Monthly Archive for June, 2010

How to Watch: “Twilight: Eclipse”

Published on June 30, 2010 in Movies and Reviews. 1 Comment Tags: .

Step 1: Accept the best. For the Twihard fans, Eclipse should thrill and excite to no end; for the rest of the world, it stands as the best of the three in the saga.

Step 2: Don’t have to be a Twihard. Now I wouldn’t call myself a Twihard, since I haven’t read all the books or have posters of Edward and Bella all over my room, BUT I did enjoy the first two movies, despite all the criticism. Look, I might be a 40-ish mother of two, but there is no way I’ve forgotten what it’s like to be a teenager again. All those raw emotions. And I am NOT alone. Women of all ages — and men, who are in touch with their romantic side — go gaga over the tortured romance of it all. Granted, both Twilight and New Moon are over-the-top melodramas of the highest order , but I think that’s why they are so popular (and better told onscreen than read in the books, in my opinion).

Step 3: Watch the vampire-werewolf-human triangle even out. Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson) are finally allowed to be blissfully in love. In fact, old-school Edward, who comes from a time when getting married meant “I love you,” wants to wed the lovely Bella, even though she repeatedly declines. She just wants him to turn her into a vampire, so they can go loving each other happily ever after — and after and after and after. Edward wants to keep her pure, on all levels, and postpones the inevitable in hopes Bella might change her mind and want to stay human. Um, yeah, that’s not happening.

Step 4: Observe a small, well maybe not so small, obstacle in their way to the hereafter: Jacob (Taylor Lautner). He understands Bella has a major thing for the vamp but by god, he’s going to make her realize she should be with him, a hot-blooded human who just happens to turn into a werewolf to chase down bad-ass vampires every once in awhile. You can cut the sexual tension between Bella and Jacob with a knife, but ultimately, Bella stands by her choice. And speaking of bad-ass vampires, Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard) still wants Bella’s head on a plate and creates an army of “newborn” vampires to come after Bella. It seems these bloodsuckers are more powerful in their new state than any other time as a vampire, so, the Cullens are riled up for a fight and ask their sworn enemies, the Wolf Pack, to help them out since the Cullens are going to need all the assistance they can get.

Step 5: Be like Harry. The Twilight Saga is a little like the Harry Potters in that they keep getting better with each new director. David Slade has had some experience with vampires, having helmed the horrifying 30 Days of Night, and you can definitely see his darker touches in Eclipse. The newborn vampires are downright scary, ripping it up in their new form and tearing through humans like paper. As are the menacing Volturi faction, lead by the pain inflicter Jane (Dakota Fanning), sent to the Pacific Northwest to “deal” with this new problem. And there’s a lot more action, believable action, which should please some of those husbands and boyfriends dragged to the theater by their respective mates.

Step 6: Remember, Eclipse is ultimately about the three main characters — Bella, Edward and Jacob — who have now become fully fleshed out by the actors who play them, and Slade does a really nice job making  Stewart, Pattinson and Lautner look even more appealing than they already do, especially Stewart, who has much more of a spark in this installment. It could also be because Bella is becoming a stronger character, more sure of what she wants and more determined to get it. At one point, she tells Edward she is afraid he won’t love her as much once she becomes a vampire, to which he reassures her, “You’ll always be my Bella… just less fragile.” I’m sort of looking forward to that moment but will have to wait for the last two Breaking Dawn movies!

How “Harry Potter” Ends Things

Published on June 28, 2010 in Movies and Trailers. 0 Comments Tags: .

This trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows gives me goosebumps, I’m THAT excited!

How to Watch: “Toy Story 3″

Published on June 22, 2010 in Movies and Reviews. 0 Comments Tags: .

Step 1: Improve on a classic. Toy Story 3 doesn’t try to surpass its predecessors but simply continues the story in such a wonderful, natural progression that it melds with ease into the brilliance that is the Toy Story lore. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, it’ll become a part of you.

Step 2: Have no fear. I felt a little trepidation about a third Toy Story, only because the first two were so fantastic, I was afraid the third one couldn’t measure up. Now, of course, I just shake my head. Toy Story is what started the whole trend of animated excellence from Pixar, with Toy Story 2 being one of those rare occasions a sequel stood on its own as a classic. Why wouldn’t the third in the franchise shine just as brightly as the first two, and then some? It’s sort of silly I doubted it.

Step 3: Continue the story. In the 11 years since we last saw Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and the gang, the toys have finally been put in the toy box, as their owner Andy has grown older. They miss being played with, but they understand how it goes. Just so long as they have each other, it should be OK. And when Andy is finally heading off to college, some of the toys, including Jessie (Joan Cusack), are afraid they may be discarded once and for all, but Woody assures them Andy will take care of them, even if that means they’ll all go into the attic for awhile. But through a mishap in cleaning the room, the gang ends up getting donated to a local daycare center, where they meet other toys in their same predicament — or so they think. Turns out, the daycare world of toys is run by one rough, stuffed bear named Lotso (Ned Beatty), who rules with fear and intimidation. Our gang of toys quickly realize they need to get out of there and back to Andy pronto, before it’s too late. Let the great escape begin.

