Spiderman 3

Directed by: Sam Raimi

Cast:

Toby MaGuire - Peter Parker/Spiderman
Kirsten Dunst - Mary Jane Watson
James Franco - Harry/New Goblin
Thomas Hayden Church - Flint Marko/Sandman
Topher Grace - Eddie Brock/Venom
Rosemary Harris - May Parker

Spidey may have gotten himself tangled in a web he can’t escape in his latest sequal. The movie starts out slowly and just when it picks up enough momentum it seems to peter out only to pick up again. This roller-coaster effect goes on unending for the next three hours.

The Spiderman we have known for the past two movies has been living the high life lately. He becomes nothing less than the mascot of New York City; beloved by young and old alike. At college is in the top of his class. If that weren’t enough he is planning on marrying his high-school sweetheart Mary Jane. As was expected his old best friend Harry (James Franco) comes back to avenge his father’s death. Another character is haphazardly brought into the mix. His name is Sandman (Tomas Hayden Church) is a warning to us all not to go poking our noses around particle accelerator (or eliminator?) facilities.

Be prepared for all the usual special effects of which the series applies well. Spiderman 3 is certainly the best in that respect. Now, if only the characters were developed as well as the CGI. We never stay long enough on a particular character of plot before being propelled to the next. Just when you think it wasn’t tough enough to battle two supervillans a third is introduced right near the end played by an aspiring photographer (Eddie Brock).

Overall Spiderman three has enough in it for another sequel. Toward the end of the movie no matter how much action is thrown at you, you tend to get restless. The acting was good but not spectacular. Toby McGuire plays his part especially well, giving us a glimpse into a dark side we have never seen before in his character. And of course from the crisis he endures we learn valuable moral lessons. The character of the Sandman I thought wasn’t elaborated on enough - neither was the illness his child had. Ultimately Spiderman continues to show us that even superheroes are human and weak in certain respects and most of are it is we who create our own destinies - something we all should be reminded of occasionally.

2 ½ stars

United 93

Directed by Paul Greengrass

It is hard to think about 9/11 and be objective. Thoughts of needless death, fear and dismay pervade the mind. Indeed we have many accounts of events that day from the perspective of witnesses on the ground but we will never know what actually happened on the doomed flights. It is flight United Airlines 93 that interests most people since it didn’t reach its target and instead crashed in rural Pennsylvania. Did the crew attempt to take over the plane and lose control? Did the hijackers lose control accidentally?

Paul Greengrass’ United 93 gives one rendition of the story. The Picture is edited so the picture length is in sync with the actual events and shot with a handheld camera to heighten the uneasiness. There are a lot of close-ups and the cast does an excellent job of playing their parts as people who know they are almost certainly going to their deaths. We are painfully reminded that real flesh and blood people died - this event actually happened. There is definitely a difference between watching these people and most other films where innocent bystanders are killed because we know in those instances the events are completely contrived.

We know what the outcome will be but we root for the characters anyway - right up to the very end. The people on the plane don’t know this for certain and instead of being resigned to their situation they try to change it. It is truly the hallmark of a good movie when it can convey the human condition, granted in extremes, with such believability. United 93 does just that.

4 stars

An Inconvenient Truth

Directed by Davis Guggenheim

Starring:
Al Gore

The issue of Global Warming and its effects are being showcased in the media at an ever increasing rate. Whether you choose to believe in it or not you can’t escape it. However, this wasn’t always the case, especially when Al Gore was a senator trying to get Lawmakers to listen to him and the scientific findings.
An Inconvenient Truth touches on Al Gores struggles both politically and privately all against the backdrop of Global Warming and its undeniable impact on the planet.
Through a slideshow presentation Gore walks through the causes, the statistical data and the anticipated effects of increased greenhouse gasses. The facts are staggering and cause for concern, as Al Gore quotes Winston Churchill, we are indeed in “an era of consequences.”
Al Gore speaks with confidence and his is even humorous. Indeed he has had a practice for he gives this presentation thousands of times. The images presented are engaging and profound. At first I didn’t understand why Gore includes so much about his life, the tragedy with his son and his political endeavors (think ‘Hanging Chad’), but understanding these events help us understand Gore the person and why fundamentally he wants to change people’s minds and enact change. Gore is a man on a mission and though he never became president it goes to show that the president doesn’t have to be the only person in a position of power to change the world.

