The New Jersey Movie Reviews you'll only find on metrojersey.com:

The Flixter

"Read About The Flixter"

Read About The Flixter's Unique Rating System Here.

______________________________________________

TRAITOR
a la The Flixter

             Samir Horn (Don Cheadle) is a former US Special Operations officer. Now he is the number one suspect for the FBI agents investigating terrorist bombings. Horn has two things going against him. For one, he is a devout Muslim; second, he seems to turn up around these bombings. But FBI agent, Ray Clayton (Guy Pearce) sees a complexity in Horn's character that even he has a hard time fathoming.

            Horn is imprisoned in Yemen where he forms an alliance with some other terrorists who want to show the evil US what they can do. After a prison break, they start working on the plan that will shake America to its core. Fifty buses, filled with passengers, will simultaneously blow up in different parts of the country. The plot is complex and a lot of organization is needed for it to go through. The terrorists have connections in some high places and agent Clayton is bent on foiling a plot that even he is not fully aware of.... He just knows that something is in the works.

          The movie is groundbreaking in the sense that it is the first movie that I can think of with a Muslim protagonist. Taut, complex, and thoroughly intriguing would be just a few words to describe it. Cheadle gives an excellent performance as a man who may be questioning his intentions. But we never really know what his intentions may be. The twist at the end is truly explosive. I loved it. Sad, exciting, action packed, and suspenseful...       

RATING : FIVE STARS

_________________________________

TROPIC THUNDER
a la The Flixter

       Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller) needs to rejuvenate his career. All he has done are six sequels to his Scorcher hit... the guy needs something new. Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black) is a comedic actor who has been playing the members of the same family in The Fatties. (Plus he is a big fan of cocaine.)  Kirk Lazarus(Robert Downey Jr.) is a five time Oscar winner who has just got done playing a gay monk in some arty movie. What brings them together is Tropic Thunder, a war epic that is based on the memoirs of a very grizzled Vietnam vet, Four Leaf Tayback (Nick Nolte).

       Shooting on some studio lot won't satisfy studio exec. Les Grossman (Tom Cruise), so they are all off to the real Vietnam to shoot this war epic. What these actors don't realize is that all their actions there are going to be video-taped by some hidden cameras. Further complications arise when they land in the middle of a drug war being led by a very nasty 12 year old and their film director steps on a land mine pretty soon after their arrival. I almost forgot to mention that Downey's Lazarus has had his skin surgically darkened to play the platoon's African member and talks and acts like he really is black. I think that is enough about the set up.

      The movie is absolutely hilarious. And it treads the line with some pretty gory war violence, some comic and some not so much. Ben Stiller does a fine job both acting and directing. But its Downey who steals the movie. A hilarious movie that sheds some comic light on something that really isn't funny...
      

RATING : FIVE STARS

_________________________________

THE DARK KNIGHT
a la The Flixter

          I will be upfront and honest enough to admit that I never saw Batman & Robin, the much maligned Batman movie that tried to bring George Clooney to the big screen as the caped-crusader. After Batman Forever, I went straight to Batman Begins, director Christopher Nolan's awesome resurrection of a superhero that seemed fated for a demise. That movie put Christain Bale in the shoes of billionaire Bruce Wayne and his vigilante alter ego, Batman. It was just such an awesome movie. And now the folks who rejuvenated the Bat franchise return with The Dark Knight.

         Everything is pretty much the same. Batman has his high tech weapons and transportations. There's even a Batcycle, a motorcycle that he uses when he ventures out to fight crime. Now there's a new threat facing Gotham in the form of late Heath Ledger's Joker. The guy is a genuine nut, not refraining from torturing his victims and demonstrating how he actually ended up with that wide grin. Banks are robbed, money is burned, and Gotham falls under the spell of The Joker as this master of mayhem casts his web over the entire city. Then there's Aaron Eckhart's Harvey Dent, who is actually a sympathetic villain whose forced facial deformation leads him to a life of crime.

        Wayne has his usual allies. Michael Caine is there as the loyal butler Alfred, serving his master and cloaking the alternate life. Morgan Freeman is there to supply the weapons and transport. Maggie Gyllenhal is an ex providing some tension for Bruce. The awesome Gary Oldman is pretty unrecognizable as the police commissioner.

       There is just so much cool stuff going on in this nearly three hour movie, but the time flies by when you are having so much fun. I loved it. Director Christopher Nolan keeps the goods coming. The late Heath Ledger is great in his final cinematic role but I hope that his untimely death won't overshadow the greatness of this film.
       .

RATING : FIVE STARS

_________________________________

HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY
a la The Flixter

          Its been a while since the first Hellboy. To quickly recap what's going on, Hellboy (Ron Perlman), aka HB, is a demonic-hell creature that was meant to destroy the Earth. Instead, he sided with the humans and chose to fight evil. He has been kept undercover by a secret government agency that has tried to harness his types. Keeping him company, is his girlfriend, Liz (Selma Blair), a co-freak who has a tendency to literally burst into flames and destroy her surroundings. But HB doesn't like being kept a secret. In the outside world, tabloids keep speculating on his sightings. He gets a chance to show the world his true self and do some heroic deeds, but finds the outside world as being antagonistic towards what it sees as a red freak. Meanwhile, the Underworld's Prince Nuada (Luke Goss) emerges, bent on destroying our world. So HB, along with fellow good freaks, Abe, Kraus, and Liz, sets out to save mankind.

          Director Guillermo del Toro does a pretty amazing job of bringing forth this old fashioned good vs. evil battle. Visually, the movie is astounding and ranks with Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy... and that was my main problem with it. A little too much eye candy. I appreciated Jackson's Rings trilogy for all the visual spectacle but I just can't get too involved with the fantasy realm. It was the same case here. The visuals are great and the action spectacular. But a little too detached from reality. Yes, I like comic book adaptations and can't wait for the Dark Knight. But this one is more for people who swoon over the likes of the Star Wars and Lord of the Rings movies.

       Good but just not a totally involving experience. At least for me....

RATING : FOUR STARS

_________________________________

HANCOCK
a la The Flixter

          So far, having super powers put the recipient of such gifts in one of the two available categories. Either you use them for good and become a superhero or you turn to the dark side and become a super villain. Along comes Hancock (Will Smith), adding a footnote to the super hero. The guy's intentions are good but he's got other problems. Personal issues like anger management and alcoholism. So even when he does a good deed, the repercussions overshadow the good. Getting a bunch of bank robbers who are getting away with a few thousand results in damages that are hundreds of times greater.

