He's Just Not That Into You

• Genre : Comedy, Drama, Romance...
  
• Running time : 129 min.
• Director : Ken Kwapis
  
• Studio : Flower Films
  
• Writers : Abby Kohn, Marc Silverstein
  
• Cast : Ginnifer Goodwin, Drew Barrymore, Kevin Connolly, Scarlett Johansson, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Justin Long..
  

Is it the feel-bad movie of the year? Although it's disguised as a Valentine's Day chick flick, and the advertising tries to convince guys that it isn't filled exclusively with mushy stuff, it's certainly not fun-loving. Exposing, analyzing and patronizing complex relationships, He's Just Not That Into You is a startlingly relatable film that alternates between reasonably entertaining and "drudging up bad memories." It's more sophisticated than you might think and the humor, which is fairly consistent, doesn't resort to raunchiness. The dating crowd will want to take note, however, that this isn't the type of movie you want to watch with your significant other, as you'll both probably leave feeling guilty, paranoid, overly inquisitive, or all three.

The film follows several relationships, each one originally independent of the other, until they all seem to collide at the conclusion. Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin) assumes the stereotype of the pathetic, desperate girl, who obsessively waits for her many dates to call her back. She resorts to begging, stalking, and other degrading acts to win the attentions of multiple guys, each one shrugging her off. Alex (Justin Long), a friendly and experienced bar manager, steps in to give Gigi a few pointers on her depressing failure with the opposite sex. Relying too heavily on his advice and his playful concern, she starts to think Alex is interested in her, leading to even more angst. Their story is the most interesting, considering Alex's often eye-opening advice and the humor in Gigi's failings.



Ben (Bradley Cooper) was rushed into marriage with his wife Janine (Jennifer Connelly) and resultantly falls for the sensual flirtations of Anna (Scarlett Johansson). After a quick seduction, Ben realizes he's destroying the relationship with his wife, but Anna is fixed on the idea that Ben could be her true love. Meanwhile, Conor (Kevin Connolly) is wondering why Anna, who is his current girlfriend, won't sleep with him. This section of the film is the most serious, with tragic and emotional twists at every turn.

Neil (Ben Affleck) and Beth (Jennifer Aniston) have been happily in love for seven years, but when her younger sister announces wedding plans, Beth begins to question why she hasn't been proposed to. Neil doesn't believe in marriage, but Beth feels it's a necessity - leading to doubts, heartbreak and the most unlikely segment of the film.

There are an additional few love stories thrown in, each involving several of the characters from the major three plot lines. Perhaps the most inspiring piece of He's Just Not That Into You is the storytelling approach, which carefully intertwines almost every single character - by the end of the film, it's really just one complex story. The problem is that a series of serious relationships that are falling apart, getting glued back together, or never having a chance to develop, is occasionally not varied enough to keep audiences amused.



The large and recognizable cast is delightful to see, introducing a new familiar face every ten minutes, and the humor is universal and doesn't resort to cheap yucks. The film puts on display every single stereotype, mold, rule, exception, and dilemma of relationships; some are predictable while others are surprising, but the whole spectrum is present. Told chiefly from a woman's perspective (guys are terrible and dishonest most of the time, although at certain points the men get their more unbiased viewpoint portrayed) He's Just Not That Into You is likely to rub a great many people the wrong way. It's not a date movie by any means, but it's also not as unintelligent as it appears.

Now, from the tone of the last part of that sentence you may well have come to the conclusion that this is just another standard romantic comedy chick-flick, and, on paper, it should be. But it's not. The script is very similar in tone and feel to "When Harry met Sally" with "supposed" regular people introducing each chapter of the film, the insights are decent and the dialogue contains a lot of honesty that I think many people can relate to. The cast are all first rate with special attention going to Ben Affleck, who has so needed a good role in front of the camera for ages, and Jennifer Aniston as the couple who can't move forward, also good are Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Connolly in their respective roles. The big star turns for me though are Ginnifer Goodwin and Justin Long as the hapless dater and the hapless dating coach, who are really good. For Long it's another step up the Hollywood ranks (pretty much the direction he's been heading since "Dodgeball") and for Goodwin it is a star-making turn that should do for her what "knocked-up" did for Heigl.



What makes this film stand out above others, however, is its exploration into the minds of men, women and their relationships that is on par with the 1989 comedy "When Harry Met Sally." It shows a reality of how each tries to dissect what the other is trying to communicate - what the guy means when he says "it was nice to meet you" after the date, for example. Ladies, how many times have you sat around with your friends going over every single detail to figure out how a guy feels about you? Gentlemen, how many times have you been perplexed by the actions of the opposite sex? This film seems to understand and laugh at your pain the same way your best friend might over drinks.

The actors play their parts well, giving them a personality that's realistically flawed and charming. The character Gigi, for example, is that one over-analyzing, guy-crazy, slightly pathetic friend most people know. Goodwin gives her character just the right amount of sweetness for us to still enjoy her even though she makes embarrassing mistakes and has slight stalker-like tendencies.

But the very qualities that keep this from being a great movie, it's lack of depth and failure to be witty, make it valid and honest as a look at dating and relationship-forming and save it from the utter mediocrity or bad taste it could have fallen into. Jane Austen or even 'Sex and the City' it's not. But it's also not an endless self-centered monologue but a sensible guide to wising up.



Boring elements are the obligatory, but unnecessary, glossy American-movie wedding, complete with boorish speech by a relative. The picture steers clear of even more boring specifics of nowhere dates except for a man, appropriately appearing at that wedding, who attempts to woo poor Gigi by lecturing her on his career as a male witch.

This film is a great date movie. It is funny enough for guys to laugh at, and has an "aww" factor most girls enjoy.And if nothing else, you'll learn a little something.

My Rating

He's Just Not That Into You : 6/10

Taken

• Genre : Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller...
  
• Running time : 93 min.
• Director : Pierre Morel
  
• Studio : Europa Corp.
  
• Writers : Luc Besson, Robert Mark Kamen
  
• Cast : Mark Amyot, Arben Bajraktaraj, Radivoje Bukvic..
  