3 stars

300

Directed by Zack Snyder & Kurt Johnstad
Gerard Butler (King Leonideas
Lena Headly (Queen Gorgo)
Dominic West (Theron)

Many critics try to compare 300 to other films based on graphic novels like Sin City and Gladiator, however I think there really is no comparison. 300 takes the portrayal of graphic novels to a whole new level, one that will undoubtedly be emulated but not topped anytime soon. The film is an action-packed, gory, testosterone laden cinema-graphic masterpiece; or about as far away from a chick-flick as you can get.
A storyteller, a Spartan warrior himself, narrates for us as the film opens up with a young prince; Leonidas, hunting a monstrous wolf. We learn that he like all Spartans is taught from a very young age not to feel pain for themselves or others. Ancient Greece is a tough neighborhood - everyone wants a piece of it, not least of all the god-like king of Persia, Xerces.
Leonidas hand picks three hundred (hence the name) of his best warriors to fight back the Persian Hordes at Thermopylae, a narrow mountain straight & Greece’s best natural defense from Persia. When the men see the advancing enemy numbering in the thousands their reaction can only be described as ‘Well, is this the best you can do?” And the bloodbath begins.
Besides the brave warriors and their king there are also many other memorable characters in this film including mutant monsters, a horribly deformed hunchback, a seductive oracle and creepy ogre-like priests.
But Gerard Butler really does steal the show with an excellent job as acting the fearless leader role. His loyal queen Leda may be the model Spartan woman herself, who are obviously taught from an early age to stand by their men and always keep a knife handy in their togas. While he and his men are out slaughtering Persians, Leda rallies the council to send more troops to her husbands aide. She has to handle the devious Theron (Dominic West) who wants nothing more than control of the council and her of course.
Once the action starts in 300 it never stops. The stop action cinematography, spectacular CG effects and rousing soundtrack combine to make this a roller-coaster ride from beginning to end. The backgrounds, though entirely fake, are breathtaking and they are obviously a growing trend in cinema as computer technology becomes better and shooting on-locale becomes more expensive. But with this sort of film I don’t think with this sort of story it could have been done better any other way and all involved truly did a fantastic job.

4 Stars

Casino Royale

Directed By: Martin Campbell

Starring:
Daniel Craig
Eva Green
Mads Mikkelsen

Let me just start out by saying for those of you who have seen Bond movies before that this isn't your typical bond movie & for those of you who haven't, well where have you been? Just kidding. Both viewers should find this latest one a treat. The bond movies were adapted from Iam Flemming’s books & Casino Royale is the first one that started it all. The beginning of the movie starts with the two kills that garner Bond his 007 status. Right away we see that this guy means business. The plot revolves around a high stakes poker game set in the Casino Royale in Montenegro (hence the title). If the bad guy wins it means terrorists are going to get a whole lot of money. Of course Bond is sent in because hes the best poker player "The Queen has to offer.
If you're familiar with the Bond series you know Bond goes through one outlandish scenario after another with barely a scratch or a hint of physical pain. However in this one bond gets the sh** beat out of him and you literally see some scratches. The plot devices that save him from almost certain death come a bit too often but they don't bother me. The film does an good job of portraying Bond as a man with feelings too - not just doing his job for Queen and Country - something I felt that the latest bond movies lacked. Some other familiar things are gone too - like Q and the recurring 007 theme song, however the nonstop action & good acting don't even make you miss it. Its a great "spy story on steroids" but isn't that we should expect from 007? This film delivers and then some.

4 stars

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon

Directed by Ang Lee
Written by Wang Du-Lu

Starring:
Chow Yun-Fat
Michelle Yeoh
Ziyi Zhang

This story is set in China somewhere in the 18th or 19th centuries. The plot line revolves around 4 characters: Li Mu Bei, a martial arts expert and owner of the Green Destiny, a powerful sword, his companion Yu Shu Lien, also handy with swords, a young Mongolian warlord named Lo & the object of his affections, a cunning girl named Jen Yu.
The story starts with Li Mu Bei giving up the Green Destiny as a gift. When Jen Yu learns of this her plot to steal the Green Destiny goes into action. Most of the story involves Li Mu Bei and Yu Shu Liens, search to recover the sword. It involves a lot of fantastic jumping and carefully choreographed fight scenes. There is one scene in particular where Jen Yu is cornered by a bars full of men and goes on a rampage, literally putting everyone in casts and wrecking the place. Behind this story however, a love story slowly unravels between Li Mu Bei and Yu Shu Lien. Also we learn of how the free spirited Jen Yu falls for the equally free spirited mongoloian Lo.
The costuming is superb and the scenery is breathtaking. While it is a stretch to believe the fighting scenes if you allow yourself to become caught up in the fantasy it will be a real treat.
I thought the underlying theme of the film was power, ultimately symbolized by the Green Destiny itself. While the sword gives great power to whoever wields it, it also takes away something else - something the main characters have all looked for but denied once they found it. And if you want to know what that is, well you'll just have to see the movie.
* = in subtitles
3 Stars

The Island

Directed by Michael Bay

Cast:
Ewan McGregor
Scarlett Johansson
Djimon Hounsou
Sean Bean
Steve Buscemi

This futurist scenario takes place in 2015. In the beginning we learn that a biological disaster has taken place on earth and there is only one safe place that is the Island, an uncontaminated tropical paradise. Soon we learn that all is not as it seems however.
The main characters, Lincoln Six Echo & Jordan Two Delta, played by Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson were supposedly saved from the contamination as are the thousands around them that live their lives in a highly controlled environment. Their only wish is to win a lottery which selects a person to go to the island.
Ewan McGregor isn't like his peers in that he has an insatiable curiosity. His curiosity leads him to find that the Island really is a cover for something much more sinister. When his favorite girl, Jordan Two Delta is selected to go the Island, Lincoln springs into action to save her and the action ensues.
I recommend this film to anyone interested in action movies or sci-fi type films. It will definitely satisfy both audiences. The actors put on fairly good performances but Steve Busemi as McCord certainly stands out and adds comic interest. The film starts out fairly slowly but once the action starts it is almost non-stop. It definitely raises questions about ethics and human value. Particularly are Human Beings allowed to “Play God” or do we not have a choice? Sounds like a good topic for another post….

