Jet Li has made some really remarkable films and it is sad to say that Tai Chi Master is not one of them. It’s silly, pretentious, and utterly appalling.

Junbao (Jet Li) and Chin Bo (Siu-hou Chin) have grown up together teaching each other masterful techniques deadly to their opponents. But after they both get kicked out of the Shaolin temple, Chin Bo betrays Junbao for money from the government of China and becomes a ruthless killer.

I am in complete awe at how bad this movie really is. Before getting to anything worthwhile, poorly rendered subtitles rapidly flood the screen in a manner so fast any average person would have to pause the DVD to read them, and three prolonged fight sequences of ridiculous kung fu antics will have eyeballs rolling. It becomes very frustrating within a few minutes. Tai Chi Master is the worst Dragon Dynasty picture I have seen, the worst Jet Li movie I have ever seen, and a top contender for the worst kung fu movie I have ever seen.

Having complete respect for Jet Li’s remarkable talent, this film avoids exploiting them in a manner that is agreeable to some extent. Instead, Director Woo-Ping Yuen creates some of the most unintentionally funny and outrageously stupid moments in the history of kung fu cinema. This is a film that begins idiotic, becomes moronic halfway through, and ends up being preposterous in the finale.

It’s incredible to be able to have such coordination to execute some of these antics and I admire that. However the film is never beautiful, rarely enjoyable, and constantly frustrating. The whole DVD is a mess. The subtitles are too fast to read and if you listen to the dubbed version of the film, the characters say something completely different from the subtitles. I just don’t get it.

I was expecting something similar to Iron Monkey or Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. This is nowhere near as good-looking nor is it anywhere near as astonishing as those films. It irks me that Jet Li agreed to make such a sloppy film.

It’s nearly unwatchable, thanks to the rapid fire of incoherent subtitles and the torrent of stupidness that makes up the entire movie. It is best to save your money and keep your distance from this messy, poorly structured DVD.

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The Dark Knight stars Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, and Maggie Gyllenhaal whose Cape Crusader is not wanting to reveal himself to the City of Gotham, but is the City ready for the Dark Knight.

The story line was confusing. All I know is that the Joker (Ledger) kills innocent people and the Batman (Bale) has to stop him before he does anymore damage. In the middle is Kent a lawyer who wins the affection of Rachel.(Gyllenhaal) Kent puts most of the criminals in jail by winning a court case. However, things get more serous when the bad guys look to a freak for help. The Joker doesn’t always tick to the plan and he makes a wondeful mess for everyone. The police in charge (Oldman) works with Batman to help catch this monstrous clown, but will Batman prevail? The story continues to get even more twisted when the good guys go bad.

The movies direction was very confusing. One minute you think the Joker is trying to be helpful but then he is bad. Ledger’s acting skills was very pleasing, but he didn’t get the final word. Was he caught or did he escape. We assume he was caught, but he always comes up with something clever. Another view is that Gary Oldman’s role was very disappointing. “So you came back from the dead?” Hmm…isn’t that Batman’s role? Batman always lives.

I loved the way the Joker came up with his tactics of killings. Ledger took things to a whole new level. I love the line when he says, “Why so serious?” Ledger tricks half the City by plotting destuctive mechanisms to make Batman realize what he is really after. Ledger as Joker also plays well when he goes after the heart. But why the good guy goes bad, makes one realize that Kent’s line was right, “You die to be a hero, or you can live long enough to become the villian.” Hmm….I like this quote it had meaning to it.

Overall this movie was pretty good. There were positive and negative things about the movie which gives you some mixed feelings. It was like this because this was Ledger’s last movie However, when you look into the moonlight you see a Dark Knight.

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Bubble
Directed By: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: Debbie Doebereiner / Dustin James Ashley / Misty Wilkins
Rating:

Firstly, am I the only that constantly confuses Steven oderbergh with David Cronenberg? (At least I can spell their names properly) And secondly, the only Soderbergh films that I have seen previously are the Ocean’s films, Traffic, and The Good German (which I didn’t care for). I can see now that I definitely need to explore more of his earlier work. It’s not all George Clooney and heists.

I randomly picked up Bubble at the library a few days, thinking it was from the director of Eastern Promises and A History of Violence. With that in mind, I really wasn’t expecting the style of the film. About 20 minutes into it, I had to check the director on IMDb.

It’s quite an unusual film, more in the style of the Dogme 95 movement than anything else. I learned afterwards that the three main actors hadn’t acted before and the scrpt was improvised. This definitely makes sense, and I thought that it worked out very well. Everything about the film felt real and not forced. I was especially impressed with the subtelty.

There’s an alternate ending on the DVD, which personally I didn’t care for. I’m very glad that they didn’t use it, as it completely ruins the realistic quality of Bubble. I vastly prefer the ending that I did see. Everything isn’t wrapped up in a nice narrative box. There’s a lot to think about in terms of the characters and their motivations, and especially varying degrees of conflict. And of course, toss a little religion into the mix.

Bubble could almost be qualified as a short film, clocking in at 73 minutes. For me the length was perfect. With a film like this that doesn’t rely havily on professional actors and a developed script, I’m not sure how it would have fared with another half hour or so. The story was concise and intriguing.

I’m not going to summarize the film. I’d rather just recommend that you get a copy and watch it.

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Believe the hype.

Believe every second and every word of every overwhelmingly positive review you’ve no doubt read or heard by now on The Dark Knight, and then multiply that by the biggest number that comes to your head, and even then you won’t have a clear idea of just how good and surprising this film really is.

Now, far better than me have been attempting to thrust the film into an unreachable realm of expectation, but let’s face it; the expectations on this film are so high and the buzz around the film so unrelenting, that no movie could hope to satisfy all those seemingly unsatisiable expectations, could it? Well, few movies have stepped up the way Christopher Nolan’s second Batman film does. Let me be clear when I say that, FEW movies have ever, or will ever live up to every ounze of unfair expectation befallen onto it, but The Dark Knight does. And it’s a unique buzz to be sure. It’s not just the rabid comic book geeks (like myself), or the film lovers or merely casual fans of the first film, but also a legion of supporters for the late and great Heath Ledger. Gone well before his time, the actor’s performance as the Joker launched into legendary status within weeks of the actor’s tragic death, but I am willing to bet that had Ledger not passed away, that it would have garnished the same reaction. We’ve all been feasting on the images and trailers and poster art of Ledger’s dark and twisted portrayal of Batman’s arch-nemesis, and as good as it looked in those, its even better on screen.

