Sherlock Holmes Trailer

Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law star in this reimagining of the Sherlock Holmes story. This film will be released Christmas Day.

Terminator Salvation (Review)

Terminator Salvation

Directed by: Mc G
Starting: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin, Moon Bloodgood, Bryce Dallas Howard, Common, Helena Bonham Carter


What’s It About

Remember the scenes in the Terminator films where they would show glimpses of the future? Remember how badly you wanted the series to get to that point? Well, it took 25 years to get there, but as of midnight, May 21st, that wish has finally been granted. The question does remain though, was it worth the wait? Cue the Terminator soundtrack!


Thoughts

I grew up watching the Terminator films. I do consider myself a fan and yes, I thought the 3rd one was horrible! As I sat in my seat at my local theatre, I realized that this is the 2nd Terminator flick that is being attempted without the creator, James Cameron. In fact, this installment is being handled by McG! He directed CHARLIE’S ANGELS and a bunch of MUSIC VIDEOS! “Oh no… just breath, easy does it.” “Why would a studio put a franchise that is well respected and loved by so many, in the hands of this man?" The lights dimmed, and I soon got my answer…

This is nothing like the older Terminator films. There are no tender scenes, no deep storylines, no “Hasta la vista, baby” moments, and no Arnold (well…). What you have here is life after Judgment Day. Resistance fighters have no time to joke around and laugh it up. They live to defeat the machines. This is that story. There really is no room for the Terminator formula to work. What Salvation brings is a gritty, desolate, washed out world, and I for one am glad that they chose to do it this way! Salvation is a new series that while it’s in the same universe as the previous films; it cannot live by the same standards.

The action in Salvation is relentless! Some purists have argued that they have a problem with this being the first Terminator that’s not rated R. Trust me, you won’t know the difference! For every 6 or 10 minutes of dialogue, you get 20 minutes or so of no hold barred action! McG has an eye for camera tricks and they are used to good effect on Salvation. In a scene where a chopper goes down, you will feel as if you’re in the chopper, plummeting to the floor! This is war, and you’re going to feel like you’re in it!

Christian Bale stars as the savior of mankind, John Connor. His performance was pretty solid except for the occasional Batman growl that he apparently hasn’t been able to shake off yet. The best performance though, goes to the machine Marcus Wright, played by Sam Worthington. Even though he’s machine, he is the most human out of the rest of the cast. I was very surprised by Anton Yelchin’s portrayal of a young Kyle Reese. This boy did his homework and it paid off! If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve sworn they put Michael Biehn in a time portal and send him back in time to portray a young version of himself! Common and Moon Bloodgood do what they can with the little time they have onscreen, but to be honest, they don’t bring anything to the table.

There is no reason why Terminator Salvation should be missed. It’s a welcome entry into the Terminator franchise; it’s got great action, wonderful SFX and a story that can be further developed in if they continue to make more. And if they make more, I’ll Be Back!

Memorable Moment

The last 30 minutes. I’m not allowed to say more than that.

FYI

There are a load of references to the older Terminator flicks. I caught 6 of them.

Score

8 out of 10

Box Office Results

May 15th- 17th


1/ Angels and Demons $46,204,168

2/ Star Trek $43,034,547

3/ X-Men Origins: Wolverine $14,702,425

4/ Ghost of Girlfriends Past $6,653,384

5/ Obsessed $4,588,973

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Review)

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Directed by: Gavin Hood
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston, Ryan Reynolds, will.i.am


What’s It About

The origin story of Marvel’s most beloved character. Read on…

Thoughts

Dear 20th Century Fox- When it was announced that Wolverine would be receiving his own origin story, I (like many other fanboys) almost wet my pants. “I’m sure they’ll take the Nolan route (Batman Begins and Dark Knight. Have you ever heard of these two films?) and make it dark and serious.” I thought. You then announced that Gavin Hood, the man behind the Academy Award winning Tsotsi, signed on as the director of this project. “Fox is taking this project seriously!” I kept telling everyone. Then I heard you were making Mr. Hood angry by telling him how to make this movie. You kept butting in as you felt you had the right to make as many changes as you wanted to just because you own the rights to the property. I still had faith the size of a mustard seed; even after reading all the negative reviews a couple of days before the release of Origins. Well, I just finished watching your film.

While watching Origins, you get the feeling that it was directed by two different directors. On one side, you have the director who is trying to tell an engaging story about a man who was thrust into the life he leads, until in a moment of clarity, he walks away to turn his life around only to be thrown back in due to circumstances, but this time he fights for what he believes in (I’m going to assume those parts were Gavin Hood’s scenes.). On the other side, you have some inexperienced kid who watched way too many early 90’s action flicks, has no idea that having lines like,”Look what the cat dragged in.” have been used to death, and feels that there needs to be as many Marvel Universe characters in there as possible because that would be cool (That kid would be you, Fox.).