          Basically, people don't like him. They want him to leave their LA and go fight crime in some other metropolis. Then he saves the life of public relations expert Ray (Jason Bateman). Ray feels the need to pay back his savior by making him more appealing to the society that shuns him. The first step is a drastic one. Hancock is to surrender to the authorities and serve some time for his misdeeds. Maybe when he's incarcerated, society will begin to realize what they are missing. He surrenders and is eventually called for some assistance. Meanwhile, Ray and his wife (Charlize Theron) try to teach him some better manners and curb his alcohol intake.

         The movie has a promising premise that fails to deliver since the comic bits end up being forced and the action parts just act as filler. Plus there is no real villain that the hero has to face off against. The ending gets sappy as some twists that were foreshadowed a long time ago come into play. Sorry to say it but this fourth of July, Will Smith didn't quite deliver what we have come to expect from him...

RATING : ONE STAR

_________________________________

THE INCREDIBLE HULK
a la The Flixter

          When we meet Dr. Bruce Banner (Edward Norton), he is hiding out in Brazil. Its part hiding and part therapy. He is looking for ways to harness his anger, you see getting angry is not good for him or anybody else in close proximity.  In case you don't already know this, Banner was exposed to some gamma radiation. So now when he gets angry, he gets really angry. He is transformed into a huge, green behemoth that tends to destroy everything, including the reason for the anger, in its path. Of course, the US Army tracks him down and attempts to capture him in his tranquility. And, of course, that makes him very angry. The transformation occurs, destruction ensues, and Banner decides to come back to the US.

         Once again, there is a dual purpose for his return. He wants to track down his ex-girlfriend, played by Liv Tyler, and get to back to where his nightmare originally started. It doesn't help that his ex is now seeing someone else and happens to be the daughter of the Army general who is bent on capturing Banner. And the always awesome Tim Roth enters the picture as one of the general's soldiers who wants to fight the Hulk on an even playing field. He wants the same exposure that turned Banner into the Hulk. He gets it and ends up becoming an even larger foe known as the Abomination. When the two face off, nothing much is left standing.

         The movie is absolutely eye-popping explosive. Of course, I loved it.  What sets is apart from the previous movie adaptation of the Marvel comics super hero is the amount of action. The last take on the green one was directed by the artsy Ang Lee and seen as being too slow paced. That can't be said this time. Director Louis Leterrier keeps this one moving from one action set piece to another. I liked Lee's version as well but what makes this one work even better for me is the casting of Edward Norton as Banner. I have said before that the guy hasn't made a bad movie yet and this one is no exception. Awesome flick.

RATING : FIVE STARS

_________________________________

YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN
a la The Flixter

          Zohan (Adam Sandler) is a buff and tough Israeli commando fighting Palestinians in his homeland though his archenemy, The Phantom (John Turturro), keeps escaping him. But The Phantom provides Zohan with what he wants, as Zohan is able to fake his death at the hands of that terrorist and escape from the life he has begun to despise.

        What comes next, is exactly what the commando has been dreaming off... Coming to NYC and becoming a hair stylist. Two dogs, that he shares a crate with, on the flight to the US, provide him with a new name for his alter-ego. Scrappy Coco is recognized by a man, running an electronics shop going by the name of Going Out of Business, and Scrappy is helped in getting a job at a struggling hair salon. Two problems: the shop is run by a Palestinian and the job is to clean up the hair falling on the floor. But Zohan is dedicated and starts moving up the ranks as he is recognized by a Palestinian cab driver (Rob Schneider) who alerts The Phantom.

       Things start looking better as Scrappy gets to cut hair and do sexual favors for the old ladies. The later brings enormous popularity to the once struggling hair salon as now there are lines forming around the block to get the services from this new kind of barber. The Phantom reenters the picture and his quest to eliminate Zohan continues.

      When I saw the previews for this movie, there were a few moments of hilarity. Too bad that can't be said of the entire movie. The movie is actually so laugh free that it manages to suck up those moments that seemed so funny in the coming attractions. Definitely one of Sandler's worst movies with an ending that you can see coming a mile away since you know that the movie won't want to offend either the Jews or Muslims. So you know that the two opposing parties will manage to find a common and greater enemy. And lots of gross out stuff since, like I mentioned before, Zohan's clients are old ladies and they are not just there for the hair cuts. Terrible movie...

RATING : ONE STAR

_________________________________

IRON MAN
a la The Flixter

      Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is billionaire playboy who goes around in his own private jet that staffs some lovely, pole-dancing stewardesses. How he has achieved this luxurious lifestyle is a whole other story. His success has resulted from manufacturing weapons, so he is a very successful arms dealer, arming anybody who pays the price. That point is hammered in when he is captured on one of his global expeditions and tortured by men whom he had helped arm. They put him through all sorts of hell and lock him up with the orders to build them some weapons that they can put to use. Everywhere he looks, he sees weapons with the stamp of Stark Industries.

     He builds a weapon. But its not one that his captors are anticipating. What he builds is a giant, armored suit, equipped with weaponry, which he uses to escape from his captivity and return to the US... And when he returns, he is a new man. To the disgust of his company's shareholders, most notably Obediah Stone( a mean looking Jeff Bridges with a shaved head) he announces that his company will no longer be making weapons.

     Stark sets about to making a niftier version of the suit that helped him escape from the dark caves where he was held. After many alterations and tests, a red and gold suit is born and Iron Man hits the skies, fighting evil but not before he has paid a visit to the captors that brought about his epiphany. And that, folks, is the latest comic book adaptation that brings us closer to what is happening in the fantasy land of good vs. evil without having to flip any pages.

    An absolutely spectacular movie with a great cast that also includes the talented Terence Howard and Gwyneth Paltrow. Downey does a great job as the hard-partying Stark who realizes a need to change his old ways. I had a great time but can't compare it to the original Spider Man or its equally impressive sequel. This one gets a little disjointed towards its ending as the filmmakers rely a little too much on FX to wind up the tale. But it is still a great time.

