Movie Trailer: INTO THE WOODS

INTO THE WOODS
Director: Rob Marshall
Starring: Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden, Anna Kendrick, Chris Penn, Johnny Depp, Christine Baranski, Tracey Ullman, Billy Magnussen, Frances de la Tour

We have seen some production stills recently and now the first trailer is here for the highly anticipated new movie, Into the Woods, based on the Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine musical. I must say this is my favorite musical of all time and cannot contain my excitement when it comes to this movie. Rob Marshall is no stranger to directing musicals after his work on Chicago and Nine. He has another all-star cast led by Goddess Meryl Streep as the Witch who makes an offer to a baker (Corden) and his wife (Blunt) that they can’t refuse. The two of them must face other fairy tale characters like Cinderella, the Big Bad Wolf, Little Red Riding Hood, and Rapunzel and steal some precious items for the Witch in order for her to reverse the curse of infertility that has been placed over their home.

If you know the staged version, you are already familiar with the beautiful music and insanely creative word play in the lyrics. You also know how dark and grim the story can be at times. I am curious with this being a Disney property how faithful they stay to the original story. There have been rumors floating around that specific numbers and side plots have been cut from the movie that would potentially make it more family friendly. We shall see come Christmas Day how it all turned out. Lapine wrote the screenplay and Sondheim was involved in the process so I am going to remain optimistic about it and not give those rumors too much thought.

RELEASE DATE: December 25, 2014

Here’s the trailer:

Movie Review: EDGE OF TOMORROW

EDGE OF TOMORROW
Director: Doug Liman
Starring: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson, Jonas Armstrong, Kick Gurry, Tony Way

I think I would be pretty disgruntled if I was thrown into war with aliens only to die, get stuck in a time loop, and then have to relive those two days all over again. Tom Cruise stars as military officer William Cage who wakes up and finds himself on a training base not sure of how he got there. He is approached by Master Sergeant Farell (Paxton) who takes him to his new combat team. Cage, who has no experience or training, is told he is a “deserter” who is trying to get out of his duties as a soldier. Cage and his new team get loaded into their new full bodied combat suits and dropped onto the beaches of France. There he comes face to face with the alien species known as “mimics” that are killing off the human race, and it’s not long before Cage is killed.

As soon as he dies, he wakes up in the same spot as the day prior in the exact same scenario as before. He is now in a time loop reliving each day over and over every time he dies. He uses the knowledge he has from each previous trip to track down Rita (Emily Blunt), another fellow warrior who has gone through the time loop. There are posters and banners with her face hung all over the city proclaiming her as “Full Metal Bitch”. Rita trains Cage on how to fight these creatures as they work together to find the location of the Omega, the main source of the mimics’ powers.

As I was watching the movie, I kept thinking that it felt like a live action video game. I’m not a huge gamer, but it made me think of those first person high action “shoot ‘em up” games. It fits right in with the time loop idea where you die and start over again in the same spot. I’m assuming that was an intentional choice by director Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity, Mr. & Mrs. Smith) because even as non-gamer I understood what they were going for as the story played out. However, the movie is not based on a video game at all. It is adapted from the Japanese light novel “All You Need is Kill” by Hiroshi Sakurazaka. Light novels are very popular in Japan and are short story graphic novels catered toward young adult readers. The film originally shared the same title as the novel but was changed to the safer and easier to understand “Edge of Tomorrow”. I prefer the original title, but I’m sure that would have driven audiences away from the movie.

The film has a really interesting concept as the time travel keeps you guessing the entire movie. The screenwriters really keep the momentum going as you never know where the movie is going or what’s going to happen next. The audience sees the story unfolding at the same rate the characters put the pieces together. That being said, I still think the film could be shorter. I wish the writers would have wrapped it up a bit quicker. In a high concept film like this, the special effects have to top notch. They are quite impressive and are meant to be seen on a huge screen with a loud sound system like the IMAX so you can be completely immersed in the world. I only saw the film in 2D, but it was the rare time when I wish I had paid the extra money as you can tell there was special attention made to make it enjoyable in 3D.

