The Kingdom

Jamie Foxx has grown on me ever since Collateral. He star's in Peter Berg's geopolitical thriller, The Kingdom, as a "never take no for an answer" FBI agent that leads an FBI investigation on foreign soil, Saudi Arabia a land with over 5000 princes.

Ronald Fleury (Foxx) leads his team into Saudi Arabia to find the culprits behind a terrorist attack on a compound housing American employees and their families. The team has only five days to investigate, and a U.S. diplomat played by the always energetic Jeremy Piven would rather they just do a photo op and leave on the next flight out. But the team didn't fly all that way to go on a safari.

The team is made up of an explosives expert (Chris Cooper), an intelligence analyst (Jason Bateman) and a forensics whiz (Jennifer Garner). Agent Fleury convinces the local Saudi prince to let his team do their job and find those responsible for the attack.

While the chemistry between these powerful actors may be a tad forced, the actors deliver solid performances, Chris Cooper just coming off of his excellent lead role in Breach (another great geopolitical thriller), brings balance to the team. Jason Bateman, provides the comic relief in the film and zings out his one-liners perfectly. Jennifer Garner a.k.a Alias is right at home as an FBI agent who can hold her own against the terrorists.

This film has a great story set against the back drop of terrorism, and plays out like an episode of CSI or NCIS. It drags a little in the middle, but builds momentum in the end with ambushes, gun battles, (how many RPGs can you dodge?), and careening car chases that takes "thriller" to a new level, not to mention the suspense. Well done Berg!

I'll never understand how killing a 100 or even 3000 (e.g. 9/11) will somehow further the religious goals of a group of sick-twisted people, or how it brings glory to Allah. I was never great at math, but even I can see that it does not add up. The Kingdom starts out showing us a timeline of terrorist acts leading up to 9/11. Have these acts accomplished their goal? What is the goal? A holy war? Not happening. Change U.S. Policy? Only in that we now spend billions to hunt you down. Paralyze the world with fear? Just the opposite, we have become apathetic to suicide bombings. We were all horrified September 11, 2001, but now when we read in the news fifty killed in a market by a suicide bomber, we yawn and turn to the sports page to become outraged at an NFL player killing dogs. (hey, I'm outraged too!)

So my message to terrorists: Come up with something new! Killing people isn't working. You're boring me! Think outside the bomb; Hire the ad agency that does Bud commercials if you want to get people's attention.

Okay, sorry for the rant folks, go check out The Kingdom, it has a great story and a killer cast!

The Brave One

Jodie Foster plays Erica Bain, the host of a public radio talk show called “Street Walk” that takes a nostalgic and happy-go-lucky view of New York City. But after her fiance, David (Naveen Andrews) is brutally killed, her radio show changes and becomes darker, and so does she.

At first she is afraid to go back out onto the streets that she once loved to roam during the day recording sounds of the city for her show. But after she buys a gun, she soon has the fortitude to roam the streets at night. She becomes a stranger to herself, a killer that has always been lurking just beneath the surface. She has a series of run ins with bad people and takes out her revenge on them. Driven by grief, she is surprised that her hands don't shake after the killings.

A homicide detective named Sean Mercer (Terrence Howard), who happens to be a fan of her show and saw her recovering at the hospital after she and her fiance were attacked, takes on the case of the vigilante. He slowly puts the pieces together as he follows the clues to the mystery vigilante who is "doing his job." But will he have the dedication to bring her to justice?

I really liked this movie! Who wouldn't love watching a "civilized" educated woman turn into a prowling, gun toting huntress vigilante. She was probably anti-gun before the assault. Every one's anti-gun until they or their loved ones are brutally attacked and violated by the animals on our streets that have no respect for human life. I don't suggest everyone run out and buy a gun to shoot every creep that looks at them wrong. But when the slavering wolf stalks you, be ready.

There's not much I can find wrong with this movie. It has a great story, awesome acting, interesting characters, and an ending, I could not predict. Well I might have chose a different title, The Brave One doesn't fit perfectly for me. I might have called it, The Stranger. Check out this dark tale of street justice!

