Movie Trailer: THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE
Director: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Donald Sutherland, Sam Claflin, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson
I must say that this teaser trailer was more than I expected. Usually teaser trailers contain a couple of images from the film with some narration or dialogue from the film playing over it. This teaser feels like your standard full length trailer. The second in the The Hunger Games trilogy looks to be just as thrilling, exciting, and exhilarating as the first part. Now that Katniss (Lawrence) and Peeta (Hutcherson) have won The Hunger Games, they must embark on a victory tour of the districts in Panem. Their win sparks controversy and rebellion which does not sit well with President Snow (Sutherland). Another competition, known as the "Quarter Quell", is announced that could leave a massive impact on the districts. This competition, which only happens once every twenty-five years, pits Katniss and Peeta against each other again and are now joined by previous winners to leave the last man or woman standing.
Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Sam Claflin, and Jena Malone are all newcomers to the series. Hoffman is always fantastic whenever he plays mysterious and untrustworthy characters. I am already looking forward to his scenes with Sutherland based on this teaser alone. Francis Lawrence takes over the director chair from Gary Ross. His previous films include Water for Elephants and I am Legend. I hated Water for Elephants, but I attest that to the book and not him. I expect huge box office numbers as this opens Thanksgiving weekend which is always a big movie going weekend. I know what I will be doing after stuffing my face with turkey and pie.
EVIL DEAD
Director: Fede Alvarez
Starring: Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci, Jessica Lucas, Elizabeth Blackmore
If you have seen enough horror films, you are well aware of the old plot where five friends go to an abandoned cabin in the woods and all hell breaks loose. With the rise in popularity of zombies, it was about time for a remake of the classic low budget horror fest known as The Evil Dead. Do not be confused as this one drops the "The" and is just Evil Dead. Mia (Levy) is battling a cocaine addiction and her friends Olivia (Lucas) and Eric (Pucci) take her to a cabin in an intervention type escape from her every day life. Low and behold her brother David (Fernandez) and his girlfriend Natalie (Blackmore) arrive as a surprise to Mia. Mia and David do not have the best relationship so that adds some tension to the mix. Oh yes, let us not forget about their dog. Did I mention that they are in the middle of the woods with nothing around?
Late one dark evening, the dog starts sniffing around the carpet in the middle of the room. The guys pull up the rug to find a bloody cellar door. Naturally, they open it and the wafting smell overpowers the room. Eric and David go into the cellar to find numerous dead cat carcasses hanging from the ceiling among other treasures. Eric picks up a package that appears to be wrapped in a black trash bag with barbed wire over it. Inside contains a book covered in human flesh. Upon opening it, Eric reads many messages in red warning him not to continue reading. A plea to not awaken the evil that surrounds them. We wouldn't have a movie if he actually listened and took those to heart. He reads the incantations out loud not knowing he is summoning the demons. Mia struggles with her addiction and her withdrawals send her into a panic attack out into the woods to escape. That demon comes out, rapes, and possesses Mia in a twisted way in an ode to the original film. The possessed Mia makes her way back to the cabin and infects the others.
The tagline on the poster reads "The most terrifying film you will ever experience." I beg to differ. I suppose if gallons upon gallons of blood terrify you, then sure, you will find this movie to be the most terrifying film you will ever experience. We are in a phase with horror movies where torture porn and buckets of blood seem to be a standard. It seems to be the new craze with the likes of the Saw and Hostel movies reaching popularity. Evil Dead may just take the cake on being the most gruesome film I have ever experienced, yet somehow I was bored.
I sat throughout the film being torn and conflicted. I wanted to like it and I felt like I should be raving about it, but I just could not get into it. It has been a few years since I saw the original which I cannot decide if that is a good thing or not. If a horror movie is remade, I want to try to enjoy it on its own merit. One of the main things the movie does have going for it is that it is not a direct remake of the original. The main theme and framework is there, but the characters are different and there are a few twists thrown in. The original film had a ridiculously small budget that provided some good camp and cheese to the special effects. This one has been given money to spend on the make-up and blood effects. Original director Sam Raimi and star Bruce Campbell are two of the producers of the film and specifically chose Fede Alvarez to direct it. Instead of playing into the recipe that has made the original the success and cult following it has, they turned to the modern age of horror films and fit the Evil Dead concept into this era. I can get behind that but I still wanted more. When you have a story that is already far-fetched, you can really play into the dark comedy in the dialogue and in the way people are killed. There were moments of hilarious one-liners and times when the deaths were even more ridiculous and over the top. I loved those moments and wanted the film to continue in that direction. I suppose you could say that each death is over the top in nature but I wanted each one dialed up to 11 or even 12. Limbs are dismembered left and right and a tongue is slit in half, but I still wanted more creativity behind each one.
