Elmo's Cinematic Reflections

Ok, this is a frustrating review to write because there are parts of this remake to 1985 film which I enjoyed. More so, if a bit more time had of been spent developing said ideas fans could have had a much stronger film than what this ended up being.

Fright Night follows the same plot as the original. The probelm is that with the remake there's no build up. The film starts. People are getting wasted. Evil Ed (Christoper Mintz Plase)knows all about Jerry (Colin Farrell), who has already moved next door to Charlie (Anton Yelchin). It felt too patchy.

On the flip side the remake takes us to Vegas. It's a cool idea and while I didn't think David Tennant ("Doctor Who") was great in the role of Vincent, his 'Fright Night' Vegas show and the back story he shared with the vamps could have paved the way for a vamp flick with a really unique setting and a solid story. Imagine the fun they could have had riffing of his stage show and mixing it all in with Vegas as the playground were all the **** goes down etc.

Sadly this remake had plot beats taken from the original and it didn't really gel as a whole. For me anyway. Save for one very cool 'escape' sequence which occurs early in the film and a semi sad look at how friends change over time and grow apart.

The cast was okay in general. No one is truly awful while no one really jumps out either. Everyone to me did better in other films. I mean both in front and behind the camera there's true talent but somehow, as I said, it just doesn't gel. It's not a awful remake, but it'ss worth a watch if your a fan of the original.


My grade:

Sky High doesn't have the most novel premise in the world, so it'll have to use its' storytelling to get by in the world of family films.

The characters manage to be original in more ways than one. Given that each character is pretty much defined by their powers, you can get creative with different personalities. And sure enough, these characters are as colorful as the superhero-style clothes they're wearing.

In terms of plot, however, the film sticks to pretty generic territory. Most of the film is the classic story of a kid who quickly rises to popularity and forgets his friends along the way. Good characters help this film chug along and be different. Not to mention the whopper of a plot twist they dish out at us towards the end that re-energizes the film.

While Sky High may not be the most original film I've seen, it gets an A for effort. Delightful characters and a daring twist make this a film well worth your time. Plus the costumes kick ass too.

My grade:

When watching Disney’s new epic adventure John Carter, I can’t help but wanting to compare it to the sci-fi classic likes of Star Wars and Avatar. But given that the novels this film is based on served as inspiration for George Lucas and James Cameron, the comparisons are more than valid. Edgar Rice Burroughs had created a vivid intergalactic world with ‘John Carter’ long before Skywalker had his adventures, we’ve just had to wait longer for Carter to be done justice. Under the colorful direction of Andrew Stanton (Wall-E) 'John Carter' is every bit the epic it clearly intends to be. In 1880’s America Civil war vet Carter ('Friday Night Lights' Taylor Kitsch) unexpectedly finds himself transported to the planet Mars, or Barsoom as it is called here, where he is treated initially as some sort of spectacle, before held prisoner by the inhabitants of the planet, 12 foot tall barbarians ruled by Tars Tarkas (voiced by Willem Dafoe).

As to be expected there’s a war on the horizon and Carter gets trapped in the middle of it when he falls for princess Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins of ('True Blood' ) who’s fighting for the safety of her city which is set to be overruled by Sab Than (played by Dominic West of 'The Wire' ). Yes there are a lot of names thrown about here, and it’s quite an intricate storyline, one that may be a bit too complex for a younger audience this film seems to be marketed towards, but the film never skims over the details.

I skipped the 3D version which is also in theaters though. I am sure I wouldn't be missing much, since 3-D doesn't even work well when applied in most movies anyhow. But it’s a minor criticism for a surprisingly grown-up adventure film that will hopefully find a blossoming audience. All in all there really isn't much more to say except go see John Carter.

My grade:

I watched this on Netflix this evening and It is just simply awful. Every now and then I fast forwarded it just in case it got any better, but of course it never did. All the actors in this movie must have been hard on for cash. I can't think of any other reason why they'd even want to be involved in such a piece of crap. Tom Arnold is in this, and I love his hilarious performance as Arnold Schwarzenegger's sidekick in True Lies. Heck, I even enjoyed The Stupids when I know a lot of people did not. Even Big Bully was slightly amusing. And I'm betting Tiffani Amber Thiessen wished that she could go back to '90210' if this is the only kinda of role she could get. Everything about this movie is just god awfully horrendous. Without a doubt this is one of the worst movies I have EVER seen.

My grade:

This was a good movie with a captivating anti-hero at its core (with Jesse Eisenberg as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg), a strong supporting cast, an interesting story and the usual crackling dialogue from Aaron Sorkin ("The West Wing", The American President). What keeps the movie from greatness is its subject matter. It's all well and good to see how this kid started the biggest cultural phenomenon of our generation.

I realize the impact Facebook has made in the way in which people connect to one another, revolutionized it really. And I am one of those 500 million people to use it on a regular basis.

The movie is based on the novel The Accidental Billionaires, a book that clearly was not written with the help of the Facebook founder. Zuckerberg is painted as a genius computer hacker who's as savvy with computers as he is awkward socially. It charts the rise of Zuckerberg through flashbacks as told during his multiple lawsuit depositions - including testimony of The Winklevoss brothers, who claimed to come up with the original idea, and Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield, the weakest of the actors in the film), Zuckerberg's classmate and the first CFO of the company, who apparently got screwed over as Facebook went public. In the first half of the movie, Zuckerberg is painted as little more than some sort of autistic savant - knowing the answers to his professor's questions without paying any attention, and barely speaking to anyone other than to discuss code.

This is where the movie excels, though - Eisenberg makes Zuckerberg fascinating. You don't exactly root for him, but you can't help but want to know what he'll do next. Eisenberg has finally climbed out of his pigeon hole as the poor man's Michael Cera here and delivers a performance that certainly earned him that oscar nomination last year.

To tell you the truth, I didn't think Zuckerberg came off that bad. So what that he stole someone else's idea? I didn't see any business plans or contracts signed. So what that he screwed over a few of his college buddies as the site went from college novelty to cultural phenomenon. And so what that he was a social troll - he's a mega-billionaire now and I'm sure that makes up for quite a lot.Then again, maybe Zuckerberg is as sensitive as the movie depicts.

Is The Social Network one of the best movies of our generation? I don't think so. But you'll no doubt be entertained though.


My grade:

I purchased Super 8 earlier today because well, it's a damn good film. I watched it tonight and it was even better this time around. The whole thing has this retro 80's feel to it. Not just 'cause it's set in 1980s either. I guess it harks back to a time when kids films didn't talk down to the audience.

J.J. is fast turning into a guy I can count on to always deliver. Super 8 didn't let that trend down. The story I'm staying vague on just in case anyone hasn't seen this (ya right). But, like Cloverfield the less you know the more you'll enjoy it. One part I did love was the film within the film. If you've ever done something like that, you can relate and get the excitement of the kids regarding the importance of the finished project.

All the kid actors are great. Especially Elle Fanning (sister of actress Dakota Fanning) shined throughout. There are some future stars amongst each of them. Sheriff Lamb (Kyle Chandler's character) I thought was kind of shallow though. I feel he could have done a little better.

The effects are brilliant. Some jaw dropping stuff on display throughout and the pace of the film was a bit off at times. It starts with such a bang and then slows down a lot before building back up again. I understood why it did but it was something I didn't care for. Also there's a fair bit of misdirection regarding the 'threats' intentions in the third act which I thought was a cop out. Putting aside those little faults, the movie is a complete blast and a must own for movie fans.

My grade: