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: A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST

A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST
Writer/Director: Seth MacFarlane
Starring: Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Giovanni Ribisi, Sarah Silverman, Amanda Seyfried, Neil Patrick Harris, Liam Neeson

Seth MacFarlane is a multi-talented performer who can write, act, sing, direct, and do voice over work. We have seen him do all of that with hilarious results in his television show Family Guy. His first full length film Ted had some pretty funny moments as well. He is pulling quadruple duty in A Million Ways to Die in the West as he produces, directs, writes, and stars in an attempted spoof of the Western genre.

MacFarlane cast himself as the main character, Albert, a sheepherder who can barely wrangle his own sheep or fire a gun. After bowing out of a duel, his girlfriend Louise (Seyfried) decides to dump him and quickly moves as to the mustached Foy (Harris). Foy is far more upstanding as he runs his own “mustachery” store. Albert has his friends Edward (Ribisi) and his girlfriend Ruth (Silverman) nearby at the saloon for comfort and support.

It’s not too long before the beautiful Anna (Theron) rolls into town and wins over Albert’s affections. He teaches her about the town’s god-awful bad luck while she shows him how to shoot a gun and have a bit of courage in life. What Albert doesn’t know is that she is married to Clinch (Neeson), an outlaw gunslinger who you do not want at the other end of a duel. Albert’s strength and confidence is put to the test when Clinch arrives into town and finds Anna with Albert.

It’s hard to watch a western comedy and not think of the Mel Brooks classic Blazing Saddles, which is one of the funniest movies of all time. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t even attempt this type of movie, but there will always be comparisons. A Million Ways to Die in the West wishes it was as funny as that, but Seth MacFarlane does not even come remotely close to delivering the jokes that Brooks was able to unleash. We have all seen those movies where all of the funny parts were shown in the trailer. That pretty much applies here. I’m not saying that I didn’t laugh as I still let out a few chuckles at times, but it pales in comparison to other comedies of late. MacFarlane is known for pushing the envelope of politically incorrect humor that can be shocking at times. Sometimes he resorts to cheap, low brow poop and dick jokes. You get more of the latter in this movie. I typically like MacFarlane’s work as I have always been a Family Guy fan. I found Ted to pretty funny for the first half of the film, but it got old after a while. It's disappointing that MacFarlane doesn't seem to try any harder and I know he is capable of smarter and funnier material.

MacFarlane has himself a fun and talented cast many of whom are probably his friends in real life that signed on to this film as a favor. I don't blame them as I guess I would sign on to work with MacFarlane without reading a script. Charlize Theron makes any movie better, and that applies here as well. We haven’t quite seen her do a comedy before, but I think I would rather see her and MacFarlane do a smart and mature romantic comedy over this that wastes both their talents. Family Guy actress Alex Borstein has a small role which should have been amplified as she is a hilarious character actress. Liam Neeson seems to be spoofing that same type of character he has played before which works for this movie. The only big casting beef I had happens to be MacFarlane. He seems oddly cast as he naturally carries with him this charm and good looking nature that didn’t quite fit the character. Both my husband and I thought it would have worked better if Giovanni Ribisi would have been in the MacFarlane role. He can pull off that loser type quality and be believable at it.

Of all of the comedic writers out that push the envelope, have an insightful commentary, and be cheap and crass, MacFarlane would be the one to rival Mel Brooks. It is really unfortunate that he seems to be playing it too safe and easy, which is not what I expect from him. He has written a very thin plot and I kept waiting for something to happen. He has mentioned in interviews that he wanted to write a western where the central character was the opposite of the gun-toting action hero. I see the appeal to that, but you have to have more to your concept that just a loose character description. One of the best parts of the movie happens to the cameos that pop up. I’m not about to spoil those here, but I will say they are an homage to the western genre.

Is it worth your trip to the movie? Absolutely not. I’m sure you can find Blazing Saddles or old episodes of Family Guy playing on some cable channel to watch instead.

