Archive for the 'Reviews' Category

How to Watch: “Dark Shadows”

Published on May 11, 2012 in Reviews. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Step 1: Watch too many plot plots. You know you’re in for some kind of visual treat when you see a Tim Burton/Johnny Depp collaboration, and Dark Shadows doesn’t disappoint. Yet, it is hindered by an abundance of storylines and a lack of cohesiveness.

Step 2: Listen to a Barnabas’ tale. Based on the TV series, which aired from 1966 to 1971, Dark Shadows follows the screwed-up lives of the Collins family. Once a thriving fishery empire in Collinsport, Maine, the family is now — in 1972 — nearly in ruin, put there by a rival company owned by the conniving witch Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green). You see, Angelique cursed the Collins family two centuries ago when her love for young heir Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp) was rejected, turning Barnabas into a vampire, killing his fiancée and locking him in a coffin, seemingly forever. Not so. Barnabas is unexpectedly freed and returns to his ancestral home to restore his family to its previous glory. But a few things stand in his way: the customs of 1972, some members of his extended family and Angelique, of course.

Step 3: Meet the Collins family. There’s actually a lot more that goes on in Dark Shadows, which ultimately becomes its downfall. As uber-fans of the original TV series, its clear Depp and Burton did not want to leave anything out. In the series, a governess named Victoria Winters comes to the Collins’ mansion and is soon drawn into the family’s dysfunctional behavior. In the film, Victoria (Bella Heathcote) is the reincarnation of Barnabas’ former one true love, so naturally the vampire is smitten once again. There’s also matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer), teenage rebel Carolyn (Chloe Grace Mertz), family psychiatrist Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter) and others.

Step 4: Watch Depp do it… again. Most of the performances are spot-on, especially Depp, who once again wears a wacky wig and sells the hell out of the thing. The actor is extremely charismatic as Barnabas and delivers all the best lines, particularly when he is being the fish out of water. If anyone else played the part, Dark Shadows would have truly sucked. Get it? Like a vampire? I digress. Heathcote has those giant, soulful eyes Burton loves in his young ingénues, while the stunning Pfeiffer portrays the stiff Elizabeth with an innate coolness. Bonham Carter plays Dr. Hoffman as a lush desperate to stay young, and Mertz is great as the petulant teen. Only Green, best known as James Bond’s love in Casino Royale, comes off too much as Angelique, lacking in any real chemistry with Depp’s Barnabas.

Step 5: Cut it. The gothic setting also fits right into Burton’s sensibilities, and the director paints another wonderfully weird and otherworldly milieu, with rocky coastlines, overcast skies and overgrown vegetation. The Collins’ home is the best part, full of cobwebby nooks and crannies, giant misplaced wooden statues, secret passageways and the like. If you are a fan of Burton’s films, you should feel right at home. No, the real fault lies in the script, which may have read well on paper – and pleased its rabid Dark Shadow followers — but it seriously needed major cuts in the editing room. As a Depp/Burton collaboration, it ranks kind of low.

How to Watch: “Bernie”

Published on April 27, 2012 in Reviews. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Step 1: Gain a perspective. Director Richard Linklater paints a wonderfully vivid depiction of what happens when good is pushed just a little too hard by evil.

Step 2: Live in Texas. Set in a small town in the Lone Star State, the film is based on a true story and told to the audience by the townsfolk who witnessed the events. They describe the relationship that springs up between Bernie (Jack Black), the town’s assistant funeral director who is adored by all, and Margery (Shirley MacLaine), a cantankerous widow pretty much despised by all. Bernie sees Margery as a challenge and begins to visit her regularly after her husband dies, showing her a kindness she’s never had.

Step 3: Remember all you need is friends. The two become good friends, and are soon traveling the world on Margery’s dime. Mean old Margery, however, sees Bernie as a companion she can manipulate and demand attention from, knowing he’d never buck her so long as she was fitting the bill. But even a man as nice and goodhearted as Bernie has a breaking point – and Margery finally crosses that line one last time. Oh, what happened next was rich!