In a world of James Bonds, Jason Bournes, and Frank Martins, it's hard for a little random ex-spy named Brian Mills to get some love. On the surface, his film seems a little formulaic, and he seems a little...well...old. However, once we get into Mills's story, and see how infinitely badass the wonderful Liam Neeson plays him, you'll probably be saying something along the lines of "James who?". 'Taken', which follows Mills as he pursues those responsible for kidnapping his daughter, is a heart pounding thriller with a stupendous display of badassery from Liam Neeson. It may have a plot that's sort of unbelievable, but it's one of the best action thrillers in years.

Why do critics dislike this movie? Is it because they have no ability to see beyond the obviously far-fetched events of the movie? Is it because they take themselves too seriously and don't know how to have fun? It's probably both of those two reasons, but I find peace in thinking that they're complete idiots who don't know what they're talking about...sometimes. The fact remains that 'Taken' is plain fun, popcorn entertainment, that doesn't resort to cheap explosions in looking for thrills. It relies on the gritty closeups of the marvelous hand to hand combat and stylistic action (Liam Neeson's 'Batman Begins' training certainly paid off here).



The film is the brainchild of Luc Besson, the mind behind the Transporter films. Here, he relies on a director that may be inexperienced as a director, but one who also has more experience in shooting action on film than most. Pierre Morel, responsible for the photography in action films such as 'War', 'Unleashed', and of course, 'The Transporter', does a great job in choreographing some very good action sequences, especially giving them some flavor when they end. The film was not just pure action, which was good, as it also showed Neeson's character working as a spy and shows some intelligence in that aspect.

Director Pierre Morel has given us a solid winter movie experience with Taken (2009), an action/thriller with plenty of character. I went into this film expecting lots of action. I got that action, and more.

The opening frames of this film are, unquestionably, canned sentiment. This theme continues throughout the beginning of the movie, but it isn't the generic stuff. It's the satisfying, nostalgic kind, a sort of cinematic Chef Boyardee, if you will, and not the cold, straight-out-of-the-can collegiate sustenance, but the lovingly warmed kind your mother always made you.



Our hero, Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) is the kind of guy a lot of us thirty-somethings can really identify with. He ekes out a retiree's life in a cheap apartment, to be close to his teenage daughter, a lovely young thing who lives with the ex-wife and her new, rich, husband. The relationship is strained, since the ex, Lenore (Famke Janssen) hardly approves of Bryan's way of life, even though he's given up the spy game.

So here's a man who gets emasculated at every turn, but willingly suffers it to build a relationship with daughter Kim (Maggie Grace). Her businessman stepfather, more present in his white collar than Bryan could ever be in his CIA issue, offers up an Arabian horse to compete with Bryan's karaoke machine.

But when young Kim is abducted by slave traders in Paris, Bryan earns his keep. As the tension builds, we see an agent-turned-father in his real element. It isn't long before his buddies in the trade get him enough info to start the hunt, and it's here that the pace really starts moving.

Speaking of Neeson, it appears that his days as the kind hearted mentor figure in films such as 'Narnia' and 'Star Wars' are behind him. His ruthless, badass, and perfectly natural performance makes the movie watchable and carries it from start to finish (which isn't too long, as the film clocks in at one hour and 45 minutes including previews). Neeson is a veteran, and it really shows. His performance goes deep, and will excite the viewer in all ways. Maggie Grace was also noteworthy as his daughter (it was tough to recognize her without her blonde hair!).



Before long, Bryan's in France, dealing out one erg after another of brutal justice as he tracks down his daughter. Now, don't get me wrong, it's not all chases and fights. Well, no, that's a lie. It is all chases and fights, but not only are they perfectly filmed, timed, and acted, but they do a terrific job of portraying the character. Now, Bryan Mills isn't your usual good guy. He's not your usual antihero either. Hell, he's not even your usual Jason Bourne. He's a father with years of combat and espionage experience, and he holds nothing back in retrieving his daughter. Every scumbag who gets in his way pays an unmerciful, but suitable, price. Beautiful, vicious martial arts, not entirely unrealistic gunfights, and a breakneck pace reveal a man willing to do anything for his daughter.

Any father should be able to enjoy the seeing the beastly side of parental urges played out so artfully. But there's more to it than that.

This is a movie that's also topical in a few ways. The slave trade is very much alive in the modern world, and could use some attention. In Taken, it gets that exposure. Furthermore, there are themes revolving around the broken family, the general disdain of Americans abroad and government corruption.

This is probably the best example I've seen in awhile of how stupid and self-righteous most film critics can be. They fault 'Taken' for having events occur that aren't entirely realistic. Do they recognize the film for being a great roller coaster ride that will leave most viewers happy (pretty much my entire theater of 150 people seemed happy)? No. It's further proof that Liam Neeson is one of the best leading men around, and that these critics really need to catch up with the times.



Taken prides itself on its seriously dark tone. The villains' atrocities are amplified by their detestable trade and we feel no sympathy when they get what's coming to them. Our hero is also rather ruthless, stopping at literally nothing to find his daughter. But this grimmer mood sets Taken apart from its predecessors, and provides an authenticity lacking from those flashier attempts at sinister action we've seen before. When your protagonist can electro-shock torture a thug for information, and the audience can applaud him for it, you know an intriguing character has been born.

It's a wonderful movie and worth watching it.

My Rating

Taken : 7.8/10

Underworld : Rise of the Lycans

• Genre : Action, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller...
  
• Running time : 92 min.
• Director : Patrick Tatopoulos
  
• Studio : Intelligent creatures
  
• Screenplay : Danny McBride, Dirk Blackman
  
• Cast : Michael Sheen, Bill Nighty, Rhona Mirta, Steven Mackintosh..
  

The first Underworld was good, the second one was a disappointment… But the third is, in my opinion, surprisingly better than the first two combined. Going into this movie, I wasn't expecting much, especially after the disaster that was Evolution. Evolution lost everything that made Uw1 so good – the story, the characters, the dynamic between Lycans & vampires, the love story of Selene & Michael, and even the music. It seemed to focus around Selene kicking butt and mindless explosions and gore.

But this movie totally blew me away. I'm writing this review over a day after I've seen it, and I'm still jittery from how good it was.

