Tuesday, July 29, 2008

The X-Files: A retrospective

As most of you know by now, my summer project was to watch the entire X-Files series before the movie came out. The time has now officially passed, and I did it! In 60 days I watched 201 episodes. Well, I actually watched 195 episodes. I missed 4 episodes due to disc mix-ups from Netflix and I skipped two episodes. I skipped one because I refuse to watch anything with Kathy Griffin in it and I skipped another one because creepy dolls terrify me and I just couldn't get passed the opening scene. But, I did it. Maybe it is not something to be crazy happy about because there are people who are looking for a cure for cancer and stuff, yet I am thrilled. I watched the show a little bit when it was on the air because my best friend in high school was obsessed, but I never really paid attention.

It starts with a very simple premise: two FBI agents look into unexplained phenomena. Fox Mulder was a brilliant FBI profiler whose need to find out the truth behind his sister's possible alien abduction outweighs everything else. Dana Scully was a doctor who left medicine behind to become an FBI agents. She was put on the X-Files to debunk Mulder, but instead, she just grounded him, she helped him with her science and her medicine. Together they worked for 7 years together to find the truth.

There were two kinds of X-Files episodes- the mythology episodes and the monster of the week(MOTW) episodes. The Mythology episodes involved the possible conspiracy between higher government officials and aliens. Mulder and Scully were usually on the short end of the stick in these episodes and they were even both abducted in different seasons. Mulder's undying quest for the truth, led to a lot of death and even more frustration. They usually had somewhere between 6-8 mythology episodes per season, usually each story taking two or three episodes to complete. These mythology episodes featured reoccurring characters like The Smoking Man, Alex Krycek. Mr. X and Deep Throat. At times they were the best episodes and at times they were the worst episodes. In seasons 1-4 I was always anxiously awaiting them, but then in seasons 5 and 6 they started to feel a bit stale and hard to keep track of. In season 7, they took an odd turn as many of the conspirators were killed in season 6. These episodes always offered an interesting perspective on alien life and offered a lot of really cool visuals, although the shape shifting alien bounty hunter and Alex Krycek started to feel more like they were a crutch than a help to the series.

In between these episodes were the MOTW episodes. They could be hilarious (Mulder and Scully posing as a rich married couple) trippy (plants that trapped you and made you believe you were living another life) creepy (inbreeders) or just down right scary (anything to do with the occult). During that time we saw vampires, shape shifters, A.I, witches, demons, a devil and all sorts of other things. Sometimes the stories were specifically about vampires, but sometimes the stories were more like allegories, or were there to pose a question. The X-Files touched on the dangers of plastic surgery, the problems of computer technology and even illegal aliens. Often times it felt ahead of its time. All of the while keeping a pretty good sense of humor about it. It was a landmark show that showcased great acting, writing, directing and featured that classic theme song. David Duchovney wrote and directed a few episodes, Gillian Anderson wrote and directed a gorgeous episode and even The Smoking man got to write an episode where we learn that the Smoking man killed JFK and Martin Luther King Jr.

The show took a turn in seasons 8 and 9 because Anderson wanted a lighter load and Duchovney wanted out, but Fox was not ready to end the show. Robert Patrick was brought in as Agent Doggett and the sexy Annabeth Gish was brought in as Agent Reyes. In season 8, Doggett was partnered with Scully in the search for the now abducted Mulder and the entire series shifted. After two seasons of trying the new thing, the show was cancelled. Season 9 ended in an absolutely horrid series finale. It was a two hour episode that did little to help the series as the first 45 minutes was essentially clip show and the final half was just kind of off the wall with all of the dead characters coming back in Mulder's mind.

I want to talk a little bit about seasons 8 and 9. Overall, I actually really enjoyed them, because of Patrick's amazing Doggett. He got a bum rap because he was replacing Fox Mulder, but Doggett was a great character and the team of the skeptic Doggett and the in-touch-with-the-spiritual Reyes led to some great episodes. The two actors had a great chemistry, if a very different one from Mulder and Scully. I was never sure I wanted to see Mulder and Scully get together, but Doggett and Reyes had such heat between them, I was dying to watch them get together. If anything, the continued inclusion of Scully lessened season 9. It was obvious Anderson had checked out, and every time they brought her on, it brought down the episodes. I am not saying I wish the show had continued in that way, but if Carter had written another show for Doggett and Reyes I surely would be watching it this very second.

Even though the show ended on sour note, I am glad to have watched it and I feel better for having done it. It seems weird, but I think I am more open to paranormal phenomena because of The X-Files. I now better understand where shows like Buffy and Lost come from. The X-Files was monumental for so many years and it is nice to be able to relive those on DVD. Will I eventually get a collectors set of the show so I can rewatch my favorite episodes, hell yes I will!

What follows is a list of my 10 favorite non-mythology episodes:

10. Ice- It was in season 1 and featured Felicity Huffman. It was a very intense episode and was the first episode that really grabbed me.

9. Darkness Falls- Also in season 1. It was another of the more creepy episodes and had really strong visuals.

8. Irresistible- It was a case that wasn't an X-File which made the whole thing really disgusting. It is in season 2

7. Jon Doe- Agent Doggett has no memory and it is Mexico. It is incredible. season 9.

6. D.P.O- Jack Black and Giovanni Ribisi star here and the episode in deliciously fun episode. It is in season 3.

5. Leonard Betts- A guy dies, but keeps reappearing. The shot of him coming out of the tub while his skin is still reattaching itself is worth it. Gross! Season 4.

4. The Rain King- This episode is more funny than anything else. It also features a cute romance, not with Mulder and Scully. Season 6.

3. Patience- Doggett's first official X-File case is tracking a bat person. This episode really endeared Doggett to me. Season 8.

2. Arcadia- The funniest episode by far sees Scully and Mulder going undercover as a wealthy married couple. Also, the monster is just ugly looking. Season 6.

1. Monday- A woman is reliving a day where Mulder is killed every day. It is a brilliant piece of television. Season 6.

The X-Files: I want to believe


By the time you read this you will have most likely just finished reading the above post which is a whole X-Files thing, so I am just going to jump right in here.