RATING : FOUR STARS

_________________________________

STREET KINGS
a la The Flixter

      Every year, Keanu Reeves makes a movie that takes him further away from those Bill and Ted movies. He's a grown man now and more serious fare is his new thing. Since The Matrix trilogy has been wrapped up and Speed ran out of gas a while ago, this is his latest serious effort. Here he plays Officer Ludlow of the LAPD, a straight cop whose heroics are bringing his captain (Forest Whitaker) closer to becoming Chief. He rescues two kidnapped girls and lands on the front pages. Good for him and the entire police department. But things aren't quite right as he finds out when trying to track down the killers of his partner, who dies in a blood splattered shootout. Its that killing that sets up his naive cop on a journey that will uncover corruption at all levels in his unit.

     Nobody is who they appear to be. Its a nasty and corrupt world. After all this is coming from James Ellroy whose LA Confidential was overshadowed by a big ship and lost as Best Picture in 1997, even though it was far superior. The director here is David Ayer who wrote the screenplay for Training Day, another great movie. So how could a movie with such talent behind it go wrong? Watch it and see. Or just take my word for it.

     The movie introduces, but doesn't delve into, issues like alcoholism and racism. Our hero wakes up and starts drinking before he heads out the door. The Captain is black but there is the constant underlying racism present within the rest of the players. How can you take a movie seriously when it has Cedric the Entertainer trying for a serious role but ending up as comic relief?

RATING : TWO STARS

_________________________________

21
a la The Flixter

      Man, its been a long time since I was the age that is the title of this movie. Oh well, this is my first review as a thirty year old. Yes, it was by birthday last week.  But I am really digressing; the title of the movie has nothing to do with age - its all about black jack.

    Kevin Spacey is a math professor at MIT who has a plan to beat the house by gathering a group of math geniuses and taking them to Las Vegas for some extra curricular activity. Jim Sturgess plays one of the students that joins Spacey's group of card counters. Initially it is with reluctance. He just wants to go to medical school but is short of the money needed. How is he going to come up with three hundred thousand dollars? That's where the black jack club becomes appealing.

    They hit Vegas, score big, and the initial reasons for being there seem foolish. Why limit yourself to three hundred thousand when there is so much more to be taken? But the casinos frown upon card counting. That is where Laurence Fishburne's pit manager comes in. He sees the goings-on from the surveillance cameras and turns the whole money making charade into something dangerous. This injects a little violence into the situation as loyalties starting getting questionable. And personalities become questionable as it gets hazy regarding who the real bad guy is, Spacey or Fishburne.
 

    But both guys do a great job, as Spacey proves once again that he is just meant to play loathsome characters.  A fun romp, inspired by a true story, that is disappointing in the sense that it didn't really teach me to count cards like I was hoping it would. Oh, well...

RATING : FOUR STARS

_________________________________

Drillbit Taylor
a la The Flixter

      Another movie that revisits those most horrible of times, High School. Yes, everyone is here. The bullies, the geeks, the parents who don't understand, and those administrative people who let the bullied ones fend for themselves.

     The bully in this case is overly sadistic. Heck, he even has a samurai sword snuck away. But the three bullied ones have had enough... They post an ad on the Internet that requests a bodyguard. They get a few responses but, because of their limited finances (eighty something dollars), their efforts are brushed off by the applicants. In comes Drillbit Taylor (Owen Wilson) who will do the job for that measly amount. Why? Because he is just as desperate. What the three boys don't know is that he is actually a homeless bum who has his eyes set on the bigger prize... the stuff that they have in their homes.

     So Drillbit starts his bodyguard duties and ends up faking it as a substitute teacher in the school. Somehow, nobody finds out that the new guy is the same person they see taking his showers at the local beach... Or that he lives in the woods and was often begging for change at the busy intersections. But who cares. Let's just go with it. He even manages to have a fling with one of the female teachers. Oh yeah, what about the bullied trio? Well, they start liking Drillbit beyond his employee status, as he teaches them some self-defense moves to practice when he is not around... and that is a lot of times. The boys get frustrated, start questioning the origins of their bodyguard, and eventually start digging into his background. But by this time, Drillbit is actually starting to like them and thinking seriously about the role he is playing.

    That is enough about the plot. Now we get to how the movie turns out.

    An absolute charmer. A great time. Funny, sad, and touching. Owen Wilson, who I have referred to as a male bimbo at other times, does his usual stuff. And it works great here. The three boys (the fat one, the skinny one, and the clueless geek) are great, as well. When the bully pays, you feel just as victorious as the three of them do. I, thank God, was never a bully or bullied in high school. But I, somehow, can still relate.

RATING : FIVE STARS

_________________________________

THE EYE
a la The Flixter

      Sydney (Jessica Alba) is a blind concert violinist who gets her sight restored through a corneal transplant. Yes, I just set up the movie's promising concept a little abruptly. But that's the point. Because that is how quickly the movie jump starts with not much background or insight going into the how's or why's.

     Anyway, once the transplant is done, recovery is tough since there is a lot of visual interference that doesn't involve the young lady looking at the whole new world around her. There are ghost-type thingees lurking around. There is the constant annoyance of people asking her for things she has no clue about. There's the kid in her hallway asking her if she has seen his report card. Then there's these shadowy specters taking the souls of the recently departed. And images of being trapped in a burning building... So Sydney approaches her doctor (Alessandro Nivola) to find out whose eyes she has. The doc can't reveal that sort of information but eventually changes his mind. Why? Did I mention that the patient happens to be Jessica Alba? That is enough reason to rethink one's initial refusal. But getting back to the movie's plot. I think I already covered the gist of it.

    Is it scary, since it is a remake of a Hong Kong horror film? No. Unless boredom scares you. What I did like about it, besides the presence of Ms. Alba, was the idea of literally seeing through someone else's eyes. Could you get yourself around what those eyes had seen? An intriguing idea that could have been more thoroughly involved in the execution of the film.