You need to remember, this thing would never be a real success because of the sheer non-necessity of it. This story is told effectively enough in Underworld as flashbacks and history, to actually need a feature length showing us it all again is just overkill. That said, though, I really enjoyed it. The tone remained, the aesthetic stayed true, but the Beckinsale factor was missed—no, not because of her looks, but actually her acting. Something about her lent a vulnerability to the character, a softness that showed a bit of humanity behind the vampiric power. With Rhona Mitra, you just get the hard-edged badass, leaving the reality of her falling for a Lycan all the more implausible.

One must give credit to the series on a whole for staying relevant and true to itself. I think that if it became anything less, some sort of caricature being churned out by the Hollywood machine, none of the original talent would have bothered to return, no matter what kind of cash was thrown their way. Bill Nighy is the kind of guy that definitely doesn't need to be doing action films anymore. After reading interviews with him following the initial film, he complained about the sheer physicality of the role and the amount of training he had to experience. Yet here he is, six years later, still getting into the dungeon water with swords and wirework, completing the story that he began. And by his side is an actor who's star has risen to the A-list, Michael Sheen, bringing credibility to a genre film that usually doesn't deserve it, let alone contain it. The Lycan leader, Lucian, is the role that brought Sheen into America's consciousness and you have to think his friendship with the producers and his belief in the material got him to reprise the role.


It is that credibility that makes the series so popular, though. Ever since the first film, billed as a horror, gore flick, surprised by being something of substance, the mythology has taken on a life of its own. Its subtle spin on the immortality yarn was fresh enough to intrigue and rooted in reality to be relevant. This installment may actually hurt because of its time period taking place centuries ago. The neat gadgets and garlic clove bullets are replaced with medieval armor and whips, swords and horses. However, it works if you have embraced the complete story at hand. We always knew that the feud began ages ago, these two races do live forever after all, so to see it play out does excite on some level. We were shown a taste of it in Underworld: Evolution, but here it becomes reality.

The reason that fact is also a detriment leads us to Rhona Mitra. In my mind I always saw Sonja as this girl who had love and compassion in her heart. Someone who saw beyond the cold, cruelty of her father to realize what combining the bloodlines could do for the peaceful harmony of their races. I thought of someone like Beckinsale, a former human that still held a shred of morality in her body, a softness to see why Lucian would fall for her. What we get from Mitra, and it is what she does, is a pureblood vampire, born and raised to kill. She is so steely-eyed and stone-faced that while her brazen attitude with her father and need to protect her people works remarkably, the moments when she needs to tear down her shield ring false. I don't necessarily blame her as much as casting. The filmmakers saw that young men wanted to see a hot woman kicking butt and didn't realize the other layers Kate's Selene added to the overall tone of Underworld. As an action film she is perfect, but as a story of love and a future above prejudice and civil war, there is just something lacking.

Michael Sheen then attempts to do it all himself, showing incredible range with just a silent look at a vampire guard abusing one of his kind. Grabbing his arm to stop the whip, his eyes show the seriousness with which he makes the transgression, but also the pleading warmth for this monster to show a little compassion and respect. You can only beat someone so much before they either can't work anymore or they wake up to the fact they are strong enough to stand their ground and fight. Sheen's Lucian tries so hard to force those feelings of revolt down in order to keep his affair with Sonja alive, but sometimes the master's lashings can be withstood only so long. His dynamic with Bill Nighy's remorseless—although he shows some weakness in abandoning his daughter—bureaucrat is felt. It becomes old school versus the new and a beginning to the long war yet to be forged against the two.



Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is by no means crucial viewing for the series to make sense, but it also isn't something to completely dismiss. Showing what we knew fully adds a layer that may or may not effect how you view the other two installments afterwards. If nothing else, it answers some questions about how each character became whom they do. I'd almost recommend seeing it just to experience the origins of Raze. Kevin Grevioux is one of the series' creators and killed himself off in the first film only to be resurrected here in the past. His history is an intriguing one and probably the only surprise I had watching, unthinking that how he becomes Lucian's right-hand man could occur as it does. However, it makes perfect sense and actually creates a whole new level about the relationship between immortals and humans. It's just one more thread to bolster the mythology and add some depth to an already fleshed-out premise.

The sex scene -- not as bad as the one from Evo, but we could've done without it. If I had a say in the matter, I would say just edit out the last part. Those who have seen it will know what I'm talking about. While very original, it made everyone go "WTF."

Luka -- not quite sure what was up with her character, but it was kind of a meaningless character that they introduced…

A couple of scenes or shots were a bit awkward… like Lucian falling off a cliff with two vampires – it seemed like that scene from Psycho when Martin Balsam's character falls down the stairs… Some of the dialog was off – either cheesy or too predictable.

WAY TOO SHORT! I know a lot us would've liked to see more development in Sonja & Lucian's relationship, and starting it where it did just kinda left some us going "…?"



RHONA MITRA. From the beginning I've been supportive of her taking on the female lead. The writers did a good job with her – independent, strong, witty, rebellious without being annoying. She played the character extremely well! Going in I didn't think I would be so attached to her character at all – and I wound up liking Sonja more than Selene in the end (and this is saying a lot!). Sonja has more depth than Selene did (especially after Evo). Kudos, writing staff and Rhona.

Chemistry. I couldn't help but feel so much for these Sonja and Lucian, characters that weren't even on my "top three" until the end of this movie. Now they're at the top. Their relationship, although rushed, was truly touching. I found myself invested in their fates and getting emotional over something I knew was coming.

The writing was pretty good – better than Evo. There was a story, and the dialog did justice to all the characters. Tanis and Viktor, who I was afraid I would wind up hating now that Kraven is not there, were written in a way that you just had to admire and love the more. The addition of Raze, as well as some clips from the first Underworld tied ROTL with the first one.

The acting. I think there may have been one weak character, and the rest of the cast worked well together and alone. Michael Sheen, Bill Nighy, Steven Macintosh, Rhona Mitra, and all the supporting cast were superb. You simply cannot ask for a better ensemble!

The music, in my opinion, was added at the right time/scenes, at the right volume. The score and soundtrack have the same feel as the first movie (which it should, considering it's the same fabulous composer).

