Men in Black III

It may not have the hype this summer’s comic book movies have, but Men in Black III has the proven success of its predecessors, family-friendly action comedies. You may not have realized it, but you’re looking forward to this movie. The third chapter of the series has an alien villain escaping from his long imprisonment to enact revenge on K (Tommy Lee Jones). The villain, Boris the Animal, played by Jemaine Clement, then travels back in time to kill K before the arrest happens. This leaves J (Will Smith) with the job of beating Boris to the punch and saving the past version of K (Josh Brolin). The plot may sound confusing, but that is the nature of time travelling alien movies.

Even after a ten year break since Men in Black II, the latest installment falls in perfectly with the series. There are believable developments between J and K, consistent with what one would expect from beat cop partners… or alien chasing agents forced to forfeit a personal life. The recycled gags from the first two films aren’t used again, the small foul-mouthed aliens, the talking dog, etc. So there is a level of realizing the flaws that occurred in the second installment.

While Smith has been the face of the franchise throughout, this is interestingly the first time he has been given billing over Jones. Jones’ screen time is much less because of the character being played by Brolin in the past. But beyond that point, Smith carries the film as the audience unravels the mysteries with him throughout. Brolin’s uncanny impression of Jones raises the bar for how much two actors playing one character should look and sound like each other in films. Surprisingly, the 1969 scenes are even successful, albeit a bit clichéd. Bonus points for the series’ second inclusion of the New York Mets. Men in Black III isn’t innovative, but it holds its own in the sea of blockbusters.

Each film earns either zero, a half or a full arrow in five categories. The categories are Acting, Writing/Directing, Emotion, Innovation and Overall Impression. The arrows are added up to equal the full score.

Dark Shadows

From other critical responses, it seems that some are losing their patience with Tim Burton. But if you’re a fan, his films come with a sense of continuity that speaks to similar demographics. They aren’t sequels or set in the same place, but Sweeney Todd, The Corpse Bride, etc. all fit together in a consistent filmography for Burton. The latest is the 70’s set gothic drama Dark Shadows. Based on the soap opera of the same name, Johnny Depp plays a vampire imprisoned by a scorned witch (Eva Green). Buried for almost 200 years, Construction workers find him and free him in 1972.

The film’s first half is paced well giving enough time to establishing the back story and introduce the characters. But the true soap opera roots come out after that. There is a sense that the writers were tentative to leave out some of the series’ biggest moments. The final battle has ghosts, vampires, werewolves, witches, fire. It’s a bit much. The acting proves to be just as unpredictable as the plot. Depp gives one of his better performances as the well-spoken Barnabas Collins. He’s like a refined Jack Sparrow at times. On the other end, Chloe Moretz plays a one-dimensional character and not particularly well. It’s unexpected for a sought after young actress.

Most movies Burton releases become instant Halloween classics and Dark Shadows is another example of that. The film has a great look to it with elaborate sets and costumes. It would seem that the potential for a franchise that most other big summer movies have would have helped Dark Shadows. They knew there wouldn’t be a sequel so they pulled out all the stops and the plot became too fractured. But like I said to start, if you’re a fan of Tim Burton you’ll like Dark Shadows. He knows how to churn out fun but creepy movies.

Each film earns either zero, a half or a full arrow in five categories. The categories are Acting, Writing/Directing, Emotion, Innovation and Overall Impression. The arrows are added up to equal the full score.

Marvel's The Avengers

Movies like The Avengers just don’t get made. It requires a massive budget, years of preparation and the ability to get a bunch of big actors to share the spotlight (and filming time in their schedules.) So I’d like to thank the Marvel lawyers who locked down these actors with multiple film contracts. Directed by sci-fi maven Joss Whedon, the film has the superhero team unite when Loki (Tom Hiddleston), originally from the Thor film, threatens global war with an alien army at his disposal. He also steals the Tesseract, a power source with infinite possibilities.

So the various SHIELD agents go and bring in the team, which includes Iron Man, (Robert Downey Jr.) Captain America, (Chris Evans) The Hulk, (Mark Ruffalo) and Thor (Chris Hemsworth). Not enough characters for you? SHIELD agents are also in the fray. They include Black Widow, (Scarlett Johansson) Hawkeye, (Jeremy Renner) Nick Fury, (Samuel L. Jackson) Maria Hill, (Cobie Smulders) and Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg). Plus Gwyneth Paltrow and Stellan Skaarsgard reprise their previous Marvel roles. I list those out to show the absolutely ridiculous amount of characters they brought together for The Avengers. It’s like a ten year old’s action figure fight has come to life.

Now what about the movie? The film’s success lies with the approach that no characters can be as fully developed as they would in their own film. But since the audience already received most of the origin stories in other films, this works fine. Sure we begin to learn about Johansson and Renner’s characters but there isn’t much need to learn more. It’s no secret that these are second class characters.

The script does well to time out the start of the film. It isn’t quite as hectic as the second half, but that gives a bit more space for the well-spoken and intriguing Loki to build up the story. Interestingly enough, Hiddleston is the biggest stand out in the film. Sure Downey and Evans personify the Cap vs. Iron Man rivalry we were all looking forward to, but Loki is just awesome. I never expected a character that had already been defeated in a previous film to fit so well.