RATING: 1.5 out of 5 Ticket Stubs

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)

Movie Review: THE LEGO MOVIE

THE LEGO MOVIE
Director: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
Starring: Chris Pratt, Liam Neeson, Will Arnett, Elizabeth Banks, Morgan Freeman, Will Ferrell, Alison Brie, Will Forte, Jonah Hill, Dave Franco

Yes, it is true. The Lego Movie is AWESOME. Eyes may have rolled when it was first announced that there would be a movie based on Legos. The trailers looked pretty funny, so I had hope that it would actually exceed the low expectations that were originally set in place. Boy, did it ever. Emmet (Pratt) wakes up every day as excited as he can be. Everything is awesome in life. He is just your ordinary Lego figurine that goes about his everyday life according to the set of instructions he has been given. He is a bit naïve and innocent and does not quite understand the fact that the other construction workers don’t really like him.

At the construction site one day after work, he is taken aback by the fierce and creative Wyldstyle (Banks) who he finds digging around on the grounds searching for “The Piece of Resistance”. It is not long before he falls down a deep mysterious hole and is captured by Bad Cop (Neeson). Bad Cop is working for the evil Lord Business (Ferrell) who is planning on taking over the entire Lego universe by using the “Kragle” to freeze everything in place the way he wants it to be. Wyldstyle rescues Emmet and informs him that he must be the one known simply as the “Special”. Many ages ago, the wizard Vitruvius (Freeman) told of a prophecy where the Special would use The Piece of Resistance to put a stop toward Lord Business and save the Lego world.

Off the bat, this is not the most unique premise in the entire universe. We have seen these types of underdog stories before where the main character is this ordinary, average person who in turn is told they will save the universe even though they do not possess any sort of special power or creative nature about them. I am a sucker for that whole concept of believing in yourself when no one else has any faith in you. What makes The Lego Movie so special is the journey and wildly imaginative universe the creative team came up with to make this animated film step out as one of best in the genre from recent years. Like Toy Story and Wreck-It Ralph before it, it takes something from our childhood that we have a connection with and elevates it to a whole other dimension. I do not remember playing with Legos a whole lot as a child as I was more into my Power Rangers/Batman/He-Man action figures. Even though I don’t have a past connection or memories of Lego worlds I created, it didn’t stop me from connecting to this story and laughing throughout. There are plenty of laughs for the adults taking their children to the movie, or if you are like me, who went solo to this without a child attached at the hip.

The animation is top-notch and astonishing as you realize that  the team of animators took extra care into making sure that every aspect of the design is Lego based including the water, fire, car exhaust, and waves for examples. All of the characters move in accordance to how an actually Lego piece is able to move. Lego pieces have to walk and turn their heads a certain way, and parts of them can detach. The effort to keep them true to that is noticeable and noteworthy. They never take them out of the confines of their natural construction.

When you listen to the voice-over actors do their work of bringing these characters to life, you can tell they are all having a blast. One of the highlights is Will Arnett as Batman. He is clearly doing his best Christian Bale impression. It's practically like having the cast of The Dark Knight Trilogy here with Neeson and Freeman also lending their voices to characters very similar to the images we know them as from other roles.  Freeman has played God and the president numerous times, so it's no surprise he would play the all mighty wizard here. There are plenty of  other surprise cameo voices that come out once Emmet, Wyldstyle, and Batman call in the troops for additional help against Lord Business.

I think some people may have questioned why I went to The Lego Movie. It may have seemed odd that I was alone with my pretzel bites at the theater surrounded by a bunch of other parents and their kids. I feel like if this was a Pixar film, adults would be more apt to flock to it. You expect this type of creativity and imagination from their canon. Frankly, this is better than the last two offerings from Pixar. I think word of mouth will spread about how enjoyable the film is for all ages. The ending came as a surprise, and completely elevates it to the next level. If you have seen it, you know what I'm talking about. This will surely become a new franchise, so get out while you can to catch this Lego tale. Don't be surprised if you get the main song, "Everything is Awesome", gets stuck in your head.