There are certain deaths from the film industry that have had a lasting impression on me. In 1993, I was only ten years old and I remember being heartbroken by the death of River Phoenix. Six years later, Stanley Kubrick and Gene Siskel died within weeks of each other. I still remember standing in my parents driveway reflecting on both of them at that time. I had just started delving into Kubrick's films and Siskel, along with his partner-in-crime Roger Ebert, were my movie critics. They transformed how I looked at movies and provided me with the knowledge and scope of what movies had to offer beyond the standard child fare or summer blockbuster action flick I would have seen at that age. Siskel left us far too soon. How can you have two thumbs up without Gene? On April 5, 2013, we have come to an end of an era. After battling cancer since 2002, Roger passed away and met Gene up in the balcony again.
I was devastated. Just a few days prior I had read, what would be his last blog post, "Leave of Presence". He announced that his cancer had returned. In true Roger fashion and determination, that setback was not going to stop him. He was going to step back from some of his work and duties but still be a presence and voice to be heard. My brother texted me the day he died saying he was sorry to hear about Ebert. He knows of my history and admiration of the man. I thought he was just learning of the news the cancer had returned. I then had that horrible feeling that it was worse. I went online to find out that one of my biggest inspirations as an amateur movie critic and cinephile had passed away. I gasped and started to cry at my cube at work.
All of these memories started flooding my head of my history of being a loyal, avid fan of Roger's. Saturday nights as a kid were spent watching "Siskel & Ebert at the Movies". If I remember correctly it aired at 6:30pm in the Minneapolis market. I kept a journal of all of their reviews each week. I wrote down which way the thumbs went for each movie they discussed that week. It did not matter what the movie happened to be. It could have been some popular hit or some obscure foreign film I had never heard of, but I wrote it down. I jotted down their top ten best and worst of each year as well as other random notes from the episode. I "taped" them in case I wanted to reference them later. This was way back before DVR or OnDemand existed and I had to put faith in the VCR in hopes it would record properly and not shut off before the recap at the end. My parents are divorced and if I somehow missed an episode when I was staying with my dad, I made sure my mom had the notebook and watched the episodes so she could take notes for me. What a great mom. I did not know any other kids my age who even knew who Siskel and Ebert were, let alone took notes during every episode. I am sure those old notebooks are around my parents' house somewhere. I saw Independence Day opening night and absolutely loved it. Give me a break, I was 13. I remember after the movie I said to myself that if Siskel and Ebert give it two thumbs down I was going to protest and stop watching their show. Sure enough, they gave it two thumbs WAY down. I was appalled. My protest lasted about two weeks and there I was back to journaling and watching each episode.
They were both film critics in the Chicago area which could have caused a huge rivalry. As they continued to work together, their friendship grew stronger and stronger. It was always fun hearing them bicker and argue with each other if they disagreed on a film, especially if one hated it and one loved it. At the end of the day, they never let their egos and opinions about certain films get in the way of their friendship. I really admire that about them. It can be so easy to be jealous or have a rivalry with someone else in your field. As Roger writes in his memoir “Life Itself”, “Gene Siskel and I were like tuning forks. Strike one, and the other would ring at the same frequency.”
Every week I went to his website and read his new reviews. It was something I could always rely on and look forward to. Oh sure, I may not have always agreed with him but I always valued his input and thoughts on a certain movie. He published numerous books over the years and many have their place on my bookshelf devoted to film history and criticism. My Uncle Bob and Aunt Kathy went to a book signing of his in Chicago and got "Roger Ebert's Video Companion 1998 Edition" signed for me. It says, "To Paul, Roger Ebert." I will forever treasure it. Whether they were the year-end movie companions, “Scorsese”, or “Life Itself”, I have picked them up numerous times to reference, find a new movie to watch, or gain some inspiration. One of the many qualities I admired is that he knew how to review each film within context. He knew not to critique Full Metal Jacket and Benji the Hunted on the same scale. His exuberance for movies is evident with each new post. When you watch him banter back and forth with Gene or read any of his articles, you can feel the passion pour into everything he wrote or said.