Bill Nighy as Victor and Michael Sheen as Lucian hold this movie together like super-glue. They are both riveting. You will forget about the generic plot, the constant darkness (which can generally be a strain on the eyes) and will fall in love with the lead couple. Knowing they are doomed makes it better in a way. Their chemistry was great! I never understood why exactly Selene and Michael were a couple by the end of the first movie. It was like the pretty girl has to pair up with the pretty boy before the credits roll, which was acceptable then. Sonja (Rhona Mitra) and Lucian are a very different story though. You feel their heartbreak and the intensity of their relationship through the length of the film, even though you don't see how they actually came to be together.

Steven Mackintosh and Kevin Grevioux as Tannis and Raze respectively have very little time on screen, and are good enough to make you wish you knew more about their characters.

The action scenes were good, just as long as they should be and above all, did NOT look like animation. There are a couple of scenes where the entire audience will collectively wince, but are not so bad that someone sensitive to movie gore (like me) would not be able to watch.


One thing remarkable about this film is the fact that when it's over, you will go back home, watch the other two and find you like them much less than you thought you did. Especially the second one, since it lacks the two best things about the franchise- Victor and Lucian. It brings out the flaws in the other films since you WILL compare them! You can't say that about a lot of prequels/sequels.

The beginning and the ending… I would not change a thing. It was perfect. The beginning is a wonderful introduction to the movie, and the ending is a nice connection to the first movie.

I think this movie worked out so well because it has a nice mixture of what made the first two movies good in my opinion. It had most of the original cast and characters, a strong female lead with a strong male counterpart, it wasn't so long that it lost your interest, and it had a strong enough plot line to carry the movie in spite of a few weak points.

Overall, this was a pleasant surprise for devoted Underworld fans that waited 3 years and 3 days to see it, and any new-comers that were looking for a decent movie to watch in theaters.

My Rating

Underworld : 7.2/10

Yes Man

• Genre : Comedy
• Running time : 104 min.
• Directors : Payton Reed
  
• Studio : Heyday Films
  
• Screenplay : Nocholas Stoller, Jerrad Paul
  
• Cast : Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel, Bradley Cooper..

After commercial failures like Lemony Snicket, Fun with Dick and Jane and The Number 23 Jim Carrey could use another hit. Yes Man might just do the trick. It will undoubtedly not only mark Carrey's return to box office greatness (a 45 million dollar opening (when there are no snowstorms around)?), it will also go into history as the first movie in which the Canadian born actor gets oral sex on screen. No kidding. But more on that later.



Yes Man is a typical Jim Carrey feel good movie. Like Bruce Almighty (a human becomes God), The Mask (a mask transforms a zero into a hero) and Liar Liar (a man is forced to tell the truth all the time) the film has a strong but ridiculous premise. What would happen if you said yes to every offer that you got? The story features Carl Allen (Carrey), a dull man who got stuck in a dull life. He's living the same life for at least three years now – ever since his girlfriend left him for another. His best friend Peter (Bradley Cooper) tries to draw him back into life, but Carl remains a hermit, saying no to every invitation he gets. When he accidentally forgets Peter's engagement party Carl decides to change his life drastically. He signs up for a Yes Man seminar by philosophy guru Terrence Bundley (Terrence Stamp) and embraces life by saying yes to any offer that's made to him. Guitar lessons, flying lessons, even a penis enlargement: Carl is your man. And wow, his life does get better. Carl not only gets a promotion, he also meets the charming Alison (Zooey Deschanel), a free spirit who sings in a band and has a job as a photographer. The two fall in love. But what happens when Alison finds out about his Yes Man way of life and begins to doubt if he really wants to choose for her?



Ever since I saw the trailer I wanted to see Yes Man. In dark times we all need a laugh and let's face it: there's a lot of truth in the fact that only a Yes opens up new opportunities in life. Luckily, Jim Carrey fans should not be worried: Yes Man delivers the goods. The story is safely predictable and although Carrey carries the movie, he gets help from a strong supporting cast. Terrence Stamp is great as Yes man guru. Bradley Cooper – Carrey best friend in the movie - is a handsome man with some great screen presence. This movie could be his real breakthrough. But the real treat in Yes Man is Zooey Deschanel (The Happening, Bridge to Terabithia) as Carrey's love interest Alison. You can't help but falling in love with her in this movie. She's happily strange and immensely charming. I give her a 9/10 on the Drew Barrymore scale (with Drew having a 10/10 of course).



Storywise Yes man starts rather nice. When Carl learns that 'Yes' means progress and 'No' could mean punishment he reluctantly agrees to almost anything – including his 70 year old toothless female neighbor giving him oral sex. I don't know what to think of the scene actually. It is funny, but it's a long way from the Claw in Liar Liar – if you know what I mean. Needless to say, Yes man is not exactly family entertainment. On the other hand, in Transformers there was also a dialogue about masturbating. So maybe Hollywood is growing up. One of the funniest scenes is the one that follows the kissing of a beautiful girl in the bar (as seen in the trailer). Her boyfriend wants to beat up Carl and what follows is a very funny fight between a muscled dumbo and a very drunk Carrey. In this scene Carrey really shows his comedic talent. Pretty hilarious.



Overall Yes Man is nice entertainment. Carrey fans won't be disappointed and there are a lot of strong moments. Too bad the ending of the movie seems rushed. All the actions Carl undertakes under his Yes Man spell suddenly all turn out for the better (and that's just a little bit too convenient). The movie is only 82 minutes long and I suspect that there are a lot of scenes cut that could've given the story more drama and suspense. Despite the oral sex scene Yes Man is Jim Carrey's most romantic movie in a long while. Just watch the scene on the Hollywood Bowl stage... Well done!

Yes Man has one of the finest soundtracks of the year with music from Eels and Munchausen by Proxy that further establishes a positive vibe.

My Rating

Yes Man : 7.3/10

Paul Blart : Mall Cop

• Genre : Action, Comedy, Crime, Family...
• Running time : 87 min.
• Director : Steve Carr
  
• Studio : Columbia Pictures
  
• Writer : Kevin James, Nick Bakay
  
• Cast : Kevin James, Keir O'Donnell, Jayma Mays, Raini Rodriguez..