RATING : ONE STAR

_________________________________

CLOVERFIELD
a la The Flixter

      A going away party is being thrown for one of the guys in a group of twenty-something's (maybe thirty something's). He has landed a job in Tokyo and will be leaving his friends and family in NYC. One friend is taping the whole affair and getting people's feelings about the departure and how they feel about the guy. Of course, everybody thinks he is a great guy and they will miss him very much. Then the thing gets a little soap operatic as things are brought up about who slept with whom. And then there's a loud explosion outside. TV reports are blaming a capsized tanker in New York Harbor. Then there's the unearthly roar and people pour into the streets to see what is going on. Buildings are burning, some are crashing, and around that time the, head of the Statue of Liberty comes crashing down the street. The guy, who was taping the party, is now taping the mayhem and chaos on the streets. The origin of that unearthly roar is the reason behind all the chaos. So we see everything through that camera's lens as people panic, scream, and run for cover from some huge Godzilla-type monster attacking the city.

   The guy with the camera continues taping so the world will know how it all happened. The army comes in and tries to kill this beast whose origins are never really brought up or explained. It just happened. I didn't think that the guy taping the stuff was going to last long since he is running and trying to survive while lugging a camera. An interesting concept that has its limitations from the conception. I mean, what fun is a monster movie when you barely get to see the monster? All you get is the images of the destruction left behind. Plus the characters aren't really sympathetic except for one who has to tell his parents about his brother dying. That is about the only scene that adds a little emotion to the affair and makes you sympathize with his predicament.
An okay movie.....

RATING : TWO STARS

_________________________________

THE BUCKET LIST
a la The Flixter

      What would you do if you knew that you only had a limited amount of time left to live? What is it that you would try to accomplish or achieve before you kicked the bucket? Yes, that is what the bucket in the title refers to. A list of things that you want to do before you kick the bucket. It is a concept that billionaire Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) is not familiar with. Stricken with cancer and forced to share a room, (since it was his idea to cut back on expenses by putting two in each room of his hospital), Edward learns of this concept from his room mate. Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman) is also on his way out and has to put up with the whinny Cole. They start to get along and that is when Cole finds out about the list, which Carter is so earnestly working on. Carter doesn't have the finances available to accomplish some of the things on the list but Cole has the money. The two get together, leave the hospital, and embark on their quest to do what they don't have long to do.

     See something majestic, go skydiving, and race vintage sports cars are a few of the superficial things that are there.... But Carter wants to do other things as well. More meaningful things like make a difference in someone's life. Yes, that last one means that things will get a little sappy. Thank God, the affair is in the hands of two of the best actors around and they do a fine job of delivering two great performances that are more endearing than the seemingly morbid subject matter. The only lingering question after the movie is which one of the two greats does better. Honestly, I have no idea. And like life, sometimes things are better when they are not etched so certainly. I loved it...

RATING : FIVE STARS

_________________________________

CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR
a la The Flixter

      Tonight is New Year's Eve... 2008 is only a few hours away. What better way to spend it than to write about a great movie I saw towards the end of 2007. Yes, I have gotten old and grizzled and am not out partying with my friends like I used to... Anyway, here it goes...

     Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks) was a Texas Congressman who managed to get elected and re-elected despite his hard-partying ways. His staff is made up of young females, catering to his every whim and resembling a bunch of swimsuit models rather than a bunch of office workers. Along comes Joann Herring (Julia Roberts), a rich socialite who talks Charlie into taking a trip to Afghanistan. He does it because, like I said, she is a rich socialite meaning a lot of money for Wilson's vaults... And the trip transforms him when he sees the dirt-poor Afghans fighting off the Soviet invaders with whatever means necessary. They have small guns while the Soviets have their gunship helicopters and tanks. So Charlie, now a different man after seeing the horrors, gets to work in getting the Afghans the aid that they need.

     Along to steal many scenes and provide some comic relief is Phillip Seymour Hoffman as a CIA agent who is initially there to investigate Wilson's unorthodox ways and later becoming the Congressman's ally in achieving his newfound goal.

    That about does it for the plot. What have I always said when reviewing a movie with Tom Hanks? That he is probably the best actor out there, so I don't think I have to say that again. He, of course, is great and rules the movie. But Hoffman is also very good and gives Hanks a good match as to who the better actor is. The only one that is slightly lower on the acting radar is Julia Roberts. She is good but the two guys have her beat.

    Overall, I loved this movie, though...

RATING : FIVE STARS

__________________________

NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS
a la The Flixter

      The first National Treasure was a history lesson in disguise. But it was decent entertainment as our treasure hunting hero, Benjamin Franklin Gates (Nicolas Cage) went on a hunt to find a treasure buried by the forefathers. Now its about honor when someone suggests that his great-great-grandfather was one of the conspirator's involved in the assassination of President Lincoln. Well, Gates won't have it that way and watch his family's honor be dragged in the mud. So he, along with dad (Jon Voight), an estranged ex (Diane Kruger), and a comic-relief/sidekick (Justin Bartha) are off to prove Ed Harris' bad guy wrong in implicating the Gates family in that deed. Even mom (Helen Mirren), who left dad, is pulled back in to help.

     They, of course, have to go all over the US and even wind up in Paris and London, where they have to break into the Queen's room to retrieve a piece of evidence. As you can tell from what you have read so far, there is a lot of talented thespians involved. There is more than just one Oscar winner here. But as this movie so blatantly proves, that doesn't amount to squat (trying not to use another "s" word that also ends with a "t"). So the hunt to disprove the accusation turns into a hunt for a mythical lost city of gold.

     Along the way, Gates is forced to kidnap the President (Bruce Greenwood) and get into a secret part of the Library of Congress to gain access to the Book of Secrets, mentioned in the title. Guess what that book contains? Yup, secrets. Everything from presidential assassinations and government involvement in everyday life to the existence of Area 51.

    The movie is fun in the sense that its fun to watch such a talented bunch trying to bring some dignity to the banal fodder at their disposal. Otherwise, its just a hard way of killing two hours and ten minutes.

RATING : TWO STARS

__________________________

I AM LEGEND
a la The Flixter

      In the year 2012, Dr. Robert Neville (Will Smith) is the last human being roaming the streets of a deserted and abandoned NYC. He does have his German Shepherd accompanying him around town. They hunt the wild animals roaming the streets. He goes into his usual stops and talks to the mannequins he has set up around those stores. He talks to the mannequins behind the counter, picks out what he needs, and tells them to put it on his tab. Then night falls and he and his dog go into their apartment to hide out for the night.

