Movie Review

Limitless

I always intended to see this movie because I’m a huge fan of Bradley Cooper and finally here was his chance to carry a big movie by himself.  The trailers did not intrigue me.  Actually, they kind of killed my enthusiasm.   But, loyalty to actors I admire plus a general love of film won out and I went to see it and hoped for the best.  I was pleasantly surprised.  I was actually excited as I was watching it.  That’s a rare thing for me.  I wasn’t Hot Fuzz excited or Grindhouse excited (to date, the two best experiences I’ve had at the movies), but I was pumped never the less.  By the time the mobsters broke into his apartment, I was in love with this movie.

            The film is about a procrastinating writer named Eddie Morra.  He gets his hand on a drug called NZT that will unlock all of his potential.  He speeds his way to the top, gets rich, and a makeover (thank goodness).  Unfortunately, there are some nasty side effects that he didn’t count on.  What I wanted out of this was just a chance to see Cooper act, with all the focus on him and that’s what I got.  He really got a chance to show his stuff.  He wasn’t the cocky charmer or the jerky boyfriend.  He got to do some drama and he did it well.  He owned this part and I couldn’t be more pleased with the results.  Hopefully, this will open the door for him to get more leading man roles outside of comedies.  There are really no other performances to mention because the other parts are small and not particularly memorable.  This movie is completely about Eddie and I found myself wondering what Robert De Niro was doing in it.  It’s a very minor role that I wouldn’t have expected him to take.

Acting aside, I like the way the story was told.  It was a very up and down story as opposed to one build up to one climax.  Yes, there were some loose ends and I could probably write a paper on what he did wrong and what I would have done differently, but ultimately, none of that bothers me because I was enjoying it too much.  The direction was very stylized and it verged on distracting at times, specifically the first time Eddie takes the drug.  It sorted itself out though and the multiple long zoom shots through the city were like being on an amusement park ride.  It was very fun stuff.  Though, it would have been more fun if I hadn’t been fighting off a cold at the time.  There is one scene that tracks Eddie through 18 hours that he later forgets and it’s just captivating.  The changing of color tones from dull to bright depending on if he’s on the drug or not isn’t exactly subtle but the film isn’t attempting to be pretentious or deep so that kind of thing works and just adds to the fun of the story.

            I don’t want to give away the ending but it surprised me.  Usually, movies have very clear morals about drugs and I bet on there only being two possible outcomes.  Yet, the film dodged both of them and went off in a third direction.  The movie didn’t set out to teach me a lesson that I’d heard a million times before and I appreciate that.  I hesitate to put it like this, but it almost made the movie more realistic.

            Limitless is a movie I’m planning on buying and I can’t wait until it comes out on DVD/Blu-Ray.  The story itself surpassed my expectations.  Cooper got a chance to play a lead role in a relatively serious movie and he did not disappoint.  I left the theater in a great mood.  This might just be the best movie I’ve seen so far this year.  But, it is only March.

Movie Series Review

The Indiana Jones Series

            It’s probably the greatest action/adventure series of all time.  Steven Spielberg directed all four of the globetrotting movies (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, The Last Crusade, and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) that follow archeologist Henry Jones Jr. aka Indiana Jones and his various sidekicks through his adventures.  Harrison Ford plays the iconic character.  He’s a professor by day and a BAMF by night.  He’s the only character to appear in every single film and it’s not easy to keep me interested in something relying on only one character.  I tend to prefer ensembles.  But, Indiana is such an entertaining character and the plots are always fun that I can easily watch all four of them.  He’s good but he’s not perfect.  I think that’s what makes him loveable.  He’s constantly getting in over his head but he always manages to get himself out by the skin of his teeth.  The movies have a great blend of action and comedy with a touch of drama thrown in here and there.  What I love about a good film series is that unlike most films that spawn sequels, the first isn’t necessarily the best.  All four films vary in quality, of course, but I think they are all worthy films on their own.  I’m going to talk about each one from my least favorite to my favorite.