Mulder and Scully are back! The FBI has a case that was brought to them on a cold call, by a supposedly psychic priest (Billy Connelly), but the two agents in charge (Amanda Peet and Xzibit(?))are not sure they believe he is really a psychic. Who you gonna call? Fox Mulder! Mulder has been laying low, hiding from the FBI for the last few years after he broke out of a military prison where he was to be hanged. Agent Xzibit asks Scully, now a doctor in a Catholic hospital, to track down Mulder because an FBI agent has been abducted and they need his help. The Priest has more psychic visions, but no one trust him because he is noted pedophile, having molested 30 young boys during his priesting. Mulder believes, or at least he wants to believe, that the visions are true. In these visions the father is seeing and hearing dogs, but not much else, except he is able to lead the FBI to all kinds of body parts. When a second girl gets abducted, Mulder gets fully behind the case, but Scully will not commit. Scully refuses to follow Mulder back into the darkness, but Mulder proclaims his whole life is about the darkness. When they stumble onto the body parts and test them for drugs, Mulder believes they are looking for an organ thieving business, which of course, is not terribly X-files like. In a side plot, focused on Scully, she is the doctor for a child who has an incurable disease, except she wants to try some risky stem cell surgery. It doesn't seem like much of a story, but the brilliance of Dana Scully is the way she is always trying to balance science and religious faith and this story line provides the perfect opportunity for it.

There is a giant part of me that believes I have to view this movie as if The X-Files did not exist. I want to review this specifically as a movie. In that regard, I believe it mostly succeeds. The opening scene is creepy and does an excellent job of setting the mood and the rest of the movie follows suit. There is a nice balance between the darkness and the light hearted Mulder and Scully banter, but in the end, as an X-Files movie, I have to ask "why?" If you are going to revive a franchise that died a very slow and painful death in 2002, you had better make sure the product you bring back something worth watching. The X-files: I want to believe, is worth watching as a movie, but as an X-Files movie it feels like an average stand alone episode. That being said, it was a blast to see my two favorite FBI agents back in action.

David Duchovney finds Mulder perfectly, even after letting him go 6 years ago. He is funny, charming, earnest and he still knows how to make us believe in him and his beliefs. Gillian Anderson kind of steals the show, though. She is heartbreaking, kind, and subtle in her choices and watching the two of them banter for the first half and argue through the second half does have a sense of classic X-Files to it. The scene they share in the hospital when Scully confesses she cannot follow him is really the crux of the movie. The plot takes a back seat to watching these characters re-evaluate their relationships and their lives. Mulder still eats sun flower seeds, is still obsessed with the paranormal and his ceiling is still riddled with pencils, but he is desperately in love with Scully. Dana is still whip smart and resistant to believing in the paranormal, but her love for Mulder shines through easily. Even in a lesser X-Files episode they are worth watching and that is no different here. It helps that Chris Carter crafts pretty good dialog that feels totally true to the two characters. Even as Mulder and Scully try to find a way to live with each other after the series, they cannot help but continue to question everything all of the time. It is obvious Carter was not ready to let these two iconic T.V figures go.

When the plot does get back on track during the third act, we get some cool, creepy and scary stuff, all helped by Mark Snow's haunting score. The man has not lost his touch for creating the perfect mood with music. The X-Files theme is used only 3 or 4 times that I remember in the actual movie, but it is butchered in some awful techno version in the credits. Fans of the show will undoubtedly get a kick out of seeing Skinner again as well, even if just in the cameo role he was relegated to early in the series. However, while the plot is mildly X-Files like, I was left wanting more. I needed a better reason to see Mulder on screen again. I needed a better reason to watch Scully and Mulder share a bed together. I know Carter wanted to do a stand alone supernatural thriller, but a psychic child molesting priest? Why not tackle something like Big Foot even. Or perhaps something alien that did not have to do with the mythology. I have to believe The X-Files mythos can continue on, but I am not sure this was the right venue in which to bring it back.

I was entertained; I laughed and cheered silently and even uttered an audible "oh shit" during the moment that shocked me, so I cannot be too mad at Chris Carter. He made a pretty good thriller featuring the characters of the X-Files, just not a good X-Files thriller. Sadly, the opening weekend box office leaves little chance we will see a third movie and after limping across the finish line once before, this solid, if unremarkable, movie could be the final nail in the coffin of The X-Files.

Final Grade: C+

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Mamma Mia!


I have always felt it was nice to go into a movie with extremely low expectations. It really means you have nothing to lose. My expectations for this musical were about as low possible for still semi-wanting to see a movie. With bizarre casting choices, insufferable music and a stage play that tries to cram roughly 30 songs into 140 minutes, I did not have high hopes for Mamma Mia! I readily admit that I am not the target audience and judging from the large crowd this afternoon, I am the wrong gender and the wrong generation. Again, the low expectations were a blessing, right?

The story of young Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) searching for her dad before she gets married, sounds simple enough. Well, until you realize her mother, Donna (Meryl Streep), sexed up 3 guys within a month and Sophie has three potential fathers. I know it sounds like the stuff out of a Maury Povich episode, but when that story is set to ABBA music, joy and merriment ensue! The three possible sperm donors have been invited to the wedding by Sophie without Donna Knowing. The three men, Bill (Stellan Skarsgard) Sam (Pierce Brosnan) and Harry (Colin Firth) meet on a boat on the way to the island having no idea what is in store. Donna sees them, panics and spends the rest of the movie near tears. Sophie gets a lot of time with each man, but concludes that she cannot figure who the father is. She can draw like Sam, is musical like Harry but her mom got all of her money from Bill's aunt, so who could it be? If you want to know the answer to that question, too bad, because this movie is not going to answer the question Sophie asks for nearly 2 hrs. There is a side plot involving Donna's old band mates played by Julie Walters and Christine Baranski where the two women try and get Donna out of her rut. It is all done with forced creepy smiles, fake joy, obnoxious music and a gorgeous Greek island.

