Cam's Movie Reviews

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Starring: Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Bob Balaban and Harvey Keitel / Director: Wes Anderson / Writers: Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola

Rating:

Review: Moonrise Kingdom is the innocent story of two young lovers that decide to runaway together, in order to escape their normal lives. But while Suzy and Sam find themselves happy on their own, others begin a search party in order to find them and return them to their proper lifestyles.

Wonderful. I found this movie to be pretty much an instance classic. This movie is a pure blood Wes Anderson film. Like some of his others, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums and Fantastic Mr. Fox, Anderson has a way of creating a distinct atmosphere that allows you to go: Oh, that’s definitely one of his films! There’s so many things that make this film great, it really is one that you just have to go and see to get that feeling that comes along with the film. With Moonrise, Anderson takes these two kids, who are roughly around 12 years old and basically puts them into an adult love story. There are scenes that would normally take place between adults, instead Anderson plays them out through the eyes of kids. Like when the members of the Khaki Scout group finally catch up with Sam and Suzy. One kid rolls up on a motorcycle speaking an ultimatum to Sam, while the other kids stand around holding weapons and prepare to capture Sam. While Suzy and Sam stand on a hillside calling down upon the Khaki Scout members, all while Sam holds his rifle, ready to fight at any moment for his love. The two leads are played by two newcomers (Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward) and they’re just wonderful. They hold their places on screen, whether it’s when they’re just among each other or while they’re playing out scenes with the adult veteran actors. I expect good things from them both later on. All the adults shine in their roles, some of which are bigger than others. Bruce Willis and Edward Norton play two roles that carry a lot of heart. While Bill Murray has to work on reaching a point of understanding. Jason Schwartzman steals his scene with ease, even though he’s only in about five minutes of the film. All around this was a great film. I feel like Anderson has brought everything he has to the table here and made a masterpiece of a film. He’s managed to capture the heart of the youth and make something here that I believe most directors wouldn’t be able to do. So go see the movie and get lost in the magic that Moonrise Kingdom manages to create.

6/17/12

Men In Black 3 (2012)

Starring: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin and Emma Thompson / Director: Barry Sonnenfeld / Writers: Etan Cohen

Rating:

Review: The Men In Black are back for a third time, but this time it involves time travel. As Agent J and Agent K carry on with their everyday alien take downs, the dangerous Boris the Animal escapes from his prison cell on the moon. Boris, an alien who Agent K put away back in 1969, comes to earth and makes plans to travel back to 1969 in order to kill Agent K before he can be imprisoned. So Agent J must go back to 1969 and some how explain to Agent K, from 1969, what Boris’ plans are before it’s too late.

I guess it’s fair to say first, I’m not a huge fan of the first MIB film. I think this is because after seeing Independence Day as a kid, I only wanted to see Will Smith in those types of alien films. Then when MIB came out, it was humorous and goofy and I just wasn’t as into it. Plus, I’ve never really liked Tommy Lee Jones’ character in these films. I like Tommy Lee Jones, just not here. So after not being too thrilled with MIB, I didn’t bother with MIB2 (which I’ve heard from most that’s a good thing). Enough said, I went into MIB3 with not many expectations and I wasn’t disappointed. I found the film to be pure, simple entertainment. But I think the key to this film was Josh Brolin. I’m glad to see he has made this comeback in the late 2000’s, he’ll always be Brand from The Goonies to me. Here he plays the 1969 version of Agent K and he does it without flaw. He’s able to show us a different side of K, while not really losing that monotoned version that Tommy Lee Jones plays. He’s a great addition and something that the MIB movies needed in order to be able to complete another film. I thought the special effects were great, both computer and real life. Will Smith’s sense of humor flows well throughout the film and to me, doesn’t get old. My favorite scene of the movie takes place when Agent J (Will Smith) is being interrogated in 1969 and there’s an alien sitting next to him who is being interrogated as well. What takes place is what would happen if an alien had to use his one phone call while being locked up. Classic. On the downside, I wished that there had been more on Agent O, who was played by two lovely actresses: Emma Thompson in the present and Alice Eve in the past. There’s a little touch that Agent K and Agent O had a thing for each other, but they never really act upon much more than that. But I’d say that they’d be safe to end the series here. It’s been about 15 years since the original one came out, let’s not push it. But if you liked the other films, you’ll like this one. I can safely say that this is a worth while film in the theaters or on video, your choice.

