Robocop

Did you ask for a Robocop reboot? I know I sure didn’t. But you never know with these projects until you watch them. Joel Kinnaman plays a Detroit cop on the verge of death after being injured on the job. But his wife (Abbie Cornish) is given a choice to bring him back as part man, part robot. Spoiler alert, she does. If she chose to let him die it would be a pretty short movie. Once the transition is made, it quickly becomes clear that he’s not the same person. His mind can be bent through the machine part of his being.

In a time where so many sci-fi adventures are told with an eye to comedy or the possibility to appeal to children, Robocop takes itself very seriously. Sure, it’s not the bloodbath the original was. This version received a PG-13 rating, but there’s a lot of stress throughout the narrative. Kinnaman, best known for his work on “The Killing,” is an interesting choice to play the lead. He’s believable as a good cop, but he has a seedy nature to his look that makes you question the character a bit. The script helps by spending a fair amount of time establishing his good guy nature through his interactions with family and friends.

With a lesser known actor playing Robocop, the star power is built up elsewhere. Samuel L. Jackson plays a television news pundit, who establishes the story early on and ultimately beats the audience over the head with the moral issues presented in the film. Then there’s Gary Oldman, who plays the morally conflicted scientist who builds Robocop. The film’s attempted intensity takes a lot of the fun out of a story about a robot police officer and the result is a stunted pace with semi-likeable characters. Sure the character is way sleeker than the original, but the movie isn’t as slick as they 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.

The Lego Movie

How good could a movie based on Legos possibly be? Well actually, quite good. Chris Pratt voices Emmet, an everyday Lego construction worker, who is happy going through his everyday life. But when he is believed to be the subject of a prophecy, he joins a quest to save the Lego world from an oppressive villain. Over the past number of years, Lego has built an entertainment brand on witty humor in their screen and video game properties. This makes a very easy transition to the big screen. The Lego movie is the culmination of such an approach.

Beyond Pratt, the voice cast is incredibly deep with Will Ferrell, Morgan Freeman, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Neeson and a host of other big names contributing their spoken talents. Arnett plays Batman who is one of many popular properties to make an appearance. There are also Star Wars, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Harry Potter characters featured. These familiar faces keep the audience’s attention, looking for their favorites to make a cameo. But beyond that, the film is very conscious of the real process of children playing with Legos. Using a lollipop stick as a staff, broken accessories and the mismatching of characters from different “worlds” brings back memories from playing with the brick toys.

Ultimately the stream of consciousness format of the story telling is explained in a funny way with one of the well-known voice contributors making a real life appearance. It’s one of the final successful moments in a movie that has one after another for its full running time. Obviously, the intended audience is children, but the references are probably better understood by adults who have lived through more of Lego’s long varied history. And good luck getting Teagan and Sara w/ The Lonely Island’s “Everything is Awesome” out of your head. There aren’t many songs catchier than that.

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 Monuments Men

Take George Clooney (the actor and the director) add Matt Damon, John Goodman and a pinch of Bill Murray and what do you get? An Oscar sure thing. Unfortunately The Monument’s Men wasn’t ready in time for award season so it got the early year release. The film is based on the true story of a group of soldiers tasked with saving classic art from the Nazis in World War II. The film has a bit of war time fighting, but it is a fresh take on a time that has been thoroughly explored throughout cinematic history.

The cast delivers exactly as you would expect them to. Oscar sweethearts Cate Blanchett and Jean Dujardin also feature through the star studded project and their ability to hold equal weight next to Clooney and Damon shows the script’s balance and depth. The film is a treasure hunt as a few specific pieces of art become the primary focus to drive the story forward. Looking through Clooney’s short list of directed features, it’s clear he has an eye to present moments of historic significance either through an authentic or fictitious lens. The Monument’s Men blends those two approaches using history to mold a story that differs vastly from the factual account.

The film isn’t afraid to get wordy as some scenes do last a bit long. A negative result to the large cast receiving balanced screen time is most of the supporting characters could use more developing. It has the look of a WWII film and the feel of one also, but the fresh elements give it a unique voice. Clooney and Dujardin in particular have looks that place them in the appropriate era seamlessly. I just wish Clooney would stop charming me in all of his roles. He’s just so dreamy.

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.