Step 4: Realize Jack Black CAN act. His turn as the kindhearted mortician in Bernie could be his best performance since School of Rock, which, coincidentally, was also helmed by Linklater. Hmmm. It would seem the two bring out the best in each other, and in Bernie’s case, both Linklater and Black show a nuanced skill never seen before in their work. Black infuses the character with some of his usual patter, including belting out gospel songs (that you probably won’t find on his next Tenacious D album), but the comedic actor also stretches himself, never playing Bernie over the top. It is an impressive effort from the guy who hasn’t had much luck in films the past few years (Gulliver’s Travels?) – if you don’t count voicing an overweight panda with mad Kung Fu skills.

Step 5: Find out that the townspeople sell it. MacLaine is wonderful, too, a part she surely can do in her sleep. Difficult women come easy to her, for some reason. I just wish we could have seen more of her in Bernie before her ultimate demise. Matthew McConaughey, a good old Texas boy himself, plays no-nonsense DA Danny Buck Davidson who ignores the pleas from the townsfolk that Bernie is innocent of murdering Margery and brings the man to justice. And the best part of the dark comedy IS the townspeople telling the story. They are a combination of real denizens from the town and actors, but you really can’t tell the difference. In fact, one of the town gossips in the film is McConaughey’s mom (now try and figure out which one she is).

Step 6: Dysfunction is good. Linklater is the final piece in this delightfully dysfunctional puzzle. Also hailing from the Lone Star state, the Dazed and Confused director puts you right there in Carthage, Texas. There isn’t one moment in which you are taken out of the milieu and placed on a Hollywood set; Bernie feels authentic. The talented Linklater allows these characters to be drawn out, Texas-style, as we continually grow more and more fascinated by the turn of events. You’ll definitely root for Bernie, just like all those people who loved him — and the movie. It’s truly a gem.

How to Watch: “The Lorax”

Published on March 2, 2012 in Reviews. 0 Comments Tags: , .

Step 1: Don’t cut down any trees or The Lorax is going to have to come down and kick your ass! Or maybe I should say butt, since this is a family movie.

Step 2: Keep it simple. Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax is really a simple message about industrialism and the environment, all tied up in a colorful Dr. Seuss bow. The story centers on 12-year-old Ted (Zac Efron), who lives in a town called Thneedville where there are no trees and people have to buy fresh air in giant containers (from the town’s short greedy millionaire). It’s a happy place, full of plastic things, but all Ted cares about is winning the heart of his next-door-neighbor Audrey (Taylor Swift) – and when he finds out she wants a real Truffula Tree, he decides he’s going to get her one.

Step 3: Get a Truffula Tree. But where does one acquire such a thing? Ted’s Grammy (Betty White) tells him he has to go outside the confines of the town and find the Once-ler (Ed Helms) and he’ll show Ted how to get a tree. Once outside in the grim, polluted wasteland, Ted does indeed find this mysterious character, who tells Ted he was the one responsible for the lack of foliage. The Once-ler then launches into his tale of ambition and greed at the expense of the environment – and how an odd creature named The Lorax (Danny DeVito) tried to stop him. Now, The Once-ler is just waiting for the right person to help him redeem himself.

Step 4: Say it right. The vocal talent fit their characters succinctly, with no one actor outshining the rest. Helms perfects the optimistic doofus role once again, while DeVito plays the acerbic, grumpy yet ultimately wise The Lorax with aplomb. Efron has the right mix of innocence and determination as Ted; Swift doesn’t have to say too much – and of course, White has some of the better lines. What in the world did we do before Betty White resurfaced as the funniest 90-year-old woman on the planet?

