jack</b> while <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0164809/" target="_blank">Jason Clarke</a></b> tackled <b>Howard</b>. Throw is a supporting cast that included <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001602/" target="_blank">Guy Pearce</a></b>,
<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1567113/" target="_blank">Jessica Chastain</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2851530/" target="_blank">Dane DeHaan</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000198/" target="_blank">Gary Oldman</a></b>—well, let’s just say it
doesn’t get much better than that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I
had high expectations for <i>Lawless</i>, and it put it simply they were not met. The
movie just wasn’t put together as well as I thought it would be. The
bootlegging story was intriguing, but it was littered with side stories such as
Forrest’s romance with Chastain’s <b>Maggie Beauford</b>, and Jack’s with <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1985859/" target="_blank">Mia Wasikowska’s</a></b> <b>Bertha Minnix</b>. Blended in are storylines concerning the
bootlegging business, corrupt law enforcement and pressure from the big city
players. These
storylines weren’t necessarily bad, they were just hard to properly flesh out
in the movie’s 116-minute run time. Each trotted along, but none were ever taken
to the next level. At times the movie was slow, which is normally a good tactic
in building up to something big, but like I said, it never shifted gears to the
next level.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
As
far as the performances, they were the film's strength. I was impressed, as usual, with
Hardy, and LaBeouf did a decent job. Clarke was the middle brother and
least featured, but he did a good job with his time on screen. With that said, the really
impressive performances were the supporting roles, with one exception that I talk
about below.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Before
I get to that, I’m compelled to give credit to a few of the actors. Pearce was
superb as corrupt agent <b>Charlie Rakes</b>, who proved a menacing villain. What’s more,
he was barely recognizable in character, which I believe is a testament to an actor’s
ability. On the same note, DeHann, who I raved about in my <a href="http://buddiesforevermovieclub.blogspot.com/2012/03/chronicle.html" target="_blank">review of <b><i>Chronicle</i></b></a>,
was great as <b>Cricket Pate</b>. After seeing <i>Lawless</i>, I’m even more convinced that
DeHaan has a very bright future in Hollywood as his talent is unsurpassed. The
ladies, Chastain and Wasikowska, also did a satisfactory job, and I found the latter’s
alabaster-china-doll look very appealing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
The
real disappointment in Lawless’ casting was the underutilization of Oldman. He
is an actor of the highest order, but his character was only in the film for a
few minutes. Hardy and Oldman worked together in <i>The Dark Knight Rises </i>and
<b><i><a href="http://buddiesforevermovieclub.blogspot.com/2012/01/tailor-tinker-soldier-spy.html" target="_blank">Tailor, Tinker, Soldier, Spy</a></i></b>, and it was almost as if Oldman took the role as a
favor—no real commitment, no real development. Very disappointing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
From
what I understand, <i>Lawless</i> was shutdown at one point, so production wasn’t
exactly smooth, and for me it showed in the final product. The film isn’t
terrible, but it didn’t live up to its potential. It’s worth a <b>Netflix/Redbox</b>
rental, but I wouldn’t recommend it for theaters. On a side note, if you’re
interested in the true story behind the film, I suggest you check out this
<a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/08/26/the-real-story-behind-lawless-by-matt-bondurant.html" target="_blank">article in <b><i>The Daily Beast</i></b> from one of Jack Bondurant’s grandchildren</a>.</div>
<br />
<b style="background-color: white;">Buddies Forever Movie Club Rating: 55%</b><br />
<b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b>
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<i>Follow us on<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Buddies4everMC" target="_blank">Twitter at Buddies4everMC</a></span>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Buddies-Forever-Movie-Club/286660221356145" target="_blank">like us on Facebook</a></span>, & <a href="https://plus.google.com/b/105409219920477908874/" target="_blank">find us on<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink">Google+</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>for all the latest and greatest movie reviews.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418551608381240997.post-31582281027889396032012-09-10T12:09:00.000-05:002012-09-10T12:09:46.833-05:00Expendables 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMK_Sknq2X0sDxkJa12PTrm7B6SUnvUMDVLKb4KIVqfqnnM8hR8kITIQgStC1paCCXRz23RSGESJySePMiJ5v-qoc7daNd6na07yXyjBHH4M7TZqJ0zcyIPCSNwF5LKYepztfexJxpycr/s1600/Expendables.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMK_Sknq2X0sDxkJa12PTrm7B6SUnvUMDVLKb4KIVqfqnnM8hR8kITIQgStC1paCCXRz23RSGESJySePMiJ5v-qoc7daNd6na07yXyjBHH4M7TZqJ0zcyIPCSNwF5LKYepztfexJxpycr/s1600/Expendables.jpeg" /></a></div>
I love action movies. I grew up watching <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000216/" target="_blank">Arnold Schwarzenegger</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000230/" target="_blank">Sylvester Stallone</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000246/" target="_blank">Bruce Willis</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000241/" target="_blank">Jean-Calude Van Damme</a></b> and
<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001569/" target="_blank">Chuck Norris</a></b> with my dad, so imagine my excitement when all of those men teamed
up for the <b><i>Expendables 2</i></b>. I was a fan of the first <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1320253/" target="_blank">Expendables</a></i></b>, but I was
especially excited for the sequel due to the expanded cast.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
As <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1764651/" target="_blank">IMDb explains</a>: “Mr. Church reunites the Expendables
for what should be an easy paycheck, but when one of their men is murdered on
the job, their quest for revenge puts them deep in enemy territory and up
against an unexpected threat.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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For those who don’t know, <b>Mr. Church</b> is the character played by the
aforementioned Willis, who had a brief cameo in the first film. Likewise,
Schwarzenegger, who plays <b>Trench</b>, only appeared for a minute in <i>Expendables</i>.
