Spring Breakers

When looking back on 2013 in the career of James Franco, it’s likely that the main focus will be on his role as the classic Wizard of Oz in Oz the Great and Powerful. That seems understandable given the movie’s success. But what if I were to tell you that Oz wasn’t even Franco’s best performance of the month? Well that’s what I’m telling you. In Spring Breakers Franco plays a Florida based rapper who also spends his time partaking in seedy underground activities. He’s got guns, drugs, cornrows and a white grand piano outside next to his pool. The film mostly focuses on four college girls who go to Florida on spring break, but after a first act that is like a weird half-music video, half porno montage, they get involved with Franco’s character, Alien.

With the presence of Franco and former Disney stars Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens, the film has gained some main stream attention. But it is clearly written as the most indie of indie films. It’s edited in a way that changes pace multiple times within singular scenes. Breakers is even the victim of its own spoilers by jumping around in the timeline at will. Then there is the often used scene transition which combines the sound of a gun cocking and Franco’s trippy words, “spring breaaaaak.” It’s a weird movie to see at a Cineplex, but ultimately it works. I don’t think Middle America is quite ready for girls in bikinis and ski masks dancing in a circle to a Britney Spears song while wielding heavy weaponry.

It would seem that the teen actresses didn’t all of a sudden become Oscar worthy performers because they did this film outside of their comfort zone. Hudgens is absolutely laughable as the skankiest of the group. She plays the slutty girl. That’s really all there is to her. Gomez does a bit better as the Christian trying to live a little, but isn’t at all convincing until she gets completely freaked out by Alien and his creepy friends. The rest of the breaker crew consists of “Pretty Little Liars” star Ashley Benson and director Harmony Korine’s wife, Rachel Korine. These two are definitely the strongest of the leads, but they’re not really worth writing home about either. This brings us to the wizard. Franco handles the most interesting character and does well in moments of weakness, but what’s most surprising is that the audience believes this ridiculous performance. I think that says something about how James Franco comes across off screen, a bit odd.

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 Incredible Burt Wonderstone

Steve Carell, magician of comedy. Sure, that makes sense. But, Steve Carell, magician of magic? Not so much. Alas, that’s the role for the funnyman in the new comedy The Incredible Burt Wonderstone. Carell plays a Las Vegas magician who, along with his sidekick (played by Steve Buscemi), find themselves outdated with sagging ticket sales after 10 years on the job. With a crazy new magician in town, the David Blaine mocking Steve Grey (Jim Carrey) they are forced to adapt or lose their jobs. Of course everything doesn’t go according to plan.

This film is the rare instance the audience gets to see Carell play anything other than a loveable loser. Well to be more accurate, the story shows what happens when a loveable loser becomes successful. For most of the film, Wonderstone is a spoiled womanizer complete with a spray tan and bleached hair. But even with the annoying character traits, the script does well to move along at a pace that doesn’t focus too much on getting the audience to hate the lead. In fact, some of the funniest moments come from the uncomfortable personalities of Carell and Carrey’s characters. In fact, the shock magician played by Carrey is the most interesting character throughout the film. Unfortunately, his screen time is limited to physical comedy and very little character development.

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone is not the best performance for any of the main actors. It’s likely not the funniest either. But it does have many laughs that come through a variety of comedic styles. Like Will Ferrell has done with Nascar drivers, anchormen, figure skaters etc., Wonderstone does with magicians. It brings to light the embarrassing aspects of the profession without actually insulting those who work in the field. No one’s writing home about Burt Wonderstone, except maybe for magicians. Especially magicians that like making fun of David Blaine.

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.

Oz the Great and Powerful

There are a lot of sequel/prequel haters out there. But what about a prequel that comes out 60+ years after the original? Oz the Great and Powerful tells the story of the famous Wizard before the events of Dorothy and company in the 1939 classic, The Wizard of Oz. James Franco plays Oz, a magician/con-artist in a travelling circus. But while trying to make a quick escape in a hot air balloon, he encounters that famous Kansas tornado and gets transported to the mystical land, which shares his name. He then gets drawn in to a prophecy that places him as the king of Oz and a feud between three witch sisters.