3:10 to Yuma

I like a good western and 3:10 doesn't disappoint. This western has a decent twist, it departs from the hero standing tall and wearing a white hat. The hero in this movie, Dan Evans played by Christain Bale has a limp from missing part of his leg, is down on his luck and is unable to take on a few local bullies trying to run his family off his land, to the shame of his oldest son. The bad guy, outlaw Ben Wade played by Russell Crowe isn't all that bad. Well...okay he is, but you end up wanting to like him anyways.

The movie is about a group of men trying to get Wade to a train station so he can face justice at the end of a noose. The group is short handed and Dan Evans voluteers to help them because he needs the money to get out of debt. Of course Wade's gang is hot on their heels intent on freeing their "boss."

Over the course of the journey we learn backstory of the two main charaters. I liked how it wasn't just blurted out all at once and shoved down our throats like some films do, but is presented in bits and pieces along the way, even to the climatic ending. The chemistry between Evans and his son was a nice sub plot and added to the story.

This film is a remake of the 1957 film of the same name making it the second redenition of Elmore Leonard's short story.

Russel Crowe may be a jerk in real life, aka throwing phones at hotel staff, but that man can act! Even if you don't like westerns, this is a great film with an excellent story. Saddle up and catch that 3:10 train to Yuma!

Title of new 'Indiana Jones' revealed

NEW YORK (AP) -- The title of the new "Indiana Jones" movie, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Harrison Ford, has been revealed.

The "Jones" cast: Shia LaBeouf, Steven Spielberg, Karen Allen (seated), Ray Winstone and Harrison Ford.

"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" will be in theaters May 22, 2008.

The title of the long-awaited fourth installment of the adventure series was announced by Shia LaBeouf, who co-stars with Ford in the film, at the MTV Video Music Awards in Las Vegas on Sunday.
The new Indy adventure, which is set in the 1950s, also stars Cate Blanchett, Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Jim Broadbent and Karen Allen.
Sean Connery, who played dad to Ford's globe-trotting archaeologist in 1989's "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," will not reprise the role in the new movie.

The series began in 1981 with "Raiders of the Lost Ark," followed by "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" in 1984.
In promotional photos, the 65-year-old Ford appears fit as ever.
"I have to say, he looks amazing," Kathleen Kennedy, the film's co-executive producer, along with George Lucas, told The Associated Press in July. "He looks fantastic in the outfit."

Shoot 'Em Up!

This film had Smoking Aces II written all over it. Did that stop me from going? Nope. Hey I am a Clive Owen fan for some reason. Maybe it's his piercing stare or his eclectic accent, but I decided to give him a shot. (Don't pardon the pun). See he has recently made a couple of real stinkers (IMHO). Namely Inside Man and Children of Men. I didn't really care for those two films at all. But could Clive really be in a third bomb?

I'm afraid so. Sure I get that the movie is an over the top spoof of hero action flicks, but I at least want to be entertained. Sin City was entertaining! (Clive's in that one too BTW). This film was an abysmally silly waste of celluloid.

It starts out with Mr. Smith (Owen) sitting on a bench at the bus stop minding his business and eating a rather large carrot. "What's Up Doc?" immediately hopped into my head and yes he actually says the line later in this live action cartoon of a film. A pregnant woman in distress comes limping by the bus stop followed by a killer with a gun. Mr. Smith rolls his eyes (along with me) and the gun shooting starts and never stops till the credits roll for this aptly named strait to DVD film. Stay home folks, the summer movies are over, and watch the new shows rolling out this fall. Heroes is back with season II and I am looking forward to checking out the Bionic Woman September 26th!

Cell Phone Fun

Halloween

"Happy Halloween Ladies!" Wait a minute, it's the end of August!?! Wanting to break the mold, Dimension Films released Rob Zombie's remake of Halloween on Memorial Day Weekend; traditionally a low theater attendance day.

