Footloose

Can Kevin Bacon’s famous frolic through an abandoned factory in Footloose hold up in 2011 when break dancing has become the cinematic dance of choice? Well yes, I suppose it can. The reboot of the 1984 film, is a modernized remake, which mirrors the original in most instances. Kenny Wormald fills Bacon’s sneakers and at times it seems like he was cast because of his resemblance to the actor. He isn’t half bad though when he makes the part his own. Julianne Hough and Dennis Quad also star.

For those not familiar, the story is centered on a city teen, (Wormald) who moves to the rural south with his uncle after his mother dies. He understandably has a hard time adapting to the change. But this isn’t a typical town. Loud music and dancing are outlawed after a group of teens were killed in a car accident on the way back from a drunken line dance. It’s not the soundest concept. Obviously lawmakers would be more concerned with the drunk driving and drugs than the dancing, but it comes off as believable in the film.

There are a number of expendable scenes that likely make the cut to be a slice of nostalgia for fans of the original, though the pace zips right along after some early dragging. The biggest issue with the film is that Hough’s character comes across as too skanky for the main love interest. She is rude to everyone, including her supposed best friend, though everyone stays by her side. Besides her good looks there is no reason these rational characters would be drawn to her, but alas they are.

And what of the factory frolic? It’s still cheesy, but cooler with the use of a rap song in the remake. The conflict seems realistic enough and the dancing is modern enough where the common person can be impressed and entertained. So those are really the main goals for a movie like this. It could have had a more sound script or some less cheesy plot points, but then it wouldn’t have been Footloose. (7.4 out of 10)

Real Steel

Everyone seems so surprised that a movie starring robots could actually be good. I expect robot movies to be good… I suppose I expect all movies to be good. Real Steel stars Hugh Jackman as a retired boxer who now works as a pilot for fighting robots, the premiere fighting sport of the future. When an ex-girlfriend dies suddenly, Jackman’s character must look after his estranged son for the summer until the boy’s aunt can take him permanently. Thus begins the building of a rocky relationship between the separated father and son.

Jackman gives a steady performance like usual. His ability to carry a film is the main reason Real Steel is a quality movie. It’s quite difficult however to view him as washed up or unlikeable as the film intends him to be early on. The charm that gets people to see his films outweighs his attempt at being a jerk of a character. Then there’s Dakota Goyo, who plays the son and does a pretty good job. There are moments where I get flashbacks to Jake Lloyd (“I’m a person, and my name is Anakin!”) from Star Wars Episode One, nevertheless Goyo is much better.

The percentage of screen time leans about 65% to 35% in favor of the human relationships over the robot fighting. This may be the only review you read where the author would prefer more robot fighting, but the way the script is structured the audience looks forward to every fight so they can see the different robots. That’s a good stance to take instead of mindless hours of brawling. The script borrows a lot from other boxing movies, but I suppose there’s only a handful of ways these underdog stories could go. There’s a level of predictability throughout all aspects of the film, which does remove a bit of the tension. Although, as family friendly, sci-fi, action, underdog stories go, Real Steel is probably as solid as you’re going to get. (7.8 out of 10)

50/50

50/50 stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as an average guy, who receives a surprise cancer diagnosis and must come to grips with the ailment. Seth Rogen plays his best friend, who tries to keep a happy spin on things with his poop and weed jokes. The film has such a strong pace that after a relatively slow start, the viewer has no idea how emotionally attached they have become to the lead and his impending death until the end. While someone who knows the realities of this type of battle first hand may disagree, the script gives an incredible amount of attention to the realism of it all.

Gordon-Levitt’s rise to super stardom has been a bit slower than I expected, but there is no doubt that he can act with the best of them. I don’t begin to understand what the Academy blowhards are thinking, but I’d like to see Gordon-Levitt’s name come up in the award conversations. Rogen does well when compared to his other performances, but his counterpart is on a whole different level. There is the overdone moment of characters getting high together and becoming instant friends, though I must say eating weed filled macaroons with old guys during chemo therapy just isn’t as offensive as the usual way it plays out. I still find it unnecessary though.

50/50 is a fairly sad movie. There’s no pretending that it’s not. But it’s just as inspiring as it is depressing. The script allows for a reasonable amount of comedy to complement the drama, but it’s subtler than the advertisements would have you think. The strength of the script and the convincing acting of Joseph Gordon-Levitt place 50/50 among the top films of the year so far. At the end of the day some awkward jokes and under developed characters may keep the door shut on its trophy cabinet. (9.0 out of 10)

Abduction

Abduction boasts Twilight star Taylor Lautner. Is that enough to get people in the theater? Probably not, but the trailer is exciting so let’s give it a try. The film stars Lautner as your average high school douche who drinks himself silly while riding on the hoods of cars and yelling like a doofus. I think that’s supposed to show he’s a thrill seeker. But after he finds his own face on a missing persons website, and his parents get killed, he goes on a journey to find out who he really is. Good thing his dad (Jason Isaacs) has been training him in hand to hand combat since he was a child.

Next it’s a big mystery with Lautner’s character finding clues and such, but the final answer is that he isn’t nearly as important to the situation as they make him seem. It’s quite a letdown. Luckily there are some adequate fight scenes throughout. They may be generic, but they’re interesting nonetheless. In trying to recall memorable scenes there aren’t that many. The final battle takes place at PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. But after realizing that the villain is more likeable than Lautner during their exchange, the only thing I got out of it were the Mets cameos, as they were the visiting team in the game.

Putting continuity issues aside, (long train rides and drives that somehow never get the characters out of Pittsburgh) along with the fact that this is an odd job choice for successful actors, (Alfred Molina and Sigourney Weaver) Abduction just never comes together. It’s not unwatchable. There are moments of fun action, but Taylor Lautner isn’t enough to carry a movie. He can yell, “Who am I!?” all he wants, it won’t make a movie good. Plus, I may have missed something, but when does any kind of abduction occur? (5.5 out of 10)

The Debt

The Debt may sound like a made-for-TV John Grisham movie, but it’s actually a post-World War II thriller about undercover Israeli agents hunting a Nazi war criminal. The film seesaws between the three lead characters in their 20s or 30s and them in their later years dealing with the events of their most important mission. Jessica Chastain and Helen Mirren split time as the female in the spy triangle and they fill the protagonist role throughout the film. While Mirren rightfully receives top-billing, it’s Chastain who gives the strongest performance. Then there’s SamWorthington of Avatar fame, who does very well in the film that’s of a much smaller scale than much of his best known work.

One of the most profound strengths of The Debt is the script’s ability to balance the story so well. There are the two time periods during which the story takes place, and then more importantly there is the emotion and action that must complement each other. All is down well, though it must be said that the male characters don’t pass as seamlessly through time as their female counterpart does. It’s just not as easy to distinguish which of the actors are supposed to be the same character in the past and more recent scenes.

The drama of interactions with the Nazi enemy is enough to keep the audience on the edge of their seats without the discomfort of watching a war film. While I have no idea if the Israeli accents were accurate, they add a level of authenticity that makes all the other actions of the actors more believable. The subtlety of the action and the lack of a neat resolution can possibly be attributed to why some men in the theater were trying to convince me that The Debt is based on a true story. It’s not, but it is realistic. There’s a difference. The film’s cast and crew would likely take that false claim as a compliment though. (8.8 out of 10)