#4 Temple of Doom

            Written by Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz, this is the second film in the series.  It stars Kate Capeshaw as the token Indy girl named Willie Scott and Ke Huy Quan as the sidekick, a young kid named Short Round.  This is also a prequel to the first film.  It’s not bad, as I said I’ll watch any of them, but I find it a bit dull.  My biggest gripe is that they spent a good 40 minutes down in the temple.  I like Indiana Jones best when he’s travelling all over the world.  40 minutes in one location got boring for me and I just wanted them to go somewhere else, anywhere else.  Short Round alternated between kind of cute to really obnoxious.  I deal with him because he played Data in The Goonies and I have much love for that character.  The Willie Scott character gets a lot of hate and I understand why, but I kind of like her.  Yes, she screamed and whined through the whole movie, but for some reason that amused me.  I found Marion Ravenwood in Raiders to be far more annoying.  The only time Willie really bothers me is when she’s taking her sweet time saving Indy and Short Round from a certain death.  That was frustrating.  This movie did break the formula of racing toward a coveted object like the other films revolve around, but you know what, sometimes formulas work.  Temple of Doom is supposed to be dark, but I didn’t find it dark enough to be moved by it.  I guess they wanted kids to be able to watch it.  There are some great bits in the movie though.  The mine cart ride was a blast.  Overall, the story could have used more excitement, the sidekicks could have toned it down, but it still had a solid plot and Indy was still Indy.

#3 Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

            This film was written by David Koepp.  The most recent film in the franchise and boy was it a long time in the making.  The Last Crusade came out in 1989 and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull came out in 2008.  Harrison Ford has aged.  That can’t be helped, but he’s still in good enough shape that I had no trouble buying the character pulling off the action.  He’s still got it.  He’s still Indy.  This time, Indy is reunited with Karen Allen’s Marion Ravenwood, his love interest from Raiders.  She’s much more tolerable here than she was the last time we saw the character.  She’s mellowed a bit without losing her core characterization and she, thankfully, doesn’t spend the whole movie shrieking “IIIINNNNDDDYYYY!!!!” at the top of her lungs.  Cate Blanchett plays the villain in this one and it’s nice to see more than one female character play a significant role in this series.  Shia LeBeouf plays Indy and Marion’s son, Mutt (I know, the name, it’s dumb).  He also gets a lot of hate for this movie but I liked him in it.  I’m not sure what people’s issue with him in it is, unless it’s just general dislike for the actor himself.  He’s fine for the role he was given.  This one differs greatly from the other three because they added an alien plot.  The previous three have been grounded in religion and superstition.  I’ll admit that when I realized aliens were taking part in this, I wasn’t pleased.  It’s not enough to make me hate the movie, but I kind of wish they had kept more in theme with the previous films instead of taking an alien route.  But, people have brought up that this movie, unlike the others, takes place in the 1950s where B science fiction movies were popular so perhaps it was homage to that.  The first hour drags a bit but once Marion shows up, it becomes a lot of fun.  I love the jungle chase and the dry sand scene.  Also, while I think the father/son plot is kind of weak and underdeveloped I did like the little nods that Indy was getting more and more like his own father through the process.  I’m good with Indy marrying Marion because I will admit she’s the only one of the girls who really makes sense to be the love of his life.  I liked that the sidekicks this time were his (future) wife and son.  The odd family dynamic worked for me.  I think it’s a good movie and it moves faster than Temple of Doom and there isn’t as much cringe worthy “humor” thrown in.  If there is a fifth one, I’ll go see it.  Why not? 