Lucky for everyone, they were back in greatly expanded roles. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Now it’s important to remember that why this is an action
film, but you have to take it with a grain of salt as it’s sort of a satire on the
entire 1980-2000s genre. Sure, it’s a movie that takes itself seriously
and has some merit, but it wouldn’t be the film it is without the
over-the-top dialogue, body count, and of course the cast.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Admittedly, if the film starred a bunch of no names, it’d be
terrible. The story is cliché (plutonium in the hands of a terrorist), but
given the context of the film it’s brilliant and entertaining. With that said,
the keystone of the film is the cast. Stallone was back as <b>Barney
Ross</b>, while the <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005458/" target="_blank">Jason Statham</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000185/" target="_blank">Dolph Lundgren</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0187719/" target="_blank">Terry Crews</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1330276/" target="_blank">Randy Couture</a></b> and
<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001472/" target="_blank">Jet Li</a></b> all reprised their roles. They all did a great job, but weren’t featured
as prominently as they were in the first film; in fact, Li’s character, <b>Yin
Yang</b>, was only in <i>Expendables 2</i> for about the first 15 minutes of the film before promptly
disappearing. I was also disappointed to see that <b>Mickey Rourke</b>, who was <b>Tool</b> in the
first film, did not appear in the sequel.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Instead, more attention was paid to the film’s new
additions like the aforementioned Willis and Schwarzenegger. The two weren’t
prominent in the film, but they had plenty of screen time and even swapped some
memorable lines (i.e. “I’m back” and “Yippie kay yay”) while kicking some major ass
in a tiny car.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Another new addition was <b>Liam Hemsworth</b>, the brother of
<i><b>Thor’s</b></i> <b>Chris Hemsworth</b>, who played <b>Billy the Kid</b>, a young sniper recently
recruited by the Expendables. His character was still relatively young and
innocent, at least by comparison as his compatriots, and he served as a reminder to the old guard
of a life gone by—which helped fuel the film’s plot.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
For me, the real draw to the film was bringing Norris and Van Damme into the mix. The latter was offered a role in
the first film but turned it down because he thought it had little chance of success. Obviously he was wrong, so Van Damme agreed to play the film’s villain,
<b>Vilain</b> (gotta love the names). It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Van Damme
in anything respectable, so it was nice to see him here. Stallone has said that
he enjoys helping reinvigorate stagnated careers, much like his own was a few
years back, and I hope Van Damme's will benefit for his role in <i>Expendables 2</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
As far as Norris is concerned, he has to be the fan
favorite. The 72-year-old wasn’t in the film too much, and at one point I thought
his appearance might just be a cameo, but let’s just say he returns when it
counts. Norris even poked fun at the legend he has become. When asked by
Stallone’s character whether or not it was true he had been bit by a cobra,
Norris character replies, “Yeah, and after five days of agonizing pain, the
cobra died.” Norris hadn't been onscreen since 2005's lackluster <i><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0432267/" target="_blank">The Cutter</a></b></i>, but he lit it up and left me with a big smile in <i>Expendables 2</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
The film isn’t going to win any Academy Awards,
but it was a lot of fun. Go in with some snacks and an open mind, and you’ll
enjoy yourself. I was a little worried about the movie at times, but it finished
strong and brought most everyone together for the climactic firefight. The only
thing that could have made the <i>Expendables 2</i> better was the addition of <b>Steven
Segal</b>—but I guess they need something to complete the trilogy (fingers
crossed).</div>
<br />
<b style="background-color: white;">Buddies Forever Movie Club Rating: 71%</b><br />
<b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b>
