Review: MacGruber

Plot: Based on the signature SNL skit, MacGruber follows the exploits of ex-special forces agent MacGruber (Will Forte) who faked his own death ten years ago after his nemesis Dieter Von Cunth (Val Kilmer) killed his wife. When Cunth threatens to high jack a nuclear warhead and blowup Washington, Col. Jim Faith (Powers Boothe) and Lt. Dixon Piper (Ryan Phillippe) must draw MacGruber out of retirement to face his old enemy. Armed with nothing but simple household tools, flowing hair, and his bare hands, MacGruber must save the world again.

Review: It's been a long time since SNL had a funny movie based on one of their skits. Crapfests like Night at the Roxbury, The Ladies Man, and Pootie Tang seriously had me wondering if there would ever be another Blues Brothers, Wayne's World, or Coneheads.

Thank God for MacGruber. Zany, irreverent, and surprisingly funny, I couldn't help but laugh out loud (several times) at the bumbling antics of the MacGuyver rip off. Will Forte is perfect in the titular role, cracking jokes about his penis size and making smoke bombs out of tennis balls with equal aplomb. MacGruber's ideas on causing distractions are just as hilarious as the sounds he makes during sexual intercourse. (Don't ask. Just watch the film and you'll understand what I'm talking about.)

The always funny Kristen Wiig, along with dramatic actor Ryan Phillippe also join MacGruber's team as Vicki St. Elmo and Lt. Dixon Piper. Somehow Vicki always seems to be the one to take MacGruber's place in dangerous situations. Her freak-out scene in a coffee shop under MacGruber's direction is hilarious. Phillippe on the other hand plays an excellent straight man to Forte's crass and bumbling spy. Piper's reaction to MacGruber's story about why Cunth hates him is classic.

Kilmer's Cunth (that just doesn't sound right at all) is passable as MacGruber's nemesis. A veteran of such comedy gems as Real Genius! I would have thought Kilmer would have gone for it a little more. He comes across as slightly too serious, which is obviously unnecessary for a film like MacGruber.

Credit has to go to director Jorma Taccone as well, as MacGruber came across as a strong action comedy, not a 90 minute SNL skit. Taccone also co-wrote the script along with Will Forte and John Solomon. While I'm usually weary of films that have more than one screenwriter, the collaborative effort in MacGruber paid off in spades.

Look MacGruber is not high brow comedy. It is about as subtle as throat rip. (Again see the movie.) Its roots lie in films like Airplane! not Annie Hall. However, if you're looking for 90 minutes to just tune out from the world and have some laughs, MacGruber is your movie. And you don't even have to worry about cutting any green wires.

My rating: 7/10

Review: Limitless

Plot: Struggling writer Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) is going nowhere. Broke, depressed, and suffering a severe case of writers block, Eddie's future prospects look hopeless. That is until his ex-brother in law shows up offering a drug that allows Eddie to access his full brain potential. But fame, wealth, and success all have a price and the final bill may end up costing Eddie his life.

Review: If anyone had any lingering doubts that Bradley Cooper could carry a film on his own, think again. The actor best known for his role as Phil in The Hangover finally breaks through in director Neil Burger's surprise hit Limitless. Based on the novel The Dark Fields by Alan Glynn, Limitless is as visceral and exciting as it is fast-paced, squarely in the vein of the 1968 classic film Charly.

What makes Limitless a gigantic leap forward for Cooper is the true development of his character Eddie. Usually placed in the role of wise cracking eye candy, Cooper's Eddie is initially a schlub. Dirty and depressed, Cooper expertly pulls off the socially awkward loser act. Bradley Cooper shows a more vulnerable side in Limitless as Eddie is truly a desperate man. Dumped by his girlfriend, unable to write a creative word, out of money, Eddie reeks of desperation...among other things. It is that very desperation that pushes Eddie to take Vernon's (Johnny Whitworth's) wonder drug NZT.

And that's when the transformation begins. Suddenly Eddie Morra "knows everything about everything." From the finer points of law, to finishing his novel in four days, to doubling his ivestments day after day; Eddie literally has the power to do anything.

Director Neil Burger (The Illusionist) along with cinematographer Jo Willems, do a fantastic job with Limitless from a visual standpoint. When Eddie's on the drug the lighting is literally glowing and all visual components seem ramped up to the nth degree. It's a clear reflection of being "in the zone" as athletes often refer to. In contrast when Eddie is off the drug things appear drab and out of focus.

Burger keeps the pace of Limitless moving fluidly, easily showing how Eddie shifts from author, to finance wizard, to the realization of what he is really meant to do with NZT. However, the frenetic pace of Limitless doesn't stop Burger from getting the message across that knowledge, and the power that comes with it, can be just as addicting a drug as heroin. The risks of true self-actualization can be worse than the rewards. The scene where Eddie confronts his girlfriend Lindy (Abbie Cornish) at her place of work is harrowing. Eddie at that point has been off NZT for days and is going through a withdrawal on par with the worst narcotic. This scene is hands down the best acting of Bradley Cooper's career.