Step 5: Long live Dr. Seuss! Although the 1971 The Lorax wasn’t one of the Dr. Seuss books I grew up with, they are all still very familiar in look, feel and content. This film pays homage to that – and in CGI 3D, no less. It’s bright, colorful, strange and wondrous, and any small child should be thrilled to be immersed in the surroundings. My only complaint about The Lorax would be as an adult. I’ve gotten used to animated films appealing to an older audience with clever pop culture references and hilarious, over-the-heads-of-the-small-ones-sitting-next-to-you dialogue. Not a whole lot of that in The Lorax, but that’s OK. There’s still that great message about going green, which, in my opinion, never grow

How to Watch: “Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2″

Published on July 18, 2011 in Reviews. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

It’s difficult putting into words how I feel about the end of “Harry Potter,” but this last installment in what has turned out to be an incredibly entertaining movie franchise does everything it’s supposed to – and more. In fact, let me count the ways – and I’ll warn you now, I’m highly emotional over this.

1. Because both parts were filmed back-to-back, there is no break in the story flow, which makes it seem like you just watched the first part, even though it’s been six months since “Deathly Hallows, Part 1” was released. Wow. And I remember thinking then, “Well, at least I have one more movie.” Sniff.

2. You are immediately immersed, picking up where things left off, i.e. Voldemort taking the Elder Wand from Dumbledore’s grave to use to kill Harry, and Harry, Hermione and Ron at Bill and Fleur Weasley’s beach house, where they’ve just buried the beloved elf, Dobby. Harry and his stalwart two best friends must continue their quest to find the Horcruxes – the objects Voldemort has left pieces of his soul in so he can live forever – leading them to find one in Gringotts, in Bellatrix Lestrange’s vault. It’s the first of a series of big action sequences, and it’s awesome. Hermione disguised as Bellatrix to get into the vault is hilarious, especially since Helena Bonham Carter is basically playing Emma Watson. The last remaining Horcruxes are Hogwarts, so off they go.

3. The final, all encompassing Hogwarts battle, in which Harry must finally confront Voldemort, is suddenly looming close. Harry, Ron and Hermione’s reunion with their Hogwarts pals touches your heart, but Hogwarts is now a damp, dismal place under Headmaster Snape. Ah, Snape [more sniffs]… more on him later. By the time Harry figures out what the last two Horcruxes are, Voldemort and the Death Eaters are already coming. It’s go time, but I feel dread just watching them wait for the onslaught.

4. Hermione and Ron finally kiss. It’s immediate, passionate and should probably go down as one of the better cinematic embraces of all time, because we’ve been waiting for it for SO LONG. Emma Watson should get most improved over the course of the series since she started as a precocious 11-year-old who had only auditioned for Hermione as a lark. Now, she – and Hermione – have transformed into confident, beautiful young women. Her best scene overall? In “Part 1,” when she has to erase herself from her Muggle parents’ minds in order to go off on this dangerous quest.

5. Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint have also blossomed into skillful actors. Grint was plucked from obscurity as well, a red-headed moppet who could scrunch up his face like nobody’s business, while the hunt for the unknown young actor to play Harry Potter became national news. Remember how damn cute those three were in the 2001 “Sorcerer’s Stone,” all wide-eyed and innocent? I do. Credit must be given to those “Harry Potter” directors who shaped them: Chris Columbus (“Sorcerer’s Stone” and “Chamber of Secrets”), Alfonso Cuaron (“Prisoner of Azkaban”), Mike Newell (“Goblet of Fire”) and particularly David Yates, who took over the franchise with “The Order of the Phoenix” and stuck with it until the end. God bless him.

6. Snape. As played by Alan Rickman, this complicated character’s true nature – and motivation — is finally revealed in “Deathly Hallows, Part 2.” I’ll admit, this is where I started sobbing, and while many of you who read the book know why I’m crying, some of you don’t, so I won’t spoil it. Suffice to say, the Harry Potter saga has attracted a laundry list of British A-listers, who have added an immeasurable amount of talent and wisdom to the franchise. Thank goodness producer David Heyman never buckled under what had to be some pressure to employ a big-name American actor. Actually, I don’t think author J.K Rowling, who has been involved every step of the way, would have allowed it.

7. I also won’t spoil the ending – who lives, who dies – because these films have appealed to so many people, whether they’ve read the books or not, that it wouldn’t be fair. Big things do happen. Beloved characters do die. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry bears the brunt of all the action and while the final battle may not feel as massive as it does in the book, the 3D effects and cinematography are still fairly impressive. Everyone has their favorite “Potter” movie (mine’s probably still “Prisoner of Azkaban”), but I bet most fans will pinpoint these last two “Deathly Hallows” movies as the pinnacle.

8. Is this really the end? It’s hard to fathom since it’s all still so fresh in my head. But maybe a few months from now or a year from now, it’ll hit me. And I may have to pull out the first “Harry Potter” movie and watch it.

 

How to Watch: “Mr. Popper’s Penguins”

Published on June 20, 2011 in Reviews. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Step 1: Go ahead and pop this Penguin treat. The Jim Carrey comedy is the kind of brain friendly family entertainment perfect for a summer movie.

Step 2: Add penguins. Seriously, you could be watching the worst movie ever made and if they happen to stick in an adorable penguin, suddenly the film isn’t so bad. Based on a 1938 children’s novel, the Mr. Popper’s Penguins story is simplicity to the point of formulaic. Popper (Carrey) is a workaholic real estate whiz who specializes in getting people to sell their old properties so he can tear them down and build shiny new buildings. Popper has an ex wife (Carla Gugino) and two kids (Madeline Carroll and Matthew Perry Cotton) he doesn’t pay a lot of attention to. Wait, is this sounding a little like Carrey’s other comedy Liar, Liar? Yes, but unfortunately not quite as funny.

Step 3: Don’t fight the penguins. Things start to change for Popper when his late father, a professional adventurer who was never home when Popper was a kid, leaves him six “souvenirs,” aka Gentoo penguins from the Antarctic. Suddenly, Popper’s pristine co-op Manhattan apartment turns into a happy fun place for the flightless fowl, who also begin to take over Popper’s life – for the better. His kids love the little rascals – Loudy, Stinky, Lovey, Nimrod, Bitey and our favorite, Captain – and want to spend more time with dad, as does the ex wife. Of course, his career suffers, but well, it should, right? Popper has to take a hard look at himself, right?

Step 4: Learn something from the penguins. Mr. Popper’s Penguins is about as predictable as it gets, which would have been fine if Jim Carrey has been more on top of his game. He really needed to tap into his good old zaniness as Popper. There are a few choice moments – especially with the penguins, because let’s face it, you gotta have SOME kind of crazy Carrey comedy with those little cuties – but it wasn’t enough; you really crave his facial contortions and wacky impressions. Maybe Carrey is getting tired of all that. I hope not.

Step 5: Let the penguins work their magic. The rest of the cast all do a serviceable job supporting the main players. And yes, I’m talking about the Gentoos. They completely steal the show. What is about penguins that make us all go “Awww”? From the incredible documentary The March of the Penguins to the animated Happy Feet, these lovable creatures are simply cinematic naturals. Mr. Popper’s Penguins uses the real deal for most of the movie (and they DON’T TALK), with only a few up close “reaction” shots generated by computer animation. The winged actors are incredibly smart and as long as you had some kind of fish on your person, you could get them to do just about anything. Apparently, Carrey bonded with his co-stars by literally having fish in his socks. He admits in the press notes he has an obsession with penguins, saying it is physically impossible not to be happy around them. “They are like puppies, times ten!” I wholeheartedly concur. All in all, Mr. Popper’s Penguins will certainly delight the kiddies, but their parents might wish for a tad more Carrey irreverence.

 

How to Watch: “X-Men: First Class”

Published on June 6, 2011 in Reviews. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Step 1: Find the mark. X-Men: First Class is first rate. It’s definitely the best in the X-Men franchise, but prequels can be tricky. In the X-Men series, there have been two – Wolverine, which takes a look at how Logan (Hugh Jackman) becomes the knives-for-fingers badass mutant we know and love, and now X-Men: First Class. I thought Wolverine missed the mark a bit, but that is not the case with First Class.