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<i>Follow us on<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Buddies4everMC" target="_blank">Twitter at Buddies4everMC</a></span>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Buddies-Forever-Movie-Club/286660221356145" target="_blank">like us on Facebook</a></span>, & <a href="https://plus.google.com/b/105409219920477908874/" target="_blank">find us on<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink">Google+</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>for all the latest and greatest movie reviews.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418551608381240997.post-76357464682599983482012-08-20T12:47:00.000-05:002012-08-20T12:47:03.642-05:00The Campaign<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgljnNoMcRhMAT2HLLJlK5QbsTqB27XR01mG7z1HT8uP0aUr75AkyE1u2Vb6w_PjkqzTEqVW2mePugY54SH_99dwQrFUXt3G2mtSc73vD6GsvOrs8gV_llYnUhj_fdVq_pOJO5pyehxd-43/s1600/Campaign.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgljnNoMcRhMAT2HLLJlK5QbsTqB27XR01mG7z1HT8uP0aUr75AkyE1u2Vb6w_PjkqzTEqVW2mePugY54SH_99dwQrFUXt3G2mtSc73vD6GsvOrs8gV_llYnUhj_fdVq_pOJO5pyehxd-43/s1600/Campaign.jpeg" /></a></div>
Prior to leaving the country for a few weeks on business, I made it a point to go see the new comedy, <b><i>The Campaign</i></b>, starring <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002071/" target="_blank">Will Ferrell</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0302108/" target="_blank">Zach Galifianakis</a></b>. I’ve been a fan of both for quite some time, and their team up seemed like a guaranteed comedy success; not only that, it starred my favorite actor, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004051/" target="_blank">Brian Cox</a></b>, so for me it was a must-see movie.<br />
<br />
For those who don’t know much about <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005366/" target="_blank">Jay Roach’s</a></b> latest comedy, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1790886/?licb=0.8084865680430084" target="_blank">IMDb describes the premise</a> of <i>The Campaign</i>: “In order to gain influence over their North Carolina district, two CEOs seize an opportunity to oust long-term congressman <b>Cam Brady</b> by putting up a rival candidate. Their man: naive <b>Marty Huggins</b>, director of the local Tourism Center.”<br />
<br />
The timing of the film couldn’t have been better, intentional as it was, given the political subject matter and upcoming presidential election. In the film, the election isn’t for the Oval Office, but you wouldn’t guess it as the race for a North Carolina district is just as tense. The story concerning why the two must campaign is a little weak and not properly fleshed out, but the real reason people will want to see this movie is for the comedy.<br />
<br />
In that regard, the film is like a tank half full—it’ll get you there, but not by firing on all cylinders. <i>The Campaign</i> has its fair share of laughs, and some good ones at that (i.e. an unorthodox maid with a funky accent), but it wasn’t the full-fledged comedy I was expecting. It wasn’t raunchy and outrageous like <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1119646/" target="_blank"><i>The Hangover</i></a></b>, nor was it unapologetic like <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0357413/" target="_blank">Anchorman</a></i></b> and <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0415306/" target="_blank">Talladega Nights</a></i></b>; instead, it was on par with other Roach comedies like the <b><i>Austin Powers</i></b>, <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0212338/" target="_blank">Meet the Parents</a>/<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0290002/" target="_blank">Meet the Fockers</a></i></b>, and <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0427152/" target="_blank">Dinner for Schmucks</a></i></b>.<br />
<br />
I really liked the <i>Austin Powers</i> flicks, but I didn’t care too much for <i>Dinner for Schmucks</i>. With that said, I would put <i>The Campaign</i> on the same level as <i>Meet the Parents</i>—somewhat serious at times, but riddled with comedic one-upmanship.<br />
<br />
Ferrell portrays the aforementioned Brady and Galifianakis tackles Huggins as the two battle for political supremacy. Surrounding them are a varied cast of supporting characters rendered by <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0837177/" target="_blank">Jason Sudeikis</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001518/" target="_blank">Dylan McDermott</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001475/" target="_blank">John Lithgow</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000101/" target="_blank">Dan Aykroyd</a></b> and of course Cox.<br />