The plot, of course, follows the Joker’s exploits from the concluding scene of Batman Begins (2005), as he slowly builds a reputation for anarchy in Gotham City. Batman (Christian Bale) and Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) have been tracking him down, and are joined by the new and ambitious District Attorney, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhardt). Dent is Gotham’s white knight, the city’s true hero and one unselfishly willing to do what it takes to stop the spread of crime and terror in Gotham. The three men combine resources to do a respectable job of cleaning up Gotham’s streets until the Joker comes along and throws a serious monkey-wrench into there plans and begins a psychological assault on the citizens of Gotham, the police, the D.A. and Batman himself, promising to keep killing high profile targets until Batman turns himself in and takes off his mask. His methods are highly effective, and soon the people of Gotham, ignoring all the good Batman has done them, now call for his head on a platter, willing to give in to the Joker’s demands.

But words don’t describe the emotion you will feel while watching this film. The raw emotion will have you buzzing along with the high octane action sequences, laughing at the uncomfortable humor and squirming in your seat, often all in the same scene. Nothing can prepare you for what awaits you when you sit down to watch this movie.

Nothing.

Nolan has crafted the newest masterpiece of our time (sitting side by side with Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy). It’s quite simply one of those once in a blue moon films that comes along at the perfect time and knocks everyone, and I mean everyone, geeks and all, on there collective asses and bends them to its unrelenting ass-kickery and the gut wrenching drama within it. This is more than a Batman movie, more than a comic book movie and more than any other term you want to apply to it.

It’s a compelling and emotional character drama, a wonderfully crafted crime drama on par with the best Hollywood has ever offered, a film about modern terrorism and the price of fighting it in a post 9/11 world and also a wonderful superhero movie. When I say that it comes along at the perfect time, its because I don’t think the pre-9/11 world would’ve accepted this film, at all and especially not as a superhero film, but the world is ready for it now and thats what fuels the fires, so to speak, and what makes the movie so gutwrenching to watch at times. It’s a film completely devoid of hope or redemption and it really sets out to just kick us all in the nuts and leave us numb, to which it succeeds greatly in doing. No matter what Batman or the Gotham police do in the film, things get worse. It’s really a comment on today’s society and how easily the frabic of that society, the glue, can come apart when terrorists know exactly where to hit you. It’s a film about terrorism as much as anything…emotional terrorism.

The Joker isn’t scary because he wants to kill a million people. He’s scary because he kills only a few important ones, dramatically so, and knows just how to push the right buttons to get the response he wants and bring the city to its knees, ready to break at the seams. He is a self-proclaimed agent of chaos, spreading the fires of his soul to the streets of Gotham for no other reason than he wants to do so. He is crazy, psychotic and scary. He is also by far the smartest guy in the room, or any room, and has this shit planned out step by step and is way ahead of the Gotham police, Harvey Dent and Batman the entire film. He’s so far ahead of everyone else, and the audience for that matter, that things seemingly unrelated to Joker at all come back and are suddenly apart of his longterm plan, and not in a “out of nowhere” way either, in a “holy shit! that crafty mother f—er!” way. Joker isn’t just a comic book villian or the “bad guy”, he is pure unadulterated evil, and Ledger plays him as such. Where film villians, especially those in comic book films (i.e.: The Green Goblin) often come off as overplayed and cheesy, Ledger’s Joker is a breath of terrifying fresh air.  The Joker comes off as a wild animal that has been caged up for months, if not years, foaming at the mouth, twitching his tongue and building up the anger and hate and now wants to take it out on you, me and everyone else. And thats exactly how he should be. As Alfred (Michael Caine) points out to Bruce, “Sometimes, people just want to see the world burn.”

Not so surprisingly, Jack Nicholson’s portrayal of the Joker in Tim Burton’s Batman film in 1989 now comes off as clownish and cheesy and well…Ledger’s Joker would kick his ass in a second. Unlike that film, the Nolan brothers (who wrote the screenplay for Knight) don’t bother with a useless origin story for Joker, he simply shows up and starts spreading anarchy in all directions, blowing things up, killing high level officials, and upping the anty with each move he makes. And like all great devilish characters, we sorta root for him, in a way, and we unwillingly start to identify with him each time he tells someone a shocking narrative from his past. The thing to remember about the character, as many writers have always said about the Joker and its certainly the case in The Dark Knight, is that when he tells a joke, he really should be the only person in the room laughing. Perhaps one of the few moments in the film where we’re allowed to laugh with the Joker, is in one of the first scenes, when he performs a gastly “magic trick” in such a casual, unflinching way that we can’t help but uncomfortably laugh. Simply put: Heath Ledger’s performance is something you couldn’t expect, and haven’t seen before and will never see again. It’s pitch-perfect. It’s so perfect in fact, that you didn’t know it before you saw it, but afterwards you’re like “wow, that was the Joker!”

As much as Joker does steal the show, the film is really Harvey Dent’s, it’s his story as much as Batman’s, and just as Nolan effectively made you forget the first film was a Batman movie for the first hour (with the Bruce Wayne origin tale), he makes you forget what you know will eventually happen to Dent in this movie. We know the story, we know who he becomes, but its done so much more tragically in this telling than ever before. It’s like a greek tragedy really, and Aaron Eckhardt knocks his performance as Dent out of the park every bit as much as Ledger does with the Joker. Dent represents the everyman, the blue collar worker and he stands up and fights for Gotham and makes a difference, so much so that he even makes Bruce believe in him and that the city may no longer need Batman. By the time the Joker’s boobytrap does disfigure Harvey you’re invested in him, and you believe in him as much as Gotham does and well…you feel bad for the guy. The physical transformation of Harvey into Two-Face is disturbing, unsettling and gruesome and Eckhardt plays the change very well.

