DEAR READERS

DEAR READERS

The In Memoriam segment of the Oscars is always a tough part to watch as we say goodbye to those that have touched us in some way. This year's piece was especially sad as one of my idols, Roger Ebert, was included. I wrote about him last year soon after he passed away. They also paid tribute to the hilarious Harold "Don't cross the streams" Ramis and the extremely gifted Philip Seymour Hoffman. I wanted to spend a little time looking back at these two gentlemen and their fine work.

PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN (1967-2014)

If I remember correctly, my first encounter with Philip Seymour Hoffman was when he had a supporting role as Scotty J. in Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights. There was something mesmerizing about watching him take this minor role and making it so memorable. Many of my favorite Hoffman performances have been in Paul Thomas Anderson films including Magnolia and The Master. In high school, my friend Jenny and I had many trips to the movies together. Two of my favorite movies I saw with her happen to be The Talented Mr. Ripley and Almost Famous where Hoffman, yet again, played minor characters that leave that ingrained impression in your head. I always associated Hoffman with John C. Reilly as they worked together quite a few times. They both appeared in the Broadway revival of Sam Shepard's True West switching roles each night. I would have died to have seen that production. While Reilly's career has veered into more mainstream comedies, I always admired Hoffman's choices. He was a four time Oscar nominee for his work in Doubt, Charlie Wilson's War, The Master, and Capote, for which he won the Best Actor award. Those four diverse roles are prime examples of the masterful work Hoffman was known for tackling. There was always an intensity and mysterious quality Hoffman brought to each of his characters. As an actor myself, he is someone that I never get sick of watching as there is always another layer to his work to discover and learn from.

There are so many characters and performances to showcase, but these were the first four that instantly came to my mind when I think about his work.

2012's The Master- Lancaster Dodd



2005's Capote- Truman Capote



1999's Magnolia- Phil Pharma



1997's Boogie Nights- Scotty J.



HAROLD RAMIS (1944-2014)

Many people may be surprised to hear that National Lampoon's Animal House and Caddyshack are two of my favorite comedies. They are two of my go-to late night movies if I can't fall asleep. As a matter of fact, Caddyshack was one of the inflight movies I chose on my flight home from Paris. The man who penned both of those films is Harold Ramis. Audiences probably know him best as an actor in Stripes and as Dr. Egon Spengler in Ghostbusters. Ramis was also found behind the camera directing Analyze This, National Lampoon's Vacation, and Groundhog Day. He was a man of many talents, and while some of his newer comedies were not as great, these three will always be revisited in my house.

1984's Ghostbusters- Actor: Dr. Egon Spengler



1980's Caddyshack- Director/Writer



1978's National Lampoon's Animal House- Writer



It's time for your input. I'd love to hear what Philip Seymour Hoffman performances have left their mark on you or what Harold Ramis films do you always find yourself laughing at every time you pop them in the DVD/Blu-Ray player.

Thanks for reading,
PAUL

Movie Trailer: ANNIE

ANNIE
Director: Will Gluck
Starring: Quvenzhané Wallis, Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz, Rose Byrne, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Bobby Cannavale

One of the movies I remember watching as a child was the 1982 film adaptation of the musical Annie. It starred Aileen Quinn as the red haired title character, Albert Finney as Daddy Warbucks, the legendary Carol Burnett as Miss Hannigan, plus Tim Curry and Bernadette Peters. Trepidation took over when it was announced that their would be a remake. There was already a television version a few years ago with Kathy Bates as Miss Hannigan. You really can't top the 1982 film version, so why are we bothering with another remake?

After her Oscar nomination for Beasts of the Southern Wild, it was announced that Quvenzhané Wallis was cast as Annie with Jamie Foxx taking on Daddy Warbucks. I was slightly on board with this concept as I thought it could have potential. Casting updates came with the news that Cameron Diaz would step aboard the coveted role as Miss Hannigan. What? How did that happen? When people were mulling over who could fill Carol Burnett's shoes, how did Cameron Diaz come to mind? A press photo was released of Diaz in character and something did not look right. She still looked like Cameron Diaz. Where was the Miss Hannigan I know? Nothing about Diaz's look screamed Miss Hannigan.