Like the side effects of NZT, Limitless has its drawbacks. Burger I thought played up the "drug in the wrong hands" situation a little bit too much. One of the sub-plots is the drug being co-opted by Gennady, (Andrew Howard) a sadistic Russian loan shark. While Howard was good in the role and it made for some interesting moments, it also led to a scene toward the end that had me groaning "Give me a break" worse than that guy on the Charles Schwab commercial reacting to the prospect of owning a vineyard when he retires. Also while Abbie Cornish was strong as Lindy, she wasn't in the film nearly as much as she could have been leaving little room for character development. You notice I haven't mentioned Robert De Niro much so far. That's because he totally phoned in his performance of businessman Carl Van Loon. You know the days of Raging Bull are far in the past if you look like a candle flame next to the sun opposite Bradley Cooper.

While Limitless does have its limitations (eh-hem) it's a great thriller, highly entertaining, and a fantastic coming out party for the artist formerly know as Wil from Alias.

My rating: 8/10

An R is an R is an R

George Costanza once famously quipped on the television show Seinfeld, "Why can't I just be?" When it comes to the recent trend in Hollywood regarding R-rated films, I'm wondering why an R film can't just be an R film?

You're probably wondering what I mean by this. Well to understand my question you first have to understand the trend I mentioned. Over the last decade or so there has been a big push by Hollywood to recuts film that have an R rating in order to get them to a PG-13. Ostensibly this is to make them more commerically appealing but in reality it's just so the studios can get more money. Obviously not as many people (e.g. underage teenagers with expendable income) can get into an R rated film as a PG-13 one.

To quote Charles Barkley from the recent NCAA tournament coverage, this situation is "turrible" and a "travessy." That's "terrible" and "travesty" for those of you don't speak Barkley. In any case the sentiment remains the same.

Does Hollywood have any self respect left at all? Why sacrifice artistic integrity for money? Oh that's right....BECAUSE IT'S HOLLYWOOD. Take Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch for example. Although it is clearly solid as a PG-13 movie I couldn't help thinking that there were several times that scenes (death scenes mostly) demanded to be more graphic, in fact may have even been shot that way, but couldn't because it had to meet that PG-13 rating. Or take for example Ridley Scott's 2005 film Kingdom of Heaven. Scott had to recut the film, outwardly because the studio said it was too long. In reality it was code for "too violent Rid, make it more bankable."

Even worse is the trend of making PG-13 sequels, when the original movie was R. Alien vs. Predator falls into this category. Really? We needed to tame down the creatures of Alien and Predator? Can you imagine if the studio execs in Hollywood told Todd Phillips that he had to make The Hangover Part II into a PG-13 movie??? That movie should be nothing but a hard R.

Bottom line Hollywood: let a movie stand on it's own merit. If it's an R let it be an R. If it's PG-13 let it be PG-13. Anything less than that is just disingenuous.

Amy Adams to play Lois Lane!!!!!!

Hot on the heels of his release of Sucker Punch, Zack Synder announced that Oscar nominee Amy Adams (most recently for The Fighter) has been cast as Lois Lane in the upcoming Superman reboot.

According to Synder, the director's search of Superman's main squeeze was exhausting. Numerous actresses were rumored to be in the hunt for the the spelling challenged reporter for The Daily Planet, everyone from Zooey Deschanel to Evangeline Lily. However Snyder stated that Adams was a "perfect fit for it."

Snyder also added that Adams' character would be a "linchpin" to the story and that her character would have a "contemporary feel and spirit." Lois Lane on Twitter and Facebook perhaps? Again I think this is an excellent pick. Not only is Adams beautiful but she's a fantastic actress and I think can bring the prerequisite amount of spunk and sass to the role.

Now...let's get Supes' villain cast already!

Review: Sucker Punch

Plot: When Baby Doll (Emily Browning) is wrongfully accused of killing her sister and committed to an insane asylum by her stepfather, her only option before an impending lobotomy is escape. Driven by a desperate escape plan and aided by inmates Sweat Pea (Abbie Cornish), Rocket (Jena Malone), Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens), and Amber (Jamie Chung), Baby Doll discovers that freeing her mind may be the key to freeing herself.

Review: Director Zack Synder is known for his ability to create worlds whether it is the sword and sandal world of 300 or the dystopian 1985 of Watchmen. In Snyder's latest work, Sucker Punch, Snyder has once again created a fantastical world long on visuals but sometimes lacking in story and plot development. Often exciting, sometimes uneven, Sucker Punch nevertheless delivers a tour de force of action, entertainment, and popcorn thrills.

One of the most impressive elements about Snyder's direction is his attention to detail. He often hones in on the smallest details whether it is the click of a lock or the flick of a Bic lighter. One fundamental rule of good storytelling is the expression "show me don't tell me." Synder is an expert at that. Reminiscent of Hitchcock's Rear Window, in the first five minutes of Sucker Punch there isn't one word of dialogue, but Baby Doll's backstory is revealed in such vivid detail, to the background of The Eurythmics's "Sweet Dreams," there is no need for words. In fact music sets the stage for many sequences in this film. Re-imagined versions of hits by Queen, Led Zepplin, and Alison Mosshart consistently rock throughout Sucker Punch.

