Tropic Thunder (Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr.)
Following the theme of opening movies on Wednesday instead of Friday, Tropic Thunder opened on Wednesday and brought in a respectable $7 million in box office revenues. Co-written and directed by Ben Stiller himself, this action/comedy has been favorably received by critics alike (83% positive and 7.2/10 score on Rotten Tomatoes along with 72/100 & 7.0/10 review scores at Metacritic) and although it has attracted calls of boycotts and controversy, I think it’s going to be the movie that knocks off The Dark Knight from the #1 spot. I hope to see this movie next week.

Mirrors (Kiefer Sutherland, Amy Smart)
I have heard nothing about this film nor have I seen the trailer. The IMDB description says it’s about an ex-cop and his family (Sutherland) that are tormented by demonic forces that use mirrors as a gateway into their home. Nowadays, I don’t pay big money to see horror movies, partly because my wife hates them, but mostly because I haven’t seen anything new or original come out in the last decade in the form of horror. It has typically always used the same formulaic approach to scaring the audience.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Christopher Lee, Samuel L. Jackson)
There are a lot of die hard Star Wars fan boys who are lining up as we speak to see this movie, and then there are kids like my 10yr. old step-brother who can’t wait to see this movie as well. But everyone in between, the “typical movie-goer”, has not shown any interest in it. From early reports, it’s being touted as a glorified video game, and basically an hour and a half pilot episode introducing the 100 episode TV series to debut this fall. For me, Star Wars is over. I don’t want to nor will I get excited about any further editions unless it’s live action and a continuation of the story with all of the actors reprising their roles.

Which movie will you see this weekend? I will be gone all weekend at the lake so I will be out of pocket until Monday. Enjoy!

I don’t normally walk out of a movie theater due to a film being so terrible because I can typically find something positive and worth watching in most movies. I am a positive guy and can really appreciate the movie-making process to the point of never really hating a movie. This movie absolutely PUSHED the limits of my positivity.

Seriously, there was nothing good about this film. Now, I don’t often say that about any film or use those kinds of descriptive words…but really folks, this movie isn’t worth anything. I saw this movie with my wife and another couple and if it wasn’t for our dear friendship with this couple, I would have wholeheartedly objected to even considering seeing this movie. The story was laughable, the characters were boring, the CGI was silly, and the whole concept was just pathetic.

It should have been a HUGE warning sign to Brendan Fraser and the rest of the cast when Rachel Weisz decided not to reprise her role after reading the script. Yeah, I agree with her. I can imagine her reading the script and laughing while she threw it in the trash can. The characters were so cliche and boring, and at times, you could visibly see the uncomfortable-ness in Brendan as he tried to resurrect a character that wasn’t great enough to begin with and try and feign some chemistry with an actress not even half the caliber as Weisz. By the way, isn’t about time for Brendan to try and step out of the “family friendly” roles for a bit? He plays basically the same guy in every movie, and all with the same haircut. I’m just saying.

Maria Bello stepped in to replace Rachel and performed just as expected, forgettable and cheap. There was nothing about her role that was unique, she was a half-as-talented blond version of Weisz with a bad British accent. The directors even tried to throw in a little joke at the beginning about her character “becoming a completely new person” as to try and get us to laugh and forget that we’re supposed to believe that THIS IS THE SAME PERSON!

Even the CGI, which has always been pretty cool in the Mummy world, was over the top. They “wow’ed” us with the “sand-time” and “peeling-away-flesh-and-particles” effects in the first Mummy and tried to keep it going in the 2nd, but in this movie, it just feels old and tried. We get it, you’ve perfected the art of blowing sand and eroding particles…what else do you have? Is that it?

The only highlight for me throughout the entire film was John Hannah. Once again he reprises his role as the comic-relief brother-in-law Jonathan, who always manages to bring the audience back to earth with his witty one-liners, all the while making fun of himself and the movie…it’s very subtle. Without him in this movie, I might have walked out. He doesn’t save the movie or even make it for me, he just kept me in my seat and saved me $9 of waste.

Before you rip me a new one, let me tell you that I did like the original Mummy. I thought the action was great, the “sand-time” CGI was new and cool looking (the first time it was cool, not the 132nd time the producers used it), the chemistry between Fraser and Weisz was spot-on, and the story, although out of this world, was entertaining. To me, this movie was a cash-cow-cop-out. It was nothing more than a summer sequel to a franchise that was over after it started. Don’t waste your time or your money.