The 1978 version of the film, sometimes referred to as John Carpenter's Halloween, starring scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis scared the honking bezonkers outta me. I was curious if the modern remake would come as close. Of course I was 13 at the time of the first movie. I liked Zombie's fresh take on the film. Rather than focusing solely on the character of Laurie Strode, like the first film, we get to see the life of Michael as a boy growing up and some of the social factors that led to his evil nature. No surprises here, a boy growing up in an unstable home, being made fun of at school because he is a little overweight, and so he takes his anger out on his pets and ultimately his family.

I was glad they kept Carpenter's original score in the new film. A lot of remakes toss the original soundtracks for new ones. Overall I enjoyed the remake, but I found that I didn't bond with Laurie Strode played by Scout Taylor Compton like I did in the first movie. I was desperately pulling for Jamie Lee Curtis in the 1978 version (who wouldn't?), but the new girl didn't endear herself to me as much. Maybe cause half the film was focused on the early life of Michael Myers.

I enjoyed seeing Malcom McDowell play Dr. Loomis. He seemed to really take ownership of the role and played it well. He had to go through fifteen years of aging. Carve up some fun and check out the new HALLOWEEN!

So what's the answer?

"most of us live out our lives hiding who we really are, and what we're stuggling with, and keep all of those things deep below the surface. because we don't want other people to know who we really are. so we suffer in silence in our - loneliness, our unhappy marriages, our strained relationships with family members, or try to drown them out thru drugs, alcohol, sex, or just the frenzy of never slowing down. and in our hatred of ourselves we live in our private little prison. and we ALL do it."

-Kal Busman

WAR

Jason Statham (Agent Crawford) and Jet Li (Rogue) star in this movie about the two famous Asian crime syndicates, the Japanese Yakuza and the Chinese Triads, fighting a war in San Fransisco started by an Asian hit man known as Rogue and two FBI agents are caught in the middle.

I was expecting a movie with a lot of fighting and senseless killing. And that is exactly what I got. But what I was not expecting was a clever and surprising plot twist at the end. But that's also what I got for my $5.75 as I hid from the sweltering 97 degree weather outside.

This movie has plenty of gang shoot outs, sprinkled with a little sword fighting (want more than that? Watch KILL BILL), a decent car chase, a little skin flash, and so-so acting. But I went along for the ride as they say and I had a good time. Jet Li has toned it down a bit since I first saw him in Lethal Weapon 4 in 1998, but he still has class if not style.

I have also enjoyed watching Jason Statham's career progress since The Italian Job, to the Transporter movies, to Crank. So if you are a Jet Li or Jason Statham fan, or if you belong to the Triads or Yakuza (hey go support the team), then check out WAR!

The Invasion

World Peace. No more war, no more killing, no rape, no murder. A perfect, peaceful existence between mankind. Like a grove of Aspen trees. It can happen. All we need is an alien spore from space to infect everyone on the planet and we will all become docile, emotionless, creatures living in harmony. Notice I didn't say humans.

Take away the war, the strife, the struggle to define who we are and the choices we make, then we are no longer human. I suppose that's the message in the second re-make of Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956 and 1978). The 1978 version, starring Donald Sutherland scarred the toast out of me! But the only thing I can remember from it, was a scene where Donald Sutherland is a health inspector and he goes in to the kitchen of a fancy restaurant and picks up a small brown thing off the floor. He shows it to the cook and says, "It's a rat turd!" the chef shakes his head and says, "No sir! It's a caper! (caper berry)" "Rat Turd!" "Caper!" Then Sutherland says, "Then eat it." The chef refuses. LOL!

This version reminds me of the one season TV show called Invasion where a space virus lands in the water and a storm spreads it everywhere. The people change and become something else. In this film starring Nicole Kidman as Carol Bennell and Daniel Craig as Ben Driscoll the space shuttle has a bad re-entry and showers debris all over the United States. It's burnt parts carrying a resilient space spore.