The trailer has been released and my initial negative reaction has now been cemented in place. The first time I watched the trailer, I was left speechless. Was this a joke? I can get behind trying to take a fresh take on the story, but it does not seem to work here. Everything about this trailer feels so wrong. The original story is set in 1933, and director Will Gluck has decided to have this version set in the current modern day. There is no Daddy Warbucks here as Jamie Foxx plays a politician named Will Stacks. I don't even know where to begin when it comes to Cameron Diaz. She seems so miscast here that it looks painful for her. It should also be noted that Jay-Z and Will Smith serve as producers. This boasts a Christmas time release with the movie version of the Stephen Sondheim musical Into the Woods coming a week later. Thank God as that will hopefully triumph and leave this in the dust.

RELEASE DATE: December 19, 2014

Here's the trailer:

Movie Review: NON-STOP

NON-STOP
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Starring: Liam Neeson, Julianne Moore, Michelle Dockery, Scoot McNairy, Corey Stoll, Lupita Nyong'o

Just look at that movie poster. It's got Liam Neeson flying through the air, gun in hand, and the oxygen masks have been deployed. You know all hell has broken loose on that flight. Let's go back a bit. Federal Air Marshal Bill Marks (Neeson) is boarding a non-stop flight to London and comes in contact with numerous passengers on his way to board. He keeps a close eye on them giving them a full body mental scan as he encounters them in the bathroom or at the gate. He is naturally skeptical about all of them and we are all supposed to believe they are shady and untrustworthy. Isn’t everyone that boards a plane up to no good? He runs into the Amsterdam bound Tom Bowen (McNairy) who seems kind of nerdy. Frequent traveler Jen Summers (Moore) is determined to have a window seat and will switch with anyone to make that happen.

The flight takes off without a hitch, but it is not long before Marks starts receiving threatening text messages over the secured network. The texts demand that $150 million be transferred to an unknown account. If that doesn’t happen within twenty minutes, someone aboard the plane will die and the deaths will continue every twenty minutes until the money has been transferred. Marks is the diligent type that takes every threat serious no matter what the other air marshal on board or the TSA have to say about it. The situation grows even more precarious for Marks once he is informed that the bank account is registered under his name. Our hero has now turned into American’s most wanted once the media get wind of the situation.

Alright, folks, let’s have a Come to Jesus moment here. It’s early March and we are just getting over all of the heavy Oscar material. What is better than a no-brainer action flick that you can have fun with?!?! What else do you expect from a movie called Non-Stop? It’s clearly taking naming lessons from Speed and Taken. I mean, come on! These are super original titles. If you go into the latest Liam Neeson action thriller looking for something original that will change your life, you will only come out disappointed. Again, I remind you, it’s called NON-STOP. You have to go in expecting it to be somewhat ludicrous. You have to suspend your belief that everything is going to make perfect sense and that rules of logic and practicality are going to be thrown out the window.

When you take all of that into consideration, the film completely delivers on what it sets out to do. Director Jaume Collet-Serra (Orphan, Unknown) knows exactly the kind of movie he is making. Of course there are going to be a few 180 degree camera slow-motion camera tricks. We also get that classic shot where a gun is thrown into the air in slow motion with Liam Neeson grabbing it at just the right angle to fire off a shot. The film boasts three screenwriters who all have minimal credits to their name on IMDb. They include some little twists and turns to try to keep Marks and the rest of the audience off guard as he tries to figure out who the terrorist could be. They write the majority of the supporting characters with enough shady discord that anyone could be a suspect along the way. Thank God Lupita Nyong'o (Oscar winner for 12 Years a Slave) and Michelle Dockery ("Downtown Abbey's" Lady Mary!) are left as innocent flight attendants just trying to help out. There are some campy lines of dialogue along the way that induce a bit of laughter, but Neeson, Moore, and crew keep their acting in check without ever reaching the Nicolas Cage level of over-the-top-it's-the-end-of-the-world style acting.