I’ve been a bit lukewarm on the latest Tom Cruise movies. I thought Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol was fantastic, but Oblivion and Jack Reacher left me wanting more in so many ways. Let’s not forget his turn as rock star Stacee Jaxx in Rock of Ages, which was fun on a campy level. You can’t deny that he is trying a variety of styles and genres. Tom Cruise is a movie star, and Edge of Tomorrow is another big action packed blockbuster that he is good at delivering. In many movies, his character is always on the pulse of what’s going on. He usually plays the tough guy that can get the job done. His character, William Cage, is the opposite of that. He gets thrown into this combat situation without any knowledge of shooting weapons, wearing those massive full bodied suits, or how to kill the mimics. The screenwriting team of Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth, and John-Henry Butterworth add in some unexpected humor to showcase this character flaw. Emily Blunt pairs quite well with Cruise. We’ve seen her in so many period films and rom-coms like The Five-Year Engagement or The Devil Wears Prada. It’s great to see her step into the action/sci-fi genre, and she proves she is one tough heroine.

Cruise has had a hard time getting audiences to flock to his movies. They play well internationally, but his off-screen antics come into play with American audiences. I’ve talked to many people who can’t separate his personal life from his movies. I have an easier time separating the two personas. I haven’t sworn off the Cruise yet, but I do want him to find another successful movie that will bring back the audience. Edge of Tomorrow is a win for him, but I know that it won’t get the audience it should.

Is it worth your trip to the movies? While it may not appeal to every moviegoer, Edge of Tomorrow took me surprise and is one entertaining ride.

RATING: 3.5 out of 5 Ticket Stubs

TWIN CITIES LIVE-June 11, 2014

TWIN CITIES LIVE
June 11, 2014

Here are today's picks plus links to each of my reviews:

1. The Fault in Our Stars, starring Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Laura Dern
2. Edge of Tomorrow, starring Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton
3. Non-Stop, starring Liam Neeson, Julianne Moore, Scoot McNairy

Here's the video:



Video courtesy of Twin Cities Live/KSTP

You can find all of my past segments HERE.

As always, thank you so much for watching and your continual support. I truly appreciate it!

Movie Review: LOOPER

LOOPER
Director: Rian Johnson
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Jeff Daniels, Piper Perabo, Paul Dano

What is a looper? That may be the question on everyone’s mind as they step in to see the latest film by Rian Johnson, the creative mind behind Brick and The Brothers Bloom. A looper is a trained assassin whose sole job is to kill a person sent back in time from the future. In 2074, time travel will be invented and outlawed. The city is overrun by crime and corruption and humans have trackers in them. For these crime bosses, it has become nearly impossible to dispose of a body without it being found by the tracking device. For each victim, they tie the person up, cover their head, and attach a plate of silver bars to them and send them back to 2044. The looper will shoot the person the moment it arrives before they have a chance to escape. They will then properly dispose of it by dumping it into an incinerator. The silver bars are their payment. A looper’s job is all in the hands of the crime bosses. At any moment the loop can be closed if the crime boss sends the future version of the looper back to the past to be killed.

In 2044, Joe Simmons (Gordon-Levitt) seems to be an expert at his job. He is at the corn field, weapon in one hand, time piece in another, waiting for the moment the body shows up. He spends his spare time at an exotic club and fools around with one of the dancers (Perabo). The future of his job comes into question one night when his best friend Seth (Dano) comes to his apartment in a scared frantic panic. Seth explains to Joe that his future self showed up to close the loop. Seth freaked out and didn’t shoot his future self in time and he escaped. Before he escaped, he revealed that there is a future crime boss known as The Rainmaker that is closing all of the loops. Their boss Abe (Daniels) sends out his hit men to Joe’s apartment looking for Seth.

Things get further complicated for Joe when his next assignment shows up and it is revealed that it is the future version of himself (Willis). Joe panics and Future Joe escapes. They eventually meet again in a diner to discuss what is going on in the future. Future Joe describes his capture by The Rainmaker and how his wife was killed in the process. Now that Future Joe is back in 2044, he is intent at killing The Rainmaker as a child in order to save his wife. Joe traces a map back to a farmhouse where he meets Sara (Blunt) and her son Cid who could potentially be The Rainmaker. Romance becomes another kink in the plot the more time Joe spends with Sara.