     There are the noises seeping in that tell why he is in this particular situation. The city, and maybe the entire globe, was hit by a virus that killed everyone. Actually, it didn't kill them but turned them into roaming zombies/vampires. So there is the quest for survival along with dragging home those he manages to kill. In his lab he is conducting tests to determine if there is a cure. After all, for some reason, he has been immune to this virus. Now he is trying to find out why and if it is possible to find a cure. So the daytime is dedicated to speeding around the desolate streets, hunting, and hitting golf balls off the deck of the aircraft carrier in Hudson Bay. And then there are the constant memories of his wife and child who were killed while there was an attempt being made to evacuate the city. Plus he sends out a message everyday to any other survivors that may be out there... and thus Will Smith's one man show goes on.

     The entire movie relies on him going around all alone and try to undo the damage that, according to him, man's deeds brought upon itself. How does he do? Well, he comes across as an excellent actor, a long way from his Fresh Prince of Bel Air roots. But if you have seen Pursuit of Happyness, you know the guy can act. Besides his forceful performance, the movie is worth checking out for the amazing sets consisting of a desolate and eerily quiet NYC. The monsters, though, are the only drawback. Are they zombies or are they vampires? I was never too sure. What happens if the last man surviving falls? I have no idea. But the point is not to ponder over the what ifs. The point is to go along for a ride through a hellish future where being alone can be just as nightmarish as knowing that somebody else is there.

RATING : FOUR STARS

__________________________  

THE MIST
a la The Flixter

      So this is the third movie I watched last week. Remember, I mentioned that I picked up a ticket for this one when I went to see the crappy Hitman? Anyway, here it goes.

     Here's another collaboration between author Stephen King and director Frank Darabont. The other two yielded two classics in the form of The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile.  We find ourselves in King's home state of Maine where an electrical storm has hit a small community. David Drayton (Thomas Jane) leaves his wife home and takes his young son to the local supermarket to get some supplies. The place is pretty packed as the community has descended on the place to stock up... and that is when the mist settles in. Its an ominously thick fog that surrounds the place and leaves all the shoppers trapped in the place. But to make matters worse, the mist is harboring some strange phenomenon within. There are things inside it. Hungry and malevolent things.

     So now the group has to band together, lock the doors, and try to prevent these things from getting in, which they are trying to do. The small community finds itself banding together at first and then, as it always happens in such situations, turning on each other. Seems that there is a military base close to the town and the army may have been conducting some experiments that have resulted in this mist and the creatures it harbors. Not helping the situation is the batty Mrs. Carmody (Marcia Gay Harden) who seizes this as the end of days... God's wrath upon man for all the wrong doings prevalent in society. Her solution is to offer a human sacrifice and start following the Good Book.

    Consequently, more divisions are formed as some start following her word while others decide to do their own thing. Things go from bad to much much worse as attempts are made to leave the supermarket and the results are horrendous. That is enough about the movie.

    It is pretty standard monster movie fare. What may set it apart, though, is the ending which can only be described as a downer. Very dark and extremely depressing. Not the kind of movie that could be classified as escapist fare. Liked it but I think Mr. Darabont did better with his other two King adaptations.

RATING : FOUR STARS

__________________________ 

    ONE WEEK AND TWO MOVIES
(SO FAR)
a la The Flixter

      Like the title says, I have managed to see two movies during this week. First up, is Beowulf... or Beowulf 3D. Yes, I had to go a little far but since this movie was being offered in 3D; I had to check it out in that format. Is it a cartoon? Not really. Its a digitally enhanced film and a lot that happens may not have been possible if it had relied on just actors. So the actors don't really look realistic, especially Robin Wright Penn, who is a little hard to recognize and whose presence is reaffirmed by the credits.

     Well, it starts off with a celebration in the Danish King Hrothgar's big hall. There is a lot of partying and even the king, played by Anthony Hopkins, gets a little tipsy after too much booze. He is quickly sobered up when the hall comes under attack by Grendell, a hulking monster who proceeds to rip the party goers, limb from limb. So that definitely puts a damper on the festivities and the King puts out on an APB on the monster and offers a huge reward to whoever slays the beast. In comes Beowulf (Ray Winstone) and his posse. (From what I have heard, Mr. Winstone, in real life, looks nothing like the digitally enhanced presence on the screen.)  Anyway, he goes after the beast, slays him, and ignites the wrath of his mother. The mom is played by Angelina Jolie and all you can think is that there must have been some hanky panky because Grendell the beast looks nothing like his hot-ass mom. So, of course, there are some issues of soap-operatic dimensions effecting the whole situation.

     There are many spectacular scenes of warfare and, in case the one beast isn't enough, the movie throws in a fire-breathing dragon to up the ante. Yes, absolutely spectacular to look at and worth the price of admission. Plus, I get to keep the glasses which, unfortunately, don't work on anything else. So the movie is dazzling but once the glasses come off, there isn't much else to recommend it since it is a very standard sword and sorcery flick.

     Then I went to see Hitman the next day. Timothy Olyphant plays Number 47, a bald-headed assassin raised by a secret brotherhood to perform the sole task of assassination. But something goes wrong on his latest assignment and he finds himself on the run, fighting, and killing while trying to uncover the truth. Oh yeah, him and all the other assassins raised with him have a barcode tatooed on their skulls... whatever that signifies. Maybe that they are just a product of a world fixated on violence and its determination to resolve conflicts by further acts of violence. Or like I said before, whatever...

     So there is a lot of actiony-stuff including car chases and that complimentary hooker there to ease the tension and becoming a reluctant ally. The action is so haphazardly put together that you might be pulling your hair out trying to keep things straight. There are twists and counter twists... all attempting to make the movie rise above its generic roots but to no avail. Anyway, what can you expect from a movie based on a video game. It sucked royally. 

    By the way, what did I mean by the "so far" in the title? I happen to have picked up a ticket for The Mist for Friday night when I went to see Hitman. So I am hoping that it will be better than Hitman. And in case you were wondering, I did get lost on my way back from Beowulf since I went a little farther to see it in 3D. .

RATINGS :
  BEOWULF: FOUR STARS
HITMAN : ZERO STARS  

__________________________    

A DOUBLE WHAMMY
a la The Flixter

      Two great actors like Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe collaborate and the movie resulting is an utter piece of crap.... Hold on. My fault. Yes, the movie was a piece of crap but I am talking about Virtuosity, a movie that had the two talents, a bunch of cheesy special effects, and nothing worth recommending. But that was over a decade ago. Now the two collaborate again after bagging two Oscars a piece.

