Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

The story was over, Jack Sparrow rode off into the sunset and the trilogy ended with most of the loose ends tied up. But for a franchise as successful as Pirates of the Caribbean, it’s not over until Disney says it’s over. So Johnny Depp returns as Sparrow, Geoffrey Rush as Barbossa and almost everyone else is ditched for a new tighter film. That film, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides has a race to the mythical fountain of youth. Sparrow finds himself a hostage of Blackbeard (Ian McShane) and his first mate (Penelope Cruz) who use him to for his knowledge of the fountain’s location. Meanwhile Barbossa, who is now employed as a privateer for the British Royal Navy, is trying to out-sprint the Spanish to the prize.

Don’t be misled by the overlapping stories, On Stranger Tides is clearly Jack Sparrow’s movie. The first half rarely sees a scene without him. But since it’s so much fun watching Depp’s performance as the unpredictable pirate, this proves to be a successful attribute of the film. In some of the rare Sparrow-less moments, a romance develops between a young religious man (Sam Claflin) and a captive mermaid (Astrid Berges-Frisbey). Both characters grow to be likeable, though the storyline never materializes to more than a romantic cameo, and a reminder of how much we miss Orlando Bloom and Kiera Knightley’s Will and Elizabeth. One character I’m glad remained is Barbossa, who is more of a stereotypical pirate than the anti-hero, Jack Sparrow. With a new peg leg in tow, Rush ups his performance as the likeable villain and shows why his character survived the purge between movie three and four.

This is very much a Pirates film, with all the fun aspects of the originals. Addressing the fountain of youth and bringing on Blackbeard adds another layer of pirate lore to the saga, which is important in order to stay relevant. Making the film self-contained proves to be the best approach for this add-on to the trilogy. While some characters and situations benefit from the audience’s past knowledge, a new fan could easily jump straight into On Stranger Tides. Unfortunately, it seems that even a different director couldn’t help the series’ constant trend of seeming incredibly drawn out. (8.1 out of 10)

The Hangover Part II

Was the first installment of The Hangover the best comedy of all-time? Probably not, but some people seem to think so, especially those who judge a movie by its box-office earnings. Now the pressure is on with The Hangover Part II, which doesn’t have the surprise factor the first one had. If you’ve seen the first one, you know what this one is about.

The only difference is that they are in Bangkok for Ed Helms’ character’s wedding and his bride’s younger brother is the one who has gone missing. For those who haven’t seen the first one, the story follows a group of friends who try to piece together their previous night after blacking out and waking up with one of their numbers missing. As things develop, it turns out each event was more ridiculous than the last. It’s like a drunkard’s Sherlock Holmes.

Since the three primary leads are now big stars, the expectation of their performances has to be raised. Bradley Cooper fulfills this requirement to an extent that it’s clear he is too big of a star for an ensemble comedy like this. Since Helms’ wedding is the event in focus for this film, his performance contains a lot of screaming and his usual charm is hardly there. As for Zach Galifianakis, the line is so completely blurred between his acting and the character’s awkwardness I can’t tell if he has a great performance or a terrible one. As a group there just isn’t the chemistry there was in the original, possibly because the person they’re searching for isn’t one of their oldest friends, like last time.

Fans of raunchy comedy will most definitely be in hysterics during The Hangover Part II. Some of the events are incredibly disgusting, others just really funny. As is the case with any sequel, it has to answer to comparisons with the original. The verdict isn’t a clear one. The plots are completely parallel with many similar events. But it is fairly well done and funny. (8.0 out of 10)

Something Borrowed

As the first movie I’ve seen that appeared on my Summer Blockbuster Preview, I had high hopes for Something Borrowed. Yes, it was in my “I’ll actually see that” category, implying that I’m not part of the target demographic, but still, it was mentioned. Unfortunately, the characters in the movie are as unsympathetic as any, falling just short of criminals and animated villains. Even though Ginnifer Goodwin and company aren’t quite Scar from The Lion King, they are pretty annoying and frustrating. The gist of the story is that Goodwin’s character accidently sets up her law school study partner, and dream man, (Colin Egglesfield) with her best friend (Kate Hudson) and now years later they two getting married. But when the two former classmates discover they share feelings for each other, the engagement is called into question. In the meantime, John Krasinski plays a childhood friend of Goodwin’s who is not really important to the plot, but very important to making the movie bearable.

It must be said that he plays a slightly more ambitious version of his character from The Office, but the reason that’s okay is because it’s apparent that much of the real life Krasinski makes its way into these characters. That’s why his acting never seems forced. But the big question here is: what is the point of this movie? The audience rarely feels good about the events on the screen. It’s a nice romance that is constantly shrouded with frustration and disgust. There is even a point where I thought that the only happy ending would be if everyone ended up alone.