To call the first hour of this movie unbearable would be a slight to things that are unbearable. Meryl streep, at sixty years old, is twenty years too old for the role. I do not care if you put her in a bad blonde wig and cover up her years with make up, she is a sixty year old woman with a twenty two year old daughter. Christine Baranski at fifty seven years old is too old to be the band member who is supposed to be hot enough to be the desire of a twenty-something bartender. When she sings "Does your mother know that you're out" it is just flat out creepy. GILFs exist sure, but to make merriment out of it is just uncomfortable for everyone involved. Streep is about the most talented actress alive, but comedy, well comedy is not her calling. Watching her mug hardcore for laughs was embarrassing. Someone should take a few of her Oscars away just for the first 45 minutes of Mamma Mia! Meryl Streep shouldn't be on screen jumping around like a little girl at camp. I am okay with actors slumming it to have fun, but this, well this isn't even fun. It is cringe inducingly awful. I was moments away from walking out of it just out of respect for the actor Meryl Streep really is. Luckily Meryl gets to actually show off her acting chops in the second half and almost makes you forget about "Super Trouper."

There is one scene/song that actually gets the joy right. It is the one moment of pure actual fun. It is a moment that incited no less than 6 little girls to get up in the theater and dance. It is a moment that had all of the women in the audience singing and rocking; that is, of course, "Dancing Queen." A really bad disco song, sure, but in this movie it is so much more. It starts with Donna's two friends trying to break her out of her funk, but as it goes on it becomes so much more. Donna gets into it and soon the three women are singing and dancing through the island and along the way they seem to pick up every single woman on the island. Working women, elderly women, little girls and every other kind, drop whatever they are doing to celebrate being a woman. It is not only the most fun in the movie, but it actually changes my entire idea of what that song is. Who knew "Dancing Queen" could have so much woman power behind it! It almost saves the first half.

The second half of the movie, the next day, is a much different movie. Streep rips her way through "The Winner takes it all", but that great moment is blown at the end by awful blocking. Streep and Seyfried force tears out of all of the women in the audience with the touching "Slipping through my fingers" and Pierce Brosnan gets to show off his ummm vocal skills(for lack of a better word) on "S.O.S." Brosnan is an interesting topic for this movie. The man doesn't sing so well, he is too old (but a match for Streep) yet, I totally dug it. He is always in tune, but his voice is weak, but man he commits. I mean he commits to all of it. Brosnan only seems to get better looking with age and he fits perfectly with the exotic locale, and the passion in his eyes for Donna is just magical. I know he is getting much criticism in this movie, but for my money he deserves the most praise.

Then there is Amanda Seyfried. Oh Amanda, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. With big curious blue eyes, a sun kissed Greek tan, a body to fill out any bathing suit and more than capable vocal chops, Seyfried's Sophie is the brightest star of this travesty. If the movie had been better I would pick this for her break out role. Seyfried handles the entire role of Sophie quite well and really holds up with Streep, even in the more dramatic moments. She is charming, utterly likable, sexy but innocent, sweet but not naive. It is not hard to imagine why her fiance, played by six-pack having Dominic Cooper, would give up his life dream of traveling the world to settle down with such a voluptuous beauty.

I believe most people will probably be tricked into believing they are having a good time, because the cast is obviously trying so hard to have a good time. I am fairly certain the director looked at the entire cast and said "For the first hour of this movie, I just want you to smile as big as you possibly can and also jump around a lot; feel the music. Don't worry about steps, just feel the music. Feel alive, but keep smiling, squealing and jumping." I am sure most of the public will join them, but I know better. Nothing is more disgusting than fake joy. Hairspray did it right, Mamma Mia! gets it wrong, oh so very wrong. By the time the finale of "Take a chance on Me" comes around, I was all ABBAed out and ready to go back to the real world.

Final Grade: D

Monday, July 21, 2008

10 movies that always make me cry (some spoilers)

First off, this is an all inclusive list. These are the only 10 movies that make me cry every time I watch them. In some cases I have seen the movie dozens of times and in others, only a few times, but they always get me. It is purely a coincidence that it is 10 movies long. At the end I will name off some movies that made me cry the first time.

10. Into the Wild- This is a new addition and I have only seen it 3 times, but the same part gets me every time. The lead character meets a lonely old man and before the lead character embarks on a journey into the Alaskan wild, the old man asks him if he can adopt him as a grandson. Hal Holbrook as the old man is so perfect that I have had tears streaming down my face each time. It is the most sad moment in a movie full of sad moments. Reading the book first did not help, as I cried reading that part in the book as well. It only added to my belief that the young man was a selfish prick because how could he do that to this old man. It truly breaks my heart each time.

9. John Q.- I will go on record as saying it is not a very good movie. It is so over the top and melodramatic that it doesn't stay serious for very long, but there is a moment that gets it right. John Q is a man who takes a hospital hostage when his insurance will not cover a heart transplant for his kid. Eventually John realizes the only way to do it is to give his kid his heart. Denzel Washington's monologue to the kid kills me. Denzel knows he is about to kill himself to save his son and wants one last moment with him. He gives him life advice on the verge of tears and it hits me hard. It is a brilliant moment in an otherwise forgettable movie.

8. White Squall- To be fair I have not seen this in a decade or so, but it is the first movie to ever make me cry in theaters. I think I was 15 the first time. It is a movie based on the true story of a group of young men learning to grow up and learn while on a boat. Call it Dead Poets society on a boat. As it so often goes on boat movies, a storm comes in and people die. My recollection is a bit fuzzy, but I remember a moment where a young man had to let one of his best friends drown in order for himself to live. It killed me in theaters and when I watched on VHS every time after that.

7. Remember the Titans/Coach Carter- Yes, I am a sucker for inspirational sports movies and these two are fairly similar. They both feature great moments of people who hate each other coming together and persevering. That kind of stuff always gets me. Titans features a few more serious moments like a near fatal accident and such, but Carter has a scene with a gang banger wanting back on the team and Coach gives him impossible tasks and his teammates all take on some of the load in a show of support for a possible teammate. I grew up playing sports and that kind of teamwork is unheard of, but truly remarkable.

6. Brokeback Mountain- It is just one moment out of a movie with great moments and great performances. If you have seen the moment, you know what it is. After his lover dies, Ledger finds his shirt, hugs it, smells it and Kyle's water works hit full tilt. I honestly believe this to be one of the most tragic love stories I have ever seen on film. I have seen it at least a dozen times and that moment gets me every damn time. Tragedy does not come that quiet and that subtle very often, but the movie and Heath's quiet portrayal work to perfection in making me blubber like a child.