Content Warning: Rated PG-13 for adventure action and violence. There are a lot of pointless battle scenes involving dead creatures, so no real blood.

I apologize for the lack of posts on ToC and the absence of “Friday Flicks” but my wife and I are in the middle of trying to secure a new home for the next season in our life and it’s taking up a lot of my time that I would normally devote to ToC. Fear not, for I am back in the saddle and starting the “ToC Resurgence” with Friday Flicks for August 8, 2008. This week we have only a couple of wide release movies to choose from so pay close attention.

Pineapple Express (Seth Rogen, James Franco)
This is another Judd Apatow movie (Superbad, 40yr Old Virgin) starring his beloved Seth Rogen and former Freaks and Geeks star James Franco as two stoners who must go on the run after one of them witnesses a murder. I haven’t seen one Apatow movie yet and so I don’t see myself going to the theater and ruining my streak with this one. From what I have heard, it is more of an action/comedy with a lot of drugs, than the typical Apatow-sex-comedy he usually delivers. I know I am in the minority here when it comes to his movies, but I just feel that there has to be a way to make a funny movie, his kind of comedy, without the overly sexual or overly raunchy material that keeps me away. Is it a cheap way to garnish viewers? I know the majority don’t care about that kind of stuff, but to me it’s important and not worth wasting my time to see a movie that will probably offend me most of the way through.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, Amber Tamblyn, Blake Lively)
My wife was given this movie by my mom for Christmas and she really liked it, but I don’t have any interest in seeing the first one, yet alone paying good money to see its sequel that I would have for sure guessed was far from being made. I’m just not into a movie about four “young-teenageish-girls” going off into the world to find themselves, and I am DEFINITELY not into a movie like that in which the girls all bond around a pair of pants!! What?! A pair of pants that fit all of them? That’s the unending and unbreakable symbol of their friendship? A $30 pair of designer jeans that magically fit all 4 differently shaped girls??? AND THEY MADE 2 MOVIES FROM THAT CONCEPT???

If you’re not in the mood for either of those movies, there is also a limited release movie starring Chris Pine and the great Alan Rickman called Bottle Shock that’s picking up a lot of positive reviews. It’s a story of the early days of California wine making centered around the great blind Paris wine tasting of 1976, known as the “Judgment of Paris.” Check your local listings to see where it’s playing around you.

What movie will you go see this weekend?

Armed with that experience, I walked into Hellboy II, sans my wife as she later told me that she didn’t like it THAT much to see a sequel, with open eyes and expecting to enjoy myself and behold another visual explosion from the now-famous Del Toro. I went on opening night with a couple of buds and we were the first in line. I wasn’t sure if it was going to be a “waiting-in-line” movie, but after about 10 minutes of waiting, the line quickly built and I was glad that we arrived early. It was evident that I was not the only one that enjoyed the first movie or Del Toro, and after a few awkward social “what-do-I-do” situations involving overly-excited-older-Hellboy-fans, we made our way to the perfect seat.

Just like the first movie, Hellboy II was a visual masterpiece of effects, creatures, colors, and artistry that we’ve all come to love from Del Toro. I love the different worlds he creates within his movies, worlds that were probably realized out of some crazy dream. Seriously, the world of Hellboy is like nothing else I’ve seen visually in a long time. Sure, it has cities and cityscapes like every other set, but it’s when Hellboy walks into the troll market and exposes the real world behind the curtain, that we get to really digest all of what Del Toro wants to feed us visually. I don’t want to try and overstate how beautiful his films are, but even if the story, for me, fades a little, I am still have been blown away by what he brings to the table. I want to be a fly on the wall when he’s brainstorming!