Liam Neeson has been working NON-STOP these past few years especially in these action films like Taken, Taken 2, and Unknown. He's also had supporting work in The Dark Knight trilogy, the Clash of the Titans movies, The Grey, and The Lego Movie. His career has taken a very different turn compared to the roles he was playing when he first made his mark on the big screen. Some of his choices may not always work out in his favor like Battleship or The A-Team, but I give him credit for working in a variety of genres and series while only hitting a few roadblocks along the way. Non-Stop is by no means an original masterpiece of creative twists and turns, but it knows that. Again, I remind you that it's called Non-Stop. Do I punish a movie for not elevating itself to some other higher loftier standard? In this case, I do not. It sets out to be an entertaining fun ride. Mission accomplished. In fact, it makes me want to go out and watch some of those other Neeson action flicks.

Is it worth your trip to the movies?  Yes, especially if you are in the mood for a no-brainer action flick to take your mind off things

RATING: ***1/2 (3.5 out of 5 stars)

THE 86th ACADEMY AWARD WINNERS

THE 86th ACADEMY AWARD WINNERS

BEST PICTURE

12 YEARS A SLAVE

BEST DIRECTOR

Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity

BEST ACTOR

Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club

BEST ACTRESS

Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

The Great Beauty, Italy

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

John Ridley, 12 Years a Slave

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Spike Jonze, Her

BEST ANIMATED FILM

Frozen

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Catherine Martin and Beverly Dunn, The Great Gatsby

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Emmanuel Lubezki, Gravity

BEST SOUND MIXING

Skip Lievsay, Niv Adiri, Christopher Benstead, and Chris Munro, Gravity

BEST SOUND EDITING

Glenn Freemantle, Gravity

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Steven Price, Gravity

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

"Let It Go", Frozen

Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Catherine Martin, The Great Gatsby

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

20 Feet from Stardom

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT

The Lady In Number 6: Music Saved My Life

BEST FILM EDITING

Alfonso Cuarón, Mark Sanger, Gravity

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

Adruitha Lee, Robin Mathews, Dallas Buyers Club

BEST ANIMATED SHORT

Mr. Hublot

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT

Helium

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Timothy Webber, Chris Lawrence, David Shirk, and Neil Corbould, Gravity

I don't think there were too many surprises from last night. My final outcome on predictions was 19 out of 24, which wasn't too bad. I should have stuck to my initial guesses on Best Picture and Best Costume Design, but I thought I would throw out some surprises. 20 Feet from Stardom took the award home for Best Documentary when many thought The Act of Killing had it in the bag. Ellen Degeneres completely nailed the opening monologue and brought an informal approach to her hosting duties, often times delivering bits from the audience. The selfie that broke Twitter was a fantastic idea and takes a bit of the stuffiness out of the room. I'm sure there will be some curmudgeons that will balk at her casual ways, but I found it entertaining. I will say that some of the bits took too long. The Oscars are always far longer than they need to be. I read many negative comments regarding some of the performances. I really enjoyed Bette Midler, Pink, and Idina Menzel. My biggest beef of the evening came with one of their presenters. Can I just throw it out there that John Travolta should not present again? Why does he always have to present one of the Best Song nominees? He completely butchered Idina Menzel's name. Don't they have rehearsals and pronunciation cards or something to ensure names are pronounced correctly? Travolta and his hair piece were two of the lowest moments of the evening. Some highlights of the evening include Jared Leto, Lupita Nyong'o and Cate Blachett who had wonderful and inspiring speeches. While Gravity took home the most with seven wins, 12 Years a Slave took home the final award for Best Picture.