6/16/12

The Five-Year Engagement (2012)

Starring: Jason Segal, Emily Blunt, Christ Pratt, Alison Brie and Rhys Ifans / Director: Nicholas Stoller / Writers: Jason Segal and Nicholas Stoller

Rating:1/2

Review: The Five-Year Engagement reunites team Segel and Stoller for another laugh out loud comedy. The story follows Tom and Violet through a five year period in their relationship. Tom is a quality chef in Los Angeles and Violet is searching for a research position at the college level. Violet gets a job from Michigan State, so Tom and her agree to pack things up and try out a new life. But as life begins to play out, the two realize relationships aren’t as easy as they might have seemed. Here they are faced with challenges that test them both and leave the question, will they be able to overcome the odds?

I found this movie to be a few things: funny, heartbreaking and overall enjoyable. Jason Segel (The Muppets) and Emily Blunt (The Adjustment Bureau) make a great pair on screen. They laugh together and play off of one another like it’s the real deal. And that is a key factor when it comes to romantic comedy movies. If the two leads don’t gel well together, the whole movie is lost. So bravo to them for that. But even though the main story line of the film is about Segel and Blunt, the true scene stealer’s are Chris Pratt and Alison Brie. Knockout. Pratt (Parks and Recreation, Everwood) who plays Tom’s best friend and who seems to be funny in everything he does, even when the movie sucks, is no different here. He’s on key and full of surprises. Alison Brie (Community, Scream 4) puts on the English accent and plays Violets over the top sister. Brie has a natural gift for comedy, from her innocent character in Community, to the foul mouthed agent in Scream 4, she knows how to play all sides. Her and Pratt do wonders on there limited time on screen, thank you for them. Besides all that, what I really loved about this movie was its take on a relationship. The film wasn’t afraid to show its characters make mistakes. These aren’t your cookie-cutter chick-flick characters, instead they are more of the everyday man and woman. They are sympathetic, right, wrong, misunderstood and most of all believable. After the hit Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Segel has shown that he knows how to write a relationship movie without blowing the whole thing up into something cheesy. I mean, come on, the man brought back The Muppets! If I had any complaints about the film it would probably be that it was a bit long. The movie runs its course at just over two hours, but I believe it earns those two hours. This is definitely a film worth seeing.

6/3/12

Dark Shadows (2012)

Starring: Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green, Bella Heathcote, Chloe Grace Moretz and Jackie Earle Haley / Director: Tim Burton / Writers: Seth Grahame-Smith and John August

Rating:

Review: Dark Shadows is a horror-comedy story, starting out in the year 1752, about a man named Barnabas Collins, who after fooling around with the family maid, who turns out to be an evil witch, is cursed and turned into a vampire. Barnabas’ non-commitment to the love of the maid causes him to lose the ones he loves and leave his family with just enough to survive. But Barnabas returns in the year 1972 to find a whole new world and attempts to help his living relatives bring back the family fishing buisness. Yet, one thing stands in their way. The evil witch is now the head of the local fishing business and will stop at nothing to destroy what’s left of the Collins’ history.

I was excited to see this movie. I enjoyed the trailers and TV spots whenever they would come on. But after the film was over and the credits scrolled across the screen I felt…bummed. I found Dark Shadows to be slow, too long and not very coherent. Don’t get me wrong, I chuckled here and there and I did enjoy most of the performances. But for a Tim Burton/Johnny Depp clash, it was lacking. Going off of the performances, I typically enjoy watching what characters Johnny Depp creates on screen, and here is no exception. He’s goofy, under heavy make-up, and spot on when it comes to comedy. It was also good to see Michelle Pfeiffer back with Tim Burton. I personally enjoyed her take of Catwoman in Burton’s dark classic, Batman Returns. And the lovely, you have stolen my heart, Eva Green. She has a keen tongue for the dark and the funny. And a wicked smile that just screams sinister underneath. But other than them, things were bland. I had issues with the story, only because it never seemed to commit itself to anything. It’s almost as if it wasn’t sure what kind of movie it wanted to be. Funny, dark, mystery, love story. Nothing gelled the way it should have, and for that it left an empty feeling. The look of the film is nice and fitting. There’s not so many of those Tim Burton swirl like objects around, but you can pretty much tell that it’s a Burton film. The be honest though, as an overall view, it looks like someone wanted to make this movie and they looked at their schedule and went, “hmmm. we can probably squeeze production in between here and here” and the other person went, “well, can we cut a month off, I wanted to take a trip around here.” And then they went, “sure, that works. Let’s make a movie.” Coming from a fan of Tim Burton’s films I wouldn’t say this was his worst, but it was pretty close. So see it or don’t, it won’t change your life one way or the other.