3 Stars

The Sea Inside

Directed By: Alejandro Amenabar
2004
Won the Oscar for best foreign film

Cast:
Javier Bardem - Ramon Sampedro
Lola Duenas - Julia
Mabel Rivera - Rosa

Set in Spain, the Sea Inside details the true-life struggle of Ramon Sampedro, played by Javier Bardem, to end his life after a debilitating accident has left him paralyzed from below the neck. He sees his existence as unacceptable and even sub-human. Ramon is confined to a bed and takes flights of the imagination to experience the outside world. Perhaps the best scenes in this movie are when we get inside the mind of Ramon and fly though the countryside.
We learn how he received his injury - when he dove into dangerously shallow water. Ramon stills loves the sea - it has an awesome power for him. For as he says it was the sea that gave him life and the sea that took it away. Ramon has people wishing he wouldn’t kill himself, like his brother and the Catholic church and those who want to help in his cause like Julia (Lola Duenas), his attorney who also has a debilitating illness that over time robs her of her physical as well as mental health.
Another woman, Rosa (Mabel Rivera), being unlucky with love and out of a job finds herself doting over Ramon. She tells him that Ramon gives her a reason to go on.
Despite its ethical dimensions and of course the subject of death and dying this film also has a lot to say about living. Interspersed are scenes of love, birth, and just plain life.
Ramon is a strong character and Javier Bardem plays him with much integrity. He is a man who cherishes perhaps the one freedom he has left - his freedom to choose. In one particular scene he is arguing with a priest. The priest insists he isn’t free to kill himself. Ramon replies in so many words that no one is free to take away his freedom.

4 stars

Little Miss Sunshine

Directed by Jonathan Dayton & Valarie Faris
Olive - Abigail Breslin
Richard - Greg Kinnear
Dwayne - Paul Dano
Grandpa - Alan Arkin
Sheryl - Toni Collette
Frank - Steve Carell

The story centers on the journey of a quirky and somewhat dysfunctional family from their home to a beauty contest for the youngest member Olive. However each character takes a rather interesting journey of their own along the way and in the end we learn or are reminded a thing or two about what it means to be a family.
The father himself is a struggling motivational speaker. His dad is a Heroin addicted trash-talking but loveable character. His wife Sheryl is the supportive mother and their son a 15-year old taking a vow of silence until he joins the air force. Abigail Breslin plays Olive, their youngest, wonderfully as the down-to-earth seven year old with big dreams. She hopes to win the Little Miss Sunshine pageant in California. Steve Carell joins the mix early on after he is deemed unsafe to be alone after attempting suicide. As always he adds his own unique humor to the palate.
Soon Olive gets the call that she has been accepted as a contestant in the Little Miss Sunshine Beauty pageant. It is determined that since no one can stay behind they all must travel with Olive in what becomes a hilarious road trip. For instance when the clutch gives out on their Volkswagen they must all push it to get it going and then jump in one by one. It is a family effort all the way and it especially shows at the end.
The acting is well done, most notably the characters of Olive, Richard and Frank. The whimsical soundtrack reminded me of an old western and I thought a perfect fit for the film. Little Miss Sunshine has a lot of heart and is light hearted yet serious at the same time. Few films can have this kind of mixture and pull it off well but this one does just that.

4 Stars

Office Space

Directed By: Mike Judge

Cast:
Ron Livingson - Peter Gibbons
Jennifer Anniston - Joanna



Work Sucks. Or so is the philosophy of Peter Gibbons played by Ron Livingston in this comical movie about office life. Peter works in a dead-end job at Initech a large cubicle - cluttered company that cares more about raising its profits by a fraction of a percent than listening to it’ own employees. Peter seeks help for his job from a hypnotist who hopefully can make him feel like he’s not actually working. The hypnotizing works well - almost too well. Peter is suddenly worry free. When his boss tells him to come in to work on Saturday he just sleeps in. Later he asks the waitress Joanna (Jennifer Aniston), who he’s always liked, to have lunch with him. Back at work while other people are being layed off he is being promoted despite the fact that he doesn’t do any real work.
Peter wants to get back at the company that has taken so much from his life when he learns that his two office coworkers and friends are being suddenly laid off. A scheme is hatched and revenge is swift.
There are many memorable characters in this movie from the aloof and “evil” boss (Gary Cole) to the mumbling, hard-lucked Milton (Stephen Root) who’s desk is constantly being moved.
A modern day corporate comedy, this is a must see for anyone who’s ever worked in an office or abhors the idea of it.

2 1/2 Stars

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