5. Moulin Rouge!- I call this my "I want to Cry about love" movie. This is the most romantically tragic movie I have ever seen and Ewan McGreggor makes it all happen as he says one little line "Thank you for curing me of my ridiculous obsession with love." That one line launches tears from me and ridiculous exasperated sighs from Erik as he mocks my romantic sensibilities. The story gets more tragic from there, but it is that small moment that comes right after a giant production number that starts the downward spiral of my emotions. Anytime I am feeling sad about love or desiring to find love, I put this movie on and weep like a chick and I am perfectly okay with it.

4. The Pursuit of Happyness- Even the previews to this movie made me cry. There are three moments that get me each time and they are for totally different reasons; the first is when Will and son are sleeping in the bathroom of a train station and Will tries to keep the door shut. It gets me for the sheer sadness factor. I feel for this guy and his son. The second comes when Will tells his son he will never be a good basketball player and immediately tells his son not to listen to him and that he can be whatever he wants. I cry because of the determination and the fact that Will sells that transition so well. Then I cry at the end with Will as he reaches his goal. He went from being homeless to being able to provide for his kid. It is the ultimate let it all out moment and I let it out alongside him.

3. Freedom Writers- I cannot point out a moment of crying because they start early on and continue for most of the movie. I love stories about people who need just one person to care and when that one person cares, they change everything about them. Throw in a story about a holocaust survivor and high school writing their feelings and you have a perfect cocktail for Kyle tears. Inspiring teenagers is something I hope to do in life and this movie exemplifies that.

2. United 93- I think we all know why this movie makes me cry. It should make everyone cry, but everyone should see it. As an unflinching documentary style film, it really captures the courageous heroes of United 93 on 9/11. It is a beautiful and moving piece of history and a very nice documentation of people rising together on one of America's darkest days. If you are not moved you are not human.

1. Rudy- I cry at the end of this every time and I have seen it probably 50 times by now. He gets to dress and the entire crowd starts chanting "Rudy, Rudy" and he gets on the field and makes a tackle. All is well in the world when Rudy is on. What a powerful inspiration this little guy was/is. He came from a blue collar family and not only got the grades to get to Notre Dame, he played on the all mighty Fighting Irish football team. With teammates and crowd behind him, the coach has no choice and the second Rudy hits the field, the tears hit my face and stay there until the movie has been over for quite some time.

Here are a few movies that made me cry the first time I saw them: Monster's Ball, The Green Mile, The Holiday, Finding Neverland and Half Nelson.

What movies make you cry?

The Dark Knight ( major spoilers)


I have been sitting here trying to decide if I had anything to say about the movie that has not already been said; I don't. The existing reviews all say the kinds of things I am going to say here, but since those reading it know me, you will continue reading anyway. So, here...we....GO!

Gotham City (looking a lot more like Chicago than New York, which I like) is in despair. The mob is running the city, but things get worse when a maniac bank robber actually steals from that mob. He goes by the name of the The Joker. He is pure evil; the kind of evil that is evil just because he likes it. He is not after money or even power really, he only wants to prove that all men can be evil. He also wants The Batman to unmask himself and until The Batman does that, he will kill people. The Batman, Lt. Jim Gordon and Gotham's hot shot new District Attorney, Harvey Dent, are out to put a stop to the madness. Batman/ Bruce Wayne and Gordon believe Gotham has finally found their true hero. Dent is not afraid to put mobsters away and he really wants to clean up Gotham. He is the white knight in all of the darkness. Thus, The Joker must break him. The Joker knows he has to destroy Gotham's hope if he is going to prove his maniacal point.

There is a lot more to the story, but the basics have been provided for you. The Dark Knight is a hard boiled crime thriller masquerading as a superhero/comic book movie. If Batman was a detective and 2 scenes were changed, this would be the kind of movie that got released in November vying for Oscar gold. It has little in common with the typical superhero movie. There is almost nothing light hearted about it and it is not at all for children. While it has virtually no bad language it pushes the boundaries of the PG-13 rating for the brutal violence and sheer intensity of story. The Dark Knight is a very serious film and is probably out of place in the middle of summer, except that it is massively popular. Christopher Nolan might be the best director working right now. The way he weaves the stories together and the way he allows Bruce and Batman play second fiddle in a movie that is supposed to be about Batman is nothing short of brilliant. This is Harvey Dent's story; this is Dent's movie. The way The Joker and Batman fly in and out of the story makes that even more apparent. In focusing the story on Dent, Nolan is able to to play with the morality of good vs. evil in incredible ways. We see Dent go from being a boy wonder all the way to being Two-Face and everything in between. There is a scene where Dent kidnaps a Joker lackey and considers the unthinkable to finish the Joker. That scene is perfectly situated in the middle of Dent's story. The middle point between good and evil.

Much has been said of Heath Ledger's Joker and all of it deserved, but do not let Heath get the only major credit here. Aaron Eckhart is the perfect "White Knight" of Gotham. He looks the part, of course, but he also nails the do-gooder part and watching his descent into madness is nothing short of spectacular. Christian Bale is back in the thankless role of Batman. He has less screen time than I would have thought possible, but he does get some great time as Bruce Wayne. The movie upps his playboy status and when he becomes Batman he is certainly intimidating. His Batman growl is my single gripe about the movie. He sounds so fake, it is hard to take him seriously at times. Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman are both very much game for their roles as Batman co-conspirators and Caine gets a really nice monologue explaining The Joker's possible motives. Maggie Gyllenhall emerges as Rachel Dawes, but she isn't given all that much to do. She does have a nice chemistry with both Eckhart and Bale, but she is merely on screen to move the story along.

Ledger, for his part, is among the most evil villains you will ever find on screen. His hunch, his gimpy walk, his Chicago like accent and that laugh are all purely satanic. All weekend on T.V, channels were running every Ledger film they have and I watched bits and pieces of Brokeback Mountain, 10 things I hate about you, The Order, Knight's Tale and Lords of Dog town and nowhere on the screen in The Dark Knight did I see Heath Ledger. A few years ago the unthinkable happened and Johnny Depp was nominated for an Oscar for a Keith Richards impression for a big summer blockbuster. So, it is not unheard of and it would be well deserved for Ledger. I was in the minority for liking the casting from the get-go and I believe that I would be saying this even if Heath was alive today.