Is it worth your trip to the movies? YES! No matter what age you are, you will enjoy it!

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

Movie Review: THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Matthew Modine

All good things must come to end. Finding the proper send off to a beloved trilogy is tricky. The audience has spent the last two movies invested in classic characters and rich storytelling and you do not want to be let down by some lackluster finale. Audiences will not remember The Return of the Jedi or The Godfather Part III as the best in the series. However, I firmly believe The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is the best of that trilogy. Christopher Nolan had his work cut out for him to deliver a satisfying conclusion to his Batman trilogy. The previous entry, The Dark Knight, was pitch perfect and delivered one of the greatest performances seen on screen in the last ten years.

Eight years have passed since the events that ended The Dark Knight. Gotham City seems to be at a peaceful state under the reign of Commissioner Gordon (Oldman) and the passing of the Dent Act. Batman has not been seen since he disappeared the night of Harvey Dent's death. Bruce Wayne (Bale) has retreated to a secluded life in Wayne Manor over his former luxurious lifestyle. On the eight year anniversary of Dent's death, the celebration is a set for a spark in the beginning of the downfall of Gotham. Bruce's encounter with cat burglar Selina Kyle (Hathaway) is one of the first signs that "a storm is coming." She seems to be after more than the simple necklace that she steals from Bruce.

Selina Kyle assists in the kidnapping of a congressman in an attempt to lure Commissioner Gordon to the scene. Gordon follows the trail into the sewer system to find it has been taken over by Bane (Hardy) and his henchmen. Bane is a bald beefy badass that wears a muzzle over his scarred mouth. Gordon escapes through the water lines but is shot in the process. While hospitalized, he appoints Officer John Blake (Gordon-Levitt) to directly report to him. Blake has a connection to Bruce Wayne as they both lost their parents at a young age. He approaches Bruce and informs him that he has known all along that he is Batman. He believes in the good Batman has done for the city and implores Bruce to don the cape and cowl to stand up to Bane. Bruce’s butler Alfred (Caine) feels differently. He knows the danger and risk involved and does not want to deal with the death of another member of the Wayne family. Bruce ignores Alfred’s pleas and comes to terms with the fact it is time to family don the Batman again. Bane’s reign of power over of Gotham continues. The takeover of Wayne Enterprises Applied Science Division, the attack on the Stock Exchange, and the trapping of all policeman in the tunnel system are all part of Bane’s attempt to take on the wealthiest of Gotham.

Part of the intriguing concept in Nolan’s Batman Trilogy is that it is set in a very realistic society. The feel of Gotham and its residents is more modern than the dark gothic world or comic book world we’ve seen from previous Batman movies. The themes and events in Nolan’s films ring all too realistic at times. The notions of corruption, anarchy, power of the people, class systems, vigilantes, and the Occupy Movement all ring true to the events in today’s world as well as Gotham. With many comic book movies, it is easy to separate yourself from the fantasy world those characters live in. At one point I had to remember that I was technically watching a movie based on a comic-book as it was all hitting close to home.

It is hard to follow-up Heath Ledger’s Oscar winning performance of the Joker in The Dark Knight. He still remains the best villain of the series. Bane and The Joker are two very different villains with different motivations. Due to his size and muzzled face, he doesn’t quite have the chaotic characteristics that came with The Joker. Tom Hardy gives a fantastic performance as he inhabits a larger than life entity set out for destruction and war. Anne Hathaway steals the movie as the slinky, sexy Selina Kyle. Even though she’s never referred to as Catwoman, she fully embodies the spirit of Catwoman and never lets the leather suit get in her way. She uses the suit and heals to her advantage. You never know exactly what to expect out of Catwoman. Where is she going to pop up, can you trust her, is she good or evil? Hathaway is perfect at keeping her mysterious and not playing her as a stereotype. Joseph Gordon-Levitt also stands out as the brave and strong-willed John Blake. He is not afraid to do what is right and stand up for what he believes in.