<br />
Both Ferrell and Galifianakis do a decent job delivering jabs and taking turns as heroes and villains. Ferrell was a little more mature than I’m used to, but it was satisfactory nonetheless. Meanwhile, Galifianakis, who shaved his trademark beard for the film, walks the fine line between annoying and adorable as Huggins.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, the supporting cast was a mixed bag. Lithgow and Aykroyd were grossly underused as the brother CEOs fueling the mean-spirited campaign. Likewise, Sudeikis was way too straight-laced as Brady’s campaign manager.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQVaK7IptV5z9JILuPd7WBb-RT22Xkx7zhm4r7NziAiYQf69Bkt5BFB62GKe7E6Lc_jShkTLp5MB-zxHmTmmC37NTiOpaW68HySJb8dAezBcuEOl4YUCDrZ_-IrE2aGrW0pculC7T4ed_/s1600/CampaignBrianCox.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQVaK7IptV5z9JILuPd7WBb-RT22Xkx7zhm4r7NziAiYQf69Bkt5BFB62GKe7E6Lc_jShkTLp5MB-zxHmTmmC37NTiOpaW68HySJb8dAezBcuEOl4YUCDrZ_-IrE2aGrW0pculC7T4ed_/s1600/CampaignBrianCox.jpeg" /></a></div>
<br />
On the flip side, McDermott hit it out of the park as <b>Tim Wattley</b>, a mercenary campaign manager brought in to make a winner out of Huggins—and later Brady. I like to give credit where credit’s due, and McDermott certainly deserves it as I literally laughed out loud at most of his scenes. Regarding Cox (pictured above), my opinion is that he was underused and should have played a more prominent role, but of course I’m going to say that given he’s my favorite actor. With that said, he played a convincing non-paternalistic scoundrel in his limited role as Huggins’ father.<br />
<br />
I’ve always enjoyed political comedies; in fact, <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117119/" target="_blank">My Fellow Americans</a></i></b> with <b>Jack Lemmon</b> and <b>James Garner</b> is one of my favorite movies. <i>The Campaign</i> didn’t make as big an impact as that film, but I did enjoy it and feel I got my moneys worth.<br />
<br />
<b style="background-color: white;">Buddies Forever Movie Club Rating: 67%</b><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418551608381240997.post-54136704528621944262012-08-12T13:59:00.000-05:002012-08-12T13:59:23.440-05:00Hope Springs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQz-ZG7phl2CbMRFqXvETvLc1Lf5SO0lU87ergt7oK_TqMOQMiJnfIXGrPiWyR-Sm09Q-FlmUEu9N0uV3OvnqldR1bOA_FH6cHehoOLYVyktTzIzSkgxNpq_zcipxxrU_Gp5ythpLiYMyU/s1600/Hope+Springs.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQz-ZG7phl2CbMRFqXvETvLc1Lf5SO0lU87ergt7oK_TqMOQMiJnfIXGrPiWyR-Sm09Q-FlmUEu9N0uV3OvnqldR1bOA_FH6cHehoOLYVyktTzIzSkgxNpq_zcipxxrU_Gp5ythpLiYMyU/s1600/Hope+Springs.jpeg" /></a></div>
I’ve always been a big fan of both <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000169/" target="_blank">Tommy Lee Jones</a></b> and
<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000658/" target="_blank">Meryl Streep</a></b>, and it’s for that reason alone that I decided to check out their
new film, <b><i>Hope Springs</i></b>. The adult drama/comedy is definitely geared to an older
demographic, but that didn’t discourage me from checking it out with my old
man, who also happens to be a fan of both.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
The premise of <i>Hope Springs</i> is simple. As <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1535438/" target="_blank">IMDb explains</a>:
“After thirty years of marriage, a middle-aged couple attends an intense,
week-long counseling session to work on their relationship.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Obviously the couple is the aforementioned Jones and
Streep as <b>Arnold</b> and <b>Kay</b>, who’ve fallen into a repetitious rut long after their
two grown children moved away. The counselor who helps them work on their
relationship is none other than <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0136797/" target="_blank">Steve Carell</a></b>, though you wouldn’t know it from
his performance.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Before taking a look at the individual performances,
which were superb all around, let me quickly address the story. As you read
above, it is a relatively simple situation that no doubt affects hundreds of
thousands of couples every year; in fact, I imagine that if my parents were
still married, they’d have been in the exact same situation as Arnold and Kay.