Here comes the spoiler!

I have read and heard much in the way of the ending, about how pessimistic and cynical it is. Summer movies are supposed to give us a nice sense of closure at the end; we want to feel happy when it is over. Here, The Joker wins. Sure, he is caught, but he accomplished his goal. Not only does Gotham's White Knight disintegrate into a killer, Gotham's Dark Knight takes the fall to keep that secret. For the most part, The Joker lost. The people on the freighters did not blow each other up and only 5 people in Gotham know what happened to Dent, but we know. We see that evil can win. Evil can get the best of even the best men. It is very much a downer ending and it may leave you unsatisfied, but I think that is cool. The Dark Knight is not meant to be popcorn entertainment. It is supposed to leave you exhausted, sweating and it is meant to leave you gripping your seat. It is 150 minutes of dark intense drama emphasized by truly stunning visual effects and stunts. Hello, 18 wheeler being flipped!!

The Dark Knight deserves all of the praise and money it is earning and if the academy had any balls at all, it would award this picture with a Best Picture nominee. A few years ago it would have been unheard of for a Fantasy picture to be nominated and win, but The Lord of the Rings transcended that genre. The Dark Knight transcends The Superhero Genre. It transcends the blockbuster genre; it moves beyond a summer film. It is exquisitely directed, acted, paced, scripted and delivered and what more could we ask for in a movie?

Final Grade: A+

Monday, July 14, 2008

HellBoy 2: The Golden Army


I have decided to forgo the usually "I love Comic books and Superhero movies" opening and just get right to it.

The movie opens with Hellboy as a kind of awkward 11 year old boy with his father reading him a story about the eventual truce between the human world and the creature world. We see the story with the best use of Puppetry I have ever seen in a movie. The movie then shoots to present day where the prince of the creature world, a ninja elf named Nuada (Luke Goss) has come to Earth, killed a bunch of people and stolen 1/3 of a crown needed to control the Golden Army. The Golden Army is an indestructible army created by tree goblins. They feel nothing, need nothing and serve one purpose- killing. Hellboy (Ron Pearlman) and his crew are called in to figure out what happened. The crew is experiencing some growing pains though, because Hellboy and his girl Liz are fighting and Hellboy is tired of being hidden. He wants to be out in the world. When it happens though, it is obvious the world is not ready for that. Abe Sapien (Doug Jones), one of Hellboy's crew, finds the princess Nuala who is afraid of her twin brother because she hold the final 1/3 of the crown and when Nuada killed their father to get the other 1/3, she knew he was crazy. Abe falls in love with her and wants to keep her safe. Hellboy must risk everything to try and find Nuada before he calls on the Golden Army to destroy all of mankind.

By now everyone who loves movies knows that Guillermo Del Toro is kind of a dark fantasy wizard. His creature designs are out of this world amazing and he loves creating a deep mythology surrounding his movies. Hellboy 2 is no different. In fact, if I had a complaint it would be that I wanted more time with some of the creatures. The Elemental God that turns into a gorgeous field of flowers upon death was so breathtakingly gorgeous and creepy that I wish I had got to spend more time looking at it. The Angel of Death who is reminiscent of a creature from Pan's Labyrinth, only gets a few minutes of screen time as well, but that character could have possibly changed the entire future of the franchise, should this franchise continue. Then there is the Goblin Market (not to be confused with Christina Rossetti's poem of the same name). The Goblin Market is a total potpourri of inventive creatures that brings back vision of Star Wars: A New Hope. Del Toro obviously has a love of old style costumes, make up and prosthetics and doesn't really pack on the CGI characters, which is kind of an awesome change of pace.

Then there is Ron Pearlman's Hellboy. Pearlman is so in tune with his Hellboy that it makes it such delight to watch. he is funny and nasty, but also has a soft side and Pearlman really brings that out. His Hellboy is not as laconic as the comic Hellboy, but he had made Hellboy his total creation. His chemistry with Liz (Selma Blair at her hottest) is really excellent even if the love story does get in the way a bit. Seth Macfarlane provides the voice of the crew's newest member, Johann Krauss, a German entity. He is merely a soul in a space suit, who can inhabit anything. It is an interesting creature and I hope he comes back if a third one is made.

Del Toro is more than just an inventive creature designer though; he knows how to tell a story and he knows how to make us gain sympathy for everyone. Yes, Nuada is the villain, but in the end we understand his plight. He is worried about all of his world disappearing. Maybe he goes about it the wrong way, but ultimately he just wants what is best for his world. It is hard to really think of him strictly as a villain. When we see how beautiful and interesting the species of his world are, we kind of worry that they will go extinct as well and that is saddening. Del Toro also knows how to pack a comic punch as evidenced by a slapstick scene seemingly inspired by The Three Stooges involving some lockers. Also a scene with Hellboy and Abe drunk and singing inspires plenty of laughs.

Hellboy 2 is a bigger (see the climatic fights) and louder (see the scene where they shooting at everything) movie than Hellboy, but that is the Hollywood Way. I do not have a problem with it because it is incredibly entertaining and imaginative. Watching it gave me full faith that Del Toro can do the Hobbit with no problems and really has a bright future. It is an exciting movie and a nice way to tide me over until The Dark Knight!

Final Grade: B+

Thursday, July 10, 2008

American Idol Live

I grew up going to concerts. I have seen more concerts than I can possibly recall here today. I had never in my life seen a concert with a more diverse audience than this show. This is proof that American Idol truly crosses all boundaries. I know the show is passed its peak, but the behemoth is still alive and kicking and totally undeniable. I have never been before and I am told the format changes each year, but this year the Idols performed in order of how they were voted off.

Chikeze: I was a big fan of his on the show and I knew that his downfall was the weekly themes. Opening a show like this, where the crowd is just dying for the top 2, is not easy, but this dude set it off. He only had three songs and he only did 1 song that he performed on the show. I was disappointed he did not do his funky Beatles cover, but his version of Usher's "Caught Up" was perfectly polished. When he started singing John Legend's "So High" I was worried because it is one of my favorite love songs from one of my favorite singers, but Chikeze really nailed it. His falsetto totally blew me away and he set a high standard for the evening.