If Paul Blart: Mall Cop had been made 20 years ago, it would have starred John Candy. That's a complement, by the way. Candy had a knack for playing bungling, yet good-hearted people who mainly wanted to please. He certainly specialized in playing people who tried too hard to be nice to cover up past pain. There's a lot of this in Kevin James' performance as the title character here. He's more than just a comic goofball. James turns him into a likable and surprisingly sympathetic hero that we find ourselves cheering for by the end.

Kevin James rose to fame on television starring on the sitcom, The King of Queens, and has been trying to break into movies for a while now. He's acted along side stars like Will Smith and Adam Sandler, but this is his first shot at a stand-alone starring role. Sandler is still there behind the scenes (His Happy Madison production company produced the film.), but this is James' film all the way, and he doesn't waste the opportunity. His Paul Blart is admirable in a way. He's overweight and he suffers from hypoglycemia, but he always tries to do the right thing. He's passionate about his job as a mall cop, but he'd really like to be a police officer on the street. He's taken the physical entrance exam many times, but his health problems have prevented him from finishing. He makes up for his shortcomings by being the best mall cop he can be, and by also being a good single father to his teen daughter (Raini Rodriguez), who respects him and wishes he could fall in love again. Paul has his eyes on a young woman named Amy (Jayma Mays), who also works at the mall. The first half hour or so of the film is devoted to Paul's life, and it certainly helps us get into his corner when the actual plot kicks in.



It's Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year, and some high tech criminals stage a lock down and a hostage situation at the mall as they pull off their theft plan. They place motion sensors and small bombs at the entrances, so no one can get in or out. They think they've removed everyone from the building, but didn't notice Paul was in the back of the arcade playing Guitar Hero. When he emerges from the arcade, he quickly learns about the hostage situation, and discovers that both Amy and his daughter are amongst them. This kicks off the main action, where Paul must use his resources around him to out think and outrun the criminals while keeping everyone alive. I liked this aspect of the story, and how Paul Blart actually has to be clever in order to outsmart the captors. The movie is rated PG, so it's never too violent or scary for kids, which is the perfect target audience for the film. They'll like the film's gentle and goofy humor, and accompanying adults may find themselves charmed by Blart himself.

I never laughed out loud while watching this movie, but I did smile a lot, and I found myself caring more about the main character than I imagined. Let me tell you, that's more than I expected walking into a movie called Paul Blart: Mall Cop. There's plenty of sweetness during the early moments, establishing Paul's shy relationship with Amy, and the caring one he shares with his daughter. When the time comes for him to be a hero, we can cheer for him, because the movie makes him into a true underdog. He's constantly battling with his own shortcomings and health issues, and it's clever the way he keeps on finding ways to keep himself going, driven by saving the ones he loves. If I'm making the movie sound too serious, it's not. There's plenty of slapstick gags, surprisingly no bodily fluid or toilet humor to be found, and some pretty good physical comedy on display. If there's any major shortcoming to be found, it's that the movie is pretty inconsequential, and will probably be forgotten by me a few months from now.



Now there are some funny moments and it is really a pleasure to see a very NICE character in the lead, but just not enough laughs to keep the audiences coming back. Kevin James stars (and helped write) here as Paul Blart, who ended up as a mall cap because he couldn't control his blood sugar levels, and passed out during the state trooper camp. The bit here is that he takes his mall job very seriously and to no one's surprise, is a loser in love.

I found his initial physical attraction to kiosk salesperson Jayman Mays (Epic Movie) a bit ironic ... since there are so many jokes about James' weight. I can only assume that Mays' performance is so over the top bad because that's what director Steve Carr (Daddy Day Care) takes has humor. Better support work was delivered by Keir O'Donnell (very funny in Wedding Crashers), Bobby Cannavale and the very classy Shirley Knight as James' mom.

Kevin James is talented and he likes to compare himself to Jackie Gleason, Chris Farley and John Belushi - other comedy "heavy weights". After Mall Cop, Hitch, and Chuck and Larry, he is still searching for just the right movie vehicle to compliment his TV success on King of Queens.



That film received plenty of attention because as Sarah was dumping Peter, his towel slipped off, and the camera revealed full frontal nudity. Viewers questioned the purpose of the scene. Well, practically speaking, it was designed to pull those viewers into the audience, however in the story, Peter, a nice guy who's socially inept, was demonstrating to Sarah and the rest of us that he at least possesses the "equipment" Sarah desired. The paradox was that Peter, although wanting something more from a relationship, let his gonads overrule his judgment. Yeah, Peter like Paul, except during Paul's PG mall adventure, we'd anticipate no indiscreet revelation.

Okay, back to Amy. I ask your forgiveness for my commenting that she's solely interested in what's below a man's waist and since Paul is overall bigger, she imagines his equipment is bigger. While I'm sure the actress herself is a wonderful human being, the script clearly shafts her character.

It gets worse. The movie belatedly arrives at the major interaction developed in the previews, namely, the mall taken over by a gang, and Paul is trapped inside forced to defend good over evil. Incredibly, we witness a plot deviation where Paul has an escape route and is ordered to evacuate with everyone else. He proceeds to the parking lot, sees Amy's car, and figures she's still inside. He returns to the mall foolhardily to try rescuing her and while he's there, he might as well rescue the other hostages. So much for dedication to one's job and serving the public.



Consequently, at this point, the film lost what little credibility it had retained. In addition, his capture of the villains was not remotely believable or even entertaining. Thankfully, there was a humorous scene straight out of the previews, where Paul thinks he's gravely injured and slowly rolls up his sleeve, disclosing only a minuscule scratch to which he affixes a children's bandage.

When the siege ends, he kisses his beloved, and admittedly it's cute. I mean, I had attended the showing because I liked Paul from the previews, and despite my disappointment, maybe I was having second thoughts. Also I was munching a candy bar 'cause my blood sugar was low and I was getting foggy and sentimental.

The credits began to roll, and to my delight, included the only images making me burst out laughing! Paul and Amy are being married! I then fantasied that they had saved themselves for their wedding night. Amy will finally discover if she was correct about Paul's size! Perhaps the DVD will include an unrated version where we can all look on. In this scenario, I'd bet Paul Blart: Mall Cop outshines Forgetting Sarah Marshall!