It's not long before Carol Bennell notices things are askew, starting with her ex husband Tucker Kaufman (Jeremy Northman and the name Kaufman is a nod to the 1978 director). People start claiming their spouses are not who they married. (How is that not normal??), then the pets start attacking the not normal people, and finally World Peace breaks out!! (Could they shove that message down my throat some more?)

As things move along Bennell and Driscoll, her "love interest" (but she just wants to be "friends", Girls-- guys LOVE it when you lay that line on them!), try to avoid getting caught by the body snatchers, and try to stay awake. Apparently the virus takes you over when you dream (mostly about world peace). Just drink lots of Mountain Dew (product placement!).

I thought the actors were fabulous in this film. Everyone played an excellent role! The story was interesting and suspenseful enough to keep me going. There were only a couple of things that bugged (pardon the pun) me about the movie, like shoving the whole "Aren't we humans (Americans?) despicable, violent, and evil?" message repeatedly in my face. But overall I enjoyed the film. It's a great matinee, so check it out and STAY AWAKE!!!

On a side note: Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig team up again in December for a fantastical tale called The Golden Compass. So I'll be checking that out for ya!

Rush Hour 3

Campy one like jokes, ogling women, racial stereotypes, and Jackie Chan Kung-Fu fighting, what's not to like about a third dose of Carter (Chris Tucker) and Lee (Chan) in Rush Hour 3??

If you laughed through the first two, then it's more of the same. Lee and Cater bickering at each other, then singing duets, then Carter chases the women and gets into trouble, while Lee plays the straight man and tries to do his job (which is basically make us laugh our butts off).

Here's a drinking game for you, especially for Rush Hour 2 and 3, every time Carter yells Lee's name take a drink! No wait! On second thought, don't do that! I don't want to be responsible for your alcohol poisoning half way through the movie. (Just use chocolate milk).

While these films have their laughs, I hope they quit while they are ahead. (unlike a certain prize fighter I know). The corny lines and Chan's chair flipping fight scenes will be just as good (or bad) on cable as the big screen, save your movie bucks, and check out Rush Hour 3 on cable!

Stardust

Ah TRUE love....don't ya just HATE it? Miracle Max said: "Sonny, true love is the greatest thing, in the world-except for a nice MLT - mutton, lettuce and tomato sandwich, where the mutton is nice and lean and the tomato is ripe." [smacks his lips] But that's what fairy tales are made of and Stardust has all the elements of a grand Happily Ever After.

Tristran Thorne (Charlie Cox), a young hero from England embarks on a romantic quest to bring back a fallen star as a token of his love for beautiful, Victoria (Sienna Miller). This quest takes him into another land, Stormhold, a magical realm where the star in question has transformed into Yvaine (Claire Danes).

She's blonde and whiny at first (I guess falling from space will do that to you). Tristan captures her and they go on an adventure trying to return to Tristan's home before Victoria's birthday. On the way they encounter a dread sky pirate named Shakespeare (Robert De Niro) that catches and sells lightning. It turns out the pirate has a bit of a frilly secret and is a "Twinkle Toes". (Sorry that was spoiler). I guess De Niro was tired of playing psychos and mobsters and decided to try something a little lighter....in the loafers that is.

Stormhold is home to a rapidly dwindling family of fratricidal princes vying for the throne. The last men standing, Septimus and Primus (Mark Strong and Jason Flemyng) are also after the star, glumly observed from the spectral sidelines by their ghostly five murdered brothers. (Was this idea stolen from Harry Potter?)

Then there's the wicked witch Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer) and her two evil sisters. Their magic is on the wane, but a fresh injection of stardust will restore their youth and vitality. Lamia means to intercept Yvaine, pluck out her heart and eat it raw. Michelle shows she still has the magic to be a star in her own right.

Adapted from Neil Gaiman's novel by Jane Goldman and director Matthew Vaughn, "Stardust" starts off with a narrative prologue from Sir Ian McKellen. The film score pounds you along nicely, and add to that some excellent special effects and this is an easy way to spend the afternoon at a matinee. Catch this falling star and check out Stardust!

