Colombiana: Commando with Brains and a Heart

Late review, but I’ve been kind a busy. Here is a movie with fast, relentless action and no time to breathe coming to DVD and Blu-Ray this week. Colombiana relates the quest of a determined woman, named Cataleya, looking to avenge her parents’ murder.

Colombiana's Zoe Saldana kicks some serious butt without breaking a sweat.

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The 3D Bandwagon

Most Hollywood studios caught the virus now (or should I say “again”); everybody wants to shoot in 3D, or so it would seem. A lot of the big budget movies of the coming summer have a 3D moniker attached to them. While it often brings good entertainment value, one should wonder is it worth the admission price hike?

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Because, after all, 3D is exciting now that it is new (sort of); people always crave what they haven’t seen before. But what happens later, after the audience has seen most monsters/aliens/giant transforming robots/cowboys/pirates/superheroes and villains in 3D?    Read more »

A Million Laughs on DVD: Megamind

What if, in the eternal battle between hero and villain, the villain one day decides he is tired of being the bad one? This is the premise of the 3D animated Megamind. It’s a refreshing satire of the superhero genre, a little like Pixar‘s The Incredibles, told from the side of evil.

Megamind (Will Ferrell) and Minion (David Cross), the funny faces of the underdogs the day they finally win. They failed so many times in the past, they never exected to succeed. It feels weird.

Not quite as good, yet extremely funny in its own silly way. But it’s not just a superhero comedy, they managed to squeeze in a pretty convincing love story in the middle.    Read more »

Fate vs. Free Will: The Adjustment Bureau

The Adjustment Bureau tells the story of young and promising politician David Norris (Matt Damon) who falls in love with Elise (Emily Blunt), a chance encounter, against the “plan” and the will of the guys from “Upstairs”.

The Adjustment Bureau: "The people that make sure things go according to plan," hard at work while you sleep.

Adapted from an original short story written by Philip K. Dick, this movie manages to capture your attention, even though the potentially preposterous factor. A sci-fi short story works well, but a movie is a different animal.    Read more »

Relentless Conflict: The Social Network

Well, you will not like the protagonist here. He’s portrayed as a royal jerk; not because he intentionally want to be an ass, but simply because the man, the kid, is socially awkward. He is smart, but his intelligence gets in the way of everything else.

But the thing is, The Social Network is an fantastically written story that benefits from the play of talented actors and great direction. Once you start, it is impossible to look away. Good Job, Mr. Mezrich (book) and Mr. Sorkin (screenplay).

His first brush with the law. Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) must answer for bringing the Harvard network down over the prank that ultimately will lead to the creation of Facebook.

Why is it so good? It’s a constant, uninterrupted stream of conflicts between any and all of the characters. We get no break until the story ends.    Read more »

Quick Review: Rabbit Hole

Rabbit Hole features a delivery schedule that is interesting. The tragic event that changed the couple’s life has already happened. The clues to the audience are carefully distributed over the first two acts. You have to pay attention to the subtleties; you might miss one. Clever writing.

Becca (Nicole Kidman) and Howie (Aaron Eckhart) in a focus group. Two different mind sets.

As painful as it is, the story turns funny from time to time. The grieving mother, Becca (Nicole Kidman) is angry. The father, Howie (Aaron Eckhart), hangs on to old memories of their son. They are on edge; something must happen soon.    Read more »

Orchestrating Great Drama: Black Swan

In Black Swan, the competitive, often cruel world of professional ballet, where suspicion and paranoia are common, sees “sweet girl” Nina Sayers (an inspired Natalie Portman), a talented dancer go nuts when she is chosen to play the lead in an edgier version of Swan Lake. She must be able to handle, the torture to her body, the harsh criticism of her peers, the pressure of the role.

At the height of her paranoia, Nina (Natalie Portman), is tormented by self-destructive visions

What happens when her fears take the best of her? Nina sees her world flip upside down. Her mind take over and a dark pit open under her feet.    Read more »

Building Up Every Day Heroes: Unstoppable

Here is a very difficult art: building a climactic third act that includes danger and suspense, and allows the possibility for some meaningful heroics. The movie Unstoppable prepares the story for a full hour, gradually, before the two main characters unleash their courage and go for it.

Runaway murderous train on a rampage. Denzel Washington and Chris Pine have their work cut out for them.

Frank Barnes (Denzel Washington) and Will Colson (Chris Pine) must risk their lives to stop a train half a mile long carrying toxic and flammable chemicals, heading toward populated area at 75 MPH, with nobody on board.    Read more »

Too Many Surprise Twists: The Tourist

This time, it is about a surprise twist that does not quite work as expected. The Tourist features Johnny Depp playing Frank Tupelo, a character who gets picked up by Elise Clifton-Ward (Angelina Jolie) to throw off a pack of law enforcement agent, following her in Paris, France. They are hunting her husband. Since they do not know his face, he instructs her to pick a random man with the same body type as him.

During a train ride, Elise Clifton-Ward (Angelina Jolie) picks Frank Tupelo (Johnny Depp) to "play" her wanted husband's decoy, thrusting poor Frank in a world of hurt

The problems are twofold. First the main reversal is not the only surprise twist in the film. Second, the main twist shows that the filmmakers were deceiving the audience with smoke and mirrors.    Read more »

Characters with True Grit

“Grit, noun, \’grit\ firmness of mind or spirit : unyielding courage in the face of hardship or danger” (Merriam-Webster online dictionary).

True Grit tells the story of a very courageous 14-year-old girl (Hailee Steinfeld) out in harm’s way, looking to bring justice to the memory of her dear father. She hires renown Marshall Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) and they venture into Native American territory, to see to their mission.

Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges), even with just one eye, is good with a gun or a rifle. Stay away from the muzzle!

The western genre is alive and well indeed. For the fans, read our reviews of Appaloosa, Unforgiven and Pale Rider.    Read more »