It’s the eerie line the film often crosses, that makes you feel like you’re actually watching the six o’clock news, that makes the film so powerful and so effective. Even when the good guys feel like they’re winning and doing real good, it actually turns out that Joker just let them think that and turns everything on its head again. We may not understand why the Joker is doing what he’s doing (nor should we), but we quickly understand that noone in the film, not even Batman is safe. There are a fair number of notable and surprising deaths in the movie. Through it all, the Joker is unrelenting, as the film itself is also, and just keeps coming at you. The Joker has engaged Batman in a psychological war of wits, and for the entire film, he wins it. His goal in the end, of course, is not to force Batman to turn himself in, but cross the lines he swore never to cross, and each small defeat Batman suffers in the film (and there are plenty) makes him tread dangerously close to that line of becoming nothing more than a vigilante.

Never before has a superhero movie shown such a fallen hero as Batman in this second film from Christopher Nolan. Batman fails in almost every conceivable way during the course of the movie. Every choice he makes is either only a temporary save or effectively spells doom for someone else. It’s alot like the war on terror when you sit back and think about it, and its what the Joker represents. Anarchy. A world without rules. Why terrorists are so effective is they know how to hurt the rest of us. As the Joker points out in the movie, the reason he can’t lose, despite all of Batmans intelligence and strength, is because he (the Joker) has no rules, no codes and no morals. The rest of us and Batman do. The only choice is to give in, thus letting the terrorists win, or keep fighting them and creating more in the process. Its lose-lose. Again, a lot like watching the news nowadays when you think about it.

Not since the first “Lord of the Rings” movie in 2001 has a genre-event film so poignantly echoed the sentiment and realities of the post 9/11 world as well as the events within The Dark Knight. Batman, despite popular opinion (still largely based on the horribly unredeemable 1960’s TV show), has always been like the rogue cop, willing to go out to the edge and do the dirty work noone else can, but while he may teater on the edge of the line, he never crosses it. This film unflinchingly displays the criminal and terrorist reaction to the world fighting back, as was beautifully set up in the final speech from Gordon on the rooftop to conclude Batman Begins. The criminals won’t back down without a fight, and we get caught up in an eye for an eye war with them, we get dragged down to there level. By the end of the film, Batman (and the audience) gets as close as possible to that breaking point and the rules of Nolan’s epic Batman franchise once again shift to the left quite unexpectedly.

As I said earlier, the film is utterly devoid of hope or redemption and will leave you feeling a bit like you just watched your dog get run over and then got kicked in the nuts on a cold January afternoon in a snowstorm. It’s a calculated struggle of good versus evil and the meaning of both. It’s a portrait of the global landscape today and the constant feeling of helplessness at the hands of would-be terrorists. And its simply one of the finest crime drama’s ever made that also happens to be a superhero movie. And in the world we now live in, why would we want anything else from our superhero movies? The Dark Knight is not only the greatest superhero film to date, but easily the best film of 2008 and quite possibly one of the best films ever made.

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The highly anticipated Batman: The Dark Knight starring Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart hit theathers early this morning and with no surprise there was a large crowd waiting to see the newest character in this series. Unfortunately, the film left me wanting more, I left the theather with more questions and loose ends. I hate to say it, but I wasn’t blown away.

The story is about Bruce Wayne a successful business man by day and a masked hero by night; Batman teams  up (sort of) with Harvey Dent (Eckhart) to clean up the city of Gotham, but the Joker a psychopathic criminal has other ideas. Throughout the film Batman struggles with his image and identity as a hero as several friends both personal and on the police force start dying curtsy of the Joker. By the end of the film Harvey Dent has turned into Two Face and is seeking revenge and Batman speeds away to continue to fight crime. I don’t want to give the whole story away so when you do see the movie you won’t know what’s coming.

Some of the problem I had with this film was the length of the film, The movie was over two hours and could have easily had a good 15 minutes taken out to answer some of the questions that remained once the film came to an end. Another issue is Scarecrow he’s in the film for five seconds and no time is spent on him at all the audience isn’t evan sure if it’s an impostor or not. Another problem was Maggie Gyllehhaal playing the character of Rachael. I felt that anyone could have played this role and it would have been any different. As I’ve mentioned before there were loose ends with the Joker and finally, there was no set up for a sequel which is in the work.

Even though I may have left the theater slightly disappointed I do feel that the film is worth the time and money. There are some truly great depth shots and great explosions and the makeup for both the Joker and Two Face was fantastic much better than the character from the 90s. The new and improved Batman suit is very cool as well.

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Written by Christopher & Jonathan Nolan
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Starring Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Micheal Caine & Morgan Freeman

OK. The wait is over, and I need to get this out of the way right now…The Dark Knight is not perfect. Oh, oops, sorry, actually it is. All those with seemingly unsatisfiable expectations, you needn’t worry. I, like many, have been waiting for this sequel for over three years, but it wasn’t until the movie started that I realized I didn’t truly know what I was waiting for. The Heath Ledger (I’ll get to him later) hype had occupied my mind more than anything else, and it kept me from completely understanding what I was expecting. I did know that I expected an improvement on Batman Begins, an excellent movie to begin with, but The Dark Knight surpasses it’s predecessor in every aspect by prodigious margins.

Batman (Christian Bale) has been on The Joker’s (Heath Ledger) tail for a while and with the help of good friend Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) as well as the newly appointed D.A. Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), they hope to take the insane criminal mastermind down. Dent may be the only man, not wearing a bat costume, that’s brave enough to take down crime at any cost, to protect Gotham city. Things are not so simple however as The Joker threatens to kill more and more unless The Batman reveals his true identity. How Batman/Bruce Wayne, as well as those close to him, will react to this disastrous situation is fascinating. To make matters worse, every time a step in the right direction is taken towards putting a stop to the Joker’s madness, it is revealed that those steps are apart of the Joker’s grand plan. I do not want to spoil anything, so I will not go into specific details, but the events unravel in tragic, devastating ways.

