May 22nd, 2009

Terminator Salvation       Reviewed by CJ Henderson
Well, the kids aren’t out of school yet, but as far as the movie theaters are concerned, it’s summer. In fact, as far as they’re concerned it’s been summer for a while now. Still, it really isn’t summer until they start trotting out the franchise films. Last week it was "Star Trek." This week it’s the fourth installment in the Terminator series.
 Now, to give you a gauge by which to judge this review, for those who don’t know my tastes, I was a huge fan of the first film. But then, unlike most of the world I hated the second. And, after that, just to be difficult, I suppose, I found the third to be quite enjoyable, again, unlike most of the world. So, you ask, what do you think of this one? Well, this one has its good points and its bad ones. The good outweighs the bad considerably, but the following will not be a rave.
 Let’s get right down to it, shall we?
 The Story: The film starts back in 2003. We find Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a convict on death row being given a chance to make up for his crimes before his execution. A dying scientist wants him to sign over his body for research purposes. He does so at the last minute, then is put to death.
 Skip ahead to the year is 2018. The effects of the nuclear strike launched at the end of the third movie are evident everywhere. Skynet, the robotic brain in charge of the war on humanity, looks to be doing a pretty good job. Humanity is in complete disarray, with only pockets of resistance left. Into this world suddenly stumbles a no-longer-dead Marcus Wright. He has no idea why he is alive or what has happened to the world.
As he makes his way about, it is not long before he runs into Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin), the man who in the first film went back in time to protect Sarah Conner from the first terminator. The pair partner up in the hopes of reaching the resistance. Of course, I don’t think I’m giving anything away when I tell you that it seems fairly obvious that Wright must be a terminator. But, if he is, why does he protecting humans and destroying machines?
 This is the puzzle resistance leader John Conner (Christian Bale) must unravel before time runs out. You see, the resistance thinks its discovered a way to disable their machine foes. But, it has to be tested, and used, before the machines catch on to humanity’s new hope. Can Conner trust Wright? Who knows?
 All in all, this is a pretty good film. It certainly fits into the continuity nicely. The writing is extremely tight on all levels. One of the things sci fi movies have been foolish about since the beginning is the idiotic notion that all robots would be humanoid in design. This was forgivable sixty years ago, but our world has been filled with robots for decades now, and nary a one has the slightest reflection in its design.
 The third film had a good showing of non-humanoid robotics, but this one really steps up to the plate and delivers with all manner of interesting designs. The hardware is not the extent of the special effects here, either. Numerous subtle bits of targeting and tracking technology are used throughout, adding greatly to the overall intelligence of the design work being highlighted.
 The film has a very gray, gritty look to it which is quite effective at first, but later begins to become a trifle tedious. Adding the extremely limited, flat palate being used to the extremely quick-cut, jerky action sequences, and at times one’s ability to empathize with the characters begins to wane.
 The acting is all fine enough, however, one should not expect to see much of Batman in Christian Bale’s performance. As one might expect, this movie is about explosions, gunfire, and lots of close-ups of cool machines. Bale does not get much of a chance to trot out what he can really do. The same goes for Yelchin. Those flocking to see this one because they loved the young actor as Chekov in the new Trek film will be disappointed in his relatively straight-forward performance (the same goes for a very under-used Michael Ironside).
 Anyway, long story short, this is a good continuation of what has gone before. The science of it is lacking. Like so many action films disguising itself as science fiction, if even just simple physics had been heeded, it might not have been completely filled with inaccuracies and impossibilities. But then, without sloppy writing, it wouldn’t be Hollywood, would it?
 Our final word: 4 stars out of 5.

The Players: Christopher Bale,Sam worthington, Anton Yelchin

The Filmmakers:
Directed
Screenplay
Released by Warner Brothers


Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian             by Monis Rose
 As sequels go, this is one of the better ones, continuing the action and storyline from the original blockbuster.

If you had a choice to see Night at the Museum or Night at the Museum 2: The Battle of the Smithsonian, I’d recommend the original.  Give or take a few added cameos, new locations, and some new animals and artifacts, the story, characters, F/X, charm, and magic are all the same.   If you have never seen the original Night at the Museum and just want to see Smithsonian, have at it.  You would enjoy it, but don’t see the first.  If you saw the original, don’t see the sequel.   When you see one of them, you’ll be enchanted.  You’ll smile and laugh, maybe even be surprised.  When you see the other, you might smile once or twice, but you’ll be thinking of how much you enjoyed the first one.  Since I saw the original, I wish I just saw the original again.

 The story is primarily set at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C.  Ben Stiller plays Larry, a TV-product entrepreneur who is as successful as George Foreman (who has a cameo in the film), the ShamWow guy, and Billy Mays.  Too occupied with making more money and products he forgets about his humbling past job as a night security guard at The Museum of Natural History in New York.  He swings by one day, only to find out that most of the artifacts and exhibits are being shipped away to the Smithsonian along with a unique Egyptian tablet that causes all of the museum’s attractions to come to life once night approaches.  Sad and worried that there would be mass hysteria when the tablet reaches Washington, Larry hops on a plane with a mission to bring the tablet back to New York.  
 It is too late by the time Larry gets hold of the tablet.   All of the museum’s, or at least the Smithsonian Museums shown, pieces turn to flesh: historical figures, paintings, airplanes, dinosaurs, animals and statues.  
The fun comes from the wax figures that come to life.  There are new characters like Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams), General Custer (Bill Hader), and Ivan the Terrible (Christopher Guest).  There are also some old ones (depending on if you saw the original): Octavious (Steve Coogan), Jedidiah Smith (Owen Wilson), and President Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams).  The main new character with the best lines of the film is the Egyptian Pharaoh Kahmunrah (Hank Azaria).  He chases after Larry throughout the entire movie to get the tablet for himself.  I don’t know what Pharaohs sounded like 2,000 years ago, but Azaria thinks they had a noticeable lisp.  Battle of the Smithsonian feels forced.  Though it is less than two hours, it seems longer. Hank Azaria and a scene between Stiller and Jonah Hill are funny, but all the other dialogue is corny and canned.  Since BATS is a sequel, I was highly surprised that the special effects weren’t improved since the first one.
 Throughout the movie a silly minor romance transpires between Larry and Earhart, but it won’t distract you from the rest of the shenanigans that are going on.

The Players: Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Amy Adams, Owen Wilson, Ricky Gervais and Bill Hader.

The Filmmakers:
Directed Shawn Levy
Screenplay Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon
Released by 20th Century Fox


Dance Flick
The entire Wayans family send up every dance movie in the last 20 years.

 Megan White ( Shoshana Bush  ) a privileged white girl from the suburbs moves to the inner city and meets urban street dancer Thomas Uncles ( Damon Wayans Jr.) a poor boy from the wrong side of the tracks who aspires and perspires to be a better class of dancer. Together, they attempt to perfect her notoriously clumsy dance moves in this parody of popular dance movies.  The action starts when Thomas crew loses a street dance competition and owes $5,000 to a nasty supporter ( David Alan Grier in great makeup ). Megan is trying to live down the death of her mother who was on her way to see her in a school show when --whammo on the highway.  The two meet in a show biz high school where cliches are thick and nothing is sacred. Eventuiallty they form a fiendship that generates solutions of both of their life problems./

Watch for Chris Rock in fake teech and a yellow suit ( unbilled ).
The Players:Shoshana Bush, Damon Wayans Jr., Amy Sedaris, Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans and Craig Wayans

The Filmmakers:
Directed by Damien Wayans
Screenplay by Keenan Ivory Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans,Craig Wayans and Damien Wayans
Released by Paramount Pictures

Easy Virtue           Reviewed by Andrew Johnson
 How refreshing it is to see a film with wit, comedic moments, and a story that captures you. “EASY VIRTUE” is based on a play by Noel Coward taking place in that in-between period between the Great War (WWI) and the one that was to come.

 Set in the British countryside on a large estate, it tells of a young Englishman, John Whittaker (Ben Barnes), falling head-over-heals for Larita (Jessica Biel), a glamorous American who races racing cars and is quite a liberated woman for the time. John marries her and takes her to his stiff upper-lipped family, whose mother (Kristen Scott Thomas) takes an immediate dislike to her as a “family intruder” -- her son was supposed to marry the girl next door from the huge estate bordering hers.  Larita tries her best to fit in and defuse situations, but mother has put all obstacles in her path, along with some pointed deprecating remarks, having Larita take the defensive mode in order not to lose her husband John. It sure doesn’t help matters when Laurita accidentally sits on mother’s beloved annoying little dog, crushing and killing it. Things go progressively from bad to worse.

 Let me mention another member of this family, quite different from the brood which also includes John’s two sisters. John’s father (Colin Firth) is a man who seems to have lost all drive and spunk, having been in the Great War and being the only one to come out; his friends and associates all killed. He gives into his wife in every way, ignoring her most of the time. Such a proper, stifling, and suffocating atmosphere permeated in the household by the matriarch of the brood! It’s seeing British snobbery among the upper class in all its “finery.”
Written by Noel Coward in 1924 at age 23, “EASY VIRTUE” is one of his least known works. (It was made into a silent film in 1928 by Alfred Hitchcock.) In all, it’s a savage attack on the 20’s hypocrisy with Victorian standards used to destroy lives that could not be controlled. As is the case in so many families, this one also has numerous “skeletons in the closet,” as does Larita too as we are to learn.
 Coward once said: “Wit is a spice, not a sauce,” and he has several lines in the play (and this film) which are simply priceless. Here are two examples of such give and take dialogue between individuals:

                       “She was good until she stopped.”
                       “Stopped what?”
                       “Living.”

                      “Smile.”
                      “I don’t want to smile.”
                      “You're English, dear. Fake it!”

 Director Stephan Elliott moves the film along at a rather nice pace. The actors sparkle in their roles. The music of both Noel Coward and Cole Porter enhance the situations with even the actors occasionally bursting into song. A nice job all around with the delicious grand finale of the film having secrets exposed and individuals making what we feel are the right decisions. I think you’ll very much enjoy “EASY VIRTUE” as I did. It’s not that heavy with the light comedic touch truly making it.

The Players:  Jessica Biel, Colin Firth, Kristen Scott Thomas, Ben Barnes, Kris Marshall, Kimberley Nixon, Katherine Parkinson, Pip Torrens, Christian Brassington, and Charlotte Riley

The Filmmakers:
Directed by Stephan Elliott
Screenplay by Stephan Elliott and Sheridan Jobbins.     Based on the stage play by Noel Coward
Director of Photography: Martin Kenzie
Music by Marius deVries
Released by Sony Pictures Classics


New World Order        by CJ Henderson
No picture available
  I have just finished previewing the independent film, "New World Order." This is a documentary produced by the award-winning team that put together the SXSW hit film "Darkon," and now they’re back again with a behind-the-scenes look at a select segment of the little-understood world of conspiracy theory. Now, before the word "select" is misunderstood, allow me to explain.
 As most of you know there are all sorts of "conspiracy nuts" out there. The JFK assassination folks, the Men-in-Black/they’re hiding the secret about aliens from us group, and seemingly countless others. Many of them sound more than a little around the bend. This film is not trying to highlight the entire spectrum of conspiracy beliefs. It’s focus is a bit tighter.
 "New World Order" is both title and subject here. There is a growing movement in this country behind the belief that the rich and powerful, who control all our lives from the background, are planning to take over publicly once and for all. When the time comes, private citizens will be either summarily execute in their homes, or taken away to camps.
 They believe the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Towers was planned by the government. They believe that the lack of response to the devastation left by hurricane Katrina was deliberate. They believe the annual meeting of the Bilderberg Group is the moment  every year when the controlling elite plans out their next steps. They believe a lot of things.
 Like the filmmakers, I’m not here to take sides. I’m here to tell you about this documentary, to make you aware of its existence, and to help you decide whether or not it is worth your time and money. Here goes.
 First off, this film is extremely well made. Some of the photography, of course, comes from achieves, from the subjects of the film, news sources, et cetera, and thus is not quite what one would call panoramic. What was shot by the filmmakers is the match for any Hollywood production. The same goes for sound quality, editing, and so forth. Production wise, this is a top notch movie.
As for maintaining a neutral position, the filmmakers get high points as well. No, they did not go out and attempt to interview George W. Bush, or Bill Clinton, or any of the other "enemies" targeted by the picture’s subjects. But then, the movie’s goal is not to take sides. They aren’t attempting to convince their audience that 9/11 was perpetrated by the United States government as just one step toward leading the world into a drastically different future.
 What they are attempting to do is to highlight the struggle going on in this country by a sub-culture of concerned citizens to convince all those around them of this idea. There is a difference. Toward this end, they show their subjects at their most fiery and idealistic, as well as in moments where they are not exactly at their best. Their point in this is subtle, but effective. Are you, they seem to be asking, always at your best? Does every word that come out of your mouth perfectly translate the idea you were trying to express?
 The documentary focuses its efforts on six leaders in this movement, all from different levels of involvement. The one getting the most coverage, as one might expect, is Alex Jones, the one who has been at it the longest and who has the most followers. Like the others under the lens, some of what he says sounds like self-aggrandizement. But, some of it also sounds horribly right on the money. Most of the central players also have incredible moments of self-doubt and weariness which are as effective as any other moments in the picture.
 Of course, again, I’m supposed to be giving you the benefit of my vast critical experience. Perhaps I should do so. Here goes.
 For anyone who is interested in this subject, you will not find a better film. It does not takes sides, tries very hard to be objective, provides plenty of information on its subjects, but not on their causes. If by the end of the film you want to man the parapets because you’re expecting black U.N. helicopters to come  gunning for your family, you’re going to have to get on the internet to try and find like-minded individuals to help you defend democracy.
 The film actually hurts its chances by maintaining such a rigid stance. It is fair and balanced, and actually will leave many with the feeling that it should have taken sides, should have told the public more of the facts about Ruby Ridge, Waco, and all the other signposts the conspiracy folks see as just more proof that America’s freedoms are being eroded step by step.
 If you think such folks are nuts, stay home. Save your money. There is nothing here that will convince you otherwise. The film’s purpose is to tell people above a moment, not how they should react to it. As documentaries go, I haven’t seen one with this much integrity in a long time.
 Our final word: 5 stars out of 5.

The Players as themselves: Alex Jones,  Luke Rudowski , Jack McLamb and Jim Tucker

Directors:    Luke Meyer and Andrew Neel
Released by IFC




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