Step 2: Hit the mark. In it, we see how Charles “Professor X” Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik “Magneto” Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender) meet as young men in the 1960s. Xavier, who comes from a lonely aristocratic upbringing, hones his telepathic and mind control abilities as an Oxford graduate student, specializing in gene mutation. Along the way, he also meets a young girl named Raven (Jennifer Lawrence), a fellow mutant who has the ability to shape shift and will later become the enigmatic Mystique. Erik, on the other hand, is a Holocaust survivor who uses his power to control magnetism to seek revenge on those Nazis who killed his family and experimented on him — especially one Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon), a particularly nasty former Nazi-sympathizer scientist who turns out to be a mutant himself.  Xavier, Erik and Raven end up joining a secret sect of the CIA, along with a few other young special recruits, including brilliant scientist Hank McCoy (Nicholas Hoult) who eventually becomes The Beast. Together, these mutants form the First Class of X-Men, guided by the wisdom of Xavier, the brute force of Erik and non-mutant help from CIA Agent Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne). They try and stop Shaw and his mutant lackeys from starting a nuclear war under the guise of the 1962 Cuban missile crisis. Did you know that whole thing was perpetuated by mutants? I sure didn’t.

Step 3: Mark your territory. The retro First Class feels almost like a James Bond flick, with Shaw hiding out in his submarine “lair,” surrounded by his minions, including January Jones as yet another ice queen, telepath Emma Frost, who can quite literally turn her female form into a diamond. There’s also a guy (Jason Flemyng) who looks like a demon and can teleport objects through another dimension and another (Alex Gonzalez) who creates whirlwinds. There’s a stripper (Zoe Kravitz, daughter of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet) with insect wings who shoots fireballs out of her mouth, and a dude named Darwin (Twilight’s Edi Gathegi) whose body can adapt to any adverse environment. For me, that’s the beauty of the X-Men movies; everyone has a different unique ability or superhuman power, which makes it endlessly fascinating to watch. And First Class has some great mutants.

Step 4: Cast X-cellently. The film is also bolstered by the acting talents of McAvoy (Wanted) and Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds). In order for First Class to work, it was essential to find the right actors to portray pivotal characters Professor X and Magneto as younger men because we had to believe they would end up as the powerhouse adversaries Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen. McAvoy and Fassbender handle it beautifully. There’s such tragedy in Erik’s past, and Fassbender nails that intense anger and deep pain which turns into an overall hatred for humans, while McAvoy displays Xavier as rather cavalier at first, only to see him grow stronger as a true educator – and leader. The young Lawrence, who nabbed an Oscar for her performance in Winter’s Bone, more than holds her own as the conflicted Raven, who thinks she wants to be normal. Bacon serves well as the villain – and there are numerous choice cameos from a variety of well-known character actors (and a few surprise ones as well).

Step 5: X marks the spot. Finally, I must tip my hat to director Matthew Vaughn. As a protege of director Guy Ritchie, Vaughn has only helmed four films so far, including the taut British gangster flick Layer Cake and highly enjoyable Kick-Ass — and continues to show considerable skill with First Class. Of course, he did have some help from producer Bryan Singer, who directed the first two X-Men movies and has always fully understood how to bring these comic-book characters to life. So, with Vaughn, they once again capture the story’s innate conflict of a being a mutant, between wanting to be like everyone else and embracing their own unique abilities even if they seem threatening. I so want more X-Men movies, but I’m afraid nothing might be able to top this one.

How to Watch: “Bridesmaids”

Published on May 16, 2011 in Movies and Reviews. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Step 1: Begin by chuckling. Bridesmaids might not be the best comedy ever, but there are some individual scenes that will leave you in a heap on the floor.

Step 2: Then starting giggling. We all know how excruciatingly funny SNL alum Kristen Wiig can be, but up to this point, she’s only had well-placed supporting roles in feature films. Now with Bridesmaids she makes her first foray into leading lady status — and god bless her, she does it the right way, by surrounding herself with equally funny people she has worked with before, including her old SNL pal Maya Rudolph. Wiig plays Annie, a down-on-her-luck 30-something who suddenly finds herself maid of honor for childhood best friend Lillian (Rudolph). Annie is game — at first. Then she meets the other bridesmaids: the co-worker (Ellie Kemper), the cousin (Wendi McLendon-Covey), the soon-to-be sister-in-law (Melissa McCarthy) — and Helen (Rose Byrne), the Ms. Perfect wife of Lillian’s fiance’s boss, who regularly outshines, outpays, outmaneuvers and basically outdoes Annie in every way. Of course, this drives Annie mental, and she quietly starts having a nervous breakdown. It’s pretty damn funny to watch.

Step 3: Really get a good laugh going. Wiig handles her starring role outrageousness with aplomb, even if it rises a little bit too over the top. But then again she co-wrote Bridesmaids with another old friend, Annie Mumolo, so the action – and the laughs – spring from a deep friendship. We already know about Wiig and Rudolph, but Wiig also did sketch comedy at the L.A. Groundlings Theater with Mumolo, McCarthy (Mike and Molly) and McLendon-Covey (Reno 911). There’s a simple ease to the comedy in Bridesmaids because these ladies have all known each other for years – and most likely peed themselves silly through most of it. Even Kemper (The Office) has major improv experience and fits right in. The only novice to the group is Aussie actress Byrne (Damages), who manages to hold her own quiet nicely. Besides, she isn’t supposed to be the funniest woman in the room. No, those honors would have to go to McCarthy, who literally grabs every single scene she is in and wrestles it to the floor – and for once, what she says in the trailer is only the tip of the hilarious iceberg.

Step 4: Start snorting. As for the male counterparts in the film, they do take a back seat. Still, Jon Hamm is fairly priceless as Annie’s vain f**k buddy (one of the stranger sex scenes I’ve even seen), while Irish actor Chris O’Dowd is a sweet antithesis, a down-to-earth cop who falls for Annie and tries to help her out of her pity party. The biggest male influence, however, would have to be producer Judd Apatow, who gave Wiig one of her first standout feature film gigs in Knocked Up. He didn’t direct Bridesmaids (that would be TV director and longtime Apatow friend Paul Feig), but Apatow’s touches are everywhere.

Step 5: Fall about the place. So, why isn’t Bridesmaids the funniest comedy of all time? First, that’s a tall order to fill. Second, there are moments when the story starts to sag, especially when Annie just keeps hitting the rock UNDER rock bottom. For me, it’s a bit tiresome. But as I write this and remember those scenes that made me weep with laughter (like the one where they all have food poisoning, trying on bridesmaids dresses), everything else fades away. Seriously, I haven’t laughed that hard at comedy in a long time. And I cannot WAIT for the DVD! I’m hoping they have a blooper sequence to end them all.

How to Watch: “Water for Elephants”

Published on April 27, 2011 in Reviews. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Step 1: Step in. The Water is a little too tepid but at least the Elephant steals the show.

Step 2: Remember the book is usually better. Based on the bestselling novel by Sara Gruen, Water for Elephants is a romantic tale set in the 1930s Depression about the demise of a traveling circus. It centers on the dashing young veterinarian student Jacob (Robert Pattinson), who has his whole life ahead of him until a tragedy sends him on a journey of self discovery. He jumps onboard a train one evening and unexpectedly joins the Benzini Bros. Circus as the in-house vet, ingratiating himself with the cast of colorful characters, including the circus’ ringmaster August (Christophe Waltz) and his lovely wife, and star of the show, Marlena (Reese Witherspoon). Not surprising, Jacob falls for Marlena the minute he sees her calming down her team of beautiful horses – and Marlena is a little smitten, too. But then there’s the whole matter of August, who we quickly realize has big-time anger and jealousy issues, with a cruelty-to-animals streak as an added bonus.