Ramiele: This was by far the low point of the night. As I sit here now, I cannot recall a single song she sang or even how she performed. I do remember she looked hot, but this was totally forgettable. How she made it into the top 10 was beyond me during the show and it was confirmed here. She is young yes, but she was just out performed by the light show playing on the big screen behind her. Her set could not end soon enough.

Michael Johns: This guy was my pick to win it all from the very first audition. How he left the show so early just shows how stupid America is. Johns was one of only 3 of the Idols who have a voice truly worthy of owning an arena. His Queen songs were perfect as were his other two songs. His bluesy re imagining of a Dolly Parton song was the highlight of the night for me. Michael Johns was born in the wrong decade as he is the prototypical lead singer of a 60s rock band. He needs to be fronting a stadium rock band.

Kristy Lee Cook: Honestly this girl didn't need to sing; she just needed to stand on stage in those amazingly tight jeans and a shirt that give you just a hint of sexy tummy. She did her country thing and her "I love America and the troops" thing, which led to some really inappropriate jokes from me at my seat. She ended with some cowgirl song that featured a lot of her moving her sexy hips from side to side. It was basically awesome and more awesome every time she turned her back to the audience. She didn't have that sexy wavy or curly hair, but with jeans like the ones she had on, it did not matter.

Carly Smithson: Carly opened her set getting her Goth on to Evanessence. It was the perfect song for her. She has a big voice, but she did crack two times during her set and when she talked to the crowd she was kind of an idiot. I enjoyed her performance of Heart's "Crazy on you." She totally killed it, but I think by this time in the show I was just ready for my remaining favorites. I have nothing against this girl, she just doesn't hold my attention well.

Brooke White: The sweetest girl on the planet kept in her comfort zone with a piano and guitar. She didn't do anything amazing, but she preformed well and her talking breaks sounded the most genuine of the night. She has kind of an odd vibe and she probably is not right for such a big venue, but her cover of Coldplay's "Yellow" was one of the more tender moments of the night. Her vocals were stronger than I was anticipating because she was often quiet on the show.

Jason Castro: I have decided this guy just looks stunned all of the time. he seemed the most surprised by the fan reaction maybe because he doesn't understand how girls can like a guy who doesn't seem to ever shower. That being said he performed a version of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" that was so odd sounding because he did it the way Jack Johnson would sing that song. He has a nice quality to his voice, but he did seem a bit too overwhelmed by the screaming and squealing by the girls in the house. He played his guitar for all three songs which probably helped him a lot.

Syesha: How this girl finished in the top 3 is beyond me. Her little dress helped though. Hello, Syesha's cleavage, nice to see you, really. Wow. She went through the typical black girl karaoke artists- Rhianna, Alicia Keys and Beyonce. I have never heard a girl who over sings the way this obnoxious girl does. Christina Aguilerra would have thought she did too many runs in the middle of her songs. Seriously girl, it is perfectly okay to just sing a song, honestly it is. She nearly ruined Alicia Keys. Also, "Umbrella" is Rhianna's song and she is the only one who should sing it. We heard her sing it thousands of times last summer and why would anyone else do it? Syesha's stage presence was not nearly as energetic or sassy as I would have thought and if her cleavage had not been so visible I probably would not have paid much attention.

David Archuleta: My disdain for his brand of faux humility is pretty well documented in my household. Nobody who has been singing for his entire life is surprised when people praise his singing. No one who trapped the first American Idolers in an airport to belt out a tune is shocked people like his voice. Archuleta is a fake obnoxious teenager, but dude can flat out sing. On this night, he sang his ass off. I was not a fan of the songs he sang, save for his opener, but he sounded excellent and he managed to make "Apologize" less annoying than listening to the actual song. He commanded the stage pretty well and he knew exactly how to get the crowd to scream and scream and scream and scream. My ears were about to burst when he kept saying "Oh wow guys, this is the loudest yet. Ah shucks, you like me. I am so humbled by my own amazing talent. Thanks for coming to watch he pretend to be grateful." Okay maybe he didn't say it exactly like that. I can't see him being a big star because he is so awkward when he tries to speed things up, see his uncomfortable "Beautiful Girls" run during "Stand by Me." YIKES!

David Cook: I was surprised that no time during the show did they say anything like "Your American Idol: David Cook." Cook is a star and he knows it, which is cool. You get this confident, slightly cocky, but still down to Earth performer ripping through emo-ed out versions of Lionel Ritchie and Michael Jackson. He managed to almost hold my attention during that god awful song American Idol forces him to sing and he straight tore through The Foo Fighters "My Hero." He knows how to work a crowd, spending a lot of time talking and shaking hands. Who knows if the chains of American Idol will be the downfall of David Cook, but he is the first winner of the show who seems to be totally level headed about the whole thing. The girls love him, but more importantly, the women love him too. He truly crosses age barriers.

My vision of how this show would go and how it actually went were very different and left me feeling quite disappointed overall. I had visions of medleys and duets and just a lot of group camaraderie and I got virtually none of that. I enjoyed much of the individual stuff, but I wanted to hear some of these people singing together. I wanted to watch some stage chemistry, instead I got slick over too quickly performances. Why wouldn't they find a way to put the two David's on stage for a little bit? What I listened to where 5 or 6 people singing for a record deal and the others just warming up for recording their albums.

Oh and the only time all 10 were on stage together was for Rhianna's "Please don't stop the music." I am sorry but watching Brooke, Jason, Michael, Carly and David Cook trying to sing and dance to such a song was so funny, I thought I was going to die laughing. Michael Johns and Brooke White should never sing the lines "You hands around my waist." They really shouldn't. That being said, getting to see Kristy Lee Cook back in really really tight jeans made up for it. Seriously, that girl is so sexy.