Bourne Ultimatum

Super spy Jason Bourne is back and everybody wanted to see him this weekend! He broke box office records earning 70 million! This third in the series reminded me much of the second one except he has no girlfriend (she's dead or eliminated as they say in the business). So Bourne (Matt Damon) is once again after the people that created him and are trying to kill him.

Lots of fighting, killing, and car chases. They say he is the next "James Bond" but I'm not holding my breath. I was a little disappointed that they didn't do something more original rather than stick to the same -- Find Bourne, Chase Bourne, and try and Kill Bourne formula.

Also the cinematography is similar to the second film in that it is very "shaky." (Did they hire a camera man with Parkisons?). We learn more about Jason's mysterious past, but the character's including Jason Bourne were all flat and one dimensional, but perhaps you don't go to a Bourne movie for character depth. You go to see killing, fighting, and car chases!

Then this movie is for you! If you liked the first two Bourne adventures then you like this CIA is evil thrill ride! Check it out! (and watch out for the snipers!)

1408

Oh yeah! Cusack is back! I love his films. This one is about Mike Enslin (Cusack), a writer who travels the country to visit locales noted for their haunted nature. Only, in all the years that Enslin has been doing so, he’s never seen anything unusual. He’s a burned-out, atheistic skeptic. While checking the mail one day he receives an anonymous post card warning him not to stay in Room 1408 in the Dolphin Hotel, which is exactly what he plans to do. It will make a nice final chapter, he reckons, for his next book, Haunted Hotel Rooms.

This is not a horror film. It's not a slasher gorefest. Thank goodness it's just a good old fashion scary movie! (BTW that's why I like the Blair Witch Project). Add to that I was the only one in the theater today watching this. ("I want my mommy!" was uttered by me more than once)

The manager of the Dolphin, Gerald Olin (Sam Jackson, in a small but effective role), doesn’t want Enslin staying in the room, which — since 1912 — has been the final resting place for 56 guests, many of whom have met grisly, self-inflicted deaths and others, untimely natural ones. Olin closed the room to the public in the 70s, but because of some manufactured loophole in a civil rights law, he’s forced to allow Enslin to occupy 1408, though he ominously warns him that no one has ever survived an entire hour. It’s not phantoms or specters, he says, it’s just an “evil -BLEEP- room.”

The real success of 1408 is the spot-on casting of Cusack — he’s convincing, he's real, and you find yourself pulling for him and cheering him on. If you like scary movies, this is a must see!

I guarantee you won't make it an hour with out getting the toast scarred out of you! Check into to room 1408!

Transformers

Transformers. This movie is more than meets the eye. I was a little too old for the Transformers cartoon when it came out and I missed that whole ride. I was thinking this movie might be a pile of junk. But I was pleasantly surprised.

Just like the recent Die Hard movie, I thought this film was a great “thrill ride” as any Summer Blockbuster should be! Shia Labeauof (Sam Witwicky), who recently starred in the thriller, Disturbia, does an excellent job as a high-energy high school student with only two goals in his life. A car and a girl.

As we learn in the movie, “A car picks the man.” So a yellow and black Camaro picks Sam. He then chases after his girl (Megan Fox). Her last name is rather fitting. But his plans are soon interrupted when he finds himself in a tug of war between an alien race of robots known as the Autobots (good guys) and the Decepticons (bad robots). The Decepticon motto is “Punish and Enslave.”

Transformers has more high-octane action than Paris Hilton, a stunning visual style, includes just the right amount of humor, has a very excellent cast of supporting characters. Sam’s parents are hilarious!! Don’t be deceived however, this is not a kids movie. Its PG-13 for language, violence, and sexual innuendo.

So transform a dull evening into a fun one and check out Transformers!

1-18-08

1-18-08

HP: Order of the Phoenix

No not Hewlett Packard -- Harry Potter of course! I am saving Transformers to see with a friend. (BTW...Don't buy the toys if you have kids, they are a parents nightmare!) So in the mean time I saw the fifth installment of the Harry Potter series.