“No good movie is too long and no bad movie is short enough.” He never came up short on finding some new way to hail or rip apart a movie. You knew exactly why he loved certain movies. He could go on and on about why the movie was a crowning achievement in cinema. His collections in his “The Great Movies” series are reflections on movies that have had a lasting impression on him. I came across his thoughts on E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial in the first book in the series. It was not just a review of the Spielberg classic. It was a love letter to the movie, to Spielberg, and, most importantly, his grandchildren. He wrote them a letter about what it was like watching them experience E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial for the first time. I cannot wait to have those moments with my children and grandchildren. I want to watch their joy and excitement and wonder of watching one of my favorite movies. On the other end of the spectrum, he was not shy about the movies he HATED. Sometimes his reviews of terrible movies are more fun to read than the reviews of good movies. He has published compilations of those reviews as well. One of the more infamous reviews Gene and Roger did together was for the dreadful Elijah Wood/Bruce Willis movie North. Here is a classic Roger quote “I hated this movie. Hated, hated, hated, hated, hated this movie. Hated it. Hated every simpering stupid vacant audience-insulting moment of it. Hated the sensibility that thought anyone would like it. Hated the implied insult to the audience by its belief that anyone would be entertained by it.” I also particularily love this quote from his review of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen “If you want to save yourself the ticket price, go into the kitchen, cue up a male choir singing the music of hell, and get a kid to start banging pots and pans together. Then close your eyes and use your imagination… The movie has been signed by Michael Bay. This is the same man who directed The Rock in 1996. Now he has made Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Faust made a better deal.”
I was so moved while reading “Life Itself”. I considered it a page turner in the way some others consider the latest mystery to be a page turner. Roger not only had a passion for movies but like the title says, “life itself”. As I read it, I was just enamored with his outlook on loving life, his work, his family, and his tenacity to keep working. He never let his cancer get in the way. He easily could have stopped working, stopped reviewing movies, and stepped away when his cancer got worse. When he lost the ability to speak and had his lower jaw removed, he never left. His new appearance was not about to stop him. He was never ashamed or embarrassed and still carried on with interviews and public appearances. In the book, he writes about the “Esquire” article and the full page photo of his face. It was the first time the public really saw him after the surgery. His work in the later years transitioned to a strong presence on his website, blog, and Twitter with traditional reviews, Outguess Ebert contest, and his picks for whatever was streaming on Netflix. I am sure a whole new generation of amateur film critics grew to know and love him via social media in the same way I did by watching "Siskel & Ebert at the Movies".
Over the last few days I have re-read portions of "Life Itself", read some of his older reviews in "The Great Movies", and watched some of those old clips of "Siskel & Ebert at the Movies" on YouTube. It has been a joy to go back and re-watch those vintage jabs Gene and Roger had at each other. I loved reading peoples' comments on Facebook and Twitter about their adoration of him. He resonated with so many people and reading how he changed others lives was so touching to see. His legacy to the film community was one of a kind. He was a movie critic for the people. I would never consider him to be one of those snobby high brow critics that only seemed to like art house pictures. He was one smart, honest, funny, and heartwarming man who shared his passion for film with countless individuals. I strive to be a better writer because of him. His writing was poetic and flowing with thought and emotion. He begged you not to just think of a movie of being either good or bad, but he asked you how it made you feel inside. He wanted you to have a visceral reaction to it. Film criticism will never be the same without him. Luckily for Gene, the two of them are now up in the balcony together again reliving their glory days.
Siskel & Ebert Opening Credits
Siskel & Ebert's INFAMOUS review of North starring Elijah Wood and Bruce Willis
ONLY GOD FORGIVES
Director/Writer: Nicolas Winding Refn
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Kristin Scott Thomas, Vithaya Pansringarm, Tom Burke
One of my favorite films from 2011 was Drive. If you have never seen it, I cannot recommend it enough. It is now available on Netflix Streaming and you can find my 4.5-star review here. It's director, Nicolas Winding Refn, is re-teaming with star Ryan Gosling for Only God Forgives.