One of the surprising aspects of the Hellboy franchise is the humor. I think a lot of comic book movies miss the mark when it comes to humor. Sure, most of the comic book movies blow me away with their imagination, story, character, effects, just shear immensity, but there are times when I think they can take themselves too seriously and try to shove a soap-opera-esque drama down our throats, when all I really would like to have is a bit of humor. I laughed quite a few times out loud. I like Ron Perlman’s take on Hellboy, the cigar-smoking, “crap” saying, fight first ask questions later superhero who says what he thinks when he thinks it. I think Guillermo does a great job of not taking himself too seriously and worrying himself with creating a comic book movie that is supposed to based somehow in reality. Especially in this installment, I really felt that he allowed the characters to develop more and he gave us more insight into who they are as opposed to just leaving us with an “action-figure” knowledge of them. He showed more of their personalities, their fears, their passion, their sacrifice, their convictions, and ultimately, their humanity. (I know they aren’t exactly human, but you understand what I mean)

I didn’t think the movie was as good as the first one, in story and in the overall feel, but to me, it’s always hard to compare the “first” of any series of anything to the rest. One of the highlights to me from the first movie was Abe Sapien’s character. Now, I know what you’re thinking, “Dan, he’s in this movie as well, he’s the same guy” and I would agree, but the one difference between the first movie and this one is that in the first Hellboy, Doug Jones portrays Abe Sapien as the actor, the literal body for Abe, but David Hyde Pierce actually voiced him. This go around, Del Toro opted for Doug Jones to complete the character by letting him not only be the body of Sapien but he also voiced him. To me, that was a mistake. David Hyde Pierce added a cynical but sweet humor to Sapien’s character the first go around and I don’t think Doug Jones totally pulled it off. To me, not having his wit and sarcasm weakened Sapien’s character and his whole persona. It wasn’t enough to ruin the movie for me, but it’s definitely a noticeable difference in the two movies.

Del Toro is quickly moving up the movie ladder and with the recent news of him helming the next two Hobbit movies, his stock is surely to rise sky high. There wasn’t much left unanswered to garnish a third movie, but who knows. In this day in age, they can make a trilogy out of anything, heck, I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw Norbit 2 and Norbit 3. Either way, if you knew nothing about Hellboy and walked into the movie, you don’t have to worry, they do a decent job of providing some basic background story to lay the foundation. It’s a great summer movie to sit back and enjoy with some popcorn and candy and be glad that you don’t fight goblins, trolls, or evil mystic princes who need haircuts.

Content Warning: Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and some language. There are some big fights and action, but hardly any blood, and the language is pretty sparse. The creatures may be too much for the little kids though.

I must be honest and admit that when I first heard that RDJ (Robert Downey Jr.) was going to play Iron Man, I was curious about the choice. That’s not to say that I didn’t or do not like RDJ, it’s just that he’s been off the radar for a while, and I didn’t know whether this movie would be the best “comeback movie” for him or not. And before you guys say anything, I know, I was definitely proven wrong. I literally, after seeing the movie, can’t think of a better actor I would want to play Tony Stark than RDJ. He had the perfect mix of abrasiveness, charm, sarcasm, wit, and arrogance to play someone as notable as Tony Stark. I’m sure you obsessed comic book fans will agree.

One of the best parts of Iron Man was the show-stopping sequences of special effects. The gadgetry and creative weaponry on display were amazing. I know there are a lot of special effects in blockbuster movies and it’s normally not worth mentioning, but in this movie, the effects weren’t overdone or out of sync with the rest of the action going on in the scene. I thought it flowed very smoothly with the rest of the film.

There is definitely a subtle under current running throughout the movie that deals with war and technology and America’s view and stance in the “War on Terrorism.” I didn’t think it was overly anti-war or anything, but it was very apparent by numerous scenes where and how the director and/or actors felt about our current situation in the Middle East. It was a little disheartening to see the “stereotypical” Middle Eastern terrorists hiding out in the caves; it seemed a little too cliche. It wasn’t a detractor from the movie for me, it was just another “Americanized” view of terrorists that we’ve all seen.

Overall, it was an absolute joy of a movie. I don’t think I’ve seen such a complete movie, in that every aspect seemed to hit the nail on the head in regards to excellence, in a long time. From the sound, to the score, to the story, to the actors, to the direction, to the effects, to the emotion, to the comic book excitement…the whole movie just blew me away!

Oh, and by the way, if you haven’t seen it yet, stick around after the credits, you won’t be sorry.