There are many problems with the CGI. It’s bad enough that the last battle sequence is staged in an obvious CGI set piece, but when little things like Wolverine pulling out his adamantium claws in the bathroom and the claws look unfinished, it makes one think that there was no love in the making of Origins at all. So with that, why should we be asked to care?

Hugh Jackman has been in Wolverines claws now for three films, so coming on board to reprise his role seems to have become like a walk on the park for this Aussie. Joining him for his origin story is Liev Schreiber as his half brother, Victor Creed, a.k.a, Sabertooth. Those two, along with decent short performances by Ryan Reynolds as Wilson Wade and Taylor Kitsch as Gambit , are the only reason why Origins gets any positive points.

It’s a real shame that a film like this was given no respect given the potential it had to becomes this summer’s biggest blockbuster. It’s even a bigger shame that you, Fox, don’t care. Everyone knows you’re all about making a buck and not making something that someone can take with them. So my blame is not on the actors, nor the director. It’s on you Fox. Shame on you for ruining what could have been a wonderful trip to the movies.- Will

Memorable Moment

Wade Wilson’s attack on the drug lord’s henchmen. Sweet!

FYI

There are multiple secret endings for this film depending on what theatre you go to.

Score

4 out of 10

The Brothers Bloom Trailer

From the director responsible for the acclaimed film Brick, comes his latest project, The Brothers Bloom. It's the story of two brothers who have made a living being con men. During one of their heists, one of the brothers (Adrien Brody), falls in love with the person who is being conned, making things just a little more complicated. It's got action, comedy, and a Belgian who may not be a Belgian! The Brothers Bloom hits theatres May 29th.

Love Story (Review)

Love Story

Directed By: Arthur Hiller
Starring: Ali McGraw & Ryan O’Neal
Year of Release: 1970


Whats It About

A Harvard Student who comes from a very wealthy family falls in love with a working class girl. Though this causes a fallout between the young man and his father, there is no stoping the love between the two. Setting out to make it on their own without the wealth of the family, the two soon discover what love is really about. Love means never having to say you’re sorry.

Thoughts

I came across this film by complete coincidence. I went to go visit my mom for Mother’s Day and she was watching it on her big screen. Now, my mom is not the kind of person who watches artsy films, so I knew this movie had to be special, it was.

The first thing that grabs you is the performance by the stars of the film. Ali McGraw and Ryan O’Neal bring a purity that is not normally seen in other films of its kind and pour so much emotion into what they’re going through, that if you have ever fought for the one you love, you will be moved to tears. There is a reason why both of them were nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actor and Actress in a Leading Role.

Though I thought that a couple of the shots were edited in a sloppy manner, for the most part, they are beautiful. There is a scene where Oliver (O’Neal) takes Jennifer (McGraw) go visit his parents. The way the film switches between the meeting and the drive back home just makes that whole scene come alive in a way that puts a lot of modern day films to shame. Also, the cinematography is romantic one moment, and raw, the next. It accomplishes the task with ease and really sets the tone for how you should be feeling while you’re watching.

A special notice should be given to the soundtrack. The theme song “(Where Do I Begin?) Love Song” will be instantly recognizable the minute you hear it. This soundtrack has been played in numerous other films, TV commercials, and has been covered by dozens of other artists. It is gorgeous.

This film really caught me off guard in terms of its beauty, its emotional message, and its powerful soundtrack. I highly recommend this to anyone who is involved in a relationship. You could always afford to learn a thing or two. I did.

Memorable Moment

The trademark line for this film was, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.”. Without spoiling anything, it’s the moment that leads up to Jennifer saying that line.

FYI

There was a sequel to this called Oliver’s Story. Don’t watch it.

Score

7 out of 10

Box Office Results

March 8th- 10th


1/ Star Trek $72,500,000

2/ X Men Origins: Wolverine $27,000,000

3/ Ghost of Girlfriends Past $10,450,000

4/ Obsessed $6,600,000

5/ 17 Again $4,405,000

Merantau Trailer

I had no idea a movie like this was coming out! I'll be honest, I have NO IDEA what this movie is about! After seeing the trailer though, I'm convinced that this guy is the next Tony Jaa... or even Bruce Lee. Click away!

GI Joe Trailer

I was never a real big fan of the series growing up, so I wouldn’t know how faithful it is to its original source material. It’s directed by Stephen Sommers (the man behind The Mummy), so to me it seems that it might just be a big, loud, fun, summer flick, nothing more. Get ready to “Go Joe” on August 7th. To view the trailer, click here.