Christopher Nolan has crafted the perfect Batman story. This is the best single tale in the extensive Batman mythos. I have trouble imagining a better movie or comic book ever coming to be (never say never). Needlessly to say this is the best shot movie of the year and then some. Nolan appropriately highlights the explosions and various action. More importantly he magnifies the small character moments, getting us so emotionally involved we forget we are watching a movie. Surprisingly, he creates his most suspenseful film and in the most dire of scenes, we actually lose our nerves (in a good way). He does what great directors aspire to do, but it’s a rare happenstance, Nolan grabs his audience early on and never lets go. He commands us, we bend to his will. This is the epitome of masterful film making. The screenplay is full of surprises and daring decisions. The story unfolds in an epic fashion, a crime-drama of the highest quality. Important events are scattered through the beginning, middle and end, always at just the right time. The script has it’s humour, but less so than Begins. Knight is relentlessly dark and bleak, it contains the strongest of moral complexities. Yes, Batman is forced to make tough decisions, but so do many key characters, as well as all the citizens of Gotham. How would you react? At one point The Joker puts a televised hit out on a character. He threatens to blow up a hospital if that character is not dead in 60 minutes. There are no easy answers to the dilemmas contained herein and the consequential soul-searching is not always pleasant. Overall, the dialog is a lot tighter, another factor in making The Dark Knight so believable we find ourselves lost within it.

Of course the acting is tremendous. The supporting cast is flawless, providing one of the deeper casts of characters in recent memory. Leading the way is Aaron Eckhart, who plays his character perfectly, with just the right amount of emotion and complexity. Harvey Dent is one of my favourite characters from the comic books, and it is very pleasing to see him get a proper treatment. Also of note, Maggie Gyllenhaal replaces Katie Holmes (one of very few downsides to Batman Begins) as Rachel Dawes, and is much better and therefore much less distracting than Holme’s
sub-par, boring, unlikeable performance. Two wonderful actors, Micheal Caine and Morgan Freeman, get much less screen time this go-around. This is most appropriate because it is hard not to smile when they are in frame, and The Dark Knight ain’t meant to be too smiley. Gary Oldman continues his brilliant job as the endearing, admirable Lt. Jim Gordon. Oldman brings a kindness as well as a respectable matureness to the role and it is a terrific effort.

Christian Bale brings the true Batman of the comic books to life. He embodies The Dark Knight like none before him, and it’s hard to imagine anyone else ever taking the part. Bale is fierce, confident, conflicted, and powerful as Batman. His “bat rasp” is put to even better use, he strikes fear in his enemies as well as the audience. As Bruce Wayne, Bale is arrogant and incontrovertibly intelligent. He gives his character such an intricate level of substance that it’s difficult not to think Oscar. I truly think Christian Bale is one of the better actors working today. He could play anything. He could take the most serious award-contending roles, which he sometimes does do, but here he takes a character that has been degraded in the past and manages to turn it into a most serious award-contending role. This is surprising to some, but for an avid reader of the source material, it is nothing short of necessary to make the movies as great as they should be.

Now for what I assume everyone is curious about, Heath Ledger’s invention of The Joker. The late Ledger was already an accomplished actor with such brilliant turns in, among others, Monster’s Ball, Brokeback Mountain and I’m Not There. But here is his master work. His performance is nothing short of awe-inspiring, to put it in perspective, it is of Daniel Day-Lewis quality. Ledger’s Joker is menacing, horrifying, thunderous and darkest of dark. Some scenes, and you can certainly credit the writing and directing for this, are unexpectedly terrifying. I really want to get the point across that this is the most frightening, haunting and harrowing picture of the year, and that Heath Ledger deserves infinite praise for making it so. He absolutely disappears into the character, like few in the trade can, there is no trace of him in the film. The unforgettable, hostilely convoluted performance is, in my mind, a no-brainer to win the Supporting Actor Oscar. I would be very disappointed otherwise. Though it is hard to escape the movie without being disappointed. We have lost an immensely talented actor, who would have had a long, magnificent career.

The Dark Knight is not comic-booky at all. It is ironic that the actual comic books the movie is based on are not “comic-booky” either. It is unfortunate that such a limitless medium is seen in such a specific way by those who have not discovered it’s possibilities. The movie is assuredly not as simple as good versus evil, but rather an examination of what good and evil really are and if they even exist. An elaborate meditation on right and wrong. A piece of extraordinary depth. This is why we go to the movies: To be moved, challenged, surprised and entertained. The Dark Knight is a crime-drama on par with the greatest works in the genre (Scorsese, Mann, Coppola). It is also, quite easily in fact, the greatest superhero film of all-time. Most importantly, it is one of the better motion pictures to ever grace the sacred silver screen.

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Wanted features a cast made up of Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman, and James McAvoy from last year’s Atonement. Now while this might not exactly sound like the recipe for a successful action film it works rather well in the end. James McAvoy plays a cubicle driven common place worker who of course hates his job, his boss, and even his girlfriend who is cheating on him with his best friend. He often thinks to himself of what he’d like to do to these people or what he’d like to happen and for the first twenty or so minutes I feel like I’m watching a blatant rip off of Fight Club and Edward Norton’s character only used with much less style and about half as much kick ass properties. All this aside though the droll annoyed characteristic works with McAvoy in the role and he leads us along this movie until Angelina Jolie shows up to inform him that his father was murdered that day on the top of a rooftop by one kick ass sniper, who just happens to be right behind him at the time… BOOM…

Now let me take a quick moment to discuss my feelings on Miss Angelina Jolie… While I haven’t quite jumped on the bandwagon that she’s insanely hot and the best thing since sliced bread I will say that like it or not this woman has some acting talent and while she doesn’t fully use it here she’s no pain on the eyes either. Moving on.