While the idea of escaping from an asylum isn't exactly new, the format is definitely unique and also confusing. In reality you have the actual asylum where these girls are held, however as a coping mechanism (presumably) Baby Doll imagines she's actually trapped at a dance hall/brothel run by Blue Jones (Oscar Issac) and trying to escape from there. The only way to escape is by acquiring four items: a map, fire, a knife, and a key. All of these things are in the physical world but again, in order to cope, Baby Doll must attain them in her fantasy world. There fire is actually dragon crystals, the knife is actually a bomb, etc...What's great about the story is that it allows Snyder to delve into worlds of fantasy and science fiction. This showcases the excellent special effects of Animal Logic and the sleek cinematography of Larry Fong. Unfortunately, it also makes for a distinctly non-linear story that is often times perplexing. I'll freely admit it took me about twenty minutes to figure out what the hell was going on.

The visual nature of the film begs for strong action sequences and there are plenty of those in Sucker Punch. Whether it's fighting samurai warriors twenty feet tall or storming a castle guarded by a fire breathing dragon, this movie has your flavor of action ice cream. Sucker Punch is a movie not limited by physical realities. The problem is that the action sometimes gets monotonous especially in the middle of the movie. And there are WAY too many slow motion sequences in this film.

Besides the visual platform itself, what's unique about Sucker Punch was how all the main characters were such bad assess. It's not often we get to see female leads in such aggressive superhero-like roles. While Emily Browning isn't very memorable as Baby Doll, she's solid. Vanessa Hudgens and Jamie Chung are, sadly, just along for the ride as the tepid Blondie and Amber. Abbie Cornish and Jena Malone really steal the show here though, especially Malone. Smart, sexy, and powerful, Malone also managed to show a vulnerable side to Rocket. She's come a long way since Stepmom.

One drawback to having a movie dominated by women is that there is very little room for the men. However what male roles there are, were filled extremely well. Jon Hamm is strong as The Doctor/High Roller and Oscar Issac is fantastic as the nefarious Blue Jones. I have to admit I was expecting more from The Wiseman/General/Bus Driver played by character actor Scott Glenn. He kind of fell flat for me and his dialogue was delivered in a very hackneyed and corny kind of way.

One thing to note is that there is definitely some Manga and Anime influence here. However that doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the story. And while some critics have stated that Sucker Punch fetishizes women, I disagree. Although the women of this film are often scantily clad, that isn't what I focused on. What drew me was how strong these women really were. To be perfectly frank, how much they kicked ass. It's just unfortunate that the only way the women of Sucker Punch can be fierce is through Baby Doll's fantasy world. However, the nature of setting dictates this fact.

In any case it's fun to watch.

My rating: 7/10

R.I.P. Elizabeth Taylor

One of the last great movie stars of the golden age of cinema, Elizabeth Taylor, passed away today at the age of 79. Suffering from numerous health problems over the last several years, Taylor succumbed to complications arising from congestive heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles California. Taylor is survived by four children, ten grandchildren, and four great grandchildren.

I'd hazard that most people below 30 have heard of Liz Claiborne before Liz Taylor, but in her time Taylor was one of the most beautiful and talented actresses in Hollywood. In a film and television career that spanned an incredible 61 years, Taylor was a five time Oscar nominee for Best Actress winning for 1960's BUtterfield 8 and 1966's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Taylor was married eight times most notably to seven time Oscar nominee Richard Burton, once the highest paid man in Hollywood. Taylor retreated from Hollywood in the late 60s and in to the 70s seeking to focus more on her marriages. Liz Taylor also had her struggles with substance abuse, checking into the famous Betty Ford clinic in the early 80s.

Later in life the actress also dabbled in the jewelry and perfume industries. Taylor was active in several charities, including those related to AIDS related research after her close friend and fellow actor Rock Hudson died of AIDS related illness in 1985.

Elizabeth Taylor is an actress I consider to be the female Marlon Brando. Starring in films with actors like Richard Burton, Spencer Tracy, Paul Newmann, and James Dean, Taylor's method acting and willingness to throw herself into a character was second to none. Sultry, sexy, sophisticated, complicated, talented, and passionate, Liz Taylor was all of these things and more. You cannot write the history of cinema without mentioning Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor.

And that I think that is the most telling testament to Liz Taylor's true impact on the movies.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt and The Dark Knight Rises Update

Man this is getting embarrassing! Not only did I mess up Joseph Gordon-Levitt's name the other day but now I have to do another update regarding the role Gordon-Levitt will have in the film. Two days after Variety stated JGL would be playing Alberto Falcone (as I previously reported) now Entertainment Weekly has filed a report that while it is confirmed that JGL is in the film, he is in fact NOT playing Alberto Falcone or the Holiday Killer. Oh Hollywood you fickle mistress! Just goes to show rumors float like turds and sometimes stink just as bad. Anyway as soon as I find out what role JGL is playing in The Dark Knight Rises I will update you accordingly. In the meantime you'll just have to be content with the fact that he's in the movie.