Content Warning: Rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and brief suggestive content. There were a few scenes that showed Tony Stark’s “way with women” that were a bit surprising in their sexuality, but nothing too over the top. It reminded me of Transformers in that it had scenes that intentionally were sexual, just so that they could satisfy that component of a summer PG-13 comic book movie…

21 (Kevin Spacey, Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth, and Laurence Fishburne)
21 is based on Ben Mezrich’s nonfiction bestseller “Bringing Down the House,” about six M.I.T. students who were trained to become experts in card counting and subsequently took Vegas casinos for millions in winnings. From the trailers I have seen, this movie looks really exciting and fast paced. I am always intrigued by movies that are based in part on true life stories, and of course, with movies that have Kevin Spacey in them as well. Up-and-coming actor Jim Sturgess, Jude from Across the Universe, leads a young, but formidable cast, into the crazy and at times shady world of Vegas casinos. Aussie film director Robert Luketic, who is best known for more bubbly, girl-centered, romantic movies, (Legally Blonde, Monster-in-Law, Win a Date with Ted Hamilton) tries his hand at an action thriller that in my opinion will pay off big!
Rated PG-13 for some violence, and sexual content including partial nudity.

Run, Fat Boy, Run (Simon Pegg, Thandie Newton, Hank Azaria)
Run, Fat Boy, Run is another movie from the down-to-earth Scottish comedian Simon Pegg of Shaun of the Dead fame. He plays “Dennis”, who is a clueless and slightly overweight guy, who left his pregnant fiancée five years earlier. Every day, he tries to persuade the woman he loves to accept him back into his life, but everyday he fails. When he discovers that “Libby” (Thanide Newton), his love, has found a partner in the form of American “Whit” (Hank Azaria), frustration grows, and he vows, that for once in his life, he will finish something. This something ends up being a Nike River-run in London. With his friends by his side, Dennis begins training for the marathon he must finish. I’ve never seen 1 movie that Pegg has done and I think I regret that. Everyone that has seen him in a movie has recalled to me how funny he is. There’s something humbling about his comedic approach. What makes this movie more appealing to me is that this is the directorial debut of David Schwimmer (Friends). Pre-screenings have audiences laughing out loud and claiming this movie to be the funniest comedy of 2008. I am really looking forward to seeing this one with my buddies here soon.
Rated PG-13 for some rude and sexual humor, nudity, language and smoking.

Stop Loss (Ryan Phillippe, Channing Tatum, Joseph Gordon-Levitt)
Stop Loss is about a decorated Iraq war hero, Sgt. Brandon King (Phillippe), who makes a celebrated return to his small Texas hometown following his tour of duty. He tries to resume the life he left behind. Then, against his will, the Army orders him back to duty in Iraq, which upends his world. The conflict tests everything he believes in: the bond of family, the loyalty of friendship, the limits of love and the value of honor. This is one of those movies I am sure will cause some controversy once the public starts seeing it and writing about it. I can really see this movie hitting home with a lot of people, especially concerning our current war situation. I typically enjoy war films for the most part, and at first glance I wanted to see this, but I don’t think I would be able to handle it. I can’t even understand the feelings and emotions that families go through when they have to send their son or daughter out to war, so I don’t EVEN think I could withstand watching a movie about someone who has to go BACK after serving. Depending on your feelings of the war, this movie may be enjoyable, or it might add to the already fuming rage you have over the war.
Rated R for graphic violence and pervasive language. (re-rating; originally also some strong sexuality)

Superhero Movie (Drake Bell, Sara Paxton, Leslie Nielsen)
A parody of superhero films, from Batman Begins to Fantastic Four. Anytime you see that Leslie Nielsen is in a movie with Pamela Anderson, you automatically know what it’s going to be: a big loss. Following in the long unfortunate line of “Scary Movie #” and any movie where Eddie Murphy plays more than 1 character comes another movie that should never have been made. Though I do give it a 1/2 pt for being original in that it’s seemingly the first superhero parody movie we’ve seen, I don’t give it much chance in the box office. I mean, when you have a Nickelodeon star as your male lead, how strong do you think it’ll be? Take it from me, don’t waste your time.
Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content, comic violence, drug references and language.

Well, I hope that helps you out in your pursuit to pick a movie. If you have any disputes to what I said or have any additional details to add, please feel free to engage in discussion by leaving a comment below.