Julian (Gosling) owns a Thai boxing club as a cover for his family's drug smuggling operation. His mother (Scott Thomas) arrives and convinces him to find and kill the person who is responsible for the death of his brother. There is not a lot of plot explained in the trailer, but it sure gives off the style and tone of the film. The beautiful and insanely talented Kristen Scott Thomas has joined them
for what looks to be another exquisite, gritty, dark, violent, and
bloody trip.
From the trailer: "When I was pregnant with you. It was strange. You were different. They wanted me to terminate, but I wouldn't. I don't understand you, and I never will."
THE SILENCE (Das letzte Schweigen)
Director: Baran bo Odar
Starring: Ulrich Thomsen, Wotan Wilke Möhring, Katrin Sass, Sebastian Blomberg
I am a sucker for a good crime story that has some mystery and suspense, and more importantly, brains behind it. I am right there trying to solve it along the way. As two men drive around on a hot summer day, they see an innocent girl biking alone near a field. When you see Peer (Thomsen) and Timo (Möhring) put the car in reverse and go after the girl, you know what it will come next. Peer rapes and accidentally kills the girl as Timo waits in the passenger seat. Peer wraps the body and dumps it in the lake and they proceed to carry on with the rest of their day. Timo seems to be shaken and disturbed by the event.
Twenty-three years pass and the crime was never solved. The girl's body was never found and the police never caught the killer. A cross with the name "Pia" still stands at the sight as a memorial. Pia's mother (Sass) replaces the flowers on a consistent basis. On the anniversary of Pia's death, another girl goes missing from the exact same location and the crime appears to be a copycat of the original crime. Both cases are now being investigated in hopes to find the killers. Timo has not been able to fully move on since he was an accomplice to Pia's death. He had changed his name, got married, and has two children. The news of another girl being killed sends him over the edge.
Ever since The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy, European thrillers are becoming more popular. Too many American crime stories are all shock with hokey twists and turns. All games and gimmicks trying to be different. I have seen enough of those types of movies to know the ending during the first act. What I appreciate about The Silence is the style and realistic, believable approach they took with the story. There is still the mystery of who killed Sinikka, the second girl, but the focus is on the character study. We delve into the lives of these characters and how they have been affected by a tragic crime. Between the investigators, Pia's mother, and the family of the newly missing girl, you witness a variety of responses and reactions on how people deal and cope with two traumatic crimes that have and will forever affect their lives. The remorse and build up inside of Timo is coming to head as he has to deal with his past and how it could drastically affect his family. Meanwhile, Peer still lives in town and is a care taker for an apartment complex. The residents seem to think of him as a nice guy but have no idea of his past and current hobbies.
Spring tends to be the time of year when clunker after clunker is released. It is refreshing to see something different. If you don't mind reading subtitles, this German thriller should not be overlooked for some 3D action flick or some dopey comedy. The movie is beautifully shot with with many aerial shots of the town which reminded me of the opening of The Shining. There are some darker, more disturbing moments but it is never too gruesome or exploitative. Like any good mystery, it will keep you talking and discussing the film afterwards. It may not be at the top of your "to-see" list but you will not be disappointed in trying something new if you do see it.
In a perfect world I could get paid for writing movie reviews and consider it my full time career along with some acting gigs on stage or on camera. That is not happening right now, so I have your standard full time job sitting in a cube all day. I have had the pleasure of being the movie critic and guest columnist for my work department newsletter for the past year. I have not typically added them to the blog, but I am going to start with this one. For the April Fool's Day issue of the newsletter, I wanted to look back at some of the movies people consider to be the worst of the worst. Here is the article:
In the last issue of The LSO Voice, I shared my love of The Oscars which celebrate the best of the past year in movies. For this special edition of The LSO Voice, let’s look back at some of the WORST MOVIES EVER! We all have definitions of a bad movie. Is it a movie you walked out on? Is it a movie so bad that it is good? What movies are just plain terrible in every regard? Do you find yourself hating a movie that everyone else seems to love? Let’s break it down…
THE RAZZIE AWARDS
Did you know that there are awards each year for the worst movies of the past year? The Golden Raspberry Awards are doled out around the same time as the Oscars. Some of the nominees even go so far as to show up and accept their Razzie Award. The same year Sandra Bullock won an Oscar for The Blind Side, she proudly showed up to win the Razzie for Worst Actress for her bomb All About Steve.