5/20/12

The Avengers (2012)

Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Clark Gregg and Samuel L. Jackson / Director: Joss Whedon / Writers: Zak Penn and Joss Whedon

Rating:

Review: When Loki and his space army threaten earth with annihilation, Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. must assemble a team of superheros, known as The Avengers, in order to save earth from the reign of evil.

I have to say, hands down, The Avengers is not only one of the best superhero movies ever made, but one of the best movies I have ever seen. This is one of the films that had so many things going against it, yet some how managed to make it all work and do it with style. Marvel has been building up to this film ever since the 2008 release of Iron Man. Each film following, had some sort of link to The Avengers. Now, this movie is one of those films that would be very beneficial to the viewer if they have seen all of the films that led up to this one. Those being: Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger. That being said, you’d most likely still have a great time just watching this one on its own. The director, Joss Whedon, had the impossible task of taking all of those previous films and mashing them into one with a story that was coherent and respectable to the stories already established. And he does it. His screenplay is sharp, action packed, intelligent and humors. This movie will make you laugh till your stomach starts to hurt and the humor is well earned and not cheap. Whedon has pulled off what many can’t, and from what I understand, the movie you see on screen, is the movie he intended to make. Well done. The cast here is the same as all of the previous individual films, expect for Mark Ruffalo, who plays Dr. Bruce Banner/The Hulk. The role was previously played by Edward Norton in the Avenger linked film, The Incredible Hulk. Where Norton brought intelligence to the role of Bruce Banner, Ruffalo manages to bring heart and sympathy to the character, along with the intelligence of Banner. Ruffalo is one of the few actors who can play this kind of role. The role that calls for a character that is dealing with the inner struggle as well as the outer struggle. The Hulk done right, Fantastic. I have to give another shout out to Tom Hiddleston, as Loki. Here is another character that truly is torn between what decisions he should make. Hiddleston plays Loki with the sinister smile, dangerous, but I have a feeling there’s something possibly good inside of him. We’ll have to see. This movie runs about two hours and twenty minutes, it’s worth that and more. This is something that needs to be seen and you really don’t want to miss it. Make sure to stay till the very end of the credits, you won’t be disappointed. The Avengers…thank you!

5/8/12

The Darkest Hour (2011)

This one’s (long overdue) for Josh aka Iwilladapt

Starring: Emile Hirsch, Olivia Thirlby, Max Minghella, Rachael Taylor and Joel Kinnaman / Director: Chris Gorak / Writers: Jon Spaihts, Leslie Bohem and M.T. Ahern

Rating:1/2

Review: The Darkest Hour is the story of two friends, Sean and Ben, who travel to Russia on a business meeting, where their connection, Skylar, is waiting. When the meeting goes sour, Sean and Ben try to blow off some steam at a local nightclub, where they meet Natalie and Anne. But when everything seems to be going well, mysterious glowing swarms begin to fall from the sky, disintegrating everyone who gets in their way. Sean, Ben, Natalie, Anne and Skylar must head through Moscow in order to survive and find some form of salvation. But as things get ugly, their chances become slimmer and they must figure out what they’re fighting before it’s too late.

Just to start off, The Darkest Hour, when it was released to theaters, was pushed heavily by the 3D wave. But I did not see this in 3D, this is a rental review. And I’m probably guessing, but I’d say that the 3D really didn’t help this movie. The Darkest Hour was sadly a weak attempt at an end of the world alien invasion movie. Which makes a me wonder a few things. One, why did this film get a Christmas Day release? Typically the 25th of December is reserved for films that the studios either think: A: Families will go and see or B:A movie that they believe will make a lot of money. This movie was pretty much neither. Two, What did a fine actor like Emile Hirsch see in this role? The guy has done good movies like, Lords of Dogtown, Milk and The Girl Next Door. Yes, he has had some flops like Speed Racer, but did he need the paycheck that bad or did he think he could really bring something to this role. And three, aren’t films about the end of the world supposed to be about the survival of mankind and the humanity in situations like this? This movie really didn’t care about it’s characters, instead it just had them walking fast through the streets, going “Okay, just constantly look to your left, then right, then up and you know what, look at the ground, too. That’s convincing!” I’d probably say that the highlight of the film was that it was pretty much all shot in Moscow, but the surrounding of Moscow doens’t make your movie any better. Everyone is disposable in the movie, the threat really isn’t there and if it was, I never cared to think about it. I saw this movie as one of those films that was made to mess around with computer special effects. It was a specific purpose film. Almost like Speed, a simple story and lots of action…yet, Speed was done very well. Movies like The Darkest Hour are almost tester films, movies that are made by directors that don’t usually direct. Instead, they usually do something else behind the scenes. Like the directors of Skyline, The Strause Brothers. The Strause Brothers do amazing digital special effects, they’re pretty much the leading team out there, but they just can’t direct a movie, yet, they still do. So that being said, The Darkest Hour is pretty much a waste of time, not because it’s so awful and unbearable, but because there’s no pay off to it. When everything is said and done, who cares? This one, I’d say pass on or watch IF YOU MUST!

5/8/12

Think Like a Man (2012)

Starring: Michael Ealy, Jerry Ferrara, Meagan Good, Regina Hall, Kevin Hart, Taraji P. Henson, Romany Malco, Terrence Jenkins and Gabrielle Union / Director: Tim Story / Writers: Keith Merryman and David A. Newman

Rating:1/2

Review: Think Like a Man is the story of a group of friends who all find love at the same time or so they think. Each man’s love interest is different, yet they all find something in common. Each of their women have been secretly following the steps given to them by Steve Harvey’s relationship book, “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man”. So the men decide to give the women a piece of their own medicine and play along. But will the act go unnoticed or will the women figure out the scheme and expose the men and their dirty tricks?

Think Like a Man. I would be lying if I didn’t say that I laughed through pretty much the entire film. This might be because I didn’t expect much from the film or it might be because it actually was that funny. And that humor falls on the cast and their ability to play out well on screen. The film is like the 2009 release, He’s Just Not That Into You, in the way that it’s based off a self-help book and then turned into a fiction story involving couples that act out the different advice chapters in the book. But I think I enjoyed this one a little bit better. Writers Keith Merryman and David A. Newman, the guys who co-wrote the laugh out loud, Friends with Benefits, create some snappy dialogue but also bring the biggest fault of the film, a scattered story. This is a common occurance in a film that involves a bunch of different couples and a bunch of story lines. Everything gets jumbled and they some how have to get from point A to point B with all these characters in a matter of two hours. It happens, but then again this film did get number one in the box office two weeks in a row (So what do I know?). I’d talk about the actors but there’s no one in common that stood out more than the other, they all did what they had to do and seemed like they could have just been playing themselves. If anything, more heart and feeling towards these characters would have been nice. Yes, I laughed and had a good time, but also I’m being a little stingy. Movies like this are made to make audiences happy, nothing more. Yet, it’s always funny when we have to watch beautiful and kind people struggle with worrying about possibly not being able find someone that’s right for them. Always gets me. But this movie was enjoyable and it’s high on that level. So, see it and have a good time.

5/8/12

Sound of My Voice (2011)

Starring: Christopher Denham, Nicole Vicius and Brit Marling / Director: Zal Batmanglij / Writer: Zal Batmanglij and Brit Marling

Rating:1/2

Review: Sound of My Voice is a low-budget film about a couple, Peter and Lorna, that decides to try and document cults. Ever since Peter’s mother died, because the cult she was in didn’t allow for her to use modern medicine, he has been on a mission to expose cults for the frauds that they are. Peter and Lorna find themselves inducted into a cult, that holds their meetings in a basement of a mysterious house. Here they are faced with a female leader who claims that she is from the future. First believing all is a hoax, Peter begins to question his own doubts and whether or not this woman is who she says she is.

Sound of My Voice is just one of those movies that manages to get under your skin and make you think. Working off a budget that must have been slim to none, Zal Batmanglij and Brit Marling have managed to make a movie that should be applauded and receive more recognition than it will probably get. This movie, right off the bat, sticks the viewer in an uncomfortable situation. We, like the two leads, have no idea what we’re getting into or where the car is taking us. As the leads learn more, we learn more. The viewer is kept in the dark, so to speak. A majority, if not all, of the film was shot in the Los Angeles area. Which is always a good thing and should be utilized more often. Here the movie challenges its viewers to make their own decisions on what is going on. Is this woman really from the future? Are what these people doing really right? Twists and turns come about and there’s no definitive answers. Brit Marling plays Maggie, the woman from the future, and she has this acting quality about her where she can be one person one second and then completely flip the next. Like the scene where one of her “followers” questions her about a song from the future. First she is gentle and willing to sing the song for the group, yet when she’s confronted with the fact that the song isn’t from the future she become defensive and angry towards this person. What I’m saying is that she is very convincing. I hope that she finds a solid place in cinema. What really made Sound of My Voice a good movie, was that it kept me thinking about it for the next couple of days and that makes a good movie. If you have the chance to catch this one, it’s playing down at the Hollywood Arclight. If you don’t, catch it on video, it’s worth the watch.