Movie Rewind: THE SQUARE (2013)

THE SQUARE (2013)
Director: Jehane Noujaim
Starring:Khalid Abdalla,Ahmed Hassan,Magdy Ashour

I must say, I am really learning a lot about current events after watching some of this year’s Oscar nominees for Best Documentary. First Dirty Wars and now The Square which brings us right into the forefront of what has been all over the headlines in the past few years. You’re supposed to learn about the news through movies, right? What a splendid idea as I am not up to date on what has been happening on CNN or what’s printed in my local paper. In 2011, a revolution was starting in Cairo, Egypt to overthrow President Mubarak from power. Local citizens flocked to Tahrir Square in the heart of the city for protests, demonstrations, and sit-ins for their voice to be heard. The people came together as one unit without any division of religion in order to obtain freedom from the regime. On February 11, 2011, fireworks went off as the people won their fight when President Mubarak stepped down as their leader.

Unfortunately for them, that was only the first step in a struggle spanning the years since Mubarak left. Despite leaving power, his regime was still in place and the Armed Forces took over without any chance of change occurring. The same revolutionaries marched back into Tahrir Square knowing their work was long from over. Thousands of protestors were arrested and put on trial. One woman states, “The army consistently lied, tortured us.” Even after President Morsi took power, the situation only grew worse. The number of citizens demanding change went from the first few hundreds in the Square at the beginning toward the millions that marched on the one year anniversary of President Morsi’s win.

Director Jehane Noujaim is an Egyptian American herself and brings an inside look at what is happening in the country where she was raised. She interviews six revolutionaries, including actor Khalid Abdalla (The Kite Runner, United 93), young storyteller Ahmed Hassan, and singer/songwriter Ramy Essam and follows their journeys and fights for freedom against Egyptian rule. Noujaim offers a frontline view taking the audience deep into the action as she shoots the majority of footage inside the middle of Tahrir Square. There are some horrific images as people are left injured and even dead after the their own police and army stepped in and turned it into a war. On the contrary, the aerial shots of the swarms of people gathered in the streets are jaw-dropping and inspiring to see that sort of drive, ambition, and sense of community. It should be noted that the majority of the film is in the native language of Egyptian Arabic with English subtitles shown below.

According to Ahmed, there was injustice and indignity and no hope for a better future. When you watch the cable news programs covering events like this, you don't always get that personal connection. You typically get an outsider's perspective looking in and reporting from afar. Noujaim's probing look and personal accounts with her subjects are thought provoking and insightful as you are in the middle of the action yourself. I would not consider this my favorite of the four nominees I have seen as 20 Feet from Stardom still holds that title. Each one has been enlightening and is a testimony to the strength of this genre. Sometimes you watch a documentary and you just feel pelted and beaten over the head with the same point being driven home over and over again. I'm looking at you, Food, Inc.. Luckily the four nominees I have covered so far offer us a variety of topics in an insightful manner with food for thought to ponder over for days to come afterward. Who knows, maybe I will start to pay more attention to the news to keep abreast of these situations. I should probably expand my focus past the pop culture section.

Is it worth your trip to the movies? YES.

RATING: **** (4 out of 5 stars)

Movie Rewind: 20 FEET FROM STARDOM (2013)

20 FEET FROM STARDOM (2013)
Director: Morgan Neville
Starring: Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Judith Hill, Tata Vega, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Mick Jagger, Bette Midler

When you were watching a talk show or attending a recent concert, you may you have noticed the three or four singers standing in the background swaying or dancing along while singing the “oohs”, “aaahs”, or part of the vocal line. It may look easy, which is why it is unfortunate that most people probably take back-up singers for granted. When you start to think about it, some of the best songs ever recorded have background vocals. Sometimes they take a simple song and elevate it to a whole new level. In his new film 20 Feet from Stardom, documentarian Morgan Neville takes a look at the history and art of what it means to be a back-up singer.

The film follows the careers of Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Táta Vega, Lisa Fischer, The Waters Family, and Judith Hill who have all made their careers by lending their powerhouse voices to some of the greatest performers in the industry including Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Luther Vandross, Stevie Wonder, Mick Jagger, Better Midler, just to name a few. It is great to see some of these well-known legends discuss the importance of background vocals to their work and how vital these artists are to the industry. It should come as no surprise that many of these artists come from a history of singing in their church when they were younger. A few of them mention being the pastor or minister’s daughter and learning how to blend and harmonize as part of the church choir. Bruce Springsteen states, “They bring a world with them.”