Here are Some of the Winner’s from the 2013 Razzie Awards:
Worst Picture: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn-Part 2
Worst Director: Bill Condon-The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2
Worst Actress: Kristen Stewart-Snow White and the Huntsman, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn-Part 2
Worst Actor: Adam Sandler-That’s My Boy
Worst Supporting Actor: Taylor Lautner-The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn-Part 2
Worst Supporting Actress: Rihanna- Battleship
Worst Screenplay: That’s My Boy
CULT CLASSICS
There are certain movies out there that many consider to be wretchedly bad while other people consider them cult classics. They may even defend the movie for actually being good and leaving an impression on film history. I actually enjoy a few of these titles. You can be sure to find some of these playing as the midnight movie at the Uptown or Lagoon Theaters. Such iconic films include:
1. Showgirls
2. Pink Flamingos
3. Mommie Dearest
4. Plan 9 From Outer Space
5. The Room
WORST OF THE WORST
Then there are movies that are just AWFUL.AWFUL..AWFUL… No matter how you look at it. Truth be told, I actually refuse to see these. I’m going by word of mouth on how stupid they happen to be.
1. Battlefield Earth—One of John Travolta’s many travesties
2. Gigli—Oh, Bennifer.
3. Jaws: The Revenge—Is this really necessary?
4. Norbit—See my note from #1 and replace John Travolta with Eddie Murphy
5. Jack & Jill—Poor Katie Holmes. Still “married” to Tom Cruise at the time.
ADMISSION
Director: Paul Weitz
Starring: Tina Fey, Paul Rudd, Lily Tomlin, Wallace Shawn, Gloria Reuben, Michael Sheen
"Just be yourself" seems to be the motto of Portia Nathan (Fey). Portia is an admissions officer at Princeton University and that is her pitch and words of advice to all of the incoming prospects who are desperate to get in. Portia's life seems to be a bit in shambles. Her boyfriend, Mark (Sheen), has left her with no notice for a snooty Virginia Woolf scholar. She is battling her coworker (Reuben) for a promotion after her boss (Shawn) announces his pending retirement. On top of that, her relationship with her mother, Susannah (Tomlin), is not the greatest.
During one of her recruiting trips, she pays a visit to New Quest School. New Quest is pretty non-traditional in every sense of the word. It seems to be in the middle of the woods like a summer camp. There should be no surprise when the GPS in Portia's car loses signal before she arrives on site. There she reconnects with John Pressman (Rudd) a former classmate who now runs New Quest. He presents to her Jeremiah, one of his most gift students who would like to attend Princeton. John believes that Jeremiah may be the child that Portia had in school but gave up for adoption.
Does the story seem kind of ho-hum so far? Admission is another example of the kind of movie where the actors make the movie what it is and are the only reason to see it. There is really nothing all that special about the story. The plot is weak and wanders all around the troubles of Portia's life. When you think of Fey and Rudd, you expect lots of quirky moments and good laughs along the way. The script is not all that funny. I was surprised to find it to be more of a dramedy that your standard witty comedy those two are typically associated with doing. I have been a fan of both of them for years and years and applaud them for trying something a little different. It may surprise you to find out that this is their first project together. They are both strong enough actors and have great chemistry together that they keep you moderately interested despite the many flaws with the film. Tomlin and Shawn are comedic veterans so it is always a treat seeing them on screen. If you are a fan of Fey, Rudd, or Tomlin you will enjoy the movie but do not be surprised if you come out wanting more.
WRECK-IT RALPH
Director: Rich Moore
Starring the Voices of: John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jane Lynch, Jack McBrayer
"Fix-It Felix, Jr." is a popular arcade game celebrating its 30th anniversary. The classic villain of the game is Wreck-It Ralph (Reilly) who must destroy a building before its hero and main character Fix-It Felix (McBrayer) has a chance to fix the wreckage. When the doors of the arcade close at the end of the day, these characters and worlds come alive. They can go in and out of their games through the Game Central Station as long as they are back to their game when the arcade doors open. A child could easily tell if one of the characters has gone missing from the game.