Step 3: Read “tepid” in graph 1. Athough I haven’t read the book, I imagine the seemingly forbidden love blossoming between Jacob and Marlena plays well on the page. Unfortunately, it’s not translated onscreen. Sparks are definitely not flying between Pattinson and Witherspoon, and while they are pretty to watch, they’ve each had much better chemistry with other movie partners. Waltz is charming, intimidating and downright scary once again, but after seeing him win an Oscar for basically playing the same heavy in Inglourious Basterds, it might be time for the Austrian actor to spread his wings and show American audiences he can do so much more.

Step 4: When all else fails, buy an elephant. No, the real star of Water for Elephants is Rosie, a 53-year-old female elephant who joins the Benzini Bros. as a last-ditch effort to boost the show’s profile. Played by a movie veteran elephant named Tai, the gentle giant certainly has more charisma with its star players than they do with each other. Witherspoon trained with Tai for three months before filming started and you can see the natural affinity the two have for one another. The same goes for Pattinson, who Tai unmercifully flirts with on — and apparently off — screen (and why shouldn’t she?) The film could have benefited from more elephant scenes.

Step 5: It’s got the look. Water for Elephants looks fantastic, I’ll give it that. Director Francis Lawrence, who helmed such visual treats as Constantine and I Am Legend, creates a vibrant, brutal world of a 1931 circus, especially on the train, with all the performers and workers and animals jammed together. Bygone traveling circuses are something to be marveled, with their rich history. It’s the unpredictability and danger and wonderment of it all, and Lawrence taps into that succinctly. It’s just a shame the romantic elements couldn’t have been more powerful and meaningful, instead of dragging down the film. I was totally ready to swoon over Pattinson and Witherspoon. Oh well.

How to Watch: “Born to Be Wild”

Published on April 12, 2011 in Reviews. 0 Comments Tags: , .

Step 1: Go, IMAX! The brilliant IMAX technology works its magic again with the fascinating and heartwarming nature tale Born to Be Wild.

Step 2: Start with a dedicated idea. This documentary, narrated by the always good Morgan Freeman, follows the efforts of two animal activists. In the lush rainforests of Borneo, world-renowned primatologist Dr. Biruté Mary Galdikas has set up a compound where she nurses orphaned baby orangutans, whose mothers have been killed, usually by some form of deforestation. Then across the rugged Kenyan savannah, celebrated elephant authority Dame Daphne M. Sheldrick  does the same thing with baby elephants, whose mothers have been killed by poachers. These women and their trusted teams rescue, rehabilitate and return these incredible animals back to the wild — and we get to watch with wonderment on how they do it.

Step 3: Love the orangutans. Born to Be Wild is only 40 minutes, but in that time you get to know the characters intimately. With Dr. Galdikas, we see how her mostly female team bonds with the orangutans. Adult orangutans are generally solitary creatures but as babies, they cling to their mothers, rarely ever touching the ground. In the compound, these expressive primates wrap themselves around their human surrogates and grow to love them as much as if they were monkeys themselves. Dr. Galdikas also keeps in touch with some of the adult orangutans she has raised, who are now happily surviving in the wild. In one scene, she shares a bowl of noodles with one.

Step 4: Love the elephants. With Dame Sheldrick, her team is mostly male, and they, too, form close attachments with the baby elephants. Elephants are far more social than orangutans and only feel truly comfortable when they are surrounded by other elephants and their human friends. Most rescued baby elephants have been traumatized when they are brought into the camp, having witnessed their mothers killed and shunned by the male elephants, so it takes a lot of TLC to get them to trust the humans. In fact, each handler assigned to an elephant sleep with their charge so to make the animal feel safe. Then when it comes time for the elephants to go back into the wild, Sheldrick takes the elephants to an even more remote location, where the animals stay for another three years. In that time, adult elephants – who were raised by Sheldrick but are now living in the wild – come back to this camp and actually help rehabilitate the younger elephants so the transition goes smoother. It still kind of brings a tear to my eyes.