In the very early years, background singers merely sang what was written on the page. This idea shifted around the time of The Blossoms when singers like Darlene Love started adding guts and a playful attitude to the music. There is a fascinating story about how Phil Spector used Darlene and The Blossoms as lead vocals on a few songs like “He’s a Rebel”, but it was credited under The Crystals without any acknowledgment that it was Love’s voice that was front and center. She could only tolerate those “ghost recordings” for so long despite Spector’s demands. The film also highlights the fact that the music industry is not a fair or just business. Just because you have talent doesn’t mean you will automatically get a record deal or have huge success. Lisa Fischer was perfectly happy remaining a back-up singer. She has been working for decades and states, “Singing is about sharing, it’s not a competition.” She had a passion for singing and had no interest in becoming famous. Some of the other women have different opinions and envisioned their careers taking a different spin once they were offered a solo recording contract.

Even if you are not the biggest fan of this style of music, it would be hard not to acknowledge and appreciate the vital impact these singers have had on the music industry. The film serves as a celebration of music and shines a light by putting a name and face to so many voices we may have heard but did not know their story and history. It also charts the evolution of using background vocals in the music industry and where the need for that sound came from. As the film points out, it is a shame that this need started to die down in the ‘90s. As technology shifted, producers could mix and reshape the sound without needing to pay all of these vocalists for their work.

20 Feet from Stardom is one of the five nominees for Best Documentary for the 86th Academy Awards. This was the fourth film I watched, and by far my favorite. Some of the other nominees cover such heavy material, and this documentary proves that films in this genre don’t need to be these groundbreaking, earth shattering pieces trying to uncover some hidden truth or conspiracy. I am kicking myself that I never took the opportunity to see it in theaters. The music is so rich and vibrant that you can't help but start singing along when you recognize one of the classic tunes mentioned.

Is it worth your trip to the movies? Yes. You will most likely find yourself singing along with these ladies.

RATING: **** 1/2 (4.5 out of 5 stars)

AND THE OSCAR FOR BEST ORIGINAL SONG GOES TO...

AND THE OSCAR FOR BEST ORIGINAL SONG GOES TO...

Here are the nominees for best original song from a motion picture.

"Happy" from DESPICABLE ME 2
Music and Lyric by Pharrell Williams
performed by: Pharrell



"Let It Go" from FROZEN
Music and Lyric by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
performed by: Idina Menzel



"The Moon Song" from HER
Music by Karen O
Lyric by Karen O and Spike Jonze
Performed by: Karen O



"Ordinary Love" from MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM
Music by Paul Hewson, Dave Evans, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen
Lyric by Paul Hewson
performed by: U2



You may notice that this category is one nominee short of its usual five nominees. When the nominations were announced, heads turned in disbelief when "Alone Yet Not Alone" from the film of same name was nominated. Most people had never heard of this song or movie due to an extremely limited release, so how did it stand out and get nominated? The Academy decided to disqualify the song and pull the nomination after finding that composer Bruce Broughton, who is a current member of the music branch, emailed and promoted the song to voters outside of the rules and regulations regarding campaigning for a nomination.

Which one of these four great songs will win? My vote is going toward "Let It Go" from Frozen. The movie was a massive hit for Disney and the song has had just as big of an impact as the movie did. There are countless YouTube videos and Buzzfeed pages devoted to it with many young fans singing their versions of it. I am so happy to hear that powerhouse Idina Menzel will sing it live during the ceremony. I think the only song that could come in its way is "Ordinary Love" by U2. They are gaining a little momentum after their Golden Globe win and acoustic performance on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon".

Who would you like to win? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section below!

DEAR READERS

DEAR READERS,

This weekend brings a few more releases that you may find a bit lackluster. I was not able to attending any screenings of 3 Days to Kill starring Kevin Costner or Pompeii starring "Game of Thrones" hunk Kit Harington, so I cannot report whether they are worth your time, effort, and hard earned money. The Oscars are less than 10 days away, so it is time to get scrambling if you are feeling behind. There are some documentaries and foreign films I still need to check out. Check back for reviews of those to come soon! If you are feeling behind, I would like to recommend the AMC Best Picture Showcase. I am in no way affiliated with AMC, so this is basically free marketing for them. I can only attest for the numerous times I have gone to the all day marathon.