After that little encounter in the supermarket which turns into a full blown Grand Theft Auto car chase complete with flying (and curving) bullets McAvoy’s character is taken to Angelina Jolie’s headquarters where Morgan Freeman explains that they are a Fraternity of brothers, aptly named THE FRATERNITY, and that they carry out assassinations assigned to them by some cloth that knows binary code. For those of you who aren’t geeks and don’t know what Binary code is… think back to the days when you watched the matrix and saw all of those 1’s and 0’s floating up and down on the screen. Well that’s binary code, only in reality it looks half as cool. Anyways, this magical cloth provides names for people who need to be assassinated because the cloth is sent by… … Fate…. Or something and it is to prevent further bad things from happening… you know… like assassinations…

But in the end they follow the philosophy, Kill One, Save a thousand, or at least Angelina Jolie does, I never heard it out of anyone else’s mouth, but I’ll take her word for it.

Well the movie progresses with McAvoy training to be this super assassin so that he can avenge his father while Morgan Freeman tries to teach him that he can indeed bend bullets as well as everyone else. He struggles at first, but if he didn’t we wouldn’t get that sudden shock and relief when he finally accomplishes his goal. After this new talent he hesitates on his first kill, but only for a second after which he curves the bullat like it’s nothing and proceeds from then on to shoot anyone that the cloth deems worty of death all under the guise of “trying to get to his father’s murderer.”

The film goes on in a big bang with it’s twists and turns and Morgan Freeman says some words that you normally would never expect Morgan Freeman to say, and then the movie’s over. After leaving this film I felt a familiar experience that I had felt before after watching the movie Speed Racer and I realized that this movie has the same redeeming qualities as that one. While the acting, story line, and movie overall are average or only slightly above, it’s the visuals that give it its big push towards Better than most. Yes the movie has it’s own feel and I was really into it. Even though they show that bullet’s point of view type of shot over sixty times it never really felt old and I was into it the entire time.

This film reminded me a bit of last year’s Shoot Em Up,which admittedly I did enjoy, and while it’s not as exaggerated as that movie, Wanted’s not as funny so they balance out in terms of which one is better. Overall though Wanted is fun flick, great for the teenagers who will flock to see it in theaters and a possible worthy addition to any DVD collection when it comes out… I give wanted a 3.5 out of five,counted down mainly because it reminded me of too many other movies and didn’t too anything to spectacular, but I still feel that it is worth the full price ticket… so go see it, it’s worth it.

P.S. I wanted some obscure photo from the film that didn’t have Jolie on it… … but apparently those don’t exist…

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This is not a film for the weak-stomached.  This is a very real, gritty and non-glamorous look at drug abuse and a revelation of its many forms and faces.  Darren Aronofsky does an impressive job directing a cast that doesn’t “wow” anyone in name (Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans, Ellen Burstyn and Christopher MacDonald), but certainly does in performance, particularly Burstyn, who was nominated for an Academy Award for this role.

Harry Goldfarb (Leto) is a lazy ne’er-do-well breaking into the adulthood in Brooklyn who happens to have a little heroin issue.  He’s been supporting his habit by stealing his mother’s television and selling it, only to have her purchase it back on a regular basis from the same resale vendor.  Harry feels guilty, but not that guilty.

Harry’s in love with Marion Silver (Connelly), an aspiring designer with a teeeensy weeeensy cocaine addiction.  In fact, he loves her so much, that he and his best buddy Tyrone (Wayans) decide that if they give this whole drug-dealing thing a whirl, they can put away enough money to open up a store for Marion and live the proverbial dream.

Of course, it’s not as easy as it looks.  Harry and Tyrone have some devastating run-ins with the police and with some big-time dealers.  Marion’s addiction drives her to desperate measures for a fix.  Meanwhile, Harry’s mother Sara (Burstyn) is becoming dependent on diet pills in a fervent quest to fit into a red dress for an elusive television appearance.  All of these characters hit rock bottom, revealing the true evil of drug addiction and how it spins lives out of control.

I know that Aronofsky’s directing style isn’t everyone’s favorite, but I think that this is one film that it fits.  The actual use of the drugs isn’t glorified or even spotlighted.  This is a story about what drug addiction does to people, not about people using drugs.  These aren’t street rats who were born addicts.  They are real people.  They have dreams.  I believe that this film can make people think twice before experimenting with drugs.  It’s that powerful.

The highlight of this film is Burstyn, in all her glory.  You’ll want to cry when she’s having coffee with Harry and speaking of her lonely life, filled with nothing but television and chatty Brooklyn biddies.  This is why her quest for the red dress consumes her.  The refrigerator gains a personality as she increases her dosage of the uppers.  Christopher MacDonald plays an infomercial personality who acts almost as a spirit guide directing her throughout her quest.  Her performance is absolutely dazzling.

As I mentioned above, this film is certainly not for the queasy.  If you think you can handle some rather graphic images, I strongly recommend this movie; if for nothing else, for Ellen Burstyn’s superb performance.

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I managed to get a exclusive look at the upcoming film The Mutant Chronicles, blasting its way into theaters some time in 2008. The exact release date is unknown as of this writing, but it’s certain that it will be some time this year. The big question is whether or not it is worth the time and price of admission.

During the 23rd century, a soldier by the name of Mitch Hunter (Thomas Jane) guides an army of fierce fighters to battle underground mutants after opening a seal to an ancient creation. This creation is a machine known to turn humans into blade-slinging mutants determined to wipe out mankind. It is up to Mitch and his fierce army to save the world. Quite possibly the first ever pen-and-paper-role-playing-game-turned-movie, The Mutant Chronicles is surprisingly satisfying.

Loud, exciting, very funny, and brutally entertaining, it just might be the action film of the year — a movie full of great fight scenes, excitement around every corner, and visually arresting set designs that will hold even the most cynical viewer’s interest. Truthfully, it is the most fun I’ve had at the movies in a long time.

Sporting an A-list action cast that includes Ron Perlman (Hellboy) and Thomas Jane (The Punisher), it is sure to please a certain targeted audience that has a lust for action and a strong appetite for gore. The thrills, the shocks, and the sheer enjoyment of going to the movies is all there and in full, ass-kicking form.