My Rating

Paul Blart : Mall Cop : 5.5/10

Notorious

• Genre : Biography, Drama, Music...
• Running time : 100 min.
• Director : George Tillman Jr.
  
• Studio : Bystorm Films
  
• Writer : Reggie Rock Bythewood, Cheo Hodari Coker
  
• Cast : Jamal Woolard, Mohamed Dione, Derek Luke, Dennis L.A. White..

How do you make a proper and respectful movie on a Hip-Hop Legend? I mean it's been 12 years since his death and he's still the greatest Rapper of all time and in my opinion forever will be. Thats what I was thinking before seeing this. I didn't know how this one would turn out. Fortunately it came out GREAT! All the actors were solid, and played their parts respectfully with Jamal Woolard in the lead as Christopher 'Biggie' Wallace. Yes, this is another come up from nothing to something story, but this is one where you don't need to be a fan to understand or enjoy. However, being a fan before seeing this movie only made it better, it was nice to see his life up on the big screen and look back at the life he lived.

Notorious starts out just as I had thought it would, with the shooting being shown in the beginning and then the rest of the movie happening like a flashback. The flashback starts out with a young Christopher Wallace rapping in the school yard, so we're shown even at a young age he was influenced by music. Early, we're also shown how protective his mother Voletta Wallace(Angela Bassett) was as all she wanted was a good life for her son. I must say Angela Bassett did an excellent job portraying Mrs.Wallace, from the look to speech, she had the character on point. Some actors didn't look exactly like their real life counterparts like Derek Luke as Sean 'Puffy' Combs or Anthony Mackie as Tupac Shakur. But little things like this were easy to look past as the story hooks you in immediately.



Notorious really picked up for me about 15 minutes in, when we first see Jamal Woolard step in as Christopher a little bit older. We see him dealing with drugs in his room, having to hide plates full underneath his bed as he's still living at home with his mother. He has to hide all the flashy clothes/shoes/gear from his mother, as he's suppose to still be going to school. Once confronted about missing school so much, we get a great scene from both mother and son as he admits to drug trafficking and choosing the street over school. There were some scenes that I was really hoping would be in this, and thankfully I was not disappointed. When we first see Biggie step up to battle in the street, it was pretty intense, as it was done exactly like the real video of it. Once dropping that freestyle, its clear to see this kid has talent. Shortly after the street life begins to conflict with chance of making it out he has. As he is arrested for dealing right after becoming a father and getting a girl from his neighbourhood pregnant. Once in lockup, Biggie begins to write and form his craft. Once being released, his friends begin to see he's gotten better as an artist and could actually make some noise in Hip-Hop. One of those friends is Lil Cease played by Marc John Jefferies who was also in the Get Rich or Die Trying movie. One thing thats kinda funny though, is that the same actor that plays Cease as an adult also plays him as a kid earlier in the movie, you expect to see an older version, but he never ages. Soon after Puffy comes is introduced and he turns B.I.G. in to the Notorious one we all know and love.



For the rest of the movie we see Biggie have to deal with family drama, such as not seeing his oldest daughter enough, go through relationship troubles, back and forth between Lil' Kim and Faith Evans. We also see him have to deal with success and the highs and lows of the music industry. We are also shown many events re-enacted that were broad-casted all over the media when they originally happened. It was great to see how everything came together and how he reacted to many of those situations. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out how this one ends, but even when it does, it hits you like you never seen it coming.

The script was great, when making a movie about someones life, no matter who the person may be, it's hard to compress someone's life in to 2 hours, but they pulled it off. They writers knew what parts to include and what not too. It was great seeing key parts of his career be added such as The Tupac shooting at the studio with Biggie being blamed and then the confrontation at the Source Awards.



Unless you were a close friend, classmate, neighbor, relative, or business associate of Christopher Wallace, you would never know the REAL "Biggie Smalls." You knew Biggie Smalls the "media creation" and marketing product of Bad Boy Records.

I think Notorious gives the indifferent B.I.G. fan another side of his personality. We've all seen the photos of him frowning with his hood "I'm so hard, don't fu** with me" scowl, but how many people saw B.I.G. playing with kids or talking to his Mom? That's where this film delivers. Is it perfect? No. Only a documentary would provide you with raw, gritty, real life truth. This is not a documentary. This is a "mostly truth combined with entertaining Hollywood exaggerated fiction" movie.



Bottom line, I enjoyed Notorious. Jamal Woolard not only carries his weight, but he carries this movie. For someone who is a first-time actor, I was extremely impressed with his performance. If anyone else had played B.I.G., quite frankly, I don't think I would have enjoyed the film. Derek Luke was entertaining at time, Angela Bassett did her normal "concerned mother in the hood" role, and Naturi Naughton gave a balanced performance as X-rated lyricist Lil Kim.

But this is Woolard's movie. His performance is by far the heart and soul of this film. Bravo to the young rapper known as "Gravy." I will look out for Woolard's projects from this point forward.

Visuals were stunning. It was just pleasure to watch. I especially enjoyed the mixed part when they played "I Love The Dough". I didn't have problem with any of the actors. Angela Bassett was talking so similar to Voletta that sometimes I thought it's her speaking. There were few scenes when I couldn't believe how similar Gravy acted and looked comparing to Biggie.



What really makes the ending hit you hard, is that we see Christopher Wallace change as a person near the end of his life as if he knew it was coming to end. Any fan could tell you that death was always on his mind much like Tupac just from listening to his music and reading his lyrics, but it was quite effective to actually see it. We see him become a man, as a better father and an overall better person. One of the final scenes is of Mrs.Wallace riding in the backseat of a car coming from Christophers funeral. And as the car is driving we see her look out the window and in the street is all of her sons fans, also mourning the loss. This is when she realizes that even though she didn't support what he was doing, others did, and they listened when he spoke. It's a shame he was only on this earth for 25 years, but clearly he left his mark and will never be forgotten...not only through his music but now also through this movie

My Rating

Notorious : 6.3/10

My Bloody Valentine 3-D

• Genre : Horror, Thriller...
• Running time : 101 min.
• Director : Patrick Lussier
  
• Studio : Lionsgate
  
• Screenplay : Todd Farmer, Zane Smith
  
• Cast : Jensen Ackles, Jaime King, Kerr Smith, Betsy Rue, Edi Gathegi..
  