#2 Raiders of the Lost Ark

            The original Indiana Jones film written by Lawrence Kasdan.  Great story, great action, a great score, and great characters.  I get why many people think it’s the best.  I think this one handles a more serious side better than Temple of Doom does.  There isn’t as much comedy in this one.  It still has some hilarious moments though.  I think the scene where Indy shoots the swordsman is brilliant.  As much as I warmed to Marion in Crystal Skull, I am reminded of how much I disliked her in Raiders.  Gosh, she just shouted nearly every line she had.  I liked her personality; I just did not like Allen’s over the top delivery.  I get it.  She’s feisty, but did she have to yell so much?  Other than her we have John Rhys-Davies playing Sallah, one of the series best sidekicks and Denholm Elliot as Marcus Brody.  Paul Freeman’s villain is probably the best villain they’ve had.  He’s supposed to be the dark side of Indy and I think that makes him interesting.  I’m not sure why I don’t like this one more than I do.  I suppose that as good as the plot is and the individual characters are, I find it a little bit cold.  I don’t connect with it on an emotional level as much as I do with some of the others.  Still, it’s great.  From the opening action sequence all the way to the melting Nazis, it’s a fun film to watch.  In particular, I love the scene with the fire in Marion’s bar and the scene with Indy fighting the Nazis on the trucks.  The scene where they open the Ark is powerful as well.  I just love nearly everything about this movie.  Ford at the center really grounds it.

#1 Last Crusade

            Maybe I’m biased because this is the first Indiana Jones movie I remember seeing.  I only saw about the last 20 minutes and I don’t think I even knew what I was watching but I never forgot it.  The third installment was written by Jeffrey Boam.  But, I must also add that Tom Stoppard did a lot of the dialogue for the film which explains why it's so quotable.  It’s easily the funniest and most charming of the films.  It mainly works because of Sean Connery (and that is the only time I will ever say that).  He is so good in it and he has surprisingly wonderful chemistry with Ford.  This is a father/son tale and it’s told much better than in Crystal Skull.  Indy loses much of his BAMFness (yes, it’s a word) around his father because don’t we all feel somehow inadequate next to our parents?  He still gets things done though and of course, he saves the day.  It’s an old story.  The father and the son were never close and they barely speak because they don’t understand each other.  But, added with so much action and humor, I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed this particular cliché more.  The scene where they are tied back to back to chairs is hilarious.  Even when they are at their most distant at the beginning, you can feel that they love each other and know each other as only family can.  It’s lovely to see.  Adding to the comedy, Sallah and Marcus return and they are largely used for comic relief.  I know a lot of people didn’t like that, but I thought it was great.  This is the only time we got to see Marcus in the field, so who is to say he wouldn’t be that goofy and out of his depth?  The Indy girl in this one is a different take.  She turns out to be a villain.  She isn’t all bad.  She clearly cares about the Jones men, but she has no problem betraying them or whoever else to get the Holy Grail for herself.  I suspect that this was done to get her out of the way so that the father/son story could properly develop.  The final act is flawless, in my opinion.  When Indy’s dad finally shows his son how much he loves him by telling him to let the grail go, oh that’s some powerful stuff.  As the four guys ride off into the sunset, I would have been more than happy to have that be the final chapter.  I don’t think I could ever grow tired of this movie.

Let The Right One In

In today’s take on vampires, it can be hard to remember that vampires are supposed to be monsters.  It can be hard to remember that they are supposed to be threatening and dangerous.  It can be hard to remember that they are supposed to feed on human blood. 

            Let the Right One In is like a breath of fresh air in reminding us that these creatures of the night are killers.  On the surface, Let the Right On In is similar to Twilight. A young, ordinary person intrigues a mysterious vampire and slowly they fall in love.  However, Let the Right One In is a much darker look at the world and the people in it.  It deals with issues such as bullying and pedophilia.  It is very violent and does not hold back in its portrayal of murder.  Yet somehow in the midst of all this horror, it finds away to be a touching love story, in a really twisted way.  That’s what I love about this movie.  Because the world can be a horrible place, but you can still find genuine love in it.

            Let the Right One In is about a 12 year old boy named Oskar.  He is regularly bullied at school and dreams of getting revenge on his tormentors but he does not have the courage to go through with it.  Soon, Eli moves in next door with her adult caretaker.  The two strike up a friendship that blossoms into something more.  Eli encourages Oskar to fight back and Oskar shows Eli how to just enjoy someone’s company.  As time goes by, Oskar discovers that Eli is not the girl he thought she was.