But don’t get me wrong, readers, this isn’t a masterpiece. It does have its glitches like underdeveloped characters, loads of commentary, and Ron Perlman’s acting (which is nearly laughable). Not to mention the small cameo appearance from John Malkovich was unnecessary and could’ve saved the filmmakers a few bucks by casting an unknown actor for this role. Things like that are giving the movie a bad rep after its premier at the Cannes Film Festival. However, there are enough adrenaline-charged moments to flush out these glitches and make for pure entertainment.

In the final act, we get to see Hellboy and The  Punisher go head-to-head in a battle to the death. It’s an exhilarating moment added to the tons of violence beforehand and a great finish to a spectacular fusion of sci-fi, action, horror, and comedy. The Mutant Chronicles is an authentic film and certainly worth the admission price, popcorn and all. 4.5/5 stars

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Directed by Guillermo Del Toro
Written by Guillermo Del Toro
Starring Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones

Four years after the original, Hellboy is back, and although there wasn’t a lot of demand for a sequel, it proves to be a welcome addition to the list of summer 2008 blockbusters. This time around, “Red” has to stop an ancient mythical prince from summoning The Golden Army, an indestructible force of 70 times 70 mechanical warriors to take back the world that was once his. Whatever, the plot isn’t really important. It just works as a vessel for visionary director Guillermo Del Toro to work his remarkable imagination. And he does.

The first Hellboy seemed impressive in 2004, but it pales in comparison to The Golden Army. From start to finish there are dozens of breathtaking creatures that raise the bar of fantasy. The sequel is a lot more rooted in fantasy/fairy tale territory than typical superhero stuff. Which is a good thing because Del Toro knows a few things about fantasy and fairy tales, he directed the masterpiece Pan’s Labyrinth. For example, in a brilliant early scene, Hellboy and his team encounter hundreds of little “tooth fairies”, vicious little killers who have habit of stealing their victim’s teeth. Or when the team infiltrate the “Troll Market”, a place for the things that go bump in the night to shop, which may actually top the Tatooine bar scene in the first Star Wars film. A couple delightful surprises wait there, and I wont spoil them. Or when the prince throws a harmless looking green jumping bean at Hellboy, that once it finds water, becomes something rather spectacular, maybe even beautiful. Like Pan’s Labyrinth, the film has a way of balancing makeup/costume effects with CGI. The result is authentic looking creatures that completely engross you into the movie’s reality. Why other directors don’t instate such style is quite the mystery to me.

The characters are all back, aside from Myers, which admittedly disappointed me…Until the Seth McFarlane (Family Guy) voiced Johan Krauss was introduced. A brilliant addition to the team, he seems to be a gas-like entity contained in some strange suit. His ability? He can possess inanimate objects, a power that will ultimately be underused because it’s way too useful. Hellboy is up to his old smoking cigars/petting kittens/pissing off authority antics, as well as some new ones as well (a duet of Barry Manilow between Red and Abe Sapien may occur). Ron Perlman enthusiastically continues his great performance with just the right mix of brawn and sensitivity, making Hellboy very endearing. Del Toro regular Doug Jones (played multiple creature parts in Pan’s Labyrinth) does triple duty as the more interesting this time around Abe Sapien as well as the film’s two best creatures, The Chamberlain and The Angel of Death. Selma Blair again fails to impress as Liz, but the writing for her character isn’t necessarily very strong. Jeffrey Tambor of Arrested Development gets more screen time but not more to do. He’s still grouchy and only there for minor conflict and a couple weak laughs.

The characters are fun, and certainly are a big part of the experience, but it’s the visuals that make this really worth seeing. Del Toro goes no holds-barred this time around, ad it’s sure to get any Lord of the Rings geek excited for his upcoming adaptation of The Hobbit. The plot is a bit trivial and the storytelling isn’t up to the par of Del Toro’s work. The Hellboy films feel more like a mix of Pan’s Labyrinth and Men In Black than a typical superhero movies. I wouldn’t rank them amongst Iron Man, the Spiderman films (well, maybe #3) or the new Batman movies but it really isn’t cut from the same cloth anyhow. So, striking visually, a bit weak story-wise, but a fun summer movie I highly recommend.

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Wanted Stars Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman and James McAvoy.  It is rated R for violence, language and intense scenes.  It is an hour and fifty minutes long. 

Based on a graphic novel this movie follows a line of assassins who have let fate provide their kills for them.  The main character, Wesley, finds himself being drawn, no thrust into their world.  One of the head men Sloan (played by Morgan Freeman) find Wesley with the help of his fellow Assassins, mostly Fox (played by Angelina Jolie).  They take this young accountant, who has a droll and lonely life, a man whose boss is a pain in his crack and whose girlfriend isn’t the best girlfriend he could hope for, and they make him a killer.  Or they try to, so that he can get vengeance on the man who killed his father, or the man who had his father killed.  In the end only one assassin can remain standing, and it is a fight to the finish to see who lives.

This movie as I said is based on a graphic novel, and it looks like it, but not in the same well thought out way of movies like Sin City or Batman.  It has some very interesting special effects, at least one involving a car, which were well done and exciting.  Yet I had to realize when I entered the movie that this wasn’t a movie based in plot or storyline, it was a movie based on special effects and not much more.  Plus to see this movie I had to suspend reality more than I have had to do for most other movies.

Everything involving a gun pretty much couldn’t happen, and the reason I know this is because the person I went to see the movie with is a competitive shooter.  There is no way to curve a bullet in a circle killing everyone standing in that circle.  There is no way to shoot one single bullet from so far away that you are basically in another country.  I also am not sure my suspension of belief will go that far.  Plus none of the characters were really that well developed.  We know Wesley’s father wasn’t around to raise him but we get no idea of who did raise him or where he lived or how he got to where he was.  Plus Angelina Jolie’s character, Fox, is the only other character we get any history on and it is only childhood history as well.  We know what happened to her as a young girl but we don’t know really how she got from there to where she ended up.  Plus as a group of assassins they seem so easy to manipulate and not out for themselves enough. 