Something Borrowed is not a “bad movie” by the usual sense of the term. In the opening scenes there are some shots that are pretty unconventional for a rom-com. And there is a bit of development for Goodwin’s character, who is the film’s main focus. Call me old fashioned but I would like some of these people whose fictional lives I’m following for two hours to make some right decisions. (7.0 out of 10)

Bridesmaids

The most fun part of the Kristen Wiig lead comedy, Bridesmaids has to be the scavenger hunt for actors who have made appearances on The Office and Saturday Night Live prior to this film. While that probably isn’t what those involved want the film to be remembered for, the rest isn’t incredibly memorable to be honest. The story follows a Wiig’s character, who faces the task of being her best friend’s (Maya Rudolph) maid of honor. She then encounters problems when another bridesmaid (Rose Byrne) tries to takeover as Rudolph’s best friend.

The film doesn’t over commit to comedy, meaning that there is time for a story and characters to develop in the face of mindless jokes. The film’s funniest scene involves the most immature of subjects, pooping and puking, with some farts sprinkled in, as well. While watching the events unfold, the viewer can’t help but laugh, though in hindsight I expect professional comedy writers to have something a little less expected for their number one shtick. The rest of the movie is similar in the predictability of the jokes, very funny, but far from groundbreaking.

The chemistry between Wiig and Rudolph, as well as Wiig and Chris O’Dowd prove to be the film’s overall strength. Even though comedy is supposed to be the focus, this friendship and budding romance come across as much more sincere and provide chick-flick-esque chuckles along the way. I can’t say Bridesmaids has enough appeal to be quoted for years to come, but the fact that no one saw it coming on the summer calendar helps its case. Wiig definitely deserves this critical success after her years as lead actress on SNL. Before Bridesmaids the best film her résumé had to offer was MacGruber, which seemed like a much better movie when it was released than it does now. (7.6 out of 10)

Priest

Priest had such an expansive advertising campaign accompanying its early summer release it was quite apparent the studio was looking to avoid getting lost in the shuffle. However, as a fairly unknown commodity, the story would have been much better suited with a mid-fall or spring release. It really doesn’t stand a chance.

While they are often strong actors, the star power of Paul Bettany, Maggie Q, Cam Gigandet and Karl Urban is hardly buzz worthy. Script wise, they have very little to work with. The story may be interesting and the pacing strong, but I just can’t begin to fathom why stereotypically cheesy one-liners still find their way into major film releases. Gigandet delivers many of them, in an almost cringe worthy performance. Unfortunately it seems that he picked up some bad habits from his stint in Twilight. The other three were good, but not great.

There’s no denying the story has its moments. The vampires are monsters with almost no human qualities, which will likely annoy vampire traditionalists. However, it does help prevent the viewer from feeling any sympathy for the villains. After a while though, Urban’s presence as an actual actor among CGI minions is a breath of fresh air, even if his intriguing character is underdeveloped. Another attention-grabbing aspect of Priest is the post-apocalyptic city controlled by the Church, which comes with grimy steel confessionals patrolled by armed guards. But a short while into the film, Bettany’s character leaves the city and the viewer goes with him, never to return for more than a few sporadic moments.

Priest is a second tier sci-fi film that struggles to integrate important elements (damsel in distress, hot shot young sheriff) on to the screen. So when you add up the movie’s best-developed aspects, it proves to be for sci-fi enthusiasts and comic book fans. There are also a number of instances where horror film influences shine through. But it’s not like I jumped every time a vampire flew out at the audience… I did actually. (6.8 out of 10)

Thor

As Marvel continues to plow through their Rolodex of superheroes to translate into big budget movies, there is the constant threat that a few will flop and put a wrench in their plans. Thor, as a less popular character, had the potential to fall that way, though it actually emerges as one of Marvel’s most successful on screen adaptations. With his fan base significantly smaller than Spider-man and others, there isn’t a common knowledge back-story and that allows viewers to take the film at face value.

But then there is the whole process of making a strong film, which is easier said than done. With classically trained actor Kenneth Branagh directing, there isn’t a weak performance to be found in the movie. Some are definitely better than others, but that’s unavoidable. Leads Chris Hemsworth, who plays Thor, and Tom Hiddleston, Loki, do very well balancing their characters’ likeability. Hiddleston in particular can keep the audience’s sympathy while emerging as one of the more cunning super villains to hit the big screen. Natalie Portman, who plays the token human girl, won’t likely defend her Oscar with this performance, but having a solid actress in the role allows for a better overall film.