Since the original film is a MGM property and this new incarnation is from Disney, there needed to be some differences between the two visually. To be honest, they’re hardly visible throughout, though. L. Frank Baum’s novels fall in the public domain, so all that content is fair game. Franco isn’t very likeable, which is kind of the desired response to the character. Except the charm that the wizard supposedly has is completely hypothetical. The audience hardly sees that. As for the witches, Michelle Williams does well with Glinda, who could have been an overly cheerful and annoying character. Rachel Weisz plays the most interesting of the witches with Evanora who has some depth while controlling the iconic flying monkeys. But as for Mila Kunis, not so much. She’s merely adequate in the beginning of the film, but quickly declines for the rest. Next to Weisz and Williams, she appears to be quite amateur.

Visually, director Sam Raimi creates quite the digital world. Certain settings like the Emerald City are incredible achievements, while other landscapes like the swamp setting where the wizard initially crashes, are too glossy to believe. Once a visual element is extreme to the point that the viewer realizes their watching actors on a sound stage, there’s no turning back. Maybe the young viewers enjoying the escape of a wildly ambitious, yet successful, fantasy film don’t notice, but adults sure do. Oz the Great and Powerful shows another successful brand fall in line with Disney as a likely franchise starter. But it’s interesting to know that if you take the stereotypical look of the Wicked Witch of the West and place her in a 2013 film, she looks weird. I guess the entire original isn’t as timeless as people think.

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.

Jack the Giant Slayer

You know a film is in trouble when entertainment journalists begin to throw around the most dreaded name in the world for Hollywood bean counters. John Carter. That’s what’s happening with Jack the Giant Slayer. For those who don’t remember, John Carter was Disney’s attempted franchise starter last year that massively underperformed at the box office. Jack is facing the same possibilities while being a fun movie that very few people will see. The film takes the old fairytale and reimagines it to fit modern cinematic expectations. Nicholas Hoult stars as the title character who tags along with some royal soldiers to save the princess after she vanishes into the sky on a massive beanstalk.

The film’s opening minutes set a quick pace that stays consistent even through a number of plotlines and new developments. The story arch actually resolves itself three quarters of the way through the movie, but the film continues in order to include an epic battle that never actually gets going. Instead the audience gets what is essentially a tug of war between giants and soldiers. How it goes on for so long, I don’t know. Can the giants possibly be that weak?

The movie spends a lot of time on its computer generated visuals, which turn out to be very impressive. If this were a children’s movie that may go a bit further, but as it is, the film is rated PG-13 and surrounds what could be a family friendly fairytale reboot with a handful of rough moments that wouldn’t make parents too pleased. For example, there is no reason to cut to a giant falling to his death as he’s screaming and coming to the realization he’s going to die. This isn’t Denzel Washington in Flight.

If you happen to be a teenager or adult interested in an adventure film, Jack delivers with what can ultimately be described as a fun spectacle. But it’s too much for young children. Hoult does well leading a cast filled with established veterans like Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci and Ian McShane. A balance between gritty and glossy visuals presents a strong aesthetic for director Bryan Singer. Ultimately, the film has a bit of an identity crisis, which may be responsible for keeping audiences away.

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.

21 and Over

If we were to take Project X and The Hangover to represent high school and adult partying respectively, then 21 and Over would fit perfectly in between the two as the college representative to the absurdly drunk trilogy. 21 and Over has two old friends (played by Miles Teller and Skylar Astin) surprise the third of their group (Justin Chon) by showing up to his college house for his 21st birthday. The only problem is Chon’s character, the frequently identified Jeff Chang, has an important medical school interview the next morning. In true party movie fashion, Jeff Chang gets incredibly drunk and his friends must carry him around in a weird Weekend at Bernie’s type scenario and try to find his house.

The movie has a number of very funny scenarios that play out in between the cringe worthy situations. With the two likeable leads, who have established their worth in recent comedy successes, the film moves right along pausing occasionally for some comical, if not unnecessary moments. The characters must complete a dorm building’s worth of party games to get information from Jeff Chang’s old RA, steal a cell phone from a an over aggressive male cheerleader and for some reason repeatedly drop their friend out of multiple windows. But all these seemingly cheap moments work well.

21 and Over is able to remove itself from reality enough for the audience to buy the plot and become interested in the characters. But don’t get me wrong, this is not an intellectual journey the audience goes on. It’s a juvenile drinking movie that is intended for a very specific demographic. Anyone who falls outside of that demographic may leave the theater in the opening minutes. I suppose parents can take comfort in the fact that all the characters are 21 and over, right? At least their idiocy is legal… mostly.

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.