That said I can’t say if I was happy or not to see this movie.  It was a fun movie, especially if you like lots of special effects and fun, but not a good movie if you like character driven plots and good storylines.  If you are interested in the graphic novel then I don’t know what to tell you because I have no idea how the graphic novel is written or drawn so I can’t say if you would like this or not.  Personally I think maybe I enjoyed this more than I didn’t, it was fun and some of the inner dialogue of the main character Wesley was funny. 

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Barry Manilow’s classic love ballett “Can’t smile without you” blasts thru the halls of the B.P.R.D. (The Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense) as Hellboy (Ron Perlman) and Abe Sapien (Doug Jones) sing along, naturally out of cue, while drinking beers and each brooding over there own special girl. The scene is wonderful, humerous, touching and well…priceless, and if reading that description raised your eyebrow or turned you off a bit, then I’d suggest skipping this movie.

While that particular level of humor is unmatched in the film (or in many others), the film is largely quick-witted and humerous throughout, often even during the fantastically choreographed and highly entertaining action scenes. It’s a film thankfully unrestrained from studio suits, second guessing or backseat directing, as Director Guillermo Del Toro has, by all accounts and appearances, been given full reign and creative control after his worldwide phenomenon Pans Labrynth of a few years back. And thank the film gods for that blessed miracle, and thank the continued success of the comic book film industry (basically holding hollywood on its back these days) for such a wonderous treat as Hellboy II: The Golden Army.

The sequel to 2004’s Hellboy is both a welcome return to favorite characters and a breath of fresh air to a young film franchise that often seemed to suffucate under its own weight during the sometimes fun, sometimes heavy and boring, and sometimes amazing first film. In the sequel, Hellboy and gang find themselves up against Prince Nuada (Luke Goss) and his army of fable creatures set on reclaiming the earth from the human species they feel has grown greedy and heartless, and who have nearly destroyed the once proud planet, forcing there kind into exile. Hellboy must stop Prince Nuada from finding the location of The Golden Army, a large army of monsterious metal creatures who can only be controlled by the unchallenged leader of the realm. To control the army, Nuada will need to reforge an ancient crown that was broken into pieces millenia ago to prevent the army from being awakened ever again. To stop him, his sister, Princess Nuala (Anna Walton) hides the last piece from him and seeks the B.P.R.D.’s help.

Aside from the Army plotline and Prince Nuada, the movie also focuses on Hellboy’s relationship with everyone around him. His relationship with B.P.R.D. head honcho Tom Manning (Jeffrey Tambor) has fizzeled since there reconsciliation at the end of the previous film; His romantic relationship with Liz (Selma Blair) is hitting a rocky point, and she carries a surprise for him thru most of the movie, a delightful surprise the audience is let in on very early on in the film. And then there is Hellboy’s need to draw attention to himself, his need to make everyone like him. As a result of his ego, the B.P.R.D. are outed to the public in the first chunk of the movie, making his rocky relationship with Manning even more so, and forcing the powers that be to send a new agent to take over command of the squad.

That new commander is the highly entertaining Johann Kraus (voiced by Seth Macfarlane), who is basically a robotic body with the spirit of a brilliant scientist living within it. He sounds a bit like the robot on Lost in Space and looks like a bounty hunter from Star Wars, only much more entertaining. Another Star Wars cantina-esche moment is when Hellboy, Kraus and Abe enter a warped version of Diagon Alley from Harry Potter, filled with dozens of amazing creatures, all which put anything in the cantina (or anything else in the films) to shame with its level of detail and originality. At least 6 or 7 times in this movie you will see something and say to yourself: “Boy, I haven’t seen that before.”

It’s simply an enjoyable, fantastic adventure story with great characters and great writing. The character designs and visuals are breathtakingly cool, and Del Toro’s visual flair from Pans Labrynth is once again on full display here. Nowhere have we seen such original, interesting and vibrant looking characters. The result is a scope and believability rarely achieved in such fantasy films like this. Even the action is on a level unachieved in many of its comic book film peers, often adding twists to the excitement, such as Hellboy carrying an infant in one hand while hopping cars, buildings and loading very large guns with the other. Mixed with the same trademark humor from the first film and some strong hints at a possible third film, and it all makes Hellboy II the latest in this summer’s trend of spectacular comic book adaptations. A must see!

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Journey to the Center of the Earth starring Brendan Fraser and Josh Hutchison will take you for a ride, literally. This 3-D movie is packed with adventure and great fun for anyone!

The story begins when a professor has to watch his nephew who just lost his father. Brendan takes Josh to Iceland so they can do some field lab work, but when they meet a woman who guides them into the mountain for a little research, they get more than a bargain. Soon, the group find themselves stuck in cave and needing to get out with the little time they have left. Along the way, the trio sees things that are out of the ordinary and make exciting finds and also might I add get into a little trouble and romance.

The 3-D effects were really cool. I liked how things flew at me and made the movie more fascinating. The 3-D affects made you want to go back and re-read the book. The 3-D effects also had some fun surprises in them! The coolest part of the movie was seeing the center of the earth itself, is that how it really looks like, Jules Verne had quite an imagination.

However, the beginning was a bit confusing, leading into the story itself took a while. Things eventually picked up when the uncle and nephew follow the guide into exciting heights. In the beginning, the scenes made you a little sick for it it was going too fast. The rest of the movie was fun to watch and you felt like you were going on a rollercoaster the entire movie.

Overall, this action packed adventure will take you on a ride to the center of the Earth. It makes you wonder if you can go to the center of the earth and survive!

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Will Smith plays an un-conventional superhero in “Hancock” also starring Charlize Theron, and Jason Bateman.  It was directed by Peter Berg who is more known for his acting than directing but does a great job in this film.