I understand the romanticism of vampires.  I am a huge fan of Buffy and Angel.  This movie itself is a love story.  It’s just that I feel that vampires are getting too tame.  Like dogs instead of wolves.  Eli, despite her love for Oskar, is still a monster.  She will kill to survive and there are several points in the film where she truly looks like an animal. 

I like the fact that it is a story on a small scale too.  It does not get deep into the mythology of vampires or any other supernatural beings.  It really does not go into Eli’s back story either.  These things are not really relevant to the story about two people finding each other and loving each other through all obstacles.  This is a story about the world that they wrap themselves up in.  This is about Eli trying to eat real food because Oskar wants her to.  This is about Oskar giving Eli his Rubik’s cube.  This is about children living in a horrific world. 

            After researching the film and the book, there are a few things that I wish the director (Tomas Alfredson) had been clearer on.  There were a few things in the film that I never understood until I went and read what their purpose was.  This ranged from who certain characters were to what certain shots were supposed to mean.  I will not get into the specifics because I do not want to spoil anything important.  Much of the film is open to interpretation.  And this review is simply my interpretation.

            Its flaws aside, as far as vampire films go, this one ranks pretty near the top.  There is something so eerie about the whole thing.  I got the sense that even before Eli showed up; Oskar already lived in an unsafe world.  The bullies constantly harassing him, his seemingly disinterested parents, and the way the film was almost always surrounded by darkness and a sense of unrest.  For children so young, the two leads (Kare Hedebrant as Oskar and Lina Leandersson as Eli) do a remarkable job carrying a pretty adult story.  I highly recommend this one

Due Date

In 2009, Todd Phillips proved himself to be a good director with The Hangover instead of merely a mediocre one that I thought he was.  While his latest outing Due Date is not as good as The Hangover, it is a perfectly good way to spend $8.00. 

            Due Date benefits greatly from having such a talented cast.  Robert Downey Jr., one of the most talented and charismatic actors around, stars as Peter Highman, a man desperate to get across country in time for the birth of his first child.  Zach Galifianakis also stars as Ethan Tremblay, the man Peter has to put up with in order to get home.  The movie also reunites Downey Jr. with two former co-stars, Michelle Monaghan and Jamie Foxx.  Unfortunately, Monaghan is not given much to work with, but the guys all turn in funny performances.  Foxx has a pretty small role as a friend of Peter’s and his wife.  This might be the most fun I have ever had watching the guy and it was only for about ten minutes of screen time.

            As a buddy road movie, this one is not terribly original, but it works.  There are a few jaw droppingly funny moments that should not be funny, but they are.  The scene with Juliette Lewis’s character is a great example at that.  It will make you question if Peter should even be a father.  Aside from the laughs, there is a lot of heart in this movie as well.  Ethan is trying to deal with the death of his father throughout the movie and carries his ashes around in a coffee can. No matter how insufferable Ethan gets, Peter is always sympathetic to his loss.  That sympathy is the only thing that keeps him from running away from him as fast as he can at times.  And though Ethan is not all that different from his Hangover character Alan, Galifianakis does get to play some dramatic scenes with regards to the character’s father’s death and he pulls it off nicely.

            The laughs are not as constant as I was hoping they would be, but they are definitely there and some of them are truly inspired.  I never would have thought anything could make Two and a Half Men funny again, but leave it to Todd Phillips I suppose.  The soundtrack is worth noting as well.  Just like with The Hangover I had the music stuck in my head after I left the theater.

            My main complaint about this film is that I feel the climax is, well, anticlimactic.  I was expecting a bit more conflict as the guys reached the final leg of their journey.  But, that did not ruin my overall enjoyment of the film.  The characters are likeable, which I feel is a strength in Todd Phillips movies.  The movie is well paced and does not drag itself along.  I do want to give it another viewing, because maybe the reason I think it fall short of The Hangover is because I had no expectations for that movie at all and it blew me away and this time around I was expecting a lot.  Still, I had a good time watching this movie.  Downey Jr. and Galifianakis are always a pleasure.