Monday, July 07, 2008

Hancock


Will Smith is one of my favorite actors. I am unabashedly a huge fan of his work. I don't hide that fact. Putting him in a Superhero movie seemed to guarantee I would absolutely love the movie. Opening it on "Big Willie Weekend" was even more of a sure thing. However, something happened about month ago that worried me; the running time got trimmed from nearly two hours down to 90 minutes. Anytime a movie is trimmed that close to a release that is kind of a big warning sign. But, if anyone could put me at ease about that it is Will Smith.

John Hancock(Smith) is a drunk superhero who causes more damage than he is worth to the city of Los Angeles. He puts criminals away, but causes damages in excess of 5 million dollars. Everyone hates him, including little kids. Hancock has a foul mouth and a tendency to try and grab girls' rear ends. One day he saves the life of Ray Embrey(Jason Bateman) and it causes quite a train wreck. Everyone else is telling Hancock to get out of town, but Embrey thanks him and extends an invitation for Hancock to eat dinner with his family. Embrey's son, Aaron loves Hancock, as kids should love a superhero, but Ray's wife, Mary(Charlize Theron) despises Hancock. Ray works in Public Relations and he has visions of changing the world. He sees Hancock as his way to do that. He convinces Hancock to change his image. Hancock spends a few weeks in jail and comes out a real superhero. In a great dinner scene we get glimpses of Hancock's back story. 80 years prior he woke up in a hospital in Miami with a concussion. He seemed like a mere mortal when he got there, but he healed super quickly and was indestructible. He could fly and was super strong as well.

Hancock is a unique superhero movie because it is not an origin story. In fact, there is very little that deals with where Hancock came from and how he came to be. There is a twist that is obvious but that twist comes with another twist that is less obvious. It is also unique in that the villain gets almost no screen time and there isn't really a super villain. Hancock is truly a movie about a guy who is searching for his place in the world. It is a classic story, but features a guy who can fly. Smith is incredible in both modes of Hancock. He is very convincing as the asshole, which is weird because it plays totally against the Will Smith type. And when Hancock becomes the hero we all want him to be, Smith is effortless, of course. Bateman really brings a lot to the role of Ray. The conversations he and Hancock have go beyond just banter by earnestly believing he can change the world. Theron brings her smart sexiness to a role that requires some bizarre transitions. In fact, Theron is probably the most harmed by the 30 minute cutting.

My complaints about Hancock all revolve around the 30 minute cut. There are questions asked, but not answered and a lot of the mythology is left unexplained because it ended up ont he cutting room floor. There are a few lines of dialog that don't make sense because semi-important things were cut in favor of more action, but my enjoyment of the film was not really harmed. Sure, I wanted more mythology, but I am a guy who lives for mythology of superheros and serialized television. Plus, the mythology of Hancock seemed very interesting and incredibly unique. I guess I will have to wait for the DVD to be fully satisfied.

That is not to say this movie didn't satisfy me because it did. The action sequences are wonderfully paced and I thought the CGI flying looked good. I liked that the movie didn't really turn into a CGI spectacle save for one scene involving a semi truck being thrown on Hancock. I actually loved the shift in tone, that has thrown a lot of people off. The movie starts in a kind of dark comedy mode, with many jokes and one-liners, but in the final 30 minutes the movie makes a massive turn and becomes a pretty dark movie, especially the climax. Peter Berg (The director) directs a brilliant climax inside a hospital that is thrilling, scary and heart breaking. Mixing brutal violence with blood curdling screams really was effective and surprising. It was like watching the one good scene in Superman Returns where Lex Luthor is gleefully beating the crap out of Superman. It is so unexpected that it is hard not to be affected by it.

Hancock is not a perfect movie, but it is immensely entertaining and the performances are really strong. Peter Berg, in his first huge budget movie, really knows how to mix story and action and I do not blame him for the short comings. I blame a meddlesome studio and idiot people at test screenings. It is worth seeing on the big screen, but remember that it is a little open ended. Hancock feels like the beginning arc of a trilogy, like The Bourne Identity. With a $100,000,000.00 opening week, I am sure a sequel will be in the works and maybe we will learn more about Hancock's origins. For now, just sit back and enjoy Will Smith as a drunk superhero.

Final Grade: B+

Sunday, July 06, 2008

Wall-E


The General opinion is that Pixar has not made a bad movie. They have made a few just okay movies, but generally speaking they have not missed completely, yet. I disagree, as we all know. To the disgust of everyone I know, I loathe Finding Nemo. Wall-E is directed by the same man who did Finding Nemo. However, I have been in love with the binocular eyed robot, Wall-E, since I first saw the teaser in front of National Treasure 2. I just wanted to hug that goofy little robot and I have been dying to watch the movie. The reviews were all fantastic, only heightening my anticipation, which can sometimes be a bad thing.

From the looks of it Earth was long abandoned and all that is left is a cute little robot named Wall-E. He is on Earth to clean it up. He puts the trash in his stomach area, which compacts the trash and then he stacks it. He is a robot, but this robot has feelings and he is curious. Throughout his day he puts assorted things in his lunch box to take them home. He has a giant collection of random junk and he has a tape of Hello Dolly. He longs to hold hands with someone else. He is so sad and lonely, but his entire world changes when a new sleek and, dare i say sexy, robot comes to Earth ina giant craft. Wall-E is taken with her, but at first she has one goal. She is looking for signs of green life on the planet. When she finds it, she shuts down and Wall-E left alone again and sad. Eve's ship comes down to get her, Wall-E hitches a ride and begins an awesome adventure to find his true love and finally hold hands. Eve is taken to a bigger spaceship. Well, it is kind of like a new planet that is run by a Best Buy type box store called "Buy N Large." Humans have been reduced to fat, rolly poly things that live in these lazy boy chairs. They only do what their personal computers tell them to do. Eve's job is to get the plant to somewhere on the ship, so the ship can turn around for Earth. Things get complicated and Wall-E must be the hero.

Brad Bird (Director of animated classics like Iron Giant and The Incredibles) was once quoted as saying " It's(animation) not a genre! A Western is a genre! Animation is an art form, and it can do any genre. Wall-E is the true embodiment of that statement. Wall-E is a perfect Sci-Fi movie with touches of romantic comedy thrown in to give the whole thing a human connection. Even though there is essentially no dialog for the first 30 minutes, everything that needs to be conveyed is conveyed in some way. Wall-E is one of the most adorable movie characters ever created and the adventure he is placed in provides the perfect opportunity for us to see the curious and heroic robot. From minute 1, I knew Wall-E; I understood Wall-E. I could identify with him and his plight and he never spoke a word. It is a touching, funny, interesting, mind blowing, sci fi spectacular and there were times when I forgot I was even watching something animated.