For anyone that’s been married for an extended period of time, you'll certainly relate to the material.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
The story isn’t complicated by nonsense nor is it
fluffed. It is merely two people examining their relationship and rediscovering
what made them fall in love in the first place. The movie is quiet, and even a
little slow at times, but it is honest and pure. It does a marvelous job of
showing just how hard it is for some people to talk about the simplest of
things, even after years of marriage. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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There are some laugh-out-loud moments along the way, but
contrary to what you might think, they come from Jones and Streep, not Carell. In fact, the man known for his shtick and antics was subdued and
straightforward. He was simply a counselor doing what he does. No backstory, no
development, just a helping hand. It was a different type of role for Carell
and some of his fans might be disappointed, but the fact of the matter is that
he delivered in an uncharacteristic supporting role.<o:p></o:p></div>
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With that said, the real strength of <i>Hope Springs</i>, which
is also the name of the town in which they stay for their weeklong counseling
session, is watching Jones and Streep work their magic. I grew up watching the
former in action films like <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105690/" target="_blank">Under Siege</a></i></b>, <i><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106977/" target="_blank">The Fugitive</a></b></i>, and <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120461/" target="_blank">Volcano</a></i></b>, so seeing
him in dramatic role was a welcomed change of pace. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As much as I hate to admit it, Jones has become an old
man, but that made his ruff and tumble persona perfect for this role, especially when
you strip away the inherent confidence and swagger you've seen from him in the past. The role of Arnold was originally
offered to <b>Jeff Bridges</b>, who is a great actor in his own right, but it wouldn’t
have been the same. This role was made for Jones, and in my opinion it was one
of his best performances to date.<o:p></o:p></div>
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On the same token, Streep was spot on. Largely considered
the greatest living film actress, Streep has a knack for bringing characters to life. She does an amazing job portraying a housewife desperate for change,
and what she’s able to say with her body language and facial expressions is
nothing short of spectacular. Streep has put in some stunning performances over
the years, but from start to finish, her portrayal of Kay in <i>Hope Springs</i> is
one of my favorites.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you’re looking for whirlwind romance or slapstick
comedy, this movie isn’t for you. On the other hand, if you’re a fan of fine
performances and don’t mind a sincere look at a modest story, then <i>Hope Springs</i>
is right up your alley. </div>
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<b style="background-color: white;">Buddies Forever Movie Club Rating: 84%</b></div>
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<i>Follow us on<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Buddies4everMC" target="_blank">Twitter at Buddies4everMC</a></span>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Buddies-Forever-Movie-Club/286660221356145" target="_blank">like us on Facebook</a></span>, & <a href="https://plus.google.com/b/105409219920477908874/" target="_blank">find us on<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink">Google+</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>for all the latest and greatest movie reviews.</i><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418551608381240997.post-6989569862714234402012-07-30T12:20:00.000-05:002012-07-30T12:20:21.394-05:00Savages<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white;">I’m a fan of </span><b style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000231/" target="_blank">Oliver Stone</a></b><span style="background-color: white;">. While I wasn’t overly impressed by a couple of his more recent films, like </span><b style="background-color: white;"><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1175491/">W.</a></i></b><span style="background-color: white;"> and </span><b style="background-color: white;"><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0469641/">World Trade Center</a></i></b><span style="background-color: white;">, I have always enjoyed </span><b style="background-color: white;"><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0146838/">Any Given Sunday</a></i></b><span style="background-color: white;">, </span><b style="background-color: white;"><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110632/">Natural Born Killers</a></i></b><span style="background-color: white;"> and </span><b style="background-color: white;"><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102138/">JFK</a></i></b><span style="background-color: white;">, just to name a few. As such, I was excited for Stone’s most recent project, </span><b style="background-color: white;"><i>Savages</i></b><span style="background-color: white;">.</span><br />
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For those who don’t know, <b>IMDb</b> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1615065/">explains the film’s premise</a>: “Pot growers Ben and Chon face off against the Mexican drug cartel who kidnapped their shared girlfriend.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s a simple story, and timely too as Mexican drug cartels are constantly making headlines. You would think the combination of a provocative director, up-to-date storyline, and interesting cast would make for an engaging film, but that wasn’t really the case; in fact, I found <i>Savages</i> to be quite bland.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Given the source material, I was expecting some hardcore sex and violence, perhaps something along the lines of <b><i>Natural Born Killers</i></b>, but what I got was more of an subdued look at what the relationship between a small pot operation and the cartel could be like. There were a few instances of violence, such as a beheading video and the burning of a man, but I’ve come to expect more from Stone.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The movie started off fine and it was on pace to be something special, but somewhere along the line it stalled and failed to regain momentum. Character development ceased, the plot wasn’t pushed forward, and everything became mired. <o:p></o:p></div>