After thirty years, Ralph is feeling depressed as he is always the villain. He attends Bad-Anon meetings with other villains to work out his feelings. He comes back to the game to find all of the characters are having an anniversary party, but he was not invited. He goes up to the party and Felix sympathizes with him and lets him in. Ralph gets angry when he sees a Ralph figurine is left at the bottom of the cake while everyone else is on the top of the cake. He notices the Felix figurine has a medal and does not understand why he cannot have a medal. Mayhem and a big mess ensue when Ralph throws a tantrum.
Ralph learns that he can win a medal by winning the shooting game, "Hero’s Duty". He encounters Sargent Calhoun (Lynch), the heavy-duty, tough-as-nails leader of the game. Ralph quickly gets his medal but a bot stuck to his escape pod forces him out of the game and subsequently sends him crashing into the racing game, "Sugar Rush Speedway". In this saccharine new world Ralph meets Vanellope von Schweetz(Silverman) hanging off a candy tree. She is a spunky little girl that has felt neglected by the other characters of Sugar Rush as they feel she is not as cool as them as she is only a glitch. All she wants to do is drive a race car like all of the other girls. She snatches the medal from Ralph and uses it to enter the race. Ralph’s desperate attempt to get his medal back opens his eyes to realize that the world of "Sugar Rush Speedway" may not be the cheery and exciting game it is from the outside. He and Vanellope may have more in common than he thought.
The Disney animation studios have really hit it out of the ballpark again with one of their best animated movies in the last decade. The attention and thought put into all of the intricate detail is astonishing. It seems apparent that each world of each video game was thoroughly conceptualized and designed as to not leave any loopholes for any avid gamer to notice. The transitions between the "real" world and the world inside of the game are flawless and cleverly morphed together. The design is so rich in each of the games that it would take multiple viewings to notice all of the subtle choices and references to past video game characters or the kinds of sweet treats that make up "Sugar Rush Speedway". The animators took great care and detail to appropriately design some of the characters movements to match the style of that game or time period. Some characters seem a bit more pixelated and move around a bit more robotic if they are from older games.
The script is witty with constant laughs appropriate for younger and older audiences without ever feeling dumbed down and cheap. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the characters were given background stories and dimensions, especially for supporting characters like Vanellope and Calhoun. All too often supporting characters tend to be the dopey or sassy sidekick who annoys the main character. The voice work done by Reilly and Silverman, in particular, stays grounded and relatable and never borders obnoxious kid-movie tendencies. If you ever played in an arcade when you were younger, you are bound to be flooded with memories as characters show up throughout the movie. The Bad-Anon scene is a stitch! If you are not a gamer, do not feel like you are being left out of the game. It is still plenty enjoyable for us non-gaming folks. I do not consider myself a gamer in my adult life, but I was fascinated and enraptured by the visuals created to bring these games to life. If you are a gamer, you will love it even more as it honors the arcade world.
OZ, THE GREAT AND POWERFUL
Director: Sam Raimi
Starring: James Franco, Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams, Rachel Weisz, Zach Braff
Disney's latest 3D CGI explosion takes a look into the land of Oz before Dorothy left her mark in the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz. The classic film means the world to me as I have many fond memories involving that movie. I love seeing new interpretations of the story, but at the same time maybe I am too judgmental of them. Oz, The Great and Powerful takes on the story of the Wizard and how he came to the land called Oz. Oscar "Oz" Diggs is a struggling magician in a small carnival circuit. His trustee sidekick Frank (Braff) is always there to assist him with his illusions. He is revealed to be a fraud when he cannot cure a wheelchair bound girl (Joey King) who cannot walk. That same day Annie (Williams), the woman he loves, breaks the news to him that she is choosing to be with another man, John Gale. A storm approaches and Oscar takes off in his hot air balloon as a circus strongman comes after him. Oscar gets sucked into a twister and makes a promise to God that he will become a good man if he survives.