     The movie is American Gangster and is worth it just to see the two try to top the other. Denzel Washington plays Frank Lucas, who is based on a true guy, and is a Harlem mobster. His big accomplishment is cornering the drug market in the '70s and buying most of the law enforcement officials whose job would have been to bust him. He also happened to make a trip to Vietnam and brought back a load of drugs in soldiers' coffins. The only obstacle he faced was in the form of Newark detective, Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe). That incorruptible cop is bent on bringing Lucas down.

      What results is an exhausting chase, both mental and physical, on both men's part. Washington tops Crowe, in my opinion, because he is just so good at playing the bad guy. After all that is what he got his second Oscar for. Remember that despicable and corrupt cop from Training Day? So both actors do a fine job while the supporting players, including Cuba Gooding Jr. and a pretty bad-ass Armand Assante, are just as well. The director is the almost always great Ridley Scott (I won't go towards Someone To Watch Over Me). But the movie is a little too much at being close to three hours long. That was on a Friday night.

      If it wasn't for Daylight Savings Time and the clocks falling back an hour, I probably wouldn't have been able to make it to Bee Movie on Saturday. That would have stunk because, in case you didn't know, Bee Movie was more my type of fare. A cartoon. And on top of that, one conceived by Jerry Sienfeld, who also lends his voice as the main character, Barry, who is a honey bee, shocked at his discovery upon venturing out of the hive. That discovery being that the humans have been stealing the honey his kind are so dedicated to making. He manages to find an ally in the form of a human florist (voiced by Renee Zellwegger) and proceeds to bring a lawsuit against the human race. Yes, it sounds ridiculous. Maybe because it is. But it is also pretty damn hilarious. I was a big fan of Seinfeld and its good to see he hasn't lost touch with his comic abilities. There is just so much hilarity that I could be up all night attempting to mention everything. There is Chris Rock as a mosquito and a world inside the hive that parallels everything that goes on in our world. Even a hunched over talk show host named Bee Larry King. Absolutely hilarious and a great time. The only bad thing about this type of movie is that there aren't any shows really late at night, so the one I end up at is full of young kids who can be a little disruptive at times.

RATINGS :
  AMERICAN GANGSTER: FOUR STARS
BEE MOVIE: FIVE STARS  

__________________________

SAW IV
a la The Flixter

      Jigsaw is back. You know, that nut job who isn't killing his victims but making them appreciate all they have. Okay, so his subjects do end up dead in the most gruesome of fashions. But he never kills them. He just puts them in a trap where the only way out won't have them breathing too long afterwards. Call me sick, but the traps have been some pretty nifty setups. People end up bringing about their own demise or they find themselves in a situation where they are in a room with another person and their only way out is to end the other's life. Remember when this girl had her head strapped in a thing that was going to snap shut, with a timer, and crush her skull? Her only way out was to kill the other person in the room, remove a key from their belly, and unlock that mechanism around her skull. Did she do it? Of course. And all the while, the audience shrieked in disgust but enjoyed every moment of the new sub-genre, which was to be labeled "Torture Porn."

     Anyway, I kinda' liked the first three Saw movies. But Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) died in the last one. But how many times has Jason Voorhees died in the Friday the 13th franchise? It doesn't stop him from coming back.  Well there is the supernatural element to those movies which makes his constant resurrection possible. Jigsaw, on the other hand, is just a regular guy. In fact, he is a terminally ill fellow who is on his way out, regardless of whether or not he is nabbed. So the makers opt for the other option available for these types - a flashback. We go back to see his origins. His sad past where he was actually a loving husband with an expectant wife. Things didn't go too well and he became what we have gotten to know. This time, Detective Rigg (Lyriq Bent), who is a little too obsessive about his job, is led into an ambush. But two of his partners are already in Jigsaw's game. And he has to get involved and play the game as well, if he wants to save those two guys. Anyway, the movie gets a grisly start as the comatose Jigsaw is undergoing an autopsy and the doctor finds a tape recorder inside him that, when played, establishes the rules for the game.

     The end has a twist like the first Saw. Something you won't be expecting, mainly because there isn't much given that could hint at its possibility. There's loads of blood and gore but not much else that could separate it from the first three. What started out as an original concept is getting a little redundant and losing its entertainment value.

RATING :  TWO STARS

__________________________

30 DAYS OF NIGHT
a la The Flixter

      If anything, this movie may teach you a little geography. Actually, I am not sure if the geographical aspect is truly true. It seems to be. Barrow, Alaska is the northern most town in the USA, and it goes for 30 days without seeing sunshine. Seems right but I am not sure if the name is correct. Anyway, no sun means an ideal spot for vampires dodging the sunlight. And that is what Eben Olsen (Josh Hartnett) has to face as sheriff.

    The long period of darkness means that they stop serving alcohol which is what brings the initial trouble from a new comer who just doesn't seem to understand and insists on getting whiskey. Olsen is forced to arrest this troublemaker and throw him in the jail which is being run by him and a couple of other people, including his spouse who is leaving him. The guy warns of the imminent doom facing the town and is ignored until more obvious signs indicate that there may be some merit to what the guy is saying. All the dogs are butchered, the power is cut, transportation is crippled, and people start dying. Massacred is a more appropriate word since people start meeting grisly fates and the few survivors are forced to take shelter in an isolated attic. The vampires have descended on the town for a feeding frenzy and they have a limited amount of time to fill their appetites since the sun is bound to return. The only problem is how Olsen and his small band can survive those days while waiting for the sun to shine again and drive away the new arrivals.

     Concept wise, the movie is great. Its based on some graphic novel. Execution wise, the movie is so-so. There is plenty of tension as this band of survivors hides out, tries to survive, and attempts to fight off the exterior threat while suppressing any chance of inner turmoil. Like I was just saying, there is plenty of tension but it gets a little tedious once the number of survivors starts dwindling without getting much sympathy from the audience since there isn't much in terms of character development. Do you care if the people live or die? I really didn't. Just waited for the next death scene and how much blood was going to be spilt.