AMC presents all nine best picture nominees shown over two Saturdays or, if you are up for it, a 24 hour marathon blitz. As you may recall from my reviews or my Oscar Watch 2014 page, I have already seen all nine nominees. You may be wondering why I would spend two full Saturdays hunkering into a plush movie theater seat for nine movies I have already seen. It should come as no surprise that I love watching movies over and over again. Truth be told, this will be my third time seeing Nebraska and American Hustle. When films are this good, there is usually something different I take away with each viewing. Maybe I watch a different actor or focus on the script or the cinematography. The idea behind seeing them back to back really let's you put them into perspective. Which film really does stand out as the Best Picture of the Year? If I had seen them before, which holds up on its second viewing? Which gets better with age? I have a feeling I will enjoy The Wolf of Wall Street even more this time around. If you are an AMC Stubs member, you get $5 Stubs bucks per day on your member card to use at the concession stand. Mini breaks are offered in between each movie with trivia and prizes and a longer dinner break occurs later in the day. Plus, you get a nifty collectible lanyard.

Here's the rundown of each day:

Saturday, February 22
Philomena
Dallas Buyers Club
The Wolf of Wall Street
12 Years a Slave

Saturday, March 1
Nebraska
Captain Phillips
Her
American Hustle
Gravity

I am thrilled to have a group of friends join us this year. I plan on live tweeting throughout so check my Twitter page for my random thoughts throughout the marathon. I should preface with the fact that it all depends on if Sprint and my iPhone will cooperate with me at the theater. The last time I was there, I could not get a darn internet connection to save my soul! FIRST WORLD PROBLEM, I KNOW!  Here's to a fun couple of Oscar filled Saturdays coming up!

Thanks for reading,
PAUL

Movie Review: ROBOCOP

ROBOCOP
Director: José Padilha
Starring: Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Abbie Cornish, Michael K. Williams, Jennifer Ehle, Jay Baruchel, Samuel L. Jackson, Jackie Earl Haley

Valentine's Day weekend brought us three remakes of '80s films. Three? Really? Yes, I kid you not.  Apparently we are void of any original love stories to be told for that special day. I vaguely recall seeing the original 1987 Paul Verhoeven flick edited for television many years ago when I was a kid flipping channels. Needless to say, I went in fresh without an ingrained memories of Peter Weller suited up taking on the criminals. Jump forward to 2028 and robots are being used by the US military to settle the violence in Tehran. OmniCorp, the parent company of these killing machines, is looking to bring the technology to the United States due to the success it has brought Tehran. The company's president Raymond Sellers (Keaton) plus a couple of employees from the marketing department  (Ehle, Baruchel) are having a hard time getting it approved by the US Senate. Apparently these robots are smart enough to kill the bad guys, but innocent civilians are getting killed on accident without any sort of emotional response from the robots.

Sellers comes up with the brilliant plan of adding a human to the robots in order to gain popularity for the project. His angle is that they will be able to show emotion and a thought process before killing any targets. He teams up with Dr. Dennett Horton (Oldman) to test potential candidates. Alex Murphy (Kinnaman) and his partner Jack Lewis (Williams) are members of the Detroit police force working on bringing down crime boss Antoine Vallon. Murphy is severely burned and paralyzed after his car explodes due to Vallon's hit on him. His wife Clara (Cornish) gives Sellers and Dr. Horton permission to use Murphy as their first test subject under the new RoboCop program. No matter how much they tinker around with Alex's emotional and cognitive recall, OmniCorp is not prepared for the aftermath of what happens next.