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While <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0515116/">Blake Lively</a></b> was lovely to look at, I was left shaking my head every time she opened her mouth. The first instance of this came via an ill-advised narration theme, while other instances of dissatisfaction accompanied her performance. It seemed as if Lively was trying too hard, which proved to be a big turn off that even her good looks couldn’t overcome.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It was also dispiriting to know that she wasn’t even the first choice; in fact, <b>Jennifer Lawrence</b> was originally cast as the leading lady but had to pull out to do <b><i><a href="http://buddiesforevermovieclub.blogspot.com/2012/04/hunger-games.html">The Hunger Games</a></i></b>. Needless to say, it was a wise choice by her, and I suppose it could have been worse as <b>Lindsay Lohan</b> had expressed interest in the role.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In terms of the other performances, they were hit and miss. <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2018237/">Taylor Kitsch</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1093951/">Aaron Johnson</a></b> were the film’s other two main characters, all of whom were involved in a bizarre love triangle with Lively’s <b>“O.”</b> Both did a decent job, but neither gave what I would call a memorable performance. I will say that it was cool seeing Kitsch playing a different role than he did in <b><i><a href="http://buddiesforevermovieclub.blogspot.com/2012/03/john-carter.html">John Carter</a></i></b> and <b><i><a href="http://buddiesforevermovieclub.blogspot.com/2012/05/battleship.html">Battelship</a></i></b>, namely former marine and current badass/enforcer, <b>Chon</b>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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On the flip side, some of the supporting roles were pleasing. <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000237/">John Travolta</a></b> did a good job in his role as <b>DEA agent Dennis</b>. I’ve become accustomed to seeing Travolta as a confident hero or dominating villain, so it was satisfying watching him pull off a character that was weak, unconfident and a survivalist. His character had depth, and it did not go unnoticed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Likewise, I enjoyed <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001125/">Benicio Del Toro</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000161/">Salma Hayek</a></b> as members of the cartel. The former just makes a great villain, and his character in the film, <b>Lado</b>, was intriguing; likewise, it was cool watching Hayek put on her wig and play the role of a villainous. Both of their characters could have been explored even more, but they were certainly among the most interesting in the film.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Despite a few satisfying performances, <i>Savages</i> ended up being a fairly boring affair. I never felt a connection with the lead characters, the action/violence was tame, and what could have been an enchanting storyline proved to be uninspiring. I also despised the endings of the film, which definitely left me wanting. <i>Savages</i> wasn’t over-the-top in the least, and I’ve read more interesting cartel stories in the newspaper; as such, I recommend you skip this movie altogether. </div>
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<b style="background-color: white;">Buddies Forever Movie Club Rating: 50%</b></div>
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<i>Follow us on<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Buddies4everMC" target="_blank">Twitter at Buddies4everMC</a></span>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Buddies-Forever-Movie-Club/286660221356145" target="_blank">like us on Facebook</a></span>, & <a href="https://plus.google.com/b/105409219920477908874/" target="_blank">find us on<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink">Google+</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>for all the latest and greatest movie reviews.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2418551608381240997.post-87229799505775994042012-07-27T15:00:00.001-05:002012-07-27T15:00:05.584-05:00The Dark Knight Rises<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFBX61yuj6qqBFKR_IXue-kGTx32CcCzoNtHdOAEc-Is-si3uyGuJQ241Z5L06rZPX4g9EzBbb3So_1xb2GFdm9ZglMC3bRqwzJcaAwZOYJydZgrY0kxPX3PF5T0RzEbrQrGkN1Y0vOSwM/s1600/Dark+Knight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFBX61yuj6qqBFKR_IXue-kGTx32CcCzoNtHdOAEc-Is-si3uyGuJQ241Z5L06rZPX4g9EzBbb3So_1xb2GFdm9ZglMC3bRqwzJcaAwZOYJydZgrY0kxPX3PF5T0RzEbrQrGkN1Y0vOSwM/s1600/Dark+Knight.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;">Comic films seemed to dominate the summer of 2012. </span><b style="background-color: white;"><i><a href="http://buddiesforevermovieclub.blogspot.com/2012/07/amazing-spider-man.html" target="_blank">The Amazing Spider-Man</a></i></b><span style="background-color: white;"> and </span><b style="background-color: white;"><i><a href="http://buddiesforevermovieclub.blogspot.com/2012/05/avengers.html" target="_blank">The Avengers</a></i></b><span style="background-color: white;"> were two great successes, but there was no greater excitement than that which surrounded </span><b style="background-color: white;"><i>The Dark Knight Rises</i></b><span style="background-color: white;">, the third
and final chapter in </span><b style="background-color: white;">Christopher Nolan’s</b><span style="background-color: white;"> revered trilogy. It was a must-see,
and the only question was whether or not it could live up to the standard set
by 2008’s </span><b style="background-color: white;"><i>The Dark Knight</i></b><span style="background-color: white;">.</span><br />
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As I’ve stated many times, I’m a fan of comics books.
With that said, I’ve always been more of a <b>Marvel</b> man as opposed to <b>DC</b>, but I
still know my fair share about Batman lore. Plus, I enjoyed <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0372784/" target="_blank">Batman Begins</a></i></b> and
thought <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0468569/" target="_blank">The Dark Knight</a></i> was amazing and should have won an <b>Academy Award</b> for best
picture.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For those who don’t know about the latest installment, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1345836/" target="_blank">IMDb explains</a>: “<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Eight
years on, a new terrorist leader, Bane, overwhelms Gotham's finest, and the
Dark Knight resurfaces to protect a city that has branded him an enemy.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">People have been hailing <i>The Dark Knight Rises</i> as an Oscar
contender, but I don’t agree. It was a good movie and highly enjoyable, but it
wasn’t nearly as good as <i>The Dark Knight</i>. It’s hard for me to imagine <i>Rises</i>
could win either Best Picture or Best Director when the middle movie didn’t.