4/29/12

American Reunion (2012)

Starring: Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Sean William Scott, Chris Klien, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Mena Suvari, Tara Reid, John Cho, Jennifer Coolidge and Eugene Levy / Directors: Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg / Writers: Jon Hurwitz and Schlossberg

Rating:

Review: The guys that you loved from American Pie are back in action, in American Reunion. Reunion takes place roughly thirteen years after the events in American Pie and is exactly that, a reunion. But this time things are different. Jim and Michelle have a baby, Oz has a TV show, Kevin is married and tied down, Finch is mysterious in different ways and Stifler is no longer the king. But they all return for the long awaited high school reunion, where they find themselves in the same old predicaments that they were involved in before. Will this reunion prove to be a bust or will the guys pull through and relive the good times, one more time?

I have to say, I really enjoyed this movie. American Reunion brought be back to all the things I loved about the first two movies (face it, American Wedding was a dud, you can’t make an American Pie movie without all the guys, it just isn’t the same). There was enough poking-fun at this movie to show the viewers that it wasn’t taking itself so seriously. Everyone knows that after making a trilogy and a few branch off films, a movie like American Reunion is the type of movie that knows it’s purpose and place. But besides that it was a well made comedy. I enjoyed it for it’s ludicrous situations and seeing where all the characters are at this point in time. It’s good to see that even at these guy’s ages, they still haven’t grown into a full maturity level. Sean William Scott still owns as “The Stifmeister”, Jason Biggs, as Jim, still finds himself in the most uncomfortable of situations, and Thomas Ian Nicholas, as Kevin, shows us his maturity with facial hair. But the real character who steals the show is John Cho, as MILF Guy #2, who has been separated from his MILF Guy #1. Cho conveys his character as this man who has been estranged for too long and without his counterpart he can’t find who he truly is. Classic. Also, it’s nice to see Eugene Levy and Jennifer Coolidge with some on-screen time, together. Their humor and comedy is incomparable in films like Best in Show and A Mighty Wind. If you enjoyed the other American Pie films you’ll probably enjoy this one too. Even though this movie was very enjoyable, I think the films creators should leave it here. They finally managed to get everyone in one place, again (besides Casey Affleck, as Tom Myers, Kevin’s older and wiser brother) and with that they should be happy and go out on a high note. Yet, if they do manage to make another one, with all the cast in it, the question would probably be will I see it? Answer: Of course!

4/29/12

The Lucky One (2012)

Starring: Zac Efron, Taylor Schilling, Blythe Danner, Jay R. Ferguson and Riley Thomas Stewart / Director: Scott Hicks / Writer: Will Fetters

Rating:

Review: The Lucky One, based of the book by Nicholas Sparks, is the story of Logan, a Marine, who while on tour in Iraq believes he is saved by a picture of a woman that he finds on the ground. After returning home, Logan sets out to find the woman in the picture and thank her for saving his life. But when Logan struggles to find the words he means to express, he finds himself instead falling for a woman he hardly knows. As conflicts rise and love ensues, will Logan be able to say what he needs to before things get out of hand?

The Lucky One, I’ll make this one simple, if you liked the other Nicholas Sparks movies, you’ll most likely like this one. So what I’m about to say probably won’t change your mind on whether you will see this movie or not. Each Sparks film seems to bring on a new director, almost as if the right director will make these movies that much better. But sadly that’s not the case. Now I enjoyed parts of The Notebook and parts of Dear John and I enjoyed parts of this film, as well. But the problem I had with The Lucky One is that it really seemed to not go anywhere. Typically in these types of films you have the opening where the characters are falling in love, then there’s the part where they are in love, then there’s the big dramatic act that causes everything to fall apart and we as an audience are supposed to go “how are they going to make it through this!?”, then the conclusion comes and then they’re happy together. This film didn’t seem to have that. It just kind of ran flat all the way through. I mean, there was chemistry on screen from the two leads, Zac Efron and Taylor Schilling but there wasn’t much going on. Zac Efron plays the just off tour Marine who is dealing with a bit of shell-shock and he does it well. Efron has a good on screen presence. I mean come on, the guy was the only really good thing about New Year’s Eve, and I mean that. And Taylor Schilling, who’s pretty much a newcomer, plays the blonde beauty that steals Logan’s heart. She’s convincing and makes for another pretty face on screen. But Blythe Danner takes the cake here as Schilling’s grandmother. She has the witty lines and sells them just right. A veteran at work. But with The Lucky One I never felt an emotion connection to it, in a heartfelt way or a conflicting way. I felt like once everything was said in done, it was just passable. Not that the film wasn’t acted well or shot well, but something was just missing. But like I said before, if you liked the other films, you’ll like this one. These films appeal to a certain crowd and maybe I’m not one of them. So take it as you will, this one’s up to you.

4/22/12