When I first saw the trailer for this movie, I really had no idea what to expect. I am a huge Daniel Day-Lewis fan, and have been since Last of the Mohicans (”I will find you!”), and when I saw that he was in this movie, and I heard his voice…I guess I was initially expecting some sort of old “western” style Gangs of New York movie. I tagged it as a movie that would be slow going at first, introducing characters, learning about back stories through flashbacks, and one that would ultimately be building up to a huge showdown in the end where Daniel Day-Lewis would heroically, and violently, be killed in some artistic and graphic way…

…I’m not going to say if I was right or not and spoil the movie, but let’s just say that Daniel Day-Lewis has moved up to my Top 3 Actors list after this performance. I absolutely fell in love with his character. He’s a selfish and greedy oil business man who is out to own EVERY drop of oil and spend the money he gets from his every drop of oil on new ways to discover how to obtain even MORE drops of oil. He stops at nothing, at no one, and for no reason in attaining everything he wants…which is everything. His lust and greed drive who he is, it’s his identity, “I’m an oil man” is how he introduces himself, even the color of his skin is stained by the very oil that he so feverishly pursues. I’ve never seen a man, actor, or character in a movie, demand and command so much intimidation by just his voice. Everything revolves around him, he is the epicenter of this oil-filled world out in West Texas, and to everyone else, in order to get to the oil, you have to come through him…well, that’s what he wanted it to be like anyway.

Daniel Day-Lewis so brilliantly plays this character where throughout the movie, at different times, I found myself rooting for him to succeed, cursing his very existence as a character, tearing up for his failures, and at the end, wondering why I cared about him at all. His portrayal was nothing short of genius. Though at times I could copy and paste his portrayal of Bill “The Butcher” Cutting in Gangs of New York onto Daniel Plainview and it might match up pretty close, the difference in Daniel Plainview versus Bill, is that Daniel cares for no one, not even family, when it comes to getting what he wants. His pride, his arrogance, his shame, all of it was wrapped up in trying to get that next oil discovery…ultimately, that next dollar.

To quote one of my friends who I saw the movie with, “He was a killer before he ever became a killer.” The dialogue between the characters, especially from Daniel’s character to Paul Dano’s character Eli Sunday, will leave you wounded in the heart. I’ve never heard dialogue in movies like this. I was literally scared of the words. They were frighteningly real and penetrated you as they were hurled from character to character. At times, I felt like I was in the room with them and could feel the tension crawling around my skin like little pokey ants. It’s a feeling that I’ve never felt before from a movie…and I loved it.

To say that the score in this movie was good is the understatement of the century. In my opinion, a great score in a movie is one that creates itself as an actual character. When the score becomes an integral part of the movie, not just a pretty or thrilling decoration that you move your head to, that’s when it becomes monumental. The music in this movie (if it could be called that, at times it was just eerily sounding violins that scratched my eyes audibly) takes on a personality of its own and forces its way to the front of your mind as you try and concentrate on the dialogue and character, yet can’t figure out why all that you hear is the plickety-pluck of an old scary violin. I will never hear a violin again and not remember the images that flashed across my mind when the violins opened the movie…carrying us to the top of the peak, in its loudest volume, and leaving us there to figure out how to get down. Even now, I am still moved by the reminiscing sounds that are lingering in my memory of the movie’s score.

Shot mostly in West Texas, the landscape of the movie is desolate, dry, and well, West Texas. This movie won’t be awarded nor remembered for its cinematography or use of special new cameras, though I was very moved by just how empty it all was, which I think was a great symbol for what Daniel Plainview really felt…emptiness. Nothing about this movie will leave you smiling or feeling good about yourself, it’s not one of those movies. I do think we can take away the passion that Daniel had for his business and apply that to today’s life, but this is not a message movie. It is a gritty, real, raw, unadulterated, scary, violent, beautiful, haunting look at what greed looks like. What forms greed can take, and what monsters are born out of greed…

If this doesn’t win Best Picture at the Oscars or Daniel Day-Lewis doesn’t win for Best Actor, I will forever be boycotting the Oscars.

Content Warning: This movie is rated R for violence and some foul language, and for, in my opinion the only reason why it’s an R, intense imagery and situations that you do not want youth or kids seeing. The intensity alone deserves an R, but that coupled with how raw and unadulterated the action is, definitely makes it worth and R rating.

Bottom line, you will not forget it…and neither will I.