That’s not meant to be a dig on the new chapter, but rather a compliment to <i>The
Dark Knight</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Getting back to business, <i>The Dark Knight Rises</i> was better than
good, but fell short of being great. It was a great continuation of the story
and a satisfactory capstone to the trilogy, but it didn’t have the same
mind-blowing performances (i.e. <b>Heath Ledger</b> as the <b>Joker</b>—which earned him a
well-deserved posthumous Oscar) and dark storyline that made <i>The Dark Knight</i> so great. As Nolan has stated, the
new installment features “Pain” as a theme; whereas, <i>Batman Begins</i> centered on
“Fear” and <i>The Dark Knight</i> on “Chaos.” For me, watching “Chaos” is the best,
but “Pain” trumps “Fear;” in other words, <i>The Dark Knight Rises</i> is better than
<i>Batman Begins</i> but not as good <i>The Dark Knight</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000288/" target="_blank">Christian Bale</a></b> once again portrayed Batman, and he did an
awesome job as always. Likewise, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000198/" target="_blank">Gary Oldman</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000151/" target="_blank">Morgan Freeman</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000323/" target="_blank">Michael Caine</a></b>
were back in their respective roles, and each delivered brilliantly. New
additions to the cast included <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0330687/" target="_blank">Joseph Gordon-Levitt</a></b> as <b>Gotham City Police
Officer Blake</b>; <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004266/" target="_blank">Anne Hathaway</a></b> as <b>Selina Kyle/Catwoman</b>; <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0182839/" target="_blank">Marion Cotillard</a></b> as
<b>Miranda Tate/Talia al Ghul</b>; and <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0362766/" target="_blank">Tom Hardy</a></b> as <b>Bane</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">All of these actors delivered engaging performances, but it was the</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> main villain of the film that impressed me. Thanks to my love of comics, I was aware of Bane, but a lot of people weren’t familiar with the character. To put it bluntly, Bane is pain incarnate. He experiences it (his tricked out mask keeps it at bay), and dishes out even more. I really enjoyed watching Bane in action, and contrary to many, I was a fan of his voice, which was based upon Irish traveller and bare-knuckle boxer<b> Bartley Gorman</b> (1944-2002). It certainly takes some getting used to, but I thought it brought a touch of class to a bad-ass villain. A nice job by Hardy.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On the other hand, the addition of Catwoman seemed a bit frivolous. The character, while
a big-time player in the Batman universe, didn’t add much to the film and it
almost seemed as if she was added to appease fans. I’d have like to have either seen her
character's development expanded or tied into the storyline more intimately, but to be
completely honest, it’s not easy to fill the shoes left by Ledger’s Joker. Bane is just a step behind, but Catwoman failed to bring the duo into the upper echelon of villain.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As I said before, while they may not be at the same level as
Ledger’s Joker, the performances in <i>The Dark Knight Rises</i> did not leave me
wanting. In fact, my only qualms involved the story. Whereas <i>The Dark Knight</i>
was a tight package, <i>The Dark Knight Rises</i> was more of a sieve, able to hold
it’s own but with a few holes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">One of those holes was glossing over some lingering questions. I
respect Nolan’s decision to avoid talk of the Joker, who is neither mentioned
nor referenced in the film, out of respect for the late Ledger, but there were some situations introduced that
warranted clarification. For instance, Bane ends up taking Gotham City hostage
for many months, but the timeline surrounding it wasn’t exactly clear as it seemed
events were taking place over a couple days/weeks as opposed to months. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Likewise, Bane imprisons <b>Bruce Wayne</b> in an “ancient place”
somewhere in the world, whichappears to be somewhere in the Middle East.