The Avengers plays out as expected with some surprises sprinkled throughout. It is a great achievement in balancing so many intricate pieces, but does not reach the innovative level a film like The Dark Knight did. More family friendly, it will be interesting to see if the next time we glimpse the characters in their personal films (Thor 2 and Iron Man 3) they will hold up without looking like a shade of the super group we saw in The Avengers, Marvel’s crown jewel.

Each film earns either zero, a half or a full arrow in five categories. The categories are Acting, Writing/Directing, Emotion, Innovation and Overall Impression. The arrows are added up to equal the full score.

The Pirates! Band of Misfits

Does anyone else remember when pirates were viewed as villains? I’m sure there are some who were/are nice people but the general act of pirating is illegal and often dangerous. Now with that reminder fresh in your mind, there is the animated satire The Pirates! Band of Misfits. The film follows a group of pirates who are uncool compared to the popular, successful pirates around them. Their leader, The Pirate Captain, dreams of winning the “Pirate of the Year Award” but his lack of “booty” holds him back. From there the film goes on a wild goose chase, which includes Charles Darwin, a pirate hating queen and a meeting of world leaders eating endangered species.

The plot is as ridiculous as it sounds, but the events are rooted with basic themes that are relatable to the young target audience. The pirates learn to be happy with who they are. Of course that doesn’t mean the woman pirate who wears a fake beard and pretends to be a man reveals her ways. But the overall gist of the movie is clear. Running under 90 minutes, it’s odd to say but the movie seems too long. In actuality the hi-jinks that occur aren’t always that compelling. This is the same issue I’ve run into when watching Chicken Run or Wallace and Gromit, two of the other features made by Aardman Animation.

Ultimately, The Pirates! Band of Misfits succeeds in being appropriate for all ages. The tension comes from an emotional basis and there is never a real threat of bodily harm. The film is a comedy that presents some unpredictable moments funny for young children, their older siblings and their parents. It’s quite likely that British viewers will get a few more laughs than us Americans. That’s just the nature of British comedy. They probably wonder what they’re missing when they watch Eddie Murphy movies. Sorry Eddie, I didn’t mean it. I actually really like Dr. Doolittle.

Each film earns either zero, a half or a full arrow in five categories. The categories are Acting, Writing/Directing, Emotion, Innovation and Overall Impression. The arrows are added up to equal the full score.

Safe

Safe is like Rush Hour with no jokes and a more depressing protagonist. Jason Statham stars as an ex super-cop who saves a young girl from dueling mafias, who both want the child for her genius math skills and knowledge of an important code. But it turns out the Russian half of this feud killed Statham’s character’s pregnant wife. So he has some added incentive here. From what looks like a completely generic action film, there are some exciting moments. Statham knows his way around a script like this. So even though this doesn’t come close to his best films, he is an asset to the film. Without him, it probably goes straight to DVD.

Jason Statham is usually good, so that’s no surprise. The problem is that the character isn’t very likeable. He does the right thing in helping the girl and the audience learns that he is an unwavering public servant. But the frosty demeanor is laid on thick. Safe is also heavy on the excessive property damage. What has become a cliché in action is amplified in a low budget project like this. Large scale gang warfare on the streets of New York would be met with a lot more than a group of crooked cops showing up to get their share of the loot. I think civilian hostages tend to force a swift response.

Let’s get beyond the logistical concerns with a conflict like this. At the end of the day, Safe doesn’t have the unique elements to make it popular or a film that will hold up after its time in theaters. File it in the constantly growing catalog of Jason Statham movies that are forgotten until you look him up on IMDB. But know this, in a war between the Russian and Chinese mafias, Jason Statham always wins.

Each film earns either zero, a half or a full arrow in five categories. The categories are Acting, Writing/Directing, Emotion, Innovation and Overall Impression. The arrows are added up to equal the full score.

The Lucky One

While Nicholas Sparks books and movies have a very specific audience, The Lucky One took advantage of a more demographically diverse look than most of the predecessors. With that being said, it’s still the same Nicholas Sparks, just this one has a kind of bad ass ex-marine and isn’t in North Carolina. Integrating back into society after returning from war in the Middle East, Logan, played by Zac Efron, sets out to find a woman (Taylor Schilling) whose photograph he found in the rubble of a battle. Viewing the photo as a good luck charm, he hopes to thank her. But then he can’t find the right words, accepts a job at her dog kennel and quickly falls in love with her.

The acting in the film is pretty middle of the road. Zac Efron’s likability helps develop the character that could very easily come off as disturbed and unpleasant. When conflicts arise with Schilling’s character’s ex-husband/father of her child, the scenes maintain a level of realism that isn’t expected. Isn’t the good guy always supposed to deck the bad guy in romance movies? It didn’t happen here, just like it wouldn’t in real life. That is until the film’s watery climax. That is completely unbelievable and dramatized. Oh well.

The Lucky One is not some completely unique spin on the romance genre. It has the cheesy lines. “You should be kissed every day, every hour, every minute.” Come on, that’s just an impractical amount of kissing. But the story moves along well and engages the audience. It would be nice to have something innovative thrown in there, but ultimately the film stands fine on its own. Plus, it isn’t an overtly depressing experience like some of the other recent players in the genre. I’m looking at you The Vow. That counts for something.

Each film earns either zero, a half or a full arrow in five categories. The categories are Acting, Writing/Directing, Emotion, Innovation and Overall Impression. The arrows are added up to equal the full score.