Yes, it is liberal propaganda. There is no denying that inside this movie is a message warning about being kind to our planet. But it is so much more than that. Wall-E is about human contact. It is about falling in love on the most basic level. The urge to just be touched. Who knew it would take a robot to remind us what being human really is about. With a beautiful landscape of oldies music and the song "Put on your Sunday clothes" from Hello Dolly, the music helps tell the story and when the movie transplants to the spacecraft, the sci-fi aspects get even richer. We are introduced to all kind of robots and each are given unique personalities and jobs on the ship. One robot in particular, the cleaning robot, provides some of the best laughs. Then when we meet the broken or crazy robots, the laughs just get bigger and broader. But, Wall-E really owns this movie. I dare you not to fall in love with his goofy eyes, his desire for mischief and his heroic nature. I dare you not to tear up towards the end of this beautiful epic. If you don't, you are without a soul.

Of course the animation is spectacular, but that is nothing new. It is what they do with the animation that makes this movie a cut above the others. This is probably the best Pixar movie and it will most likely be on my list of best movies when the year is over. I honestly cannot understand anyone who tells me they did not like the movie. There is nothing not to love about it. It has humor and heart. It has thrills and a message, but most of all, it is one of the most endearing and entertaining movies I have seen this year. Three Cheer for that adorable robot.


Final Grade: A

Wanted


The viewing of this movie led to an interesting discussion with a friend about whether movies should have some sort of moral center. It moved to a discussion about whether or not people who enjoy a movie with no moral focus can be bad people for just enjoying a movie that revels in gratuitous violence, extremely filthy language and dirty sex. Because in the end, Wanted is a movie without a single redeeming quality in terms of the human condition. Wanted is a movie that says violence is sometimes the only way to get things done. That is the entire story. Of course, that is what the preview looked like, so anyone who saw it and was shocked at how violent it was, probably wasn't paying attention to the previews.

After a crazy opening sequence involving a guy leaping buildings and killing 5 people before getting his own head caved in with a crazy sick bullet, we meet Wesley Gibson( James McAvoy). Gibson is an office drone who hates his job and his life. His boss is a disgusting overweight woman who is cruel. Gibson's girlfriend is having an affair with his best friend and he has crazy anxiety that he deals with by popping pills. One night it all changes. He meets the unbelievably sexy Fox(Angelina Jolie) and his whole world flips on its axis. He learns his father was a skilled assassin and he learns that his anxiety is really his adrenaline that is so hyper that he can actually see things before they happen and he can slow time down, essentially. At first Gibson is unsure of it all, but as soon as he shoots the wings off of the flies, he is hooked. He goes through an assassin boot camp, learning how to curve bullets, use knives and all kinds of other assassin skills. Sloan(Morgan Freeman)is the assassin leader and he tells Gibson that they kill only who was fated to die. (Don't concern yourself with the loom of fate nonsense). Gibson is supposed to kill the man who killed his father and in doing so learning that he meant for greater things than we are.

Wanted is the slick, disgusting, vulgar and crazy movie The Matrix would have been if it wasn't concerned with religious overtones. I know that sounds bold because it makes it seem like Wanted is better which, of course, it isn't. McAvoy is very good as the schmuck at the start and makes an effortless transition to a hardcore bad ass. He is poised to be a big name who is capable of doing the small drama and the big budget action. Jolie is the sexiest she has ever been on screen. She is obviously having an absolute blast playing with the big boys and big guns. She has some of the coolest action stunts and she has this slight grin on her face the entire time. Freeman, in a part tailor made for Sam Jackson, turns Sloan into a wise, but wily old vet, but hearing Freeman say "MF" is kind of odd. You just don't expect it from him, which is maybe the point.

As far as action goes, Wanted packs a serious punch. Many of the cooler stunts were shown in the preview which was kind of disappointing, but the climax made up for all of it. With a 20 minute brilliantly choreographed action sequence featuring Gibson throwing, catching and firing no less than 15 guns is dazzling and the slow motion effect captured everything perfectly. As the rooms fill with smoke, dead bodies, bullet shells and blood, Gibson weaves his way through an intense warehouse shoot out that seems out of those crazy 90s action movies. Unlike the 90s action movies though, Wanted is working with Matrix like camera work and 360 degree spins and stopping time, rewinding time and speeding time to create a nearly perfect action sequence. When you add to that an awesome train shoot out and subsequent crash, an awesome knife fight and a brutal shot to the face with a computer keyboard, you have a great action movie.

The main problem is the too involved plot. I am not one who usually likes when there isn't enough plot in a movie, but here I complain that there is too much story. The twist is pretty easy to see and the while the final 10 minutes feature two amazing sequences, the end is actually illogical, which of course, is a minor complaint in an over-the-top movie. It runs at around 2hrs which is far too long for this kind of movie and I can think of about 10 to 15 minutes that could have easily been chopped off, but as soon as you see one bullet kill like 8 people, you kind of forgive the rest of it. The end of the film left a lot of people cold as the last final lines appear to be mocking all of us, but I found it to be interesting. What we are left with are questions about what exactly is taking control of your life? Sure, Gibson seems to have control of his life, but he is a crazy killer who is a slave to revenge, so is he really free? Are we less than he is because he can curve a bullet? Who knows?

Does enjoying the hell out of Wanted make me a bad person? Have I contributed to the downfall of the universe? I have no idea. That is not for me to answer. I do know that in real life, violence frightens me and guns scare me, but in the movies, Wanted is pure escapism entertainment. Essentially nothing in this movie can really happen, which is what makes it okay. Bullets cut through air too perfectly to really be curved like they are in the movie and assassins rarely look as sexy as Angelina Jolie, I assume, but that is the joy of Wanted; it is a movie that is so unabashedly over-the-top madness that there is no way to truly take it seriously. Thank god for that!

Final Grade: B-