     Josh Hartnett does a decent job and his final act is supposed to raise him above the generic qualities he has displayed thus far. I liked it. Didn't really love it though there are some nice touches, meant to carry the film beyond its generic constraints, including an aerial view at the start of the massacre that gives us a bird's eye view of the hell unfolding on the ground below. The actors are fine and the villains loathsome while the movie is somewhere in the middle as a whole.

RATING :  TWO STARS

__________________________

WE OWN THE NIGHT
a la The Flixter

      The year is 1988 and the brothers Grusinski find themselves on the opposite sides of the law. Joe (Mark Wahlberg) is a dedicated police officer, taking after dad (Robert Duvall), who has just been promoted to Captain. However, Bobby (Joaquin Phoenix) is not so good. He could be if he just stuck to his job of managing a nightclub, but that job comes with its tweaks and temptations. There's all the drugs that make their way through his club and he, of course, has to make those part of his managerial duties, distributing them in accordance and trying them out to make sure his patrons are getting quality stuff. Eventually, Joe really gets on the bad side of his brother, and the Russian mob, when he raids Bobby's club. People are arrested, drugs are ceased, and he, along with his family, is put in harms way since the angry mobsters want revenge. Bobby is just plain mad at his brother at first but changes his ways since those mobsters put Joe in the hospital and dad in the morgue. So what does he do?

     What anybody in that situation would do. He becomes a cop. He doesn't go to the police academy or take a test or anything. He just gets deputized since he has some information, the police know will be useful, and has family ties to the police. That's it. Who knew it was that simple? Things are complicated on the personal front since he tries to hide his newfound career aspirations from his girlfriend (Eva Mendes) and the club owners, who initially didn't even know about his family ties to the police. Then he is off to bring those responsible to justice.

    There isn't much to recommend this movie. It's pretty much a big letdown since the cast is so talented, ranging from the senior Duvall to the younger Phoenix and Wahlberg. Good thing the senior Duvall is discharged honorably, via death, earlier in the film and doesn't have to stick around for the ridiculous turn of events. About the only good thing is a car chase through pouring rain. That looks pretty cool. That's about all that looks good, besides Ms. Mendes...

RATING :  ONE STAR

__________________________

The Kingdom
a la The Flixter

      A small community of Americans enjoys a normal summer day. The kids have a baseball game where everyone is gathered. And then, the unthinkable happens. Gunmen descend on their tranquil existence leaving scores dead and fleeing without capture. But what is different
about this situation is that this American community of oil drillers is in the heart of Saudi Arabia.

     Washington DC is alerted and a team of four is sent to the region to investigate and bring those responsible to justice. The team is made up of FBI agent Ronald Fleury (JamieFoxx), bomb expert Grant (Chris Cooper), forensics lady Janet (Jennifer Garner), and Jason Bateman's Adam, whose purpose isn't really clear. He is there pretty much to crack jokes and make the trio a quartet. Of course, upon arrival, they find out that they are not really welcome there.  And the Saudis don't really let them carry on a thorough investigation which needs to be done quickly since they only have five days to do their job. Then things get nastier as they come under attack by gunmen. That doesn't seem so bad since the attackers that follow are armed with heavier weapons that include rocket launchers.

     Actiony stuff happens as they close in on their target, some Bin Laden-type named Abu Hamza. Of course, the team has to pause along the way and show that they are also kind-hearted besides being ruthlessly efficient. Plus, they are also given an Arab cop to accompany them in their mission. That guy, played by Ashraf Barhom, ends up being the most intriguing character since he is forced into this job of watchdog which his Arab comrades considera betrayal of his roots.

     Okay, so there is plenty of action. Director Peter Berg said that the movie is ninety five percent action and five percent message (or some
proportion like that). I guess he is right since there are a lot more explosions than there is preaching. But the message ends up being more
loudly resonant than those explosions. What is that message? Don't mess with Americans, I guess. Or something along those lines...
Fun at times but hardly a perfect getaway...

RATING :  THREE STARS

__________________________

EASTERN PROMISES
a la The Flixter

      Who could have guessed that one of London's biggest crime families is of Eastern-European origin? But that is the case and Anna (Naomi Watts) finds that out the hard way when she unwittingly crosses paths with the Vory V Zakone brotherhood while searching for some answers about a young girl who died in her hospital while giving birth. Anna is a dedicated nurse and embarks on a quest to find out who is responsible for the girl's condition and is to be handed the newborn child.

     The girl's battered diary leads her to a Trans-Siberian restaurant run by Semyon (Armin Mueller-Stahl) who is using the place as a front for his otherwise, unlawful activities. That is where she meets Nikolai(Viggo Mortensen), Semyon's driver. He is the quiet type but underneath that quiet demeanor is a ruthless and calculated killer. Also present is Semyon's son who is more loyal to Nikolai than to his own father.

     The girl's diary is in Russian and Anna needs these people to translate what the girl knew. Her other option as a translator is her stepfather, who immediately warns her, after reading a little bit of the diary, to destroy it and forget about its existence. But Anna wants to get to the truth and Nikolai seems to be the only one she can trust.

     Extremely violent in phases, this movie is a showcase for Mr. Mortensen who shows his acting abilities. It is safe to say that the guy is definitely a fine actor. This is his second pairing with director David Cronenberg, after A History of Violence, and the movie is similar to that one in the sense that this also deals with a man who is trying to come to terms with his hidden agendas, which he questions, while trying to sort out his present condition. Naomi Watts gives a fine performance while Armin Mueller-Stahl makes his character despicably intriguing. (Come on, the guy is just trying to run a business at whatever cost is necessary.) Violent, suspenseful, and touching but a little slow at times, though this can be another distraction from the usual Hollywood fare..

RATING :  FOUR STARS

__________________________

THE BRAVE ONE
a la The Flixter

      Erica Bain (Jodie Foster) is living a nice NYC life. She has her own radio show--- commenting on life in the city, a boyfriend she is about to marry, and a dog to make it all complete. Life is looking good. Until that night that she, her boyfriend (Naveen Andrews), and the dog are taking a walk in Central Park. Going through a dark tunnel, they are attacked by a group of Latino thugs. The dog is taken away, the boyfriend beaten to death, and Erica is beaten into a coma. After a few months, she awakens, and sets out to recover, and leaves the hospital, an angrier woman bent on vengeance.