Step 4: Bring back all the familiar voices. Hanks, Allen, Cusack, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Don Rickles, Estelle Harris, plus a few new ones, add colorfully to the mix, including stand out Michael Keaton as the narcissistic Ken, the groovy cool cat with an ascot and a huge wardrobe of clothes. Think of him as the plastic, small, ever-tan male doll version of Sex and the City‘s Carrie Bradshaw. Ken definitely provides many of the film’s guffaws. Character actor Beatty does a nice job as the heavy, and try to recognize the voices of Whoopi Goldberg, Bonnie Hunt, Jeff Garlin, and many others.

Step 5: Hail to Pixar! Seriously, those folks over there never cease to amaze me — and I seem to write that every time I review one of their movies. At some point, I may be disappointed, but it’s hard to see how that might happen. Toy Story 3 is so full of rich, hilarious, wonderful, scary, meaningful, heart-wrenching moments, I’m sort of tearing up all over again, just remembering. Pixar stories ALWAYS make me cry, one way or another, but Toy Story 3 really does a number on you. It’s probably because these are characters you already know and love and watching them all interact again feels so comforting and a little anxious in wondering what’s going to happen to them.

Step 6: Learn a lesson while you’re at it. Those of us who’ve been watching the movies since 1995 know the drill. For those young ones who are seeing a Toy Story for the first time, there will be times when they may get scared (the incinerator scene is a doozy) or might not understand, but I think it’s still a film for all ages. Parents may find themselves engaged in conversations afterward, about what happens to their old toys when they don’t play with them anymore or about throwing things away and what happens to trash. I’m actually one of those parents who threw old toys out and, well, I feel horrible about it now. I still have one small-ish child left, and let’s just say, I’m going to find wonderful new homes for those leftover toys when she’s done playing with them, so help me god.

Level of difficulty in watching Toy Story 3: No difficulty at all. This is another instant classic.

How to Watch: “Cyrus”

Published on June 22, 2010 in Movies and Reviews. 0 Comments Tags: .

by Robert Sims, Special to MovieKit.com
Step 1: Bone up on your Duplass Brothers. Watching The Puffy Chair, Baghead and Humpday will prime you for the first studio offering from mumblecore pioneers Jay and Mark Duplass if you are unfamiliar with their amusing dissections of relationships at their most intimate and awkward.

Step 2: Don’t worry if you hate the no-bucks, naturalistic aesthetic of mumblecore. Cyrus may unfold as a typical Duplass Brothers’ study in white middle-class American angst, but this time they’re working with a decent budget and a cast that features many familiar faces (John C. Reilly, Marisa Tomei, Jonah Hill, and Catherine Keener). You certainly can’t accuse the Duplass Brothers of selling out just because they are working with Hollywood money, but do walk away from Cyrus with the sense that the Duplass Brothers are trying to mature as both filmmakers and storytellers. There’s nothing silly or inane driving the search for emotional truth, such as a serial killer on the loose or a challenge involving on-camera gay sex.

Step 3: Open your ears and listen. There isn’t a wasted word in Cyrus. Every conversation between the divorced Reilly and his new girlfriend, single mom Tomei, represents small but significant strides to make a long and lasting personal connection with another damage soul. While Reilly and Tomei engage in open and honest dialogue, you need to read between the lines whenever her man-childish adult son Hill chimes in. As Cyrus, Hill’s not too thrilled at the idea of his mom dating Reilly. While there’s nothing inappropriate about Hill’s feelings for his mom, it’s clear that Tomei never wanted to cut the umbilical cord between mother and son. Pretending to be receptive to Reilly’s presence, Hill works overtime to ruin this burgeoning romance out of the fear that he will lose his mother’s love. Things turn nasty, allowing the Duplass Brothers to put some delightfully vicious words in the mouths of the men fighting for Tomei’s affections.

Step 4: Expect the unexpected from a Superbad boy. The self-deprecating Hill’s usually employed by Judd Apatow to generate big laughs, but he rarely receives an opportunity to stretch as an actor. That might change following Cyrus. Hill seems quite comfortable assuming the role of a master manipulator unable to express his feelings in a sincere and constructive way. But Reilly gives as good as he gets. You know that “lost puppy dog” look Reilly wears? It works to his advantage in Cyrus — it helps us to feel great empathy for a man who’s desperate love, going to find himself at war with a live-at-home musician suffering from a severe case of arrested development. Throughout all this, though, Tomei maintains her poise and dignity. It’s a matter of time before Tomei gets hurt, and it’s painful to watch her choose between her son and a man who could possibly come to love.

Level of difficulty in watching Cyrus: The Duplass Brothers demand your undivided attention. Thanks to their sincere way with words and experience with examining distressed relationships, you will gladly give it to them.

How to Watch: “The Karate Kid”

Published on June 17, 2010 in Movies and Reviews. 0 Comments Tags: .

Step 1: Believe. As eye-rolling and skeptical as I was when I heard they were remaking The Karate Kid, I have to admit the film does a nice job re-envisioning the ’80s cult classic, thanks in large part to the new Kid, Jaden Smith.