Taking a good look at the two heavily populated cinema 'lives' of the slasher genre, the most striking similarity in both is that they were started by the box office successes of two stand-out features. First Halloween in 78 launched a tidal wave of wannabes that included the much maligned but equally heavily imitated Friday the 13th series. The category had a good run, but eventually lost popularity mid-way through the eighties due to a restriction on gore and a lack of funding and creativity from production teams. Wes Craven's popular semi-parody, Scream from 1996, kicked off yet another major influx that sent the imitations crawling out of the woodwork and on to video-store shelves. Eventually, a lack of originality meant audiences and studios alike gave up on the cycle and it befell a similar fate that had sent its forefathers into obscurity.

There were thirteen years between the death of the Halloween-inspired glory days and Scream's unexpected re-birth, so a believer in destiny may indeed be forgiven for predicting the time is upon us for another run of masked killers and gratuitous gore.



It has been a good few months for fans of the original My Bloody Valentine. Not only have we learned that we will finally be able to see the full uncut version of the original, repackaged on a shiny new DVD with extras, but also we have been treated to this highly financed remake at a time when the category had pretty much sunk to the lowest of depths.

Harry Warden's name lives long in the memories of the townsfolk of a small town in West Virginia after he went on a maniacal killing spree, butchering 22 people on a cold valentine's night. Despite rumors that he was buried alive in the mines that he stalked, the body of the maniac has never been discovered. Fast forward ten years and it seems that the evil has returned, because a gas-masked maniac begins stalking the village and killing everyone that was somehow connected to the original massacre. Has Harry returned?



As the title accurately informs us, a key gimmick for the release of this remake was the fact that it is filmed in explosive 3D. Now many have tried to bring horror into the third-dimension, but the likes of Friday the 13th III, Silent Madness and Freddy's Dead had failed drastically to make the most of an ingenious tool in the creation of supreme virtual terror. So with all that was riding against it, does My Bloody Valentine 3D actually deliver??

Like hell it does! Buckle your seat belts baby and prepare yourself for a speed-train through slasher clichés that has never been taken to such extreme heights. This is a non-stop juggernaut of fast-paced gore and shock tactics that will keep your heart beating at the speed of a Japanese freeway. You can mock the brainless script and the at times overly-gratuitous exploitation, but this is a slasher movie and slasher movies exist to give you two-hours of freedom from the stress of everyday life in a virtual-world where you can leave your brains at the door.



Firstly, the film is immensely gory. So much so that even a hardened old horror-addict like myself was cowering from the screen in places. Pick-axes through faces, dismemberment, eyes popping out of their sockets; and best of all, it's all filmed in fantastic 3D. This is a car-crash of over indulgence that has the balls to drive to the borders of cinematic acceptability and then smash through them with its pedal to the medal. The pace is unrelenting and the suspense at times absolutely immense. Patrick Lussier may not be the next Hitchcock, but MBV 3D is not to be categorized alongside Psycho or Halloween. This is a film that sets out to shock in any way possible and on that level it succeeds. There's one or two tense jump out of your seat jolts and a few credibly created scares that are all the better for the stylish production.

The cast do a good enough job of keeping the plot moving fluidly and the healthy financing means that no expense has been spared in the producer's effort to unleash total mayhem on audiences. Jamie King takes us back to the Laurie Strode/Ginny Field era of brave heroines, but somewhat authentically, she also has huge character flaws. The story shares much with its predecessor and Lussier also re-uses many of the scenes that made Mihalka's hit so memorable. This may well be the first slasher remake that actually pays credit to its heritage and unlike Rob Zombie's insulting Halloween re-hash, MBV 3D can sit comfortably alongside its grandfather.



It's not fashionable to give a slasher movie a good review and I can see without looking the piles of one-star write-ups that are cluttering up column-space in the self-righteous brigade's film magazines. I bet that Egbert is having a field day ripping this particular movie to shreds. Agreed, this is not an intellectual film. To be fair, in some places it doesn't even do the basics right and there's some shockingly poor plot holes towards the climax.For a fan of splatter flicks however, this is an hour and a half in paradise and I really enjoyed every moment of this long-overdue gore-soaked extravaganza.

This is not the next Shawshank Redemption and it has no intention of trying to be, so it should be judged on its merits as a gore film and on that level it is everything that you want it to be. Full frontal nudity, buckets of gore and all the things that your mama warned you about rapped up in a tense and riveting thriller with the added bonus of an intelligent twist.



The plot of this horror film is somewhat conventional with Tom Hanniger returning to his hometown in order to heal some past misgivings at the hands of a bloody serial killer. "My Bloody Valentine 3-D," mostly centres on the character of Tom Hanniger, with Sarah and Axel Palmer supporting. Adding enough smaller characters to keep the story complex and creating enough diverging plot lines to keep things tight "My Bloody Valentine 3-D," does a good job of keeping the killer's identity mysterious while piquing viewer's curiosity. Instead of going for a closed box Hollywood ending the film slightly steps it up by leaving the ending open for a sequel. Some of the most successful film franchises come from the horror genre and "My Bloody Valentine 3-D," might be trying to capitalize on future returns by delivering a plot twist that slightly disappoints.

Lighting, environments, and music are all spot on, only the overacting of certain characters distracts from an otherwise excellent horror film. Many of the scenes within "My Bloody Valentine 3-D," take place in darkly lit mine shafts or the interiors of houses, at night and the overall tone feels like a thriller while showing enough gore to entertain horror fans. The music in the film is subtle enough while picking up the pace slightly during action sequences. On the other hand, the musical score of "My Bloody Valentine 3-D," could have been much more eerie in order to build up further tension. The acting of Jaimie King comes off as pretentious and somewhat naive while Kerr Smith, appearing to take his role of a small time sheriff a little too seriously displays some awkwardness. The rest of the actors including veterans; Tom Atkins and Kevin Tighe play their smaller parts well; Jensen Ackles, could have taken a darker approach to his character, in order to truly deliver a role of someone who is struggling with the trauma of past brutal events but the portrayal is still good.