Step 5: Go, IMAX… again! The best part is watching Born to Be Wild in an IMAX theater. Filmmaker David Lickley apparently had a time of it getting all that equipment into these remote places, especially in Borneo, but the captured images are truly breathtaking and spectacular. Adding the 3D element is also a must. At one point, one of the orangutans looks close enough to touch. I complain about all the friggin’ 3D movies out there and having to wear those glasses, but when in an IMAX theater, the technology still astounds me.

Step 6: Be an animal lover. If you’ve ever thought about leaving the comforts of society and going into the wild to study and help animals, Born to Be Wild will definitely urge you in that direction. There is something so selfless and amazing in seeing people dedicated to preserving natural wildlife – and focusing on such adorable animals as orangutans and elephants is just a plus.

How to Watch: “Soul Surfer”

Published on April 12, 2011 in Reviews. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Step 1: I’m afraid to say something negative about the Christian-based Soul Surfer for fear of going to hell. So I won’t.

Step 2: Uplift the spirits. While there’s a fair amount of cheesy dialogue and Lifetime TV sensibilities, the film still touches your heart. Soul Surfer is a biopic about real-life pro surfer Bethany Hamilton, who, as a teenager, overcomes many obstacles after losing her arm in a shark attack. Starting when Bethany (AnnaSophia Robb) is a 13-year-old girl, we see she’s someone with an undeniably kind spirit and boundless energy, growing up in Hawaii with surfer parents (Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt). She learns to surf at a very young age with her best friend (Lorraine Nicholson), and the two eventually find themselves on track to becoming pro surfers.

Step 3: When the shark bites… Then tragedy strikes when Bethany is attacked by a shark while surfing, nearly dying after losing 60 percent of her blood. Now with only one arm, she is determined to go back in the water to surf but finds it very difficult. Bethany almost gives it all up. Yet, with the support of her family and her church youth counselor (Carrie Underwood), she embarks on a humanitarian journey to help victims in the 2004 tsunami disaster — and discovers her own courage to live out her dream of being a pro surfer.

Step 4: Move above the common. What delineates Soul Surfer from a TV movie of the week is, of course, the acting. Quaid and Hunt simply add a certain gravitas to the proceedings as the Hamiltons, who have provided a solid family unit. It’s also nice to see Hunt on the big screen again after a three year absence. Let’s hope to see more of her. Robb, best known for her roles in Bridge to Terabithia and Race to Witch Mountain, has the requisite amount of spunk and determination, while also showing what must have been Bethany’s insecurities and fears. Country superstar Carrie Underwood makes her film debut as the Christian youth leader, and I’m sure she played it pretty close to herself. Nicholson, who is Jack Nicholson’s daughter, does a nice job as the friend who witnesses her best friend getting her arm chewed off by a shark. One thing that sort of bothered me was the way the locals went after the shark and killed it (don’t worry, I’m not giving any major plot points away). It really wasn’t the fish’s fault; he thought she was a seal, like in most shark-to-surfer attacks, so why kill it? Poor sharks. But I digress.

Step 5: Move to Hawaii. Director Sean McNamara comes from kids’ TV (Even Stevens), so while he has a handle on the PG-ness of Soul Surfer, he’s not as good with the surfing sequences — at least not when it comes to using stunt doubles effectively. There are many obvious moments in which you can tell it’s not Robb — and even some laughable times when the actress’ face is superimposed on a real surfer in action. And yet, the special effects to hide Robb’s arm are completely believable. Go figure. Ultimately, though, McNamara captures the true spirit of Bethany’s story, managing to bring a big screen feel to what probably should have been a small screen sports flick. Filming in the gorgeous, lush and extraordinarily beautiful Hawaii also helps. I have to admit I walked out of the theater seriously considering chucking it all in, moving there and running a small sundries shop. I don’t surf, so not too afraid of getting a shark bite — and I can always get Netflix for my movie addiction. Who’s with me?!