In retrospect Thor spends a lot of time juggling a story line with the villainous ice giants, which isn’t incredibly important to the main plot. These encounters are the main showcase of big budget effects and colossal fight scenes. What’s interesting is that theses scenes are often long or back-to-back with other fight sequences, but they never get repetitive or dull. In fact, Branagh’s Shakespearian influence gives an artistic value to moments in which one wouldn’t really expect any (like throwing a hammer throw an enemy’s face). Ultimately, Thor surpasses all expectations and gives the movie-going public a great kick-off to the super-hero filled summer film season. (8.9 out of 10)

Summer '11 Blockbuster Preview

The unofficial New Year of film begins this week with the summer blockbuster season. While the winter months may be the time for critics with the “Oscar worthy” releases, the summer is for the fans. The best the studios have to offer are scheduled for these all too short weeks between May first and August 31st. This year follows the trends of the best few summers with a lot of sequels and sci-fi/fantasy being the genre of choice. But movies have so much crossover appeal these days that I imagine almost every moviegoer is looking forward to something this summer. Here are some of them, which I’m looking forward to.

--Most Intriguing: Cowboys and Aliens

The anticipation for this movie goes beyond the mash-up concept and crazy, “What is going on?!” imagery shown in the trailers. Harrison Ford’s commitment to a new potential franchise speaks for what is likely a strong script. Add him to Ron Howard and Steven Spielberg’s involvement as producers and this thing has to be good. Jon Favreu (Iron Man, Elf) is directing and we all know he’s more than adequate behind the camera. I just wonder how believable Daniel Craig will be as a cowboy. You can't look more European than he does. Cowboys and Aliens definitely has the potential to put this year’s influx of alien-based thrillers to shame.

Honorable Mention- Super 8: JJ Abrams’ brand of mystery sci-fi can’t be questioned. It seems that the only thing that can de-rail him is bad acting. Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Why this movie was ever made, I don’t know, but the trailers suggest it’s a modern thriller with an emphasis on logic. That’s something that can’t be said about any of its predecessors.

--Yeah, I’ll actually see that: Something Borrowed

I assume it’s hard for filmmakers to come up with a revolutionary concept in the romantic comedy genre, but I can’t help noticing a lot of them are the same. Kind of like how Something Borrowed looks just like My Best Friend’s Wedding. The biggest difference this time is that John Krasinski will get another go at becoming a breakout movie star. The appeal of this guy puts him right on the cusp of success in any genre. But the movie itself looks pretty good, charming, whatever. It’s not your typical cast of rom-com actors, so it will at least be different in that sense.

Honorable Mention- Kung Fu Panda 2: The trailer is funny and the animation has a different look to it. Plus, Dreamworks has been on a role for the past few years. Spy Kids 4: Probably not for everyone, but the Jessica Alba casting has me interested in what the reboot will look like.

This could be a disaster: Captain America: The First Avenger

I have much more faith in this movie than a lot of the people I’ve spoken to about it, but there is definitely a risk it could be the cheese to our summer movie taco. While Chris Evans is a strong actor, Cap seems to be one of the only Marvel heroes not to get a costume update for the big screen. Everything from the winged mask to blue cargo pants say that someone at Marvel/Disney wasn’t willing to budge. Now if that’s the case with something as trivial as wardrobe, I fear for what the script looks like.

Honorable Mention- The Hangover 2: There’s a fresh location and new antics, but it’s the same situation. There’s a bachelor party, blackout, someone is missing. There needs to be more for it meet expectations. Bridesmaids: A handful of TV regular actresses star in this comedy about a wedding. But as is the case with many movies starring Saturday Night Live cast members, it could easily crash and burn without laughs.

Best. Movie. Ever. -Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II

With the release of the new trailer, I see little chance this isn’t the most epic movie of the CGI era. Even if someone doesn’t know the books, the films have set them self-apart with high drama and screen specific writing. With the previous film coming out a mere eight months prior, there is potential that non-fans won't have the anticipation they've had in the past, but the likelihood of an all-out wizard’s war will likely see theaters sell out all over the world. It’s a wonderful catch-22 to be in. Do I want time to move slowly between now and July, so Harry Potter never ends, or is my anticipation just too great? I’ll probably just live in the movie theater the week it comes out.

Honorable Mention-X-Men: First Class: This has the potential to be in the disaster category, but such a different look for the X-Men franchise can also mean big success. Michael Fassbender is exactly the kind of talent that can carry a volatile project like this and good or bad it should be fun to watch. Crazy, Stupid, Love: It obviously doesn’t have the action the other two films have, but with some of Hollywood’s most sought after actors, including Steve Carell, this may be a really good movie. But as Dinner for Schmucks taught us, Carell doesn’t necessarily mean success.

Let me know your picks in the comment section.