Overall "My Bloody Valentine 3-D," delivers an entertaining ride through dark alleys, mine shafts and the evil minds of writers Todd Farmer and Zane Smith. Slightly on the lighter side of the horror genre this film develops enough jump scares, with the help of three dimensional effects to deliver a fun and fast 101 minutes. See this one with a friend and laugh out loud when a 20' branch comes screaming at your head (and try not to duck)!

My Rating

My Bloody Valentine 3-D : 6.5/10

Gran Torino

• Genre : Crime, Drama, Thriller...
  
• Running time : 116 min.
• Director : Clint Eastwood
  
• Studio : Double Nickel Entertainment
  
• Screenplay : Nick Schenk
  
• Writer : Dave Johannson
  
• Cast : Clint Eastwood, Christopher Carley, Bee Vang, Ahney Her..
  

Now I understand why Clint Eastwood took over the directorial reins for Changeling from Ron Howard (Howard dropped Changeling in order to make Frost/Nixon, instead.)

Eastwood did an excellent job on Changeling, with a genuine feel for the dark subject matter, and guided Angelina Jolie to one of the best performances of her career, to date, significantly expanding her dramatic range.

The film that Eastwood really wanted to make this year, GRAN TORINO, was greenlit by that other deal. This is crucial, since all of the Hmong cast are first-time actors, who were hand picked by Eastwood from cold auditions. Any film with a cast of unknowns can be a tough sell in Hollywood, even with Eastwood helming and starring. (The list of award winning Eastwood films that almost didn't get made is long and very distinguished.) In casting, Eastwood didn't want "thespians." He wanted an honest exactness of performance.

While I really like and respect Changeling, I found Gran Torino to be far more satisfying. Gran Torino is probably *not* the best film of this year, but it is one damn fine entertainment and it fully holds its own in this rich season of films that are up for awards contention.

Gran Torino is an humorous and compelling meditation on the themes of ubiquitous bigotry, culture clash, political refugee immigration/resettlement (and, by way of that, US foreign policy) and Old School, Doing the Right Thing (vs today's more commonplace "situational" ethics). All of this rolled into two, parallel, coming of age stories, served on platters heaping with very real slices of life. The messages crack like jabs, with the sting of truth, and are never too preachy. (Eastwood is one of the few directors who respects the intelligence of his audience. He surprises film goers, always, without ever talking down.)

One coming of age story involves a neighbor kid, Tao Vang Lor (played by Bee Vang), a dirt-poor son of divorced Hmong immigrants (Vietnam war political refugees).

Tao lives with his mother, sister and grandmother, next door to Walt Kowalski (Eastwood). Walt insists upon calling Tao, "Toad" (initially, with some good reason). Tao's sister, Sue, (a scene stealing Ahney Her), is spontaneously outgoing and engaging with Walt, and confides to Walt that Tao is growing up without any proper male role models in his life. In fact, Tao is in the midst of confronting the grim prospects of either being recruited into his bad-seed cousin's gang or becoming a permanent victim of said 'bangers.

The less obvious coming of age story revolves around Walt Kowalski, a recently widowed Korean War veteran. Walt's Polish ancestry seems to serve no purpose other than to establish him as "ethnic" white, living in a dog-eared neighborhood of ongoing immigration stories. Walt is a curmudgeon, who lacks basic "people skills" with even his own family, let alone the world around him. But he has managed his way though life, fine enough, up to the opening of the film's story.

Just about every review I've read about Gran Torino describes Eastwood's Kowalski as a "racist Korean War veteran," which misses one of the major points raised in the film -- that bigotry in the US is deeply ingrained in every niche of society. None of us is innocent or absolved of anything in this regard and the film is very frank about this point. Initially, this serves as nothing more than a source for shock humor, but Eastwood finds a way to subvert this into a message of tough-love hope.

The gang life incursions into the story are very true to life. Gangs are always either recruiting new cannon fodder or marking new victims. If parents seeing this film had no clue about this, they ought to start finding ways to open up ongoing lines of discussion with their kids about what's really happening, day-to-day, at school, in the playground and elsewhere. Most of the time, kids like Tao, just internalize all of these pressures, hoping that they won't be picked on, and otherwise feeling powerless. None of us should ever kid ourselves about *all* kids, not just some kids, being "at risk."

(As for the non-white, poly-ethnicity of Kowalski's part of town, the disbelievers of the authenticity of that have only been exposed to the rarefied 'hoods of mainstream Hollywood. I can name any number of mid-to-small cities/towns where the exact mix and flavors in Gran Torino are very real. You don't have to live in a 'hood to pass through and/or stake out an occasional corner on which to hang. The latino and black "presence" in the film never implied that they lived in that neighborhood, although they were obviously trolling for victims. Perps who don't intend to be caught *rarely* hunt in their own backyards.)

Walt knows that he's dead set in his ways, not all of them "bad," but not most of them "good." Beyond the confines of his own property line, Walt may be a little more effective than Tao, out in the real world, but, he too is, in many ways, powerless to change the way most things are. Nevertheless, in getting to know Tao, Sue and the extended Hmong community to which the Lors belong, Walt discovers that his Fort Apache ways don't work anymore. Walt realizes that he has yet to finally come of age, too. (Some will call this "atonement." I call it "growing up, again, at 78." Both are spot on.)

Mr. Eastwood has a knack for storytelling. Instead of being preachy or having an all to obvious agenda, he lets his viewers make up their own minds. His characters don't have a message, they have a life and make no excuses for what they are. In so many subtle and intelligent ways we are allowed to make our own choices. Like with Kowalski in the movie, you are not confronted with a role model hammering home all those "life's important messages", but rather with a movie saying "Look! This is the way it worked out for me. And I think I know a few tricks that might help you, but in the end it's your own life. However, you have to trust me when I say that there are a some things you don't want to see or experience!". Some people will leave this movie entirely untouched, others will certainly be crying their guts out. Not because some people "get it" and others "don't", but because it is a brilliant piece of entertainment reaching out to every viewer in its own specific way.

This film will make you laugh. It may even make you cry. But it might also make you think about some stuff you thought you were long ago done with thinking about.

People at the screening I attended were so startled at the end that there was a significant moment of silence before applause finally broke out.

Gran Torino is another lovely present from Clint Eastwood. Don't miss it.

My Rating

Gran Torino : 8.4/10