Unfortunately it was same old same old standard Harry Potter fare. Something amusing happens to Harry's "muggle" family, (if you don't know what a 'muggle' is then you probably won't see this film and can stop reading now), then Harry is attacked and gets in trouble, there's a big mystery, tension with his friends, blah, blah, blah, big boss battle at the end and everyone lives happily ever after. Nothing new under the sun except perhaps an exceptionally annoying female character who tries to take over Hogwarts.

Let me just say, I hate annoying characters! Give me evil, silly, funny, strong, powerful, cunning, or even dull characters, but I can't stand two hours of an annoying over the top character. I understand that's what the film makers were shooting for, and they hit the mark, but good grief an annoying character makes for an annoying movie!

If you are a Harry Potter Movie fan, you'll go see this. If you are a fan of the Books, you'll go see this and probably hate it as it falls short of full filling the rich story found in the book. Most book-to-movies are like that though. But basically I think it is great to see your favorite characters (and annoying ones) come to life on the big screen. So check it out, you little owls!

New Family Member

Well My oldest son has been asking for a dog since he was four. We told him he could have one when he turned eight and his little brother turned four. Say hello to Lacy!

How about those blue glowing "Zombie" dog eyes??

Ratatouille

This latest animated film from PIXAR was anything but cheesey!

I haven't enjoyed an animated film this much since the Incredibles. And I think it is no coincidence that Ratatouille is directed by the same man that directed the Incredibles, Academy Award winning director Brad Bird!

The story of course is about a country rat wanting to rise above the squalor, garbage eating, and thieving that his family and friends thrive on. He finds himself in the kitchen of a once five star restaurant in need of a little inspiration. He teams up with the kitchen garbage boy (see the irony!) and together they have to outwit the head chef, skinner (Sir Ian Holm), and impress France's greatest critic, Ego (Peter O'Toole).

The film had a great story, character depth, suspense, drama, love interest, self discovery all mixed with a perfect blend of humor! It was a perfect meal for a movie goer and though it may have been a tad slow for kids at a couple of points, I still thought it was fabulous! This might be the first film I give a five star rating in over two years.

Grab the kids and buy them the snack pack, or make it a date night movie and check out this delicacy of an animated film!

Live Free or Die Hard

I just saw the fourth installment of the DIE HARD series yesterday. I loved the first Die Hard movie. I must say that Die Hard 2, and Die Hard with a vengeance aka Die Hard 3, not so much.

They just didn't seem to have that same original "Die Hard" charm. The plots were so-so and the bad guys silly. Of course it's hard to live up to the fantastic performance as Allen Rickman's Hans Gruber.

In Die Hard four, Live Free or Die Hard, America is under attack by cyber terrorist. They are shutting down everything hooked to a PC!! (Oh no! How will I write my in depth movie reviews? or keep up with Paris Hilton??) They shut down the transportation networks, the government offices, the power grid, and the financial districts.

Along comes our favorite witty and sarcastic NYPD Detective, John McClane played by Bruce Willis. He's just doing his everyday job (at 3 a.m.) and once again gets caught up in the bad guy's evil plot. Much to their dismay. Otherwise their insidious plans would have went off without a hitch.

I loved this movie! It was a great return to the Hero Action genre. Bruce was badass as usual (which is how I like my action heroes) and they kept the main bad guy low key, he wasn't silly or over the top. Great action scenes, excellent fight scenes, car chases, lots of guns, explosions, etc. etc. This time John doesn't get in a domestic fight with his ex-wife, it's their daughter, Lucy played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead. She did a great job! Even a little better than McClane's comedic relief sidekick, Justin Long whom I haven't seen since Herbie Fully Loaded. (That was driving me crazy trying to remember where I knew him from). And thankfully no annoying reporter guy (William Atherton).

Die Hard fans (pun intended), should rush madly to the theater, zigging in and out of traffic and check out DH4!!!!!