Oscar's world of black and white turns into technicolor as he lands in the magical colorful world of Oz. The witch Theodora (Kunis) approaches him and informs Oscar that he is the great Oz that is destined to save the land of Oz and become king. The Wicked Witch killed Theodora's father who was the previous king of Oz. Theodora and Oscar travel to the Emerald City where Thedora's sister Evanora (Weisz) stands guard over the throne awaiting the new king. Evanora tells Oscar he must find the Wicked Witch and break her wand in order to destroy the curse. Oscar sets outs to find the Wicked Witch and along the way joins forces with Glinda the Good Witch (Willims), a porcelain China Girl (voice of King), and Finley the Flying Monkey (voice of Braff).
I have a love/hate relationship with movies that fully rely on CGI effects to carry the movie. If done well like The Lord of the Rings trilogy or Life of Pi, the worlds and special effects come alive and seem all the more realistic. On the other end of the spectrum lies movies like Alice in Wonderland and The Mummy movies. For me, these movies seem fake from the first frame. Unfortunately, Oz, The Great and Powerful falls under the second category. Back in 1939, there was no CGI to make Oz or the Emerald City. There is a magic, mystery, and wonder that comes along with having real sets and effects. All of that seems to be lost when you feel like you know the actors are just standing in front of a green screen. For a movie that is supposed to be about a magical wizard, that magic and illusion seemed to be missing just like it was with the character.
Speaking of something missing from the character, one of the biggest misfires that really hinders the film is the casting. James Franco seems to be way out of his element here. He can be a fine actor, but he cannot get passed the dazed stoner quality he always has upon his face. Franco was Raimi’s third choice after Robert Downey, Jr. dropped out and Johnny Depp passed on it. The idea and thought behind Mila Kunis’ casting seems appropriate but she seems to falter at times as well. Weisz and Williams give good performances for the material they were given. I think with a better script they easily could have given bigger and richer performances. Two of my favorite actors in the film happen to be the voice work done by Zach Braff and Joey King. I do not know if Finley or the China Doll appear in the L. Frank Baum books, so it is easier to enjoy their performances when you are not constantly reminded of other actors' portrayals.
The movie does have some redeeming qualities. Even though Warner Bros has a tight hold on anything related to The Wizard of Oz, there are enough references and nods to that story that are enjoyable. Could John Gale be the potential father of Dorothy Gale? With Evanora and Theodora being sisters could one of them have a house fall on them in an upcoming sequel? Glinda still travels around at times in a bubble. There are ferocious flying monkeys. I loved the transition between black and white to color. It evokes the same feeling as it did in The Wizard of Oz regarding the realities of both worlds. Even though I generally found the look of the film to be too CGI fakey, there were moments of stunning visuals. The 3D helps bring those moments out. The movie had all the right ingredients: Sam Raimi, screenplay by playwright David Lindsay-Abaire, Danny Elfman score, and great actors, but the end product turned out to be a huge mess. That is the disappointing part about it. I know many people that will love this movie, and I wish I was one of them. I am not giving much away by saying that the ending sets up for a sequel. I hope the follow-up will be a little darker and more realistic looking. Let’s actually build some sets and models for the next one!
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
Director: Joss Whedon
Starring: Amy Acker as Beatrice
Alexis Denisof as Benedick
Nathan Fillion as Dogberry
Clark Gregg as Leonato
Reed Diamond as Don Pedro
Fran Kranz as Claudio
Sean Maher as Don John
Spencer Treat Clark as Borachio
Riki Lindhome as Conrade
Ashley Johnson as Margaret
Emma Bates as Ursula
Tom Lenk as Verges
Nick Kocher as First Watchman
Joss Whedon fans are rejoicing at the release of his latest work. The Whedonites are a strong group of devout followers. I have being getting on the Whedon bandwagon lately with his work on The Cabin in the Woods and Marvel's The Avengers, two of my favorite films of 2012. This time Joss and his fellow company of actors bring us a new adaptation of William Shakespeare's play "Much Ado About Nothing". Whedon and his cast and crew shot the movie very discreetly back in 2011 at his house over a brief time. The film had its first premiere at the Toronto Film Festival last year and will make it's U.S. premiere at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival in March. Being a big Shakespeare fan, I get a little leery with film adaptations. In this case, I trust Joss and love the black and white look of the film. What are your first impressions?