Inexplicably, the time it took to get Wayne to the prison, and his subsequent
return to Gotham City are glossed over. Not a big deal, as any competent viewer
can fill in the blanks, but it was still a blank that needed filling in,
something you didn’t see much of in <i>The Dark Knight</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There were a few other instances like those above, and they did
not go unnoticed. They didn’t sink the ship, so to speak, but they were a few
loose ends that could have made the film better had they been tied; although,
the film did clock in at 164 minutes, the longest of the trilogy, so I supposed
they couldn’t explain everything in great detail.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In regards to the ending, which many have found polarizing, I
won’t say much as I don’t want to reveal any spoilers. However, I will say that
it was a satisfactory ending. I liked the twist with Gordon-Levitt’s character,
and was hit or miss with what they did to Batman. If this is really the last
film for Nolan, I might have avoided the route they took, but then again, no
one likes to see the hero die. Plus, while Batman lives, there’s always a
chance for a fourth film, which no doubt sits well with studio executives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">All in all <i>The Dark Knight Rises</i> was on par with what I was
expecting. This review might come off a bit negative or lackluster, but let me
be clear—it was a very good movie and I enjoyed it. If you liked the first two
films, you’ll enjoy the third.</span></div>
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<b style="background-color: white;">Buddies Forever Movie Club Rating: 82%</b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Let
me start off by saying that, initially, I wasn’t planning on seeing </span><b style="background-color: white;"><i>Ted</i></b><span style="background-color: white;">. The
idea of a vulgar teddy bear chumming it up with </span><b style="background-color: white;"><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000242/" target="_blank">Mark Wahlberg</a></i></b><span style="background-color: white;"> didn’t really
appeal to me. Then, after being released for a week, I began to hear great
reviews via word of mouth. “It’s the funniest movie ever,” a few of my friends
said, which inspired me to give it a chance. I wouldn’t say it was the funniest
movie ever, but it was friggin’ hilarious.</span><br />
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For those who don’t know, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1637725/" target="_blank"><b>IMDb</b> describes the premise</a>: <i>“As
the result of a childhood wish, John Bennett's teddy bear, Ted, came to life
and has been by John's side ever since - a friendship that's tested when Lori,
John's girlfriend of four years, wants more from their relationship.”</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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It sounds a bit corny,
but thanks to the comedic genius of <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0532235/" target="_blank">Seth MacFarlane</a></b>, the movie really comes to
life. For me, it was like watching a
real-life episode of <b><i>Family Guy</i></b>, but with different characters. There were
hilarious flashback scenes, daydreams, raunchiness, uncomfortable scenarios,
and everything in between. Simply put, if you’re a fan of <i>Family Guy</i>, you’ll
definitely be a fan of <i>Ted</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you’re not familiar
with <i>Family Guy</i>, fear not, <i>Ted</i> still has plenty to offer. The first thing
you’ll need to know though, is that this is an R-rated comedy. While there is a
teddy bear involved, this movie isn’t for kids. As I mentioned before, there
was a lot of raunchiness, which turns out can be quite funny coming from a
stuffed teddy bear.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Not only did MacFarlane
write and direct the film, he voiced Ted and even donned a motion-capture suit
to portray him. By doing so, he injected some life and enthusiasm, turning a
computer-generated character into something more. Without a doubt, Ted is the
star of this film.<o:p></o:p></div>
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With that said, he
receives some complimentary performances throughout. For instance, Wahlberg does a great job breaking from action flicks and tackling a comedy
role. I tend to be hit or miss when it comes Wahlberg’s performances, but in
<i>Ted</i> he hits it out of the park as <b>John Bennett</b> (coincidentally that’s the same
name as my ex-girlfriend’s fiancé). It’s hard to imagine Wahlberg as a grown,
irresponsible, and innocent man-child, but he pulls it off with flying colors.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Likewise, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005109/" target="_blank">Mila Kunis</a></b> does
a great job as Bennett’s girlfriend, <b>Lori Collins</b>, who believes Ted branching
out on his own is best for everyone. Obviously this causes some
friction, and ultimately sets up some pretty funny situations. It couldn’t have
been easy to convince two Hollywood stars of Kunis and Wahlberg’s caliber to
star in a film about a talking teddy bear, but kudos to them both for taking
the risk.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Kudos are also in order
for <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000610/" target="_blank">Giovanni Ribisi</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0570364/" target="_blank">Joel McHale</a></b> for delivering on their supporting roles,
as well as <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001772/" target="_blank">Patrick Stewart’s</a></b> narrating duties and cameo appearances by <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000643/" target="_blank">Tom Skerritt</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1289528/" target="_blank">Norah Jones</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0097504/" target="_blank">Alex Borstein</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0429207/" target="_blank">Sam J. Jones</a></b> as <b>Flash Gordon</b>. It never
ceases to amaze me how MacFarlane can take a stagnant career, like those of
Skerritt and Jones, and seemingly revive them simply by featuring them as an
extreme caricature of themselves.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Ted</i> was a great first
outing for MacFarlane, and I look forward to his future endeavors in the
feature film realm. Surprisingly, his animation-comedy techniques translate
well to the big screen, and <i>Ted</i> had me laughing non-stop; in fact, I had tears in my
eyes from laughing so hard, and I can’t remember the last time that happened.
If you enjoy a good R-rated comedy, then <i>Ted</i> is a must.</div>
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<b>Buddies Forever Movie Club Rating: 75%</b><br />
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