Hancock (Will Smith) is an un-destructable superhero rescuing the public in time of need but his rescue efforts are looked down upon by the public because of the destruction he leaves behind, including damaged public property, and cost to the city, which fuel his loneliness and drinking problem. After Hancock saves the life of Public Relations Executive Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman) in what the news business calls a car vs. train scenario Ray feels in dept to Hancock and wants to help him become a person the public would trust, and admire.  Ray’s wife Mary Embrey (Charlize Theron) on the other hand doesn’t think it’s a good idea having him around but at the same time it seems she is somewhat attracted to him.  Ray chooses to have Hancock do some hard time in the L.A. prison thinking that the public will miss him and will demand his comeback- besides he’s a superhero he can escape at anytime.   After coaching from Ray behind bars and some anger management meetings, Hancock gets the call… there’s a bank robbery and the L.A.P.D needs him.  Hancock does what superhero’s do and saves the day, he is then welcomed with joy from the public accepting this new, nicer superhero.  Hancock finally feels accepted and appreciated while the public treats him like a rockstar, but Ray’s wife Mary continues to reject him but for good reason.  She has a secret and when Hancock uncovers it he finds out who he really is.

Will Smith did a great job portraying a drunk, lonely superhero and it was fun watching him acting this role because the last time I saw him was in “I am legend”  which seemed like the typical hero type of character.  The rest of the cast was great also and their characters were well put together.  I loved everything about it; there isn’t much that I have to criticize, the writing, acting, and graphics were good, plus there were some great camera shots.  I definitely recommend and I would watch again.

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The new British comedy, Son of Rambow, directed by Garth Jennings and written same duo who gave us the brilliant and innovative Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, have done it yet again.

Set in a 1980s British village, Son of Rambow follows two young boys who form an unlikely friendship. William (Bill Milner), a member of the Plymouth Brethren religion, is not allowed to indulge in any sort of media, including movies and music and is sent out of the classroom any time a film is shown.  As he is tormented, then slowly befriended by the cheeky troublemaker Lee Carter (Will Poulter), the boys’ difficult home life is what ultimately brings them together and when William catches a glimpse of Stallone in all his glory, his life is transformed and this friendship is forever sealed. Along with Didier (Jules Sitruk), the too-cool French exchange student, the boys attempt to make their own rendition of the ultimate action film, First Blood, leading to a surprising and fantastical plot.

These non-professional child actors are refreshing and quick-witted and the dialogue is snappy giving it the refreshing feeling of improvisation; this is what makes the film so special, it is sufficient, sentimental and honest . The sincerity of the acting is what gives Son of Rambow such an interesting twist that is so hard to find these days in the cinematic world and the pure-hearted nature of the comedy will keep you interested and entertained the length of the film. With fantastic use of animation, perspective and perfect pacing, Son of Rambow uses its British-ness to poke fun at the French and even themselves. In a recent Q&A I personally attended with the director and writers, they revealed that much of the story was taken from instances in their childhood and was based on their notions of growing up in England, showing that though anyone could write a script similar to this, nobody could execute it as precisely as they. This light-hearted comedy is insightful and mature, yet by the end brings out the child in each of us. I have a sneeking suspicion it will not receive the praise it truly deserves and for this alone, I highly reccomend seeing this film.

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In efforts to cash in on the frenzy for the upcoming The Dark Knight, Warner Bros. and D.C. Comics have released the third in the newly established D.C. Universe animated movies on DVD, following the footsteps of last fall’s Superman: Doomsday, and this past winter’s Justice League: The New Frontier. The film takes six different stories (and six very different animation styles) centering on Batman, Lt.Gordon and the status of Gotham City since the events in Batman Begins in 2005. Effectively, the collection of animated shorts is meant both to give viewers insight and knowledge that fills in the “gaps” between the two motion pictures Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. Think what the Wachowski brothers did with The Animatrix, filling in the gaps inbetween The Matrix and The Matrix Reloaded, only nowhere near as cool and nowhere near as watchable.

Batman, when you stop and think about it, should be the perfect candidate for Japanese animation, a.k.a. anime, and yet most of the styles represented in Batman:Gotham Knight are terribly unappealing to watch. Sadly, the better styles are often on the less action-filled pieces and just leave you wanting more and wondering about what could have been. Batman is an iconic character, a majestic character and the appeal to his story (when told right) is the darkness of it, the grittiness of Gotham, its criminals and even of Batman himself. Despite popular opinion (much of which is still based on the terribly campy and inaccurate 1960’s T.V. show), Batman is not a happy story. it is a story about a man who loses everything. His parents are murdered in front of his eyes when he is a young child and he turns that helpless rage into something greater. There is a delicate unbalance within Batman, and its why so few screenwriters have captured the character very well. In Gotham Knight, very few of the stories bother to showcase this, or even make much attempt at action. Much of the 74 minute film is talking heads, which works great when its great actors performing it, but not in an animated Batman film, which makes slight attempts to fill us in on the state of things between films, but nothing remarkable occurs, and my guess is anyone skipping this DVD won’t be missing much, if anything at all. For example, nothing is said or mentioned about either Harvey Dent or the Joker, who was set-up in the conclusion of Batman Begins.

Perhaps the greatest disappointment is the collection of great comic book, and film writers responsible for the six stories, who collectively lay one giant egg. Veteran comic book writers Brian Azzarello, Greg Rucka and others turn in stories that seem like they were concieved on the taxi-ride over to the production meeting. David Goyer, co-writer on both Batman Begins and the upcoming The Dark Knight, does provide one of the only two entertaining stories, entitled In Darkness Dwells, focusing on “Killer Croc” and what the Scarecrow has been up to since escaping at the end of Begins. Aside from Goyer’s piece, the only other entertaining short (to me) was the final, much too short, piece introducing a brand new villian named “Deadshot.” The piece also sets up the notion that the crime world is now on the defensive and are beginning to realize they must rid themselves of Batman to restore things to what they used to be. The remaining shorts, varied in animation quality, all just leave you feeling empty and frustrated. All of them are much too short to accomplish any solid storytelling, and the little tidbits of information that may set things up in The Dark Knight don’t make the fi