Step 2: Don’t change it too much. The best part of this new Karate Kid is how it switches things up yet at the same time keeps to the heart and soul of the original. Jaden plays Dre, whose single mother (Taraji P. Henson) moves him from Detroit to China for work. From there, the story elements are basically the same — Dre meets a cute girl, rubs the local bullies the wrong way, gets his ass kicked by their kung-fu moves, befriends the apartment maintenance man, Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), who teaches him karate, so Dre can prove himself and also learn some life lessons, and so on. It’s formulaic and a little long-winded, but the pay off is still worth it.

Step 3: Recognize talent, Part I. The young Jaden honestly has talent, pure and simple. Sure, he was so damn cute as a 5-year-old in his debut Pursuit of Happyness performance, playing opposite his famous movie star dad Will Smith, but even then you could tell the kid inherited the acting genes. Jaden has such a natural ease that every step he takes seems genuine. And man, can that kid work up those tears; it rips your heart out. I’m pretty sure another star is born, one that might even surpass his dad’s fame. Can’t wait to see what kind of heartthrob he’ll be when he grows up.

Step 4: Recognize talent, Part II: Chan, too, surprises you in Karate Kid. Of course, casting him in the iconic Mr. Miyagi role seems like a no brainer, and goes one better with Chan’s expert martial arts moves. I swear, watching Chan do what he does the very best is like watching Fred Astaire dance, using everything around him to help in the fight. Unfortunately, he is in more teacher mode than kung-fu mode in Kid, but he does get in one good scene. The surprising part is how far Chan digs in for the role, playing a man who has had a tragic past. He and Jaden have a nice rapport that goes a long way in the film. Henson and the rest of the supporting cast hold up, but the film belongs to these two.

Step 5: Use montages. Speaking of marital arts, the montage training scenes are just as much fun as the original, and Jaden also shows an amazing amount of skill and agility. Filming the entire movie in Beijing also lends itself to more authenticity, with gorgeous locales, lush mountain tops and the always spectacular Forbidden City. The film does tend to drag a bit at two and half hours, but all in all, it does the original proud — and then some.

Level of difficulty in watching The Karate Kid: Not too bad. I wouldn’t be surprised if  a few more Karate Kids were in the works as we speak.

How the “Takers” Trailer Takes

Published on June 11, 2010 in Movies and Trailers. 0 Comments Tags: .

Takers looks dangerously to Heat, but maybe not as good. And Zoe Saldana and Idris Elba are beginning to pigeon-hole themselves with this and The Losers. Hmmmm …

How to Watch: “Get Him to the Greek”

Published on June 4, 2010 in Movies and Reviews. 0 Comments Tags: .

Step 1: Get yourself to see the Greek. It’s a raunchy, tasteless, hilarious — and surprisingly poignant (at times) — spin on the washed-up, pampered rock star motif.

Step 2: Follow the formula, but change it up. Russell Brand reprises his Forgetting Sarah Marshall role as British rocker Aldous Snow, who is still outspoken, randy, spoiled, wasted, unruly, yet occasionally talented — and having a career crisis after his last album crashes and burns. Enter Aaron Green (Jonah Hill), a lackey working for Snow’s record label, who is also one of his bigger fans. Green convinces his narcissistic boss (Sean Combs) to put on a live concert in L.A. with Snow headlining and is sent off to London to make sure Snow arrives on time. And so the insanity begins …

Step 3: Hire a hilarious cast. What sets Greek apart are Brand and Hill’s performances, especially Brand, who actually shows some chops. His Snow is only a caricature in Marshall, but here, the character is more fleshed out. It’s obvious Snow has some serious issues, substance abuse and otherwise, but he also feels like he let the love of his life go, he cherishes his son and just wants to please his wayward musician dad. Snow realizes he need to do some soul searching before he can turn a new leaf. And Hill’s bookish Green is just the guy to help him do it.

Step 4: Don’t stand out, so then you do. I’m now convinced Hill is those comic actors who isn’t necessarily in it to be the star attraction, say like Jim Carrey or Adam Sandler; he’s a team player, and basically has chemistry with whoever he’s starring opposite with, be it Michael Cera, Seth Rogen and now, Russell Brand. Hill should stand the test of time. The other stand out is Combs as the wacky record producer. One wonders how much of Diddy’s own producing style is represented, but the one crazy drug scene in Greek, when they are all in Vegas, will probably be revered as a classic. Two words: “Furry walls.”

Step 5: Get crazy. Writer/director Nicholas Stoller and producer Jason Segal, the masterminds behind Forgetting Sarah Marshall, mix their particular brand of humor to great success once again. It’s not like they are trying to reinvent the wheel with Greek, but they do take a few different spins with the genre, which keeps it fresh. Stoller’s skillful hand at getting the right performances certainly helps, plus the montages are the freakin’ hilarious, as far as montages go. Sometimes they are staid plot devices, but they totally work with the film.

Level of difficulty in watching Get Him to the Greek: Pretty easy. All in all, Get Him to Greek is a somewhat expected but also surprisingly competent summer comedy.