     The gun laws prevent her from getting a firearm, so she turns to someone who will get her an illegal one. She trains and gets a chance at using that training when she happens to be in a bodega that gets held up. She kills the guy there and finds herself on a new mission -- not just tracking down those who brought her to this point but to also get any other wrong doers in the city that she loved.

    Enter Marcus (Terence Howard), a police detective, investigating this sudden surge in vigilante style killings. Some evidence leads him to start suspecting Erica. He confronts her with his suspicions and the relationship that builds between the two is credible enough to carry the movie through its slow sections. Meanwhile, the rest of NYC embraces the shadowy figure bringing the wrong doers, who were roaming free, to their just fates.

    The movie can be seen as a female variation on Charles Bronson's Death Wish movies (as many of them as there were). But having Foster in the lead and Neil Jordan as director makes it a little classier. Tough, suspenseful, and touching, all at once, this was definitely a worthy diversion from movies that are depending more and more on special effects to entertain. Foster shows why she has already won two Academy Awards and Howard shows why he can't be too far from one. Maybe not his role here but soon.

     I loved it..

RATING :  FIVE STARS

__________________________

3:10 TO YUMA
a la The Flixter

      Farmer Dan Evans (Christain Bale) has a pretty harsh life. He lost his leg as a Union soldier during the Civil War. He can barely make ends meet and his son thinks of him as a coward. But his chance at redemption comes when he helps capture stagecoach robber Ben Wade(Russell Crowe) and agrees to deliver him to his final judgment. He will get $200 if he can get Wade to the 3:10 train at Contention City so he can be delivered to the hangman at Yuma.

     It could be a simple task if Wade wasn't such a devious delivery and wasn't being pursued by his posse who plan on freeing him. Along the way, he plays mind games with Ben and offers him a much larger sum if he frees him. Plus there are other hurdles along the way including an apparent shortcut which turns out to be otherwise, thanks to the Apaches who populate the area.

     Unknown to Dan, his son is following his father on this task. Also accompanying Dan are a veterinarian, a bounty hunter (Peter Fonda), and the railroad official who hired Dan. The posse in pursuit of this party is headed by Wade's No. 2 guy, a psychotic nicknamed Princess.

     There is plenty of action and the performances are fine. But the movie is a little boring at times... too many times. The best has to be when a stopover in some town turns for the worse when the head there, who has his own grudge against Wade, offers a cash reward to whoever kills the two. The two actually end up joining forces along the way, and bonding to almost make this a buddy movie. Russell Crowe gives a very good performance but Bale, in my opinion, has a more multi-layered character and does better than his Oscar winning co-star.

      By the way, its a remake of a Glenn Ford movie which was based on an Elmore Leonard short story. Yes, the same guy behind such crime dramas as Get Shorty and Jackie Brown.  A good movie, great performances, but a little too slow for all that is going on..

RATING :  THREE and 1/2 STARS

__________________________

HALLOWEEN
a la The Flixter

      Poor Michael Myers. He has a miserable childhood. He has an abusive stepfather. His mom's a go-go dancer. He is constantly picked on at school. Poor Michael Myers.

      So what can he do to vent all this frustration? Well, he can mutilate animals... which he does. But he shouldn't have taken those pictures because they will just get him caught. But what else can be done, since there is a lot more needing venting? How about getting rid of some of those responsible for his frustrations? So he kills that bully from school. And then he gets home and slits the stepfather's throat. Yup, things are starting to feel better, but the stupid authorities won't let the 10-year-old be... After the initial killings, he is put in an institution under the care of Dr. Loomis (Malcolm McDowell).

      Fifteen years later, Myers is a six foot, eight inch hulk and escapes. He returns to his town on Halloween and picks up where he left off fifteen years ago... and there's plenty to be picked at. There are plenty of horny teenagers and their likes. Laurie (Scout Taylor-Compton) is the baby-sitter from Michael's younger days who is now all grown up and finds herself being shadowed by a sinister figure. Her friends are the horny youngsters I hinted at before. They get massacred but it is Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis in the original) who puts up the fight. Dr. Loomis comes back to try to lasso in his former patient who has given him a lot of success in the form of a best-selling book he wrote about that experience. Let's just say that things don't quite work out the way he is intending.

      There's gore, there's blood, and all that is missing is suspense or any lingering hint of scares. Michael Myers is played by wrestler Tyler Mane. By the way, its Michael Myers and not Mike Myers. The later is the comic behind Austin Powers and Shrek. But getting back to the movie, it is sufficient to say that it was terrible. I am a big fan of director Rob Zombie... at least his music, whether it was his band White Zombie or his solo career. But in terms of movies, he is too bent on gore and sadism instead of scaring the viewers. I do think his career would have gone in a whole different direction if he had opted for Bob as a first name instead of Rob. Imagine a musician and director named Bob Zombie. I think that is enough about this terrible movie going experience...

RATING :  ZERO STARS

__________________________

SUPERBAD
a la The Flixter

      High school is ending. Seth (Jonah Hill) may have a chance at getting it on with his pretty lab partner. She is throwing a party and Seth volunteers to supply the booze. He gets the order of alcohol from her and her friends, and sets out to round up the liquor. That's where the problems begin; he and his friends are graduating from high school so no one is old enough to buy the alcohol. That is where Christopher Mintz-Plasse's, Fogell comes in handy. The geeky, near-sighted kid has gotten himself a fake ID. Just that his new ID only gives him one name, McLovin... and according to that ID, McLovin is an organ donor from Hawaii.

    The third one in this trio of misfits hoping to score, is Michael Cera's Evan. So McLovin goes into the liquor store and puts on his charade just as a robber barges in, punches him and empties out the cash register. So things get complicated since the cops show up and take Fogell's McLovin along for questioning. Good thing the two officers, played by Bill Hader and Seth Rogen, are a laid back pair of slackers who take a liking to McLovin and take him along in their car for a night that is made up of speeding through red lights with the sirens blaring and partying like the cops were the ones graduating high school.

      Meanwhile, Seth and Evan are wandering around getting into their own misadventures and discussing ways they are going to unleash their sexual fantasies.

    The movie is absolutely hilarious. A great time at the movies with some of the biggest laughs I can recall from recent movie going experiences. Seth Rogen, who recently achieved stardom thanks to his turn in the hilarious Knocked Up, is also one of the screen writers here. Yes, it does get to be a little sentimental in