With a running time of over two and a half hours, Nolan and his screenwriting brother Jonathan Nolan have written a long finale to their saga. There is a lot of ground they cover in order to introduce new characters, connect them to the back story, and create a cohesive storyline for all three parts. I think the movie succeeds at feeling like it is its own story while still feeling a part of the overall saga of the rise and fall and rise of Batman that the trilogy has laid out for the audience. Nolan and cinematographer Wally Pfister have shot about 70 minutes of the movie using 70mm IMAX cameras. Many of the aerial shots and the action sequences are the IMAX scenes. The scope and feel of these scenes are breathtaking especially if you can see it at an IMAX theater like the Great Clips IMAX Theater at the Minnesota Zoo. The Dark Knight Rises is a stunning, breathtaking, and completely satisfying end making the Batman trilogy one of the best trilogies ever made.

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

Movie Review: BATTLESHIP

BATTLESHIP
Director: Peter Berg
Starring: Taylor Kitsch, Alexander Skarsgard, Rihanna, Brooklyn Decker, Liam Neeson

When you decide to make a movie inspired by a two player children's game, where do you even begin? Let’s start with two very good looking brothers. Long haired Alex (Kitsch) is the deadbeat brother that can’t seem to get his act together. He is living off the couch of his older more mature brother, Stone (Skarsgard). They spend Alex’s birthday getting drinks at the local bar having some heart-to-heart conversion. Naturally, Alex gets distracted by beautiful blonde Samantha (Decker) who is at a bar stool all alone. In order to impress her, he breaks into a convenience store and steals a chicken burrito that she is craving. The cops show up as his not-so-stealth moves set off every alarm in the store. Alex gets tasered as he desperately tries to give the burrito to Samantha. Stone is livid as Samantha happens to be the daughter of his Navy Admiral (Neeson). Alex joins the US NAVY in order to get his act together and be with Samantha.

NASA has discovered that there is another planet that could have conditions similar to Earth’s. This means there could be a chance of intelligent life on the planet. They have designated a compound in Hawaii to send signals from a satellite to this planet in hopes of a response from the life forms that might exist. Years later, a response finally comes through. Alex and Stone are participating in the Navy’s RIMPAC opening ceremony exercises. During the exercises, it becomes apparent that five alien ships are approaching the Earth’s orbit. They crash onto Earth hitting Honk Kong and various locations around the Hawaiian Islands including where the Naval exercises are taking place. Alex, Stone, and company are second guessing if this is real or part of the drills. They determine this is no exercise and these aliens are far more than what they could have anticipated. They are a no-nonsense powerful species with massive vessels. You may recognize that the missiles from the aliens look just like the pegs used in the game.

I was hesitant going into Battleship when it first opened. Was it going to be a good popcorn summer action flick or would it be a long drawn out mess like Transformers? I was pleasantly surprised how much fun I had while watching a movie inspired by a game. Let's be real, it is no Marvel's The Avengers or Terminator 2: Judgment Day. With that being said, it is not as horrible as one would think. The actions scenes are loud, big, and very explosive. Berg wastes no time in getting right to the action. There is maybe twenty minutes of exposition and character set-up, but the battle begins pretty quickly after that. You don't need to wait until the final act to see ships blow up. These types of movies do not usually have the best screenplays. This is no exception either. The weak script leads to some pretty corny line readings by some of the actors, especially Rihanna. Maybe I should lay off her as this is her first movie. The production design of the aliens and their vessels seem very unoriginal. The vessels are basically Transformers as they shift around and contort to fire off the missiles. I appreciated that the aliens were given a very human look, but their body armor looks like a rejected Iron Man design. If you can get passed the cheese ball moments and bad one-liners, I think you can still have a lot of fun with the movie. It’s an action movie, and the explosions are pretty fun to watch. The aliens are pretty ruthless leaving any character, big or small, subject to an early death. Sure the movie could be way better and the filmmakers could have made some riskier and original choices, but the movie provides a mindless break that is sometimes needed in the summer.


RATING: *** (3 out of 5)