The idea behind RoboCop may have seemed fresh in the '80s after The Terminator was a huge success. This reboot feels a bit unnecessary as it doesn't feel innovative or ground breaking.  It feels like it is trying to capitalize on all the Marvel success where we take this damaged hero type figure and force science and technology into him only to end up with dangerous results. That's not to say that it was doomed from the beginning, but it seems to take itself so seriously that there is no fun or joy to be had. What makes movies like Iron Man or Captain America: The First Avenger work well is that they have a sense of humor about it. They acknowledge that this idea is a bit ridiculous, but they run with it and save the world at the same time.

I give screenwriter Joshua Zetumer some credit for making the family aspects to it stand out. You definitely get a sense that the family story with his wife and son and the effects Alex/RoboCop has on them is vital to the story.  Where he falls flat is that he tries to cover so much other ground on top of the family story. There is so much time and characters devoted to different aspects of the story that, while they have some merit, ultimately could be cut and trimmed down for the sake of the pacing. Take for instance the Samuel L. Jackson character. He plays this TV news reporter that reports on the OmniCorp technology that opens the movie. He then disappears for a good chunk of the movie and then comes back. There is also the whole political angle with more time and characters devoted to the Dreyfuss Act. Actor Zach Grenier (TV's "The Good Wife") is great as Senator Dreyfuss, but do we really need all of the courtroom scenes? I understand the point of his portion of the story, but too much time is spent there. This is on top of the actual story involving Alex Murphy, his family, his crew over at the Detroit police department, and all of the people involved with OmniCorp.

The film has a run time of just under two hours, yet I really felt like I was watching a three hour action saga. So many angles and elements of the story that get explored and discussed could potentially have been saved for future entries if this would become a franchise. The whole exposition and lead-up to when the RoboCop is ready for public display feels like one whole story. I actually thought they were going to end the movie at that point, but I realized he hadn't solved any crimes yet or killed any of the Detroit's most wanted. That wasn't the only time I thought the movie was ending. Whether it was the writing, slow pacing, or both, there were numerous false endings where it would have ended perfectly but it cut to another scene.

On paper this film may have flowed better. There are so many great actors working here, and I'm sure they all thought this could be a good film for easy money that could potentially build into a franchise. Gary Oldman is always a treat to watch no matter how good or bad the film turns out. It is nice to see Michael Keaton back on the big screen again. There is one scene that is classic Keaton style acting that was one of the better parts of the movie. Joel Kinnaman has a nice wholesome family man aspect to him that fits this Alex Murphy well. I have no idea how he compares to Peter Weller so I have no bias toward the original here. Kinnaman keeps the character grounded and maintains the human aspect about him without falling into any sort of robotic, two dimensional stereotype once he is assembled into the RoboCop. This is the first American film for Brazilian director José Padilha. He has some good elements working for him here as he has some high caliber actors that signed on for this. You also won't find a lot of cheesy dialogue or over-acting like you would find in a Michael Bay movie. Focus and tight storytelling are his biggest problems. There is far too much going on, especially for a remake.

Is it worth your trip to the movies? No. This remake takes itself far too seriously.

RATING: **1/2 (2.5 out of 5 stars)

Movie Trailer: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
Director: James Gunn
Starring: Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Zoe Saldana, Lee Pace, Benicio Del Toro, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close

Marvel has no plans of slowing down as they continue to crank out big screen adaptations of their comic book characters. Guardians of the Galaxy is their third entry in 2014 following Captain America: The Winter Soldier and X-Men: Days of Future Past. This story follows Peter Quill (Pratt), an American pilot who is the subject of a manhunt led by the evil Ronan the Accuser (Pace) after he steals an orb Ronan has been eying. Quill learns the true powers of the orb and teams up with Rocky Raccoon (Cooper), Gamora (Saldana), Drax the Destroyer (Bautista), and Groot (Diesel) to go up against Ronan who is threatening the universe.

I must say that I am pretty unfamiliar with the characters and world of Guardians of the Galaxy. I have been on board with Marvel so far after so many films, so I have full confidence this will be another hit for them. Feel free to sound off below in the comments with your thoughts on the trailer or anything else Marvel related.

RELEASE DATE: August 1, 2014

Here's the trailer: