Rise of the Planet of the Apes ( 2011 )

Rise of the Planet of the Apes . ( 2011 )

Apes will Rise .


Such is the tag line of the movie , and the Apes do Rise . 

The Storyline is quite simple , through a series of unfortunate events ; and the development of a new drug , delivered with a virus . Apes Rise . Caesar , is the first , and then come the others , and the revolution beings .

The apes are real , Special Effects are NOT Noticeable at all . We have come a 1000 years from Arnold Scharwergger's horrible appearance in a Terminator 3 , or the Scorpion King in the Mummy 2 .  

Watch out for all the nods to the original films , the launch of the ICARCUS spaceship carrying Charton Heston in the original 1968 movie , as well as Heston appearing on a TV in the background . And Of course the infamous line is spoke "Get Your Hands Off Me, You Damn Dirty Ape"    

What is most interesting , and is not addressed directly in the movie , is not the demise of mankind , or the rise of the apes , but the story of the apes .

Caesar address the basics problem of revoluntary leaders everywhere , ape is weak , apes together are strong . And the true cynic in the film , state a fact , APES STUPID .

And this bring up a question , when was the script written ? The question arises when the revolution starts . One gets the sense that the recent revolution in the middle east Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Syria , stirred on the story . Did art imitate life , or did life imitate art ? Or has the revolution become so predictable , we can insert the template into a script .

In 1979 , the Shah of Iran fell to people power , protest in the streets . In 2009 those same leaders of 1979 , shot citizens in the street .

The Apes are not in fact Apes , they are  young people , the next generation . 
Who shall inherit the reigns of leadership ?
Where is our Caesar ?  






Twitter hash tag #apeswillrise

Water for Elephants ( 2011 )

Water for Elephants ( 2011 )

Water for Elephants stars, Reese Witherspoon as Marlena Rosenbluth , the star attraction at the Circus and wife of the owner / ringmaster ; Robert Pattinson as Jacob Jankowski , the lonely poor orphan boy , intelligent and bright , wandering the open road of America ; Christoph Waltz as August Rosenbluth , as the Ringmaster ; but the star and hero of the film is "Tai" as "Rosie, the elephant" who saves the circus .

Set in the Great American Depression of the 1930s , where no one has any money , and worse than that , any booze . Prohibition just stinks , good hard working circus performers need a bit of the good stuff to carry them thru the day .

The story line is a little thin , but takes a long time getting to the end . The acting is good , and the period of the 1930s comes across well , but the hard sell is the chemistry between these people . The hubsand and wife seem to be in a loveless marriage , and in the end the film seems like a loveless movie .

But what is love ?

This is Francis Lawrence third time in the director's chair the first and second being Constantine (2005) with Keanu Reeves , and I Am Legend (2007) with Wil Smith · Water for Elephants (2011) also has the star power of Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson .

The question now is does Robert Pattinson have the box office draws of the Twilight Movies , or is it the popularity of the Twilight books ?

Coming back to Francis Lawrence , he has wandered away from a strong action based / special effects in his first two films , to a more character driven films in the story of the People of the Benzini Brother's Travelling Circus .

As many of my friends pointed out in the end , the real stars of the film were the animals , cause that is all they talked about , imagine you have a circus movie , without animals . It just does not work . Everyone you could tell wanted more animals , and more story to the animals . You wanted to know more about the horses , the lions , the dogs , the monkey and of course the ELEPHANT .

By the way all you PETA members , out there walk with your box of tissues , this one is a real tear jerker for you PETA guys and gals .

The movie is nice swing away from the Romantic-Comedy , but hardly fits the mold of a Love Story .

Watch for the old time New York Scenes , with the Empire State building and the Brooklyn Bridge in the background .

Also there is not stinger , after the movie , but if you do stay through the credits , you will notice the cast credits are done in the old time layouts :

"Marlena Rosenbluth..................................................................................Reese Witherspoon"

The list of Stuntmen goes on and on and on , but the stunts are so intergrated into the movie you do not see them , in train jumping and the stampede scenes .

The movie is a classic piece of movie making , and could be used to teach film students "HOW TO MAKE A FILM" , yet the story and the acting does not appeal to the mass audience . I am worried if it should make back it's $40 million budget .

Paul ( 2011 )

Paul ( 2011 )

Two nerd from England go to the United States to attend a Comic Convention , and do a road trip to the famous UFO landmarks . They run into an alien , and help him get home .

The movie is a nerd / geek trip , and I being a geek , had a hard time following some of the stuff . Sure we all know Area 51 , and Roswell , New Mexico , but the "the Black Mailbox" was a little outside my field of knowledge .

For more on the Black Mailbox : 
Info : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_mailbox   
Location : http://wikimapia.org/68004/the-Black-Mailbox
Picture : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Black_Mailbox_Road.jpg

The movie maintains normal storyline , the heroes , the victim , the bad guys and the final showdown . Yet through it all , it becomes a buddy movie , discussion of friendship , girls , marijuana , alcohol , the size of one's own sexually organ ( you know penis ) , Paul quickly becomes one of the boys .

The movie gives nods to , Close Encounters of the Third Kind , Star Trek , Star Wars , Aliens , Back to the future ,and Mac & Me . Many would be lost to normal people , but to the geekworld it is really cool . I found a list of all the inside the jokes at : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1092026/movieconnections

A read through before going to see the film would increase the enjoyable factor by at least three . Nothing mentioned in the movie connections would be a spoiler .

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost

Does the film work ? YES the general public can go and see a buddy movie , an action / chase movie , a comedy movie and a science fiction movie and come out feeling like they got their money's worth .

Then there are those of us who will recognize the music from the Canteen Scene in Star Wars : Episode IV , and lines like "Boring Conversation anyway." and " Get say from her , YOU BITCH ! " . For us the movie works on an entirely different level .

Paul will never fall into the category of a classic , but will appeal to the young and older science fiction fans , and the chicks that they drag along kicking and screaming will get a laugh out of it too.

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Hanna ( 2011 )

Hanna , a 16 year old with 16 years in training , for just one mission , to kill Marissa Wiegler .

Trained by her father Erik Heller ; Marissa Wiegler must die .

Hanna and her father are in isolation near the Artic Circle in Finland . When she is ready , she will go on her mission .

We enter at the correct time , So the chase begins .

Details emerge , who is Hanna ? what is Hanna ? who is Hanna's mother ?

But the action sequences are perfectly European ; No Arnie or Stallone here ; the choerography of the fight sequences brought a sense of fear from this little girl . A Demon Killer .

Saoirse Ronan plays the character  to perfection , the blond , blue eyes set the character as a cool , confined master killer ; until she is faced with the real world of barbie dolls and bimbos . Clearly Saoirse Ronan is a name to be remebered with lots more Box Office draw to come .

Eric Bana and Cate Blanchett , seem stiff in their roles , written as CIA agents , personalities were not required .


The film's background of Finland , Morocco and Berlin , also the film a non-western feel , giving the matter a of James Bond fight the old Eastern Bloc of Communist goverment .

The only thing American about the film is the CIA headquaters and building .

The film works as a master piece of modern cinema . European . There is no action sequence , no show down at the OK corral , and most American audience will be waiting for the big HUAH at the end , the big gun fight . They will be disappointed . Yet if you are a believer in HANNA , going for her Mission ; no doubt her internal struggle between her training and her being a little girl ; HANNA wins in the end .

The film follows a thread , of all the "La Femme Nikita" films and tv series .





    

The Green Hornet ( 2011 )

The Green Hornet ( 2011 ) in 3-D : The movie is based on a 1930s Radio program and then 1960s TV show with Bruce Lee . Now the 2011 , the Movie .

However we face the same slapstick , "make it funny" as of most of the reboots of the 21st Century , following on Charlie's Angels , Starsky and Hutch and so on , it is funny . However the saving grace is that is it is an action movie too . Not the Charlie's Angels funny or Starsky and Hutch funny . It is Seth Rogen funny .

So basically your like or dis-like of this movie balances on the question : Do you Like Seth Rogen ?

Jay Chou is relegated to Straight Man , playing Abbott to Setn's Costello , and takes the role of action hero , with most of the stunts falling to him . Leaving him the more favored character throughout the movie .

Cameron Diaz , in all her beauty appears , but that is about the length of it . She plays the love interest , of whom I do not know . But fails to have a purpose in the film , and leaves one wondering if she is hoping for more in a sequel , playing a Villian QUEEN BEE .

Battlestar Galactica fans would be please to see Edward James Olmos , playing the newspaper mentor . However not fulling his full acting potential , mostly due to the small part .

Was it worth the 3D ? I am hard press to site a scene where the 3D made the film better than the normal 2D . Some smoke and glass were flying around , and made me blink twice , but that was about it .

I expect the film to be as popular as the original TV series , and break even enough to spawn the sequel , and with a dry spell in the cinema , this could do the job of filling quite a few seats . But a CLASSIC , no .

The Movie Keeps begging the question, TO SPOOF or NOT TO SPOOF ?

IF you are a fan of the original , by all means go and see it on the big screen, but for the rest of us , it is just a night out of the house .

UnStoppable (2010)

UNSTOPPABLE : Tells the tale of a couple of Every Men , not Police , not Firemen , but Railway Men , Frank Barnes and Will Colson . Who decide the best thing is to get out the way of a runaway train . Only to watch it past by and then decide to chase it down and stop it .

The plot line though simple , runs along the normal cinematic track. Incompetent worker screws up , Disaster situation endures , Jeopardy eminent , Hero saves the day .

Denzel Washington plays Frank Barnes, a old standing Railway Man , intelligent in his knowledge of operations of the system. Humble in his approach to things , but expects everyone to do their job.

Chris Pine plays Will Colson, the young rookie, he has done the course work, qualified and family connected . The first day on the job , the "OLD MAN" Frank Barnes shows him up. The decision making process seem to be over written by environmental conditions, and the young man becomes quickly frustrated .

Well as the Crisis come and then escalates , this Odd Couple becomes the Team. Performing Heroic Act after Act . Until they save the day .

With Supporting Role from Rosario Dawson , as the tech person in the booth , the film provide the normal roller-coast ride of an action film , without the emotional attachment . Had everyone died in the film , I might have left the cinema more satisfied. The drama of the heroic acts; hardly seem dangerous , the heroes are never in jeopardy, and the woo-ing and ah-ing of the wife and children watching over live television, provides the emotions of Saturday Night Boxing .

The film gets a pass as an Action film , but is doomed to be relegated to late night cable television.

Buy it now on :

• Offical Website : http://www.unstoppablemovie.com/
  
• Wikipedia : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unstoppable_(2010_film)
  

The Trailer