Time travel is a tricky genre to get right for the audience. I feel like if it starts to get convoluted, you will lose the audience as they get more and more confused. If it is too simple, the audience will see right passed the story and predict the outcome. It has never really been my favorite genre for these reasons. Looper gets it right by setting its own time travel rules and sticking to them all the while throwing in some curveballs to keep you guessing on what will happen next. Johnson allows the film and story to have some fun at the same time. The idea of the future of technology includes paper thin cell phones and computers, hover craft style motorcycles, and heavy duty ammunition. The violence and gun shots are stylistically over-the-top.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is one fantastic young actor working in Hollywood today. This is his third of four movies released in 2012 following The Dark Knight Rises and Premium Rush. His next, Lincoln, will be released in November. He consistently picks different genres and styles of projects and excels at each one of them. He completely nails the Bruce Willis vocal and physical mannerisms making the connection between the two of them completely believable. The make-up work is fantastic at turning Gordon-Levitt into the younger version of Willis. Emily Blunt goes outside her usual romantic comedy genre and transforms herself into the dowdy look of Sara. It’s a far cry from the elegant and posh Blunt I imagine her to be. Don’t let the time travel concept turn you away. Looper is an original thrill ride in the same way The Terminator was for its time. The concept is stylish and jaw-dropping and will keep you guessing until the end. Plus, it has Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis. Win and Win.

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

Movie Review: THE FIVE-YEAR ENGAGEMENT

THE FIVE-YEAR ENGAGEMENT
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Starring: Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, Alison Brie, Chris Pratt

Tom (Segel) and Violet (Blunt) meet at a costumed New Year's Eve party. She was dressed as Princess Diana while he went in a full body bunny costume called "Super Bunny". A year later Tom proposes to Violet on the roof of the restaurant where he works as a sous chef. Everything seems fine and dandy as they start planning their wedding. Tom's best friend Alex (Pratt) ends up sleeping with Violet's sister Susie (Brie) at their engagement party. Don't worry, they keep the baby and get married. Alex gets his act together and becomes a committed dad and husband. Tom is having steady career working as a in a San Francisco clam bar, while Violet can't seem to get a job. One day a thick envelope comes in a mail with a job opportunity for Violet. It's a two year contract with the University of Michigan in their psychology department. This opportunity is too good for her to pass up. Tom and Violet decide to put their wedding planning on hold in order to move to Michigan. Just when Tom tells his boss he is leaving, he is told he was about to be a head chef in a new restaurant she was going to open.

Violet's job could not not be going any better. Her thesis using stale donuts is a hit with the head professor (Ryhs Ifans) and fellow teammates (Kevin Hart, Mindy Kaling, and Randall Park). Tom doesn't seem to have the same luck. He can't find a job at a fine dining restaurant that fits his skills or monetary needs. In a desperate move, he takes a job at a hit sandwich shop. Fast forward two years, Violet is offered another contract. The contract is for three years this time. A big fight ensues as this was not in the plans. Tom has become extremely unhappy in Michigan. He is going nowhere with his career and has become one with nature. He took an interest in hunting and has let his physical looks go by growing some awful facial hair. Tom and Violet turn to Alex and Susie for relationship help as their engagement is not going in the direction they once thought it was headed in.

This is the third collaboration by Stoller and Segel who previously wrote Forgetting Sarah Marshall and The Muppets. The script is very polarizing for me. There were times where I was applauding it and other times where I was frustrated. The dialogue seemed very natural and realistic at times. It made me wonder if they were improving or if it was just written very easy and naturalistic. The relationship between Tom and Violet had lots of ups and downs. I really appreciated that in a romantic comedy that the main couple wasn't all cheerful and hunky dory the whole movie. I got frustrated during their down moments, which made me realize I was caring about them more than I expected I would. When the time frame of the movie spans five years, the audience doesn't want to feel like they are in the movie for five years. Many events and circumstances in their relationship gets covered which leads to a very long movie. The screenplay could easily have been cut down with the same feeling of the passage of time. The whole sub-plot of Tom becoming a Grizzly Adams is easily forgettable and not necessary. There are side characters that are unnecessary as well. Segel and Blunt have previously co-starred together in two movies. Their real life friendship effortlessly comes across on screen. They have great chemistry together which makes this relationship and storyline more relatable than other pairs in your standard rom-com. Alison Brie and Chris Pratt steal the movie as Tom’s dopey friend and Violet’s sister. They seem to be the most realistic and fleshed out characters. The Five-Year Engagement is charming and funny filled with two couples that I seemed to really care about. The big problem with the movie lies in the screenplay. It feels like a first draft that forgot to go through the editing phase.

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